[Mandibular fractures in cattle - a review of 108 cases]. / Unterkieferfrakturen beim Rind ­ eine retrospektive Untersuchung von 108 Fällen.

INTRODUCTION: Mandibular fractures are among the most common fractures in cattle. The medical records of 108 cattle with a mandibular fracture, that were referred to the University of Zurich Veterinary Hospital from 2005 to 2019, were analysed to document the types of treatment, complications and long-term outcomes. Cattle, still alive at the time of retrospective analysis, underwent clinical and radiographic examinations. A fall was the single most common cause of a mandibular fracture (48,1 %), and a third of all cattle had a concomitant disease at the time of referral. Seventy-five cattle (69,4 %) had a single fracture, 26 (24,1 %) had two fractures and seven (6,5 %) had three fractures of the mandible. The molar part of the mandibular body was most commonly (40,7 %) fractured followed by the diastema (23,6 %), the pars incisiva (13,4 %), the ramus (12,1 %) and the symphysis (10,2 %) of the mandible. The majority of cattle (84/108, 77,8 %) had open fractures. Treatment was instituted in 63/108 animals (58,3 %) with 77/148 fractures. Of these fractures, 28 were treated with plate osteosynthesis, 25 with an external fixator, 8 with cerclage wire, 7 using mixed techniques, 4 with fragment excision, 4 underwent conservative treatment and one a mucosal suture. In total, 45/108 animals (41,7 %) were culled because of multiple fractures, concomitant diseases and because of economic reasons. Complications occurred in 34 (54,0 %) treated cattle; 22 had abnormal wound healing of which 18 developed osteomyelitis complicated by a sequestrum (14). Of the treated 63 cattle, 56 (88,9 %) were discharged. The mean postoperative productive life was 46 ± 29,2 months for animals that were deceased at the time of the study. Thirteen of the cattle with a sequestrum remained in the herd for 15 to 92 months (mean, 47 months) and one for 2 months. The life expectancy after treatment did not differ significantly from that of the Brown Swiss and Swiss Holstein dairy cattle populations, where the cattle of this study mainly came from. Eleven cattle were available for long-term follow-up; all had a good general health status but nine had dental abnormalities including missing teeth, steps or enamel points, which did not noticeably affect the body condition of the animals. Surgical treatment of selected mandibular fractures had a favourable prognosis (52/63 healed, 82,5 %) in cattle.

INTRODUCTION: Les fractures mandibulaires font partie des fractures les plus fréquentes chez les bovins. Les dossiers médicaux de 108 bovins présentant une fracture mandibulaire, référés à l'hôpital vétérinaire de l'Université de Zurich entre 2005 et 2019, ont été analysés afin de documenter les types de traitement, les complications et les résultats à long terme. Les bovins, encore vivants au moment de l'analyse rétrospective, ont subi des examens cliniques et radiographiques. Une chute était la cause la plus fréquente d'une fracture mandibulaire (48,1 %), et un tiers des bovins présentaient une maladie concomitante au moment de la consultation. Septante-cinq bovins (69,4 %) avaient une seule fracture, 26 (24,1 %) avaient deux fractures et sept (6,5 %) avaient trois fractures de la mandibule. La partie molaire du corps mandibulaire était le plus souvent (40,7 %) fracturée, suivie du diastème (23,6 %), de la pars incisiva (13,4 %), du ramus (12,1 %) et de la symphyse (10,2 %) de la mandibule. La majorité des bovins (84/108, 77,8 %) présentaient des fractures ouvertes. Un traitement a été institué chez 63/108 animaux (58,3 %) avec 77/148 fractures. Parmi ces fractures, 28 ont été traitées par une ostéosynthèse par plaque, 25 par un fixateur externe, 8 par cerclage, 7 par des techniques mixtes, 4 par une excision du fragment, 4 par un traitement conservateur et une par une suture muqueuse. Au total, 45/108 animaux (41,7 %) ont été abattus en raison de fractures multiples, de maladies concomitantes et pour des raisons économiques. Des complications sont survenues chez 34 (54,0 %) des bovins traités ; 22 ont présenté une cicatrisation anormale dont 18 ont développé une ostéomyélite compliquée par un séquestre (14). Sur les 63 bovins traités, 56 (88,9 %) sont sortis de clinique. La vie productive postopératoire moyenne était de 46 ± 29,2 mois pour les animaux qui étaient décédés au moment de l'étude. Treize des bovins avec un séquestre sont restés dans le troupeau pendant 15 à 92 mois (moyenne, 47 mois) et un pendant 2 mois. L'espérance de vie après traitement ne différait pas significativement de celle des populations de vaches laitières Brown Swiss et Swiss Holstein d'où provenaient principalement les bovins de cette étude. Onze bovins étaient disponibles pour un suivi à long terme ; tous avaient un bon état de santé général mais neuf présentaient des anomalies dentaires, notamment des dents manquantes, des différences de niveau de la table dentaire ou des pointes d'émail, ce qui n'a pas affecté de manière notable l'état corporel des animaux. Le traitement chirurgical de certaines fractures mandibulaires a donc eu un pronostic favorable (52/63 guéries, 82,5 %) chez les bovins.

