[Pulmonary mass suspected as malignant tumour. Thoracic wall abscess and fistula after pulmonary segmental resection]. / Malignomsuspekte pulmonale Raumforderung. Thoraxwandabszess und Fistelbildung nach chirurgischer Resektion.

A 31-year-old patient presented with chronic cough and thoracic pain. A pulmonary mass was seen on chest x-ray, and pulmonary segmental resection was done. Histopathologically, a pulmonary abscess cavity due to actinomycosis was found. Three months later, recurrence of actinomycosis at the thoracic wall was observed. Antibiotic therapy with penicillin was administered. Five months later, with the patient receiving continued antibiotic therapy, a thoracic wall abscess and fistula was diagnosed. Four weeks after abscess drainage and repeat intravenous antibiotic therapy, the patient was symptom-free and had remained symptom-free at 10 months of follow-up.

Detrimental effects of testosterone on post-myocardial infarction remodelling in female rats.

Clinical data suggest an association of increased serum androgens with cardiovascular mortality in females, but not in males. Therefore, we examined effects of chronic anabolic testosterone administration on left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction in female rats. Ovariectomized adult female rats were treated with placebo, supraphysiologic testosterone undecanoate (T), estradiol (E(2)), or T+E(2). Two weeks after ovarcectomy, animals underwent sham-operation or coronary artery ligation. Left ventricular remodeling and function were assessed by echocardiography and hemodynamic investigation. In sham operated animals T administration increased serum T levels and led to cardiac hypertrophy, with an increase in the beta/alpha-MHC-ratio and in IGF-1 expression. After coronary artery ligation, infarct size and mortality were similar among the groups. T treatment aggravated left ventricular hypertrophy and chamber dilatation (end-diastolic diameter, E(2) vs. T vs. E(2)+T, 8.6 +/- 0.6 vs. 9.9 +/- 0.3 vs. 9.8 +/- 0.3 mm, p<0.05) and reduced fractional shortening 8 weeks after myocardial infarction. Extracellular matrix remodeling was not altered by hormonal treatment. In conclusion, chronic anabolic T treatment causes myocardial hypertrophy under basal conditions and adversely affects left ventricular remodeling following myocardial infarction in female rats.

Diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectra and high-temperature DRIFT spectra of beta-Ni(IO3)2.4H2O, Ni(IO3)2.2H2O, Mg(OH)2, and Zn(OH)F: novel embedding materials.

Diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectra of the hydroxides Mg(OH)2 and Zn(OH)F and the iodate hydrates beta-Ni(IO3)2.4H2O and Ni(IO3)2.2H2O have been recorded at ambient and high temperature. Spectra without shifts of the band maxima compared to those of conventional infrared transmission spectra and without inversion of the bands were obtained by dilution of the compounds to about 2-10% with an appropriate embedding material. alpha-Al2O3, TiO2, ZrO2, PbF2, MgO, BaO, ZnO, Na2SiO3, SiO2 (aerosil), and powdered copper, aluminum, and magnesium were tested as diluents for hydrates and hydroxides, especially at elevated temperatures, as alternatives for the commonly used KBr. Thus, alpha-Al2O3, PbF2, and powdered copper were established as the most favorable diluents. Using these novel embedding materials, high-temperature DRIFT spectra are obtainable at temperatures not accessible with KBr discs. Dehydration and decomposition of the iodate hydrates under study were shown by change or disappearance of the respective water bands.