The inner and outer of our thorax: silicone breast implants and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

Pulmonary alveolar (phospholipo)proteinosis (PAP) is a rare lung disease, predominantly autoimmune in nature. This case report describes a patient with insidious dyspnoea since 5 years and a milky appearance of her bronchoalveolar fluid, leading to the diagnosis of PAP. The onset of symptoms coincided with an exchange of her silicone breast implants. Giant cell reaction in axillary adenopathies pointed towards silicone leakage. Adjuvants, such as silicone, might boost pre-existing antigen reactions of the immune system, potentially leading to autoimmune phenomena.

Comparison of models used for UV index calculations.

Eighteen radiative transfer models in use for calculation of UV index are compared with respect to their results for more that 100 cloud-free atmospheres, which describe present, possible future and extreme conditions. The comparison includes six multiple-scattering spectral models, eight fast spectral models and four empirical models. Averages of the results of the six participating multiple-scattering spectral models are taken as a basis for assessment. The agreement among the multiple-scattering models is within +/- 0.5 UV index values for more than 80% of chosen atmospheric parameters. The fast spectral models have very different agreement, between +/- 1 and up to 12 UV index values. The results of the empirical models agree reasonably well with the reference models but only for the atmospheres for which they have been developed. The data to describe the atmospheric conditions, which are used for the comparison, together with the individual results of all participating models and model descriptions are available on the Internet: http://www.meteo.physik.uni-muenchen.de/++ +strahlung/cost/.

Central nervous system disease in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Primary Sjogren's syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disorder whose main characteristics are dryness of the eyes and mouth, caused by lymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands. Patients may also show signs of extraglandular involvement of lung, liver, kidney and vessel walls, as well as of central and peripheral nervous system, muscles and joints. We present a review of the literature on the involvement of the central nervous system in primary Sjögren's syndrome, which may mimic many other neurologic disorders, especially multiple sclerosis. Features that may help in distinguishing these two entities are presented.

Discriminant parameters representing cerebral cortical function during anoxic anoxia investigations.

In order to quantify the effect of specific drugs on the cerebral cortex an "in vivo" model has been developed for the induction and the observation of anoxic anoxia. Rabbits are used as test animals. Sensors for the assessment of local parameters are chronically implanted: ECoG electrodes are applied; pO2 electrodes are inserted into the cortical tissue. The derived somatosensory evoked potentials are used for evaluating the cerebral cortical function. Animals are cannulated with a tracheal tube, curarized and artificially ventilated. Anoxic anoxia, controlled by a special purpose microprocessor system, may then be induced and repeated in a reproducible way. During the experiments local (pO2, ECoG, SEP) as well as general parameters (ECG, heart rate, systemic blood pressure, rectal temperature) are recorded and stored on analog magnetic tape as well as digitized with the microprocessor system. The cortical pO2 is measured with a polarographic method, the SEP's are obtained on-line by time coherent averaging and the ECoG states (e.g. epilepsy during anoxia) are derived by using band-pass filters and rms detectors. Off-line the signals (pO2, heart rate, mean systemic blood pressure, temperature) are standardized and represented together with parameters derived from ECoG and SEP. SEP-waveform parameters indicating intensity (norm) and similarity with a reference SEP signal (correlation value) are used. The measuring and processing method is still being optimized; special attention is being paid towards the quality of the calculated SEP's which are to be used for the quantification of the cortical function during reference, anoxia and recovery period. As such, in order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the SEP's and, consequently, of the derived parameters, ECoG signals are digitized off-line and subjected to a preprocessing, implying filtering and spectral analysis procedures.