Assessment of exposure to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in the chemical industry: results of a five year biological monitoring study.

Data on individual exposure to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in herbicide production plants are limited. Hence, the urinary excretion of this herbicide was measured during a five year (1985-1989) biological monitoring study of 27 men and 18 women employees exposed during the production and formulation of 2,4-D and related sodium and dimethylamine salts. In separate studies, specimens of urine were collected in the morning, or during the last three hours of a working shift, or over a 24 hour period (1200 to 1200 or 0800 to 0800) and were analysed by an immunochemical method (2,4-D radioimmunoassay (RIA)). Urinary 2,4-D concentrations varied within a large scale from only a few micrograms/l to several 10s of mg/l. During a week, herbicide excretion increased, culminating on Friday. At the weekend, when no work was done, 2,4-D elimination decreased but did not return to zero in any case. After an interruption of exposure for about three weeks, urinary 2,4-D was no longer detectable. About five days after restarting work, body concentrations had built up again. Measurements of 2,4-D concentrations in air at different work-places showed that herbicide concentrations did not exceed 0.5 mg/m3. As well as inhalation, dermal 2,4-D absorption seemed to play an important part in total uptake of herbicide. Furthermore, a strong correlation was found (r = 0.9628) between 2,4-D urinary concentration, adjusted for endogenous creatinine, and the estimated amount of absorbed herbicide. Estimated absorbed doses were, in most cases, well below 0.1 mg 2,4-D/kg body wt/day. Sometimes this concentration was greatly exceeded. Thyroid hormone concentrations in blood were measured as well. No notable abnormalities were found. Exposed subjects were also typed for histocompatibility locus antigens (ABC antigens). The immunochemical determination of 2,4-D in specimens of urine proved to be a simple, cost effective, and non-invasive method to measure human exposure.     

Die bilaterale Fasziotomie beim Unterschenkelbruch mit drohendem Ischämie-Syndrom

Operationsprinzip Offene Spaltung der Faszie aller vier Muskellogen (Tibialis-anterior-, Peroneal-, oberfl?chliche und tiefe Beugerloge) von einem medialen und lateralen Zugang aus.      

Pulmonary embolism after hip or knee replacement: postoperative changes on pulmonary scintigrams in asymptomatic patients

Serial pulmonary imaging has proved to be effective in the evaluation of patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. A clinical dilemma arises in asymptomatic patients whose postoperative pulmonary images differ from the preoperative images. The authors prospectively evaluated 403 patients with serial imaging to determine the significance of changed postoperative images in asymptomatic patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty. Twenty-two (5.5%) patients had significant changes on postoperative images. Seventeen were asymptomatic; all but one underwent pulmonary angiography. Documented pulmonary emboli were demonstrated in 100% of patients whose postoperative images changed to indicate a high probability of pulmonary embolism, 71% whose images changed to a moderate probability, and 0% whose images changed to indeterminate probability. Overall, pulmonary emboli occurred in 76% of all asymptomatic patients with significantly change postoperative images. Asymptomatic pulmonary embolism is a significant occurrence after total hip or knee repair, and a changed lung scan with appropriate clinical evaluation is an accurate indicator of pulmonary emboli in asymptomatic postarthroplasty patients.     

Cloning of cDNA coding for connective tissue activating peptide III from a human platelet-derived lambda gt11 expression library

We report here the cloning of the cDNA coding for platelet connective tissue-activating peptide-III (CTAP-III) from a lambda gt11 expression library prepared using messenger RNA (mRNA) isolated from human platelets. The open reading frame of the clone coded for a protein with 128 amino acid residues. Since the precursor of CTAP-III, platelet basic protein (PBP is 94 amino acids long, the 5'-translated region of the cDNA codes for a leader sequence 34 amino acids long. This leader sequence, like the sequence of mature CTAP-III, shows significant homology to the sequence of platelet factor 4 (PF4), the only other platelet specific alpha-granule protein cloned until now, from a human erythroleukemic (HEL) cell line-derived cDNA library. These leader sequences are probably critical for targeting such proteins to the alpha-granule. Northern blot hybridization with platelet and megakaryocyte mRNA shows a single species mRNA of approximately 0.8 kb, suggesting that the corresponding cDNA is full length. The cloning of platelet specific CTAP-III provides additional evidence for the platelet specificity of the cDNA library used.     

MR-Bildgebung der Nieren Neue Ans?tze in der Diagnostik* Neue Ans?tze in der Diagnostik*

Fragestellung: Darstellung neuer diagnostischer M?glichkeiten im Bereich der Niere mittels schneller Magnetresonanz (MR)- Bildgebung.     

Sociodemographic Factors Associated with AIDS Knowledge in a Random Sample of University Students

A telephone survey was used to assess knowledge of the transmission, prevalence, and infectivity of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and the safety of casual contact among 214 randomly selected university students. Males were more knowledgeable than females overall (odds ratio [OR], men/women = 4.8). Although most students understood the dangers of unprotected sex and intravenous needle sharing, up to 30% believed some kinds of casual contact (e.g., shared eating utensils) can transmit AIDS. Older students (greater than or equal to 23 yrs) were more knowledgeable than those 17 to 19 years old about the safety of casual contact (OR = 3.8). Students are in need of education programs that stress the ways AIDS is not transmitted. Since most students identified newspapers and television as their main sources of information, these may be effective vehicles for education efforts.