Phagocytosis and erythroblastosis. I. Modification of the neonatal response by promethazine hydrochloride

Phagocytic cells were obtained from children at ages comparable to those at which the disease is most commonly seen during pregnancy. The effect of P-HCl on the phagocytic action of these cells on opsonized red blood cells was studied in vitro.     

Temperature effects on separate values of adsorption and surface reaction rates by dynamic studies

The study of a three-phase catalytic slurry reactor for SO₂ oxidation on activated carbon has been conducted with a dynamic response technique. The analysis of zero and first temporal moments of the gas for temperatures between 10 and 26°C provides individual measurements of the adsorption, desorption and surface reaction rate constants and their energies of activation. A parallel first-moment analysis was carried out for O₂ adsorption onto carbon to obtain the necessary equilibrium constants for temperatures used in the SO₂-oxidation calculations. With second moment analysis of adsorption data, we find the adsorption kinetic constants with and without reaction are in quantitative agreement. By evaluating the separate temperatu effect on the adsorption/desorption, and surface reaction rates, we conclude that neither step is controlling at temperatures up to 26°C. The values the several kinetic and equilibrium constants agree well with those found by other authors.     

Effect of extra energy as fat or milk replacer solids in diets of young dairy calves on growth during cold weather.

The effects of feeding two levels of supplemental fat and extra milk replacer solids on Holstein calves housed in hutches during the winter were investigated. Fifty calves (10 per treatment) were assigned to the following dietary treatments: 1) milk replacer (control) reconstituted to 12.5% DM fed at 10% of BW (adjusted weekly), 2) same as treatment 1 plus 113 g/d of supplemental fat, 3) milk replacer reconstituted to 15% DM and fed at 10% of BW (adjusted weekly), 4) same as treatment 1 plus 226 g/d of supplemental fat, and 5) milk replacer reconstituted to 15% DM fed at 14% of BW (adjusted weekly). Half the amount of milk replacer consumed during wk 4 was fed during wk 5, and calves were weaned to dry feed at 35 d of age. A pelleted starter was offered for ad libitum intake throughout the 42-d trial. Gains in BW were greater for calves fed 226 than 113 or 0 g/d of supplemental fat (d 3 to 28). Calves fed milk replacer reconstituted to 15% DM at 14% of BW had greater BW gains during d 3 to 28 than control. Starter consumption was similar between groups receiving 113 and 0 g/d of fat supplement but lower in the group fed 226 g/d. Extra milk replacer solids in diets increased fecal scores to levels greater than those of calves in other groups. The benefit of fat supplementation of milk replacers was manifested as increased BW gain during the 1st mo of life.     

The applicability of the flow cytometric sperm chromatin structure assay in epidemiological studies. Asclepios

The impact of demographic, lifestyle, and seminal factors on the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) parameters was evaluated in a population of 277 healthy Danish men. This cohort was established within the framework of a European Concerted Action on occupational hazards to male reproductive capability in order to examine the possible reproductive effects of exposure to styrene or pesticides. The SCSA measures the susceptibility of sperm DNA to in-situ acid-induced denaturation, by multiparameter flow cytometric analysis after staining with the DNA-specific fluorescent dye acridine orange. The green versus red bivariate cytogram patterns were quite variable among donors, showing a wide heterogeneity of sperm DNA denaturability. Nevertheless, in those cases where we had the possibility to measure two semen samples from the same donor, the cytogram pattern remained stable over time (0.64 < r < 0.78). Analysis of variance demonstrated that the SCSA results can be influenced by the age of the donor (P < 0.0001), smoking habits (P < 0.05), the presence of leukocytes and immature germ forms in the ejaculate (P < 0.0001), and the duration of sexual abstinence (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, the relationship between the SCSA data and sperm concentration, morphology, and vitality was weak (-0.22 < r < -0.46). Therefore, the SCSA provides independent and complementary measurements of semen quality and is thus a useful tool for epidemiological studies, but the effects of some confounders should be accounted for in the survey design and analysis.     

