Evidence of molybdenum association with particulate organic matter under sulfidic conditions.

The geochemical behavior of molybdenum (Mo) in the oceans is closely linked to the presence of sulfide species in anoxic environments, where Fe availability may play a key role in the Mo scavenging. Here, we show that Mo(VI) is reduced in the presence of particulate organic matter (represented by sulfate-reducing bacteria). Molybdenum was immobilized at the surface of both living cells and dead/lysed cells, but not in cell-free control experiments. Experiments were carried out at four different Mo concentrations (0.1 to 2 mm) to yield cell-associated Mo precipitates with little or no Fe, consisting of mainly Mo(IV)-sulfide compounds with molecular structures similar to Mo enzymes and to those found in natural euxinic sediments. Therefore, we propose that Mo removal in natural sulfidic waters can proceed via a non-Fe-assisted pathway that requires particulate organic matter (dead or living sulfate-reducing bacteria). This pathway has implications for global marine Mo cycling and the current use of Mo-based proxies for paleo-environmental investigations.

Multiple persistent circumscribed pulmonary hematomas due to a blunt chest trauma.

A case of multiple sharply circumscribed pulmonary hematomas ("coin" lesions) following blunt, non-penetrating thoracic trauma, is reported. The finding mimicked cancerous "cannon ball" metastatic deposits. A computed tomographic scan combined with puncture biopsy provided the correct diagnosis. Spontaneous complete resolution of the hematomas took 3 years.

Giant midesophageal pulsion diverticulum: a report of two operated cases.

A giant midesophageal pulsion diverticulum is a medical rarity. Two successfully operated cases are reported. One patient had no clinical symptoms and was misinterpreted as a mediastinal tumor. Esophageal myotomy was not performed.

Acute phlegmonous jejunitis and viridans streptococcal peritonitis associated with bronchial carcinoma.

A 61-y-old man developed acute non-specific phlegmonous jejunitis associated with relatively mild diffuse peritonitis. Bacteriological cultures of the abundant peritoneal fluid resulted in only growth of viridans streptococci (Streptococcus mitis and S. salivarius). Antibiotic treatment had a favourable effect, but a hitherto unknown bronchial cancer led to his death 5 months later. It is assumed that this peculiar case was the result of the immunosuppressive effect related to the malignant neoplasm (opportunistic infection).

[Help during the paratyfoid-A epidemic in Kirkenes in 1943-44]. / Hjelpeaksjonen under paratyfoid A-epidemien i Kirkenes 1943-44.

Finnmark is the northernmost county in Norway. Kirkenes played a prominent part in the Second World War, and suffered 328 Russian bombing raids. In June 1943, there was an outbreak of paratyphoid A in the town. Its water reservoirs were heavily contaminated from a camp for Russian prisoners of war. In November the situation became disastrous with 208 new cases. Six advanced medical students from Oslo and 16 volunteering Red Cross nurses were sent to Kirkenes for medical support. Their biggest problem turned out to be the large number of convalescent carriers excreting bacilli in the faeces. A provisional bacteriological laboratory was established. Almost the entire population of Sør-Varanger (10,000 inhabitants) was vaccinated with combined typhoid and paratyphoid A and B vaccine (TAB). The children were also vaccinated against diphtheria. Obviously the TAB vaccine did not protect against paratyphoid A. Officially, 254 Norwegian cases of paratyphoid A were registered in the course of the epidemic; the true number, however, was probably about 300. There was only one death, from intestinal perforation.

Tuberculosis diagnosed in a surgical department during 1974-93: a report of 32 cases.

During the period 1974-93, 32 patients (18 males, 14 females) with previously undiagnosed tuberculosis were admitted to the department of surgery and the surgical outpatient department of Buskerud Central Hospital. Of these, 26 were native Norwegians and 6 immigrants of Asian origin with an average age of 65 and 26 years, respectively. Of the native Norwegians, 14 patients had a past history of tuberculosis and 7 cases were associated with concomitant cancer. With 1 exception, all immigrants had extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Cultural identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis occurred in 28 cases and Mycobacterium bovis in 1 (immigrant). A total of 30 patients were cured, whereas 2 of 3 patients with miliary dissemination died.

