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Notes: Abstract PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the development of anemia during functional ileoanal pouch. METHODS: Eighty-three patients received an ileoanal pouch between 1980 and 1987. The hematology data deviations among the preoperative period, defunctionalized stage, and after ileal pouch in function were monitored. Aspects studied included serum hemoglobin, iron, folates, vitamin B12, white blood cell, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, pt-B12, and fat absorption. Specimens were collected before colectomy, during ileostomy prior to pouch operation, before loop ileostomy closure, and at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months after loop ileostomy closure. RESULTS: Two patients developed iron deficiency anemia after 2.5 and 5 years of pouch function: one patient, a vegetarian, had low hemoglobin, iron, and vitamin B12 postoperatively, the other patient developed low iron and hemoglobin 5 years after the operation. Significant elevations of serum hemoglobin, iron, and folates were seen preoperativelyvs postoperatively from 12346±2.845 g/l, 10.282±0.992 μmol/l, and 9.983 ±1.308 mmol/l to 138.842±1.563 g/l (P〈0.0001), 17.544±1.529 μmol/l (P〈0.0003), and 16.784±1.757 mmol/l (P〈0.01) (mean±SE) of the defunctionalized loop ileostomy. Serum B12 decreased insignificantly. After loop ileostomy closure, at 6 and 36 months of functional ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, the elevations were still siginificant; serum hemoglobin wasP〈0.0001 and P〈0.01, and serum iron was P〈0.001 and P〈 0.01, respectively. Vitamin B12 levels decreased insignificantly at six months in controls and significantly (P〈 0.01) at 36 months. There was a significant increase of serum folates (P〈0.01 and P〈0.001). Patients with low iron were 50 percent at precolectomy, 23 percent with ileostomy, 16 percent with loop ileostomy, 15 percent at six-month follow-up, and 11 percent at 12-month follow-up. Although only 3 percent and 11 percent of the patients with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis had low serum vitamin B12 values at the 12-month and 36-month follow-up, 31 percent and 36 percent had decreased Schilling tests. Thirty-three percent and 41 percent had decreased14C-triolein breath tests. In five patients vitamin B12 deficiency began during the first six months of pouch function: in two patients after one year and in one patient after two years. Eight of 83 patients have had substitution therapy with vitamin B12. The therapy was discontinued in three patients after two to four years; these patients developed no further symptoms and had normal Schilling tests in the succeeding 30 months to 46 months. Five patients continue with substitution after 40 months to 68 months. During the functional period, serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate and white blood cells were elevated in some controls on different occasions. Folates were normal throughout the functional period. CONCLUSION: For predicting hematologic data outcome in patients with functional ileal reservoir, the results justify the necessity for control during both manipulative and functional periods until evaluations are reliable and satisfying.

Notes: Abstract In this note we explore the conditions under which synchrotron radiation can be used to trigger a photocathode gun. We show that such a solution offers in principle the possibility of operating with a pulsed electron beam filling all the buckets of the accelerating radio frequency. Some comments on the e-beam characteristics are also presented.

Notes: Summary A rapid, sensitive and selective high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of sphingosine in human serum. After precipitation with methanol, the samples were extracted using Carbopack B disposable columns; the sphingosine was eluted with 0.05 M hydrochloric acid in methanol-dichloromethane (20∶80, v/v) and the extract evaporated to dryness at 40°C. The sample residue was then reconstituted with methanol and reacted with o-phthaldialdehyde reagent to produce a fluorescent compound. Separation was performed using an LC-18 column with 0.05 M phosphate buffer (pH 7)-methanol-acetonitrile (15∶80∶5, v/v) as mobile phase. Fluorescence detection was performed with excitation and emission wavelengths of 340 and 455 nm, respectively. The serum extract was re-analyzed with a cyano LC column to minimize the possibility of false positive results. The possible interference of compounds having a structure similar to that of sphingosine was evaluated. The mean recovery of sphingosine was 〉94.5%. The limit of detection of the assay was 1 ng mL−1. The between-run and within-run coefficients of variation for replicate analyses were 〈4.0% and 〈3.4%, respectively. The levels of free sphingosine in the serum of 40 normal subjects (20 male and 20 female) was investigated; the average level was 81.6±41.1 ng mL−1 (mean ±S.D.) for males and 85.5±33.7 ng mL−1 for females.

Notes: Abstract The seroprevalence to Toxoplasma gondii (41.1%), rubella virus (88.2%), cytomegalovirus (86.0%), and herpes simplex virus (80.0%) has been evaluated in fertile women living in Catania (Sicily). The population group studied was divided into four age groups to quantify the risk of primary infection in each age group.

Notes: A sensitive and selective high performance liquid chromatographic doxophylline assay with ultraviolet detection has been developed for plasma samples. The drug is isolated from biological samples with a reversed phase C18 disposable extraction column. Plasma standard curves are linear for concentrations of doxophylline from 0.03 to 10 mg/L. At the therapeutic range concentrations, the recoveries are better than 96.9%. The coefficients of variation for the procedure are 4.1% and 2.7% for the concentrations 0.03 mg/L and 10 mg/L, respectively. By this method, pharmacokinetic profiles are obtained for six adult volunteers.

Notes: Summary A method has been developed for the determination of thirteen phenylurea herbicide residues in milk. It involves one-step solvent extraction of the milk with methanol by ultrasonication. The extract is cleaned up on an Amberchrom resin cartridge. Reversed-phase, gradient elution, high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection at 242 nm is used to analyse the residues. The recovery of thirteen phenylurea pesticides is quantitative, ranging from 71.4% to 97.9% for the individual herbicides investigated at concentrations around 0.05 mg kg−1 and from 65.1% to 95.6% around 0.005 mg kg−1. The method is not associated with any of the emulsion problems common to conventional solvent extraction, which considerably reduce the sample clean-up process compared with existing methods.