Acute kidney injury caused by the intraperitoneal injection of Bothrops jararaca venom in rats

Abstract

We examined the ability of Bothrops jararaca venom (12.5?mg/kg) injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) to cause acute kidney injury (AKI) in rats. Blood urea and creatinine (AKI biomarkers, in g dL^?1) were elevated after 2?h in venom-treated rats (urea: from 0.41?±?0.1 to 0.7?±?0.03; creatinine from 46.7?±?3.1 to 85?±?6.7; p?<?0.05; n?=?3 each), with no change in circulating reduced glutathione. Venom-treated rats survived for ～6?h, at which point platelets were reduced (×10³ µL^?1; from 763.8?±?30.2 to 52.5?±?18.2) whereas leukocytes and erythrocytes were slightly increased (from 4.7?±?0.3 to 6.6?±?0.1?×?10³?µL^?1 and from 8.38?±?0.1 to 9.2?±?0.09?×?10⁶?µL^?1, respectively; p?<?0.05); blood protein (5.2?±?0.4?g dL^?1) and albumin (2.7?±?0.1?g dL^?1) were normal, whereas blood and urinary urea and creatinine were increased. All parameters returned to normal with antivenom given 2?h post-envenomation. The i.p. injection of venom caused AKI similar to that seen with other routes of administration.     

[Cl5Ta(μ‐O)TaCl3{iPrS(CH2)2SiPr}] and [(TaCl4)2(μ‐O)(μ‐Me2Se2)]: two chalcogenoether complexes of Ta2OCl8 with very different geometries

The title compounds, [1,2‐bis(isopropylsulfanyl)ethane‐2κ²S,S′]octachlorido‐1κ⁵Cl,2κ³Cl‐μ‐oxido‐ditantalum(V), [Ta₂Cl₈O(C₈H₁₈S₂)], (I), and μ‐dimethyldiselane‐κ²Se:Se′‐μ‐oxido‐bis[tetrachloridotantalum(V)], [Ta₂Cl₈O(C₂H₆Se₂)], (II), contain six‐coordinate Ta^V centres linked by a nonlinear oxide bridge. Compound (I) contains one Ta^V centre bonded to a chelating dithioether and three terminal chloride ligands, with the second Ta^V centre bonded to five terminal chloride ligands. In (II), two tetrachloridotantalum(V) residues are bridged by the diselenide, giving a puckered five‐membered Ta/O/Ta/Se/Se ring. The Ta—O distances in the bridges are short in both compounds, indicating that significant multiple‐bond character is retained despite the deviation from linearity, and the bond lengths reveal a clear trans influence order of O > Cl > S > Se on the hard Ta^V centre. The structures are compared with the [Ta₂Cl₁₀O]²⁻ anion, which contains a linear oxide bridge.     

Finite-size effects in the conductivity of cluster assembled nanostructures

Atomic clusters have been deposited between lithographically defined contacts with nanometer scale separations. The design of the contacts is based on an appropriate application of percolation theory to conduction in cluster deposited devices and allows finite-size effects to be clearly observed. It is demonstrated, both by experiment and by simulation, that for small contact separations the percolation threshold is shifted to extremely low surface coverages. The selected rectangular contact geometry ensures that wirelike structures are formed close to the percolation threshold.     

Immunoblastic large B-cell lymphoma of the peripancreatic head region: MR findings

We report the magnetic resonance (MR) appearance of a large B-cell lymphoma in the peripancreatic head region, in a 38-year-old male who presented with a 1-month history of pruritus and jaundice. Routine laboratory examination at presentation revealed an elevated bilirubin. The tumor was a large, solitary well-defined mass with no evidence of necrosis, which showed mild diffuse heterogeneous enhancement. The tumor was closely applied to the lateral margin of the head of the pancreas. The constellation of MR findings was interpreted as consistent with the correct eventual diagnosis of lymphoma.     

Quasi-Norm interpolation error estimates for the piecewise linear finite element approximation of p-Laplacian problems

Summary. In this work, new interpolation error estimates have been derived for some well-known interpolators in the quasi-norms. The estimates are found to be essential to obtain the optimal a priori error bounds under the weakened regularity conditions for the piecewise linear finite element approximation of a class of degenerate equations. In particular, by using these estimates, we can close the existing gap between the regularity required for deriving the optimal error bounds and the regularity achievable for the smooth data for the 2-d and 3-d p-Laplacian.Mathematics Subject Classification (1991): 65N30     

Structure of unsupported bismuth nanoparticles

We present new results of electron diffraction experiments on unsupported nanometer-sized bismuth clusters. The high intensity cluster beam, necessary for electron diffraction, is provided by an inert-gas aggregation source. The cluster beam contains particles with average cluster sizes between 4.5 and 10 nm. When using Helium as a carrier gas we are able to observe a transition from crystalline clusters to a new structure, which we identify with that of amorphous or liquid clusters. Received 28 November 2000     

Creative Mathematics and the Computer ‐‐ A Correspondence

In this article a pattern arising from the coefficients in the expansion of the sum of the ?th powers of the roots of a quadratic equation is explored by computer. The paper is presented in the form of a correspondence on this problem, which originated during the Computer Appreciation Course held in University College, Galway, in July 1971, for teachers of mathematics for sixth forms. It is felt that the use of the conversational mode may emphasize some of the points of educational interest which arise in the elementary FORTRAN IV programs which are used to generate the array of coefficients. Two methods are adopted: the first involving a direct calculation using binomial coefficients and the second utilizing a recurrence relation. The programs are deliberately unsophisticated so that the educational aspects of the comparison of the methods may be high‐lighted.