Biodegradability of Chlorophenols in Surface Waters from the Urban Area of Buenos Aires.

Biodegradability of 2-Chlorophenol (2-CP), 3-Chlorophenol (3-CP), 4-Chlorophenol (4-CP), 2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and 2,4,6 Trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) has been tested in surface waters in the urban area of Buenos Aires. Samples were taken from the La Plata River and from the Reconquista and Matanza-Riachuelo basins, with a total amount of 18 sampling points. Water quality was established measuring chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), and both Escherichia coli and Enterococcus counts. Biodegradability was carried out by a respirometric method, using a concentration of 20 mg L-1 of chlorophenol, and the surface water as inoculum. Chlorophenols concentration in the same water samples were simultaneously measured by a solid phase microextraction (SPME) procedure followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). 2,4-DCP was the most degradable compound followed by 2,4,6-TCP, 4-CP, 3-CP and 2-CP. Biodegradability showed no correlation with compound concentration. At most sampling points the concentration was below the detection limit for all congeners. Biodegradability does not correlate even with COD, BOD5, or fecal contamination. Biodegradability assays highlighted information about bacterial exposure to contaminants that parameters routinely used for watercourse characterization do not reveal. For this reason, they might be a helpful tool to complete the characterization of a site.

[THE PROVISION OF MODERN ASPECTS OF SURGICAL ADD TO WOUNDED PERSONS FOR THE BRACHIAL BONE GUN-SHOT FRACTURE].

The complex of operative interventions on all levels of medical add was analyzed in 57 wounded persons, treated for the brachial bone gun-shot fracture and for the extremity affection on the humerus level in 2014 - 2015 yrs period. Primary and repeated surgical processing of the wounds was done in 94.7% wounded persons, the core аpparatuses of external fixation were imposed in 85.9%. Vacuum-therapy was conducted in 17.5% wounded persons, free autodermoplasty and autovenous prosthesis of artery was accomplished in 10.5%. Good functional results were achieved in 47.4% wounded persons, satisfactory - in 40.3%, bad - in 12.3%. The management and treatment-diagnostic faults were analyzed.

Opinions, hopes and concerns regarding pharmacogenomics: a comparison of healthy individuals, heart failure patients and heart transplant recipients.

It is not yet known whether healthy individuals and patients with a chronic disease have similar attitudes towards pharmacogenomics. Thus we conducted a survey of 175 healthy volunteers, 175 heart failure (HF) patients and 100 heart transplant recipients to compare their opinions on this subject. Most participants (>90%) stated that they would accept pharmacogenomic testing and expressed high hopes regarding its potential applications. Overall, interest for pharmacogenomics was shared equally among the three groups. In contrast, after adjusting for age, gender, education and income, healthy individuals were more likely to voice concerns about potential employment (P=0.008 vs HF, odds ratio (OR)=2.93, confidence interval (CI)=1.33-6.47; P=0.010 vs Transplant, OR=2.46, CI=1.24-4.90) and insurance discrimination (P=0.001 vs HF, OR=5.58, CI=2.01-15.48; P<0.001 vs Transplant, OR=4.98, CI=2.03-12.21) and were possibly more worried by confidentiality issues. These findings highlight the need for strict legislation and proper educational strategies directed at the general population to facilitate the clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics.

In vivo effects of glycine on retinal ultrastructure and averaged electroretinogram.

Glycine, when injected intravitreally, has an inhibitory action on the electroretinogram (ERG) of the rabbit resulting in a transient loss of the oscillatory potentials of the b-wave. This inhibitory action is reversible within 24 h after glycine injection. In autoradiographs, after [3H] glycine administration, the radioactive label is mainly found over the inner nuclear layer (INL) and inner plexiform layer (IPL) without predilection of specific cell types and/or synapses. Electron microscopy reveals cytopathological changes in amacrine cells, in particular their cell membranes. These changes are conspicuous especially 1-2 h after the injection and the cells become normal again within 24 h. It is concluded that glycine has an inhibitory action upon the rabbit ERG in vivo. This action, on the basis of our morphological observations under our experimental conditions, may be due to an overall somatic membrane action rather than to an action as inhibitory neurotransmitter at the synaptic level. The reversible cellular lesions of amacrine cells after glycine administration with a concomitant, transient loss of oscillatory potentials (OP) supports the hypothesis that the cellular origin of OP is situated in amacrine cells.

[Visual disorders, functional defects and vitamin deficiencies]. / Plaintes visuelles, déficits fonctionnels et carences vitaminiques.

The comparison between complaints, functional defects and vitamin deficiencies is reported for several professional groups characterized by different work conditions. Results suggest that complaints are an useful indicator of visual load and that retinal sensitivity to the light is especially tried. Longitudinal studies are required to verify whether some functional alterations on the aging process of the eye can be aggravated by a visual overload. Visual complaints, functional defects and vitamin deficiencies as indicators of visual load.

[Ocular fatigue induced due to work on visual screens]. / La fatigue oculaire engendrée par le travail sur écran de visualisation.

It appears that visual complaints, as they are expressed by numerous TV screen operators, are associated with common eye defects. Our results based on a survey with questionnaires and visual testing sustain such an hypothesis. As a consequence, solving eye problems at TV screens requires both the improvement of visual displays and the visual adaptation of users. If impossible working-time should be reduced.

