Rationally and empirically derived dimensions of children's symptomatology: expert ratings and confirmatory factor analyses of the CBCL

Expert ratings and confirmatory factor analyses were used to develop an alternative system for scoring the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; T. M. Achenbach, 1991) to measure specific dimensions corresponding to current conceptualizations of child symptomatology. Data were from a nonclinic and 2 independent clinic samples. Subscales measuring Anxiety, Attention Problems/Hyperactivity, Conduct Problems, Depression, Oppositional Defiant, Social Problems/Immaturity, and Somatization were created. Logistic regressions were conducted to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency and discrimination of the new and original approaches to scoring the CBCL. Some of the new subscales demonstrated better sensitivity, positive predictive power, and discriminant validity than the original CBCL subscales; however, subscales from both approaches demonstrated low sensitivity. Results support the use of the new subscales for specific research purposes.     

Ramification of the portal vein at the porta hepatis in humans

The ramification of the portal vein at the porta hepatis was studied by anatomic dissection performed in 32 formalin fixed human livers. In all the specimens there were branches which ran towards the caudate lobe, arising from the portal vein and either from the left or the right portal branches. Tri-and quadrifurcation of the portal vein was observed. In 5 cases (16%) there were branches arising from left portal branch or portal vein and directed anteriorly to the quadrate lobe or to the region of the gall-bladder sulcus. These branches ranged from 1.0 to 6.0 mm in diameter. The portal caudate branches were divided into 3 groups.Group 1: Branches to the papillary process; 1 or 2 branches in 26 cases (82%), 3 or 5 branches in 3 cases (9%) and no branches in 3 cases (9%);     

Interleukin-1 treatment increases neutrophils but not antioxidant enzyme activity or resistance to ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat kidneys

Hearts from rats treated with interleukin-1 (IL-1) intraperitoneally developed a rapid (6 h after IL-1), transient increase in neutrophils, tissue hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) levels, and a subsequent (36 h after IL-1) increase in myocardial glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity and tolerance to ischemia-reperfusion. In the present investigation, we found that rats treated similarly with IL-1 had increased numbers of neutrophils in their kidneys, which were comparable to myocardial neutrophil increases, but did not develop increased renal tissue H₂O₂ or GSSG levels acutely (6 h after IL-1) or increased G6PD activity or resistance to ischemia-reperfusion injury later (36 h after IL-1). Our findings indicate that IL-1 treatment increased neutrophil accumulation in rat kidneys but did not increase oxidative stress, antioxidant enzyme activity, or resistance to ischemia-reperfusion injury. We conclude that organ-to-organ differences exist with respect to IL-1-induced tolerance.     

Development ofEimeria dispersa Tyzzer, 1929, from bobwhite quail (Colinis virginianus), in bovine kidney cell cultures

Summary The development ofEimeria dispersa Tyzzer, a parasite of bobwhite quail, in Madin-Darby bovine kidney cell cultures was investigated. Excysted sporozoites were inoculated into Leighton tubes containing cell monolayers on glass coverglasses and maintained in minimum essential medium supplemented with heat-inactivated fetal calf serum. Sporozoites became intracellular within 2 h. Sporozoite-shaped schizonts, schizonts with developing merozoites, and mature first-generation schizonts were seen 24 h postinoculation. Intracellular first-generation merozoites, second-generation trophozoites, and early second-generation schizonts containing two nuclei were first observed 72 h postinoculation. Second-generation schizonts containing developing merozoites as well as mature second-generation schizonts were first seen 96h postinoculation. Gametogony was not observed.DM developing merozoite - HN host nucleus - IM intracellular merozoite - M merozoite - N nucleus - R refractile body - RB residual body - V parasitophorous vacuole     

Processing of radical prostatectomy specimens for correlation of data from histopathological, molecular biological, and radiological studies: a new whole organ technique

AIMS: To develop a method of processing non-formalin fixed prostate specimens removed at radical prostatectomy to obtain fresh tissue for research and for correlating diagnostic and molecular results with preoperative imaging. METHODS/RESULTS: The method involves a prostate slicing apparatus comprising a tissue slicer with a series of juxtaposed planar stainless steel blades linked to a support, and a cradle adapted to grip the tissue sample and receive the blades. The fresh prostate gland is held in the cradle and the blades are moved through the cradle slits to produce multiple 4 mm slices of the gland in a plane perpendicular to its posterior surface. One of the resulting slices is preserved in RNAlater. The areas comprising tumour and normal glands within this preserved slice can be identified by matching it to the haematoxylin and eosin stained sections of the adjacent slices that are formalin fixed and paraffin wax embedded. Intact RNA can be extracted from the identified tumour and normal glands within the RNAlater preserved slice. Preoperative imaging studies are acquired with the angulation of axial images chosen to be similar to the slicing axis, such that stained sections from the formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded slices match their counterparts on imaging. CONCLUSIONS: A novel method of sampling fresh prostate removed at radical prostatectomy that allows tissue samples to be used both for diagnosis and molecular analysis is described. This method also allows the integration of preoperative imaging data with histopathological and molecular data obtained from the prostate tissue slices.     

