is responsible for chronic infection in many bronchiectasis patients but it is not known whether it is associated with worse clinical outcomes independent of the underlying severity of disease.This study analysed data from 2596 bronchiectasis patients included from 10 different bronchiectasis clinical centres across Europe and Israel, with a 5-year follow-up period. Prevalence of chronic infection and its independent impact on exacerbations, hospitalisations, quality of life and mortality was assessed.The prevalence of chronic infection was 15.0% (n=389). was associated with a higher mortality in a univariate analysis (hazard ratio (HR) 2.02; 95% (confidence interval) CI 1.53-2.66; p<0.0001) but an independent impact on mortality was not found in a multivariate analysis (HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.70-1.36; p=0.89). was independently associated with increased mortality only in patients with frequent exacerbations (two or more per year) (HR 2.03; 95% CI 1.36-3.03; p=0.001). An independent association with worse quality of life of 7.46 points (95% CI 2.93-12.00; p=0.001) was found in a multivariable linear regression. was therefore found to be independently associated with exacerbation frequency, hospital admissions and worse quality of life. Mortality was increased in patients with particularly in the presence of frequent exacerbations.

In operando SECM is employed to monitor the evolution of the electrically insulating character of a Si electrode surface during (de-)lithiation. The solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) formed on Si electrodes is shown to be intrinsically electrically insulating. However, volume changes upon (de-)lithiation lead to the loss of the protecting character of the initially formed SEI.

Inflammatory exudates obtained in rats after subcutaneous implantation of carrageenin-soaked sponges were found to contain relatively large amounts of 15-hydroxy-5,8,11, 13-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) and smaller amounts of cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT) in addition to LTB4, thromboxane (TX) B2 and prostaglandin (PG)E2. Concentrations of 15-HETE and cysteinyl-LT were high 5 hours after sponge implantation and decreased significantly within 24 hours. This time-course, which is similar to that of TXB2, but differs from that of PGE2, suggests migrating leukocytes as a major source of 15-HETE and cysteinyl-LT. Aspirin, sodium salicylate, dipyrone (100 mg/kg each) and indomethacin (2 and 20 mg/kg) decrease the concentrations of cyclooxygenase products of arachidonate metabolism, but did not significantly affect levels of 15-HETE. Cysteinyl-LT were increased by 20 mg/kg indomethacin, but remained unaffected by 2 mg/kg indomethacin and by the other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) tested. 15-HETE and cysteinyl-LT could play a mediator role in inflammation. In addition, they could modulate the release and effects of other inflammatory mediators.

The mechanism underlying the mucosal protective effect of antacids is still unclear. This study shows that in rats the aluminum containing antacid, hydrotalcit, induces dose dependent protection against gastric mucosal damage caused by ethanol or indomethacin which is considerably enhanced by acidification. Hydrotalcit did not increase gastric mucosal formation or the intraluminal release of prostaglandins, and did not prevent the increase in mucosal leukotriene C4 formation in response to ethanol. Pretreatment with indomethacin did not attenuate the protective effect of unmodified or acidified hydrotalcit. Furthermore, hydrotalcit significantly reduced the gastric damage caused by indomethacin even when it was administered up to 2 hours after the ulcerogen. In indomethacin treated rats, simultaneous administration of hydrotalcit did not affect the concentrations of indomethacin in serum or inflammatory exudates nor did it attenuate the inhibition of prostaglandin release into the exudates. In hydrotalcit treated rats there was no attenuation of the increase in sulphidopeptide leukotriene release or decrease in leukocyte influx into inflammatory exudates elicited by indomethacin administration. Functional ablation of afferent neurons and inhibition of endogenous nitric oxide partially antagonised the protective effect of unmodified, but not of acidified, hydrotalcit. It is concluded that (i) the protective effect ofunmodified and acidified hydrotalcit is independent of the eicosanoid system; (ii) protection against indomethacin induced gastric lesions does not require treatment before dosing of the ulcerogen and does not interfere with absorption and antiinflammatory actions of indomethacin; (iii) endogenous nitric oxide and afferent neurons contribute partly to the effect of unmodified, but not of acidified, hydrotalcit suggesting that different mechanisms mediate their mucosal protective activity. (Gut 1993; 34: 329-337 in all experiments. They were housed in a controlled environment (22+± 1C) with a 12 hour light/dark cycle. Rats were deprived of food for 24 hours but had free access to water before the start of the experiments. GASTRIC MUCOSAL PROTECTION STUDIESEthanol induced gastric lesions Groups of six rats were treated orally with graded doses of unmodified (80-750 mg/kg) or acidified (40-200 mg/kg) hydrotalcit 60 minutes before intragastric instillation of 1 5 ml of absolute ethanol. Because ofthe volume of the compound, 750 mg/kg unmodified hydrotalcit is the maximum dose that can be introduced into the stomach. Five minutes after the ethanol instillation, the stomach was removed under ether anaesthesia and mucosal damage was assessed in a blinded manner by calculation of a lesion index based on a 0-3 scoring system as described elsewhere.'7 Previous studies have shown that the mucosal damage is maximal within 5 minutes of ethanol exposure and no worsening occurs after that. 17 Furthermore, pilot experiments have ascertained that identical protective effects of unmodified and acidified hydrota...