Comparison of the genomic short regions of a vaccine strain (SA-2) and a virulent strain (CSW-1) of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (Gallid herpesvirus 1)

Restriction enzyme linkage maps were produced for the genomic short region of the virulent infectious laryngotracheitis virus (CSW-1 strain). After comparison with the equivalent restriction enzyme linkage maps for the infectious laryngotracheitis virus SA-2 strain (a vaccine strain), it was determined that the maps for the short regions of the two strains were identical, apart from a single section in each of the inverted terminal repeats. Each inverted terminal repeat of the SA-2 strain was discovered to contain 467 base pairs more DNA than the CSW-1 strain's inverted terminal repeats. This extra DNA was more precisely mapped entirely within the EcoRI fragments D and d of SA-2, which were found to form part of the SmaI fragments U and P of SA-2 and Q and b of SA-2 and to contain one SmaI restriction enzyme site.     

Pancreaticoduodenectomy for selected periampullary neuroendocrine tumors: fifty patients

BACKGROUND: Most resectable pancreatic or peripancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are treated by enucleation or distal pancreatectomy. A minority of tumors may require pancreaticoduodenectomy for complete tumor excision because of their large size, location, or lymph node involvement. METHODS: This study reviews the management of 50 patients treated by pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary neuroendocrine tumors between 1962 and 1996 at a single institution. RESULTS: There were 30 men and 20 women with a mean age of 52 +/- 2 years. Functional tumors were resected in 17 patients: insulinoma, seven tumors; gastrinoma, eight tumors; vipoma, one tumor; and glucagonoma, one tumor. Tumors were classified as malignant in 29 patients and benign in 21. The median intraoperative blood loss was 800 ml, and the median number of units of blood transfused was zero. The postoperative length of stay was 20 +/- 2 days. Postoperative morbidity included 11 patients (24%) with a pancreatic fistula and four patients (8%) with a biliary fistula. There was one in-hospital death (2%), in 1967. The actuarial survival rates at 2, 5, and 7 years are 81%, 73%, and 65%, respectively. Patients with benign tumors had a significantly improved 5-year survival rate (94%) compared with those with malignant tumors (61%; p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Selected patients with periampullary neuroendocrine tumors can be managed successfully by pancreaticoduodenectomy, with low mortality and acceptable morbidity rates.     

Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy for patients with recurrent pericardial effusion: using a novel double-balloon technique with one long and one short balloon

Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy is effective and less invasive for the treatment of recurrent pericardial effusion. This study suggests that the double-balloon method with 1 longer and 1 shorter balloon is the procedure of choice for percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy.     

Effects of gemfibrozil and ciprofibrate on plasma levels of tissue-type plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and fibrinogen in hyperlipidaemic patients

Evaluation of fibrate treatment in humans has focused primarily on its anti-lipidaemic effects. A potentially favourable haemostasis-modulating activity of fibrates has also been recognized but the data are not consistent. We sought to learn more about this variability by examining the effects of gemfibrozil and ciprofibrate on plasma levels of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and fibrinogen in primary hyperlipidaemic patients after six and twelve weeks of treatment using different assay systems for PAI-1 and fibrinogen. Although both fibrates effectively lowered triglyceride and cholesterol levels, no effect on the elevated baseline antigen levels of t-PA and PAI-1 was observed after fibrate treatment. However, both fibrates influenced plasma fibrinogen levels, albeit in a different way. Fibrinogen antigen levels were elevated by 17.6% (p <0.05) and 24.3% (p <0.001) with gemfibrozil after six and twelve weeks, respectively, whereas with ciprofibrate there was no effect. Using a Clauss functional assay with either a mechanical end point or a turbidity-based end point, no significant change in fibrinogen levels was seen after six weeks of gemfibrozil treatment. However, after twelve weeks, gemfibrozil enhanced functional fibrinogen levels by 7.2% (p <0.05) as assessed by the Clauss mechanical assay, but decreased functional fibrinogen levels by 12.5% (p <0.0001) when a Clauss assay based on turbidity was used. After six or twelve weeks of ciprofibrate treatment, functional fibrinogen levels were decreased by 10.1% (p <0.001) and 10.5% (p <0.0001), respectively on the basis of Clauss mechanical and by 14.2% (p <0.001) and 28.2% (p <0.0001), respectively with the Clauss turbidimetric assay. A remarkable and consistent finding with both fibrates was the decrease in functionality of fibrinogen as assessed by the ratio of functional fibrinogen (determined by either of the two Clauss assays) to fibrinogen antigen. Taken together, our results indicate that at least part of the variability in the effects of fibrates on haemostatic parameters can be explained by intrinsic differences between various fibrates, by differences in treatment period and/or by the different outcomes of various assay systems. Interestingly, the two fibrates tested both reduced the functionality of fibrinogen.     

One-shot cold-set,urethane adhesives for wet wood

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A decade of clinical trial developments in postmyocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmia patients: from CAST to AVID and beyond. Cardiac Arrhythmic Suppression Trial. Antiarrhythmic Versus Implantable Defibrillators

Multiple trials using antiarrhythmic drugs, pharmacologic therapy, and implantable cardioverter defibrillators have been performed in an attempt to improve survival in patients: (1) postmyocardial infarction; (2) with congestive heart failure, with and without nonsustained ventricular tachycardia; and (3) with sustained ventricular tachycardia and those who have survived an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This article reviews some of the key findings and limitations of completed and ongoing trials. We also make recommendations for the current treatment of such patients based on the results of these trials.     

Design and performance of a recessed thin film inductive transducer

An improved inductive transducer is achieved by placing the coil and the majority of the transducer body into a recessed alumina basecoat. Process advantages of a recessed over planar structure includes lower top pole topography, improved pole trim capability, and improved top pole composition uniformity. Coil and photoresist processing in a recessed cavity allows for multiple layers with lower resistance without increasing transducer Permalloy path length. Recessed trimmed design performance has increased efficiency with higher amplitude and a narrower pulse width along with improved overwrite compared to planar untrimmed transducers. The recessed basecoat design is explained, and compared to planar transducers using modeling and performance results     

Comparison of calcium phosphate cement mixture and pure calcium hydroxide as direct pulp-capping agents

This review reports the different genetic factors that have been identified either as risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) or directly causing the disease. First are reviewed epidemiological data and biological mechanisms about the apoplipoprotein E gene allele epsilon 4 that is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. The second part describes the mutations responsible for early-onset autosomal dominant AD found in three different genes. The gene located on chromosome 21 encodes the amyloid precusor protein (APP). The presenilin 1 and presenilin 2 genes, located on chromosome 14 and 1 respectively, encode not yet known membrane proteins.