[Clinical and immunological considerations apropos of a case of murine typhus (laboratory contamination)].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Marx.
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AIM: In cemented total hip arthroplasty cup loosening occurs earlier than stem loosening in most of the cases. This is mainly caused by the lack of stabile adhesion between the hydrophobic bone cement and the hydrophilic bone surface of the acetabulum. The aim of this study was to develop a multilayer amphiphilic bonding system which prevents the hydrolytic debonding at the bone cement-bone interface, thus optimizing the compound stability. METHOD: In a first series of tests a standardized three-point-bending test was performed to determine the compound stability of the bone cement-bone interface. The bony test specimens were immersed into physiologic NaCl solution to simulate the hydrolytic in situ conditions and contaminated with blood to simulate the intraoperative bleeding of prepared acetabular bone surfaces. In a second series of tests polyethylene cups were implanted into the acetabular cavity of sheep using the current cementing technique. Acetabular bone stock was prepared differently (subchondral sclerotic zone preserved vs. removed, additional drilling into the acetabular roof, with vs. without the multilayer bonding system) in intra-individual comparison of both acetabular sides. To ascertain the bone cement-bone stability a torsional-turn out test was performed on an universal testing machine. RESULTS: In the three-point-bending tests the compound stability between bone cement and bone was 50- to 100-times higher with the use of the multilayer system. In the torsional-turn out tests the compound stability showed in mean a 1.8-fold increase of the interface strength in case of preconditioned acetabular cavities with the multilayer bonding system. CONCLUSION: The developed multilayer bonding system optimizes the interface strength between acetabular bone stock and bone cement significantly for cemented cups in total hip arthroplasty. In contrast to cementing techniques with complete removal of the subchondral sclerotic zone (in order to optimize micro-interlocking) the biologically effective and load bearing acetabular bone stock can be preserved using the newly developed multilayer bonding system. This aspect might be highly important especially with regard to possible acetabular bone defects caused by the process of aseptic cup loosening.
AIM: Due to several bad results of studies, titanium is no longer used as an implant material in cemented total hip arthroplasty. This study attempts figure out by means of a meta-analysis if the material titanium itself was responsible for the bad results of some studies or if specific implant characteristics contributed to implant failure, independent of titanium. METHOD: Studies between 1960 and July 2002 were analysed concerning failure rates of cemented titanium total hip arthroplasties regarding their specific implant characteristics. RESULTS: Specific implant characteristics such as roughness of the surface and geometrical features led to significantly different failure rates. Stems of titanium with a dull surface and a wide proximal geometry could achieve such good results as those of the cobalt-chromium stems published in the study results of Malchau. CONCLUSION: Titanium is justified as a cementable material in total hip arthroplasty. By respecting specific implant characteristics, very good failure rates can be achieved. The high failure rates, published in several studies, are based upon implant characteristics which are not suitable for cementing techniques and not upon the implant material titanium itself.
INTRODUCTION: The aseptic loosening of cemented total knee arthroplasties is still an unsolved problem. In this regard, the hydrolysis resistance in the metal-to-bone cement interface is of major importance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cemented pre-treated tibia components coated by means of a silica/silane interlayer system of the model "Columbus PS" were dynamically loaded with the help of a knee-simulator similar to DIN ISO 14243. After loading, the components were microscopically analysed concerning debonding in the metal-to-bone cement interface as well as with regard to cement mantle defects. These data were matched with uncoated "Columbus PS" components. Unloaded coated and uncoated tibia components acted as a control. RESULTS: In comparison with uncoated tibia components, the pre-treated and coated ones yielded a highly significant reduction of cement defects (p < 0.01) as well as a significant reduction of debonding in the metal-to-bone cement interface (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: By means of the silica/silane interlayer system for cemented tibia components, a hydrolytic debonding in the metal-to-bone cement interface with subsequent mechanical loosening and consecutive early cement mantle failure can be significantly reduced. This could lead to an increased long-term stability of the metal-to-bone cement compound with decreased aseptic loosening in clinical use.
