Clinical Applica­tion of Sialic Acid I. On Serum Sialic Acid Contents in Patients

1) The contents of sialic acid in patients of various diseases sera were determined and increases of it were noticed in several diseases. 2) Sialic acid contents ranged between 50 and 100 mg./dl. in the normal serum. 3) But in the pathological serum, it ranged between 90 and 170 mg./dl. in cancer patients, between 80 and 110 mg./dl. in peptic ulcer, between 75 and 135 mg./dl. in arachnoiditis, and between 90 and 120 mg./dl. in epilepsy. 4) In other several diseases, sialic acid contents were determined.</p

Multiple metallic stents placement for malignant hilar biliary obstruction: Perspective of a radiologist

In the palliative setting, the necessity of biliary drainage of both liver lobes for malignant hilar biliary obstruction remains controversial. However, bilateral biliary drainage is a reasonable option to prevent cholangitis of the undrained lobe and to preserve liver function during the course of chemotherapy. Bilateral biliary drainage can be accomplished by the percutaneous or endoscopic placement of multiple self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS). Although SEMS placement via bilateral (multiple) percutaneous routes is technically simple, multiple percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) may lead to additional morbidity. SEMS placement via a single percutaneous route is a useful method; however, negotiation of a guidewire into the contralateral bile duct is occasionally impossible if the hilar angle between the right hepatic duct and left hepatic duct is acute. Percutaneous dual SEMS placement is generally performed using the stent-in-stent technique (T configuration or Y configuration) or the side-by-side technique. In addition, the crisscross technique has been reported as being a useful method for trisegmental drainage. The side-to-end technique is also useful for multiple SEMS placement. In the future, the combination of percutaneous intervention and endoscopic ultrasonography-guided procedures may be effective in the management of malignant hilar biliary obstruction

Two-Dimensional Metal Oxide and Metal Hydroxide Nanosheets: Synthesis, Controlled Assembly and Applications in Energy Conversion and Storage

The developments and state of the art in the research on two-dimensional nanosheets derived from layered metal oxides and layered metal hydroxides are reviewed in this paper, with emphasis on their promising applications in various new energy technologies, i.e., as supercapacitor electrodes, lithium ion battery electrodes, solar cell components, photocatalysts, and as functional elements in fuel cells and piezoelectric energy harvesters. Nanosheets are defined by their molecular thickness and large lateral dimensions, which typically differ by 2–5 orders of magnitude. They exhibit a wide range of interesting properties, e.g., flexibility, transparency, semiconductivity, photosensitivity, photocatalytic activity, redox properties, a large specific surface area and a high chemical stability. A large and growing library of metal oxide and hydroxide nanosheet compositions is available from the literature. Moreover, the easy control over nanosheet composition via modification of the layered parent compound provides many opportunities for introducing and optimizing their functional properties. This review focuses on the synthesis of oxide and hydroxide nanosheet colloids, their controlled assembly into nanocomposites, thin films, multilayers, superlattices and spheres, and the utilization of these structures in energy applications