DNA content and cell cycle analysis of bone marrow cells in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)

DNA distribution in bone marrow cells from 10 normal subjects and 34 patients with MDS (24 with refractory anaemia (RA) and 10 with excess blasts (RAEB] was determined by flow cytometry using a FACS III. DNA histograms were resolved into G0/1, S and G2/M compartments by fitting Gaussian distributions and the DNA content of G0/1 cells, expressed as DNA index (DI), was determined. In 19 MDS patients the DI was outside the normal range, those with RA tending to be hyperdiploid. Two patients with RAEB had a second G0/1 peak. In five cases of RA the number of cells in G0/1 was below the normal range and the mean value was significantly lower than normal for this group as a whole (P = 0 X 018). Eleven (RA) patients had a higher percentage of cells in G2/M than normal (P = 0 001). In RAEB patients there is a suggestion of increased numbers in G0/1 and a decrease in S phase and G2/M cells. All three of the deaths amongst RA patients and four out of the five deaths in RAEB patients since the beginning of this study were associated with an abnormal DI at the initial investigation.     

Acid-base disturbances in cardiogenic pulmonary edema

Eighty-one consecutive cases of uncomplicated cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE) were retrospectively graded for severity of chest roentgenogram (CXR) changes and grouped according to primary acid-base abnormalities, either single or mixed. Mean age was 72, 50 male, 31 female. Twenty-three percent had no acid-base disturbances (ABD). Isolated respiratory alkalosis was most common (41%), followed by metabolic acidosis, 22%; metabolic alkalosis, 10%, and respiratory acidosis, 9%. Age, sex, race distribution, morbidity and mortality were not significantly different between the groups. Overall mortality was 17%. Significantly higher mortality was associated with age over 70, pH less than 7.4, and presence of acute myocardial infarction. CXR scores did not correlate with pH, pCO2 or pO2, mortality or morbidity. Some patients with the most severe ABDs recovered while others, who had no ABD on presentation, eventually died. Thus, in 81 consecutive episodes of uncomplicated CPE, isolated respiratory alkalosis was the commonest ABD, occurring in 41%. No correlation was found between ABD and severity of CPE, morbidity or mortality.     

Dermal vascular IgA deposits in IgA nephropathy secondary to alcohol abuse

Skin, kidney and liver samples were investigated from 103 people with evidence of alcohol abuse at forensic autopsy. The diagnosis of alcohol abuse was based on clinical history, post mortem blood alcohol level and liver pathology. The findings confirmed the frequent widespread vascular IgA deposition in individuals with evidence of alcohol abuse. The frequency of IgA deposition in superficial small vessels of the dermis was not significantly different between individuals with IgA nephritis (16/85) and without such pathology (7/38). Based on these results, it can be inferred that had a pre-mortem skin biopsy been performed, it would not have had clinical usefulness in predicting the renal disease.     

Regeneration of normal afferent input does not eliminate aberrant synaptic connections of an identified auditory interneuron in the cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus

In the cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus, the dendritic arborizations of an identified auditory interneuron (Int-1) are normally restricted to the ipsilateral auditory neuropile; unilateral deafferentation causes the medial portion of the dendritic field to sprout across the midline and make functional connections with the contralateral auditory neuropile (Hoy et al., '78: Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 4:115, '85: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:7772-7786; Hoy and Moiseff, '79: Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 5:163). We have found that regeneration of the auditory afferents also results in an aberrant pattern of innervation of Int-1. Crickets were unilaterally deafferented during postembryonic development by crushing or cutting the auditory nerve. Regeneration of afferent-to-Int-1 connections was tested behaviorally. Of 86 nerve-crushed crickets tested as adults in the behavioral assay, 66% showed functional regeneration of the afferents. Similar results were obtained from the nerve-cut group. However, morphological investigations demonstrated that most of the regenerates still retained the aberrant contralateral dendritic projection. Electrophysiological recordings from these Int-1s showed that not only are some of them driven by their regenerated auditory afferents (the normal pathway) but that they retain their excitability via their contralateral dendrites (the aberrant pathway). This demonstrates that reinnervation of Int-1 by its normal afferent pool neither causes retraction nor prevents the formation of connections made with foreign, contralateral afferents. When the contralateral afferent pool was removed after Int-1 had sprouted, the sprouts remained present, but preliminary results suggest that if the contralateral afferents are removed before Int-1 is deafferented, sprouts are not formed. The results are discussed in relation to the roles of competition and conservation of membrane area in controlling synapse formation.     

Collaboration in cancer nursing practice

Although nursing represents around half of Europe's healthcare budgets, its impact is seldom evaluated. However, given the current era of cost-containment, nursing must prove the value of its clinical effectiveness. Through European collaboration, the WISECARE project is working towards identifying the unique contribution of cancer nursing. This paper will explain the rationale and goals of the WISECARE project and demonstrate the collaborative processes involved within such a project. The latest results of the project will be presented to prove the value of collaboration in ensuring the development of European standards of nursing care.     

Complete sequence of a mariner transposable element from the predatory mite Metaseiulus occidentalis isolated by an inverse PCR approach

Degenerate primers designed and synthesized based on two conserved regions of the mariner transposase open reading frame were used to amplify a 454 bp DNA fragment from M. occidentalis. Two inverse primers were then synthesized and used to amplify flanking genomic DNA fragments from M. occidentalis by a ligation-mediated inverse PCR. The complete mariner element (Moc 1) was 1284 bp long, including the imperfect 28 bp inverted terminal repeat sequences, and shared 59% similarity to an active 1286 bp long D. mauritiana mariner element (Mos 1). Insertions, deletions and substitutions were observed in the Moc 1 sequence at several positions. No intact open reading frame was detected and the Moc 1 element is considered inactive. Stringent Southern blot hybridizations revealed at least twelve copies of mariner sequences similar to Moc 1 in the colonies tested.     

Multicentre research and the WISECARE experience. Workflow Information Systems for European Nursing Care

The benefits of collaborative research are becoming recognized increasingly within the profession of nursing due to the associated increased likelihood of funding, variety of practice settings and increased access to resources that collaboration brings. While such benefits have made collaborative research one of the most desirable strategies for achieving the goals of research, the potential problems of language and communication, culturally sensitive instruments, access to subjects, availability of technology and lack of research resources have complicated collaborative international research initiatives. Review of the literature, although encouraging such initiatives, does little to provide information regarding the processes involved in multinational collaboration or the associated advantages and disadvantages to guide those embarking on such large scale, multinational, cross-cultural studies. The diverse meanings of collaboration within research initiatives further hamper this understanding. Positive definitions focus on aspects such as sharing expertise, making a valuable contribution to the research and ultimately shared ownership of the accomplishments of the research. One such research project led by nurses was the WISECARE project. WISECARE (Workflow Information Systems for European Nursing Care) was funded by the European Commission and aimed to improve cancer nursing practice and ultimately patient outcomes through the integration and utilization of state of the art information technology. Such a project was developed as a result of nursing's apparent invisibility within health care delivery and the problems experienced by nurses in articulating their worth within an increasingly cost-conscious health care system. Oncology care was selected as the domain for the project not only because this speciality of nursing already has an established network of nurses throughout Europe in the European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) but also because the practice of cancer nursing encompasses all aspects of nursing care. This paper will address the advantages and disadvantages associated with collaboration, using the WISECARE project as an example.