Random to Chaotic Statistic Transformation in Low-Field Fano-Feshbach Resonances of Cold Thulium Atoms.

Here, we report on the observation of a random to chaotic temperature transformation in the statistics of nearest-neighbor spacings of Fano-Feshbach resonances in the ultracold polarized gas of thulium-169 atoms. We associate this transformation to the appearance of so-called d resonances as well as the shift of other resonances with the temperature. In addition to this statistical change, it has been observed that the characters of s- and d-resonance temperature shifts are quite different: s resonances experience almost no shift or even negative shift with the temperature, while d resonances experience an obvious positive shift. The sign change was attributed to the difference in polarizability of Feshbach molecules and free thulium atoms. In addition, careful analysis of the broad Fano-Feshbach resonances enabled the determination of the sign of thulium's background scattering length. A rethermalization experiment made it possible to estimate a length value of a_{bg}=+144±38 a.u. This indicates that thulium atoms are suitable for achieving Bose-Einstein condensation.

Cutaneous complications of molecular targeted therapy used in oncology.

The new molecular targeted therapy has been developed over the past decades by using the molecular targeted molecular changes discovered in specific types of cancer. Unfortunately, most of these agents (epidermal growth factor receptors, multi-targeted small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies) have severe cutaneous adverse reactions, that not only interfere with the patient's quality of life, but also are dose-limiting and may require treatment interruptions. These cutaneous complications and their management must be very well known by any oncologist and dermatologist who treat oncologic patients. ABBREVIATIONS: EGFR = epidermal growth factor receptors, EGFRI = epidermal growth factor receptors inhibitors.

Trigger points--ultrasound and thermal findings.

RATIONALE: Muscle pain can be elicited by any irritation of the nociceptors in the muscle or central sensitization in the central nervous system. The most frequently described muscle pain syndromes are myofascial pain syndrome and fibromyalgia syndrome. Myofascial pain syndrome has a more localized manifestation, the trigger points. OBJECTIVE: If there is a correlation between the clinical findings, the ultrasound examination and the thermal pattern of trigger points exist. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The presence of trigger points can be identified by using clinical criteria. An ultrasound examination was performed to evaluate the trigger point dimensions. The ultrasound showed an ellipsoidal hypoechogenic area in the muscle. A thermography of the low back region was performed in order to observe the thermal pattern of the area. RESULTS: Trigger points are represented by a higher temperature area surrounded by a cooler area, probably caused by a deficit in the blood flow around those points. DISCUSSION: Infrared thermography could be a great asset for the monitoring of neuromusculoskeletal disorders and their dynamics, as well as an important aid for the initial diagnosis of conditions associated with tissue temperature alterations.

Thermal patterns in zoster.

RATIONALE: Varicella zoster virus is a neurotropic virus that causes an infectious disease characterized by skin changes and neuropathic pain. After the resolution of the first infection, the virus lies dormant within the sensory ganglia. The reactivation of the virus causes zoster. An alteration in skin infrared emission might be expected in the areas of the skin affected by inflammatory changes and demyelination of the affected peripheral nerve. OBJECTIVE: To establish the importance of thermal imaging in the follow up of Zoster Zone with different localization. An infrared thermal camera was used in order to assess if the evolution of the disease determines a thermal pattern. METHODS AND RESULTS: Infrared thermography can be used for the assessment of the affected area also by using a thermography camera that is sensitive to the infrared spectrum. An intense and diffuse infrared emission is highly suggestive for the inflammation and implies that a more aggressive treatment should be initiated. After the clinical resolution of the affected area, the symmetry of the thermal pattern should be restored. If the asymmetry persists, a neuropathic complication of the virus reactivation could be involved. DISCUSSIONS: The integration of infrared thermography with the clinical findings is very useful in order to create a complete picture of the zoster lesions and this method could determine the beginning of a correct treatment and, by doing so, minimizing the risk of complications.

Cutaneous adverse reactions specific to epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors.

