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The olivine-spinel phase transition in fayalite at high pressure and temperature has been studied using time-resolved x-ray diffraction. Structure refinements show a delay of cation reordering relative to anions during the phase transformation and an increase in the cell volume while the cations reorder into their sites. A significant stress drop in the sample is observed. This experiment, for the first time, quantitatively demonstrates a pseudomartensitic transformation: a diffusionless anion sublattice transition coupled with short-range diffusional cation reordering.

The title compound, K-GaSi-GIS, potassium gallium silicon oxide hydrate, was synthesized hydrothermally and its crystal structure was determined from data collected on a single crystal of dimensions 10 x 10 x 8 microm at a synchrotron X-ray source. The compound, which has the aluminosilicate (AlSi) zeolite gismondine (GIS) topology, Ca(4)[Al(8)Si(8)O(32)].16H(2)O, crystallizes in the tetragonal space group I4(1)/a. A disordered distribution of the framework Si/Ga sites leads to higher symmetry of the GIS-type network compared with the usual monoclinic symmetry in AlSi-GIS. Framework Ga substitution for Al in AlSi-GIS leads to substantial distortion of the crankshaft chains, reducing the effective pore dimensions and suggesting the possibility of pore-dimension control via partial framework-cation substitution.

Laser Brillouin spectroscopy was used to determine the adiabatic single-crystal elastic stiffness coefficients of silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) in the alpha-cristobalite structure. This SiO(2) polymorph, unlike other silicas and silicates, exhibits a negative Poisson's ratio; alpha-cristobalite contracts laterally when compressed and expands laterally when stretched. Tensorial analysis of the elastic coefficients shows that Poisson's ratio reaches a maximum value of -0.5 in some directions, whereas averaged values for the single-phased aggregate yield a Poisson's ratio of -0.16.

One case of congenital esophageal stenosis due to tracheobronchial remnants and associated with microphthalmos and corneosclera is reported. Diagnostic and therapeutic methods employed are discussed.

Locoregional anaesthesia has become an excellent complement of conventional general anaesthesia, because it results in efficient postoperative pain relief and is easy to carry out. We have performed two types of anaesthetic blockade: of peripheral nerve (dorsal nerve of the penis and abdominogenital nerve) and caudal block. Both have been employed in pediatric day surgery with good results in postoperative pain relief and with no complications. Advantages such as early recovery of oral feeding and the normal activity of the child are possible when using these techniques of locoregional anaesthesia.

A novel open antimony sulfide framework of composition [Sb(3)S(5)](-) has been synthesized hydrothermally, in the presence of tetramethyl ammonium ions. Determination of the crystal structure demonstrates that the (Me(4)N)(+) molecules (Me, methyl) occlude a system of intersecting channels at 90 degrees to one another. The three-dimensional framework is assembled from a new building unit, flat s-shaped buckled sheets of edge-linked 4-rings containing Sb(2)S(2) moieties. These are cross-linked in two directions to form the system of channels.

Mammalian neurons from ventral mesencephalon were grown in primary dissociated cell culture. These cultures were examined for dopamine sensitive adenylate cyclase activity and specific ligand binding of [3H]spiroperidol and [3H]flupenthixol. No stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity by 10 microM dopamine was demonstrable in cell culture homogenates. [3H]Spiroperidol bound to cell culture homogenates with high affinity and was displaced by (+)-butaclamol but not by 5-hydroxytryptamine, suggesting that the [3H]spiroperidol was bound to dopamine receptors. While [3H]flupenthixol binding was also present, it could be displaced by spiroperidol indicating that the dopamine receptor was probably of the D2 subtype. Binding of spiroperidol was proportional to the amount of cell culture homogenate, and was saturable. Are these receptors autoreceptors? The toxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridine (MPP+) was used to destroy dopaminergic neurons; spiroperidol binding in these cultures was found to be increased, demonstrating that most of these D2 receptors are not autoreceptors.

Esophageal stenosis secondary to lye ingestion and surgical repair of esophageal atresia have been treated traditionally with bougienage. More recently, it has been described a new technique to treat them, based in the works of GRUNTZIG which employs balloon catheters for vascular stenosis. We present a series of 11 patients treated by these method, with a total of 17 stenosis. Ten patients had ingested lye and one had an esophageal atresia. We describe the method employed. 91% of the cases had a satisfactory evolution.