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Provides information on family Jungermanniaceae. Jungermanniaceae abyssinica; Jungermanniaceae borgenii; Jungermanniaceae mildbraedii.

The kinetics and mechanism of rearrangement of S-(2-oxotetrahydrofuran-3-yl)-N-(4-methoxyphenyl)isothiuronium bromide (1) into 5-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-[(4-methoxyphenyl)imino]-1,3-thiazolidin-4-one have been studied under pseudo-first-order reaction conditions in aqueous buffer solutions and in diluted HCl at 25 degrees C. Multiple breaks in the pH profile establish the formation of three different kinetically detectable intermediates T(+/-), T(0), and T(-). Treatment of 1 (pK(a) = 6.7) with base produces reactive isothiourea, which undergoes cyclization to give T(+/-) (rate limiting step at pH < 0.5). Intermediate T(+/-) then undergoes either general acid-catalyzed, concerted (alpha = -0.47) breakdown to 2 (rls at pH 2-3) or a water-mediated proton switch to T(0) which is followed by its general acid-catalyzed breakdown (pH 3-6). The last reaction pathway involves the formation of T(-) either from T(+/-) or from T(0) (pH > 6). The first possibility seems to be more likely because it is in accordance with kinetics observed in basic amine buffers, where the nonlinear increase of the k(obs) with the c(Buffer) changes to a linear increase as a general base-catalyzed pathway is introduced. Coexistence of all three kinetically detectable intermediates is very rare and is possibly due to relatively enhanced stability of these intermediates necessitating participation of an acid for progression to products.

The authors present the case of a very rare pseudomyxoma peritonei as a late complication of appendectomy. The definite diagnosis was established 11 years after appendectomy for appendiceal mucocele. In the paper the authors emphasize the need for correct retrospective evaluation of all data in patients with unusual diagnoses.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate surgical options and therapeutic results of the large intestine perforation treatment, conducted by the authors' team., Methodology: During a four-year-period, a retrospective study including 53 patient subjects suffering from the large intestine perforation followed by peritonitis was conducted by the authors' team. The peritonitis-related risks were classified according to the Mannheim Peritonitis Index--the MPI score., Results: The mean value of the MPI score reached 24.4 points in the assessed group. The total mortality rate reached 18.9% in the assessed group. The MPI score was significantly lower in the surviving patients group, compared to the exited patients group. Furthermore, the MPI score was significantly lower in the group of patients suffering from benign disorders of the large intestine, compared to the group of patients with malignancies. Resection with primary anastomosis (RPA), as a surgical treatment method, was successful in 32.1% of all cases in the group and in 73.9% of the patients treated using RPA., Conclusion: In indicated cases, the RPA method remains the appropriate surgical approach for the patients with the large intestine perforation, even when diffuse peritonitis concurs. The MPI score represents a simple and sufficiently reliable assessment system for the patients suffering from the large intestine perforation.

The authors describe a rare case report of a female patient with acute appendicitis, where the course was masked by gastroenteritis complicated with sepsis with a simultaneous course of imported infection with Salmonella type C (Kentucky). The attention is drawn to the fact that even such frequent abdominal emergency as appendicitis is, may cause diagnostic hesitations, if it is masked by a simultaneous alimentary infection. In spite of the application of a broad scope of examination methods a final decision of indication for laparotomy depends on clinical findings of the examining surgeon.

The authors present a case-history of massive localized lymphedema in a 54 year old female patient (height 167 cm, weight 113 kg). The history of the lymphedema lasted about 1 year. Its growth was not accompained with subjective complaints. It was diagnosed as a pendulous tumor of soft tissues in the thigh, 70 x 65 cm large. In preoperative diagnosis it was classified as a liposarcoma. The tumor lesion was removed and sent for bioptic examinations. Both histological and immunohistochemical biopsies denied benign or malignant nature of the soft tissue tumors and confirmed the diagnosis of a massive localized lymphedema.

Soft tissue tumors are commonly encountered in all surgical departments. The authors present a case of a very rare large tumor lesion, with macroscopic signs of liposarcoma.

Spontaneous rupture of the oesophagus (Boerhaave syndrome) is a rare acute condition. Successful treatment of this life threatening condition depends on early diagnosis, the patient's general condition and subsequent treatment. The authors describe two cases of successful treatment of patients with primarily unrecognized spontaneous perforation of the oesophagus.

A new measure of lifetime alcohol consumption, the Cognitive Lifetime Drinking History (CLDH) uses beverage-specific questions on drink sizes and assesses drinking patterns to enhance recall. Two methods of establishing drinking intervals were examined: 1) floating--the respondent's report of when drinking changed, and 2) fixed--defined in terms of decades. Test-retest reliability for lifetime ounces of alcohol consumed and times intoxicated in lifetime estimated at visits 1 week or more apart was assessed in postmyocardial infarction patients (n = 81) and controls (n = 138) who had had at least 12 drinks in a year during their lifetimes. No significant differences in estimates of lifetime ounces of alcohol or times intoxicated were observed. Spearman's r ranged between 0.85 and 0.92 for the floating and fixed versions of the CLDH administered at a single visit and between 0.74 and 0.85 for the floating or fixed administered at both visits. Time between visits did not influence correlations. Intervals reported on the floating CLDH were comparable for postmyocardial infarction patients and controls. It took approximately 5 minutes longer to administer the floating CLDH than the fixed CLDH. Findings support use of the CLDH for case-control studies and suggest that the floating and fixed versions would yield comparable results.