Transmission of hepatitis C virus to infants of human immunodeficiency virus-negative intravenous drug-using mothers: rate of infection and assessment of risk factors for transmission

The acute effects of a newly synthesized thromboxane dual blocker (KDI-792), a combined thromboxane synthase inhibitor and receptor antagonist, on lower limb circulation were examined using two-dimensional color and pulse Doppler ultrasonography and laser Doppler flowmetry. A randomized single-masked, placebo-controlled trial was performed on 36 type 2 diabetic patients with minimally impaired baseline flow. The anatomical cross-sectional area (CSA), maximum flow velocity (MFV) and flow volume index (FVI) in the right dorsal pedis artery (DPA) and right femoral artery (FA) were determined by Doppler ultrasonography before and 45 and 90 minutes after the administration of either 100 or 200 mg of KDI-792 to the dose groups or placebo to the control group. Periflux blood flow (PBF) in the right foot was determined simultaneously by laser Doppler flowmetry. Both CSA and MFV in the dose groups were significantly increased in both the FA and DPA. FVI was markedly increased from 21.4 +/- 3.7 to 68.3 +/- 26.8 in the DPA (M +/- SD, P < 0.01) and from 365.4 +/- 35.3 to 771.7 +/- 75.7 in the FA (P < 0.01) in the 200 mg dose group. In the 100 mg dose group, FVI was markedly increased from 20.0 +/- 8.7 to 68.3 +/- 26.8 (P < 0.01) in the DPA and from 372.5 +/- 130.0 to 677.5 +/- 187.8 (P < 0.01) in the FA. PBF was also increased in both dose groups (from 4.15 +/- 1.4 to 7.0 +/- 4.0 ml/min/100 g tissue in the 200 mg dose group, P < 0.01), whereas there were no significant changes in either measurement in the control group. There were no significant changes in pulse rate or blood pressure after administration in either the dosage group or the placebo group. These and previous findings indicate that a single administration of KDI-792 markedly increases lower limb blood flow and might have a more potent vasodilating effect than that of prostaglandin I2 derivatives.     

Classroom peer acceptance, friendship, and victimization: distinct relational systems that contribute uniquely to children's school adjustment?

The proposition that relationships make differential (i.e., unique, redundant, contingent) contributions to adjustment was examined by investigating the linkages between children's participation in different types of peer relationships (i.e., friendship, peer acceptance, peer victimization) and their adjustment to school. Relationship measures were gathered for 5- to 6-year-old children (105 males, 95 females) twice during kindergarten (i.e., fall and spring) and were correlated with adjustment indicators at each time of assessment and used to predict changes in school adjustment over time. Examination of the relative associations between the relationship measures and children's adjustment revealed evidence of both unshared (i.e., unique) and shared (i.e., redundant) linkages, depending on the form of adjustment examined. These findings suggest that adjustment may be influenced by the diverse experiences (i.e., provisions) that children encounter in different forms of relationship, and that certain types of relationships may have greater or lesser adaptive significance depending on the adjustment outcome examined.     

Continued development of the Nimbus/University of Pittsburgh (UOP) axial flow left ventricular assist system

Nimbus and the University of Pittsburgh (UOP) have continued the development of a totally implanted axial flow blood pump under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Innovative Ventricular Assist System (IVAS) program. This 62 cc device has an overall length of 84 mm and an outer diameter of 34.5 mm. The inner diameter of the blood pump is 12 mm. It is being designed to be a totally implanted permanent device. A key achievement during the past year was the completion of the Model 2 pump design. Ten of these pumps have been fabricated and are being used to conduct in vitro and in vivo experiments to evaluate the performance of different materials and hydraulic components. Efforts for optimizing the closed loop speed control have continued using mathematical modeling, computer simulations, and in vitro and in vivo testing. New hydraulic blade designs have been tested using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and flow visualization. A second generation motor was designed with improved efficiency. To support the new motor, a new motor controller fabricated as a surface mount PC board has been completed. The program is now operating under a formal QA system.     

Granulocytic sarcoma presented as a reactivation of chronic myeloid leukemia after allogenic marrow transplantation

The authors report the case of a chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patient submitted to allogenic bone marrow transplantation, who had probably never entered complete remission. The disease was reactivated as a granulocytic sarcoma, next to a platinum plate installed to correct a tibia fracture 11 years earlier. Its final event was a myeloid Ph1 + blastic crisis that was unsuccessfully treated with high doses of sc interferon and citarabine.     

Protection against lethal murine coccidioidomycosis by a soluble vaccine from spherules

The formaldehyde-killed, whole-spherule vaccine, which is protective against lethal challenge of laboratory animals with Coccidioides immitis, was fractionated. It yielded a soluble, multicomponent, subcellular fraction termed the 27K vaccine. This vaccine, when it was accompanied by adjuvant, protected mice against lethal intranasal and intravenous challenge with C. immitis.     

