Weakly Hydrated Anion Exchangers Doped with Cu2O and Cu0 Particles—Thermogravimetric Studies

Hybrid ion exchangers (HIXs) containing fine Cu₂O and Cu⁰ particles were subjected to thermal analysis in order to determine their hygroscopic water content (with regard to their anomalously low porosity) and to determine the effect of the oxidation state of the copper atom in the deposit on the thermal properties of composite materials. Commercially available anion exchangers, Amberlite IRA 900Cl (macroreticular, M) and Amberlite IRA 402OH (gel-like, G), were used as supporting materials. M/Cu₂O, G/Cu₂O, M/Cu and G/Cu, containing 4.3–8.4 wt% Cu, were subjected to thermal analysis under respectively air and N₂. TG/DTG curves revealed that dry M/Cu and G/Cu contained as little as 7.2% and 4.3% hygroscopic water, while M/Cu₂O and G/Cu₂O contained respectively 10.6% and 9.4% (Cu⁰ was a stronger water repellent than Cu₂O). The oxidation state of the copper atom in the deposit was found to affect the amount of the forming char, and also Cu⁰ was found to contribute to the formation of more char than in the pyrolysis of the pure resin (the anion exchanger with no copper deposit). Under air the two kinds of particles transformed into CuO, while under N₂ metallic copper and char (from the resin phase) made up the solid residue. This means that in the pyrolysis of the HIXs the inorganic phase participated in char formation and it also transformed itself (undergoing reduction when possible). The above findings provide a basis for in-depth research aimed at the innovative use of copper-containing HIXs and at obtaining usable composite materials with a designed (organic-inorganic) composition.     

DLA-identical bone marrow grafts after low-dose total body irradiation: the effect of canine recombinant hematopoietic growth factors

Previous studies found that bone marrow (BM) allografts from DLA- identical littermates resulted in survival of two thirds of recipient dogs after otherwise lethal doses of 450 to 600 cGy of total body irradiation (TBI) because of successful allografts or autologous recovery after rejection of the allografts. The current study asked whether survival could be further improved by treating allograft recipients with recombinant canine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), stem cell factor (SCF), or G-CSF/SCF. Of 21 dogs, 14 (67%) receiving allografts but no growth factors survived, 10 with successful allografts (including 5 mixed chimeras) and 4 with autologous recovery; whereas 7 animals died, 5 from infections during BM aplasia and 2 from acute graft-versus-host disease. By comparison, 30 of 34 dogs (88%) receiving hematopoietic growth factors in addition to the BM graft survived, 17 with successful allografts (including 10 mixed chimeras) and 13 with autologous recovery; whereas 4 died, all with infection related to BM aplasia after rejection of the allograft. Survival was similar for recipients of G-CSF, SCF, or the combination of G-CSF and SCF. Logistic regression analyses, which accounted for possible effects of TBI dose, showed a trend for improved survival in dogs receiving growth factors (P = .09), no change in allogeneic engraftment (P = .74), and a slight increase in autologous recovery (P = .22). In agreement with previous data, we found that grafts of BM from DLA-identical littermates improved survival of recipient dogs exposed to low but otherwise lethal doses of TBI. A further improvement in survival could be achieved by additional treatment with G-CSF, SCF, or G-CSF/SCF. Results suggest that treatment by hematopoietic growth factors along with BM grafts should be considered for victims of radiation accidents.     

Autonomic hypoactivity in boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and the influence of methylphenidate

Objectives. This study investigates an overall autonomic hypoactivity reflecting hypoarousal as important aetiological factor in ADHD at baseline during rest and in response towards stimuli. In addition, effects of methylphenidate (MPH) are examined. We further assessed whether this hypoarousal is a stable characteristic or ameliorated by arousing emotional stimuli. Methods. Boys with ADHD were examined with (n = 35) or without MPH (n = 45) and compared with healthy boys (n = 22) regarding skin conductance level (SCL) during rest and skin conductance responses (SCRs) as well as valence and arousal ratings in response to positive, neutral, and negative pictures. Results. ADHD children without MPH were characterized by reduced baseline SCL and overall reduced SCRs. ADHD children with MPH never differed from control children. All groups displayed normal valence and arousal ratings of the stimuli and enhanced SCRs to emotional in comparison to neutral pictures. Conclusions. This is the first study to unravel (1) a general autonomic hypoactivity in ADHD children at baseline and in response to low arousing neutral and highly arousing emotional stimuli, and (2) hints that MPH normalizes this hypoactivity. Results contribute to the understanding of ADHD aetiology and MPH functionality, and are consistent with the cognitive-energetic model of ADHD.     

