Free flaps in the elderly.

Microsurgical transfer of tissue has become a primary tool of the reconstructive surgeon. The elderly, as a growing segment of our society, are requiring free-tissue transfers in proportion to their numbers. To investigate the potential morbidity of free-tissue transfers in the elderly, we studied consecutive populations of 31 patients above the age of 65 years and 90 patients below the age of 65 years. Complication rates were 65 and 49 percent, respectively. Premorbid medical conditions were present in 87 percent of patients 65 years and older and in 72 percent of those under 65 years. Medically related complications in free-tissue transfers, previously unreported in the literature, were 35 percent in the elderly group and 10 percent in the younger group. Wound-healing complications were seen in equal proportions between groups. The rates of wound and medically related complications observed in the elderly group were nearly double those observed in the younger group; however, after correction for the presence of preexisting medical conditions, no significant differences were seen between the two groups. These observations suggest that age alone is not a variable in risk for free-tissue transfers. Elective microsurgery can be performed in the elderly patient with a high expectation of success.     

A new species of Pseudopecoelus von Wicklen, 1946 (Digenea: Opecoelidae) from the orange roughy Hoplostethus atlanticus Collett, 1889 (Trachichthyidae) from off southeastern Australia

A new species, Pseudopecoelus sewelli, is described from the deep-sea fish Hoplostethus atlanticus from off southeastern Australia. It is an elongate form with considerable variation in such important characters as the anterior vitelline extent, the sucker ratio and the egg-size. The features distinguishing this species from five related forms are combinations of the sucker ratio, egg-size, lobation of gonads, presence or absence of a cirrus-sac and the position of the genital pore.     

Heterostyly and Pollen-tube Interactions in Luculia gratissima (Rubiaceae)

Observations on the floral biology of Luculia gratissima (Rubiaceae)showed that this species is distylous with complementary positioningof anthers and stigmas in the two floral forms. Unusual featuresof distyly in this species include the larger size of the corolla,the stigma surface and the stigmatic papillae in the thrum flowerscompared to the pin ones. Stigmatic surfaces have similar secretionsbut they appear more copious in thrum than pin. The floral dimorphismwas accompanied by a very effective self-incompatibility systemand no seed was set on selfing. Seed number per capsule on crossingwas significantly greater in thrum flowers compared to pin.Incompatible pollen tubes were inhibited within 24 h at thebase of the stigma/top of the style in both morphs. Amputationof this region of the gynoecium removed the self-incompatibilityreaction in thrum but not pin flowers. Pollination with a mixtureof compatible and incompatible pollen and sequential pollinationwith self followed by cross pollen showed that there were interactionsbetween the two types of pollen tube. The presence of compatibletubes was found to cause the excessive swelling of the pollen-tubetip of the incompatible ones. The incompatible tubes did notappear to have any effect on the growth of compatible ones. Luculia gratissima, distyly, floral biology, self-incompatibility, pollen-tube interactions     

Relaxin

1. Relaxin is a hormone of reproduction that appears to affect parturition, uterine accommodation, and sperm motility to varying degrees in many species. 2. All relaxins have the same two chain, disulfide-linked insulin-like structure and two arginine residues in the midregion of the B chain. 3. The active relaxin molecule is produced by excision of a connecting peptide from the prohormone. 4. The biosynthetic pathways of insulin and relaxin are alike, but the relaxin prohormone is about twice as large as the corresponding proinsulin. 5. The primary structures of relaxins from apparently closely related species differ significantly in their amino acid compositions and do not fit into the traditional scheme of molecular evolution.     

Effect of starvation and diabetes on the activity of the eukaryotic initiation factor eIF-2 in rat skeletal muscle

The ability of the initiation factor eIF-2 in skeletal muscle extracts to form ternary initiation complexes ([Met-tRNA(f).eIF-2.GDP]) is decreased by either starvation or diabetes. These conditions also impair the ability of muscle extracts to dissociate [eIF-2.GDP], suggesting inhibition of the guanine nucleotide exchange reaction essential for eIF-2 recycling. We could not, however, detect any change in the phosphorylation state of the alpha subunit of eIF-2. This suggests that eIF-2 activity may be regulated in this system by a mechanism not involving its phosphorylation.     

Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase activity in turkey poults infected with Bordetella avium

1. Liver tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TPO) activity was depressed significantly by the Bordetella avium infection localized in the trachea of the turkey poult. 2. Tryptophan, given orally, induced a significant increase in TPO activity in both control and infected poults. 3. Hydrocortisone induced TPO activity in the turkey in a dose dependent manner.     

Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitors in sheep and ox.

1. Four protein proteinase inhibitors, belonging to the Kunitz family, were isolated and purified from several sheep organs. 2. Their structural, functional and immunological properties were determined and compared to those of similar inhibitors purified from bovine organs. 3. The Kunitz-type isoinhibitors appear differently distributed in the two species: BPTI, which is the prevailing form in bovids, is found only in minute amounts in sheep organs. 4. The presence of multiple forms of these inhibitors in sheep is discussed on the basis of the same biosynthetic and post-translational processes proposed for the molecules of bovine origin.