The influence on students' specialty selections of faculty evaluations and mini-board scores during third-year clerkships.

The authors investigated whether graduating students' specialty choices were influenced by favorable faculty evaluations and mini-Board scores during their third-year clerkships, and if so, whether the influences were gender-specific. Data were collected from a total of 53 students in two classes, 1988-89 and 1988-90. Univariate and multivariate tests were performed, and the results were analyzed between each class group and between genders in both groups. These results also were compared with information about the students gathered before they matriculated. In general, the results showed a gender-specific correlation: for each rotation where the women's faculty evaluations were significantly higher than the men's, the women subsequently outnumbered the men in choosing that rotation's specialty. Conversely, for each rotation where the men's mini-Board scores were significantly higher than the women's, the men outnumbered the women in choosing that rotation's specialty. The most notable difference was in pediatrics: 8% of the women had indicated an interest in that specialty on the prematriculation questionnaire, while almost one-third of the women in the classes of 1990 and 1991 chose pediatrics residencies. These findings suggest that the favorable scores and evaluations may be one of the influences for students' specialty choices, and that their influence may be gender-specific.     

Compliance with screening mammography. Survey of primary care physicians

A survey of primary care physicians in the greater Tampa Bay metropolitan area was conducted to determine compliance with screening mammography and associated physician characteristics. Information requested included their age, sex, specialty, and board certification status, and the ages and frequencies that they recommend screening mammography for their patients. A total of 565 physicians responded. Even though 88% indicated they follow American Cancer Society recommendations when advising screening mammography, only 62% were actually in full compliance. A significantly greater percentage of obstetricians/gynecologists were compliant (74%) compared to other specialties (family practice, 57%, p = .006; internal medicine, 56%, p = .007; general practice, 53%, p = .003). Women physicians were more likely to be compliant than men (83% versus 58%, p less than .001), and younger physicians more likely than older physicians (72% versus 49%, p less than .001). There was no significant difference in compliance rates between board certified and noncertified physicians.     

Minocycline Hydrochloride Hyperpigmentation Complicating Treatment of Pyoderma Gangrenosum

Minocycline-associated hyperpigmentation is an uncommon side effect We report the case of a patient with pyoderma gangrenosum successfully treated with oral minocycline but complicated by marked hyperpigmentation in his pyoderma gangrenosum and acne scars. One of the clinical forms of minocycline hyperpigmentation includes dark-blue or black macules in depressed acne scars or other sites of skin inflammation; this pattern seems to be independent of the total cumulative dose and the skin process.     

Results of a randomized study of early stage Hodgkin's disease using ABVD,EBVD, or MBVD

From January 1986 to December 1989, 157 previously untreated patients, with Hodgkin's disease stage I or II without bulky disease, were enrolled in a clinical comparative study. The objectives of the study were to compare the efficacy and safety of using epirubicine or mitoxantrone instead of adriamycin in the combination chemotherapy regimen ABVD (adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine). The complete response rate was better in the patients treated with the ABVD or EBVD regimens compared to the MBVD arm. Also, differences in overall survival and relapse-free survival were better in the patients who received ABVD or EBVD compared to the MBVD regimen. Hematological, gastrointestinal and cardiac toxicity were similar in the three groups. Dose intensity, delays and complications were also similar in the three groups. The mitoxantrone-containing regimen was found to have less efficacy in comparison to the other regimens tested in the present study in patients with favorable stage I or II Hodgkin's disease. © 1995 Wi1ey-Liss Inc.     

Morphologic Study of the Participation of the Complement System in Hyperacute Rejection of Renal Xenotransplants

The role of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) and platelet infiltration in the hyperacute rejection of renal xenotransplants was studied. In a first group, a dog kidney was grafted to rabbit recipients with intact immune adherence and chemotaxis. A second group included recipients depleted of PMN's with nitrogen mustard, and in a third group, immune adherence and chemotaxis were modified by depleting the third component of complement by means of cobra venom factor. Serial kidney biopsies were studied with light and electron microscopic technics. A semiquantitative evaluation of PMN and platelet glomerular infiltration indicated that a reduction in the number of PMN's or platelets is associated with an increased survival time of the transplanted kidney.     

Structural and biological characterization of three novel mastoparan peptides from the venom of the neotropical social wasp Protopolybia exigua (Saussure).

The venom of the Neotropical social wasp Protopolybia exigua(Saussure) was fractionated by RP-HPLC resulting in the elution of 20 fractions. The homogeneity of the preparations were checked out by using ESI-MS analysis and the fractions 15, 17 and 19 (eluted at the most hydrophobic conditions) were enough pure to be sequenced by Edman degradation chemistry, resulting in the following sequences: Protopolybia MPI I-N-W-L-K-L-G-K-K-V-S-A-I-L-NH2 Protopolybia-MP II I-N-W-K-A-I-I-E-A-A-K-Q-A-L-NH2 Protopolybia-MP III I-N-W-L-K-L-G-K-A-V-I-D-A-L-NH2 All the peptides were manually synthesized on-solid phase and functionally characterized. Protopolybia-MP I is a hemolytic mastoparan, probably acting on mast cells by assembling in plasma membrane, resulting in pore formation; meanwhile, the peptides Protopolybia-MP II and -MP III were characterized as a non-hemolytic mast cell degranulator toxins, which apparently act by virtue of their binding to G-protein receptor, activating the mast cell degranulation.     

Varicella zoster virus in health care workers in northern Israel: seroprevalence and predictive value of history of varicella infection

Health care workers (HCWs) are susceptible to hospital acquired varicella zoster virus (VZV). We evaluated seroprevalence and predictive value of a history of varicella disease (VD) with VZV serology in HCWs in northern Israel. A total of 200 HCWs were enrolled. A high rate of seropositivity for VZV-IgG was found: 98.5% seropositive and only 1.5% seronegative. A positive history of VD was an excellent predictor for the presence of VZV-IgG; however, a negative history of VD does not rule out the presence of VZV-IgG.