Acute and chronic diarrhoea and abdominal colic associated with enteroaggregative Escherichia coli in young children living in western Europe

BACKGROUND: Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAggEC or EAEC) can spread and cause disease in developing countries, but it is not presently known whether it spreads disease in industrialised countries. Therefore, we did a prospective study to assess the incidence and the clinical manifestations of infections due to EAEC in children in Germany. METHODS: 798 children with diarrhoea, admitted to hospital within a defined geographical area during a 24-month period, were included in the trial. EAEC were cultured from stool specimens, screened by PCR, and identified by colony hybridisation from DNA sequences found on the virulence plasmid. The findings were confirmed by aggregative adherence to HEp-2 cells. Stool samples from 580 children admitted to hospital without diarrhoea were also studied as controls. FINDINGS: EAEC were found in the stools of 16 (2%) of 798 children with diarrhoea, but in none of 580 children without diarrhoea. Only four of the EAEC-infected children had travelled to developing countries. Most EAEC infections were acquired in the summer months. Infection with EAEC was associated with acute, watery diarrhoea in 12 children, and with chronic diarrhoea of up to 5 months' duration in four. Five children had abdominal colic that lasted for 2-4 weeks as their main symptom. The incidence of EAEC infection was 7.7 patients admitted to hospital per 100,000 children in the general population aged younger than 16 years. INTERPRETATION: EAEC infection is associated with acute, watery diarrhoea and may be acquired in industrialised countries. Chronic diarrhoea or abdominal colic of unknown aetiology in young children may also be caused by EAEC infection.     

Emission of core-excited autoionizing sodium atoms from NaCl induced by electron bombardment

In the time-of-flight spectrum of positive ions produced by electron bombardment of NaCl surface a delayed signal of Na⁺ is detected. This observation is attributed to production of core-excited autoionizing metastable Na^** atoms which have their characteristic lifetimes in the 100 ns range. Moreover, it is noticed that the populations of the various metastable Na^** states depend on the NaCl layer thickness. The lifetimes of some quartet metastable Na^** states have been determined as well.     

Evaluation of factors influencing platelet aggregation in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN)

Platelets (PLT) play an important role in hemostasis, modulation of immunological and inflammatory processes. There is also evidence that PLT takes part in the development of atherosclerosis and glomerulosclerosis. The aim of presented study was to determine morphological and functional changes of platelets and their relation to the lipid, protein and coagulation factors disturbances in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN). The studies were carried out in 60 patients with CGN diagnosed by renal biopsy: 30 patients without nephrotic syndrome (NS)-CGN and 30 patients with NS-CGN+NS. Protein and lipid disturbances, coagulation factors were estimated using routine laboratory methods. Platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV) and modal platelet volume (PLT-Mode) were measured using Technicon H1 hematological autoanalyser. Platelet function was assessed by aggregometry using turbidimetric method (inductors: ADP 1-3 microM, collagen 50g/ml, epinephrine 0.25-5 microM). Spontaneous platelet aggregation (SPA) was measured in platelet rich plasma (PRP) without inductors for 15 min, in 1-2 hours after venesection. SPA was observed in 9 of 30 patients with CGN and in 19 of 30 patients with CGN+NS. MPV and PLT Mode were significantly higher in patient showing SPA compared with those without. Significant correlations between SPA and the concentration of plasma albumin (r = -0,70; p < 0.02) TG and CH-LDL (r = 0,61; p < 0.05) were found in CGN+NS patients. APTT was significantly shorter in patients showing SPA compared with those without and negative significant correlation between SPA and APTT was found. Platelet aggregation to inductors in CGN and CGN+NS patients was diminished compared with control group. Lack of second phase aggregation in response to aggregation inducers was observed in patients with SPA. Conclusions. 1. Platelet hyperaggregation play an important role in hypercoagulation state in CGN patients. 2. SPA in vitro was observed in majority of CGN+NS patients and in some without NS. 3. Pathomechanism of SPA is probably multifactorial (hypoalbuminemia, dyslipidemia, changes in concentration of coagulation parameters).     

Molecular orientation and stress in biaxially deformed polymers. II. Steady potential flow

The development of biaxial segmental orientation and stress in a flexible-chain polymer fluid subjected to steady biaxial extensional flow is analyzed. Closed-formula model based on the Padè approximation of the inverse Langevin function in the non-Gaussian distribution of the chain end-to-end vectors is considered. The approach is free from the limitations related to finite chain extensibility and slow convergence of the series expansion formulations at higher chain deformations.Segmental orientation is characterized by the average orientation tensor, related axial orientation factors and global orientation anisotropy. Orientational behavior and corresponding stresses in the biaxial elongational potential flow are discussed in a wide range of elongation rates. Orientation characteristics calculated for the biaxial flow deformation are much higher than those predicted for the affine biaxial stretch deformation in polymer solids.     

Current Diagnosis and Treatment Options for Cutaneous Adnexal Neoplasms with Follicular Differentiation

Neoplasms derived from follicular tissue are extremely rare. Clinically, they are reported as non-symptomatic, slow-growing nodules. These lesions are mainly benign, but the malignant type can occur. Mainly middle-aged people (50–60 years of age) are affected. These carcinomas are mainly localized on the head and neck or torso. They can be locally aggressive and infiltrate surrounding tissue and metastasize to regional lymph nodes. In the minority of cases, distant metastases are diagnosed. Quick and relevant diagnosis is the basis of a treatment for all types of tumors. The patient’s life expectancy depends on multiple prognostic factors, including the primary tumor size and its mitotic count. Patients should be referred to a specialized skin cancer center to receive optimal multidisciplinary treatment. This article tries to summarize all the information that is currently available about pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment methods of follicular tumors.     

