The flagship is dropping behind the fleet [UK telecommunicationindustry]

Following privatisation in 1984, BT was mainly preoccupied with customer service, operating costs and business exploitation. BT, its competitors and the industry regulators now have to address major new network issues. Their success in meeting the challenges of the new technologies will have a major impact on the future of UK telecommunications equipment manufacturers. The author takes a hard look at the facts. He argues that duplicating local telecommunications plant is a mistake and should stop; price cap regulation produces the wrong result; and an authoritative engineering agency is needed to co-ordinate technology nationally     

The neu-oncogene product in serum and tissue of patients with breast carcinoma

Patients with non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) (n = 387) and cardiac chest pain (CCP) (n = 93) were compared with community controls (n = 81), using a symptom questionnaire that assessed the presence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia, and oesophageal dysfunction and chest pain characteristics. A significantly (p < 0.05) increased prevalence of symptoms compatible with IBS occurred in NCCP patients when compared with those with CCP and with controls. Dysphagia was more frequent in both those with non-cardiac and cardiac chest pain than in controls; this was not apparent, however, when patients with concomitant IBS were excluded. The presence of oesophageal or gastrointestinal symptoms did not enable discrimination with regard to the chest pain characteristics. We conclude that unselected referred patients with documented NCCP are more likely to have IBS and that the presence of oesophageal symptoms such as dysphagia may merely reflect the spectrum of the 'irritable gut'.     

Evaluation of aging pilots: evidence, policy, and future directions

A male patient presented with complaints of fever, cough with expectoration, burning micturition and 5-6 semisolid motions per day for the past 6 days. Skiagram chest (PA view) revealed lung abscess in the left mid zone. There was no improvement, symptomatically and radiologically, after an empirical course of antibiotics (IV ampicillin and gentamycin). Sputum, urine and stool cultures grew salmonella group E organisms sensitive only to cefotaxime. The patient was treated with IV cefotaxime and responded well clinically, radiologically and bacteriologically.     

Beneficial effects of S-adenosyl-L-methionine on blood-brain barrier breakdown and neuronal survival after transient cerebral ischemia in gerbils

In the present study, the effect of bradykinin on basal and precontracted mouse-isolated trachea was investigated. In basal conditions mouse-isolated tracheal rings do not respond to bradykinin. However, when the tracheal rings were precontracted with carbachol (10(-7) M) a relaxation with bradykinin (3 x 10(-9)-3 x 10(-7)) was found. The maximal response amounted 69.7+/-4.1% (n=15) with a pD2 value of 7.2+/-0.21. The selective bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist HOE 140 (10(-10)-10(-8) M) antagonized the bradykinin-induced relaxation, while the bradykinin B1 receptor antagonist des-Arg9-Leu8-bradykinin (10(-6) M) had no influence. The selective bradykinin B1 receptor agonist des-Arg9-bradykinin (10(-6) M) caused a small relaxation (8.4+/-2.5%, n=6), which could be antagonized completely by the selective bradykinin B1 receptor antagonist des-Arg9-Leu8-bradykinin (10(-6) M) while addition of the selective bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist HOE 140 (10(-8) M) was without effect. In the presence of indomethacin (10(-6) M) the relaxation of bradykinin was completely abolished. Pretreatment of the tracheal rings with capsaicin, or the presence of the selective NK1 receptor antagonist RP 67851 (10(-6) M) or the presence of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME (3 x 10(-4) M) had no effect on the bradykinin-induced relaxation. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that the mouse-isolated tracheal is a preparation in which bradykinin exerts a relaxant response via stimulation of bradykinin B2 receptors. This response is probably mediated by prostaglandins.     

Insulin-like growth factor I activates the invasion suppressor function of E-cadherin in MCF-7 human mammary carcinoma cells in vitro

The calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin has been shown to counteract invasion of epithelial neoplastic cells. Using three monoclonal antibodies, we have demonstrated the presence of E-cadherin at the surface of human MCF-7/6 mammary carcinoma cells by indirect immunofluorescence coupled to flow cytometry and by immunocytochemistry. Nevertheless, MCF-7/6 cells failed to aggregate in a medium containing 1.25 mM CaCl2, and they were invasive after confrontation with embryonic chick heart fragments in organ culture. Treatment of MCF-7/6 cells with 0.5 microgram ml-1 insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) led to homotypic aggregation within 5 to 10 min and inhibited invasion in vitro during at least 8 days. The effect of IGF-I on cellular aggregation was insensitive to cycloheximide. However, monoclonal antibodies that interfered with the function of either the IGF-I receptor (alpha IR3) or E-cadherin (HECD-1, MB2) blocked the effect of IGF-I on aggregation. The effects of IGF-I on aggregation and on invasion could be mimicked by 1 microgram ml-1 insulin, but not by 0.5 microgram ml-1 IGF-II. The insulin effects were presumably not mediated by the IGF-I receptor, since they could not be blocked by an antibody against this receptor (alpha IR3). Our results indicate that IGF-I activates the invasion suppressor role of E-cadherin in MCF-7/6 cells.