Parentage analysis by endonuclease shattering of hypervariable DNA

Single-locus DNA probes for tandem repeat sequences are now used in conjunction with particular endonucleases to characterize heritable restriction fragment lengths in parentage tests. Southern blots of this type, however, demonstrate only two attributes of an allele: its length and the presence of nucleotide sequences that are complementary to the probe. Not all restriction fragments of the same apparent length that react with the same probe are identical. Differences between comigrating fragments can be detected by the selection of a restriction enzyme that recognizes sites in a subset of the repeat sequences, and the information content of these loci is therefore increased. This report describes a paternity case in which two brothers appeared, after DNA phenotyping using Hinf I, to be the father. A second phenotyping using Hae III excluded one of the brothers.     

Effects of In and Zn on properties of low noble metal alloys

Four low noble metal alloys with high In and Zn contents were investigated with regard to porosity in castings, structure, tarnish, hardening mechanism and cytotoxicity. Fumes were observed above the melt, due to the high Zn content and low boiling point of this metal. This Zn evaporation during melting created a small amount of porosity in the castings. This porosity diminished when the Zn content was reduced from 4 to 2%. Scanning electronmicroscopy, microprobe analyses and X-ray diffraction analyses revealed a face-centred cubic (fcc) matrix enriched in Au and Ag and a body-centred cubic (bcc) phase enriched in Pd, In and Zn which had a yellow gold-like appearance. After immersion in a 2% Na2S solution for 72 h, no tarnish attack was observed on the PdlnZn-rich phase. The matrix phase was found to be slightly tarnished. The alloys remained yellow by visual inspection. The agar overlay technique displayed a very slight cytotoxic effect of a sandblasted specimen and no cytotoxic effect of a polished specimen.     

Cytotoxic effect of orthodontic appliances.

The use of orthodontic appliances may contribute to local gingivitis, often attributed to increased plaque retention. Gingivitis of bacterial origin cannot clinically be distinguished from local tissue irritation caused by corrosion products. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the cytotoxic effect of various metallic components used in orthodontics. Multicomponent devices such as facebows, molar bands, and brackets along with single-component brackets and archwires were tested by the agar overlay cytotoxicity test with mouse fibroblast cells. None of the archwires caused any cytotoxic effect, even though some contained 54 per cent nickel. However, the multi-component devices, which were joined with silver- and copper-based brazing alloys were more cytotoxic than the single-component devices. Copper is more cytotoxic than nickel, which could explain the greater cytotoxic effect of the samples with brazing materials. It is speculated that cytotoxic corrosion products from orthodontic appliances might contribute to localized gingivitis.     

125I粒子对Hela细胞杀伤作用的实验研究

目的观察体外Hela细胞在^125I粒子照射下细胞凋亡和增殖的规律，探讨^125I粒子对肿瘤的杀伤作用。方法用^125I粒子照射Hela细胞，用不同的方法观察不同剂量和时间点细胞的增殖反应及形态变化。结果受照射细胞发生凋亡，于Ⅱb期出现凋亡小体；细胞凋亡率随累积剂量的增加而增加，于5Gy时出现凋亡率峰值；细胞克隆形成率显著下降，与凋亡形成呈反向关系。并有反剂量率效应。结论^125I粒子对肿瘤的治疗作用可能为早期抑制肿瘤细胞增殖，晚期使肿瘤细胞大量凋亡。     

Trabecular bone architecture in female renal allograft recipients-- assessed by computed tomography

BACKGROUND: Osteopenia with decreased bone mineral density (BMD) is a frequent finding in renal allograft recipients. Data concerning the bone architecture in these patients do not exist, however. METHODS: We compared the bone architecture of 33 randomly assigned women (age 49 +/- 12 years), who had received renal allografts 5.6 +/- 5.3 years before the investigation, with 74 women (age 50 +/- 14 years) who were admitted for osteodensitometry. All patients underwent single-energy computed tomography (SEQCT) and a midvertebral high-resolution tomography with computer-assisted analysis of the trabecular vertebral body architecture. RESULTS: Progressive alteration of bone architecture was associated with increasing vertebral height loss of the vertebral body. Height reduction of a vertebral body of more than 15% was associated with a significantly lower BMD (-2.3 +/- 0.8 versus -1.1 +/- 1.1 standard deviations below normal BMD), a lower trabecular bone area (13 +/- 8% versus 42 +/- 22%) and a lower trabecular diameter (1.4 +/- 0.5 mm versus 2.2 +/- 0.8 mm) compared to recipients without height reduction. In comparison to a matched group of patients with similarly reduced BMD (1.1 +/- 1.2 versus 1.2 +/- 1.1 SD below normal BMD), renal allograft recipients showed a lower number of trabecular plates (5.6 +/- 3.1 versus 7.0 +/- 3.7) and a smaller intertrabecular surface (54 +/- 116 mm versus 75 +/- 138 mm). CONCLUSIONS: Alterations of bone architecture in renal allograft recipients were associated with progressive vertebral height loss. Despite similar bone mineral density, differences of bone architecture could be observed between renal allograft recipients and patients with osteoporosis.      