[The contribution of civilian health and social workers in the districts of Vardø and Gamvik during World War II]. / Sivile helse- og sosialarbeideres innsats i Vardø og Gamvik distrikter under den annen verdenskrig.

The eastern part of the county of Finnmark in North-Norway played a prominent part in the German planning of the attack on Murmansk in 1941. The Norwegian civilian population suffered badly from the warfare. In the last phase of the war, the Germans burnt down and destroyed almost everything in the entire county, and a considerable part of the Norwegian population was forced to evacuate. This paper recounts some of the wartime episodes on the coast between the city of Vardø and the Nordkinn peninsula. Vardø with its hospital and a number of fishing harbours were completely destroyed. Attention is drawn to the excellent job done by the civilian Norwegian health and social workers during the terrible years of German occupation.

[The contribution of civilian health and social workers in the districts of Sør-Varanger and Vadsø during World War II]. / Sivile helse- og sosialarbeideres innsats i Sør-Varanger og Vadsø distrikter under den annen verdenskrig.

Finnmark is the northernmost county in Norway, bordering on Russia. During the Second World War, Eastern Finnmark was close to Soviet-German front line. It was of vital importance to the Russians to hold on to the ice-free harbour of Murmansk. The Norwegian civilian population suffered badly during the war. Kirkenes went through 328 bombing raids and furious combat raged in town during the German retreat from Finland. The hospitals in Kirkenes and Vadsø were destroyed. This article gives an account of the wartime experience of civilian Norwegian health and social workers in the Kirkenes and Vadsø districts and of their admirable humanitarian effort.

Simultaneous Wilms' tumours in monozygotic twins. Case report and review of the literature.

Familial cases of Wilms' tumour indicate that some of these tumours have a genetic origin. However, the role of constitutional genetic and shared environmental factors in the causation of these tumours, is not well understood. We have observed the very rare occurrence of simultaneous Wilms' tumour in monozygotic twins; one of them with a bilateral tumour and fatal outcome at 18 months of age. The other was in good health at the age of 24 years.

Oesophagobronchial fistula through a midoesophageal diverticulum associated with fatal pulmonary bleeding.

A case of spontaneous oesophagobronchial fistula through a midoesophageal diverticulum in an 80-year-old woman is reported. This rare condition was not considered before the patient unexpectedly died after a large haemoptysis.

[Simultaneous pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchial cancer. A diagnostic pitfall]. / Simultan lungetuberkulose og juxtakavernøs bronkialcancer.En diagnostic fallgruve.

Simultaneous development of unsuspected primary cancer in close vicinity to an active tuberculous process of the lung can seriously complicate diagnosis. In most reported cases, a long interval had elapsed before carcinoma was suspected. Such a case is described. Initially a 72-year-old man with carvernous tuberculosis was successfully treated with adequate antituberculous drugs. After 18 weeks of treatment, the patient's pulmonary parenchymal status showed no further improvement, and after 25 weeks the lung infiltration was seen to be slowly increasing. Thoracotomy performed after 40 weeks of treatment revealed inoperable squamous cell carcinoma and apparently healed tuberculosis.

[Tuberculous lymphadenitis caused by Mycobacterium bovis]. / Tuberkuløs lymfadenitt fremkalt av Mycobacterium bovis.

According to the literature, bovine tuberculosis in man has been an illness of minor importance in Norway, unlike in Sweden and Denmark. This situation cannot be explained, since in former days infected cattle were a problem in the southeastern part of the country in particular. No case of bovine tuberculosis in humans has been reported in Norway since 1940. Recently we have observed a 29-year-old female immigrant from India with cervical lymph node tuberculosis caused by M. bovis. A second case is a 77-year-old Norwegian male. In the 1920s, at the age of ten, he was infected in Norway by drinking raw milk from tuberculous cattle. He developed tuberculosis of the mesenterial lymph nodes. Neither of these patients had tuberculosis in any other part of their body. Previous Norwegian reports, covering eight cases, are summarized.

