Pathology of acute and subchronic nitrate poisening in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L)

The pathology of nitrate poisoning by forest fertilizers to reindeer was studied. The post mortem picture differed with substance, dose and time of exposure. Animals that died from acute ammonium nitrate intoxication had lesions similar to those found in acute ammonium and nitrate poisoning in sheep and cattle, without developing methaemoglobinemia. The animal that died from acute sodium nitrate poisoning probably died from acute collapse of the blood pressure without developing methaemoglobinemia and without any significant post mortem lesions. Animals dead of subchronic sodium nitrate poisoning all developed methaemoglobinemia. Animals dead within 24 hours only revealed subserous haemorrhages in the pleura and haemorrhages in musculus longissimus costarum and musculus longissimus dorsi. Similar pleural and muscular haemorrhages were also found in animals that died 60 - 200 hours after exposure but in these animals were also found what is considered common lesions in connection with nitrate/nitrite posoning; i.e. discolorated and poorly clotted blood, cardiac hamorrhages etc. The constant finding of these pleural and muscular haemorrhages may indicate almost pathognomonic lesions, in reindeer, in connection with nitrate poisoning of subchronic and chronic nature. The two animals that died from voluntarily drinking ammonium-nitrate dissolved in water developed lesions indicative of a combined effect of ammonium and nitrate poisoning. Patologin vid akut och subkronisk nitratforgiftning hos ren (Rangifer tarandus L) Abstract in Swedish / Sammanfattning: Patologin vid nitratforgiftning, orsakad av skogsgodselmedel, hos ren har undersokts. Obduktionsbilden varierade med godselmedel, dosering och exponeringstid. Djuren som dog av akut ammoniumnitratforgiftning uppvisade likartade forandringar som ses vid akut ammonium-och nitratforgiftning hos får och notkreatur. Inget av djuren utvecklade methaemoglobinemi. Det djur som dog av akut natriumnitratforgiftning dog troligen av en akut blodtryckskollaps utan att utveckla methaemoglobinemi. Djur vilka dog av subkronisk natriumnitratforgiftning utvecklade alla methaemoglobinemi. Djuren som dog inom 24 timmar uppvisade enbart subserosa Modningar i pleura och blodningar i musculus longissimus costarum och musculus longissimus dorsi. Liknande blodningar i pleura och samma muskler sigs också hos djur som dog 60 - 200 timmar efter exposition. Hos dessa djur sågs emellertid också forhindringar som anses vanliga i samband med nitrat/nitritforgiftning såsom, missfårgat dåligt koagulerat blod, blodningar i hjårtat etc. Det genomgående fyndet av dessa blodningar i pleura och dorsala rygg- brostmuskler, hos ren, i samband med nitratforgiftning av subkronisk eller kronisk karaktår, ar en indikation på synbarligen patognomoniska forandringar. De två djur som dog efter att frivilligt ha druckit ammoniumnitrat lost i vatten utvecklade forandringar tydande pi en kombinerad effekt av ammonium- och nitratforgiftning. Poron (Rangifer tarandus L) åkillisen subkroonisen nitraattimyrkytyksen patologia. Abstract in Finnsih / Yhteenveto: Tutkittiin metsånlannoitteiden aiheuttaman nitraattimyrkytyksen patologiaa poroissa. Ruumiinavau-skuva vaihteli lannoitteesta, annostuksesta ja altistamisajasta riippuen. Akilliseen ammoniumnitraattimyrkytykseen kuolleissa elaimisså muutokset olivat samankaltaisia kuin lampaiden ja nautojen akillisessa ammonium ja nitraattimyrkytyksessa. Yhteenkaån elåimeen ei kehittynyt methemoglobinemiaa. Eras akilliseen natriumnitraattimyrkytykseen kuollut elain menehtyi luultavasti akilliseen verenpainekollapsiin ilman methemoglobinemian kehittymista. Kaikkiin subkrooniseen natriumnitraattimyrkytykseen kuolleisiin elåimiin kehittyi methemoglobinemia. Kahden-kymmenenneljån tunnin sisalla kuolleissa elaimisså ilmeni ainoastaan rintakalvonalaisia verenvuotoja sekå verenvuotoja Musculus longissimus costarumissa ja M. longissimus dorsissa. Samankaltaisia verenvuotoja rintakalvossa ja samoissa lihaksissa nåhtiin myos niisså elaimisså, jotka kuolivat 60 - 200 tuntia altistamisen jålkeen. Nåisså elaimisså havaittiin kuitenkin myos nitraatti/nitriittimyrkytyksen yhteydesså tavallisina pidettåviå muutoksia kuten våriltåån muuttunut ja huonosti hyytynyt veri, verenvuotoja sydåmesså jne. Porojen subkroonisessa tai kroonisess nitraattimyrkytyksesså såånnollisenå loydoksenå tavatut verenvuodot rintakalvossa ja ylemmåsså selkårintalihaksistossa viittaavat siihen, ettå muutokset ilmeisesti ovat tålle myrkytykselle ominaisia. Niihin kahteen elaimeen, jotka kuolivat juotuaan vapaaehtoisesti veteen liuotettua ammoniumnitraattia, kehittyi ammonium - ja nitraattimyrkytyksen yhteisvaikutukseen viittaavia muutoksia

Visual and auditory stimulation for patients in the intensive care unit: A mixed-method study

To determine what type (e.g., television, photographs, music, etc), content (e.g., nature scenes, family members, etc), and duration of visual and auditory stimuli should be provided to intensive care unit patients during their hospitalisation.; This mixed-methods study followed an exploratory-descriptive design. In total, 31 participants were interviewed: 19 were former critically ill patients in the intensive care unit and 12 were nursing experts, all from a university hospital in Switzerland. Based on current practice, patients and nurses were familiar with receiving and providing television, photographs, radio, and musical stimuli, with no specific exposure to virtual reality, aside from that in their personal lives. Data were collected from the former patients using structured interviews, whereas semi-structured interviews were used for the nursing experts.; Overall, patient and expert opinions aligned well; both groups agreed that receiving visual and/or auditory stimuli would benefit patients. Photographs, television, and virtual reality were the visual stimuli most chosen by the patients, with an emphasis on nature-focused content. When appropriate, audio matching the content should be provided alongside the visual stimuli to act as a distraction from the hospital environment. Visual stimuli should not exceed 10-15 min, while auditory stimuli should not exceed one hour.; Sensory overload and deprivation are common problems in the intensive care unit with negative effects on patient outcomes. Based on patient and expert opinions, visual and auditory stimuli are desired by patients and could help address these issues

Metal-support interaction: The key factor governing activity of Pd/SnO2 catalyst for denitration of ground water

Two mesoporous nanocristalline Pd/SnO2 catalysts were prepared by modified solgel technique differing in the pH conditions (pH = 2 and 9.5) of the synthesis of their supports. Samples achieved different activity and selectivity in water denitration reaction using hydrogen. XPS results of reduced samples indicate a strong interaction between the Pd and the Sn possibly as a result of electron shift from Sn to Pd. The solid solution of Pd2+ and SnO2 is formed by taking O from the surface of the support. In such a way some SnO2-X species may stay onto the surface and be responsible for its pronounced activity

Is pretreatment with Beta-blockers beneficial in patients with acute coronary syndrome?

OBJECTIVES: The role of beta-blockers in the treatment of hypertension is discussed controversially and the data showing a clear benefit in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) were obtained in the thrombolysis era. The goal of this study was to analyze the role of pretreatment with beta-blockers in patients with ACS. METHODS: Using data from the Acute Myocardial Infarction in Switzerland (AMIS Plus) registry, we analyzed outcomes of patients with beta-blocker pretreatment in whom they were continued during hospitalization (group A), those without beta-blocker pretreatment but with administration after admission (group B) and those who never received them (group C). Major adverse cardiac events defined as composed endpoint of re-infarction and stroke (during hospitalization) and/or in-hospital death were compared between the groups. RESULTS: A total of 24,709 patients were included in the study (6,234 in group A, 12,344 in group B, 6,131 in group C). Patients of group B were younger compared to patients of group A and C (62.5, 67.6 and 68.4, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, odds ratio for major adverse cardiac events was 0.59 (CI 0.47-0.74) for group A and 0.66 (CI 0.55-0.83) for group B, while group C was taken as a reference. CONCLUSIONS: beta-Blocker therapy is beneficial in ACS and they should be started in those who are not pretreated and continued in stable patients who had been on chronic beta-blocker therapy before

Selective loss of myelin-associated glycoprotein from myelin correlates with anti-MAG antibody titre in demyelinating paraproteinaemic polyneuropathy

Summary The IgM monoclonal autoantibodies of patients with demyelinating paraproteinaemic polyneuropathy recognize a carbohydrate structure present on both myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and protein zero (Po). These autoantibodies are sufficient to cause the disease but the mechanism of demyelination remains unclear. We have analysed nerve biopsies from eight patients with polyneuropathy and anti-MAG antibodies by quantitative immunohistochemistry and find a concordant pattern of reduced expression of myelin markers with the loss of myelinated fibres. We report here novel features of this disease, in particular a selective lack of detectable MAG in a large proportion of myelinated fibres containing Po, myelin basic protein (MBP) and periaxin. There is also an inverse correlation of the distribution of MAG in peripheral never myelin with the serum anti-MAG antibody titres but no correlation of these titres with the loss of myelinated fibres. Double immunofluorescence staining of paraproteinaemic polyneuropathy (PPN) nerves shows anti-MAG IgM deposited on the periphery of myelinated fibres associated with or lacking MAG staining. These data suggest that the binding of anti-MAG antibodies to MAG and/or other myelin component(s) results in MAG downregulation and may have an essential role in the molecular mechanisms leading to demyelination and partial regeneration in this diseas

Prospective Assessment of Sex-Related Differences in Symptom Status and Health Perception Among Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

We prospectively assessed sex-specific differences in health perception, overall symptom status, and specific symptoms in a large cohort of patients with atrial fibrillation. We performed a prospective multicenter observational cohort study of 1553 patients with atrial fibrillation. Patients completed questionnaires about personal characteristics, comorbidities, and symptoms on a yearly basis. Mean age was 70±11 years among women and 67±12 years among men. Health perception on a visual analogue scale ranging from 0 to 100 (with higher scores indicating better health perception) was significantly lower in women than in men (70 [interquartile range: 50-80] versus 75 [interquartile range: 60-85]; javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@29592a5d <0.0001). More women than men had any symptoms (85.0% versus 68.3%; javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@7ac0b4e4 <0.0001), palpitations (65.2% versus 44.4%; javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@41229466 <0.0001), dizziness (25.6% versus 13.5%; javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@61871784 <0.0001), dyspnea (35.7% versus 21.8%; javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@16cc22b <0.0001), and fatigue (25.3% versus 19.1%; javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@7ef43176 =0.006). At 1-year follow-up, symptoms decreased in both sexes but remained more frequent in women (49.1% versus 32.6%, javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@2b200b6a <0.0001). In multivariable adjusted longitudinal regression models, female sex remained an independent predictor for lower health perception (ß=-4.8; 95% CI, -6.5 to -3.1; javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@72c212bd <0.0001), any symptoms (odds ratio [OR]: 2.6; 95% CI, 2.1-3.4; javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@15d8fb54 <0.0001), palpitations (OR: 2.6; 95% CI, 2.1-3.2; javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@4af80718 <0.0001), dizziness (OR: 2.9; 95% CI, 2.1-3.9; javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@61282e76 <0.0001), dyspnea (OR: 2.1; 95% CI, 1.6-2.8; javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@31d9f14 <0.0001), fatigue (OR: 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.2; javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@51cdd678 =0.0008), and chest pain (OR: 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.6; javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@5b87db9e =0.001). Women with atrial fibrillation have a substantially higher symptom burden and lower health perception than men. These relationships persisted after multivariable adjustment and during prospective follow-up