Neuropsychologic impairment in adults with brain tumors.
Neuropsychologic studies were performed in 49 adult patients with primary intracranial tumors following surgery and radiation therapy. In the absence of computed tomography (CT) scan evidence of tumor recurrence or neurologic disorders, patients' intellectual functioning was tested once (49 patients), twice (18 patients), or three times (5 patients) by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale (WAIS) between 1.5 and 110 months after the beginning of irradiation. Full scale IQ (FSIQ) and deterioration coefficient (DC) were evaluated. Time elapsed from treatment to initial evaluation (vertical study) determined three statistically different patient groups. During the first 4 months, DC and FSIQ did not differ from a normal population. From 5 to 30 months, there appeared a significant probability of intellectual deterioration (p = 0.01), whereas median FSIQ remained at a normal level. Beyond 30 months, deterioration disappeared in terms of DC, but median FSIQ fell (p = 0.01). Second and third evaluations (horizontal study) confirmed the initial evaluation. Nevertheless, later recovery from FSIQ impairment was seen in 4 of 5 patients who were less than 30 years old and in 2 patients between 30 and 50 years of age who returned to work early after treatment. We believe that early neuropsychologic testing to detect early psychologic impairment is needed in all adult patients treated for brain tumors, especially in younger patients. Psychologic assistance and an early return to work may be beneficial.


Body weight-dependent Rubidium-82 activity results in constant image quality in myocardial perfusion imaging with PET.
Clinical practice shows degrading image quality in heavier patients who undergo myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with Rubidium-82 (Rb-82) PET when using a fixed tracer activity. Our aim was to derive and validate a patient-specific activity protocol resulting in a constant image quality in PET MPI. We included 251 patients who underwent rest MPI with Rb-82 PET (Discovery 670, GE Healthcare). 132 patients were included retrospectively and were scanned using a fixed activity of 740 MBq. The total number of measured prompts was normalized to activity and correlated to body weight, mass per body length and body mass index to find the best predicting parameter. Next, a patient-specific activity was derived and subsequently validated in 119 additional patients. Image quality was scored by three experts on a four-point scale. Both image quality and prompts decreased in heavier patients when using a fixed activity (p < .005). Body weight was used to derive a new activity formula: Activity = 8.3 MBq/kg. When applying this formula, both measured prompts and scored image quality became independent of body weight (p > .60). Administrating a Rb-82 activity that linearly depends on body weight resulted in a constant image quality across all patients and is recommended.


Dietary self-selection vs. complete diet: body weight gain and meal pattern in rats.
Food intake and body weight gain of male adult Wistar rats were examined in two groups of animals. One group (n = 14) was allowed to select its diet from separate sources of protein (casein, 3.1 kcal/g), fat (lard and sunflower oil, 7.9 kcal/g) and carbohydrate (CHO, starch and sucrose, 3.3 kcal/g). Another group (n = 10) received a nutritionally complete diet (3.3 kcal/g). After 2 weeks of adaptation to the diets, body weights and meal patterns were recorded for at least 4 days. The total caloric intake was nearly identical for the two groups of rats. Rats given dietary choice gained less weight over 4 days than rats fed chow and showed reduced feed efficiency. During the 24-h period, self-selecting rats consumed 20.8% of calories as proteins, 21% as fats and 58.2% as CHO. Self-selecting rats ate significantly less calories during the day than did rats given chow. The chow diet consisting of 17.3% calories as protein, 7.6% as fat and 75.1% as CHO. When comparing the self-selecting group nutrient intakes to those of chow-fed group it was observed that 24-h protein calorie intakes were identical in both groups. Fat intake was significantly higher and CHO reduced as compared to chow-fed rats. During the day, CHO intake was higher in self-selecting rats, and fat intake was not significantly reduced. During the night, protein and fat intakes were significantly higher in self-selecting rats, while CHO intake was significantly decreased, particularly in the last periods of the night.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Writing the names: marriage style, living arrangements, and first birth interval in a Nepali society.
Using data from a Nepali population, this analysis argues that marriage style and postmarital living arrangements affect coital frequency to produce variations in the timing of first birth after marriage. Event history analysis of the first birth interval for 149 women suggests that women's autonomy in marriage decisions and marriage to cross-cousins accelerate the pace of entry into first birth. Extended-household residence with reduced natal kin contact, on the other hand, significantly lengthens the first birth interval. These findings are consistent with previous arguments in the literature while offering new evidence for the impact of extended-family residence on fertility.


Derived guinea pig compound VIIIth nerve action potentials to continuous pure tones.
A technique is described which verifies neural activity to a very faint continuous sine wave through subtraction of two different far-field whole nerve action potentials from one another. A brief transient is presented to an animal in order to elicit a supra-threshold action potential. The technique is then repeated, but on the second trial a near-threshold sine wave is mixed with the transient and another action potential is collected. The resultant evoked is then subtracted from the evoked potential generated by the transient alone and a small but persistent difference potential is acquired that presumably represents the unit activity occupied by the continuous sine wave. Four experiments are presented to show the validity of this technique, along with a surprising stability of the derived-response latency despite a 30 dB range of the probes. The technique may have promise in predicting behavioral responses to sinusoids acquired from individual animals.


Immunomodulation of liver injury by Ascaris suum extract in an experimental model of autoimmune hepatitis.
Adult worm extract from Ascaris suum (Asc) has immunosuppressive activity and elicits Th2/IL-4/IL-10 response. This study evaluated the prophylactic and therapeutic effect of Asc in a murine model of concanavalin A (ConA)-induced autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). BALB/c mice received ConA, iv, (20 mg/kg), and three groups of animals were formed: (1) AIH, received only ConA; (2) AIH + Asc prophylactic, treated with Asc (1 mg/ml), ip, 30 min before of the AIH; and (3) AIH + Asc therapeutic, treated with Asc 2 h after the AIH. Plasma transaminase and immunoglobulins (measured at 8 and 24 h and 7 days after treatment) and cytokine production (IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, and IFN-γ) by splenocytes upon ConA and Asc stimulus were compared. The livers were weighed and examined histologically. In the AIH group, there was an increase in liver weight, transaminase levels, and total immunoglobulins. These parameters were reduced by 8-24 h and 7 days in the prophylactic group, but in the therapeutic group, only on day 7. The survival rate of mice in the AIH group was 38.5%, compared to 67% in the therapeutic Asc group. The survival rate of the animals with AIH that were prophylactically treated with Asc was 100%. A decrease of cellular infiltration and high levels of IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13 were induced by Asc. An increase of liver fibrosis was also observed, but with less intensity with prophylactic treatment. Thus, the Ascaris components have an inhibitory effect on AIH, with an intense Th2 immune response.


[Minimal pulmonary regurgitation (pulsed Doppler echocardiography findings) in the absence of pulmonary valve defect].
A diastolic turbulent flow of pulmonary regurgitation with the maximum velocity of no more than 1.5 m/sec and prevalence in the exit portion of the right ventricle up to 17 mm was detected in 36 patients with cardiac and pulmonary diseases and apparently healthy individuals without organic pulmonary valve lesion and diastolic localization at the respective site, by using pulsed Doppler echocardiography. The highest diastolic transpulmonary pressure gradient estimated by a modified Bernulli's equation was no more than 9 mm Hg (within the range of normal values for diastolic pulmonary artery-right ventricle pressure gradient). Asymptomatic subclinical pulmonary regurgitation of physiological and functional nature without substantial hemodynamic significance which has been detected in these patients cannot be regarded as a manifestation of pulmonary valve defect.


Speed and knowledge as determinants of adult age differences in verbal tasks.
Two studies were conducted to determine the relative importance of processing speed and knowledge as predictors of performance in simple verbal tasks within samples of young and old adults. Eight different criterion tasks were investigated, and performance on each was found to be significantly related both to speed of processing and to quantity of word knowledge. It was also discovered that although young adults were faster than old adults and that old adults were equal or superior to young adults in relevant knowledge, the same regression equations could be used to predict criterion performance in both groups. These results therefore suggest that any age-related compensation that exists in these tasks is rather weak, in the sense that speed and knowledge appear to have the same importance in young and old adults, and only the average levels of the predictors differ as a function of age.


Transsphenoidal microsurgery for tumors of the hypophysis.
The microsurgical transsphenoidal approach is the authors' procedure of choice in the operative management of pituitary tumors. The literature supports their recommendation.


The mechanosensory apparatus of the femoral tactile spine of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana.
Tactile spines are large cuticular sense organs that appear to provide insects with a sense of touch which is spatially coarse but of great sensitivity. Cockroach legs have a number of these spines on each leg and a particularly prominent spine on the end of each femur, the femoral tactile spine. The ease of recording afferent activity from this spine during mechanical stimulation has made it one of the most thoroughly studied insect mechanoreceptors and yet it has never been examined by electron microscopy. We report here the results of an examination of the femoral tactile spine by both scanning and transmission electron microscopy, as well as by light microscopy. The spine is shown to be innervated by a single sensory bipolar neuron with its soma located in the base of the spine. A canal through the wall of the spine leads to the outside and emerges just above the junction between the base of the spine and its articulating socket membrane. The sensory dendrite of the neuron passes from the soma through this canal and forms a modified ciliary sensory ending with the typical dendritic sheath and dense tubular body that is characteristic of insect mechanosensory cuticular sensilla. The tubular body is embedded in a cuticular terminal plug which closes the exterior end of the canal but appears to be fastened to the spine by a very flexible ring of cuticle. This plug is connected to the socket membrane by a specialized socket attachment which presumably serves to move the plug relative to the wall of the spine during movement of the spine within the socket. The morphology of this sensillum is discussed in terms of the possible ways in which it is stimulated by movements of the spine and also in light of the dynamic behaviour of the receptor which is now very well described.


