Floating boom performance under waves and currents.

Floating booms constitute a fundamental tool for the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems against accidental oil spills. Their containment performances in exposed areas are often impaired by the action of waves, currents and winds in a manner which is dependent on the boom's response as a floating body, and which is not fully understood at present. In this work the relationship between the design parameters of a floating boom section and its efficiency against the mode of failure by drainage under a variety of wave and current combinations is investigated by means of physical modelling. Seven boom models with different geometries and buoyancy-weight ratios are tested with an experimental setup that allows them to have and rotate freely. The model displacements under waves (both regular and irregular) and currents, as well as those of the free surface adjacent to the model, are measured with a Computer Vision system developed ad hoc. Two efficiency parameters are defined-the significant and minimum effective boom drafts-and applied to the results of an experimental campaign involving 315 laboratory tests. Thus, the manner in which the design parameters influence the boom's efficiency under different wave and current conditions is established.

Benefits of recombinant activated factor VII in complicated liver transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: Recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa, NovoSeven, NovoNordiskA/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) has shown benefits in hemophilic patients and recently in transplant recipients. This study presents our experiences with rFVIIa in complicated liver transplant recipients. METHODS: From May 2001 to August 2004, rFVIIa was administered to 7 patients undergoing liver transplantation. All treatments were made on emergency bases, except for 1 case with hemophilia A, who received prophylactic treatment. The drug was delivered when severe bleeding with coagulopathy persisted despite the usual treatment with blood products. The drug doses were 60-90 mug/kg; the results were evaluated clinically and analytically. RESULTS: Seven patients undergoing liver transplantation were treated with FVIIa. Mean prothrombin times before and after treatment were 17.5 and 10.9 seconds, respectively, with a mean reduction of 7.2 seconds (P = .03). Mean thromboplastin times before and after treatment were 38.1 and 29.4 seconds, respectively, with a mean reduction of 8.7 seconds (P = .034). The average dose was 83.6 mug/kg, leading to decreased consumption of blood products (P < .01). In all cases, rFVIIa allowed sufficient hemostasis to carry on definitive treatment. There was no mortality in this series. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide new evidence on the potential benefits of rFVIIa in liver transplantation, especially for rescue therapy in cases of severe bleeding.

Adenoma velloso de apéndice. Actitud diagnóstica y terapéutica / Villous adenoma of the appendix. Diagnostic and therapeutic approach

El adenoma velloso de apéndice es una entidad patológica rara que adopta formas de presentación clínica que difieren de la de los adenomas vellosos en otras localizaciones del tubo digestivo. Pacientes y métodos: hemos revisado los casos de adenoma velloso apendicular que se han diagnosticado en nuestro hospital en un periodo de tiempo de cinco años. Se estudia la distribución por edades, sexo, las formas de presentación clínica, los métodos diagnósticos empleados, el tratamiento efectuado y el seguimiento realizado. Resultados: se han diagnosticado un total de seis casos de adenoma velloso apendicular siendo la forma de presentación clínica más habitual la apendicitis aguda. Los tratamientos aplicados fueron apendicectomía en 2 casos, hemicolectomía derecha en 2 pacientes, colectomía subtotal en un paciente y Hartmann más apendicectomía en otro caso. Conclusiones: consideramos que la apendicectomía será el tratamiento de elección siempre que no haya degeneración maligna del adenoma y que este no invada el borde de resección quirúrgica (AU)

La estructura de los rasgos de personalidad en adolescentes: el Modelo de Cinco Factores y los Cinco Alternativos / The structure of personality traits in adolescents: the Five-Factor Model and the Alternative Five

