Treatment failure and dietary habits in women with breast cancer

Although variously shaped urinary red cells have been reported in glomerulonephritic hematuria, no specific shapes with concrete definition have been proposed. This made morphological differentiation of hematuria vague and caused different results among different observers. To solve these problems and improve the diagnostic rate, we employed a uniquely shaped red cell, which only appeared in glomerulonephritic hematuria, as a probe for diagnosis. We studied 182 hematuria cases from 90 glomerulonephritic patients and 95 hematuria cases from 68 urological disease patients. Fresh urine was collected and observed by differential interference microscopy. The red cell, referred to as G1, has a distinctive doughnut-like shape with blebs and was highly specific for glomerulonephritic hematuria. Occurrence of G1 cells increased at lower pH an higher osmolality of urine. A presence of 5% or more G1 cells could be an indicator of glomerulonephritic hematuria. Specificity and sensitivity of this criterion were 100 and 73%. However, when only acidic concentrated urine (pH < or = 6.4, osmolality > or = 400 mosm/kg H2O) was used, the specificity and sensitivity increased to 100 and 99.2%, respectively. Glomerulonephritic and urological hematuria were correctly diagnosed by counting the urinary red cells with doughnut-like shape in acidic and concentrated urine. This method seems to be superior to others in diagnostic rate, simplicity and clarity.     

Left atrial "stunning" following radiofrequency catheter ablation of chronic atrial flutter

Patients with autonomic neuropathy are more susceptible to insulin-induced hypotension than normal subjects, but the mechanisms are unclear. We quantitated the hemodynamic and metabolic effects of two doses of i.v. insulin (1 and 5 mU/kg.min, 120 min each) and several aspects of autonomic function in 28 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and in 7 matched normal subjects under standardized normoglycemic conditions. The autonomic function tests included those predominantly assessing the integrity of vagal heart rate control (the expiration inspiration ratio during deep breathing and high frequency power of heart rate variability) and tests measuring sympathetic nervous function (reflex vasoconstriction to cold and blood pressure responses to standing and handgrip). During hyperinsulinemia, heart rate increased less (2 +/- 1 vs. 6 +/- 2 beats/min; P < 0.04) and diastolic blood pressure fell more (-3.1 +/- 1.2 vs. 0.9 +/- 2.1; P = NS) in the patients with IDDM than in the normal subjects. Forearm vascular resistance decreased significantly in the patients with IDDM [by -7.1 +/- 1.4 mm Hg/(mL/dL.min); P < 0.001 for high vs. low dose insulin], but not in the normal subjects (-0.1 +/- 2.5 mm Hg/(mL/dL.min; P = NS). Reflex vasoconstriction to cold was inversely correlated with the decreases in diastolic (r = -0.51; P < 0.005) and systolic (r = -0.59; P < 0.001) blood pressure and forearm vascular resistance (r = -0.53; P < 0.005), but not with the change in heart rate. The expiration inspiration ratio was, however, directly correlated with the insulin-induced change in heart rate (r = 0.63; P < 0.001), but not with diastolic or systolic blood pressure or forearm vascular resistance. Whole body (48 +/- 2 vs. 67 +/- 5 mumol/kg.min; P < 0.005) and forearm (44 +/- 4 vs. 67 +/- 8 mumol/kg.min; P < 0.05) glucose uptake were significantly lower in the IDDM patients than in the normal subjects. The latter could be attributed to a defect in the forearm glucose arterio-venous difference (1.5 +/- 0.1 vs. 2.2 +/- 0.2 mmol/L, respectively; P < 0.01), but not in blood flow. We conclude that both impaired vagal heart rate control and sympathetic nervous dysfunction exaggerate the hemodynamic effects of insulin in patients with IDDM and could contribute to insulin-induced hypotension.     

Complications of latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap breast reconstruction

Two qualitative rapid appraisal techniques were used in a community-based study to investigate health beliefs, attitudes and practices in a rural district in Nepal. Pregnancy and childbirth remain non-medical activities managed at home. Deaths may be avoided by better access to hospital emergency services. Health awareness of some problems, e.g. oral rehydration and diarrhoeal disease, is high; but of others, e.g. association of haemoptysis with tuberculosis, is poor. These methods require few resources, are efficient in time and manpower required, and generate useful relevant information on a target population. They are recommended for district health development programmes elsewhere.     

High-pressure washing treatments to remove obscure mealybug (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) and lightbrown apple moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) from harvested apples

Mixed life stages of obscure mealybug, Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret), and late 1st-instar or early 2nd-instar lightbrown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker), on 'Royal Gala' apples (Malus domestica Borkhausen) were exposed to standard packhouse processing with and without addition of high-pressure apple washer treatments. Insect removal and mortality were assessed. After standard packhouse processing approximately 60% of P. viburni remained on their host apples. The 2 high-pressure apple washer treatments (500 and 800 psi at 2.0 rods/s) were equally effective and significantly reduced the number of P. viburni on apples compared with the packhouse control. High-pressure apple washer removal by location decreased in the following order: calyx cavity outside the sepals > cheek approximately stem cavity > or = calyx beneath sepals. About half of the E. postvittana larvae infesting apples was removed by standard packhouse processing. Removal rates were similar for all locations on open-calyxed apples. However, no removal occurred from the calyx beneath the sepals if the apple calyx was closed. All 4 high-pressure apple washer treatments tested (500 and 800 psi at 1.0 and 2.0 rods/s) halved the number of larvae on the apple exterior relative to the packhouse control. The pattern of removal for larvae on open-calyxed apples was calyx outside sepals approximately stem cavity > calyx beneath the sepals approximately cheek. A similar pattern was evident for larvae on closed-calyxed apples, except insects beneath the sepals evaded removal. The persistence of insects on the apple cheek reflects the high proportion of larvae inside tunnels in this location compared with other apple locations. Removal of internally positioned insects was much lower than that of externally positioned insects.     

The murine neutrophil-chemoattractant chemokines LIX, KC, and MIP-2 have distinct induction kinetics, tissue distributions, and tissue-specific sensitivities to glucocorticoid regulation in endotoxemia

Lipopolysaccharide-induced CXC chemokine (LIX) is a novel murine neutrophil-chemoattractant CXC chemokine cloned as a glucocorticoid-attenuated response gene. We investigated LIX message expression in an acute endotoxemia model. LIX message peaks later than KC or macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and remains elevated longer in almost all tissues. Induced LIX message expression in heart is 5- to 6-fold greater than in lung and spleen, and 20-fold greater than in liver. In contrast, KC expression is equal in heart, lung, and liver, whereas MIP-2 expression is strongest in the lung. Glucocorticoid regulation of these genes also differs. Endotoxemia-induced LIX message expression in the lung is markedly enhanced in adrenalectomized mice and strongly attenuated by dexamethasone, whereas lung KC and MIP-2 expression are unaffected by glucocorticoids. It is surprising to note that endotoxemia-induced brain expression of LIX (but not KC or MIP-2) is increased by dexamethasone. These observations suggest that LIX may have biological roles distinct from KC and MIP-2.     

遗传算法在求解最小生成树中的运用

以图论和遗传算法为基础,提出了求解最小生成树问题的遗传算法。该算法解决了常用二进制编码不能正确表达最小生成树的问题,利用Prufer数对生成树进行编码;在遗传操作中对变异算子进行了改进,避免了由于变异产生大量不可行解。从而提高了遗传算法的效率;通过数值试验,表明该算法简单,高效,收敛率高。