Development of a new advanced process for manufacturing polyacetal resins. Part III. End-capping during polymerization for manufacturing acetal homopolymer and copolymer

Conventionally, acetal homopolymer or copolymer is obtained by the polymerization of formaldehyde or trioxane, following the end-capping using acetic anhydride or unzipping of the unstable polymer end fraction. First, Asahi Chemical developed a new process to obtain an end-capped polymer during polymerization of highly purified formaldehyde using acetic anhydride as the chain-transfer agent. Use of highly purified formaldehyde and endcapping during polymerization using acetic anhydride as a chain-transfer agent or an endcapping agent will provide a simple process for manufacturing acetal homopolymer. The polymerization mechanism was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy analysis and proton NMR analysis of the polymer obtained. Second, for the acetal copolymer, purified trioxane was copolymerized with ethylene oxide in the presence of methylal, which gave an endcapped polymer with high thermal stability. Two new intermediates from the initiation reaction of the copolymerization, 1,3,5,7-tetraoxacyclononane (TOCN) and 1,3,5,7,10-pentaoxacyclododecane (POCD), were isolated and a new initiation mechanism was proposed. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Preovulatory dynamics of ovarian steroid hormones in two mouse strains differing in the rate of meiotic maturation

Immature females of two inbred strains, KE and CBA, differing in the rate of meiotic maturation, were used in this study. On the 26th day they were treated with 5 IU PMSG (0 h) and 48 h later with 5 IU hCG. Groups of females were killed at 2 h intervals starting with 46 h and ovaries were then dissected for steroid analysis by appropriate RIAs. In both strains hCG injection resulted in a sharp increase in ovarian progesterone content with a simultaneous fall in androgen and oestradiol concentrations. However, in the CBA strain, progesterone concentration started to rise earlier while androgen concentration decreased later than in the KE strain. This subtle difference could be one of the factors contributing to the different maturation rate of KE and CBA strains.     

A clinical study in the treatment of acute bacterial infections with fleroxacin

The purpose of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fleroxacin and to compare with those of lomefloxacin. A randomized controlled study was carried out to treat sixty patients with urinary tract and respiratory tract bacterial infections, thirty in each group with one of the two drugs, and fifty cases were treated with fleroxacin in an open trial. Altogether there were one hundred and ten cases. Both fleroxacin and lomefloxacin were given orally, the dosage was 200 mg every 12 hours or 400 mg every 24 hours for 7-14 days. The clinical efficacy rate was 93.3%; the culturing rate in the fleroxacin group was 83.3%; the bacterial clearance rate was 92.3%, the incidence of adverse reactions was 9.4%, while in the lomefloxacin group they were 90.0%, 80.0%, 87.5% and 6.7% respectively, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). In the open and randomized trials, fleroxacin cured eighty cases of bacterial infections, the overall clinical efficacy rate was 90.0%, the culturing rate in the flero-xacin group was 83.8%, the bacterial clearance rate was 88.2% and the incidence of adverse reactions was 9.6%. It is shown that fleroxacin is an antibiotic of broad-spectrum, high efficacy and safety.     

Acidity near eroding polylactide-polyglycolide in vitro and in vivo in rabbit tibial bone chambers

Eroding poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide)(PDLLG) washers were observed chronically in vitro and in vivo following loading in a bone chamber tibial implant (BCI). Images were recorded using intravital microscopy of the implanted rabbit and direct pH measurements were obtained of the tissue in the bone chamber using a combination probe-reference microelectrode. While statistically significant pH differences were found between the control (unloaded) and experimental (PDLLG-bearing) BCIs, they were only of the order of 0.2 pH units. This value proved to be physiologically insignificant as no statistically significant difference in bone defect healing, as indicated by angiogenesis, was detected. It was shown that the measured small pH changes during PDLLG washers erosion would result whether the buffer was phosphate-buffered saline replaced weekly or interstitial fluid subject to vascular exchanges.     

Fanconi anemia complementation group E: clinical and cytogenetic data of the first patient

The clinical and cytogenetic data of the first patient proven to belong to the fifth Fanconi anemia complementation group are described. The Turkish boy presented with psychomotoric retardation, growth retardation, retarded bone age, brachycephaly, hypotelorism, epicanthus, syndactyly, brachydactyly, renal dystopia, and cryptorchism. In addition, an asymmetrical skeletal anomaly was seen with a double distal phalanx of the left thumb and hypoplasia of the right thumb. Typical hematological features of the disorder developed, at the age of 2.5 years, about 1 year after diagnosis. Cytogenetic studies confirmed the clinical diagnosis and revealed a spontaneous chromosomal instability and hypersensitivity to the cross-linking agents diepoxybutane and Trenimon. The findings in the patient, who is considered to be the standard for the fifth Fanconi anemia complementation group, are compared with data reported for other patients affected with Fanconi anemia.     

Food intake after gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma: the role of a gastric reservoir

Patients with carcinoma of the stomach who underwent curative resection were randomized to total gastrectomy (n = 49), total gastrectomy and an S-shaped gastric substitute (n = 28) or subtotal gastrectomy (n = 12); all had a Roux-en-Y reconstruction. The gastric substitute and gastric remnant allowed a volume of 400-500 ml to be installed without increments in basal pressures. The corresponding volume in the Roux limb was 100 ml. Energy intake was approximately 120 kJ/kg preoperative weight per day 3 months after operation, and then remained constant. Patients who had subtotal gastrectomy ate less (91.7 kJ/kg preoperative weight) 3 months after operation, but thereafter increased their intake. Patients allocated to have a gastric pouch or subtotal gastrectomy complained more frequently of adverse postprandial symptoms (P < 0.03) as a major cause of reduced calorie intake. The construction of a gastric reservoir did not improve nutritional adaptation after surgery for gastric carcinoma.