Production and purification of higher molecular weight chondroitin by metabolically engineered Escherichia coli K4 strains.

The capsular polysaccharide obtained from Escherichia coli K4 is a glycosaminoglycan-like molecule, similar to chondroitin sulphate, that has established applications in the biomedical field. Recent efforts focused on the development of strategies to increase K4 polysaccharide fermentation titers up to technologically attractive levels, but an aspect that has not been investigated so far, is how changes in the molecular machinery that produces this biopolymer affect its molecular weight. In this work, we took advantage of recombinant E. coli K4 strains that overproduce capsular polysaccharide, to study whether the inferred pathway modifications also influenced the size of the produced polymer. Fed-batch fermentations were performed up to the 22 L scale, in potentially industrially applicable conditions, and a purification protocol that allows in particular the recovery of high molecular weight unsulphated chondroitin, was developed next. This approach allowed to determine the molecular weight of the purified polysaccharide, demonstrating that kfoF overexpression increased polymer size up to 133 kDa. Higher polysaccharide titers and size were also correlated to increased concentrations of UDP-GlcA and decreased concentrations of UDP-GalNAc during growth. These results are interesting also in view of novel potential applications of higher molecular weight chondroitin and chondroitin sulphate in the biomedical field.

Acute aortic dissection in the young: clinical series.

Acute aortic dissection (AAD) is an uncommon lethal cardiovascular emergency demanding prompt diagnosis and aggressive therapeutic intervention. Although it usually affects males over 60 years of age, it may also occur in young adults with specific risk factors such as Marfan syndrome, bicuspid aortic valve and larger aortic dimensions. Moreover, it should be underlined that it is frequently associated with unusual presentation and that the mortality risk is similar to older AAD patients. Thus ''a call to arms'' of the medical community is needed to better understand the spectrum of acute aortic syndromes and to define appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic pathways. We report a series of 6 young patients with type A - AAD referred over the past years at our institute.

Pretreatment MMPI profiles of A.A. members and nonmembers.

Historically, researchers in alcoholism have focused a large amount of energy on the search for "the alcoholic personality." From this effort to identify a particular type of personality prone to the development of alcoholism arose the idea that alcoholics are not a homogeneous group. Subsequently, a number of authors reported the existence of alcoholic subtypes. Recently, research has begun to examine the relationship of personality to treatment outcome. In particular, Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) has come under greater scrutiny since high success rates have been ascribed to A.A. attendance. Moreover, the personality characteristics of A.A. members have been compared to alcoholics not attending A.A. Improving on earlier studies, the present research compared the pretreatment Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profiles of alcoholics who later elected to attend A.A. and those who did not attend. Additionally, alcoholics attending A.A. were sorted by drinking outcome and the MMPI profiles of sober and drinking A.A. members were contrasted. Although no personality differences emerged between A.A. attenders and nonmembers, there were several trends within the A.A. attending group, suggesting that successful A.A. members were less depressed, less anxious and less socially isolated than unsuccessfull A.A. members.

Static magnetic fields for treatment of fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To test effectiveness of static magnetic fields of two different configurations, produced by magnetic sleep pads, as adjunctive therapies in decreasing patient pain perception and improving functional status in individuals with fibromyalgia. DESIGN: Randomized, placebo-controlled, 6-month trial conducted from November 1997 through December 1998. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: Adults who met the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia were recruited through clinical referral and media announcements and evaluated at a university-based clinic. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects in Functional Pad A group used a pad for 6 months that provided whole-body exposure to a low, uniform static magnetic field of negative polarity. Subjects in the Functional Pad B group used a pad for 6 months that exposed them to a low static magnetic field that varied spatially and in polarity. Subjects in two Sham groups used pads that were identical in appearance and texture to the functional pads but contained inactive magnets; these groups were combined for analysis. Subjects in the Usual Care group continued with their established treatment regimens. OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcomes were the change scores at 6 months in the following measures: functional status (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire), pain intensity ratings, tender point count, and a tender point pain intensity score. RESULTS: There was a significant difference among groups in pain intensity ratings (p = 0.03), with Functional Pad A group showing the greatest reduction from baseline at 6 months. All four groups showed a decline in number of tender points, but differences among the groups were not significant (p = 0.72). The functional pad groups showed the largest decline in total tender point pain intensity, but overall differences were not significant (p = 0.25). Improvement in functional status was greatest in the functional pad groups, but differences among groups were not significant (p = 0.23). CONCLUSIONS: Although the functional pad groups showed improvements in functional status, pain intensity level, tender point count, and tender point intensity after 6 months of treatment, with the exception of pain intensity level these improvements did not differ significantly from changes in the Sham group or in the Usual Care group.

