Effects of pesticide seed treatments onRhizobium japonicum and its symbiotic relationship with soybean

Summary SeventeenRhizobium japonicum cultures isolated from soybean nodules induced formation of nodules on taproots of soybean plants. All isolates reduced acetylene to ethylene to different extentsin vitro. Paper disc assay indicated that two insecticides, lindane (-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane), chlorpyrifos (O,O-diethyl O-3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridyl phosphorothioate), and a fungicide, thiram (tetramethylthiuratn disulphide) individually or in combination caused significant inhibition of the growth ofR. japonicum No. 16.The effects of insecticide-fungicide seed treatments on the nitrogenase activity of soybean plants in nitrogen-fixing capacity, weights of leaves, stems, and nodules were determined. Thiram, singly or in combination with lindane and/or chlorpyrifos, significantly delayed growth of the plants and affected the activity of nitrogenase in the fixation of nitrogen 3 weeks after treatments. No drastic effect of any of the pesticide treatments on soybean plant growth was observed after 8 weeks.Contribution No., Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, London, Ontario.     

Sex differences and similarities in the management and outcome of stroke patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous studies have documented sex differences in the management and outcome of patients with cardiovascular disease. However, little data exist on whether similar sex differences exist in stroke patients. We conducted a study to determine whether sex differences exist in patients with acute stroke admitted to Ontario hospitals. METHODS: Using linked administrative databases, we performed a population-based cohort study. The databases contained information on all 44 832 patients discharged from acute-care hospitals in Ontario between April 1993 and March 1996 with a most responsible diagnosis of acute stroke. The main outcomes measured consisted of sex differences in comorbidities, the use of rehabilitative services, the use of antiplatelet therapy and anticoagulants (in elderly stroke survivors aged > or =65 years only), discharge destination, and mortality. RESULTS: Male stroke patients were more likely than female stroke patients to have a history of ischemic heart disease (18.1% versus 15.3%, respectively; P<0.001) and diabetes mellitus (20.1% versus 18. 7%, respectively; P<0.001), whereas female patients were more likely than male patients to have hypertension (33.8% versus 30.0%, respectively; P<0.001) and atrial fibrillation (12.9% versus 10.2%, respectively; P<0.001). There were no sex differences in the usage of in-hospital rehabilitative services. The overall 90-day postdischarge use of aspirin and ticlopidine was similar in stroke survivors aged 65 to 84 years. However, among stroke survivors aged > or =85 years, men were more likely than women to receive aspirin (36. 0% versus 30.7%, respectively; P<0.001) and ticlopidine (9.2% versus 6.8%, respectively; P=0.007). Use of warfarin was similar for the two sexes. Men were more likely than women to be discharged home (50. 6% versus 40.9%, respectively; P<0.001) and less likely to be discharged to chronic care facilities (16.8% versus 25.2%, respectively; P<0.001). The risk of death 1 year after stroke was somewhat lower in women than men (adjusted odds ratio 0.939, 95% CI 0.899 to 0.980; P=0.004). The mortality differences were greatest among elderly stroke patients. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly men are more likely than elderly women to receive aspirin and ticlopidine and equally like to receive warfarin after a stroke. Despite these differences, elderly women have a better 1-year survival after a stroke.     

