Enzymatic synthesis of monolaurin.

The aim of this study was to produce monolaurin utilizing a commercial immobilized lipase (Lipozyme IM-20; Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) through the direct esterification of lauric acid and glycerol in a solvent-free system. The influence of fatty acid/glycerol molar ratio, temperature, and Lipozyme (IM-20) concentration on the molar fraction of monolaurin were determined using an experimental design. The best conditions employed were 55 degrees C, lauric acid/glycerol molar ratio of 1.

[Clinical and laboratory findings in a series of cases of infective endocarditis].

Objective: To describe clinical and laboratory data of infective endocarditis (IE) in 28 children from Vitória, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 28 children aged 18 years and under admitted to the Infectious Diseases Unit of Nossa Senhora da Glória Children's Hospital with a diagnosis of IE from January 1993 to December 2001. The diagnosis of IE was based on the criteria established by the Duke Endocarditis Service (Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA): positive blood cultures and echocardiogram (primary criteria); and fever, history of heart disease, recent heart murmur, and vascular and immunological phenomena (secondary criteria).

Silent patent ductus arteriosus aneurysm.

Ductus arteriosus aneurysm, a rare and potentially fatal condition, has been reported as a complication after surgical ductus arteriosus closure. Its spontaneous appearance as a septic complication, which was common in the presurgical and preantibiotic era, has been rarely reported in the contemporary literature. Persistence of silent ductus arteriosus in healthy children and adults is a frequent condition that currently has an increasing diagnostic possibility due to the availability of more accurate investigative methods, especially echocardiography.