Plasma lipoprotein response to substituting fish for red meat in the diet

The effect of 6 wk of either red meat (RM) or fatty fish (FF) intake on plasma lipid concentrations in 28 free-living volunteers (12 males, 16 females) aged 22-45 y was investigated in this clinical crossover trial. Dietary intake was estimated by 7-d dietary records, and fasting blood samples were analyzed for plasma lipid concentrations. Although energy intake did not differ, protein intake was higher (P less than 0.01) in the FF period than in the RM period. There was also a difference (P less than 0.001) in the ratio of dietary polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids in the RM (0.45) and FF (0.93) periods. Mean plasma total cholesterol, low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, very-low-density-lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol VLDL-triacylglycerol, and plasma triacylglycerol concentrations were lower (P less than 0.001) in the FF than in the RM period. Positive correlations between animal-protein intake and plasma lipoproteins were observed. Atherogenic plasma lipoprotein concentrations were lower when FF was substituted for RM.     

Comparison of airway pressure-triggered and airflow-triggered ventilation in very immature infants

Failure of patient-triggered ventilation in very immature infants may be due to the use of inappropriate triggering systems. Two types of airflow trigger were therefore compared consecutively to an airway pressure (SLE) triggering system. Each comparison was made in 10 infants, ≤28 weeks of gestation. Comparison was made of the delivered volume, trigger performance and blood gases using each system for 1 h. Both comparisons showed that the airflow triggering systems performed better: one (Draeger Babylog 8000) had a higher sensitivity ( p < 0:01) and the other (Bird VIP airflow trigger), in which inflation was terminated by sensing a reduction in inspiratory flow, had a lower degree of asynchrony ( p < 0:01) and a tendency to deliver higher volumes. These results suggest that triggering systems sensing airflow changes may be superior to those sensing airway pressure changes in very immature infants. The use of a mechanism to synchronize the termination of inflation to the end of the patient's inspiration may offer further advantages.     

Cell surface oligosaccharide modulation during differentiation: VI. The effect of biomodulation on the senescent and neoplastic cell phenotype.

These investigations test the hypothesis developed previously, that there are biomolecules which control and integrate cellular differentiation. Our specific interest in cellular differentiation lies in the area of what we refer to as basal or primitive cellular differentiation mechanisms. These mechanisms are common to all cells, and are required for simple recognition and growth regulation. We have investigated two models, the IMR-90 human fetal lung fibroblast model as a representative of normal growth control, and the CG model, canine glioma cells, a transplantable growth transformed cell line. These two models represent normal, and aberrant cellular differentiation control. In previous studies we have shown that the arrangement of the cell surface oligosaccharide structure on these cell types are predictive of phenotypic transition. We have developed, and partially characterized a series of BIOMODULATORS (BM) which delay the onset of display of neoplastic cells. Three classes of BIOMODULATOR have been explored; (1) a large molecular weight natural product (25-35 kDa), PokeWeed Mitogen (PWM); (2) a small molecular weight natural product (500 Da) Cellular Activator and Differentiator (CAD) and a number of natural and synthetic analogs; and (3) an indolizidine alkaloid natural product, Swainsonine (Sw) which has a known cellular target (oligosaccharide biosynthesis). Preliminary data is presented which structurally links some of these BIOMODULATORS in terms of their effective stereochemistry. These BIOMODULATORS, when used before PDL 38, prevent the cell surface oligosaccharide display changes typical of morphological senescence and delay their onset to PDL 100 or more. These BIOMODULATORS also appear to have regulatory effects on the neoplastic cell models. This re-regulation results in increases in generation time and an increase in the ability of these cells to be recognized by cytotoxic lymphocytes. Proton NMR linewidth measurements of the fraction of 'bound' water associated with the cellular surface of treated and untreated cell populations showed induced physical changes in the cell surface related to the use of the BIOMODULATOR and correlated to the oligosaccharide display changes. These data were interpreted as indicating an increase in the organizational level of these cells. The data for normal and neoplastic cell populations are compared and contrasted in an effort to form the basis for an analytical approach to the control and integration of differentiation mechanisms.     

Puumala Virus Infection in Family,Switzerland

We report 3 cases of Puumala virus infection in a family in Switzerland in January 2019. Clinical manifestations of the infection ranged from mild influenza-like illness to fatal disease. This cluster illustrates the wide range of clinical manifestations of Old World hantavirus infections and the challenge of diagnosing travel-related hemorrhagic fevers.     

Response to nitric oxide in term and preterm infants

The response to three levels (10 ppm, 20 ppm and 40 ppm) of nitric oxide (NO) was assessed in 30 infants, median gestational age 30 (range 24–42) weeks. All the infants required an inspired oxygen concentration of more than 0.5, despite receiving surfactant where appropriate. All but one infant had a positive response to NO (median reduction in the oxygenation index (OI) was 33%, range −9%–90%), but only 20 infants showed a greater than 20% reduction in the OI. There was no obvious relationship of the optimum NO level (i.e. that associated with the maximum reduction in OI) and either diagnosis (congenital diaphragmatic hernia, meconium aspiration syndrome, respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE), hydrops and sepsis) or maturity, except that five of six infants with PIE responded best to 40 ppm, as did eight of nine infants less than 28 weeks gestational age. We conclude NO dosage should be individualized and NO levels up to 40 ppm should be considered in very immature infants. Received: 15 March 1996 / Accepted: 5 February 1997     

A case of pediatric Henoch-Schönlein purpura and thrombosis of spermatic veins

The authors report a case of thrombosis of the spermatic veins associated with Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura mimicking an acute scrotum, which responded to a low-molecular-weight heparin treatment.     

The TETAMI Trial: The Safety and Efficacy of Subcutaneous Enoxaparin versus Intravenous Unfractionated Heparin and of Tirofiban versus Placebo in the Treatment of Acute Myocardial Infarction for Patients Not Thrombolyzed: Methods and Design

Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who do not receive early reperfusion therapy are at high risk of reinfarction or death, and the efficacy and safety of antithrombotic therapy in this group of patients has not been evaluated. Enoxaparin is a low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) that has previously been shown to reduce the incidence of ischemic events in patients with unstable angina or non–Q-wave MI. The principal aims of the TETAMI study are to investigate the efficacy and safety of treatment with enoxaparin or tirofiban (a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist) alone or in combination for 2 to 8 days in patients with AMI who are not eligible for early reperfusion therapy. In this 2 by 2 factorial design study approximately 900 patients will be randomly assigned, in a blinded manner, to one of four treatments: enoxaparin alone, enoxaparin plus tirofiban, unfractionated heparin (UFH), or UFH plus tirofiban, with appropriate matched placebos. The primary end point is the composite of death, recurrent AMI, and recurrent angina, analyzed at 30 days after AMI. The design and methods of the TETAMI study are described in this article.