The role of aqueous iron(II) and manganese(II) in sub-aqueous active barrier systems containing natural clinoptilolite.

Increasing attention is being placed on capping as a relatively new option in managing both contaminated sediments and dredged materials, due to its economic and environmental benefits. Capping denotes the placement of a cover onto potentially hazardous sediments or dredged material dumps to inhibit the transfer of contaminants into the water column. Retention of divalent iron and manganese cations using sandy capping layers containing natural zeolites as a reactive additive (active barrier systems, ABS) is evaluated in this study. Three different natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) rocks, two from deposits in Australia and one from a North-American deposit, were investigated and compared with respect to their mineralogical, physical and chemical properties. In particular, results from batch and column experiments show that ABS based on these materials can efficiently demobilise iron and manganese from percolating, anoxic pore water by cation exchange under favourable conditions. The retention, however, may be reduced strongly where competitive exchange with divalent cations such as calcium prevails or where mobile colloidal pore water constituents such as clay minerals or humic substances bind fractions of the dissolved iron or manganese. Therefore, the potential of ABS as a means for in situ remediation has to be evaluated diligently with particular regard to the pore water composition of the sediment to be capped.

HPLC method for the quantification of procyanidins in cocoa and chocolate samples and correlation to total antioxidant capacity.

Monomeric and oligomeric procyanidins present in cocoa liquors and chocolates were separated and quantified in four different laboratories using a normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with fluorescence detection. Procyanidin standards through decamers were obtained by extraction from cocoa beans, enrichment by Sephadex LH-20 gel permeation chromatography, and final purification by preparative normal-phase HPLC. The purity of each oligomeric fraction was assessed using HPLC coupled to mass spectrometry. A composite standard was then prepared, and calibration curves were generated for each oligomeric class using a quadratic fit of area sum versus concentration. Results obtained by each of the laboratories were in close agreement, which suggests this method is reliable and reproducible for quantification of procyanidins. Furthermore, the procyanidin content of the samples was correlated to the antioxidant capacity measured using the ORAC assay as an indicator for potential biological activity.

Meningococcal carriage in relation to an outbreak of invasive disease due to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: a cross-sectional study on meningococcal carriage was performed in Putten, a small rural town in the Netherlands where an unusual high incidence of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) due to Neisseria meningitidis C:2a:P1.5 occurred. The outbreak was controlled by mass vaccination of all inhabitants aged 2 to 20 years. METHODS: meningococcal carriage was studied in three groups: (1) a systematic age-specific sample of 2-20 year olds who visited the immunization clinic in Putten (January 1998: n=411); (2) children and adolescents in the same age range recruited through a kindergarten and schools in Venlo, a town where the causative strain of IMD had not been encountered (February 1998; n=374); (3) all initial carriers in Putten and a sample of non-carriers in that town (March 1998: n=145). Oropharyngeal swabs were taken for the purpose of isolating N. menigitidis. RESULTS: the prevalence of carriage was 12.4% in Putten and 18.2%, in Venlo, but the prevalence of group C meningococci was higher in Putten (1.7%) than Venlo (0.5%). N. meningitidis C:2a:P1.5 was isolated twice in Putten and not at all in Venlo. A second examination in Putten showed that 18 of the 22 repeatedly tested carriers were still carriers, and six new carriers were found among the 55 initial non-carriers. Of the two known carriers of C:2a:P1.5, one was still carrying the same strain, and the other did not participate in the second investigation. Carriage was associated with increasing family size, discotheque visits and visits to youth clubs and sports clubs. In contrast, visits to the swimming pool appeared to be related to a lower risk, as was recent antibiotic use. CONCLUSION: the prevalence of carriage with the invasive strain C:2a:P1.5 was low in the population that experienced a community-wide outbreak recently: the specific strain was not found in the reference population. This indicates a relatively high risk of developing the invasive disease for those who become infected with such strains.

Systemic antifungals.

The administration, effectiveness, action, adverse reactions, and commentary are presented in Table I for a selected number of systemic antifungal agents.

Tinea versicolor: epidemiologic, clinical, and therapeutic aspects.

