Geochemical signatures and contamination levels of rare earth elements in soil profiles controlled by parent rock and soil properties.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are emerging contaminants rendering potential risks in soils to environmental quality and human health. The causation between their geochemical signatures and contamination levels with parent rocks and soil properties are critical for REEs risk assessments, which are urgently needed globally. Thus, this study aimed to elucidate cause-and-effect among hydrofluoric-acid-digested total and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid extracted bioavailable soil REEs and their contamination degree evaluated by pollution indices in 268 soil layer (horizon) samples from 50 soil profiles derived from felsic, intermediate, mafic, ultramafic, and sedimentary rocks in Taiwan.

Cutaneous blood vessels in scent pigs.

The purpose of this study was to systematically provide anatomic data for flap research in plastic surgery on the cutaneous blood vessels. Seven scent pigs used in this study were killed anesthetically, and their carotid vessels were intubated and injected with a black liquid rubber. Twenty-four hours later, the integument of the scent pig was removed, and the perforating points of the cutaneous vessels were recorded.

Decreased adrenal sex steroid levels in the absence of glucocorticoid suppression in postmenopausal asthmatic women.

Background And Aim: Reduction of serum sex steroid levels has been reported to occur after the administration of beta-adrenergic medication. In that beta-adrenergic blockade is a central pathophysiologic feature of asthma, this study was done to explore the possibility of hormonal alteration in asthma.

Methods: Sex steroids obtained from 22 postmenopausal asthmatic and 22 age-matched, postmenopausal, nonasthmatic women were assayed.

Clearance of a novel recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in rabbits.

The pharmacokinetic properties of hPA(B), characterized by the insertion of a urokinase kringle coding region before the double kringle of tPA plus the complete tPA coding region, were investigated and compared to those of melanoma tPA (mtPA). Mean peak plasma concentrations at the end of infusion were 4.7 micrograms/ml for hPA(B) and 4.

Closure of laparotomy incisions with or without peritoneal suturing and second-look laparoscopy.

The effect of peritoneal closure after reproductive surgery by Pfannenstiel incisions was studied clinically and by second-look laparoscopy. No difference was found in the length of hospital stay, the incidence of wound complications, and other postoperative complications after abdominal closure with (group peritoneal closure, n = 168) or without peritoneal suturing (group no peritoneal closure, n = 165). The laparoscopic findings of 63 patients in the group with peritoneal closure and 57 patients in the group without closure were compared with those in 150 infertile women with no history of abdominal surgery (control group).