Overlapping stent-supported coil embolization of wide-neck basilar tip aneurysm: technical case reports.

We report two cases in which wide-neck basilar aneurysms were treated with overlapping stent-supported coil embolization. This overlapping technique ensures complete stent interface with the aneurysm neck and likely improves long-term outcomes. We demonstrated the feasibility of this novel technique and suggest its application for other bifurcation aneurysms requiring stent-supported coil embolization.

A role of periaqueductal grey NMDA receptors in mediating formalin-induced pain in the rat.

In the present study we examined the role of periaqueductal grey (PAG) N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the perception of tonic and phasic pain. Under sodium pentobarbital anesthesia rats were implanted unilaterally with a guide cannula aimed at the PAG. Following a 7-14 day recovery period rats received an infusion of the NMDA antagonist, 2-amino-5-phosponopentanoic acid (AP5), or saline into the PAG. Five minutes after the infusion of AP5 rats were tested for analgesia in the formalin test, or in the hotplate test. AP5 injections into the PAG reduced pain in the formalin test, but not the hotplate test. These data show that NMDA receptors within the PAG are involved in the perception of tonic, inescapable pain as measured in the formalin test, but not phasic, escapable pain as measured in the hotplate test.

[Local therapeutic fibrinolysis in ischemic cerebrovascular insults: initial findings in 6 patients]. / Lokale therapeutische Fibrinolyse bei ischämischen zerebrovaskulären Insulten: erste Ergebnisse bei 6 Patienten.

Local therapeutic fibrinolysis is considered an efficient and established treatment for peripheral arterial occlusive disease. The introduction of newer fibrinolytics along with the development of interventional catheterization techniques have extended its use to previously untreated events such as cerebrovascular occlusions. Between 1989-1991 six patients with basilar and/or middle cerebral artery thrombosis were treated at the University Hospital, Basel, by superselective local intraarterial infusion of 400,000 U/h urokinase for 1-2 hours. Two of four patients with basilar artery occlusion showed complete remission one year after the intervention. The third showed no neurological improvement despite angiographic recanalization, and 48 h later suffered a fatal brainstem haemorrhage, while the fourth did not recover from coma and succumbed. Both patients with occlusion of the middle cerebral artery showed complete recanalization, but one had complete and the other partial neurological remission. Signs of slight systemic fibrinolysis were present but never attained the intensity of systemic therapeutic fibrinolysis as the antiplasmin and fibrinogen values showed. In summary, local therapeutic fibrinolysis contributes to the reduction of mortality and to remission of symptoms in occlusions of basilar artery, and offers some advantage in occlusions of the middle cerebral artery. A definite benefit from the latter will be proved only through large-scale randomized trials. The indication for local therapeutic fibrinolysis for thromboses of cerebral arteries requires a careful benefit-risk evaluation, an experienced angiography team and a special infrastructure for computed tomography and digital subtraction angiography.

[Cross-sectional studies on hearing ability in a plant in the chemical industry]. / Querschnittuntersuchung über das Hörvermögen in einem Unternehmen der chemischen Industrie.

A study carried out in a total of 1287 workers (artisans and chemical and pharmaceutical production workers), aged between 30 and 59 years and exposed to industrial noise of 83 to 100 dB(A) (LEQ), is presented. The chemical production workers are less exposed to noise than the artisans, who have long been known to be at particular risk, but they are also definitely at risk. The prevalence of hearing defects among these workers is 54%, with deafness in 14%. From the comparison with the pharmaceutical workers, who are exposed to industrial noise not exceeding 86 dB(A), it may be assumed that at least 75% of these cases of deafness are caused by industrial noise at the present or at past places of work.

Rapid fractionation of wheat leaf protoplasts using membrane filtration : the determination of metabolite levels in the chloroplasts, cytosol, and mitochondria.

A technique is presented for measuring the in vivo metabolite levels in the chloroplast stroma, the cytosol, and the mitochondrial matrix of wheat (Triticum aestivum, var ;Timmo') leaf protoplasts, in which membrane filtration is used to prepare fractions enriched in the different subcellular fractions within 0.1 seconds after disruption of the protoplasts. By closing a syringe, protoplasts are forced through a net and disrupted, diluting the cytosol into the medium and also releasing intact chloroplasts and mitochondria which can then be immediately removed on membrane filters placed behind the nylon net. By varying the membrane filters, different filtrates are obtained corresponding to (a) mainly cytosol, or (b) cytosol and mitochondria with only low levels of chloroplasts; alternatively, (c) the entire protoplast contents are obtained by omitting the filters. The filtrates are immediately split, half flowing into HClO(4) where they are immediately quenched for subsequent metabolite analyses; the other half flows into detergent and is used to monitor the exact distribution of marker enzymes in each individual fractionation. Using the measured distributions of metabolite and of marker enzymes in the three filtrates, the subcellular distribution of the metabolite can be algebraically calculated. The method is presented using ATP as an example.The quench time (0.1 second) made possible by membrane filtration is considerably faster than has been possible in the previously developed techniques using silicone oil centrifugation for chloroplasts (1 second) or mitochondria (1 minute). This rapid quench makes it possible to investigate subcellular pools which have a rapid turnover, like the adenine nucleotides.

The effect Mg2+ on the reduction of NADP by an artificial electron donor.

The effect of Mg2+ on the light-dependent reduction of NADP by an artificial electron donor has been investigated with isolated broken chloroplasts. In both short and long wavelength actinic light, addition of the salt under most conditions stimulates the yield and the saturation rate. The magnitude of the stimulation is a function of pH. The data indicate that previous interpretations of the Mg2+ effect in this system invoking changes in the spill-over rate between the photosystems is no longer tenable. It is suggested that addition of the salt causes activation of inactive reaction centers.

[Treatment of Smith fractures (author's transl)]. / Die Behandlung der Smith-Frakturen.

A full description of the different types of Smith fractures following Thomas classification is given, together with the guidelines of treatment of each type. Conservative treatment is usually sufficient for types I and III, provided that reduction is anatomic and stable. The indication for internal fixation is given for all type II and unstable type III fractures. An exact description of the volar buttressing technique with the AO-T-plate is presented.