Simultaneous bilateral extradural haematoma

A slowly invasive naevus of Ota was followed for 50 yrs. During this time multiple biopsies were considered to be benign cellular blue naevus. The left globe, orbit, frontal bone and meninges were excised to achieve clearance.     

Laser treatment of pigmented lesions

Several pigment-specific lasers can effectively treat epidermal and dermal pigmented lesions without complications using the basic principles of selective photothermolysis. Although such pigmented lesions as solar lentigines and nevi of Ota are relatively easy to treat using pigment-specific laser technology, café-au-lait macules and melasma show variable responses to treatment. New, long-pulsed pigment-specific lasers may prove to further enhance the clinical results obtained in resistant pigmented lesions and other conditions.     

Combined naevus flammeus and naevus fuscocoeruleus: phacomatosis pigmentovascularis type IIa]

The association of nevus flammeus with mongolian spot, nevus fuscoceruleus, nevus spilus and, with variable frequency, with nevus anemicus has been termed phacomatosis pigmentovascularis, a genodermatosis first described by Ota and co-workers. Four different combinations have been specified. Most cases are reported from the Japanese literature. Phacomatosis pigmentovascularis may constitute an exclusively cutaneous disorder, but overlapping with other syndromes like Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome or Sturge-Weber syndrome is also possible. We report a 30-year-old woman with nevus flammeus on the back and right arm associated with nevus fuscoceruleus on the back.     

Glaucoma in oculodermal melanocytosis

Case reports of oculodermal melanocytosis (nevus of Ota) and ipsilateral glaucoma often have other ocular disorders which could account for the glaucoma. It has not been clearly shown that the oculodermal melanocytosis alone can cause secondary glaucoma. In the present case report, optic nerve head and visual field changes, suggestive of a long-standing unilateral elevation of intraocular pressure, occurred in an eye with oculodermal melanocytosis and no other apparent ocular disorder to account for the chronic glaucoma.     

The restoration of cardiovascular system function in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis after the use in staged medical rehabilitation of measured therapeutic physical exercise

As many as 195 patients were studied presenting with mixed, nephrotic, and hematuric varieties of chronic glomerulonephritis (ChG), aged 6-15 years, including 118 children from the test-groups who were given a combined therapy involving differentiated rest-and-movement regimens (DRMR) and graded therapeutical physical training (GTPT) and 77 controls who received none of the above treatments. The examination involved clinical as well as functional tests (the unit "Cardiocid"-aided ECG, EchoCG on the "Combison-420-5"), with the renal function being evaluated as recommended by Ota Shiuk. Commonly seen in those being admitted into hospital was nephrogenous hypertension as were abnormal changes in myocardium associated with automatism malfunction, inadequate conductivity, and impaired myocardial contractile ability. Clinical and functional tests as a whole suggested to us a latent cardiac insufficiency in those children presenting with faulty kidney function. Use of DRMR and GTPT in a complex of therapeutic and rehabilitative measures in a continuous staged medical rehabilitation project makes for improvement of the function of the cardiovascular system in all of the varieties of the condition particularly so in hematuric and nephrotic forms of ChG, as evidenced by ECG and EchoCG in a 5-yr follow-up.     

Evaluation of the effect of Q-switched ruby and Q-switched Nd-YAG laser irradiation on melanosomes in dermal melanocytosis

