Tas, a retrotransposon from the parasitic nematode Ascaris lumbricoides.

The cloned retrotransposon Tas OE3 from the genome of the parasitic nematode Ascaris lumbricoides was completely sequenced. The element is flanked by long terminal repeats (LTR) and contains three distinct regions encoding putative proteins typical for retroid elements. The first region, ORF1, encodes a putative Gag protein including a 'Leu zipper', a nucleic acid binding motif, as well as an aspartic protease domain. The second region contains an incomplete ORF (ORF2) with sequence similarities to known retroviral reverse transcriptases (RT), ribonucleases H and integrases. A third ORF, which is located adjacent to the 3' LTR, might encode an env-like protein. Based on amino-acid sequence analysis of the RT domain, Tas falls into a new subgroup of LTR-containing retrotransposons.

Peritonsillar abscess in Kawasaki disease.

Mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, Kawasaki disease, is a potentially fatal pediatric disease characterized by prolonged high fever, conjunctivitis, stomatitis. myocarditis, aseptic meningitis and coronary artery vasculitis. We present peritonsillar abscess as a previously unreported otolaryngologic symptom and presentation of Kawasaki disease. A previously healthy 7-year-old boy required hospitalization for a peritonsillar abscess. Despite adequate surgical drainage and appropriate intravenous antibiotics, the patients' systemic symptoms persisted. After the week of hospitalization, the child was transferred to the intensive care unit with acute myocarditis, heart failure and severe arthritis. The diagnosis of Kawasaki disease was confirmed with echocardiographic evidence of coronary artery aneurysms and the development of the characteristic hand and foot desquamation. The patient's symptoms resolved with salicylates and intravenous gamma globulin therapy. He was discharged in good condition after 3 weeks of hospitalization. This is the first report of Kawasaki syndrome presenting with peritonsillar abscess. Although we discuss a unique presentation of this disease. Kawasaki syndrome often exhibits other otolaryngologic findings early in its course. A literature review of the clinical characteristics, pathogenesis and therapy of this disease is presented.

Nucleotide sequence of PAT, a retroid element with unusual DR organization, isolated from Panagrellus redivivus.

We have isolated several copies of the transposable element PAT of Panagrellus redivivus and sequenced one full length, presumably autonomous, 5514 bp entity. The terminal sequences are found repeated inside the element, probably representing the homologous of the long terminal repeats in common retroid elements. Two major open reading frames are present with features typical of GAG and Pol. Both the structural features and open reading frame characteristics assign PAT to the retroid family of transposable elements, and more precisely to the gypsy class of retroids when putative functional domains of Pol are compared to published sequences.

Chronic otitis media in children.

There are two main types of chronic otitis media in children. The "benign" type with a central tympanic membrane perforation may heal spontaneously with conservative management. However, if the central tympanic membrane perforation fails to heal, it should be closed surgically--preferably at the age when the incidence of ear disease in children is lowest. Chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma usually has an attic or marginal perforation and requires surgical treatment to prevent serious complications. The incidence of this disease has been decreasing because of awareness by primary physicians of the importance of prompt treatment and the increase in the practice of inserting ventilation tubes.

[The effect of electromyostimulation on selected power parameters]. / Der Einfluss der Elektromyostimulation (EMS) auf ausgewählte Kraftparameter.

Purpose of this comparative study was to estimate the influence of electrostimulation on several kinds of force: power, maximum strength and explosive strength by studying a control group and five training groups including sportsmen and non-sportsmen with injuries and without injuries. Intermittent electrostimulation--with and without active muscle training--caused significant changes in certain muscle activities. The results indicated that the combination of electrostimulation and an active muscle training increases mainly the power and explosive strength. This fact is important in rehabilitation after sports injuries and also for normal training.

Benign congential neoplasms: dermoids and teratomas.

Congential tumors in the head and neck are usually benign dermoids or teratomas. These rare neoplasms are first noticed in neonates or infants and frequently rapid diagnosis and treatment may be lifesaving. Since they are rare tumors periodic case reports are worthwhile to remind us to include them in our differential diagnosis.

Chromosomal arrangement of the two main rDNA size classes of Ascaris lumbricoides.

The two main rDNA size classes of 8.8 kb and 8.4 kb length from Ascaris lumbricoides, which comprise more than 95% of the total nuclear rDNA, are arranged as internally homogeneous clusters and are not intermingled with each other. The rRNA genes are present on a single autosomal locus as could be demonstrated by in situ hybridization of fluorochrome-labelled 18S and 26S rRNA to metaphase chromosomes of spermatocytes I. The quantitative ratio of the two rDNA size classes varies largely between individuals being on the average roughly 10:1 in the investigated wild population of A. lumbricoides. However, there are no differences in the hybridization pattern of the two rDNAs in the DNA eliminating nematode A. lumbricoides between germ line and somatic cells in any of the individuals that have been analyzed.

