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The liquid chromatographic enantiomer separation of several alpha-amino acid methyl esters as 9-anthraldehyde Schiff base derivatives on five polysaccharide-derived chiral stationary phases (CSPs) was described. The 9-anthraldehyde imine derivatives of a-amino acid esters were prepared by stirring 9-anthraldehyde with the alpha-amino acid ester hydrochloride salts. The chromatographic conditions were 3%-10% (v/v) 2-propanol-n-hexane as the mobile phases at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and detected at UV 254 nm. The performance of Chiralcel OD (or Chiralcel OD-H) among the five CSPs was superior to those of the other CSPs for the resolution of 9-anthraldimine derivatives of alpha-amino acid methyl esters. The enantiomers of all a-amino acid methyl esters as the 9-anthraldimine derivatives were base-line resolved on Chiralcel OD or Chiralcel OD-H (alpha = 1.24-5.47, Rs = 2.56-13.90). The L-enantiomers of all analytes were strongerly restrained than the respective D-enantiomers on the Chiralcel OD (or Chiralcel OD-H) CSPs. The method was also used for the enantiomer separation of aliphatic amines and good separation was obtained. It is expected that the analytical method will be useful for the enantiomer resolution of other alpha-amino acid esters and amine compounds as 9-anthraldimine derivatives.

The liquid chromatographic enantiomer separation of beta-blockers on several polysaccharide derived chiral stationary phases (CSPs) (Chiralpak AD, Chiralcel OD, Chiralpak IA and Chiralpak IB) was performed and compared in the normal phase mode using hexane-ethanol in the presence of acid or base additives. The chromatographic conditions were 10% - 30% (v/v) ethanol-hexane containing 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid or triethylamine as the mobile phase at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min with the detection at 254 nm. The lower enantioselectivities and the shorter retention times on amylose derived CSPs (Chiralpak AD and Chiralpak IA) using the mobile phase with acid additive than those with base additive were shown, except for slightly longer retention times of metoprolol and propranolol on Chiralpak AD. The greater enantioselectivities and the shorter retention times on cellulose derived CSPs (Chiralcel OD and Chiralpak IB) using the mobile phase with acid additive than those with base additive were shown, especially, Chiralcel OD showed dramatically enhanced enantioselectivites using the mobile phase with acidic additive. Also, it was shown that the greater enantiomer separation of beta-blockers on Chiralcel OD was achieved using the mobile phases with the higher concentration acid additive.

A new plating medium, shrimp blood agar, was developed by using the haemolymph of shrimp plus 200 ppm rose bengal as the substrate. The colorless shrimp haemocytes were dyed by rose bengal to red. On the present agar, the hemolytic bacteria strain may show a clear zone surrounding the bacterial colony. The result on hemolysis of 45 bacteria representing 12 genera isolated from aquaculture environments against shrimp blood agar and sheep blood agar was also evaluated. There are 11 strains with different results. The study showed that, with the aim of screening the hemolytic bacteria to shrimp, shrimp blood agar might reveal a relatively quick and accurate results than that of sheep blood agar.

The study of gastric cancer is important in clinical medicine as well as in public health. Environmental factors play an important role in gastric carcinogenesis and thus primary prevention is feasible after improvement of these factors. The 5-year survival rate of resected early gastric cancer is over 90% and this provides an excellent paradigm for secondary prevention. Though its mortality rate has declined since 1970, gastric cancer remains common and carries a high mortality in Taiwan where about 2,000 patients die of gastric cancer annually. The age-adjusted mortality is 16.54 and 8.16/100,000 for male and female, ranking the third and fourth cancer death respectively. Epidemiologic data disclose a positive association between gastric cancer and some dietary factors in Taiwan. However, the role of Helicobacter pylori infection and hereditary susceptibility should be elucidated in the future. Endoscopy with biopsy is an excellent method of the diagnosis of gastric cancer. However, its invasiveness makes it impractical as a screening tool and thus the proportion of early gastric cancer to gastric cancer remains as low as 30% in most reports. The value of lymph node dissection remains controversial although surgery is one of the most effective methods of eradicating gastric cancer. Overall, the 5 year survival rate is 24.5% to 54%. Laser therapy is usually reserved for patients with high operative risk and specific types of gastric cancer. To improve the survival results, development of a simple and economic screening program based on the epidemiologic results and utilization of noninvasive examinations such as serologic markers to diagnose and treat gastric cancer at its earliest stage deserves further study.

