Scalar Signatures of Chaotic Mixing in Porous Media

Steady laminar flows through porous media spontaneously generate Lagrangian chaos at pore scale, with qualitative implications for a range of transport, reactive, and biological processes. The characterization and understanding of mixing dynamics in these opaque environments is an outstanding challenge. We address this issue by developing a novel technique based upon high-resolution imaging of the scalar signature produced by push-pull flows through porous media samples. Owing to the rapid decorrelation of particle trajectories in chaotic flows, the scalar image measured outside the porous material is representative of in situ mixing dynamics. We present a theoretical framework for estimation of the Lyapunov exponent based on extension of Lagrangian stretching theories to correlated aggregation. This method provides a full characterization of chaotic mixing dynamics in a large class of porous materials.

Older Adults’ Reflections on Ageism and Racism

The older population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. By the year 2050, 39% of those 65+ will be from minority groups, up from 21% in 2012 (Ortman et al., 2014). These figures have significant implications for aging policy, including concerns over ageism and racism. Discrimination can take many forms, and can be present in legislation, advertising, attitudes, the workplace, and the health care system (Snaedal, 2015). The present study examines perceptions of racial and age discrimination of older adults living in the community and its impact on their quality of life. Using a cross-sectional design, 134 participants over the age of 60 were surveyed at three senior centers with ethnically diverse populations. The Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire (AAQ-24) was used to assess participants’ perceptions and experiences with aging and perceptions of racism were assessed using an adaptation of the Modern Racism Scale. Findings from the AAQ-24 revealed an average score of 27.1 (SD=6.66) for psychosocial loss, 28.3 (SD=5.34) for physical change, and 30.5 (SD=4.65) for psychological growth, indicating moderately high levels of ageism. For the racism scale, the average total score for all respondents was 34.4 (SD=7.05), also moderate. This study helps shed some light on what older adults feel about the aging, as well as their concerns with racial discrimination. The insights gained from older adults’ experiences and perceptions can help shape policies for future generations.

THE IMPACT OF AN EDUCATION INTERVENTION: IMPROVING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN OLDER ADULTS AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

As people age, ensuing physical and psychological problems can increase, which makes it paramount to be comfortable discussing medical needs with health care professionals, particularly in light of the danger associated with misunderstanding medication use and combining alcohol with prescriptions and/or over the counter medications (National Institute on Aging, 2018). National studies found that about 40 percent of adults ages 65 and older drink alcohol and often do not understand the dangers of combining alcohol with medications (National Institute for Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse, 2008). An educational intervention was developed with a team of expert physicians, nurses, pharmacists and social workers who work in gerontology to focus on improving communication and addressing alcohol and medication use for older adults. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess whether the educational intervention improved older adults’ comfort in communicating with their health care providers, as well as their knowledge of the concomitant use of alcohol and prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Results of a MANCOVA showed that those in the intervention group showed larger increases in scores on communication with their health providers and knowledge about the implications of combining alcohol with prescription drugs than those in the control group (Wilks’ Lamda=.808, F(3,76)=6.039, p=.001<.05). In addition, linear regression models showed that the intervention was significantly associated with participants’ knowledge of the implications of combining alcohol with prescription drugs. The coefficient across models was approximately 1.00, which represented a substantial increase given the average score of 6.5.

Nasal obstruction secondary to an inverted midline supernumerary tooth

We present the case of a 36-year-old man who presented with left-sided nasal obstruction and facial pain. Clinical examination and computed tomography revealed an inverted midline supernumerary tooth buckling and deviating the nasal septum to the left. Full surgical resection of the tooth was achieved through a minimally invasive endoscopic septoplasty with full resolution of symptoms. There is little precedent within the literature to guide our management in this case and therefore we offer a successful surgical treatment strategy.