Classical antineoplastic therapy is encumbered by extensively studied adverse reactions, most often of systemic nature. The emergence of new generations of anticancer treatments, including epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, besides improving the response to treatment and the survival rate, is accompanied by the occurrence of new specific side effects, incompletely studied. These side effects are most often cutaneous (hand foot syndrome, acneiform reactions), and in some cases are extremely severe, requiring dose reduction or drug discontinuation. The prevention of the cutaneous adverse effects and their treatment require a close collaboration between the oncologist and the dermatologist. The occurrence of some of these skin adverse effects may be a favorable prognostic factor for the response to the cancer treatment and the overall survival.

Study of anti-striational and anti-thyroid antibodies in patients with myasthenia gravis.

The study was carried out in 74 patients out of whom 46 with generalized myasthenia gravis and 28 with the ocular form of disease--all in acute state, ranging in Osserman's severity scale between I-IV; the age at onset of disease varied between 18-79 years. It showed anti-striational antibodies in 31% of the patients and anti-thyroid antibodies in 40%, as compared with 41 controls. Likewise it was observed that the presence of anti-striational antibodies with significant high values was associated with the presence of thymomas in 16 generalized myasthenia gravis patients and in 3 ocular myasthenia gravis patients (p < 0.001). Anti-thyroid antibodies were more frequently observed in ocular myasthenia gravis (23 cases) as compared to generalized myasthenia gravis (7 cases) with significant high levels (p < 0.001). The results obtained showed that the study of anti-striational antibodies can be of great utility in the diagnosis of thymoma, and that the study of anti-thyroid antibodies can be of great utility to sustain the clinical diagnosis of ocular myasthenia gravis. The presence of anti-striational and of anti-thyroid antibodies showed a basic alteration of immunoregulatory mechanisms of maintaining immune tolerance in myasthenia gravis patients.

[Dermatologic preparations with erythromycin--the correlation of the pharmaceutical form-therapeutic effect]. / Dermopreparate cu eritromicina--corelatia forma farmaceutica-effect terapeutic.

Erythromycin associated with progesterone and A vitamin has been included in three dermatological pharmaceutical forms: a lotion, a L/H emulsion and a L/H nonionogenic ointment. Aspect of these preparations has been noticed for a 90 days period. pH and electrical conductance were also determined during this interval. All the formulations mentioned above revealed insignificant variations of these parameters proving an appreciable physico-chemical stability. Clinical investigative studies in juvenile acne, showed efficiency, particularly for the emulsion form.

Oral lyophilizate--an alternative for products with low-soluble drugs.

The propyphenazone, a drug with pronounced anti-inflammatory, anti-fever, analgesic properties, is recommended in acute situations which require therapeutic blood levels in short time after administration. The review presented has the purpose of obtaining an oral lyophilizate, compared with the common tablets. Also, the specific parameters for oral solid dosage forms were determined. The procedure for the oral lyophilizate's preparation promotes the liquid form's mobility and activity, being designed as a solid product which disperses readily in small quantities of water. The presence of a solubilizing agent, included in formulation, will increase propyphenazone's dissolution and so, the analgesic, antiinflammatory effect will appear rapidly. The lyophilization of the selected formulation with a usifroid apparatus was conducted following the classic steps. The tablets were compared with compressed tablets having the same content in propyphenazone (0,250 g), being observed concerning the aspect, the diameter, the dissolution time and the percentage of dissolved substance in one hour. In comparison with compressed tablets, the substances associated in oral lyophilizate and the specific lyophilization technique determine propyphenazone's release in a shorter time interval.

Clinical manifestations in the West Nile virus outbreak.

During the summer of 1996 an unusual clustering of meningoencephalitis cases was recorded in the Capital City, Bucharest, and in some areas from South-East Romania. After an initial suspicion of an enteroviral etiology was discarded, the West Nile etiology was confirmed by specific antibodies demonstration through hemagglutination-inhibition and ELISA tests. This study included 251 patients with the diagnoses of West Nile acute encephalitis (166 cases), acute meningitis (57 cases) and acute febrile disease (33 cases). The patients' age ranged from 1 to 89 years (mean 51.1 years). The most frequent clinical manifestations were: fever (95.7% of cases), cephalalgia (92.6%), stiffness of the neck (89.1%), vomiting (62.5%), marked asthenia (46.5%), myalgia (28.9%). In addition, patients with encephalitis exhibited: alteration of consciousness (89.2% of cases), tremor of extremities (40.4%), ataxia (44%), paralysis (15.1%). The fatality rate was 15.1% in acute encephalitis, 1.8% in acute meningitis and 0% in the acute febrile disease.