Rate of stroke recurrence in patients with primary intracerebral hemorrhage

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Primary intracerebral hemorrhage (PICH) is a devastating illness with high early mortality. Hypertension is a major risk factor both for ischemic cerebrovascular disease and for intracranial hemorrhage. Survivors of PICH are at risk for both recurrent hemorrhage and ischemic cerebrovascular disease. We sought to determine the rate of recurrence of ICH or cerebral ischemia in a cohort of PICH patients at the Toronto Hospital, Toronto, Canada. METHODS: A retrospective search of computerized hospital records from 1986 to 1996 for patients with a discharge diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision-Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM] code 431) was conducted to identify the index cases. Charts were abstracted for demographic and clinical characteristics. CT scans, MR scans, or radiologist reports were reviewed. To determine recurrence, the database was linked to the Ontario Provincial Government Vital Statistics Registry and to the Canadian Institute for Health Information database of hospital discharge abstracts. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictive factors for mortality after PICH. A Cox proportional hazards model was fitted to identify predictive factors for recurrent ICH or stroke. RESULTS: A total of 746 charts were identified by computer search. After abstraction, 423 index patients with PICH were identified. Of these, 27.4% died in the first 30 days of their admission. Predictors of death were age, intraventricular rupture of hemorrhage, and trilobar hemorrhage. The recurrence rate for PICH was 2.4% (95% CI 1.4% to 3. 9%) per year, whereas the recurrence rate for ischemic cerebrovascular disease was 3.0% (95% CI 1.8% to 4.7%) per year. The only significant predictor of readmission for ICH was lobar location of the index hemorrhage, with a hazard ratio of 3.8 (95% CI 1.2 to 12.0). CONCLUSIONS: PICH has a high 30-day mortality rate. Survival from the initial insult portends a moderate risk of recurrence of 2. 4% per year for PICH and 3.0% per year for ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Patients with PICH are at risk for both ischemic stroke or TIA and recurrent hemorrhage; thus, PICH may be a marker for ischemic stroke. Patients with lobar hemorrhage have a 3.8-fold increased risk of recurrent ICH.     

Transarterial embolisation of complex cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistulae with low-concentration cyanoacrylate

We report the effectiveness of low-concentration n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA)-Lipiodol-tungsten mixture (10–15 %) in the management of patients with aggressive or recurrent complex cavernous dural arteriovenous fistulae (CSDAVF). We treated five patients with complex CSDAVF with a low concentration of an NBCA-Lipiodol-tungsten mixture after catheterisation of the feeding arteries arising from the external carotid artery. Three had a recurrent CSDAVF after transarterial particulate embolisation. Three refused transvenous treatment or could not be treated in this way; two patients had also feeding dural branches of the internal carotid artery. All patients had complete resolution of symptoms and signs within a month of the procedure. No definite neurological complication was found during follow-up ranging from 12 to 36 months. Transarterial embolisation with low-concentration cyanoacrylate appears to be an effective alternative management of aggressive or recurrent CSDAVF. Received: 8 November 1999/Accepted: 2 March 2000     

人乙型肝炎病毒x基因转基因小鼠模型的建立

目的 建立人乙型肝炎病毒ｘ（ＨＢｘ）基因转基因小鼠模型。方法 用显微注射法制备转基因小鼠,用分子杂交法鉴定转基因小鼠ＨＢｘ的整合与表达。结果 建立了人ＨＢｘ的基因转基因小鼠模型。经Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ杂交鉴定得到１７只转基因首建鼠。逢肝脏提取总ＲＮＡ进行Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ杂交,结果显示１７只首建鼠肝脏中均有ＨＢｘ表达。结论 为从整体水平研究慢性乙肝炎患者诱发肝癌的作用机制及ＨＢｘ的反式激活作用机制提供了     

胸骨后甲状腺肿物的手术处理

为探讨胸骨后甲状腺肿物手术切除的进路方式，回顾性分析３０年来外科治疗的结果。１９６５年至１９９４年间全部患者共８７例，其中结节性甲状腺肿６４例，占７３．６％；甲状腺腺瘤１３例，占１４．９％；甲状腺恶性肿瘤１０例，占１１．５％。通过颈部入路手术切除的占７０％（６１／８７），胸骨正中劈开切除的占１６％（１４／８７），前切口开胸切除的占１４％（１２／８７）。随着经验的积累，除误诊为纵隔其它来源的肿物外，１９８０年以后已不再行前切口开胸手术切除，１９８５年以后的４３例中，只有１例胸骨后结节性甲状腺肿的患者行胸骨劈开手术，其余均从颈部入路手术。由于颈部入路相对并发症少、损伤小、安全可靠，建议对良性的胸骨后甲状腺肿物和部分恶性肿物行颈部衣领式切口手术。     

农村城市化工业化进程中住院患者病种分析

目的研究农村城市化工业化过程中县级医院住院病种的变化规律.方法回顾性总结深圳市龙岗中心医院1998-2002年间的病案资料.结果前5类疾病为损伤中毒29.2%、妊娠分娩和产褥期并发症23.3%、呼吸系统疾病10.6%、消化系统疾病10.1%和循环系统疾病5.0%,合计占78.2%.前5种疾病为骨折、开放性创伤和血管损伤、肺炎、颅内和体内损伤及正常分娩,占33.9%.4年病人增加83.3%.结论在城市化工业化进程的早期和中期,县医院的病种更加集中,疾病构成比更加远离城市医院,其中损伤中毒、妊娠分娩产褥期并发症和起源于围产期的若干情况的人数明显增多,其它病种人数均减少.在此期间,医院治疗的重点是损伤、妊产病、呼吸和消化系统疾病.     

