Effects of maternal protein restriction during pregnancy and lactation on milk composition and offspring development.

Before weaning, breast milk is the physiological form of neonatal nutrition, providing pups with all nutrient requirements. Maternal low-protein diet (LPD) during pregnancy and lactation induces adverse changes in key maternal organs, which have negative effects on pup development. We studied the effects of maternal LPD on liver weight, mammary gland (MG) cell differentiation, milk composition and production and pup development throughout lactation. We fed rats with control (C) or LPD (R) during pregnancy and lactation. At 7 d early, 14 d mid and 21 d late lactation stages, maternal biochemical parameters, body, liver and MG weights were analysed. MG cell differentiation was analysed by haematoxylin and eosin staining; milk nutrient composition and production were studied; pup body, liver and brain weights, hippocampal arachidonic acid (AA) and DHA were quantified. Results showed lower body and liver weights, minor MG cell differentiation and lower serum insulin and TAG in R compared with C. R milk contained less protein and higher AA at early and mid stages compared with C. R pup milk and fat intake were lower at all stages. R protein intake at early and mid stages and DHA intake at mid and late stages were lower compared with C. In R pups, lower body, liver and brain weights were associated with decreased hippocampal AA and DHA. We conclude that maternal LPD impairs liver and MG function and induces significant changes in maternal milk composition, pup milk intake and organ development.

International neurocognitive normative study: neurocognitive comparison data in diverse resource-limited settings: AIDS Clinical Trials Group A5271.

Infrastructure for conducting neurological research in resource-limited settings (RLS) is limited. The lack of neurological and neuropsychological (NP) assessment and normative data needed for clinical interpretation impedes research and clinical care. Here, we report on ACTG 5271, which provided neurological training of clinical site personnel and collected neurocognitive normative comparison data in diverse settings. At ten sites in seven RLS countries, we provided training for NP assessments. We collected normative comparison data on HIV- participants from Brazil (n = 240), India (n = 480), Malawi (n = 481), Peru (n = 239), South Africa (480), Thailand (n = 240), and Zimbabwe (n = 240). Participants had a negative HIV test within 30 days before standardized NP exams were administered at baseline and 770 at 6 months. Participants were enrolled in eight strata, gender (female and male), education (<10 and ≥10 years), and age (<35 and ≥35 years). Of 2400 enrolled, 770 completed the 6-month follow-up. As expected, significant between-country differences were evident in all the neurocognitive test scores (p < 0.0001). There was variation between the age, gender, and education strata on the neurocognitive tests. Age and education were important variables for all tests; older participants had poorer performance, and those with higher education had better performance. Women had better performance on verbal learning/memory and speed of processing tests, while men performed better on motor tests. This study provides the necessary neurocognitive normative data needed to build infrastructure for future neurological and neurocognitive studies in diverse RLS. These normative data are a much-needed resource for both clinicians and researchers.

Changes in milk composition in obese rats consuming a high-fat diet.

Maternal obesity programmes offspring development. We addressed maternal obesity effects induced by high-fat diets on maternal mammary gland (MG) structure and function and offspring brain, liver and fat outcomes. Mothers were fed control (C, n 5) or obesogenic (MO, n 5) diet from the time they were weaned through pregnancy beginning at 120 d, through lactation. At offspring postnatal day (PND) 20, milk leptin and nutrients were determined. At the end of lactation, maternal liver and MG fatty acid profile were measured. Desaturase (Δ6D and Δ5D) and elongase (ELOVL 5 and ELOVL 2) protein was measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting (WB) in the liver and WB in the MG. In mothers, liver, MG and milk fat content were higher in MO than in C. Liver arachidonic acid (AA) and EPA and MG EPA were lower in MO than in C. Liver desaturases were higher in MO. The MG was heavier in MO than in C, with decreased Δ5D expression in MO. Desaturases and elongases were immunolocalised in parenchymal cells of both groups. Milk yield, water, carbohydrate content, EPA and DHA were lower, whereas milk leptin and AA were higher in MO than in C. At PND 21 and 36, brain weight was less and fat depots were greater in MO offspring than in C. MO decreased male absolute brain weight but not female absolute brain weight. In conclusion, maternal obesity induced by an obesogenic diet negatively affects maternal liver and MG function with the production of significant changes in milk composition. Maternal obesity adversely affects offspring metabolism and development.

