Cardiac Activation During External Cardiac Pacing

To determine which cardiac chambers are stimulated during external cardiac pacing we performed external pacing in eight normal volunteers while recording the esophageol electrogram. All subjects demonstrated evidence of pacing, which was ventricular in each case. The atrium was frequently activated retrogradely during pacing. We conclude that external cardiac pacing selectively stimulates the ventricle and is thus not of value for noninvasive atrial pacing studies.     

Mesentenic Giant Lymph Node Hyperplasia — Report of a Case and Review of the Literature

A case of hyaline vascular type of mesenteric giant lymph node hyperplasia (MGLNH) is presented. 15 previously reported cases were found in the literature with 14 belonging to the plasma cell type and one belonging to the hyaline vascular type. This is contrary to thoracic giant lymph node hyperplasia (TGLNH) where hyaline vascular type predominates. Like TGLNH, the hyaline vascular type of MGLNH produces no systemic symptoms but the plasma cell type is associated With various systemic symptoms and abnormal laboratory findings.     

The long‐term impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome on pulmonary function,exercise capacity and health status

Background and objective: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) emerged in 2003 and its long‐term sequelae remain largely unclear. This study examined the long‐term outcome of pulmonary function, exercise capacity, health and work status among SARS survivors. Methods: A prospective cohort study of SARS patients at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong was conducted, with serial assessments of lung function, 6MWD and 36 item Short Form General Health Survey at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after disease onset. The work status was also recorded. Results: Serial assessments were completed by 55 of the 123 (39.9%) subjects, of whom 27 were health‐care workers (HCW). The mean age of the group was 44.4 (SD 13.2) years and 19 (34.5%) were males. At 24 months, 10 (18.2%), 9 (16.4%), 6 (10.9%) and 29 (52.7%) subjects had FEV₁, FVC, TLC and DL_CO < 80% of predicted values, respectively. The mean (SD) 6MWD increased significantly from 439.0 (89.1) m at 3 months to 460.1 (102.8) m at 6 months (P 0.016) and became steady after 6 months. However, 6MWD and 36 item Short Form General Health Survey scores were lower than the normal population throughout the study. Moreover, 29.6% of HCW and 7.1% of non‐HCW had not returned to work 2 years after illness onset. Conclusions: This 2‐year study of a selected population of SARS survivors, showed significant impairment of DL_CO, exercise capacity and health status persisted, with a more marked adverse impact among HCW.     

Molecular Modelling of β Turns in a Cyclic Melanotropin

α-Melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is a tridecapeptide which interacts with a family of G protein-coupled receptors, the melanocortin receptors, to cause its biological effects. We have modelled the low energy conformations of the α-MSH derivatives as part of a project to probe the receptor binding conformation of melanocortins, and also to design ligands for targeting cytotoxic drugs to MC1 receptors expressed by melanoma cells. H***ere we report a molecular dynamics study of β turns in a cyclic lactam analogue [Nle⁴, ***Asp⁵, D-Phe⁷, Lye***¹⁰]α-MSH. The data show that it is possible for a β turn to exist in the ring portion of this molecule which contains the melanocortin conserved sequence -His-Phe-Arg-Trp-, even though the lowest energy conformers lack a β turn.     

Systemic treatment of tinea versicolor with Ketoconazole in forty-four patients

In a two centre study, forty-four patients suffering from tinea versicolor were treated with Ketoconazole (Nizoral R41400 Janssen Pharmaceuticals) 200 mg daily. Twenty-four patients of mixed racial origin received treatment for 28 days and showed complete clearance of infection by the end of this period. Follow up of these patients at 28 days, and of seventeen of them at 70 days after completion of therapy, revealed no evidence of recurrence. A second group of twenty Chinese patients treated for 14 days showed complete clearance at the end of this period but no further follow up was undertaken.