Two dimensional ruthenium carbide: structural and electronic features.

The design and realization of novel 2D materials and their functionalities have been a focus of research inspired by the successful synthesis of graphene and many other 2D materials. In this study, in view of first principles calculations, we predict a novel 2D material ruthenium carbide (RuC) in graphene-like honeycomb hexagonal lattice with planar geometry. Phonon dispersion spectra display a dynamically stable structure. Comprehensive molecular dynamics calculations confirm the stability of the structure up to high temperatures as ≈1000 K. The system is a narrow gap semiconductor with a band gap of 53 meV (345 meV) due to GGA-PBE (HSE) calculations. Band gap exhibits significant changes by applied strain. Elastic and optical properties of the system are examined in monolayer form. RuC/RuC bilayer, RuC/graphene and RuC/h-BN heterostructures are also investigated. By calculating the phonon dispersion it is verified that RuC bilayer is the most stable in AA type-stacking configuration where Ru and C atoms of both layers have identical lateral coordinates. The effects of atomic substitutions on electronic band structures, acting as p-type and n-type doping, are revealed. A novel 3D RuCLi structure is also predicted to be stable and the isolation of its monolayer forms are discussed. Ruthenium carbide, as a 2D material which is dynamically and thermally stable, holds promise for applications in nanoelectronics.

Comparison of hematologic toxicity between 3DCRT and IMRT planning in cervical cancer patients after concurrent chemoradiotherapy: a national multi-center study.

PURPOSE: To compare the incidence and severity of acute and chronic hematologic toxicity (HT) in patients treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for curative treatment of cervical cancer and to ascertain the dosimetric parameters of two techniques associated with acute and chronic HT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 127 patients with cervical cancer receiving concomitant pelvic radiotherapy (RT) and cisplatin were evaluated. Pelvic bone marrow (BM) was contoured for each patient and divided into five sub-regions: lumbosacrum (LS), ilium (IL), lower pelvis (LP), pelvis (P), and whole pelvis (WP). The volume of each BM region receiving 10, 20, 30, and 40 Gy was calculated (V10, -V20, -V30, and -V40). The lowest level of hemoglobin, leukocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts were obtained during chemoradiotherapy and six months after RT. The nadir values were graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 3.0). RESULTS: Grade 2 or greater acute anemia, leukopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia was observed in 2%, 41.5%, 12% ,and 0% in 3DCRT group and in 27%, 53%, 24.5%, and 4.5% in IMRT group, respectively. Grade 2 or greater chronic anemia, leukopenia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia was observed in 11%, 10%, 6%, and 0% in 3DCRT group and in 11%, 9%, 4.5%, and 0% in IMRT group, respectively. LS-V30, 40; IL-V10, 20, 30, 40; LP-V10, 20 ,40; P-V10, 20, 30, 40, and TP-V10, 20, 30, 40 were significantly reduced with IMRT planning compared to 3DCRT planning. Logistic regression analysis of potential predictors showed that none of the dosimetric parameters were significant for predicting acute and chronic HT. CONCLUSION: The present findings showed that IMRT planning reduced irradiated BM volumes compared to 3DCRT planning. However, no difference between the two techniques was observed in terms of acute and chronic HT. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.

Scientific awareness of marine accidents in Europe: A bibliometric and correspondence analysis.

Marine accidents are a significant issue that can lead to loss of life, damage to ships and cargo, and harm to the marine environment. To gain better understanding of scientific awareness of marine accidents occurred in European countries, this study conducted a bibliometric and correspondence analysis of the scientific literature. Bibliometric analysis was employed to examine various publications, which were released during the period between 2012 and December 2022. Moreover, correspondence analysis was used to classify and analyze marine accidents based on the severity and the consequence of the accidents. The findings indicate that scientific awareness of researchers in countries where serious and very serious marine accidents occur is also high. However, Norway stands out as the country with the highest scientific awareness of researchers despite experiencing marine accidents with less serious. The most significant factor contributing to the prominence of researchers here is their collaborations with researchers from other countries. Overall, this study sheds light on the need for further research and action to improve marine accident prevention. Collaborative efforts involving researchers, maritime stakeholders, and policymakers are necessary to address the complex challenges of marine accidents and to ensure the maritime safety and protection of the marine environment.

