[Periorbital lipogranuloma following endonasal sinus surgery]. / Periorbitales Lipogranulom nach endonasaler Nebenhöhlenoperation.

A 60-year-old woman developed a periorbital lipogranuloma after endonasal surgery on her paranasal sinuses. The granulomatous inflammation was caused by nonabsorbable lipids introduced by the postoperative nasal tamponade which was soaked in antibiotic ointment. These lipids were transported into the periorbital tissue by the postoperative hemorrhage. Since the course of the inflammatory process is chronic, surgical removal is the best treatment.

[Distant metastasis of squamous epithelial carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract. The effect of clinical tumor parameters and course of illness]. / Fernmetastasierung von Plattenepithelkarzinomen des oberen Aerodigestivtrakts. Der Einfluss klinischer Tumorparameter und des Krankheitsverlaufs.

Screening for distant metastases from head and neck tumors is still controversial. In the present study, the records of 1087 patients with newly diagnosed squamous cell carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract were reviewed retrospectively to determine clinical factors influencing the incidence and location of distant metastases. Overall, 130 patients (12.0%) developed clinical evidence of metastatic disease, 17 of whom (1.6%) had metastases at the time of initial presentation. The rate of distant metastases significantly increased with the initial stage of tumors (P < 0.00001) and the occurrence of local and/or regional recurrences (P < 0.00001) or of second primaries below the clavicles (P < 0.0005). The locations of primary cancers as well as histopathologic grading were not independent risk factors for the development of distant metastases. They mainly reflected different frequency distributions of stages. The lungs, liver and bones were the most common sites of metastatic disease, being involved in 68.5%, 23.8% and 20.0% of cases, respectively. Our findings show that at the time of initial presentation chest X-ray alone appears to be sufficient to exclude distant metastases from tumors classified as T1-3 NO. Further screening comprising abdominal ultrasound, bone scanning and/or CT scans of the thorax is particularly indicated for patients with advanced-stage disease, local and/or regional recurrences and second primaries below the clavicles. However, the individual decisions should consider whether the detection of distant metastases will significantly affect clinical management.

Influence of benzo[a]phenothiazines on the element content of two tobacco tissue cultures differing in hormone requirement.

Cell proliferation and tumor formation are closely connected with hormone metabolism. We report the effect of four benzo[a]phenothiazines (12H-benzo[a]phenothiazine (1), 5-oxo-5H-benzo[a]phenothiazine (2), 10-methyl-12H-benzo[a]phenothiazine (3), and 6-hydroxy-5-oxo-5H-benzo[a]phenothiazine (4) on the growth and changes in the element compositions (Ca, Cl, Cu, I, K, Mg, Mn and Na) of auxin autotrophic and heterotrophic tobacco tissue cultures. The concentration levels of these ions were followed by means of reactor neutron activation analysis.

Multielemental characterization of several brands of fullerenes and fullerene precursors by instrumental neutron activation analysis.

The characterization of the purity of fullerenes is based on the concept of defining the percentage amount of the main component (e.g., C(60), C(70), etc.) versus the minor fractions or microfractions of the homologue species and/or other polycyclic organic compounds. It has also to be considered that fullerene products may be contaminated in some degree by element impurities as well, both from the production processes and from the various precursor materials themselves. We report here for the first time detailed data on trace element impurities in various fullerene precursors as well as in the main C(60) and C(70) fullerene products of different producers, measured by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The concentration distributions of about 35 trace elements have been studied, including the determination of the relevant limits of detection. It could be established that all fullerene materials investigated contain a broad scale of trace elements distributed within a fairly wide concentration range, from ppb (ng/g) up to ppm (µg/g) levels. For some impurity elements, extremely high concentration levels were found, indicating that elemental impurities have to be considered when studying the electrical, magnetic, and other features of the fullerenes.

Distribution of toxic and radiation components in air particulates.

The concentrations of several toxic heavy metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in various types of Hungarian fly-ash fine particulates were investigated by means of instrumental neutron activation analysis, X-ray fluorescence analysis and gas chromatography, coupled with mass spectrometry. Within a power station, particulate samples were taken from the boiler zone (BO), from the electrostatic dust filter chamber (FI) and from the flue-gas at the top of the stack (ST). Enrichment rates of the toxic metals both in FI and ST particulate fractions related to the BO concentrations were calculated to enable the temperature dependence on the adsorption of the toxic components to be studied. In addition, both the total amounts of the VOCs and their partial distributions in accordance with the number of carbon atoms were also studied in fly-ash particulates. From them, 31 organic species were identified and determined. Since Hungarian brown coals have high uranium and thorium contents, the specific radioactivities of the daughter isotopes of both the 232Th and 238U decay series were also measured and are discussed.

