Down's syndrome and hepatitis: an evaluation of carrier status.

Literature citations show that institutionalized people with Down's syndrome have a significantly higher incidence of positive hepatitis B antigen (HBsAg) than mentally handicapped people who do not have Down's syndrome. A review of 2,136 institutionalized mentally handicapped people in Georgia shows that 27% of residents who have Down's syndrome and 7% of the residents who do not have Down's syndrome tested positive for HBsAg. Forty-nine people with Down's syndrome living in the community were screened for HBsAg. Only one (3%) of 37 of the people who had never lived in an institution tested positive for HBsAg. The implication is that patients with Down's syndrome who have never been institutionalized should be treated no differently than any person in the general population who is not suspected of being a transmitter of an infectious disease.

Evaluation of accumulation of calculus in tube-fed mentally handicapped patients.

A group of tube-fed, nonambulatory, and multihandicapped clients and a similar nontube-fed group were compared to determine the rate of calculus formation over 90 days. The findings indicate that calculus formation is significantly more rapid in the tube-fed group: the majority (71%) of this calculus was formed within the first 30 days; there was no significant difference in plaque formation between the two groups, and the oral hygiene level for both groups was poor. Further study is in progress to determine the impact of rapid buildup of calculus on oral health; any disadvantage caused the patient by frequent prophylaxis; and possible causes of the rapid onset of calculus formation.

Ferrocene modified polypyrrole with immobilised glucose oxidase and its application in amperometric glucose microbiosensors.

Gold microelectrodes were modified with electropolymerised polypyrrole in both organic and aqueous electrolytes. Cyclic voltammetry studies confirmed that electron conduction through the films in aqueous electrolytes is greatly reduced and is inefficient at mediating the oxidation/reduction of solution redox species. Films formed in aqueous electrolyte were also found to be more heterogenous in structure compared to those formed in acetonitrile. Aqueous polymerised films were used as an immobilisation matrix for glucose oxidase, and modified gold micro electrodes were used in the analysis of glucose using hydrogen peroxide detection. It was found that glucose oxidase was strongly absorbed into the films and that the sensors remained stable for several weeks. An improved linear range and oxygen insensitivity was achieved by incorporating the "water-insoluble" electron transfer mediator, dimethyl ferrocene, into the polypyrrole films by absorption. Good currents and response times to glucose addition were obtained from these electrodes, however, the electrodes possessed poor stability caused by the apparent loss of mediator from the films. Greater operational stability was achieved by covalently functionalising the films with the ferrocene derivative, ferrocenecarbonyl chloride. Covalently bound ferrocence was found to be an efficient oxidant of reduced glucose oxidase. Electrodes constructed in this manner possessed a good linear range, oxygen insensitivity and better stability. Electron transfer mechanisms are discussed.

Outpatient dental services for individuals with mental illness: a program description.

This paper describes a state-funded program providing dental services for community-based mentally ill clients. Contrasts between outpatient services for persons with mental illness and similar programs serving the mentally retarded population are emphasized. Implications of client eligibility, communication, and compliance issues relative to limitations of care are discussed. Suggestions for improving similar programs are provided.

Evaluation of calculus accumulation in tube-fed, mentally handicapped patients: the effects of oral hygiene status.

A group of fifteen tube-fed mentally handicapped subjects were compared with a similar group of fifteen nontube-fed subjects to determine the rate of calculus formation during a 60-day period of intensive oral hygiene care. The findings indicate that calculus formation is significantly more rapid in the tube-fed group, although the oral hygiene levels of the tube-fed group were superior. Nearly half (48%) of this calculus accumulated within the first 3 weeks. The calculus accumulation for both groups was lower than that indicated in a previous study where oral hygiene was poor.

Providing oral health care to individuals with severe disabilities residing in the community: alternative care delivery systems.

For some individuals with disabilities who reside in the community, comprehensive oral health care is inaccessible. This deficiency has been noted by health care professionals and advocacy organizations. For example, most dentists who provide care to people with disabilities who reside in the institutional setting perceive that present resources within the community, both private and public, are generally unprepared to provide comprehensive dental care to the adult with severe disabilities; they also believe that special facilities and programs are needed that will be geographically and financially accessible to these individuals. Fortunately, several "special programs" have been established that successfully provide dental care to this population. This article describes these alternative care delivery systems and discusses their characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages. In addition, given the continuing process of community placement, implications for institutional dental programs are presented.

Graphical tools for comparative genome analysis.

Visualization of data is important for many data-rich disciplines. In biology, where data sets are becoming larger and more complex, graphical analysis is felt to be ever more pertinent. Although some patterns and trends in data sets may only be determined by sophisticated computational analysis, viewing data by eye can provide us with an extraordinary amount of information in an instant. Recent advances in bioinformatic technologies allow us to link graphical tools to data sources with ease, so we can visualize our data sets dynamically. Here, an overview of graphical software tools for comparative genome analysis is given, showing that a range of simple tools can provide us with a powerful view of the differences and similarities between genomes.

Plant genome databases: from references to inference tools.

Plant genome databases play an important role in the archiving and dissemination of data arising from the international genome projects. Recent developments in bioinformatics, such as new software tools, programming languages and standards, have produced better access across the Internet to the data held within them. An increasing emphasis is placed on data analysis and indeed many resources now provide tools allied to the databases, to aid in the analysis and interpretation of the data. However, a considerable wealth of information lies untapped by considering the databases as single entities and will only be exploited by linking them with a wide range of data sources. Data from research programs such as comparative mapping and germplasm studies may be used as tools, to gain additional knowledge but without additional experimentation. To date, the current plant genome databases are not yet linked comprehensively with each other or with these additional resources, although they are clearly moving toward this. Here, the current wealth of public plant genome databases is reviewed, together with an overview of initiatives underway to bind them to form a single plant genome infrastructure.

