Giant Morgagnian hernia masquerading as pleural effusion.

Morgagnian hernia is a congenital diaphragmatic hernia which occurs through anteromedial defect in the diaphragm. A 58-year-old lady was referred for surgical management of chronic massive pleural effusion. High-resolution CT scan of the chest demonstrated an anteromedial defect in the diaphragm and with contents being colon and great omentum. She required anterolateral thoracotomy and reduction of hernia with repair of formen of Morgagni with prolene mesh. Blind needle aspiration would have punctured the colon; hence the case is being reported to highlight the necessity of CT scan/ultrasound of chest in investigating a chronic massive pleural effusion much before a needle is put for aspiration blindly.

Evaluation of gene prediction software using a genomic data set: application to Arabidopsis thaliana sequences.

MOTIVATION: The annotation of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome remains a problem in terms of time and quality. To improve the annotation process, we want to choose the most appropriate tools to use inside a computer-assisted annotation platform. We therefore need evaluation of prediction programs with Arabidopsis sequences containing multiple genes. RESULTS: We have developed AraSet, a data set of contigs of validated genes, enabling the evaluation of multi-gene models for the Arabidopsis genome. Besides conventional metrics to evaluate gene prediction at the site and the exon levels, new measures were introduced for the prediction at the protein sequence level as well as for the evaluation of gene models. This evaluation method is of general interest and could apply to any new gene prediction software and to any eukaryotic genome. The GeneMark.hmm program appears to be the most accurate software at all three levels for the Arabidopsis genomic sequences. Gene modeling could be further improved by combination of prediction software. AVAILABILITY: The AraSet sequence set, the Perl programs and complementary results and notes are available at http://sphinx.rug.ac.be:8080/biocomp/napav/. CONTACT: Pierre.Rouze@gengenp.rug.ac.be.

In vitro protein binding and tissue distribution of D(+) usnic acid.

In vitro protein binding of D(+) usnic acid in rabbit plasma and purified bovine serum albumin was investigated by equilibrium dialysis. The drug was highly protein bound, approximately 99.2%, and the extent of protein binding remained constant at usnic acid concentrations in the range of 1-5 micrograms/ml. The extent of binding, however, tended to decrease at low albumin concentrations and higher drug concentrations; Scatchard plot analysis indicated the existence of two classes of binding sites with association constants of 34.3 x 10(-6) and 1.43 x 10(-6) M respectively. Tissue distribution studies of usnic acid were undertaken in rats following i.p. administration. Usnic acid was well distributed into well perfused organs. The tissue/plasma ratio in lungs was high, which could be advantageous in a therapeutic agent for pulmonary tuberculosis.

Electron-impact-induced 3,3-sigmatropic rearrangement and cyclization in phenyl allenylmethyl ethers.

A 3,3-sigmatropic rearrangement in the M(+·) of phenyl allenylmethyl ether is proposed for the observed losses of CO, C2H4, and CH3. Direct cyclization in the M(+·) also leads to the [M-CH3] ion. The presence of sulfur as the heteroatom in phenyl allenylmethyl sulfide does not significantly influence the occurrence of Claisen rearrangement. Ortho interaction of the nitro group with the allenyl double bond in the side chain leads to characteristic fragment ions in 2-nitrophenyl allenylmethyl ether. Linked scans, high-resolution mass spectrometry, collision-activated dissociation-B/E linked-scan spectra, and D-labeling have been employed to support the proposed mechanisms and ion structures.

Studies of novel pentacyclic heterocyclic steroids: Part XXI. Total synthesis of racemic benz[3,4]-6-oxaestra-1,3,5(10),8-tetraen-17 beta-ol.

1-Oxo-4-oxa-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrophenanthrene is converted into racemic benz[3,4]-6-oxaestra-1,3,5(10),8-tetraen-17 beta-ol in 45% yield.

Population and development.

PIP: Between 1950-1976 world population increased by 1.5 billion and was accompanied by unprecedented levels of poverty, unemployment, and inequality. Additional problems associated with this marked population increase are related to food supply, human resource development, the infrastructure component of human organization - housing, water supply, and lighting - and environment. Consequently, it becomes apparent that for purposes of development over the next generation or so, it is the absolute population size and its built-in momentum for increase that becomes relevant rather than the declaration of the population growth rate. Necessary is a model of development in which both consumption and investment expenditures are planned in such a way as to yield the highest possible social rate of return. Investment and consumption planning is required as instrumentalities for making income accrue directly to as great a section of the poor as possible. Simultaneously, the following action should be initiated for decreasing the fertility rate to replacement levels: provision of family planning services, education of all social groups regarding the effects of large families and rapid population growth, provision of alternative careers to motherhood, equal rights for women, and reshaping economic and social policies to encourage small families.^ieng