Radiation-induced salivary gland tumors: report of a case

I discuss radiation-induced salivary gland tumors, with special emphasis on those tumors thought to be secondary to childhood head and neck irradiation for benign diseases. I report such a case and review the literature. Statistically, 77.6% of irradiation-induced tumors occur in the parotid gland and 22.4% in the submaxillary and minor salivary glands. A greater proportion of malignant tumors are noted in the submaxillary and minor salivary glands. At present, there is no demonstrable relationship between tumor occurrence and the amount of radiation recieved. Young children are more susceptible to irradiation-induced salivary tumors than older individuals.

Congenital laryngeal defects in the adult

Two types of congenital laryngeal defects in the adult are presented. The first case is a patient with a laryngeal cleft who became symptomatic at 42 years of age. Dysphagia, dyspnea, hoarseness and aspiration progressed in severity until surgery was necessary at the age of 48 years. The second case presented is a 21-year-old male with nonfusion of the thyroid laminae. He was asymptomatic except for persistence of a high-pitched voice after puberty. The case histories and radiographic studies are reviewed, emphasizing that the diagnosis of these defects was more difficult than their management. The surgical repair is described and illustrated. Briefly, this involved repair of the laryngeal cleft using techniques similar to those of a hernoiorrhaphy. The nonfusion of the thyroid laminae and resultant defective anterior glottis was repaired using bipedicled muscle flaps and a silicone keel.

Factors determining the potency of mydriatic drugs in man

1 The mydriasis resulting from topical application of five atropine-like drugs was measured photographically in man. Drug potency was obtained from log dose-response curves. 2 The in vitro potency of eight cholinoceptor blocking drugs, including those studied in man, was obtained by measuring their affinity constants for binding to the receptors of an isolated preparation of the rabbit sphincter pupillae. Values agreed closely with those obtained for the muscarinic receptors of guinea-pig ileum. 3 In vitro and in vivo potency was compared to obtain a quantitative measure of the relative ease with which drugs gain access to the receptors after topical application. 4 The large differences that occur in the intensity and duration of the mydriatic response to atropine-like drugs is primarily the result of differences in their ability to blcok the receptors. Only with tropicamide does its relatively high accessibility affect its potency in man.

The activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in rat tissues. Assay techniques and effects of dietary and hormonal changes

1. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was assayed by three methods: (i) incorporation of H(14)CO(3) (-) into oxaloacetate: (ii) conversion of oxaloacetate into phosphoenolpyruvate, subsequently assayed enzymically; and (iii) transfer of (32)P from [gamma-(32)P]GTP to oxaloacetate. 2. Enzyme activity is increased in liver and epididymal adipose tissue in alloxan-diabetes and starvation, and in kidney in starved, acidotic and steroid-treated animals. 3. The ratios of the ;back' to the ;forward' reactions in liver, kidney and epididymal adipose tissue are different and characteristic of each tissue; they differ markedly from values reported for the purified mitochondrial enzyme. 4. The ratio of the ;back' to ;forward' reaction in any one tissue is constant in adrenalectomized, diabetic, acidotic and steroid-treated animals. 5. In starved animals, the ratio is increased in liver and kidney, but decreased in epididymal adipose tissue. 6. Administration of l-tryptophan results in an acute (1h) increase in activity measured in the ;forward' direction alone in liver and epididymal adipose tissue, but not in kidney.

Spinal cord infarction due to minor trauma in children

In two children, ages 22 months and 4 years, after slight trauma, flaccid weakness of both arms developed, followed by flaccid quadriplegia with sphincter involvement. No vertebral fracture or dislocation was found, myelograms were negative, and diagnosis was made only after the full clinical syndrome developed. Pathologic studies revealed ischemic infarction involving the cervical cord and low medulla in one patient, and central gray matter of low cervical cord in the other, without hematomyelia or external compressive lesions. The pattern of infarction may be related to spasm of distal branches of the central sulcal arteries in a terminal arterial bed.

An Atmosphere on Ganymede from Its Occultation of SAO 186800 on 7 June 1972

On 7 June 1972 the third , Jovian satellite Ganymede occulted the eighth-magnitude star SAO 186800. Successful photoelectric observations obtained at Lembang, Java (Indonesia), and Kavalur, India, show nonabrupt immersions and emersions, indicating the presence of an atmosphere whose surface pressure is greater than about 10(-3) millibar. By fitting the two occultation durations as chords to a model disk, the diameter is found to be 5270 (+30, - approximately 200) kilometers, the major error contribution arising from the uncertain atmospheric thickness below the occultation layer. The derived mean density is 2.0 (-0.03, + approximately 0.2) grams per cubic centimeter.

Movement of sodium and cholesterol across porcine aortic intima

1. A method for measuring the movement of substances across porcine aortic intima in vitro is described.

2. The rates of movement of sodium and cholesterol were decreased by adding dinitrophenol to the bathing solutions and increased by adding adrenaline.

3. The relevance of these results to hypertension and atheroma is mentioned.

4. The possibility of active transport of sodium and cholesterol is suggested.