Quantal analysis using maximum entropy noise deconvolution.

When applying quantal analysis to synaptic transmission it is often unclear how much of the measured postsynaptic signal fluctuation arises from random sampling and noise rather than from the probabilistic transmitter release process. Unconstrained noise deconvolution methods do not overcome this because they tend to overfit the data, often giving a misleading picture of the underlying process. Instead, maximum entropy deconvolution provides a solution which is the smoothest, or most featureless, distribution that is still compatible with the data, taking noise and sample size into account. A simple way of achieving this is described, together with results of Monte Carlo simulations which show that the features present in the maximum entropy solution usually reflect the process underlying the data and not random sampling or noise.     

内镜下切开术治疗难治性食管癌术后吻合口狭窄的疗效

目的 探究食管支架置入术(ESP)和内镜下切开术(EIM)在难治性食管癌术后吻合口狭窄治疗中的应用效果.方法 将70例难治性食管癌术后吻合口狭窄患者按照手术方式不同分为ESP组(n=41)与EIM组(n=29).对比两组患者临床疗效、吞咽困难评分及并发症发生情况.结果 两组患者总有效率比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05).术前,两组患者Stooler评分比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);术后1个月,两组患者Stooler评分均较术前降低(P<0.05),且EIM组患者Stooler评分明显低于ESP组(P<0.01).ESP组患者术后并发症总发生率高于EIM组(P<0.05).结论 EIM和ESP治疗难治性食管癌吻合口狭窄的临床疗效相当,EIM短期内对患者吞咽困难症状改善作用明显,且具有术后并发症少等优点.     

Applicability of the abbreviated version of the World Health Organization's quality of life questionnaire in Hungary

INTRODUCTION: Quality of life, as a subjective parameter of the general condition, is suitable for characterization of the health status of populations or patient groups, and for studying the effects of therapeutic or preventive interventions. AIMS: To test the applicability and reliability in Hungary of the abbreviated form of the quality of life questionnaire developed by WHO, one of several ways to measure the quality of life. METHODS: Questionnaire-based cross-sectional investigation was performed among altogether 814 persons, in small settlements of population under 1000 and 2000, and in a small town for control, in Csongrád county, Hungary. The reliability and validity of the quality of life questionnaire was tested, within each group of questions, by means of Cronbach's alpha, ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and by Spearman's rho correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The mean values of the four domains of quality of life - physical, psychological, social and environmental - showed no noteworthy differences. The Cronbach's alpha figures of the internal consistency test on separate groups of questions and on all questions were in all cases above the expected minimum of 0.7. The means calculated for each domain of quality of life were decreasing with increasing age. Healthy people estimated each aspect of quality of life as significantly better, compared to the sick. Correlation tests showed that all dimensions of the quality of life were in close positive correlation with the general quality of life, with the level of satisfaction with the own health, with the self-assessed health, and with the responses given on other questions related to the social or health situation of the questioned. CONCLUSION: The variation of the questionnaire, adapted to Hungarian conditions, proved to be suitable for testing the quality of life of persons with various demographical, social and health conditions, and for distinction between the healthy and the sick. The sheet, which can be filled in quickly and easily, enables the measurement of quality of life in the Hungarian population, and the comparison of that with international data.     

Compromised white matter integrity in obesity

Obesity is associated with both structural and functional changes of the central nervous system. While gray matter alterations in obesity point to a consistent reduction with increasing body mass index (BMI), volumetric changes in white matter are more complex and less conclusive. Hence, more recently, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been employed as a highly sensitive tool to investigate microstructural changes in white matter structure. Parameters of diffusivity and anisotropy are used to evaluate white matter and fibre integrity as well as axonal and myelin degeneration. Fractional anisotropy (FA) is the most commonly used parameter as it is the best estimate of fibre integrity. The focus of this review was on the relationship between obesity and brain alterations assessed by DTI. Altogether, these studies have shown a loss of white matter integrity with obesity‐related factors, especially in tracts within the limbic system and those connecting the temporal and frontal lobe. More specifically, multiple studies found an inverse association between BMI and FA in the corpus callosum, fornix, cingulum and corona radiata in elderly and young adults as well as children. Furthermore, significant interactions were observed between BMI and age, pointing to accelerated ageing of white matter structure in obese.