[Smoke-free by ramadan: experience with a low-threshold prevention offer on smoking cessation for persons with migration background]. / Rauchfrei zu Ramadan. Erfahrungen mit einem niederschwelligen Präventionsangebot zur Raucherentwöhnung bei Personen mit Migrationshintergrund.

BACKGROUND: Persons with migration background exhibit higher smoking rates in comparison to the general population.These smokers often cannot be reached by prevention measures at the family doctor's office. METHODS: In summer 2011 the health campaign "Smoke-free by Ramadan" was launched in 11 German cities. Measures included the training of doctors on smoking cessation methods, general bilingual information flyers, and in some cases lectures on smoking, specifically for imams. A number of local events, especially for individuals with Turkish migration background were initiated. For these health events a specially equipped health bus of the BKK-vor-Ort was used, in which visitors were offered following elements: systematic data collection about age, sex and smoking behavior, a test to determine of the severity of nicotine dependence (Fagerström test, FTNA), as well as spirometric lung function test. Smokers were generally motivated to stop smoking. Data were anonymously collected and analysed in a documentation and communication sheet in Turkish language, and test results were handed over to participants on a printed information sheet. RESULTS: Data of 1012 people collected on 8 health days were analysed (70% men, mean age 46.5 years). The percentage of smokers was 41.5% (men) or 30% (women). Of 294 male smokers, according to FTNA 43.6% had low, 24.8% had moderate, and 31.6% strong nicotine dependence; in the 91 female smokers the corresponding rates were 54.9%, 30.8% and 14.3%. The distribution pattern of the dependency levels was statistically significantly different between genders (p = 0.006). Reduced lung function (FEV, < 80%) occurred in smokers more often than in nonsmokers (30% versus 21%). CONCLUSIONS: These results reinforce the importance of low-threshold prevention measures. By screening, here shown by the example of individuals with Turkish migration background, a significant number of smokers was identified who had in addition to strong nicotine addiction also significantly impaired lung function. As the odds for successful cessation without support are below 5%, evidence-based smoking cessation was advised to all smokers.

Serum silicon levels are elevated in women with silicone gel implants.

The metabolic fate of silicone gel leaked into the body from an implant is unknown. In this study, serum from 72 women with silicone gel breast implants and 55 control women was blindly assayed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) for elemental silicon. Samples were processed using materials free of silicon. The mean silicon level in controls was 0.13 +/- 0.07 mg/l (range 0.06-0.35 mg/l), while in implant patients, the mean was significantly higher at 0.28 +/- 0.22 mg/l (range 0.06-0.87 mg/l) (P < 0.01, Student's t-test with correction for unequal variances). Using the mean of the control group + 2 SD as a cutoff for normal range (0.27 mg/l), 25/72 (34.7%) implant patients exceeded this value, compared with 2/55 (3.6%) controls. There was no significant correlation between past rupture of one or both implants, current rupture at the time of the blood draw or the number of years with implants and silicon levels. The results suggest that elevations of serum silicon are seen in many women with silicone gel breast implants. The kinetics of this elevation and the actual chemical species of the measured silicon remain to be determined.

Elevated serum silicon levels in women with silicone gel breast implants.

The metabolic fate of silicone gel leaked from an intact or ruptured prosthesis is unknown. In this study, serum was blindly assayed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) for elemental silicon in 72 women with silicone gel breast implants and 55 control women (mean age 48 yr, both groups). Blood was drawn and processed using silicon-free materials. The mean silicon level in controls was 0.13 +/- 0.07 mg/L (range 0.06-0.35 mg/L), whereas in implant patients, the mean was significantly higher at 0.28 +/- 0.22 mg/L (range 0.06-0.87 mg/L) (P < 0.01, Student's t-test with correction for unequal variances). Using the mean of the control group + 2 SD as a cutoff for normal range (0.27 mg/L), 25/72 (34.7%) implant patients exceeded this value, compared with 2/55 (3.6%) controls. There was no significant correlation between past rupture of one or both implants, current rupture at the time of the blood draw, or the number of years with implants and silicon levels. The results suggest that serum silicon levels are elevated in many women with silicone gel breast implants. The chemical species involved and kinetics of this elevation remain to be determined.

