Complete nucleotide sequence of the Plasmodium vivax 6 kb element

A small survey confirms that epidural infusions are often prepared by clinicians and solutions may be changed each day because of fears of microbiological contamination. We have assessed the microbiological safety of six mixtures of diamorphine (0.01-1.0%) and bupivacaine (0.1-0.5%) representing the spectrum of clinically useful concentrations for use as extradural infusions. The solutions were studied for antibacterial activity against common contaminants of fluids: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis and a coagulase negative Staphylococcus sp. A saline control was included. Challenge experiments used an inoculum of approximately 5.0 x 10(6) cfu/ml. Mixtures were incubated at 30 degrees C for up to 7 days. Viable counts of all organisms decreased with time for all the formulations tested. Formulations containing 0.5% bupivacaine were rapidly bactericidal, and increasing diamorphine concentrations increased this effect. Formulations with 0.5% bupivacaine had more activity than those with 0.1% bupivacaine. Mixtures of diamorphine and bupivacaine in concentrations used clinically have bactericidal activity against commonly encountered skin organisms. The common practice of changing every day epidural infusions containing these drugs is unnecessary.     

Percutaneous treatment of bronchial artery aneurysm with use of transcatheter coil embolization and thoracic aortic stent-graft placement

Lactic acidosis due to thiamine deficiency is known to complicate chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment of malignant extracranial tumors, but to the authors' knowledge, this complication has not been reported in patients treated for malignant brain tumors. They report three such cases, demonstrating that this complication can occur during treatment of brain tumors. In all patients, consciousness levels deteriorated within 1 to 2 days. Serum lactic acid levels increased to concentrations between 62 and 96.7 mg/dl, resulting in severe metabolic acidosis. A low blood thiamine level (9 ng/ml) was demonstrated at the onset in one case, and high-dose thiamine infusions dramatically improved lactic acidemia as well as impairment of consciousness in two cases. In the other case, hydrocephalus was suspected initially, resulting in a delay in thiamine supplementation. Clinical differentiation of this form of lactic acidosis from hydrocephalus or tumor progression can be very difficult in a patient undergoing treatment for a malignant brain tumor. Demand for thiamine is thought to be increased in patients with malignant brain tumors, and supplemental thiamine during treatment is necessary to prevent lactic acidosis. When this complication occurs, immediate treatment with sufficient thiamine is essential, together with normalization of pH by using sodium bicarbonate. With timely intervention, the level of consciousness can recover to the preacidotic state with no new neurological deficits.     

A comparison of two techniques for ankle jerk assessment in elderly subjects

The reported prevalence of absent ankle jerks in elderly people varies greatly. This variation may be due to differences in the method of testing. Eight physicians examined 12 patients for the presence of ankle jerks using two techniques: plantar strike and tendon strike. Both intra-observer agreement (kappa 0.47 vs 0.20; p = 0.01) and inter-observer agreement (0.57 vs 0.21; p < 0.001) were greater with plantar strike. Reliability of ankle jerk assessment was greater for more experienced examiners. Differences in technique may explain some of the discrepancy between studies examining the prevalence of absent ankle jerks in elderly people.     

Type I adenylyl cyclase mutant mice have impaired mossy fiber long-term potentiation

Long-term potentiation (LTP) at the mossy fiber-->CA3 pyramidal cell synapse in the hippocampus is an NMDA-independent form of LTP that requires cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity and can be induced by forskolin, a general activator of adenylyl cyclases. Presynaptic Ca2+ influx and elevated cAMP may be obligatory for mossy fiber LTP. Because the Ca2+-stimulated type 1 adenylyl cyclase (AC1) is expressed in the dentate gyrus and CA3 pyramidal cells, it is hypothesized that AC1 may be critical for mossy fiber LTP. To test this hypothesis, we examined several forms of hippocampal LTP in wild-type and AC1 mutant mice. Wild-type and AC1 mutant mice exhibited comparable perforant path LTP recorded in the dentate gyrus as well as decremental LTP at the Schaffer collateral-->CA1 pyramidal cell synapse. Although the mutant mice exhibited normal paired pulse facilitation, mossy fiber LTP was impaired significantly in AC1 mutants. High concentrations of forskolin induced mossy fiber LTP to comparable levels in wild-type and AC1 mutant mice, indicating that signaling components downstream from the adenylyl cyclase, including PKA, ion channels, and secretory machinery, were not affected by disruption of the AC1 gene. These data indicate that coupling of Ca2+ to activation of AC1 is crucial for mossy fiber LTP, most likely via activation of PKA and enhancement of excitatory amino acid secretion.     

Informatics applications in blood banking

The dynamic nature of blood banking presents significant challenges in information acquisition, processing, and management. Blood banks have turned increasingly to computer technology for assistance with information handling. Novel applications of computer-based technology in blood banking and transfusion medicine have been developed and reported in the medical literature. This article reviews computer-based donor interviewing, expert system determination of donor eligibility based on viral marker testing results, inventory management through computer simulation analysis, prospective screening of blood orders by experts systems, and computer-based blood compatibility assessment.     

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of O-methyl derivatives of azalide antibiotics: II. 6-OME derivatives via clarithromycin

Direct O-methylation of various derivatives of 9-deoxo-8a- and 9a-aza-8a-homo-erythromycin (2',3'-bis-Cbz protected) gives 6-OMe derivatives only in a small number of special cases. The 6-OMe-azalides can, however, be synthesized beginning from clarithromycin.     

Localization of Chlamydia trachomatis heat shock proteins 60 and 70 during infection of a human endometrial epithelial cell line in vitro

Unlike chlamydial lipopolysaccharide, which is released from the developing inclusion to the surface of infected genital epithelial cells, both Chlamydia trachomatis heat shock protein (hsp) 60 and 70 antigens remained confined within the inclusion during the course of the chlamydial developmental cycle. Exposure of the infected cells to penicillin to induce a persistent infection or to a lipophilic microbicide did not potentiate secretion or exocytosis of the chlamydial hsp.     

Neurosonography

This article discusses the current state of neurosonography in veterinary medicine. After a brief introduction, indications, normal appearance, and appearance in pathology are discussed in separate sections for brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. Each section is illustrated by selected images showing normal anatomy and pathology.     

A putative rhamnogalacturonase required for sexual development of Neurospora crassa

In previous work, the asd-I (ascus development) gene of the filamentous fingus Neurospora crassa was identified as a gene expressed preferentially during the sexual cycle and shown to be essential for normal sexual development. The asd-I gene has been sequenced and further characterized. It contains two introns, the first of which is in-frame and inefficiently or differentially spliced. The predicted ASD-I protein has extensive homology with rhamnogalacturonase B of Aspergillus aculeatus, which cleaves the backbone within the ramified hairy regions of pectin. In homozygous asd-I crosses, sexual development is initiated and large numbers of normal-sized asci are formed. Ascospore delineation does not occur, however, and no sexual progeny are produced. As most asd-I asci contain eight nuclei, the two meiotic divisions and subsequent mitotic division typical of normal crosses seem to occur, but the haploid nuclei are not partitioned into ascospores. In wild-type crosses, the ASD-I protein is present in large amounts in croziers and young asci, but it is only faintly detectable in more mature asci containing developing ascospores. Models to explain the possible role of a rhamnogalacturonase in sexual development are presented.