Age of the patient, climate, season, and local environmental factors influence the onset and course of tinea versicolor (pityriasis versicolor). A number of effective topical therapies are available. In addition, a single dose of 400 mg of oral ketoconazole eliminates the disease and can be used prophylactically in some cases to prevent recurrence.

Treatment of fungal skin infections: state of the art.

The number of cases of mycotic infections are increasing, presenting physicians today with an unprecedented challenge in handling the treatment and prophylactic control of these disorders. The increase in mycotic disorders is due to many factors, such as longer life span, organ transplantation, and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The pharmaceutical industry is providing physicians with newer, more potent drugs to manage mycoses. An overview of current practice in the use of topical and oral agents, especially ketoconazole, are given in the following specific mycoses: tinea capitis, pityriasis versicolor, seborrheic dermatitis, Trichophyton rubrum infections, vaginal candidiasis, and moist intertriginous tineas. The efficacy of ketoconazole in various vehicles and dosage schedules and of traditional agents such as griseofulvin are discussed with relation to each of the mycoses.

The action and safety of ketoconazole: a brief literature review.

A great number of human diseases can be attributed in some way to the effects of fungi, and consequently have long been recognized as important to the dermatologist and mycologist. However, not in all spheres of medicine are fungi significant in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Fungi are biochemically similar to the host since they are eukaryotic. Thus, it is difficult to synthesize agents that will destroy the pathogenic organism and not harm the patient. Ketoconazole, an imidazole, was the first broad-spectrum, oral antifungal drug to be used in clinical medicine. Selected publications on the pharmacology, comparative efficacy in treatment, toxicity and safety of ketoconazole are briefly reviewed. In addition, new areas of research being undertaken for the azole derivatives are surveyed.

Dermatophytes that infect animals and humans.

There are many occupations that expose people to dermatophytes. Infections from dermatophytes may be transmitted from animal to animal, animal to human, human to human, and human to animal in a cyclic fashion. The most common species of dermatophytes that infect animals and humans, Microsporum and Trichophyton, are discussed here.

[Endometrial cups in horses]. / De endometriumcups bij het paard.

Endometrial cups in horses are outgrowths appearing in the uterine wall of the pregnant horn between approximately 38 days and 150 of gestation. The cups are structures which vary in shape from oval to irregular and have distinct raised edges, showing an ulcer-like form. The maximum measurements are approximately 5 X 2.5 X 2.5 cm. Microscopic examination shows that they consist of large epithelioid decidual-like cells having large nucleoli. Pregnant Mare Endometrium Gonadotrophin (PMEG) is produced in the endometrial cups. PMEG may be regarded as a precursor of Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotrophin (PMSG), which can be detected in the blood of mares. The exact function of PMSG is still obscure; some possible functions are suggested in the present paper. After approximately 70 days of gestation, regression starts. The regression of the cups is an immunological process in which the cellular branch of the immunological system plays an important role. Humoral immunity plays a more protective role in the process of regression, probably as a result of the production of 'blocking' antibodies.

Dermatologic complications following heart transplantation.

A total of 107 consecutive heart transplant recipients at Stanford University Medical Center were prospectively screened for dermatologic disease as part of their routine postoperative evaluation over a 6-month period. The incidence of nonmelanotic skin tumors and premalignant lesions was approximately 25-fold greater than expected in a normal population. Skin infections were seen in 55% of the patients and dermatologic drug side effects were almost universal including xerosis, hypertrichosis, and steroid acne. Successful excision or cryotherapy of all neoplastic lesions was achieved with no evidence of recurrence to date, a mean of 11 months. The skin infections responded to appropriate antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal agents and the xerotic and acneiform lesions were successfully treated with emollients and topical retinoic acid, respectively. In addition, patients were instructed in preventive measures including the use of sunscreen agents and protective clothing. We conclude that heart transplant recipients have a significantly increased incidence of neoplastic, infectious, and drug-induced skin diseases. Routine dermatologic screening resulted in early identification and successful treatment of these lesions. We suggest that dermatologic screening is both feasible and valuable in this setting.