Cordilleran Ice Sheet mass loss preceded climate reversals near the Pleistocene Termination

The Cordilleran Ice Sheet (CIS) once covered an area comparable to that of Greenland. Previous geologic evidence and numerical models indicate that the ice sheet covered much of westernmost Canada as late as 12.5 thousand years ago (ka). New data indicate that substantial areas throughout westernmost Canada were ice free prior to 12.5 ka and some as early as 14.0 ka, with implications for climate dynamics and the timing of meltwater discharge to the Pacific and Arctic oceans. Early Bølling-Allerød warmth halved the mass of the CIS in as little as 500 years, causing 2.5 to 3.0 meters of sea-level rise. Dozens of cirque and valley glaciers, along with the southern margin of the CIS, advanced into recently deglaciated regions during the Bølling-Allerød and Younger Dryas.

Outcomes of ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion in the management of idiopathic intracranial hypertension in children

PURPOSE

The ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt has become the procedure of choice for treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). We aimed to assess the efficacy of frameless stereotactic placement of VP shunts for the management of medically resistant IIH in children and to assess the role of gender and obesity in the aetiology of the condition.

METHODS

This is a retrospective analysis of the case notes of 10 patients treated surgically at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, from May 2006 to September 2012.

RESULTS

VP shunts were successful in relieving headache, papilloedema and stabilising vision. No sex predilection was identified, and increased BMI was a feature throughout the population, regardless of age.

CONCLUSIONS

Neuronavigated VP shunt insertion is an effective mode of treatment for medically resistant IIH in children. The aetiological picture in children does not seem to be dominated by obesity, as in adults. Literature on childhood IIH is sparse, and larger scale, comparative studies would be of benefit to treating clinicians.

Inner gorges cut by subglacial meltwater during Fennoscandian ice sheet decay

The century-long debate over the origins of inner gorges that were repeatedly covered by Quaternary glaciers hinges upon whether the gorges are fluvial forms eroded by subaerial rivers, or subglacial forms cut beneath ice. Here we apply cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating to seven inner gorges along ~500 km of the former Fennoscandian ice sheet margin in combination with a new deglaciation map. We show that the timing of exposure matches the advent of ice-free conditions, strongly suggesting that gorges were cut by channelized subglacial meltwater while simultaneously being shielded from cosmic rays by overlying ice. Given the exceptional hydraulic efficiency required for meltwater channels to erode bedrock and evacuate debris, we deduce that inner gorges are the product of ice sheets undergoing intense surface melting. The lack of postglacial river erosion in our seven gorges implicates subglacial meltwater as a key driver of valley deepening on the Baltic Shield over multiple glacial cycles.

Distension of painful structures in the treatment for chronic pelvic pain in women

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of established treatment for Chronic pelvic pain (CPP), defined as acyclic pain of at least six months duration. We decided to study the pain-alleviating effects of stretching on defined structures in women with CPP, and the treatment's impact on quality of life variables.

DESIGN OF STUDY

An open, randomized study.

SETTING

Primary Health Care Centre, Kolbäck, Sweden.

METHODS

Fifty women, median age 33 years (range 19-54), complaining of CPP for a median duration of 25.5 months (range 6-264) were randomly assigned to either a treatment or a control group. A short questionnaire containing 17 questions was administered before randomization and two to three weeks after a second treatment of distension of pelvic structures. Visual analog scales were used for questions concerning intensity of pain and quality of life. Five-point scales were used for questions dealing with duration and frequency of pain.

RESULTS

Intensity, frequency and duration of pelvic pain, painful intercourse, lower back pain, sleep disturbance, sleep quality, mental fatigue, depression, mood and anger improved significantly more in the treatment group than in the control group. Treatment proved more effective than counseling as reflected by self-rating scales: pain intensity (OR 18.37, 95% CI 3.39-99.64) and pain during intercourse (OR 8.59, 95% CI 1.57-46.68).

CONCLUSION

In this open, randomized study, distension of painful pelvic structures in women with CPP resulted in significant relief of pain and improvement in quality of life measures.

