Reduction of triceps muscle force after shortening of the distal humerus: a computational model

A retrospective case reference study examining the use of alcohol and tobacco in 303 women aged 40 or over suffering from oral or oropharyngeal cancer was conducted in the south-west Netherlands. Both alcohol and tobacco consumption are important in the development of oral and oropharyngeal cancer with increased consumption of both markedly increasing the risks of cancer, but alcohol having the greater effect.     

EON: a component-based approach to automation of protocol-directed therapy

Provision of automated support for planning protocol-directed therapy requires a computer program to take as input clinical data stored in an electronic patient-record system and to generate as output recommendations for therapeutic interventions and laboratory testing that are defined by applicable protocols. This paper presents a synthesis of research carried out at Stanford University to model the therapy-planning task and to demonstrate a component-based architecture for building protocol-based decision-support systems. We have constructed general-purpose software components that (1) interpret abstract protocol specifications to construct appropriate patient-specific treatment plans; (2) infer from time-stamped patient data higher-level, interval-based, abstract concepts; (3) perform time-oriented queries on a time-oriented patient database; and (4) allow acquisition and maintenance of protocol knowledge in a manner that facilitates efficient processing both by humans and by computers. We have implemented these components in a computer system known as EON. Each of the components has been developed, evaluated, and reported independently. We have evaluated the integration of the components as a composite architecture by implementing T-HELPER, a computer-based patient-record system that uses EON to offer advice regarding the management of patients who are following clinical trial protocols for AIDS or HIV infection. A test of the reuse of the software components in a different clinical domain demonstrated rapid development of a prototype application to support protocol-based care of patients who have breast cancer.     

SurA assists the folding of Escherichia coli outer membrane proteins

Many proteins require enzymatic assistance in order to achieve a functional conformation. One rate-limiting step in protein folding is the cis-trans isomerization of prolyl residues, a reaction catalyzed by prolyl isomerases. SurA, a periplasmic protein of Escherichia coli, has sequence similarity with the prolyl isomerase parvulin. We tested whether SurA was involved in folding periplasmic and outer membrane proteins by using trypsin sensitivity as an assay for protein conformation. We determined that the efficient folding of three outer membrane proteins (OmpA, OmpF, and LamB) requires SurA in vivo, while the folding of four periplasmic proteins was independent of SurA. We conclude that SurA assists in the folding of certain secreted proteins.     

Nerve conduction velocity and H-reflex recovery in bipolar illness

Bipolar illness may be characterized by dysregulation and dysfunction of biologically active ions and ion pumps, respectively. In an effort to examine whether purported physiologic abnormalities may have functional counterparts, nerve conduction velocities (NCVs) and H-reflex recovery were examined in 7 acutely manic, 11 euthymic bipolar, 13 remitted schizophrenic, and 6 normal control individuals. All electrophysiologic tests were clinically normal. However, euthymic bipolar patients had significantly slower NCVs than either manic or normal individuals. Percent decrement of H-reflex recovery was nonsignificantly increased in manic versus euthymic bipolar subjects. Data analysis suggests lithium was not responsible for these changes. These data indicate that different mood states in bipolar illness are associated with alterations in electroneurophysiologic function.     

Studies on lymphocyte subpopulations and the effect of age on immune competence in turkeys

We characterized the lymphocyte subpopulations and investigated the effect of age on cellular and humoral immunity, development of lymphoid organs, and the relative proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in turkeys. The mitogenic responses of peripheral T cells were poorly developed at hatch but developed rapidly after hatch and reached adult levels by 2 weeks-of-age. The average percentage of CD4+ cells was 45, 29.8, and 26.3 in the thymi, peripheral blood, and spleens, respectively, in turkeys. The mean percentage of CD8+ cells in the thymi, peripheral blood, and spleens of turkeys was 53.8, 13.6, and 15.5, respectively. Age did not influence the relative proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the spleens and peripheral blood of turkeys. The mean percentages of IgM+ cells in the bursae and spleens were 78.5 and 26.8, respectively. Day-old turkeys did not develop detectable antibodies to either thymus dependent or independent antigens. However, 2 week or older turkeys showed good humoral responses. Inoculation of BSA at hatch induced tolerance, whereas injection of SRBC did not. Analysis of relative organ weights of turkey lymphoid organs showed that spleens and thymi developed rapidly during the first week-of-age.     

