Resistance of gastric mucosa to self-digestion

In recent years, the view of the gastric mucosal barrier as a static entity has given way to a dynamic system, the components of which have recently been reviewed in detail. These complex anatomical and physiological properties are conveniently divided into three categories. The major extrinsic factor is the pre-epithelial mucus-bicarbonate barrier, which provides a first line of defence. Intrinsic protection residing with the mucosal cells per se, involves cytoplasmic pH homeostasis together with epithelial restitution and regeneration. Finally, postepithelial factors within the submucosa and interstitium include the microvasculature and maintenance of acid-base balance     

The status of neurologic intensive care in Germany. Current data]

In 1994 this journal published the results of a survey undertaken on behalf of the Working Association for Neurological Intensive Care Medicine (ANIM) in the winter of 1992/93. In the winter of 1996/97 a continuation of this analysis was performed. With the help of a questionnaire the data of 62 intensive care units with a total of 420 beds were established. This is 11 intensive care units and 83 beds more than 1992/93. The intensive care units were again classified into three groups (ventilation units, monitoring units, interdisciplinary units) relating to their equipment and structure. The questions concerned structural organisation, such as the number of beds, type of clinic, number and training of physicians and nurses, technical equipment and availability of large and high-tech apparatus or access to other facilities, such as neurosurgery. Of great interest were data about whether and to what extent special measures of intensive medicine can be taken on the one hand and performance parameter data e.g. days of ventilation and duration of in-patient treatment on the other hand. Detailed data were provided concerning the frequency of each diagnosis of patients treated in those intensive care units. Evaluating the data a positive development in the last four years of the neurological intensive care can be found in most of the areas investigated. It has also been found that neurological intensive care in the new lander has reached equal standard both in quality and quantity. Now a single physician is responsible for 2,3 beds compared to 3,6. Today 78 per cent of the beds in ventilation units are equipped with a ventilator. The overall time of ventilation increased to 48 per cent. Overall there are, however, considerable differences between individual units as well as regions. The data presented can serve as a means to monitor the quality of neurological intensive care.     

Entry of US medical school graduates into family practice residencies: 1997-1998 and 3-year summary

This is the 17th report prepared by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) on the percentage of each US medical school's graduates entering family practice residency programs. Approximately 16.6% of the 15,894 graduates of US medical schools between July 1996 and June 1997 were first-year family practice residents in October 1997, compared with 15.9% in 1996 and 14.6% in 1995. This is the highest percentage since this series of studies began in 1980-1981 (12.8%). Medical school graduates from publicly funded medical schools were almost twice as likely to be first-year family practice residents in October 1997 than were residents from privately funded schools, 19.8% compared with 11.8%. The Mountain region reported the highest percentage of medical school graduates who were first-year residents in family practice programs in October 1997 at 25.8%; the Middle Atlantic and New England regions reported the lowest percentages at 11.7% and 10.7%, respectively. Nearly half of the medical school graduates (48.1%) entering a family practice residency program as first-year residents in October 1997 entered a program in the same state where they graduated from medical school. The percentages for each medical school have varied substantially from year to year since the AAFP began reporting this information. This article reports the average percentage for each medical school for the last 3 years. Also reported are the number and percentage of graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine who entered Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited family practice residency programs, based on estimates provided by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.     

High-level expression of recombinant human fibrinogen in the milk of transgenic mice

Fibrinogen is a complex plasma protein composed of two each of three different polypeptide chains. We have targeted expression of r-human fibrinogen to the mammary gland of transgenic mice. Three expression cassettes, each containing the genomic sequence for one of the three human fibrinogen chains controlled by sheep whey protein beta-lactoglobulin promoter sequences, were coinjected into fertile mouse eggs. Southern blot analysis demonstrated that more than 80% of the transgenic founders contained all three fibrinogen genes. Reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of milk from the highest producing founder animal demonstrated the presence of human fibrinogen subunits at concentrations of 2000 micrograms/ml. In several animals with a balanced ratio of the individual fibrinogen subunits, up to 100% of the protein was incorporated into fully assembled fibrinogen hexamers. Incubation of the transgenic milk with thrombin and factor XIII resulted in a cross-linked fibrin clot, indicating that a major portion of the secreted fibrinogen was functional. These studies represent the first report of high-level biosynthesis and secretion of a functional, complex, hexameric protein in the milk of a transgenic animal.     

Species differences in regional patterns of 3H-8-OH-DPAT and 3H-zolpidem binding in the rat and human brain

A series of brief office counseling interventions for the prevention and treatment of violence is reviewed in this article. Primary prevention strategies throughout the pediatric age span cover topics from gun storage to nonviolent handling of a potential street fight. Secondary prevention strategies deal with patients who have been injured by violence or patients who engage in street violence, weapon carrying, or dating violence.     

Influence of silicon on swelling and microstructure in Russian austenitic stainless steel EI-847 irradiated to high neutron doses

Void swelling and microstructural development of niobium-stabilized EI-847 austenitic stainless steel with a range of silicon levels were investigated by destructive examination of fuel pin cladding irradiated in three fast reactors located in either Russia or Kazakhstan. The tendency of void swelling to be progressively reduced by increasing silicon concentration appears to be a very general phenomenon in this steel, whether observed in simple, single-variable experiments on well-defined materials or when observed in multivariable, time-dependent irradiations conducted on commercially produced steels over a wide range of irradiation temperatures, neutron spectra and dpa rates. The role of silicon on microstructural development is expressed both in the solid solution via its influence on dislocation and void microstructure and via its influence on formation of radiation-induced phases that in turn alter the matrix composition. Surprisingly, increases in silicon level in this study do not accelerate the formation of silicon-rich G-phase, but act to increase the formation of Nb (C,N) precipitates. Such precipitates are known to be associated with delayed void swelling.