Immunoadsorption of agonistic autoantibodies against α1-adrenergic receptors in patients with mild to moderate dementia

Dementia has been shown to be associated with agonistic autoantibodies. The deleterious action of autoantibodies on the {alpha}1-adrenergic receptor for brain vasculature has been demonstrated in animal studies. In the current study, 169 patients with dementia were screened for the presence of agonistic autoantibodies. 47% of patients suffering from mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease and/or vascular dementia carried these autoantibodies. Eight patients positive for autoantibodies underwent immunoadsorption. Patients treated on four consecutive days were subsequently negative for autoantibodies and displayed stabilization of cognitive and mental condition during 12-18 months' follow-up. In patients treated for 2-3 days, autoantibodies were reduced by only 78%. They suffered a rebound of autoantibodies during follow-up, benefited from immunoadsorption too, but their mental parameters worsened. We provide first data on the clinical relevance of agonistic autoantibodies in dementia and show that immunoadsorption is safe and efficient in removing autoantibodies with overall benefits for patients

Phonon Properties of Knbo3 and Ktao3 from First-Principles Calculations

The frequencies of transverse-optical $\Gamma$ phonons in KNbO$_3$ and KTaO$_3$ are calculated in the frozen-phonon scheme making use of the full-potential linearized muffin-tin orbital method. The calculated frequencies in the cubic phase of KNbO$_3$ and in the tetragonal ferroelectric phase are in good agreement with experimental data. For KTaO$_3$, the effect of lattice volume was found to be substantial on the frequency of the soft mode, but rather small on the relative displacement patterns of atoms in all three modes of the $T_{1u}$ symmetry. The TO frequencies in KTaO$_3$ are found to be of the order of, but somehow higher than, the corresponding frequencies in cubic KNbO$_3$.Comment: 8 pages + 1 LaTeX figure, Revtex 3.0, SISSA-CM-94-00

Efficacy of five ‘sporicidal’ surface disinfectants against Clostridioides difficile spores in suspension tests and 4-field tests

Background: A sporicidal surface disinfection is recommended both for the outbreak and the endemic setting but a comparative evaluation on the efficacy of ‘sporicidal’ surface disinfectants using suspension tests and 4-field tests has not been performed. Aim: To determine the efficacy of five ‘sporicidal’ surface disinfectants (three ready-to-use wipes (A, B, E), two concentrates (C, D) based on peroxides or aldehydes against C. difficile spores. Methods: The efficacy was determined under clean conditions using a suspension test and the 4-field test. Each test was performed in duplicate in two separate laboratories. Wipes were wrung to collect the solution for the suspension tests. Results: Product A (peracetic acid; 5 min), product C (peracetic acid; 2% solution in 15 min or 1% solution in 30 min) and product D (peracetic acid; only 2% solution in 15 min) were effective with at least a 4 log10-reduction of C. difficile spores in suspension and on surfaces. Product B (hydrogen peroxide) was not effective in suspension (0.9 log10 after 15 min; 3.2 log10 after 1 h) and on surfaces (2.8 log10 after 15 and 60 min). Product E based on glutaraldehyde, (ethylendioxy)dimethanol and DDAC demonstrated 0.9 log10 after 4 h in suspension and 4.5 log10 after 4 h on surfaces. Conclusions: Not all surface disinfectants with a sporicidal claim were effective against C. difficile spores in standardized suspension tests and in the 4-field test. In clinical practice preference should be given to products that reliably pass the efficacy criteria of both types of tests.Peer Reviewe

Cyanoacetohydrazide under Pressure: Chemical Changes in a Hydrogen-Bonded Material

Cyanoacetohydrazide (CAH, C3H5N3O) has been studied under pressure using diamond anvil cell techniques. CAH was characterized using Raman spectroscopy to 30 GPa and synchrotron X-ray diffraction to 45 GPa. The Raman spectra of CAH show reasonable qualitative agreement with first-principle calculations. The X-ray data reveal that CAH maintains its monoclinic structure to approximately 22 GPa with a density change of 12% over this range. Near 22 GPa, the Raman modes and most of the X-ray diffraction peaks disappear. These pressure-induced changes are irreversible upon the release of pressure, and the transformed sample can be recovered to ambient pressure. The recovered sample is photosensitive and shows reaction even at low laser powers of 10 mW at 532 nm. The paper concludes with observations of the roles of hydrogen bonding, molecular configurations, and the behavior of the cyano group in the pressure-induced changes in CAH

Iani Damiani Senensis ad Leonem X. Pont. Max. de expeditione in Turcas Elegeia, cũ argutissimis doctissimorum virorum epigrammatibus : Epistola Pisonis ad Io. Coritium, de conflictu Polonorum & Lituanorum cum Mosocouitis. Henricus Penia ad Reuerend. Card. de Saulis, de gestis Sophi contra Turcas. Epistola Sigismundi Poloniæ Regis ad Leonem X. Pont. Max. de uictoria contra Schismaticos Moscouios, apud Aras Alexandri Magni parta. Erasmi Roterodami epistola ad Leonem X. Pont. Max. de laudibus illius & nova Hieronymianorum operum aeditione ; Eiusdem ad Reuerendiss. D. Grimannum S.M. Cardinalem Epistola ; Eiusdem ad Reuerendiss. Dn. Raphaelem Rearium tit. S. Gæorgii Cardinalem Epistola ; Eiusdem ad eximium sacræ Theologiae Doctorem Martinum Dorpium Hollandum epistola Apologetica de suarum lucubrationum aeditione ; Eiusdẽ in laudẽ urbis Selestadij Panegyricũ Carmẽ

Bogensignaturen: A-O⁴DruckermarkenAus dem Vorbesitz Huldrych Zwingli