Henry Naunton Davies (1827-1899): a devoted family doctor and a brave rescuer.

Henry Naunton Davies lived and practised in the Rhondda valley, in Wales. In 1877 a local coalmine became suddenly flooded, and 14 men were trapped. Davies made a valuable contribution to the rescue effort, and was subsequently awarded the British Medical Association's Gold Medal for Distinguished Merit (he was the first recipient of that honour).

Evidence for direct interaction of ketamine with alpha 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptors.

1. Ketamine has a number of effects that suggest that it may interact with alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors. To date, the experimental evidence for this has been indirect and has been based on physiological studies using competitive blocking agents.

Experience with nimodipine in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of nimodipine in preventing delayed ischaemic deficit in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Design: A continuous prospective audit of all patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage admitted to the joint neurosurgery units of Prince Henry's and Alfred hospitals, Melbourne. Patients were divided into two groups--135 in the pre-nimodipine group during 1986 to 1989, and 73 in the nimodipine group during 1989 and 1990.

Knotting technique and suture materials.

Three groups of knots were examined using six no. 1 (metric 4) suture materials to identify the most effective and efficient knotting techniques. The three groups were the square or reef knot, the surgeon's knot and a double throw knot.

Type I corticosteroid receptor-like immunoreactivity in the rat salivary glands and distal colon: modulation by corticosteroids.

A 167 amino acid fragment of the N-terminal domain of the human type I corticosteroid (mineralocorticoid) receptor was fused to the glutathione S-transferase gene using the Gex expression plasmid and the fusion protein used to raise the monospecific polyclonal antibody, MINREC4. Immunostaining experiments showed that MINREC4 specifically bound type I receptor in the distal tubule of the kidney, the ductal elements of the salivary glands and the epithelium of the distal colon in the rat. Adrenalectomy abolished staining in the parotid and colon, and reduced immunoreactivity in the submandibular gland.

A comparison of diagnostic tests to determine Helicobacter pylori infection.

Twenty-five Helicobacter pylori positive and 25 H. pylori negative subjects as defined by culture and phase contrast microscopy of antral biopsy specimens obtained from routine upper endoscopy were studied. Antral biopsies were examined by rapid urease test, phase contrast microscopy, culture and histology.

Neurogenic claudication secondary to vascular disease.

Neurogenic claudication is characterized by sensory symptoms which appear during exercise or while maintaining a fixed posture. They are paraesthetic in quality, may be associated with 'march' phenomena, and patients may have bowel and bladder disturbance. The problem is most commonly secondary to lumbar canal stenosis (LCS) but rarely due to aortic disease, as shown in this case report.

Renal allograft scintigraphy with Tc-99M-DTPA--its role during cyclosporine therapy.

There are no accurate noninvasive methods to distinguish renal allograft dysfunction due to rejection or cyclosporine nephrotoxicity. We have studied the value of Tc-99M-DTPA renal scanning in 90 episodes of renal allograft dysfunction occurring in 44 patients subjected to 57 renal biopsies in whom a clear diagnosis could be established. Renal scintigrams were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively by a blinded observer.

Characterization of renal Na-K-ATPase gene expression by in situ hybridization.

Na-K-ATPase is a heterodimer of alpha- and beta-subunits often referred to as the 'sodium pump' responsible for the maintenance of cell volume and electric potential across cell membranes. In the present study we have used antisense RNA probes to localize these subunits in the rat kidney by in situ hybridization. alpha 1-Subunit and beta-subunit gene expression are highest in cortical distal convoluted tubules, and the thick ascending limb of the loops of Henle; high in some proximal convoluted tubules, and low in the collecting ducts and blood vessels.

The steroid receptor superfamily: mechanisms of diversity.

The steroid receptor superfamily of ligand-dependent transcription factors is characterized by marked conservation of both structure and function between the various receptors. Despite their well-documented extensive similarities, these receptors respond to a diverse range of ligands, which results in an even more impressive diversity of function. A variety of strategies is used at each point in the pathway from ligand binding to gene expression to achieve this diversity.

Angiographic assessment of graft patency after coronary endarterectomy.

Fifty-one consecutive patients underwent 68 manual core endarterectomies between April 1985 and May 1987. There were 42 men and nine women, mean age 60 years (range 39 to 81). All patients underwent coronary bypass grafting alone.

Cardiovascular effects of volatile anesthesia in rabbits: influence of chronic heart failure and enalaprilat treatment.

Circulatory responses to isoflurane and halothane anesthesia were studied in eight rabbits with biventricular cardiomyopathy induced by doxorubicin (Adriamycin, 14 mg/kg IV over 7 wk) and in eight controls (saline injections). In preliminary operations pulsed-Doppler flow probes were placed on the ascending aorta, left renal artery, and lower abdominal aorta. Each group was studied after 4, 6, and 7 wk of treatment.

Illness behaviour as a determinant of referral to a psychiatric consultation/liaison service.

Recognition of psychiatric disturbance and rate of referral to psychiatric units in general hospitals falls far short of the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in such hospitals. This study has sought to determine whether particular patterns of "illness behaviour" contribute to the decision to refer. A group of patients referred to a psychiatric service was compared to a group of non-referred patients using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) as a general measure of morbidity, the Inventory to Diagnose Depression (IDD), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Illness Behaviour Questionnaire (IBQ).

Tumor necrosis factor production by glomerular macrophages in anti-glomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis in rabbits.

The production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by nephritic glomeruli and glomerular macrophages was studied in antiglomerular basement membrane antibody induced glomerulonephritis (anti-GBM GN) in rabbits. Autologous phase injury was associated with glomerular macrophage infiltration and augmented TNF production by isolated nephritic glomeruli (day 8, 1.15 +/- 0.

The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in general hospital inpatients.

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in a sample of medical and surgical inpatients in an Australian general hospital. Using the 60-item General Health Questionnaire, the estimated prevalence was 30% (previous studies have yielded estimates generally between 20 and 50%). The prevalence of morbidity was significantly higher in medical (45%) than in surgical (23%) inpatients.

Influence of cardiac failure on atrial natriuretic peptide responses in patients undergoing vascular surgery.

Sixteen patients presenting for abdominal aortic surgery were divided into two groups according to whether or not there was a history and clinical evidence of chronic heart failure (CHF). Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and catecholamines were measured during a preoperative exercise test and then with induction of anaesthesia and surgery. Patients in the CHF group (n = 8) had a much-reduced cardiac output (CO) rise in response to exercise compared to the control group (13% vs.

Initiation and evolution of interstitial leukocytic infiltration in experimental glomerulonephritis.

Most forms of glomerulonephritis have a significant interstitial leukocytic infiltrate which is associated with disease progression. However, there is little data concerning the timing, initial location, and development of this interstitial component. Therefore, we have addressed these issues in a study of passive accelerated anti-GBM glomerulonephritis in the rat.