Comparison of factor VIII-related antigen and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in outpatient management of vasculitis

Electroimmunodiffusion (Laurell rocket) determinations of factor VIII-related antigen in plasma were ordered to determine the cost/benefit ratio for factor VIII-related antigen as a putative test for endothelial damage in suspected vasculitis. Twenty-seven consecutive patients referred for vasculitis or suspected vasculitis were identified and followed up for an average of 9.1 +/- months (range: one to thirty-three months) in a prospective, unblinded study performed in a clinic, associated with a 1054-bed inner-city university hospital. There was no difference in Westergren erythrocyte sedimentation rate (WESR) in patients with final diagnosis of systemic vasculitis (SV) (38 +/- 12 mm/hour) compared to those without vasculitis (NV) (27 +/- 7) as the final diagnosis. The mean plasma concentration of factor VIII-related antigen was significantly elevated in SV (344 +/- 100%) when compared with NV (147 +/- 39%) (P < 0.016). The factor VIII-related antigen test in this study was 2.56 times more likely (crude odds ratio) than the WESR to contribute to a change in diagnosis or therapy (P = 0.016). Positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) for factor VIII-related antigen (abnormal at greater than 220% of the normal value) were both 70%. PPV and NPV for WESR were 56% and 86%, respectively. The factor VIII-related test was less cost-effective than the WESR in the follow-up period unless it was important to define complete remission or differentiate vasculitis flare from infection. The authors conclude that factor VIII-related antigen is a useful test in the initial diagnosis of vasculitis.     

Synthesis and antiplatelet, antiinflammatory, and antiallergic activities of substituted 3-chloro-5,8-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and related compounds

2-Amino (6), 2-alkylamino (7-8), 2-methoxy (9), 2-acetamido (10), and 5,8-diacetoxy (11) derivatives of the lead compound 2,3-dichloro-5,8-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (4) were synthesized, together with 6,7-dichloro-5,8dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (5), a positional isomer of 4. Antiplatelet, antiinflammatory, and antiallergic activities were evaluated, and most compounds were quite potent in all assays. Compounds 5 and 9-11 were especially active; however, 5 was ineffective against neutrophil superoxide formation, and 10 was ineffective against mast cell degranulation.     

Lack of sensitization to the effects of d-amphetamine and apomorphine on sensorimotor gating in rats

Haemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is the leading cause of acute renal failure in the childhood. It is characterised by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, acute renal failure and injury of the renal microvascular endothelium. In HUS the condition of proteolytic kallikrein-kinin system is unknown. The renal KKS seems to participate in the regulation of blood pressure, control of sodium and water excretion, renal vascular resistance and renin release. In this study the role kallikrein in the developing HUS was studied. The general activity of kallikrein in plasma and urine was determined by trypsin-like peptidohydrolase activity (TP), which was measured using substrate Z-D-Ala-Leu-Arg-pNa. Chymotrypsin-like protease activity (ChP) was measured using substrate Glp-Ala-Ala-Leu-pNa. Clinical data were analysed on 60 pediatric patients with HUS, 29 girls and 31 boys, ranging in the age from 3 months to 11 years. TP and ChP levels were determined in different periods of HUS (anuria, diuresis beginning, polyuria, recovery) in serum and urine. In acute phase TP and ChP activities increased significantly. In diuresis recovery serum TP activity was higher, but urine TP level became normal. In dynamic serum and urine ChP levels had tendency to decrease. The present work showed that TP and ChP levels demonstrated activity of pathological renal process and condition of glomerules.     

The perinatal mortality rate as an indicator of quality of care in international comparisons

Priming and recollection are expressions of human memory mediated by different brain events. These brain events were monitored while people discriminated words from nonwords. Mean response latencies were shorter for words that appeared in an earlier study phase than for new words. This priming effect was reduced when the letters of words in study-phase presentations were presented individually in succession as opposed to together as complete words. Based on this outcome, visual word-form priming was linked to a brain potential recorded from the scalp over the occipital lobe about 450 ms after word onset. This potential differed from another potential previously associated with recollection, suggesting that distinct operations associated with these two types of memory can be monitored at the precise time that they occur in the human brain.