Psychopharmacological studies on the interactions between alcohol and oxazepam with regard to reaction behavior. 1st communication. Changes of psychomotor coordination and reaction behavior]

The interactions between oxazepam and ethanol were investigated in a pharmacopsychological study. The results of the psycho-experimental investigations are reported in this paper. The effects of oxazepam and/or ethanol doses given to 14 subjects with known blood concentrations of the respective substances were monitored and compared to placebo effects. - An analysis of the experiments with respect to the psychomotoric responses showed a tendency towards motoric instability under ethanol (A), whereas in the placebo experiment a relatively constant level of efficiency was maintained. In the oxazepam experiment (C) a slowing of the psychomotoric functions was observed. The concomitant influence of ethanol and oxazepam accentuates the motoric instability with a delay of the motoric responses. These effects remain visible, though slightly modified, after the administration of both substances at intervals (E). The experiments showed a decrease in efficiency during continuous exercise, a delayed response to optic and acoustic stimuli, and a retardation of the entire behavioral pattern under the influence of ethanol and oxazepam. The results indicate the existence of marked interactions between ethanol and oxazepam.     

Regionalized lipid diffusion in the plasma membrane of mammalian spermatozoa

The plasma membrane of mammalian spermatozoa shows pronounced lateral asymmetry with many glycoproteins restricted to specific domains. Some of these antigens are freely diffusing throughout the membrane whereas others appear static in position. It is not clear whether these concepts also apply to membrane lipids. In this investigation we have used fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) techniques to spatially resolve lipid dynamics in various surface domains of 5 species of mammalian spermatozoa (bull, boar, ram, mouse, and guinea pig). Sperm plasma membranes were loaded with 5-(N-octadecanoyl)aminofluorescein (ODAF) reporter probe, and its diffusion was measured in various domains by FRAP analysis. Results showed that in live bull, boar, ram, and mouse spermatozoa, diffusion coefficients (D) were significantly higher over the acrosome and postacrosome than on the midpiece and principal piece of the tail. In dead or permeabilized cells, on the other hand, large immobile phases developed, particularly on the sperm tail, that severely reduced D values. ODAF diffusion was also sensitive to temperature and cross-linking of protein components within the membrane with paraformaldehyde. Guinea pig spermatozoa were different in almost all respects from those of the other species tested. It is concluded that lipid diffusion in the plasma membrane of live spermatozoa varies significantly between surface domains, because of either compositional heterogeneity, or differences in bilayer disposition, or the presence of intramembranous barriers that impede free exchange between domains. This study emphasizes the important role of membrane lipids in regulating polarized migration of sperm surface antigens during developmental processes such as maturation and capacitation.     

Importance of intercostal artery reattachment during thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair

PURPOSE: We studied the relationship of neurologic deficit to ligation, reimplantation, and preexisting occlusion of intercostal arteries to determine which arteries and consequent management are most critical to outcome in thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair. METHODS: From February 1991 to July 1996, 343 patients with thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms underwent repair by one surgeon. In this study, only Crawford types I, II, and III (n = 264) were considered. Of these, 110 (42%) were type I, 116 (44%) type II, and 38 (14%) type III. The adjuncts of distal aortic perfusion and cerebrospinal fluid drainage were used in 164 patients (62%). Data were analyzed by contingency table and by multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Early neurologic deficit occurred in 23 patients (8.7%), and late deficit in 10 patients (3.8%). Neurologic deficit in patients with at least one reimplantation and no ligation of arteries T11 or T12 occurred in 19 of 147 (12.9%). Neurologic deficit for occlusion of the same arteries occurred in 11 of 111 (9.9%), whereas for ligation of T11 and T12 neurologic deficit occurred in three of six (50%; reimplantation, p < 0.03; occlusion, p < 0.006). In addition, reimplantation of intercostal arteries T9 or T10 was significantly associated with reduced late neurologic deficit in multivariate analysis (p = 0.05). No other intercostal artery status was associated with modification of the neurologic deficit rate. Multivariate analysis showed type II aneurysms and acute dissections to be significantly associated with an increased risk of postoperative neurologic deficit (p < 0.0009, 0.002, respectively). Adjuncts were protective (p < 0.007), most often in types II and III (14.1% neurologic deficit in type II with adjunct, 35.3% without; 0% in type III with adjunct, 20% without). CONCLUSION: Patients with patent arteries at the T11/T12 level have highly variable outcomes depending on whether the arteries are reattached or ligated. Our data suggest that reimplantation of thoracic intercostal arteries T11 and T12 is indicated when these arteries are patent. Reimplantation of T9 and T10 lowers the risk of late neurologic deficit, probably by decreasing the spinal cord's vulnerability to changes in blood and cerebrospinal fluid pressure in the days after surgery. Adjuncts lower overall risk and provide adequate time for targeted intercostal artery reimplantation.     

Endometriosis of the colon (author's transl)

This report is concerned with a twenty-five year old female with endometriosis of the recto-sigmoid-colon. Due to medication intolerance a trial with hormone therapy had to be discontinued. After several years of illness an ileus and ureter-stenosis developed and several operations were necessary to alleviate these conditions. A survey of the frequency and localization of extragenital endometriosis followed by a discussion of pathogenesis, clinic and alternatives of therapy.     

A Note on a Uniqueness Theorem for the Second-Derivative Test of Qi

Qi has given a theorem which guarantees the existence and uniqueness of a zero x ^* of a function f : R ⁿ R ⁿ in a bounded closed rectangular convex set [x] R ⁿ under more general sufficient conditions than those described by Moore and has defined an operator (the so-called second-derivative operator) together with a test, involving the second-derivative operator, for the existence but not the uniqueness of a zero x ^* of f in [x].The purpose of the present note is to correct the proof of a theorem of Wolfe containing sufficients conditions for the uniqueness if x ^* using the second-derivative operator.     

On Bounding Solutions of Underdetermined Systems

Sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of a solution x* D (R ⁿ ) of Y(x) = 0 where : R ⁿ R ^m (m n) with C ²(D) where D R ⁿ is an open convex set and Y = (x)⁺ are given, and are compared with similar results due to Zhang, Li and Shen (Reliable Computing 5(1) (1999)). An algorithm for bounding zeros of f (·) is described, and numerical results for several examples are given.