[Identification by phage, biochemistry and serology of Salmonellae isolated in the province of Aquila and their resistance to antibiotics].
From 1036 coprocolture, coming from hospital subjects and non hospital subjects in the municipality of L'Aquila, are been isolated 18 stocks of Salmonellae through research with phage 0-1, biochemist and serologique. The phage 0-1, confirming the present data in literature, hasn't shown activity towards 2 stocks. The active antibiotics, according to Kirby-Bauer, have resulted to be the Cloramfenicola and the Gentamicina; the Tetracicline haven't resulted active.


Effect of maternal immunotherapy on immediate skin test reactivity, specific rye I IgG and IgE antibody, and total IgE of the children.
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.


FMRI evidence for a 'parietal reach region' in the human brain.
Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine activation in the posterior parietal cortex when subjects made pointing movements or saccades to the same spatial location. One region, well positioned to be homologous to the monkey parietal reach region (PRR), responded preferentially during memory-delay trials in which the subject planned to point to a specific location as compared to trials in which the subject planned to make a saccade to that same location. We therefore conclude that activation in this region is related to specific motor intent; i.e. it encodes information related to the subject's intention to make a specific movement to a particular spatial location.


20th meeting of the European neurological society, 19-23 june 2010, berlin, Germany.
More than 3000 neurologists attended the 20th Meeting of the European Neurological Society (ENS) and participated in the exciting and highly scientific programme. Eighty per cent of the submitted abstracts, which covered all aspects of neurology, were accepted. One major symposium, 16 oral presentations and 112 posters on multiple sclerosis (MS) were included in the programme. Additionally, there were three teaching courses and one interactive case presentation on MS.


Potentiating effect of an endocrine disruptor, paranonylphenol, on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human venous blood -- association with the activation of signal transduction pathway.
An endocrine disruptor, para-nonylphenol (NP), caused a dose-dependent stimulatory effect on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human whole blood from 50 to 1000 microM, which was measured by chemiluminescence generation. ROS-scavenging enzymes such as catalase and superoxide dismutase, and the lipophilic antioxidative agents, alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene, showed preventive effects on NP-induced ROS generation. To analyze the biochemical mechanism of NP-induced ROS generation in human blood, we investigated the effects of different types of metabolic inhibitors on the activation pathways of ROS generation. An NADPH-dependent oxidase inhibitor, diphenyl iodonium chloride (DPI), and a myeloperoxidase inhibitor, sodium azide (NaN3), showed remarkable inhibitory effects on ROS generation induced by NP, but an inhibitor against mitochondrial respiratory function, potassium cyanide (KCN), did not exhibit a significant effect. Furthermore, a phosphatidylinositol-3 (PI3) kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, and a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, protein phosphorylation inhibitor 1 (PP1), caused a strong suppression of NP-induced ROS generation. Selective protein kinase C inhibitor, Ro-32-0432, p38 MAP kinase inhibitor, SB-203580, and ERK MAP kinase inhibitor, PD 98059, showed significant suppressive effects on NP-induced ROS generation. In addition, when human blood was exposed to lower concentrations (5-50 microM) of NP, they did not cause the significant ROS generation by themselves, but the priming and synergistic effects of NP were detected by the addition of secondary stimulants, opsonized zymosan (OZ) or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). The analysis of the priming and synergistic effects of NP on OZ- or PMA-dependent ROS generation by antioxidative substances and metabolic inhibitors showed similar results compared with those of human blood treated with NP alone. These results suggest that NP causes an enhancing effect by itself, or priming and synergistic effects on ROS generation in human blood with other inflammatory stimulants through the activation of signal transduction pathways such as protein kinase cascades.


Evaluation of antineoplastic drug exposure of health care workers at three university-based US cancer centers.
This study evaluated health care worker exposure to antineoplastic drugs. A cross-sectional study examined environmental samples from pharmacy and nursing areas. A 6-week diary documented tasks involving those drugs. Urine was analyzed for two specific drugs, and blood samples were analyzed by the comet assay. Sixty-eight exposed and 53 nonexposed workers were studied. Exposed workers recorded 10,000 drug-handling events during the 6-week period. Sixty percent of wipe samples were positive for at least one of the five drugs measured. Cyclophosphamide was most commonly detected, followed by 5-fluorouracil. Three of the 68 urine samples were positive for one drug. No genetic damage was detected in exposed workers using the comet assay. Despite following recommended safe-handling practices, workplace contamination with antineoplastic drugs in pharmacy and nursing areas continues at these locations.


Abnormal electroretinogram and abnormal electrooculogram after lightning-induced ocular injury.
To report a case of abnormal electrooculogram and abnormal electroretinogram after lightning-induced ocular injury. Interventional case report. A 39-year-old man was struck on the left forehead by a bolt of lightning. After resuscitation, he regained consciousness. Ophthalmic examination disclosed a best-corrected visual acuity of right eye (RE): 20/25 and left eye (LE): 20/50, burned eyelashes, punctate keratitis, iridocyclitis, anterior subcapsular lens opacity, missing foveolar reflex, and macular pigment epithelial defect LE. Fluorescein angiography revealed only an area of punctate leaking in the left eye. Electrooculogram showed reduced amplitudes, in the left eye. Arden ratio was RE: 2.04 and LE: 1.52. The amplitudes of scotopic and photopic electroretinogram b-waves were reduced in the left eye. After uneventful cataract surgery in the left eye, the follow-up electrooculogram and electroretinogram still showed reduced amplitude in the left eye. Lightning is an uncommon cause of ocular injury. This is the first report of abnormal electro-oculogram and abnormal electroretinogram after lightning-induced ocular injury.


Regional metabolite concentrations in the brain of healthy dogs measured by use of short echo time, single voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3.0 Tesla.
To investigate regional differences of relative metabolite concentrations in the brain of healthy dogs with short echo time, single voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H MRS) at 3.0 T. 10 Beagles. Short echo time, single voxel (1)H MRS was performed at the level of the right and left basal ganglia, right and left thalamus, right and left parietal lobes, occipital lobe, and cerebellum. Data were analyzed with an automated fitting method (linear combination model). Metabolite concentrations relative to water content were obtained, including N-acetyl aspartate, total choline, creatine, myoinositol, the sum of glutamine and glutamate (glutamine-glutamate complex), and glutathione. Metabolite ratios with creatine as the reference metabolite were calculated. Concentration differences between right and left hemispheres and sexes were evaluated with a Wilcoxon signed rank test and among various regions of the brain with an independent t test and 1-way ANOVA. No significant differences were detected between sexes and right and left hemispheres. All metabolites, except the glutamine-glutamate complex and glutathione, had regional concentrations that differed significantly. The creatine concentration was highest in the basal ganglia and cerebellum and lowest in the parietal lobes. The N-acetyl aspartate concentration was highest in the parietal lobes and lowest in the cerebellum. Total choline concentration was highest in the basal ganglia and lowest in the occipital lobe. Metabolite concentrations differed among brain parenchymal regions in healthy dogs. This study may provide reference values for clinical and research studies involving (1)H MRS performed at 3.0 T.


Social-medical aspects of cystic fibrosis in Norway. III. The education and occupation of mothers.
On the basis of questionnaires answered by the parents of 90 children with cystic fibrosis (CF) an analysis has been made of the education situation and the professional activity of the mothers of children with CF. The findings are compared with those obtained from mothers without CF children and with those of the fathers of CF children. There are striking differences between the CF mothers and the controls with regard to their possibility of having a career. Even greater differences are evident when the mothers in families with CF children are compared with the fathers in the same families. The education and professional career of the fathers of CF children are generally not influenced by having a chronically disabled child to care for, whereas the mothers to a large extent have felt compelled to give up their education or their professional career.


Millimeter-sized neural building blocks for 3D heterogeneous neural network assembly.
A millimeter-sized neural building block (NBB) shows high versatility to form a 3D heterogeneous neural component. A millimeter-sized 3D neural network between heterogeneous neural tissues is established, and an efficient technique is then developed to observe the spatiotemporal metrological changes of single neuron in the NBB. This technique allows the visualization of axonal extension, dendritic branching, and morphological changes of presynaptic components and synapses in real time.


Liquefactive panniculitis in the inguinal area as the first sign of chronic renal brucellosis.
We describe an 82-year-old woman with an acute panniculitis in the left groin as the first sign of chronic renal brucellosis. She was afebrile and had a large erythematoviolaceous plaque with ulceration and liquefaction of the subcutaneous tissue. Histopathologic study showed a septal and lobular panniculitis with neutrophil infiltration, hemorrhage, and necrosis. Microbiologic cultures of a skin biopsy specimen, blood, and urine were negative. A computed tomography scan showed a left "mastic" kidney with a psoas abscess extending to the left inguinal region. The microbiologic culture of the removed renal mass and the serologic tests established the diagnosis of chronic renal brucellosis. Although the clinical picture of cold abscesses in the inguinal area classically suggests a tuberculosis, brucellosis should be included in the differential diagnosis.


Fear patterns: a new approach to designing road safety advertisements.
This research studies fear patterns within fear appeal anti-speeding television commercials. A pattern of fear is the sequence of fear arousal and fear reduction, if any, that is felt by the viewing audience when exposed to a fear appeal advertisement. Many road safety advertisers use fear appeals, such as "shock" advertising, that result in fear arousal, leaving the viewer feeling extremely tense. The moment-to-moment reactions of young drivers to 12 road safety commercials are gauged using a dynamic, temporal measure of fear. The fear patterns generated from each ad are analyzed and a new perspective on creating fear appeal road safety advertisements, with an emphasis on fear-relief, fear-partial relief, and fear-only patterns, is discussed.


Rhabdomyoblastic pulmonary lesions in a patient with Wilms tumor: choristomas or metastases?
New lesions that occur while patients are receiving treatment for malignant tumors may represent not only difficulties in arriving at the correct diagnosis, but also impact on subsequent therapeutic options. We encountered a patient developing new pulmonary lesions during and after receiving treatment for Stage II Wilms tumor (WT). The presence of mature rhabdomyoblasts in multiple biopsy specimens allowed rational decisions to be made regarding subsequent therapy. This and other published experiences suggest that patients with WT may develop choristomas or have tumors, which undergo cytodifferentiation. Methodologies are now available allowing differentiation of these two processes.


