Does the cigarette smoking influence the perinatal outcome?

Cigarette smoking, active or passive, is related to adverse perinatal outcome, and affects breastfeeding. It increases risks of spontaneous abortions, preterm delivery, low birthweight, malformations, placenta previa, abruption. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether cigarette smoking has influence to perinatal outcome. Material : newborns and their mothers admitted to Gynecology&Obstetric Clinic, Skopje, Macedonia. Methods : epidemiological, clinical, statistical. Our results showed high influence of the cigarette smoking to some indicators of perinatal outcome (prematurity, low birthweight, Apgar scores). These finding derive conclusion that cigarette smoking is the most frequent and completely preventable risk factor for the adverse neonatal outcome. Key words: newborn, cigarette smoke, outcome, prematurit

Izolovanje i delimično karakterisanje proteaze iz Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853

Enzymatic characteristics of a protease from a medically important, referent strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 were determined. According to sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE, and gel filtration, it was estimated that the molecular mass of the purified enzyme was about 15 kDa. Other enzymatic properties were found to be: pH optimum 7.1, pH stability between 6.5 and 10; temperature optimum around 60 °C while the enzyme was stable at 60°C for 30 min. Inhibition of the enzyme was observed with metal chelators, such as EDTA and 1,10-phenanthroline, suggesting that the protease is a metalloenzyme. Furthermore, the enzyme contains one mole of zinc ion per mole of enzyme. The protease was stable in the presence of different organic solvents, which enables its potential use for the synthesis of peptides.U ovom radu je okarakterisana ekstracelularna proteaza medicinski značajnog, referentnog soja Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. Molekulska masa prečišćenog enzima određena SDS PAGE i gel filtracijom iznosi oko 15 kDa. Određeni su sledeći enzimski parametri: pH optimum 7,1; pH stabilnost u opsegu 6,5-10; temperaturni optimum 60°C, a enzim je stabilan na 60°C 30 min. Na osnovu inhibicije enzima pomoću EDTA i 1,10-fenantrolina, utvrđeno je da proteaza predstavlja metaloenzim. Pokazano da proteaza sadrži 1 mol jona cinka po molu enzima. Proteaza je stabilna u prisustvu različitih organskih rastvarača, što omogućava upotrebu za sintezu peptida

Rehabilitation Protocols for Children with Dysfunctional Voiding

Dysfunctional voiding is a functional voiding disorder characterized by an intermittent uroflow rate due to involuntary intermittent contractions of the striated muscle of the external urethral sphincter or pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) during voiding in neurologically normal children. Symptoms include voiding difficulties as well as urgency, voiding frequency and, in some instances, urinary incontinence and/or nocturnal enuresis. Recurrent urinary tract infections, chronic constipation and/or fecal incontinence and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) contribute to this condition. Urotherapy is the mainstay of the treatment. It starts with education and demystification and simple behavioral modifications. Specific measures include PFM exercises with various forms of biofeedback concentrating at the recognition of PFM function and their relaxation. However, the PFMs are part of the abdominal capsule and they act in coordination with lower abdominal muscles. These muscles need to be relaxed during voiding. Diaphragmatic breathing exercises were introduced to teach children abdominal muscle relaxation. Easy to learn exercises do not require any specific equipment and can be performed at all health care levels. Children from five years of age could benefit from these exercises. In children resistant to standard treatment, botulinum toxin type A application, intermittent catheterization and surgery in children with VUR are recommended

Colour reconnection in e+e- -> W+W- at sqrt(s) = 189 - 209 GeV

The effects of the final state interaction phenomenon known as colour reconnection are investigated at centre-of-mass energies in the range sqrt(s) ~ 189-209 GeV using the OPAL detector at LEP. Colour reconnection is expected to affect observables based on charged particles in hadronic decays of W+W-. Measurements of inclusive charged particle multiplicities, and of their angular distribution with respect to the four jet axes of the events, are used to test models of colour reconnection. The data are found to exclude extreme scenarios of the Sjostrand-Khoze Type I (SK-I) model and are compatible with other models, both with and without colour reconnection effects. In the context of the SK-I model, the best agreement with data is obtained for a reconnection probability of 37%. Assuming no colour reconnection, the charged particle multiplicity in hadronically decaying W bosons is measured to be (nqqch) = 19.38+-0.05(stat.)+-0.08 (syst.).Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures, Submitted to Euro. Phys. J.

Search for R-Parity Violating Decays of Scalar Fermions at LEP

A search for pair-produced scalar fermions under the assumption that R-parity is not conserved has been performed using data collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. The data samples analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of about 610 pb-1 collected at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt(s) 189-209 GeV. An important consequence of R-parity violation is that the lightest supersymmetric particle is expected to be unstable. Searches of R-parity violating decays of charged sleptons, sneutrinos and squarks have been performed under the assumptions that the lightest supersymmetric particle decays promptly and that only one of the R-parity violating couplings is dominant for each of the decay modes considered. Such processes would yield final states consisting of leptons, jets, or both with or without missing energy. No significant single-like excess of events has been observed with respect to the Standard Model expectations. Limits on the production cross- section of scalar fermions in R-parity violating scenarios are obtained. Constraints on the supersymmetric particle masses are also presented in an R-parity violating framework analogous to the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model.Comment: 51 pages, 24 figures, Submitted to Eur. Phys. J.