Pulmonary manifestations in cement workers in Jordan

The literature on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents is reviewed. The disorder is characterized by obsessions (recurrent troublesome thoughts) and compulsions (ritualized thoughts or behaviors performed repetitively in response to an irresistible urge). OCD is far more common among children and adolescents than was previously believed. Good epidemiological studies from different parts of the world are still needed to determine if prevalence is equally high. Boys seem to have an earlier age of onset of OCD than girls. Male female ratio changed with age of onset, with males predominating in early onset and increasing numbers of females occurring during adolescence. Increasing evidence supports a neurobiological theory for etiology of OCD, specifically a frontal lobe--basal ganglia dysfunction.     

Memory-guided saccadic eye movements: effects of cerebellar disease

We compared the accuracy of oblique, memory-guided saccades if the eye is stationary or moves horizontally during the memory period. We studied 11 patients with cerebellar disease and 11 age-matched control subjects. Normal subjects showed similar accuracy of saccades for both conditions. In contrast, all patients showed greater errors if the eye moved horizontally during the memory period; however, errors of both vertical and horizontal components of memory-guided saccades were similar. Thus, inaccuracy of memory-guided saccades could not be simply attributed to failure to internally monitor change in horizontal gaze during the memory period. Instead, we propose that the greater saccadic errors which occurred when gaze changed during the memory period reflected a disruption of predictive mechanisms governing eye movements.     

THE EFFECT OF CASEINOMACROPEPTIDE AND WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE ON STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANS ADHESION TO POLYSTYRENE SURFACES AND CELL AGGREGATION

Caseinomacropeptide (CMP) from bovine, ovine and caprine milk and whey protein concentrate (WPC) were both evaluated for adhesion inhibition of Streptococcus mutans to polystyrene surface and cell aggregation. Adhesion inhibition by the CMPs and WPC at 1 mg/mL was higher than 84%. The CMPs and WPC caused aggregation of S. mutans cells at low concentrations. These findings suggest the application of these milk derived proteins as potential dental caries inhibitors and for possible food application uses.     

Directional coronary atherectomy for the treatment of Palmaz-Schatz in-stent restenosis

Management of in-stent restenosis has become a significant challenge in interventional cardiology. The results of balloon angioplasty have been disappointing due to the high recurrence of restenosis at follow-up. Debulking of the restenotic tissue within the stents using directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) may offer a therapeutic advantage. We report the immediate clinical and angiographic outcomes and long-term clinical follow-up results of 45 patients (46 lesions), mean age 63+/-12 years, 73% men, with a mean reference diameter of 2.9+/-0.6 mm, treated with DCA for symptomatic Palmaz-Schatz in-stent restenosis. DCA was performed successfully in all 46 lesions and resulted in a postprocedural minimal luminal diameter of 2.7+/-0.7 mm and a residual diameter stenosis of 17+/-10%. There were no in-hospital deaths, Q-wave myocardial infarctions, or emergency coronary artery bypass surgeries. Four patients (9%) suffered a non-Q-wave myocardial infarction. Target lesion revascularization was 28.3% at a mean follow-up of 10+/-4.6 months. Kaplan-Meier event-free survival (freedom from death, myocardial infarction, and repeat target lesion revascularization) was 71.2% and 64.7% at 6 and 12 months after DCA, respectively. Thus, DCA is safe and efficacious for the treatment of Palmaz-Schatz in-stent restenosis. It results in a large postprocedural minimal luminal diameter and a low rate of both target lesion revascularization and combined major clinical events at follow-up.     

Transplantation of fetal tissues in otorhinolaryngology: current status and prospects for the future

The Welfare of Sick Children in Hospital' was the formal title of a report published in Britain in 1959 which came to be known as the Platt Report, after Sir Harry Platt, the chairman of the parliamentary committee which investigated the care of children in hospital. The committee found the hospitals were miserable places for children, where they were expected to conform to ward routines, not allowed to play; where to lie quietly was the accepted norm, and where, under no circumstances, were the parents allowed to visit outside the declared visiting hours. Subsequent to the publication of the Platt Report a revolution occurred in children's hospitals in Britain and other western countries, including Australia. This paper explores these changes, and discusses implications for paediatric care in hospitals and paediatric nursing education today.     

Concanavalin A modulates tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of a type II phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase in rat splenic lymphocytes

Activation of rat splenic lymphocytes by concanavalin A resulted in two-fold increase in Ptdlns 4-kinase activity and rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of the enzyme. The activation kinetics showed a strong correlation with tyrosine phosphorylation state of the enzyme. Characterization of the enzyme activity suggests that it is a type II PtdIns 4-kinase. Kinetic analysis of the enzyme reaction showed three-fold decrease in Km for PtdIns and two-fold increase in Vmax in Con A stimulated cells. These results suggest that a type II PtdIns 4-kinase is an integral component of the early signal transduction machinery during T-cell activation by concanavalin A and is actively regulated by protein tyrosine phosphorylation-dephosphorylation.     

Automation of on-site observations of chemical suffosion in the foundations of hydraulic structures

Conclusions 1. A method for the real-time determination of water mineralization by means of ion-selective electrodes has been implemented in practical laboratory investigations of chemical suffosion. 2. An analysis of the results of investigations has demonstrated the conceptual feasibility of using calcium ionselective electrodes to significant advantage in automated on-site observations of chemical suffosion in the foundations of head structures situated on gypsiferous and carbonate soils. Translated from Gidroteknicheskoe Stroitel’stvo, No. 7, pp. 26–28, July, 2000.