Endoscopic Approach at Two Non-Sequential Levels in Lumbar Discitis.

We report a case of spondylodiscitis in two non-sequential segments of the lumbar spine that was unresponsive to antibiotic treatment instituted and guided by results of blood and urine cultures. A 70-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with complaints of adynamia, low fever, and severe lower back pain that caused difficulty in mobilizing the lower limbs. Spinal tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine suggested L2L3 and L5S1 spondylodiscitis.

Vanadium phosphate catalysts for biodiesel production from acid industrial by-products.

Biodiesel production from high acidity industrial by-products was studied using heterogeneous acid catalysts. These by-products contain 26-39% of free fatty acids, 45-66% of fatty acids methyl esters and 0.6-1.

Infrared and microwaves at 5.8 GHz in a catalytic reactor.

An improved micro-reactor cell for IR spectroscopic studies of heterogeneous catalysis was built around a 5.8 GHz microwave cavity. The reactor can operate at 20 bars and with conventional heating up to 720 K, with reactant gas flows velocities (GHSV) from 25,000 to 50,000 h(-1).

[Use of antral follicle count to predict the response pattern in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles with GnRH antagonist].

Purpose: to establish whether there is a predictive relationship between the antral follicle count (AFC) on the second day of the cycle and the response pattern in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Methods: a prospective study developed from May 2004 to May 2005, in which 51 patients aged <37 years old were submitted to assisted reproduction/ICSI in ovarian hyperstimulation protocol with gonadotropin recombinant and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist. A transvaginal ultrasonography was performed on the second day of the cycle, to count the number of follicles measuring 2 to 10 mm, at the beginning of stimulus, data compared with the number of follicles with >15 mm on the day of ovulation triggering, the total number of oocytes retrieved and in metaphases II, the number of good quality embryos transferred and pregnancy rate.

Evaluation of two incubation environments--ISO class 8 versus ISO class 5--on intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle outcome.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of two different incubation environments-class 8 versus class 5-on embryo quality and pregnancy rate.

Design: Retrospective comparative study.

Setting: Private fertility and gynecology clinic.

NO2 disproportionation for the IR characterisation of basic zeolites.

NO2 disproportionation on alkaline zeolites is used to generate nitrosonium (NO+) and nitrate ions on the surface, and the infrared vibrations observed are very sensitive to the cation chemical hardness and to the basicity of zeolitic oxygen atoms.