Herpes simplex virus encephalitis in Peru: a multicentre prospective study.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is one of the most commonly identified infectious aetiologies of encephalitis in North America and Europe. The epidemiology of encephalitis beyond these regions, however, is poorly defined. During 2009-2012 we enrolled 313 patients in a multicentre prospective study of encephalitis in Peru, 45 (14·4%) of whom had confirmed HSV infection. Of 38 patients with known HSV type, 84% had HSV-1 and 16% had HSV-2. Patients with HSV infection were significantly more likely to present in the summer months (44·4% vs. 20·0%, P = 0·003) and have nausea (60·0% vs. 39·8%, P = 0·01) and rash (15·6% vs. 5·3%, P = 0·01) compared to patients without HSV infection. These findings highlight differences in the epidemiology and clinical presentation of HSV encephalitis outside of the Northern Hemisphere that warrant further investigation. Furthermore, there is an urgent need for improved HSV diagnostic capacity and availability of intravenous acyclovir in Peru.

The challenge of improving boiling: lessons learned from a randomized controlled trial of water pasteurization and safe storage in Peru.

Boiling is the most common method of household water treatment in developing countries; however, it is not always effectively practised. We conducted a randomized controlled trial among 210 households to assess the effectiveness of water pasteurization and safe-storage interventions in reducing Escherichia coli contamination of household drinking water in a water-boiling population in rural Peru. Households were randomized to receive either a safe-storage container or a safe-storage container plus water pasteurization indicator or to a control group. During a 13-week follow-up period, households that received a safe-storage container and water pasteurization indicator did not have a significantly different prevalence of stored drinking-water contamination relative to the control group [prevalence ratio (PR) 1·18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·92-1·52]. Similarly, receipt of a safe-storage container alone had no effect on prevalence of contamination (PR 1·02, 95% CI 0·79-1·31). Although use of water pasteurization indicators and locally available storage containers did not increase the safety of household drinking water in this study, future research could illuminate factors that facilitate the effective use of these interventions to improve water quality and reduce the risk of waterborne disease in populations that boil drinking water.

Standardized ileal digestibility of proteins and amino acids in sesame expeller and soya bean meal in weaning piglets.

Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of diets containing sesame expeller (SE) and soya bean meal (SBM) was determined using 15 piglets (Genetiporc(®)), weaned at 17 ± 0.4 days with average body weight of 6.4 ± 0.7 kg (Fertilis 20 × G Performance, Genetiporc(®), PIC México, Querétaro, México). Piglets were randomly assigned to three treatments: (i) a reference diet with casein as the sole protein source; (ii) a mixed diet of casein-SE; and (iii) a mixed diet of casein-SBM. The chemical composition of SE and SBM was determined, and AID and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AAs) were determined for each protein source. SE contained greater quantities of ether extract, neutral detergent fibre, phytic acid, methionine and arginine than SBM. Lysine and proline contents and trypsin inhibitor activity were higher in SBM than in SE. The AID and SID of CP and AA (except for lysine and proline) were similar in SE and SBM. The AID of lysine and proline was higher in SBM than in SE (p < 0.05), and the SID of proline was higher in SE than in SBM (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that SE is an appropriate alternative protein source for early weaned pigs.

Occurrence of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in key species of anthozoans in Mediterranean Sea.

The Mediterranean Sea's biodiversity is declining due to climate change and human activities, with plastics and emerging contaminants (ECs) posing significant threats. This study assessed phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) occurrence in four anthozoan species (Cladocora caespitosa, Eunicella cavolini, Madracis pharensis, Parazoanthus axinellae) using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). All specimens were contaminated with at least one contaminant, reaching maximum values of 57.3 ng/g for the ∑PAEs and 64.2 ng/g (wet weight) for ∑APIs, with dibutyl phthalate and Ketoprofen being the most abundant. P. axinellae was the most contaminated species, indicating higher susceptibility to bioaccumulation, while the other three species showed two-fold lower concentrations. Moreover, the potential adverse effects of these contaminants on anthozoans have been discussed. Investigating the impact of PAEs and APIs on these species is crucial, given their key role in the Mediterranean benthic communities.

Improved neuropsychological and neurological functioning across three antiretroviral regimens in diverse resource-limited settings: AIDS Clinical Trials Group study a5199, the International Neurological Study.