High-resolution NMR imaging of objects with dipolar-broadened spectra.
It is shown that, in some substances with dipolar-broadened conventional NMR spectra, it is possible to use long-lived coherent response signals, excited by long and weak radiofrequency pulses, for producing NMR images with high spatial resolution. Compared to other techniques, the method does not require high field gradients or strong radiofrequency fields, and therefore, can be applied to large objects.


Pure tone habituation gradients based on responsiveness to electrical stimuli.
Previous study demonstrated that responsiveness to electrical stimulation of subcortical areas of cats was enhanced if preceded by a tone pip. Habituation occurred when the tone was repeatedly presented. In this study, the capacity for generalization of a habituated tone was measured by occasionally interpolating a tone of different frequency or intensity among a group of monotonously presented standard tones, measuring responsiveness in each case. The responses were: (1) the visual cortical evoked potential, (2) evoked EMG activity, and (3) evoked head movement. Frequency shifts and intensity increases produced recovery of responsiveness at latencies as short as 90 msec, while decreases had no effect on recovery. Responsiveness increased with degree of frequency shift up to 576 Hz, but showed no further increase for greater shifts up to 2304 Hz. A shift of 16 Hz was effective, comparable to behavioral thresholds for frequency discrimination. Thus, these gradients agreed with the form predicted on the basis of central fatigue models of habituation and the bandwidth of the eighth nerve fibers.


Efficacy of budesonide therapy in the early phase of treatment of adult coeliac disease patients with malabsorption: an in vivo/in vitro pilot study.
1. Budesonide is a glucocorticosteroid with a local anti-inflammatory effect. Coeliac disease is an immune-mediated disease caused by gluten ingestion in intolerant patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of budesonide in malabsorptive coeliac patients and its effect in an in vitro gliadin challenge. 2. Twenty coeliac patients with malabsorption were enrolled in the present study and were randomly assigned to one of two 4 week treatments: (i) a gluten-free diet alone; or (ii) a gluten-free diet plus 6 mg budesonide daily. At the end of 4 weeks treatment, all patients underwent clinical evaluation, laboratory tests and self-evaluation of well-being using a visual analogue scale. Intestinal biopsies from five coeliac patients (selected randomly) and four non-coeliac disease controls who underwent upper endoscopy for intestinal bleeding were challenged with gliadin (0.5 mg/mL) and budesonide (10-30 microg/mL) for 3 and 24 h. Biopsies were tested by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence for known markers of inflammation. 3. Treatment of patients with 6 mg budesonide daily for 4 weeks resulted in increased bodyweight, a decreased number of evacuations and decreased stool weight compared with patients on a gluten-free diet alone for 4 weeks. Well-being scores were higher in patients treated with both a gluten-free diet and budesonide compared with those receiving a gluten-free diet alone. 4. In vitro studies showed that budesonide reduced epithelial tyrosine phosphorylation and expression of histocompatibility leucocyte antigen complex DR (HLA-DR) elicited by gliadin-derived peptides. In addition, the expression of cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 in the lamina propria was reduced in patients treated with both gliadin and budesonide compared with patients treated with gliadin alone. Budesonide alone decreased HLA-DR in crypt enterocytes, as well as ICAM-1 and COX-2 expression in the lamina propria of biopsy specimen of coeliac patients. Budesonide had no effect in control samples. 5. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that budesonide shows efficacy in the treatment of symptoms in adult coeliac patients with overt malabsorption. The mechanism underlying the effects of budesonide in reducing symptoms was elucidated by in vitro studies involving a gliadin challenge.


Donor-acceptor type random copolymers for full visible light absorption.
Copolymerization towards obtaining full visible light absorption is highlighted. Randomly distributed segments of different oligomers resulted in neutral state black copolymers. Solution processability and highly transmissive gray oxidized states make copolymers great candidates to be used in low cost flexible organic electronics.


Diagnostic utility of oxidative damage markers for early rheumatoid arthritis in non-smokers and negative anti-CCP patients.
Besides the development of new markers and diagnostic criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), many patients are still diagnosed after several years of symptoms. Oxidative stress markers are already increased at an early stage of RA. Our aim was to evaluate the additional diagnostic value of these markers. A case-control study was performed. Patients met the 1987 RA ACR criteria, less than 2 years of symptoms and no previous treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD), steroids or vitamin E. Controls were selected from patient's relatives and matched (1:1) by gender, age, and current smoking habit. Oxidative damage markers were malonyldialdehyde (MDA), Lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) and Carbonyl proteins (CP). Statistical analysis was performed in agreement with the STARD initiative. Sixty-five RA patients without treatment and 65 healthy controls were included. LOOH, CP, antibodies against citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) were significantly higher in patients, and MDA higher in controls. The same results were obtained in the subgroups of patients who smoke or not, and in anti-CCP positive or negative. The diagnosis performance of traditional markers showed good specificity but low sensitivity. The addition of LOOH and CP increased the sensitivity and the area under the receiving operating characteristic (ROC) curve especially in non-smoking (66%) and negative anti-CCP (51%) patients. The separate or combined addition of LOOH or CP to the traditional disease markers improved the diagnosis of RA, especially in non-smoking or negative anti-CCP patients.


Colectomy for constipation: physiologic investigation is the key to success.
The results of total abdominal colectomy (TAC) with ileorectal anastomosis as a treatment for colonic inertia (CI) were prospectively assessed. One hundred sixty-three patients were evaluated for chronic constipation between July 1988 and November 1990. Patients underwent pancolonic transit times, anorectal manometry, cinedefecography (CD), and electromyography (EMG). CI was defined as diffuse marker delay on transit study without evidence of puborectalis contraction on CD or EMG. Sixteen patients (10 percent; 15 females and 1 male) with a mean age of 45 years (range, 24-75 years) with CI underwent TAC. Preoperative bowel frequency ranged from three per week to one per month; all 16 patients evacuated only with high doses of laxatives, enemas, or both. TAC was performed with no postoperative mortality or major morbidity; three patients were readmitted four times for successful conservative treatment of partial small bowel obstruction. At a mean follow-up of 15 months (range, 2-35 months), these 16 patients reported a mean frequency of spontaneous bowel evacuations of 3.5 per day (range, one to six per day). Patient satisfaction with the operation was "excellent" or "good" in 15 cases (94 percent). Thorough preoperative physiologic evaluation permits the selection of a small group of patients with CI who may benefit tremendously from TAC.


Increase of stability in external fracture fixation by hydroxyapatite-coated bone screws.
A major problem in fracture treatment by external fixation is screw loosening, which often results in reduced stability and can lead to prolonged treatment. A load-carrying experiment was conducted to determine whether coating implants with bioactive hydroxyapatite (HA) increases screw stability. Twelve HA-coated ASIF screws with 3 different macroporosities were inserted in 12 sheep that had already been fitted with a 6-pin external fixator for the treatment of a tibial osteotomy. The same number of uncoated polished steel screws served as controls. Although initial stability was not different for HA-coated screws, average removal torque after a 9-week implantation period increased with increasing macroporosity of the HA coating (p < .002). Instability of some screws was accompanied by histologic findings of cartilagenous tissue and proliferation of periosteal callus. Near the threads in the tibial cortex and in the shaft area of the screw were seen large numbers of HA particles that had been sheared off during implantation as well as during screw removal because of high contact forces between the HA coating and bone. Particulate debris of HA particles as well as the release of small bone fragments during explanation is likely to be unavoidable since HA adherence to bone is greater than adherence to steel after several weeks of implantation.


Language disturbances from mesencephalo-thalamic infarcts. Identification of thalamic nuclei by CT-reconstructions.
The authors report the cases of two patients with CT-documented paramedian mesencephalo-thalamic infarcts, showing language disturbances. The first patient showed a non fluent, transcortical motor-like aphasia, the other had a fluent but severely paraphasic language disorder. The CT study disclosed that it was the dorso-median thalamic nucleus that was mostly involved in both cases. These findings agree with a few previous pathological studies suggesting that the paramedian thalamic nuclei, particularly the dorso-median nucleus may play some role in language disturbances. However the anatomical basis for thalamic aphasia remains speculative, taking into account the importance of cortical connections in the origin of subcortical neuropsychological disturbances.


Microbial transformation of 17 alpha-cyanomethyl-17-hydroxy-4,9-estradien-3-one (STS 557) and 17 alpha-cyanomethyl-19-nortestosterone by Mycobacterium smegmatis.
Microbial transformation of the new progestagen STS 557 (17 alpha-cyanomethyl-17-hydroxy-4,9-estradien-3-one) by Mycobacterium smegmatis yielded predominantly ring A-aromatized compounds: 17 alpha-cyanomethyl-1,3,5(10),9(11)-estratetraene-3, 17-diol, 17 alpha-cyanomethyl-1,3,5(10)-estratriene-3,17-diol and the corresponding 3-methyl ethers. The analogous compound without the 9(10) double bond, 17 alpha-cyanomethyl-19-nortestosterone, was transformed mainly to 5 alpha-hydrogenated metabolites: 17 alpha-cyanomethyl-17-hydroxy-5 alpha-estran-3-one, 17 alpha-cyanomethyl-17-hydroxy-5 alpha-1-estren-3-one, 17 alpha-cyanomethyl-5 alpha-estrane-3 alpha, 17-diol, and 17 alpha-cyanomethyl-5 alpha-estrane-3 beta, 17-diol. From these results, it is concluded that 4,9-dien-3-oxo compounds are not substrates for enzymatic 5 alpha-hydrogenation.