The actinophage RP3 DNA integrates site-specifically into the putative tRNA(Arg)(AGG) gene of Streptomyces rimosus.

The temperate actinophage RP3 integrates site-specifically into the chromosome of Streptomyces rimosus R6-554. The phage attachment site attP and the hybrid attachment sites of the integrated prophage--attL and attR--were cloned and sequenced. The 54nt core sequence, common to all RP3 related attachment sites, comprises the 3' terminal end of a putative tRNA(Arg)(AGG) gene. AttB bears the complete tRNA gene which is restored in attL after integration. A 7.5kb HindIII fragment, bearing attP, was used to construct an integrative plasmid to simulate the integration process in vivo and to localize the phage genes necessary for site specific integration. The int and xis genes were sequenced and compared to other recombination genes.

The temperate phages RP2 and RP3 of Streptomyces rimosus.

The oxytetracycline-producing Streptomyces rimosus strains R6-65 and R7 (ATCC 10970) are lysogenic for the two narrow-host-range phages RP2 and RP3. Both phages are released at low frequency from the lysogenic strains and form plaques on 'cured' S. rimosus strains. RP2 and RP3 are of similar shape with flexible tails and contain double-stranded DNA of about 70% G+C with cohesive ends (group B1 of bacteriophage classification). The two phages also have identical, very slow, growth kinetics in S. rimosus, with a latent phase of about 6 h and a rise period of about 4 h. RP2 and RP3 are heteroimmune and they differ slightly in their size of phage particles and length of DNA (64.7 and 62.4 kb for RP2 and RP3, respectively). The restriction maps of the two phages are completely different, and hybridization experiments showed only one short region of sequence similarity (less than 430 bp); the two phages are thus essentially unrelated. Both phages lysogenize their hosts by recombination via defined attachment (att) sites. The positions of the attP sites have been localized on the restriction maps of RP2 and RP3 to restriction fragments of 800 and 300 bp, respectively. The prophages did not affect the level of oxytetracycline production or the genetic instability of this trait.

Effects of tricyclic compounds on membrane binding of bivalent cations, activities of acetylcholinesterase and some tissue proteases.

A tricyclic compound tetrahydroaminoacridine is known to improve the cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease. The possible mechanism of action of acridine and structurally related tricyclic compounds was studied on the bivalent cation content of bacterial membrane, rat brain acetylcholinesterase and some tissue proteases in model experiments. Acridine orange and disubstituted chlorpromazine (CPZ) derivatives lowered Ca2+ and Mg2+ binding and membrane polarization in the simplest biological membrane (E. coli), as revealed by reactor neutron activation analysis. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was inhibited by CPZ, 3,7,8-trihydroxy-CPZ, acridine orange partially saturated desipramine, imipramine, trans-clopenthixol and tetrahydrocannabidiolic at 10(-4) to 10(-5). A metalloproteinase, MMP-7-ase, was inhibited by tetrahydrocannabidiolic acid, 3,7,8-trihydroxy-CPZ, acridine orange but other tissue proteinases, ATN-ase and cathepsin B, were less sensitive to these compounds. (ATN-ase is an acetyltyrosine-p-nitroanilide splitting enzyme, a serine protease). The chelate complex forming ability and electron donor capacity of the compounds may play a role in the biological effects tested. It is assumed that compounds which do not displace bivalent cations in membranes may exert an inhibitory effect on AChE, and that metalloproteinase enzymes may be promising for the treatment of degenerative brain diseases.

[Mesenteric cysts: rare cause of abdominal pain]. / Mesenterialzyste: seltene Ursache abdomineller Beschwerden.