PURPOSE: The hydrolytic degradation of the implant-cement interface has to be seen as the main reason for aseptic loosening of cemented total hip replacements. Therefore, a new method of conditioning the metallic surface was developed in order to achieve a hydrolytic-resistant bound stability between the implant and bone cement. Preliminary experimental data on test bodies are presented here. METHOD: The metallic surface of 6 pairs of cylindrical test bodies each (CoCr-alloy, circular testing surface with O 6 mm) were conditioned by the method of silicoating/silanisation to gain a covalent coupling with the applied bone cement. In order to examine the initial stability and the hydrolytic resistance of the metal-cement compound, these pairs of surface-conditioned test bodies (SCT) as well as a reference series of surface-unconditioned test bodies (SUT) were immersed for 0, 30, 90, 150 days (d) in moisture environment (physiological saline solution, 37 degrees C) after coupling with bone cement. The adhesive strength of the test bodies-(bone cement-compounds) were determined by tensile tests on an universal testing machine (Typ Z030, Zwick, Ulm) with gimbal suspension. RESULTS: At time 0 d (that was without immersion of the test bodies) the mean maximum tensile bond strength of the SCT-cement-compounds was 39.5 MPa (SD +/- 4.7 MPa) and that of the SUT-cement-compounds 37.1 MPa (SD +/- 7.3 MPa) (p = 0.575). After immersion the tensile bond strength of the SUT-cement-compounds significantly decreased to an average of 13.5 MPa (SD +/- 2.7 MPa) (30 d), 10 MPa (SD +/- 1.7 MPa) (90 d) and 12.3 MPa (SD +/- 1.4 MPa) (150 d) (p < 0.01). In contrast, the SCT-cement-compounds showed a nearly unchanged high mechanical stability with tensile bond strength values of 37.0 MPa (SD +/- 4.9 MPa) after 30 d, 36.1 MPa (SD +/- 5.0 MPa) after 90 d und 30.2 MPa (SD +/- 4.7 MPa) after 150 d (p > 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: With reservation as to further in vitro and in vivo investigations the increased hydrolytic stability of the metal-cement-bound of surface-conditioned CoCr-alloy test bodies promises an improvement of the long-term stability of cement total joint replacements.
Injection drug use is a common risk behavior for HIV infection among homeless, runaway and street youths. However, the psychosocial histories and current social environment of these youths are not well understood. The authors recruited 186 homeless, runaway and street youths using systematic street-based sampling methods, and assessed psychosocial histories, current daily activities, and sexual and drug-related risk behaviors using qualitative and quantitative techniques. Youths reported high lifetime rates of injection drug use (45%), recent drug and alcohol use (100%), and current homelessness (84%). Injection drug using youths were more likely than noninjection drug using youths to report traumatic psychosocial histories, including parental substance use and forced institutionalization, use of alcohol and other noninjection drugs, a history of survival sex, and the use of squats or abandoned buildings as shelter. These findings underscore the need for multifaceted service and prevention programs to address the varied needs of these high-risk youths.
Increasing rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, chancroid, and sexually transmitted human immunodeficiency virus infection appear to be related to crack cocaine use. This article critically reviews 16 epidemiologic studies that examine drug use, sexual behavior, and sexually transmitted disease (STD). Eight studies found an association between crack and STD, one study found no association between crack and STD, and seven studies found STD to be related to other drugs or methods of cocaine use. The exchange of sex for money or drugs was associated with STD in seven studies. Publications that were reviewed have numerous methodologic weaknesses: broader sampling, uninfected comparison groups, and greater specification of drug use and sexual risk behaviors are needed. Further research should compare different drugs and associated sexual behavior and STD to assess the unique risk conferred by crack. Designing effective interventions will require investigation of risk behavior determinants and barriers to health care.
The smallest active form of aminopeptidase I (EC 3.4.11.1) from yeast has a molecular weight of 6.4 X 10(5). At neutral pH the active enzyme is in equilibrium with two inactive subfragments (Mr = 3.2 X 10(5) and 1.1 X 10(5)) as well as with higher aggregates (Mr greater than or equal 1.2 X 10(6)). All of these species may be dissociated to give a single type of subunits with a molecular weight of 5.3 X 10(4). It is concluded that the active enzyme is a dodecamer whereas the subfragments correspond to dimeric and hexameric forms.
Electron micrographs of native aminopeptidase I and of isolated subfragments were taken after negative staining with uranyl formate. From these studies and from the chemical evidence summarized in the preceding paper it is concluded that the active enzyme is a dodecamer possessing pseudo-D3 symmetry with the dimer as the smallest symmetric unit.
Ethidium bromide and polylysine interact with nucleosomal DNA and lead to change of biochemical properties and to morphological changes as to the distance between the two core particles of a nucleosome dimer. With increasing polylysine concentration, the buoyant density of nucleosomes decrease and the accessibility of the nucleosomal DNA to micrococcal nuclease is lowered. Electron microscopy of polylysine treated nucleosome dimers reveals a shortening of the internucleosomal distance as compared with controls. Treatment of nucleosomes with ethidium bromide leads to an enhanced accessibility of the nucleosomal DNA to micrococcal nuclease. Electron microscopy reveals an increase in length of the DNA connecting the two nucleosome cores in the presence of the dye. Both the binding of polylysine and the treatment with ethidium bromide apparently do not affect the histone arrangement within the nucleosome core as suggested by chemical cross-linking of histones and DNA with formaldehyde, and no obvious morphological change of the nucleosome cores can be observed.
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