BACKGROUND: AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) A5199 compared the neurological and neuropsychological (NP) effects of 3 antiretroviral regimens in participants infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in resource-limited settings. METHODS: Participants from Brazil, India, Malawi, Peru, South Africa, Thailand, and Zimbabwe were randomized to 3 antiretroviral treatment arms: A (lamivudine-zidovudine plus efavirenz, n = 289), B (atazanavir, emtricitabine, and didanosine-EC, n = 293), and C (emtricitabine-tenofovir-disoproxil fumarate plus efavirenz, n = 278) as part of the ACTG PEARLS study (A5175). Standardized neurological and neuropsychological (NP) screening examinations (grooved pegboard, timed gait, semantic verbal fluency, and finger tapping) were administered every 24 weeks from February 2006 to May 2010. Associations with neurological and neuropsychological function were estimated from linear and logistic regression models using generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: The median weeks on study was 168 (Q1 = 96, Q3 = 192) for the 860 participants. NP test scores improved (P < .05) with the exception of semantic verbal fluency. No differences in neurological and neuropsychological functioning between treatment regimens were detected (P > .10). Significant country effects were noted on all NP tests and neurological outcomes (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: The study detected no significant differences in neuropsychological and neurological outcomes between randomized ART regimens. Significant improvement occurred in neurocognitive and neurological functioning over time after initiation of ARTs. The etiology of these improvements is likely multifactorial, reflecting reduced central nervous system HIV infection, better general health, and practice effects. This study suggests that treatment with either of the World Health Organization -recommended first-line antiretroviral regimens in resource-limited settings will improve neuropsychological functioning and reduce neurological dysfunction. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT00096824.

Molecular dynamics simulations reveal structural differences among wild-type NPC1 protein and its mutant forms.

NPC1 is a 25-exon gene located on the long arm of chromosome 18q11.2 and encodes NPC1, a transmembrane protein comprising 1278 amino acid residues. Mutations in the NPC1 gene can cause Niemann-Pick disease type C (NP-C), a rare autosomal-recessive neurovisceral disease. We assessed mutant protein folding using computer-based molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and molecular docking of the three most common NPC1 mutations, all of which result in changes in a cysteine-rich luminal loop region of the protein: a) I1061T is the most commonly detected variant in patients with NP-C worldwide; b) P1007A is the second most common variant, frequently detected in Portuguese, British and German patients; c) G992W occurs most often in patients of Acadian descent. Analyses of molecular structural information and related cellular physiological processes revealed that mutant NPC1 proteins exhibited altered function despite being far from the N-terminal domain cholesterol binding. MD simulations revealed that mutant I1061T protein shows remarkable instability in comparison the WT and also de other mutants, and interestingly this mutant has been identified as the most common variant. In the case of the mutant P1007A, it is presumed that this substitution promotes larger structural changes than proline due to their greater hydrophobic properties.Structural changes related to the G992W mutation may affect the physicochemical space of G992W variant protein because tryptophan induces hydrophobic interactions. Cholesterol docking studies focused on binding recognition showed differences in the binding positions of variants versus the wild-type protein that go some way to explaining the molecular pathogenesis.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Vorinostat as potential antiparasitic drug.

OBJECTIVE: Vorinostat is a drug used to treat cutaneous T cell lymphoma whose action mechanism is based on Histone Deacetylase inhibition. Histone Deacetylases are a family of enzymes that remove acetyl groups from histone and non-histone proteins that control many crucial processes, such as gene regulation, cell cycle progression, differentiation, and apoptosis. Histone Deacetylase homologues are also expressed in parasites of the genus Plasmodium, Leishmania, Cryptosporidium, Schistosoma, Entamoeba, and others. In this way, antiparasitic properties of Vorinostat have been explored. The aim of this review is to report the current state knowledge of Vorinostat as antiparasitic drug against Plasmodium, Leishmania, Cryptosporidium, Schistosoma and Entamoeba in order to support future investigation in this field. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors revised the recent and relevant literature concerning the topic and discussed advances and limitations of studies on Vorinostat as potential drug to treat human parasitic diseases. RESULTS: Vorinostat has been efficient in vitro and, in some cases, in vivo, against parasites that cause parasitic diseases, such as malaria, leishmaniasis, cryptosporidiosis, amoebiasis, and schistosomiasis. CONCLUSIONS: In vitro and in vivo models have demonstrated the antiparasitic activity of Vorinostat, however, the challenge is to assay its activity in animal models and to evaluate if Vorinostat is safe for humans as new alternative to treat human parasitic infections.

