An epidemiologic, clinical, and therapeutic study of childhood Guillain-Barré syndrome in Kuwait: is it related to the oral polio vaccine?

We studied Guillain-Barré syndrome, affecting children 12 years old or less, throughout Kuwait, in the period between January 1, 1992, and March 31, 1997. Nineteen children had the diagnostic criteria of Guillain-Barré syndrome, with an overall annual incidence rate of 0.95/100,000 population at risk. Female patients outnumbered male patients with a sex ratio of 1.4:1. There was a clustering of cases in winter and spring and in the year 1996. The disease symptoms were relatively severe in our patients because only 16% (3 of 19) of them were able to walk at the height of their illness, whereas the rest were bed or chair bound or needed assisted ventilation. Two patients had the electrodiagnostic features of axonal neuropathy and both had residual deficits on follow-up, whereas the rest recovered fully. All the patients received intravenous immunoglobulin. The mean time to walk unaided was 23.5 days (range, 2-84 days) after intravenous immunoglobulin and excluding the two patients with axonal neuropathy, and full recovery was achieved in a mean time of 103 days (range, 30-300 days). Contrary to previous studies, we found no correlation between oral polio vaccine administration and Guillain-Barré syndrome in 2 successive years (1995 and 1996) during a nationwide campaign targeting children less than 5 years old.     

Shell-element formulation in the static explicit FEM code for the simulation of sheet stamping

In this paper a formulation of degenerated shell elements implemented in the static explicit FEM code ITAS3D is described. The main features of various integration rules are discussed. A square-cup test is used to select the most efficient element for the simulation of stamping processes. A numerical example of FEM simulation of an outer-door-panel stamping is presented.     

Electromagnetic shielding of HF lamps using wire structures:simulation and measurement

High-frequency (HF) operated lamps, such as HF fluorescent lamps, have several advantages over conventional ones but they contaminate the environment with their EM field emissions. The shielding of the electromagnetic emission should be realized without much effect on the emission of the light. Enclosing the lamps in a housing made of widely spaced thin wires could be an appropriate way to shield the electromagnetic field. The paper studies the effectiveness of some wire structures for shielding the electromagnetic emission from HF fluorescent lamps. An analytical study, method of moments (MoM), and measurements have been carried out to evaluate the strength of the near-field and the shielding effectiveness of the structures     

Chronic hypertrophic gastropathy in a child resembling adult Menetrier''s disease

N-(phosphonacetyl)-disodium L-aspartic acid (PALA) demonstrates a synergistic antitumor effect when combined with 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) in in vitro studies. In a Phase II trial, 23 eligible patients with unresectable or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the stomach were treated with weekly i.v. bolus PALA (250 mg/M2) followed 24 hours later by a 24-hour infusion of 5-FU (2600 mg/M2) for an initial period of 8 weeks. No objective responses were noted. PALA and 5-FU is inactive against gastric adenocarcinoma at the doses and schedule used in this trial.     

Prostaglandin E receptor subtypes in mouse osteoblastic cell line

PGE2 is one of the key molecules in the osteoblast. It is the major prostanoid in the bone, and its production is under the control of both systemic and local factors. PGE2 has been reported to have multiple actions in the osteoblast, such as growth promotion and cell differentiation. To better understand the action of PGE2 in the osteoblast, we determined the PGE receptor subtypes in MC3T3-E1, an osteoblastic cell line derived from the normal mouse calvaria. Northern blot analysis revealed that EP1 and EP4 subtypes are expressed in MC3T3-E1. In contrast, EP3 subtype was not detected by either Northern blot analysis or RT-PCR. The contribution of each subtype was evaluated by studying the effects of subtype-specific analogs on osteoblastic function at confluency and 5 days after confluency. An EP1 agonist, 17-phenyl-omega-trinor PGE2, increased DNA synthesis and decreased alkaline phosphatase activity. 11-Deoxy-PGE1, and EP2 and EP4 agonist, decreased DNA synthesis and increased alkaline phosphatase activity at both stages. Butaprost, an EP2-selective agonist, showed effects similar to those of 11-deoxy-PGE1 only at confluency. Another and more differentiated osteoblastic marker, osteocalcin production, was detectable and was stimulated by 11-deoxy-PGE1 only 5 days after confluency. The exposure of these cells to EP1 agonist changed the cell shape to a more fibroblastic appearance. These results indicate that EP1, EP4, and probably EP2 are present in MC3T3-E1 cells; EP1 promotes cell growth, and EP2 and EP4 mediate differentiation of the osteoblast. Furthermore, the decreased response to EP2-specific agonist 5 days after confluency suggests that the expression of PGE receptor subtype is dependent on the stage of osteoblastic differentiation. This is the first report to determine PGE receptor subtypes in the bone.     

Virus load as a marker of disease progression in HIV-infected children

The relationship of virus load to clinical disease progression in HIV-infected children remains to be elucidated. In this study, HIV-1 proviral DNA load was determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by the quantitative competitive DNA polymerase chain reaction assay (QC-PCR) in 47 HIV-infected children subdivided by age (group I, < or = 2 years; group II, > or = 5 years), who were further categorized to include 12 rapid progressors (RP, age < or = 2 years, Centers for Disease Control [CDC] defined clinical category C and/or immune category 3, or death before age 2 years) and slow progressors (SP, age > or = 5 years, excluding CDC categories C and/or immune category 3). Significantly higher mean proviral copies/10(3) PBMCs were detected in group I versus group II (75.4 +/- 104.3 and 13.0 +/- 17.8 respectively, p < 0.0001) and in RP (158.0 +/- 118.2) as compared to either SP (11.8 +/- 18.8, p < 0.0001) or other age-matched infected children (20.3 +/- 38.8, p < 0.0001). Thus HIV-infected children appear to have a higher cell-associated virus load early in life, especially in association with rapid disease progression.     

Electronic `how things work' articles: two early prototypes

The electronic encyclopedia exploratorium (E³) is a vision of a future computer system-an electronic book describing how thing work. Typical articles in E³ will describe such mechanisms as compression refrigerators, engines, telescopes, and mechanical linkages. Each article will provide simulations, three-dimensional animated graphics that the user can manipulate, laboratory areas that allow a user to modify the device or experiment with related artifacts, and a facility for asking questions and receiving customized, computer-generated English-language explanations. Some of the foundational technology is discussed, focusing on topics in artificial intelligence, graphics, and user interfaces. The initial prototype system and the technical lessons learned from it, as well as the second prototype currently under construction, are described