Rational use of rubella vaccine for prevention of congenital rubella syndrome in the Americas

Seventy-three spinal cord injured patients with central cord syndrome who had undergone inpatient rehabilitation, were studied retrospectively with regard to their demographic, neurologic and functional characteristics. There were 67 males and six females with a mean age of 53.5 years. Falls was the commonest mechanism of injury (54.8%) followed by motor vehicle accidents. Eleven patients sustained cervical fractures and 41 had radiological evidence of cervical spondylosis. Seventeen patients had sensory impairment and significant spasticity was present in 14 patients. Significant improvements in the admission/discharge ASIA motor scores and Modified Barthel Index (MBI) scores (P < 0.001) were noted after rehabilitation. Ninety-two percent of patients were continent of bladder on discharge compared to 64.4% on admission. Multiple regression analysis revealed three factors associated with a better functional outcome, namely, higher admission MBI scores, absence of spasticity and younger age (P < 0.05).     

Science,technology and values: promoting ethics and social responsibility

The paper discusses the limitations of engineering ethics as implemented in practice, with a focus on the fact that engineering and other activities are carried out without any consideration of whether the activities are themselves ethical, and on the gap between legality and ethics. This leads to the following three central ideas of the paper. The first is the need for engineers to both be aware of and critique their own values and be able to widen their perspective to that of the ‘other’, i.e., marginalised and minority groups and the environment. This understanding of the ‘other’ and values is also applied to the discussion of ethical issues relating to minority world (‘developed’) country engineers working in majority world (‘developing’) countries. The second central idea is the fact that structural and contextual factors in the form of barriers and enablers affect ethical values and practices. Individuals are not necessarily unethical in themselves, but the context and organisational ethos may present barriers to ethical behaviour and encourage the development of unethical values. These barriers and enablers are investigated through a pilot survey. The third central idea is the relationship between individual and collective responsibility and the need for support to enable engineers to think and behave ethically.     

A decision model for operating two alternate energy generating systems

A solar energy generating system is to be supplemented by two conventional generating systems. A method for investigating the effect of various operating policies of the combined system on the productivity and availability is developed. Using a Markov-Chain approach for computing the long-run expectations of the objectives it was demonstrated that the use of a stand-by mode for one of the conventional systems was optimal. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the methodology both for special and more general cases.     

The Scintillation Mechanism in Thallium Doped Alkali Halides

In the scintillation mechanism for alkali iodides doped with thallous iodide: 1. Most of the luminescence, and possibly all of it, is from recombination and therefore energy transfer is predominantly from charge transport to thallium. 2. There are two modes of recombination at thallium which differ in the sequence of charge trapping at Tl+. The electron may be trapped before a mobile hole recombines with it, or the hole may be trapped before recombination with a free electron. 3. Thermal hole diffusion is an important process at room temperature and determines which mode a recombination event follows. 4. Both modes of recombination are active. 5. There is non-thermal hole trapping which is a significant part of the scintillator mechanism.     

Optimal seat allocation for flights with one intermediate stop

During the time prior to departure of a flight with an intermediate stop decisions must be made concerning the allocation of reserved seats to passengers requesting space on the full or partial spans of the flight. The paper presents a model for finding the maximum allowable allocation of seats on the various spans at each time prior to departure such that a maximum expected contribution to profit for the flight is obtained.The model utilizes the time distribution of reservations and cancellations for both spans. Consideration is given to the effects of waitlists, standbys and overbookings. A Bayesian reassessment of probabilities is incorporated in a sequential decision procedure. A computer program was written to perform the calculations, and the results of a short sample problem which was run to test the validity of the model are presented.     

Complement activation in vivo in cancer patients receiving C. parvum immunotherapy

Serum complement levels were assayed in 26 patients with disseminated cancer, who received immunotherapy with infusion of C. parvum. Complement activation, indicated by the consumption of C3 or C4 or both, was found in 46% of the patients. Serum samples showed direct correlation between decreased C3 and conversion of C3 proactivator, whereas such conversion did not occur when C4 alone was decreased. It is concluded that the bypass (properdin) pathway was activated in patients in whom C3 consumption was detected, while the classical (C1) pathway was activated in the patients with C4 consumption unaccompanied by C3 decrease. Direct correlation was observed between delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to recall antigens and the incidence of C. parvum-associated complement activation.     

Novel antitumor 2-cyanoaziridine-1-carboxamides

A set of 20 2-cyanoaziridine-1-carboxamides was synthesized from 2-cyanoaziridine and appropriate isocyanates. These compounds were active against a variety of solid and hematological tumor cells in culture, including strains resistant to doxorubicin and mitoxantrone. Their potencies in these assays correlated with the lipophilicity of substituents. The N-phenyl derivative was more potent and equally effective to imexon, a cyclized 2-cyanoaziridine-1-carboxamide of clinical interest, against cloned fresh human tumors.     