Vorinostat, a possible alternative to metronidazole for the treatment of amebiasis caused by Entamoeba histolytica.

AbbreviationsSAHAsuberoylanilide hydroxamic acidEhHDACHistone Deacetylase from Entamoeba histolyticaRgRadius of gyrationRMSDroot-mean-square deviationRMSFroot-mean-square fluctuationMDSmolecular dynamics simulationVMDVisual Molecular DynamicsNAMDNanoscale Molecular DynamicsPBCperiodic boundary conditionsPMEParticle Mesh Ewald3Dthree-dimensionalCαalpha carbonFDAFood and Drug AdministrationnsnanosecondsGPU CUDAGraphics Processing Unit Compute Unified Device ArchitectureCommunicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

AEGIS autonomous targeting for ChemCam on Mars Science Laboratory: Deployment and results of initial science team use.

Limitations on interplanetary communications create operations latencies and slow progress in planetary surface missions, with particular challenges to narrow-field-of-view science instruments requiring precise targeting. The AEGIS (Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Increased Science) autonomous targeting system has been in routine use on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover since May 2016, selecting targets for the ChemCam remote geochemical spectrometer instrument. AEGIS operates in two modes; in autonomous target selection, it identifies geological targets in images from the rover's navigation cameras, choosing for itself targets that match the parameters specified by mission scientists the most, and immediately measures them with ChemCam, without Earth in the loop. In autonomous pointing refinement, the system corrects small pointing errors on the order of a few milliradians in observations targeted by operators on Earth, allowing very small features to be observed reliably on the first attempt. AEGIS consistently recognizes and selects the geological materials requested of it, parsing and interpreting geological scenes in tens to hundreds of seconds with very limited computing resources. Performance in autonomously selecting the most desired target material over the last 2.5 kilometers of driving into previously unexplored terrain exceeds 93% (where ~24% is expected without intelligent targeting), and all observations resulted in a successful geochemical observation. The system has substantially reduced lost time on the mission and markedly increased the pace of data collection with ChemCam. AEGIS autonomy has rapidly been adopted as an exploration tool by the mission scientists and has influenced their strategy for exploring the rover's environment.

In men at risk of HIV infection, IgM, IgG1, IgG3, and IgA reach the human foreskin epidermis.

We profiled the humoral response in the penis, an area that has been minimally explored but may be relevant for protecting insertive men against HIV and other sexually acquired infections. Comparing paired tissue samples from 20 men at risk of HIV infection, foreskin contains less immunoglobulin A (IgA) and more IgG2 than colon. Using foreskin dermal and epidermal explants and paired plasma from 17 men, we examined Ig accumulation by normalizing Ig to human serum albumin (HSA) transudation. Dermal IgM, IgG2, IgA, and IgE ratios were greater than that in plasma, suggesting there is local antibody secretion at the dermis. Local Ig transcription was concentrated at the inner rather than the outer foreskin, and inner foreskin Ig ratios did not correlate with blood, indicating that localized production can contribute to the foreskin response. IgM, IgG1, IgG3, and IgA have preferential access to the foreskin epidermis, whereas IgG2, IgG4, and IgE are restricted to the dermis. Lastly, Ad5-specific IgA was selectively present in the colon, whereas foreskin Ad5 IgG was mainly derived from blood, and reached the inner epidermis at higher ratios than the outer (P<0.002). In summary, the foreskin antibody response combines local and systemic sources, and there is selective isotype accumulation in the epidermis.

Regulatory role of glucose-6 phosphatase in the repletion of liver glycogen during refeeding in fasted rats.

