45 research outputs found

    History, action and therapeutic used of Salvarsan, (Ehrlich-Hata "606")

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    The introduction of any drug which holds out some prospect of success in the treatment of spirillar and trypanosome diseases must, of necessity, attract great attention but no remedy has, up to the present, caused such a furore as Salvarsan. Although quinine, salicy - lates and tuberculin have all had great ovations they have not created such a universal enthusiasm as "606 ". Medical men have described its effects in *lowing terms and the lay press has contained some extraordinary statements about its curative properties.All these statements err on one point - the mention of the word cure. It cannot be too strongly insisted that we cannot promise that yet and the circulation of false powers will bring disappointment to some people and throw some discredit on the drug. On the other hand accounts of amaurosis after it are erroneous and they will tend to limit its use unfairly. Wechsel- mann, Ernest Lane, Pernet, Hutchinson and others have all tried to moderate the excessive enthusiasm which has arisen about it.In a third way false statements have been publish d. Some say it will supplant mercury and iodides but that is impossible. Cases are on record where these old and trusted remedies have acted and Salvarsan failed. There is no doubt however that it will limit their use.It marks the commencement of a new era in the treatment of parasitic diseases and, in time, it may become the parent of new substances which may have a still better action. At present it is doing excellent work and if we improve its technique and dosage or combine it with other substances we may, in time, wipe out the scourge of syphilis which has done so much evil since the middle ages

    Vasa Nervorum in rat major pelvic ganglion are innervated by nitrergic nerve fibers

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    INTRODUCTION The vasa nervorum comprises a network of small diameter blood vessels that provide blood supply to nerves and ganglia. The cell bodies of autonomic nerves innervating the urogenital organs are housed in the major pelvic ganglia (MPG) in rats. The vasa nervorum of rat MPG have not been characterized previously, and it is not known whether these blood vessels are innervated by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) containing nitrergic nerves. AIM To characterize the blood vessels in and around the rat MPG and to assess their nitrergic innervation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Characterization of small blood vessels in and around the rat MPG and expression of nNOS in nerve fibers around those blood vessels. METHODS MPG were obtained from healthy Sprague Dawley rats, fixed in paraformaldehyde, frozen and sectioned using a cryostat. The blood vessels and their nitrergic innervation were assessed with immunohistochemistry using antibodies against alpha-smooth muscle actin (smooth muscle marker), CD31 (endothelial marker), collagen IV (basal membrane marker) and nNOS. The immunofluorescence was imaged using a laser scanning confocal microscope. RESULTS The neuronal cell bodies were contained within a capsule in the MPG. Blood vessels were observed within the capsule of the MPG as well as outside the capsule. The blood vessels inside the capsule were CD31-positive capillaries with no smooth muscle staining. Outside the capsule capillaries, arterioles and venules were observed. The extra-capsular arterioles and venules, but not the capillaries were innervated by nNOS-positive nerve fibers. CONCLUSIONS This study, to our knowledge, is the first to demonstrate the blood vessel distribution pattern and their nitrergic innervation in the rat MPG. While similar studies in human pelvic plexus are warranted, these results suggest that the blood flow in the MPG may be regulated by nitrergic nerve fibers and reveal a reciprocal relationship between nerves and blood vessels. Beetson KA, Smith SF, Muneer A, Cameron NE, Cotter MA, and Cellek S. Vasa nervorum in rat major pelvic ganglion are innervated by nitrergic nerve fibers. J Sex Med **;**:**-**

    Energy Estimation of Cosmic Rays with the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

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    The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) is part of the Pierre Auger Observatory and is used to detect the radio emission of cosmic-ray air showers. These observations are compared to the data of the surface detector stations of the Observatory, which provide well-calibrated information on the cosmic-ray energies and arrival directions. The response of the radio stations in the 30 to 80 MHz regime has been thoroughly calibrated to enable the reconstruction of the incoming electric field. For the latter, the energy deposit per area is determined from the radio pulses at each observer position and is interpolated using a two-dimensional function that takes into account signal asymmetries due to interference between the geomagnetic and charge-excess emission components. The spatial integral over the signal distribution gives a direct measurement of the energy transferred from the primary cosmic ray into radio emission in the AERA frequency range. We measure 15.8 MeV of radiation energy for a 1 EeV air shower arriving perpendicularly to the geomagnetic field. This radiation energy -- corrected for geometrical effects -- is used as a cosmic-ray energy estimator. Performing an absolute energy calibration against the surface-detector information, we observe that this radio-energy estimator scales quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy as expected for coherent emission. We find an energy resolution of the radio reconstruction of 22% for the data set and 17% for a high-quality subset containing only events with at least five radio stations with signal.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