En los últimos años, el Modelo de Cinco Factores ha adquirido gran popularidad como descripción estructural de la personalidad. A pesar de ello, se ha analizado muy poco su aplicabilidad en la adolescencia. Son particularmente escasos los trabajos realizados con adolescentes sobre el NEO-PI-R, el instrumento más emblemático del modelo. Igualmente escasos son los trabajos con adolescentes sobre el ZKPQ, que evalúa los 'Cinco Alternativos' de Zuckerman-Kuhlman. En el presente trabajo, el NEO-Pl-R y el ZKPQ-111 fueron aplicados a una muestra de adolescentes (15-19 años), junto con medidas de afecto positivo y negativo, conducta antisocial y fracaso escolar. Con estos datos se examina 1) las estructuras del NEO-PI-R y del ZKPQ-111, con el fin de conocer en qué medida se replican, en los adolescentes, los modelos subyacentes a estos instrumentos; 2) la relación de ambos modelos con correlatos relevantes, con el fin de explorar su red nomológica y 3) cómo convergen el NEO-PI-R y en ZKPQ-111 en un modelo integrado (AU)

In the last years, the Five-Factor Model has been object of an increasing interest as a structural description of personality. Nevertheless, the usefulness of the model in adolescence has not received enough attention. Particularly scarce are the studies examining its most representative questionnaire (the NEO-PI-R) in adolescent samples. Also scarce are the studies on the ZKPQ-III, which assesses the Zuckerman-Kuhlman «Alternative Five». In this study, the NEO-PI-R and the ZKPQ-III were administered to a sample of adolescents aged 15-19, together with measures of positive and negative affect, antisocial behavior and academic failure. These data allow examination of: 1) the structures of the NEO-PI-R and the ZKPQ-III in a young population ; 2) the relationships between both models and revelant correlates, in order to explore their nomological nets; 3) the convergence of the NEO-PI-R and the ZKPQ-III in an integrated model (AU)

Villous adenoma of the appendix. Diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

UNLABELLED: Appendix villous adenoma is a rare pathological entity that shows a particular form of clinical presentation that is different from villous adenomas in other places along the gastrointestinal tract. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed cases of appendix villous adenoma diagnosed in our hospital during the last five years; we studied age, distribution, sex, clinical presentation, diagnostic methods used, treatment and follow-up of patients. RESULTS: We diagnosed 6 cases of villous adenoma of the appendix, acute appendicitis being the most common form of clinical presentation. Treatment was appendectomy in two cases, right hemicolectomy in two patients, subtotal colectomy in one case, and Hartmann's technique with appendectomy in one more case. CONCLUSIONS: We consider appendectomy the treatment of choice when no malignant degeneration is present in the adenoma and invasion of surgical resection borders is absent.

Effects of ultrasonic dental scaling on pulp vitality in dogs: an experimental study.

We investigated whether dental pulpal damage is produced as a result of the application of an ultrasonic scaler commonly used in clinical veterinary dentistry. Using methods developed in preliminary studies, we examined six dogs. The radiographic thickness of the dentin and pulp cavity was measured. The ultrasonic scaler was applied to maxillary and mandibular premolar teeth for 30, 60, or 90 seconds, without the use of water as a coolant. The temperatures of the room, the pulp canal on untreated incisor teeth, the cheek, the gingival sulcus, and the dentin of the affected teeth were recorded using a probe with a thermistor attached to a resistivity meter and inserted in the dentin to a depth of 1 mm. Two weeks following scaling, the teeth were extracted for microscopic examination. In another dog serving as a control, the temperature of the dentin was increased to between 45 degrees C (113 degrees F) and 47 degrees C (117 degrees F) and the premolar teeth were removed for microscopic examination 15 days later. We concluded that the application of an uncooled ultrasonic scaler for 90 seconds did not increase the temperature of the dentin. However, damage comparable with acute pulpitis resulted as a consequence of the ultrasonic effect, similar to the effects produced by the 45-47 degrees C heat applied in the control animal.

Effect of antimalarial treatment on circulating immune complexes in rheumatoid arthritis.

The relationship between the effect of chloroquine treatment on circulating immune complexes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was determined by the 125I Clq binding assay. Three groups were studied: (a) 20 patients treated daily for 6 months with chloroquine sulphate 250 mg plus prednisone 7.5 mg and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID); (b) 20 patients not taking antimalarials but treated with prednisone and NSAID; (c) 41 controls. Results suggest that chloroquine sulphate therapy induced a marked decrease of immune complexes in patients with RA, an effect not observed with treatment by prednisone and NSAID only.