Biological dosimetry of solar radiation for different simulated ozone column thicknesses.

During the Spacelab mission D-2, in the experiment RD-UVRAD, precalibrated biofilms consisting of dry monolayers of immobilised spores of Bacillus subtilis (strain Marburg) were exposed, for defined intervals, to extraterrestrial solar radiation filtered through an optical filtering system, to simulate different ozone column thicknesses. After the mission, the biofilms were processed and optical densities indicative of any biological activity were determined for each exposure condition by image analysis. For the different simulated ozone column thicknesses, biologically effective irradiances were experimentally determined from the biofilm data and compared with calculated data using a radiative transfer model and the known biofilm action spectrum. The data show a strong increase in biologically effective solar UV irradiance with decreasing (simulated) ozone concentrations. The full spectrum of extraterrestrial solar radiation leads to an increment of the biologically effective irradiance by nearly three orders of magnitude compared with the solar spectrum at the surface of the Earth for average total ozone columns.

[The behavior of C-reactive protein in tumor patients]. / Untersuchungen zum Verhalten des C-reaktiven Proteins bei Tumorpatienten.

Within a standardized therapy programme in 110 tumour patients the concentrations of CRP were investigated in order to allow an estimation of the prognostic value of this parameter. In the group of patients with a bad prognosis under clinical aspects the concentrations of CRP were clearly above the range of reference throughout the period of therapy, whereas the group with a good clinical prognosis showed a continuous falling of the concentrations.

[Current aspects of the diagnosis of the nutritional status in surgery]. / Moderne Aspekte der Diagnostik des Ernährungszustandes in der Chirurgie.

An exact nutritional assessment is a prerequisite for parenteral, enteral or parenteral-enteral nutrition, especially after extended operations or during conservative therapy. By using biochemical methods (visceral proteins), anthropometric measurement (body mass, triceps skinfold, arm muscle circumference, creatinine-index) and immunological procedures (total lymphocyte count and skin testing with recall-antigens) it is possible to determine exactly the nutritional status, severity and type of malnutrition. Furthermore the patients immunocompetence can be evaluated. Determining the digestion and resorption capacity enables the route of application to be chosen.

[Morphology and biochemistry of blood of various mustelids. 4. Determination of various metabolites in the arterial plasma of mink--principles of the preparation of standard values for laboratory diagnosis in farm mink (Mustela vison Schreber, 1777)]. / Beiträge zur Morphologie und Biochemie des Blutes einiger Musteliden. 4. Mitteilung: Zur Bestimmung einiger Stoffwechselprodukte im arteriellen Nerzplasma--Grundlagen zur Erstellung labordiagnostischer Arbeitswerte für den Farmnerz (Mustela vison Schreber, 1777).

An account is first given of latest knowledge on how to determine clinico-diagnostic applicability of certain metabolites in mink plasma and serum. Then, statistically treated results obtained from analysis of levels of total protein, albumin, creatinine, urea, total cholesterin, triglyceride, and total bilirubin are tabulated and discussed, with due consideration being given to sexual dimorphism, following determination of those values from arterial plasma of 118 male and 124 female minks, aged between six and seven months and kept under anaesthesia. The following preliminary findings are somewhat worth mentioning: (a) Total cholesterin concentrations in plasma of females were found to be higher than those recorded from the males tested. However, no sex-related differences were established for any of the other parameters. (b) Creatinine, urea, and total cholesterin followed simple normal distribution. However, plasma protein concentrations exhibited no Gaussian distribution until all individual data had been logarithmically transformed. (c) In a complementary model experiment, in which the above plasma data were determined from nine male ferrets, aged between six and seven months, evidence was produced to differentiated effects of neuroleptanalgesia on metabolite concentrations.

[Morphology and biochemistry of blood of various mustelids. 3. Enzymographic studies of arterial plasma of mink (Mustela vison Schreber, 1777)]. / Beiträge zur Morphologie und Biochemie des Blutes einiger Musteliden. 3. Mitteilung: Untersuchungen zum Enzymogramm im arteriellen Plasma des Farmnerzes (Mustela vison Schreber, 1777).

Twelve different enzyme activities, which are listed and explained in greater detail in Table 2, were determined statistically secured, and discussed, following a three-year study into arterial plasma of 118 female and 124 male minks, aged between six and seven months and kept under anaesthesia. Simply normally distributed or logarithmically distributed plasma enzyme activities were found to differ primarily by sex, with other experimental conditions being identical and regular. The enzyme activities of ICDH, active CPK, and total LDH (the latter only with females) were normally distributed, whereas all the other enzymes activities tested, except for gamma-GT and SDH, were of Gaussian distribution only after logarithmic transformation of the individual values. The plasma enzyme activities of GPT, LAP, ChE, LDH1, MDH, and AP differed from those of GOT, gamma-GT, SDH, total LDH and active CPK, in that they usually exhibited highly significant sex-related differences. All minks were tranquilised and kept under general anaesthesia, using neuroleptanalgesia, but all their enzyme activities were found to vary just as widely as those reported elsewhere in literature, in the context of minks without anaesthesia. The latter result was experimentally confirmed by means of a model experiment in which enzyme activities were recorded from nine male ferrets, prior to, during, and after neuroleptanalgesia.

Lymphangioma circumscriptum. A case with deep lymphatic involvement.

Lymphangioma circumscriptum is a rare disorder that is localized to the skin. To our knowledge, involvement of deeper lymphatic structures has been reported on only two prior occasions. Our patient had typical lymphangioma circumscriptum of her inner thigh, which was associated with deep lymphatic involvement and enlargement of the extremity. We report this case to alert others to this disease entity.