Folate-synthesizing enzyme system as target for development of inhibitors and inhibitor combinations against Candida albicans-synthesis and biological activity of new 2,4-diaminopyrimidines and 4'-substituted 4-aminodiphenyl sulfones.
The paper describes the design, synthesis, and testing of inhibitors of folate-synthesizing enzymes and of whole cell cultures of Candida albicans. The target enzymes used were dihydropteroic acid synthase (SYN) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Several series of new 2,4-diaminopyrimidines were synthesized and tested as inhibitors of DHFR and compared with their activity against DHFR derived from mycobacteria and Escherichia coli. To test for selectivity, also rat DHFR was used. A series of substituted 4-aminodiphenyl sulfones was tested for inhibitory activity against SYN and the I(50) values compared to those obtained previously against Plasmodium berghei- and E. coli-derived SYN. Surprisingly, QSAR equations show very similar structural dependencies. To find an explanation for the large difference in the I(50) values observed for enzyme inhibition (SYN, DHFR) and for inhibition of cell cultures of Candida, mutant strains with overexpressed efflux pumps and strains in which such pumps are deleted were included in the study and the MICs compared. Efflux pumps were responsible for the low activity of some of the tested derivatives, others showed no increase in activity after pumps were knocked out. In this case it may be speculated that these derivatives are not able to enter the cells.


[The development of functional gastrointestinal diseases: Genetic aspects].
Motility disorders of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract encompass a very wide range of structurally different diseases. Functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders in clinical practice. In spite of the considerable prevalence of these functional diseases, the knowledge of their development mechanisms is very scarce. Recent investigations of the impact of the motor and sensory components of the pathogenesis of these diseases have demonstrated that the development of IBS is associated with serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) impairment and that the patients with IBS show the inadequate response to nonselective cannabinoid receptor agonists, which is caused by cannabinoid receptor gene (CNR1) polymorphism. Most investigations (mainly trials with small sample sizes) dealing with the identification of pharmacogenetic features have indicated that there is a preponderance of patients with intermediary metabolism among those with functional gastrointestinal diseases. However, larger investigations are necessary for a more exact understanding of this aspect.


Attenuation of ischemic renal injury with fructose 1,6-diphosphate.
Fructose 1,6-diphosphate (FDP) has been shown to attenuate tissue injury associated with ischemia and shock by enhancing the anaerobic carbohydrate utilization and by inhibiting oxygen-free-radical generation by the neutrophils. Previously, we have reported that FDP prevents ischemic renal failure if administered prior to the ischemic insult. The present study was designed to determine whether this agent could prevent renal damage when administered during the postischemic reperfusion period. Rats were subjected to 30 min of bilateral renal artery occlusion and infused with FDP (350 mg/kg body wt) beginning 10 min after release of the renal artery clamps. Control rats received an equal volume of glucose/saline solution. A third group of rats were sham operated. Twenty-four hours after injury, BUN, creatinine, and fractional sodium excretion values were less in FDP-treated rats than in control rats (P less than 0.001, P less than 0.005, and P less than 0.001, respectively) and not different from values observed in sham-operated rats. Inulin clearance was greater (P less than 0.001) in FDP-treated rats than in control rats (665 +/- 38 microliters/min/g kidney wt). Renal histology was also better preserved in the FDP-treated group. These data suggest that FDP infused after the initiation of an acute ischemic insult provides significant, but not complete, functional and histologic protection from renal damage.


[Comparative validation study between the ELISA and RIFI techniques for diagnosing Leishmania sp in stray dogs caught in the municipality of Campos de Goytacazes, State of Rio de Janeiro].
A survey was carried out aiming to verify the ELISA test effectiveness for detecting antibodies against Leishmania sp in dogs, comparing with RIFI human pattern and for investigating sorological zoonosis situation in the microregion. An accordance about 97.6% considered strong was reported.


Sexual systems and life history of barnacles: a theoretical perspective.
Thoracican barnacles show one of the most diverse sexual systems in animals: hermaphroditism, dioecy (males and females), and androdioecy (males and hermaphrodites). In addition, when present, male barnacles are very small and are called "dwarf males". The diverse sexual systems and male dwarfism in this taxon have attracted both theoretical and empirical biologists. In this article, we review the theoretical studies on barnacles' sexual systems in the context of sex allocation and life history theories. We first introduce the sex allocation models by Charnov, especially in relation to the mating group size, and a new expansion of his models is also proposed. We then explain three studies by Yamaguchi et al., who have studied the interaction between sex allocation and life history in barnacles. These studies consistently showed that limited mating opportunity favors androdioecy and dioecy over hermaphroditism. In addition, other factors, such as rates of survival and availability of food, are also important. We discuss the importance of empirical studies testing these predictions and how empirical studies interact with theoretical constructs.


T lymphocyte immunity to reovirus: cellular requirements for generation and role in clearance of primary infections.
The cellular requirements for the development of an immune response to reovirus type 1 and the role of such a response in the clearance of a primary infection with that virus were explored. An Ia-bearing antigen-presenting cell requirement is demonstrated for the in vitro generation of secondary anti-reovirus cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL). It is then shown that mice whose spleens are depleted of Ia-bearing adherent cells by exposure in vivo to ultraviolet (UV) radiation exhibit depressed priming for reovirus-specific T lymphocyte function-CTL generation, delayed-type hypersensitivity reactivity, and T cell proliferative responsiveness. These UV-irradiated mice clear primary systemic reovirus infections as readily as normal mice. Further, athymic 'nude' mice show no defect in their ability to clear a reovirus infection. The implications of these findings for our understanding of the role of virus-specific T cell function in the clearance of systemic viral infections are discussed.


[Autoradiographic studies of the distribution of 14C-endralazine in the mouse].
In a macroautoradiographic study in pregnant and nonpregnant mice the distribution pattern of 14C-Endralazine (6-Benzoyl-3-hydrazino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido(4,3-c)-pyridazine- mesilate), a new direct vasodilator drug, was investigated, since earlier studies with minoxidil and hydralazine had shown apparent discrepancies between the relatively short elimination-half-life and the long pharmacological effect of the drugs. After a single oral administration of 5 mg/kg 14C-endralazine the initial high amounts of radioactivity in the gastro-intestinal tract, the kidneys and the liver continuously decreased in the course of the 2nd to the 8th hour after application. 24 h after administration the drug was nearly completely eliminated from these organs except the liver. A remarkably high and persistent affinity of 14C-radioactivity to the blood vessel walls was found even 48 h after application which could explain the long acting pharmacological response to the drug. Only low levels of radioactivity were registrated in the fetus of pregnant mice.


"The calm after the storm".
The vision of Injury Free Coalition for Kids is that children and families will live in safe communities; our mission is to create them. After the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, members of Injury Free Coalition for Kids went to Biloxi, Miss, to develop a coalition of community stakeholders in order to build playgrounds for 2 neighborhoods in Biloxi. As child advocates, we know that play is the work of children, and through play, children exposed to disaster can rediscover joy.


Effects of methyl mercury exposure on the growth of juvenile common loons.
We conducted a dose-response laboratory study to quantify the level of mercury exposure associated with negative effects on the development of common loon chicks reared in captivity from hatch to 105 days. A dose regimen was implemented that provided exposure levels that bracketed relevant exposure levels of methyl mercury found in loon chicks across North America. We observed no overt signs of mercury toxicosis and detected no significant effect of dietary mercury exposure on growth or food consumption. However, asymptotic mass was lower in chicks that hatched from eggs collected from nests on low pH lakes relative to eggs from neutral pH lakes. Rapid excretion of methyl mercury during feather growth likely provides loon chicks protection from methyl mercury toxicity and may explain the lack of convincing toxicological findings in this study. Lake-source effects suggest that in ovo exposure to methyl mercury or other factors related to lake pH have consequences on chick development.


A double-blind placebo-controlled trial of UVA-1 in the treatment of dyshidrotic eczema.
We carried out a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to examine the therapeutic effect of UVA-1 irradiation on dyshidrotic hand eczema. Twenty-eight patients were randomised to receive UVA-1 irradiation (40 J/cm2) or placebo, five times a week for 3 weeks. Evaluated by the DASI and the VAS, UVA-1 was significantly more effective after 2 and 3 weeks. Also, desquamation and area of affected skin improved significantly more after UVA-1. We did not find any difference regarding the response of patients with increased IgE blood levels (>100 IU/mL) compared with those having normal IgE levels. No side effects were observed. This study indicates that UVA-1 can cause a significant improvement of both objective and subjective signs of dyshidrotic eczema.


Splenic blood flow measurements by Doppler ultrasound: a preliminary report.
Splenic blood flow and splenic volume were measured by Doppler and cross sectional ultrasound in 72 human subjects consisting of 61 patients with splenomegaly and 11 normal subjects. This non-invasive and relatively simple method yielded satisfactory results in 76% of the subjects studied; failures were due to obesity, debility, distorted vascular anatomy, and excessive gas in the stomach. These preliminary results suggest that the Doppler ultrasound technique is a practical clinical method for measuring splenic blood flow.


The Dallas Heart Study: a population-based probability sample for the multidisciplinary study of ethnic differences in cardiovascular health.
The decrease in cardiovascular death rates in the United States has been slower in blacks than whites, especially in patients <65 years of age. The Dallas Heart Study was designed as a single-site, multiethnic, population-based probability sample to (1) produce unbiased population estimates of biologic and social variables that pinpoint ethnic differences in cardiovascular health at the community level and (2) support hypothesis-driven research on the mechanisms causing these differences using genetics, advanced imaging modalities, social sciences, and clinical research center methods. A probability-based sample of Dallas County residents aged 18 to 65 years was surveyed with an extensive household health interview. The subset of participants 30 to 65 years of age provided in-home fasting blood and urine samples and underwent multiple imaging studies, including cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and electron beam computed tomography. Completed interviews were obtained for 6,101 subjects (54% black), phlebotomy visits for 3,398 (52% black), and clinic visits for 2,971 (50% black). Participation rates were 80.4% for interviews, 75.1% for phlebotomy visits, and 87.4% for clinic visits. Weighted population estimates of many measured variables agreed closely with those of the United States census and were relatively stable from the interview sample to the phlebotomy and clinic subsamples. Thus, the Dallas Heart Study provides a phenotypically well-characterized probability sample for multidisciplinary research that will be used to improve the mechanistic understanding and prevention of cardiovascular disease, especially in black Americans.


