Placental malaria. I. Pathological classification

Pregnant women are more likely to contract malaria than their non-pregnant counterparts. The aim of this study was to develop a simple classification system for the histopathological diagnosis of placental malaria infection applicable to placentas collected in field conditions. The placentas were classified into four groups depending on the presence and disribution of parasites and malaria pigment: active infection, active-chronic infection, past-chronic infection, not infected. The frequency of parasitized placentas (26.4%) was in keeping with the prevalence of placental parasitaemia documented in epidemiological studies. An additional 29.8% placentas showed pigment in fibrin only, indicating pastchronic infection. Chronic placental malaria infection was most common in primigravidae, possibly reflecting ineffective clearance of parasites from the placenta. Seasonal fluctuations between infection categories support progression of placental infection with delayed clearance of pigment from fibrin. The proposed classification system has allowed diagnosis of different categories of placental malaria infection by two independent observers. A stadardized method of diagnosis may enhance understanding of placental pathology and reduced birth weight in malaria infection during pregnancy.     

N-Alkoxycarbonyl-glutamic and aspartic acids

N-Alkoxycarbonylaminodicarboxylic acids were reacted in dichloromethane with N-ethyl-N′-(dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride, and with methyl chloroformate in the presence of N-methylmorpholine. Removal of secondary products by washing the mixtures with aqueous solutions gave good yields of the pure crystalline internal anhydrides. Anhydrides of N-benzyloxycarbonyl- (Z) and N-9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-(Fmoc) L-glutamic and L-aspartic acids and of N-tert.-butoxycarbonyl-L-aspartic acid were prepared in this way. The compounds were shown to be amenable to normal phase high-performance liquid chromatography (NP-HPLC) on a CN-column using tert.-butanol-hexane as solvent. The products of the reactions of Z- and Fmoc-glutamic acid with hot acetic anhydride were examined by nuclear magnetic resonance and NP-HPLC before and after methanolysis in an attempt to establish if any of the corresponding pyroglutamates were formed. The reaction of Fmoc-chloride with Fmoc-glutamate was examined for the same reason. It is concluded that the side product generated during the reaction of Fmoc-chloride with glutamic acid which is used for analysis of the latter is the N-protected internal anhydride and not the pyroglutamate as reported in the literature.     

Industrial City in the Desert

Jubail on the shores of the Gulf in Saudi Arabia was selectedby the Saudi Government in 1973 as one of the two locationsfor the development of hydrocarbon-based and energy-intensiveprimary industries using natural gas to fuel these industrialcomplexes. Health services for a growing indigenous and mixed expatriatepopulation were carefully planned and implemented. Four majorareas of concern were identified and these included fire andexplosion, heat stress, and exposure to noise and to chemicalsubstances. The occupational health services provided free to users area unique experiment in a mammoth self-contained industrial environment. Group Captain F. X. Grima, RAF Institute of Community and Occupational Medicine Halton, Aylesbury, Bucks HP22 5PG.     

The applicability and utility of the MMPI-based offender classification system in a correctional mental health unit

This study investigated the applicability and utility of Megargee and Bohn's MMPI-based offender classification system in correctional mental health units (MHUs). Previous studies found that 11 MHU samples (n = 1723) had substantially more offenders classified in the more pathological MMPI types than did 21 samples (n = 5881) drawn from general male populations in US prisons. In this study of 63 severely disturbed felons, 43% belonged to the most pathological type (‘group How’). Comparing MHU patients with general offenders from the same IvfIvIPI types on staff ratings and case history variables, we found that the MHU patients were significantly poorer in adjustment. Within the MHU sample, there was no difference in case history variables or adjustment ratings between those in the most and least severe MMPI types. These findings differed from those of studies using less severely disturbed, more heterogeneous, MHU populations. It was concluded that, in settings in which the entire population is flagrantly disturbed, the MMPI-based system is more useful in screening potential admissions than it is in making meaningful distinctions among those already admitted.     

Job stress, absenteeism and coronary heart disease European cooperative study (the JACE study): Design of a multicentre prospective study

Background: The motives, objectives and design of a multicentreprospective study on job stress, absenteeism and coronary heartdisease in Europe (the JACE study) is presented in this paper.Some specific gaps in the reviewed literature are explicitlytapped into by the JACE study. Its objectives are i) to comparethe distributions of the Karasek job stress scales for the samebroad categories of occupations in different European countries(in males and females), ii) to study the predictive power ofthe job stress scales and the job strain model for one yearof sickness absence (in males and females) and iii) to studythe predictive power of the job stress scales and the job strainmodel for a three year incidence of coronary heart disease (Inmales only). Methods: In answering these questions, relationsare studied controlling for gender, age, level of education,company size, physical work risks and shift work, as well astraditional risk factors for CHD (i.e serum cholesterol, serumHDL cholesterol, smoking habits and blood pressure). The JACEstudy is a Biomed 1 concerted action. The JACE group consistsof eight participating centres from six countries, i.e. fromBelgium and Sweden (two centres), France, Italy, Spain, Swedenand The Netherlands (each one centre). The coordination of thegroup is in Brussels. The participating centres brought in over15, 000 European workers to test the hypotheses.     

Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) Oligomer Pharmacokinetics in Fischer 344 Rats: Development of a Physiologically Based Model

The hydraulic fluid oil polychiorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE)is hepato- and nephrotoxic in the rat. Male Fischer 344 ratswere exposed to PCTFE either for a single 6-hr exposure (0.5or 0.25 mg/liter) or daily 5 days/week, 6 hr/day, for 13 weeks(0.5, 0.25, or 0.01 mg/liter). Blood, tissue, and urinary PCTFEconcentrations measured postexposure were used to develop aphysiologically based pharmacokinetic (PB-PK) model. The PCTFEhydraulic fluid used was a mixture of trimeric and tetramericoligomers with minor amounts of other chain lengths. The PB-PKmodel was designed to describe the behavior, not of individualoligomers, but of total mass for the trimer and tetramer ineach tissue. Partition coefficients were estimated using themodel to optimize tissue/blood concentration ratios measuredat the end of the 13-week exposure. First-order metabolic rateconstants for both trimeric (2.0 ^hr–1) and tetrameric(1.0 ^hr–1) portions were estimated by optimization againsturinary fluoride data assuming release of 0.77 mole fluorideper mole trimer and 0.844 mole fluoride per mole tetramer metabolized.To obtain accurate simulation of pharmacokinetic data it wasnecessary to hypothesize two fat compartments with diffusion-limitedexchange of PCTFE oligomer with the blood. Relative concentrationsof trimer and tetramer in venous blood, liver, and fat aftera single 6-hr exposure were proportional to inhaled concentrations.Tetramer accumulated preferentially with multiple exposure.Components of PCTFE were metabolized to carboxylic acids withrelease of fluoride. Due to their persistence tetrameric oligomersappear to be more important than trimeric oligomers as causativeagents of PCTFE hepato and nephrotoxicity in the rat.