bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Herbalism, Home Gardens, and Hybridization: Wõthïhã Medicine and Cultural Change
Authors: Heckler S. L.
Published: February 2007

Using the example of the Wõthïhã of the Manapiare River Valley, Amazonas State, Venezuela, I challenge the image of the indigenous Amazonian as an expert in herbalism. I argue that the observed absence of medicinal plant use in early Wõthïhã ethnography, rather than reflecting researcher oversight, reflects the centrality of shamanism. According to Wõthïhã shamanic cosmology, herbal medicines, while useful to relieve symptoms and treat minor injuries, fail to address the underlying cause of illness. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, I find that as the role and influence of shamanism have dramatically decreased, the Wõthïhã have turned elsewhere for medical treatment. Biomedical remedies have shown to be effective, thereby encouraging an acceptance of symptom‐specific treatments. Biomedicine's patchy availability, however, has encouraged the Wõthïhã to look beyond biomedicine. Several folk healing traditions are being incorporated by the Wõthïhã, each with its own herbal tradition.
Orthostatic Panic as a Key Vietnamese Reaction to Traumatic Events: The Case of September 11, 2001
Authors: Hinton Devon E. , Nguyen Lim , Pollack Mark H.
Published: February 2007

This article discusses a culturally specific response to traumatic events: orthostatic panic attacks among Vietnamese refugees. We compared the rate and severity of orthostatic panic as well as the rates and severity of associated flashbacks a month before and a month after September 11, 2001. After that date, the rate and severity of orthostatic panic greatly increased, as did the rate and severity of associated flashbacks. The central role of orthostatic panic as a response to traumatic events is illustrated through a patient's vignette. An explanation of why September 11 so profoundly influenced this population is adduced, including an explanation of why it resulted in considerable worsening of orthostatic panic.
An Analysis of the Impact of Aids on Funeral Culture in Malawi
Authors: Kiš Adam D.
Published: February 2007

Social research on AIDS is beginning to look beyond the causes, treatment, and prevention of the disease to its impacts on society and the economy. This article looks specifically at the impact of AIDS on funeral culture in Malawi. Statistical methods, basic ethnography, and focused interviews were employed to document changes in funerary customs and attendance patterns. Because of rising death rates from AIDS, Malawians are facing increasing difficulty in attending every funeral in their village, as custom requires. This is leading to selectivity in funeral attendance, stemming from a prioritization based on underlying cultural values. Families of AIDS victims are also facing difficulties in coping with the expectation to provide a funeral feast, given that funerals are far more numerous than before the onset of the AIDS crisis. This article demonstrates the importance of adapting both old and new methods to understanding the multifaceted AIDS epidemic.
Government and Community Relations an Defforts for Comanagement in Macizo De La Muerte, Costa Rica
Authors: Messerschmidt Maggie
Published: February 2007

As the Costa Rican government moves toward decentralization, communities in Macizo de la Muerte are asking for a hand in the comanagement of natural resources. However, the relationship between the community and the Ministry of Environmental and Energy Resource Management (MINAE) lacks the trust and communication that is needed for projects in comanagement to move forward. In this study, conducted between October 24 and November 19, 2003, I interviewed 27 community members of Villa Mills, Piedra Alta, and Alto de Jaular, as well as two employees from MINAE to examine the dynamic of the relationship between the community and MINAE in order to explain the community's potential for sustainable development in terms of ecotourism and sustainable harvesting. Although the relationship of MINAE to the community is currently one of distant control, discussions with MINAE administration and community members show that there are hopes that the relationship will become more equitable. For these dreams to become reality, however, action and trust are necessary on both parts. Community members must organize, form plans, and take initiative in the education and communication process. MINAE must enter the community as friends rather than controllers, and provide the community with greater control and technical assistance. Only with strong efforts for improved communication on either side will the community be able to achieve their potential to function sustainably.
Community Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Refugees and Asylees in Miami‐Dade and Broward Counties: An Analysis for the International Rescue Committee
Authors: Eisenhauer Emily
Published: February 2007