Study of Two-Photon Exchange via the Beam Transverse Single Spin Asymmetry in Electron-Proton Elastic Scattering at Forward Angles over a Wide Energy Range.

We report on a new measurement of the beam transverse single spin asymmetry in electron-proton elastic scattering, A_{⊥}^{ep}, at five beam energies from 315.1 to 1508.4 MeV and at a scattering angle of 30°<θ<40°. The covered Q^{2} values are 0.032, 0.057, 0.082, 0.218, 0.613 (GeV/c)^{2}. The measurement clearly indicates significant inelastic contributions to the two-photon-exchange (TPE) amplitude in the low-Q^{2} kinematic region. No theoretical calculation is able to reproduce our result. Comparison with a calculation based on unitarity, which only takes into account elastic and πN inelastic intermediate states, suggests that there are other inelastic intermediate states such as ππN, KΛ, and ηN. Covering a wide energy range, our new high-precision data provide a benchmark to study those intermediate states.

One-Year stable perovskite solar cells by 2D/3D interface engineering.

Despite the impressive photovoltaic performances with power conversion efficiency beyond 22%, perovskite solar cells are poorly stable under operation, failing by far the market requirements. Various technological approaches have been proposed to overcome the instability problem, which, while delivering appreciable incremental improvements, are still far from a market-proof solution. Here we show one-year stable perovskite devices by engineering an ultra-stable 2D/3D (HOOC(CH2)4NH3)2PbI4/CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite junction. The 2D/3D forms an exceptional gradually-organized multi-dimensional interface that yields up to 12.9% efficiency in a carbon-based architecture, and 14.6% in standard mesoporous solar cells. To demonstrate the up-scale potential of our technology, we fabricate 10 × 10 cm2 solar modules by a fully printable industrial-scale process, delivering 11.2% efficiency stable for >10,000 h with zero loss in performances measured under controlled standard conditions. This innovative stable and low-cost architecture will enable the timely commercialization of perovskite solar cells.

Donor-π-donor type hole transporting materials: marked π-bridge effects on optoelectronic properties, solid-state structure, and perovskite solar cell efficiency.