[Prevalence of HBsAG carriers in a population of Northern Italy in 1987]. / Prevalenza dei portatori di HBsAG in una popolazione del Nord Italia relativa all'anno 1987.

In view of the high incidence of hepatitis B in Italy, the prevalence of carriers of HBsAg in one area of Piedmont and comparison with data obtained in other areas of Northern and Southern Italy has been assessed. HBsAg was sought in the serum of 2242 patients of the Lanzo Torinese Hospital. Average prevalence observed (0.66%) was related to recent national statistics and shows a slightly lower percentage than mean values for Northern Italy and much below what is found in the South of Italy.

[An epidemiological study on syphilis conducted at the laboratory of the Mauriziano Hospital (USL 37) of Lanzo Torinese in 1988]. / Indagine epidemiologica sulla sifilide condotta presso il laboratorio dell'Ospedale Mauriziano di Lanzo Torinese (USL 37) nell'anno 1988.

The study conducted in 1988 was designed to assess the value of blanket serum tests for syphilis on hospitalised and outpatients. The incidence of syphilis encountered was particularly low and primarily confined to patients over 50. Apart from specific requests, mass scanning for the disease does not therefore seem necessary though it does seem advisable to test hospitalised and pregnant women.

[Programming VTIM physiologic pacemakers (evoked QT)]. / Programación de los marcapasos fisiológicos VTIM (QT evocado).

Seventeen VTIM pacers were implanted in seventeen patients. Average follow up were 16.7 months. This paper concerns TX track and TX on modes only. Sensing window period and slope, which determine the rate response, must be programmed carefully. Potential competitive rhythms, severe ventricular arrhythmias or inadequate rate response to physical stress may potentially develop under inadequate programming. Consequently, it is advisable to program the sensing window 20-25 ms longer than the QTE max (at LRL) and the slope at 100% of the whole value. No complications were detected. Figures 1, 2 and 3 show examples of competitive rhythms without heart stimulation and unsensed beats by abnormally long programmed SW values. When properly shortened, this interval allows proper measurement of the Stim.-T and no competitive rhythm, during almost the same spontaneous rhythm. This system fulfills the major conditions for pacing the heart: rate adaptation to neurohormonal release, to physical stress and operative mode as a close-loop system during the recovery period.

[Epidemiology of accidents related to sea-swimming in the Tuscany Region using a health-promotion strategy. Preliminary report]. / Epidemiologia degli incidenti correlati all'attività balneare nella Regione Toscana per una strategia di promozione della salute--nota preliminare.

In the summer season 1999 an integrated epidemiological surveillance system (involving mobile emergency medical services, first aid and tourist stations, hyperbaric medical centres, bathing attendants) of sea-bathing-related accidents was set up on the coasts of Tuscany, central Italy, aimed at health promotion and education. The pilot phase allowed to collect a first set of information on periods and time with highest incidence of events, type of assistance delivered, kind of accident (trauma or illness) and seriousness of the event as codified by emergency medical services. The pilot experience also pointed out the changes to detection tools needed in order to obtain more precise and comparable data. Such corrections, introduced during the summer season 2000, could contribute to the creation of a model with potential applications in other Italian and European coastal regions.

[Poland-Moebius syndrome. Description of a new case]. / Sindrome di Poland-Moebius. Descrizione di un nuovo caso.

A new case of Poland-Moebius syndrome in a male is report and developmental field and developmental field defect is debate.