We analyzed the biochemical mechanisms involved in the liver glycogen repletion upon refeeding for 360 min in 48 and 96 h-fasted rats. In 48 h-fasted rats, the glycogen synthesis involved a rapid and further sustained induction of glucokinase (GK) (increased twice from 90 min) and a rapid but transient activation of glycogen synthase a (GSa) (maximal increase by 150% at 90 min). It did not involve the inhibition of glycogen phosphorylase a (GPa). In 96 h-fasted rats, the glycogen repletion did not involve the induction of GK for the first 180 min of refeeding. It involved a slow activation of GSa (maximal 150% increase at 180 min) and a rapid inhibition of GPa (significant from 90 min, maximal 50% inhibition by 180 min). In both groups of rats, there was a progressive inhibition of the glucose-6 phosphatase (Glc6Pase) activity (maximal suppression by 30% in both groups at 360 min). These results highlighted a key role for the inhibition of Glc6Pase activity in the liver glycogen repletion upon refeeding.

Induction of PEPCK gene expression in insulinopenia in rat small intestine.

PEPCK is a key enzyme of gluconeogenesis in liver and kidney. Recently, we have shown that small intestine also contributes to the endogenous glucose production in insulinopenia in rats and that glutamine is the main precursor of glucose synthesized in this tissue. The expression of the PEPCK gene in rat and human small intestine and the effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes and fasting have been studied using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Northern blot analysis, and determination of enzyme activity. The PEPCK gene is expressed along the whole small intestine in adult rat and human. The abundance of PEPCK mRNA was increased approximately 30 times in the duodenum, 15 times in the jejunum, and only 3 times in the ileum from diabetic rats. PEPCK mRNA was downregulated in all parts of the tissue upon insulin treatment for 10 h. In 48-h fasted rats, the PEPCK mRNA abundance was increased 17 times in the duodenum and the jejunum and 3 times in the ileum, and it was normalized upon refeeding for 7 h. PEPCK activity was also increased 2-5 times in diabetic and fasted rats in the duodenum and jejunum but not in the ileum. We conclude that PEPCK is a crucial enzyme contributing to the induction of gluconeogenesis in small intestine, just as it is well known to be in the liver and kidney.

Rat small intestine is an insulin-sensitive gluconeogenic organ.

At variance with the current view that only liver and kidney are gluconeogenic organs, because both are the only tissues to express glucose-6-phosphatase (Glc6Pase), we have recently demonstrated that the Glc6Pase gene is expressed in the small intestine in rats and humans and that it is induced in insulinopenic states such as fasting and diabetes. We used a combination of arteriovenous balance and isotopic techniques, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Northern blot analysis, and enzymatic activity assays. We report that rat small intestine can release neosynthesized glucose in mesenteric blood in insulinopenia, contributing 20-25% of total endogenous glucose production. Like liver glucose production, small intestine glucose production is acutely suppressed by insulin infusion. In the small intestine, glutamine and, to a much lesser extent, glycerol are the precursors of glucose, whereas alanine and lactate are the main precursors in liver. Accounting for these metabolic fluxes: 1) the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene (required for the utilization of glutamine) is strongly induced at the mRNA and enzyme levels in insulinopenia; 2) the glycerokinase gene is expressed, but not induced; 3) the pyruvate carboxylase gene (required for the utilization of alanine and lactate) is repressed by 80% at the enzyme level in insulinopenia. These studies identify small intestine as a new insulin-sensitive tissue and a third gluconeogenic organ, possibly involved in the pathophysiology of diabetes.

Crystal structures of an N-terminal fragment from Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase complexed with nucleic acid: functional implications for template-primer binding to the fingers domain.

Reverse transcriptase (RT) serves as the replicative polymerase for retroviruses by using RNA and DNA-directed DNA polymerase activities coupled with a ribonuclease H activity to synthesize a double-stranded DNA copy of the single-stranded RNA genome. In an effort to obtain detailed structural information about nucleic acid interactions with reverse transcriptase, we have determined crystal structures at 2.3 A resolution of an N-terminal fragment from Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase complexed to blunt-ended DNA in three distinct lattices. This fragment includes the fingers and palm domains from Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase. We have also determined the crystal structure at 3.0 A resolution of the fragment complexed to DNA with a single-stranded template overhang resembling a template-primer substrate. Protein-DNA interactions, which are nearly identical in each of the three lattices, involve four conserved residues in the fingers domain, Asp114, Arg116, Asn119 and Gly191. DNA atoms involved in the interactions include the 3'-OH group from the primer strand and minor groove base atoms and sugar atoms from the n-2 and n-3 positions of the template strand, where n is the template base that would pair with an incoming nucleotide. The single-stranded template overhang adopts two different conformations in the asymmetric unit interacting with residues in the beta4-beta5 loop (beta3-beta4 in HIV-1 RT). Our fragment-DNA complexes are distinct from previously reported complexes of DNA bound to HIV-1 RT but related in the types of interactions formed between protein and DNA. In addition, the DNA in all of these complexes is bound in the same cleft of the enzyme. Through site-directed mutagenesis, we have substituted residues that are involved in binding DNA in our crystal structures and have characterized the resulting enzymes. We now propose that nucleic acid binding to the fingers domain may play a role in translocation of nucleic acid during processive DNA synthesis and suggest that our complex may represent an intermediate in this process.

