Predicting recovery from common whiplash

Epididymo-orchitis (EO) is said to be extremely rare in infants and children. It is usually diagnosed after scrotal exploration for symptoms which mimic manifestations between EO and torsion of the cord and its appendage. The pathophysiologic mechanisms for the development of EO are not well known. Although some causative agents of EO have been reported, in most cases there was no clear etiology. We report a 3-month-old male infant who had been well until the day prior to admission when irritability, left testicular swelling, scrotal erythema with a hot sensation were noted by his mother. He was treated medically after excluding the possibility of an emergent surgical condition (such as torsion of the cord and its appendage, or incarcerated hernia) by means of physical examinations, abdominal and inguino-scrotal sonography, laboratory studies, and testicular radionuclide scintigraphy. A catheterized sample of urine for culture yielded Escherichia coli. There was the possibility that the EO was caused by hematogenous rather than local spread from an infection of the urinary tract. He was treated with a 10-day course of intravenous cefazolin and amikacin. Following this, he improved clinically and a repeat catheterized urine sample remained sterile on culture. In addition, a bilateral inguinal hernia and hydrocele were detected by inguino-scrotal sonography and were operated on the 11th hospital day. He was discharged on the 16th day of hospitalization and remained well 11 months after discharge.     

Optoelectronic refractive index measurements: application to smart processing

In the last decade, polymeric-based composites, in light of their low weight/mechanical strength ratio, have been widely used in many industrial areas, such as automotive, aeronautic, and aerospace areas. Because of the dependence of their properties on the manufacturing stage, real-time monitoring of the processing stage has been indicated as the key point for improving the quality and reducing manufacturing process costs through an intelligent control of the manufacture itself. To this aim, optimal monitoring systems should be non-intrusive, real-time, and able to measure a physical property changing during the process development. Refractive index is a suitable state parameter being directly correlated to the material density. In this work, the assessment of the performances of a fiber-optic refractometer has been presented. Experimental results demonstrate the capability of the sensor system to monitor the cure kinetics of a polymeric thermoset and to measure its glassy transition temperature.     

Progress on development of the Nimbus-University of Pittsburgh axial flow left ventricular assist system

Nimbus Inc. (Rancho Cordova, CA) and the University of Pittsburgh have completed the second year of development of a totally implanted axial flow blood pump under the National Institutes of Health Innovative Ventricular Assist System Program. The focus this year has been on completing pump hydraulic development and addressing the development of the other key system components. Having demonstrated satisfactory pump hydraulic and biocompatibility performance, pump development has focused on design features that improve pump manufacturability. A controller featuring full redundancy has been designed and is in the breadboard test phase. Initial printed circuit layout of this circuit has shown it to be appropriately sized at 5 x 6 cm to be compatible with implantation. A completely implantable system requires the use of a transcutaneous energy transformer system (TETS) and a diagnostic telemetry system. The TETS power circuitry has been redesigned incorporating an improved, more reliable operating topography. A telemetry circuit is undergoing characterization testing. Closed loop speed control algorithms are being tested in vitro and in vivo with good success. Eleven in vivo tests were conducted with durations from 1 to 195 days. Endurance pumps have passed the 6 month interval with minimal bearing wear. All aspects of the program continue to function under formal quality assurance.     