Q-switched ruby laser (QSRL) and Q-switched Nd-YAG laser (QSNYL) treatment of dermal melanocytosis, especially nevus of Ota, has produced favorable results that are mediated by selective photothermolysis. However, the precise effects of irradiation on melanosomes and cells containing melanosomes remain unclear, and an optimal method of irradiation has not been found. In this study synthetic melanin powder and pigmented dermal tissue obtained from five blue nevus lesions, also classified as dermal melanocytosis, were used as targets to identify the specific effects of these forms of irradiation in vitro. Morphological changes were assessed by microscopy after irradiation with QSRL and QSNYL at a fluence of 5 J/cm2, the fluence ordinarily utilized in clinical applications. Light microscopy revealed that most of the synthetic melanin powder retained in 1% agar was no longer visible after QSRL irradiation. In contrast, melanin powder particles were partly crushed by QSNYL irradiation. Electron microscopic examination of melanosomes in the blue nevus tissue after irradiation showed expansion and various other forms of disruption. Statistical analysis by 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the length of the major axis of the melanosomes indicated that QSRL irradiation caused significantly greater melanosome expansion than QSNYL irradiation. These findings indicate that QSRL irradiation had a greater photothermal effect on dermal melanosomes than QSNYL irradiation. This suggests that QSRL is more efficacious in the treatment of dermal melanocytosis than QSNYL.     

Expression of hindlimb abnormalities under rearing temperature effects during the larval development of the salamander Pleurodeles waltl (urodele amphibian)

The Q-switched ruby laser (694 nm, 25-40 nsec) is an effective and safe therapeutic device for the treatment of tattoos and well-defined, benign, pigmented epidermal and dermal lesions. Because of its selective mode of action, dermal pigments of natural and artificial origin are destroyed photothermically and removed without scar. This method is exceptionally suited for the elimination of lay and professional tattoos, traumatic tattoos, and permanent makeup. Other frequent indications include benign pigmented lesions such as lentigines, freckles, café-au-lait spots, seborrheic keratosis, and Becker nevi. As a dermal pigmented lesion, the nevus of Ota is perfectly treatable. However, chloasma can no longer be considered an indication for ruby laser treatment due to unsatisfactory results. Melanocytic nevi and congenital nevi should be treated only in clinical studies. The effectiveness of the long-term epilation of dark hair with this laser device has to be verified in future investigations. Particularly attractive is the nonproblematic and straightforward removal of pigmented lesions in precarious anatomic regions like the lips, eyelids, and genitals (e.g., benign melanosis of the lips or of the penis, seborrheic keratosis of the lid angle).     

A new internal ribosomal entry site 5' boundary is required for poliovirus translation initiation in a mouse system

Four mutants of the virulent Mahoney strain of poliovirus were generated by introducing mutations in nucleotides (nt) 128 to 134 of the genome, a region that contains a part of the stem-loop II (SLII) structure located within the internal ribosomal entry site (IRES; nt 120 to 590) (K. Shiroki, T. Ishii, T. Aoki, Y. Ota, W.-X. Yang, T. Komatsu, Y. Ami, M. Arita, S. Abe, S. Hashizume, and A. Nomoto, J. Virol. 71:1-8, 1997). These mutants (SLII mutants) replicated well in human HeLa cells but not in mouse TgSVA cells that had been established from the kidney of a poliovirus-sensitive transgenic mouse. Their neurovirulence in mice was also greatly attenuated compared to that of the parental virus. The poor replication activity of the SLII mutants in TgSVA cells appeared to be attributable to reduced activity of the IRES. Two and three naturally occurring revertants that replicated well in TgSVA cells were isolated from mutants SLII-1 and SLII-5, respectively. The revertants recovered IRES activity in a cell-free translation system from TgSVA cells and returned to a neurovirulent phenotype like that of the Mahoney strain in mice. Two of the revertant sites that affected the phenotype were identified as being at nt 107 and within a region from nt 120 to 161. A mutation at nt 107, specifically a change from uridine to adenine, was observed in all the revertant genomes and exerted a significant effect on the revertant phenotype. Exhibition of the full revertant phenotype required mutations in both regions. These results suggested that nt 107 of poliovirus RNA is involved in structures required for the IRES activity in mouse cells.     

