Are there any successful men from criminogenic backgrounds?

In the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, a prospective longitudinal survey of 411 London males, a vulnerable group of 63 boys from criminogenic backgrounds was defined on the basis of the best nonbehavioral predictors of delinquency at age 8-10 (low family income, large family size, convicted parents, low intelligence, and poor parental child-rearing behavior). These males were followed up to age 32, and the more successful men were defined according to criteria such as the absence of convictions and of other deviant behavior, good relationships with wives and children, and good accommodation and employment histories. Hence, "success" here refers to satisfactory social adjustment. The more successful men were those who had been neurotic at age 10, those who had few or no friends at age 8, those without convicted parents or behavior problem siblings, those with mothers who had a high opinion of their sons, and those who did not spend their leisure time with their fathers. At age 8-10 they were already better behaved and less daring than those later judged as the unsuccessful men. There was some tendency for shyness to act as a protective factor against delinquency for non-aggressive boys but as an aggravating factor for aggressive boys.     

Tumor vascular signals in renal masses: detection with Doppler US

The vascularity of 49 renal masses (26 malignant and 23 benign lesions) was investigated with duplex Doppler ultrasound. Doppler signals obtained at the margins of renal masses were defined as "tumor signals" when the Doppler-shifted frequency of the lesion exceeded the frequency shift in the ipsilateral main renal artery. These exceeded 2.5 kHz with a 3-MHz insonating frequency. Among the 26 renal masses that subsequently proved to be malignant, tumor signals were obtained in 15 of 18 (83%) untreated renal cell carcinomas, in three of four Wilms tumors, and in two patients with metastases to the kidney, but not in the one patient with lymphoma. None of the 23 benign renal masses demonstrated tumor signals. Tumor vascularity in malignant lesions gives rise to abnormal, high-velocity, Doppler-shifted signals that can help in the differential diagnosis of renal masses.     

Button bolsters in dermatologic surgery

Ordinary plastic buttons may be used as bolster devices to relieve tension across wounds. This article describes the method of placement of those "button bolsters" and suggests two methods of closing the wound once they are in place. This simple technique is easily mastered and gives additional wound closure security in the initial phase of wound healing.     

正常儿童口腔中白色念珠菌的分布及基因分组

目的 研究以白色念珠菌为代表的念珠菌，以及白色念珠菌基因分组在不同年龄段儿童口腔中的分布情况。方法 4组不同年龄儿童和1组成人作为研究对象，粘膜拭子法取样，CHROMagar Candida鉴定培养基分离鉴定，PCR方法一组引物确认白色念珠菌，一组引物基因分组。结果 不同年龄组儿童口腔中念珠菌的检出率有所不同，除健康青年外，白色念珠菌在检出的念珠菌中均占多数。白色念珠菌3种基因分组的分布也存在差异，以A组为主。结论 不同年龄阶段健康儿童口腔中，A组白色念珠菌组占主导地位。     

Modification of peanut allergen Ara h 3: effects on IgE binding and T cell stimulation

BACKGROUND: Peanut allergy is a major health concern due to the increased prevalence, potential severity, and chronicity of the reaction. The cDNA encoding a third peanut allergen, Ara h 3, has been previously cloned and characterized. Mutational analysis of the Ara h 3 IgE-binding epitopes with synthetic peptides revealed that single amino acid changes at critical residues could diminish IgE binding. METHODS: Specific oligonucleotides were used in polymerase chain reactions to modify the cDNA encoding Ara h 3 at critical IgE binding sites. Four point mutations were introduced into the Ara h 3 cDNA at codons encoding critical amino acids in epitopes 1, 2, 3 and 4. Recombinant modified proteins were used in SDS-PAGE/Western IgE immunoblot, SDS-PAGE/Western IgE immunoblot inhibition and T cell proliferation assays to determine the effects of these changes on in vitro clinical indicators of peanut hypersensitivity. RESULTS: Higher amounts of modified Ara h 3 were required to compete with the wild-type allergen for peanut-specific serum IgE. Immunoblot analysis with individual serum IgE from Ara-h-3-allergic patients showed that IgE binding to the modified protein decreased approximately 35-85% in comparison to IgE binding to wild-type Ara h 3. Also, the modified Ara h 3 retained the ability to stimulate T cell activation in PBMCs donated by Ara-h-3-allergic patients. CONCLUSIONS: The engineered hypoallergenic Ara h 3 variant displays two characteristics essential for recombinant allergen immunotherapy; it has a reduced binding capacity for serum IgE from peanut-hypersensitive patients and it can stimulate T-cell proliferation and activation.     

