Locomotion in the abalone Haliotis kamtschatkana: pedal morphology and cost of transport.

Morphological analyses of pedal sole area and pedal waves were conducted for a range of speeds and body sizes in the abalone Haliotis kamtschatkana. The pedal sole of resting abalone increased in size disproportionately with animal volume (slope of log10-transformed data, b=0.83; expected slope for isometry, b0=0.

Extirpation of a jugular foramen schwannoma via the transcervical-transmandibular approach.

Schwannomas of the jugular foramen are rare lesions. We present a case of a schwannoma of the spinal accessory nerve that occurred in the jugular foramen and skull base of a 52-year-old woman. The tumor was completely extirpated via a transcervical-transmandibular approach with an excellent functional result.

Tumour uptake of doxorubicin in polyethylene glycol-coated liposomes and therapeutic effect against a xenografted human pancreatic carcinoma.

This study tested the therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin hydrochloride in two formulations: free in saline suspension and encapsulated in polyethylene glycol-coated, long-circulating liposomes. The drug formulations at a dose level of 3 mg doxorubicin per kg body weight were injected intravenously to treat the human pancreatic carcinoma AsPC-1, implanted s.c.

Marlatt's classification of relapse precipitants: is the Emperor still wearing clothes?

The present paper provides comments on the series of papers dealing with the reliability and validity of Marlatt's taxonomy of relapse precipitants. The results of these papers suggest that the degree of reliability and predictive validity of the original relapse taxonomy, as operationalized and employed in the present studies, is lower than would be hoped for. Both methodological factors in the studies and limitations in the taxonomy are discussed.

Assessment issues and domains in the prediction of relapse.

The present paper provides a brief overview of methodological issues involved in the process of assessment related to the classification and prediction of relapse. These include conceptual and operational definitions of relapse, retrospective versus prospective assessment, attributional biases in recalling relapse events, single versus multiple determinants of relapse, static versus dynamic assessment models, and the necessary level of specificity involved in the assessment of relapse categories. Additionally, general domains representing distal personal characteristics, intermediate background variables and factors proximal in time to relapse situations are reviewed.

Conceptualizations of relapse: a summary of psychological and psychobiological models.

While substance use disorders have long been recognized as chronic relapsing conditions, it has mainly been in the last two decades that clinical researchers have been systematically attending to the nature and processes of relapse. These efforts have led to the development of a variety of psychological and psychobiological models of relapse. These models are summarized in the present article, with particular attention placed on each model's basic principles and on the precipitants of relapse predicted by the respective models.

The removal of a transdural pedicle screw placed for thoracolumbar spine fracture.

Study Design: This report describes the method of removal of a pedicle screw that had been misplaced through the thecal sac and the cauda equina instead of its proper location within the pedicle.

Objectives: A patient who previously had undergone placement of pedicle screws and Roy-Camille plates for fixation of L1 burst fracture presented to the authors with neurologic deficits and a cerebrospinal fluid leak. Computed tomography myelogram and surgical findings demonstrated misplacement of three of the screws, one of which was placed through the dura with resulting impingement of nerve roots within the thecal sac.

Hypercalcitoninemia and inappropriate calciuria in the acute trauma patient.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to determine the role of calcium-regulatory hormones (calcitonin [CT], parathyroid hormone [PTH], and vitamin D analogs) during the first 48 hours after acute trauma.

Methods: Eleven acutely traumatized patients admitted to the shock-trauma intensive care unit (STICU) in a tertiary care teaching hospital were enrolled. Eleven same-day elective surgery patients served as the control group.

Osteoporosis in lung transplantation candidates with end-stage pulmonary disease.

Purpose: Fractures, a common complication of cardiac and liver transplantation, have not been reported in association with lung transplantation. However, many patients with end-stage pulmonary disease have multiple risk factors for osteoporosis, and several studies have suggested that osteoporosis before transplantation may increase the risk of fracture after transplantation. Therefore, we evaluated a group of patients with end-stage pulmonary disease who were awaiting lung transplantation to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis.

Botulinum toxin injection into vocal cord in the treatment of malignant coprolalia associated with Tourette's syndrome.

We describe a 13-year-old boy with Tourette's syndrome (TS) manifested chiefly by severe coprolalia, obsessive compulsive disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He was treated with unilateral injections of botulinum toxin to the vocal cord and experienced marked improvement in coprolalia as well as marked reduction in the premonitory urges associated with the vocal tics and coprolalia. As a result of the improvement, the patient was able to attend school and church and was able to socialize.

Long-term treatment of malignant gliomas with intramuscularly administered polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid stabilized with polylysine and carboxymethylcellulose: an open pilot study.

Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid stabilized with polylysine and carboxymethylcellulose (poly-ICLC) (10-50 mcg/kg, administered intramuscularly one to three times weekly) was given for < or = 56 months to 38 patients with malignant gliomas. There was minimal or no toxicity. Twenty of 30 patients (66%) receiving at least twice weekly poly-ICLC showed regression or stabilization of gadolinium-enhancing tumor, as revealed by magnetic resonance imaging (median = 65% volume decrease).

