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Introduction: Extracorporeal shock wave treatment (ESWT) has recently been shown to enhance skin flap survival. However, the bio-mechanisms operating during preoperative ESWT remain unclear. The aim of our study was to investigate whether preoperative ESWT can improve blood flow in ischemic skin flaps and to elucidate its possible mechanisms., Methods: 14 male-rats were randomized into two groups and an oversized ventral random-pattern flap was raised. Experimental group received extracorporeal shock-wave treatment (ESWT) with an energy of 500 mJ/mm(2) seven days prior to total flap elevation, while control group received no treatment prior to total flap elevation. Seven days postoperatively, surviving flap area, perfused flap area, microvessel density and VEGF concentration were measured., Results: Surviving flap area (59.43 ± 14.72 % to 42.71 ± 10.75 %, p = 0.026), perfused flap area (62.00 ± 8.58 % to 45.14 ± 10.50 %, p = 0.007), microvessel density (18.13 ± 5.11 to 11.09 ± 1.12, p = 0.016) and VEGF to total protein ratio (0.2107 ± 0.0935 to 0.0123 ± 0.0069, p = 0.008) were significantly elevated in the ESWT group., Conclusion: Preoperative ESWT can improve skin flap survival through enhanced topical blood perfusion and neovascularization via elevation of angio-active factors., (Copyright © 2011 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In pain patients with functional disorder you can often find a disharmonie in the cervical spine. The results of the examination from 74 patients (47 female, 27 male) shows that: 1. 86.5% of the patients told about neck pain. Those patients with hard neck pain, you can find five or more dolent masticatory muscles. 2. 50% of the patients have on block in the cervical spine, 36.5% have between two and four blocks. 3. In patients with low neck pain you can find less blocks, than in patients with hard neck pain. If there is a block the part of the patients with more than five dolent muscles is significantly higher. 4. 64 patients who have a block shows at the same time 56.8% a functional disorder. So everybody can see that it is really necessary to work together in the diagnosis, therapy and treatment in patients with functional disorders.

The adhesive force was tested between the Silicoater and Sebond-MKV bonding systems and two Co Cr alloys. The tests were: The flexural strength-test, the tensile stress-test, the fracture test and the shear strength test. The ceramic veneering had worse results only in the flexural strength test compared with the two bonding systems. The bonding system Silicoater was in the tensile stress test and in the fracture test better than the Sebond MKV system. The bonding system Sebond-MKV showed better results in the flexural strength test and in the shear strength test than the Silicoater system. Differences in the results you could find between the test after dry air storing and saliva storing.

pWW53-4 is a cointegrate between RP4 and the catabolic plasmid pWW53 from Pseudomonas putida MT53, which contains 36 kbp of pWW53 DNA inserted close to the oriV gene of RP4; it encodes the ability to grow on toluene and the xylenes, characteristic of pWW53, as well as resistance to tetracycline, kanamycin and carbenicillin, characteristic of RP4. A physical map of the 36 kbp insert of pWW53 DNA for 11 restriction enzymes is presented, showing that the relative positions of the two xyl operons are different from those on the archetypal TOL plasmid pWW0. The location of the genes for 4-oxalocrotonate decarboxylase (xylI) and 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase (xylH) were shown by subcloning and enzyme assay to lie at the distal end of the meta pathway operon. Although 2-oxopent-4-enoate hydratase (xylJ) and 4-hydroxy-2-oxovalerate aldolase (xylK) could be detected on a large cloned HindIII fragment, they could not be accurately located on smaller subcloned DNA, but the only credible position for them is between xylF and xylI. The gene order in the meta pathway operon is therefore xylDLEGF(J,K)IH. The regulatory genes xylS and xylR were located close to and downstream of the meta pathway operon, and the restriction map of the DNA in this region, as has previously been shown for the two operons carrying the structural genes, shows similarities with the corresponding region on pWW0. Evidence is also presented for the existence of two promoters, termed P3 and P4, internal to the meta pathway operon which support low constitutive expression of the structural genes downstream in Pseudomonas hosts but not in E. coli.

Our studies dealt with the prognostic significance of the mitotic count for patients with thin (less than or equal to 1.5 mm) melanoma. We determined the mitotic rate of 50 patients who had died of melanoma thinner than 1.5 mm within 8 years (short-term survivors). The specimens were examined by means of a rectangular visual field; thus we could calculate the mitotic count to the square mm of the tumor surface. This outcome was compared to the mitotic rate of 50 long-term survivors who had not died within 8 years and who corresponded to the first group with regard to sex, tumor thickness, as well as tumor site. In both groups, at least 15% of the melanomas did not show any mitotic figure. With females, the average mitotic values were identical in both groups (1.1 vs. 1.15). In males, however, short-term survivors revealed a significantly (p less than 0.001) higher mitotic count (2.2) than long-term survivors (0.75).

