Post-CT-guided lung biopsy optimisation of the observation period by identifying patients at risk of delayed pneumothorax.

Introduction: Identify the risk factors for delayed pneumothorax after lung biopsy.

Methods: A retrospective study of 355 CT-guided lung biopsies was performed at Fiona Stanley Hospital, Western Australia over 42 months. A comprehensive range of patient, lesion and procedural variables were recorded.

A study of the relationship between peak skin dose and cumulative air kerma in interventional neuroradiology and cardiology.

A study of peak skin doses (PSDs) during neuroradiology and cardiology interventional procedures has been carried out using Gafchromic XR-RV2 film. Use of mosaics made from squares held in cling film has allowed doses to the head to be mapped successfully. The displayed cumulative air kerma (CAK) has been calibrated in terms of cumulative entrance surface dose (CESD) and results indicate that this can provide a reliable indicator of the PSD in neuroradiology.

A pilot study of erythrocyte lithium-sodium countertransport in women during the menstrual cycle.

Objective: The study investigated lithium-sodium countertransport in erythrocytes of normal female volunteers during different phases of the menstrual cycle or during administration of oral contraceptives.

Methods: Ten normally menstruating, and eight oral contraceptive using, normal female subjects were studied over at least one cycle. Erythrocyte lithium-sodium countertransport was determined using.

Alteration of transcription factor mRNAs during the isolation and culture of rat hepatocytes suggests the activation of a proliferative mode underlies their de-differentiation.

The commonly observed loss of liver specific phenotype regularly described in rat hepatocyte culture is typified by the loss of total cytochrome P450 (CYP) content and the altered abundance of CYP mRNAs. The current work shows that these changes are preceded by the induction of the mRNA encoding the transcription factor c-jun during the hepatocyte isolation procedure. Then as the hepatocytes attach to the substratum the induced expression of c-jun subsides and two patterns of CYP mRNA loss are observed.