运动性心律失常

运动性心律失常是指发生于机体剧烈运动期间或之后的心律失常。临床表现不一,从心悸、头晕、晕厥、心绞痛、急性心肌梗死和充血性心力衰竭,甚至到心脏性猝死。运动性心律失常可见于心肌缺血,如患有动脉粥样硬化性心脏病以及患有原发性或继发性心肌病的患者。然而,也可能发生在似乎健康的个体。在后一组人群中,运动性心律失常可以是良性的,但也可以是获得性(如药物诱发)或先天性(如先天性长QT综合征或致心律失常性右室发育不良)心电活动或结构的异常而呈恶性。这种潜在病理生理学机制的复杂性,使运动性心律失常的诊断和治疗成为临床医学上的…     

Contrasting effects of recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony- stimulating factor (CSF) and granulocyte CSF treatment on the cycling of blood elements in childhood-onset cyclic neutropenia

Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) treatment has been shown to increase average neutrophil counts substantially in patients with childhood-onset cyclic neutropenia (or "cyclic hematopoiesis"), but not to eliminate the cyclic oscillations of neutrophil counts or those of other blood elements (monocytes, platelets, eosinophils, and reticulocytes) that are characteristic of this hematopoietic disorder. Indeed, oscillations of neutrophil counts are amplified during G-CSF treatment. We have compared the effects of recombinant granulocyte-macrophage-CSF (GM-CSF) with those of G-CSF in three patients with this disease (2 men and 1 woman, 17, 30, and 32 years of age). These patients were treated with GM-CSF (2.1 micrograms/kg/day, subcutaneously) for 6 weeks, preceded and followed by 6 to 13 weeks of detailed observation to document changes in the cyclic oscillations of blood neutrophils and other blood elements; two of the patients were subsequently treated with G-CSF (5.0 micrograms/kg/d, subcutaneously) and observed for comparable periods of time. Unlike G-CSF treatment, which increased average neutrophil counts more than 20-fold, GM-CSF increased neutrophil counts only modestly, from 1.6- to 3.9-fold, although eosinophilia of varying prominence was induced in each patient. However, at the same time, GM-CSF treatment dampened or eliminated the multilineage oscillations of circulating blood elements (neutrophils, monocytes, platelets, and/or reticulocytes) in each of the patients. In contrast, G-CSF treatment of the same patients markedly amplified the oscillations of neutrophil counts and caused the cycling of other blood elements (monocytes in particular) to become more distinct. These findings support the conclusion that the distinctive cycling of blood cell production in childhood-onset cyclic neutropenia results from abnormalities in the coordinate regulation of both GM-CSF-responsive, multipotential progenitor cells and G-CSF-responsive, lineage-restricted, neutrophil progenitors.     

Cytological criteria to predict basal phenotype of breast carcinomas

Breast carcinoma is a heterogeneous disease. It can be classified into phenotypes based on the expression of certain proteins, with distinct differences in prognosis. The basal phenotype is associated with worse prognosis and it still remains without specific treatment. However, there is currently no international consensus on the cytological criteria that could predict this phenotype. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the cytological criteria in fine‐needle aspiration biopsy and to identify their association with the basal phenotype of breast carcinoma. Fine‐needle aspiration biopsy specimens and tissue sections (mastectomy specimen) from 74 cases of high‐grade invasive ductal breast carcinomas were consecutively retrieved from the files of three institutions. Breast carcinomas were studied using the tissue microarray technique, being classified into phenotypes: luminal A, luminal B, HER2 overexpression, and basal. The cytological criteria for all cases were reviewed blindly by two pathologists according to five cytological criteria: cellularity, cell pattern, presence of necrosis, nucleoli, and nuclear atypia. Exact Fisher test was used to test the association between cytological criteria and the phenotypes of breast carcinoma. Necrosis was present in 64.7% of basal breast carcinomas, and 31.1% of nonbasal breast carcinomas, and that result was statistically significant, showing an odds ratio (OR) of 3.80. The basal phenotype, compared with the luminal A, showed more necrosis (OR = 6.97), present/prominent nucleoli (OR = 8.18), and cellularity more frequently (OR = 18.03). Necrosis, as well as present/prominent nucleoli and abundant cellularity are criteria more frequently associated to the basal phenotype of breast carcinoma. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Vertical transmission of Kaposi's sarcoma

AIDS related Kaposi's sarcoma is commonly seen in homosexual men, only occasionally in men and women with heterosexually acquired HIV, and extremely rarely in children. The case of an HIV infected mother and her vertically infected child who both developed visceral Kaposi's sarcoma is reported. It is proposed that the putative Kaposi's sarcoma agent may also be transmitted vertically.