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Parenteral omega-3 fatty acids, such as Omegaven, may benefit patients with pediatric short bowel syndrome (SBS) who develop parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease (PNALD).Retrospective cohort describing the outcome of all 12 children with SBS and advanced PNALD who were treated with Omegaven (target omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio = 1:1 to 2:1).The median age was 7.5 (range 3.6-46) months, and median parenteral nutrition duration before starting Omegaven was 28.4 (range 15.3-55.3) weeks. Median initial serum conjugated bilirubin was 137 (range 54-203) micromol/L (8.06 [3.18-11.94] mg/dL). Of the 12 patients, 9 had complete and sustained resolution of hyperbilirubinemia within a median of 24 (range 7-37) weeks, and all are no longer being considered for liver transplantation. Improvements in markers of hepatic inflammation as well as nutritional status also were noted in these patients. Three patients received a liver-intestine transplant while taking Omegaven. There were no complications attributable to Omegaven.Omegaven is associated with restoration of liver function in patients with SBS and advanced liver disease. Parenteral omega-3 fatty acids, such as Omegaven, have the potential to fundamentally alter the paradigm of neonatal SBS from one of early death or transplantation from liver failure to a more chronic disease. More children with SBS should achieve full enteral tolerance and those who do not have the capacity for intestinal adaptation should be able to survive and receive an intestinal graft when older.

This paper describes the preparation, characterization and permeation properties of polyimide BTDA-AAPTMI (Matrimid 5218) and co-polyimide BTDA-TDI/MDI (P84) dense polymer films containing aliphatic hyperbranched polyesters, Boltorn (H40). The H40 are dispersed in the polymers at various concentrations. For Matrimid–H40 1.0 wt% membrane the nitrogen permeability increases but with significant loss in selectivity, while at higher H40 concentrations (5.0 and 10.0 wt%) the permeability becomes lower than of the pure polymer and the selectivity generally stays constant. The dispersion of various concentrations of H40 (1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 wt%) in P84 membranes decreases gas permeability in comparison to pure P84, while the selectivity generally stays constant.

PPO (poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)) is a well-known membrane material showing good gas separation properties. The incorporation of nanoparticles can enhance or deteriorate the performance of composite membranes, sometimes depending only on the way of the composite preparation. We have modified the PPO polymer with C60 fullerenes up to a content of 2 wt %. Previous investigations showed a strong dependence of permeability on whether the C60 is simply dispersed in the polymer or chemically bonded to the polymer chains. Free volume effects were suggested as an explanation but not experimentally confirmed. Here, we present free volume studies by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. An additional long positron lifetime shows the increased free volume of composite samples, while the high electron affinity of C60 helps to indicate the homogeneity of the samples. Combining the presented results with permeability measurements refines the understanding of this promising membrane material.

This paper describes the preparation, characterization and the permeation properties of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) dense polymer films containing aliphatic hyperbranched polyesters, Boltorn (H20, H30, and H40). The Boltorn are dispersed in PPO at various concentrations. The gas permeability results were very different between low and high concentration of Boltorn. The gas permeability of PPO with 1.0 wt % of Boltorn is 2−3 times higher than the pure polymer, while at higher concentration (9.1 wt %) of Boltorn the permeability becomes almost 50% of the pure polymer. The gas pair selectivity, however, stays constant. The increase in permeability at low concentration of Boltorn is due to the increase of the free volume, probably due to hydrogen bonds between Boltorn and the oxygen of PPO backbone. The decreased permeability of PPO containing higher concentration of Boltorn (9.1 wt %) is due to two reasons: decrease in free volume as determined by PALS as well as phase separation. The hyperbranced polyesters form aggregates that migrate to the top surface of the membrane.

This paper describes the preparation, characterization, and the permeation properties of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) dense polymer films containing fullerenes (C60). The C60 are either dispersed or covalently bonded to PPO at various concentrations. The gas permeability results are very different between covalently bonded and dispersed PPO−C60. The gas permeability of PPO−C60 bonded increases up to 80% with increasing fullerene concentration. The gas pair selectivity, however, stays constant. This behavior is probably due to stiffening of the polymer structure and increase of free volume. The gas permeability through the PPO−C60 dispersed decreases in comparison to pure PPO. This reduction is due to C60 clustering in the polymer. The clusters seem to induce polymer crystallinity, and they are probably aligned along the film plane, creating an extra barrier for gas permeation.

