We are studying five interacting genes involved in the regulation or coordination of muscle contraction in Caenorhabditis elegans. A distinctive "rubber-band" muscle-defective phenotype was previously shown to result from rare altered-function mutations in either of two of these genes, unc-93 and sup-10. null mutations in sup-9, sup-10, sup-18 or unc-93 act as essentially recessive suppressors ...

A 71-year-old woman with primary myelofibrosis and esophageal varices was admitted for her first rubber band ligation procedure (platelet count, 58000/mm3; partial thromboplastin time, 33.4 seconds; international normalized ratio, 1.28). At endoscopy, the esophageal mucosa was extremely fragile and difficult to aspirate into the ligation device. Three of the six rubber bands placed at the gastr...

Rubber band ligation (RBL) of symptomatic internal haemorrhoids, a technique refined by Barron' in the early 1960's, is a well-tolerated and effective procedure which can be performed in an outpatient setting. It is recommended as the initial mode of therapy for grades 1 to 3 haemorrhoids.2 However, the procedure is not without complications. Pain, secondary haemorrhage and life threatening pel...

BACKGROUND In this prospective randomized study we compared two groups of patients with grade II hemorrhoids treated with standard Rubber Band Ligation (RBL) and Combined Hemorrhoidal Radiocoagulation (CHR), respectively. METHODS Out of 90 patients initially randomized, a total of 75 patients regularly returned to visit controls at least for 6 months of follow-up. Consequently, two groups of ...

BACKGROUND/AIM In this prospective study the results of rubber band ligation (RBL) of symptomatic hemorrhoids in 500 consecutive patients with 2nd (255 cases), 3rd (218 cases) and 4th degree (27 cases) hemorrhoids are presented. METHODS The patients' symptoms were hemorrhage in 142 cases (28.4%), prolapse in 33 cases (6.6%) and both hemorrhage and prolapse in 325 cases (65%). Sixteen patients...

A common high school science experiment involves anchoring one end of a rubber band to a desk and then attaching a small weight to the other end. The weight stretches the rubber band, and adding another weight causes the rubber band to dangle even lower. More weights can be added, and each one pulls the rubber band a little further towards the floor. Now, instead imagine attaching the weights t...

A common high school science experiment involves anchoring one end of a rubber band to a desk and then attaching a small weight to the other end. The weight stretches the rubber band, and adding another weight causes the rubber band to dangle even lower. More weights can be added, and each one pulls the rubber band a little further towards the floor. Now, instead imagine attaching the weights t...

The generalization of everyday concepts, and applying rigor thereunto, has long intrigued the mathematician. The topic of an obstruction theory arises from the question of deforming continuous maps, and what, exactly, holes are. Intuitively, the fundamental difference between an orange and a doughnut is that a doughnut has a hole, and an orange does not. When shrinking a rubber band around an o...

Introduction: Until now we treated 1,200 patients with hemorrhoids of grade II, III and IV using the Doppler-guided hemorrhoidal artery ligation. In a follow-up of 550 patients we investigated the surgical outcome, the functional recovery, and postoperative pain. Method: Using an analgosedia and local anaesthesia in 1,200 patients under sonographic identification and suture ligation of six or m...