Evaluation of treatment results and prognostic factors in early-stage cervical carcinoma patients treated with postoperative radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical features, prognostic factors, and treatment outcome in early-stage cervical carcinoma patients treated with postoperative radiotherapy (RT)/radiochemotherapy (RCT). METHODS: The records of 256 Stage IB and II cervical cancer patients treated with postoperative RT/RCT from 1992-2007 were retrospectively reviewed. Median age of the patients was 47 (range: 25-78). Two hundred one (78.6%) patients had squamous cell carcinoma and 29 (11.3%) had adenocarcinoma. One hundred and eighty-seven (73.0%) had FIGO Stage IB and 69 (27%) had Stage II disease. Concomitant cisplatin-based chemotherapy was administered to 47 (18.4%) patients. Metastatic lymph node ratio (MLNR), defined as number of metastatic lymph nodes divided by the number of dissected lymph nodes, was 0 in 142 (55.5%) patients, from 1% to 10% in 27 (10.5%) and > 10% in 31 (12.1%) patients. RESULTS: Median follow-up duration was 60.5 months (range: 6-202 months). Five-year locoregional control (LRC), disease-free survival (DFS), disease specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 90.8%, 83.4%, 91.2%, and 85%, respectively. In multivariate analysis; bulky tumor (> 4 cm) was shown as an important prognostic factor for LRC, DFS and DSS. Pretreatment hemoglobin level (< 10 g/dl) was associated with lower OS rate. Endometrial involvement was associated with lower LRC and DFS. Treatment break > 14 days showed significance for DFS and DSS. MLNR was found as a valuable prognostic factor for all endpoints (LRC, DFS, DSS and OS). The rate of grade 3-4 late toxicity was 3.6% and 2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Postoperative RT/RCT is an effective treatment modality for early-stage cervical cancer patients with unfavorable features and provides satisfactory local control and survival rates with low morbidity.

Prognostic factors for survival in patients with thymic epithelial tumors.

BACKGROUND: Aim of the study was to identify and evaluate the prognostic efficacy of standard clinicopathological factors of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) for treatment-related outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients treated between 1993-2008 at Ege University Faculty of Medicine Departments of Radiation Oncology and Thoracic Surgery were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients with a median age of 51 (range: 24-72) were identified. Complete resection was performed in 23 (51.1%), incomplete resection with microscopic residues in 17 (37.8%), subtotal resection with gross residues in 2 (4.4%) and biopsy in 5 (11.1%) patients. Radiotherapy was administered to 39 (83%) patients. Median follow-up duration was 51 months (range: 3-168 months). Five-year local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 93%, 90% and 85% for thymoma and 80%, 66% and 72% for thymic carcinoma patients, respectively. In multivariate analysis, the extent of resection was the only significant prognostic factor for OS (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The most important prognostic factor for overall survival was the extent of resection. Further studies with larger numbers of patients are required to confirm the prognostic factors and to obtain a better understanding of the biological behavior of TETs.

Interoperative frozen section for margin assessment in breast conserving energy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: When excisional biopsy or lumpectomy is performed without margin assessment in early breast cancer, further surgery are required if positive margins exist. We evaluated the role of the intraoperative frozen section in breast conserving surgery (BCS). Clinicopathologic factors associated with re-excision were searched. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 190 tumors in 186 patients with early invasive breast cancer treated by BCS. Breast tumor was excised with 2 cm macroscopic margin, and microscopic margins examined by intraoperative frozen section. RESULTS: After frozen section, 160 cases had negative margins (no re-excision), but 30 patients (16%) underwent re-excision because of close/positive margins. Negative margins were obtained in 24 patients but six patients underwent mastectomy due to persistent involved margins. Local recurrence was 2.1% and systematic recurrence was 2.6% with mean 62 months follow up. Tumor type, tumor size, extranodal extension and extensive intraductal component were significant predictors of re-excision by multivariate analysis. Re-excision procedures haven't an impact on local recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Interoperative frozen section is an effective procedure in reducing the need of second operation. We have observed lower recurrence rates than other studies because of our 2 cm macroscopic margin width and > 2 mm microscopic negative margin which is obtained by interoperative frozen section.

