Prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infections among haemodialysis patients in Pune (western India)

Vascular injuries may occur as complications of elbow dislocation and usually involve the brachial artery. A case report is presented in which only the radial artery was compromised as a result of the dislocation.     

Dynamics of postprandial glycemia in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus as affected by extruded and micronized products from cereal and big crops

The paper analyzes left ventricular structure-fraction relationships in the development of postinfarct aneurysm. The altered internal architectonics induces to systemic hemodynamic changes, drastically elevated intraventricular pressure. This is caused by to the dysfunction of the papillary-trabecular complex in the left ventricular cavity, which in turn. This leads to the fact that the heart work as a positive-displacement pump, by losing its capacity as a centrifugal component, by making the myocardium require additional energy expenditures, which in turn appears as varying heart failure. This investigation is of definite practical value in developing adequate correction methods for postinfarct aneurysm which can occur with the retained or formed certain ratios of cardiac structures.     

Materials modelling: A bridge from atoms to bulk properties

The use of molecular-level materials modelling techniques in the development of advanced performance polymers is discussed, with particular emphasis upon bridging the large difference in the scales of dimensions between atomic structure and fabricated parts. The advantages and disadvantages of bulk quantitative structure-property relations and atomistic modelling are assessed, and the method of group interaction modelling is suggested as a means of bridging the dimensional scales.After a brief introduction to the concept of group interaction modelling, examples of modelling the engineering properties of polymers are presented which are difficult to model quantitatively by any other means. The important phase transitions from the crystal and glassy states of matter to those of rubber- and liquidlike states are shown quantitatively to be due to the same isoenergetic condition. The viscoelastic properties of a polymer are critical for many applications and expressions are derived for the loss and storage components of the complex modulus, with reference to failure initiation conditions. The effect of crosslinking in thermosets upon the glass transition temperature and viscoelastic properties is outlined. Finally, the scaling of time from atomic vibrations to the years involved in creep and ageing effects are discussed.     

The use of monoclonal antibodies for detecting the influenza virus

The possibilities of using influenza A (Leningrad) 385/80 (H3N2) virus matrix protein-specific FITC-labeled D8 monoclonal antibodies in immunofluorescence assays were investigated. The virus antigen accumulation was detected in chorioallantoic cells of chick embryos. Exhibiting the type-specific properties, the fluorescent antibodies stain the perinuclear space, cytoplasmic membrane, and granular structures in the cytoplasm of infected cells. The haemagglutination test tires in the corresponding specimens were at least 1:16.     

Proceedings of the Joint US/EU Workshop: urinary biomarkers to detect significant effects of environmental and occupational exposure to nephrotoxins

Tear cytokines and growth factors are likely to modulate the wound healing process following corneal epithelial injury. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a paracrine mediator of epithelial proliferation, motility, and differentiation that is produced by keratocytes and the lacrimal gland. Tear samples were collected preoperatively and one, two, and seven days postoperatively in eyes undergoing excimer laser surface ablation [photorefractive keratoplasty (PRK) or phototherapeutic keratoplasty (PTK)]. Tear HGF concentration was measured with a sensitive ELISA assay. Tear HGF production was calculated using the tear flow rate in the collection capillary and HGF concentration. Although the instantaneous concentration of HGF in tears decreased significantly in the days following PRK, a large increase in tear flow resulted in a marked increase in HGF bioavailability. The heparin-binding characteristics of HGF would result in increased binding to glycosaminoglycans and other heparin-like matrix components and, therefore, increased growth factor availability to the cognate recptor. This is the first report documenting changes in tear film HGF production. HGF may have an important function in maintenance and wound healing of the ocular surface epithelium since HGF is present in the normal tear film and the HGF secretion rate increases markedly in parallel with aqueous tear production following corneal surgical injury.     

Peripheral nerve stimulation in a whole-body echo-planar imaging system

Echo-planar techniques in MRI use a rapidly oscillating frequency-encoding gradient with the potential to produce peripheral nerve stimulation. To evaluate the incidence, type, and location of stimulation in a commercial whole-body scanner, we studied two groups: (a) 173 consecutive individuals scanned by echo-planar imaging for other purposes and (b) seven subjects who were scanned with an extensive set of 36 echo-planar sequences (with prompting after each scan to report any peripheral nerve stimulation) to test the effects of various parameters. Although only 5% of group A reported symptoms of peripheral nerve stimulation, all in group B experienced some type of stimulation, dependent primarily on direction of the oscillating gradient and location of the body within the gradient coil. Maximum stimulation typically occurred 30 to 40 cm from isocenter in the region of maximum dB/dt. Generally, y gradients produced truncal stimulation, and x gradients produced stimulation in the head. When hands were clasped over the abdomen, a tingling in the hands occasionally was felt. Patients should be instructed to keep their hands apart.     