[Slight variations of vitamin A in blood levels and their effect on visual perception]. / Petites variations du taux sanguin de vitamine A et leurs incidences sur la perception visuelle.

The purpose of this study was to find out a simple perceptual visual test that gives the possibility to detect the visual incidence of slight variations of the vitamin A blood rate. The visual function was tested in 30 young subjects without refraction problems at the same time as blood concentration of vitamin A was measured. Visual tests comprised visual acuity at high and low luminance level, contrast sensitivity, glare sensitivity as well as attenuation characteristics of the eye toward flickering stimuli. Among all these tests, only the flicker test showed some relation with the plasma vitamin A levels, which were situated between 35 and 75 mcg/100 ml.

[Visual evoked potentials and ophthalmoscopy redfree light in subclinical retrobulbar neuritis of multiple sclerosis (author's transl)]. / Potentiels évoqués visuels et ophtalmoscopie à la lumière anérythre dans les formes subcliniques des névrites rétro-bulbaires de la sclérose en plaques.

Combined study using pattern and flash VER as well as fundoscopy with redfree light shows an increased number of axonal degeneration of the retinal fiber layer in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis without ocular symptoms. Discussion of differential diagnosis of other neuropathies (toxical, compressive, etc.).

[The Brown's syndrome: an anatomic variation (author's transl)]. / Une variation anatomique du syndrome de Brown.

In a young woman with an anomaly of the ocular motility evoking Brown's syndrome, an insertion anomaly of the superior oblique muscle, situated in the superior nasal quadrant 10 mm of the limbus, was found during operation. A stair-like tenotomy restored an almost normal motility.

[Degenerative choroidal atrophy (author's transl)]. / Les atrophies choroïdiennes dégénératives.

Based on of 10 personal observations, the authors discuss the modes of onset and the various clinical, functional and genetic aspects of primary degenerative choroidal atrophies. Central areolar atrophy may be the only lesion or is sometimes associated with other signs of a more extensive degeneration (fundus flavimaculatus, degeneration of the posterior pole). Among the diffuse forms a familial case is reported which can be interpreted as a sectorial hypoplasia, and a case similar to a choroideremia, but with recessive transmission.

[Water disinfection: comparative activities of ozone and chlorine on a wide spectrum of bacteria]. / Desinfección de agua: acción comparativa del ozono y cloro sobre un amplio espectro bacteriano.

Ozone and chlorine are agents that disinfect by destroying, neutralizing or inhibiting the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. The treatment of drinking water with ozone has shown to be more efficient against spores of Bacillus subtilis. It was observed that the ozone already in dose of 0.35 mg/l produced the reduction of at least 5 log in populations of approximately 1 x 10(6) cells/ml of Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella typhi, Yersinia enterocolitica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas hydrophila, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. With a dose of 0.50 mg/l of chlorine, the reduction was much smaller for the tested microorganisms (except Vibrio cholerae), while the effect of 2 mg/l of chlorine was similar to the ozone treatment. For spores of Bacillus subtilis, the reduction observed with ozone concentrations of 0.35 and 0.70 mg/l was of almost 3 log, while no considerable effect was obtained with chlorine in the tested conditions. Our results have shown that both disinfectans were consumed during the treatment period, probably because of the own water demand and the added bacterial mass.

[The surgical choice strategies in the treatment of femoral bone fractures in injured persons with combined trauma]. / Vybor khirurgicheskoi taktiki pri lechenii pereloma bedrennoi kosti u postradavshikh s sochetannoi travmoi.

In 1990-1999 years osteosynthesis of the hip bone was performed in 500 injured persons with combined trauma. In 63.1% patients the plates were used, in 19.6%--pivots, in 17.3%--apparatuses of external fixation. The choice of the method and optimal terms of performance of the surgical stabilization procedure of fracture were determined by the trauma severity in accordance with anatomo-functional model. In 12-18 months after the operation 198 patients were examined. Good result was noted in 79.6% of patients, satisfactory--in 17.3%, bad--in 3.1%.

[Surgical strategies in combined injury of pelvic bones and organs]. / Khirurhichna taktyka pry poiednanomu poshkodzhenni kistok taza ta ioho orhaniv.

Experience of surgical treatment of the damaged pelvic bones and its organs in 124 injured persons was summarized. The authors consider, that in combined trauma of pelvis and its organs it is necessary to undertake maximally possible reanimational-surgical measures during 12-72 hours after trauma occurrence, depending on its severity, character of injury of pelvic organs and bones. External fixation is the method of choice in unstable fracture of pelvic bones in early period of traumatic disease. Mortality was 10.5% (13 injured persons). Application of an active surgical tactics in early period of traumatic disease had promoted the shortening of the infectional complications frequency as well as of duration of stationary treatment in 2 times.

[Alteration of calcium signaling as one of the mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease and diabetic polyneuropathy].

This review is devoted to the action of amyloid-beta peptide on the functional activity of intracellular and plasmalemmal calcium-regulated structures in cultured hyppocampal neurons: mitochondria and voltage-gated calcium channels. A comparative analysis of relative changes of plasmalemmal structures in such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's illness and diabetic neuropathy has been made.