[Assessment of the respiratory muscles strength at various stages of ischemic stroke]. / Otsenka sily dykhatel'nykh myshts na razlichnykh stadiiakh ishemicheskogo insul'ta.

Power characteristics of the respiratory muscles (RM) in the dynamics of ischemic stroke (IS) is an important tool for the early diagnosis of RM dysfunction and development of individual programs for treatment at different stages of rehabilitation. AIM: To assess the power of RM in patients with IS at different stages of the disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Power characteristics of RM of 56 patients with IS with different severity of the disease were examined after 2-4, 5-6 and 13-14 months of IS onset. Maximum inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory (MEP) pressures in the oral cavity, maximum rate of pressure development (MRPD) and sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP) were determined. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A decrease in expiratory and inspiratory RM strength was shown in the early and late periods of IS, severity of which was depended on the severity of neurologic disorders. The bronchial obstruction resulted in RM dysfunction. Expiratory muscles weakness only was observed in the remote period while one third of patients had obstructive disorders of breathing. The functional activity of different RM at different IS stages was correlated with the smoking index, forced expiratory volume in the first second, forced vital capacity, skeletal muscles mass and severity of dyspnea, asthenia and disturbances of vital functions. These differences were the most obvious in elderly group of people. RM power examination of IS patients is an important mechanism of early diagnosis and rehabilitation.

Metal dilution effects on entropy and light-induced valence tautomeric interconversion in a 1:1 cobalt-dioxolene complex.

The entropy and the light-induced valence tautomeric interconversions of solid solutions of the [Co(Me(2)tpa)(diox)](PF(6)).C(6)H(5)CH(3) complex [Me(2)tpa = bis(6-methyl-(2-pyridylmethyl))(2-pyridylmethyl)amine and diox = catecholato (DBCat) or semiquinonato (DBSQ) forms of 3,5-ditert-butylquinone] in the electronically innocent [Zn(Me(2)tpa)(DBSQ)](PF(6)).C(6)H(5)CH(3) host, in four different molar ratios, have been investigated. It has been found that the entropy driven transition is strongly affected by the Co:Zn molar ratio, whereas the relaxation rates of the optically induced high-spin Co(II)-DBSQ metastable state at cryogenic temperatures are nearly independent of the degree of solid dilution. These results are discussed in the framework of the Jortner theory for adiabatic radiationless multiphonon relaxation processes. It is suggested that the optical bistability in these systems is related to the single molecule properties rather than to the cooperative effects active in the lattice.

Combined charge and spin density experimental study of the yttrium(III) semiquinonato complex Y(HBPz3)2(DTBSQ) and DFT calculations.

High-resolution X-ray diffraction and polarized neutron diffraction experiments have been performed on the Y-semiquinonate complex, Y(HBPz3)2(DTBSQ), in order to determine the charge and spin densities in the paramagnetic ground state, S = (1/2). The aim of these combined studies is to bring new insights to the antiferromagnetic coupling mechanism between the semiquinonate radical and the rare earth ion in the isomorphous Gd(HBPz3)2(DTBSQ) complex. The experimental charge density at 106 K yields detailed information about the bonding between the Y3+ ion and the semiquinonate ligand; the topological charge of the yttrium atom indicates a transfer of about 1.5 electrons from the radical toward the Y3+ ion in the complex, in agreement with DFT calculations. The electron density deformation map reveals well-resolved oxygen lone pairs with one lobe polarized toward the yttrium atom. The determination of the induced spin density at 1.9 K under an applied magnetic field of 9.5 T permits the visualization of the delocalized magnetic orbital of the radical throughout the entire molecule. The spin is mainly distributed on the oxygen atoms [O1 (0.12(1) mu B), O2(0.11(1) mu B)] and the carbon atoms [C21 (0.24(1) mu B), C22(0.20(1) mu B), C24(0.16(1) mu B), C25(0.12(1) mu B)] of the carbonyl ring. A significant spin delocalization on the yttrium site of 0.08(2) mu B is observed, proving that a direct overlap with the radical magnetic orbital can occur at the rare earth site and lead to antiferromagnetic coupling. The DFT calculations are in good quantitative agreement with the experimental charge density results, but they underestimate the spin delocalization of the oxygen toward the yttrium and the carbon atoms of the carbonyl ring.

Pressure- and temperature-induced valence tautomeric interconversion in a o-dioxolene adduct of a cobalt-tetraazamacrocycle complex.

An electronic switch at the molecular level has been realized by using a class of ionic compounds of the formula [Co(L)(diox)]Y (L = tetraazamacrocyclic ligand, Y = mononegative anion). Such compounds undergo temperature- and pressure-induced intramolecular one-electron transfer equilibria. The transition temperature of interconversion varies with the nature of the counterions Y (Y = PF6, BPh4, I). Surprisingly the effect of the anion on the transition temperature is not only governed by its volume but also by its coulombic interaction.

