Primary tendon healing: a review

Clinical and experimental studies on primary tendon healing are reviewed and correlated. Emphasis is placed on the importance of blending the extratendinous and intratendinous elements of tendon healing to obtain optimal functional results. Studies which demonstrate the ability of tendon cells to metabolize, proliferate, and secrete collagen when isolated from paratendinous tissue are cited along with those which demonstrate the importance of the microcirculation of the tendon in tendon healing. Those factors which interfere with intratendinous healing are discussed, such as invasive suture techniques, tension on the area of repair, and interference with segmental blood supply within zone II. The importance of the synovial sheath and synovial fluid in nourishing tendon cells and the effect of ischemia in stimulating the ingrowth of adhesions are brought out. Discussion includes such factors involved in the postoperative management of tendon repairs as those which affect the strength of tendon repairs and quantitative and qualitative methods of modifying adhesion formation.     

Inexpensive collapsible covered pen with slatted floor for turkeys

Designed to confine turkeys for fowl cholera research was a collapsible pen with a hinged steel roof, wire sides, and slatted wooden floors. It is inexpensive to build; conserves labor in feeding, watering, and disposal of manure; protects against rain, sun, and predators; provides ventilation against heat; gives easy access to turkeys; and is collapsible     

1H NMR structural analysis of novel potassium blocking toxins using a nano-NMR probe

Fas/APO-1 (CD95), a cell surface cytokine receptor, triggers apoptotic cell death by specific agonist antibody, suggesting that Fas/APO-1 may be a promising target for treatment of tumors. In this study, we show that treatment with anti-Fas antibody effectively induced apoptosis in malignant glioma cell lines with high expression of Fas/APO-1 (n = 3). Malignant glioma cells with low or undetectable expression of Fas/APO-1 (n = 6), however, were resistant to Fas/APO-1-dependent cytotoxicity. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine whether resistant tumors could be made susceptible to apoptosis. FADD/MORT1 constitutes a novel protein that associates specifically with the cytoplasmic death domain of Fas/APO-1 and induces apoptosis. We investigated whether overexpression of FADD would induce apoptosis in malignant glioma cells without activating Fas/APO-1. Results indicated that about 85% of malignant glioma cells, regardless of Fas/APO-1 expression levels, underwent apoptosis after transient transfection with FADD expression vector. To further improve gene transfer of FADD into malignant glioma cells, we constructed a retroviral vector containing the FADD gene. The retroviral transfer of FADD gene significantly enhanced the transduction efficiency and effectively inhibited both in vitro and in vivo survival of malignant glioma cells through induction of apoptosis. These findings suggest that the FADD gene is a novel and useful tool for the treatment of malignant gliomas.     

Methylmercury: effect on serum enzymes and humoral antibody

Dosages of 20 and 10 ppm methylmercury were toxic to rabbits while 1 ppm did not produce clinical signs or death. Serum alkaline phosphatase levels were elevated in all rabbits exposed to methylmercury. Methylmercury-exposed rabbits challenged to A/PR8 influenza virus had hemagglutination inhibition titers as much as four times lower than those of controls. Histopathologic lesions were found in the cerebellum of rabbits that died. The most significant features of this study were that methylmercury chloride suppressed the humoral immune system and resulted in increased serum alkaline phosphatase levels, which may aid in diagnosis when methylmercury poisoning is suspected.     

Value of serum inorganic phosphate in the diagnosis of ischemic bowel disease

To clarify the value of the serum inorganic phosphate concentration in the diagnosis of ischemic bowel disease, a retrospective study of 24 patients with various causes of intestinal ischemia was carried out. Only 25 percent of the patients had elevations of their serum phosphate concentrations. These patients had the combination of extensive bowel injury, acute renal insufficiency, and acidosis. Mortality was significantly increased in these patients. Thus, the serum phosphate concentration was not a sensitive indicator of ischemic bowel disease, but elevations did predict extensive injury and poor prognosis.     

Bat-deafness in day-flying moths (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae, Dioptinae)

Assuming that bat-detection is the primary function of moth ears, the ears of moths that are no longer exposed to bats should be deaf to echolocation call frequencies. To test this, we compared the auditory threshold curves of 7 species of Venezuelan day-flying moths (Notodontidae: Dioptinae) to those of 12 sympatric species of nocturnal moths (Notodontidae: Dudusinae, Noctuidae and Arctiidae). Whereas 2 dioptines (Josia turgida, Zunacetha annulata) revealed normal ears, 2 (J. radians, J. gopala) had reduced hearing at bat-specific frequencies (20-80 kHz) and the remaining 3 (Thirmida discinota, Polypoetes circumfumata and Xenorma cytheris) revealed pronounced to complete levels of high-frequency deafness. Although the bat-deaf ears of dioptines could function in other purposes (e.g., social communication), the poor sensitivities of these species even at their best frequencies suggest that these moths represent a state of advanced auditory degeneration brought about by their diurnal life history. The phylogeny of the Notodontidae further suggests that this deafness is a derived (apomorphic) condition and not a retention of a primitive (pleisiomorphic), insensitive state.     

Relationship between soluble CD14, lipopolysaccharide binding protein, and the alveolar inflammatory response in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome

The effects of bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) are amplified by lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) and CD14, resulting in cellular activation at very low concentrations of LPS. To investigate the importance of this pathway in acute lung injury, we measured LPS, LBP, and soluble CD14 (sCD14) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) of 82 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). LBP and sCD14 increased markedly in BAL of patients with ARDS. sCD14 and LBP each were strongly related to BAL total protein and polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) concentration, whereas LPS concentration was not. Multivariate analyses showed sCD14 to be strongly related to BAL total protein, even after controlling for LPS and LBP concentrations. sCD14 was strongly and independently related to PMN concentration, after controlling for BAL LPS, LBP, and interleukin-8 (IL-8). The BAL LPS concentration was not strongly related to either BAL total protein or BAL PMN. The BAL sCD14 and LBP values were similar in all subgroups of patients with ARDS, and were not related to survival. The serum LBP and sCD14 were elevated in ARDS, but were not related to BAL total protein, LBP, sCD14, PMN, or clinical outcome. Thus, LBP and sCD14 reach high concentrations in the lungs of patients with ARDS, and BAL sCD14 is strongly related to two major indices of lung inflammation: total protein and PMN concentration. CD14-dependent mechanisms may contribute to lung inflammation in ARDS.