[Prophylactic anti-emetic strategy: prevention among obstetrician-gynaecologists anaesthesia]. / Prévention des nausées et vomissements postopératoires : enquête sur les pratiques en chirurgie gynécologique auprès des membres du Club d'anesthésie réanimation en obstétrique.

OBJECTIVES: A prophylactic anti-emetic strategy should depend on the number of nausea and vomiting risk factors. This study was undertaken to evaluate the practices of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) prevention practices among obstetrician-gynaecologists, anaesthetists. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, self-administered questionnaire survey was emailed to all Club d'Anesthésie Réanimation Obstétricale (Caro) members (French Obstetric and Gynaecology Anaesthetists' Association). METHODS: The questionnaire had closed-ended questions to evaluate each Caro member's prophylactic anti-emetic practices. Questions concerned demographic datas, prophylactic anti-emetic drugs administered to the patients with or without well known risk factors for developing PONV, the existence of protocol to prevent PONV in their own department of anaesthesiology and their awareness of the existence of French Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care (Sfar) PONV prevention guidelines 2007. RESULTS: Of 115 questionnaires, 66 respondents (57%) returned the questionnaires. Most of the respondents (74%) worked in a university hospital. Forty-two percent practiced exclusively in obstetric-gynaecology department. Fifty-six percent were anaesthetists for more than 20 years. Eighty-five percent of the physicians were well-informed about the SFAR's PONV prevention guidelines. Thirty seven percent of respondents assessed Apfel score systematically for all their patients. The percentages, which didn't calculate the probability of PONV with Apfel score or calculated only in cases of PONV history or travel sickness were 18% and 45% respectively. In cases of two or more risk factors, 63% used droperidol, dexamethasone and ondansetron in double or triple combinations. CONCLUSIONS: Although most surveyed practitioners were well informed about the new guidelines concerning PONV prevention, 27% not follow these guidelines regarding the administration of anti-emetic drugs. The calculation of Apfel score in the preoperative period must be also strengthened.

Energy spectrum of cosmic-ray electrons at TeV energies.

The very large collection area of ground-based gamma-ray telescopes gives them a substantial advantage over balloon or satellite based instruments in the detection of very-high-energy (>600 GeV) cosmic-ray electrons. Here we present the electron spectrum derived from data taken with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. In this measurement, the first of this type, we are able to extend the measurement of the electron spectrum beyond the range accessible to direct measurements. We find evidence for a substantial steepening in the energy spectrum above 600 GeV compared to lower energies.

[Felty syndrome: a therapy-resistant variant of chronic rheumatoid arthritis? 2 case reports and literature review]. / Das Felty-Syndrom: eine therapierefraktäre Variante der chronischen Polyarthritis? Zwei Fallberichte und Literaturübersicht.

Felty's syndrome is a rare but serious extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis. Morbidity as well as mortality are increased on account of greater susceptibility to infectious agents. We report on two patients suffering from Felty's syndrome who were successfully treated by cyclophosphamide. A review of the literature with special regard to treatment of Felty's syndrome is given.

Alterations in enzyme and cytochrome profiles of Rana catesbeiana liver organelles during thyroxine-induced metamorphosis. Changes in membrane-localized phosphohydrolases, oxidoreductases, and cytochrome levels in response to in vivo thyroxine administration.

