Sera from 17 166 blood donors living in 10 cantons of northern Switzerland in an area endemic for Echinococcus multilocularis were investigated by serological survey for alveolar echinococcosis (AE). A highly species-specific antigen (Em2) and a commonly used E. granulosus hydatid fluid antigen (EgHF) were compared for their suitability in seroepidemiology. EgHF showed a degree of nonspecificity which did not allow direct detection of AE cases. Antibody reaction with Em2 resulted in the detection of 2 asymptomatic clinical cases of AE (seroprevalence 0.01%) within this population of blood donors. A further 4 persons were positive in Em2-ELISA. These 4 persons had negative imaging studies and will be followed serologically and clinically.

Recent experiments with high density divertor plasma operation in tokamaks and future tokamak design projects have revived interest in the much earlier work on elastic collision processes between neutral and charged components in hot plasmas. In revisiting these papers, we employ classical methods to calculate deflection functions, cross sections and collision rates for the most important of such elastic collision processes. A phyiscally motivated cut-off procedure for the model interaction potential function is introduced. An algorithm for implementation of such processes into kinetic Monte Carlo neutral gas transport models is described, which accurately accounts also for possible singularities in the deflection function. Data fits for the relevant quantities are provided for hydrogenic and helium species. The relevance of elastic neutral-ion collisions is illustrated by a numerical simulation of an ITER relevant divertor model.

We compared nonbronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (NB-BAL) with open lung biopsy to determine the etiological diagnosis of lung infiltrates in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. NB-BAL was performed via a cuffed reusable 7F catheter generally used for right heart catheterization (BAL-C). In 13 patients, BAL-C and open lung biopsy were performed in the same lobe immediately after death when the ventilator was still functioning. No organism was cultured from BAL-C cultures when histopathologic examination of the lung showed no pneumonia and lung culture isolated no organism. Among the 10 positive BAL-C cultures, lung biopsy showed histologic pneumonia in 9 cases. Among these 9 pneumonia cases, 14 organisms were isolated in lung cultures and BAL-C correctly identified the causative agent in 13 cases. BAL-C appears to be an effective and safe procedure in the diagnosis of pulmonary infections in patients under mechanical ventilation who have previously received antibiotic therapy.

966HELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA.Masse, aus der wir nach zweimaligem Umlosen aus Methanol 0,43 g 1,2-Dehydro-laudanosin gewannen. Nach dem nochmaligen Umkrystallisieren aus Aceton-Petrolather lag der Schrnelzpunkt der fast farblosen Krystalle bei 135O (Vakuumrohrchen). Die alkoholische Losung der Substanz reduziert neutrale Silbernitratlosung schon in der Kalte. Die Losung in konz. Schwefelsaure ist karmin, beim Erwarmen schlagt die Farbe in schmutzig-violett urn. wahrend sie auf Zusatz von Cer(1V)-sulfat intensiver wird. C,,H,,O,N (355,21) Ber. C 70,94 H 7,10 Clef. C 70,79 H 6,96%.

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