Oligonucleotides as short as 7-mers can be used for PCR amplification

Amplification of DNA sequences using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) requires as primers two oligonucleotides, which are carefully designed for length and G/C content. Such primers are generally between 18 and 30 bases long so that the primer sequences can amplify a unique sequence in the target genome; they should possess a minimal degree of secondary structure. We have tested the minimum length of G/C-rich and palindromic oligonucleotides to be used as primers in PCR. Oligonucleotides with sequences corresponding to the recognition sites of rare restriction enzymes were used on the DNA of vector constructs as model template DNA. Surprisingly, we found specific amplification with a low background over a wide range of temperatures for oligonucleotides as short as 7 nucleotides. This findings contradicts the previously reported empirical relationship between oligonucleotide length and ability to trigger amplification and points to the complex relationship between thermodynamic and kinetic criteria in relation to PCR. This technique should lead to new application in the cloning and screening of complex genomes.

Cell immunofluorescence and brain extract based dot-immunobinding assay in identification of arboviruses

Infected mouse brain homogenates were semi-purified and used in a dot-immunobinding assay to identify the corresponding arboviruses.

Neural network feature detector for real-time video signal processing

The application of artificial neural networks to real-time image processing tasks requires the use of dedicated, high performance hardware. A linear array processor called HANNIBAL has been developed which implements the backpropagation neural learning algorithm on-chip. This paper considers the design of a complete neural system which integrates HANNIBAL into an existing image processing environment. The goals for the design of the system have been set partly by the primary application, namely feature recognition, but mainly by the desire for a flexible, high performance hardware tool for the study and evaluation of range of neural image processing applications.

Reducing bacteria in dental aerosols: pre-procedural use of an antiseptic mouthrinse

This study, using a simulated office visit model, showed that the pre-procedural use of an antimicrobial mouthrinse produces a significant reduction in number of viable bacteria in a dental aerosol.

No effect of an antiaggregant treatment with aspirin in small cell lung cancer treated with CCAVP16 chemotherapy. Results from a randomized clinical trial of 303 patients. The "Petites Cellules" Group

BACKGROUND

Experimental, and more recently, clinical data have suggested the influence of hemostasis in the spread of malignant disease.

METHODS

To complete research in this type of coagulation and cancer, a multicentric randomized clinical trial was performed, including 303 patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), treated by the addition of aspirin at 1 g/day (a dosage at which aspirin is considered to be a platelet aggregation inhibitor) to combined chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Survival was not increased in the aspirin-treated group (P = 0.90). The analysis according to the extent of disease (limited or extensive disease) did not modify that conclusion.

CONCLUSIONS

This result does not confirm the hypothesis that, in SCLC, aspirin (a platelet aggregation inhibitor) reduces metastasis formation and local tumor thrombogenesis.

An improved clinical method for detecting meningeal irritation

Neck stiffness is the most important sign of meningitis. When the neck is flexed, the inflamed nerve roots and meninges of the cervical region get stretched. This causes protective muscle spasm manifesting as neck stiffness. Kernig's sign represents similar phenomena involving the distal spinal cord and related nerves. A manoeuvre that stretches the neural elements of the whole length of the spinal canal simultaneously will be a more sensitive test for meningeal irritation. Eliciting neck stiffness while the patient sits up with knees extended achieves this. This method is more sensitive, specific, and amenable to objective assessment.

Pharmacological tolerance to alpha 1-adrenergic receptor antagonism mediated by terazosin in humans

Chronic administration of alpha 1-receptor antagonists is associated with loss of clinical efficacy, especially in congestive heart failure, although the mechanism is uncertain. To evaluate changes in venous alpha 1-adrenoceptor responsiveness during chronic alpha 1-adrenoceptor blockade, dose-response curves to phenylephrine and angiotensin II were constructed in 10 healthy subjects before, during, and after administration of terazosin 1 mg orally for 28 d. Terazosin initially shifted the dose-response curve of phenylephrine to the right, with a significant increase in ED50 for phenylephrine from a control value of 102 to 759 ng/min on day 1 of terazosin (P < 0.001). However, by day 28, the dose-response curve had shifted back towards baseline with an ED50 of 112 ng/min. After discontinuing terazosin, the ED50 for phenylephrine remained near the baseline value, indicating no evidence of supersensitivity to phenylephrine. There was no change in responsiveness to angiotensin II during the course of treatment with terazosin. Plasma terazosin concentrations were stable throughout the period of drug administration. The mean Kd of terazosin was estimated as 11 +/- 15 nM in the first few days of treatment. This study demonstrates that pharmacological tolerance to the alpha 1-adrenoceptor blocking action of terazosin occurs in man and may be responsible for loss in efficacy with chronic therapy.

