[Granular cell tumour in a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis]. / Granularzelltumor der Trachea bei einer Patientin mit offener pulmonaler Tuberkulose.

Primary tracheal tumours are rare and often only cause symptoms at a late stage, when the tumour obstructs most of the tracheal lumen. We report the case of a 45-year-old woman with pulmonary tuberculosis and a tumour in the trachea, which had been interpreted as a tuberculous lymph node perforating the tracheal wall. Bronchoscopy revealed a white, glossy, papillomatous lesion in the ventral wall of the trachea, which was identified by histology as a granular cell tumour. After culture conversion of the underlying tuberculosis, which led to the detection of the lesion, the tumour was surgically removed. Granular cell tumours rarely appear in the trachea, they may be multifocal and sometimes follow a malignant course. Complete resection is the treatment of choice and recurrence rates are low.

Anatomical leg length inequality, scoliosis and lordotic curve in unselected clinic patients.

Anatomic leg length inequality (LLI) and various mechanical measures of the lumbar spine, particularly scoliosis, lordosis and Ferguson's angle, were analyzed retrospectively from the X-rays of 106 consecutive patients in a private chiropractic practice. Results showed that 40% of the subjects had LLI greater than 6 mm while 70% had LLI greater than 3 mm. These data compared closely with studies done by other investigators, indicating that our routine diagnostic X-ray procedure is sufficient for accurately determining LLI. Our most noteworthy finding was that patients with LLI greater than 6 mm often (53% of the cases) had scoliosis and/or abnormal lordotic curves. Altered lordotic curves comprised both hypo- and hyperlordosis with about equal frequency. The correlation coefficients between the amount of LLI and any of the parameters taken singly, however, were not significant. The results of this study indicate that while there is no strong correlation between any one of the particular postural adaptations to anatomic leg length deficiency, nevertheless at least one abnormal spinal adaptation (scoliosis or hypo-hyperlordosis) occurs in over half of subjects who have LLI greater than 6 mm.

A general regression neural network.

A memory-based network that provides estimates of continuous variables and converges to the underlying (linear or nonlinear) regression surface is described. The general regression neural network (GRNN) is a one-pass learning algorithm with a highly parallel structure. It is shown that, even with sparse data in a multidimensional measurement space, the algorithm provides smooth transitions from one observed value to another. The algorithmic form can be used for any regression problem in which an assumption of linearity is not justified.

Syntheses of metabolites of S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine and S-methyl-L-cysteine and of some isotopically labelled (2H, 13C) analogues.

The chemical syntheses of human metabolites of S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine (3) and S-methyl-L-cysteine (12) are described. The additional preparation of some 2H- and 13C-labelled isotopomers enabled the direct evaluation of the stabilities of 3 and 12 under physiological conditions and also facilitated the unambiguous assignments of the signals in the 13C-NMR spectra of all compounds mentioned.

Predicting bioaccumulation potential: a test of a fugacity-based model.

Clams (Macoma nasuta) from an unpolluted site in Yaquina Bay, Oregon were exposed in the laboratory for 28 days to 6 field-contaminated sediments (treatments) which varied widely in concentration of 10 organic pollutants. Mean accumulation factors (AF = (concentration in tissue/lipid, %/100)/(concentration in sediment/total organic carbon, %/100] of 8 neutral organic compounds (DDE [p,p'], 2,2',3,5'6-pentachlorobiphenyl, 2,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl, Aroclor 1254, pyrene, chrysene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo [b, (k)]fluoranthene) were homogeneous across treatments. Statistically significant differences were detected between some treatment AFs for DDD [p, p'] and benz[a]anthracene, and between some chemicals within treatments (experimentwise alpha = 0.05). Accumulation factors were less than 2 and less variable in highly polluted, organically enriched sediments (total organic carbon greater than or equal to 3.69 +/- 0.044%), but sometimes exceeded 2 in clams exposed to surficial (0-2 cm deep) sediments with low pollutant concentration and low organic carbon content (less than or equal to 0.86 +/- 0.037%). These results suggest that the AF model may provide reasonable estimates of bioaccumulation potential of hydrophobic neutral organic compounds in organically enriched, polluted sediments.

Probabilistic neural networks and the polynomial Adaline as complementary techniques for classification.