[Clinical and genetic heterogeneity of the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome].
A clinical description of Type I and II Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in a 3-year-old girl and a 19-year-old boy is presented. The syndrome is characterized by skin hyperelasticity, articular overextensibility, hemorrhagic manifestations and also by excessive vulnerability of tissues. Clinical descriptions are supplemented with roentgenologic, morphologic and electron microscopic findings as well as with the results of amino-acid analysis and of dermatoglyphic examination of the patient and her parents.


Evidence for the expression of a second CD6 ligand by synovial fibroblasts.
CD6, a cell surface glycoprotein expressed primarily on T cells, may function as a costimulatory molecule and may play a role in autoreactive immune responses. Recently, a CD6 ligand termed CD166 (previously known as activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule [ALCAM]) has been identified and shown to be expressed on activated T cells, B cells, thymic epithelium, keratinocytes, and in rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue. However, the results of functional studies have suggested the existence of a second CD6 ligand. The present study was undertaken to seek evidence for a second CD6 ligand on cultured synovial fibroblasts. Flow cytometric and biochemical techniques were applied, using anti-CD166 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and a recombinant CD6 fusion protein, to determine whether cultured synovial fibroblasts and other cell types expressed a non-ALCAM CD6 ligand. CD14- fibroblastic synoviocytes showed greater binding of a recombinant CD6 fusion protein than of anti-ALCAM mAb. With interferon-gamma treatment of synovial fibroblasts, binding of both reagents increased, but this was more marked for binding of CD6 fusion protein. Exposure of synovial fibroblasts to other cytokines or to the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin A also regulated binding of CD6 fusion protein and anti-ALCAM mAb in a discordant manner. Immunoprecipitation of proteins from membrane extracts of synovial fibroblasts with a CD6-Ig fusion protein revealed a novel 130-kd band distinct from CD166; an identical molecule was also precipitated from membranes of HBL-100 tumor cells. Taken together with previous data regarding CD6 and CD166 function, the present findings strongly suggest the existence of a second CD6 ligand distinct from CD166, which can be expressed by synovial fibroblasts as well as other cells.


First Report of Phytophthora citrophthora on Penstemon barbatus in Italy.
Penstemon barbatus (Cav.) Roth (synonym Chelone barbata), used in parks and gardens and sometimes grown in pots, is a plant belonging to the Scrophulariaceae family. During the summers of 2004 and 2005, symptoms of a root rot were observed in some private gardens located in Biella Province (northern Italy). The first symptoms resulted in stunting, leaf discoloration followed by wilt, root and crown rot, and eventually, plant death. The diseased tissue was disinfested for 1 min in 1% NaOCl and plated on a semiselective medium for Oomycetes (4). The microorganism consistently isolated from infected tissues, grown on V8 agar at 22°C, produced hyphae with a diameter ranging from 4.7 to 5.2 μm. Sporangia were papillate, hyaline, measuring 43.3 to 54.4 × 26.7 to 27.7 μm (average 47.8 × 27.4 μm). The papilla measured from 8.8 to 10.9 μm. These characteristics were indicative of a Phytophthora species. The ITS region (internal transcribed spacer) of rDNA was amplified using primers ITS4/ITS6 (3) and sequenced. BLASTn analysis (1) of the 800 bp obtained showed a 100% homology with Phytophthora citrophthora (R. & E. Sm.) Leonian. The nucleotide sequence has been assigned GenBank Accession No. DQ384611. For pathogenicity tests, the inoculum of P. citrophthora was prepared by growing the pathogen on autoclaved wheat and hemp kernels (2:1) at 25°C for 20 days. Healthy plants of P. barbatus cv. Nano Rondo, 6 months old, were grown in 3-liter pots (one plant per pot) using a steam disinfested substrate (peat/pomix/pine bark/clay 5:2:2:1) in which 200 g of kernels per liter of substrate were mixed. Noninoculated plants served as control treatments. Three replicates were used. Plants were maintained at 15 to 20°C in a glasshouse. The first symptoms, similar to those observed in the gardens, developed 21 days after inoculation, and P. citrophthora was consistently reisolated from infected plants. Noninoculated plants remained healthy. The pathogenicity test was carried out twice with similar results. A nonspecified root and crown rot of Penstemon spp. has been reported in the United States. (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. citrophthora on P. barbatus in Italy as well as in Europe. References: (1) S. F. Altschul et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 25:3389, 1997 (2) F. E. Brooks and D. M. Ferrin. Plant Dis. 79:212, 1995. (3) D. E. L. Cooke and J. M. Duncan. Mycol. Res. 101:667, 1997. (4) H. Masago et al. Phytopathology 67:425, 1977.


[Keratoplasty in Hungary].
The author reports on the results of keratoplasty in Hungary on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the first successful keratoplasty performed by Eduard K. Zirm.


The development of new clinical instruments in laryngopharyngeal reflux disease: The international project of young otolaryngologists of the International Federation of Oto-rhino-laryngological Societies.
To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of placebo controlled randomized trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effectiveness of medical treatments over placebo in laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). PubMed, Cochrane database, and Scopus were assessed for subject headings using the PRISMA recommendations. Placebo RCTs published between 1990 and 2018 describing clinical evolution throughout LPR treatment were extracted and analyzed for evidence-based level, number of patients, inclusion and exclusion criteria, gender, age, symptoms and signs used as therapeutic outcomes, and treatment schemes. The database search identified 15 placebo RCTs with a total of 763 patients. The mean age of patients was 48.59 years and 52.68% of patients were female. Among the 15 placebo RCTs, 9 have demonstrated a partial or total superiority of a medical treatment over placebo. Most of authors based the LPR diagnosis on symptoms and signs without additional examination. Our analysis reveals an important heterogeneity between studies with regard to the diagnosis criteria, treatment schemes and signs and symptoms used as therapeutic outcomes. Many commonly reported signs and symptoms related to LPR were not used as therapeutic outcomes. Half of the authors did not prescribe diet and behavioral changes along the treatment. The controversy in the RCTs about the superiority of medical treatment over placebo in LPR disease is probably due to discrepancies in the diagnosis method, exclusion criteria, therapeutic schemes and the lack of comprehensive tools for the assessment of signs and symptoms. In this context, the LPR Study Group of Young-Otolaryngologists of the International Federations of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies developed two new instruments to precisely assess signs and symptoms throughout the treatment. These two instruments could be used in future trials comparing medical treatment over placebo in LPR disease.


The rise of technology in diabetes care. Not all that is new is necessarily better.
Health-care technologies have brought many benefits to the medical profession and to patients. The introduction of the continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) pump and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices offers patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) the opportunity to optimize their blood glucose control and are increasingly being championed as a routine treatment approach for young people. However, the current evidence base does not convincingly support arguments for the generalized application of CSII and CGM into routine clinical practice. The 'patient-medical device interface' is clearly a complex paradigm, and central to its success is the degree of adherence, understanding, and engagement demonstrated by the patient with the technology. The introduction CSII/CGM technologies into the daily routine care of the patient imposes both psychological and 'time-effort' burdens that many patients and families with T1D will find demanding. The current application of these devices cannot therefore be considered a panacea for the self-management of T1D, and raises a number of challenging problems, including those of a practical, health-economic, and ethical nature that need to be fully resolved before it and other emerging technologies can be considered to have achieved this status.


[Integrated patient-centered care in Community Health Centers in Italy: performance evaluation].
In Italy, a "Casa della Salute" (or "House of Health"), translated for the purposes of this article as Community Health Center (CHC), is a public center (of the national public healthcare system), where one can find allocated all primary community healthcare services centered on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of the citizen in the same physical space, including general practitioner offices, outpatient specialist clinics, and social services. CHCs assure patient-centered primary care services and are the ideal place for applying the Chronic Care Model. We compared inpatient admission rates for all diseases and for chronic diseases, pharmaceutical and specialist expenditure, spending for implants and emergency room admissions, among persons assigned to General Practitioners (GPs) who work in CHCs compared with those in the same geographical area followed by GPs not working in a CHC. Subjects cared for in CHCs showed lower levels of hospital admission and emergency room access. Slight increases in the consumption of drugs and specialist resources, including consultation and diagnostic tests, were observed, due to increased taking charge of chronic cases in CHCs.


Detection and characterization of mechanisms of action of aneugenic chemicals.
A comprehensive evaluation of the genotoxic potential of chemicals requires the assessment of the ability to induce gene mutations and structural chromosome (clastogenic activity) and numerical chromosome (aneugenic activity) aberrations. Aneuploidy is a major cause of human reproductive failure and an important contributor to cancer and it is therefore important that any increase in its frequency due to chemical exposures should be recognized and controlled. The in vitro binucleate cell micronucleus assay provides a powerful tool to determine the ability of a chemical to induce chromosome damage. The application of an anti-kinetochore antibody to micronuclei allows their classification into kinetochore-positive and kinetochore-negative, indicating their origin by aneugenic or clastogenic mechanisms, respectively. The availability of chromosome-specific centromere probes allows the analysis of the segregation of chromosomes into the daughter nuclei of binucleate cells to evaluate chromosome non-disjunction. Quantitative relationships between the two major causes of aneuploidy, chromosome loss and non-disjunction, can be determined. The mechanisms leading to chromosome loss and non-disjunction can be investigated by the analysis of morphological and structural changes in the cell division apparatus by the application of specific stains and antibodies for various cell division components. We illustrate such analyses by the demonstration of the interaction of the monomer bisphenol-A with the centrosome of the mitotic spindle and the folic acid antagonist pyrimethamine with the centromeres of chromosomes. Both types of modifications lead to the induction of aneuploidy in exposed cells. Our studies also implicate the products of the p53 and XPD genes in the regulation of the fidelity of chromosome segregation at mitosis.