Evaluation of a soluble fibrin assay in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism.

In order to determine the clinical utility of an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for soluble fibrin in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE), 195 unselected patients with suspected PE underwent blood sampling for measurement of plasma levels of soluble fibrin, and objective testing for PE. A soluble fibrin result of < or = 0.75 micrograms/ml showed a sensitivity of 100% for PE and a specificity of 12.

Alcohol abuse in urban Indian adolescents and women: a longitudinal study for assessment and risk evaluation.

Empirical studies of American Indian health and mental health have focused primarily on reservation samples or small cross-sectional school-based or treatment samples. Few studies have addressed these issues among urban American Indian populations. This paper introduces an ongoing ten-year prospective longitudinal study of alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and mental health status in a community sample of urban American Indian adolescents and women.

Retained cocaine conditioned place preference in D1 receptor deficient mice.

The role of the D1 dopamine receptor subtype in mediating cocaine effects was examined in mice in which the D1 receptor gene had been ablated by homologous recombination. Cocaine reward was assessed by conditioned place preference experiments using mice which had either one allele (+/-) or both alleles (-/-) of the D1 dopamine receptor gene disrupted and in their wild type (+/+) littermates. Cocaine conditioning resulted in similar increases in preference for drug-paired environments in mice of each of the three genotypes.

Antiphospholipid antibodies and venous thromboembolism.

The clinical relevance of antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) in patients without systemic lupus erythematosus who have venous thromboembolism (VTE) in unknown. Limited evidence suggests that there is an association between the presence of APLA and both initial and recurrent episodes of VTE and that patients with APLA and VTE are resistant to warfarin therapy. Unselected patients with a first episode of clinically suspected deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism were evaluated with objective tests for VTE and with laboratory tests for APLA; the latter included tests for the lupus anticoagulant (LA) and anticardiolipin antibodies (ACLA).

Prevention of metastasis from mouse mammary carcinomas with liposomes carrying doxorubicin.

Weekly treatments with doxorubicin encapsulated in long circulating, sterically stabilised liposomes (DOX-SL) reduced the incidence of metastases from primary mammary carcinoma from 24 of 47 untreated mice to 3 of 23 treated mice. Toxic side-effects were limited to minor, transient weight losses.

Alcohol interventions in trauma centers. Current practice and future directions.

Nearly half of all trauma beds are occupied by patients who were injured while under the influence of alcohol. Alcoholism plays such a significant role in trauma that efforts to reduce injury recurrence are unlikely to be successful if it remains untreated. An injury requiring hospitalization creates a unique opportunity to intervene and to motivate patients to alter their drinking behavior, thereby making trauma centers ideal sites to implement an alcohol screening, intervention, and referral program.

Functional Significance of Varices in the Muricid Gastropod Ceratostoma foliatum.

Functional significance of varices in the muricid gastropod Ceratostoma foliatum was investigated from the standpoints of (1) frequency of landing in the two upside-down orientations after short vertical falls of less than five body lengths through seawater and energy costs of righting from these upside-down positions, and (2) scaling relationships of varix areas with other body dimensions. Field manipulations showed that C. foliatum occupied habitats that mostly permit short falls of less than five body lengths upon dislodgment, as might occur during predation by fish.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the larynx.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the larynx are a rare group of tumors that include carcinoid tumor, atypical carcinoid tumor, and small cell carcinoma. These neoplasms pose interesting diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic dilemmas, and they are, as a whole, aggressive tumors with a tendency for local and distant spread. The authors of this study examined six new cases of laryngeal neuroendocrine neoplasms.

Alcohol use before and after traumatic head injury.

Study Objective: To determine (1) the significance of blood alcohol level in the emergency department in history of alcohol abuse and (2) the significance of habitual alcohol use in head-injured patients before and after injury.

Design: Inception cohort study with 1-year follow-up.

Setting: Level I trauma center.

Human and mouse dopamine transporter genes: conservation of 5'-flanking sequence elements and gene structures.

Synaptic reaccumulation of the neurotransmitter dopamine is mediated by the dopamine transporter (DAT), a member of the family of twelve transmembrane domain, sodium- and chloride-dependent neurotransmitter transporters. Several DAT features, including its exclusive expression in dopaminergic neurons, implication in cocaine action, and prominent role in the mechanisms of Parkinsonism-inducing neurotoxins, make understanding of the DAT gene of interest. Isolation and characterization of the human and mouse DAT genes has allowed elucidation of similarities between each and other members of this transporter gene family.

Differentiating "bad drivers" with and without a DWI.

Objective: Risk factors for driving while intoxicated (DWI) are still largely unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors, other than multiple vehicle-related violations, that identify a group of bad drivers at risk of subsequent DWI violations.

Method: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of drivers with multiple vehicle-related violations who completed a questionnaire on driving and personal characteristics (N = 253).