Choledocholithiasis after cholecystectomy

Concrements were found in the ducts of 172 patients subjected to secondary surgical interventions on bile ducts. The detailed analysis of the data failed to answer the question whether the stones could be formed immediately in the ducts without such conditions as a mechanical obstacle for the outflow of bile, the presence of foreign bodies and a big stump of the cystic duct. Such a formation of stones can take place in very few cases. The authors have shown that control cholangiography and especially choledochoscopy can reduce the danger to leave the stones in the ducts, but does not eliminate the danger completely. Nevertheless they think that now it is possible to lessen the indications for biliodigestive anastomoses in choledocholithiasis since the retained stones can be revealed within the first days after surgery and, as a rule, removed with instruments or by other methods using the drainage left in the ducts.     

Generating human-like soccer primitives from human data

Recently, interest in analysis and generation of human and human-like motion has increased in various areas. In robotics, in order to operate a humanoid robot, it is necessary to generate motions that have strictly dynamic consistency. Furthermore, human-like motion for robots will bring advantages such as energy optimization.This paper presents a mechanism to generate two human-like motions, walking and kicking, for a biped robot using a simple model based on observation and analysis of human motion. Our ultimate goal is to establish a design principle of a controller in order to achieve natural human-like motions. The approach presented here rests on the principle that in most biological motor learning scenarios some form of optimization with respect to a physical criterion is taking place. In a similar way, the equations of motion for the humanoid robot systems are formulated in such a way that the resulting optimization problems can be solved reliably and efficiently.The simulation results show that faster and more accurate searching can be achieved to generate an efficient human-like gait. Comparison is made with methods that do not include observation of human gait. The gait has been successfully used to control Robo-Erectus, a soccer-playing humanoid robot, which is one of the foremost leading soccer-playing humanoid robots in the RoboCup Humanoid League.     

The effects of alcohol on the heart: detrimental or beneficial?

Alcohol abuse is a substantial public health problem, resulting in staggering financial costs and other burdens. Prolonged alcohol abuse leads to cardiomyopathy in a minority of alcohol abusers, but because alcoholism is so widespread, alcohol is the major cause of nonischemic cardiomyopathy in Western society. In contrast, substantial evidence now suggests that moderate alcohol consumption has cardioprotective effects. It not only reduces the incidence of fatal ischemic heart disease, but it improves outcome in patients who have other risks for coronary events and go on to have myocardial infarctions. Therefore, physicians' recommendations about alcohol consumption should be as individualized as their patients.     

Thermodynamic compatibility of sepiolite-filled poly(vinylidene fluoride)-polystyrene blends

Summary Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to investigate the effect produced by sepiolite on the thermodynamical compatibility of poly(vinylidene fluoride)-polystyrene blends. Polymer-polymer interaction parameters were calculated from the retention data, for various polar and non-polar probes in pure and mixed stationary phases of these polymers, using sepiolite as solid support, as well as from melting point depression analysis of the sepiolite filled blends. Both techniques give us positive values of the interaction parameters, in accordance with the non-compatibility of these blends; However negative values of the interaction parameters were obtained for polystyrene-rich blends (_PS 85 wt%) and high sepiolite loadings, indicating that sepiolite acts as a compatibilizing agent for the system PVF₂/PS.     

Diagnosis and treatment of suppurative complication of anaerobe etiology in trauma and orthopedic patients

An extensive study of road traffic accident cases occurring within eastern suburban Calcutta during April 1992 to March 1993 was done. Of which 276 fatal cases having minimum medical aids were taken into consideration to avoid erroneous interpretation. Male pedestrians of age group of 50 years and above were mostly involved during the time period of 5 A.M. to 12 Noon. Fatal Accidents mostly occurred during winter and on the broader roads (Highways) and in majority of cases victims were at fault.     

Suppression of anchorage-independent growth and matrigel invasion and delayed tumor formation by elevated expression of fibulin-1D in human fibrosarcoma-derived cell lines

Using differential display, we identified an mRNA that is markedly down-regulated in cell line 6A/SB1, derived from a fibrosarcoma formed in an athymic mouse following injection of carcinogen-transformed MSU-1.1 cells. The nontumorigenic parental cell strain, MSU-1.1, expresses high levels of this mRNA. Sequencing of the corresponding cDNA fragment revealed that it corresponded to an expressed sequence tag, which ultimately led to its identification as the fibulin-1D gene. Fibulin-1 is a cysteine-rich, calcium-binding extracellular matrix and plasma protein, which has four isoforms, A-D, derived from alternative splicing. Northern and Western blotting analysis of 16 cell lines established from tumors formed in athymic mice by MSU-1.1-derived cell strains independently transformed in culture showed that 44% exhibited low level or lack of expression of fibulin-1D mRNA and protein. In a similar analysis of 15 malignant cell lines derived from patients, 80% showed low level or no expression. To study the role of fibulin-1D in transformation, we transfected 6A/SB1 cells and a human fibrosarcoma-derived cell line (SHAC) with a fibulin-1D cDNA expression construct. Transfectants displaying high levels of fibulin-1D were isolated and characterized. Elevated expression of fibulin-1D led to reduced ability to form colonies in soft agar and reduced invasive potential as tested in a matrigel in vitro invasion assay. Furthermore, expression of fibulin-1D resulted in a markedly extended latency in tumor formation in athymic mice. These results indicate that low expression of fibulin-1D plays a role in tumor formation and invasion.     

Effects of hydrogen sulfide containing gas condensate on the hepatic microsomal monooxygenase system]

Chronic action of different xenobiotics which form a part of condensed hydrogen sulphide-containing gas causes substantial changes in the activity of xenobiotic metabolic enzymes, which is suggestive of the damaged hepatic microsomal monooxygenase system. As the rate of biotransformation becomes higher, there are increases in the activity of microsomal monooxygenases and in the generation of active oxygen forms and hydrogen peroxide, by impairing antiradical and antiperoxide mechanisms. The experimentally used concentration of substances as constituents of condensed gas corresponds to the maximum acceptable air concentration of in the working area of gas-refining plants, but the functional features of the body's detoxifying system--the hepatic monooxygenase system should be taken into account while developing preventive measures of occupational diseases.     

Concept of acceptable risk in space flight medical support system

The concept of acceptable risk is considered in the context of the system of medical support to space missions. Risk is defined as probability of cosmonaut's health and life deterioration as a result of spaceflight impacts on the human body. Mathematical formulas giving the general characteristic of the relations among risk components, total risk, and human survivability in flight and after its end. The earlier published quantitative recommendations for these parameters are inserted as illustration.