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La enfermedad de Crohn es una enfermedad inflamatoria crónica del tracto gastrointestinal que cursa en brotes y requiere múltiples revaloraciones. Las técnicas de imagen seccional (tomografía computarizada, resonancia magnética y ultrasonidos) desempeñan papel crucial en la valoración inicial y el seguimiento de la enfermedad, así como de sus complicaciones. La calidad y la homogeneidad del informe radiológico es crítico para asegurar una comunicación efectiva entre especialistas y optimizar el tratamiento del paciente.

Nine hundred and ten schizophrenic inpatients suffering from acute psychotic episodes were included in a naturalistic study. Patients were prescribed treatment with olanzapine (OLZ) or with typical antipsychotic (TYP) drugs. Patients receiving another atypical antipsychotic were excluded. Of the whole sample, 483 (53.4) were treated with olanzapine and 421 (46.6) with typical antipsychotics. Three specific subpopulations of greater severity were defined patients with prominent psychotic symptoms, agitated patients, and patients initially treated with intramuscular (i.m.) medication because of their acute clinical condition. Severity of illness was assessed using the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale for severity, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Nursing Observational Scale for Inpatient Evaluation. Baseline differences were adjusted per data analysis. The mean change from baseline to endpoint of overall symptomatology (total BPRS score) was significantly greater in the olanzapine group compared to the typical antipsychotic-treated group, both in the sample of patients with prominent positive symptoms (P< 0.001) and in the sample of agitated patients (P0.015). Significant differences were also found in BPRS positive scores, BPRS negative scores and CGI scores in these two populations. Patients who had received previous i.m. drugs showed no statistically significant differences in symptomatic improvement between both treatments groups, except for a more favourable response of BPRS negative subscores in the olanzapine group (P0.015). The results suggest that olanzapine may be considered as a first line treatment for severely psychotic inpatients with schizophrenia.

Des prélèvements par pompage manuel, faits depuis un an au voisinage du niveau piézométrique à partir de six stations d'étude, permettent d'intéressantes remarques sur le peuplement du « Rhône souterrain » en amont de Lyon :

The main aim of this study is to try to see if, despite the diagenetic changes undergone by the fossil bones buried in Venta Micena (Orce, Spain), the concentration of trace elements permits the differentiation of particular groups. It is possible that some chemical elements allow us to identify different dietary groups in accord with their archaeological context. Different multivariant methods—correlation, principal component analysis and cluster analysis—were applied to the data, and in all cases the results show that two elements (Ba and Zn) seem able to discriminate between groups with different diets. In this sense, diagenesis cannot explain all the variability found in the concentrations of trace elements in fossils from the Orce region. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Methods of fractal geometry (Mandelbrot, 1983) are used here to analyse the relative complexity of the sagittal and lambdoid sutures visible in the skull fragment formed by parts of an occipital squame and parietals found in a sealed deposit at the early Lower Pleistocene site of Venta Micena (Orce, Granada, Spain), generally regarded as human bone but occasionally suggested as belonging to an equid. For comparison with the fossil, corresponding sutures of various primates (hominids, pongids and cercopithecids) and two other groups of mammals (equids and ruminants) were analysed using the computer program FRACTAL-D (Slice, 1989) in order to determine their fractal dimensions as a measure of differential sutural design complexity. The results show that the fractal dimension of the Venta Micena skull sutures lies within the range of variation for infant specimens of both modern and Plio-Pleistocene hominids. Sutural complexity in young pongids and cercopithecids overlaps the range of fractal dimensions found in hominids, whereas values obtained from equids and ruminants are significantly greater than those for all the primates analysed here. Therefore, in terms of fractal dimension measures of relative complexity, the sutures preserved in the Venta Micena fossil could not have belonged to an equid (pace Agusti & Moyà-Sola, 1987); rather, its fractal dimension is consistent with the attribution of the fossil to an infant of Homo sp. Copyright 1995, 1999 Academic Press

The main aim of this study is to try to see if, despite the diagenetic changes undergone by the fossil bones buried in Venta Micena (Orce, Spain), the concentration of trace elements permits the differentiation of particular groups. It is possible that some chemical elements allow us to identify different dietary groups in accord with their archaeological context. Different multivariant methods—correlation, principal component analysis and cluster analysis—were applied to the data, and in all cases the results show that two elements (Ba and Zn) seem able to discriminate between groups with different diets. In this sense, diagenesis cannot explain all the variability found in the concentrations of trace elements in fossils from the Orce region. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A survey was undertaken from April to June 1991 in seven sites of the Rhône River and the Ain River, southeastern France. A variety of physical and chemical factors were measured in an attempt to assess the importance of each in determining the distribution of species and the community structures at the surface/aquifer interaction zone. Metal (zinc and copper) impact was more precisely considered. Two investigation methods (multivariate statistical community analysis and community parameters such as abundance, richness, diversity indices) revealed that the structures of the surface and interstitial communities were partly related to some of the chemical factors and to variations in metal concentrations in the water or in the sediments. Variables such as magnesium, sulfate, potassium, oxygen, and metal contents appeared to be discriminant factors which could be associated with specific faunistic assemblages. Moreover, sites contaminated by zinc or copper generally had a low number of individuals and low number of taxa. Taxonomic groups were differently affected by metals. However, the potential use of epigean and especially hypogean invertebrate species in biomonitoring trace metal contamination at the river/aquifer interaction zone is as yet premature.