Charge distribution in bis-dioxolene radical metal complexes. synthesis and DFT characterization of dinuclear Co(III) and Cr(III) complexes with a mixed-valent, S = 1/2 semiquinone-catecholate ligand.

Bis-dioxolene bridged dinuclear metal complexes of general formula M2(CTH)2(diox-diox)(PF6)n (n = 2, 3; M = Co(III), Cr(III); CTH = tetraazamacrocycle) have been synthesized using the bis-bidentate ligand 5,5'-di-tert-butyl-3,3',4,4'-tetrahydroxybiphenyl. These complexes were characterized by means of ESR, UV-vis, temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility, and cyclic voltammetry. Our results unambiguously suggest that the tripositive dimetal cations can be described as containing a fully delocalized bis-dioxolene trinegative radical ligand (Cat-Sq) bridging two tripositive metal cations. In this frame the sextet electronic ground state characterizes the Cr2(CTH)2(Cat-SQ)3+ as a result of the antiferromagnetic coupling of the radical bridging ligand with the two equivalent paramagnetic metal centers. The electronic and geometrical structure and the magnetic properties of Cat-Sq and of its complexes have been studied with density functional theory.

A bis-bidentate dioxolene ligand induces thermal hysteresis in valence tautomerism interconversion processes.

The use of a bis-bidentate ligand in a solid cobalt dioxolene complex affords the necessary cooperative properties that lead to thermal hysteresis in a valence tautomeric interconversion equilibrium.

Antiferromagnetic Coupling in a Gadolinium(III) Semiquinonato Complex.

The strongest antiferromagnetic coupling to Gd(III) so far reported was found for the complex [Gd(Hbpz(3))(2)(dtbsq)] small middle dot2 CHCl(3) (1; Hbpz(3)=hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate; dtbsq=3,5-di-tert-butylsemiquinonato; see structure). At 245 K the magnetic susceptibility of 1 is lower than expected for two uncorrelated spins of 7/2 and 1/2, and the lowering of chiT with increasing temperature suggests that this is due to antiferromagnetic interaction between Gd(III) and the radical.

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in the formation of a dinuclear gadolinium semiquinonato complex: synthesis, high-field EPR studies, and magnetic properties.

The synthesis and characterisation of an asymmetric dinuclear gadolinium(III) semiquinonato complex, namely [Gd2(HBPz3)2(dtbsq)4] CHCl3 (1; HBPz3 = hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate, dtbsq = 3,5-di-tert-butyl-O-semiquinone), is reported. The crystal structure of 1 was determined at room temperature. It crystallises in the triclinic system P1, with a = 16.735(5) A, b = 17.705(5) A, c = 19.553(5) A, alpha = 99.680(5) degrees, beta = 109.960(5), gamma = 107.350(5) degrees, Z = 2 and R = 9.96. The structure of 1 consists of a dinuclear asymmetric unit in which the two gadolinium(III) ions have coordination numbers of eight and nine. Three of the dioxolene molecules act as asymmetric bridging ligands, while the fourth molecule behaves as a bidentate ligand towards a single metal ion. The magnetic properties of 1 were investigated by means of susceptibility measurements and high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (HF-EPR) spectroscopy. They revealed an S = 0 ground spin state with excited states of higher spin very close in energy and a small negative zero-field splitting with a transverse anisotropy term for a S = 7 state.

[The importance of the cytological method in the endoscopic diagnosis of endobronchitis]. / Znachenie tsitologicheskogo metoda pri éndoskopicheskom diagnoze éndobronkhita.

Analysis of cytograms of 60 patients with endoscopically diagnosed endobronchitis showed that in local endobronchitis dysplasia of the bronchial epithelium is more frequent than in diffuse endobronchitis. Use of the cytological method during primary examination of patients helps form the risk groups.

[Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in a population of drug addicts and their heterosexual partners]. / Prevalenza della infezione da virus C della epatite in una popolazione di tossicodipendenti e dei loro partner eterosessuali.

This study reports data concerning the prevalence of anti HCV in a population of 166 drug addicts and 25 partners (14 drug addicts and 11 with no history of substance abuse) of subjects proven anti HCV positive. The study was carried out in order to evaluate the importance of the haematic and sexual modes of transmission of HCV. The results obtained showed a prevalence of HCV infection in drug addicts with substantial statistic significance when compared with the prevalence in a population of donors. There is no evidence of statistically significant differences in prevalence between non-addicted partners and blood donors or between addicted partners and the general population of drug addicts. From these comparisons it is clear that haematic contact is an important source of contagion, whereas sexual contact appears to be of minor importance.