    Measurement of the Radiation Energy in the Radio Signal of Extensive Air Showers as a Universal Estimator of Cosmic-Ray Energy

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    We measure the energy emitted by extensive air showers in the form of radio emission in the frequency range from 30 to 80 MHz. Exploiting the accurate energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we obtain a radiation energy of 15.8 \pm 0.7 (stat) \pm 6.7 (sys) MeV for cosmic rays with an energy of 1 EeV arriving perpendicularly to a geomagnetic field of 0.24 G, scaling quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy. A comparison with predictions from state-of-the-art first-principle calculations shows agreement with our measurement. The radiation energy provides direct access to the calorimetric energy in the electromagnetic cascade of extensive air showers. Comparison with our result thus allows the direct calibration of any cosmic-ray radio detector against the well-established energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Supplemental material in the ancillary file

    A Key Marine Diazotroph in a Changing Ocean: The Interacting Effects of Temperature, CO2 and Light on the Growth of Trichodesmium erythraeum IMS101

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    Trichodesmium is a globally important marine diazotroph that accounts for approximately 60-80% of marine biological N2 fixation and as such plays a key role in marine N and C cycles. We undertook a comprehensive assessment of how the growth rate of Trichodesmium erythraeum IMS101 was directly affected by the combined interactions of temperature, pCO2 and light intensity. Our key findings were: low pCO2 affected the lower temperature tolerance limit (Tmin) but had no effect on the optimum temperature (Topt) at which growth was maximal or the maximum temperature tolerance limit (Tmax); low pCO2 had a greater effect on the thermal niche width than low-light; the effect of pCO2 on growth rate was more pronounced at suboptimal temperatures than at supraoptimal temperatures; temperature and light had a stronger effect on the photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) than did CO2; and at Topt, the maximum growth rate increased with increasing CO2, but the initial slope of the growth-irradiance curve was not affected by CO2. In the context of environmental change, our results suggest that the (i) nutrient replete growth rate of Trichodesmium IMS101 would have been severely limited by low pCO2 at the last glacial maximum (LGM), (ii) future increases in pCO2 will increase growth rates in areas where temperature ranges between Tmin to Topt, but will have negligible effect at temperatures between Topt and Tmax, (iii) areal increase of warm surface waters (> 18°C) has allowed the geographic range to increase significantly from the LGM to present and that the range will continue to expand to higher latitudes with continued warming, but (iv) continued global warming may exclude Trichodesmium spp. from some tropical regions by 2100 where temperature exceeds Topt

    History of the development of our knowledge regarding secretion

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    [Hand-written]The history of the development of our knowledge regarding secretion: written for the Wellcome Medal and Prize in the History of Medicine, 191

    Transverse Atlantal Ligament Disruption Associated With Odontoid Fractures

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    Objectives. The authors evaluated transverse atlantal ligament integrity in patients with fractures of the odontoid process of the axis. Summary of Background Data. Injuries of the transverse atlantal ligament can result in atlantoaxial instability after fractures of the atlas or axis, even if osseous healing occurs. Methods. The clinical histories and follow-up examinations and radiographic data of 30 patients with odontoid fractures were reviewed, using a combination of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, thin-cut computed tomography (CT), and plain radiographs to evaluate osseous and ligamentous injuries. Results and Conclusions. Osteoperiosteal ligamentous avulsion injuries were identified on MR imaging in three patients and were associated with acute and delayed instability and nonunion. The combination of MR imaging, CT, and plain radiographs is useful in evaluating unstable odontoid fractures to facilitate rational treatment planning. Odontoid fractures with transverse ligament injuries should be considered for early surgical stabilization because this combination of injuries is unlikely to heal nonoperatively. Anterior odontoid screw fixation should be avoided when the ligament is injured. © 1994, J.B. Lippincott Company
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