The authors present a method of creation of a smooth-muscle cuff at the site of the perineal colostomy in 36 patients who have undergone extirpation for malignant neoplasms of the low ampulla recti. Creation of the smooth-muscle sphincter mechanism was performed during the process of removal of the rectum in 29 patients, whereas it was done two to eight years after extirpation of the rectum in seven patients. Inflammatory complications were observed in the perineal colostomy area during the early postoperative period in eight patients. These complications were accounted for by necrosis of the distal colon and transplanted muscle in two patients. There were no deaths. Satisfactory functional results were seen in 22 of 26 patients six months after surgery. Physiologic studies show that there is a functioning sphincter at the site of the perineal colostomy.

Studies were done to understand the effects of polyamide 12 (PA 12) incorporation on microphase separation (microsegregation) in thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) based on oligoether (polytetramethylene oxide, molecular weight, 1000) and oligoester (polyethylene butylene glycol adipate, molecular weight, 2000), and relaxation transitions, compatibility, and molecular interaction energy in polymer blends. It was learned that the addition of PA 12 caused partial degradation of the domain structure in the oligoester-containing polyurethane, whereas interaction of hard blocks in the oligoether-containing polyurethane increased. Analyzing compatibility and interphase interactions in blends is possible in the frame of the quantum theory of relaxation processes. Also, interferences of the components on characteristic temperatures of relaxation transitions were studied. Partial compatibility was detected between PA 12 and the soft block of oligoether-based TPU over the whole range of components concentrations tested. For oligoester-based TPU, partial compatibility was observed only at low polyamide concentrations (up to 20 wt %). Effects of a polyurethane phase on PA 12 crystallization in the blends along with the pattern of concentration-mechanical properties dependencies are discussed.

No abstract

The relative volatility αHfCl4/ZrCl4 in molten potassium chloroaluminate, KAlCl4, has been determined using equilibrium Rayleigh vaporization from mixtures containing a 36 % mass fraction of ZrCl4 + 1.4 % HfCl4. At these component concentrations and at a temperature near 450 °C, the ZrCl4 + HfCl4 vapor pressure over the melt is close to atmospheric pressure. According to preliminary results, αHfCl4/ZrCl4 ≈ 1.29 ± 0.04. The ZrCl4−KAlCl4 and HfCl4−KAlCl4 systems have been studied by visual thermal analysis. The results confirm that they are simple binary eutectic systems. According to our data, the eutectic temperature in the ZrCl4−KAlCl4 system is 519 K, and the eutectic is located at a ZrCl4 mole fraction of 0.08. The HfCl4−KAlCl4 system has a eutectic at an HfCl4 mole fraction of 0.171 with a melting point of 507.5 K.

During the period 1972 to 1987 inclusive, 313 multivisceral resections in advanced rectal cancer were performed, accounting for 10.3 percent of all radical surgical interventions for this disease. Of these resections, 71 were for distant metastases and 242 for tumor infiltration to adherent organs. The postoperative mortality was 5.4 percent, which was not significantly different from that in the total group of patients with rectal cancer (4.9 percent) operated upon during the same period. After multivisceral resections, 49.5 percent of patients developed postoperative complications. In the total group of patients with rectal cancer, the postoperative morbidity was 30.3 percent. Long-term results were assessed in 190 patients who had been operated upon more than five years ago. It has been established that 42.1 percent of patients lived more than five years after multivisceral resections. Hope is inspired by the fact that of 15 patients with hepatic metastases (26 percent) lived over five years following radical surgery. These data allow the conclusion that radical surgery for advanced rectal cancer is justifiable and advisable.