Influence of expiratory flow-limitation during exercise on systemic oxygen delivery in humans

To determine the effects of exercise with expiratory flow-limitation (EFL) on systemic O(2) delivery, seven normal subjects performed incremental exercise with and without EFL at approximately 0.8 l s(-1) (imposed by a Starling resistor in the expiratory line) to determine maximal power output under control (W'(max,c)) and EFL (W'(max,e)) conditions. W'(max,e) was 62.5% of W'(max,c), and EFL exercise caused a significant fall in the ventilatory threshold. In a third test, after exercising at W'(max,e) without EFL for 4 min, EFL was imposed; exercise continued for 4 more minutes or until exhaustion. O(2) consumption (V'(O)(2)) was measured breath-by-breath for the last 90 s of control, and for the first 90 s of EFL exercise. Assuming that the arterio-mixed venous O(2) content remained constant immediately after EFL imposition, we used V'(O)(2) as a measure of cardiac output (Q'(c)). Q'(c) was also calculated by the pulse contour method with blood pressure measured continuously by a photo-plethysmographic device. Both sets of data showed a decrease of Q'(c) due to a decrease in stroke volume by 10% (p < 0.001 for V'(O)(2)) with EFL and remained decreased for the full 90 s. Concurrently, arterial O(2) saturation decreased by 5%, abdominal, pleural and alveolar pressures increased, and duty cycle decreased by 43%. We conclude that this combination of events led to a decrease in venous return secondary to high expiratory pressures, and a decreased duty cycle which decreased O(2) delivery to working muscles by approximately 15%.

Social workers' experiences of the world trade center disaster: stressors and their relationship to symptom types

The study describes New York area social workers' experiences of nine different stressors on 9/11. It also examines their reports of working with clients within the 6 months after 9/11. These variables are then analyzed for their relationship with symptomology 6 months after 9/11. Proximity to the WTC on 9/11, knowing someone who was a primary victim, and talking with clients about events related to 9/11 were all related to symptom levels; however, these experiences differentially impacted levels of depressive, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. Sex and race differences were found among the variables.

The prognostic value of myocardial viability recognized by low dose dipyridamole echocardiography in patients with chronic ischaemic left ventricular dysfunction

AIMS

The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of myocardial viability recognized as a contractile response to vasodilator stimulation in patients with left ventricular dysfunction in a large scale, prospective, multicentre, observational study.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Three hundred and seven patients (mean age 60 +/- 10 years) with angiographically proven coronary artery disease, previous (>3 months) myocardial infarction and severe left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction <35%; mean ejection fraction: 28 +/- 7%) were enrolled in the study. Each patient underwent low dose dipyridamole echo (0.28 mg x kg(-1) in 4 min). Myocardial viability was identified as an improvement of >0.20 in the wall motion score index. By selection, all patients were followed up for a median of 36 months. One-hundred and twenty-four were revascularized either by coronary artery bypass grafting (n=83) or coronary angioplasty (n=41). The only end-point analysed was cardiac death. In the revascularized group, cardiac death occurred in one of the 41 patients with and in 16 of the 83 patients without a viable myocardium (2.4% vs 19.3%, P<0.01). Outcome, as estimated by Kaplan-Meier survival, was better for patients with, compared to patients without, a viable myocardium, who underwent coronary revascularization (97.6 vs 77.4%, P=0.01). Using a Cox proportional hazards model, the presence of myocardial viability was shown to exert a protective effect on survival (chi-square 4.6, hazard ratio 0.1, 95% CI 0.01-0.8, P<0.03). The survival rate in medically treated patients was lower than in revascularized patients irrespective of the presence of a viable myocardium (79.7% vs 86.2, P=ns).

CONCLUSION

In severe left ventricular ischaemic dysfunction, myocardial viability, as assessed by low dose dipyridamole echo, is associated with improved survival in revascularized patients.

The early diagnosis of dementia: triggers, early signs and luxating events

BACKGROUND

In order to make it possible and feasible that GPs diagnose dementia at an earlier phase than usual, it is important to know what elements in the available information on the patient and the family may trigger the diagnostic hypothesis of dementia.

METHOD

By qualitative research, the stories of family members of dementia patients, according to DSM-III-R criteria, were analysed.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

This work produced the following hypotheses: disturbances in functioning at work and ADL-IADL disturbances, the seeking of the carer's support and emotional problems-in addition to the more classical memory problems-are early signs and may be essential triggers for the GP to consider the possibility of an emerging dementia. Change of medication, narcosis, loss of the carer and hospital admission are luxating moments for the sudden appearance of symptoms and disturbances caused by dementia. Further research should be carried out to develop instruments for the early detection of dementia that step across neuropsychological tests and are feasible for daily use in a primary care setting.

