Bacteriology of spirometer tubing and evaluation of methodology to prevent transmission of infection

Transmission of respiratory infection by a spirometer is a definite risk in countries like India where a majority of respiratory diseases are infective in nature. To assess this problem, scrapings and washing from a spirometer tube in regular use were taken for microbiological studies. Significant bacterial growth on culture included Aspergillus and acid fast bacilli. In order to check contamination, a segregation chamber was attached to the spirometer. Twenty-three patients used the spirometer with or without segregation chamber and a good correlation was shown between the two methods in forced expiratory volume in one second (r = 0.94), forced vital capacity (r = 0.92) and mid maximum expiratory flow rate (r = 0.90). It can be concluded that a spirometer may have significant growth of pathogenic bacteria and a segregation chamber may be used routinely with the spirometer in order to prevent its contamination.     

Formation, therapy and prevention of false aneurysm of the femoral artery following diagnostic and interventional heart catheterization

OBJECTIVE: As pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery after catheter introduction is a frequent complication, its causes and therapeutic options were investigated in a large patient collective. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a prospective study with colour-Doppler duplex sonography of 6928 patients after diagnostic and of 3764 after interventional cardiac catheterisation, pseudoaneurysms were diagnosed in 80 patients (0.75%), 46 after diagnostic (0.66%) and 34 after interventional (0.9%) catheterisation. RESULTS: The incidence was higher in women than men (1.33% vs 0.58%; P < 0.05). Anticoagulation after sheath removal was the leading risk factor (n = 55, 68.8%), especially after interventional coronary intervention 85.3 vs 56.5%, P < 0.05). Local compression under duplex sonography monitoring was undertaken in 69 patients (86.3%), achieving aneurysmal obliteration in 53 (76.8%). Spontaneous thrombosis occurred in 15 of the remaining 27 patients, and surgical closure became necessary in 12. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate a risk profile for the occurrence of pseudoaneurysm after cardiac catheterisation which can be dealt with by preventive measures. Local compression under duplex sonographic monitoring was the treatment of choice with a high success rate and low incidence of complications.     

Sensitive patient-doctor communications relating to the breasts and prostate

The authors show case of lateral cervical cyst and carcinoma of the tonsil in woman 50 years, paying attention to large diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. After operation of the lateral cervical cyst on the left side, metastasis of tumor followed, which was operated (after negative result of the thin-needle biopsy method) and histopathological examination of the tumor didn't prove atypical cells. In a few month after operation there followed tumorous infiltration in region angle of mandibula and in tonsillar region on the side and performed the thin-needle biopsy method showed planoepithelial carcinoma of the tonsil with transitional cells, which infiltrated the lingua, fundus of the oris and lymphonodes of the neck. Next the patient was sent to further treatment in the Oncological Hospital in Lodz. In connexion with advanced of the carcinoma, the using treatment (radiotherapy Co--60 and chemotherapy) was only the palliative treatment and prolongated life of the patient about 3 years.     

Domain structure analysis of elongation factor-3 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by limited proteolysis and differential scanning calorimetry

Elongation-factor-3 (EF-3) is an essential factor of the fungal protein synthesis machinery. In this communication the structure of EF-3 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), ultracentrifugation, and limited tryptic digestion. DSC shows a major transition at a relatively low temperature of 39 degrees C, and a minor transition at 58 degrees C. Ultracentrifugation shows that EF-3 is a monomer; thus, these transitions could not reflect the unfolding or dissociation of a multimeric structure. EF-3 forms small aggregates, however, when incubated at room temperature for an extended period of time. Limited proteolysis of EF-3 with trypsin produced the first cleavage at the N-side of Gln775, generating a 90-kDa N-terminal fragment and a 33-kDa C-terminal fragment. The N-terminal fragment slowly undergoes further digestion generating two major bands, one at approximately 75 kDa and the other at approximately 55 kDa. The latter was unusually resistant to further tryptic digestion. The 33-kDa C-terminal fragment was highly sensitive to tryptic digestion. A 30-min tryptic digest showed that the N-terminal 60% of EF-3 was relatively inaccessible to trypsin, whereas the C-terminal 40% was readily digested. These results suggest a tight structure of the N-terminus, which may give rise to the 58 degrees C transition, and a loose structure of the C-terminus, giving rise to the 39 degrees C transition. Three potentially functional domains of the protein were relatively resistant to proteolysis: the supposed S5-homologous domain (Lys102-Ile368), the N-terminal ATP-binding cassette (Gly463-Lys622), and the aminoacyl-tRNA-synthase homologous domain (Glu820-Gly865). Both the basal and ribosome-stimulated ATPase activities were inactivated by trypsin, but the ribosome-stimulated activity was inactivated faster.     

An iatrogenic arterial foreign body

The creation, possible complications and retrieval of an unusual, perhaps unique, arterial foreign body are described.     

Free nor-adrenaline and adrenaline excretion in relation to complications in acute myocardial infarction

The authors report on the clinical data, operating technique, postoperative complications, and late results in a series of 31 epidermoid and 21 dermoid cysts of the central nervous system.     

全球“画”

<正>每一年我都要为许多在美国申请研究学位的学生评估他们的作品集。这些学生来自世界不同地方。不管这种现象是否普遍,我还是要说这些学生的作品看起来竟然会是如此惊人的相似。大部分的学生作品呈现出来相同的画图技术,这些技术描述了相同的景观类型,并且使用了相同的人物形象。欢迎来到全球画。对这种画图表现方式一致性的担心主要体现在两个方面。第一是学生们缺乏对当代景观美学批判的能力,第二是缺乏独创性和个性。整体上看来,几乎所有申请作品都在表