Pharmacokinetics of cyclophosphamide and its metabolites in bone marrow transplantation patients

Classical swine fever virus infection of pigs causes a severe leukopenia and immunosuppression. In the present study, the kinetics of virus infection, and identification of target cells for the virus in peripheral blood were analysed. Virus infection was often not detectable before 5-7 days p.i. A minority of animals yielded detectable infected cells at 3 days p.i., but < 5% PBMC. It was not until 10 days p.i. that this figure increased-to 35-70% PBMC depending on the animal. Detailed analysis of Ficoll-Hypaque-purified PBMC identified the major population to be SWC3+SWC8+CD14+MHCII- granulocytic cells. Microscopic observations determined that these low density granulocytic cells in the PBMC from CSFV infected animals were indeed immature cells. Both the low density granulocytic cells and monocytes were major targets for CSFV infection in the peripheral blood. This is the first demonstration that low density granulocytic cells dominate the blood leukocyte population during CSF, and that such cells are targets for virus infection. The present work also demonstrates that the leukocyte population changes, such as B lymphocyte depletion and the relative dominance of myeloid cells in the blood during CSF, occur before virus infection of the affected cells. Thus, the pathological mechanism therein is not a direct consequence of virus infection.     

Prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in middle ear fluid: multinational study of 917 children with acute otitis media

The management of acute otitis media is complicated by the emergence of resistance to beta-lactam and other antibiotics among common pathogens. We conducted a large, international study of infants and children with acute otitis media to identify pathogens and susceptibility patterns. During the winter of 1994 to 1995, middle ear fluid samples were collected from 917 patients with acute otitis media in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Israel, and the United States. A single reference laboratory performed in vitro susceptibility testing. Pathogens were isolated from 62% of the patients. For Streptococcus pneumoniae (30% of the patients), untypeable Haemophilus influenzae (17%), and Moraxella catarrhalis (4%), there was significant variation among geographic regions (P < 0.001). The composite susceptibilities of these three organisms to amoxicillin ranged from 62% in the United States to 89% in Eastern and Central Europe; the corresponding susceptibilities to amoxicillin-clavulanate ranged from 90% in Israel to 95% in Eastern and Central Europe. beta-Lactamase was produced by 31 and 100% of the isolates of H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis, respectively. More isolates of S. pneumoniae were susceptible to amoxicillin (90%) or amoxicillin-clavulanate (90%) than to penicillin (70%; P = 0.002). The prevalence of resistant S. pneumoniae was highest in patients less than 12 months of age. S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and M. catarrhalis remain the most important bacterial pathogens in patients with acute otitis media; however, their prevalence is variable and resistance patterns are changing.     

Intergeneric transfer of genes involved in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis

Genes that seem to be involved in the initial steps of infection of a legume by Rhizobium have been transferred, by transformation, to mutant strains of Azotobacter vinelandii that are unable to fix nitrogen. These genes code for a surface antigen that binds specifically to a protein from the host plant.     

Tarasoff and the researcher: Does the duty to protect apply in the research setting?

In the decade since the Tarasoff decision, psychotherapists have become increasingly concerned about their responsibility to protect potential victims of their patients' violent behavior. Similarly, researchers in the mental health professions have expressed growing concern over their possible parallel obligations with regard to their research subjects. No case law to date imposes such a duty on researchers, but our analysis suggests that the congruence between the training and function of clinical researchers and psychotherapists will provide the touchstone for application of the duty to protect. In this article we discuss the issues that researchers should consider in assessing their potential duties. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hematopoietic effects and clinical uses of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and PIXY321

We tested the influence of in vivo volume resuscitation on intrinsic contractile properties of left ventricular (LV) preparations of endotoxemic guinea pigs. Escherichia coli endotoxin (LPS)-injected animals were divided into nonresuscitated and resuscitated groups. Volume resuscitation improved cardiac output and stroke volume, increased arterial pH and body temperature, and decreased mortality. In isovolumetric LV preparations isolated 4 h after LPS injection, LV systolic pressures (in mmHg) preparations isolated 4 h after LPS injection, LV systolic pressures (in mmHg) of LPS with (42 +/- 3) and without (42 +/- 2) fluid resuscitation were consistently less than control values (70 +/- 3). LV end-diastolic pressure-volume (compliance) decreased in LPS-nonresuscitated hearts, while LV compliance of LPS-resuscitated hearts was similar to control. Thus, intravascular volume expansion selectively improved LV diastolic compliance of LPS hearts without affecting LV systolic function. These findings suggest that LV systolic and diastolic dysfunctions associated with endotoxemia and Gram-negative sepsis may involve separate pathogenic mechanisms.     

Polydepsipeptides I. Synthesis and Characterization of Copolymers of α-Amino and α-Hydroxy Acids

Copolymers of the type were synthesized and characterized. The syntheses of these copolymers were achieved by copolymerization of an α-amino acid N-carboxy anhydride and an α-hydroxy acid anhydrosulfite in the presence of a catalyst. The copolymers were characterized by spectroscopic methods including infrared, circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance. Specific cleavage of the ester bonds by hydroxylamine in the cold confirmed the A-B block structure where the A represents the poly(amino acid) segment and the B indicates the polyester segment. Measurements by nmr and viscosity indicate that the blocks consist of short chain lengths.     

A flat-feed technique for phased arrays

A recently developed phased-array feed configuration offering significant advantages over the conventional space, corporate, and series feed techniques is described. This technique, referred to as the "flat feed," allows power division for monopulse sum and difference pattern illumination functions in a feed depth of less than a half-wavelength with low loss. The technique used to extract energy from the power divider, which consists in part of a radial transmission line, results, in its simplest configuration, in a circular grid of antenna elements. Relations governing the circular grid array geometry design are derived which relate the angular locations of attenuated grating lobes to the spacing between the rings of radiating elements. ExperimentalS-band hardware, built to prove the feed technique, is described. It includes a multimode launcher with measured coupling between circular wavegulde sum (TM_{01}) and difference (TE_{11}) modes of less than -37 dB; a seven-ring 1:195 radial power divider measured across a 10-percent band to have insertion loss of 0.1 dB and rms phase and amplitude deviations of less than3.5degand 0.47 dB; a 144-element array whose measured sum and difference beam radiation patterns are compared with calculated patterns for scan angles out to60degand whose sum port VSWR, measured across a 10-percent band, was under 1.8:1 with the array steered to broadside, and under 1.5:1 for other scan angles out to60deg.