Early and Late Results of the Self-Expanding Nitinol Stents: Interim Report from a Multicenter European Study

The experimental and clinical results of the self-expanding nitinol coil stent have been reviewed. Animal data have shown that the stent is safe and provokes a mild proliferative response, similar to previously studied balloon-expandable stents. Data from femoral and popliteal arteries are supportive of long-term patency in these arteries, which are typically associated with unfavorable results from other stents. Data from coronary implantations in patients show that the stent can be safely used to treat coronary lesions of both simple and complex natures. Long-term results of these patients compare favorably with existing data in similar lesions using other stents. A larger clinical trial using the new flat wire design stent is required to test whether further stent expansion may contribute to low restenosis rates.     

Measurement properties of quantitative urine benzoylecgonine in clinical trials research

Psychometric data are presented which examine the validity of using the concentration of benzoylecgonine in urine, a major metabolite of cocaine, as a measure of drug use, in studies of drug abuse treatments. In such research the standard biological indicator of drug use is usually a qualitative urine drug test, which merely indicates the presence or absence of a drug or its metabolite. A quantitative (i.e. continuous) outcome measure, such as the concentration of a drug or its metabolite in a biological fluid, has substantially more statistical power than a dichotomous measure and should, therefore, prove a more sensitive measure of drug use when viewed from a measurement perspective. Data from two placebo-controlled clinical trials of fluoxetine as an adjunct to treatment for cocaine abuse are analyzed to address this issue. Results indicate that urine benzoylecgonine level is closely related to self-reports of drug use and is independent of levels of anxiety, depression and hopelessness.     

MRI in hemiballismus due to subthalamic nucleus hemorrhage: An unusual complication of liver transplantation

A 60-year-old man developed hemiballismus due to an intracranial hemorrhage involving the subthalamic nucleus 8 weeks after orthotopic liver transplantation. The hemorrhage was thought to be due to alterations in cerebral blood flow following a period of hypotensive shock due to sepsis, in the presence of anticoagulant therapy and thrombocytopenia. This represents a rare neurologic complication of liver transplantation.     

Muscle glycogen repletion from endogenous carbon sources during recovery from high intensity exercise in the fasted rat

During recovery from high intensity exercise, substantial and rapid muscle glycogen repletion from endogenous carbon sources is reported in a variety of vertebrate species, the rat being the only reported exception. The major aim of this study was to re-examine the process of glycogen repletion during recovery from high intensity exercise in the rat. In response to 3 min of vigorous swimming, muscle glycogen concentrations decrease markedly from initial levels of 20.2±1.5 and 21.2±0.9 μmol g^-1 to 6.4±1.1 and 7.9±1.4 μmol g^-1 in the tibialis anterior and plantaris muscles respectively. The equivalent of 58% of the glycogen carbons mobilized during exercise by the plantaris and 73% of that mobilized by the tibialis anterior muscle is repleted within 1 h following exercise. Using the hepatectomized rat as experimental model, a secondary aim of the study was to evaluate whether the liver is essential for the repletion of muscle glycogen. Although the absence of significant differences in the magnitude of post-exercise muscle glycogen repletion between sham-operated and hepatectomized rats suggests that the resynthesis of muscle glycogen can take place in the absence of hepatic gluconeogenesis, the present study identifies several limitations in the use of acute hepatectomy. Overall, the present study indicates that, in contrast to published views, the rat resembles other vertebrates in that it can support extensive muscle glycogen repletion from endogenous carbon sources during the recovery phase following high intensity exercise.     

Mitotic and meiotic detection of radiation-induced translocations in mouse stem cell spermatogonia using fluorescencein situ hybridization

The efficiency of two methods of detection of translocations induced in mouse stem cell spermatogonia by X-ray doses of 2, 5 and 7 Gy was compared: classical multivalent analysis at diakinesis-metaphase I of meiosis and observation via fluorescencein situ hybridization analysis of mitotic or meiotic stages. Specific DNA libraries for chromosomes 1, 11 and 13 were used. The results obtained indicate that (a) chromosomes 1, 11 and 13 are more involved in multivalent formation than expected on the basis of DNA content and (b) if the mitotic FISH analysis data are corrected for the observed over-representation, the frequencies of induced translocations are similar to those recorded in the classical multivalent studies, suggesting equal scoring efficiencies in both systems.     

Development and assessment of an objective method of colour change measurement for acrylic denture base resins

SUMMARY Current standard specifications for the laboratory evaluation of denture base materials require subjective assessment of colour stability. This study evaluates a new objective measurement technique for translucent denture base materials, by comparing quantitative data with the results obtained from a standard subjective method. Preliminary work on three representative commercial acrylic materials resulted in the selection of a white background for the quantification of colour change of these translucent materials. One half of each sample was exposed to artificial sunlight for 24 h.
The colour of both exposed and unexposed resin was measured on the CIE L*a*b* scale using a photoelectric colorimeter. Significant changes in the b* and E* values (P < 0.001) were observed following light exposure. Objective data for a wide range of commercial materials were compared with the results of a subjective evaluation and it was shown that a change in b* of 1.5 units was discernable subjectively by eye for 100% of the cases. It is suggested that this method and limit value could form the basis of a new objective colour change specification for polymeric dental materials.