[Acute psychosis--an unusual clinical manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism]. / Akutt psykose--en uvanlig klinisk debut ved primaer hyperparatyreoidisme.

In 1942, the Norwegian psychiatrist Eitinger drew attention to the fact that acute psychosis may be the presenting and major symptom of primary hyperparathyroidism. A case of this variety is reported. In the course of two months a 77-year old woman developed an acute psychosis characterized by apathy, amnesia, somatic delusions and hallucinations. Initially, the case was misinterpreted as senile dementia. The serum calcium level was 4.3 mmol/l. After parathyroidectomy her mental symptoms were completely relieved.

Primary suture of anorectal abscess. A randomized study comparing treatment with clindamycin vs. clindamycin and Gentacoll.

UNLABELLED: Gentacoll (Schering-Plough A/S, DK-3520 Farum, Denmark) implant is a biologically absorbable collagen with gentamicin, which enables local use of gentamicin in an abscess cavity. PURPOSE: To increase healing rate in treatment of perianal abscess with primary suture, the effect of intraoperative parenteral clindamycin and Gentacoll was investigated against monotherapy with intraoperative clindamycin in a randomized study. METHODS: One hundred seven patients, 55 in the Gentacoll group and 52 in the control group, were enrolled in the study and followed for three months. RESULTS: Twelve patients (22 percent) in the Gentacoll group developed a new abscess and/or fistula. In the control group nine patients (17 percent) developed a recurrent abscess or a fistula. In both groups 43 patients had an uneventful course. The differences between the two groups were not significant. Of all 107 patients, 19.5 percent had recurrent disease in the follow-up period. Duration of hospitalization and reconvalescence were identical in both groups. One case of superficial thrombophlebitis was seen after clindamycin. No other adverse effects to either Gentacoll or clindamycin were seen. CONCLUSION: The study shows that Gentacoll is a safe preparation but is without value as a supplement to clindamycin in the treatment of acute perianal abscess with primary suture. The study has documented the value of this treatment under cover with a intraoperative dose of clindamycin.

[Aortic aneurysm misinterpreted as pulmonary tumor]. / Aortaaneurisme misoppfattet som lungetumor.

Two cases have been reported of patients with an atherosclerotic saccular aneurysm of the descending aorta which simulated a left-sided lung neoplasm. Despite advanced diagnostic procedures, the diagnosis was not made before thoracotomy. The authors discuss some of the diagnostic problems related to thoracic saccular aneurysms.

[Acute pancreatitis after treatment with sulindac]. / Akutt pankreatitt ved sulindakbehandling.

Two women, aged 91 and 46 years respectively, developed acute pancreatitis following treatment with sulindac (Clinoril) for five weeks in the one case and four and a half years in the other. The oldest patient became acutely ill. An emergency laparotomy was performed which showed considerable pancreatic edema and typical fat necroses. The other case presented a more protracted course and was not operated. Restitution was remarkably quick in both patients after cessation of the sulindac treatment.

[Hemangiomatosis of the small intestine with profuse bleeding]. / Hemangiomatose i tynntarm med profus blødning.

Emergency laparotomy was performed in a 61-year-old man because of melena. The reason for the bleeding was intestinal hemangiomatosis with multiple, small, dark tumours in two segments of the small intestine. The patient restituted completely after resection of the two affected intestinal segments. Microscopy showed submucosal cavernous hemangiomas. A review of the literature revealed that this condition is rare. Five previous Norwegian reports (1917-1964) are summarized in order to illustrate the substantial variations with regard to location, clinical course and pathological anatomical changes.

Subcutaneous avulsion of the breast caused by a seat belt injury. Report on a case requiring emergency mastectomy.

A 60-year-old female car driver wearing a combined three-point lap-shoulder seat belt was involved in a head-on-collision. The entire right breast was separated from the chest wall, whereas the overlying skin remained intact. The injury resulted in a rapid development of a monstrous haematoma in the retromammary space, and required emergency mastectomy. Seat belt lesions of the female breast are seldom referred in the literature.