Solubility and Aggregation of Selected Proteins Interpreted on the Basis of Hydrophobicity Distribution

Protein solubility is based on the compatibility of the specific protein surface with the polar aquatic environment. The exposure of polar residues to the protein surface promotes the protein’s solubility in the polar environment. The aquatic environment also influences the folding process by favoring the centralization of hydrophobic residues with the simultaneous exposure to polar residues. The degree of compatibility of the residue distribution, with the model of the concentration of hydrophobic residues in the center of the molecule, with the simultaneous exposure of polar residues is determined by the sequence of amino acids in the chain. The fuzzy oil drop model enables the quantification of the degree of compatibility of the hydrophobicity distribution observed in the protein to a form fully consistent with the Gaussian 3D function, which expresses an idealized distribution that meets the preferences of the polar water environment. The varied degrees of compatibility of the distribution observed with the idealized one allow the prediction of preferences to interactions with molecules of different polarity, including water molecules in particular. This paper analyzes a set of proteins with different levels of hydrophobicity distribution in the context of the solubility of a given protein and the possibility of complex formation.     

Phase equilibria in the cobalt oxide-copper oxide system

Thermodynamic properties were determined for the system cobalt oxide-copper oxide by means of an electromotive force (EMF) measurement techniques using galvanic cells with calciastabilized zirconia (CSZ) as the solid electrolyte and with air as the reference electrode according to the following schemes: CuO, Cu₂O | CSZ | air and CoO-CuO, Cu₂O CSZ | air for composition variables y=X_Cu/(X_Co+X_cu equal to 0.05, 0.15, 0.25, 0.35, 0.45, 0.667, and 0.8; and within the temperature interval 1200–1350 K. Thermodynamic properties calculated directly from EMF values were combined with the available literature data on phase equilibria, and thermodynamic properties of solid phases in the Co-Cu-O system were assessed. Both terminal solid solutions, (Co,Cu)O and (Cu,Co)O, were described by a sublattice model with Redlich-Kister excess term. The interaction parameters for both (Co,Cu)O and (Cu,Co)O solid solutions and the Gibbs energy of formation for the intermediate phase Cu₂CoO₃ were obtained. The Gibbs energies of fictive end-members: monoclinic “CoO” and “CuO” with rock salt structure were derived as well. The phase diagrams were calculated using the assessed thermodynamic parameters. The (T, y) phase diagram was calculated for existence under ambient air. The property diagrams log₁₀P(O₂) versus composition and activity of CuO versus composition were calculated at 1273 K. The results of our calculations were in a good agreement with available experimental data.     

A realistic soil cloth and test procedure for detergent evaluation

The preparation of a uniformly soiled cloth for detergency studies is described. The soil, chosen for its realistic nature, consists of a colored clay as the particulate portion and triolein as the fatty or oily portion. The particulate portion of the soil is applied by tumbling the fabric in a horizontal axis washing machine containing a suspension of clay. The fatty portion is then applied by allowing the fabric to adsorb a known quantity of solvent-dissolved triolein with subsequent evaporation of the solvent. An evaluation test procedure for measuring the relative efficiencies of proprietary detergents is also described. Using this procedure, soil removal, soil redeposition and optical brightener effectiveness of a detergent are determined simultaneously. Detergents can thus be given a numerical rating according to their over-all performance. This rating is calculated from the equation: Overall Performance=Soil Removal−Soil Redeposition + Optical Brightener. Typical detergent evaluation data obtained with this soil cloth and test procedure are given, along with a statistical treatment of the data.     

Studies on a New Concept of 3D Data Integration about Reaches and Forces of a Disabled Person on a Wheelchair (CAD Methods in Car and Market Ergonomics)

The article presents a new concept of combining the three dimensions (3D) of a person's manipulation space. The data concern information about the reach of the arms and biomechanical data about limiting the load of a disabled person sitting in a wheelchair. Measurement data were acquired empirically, on original measuring station. The data included, respectively, arms' reach (static and dynamic) or, alternatively, measurements of limiting forces. The obtained data were processed into virtual 3D surfaces of arms' reach and forces. These surfaces provide the required graphic model of anthropotechnical and biomechanical data. Developed model was utilized to perform a virtual analysis of the accessibility of a disabled person to technical means: in a market sale space and in the ergonomic analysis into the space of a personal car. The presented method of 3D graphic modeling of anthropometrical and biomechanical data can be universally applied in ergonomic designing of work stations not only for disabled persons. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Opportunistic resource utilization networks—A new paradigm for specialized ad hoc networks

We present opportunistic resource utilization networks or oppnets, a novel paradigm of specialized ad hoc networks. We believe that applications can benefit from using specialized ad hoc networks that provide a natural basis for them, the basis more efficient and effective than what general-purpose ad hoc networks can offer. Oppnets constitute the subcategory of ad hoc networks where diverse systems, not employed originally as nodes of an oppnet, join it dynamically in order to perform certain tasks they have been called to participate in. Oppnets have a significant potential to improve a variety of applications, and to create new application niches. We categorize opportunistic networks currently known in the literature as class 1opportunistic networks that use opportunistically only communication resources, and class 2opportunistic networks or oppnets that use opportunistically all kinds of resources, including not only communication but also computation, sensing, actuation, storage, etc. After describing the oppnets and the basics of their operation, we discuss the Oppnet Virtual Machine (OVM)—a proposed standard implementation framework for oppnet applications. It is followed by a discussion of an example application scenario using the OVM primitives. Next, we discuss the design and operations of a small-scale oppnet, named MicroOppnet, originally developed as a proof of concept. MicroOppnet is now being extended to serve as a testbed for experimentation and pilot implementations of oppnet architectures and their components. We conclude with a summary and a list of some open issues for oppnets.