Evaluation of image quality using 1 : 1 pitch and 1.5 : 1 pitch helical CT in children: a comparative study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the quality of 1 : 1 and 1.5 : 1 pitch helical contrast-enhanced thoracic and abdominal CT images in children who cannot cooperate for breath holding.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective study of 33 contrast-enhanced CT examinations in 11 children of 0-4 years of age.

DHBV manipulation and prediction of the outcome of infection.

Background/aims: The immunological response of ducks to acute infection with duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) has not been fully characterised. In this study the relationship between viral dose and the outcome of infection in immune competent 26-day-old ducks was examined.

Methods: Indirect ELISA assays were developed to detect the presence of antibody to DHB surface antigen and DHB core antigen.

Establishment of an in-use testing method for evaluating disinfection of surgical instruments using the duck hepatitis B model.

Nosocomial transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV), associated with interventional procedures, has been attributed to its survival on improperly decontaminated instruments. To date, guidelines for chemical disinfection of potentially contaminated heat-sensitive instruments have been based largely on extrapolation of data from in-vitro disinfectant testing. Direct infectivity testing has not been possible for HBV because of the lack of a practical culture assay or susceptible experimental animal model.

2',3'-dideoxy-3'-fluoroguanosine inhibits duck hepatitis B virus in vivo.

Duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) belongs to the same virus family as the human hepatitis B virus (HBV). Domestic ducks infected with DHBV can be used as an animal model for chronic hepatitis B virus infection in therapeutic trials. In this study the antiviral effect of the guanosine analogue 2',3'-dideoxy-3'-fluoroguanosine (FLG) was tried in vivo on chronically DHBV-infected ducks.

In vitro response to mitogens by duck splenic mononuclear cells.

This study has defined the effects of cell concentration, culture conditions and mitogen concentration on the uptake of 3H-labelled thymidine by mononuclear cells (SMC) purified from the spleens of ducks. The mitogen stimulation of cultures containing from 5 x 10(2) to 2 x 10(6) cells per well or more took up 3H-thymidine without the need for mitogenic stimulation. The response to each mitogen tested--phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (ConA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)--was distinctive, with between duck variation in the time for peak stimulation, the level of stimulation with PHA, the response to ConA was variable and the response to LPS was poor.

Preparation, characterization, cytotoxicity, and mutagenicity of a pair of enantiomeric platinum(II) complexes with the potential to bind enantioselectively to DNA.

The synthesis of a pair of enantiomeric Pt(II) complexes, [Pt(R,R-eap)Cl2] and [Pt(S,S-eap)Cl2] (eap = N,N-diethyl-2,4-pentanediamine), designed to bind enantioselectively to GpG and ApG sequences of DNA is described. The in vitro cytotoxicity of each of the enantiomers toward murine leukemia and human bladder tumor cells has been measured. The R,R enantiomer was found to be more active in the leukemia cells, but the difference was not as great as expected (IC50; R,R 14 microM, S,S 33 microM).

Effects of Phyllanthus plant extracts on duck hepatitis B virus in vitro and in vivo.

The effects of extracts of five Australian Phyllanthus species (P. hirtellus, P. gunnii, P.

Duck hepatitis B virus: a model to assess efficacy of disinfectants against hepadnavirus infectivity.

The efficacy of three proprietary glutaraldehyde disinfectants and their component bases was assessed using the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) model. Inactivation of infectivity of undiluted serum containing 10(6.8) ID50/ml DHBV was assessed after a mixture with an equal volume of disinfectant had stood at room temperature for 10 min.

Postexposure treatment of experimental DHBV infection: a new therapeutic strategy.

The therapeutic efficacy of antiviral agents for postexposure prophylaxis to hepadnavirus infection has been studied using acyclovir and foscarnet in the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) model. A total of 112 Pekin-Aylesbury ducks were inoculated with DHBV at 11 days post-hatch. Three days later, groups of these birds were injected intraperitoneally twice daily for 10 days with acyclovir (25 mg/kg) or foscarnet (250 mg/kg) or phosphate-buffered saline.

Immunity in Pekin ducks experimentally and naturally infected with duck hepatitis B virus.

The immune response to duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) had not been elucidated. An assay was therefore established to detect the presence of antibody to DHB surface antigen (anti-DHBs) in serum of experimentally inoculated and naturally infected ducks. Anti-DHBs in serum was detected by indirect RIA from the percentage inhibition of binding of rabbit anti-DHBs to purified DHBsAg.

Multisensory teaching approach for reading, spelling, and handwriting, Orton-Gillingham based curriculum, in a public school setting.

This paper includes an overview of curriculum information and the basic techniques of a multisensory approach for teaching alphabet and dictionary skills, reading, spelling, and cursive handwriting. It also reports the results of a four-year study of reading and spelling in both remedial and nonremedial classes in a public school. The California Achievement Test (CAT) scores in reading and spelling for students in both remedial and nonremedial classes improved over baseline scores following this multisensory approach.