Donor-π-bridge-donor type oligomers (D-π-D) have been studied intensively as active materials for organic optoelectronic devices. In this study, we introduce three new D-π-D type organic semiconductors incorporating thiophene or thienothiophene with two electron-rich TPA units, which can be easily synthesized from commercially available materials. A thorough comparison of their optoelectronic and structural properties was conducted, revealing the strong influence of the extent of longitudinal π-bridge conjugation on both the solid structure of the organic semiconductive materials and their photovoltaic performance when applied as hole transporting materials (HTM) in perovskite solar cells. Single-crystal measurements and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) studies indicate that these coplanar donor-π-donor type HTMs could be promising alternatives to state-of-the-art spiro-OMeTAD, due to the multiple intermolecular short contacts as charge transporting channels and efficient charge extraction properties from the perovskite layer. The optimized devices with PEH-9 exhibited an impressive PCE of 16.9% under standard global AM 1.5 illumination with minimized hysteretic behaviour, which is comparable to that of devices using spiro-OMeTAD under similar conditions. Ambient stability after 400 h revealed that 93% of the energy conversion efficiency was retained for PEH-9, indicating that the devices had good long-term stability.

[Primary malignant melanoma arising from the base of the tongue: a case report]. / Primäres malignes Schleimhautmelanom des Zungengrunds: Fallbericht.

Primary mucosal melanoma is a biologically aggressive neoplasm, which is rarely located at the base of the tongue. The absence of early signs and symptoms, the lack of an evidence-based treatment, the early development of metastases and high rates of local recurrence contribute to the overall poor prognosis of these melanomas. This paper reports the case of a 66-year-old male presenting with local recurrence of a primary melanoma of the base of the tongue.

[Anticoagulation during pregnancy following an artificial heart valve replacement]. / Antikoagulation in der Schwangerschaft nach künstlichem Herzklappenersatz.

HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: A 23-year-old woman had received a mechanical bileaflet mitral valve prosthesis because of severe mitral valve insufficiency caused by an acute bacterial endocarditis with vegetations. One year after the operation the patient suffered on two miscarriages under oral anticoagulation by phenprocoumon. Present, she was referred to our center with the question of conversion to low molecular weight heparine because of continued yearning for a baby. INVESTIGATIONS: At admission the woman was in good general and nutritional condition. Echocardiography showed a regular prosthetic function. Blood analysis, electrolyte parameters and enzyme values were normal, further laboratory investigations revealed a factor-V-Leiden-mutation. A chromosomal analysis detected no aberrations. TREATMENT AND COURSE: The oral anticoagulation by phenprocoumon was switched to subcutaneous low molecular weight heparine in therapeutical dosage. Anti-factor-Xa-activity was controlled at regular intervals. Further pregnancy was uneventful for both, mother and child. A healthy infant was born by caesarean section at 40 (th) week of gestation. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with anticoagulation by phenprocoumon is indispensable for mechanical heart valve protheses. Conversion to low molecular weight heparine is possible in patients who insistent request to conceive. The anticoagulation by low molecular weight heparine avoids teratogenic effects during pregnancy because the placenta is impermeable to that heparin. Furthermore, prophylaxis of thromoses by low molecular weight heparine is probably in almost the same manner as by phenprocoumon.

Peak inspiratory flow through the Genuair inhaler in patients with moderate or severe COPD.

The Genuair inhaler is a new multidose dry powder inhaler for the delivery of aclidinium bromide - a novel, long-acting, muscarinic antagonist in development for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The primary aim of this study was to assess the inspiratory flow characteristics through Genuair in patients with moderate or severe COPD. Using a three-period cross-over design, 48 patients were randomised to inhale placebo powder through Genuair, HandiHaler A (slow, deep inhalation as per manufacturer's instructions) or HandiHaler B (fast, forceful inhalation). Three measurements of peak inspiratory flow (PIF), 10min apart, were recorded for each method of administration. The highest and average PIFs for the three attempts (mean+/-standard deviation) generated through the Genuair inhaler were 97.7+/-15.7 and 92.0+/-15.4L/min, respectively. Furthermore, 97% of inhalations with the Genuair inhaler were successful (activation of trigger threshold mechanism) and optimal (PIF> or =45L/min). The highest and average PIFs generated through HandiHaler A and B were significantly lower than with the Genuair inhaler. In conclusion, patients with moderate or severe COPD were able to generate sufficient inspiratory airflow through the Genuair inhaler to reliably inhale the full dose and reset the inhaler.