Prognostic value of myocardial viability in medically treated patients with global left ventricular dysfunction early after an acute uncomplicated myocardial infarction: a dobutamine stress echocardiographic study

BACKGROUND

Residual viable myocardium identified by dobutamine stress after myocardial infarction may act as an unstable substrate for further events such as subsequent angina and reinfarction. However, in patients with severe global left ventricular dysfunction, viability might be protective rather than detrimental. The aim of this study was to assess the impact on survival of echocardiographically detected viability in medically treated patients with global left ventricular dysfunction evaluated after acute uncomplicated myocardial infarction.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The data bank of the large-scale, prospective, multicenter, observational Echo Dobutamine International Cooperative (EDIC) study was interrogated to select 314 medically treated patients (271 men; age, 58+/-9 years) who underwent low-dose (</=10 microg x kg-1 x min-1) dobutamine for the detection of myocardial viability and high-dose dobutamine for the detection of myocardial ischemia (</=40 microg x kg-1 x min-1 with atropine </=1 mg) performed 12+/-6 days after an acute uncomplicated myocardial infarction and showing a moderate to severe resting left ventricular dysfunction (wall motion score index [WMSI] >1.6). Patients were followed up for 9+/-7 months. Low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography identified myocardial viability in 130 patients (52%). Dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography was positive for ischemia in 148 patients (47%) and negative in 166 patients (53%). During the follow-up, there were 12 cardiac deaths (3.8% of the total population). With the use of Cox proportional hazards model, delta low-dose WMSI (the variation between rest WMSI and low-dose WMSI) was shown to exert a protective effect by reducing cardiac death by 0.8 for each decrease in WMSI at low-dose dobutamine (coefficient, -0.2; hazard ratio, 0.8; P<0.03); WMSI at peak stress was the best predictor of cardiac death in this set of patients (hazard ratio, 14.9; P<0.0018).

CONCLUSIONS

In medically treated patients with severe global left ventricular dysfunction early after acute uncomplicated myocardial infarction, the presence of myocardial viability identified as inotropic reserve after low-dose dobutamine is associated with a higher probability of survival. The higher the number of segments showing improvement of function, the better the impact is of myocardial viability on survival. The presence of inducible ischemia in this set of patients is the best predictor of cardiac death.

The elusive link between coronary lesion morphology and dobutamine stress echocardiography results. The EDIC (Echo Dobutamine International Cooperative) Study Group

BACKGROUND

Coronary lesion angiographic morphology of the complex type is associated to enhanced susceptibility to ischemia during vasodilator adenosinergic stress testing and attributed to the reduced vasodilatory capacity of the damaged endothelium. Whether coronary lesion morphology can also influence the results of adrenergic pharmacologic stress test remains unknown. The aim of our study was to assess the relationship between coronary plaque morphology and dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography (DASE) results.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analyzed DASE (up to 40 mcg/kg/min plus atropine) and coronary angiography data of 42 patients with single vessel disease and no totally occluded vessel at angiography. 7 patients had angina, 35 had previous infarction. A diagnostic DASE was performed in all patients within 1-10 (mean 4.7 +/- 3.4) days before coronary angiography. An angiographic lesion was considered complex when irregular borders and/or intraluminal lucencies, suggestive of ulcer and/or thrombus were present. According to the angiographic lesion morphology (Ambrose classification), 2 groups were identified: Group I, with simple lesion; Group II with complex lesion. The two groups were similar for number of patients (n = 21), age (I = 55 +/- 11 vs II = 53 +/- 7 years, p = ns), coronary stenosis severity expressed as % diameter reduction (I = 77 +/- 14 vs II = 78 +/- 15%, p = ns), presence of previous infarction (I = 17 vs II = 18 pts, p = ns). No difference was found in the prevalence of positivity between the two groups (I = 72 vs II = 62%, p = ns). The two groups achieved a similar peak dobutamine dose (I = 32 +/- 9 vs II = 33 +/- 9 mcg/kg/min, p = ns) and peak Wall Motion Score Index (I = 1.5 +/- 0.26 vs II = 1.45 +/- 0.28, p = ns).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with non occlusive single vessel disease, coronary morphology of complex type is not associated with greater vulnerability to dobutamine induced ischemia.