Inappropriate application of nodule management guidelines in radiologist reports before and after revision of exclusion criteria.
The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate appropriate and inappropriate application of nodule management guidelines in radiology reports of pulmonary nodules seen at CT. The CT reports of 181 patients examined in July and August 2007 (94 males, 87 females; age range, 2-88 years; mean, 60.3 ± 13.0 years) and 177 patients examined in March 2009 (106 men, 71 women; age range, 24-91 years; mean, 60.7 ± 14.0 years) were retrospectively reviewed to assess whether nodule management guidelines were inappropriately applied. The exclusion criteria for the 2007 cases included multiple nodules, stable nodules, potential metastatic disease, probable infectious or inflammatory cause, and age younger than 35 years. The exclusion criteria for the 2009 cases were all of the 2007 criteria except multiple nodules. Guidelines were inappropriately applied 105 times in 2007 and 25 times in 2009. Reasons for inappropriate use in 2007 were multiple nodules in 70 of the 105 cases (67%), potential metastatic disease in 25 cases (24%), age younger than 35 years in four cases (4%), stable nodules in two cases (2%), probable infectious or inflammatory cause in two cases (2%), and protocol not included despite absence of exclusion criteria in two cases (2%). The reasons in 2009 were potential metastatic disease in 15 of the 25 cases (60%), age younger than 35 years in four cases (16%), stable nodules in three cases (12%), probable infectious or inflammatory cause in one case (4%), and protocol not included despite absence of exclusion criteria in two cases (8%). The percentage of cases with at least one error was 48.1% in 2007, significantly higher than the 13.6% in 2009 (p < 0.001). Inappropriate application of guidelines for management of pulmonary nodules seen at CT was significantly reduced by removing multiple nodules from the exclusion criteria. Otherwise, causes for inappropriate application remained stable.


4-Methylbenzophenone and benzophenone are inactive in the micronucleus assay.
Many materials in contact with food, including printing inks, the lack of deeper knowledge about possible toxic effects is a problem. Furthermore, some of these substances are not only produced for packaging of foods, they are produced for a variety of purposes and are not meant to come into direct contact with foodstuffs. Two examples on such chemicals in printing inks are benzophenone and 4-methylbenzophenone. Recently, authorities reported that high levels of the photoinitiator 4-methylbenzophenone had been detected in cereal products. Based on this information we have studied 4-methylbenzophenone and the chemically similar benzophenone using the micronucleus assay in vivo and in vitro. To increase the sensitivity we have used the in vivo flow cytomer-based micronucleus assay in mouse. Although doses up to lethality were used and an average of hundred thousand young erythrocytes, polychromatic erythrocytes, analysed from each animal, no genotoxic effect occurred. The 4-methylbenzophenone was also analysed in the in vitro micronucleus assay, using human lymphocytes. The result does not show any dose-related effect. These results show that the occurrence of 4-methylbenzophenone that so far has been detected in foodstuff does not increase the cancer risk through chromosome breaks or mal-distribution of chromosomes.


[Structure of the laryngeal anterior commissure and its role in spread of malignant neoplasms].
Since many years anterior commissure of larynx is a field of scientific research. However it is still known as a "X space", or "plane 0", because of lack of its universally accepted anatomical and clinical definition. Authors have made literature survey about development and structure of the anterior commissure of larynx. Analysis of discrepancy and controversy concerning its structure in aspect of direction of neoplasm infiltration has been carried out.


The intraprostatic spiral: a new device for insertion with the patient under local anesthesia and with ultrasonic guidance with 3 months of followup.
Acute or chronic urinary retention (median retention volume 1,000 ml.) was relieved successfully in 41 of 45 consecutive patients by insertion of an intraprostatic spiral with the patient under local anesthesia and with ultrasonic guidance. Insertion guided by ultrasound was successful in 35 patients (77 per cent). In 6 patients the spiral was inserted via the traditional endoscopic technique. During 3 months of followup the spiral remained in situ in 27 patients and in 6 it was repositioned. These 33 patients had free voiding with a median maximum flow rate of 13.6 ml. per second. Residual urine volume 1 month after insertion of the spiral was low (median 27 ml.). In 8 patients the spiral was removed during the observation period due to urinary incontinence or retention. The intraprostatic spiral is a favorable alternative to an indwelling catheter in patients awaiting an operation and in those with a high operative risk.


Human action recognition using meta-cognitive neuro-fuzzy inference system.
We propose a sequential Meta-Cognitive learning algorithm for Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (McFIS) to efficiently recognize human actions from video sequence. Optical flow information between two consecutive image planes can represent actions hierarchically from local pixel level to global object level, and hence are used to describe the human action in McFIS classifier. McFIS classifier and its sequential learning algorithm is developed based on the principles of self-regulation observed in human meta-cognition. McFIS decides on what-to-learn, when-to-learn and how-to-learn based on the knowledge stored in the classifier and the information contained in the new training samples. The sequential learning algorithm of McFIS is controlled and monitored by the meta-cognitive components which uses class-specific, knowledge based criteria along with self-regulatory thresholds to decide on one of the following strategies: (i) Sample deletion (ii) Sample learning and (iii) Sample reserve. Performance of proposed McFIS based human action recognition system is evaluated using benchmark Weizmann and KTH video sequences. The simulation results are compared with well known SVM classifier and also with state-of-the-art action recognition results reported in the literature. The results clearly indicates McFIS action recognition system achieves better performances with minimal computational effort.


Physiological alterations of poultry to the high environmental temperature.
Heat stress has become a serious problem in poultry industry along with rising of the global temperatures. High environmental temperature causes deleterious impacts on physiology and immunology of poultry and impairs their productivity. Heat stress is linked to compromised productivity through a decline in growth rate, feed utilization, blood biochemistry and immunity. In addition, heat stress induced adverse effects on mineral balance of birds and the extent of such effects depended on the type of mineral and the severity of heat stress. Exposure of broilers to high temperature adversely affects mineral metabolism and their excretion route and reduced the retention of some minerals like P, Na, K, S, Mg, Mn, Zn and Cu. On the other hand, the effect of climate on intestinal microbiota has been described in a number of studies. Where, exposure to heat stress can also increase the colonization of Salmonella in the intestine and increase the susceptibility of birds to E. coli and change ileal contents. It is also characterized by decreased antioxidant enzymes in poultry species, resulting in increased oxidative stress that means presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in excess of the available antioxidant capacity of animal cells. However, further studies are still required to increase the information and knowledge of basic mechanisms associated with the consequences of heat stress on poultry. This article focuses on the scientific evidence available on the negative role of heat stress on physiological responses, biochemical blood parameters, immunity, antioxidant, mineral balance, acid-base balance, osmoregulation, body and rectal temperature, intestinal and ileal microbiota as well as the parameters related to thyroid, liver and kidney functions in some poultry species.


Does location of epicardial adipose tissue correspond to endocardial high dominant frequency or complex fractionated atrial electrogram sites during atrial fibrillation?
Although increased epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume is known to be associated with increased prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF), the exact mechanisms are unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether EAT locations were associated with high dominant frequency (DF) sites or complicated fractionated atrial electrogram sites during AF. Three-dimensional reconstruction computed tomography images depicting EAT volumes (obtained by 320-detector-row multislice computed tomography) were merged with NavX-based DF and complicated fractionated atrial electrogram maps obtained during AF for 16 patients with paroxysmal AF and for 18 patients with persistent AF. Agreement between locations of the EAT, especially EAT surrounding the left atrium, and of high DF or complicated fractionated atrial electrogram sites was quantified. In addition, serum biomarker levels were determined. EAT surrounding the left atrium volumes was significantly greater in patients with persistent AF than in patients with paroxysmal AF (52.9 cm(3) [95% CI, 44.2-61.5] versus 34.8 cm(3) [95% CI, 26.6-43.0]; P=0.007). Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels were significantly higher in persistent AF patients than in paroxysmal AF patients (median high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, 969 ng/mL [interquartile range, 307-1678] versus 320 ng/mL [interquartile range, 120-660]; P=0.008; median interleukin-6, 2.4 pg/mL [interquartile range, 1.7-3.2] versus 1.3 [interquartile range, 0.8-2.4] pg/mL; P=0.017). EAT locations were in excellent agreement with high DF sites (κ=0.77 [95% CI, 0.71-0.82]) but in poor agreement with complicated fractionated atrial electrogram sites (κ=0.22 [95% CI, 0.13-0.31]). Increased EAT volume and elevation of inflammatory biomarkers are noted in persistent AF rather than paroxysmal AF patients. High DF sites are located adjacent to EAT sites. Thus, EAT may be involved in the maintenance of AF.


Significant increase of salivary testosterone levels after single therapeutic transdermal administration of testosterone: suitability as a potential screening parameter in doping control.
The legally defensible proof of the abuse of endogenous steroids in sports is currently based on carbon isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), i.e. a comparison between (13)C/(12)C ratios of diagnostic precursors and metabolites of testosterone. The application of this technique requires a chromatographic baseline separation of respective steroids prior to IRMS detection and hence laborious sample pre-processing of the urinary steroid extracts including clean up by solid-phase extraction and/or liquid chromatography. Consequently, an efficient pre-selection of suspicious control urine samples is essential for appropriate follow up confirmation by IRMS and effective doping control. Two single transdermal administration studies of testosterone (50 mg Testogel® and Testopatch® at 3.8 mg in 16 h, respectively) were conducted and resulting profiles of salivary testosterone and urinary steroid profiles and corresponding carbon isotope ratios were determined. Conventional doping control markers (testosterone/epitestosterone ratio, threshold concentrations of androsterone, etiocholanolone, or androstanediols) did not approach or exceed critical thresholds. In contrast to these moderate variations, the testosterone concentration in oral fluid increased from basal values (30-142 pg/mg) to peak concentrations above 1000 pg/mg. It is likely that this significant increase in oral fluid is due to a pulsatile elevation of free (protein unbound) circulating testosterone after transdermal administration and may be assumed to represent a more diagnostic marker for transdermal testosterone administration.


