Influence of the volume of osteonecrosis on the outcome of core decompression of the femoral head

OBJECTIVES: To assess the outcome of core decompression in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head related to the volume of necrotic bone measured according to a previously reported method. METHODS: Twenty hips corresponding to strictly Ficat stage II underwent magnetic resonance imaging and the volume of necrotic bone was expressed as a percentage of the volume of the entire head measured on each slice. All hips underwent core decompression and the outcome was evaluated at 24 months. The primary evaluation criterion was radiological appearance: the outcome was considered as good if the hip remained stage II and poor if the disease progressed. RESULTS: Twenty four months after core decompression, half the cases remained stable and in half the disease had progressed. Outcome seemed to be related to the volume of necrotic bone (average 22% in the good outcome group versus 45% in the poor outcome group (p = 0.0051)) and was independent of risk factors, age, and histological type. CONCLUSIONS: The volume of necrotic bone should be taken into account in the evaluation of any treatment, bearing in mind that in more than one third of cases this volume will probably decrease, especially at the beginning of the disease process.     

Contribution of gastric and postgastric feedback to satiation and satiety in women

Two parallel preload studies were conducted to determine the relative contributions of inhibitory feedback from the stomach and intestine to satiation (meal termination) and postprandial satiety. In the Gastric Emptying Study, five normal-weight women each ingested an egg sandwich (307 kcal) (1) immediately after a tomato soup preload (120 kcal), (2) 20 min after a tomato soup preload, and (3) with no preload. There was 125 g more of soup in the stomach when subjects began ingesting the sandwich immediately compared to 20 min after the soup, and the emptying of the sandwich was delayed when it was ingested immediately but not 20 min after the soup. The lag times for emptying of the sandwich were 76.5 (69.1-82.4), 47.2 (20.1-67.7), and 42.4 (17.8-65.1) min for the three conditions, respectively, p < 0.05. In the Food Intake Study, 16 normal-weight women ate significantly less (p < 0.01) in test meals offered immediately (978+/-246 kcal) and 20 min (1027+/-298 kcal) after the soup preload than in a test meal with no preload (1151+/-279 kcal). Despite the different amounts of soup in the stomach, subjects' test-meal intake in the two preload conditions was not significantly different. Subjects' fullness ratings following the preloads and the test meals were not different among the treatment conditions. The results suggest that feedback from neither the gastric nor the postgastric compartment is primary in determining meal size and postprandial satiety. Instead, signals from gastric and postgastric sources are combined to determine meal size and postprandial satiety.     

A severe complication of parenteral nutrition: acute hyperosmolar coma. Apropos of a pediatric case

Tetracycline resistance protein (TET) of Bacillus subtilis plasmid pNS1 was detected by immunoblot analysis using a specific antibody to TET-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) fusion protein. In two-dimensional electrophoresis, one major spot which seemed to be the pNS1-encoded TET (pNS1-TET), was detected by immunostaining. Its molecular weight and isoelectric point were approximately 52 kDa and 6.2, respectively. Judging from the nucleotide sequence, the pNS1-TET is a very hydrophobic, 50 kDa protein. Therefore, the 52 kDa protein is thought to be an intact form of the pNS1-TET produced by B. subtilis cells.     

Domain studies of CoCr with perpendicular anisotropy

R.F. Magnetron sputtered CoCr films (79/21 at%) with various thicknesses are magnetically characterized. The domain structure is observed by digitally enhanced Kerr microscopy and depends on the Hc/Hk values of the samples. For low and high coercivity films a comparison is made between the measured VSM hysteresis, domain period and a theoretical domain model. The domain shape is a function of the magnetic history of the sample and the bending created by the deposition process.     

A method for measuring the muon capture ratio A(HZ) in a H2 + Z gas mixture

A method is proposed for measuring the $\text{A(}\text{H}\text{Z}\text{)}$ capture ratio of muons in a H₂ + Z gas mixture making use of the transfer of muons captured in hydrogen to the heavier element Z.     

