Reversal of pretreatment hypotension and control of hemorrhage in trauma patients by a simple device

The injection of a suspension of Walker 256 carcinoma cells into the carotid artery of rats produced a model of hematogenously spread cerebral metastases. Most animals died from massive extracerebral tumors of the head and jaw; brain tumors were present in only one-quarter. External carotid artery ligation prior to tumor inoculation did not increase the incidence of fatal brain tumor. When cyclophosphamide, 15 mg/kg, was injected as a single dose on the fourteenth day after tumor inoculation, most of the extracerebral tumor disappeared. Fifty percent of the animals so treated were cured of tumor, but 90% of the remainder died of large intracerebral tumors. Severe cytopathic changes resulting from cyclophosphamide were present in extracerebral or choroid plexus tumors but were mild or nonexistent in intracerebral tumors. These selective effects of cyclophosphamide suggest that water-soluble agents are less effective against tumor in the brain than against extracerebral tumors despite the fact that metastatic tumor breaks down the blood-brain barrier.     

Flexible Backbone Aromatic Polyimide Adhesives

Continuing research at Langley Research Center on the synthesis and development of new inexpensive flexible aromatic polyimides as adhesives has resulted in a material identified as LARC-F-SO₂ with similarities to polyimidesulfone (PISO₂) and other flexible backbone polyimides recently reported by Progar and St. Clair. Also prepared and evaluated was an endcapped version of PISO₂. These two polymers were compared with LARC-TPI and LARC-STPI, polyimides researched in our laboratory and reported in the literature.

The adhesive evaluation, primarily based on lap shear strength (LSS) tests, involved preparing adhesive tapes, conducting bonding studies and exposing lap shear specimens to 204°C air for up to 1000 hrs and to a 72-hour water boil. LSS tests at RT, 177°C and 204°C were performed before (controls) and after these exposures. The type of adhesive failure as well as the Tg was determined for the fractured specimens.

The results indicate that LARC-TPI provides the highest LSSs, 33 MPa at RT, 30 MPa at 177°C, and 26 MPa at 204°C. LARC-F-SO₂, LARC-TPI and LARC-STPI all retain their strengths after thermal exposure for 1000 hrs and PISO₂ retains greater than 80% of its control strengths.

Most of the four adhesive systems showed reduced strengths for all test temperatures although they still retained a high percentage of their original strength (<60%) except for one case.

The predominant failure mode was cohesive with no significant change in the Tgs.

Although the LARC-F-SO₂ could not be prepared in diglyme alone as the solvent, the properties of the resulting adhesive were notable. The darkening of the adhesive during bonding was typical of systems which utilize amide solvents.     

Haemolysis complicating acute viral hepatitis in patients with normal or deficient glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity

Haemolytic anaemia as a complication of acute hepatitis has been reported in up to 23% of patients. However, the incidence may rise up to 70-87% in patients who have glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Massive intravascular haemolysis with renal failure, hepatic encephalopathy and even death have been reported. In our retrospective study of patients with acute viral hepatitis, the overall incidence of acute haemolysis was 4% (17/434). Only 53% (9/17) of them had G6PD deficiency. Patients with acute haemolysis had a significantly higher peak bilirubin level and required more prolonged hospitalization. Since hepatitis A virus vaccination, unlike hepatitis B virus vaccination, is not yet recommended for routine immunization, we suggest subjects who are G6PD-deficient should be vaccinated against hepatitis A. In endemic areas of hepatitis A virus infection, universal immunization remains the definitive answer.