Autonomic paroxysms: their pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment

In the article the rules about etiology and pathogenesis of vegetative paroxysms are stated based on careful analysis of the publications of researches as Russian, so foreign authors, and also own experimental and clinical supervision. During experimental and clinical researches the modern methods were used, enabling to estimate from positions of the system analysis different parts of pathogenesis of vegetative paroxysms, and also to offer ways of differential diagnostics of the various forms of disease. The application of some new preparations and direction of therapy of vegetative paroxysms are substantiated, and also the various circuits of treatment of the patients with distinguishing forms of given pathology are motivated.     

Role of macrophage overactivation in the development of acute pancreatic injury in rats

PURPOSE: To report quantitative changes in the anterior chamber configuration after small-incision cataract surgery with implantation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens by means of ultrasound biomicroscopy. METHODS: We examined the anterior chamber configuration of 20 eyes of 20 patients before and 3 months after small-incision cataract surgery (phacoemulsification and aspiration plus foldable intraocular lens implantation through a 3.0- to 4.0-mm self-sealing wound) by means of ultrasound biomicroscopy. The following variables were measured: the anterior chamber depth at the center of the cornea, the angle-opening distance 250 microns from the scleral spur (AOD250), the angle-opening distance 500 microns from the scleral spur (AOD500), and the trabecular-iris angle. RESULTS: The anterior chamber depth at the center of the cornea, AOD250, AOD500, and trabecular-iris angle increased significantly after surgery. The preoperative anterior chamber depth at the center of the cornea and trabecular-iris angle were negatively correlated with the differences between the postoperative and preoperative values (P < .01). The preoperative values of all variables examined were negatively correlated with the ratios of the postoperative value to the preoperative value (P < .002). CONCLUSIONS: The present results showed that small-incision cataract surgery significantly deepened the anterior chamber and widened its angle. The more shallow the preoperative anterior chamber was, the greater the postoperative change of the chamber was; and the more narrow the preoperative angle was, the greater the postoperative change of the angle was.     

Selection of serum deproteinization methods

Dentists are often called upon to perform painful procedures on children. This may present a management problem for the practitioner who is unfamiliar with accepted behavioural management techniques or prescribing analgesics for paediatric patients. This article will review techniques that may be used to guide a child patient's behaviour through painful procedures as well as addressing the need for post-operative analgesics in the paediatric population.     

Isolation and characteristics of a protein-polysaccharide complex, secreted by Bifidobacterium adolescentis

Although self-help/mutual-help groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous, are important factors in the recovery of many chemically dependent individuals, the large dropout rates from such groups and the awareness that many who drop out do not return to dependent behavior raises interesting questions about other paths to sustained abstinence and recovery. Current emphasis on treatment outcome studies provides a means for researching factors in both those who recover with and without the assistance of self-help/mutual-help groups. The authors suggest some questions which might be investigated.     

Constitutive expression in gal7 mutants of Kluyveromyces lactis is due to internal production of galactose as an inducer of the Gal/Lac regulon

The induction process of the galactose regulon has been intensively studied, but until now the nature of the inducer has remained unknown. We have analyzed a delta gal7 mutant of the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, which lacks the galactotransferase activity and is able to express the genes of the Gal/Lac regulon also in the absence of galactose. We found that this expression is semiconstitutive and undergoes a strong induction during the stationary phase. The gal1-209 mutant, which has a reduced kinase activity but retains its positive regulatory function, also shows a constitutive expression of beta-galactosidase, suggesting that galactose is the inducer. A gal10 deletion in delta gal7 or gal1-209 mutants reduces the expression to under wild-type levels. The presence of the inducer could be demonstrated in both delta gal7 crude extracts and culture medium by means of a bioassay using the induction in gal1-209 cells. A mutation in the transporter gene LAC12 decreases the level of induction in gal7 cells, indicating that galactose is partly released into the medium and then retransported into the cells. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of crude extracts from delta gal7 cells revealed the presence of 50 microM galactose. We conclude that galactose is the inducer of the Gal/Lac regulon and is produced via UDP-galactose through a yet-unknown pathway.     

