Systematic review and meta-analysis. small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in chronic pancreatitis

BACKGROUND: Evidence on small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) is conflicting. AIM: The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of SIBO in CP and to examine the relationship of SIBO with symptoms and nutritional status. METHODS: Case-control and cross-sectional studies investigating SIBO in CP patients were analysed. The prevalence of positive tests was pooled across studies, and the rate of positivity between CP cases and controls was calculated. RESULTS: In nine studies containing 336 CP patients, the pooled prevalence of SIBO was 36% (95% confidence interval (CI) 17-60%) with considerable heterogeneity (I2 = 91%). A sensitivity analysis excluding studies employing lactulose breath test gave a pooled prevalence of 21.7% (95% CI 12.7-34.5%) with lower heterogeneity (I2 = 56%). The odds ratio for a positive test in CP vs controls was 4.1 (95% CI 1.6-10.4) (I2 = 59.7%). The relationship between symptoms and SIBO in CP patients varied across studies, and the treatment of SIBO was associated with clinical improvement. CONCLUSIONS: One-third of CP patients have SIBO, with a significantly increased risk over controls, although results are heterogeneous, and studies carry several limitations. The impact of SIBO and its treatment in CP patients deserve further investigation

Motion of Vacancies in a Pinned Vortex Lattice: Origin of the Hall Anomaly

Physical arguments are presented to show that the Hall anomaly is an effect of the vortex many-body correlation rather than that of an individual vortex. Quantitatively, the characteristic energy scale in the problem, the vortex vacancy formation energy, is obtained for thin films. At low temperatures a scaling relation between the Hall and longitudinal resistivities is found, with the power depending on sample details. Near the superconducting transition temperature and for small magnetic fields the Hall conductivity is found to be proportional to the inverse of the magnetic field and to the quadratic of the difference between the measured and the transition temperatures.Comment: minor change

Electrosynthesis of anisidines in aqueous sulfuric and acetic acids

The influence of the concentrations of acetic and sulfuric acids on the efficiency of anisole amination by means of hydroxylamine and Ti(IV)/Ti(III) mediator was studied. Ortho- and para-anisidines were obtained with the total yields of about 79% by current and hydroxylamine. © 2009 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

Electrochemical amination. Dilute aqueous organic solutions of sulfuric acid

The electrochemical process of anisole amination is studied in 1.5-9 M H2SO4 solutions containing acetonitrile or acetic acid. It is shown that the synthesis of aromatic monoamino compounds is better performed in moderately acidic media with high concentrations of organic solvents. Due to the chain mechanism of the electrochemical process, the current efficiency of amines can exceed 150% under these conditions. © 2009 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

Naphthalene-1,8-dicarb­oxy­lic anhydride: a monoclinic polymorph

A new type of naphthalene-1,8-dicarb­oxy­lic anhydride, C12H6O3, was synthesized hydro­thermally. Unlike the two previously reported polymorphs, which crystallize in the ortho­rhom­bic space groups P212121 [Shok et al. (1971). Kristallografiya, 16, 500–502; Grigor’eva & Chetkina (1975). Kristallografiya, 20, 1289–1290] and Pbca [Shok & Gol’der (1970). Zh. Strukt. Khim. 11, 939–940], this present structure crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21 /c. In this structure, the planar [total puckering amplitude Q = 0.0362 (15)] mol­ecules lie parallel to each other along the a axis

Wound-healing activity of polyhexamethyleneguanidine hydrochloride hydrogel and extract of Bergenia crassifolia on thermal burn simulation

The results of a study of the wound healing activity of a composition based on the hydrogel of polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride and Bergenia crassifolia extract, under conditions of modeling thermal burns in laboratory animals (rats), are presented. It was found that the composition affects the change in the summary antioxidant and leukocyte activity towards the normalization of these indicators. Morphological analysis of the slices showed that, under the influence of a polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrogel composition and B.crassifolia extract, healing proceeds more intensively than in the control group and is manifested by a smaller thickness of the leukocyte-necrotic scab, accelerated epithelization, and complete closure of the skin defect

Electrochemical determination of unithiol and lipoic acid at electrodes modified with carbon nanotubes

Conditions are found for the voltammetric determination of lipoic acid and unithiol at a glassy-carbon electrode modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Possible mechanisms for the oxidation of lipoic acid and unithiol are proposed. As compared to an unmodified electrode, the use of the modified electrode allows the analyst to reduce overvoltage (ΔE = 0.1 V) and increase the oxidation current of lipoic acid. Unithiol is oxidized in the accessible range of potentials only at an electrode modified with carbon nanotubes. The determination limits for unithiol and lipoic acid are 4.1 × 10-5 and 1.9 × 10-5 M, respectively. Milligram amounts of these substances are determined in model solutions with RSD = 1-5%. Procedures for determining the active substances (lipoic acid and unithiol) in pharmaceuticals are proposed. © 2009 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

Coulometric determination of sulfur-containing amino acids using halogens as oxidizing titrants

It is found that cysteine and methionine quantitatively react with electrogenerated halogens under the conditions of galvanostatic coulometry. Cysteine reacts with all titrants, and methionine reacts only with chlorine and bromine. The stoichiometric coefficients of reactions between cysteine and halogens are 1:3, 1:3, and 1:1 for chlorine, bromine, and iodine, respectively. These coefficients for methionine reactions with chlorine and bromine are 1:2 and 1:1, respectively. It is shown that cysteine can be selectively determined in its mixtures with methionine by coulometric titration with electrogenerated iodine. It is found that twofold amounts of methionine do not interfere with the determination of cysteine. A procedure is developed for the direct coulometric determination of methionine in tablets with a relative standard deviation of 3-5%. © 2007 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

Traditional and Modern Protective Media for the Low-Temperature Bacteria Preservation

Presented are the literature data on the efficiency of bacteria preservation at temperatures ranging from -20 to -196 °C in the protective media containing such cryoprotectors as glycerol, dimethyl sulfoxide, carbo-hydrates, substances of protein origin specified by regulatory guidelines. Most of the focus is on the publications reporting the results of the long-term bacteria preservation at sub-zero temperatures, optimization of the protective media for pathogenic bacteria, and usage of the compounds with potential cryoprotective activity. Noted is the necessity for approbation of the specified protective media for the conserved bacteria species at the applied preserving temperatures. One of the approaches to the enhancement of the low-temperature preservation techniques is a search for natural protectors, which can provide for surviving of bacteria in the unfavorable conditions, including low temperatures, and a search for possibility to integrate these natural protectors into the cryoprotective media. Displayed are the results of effective application of glycerol-betaine, and polysaccharides of Arctic microorganisms for the low-temperature bacteria preservation