Prognostic value of dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography early after acute myocardial infarction. Echo Dobutamine International Cooperative (EDIC) Study

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this multicenter, multinational, prospective, observational study was to assess the relative value of myocardial viability and induced ischemia early after uncomplicated myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND

Dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography allows evaluation of rest function (at baseline), myocardial viability (at low dose) and residual ischemia (peak dose, up to 40 micrograms with atropine up to 1 mg) in one test.

METHODS

Dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography was performed 12 +/- 5 days (mean +/- SD) after a first uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction in 778 patients (677 men; mean age 58 +/- 10 years) with technically satisfactory rest echocardiographic study results. Patients were followed-up for 9 +/- 7 months.

RESULTS

Dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiographic findings were positive for myocardial ischemia in 436 of patients (56%) and negative in 342 (44%). During follow-up, there were 14 cardiac-related deaths (1.8% of the total cohort), 24 (2.9%) nonfatal myocardial infarctions and 63 (8%) hospital readmissions for unstable angina. One hundred seventy-four patients (22%) underwent coronary revascularization (bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty). Spontaneous events occurred in 61 of 436 patients with positive and 40 of 342 patients with negative findings on dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography (14% vs. 12%, p = 0.3). When only spontaneously occurring events were considered, the most important predictor was myocardial viability (chi-square 9.7). Using the Cox proportional hazards model, only the presence of myocardial viability (hazard ratio [HR] 2.0, p < 0.002) and age (HR 1.03, p < 0.001) were predictive of spontaneously occurring events. When only hard cardiac events were considered, age was the strongest predictor (chi-square 3.6, p = 0.056), followed by wall motion score index (WMSI) at peak dose (chi-square 3.3, p = 0.06) and remote ischemia (chi-square 2.25, p = 0.1). When cardiac death was considered, WMSI at peak dose was the best predictor (HR 9.2, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

During dobutamine stress, echocardiographic recognition of myocardial viability is more prognostically important than echocardiographic recognition of myocardial ischemia for predicting unstable angina, whereas WMSI at peak stress was the best predictor of cardiac-related death. Different events can be recognized with different efficiency by various stress echocardiographic variables.

Reproducibility of wall motion score and its correlation with left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with acute myocardial infarction

The inter- and intraobserver variability, as well as the relation to left ventricular (LV) function indexes, of LV wall motion score calculated using the 16- and 11-segment models of LV segmentation were assessed in 105 patients with acute myocardial infarction who were examined at 36 +/- 7 hours from onset of symptoms. In these patients, the use of the 16-segment model of LV segmentation portends to a significantly higher inter- and intraobserver reproducibility of segmental wall motion score than the use of the 11-segment model. In addition, wall motion score assessed with the more detailed 16-segment model of LV segmentation showed a significantly higher correlation with LV ejection fraction than the wall motion score assessed using the 11-segment model.

Does stress echocardiography predict the site of future myocardial infarction? A large-scale multicenter study. EPIC (Echo Persantine International Cooperative) and EDIC (Echo Dobutamine International Cooperative) study groups

OBJECTIVES

We sought to assess whether the site of future myocardial infarction can be predicted on the basis of induced dyssynergy ("area at risk") recognized by stress echocardiography.

BACKGROUND

The severity and extent of stress-induced dyssynergy are strong predictors of subsequent major cardiac events. However, high grade stenotic lesions are not strictly associated with the site of future coronary occlusions.

METHODS

From the stress echocardiography multicenter trials data bank, we selected 70 patients (56 men; mean age +/- SD 58 +/- 11 years) meeting the following inclusion criteria: 1) dipyridamole (n = 53) or dobutamine (n = 17) stress echocardiography; 2) a spontaneously occurring infarction, with no intercurrent revascularization procedure between the initial study and the infarction; and 3) a follow-up rest echocardiogram obtained 41 +/- 90 days after the infarction.