A multicenter trial of photorefractive keratectomy for residual myopia after previous ocular surgery. Summit Therapeutic Refractive Study Group

PURPOSE: The Summit Therapeutic Refractive Clinical Trial is a nine-center prospective, nonrandomized, self-controlled trial to assess the efficacy, stability, and safety of using a standardized technique of excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) to correct residual myopia in eyes with previous refractive surgery or cataract surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible eyes with a mean residual myopia of -3.7 +/- 1.8 diopters (D) (range, -0.63 to -11.00 D) underwent PRK with a 193-nm excimer laser for myopic corrections between -1.50 and -7.50 D. Standardized settings were used for the ablation zone, ablation rate, repetition rate, and fluence. One hundred seven of the first 114 treated eyes were examined 1 year after PRK, with 98% of eyes having had refractive keratotomy and 2% having had cataract surgery. RESULTS: One year postoperatively, the mean manifest spherical equivalent refraction was -0.6 +/- 1.4 D (range, -6.50 to 2.50 D); 63% of eyes were within +/-1.00 D of the attempted correction; and uncorrected visual acuity was 20/40 or better in 74% of eyes. Twenty-nine percent of eyes lost two or more Snellen lines of best-corrected visual acuity, and central corneal haze was moderate or severe in 8% of eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Excimer laser PRK is effective in reducing residual myopia after previous refractive and cataract surgery. However, it is less accurate than PRK in eyes that did not undergo surgery and is more likely to cause a loss of best-corrected visual acuity 1 year after treatment.     

An AP-2 binding sequence within exon 1 of human and porcine choline acetyltransferase genes enhances transcription in neural cells

It has been established that GABAA and GABAB receptors can exist separately and/or co-exist in the membrane of dorsal root ganglion neurons. In our previous investigation it has been shown that co-existence of these two kinds of receptors is about 80% of the neurons examined (20/25). The present study was aimed to explore whether the activation of these two kinds of receptors could interact with each other using intracellular and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. Baclofen, a specific GABAB receptor agonist, was found to exert negative modulatory effects on the responses mediated by GABAA receptor. In experiments with intracellular recording, GABA (0.3-1000 microM)- and muscimol (100-1000 microM)-induced depolarization was attenuated markedly and reversibly by preapplication of baclofen (100 microM) (15/21 and 17/21, respectively). In whole-cell patch-clamp recordings GABA (100 microM) and two specific GABAA receptor agonists, muscimol (10 microM) and isoguvacine (50 microM), activated currents were inhibited markedly by preapplication of baclofen 30 s or more and the inhibition was concentration dependent (1-100 microM baclofen) and reversible. The possible mechanisms underlying the inhibition by baclofen of the responses mediated by GABAA receptor and the physiological significance implicated are discussed.     

Preparation and transplantation of photoreceptor sheets

PURPOSE: Photoreceptor (PR) transplantation may be a treatment for blindness secondary to PR degeneration. We studied different technical aspects of PR-sheet preparation. METHODS: Geographic variation in the thickness of the cat PR layer (from the outer segments to the outer plexiform layer) and inner retina (width of the remainder of the retina) was studied. PR sheets (cat and human) were prepared through gelatin embedding and subsequent vibratoming or excimer laser ablation. Cat PR sheets were evaluated after transplantation. RESULTS: The thickness of the cat PR layer and inner retina varied in different regions. The superior central retina, including the area centralis, was thickest (PR layer: 115-123 microm, entire retina: 225-230 microm, in fixed tissue). The peripheral retina was approximately 40% thinner than the center. Fresh retina was approximately 7.9% thicker than the fixed retina. Both vibratomy and excimer laser ablation removed the inner retina, leaving a PR-layer sheet with good morphology. To produce good quality PR sheets with vibratomy, use of different gelatin concentrations (2% to 35%) at various stages of sheet preparation was crucial. To produce PR sheets of uniform thickness with excimer laser ablation, control of fluid on the retinal surface was critical. Twenty-four hours after PR transplantation surgery, donor PR cells were well oriented and in close contact with host retinal pigment epithelial cells. Gelatin supporting the transplant dissolved as early as 100 min after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed and expanded the work of previous investigators and showed that cat and human PR sheets can be manufactured using vibratomy or excimer laser ablation. This preparation provides a well oriented and organized PR cell layer after transplantation.