Search

Turkey is not only the main apricot (Prunus armeniaca) producer and exporter in the world, but it also has a wide variety of apricot germplasms, owing to its close proximity to the centers of apricot origin. However, there is little or no genetic information on many apricot cultivars that are extensively cultivated in Turkey. We examined the genetic relatedness of 25 Turkish and four exotic apricot cultivars using SSR (simple sequence repeat) markers that were either previously developed for apricot, or for peach (P. persica), a close relative of apricot. Allele diversity (with an average allele number of 6.37) at the SSR loci and the heterozygosity rates (with an average Ho value of 0.648) of these cultivars were found to be higher than in previous studies that used the same loci for apricot. This fact might be attributed to the analysis of different numbers of accessions in the different studies. No correlations were found between the genetic relatedness and the geographical distributions of these cultivars. The data reported here will assist in the prevention of confusions in the apricot propagation and breeding in Turkey. The findings can also be directly compared with other studies that used the same SSR markers on apricot.

An experimental study on the correlation between functional and morphologic recovery of crushed sciatic nerves was carried out in rats. The sciatic nerve of 33 rats, divided into three groups, was submitted to controlled crushing injury on a 5-mm long segment, in a universal testing machine for 10 min with three different loads (100, 500, and 15,000 g, respectively). Functional recovery was evaluated, using a modified sciatic functional index (SFI) at weekly intervals up to the 60th postoperative day, at which time, the animals were sacrificed for histologic and morphometric studies of the nerves. Results were compared with those of normal untouched nerves and nerves submitted to segmentary resection without repair. Initial loss of function was observed in all animals with crush injury, but recovery to a nearly normal SFI occurred after progressively longer intervals (25, 39, and 53 days), as a function of load. Nerve-fiber density was increased in the groups submitted to lower loads, but statistically significantly decreased in the animals submitted to the 15,000-g crush. The authors conclude that the SFI is directly correlated with nerve-fiber density and, therefore, is an adequate tool for evaluating sciatic functional deficiency in the rat.

Background: Dialysis access occlusion is the most common cause of hospitalization and a frequent indirect cause of mortality in patients on chronic hemodialysis. The clinical assessment of an arteriovenous shunt is presently the most widely adopted method for the diagnosis of vascular access occlusion in hemodialysis patients, but no studies have yet investigated objectively its sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV). Continuous-wave (CW) Doppler ultrasound is a simple, inexpensive, and noninvasive technique for the assessment of arterial blood flow. We have carried out a prospective evaluation of the PPV of CW Doppler for the diagnosis of vascular access occlusion in hemodialysis patients and compared it with clinical investigation., Methods: Fourty-one hemodialysis patients with clinical diagnosis of occlusion of their fistula were studied, and in 23 of them the diagnosis of occlusion was objectively validated., Results: CW Doppler in the patients in whom occlusion was objectively validated showed PPV of 86 and 83% under basal conditions and after fistula compression, respectively, with sensitivities of 95 and 100%, respectively. Clinical diagnosis, under the same conditions, showed a PPV of 83% and a sensitivity of 100%., Conclusions: CW Doppler and clinical examination have a similar high sensitivity for the diagnosis of occlusion of the dialysis access; thus, there is no need to use routinely Doppler CW examination, unless objective documentation is required.

The mechanisms underlying the defective platelet function in cirrhotic patients were investigated. Eleven cirrhotic patients with mild disease (group 1), 20 patients with severe cirrhosis (group 2), and 31 controls were studied. Platelet aggregation was significantly reduced in cirrhotics compared with controls. Compared with controls, cirrhotic patients in group 2 showed a significant reduction in the total content of adenosine triphosphate (57.8 +/- 7.8 vs. 26.1 +/- 6.3 mumol/10(11) platelets; P less than 0.05), 5-hydroxytryptamine (285 +/- 26 vs. 104 +/- 38 nmol/10(11) platelets; P less than 0.05), beta-thromboglobulin (2129 +/- 120 vs. 1223 +/- 161 ng/10(8) platelets; P less than 0.01), and platelet factor 4 (1389 +/- 108 vs. 805 +/- 176 ng/10(8) platelets; P less than 0.05). In patients with severe disease, an increase in plasma beta-thromboglobulin-platelet factor 4 ratio, an index of in vivo platelet activation, was observed (controls, 3.50 +/- 0.50; group 1, 4.02 +/- 0.80; and group 2, 6.59 +/- 1.15). Our data indicate the existence of a platelet storage pool defect, which may favor the bleeding tendency of cirrhotic patients.

30 cases of pancreaticoduodenectomy with pylorus preservation are reported. The operative mortality has been 6,6%. Technical details of the operation are discussed and the importance of maintaining an optimal vascularization of the duodenal wall is stressed. Long term results (maximum follow-up 2 years) seem to be excellent with a clear improvement of the digestive function as compared to the traditional pancreatectomy with gastric resection. Jejunal ulcerative complications have not been observed. It is believed that pylorus preservation should become the operation of choice in pancreatectomy performed for benign diseases.

Pathogenic staphylococci will grow in broth containing 50 mug/ml adrenaline at 37 degrees C, while apathogenic ones tolerate a concentration of 20 mug/ml only. They are completely inhibited at higher adrenaline levels. After 6 hr incubation, pathogenic germs show growth up to 100-250 mug/ml adrenaline, apathogenic ones up to 40 mug/ml.