[Research to achieve a homeopathic lotion]. / Cercetari în vederea realizarii unei lotiuni homeopatice.

A formulation of homeopathic lotion was elaborated. It uses as mother-solutions: the Calendula tincture and the Fumaria tincture prepared according to the homeopathic rules, and a vegetal soft extract conventionally named by us Pt2a, and the 42 C alcohol was used as a vehicle. All dilutions were made at 3CH. The pH, the refraction index and the electrical conductivity of the three solutions prove a good stability of the preparation. The 2 CH a dilution was well tolerated at the administration with juvenile acne and the simple dry phthiriasis, an improving being noted after 3-4 days of treatment.

Changes of serum complement and of circulating immune complexes in patients with multiple sclerosis.

The changes of total hemolytic complement (CH50), of C3 and C1q components and of the circulating immune complexes (CIC) were studied in a group of 112 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and in 50 controls. The attack was taken as a basis of observation. It was observed that in MS attacks CH50, C3 and C1q were decreased owing to the activation of the complement in the classical way. The CH50 values were found well enough correlated with C3 and C1q (r = 0.535) and respectively r = 0.497) and clearly correlated with the CIC values (r = 0.907). A sharp decrease of CH50 increases the probability of the appearance of an attack with slow remission and the probability of an attack with slow remission is the greater, the greater the increase of CIC values. Low CH50, C3 and C1q values correlated with high CIC values may be considered markers of severity in MS.

[The pharmacotechnical assessment of the types of sodium carboxymethylcellulose of Romanian origin (its synthetic appearance)]. / Aprecieri farmacotehnice asupra unor sorturi de carboximetilceluloza sodica de provenienta indigena (prezentare sintetica).

Three indigenous varieties of sodium carboxymethylcellulose, types 1,000, 6,000 and 10,000, with properties comparable to those of similar imported products were investigated in view of determining their qualities of excipients for some pharmaceutical products. Thus, they were used for obtaining a potassium chloride containing syrup, buvable ampoules with diethylaminoethanol N-acetylglutamate. Ointment bases and tablets with favorable qualities were also obtained.

[The quality assessment of a product with adhesive properties for complete dental prostheses]. / Aprecierea calitatii unui preparat cu proprietati de adeziv al protezei dentare totale.

A formula of dental adhesive using as an agent responsible for this activity an indigenous product, C.M.C.Na 1080, gelified with preservative solution with added astringent agents was elaborated. The possible interaction between the constituents during preservation and the product qualities by determining the pH, extensibility index, sliding limit tension, antimicrobial activity and certain clinical aspects were evaluated.

[The production of tablets with diethylaminoethanol p-acetylaminobenzoate]. / Realizarea unor comprimate cu p-acetilaminobenzoat de dietilaminoetanol.

A formulation for tablets with diethylaminoethanol p-acetylaminobenzoate was set. The obtained tablets are adequate from the point of view of organoleptic qualities, mean weight weight variations, mechanical strength and disaggregation, both after processing and one year storage. The kinetics of water and artificial gastric juice, determined with the help of a Nogami device, by tablets capillarity reveals a homogeneous porosity, fact that determines the complete disintegration of the tablets in due time, and thus a good availability.

[Sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents of bacteria isolated from generalized infections]. / Observatii privind sensibilitatea la chimioterapice a germenilor izolati din infectii generalizate.

A study carried out on 206 bacteriemia infections showed that: the following bacterial flora was implicated in the etiology of bacteremia infections: Staphylococcus aureus in 28.6% of cases, Staphylococcus albus in 20.4% Enterobacteriaceae in 25.7% and Pseudomonas in 3.8%; an increase existed in the number of generalized infections caused by opportunists belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family and Pseudomonas genus. Similarly, an increase in the resistance to the recently introduced antibiotics, Septrin and Gentamycin, was noted. These observation require antibiotic lebel control and, if it is necessary the association of two or more antibiotics in severe infections.