Characterization of two abundant mRNAs of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus present late in infection

Cytoplasmic poly(A)(+) RNA isolated from Spodoptera frugiperda cells late after infection with Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (30-40 hr pi) was fractionated according to size on denaturing methyl mercury gels. Two major RNA species (1.4 kb and 0.75 kb) and several minor RNA species were detected by ethidium bromide staining. The predominant RNA species of about 1.4 kb was considered to be polyhedrin mRNA because (1) in vitro translation of the RNA, which was eluted from methyl mercury gels, yielded a polypeptide of MW 33K, which comigrated with polyhedrin. (2) When poly(A)+ RNA was fractionated on a sucrose column and then translated in vitro, the distribution and abundance profiles of a 33K polypeptide product and of 1.4-kb RNA were similar. (3) The 33K polypeptide made in vitro and purified polyhedrin gave rise to similar patterns of peptides when digested with S. aureus V8 protease. The polyhedrin mRNA (1.4 kb) hybridized to BamHI-F and HindIII-V AcNPV DNA fragments and hybridization selection with BamHI-F AcNPV DNA yielded a 33K polypeptide, which comigrated with polyhedrin. The second RNA species (0.75 kb in size) hybridized to overlapping EcoRI-P and HindIII-Q regions of the AcNPV genome and translated into a methionine deficient polypeptide of MW = 8K. It was synthesized in large quantities late in the infection and appeared to be coordinately expressed with polyhedrin in infected cells. The 8K polypeptide was detected as early as 15 hr pi and was still synthesized at 60 hr pi.     

Thoracic aortic dissection in a patient with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is one of the most common hereditary diseases, and frequently has well defined extrarenal manifestations. Very few cases of aortic aneurysms associated with this disorder are described in literature. We report a 42-year-old male with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease presenting with dissecting aneurysm of the thoracic aorta.     

Semi-automated method for the determination of free fatty acids in plasma

A semi-automated method for the determination of free fatty acids in plasma based on Mosinger's manual method (Mosinger, 1965) is described and the results of a comparison with Dole's titrimetric method (Dole, 1956) are presented. There is almost perfect correlation between the two methods, and the automated technique is simple, reliable, and significantly more accurate and precise than the titrimetric method.     

Wound cleansing by irrigation for implant surgery

Wound irrigation is an adjunct to all implant surgeries involving surgical incisions or arthroplasties. An understanding of the physics of wound irrigation provides a scientific basis for recommending wound irrigation systems for implant surgery. When inserting implants through surgical incisions, a low-pressure irrigation system is recommended for removing blood from the wound surface. In contrast, high-pressure irrigation systems are indicated to cleanse the intramedullary canal before cemented arthroplasty. With the advent of static and dynamic pressure transducers, irrigation systems can now be specifically designed to achieve these goals.     

A study of field-based methods for diagnosing reproductive tract infections in rural Yunnan Province, China

Reproductive tract infections are a significant cause of poor health among rural Chinese women. This study assesses the accuracy of simple, field-based methods of diagnosing five reproductive tract infections (trichomonas, candida, bacterial vaginosis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia) in two rural Chinese counties, using "gold standard" laboratory diagnosis as the reference. Self-reported symptoms and clinical examination proved inadequate for making accurate diagnoses, because many infected women show no symptoms or are infected with two or more conditions. The use of simple tests such as KOH staining, wet mount, Gram's stain, and pH of discharge greatly improved diagnostic accuracy, especially for candida and trichomonas, the two most common infections. Promoting the use of such diagnostic approaches by rural Chinese medical and family planning health providers would reduce the prevalence and severity of these preventable and easily treated infections.     

Biomechanical performance of a braided absorbable suture

Lactomer and Polyglactin 910 sutures are both made of copolymers of lactide and glycolide. Biomechanical performance tests demonstrated superior handling characteristics of the Lactomer sutures. Using sutures comparable in size and knot construction, the Lactomer sutures exhibited knot holding force superior to the Polyglactin 910. Moreover, the low knot rundown forces encountered by the Lactomer sutures facilitated construction of secure knots that failed by breakage rather than by slippage.     

Biomechanical and clinical performance of a new synthetic monofilament absorbable suture

The clinical and mechanical performance of a new, monofilament, synthetic absorbable suture (Biosyn) was evaluated and compared to that of a braided synthetic absorbable suture (Vicryl). The monofilament synthetic absorbable suture was significantly stronger than the braided synthetic absorbable suture over the 4 weeks of implantation. In addition, the monofilament suture potentiated less bacterial infection than did the braided suture. The handling characteristics of the monofilament suture were superior to the braided suture because the monofilament suture required fewer throws to achieve knot security, encountered lower drag forces in fascia and colon, and had a greater double-wrapped first-throw knot security. Evaluated independently in clinical settings, the monofilament sutures were found to have excellent strength, first-throw hold, knot security, passage through tissue, knot repositioning, and ease of handling.     

Isolation and characterization of a hormone-producing cell line from human small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung.

A continuous cell culture line was established from a bone marrow metastasis of small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung. The cultures were characterized by light and electron microscopy, and an unusual concentric arrangement of cells was observed, both in sectioned material from the patient's tumor and from the cell cultures. The cells had two types of specialized cell junctions and contained secretory-like granules of the type described in neuroendocrine cells. Lactic dehydrogenase isozyme patterns were the same as those observed in normal human serum, and the karyotype revealed the presence of several marker chromosomes. Vasopressin was present in the cells and secreted into the culture medium in the absence of neurophysin, as shown by the immunoperoxidase technique and radioimmunoassay. Oxytocin was also absent from cells.