Importance of proximal femoral fractures in elderly patients. Results of a prospective study of 61 patients

In a prospective study we found good results concerning postoperative complications (21%), perioperative lethality (3.2%) and lethality during hospital stay (6.5%) after implantation of dynamic hip screws (DHS) in patients with per- and subtrochanteric fractures of the femur. The ability to walk, as well as housing and social care postoperatively and follow-up for at least six months after dismissal demonstrates the importance of these fractures for the elderly. One of three patients needs professional care, 21% at home, 13% in nursing homes. Six months after operation the lethality is nearly 20%, i.e. three times higher than in hospital. These are the essential data for all techniques of osteosynthesis used in patients with these fractures, which could only be documented in prospective studies.     

Development of ovarian pathology after hysterectomy without oophorectomy

This study was done to determine the occurrence of disease in retained ovaries after hysterectomy. A retrospective analysis of patient charts was performed, comparing the patient reports of women who had secondary ovarian lesions with those whose ovaries showed no pathologic findings during the ten year period of observation (1980 to 1990). The study included 1,265 women with at least one ovary saved after hysterectomy for benign indications. Main outcome measures were ovarian pathologic findings after hysterectomy requiring repeat operation. The overall incidence of lesions in retained ovaries was 3.95 percent. There was a 3 percent risk of having secondary ovarian pathologic findings within three years after hysterectomy, with a decreased risk for the following seven years (mean follow-up time of 60 months, range of three to 120 months). Histologic findings at reoperation included common benign conditions of the ovary. No instance of carcinoma of the ovary was found. The risk of having pathology in the retained ovaries after hysterectomy was significantly higher in women who had only one ovary saved, compared with those who had both ovaries saved (7.63 versus 3.47 percent; p < 0.05). The mean age at hysterectomy was significantly lower in women who had ovarian disorders subsequent to hysterectomy than in those who did not (39.3 versus 43.9 years; p < 0.001). In the group of women with secondary ovarian lesions, mean parity was significantly lower than in those without reoperation (1.22 versus 1.94; p < 0.0001). Women with unilateral oophorectomy at the time of hysterectomy had twice the risk of secondary ovarian lesions, compared with those without oophorectomy at hysterectomy. Determinants, such as age, parity and gravidity must be considered when deciding whether or not to perform oophorectomy at hysterectomy.     

Herbert Olivecrona: founder of Swedish neurosurgery

Herbert Olivecrona (1891-1980) singlehandedly founded Swedish neurosurgery. At the International Congress in Neurology in Bern in August, 1931, Harvey Cushing invited the cream of the world's medical society to a private banquet. Among the 28 specially invited guests was Herbert Olivecrona. At 40 years old, Olivecrona took his seat with pioneers such as Otfrid Foerster, Percival Bailey, Hugh Cairns, Geoffrey Jefferson, and Sir Charles Sherrington. This suggests that Cushing was impressed by the Swedish aristocrat's didactic deeds when he visited the Serafimer Hospital in Stockholm 2 years earlier. During the mid-1920's, the radiologist Erik Lysholm greatly improved the technique of ventriculography and, challenged by Olivecrona, his diagnostic neuroradiology became of superior quality. In the early 1930's, utilizing technical innovations of his own, Lysholm became a master at demonstrating and localizing posterior fossa tumors, which Olivecrona then operated on. Olivecrona's clinic became the mecca to which many scholars, thirsting for more knowledge, went on a pilgrimage. The international reputation of the clinic was founded, not on epoch-making discoveries, but by the resolute and practical application of methods already launched elsewhere and the exemplary organization that Olivecrona had established in collaboration with Lysholm. In spite of hardships and primitive working conditions, the clinic at the Serafimer Hospital gradually developed into the ideal prototype for a modern neurosurgical department. Olivecrona trained many colorful personalities who later were to lay the foundation for neurosurgery in their home countries; these included Wilhelm T?nnis of Germany, Edvard Busch of Denmark, and Aarno Snellman of Finland. Olivecrona was a true pioneer who made major contributions in practically all fields of conventional neurosurgery.     

Tribological properties of oil-soluble polyolefins

Translated from Khimiya i Tekhnologiya Topliv i Masel, No. 11, pp. 17–18, 23, November, 1993.     

