Hematuria and sickle cell disorders

To examine the relationship between gross hematuria and sickle cell disorders, all patients admitted to Grady Memorial Hospital with the diagnosis of a sickle cell disorder during a 14-month period were reviewed. Of 115 such patients, 65% had sickle cell disease and 35% had sickle cell trait. None of the former but seven of the latter group had gross hematuria. Mean age of the seven was 30 years. Comprehensive examinations and laboratory studies showed that all were free of concomitant disease. Physical findings, diagnostic modalities, and treatment were reviewed. Findings suggest that conservative therapy (bed rest, hydration, and diuresis) is usually effective.     

CORN MEAL/SOY FLOUR BLENDS: CHARACTERISTICS AND FOOD APPLICATIONS

SUMMARY –Protein quantity and quality of degermed corn meal were improved by supplementation with toasted defatted soy flour. Taste panel results indicated no significant change in preference, acceptability and similarity to corn meal when as much as 20% toasted defatted soy flour was contained in the blend. Flavor stability was adequate in blends containing toasted defatted, commercial processed full-fat or extrusion-cooked full-fat soy flours at the 15% level. Product color was changed more by the inclusion of toasted defatted than of full-fat soy flour in the blends. Satisfactory performance was found in chapatti and northern corn bread containing degermed corn meal with and without 15% toasted defatted, 20% commercial processed full-fat or 35% extrusion-cooked full-fat soy flours.     

Basophilic blast crisis in chronic myeloid leukemia

Acute nonoliguric renal failure developed in a 13-year-old girl, 1 month after the institution of isoniazid therapy because of a positive tuberculin test at school screening. A renal biopsy demonstrated severe crescentic glomerulonephritis with focal interstitial changes. Discontinuation of isoniazid and a short course of steroids and cyclophosphamide therapy were followed by complete recovery. Whereas isoniazid has been shown to induce a lupus-like syndrome and antihistone antinuclear antibodies, our patient displayed none of the clinical or immunological features that are characteristic of drug-induced lupus. Furthermore, none of the identifiable causes for crescentic glomerulonephritis was evident in this girl. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report suggesting a possible association of crescentic glomerulonephritis to isoniazid treatment.     

APPLICATION OF COMPARISON THEOREMS TO DETERMINATION OF THE RESPONSE OF NONLINEAR SYSTEMS

This paper describes methods of obtaining approximate information about the response of nonlinear systems governed by second order differential equations. The solutions of certain related linear equations provide upper and lower bounds on the phase plane for the solution of the corresponding nonlinear equation. Examples are given including a level control system with PI control. The method may be useful in designing controllers for nonlinear systems.     

MEASUREMENT OF THE RESIDUAL ADSORPTION CAPACITY OF CHARCOAL FILTERS UNDER CONDITIONS OF VARIABLE HUMIDITY

High surface area charcoals are used to remove noxious vapor from gas streams. Recently our laboratory has developed a simple and reliable method to determine a filter's residual adsorption capacity under dry and humid conditions. Work has been performed on ASC whetlerite saturated to various extents with an “irreversible” adsorbed adsorbate (dimethyl methylphosphonate). Data are presented which illustrate how the retention time of a 1 ml(NTP) pulse of methane can be used to quantify the fraction of unoccupied adsorption sites for a strong adsorbent when a filter is saturated with water or dry. In addition, data are presented which suggest that with some charcoals the retention time of methane can be used to determine a filter's residual absorption capacity regardless of its previous water loading history.     

OPTIMAL DESIGN OF SUPERCONDUCTING AC GENERATOR

Abstract

The design philosophy and the optimization procedure used in the design of the superconducting generator are outlined and the effect of different parameters on the overall machine size and power density is examined. The effects of superconductor capability, environmental shield, type of rotor construction on the design of the machine are investigated. It is shown that the present day superconductors offer as much magnetic field generating capability as can be profitably used in synchronous machines and it is also shown that even in the “iron-free” or “air-core” superconducting machine, the design is dominated by the iron environmental shield.     

Effective immunity to dental caries: enhancement of salivary anti-Streptococcus mutans antibody responses with oral adjuvants

In the present study, we compared the ability of the soluble adjuvants concanavalin A (ConA), muramyl dipeptide (MDP), and peptidoglycan (PG) to enhance immune responses to orally administered particulate antigens of Streptococcus mutans 6715 in gnotobiotic rats. The isotype and levels of antibody in saliva and in serum from experimental rats were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using S. mutans whole cells (WC) as the coating antigen. The specificities of salivary and serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies to particulate S. mutans antigens, lipoteichoic acid, S. mutans serotype g carbohydrate, and dextran were also determined. When 50 micrograms of ConA was used as the oral adjuvant with S. mutans 6715 WC immunogen, a slight enhancement of immune responses was obtained. A higher dose of ConA suppressed humoral responses to the immunogen. Enhanced immune responses, especially of the IgA isotype, in both serum and saliva were induced in gnotobiotic rats given MDP and either S. mutans 6715 WC or purified cell walls (CW) by gastric intubation. Elevated IgA antibody levels to CW, lipoteichoic acid, and carbohydrate were observed in rats given S. mutans WC and MDP by gastric intubation, whereas oral immunization with S. mutans CW and MDP resulted in higher antibody levels to CW and carbohydrate and lower levels to lipoteichoic acid when compared with the antibody levels in rats given antigen alone. Rats orally immunized with either S. mutans WC or CW and MDP and challenged with virulent S. mutans 6715 exhibited significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) lower plaque scores, numbers of viable S. mutans in plaque, and caries scores than did rats immunized with antigen alone or in infected-only controls. In another series of experiments, a PG fraction derived from S. mutans 6715 CW was assessed for adjuvant properties. The oral administration of PG and either S. mutans WC or CW induced good salivary and serum IgA antibody responses. The specificity of the antibodies was similar to that obtained in rats given antigen and MDP. Rats receiving either S. mutans WC or CW and PG and challenged with virulent S. mutans 6715 had lower plaque scores, fewer numbers of viable S. mutans in plaque, and lower caries activity than did infected rats receiving S. mutans WC or CW immunogen alone. These results provide evidence that soluble adjuvants derived from the gram-positive bacterial CW, e.g., MDP and PG, are effective oral adjuvants and augment IgA immune responses to particulate S. mutans antigens which are protective against the mucosally associated disease, dental caries.