[Ileocaecal actinomycosis - a case report]. / Ileocékalna aktinomykóza - kazuistika.

Abdominal actinomycosis as an aetiological cause of acute abdomen in immunocompetent patients is considered to be very rare. The authors present a case of a young patient with acute appendicitis in the terrain of specific colitis imitating caecal tumour. Especially nowadays, in the era of globalization, it would be an unnecessary mistake not to think of this aetiological unit when the pain and tenderness in the right hypogastrium with signs of peritonism are expressed.

[Treatment outcomes of colon cancer surgery combined with radical lymphadenectomy]. / Výsledky chirurgické lécby karcinomu tracníku s uplatnením radikální lymfadenektomie.

The authors analyzed a group of 1281 subjects with colorectal cancer operated and followed up in a single institution from I/1992 to VIII/2007. Colon carcinoma patients were assessed separately (C18). Patients with rectal and rectosigmoid tumors are not included in the presentation. A total of 846 patients were operated for colon carcinomas. In 546 subjects, radical R0 resections were achieved. In the R0 group, the male/female ratio is 315/231, age 29-94 years, the mean age of 69 years. The R0 group stratification by TNM classification was: I 17.8%, II 49.6%, III 24.0%, IV 8.1%, TNMx 0.5%. Irrespective of the TNM staging, three-year, five-year and ten-year survival rates were 80%, 71%, and 51%, resp. The median survival time was 9.85 years. Postoperative morality was 5.5%, morbidity 29.8%, anastomic leak occured in 5.7%. Systematic lymph node dissection up to the apical level, had been gradually introduced as an integral part of the R0 surgery. The aim of the study is to analyze outcomes of the colon carcinoma surgical management, combined with radical lymphadenectomy. Furthermore, effects of the extensive procedure on the postoperative morbidity and moratility rates are analyzed as well.

[Complications of the laparoscopic appendectomy]. / Komplikace laparoskopické apendektomie.

706 appendectomic procedures using laparoscopy were performed in the Surgical Clinic of the FTN hospital during 2003-2005. The group's mortality rate was nil, the morbidity rated 3.54%. The following complications were recorded: nine patients (1.27%) experienced infiltration in the right hypogastric region, which was confirmed on CT or ultrasound examinations, nine subjects (1.27%) suffered wound infections, two subjects (0.28%) developed subileus, in two subjects (0.28%) intraabdominal abscesses, and in one subject (0.14%) diffuse suppurative peritonitis were diagnosed, one subject (0.14%) developed intraabdominal hemorrhaging, in one subject (0.14%) intraabdominal hematoma was detected. Rates of complications in our group are similar to those presented in literature [1, 2, 3]. Based on their study group analysis, the authors found the laparoscopic appendectomy more beneficial for a patient than the open appendectomy.

Piezoelectric linear motor concepts based on coupling of longitudinal vibrations.

Classically, rotary motors with gears and spindle mechanisms are used to achieve translatory motion. In means of miniaturization and weight reduction piezoelectric linear motors are of interest. Several ultrasonic linear motors found in literature base on the use of two different vibration modes. Most often flexural and longitudinal modes are combined to achieve an elliptic micro-motion of surface points. This micro-motion is converted to direct linear (or translatory) motion of a driven slider. To gain high amplitudes of the micro-motion and thus having a powerful motor, the ultrasonic vibrator should be driven near the eigenfrequency of its modes. Additionally, low mechanical and electrical losses lead to increased efficiency and large amplitude magnification in resonance. This demands a geometrical design that fits the eigenfrequencies of the two different modes. A frequency-deviation of only a few percent leads to non-acceptable disturbance of the elliptical motion. Thus, the mechanical design of the vibrators has to be done very carefully. Within this contribution we discuss different motor designs based on the coupling of two the same longitudinal vibrations within one structure to generate an elliptic motion of surface points. Different concepts based on piezoelectric plates and Langevin transducers are compared. Benefits and drawbacks against the combination of longitudinal and bending modes will be discussed. Numerical results of the stator vibration as well as motor characteristics are validated by measurements on different prototypes.

[Re-laparotomy for complications of urgent abdominal disorders]. / Relaparotomie pro komplikace náhlých príhod brisních.

Urgent abdominal disorders are a daily work routine at surgical departments. Therefore, all surgeons are familiar with the problematics, including all its pitfalls, e.g. high morbidity rates and mortality rates of the patients managed. The authors record urgent abdominal disorders mortality rates as well as rates of serious surgical complications requiring re-operations and their effect on the patients' prognosis. The trial group includes 1861 patients urgently operated during 2001-2004. 36 patients (1.9%) underwent re-laparotomies. Peritonitis in some form (50%), dehiscence of the laparotomy (31.2%), necrosis of the intestine, ileus, bleeding and some less frequent complications, were the most frequent indications for re-laparotomies. The thirty-day mortality rate in patients, operated for urgent abdominal disorders, was 4.8%. In the re-operated group, the mortality rate reached 19.4%.

The effect of friction reduction in presence of ultrasonic vibrations and its relevance to travelling wave ultrasonic motors.

In many ultrasonic applications frictional effects play an important role (e.g. ultrasonic machining, ultrasonic motors). For optimising the applications in terms of quality, efficiency and lifetime it is important to understand the frictional coupling of the vibrating and the non-vibrating part. This contribution is devoted to give an explanation for the reduction of friction forces which is often observed when ultrasonic vibrations are superimposed to macroscopic motions. Usually adopted coefficients of friction are used for modelling such conditions suggesting special frictional mechanisms for high frequency oscillations, whereas the present paper shows that Coulomb's friction law provides a very good description of the observed phenomena if the kinematics of the system is taken into account. Two systems are investigated. In the first system the ultrasonic and macroscopic movements are parallel and in the second they are perpendicular to each other but also within the plane of contact. Both systems were investigated analytically and experimentally using a specially designed test rig. The measurements confirmed the analytically derived equations and therefore the validity of Coulomb's friction law even for ultrasonic conditions.

A nystatin-resistant mutant of Rhodotorula gracilis. Transport properties and sterol content.

A nystatin-resistant mutant of Rhodotorula gracilis was obtained by treatment of the wild strain cells with N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and selected on agar plates containing 150 micrograms nystatin/ml. Three important transport functions of the plasma membrane of mutant cells: the accumulation of monosaccharides, the generation and maintenance of the pH-gradient and of the membrane potential, as well as the cell respiration were insensitive to at least 10(-5) M nystatin. This concentration of nystatin inhibited completely all these processes in wild strain cells. Analysis of cellular sterols revealed a defect of ergosterol biosynthesis in the mutant, which was localized at the last oxidative step between 5,6-dihydroergosterol and ergosterol.