Orthognathic surgery: the patients'' perspective

We have evaluated our practice of tube caecostomies in 21 children operated on from January 1982 to December 1987 at the Royal Hospital for sick children, Bristol, and 18 children operated on at the Paediatric Surgery Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana from January 1989 to December 1996. The indications for surgery were, Hirschsprung's disease (36) and idiopathic constipation (3). The definitive procedures involved were Duhamel's procedure in 36, Soave's procedure in 2 and colo-anal anastomosis in 1 case. This method reduces the total number of surgical operations required by the child from 3 to 2, thereby reducing the total period of hospitalisation for the child. A sample technique of tube caecostomy is described in 39 children undergoing corrective surgery.     

Identification of a novel cysteine string protein variant and expression of cysteine string proteins in non-neuronal cells

Cysteine string proteins (Csps) are synaptic vesicle proteins thought to be involved in calcium-dependent neurotransmitter release at nerve endings. Here, we report the cloning of two Csp variants, termed Csp1 and Csp2, from bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells. The bovine Csp1 appears to be the homologue of rat brain Csp, sharing 95% identity at the amino acid level. The nucleotide sequence of csp2 is identical with that of csp1 except for a 72-base insert which introduces a stop codon into the coding sequence, which would be predicted to result in a truncated protein 3.3 kDa smaller than Csp1. Furthermore, polymerase chain reaction analysis detected homologues of Csp1 and Csp2 in rat kidney, liver, pancreas, spleen, lung, and adrenal gland. Expression of Csps in non-neuronal tissues was confirmed by Northern blotting and by immunoblotting with anti-Csp1 antiserum which also demonstrated expression of both full-length and truncated Csps in spleen. The widespread tissue distribution is inconsistent with a role of Csps as specific regulators of presynaptic calcium channels as previously proposed. We suggest that Csps may have a more general role in membrane traffic in non-neuronal as well as neuronal cells.     

Use of a prognostic treadmill score in identifying diagnostic coronary disease subgroups

BACKGROUND: Exercise testing is useful in the assessment of symptomatic patients for diagnosis of significant or extensive coronary disease and to predict their future risk of cardiac events. The Duke treadmill score (DTS) is a composite index that was designed to provide survival estimates based on results from the exercise test, including ST-segment depression, chest pain, and exercise duration. However, its usefulness for providing diagnostic estimates has yet to be determined. METHODS AND RESULTS: A logistic regression model was used to predict significant (>/=75% stenosis) and severe (3-vessel or left main) coronary artery disease, and a Cox regression analysis was used to predict cardiac survival. After adjustment for baseline clinical risk, the DTS was effectively diagnostic for significant (P<0.0001) and severe (P<0.0001) coronary artery disease. For low-risk patients (score >/=+5), 60% had no coronary stenosis >/=75% and 16% had single-vessel >/=75% stenosis. By comparison, 74% of high-risk patients (score <-11) had 3-vessel or left main coronary disease. Five-year mortality was 3%, 10%, and 35% for low-, moderate-, and high-risk DTS groups (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The composite DTS provides accurate diagnostic and prognostic information for the evaluation of symptomatic patients evaluated for clinically suspected ischemic heart disease.     

Genomic imprinting in testicular germ cell tumours

Genomic imprinting refers to the parental origin-specific functional difference between the paternally and maternally-derived mammalian haploid genome. Normal embryogenesis depends on the presence of both a paternal and a maternal copy of particular chromosomal regions, containing the so-called imprinted genes. Genomic imprinting is established somewhere in the maturation from a primordial germ cell to a mature gamete, either spermatid or oocyte. We discuss the value of testicular cancers, especially those derived from the germ cell lineage, as a model to study erasement of the biparental pattern of genomic imprinting as present in the zygote and establishment of the paternal pattern during spermatogenesis. In addition, we will present data on the presence of X-inactivation in these cancers.     

Synthetic preparations and physical and electrical properties of main chain type thermotropic liquid crystalline polyimide/SiO2 nanocomposites

Two kinds of monomers, 1,3‐bis[4‐(4′‐amino‐Phenoxy)cumyl]benzene (BACB) and pyromellitic dianhydride were used to synthesize the Liquid Crystalline Polyamic acid—a precursor (LCPAA) of Liquid Crystalline Polyimide (LCPi). The nanohybrid films were successfully prepared by the sol–gel reaction. Tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) (99%)–ethanol (99.8%) solution was added to LCPAA solution. The hybrid films were made by the hydrolysis–polycondensation of TEOS–ethanol in the LCPAA solution. When water and the solvent were removed completely, the hybrid films were obtained. The functional group and chemical structure were characterized by FTIR. We employed a number of instruments to understand whether the nano‐SiO₂ particle was introduced into the polymer matrix and enhanced the thermal properties and mechanical strength. The liquid crystalline phase of the LCPi and LCPi/SiO₂ hybrid films was observed by POM. TGA and DSC were used to test the thermal properties. The crystallization and liquid crystal phase analyses were carried out by XRD. The elemental analysis was employed to measure the 1,3‐bis[4‐(4′‐nitrophenoxy)cumyl)]benzene and BACB monomers. Besides, the cross section at morphology of the materials was observed with an FESEM. The electrical properties of hybrid films were measured by the high resistance analysis and dielectric constant analysis. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 1688–1704, 2006     

Genetic analysis of default mating behavior in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Haploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells find each other during conjugation by orienting their growth toward each other along pheromone gradients (chemotropism). However, when their receptors are saturated for pheromone binding, yeast cells must select a mate by executing a default pathway in which they choose a mating partner at random. We previously demonstrated that this default pathway requires the SPA2 gene. In this report we show that the default mating pathway also requires the AXL1, FUS1, FUS2, FUS3, PEA2, RVS161, and BNI1 genes. These genes, including SPA2, are also important for efficient cell fusion during chemotropic mating. Cells containing null mutations in these genes display defects in cell fusion that subtly affect mating efficiency. In addition, we found that the defect in default mating caused by mutations in SPA2 is partially suppressed by multiple copies of two genes, FUS2 and MFA2. These findings uncover a molecular relationship between default mating and cell fusion. Moreover, because axl1 mutants secrete reduced levels of a-factor and are defective at both cell fusion and default mating, these results reveal an important role for a-factor in cell fusion and default mating. We suggest that default mating places a more stringent requirement on some aspects of cell fusion than does chemotropic mating.