Formation of reactive oxygen species following bioactivation of gentamicin

The present study investigated the ability of gentamicin to catalyze free radical reactions and probed the underlying mechanisms by hydroethidine imaging, oxygen consumption, and reduction of cytochrome c. In Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cells, a respiratory burst was induced by phorbol ester and detected by hydroethidine, a fluorescent indicator of superoxide radical. The addition of gentamicin increased the fluorescence two-fold while gentamicin did not produce fluorescence in the absence of phorbol ester. In membrane preparations, gentamicin did not enhance NADPH consumption ruling out a direct activation of NADPH oxidase. The formation of reactive oxygen species by gentamicin was additionally supported by experiments that showed gentamicin increased oxygen consumption two-fold in intact cells and a cell-free system. In addition, generation of superoxide was indicated by the gentamicin-stimulated reduction of cytochrome c. The stimulation by gentamicin depended upon the presence of iron (FeII/FeIII) and of arachidonic acid as an electron donor. These results support the hypothesis that an iron-gentamicin complex can increase reactive oxygen species in nonenzymatic and in biological systems. The requirement for a reductive activation in intact cells (e.g., by a respiratory burst) is interpreted as the conversion of an inactive FeIII-gentamicin to a redox-active FeII-gentamicin complex.     

Results of surgical therapy of ovarian carcinomas in 1948-68]

Bisalbuminaemia in pancreatitis is a transient abnormality related to the presence, on electrophoresis of the serum, of a fast-moving albumin; this abnormal form is also found, in large amounts, in the ascitic or pleural effusions of the patients. Experiments reported here indicate clearly that the fast albumin can be produced by a degradation of normal serum albumin by the proteolytic enzymes of the pancreas (chymotrypsin or elastase in association with carboxypeptidases A and B). Stuctural analysis of the isolated fast albumin of the patients shows that the C-terminal end of the molecule is different from normal serum albumin, which can be understood by a limited enzymatic degradation by chymotrypsin or elastase followed by the action of carboxypeptidases. The discovery of bisalbuminaemia in a patient affected by pancreatitis is suspicious of the presence of an ascitic or pleural effusion and of a pancreatic pseudo-cyst with a fistula emerging in the effusion.     

Some features of the milling and pressing of boron carbide

Conclusions A study of the process of comminution of technical boron carbide in a magnetic eddy unit and a planetary activator has demonstrated that experimental plots of the specific surfaces of powders vs milling time are described by Khodakov's equation. The effectiveness of milling of boron carbide is an order higher in a planetary activator than in a magnetic eddy apparatus. However, in a planetary activator the process is accompanied by more intense pickup of iron. The process of densification of boron carbide powders produced by different methods is described by a logarithmic plot of relative volume vs pressing pressure.Translated from Poroshkovaya Metallurgiya, No. 6(270), pp. 29–33, June, 1985.     

Effects of talker variability on recall of spoken word lists.

Three experiments were conducted to investigate recall of lists of words containing items spoken by either a single talker or by different talkers. In each experiment, recall of early list items was better for lists spoken by a single talker than for lists of the same words spoken by different talkers. The use of a memory preload procedure demonstrated that recall of visually presented preload digits was superior when the words in a subsequent list were spoken by a single talker than by different talkers. In addition, a retroactive interference task demonstrated that the effects of talker variability on the recall of early list items were not due to use of talker-specific acoustic cues in working memory at the time of recall. Taken together, the results suggest that word lists produced by different talkers require more processing resources in working memory than do lists produced by a single talker. The findings are discussed in terms of the role that active rehearsal plays in the transfer of spoken items into long-term memory and the factors that may affect the efficiency of rehearsal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reconstruction of the loss of bone substance of the forearm by cubitalization of the radius (one bone forearm). Apropos of 6 cases

Extensive forearm bone loss, whatever its etiology, presents a difficult reconstruction problem. This is mainly the case in the presence of lesions of the interosseous membrane associated with the radio-ulnar joint. When preservation of forearm rotation is not possible, cubitalization of the radius and reconstruction of the forearm by creation of a "one bone forearm" seems to be an excellent salvage technique both functionally and cosmetically. Our experience concerns six clinical cases; two of these cases are original and give the authors the opportunity to describe a new reconstructive technique of the distal humerus and elbow by vascularized transfer of the radius onto the radial artery (with a cutaneo-osseous transfer in one case). The etiology of the bone defect included severe trauma in three cases, and a Volkman's syndrome complicated by osteomyelitis in one case. Two cases represent an original technique of reconstruction of the distal humerus by a vascularised transfer of the radius onto the radial artery. Forearm reconstruction is performed by cubitalization of the radius. The etiology was traumatic in one case and neoplastic in another, and a cutaneo-osseous transfer was performed in the latter case. In this difficult problem of bone reconstruction, a favorable functional and cosmetic result was obtained in our series.     