The comparative characteristics of the Salmonella serotypes rarely encountered in the Maritime Territory

The results of the comparative study of the phenotypical properties and the plasmid profile of 63 strains of salmonellae, belonging to 44 serotypes of groups B, C1, C2, C3, D, E1, E4, F. The study revealed that strains of different serotypes had their individual plasmid profile. Strains of the same serotype of salmonellae isolated from similar sources had an identical plasmid profile, while strains isolated from different sources differed in their plasmid profiles, though they might have a similar phenotype. Plasmid analysis was shown to be an effective method for the intraspecific typing of rarely isolated Salmonella serotypes and suitable for use as the basis of the microbiological monitoring of salmonellae.     

Effect of chrysotile-asbestos and zeolites dust on generations of reactive oxygen species by alveolar macrophages and granulocytes

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the discrepancy index between the clinical and histological diagnosis and the prevalence of epithelial dysplasia and carcinoma in 45 patients with potentially malignant epithelial oral lesions (PMEL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We submitted 45 patients with PMEL to clinical examination and obtained a biopsy from each. The results of histological diagnosis were compared to the clinical diagnosis. RESULTS: Clinical diagnosis showed that the most common PMEL was leukoplakia followed by lichen planus and by actinic cheilitis associated with leukoplakia. The most common site was the buccal mucosa. Histological diagnosis revealed that 46.7% of the PMEL were lichen planus. The discrepancy index between clinical and histological diagnosis was 24.4%. The higher discrepancy index occurred among leukoplakias. The prevalence of epithelial dysplasia and carcinoma was 17.8%. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that all PMEL should be submitted to a microscopic analysis because the discrepancy between clinical and histological diagnosis was present in a quarter of these lesions. Otherwise, the epithelial dysplasia and carcinoma were more frequent in the leukoplakias.     

Identification of the blood-borne somatotroph-differentiating factor during chicken embryonic development

Somatotrophs become a significant population by day 16 of chicken embryonic development. We have previously demonstrated that an earlier induction of GH cell differentiation is possible with the addition of day 16 embryonic serum to cultures of day 12 pituitary cells, an age when somatotrophs are rare. The present study was designed to identify the blood-borne signal(s) responsible for the serum activity, using reverse hemolytic plaque assays to identify individual GH-secreting cells. The activity was found to be a heat-stable, ether-soluble compound(s) that is bound or inhibited by a trypsin-sensitive protein. The extent of GH cell differentiation was greater (P < 0.05; n = 3) in response to the ether phases of heated day 16 (14.1 +/- 0.4% of all cells) and day 12 sera (9.3 +/- 0.4%) than with untreated serum from days 16 and 12 (6.1 +/- 0.4% and 0.82 +/- 0.4%, respectively). Furthermore, ether-extracted day 16 serum was more effective than ether-extracted day 12 serum, which was also different from basal (0.85 +/- 0.4%; P < 0.05). Based on this biochemical profile, the abilities of various steroids to stimulate differentiation were tested. Three steroids were found to stimulate somatotroph differentiation in vitro: 17beta-estradiol, corticosterone, and progesterone. However, the estradiol receptor antagonist, tamoxifen, while abolishing the effect of estradiol, had no effect on the induction of differentiation by day 16 serum. In contrast, RU486, a specific glucocorticoid receptor antagonist in chickens, blocked the stimulatory effects of corticosterone, progesterone, and day 16 serum on somatotroph differentiation. We next tested whether the active compound in day 16 embryonic serum was corticosterone, the predominant glucocorticoid in chickens. Incubation of day 16 serum with corticosterone antiserum, but not control antiserum, suppressed day 16 serum-induced GH cell differentiation. Therefore, we conclude that corticosterone is the blood-borne signal capable of stimulating somatotroph differentiation in vitro. The present findings together with previous reports indicate that somatotroph differentiation during embryonic development may result from an increase in circulating glucocorticoid concentrations.