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Relations are found among the amplitudes for four-baryon processes with ΔS = 1 under the assumption that the Lagrangian for s-wave weak interactions has the transformation properties of a component of the SU(6) 35-plet. In particular, it is found that the amplitudes for theS →S andS →S transitions for the Λp → pn reaction are the same, within a sign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study describes heat- and cold-related mortality in 12 urban populations in low- and middle-income countries, thereby extending knowledge of how diverse populations, in non-OECD countries, respond to temperature extremes., Methods: The cities were: Delhi, Monterrey, Mexico City, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Salvador, São Paulo, Santiago, Cape Town, Ljubljana, Bucharest and Sofia. For each city, daily mortality was examined in relation to ambient temperature using autoregressive Poisson models (2- to 5-year series) adjusted for season, relative humidity, air pollution, day of week and public holidays., Results: Most cities showed a U-shaped temperature-mortality relationship, with clear evidence of increasing death rates at colder temperatures in all cities except Ljubljana, Salvador and Delhi and with increasing heat in all cities except Chiang Mai and Cape Town. Estimates of the temperature threshold below which cold-related mortality began to increase ranged from 15 degrees C to 29 degrees C; the threshold for heat-related deaths ranged from 16 degrees C to 31 degrees C. Heat thresholds were generally higher in cities with warmer climates, while cold thresholds were unrelated to climate., Conclusions: Urban populations, in diverse geographic settings, experience increases in mortality due to both high and low temperatures. The effects of heat and cold vary depending on climate and non-climate factors such as the population disease profile and age structure. Although such populations will undergo some adaptation to increasing temperatures, many are likely to have substantial vulnerability to climate change. Additional research is needed to elucidate vulnerability within populations.

Objectives: Adverse effects have been reported of prenatal and/or postnatal passive exposure to smoking on children's health. Uncertainties remain about the relative importance of smoking at different periods in the child's life. We investigate this in a pooled analysis, on 53,879 children from 12 cross-sectional studies--components of the PATY study (Pollution And The Young)., Methods: Effects were estimated, within each study, of three exposures: mother smoked during pregnancy, parental smoking in the first two years, current parental smoking. Outcomes were: wheeze, asthma, "woken by wheeze", bronchitis, nocturnal cough, morning cough, "sensitivity to inhaled allergens" and hay fever. Logistic regressions were used, controlling for individual risk factors and study area. Heterogeneity between study-specific results, and mean effects (allowing for heterogeneity) were estimated using meta-analytical tools., Results: There was strong evidence linking parental smoking to wheeze, asthma, bronchitis and nocturnal cough, with mean odds ratios all around 1.15, with independent effects of prenatal and postnatal exposures for most associations., Conclusions: Adverse effects of both pre- and postnatal parental smoking on children's respiratory health were confirmed. Asthma was most strongly associated with maternal smoking during pregnancy, but postnatal exposure showed independent associations with a range of other respiratory symptoms. All tobacco smoke exposure has serious consequences for children's respiratory health and needs to be reduced urgently.

When assessing the health risk of benzene and its allowable levels of exposure of special importance is its cancerogenic effect. Bearing in mind, that the cancerogenic substances have no threshold dose, as well as the genetic benzene activity, no safety level of benzene is recommended in the atmospheric air of settlements. The undertakings, in relation to the atmospheric air pollution with benzene, have to be conformed to the admissible risk.

The results of segidrin administration to 46 patients with malignant and 6 patients with benign tumors of the brain are presented. Pronounced therapeutic effect for the whole group was 63.5% and 73%, if partial regression of neurologic symptoms in the entire brain and separate foci is considered. These indexes for patients with malignant tumors only were 61 and 71.7%, respectively. Since segidrin has virtually no significant untoward side-effects, it is considered a most safe medicine for managing brain tumors. It is recommended in cases of inoperable tumor and for post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy with a view to extending the patient's survival time and improving the quality of life.

A study of ambient air pollution differences over the residential areas in Sofia and the effect of the morbidity of the population has been carried out. Correlation analysis between the average concentrations of particulates, SO2, NO2, H2S, phenol and lead, and the incidence of several groups of diseases among adults and children has been performed. It has been found out that air pollution is more intensive in the centre of the city as a consequence of the heavy motor vehicle traffic and the old way of town planning. The results point out also that diseases of the lung, eye and skin are more frequent among the residents of city areas situated next to industrial zones, while diseases of the cardiovascular, hemopoietic and endocrine systems are more typical in the city centre as compared to a control residential areas. Although ambient air pollution has been found to the moderate, the correlation analysis suggests an influence of air pollution on the incidence of chronic diseases and immune imbalance. It is supposed that each pollutant possesses an individual risk potential.

The town of Srednogorie is one of the ecologically endangered districts of Bulgaria because of environmental pollution by the copper works. The morbidity of the population is studied in relation to the atmospheric air pollution. Basic pollutants are: sulphuric compounds (sulphur dioxide and sulphuric acid) and to a lower rate--lead and arsenic. The tendencies of air pollution are favourable, save lead pollution, the concentration of which increases during the last years. The structure of the morbidity of the population point out that there is an increase of the relative part of diseases, which could be related to the systematic effect of heavy metals and arsenic (malignant neoplasms, diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular system, diseases of the kidney). More frequently are observed acute and chronic cases of diseases of the respiratory tract.

The atmospheric air pollution in the town of Ruse and the related with that changes in the health status of the population has been studied. As a result of the transference from Giurgiu (Romania) hydrogen chloride pollution is observed. Immediate changes in the morbidity of respiratory diseases is determined on the days of pollution. There is also a durable tendency for deterioration of the health status of children and adults, as well as lag behind in the physical development of schoolchildren and aggravated functional lung indices.

Two rare observations of sinus pericranii are presented, characterized by a soft intumescence containing venous blood and growing in size if the head is bent or during tension. The condition may be diagnosed by local introduction of a contrast agent into the intumescence. Surgical treatment of this developmental venous defect is recommended.

In patients with cerebral meningiomas, hemorrhages to the subarachnoidal space and tumorous tissues are an extreme rarity. The difficulties encountered in the clinical diagnosis may be, as a rule, accounted for by an uneventful course, marked by a dramatically occurring intracranial hemorrhage as the first disease manifestation. Carotid angiography and computer-aided tomography enable a correct diagnosis to be made. Radical excision of the tumor provides favourable results, with the exception of comatose patients.

The authors make an analysis of organization ofautologous blood transfusions during planned operations in 85 neurosurgical patients. Advantages of preparation of autologous blood preserved with rheopolyglucin are noted.

A survey is carried out among the population of a district with nonferrous metallurgy in view of studying the mutual relation between the exposure to heavy metals and some basic risk factors for the development of ischemic disease of the heart. The study pertains to the content of lead, cadmium, copper and zinc in blood and its relation to the serum lipids, glutathione in blood, arterial pressure and age. A higher level of triglycerides and free butyric acids were established in the serum with absence of clinical manifestations as a result of exposure to heavy metals. A significant correlation of cadmium, copper and zinc with serum lipids was found. On the basis of regressive analysis equations for the changes in the biochemical indices are derived under the effect of exposure to heavy metals, as well as for the connection of the arterial pressure with age and serum cholesterol. It is reckon that in clinical healthy young people under the effect of nonoccupational exposure to heavy metals a prerequisite is created for development of atherosclerotic diseases in mature and advanced age. It is recommended that the environmental pollution by nonferrous metallurgy to be accepted as risk factor for development of ischemic disease of the heart and to be taken under consideration in the complex preventive measure for this disease.