Retinoblastoma-related protein pRb2/p130 and suppression of tumor growth in vivo

BACKGROUND: The RB/p105 and p107 genes of the retinoblastoma family are tumor suppressor genes whose proteins are inactivated by interaction with T-antigen proteins encoded by polyomaviruses (e.g., simian virus 40 and human JC virus), which have been found to be highly tumorigenic in animals. A variety of indirect evidence suggests that another member of the retinoblastoma gene family, RB2/p130, is also a tumor suppressor gene. To investigate the putative tumor suppressor activity of RB2/p130 more directly, we utilized a tetracycline-regulated gene expression system to control expression of the encoded protein pRb2/p130 in JC virus-induced hamster brain tumor cells and to study the effects of pRb2/p130 on the growth of such tumor cells in nude mice. The ability of pRb2/p130 to interact with JC virus T antigen was also studied. METHODS: Northern blot hybridization analyses were performed on samples of total cellular RNA to measure RB2/p130 and beta-actin messenger RNA levels. Immunoprecipitation and western blot analyses were used to determine T-antigen and pRb2/p130 protein levels and to assess the phosphorylation status of these proteins. Tumor cells were injected subcutaneously into nude mice, and tumor growth, with or without induced expression of pRb2/p130, was monitored. RESULTS: Induction of pRb2/p130 expression brought about a 3.2-fold, or 69% (95% confidence interval = 64%-73%), reduction in final tumor mass in nude mice. We also demonstrated that JC virus T antigen binds hypophosphorylated pRb2/p130 and that stimulation of pRb2/p130 expression overcomes cellular transformation mediated by this antigen. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the hypothesis that RB2/p130 is a tumor suppressor gene.     

Early surgery in the approach to acute lithiasic cholecystitis (ALC)

The surgical approach to acute cholecystitis has changed through the years. It was extended to all ages. The authors report their 10-year experience with 562 cases of cholecystitis. The mortality rate was 1.5% the morbidity rate was 7.6% The authors propose early surgery (within 72 hours of diagnosis) in the majority of patients with acute cholecystitis.     

Influence of fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms on mortality in hospitalized horses

OBJECTIVES: To predict mortality of horses by use of clinical data from the first day of hospitalization, to determine whether fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms is related to severity of clinical disease, and to determine the impact of fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms on mortality. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 1,446 hospitalized horses. PROCEDURE: Medical information was obtained from horses hospitalized in an intensive care unit or isolation facility during a 4.5-year period. A model was created to predict mortality, using covariates determined on the day of admission. Predicted mortality provided a measure of clinical condition. Predicted mortality was compared between horses that were and were not shedding Salmonella organisms in their feces to determine whether shedding was associated with severity of disease. Predicted and observed mortality between horses were also compared to evaluate the association between fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms and mortality. RESULTS: 92 horses were identified as shedding Salmonella organisms. In a multivariable model, 4 variables (heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, and clinical management) were associated with mortality. A higher predicted probability of death was observed in horses that shed Salmonella krefeld or more than 1 serotype. Relative risk (RR) of mortality was high for horses shedding S typhimurium (RR, 1.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 3.59) and multiple serotypes (RR, 4.75; 95% confidence interval, 2.29 to 9.84). When the clinical condition (i.e., prior predicted probability of death) was taken into consideration, fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms was not significantly associated with mortality. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: In this horse population, fecal shedding of S krefeld was associated with more severe clinical conditions at the time of admission; however, fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms during hospitalization did not alter predicted mortality.     

Ubiquitin is covalently attached to the p6Gag proteins of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and simian immunodeficiency virus and to the p12Gag protein of Moloney murine leukemia virus

Host proteins are incorporated into retroviral virions during assembly and budding. We have examined three retroviruses, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), and Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MuLV), for the presence of ubiquitin inside each of these virions. After a protease treatment to remove exterior viral as well as contaminating cellular proteins, the proteins remaining inside the virion were analyzed. The results presented here show that all three virions incorporate ubiquitin molecules at approximately 10% of the level of Gag found in virions. In addition to free ubiquitin, covalent ubiquitin-Gag complexes were detected, isolated, and characterized from all three viruses. Our immunoblot and protein sequencing results on treated virions showed that approximately 2% of either HIV-1 or SIV p6Gag was covalently attached to a single ubiquitin molecule inside the respective virions and that approximately 2 to 5% of the p12Gag in Mo-MuLV virions was monoubiquitinated. These results show that ubiquitination of Gag is conserved among these retroviruses and occurs in the p6Gag portion of the Gag polyprotein, a region that is likely to be involved in assembly and budding.