Determination of orthophosphoric and orthophosphorous acids in the workplace air using ion chromatography

The authors elaborated a method measuring air level of orthophosphorous and orthophosphoric acids by means of ion chromatography within the range of 0.1-25 mg/cu m. The samples are extracted through concentration on a filter. The analysis regime includes depression of the background levels. The separating column (4 x 200 mm) is filled with anion exchanger BT IAN, the suppressing column (6 x 150 mm) is filled with cation exchanger Dowex 50 x 8, the elutriating agent is 1.5 mM of sodium carbonate, the detector is conductometric. Minimal amounts of ions that could be detected in the analyzed solution are 7-10 ng (HPO32-), 10-15 ng (HPO 42-). The method is designed to analyze the air of workplace.     

Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a cause of infectious diarrhea successfully treated with oral ciprofloxacin

OBJECTIVE: To describe an immunocompromised patient (without AIDS) with nosocomial infectious diarrhea caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Oral ciprofloxacin therapy proved to be effective. CASE SUMMARY: An 80-year-old woman with type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension developed progressive renal insufficiency, was hospitalized because of uremia, and underwent hemodialysis. When the patient developed hematochezia, Duke's C sigmoid colon cancer was detected and successfully resected. She received broad-spectrum antibiotics in the perioperative period. The patient then developed profuse diarrhea associated with abdominal cramping, a low-grade fever, prostration, and headache. The patient then started to received vancomycin 500 mg po qid empirically. Four days later, the diarrhea continued unabated, the Clostridium difficile titer was negative, and the vancomycin therapy was stopped. However, the stool culture was positive for heavy growth of P. aeruginosa sensitive to ciprofloxacin. The patient then began to receive ciprofloxacin 500 mg po bid. Within 3 days the diarrhea stopped. Oral ciprofloxacin therapy was continued for 10 days and the patient remained free of symptoms with formed stools thereafter. DISCUSSION: Diarrhea following the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics implicates pseudomembranous colitis as the cause. The patient did not respond to oral vancomycin therapy and had a negative stool assay for C. difficile toxin. This patient was believed to have Pseudomonas enteritis, which was confirmed by 2 positive stool cultures. The administration of oral ciprofloxacin therapy stopped her diarrhea with a rapid resolution of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: P. aeruginosa as a cause of infectious diarrhea is unusual. When it occurs, it usually represents a nosocomial infection in an immunocompromised host. This report illustrates that oral ciprofloxacin therapy is effective for Pseudomonas enteritis, with rapid resolution of symptoms.     

Reproducibility and validity of an extensive semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire among Greek school teachers

The involvement of mental health professionals in determinations of dangerousness is both common and controversial. Among the various contexts for these evaluations, the release of potentially violent forensic patients from maximum security facilities evokes justified concern from involved experts and apprehension to outrage from the immediate community. We sought to examine how conclusions are reached on dangerousness at two sequential stages: clinical recommendations and Manifest Dangerousness Hearings decisions. In an archival study of 245 patients, we found that lack of progress in the institution and physical assaultiveness were the strongest correlates with dangerousness. In contrast, experts and review boards appeared to be relatively less influenced by diagnosis, types of treatment, and sociodemographic variables.     

Experimental automobile-pedestrian injuries

Fifteen fresh cadaver impacts were conducted in simulation of pedestrian-automobile accidents. The test sled configuration simulated an automobile bumper and hood in "standard" and "nosedive" situations as well as "hard" and "soft" impact surfaces. Instrumentation and film demonstrated large axial compression forces in the struck leg and considerable angular velocity of the torso in all modes. Dissection revealed primary injury at the impact site at low velocities with added remote injury at high velocities. Fracture of the lateral tibial plateau was most common. Lowering the bumper height offered the greatest protection against injury at moderate impact velocities.     

Demonstration of protein-protein interaction specificity by NMR chemical shift mapping

Chemical shift mapping is becoming a popular method for studying protein-protein interactions in solution. The technique is used to identify putative sites of interaction on a protein surface by detecting chemical shift perturbations in simple (1H, 15N)-HSQC NMR spectra of a uniformly labeled protein as a function of added (unlabeled) target protein. The high concentrations required for these experiments raise questions concerning the possibility for non-specific interactions being detected, thereby compromising the information obtained. We demonstrate here that the simple chemical shift mapping approach faithfully reproduces the known functional specificities among pairs of closely related proteins from the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase systems of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis.     

Surgical treatment of degenerative mitral regurgitation

Karyotypes were prepared from peripheral blood leukocytes in 77 couples in whom there was no apparent cause for recurrent spontaneous abortion. In addition to conventional staining, chromosomes were stained by the new technics for Q-, G-, or C-banding. Translocations were found in 5 of 154 persons (3.25% or 1:31 individuals). The frequency of translocations in the general adult population is 0.4% (1:255). Two translocations were apparent only with the new technics for banding. The incidence of chromosomal microanomalies was 7.79% (2.6% in the general population). Karyotyping of couples with recurrent abortion is recommended, with use of the new staining technics.