Approach for a quantitative on-the-fly fluorescence diagnostic in combustion systems.

The combination of a megahertz repetition rate, picosecond dye laser and gated photon counting detection is used to obtain sodium atom fluorescence lifetimes in seeded atmospheric pressure CH(4)/O(2)/diluent flames. Data acquisition times as short as 1 ms (on-the-fly) are demonstrated with a 3.8-MHz laser rep rate. The area under the fluorescence temporal profiles following laser excitation divided by the fluorescence lifetime is shown to provide a measure of sodium concentration independent of quenching environment.

Photolysis-laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic for GaCI.

A spatially resolved optical diagnostic for GaCl is described. The technique uses 248-nm excimer laser radiation to photolyze GaCl and also to excite fluorescence in the resulting gallium atoms. This yields gallium fluorescence at 245, 266, 287, 294, 403, and 417 nm. The method is specific to GaCl(3) and is not affected by the presence of a GaCl3 precursor. Gallium fluorescence is linear in both the GaCl partial pressure and the laser energy under specified conditions. The photophysics of this process are contrasted to related GACl studies of dissociative excitation at 193 nm.

Program evaluation research in ongoing alcoholism treatment: a summary of the Tuscaloosa VA project.

Early in 1980 a Veterans Administration Medical Center initiated a comprehensive program evaluation project of its Alcohol Treatment Unit. The project has resulted in numerous publications detailing the major findings; however, many outcomes of interest have not been reported, and no report is extant which summarizes the outcome of the program evaluation. In this paper, many results are reported for the first time, and previously published results are briefly described. Additionally, the problems encountered in program evaluation are discussed, as are the implications of the results of the project.

The association of alcoholic subtype with treatment outcome: an 18-month follow-up.

The present paper reports upon the association between alcoholic subtype and treatment response. The subjects participated in an inpatient alcohol treatment program at the Tuscaloosa Veterans Administration Medical Center. Following discharge, the subjects were contacted at 1, 6, 12, and 18 months to evaluate current drinking status and psychosocial outcome. Results indicate that drinking outcome is only moderately associated with alcoholic subtype. However, psychosocial outcome is consistently related to the subtypes. Specifically, Type III (chronic-organic) and Type V (bright-unrealistic) alcoholics do poorly while Type II (impulsive) report few problems. The need to develop better "fits" of treatment and alcoholic is discussed, as are possible adjunctive treatments for the typology presented.

Considerations for survival in program evaluation projects.

Program evaluation research is presented as an increasingly necessary and valuable activity. Some "rules" are presented as a vehicle for the delineation of areas of concern that speak to the practical side of conducting this type of research.

Cost/benefit estimates from ongoing alcoholism outcome research: a working paper.

There is an increasing emphasis on cost-effectiveness for all forms of treatment, occurring in parallel with constraints on research dollars. It would therefore seem useful for investigators to try to use ongoing research data as a basis for demonstrating a positive economic impact when outcome data are available. Some thoughts and figures are presented from a large alcoholism project, for which there were also some treatment outcomes. These data permitted dollar estimates, in terms of community impact, which are offered as a basis for further discussion. Although crude, these types of estimates are seen as vital in making the economic arguments, which parallel those for the human misery side of substance abuse.

An MMPI-based clinical typology for inpatient alcoholic males: derivation and interpretation.

A "customized" clinical typology of six types (for 10% to 30% of the sample each) was derived on 150 inpatient alcoholic veterans as part of a more comprehensive clinical research project. The types were derived on 18 variates, which included the 13 clinical and validity scales of the MMPI, 2 intellectual estimates, 2 perceptual estimates, and an employment rating, using Ward's procedure. The MMPI clinical profiles for the types matched closely known MMPI actuarial patterns, as well as those from prior alcoholism typing research. The non-MMPI variates seemed to add importantly to the clinical meaningfulness of the derived types. Type contrasts on a number of demographic and index variables were also significant and provided additional descriptive and validation data. The desirability and utility of combining several common measures as a basis for types that would be a central part of ongoing clinical programming and research are discussed.