Invertebrates were surveyed during November 1994 in the interstitial compartment (at depths of -15 and -50 cm) of six sites mainly downstream from the city of Lyon, along a 197 km stretch of the Rhône River. Various physical and chemical factors (main factors and metals) were measured in an attempt to assess their importance in determining the structure of invertebrate communities and the distribution of species. The analysis revealed that the structure of these communities was related to some of the factors such as oxygen, pH and some metals (especially Fe, Ni and Cr). Contaminated sites had relatively low taxonomic richness and low diversity indices and the invertebrate assemblages differed from those observed at less metal-enriched sites (especially at a depth of -15 cm). Moreover, some taxa among oligochaetes, insects and crustaceans can be defined as metal-tolerant as they were associated with sites containing sediments with high concentrations of one or more metals. The present study and the previous one performed upstream from Lyon provide a constructive basis for discussing the impact of metals on interstitial invertebrate communities and the use of these communities as tools for monitoring the impact of metals on groundwater systems.

The aim of this paper is to present a critical review of the morphological evidence that has been advanced to support the recognition of two species ofDryopithecus—Dryopithecus laietanusandDryopithecus crusafonti—in the collections of fossil hominoids from the Valle`s-Penede`s basin in northeastern Spain. Based on a study of the morphological details of the dentition in the fossils, and comparisons with the ranges and patterns of variation seen in extant hominoids, an alternative interpretation of the taxonomy ofDryopithecusfrom Spain is presented. The main results of this analysis can be summarized as follows: (1) there is no convincing morphological or metrical evidence to support the recognition of more than one species ofDryopithecusin the collections from Valle`s-Penede`s; (2) all of the material from Valle`s-Penede`s can be attributed toD. laietanus(Villalta & Crusafont, 1944); (3) the speciesD. crusafontiBegun, 1992 is considered to be insufficiently distinct fromD. laietanus, and is recognized here as a junior synonym of the latter; and (4) the El Firal mandible from the Spanish Pyrenees is best attributed toDryopithecus fontani.

The presence ofHomoin Europe longer than a million years ago is often discussed. The finding of a Lower Pleistocene phalanx from the karstic site of Cueva Victoria in Murcia (Spain) can contribute important information about this theme if theHomoidentification is confirmed. We have used an array of morphometric analyses to study this phalanx, and to compare it with human, gorilla and cercopithecid phalanges. The morphometric variates included conventional distance and surface area measurements estimated from radiographs of the phalanges, harmonic amplitudes from Fourier series fitted to their contours, and shape coordinates of landmarks. Discriminant analysis was used to compare the groups, and principal and relative warp analyses used to investigate the relative position of landmarks. Results obtained with all morphometric methods consistently indicated a human affinity for the fossil, and thus constitute further evidence of the presence ofHomosp. in the southern Iberian Peninsula during the Lower Pleistocene.

The risk of anastomotic failure in the unprepared colon is generally high. Therfore, Hartmann's operation is frequently employed in emergencies. We present an alternative technique, the exteriorized anastomosis described until now only for cases of perforation. Exteriorized anastomosis was performed in 14 patients. The preoperative diagnosis was occlusive neoplasm, perforated diverticulitis or traumatic performation of the sigmoid colon. Four patients subsequently developed partial anastomotic dehiscence, but without the consequences of intraperitoneal dehiscence. We think that exteriorized anastomosis is a useful alternative in high risk situations.

Organogenic elements, mainly carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur are present in the particulate material and in a breccia rock from Tranquillity Base in amounts ranging from 5 to 4200 parts per million. The major compounds of carbon released by heating are carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; the former predominates. Small amounts of other compounds of carbon have also been observed. Sulfur can be released as hydrogen sulfide by treatment with acid. The carbon isotopic δ13C values are definitely nonterrestrial (+ 13 to + 18.5 per mil).

