Effect of intensive cropping and fertilizer use on the crop removal of sulphur and zinc and their availability in soil

In a long-term field experiment, involving multiple cropping (pearl millet-wheat-cowpea) and use of fertilizer based on soil tests for a slightly alkaline alluvial soil, an attempt has been made to examine the pattern of crop removal of sulphur and zinc and their availability in the soil during a 7 to 8 year period. Additions of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) enhanced the sulphur uptake over the control and treatment N, by 60.8 and 23.4% respectively. Both sulphur (through superphosphate) and farm manure raised the removal of S to the same extent. NPK applied at 50, 100 and 150% of the optimum recommended dose showed an increase of 63.2, 26.5 and 17.1% respectively, over control, 50 and 100% level of application. Treatments N, NP and NPK promoted the uptake of zinc by 67.4, 23.4 and 14.0% over the control, treatment N and treatment NP respectively. An increase of 7.1 and 17.7% in Zn uptake was noticed with farm manure and zinc sulphate incorporations. As has been seen in the case of sulphur, graded doses of NPK showed respective increases of 49.8, 27.0 and 8.6% in Zn removal. There was a marked depletion by 54.8 to 67.1% in available S in soil in all the treatments except the one where sulphur was being supplied every year. Without zinc being added, the extent of decrease in Zn in soil ranged from 18.9 to 30.6%. Addition of zinc improved the availability by 128.0% over the initial status.     

Use of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafts for vascular access in hemodialysis: laboratory and clinical evaluation

Vascular access for chronic hemodialysis has evolved considerably over the past 10 years with development of vascular substitutes. The bovine heterograft is the choice of most dialysis centers when a subcutaneous conduit is needed in lieu of an in situ arteriovenous fistula. Bovine grafts have solved some problems, but further improvement in blood access prostheses is needed. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts were evaluated in a laboratory and clinical study. In animals, PTFE proved to be satisfactory for fistula construction based on patency, incorporation into tissue, and ease of puncture. Ten patients underwent 11 vascular access procedures using PTFE grafts as a conduit. There were no technical operative complications. One graft was occluded by extravasation during dialysis and flow could not be restored. Otherwise, all grafts are patent 9 to 18 months postoperatively. Grafts of 8.0 mm in diameter have not given desirable flow rates, whereas 6.0 mm grafts have. Prolonged bleeding from puncture has been a problem in some cases. Otherwise, PTFE appears to be a satisfactory conduit for hemodialysis vascular access.     

High school football injuries: prevention of injury to the central nervous system

Injuries to the head, neck, and spinal cord of high school athletes account for over 90% of the fatalities directly related to football. Preseasonal and seasonal guidelines that have proven to be helpful in the prevention of these injuries are presented.     

Carotenoids synthesized by a culture of a mutant actinomycete strain

Twenty-five children with the diagnosis of acute glomerulonephritis were treated with oral or intravenous doses of furosemide. The intravenous administration of 1 mg/kg or greater resulted in an increase in urine volume in all patients. Oral doses of less than 2 mg/kg were not as effective, but there was wide variation in diuretic response to the drug. In 13 patients, plasma concentrations of furosemide were measured. The plasma half-life varied from 2.3 to 4.4 hours after intravenous administration of the drug. The plasma concentration of furosemide did not correlate with diuretic response.     

Alimentary-tract ganglioneuromatosis. A major component of the syndrome of multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2b

Although the syndrome of multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2b, is known to comprise mucosal ganglioneuromatosis, medullary thyroid carcinoma, pheochromocytoma and skeletal anomalies, we wish to document the importance of the alimentary-tract components. In nine patients with this syndrome, we found diffuse ganglioneurmatosis extending from the lips to the rectum. Alimentary symptoms, constipation or diarrhea or both were present in six of these patients. Similar symptoms were present in six of seven other affected patients from whom alimentary-tract tissue was not obtained. Five of the 16 patients had megacolon, which led to operation in four, and a sixth patient had colectomy for diverticulitis complicating diffuse diverticulosis. The alimentary manifestations warrant greater emphasis, not only because they were prominent in the patients whom we studied but also because in 14, these manifestations were present before the endocrine neoplasms were detected.     

“Squalenoylcurcumin” Nanoassemblies as Water‐Dispersible Drug Candidates with Antileishmanial Activity

Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound, showed antiparasitic potential, including trypanocidal and leishmanicidal activity, in several in vitro and in vivo models. The molecule is well tolerated in humans. However, it is insoluble in water and displays poor oral bioavailability as a result of low absorption. New derivatives of curcumin were prepared by esterification of one or two of its phenolic groups with 1,1′,2‐tris‐norsqualenic acid. These “squalenoylcurcumins” were formulated as water‐dispersible nanoassemblies of homogeneous size, and they proved to be stable. Squalenoylcurcumins were inactive against Trypanosoma brucei brucei trypomastigotes, even as nanoassemblies, in contrast with curcumin. However, against Leishmania donovani promastigotes, the activities of the squalenoylcurcumins and their nanoassemblies were enhanced relative to that of curcumin. In L. donovani axenic and intramacrophagic amastigotes, they showed activity in the range of miltefosine, with good selectivity indexes. In regard to their dispersibility in water and to the safety of curcumin, these nanoassemblies are promising candidates for preclinical study toward the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis.