Experimental dataset of the impact assessment of vegetable intercropping on agroeconomic performances, pests and beneficials, and soil resources.

The data presented in this article were collected in the field at an experimental station in southern France under a Mediterranean climate. Experiments were conducted under three plastic walk-in tunnels used as blocks with organic farming practices over two successive years in a completely randomized design. The aim was to compare the intercropping of sweet pepper with basil, onion, lettuce, parsley or French bean to a sole crop of sweet pepper used as a control. The dataset provides information on cultural practices with details on inputs and working times used to estimate economic costs. The data also describe the climatic conditions under tunnels as well as the dynamics of soil nitrate concentration and water tension over time through treatments. Yields, economic benefits and the rates of products with visual defects are presented. In addition, some variables applied exclusively to sweet pepper crops, namely nitrate concentration in petiole sap, growth parameters, abundance of aerial pests and beneficials, incidence of root necrosis, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonization rates and diversity in roots. The field dataset is made publicly available to allow free and easy access for the scientific and professional community to enable analysis and reuse. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Observations on isovolemic hemodilution in acute ischemic stroke.

The reduction of blood viscosity is an alternative of the improvement of the cerebral flow during an acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We studied 18 patients with AIS, ranging in age from 44 to 72 years (mean age 57 years), 11 females and 7 males. We applied an isovolemic hemodilution for 2 days starting with an emission of 250 or 500 ml blood, followed by the infusion of an equal amount of 6% HAES-steryl solution. We made determination of hematocrit, plasma density, plasma viscosity 1, 3 and 6 hours before and after the infusion; a decrease was noted in all the studied hemorheologic parameters, and the short term clinical course was an improvement. In conclusion, the isovolemic hemodilution using 6% HAES solution reduced hematocrit, plasma density, plasma viscosity but no changes were noted in the hemodynamic parameters; isovolemic hemodilution as the single therapeutic method in AIS does not solve the therapy, involving only one pathogenetic link, i.e., the microcirculation.

Serum zinc and copper in patients with cerebral vascular disease.

Serum Zn and Cu was investigated in 67 patients with cerebral infarction (CI), in 10 with cerebral hemorrhage (CH), in 14 with transient ischemic attack (TIA) and in 58 control subjects (C). Serum Zn concentration is significantly lower in patients with CH than in C (p < 0.001), and serum Cu is significantly higher than in C in patients with CI (p < 0.005). In patients with CI and in C serum Zn concentration decreased with advancing age. The serum Zn concentration decreased significantly in patients with CI during hospitalisation (p < 0.001), probably due to low intake and insufficient absorption. In patients with CI a significant correlation was found between low levels in serum Zn, on the one hand, and serum cholinesterase and proteinemia, on the other hand. This suggests a diminution of hepatic synthesis of proteins in these patients.

Antithrombin III deficiency in a Romanian family. Pathogenic role of concomitantly increased plasma level of clotting factors VII and X.

Antithrombin III deficiency in a Romanian family is presented. The propositus, a 27 year-old man, had a history of recurrent venous thrombosis and was found to present a plasma antithrombin III level of only 50% of the normal values. His mother and two of his five children had low antithrombin III levels but no episodes of venous thrombosis. In opposition to his family members, the propositus presented overweight, slight hypertriglyceridemia and displayed a high level of clotting factors VII and X. The findings suggest that development of thromboembolic disease in a subject with familial antithrombin III deficiency is enhanced by additional factors, for example by an increased plasma level of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors.

Some behavioural changes induced by amantadine (adamantine).

In experiments carried out in mice, it was shown that amantadine (adamantine) (50, 75, 100 and 200 mg/kg i.p.) reduced the exploratory activity. This phenomenon was due not to reduction of the locomotion and of the muscular force. Amantadine in large doses had a slight convulsant action; at the same dose (100 mg/kg i.p.) it greatly potentiated the convulsant effects of pentetrazol. On Haffner's test amantadine had no analgesic activity.