[Management of suicidal orbital gunshot wounds to the temple]. / Management suizidaler orbitaler Schläfen-Schussverletzungen.

BACKGROUND: Orbital gunshot wounds are rarely found after suicide. A gunshot fired at point blank range into the temple has devastating effects on all intraorbital and neighboring structures. CASE REPORTS: This article reports on two cases of gunshot wounds to the lateral orbit in attempted suicides with different weapons from 2012 and 2013 and treated at the Ruhr University Eye Hospital in Bochum. In both cases treatment was carried out in cooperation with the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Ruhr University Hospital, Bochum. In the first case a 7.65 mm gun was used. The patient presented with a double penetration of both orbits with total destruction of both globes and a reconstruction was not possible. The second patient presented with multiple shots to the head from a small caliber gun (5.6 mm) where one bullet entered the right orbit behind the globe. The bullet could be localized using computed tomography (CT) and surgically removed with preservation of the globe and with a postoperative visual acuity of 20/60. CONCLUSION: The preservation of visual function after orbital gunshot wounds depends on both the projectile channel and the characteristics of the gun and bullet. Close collaboration in surgical management between ophthalmologists, maxillofacial surgeons and neurosurgeons in specialized centers is necessary because patients often present with multiple trauma and prompt interdisciplinary treatment is needed.

Inhibition of viral gene expression by human ribonuclease P.

External guide sequences (EGSs) are small RNA molecules which consist of a sequence complementary to a target mRNA and render the target RNA susceptible to degradation by ribonuclease P (RNase P). EGSs were designed to target the mRNA encoding thymidine kinase (TK) of herpes simplex virus 1 for degradation. These EGSs were shown to be able to direct human RNase P to cleave the TK mRNA sequence efficiently in vitro. A reduction of about 80% in the expression level of both TK mRNA and protein was observed in human cells that steadily expressed an EGS, but not in cells that either did not express the EGS or produced a "disabled" EGS which carried a single nucleotide mutation that precluded RNase P recognition. Thus, EGSs may represent novel gene-targeting agents for inhibition of gene expression and antiviral activity.

[Doppler flow evaluation of atrio-ventricular valve blood flow in the fetal heart during the second half of normal pregnancy]. / Dopplerowska ocena przeplywów przedsionkowo-komorowych w sercu plodu w ii polowie ciazy prawidlowej.

39 normal fetal heart examinations were evaluated since 20 week of gestation to term, and Doppler blood flow was analysed for mitral and tricuspid valves. The measurements were done always in good 4 chamber view and qualitative and quantitative analysis were performed, in terms of describing E and A waves and maximal velocity against gestational age. In all of the cases between 20 and 34 weeks of gestation there were type E < A Doppler waveform, and since 35 week of gestation there was also type E = A. There were only 2 cases with type E > A, both near term. This Doppler waveform may depends on maturity of the fetal myocardium. The maximal velocity for the atrio-ventricular valves did not correlated with gestational age. The average max value for mitral valve was 43 +/- 10 cm/s and for tricuspid valve 50 +/- 11 cm/s (p < 0.01).

Development of a rapid method for determining the susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to isoniazid using the Gen-Probe DNA Hybridization System.

A rapid test was developed for determining the susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to isoniazid by using nucleic acid hybridization. The method was based on quantification of total mycobacterial rRNA hybridized to a 125I-labeled DNA probe in the absence and presence of various concentrations of isoniazid. The radioactive hybridized complex was isolated by adsorption to hydroxyapatite crystals and measured in a gamma counter. The susceptibilities of four reference strains and 20 clinical isolates were compared by the Gen-Probe DNA Hybridization System and the critical concentration method. Overall agreement between the two methods was excellent. Results were obtained with the DNA probe after 3 to 5 days of incubation instead of the 14 to 21 days required for the critical concentration method. These findings indicate that susceptibility testing of M. tuberculosis by nucleic acid hybridization has merit for the clinical laboratory. Additional studies are needed to determine the efficacy of the DNA probe method for determining the susceptibility of M. tuberculosis to other antimycobacterial agents and its correlation with clinically significant levels of resistance.