Intestinal endometriosis

Pelvic endometriosis affects 5 to 10% of all menstruating women, and of these 3% to 34% have intestinal involvement. Commonly, intestinal endometrial lesion affects only the serosa. Although the invading endometrial tissue may extend into the intestinal wall, it does not usually reach the mucosa. The majority of the patients are asymptomatic. The most common symptom is lower recurrent abdominal pain. It has been estimated that 0,9% of women with intestinal endometriosis have obstructive symptoms. Occasionally deeper and more extensive intestinal wall involvement results in cyclic menstrual rectal bleeding. The authors describe a case with obstructive symptoms associated to rectal bleeding. This is an uncommon finding. Histological confirmation of deep muscular and mucosal involvement was obtained. This case led us to some considerations about the diagnostic difficulties and therapeutic possibilities in the present.     

Lower esophageal sphincter pressures and serum gastrin levels after cholinergic stimulation

To define the role of gastrin, if any, in the response of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to bethanechol, serum gastrin determinations and LES pressure measurements were made in controls, patients with vagotomy and antrectomy (V&A), and patients with vagotomy and pyloroplasty (V&P). Despite significant differences in mean basal serum gastrin levels no differences were found in mean resting LES pressures among these groups. In controls significant increases in LES pressure occurred after subcutaneous bethanechol, but serum gastrin levels did not change from basal values. Subcutaneous injections of bethanechol produced significantly greater increases in LES pressures in V&P patients than in V&A patients. Serum gastrin levels did not change in either group; however, background serum gastrin concentrations were significantly greater for V&P patients than V&A patients throughout the study. Intravenous infusion of human gastrin I heptadecapeptide in controls significantly increased sphincter responses to bethanechol. Thus, these studies provide evidence to suggest that the LES response to bethanechol is affected by background serum gastrin levels.     

Phasefront preservation in high-gain Raman amplification

Experiments were performed to determine the degree of phasefront preservation possible in a high-gain, large-Fresnel-number number Raman amplifier. Phasefront information was encoded on a Stokes seed, which was then amplified in a 10-atm vibrational hydrogen Raman amplifier pumped by a XeF excimer laser. Interferometric data on the input and amplified Stokes beam indicate that their phasefront difference is less than 0.1 wave RMS. These results are consistent with the predictions of a numerical model of the Raman amplification process     

Living-related liver transplantation in Africa

Liver transplantation is an effective therapy for end stage liver disease. Nevertheless in many areas of the world organ availability remains a major problem. We report here the success of the first living-related liver transplantation in Africa. The left lateral lobe of the mother was transplanted orthotopically to her 6 year old child suffering from liver cirrhosis complicating glycogen storage disease. The social and medical problems encountered are discussed. Living-related liver transplantation is a viable option in countries where cadaveric organ donation is either illegal or socially unacceptable.     

Resonant tunnelling in Ga0.47In0.53As/InPdouble-barrier structures grown by AP-MOCVD

Reports the first observation of negative-differential resistance in Ga_0.47In_0.53As/InP double-barrier structures grown by AP-MOCVD. The devices exhibit the largest peak/valley current ratios seen in this system; 1.2:1 (2.8:1) and 3.0:1 (5.5:1) at 77 K (4.2 K) for the n=1 and n=2 resonances respectively     

Ovine Johne's disease: the risk associated with sheep imported into Western Australia

OBJECTIVE: To assess the risk of Johne's disease not being detected in sheep imported from New South Wales into Western Australia. DESIGN: A stochastic simulation model. PROCEDURE: The process of importing sheep was broken down into steps and numbers or probabilities assigned to each. Controls on the movement of sheep included surveillance tests in source flocks and serological tests on sheep in consignments before and after transportation to Western Australia. The model calculated the risk of occurrence of Johne's disease in Western Australia and the success of the agar gel immunodiffusion test in identifying consignments with infected sheep. RESULTS: Negative surveillance tests in source flocks reduced the risk to about one twentieth of that when no surveillance tests were required. On average, Johne's disease was predicted to be introduced once in every 3 to 7 years when no testing of either the source flock or the sheep in consignments was required. When negative surveillance tests only were required the interval increased to once in every 63 to 111 years and, with the additional requirement that all sheep in each consignment must have a negative test before and after transport, the interval further increased to once in every 125 to 333 years. When only sheep in consignments were tested, the interval was calculated to be 8 to 14 years. CONCLUSION: A requirement that imports be derived from flocks which had negative surveillance tests to Johne's disease would provide significantly greater protection for the sheep industry in Western Australia.     

Simultaneous collection and processing of energy-filtered stem images using a fast digital data acquisition system

A Vacuum Generators HB5 Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope which is coupled to a PDP 11/34 minicomputer has been used to simultaneously collect and store up to three digitized, energy-filtered images. The computer and interfacing hardware control the scan of the microscope's beam in synchronization with the scan coils of the energy analyzer so images can be obtained from different spectrometer windows. Replay of the images in conjunction with an Analogic AP400 hardware array processor makes it possible to extrapolate and suppress the background signal for each separate region of the specimen.     

A clipped latent variable model for spatially correlated ordered categorical data

We propose a model for a point-referenced spatially correlated ordered categorical response and methodology for inference. Models and methods for spatially correlated continuous response data are widespread, but models for spatially correlated categorical data, and especially ordered multi-category data, are less developed. Bayesian models and methodology have been proposed for the analysis of independent and clustered ordered categorical data, and also for binary and count point-referenced spatial data. We combine and extend these methods to describe a Bayesian model for point-referenced (as opposed to lattice) spatially correlated ordered categorical data. We include simulation results and show that our model offers superior predictive performance as compared to a non-spatial cumulative probit model and a more standard Bayesian generalized linear spatial model. We demonstrate the usefulness of our model in a real-world example to predict ordered categories describing stream health within the state of Maryland.     

A thermoanalytical determination of the activation energy of the decomposition of azodiisobutyronitrile

The decomposition of azodiisobutyronitrile (AZDN) has been studied in a simple, robust apparatus specially constructed for simultaneous study of differential thermal analysis and evolved gas detection (DTA/EGD). The results obtained are comparable with those of other thermoanalytic techniques. It is difficult to obtain kinetic results by the DTA technique alone, as the decomposition is confounded with a melting endotherm. This problem does not arise when EGD is used. The apparatus provides a convenient method for research on blowing agents and is being extended to studies of polymer degradation.