Interchangeability of gas detection tubes and hand pumps.

Users of gas detection tubes occasionally seek the convenience of using a single hand pump with different brands of tubes, to avoid the need to carry more than one pump. Several professional organizations recommend against such interchange. However, these recommendations appear to be based on a single study of pump designs that mostly are no longer in use. The present study was undertaken to determine if current hand pumps are interchangeable. Both piston-type and bellows-type hand pumps were evaluated by comparing pump flow profiles and test gas measurements with a variety of tubes. The results demonstrate that three piston hand pumps in common use (Sensidyne/Gastec GV/100, RAE Systems LP-1200, and Matheson-Kitagawa 8104-400A) are fully interchangeable. Two bellows pumps (Draeger Accuro and MSA Kwik-Draw) also are interchangeable with each other. Mixing of bellows and piston systems is often possible, but there are enough exceptions to conclude that such practice should be discouraged because it can give inaccurate readings. It is recommended that technical standards be adopted, such as total volume and an initial pump vacuum or a pump flow curve, to assess hand pump interchangeability. When two manufacturers' pumps meet the same standard and routine leak tests are conducted, interchangeability is scientifically valid and poses no risk to the end user while offering greater convenience.

Concerns of the dry-cleaning industry: a qualitative investigation of labor and management.

BACKGROUND: Occupational scientists agree there are hazards associated with dry-cleaning, but do dry-cleaning owners and workers concur? Knowledge of owners' and workers' perceptions can help guide intervention efforts to reduce worker exposure. To better understand these issues, a qualitative study was conducted using focus group methodology and constant comparative analysis. METHODS: Two owner and four worker focus groups were held. RESULTS: Findings suggest that overall, health and safety issues were not of great concern. Owners were primarily concerned with the economic impact of regulations. Workers did express some anxiety about solvent exposure and burns, but most felt that these hazards were "just part of the job." Also, other than the installation of air-conditioning in the shops and the provision of health benefits, workers could not think of ways health and safety on the job could be improved. CONCLUSIONS: These findings will be used to develop comprehensive safety and health interventions (e.g., engineering plus education and training) in dry-cleaning shops.

[Long-term study of an unusual post-traumatic arthrosis of the ankle joint]. / Langzeitbeobachtung einer ungewöhnlichen posttraumatischen Sprunggelenksarthrose.

Long-term observation for 15 years of an unusual heavy posttraumatic degenerative arthritis in the upper ankle joint with considerable deformations of the structures and surprising good motility in the joint. Demonstration of the case by pictures and x-ray pictures. The question of overrating posttraumatic degenerative arthritis and its sequels is discussed.

The environmental fate of hexachlorobenzene.

The relative importance of different environmental fate processes for hexachlorobenzene (HCB) can be estimated from measured and estimated values of several physical properties and chemical kinetic and equilibrium constants. Photolysis of HCB in water and hexane is slow, while hydrolysis, oxidation and biotransformation appear to be unimportant. HCB will sorb strongly to soil and sediment but will be rapidly volatilized from water into the atmosphere, where slow photolysis is the dominant loss process.

Pharmacokinetic data analysis of alfentanil after multiple injections and etomidate-infusion in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.

The pharmacokinetics of Alfentanil, a new short acting analgesic, and Etomidate, a very short acting hypnotic compound, were studied in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery. Anesthesia was induced by bolus i.v. injection of Alfentanil and Etomidate, whereas the maintenance was performed by continuous infusion of Etomidate and repetitive i.v. injections of Alfentanil. The kinetics of the analgesic can be described by a two-compartment model; the elimination half-life has a mean value of 64.8 +/- 38.5 min. No cumulation of the drug was seen in spite of multiple injections. Concerning Etomidate it is not clear whether one or two compartments are needed. The mean elimination half-life is 29.4 +/- 6.2 min. The results suggest a possible shortening of the half-life of Etomidate in the presence of Alfentanil.

Diminished response of ovarian cAMP to luteinizing hormone in experimental uremia.

