Preclinical Assessment of Adjunctive tPA and DNase for Peritoneal Dialysis Associated Peritonitis

A major complication of peritoneal dialysis is the development of peritonitis, which is associated with reduced technique and patient survival. The inflammatory response elicited by infection results in a fibrin and debris-rich environment within the peritoneal cavity, which may reduce the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents and predispose to recurrence or relapse of infection. Strategies to enhance responses to antimicrobial agents therefore have the potential to improve patient outcomes. This study presents pre-clinical data describing the compatibility of tPA and DNase in combination with antimicrobial agents used for the treatment of PD peritonitis. tPA and DNase were stable in standard dialysate solution and in the presence of antimicrobial agents, and were safe when given intraperitoneally in a mouse model with no evidence of local or systemic toxicity. Adjunctive tPA and DNase may have a role in the management of patients presenting with PD peritonitis.     

Ein Beitrag zur Moosflora von Bosnien

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

New Source for Positive Controls Used for the Identification of Spirochaetes in Tissue Sections

Lyophilized T. pallidum is reconstituted or purchased as a suspension, evenly dispersed, made into smears using alcohol-cleaned slides and a bacteriological platinum wire loop. Smears are air dried for 15 minutes and fixed in concentrated formaldehyde fumes for 30 minutes and stored at room temperature. These preparations are used as positive controls for conventional silver impregnation techniques recommended for spirochaete detection in tissue sections.     

Der Kreislauf des Stoffes in der Pflanzenwelt

Ohne ZusammenfassungObiger Aufsatz, welcher in R. Fleischer's Deutsche Revue (März 1878) erschienen ist, wurde zwar für weitere Kreise geschrieben, allein er enthält nicht nur manche neue Gedanken, sondern auch neue Beobachtungen, so dass derselbe für die Leser dieser Zeitschrift ebenfalls von Interesse sein dürfte.     

Membrane–drug interactions studied using model membrane systems

The direct interaction of drugs with the cell membrane is often neglected when drug effects are studied. Systematic investigations are hindered by the complexity of the natural membrane and model membrane systems can offer a useful alternative. Here some examples are reviewed of how model membrane architectures including vesicles, Langmuir monolayers and solid supported membranes can be used to investigate the effects of drug molecules on the membrane structure, and how these interactions can translate into effects on embedded membrane proteins.     

Patterns of metric variability in the dentition of Papio ursinus

The present investigation assesses a number of explanations for the patterns of variability in dental dimensions. Coefficients of variation were calculated for mesiodistal and buccolingual diameters in a sample of 105 Papio ursinus crania (52 male, 53 female). Variability profiles consisting of arrays of values of coefficients of variation were evaluated by means of Friedman's two-way analysis of variance and Kendall's coefficient of concordance. Although molar teeth were found to be the most dimensionally stable, our results failed to support either the morphogenetic field theory or the occlusal complexity hypothesis. The data presented here are generally supportive of Pengilly's phenotypic complexity theory. However, speciesspecific clustering patterns found in our regressions of dimensional variability on mean tooth size suggest that differences in variability levels might be related to differences in selective pressures.     

Franz Hofmeister, sein Leben und Wirken

Ohne Zusammenfassung