Hypothermia: a Problem for North Sea Industries

The North Sea is a thermally inhospitable environment for thoseworking above or below the water, and for any unfortunate enoughto be accidentally immersed in it. The low air temperaturescoupled with high wind speeds make working conditions abovethe surface both unpleasant and hazardous, while the low watertemperatures throughout the year make hypothermia and subsequentdrowning inevitable to those immersed in the sea for any butshort periods of time. The threat of hypothermia commences whenpersonnel board the service helicopter to be transported toan off-shore rig or barge, and remains until they step ashoreagain at the end of their duty period. This paper reviews some of the relevant applied physiologicalfacts concerning this potential problem, and offers some guidelineson the management of immersion victims who may be sufferingfrom hypothermia. ⁰Requests for reprints should be addressed to: Surg. Cdr F. St C. Golden, RN, Institute of Naval Medicine, Gosport, Hants.     

Characterization of circulating immune complexes by nephelometry in acute leukaemia

Summary Circulating immune complexes were isolated from 15 patients with acute leukaemia and 13 healthy blood donors by PEG precipitation. These were analysed according to their IgG, IgM and C4 content by optical rate nephelometry. Immune complexes of leukaemic patients contained higher amounts of IgM as compared to those from normal subjects. The clinical relevance of IgM containing immune complexes in leukaemia is discussed.     

Isolation of influenza A/H5N1 virus strains from poultry and wild birds in West Siberia during epizooty (July 2005) and their depositing to the state collection of viruses (August 8, 2005)

Six strains of influenza AH5N1 virus were isolated, by using PS and MDCK continuous cell lines from poultry and wild birds, which were collected on July 28, 2005 in the samples taken from 5 examines species of wild birds in the Novosibirsk region during the epizootic outbreak with a high mortality. The strains were identified by means of HIT, RT-PCR, and microchip-based techniques. Two strains, A/Grebe/Novosibirsk/29/05 (H5N1) and A/Duck/Novosibirsk/56/05 (H5N1), were deposited to the Russian State Collection of Viruses (Registration Nos. 2372 and 2371, respectively) with the priority date 08.08.2005. Positive results in RT-PCR for influenza A/H5N1 virus detec- tion were obtained in 100% of the samples from dead and sick poultry; 93% from the clinically healthy poultry kept together with sick one; positive results ranged from 0 to 36%. Sequencing established the identity of genetic characteristics of strains isolated for wild birds and poultry as well as their affiliation to high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Phylogenetic analysis revealed a high homology of hemagglutining of West-Siberian strains and strains isoolated from bar-headed gooses (Eulabeia indica) on the Qinghai Lake (Western China) in the 2005 spring.     

非小细胞肺癌伴神经内分泌分化的研究

目的：研究非小细胞肺癌的类型、分化程度与神经内分渥分化间接的关系。方法：随机收集４３例手术切除石蜡包埋的非小细胞肺癌的标本，采用７种神经内分泌抗体，用免疫组化ＬＳＡＢ法研究其神经内分泌分化。结果：阳性率为５３．４％，其中鳞癌和腺癌的阳性率分别为：５２．９％和５８．３％；而２例大细胞癌皆阴性。结论：非小细胞肺癌的组织类型与神经内分泌表达的种类有一定关系；而组织学类型和癌细胞分化程度与神经内分泌分化的