Two methods for classification based on the Bayes strategy and nonparametric estimators for probability density functions are reviewed. The two methods are named the probabilistic neural network (PNN) and the polynomial Adaline. Both methods involve one-pass learning algorithms that can be implemented directly in parallel neural network architectures. The performances of the two methods are compared with multipass backpropagation networks, and relative advantages and disadvantages are discussed. PNN and the polynomial Adaline are complementary techniques because they implement the same decision boundaries but have different advantages for applications. PNN is easy to use and is extremely fast for moderate-sized databases. For very large databases and for mature applications in which classification speed is more important than training speed, the polynomial equivalent can be found.

Depuration kinetics of hexachlorobenzene in the clam, Macoma nasuta.

1. The depuration rate constant for [14C]hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the clam, Macoma nasuta, was determined following a short-term exposure to HCB contaminated seawater. 2. Depuration was not correlated with ventilation volume, nor did the amount of sediment ingested during depuration have a significant effect. 3. The half-life for HCB in M. nasuta was estimated to be 16 days with a bioconcentration factor of 3490 (wet weight basis).

Aerobic fitness in patients with fibrositis. A controlled study of respiratory gas exchange and 133xenon clearance from exercising muscle.

Aerobic fitness was evaluated in 25 women with fibrositis, by having them exercise to volitional exhaustion on an electronically braked cycle ergometer. Compared with published standards, greater than 80% of the fibrositis patients were not physically fit, as assessed by maximal oxygen uptake. Compared with matched sedentary controls, fibrositis patients accurately perceived their level of exertion in relation to oxygen consumption and attained a similar level of lactic acidosis, as assessed by their respiratory quotient and ventilatory threshold. Exercising muscle blood flow was estimated by 133xenon clearance in a subgroup of 16 fibrositis patients and compared with that in 16 matched sedentary controls; the fibrositis patients exhibited reduced 133xenon clearance. These results indicate a need to include aerobic fitness as a matched variable in future controlled studies of fibrositis and suggest that the "detraining phenomenon" may be of relevance to the etiopathogenesis of the disease.

Preparation and characterization of polymerized liposomes.

Each of these classes of polymerizable lipids offers useful approaches to the preparation of polymerized liposomes. The lipid diacetylenes can be very photosensitive and yield highly colored rigid photopolymers. The reaction is sensitive to lipid structure, membrane packing, and temperature; however, the reaction is difficult to drive to completion. High polymer yields (greater than 90%) and a high degree of polymerization (500) are realized with the monofunctional methacryloyl lipids 4 and 5. These liposomes are characterized by multiple polymer chains per liposome and a moderate reduction in membrane permeability to glucose. Further decreases in membrane permeability can be achieved with dienoyl lipids, e.g., 6, which can be cross-linked as well as highly polymerized (greater than 95%). Progress in synthesis of polymerizable lipids has been rapid, and the initial characterization of some of the reported materials provides guidance for future synthetic endeavors.

Clinical evaluation of a new computerized arrhythmia monitoring system.

A study has been made of the accuracy of a computerized system of arrhythmia monitoring in the coronary-care unit of the Palo Alto Veterans Administration Hospital. The system provides beat-to-beat analysis of cardiac rhythm and QRS morphology and stores information for display of incidence of abnormalities and trend curves. The variables monitored by the system include: (1) heart rate, (2) early beats, (3) late beats, (4) abnormal QRS waveforms, and combinations of 2, 3, and 4. Accuracy analysis was performed using a standard ECG trace with a simultaneous record of computer classification of each QRS complex on a dual-channel recorder. Thirty-four patients with various cardiac arrhythmias were studied and 188,000 QRS complexes were evaluated. The number of true abnormal beats (abnormal in timing or waveform) recorded by the ECG was 12,194 out of 188,000 or 6.5 per cent. Computer classification accuracy was as follows: false positives (computer diagnosis abnormal but ECG diagnosis normal), 0.10 per cent (191 complexes) of all complexes and 1.56 per cent of true positives. False negatives (computer diagnosis normal but ECG diagnosis abnormal), 0.70 per cent (84 complexes) of abnormal beats. Computer monitoring and analysis of seven variables in cardiac rhythm and QRS waveform abnormalities can be performed with a high degree of accuracy using a compact computer system suitable for intensive-care units.