Desensitization of nitrate-induced venodilation: reversal with oral N-acetylcysteine in humans

The objective of this study was to determine whether the dorsal hand vein could be used as a model to study tolerance to oral nitrates, and whether oral N-acetylcysteine (NAC) could reverse tolerance if present. Dose-response curves to nitroglycerin were constructed for 11 normotensive volunteers before and during treatment with a sustained-release formulation of isosorbide dinitrate, 80 mg, three times daily for 7 days and followed by concurrent treatment with NAC at a mean dose of 150 mg/kg/day, in divided doses, for 2 days. In separate studies, dose-response curves were constructed for seven normotensive volunteers before and after treatment with oral NAC at the same dose for 2 days. Nitroglycerin's Emax was significantly attenuated from 115 +/- 36 to 77 +/- 22% after treatment with isosorbide dinitrate alone (p < 0.009). Concurrent treatment with NAC reversed this decrease, as nitroglycerin's Emax of 108 +/- 26% during coadministration of isosorbide dinitrate and NAC was not different from its Emax in the control period. There was also no difference in the dose of phenylephrine required to cause 80% of maximal venoconstriction throughout the study. These studies demonstrate that smooth muscle tolerance to nitrates can be demonstrated in medium-sized veins in humans. In addition, high-dose oral NAC can reverse existing tolerance to oral nitrates in human veins. These results indicate that the dorsal hand vein compliance technique is a good model for the clinical investigation of tolerance to nitrates in humans.

Efficacy of preprocedural rinsing with an antiseptic in reducing viable bacteria in dental aerosols

This double-blind, controlled, cross-over, clinical study evaluated the effect of preprocedural rinsing with an antiseptic mouthrinse on the level of recoverable viable bacteria in an aerosol generated during a typical dental procedure. Eighteen subjects participated. Following 24 hours of abstention from all oral hygiene procedures, subjects received a 10-minute ultrasonic scaling of a randomly selected one-half of their mouth which served as the unrinsed control. They were then randomly assigned either antiseptic mouthwash or a control rinse and rinsed with 20 ml for 30 seconds, after which the remaining half mouth (experimental side) was scaled ultrasonically for 10 minutes. During each 10-minute scaling period aerosolized bacteria were collected on a sterile filter using a modified vacuum air-sampling device. Microbes captured on the sterile filter were quantitated by overlaying the filters onto trypticase soy agar, incubating the filters aerobically at 37 degrees C for 24 to 72 hours, and counting the resulting colony forming units (CFU). Preliminary experiments had confirmed that neither the collection method nor residual antiseptic mouthwash in the aerosol adversely affected the number of viable bacteria recovered from the filter. Rinsing with the antiseptic mouthwash produced a 94.1% reduction in recoverable CFUs compared to the non-rinsed control, while the control rinse produced a 33.9% reduction. The difference between the mouthwash and control was statistically significant (P < .001). This study indicates that preprocedural rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash can significantly reduce the microbial content of aerosols generated during ultrasonic scaling and may have potential in-office use as part of an infection control regimen.

An assessment of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of single doses of amlodipine in elderly normotensives

This study characterizes the single dose pharmacokinetic characteristics of the dihydropyridine calcium antagonist drug amlodipine in a group of 16 elderly subjects, aged 65 to 86 years (8 M:8 F). The most notable pharmacokinetic features were a prolonged terminal elimination half life of 48 +/- 16 hours and a delayed tmax of 7.3 +/- 1.3 hours. Consistent with the time to achieve peak plasma drug concentrations, there was a modest but significant reduction in blood pressure at 6-8 hours after dosing. Comparison of these results with those of published data for young subjects indicate not only a greater degree of intersubject variability but also a longer half life in the elderly, suggestive of reduced drug clearance, which may lead to higher plasma drug concentrations particularly at steady state.