RESULTS

A complete ischemia-infarction mismatch (infarct-related dysfunction in a patient with negative stress test results) occurred in 29 patients (41%). A partial mismatch (ischemic dysfunction in a territory different from the infarct area) occurred in nine patients (13%). A match (ischemia-related and infarction-related dyssynergy involving the same region) occurred in 32 patients (46%). The average time interval between the stress examination and the occurrence of infarction or reinfarction was 144 +/- 160 days in patients with a match and 439 +/- 622 days in patients with a mismatch (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Induced ischemia (imaged as transient dyssynergy by pharmacologic stress echocardiography) inconsistently identifies the site of future infarction. The majority of spontaneous coronary occlusions leading to infarction are unheralded by induced ischemia. However, most infarctions occurring within 1 year of stress testing are in the area identified as ischemic during testing.

The atropine factor in pharmacologic stress echocardiography. Echo Persantine (EPIC) and Echo Dobutamine International Cooperative (EDIC) Study Groups

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to compare, head to head, the two most popular pharmacologic stress echocardiographic tests--dipyridamole and dobutamine--with state of the art protocols in a large multicenter prospective study.

BACKGROUND

In the continuing quest for ideal diagnostic accuracy, pharmacologic stress echocardiography has quickly moved over the years from low to high dose regimens and is currently performed with atropine coadministration.

METHODS

Dobutamine (up to 40 microgram/kg body weight per min) plus atropine (up to 1 mg over 4 h) and dipyridamole (up to 0.84 mg/kg per min over 10 h) plus atropine (up to 1 mg over 4 h) stress echocardiography was performed on different days, in random order and within 1 week in 360 patients with chest pain syndrome. Thirteen different echocardiographic laboratories, all fulfilling quality control criteria for stress echocardiographic reading, contributed to the study.

RESULTS

No major complications occurred during either test. The test was interrupted before achievement of predetermined end points for limiting side effects in 37 dobutamine-atropine and 7 dipyridamole-atropine stress echocardiographic studies (feasibility 90% vs. 98%, p < 0.01). Diagnostic accuracy was assessed in a subset of 110 patients with no obvious rest dyssynergy (akinesia or dyskinesia) who underwent coronary angiography independently of test results and within 1 week of testing. Significant coronary artery disease (> or = 50% diameter reduction in at least one major coronary vessel by quantitative coronary angiography) was found in 92 patients. Sensitivity for detection of coronary artery disease was 84% (77 of 92) for dobutamine-atropine and 82% (75 of 92) for dipyridamole-atropine stress echocardiography (p = NS), with a specificity of 89% (16 of 18) for dobutamine-atropine and 94% (17 of 18) for dipyridamole-atropine stress echocardiography (p = NS). A significant correlation was present between peak wall motion score index during dipyridamole-atropine and dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography (r = 0.83, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Dobutamine-atropine and dipyridamole-atropine stress echocardiography are safe and feasible, although submaximal studies are more frequent with dobutamine. The two stresses have comparable accuracy in the detection of angiographically assessed coronary artery disease, although dobutamine is marginally more sensitive and dipyridamole marginally more specific. Stratification of the ischemic response in the space domain is also comparable with the two stresses.

[Identification of multivessel coronary disease using myocardial Thallium-201 and dipyridamole scintigraphy in acute myocardial infarction in the thrombolytic era]

Recently some Authors observed a low sensitivity of submaximal exercise thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy for predicting multivessel coronary disease in patients with recent acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated with thrombolytic therapy. The aim of our study was to evaluate the accuracy of dipyridamole thallium-201 single photon emission computerized tomography (DIP-SPECT) for predicting the location and the extent of coronary artery disease in patients with recent uncomplicated AMI and to compare the results obtained in patients treated with thrombolytic therapy (Group T) to those obtained in patients treated with non-thrombolytic therapy (Group NT). We examined 61 consecutive patients with recent uncomplicated AMI by predischarge DIP-SPECT as well as by coronary angiography. In the Group T the total number of reversible perfusion defects per patient was 2.6 +/- 1.9 of which 2.1 +/- 1.6 at infarct site and 0.5 +/- 0.7 in other coronary territories; similarly, in the Group NT the total number of reversible perfusion defects per patient was 2.5 +/- 1.6 (NS compared to Group T) of which 1.9 +/- 1.2 (NS compared to Group T) at infarct site and 0.5 +/- 0.8 (NS compared to Group T) in other coronary territories. In Group T, DIP-SPECT demonstrated a sensitivity of 84% with specificity of 60% for predicting critical (> or = 70%) stenoses at infarct site as well as a sensitivity of 54% with specificity of 54% in the other coronary territories (data are expressed in number of patients per cent). The sensitivity and specificity observed in Group NT did not differ significantly from those of Group T.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Ureteral stump calculi

