Early confirmation of stress fractures in joggers

Four joggers had early confirmation of clinically suspected stress fractures by radionuclide bone scans. The radioactive bone scan was abnormal as early as six weeks prior to the appearance of conventional roentgenographic changes. The stress fractures involved the bones of the lower extremities and included the femur, tibia, and calcaneus. Radioactive bone scanning also correctly identified stress fractures with bilateral involvement and referred pain. In joggers, when a stress fracture is clinically suspected and the conventional radiographs are negative, a radioactive bone scan is indicated for early confirmation and institution of appropriate treatment.     

Humoral immunostimulation. VIII. Increased incorporation of phosphate and turnover of phosphatidylinositol in cells treated with antibody

Uptake of phosphate (32P) in L cells was modulated by reaction with anti-L cell antibody. A biphasic response was noted with high, cytotoxic concentrations inhibiting 32P uptake and low, cytostimulatory concentrations stimulating 32P uptake. Stimulation of 32P uptake was dependent upon multivalent binding as immune IgG and F(ab')2 were effective, but univalent Fab' was ineffective in enhancing 32P uptake into cells. Antibody stimulation of 32P uptake appeared to be an energy independent process and to take place by activation of 32P membrane transport with an increased Vmax (19.3 pmoles/min to 25.3 pmoles/min), but the same Km (0.22 mM). Isolation and measurement of cellular (primarily membrane) phospholipids demonstrated a dramatic increase of (2-fold) specific radioactivity in phosphatidylinositol. Early turnover of phosphatidylinositol may be an important signal for tumor cells to grow at an enhanced rate when exposed to cytostimulatory concentrations of antibody.     

Ergonomics: where have we been and where are we going: IV

The long-term prognosis of 185 children with epilepsy, who continued to attend the Clinic for Epileptic Children, the Department of Pediatrics, the University of Tokyo, beyond the age of 18 years, was reported. The length of follow-up varied from three to 20 years, but most of them were followed longer than 10 years. The presumed etiology in these children was divided into a cryptogenic group (124, 67.0%) and a symptomatic group (61). The types of seizures were classified into grand mal (86 cases), focal seizure (27), petit mal absence (4), psychomotro seizure (5), infantile spasms (7), and so on. It may be noted that the highest frequency of grand mal was demonstrated, while the incidences of infantile spasms, myoclonic seizure, and akinetic seizure were low in the series. Only 28 children (15.1%) had complications of physical and/or mental handicaps. The follow-up study revealed that 140 patients (75.7%) had been seizure-free in the last 12 months. One hundred and fifteen of them had no seizures for five years or longer. On the other hand, electroencephalographic abnormalities generally continued for a long time after disappearance of seizures. Eightly-one of well-controlled patients were gradually decreasing the doses of anticonvulsants. As for seizure types, it is noted that focal seizure, psychomotor seizure, and infantile spasms were relatively difficult to be controlled. Except for 27 patients, most of them attended normal schools, including junior colleges or universities, and engaged in various occupations. Fifteen female patients had already married, and out of 13 babies who were born from these patients, there were one with ventricular septal defect, one with mental deficiency, and one with anencephaly, while the rest were entirely normal. Additional problems on withdrawal of anticonvulsants after a long-term seizure-free period, and what a medical system should be for treatment of epilepsy in children up to their adulthood were discussed.     

CBL-GRB2 interaction in myeloid immunoreceptor tyrosine activation motif signaling

In this study, we provide the first evidence for role of the CBL adapter protein interaction in Fc gammaRI receptor signal transduction. We study the Fc gammaRI receptor, an immunoreceptor tyrosine activation motif (ITAM)-linked signaling pathway, using IFN-gamma-differentiated U937 myeloid cells, termed U937IF cells. CBL is constitutively associated with both GRB2 and the ITAM-containing receptor subunit, Fc gammaRIgamma of Fc gammaRI, providing direct evidence that CBL functions in myeloid ITAM signaling. Fc gammaRI cross-linking of U937IF cells induces the tyrosine phosphorylation of CBL that is associated with an altered CBL-GRB2 interaction. Both GRB2-SH3 and SH2 domains bind CBL in resting cell lysates; upon Fc gammaRI stimulation, phosphorylated CBL binds exclusively to the GRB2-SH2 domain. Glutathione-S-transferase fusion protein data demonstrate that the constitutive interaction of CBL with GRB2 and CRKL is mediated via two discrete regions of the CBL C terminus. The proximal C terminus (residues 461-670) binds to GRB2 constitutively, and under conditions of receptor activation binds to the tyrosine-phosphorylated SHC adapter molecule. The distal C terminus of CBL (residues 671-906) binds the CRKL adapter protein. The data demonstrate that the CBL-GRB2 and GRB2-SOS protein complexes are distinct and mutually exclusive in U937IF cells, supporting a model by which the CBL-GRB2 and GRB2-SOS complexes function in separate pathways for myeloid Fc gammaRI signaling.     

西北地区被动式太阳房可行性与设计方法

从太阳房的原理和相关概念出发,重点对被动式太阳房的可行性和设计进行分析与研究。分别从当前西北地区部分农村的经济情况、能源利用情况及建筑状况等进行阐述,指出在西北地区构筑被动式太阳房是可行的。分析了被动式太阳房的优点和经济效益,给出了被动式太阳房典型设计方法。     

Repair of ruptured sinus of valsalva aneurysm: determinants of long-term survival

BACKGROUND: Ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is a rare cardiac anomaly and long-term survival after surgical treatment is not well established. This study was designed to investigate the determinants of long-term survival after repair of ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm. METHODS: From April 1978 to April 1996, 53 patients underwent operation for ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm. The incidence among our cardiac surgical population was 0.56%. Long-term survival was investigated in 46 patients (13 to 65 years) who survived the operation, with 96.2% follow-up completeness (mean+/-standard deviation, 6.5+/-4.9 years; maximum, 17.2 years), by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: There was no early operative death and no recurrence after the initial repair. Actuarial survival was 83.8%+/-8.4% at 15 years. Reoperation, aneurysm draining into the left ventricle, aortic prosthetic dehiscence, bacterial endocarditis, and aortic cross-clamp time (<70 minutes) were significant factors in long-term survival (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that only aortic prosthesis dehiscence was the significant factor influencing late survival (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment for ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is safe and has satisfactory results. Aortic prosthesis dehiscence is the independent determinant for long-term survival. Other factors including bacterial endocarditis, concomitant ventricular septal defect repair, and aortic valve replacement did not independently influence long-term survival.