This paper presents the findings of a research project on knowledge and attitudes about refugees and “asylees” in two South Florida counties. The project was a collaboration between the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an international NGO that assists refugees and asylees with resettlement in the United States and other countries, and four graduate students in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Florida International University in Miami. South Florida receives large numbers of refugees and asylees, principally from Latin America and the Caribbean, and the IRC was interested in finding out more about the knowledge and attitudes in the community about refugees and asylees for the purpose of planning a possible public education campaign and fund‐raising efforts. A survey was administered to 280 people in Broward and Miami‐Dade Counties. Analysis of the findings shows that the community does not have a clear understanding of the differences between refugees, asylees, and immigrants. The respondents did not have an understanding of refugees and asylees as people who have fled political or religious persecution in their countries of origin, with the exception of refugees from Cuba. However, they generally had a favorable opinion of refugees and asylees.Other findings led to recommendations for public education and fund‐raising and suggestions for future research.
The Philani Experience: Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women in South Africa
Authors: Kenny Alexandra
Published: February 2007

The rapid sociocultural, political and economic change following the fall of apartheid in South Africa presents a unique opportunity to study gender equality and empowerment through the availability of nonformal education (NFE) and employment programs in the disadvantaged Khayelitsha area on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, where half of the population is jobless. Philani, a community‐based nonprofit NGO, offers women immediate assistance in three main ways: skills development, training, and employment; nutrition rehabilitation and health; and an on‐site preschool program. The efficacy of the program, definitions of empowerment, gender relations, and future employment opportunities were examined through the use of individually structured interviews with Philani participants. Community participation is very high, and in many cases, has led to women experiencing a measure of independence for the first time. Insights from these interviews contribute to a larger discussion of changing cultural constructs, gender relations, and effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In the concluding section, we look at the implications of women's empowerment in terms of the effects on men, and identify parities in current research and study.
Engaging Ethnography: Student Engagement as a Means for Creating Change
Authors: Hathaway Wendy , Kuzin James
Published: February 2007

Our communities, particularly the poor and minority, are experiencing the destructive effects of neoliberal policies. Such policies dismantle social safety nets, locate causes of poverty and criminality in individual bodies and neighborhoods, and foster the privatized “free” market as the solution to our society's problems. Although government, at all levels, abandons the social welfare agenda, individual residents and neighborhoods are forced to assume further responsibility for managing and improving immiserated conditions. Dedicated residents, student volunteers, and service agency workers provide the only stop‐gap between “making ends meet” and destitution (Edin and Lein 1997). This paper is an account of a summer youth program developed by two anthropology students, as a result of their long‐term, politically engaged ethnographic work among community residents, and children and staff at a recreation center located in an ethnically diverse but minority and low‐income concentrated neighborhood. Incorporating the aspects of experiential education, service‐learning, community development and applied anthropology, we endeavored to demonstrate that a politicized anthropology was capable of doing more than just documenting the effects of structural violence, the dif.culties experienced by marginalized populations, and the effectiveness of personal agency. Through engaged ethnography and collaboration we helped create new knowledge and applications that have been useful and valued by the community and other researchers at the University of South Florida.
A Foreign Concern : Solid Waste Management in Panajachel, Lake Atitl´n, Guatemala
Authors: Wex Anna
Published: February 2007

University of Calgary Waste management is a universal occupation that is expressed in many ways according to cultural mores and available resources. Efficient waste management is obligatory for maintaining public health, environmental sustainability, and visual aesthetics. Furthermore, the requirement to uphold these conditions is heightened in regions that rely economically on tourism, where foreign methods and expectations for waste management are introduced and implemented at the community level. This paper addresses these issues in relation to the Lake Atitl´n town of Panajachel, Guatemala, where tourism and garbage form an unlikely partnership across town politics, economics, and cultural diversity. Traditional waste management processes have shaped local behavior, continuing to present challenges for a region dealing with the influx of foreign actors, products, and ideas for waste management in Panajachel.
Buildings as History: The Place of Collective Memory in the Study of Historic Preservation
Authors: Milligan Melinda J.
Published: February 2007