Relapse patterns and related prognostic factors in patients with mobile tongue cancer treated with postoperative radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively assess prognostic factors and patterns of relapse in patients with oral tongue cancer treated by adjuvant radiotherapy (RT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1995 and 2005, 65 patients with stage II-IV oral tongue cancer were treated with postoperative adjuvant RT at our institution. The influence of multiple patient- and treatment-related factors on local and regional control, and overall survival (OS), locoregional failure- free survival (LRFFS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) were evaluated. Median patient follow-up was 74 months. RESULTS: Five-year disease-free survival (DFS), LRFFS and CSS rates were 56, 60 and 58%, respectively. During the study period 27 (41.5%) patients had locoregional failures. Seventeen of the recurrences were in the primary tumor region, 4 in the neck, 6 in both regions. Most of the local failures occurred in the first year (median 13 months, range 5-15). Gender, T stage, stage (AJCC TN stage), surgical margin, localization of tumor, and hemoglobin level had predictive value for improved local-regional control in univariate analysis. In total, 35 deaths occurred: 28 patients died of progressive disease, one patient died due to another primary tumor (esophageal cancer) and 6 patients died of other causes. CONCLUSION: Local failure was the most important problem concerning the final outcome. High local recurrence rates and poor survival rates are important issues in the management of oral tongue cancer. Further strategies should be directed to enhancing cure rates.

Postoperative radiotherapy in intermediate and high-risk Stage I endometrial cancer: analysis of prognostic factors and survival.

PURPOSE: Patients with Stage IA Grade (G) III, Stage IB GII-III and Stage IC GI-II-III endometrial cancer who received postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy were evaluated in terms of local control, disease-free and overall survival rates and prognostic factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four hundred and three patients with Stage I endometrial cancer treated with radiotherapy from January 1990 to December 2003 at Ege University Faculty of Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology were reviewed retrospectively. According to our radiotherapy protocol patients with Stage IB G2 disease (149 patients) received only external radiotherapy and the remaining (254 patients) received both external radiotherapy and intracavitary brachytherapy. RESULTS: Median age of the patients was 58 (range: 37-83). Nine patients (2.2%) had Stage IA, 196 (48.6%) had Stage IB and 198 (49.1%) had Stage IC disease. Histologic grade was 1 in 52 (12.9%) patients, 2 in 268 (66.5%) patients and 3 in 83 (20.6%) patients. Seventy-one (17.7%) patients had lymphovascular space invasion. Five-year locoregional relapse-free, distant-free, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were 98.2%, 92.8%, 91.8% and 87.7%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, myometrial invasion and lymphovascular invasion were predictive factors for DFS and for OS prognostic factors were histologic type, myometrial invasion, and histologic grade. During radiotherapy 47.9% of the patients developed acute morbidity and 26.3% developed late morbidity, vaginal stenosis being the most frequent late morbidity. CONCLUSION: Postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy provides high locoregional control rates with acceptable toxicity in selected patients with Stage I endometrial carcinoma.

Intraoperative extracorporeal irradiation and re-implantation of involved bone for the treatment of musculoskeletal tumors.

The purpose of this trial is to evaluate the results of musculoskeletal tumors which is treated with limb salvage surgery and extracorporeal radiotherapy. Patients were treated with en-bloc resection followed by 50 Gy single dose extracorporeal irradiation and re-implantation of involved bone segments. Nine of fifteen were female and 6 were male, median age was 19. Tumor originated from tibia in 7 patients, femur in 3, humerus in 3, calcaneus in 1 and scapula in 1. Preoperative chemotherapy was given to 12 patients, 3 of them had not been treated previously. Median follow-up time of the survivors was 22 months (range 2-47 months); local recurrence and lung metastases occurred in one patient (local recurrence was away from the re-implanted bone segment), and lung metastases were reported in another 3 patients. Wound healing problems occurred in 4 patients and delayed union in 2 patients. Amputation was performed in 2 patients due to uncontrolled infection, and infected bone was replaced by a fibula graft in another patient. Treatment was successful in 12 patients where functional results were good in 9, excellent in 2 and not evaluated in 1. Limb salvage using en-bloc resection followed by intraoperative extracorporeal irradiation and re-implantation of involved bone is a useful and cheap reconstruction method in appropriately selected patients.