Desensitization of beta-adrenoceptor- and prostaglandin E1 receptor-mediated human vascular smooth muscle relaxation

Regulation of beta-adrenoceptors in animal tissues and human cell cultures has been extensively described; on the other hand, relatively little is known about regulation of beta-adrenoceptors in human tissues in vivo. Both beta-adrenoceptors and the prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) receptors stimulate vasodilation. We wondered if prolonged infusion of isoproterenol or PGE1 would cause desensitization of smooth muscle relaxation and used the dorsal hand-vein compliance technique to investigate this question. After constructing a dose-response curve to either the beta-agonist isoproterenol or to PGE1 in a phenylephrine preconstricted vein, isoproterenol (271 ng/min), PGE1 (956 pg/min), or saline was infused for 4 h in separate experiments. There was no change in the ED50 or Emax for either isoproterenol or PGE1 after saline infusion. After a 4-h infusion of isoproterenol, the maximal vasodilator response to isoproterenol was significantly (p less than 0.01) attenuated from 61 +/- 33% to 19 +/- 10%, while the ED50 significantly increased (p less than 0.01) from a geometric mean of 37 to 197 ng/min. After infusion of isoproterenol, the mean maximum PGE1-induced venorelaxation of 129 +/- 29% was modestly but significantly (p less than 0.05) blunted to 96 +/- 35%, while the ED50 of PGE1 increased significantly (p less than 0.01) from a geometric mean of 81 to 398 pg/min. A 4-h infusion of PGE1 significantly (p less than 0.01) attenuated the maximum response to PGE1 from 73 +/- 35 to 28 +/- 16%. The maximal vasodilatory response to isoproterenol was also significantly blunted (p less than 0.05) from 62 +/- 35 to 42 +/- 41%, with no change in ED50.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Vascular reactivity to phenylephrine and angiotensin II: comparison of direct venous and systemic vascular responses

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between peripheral venous responsiveness (use of the dorsal hand vein compliance technique) and systemic vascular responsiveness (measurement of blood pressure changes) to phenylephrine and angiotensin II in humans. There was a significant correlation (r = 0.70, p less than 0.02) between the dose causing a 20 mm increase in mean arterial pressure and the dose producing half-maximal response in the hand vein (log ED50) for phenylephrine but not for angiotensin II. There was no correlation between the systemic responses to angiotensin II and phenylephrine, but there was a significant correlation (r = 0.70, p less than 0.02) between the log ED50 measurements for phenylephrine and angiotensin II in the hand vein experiments. These findings suggest that systemic and hand vein responsiveness to phenylephrine are similar. Consequently, in evaluating alpha-adrenergic receptor mediated responses, the dorsal hand vein compliance approach offers a satisfactory alternative to the use of systemic hemodynamic changes.

A simple purification method of squeezed krill for obtaining high levels of hydrolytic enzymes

The raw material originating from freshly caught Antarctic krill (E. superba) was processed by centrifugation and then immediately frozen. This squeezed fluid adjusted to pH 7 was subjected to spontaneous autolysis by storing at different temperatures (20-45 degrees C) and times (10-48 h). The autolyzed material resulted in 3 distinct phases after high speed centrifugation. The intermediate phase (water-phase) was collected and concentrated by membrane filtration. The high-molecular-weight substances (greater than 10,000 Daltons) were further purified by ion-exchange chromatography and eluted by a salt gradient. In this matter a bulk enzymatic material from krill can be efficiently obtained for further purification of different hydrolytic enzymes (peptide hydrolases/carbohydrases).

Proposal of Afipia gen. nov., with Afipia felis sp. nov. (formerly the cat scratch disease bacillus), Afipia clevelandensis sp. nov. (formerly the Cleveland Clinic Foundation strain), Afipia broomeae sp. nov., and three unnamed genospecies