Chronic Chagas' disease cardiomyopathy patients display an increased IFN-gamma response to Trypanosoma cruzi infection.
One-third of all Trypanosoma cruzi -infected patients eventually develop chronic Chagas' disease cardiomyopathy (CCC), a particularly lethal inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy, where parasites are scarce and heart-infiltrating mononuclear cells seem to be the effectors of tissue damage. Since T. cruzi is a major inducer of interleukin-12 production, the role of inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of CCC was investigated. We assayed cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from CCC and asymptomatic T. cruzi -infected (ASY) individuals, as well as by T cell lines from endomyocardial biopsies from CCC patients. PBMC from CCC and ASY patients produced higher IFN-gamma levels than normal (N) individuals in response to B13 protein and phytohaemagglutinin PHA; IFN-gamma high responders (> or =1 ng/ml) were 2-3 fold more frequent among CCC patients than ASY individuals. Conversely, IL-4 production in response to the same stimuli was suppressed among T. cruzi -infected patients. The frequency of PHA-induced IFN gammaproducing cells on PBMC was significantly higher among CCC than ASY and N individuals. IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha were produced by ten out of ten PHAstimulated T cell lines from CCC patients; IL-2 and IL-10 were produced by four out of ten and one out of ten lines, respectively; IL-4, IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-12 were undetectable. Our results suggest that CCC and ASY patients may respond differentially to the IFN-gamma-inducing stimulus provided by T. cruzi infection. Given the T(1)-type cytokine profile of heart-infiltrating T cell lines from CCC patients, the ability to mount a vigorous IFN-gamma response may play a role on the differential susceptibility to CCC development.


ATP Citrate Lyase Regulates Myofiber Differentiation and Increases Regeneration by Altering Histone Acetylation.
ATP citrate lyase (ACL) plays a key role in regulating mitochondrial function, as well as glucose and lipid metabolism in skeletal muscle. We report here that ACL silencing impairs myoblast and satellite cell (SC) differentiation, and it is accompanied by a decrease in fast myosin heavy chain isoforms and MYOD. Conversely, overexpression of ACL enhances MYOD levels and promotes myogenesis. Myogenesis is dependent on transcriptional but also other mechanisms. We show that ACL regulates the net amount of acetyl groups available, leading to alterations in acetylation of H3(K9/14) and H3(K27) at the MYOD locus, thus increasing MYOD expression. ACL overexpression in murine skeletal muscle leads to improved regeneration after cardiotoxin-mediated damage. Thus, our findings suggest a mechanism for regulating SC differentiation and enhancing regeneration, which might be exploited for devising therapeutic approaches for treating skeletal muscle disease.


A comparison of information recorded using the Thylstrup Fejerskov index, Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosis and Developmental Defects of Enamel index.
This study considers information recorded using three different indices of enamel defects/fluorosis. The comparisons were based on photographs of subjects taken in two areas with < 0.1 and with 0.7 ppm fluoride in their drinking water. The three indices used were the Thylstrup Fejerskov index, the Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosis (TSIF) and the Developmental Defects of Enamel (DDE) index. Each was scored by a different examiner. All three indices were able to detect significant differences in opacity/fluorosis prevalence between the two areas. However, it was clear from the results that information collected using these different enamel opacity/fluorosis indices was not directly comparable for individual teeth even though prevalences of defects were similar for two of the indices, the TSIF and the DDE index.


High expression of NDRG3 associates with positive lymph node metastasis and unfavourable overall survival in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
N-myc downstream-regulated gene 3 (NDRG3), which belongs to the NDRG family, is believed to play important roles in human cancer. In this present study, one-step quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting tests with 10 fresh-frozen laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) samples and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis in 109 LSCC cases were performed to investigate the relationship between NDRG3 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of LSCC. Results demonstrated that NDRG3 mRNA and protein expression levels were statistically higher in LSCC tissues than that in non-cancerous tissues (all p<0.05). IHC data showed that the NDRG3 protein expression was remarkably correlated with lymph node metastasis (p=0.043). Univariate and multivariate survival analysis implied that high NDRG3 expression (p=0.004), lymph node metastasis (p=0.044) and TNM stage (p=0.020) were independently associated with the unfavourable overall survival of patients with LSCC. The above findings suggested that NDRG3 may be identified as a novel biomarker predicting the prognosis of LSCC.


CCR5 Directs the Mobilization of CD11b+Gr1+Ly6Clow Polymorphonuclear Myeloid Cells from the Bone Marrow to the Blood to Support Tumor Development.
Cells of hematopoietic origin can be subdivided into cells of the lymphoid lineage and those of the myeloid lineage, among which are myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). The MDSCs can be further divided into CD11b+Ly6G-Ly6Chi monocytic (Mo) MDSCs and CD11b+Ly6G+Ly6Clow polymorphonuclear (PMN) MDSCs. Both subtypes support tumor growth and suppress anti-tumor immunity. Their accumulation at the tumor site includes mobilization from the bone marrow to the blood followed by colonization at the tumor site. The present study examines the mechanism by which PMN-MDSCs are mobilized from the BM to the blood to later accumulate at the tumor site. We show that the chemokine receptor CCR5 is a key driver of this event. We also show that, beyond chemoattraction, the interaction between CCR5 and its ligands promotes the proliferation of CCR5+ PMN-MDSCs at the BM and, later, potentiates their immune-suppressive activities at the tumor site in part by inducing arginase-1.


Heart rate responses to real and simulated BA Hawk MK 51 flight.
The effects of psychological workload on inflight heart rate were studied in five experienced (flight instructors) and five less experienced (cadets) military pilots of the Finnish Air Force (FAF). The subjects performed the same flight mission twice; first with the BA Hawk MK 51 simulator with minimal G-forces and after that with the BA Hawk MK 51 jet trainer with Gz-forces below +2. The mission included: a) 2 min rest after seating; b) take-off; c) ILS approach in the minimum weather conditions (initial, intermediate and final approach); d) landing tour (visual approach); and e) landing. The heart rates were continuously measured using a small portable recorder developed at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. The R-R intervals were stored and analyzed with an accuracy of 1 ms. The different phases of each flight were marked in the data by using codes given beforehand for each critical event. The take-off resulted in a significant increase in the heart rate from the resting levels both in the cadets and the flight instructors in both planes. In the simulator the heart rate decreased during the initial approach and slightly increased after it during the intermediate approach. Thereafter the heart rate decreased during the landing tour which seemed to be the least psychologically demanding phase of the simulated flight. The heart rate increased again during the landing but did not exceed the heart rates measured during the take-off and the ILS-approach. There were no statistical differences between the groups. In the jet trainer no decrease in the heart rate could be observed immediately after the take-off, unlike in the case of the simulated flight. The inflight heart rate increased during the final approach, decreased during the landing tour and finally increased during the landing. According to the heart rate analysis the final approach was the most loaded phase of the real flight. The changes towards the phases of final approach and landing were greater among the flight instructors. There were no statistically significant differences between the mean heart rates during the real and the simulated flight. It is suggested that the heart rate changes for most reflected the changes in cognitive workload.


Properties of perhalogenated {closo-B10} and {closo-B11} multiply charged anions and a critical comparison with {closo-B12} in the gas and the condensed phase.
closo-Borate anions [closo-BnXn]2- are part of the most famous textbook examples of polyhedral compounds. Substantial differences in their reactivity and interactions with other compounds depending on the substituent X and cluster size n have been recognized, which favor specific closo-borates for different applications in cancer treatment, chemical synthesis, and materials science. Surprisingly, a fundamental understanding of the molecular properties underlying these differences is lacking. Here, we report our study comparing the electronic structure and reactivity of closo-borate anions [closo-BnXn]2- (X = Cl, Br, I, n = 10, 11, 12 in all combinations) in the gas phase and in solution. We investigated the free dianions and the ion pairs [nBu4N]+[closo-BnXn]2- by gas phase anion photoelectron spectroscopy accompanied by theoretical investigations. Strong similarities in electronic structures for n = 10 and 11 were observed, while n = 12 clusters were different. A systematic picture of the development in electronic stability along the dimension X is derived. Collision induced dissociation shows that fragmentation of the free dianions is mainly dependent on the substituent X and gives access to a large variety of boron-rich molecular ions. Fragmentation of the ion pair depends strongly on n. The results reflect the high chemical stability of clusters with n = 10 and 12, while those with n = 11 are much more prone to dissociation. We bridge our study to the condensed phase by performing comparative electrochemistry and reactivity studies on closo-borates in solution. The trends found at the molecular level are also reflected in the condensed-phase properties. We discuss how the gas phase values allow evaluation of the influence of the condensed phase on the electronic stability of closo-borates. A synthetic method via an oxidation/chlorination reaction yielding [closo-B10Cl10]2- from highly chlorinated {closo-B11} clusters is introduced, which underlines the intrinsically high reactivity of the {closo-B11} cage.


Nurses' job dissatisfaction and turnover intention: methodological myths and an alternative approach.
Job dissatisfaction and turnover are recurring themes in nursing. The current international nursing shortage has resulted in increased interest in investigating the causes of nurses' job dissatisfaction and turnover, and in developing countermeasures to address these issues. This paper involves a review of quantitative nursing studies, which investigated the causes of nurses' job dissatisfaction and turnover intention, and identifies commonly held myths that may inhibit more nurse-centered strategies from being developed. These myths are based on an assumption that a nurse-environment relationship is a one-way interaction in which nurses passively respond to their environment. The paper introduces the person-environment fit theory as an alternative framework, which challenges the assumption by suggesting it is the relationship between person and environment, rather than environmental characteristics alone, that affects nurses' occupational behavior. This theory enables nurse researchers to develop a more mutual approach involving the nurse and environment.


