Obstructive sleep apnea treatment with dental appliance

The case of a 40-year-old male patient with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is reported, with emphasis on treatment with a dental appliance. This therapeutic approach, which has been focused on recent research, has as its objective, the posturing of the mandibule and, consequently, the tongue more anteriorly, thus in turn leading to an increase in the posterior oropharyngeal airway space (PAS). Cephalometry contributed determining in this case whereby enlargement limits were observed in the PAS with mandibular displacement. Clinical and polysomnographic controls showed subjective reduction of the excessive daytime sleepiness and objective decrease in apneas intensity to normal limits. Eight months follow-up evidenced the steady improvement.     

Filariasis and erisipela in Santo Domingo

Protein complexes present different degrees of stability. We have previously described a glycoprotein from Bacillus thuringiensis that appeared as a multimer unable to be dissociated by the usual SDS-containing sample buffers of pH 6.8. In order to dissociate the complex, a SDS-containing sample buffer of pH 9 was described. In the present report three additional protein complexes with different degrees of stability and the effect of that dissociating sample buffer are described. The study of SDS critical micellar concentration values as a function of pH explains the improvement of dissociating properties at pH 9.     

Mutations in haemophilia A

In the present study DNA from 281 unrelated haemophilia A patients including 15 inhibitor patients has been analysed by Southern blotting technique. Using various restriction enzymes, cloned factor VIII cDNA probes and genomic fragments we have identified 14 mutations. Six of the mutations are novel partial factor VIII gene deletions. One deletion affects exon 1, two deletions concern exon 6, another deletion, of which breakpoints are sequenced, takes part of exon 16 and two deletions affect exon 26. Besides the deletions, eight point mutations have been found at the TaqI restriction sites of exons 18, 24 and 26. Five C-->T mutations resulted in nonsense mutations, one in exon 18, one in exon 26 and three in exon 24. Two G-->A mutations caused a missense mutation in exon 24 leading to an arginine/glutamine exchange. Although two patients showed this mutation, their clinical phenotypes were different, possibly due to an additional unidentified sequence polymorphism. A G-->T mutation in exon 26 substituted the arginine with leucine. All deletions and seven of the point mutations are associated with severe disease with a detectable inhibitor in the patient with the TaqI-point mutation in exon 18. One of the G-->A mutations is associated with mild haemophilia but the patient also has developed an inhibitor. Amongst these mutations the origin of the mutation could be determined in four kindred, one of which showed maternal mosaicism.     

Methods and technique of investigations in the course of sport activities of children (author's transl)

In order to carry out investigations in the course of sport activities of children an efficient telemetering device is essential, which can also be used on children. The Kinderspital Salzburg has developed a telemetry system in cooperation with the Technische Versuchs- und Forschungsanstalt der Technischen Hochschule Wien and the Messerschmitt-B?lkow-Blohm-Werke München. For the first time in this field a Pulse Code Modulation (P.C.M.) System was utilized, implying high accuracy on data transmission and recovery as required for scientific examinations. The children's physical capacity is determined on a bicycle ergometer, and the performance measured in this fashion is then compared with the performance achieved in sport.     

Prolonged and monosymptomatic dysphasic status epilepticus

Dysphasic seizures are an infrequent form of epilepsy, and their serial appearance as a partial status epilepticus is quite exceptional. The young patient reported here had a partial dysphasic status epilepticus of 3 weeks' duration without other temporal lobe seizures. Simultaneous serial electroencephalograms, tape recordings of the seizures, and repeated neuropsychologic ictal examinations permitted studies of increased impairment of neuropsychologic function on testing and the appearance of new irritative discharges on encephalography.     

Disulfiram-induced acetonemia in the rat and man

Disulfiram treatment caused marked elevations of circulating blood acetone levels in rat and man. In the rat, disulfiram (0.59 g/kg, p.o.) given singly or for three consecutive days increased the fasting blood acetone levels 5- and 25-fold, fespectively. Circulating acetone levels were also estimated noninvasively in man by measuring acetone in the expired air. A 15-fold increase in the expired air acetone levels was observed in a group of five male non-fasting subjects taking disulfiram (250 mg daily) for a minimum of one month, when compared to control subjects.     