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor rosuvastatin improves abnormal brain electrical activity via mechanisms involving eNOS.

Apart from its repressing effect on plasma lipid levels, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors exert neuroprotective functions in animal models of neurodegenerative disorders. In view of these promising observations, we were interested in whether HMG-CoA reductase inhibition would affect epileptiform activity in the brain. To elucidate this issue, atorvastatin, simvastatin and rosuvastatin were administered orally at a dose of 20 mg/kg each for 3 days and their anti-epileptic activities were tested and compared in rats. Epileptiform activity in the brain was induced by an intracortical penicillin G injection. Among HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, simvastatin-treatment was less effective in terms of spike frequency as compared with atorvastatin- and rosuvastatin-treated animals. Atorvastatin treatment reduced spike frequencies and amplitudes significantly throughout the experiment. However, the most pronounced anti-epileptic effect was observed in rosuvastatin-treated animals, which was associated with improved blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, increased expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) mRNA and decreased expressions of pro-apoptotic p53, Bax and caspase-3 mRNAs. Inhibition of eNOS activity with L-NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME) reversed the anti-epileptic effect of rosuvastatin significantly. However, L-NAME did not alter the effect of rosuvastatin on the levels of p53, Bax and caspase-3 mRNA expression. Here, we provide evidence that among HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, rosuvastatin was the most effective statin on the reduction of epileptiform activity, which was associated with improved BBB permeability, increased expression of eNOS and decreased expressions of pro-apoptotic p53, Bax and caspase-3. Our observation also revealed that the anti-epileptic effect of rosuvastatin was dependent on the increased expression level of eNOS. The robust anti-epileptic effect encourages proof-of-concept studies with rosuvastatin in human epilepsy patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Isolated limb perfusion with cisplatin and doxorubicin for locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma of an extremity.

AIMS: To identify independent adverse clinico-pathological factors for disease-free and overall survival in patients undergoing isolated limb perfusion (ILP) with cisplatin and doxorubicin for locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of an extremity. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out, using a univariate method and a multivariate analysis, to look at the patient, tumour and treatment associated with prognostic factors in 37 patients with locally advanced STSs of the limbs who underwent ILP with cisplatin and doxorubicin. Patient's age, gender, presenting status, tumour location, tumour grade, tumour stage according to TNM classification, tumour size and radiotherapy (RT) were analysed. Survival curves were calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to indicate which factors related to overall survival and the recurrence-free interval after ILP. RESULTS: No major systemic toxicity was seen. Regional toxicity was limited. Limb salvage was achieved in 94.6% of the patients. The estimated 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 62% and 54%, respectively. It was found that tumour stage, tumour grade, presenting status, RT and tumour size were associated with cumulative overall survival when the Kaplan-Meier method was applied (P<0.05). By Cox proportional hazards model, only tumour grade (P=0. 0254) was found to have significant influence on overall survival; however, tumour stage (P=0.0157) and RT (P=0.0014) were related to disease-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: ILP and delayed excision followed by RT achieves good limb salvage rates and may improve survival.

Treatment of non-resectable pelvic malignancies by isolated pelvic perfusion. A preliminary study.

Management of non-resectable pelvic tumours by intra-arterial local chemotherapy was shown to be beneficial but systemic toxicity limits its use. To overcome this problem isolated pelvic perfusion (IPP) was introduced as an alternative. This study summarizes our preliminary experience with IPP in the treatment of 18 non-resectable pelvic tumours [recurrent rectal adenocarcinoma (six), soft tissue sarcoma (STS) (five), bone tumour (three), epidermoid carcinoma (two), prostatic adenocarcinoma (one), malignant melanoma (one)]. Results of IPP were regarded as complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR), stable disease (SD) and disease progression (DP) according to the changes in three parameters including; scoring in pain, tumour marker and tumour size measurements. Complete and partial remission were established in five (27%) and seven (39%) patients respectively indicating a benefit ratio of 66%. Objective pain relief was encountered in 53% of the cases. All patients with STS had undergone further surgical treatment after IPP with successful curative resections in four. No residual tumour was found at the laparotomy of the fifth patient. Presenting symptom of the prostatic adenocarcinoma patient was symptomatic hypoglycaemia which resolved completely after IPP. To our knowledge, this represents the first case reported in the English literature in whom tumour related hypoglycaemia was successfully managed by IPP. In conclusion; management of non-resectable pelvic tumours by IPP seems to offer serious palliation and increase in the quality of life without any systemic toxicity. Our preliminary experience suggests even resectability may be achieved in a number of patients especially in those with STS.