Effects of nitric oxide donors on the afferent resting activity in the cephalopod statocyst

The effects of bath applications of the nitric oxide (NO) donors sodium nitroprusside (SNP), diethylamine sodium (DEA), 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), and S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) on the resting activity (RA) of afferent crista fibers were studied in isolated statocysts of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis. The NO donors had three different effects: inhibition, excitation, and excitation followed by an inhibition. The SNAP analog N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (xSNAP; with no NO moiety) had no effect. When the preparation was pre-treated with the NO synthase inhibitor N(G)-nitric-L-arginine methyl ester HCl (L-NAME), the NO donors were still effective. When the preparation was pre-treated with the guanylate cyclase inhibitors methylene blue (M-BLU) or cystamine (CYS), NO donors had only excitatory effects, whereas their effects were inhibitory only when pre-treatment was with the adenylate cyclase inhibitors nicotinic acid (NIC-A), 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine (DDA), or MDL-12330A. When pre-treatment was with a guanylate and an adenylate cyclase inhibitor combined, NO donors had no effect; in that situation, the RA of the afferent fibers remained and the preparation still responded to bath applications of GABA. Selective experiments with statocysts from the squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana and the octopod Octopus vulgaris gave comparable results. These data indicate that in cephalopod statocysts an inhibitory NO-cGMP and an excitatory NO-cAMP signal transduction pathway exist, that these two pathways are the key pathways for the action of NO, and that they have only modulatory effects on, and are not essential for the generation of, the RA.     

Genetic polymorphism of p53 and XRCC1 in cervical intraepithelial neoplasm in Taiwanese women.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Many epidemiological studies have investigated the relationship between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and cervical cancer risk, but the findings are still conflicting. In contrast, data are lacking on the relationship between XRCC1 polymorphism and cervical neoplasm risk. This community-based nested case-control study examined the association between genetic polymorphisms of p53 codon 72 and XRCC1 codons 194, 280, and 399 and cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (CIN) susceptibility in Taiwanese women. METHODS: Women living in Chiayi City, located in southwestern Taiwan, who had received Papanicolau (Pap) smear screening between October 1999 and December 2000 (n = 32,466) were included. Potential cases were women having lesions with cervical intraepithelial neoplasm II (CIN2) and over (> or = CIN2) reconfirmed by cervical biopsy. Potential controls (case:control = 1:2) were age matched (+/- 2 years) and residency matched women who had normal Pap smears. DNA samples were extracted from peripheral blood specimens and genetic polymorphisms of p53 and XRCC1 were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. RESULTS: In total, 100 cases [97 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and 3 invasive cancer] and 196 controls had complete demographic and clinical questionnaire data and data of analysis of XRCC1 polymorphism, whereas only 99 cases and 193 controls had complete data for p53 polymorphism. The frequency of pro/pro, pro/arg, and arg/arg in p53 codon 72 in cases was 15% (15/99), 58% (57/99), and 27% (27/99) and in controls was 17% (34/193), 48% (92/193), and 35% (67/193), respectively, which was not significantly different. The frequency of arg/arg, arg/gln, and gln/gln in XRCC1 codon 399 in cases was 54% (54/100), 38% (38/100), and 8% (8/100) and in controls was 58% (114/196), 37% (73/196), and 5% (9/196), respectively, which was not significantly different. No associations were found between XRCC1 codon 194 and 280 genotypes and HSIL risk. The joint effect of p53 and XRCC1 polymorphisms remained insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that p53 codon 72 and XRRC1 codon 194, 280 and 399 genotypes do not influence CIN risk in the Taiwanese population.