The practical assessment and management of bladder outflow obstruction

The initial management of bladder outflow obstruction typically related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) falls to a large extent within the remit of general practice. Referral onwards to secondary care typically arises following the failure to respond to conservative measures or when complications have supervened; the most significant of which is urinary retention. In the hospital setting, anaesthesia, constipation and immobility are the common precipitants. What follows is a practical guide to the management of these situations and provides an overview of the conservative, medical, minimally invasive and surgical treatments available.     

Genomic screen for loci associated with tobacco usage in Mission Indians

Background  

The prevalence of tobacco usage in Native American adults and adolescents is higher than any other racial or ethnic group, yet biological risk and protective factors underlying tobacco use in this ethnic group remain unknown. A genome scan for loci associated with tobacco use phenotypes was performed with data collected from a community sample of Mission Indians residing in Southwest California.     

Nachweis gentechnischer Veränderungen in Mais mittels PCR

Zusammenfassung  Ein PCR-Nachweis für gentechnisch ver?nderten Mais ?Event 176? der Fa. Ciba-Geigy wurde etabliert. Der Mais enth?lt Gene, die Selbstschutz gegen den Maiszünsler (Delta-Endotoxin-Gen ausBacillus thuringiensis) und Toleranz gegen das Herbizid Basta (Phosphinothricin-Resistenz-Gen ausStreptomyces hygroscopicus) vermitteln. Zudem enth?lt der Mais ein Ampicillin-Resistenz-Gen. Für die Amplifikation von Bereichen aus allen drei Genen wurden PCR-Primer entworfen. Mit Hilfe dieser Primer und mit ?Event 176?-Mais-DNA als Template konnten die entsprechenden Genbereiche in der PCR amplifiziert werden. Die PCR-Produkte wurden sequenziert, um ihre Identit?t zu best?tigen. Mit Hilfe der Delta-Endotoxin-PCR wurden, auch in Gegenwart von 10⁴fachem überschu? nicht gentechnisch ver?nderter Mais-DNA, fünf haploide Genome der ?Event 176?-DNA nachgewiesen.

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Identification of genetically modified maize by PCR

Summary  A PCR-test for the genetically modified maize ?Event 176? of Ciba-Geigy was established. The maize contains genes conferring resistance to the European corn borer (delta-endotoxin gene fromBacillus thuringiensis) and tolerance to the herbicide Basta (phosphinothricin resistance gene fromStreptomyces hygroscopicus). The maize contains also an ampicillin resistance gene. Primers were designed and using ?Event 176?-maize-DNA as template internal regions of the three genes were amplified with PCR. The PCR products were sequenced to confirm their identity. Using the deltaendotoxin primers in PCR down to 5 haploid genomes of ?Event 176?-DNA could be detected, even in the presence of a 10⁴fold excess of DNA from non-modified maize.

     

Evaluation of keratoplasty in cases of post-inflammatory corneal opacity with vascularization

Penetrating keratoplasty was performed in 106 cases of post-inflammatory corneal opacity with vascularization. Donor material obtained post mortem was preserved in a moist chamber, MK-medium at 4 degrees C or in culture medium at room temperature. 55.7% of patients gained a useful vision after keratoplasty. The post-operative spherical error of refraction was found to be -1.4 +/- 3.6 D and the astigmatic error of refraction -3.3 +/- 2.0 D. The post-operative visual acuity was found to be 0.2 +/- 0.2. The ocular pathology associated with keratoplasty is discussed.     

Histopathological changes in an intraocular retinoblastoma-like tumour following photodynamic therapy

The histopathological effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) was investigated in an intraocular retinoblastoma-like tumour in vivo. Eighty-two tumours were studied by light microscopy and 8 by electron microscopy. Damage of the vascular endothelium with dilation of the organelles was evident 1 h after treatment, followed by leakage of the blood vessels, tissue hemorrhages, and vascular collapse. Histopathological examination showed an overall pattern of shrinkage of the cytoplasm and pycnosis of the nuclei in most of the tumour cells 3-5 days after treatment. The tumour recurrence often developed from the periphery of the tumours and in a few cases from small islets of viable tissue. Use of high doses of Photofrin II or light energy was associated with damage in the light irradiated area both to the conjunctiva or cornea in the form of leucocyte infiltration or ulcers, and to the retina, which often developed edema and appeared severely disorganized, with damage of the photoreceptors.     

Treatment of giant papillary conjunctivitis with cromolyn sodium.

We evaluated the efficacy of cromolyn sodium in the management of contact lens patients with GPC. Fourteen of 20 patients (70%) with moderate to severe giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) were able to continue wearing contact lenses with the use of 4% sodium cromolyn eye drops. These patients had all failed to stay symptom free with our standard method of treatment (i.e., discontinuing contact lens wear for 1-2 weeks; improving lens care; and refitting with different lens designs and/or polymers). This study examined the indications, therapeutic regimen, complications, and patient response to the use of sodium cromolyn in contact lens patients with GPC.     

Electroencephalographic sleep studies in depressed outpatients treated with interpersonal psychotherapy: I. Baseline studies in responders and nonresponders.

Electroencephalographic (EEG) sleep measures have been examined as predictors of therapeutic response in patients with major depression. Although some studies have reported that EEG sleep measures are predictive of a favorable outcome with medications, two recent studies found no differences in the baseline sleep characteristics of responders and nonresponders to psychotherapy. To clarify this issue, we compared baseline EEG sleep in a group of patients with recurrent depression who responded to interpersonal psychotherapy (n = 19) and a comparable group who did not respond (n = 18). Baseline ratings of depression severity did not differ in the groups, but some differences in baseline sleep were noted. Psychotherapy nonresponders had longer sleep latencies, lower sleep efficiency, and increased automated measures of phasic rapid eye movement (REM) activity. In addition, the two groups had different EEG sleep adaptation patterns for REM latency and phasic REM density measures across the two study nights. These preliminary results suggest that baseline EEG sleep patterns, as well as the pattern of laboratory adaptation, may differ for depressed patients who respond to psychotherapy and those who do not.