Horner's syndrome in a puppy

A puppy was presented with unilateral Horner's syndrome thought to have been in existence since the eyes first opened. No other clinical signs were evidence and the condition was attributed to trauma during assisted birth. All abnormalities resolved spontaneously by 11 weeks of age.     

Prevalence and risk of HIV infection among female sex workers in Burkina Faso

The American College of Radiology Task Force on Appropriateness Criteria was developed in 1993 with the major objective of creating the most credible patient care guidelines possible. Oncology-related clinical conditions addressed by the Task Force pertain to the diagnosis of suspected disease and, after disease is diagnosed, its staging, treatment, and follow-up to determine the effectiveness of therapy.     

The effects of panresistant bacteria in cystic fibrosis patients on lung transplant outcome

The number of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients undergoing lung transplant continues to rise as long term survival improves. One major contraindication to this potentially life-saving intervention is infection with multi-drug-resistant bacteria. We undertook this retrospective study in 66 transplanted patients over 6 yr to determine the influence of panresistant bacteria on transplant outcome. The in vitro antibiotic susceptibility pattern of respiratory tract bacteria obtained pre- and/or intraoperatively was used to categorize patients into panresistant (n = 27) (Burkholderia cepacia, n = 6, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, n = 21) or sensitive (n = 39) groups. Postoperative ventilator days, hospital length of stay, and antibiotic days were similar for both groups (p > 0.2). The incidence of bacterial bronchitis (28% and 33%, respectively) and pneumonia (28% and 38%, respectively) did not differ between these groups (p > 0.2) at 6 mo. Likewise, one-year (81% and 83%, respectively) survival was similar for both groups (p > 0.2). As expected, panresistant B. cepacia patients had a lower 1-yr survival (50% versus 90%, p < 0.05) and had a higher mortality attributable to B. cepacia (50% versus 0%, p < 0.01) compared with panresistant P. aeruginosa patients. Our results indicate that CF patients infected with panresistant P. aeruginosa have similar transplant outcomes as patients with sensitive bacteria and should not be excluded from lung transplant based solely on this criterion.     

Design of four-helix bundle protein as a candidate for HIV vaccine

To be efficient, a synthetic vaccine should contain differentT and B cell epitopes of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)antigens, and the B epitope regions in the vaccine and in theHIV should be conformationally similar. We have suggested previouslythe construction of vaccines in the form of a protein with apredetermined tertiary structure, namely a four--helix bundle.Antigenic determinants of cellular and humoral immunity areblocks for the vaccine design. From experimentally studied HIV-1T and B cell epitopes, we constructed a sequence of a four-helixprotein TBI (T and B cell epitopes containing immunogen). Thegene of the protein was synthesized and the protein was producedin C600 Escherichia coli cells under recA promoter from Proteusmirabelis. CD spectroscopy of the protein demonstrated that30% of amino acid residues adopt an -helical conformation. Miceimmunized with TBI have shown both humoral and cellular immuneresponses to HIV-1. The obtained data show that the design ofTBI was successful. The synthesized gene structure makes possiblefurther reconstruction and improvement of the protein vaccinestructure.     

Neurogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster hemizygotic, heterozygotic, and homozygotic notch mutants

The energy profile of the interaction between the NH2-terminal inactivation domain and the internal mouth of the Shaker H4 K+ channel has been investigated. Macroscopic currents from channels normally inactivating (Shaker H4) and with the inactivation removed (Shaker H4-IR) were recorded at different temperatures using the cut-open oocyte technique. Changes in temperature had a dramatic effect on the inactivation phase. The following parameters were obtained in Shaker H4, lowering the temperature from 20 degrees C to 5 degrees C: (1) the peak amplitude decreased with the temperature coefficient Q10 equal to 1.51; (2) the activation time constant increased with a Q10 equal to 3.14; (3) the decay time constant increased with a Q10 of 7.20, while the recovery from inactivation was less temperature-dependent (Q10=1.57) than the installation of the inactivation phase. At 0 mV, the ratio between the steady state level and the peak amplitude of the current increased with a Q10 of 2.95. These findings indicate that the installation of a fast inactivation process has a strong temperature dependence, while the recovery phase from inactivation is less temperature dependent. These observations support the idea of an NH2-terminal blocking mechanism for inactivation and flexible conformation of the blocking particle.     

Bcl-2 oncogene protein is preferentially expressed in Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin's disease of the nodular sclerosis subtype

One hundred three cases of nodular sclerosis (NS) and mixed-cellularity Hodgkin's disease were evaluated for expression of bcl-2 oncogene protein, because previous studies have revealed expression of bcl-2 in these subtypes but only rarely in the nodular lymphocyte-predominance subtype. Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells and lacunar variants were positive for bcl-2 in 51 of 86 NS cases and 4 of 17 mixed-cellularity cases. In individual cases of NS, the percentage of RS cells and lacunar variants positive for bcl-2 ranged from minimal (in 5 cases) to 100% positive (mean, 34%). By univariate analysis, expression of the bcl-2 gene product in RS cells was observed in a significantly greater proportion of NS Hodgkin's disease cases than MC cases (P < .009), a finding that may have implications on the pathogenesis of this disorder.