Motor neuron disease with dementia combined with degeneration of striatonigral and pallidoluysian systems.
This study concerns an autopsy case of motor neuron disease with dementia (MND-D) that exhibited unusual clinical and neuropathological findings. The patient was a Japanese man without any relevant family history who was 60 years old at the time of death. His clinical manifestation included character change at the age of 54, followed by frozen gait, dysarthria and bradykinesia and he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He gradually developed spastic paresis and died of respiratory failure 6 years after onset of the illness. Neuropathological examinations showed prominent degeneration in the striatonigral and pallidoluysian systems in addition to the neuronal loss and microvacuolation in the second to third layers of the frontal and temporal cortex, the involvement of the upper and lower motor neuron systems and the presence of ubiquitinated neuronal inclusions. To our knowledge, five cases of motor neuron disease (MND) combined with pallido-nigro-luysian atrophy (PNLA) have been reported previously, but the present case is the first report of MND-D combined with the degeneration of the striatonigral and pallidoluysian systems. Such an association may represent more than a coincidental occurrence, and it suggests that MND-D is not simply a disease of the motor neuron system but a multisystem degeneration.


Dopamine inhibition of neurotensin-induced increase in Ca2+ influx into rat pituitary cells.
In this paper, we report that the intracellular mechanism by which neurotensin stimulates prolactin release involves an increase in Ca2+ uptake by pituitary cells rather than an effect on adenylate cyclase system. In addition, dopamine can prevent neurotensin-induced calcium influx by interacting with dopamine D2-receptors which appear to be completely independent of the adenylate cyclase moiety but are coupled to calcium channels.


Study of the antioxidant response of several bean variants to irrigation with water containing MC-LR and cyanobacterial crude extract.
Cyanobacterial toxins have adverse effects on both terrestrial and aquatic plants. Agricultural plants may come in contact with cyanobacterial toxins when surface waters are used for its irrigation. In the present study the effects of MC-LR and cyanobacterial crude extract on three variants of bean by irrigating the seedlings with water containing 5 μg L(-1) MC-LR were assessed. Study of the antioxidant enzymes activities glutathione-S-transferase (GST), peroxidases (POD) and glutathione reductase (GR) was performed in leaves and roots of the seedling exposed to the cyanotoxin compared to a control group and to a group exposed to cyanobacterial crude extract without MCs. Damage of oxidative status was observed in view of the fact that the antioxidant enzymes activities were altered. It is interesting to point out that each variant of bean was affected in a very different way, being GST the most altered enzyme and the B1 the most sensitive variant showing the greatest alterations in the majority of the studied enzymes.


Analysis of the growth of rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum) in South Westland, New Zealand, using process-based simulation models.
Two process-based models were used to identify the environmental variables limiting productivity in a pristine, mature forest dominated by rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum Sol. ex Lamb.) trees in South Westland, New Zealand. A model of canopy net carbon uptake, incorporating routines for radiation interception, photosynthesis and water balance was used to determine a value for quantum efficiency when climate variables were not limiting. The annual net carbon uptake by the canopy was estimated to be 1.1 kg C m(-2) and the quantum efficiency 22.6 mmol mol quanta(-1). This value of quantum efficiency, combined with other parameters obtainable from the literature, was then used in a model of forest productivity (3-PG), to simulate changes in net productivity and the allocation of carbon to tree components. The model was adjusted to match a measured stem increment of 10.6 Mg ha(-1) over a period of 13 years. To achieve this while maintaining a low, but stable value for leaf area index, it was necessary to set the site fertility rating very low and select high values for the parameters describing the proportional allocation of total carbon to roots. This approach highlighted nutrient availability as the principal constraint on productivity for the ecosystem and identified critical measurements that will be necessary for using the model to predict the effects of climate change on carbon sequestration. The low rates of carbon uptake and productivity are consistent with the low nutrient supply available from the highly leached, acid soils, most likely attributable to frequent saturation and a very shallow aerobic zone.


Investigation of dyed human hair fibres using apertureless near-field scanning optical microscopy.
We present the first studies of dyed human hair fibres performed with an apertureless scanning near-field optical microscope. Samples consisted of 5-microm-thick cross-sections, the hair fibres being bleached and then dyed before being cut. Hair dyed with two molecular probes diffusing deep inside the fibre or mainly spreading at its periphery were investigated at a wavelength of 655 nm. An optical resolution of about 50 nm was achieved, well below the diffraction limit; the images exhibited different optical contrasts in the cuticle region, depending on the nature of the dye. Our results suggest that the dye that remains confined at the hair periphery is mainly located at its surface and in the endocuticle.


[Presence of RNA-and DNA-tumor viruses within a cell line from mouse spleen and thymus (author's transl)].
Cells of spleen and thymus from mice infected with Rauscher leukaemia virus were cultivated in vitro. A new cell type repeatedly grew out of this cell line. Electron-optically, RNA--viruses and DNA-viruses were found within the new lines, but there was no cell containing both viruses at the same time. According to experimental results in rats, the DNA virus is polyoma-like. The importance the presence of two different viruses within the same cell is discussed.


Rapid assay for the quantification of piretanide in biological fluids.
Piretanide was determined from plasma and urine using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Plasma was extracted with diethylether at pH 4 using bumetanide as internal standard. The chromatographic separation was performed on an octadecylsilane column (ODS) with acetonitrile/pH 7 phosphate buffer (3:7, v/v). In order to determine piretanide in urine, bumetanide was added to a urine aliquot. Then the sample was centrifuged and the supernatant directly injected without extraction followed by chromatography on an ODS column with a mixture of methanol and pH 7 phosphate buffer (12:13, v/v). The compounds were detected by their intrinsic fluorescence, monitoring the eluate at 287/450 nm. Total chromatography times were 8 min for plasma and 13 min for urine samples. The method was applied for the assay of piretanide in plasma of healthy volunteers after i.v. or p.o. dosage of 6 mg piretanide.


Natural killer activity in peripheral lymphocyte population following local radiation therapy.
The natural killer (NK) activity of peripheral lymphocytes against 51Cr-labelled Chang or K562 cells was tested using a 4 h release assay before and after postoperative radiation therapy for mammary carcinoma. NK activity against K562 was significantly reduced at completion of therapy (a total target dose of 45.0 Gy) and restituted 3 to 4 months later. NK activity against Change cells exhibited a slight but non-significant decline at completion of therapy followed by an overshoot 3 to 4 months later. The frequency of Fc-IgG receptor bearing lymphocytes was decreased at completion of therapy and largely restored after 3 to 4 months.


[Physiological-biochemical and taxonomic studies in mollicutology].
From the beginning of researches in the field of molliculotology and for all the time of existence of special Mycoplasmology Department in the Institute of Microbiology and Virology numerous original results were obtained which are of priority for this science. The collection of strains of various representatives of the class of Mollicutes was formed. Phytopathogenic mollicute strains were first cultived in the elaborated artificial medium and their nature and specific pathogen factors were investigated. Fundamental principles of realization of pathogenic potencies by Mollicutes-agents of plant "yellows" were researched. A number of enzymes of nucleic metabolism and the proteinases, their part as the aggression factors to host organisms was distinguished for the first time, the enzymes localization was studied by cytochemical methods. The composition of carbohydrate part from glycocalix of the mollicutes and microorganisms related to them was studied, and the model of their interaction with the cells of affected organisms was elaborated. The theory and the basis for the practical use of antisignature olygodeoxyribonucleotides as the universal antimicrobial means was formulated. Properties of DNA from mollicutes genome was researched. The system position of these microorganisms and the phylogenetic relations with the representatives of affined taxones was specified. The artificial model system for studying the interaction of phytopathogenic mollicutes with plant cells was created which use helps investigate the particuliarities of the signal and metabolic relations ofmollicutes and cells of host macroorganism. In the course of done researches the changes in the fatty acids composition of the common lipids, in the activity oflectins and enzymes and in the amount of some proteins by the action of mollicute infection were stated.


Surface plasmon resonances, optical properties, and electrical conductivity thermal hystersis of silver nanofibers produced by the electrospinning technique.
In the present study, silver metal nanofibers have been successfully prepared by using the electrospinning technique. Silver nanofibers have been produced by electrospinning a sol-gel consisting of poly(vinyl alcohol) and silver nitrate. The dried nanofiber mats have been calcined at 850 degrees C in an argon atmosphere. The produced nanofibers do have distinct plasmon resonance compared with the reported silver nanoparticles. Contrary to the introduced shapes of silver nanoparticles, the nanofibers have a blue-shifted plasmon resonance at 330 nm. Moreover, the optical properties study indicated that the synthesized nanofibers have two band gap energies of 0.75 and 2.34 eV. An investigation of the electrical conductivity behavior of the obtained nanofibers shows thermal hystersis. These privileged physical features greatly widen the applications of the prepared nanofibers in various fields.


Gestation confers temporary resistance to peroxidation in the maternal rat brain.
Lipid peroxidation, as assessed by the formation of thiobarbituric acid substances on incubation with ascorbate-Fe2+, NADPH-ADP-Fe3+ and cumene hydroperoxide in brain homogenate and mitochondria, was significantly decreased during gestation and restored to respective control levels post partum. The decrease observed with the brain homogenate on Day 10 of pregnancy was 42% with ascorbate-Fe2+ and 70% with NADPH-ADP-Fe3+. This temporary decrease in peroxidation potential seems to be due to lesser availability of substrate in the form of unsaturated fatty acids besides increase in the cholesterol:phospholipid ratio and glutathione. Progesterone, the gestational steroid elaborated during pregnancy, inhibited lipid peroxidation in brain mitochondria in a dose-dependent manner. The observed temporary decrease in peroxidation potential may be a special adaptation to protect membranes in the brain against oxidant stress during pregnancy.