Traumatology in hang-gliding accidents. Studies based on 100 cases

The number of paragliding accidents is growing up exponentially. We review in this study 39 paragliding accidents which occurred 1985-1987 in the Val d'Illiez (Switzerland). The REGA (Swiss air ambulance) rescued 1987 61 pilots, which are also included. Most of the accidents were related to a mistake of the pilot. None is due to a failure of the material. The most severe injuries occurred immediately after taking off. The most frequent injuries occurred during landing. There is a correlation between the altitude, the wind velocity and the severity of the injuries. The lower extremities and the backbone are often injured, which is explained through the axial trauma. The pilots need a better training programme, the performance of the material should be built up and the starting places should be equipped.     

Transtemporal power- and frequency-based color-coded duplex sonography of cerebral veins and sinuses.

PURPOSETo determine the ability of transtemporal power- and frequency-based transcranial color-coded duplex sonography to aid in the assessment of cerebral veins and sinuses, as well as to provide reference data for flow direction and velocity.METHODSUsing a color duplex device equipped with a 2.0/2.5-MHz sector scan, we insonated 120 healthy volunteers and three patients with cerebral venous thrombosis.RESULTSIn subjects 20 to 59 years old, deep middle cerebral veins were identified in 88%, basal veins in 97%, straight sinuses in 60%, and transverse sinuses in 42%. The corresponding values for subjects 60 to 79 years old were 53%, 86%, 23%, and 20%, respectively. Velocities were highest in transverse and straight sinuses, slower in basal veins, and slowest in deep middle cerebral veins. Flow was directed lateromedially in the deep middle cerebral vein, rostrocaudally in the basal vein and straight sinus, and mediolaterally in the transverse sinus. Two patients with straight sinus thromboses showed reversed flow direction in the basal veins, and one patient with superior sagittal sinus thrombosis showed elevated velocities in a deep middle cerebral vein.CONCLUSIONTranstemporal power- and frequency-based color-coded duplex sonography enabled imaging and velocity measurements in deep cerebral veins in subjects 20 to 59 years old, but detection of the straight and transverse sinuses was low. In older subjects, only the basal vein was regularly assessed.     

Stimulation of insulin release is uncoupled from insulin biosynthesis in tumoral RINm5F cells.

RINm5F cells, an insulin-secreting subclone of a rat insulinoma cell line, were incubated in serum-free medium up to 24 hours in the presence or absence of glucagonlike peptide-1(7-36)amide in various concentrations, 3-isobutyl-1 methylxanthine (1 mM), choleratoxin (10 nM), carbachol (1 mM), and potassium (40 mM). Insulin release and biosynthesis were measured by the immunoreactive insulin content of the cells and the medium. Steady-state levels of insulin-specific mRNA were determined by Northern and slot blot analysis. Short-term insulin release is significantly stimulated by all secretagogues tested. A significant increase of insulin biosynthesis by any of the various secretagogues was not detectable on the peptide and mRNA level. Sodium butyrate (1 mM), a differentiating agent, increased insulin-specific mRNA levels in RINm5F cells after 72 hours. In conclusion, substances known to stimulate short-term insulin release in RINm5F cells do not stimulate insulin biosynthesis, indicating an uncoupling of insulin secretion and biosynthesis in these transformed beta cells.     

Time course of some effects of cigarette smoking on platelets.

Eight male habitual smokers smoked two cigarettes over a 20-min period following a 12-h period of abstinence. Antecubital venipuncture was performed immediately before, immediately after, and 55 min and 2 h after smoking had ceased. At these times, the mean values (+/- SD) of collagen-induced platelet aggregation were 45 +/- 5, 68 +/- 5, 59 +/- 6 and 52 +/- 5 chart units, respectively, while the corresponding values for the mean platelet aggregate ratio were 0.91 +/- 0.01, 0.82 +/- 0.03, 0.87 +/- 0.02 and 0.90 +/- 0.02, respectively. Mean collagen-induced platelet aggregation was significantly (P less than 0.005) higher immediately after, and 55 min and 2 h after smoking. The mean platelet aggregate ratio was significantly (P less than 0.001) lower immediately after and 55 min after smoking. Correlation coefficients between the concentration of nicotine in each of the 24 plasma samples obtained after smoking and the corresponding values of collagen-induced platelet aggregation and the platelet aggregate ratio were 0.41 (P less than 0.05) and -0.50 (P less than 0.02), respectively. It is concluded that when habitual smokers abstain from smoking overnight, a 20-min period of cigarette smoking may enhance platelet aggregability for as long as 2 h.     

The road to the discovery of the p53 protein: The Steiner Cancer Prize Award Lecture

Linxian, China has some of the highest rates of esophageal/gastric cardia cancer in the world. In 1983, esophageal balloon cytology screening was performed in 3 communes in northern Linxian. Of the participants, 10,066 with no evidence of cancer were followed prospectively for 71/2 years to evaluate the ability of the initial cytologc diagnoses to identify individuals at increased risk for developing cancer of the esophagus or gastric cardia. A total of 747 incident cases of esophageal or cardia cancer and 322 deaths due to these tumors were identified during the follow-up period and used in this analysis. The risks for esophageal or cardia cancer incidence and mortality increased in parallel with the presumed severity of the 1983 Chinese cytologic diagnoses. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, relative risks for esophageal or cardia cancer incidence, by initial cytologic diagnosis, were normal = 1.00 (reference), hyperplasia = 1.25, dysplasia 1 = 2.20, dysplasia 2 = 4.22 and near-cancer = 5.96. Our results suggest that esophageal balloon cytology, as performed and interpreted in Linxian in 1983, successfully identified individuals at increased risk for developing cancer of the esophagus or gastric cardia. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Sexual origins of British Aspergillus nidulans isolates.

Aspergillus nidulans is a holomorphic fungus, capable of producing both meiotically and mitotically derived spores. Meiosis may be an evolutionary relic in this species because it is potentially capable of mitotic recombination and because most Aspergilli lack the ability to produce meiotic spores. We tested the null hypothesis that meiosis has been a major factor in the origin of strains of A. nidulans from Great Britain by estimating linkage disequilibrium among restriction fragment length polymorphisms. These strains belong to different heterokaryon compatibility groups and are thus incapable of undergoing mitotic recombination with one another, so any recombination evidenced by linkage equilibrium is assumed to be the result of meiosis. Eleven cosmid clones of known chromosomal origin were used to generate multilocus genotypes based on restriction-pattern differences for each heterokaryon compatibility group. Low levels of genetic variation and little linkage disequilibrium were found, indicating that the heterokaryon compatibility groups represent recently diverged lineages that arose via meiotic recombination. The null hypothesis that loci are independent could not be rejected. Additionally, low levels of electrophoretic karyotype variation were indicative of meiosis. We conclude that although A. nidulans probably propagates in a primarily clonal fashion, recombination events are frequent enough to disrupt the stable maintenance of clonal genotypes. We further conclude that the British heterokaryon compatibility groups arose via recombination and not through novel mutation.