Infectious Diseases and Secondary Antibody Deficiency in Patients from a Mesoregion of São Paulo State, Brazil.

Our aim was to determine the secondary antibody deficiency (SAD) profiles of patients in a mesoregion of São Paulo state, Brazil, focusing on infectious diseases. Demographic characteristics, and clinical and laboratory data were obtained from electronic files; infections were classified as organ-specific and graded as mild, moderate, life-threatening, and fatal. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) accounted for 30% of patients, nephrotic syndrome (NS) 25%, chronic lymphocyte leukemia 20%, and multiple myeloma 15%.

First principles Heisenberg models of 2D magnetic materials: the importance of quantum corrections to the exchange coupling.

Magnetic materials are typically described in terms of the Heisenberg model, which provides an accurate account of thermodynamic properties when combined with first principles calculations. This approach is usually based on an energy mapping between density functional theory and a classical Heisenberg model. However, for two-dimensional systems the eigenenergies of the Heisenberg model may differ significantly from the classical approximation, which leads to modified expressions for exchange parameters.

Is There Material Loss at the Conical Junctions of Modular Components for Total Knee Arthroplasty?

Background: Clinical concern exists regarding fretting corrosion and material loss from taper junctions in orthopedic devices, with previous research focusing on the modular components from total hip arthroplasty. Comparatively little has been published regarding the fretting corrosion and material loss in modular knee devices. The purpose of this study is to evaluate fretting corrosion damage and quantify material loss for conical total knee arthroplasty taper interfaces.

Seed banking of terrestrial orchids: evaluation of seed quality in Anacamptis following 4-year dry storage.

Good-quality dry seeds of some orchids have the potential to survive for decades under conventional seed bank conditions, but further research is needed to fill existing gaps in knowledge regarding seed behaviour under long-term dry storage. The objectives of this study were to evaluate germination ability on two asymbiotic culture media with different nitrogen source; to assess seed desiccation tolerance needed for the storage at sub-zero temperatures; and to study the effects of dry storage at low temperature. Asymbiotic seed germination tests of four Anacamptis species were carried out to evaluate the effects of different culture media, dehydration and dry storage on germination ability.

Water oxidation by an electropolymerized catalyst on derivatized mesoporous metal oxide electrodes.

A general electropolymerization/electro-oligomerization strategy is described for preparing spatially controlled, multicomponent films and surface assemblies having both light harvesting chromophores and water oxidation catalysts on metal oxide electrodes for applications in dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells (DSPECs). The chromophore/catalyst ratio is controlled by the number of reductive electrochemical cycles. Catalytic rate constants for water oxidation by the polymer films are similar to those for the phosphonated molecular catalyst on metal oxide electrodes, indicating that the physical properties of the catalysts are not significantly altered in the polymer films.

Stabilization of a ruthenium(II) polypyridyl dye on nanocrystalline TiO2 by an electropolymerized overlayer.

The long-term performance of dye-sensitized solar and photoelectrochemical cells is strongly dependent on the stability of surface-bound chromophores and chromophore-catalyst assemblies at metal oxide interfaces. We report here electropolymerization as a strategy for increasing interfacial stability and as a simple synthetic route for preparing spatially controlled, multicomponent films at an interface. We demonstrate that [Fe(v-tpy)2](2+) (v-tpy = 4'-vinyl-2,2':6',2″-terpyridine) can be reductively electropolymerized on nanocrystalline TiO2 functionalized with a phosphonate-derivatized Ru(II) polypyridyl chromophore.

Strategies for stabilization of electrodeposited metal particles in electropolymerized films for H2O oxidation and H+ reduction.

Metal particles were electrodeposited on a variety of conducting substrates, and their electrocatalytic activity toward H2O oxidation to O2 and H(+) reduction to H2 was evaluated. Co, Ni, Cu, Pd, Ag, and Pt were all electrodeposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrodes. Particularly active were Pd and Pt for H(+) reduction and Co and Ag for H2O oxidation.

Water oxidation and oxygen monitoring by cobalt-modified fluorine-doped tin oxide electrodes.

Electrocatalytic water oxidation occurs at fluoride-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrodes that have been surface-modified by addition of Co(II). On the basis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy measurements, the active surface site appears to be a single site or small-molecule assembly bound as Co(II), with no evidence for cobalt oxide film or cluster formation. On the basis of cyclic voltammetry measurements, surface-bound Co(II) undergoes a pH-dependent 1e(-)/1H(+) oxidation to Co(III), which is followed by pH-dependent catalytic water oxidation.

Coordination chemistry of single-site catalyst precursors in reductively electropolymerized vinylbipyridine films.

Reductive electropolymerization of [Ru(II)(PhTpy)(5,5'-dvbpy)(Cl)](PF6) and [Ru(II)(PhTpy)(5,5'-dvbpy)(MeCN)](PF6)2 (PhTpy is 4'-phenyl-2,2':6',2″-terpyridine; 5,5'-dvbpy is 5,5'-divinyl-2,2'-bipyridine) on glassy carbon electrodes gives well-defined films of poly{[Ru(II)(PhTpy)(5,5'-dvbpy)(Cl)](PF6)} (poly-1) or poly{[Ru(II)(PhTpy)(5,5'-dvbpy)(MeCN)](PF6)2} (poly-2). Oxidative cycling of poly-2 with added NO3(-) results in the replacement of coordinated MeCN by NO3(-) to give poly{[Ru(II)(PhTpy)(5,5'-dvbpy)(NO3)](+)}, and with 0.1 M HClO4, replacement by H2O occurs to give poly{[Ru(II)(PhTpy)(5,5'-dvbpy)(OH2)](2+)} (poly-OH2).

Efficacy and tolerability of vigabatrin in children with refractory partial seizures: a single-blind dose-increasing study.

The efficacy and tolerability of vigabatrin (VGB) in children with refractory partial epilepsy were assessed in a single-blind, add-on, fixed-sequence, placebo-controlled trial. After 1-month observation, the patients entered a 7-month treatment period that involved administration of placebo for 1 month followed by VGB at the initial dosage of 40 mg/kg/day, to be increased to 60 and 80 mg/kg/day at 2-month intervals if seizures persisted. Of the 46 children enrolled in the study, 7 dropped out prematurely due to lack of efficacy of the drug (n = 6) or increased seizure frequency (n = 1).

Acute hepatitis in a patient treated with carbamazepine.

A case of serious acute hepatic damage probably induced by carbamazepine (CBZ) is described. A 4-year-old patient with generalized tonic-clonic seizures was started on CBZ after various ineffective therapies. On the 10th day of CBZ therapy, he was readmitted to the hospital because of reappearance of fits, and went into hepatic coma.

A new catheter for peritoneal dialysis (two years of experience with Valli catheter).

The authors analyze the experience of more than 2 yrs of peritoneal dialysis with a new type of catheter. The catheter proposed allows higher flow rates and the maximum outflow of fluid even if malpositioned. The possibility of migration of the catheter is also reduced.