We report 2 cases of ureteral stump calculi presenting years after nephrectomy. Stones in the ureteral stump are extremely uncommon, and their occurrence has led us to review the possible mechanisms underlying their etiology.

Bladder pheochromocytoma: evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging

A 17-year-old black woman with a large vesical pheochromocytoma was managed successfully by hemicystectomy and ureteroneocystotomy. Preoperatively, in addition to the routine diagnostic evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging was performed. Magnetic resonance imaging proved to be an extremely useful modality to assess the integrity of the bladder wall and extent of extravesical involvement.

Dramatic response of pulmonary metastasis from prostatic cancer to LH-RH agonist treatment

A case is presented of an elderly man with stage D2 cancer of the prostate who responded dramatically to hormonal manipulation utilizing LH-RH agonist. This case has three exceptional features: absence of bone metastasis; massive pulmonary metastasis; and rectal ulceration due to prostatic neoplasm. Although any type of hormonal manipulation could have achieved the same results, the use of LH-RH agonist has distinct advantages: minimal side effects and good patient tolerance.

Spontaneous retroperitoneal hemorrhage: unusual presentation of renal cancer

Spontaneous retroperitoneal hemorrhage as the presenting sign of renal cancer is rare. A case of spontaneous retroperitoneal hemorrhage from a renal carcinoma is described and management possibilities presented. While it is true that renal angiomyolipomas are the main cause of spontaneous retroperitoneal renal bleeding, the possibility of renal cancer should be entertained more often in the differential diagnosis.

Intrathecal FMRFamide (Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2) induces excessive grooming behavior in mice

The molluscan neuropeptide Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2 (FMRFamide) was administered intrathecally (i.t.) to mice and their behavior was monitored for 30 min. FMRFamide induced a dramatic and dose-related (5-12 micrograms) increase in grooming-related activities compared to saline-treated controls. The grooming behavior produced by 8 micrograms FMRFamide was not blocked by simultaneous i.t. administration of 10 micrograms of the following antagonists: atropine, phentolamine, methysergide, naloxone or spantide; peripheral administration of naloxone (3.5 mg/kg, s.c.) also failed to antagonize FMRFamide grooming. These data constitute the first report that FMRFamide produces behavioral changes in mammals.

Optical path length fluctuations in the atmosphere

The effect of atmospheric fluctuations on measurements of distance has become increasingly important as laser interferometers become more widely used. The present study evaluates the precision with which dimensions can be monitored by interferometry involving optical path lengths in the open air under good atmospheric conditions. The size and time scale of optical path length fluctuations over distances of one meter, and correlations between fluctuations in nearby optical paths, are measured and analyzed.

Transitional cell carcinoma occurring in ureterocele

A case of transitional cell cancer developing in a ureterocele stump several years after a heminephroureterectomy is described. The role of ultrasonography in establishing the diagnosis is emphasized. This case illustrates the potentially dangerous effect of leaving a defunctionalized ureteral stump and ureterocele. Recommendation is made for removal of the ureteral stump and ureterocele at the time of heminephroureterectomy to prevent the aforementioned complication.

Bilateral testicular germ cell malignancy

The other testicle was involved in 6 of 235 patients (2.69 per cent) with a history of testicular germ cell tumor. It occurred more often following seminoma (4 of 113, 3.5 per cent cases). The mean age at occurrence of the first tumor (twenty-five years) was earlier than expected, and the mean interval between tumors was 8.8 years. Accurate clinical staging of second tumors is impeded by alteration in the routes of metastatic dissemination, and treatment options are limited by previous therapy for the first tumor.