Infection of P388D1 macrophages and respiratory epithelial cells by Histoplasma capsulatum: selection of avirulent variants and their potential role in persistent histoplasmosis.

We evaluated P388D1 macrophagelike cells as model host cells for studying the intracellular survival and strain-specific virulence of Histoplasma capsulatum. Previously characterized strains which were virulent for mice destroyed monolayers of these cells within a few days. In contrast, related avirulent "smooth" variants failed to do so even after 20 days, although they persisted within P388D1 cells for at least 7 days. On the basis of this observation, we developed a quantitative radiolabel assay to use as an initial screen for virulence. Another cell type lining the respiratory tract was then examined as a potential host for H. capsulatum. Hamster trachea epithelial (HTE) cells readily internalized a variety of strains lacking alpha-(1,3)-glucan in their cell walls; however, the tracheal cells were only rarely infected by organisms possessing this polysaccharide. We subsequently inoculated HTE cells with alpha-(1,3)-glucan-positive strains and enriched for the few yeasts infecting these cells. The progeny resembled smooth variants in terms of colony morphology, the absence of alpha-(1,3)-glucan in their cell walls, and their inability to kill macrophages. Did the HTE cells select for these variant yeasts from the parent inoculum or instigate a change from the parental phenotype? Following a 3-h uptake period, only 2% of the ingested yeasts lacked alpha-(1,3)-glucan. One day later, nearly half of the intracellular organisms lacked this polymer. This rapid conversion of a large proportion of the inoculum suggests some type of environmentally triggered change, perhaps analogous to phase variation seen in many other pathogens. Infection of epithelial cells or some other nonprofessional phagocyte during natural histoplasmosis might give rise to similar variants, thus establishing a reservoir of organisms capable of causing chronic or latent infections.     

Determinants of CD4 Counts Among HIV-Negative Ethiopians: Role of Body Mass Index,Gender, Cigarette Smoking,Khat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Catha Edulis</Emphasis>) Chewing,and Possibly Altitude?

To study the determinants of CD4% and CD4 counts among HIV-negative Ethiopians, and to identify factors susceptible to explain the low CD4 counts observed among Ethiopian subjects. Cohort studies among factory workers in Akaki and Wonji, Ethiopia. Clinical and laboratory examinations, including determination of HIV serological status and T-cell subsets, were performed during follow-up visits every six months. In addition, micronutrients (retinol, carotenoids, tocopherol, transferrin receptor, and selenium) plasma concentrations were determined in a subset of 38 HIV-positive and 121 HIV-negative participants. HIV-negative participants with at least one CD4 count measurement were 157 females in Akaki, 203 males in Akaki, and 712 males in Wonji. CD4 counts were independently and positively associated with body mass index (through an increase in lymphocyte counts), female gender (through an increase in CD4%), cigarette smoking (through an increase in CD4%), khat chewing (through an increase in both lymphocyte counts and CD4%), and Akaki study site (through a large increase in lymphocyte counts compensating a decrease in CD4%). Intestinal parasitic infections were not associated with CD4% or CD4 counts. Retinol, carotenoids, and -tocopherol plasma concentrations decreased with HIV infection and advancing immunosuppression, but were not associated with CD4 counts among HIV-negative subjects. Low body mass index among Ethiopians may have contributed to their overall low CD4 counts. Other factors remain to be elucidated.     

Antiserum agar method for identification of Smith type exopolysaccharides in clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus.

We used an antiserum agar method to identify clinical Staphylococcus aureus strains producing an exopolysaccharide antigenically identical to the S. aureus Smith diffuse strain. S. aureus blood isolates were obtained from 137 patients, and three additional isolates were obtained from bone debridement. The 140 patients were clinically divided into the following groups: endocarditis (7 patients); pneumonia, empyema, or both (33 patients); intravascular device (34 patients); superficial or wound infection or both (35 patients); deep tissue infections (18 patients); and 6, unknown bacteremias (13 patients). Ninety (64.3%) of the total 140 S. aureus isolates were found to produce precipitin halos on the antiserum agar. The percentage was greatest in the isolates from the endocarditis group (100%) and least in deep tissue infections (55.5%). The presence of clinical S. aureus strains producing exopolysaccharides antigenically identical to the Smith diffuse strain exopolysaccharide appears to be a common phenomenon.