An analysis for blood manganese used to assess environmental exposure

In this graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometric method for measuring manganese in whole blood, we use a pyrolytic platform to minimize interference by sample matrix. For optimal sample ashing we denature the sample within the furnace with nitric acid and use oxygen as the purge gas at low temperatures. The mean manganese concentration found in blood from 15 unexposed city dwellers was 215 (2 SD 135) nmol/L. By comparison, the range of manganese concentrations in blood sampled from a group of Australian aborigines living near a surface manganese ore deposit on Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory, was much higher (median 405 nmol/L, range 175 to 990 nmol/L).     

Synthesis and thermodynamic studies of two new polymers carrying amido and amino groups in the side chains

Two linear vinyl polymers carrying amido and primary amino groups in the side chains were synthesized and characterized. Their behaviour in aqueous solution was investigated by potentiometric, viscometric and calorimetric techniques. In both cases, the basicity constants show a linear dependence on the degree of protonation α, while the enthalpy values of protonation do not. The thermodynamic results demonstrate the important role of hydrophobic interactions on the protonation process.     

Mutations in SOX2 cause anophthalmia-esophageal-genital (AEG) syndrome

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Complications of temporomandibular joint arthroscopy: a retrospective analytic study of 670 arthroscopic procedures.

PURPOSE: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthroscopy has been considered a safe surgical procedure in the treatment of TMJ derangement. However, it is not exempt from complications. This study evaluates the complications of arthroscopy in patients with internal derangement of TMJ. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five hundred consecutive patients (670 joints) with TMJ derangement who underwent arthroscopy between 1995 and 2004 were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients were classified as II to V in the Wilkes classification. Lysis and lavage, electrocautery of the posterior ligament, injection of corticoids, injection of ethanolamine, myotomy of lateral pterygoid muscle attachments, myotomy and electrocautery, motor debridement, injection of sodium hyaluronate, and meniscal suture were performed in different patients. RESULTS: Complications were recognized during or immediately after the surgery. They were observed in 5 of 341 (1.26%) arthroscopies of the right TMJ and 4 of 329 (1.21%) arthroscopies of the left TMJ. A 1.34% complication rate was found in the whole series. No blood clots within the external auditory canal were observed. Bleeding within the superior TMJ space was observed in 57 cases (8.5%), 36 of them in the right TMJ and 21 in the left TMJ, but they were not considered as true complications. Lacerations of the external auditory canal were found in 2 cases (0.3%), with no cases of perforation of the tympanic membrane. Lesion of the auriculotemporal nerve was observed in a case. Paresia of the facial nerve was found in 4 cases (0.6%). Alteration of visual accuracy of the ipsilateral eye was also observed in a patient immediately after the surgery. CONCLUSION: Special care must be taken to reduce complications within the upper joint space by means of an adequate instrumentation and by paying attention to essential points of the arthroscopic technique.     

Validation of the Brazilian-Portuguese Version of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey in Asthma Patients

Background. The European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) questionnaire was planned to answer questions about the distribution of asthma. Our objective was to determine the cultural equivalence of the ECRHS into the Brazilian-Portuguese language. Methods. We translated the ECRHS according to international criteria. Results. Small cultural adaptations were necessary. Among the 80 participating patients, the Cronbach indices were higher (0.98-1.00) and the Kappa indices varied from 0.77 to 1.00. Conclusion. The study suggests that the Brazilian version of the ECRHS is conceptually equivalent to the original and similarly reliable and may be used in international studies involving Portuguese-speaking respiratory patients.