Communication with parents of children with cancer

The authors summarize the results of recent work evidencing the existence of latent merozoites during the course of the erythrocytic cycle of the rodent Plasmodia. These merozoites, unlike the majority of merozoites released at schizogony, do not penetrate immediately into the erythrocytes and remain latent for a variable length of time. The merozoites of each of the species or subspecies show marked peculiarities which are responsible for the characteristics of their cycle. The presence of latent merozoites free in the blood, the asynchronous development, and the resistance to chloroquine, are three closely related factors. Knowing that the merozoite is so far drug resistant, and that latent merozoites can maintain the infection for any length of time, it appears important to take into account these purely biological data, when studying the drug resistance of the human falciparum malaria.     

Effect of carnosine and its components on free-radical reactions

This study compared the competency to stand trial (CST) of 108 juveniles (ages 7 to 16 years) and 145 adults (17 years or older) undergoing pretrial, court-ordered forensic psychiatric evaluations. Adults were superior on both global and specific competency abilities (p < .001). Clustered by age (<13, 13 and 14, 15 and 16 years old), preteens accused of crimes failed to meet a Dusky v. United States standard, while 13- and 14-year-olds displayed an equal mix of abilities and deficits. Mid-adolescents (ages 15 and 16) were equivalent to adults in CST abilities except in their knowledge about plea bargaining elements. The ramifications of CST in felony juvenile transfer to adult court as well as the needs for ecologically valid, empirically based CST research on adolescents is discussed.     

Costello syndrome: two cases with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma

Costello syndrome is a well delineated mental retardation syndrome of unknown aetiology in which the occurrence of benign tumours, especially papillomata, is recognised. We report two children in whom the diagnosis of Costello syndrome was made in the first months of life, who both developed a retroperitoneal embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Although not previously reported, the occurrence of this relatively uncommon childhood tumour in two girls with Costello syndrome suggests that an increased risk of malignancy may be part of this condition. The genetic basis of this susceptibility requires further clarification.     

Histocompatibility antigen studies in women with recurrent miscarriages and Müllerian uterine anomalies

The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of a long-acting angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, imidapril ((4S)-1-methyl-3-?(2S)-2-[N-(1S)-1-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl) amino] propionyl?-2-oxoimidazolidine-4-carboxylic acid hydrochloride), for 7 days on the cerebral blood flow autoregulatory response to hypotension in hypertensive rats. We measured the cerebral blood flow at rest and during hemorrhagic hypotension, using laser-Doppler flowmetry. At the same time, the absolute baseline cerebral blood flow values in the parietal cortex were quantified with the hydrogen clearance method. After administration of imidapril at a dose of 5 mg/kg/day for 7 days, the resting value of mean arterial blood pressure was significantly decreased by 25 mm Hg (P < 0.001), cerebral vascular resistance was lowered by 14.4% (P < 0.05) and the lower limit of cerebral blood flow autoregulation was shifted to a lower level, 106+/-11 mm Hg (mean +/- S.D.), from 137+/-8 mm Hg in the control group (P < 0.001), while resting cerebral blood flow remained unchanged. The present results demonstrated that imidapril preserves cerebral blood flow and significantly shifts the lower limit of cerebral autoregulation towards lower blood pressure levels.