Serum calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphate levels in epileptic children treated with phenobarbitone

A longitudinal study to estimate the serum calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase levels of 89 ambulatory epileptic children, aged between 3 years and 12 years, and having generalised tonic-clonic seizures, was carried out. None was on any form of medication for the treatment of seizures prior to presentation. Each patient received only phenobarbitone during the period of study. Serum levels of the biochemical parameters were determined at presentation, 6 months and 12 months, while serum phenobarbitone levels were estimated at 6 months and 12 months. Mean serum calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase of the patients remained within the normal range. Using the paired 't' test, the differences in the levels of the parameters at the three measurements were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Serum phenobarbitone levels remained within the therapeutic range during the period of study. Our results show that over a 12-month period, serum levels of calcium, phosphate, and alkaline phosphatase, remain normal in ambulant epileptic children treated with phenobarbitone.     

p53 oncogene in the laryngeal cancer

The effect of a novel flavonoid, venoruton (a mixture of mono-, di-, tri- and tetrahydroxyethylrutosides) has been investigated in healthy rat lenses and compared with diabetic cataract modelled in vitro. One mM venoruton was added to medium simulating healthy and diabetic conditions for the incubated lenses; damage was followed by either stereoscopic photography of the lenses under a Cooperative Cataract Research Group operating microscope or with our recently developed method: the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) into the lens culture media. The increased LDH activity in the medium and observable development of the opacity were correlated with cell damage, which has been found to be associated with globular degeneration and cataract formation. The extent of opacification and LDH release is reduced if 1 mM venoruton is included in the medium. The protective effect may be related to antioxidant activity against reactive oxygen species: decreased luminol luminescence was shown after venoruton addition to either superoxide-generating hypoxanthine plus xanthine oxidase, or hydrogen peroxide.     

Prenatal exposure to methylmercury alters locomotor activity of male but not female rats

In the present study the neurotoxic effects of a low dosage (0.5 mg/kg per day) of methylmercury (MeHg) on the developing nervous system were investigated. Pregnant rats were treated with MeHg from day 7 of pregnancy to day 7 of lactation. Locomotor activity (locomotion, rearing, and motility) and spatial learning ability were tested in the offspring at 6 months of age. The expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was examined by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. A significant decrease in spontaneous motility and rearing was observed only in the MeHg-treated male rats. After administration of a low dose of d-amphetamine (0.5 mg/kg) no differences could be observed between control and MeHg-treated male rats, suggesting that changes in dopaminergic transmission were involved. However, no change in TH messenger RNA expression was observed. No changes in spatial learning acquisition or memory were shown in MeHg-treated rats. Taken together, these findings show that during development a very low dosage of MeHg exerts neurotoxic effects detectable in adulthood, and that susceptibility is gender-dependent.     

US-guided pseudoaneurysm repair with a compression device

A simple commercially available compression device allowed intermittent ultrasound scanning of the compression site during compression repair of a femoral artery pseudoaneurysm in six patients. All six of the pseudoaneurysms (five superficial femoral and one common femoral) were compressed without compression of the underlying vessels. The procedure was successful in four of the six patients, without complications. Use of this device may decrease operator fatigue during compression repair of pseudoaneurysm.     

Credibility and applicability of virtual reality models in design and construction

In this paper, we present the findings from an extensive study of the use of virtual reality (VR) models in large construction projects. The study includes two parts: The first part presents a quantitative questionnaire designed to investigate how VR models are experienced and assessed by the workforce at a building site. The second part includes a qualitative field survey of how VR models can be applied and accepted by professionals in the design and planning process of a large pelletizing plant. Through mainly studying persons who had little or no experience with advanced information technology (IT), we hoped to reveal the attitudes of the average person working at a construction site rather than of an IT expert. In summary, the study shows that the VR models in both projects have been very useful and well accepted by the users. Today’s information flow is, from a general point of view, considered to be insufficient and the hypothesis is that using VR models in the construction process have the potential to minimize waste of resources and improve the final result.     

