Appendicular mucocele and peritoneal pseudo-myxoma

From 2 personal cases the authors present a pathological appraisal of appendicular mucoceles. They distinguish between a benign kind with an atrophic mucous membrane and a malignant type with a hyperplasic epithelium arranged in papillary and vegetating structures; this is a neoplasm with local malignancy. This variety remains the most liable to become a peritoneal pseudo-myxoma representing the most serious complication of the appendicular mucecele. Treatment of the mucocele, which consists in an appenicectomy or a right bemi-colectomy, usually yields good results provided operative rupture can be avoided. Contrarily the peritoneal pseudo-myxoma remains a serious disease with a disappointing treatment.     

Atypical presentation of Clostridium difficile colitis in patients with cystic fibrosis

OBJECTIVE: This report describes the unusual presentation of Clostridium difficile colitis in five patients with cystic fibrosis and the role of CT in first suggesting the correct diagnosis in this group of patients. Because of the absence of watery diarrhea and the presence of abdominal bloating and decreased stooling, cystic fibrosis patients with C. difficile colitis will be treated for stool impaction, meconium ileus equivalent, or distal intestinal obstruction syndrome. CT of the abdomen, performed in these five patients because of their lack of improvement after standard therapy for stool impaction, showed an extensive pancolitis later confirmed to be caused by C. difficile infection. CONCLUSION: In patients with cystic fibrosis, imaging findings of a pancolitis should raise the possibility of C. difficile colitis despite the lack of watery diarrhea. Anticlostridial treatment can be initiated before bacteriologic confirmation is obtained.     

An exploratory investigation of lubricant-soluble molybdenum sulphur additives under conditions of rolling contact

An exploratory assessment of lubricant-soluble molybdenum sulphur compounds has been carried out using an accelerated service simulation rolling contact fatigue test. Such compounds appear to be potentially attractive as additives for currently used lubricants under arduous conditions of rolling contact.     

Aristolochic acids, aristolactam alkaloids and amides from Aristolochia kankauensis

Fourteen aristolochic acid derivatives: ariskanins A-E, 3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-10-nitrophenanthrene-1-carboxylic acid methyl ester, aristolochic acid-II methyl ester, aristolochic acid-IV methyl ester, aristolochic acid-C, -I, -II, -III, -IV, -IVa; nine aristolactam alkaloids: aristolactam, aristolactam-AII, -BIII, -AIII, -III, cepharanone-A, 9-methoxy-aristolactam-I, aristolactam-N-beta-D-glucoside and aristolactam-C-N-beta-D-glucoside; a 4,5-dioxoaporphine alkaloid: cepharadione-A, together with 12 other compounds: methyl-p-coumarate, N-trans-feruloyltyramine, N-cis-feruloyltyramine, methyl vanillate, methyl paraben, allantoin, an octadecyl- and eicosyl ferulate mixture, cis- and trans-p-coumaric acid, N-p-coumaroyltyramine, N-p-cis-coumaroyltyramine, methyl ferulate and isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside were isolated and characterized from the fresh root and stem of Aristolochia kankauensis. Their structures were elucidated by spectral and chemical methods. Among them, ariskanins-A-E and N-p-cis-coumaroyltyramine are reported for the first time from a natural source. The cytotoxicity and antiplatelet activity of the compounds isolated are also discussed.     

A developmental study of learned helplessness.

Examined susceptibility to learned helplessness among 20 children from each of kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 3, and Grade 5 classes by exposing groups of Ss to either repeated failure or repeated success on hidden figures problems. Helplessness was measured by Ss' persistence in looking for hidden figures and their capacity to find them following repeated success or failure. It was hypothesized that younger Ss would be less susceptible to helplessness than older ones, due to age-related differences in causal attributions for success and failure. Results confirm the hypothesis in that failure, relative to success, had significantly less influence on the level of helplessness in younger Ss' behavior. It is suggested that the development of attributional capabilities during the preschool and early elementary school years has important ramifications for cognitive theories of motivation. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dynamic behavior of hepatitis C virus in chronically infected patients receiving liver graft from infected donors

We studied the outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 14 patients with end-stage HCV-related liver disease who received HCV-positive liver allografts. Viral sequences specific for donor and recipient were established by direct sequencing of PCR products from the NS5 region and by single-strand conformation polymorphism. Within a few months after transplantation the donor strain took over the recipient strain in 8 patients while in 6 patients it was the recipient strain which ultimately prevailed. Donor and recipient were infected by identical genotypes in 6 donor/recipient pairs and by different genotypes in the remaining 8 pairs. Subtype 1b and type 1 (1a + 1b) became the predominant strains in all recipient/donor pairs in which they were present. Patients retaining their own strain were found to have significantly more active liver disease than those infected by the donor strain. We show that HCV superinfection and overtake phenomena occur in humans and suggest that genotypes 1b and 1 (1a + 1b) may possess replicative advantages over other genotypes. Furthermore, we provide evidence of the existence of interference preventing simultaneous continuous infection even by the same genotype strains. The development of active liver disease associated with recipient strain infection and mild or no disease associated with infection from the donor suggests various pathogenic abilities of different HCV strains.