In this work, we report superior mass transport properties of polymers prepared by the covalent coupling of supermolecular carbon cages (e.g., fullerenes, bucky balls) to a poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) polymer. Dispersing the bucky balls into the polymer reduces gas permeability, whereas covalent bonding enhances permeability up to 80% in comparison to the pure PPO. Gas pair selectivity, however, is not compromised and stays constant.

Objective. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common among infants and toddlers. Children can be treated effectively with short courses (2–4 days) of intravenous (IV) therapy followed by oral therapy. If IV therapy is chosen, use of once-daily dosing may allow outpatient management instead of hospital admission. However, no description of ambulatory treatment with IV antibiotics of UTI among febrile children has been reported to date. We aimed to describe the feasibility and complications of outpatient management with IV antibiotics of UTI among febrile children, at the day treatment center (DTC) of a tertiary-care pediatric hospital. Methods. Between April 1, 2002, and March 31, 2003, a prospective cohort of patients 3 months to 5 years of age who were examined in the emergency department (ED) and diagnosed as having presumed febrile UTI were treated according to a clinical protocol. Patients were treated at the DTC unless they met exclusion criteria, in which case they were hospitalized. The DTC was open 7 days per week, including holidays, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. At the DTC, patients were initially treated with a daily dose of IV gentamicin, until the child had been afebrile for at least 24 hours, and with oral amoxicillin, until preliminary urine culture results were available. Children allergic to penicillin received gentamicin only. IV antibiotics were administered through peripheral IV access; the IV catheter’s patency was maintained with injection of 50 U of heparin once daily throughout the treatment period. Parental satisfaction with the DTC experience was assessed with an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. Results. Two hundred ninety-one episodes of presumed febrile UTI were diagnosed in the ED, of which 212 (72.9%) were sent to the DTC. There were 71 hospital admissions (24.4%); in 9 of these instances, the child was admitted because parents refused or were unable to comply with DTC treatment. Adherence to the treatment protocol in the ED was excellent; in 92.1% of presumed febrile UTI episodes (268 of 291 episodes), the patient was referred to the appropriate setting for treatment. In 8 instances, patients who met an exclusion criterion were sent to the DTC. They should have been hospitalized, according to the protocol. At the DTC, a final diagnosis of UTI was made in 178 of the 212 episodes (84%). Patients treated at the DTC, with a final diagnosis of UTI, had a median age of 12.0 months (range: 3–68 months), and their mean initial temperature was 39.2°C (SD: 1.1°C). Patients were afebrile by 24 hours in 52% of UTI episodes and by 48 hours in 82%. Minor problems with IV access occurred in 9.0% of cases. The duration of IV antibiotic therapy at the DTC was 1.9 days (SD: 0.9 day). The mean number of visits to the DTC, including appointments for renal ultrasound and voiding cystourethrography evaluations, was 3.5 (SD: 0.9). Parents were present at all scheduled visits in 98.9% of cases. Four patients needed to be hospitalized from the DTC, but in only 1 case was hospital admission related to UTI treatment. Four patients with UTI treated in the DTC had positive blood cultures, 2 with Escherichia coli (both successfully treated at the DTC) and 2 with contaminants. For 4 children treated at the DTC, UTI was caused by gentamicin-resistant E coli. One patient became afebrile within 24 hours after treatment initiation with IV gentamicin; he was then treated with oral cefixime. A second patient was treated with IV ceftriaxone, administered at the DTC once culture results were available, and remained febrile for Conclusions. Our data show that ambulatory treatment with IV antibiotics, at a DTC, may be used for at least three-fourths of UTIs among febrile children 3 months to 5 years of age. It is safe and feasible and appears very satisfactory to parents. Although ambulatory treatment with IV antibiotics is more invasive than oral therapy during the initiation of UTI treatment, it ensures almost full compliance, allows close medical supervision, and facilitates investigations related to the UTI. It is an interesting alternative to hospitalization.

