Localised carcinoma of the prostate: a paradigm of uncertainty

The incidence and prevalence of prostate cancer is increasing. A number of aetiological factors including age, race, family history and diet have been implicated. The majority of patients present with disease which is amenable only to palliation. Digital rectal examination, serum prostate-specific antigen and transrectal ultrasound can lead to a prostatic biopsy. Transrectal ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, bone scan and a chest X-ray are used for staging. The management of localised cancer is shrouded in uncertainty. Three options exist, watchful waiting, radiotherapy, and radical total prostatectomy. The published data are inadequate for a valid comparison of these, and none has been shown to offer an advantage. Surgery, and to a lesser degree radiotherapy, have a significant morbidity. It is hoped that through better understanding our management of this disease will improve.     

Microbiological and chemical changes in high-pressure-treated milk during refrigerated storage

The microbiological and biochemical changes during storage of high-pressure-treated (400 MPa at 25 degrees C, for 30 min) whole (3.5% fat) and skim (0.3% fat) milk at refrigeration temperatures (7 degrees C) were studied. From a microbiological point of view, high-pressure treatment of milk led to an increase in the shelf life because, after 45 days of refrigerated storage, the psychotrophic and pseudomonad counts of the pressurized milk were lower than those of the unpressurized milk after 15 days. Capillary electrophoresis of the case in fraction showed that proteolysis by bacterial proteinases was not relevant in high-pressure-treated milk, as evidenced by a negligible degradation of kappa-casein. However, since the pressure conditions assayed did not lead to plasmin inactivation, considerable beta-, alpha-s1-casein hydrolysis took place during refrigerated storage, which can be responsible for flavor defects. No significant differences were found between skim and whole high-pressure-treated-milks.     

Bacteriological analysis of various environmental sources in a rural hospital

The prognosis of patients with end-stage cardiac disease has dramatically changed with transplantation. The incidence of complications remains relatively high and needs a very careful follow-up to have good long term results.     

Effect of genotype on the hormonal activity of the Leydig cells during stress in inbred strains of mice

Paraffin sections from various organs of sheep fetuses following transplacental infection with non-cytopathogenic (ncp) bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) or cytopathogenic (cp) BVDV were stained immunohistochemically with BVDV-specific monoclonal antibodies. Comparison of the distribution of viral antigen in sections from fetuses of experiment A revealed that in organs such as parotid, thyroid, thymus, lung, spleen, kidney, liver and skin from 20 days post inoculation (p.i.) onwards numerous antigen-containing cells were present. In organs of fetuses infected with cp BVDV, however, antigen-positive cells were only detectable until days 10 and 14 p.i. These findings suggest that the ncp BVDV used in experiment A replicated considerably faster and more efficient than the cp BVDV used in experiment B and that the two virus biotypes differ considerably concerning their tropism for fetal ovine organs.     

The role of persisting opportunistic intestinal microflora in dysbiosis in the occurrence of hepatobiliary system diseases

The state of microbiocenosis in the intestine of 89 patients with surgical pathology of biliary ducts was determined. Dysbiotic disturbances of different severity were detected in 96.6% of the examined persons. High occurrence of dysbiosis of the large intestine and the presence of the capacity for inactivating natural host resistance factors in different representatives of intestinal microflora were regarded as the cause of the development and maintenance of the inflammatory processes of the biliary ducts.     

Interhemispheric EEG coherence in men with abnormal sexual behavior

Interhemispheric interactions were examined in individuals with abnormal sexual behaviour by means of method of evaluation of coherent EEG properties in symmetric points of two hemispheres in different levels of awakening and in elaboration of cognitive tests related with preferential activation of one of two hemispheres. It was determined that EEG of the individuals who had committed sexual deliquency and had the signs of paraphilia was characterized by diffuse elevation of the degree of interhemispheric coherence in alpha-activity in the state of both passive and active awakening and by its local elevation in theta-activity. The results obtained might testify to the disorders either in cortical-subcortical interactions and in the cortical processes and permitted to suppose the decrease of degree of functional hemispheric lateralization in persons with paraphilias.     

Long duration pressor responses following activation of subfornical organ neurons in rats are the result of increased circulating vasopressin

Electrical stimulation in the subfornical organ (SFO) of male Sprague-Dawley rats resulted in biphasic increases in blood pressure (BP) without a change in heart rate. The initial short duration (0-10 s) increase in BP lasted throughout the 10 s stimulation period (area under the curve (AUC) = 104.3+/-15.26 mmHg/s, (mean+/-SEM) P < 0.001). Upon termination of the electrical stimulus, the BP remained elevated for approximately 55 s (long duration response, AUC = 327.5+/-48.22 mmHg/s, P < 0.001). This long duration BP response was determined to be the result of an increase in circulating vasopressin (VP) as administration of a V1 receptor antagonist abolished this response (AUC = -210.7 +/- 42.38 mmHg/s, P < 0.01). The results of the present study demonstrate that the long duration component of the biphasic increase in BP observed on response to electrical stimulation of the SFO is the result of increased concentrations of circulating VP.