Increased level of polymerase Ⅲ transcribed Alu RNA in hepatocellular carcinoma tissue

There have been extensive observations that RNA containing repetitive elements accumulates in transformed cells and tumor tissues. In the present study, we first obtained result consistent with previous observations by in situ hybridization.     

Early pregnancy complications: endovaginal sonographic findings correlated with human chorionic gonadotropin levels

Endovaginal sonography results were compared with quantitatively determined human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels in 84 women referred for early pregnancy complications. Of the 27 with normal intrauterine pregnancies, an intrauterine gestational sac was prospectively identified in one of five cases (20%) in which hCG levels were below 500 IU/L (Second International Standard), four of five (80%) with hCG levels of 500-1,000 IU/L, and all 17 with hCG levels above 1,000 IU/L. In comparison, 17 of the 26 women with ectopic pregnancies (65%) had hCG levels greater than 1,000 IU/L, and none of the 26 had an intrauterine gestational sac. Endovaginal sonography demonstrated an adnexal mass and/or a gestational sac-like structure in 16 of the 17 cases (94%) in which hCG levels were above 1,000 IU/L, compared with only three of the nine (33%) with lower hCG levels (P less than .01). These findings indicate that an intrauterine gestational sac should be normally visualized with endovaginal sonography when the hCG level exceeds 1,000 IU/L, and that visualization of an extrauterine gestational sac and/or adnexal mass is significantly more likely in ectopic pregnancies when the hCG level exceeds 1,000 IU/L.     

The diurnal variation in plasma homovanillic acid level persists but the variation in 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol level is abolished under constant conditions

Plasma concentrations of homovanillic acid (HVA) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) were determined every two hours for two consecutive days in seven depressed patients and seven matched normal controls. On the first day subjects followed their regular ward routine. On the second day they were placed on a regimen in which activity, posture, diet, and wakefulness were held constant. There were significant diurnal variations in both MHPG and HVA concentrations on the baseline day, whereas on the constant routine, a diurnal variation was present only in HVA. We conclude that diurnal variations in plasma MHPG are evoked by changes in physical activity, posture, or other factors controlled on the constant routine, and that a major component of the diurnal variation in plasma HVA concentrations is regulated by a circadian oscillator that is independent of sleep or activity.     

The effect of thyroxine and corticosteroids upon amniotic fluid fluorescence polarization: a randomized controlled study.

The efficacy of glucocorticoid and intra amniotic thyroxine therapy on fetal lung maturity were compared in a randomized prospective clinical trial. Eighty two patients received either intra amniotic thyroxine (n = 36), or intra muscular Dexamethasone (n = 46). The Fluorescence Polarization (FP) of amniotic fluid measured prior to and one week following treatment were similar in the two groups. The rate of decrease in FP value per unit of time (dFP/dt) was identical in the T4 and corticosteroid treated patients and the proportion of immature FP values obtained was similar in the two groups. The effect of thyroxine therapy was more pronounced in pregnancies above 33 weeks gestation. Intra amniotic thyroxine therapy appeared to be as effective as glucocorticoids for the enhancement of fetal lung maturity. This therapeutic modality may be of particular use on pregnant subjects in whom a relative contra indication for the administration of steroids exists.     

The single-parent family and abusive child punishment

This retrospective survey of 802 noninstitutionalized adults reveals that abusive punishment in single-parent households is twice that of two-parent families. However, the sex of the single parent was not related to abusive punishment. Parent-child compatibility findings delineate these relationships further.     

Hypothesis for the individualisation of drug dosage

Computer simulations based on the pharmacokinetics of chloramphenicol and theophylline in patients, indicate a very strong correlation (r = 0.988 for chloramphenicol and r = 0.971 for theophylline) between log maintenance dose required to achieve a desired average drug concentration in serum at steady-state, and the drug concentration in serum 6 hours after an initial test dose administered by constant rate intravenous infusion over 0.5h. Accordingly, we have developed a nomogram to predict individual daily dosing requirements for these drugs in uncomplicated patients from a single serum assay following an initial dose. Within defined limits, predictions made with the nomogram are essentially equivalent to those made by iraditional pharmacokinetic methods which require substantially more drug concentration-time data following a test dose. Predictions based on the nomogram are relatively unaffected by small but typical errors in magnitude of the test dose, infusion time, sampling time and assay. Protocols for the administration of the test dose other than described, e.g. administration of an oral theophylline solution, may be equally useful for dosage predictions. In principle, this approach should apply to other drugs.     

Intraperitoneal fluid therapy in cholera and non-cholera diarrhoea: with special emphasis on the treatment of infants and children

Because of the relative difficulty in maintaining continuous intravenous infusions in small children suffering from cholera, a simpler method of maintenance fluid therapy would be useful. With this in mind, the role of intraperitoneal fluid administration was evaluated in 8 adults and 26 children (aged 6 years or less) having moderate to severe cholera or cholera-like diarrhoeal disease.     

Liberation of hydrogen from gastric acid following administration of oral magnesium

We are in the process of developing a noninvasive test for gastric acid secretion based on the reaction of orally administered magnesium metal with gastric acid: Mg + 2HCl in equilibrium with MgCl2 + H2. We hypothesized that the hydrogen gas thus evolved could be detected in exhaled air and belches and that the amount of hydrogen released could be related to the amount of acid in the stomach. To validate this hypothesis, we gave magnesium to two groups of young adult volunteers following either betazole stimulation or cimetidine inhibition of acid secretion. In group I we gave subcutaneous betazole and gave magnesium in doses from 10 to 200 mg. In group II we gave oral betazole and used a constant dose of 150 mg of magnesium. In both groups we consistently detected significant increases in breath and belch hydrogen following magnesium in the betazole-stimulated volunteers. This response was blocked by cimetidine. The magnitude of the response was related to the magnesium dose, with 150 mg appearing to induce a maximum response. Administration of oral magnesium up to 200 mg was not associated with any untoward effects. We conclude that magnesium led to the release of hydrogen gas in vivo and that the quantity of hydrogen gas recovered was related to the amount of gastric acid. With further development, this principle might be used to develop a simple noninvasive test for gastric acid secretion.