Search

The authors consider exact cosmological solutions of the Einstein gravitational equations with a non-interacting combination of a classical scalar field and isotropic radiation as source. They show how a potential function for the scalar field can be found leading to desired volume behaviour of Robertson-Walker universes, and give a number of exact solutions of the coupled equations. These solutions in general do not obey the 'slow-rolling' approximation usually assumed in inflationary universe models.

Five hundred and ninety-nine patients with traumatic wounds of hands or feet with underlying lesions of the bone, tendon or joint, were randomized to double blind treatment with either A) one injection of penicillin, B) penicillin tablets for six days or C) no antibiotic treatment. In group A the infection rate was 4.9%, in group B it was 6.6% and in group C 10.2%. The difference between the infection rates in group A and C was 5.3% with a 95% confidence interval (CI) from 0.1 to 10.4%, (p = 0.046). Correction for an interim analysis and subgroup analysis increases this p-value to 0.096. The difference between the infection rates in group B and C was 3.6% (95%, CI from -1.9 to 8.9%, p = 0.20). Patients in group B had gastrointestinal complaints five times as often as patients in group A and C. Based on the results we advise that a single prophylactic injection of penicillin is given to patients with these injuries.

A questionnaire about prophylactic antibiotic treatment of open bone, tendon or joint lesions in the extremities was sent to the 83 casualty departments in Denmark. The questionnaire was answered by 56 casualty departments which treated 72% of the orthopaedic surgical injuries in Denmark. In cases of lesions of the hands and feet, 23% of the patients were treated in casualty departments where prophylactic antibiotic therapy was rarely employed while 24% were treated in casualty departments where prophylactic antibiotic therapy was always employed. In cases of lesions proximal to the wrist or ankle joints, the figures were 26% and 38%, respectively. Penicillin was nearly always employed and treatment was commenced before or during operation. The majority of departments continued treatment for four days or longer. Considerable scatter was reported in the dosage of penicillin employed. The literature about prophylactic antibiotic treatment in cases of complicated lesions of the extremities is insufficient and controlled investigations are necessary to elucidate a series of conditions.

The author examines the most general theory describing a real scalar field coupled to Einstein gravity in four dimensions. The author shows that the stress tensor of the scalar field always has the structure of a fluid stress tensor. In the case that the scalar field is minimally coupled to gravity, this reduces to a perfect-fluid structure. In addition, the author obtains a generally non-trivial form of the Bianchi identities for this theory, investigates the kinematics of the scalar field and shows how to extend the analysis to include complex scalars and scalar multiplets. Finally, the author discusses the ground-state solutions of the theory, with special attention given to the case when the scalar field potential is polynomial in the fields. The author shows that the gravity-scalar coupling has interesting consequences for the spontaneous breakdown of gauge symmetries and for the observable value of the cosmological constant.

The locally rotationally symmetric Bianchi type-V models possessed of a Cauchy horizon are studied using a tilted comoving basis. The models filled with a perfect fluid having the equation of state of radiation are all shown to have their initial singularity at the same angle of tilt on the fluid curves.

A formalism is developed for studying the evolution of Bianchi type V cosmological models with tilt and a Cauchy horizon. Results are presented on neutron fractions, predicted helium and deuterium abundances and the effect of varying the photon to baryon ratio, in some models. The constraint on the shear/expansion ratio is discussed.

Isolated splenic vein obstruction may lead to bleeding from gastric varices. The condition is rare, the varices may be difficult to demonstrate and therefore the diagnosis often is delayed. This is illustrated by an example of a 79-year-old man who had intermittent melena for two years before the diagnosis was made. Following splenectomy there was no bleeding.