For about two years a now 47-year-old woman had been suffering from heartburn, diarrhoea and constipation, at times also abdominal colic and a pressure sensation in the right lower abdomen. Physical examination and biochemical tests were according to age, except for an raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 25/50 mm. Ultrasound revealed an intraperitoneal echo-free multi-chambered structure, 11 x 5 x 2 cm, with dorsally increased echo density and smooth entry echo, apparently arising from the mesentery. Computed tomography confirmed these findings and at laparoscopy a cyst, 12 x 8 x 5 cm, was identified. It was filled with yellow clear fluid and arose from the mesentery of the ascending colon. The cyst was scooped out surgically. Histological examination showed a single-layered mesothelial coat. The postoperative course was unremarkable. At re-examination 8 months later the patient had remained symptom-free.

Antiplasmid activity: loss of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

The antiplasmid activity of tricyclic compounds, e.g. phenothiazines, dibenzoazepines, dibenzocykloheptene derivatives and some stereoisomers, was shown on E. coli in vitro. Some ring-substituted phenothiazine and cannabis derivatives had only an antibacterial effect. Promethazine, a selected phenothiazine, cured antibiotic resistance and lactose fermentation of E.coli, tumour inducing ability of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and nodule formation of Rhizobium meliloti. Plasmids of different E.coli strains were eliminated with varying frequency. The antiplasmid activity of the compounds can be due to the increased membrane permeability. Inhibition of DNA gyrase and complex formation with the supercoiled form of plasmid DNA can lead to the cessation of plasmid replication in the bacterial cells. In addition, in vivo plasmid curing was demonstrated at a low frequency.

Structural analysis of the actinophage phi C31 attachment site.

The lysogenisation of actinophage phi C31 in S. coelicolor J 1501 occurs by site-specific recombination. The DNA segments containing the attachment sites on the host chromosome, the phage genome and the two junctions created by the insertion of the prophage were cloned and the nucleotide sequences determined. The attachment sites (att) share an extremely short common sequence of three base pairs. Adjacent to the core sequences some direct- and inverted repeats were found as potential binding sites for proteins involved in site-specific recombination.

Phylogenetic relationships of the green alga Volvox carteri deduced from small-subunit ribosomal RNA comparisons.

The 1788-nucleotide sequence of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (srRNA) coding region from the chlorophyte Volvox carteri was determined. The secondary structure bears features typical of the universal model of srRNA, including about 40 helices and a division into four domains. Phylogenetic relationships to 17 other eukaryotes, including two other chlorophytes, were explored by comparing srRNA sequences. Similarity values and the inspection of phylogenetic trees derived by distance matrix methods revealed a close relationship between V. carteri and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The results are consistent with the view that these Volvocales, and the third green alga, Nanochlorum eucaryotum, are more closely related to higher plants than to any other major eukaryotic group, but constitute a distinct lineage that has long been separated from the line leading to the higher plants.

[Salmonella osteomyelitis in sickle cell anemia]. / Salmonellenosteomyelitis bei Sichelzellanämie.

Case report of a 28-year old black sickle cell anemia patient with salmonella osteomyelitis of the radius. Aside from sickle cell anemia patients this skeletal complication of enteric salmonellosis is an extreme rarity. Description of the typical roentgenological features including intracortical fissures and sequestration.

Medullary nephrocalcinosis and pancreatic calcifications demonstrated by ultrasound and CT in infants after treatment with ACTH.

Thirteen patients who had undergone prolonged adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy for infantile spasms or myoclonic encephalopathy were examined with sonography. Nine patients were found to have appearances characteristic of medullary nephrocalcinosis. In each of these infants the cortical echogenicity was normal in the presence of focal areas of increased echogenicity within the renal pyramids. Five patients also showed a homogeneously increased echogenicity of the whole pancreas on sonography, and two of these showed increased density on computed tomography. Density measurements were in the range of calcific material within the papillae and pancreatic tissue. On abdominal survey radiographs, even in retrospect no calcifications could be recognized.

Activation analysis for selenium and tellurium trace impurities in gallium, arsenic and gallium arsenide.

Destructive and non-destructive activation analysis for selenium and tellurium has been studied. In destructive analysis the selenium and tellurium activities are co-extracted from the irradiated and dissolved matrix elements with dithizone/CCl(4), reagent in a hot-chamber by remote manipulation, then separated from each other by diethylammonium-N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate/CCl(4) extraction, tellurium going into the organic phase and selenium being retained by the aqueous phase. The sensitivity of the method is 10(-8)g for both elements. By non-destructive methods, selenium can be determined down to 10(-6)g on short irradiation, and down to 3 x 10(-8) g on long irradiation and cooling, and tellurium down to 10(-6) g with long irradiation and cooling.