An experimental study on oil-dispersion baths generated by the Jungebad apparatus.

BACKGROUND: Since the very early documentation of medical treatments, bathing is an essential part of almost all traditional medical systems. In this context the oil-dispersion bath, developed in the 1930s by Werner Junge has been developed from anthroposophic medicine. We aimed at analyzing the apparatus, which churns water and essential oils into an oil-water dispersion, by means of an experimental study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using three different oils (rheumatic oil, citrus oil and rosemary oil) oil volumetric flow rate and oil droplet size distribution were examined at three different water volumetric flow rates of 5, 10, and 15 l/min at a constant temperature of 40 °C. Additionally, for the rheumatic oil measurements are taken at three different temperatures, 35, 40, and 45 °C at a constant volumetric flow rate of 10 l/min. Finally results were compared with a manual oil dispersion process. RESULTS: Oil volumetric flow rate increases with increasing water volumetric flow rates. Oil flow rate increases with increasing water temperature. Droplet-size distribution shows an optimal fit with a log-normal distribution for a volumetric flow rate of 5 l/min in all oils applied with citrus and rosemary oil showing a larger mean diameter compared to the rheumatic oil. Comparing the oil droplet size distribution for a traditional oil bath, distributions behaved completely different in comparison to our distributions. Moreover it seemed not possible to create an oil-dispersion with repeatable droplet size distributions whereas the Jungebad apparatus created similar oil dispersions with predictable results, independent of the user. DISCUSSION: This is the first study to explore the mechanisms of creation of the oil-dispersion bath by means of an experimental set up. Based on these experimental results, a more fundamental theoretical approach should be carried out to complement our findings and to gain deeper insights in the hydrodynamic and droplets forming processes in the Jungebad apparatus.

First results from an intensified monitoring system to estimate drug related hospital admissions.

AIMS: An intensified monitoring system was set up to identify drug related hospital admissions and estimate population-based incidences for commonly prescribed medications. METHODS: Pharmacovigilance-centres systematically screened nonelective admissions to emergency rooms or departments of internal medicine for drug related hospitalizations (DRH). Clinical pharmacologists used standardized causality assessment. Service areas of each acute care hospital were defined by 5 digit postal codes that covered 60% of all admissions. Drug dispensing information was available through claims processed by regional pharmacy computing centres. Quarterly incidences were estimated by dividing the number of events by the number of treated patients. RESULTS: 435 DRHs were reported during five quarters. The incidence of ADRs leading to admissions varied for specific drug groups from 1.5/10 000 treated patients to 24/10 000. Quarterly variation of incidences was moderate except for insulin and calcium antagonists. 95% confidence intervals overlap for all quarters within each group. Incidences are sensitive to changes in the definition of the source population. CONCLUSIONS: Our pharmacovigilance monitoring system allows comparisons of population-based incidences of drug-related hospitalizations among drugs and over time. It provides important information for risk management and monitoring outcomes of pharmaceutical quality management programmes.

Products from polycrystalline DNA constituents after X-irradiation and heavy-ion bombardment: formation of the 5,6-dihydroadduct in thymidine 5'-monophosphate and release of unaltered bases in nucleotides.

PURPOSE: The major products from polycrystalline purine and pyrimidine DNA nucleotides after low- and high-LET irradiation were investigated quantitatively by HPLC and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Solid nucleotide samples were either X-irradiated as cylindrical pellets or heavy-ion bombarded (LET range of 100-12,500 keV/microm) as very thin tablets at 300K. Product analysis was performed by HPLC and 1H-NMR. RESULTS: For TMP the 5,6-dihydroadduct was found to be formed as product of electron reaction. In addition, all four DNA nucleotides showed a radiation-induced base release, which is probably connected with the oxidative radiation action. The formation of the products was linear with dose up to 300 kGy for X-irradiation or 200 kGy for heavy-ion bombardment. The estimation of the radiation chemical yields revealed G-values of about 10(-7) mol x J(-1) and were typically smaller for irradiation with charged particles than those for X-rays. After heavy-ion bombardment the G-values first increased with increasing LET and decreased for very heavy ions. CONCLUSIONS: The yields for base release from both purine and pyrimidine nucleotides are comparable in magnitude. The 5,6-dihydroadduct from TMP is a major radiation induced product with larger yields than found for base release after X-irradiation and comparable yields after heavy-ion bombardment. The LET dependence of the G-values for base release in nucleotides is similar and resembles the double strand break formation in DNA. The observed similarity in the LET dependence of the G-values might derive from an inhomogeneous distribution of energy deposition resulting in 'clustered damage'.

Release of unaltered bases from polycrystalline pyrimidine DNA constituents after X-irradiation and bombardment with heavy ions.

PURPOSE: The radiation-induced release of unaltered bases from the lyophilized pyrimidine DNA constituents TMP, dCMP, CMP and dCyd was determined quantitatively in order to study explicitly the direct radiation effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: X-irradiation under an air or a nitrogen gas atmosphere and heavy ion bombardment in the beam vacuum were employed at 300 K. The release of free bases was investigated using HPLC and 1H-NMR. Dose-yield curves for free radicals of X-irradiated TMP and dCMP samples were determined by EPR spectroscopy. RESULTS: As one of the main products, the release of unaltered bases is linear with dose up to 360 kGy for X-irradiation or 200 kGy for heavy ion bombardment. The estimation of the radiation chemical yields revealed G values of about 10(-7) mol J-1. The heavy ion bombardment and X-irradiation under nitrogen effected a lower yield for base release than that for X-irradiation under air. For X-irradiation at sufficiently high doses about one order of magnitude difference in yields between bases released and free radicals formed was found. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with related findings as described in the literature, the G values from DNA are in the same order of magnitude, but from nucleosides in frozen aqueous solutions the yields of free bases are several orders of magnitude smaller.