On the basis of phenotypic characterization and DNA relatedness determinations, the genus Afipia gen. nov., which contains six species, is described. The type species is Afipia felis sp. nov. (the cat scratch disease bacillus). Afipia clevelandensis sp. nov., Afipia broomeae sp. nov., and three unnamed not associated with cat-borne disease. All but one strain (Afipia genospecies 3) were isolated from human wound and respiratory sources. All Afipia species are gram-negative, oxidase-positive, nonfermentative rods in the alpha-2 subgroup of the class Proteobacteria. They are motile by means of a single flagellum. They grow on buffered charcoal-yeast extract agar and nutrient broth, but rarely on MacConkey agar, at 25 and 30 degrees C. They are urease positive; but they are negative in reactions for hemolysis, indole production, H2S production (triple sugar iron agar), gelatin hydrolysis, esculin hydrolysis, and peptonization of litmus milk. They do not produce acid oxidatively from D-glucose, lactose, maltose, or sucrose. The major cell wall fatty acids are 11-methyloctadec-12-enoic (CBr19:1), cis-octadec-11-enoic (C18:1omega7c), and generally, 9,10-methylenehexadecanote and 11,12-methyleneoctadecanoate; and there are only trace amounts of hydroxy acids. The guanineplus-cytosine content is 61.5 to 69 mol%. A. felis is positive for nitrate reduction and is delayed positive for acid production from D-xylose, but it is catalase negative. A. clevelandensis is negative in all of these tests. A. broomeae is weakly positive for catalase production and acid production from D-xylose, but it is negative for nitrate reduction.

Phototherapy of seasonal affective disorder in an adolescent female

Seasonal affective disorder and its response to phototherapy has not been extensively studied in children and adolescents. In this case study, a 16-year-old girl with a 3-year history of seasonal affective disorder sought treatment. An A-B-A'-B study design demonstrates the remission of symptoms with phototherapy.

Use of red blood cells older than five days for neonatal transfusion

Sick neonates often require periodic small volume transfusions (10 mL/kg) to replace blood drawn for laboratory monitoring during their hospital stay. We use red blood cells (RBCs), stored as CPDA-1 whole blood, up to their expiration date, and are unaware of any clinical problems with this practice. We proceeded to confirm our clinical impression by reviewing the hospital records of 22 transfused neonates who received a median of 2.5 RBC transfusions (range 1 to 11) with a volume of 16 mL (range 5 to 38) each, and total volume of 60 mL (range 16 to 152). The RBCs were stored a median of 7 days (range 2 to 27). Following transfusion, there was an increase (P less than .05) in hemoglobin (mean 2.8 +/- 1.6 gm/dL [SD]) and hematocrit (9.0% +/- 4.7%). The bilirubin also rose (0.6 +/- 1.5 mg/dL, P less than .05), but this was not considered clinically significant. No significant change occurred in pH or bicarbonate. Paradoxically, RBCs over 10 days of age resulted in a fall in potassium (-0.9 +/- 0.8 mEq/L, P less than .01), but not below 3.4 mEq/L. We could find no evidence by clinical observation or laboratory indexes that small volume transfusion of RBCs more than 5 days old was deleterious to the newborns studied. By using RBCs up to their expiration date, the number of donor exposures and the potential risk of transfusion-transmitted diseases can be decreased.

Primary immune response to blood group antigens in burned children

Delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions (DHTRs) are generally attributed to an anamnestic immune response. Case reports of DHTRs due to a primary immune response are rare. Transfusion reactions occurring in patients on the pediatric burn unit from 1981 to September 1988 were reviewed, and additional information was obtained for patients for whom a DHTR was documented. Of 62 transfusion reactions, 11 were classified as a primary immune response (DHTR), with either a positive antibody screen, a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT), or both. None of the 11 patients included in the study had been previously tranfused or pregnant. The average number of units transfused prior to antibody identification was 19. The average time elapsed between the first transfusion and antibody identification was 3.6 weeks. Anti-K and anti-E were the most frequently identified. Three patients had a decrease in hemoglobin (average 1.5 g/dL) and hematocrit at the time that a positive DAT was detected. Such changes could not be demonstrated for the remaining eight patients. The conclusion was that a DHTR may he caused by a primary immune response in burned children more often than expected, but DHTR signs and symptoms are often not apparent due to the complications of burn trauma.

Effects of methylphenidate on early adolescent growth

Thirty-one hyperactive adolescents treated with methylphenidate for at least 6 months demonstrated no significant deviation from expected height and weight growth velocities. In contrast to findings in prepubertal children, these results suggest that early adolescent growth is insensitive to methylphenidate.