A primary objective of the present study has been to determine the changes which occur in Rana catesbeiana liver organelle membranes during thyroxine-induced metamorphosis. To this end, enzyme and cytochrome profiles were determined for mitochondria, microsomes, and nuclear membrane fractions isolated from livers of R. catesbeiana tadpoles which had been fasted for 6 days at 15 +/- 0.5 degrees and then immersed in thyroxine, 2.6 X 10(-8) M, for periods of up to 12 days at 23.5 +/- 0.4 degrees. The ratio of total succinate-cytochrome c reductase activity in the initial homogenate fraction to the total activity of this mitochondrial "marker" enzyme recovered in the final mitochondrial fraction remained constant, approximately 0.5, throughout the course of thyroxine treatment; however, after a 3- to 4-day latency the mitochondrial protein mass recovered per unit mass of initial homogenate protein was found to increase significantly (approximately 2-fold by Day 10 of thyroxine treatment). A similar increase was also observed in the yield of microsomal, but not nuclear membrane, protein mass as a function of thyroxine treatment. Prolonged thyroxine treatment (12 days) resulted in approximately 50% decreases in tadpole liver homogenate and microsomal NADH-cytochrome c reductase specific activities; in contrast, mitochondrial and nuclear membrane NADH-cytochrome c reductase specific activities were not altered under the same conditions. In addition, homogenate and microsomal NADPH-cytochrome c reductase specific activities were found to have increased significantly after 12 days of thyroxine treatment; however, the specific activity of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase in the mitochondrial fraction was unchanged. It was also observed that thyroxine treatment resulted in increases in homogenate and microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase specific activities, whereas the mitochondrial as well as nuclear membrane glucose-6-phosphatase specific activities remained unchanged. Furthermore, in contrast to homogenate and mitochondrial monoamine oxidase specific activities, which decreased 30 and 40%, respectively, as a consequence of thyroxine treatment (12 days), the succinate-cytochrome c reductase and oligomycin-sensitive Mg2+ ATPase specific activities determined for these fractions increased significantly. In all instances, changes as a result of thyroxine treatment in membrane-localized homogenate or organelle enzyme specific activities were apparent only after a 3- to 4-day initial latent period. The in vitro effects of thyroxine (10(-10) - 10(-5) M) on the membrane-localized enzyme activities examined in this study were either negligible or, as in the case of mitochondrial succinate-cytochrome c reductase and microsomal NADH-cytochrome c reductase, opposite to the changes observed in response to in vivo thyroxine treatment, with the exception of microsomal NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity which was enhanced approximately 2-fold by 10(-5) M thyroxine...

The effect of the locus pstB on phosphate binding in the phosphate specific transport (PST) system of Escherichia coli.

The periplasmic phosphate binding protein is a product of the phoS gene and is an essential component of the phosphate specific transport (PST) system, which mediates Pi uptake in Escherichia coli. The binding of Pi to periplasmic protein(s) and the kinetic parameters of Pi uptake were studied in phoT and pstB mutants of E. coli. These mutants are impaired in Pi uptake but have a periplasmic Pi-binding protein whose Pi-binding capacity was estimated by the retention kinetics. The Pi-binding activity in two pstB mutants was found to be weaker as compared to phoT9 and the wild type. The KD values for Pi binding to periplasmic protein were determined by equilibrium dialysis. In the pstB mutants the KD value was found to be 9-31 times higher than the values obtained for the wild type and the phoT mutant. The apparent Km values for Pi uptake in one pstB mutant is 14.3 times higher than in the wild type. Vmax of the mutant is 8.3 times lower that of the wild type. The data indicate that pstB, an essential gene of the PST transport system, is promoting the binding capacity of the Pi-binding protein.

Silicone-specific blood lymphocyte response in women with silicone breast implants.

A blinded cross-sectional study was carried out with 99 women, 44 of whom had silicone breast implants. Group I consisted of 55 healthy volunteer women without breast implants; group II comprised 13 volunteer women with breast implants or explants who felt healthy; group III comprised 21 volunteer women with breast implants who had chronic fatigue, musculoskeletal symptoms, and skin disorders; and group IV comprised 10 women who had their prostheses explanted but still presented with clinical symptoms similar to those of the women in group III. Proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from all 99 women were measured by [3H]thymidine uptake after exposure to SiO2 silicon, or silicone gel. The levels of proliferative responses were expressed as stimulation indices, which were obtained by dividing the counts per minute of stimulated cells by the counts per minute of unstimulated cells. Abnormal responses to SiO2, silicon, or silicone gel were defined as a stimulation index of > 2.8, > 2.1, or > 2.4, respectively. Abnormal responses were observed in 0% of group I, 15% of group II, 29% of group III, and 30% of group IV (P < 0.0005 for group I versus groups II and IV). Thirty-one percent of symptomatic women with silicone gel breast implants had elevated serum silicon levels ( > 0.18 mg/liter); however, there was no significant correlation between abnormal cellular responses and silicon levels in blood serum, type of implant, time since first implantation, prosthesis explantation, number of implants, or report of implant leakage or rupture.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)