Very preterm infants are vulnerable to deficiency in DHA. In a longitudinal study, 10 mothers who delivered ≤29 wk gestation and planned to breast-feed received DHA (1200 mg/d) until 36 wk after conception. The plasma DHA status was assessed in their 12 infants (including 2 pairs of twins) from birth to d 49. Fatty acid profiles were measured weekly in breast milk, and in plasma of mothers and infants at baseline and at d15 and 49. Plasma and breast milk fatty acid concentrations in the DHA-supplemented group at d 49 were compared with a reference group of very preterm infants (n = 24, including triplets) whose mothers (n = 22) did not receive DHA during lactation. The infants' plasma DHA concentration tended to be greater in the DHA group than in the reference group (P = 0.10) and was greater when expressed as a percentage of total fatty acids (P = 0.009). At d 49, maternal milk DHA in the DHA group (1.92 ± 1.10 mmol/L) was ~12 times higher than in the reference group (0.15 ± 0.27 mmol/L) (P0.001). The amount of DHA provided to the infants increased from wk 1 through wk 7 in the DHA group (P0.001). Although enteral intake at wk 7 did not differ between the DHA group [119 ± 51 mL/(kg·d)] and the reference group [113 ± 66 mL/(kg·d)], DHA group infants received 55 ± 38 mg/(kg·d) of DHA, and the reference group infants received 7 ± 11 mg/(kg·d) (P0.001). Early supplementation with DHA to lactating mothers with low dietary DHA intake successfully increased the plasma DHA status in very preterm infants.

Parenteral nutrition associated liver disease (PNALD) is the major source of morbidity and mortality in children with short bowel syndrome (SBS). There is emerging evidence that omega-6 fatty acids (omega6FA) within the parenteral solution play a major role in PNALD and their effects may be reversed or ameliorated by substitution with omega-3 fatty acids (omega3FA). This paper reviews the mechanisms whereby omega3FAs may influence PNALD by improving bile flow, inhibiting steatosis, and having immunomodulatory effects. The early clinical experience with omega3FAs in SBS and PNALD is briefly reviewed and the implications of such, and future directions are considered.

PPO (poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)) is a well-known membrane material showing good gas separation properties. The incorporation of nanoparticles can enhance or deteriorate the performance of composite membranes, sometimes depending only on the way of the composite preparation. We have modified the PPO polymer with C60 fullerenes up to a content of 2 wt %. Previous investigations showed a strong dependence of permeability on whether the C60 is simply dispersed in the polymer or chemically bonded to the polymer chains. Free volume effects were suggested as an explanation but not experimentally confirmed. Here, we present free volume studies by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. An additional long positron lifetime shows the increased free volume of composite samples, while the high electron affinity of C60 helps to indicate the homogeneity of the samples. Combining the presented results with permeability measurements refines the understanding of this promising membrane material.

The present invention relates to polymer compositions comprising a (co)polymer comprising (a) an arylene oxide moiety and (b) a dendritic (co)polymer, a hyperbranched (co)polymer or a mixture thereof, and the use of these polymer compositions as membrane materials for the separation of gases. The present invention further relates to the use of a dendritic (co)polymer, a hyperbranched (co)polymer or a mixture thereof as permeability and/or selectivity enhancing additives in gas separation membranes. The dendritic (co)polymer is preferably a Boltorn polymer.

Es wurden chemische und IR-spektrophotometrische Methoden zum Nachweis und zur Bestimmung von α-Dialkoxy-methyl-β-propionitril, cis-und trans-α-Alkoxy-methylen-β-alkoxy-propionitril und α-Dialkoxy-methylen-acrylonitril ausgearbeitet. Mit den neuen Methoden wurden die Formylierung von β-Alkoxy-propionitril und die anschliesende Methylierung des gebildeten Enols mit Dimethylsulfat untersucht. α-Dimethoxy-methyl-β-methoxy-propionitril wurde in reiner Form dargestellt und charakterisiert.

The cerebral protein metabolism (32 P incorporation into cerebral proteins, total RNA and DNA, cerebral free aminoacid content) was investigated in 90 newborn rats of either sex, injected daily with Nialamide or saline, and killed 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after birth. The results revealed a significant decrease of 32 P-in-corporation into cerebral proteins, RNA and DNA, especially in 7 and 14-day-old rats. Cerebral free aminoacid content (glutamic acid, alpha-alanine, leuccine, valine and lysine) decrease significantly in 7 and 14-day-old rats. The modifications of protein metabolism and total nucleic acids in Nialamide - treated newborn rats might be attributed to the direct action of MAO inhibitors on the cerebral protein metabolism or to an indirect action via the adrenal cortex. The authors discuss the possible biochemical codification of behavior.

The aim of the experiment was to investigate the influence of cold training in early postnatal life, on the dynamics of some biochemical brain parameters. Studies carried out on 96 Wistar newborn rats led to the following conclusions: chronic exposure to -12 degrees C, 10 min. daily, starting with day 1, or 7, 14, 21, and 30 days induces a significant stimulation of 32P-incorporation into brain phospholipids (in 14-, 21-, and 30-day-old rats), into phosphoproteins, cerebral DNA and RNA (especially in 14-day-old-rats.) The authors discuss the biological significance of these findings.