Identification of in vitro phosphorylation sites in the growth cone protein SCG10. Effect Of phosphorylation site mutants on microtubule-destabilizing activity

SCG10 is a neuron-specific, membrane-associated protein that is highly concentrated in growth cones of developing neurons. Previous studies have suggested that it is a regulator of microtubule dynamics and that it may influence microtubule polymerization in growth cones. Here, we demonstrate that in vivo, SCG10 exists in both phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms. By two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, two phosphoisoforms were detected in neonatal rat brain. Using in vitro phosphorylated recombinant protein, four phosphorylation sites were identified in the SCG10 sequence. Ser-50 and Ser-97 were the target sites for protein kinase A, Ser-62 and Ser-73 for mitogen-activated protein kinase and Ser-73 for cyclin-dependent kinase. We also show that overexpression of SCG10 induces a disruption of the microtubule network in COS-7 cells. By expressing different phosphorylation site mutants, we have dissected the roles of the individual phosphorylation sites in regulating its microtubule-destabilizing activity. We show that nonphosphorylatable mutants have increased activity, whereas mutants in which phosphorylation is mimicked by serine-to-aspartate substitutions have decreased activity. These data suggest that the microtubule-destabilizing activity of SCG10 is regulated by phosphorylation, and that SCG10 may link signal transduction of growth or guidance cues involving serine/threonine protein kinases to alterations of microtubule dynamics in the growth cone.     

Three-dimensional CMOS NAND with three stacked channels

A process-inherent NAND2 device is presented for a three-dimensional CMOS integration with epitaxial lateral overgrowth and chemo-mechanical polishing. The required 'OR' function of the two PMOS transistors is achieved by one silicon volume, which is controlled by a back gate and a conventional front gate. Almost symmetrical characteristics are measured for the front and the back gates.<>     

Shear horizontal wave propagation in periodically layeredcomposites

The transverse resonance approach to guided wave analysis is applied to shear horizontal (SH) wave propagation in periodically layered composites. It is found for SH waves that at high values of the guided wavevector β, the wave energy is trapped in the slower of the two media and propagates accordingly at the slower wavespeed. At low values of β, however, the modes demonstrate a clustering behavior, indicative of the underlying Floquet wave structure. The number of modes in a cluster is observed to correlate with the number of unit cells in the layered plate. New physical insights into the behavior of these systems are obtained by analyzing the partial waves of the guided SH modes in terms of Floquet waves. We show that the fast and slow shear waves in the periodically layered composite play an analogous role to the longitudinal and shear partial waves comprising Lamb waves in a homogeneous plate     

Nonpigmented fixed drug eruption from pseudoephedrine

The biotransformation of oxazepam by Bifidobacterium bifidum was studied. The major metabolite was purified by chromatographic methods and found to be desmethyldiazepam using NMR, IR and other physicochemical data.     

Synthesis of heterocyclic metal complexes and their evaluation as marine antifoulants

4-Amino-3-thio-1,24-triazolidine (L₁) and 4-amino-5-thio-1,3,4-thiadiazole (L_II) as well as their metal complexes of the general formulae ML_I·2H₂O and ML_IICl (M; Pb(II), Cd(II) and Zn(II)) were prepared. With Sn(II), we obtained Sn(L_I)₂·2H₂O and SnL_IICl, respectively. The structures of the compounds were identified through elemental analysis, and IR and UV spectra measurements, in addition to thermal analysis in case of the metal complexes. The antifouling properties of the compounds were tested by their incorporation into paint formulations which were applied to PVC substrates and tested in water from Alexandria western harbour. When the compounds were added at 17·5% by volume, the coated panels were fouled after 3 months of immersion. The addition of 6·7% by volume of tributyltin oxide to 15·8% of the prepared compounds in one formulation elevated the paint efficiency and prevented fouling for 11 months. Paint containing solely tributyltin oxide at the same concentration was inactive against algae.     

Strengthening of concrete prisms using the plate-bonding technique

This paper presents the use of fracture mechanics for the plate bonding technique. Plates of steel or carbon-fibre reinforced plastic are bonded with an epoxy adhesive to rectangular concrete prisms and loaded in shear up to failure, what is normally known in fracture mechanics as mode II failure. In this special application a linear and a nonlinear approach are presented. The nonlinear equation derived for a realistic shear-deformation curve can only be used for numerical calculations. However, for simplified shear-deformation curves, the derived formula can be solved analytically. Results from tests, which are compared with the theory, are also presented.