Laparoscopy: direct trocar insertion without pneumoperitoneum.

This paper examines the technique of directly inserting the laparoscopic trocar without establishing a previous pneumoperitoneum. The technique is carefully described, and a series of 1002 patients in whom it has been used are reported. The advantages of this method are discussed.

Aesthetic refinements in prophylactic mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.

Immediate reconstruction of more than 1000 breasts was performed on high-risk patients on whom a prophylactic mastectomy was done. The mastectomy removes as much breast tissue as possible while leaving sufficient skin, and possibly the nipple-areola complex, to enable immediate reconstruction. The creation of symmetrical, well-balanced muscle pockets for the implant is the most important factor in producing satisfactory results in these cases.

Exercise-induced changes in uterine artery blood flow, as measured by Doppler ultrasound, in pregnant subjects.

Eleven healthy women with singleton pregnancies between 16 and 28 weeks gestation were continuously exercised, in a graded fashion, by stationary bicycle to a predetermined target heart rate. Before and within 3 minutes after exercise, uterine artery waveforms were identified from a semirecumbent position using a 3.5 MHz continuous-wave Doppler transducer coupled to an Angioscan spectrum analyzer.

Swelling of multicellular spheroids induced by hyperthermia.

EMT6 multicellular spheroids invariably swell by 10 to 50 per cent after incubation at 43 to 45 degrees C for 1 h. Both scanning electron and optical microscopy reveal morphological alterations particularly in the outer region of the spheroids. While the control cells are contiguous to one another and tightly held to the spheroid body, the heated spheroids exhibit partially disrupted contacts among cells.

Tubal reanastomosis: a comparison between microsurgical and microlaser techniques.

In order to evaluate the effect of the carbon dioxide laser as an adjunct to conventional microsurgical techniques, the authors retrospectively reviewed the charts of 53 patients who underwent tubal reanastomosis after elective sterilization. Thirty-two patients had non-laser microsurgical reanastomosis from 1981 to 1985; 21 patients had microlaser tubal reanastomosis from 1983 to 1985. All patients had unprotected intercourse for at least 1 year.

Adhesion formation and uterine tube healing in the rabbit: a controlled study of the effect of ibuprofen and flurbiprofen.

To determine if the prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors ibuprofen and flurbiprofen can suppress postoperative adhesion formation, New Zealand White rabbits that had uterine tubal ligation underwent uterine tube reanastomosis and were given either saline solution (controls), 75 mg of ibuprofen intravenously every 6 hours, or 12.5 mg of flurbiprofen intravenously every 6 hours for 8 doses after operation. Both ibuprofen and flurbiprofen significantly reduced postoperative adhesions (p less than 0.

The murine transforming growth factor-beta precursor.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a homodimeric polypeptide which can act, often in cooperation with other growth factors, as a mitogenic factor for a variety of cells. TGF-beta can also exert growth inhibitory activity on many other cell lines. We have isolated cDNAs coding for the murine TGF-beta cDNA precursor.

Use of silicone fluids in studies of cellular amino acids.

In numerous cellular studies, cells labeled with radioisotopes have been separated from the labeling medium by an aqueous solution in order to determine the quantity of internalized labels; however, the aqueous wash tends to remove significant labeling from the cells. Therefore, in order to preserve all of the internalized labels, non-aqueous medium such as silicone fluids may be used. The termination of the labeling is achieved in the silicone method when, upon centrifugation, the cells separate from the medium and enter the silicone fluid to sediment to the tube bottom.

Human transforming growth factor-beta complementary DNA sequence and expression in normal and transformed cells.

The partial amino-acid sequence of purified human transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) was used to identify a series of cDNA clones encoding the protein. The cDNA sequence indicates that the 112-amino acid monomeric form of the natural TGF-beta homodimer is derived proteolytically from a much longer precursor polypeptide which may be secreted. TGF-beta messenger RNA is synthesized in various normal and transformed cells.

Insulin binding to human ovaries.

Human ovarian tissue samples were obtained at the time of laparotomy, and plasma membrane fractions were prepared and used in receptor assays. Incubations of the membrane fraction were performed with [125I]insulin (porcine), and Scatchard analysis of binding showed biphasic curves. The high affinity sites had an average concentration of 57.

Cloning and expression of cDNA for human lymphotoxin, a lymphokine with tumour necrosis activity.

A chemically-synthesized gene and natural complementary DNA coding for human lymphotoxin were isolated and engineered for expression in Escherichia coli. Purified recombinant lymphotoxin shows cytotoxic activity on murine and human tumour cell lines in vitro and causes necrosis of certain murine sarcomas in vivo.

Small bowel obstruction following diagnostic laparoscopy.

The occurrence of an incarcerated small bowel hernia through a subumbilical laparoscopic incision site is a rare event. The obstruction occurred 7 weeks after laparoscopy and 1 week after bilateral tuboplasty through a Pfannenstiel incision. Following laparoscopy, the possibility of a bowel obstruction should be entertained in any patient presenting with signs consistent with this diagnosis regardless of the intervening period of time.

Environmental effects on mastitis and milk quality.

The environment provided for dairy cows should be designed and maintained so that cow comfort and sanitation are maximized and disease exposure is minimized. Too often, housing facilities are designed for the dairyman rather than for the cow. This factor can result in reduced cow comfort, which, in turn, leads to reduced performance.

Comparison of diagnostic accuracy of laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, and hysterosalpingography in evaluation of female infertility.

The diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic value of hysterosalpingography (HSG), laparoscopy, and hysteroscopy were evaluated in 77 women who underwent these procedures as part of their infertility evaluation. HSG revealed in 32 women (42%) evidence of tubal or peritoneal disease, and 16 other women (21%) had radiographic evidence of intrauterine abnormalities. These findings were confirmed by laparoscopy in 84% of patients and by hysteroscopy in 69%, giving false-positive rates of 16% and 31% for HSG.

Mobilization of amino acids in tumor cells by hyperthermia.

When p815 mastocytoma cells are heated to 43 degrees C from 37 degrees C, pools of individual amino acids and the total amino acid pool increase significantly, the latter reaching a new plateau within 20 minutes. The increase in the total amino acid pool may reach as much as 75 mOsm per liter of cell water or 26% of the cellular osmolarity. The source of this excess amino acid is not due to an accelerated degradation of proteins, but either to the amino acids left behind by slowed protein synthesis or to the accelerated transport of extracellular amino acids into the cell.

Jogging during pregnancy: an improved outcome?

Little information is available concerning the effects of jogging during pregnancy on fetal and maternal outcomes. Through the use of a questionnaire, data were obtained on 67 experienced runners who continued to jog during pregnancy. The women had been running for an average of 3.