Nucleotide sequence of satellite DNA contained in the eliminated genome of Ascaris lumbricoides.

Several restriction endonuclease fragments isolated from highly repetitive satellite DNA of the chromatin eliminating nematode Ascaris lumbricoides var. suum have been cloned. Each type of restriction fragment corresponds to a different variant of the same related ancestral sequence. These variants differ by small deletions, insertions and single base substitutions. Restriction and DBM blot analyses show that members of the same variant class are tandemly linked and therefore are physically separated from other variant classes. A comparison of all the determined sequences establishes a 121 bp long and AT rich consensus sequence. There is evidence for an internal short range periodicity of 11 bp length, indicating that the Ascaris satellite initially may have evolved from an ancestral undecamer sequence. The satellite DNA sequences are mostly but not entirely eliminated from the presumptive somatic cells during chromatin diminution. We have no evidence for transcriptional activity of satellite DNA at any stage or tissue analyzed.

Unusual features of the retroid element PAT from the nematode Panagrellus redivivus.

The PAT retroid transposable elements differ from other retroids in that they have a 'split direct repeat' structure, i.e., and internal 300bp sequence is found repeated, about one half at each element extremity. A very abundant transcript of about 900 nt, the start of which maps to the preferentially deleted portion of PAT elements, is detected on total Panagrellus redivius RNA bearing Northern blots. A potentially corresponding ORF encodes a protein of 265 residues having a carboxy terminal Cystein motif, believed to be exclusively characteristic of the GAG protein in retoid elements. A much fainter, 1800nt long transcript, is also detected on Northern blots and maps slightly downstream of the first ORF. The predicted protein sequence of this region bears motifs typical of reverse transcriptase and RNaseH, as found in the Pol genes of retroid elements. Peptide motif similarities are greatest with the DIRS-1 element derived from Dictyostelium discoideum. The possibility of using PAT elements as transposon tagging system for Caenorhabditis elegans is discussed.

Psychological aspects in the therapy of the andrological sterility factor with regard to the unfulfilled wish for a child.

Aside from knowledge of the respective causes in women and men, the therapy of couples with unfulfilled wish for a child requires the patients' willingness to submit to treatment. From a psychological point of view, the extent of the suffering is focused on, to be presupposition of the patients' compliance. Results from various research groups suggest that men tend to portray themselves as being especially unstressed. In the following report, considerations about the consequences to the doctor-patient relationships in andrology will be depicted. Among other things, the problematic relationship between the men affected and their fathers will be discussed as a possible cause of the self images of these men.

Preanesthetic medication with intranasal midazolam for brief pediatric surgical procedures. Effect on recovery and hospital discharge times.

BACKGROUND: The perfect preanesthesia medication and its ideal route of administration are still debated, but for pediatric surgical patients undergoing brief procedures, preanesthesia medication is frequently omitted because of the concern that it will prolong the child's recovery from anesthesia. The effects of nasally administered midazolam on anesthetic recovery and hospital discharge times were determined in 88 ASA physical status 1 and 2 ambulatory surgical patients undergoing a brief surgical procedure. METHODS: Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 88 ambulatory surgical patients 10-36 months of age undergoing myringotomy and tube insertion were entered into the study. All patients were randomly assigned to one of three medication groups. One group received 0.2 mg/kg intranasal midazolam; a second group received 0.3 mg/kg intranasal midazolam; and the third group received intranasal saline drops. All patients were anesthetized with nitrous oxide, oxygen, and halothane administered via mask. The duration of anesthesia lasted between 9 and 10 min. After preanesthetic medication, the children were evaluated for ease of separation and induction of anesthesia. In addition, the time from when the anesthetic was discontinued until the child recovered from anesthesia and the time the child was discharged home were recorded by a nurse observer blinded to the patient grouping. RESULTS: Children receiving midazolam had smoother, calmer parent-child separation and anesthesia induction scores, and their anesthesia recovery times and hospital discharge times were the same as those receiving placebo. CONCLUSIONS: For children undergoing brief surgical procedures, nasal midazolam provides satisfactory anxiolysis without delaying anesthesia recovery and hospital discharge.

History of recurrent sore throat as an indication for tonsillectomy. Predictive limitations of histories that are undocumented.

As part of a prospective study of indications for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, we followed closely 65 children with histories of recurrent throat infection that seemed impressive (at least seven episodes in one year, five in each of two consecutive years or three in each of three consecutive years), but lacked documentation. During the first year of observation, only 11 children (17 per cent) had episodes of throat infection with clinical features and patterns of frequency conforming to those described in their presenting histories. Of the remaining 54 children, 43 (80 per cent) experienced no, one or two observed episodes each, and most of the episodes were mild. We conclude that undocumented histories of recurrent throat infection do not validly forecast subsequent experience and hence do not constitute an adequate basis for subjecting children to tonsillectomy.