CT of appendicitis in children

PURPOSE: Our goal was to review the CT findings and to help define the role of CT in the evaluation of appendicitis in children. METHOD: Of 730 children with surgically proven appendicitis, 22 underwent preoperative CT evaluation. Their CT scans and operative and pathology records were retrospectively reviewed. The CT scans were evaluated for appendiceal wall thickness, diameter, and location, appendicoliths, pericecal inflammation, phlegmon, abscess, free fluid, small bowel dilatation, and bowel wall thickening. Criteria for diagnosing appendicitis were (a) appendiceal wall thickening (> 1 mm) or (b) presence of abscess, phlegmon, or pericecal inflammation associated with appendicolith(s). Prospective reports of ultrasound examinations performed within 2 days of the CT scans were available in 14 children and were correlated with the CT findings. RESULTS: An abnormally thickened appendix, with a diameter ranging from 9 to 18 mm, was seen in four children. Three appendices were retrocecal and one was near the cecal tip, anterior to the iliac vessels. Appendicoliths were present in 10 children, multiple in 1. Abscesses were seen in 13 of 22 children, multiple in 5. Phlegmon was seen in five children and pericecal inflammation in two. Bowel wall thickening was present in seven children and small bowel dilatation was noted in six. Other findings included free fluid, hydronephrosis, thickening of urinary bladder wall, air in the uterus and vagina, adenopathy, and thickening of the abdominal wall musculature. CT was diagnostic of appendicitis in 11 of 22 children (50%). In 14 children with both ultrasound and CT studies, CT was slightly better in diagnosing appendicitis and visualizing the abnormal appendix and was superior in defining the presence and extent of abscess and inflammation in 9 of 14 children. CONCLUSION: CT is a useful adjunct in diagnosing appendicitis in children, with a major role in cases of complicated appendicitis.     

Synthesis and Structure of Complexes of Np(V) Perchlorate and Np(V) Chloride with Urea

The crystal structure of [NpO₂{OC(NH₂)₂}₅]ClO₄·H₂O and [NpO₂Cl{OC(NH₂)₂}₄] was studied by X-ray diffraction. The electronic absorption spectra of these complexes were recorded. The coordination polyhedron of Np in both complexes is a distorted pentagonal bipyramid. There is no cation-cation interaction of neptunyl cations in these complexes.     

Synthesis of Sialon from Kaolin and Its Phase Formation

The main phase transformations during synthesis of β‐sialon from kaolin of the Prosyanovskii deposit (Ukraine) under test-industrial production conditions have been studied. Sialon was prepared by carbothermal reduction in graphite-tube furnaces in nitrogen. It is shown that the process is characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of several chemical reactions with formation of intermediate phases (Si₂ON₂, X₁‐phase), silicon carbide, and (apart from β‐sialon) sialons based on AlN polytypes. The phase composition of the final product is determined not only by the charge composition but also by the set of production parameters. Results of the work may provide a basis for commercial preparation of sialon powder.     

SVBR-75/100 Multipurpose Modular Low-Power Fast Reactor with Lead–Bismuth Coolant

The results of development work on the SVBR-75/100 modular fast reactor cooled by lead–bismuth coolant are presented. The design is based on the experience gained operating reactors in nuclear-powered submarines. The SVBR-75/100 reactor is inherently safe because of its low power, the chemical inertness and high boiling point of the lead–bismuth coolant, and the integrated basin-type arrangement of the first-loop equipment. This eliminates the conflict between the safety and economic requirements that is characteristic of conventional-type reactors. The lower power makes it possible to build the reactor in a factory and deliver the reactor using any form of transportation to the nuclear power plant site. All safety systems operate passively. Most of these systems are used as normal-operating systems. This creates conditions for multipurpose applications of such reactor modules in developed and developing countries.     

Sequential discrete multilevel automated system for recording electron-diffraction patterns

This article considers a discrete sequential multilevel automated system for recording electron-diffraction patterns. A comparative analysis is presented, along with experimental results that make it possible to evaluate the effectiveness of the technical decisions on which the device is based. The general design of the system is presented. Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika No. 5, pp. 16–18, May, 1996.