Time Decay of the Activity of the Reduction Reaction of NO by CO on a Pd/Al2O3 Catalyst

An experimental study is made of the time decay of activity of the CO–NO reaction on a Pd/Al₂O₃ looking at the effect on reaction order and apparent activation energy. The optimum kinetics parameters fitting the steady state data at moderate pressures are determined. The time decay curves are analyzed through various catalyst deactivation models.     

Ventilatory response to severe acute hypoxia in guinea-pigs and rats with high hemoglobin-oxygen affinity induced by cyanate

Laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection has been applied as a minimally invasive staging technique for men with prostate cancer. This procedure has been shown to shorten markedly postoperative hospitalization, decrease analgesic requirements and shorten convalescence period compared to open pelvic node dissection. However, the laparoscopic procedure takes longer to perform and many disposable instruments are used, thus increasing the cost. We determine the overall cost of laparoscopic versus open pelvic lymph node dissection. Between January 1989 and April 1992, 61 men underwent only staging pelvic lymph node dissection for cancer of the prostate at a single university teaching hospital. Of these patients 11 and 50 underwent open and laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection, respectively. Information from the hospital business office was reorganized into preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative expenses. All individual charges were transformed up or down to the dollar amounts of the 1990 to 1991 fiscal year so as to correct for inflationary changes. Preoperative costs were not significantly different between the 2 operative approaches. Intraoperative expenses were 52% greater if laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection was performed and can be explained by the longer operative times and use of disposable instrumentation. However, the postoperative period lasted an average of 1.61 days following laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection. Postoperative nursing and analgesic requirements were significantly more for patients undergoing open pelvic lymph node dissection. The overall postoperative costs following open pelvic lymph node dissection were 280% more expensive than for the laparoscopic procedure. The overall total costs were approximately $1,250 more for laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection. Wages lost or earned during this period and rapid return to normal activity following laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection would, in our opinion, justify this additional cost.     

Molecular structure and stereoelectronic properties of sarmazenil--a weak inverse agonist at the omega modulatory sites (benzodiazepine receptors): comparison with bretazenil and flumazenil

X-ray diffraction and ab initio MO theoretical calculations were used in order to investigate the structural and electronic properties of sarmazenil, a weak inverse agonist at the omega modulatory sites (benzodiazepine receptors). This compound was compared to bretazenil, a partial agonist, and to the antagonist flumazenil on the basis of structural and electronic data. The conformational and theoretical properties (interatomic pi overlap populations, molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), the topology of frontier orbitals, and proton affinity) of these three imidazobenzodiazepinones were determined in order to analyse the stereoelectronic properties in relation with their distinct intrinsic efficacies at the omega modulatory sites.     

BCG vaccination

The author expounds the fairly obscure history of BCG vaccination. Summarises the efficiency of accomplished vaccinations of different geographical areas. He accounts the diversity of results by the distinction of technical and methodical conditions and disparity in virulence of BCG strains. Overviews the Inland and European routine and the risk of possible complications. The favourable position of domestic childhood tuberculosis is due to the effective preventive arrangements. Considering the international and national epidemiology of tuberculosis in adults the administration of BCG vaccine, by chance in modified form, is recommended further on.     

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and hemolytic uremic syndrome (TTP/HUS). Description of a series of 35 patients

Subsequent to the implementation of a severity marker stamp in case notes, an audit was performed in 86 admissions with acute asthma to a specialist centre over a 12 month period. Compared to previous audit the documentation of severity markers was significantly better (PEFR: 52% vs 83% p = 0.001, Respiratory rate: 44% vs 81% p = 0.001, ABG: 72% vs 80% p = 0.04, air entry: 58% vs 86% p = 0.001, speech: 27% vs 86% p = 0.001, exhaustion: 4% vs 86% p = 0.001). In contrast to the previous audit where no patient received FiO2 > 0.35, 66% of the cases in the repeat audit received FiO2 0.60 (p = 0.001). The mean duration of admission was five days and showed highest partial correlation (r = 0.6) to the time in hours for the pulse to fall to 80/min. Multiple linear regression showed that this was the only variable best predicting the duration of admission (R2 = 0.3). Admission pulse rate (p = 0.04) and serum K+ (p = 0.04) best discriminated between patients admitted for over and under five days. Logistic regression identified only the admission pulse as significant in calculating the odds of the patient staying in the hospital for > 5 days.     

Nonoperative management of esophageal perforations. Is it justified?

OBJECTIVE: Experiences obtained with nonoperative treatment (NOT), i.e. total prohibition of per oral food intake for a minimum of 7 days, administration of combinations of broad-spectrum antibiotics, and parenteral hyperalimentation, are described in the management of esophageal perforations. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The place, value, and indication of NOT in the management of esophageal perforation has not yet been unequivocally defined. As a result, contradictory data have been published regarding the outcome of NOT. METHODS: During the past 15 years (1979 to 1994), 20 of 86 patients (23.3%) with esophageal perforation have been treated nonoperatively from the outset. In this group, perforations were located to the upper, middle, and lower third of the esophagus in 50%, 30%, and 20%, respectively. In the operative management group (OT)--in which conservative (drainage, endeprothesis), reconstructive (suture, reinforced suture), and radical (resection) surgical methods were applied--lesions were preponderantly located in the lower one third of the esophagus (56.1%--37/66). As to the interval between the perforation and the onset of treatment, 14 patients had been diagnosed within 24 hours, whereas in 6 cases treatment had been begun beyond 24 hours. RESULTS: NOT could be successfully carried out in 16 patients; the decision to use NOT had to be revised in 4 other cases (Table 1). Two patients were lost; the mortality rate was 10% (2 of 20). The rate of complications was lower in the NOT group (20%, or 4 of 20) than in the OT group (50%, or 33 of 66). CONCLUSIONS: NOT can be suggested for the treatment of intramural perforations. In the case of transmural perforation, this approach should be taken into consideration if the esophageal lesion is circumscribed, is not in neoplastic tissue, is not in the abdominal cavity, and is not accompanied by simultaneous obstructive esophageal disease; in addition, symptoms and signs of septicemia should be absent.     

Central motor conduction evaluation in glycogenosis type III

We report a 20-year-old man affected by glycogenosis type III with distal muscle weakness, more severe in distal leg muscles. The electromyogram showed myopathic features. Nerve conduction studies and central motor conduction after magnetic stimulation of the brain were normal. Our results suggest that there is no involvement of central motor pathways in this disease.     

Chicken acidic leucine-rich EGF-like domain containing brain protein (CALEB), a neural member of the EGF family of differentiation factors, is implicated in neurite formation

Chicken acidic leucine-rich EGF-like domain containing brain protein (CALEB) was identified by combining binding assays with immunological screens in the chicken nervous system as a novel member of the EGF family of differentiation factors. cDNA cloning indicates that CALEB is a multidomain protein that consists of an NH2-terminal glycosylation region, a leucine-proline-rich segment, an acidic box, a single EGF-like domain, a transmembrane, and a short cytoplasmic stretch. In the developing nervous system, CALEB is associated with glial and neuronal surfaces. CALEB is composed of a 140/130-kD doublet, an 80-kD band, and a chondroitinsulfate-containing 200-kD component. The latter two components are expressed in the embryonic nervous system and are downregulated in the adult nervous system. CALEB binds to the extracellular matrix glycoproteins tenascin-C and -R. In vitro antibody perturbation experiments reveal a participation of CALEB in neurite formation in a permissive environment.