Severe neonatal echovirus 20 infection characterized by hepatic failure

Genitourinary involvement by the Echinococcus granulosus larvae (urinary hydatidosis) ranks third in order of frequency after liver and lung involvement. The finding of a primary hydatidic cyst with retroperitoneal location is an uncommon fact. This paper presents once case of this infrequent disease. A revision of the different etiopathogenic mechanisms, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic approaches is made.     

Resource allocation problems in decentralized energy management

OR Spectrum - Changes in our electricity supply chain are causing a paradigm shift from centralized control towards decentralized energy management. Within the framework of decentralized energy...     

A patient with generalized actinomycosis

A 36-year-old man was admitted because of haemoptysis and weight loss. Despite elaborate investigations, including multiple biopsies of affected organs (pleura, lung, kidney and liver) no diagnosis was established. The patient refused further diagnostic procedures and left hospital for winti treatment in Surinam. He did not take the prescribed pheneticillin and returned after seven weeks in a very poor condition. The second admission was complicated by septic shock. Despite intensive treatment he died. On autopsy actinomycosis abscesses were found in lung, liver and kidney. Even when suspected, an infection with Actinomyces is difficult to diagnose. Without adequate treatment this infection can lead to life-threatening complications.     

Reduced chaperone-like activity of alpha A(ins)-crystallin, an alternative splicing product containing a large insert peptide

alpha-Crystallin is a multimeric protein complex which is constitutively expressed at high levels in the vertebrate eye lens, where it serves a structural role, and at low levels in several non-lenticular tissues. Like other members of the small heat shock protein family, alpha-crystallin has a chaperone-like activity in suppressing nonspecific aggregation of denaturing proteins in vitro. Apart from the major alpha A- and alpha B-subunits, alpha-crystallin of rodents contains an additional minor subunit resulting from alternative splicing, alpha A(ins)-crystallin. This polypeptide is identical to normal alpha A-crystallin except for an insert peptide of 23 residues. To explore the structural and functional consequences of this insertion, we have expressed rat alpha A- and alpha A(ins)-crystallin in Escherichia coli. The multimeric particles formed by alpha A(ins) are larger and more disperse than those of alpha A, but they are native-like and display a similar thermostability and morphology, as revealed by gel permeation chromatography, tryptophan fluorescence measurements, and electron microscopy. However, as compared with alpha A, the alpha A(ins)-particles display a diminished chaperone-like activity in the protection of heat-induced aggregation of beta low-crystallin. Our experiments indicate that alpha A(ins)-multimers have a 3-4-fold reduced substrate binding capacity, which might be correlated to their increased particle size and to a shielding of binding sites by the insert peptides. The structure-function relationship of the natural mutant alpha A(ins)-crystallin may shed light on the mechanism of chaperone-like activity displayed by all small heat shock proteins.     

Structure and electrochemical properties of intercalation compounds in the system silver-titanium disulfide,Agx TiS2

In the system AgTiS₂ three structurally related phases exist, a dilute gas phase and second- and first-stage intercalates. Single crystals of Ag_0.35TiS₂, grown by vapour transport, were studied by X-ray diffraction. A superstructure due to three-dimensional order of silver, a √ 3 × a √ 3 × 2c, space group $\text{P}\text{3}\text{1}\text{c}$, is present below T_c = 301 K. The transition to the disordered substructure, $\text{a = 3.428, c = 6.398}\text{A}\text{?}$, space group group $\text{P}\text{3}\text{m}\text{1}$, is of second-order nature.Kinetic parameters of the mobile ions (silver) were measured at temperatures above 450 K on powder compacts in an electrochemical cell using small signal a.c. frequency response and the galvanostic intermittent titration technique (GITT). The first- and second-stage phases show fast ionic conduction of silver; the chemical diffusion coefficient

is about 10^?5 cm² s^?1A at 460 K and the activation energy is about 0.26 eV. The free enthalpy of intercalation is small, ?2.9 kJ mol^?1 for stage II Ag_0.19TiS₂ and ?4.6 kJ mol^?1 for stage I Ag_0.42TiS₂ (at 480 K). The temperature coefficient of the e.m.f. is positive. The intercalated phases show metallic type electronic conduction.     

Antibody responses and opsonic activity in sera of preterm neonates with coagulase-negative staphylococcal septicemia and the effect of the administration of fresh frozen plasma

A group of Walker Hounds and Beagles that were fed a diet of table scraps were examined because of slow, progressive loss of vision. Clinical and microscopic features of the disease were correlated to the dogs' micronutrient status. Sensory retinal degeneration, predominantly in the central tapetal fundus, was found in all dogs, and severity of changes varied with age of the dog. Plasma, serum, and tissue concentrations of vitamin E were low in affected dogs (10 to 40% of control values). Lipofuscin accumulation was found on microscopic examination in retinal pigment epithelium, smooth muscle cells of the intestinal tract, and neurons of the CNS. Findings were consistent with nutritional vitamin E deficiency and oxidative injury to photoreceptors of the retina. Changes in these dogs were similar to those described for central progressive retinal atrophy and equine lower motor neuron disease, suggesting these diseases may share a common pathogenesis to vitamin E deficiency.     

Referate

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Phase Assemblage in PBSSCO OPIT High‐Temperature Superconductor Precursor Powders – Rietveld Analysis of X‐ray Diffractograms

The phase assemblage in PBSCCO‐2223, (Bi, Pb)₂Sr₂ Ca₂Cu₃O_{10 + x}, precursor powders used for the production of long lengths of superconducting tapes by the oxide powder in tube (OPIT) technology has been determined by Rietveld analysis of powder x‐ray diffractograms. The effects of grain alignment, structure modulation and anisotropic line broadening have been taken into account in the Rietveld analysis. The phase assemblage of the air‐annealed precursor is typically Pb‐free 2212 (Bi, Pb)₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_{8 + x}, Pb₃Sr₃Ca₂CuO₁₂, Ca₂PbO₄, Sr₆Ca₈Cu₂₄O₄₁, and Ca_0.79Sr_0.04CuO₂. If the annealing is done in N₂, the Pb⁴⁺ phases disappear and Pb²⁺ enters the 2212 phase, which is accompanied mainly by Ca₂CuO₃ and CuO. Pb‐2223 formation occurs above 830°C in air.     

A survey of offline algorithms for energy minimization under deadline constraints

Modern computers allow software to adjust power management settings like speed and sleep modes to decrease the power consumption, possibly at the price of a decreased performance. The impact of these techniques mainly depends on the schedule of the tasks. In this article, a survey on underlying theoretical results on power management, as well as offline scheduling algorithms that aim at minimizing the energy consumption under real-time constraints, is given.