Trauma or tumour: giant cell tumour of distal biceps tendon sheath, an unusual cause of elbow pain.

We report the case of a middle-age lady who presented following minor trauma, with dominant-sided anterior elbow pain and swelling of 6 months in duration. She was assessed clinically, and underwent investigations, which confirmed features consistent with giant cell tumour (GCT) of distal biceps tendon sheath. She underwent uneventful en-bloc excisional surgery. She did not have radiotherapy. She is now 5 years postoperatively asymptomatic, with full function, and with no signs of recurrence.

aCORN: An experiment to measure the electron-antineutrino correlation coefficient in free neutron decay.

We describe an apparatus used to measure the electron-antineutrino angular correlation coefficient in free neutron decay. The apparatus employs a novel measurement technique in which the angular correlation is converted into a proton time-of-flight asymmetry that is counted directly, avoiding the need for proton spectroscopy. Details of the method, apparatus, detectors, data acquisition, and data reduction scheme are presented, along with a discussion of the important systematic effects.

The incidence of flare reaction and short-term outcome following steroid injection in the shoulder.

BACKGROUND: To determine the short-term effects following corticosteroid injection into the shoulder. METHODS: Type-specific shoulder injection was administered, followed by physiotherapy 7 days to 10 days later. One hundred and sixteen adult patients were prospectively followed-up. The primary outcome was a visual analogue score (VAS) for pain. Scores were recorded immediately before injection, 30 minutes after, daily until day 7 and then at 6 weeks. Post injection pain was defined as an increase of 2 or more points in the VAS score after the injection. The secondary outcome was determined at 6 months as successful discharge or progression onto surgery. RESULTS: The VAS showed a significant reduction from the pre-injection score for all patients at day 1 and was maintained until week 6. Forty-one (35.3%) patients experienced post-injection pain. The mean duration of symptoms was 3.9 days. At 6 months, 81 (69.8%) patients were discharged successfully and, at a mean of 23.2 months, did not require re-referral; 29 (25%) had surgery; and six (5.2%) were referred for a spinal opinion. CONCLUSIONS: One in three patients developed delayed post-injection pain. Flare phenomenon had no determinate effect on outcome. Patients' pain response by 6 weeks is predictive of final outcome at 6 months and may help clinicians plan further treatment without delay.

The aCORN Backscatter-Suppressed Beta Spectrometer.

Backscatter of electrons from a beta spectrometer, with incomplete energy deposition, can lead to undesirable effects in many types of experiments. We present and discuss the design and operation of a backscatter-suppressed beta spectrometer that was developed as part of a program to measure the electronantineutrino correlation coefficient in neutron beta decay (aCORN). An array of backscatter veto detectors surrounds a plastic scintillator beta energy detector. The spectrometer contains an axial magnetic field gradient, so electrons are efficiently admitted but have a low probability for escaping back through the entrance after backscattering. The design, construction, calibration, and performance of the spectrometer are discussed.

Measurement of the Electron-Antineutrino Angular Correlation in Neutron ß Decay.

We report the first result for the electron-antineutrino angular correlation (a coefficient) in free neutron ß decay from the aCORN experiment. aCORN uses a novel method in which the a coefficient is proportional to an asymmetry in proton time of flight for events where the ß electron and recoil proton are detected in delayed coincidence. Data are presented from a 15 month run at the NIST Center for Neutron Research. We obtained a=-0.1090±0.0030(stat)±0.0028(sys), the most precise measurement of the neutron a coefficient reported to date.

Identification of a gene cluster, czr, involved in cadmium and zinc resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa CMG103 was isolated from a metal-polluted river in Pakistan and displayed a high level of Zn and Cd resistance. An omega-Km transposon mutant of strain CMG103, which showed a substantial decrease in resistance to Zn and Cd, was obtained. A 12.8 kb region determining Zn and Cd resistance in strain CM103 was cloned by complementing the mutant strain, and its nt sequence was determined. Five genes, czrSRCBA, involved in Zn and Cd resistance, were identified. The predicted gene products of czrCBA show a significant similarity with the proteins encoded by the plasmid borne metal resistant determinants czc, cnr and ncc of Ralstonia strains, which determine a chemiosmotic cation-antiporter efflux system. The predicted CzrS and CzrR proteins show a significant similarity to the sensor and regulatory protein, respectively, of two component regulatory systems, such as CopS/CopR and PcoS/PcoR involved in the regulation of plasmid-borne Cu-resistant determinants, and CzcS/CzcR involved in the regulation of czc. The cloned czr region contained downstream of czrCBA additional ORFs whose predicted gene products are similar to proteins involved in catabolism of aromatic compounds. DNA-DNA hybridization indicated strong conservation of czr in other environmental P. aeruginosa isolates and in the P. aeruginosa type strain PAO1, a clinical isolate. This was confirmed by a comparison of the sequence of the CMG103 czr region with the currently available genome sequence of strain PAO1. A high sequence identity (till 99% at the nt level) and organizatory conservation of the czr region of CMG103 was found in PAO1 as well regarding coding sequences as intervening sequences between ORFs. The czr locus was localized between coordinates 2400 and 2550 kb on the physical map of the chromosome of PAO1.

Vitamin E protects against bacterial endotoxin-induced increase of plasma corticosterone and brain glutamate in the rat.

Plasma corticosterone (CS) and brain free aminoacids were determined in male rats 2 hr after acute exposure to bacterial endotoxin stress BES (2.0 mg/kg i.p. of lipopolysaccharide, LPS). A significant increase in the levels of plasma CS and brain taurine (Tau), aspartate (As), glutamate (Glu), glycine (Gly) and valine (Val) was observed following BES. When vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol acetate AT) was given orally (0.25 gm/kg/day) 4 days before induction of BES, the plasma CS as well as the brain Glu levels were significantly reduced to the control values. These results indicate that plasma CS and brain Glu may be involved in the mechanisms by which AT protects against the neurotoxicity of BES.