Search

UV instruments using interference filters or glass filters for the selection of three wavelength regions (310-320 nm, 315-391 nm, and 296-388 nm) and photocells have been developed and manufactured at the Meteorological Observatory Potsdam. The design and principle of the instruments are described. Method and problems of calibration are discussed. First results of continuous UV radiation measurements will be discussed in a separate paper.

It was investigated whether the NO-donor SIN-1, the active metabolite of molsidomine, influenced the activation of platelets, the formation of circulating platelet aggregates, the spontaneous aggregation of platelets and the activation of the clotting system triggered by a body foreign surface in an in vitro closed-loop perfusion model. With human platelet-rich plasma at micromolar concentrations SIN-1 exerted pronounced effects on the interaction between platelets and an exogenous surface. In the absence of SIN-1, the number of circulating single platelets decreased significantly, which could be due either to the formation of circulating platelet aggregates or to the adhesion of platelets to the stent. Both these processes were blocked by the addition of SIN-1. Moreover, the platelets exhibited hyperaggregability in the absence of SIN-1 whereas the NO-donor was able to completely inhibit spontaneous platelet aggregation. Similar results were obtained in flow cytometry experiments. Without SIN-1, high platelet surface densities of both the GPIb/IX and GPIIb/IIIa receptors were observed. In addition, the density of the fibrinogen receptor increased significantly with the number of perfusion cycles. SIN-1 was able to suppress the augmented GPIIb/IIIa receptor expression significantly. Molsidomine seemed to have the potential to reduce the incidence of thrombotic processes triggered by the exogenous surface of the stent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) fish embryo acute toxicity (FET) test was compared to the fish gill cells (RTgill-W1) in vitro assay and to the fish larvae acute toxicity test to evaluate their sensitivity for whole-effluent toxicity (WET) testing. The toxicity of 12 chemicals relevant for WET testing was compared as proof of principle. The concentrations lethal to 50% of a population (LC50) of embryos were compared to those in fish larvae and to the 50% effect concentration (EC50) in RTgill-W1 cells from previous literature. Along with traditional FET endpoints (coagulation, somite development, tail detachment, and heartbeat), cardiotoxicity was evaluated for WET applicability. Heart rate was measured at LC20 and LC50 values of six subselected chemicals (Cd, Cu, Ni, ammonia, 3,4-dichloraniline, and benzalkonium chloride). In addition, the toxicity of Cd and Ni was evaluated in RTgill-W1 cells exposed in a hypoosmotic medium to evaluate the effect that osmolarity may have on metal toxicity. A significant correlation was found between the FET and larvae LC50 values but not between the RTgill-W1 EC50 and FET LC50 values. Although sensitivity to Ni and Cd was found to increase with hypoosmotic conditions for FET and RTgill-W1 cells, a correlation was only found with removal of Ni from the analysis. Hypoosmotic conditions increased sensitivity with a significant correlation between RTgill-W1 cells and larvae. Cardiotoxicity was shown in three of the five subselected chemicals (Cd, Cu, and 3,4-dichloroaniline). Overall, both in vitro alternative models have shown good predictability of toxicity in fish in vivo for WET chemicals of interest. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2721-2731. © 2022 SETAC., (© 2022 SETAC.)

