Occurrence and stability of inorganic and organic arsenic species in wines, rice wines and beers from Central European market.

We investigated in total 80 wine samples of different types and seven grape juice and 23 beer samples purchased from markets in Central Europe in order to understand the arsenic (As) speciation and help assess the potential As toxicity via intake of alcoholic beverages. Generally, total As concentrations in most samples investigated were below the drinking water limit 10 µg l(-1) published by the World Health Organization (WHO); ranging from 0.46 to 21.0 µg l(-1) As in red and white wines and from 0.75 to 13.4 µg l(-1) As in beers. In addition, concentrations of total As in rice wine and in rice beer were 0.63-6.07 and 3.69-8.23 µg l(-1) As, respectively. The total As concentrations in ice wine ranged from 7.94 to 18.8 µg l(-1) As, significantly higher than in white and red wine. Arsenite predominated as the As species in most of the wine samples, whereas arsenate was the dominant species in rice wine, beer and rice beer. Methyl As components were usually minor components in all wine and beer samples. Monomethylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid and two additional unknown As species were frequently found in grape juice, late harvest and ice wine with higher sweetness. After air exposure, arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid were stable at 4°C for months, probably due to the acidic conditions of wine and beer samples. The presence of sulfite had little influence on As speciation in wine. Despite the predominance of more toxic arsenite and arsenate in wine and beer, the estimated weekly exposure to As (via consumption of beer, wine and rice wine) is low. The As intake per capita is 6.81 µg from beer, <1.93 µg from wine and 0.88 µg from rice wine, estimated using the median of total As concentration multiplied by the average consumption per capita of the corresponding beverage.

Survival of Vibrio cholerae on different finger locations of a volunteer following artificial inoculation.

The importance of bacteria-suspending media and fingertip positions on the survival of Vibrio cholerae on human fingertips were examined. Vibrios were suspended in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), PBS with albumin, and PBS with agarose. Each type of preparation was inoculated on the fingerpads, the hyponychia, or the eponychia and lateral nail grooves of the fourth, third and second fingers of a volunteer's hand. The last finger inoculated was immediately washed with PBS and the washing collected for examination ("0 minute" exposure). The third and fourth inoculated fingers were likewise washed for examination 2 and 5 minutes later, respectively. The vibrios obtained from the washings were enumerated by culture. For each of the different groups, which consisted of a different inoculated fingertip position, bacteria-suspending medium and exposure period of 2 or 5 minutes, the proportion of replicate inoculated fingers which retained viable vibrios (isolation rate) and the mean number of surviving vibrios, as a percentage of the inoculated vibrios at "0 minute exposure" (survival rate) were as follows: finger pads: vibrios in PBS, 2 minutes post-inoculation (isolation rate, 25%; mean survival rate, 0.002%); 5 minutes post-inoculation (isolation rate, 0%; mean survival rate, 0%). PBS-albumin: 2 minutes post-inoculation (60%, 0.004%); 5 minutes post-inoculation (40%, 0.03%). PBS-agarose: 2 minutes post-inoculation (100%, 24%); 5 minutes post-inoculation (38%, 0.005%). Lateral nail grooves and eponychia: PBS: 2 minutes post-inoculation (100%, 2.2%); 5 minutes post-inoculation (44%, 0.2%). PBS-agarose: 2 minutes post-inoculation (100%, 32%); 5 minutes post-inoculation (100%, 0.7%). Hyponychia: PBS: 2 minutes post-inoculation (100%, 8%); 5 minutes post-inoculation (100%, 0.2%). PBS-agarose: 2 minutes post-inoculation (100%, 46%); 5 minutes post-inoculation (100%, 8%). The results show that vibrios in moisture-retaining medium (PBS-agarose) and inoculated on a sheltered fingertip locations (hyponychium) have the best survival rates. However, the high survival rate was maintained briefly.

High-Field Dynamic Nuclear Polarization for Solid and Solution Biological NMR.

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) results in a substantial nuclear polarization enhancement through a transfer of the magnetization from electrons to nuclei. Recent years have seen considerable progress in the development of DNP experiments directed towards enhancing sensitivity in biological nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). This review covers the applications, hardware, polarizing agents, and theoretical descriptions that were developed at the Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology for high-field DNP experiments. In frozen dielectrics, the enhanced nuclear polarization developed in the vicinity of the polarizing agent can be efficiently dispersed to the bulk of the sample via (1)H spin diffusion. This strategy has been proven effective in polarizing biologically interesting systems, such as nanocrystalline peptides and membrane proteins, without leading to paramagnetic broadening of the NMR signals. Gyrotrons have been used as a source of high-power (5-10 W) microwaves up to 460 GHz as required for the DNP experiments. Other hardware has also been developed allowing in situ microwave irradiation integrated with cryogenic magic-angle-spinning solid-state NMR. Advances in the quantum mechanical treatment are successful in describing the mechanism by which new biradical polarizing agents yield larger enhancements at higher magnetic fields. Finally, pulsed methods and solution experiments should play a prominent role in the future of DNP.

The influence of adsorbed molecules on Na-sites in NaY zeolite investigated by triple-quantum 23Na MAS NMR spectroscopy.

