Extraskeletal Osteosarcoma of the Omentum with Aggressive Development.

For the first time extraskeletal osteosarcomas (ESOS) were described by Wilson in 1941. They are extremely rare neoplasms, presenting 4% of all osteosarcomas and 1,2% of all soft-tissue sarcomas. About 300 cases have been reported in the literature up to date. We present a 66-year-old female patient, admitted in the clinic because of acute bleeding in retroperitoneal space. Revision of the retroperitoneal space and haemostasis were performed. The patient was re-operated because postoperative bowel obstruction. The reason for it was intestinal infiltration from large tumor of the omentum, determined histopathologically as ESOS. The case was considered as an unresectable neoplasm so a colostomy was performed. In the literature we found 3 case reports of ESOS, originated from omentum.

[Our experience on the effect of complex treatment with gordox in patients with acute and chronic-recurrent pancreatitis]. / Nashiiat opit vurkhu efekta na gordox v kompleksnoto lechenie na ostriia i khronichno-retsidivirasht pakreatit.

AIMS: In this retrospective trial we assess how acute pancreatitis patients respond to nonoperative therapy; operative methods and results after surgery for acute and chronic-recurrent pancreatitis. METHODS: We present 738 acute pancreatitis patients, treated from 1991 to 2001 in our clinic. In all cases we start a nonoperative therapy comprising losses replacement, analgesics (including narcotic ones), spasmolytics, antibiotics, protease inhibitors-Contrical or Gordox (only during 1997 and 1998) and/or somatostatine (Sandostatin), H2-blockers, naso-gastric tube. Monitoring of the main parameters as blood pressure and pulse rate, number of leukocytes, values of serum amylase, urea and creatinine is performed. RESULTS: 576 responded to this therapy and recovered. The ones who worsened--162 acute pancreatitis patients--underwent surgery: necrectomy followed by postoperative prolonged local lavage in the area of pancreatic couch or laparostomy. This method contributes to a prolonged evacuation of biologically active substances and devitalized tissues. The average number of Ranson's Prognostic Criteria was 4.5. Furthermore, mortality is reduced to 19%. A mortality analysis is done. Surgery (cholecystectomy and bile duct exploration) is offered to patients who recovered from acute pancreatitis caused by cholelythiasis and/or choledocholythiasis. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients respond to the nonoperative therapy. Despite the recent improvement in diagnostics and treatment of acute pancreatitis morbidity and mortality rates are still high.

[Tactics and operative procedures in the management of complicated forms of malignant tumors of the left colon and rectum on emergency conditions]. / Taktika i operativni metodi pri lechenieto na uslozhnenite formi na malignenite tumori na leviia kolon i rektuma v usloviiata na speshnost.

Over the period 1996-2001, a total of 130 patients with complicated cancer of the left colon and 164 patients with complicated cancer of the rectum are subjected to treatment in the Clinic of Emergency Surgery at University Hospital "Queen Joanna", Sofia. Obturation is the commonest form of complication--136 patients (46.2%), followed by perforation either within the tumor or diastatic noted in 21 cases (7.1%), paratumor abscesses and infiltrates in 31 patients (10.5%) and rectohaemorrhage in 12 patients (4.0%). The optimal surgical approach to complicated forms of colorectal cancer of the left colon and rectum remains controversial especially when the patients underwent emergency surgery. Recently there has been a trend towards resection and anastomosis in selected patients. In each patient it's mandatory to make a precise and individual choice of the extend of the operative intervention, consistent with the patient's general condition and contributing to eliminate the life-endangering underlying cause. It must be realized by means of one-stage surgery when it's possible. Authors represent their personal experience with resolve of these actual problems.

Isolation and characterization of a novel superoxide dismutase from fungal strain Humicola lutea 110.

A novel thermostable MnSOD was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from the fungal strain Humicola lutea 110. The preparation of the pure metalloenzyme was performed using treatment with acetone followed by ion exchange and gel permeation chromatography. We found that the activity of this enzyme comprises about 80% of the total superoxide dismutase activity in the crude extract, containing two proteins: MnSOD and Cu/ZnSOD. The MnSOD has a molecular mass of approximately 76 kDa and 7200 U/mg protein specific activity. It is a tetrameric enzyme with four identical subunits of 18 860 Da each as indicated by SDS-PAGE, amino acid analysis and mass spectrometry. N-terminal sequence analysis of MnSOD from the fungal strain revealed a high degree of structural homology with enzymes from other eukaryotic sources. Physicochemical properties were determined by absorption spectroscopy and circular dichroism measurements. The UV absorption spectrum was typical for an MnSOD enzyme, but displayed an increased absorption in the 280 nm region (epsilon280 = 10.4 mM(-1). cm(-1)), attributed to aromatic amino acid residues. The CD data show that MnSOD has two negative Cotton effects at 208 and 222 nm allowing the calculation of its helical content. The ellipticity at 222 nm is 6800 deg. x m(2) x dmol(-1) and thus similar to the values reported for other MnSODs. The MnSOD from H. lutea 110 is stable over a wide range of pH (4.5-8), even in the presence of EDTA. The enzyme is thermostable at 70-75 degrees C, and more stable than MnSODs from other sources.

Efficient algorithm for quantitative assessment of similarities among atoms in molecules.

A new algorithm for quantitative assessment of similarity between two atoms in molecules is presented. Both the atomic similarity index and its derivatives with respect to the three Euler angles that describe the mutual orientation of the atoms under comparison are computed efficiently by taking advantage of the recently developed analytical representations for atomic zero-flux surfaces. The use of such representations makes it possible to substantially enhance the accuracy of the computed similarity indices without increasing the cost of their evaluation. Numerical tests involving oxygen atoms in several carbonyl compounds demonstrate the ability of the new algorithm to discern small changes in atomic similarity that are brought about by second-neighbor effects. Comparisons among hydrogen atoms in the acrolein molecule reveal the usefulness of the similarity index in detection and quantification of the effects of steric interactions on atomic shapes. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

On the character of hygienic science.

In its nature, ends and purposes, hygiene is a medical science. Consequently, it can be axiomatically accepted that the character of medicine is also the character of hygiene. Traditionally, medicine ranks among biological sciences. The author deliberates on the need to regard the current complex of medical sciences, hygiene included, as socio-biological sciences.

[Structural and functional modifications of phospholamban and regulation of calcium transport in the sarcoplasmic reticulum under conditions of metabolic cardiac insufficiency]. / Strukturno-funktsional'nye modifikatsii fosfolambana i reguliatsiia transporta kal'tsiia v sarkoplazmaticheskom retikulume pri metabolichesk oi nedostatochnosti serdtsa.

The phosphorylation of phospholamban from dog myocardium is shown to correlate with the protein sensitivity to tryptic attack both in undamaged myocardium and under conditions of circulatory hypoxia and experimental infarction. In the absence of "exogenous" protein kinase a decreased phosphorylation of phospholamban is observed in the incubation mixture containing 10(-6) M cAMP both for circulatory hypoxia and myocardial infarction. In the latter case the phosphorylation remains diminished in the presence of "exogenous" protein kinase as well. The sarcoplasmic reticulum from damaged myocardium exhibited changes in the velocity of the oxalate-dependent transport of calcium which correlated with the corresponding degree of the phospholamban phosphorylation.