Major abdominal surgery and the clearance of lipid emulsions

Reaction of bacterial adhesins with complementary receptors on the surfaces of mucosal respiratory, gastrointestinal and genitourinary cells leads to bacterial adhesion to the human body. This is the first step in the sequence of events leading to infection. It has been observed that subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of some antibiotics are able to reduce bacterial adhesion. The pharmacokinetic curves of antibiotics show that these sub-MICs are present in tissues during a typical course of therapy. This study investigated the ability of sub-MICs of seven macrolides and four fluoroquinolones to reduce adhesiveness of Staphylococcus aureus to human buccal cells. The literature generally reports data for only one antibiotic at a time. To obtain an overall view of the findings of eleven antibiotics together, the data have been normalized according to the molecular weight of each antibiotic and the dose-effect curves determined.     

Longitudinal bone mineral density changes in early rheumatoid arthritis

A prospective longitudinal study of patients with early RA was performed to examine the influence of disease duration, disease activity and physical activity on bone loss. Sixty-seven patients with non-steroid treated RA of less than 5 yr duration, including 16 patients with disease duration less than 6 months, had BMD measurements of the femoral neck and the lumbar spine over a 12-month period using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The BMD changes were compared with values from 72 control patients and were also correlated with serial measurements of disease activity (measured by the Stoke Index) and disability [measured by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score], at 3-monthly intervals over the 12-month period. No significant differences in BMD changes were found between RA patients and controls overall. Patients with disease duration of less than 6 months had significantly greater loss of BMD at the femoral neck (-3.9%, S.E.M. 1.5) than the remainder of the cohort (-0.2%, S.E.M. 0.7) (P = 0.02) and controls (-0.8%, S.E.M. 0.6). Lumbar spine BMD changes correlated with the initial Stoke Index (Rs-0.373, P = 0.01) but not mean Stoke Indices. There was no correlation of BMD changes with age or HAQ scores. These findings suggest that significant bone loss occurs within the first few months of disease in patients with RA.     

The Possibilities of Community OR in a Third World Country

This paper shows a few possibilities for the application of Community OR in a Third World country based on experience in Venezuela. These possibilities are discussed in a framework of the relationship between the state and community organizations. Emphasis lies in showing that Community OR in Venezuela requires a deep critical commitment to emancipation in order to help community organizations develop in a rather hostile environment. Lastly, results in dealing with community organizations in Venezuela using the Interpretive Systemology approach are presented.     

Room temperature characterization of Hg1-xCdxTe P-on-n heterostructure photodiodes

Measurements of 77K R_oA and 300K reverse bias dynamic impedance (R_dA) products at one volt reverse bias has been carried out to assess the degree of correlation of this figure of merit. Planar P-on-n heterostructures were grown on near lattice-matched CdZnTe substrates with Hg_1-xCd_xTe (0.20< x <0.30) by molecular beam epitaxy. These devices were passivated with CdTe and doped with indium and arsenic as n- and p-type dopants, respectively. Current-voltage characteristic of these devices exhibit thermally generated dark currents at small and modest reverse bias. We have observed that R_oA values of these long wavelength infrared P-on-n heterostructure photodiodes at 77K correlate with room temperature R_dA values. Diode arrays with high room temperature R_dA values at one volt reverse bias also have high R_oA values at 77K. Similarly, low R_dA values at room temperature indicate poor performance at 77K where deviation from diffusion current occurs at reverse bias of 0.2 to 1 volt at room temperature. The results presented here, for a small samples of devices, demonstrate that room temperature measurements of current-voltage characteristics to evaluate Hg_1-xCd_xTe (0.22< x <0.28) diode performance and array uniformity at lower temperatures can be used. This provides an acceptable criteria for further study at lower temperatures.     

A multidistrict audit on the management of Chlamydia trachomatis in genitourinary medicine clinics in Yorkshire

Although there have been recent molecular biological studies for evidence of possible changes in trypanosome biochemistry, such studies are not yet complemented by parallel clinical studies to determine the possible implications to the sleeping sickness patient. The study of the duration of symptoms and the case fatality of T. b. rhodesiense showed that the disease progressed to the stage of central nervous system involvement between three weeks to two months of infection. Most (> 80%) deaths occurred within six months of illness. The case fatality rate of treated sleeping sickness patients was 6% of which the rate in the late-stage of sleeping sickness was more than two and a half times that in the early stage. The incidence of melarsoprol encephalopathy was 2.5% and case fatality due to this condition was 1.0% and similar to previous findings. Thus it appears the virulence of T. b. rhodesiense circulating in south east Uganda has not changed during the past decades.     

Effects of pramipexole on contraversive rotation and functional motor impairments in 1-methyl-4-phenyl1,2,3, 6-tetrahydropyridine-induced chronic hemiparkinsonian monkeys

Rotational and functional motor behavioral changes were studied in five MPTP lesioned chronic hemiparkinsonian Macaca nemestrina monkeys after i.m. pramipexole, a predominant D2 subfamily agonist. Pramipexole induced contraversive rotations in a dose-dependent manner with an optimal dose of 56 microg/kg for approximately 2 to 4 hr after injection. Three different rating scales were used to determine drug-induced functional improvement. They included a monkey parkinsonism rating scale, volitional responses to fruit presentations, and number of hand movements that appeared volitional. A dose of 56 microg/kg of pramipexole produced functional improvements on hand disability, and on a parkinsonian rating scale for monkeys in a dose-dependent manner from 32 to 100 microg/kg. These doses produced an increase in significant hand movements in the affected (contralateral) as well as in the normal (ipsilateral) hand to the side of the brain lesion compared with 5% dextrose in water vehicle control. With a dose of 100 microg/kg, the therapeutic effects of pramipexole on hand movements were less than with 56 microg/kg, due to side effects such as scratching.     

Comparative study of lipid systems from various sources by rotational viscometry and potentiometry

We carried out the analysis of lecithins with a common polar group and paraffin chains of different lengths and degree of saturation at two levels, namely: (a) that of the paraffin chain proper, by studying whether structural defects arising from the different mobility of the lipid chains affected their rheological properties; and (b) that of the polar group, which is known to be affected by perturbations to the paraffin chain, and so should its ionization.     

Biology of chronic radiation effect on tissues and wound healing

Radiation therapy exerts both acute and chronic effects on normal tissue included within treatment fields. The physics of radiation therapy and treatment techniques to minimize deleterious effects of radiation are presented. Management of radiation-damaged skin is discussed. Radiation effect on tissue, wound healing, and tumorigenesis also are reviewed.     

Detection of anti-HIV-1 IgG antibodies in whole saliva by GACELISA and Western blot assays

The present study, based on 158 HIV seropositives and 167 HIV seronegatives, demonstrates that saliva collected with the Omni-SAL device and tested with GACELISA (an IgG antibody capture ELISA) is an effective non-invasive alternative to serum for anti-HIV IgG antibody screening. The study also shows that a conventional serum Western blot kit can be used, with slight modifications, for confirmatory testing of saliva specimens. Collecting saliva with the Omni-SAL device had a very good acceptance rate among Tanzanian subjects, and although this diagnostic method is not yet known by the general public, 65% of the study participants preferred to give saliva instead of blood for HIV testing.