Contact pressure distribution features in Down syndrome infants in supine and prone positions, analyzed by photoelastic methods

BACKGROUND: Local force distribution supporting the bodyweight of infants with Down syndrome (DS) appears to be different from that of healthy controls. The purpose of the present study was to establish methods to assess this force distribution and to allow therapeutic evaluation of neurological development in DS infants prior to walking. METHODS: Contact pressure distribution patterns in supine and prone positions were measured by photoelastic methods and were compared between DS infants and healthy controls. The DS group included eight subjects, seven with regular trisomy 21, and one with a Robertson translocation. The controls consisted of 14 neonates, four 4-month-old infants and eight 7-month-old infants. RESULTS: In both groups, head loading ratio decreased as age advanced but the decrement was less in the test group than in the control group. When the bodyweight loading ratios were measured in two different lying positions, that is, prone and supine, the ratios for prone generally tended to be smaller than those for supine in the controls. This kind of difference between prone and supine was not seen in the DS group. The bodyweight is somewhat sustained with limbs and the limbs loading ratios in the DS group were always significantly lower than in the controls. CONCLUSION: Coordinated development of weight-supporting limbs seems to be poor in the DS group.     

Effects of CuCl2 on the dimer-tetramer equilibrium of concanavalin A

Tetrameric concanavalin A at neutral pH dissociated into the dimer when CuCl₂ was added in a concentration range comparable to protomer concentration. This effect of CuCl₂ was largely suppressed when NaCl concentration was increased. Neither the conformation of the protein nor its binding activity to 4-methylumbelliferyl α-D-man-nopyranoside was affected on addition of CuCl₂.     

A Xanthanolide with Potent Antibacterial Activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

This study was conducted to find constituents of an annual herb, Xanthium sibiricum Patr er Widd, with effective antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). By monitoring antibacterial activity against MRSA strains, it was shown that a sesquiterpene lactone, identified as [3aR-(3aα,7β,8aβ)]-3,3a,4,7,8,8a-hexahydro-7-methyl-3-methylene-6-(3-oxo-1-butenyl)-2H-cyclohepta[b]furan-2-one, or xanthatin, isolated from leaves of the herb, had outstandingly potent activity against S. aureus species, including MRSA; its activity against MRSA and MSSA strains was similar. Other bacteria, e.g. Staphylococcus epidermidis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi, were also susceptible at the concentrations tested but the compound had no inhibitory effect on some other bacteria, including Escherichia coli. The results show that xanthatin has outstandingly potent activity against strains of S. aureus but that the activity of the compound is highly species-specific.     

不分型流感嗜血杆菌上调人类MUC5AC黏液素的基因表达

目的 探索不分型流感嗜血杆菌(NTHi)上调人类MUC5AC黏液素基因表达的细胞分子机制.方法 通过反转录套式-PCR及实时荧光定量PCR分析NTHi所诱导的MUC5AC mRNA的表达,免疫沉淀及Western印迹法检测NTHi对表皮生长因子受体(EGFR)及p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(p38MAPK)的激活,采用p38 MAPK或EGFR特异性抑制剂,共转染EGFR显性失活质粒,判断在转录水平对NTHi所诱导的MUC5AC表达的影响,并研究EGFR特异性抑制剂对NTHi所诱导p38MAPK激活的影响.结果 在人结肠上皮细胞株(HM3)细胞中,NTHi在mRNA及转录水平上调人类MUC5AC黏液素基因的表达,NTHi能使EGFR或p38MAPK磷酸化.p38MAPK、EGFR特异性抑制剂或共转染EGFR显性失活质粒,可显著抑制NTHi所诱导的MUC5AC的表达,EGFR特异性抑制剂对NTHi所诱导p38MAPK磷酸化有抑制作用.结论 不分型流感嗜血杆菌可通过EGFR-p38MAPK信号通路,上调人类MUC5AC黏液素基因表达.     

Acquired hypochromic and microcytic sideroblastic anaemia responsive to pyridoxine with low value of free erythrocyte protoporphyrin: a possible subgroup of idiopathic acquired sideroblastic anaemia (IASA)

Patients with idiopathic acquired sideroblastic anaemia (IASA) usually show macrocytic or normocytic anaemia and increased free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP). The mean cell haemoglobin concentration is normal or slightly low. Here we report a pyridoxine-responsive IASA patient with microcytic and hypochromic anaemia and low FEL level; these features are usually seen in cases of hereditary sideroblastic anaemia. Microcytosis increased during therapy.
There may be a subgroup of IASA with microcytic and hypochromic anaemia, low normal FEP and some response to pyridoxine like hereditary sideroblastic anaemia.     

A case of sub wakefulness syndrome

Abstract We report a patient, a 30-year-old male Japanese-Brazilian migrant construction worker, suffering from excessive daytime sleepiness for at least 6 months. Electroencephalogram recordings during his waking states showed that 10-Hz and 60-µV alpha activity was present prominently in the occipital regions. From the multiple sleep latency test, it was found that stages 1–2 NREM sleep episodes appeared repetitively without any REM episodes, and that the mean sleep latency was 10.2 min. These findings support the diagnosis that this patient suffers from subwakefulness syndrome.     

A Preliminary Report on Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation for the Treatment of Advanced Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Four patients with advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of unfavorablehistology were treated with marrow-lethal doses of cyclophosphamide(CY) and total body irradiation (TB1) followed by the infusionof cryopreserved autologous marrow. All four patients showedengraftment after autologous bone marrow transplantation andachieved complete remission (CR). Three of them, however, developedrelapse in 1.7, 12.9 and 14.5 mo respectively after the transplantation.The other patient has survived in drug-free CR for more than16.6 mo. There was no treatment-related death although therewere some tolerable complications. These data suggest that theCY-TBI regimen may be effective in inducing CR in patients withadvanced non-Hodgkin's disease but it does not contribute topreventing relapse.     

Adverse drug reactions of intravesical bacillus Calmette–Guérin instillation and risk factors of the development of adverse drug reactions in superficial cancer and carcinoma in situ of the bladder

BACKGROUND: We examined the incidence and severity of adverse drug reactions following intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) instillation for superficial bladder cancer including carcinoma in situ. We investigated the relationship between adverse drug reactions and patient background to clarify risk factors for the development of adverse drug reactions. METHODS: A total of 123 patients who underwent intravesical BCG instillation for treatment and prophylaxis between April 1997 and June 2000 were included in this study. Adverse drug reactions were divided into local and systemic categories and the severity of reactions was classified according to the presence or absence of postponement or discontinuation of instillation, with or without treatment for the reaction itself. RESULTS: Of 123 patients, 95.9% showed adverse drug effects and 50.4% needed some sort of treatment. Discontinuation of instillation due to adverse drug reactions was observed in nine patients. Regarding the necessity of treatment for adverse drug effects, the purpose of instillation and BCG dose were independent significant factors on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Although there was a high rate of adverse drug reactions after intravesical BCG instillation, the rate of discontinuation of instillation was not high and serious adverse reactions were rare. The scale of the present study was small, but these results suggest that BCG instillation was well tolerated. When instillation is being performed for the purpose of treatment, and the BCG dose is 80 mg, greater attention might be needed to monitor for the development of adverse drug effects.