Command neurons in the unconditioned reflex arc of the grape snail

Independent intracellular activation of any one of the five identified neurones elicits a behavioral act of pneumostome closing. Similar closing is evoked by adequate stimulation of different modalities. Comparison of unconditioned reflex properties and characteristics of responses of the studied cells leads to the conclusion that neurones under discussion are command elements for the unconditioned reflex. Command neurones respond to all sensory stimuli which can evoke reflex closing. There is a lot of synchronous EPSPs in their spontaneous activity, but no action potentials. A spike discharge of command neurones evoked by an adequate stimulus always precedes the effector movements but there is no action potentials during the pneumostome closing. Conclusion is made that the functional role of command neurones in the unconditioned reflex arc consists in evaluating the sensory input and in triggering motor programmes.     

Use of electromyography in a cow with esophageal paralysis

Electromyography of the esophageal musculature of a cow that had been regurgitating and losing weight after correction of an esophageal obstruction was suggestive of unilateral denervation. Radiography before and after oral administration of barium sulfate revealed a dilated terminal portion of the thoracic esophagus, suggestive of a focal motility problem. Electromyography was performed on the esophageal musculature by positioning the electrode through the rumen fistula and into the thoracic esophagus and by positioning the electrode percutaneously with the aid of a tube placed in the cervical esophagus. Numerous fibrillation potentials and sharp epsilon-positive waves were detected in the muscles of the left side of the distal portions of the cervical and thoracic esophagus. During hospitalization, the cow was given alfalfa pellets, ground corn, and sodium bicarbonate through the rumen fistula 3 times each day for several weeks to maintain body weight.     

Characterization of saxitoxin binding to saxiphilin, a relative of the transferrin family that displays pH-dependent ligand binding

Saxiphilin is a 91 kDa saxitoxin-binding protein that is homologous to members of the transferrin family of Fe(3+)-binding proteins noted for pH-dependent release of Fe3+. The mechanism of toxin binding to purified native saxiphilin from the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) was studied using [3H]saxitoxin. At pH 7.4 and 0 degrees C [3H]saxitoxin binds to a single site on saxiphilin with a KD of approximately 0.2 nM. The pH dependence of [3H]saxitoxin binding follows a one-site titration curve in the range of pH 9-4 with maximal binding from pH 9 to 7 and half-inhibition at pH 5.7. Inhibition of toxin binding at low pH is the combined result of a decrease in the rate of toxin association and an increase in the rate of toxin dissociation. The dependence of the apparent rate constants for [3H]saxitoxin association and dissociation on [H+] can be accounted for by a four-state model of allosteric interaction between the toxin-binding site and a single titratable residue of saxiphilin with a pKa of 7.2 in the toxin-free form and 4.3 in the toxin-bound form. From 0 to 25 degrees C, the temperature dependence of [3H]saxitoxin binding to saxiphilin is characterized by delta H degrees = -8.3 kcal mol-1, delta S degrees = 13.8 cal mol-1 K-1, and activation energies of 22.5 kcal mol-1 for dissociation and 11.1 kcal mol-1 for association. Binding of [3H]saxitoxin to saxiphilin is competitively inhibited with low affinity by a variety of divalent metal and lanthanide cations. Inhibition of toxin binding by the carboxyl-methylating reagent trimethyloxonium is prevented by pre-equilibration with [3H]saxitoxin, implicating the presence of one or more carboxyl groups in the binding site. Functional similarities suggest that the saxitoxin-binding site of saxiphilin is located in an interdomain cleft analogous to the location of one of the two homologous Fe(3+)-binding sites of transferrins. On the basis of residue substitutions between saxiphilin and transferrins, it is proposed that the saxitoxin-binding site is located in the carboxy terminal lobe of saxiphilin and that binding is modulated by protonation of a conserved histidine residue.