Reliability of a single urine culture in establishing diagnosis of asymptomatic bacteriuria in adult males.

Fifty-nine asymptomatic men without catheters of ileal-loop bladders, who were attending a urology clinic and were incidentally discovered to have 100,000 or more Enterobacteriaceae per ml ("significant bacteriuria") in a clean voided urine sample, were prospectively evaluated. To identify these 59 patients, 5,876 urine samples, collected exclusively from men, had been subjected to quantitation and identification. A repeat urine culture performed on these patients invariably confirmed the results of the initial culture. The reproducibility of a single urine culture containing significant bacteriuria occurred independently of the tissue source of infection, as determined by the antibody-coated-bacteria immunofluorescence test. We conclude that a single urine culture obtained from a cooperative man can establish the diagnosis of asymptomatic bacteriuria.     

Ambient air and its potential effects on conception in vitro

Incidences of chemical air contamination (CAC) are common in assisted reproductive technology, but not reported in peer review format. Justified fear of car and industrial emissions clearly exists among reproductive specialists, but standards for air contents and gaseous emission limits have not been reported. Here, we describe air sampling methods and assay systems which can be applied to any laboratory or laboratory item. It was found that unfiltered outside air may be cleaner than high efficiency particulate air filtration (HEPA) filtered laboratory air or air obtained from incubators, due to accumulation of volatile organic compounds derived from adjacent spaces or specific laboratory products such as compressed CO2, sterile Petri dishes and other materials or devices known to release gaseous emissions. Specific groups of products such as anaesthetic gases, refrigerants, cleaning agents, hydrocarbons and aromatic compounds such as benzene and toluene are described. The latter were shown to accumulate specifically in incubators. Isopropyl alcohol was the most dominant product found, though it was not used by the laboratory staff. Concentrations of this agent were low in incubator air, indicating that it was probably absorbed by the water in the pan or by culture medium. Measures to counter CAC are proposed, including the use of activated carbon filters and oxidizing material placed in the central air handling systems, in separate free-standing units or even inside the incubators.      

Investigation of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptors genes and migraine susceptibility

Background  

Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of severe headache, affecting around 12% of Caucasian populations. It is well known that migraine has a strong genetic component, although the number and type of genes involved is still unclear. Prior linkage studies have reported mapping of a migraine gene to chromosome Xq 24–28, a region containing a cluster of genes for GABA A receptors (GABRE, GABRA3, GABRQ), which are potential candidate genes for migraine. The GABA neurotransmitter has been implicated in migraine pathophysiology previously; however its exact role has not yet been established, although GABA receptors agonists have been the target of therapeutic developments. The aim of the present research is to investigate the role of the potential candidate genes reported on chromosome Xq 24–28 region in migraine susceptibility. In this study, we have focused on the subunit GABA A receptors type ε (GABRE) and type θ (GABRQ) genes and their involvement in migraine.     

Reversal of cell determination in yeast meiosis: postcommitment arrest allows return to mitotic growth.

When yeast from the early stages of meiosis are transferred from sporulation to growth medium, they can reenter the mitotic cell cycle directly. In contrast, cells from later stages of meiosis (after the initiation of the first nuclear division) will complete meiosis and sporulation despite the shift to growth medium, a phenomenon known as "commitment to meiosis." This study reports the surprising finding that when the normal progression of meiosis is arrested, cells from later stages of meiosis can return to growth. Cells were arrested after the first or second meiotic division by three independent means: the spo14 mutation, the spo3-1 mutation, and a high-temperature arrest of wild-type cells. In every case, the arrested cells were able to form buds after transfer to growth medium. These cells, however, experienced a delay upon return to growth relative to uncommitted cells. We propose that the commitment phenomenon results from a transient delay of mitotic growth, which occurs specifically during meiosis, and that commitment does not involve an irreversible inhibition of mitosis as previously thought.     

Videosurgery in oncological pediatrics

As a recent innovation, videosurgery (VS) has enjoyed rapid and widespread development. While colon cancers in adults are quite commonly removed using laparoscopic techniques, children could also benefit from the improved diagnostic and interventional possibilities using VS techniques. From January 1992 to February 1994, we carried out 15 procedures. Eight thoracic operations were performed on 7 patients: diagnostic in 5 cases and metastasis resection in 3. Six patients underwent 7 laparoscopic operations for biopsies (5) or lymph-node harvesting (2). Based on this experience, we discuss the advantages of VS (noninvasive technique for primary or second-look exploration, guided biopsies, and removal of tumors) and its risks (spillage of malignant cells, subjective palpation) in the management of pediatric malignancies.     

Wide-scale installation of insecticide-treated curtains confers high levels of protection against malaria transmission in a hyperendemic area of Burkina Faso

In a region of Sudanese savannah in Burkina Faso, insecticide-treated curtains were installed in 8 out of 16 zones, each covering an area of about 50 km2. Longitudinal entomological monitoring using CDC light traps was performed in 4 villages (2 intervention, 2 control) over a period of 3 years (including 1 year prior to intervention). In the 3rd year a cross-sectional entomological survey using spray catches was performed in 84 villages (40 intervention). Indoor vector densities in protected houses showed large reductions (P = 0.01). The available data were also consistent with an impact on outdoor and unprotected indoor densities. The proportion of mosquitoes carrying sporozoites was 4.1% in protected villages compared with 11.5% in unprotected villages (P = 0.07). Entomological inoculation rates fell substantially (P = 0.01), reflecting these reductions. The impact of this intervention on mosquito survival appears to have been greater than those in similar trials conducted in the Gambia, Ghana and Kenya in which the intervention was applied over smaller areas.     

Health and war

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