Nasal airflow after septorhinoplasty

The changes in nasal function which occur after septorhinoplasty for obstruction were investigated by anterior rhinomanometry in 15 subjects. Objective and subjective measures of outcome were compared. Anterior rhinomanometry was performed after nasal decongestion. These data were mathematically transformed to determine the amount of airflow asymmetry through the nostrils and the stiffness of the nasal valve. The results suggested that the presence of gross airflow asymmetry (> +/- 80%) in patients prior to surgery was a bad prognostic indicator for post-operative satisfaction with the airway. Patient satisfaction with function and cosmetic appearance post-operatively was correlated with the presence of symmetrical nasal airflow. Nasal valve stiffness did not seem to be affected by septorhinoplasty.     

Diagnosis of enteritis virus

Weanling rats were fed either a semisynthetic diet with no fat, with 28% by wt partially hydrogenated fish oil, or with 28% by wt arachis oil(control diet) for 6 or 7 1/2 months. The in vitro conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandin E2 by homogenates of the rat kidney medulla was measured by gaschromatography with electron capture detection. The kidney medulla of essential fatty acid deficient animals showed increased activity for the in vitro conversion of exogenous arachidonic acid to prostaglandin E2 when compared to the controls. The change of the enzymatic activity in the essential fatty acid deficient animals was reversible, as shown by refeeding. Inhibition of the prostaglandin synthetase was found at exogenous substrate concentrations higher than 50-100 muM.     

The diffusion of indium in lead films containing gold

Some results on the lateral diffusion of indium in thin lead films containing 2.5 wt.% Au are described. At room temperature the diffusion rate is high with a diffusion coefficient D of about 2.5 x 10^-12 cm² s^-1 and an activation energy of 0.26±0.1 eV. The indium concentration profile along the films is highly irregular and is characterized by a sharp peak within the diffused film area at the diffusion front. Some of the irregularities are explained by the formation of filaments of near-stoichiometric AuIn₂ and by diffusion around grains of varying size. The preferential formation of AuIn₂ is likely to be the cause of the lower diffusion rate observed in the Pb-Au films in comparison with pure lead films. It is found that hillocks are nucleated in the vicinity of the indium diffusion front, indicative of strain relaxation.     

Accidental beta radiation burns from an electron accelerator

A 61-year-old man presented to the emergency department after accidental exposure to beta radiation and low dose x radiation from an industrial linear electron accelerator. Over 40 days he developed burns on the extremities, abdomen, and face which eventually healed with topical silver sulfadiazine treatment, but suffered no acute x or gamma radiation symptoms. Beta burns and other radiation effects are discussed.     

Captopril-induced agranulocytosis: a case report

1,000 refugees living in Strasbourg have had a stoll parasitologic exam between 1986 and 1990. We have not retained results of South America and other areas of Asia subjects because of their scarce total number. Proportionally, the most numerous are the South East Asia Nationals (51.7%); followed by those from Middle East and Africa (20 and 15.5%) and more recently by those from East of Europe (5.2%). Their parasitic infestation's rate remains important (60.9%) but variable depending on their origin. Thus, people coming from Middle East and Africa are parasited mainly by protozoan, although those from South East Asia are parasited by helminths. It's interesant to notify that the prevalence of D. fragilis is ten times higher among East European people than in the common people.     

Calciumantagonistic effect of natural and synthetic estrogens--investigations on a nongenomic mechanism of direct vascular action

Cardiovascular effects of estrogens have been shown to be of great clinical importance treating patients with hormonal replacement therapy or using oral contraceptives. To test one nongenomic mechanism of direct vascular action, the calcium-antagonistic effect of natural and synthetic estrogens was investigated in cell cultures of human vascular muscle cells. 17 beta-estradiol significantly inhibited calcium influx at the concentrations of 10(-6) and 10(-7) M in resting and activated cells. Neither the natural estrogens, estrone, and estriol nor the synthetic estrogens, 17 alpha-estradiol and 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol, significantly changed calcium homeostasis in these cells. The results suggest that the vasodilatory effect of 17 beta-estradiol, seen with hormone substitution in postmenopausal women, could be mediated at least partly via influence on calcium homeostasis.     

Self-administered subcutaneous human menopausal gonadotrophin for the stimulation of testicular growth and the initiation of spermatogenesis in hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism

How can higher level aspects of cognition, such as figure-ground segregation, object recognition, selective focal attention and ultimately even awareness, be implemented at the level of synapses and neurons? A number of theoretical studies emerging out of the connectionist and the computational neuroscience communities are starting to address these issues using neural plausible models.