Evaluation of two biological markers combined as a parameter of alcohol dependency

An important group of fatal incidents are slow-speed pedestrian non-traffic incidents to children, which account for 14% of accidental deaths from all causes in Victorian children under 5 years of age between 1985 and 1995, and 12% of pedestrian deaths of all ages. In Victoria, Australia, the database of the state Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Morbidity and Mortality was utilised to identify paediatric slow-speed pedestrian non-traffic-accident deaths in the local population. Additional data relating to the car and its driver, the child, and the circumstances of the incident were abstracted from records kept by the State Coroner and the Victorian compulsory third party traffic injury insurance organisation. Twenty eight Victorian children were identified who had died in one of three types of incident (driverless cars, child interacting with the vehicle and driver, and drivers who were unaware of the child's proximity). These incidents were more common in rural areas compared with urban, usually occurring at the child's home. The child was with or near an adult on all occasions. The vehicle was usually being driven by a relative, and was reversing in a higher proportion of 'unaware' incidents compared with the 'interactive' type. The association of 'off-road' family vehicles and trucks with these incidents appears to be increasing, especially in recent years. These findings suggest some countermeasures, including the separation of vehicle driveways from children's play areas, and object vicinity ultrasonic warning devices for vehicles.     

A 1.5-Mb deletion in 17p11.2-p12 is frequently observed in Italian families with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies

Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by recurrent mononeuropathies. A 1.5-Mb deletion in chromosome 17p11.2-p12 has been associated with HNPP. Duplication of the same 1.5-Mb region is known to be associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1 (CMT1A), a more severe peripheral neuropathy characterized by symmetrically slowed nerve conduction velocity (NCV). The CMT1A duplication and HNPP deletion appear to be the reciprocal products of a recombination event involving a repeat element (CMT1A-REP) that flanks the 1.5-Mb region involved in the duplication/deletion. Patients from nine unrelated Italian families who were diagnosed with HNPP on the basis of clinical, electrophysiological, and histological evaluations were analyzed by molecular methods for DNA deletion on chromosome 17p. In all nine families, Southern analysis using a CMT1A-REP probe detected a reduced hybridization signal of a 6.0-kb EcoRI fragment mapping within the distal CMT1A-REP, indicating deletion of one copy of CMT1A-REP in these HNPP patients. Families were also typed with a polymorphic (CA)n repeat and with RFLPs corresponding to loci D17S122, D17S125, and D17S61, which all map within the deleted region. Lack of allelic transmission from affected parent to affected offspring was observed in four informative families, providing an independent indication for deletion. Furthermore, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis of SacII-digested genomic DNA detected junction fragments specific to the 1.5-Mb HNPP deletion in seven of nine Italian families included in this study. These findings suggest that a 1.5-Mb deletion on 17p11.2-p12 is the most common mutation associated with HNPP.     

Pulsatile release of somatotropin related to meal feeding and somatotropin response to secretagogues in horses

Our goal was to establish a time of day and(or) interval from feeding that would avoid the refractory period after a somatotropin (ST) surge and optimize the responsiveness of horses to ST secretagogues. Two experiments were conducted with eight geldings conditioned to consume grain at 0800 and 1600 daily. In Exp. 1, during a 24-h period, these geldings averaged 3.2 +/- .3 pulses of ST with peak amplitude of 4.2 +/- .4 ng/mL, pulse duration of 55 +/- 6 min, and interpeak interval of 400 +/- 57 min. No ST peaks occurred within 2 h after either grain feeding. In Exp. 2, eight geldings were given 50 micrograms of ST-releasing factor (STRF) at 0800. Two geldings that had a pulse of ST between 0700 and 0800 failed to respond to STRF, but the other six responded with a pulse of ST at 37 +/- 3 min; peak amplitude was 4.6 +/- 2.2 ng/mL and duration was 123 +/- 25 min. Experiments 3 and 4 were with mares aged 20 to 26 yr and conditioned to be fed grain at 0800 daily. In Exp. 3, blood was sampled for 8 h beginning at 0500. Seven of the eight mares had a ST pulse in progress at 0500. Five additional pulses were detected, all from 0740 to 0940, but none from 0600 to 0700 or from 1000 to 1300. In Exp. 4, four of the same eight mares were given 50 micrograms of STRF at 0700 and the other four at 1300. Three of the four treated at 0700 and all four treated at 1300 responded to STRF with ST peaks at 20 +/- 5 min; peak amplitude was 12.7 +/- 9.5 ng/mL and duration was 69 +/- 6 min. In Exp. 5, nine mares aged 20 to 26 yr were fed grain at 0800 and 1600 as in Exp. 1 and 2 and given a nonpeptidal ST secretagogue (STS, Merck L-163,255) i.v. at 0, 1, or 5 mg/kg (n = 3 mares/dose) at 1300. No mare had a pulse of ST during the 1 h before treatment. All six mares given STS responded with ST pulses. The ST responses to STS at 1 and 5 mg/kg did not differ (P > .05); time to ST peak was 35 +/- 4 min, pulse amplitude was 24.0 +/- 6.3 ng/mL, and pulse duration was 100 +/- 9 min. We conclude that mares and geldings fed grain once or twice daily usually have a period of 2 to 5 h after feeding with no ST pulses. When horses are fed grain at 0800, one may give a ST secretagogue at 1300 to avoid a refractory period and improve the probability of an ST response.     