Evaluation of a new enzyme immunoassay for Clostridium difficile toxin A

AIM: To evaluate a new enzyme immunoassay (EIA) method for detection of Clostridium difficile toxin by comparing it to cytotoxicity assay. To investigate the nature of false negative and false positive EIA results by evaluating clinical and therapeutic parameters. METHODS: 737 consecutive diarrhoeal specimens collected from patients clinically suspected of having C difficile colitis were tested for the presence of C difficile toxin by EIA for toxin A and by cytotoxicity assay. Clinical data were evaluated in all cases positive by either method. RESULTS: With the cytotoxicity assay as a gold standard, the specificity of EIA for toxin detection was 99.3% and the sensitivity was 62.2%. No false negative EIA specimens were obtained from patients already being treated for C difficile colitis. Among patients with cytotoxicity positive specimens, those with EIA positive samples had no clinical features distinguishing them from patients with EIA negative samples. CONCLUSIONS: Although specific, the new EIA method directed against toxin A lacks sensitivity compared to cytotoxicity. False negative EIA tests are not associated with concurrent treatment for C difficile colitis nor with any specific clinical features examined in our study.     

A characterization of permolybdate and its effect on cellular tyrosine phosphorylation, gap junctional intercellular communication and phosphorylation status of the gap junction protein, connexin43

Biological and analytical characterizations of permolybdate (a mixture of H2O2 and molybdate) were done. Molybdate (10 mM) and molybdenum(V) chloride (3 mM) did not affect gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC), phosphorylation status of connexin43 (Cx43) or cellular tyrosine phosphorylation in early passage hamster embryonic cells (mainly fibroblast-like). High concentrations of H2O2 (3-10 mM) affected some of the parameters. Acidified permolybdate was clearly more stable than the unadjusted permolybdate. The maximum biological potency of acidified permolybdate was found at a molar ratio of 2:1 (H2O2:molybdate). The mixtures of molybdenum(V) chloride and H2O2 gave a maximum effect at 4:1 molar ratio (H2O2:molybdenum(V)). This can be explained by decomposition of H2O2 and by the generation of less biologically active compounds. Spectrophotometric analyses of the mixtures corroborated the biological results. The Mo(V) electron spin resonance spectrum disappeared upon addition of H2O2 to Mo(V) solutions, and no spectrum appeared when H2O2 was mixed with Mo(VI). Thus, permolybdate is probably diperoxomolybdate, a Mo(VI) compound. Regardless of the parent metal salt, the H2O2/metal salt mixtures showed concentration-dependent biphasic responses with an initial decrease in GJIC followed by an increase. A dissociation between alteration in Cx43 phosphorylation status and GJIC was obtained under certain conditions. The biological activities of permolybdate were only partially mimicked by phenylarsine oxide, an alternative protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor.     

Central GABAA and GABAB receptor modulation of basal and stress-induced plasma interleukin-6 levels in mice

The development of control strategies for loiasis is of crucial importance in endemic areas and depends heavily on the accurate identification of occult-infected individuals. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR) were developed and based on sequences of the repeat 3 region (15r3) of the gene encoding a Loa loa 15-kD protein. The assays was performed on 20 blood samples from occult-infected subjects and 30 from field-collected amicrofilaremic individuals. The size of the initial PCR product was 396 basepairs (bp). When this initial amplification using primers 15r3(1) and 15r3(2) was carried out for 30 cycles, the PCR products from three of the 20 occult-infected and five of the 30 amicrofilaremic individuals were visualized after electrophoresis by staining the gel with ethidium bromide. Subsequent Southern blotting and hybridization with the specific probe revealed hybridization in 19 of 20 occult-infected and 23 of 30 amicrofilaremic samples but only after two days of exposure of the blot to the x-ray film. When the nested PCR was carried out (product size = 366 bp, primers 15r3(3) and 15r3(4)), 19 of 20 occult-infected and 23 of 30 amicrofilaremic samples that were positive by Southern hybridization of the initial PCR products were strongly positive by staining with ethidium bromide. Qualitative Southern blotting of the nested PCR products using the same probe previously described confirmed the ethidium bromide staining results after a very short exposure time of 4 hr. These results demonstrate that the nested PCR amplification product is specific and that its sensitivity in detecting occult loiasis is 95%. This approach has significant promise for the screening of large human populations for active loiasis without the requirement for blotting and hybridization of the PCR products.