The degradation of the aromatic carboxylic acids 3-phenylpropionic acid, cinnamic acid and L-phenylalanine was investigated in several strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. lwoffii. Evidence is presented for the conversion of 3-phenylpropionic acid into the cis-2,3-dihydrodihydroxy-derivative, which is further metabolized to 3-(2,3-dihydroxyphenyl-)propionic acid, followed by cleavage of the aromatic ring in meta-proximal position. When pre-grown on 3-phenylpropionic acid, cinnamic acid as well as L-phenylalanine were metabolized under resting cell conditions via the same degradation pathway. When cultivated with cinnamic acid as sole carbon source 4-hydroxycinnamate, together with 4-hydroxybenzoate and protocatechuate were found as metabolites. L-phenylalanine, when provided as the only carbon source, is converted via phenylacetic acid to 2-hydroxyphenyl-acetic acid. All metabolites were identified by conventional chemical techniques. Enzymatic studies yielded further support for the proposed pathways. In 14 of 15 Acinetobacter strains the presence of plasmid DNA could be detected. The number of plasmids varied between 1 and 7. Regarding the number and size of the plasmids considerable variations within the different bacterial strains were observed. No extended homology among the plasmids could be shown by restriction endonuclease digestion. One strain exhibiting a high spontaneous mutation rate to the 3-phenylpropionic acid-negative phenotype did not show any change in its plasmid pattern. The results lead us to conclude that a correlation between the degradative properties of these strains and the presence of plasmid DNA is unlikely., (Copyright © 1983 Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart/New York. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

1. Additional evidence is presented in support of the view which postulates a close chemical and biologic relation between the active ingredients in poison ivy and Japan lac. 2. Biologic evidence, based on the use of the patch test in man, is presented in support of the view that the active ingredient in poison ivy is a catechol derivative with a long, unsaturated side-chain in the 3-position. 3. Of the catechol compounds and derivatives studied, group reactions in patients sensitive to poison ivy leaves or extract were exhibited by the following compounds: 3-pentadecyl catechol (100 per cent of 21 cases), 4-pentadecyl catechol (38 per cent of 21 cases), "urushiol" dimethyl ether (33 per cent of 33 cases), 3-pentadecenyl-1'-veratrole (21 per cent of 14 cases), 3-methyl catechol (14 per cent of 21 cases), and hydrourushiol dimethyl ether (10 per cent of 20 cases). It has been found that 3-geranyl catechol shows a practically constant group reactivity in persons sensitive to poison ivy. 4. The uniformly positive group reaction to 3-pentadecyl catechol is notable since this substance possesses a saturated side-chain, whereas the active ingredient in poison ivy is known to have an unsaturated side-chain. 5. The group reactivity was not restricted to the 3-position, for in some instances 4-pentadecyl catechol also gave group reactions which, however, were less intense and less frequent than those shown by 3-pentadecyl catechol. This indicates that in some cases a long side-chain in the 4 position may be effective in producing group specific reactions. 6. Only an occasional person showed sensitiveness to 3-methyl catechol (short side-chain), and in one instance the group reactivity appeared to be specific for the 3-position. 7. The position of the side-chain in the catechol configuration has some bearing on the degree and incidence of group reactions in persons hypersensitive to poison ivy. 8. Evidence is presented to indicate that the introduction of double bonds in the alkyl side-chain increases the incidence and intensity of group reactions. 9. Methylating the hydroxyl groups in the catechol configuration diminishes strongly the incidence of group reactivity but does not eliminate it entirely in persons hypersensitive to poison ivy. Thus, "urushiol" dimethyl ether (3-pentadecadienyl veratrole) gave group reactions in 33 per cent of 33 persons. 10. Methylating the hydroxyl groups as well as saturating the double bonds in the alkyl side-chain still further diminishes the group reactions but an occasional person hypersensitive to poison ivy may still show positive reaction to such a substance as 3-pentadecyl veratrole (hydrourushiol dimethyl ether). In this respect our results are not in full agreement with those recorded by Toyama who stated that hydrourushiol dimethyl ether is entirely harmless. 11. The significance of the group reactivity displayed by certain veratrole compounds is discussed, and several possible explanations of their behavior are advanced. 12. The group reactions discussed in this paper relate only to various catechol and veratrole compounds. Preliminary studies by us indicate that this sensitiveness extends to other phenolic derivatives. 13. Among the veratrole compounds showing positive reactions, the order of frequency and intensity was: (1) "urushiol" dimethyl ether (average of two double bonds); (2) S-pentadecenyl-1'-veratrole (one double bond); (3) hydrourushiol dimethyl ether (saturated side-chain). It may be noted that 4-pentadecyl veratrole was inactive.