Collagen deposition and mechanical strength of colon anastomoses and skin incisional wounds of rats

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate parathyroid localization using technetium-99m-sestamibi (MIBI). STUDY DESIGN: Technetium-99m-sestamibi scintigraphy was performed in 124 patients with hyperparathyroidism and the results were correlated with serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, weight, location, and pathology of parathyroid tissue, and associated thyroid abnormalities. RESULTS: Hyperparathyroidism was primary in 118 patients, secondary in four patients, and tertiary in two patients. The parathyroid pathology was a solitary adenoma in 95 patients (77 percent), double adenoma in five (4 percent), hyperplasia in 14 (11 percent), carcinoma in one (1 percent), and unconfirmed in nine (7 percent) who underwent noncurative parathyroidectomy. Associated thyroid disease was present in 29 (23 percent) patients. Fourteen patients (11 percent) had undergone previous parathyroid exploration. The mean calcium level was 11.4 +/- 0.8 mg/dL (range, 8.3 to 13.7 mg/dL) and the mean adjusted PTH level was 395 +/- 702 (range, 70 to 4,331). The sensitivity and positive predictive value of MIBI scintigraphy were 81 and 89 percent, respectively, in patients with a solitary adenoma and 37 and 100 percent, respectively, in patients with multiglandular disease. The mean adjusted PTH level was higher in patients with true-positive scans compared with false-negative scans (440 +/- 628 compared with 243 +/- 499, p > 0.05). The mean adenoma weight was 1,877 +/- 3,212 mg in patients with a true-positive scan compared with 485 +/- 296 mg with a false-negative scan (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity and positive predictive value of MIBI scintigraphy is comparable to or better than the results reported for other localization procedures. Its lack of sensitivity for detection of multiglandular disease precludes its use in lieu of routine bilateral neck exploration in the management of patients with hyperparathyroidism.     

Monte-Carlo calculations for the subsurface gamma density gauge

Some characteristics of the subsurface gamma density gauge are investigated by means of a Monte Carlo model. The model, which is one-dimensional and spherical, accounts for the effect of the shielding between source and detector in a simplified manner.The influence of Z_eq, and a finite volume of the measured medium on the gauge response is studied attentively. For densities above 1 g/cm³, the radius of the sphere of importance is about 26–40 cm and considerably large at lower densities.Attention is further paid to the dual-gauge concept with two different source-detector distances. Important advantages of this concept are diminished influence of Z_eq and somewhat increased density measuring range, whereas longer counting times and a more complicated gauge configuration seem to be the main drawbacks.Good agreement between the calculations and measurements with the BASC gauge is obtained, if maximally two experimentally determined parameters are introduced.     

Sensory nerve conduction velocity: technical requirements and normal values for branches of the radial and ulnar nerves of the dog

Conduction velocities of compound action potentials of sensory axons of alteral superficial radial (LSR) and dorsal ulnar nerves (DUN) of the dog were determined by averaging potentials evoked and recorded through subcutaneous needle electrodes. Suitable locations for electrodes were identified and specificities of sites for LSR and DUN were verified by recording before and after cutting the nerves. Stimulus rates of 4/second to 20/second did not markedly affect conduction velocities. Increasing stimulus intensity in steps from threshold to 8 X threshold recruited more axons into the compound action potentials but resulted in interference from movement and muscle potentials at 4 X or 8 X threshold. Mean conduction velocities at 2 X threshold were: LSR = 61.7 +/- 0.76 SEM; DUN = 68.1 +/- 2.71 SEM.