Babesial antibody dynamics after cattle immunisation with live vaccines, measured with an indirect immunofluorescence test

The efficacy of vaccination of Argentinean cattle against babesiosis and anaplasmosis using live immunogens was tested to detect specific antibodies in samples obtained about 60 days after vaccination. Under these conditions a higher than expected proportion of cattle failed to show antibodies against Babesia bigemina. Therefore, a study was designed to evaluate if this failure was due to insensitivity of the routine test to detect antibodies to B. bigemina or to lack of infectivity of the live vaccine. Four groups (G) of cattle were each inoculated subcutaneously with 10 million Babesia bovis (vaccinal strain R1A), 10 million B. bigemina (vaccinal strain S1A) and 10 million Anaplasma centrale (strain M1). G1 and G2 consisted of ten Angus bulls 20-24 months old and ten Angus bulls 15-18 months old, respectively; G3 and G4 consisted of ten and 16 Holstein 1-month-old male calves, respectively. Blood samples were obtained on days 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 after vaccination and the sera were analysed with an indirect immunofluorescent (IFA) test to detect antibodies to B. bovis (baseline dilution for a positive result 1:60) and B. bigemina (baseline dilution 1:120). Positive IFA titres were considered as evidence of the infectivity of the Babesia vaccinal strains contained in the vaccine. All Angus bulls were found positive to antibodies against both Babesia species, by day 20 (B. bovis) and day 30 (B. bigemina), whereas 10-25% of Holstein calves were negative throughout. The partial lack of vaccine infectivity in the calves was considered to be a consequence of innate resistance of young calves to Babesia. Antibody titres to B. bovis and B. bigemina declined by day 60 after vaccination. However, all cattle that were positive to B. bovis antibodies on day 50 were still positive to the IFA test 10 days later while 10%, 30% and 12% of cattle of G1, G2 and G3 that were positive to B. bigemina antibodies on day 50 after vaccination were found negative to the IFA test on day 60. In future, samples taken on days 40-50 will be used for detection of B. bigemina antibodies in vaccinated cattle, on day 60 for A. centrale and on either occasion for B. bovis. The reaction to the inoculation of B. bigemina S1A strain appears to lag behind the reaction to B. bovis R1A strain. It is not certain if this is a normal reaction to this B. bigemina strain or the result of interaction with the B. bovis strain.     

Potentiation of a three drug chemotherapy regimen by radiation

The combination of N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate, 6-methylmercaptopurine, and 6-aminonicotinamide has been shown to be an effective antineoplastic regimen and also to enhance the effects of other chemotherapeutic agents. The mechanism of action of this combination of drugs is not known definitively, but one possible mechanism is biochemical modulation of energy metabolism and inhibition of production of tumor ATP. Tumor-bearing mice were treated with N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate, followed 17 h later by 6-methylmercaptopurine and 6-aminonicotinamide. 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies demonstrated a significant depletion of high energy phosphates at 10 h post-6-methylmercaptopurine and 6-aminonicotinamide. The addition of radiation at this time was shown to induce a significantly longer tumor growth delay and a greater number of regressions (including durable complete regressions) than either chemotherapy or radiation alone. The combination of chemotherapy and radiation was found to be supra-additive compared to the antineoplastic effects of either modality administered separately, without a measurable increase in host toxicity.     

Titanium and bioactive glass-ceramic coated titanium as materials for keratoprosthesis

The current problem with keratoprosthesis is the ingrowth of corneal or conjunctival epithelium into the anterior chamber. This may lead to infections and extrusion of the prosthesis as well as to the development of retroprosthetic membrane and secondary glaucoma. Glass-ceramic coated and uncoated titanium has been tested as material for the keratoprosthesis to prevent epithelial ingrowth. Twenty-two Supra-Descemet's membrane keratoprostheses were inserted in the eyes of 22 rabbits for 1, 2, 4, 8, or 12 months. The prosthesis had an optic part made of polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA). The support for the optic part and the flange of the prosthesis were made of titanium. Eleven of the prostheses were coated with glass-ceramic. The histological sections of the enucleated eyes were prepared through the central part of the cornea and the prosthesis using a cutting-grinding method. The histological analysis was made on both halves of the implants separately giving two analysis areas in each eye. All 11 titanium prostheses were retained for the time period planned. Two glass-ceramic coated prostheses were lost at 2 and 4 weeks, respectively. This was caused by difficulties at surgery due to a thick coating. These eyes were excluded from the histological analysis. No significant ingrowth of epithelium was seen in 15/18 (83%) and in 16/22 (73%) of the analysed areas of the glass-ceramic coated and titanium prostheses, respectively. Titanium appears to be a suitable material for the keratoprosthesis. The ingrowth of the epithelium may be hindered further by coating the titanium with bioactive glass-ceramic.