Progesterone protects against lipid peroxidation following traumatic brain injury in rats

Large scale use of lysozyme for periplasmic release has been impeded by the cost of the pure enzyme and its subsequent presence as a contaminant in later downstream processing steps. In this paper, we discuss the use of lysozyme for pilot scale recovery of a periplasmic enzyme from E. coli. The effects of concentration of sucrose, lysozyme and cells on periplasmic enzyme release were examined. Lysozyme concentration can be reduced 5-fold from previous reports and a reduction in sucrose concentration from 20 to 15% (w/v) allows an improvement in centrifugal harvesting by reducing viscosity. High levels of release were still achieved using this technique and further improvements in yield were obtained by optimising other components of the releasing mixture. Results show that some release is still achieved in circumstances where no lysozyme use is possible. Results also indicate that a substantial proportion (up to 70%) of lysozyme remains bound to the cellular debris after its action and is removed with this material.     

Bone mineralisation, body fat and anthropometric measurement in mothers delivering preterm

Twenty mothers of preterm babies who had survived to 1 year old, were matched for age and parity of the mother and time of birth of the baby, with 20 mothers delivering fullterm. Bone mineral, body composition and anthropometric measurements were obtained for each mother and analysed using paired t-tests. The only significant difference (P < 0.01) between the groups was a lower fat-free mass in the preterm mothers calculated from skinfold thickness measurements.     

Culture and characterization of sinusoidal endothelial cells isolated from human liver

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic data concerning skin diseases in many rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa are not available. Little is known about the effect of regular treatment schedules by paramedical staff (especially community health workers) in the primary healthcare system on the severity and prevalence of dermatoses. METHODS: 5780 school and pre-school children from 13 primary schools in four sublocations in rural western Kenya (Kisumu District) were examined for dermatoses by the author, together with community health workers in 1993. On-the-spot training and weekend seminars about important and common dermatoses were also given. In 1994 a dermatology program was started within the primary healthcare system. Twelve trained community health workers carried out regular school visits once a week and diagnosed and treated pupils with dermatoses. Treatment was performed with gentian violet 1% solution for bacterial skin infections, Whitfield's ointment for dermatophytoses, benzylbenzoate emulsion 25% for scabies, and hydrocortisone acetate 1% cream for eczemas. All schools were visited again in 1995 to evaluate the long-term effects of the program. RESULTS: In 1993, the prevalence rate for dermatoses was 32.4%. Most of the skin diseases found were of infective origin (27.1% were caused by bacteria, 21.6% by fungi, and 17.6% by arthropods, mainly scabies mites). Dermatitis accounted for 3.5%. In 1995, the prevalence of dermatoses declined to 29.6% (p<0.05), and this reduction was most strongly observed for tropical ulcers and tinea capitis. Additionally, there was an improvement in the extent and severity of skin diseases. CONCLUSIONS: This study defines, for the first time, the number and extent of skin diseases in children in rural Kisumu District; most dermatoses were of infective origin. The study demonstrates that community health workers in the primary healthcare system are capable of dealing successfully with the most common dermatoses in children following a short training period.     

Potato gun ocular injury

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify a dangerous new weapon capable of causing damage to the ocular and periocular regions. METHODS: The authors report two patients who had penetrating ocular injury in the past year because of homemade recreational potato guns. RESULTS: In one 14-year-old boy, projectiles from the firing of a potato gun resulted in orbital and cranial injuries that were life threatening with widespread fractures, marked disruption of facial structures, a cerebrospinal fluid fistula requiring bifrontal surgical repair, and loss of one eye. In a separate accident with a different potato gun, a 14-year-old boy who was wearing glasses at the time of injury had a sight-threatening perforating corneal laceration. CONCLUSION: Practitioners must be aware of the existence of these new, homemade unregulated devices. Information about the use and construction of these guns is widespread on the Internet, but no injuries resulting from these guns currently are documented in the medical literature.