Comparison of amphotericin B with fluconazole in the treatment of acute AIDS-associated cryptococcal meningitis. The NIAID Mycoses Study Group and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group.

BACKGROUND. Intravenous amphotericin B, with or without flucytosine, is usually standard therapy for cryptococcal meningitis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Fluconazole, an oral triazole agent, represents a promising new approach to the treatment of cryptococcal disease. METHODS. In a randomized multicenter trial, we compared intravenous amphotericin B with oral fluconazole as primary therapy for AIDS-associated acute cryptococcal meningitis. Eligible patients, in all of whom the diagnosis had been confirmed by culture, were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive either fluconazole (200 mg per day) or amphotericin B. Treatment was considered successful if the patient had had two consecutive negative cerebrospinal fluid cultures by the end of the 10-week treatment period. RESULTS. Of the 194 eligible patients, 131 received fluconazole and 63 received amphotericin B (mean daily dose, 0.4 mg per kilogram of body weight in patients with successful treatment and 0.5 mg per kilogram in patients with treatment failure; P = 0.34). Treatment was successful in 25 of the 63 amphotericin B recipients (40 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 26 percent to 53 percent) and in 44 of the 131 fluconazole recipients (34 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 25 percent to 42 percent) (P = 0.40). There was no significant difference between the groups in overall mortality due to cryptococcosis (amphotericin vs. fluconazole, 9 of 63 [14 percent] vs. 24 of 131 [18 percent]; P = 0.48); however, mortality during the first two weeks of therapy was higher in the fluconazole group (15 percent vs. 8 percent; P = 0.25). The median length of time to the first negative cerebrospinal fluid culture was 42 days (95 percent confidence interval, 28 to 71) in the amphotericin B group and 64 days (95 percent confidence interval, 53 to 67) in the fluconazole group (P = 0.25). Multivariate analyses identified abnormal mental status (lethargy, somnolence, or obtundation) as the most important predictive factor of a high risk of death during therapy (P less than 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS. Fluconazole is an effective alternative to amphotericin B as primary treatment of cryptococcal meningitis in patients with AIDS. Single-drug therapy with either drug is most effective in patients who are at low risk for treatment failure. The optimal therapy for patients at high risk remains to be determined.     

Excessive glutamate as an inhibitor of excitatory transmission in rat hippocampal slice

Exposure of rat hippocampal slices to perfusate containing 1-2 mM glutamate (GLU) induces reversible and relatively selective blockade of excitatory transmission. Intracellular recordings from 20 region CA1 hippocampal cells demonstrated only transient and mild effects on resting membrane properties and action potentials. In contrast, in 2 mM GLU excitatory postsynaptic potentials declined to 28% of control (P less than 0.001); inhibitory postsynaptic potentials remained robust at 88% of control. This suggests that excess exposure to GLU may result in a selective 'down-regulation' of excitatory synaptic transmission, while preserving inhibitory pathways. These observations may have practical implications for development of new anticonvulsant drugs.     

Studies of human myeloid antigens using monoclonal antibodies and variant lines from the promyeloid cell line HL60.

Monoclonal antibodies were produced using mice immunized with the human promyeloid cell line HL60. Two antibodies are described which identify antigens selectively expressed by myeloid cells. Studies using normal bone marrow and myeloid leukaemia cells demonstrated that one of these antibodies (AGF4.48) identifies an antigen expressed throughout the promyeloid to neutrophil stages of maturation. In contrast, the second antibody (AGF4.36) identifies an antigen expressed at the promyeloid to metamyeloid stages and is absent from most blood neutrophils. The HL60 line can be induced to differentiate into neutrophils by 1 . 25% dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) (Collins et al., 1978). Variant lines from HL60, unresponsive to 1 . 25% DMSO, lack the 'transient' myeloid antigen (AGF4.36) and show a reduced expression of the myeloid antigen (AGF4.48). The variant lines can be induced to mature using higher DMSO concentrations (1 . 5-1 . 75%) and do not express the 'transient' antigen (AGF4.36) during their maturation. The use of these lines in studies of myelopoiesis is discussed.