[Peroperative anaphylactic reactions due to latex allergy].

A 10-year-old girl with spina bifida underwent surgery to increase the capacity of her neurogenic bladder using an isolated loop of intestine. During the operation serious circulatory and respiratory problems occurred after the peritoneum was opened, when the ileum was manipulated using gloves containing latex. Latex allergy can lead to potentially fatal anaphylactic reactions.

Geitonogamy: The neglected side of selfing.

Flowers of many angiosperm species are well adapted to avoid self-pollination, for instance by temporal and spatial separation of pollen and stigma within the same flower. However, such adaptations do not prevent the transfer of pollen between flowers on the same plant (geitonogamy). Recent empirical studies, aided by advances in field techniques, statistical methods and modelling, show that geitonogamy often is substantial and increases with plant size.

[Ascensus testis or acquired abnormality of testicular engagement in 14 boys].

We report the cases of 14 boys in whom the testes ascended from the normal scrotal position to an undescended position. In 10 of the patients the testes were fixed in the high position by surrounding adhesions or by a patent processus vaginalis. We advocate that all boys, even those born with normally descended testes, should be examined regularly with respect to the position of the testes until puberty.

An antiplatelet aggregation principle and X-ray structural analysis of cis-khellactone diester from Peucedanum japonicum.

Three structurally related khellactone coumarins, 1-3, were isolated from the aerial parts of Peucedanum japonicum (Umbelliferae). Compound 2 was identified as a new coumarin (cis-3'-isovaleryl-4'-senecioylkhellactone) by spectral and chemical analysis. Conformation of the dihydropyrano ring of cis-3',4'-disenecioylkhellactone [3] was elucidated by X-ray crystallographic analysis.

Plant size, geitonogamy and seed set in Ipomopsis aggregata.

We used powdered fluorescent dyes to estimate receipt of self vs. outcross pollen in the self-incompatible species Ipomopsis aggregata (Polemoniaceae). Flowers on small and large plants received equal amounts of outcross pollen, whereas flowers on large plants received more self pollen, so the proportion of self pollen delivered through geitonogamy increased with plant size.

Spinal subdural abscess. Case report.

Only 44 cases of spinal subdural abscess have been reported to date. The authors present another case and review the relevant literature. The findings of intraspinal gassification on computerized tomography scans and Escherichia coli as the causative organism have not previously been described in relation to spinal subdural abscess.

Functional daytime incontinence: non-pharmacological treatment.

In children with 'functional incontinence', defined as any form of (daytime) wetting caused by non-neuropathic bladder/sphincter dysfunction, most signs and symptoms are rooted in habitual non-physiological responses to signals from bladder and urethra. These responses develop at toddler age, when children learn how to remain dry. Once they have become a habit, incomplete bladder emptying and recurrent urinary tract infections come into play, reiterating the non-physiological responses into fixed patterns of bladder/sphincter dysfunction with functional incontinence as the leading symptom.

Functional daytime incontinence: clinical and urodynamic assessment.

Assessment of children with daytime wetting starts with the distinction between 'enuresis diurna' and 'functional incontinence', incontinence being defined as any form of wetting caused by bladder/sphincter dysfunction. Standard history-taking does not allow for a sharp enough distinction: pertinent questions have to be asked about daytime wetting, night-time wetting, micturition, and about urge and reactions to urge. By using urodynamics to expose the pathophysiology behind the patterns of bladder/sphincter dysfunction, these questions were formulated and validated in a series of 156 children, referred with persistent daytime wetting to a programme for cognitive bladder training.

On the Characteristics of the Autoassociative Memory with Nonzero-Diagonal Terms in the Memory Matrix.

A statistical method is applied to explore the unique characteristics of a certain class of neural network autoassociative memory with neurons and first-order synaptic interconnections. The memory matrix is constructed to store = α vectors based on the outer-product learning algorithm. We theoretically prove that, by setting all the diagonal terms of the memory matrix to be and letting the input error ratio ρ = 0, the probability of successful recall steadily decreases as α increases, but as α increases past 1.

[Effect of intermittent catheterization on urinary tract infections and incontinence in children with spina bifida].

Although the primary objective of clean intermittent (self) catheterization (CIC) was to regain continence in (older) children with myelomeningocele (MMC), we used the method also in the very young with detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia, to prevent future damage from the combined effects of obstruction and urinary tract infection (UTI). The results, in terms of incidence of UTI and degree of incontinence before and during CIC, were assessed in 61 children with MMC who had started CIC between 1985 and 1988. Mean follow up was 45.

Noise limitations in optical linear algebra processors.

A general statistical noise model is presented for optical linear algebra processors. A statistical analysis which includes device noise, the multiplication process, and the addition operation is undertaken. We focus on those processes which are architecturally independent.

Asymptomatic occlusion of the internal carotid artery at the skull base.

Three cases are presented of asymptomatic occlusion of the internal carotid artery at level of the skull base due to external compression. In 2 patients the compression was caused by a meningioma infiltrating the skull-base whereas in the third case a giant aneurysm of the i.c.

X-ray crystal structure of acrovestone, a cytotoxic principle from Acronychia pedunculata.

Acrovestone was isolated from the stem and root back of Acronychia pedunculata and shown for the first time to be a cytotoxic principle. Its structure, derived from spectral data, was completely characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis.

Perinatal cytomegalovirus infection in very low birth weight infants.

With the improvement in the survival of very low birth weight (VLBW, birth weight less than 1500gm) infants, problems specifically related to this weight group infants have been revealed. To define the incidence, morbidity and the possible role of blood transfusion of perinatally acquired cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, 89 VLBW infants who had no evidence of congenital CMV infection were enrolled in a prospective study. 94% of the 82 infants tested had transplacental CMV IgG antibody at birth.

Limiting factors for seed production in Cynoglossum officinale.

Over three years of study, small plants of Cynoglossum officinale consistently produced more flowers per unit of dry weight than large plants. In contrast to earlier results, weight of all seeds tended to increase more than proportional to size. As a result a positive correlation existed between seed set per flower and plant size.

Ulnar-shaft fracture needs no treatment. A pilot study of 10 cases.

Ten adults with 10 isolated ulnar-shaft fractures were treated by early exercises. The patients were followed until radiographic consolidation. The average healing time was 6 weeks.

Intra-uterine cystography for evaluation of prenatal obstructive uropathy.

To evaluate the risk for kidney damage in a male fetus with obstructive uropathy, a percutaneous bladder puncture was performed at 26 weeks gestational age and contrast was injected into the fetal bladder. A clear picture was obtained of the bladder with marked widening of the prostatic urethra and posterior urethral valves, and massive bilateral vesicoureteral reflux could be demonstrated. By adding cysto-urethrography to a diagnostic puncture of the fetal bladder it could be proved that the dilatation of the upper urinary tracts was caused by high-pressure vesico-ureteral reflux incurring progressive damage to the renal parenchyma.