Activities of adenosine deaminase and 5'-nucleotidase in cancerous and noncancerous human colorectal tissues.

In order to characterize human colorectal cancer, much attention has been paid to enzyme studies. However, little is known about the correlation between the levels of key enzymes of purine nucleotide pathway and some clinical and biological indicators of tumor invasiveness and aggressiveness. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) and 5'-nucleotidase (5'-NT) were measured in cancerous and cancer-free adjacent large bowel tissues from 38 patients with colorectal carcinoma. We have analyzed the relationship between the enzyme levels and some clinical and pathological parameters. The enzymes' activities were markedly higher in primary tumors than in corresponding normal mucosae. The ADA level in tumor tissue was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, histologic type, tumor location, and patient's age, whereas the 5'-NT level showed a significant correlation with tumor grade and tumor location. ADA activity in tumor tissues was significantly higher in patients whose clinical course remained stable than in those with recurrent diseases. The purine metabolism and salvage pathway activity of purine nucleotides are accelerated in the cancerous human colorectal tissue. Although our findings suggest that these enzymes' activities are most likely related to the same histomorphological architecture of the tumor, the authors believe that long-term follow-up studies are needed to evaluate the prognostic value of purine enzymes for colorectal cancer.

Correlation between tissue levels of carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen and clinicopathological characteristics in human colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Type 1 collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and a major constituent of the interstitial connective tissue. However, little is known about carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) expression in human colorectal tumor tissues. We therefore evaluated the concentrations of PICP in colorectal tumor tissue as well as surrounding normal tissues and examined the relationship between its level and clinicopathological variables. METHODOLOGY: Tumor and normal tissues from 40 patients with colorectal carcinoma who had been operated on were stored at -80 degrees C until assays. PICP was assayed by sandwich immunoassay. RESULTS: It was found that the PICP level was significantly higher in the tumor extracts than in the normal tissue extracts (P < 0.0001). The ANOVA test showed that the level of PICP in tumor tissue was higher in the patients with advanced colorectal tumor than those with early stage disease (P < 0.0001). There were statistically significant differences with regard to the depth of tumor invasion, presence of lymph node metastasis, and hepatic metastasis (P < 0.05). There were also quantitative differences with respect to the PICP levels between obstructing tumors and non-obstructing carcinoma (P < 0.05), but the elevated PICP levels in tumor tissues were not associated with the type of histologic differentiation (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although these findings suggest that PICP value in tumor tissue is most likely related to the some histomorphological architecture of the tumor, the authors believe that the prognostic significance of PICP expression in primary colorectal tumor and normal tissues requires further evaluation.

Survival after curative resection for stage IE and IIE primary gastric lymphoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There is considerable controversy regarding the optimal treatment of patients with primary gastric lymphomas. However, surgery still plays an important role in the management of stage IE and IIE gastric lymphomas. We aimed at assessing survival of primary gastric lymphoma cases with stage IE or IIE that were surgically treated at the Surgical Oncology Department. METHODOLOGY: Thirty-seven patients with stage IE and IIE primary gastric lymphoma who were surgically treated and had complete follow-up from January 1990 to September 1998 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients' age, gender, tumor location, tumor grade, histologic type, depth of tumor invasion, regional lymph node status, tumor stage, type of gastrectomy (total/subtotal), combined resection, extensive lymphadenectomy, adjuvant chemotherapy were used as the clinicopathologic variables. RESULTS: Five-year survival rates for stage IE and stage IIE disease were 75% and 37%, respectively. The overall 5-year survival rate of the patients was 57%. Univariate analysis demonstrated that age, tumor stage, and type of gastrectomy were associated with prognosis, but only type of gastrectomy (subtotal gastrectomy) and tumor stage were found to be independent prognostic factors (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: To obtain prolonged survival we recommend radical resection with extensive lymphadenectomy for malignant lymphoma stages IE and IIE. Patients with small distal lymphomas of the stomach can be treated with subtotal gastric resection.

Retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma: effect of hyperthermic total abdominal perfusion.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) of the retroperitoneum are rare tumors. Surgery remains the principal modality of therapy in the management of primary and recurrent retroperitoneal STS. However, little is known about the effect of regional chemotherapy using hyperthermic total abdominal perfusion (HTAP). We analyzed independent prognostic variables in 33 patients with STS in the retroperitoneum admitted from November 1990 through December 1996. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Data regarding patients' age, gender, tumor size, histological tumor type, tumor location, type of operation (primary or secondary surgery), extent of surgical management (marginal or extended), use of HTAP, tumor grade, and tumor stage according to the TNM classification were examined by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: All 33 patients underwent complete resections (marginal or extended). Eleven of them received locoregional chemotherapy by HTAP. The overall cumulative 5-year survival rates in patients with stage IIA and advanced disease were 82% and 22%, respectively (log-rank test, P<0.01). Using Cox's proportional hazard model, tumor stage, use of HTAP and type of operation were found to have significant influence on overall survival (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that complete resection along with HTAP chemotherapy may improve survival in patients with retroperitoneal STS. These phase II data could be used to support the initiation of a phase III trial to test HTAP in patients submitted to complete resection of retroperitoneal STS.

Deep venous thrombosis of the extremity diagnosed by color Doppler ultrasonography after isolated limb perfusion.

AIM: Isolated limb perfusion (ILP) is used to treat locally advanced sarcoma and melanoma of the extremities. ILP is associated with a 1.7% to 10% incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). The aim of the study was to examine the effect of ILP on the peripheral venous system and to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of color Doppler ultrasonography (US). METHODS: A total of 26 patients with locally advanced sarcoma or melanoma of the extremities received a total of 38 ILP. The patients were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively by color Doppler US as a noninvasive venous measurement. We used a color Doppler US system (SSA-270A, Toshiba) with a 7.5-MHz linear transducer for gray-scale imaging and a 5-MHz vascular transducer for color Doppler imaging. RESULTS: Seventeen patients underwent single ILP while the others were treated with multiple ILPs. Color Doppler US showed a reflux flow in three (7.9%) patients and DVT occurred subsequently in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Color Doppler US is a noninvasive and clinically useful diagnostic technique in the diagnosis of extremity DVT. We recommend anticoagulant therapy in patients with reflux on ultrasonographic examination.

Modeling the kinetics of UV/hydrogen peroxide oxidation of some mono-, di-, and trichlorophenols.

The decomposition of a number of chlorophenols (CPs), namely 2-CP, 2, 4-dichlorophenol and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, has been studied in aqueous solution by UV-catalyzed oxidation with H(2)O(2) under UV radiation emitted by a 125-W medium pressure Hg lamp in an immersion well-type quartz photoreactor, and the organic-bound chlorine has been converted into the environmentally harmless inorganic chloride. For oxidant/CP mole ratios between 1:1 and 16:1, the reaction kinetics were modeled and the corresponding rate constants found by periodically measuring the remaining CP, hydrogen peroxide and converted chloride in solution. A theoretical model for the degradation pathway is proposed expressing the rate as a linear function of the concentrations of CP and oxidant. The rate constants for the pseudo-first order approximation of the CP degradation were compared. H(2)O(2), when combined with UV, is an effective photoactivated oxidant. The photodegradation order in terms of the initial rate of CPs destruction was: Cl(3).Ph>/=Cl(2).Ph>Cl.Ph.

Assessment of outcome of carpal tunnel syndrome: a comparison of electrophysiological findings and a self-administered Boston questionnaire.

The relationship between nerve conduction studies and the self-administered Boston Questionnaire that measures the severity of symptoms and functional status in carpal tunnel syndrome was assessed in 44 patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome. The patients were examined preoperatively and 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Although both the clinical outcome and electrophysiological findings improved significantly after surgery, we observed no correlation between improvements in nerve conduction and the questionnaire scores.