The sensitivity of metabolic rate to temperature constrains the climate in which ectotherms can function, yet the temperature dependence of metabolic rate may evolve in response to biotic and abiotic factors. We compiled a dataset on the temperature dependence of metabolic rate for heterotrophic ectotherms from studies that show a peak in metabolic rate at an optimal temperature (i.e. that describe the thermal performance curve for metabolic rate). We found that peak metabolic rates were lower in aquatic than terrestrial habitats and increased with body mass, latitude and the optimal temperature. In addition, the optimal temperature decreased with latitude. These results support competing hypotheses about metabolic rate adaptation, with hotter being better in the tropics but colder being better towards the poles. Moreover, our results suggest that the temperature dependence of metabolic rate is more complex than previously suggested.

Two recently fallen carbonaceous chondrites have provided organic analytical results significantly different from those obtained with other carbonaceous chondrites1–3. The Allende meteorite, a type III carbonaceous chondrite which contains 0.27% carbon and 0.007% nitrogen4, was shown to have only traces of extractable organic compounds5. Small amounts of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were released by heating while no significant amounts of nitrogen containing compounds were detected6–8. This is consistent with the extremely low nitrogen content of this carbonaceous chondrite. Another unique feature of this meteorite is the heterogenous distribution of certain carbon-containing inclusions9. The Murchison meteorite, a type III carbonaceous chondrite, contains substantial amounts of amino-acids, predominantly cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons10, which are consistent with the appreciable content of carbon and nitrogen of this meteorite (2 and 0.16% respectively). The amino-acids include non-protein components such as sarcosine and 2-methylalanine and, significantly, approximately racemic mixtures of D and L enantiomers of protein amino-acids such as alanine, valine and proline10.

THE likelihood of organic contamination of the lunar samples obtained in the Apollo missions has been pointed out repeatedly1–4. Rocket exhaust, terrestrial atmosphere and those manufactured materials which might have come in contact with the lunar samples at one time or the other during collection, transport, preliminary examination, and distribution are the generally accepted sources for contamination introduced previous to analysis. One of the materials being used in the programme is the York mesh3,4, used as a packaging aid in the Apollo lunar sample boxes.

Different esters of trifluoroacetyl amino acids have been analyzed by the combination of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Good separations of most of the butyl esters were achieved on a stainless steel capillary column coated with Polysev and also on a glass column packed with OV-1. The study of their mass spectrometric fragmentation patterns shows that an insufficient GC resolution is not an obstacle to the unequivocal identification of the molecular structures of natural or synthetic amino acids, when the combination technique is used. As a consequence a wider range of liquid phase types are suitable for amino acid analysis.

Substantial amounts of normal and branched hydrocarbons, including the isoprenoids phytane and pristane, have been found in the untreated York type mesh which will be used in relation to the transport of the rocks from the Moon on the Apollo XI mission. The alkane distribution is somewhat similar to that found in carbonaceous chondrites, dust and other terrestrial samples. As a result of its high sensitivity, resolving power, and identification capability, the combination of capillary gas chromatography and mass spectrometry proves to be one of the most valuable techniques in attacking the contamination problem.

Ten different gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods have been applied to the characterization of organic and organogenic matter in the lunar samples from Apollo 11. Among them, flame ionization gas chromatography was used in the search for any organic extractable compounds, amino acids and pyrolytic products. Combined GC-MS provided data on the thermal evolution of gases and compounds generated by acid treatment, a new technique developed in the course of this project. In order to extend and complement the data obtained by these chromatographic methods, spark ionization mass spectrography was used to estimate the elemental abundances. Combined differential thermal analysis and high resolution mass spectrography supplied thermodynamic data on the thermal evolution of gases. Direct volatilization quadrupole mass spectrometry yielded complementary information pertinent to all the above experiments. Other methods used included stable carbon isotopic ratio mass measurements and ion microprobe mass analysis of solid species of carbon. The elements necessary for the formation of organic compounds as measured by spark ionization mass spectrography amounted to (in ppm) H = 1, C = 41, N = 20, S = 4200 and P = 270. In addition to noble gases and nitrogen the major compounds of carbon released by heating were carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide with very small amounts of methane (CO>CO2>>CH4). The concentration of total carbon was found to be surface-correlated. Amounts of the order of 200 ppm were measured. Hydrogen sulfide, CO2 and CH4 and traces of C2H2, C2H4 and C2H6 were also released from the fines by acid treatment. The δ13C isotope ratio values ranged from +2.6 to +18.5′ vs the PDB standard, values which are definitely non-terrestrial. Solid species of carbon were photographed for the first time by means of a direct imaging ion microprobe instrument. In summary, the methods employed, some of them specially designed for this study, constitute new GC-MS approaches for the search and characterization of organic and organogenic compounds evolved by heat, acid, or other treatments from igneous materials. It may be concluded that if all the above gases together with water were generated in a planetoidal body of sufficient gravitational field, such as the primitive earth, the resulting atmosphere and hydrosphere would have eventually produced organic molecules of biological significance.