Pancytopenia and aplastic anemia: a retrospective study

During January 1971--June 1975 we examined 195 patients with pancytopenia. The cause was bone marrow failure in 67.7% of cases (classic aplastic anaemia in 11.3%) hypersplenism in 7.7%, massive blood transfusions in 1.5%, severe infections in 9.7% (Gram-negative in 3%), and various other conditions in 7.8%. Records were insufficient for diagnosis in 5.6% of cases. Analysis of the 22 patients with aplastic anaemia showed no apparent aetiology in 16 (72.7%), previous phenylbutazone ingestion in 2, and Fanconi-type anaemia in 4 of 7 children. One-year survival was 73.7%, 2-year survival 71.4%, 3-year survival 63.6% and 4-year survival 57.1%. Marrow-investigation of the 21 available samples showed that 6 were acellular, 11 hypocellular and 4 normocellular. All patients received at least temporary therapy with anabolic steroids but its effectivity could not be satisfactorily assessed. Five patients died within 7 months and 5 patients went into remission, needing no further therapy. The initial haematological features of the 5 patients who died were not significantly different from those of the rest of the patients.     

Chemical control of colloidal fouling of reverse osmosis systems

Fouling of membranes by colloidal organic and inorganic particles continues to be documented as the most common and challenging obstacle in attaining stable continuous operation of reverse osmosis (RO) and ultrafiltration (UF) systems. Much current research is being conducted on physical parameters to mitigate such fouling. The focus has been on membrane synthesis and element design; microfiltration and ultrafiltration pretreatment; electromagnetic devices; correlation with physical factors such as Silt Density Index, zeta potential and critical flux; technique of direct observation of fouling process through a membrane; and classification of macromolecular organics for correlation with fouling characteristics. We report initial successes with chemical control of colloidal fouling. Through screening with a large number of observable coagulations of natural colloids, we have developed a group of proprietary anticoagulants and dispersants that would, at less than 10 ppm dosage to the RO feedwater, control various classes of colloidal foulants. Case studies of the control of humic matter, elemental sulfur and colloidal silicate in problematic RO systems that became stabilized are briefly presented. We conclude that a great need and potential exists in economically controlling the myriads of fouling interactions of colloidal particles during concentration within the brine channels of RO membrane elements. Low dosages of antifoulants can in many cases obviate the need for installation and maintenance of pretreatment unit or operations designed to remove such colloidal foulants from the process stream.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of the docking of substituted N5- deazapterins to dihydrofolate reductase

Orientations of the deazapterin ring and the conformational preferences of groups appended to the deazapterin ring in a set of 8-substituted deazapterin cations docked into the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) binding site have been investigated using a methodology based on the simulated annealing technique within molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Of five possible binding pockets for the 8-substituents, identified from a preliminary manual docking study, one has been definitively eliminated after an analysis of MD trajectories, while another remains uncertain. Using a new method based on standard thermodynamic cycles and a linear approximation of polar and non-polar free energy contributions from MD averages, binding affinities of the different ligands in each binding site have been correlated with experimental dissociation constants. The study has provided insights into structure-activity relationships for use in the design of modified inhibitors of DHFR.      

Quantifying blood flow and wall shear stresses in the outflow tract of chick embryonic hearts

Wall shear stresses (WSS) exerted by blood flow on cardiac tissues modulate growth and development of the heart. To study the role of hemodynamic conditions on cardiac morphogenesis, here, we present a methodology that combines imaging and finite element modeling to quantify the in vivo blood flow dynamics and WSS in the cardiac outflow tract (OFT) of early chicken embryos (day 3 out of 21-day incubation period). We found a distinct blood flow field and heterogeneous distribution of WSS in the chicken embryonic heart OFT, which have physiological implications for OFT morphogenesis.