Thermochemical analysis of the dissolution process of Griseofulvin.

Very often poor water solubility limits the therapeutic use of drug molecules. In order to develop strategies to overcome this handicap a basic understanding of this phenomenon is needed. In this paper Griseofulvin is used as a model substance. According to the Hess theorem the direct dissolution of Griseofulvin is replaced by a series of alternative processes which in their combination have the same starting point as well as the same endpoint as the direct dissolution. The energies associated with these alternative processes however can be determined more exactly than the dissolution energy. In cases where the measurement of an energy is impossible, e.g. the transfer energy of single molecules from the vapor phase into water, this energy is calculated by quantum chemical methods. In addition these alternative processes allow for a better understanding of the elementary steps involved in the dissolution process. The energies determined for the various alternative processes are compared with the dissolution energies as calculated by means of AMSOL. An excellent agreement can be observed.

[Pulmonary and cardiac recurrence of sarcoidosis in a heart transplant recipient]. / Pulmonales und kardiales Rezidiv einer Sarkoidose nach Herztransplantation.

HISTORY: A 38-year-old man underwent heart transplantation for end-stage heart failure as a result of sarcoid cardiomyopathy. Routine post-transplantation endomyocardial biopsies demonstrated no graft rejection. However, six months post-transplantation, while on immunosuppressive medication, the patient noted a dry cough. INVESTIGATIONS: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed recurrent sarcoidosis in the transplanted heart, and bronchoscopy revealed granulomas consistent with pulmonary sarcoidosis. The chest radiograph revealed bilateral perihilar interstitial nodular infiltration. Whole blood analysis, coagulation and electrolyte parameters as well as inflammatory and enzyme values were within the normal range. TREATMENT AND COURSE: The patient was treated with an increased dosage of prednisone. Furthermore, the immunosuppression with cyclosporin and everolimus was replaced by cyclosporin and azathioprine. Regular pulmonary function tests were done in addition to the routine biopsy controls and the laboratory tests as well as electrocardiography, echocardiography and radiography. The patient has remained well at eighteen months after transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: For those patients who develop end-stage cardiomyopathy from sarcoidosis, heart transplantation is still the therapy of choice. The recurrence of sarcoidosis in a transplanted heart has been only very rarely reported in the literature. Once recurrence is diagnosed patients should be treated with an increased dosage of steroid in addition to standard immunosuppressives.

Development of a long-acting therapeutic system: Part I: A method to produce silicon rubbers with well-defined microstructures.

Based on the free-volume theory of diffusion in rubbers it is shown that the diffusion coefficient D of a permeating drug can be written as the product of two probabilities D approximately w(1)w(2). The polymer chains in a rubber are subject to thermal vibrations. Hence collisions between vibrating polymer segments and permeating drug molecules can occur. w(1) describes the probability that by such a collision a drug molecule experiences an energy exchange which is large enough to overcome its interactions with its neighborhood. w(2) describes the probability that a permeating drug molecule will find in its immediate neighborhood a free volume being equal or larger than its own volume. Diffusion takes place if the drug molecule experiences a sufficiently large exchange of momentum and finds at the same time a sufficiently large free volume. As both events are independent their overall probability is given by the product of the two probabilities. For a given rubber and a given species of drug molecules in a first approximation w(1) can be considered as constant. This means the diffusion coefficient is mainly determined by w(2). This probability, however, is strongly determined by the microstructure of the rubber. In this study a procedure is developed allowing for a straightforward synthesis of silicone rubbers with defined network density.

The Arabidopsis GNARLED gene encodes the NAP125 homolog and controls several actin-based cell shape changes.