Health centre's success story.

The success of Selly Oak's new health centre is apparent from many points of view. Jane Dicks, Richard Miles and Stan Young, all of South Birmingham Health District describe the problems faced and how they were solved to maintain a prodigious building schedule.

Influence of growth condition on the concentration of potassium in Bacillus subtilis var. niger and its possible relationship to cellular ribonucleic acid, teichoic acid and teichuronic acid.

1. Mg(2+)-limited Bacillus subtilis var. niger, growing in a chemostat in a simple salts medium, contained considerably more potassium and phosphorus than Mg(2+)-limited Aerobacter aerogenes growing in a similar medium at corresponding dilution rates. 2. Growth of the bacillus in a K(+)-limited environment did not lower the cellular potassium and phosphorus contents, the molar proportions of cell-bound magnesium, potassium, RNA (as nucleotide) and phosphorus being approximately constant at 1:13:5:13 (compared with 1:4:5:8 in Mg(2+)-limited or K(+)-limited A. aerogenes). 3. Growth of B. subtilis in a phosphate-limited environment caused the cellular phosphorus content to be lowered to a value similar to that of Mg(2+)-limited A. aerogenes, but the potassium content was not correspondingly lowered; the molar potassium:magnesium ratio varied from 14 to 17 with changes in dilution rate from 0.4 to 0.1hr.(-1). 4. Whereas over 70% of the cell-bound phosphorus of Mg(2+)-limited or K(+)-limited A. aerogenes was contained in the nucleic acids, these polymers accounted for less than 50% of the phosphorus present in similarly limited B. subtilis; much phosphorus was present in the walls of the bacilli, bound in a teichoic acid-type compound composed of glycerol phosphate and glucose (but no alanine). 5. Phosphate-limited B. subtilis cell walls (from organisms grown at a dilution rate of 0.2hr.(-1)) contained little phosphorus and no detectable amounts of teichoic acid, but 40% of the cell-wall dry weight could be accounted for by a teichuronic acid-type compound; this contained a glucuronic acid and galactosamine, neither of which could be detected in the walls of Mg(2+)-limited B. subtilis grown at a corresponding rate. 6. It is suggested that the high concentration of potassium in growing B. subtilis (compared with A. aerogenes) results from the presence of large amounts of anionic polymer (teichoic acid or teichuronic acid) in the bacillus cell walls.

A quantitative description of inhibition of stem growth in vegetative lateral shoots of Chrysanthemum morifolium by N-dimethylaminosuccinamic acid (daminozide).

The concentration of N-dimethylaminosuccinamic acid (daminozide) in four lateral shoot fractions of vegetative plants of chrysanthemum morifolium cv. Bright Golden Anne was determined at intervals over twenty three days following 0.2%, 0.6% and 1.5% foliar spray applications of this growth retardant. The decrease in daminozide concentration in stem tissue conformed to first order kinetics, but in leaf fractions did not follow any simple pattern.Inhibition by daminozide of lateral shoot growth was wholly attributable to its effect on the stem. A mathematical treatment, based on an approach originally developed to describe inhibition of bacterial growth, describes the relationship between daminozide concentration in the stem and inhibition of growth in stem mass. The results quantitatively describe the phenomenon of "growing out" which is frequently observed in daminozide-treated plants, and suggest that daminozide exerts its primary effect at a site located in the stem.

Prevention of postoperative wound haematomas and hyperperfusion following carotid endarterectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence of wound haematomas and hyperperfusion following carotid endarterectomy and the effect of changes in perioperative management. METHODS: We undertook a prospective audit of the postoperative outcome of 300 consecutive carotid endarterectomies performed for a symptomatic stenosis of the internal carotid artery, under the care of a single consultant. RESULTS: audit of the first 100 operations between 1990-93 resulted in 4 changes to clinical practice. These included the use of Dacron instead of vein because of 3 vein patch blowouts, invasive postoperative monitoring of blood pressure, and the use of intravenous beta-blockers to control hypertension, because of 4 hyperperfusion injuries. The use of 10F suction drains was discontinued, because they did not prevent 8 wound haematomas. The results of the second 100 cases between 1994-97 and the third 100 cases between 1998-2000 confirmed no further hyperperfusion injuries or patch blowouts (p =0.01 and 0.04 respectively). Larger 14F suction drains were reintroduced for the third series because of thirteen haematomas in the second series (p =0.09). Only 4 haematomas occurred in the third series ( p =0.05). The need for beta-blockers fell in the third series due to the introduction of local anaesthesia (p =0.0001). CONCLUSION: The use of Dacron patches and postoperative control of hypertension has reduced the incidence of haemorrhage and hyperperfusion after carotid endarterectomy. Larger suction drains may also help.

UK CropNet: a collection of databases and bioinformatics resources for crop plant genomics.

The UK Crop Plant Bioinformatics Network (UK CropNet) was established in 1996 in order to harness the extensive work in genome mapping in crop plants in the UK. Since this date we have published five databases from our central UK CropNet WWW site (http://synteny.nott.ac.uk/) with a further three to follow shortly. Our resource facilitates the identification and manipulation of agronomically important genes by laying a foundation for comparative analysis among crop plants and model species. In addition, we have developed a number of software tools that facilitate the visualisation and analysis of our data. Many of our tools are made freely available for use with both crop plant data and with data from other species.