Epidemiology of transfusion-transmitted infections among multi-transfused patients in seven hospitals in Peru.

BACKGROUND: Transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) constitute a major health problem worldwide where routine screening of blood or blood products is improperly done, and where non-medical injecting medications and/or drug use are prevalent. Prevalence and risk factors vary by geographic location and by the specific TTI (including HIV-1, HBV, HCV and HTLV-I). OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with TTIs among a sample of multi-transfused adult patients in Peru. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional multi-center study was conducted across seven major hospitals in Peru from February 2003 to September 2004. Self-reported behavior information (medical procedures, number of sexual partners, and drug use history) was analyzed, along with a review of exposure history from hospital medical records. Prevalences were calculated by TTI for different exposures, along with unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for infection risk. RESULTS: Overall, 192 (54.7%) of 351 multi-transfused patients were found infected with one or more TTIs. Number of transfusion units, years of transfusion history (6 or more), and number of treatment facilities (2 or more) were associated with HCV infection. Hemodialysis history was a common risk factor associated with HBV, HCV and HTLV-I infection. HIV infection was associated only with total number of transfusion units received. CONCLUSIONS: High prevalences of HBV and HCV infection were found among Peruvian multi-transfused patients and were associated with a past history and number of blood transfusions, as well as with past hemodialysis procedures. TTIs continue to represent a significant public health problem in Peru. Continued vigilant attention to blood safety procedures, including universal screening and health care provider education, is recommended.

Complex chemical composition of colored surface films formed from reactions of propanal in sulfuric acid at upper troposphere/lower stratosphere aerosol acidities.

Particles in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS) consist mostly of concentrated sulfuric acid (40-80 wt %) in water. However, airborne measurements have shown that these particles also contain a significant fraction of organic compounds of unknown chemical composition. Acid-catalyzed reactions of carbonyl species are believed to be responsible for significant transfer of gas phase organic species into tropospheric aerosols and are potentially more important at the high acidities characteristic of UT/LS particles. In this study, experiments combining sulfuric acid (H2SO4) with propanal and with mixtures of propanal with glyoxal and/or methylglyoxal at acidities typical of UT/LS aerosols produced highly colored surface films (and solutions) that may have implications for aerosol properties. In order to identify the chemical processes responsible for the formation of the surface films, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies were used to analyze the chemical composition of the films. Films formed from propanal were a complex mixture of aldol condensation products, acetals and propanal itself. The major aldol condensation products were the dimer (2-methyl-2-pentenal) and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene that was formed by cyclization of the linear aldol condensation trimer. Additionally, the strong visible absorption of the films indicates that higher-order aldol condensation products must also be present as minor species. The major acetal species were 2,4,6-triethyl-1,3,5-trioxane and longer-chain linear polyacetals which are likely to separate from the aqueous phase. Films formed on mixtures of propanal with glyoxal and/or methylglyoxal also showed evidence of products of cross-reactions. Since cross-reactions would be more likely than self-reactions under atmospheric conditions, similar reactions of aldehydes like propanal with common aerosol organic species like glyoxal and methylglyoxal have the potential to produce significant organic aerosol mass and therefore could potentially impact chemical, optical and/or cloud-forming properties of aerosols, especially if the products partition to the aerosol surface.

Human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 infection and early neurologic development: a pilot study of 48 children.

To determine whether human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection is associated with delayed neurological development, we examined 48 Peruvian children with exposure to HTLV-1 who were identified at the Instituto Materno-Perinatal. Compared with 38 HTLV-1-seronegative children, the 10 seropositive children did not have higher rates of neurodevelopmental delay. Long-term follow-up is planned.