Introduction: Anticoagulation in cardioversion for atrial fibrillation is performed using unfractionated heparin and oral anticoagulants. TEE-guided cardioversion, after achievement of therapeutic anticoagulation (1-3 days), may be an alternative to the traditional procedure (3-week anticoagulation followed by cardioversion). The quality of anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation has not been investigated in a randomised trial with TEE-guided cardioversion. We analysed respective data from the ACE trial on the quality of conventional anticoagulation, where most participating centres chose the TEE-guided approach., Materials and Methods: In a randomised, prospective, multicentre trial, we analysed the efficacy of unfractionated heparin plus phenprocoumon in 248 patients on an intention-to-treat basis. There were 2373 evaluable anticoagulation measurements (out of 2925 measurements) and 4 categories of anticoagulation quality (under-, target, over- and severe over-anticoagulation). Of patients with evaluable measurements, 88% received short-term anticoagulation (4 weeks) in TEE-guided cardioversion., Results: The median time to achieve therapeutic anticoagulation (aPTT> or =60 and <80 s or INR> or =2 and <3) was 3 days. Anticoagulation values were out of therapeutic range in 69.5% of measurements during 4- or 7-week follow-up, and never within therapeutic range in 10% of patients. Of the 15 primary endpoints observed (death, thromboembolism and major bleeding complications), only 3 were in patients with anticoagulation measurements within therapeutic range., Conclusions: In this study setting, with predominance of 4 weeks anticoagulation in TEE-guided cardioversion for atrial fibrillation, therapeutic anticoagulation was reached within 3 days using conventional anticoagulation. Despite careful dose adjustments, anticoagulation was out of therapeutic range in almost 70% of total measurements and 80% of primary endpoints.

In the EU more than 70 % of national law has already been replaced by EU law. Medical doctors are mostly not informed, how these EU-laws will pass. Many directives, regulations and decisions are important for medical doctors. A characterization of the EU- institutions is represented.

The way through the institutions of the European Union (EU) is very difficult. The difficulties will increase with the expansion of EU to 25 member states, and even more so in the area of medical societies. Following the agenda of the EU, an efficient public health service is a responsibility of every member country. The possibilities of medical interest are pointed out in this paper

The problems of national health system in the European Community member states and affiliating countries will be discussed. Particular attention will be paid to team doctor model, continuous medical education, social security system and disease management programme.

Spectacles worn by vehicle drivers should fulfil the demands set down by DIN 58 216 standards and should furthermore be constructed in such a manner that the binocular field of vision is impaired as little as possible. In this connection, the nasal parts of the frame are particularly important. The external and internal rear-view mirrors of automobiles should be positioned within the binocular field of vision.

During screening procedures in Nordrhein-Westfalen in 1976 more than 100,000 persons had their, i.o. pressure measured for the first time. The results are now available from 66,957 subjects. From these 59,037 had a normal i.o. pressure, 6.941 had raised i.o. pressure, and in 979 subjects the i.o. pressure was very high. This was the first time that screening procedures on a large scale were carried out exclusively with the applanation tonometer. This procedure was carried out as part of a campaign to make the illness of glaucoma better known to the public.

Glaucoma has been known in medicine since Antiquity. Hippokrates described "glaykoseis" as blindness which occurs in the elderly. The English ophthalmologist Banister was the first to establish the connection between increased tension of the eyeball and glaucoma. The important invention of the ophthalmoscope by von Helmholtz (1850) made it possible to diagnose glaucomatous changes in the fundus. In 1862, Donders discovered that high intraocular pressure caused blindness and called the disease "Glaukoma simplex." Further progress in the diagnosis of glaucoma was made by the invention of the tonometer and the perimeter, and the use of cocain. The first effective surgical treatment of glaucoma, an iridectomy, was carried out by von Graefe in 1856. Drug treatment started in 1875 with the discovery of pilocarpine.

The purpose of this review paper is to describe the various mechanisms that may lead to a decrease in the effectiveness of drugs during long-term treatment (the so-called "tolerance" or "escape phenomenon"). In addition, some precise recommendations will be made. Tolerance may be due either to degradation of the active substance by enzyme induction, as is the case e.g. with barbiturates (pharmacokinetic drug tolerance) or to down-regulation of receptors (e.g. beta-adrenergic drugs and opiates) or exhaustion of the metabolic pathways involved in pharmacological activation, as with nitrates and other drugs (pharmacodynamic drug tolerance). Whatever its mechanism, tolerance can be prevented by intermittent drug administration despite the problems inherent in the therapeutic gaps thus created. Another, more rational approach is to replace the drug concerned by a more appropriate drug which permits, or induces the restoration of receptor density when their number is reduced by the physiopathological situation (e.g. H2 stimulation instead of beta-adrenergic stimulation) or which reproduces the action of first physiological messengers, such as the endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), without requiring metabolic activation (e.g. SIN-1 or molsidomine instead of nitrates).