The history and present status of radiographic screening for breast carcinoma.

Many of the perceived and actual difficulties in the creation of screening centers have been solved or are amenable to solution. The amount of radiation delivered to the breast during mammography no longer poses a significant risk and there is ample evidence that screening mammography can detect occult disease. While substantial evidence is lacking with respect to a decrease in mortality in patients under 50 years of age, there is an unequivocal gain in those over 50 years of age.

Successful medical management of neutropenic enterocolitis in adults with acute leukemia.

Seven adults with acute leukemia had a clinical and radiologic diagnosis of neutropenic enterocolitis. Six of the seven patients had granulocyte counts less than 500/microliter. All seven patients responded to intensive medical therapy, including bowel rest, broad spectrum antibiotics, and white blood cell transfusions, and recovered from the neutropenic enterocolitis without surgical intervention.

Radiological assessment of Paget's disease of bone after treatment with the bisphosphonates EHDP and APD.

The effects of therapy on the osteolytic bone lesions of Paget's disease have been assessed from serial bone radiographs. Changes in the rate of progression of lytic "wedge" lesions were measured and alterations in the texture of lytic "blade" lesions were graded on an empirical scale. Useful matching was possible using standard radiographs, although special care was needed to avoid artefacts from suboptimal positioning, magnification and variation in exposure.

Evidence for an olfactory receptor which responds to nicotine--nicotine as an odorant.

The tobacco alkaloid (S)(-)-nicotine, when applied as a vapour to an in vitro head preparation, stimulates the olfactory epithelium in three strains of rats and to a lesser extent in two strains of mice. The electro-olfactogram (EOG) generated by nicotine has similar characteristics to the EOGs produced by known odorants. The nicotine EOG increases with increasing concentration of nicotine vapour (1-100 nM) applied to the olfactory epithelium.

The influence of temperature and membrane-fluidity changes on the olfactory adenylate cyclase of the rat.

At physiological temperatures, the activity of the olfactory adenylate cyclase of the rat is fairly insensitive to small changes in temperature. Membrane fluidization by benzyl alcohol also produces rather small modulations of cyclase activity, although this chemical also has a more specific effect on the enzyme. Insensitivity to temperature and membrane-fluidity changes are desirable properties for a transduction system which must function in an exposed environment.

The effect of concanavalin A on the rat electro-olfactogram at various odorant concentrations.

We have studied the effect of concanavalin A (Con A) on the rat electro-olfactogram response to several odorants. Each odorant was applied over a range of concentrations. For hydrophobic odorants whose response was affected by Con A, the diminution in response was maximal at odorant concentrations of about 1 microM in the olfactory mucus.

The effect of concanavalin A on the rat electro-olfactogram. Differential inhibition of odorant response.

When the rat olfactory mucosa is treated with concanavalin A, it subsequently shows diminished sensitivity towards 60% of the 112 odorants tested (as judged by the amplitude of the electro-olfactogram response). Odorants containing four to six carbon atoms tend to show the largest (absolute) diminutions, suggesting a receptor for this kind of odorant, although the structural specificity is weak. The receptor seems to be of particular importance in the detection of thiols, carboxylic acids and hydrocarbons of the above size, since these compounds loose the highest proportion of their original signal.

Effects of H+ versus CO2 on ventilation in the Pekin duck.

Measurements were made of ventilation (VE) and arterial blood gases (PCO2 and PO2) and pH in awake Pekin ducks, Anas platyrhynchos, exposed to sequential cycles of 1% step changes in inspired CO2 from 0 to 5 and back to 0% CO2, as well as to a sustained period (5 h) of 5% CO2 breathing. Changing the background level of inspired PO2 was used to alter the range of PaCO2 over which CO2 response curves were obtained. The initial increase in minute ventilation following a sustained step increase in inspired CO2 (5%) began to decline immediately at a rate of approximately 1% every 5 min.

Doppler ultrasound prediction of fetal outcome in twin pregnancies.

The usefulness of pulsed Doppler ultrasound in predicting twin pregnancies destined for unsatisfactory outcomes was examined in 30 twin pregnancies. Fetal flow velocity waveform analysis (systolic/diastolic ratio and pulsatility index) and quantitative analysis in the descending aorta and umbilical artery demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity when compared with biparietal diameter and abdominal circumference measurements. This technique shows some promise as a useful adjunct in the management of twin pregnancies.

Clinical utility of multiple-dose administration of prostaglandin E2 gel.

An open-label study was undertaken to assess the clinical impact of multiple doses of intracervical prostaglandin E2 (0.5 mg) gel administered at 6-hour intervals. Fifty women with low Bishop scores requiring induction of labor were recruited.

Experimental comparison between hepatic artery infusion and occlusion-infusion of adriamycin.

Adult mongrel dogs were used to compare hepatic arterial infusion and arterial occlusion-infusion with regard to local and systemic Adriamycin levels. The drug was infused into the right proper hepatic artery of each dog after occlusion of the gastroduodenal artery. Blood and tissue samples were collected at regular intervals for Adriamycin determination.

Olfactory adenylate cyclase of the rat. Stimulation by odorants and inhibition by Ca2+.

Membranes prepared from the olfactory mucosa of the rat show a high level of adenylate cyclase activity. The activity increases up to 2-fold in the presence of physiologically relevant concentrations of odorants and is inhibited by Ca2+. The level of cyclase activity found is sufficient to explain the speed of olfactory transduction, which occurs on a time scale of tens of milliseconds.

The air contrast barium enema--indications and validity.

The double-contrast barium enema is a highly accurate and readily available procedure which is capable of diagnosing benign and malignant disease of the colon at an early state. The level of accuracy is a function of the radiologist's knowledge and willingness to assume complete responsibility for the patient. While reasonable results may be obtained with the high-kilovoltage single-contrast method, it is our opinion that the double contrast examination is the more sensitive procedure and therefore the technique of choice.

Effective oral treatment of severe Paget's disease of bone with APD (3-amino-1-hydroxypropylidene-1,1-bisphosphonate); a comparison with combined calcitonin + EHDP (1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-bisphosphonate).

Ten patients with severe Paget's disease of bone and serum alkaline phosphatase (sAP) greater than 900 IU/l were treated for six months with the oral diphosphonate APD, (3-amino-1-hydroxypropylidene-1, 1-bisphosphonate). By the end of the treatment period there was a reduction in the log mean urine hydroxyproline (uHP) and the log mean sAP of 92% and 87% respectively. In four patients both sAP and uHP fell to within the normal range and remained normal for at least six months after therapy was stopped.

Cervical ripening and labor induction with intracervical triacetin base prostaglandin E2 gel: a placebo-controlled study.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of a single-dose, shelf-stable preparation of prostaglandin E2 gel (PGE2) when used intracervically in patients with low Bishop scores. Two different preparations (0.5 and 0.

Mammography. State of the art.

In recent years, the criticism of mammography as a diagnostic and/or survey procedure has decreased, primarily due to the perception that there has been an increase in quality and a concomitant decrease in risk. A review of the physical changes in mammographic equipment, the characteristics of current image receptors and dosimetry indicates that this assumption is correct. The results of the examination of 280,000 women from the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project centers also support this conclusion.

A double blind, placebo controlled study of piroxicam in the management of acute musculoskeletal disorders.

General Practitioners from the United Kingdom produced data on 1,282 patients with acute soft tissue injury treated with either piroxicam (Feldene) or matching placebo for a period of up to two weeks. The dosage of piroxicam was 40 mg for the first 2 days and 20 mg daily thereafter. Clinical assessment included pain, swelling, limitation of active and passive movement and overall assessment of efficacy and toleration.