CMV infection and cytomegalovirus disease in immunodepressed patients

An active entomologic survey was conducted by a team of trained health workers in a rural area endemic for Chagas' disease in central Brazil. They used pyrethrum as a flushing agent and 4,232 houses were inspected for triatomine bugs both inside and in the immediate environs. Houses with Triatoma infestans or evidence of an established colony were identified and defined as infested houses (cases). The building and environmental characteristics of 161 randomly selected infested houses were compared with 161 matched, noninfested houses (controls) that were the shortest distance from the infested house. Domestic and peridomestic potential risk factors associated with house infestation by Triatoma infestans were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Incomplete house construction (odds ratio [OR] = 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5-4.1) was confirmed as a risk factor related to the presence or evidence of Triatoma infestans in the dwellings. The study also disclosed a statistically significant association between the presence of rats (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.1-2.6) and indoor crop storage (OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.1-5.2) and house infestation. Further experimental field studies using tagged rodents should be conducted to assess their epidemiologic role in the domestic chain of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission.     

Poly-(L-lactic) acid membranes in palatal surgery in beagle dogs: clinical and histologic evaluation

This article reports on the histologic findings from a larger study that was designed to investigate whether the attachment of scar tissue to underlying bone, which is normally found after palatal surgery, can be prevented by using biodegradable poly-(L-lactic) acid membranes. Von Langenbeck's procedure was simulated in 12-week-old beagle dogs without clefts. In one group normal wound healing was allowed. In two groups, membranes were inserted immediately after surgery or 3 weeks thereafter. Sham and control groups were also included. Histologic evaluation was carried out at regular intervals. Reports have been published on other aspects, such as clinical wound healing, contraction and maxillary arch development in beagle dogs following this treatment. After direct implantation of membranes, wound healing was retarded. Disintegration of the membranes started soon after implantation and remaining particles were surrounded by a fibroblastic sheath and a fibrous capsule. At sites where membrane particles persisted, attachment of the scar tissue to the underlying bone by Sharpey's fibers was prevented.     

Age-related response of male melon fliesDacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae) to cue-lure

Laboratory-reared and wild adults of the melon fly,Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett, were tested for response to cue-lure at various ages. Virgin laboratory (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 days old) and wild (10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 days old) flies were released into outdoor field cages and trapped from 0800 until 1600 hr. Response of males to cue-lure increased with age and corresponded with sexual maturity for each strain. Females of both strains were relatively nonresponsive to cue-lure. Failure to eradicate in past male annihilation programs againstD. cucurbitae may be explained in part by the fact that only older males, which may have already mated with gravid females, respond to cue-lure.     

Signature analysis and defect detection in layered manufacturing of ceramic sensors and actuators

This paper presents the concept of a process signature for the use of online signature analysis and defect detection in the layered manufacturing (LM) of ceramic sensors and actuators. To achieve the high quality of parts built by the fused deposition of ceramics (FDC), an online process-monitoring system is implemented to detect the processing defects. Using a process signature extracted from the image of a layer captured by the monitoring system, an ideal image is created that is then compared to the original image to detect and identify the defects. Some results of signature analysis and defect detection for single-material and multi-material parts are also presented.Received: 22 July 1999, Accepted: 21 October 2001, Published online: 29 October 2003 Correspondence to: Mohsen A. JafariThis work was supported by the Office of Naval Research under grant # N-0014-96-1-1175. Ref. US Patent # S-5738817, April 14, 1998.     

Anthocyanins characterization of 15 Iranian pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) varieties and their variation after cold storage and pasteurization

Anthocyanins (ACs) are phenolic compounds that are distributed widely in fruits and vegetables. Apart from imparting color to plants, ACs also have an array of health-promoting benefits. In this research, the amounts of major ACs of 15 pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) varieties obtained from Yazd province were determined. The major ACs detected in the studied varieties were as follows: delphinidin 3-glucoside (2.19–16.29 mg/L), delphinidin 3,5-diglucoside (2.36–63.07 mg/L), pelargonidin 3-glucoside (0.26–1.36 mg/L), pelargonidin 3,5-diglucoside (0.01–8.11 mg/L), cyanidin 3-glucoside (5.78–30.38 mg/L), and cyanidin 3,5-diglucoside (4.39–166.32 mg/L). The effect of storage time of unprocessed and pasteurized juices on ACs content of four selected varieties was also studied. Average degradation percentage of each AC was between 23.0 and 83.0% during 10 days at 4 °C. Moreover, in pasteurized juices average degradation of ACs was 42.8 ± 0.5% after 10 weeks storage at 4 °C.     

