Choice of treatment of destructive pancreatitis and its complications

Choice of a proper method of treatment of complicated acute pancreatitis remains indefinite. The results of treatment of 130 patients with acute destructive pancreatitis complicated with pancreatic pseudocysts have been analysed. The authors formulate individual indications to minor surgery under the ultrasound control. The classical type of surgery was used only in patients with calculous pancreatitis complicated with pseudocysts (14). In other patients various types of transcutaneous ultrasound controlled procedures were used. Pilot experience of placing cystoduodenoanastomosis under ultrasound endoscopic control is described. Letal outcomes were absent. The rate of recurrence in external drainage was 10, 5%; there were no cases of recurrence in internal drainage of pseudocysts. The period of long-term follow-up was 58 months.     

Under the shadow of Tuskegee: African Americans and health care

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study continues to cast its long shadow on the contemporary relationship between African Americans and the biomedical community. Numerous reports have argued that the Tuskegee Syphilis Study is the most important reason why many African Americans distrust the institutions of medicine and public health. Such an interpretation neglects a critical historical point: the mistrust predated public revelations about the Tuskegee study. This paper places the syphilis study within a broader historical and social context to demonstrate that several factors have influenced--and continue to influence--African American's attitudes toward the biomedical community.     

Pathogenesis of experimental feline hepatosis

The studies performed have established that in experimental hepatosis, cats show substantial changes in blood morphology, a decrease in the cell transmembrane potential and their impaired ultrastructure. Hepatosis appears as combined dysfunctions of the animal and in subsequent periods of the influence of the etiological factor, inflammatory signs (leukemia and others) appear.     

Mechanisms of acute respiratory insufficiency in patients with hyperglycemic coma

Basic parameters of pulmonary gas exchange, central and pulmonary hemodynamics, and colloid osmotic pressure were investigated in 31 patients in diabetic hyperglycemic coma over the course of intensive care. Pulmonary gas exchange disorders were observed in all patients in the presence of increased shunting of the blood in the lungs and disorders of transcapillary liquid exchange. On the other hand, we failed to obtain data indicative of an increase in the volume of extravascular water in the lungs. However, it does not rule out the possibility of iatrogenic disorders of gas exchange during noncontrolled rehydration.     

Localization of the nic site of IncN conjugative plasmid pCU1 through formation of a hybrid oriT

The N-type oriT of plasmid pMUR274 was cloned on a 474-bp RsaI-SspI fragment, and the nucleotide sequence was determined. A comparison of the pMUR274 oriT sequence and the sequence of the oriTs of IncN plasmid pCU1 and IncW plasmid R388 demonstrated 57 and 28% identity, respectively. Intramolecular, site-specific recombination between the pCU1 oriT and the oriT of pMUR274 resulted in the formation of a hybrid oriT containing one half of each parental sequence. The junction point of the hybrid occurred within a 10-bp sequence, GCTATACACC, present in both parental sequences and represents the nic site of each oriT. Mutation of the first A or second T residue within the 10-bp junction sequence reduced transfer less than 20-fold, while mutation of either the second or third A residue reduced transfer over 1,000-fold. Site-specific recombination between a wild-type pCU1 oriT and these four mutant pCU1 oriTs demonstrated that nic lies between the second T and second A residues of the 10-bp junction sequence. Site-specific recombination between wild-type and mutant pCU1 oriTs also demonstrated that point mutations to the right of nic reduced both initiation and termination of transfer while point mutations to the left of nic reduced termination but had little or no effect on initiation. A 28-bp deletion within the AT-rich region 39 bases to the right of nic reduced both initiation and termination, while deletion of a 6-bp inverted repeat sequence at the right-most boundary of the minimal oriT region reduced initiation but not termination.