Adult performance as a function of sex of experimenter and sex of subject.

8 male and 8 female Es each tested 8 male and 8 female Ss in a simple sorting task. During an initial 1.5 min. each S's base rate of response was ascertained; following this, the E delivered a supportive statement every 30 sec. for the next 5.5 min. Performance did not increase as a function of the introduction of the supportive statements. Significant differences in base rate and in performance after the base rate period were found as a function of sex of E and of the interaction between sex of E and sex of S. Highly reliable differences appeared in the performance of Ss tested by different Es. The rank-order correlations of men and women tested by men and by women were significant, indicating a similar hierarchy in level of performance of male and female Ss tested by the male Es and a similar hierarchy for Ss tested by female Es. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Model of Mean Flow Stress of Ti‐IF Steel Considering Effect of Phase Transformations

The aim of this work was to describe the deformation resistance of austenitized Ti‐IF steel in the temperature range of 650 to 1100°C by a complex equation. The mean flow stress was determined by an original procedure, based on laboratory rolling of flat samples. Deformation resistance was described by a single formula, using a cumulative function in which particular terms are multiplied by a coefficient of 1 or 0, in dependence on a specific temperature. Calculation of specific coefficients had to be proposed in such a way that they could react to exceeding temperature boundaries between individual phase regions. The developed model can be used for off‐line predictions of power/force parameters in the forming of Ti‐IF steel, in a wide range of conditions of hot and warm deformation.     

Environmental behaviour of radionuclides deposited after the reactor accident of Chernobyl and related exposures

Several radioecological experiences with isotopes of ruthenium, iodine, caesium and barium, obtained after the reactor accident of Chernobyl, are reported. It was found that for a wet deposition barium was the element with the highest retention on grass. The retention of caesium was lower by a factor of 1.6, retention of iodine by a factor of 2.4 and retention of ruthenium by a factor of 3.5. Former data on the caesium transport in cereals from leaves to grain were confirmed. Depending on the conditions the iodine transfer factor for milk varied between 0.002 and 0.007 d.kg-1. The caesium transfer factor for milk was (0.003 +/- 0.0006) d.kg-1 and was found to be relatively constant in the years 1986-1988. In 1991, the values were higher by a factor of 2-5. Radioecological model results of whole-body burdens in Southern Bavaria showed a reduction of the caesium ingestion doses due to countermeasures and spontaneous changes of consumption habits in the first 2 months by a factor of 5 and till the end of 1987 by a factor of 1.5. The model results agree well with the range of measured whole-body burdens. One month after the deposition, the external exposures in urban environments due to ruthenium, caesium and barium isotopes were found to be reduced by a factor of 2, compared with open lawns, in the case of iodine the reduction was even a factor of 2.5. External exposures of a population group from the Munich area were determined by thermoluminescence dosimetry. The results are in accordance with the spectral measurements of external dose rates in urban environments.     

Disruption of thermal balance following removal of brain tumors

The mechanisms of thermal disorders in the early postoperative period in neurooncological patients depend on the degree of irritation of the diencephalic sections. Temperature elevations in cases of a non-complicated postoperative course are caused by a mild irritation of the median formations resulting in a moderate reduction of heat emission and an insignificant elevation of heat production, the former playing the dominating role. Hyperthermia in the postoperative period complicated by the development of the diencephalo-catabolic syndrome is a consequence of severe irritation of the median structures resulting in disorders of thermoregulation, and it is predisposed by a sharply increasing heart production against the background of a significant reduction of heat emission at the expence of distinct disorders in central and peripheral haemodynamics.     

