Thrombocyte lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in patients with ischemic stroke

It was established that in the acute period of the ischemic stroke in the maiority of cases a change of isoenzyme structure of LDG thrombocytes was due to a decrease of LDG3 activity. In a number of patients the dominant change in the spectrum was determined by LDG and LDG4 fractions. The changes were of a stable character up to 10 weeks. LDG4 increase was characteristic of the isoenzymes spectrum in the patients with a severe development of the disease and in the patients in the remote period of the stroke. The obtained data can serve as a criterion for evaluating the adaptive changes in acute brain ischemia.     

Diagnosis and treatment of penetrating thoraco-abdominal peace-time wounds

A formula describing weight losses in the first approximation during space mission was derived assuming that humans may adapt to space flight effects. The process depended on two parameters one of which characterized maximum body losses and another--time of adaptation. Weight estimates of Skylab crewmembers obtained with the aid of the formula were in good agreement with actual results. The typical time of adaptation was two days. Possible ways of constructing a more precise model of weight changes and its use to diagnose the status of crewmembers are discussed.     

Temephos collars for control of fleas on dogs and cats

Efficacy of polyvinyl chloride collars containing temephos [0,0'-(thiodi-4,1-phenylene) 0,0,0',0'-tetramethyl bis-(phosphorothioate)] was elevaluated in dogs and cats against the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis). Over a period of 42 weeks, collared (treated) and control dogs were experimentally infested with 100 fleas 23 times, and control and treated cats were similarly infested 20 times during a 41-week period. Flea populations on treated dogs were reduced by 80% or more for at least 36 weeks. Initially, flea reduction by 80% occurred within 1 day, but in dogs wearing the same collars for 26 weeks, this reduction occurred in 3 to 6 or more days. Only during the first 2 weeks of wearing the collars were all fleas killed on all dogs within a 6-day period after infestation. Residual efficiency was lowest on highly active dogs and greatest on inactive dogs. The residual efficiency on cats was somewhat better than on dogs. At the end of 41 weeks, collars on cats reduced the flea population by 85 to 90% within 1 to 5 days following infestation. Collars on cats, as on dogs, were 100% efficacious only during the first 2 weeks of the trial.     

Gastric mucosa after partial gastrectomy

A partial gastrectomy of Billroth I or II type was performed in a series of 146 patients with peptic ulcer. Gastric biopsy was carried out two years later and the histology of the specimens compared with that of the body mucosa at the time of operation. In 138 patients without body atrophic gastritis (AG) before operation this condition was found in 74 (54%) two years after (46% of DU patients and 73% of GU patients). Those with antral or pyloric canal ulcers were particularly liable to develop AG (81%). Apart from site of ulcer various other factors possibly associated with the development of AG were examined: no positive correlations were found with the possible exception of anaemia. Gastric parietal cell antibodies were not found in any patient with AG tested. The cause of gastritis after partial gastrectomy and its possible relationship with gastric carcinoma are discussed.     

Confidence intervals and sample size determination for Cpm

The capability index, C_pm, sometimes called the Taguchi index, has the desirable characteristic of being sensitive to both dispersion and deviation of the process average from the engineering target. As a result, the proposed estimators of C_pm have a sampling distribution that is dependent on the non‐central chi‐square distribution. Hence, constructing confidence intervals, performing hypothesis testing or estimating sample size requirements necessitates manipulation of a rather complex functional expression, typically beyond the capabilities of practitioners who need readily available tools. Here, a simple graphical procedure is proposed and illustrated for obtaining exact confidence intervals for C_pm. The graphical procedure allows the user to simply enter the graph with an estimate of the index and a value of the non‐centrality parameter for a given sample size to arrive at end‐points of 90%, 95% or 99% one‐sided or two‐sided confidence intervals. Detailed tables are also provided to assist the user for a wider range of sample values and sample sizes. In addition, a procedure is also presented for determining the minimum sample size required for attaining a pre‐specified level of accuracy of the C_pm. Extensive tables are provided for the user with a simple example illustrating the facility of the technique. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.