Premature introduction of progestin-only contraceptive methods during lactation

INTRODUCTIONS: Cochlear implants are used for the rehabilitation of bilaterally deaf patients. Due to the improvements in speech processing they might be also useful for patients with residual hearing and some speech understanding. METHODS: Pre- and postoperative speech understanding scores in 26 patients receiving implants were evaluated in a retrospective study. RESULTS: The preoperative pure-tone threshold in the implanted ear was between 80 and 115 dB in the frequency range of 500 to 2000 Hz. On the contralateral side the mean threshold was 10 dB better. The mean score for the number test was 11.3%, for the monosyllables below 5%. Postoperatively speech understanding improved significantly up to 97% for numbers and 48% for monosyllables (tested with the Freiburger Speech Test). Cochlear implantation also benefits patients with residual hearing and some speech understanding with hearing aids under optimum conditions. The speech understanding scores must be below certain limits. General selection criteria cannot yet be specified. The individual decision must be based upon several criteria, especially the speech understanding scores in quiet and noise under optimum conditions. A prospective study is needed to develop generally applicable criteria.     

Presence of enamel on the incisors of the llama (Lama glama) and alpaca (Lama pacos)

Cytoplasmic aggregation is an early resistance-associated event that is observed in potato tissues either after penetration of an incompatible race of Phytophthora infestans, the potato late blight fungus, or after treatment with hyphal wall components (HWC) prepared from P. infestans. In potato cells in suspension culture, the number of cells with cytoplasmic aggregation increased upon treatment with HWC, but such an increase was suppressed by treatment with cytochalasin D prior to treatment with HWC. This result suggested that cytoplasmic aggregation in cultured potato cells might be connected with the association of actin filaments. To identify the molecular basis of cytoplasmic aggregation, we purified actin and actin-related proteins by affinity chromatography on a column of immobilized DNase I from cultured potato cells and isolated proteins of 43 kDa, 32 kDa and 22 kDa. Analysis of the amino-terminal amino acid sequences indicated that the 43 kDa, 32 kDa and 22 kDa proteins were potato actin, basic chitinase and osmotin-like protein, respectively. This conclusion was supported by the results of Western blotting analysis of the 43 kDa and 32 kDa proteins with antibodies against actin and basic chitinase. Binding analysis with actin coupled to actin-specific antibodies and biotinylated actin suggested that the 32 kDa and 22 kDa proteins had actin-binding activity. In addition, examination of biomolecular interactions using an optical biosensor confirmed the binding of chitinase to actin. These results imply the possibility that basic chitinase and osmotin-like protein might be involved in cytoplasmic aggregation, hereby participating. In the potato cell's defense against attack by pathogen.     

Expression and molecular characterization of an enzymatically active recombinant human spumaretrovirus protease

A theoretical model is presented by which a true expression of pregnancy rate resulting from stimulated cycles can be calculated. This includes the transfer of both fresh and cryopreserved embryos. It is concluded that the total reproductive potential of a single cycle of stimulation can only be evaluated by including pregnancies arising from all fresh and frozen embryo transfers resulting from that cycle.     

Mal de Meleda: a report of four cases from the United Arab Emirates

Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the effect of cyclophosphamide (Cy) on molar development in 18 Sprague-Dawley rats from 15 to 48 days of age after birth. Doses of 30 mg/kg body weight of Cy dissolved in 1 ml 0.9% NaCl were given to the rats at 10 and 13 days of age. Eighteen control rats had injections of 1 ml 0.9% NaCl at the same ages. The most obvious changes in the experimental teeth were found in the developing roots of the first and second molars and in both the crown and roots of the third molar. The roots of the first and second molars were short and showed apical closure in the experimental rats. In addition to the disturbances in crown and root formation, the third molars were also significantly reduced in total size as compared with the third molars in the control rats.     

Expert statement and assessment of medical impairment in work-related pulmonary disease

The Norwegian Societies of Thoracic Medicine and Occupational Medicine established a working group to standardise diagnostic procedures and evaluation of work-related respiratory disorders. In cases of suspected work-related diseases the physician may be asked by the National Insurance Administration or an insurance company to make a statement which will be one of the documents used to decide the patient's right to compensation benefit. We discuss the role of the physician as an independent expert. This is different from his role as clinician. The statement should include a balanced presentation of information from different sources, including health and occupational history, and the employer's information about the work environment (quantitative and qualitative exposure data). The statement must also include the results of a clinical examination and an assessment of functional status based on objective tests. The paper contains recommendations for evaluation of permanent impairment in light of the present Norwegian laws and regulations.     

