Bat-deafness in day-flying moths (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae, Dioptinae)

Assuming that bat-detection is the primary function of moth ears, the ears of moths that are no longer exposed to bats should be deaf to echolocation call frequencies. To test this, we compared the auditory threshold curves of 7 species of Venezuelan day-flying moths (Notodontidae: Dioptinae) to those of 12 sympatric species of nocturnal moths (Notodontidae: Dudusinae, Noctuidae and Arctiidae). Whereas 2 dioptines (Josia turgida, Zunacetha annulata) revealed normal ears, 2 (J. radians, J. gopala) had reduced hearing at bat-specific frequencies (20-80 kHz) and the remaining 3 (Thirmida discinota, Polypoetes circumfumata and Xenorma cytheris) revealed pronounced to complete levels of high-frequency deafness. Although the bat-deaf ears of dioptines could function in other purposes (e.g., social communication), the poor sensitivities of these species even at their best frequencies suggest that these moths represent a state of advanced auditory degeneration brought about by their diurnal life history. The phylogeny of the Notodontidae further suggests that this deafness is a derived (apomorphic) condition and not a retention of a primitive (pleisiomorphic), insensitive state.     

Incremental redistribution of protein kinase C underlies the acquisition curve during in vitro associative conditioning in Hermissenda

Although thoracoabdominal injuries are uncommon in the athlete, they can be catastrophic if unrecognized or if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. This article reviews thoracic, intrathoracic, abdominal, and groin injuries in the athlete, and how they can be diagnosed and managed.     

Novel NMDA antagonists: replacement of the pyridinium ring of 6,11-ethanobenzo[b]quinolizinium cations with heteroisoquinolinium cations

Replacement of the pyridinium ring of 6,11-ethanobenzo[b]quinolizinium cations with thiazolium (4a and 4b) and N-methylimidazolium (4c and 4d) resulted in equipotent compounds in the [3H]TCP binding assay. The corresponding N-methyl-1,2,4-triazolium analogs were less potent in this assay. The thiazolium derivative 4b, with a Ki = 2.9 nM, is being evaluated as a possible neuroprotective N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) antagonist.     

Cost-effectiveness of preoperative localization studies in primary hyperparathyroid disease

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of preoperative localization studies on the surgical management of patients with primary hyperparathyroid disease (PHPT). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Reported cure rates of initial surgical exploration for PHPT are close to 95%. Preoperative localization studies are frequently obtained to improve surgical success and decrease operative time. METHODS: Initial cervical exploration was performed in 113 patients with PHPT from 1981 to 1993. Twenty-four patients (21%) had surgery without preoperative localization studies. The remaining 89 patients (79%) had 132 noninvasive preoperative localization studies. Success of the localization studies in tumor localization, pathologic findings, postoperative serum calcium levels, and operative times were compared. Patient costs of the studies were calculated. RESULTS: Disease was identified during operation in 23 of 24 patients (96%) having cervical exploration without preoperative localization studies, and they had normal calcium levels after surgery. Eighty-seven of 89 patients (98%) having preoperative localization studies were surgically cured. The highest sensitivity rate (60%) and highest positive predictive value (79%) of the localization studies were found with thallium-technetium scintiscanning. Average cost of the localization studies was $901 per patient. Combination studies were obtained in 32 patients at an average cost of $1,314 per patient without improving sensitivity. Mean operating time did not differ for localized and nonlocalized patients. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative localization studies did not improve parathyroid localization or cure rate and did not substantially shorten operating time in initial cervical exploration for PHPT. The economic burden of routine preoperative localization studies in these patients is not justified.     

Potentiation of a three drug chemotherapy regimen by radiation

The combination of N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate, 6-methylmercaptopurine, and 6-aminonicotinamide has been shown to be an effective antineoplastic regimen and also to enhance the effects of other chemotherapeutic agents. The mechanism of action of this combination of drugs is not known definitively, but one possible mechanism is biochemical modulation of energy metabolism and inhibition of production of tumor ATP. Tumor-bearing mice were treated with N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate, followed 17 h later by 6-methylmercaptopurine and 6-aminonicotinamide. 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies demonstrated a significant depletion of high energy phosphates at 10 h post-6-methylmercaptopurine and 6-aminonicotinamide. The addition of radiation at this time was shown to induce a significantly longer tumor growth delay and a greater number of regressions (including durable complete regressions) than either chemotherapy or radiation alone. The combination of chemotherapy and radiation was found to be supra-additive compared to the antineoplastic effects of either modality administered separately, without a measurable increase in host toxicity.     

Critical care medicine

A postmortem case of HTLV-I associated myelopathy (HAM)/tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) with a history of remission and exacerbation of neurological signs and symptoms, resembling those of multiple sclerosis is reported. MRI analysis revealed lesions in the periventricular white matter in addition to atrophy of the thoracic spinal cord, characteristic of HAM/TSP. The cerebral periventricular areas consisted of ill-defined paucity of myelin sheaths with astrocytic gliosis and hyaline thickening of blood vessels. The poorly demarcated white matter lesions found in both brain and spinal cord were different from plaques found in multiple sclerosis. It is suggested that, in some cases of HAM/TSP, inflammatory lesions that destroy myelin can involve not only the spinal cord but also the cerebral periventricular white matter.