Investigation of natural radioactivity levels in water around Kadugli, Sudan.

Surface water from Miri Lake and groundwater from around Kadugli (West-Central Sudan) obtained by means of hand-pumps was analysed for (238)U, (226)Ra, (222)Rn, and (232)Th activity concentrations. The surface water showed very low levels of radionuclide concentrations: <1.0-7.5, 8.5-16.5, <1.6, and <0.1-0.39mBqL(-1) for (238)U, (226)Ra, (222)Rn, and (232)Th, respectively. Groundwater revealed a significant amount of natural radioactivity (16.1-1720, 7.7-14.3, 3000-139,000, <0.1-39mBqL(-1)) respectively. The overall annual effective dose was below the WHO reference dose level of 0.1mSvyr(-1) except in one groundwater sample with an associated dose of 0.7mSvyr(-1).     

A DNA-Unwinding Protein Isolated from Escherichia coli: Its Interaction with DNA and with DNA Polymerases

A DNA-unwinding protein has been purified to homogeneity from E. coli. This protein has a molecular weight of about 22,000, as judged by its electrophoretic mobility on polyacrylamide gels containing sodium dodecylsulfate, and it appears to be present in about 800 copies per log-phase cell. It binds tightly and cooperatively to single-stranded DNA, and much less tightly, if at all, to RNA or double-stranded DNA.Like the T4 gene-32 protein characterized previously, the E. coli DNA-unwinding protein depresses the melting temperature of double-stranded DNAs, with regions rich in A-T base-pairs being preferentially melted. The E. coli protein strongly stimulates in vitro DNA synthesis by E. coli DNA polymerase II on appropriate templates; however, no stimulation is found with purified polymerases I or III of E. coli, or with T4 DNA polymerase. In contrast, gene-32 protein stimulates only the T4 DNA polymerase in a parallel assay.     

Sedierung adipöser Patienten für die Endoskopie

An endoscopic examination must be effective, safe, and as comfortable as possible for the patient. Adequate sedation of the patient during the examination makes a considerable contribution toward achieving this goal. Obese patients are at increased risk during sedation in the presence of concomitant cardiopulmonary diseases. Attention should therefore be given to ensuring adequate monitoring. Particularly with regard to potential difficulties in intubation, another physician experienced in intensive medicine or anesthesiology should be consulted in selected cases. Sedative and opiate doses have to be adjusted accordingly. With respect to its pharmacological properties, propofol exhibits advantages in the sedation of obese patients.     

Is preterm delivery genetically determined?

Summary. Surprisingly, the genetics of preterm delivery have received very little attention in the literature. Possible explanations are the inability to obtain accurate information on the length of gestation in family studies and the heterogeneous nature of this disorder. In contrast to the many studies which consider the relative contribution of both genetic and environmental variance to the total variance of birthweight, few studies have examined the genetic basis of the duration of gestation in man. It is argued that both genetic and epidemiological approaches are needed to separate the effects of heredity and the environment on the duration of gestation.     

Surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy of endometrial stromal sarcoma

OBJECTIVE: In the treatment of endometrial stromal sarcoma, it is still not clear whether adjuvant radiation therapy improves the outcome. We wish to summarize the experiences we gathered from treating 15 patients over a period of 18 years, and to compare these to results from literature. PATIENTS AND METHODS: According to the 1989 FIGO classification for endometrial carcinoma, 11 (73%) of the 15 patients analyzed presented stage I, 1 presented stage II, and 3 presented stage III sarcoma. Of these, 11 patients (73%) had high grade stromal sarcoma and 4 had low grade stromal sarcoma. All patients were treated with surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy. Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed on 11 patients (73%), vaginal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy on 2 patients, and total abdominal hysterectomy on 2 patients. Combined radiotherapy was performed on 13 patients (93%), while isolated brachytherapy and isolated external beam therapy were each performed on 1 patient. External beam therapy was administrated in daily fractions of 1.6-2.0 Gy up to a total dose of 37-57 Gy to the pelvis. RESULTS: Follow up ranged from 23 to 170 months (mean: 80 mths). 10 patients (67%) are still alive without tumor, and 5 patients have died. Of these, one died due to intercurrent disease, one due to breast-cancer, and 3 due to endometrial stromal sarcoma, presenting distant metastases within one year after therapy. Only one patient presented with an additional local recurrence. The overall actuarial survival and the disease specific survival rate was 72% and 79% respectively after 5 years, and 60% and 79% after 10 years. The overall local control rate was 93% after 5 years. There were no severe acute side effects and no late side effects. CONCLUSION: In our experience, the most effective treatment for patients with endometrial stromal sarcoma is total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by adjuvant radiation therapy, due to the excellent local monitoring possibilities in all stages of disease, and a good disease specific survival in early stages.     

Beiträge zur pathologischen Physiologie und zur Klinik beginnender Herz- und Kreislaufstörungen

Ohne ZusammenfassungMit 13 Tabellen und 34 Abbildungen.     

Untersuchungen über Influenzaimmunität

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Accurate detection of stent-graft migration in a pulsatile aortic model using Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA) versus computed tomography (CT) for detecting stent-graft migration in an in vitro pulsatile circulation model and to study the feasibility of a nitinol endovascular clip (NEC) as an aortic wall reference marker for RSA. METHODS: An aortic model with stent-graft was constructed and connected to an artificial circulation with a physiological flow and pressure profile. Tantalum markers and NECs were used as aortic reference markers for RSA analysis. Stent-graft migrations were measured during pulsatile circulation with RSA and CT. CT images acquired with 64 x 0.5-mm beam collimation were analyzed with Vitrea postprocessing software using a standard clinical protocol and central lumen line reconstruction. RSA in the model with the circulation switched off was used as the reference standard to determine stent-graft migration. The measurement errors of RSA and CT were determined during pulsatile circulation. RESULTS: The mean measurement error +/- standard deviation (maximum) of RSA during pulsatile circulation using the tantalum markers was -0.5+/-0.16 (0.7) mm. Using the NEC, the mean (maximum) measurement error was -0.4+/-0.25 (1.1) mm. The mean (maximum) measurement error of CT was -1.1+/-1.17 (2.8) mm. CONCLUSION: RSA is an accurate and feasible tool to measure stent-graft migration in a pulsatile environment. Migration measurement with RSA was more accurate than CT in this experimental setup. The nitinol clip tested in this study is potentially feasible as an aortic reference marker in patients after endovascular repair.     

Current Treatment Modalities for Symptomatic Gallstones

Gallstone disease is an important clinical problem: approximately 10% of all adults in the western population have gallstones. Most gallstones, however, remain asymptomatic, and from various disciplines there is consensus that only symptomatic gallstones require therapy. Since the first gallbladder extirpation in 1882, cholecystectomy has been considered the gold standard. Nowadays, this operation is performed laparoscopically in most hospitals. Despite relatively low morbidity and mortality rates, a number of alternative therapies have been developed in the past few years. These alternative treatment modalities are especially indicated in high risk patients and in patients rejecting surgery. In this review article, the currently available treatment modalities are discussed.