A benchmark on the calculation of kinetic parameters based on reactivity effect experiments in the CROCUS reactor

Measurements in the CROCUS reactor at EPFL, Lausanne, are reported for the critical water level and the inverse reactor period for several different sets of delayed supercritical conditions. The experimental configurations were also calculated by four different calculation methods. For each of the supercritical configurations, the absolute reactivity value has been determined in two different ways, viz.: (i) through direct comparison of the multiplication factor obtained employing a given calculation method with the corresponding value for the critical case (calculated reactivity: ρ_calc); (ii) by application of the inhour equation using the kinetic parameters obtained for the critical configuration and the measured inverse reactor period (measured reactivity: ρ_meas). The calculated multiplication factors for the reference critical configuration, as well as ρ_calc for the supercritical cases, are found to be in good agreement. However, the values of ρ_meas produced by two of the applied calculation methods differ appreciably from the corresponding ρ_calc values, clearly indicating deficiencies in the kinetic parameters obtained from these methods.     

Towards hybrid Triple Helix indicators: A study of university-related patents and a survey of academic inventors

This paper presents work directed at capturing the entrepreneurial and collaborative activity of university researchers. The Triple Helix points to the emergence of the entrepreneurial university as well as to an increasing overlay of activities in universities, industry and government. This study explores ways in which patent-based metrics could be utilized in a Triple Helix context, and how hybrid indicators could be developed by combining patent with survey data. More specifically, it aims to develop indicators that connect technological inventiveness of university researchers to both funding organizations and users, as well as to entrepreneurial activities by academics. The paper develops a simplified model of the innovation process to benchmark the relevance of the indicators to the Triple Helix. An analysis of Finnish academic patents illustrates that patent data can already provide useful indicators but, on its own, cannot provide information about how academic patents are interconnected with government or industry through funding or utilization links. An exclusive analysis of patents can point to patent concentrations on certain universities, to inventors and assignees, or to potential gaps in translating applied science into industrial technology. However, the patent data had to be combined with an inventor survey in order to relate academic patents more to their Triple Helix environment. The survey indicated that most patented academic inventions are connected to (often publicly funded) scientific research by the inventors and tend to be utilized in large firms rather than in start-up companies founded by academic entrepreneurs.     

Electron transfer reactions in RB90745, a bioreductive drug having both aromatic N-oxide and nitroarene moieties

This study defines the current modes of treatment of patients with uterine fibromas with a review of the literature. Progesterone treatments appear to be principally used in cases of minor functional symptomatology and we discuss recent studies of mifepristone. GnRH agonists are particularly effective in preoperative treatment for conservative surgery. The indications and results of hysteroscopic resection and laparoscopic myomectomy are compared to those of classic myomectomy and hysterectomy. The indications for myolysis are discussed.     

Influence of the major histocompatibility complex on age at onset of chronic lymphoid leukaemia

Goodpasture syndrome is an often fatal autoimmune disease associated with glomerulonephritis and/or pulmonary hemorrhage. The clinical manifestations of this disease correlate well with the presence of circulating antiglomerular basement membrane (GBM) autoantibodies. The primary target antigen in glomerular and alveolar basement membranes is thought to be the alpha 3 chain of type IV collagen. Nearly all that is known about anti-GBM antibodies in humans comes from work on unbound circulating antibody. We recently had the unique and rare opportunity to obtain early postmortem antibody and tissues from a patient who died with catastrophic Goodpasture syndrome. The specificity of circulating, kidney-bound and lung-bound autoantibodies from this patient was evaluated against a variety of purified basement membrane constituents. The results indicate that the primary target for the circulating and tissue-bound autoantibodies is the NC1 domain of the alpha 3(IV) chain of type IV collagen. Additionally, all the antibodies recognize a cryptic epitope/s on the alpha 3(IV)NC1 hexamer. Furthermore, tissue-bound and circulating antibodies compete with one another for overlapping epitopes on the antigen. These findings demonstrate that circulating autoantibodies in Goodpasture syndrome are highly representative of those bound to organ tissues, strengthening the notion that pathogenic autoantibodies are targeted to the alpha 3(IV)NC1 collagen, and that previous reports of findings in the circulation may be applicable to tissue injury.