DSM-III-R personality disorders in a mood and anxiety disorders clinic: prevalence, comorbidity, and clinical correlates

This study examined the prevalence, comorbidity, and clinical correlates of personality disorders in an outpatient sample (N = 352) with anxiety and depression. Subjects were diagnosed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) on Axes I and II, and they also completed interview and self-report measures of symptoms. Subjects with a personality disorder were less likely to be married, more likely to be single or divorced, had lower family incomes, had more severe symptoms of both anxiety and depression, and had a greater number of lifetime Axis I diagnoses. Subjects with dysthymic and bipolar disorders were more likely, and subjects with panic disorder uncomplicated by agoraphobia were less likely to have a personality disorder compared to the rest of the sample. The most prevalent personality disorders were Avoidant, Obsessive-Compulsive, Paranoid, and Borderline. Paranoid co-occurred with Narcissistic, and Borderline co-occurred with Histrionic personality disorder significantly more often than chance and base rates would predict.     

Genetics of programmed cell death in C. elegans: past, present and future

Genetic studies of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have defined a variety of single-gene mutations that have specific effects on programmed cell death. Analyses of the genes defined by these mutations have revealed that cell death is an active process that requires gene function in cells that die. Specific genes are required not only to cause cell death but also to protect cells from dying. Gene interaction studies have defined a genetic pathway for the execution phase of programmed cell death in C. elegans. Molecular and biochemical findings are consistent with the pathway proposed from these genetic studies and have also revealed that the protein products of certain cell-death genes interact directly. This pathway appears to be conserved among organisms as diverse as nematodes and humans. Important questions remain to be answered about programmed cell death in C. elegans. For example, how does a cell decide to die? How is cell death initiated? What are the mechanisms of action of the cell-death protector and killer genes? What genes lie downstream of the cell-death execution pathway? The conservation of the central cell-death pathway suggests that additional genetic analyses of programmed cell death in C. elegans will help answer these questions, not only for this nematode but also for other organisms, including ourselves.     

Detection and quantification of endolymphatic hydrops in the guinea pig cochlea by magnetic resonance microscopy

The experiments carried out on the model of immobilization stress permit establishing the antiulcer effect of preventive introduction of sodium succinate solution, milk serum solution and solution of milk serum with sodium succinate. A decrease in the degree and number of ulcers and in the integrative indices characterizing the ulcer process after introduction of the studied drugs was accompanied by a fall of the intensity of lipid peroxidation processes.     

Penetrating cardiac wounds: prospective study of factors influencing initial resuscitation

A prospective study of 66 consecutive patients with cardiac wounds seen over a 27-month period is reported. No patient was excluded. Patients were stratified by injury mechanism and by physiologic scoring at admission using the cardiovascular-respiratory elements of the Trauma Score (CVRS). Admission cardiac rhythm was obtained in patients with a CVRS of 0 and a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3. Information concerning the anatomic extent of the cardiac wound, the presence or absence of tamponade, and the degree of injury to other structures was also collected prospectively. Seventy percent of the cardiac wounds were caused by gunshots. The probability of successful resuscitation was significantly related to mechanism of injury and physiologic condition on arrival. Among patients arriving with a CVRS of 0 and a GCS score of 3, survival correlated with cardiac rhythm. Pericardial tamponade did not prove to be an independent predictor of early survival. The presence of tamponade was statistically linked to the mechanism of injury. Transport by non-official conveyance was associated with a higher CVRS on arrival. Intoxication with alcohol or cocaine had no evident effect on resuscitation probability.