Ocular Argyrosis in a Silver Craftsman

Silver (Ag) is a rare, naturally occurring element. Because of its physical properties (hardness, ductility, malleability, high thermal and electrical conductivity) and antimicrobial activity, Ag has been extensively mined and utilized since antiquity in a wide variety of applications, including metallurgy, soldering, electroplating, photography, medicine and dentistry (wound and burn care, surgical devices, dental amalgams), water sanitation, cosmetics, electronics, production of coins, medals, jewellery, silverware and mirrors . Small Ag quantities are absorbed by humans through diet, even though the element fulfils no physiological role in any human tissue. In the case of occupational or iatrogenic exposure, Ag is less toxic than other xenobiotic metals (such as lead and mercury) and the most common clinical presentations are argyria (slate gray discoloration of the skin and other soft tissues, due to generalized accumulation of the metal) and argyrosis (discoloration of the eye, skin and/or external mucous membranes, caused by local Ag absorption and deposition). Additionally, soluble Ag compounds may cause liver and kidney damage, irritation of the eyes, skin, respiratory and intestinal tract, and haematological changes . Thanks to the improvement of hygiene in the workplace, and to the restrictive use of Ag-containing medications, Ag-related disorders are uncommon in current clinical practice. We describe here the clinical and pathological findings of an exceptional (nowadays) case of occupational argyrosis diagnosed in advanced age. Case Presentatio

Electroweak parameters of the z0 resonance and the standard model

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IUE OBSERVATIONS OF EXTRA-GALACTIC OBJECTS

During the commissioning phase of IUE several extragalactic objects were observed spectrally at low dispersion in the UV range λλ1150–3200: the Seyfert galaxies NGC4151 and NGC1068, the QSO 3C273, the BL Lacertae object B2 1101 +38, the giant elliptical galaxy M87 and the spiral galaxy M81. The results obtained are presented and a preliminary analysis given for all six objects, discussing the continuous spectrum, extinction, emission line spectrum and absorption line spectrum, where possible for each case. Several new or confirmatory astrophysical results are obtained