In prepuberal female rats with acute bilateral nephrectomy or chronic subtotal nephrectomy, the increase of ovarian cAMP concentration in response to submaximal doses of luteinizing hormone (LH 10 micrograms) and human chorionic gonadotropine (hCG 2.5 IU) was diminished (CO + 2.5 IU hCG 488 +/- 49 pmoles cAMP/mg protein; NX + 2.5 IU hCG 366 +/- 56. P less than 0.05). The cAMP response to follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) was unchanged. The abnormality was found both after administration of LH in vivo and incubation of ovaries with LH in vitro. Similarly, plasma estradiol concentrations in response to submaximal hCG stimulation were diminished. Basal cAMP concentrations and cAMP concentrations after maximal stimulation were unchanged. The defect was observed both in ovaries of untreated prepuberal rats, of pregnant mare serum (PMS)-treated rats (follicular phase) and PMS/hCG-treated rats (luteal phase). Diminished ovarian cAMP response to LH was observed both in parathyroid intact and in parathyroidectomized rats. Administration of 1,25(OH)2D3 in physiological doses (60 ng/kg) to acutely uremic rats restored diminished ovarian cAMP response to submaximal LH stimulation irrespective of parathyroid status. The effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 could not be reproduced by hypercalcemia resulting from intraperitoneal calcium injection. In vivo administration of indomethacin further diminished ovarian cAMP response in uremic animals and had no effect in control animals. Incubation of ovaries with PGE1 and PGE2 increased basal and stimulated cAMP concentrations and abolished the difference between control and uremic animals. The diminished response of ovarian cAMP content to submaximal doses of hCG was not corrected by bromocriptine (1 mg/kg) despite normalization of hyperprolactinemia. The present study shows diminished ovarian cAMP and plasma estradiol response to LH in experimental uremia. It documents a role of 1,25(OH)2D3 and prostaglandins in the genesis of this abnormality.

Catalytic production of high-grade fuel (gasoline) from biomass compounds by shape-selective catalysis.

Shape-selective hydrocarbon catalysis, such as the conversion capability of zealite catalysts of the ZSM-5 type to produce high-grade gasoline from methanol, can be extended to produce a similar gasoline or aromatics from plant extracts. Examples are rubber latex, corn oil, and peanut oil. Novel mechanisms for shape-selective reaction sequences are demonstrated.

An articulatory experiment on voice onset time in German stop consonants.

The study investigates voice onset time (VOT) in German stop consonants and its relationship to place of articulation in a variety of phonetic environments. The outstanding findings are the consistently lowest values for the alveolars and the particular susceptibility of the VOT of bilabials to environmental variables like position in the utterance and stress. Highest values for velar stops are only achieved in initial position and medially before stress. Airflow measurements suggest a direct relationship between VOT and rate of articulation and airflow.

[Anomalies of the biliary tract. Review and report about two distal intrapancreatic common bile ducts (author's transl)]. / Gallenwegsanomalien. Uberblick und Bericht über zwei distale intrapankreatische Gallengänge.

A brief review about occurrence and experience of abnormalities of the biliary system is reported. The knowledge of these rare anomalies is important for the difficult diagnosis, an effective surgical therapy, and to avoide diagnostical misconstructions. 2 cases of distal intrapancreatic common bile ducts with misleading symptoms are described, which had not been yet reported in the literature.

Purification and characterization of syringacin 4-A, a bacteriocin from pseudomonas syringae 4-A.

Syringacin 4-A, a bacteriocin produced by Pseudomonas syrinagae 4-A, was obtained by induction with ultraviolet irradiation or mitomycin C. Approximately 1,000-fold purification of the bacteriocin was achieved by manganous chloride precipitation, differential centrifugation, and chromatography on hydroxyapatite columns. The purified syngacin was homogeneous on hydroxyapatite columns and sucrose density gradients; it also sedimented as a single entity in the analytical ultracentrifuge. The buoyant density of purified syringacin in cesium chloride was 1.294 g/ml. The sedimentation coefficient was calculated as 120S, and the diffusion coefficient was 6.49 x 10(-8) cm(2)/s. The molecular weight was calculated as 1.6 x 10(7) from physical data and 1.7 x 10(7) from biological data. The syringacin was composed of about 88.4% protein, 8.5% arabinose, 2.2% galacturonic acid, and 0.7% glucosamine. Amino acid analysis indicated a predominance of leucine (12.1%), aspartic acid (12.2%), and glutamic acid (12.7%). The ultraviolet spectrum showed a maximum absorbance peak at 276 nm. The syringacin was heat and alcohol sensitive, but resistant to trypsin, chymotrypsin, carboxypeptidase, Pronase, protease, lysozyme, steapsin, deoxyribonuclease, and ribonuclease. Maximum pH stability was between 5 and 8. Crude bacteriocin was stable at room temperature for at least a year, and purified material was stable for at least 3 months at 4 C.