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In 108 patients the plasminogen activator (PA) activity in superficial hand veins was measured with a fibrin slide technique before and after a major surgical operation. In the early postoperative period the PA activity was significantly decreased and the PA activity did not return to its preoperative value until the 14th postoperative day. The postoperative decrease was more than 0.5 arbitrary unit in 90 patients, resulting in an abnormally low value in 44. Overweight or an operation time of 180 min or more was found to increase the proportion of patients with a postoperative decrease in the PA activity. No sure relationship was demonstrable in the postoperative PA activity between patients with venous thrombosis and those without.

Sixty-two charm events have been observed in an exposure of the SLAC Hybrid Facility to a backward scattered laser beam. Based on 22 neutral and 21 charged decays we have measured the charmed-meson lifetimes to be tau/sub D//sup 0/ = (6.8/sub -1.8//sup +2.3/)= x 10/sup -13/ sec, tau/sub D//sup + -/ = (7.4/sub -2.0//sup +2.3/) x 10/sup -13/ sec and their ratio tau/sub D//sup + -//tau0 = 1.1/sub -0.3/ /sup +0.6/. The inclusive charm cross section at a photon energy of 20 GeV has been measured to be 56/sub -/23/sup +24/ nb. Evidence is presented for a non-DD-bar component to charm production, consistent with (35 +- 20)% ..lambda../sub c//sup +/ production and some D/sup asteriskplus-or-minus/ production. We have found no unambiguous F decays.

In a study of 117 patients with recurrent venous thrombosis 65 patients were identified as having deficient fibrinolytic activity in the walls of veins obtained at biosy. Administration of phenformin and ethyloestrenol enhanced natural fibrinolysis.

Isotope renography combined with plain roentgenography of the urinary tract was compared with intravenous pyelography in the follow-up of 50 patients with pyelographically confirmed, radiopaque ureteral stone. The combined method was as informative as intravenous pyelography regarding the site of the obstruction, and gave better information on the function of the renal parenchyma and the passage of urine. Since in the combined method the level of radiation to which the patient is exposed is much lower than in intravenous pyelography, and since no allergic reaction to the combined method has been reported, it would seem useful in the follow-up of patients with roentgenographically visualized ureteral stone.

The coagulation factors and components of the fibrinolytic system were examined in 31 women with a previous history of phlebographically-verified thrombosis during the use of oral contraceptives of the combined type. Special attention was given to the histochemically-determined fibrinolytic activator content of the wall of biopsy specimens of superficial veins. None of the patients was taking contraceptives at the time of the investigation. Pathological changes, particularly in the fibrinolytic defence system, were found in most of the patients. They may be regarded as predisposed to thrombosis, and one might wonder whether these patients would sooner or later have had their thrombosis even if they had not used contraceptives. The concentration of antithrombin III was normal, indicating that this test is of no value for detecting patients predisposed to thrombosis, who should preferably not take oral contraceptives.