Action of amino acids and convulsants on cerebellar spontaneous action potentials in vitro: effects of deprivation of C1-, K+ of Na+

(1) The inhibition of spontaneous action potentials in guinea pig cerebellar cortex slices by GABA, glycine, taurine and beta-alanine is maintained when C1- in the superfusion medium is almost completely replaced by NO3- or I-('permeant' anion), but the inhibition decreases in magnitude with repeated application of the amino acid. Replacement of C1- by sulfate or isethionate ('impermeant' anion) causes a conversion of inhibition by these amino acids to excitation. The initial excitation which is sometimes seen with these inhibitory amino acids in high C1- media is abolished when C1- is replaced by either permeant or impermeant anions. (2) Reduction of K+ in the medium causes an increase of inhibition by the inhibitory amino acids in the presence of high C1- and reduction of excitation when C1- is replaced by impermeant anion. (3) Excitation by GABA in impermeant anion (low C1-) media is unaffected by reduction of Na+ in the media by 50% but excitations by glycine, taurine, beta-alanine and L-glutamate are greatly reduced. (4). Excitation by GABA in impermeant anion (low C1-) media is abolished by picrotoxin and bicuculline which both suppress inhibition by GABA in a high C1- medium. Strychnine suppresses the effects of glycine, taurine and beta-alanine in either a low or high C1- medium. Bicuculline blocks the inhibitory effect of these three amino acids in a high C1- medium but does not affect their excitatory effects in a low C1- medium. (5) These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the inhibitory amino acids, GABA, glycine, taurine and beta-alanine, cause inhibition via increase of C1- (and perhaps K+) permeability and that glycine, taurine and beta-alanine also interact with strychnine-sensitive receptors mediating (perhaps indirectly) increased permeability to Na+ and, therefore, excitation in low C1- media.     

The etiologic heterogeneity of schizophrenia

Evidence is increasing in support of the etiologic heterogeneity of schizophrenia. Five distinct diseases/disorders are suggested in this paper, and the relevant studies are reviewed. Familial forms of the disorder include a dopamine psychosis (supported by research documenting both altered dopamine activity and early neuroleptic response among some schizophrenic patients), a neurodegenerative psychosis (supported by investigations that document ongoing change in ventricular brain ratio, elevation of products of cell membrane catabolism within the central nervous system, and age-progressive third ventricle enlargement accompanied by delayed response to neuroleptics), and a neurodevelopmental psychosis (supported by evidence of static enlarged ventricles in some schizophrenic patients and neurological soft signs in high-risk offspring of schizophrenic individuals). Nonfamilial forms include a neurodevelopmental psychosis (supported by evidence of neurodevelopmental abnormalities triggered by neurotropic viruses, radiation, or anoxia) and a lithium-responsive psychosis (supported by evidence of a subgroup of psychotic patients who have low risk of either psychosis or mania in their pedigrees and respond to lithium).     

Improvement of the technology of the out-of-furnace treatment of wheel steel

Various versions of the deoxidation and out-of-furnace treatment of wheel steel under the OAO VMZ conditions are analyzed. The effective partial pressure of carbon monoxide over a melt in a 130-t ladle degasser is found to be 54 ± 9 kPa. Thermodynamic analysis of the deoxidation demonstrates that low oxygen concentrations in the melt of wheel steel can be achieved when it is deoxidized by aluminum, silicocalcium, aluminocalcium, or carbon in vacuum. Experiments and a thermodynamic calculation show that the vacuum-carbon deoxidation of a high-strength wheel steel provides oxygen concentrations in the metal that are comparable with the concentrations obtained by silicocalcium deoxidation (0.0023 ± 0.0005 wt %) and ensures the optimum morphology and concentration of oxide inclusions. The causes of the formation of the defects revealed by ultrasonic inspection in railway wheel templates are studied. The level of rejection controlled by these defects depends on the deoxidation method and is related to the number and morphology of the oxide inclusions that form during secondary oxidation.