The authors describe a case of primary abdominal actinomycosis operated on because of peritonitis sustained by a tubo-ovarian abscess. They discuss the pathogenesis of the case: the patient had been ...on intrauterine device contraception till two months earlier and had been operated on for breast cancer. Preoperative diagnosis is quite impossible and only the microscopic observation of the specimen can show the causative agent. Surgical options are reported, stressing the need for an adequate period of antimicrobial therapy.
The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) is a joint project between astronomical organizations in Europe, USA and Japan. ALMA will consist of at least 64 12-meter antennas operating in the ...millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelength range, with baselines up to 10 km. It will be located at an altitude above 5000m in the Chilean Atacama desert1. The ALMA Common Software (ACS) provides a software infrastructure common to all partners and consists of a documented collection of common patterns in control systems and of components, which implement those patterns. The heart of ACS is an object model of controlled devices, called Distributed Objects (DOs), implemented as CORBA network objects. Components such as antenna mount, power supply, etc. are defined by means of DOs. A code generator creates Java Bean components for each DO. Programmers can write Java client applications by connecting those Beans with data-manipulation and visualization Beans using commercial visual development tools or programmatically. ACS is based on the experience accumulated with similar projects in the astronomical and particle accelerator contexts, reusing and extending concepts and components. Although designed for ALMA, ACS has the potential for being used in other new control systems and other distributed software projects, since it implements proven design patterns using state of the art, stable and reliable technology.
The Authors have studied the effects of different surgical interventions on some factors of humoral and cell-mediated immuno-competence: 112 premenopausal women, operated on mainly for benign ...conditions, have been considered in order to evaluate the influence of various phases of menstrual cycle on surgical immunosuppression. Two schemes were used to stratify the study sample: in the first analysis, we have subdivided the patients in 59 cases in perimenstrual phase (0 through 6 and 21 through 36 days from last menstrual period, LMP) and 53 in periovulatory (7-20 days from LMP). The second stratification relied on the hormone-dependent phases determined by the putative time of ovulation 14 days after LMP: 51 cases in follicular phase and 61 cases in luteal phase have been considered. Immune parameters have been evaluated before surgery and the day after intervention. The first comparison stresses the worst outcome of immune parameters in patients operated on in the perimenstrual period (CD4, activated lymphocytes and C3 have significantly reduced post-operatively). The second part of the study shows no significant difference in the two groups as to such parametres.
Use of prostheses in emergency surgery is a controversial issue due to the risk of infection. We report our experience with a series of 31 strangled hernias treated in emergency situations with a ...polypropylene (n = 29) or a vinyl (n = 2) sheath placed in a pre-peritoneal or retro-muscular position. There were three small bowel resections and 13 resections of the omentum for necrosis. There were no cases of infectious complications during the post-operative period. There were no recurrent hernias during the follow-up. The absence of any supplementary morbidity after emergency prosthesis is in agreement with the data in the literature. These results suggest that a prosthesis can be proposed for strangled hernias when the weakness of the parietal wall would compromise a conventional procedure. Excluded are cases with severe infection, including peritonitis by gangrenous perforation of an incarcerated loop and associated colonic resections.
The potential colonization by anchored plants (PCAP) and the potential areas for initial colonization of free floating plants were estimated during the early filling phase for the Yaciretá reservoir. ...In order to obtain the PCAP, the observed maximum depth of colonization of the anchored macrophytes before impoundment and the hypsographic curves were used. The species inhabiting the pre-impoundment area were classified according to the different bioforms before the inclussion in the analysis. The areal extent of PCAP (from depths between 0-4 m) could reach 275 km² at 76 m above sea level (current water level), whereas at 82 m above sea level (final filling level) the littoral zone will be increased by about 21.5%. The potential area for geophytes was estimated to be 99 km²; 131 km² for root-floating leaved plants and 120 km² for submerged plants, at 76 m above sea level. At 82 m above sea level, the geophytes could reach 271 km². The data for wind frequency, velocity and fetch, together with depth were used to calculate shallow and sheltered areas in which free floating plants could find favourable conditions to initial colonization. Physical and chemical features recorded at eight stations during the early filling phase are discussed in relation to potential plant development.