The effect of hydration and benzene adsorption on 23Na resonance and the quadrupolar interaction in NaY zeolites is studied by triple-quantum MAS 23Na NMR spectroscopy. In the case of a C6D6/NaY system, the results show that with an increase in benzene loading, there is an up-field trend in isotropic chemical shift (delta CS) and a decreasing second order quadrupolar effect (chi s) for the site II sodium ions. It was found that adsorbed benzene molecules have a slight effect on the environment of sodium ions on site I. All the sodium sites in NaY are influenced upon hydration. The up-field shift of the sodium delta CS reflects the effect of coordination of oxygen atoms on sodium cations due to hydration. The magnitude of chi s for hydrated sodium sites increases and then falls off with water loading. The increase in chi s is due to the initial hydration among SI-, SI'- and SII-sodium ions, while the decrease is the result of approaching the final stage of saturated hydration.

Fibrosis of tunica albuginea: complication of long-term intracavernous pharmacological self-injection.

We report 3 cases of penile curvature deformity and fibrosis of the tunica albuginea after long-term self-injection with papaverine hydrochloride and phentolamine mesylate. To our knowledge this complication has not been reported previously. The clinical presentation and possible etiology are discussed.

Combined thiotepa and mitomycin C instillation therapy for low-grade superficial bladder tumor.

Fifteen patients with superficial low-grade bladder tumors were treated with combined thiotepa and mitomycin C instillation as definitive therapy. The amount of both thiotepa and mitomycin C used in each instillation in the presenting protocol was one half the conventional dose of either used alone. Patients with multiple bladder tumors, bladder tumors inaccessible to endoscopic resection, or lesions too extensive to completely resect, or with medial contraindications for endoscopic resection procedures, were included in these studies. No serious adverse effect was revealed in these 15 patients. Ten of the 15 patients (66.7%) had a complete response and 4 (26.7%) had a partial response. One patient (6.6%) did not respond to this regimen. This protocol seems to provide a therapeutic modality that is more effective than conventional single-drug therapy, less toxic than thiotepa used alone, and less expensive than mitomycin C used alone.

Sclerotherapy with tetracycline solution for hydrocele.

A study of sclerotherapy for hydrocele using different concentrations (10%, 5%, 2.5%) for tetracycline solution was done on 24 patients, 23 patients were cured. The effectiveness of sclerotherapy was the same for the three groups of patients with use of each different concentration of the solution. Pain was the only adverse effect. Nonspecific cellular foreign body reaction and fibrin strand proliferation were observed in the hydrocele fluid after this procedure. We consider sclerotherapy for hydrocele with tetracycline solution safe and the procedure of choice for patients in whom surgery or anesthesia is contraindicated, for patients who refuse surgery, and for economic reasons.

Pre-aortic left renal vein compression syndrome (Magoss and Walshe syndrome).

A case of a pre-aortic left renal vein compression by the aorta is reported. The clinical presentation was characterized by the left flank pain varying with body body position. Renal venography was crucial for the diagnosis of this lesion. The left renal vein was successfully decompressed by ovarian vein-vena cava shunt surgery. The patient's left flank pain subsided after the surgery. This is the first reported case of a left renal vein compression syndrome by the aorta following the nephrotic syndrome.

Interposition of the prepuce into the external urethral meatus. A case report.

An unusual case of preputial interposition into the external urethral meatus resulting from urethral catheterization is presented. The importance of adequate care of an indwelling catheter is emphasized.

Extravasation in ureteral tumours.

Extravasation of contrast medium following retrograde pyelography may occur when excessive pressure is used during injection of the contrast medium, direct trauma during manipulation of the ureteral catheter or pre-existing ureteral disease. Extravasation of contrast medium occurring in a ureteral tumour is rare. A case where extravasation of contrast medium was observed during retrograde pyelography due to extensive invasion of the ureter by a primary ureteral tumour is reported.

Internal drainage of lymphocele by a pedicled omental flap.

An unusual case of huge pelvic and retroperitoneal lymphocele following bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy is presented. The lymphocele was successfully managed by the procedure of internal drainage with pedicled omental flap.

Hemorrhoidal bleeding following transrectal prostatic biopsy. Etiology and management.

Three cases of rectal bleeding within a series of 120 transrectal prostatic biopsies are reported. The precipitating factor was the presence of hemorrhoids which were unsuspected prior to prostatic biopsy. Rectal bleeding in these patients was arrested by ballon tamponade with a 24 French Foley catheter. In situ monitoring of the rectal Foley catheter was discontinued when no further rectal bleeding was ascertained. There were no complications due to this simple, safe, and effective technique. When hemorrhoids are suspected, preliminary proctoscopy aids and alerts surgeons to choose alternative routes to the prostatic bed.

An unusual case of delayed rectosigmoid compression by pelvic mass following cystectomy: report of a case.

A rare case of rectosigmoid compression by an enormous obscure pelvic mass after cystectomy is reported. Pelvic collections in the form of abscess, hematoma, lymphocele, and urinoma are not uncommon in the early postoperative period following pelvic surgery. However, delayed appearance of a benign pelvic mass as a late complication of surgery is very rare. Localized pelvic masses discovered years after cystectomy for bladder tumor may lead to an erroneous clinical impression of local recurrence of the primary neoplasm. Differential diagnosis of common pelvic masses, diagnostic studies, and treatment are discussed.