Complete Genome Sequences of Nine Mycobacteriophages from New Zealand, Beatrix, Carthage, Daegal, Dulcie, Fancypants, Fenn, Inca, Naira, and Robyn.

Beatrix, Carthage, Daegal, Dulcie, Fancypants, Fenn, Inca, Naira, and Robyn are newly isolated bacteriophages capable of infecting Mycolicibacterium smegmatis mc2 155. We discovered, sequenced, and annotated these New Zealand bacteriophages. These phages illustrate that New Zealand harbors a selection of the highly diverse and distributed mycobacteriophage clusters found globally.

An iron-oxygen intermediate formed during the catalytic cycle of cysteine dioxygenase.

Cysteine dioxygenase is a key enzyme in the breakdown of cysteine, but its mechanism remains controversial. A combination of spectroscopic and computational studies provides the first evidence of a short-lived intermediate in the catalytic cycle. The intermediate decays within 20 ms and has absorption maxima at 500 and 640 nm.

A scoring system (DISTAL) for predicting failure of snuffbox arteriovenous fistulas.

OBJECTIVES: A first fistula failing will lead to serious morbidity in a proportion of patients. Snuffbox fistulas have the advantage of proximal vessel preservation, and although several factors have been associated with failure, the relative importance of these factors combined and their clinical applicability is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the relative importance of risk factors for snuffbox fistula failure and create a simple scoring system to aid fistula placement decision making. METHODS: 218 consecutive patients were examined using Cox regression analysis to determine risk factors for failure. Primary patency was used as the endpoint. RESULTS: Diabetes, IHD, Stroke, Two snuffbox procedures, Age > 70 and Less than 2.0 mm vein (DISTAL, maximum score 6) were significant predictors of primary patency failure. There was a clear decrease in primary patency with increasing DISTAL score (log rank χ(2) = 30.3, DF = 5, P < 0.001). Performing snuffbox procedures on patients with a score ≤ 3 would give a 23% reduction in the number of failures within two months for a 12% reduction in the number of patients offered snuffbox procedures. CONCLUSION: The DISTAL scoring system could give large improvements in primary patency for the snuffbox fistula if the results can be validated in other datasets.

The role of temporal artery biopsies in giant cell arteritis.

A knowledge of the disease process of giant cell arteritis and its diagnosis can help a surgeon to decide which patients will benefit from a biopsy being performed and identify where a biopsy would be of no value in their management. This article discusses the issues involved.

Blood and body fluid splashes during surgery--the need for eye protection and masks.

INTRODUCTION: While most surgeons make an effort to avoid needlestick injury, some can pay little attention to reduce the potential route of infection occurring when body fluids splash into the eye. It has been shown that transmission of HIV, hepatitis B or C can occur across any mucous membrane. This study aims to quantify how frequently body fluids splash the mask and lens of wrap around protective glasses thus potentially exposing the surgeon to infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was carried out by a single surgeon on all cases performed over a 1-year period. Protective mask and glasses were examined before and after operations. RESULTS: A total of 384 operations were performed with 174 (45%) showing blood or body fluid splash on the lens. A high incidence of splashes was found in vascular surgical procedures (79%). All amputations showed splash on the protective lens. Interestingly, 50% of laparoscopic cases resulted in blood or body fluid splash on the protective lens. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown a high incidence (45%) of blood and body fluid splashes found on protective glasses and masks. There was a very high incidence (79%) during vascular surgical procedures. With the prevalence of HIV and hepatitis increasing, it seems prudent to protect oneself against possible routes of transmission.

Diaphragm disease: the limitation of laparoscopy and assessment of the small bowel for strictures using a ball bearing.

Diaphragm disease is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction that will be seen with increasing frequency with the widespread use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We present a case study of a patient with diaphragm disease where the diagnosis was not apparent at laparoscopy, and passage of a steel ball through the small intestine was required to identify all strictures present. A high index of suspicion, recognition of the limitations of conventional diagnostic aids, and the need to assess the full length of the small bowel are all important in the surgical management of this condition.

Kinetics of the inhibition of ascorbic acid browning by sulphite.

Despite differences in the structures of aldoses and ascorbic acid, ASA, the non-enzymic browning of the latter involves intermediates similar to those found in Maillard browning. The kinetics of the sulphite-inhibited browning of ASA suggest that, under anaerobic conditions, the rate of reaction of sulphite species, S(IV), is of first order with respect to S(IV). The possibility that S(IV) could catalyse the hydrolysis of the lactone ring of ASA is considered by reference to D-glucono-delta-lactone. Evidence is presented to suggest that, under aerobic conditions, autoxidation of ASA leads to the oxidation of S(IV). The composition of melanoidins from ASA-glycine mixtures is compared with that from arabinose-glycine; the former contain 2 x 5 times more ASA-derived residues per glycine molecule than arabinose-derived residues per glycine molecule in the latter. The implications of these findings to the mechanism of ASA browning are discussed.

The effect of iron supplements and blood transfusion on iron absorption by low birthweight infants fed pasteurized human breast milk.

Using serial metabolic balances, iron absorption was measured in six preterm infants (mean gestational age 29 weeks), and two fullterm small for gestational age (SGA) infants, between day 10 and 70 after birth. They were all fed breast milk. Iron supplements (2.5--13 mg/kg day) were given from day 30. Three preterm infants received blood transfusions for anemia. During the first 30 days of life iron balance was negative in the preterm infants (mean +/- SEM = -0.10 +/- 0.02 mg/kg day) and positive in the full term SGA infants (mean +/- SEM = 0.098 +/- 0.02 mg/kg day). In infants who were not tranfused, absorption of supplementary iron was a linear function of iron intake, and corresponded closely to 34% absorption. An iron intake of 5--6 mg/kg day resulted in the absorption of amounts of iron close to those being laid down in utero. Blood transfusion was followed by a reduction in iron absorption; in two cases it became negative, becoming positive again as the hemoglobin fell below about 12.0 g/100 ml. These data show that a mechanism exists in preterm infants for the control of iron absorption which does not operate at the hemoglobin concentrations that prevail in such infants, unless they are transfused.