Susceptibility profiles of potential aerobic and anaerobic pathogens isolated from hysterectomy patients

A total of 1140 aerobic and anaerobic isolates were recovered from cultures of specimens from the reproductive tracts of 435 uninfected patients who underwent elective hysterectomy. Standard minimum inhibitory concentration susceptibility studies were performed on these isolates to 13 newer penicillins, cephalosporins, and some traditional antimicrobial agents. These data were generated to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of these antibiotics for potential use in prophylaxis or as a single agent for treatment of polymicrobial infections of the female pelvis. The minimum inhibitory concentration data for each antibiotic against 16 genera of aerobic and nine genera of anaerobic bacteria were determined and were used to compare the in vitro antimicrobial activity of newer antibiotics to that of the more traditional antibiotics. Of the antimicrobial agents tested, piperacillin had the highest in vitro activity against these isolates of any antibiotic tested.     

Lipoamide dehydrogenase deficiency with primary lactic acidosis: favorable response to treatment with oral lipoic acid

An 8-month-old boy with severe lactic acidosis was found to have lipoamide dehydrogenase deficiency. Treatment with thiamine, biotin, bicarbonate, protein restriction, and ketogenic diet failed to alleviate the lactic acidosis. Oral administration of lipoic acid 25 to 50 mg/kg produced dramatic improvement in lactic and pyruvic acidemia, which has continued for 2 years and which has been accompanied by clinical improvement.     

Absorbance of amniotic fluid at 650 nm as a fetal lung maturity test: A comparison with the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio and tests for disaturated phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol

We compared absorbance of amniotic fluid at 650 nm (A₆₅₀) against the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio, the quantity of disaturated phosphatidylcholine, and the presence or absence of phosphatidylglycerol in 374 uncontaminated amniotic fluid samples. In addition, we studied these measures of fetal lung maturity in 80 pregnancies where neonatal outcomes were known. Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between increasing absorbance and biochemical indices of lung maturation. Our results indicate that A₆₅₀ of amniotic fluid is useful as a measure of lung maturity but that the greatest utility may be for samples with either low absorbance (<0.10) or high absorbance (>0.20). Because of large false positive and false negative values between these two absorbances, other lung maturity estimates should be used when absorbances fall within this range. Therefore, A₆₅₀ may be most useful as a screen or as part of a battery of lung maturity estimates. We are exploring these possibilities as a means of providing better fetal lung maturity estimates.     

Quantitative evaluation of opsonin-independent phagocytosis by alveolar macrophages in monolayer using polystyrene microspheres

Macrophages can bind and engulf a variety of particles in the absence of specific opsonins. Polystyrene-type microspheres are often employed to quantitate opsonin-independent phagocytic activities of macrophages in vitro. Reliable measurement of this cell function, however, requires the ability of the investigator to distinguish between particles that are merely attached to the cell surface and those that are actually internalized. We have developed a simple, rapid, and reproducible method for quantitating phagocytosis using polystyrene microspheres and adherent alveolar macrophages. Basically, particles associated with macrophages after a given incubation time are microscopically quantitated on a cell-by-cell basis before and after toluene dissolution of external particles. Particle/macrophage values obtained after toluene treatment exclusively index phagocytosis.     

Phänomenologie zykloider Achsensyndrome und ihre Abgrenzung gegen eine schizophrene Kerngruppe

Zusammenfassung Der Begriff „zykloide Psychosen” bezeichnet eine zun?chst nach dem Erscheinungsbild abzugrenzende Art innerhalb der Gattung „schizophrener Formenkreis”. Ausgehend von der klinischen Beobachtung wird in der vorliegenden ph?nomenologisch-konzeptuellen Arbeit die Auffassung vertreten, da? die Leonhardschen Subtypen bzw. deren jeweilige Pole als Achsensyndrome zu begreifen sind, die w?hrend ein und derselben Episode gemeinsam auftreten und ineinander übergehen k?nnen. Die „inneren” Zusammenh?nge dieser Achsensyndrome werden herausgearbeitet. Neben dem kongruenten Verweisungscharakter ihrer Aufbauelemente erweist sich dabei das Fehlen struktureller Verformungen 1. von Affektausdruck und Affekt, 2. des Denkens und 3. der Bewegungsimpulse und -abl?ufe als entscheidende Differentia specifica gegenüber einer schizophrenen Kerngruppe. Unseren pr?zisierten Ph?nomenbegriff machen wir zur Grundlage einer Kritik bisheriger Operationalisierungsvorschl?ge, für die wir eine Alternative anbieten.      

Ethologic implications of the skin and its disturbances

From the beginning of its simplest forms, animal life appears to be organized according to specialization by inner functions and surface functions. The passage from prokaryotic to eukaryotic cells, from bacteria to unicellular organisms, consists essentially of a functional specialization of surfaces, accompanied by an extraordinary development of plasma membrane from which originate membranous surfaces that have become specialized into endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope, transferred inside the cell.Whereas the inner functions of cells are prevalently synthetic or transformational, the surface functions are concerned with chemical, physical, or informational exchanges with the environment. With the progressive increase in complexity that accompanies the passage from unicellular to multicellular conditions and the formation of systems of organs, the functions of chemical exchange are performed by surface elements which progressively move inside the body and become specialized (lungs, intestines, kidneys), whereas the outer surface conserves the function of relations with both the physical and the living environment. The function of the outer surface is mainly a protective one. Among the functional protection from the physical environment are the control of osmotic equilibrium, protection from attrition, and the maintenance of body temperature. To perform these many functions in many different environments, the integumentary system presents a wide range of variations both in the skin and in its appendages (cuticles, scales, hair, feathers, beaks, nails and claws, and many others).Equally important functions of the integuments are those connected with relations between organisms and the living environment. The skin and its appendages are the principal signal transmitters for olfactory, visual, and tactile communications. Regarding tactile communication, moreover, the skin also functions as a receptor organ.