In plants many aspects of cell shape regulation are controlled by actin-dependent processes. The ARP2/3 complex has been recognized as a regulator of actin organization. Mutations in genes encoding components of the ARP2/3 complex lead to cell shape defects in several cell types, including trichomes, epidermal pavement cells and hypocotyl cells. We show here that mutations in the GNARLED (GRL) gene cause a similar range of phenotypes. The GRL gene encodes the Arabidopsis homolog of NAP125, which in animals is known to act as one regulator of the ARP2/3-regulating complex WAVE-HSPC300. As an HSPC300 homolog is present in the Arabidopsis genome but no WAVE homolog has yet been found, the existence of a related regulation pathway was doubtful. Our finding that GRL encodes a putative regulator of the WAVE-HSPC300 complex, NAP125, combined with the phenotypic similarity between arp2/3 and grl mutants, provides evidence that the ARP2/3 complex is indeed regulated by the above mentioned pathway in Arabidopsis.

Early functional apoptotic responses of thymocytes induced by Tri-n-butyltin.

BACKGROUND: Programmed cell death, also termed apoptosis, is the main focus of interest in a variety of scientific and clinical areas. For a better understanding of the mechanisms of apoptosis, from the onset of the cellular death program to the late stages of apoptosis or apoptotic necrosis, very early functional events have to be quantified because they might be involved in temporal and causal relationships between apoptosis-related key processes. METHODS: We have established a flow cytometric technique to quantify time-dependent signals simultaneously with high temporal resolution (Deltat = 1 s) in living cells. With this technique, the response of cells to apoptosis-stimulating agents can be analyzed over 15 min. For this purpose, a thermostatted sample tube holder for repeatable interruption-free injection of substances into the cell suspension was developed. Early detectable fluorescence and scatter parameters were related to intracellular free Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]i (Indo-1 fluorometry), membrane permeability (propidium iodide [PI] influx), and cell volume (forward scatter). RESULTS: A T-cell line (Jurkat) served as a model system. Apoptosis was induced by the biozid Tri-n-butyltin (TBT). Dependent on the TBT concentration (0.3-10 microM), the mean free [Ca2+]i increased by a factor of 1.2-6 during a short time interval of just 2 min. Especially after low TBT concentrations (< 0.5 microM), this [Ca2+]i increase was nearly transient during the observation time of 15 min. Higher TBT concentrations (0.5-10 microM), however, induced a transient increase of [Ca2+]i (Ca-TR) only in a fraction of the cells; in another subpopulation, a steady-state Ca2+ signal (Ca-SST) was observed. The analysis of the simultaneously registered PI signals of the Ca-SST cells showed a shift to increasing PI fluorescence (by a factor of about 4) with increasing Ca2+ concentrations. In Ca-TR cells, the PI fluorescence remained nearly unchanged. These apoptosis-related changes (increase in [Ca(2+)]i and membrane permeability) could be confirmed by the additional observation of a TBT concentration-dependent decrease in cell volume measured during the same early time period. CONCLUSIONS: The simultaneously analyzed parameters (i.e., [Ca2+]i, membrane permeability, and cell volume) suggested that, in our model system of Jurkat T-cells treated with TBT, an apoptotic cell fate was indicated very early (within 15 min) by the steady-state [Ca2+]i level.

[General AL-amyloidosis: a rare complication in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia]. / Generalisierte AL-Amyloidose: Eine seltene Komplikation bei Makroglobulinämie Waldenström.

Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (W.M.) is a paraproteinemic disorder similar to multiple myeloma expressing a monoclonal IgM paraprotein. The course of W.M. is milder and the occurrence of renal disease is less frequent than in multiple myeloma. Amyloidosis occurs in less than 5% of patients with monoclonal IgM. We report a 65 year old patient with an asymptomatic long-term survival whose W.M. remained without any therapy. Amyloidosis developed twenty-one years after the initial diagnosis presenting with the nephrotic syndrome, renal and heart failure. W.M. combined with amyloidosis is a rare association. The deposition of amyloid causes progressive organ damage and indicates a bad prognosis. Most commonly nephrotic syndrome or heart failure are signs of amyloidosis. The development of amyloidosis does not seem to be influenced by the duration of W.M. disease or the paraprotein level. It is not known whether the amyloidosis can be prevented by an early chemotherapy.