High time resolution measurements of droplet evaporation kinetics and particle crystallisation.

A refined technique for observing the complete evaporation behaviour of free-falling droplets, from droplet generation to complete solvent evaporation, with ultra-high time resolution is introduced and benchmarked. High-resolution phase-delay stroboscopic imaging is employed to simultaneously resolve the evolving droplet morphology, geometric and aerodynamic diameters, throughout the evaporative lifetime with a user-controlled < µs timescale. This allows rapid, complex morphological changes, such as crystallisation events, to be clearly observed and the corresponding mechanisms to be inferred. The dried particles are sampled for offline SEM analysis and the observed morphologies compared to the inflight imaging. Density changes can be calculated directly from the deviation between the geometric and aerodynamic diameters. The full capabilities of the new technique are demonstrated by examination of the different evaporation behaviours and crystallisation mechanisms for aqueous sodium chloride droplets evaporating under different ambient relative humidity (RH) conditions. The crystallisation window, defined as the time taken from initial to complete crystallisation, is shown to be RH dependent, extending from 0.03 s at 20% RH and 0.13 s at 40% RH. The different crystallisation mechanisms observed during the experiments are also clearly reflected in the final structure of the dry particles, with multi-crystal structures produced at low RH compared to single-crystal structures at higher RH. It is anticipated that this technique will unlock measurements which explore the evaporation behaviour and crystallisation mechanisms for rapid, complex droplet drying events, and with increasingly non-ideal solutions, relevant to industrial applications.

Use of famciclovir for the treatment of endotheliotrophic herpesvirus infections in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus).

Two juvenile Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) presented with an acute onset of facial edema and lethargy. Examination of the oral cavity of each animal revealed cyanosis of the tip and distal margins of the tongue suggestive of endothelial inclusion body disease (EIBD) of elephants. Whole-blood samples were obtained, and polymerase chain reaction tests confirmed the presence of elephant herpesvirus. The animals were administered famciclovir (Famvir, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101, USA), a potent human anti-herpesvirus drug, in the course of their disease, and recovery followed a treatment regime of 3-4 wk. These are the first known cases of elephants surviving EIBD.

Excitement in an elephant after intravenous administration of atropine.

A 28-year-old Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) was anesthetized for cesarean section to remove a dead calf. The elephant was sedated with azaperone, and atropine was administered IV 90 minutes later in preparation for induction of anesthesia with etorphine HCl. Within 1 minute of injection of atropine, the elephant began swaying, kicking, and moving in an agitated manner around the stall. There is considerable variation among species in the toxicity of atropine, although development of toxicosis usually is associated with overdosage.

Olfactory neuroblastoma invading the oral cavity in a patient with inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion.

Olfactory neuroblastoma is an uncommon intranasal neoplasm that has not been previously documented to invade the oral cavity. The tumor's variable clinical manifestations and microscopic features may create a diagnostic dilemma for the clinician. The neoplasm has been identified as a direct cause of ectopic arginine vasopressin production leading to inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion. An unusual case of olfactory neuroblastoma invading the oral cavity through the maxillary sinus in a patient with pathologic antidiuretic hormone secretion is reported.

Use of polymerase chain reaction for successful identification of asymptomatic genital infection with herpes simplex virus in pregnant women at delivery.

The polymerase chain reaction was adapted to the amplification of a herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA sequence, common to HSV types 1 and 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2). The amplified product was detectable by ethidium-bromide staining or Southern hybridization of gels and by dot hybridization. The HSV polymerase chain reaction detected HSV DNA in samples obtained from eight patients with genital lesions from which HSV-2 was isolated in tissue culture and from four patients with labial lesions from which HSV-1 was isolated. The HSV polymerase chain reaction identified HSV in clinical specimens obtained from 11 women who had asymptomatic genital HSV infections at delivery. None of 11 samples obtained at delivery from women who had antibodies to HSV-2, but whose delivery cultures were negative, were positive by polymerase chain reaction and no false-positive reactions were obtained when the reaction mixture contained human cell DNA or varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, or human papillomavirus DNA.

Osteoid osteomata of the distal phalanx.

Osteoid osteomata are rarely found in the distal phalanges of the hand. The 23 cases in the English language literature are discussed and two additional cases are described. The usual presenting features are chronic pain, nail enlargement and increase in size of the terminal part of the digit. Diagnosis is difficult but surgical excision is effective for treating the patients' pain.

Mapping of the class II region of the human major histocompatibility complex by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

The class II region of the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) encodes a polymorphic set of cell surface glycoproteins involved in the regulation of the immune response. Each glycoprotein is a heterodimer composed of a alpha-chain of relative molecular mass (Mr) 34,000 (34 K) and a beta-chain of Mr = 28K. The products of the class II region have been characterized by the mixed lymphocyte reaction, serology, primed lymphocyte typing and DNA cloning. DR, DQ and DP, three subregions containing both alpha- and beta-chains, and two additional loci, DZ alpha and DO beta, locate this gene cluster on the short arm of chromosome 6. The precise genomic organization of these loci have been difficult to determine. Here we describe the use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis together with restriction endonucleases having few genomic restriction sites and Southern blotting, to determine the order of the subregions and to derive a map for the human class II region. The order of these loci is similar to that of the homologous loci in the murine class II region. Our study establishes the use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis in mapping large regions of the genome in higher eukaryotes.

Intermittent catheterization in children.

Many children with myelodysplasia are ideal candidates for intermittent nonsterile urethral catheterization to manage urinary incontinence. This method of urinary management becomes no permanent commitment and is preferred by patients and parents to supravesical diversion when successful.