Anomalous double blood supply to the lung

We report an unusual case in which an apparently normal upper lobe of the right lung was supplied by major systemic arterial and pulmonary arterial vessels. The anomalous artery arose from the descending aorta. Following interruption of this vessel, the machinery-like murmur previously present disappeared.     

Central poststroke pain and Wallenberg''s lateral medullary infarction: frequency, character, and determinants in 63 patients

BACKGROUND: Questionnaire-based surveys from several countries have consistently detected adverse health associated with home dampness and mould growth. METHODS: To test the validity of questions commonly used to indicate the presence of indoor mould, questionnaires were administered in 403 homes where dust samples were taken for viable fungi and air samples for ergosterol. RESULTS: Geometric mean concentrations of the total viable fungi were 255 (SE 116) x 10(3) CFU/g when mouldy odours were reported and 155 (SE 55) when odours were not reported (P = 0.01). Similarly, reported water damage was associated with a 50% increase (P = 0.06). Geometric mean concentrations of the predominantly indoor-source fungi, Aspergillus plus Penicillium, were twice as high when mould or mildew was reported than when not mentioned (P = 0.01). The presence of reported mould or water damage was unrelated to the presence of detectable levels of ergosterol. There was evidence for reporting bias: in the presence of low concentrations of viable fungi in dust, respondents reporting allergies were more likely to report visible mould growth (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9-3.5, P = 0.10. In the presence of elevated concentrations of dust fungi, respondents who smoked were less likely to report visible mould growth, (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.7, P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Reported mould, water damage, and mouldy odours were associated with elevated levels of indoor fungi. However, inaccuracy was high and there was evidence of a systematic reporting bias. Future research should concentrate on developing accurate objective measures of exposure to fungi, and then use this information to develop valid questionnaires. Currently, objective measures not questionnaires, are recommended to clarify the health effects of indoor fungi.     

Recurrent Meesmann''s corneal epithelial dystrophy after penetrating keratoplasty

Endoscopic treatment of chronic pancreatitis has drawn benefits from endoscopic procedures previously described for the main bile duct. Endotherapy is developing throughout the world. Cyst drainage procedures certainly represent the largest step forward in that non-surgical approach, whatever it is either direct (through the stomach or the duodenum) or indirect through the papilla in the duodenum. This procedure gives similar results to surgery with a lower morbidity. Pancreatic duct drainage associated with stone clearance is feasible and provides good results which have not yet been compared with those obtained thanks to surgery. Nonetheless, when the duct is not widely dilated it has been proven to be a satisfactory alternative to surgery. By contrast, chronic cholestasis does not appear to be a good indication of endotherapy.     

Probing the pore space of geothermal reservoir sandstones by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Pulsed-Field-Gradient–Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (PFG–NMR) is an interesting method to determine microscopic but volumetrically averaged properties of pore space. In the present paper a number of sandstone samples, taken from drill cores of geothermal wells in North Germany, have been investigated. The time-dependent self-diffusion of water molecules in their confined geometry is used to probe the pore space. The short-time behaviour of the self-diffusion coefficient (anomalous diffusion) in the porous matrix allows the determination of the surface-to-pore volume ratio S/V_p. At long diffusion times, molecules scout the tortuosity of the interconnected pore space of the sandstones. The NMR results were compared with data from petrographic image analysis (PIA), adsorption experiments and electric conductivity measurements. The PFG–NMR measurements give surface-to-pore volume ratios S/V_p that are comparable to those estimated with the petrographic image analysis. The tortuosities match in most cases data from conductivity measurements, so the PFG–NMR is regarded as an appropriate tool to determine this quantity. The results are not influenced by the adherence of ‘scout-molecules’ to the pore walls. The surface-to-pore volume ratios and tortuosities were used to calculate permeabilities of the systems of interest, which were in good agreement with measured core-plug permeabilities. Results of additional NMR relaxation experiments are used to obtain adsorption isotherms for cations at active surface sites.     

CVT-313, a specific and potent inhibitor of CDK2 that prevents neointimal proliferation

The activity of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) is essential for progression of cells from G1 to the S phase of the mammalian cell cycle. CVT-313 is a potent CDK2 inhibitor, which was identified from a purine analog library with an IC50 of 0.5 microM in vitro. Inhibition was competitive with respect to ATP (Ki = 95 nM), and selective CVT-313 had no effect on other, nonrelated ATP-dependent serine/threonine kinases. When added to CDK1 or CDK4, a 8.5- and 430-fold higher concentration of CVT-313 was required for half-maximal inhibition of the enzyme activity. In cells exposed to CVT-313, hyperphosphorylation of the retinoblastoma gene product was inhibited, and progression through the cell cycle was arrested at the G1/S boundary. The growth of mouse, rat, and human cells in culture was also inhibited by CVT-313 with the IC50 for growth arrest ranging from 1.25 to 20 microM. To evaluate the effects of CVT-313 in vivo, we tested this agent in a rat carotid artery model of restenosis. A brief intraluminal exposure of CVT-313 to a denuded rat carotid artery resulted in more than 80% inhibition of neointima formation. These observations suggest that CVT-313 is a promising candidate for evaluation in other disease models related to aberrant cell proliferation.     

Desalination of geothermal brines by means of combustion residues?

Geothermal brines with high salinity are frequently encountered. Their commercial utilization, e.g. for heat recovery, is handicapped by scaling and disposal problems. A simple method for attaining a significant reduction of salinity would solve this problem. This paper examines the possibility of desalinating by entrapment of sodium chloride in sodalite. Sodalite is formed by the reaction of a hot brine with materials containing aluminum and silicon, e.g. combustion residues. We have reduced the sodium chloride content of a model brine in this manner.