A head-to-head comparison of measurement properties of the EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L in acute myeloid leukemia patients

Quality of Life Research - This study aimed to compare the measurement properties of EQ-5D-3L(3L) and EQ-5D-5L(5L) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in China. We consecutively recruited...     

Nomenclature for factors of the HLA system, update November/December 1996

The following sequences have been submitted to the Nomenclature Committee since the October 1996 nomenclature update and, following agreed policy, have been assigned official allele designations. Full details of all sequences will be published in the forthcoming report "Nomenclature for factors of the HLA system, 1996".
Below are listed the newly assigned sequences, confirmations of previously reported sequences and some sequences which are corrections of those originally reported. The accession number of each sequence is given and these can be used to retrieve the sequence files from either the EMBL, GenBank or DDBJ data libraries. Although accession numbers have been assigned by the data libraries and most sequences are already available, there is still the possibility that an author may not yet have allowed the sequence to be released, in such a case you will have to contact the submitting author directly.     

Some Actions of 9-Amino-1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroacridine (THA) on Cholinergic Transmission and Membrane Currents in Rat Sympathetic Ganglia

THA (Tacrine) is an anticholinesterase drug reported to alleviate cognitive deficit in Alzheimer's disease. We have used rat isolated superior cervical sympathetic ganglia as a model mammalian cholinergic neural system to study effects of THA on cholinergic synaptic transmission and postsynaptic membrane currents. At 0.1 - 3 microM, THA augmented the postsynaptic depolarizations and inward clamp currents produced by acetylcholine but not by the cholinesterase-resistant analogue, DMPP. Higher concentrations depressed these responses to both acetylcholine and DMPP, and reduced the acetylcholine-induced increase in membrane current noise. At 1 microM, THA did not affect the amplitude or time-course of fast (nicotinic) excitatory postsynaptic currents (epscs) evoked by single orthodromic volleys, but higher concentrations induced a biphasic epsc decay. In contrast, low concentrations of THA (1 - 3 microM) greatly augmented and prolonged the muscarinic slow epsc evoked by repetitive orthodromic volleys: this effect was blocked by 1 microM atropine. Concentrations above 0.1 mM produced a membrane depolarization and inhibited a variety of membrane ionic currents, including voltage-gated Ca current and subsequent Ca-activated K currents, and voltage-gated M- and A-type K currents. It is concluded that the principal effect of THA is to inhibit cholinesterase, and that the main consequence of this is to augment and prolong the muscarinic slow epsc. In contrast, the nicotinic fast epsc is not increased but instead may be reduced through a nicotinic channel-blocking action. Although THA could also block several other ion channels the concentrations required were too high to contribute significantly to its principal pharmacological actions on ganglionic transmission.     

When is enough enough? Secondary surgery for cleft lip and palate patients

Secondary cleft surgery differs from the primary surgery in two important respects: (1) the patient can participate in the choices of whether and how to proceed and (2) there is no universal consensus among professionals and lay persons alike that intervention is necessary. This article condenses a personal experience with secondary cleft surgery and attempts to answer "when is enough enough?"     

The proximo-distal spread of axonal degeneration in the dorsal columns of the rat

Summary The pivotal event in Wallerian degeneration is the breakdown of the axon. Establishing the pathophysiology of axonal degeneration has implications for the understanding of the pathogenesis of other types of nerve degenerations. A key aspect of the pathophysiology is the spatiotemporal pattern of spread after transection, an issue that has remained controversial. We have studied the progression of axonal degeneration in the dorsal columns of the rat following L₄L₅L₆ dorsal radiculotomy. Axonal degeneration proceeds in a proximo-distal fashion, beginning near the site of transection and spreading up the dorsal columns at a net rate of about 3 mmh^–1. In addition, there was early degeneration of the preterminal axons in the gracile nuclei. This pattern suggests that the clearing of axonally transported materials from the distal stump by continued anterograde transport may underlie axonal breakdown after transection.     

Tibial Plafond Fractures: Changing Principles of Treatment

Tibial plafond fractures from axial loading are high-energy injuries with significant associated soft-tissue damage. New classification methods include detailed anatomic subgroupings and highlight the soft-tissue injury. The traditional treatment of this intra-articular fracture with open reduction and internal fixation resulted in high rates of wound breakdown and infection. Treatment of these complications is lengthy and costly and not infrequently results in a poor outcome. Newer techniques using external fixation minimize disturbance of the soft-tissue envelope and have decreased these complications. Because the long-term outcome with all techniques is variable and often depends on factors beyond the surgeon's control, it is particularly important to avoid complications of initial treatment. Longer follow-up will determine whether patients treated with these techniques have a different rate of arthrosis.