Influence of ejection fraction on hospital mortality, morbidity, and costs for CABG patients

BACKGROUND: Preoperative ejection fraction (EF) has been shown to adversely affect postoperative hospital mortality and morbidity for patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: To investigate influence of EF on isolated coronary artery bypass grafting outcomes (overall hospital mortality, hospital cardiac mortality, hospital morbidity, and hospital costs), data were reviewed from 1,354 consecutive patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting between January 1, 1990, and April 30, 1992, at a single nonprofit hospital. Overall hospital mortality was 4.06% (cardiac, 2.36%). Hospital morbidity was 14.25% (including mortality). Hospital costs (not charges) averaged $16,673 per patient. To explore the impact of preoperative EF, EF was stratified into regular intervals. Each interval was then compared with regard to hospital mortality, morbidity, and average costs. A new statistical tool, discharge analysis, was developed to analyze the cost data. This was necessary because previous efforts at cost analysis have used tools inappropriate for real world cost data. RESULTS: The statistical analysis showed that patients with EF of 0.40 or greater had the best outcomes (lowest mortality, morbidity, and cost). Once the EF is 0.40 or greater the EF does not carry further predictive value. At EF less than 0.40, patients with EF less than 0.30 have a poorer outcome than patients with EF of 0.30 to 0.39. CONCLUSIONS: (1) Ejection fraction is a valid predictor of mortality, morbidity and resource utilization based on statistical analysis. (2) Patients can be broadly grouped as having EF greater than 0.40, less than 0.30, or from 0.30 to 0.39 with regard to clinical and cost outcomes. (3) Postoperative length of stay is not predicted by risk-adjusted EF. (4) A new tool, discharge analysis, is presented to facilitate cost analysis.     

Relative contributions of subcutaneous and intermuscular fat to yields and predictability of retail product, fat trim, and bone in beef carcasses

Previous studies have suggested that the phosphoenolpyruvate:mannose phosphotransferase system of Streptococcus salivarius consists of a nonphosphorylated enzyme II domain that functions in tandem with a separate enzymatic complex called III(Man). The III(Man) complex is believed to be composed of two protein dimers with molecular masses of approximately 72 kDa. Analysis of these proteins by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate has indicated that one dimer is composed of two 38.9-kDa subunits called IIIH(Man), and the other of two 35.2-kDa subunits called IIIL(Man). This study was undertaken to determine (1) the number and nature of the phosphorylated residue(s) on IIIH(Man) and IIIL(Man) and the phosphorylation sequence allowing the transfer of the phosphoryl group from HPr(His approximately P) to the mannose:PTS substrates; (2) whether IIIH(Man) and IIIL(Man) originate from two different genes or result from a posttranslational modification; and (3) whether these two proteins are involved in the phosphorylation of 2-deoxyglucose, a substrate of the phosphoenolpyruvate:mannose phosphotransferase system. We showed that both IIIH(Man) and IIIL(Man) were phosphorylated on two histidine residues. One phosphate bond was heat-labile (phosphorylation at the N1 position of the imidazole ring), while the second was heat-resistant (phosphorylation at the N3 position of the imidazole ring). The sequence of the first phosphorylation site was deduced by comparing the N-terminal amino acid sequence of both forms of III(Man) with IIA domains of the EII-mannose family. The sequences of both forms were identical over the 15 first amino acids, that is, MIGIIIASHGKFAEG. The sequence of the second phosphorylation site was determined for IIIL(Man) as IHGQVATNxTP. Hence, IIIH(Man) and IIIL(Man) are PTS proteins of the IIAB type and should be renamed IIABH(Man) and IIABL(Man). IIABH(Man) and IIABL(Man) had different peptide profiles after digestion with proteases, indicating that these two proteins are encoded by two different genes. In vitro PEP-dependent phosphorylation assays conducted with a spontaneous mutant devoid of both forms of IIAB(Man) suggested that the phosphoenolpyruvate:mannose phosphotransferase system of S. salivarius is composed of an uncharacterized nonphosphorylated membrane component that works in tandem with IIABL(Man). The physiological functions of IIABH(Man) remain unknown.     

Angiographically defined primary angiitis of the CNS: is it really benign?

Children with B-progenitor cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia whose lymphoblasts at diagnosis accumulate high levels of methotrexate (MTX) and MTX polyglutamates (MTXPGs) appear to have a good prognosis. This has been attributed to increased sensitivity of their blast cells to MTX. However, the proportion of children who are cured of B-progenitor cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia exceeds the number whose lymphoblasts accumulate high MTXPG levels. We report that lymphoblasts from patients with < 50 chromosomes who have translocations that involve the short arm of chromosome 12 accumulate low levels of MTXPGs. These patients appear to have an excellent survival because none of 14 patients with translocations affecting 12p has relapsed, 26-79 months following diagnosis.