Transfert de l'oxygène dans l'eau à température et pression élevées étude cinétique en réacteur agité par la méthode au sulfite

This paper examines the rate of absorption of molecular oxygen in an aqueous solution of sodium sulphite as a function of temperature over the range of 20–240°C. First, we determined the effect of the various parameters (oxygen partial pressure, sulphite and catalyst concentration, agitation) on the enhancement factor, E. It was observed that an Arrhenius' type relationship could describe the dependence of the physical absorption rate on temperature. According to the degree of agitation, two values for the activation energy: 22.8 and 12.7 kJ · mol⁻¹ are obtained. Our results validate the various models formerly proposed only for the range 10–40°C, but show that they cannot be extrapolated above 50°C. The results also show that a simple test at ambient temperature can be used to predict the oxygen transfer capability of a reactor at temperatures up to 240°C.     

Speciation of arsenic in Dutch total diets: methodology and results

Summary In the last decade 311 duplicate portions of the 24-h diet of Dutch citizens were collected and lyophilized. All samples were assayed for total arsenic and, in addition, the 20 samples which ranked highest in total arsenic were selected for arsenic speciation i.e., the separate determination of organic-bound arsenic and inorganic arsenic. For the determination of total arsenic, the test portion is wet-digested and the digest reduced with KI/SnCl₂/Zn to give AsH₃ which is measured by molecular absorption spectrometry. Inorganic arsenic is also measured as AsH₃ after acid extraction of the test portion and subsequent NaBH₄ reduction of the extract. The residue of the acid extraction and the NaBH₄-reduced extract are combined, wet-digested and the digest reduced with NaBH₄ to give AsH₃ originating from organic-bound arsenic. Samples spiked at different levels with inorganic and organic-bound arsenic were analysed and gave recoveries for inorganic arsenic of 94% to 122% (n=6) and for organic-bound arsenic of 87% to 104% (n=6). On average, the inorganic fraction is 30% of the total arsenic intake; range 3 % to 50% (n=14). The inorganic arsenic fraction decreases with increasing level of total arsenic intake. The highest oral inorganic arsenic intake was 60 gg; the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for a 60-kg individual is 120 g inorganic arsenic. Organic and inorganic arsenic measured were summed and compared with the results of the total arsenic determination; differences were less than 15%. (Since inorganic arsenic is a contaminant and not an additive, the abbreviation TDI is preferred here over ADI (acceptable daily intake) which is retained for additives.)

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Arsenbindungsformen in holländischer Ganztagskost —Analysenmethode und Ergebnisse

Zusammenfassung Im letzten Jahrzehnt wurden 311 Doppelproben der Ganztagskost, inklusive Trinkwasser und Getränke, von Einwohnern der Niederlande gesammelt und gefriergetrocknet. Alle Proben wurden auf den Gesamt-Arsengehalt untersucht und von zwanzig Proben, deren Gesamt-Arsengehalt am höchsten war, wurde der Gehalt an organisch und anorganisch gebundenem Arsen bestimmt. Zur Gesamt-Arsengehaltbestimmung wurde die Untersuchungsprobe naß aufgeschlossen und anschließend mit KI/SnCl₂/Zn zu AsH₃ reduziert und durch Molekularabsorptionspektrometrie erfaßt. Anorganisches Arsen wird, nach saurer Extraktion der Untersuchungsprobe und anschließend, nach Reduktion mit NaBH₄, ebenfalls als A_sH₃ gemessen. Der Rückstand der sauren Extraktion sowie der NaBH₄-reduzierte Extrakt werden vereinigt, naß aufgeschlossen und die erhaltene Lösung mit NaBH₄ reduziert, das entstandene AsH₃ stammt vom organisch gebundenen Arsen. Einigen Proben (n = 6) wurde, auf verschiedenen Niveaus, organisch sowie anorganisch gebundenes Arsen zugesetzt. Die Wiederfmdungsraten für anorganisches Arsen betrugen 94% bis 122% und für organisches Arsen 87% bis 104%. Im Schnitt ist 30% der gesamten Arsenzufuhr anorganischer Herkunft; Bereich 3% bis 50% (n =14). Der anorganische Arsenanteil nimmt mit steigender Gesamt-Arsenzufuhr ab. Die höchste anorganische Arsenzufuhr betrug 60 g pro Person; TDI (Tolerable Daily Intake) für eine 60-kg-Person: 120 g anorganisches Arsen. Eine Bilanzstudie ergab einen Meßunterschied von weniger als 15% zwischen dem Gesamt-Arsengehalt und der Summe des organisch und anorganisch gebundenen Arsens.