To evaluate the effects of ketamine, N2O, propofol on visual evoked potential (VEP) during fentanyl anesthesia, 14 patients undergoing transphenoid pituitary dissections were studied. Visual stimulation was done by using the goggles with red light diodes through closed eyelids and responses were recorded in one channel montage, Cz against Oz. The stimulus frequency was 1.9 flashes/sec. The VEPs were recorded from skin incision until the opening of the dura. For comparison, the preanesthesia to anesthesia values were determined. The ratio for N2 (N75) latency were 100.5 +/- 13.9% in ketamine group, 104 +/- 3.5% in N2O group, 100.5 +/- 4.2% in propofol group. The ratios for P2 (P100) latency were 97.45 +/- 5.7% in ketamine group, 101.9 +/- 3.5% in N2O group, 96.8 +/- 5.5% in propofol group. For N2P2 amplitude, the ratios were 36.3% +/- 31.4% in ketamine group, 138.5 +/- 58.0% in N2O group, 80.8 +/- 42.2% in propofol group. The percentage of inadequate recordings were 2.5 +/- 4.3% in ketamine group, 19.2 +/- 2.2% in N2O group and 20.6 +/- 16.0% in propofol group. The percentage of false positive results were 0 +/- 0% in ketamine group, 9.8 +/- 19.9% in N2O group, 12.7 +/- 13.2% in propofol group. Satisfactory anesthesia was achieved in all groups except for ketamine group which required additional medications for elevated blood pressure and intracranial pressure, and postoperative nausea and vomiting. It is concluded that there was great variability of VEP during anesthesia and surgery. Amplitude rather than latency changes were observed during anesthesia combined with fentanyl.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The nucleolar organizer regions are loops of DNA that exist in cellular nucleolus and possess ribosomal ribonucleic acid genes. Ribonucleic acid polymerase I acts on these areas. This experience collects 52 primary human gliomas at TSGH from 1984 to 1989. These included 23 astrocytomas, 8 anaplastic astrocytomas and 21 glioblastoma multiforms. After thin cutting on slides and deparaffinizing, we stained each by the silver colloid technique. We counted the total quantity of Ag-NOR dots of over 400 tumor cells of each case and average of Ag-NOR dots per cell (+/- standard error of the mean) with X1000 oil lens. The results are 1.68 +/- 0.05, 2.00 +/- 0.10; 2.55 +/- 0.13 respectively, showing significant differences among these. The average Ag-NOR paralleled the degree of histopathological malignancy. With the average Ag-NOR of tumor cells to predict the patients prognosis, we found that the group containing patients with less than 2.00 Ag-NOR per cell had better prognosis than the group with 2.00 Ag-NOR or more. The silver colloid-staining technique is a simple, rapid and reproducible method to evaluate the malignancy of human brain gliomas and to estimate the long-term prognosis of patients.

A Technetium-99m DTPA computer-assisted renal scan and CCR studies were performed on 35 spinal cord injured patients who had been hospitalized in the rehabilitation ward of Kaohsiung Medical College Hospital for less than 6 months during the period of August 1988 to March 1990. For each patient, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), the effective renal plasma flow (ERPF), and the filtration fraction (FF) were obtained by a renal scan. CCR was measured by conventional procedure and was corrected with body length, body weight and body surface. Least square fit linear regression analysis revealed the best correlation between GFR and CCR. Based on GFR values the renal function was classified into four grades from normal to severe damage and the change of renal function was analyzed using four corresponding factors. The results showed that the ratio of GFR impairment in early spinal injury is 48.6% (mostly mild impairment). There are not significant differences between levels of lesion, severity of injury or successfulness of bladder training by Fisher's exact test. Renal function deteriorated proportionally with age and most of those patients having the worst renal function belonged to an old age group. Thus age is also one of the major factors in renal function impairment. Single kidney function impairment was noted in two patients whose total GFR or CCR were in the normal range, which implied the characteristic of early detection of renal dysfunction by renal scan.

The mass pre-control survey was done in fall semester 1978 by both methods that Kato's thick smear for helminthic infection and cellophane tape perianal swab for pinworm infection. There are about 19,000 primary school children and around 5,000 kindergarten children in Suan-yuan District, being the subjects. The helminthic positive rates (%) obtained were 5.18 and 3.81, respectively. The rates for pinworm were found 28.68% former and 29.00% for the latter. Drug was given to the egg-positive persons after mass examination, in each semester, for three consecutive years. Two broad-spectrum anthelmintics, pyrantel pamoate and mebendazole were used. The children who harbored Ascaris, hookworm or pinworm were given pyrantel tablet as a single dose of 10 mg/kg body weight, and whipworm positives were given a standard course of 100 mg of mebendazole twice daily for three days. After three-year operation, in accordance with the results of examination in Spring semester 1981, the egg positive rates were sharply dropped to 0.56% for the primary school children and 0.50% for the kindergarten. The pinworm infection rates for the above-mentioned group were also reduced to 13.05% and 18.68%, respectively.