[Catastrophy management in the large clinic. Bridges between fundamental research and rescue practice].

In consequence of a fire that had broken out in the large general hospital centre of the University of Aachen, a working team was organised to systematise the experiences gained and to work out an internal scheme for handling catastrophic events. It was the declared aim of the working group to study and come to grips with innovative concepts of self-organisation in social systems and with cognitive trouble-shooting research to assess the relevance of actions based on these factors, the purpose being to complement and widen the range of conventional concepts of managing catastrophic events and the relevant security measures. This study discovered general agreement between the reflected experiences as seen from the viewpoint of the working team on the one hand, and the theoretical considerations of cognitive trouble-shooting research and the concepts of self-organisation in complex systems on the other.

In vivo administration of anti-asialo-GM1 antibody enhances splenic clearance of Listeria monocytogenes.

Resistance of mice to infection by Listeria monocytogenes involves a biphasic response. The first phase consists of the first 48 h after infection, during which there is multiplication of Listeria in the liver and spleen of infected mice. In these nonimmune mice, macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes are the effector cells involved in controlling multiplication.

Myocardial oxygen consumption and regulation of coronary blood flow during stepped relief of the left ventricle.

In 25 calves an atrio-ventriculo-aortic bypass was performed and the metabolism and the regulation of coronary blood flow during stepped assistance of the left ventricle was studied. With mean aortic blood pressure kept constant stepped decrease in left ventricular pressure from 120 to 0 mmHg diminished myocardial oxygen consumption from 7.7 to 1.

Preparative isolation of middle molecular weight fractions from the hemofiltrate of patients with chronic uremia.

Fractions in the molecular weight range of the so-called middle molecules (500--3000 daltons) were isolated on a preparative scale from hemofiltrate of patients. Hemofiltration was performed with an RP-6 dialyzer using a predilution technique. The hemofiltrate was concentrated and desalinated by reverse osmosis with membranes with a normal cut-off of 500 daltons.