Using data from ethnographic fieldwork in New Orleans, Louisiana, I examine the “buildings as history” ideology of the contemporary historic preservation movement to contribute to the sociological understanding of the logics of the movement, the relation of collective memory to historic preservation, and, more broadly, the processes of meaning construction in relation to the built environment. I conclude that the preservationist emphasis on the inherent value of the historic built environment irrespective of that environment's association with historically significant events and figures provides a means both to defuse critiques over preserving buildings with “difficult histories” and to justify preserving as much of the historic built environment as possible, which then allows for the continued expansion of the movement's purview and ensures its ongoing existence.
The Usefulness of Sleep Apnea Syndrome Screening using a Portable Pulse Oximeter in the Workplace
Authors: Niijima Kuniyuki , Enta Kazuhiko , Hori Hiroko , Sashihara Shunsuke , Mizoue Tetsuya , Morimoto Yasuo
Published: February 2007

The Usefulness of Sleep Apnea Syndrome Screening Using a Portable Pulse Oximeter in the Workplace: Kuniyuki Niijima, et al. Shizuoka Health Care Center, Central Japan Railway Company—Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS) is a condition characterized by sleep‐disordered breathing resulting in health impairment and sleep problems. From the viewpoints of the prevention of health impairment, accidents at work and traffic accidents, active implementation of screening for SAS in workplaces is necessary. Using a portable pulse oximeter, we conducted SAS screening for workers, who applied for the screening or who were instructed to participate by occupational physicians based on their symptoms at the time of medical check‐up, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a portable pulse oximeter as a screening device in the workplace. During the 2‐yr study period from April 2002 to March 2004, 380 workers underwent overnight pulse oximetry at home; data on 367 of them were considered valid and included in the analysis. We deemed screening‐positive as oxygen desaturation of the peripheral artery of 4% or greater if 10 or more events were observed per hour (ODI4≥10); or oxygen desaturation of the peripheral artery of 3% or greater if 15 or more events were observed per hour (ODI3≥15). Eighty‐three subjects were identified as screening‐positive and 54 of them underwent polysomnography. All of them were diagnosed as having SAS with an apnea hypopnea index (AHI)≥5, of which continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy was indicated in 48 cases (88.9%) with AHI≥20. On the other hand, 11 of the 284 screening‐negative subjects with mild sleep disordered breathing underwent polysomnography and all of them were diagnosed as having SAS with AHI≥5. However, CPAP therapy was indicated only for 5 with AHI≥20 of the 11. Therefore, in total, 65 subjects were diagnosed with SAS in this study and for 53 of them CPAP therapy was indicated. The simplicity of the SAS screening by pulse oximetry makes it easy to use for screening of workers, and this method was highly effective in detecting individuals with severe SAS for whom CPAP therapy was indicated.
Acute Lethal Toxicity, Hyperkalemia Associated with Renal Injury and Hepatic Damage after Intravenous Administration of Cadmium Nitrate in Rats
Authors: Dote Emi , Dote Tomotaro , Shimizu Hiroyasu , Shimbo Yukari , Fujihara Michiko , Kono Koichi
Published: February 2007

Acute Lethal Toxicity, Hyperkalemia Associated with Renal Injury and Hepatic Damage after Intravenous Administration of Cadmium Nitrate in Rats: Emi Dote, et al. Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Osaka Medical College—Cadmium nitrate Cd(NO3)2 (CdN) is commonly used in Ni‐Cd battery factories. The possibility of accidental exposure to CdN is great. CdN is very soluble in water compared to other Cd compounds. Therefore, acute toxicity would be expected to be quick due to rapid absorption after exposure. However, the mechanisms of CdN toxicity have not been fully elucidated. We investigated the acute lethal toxicity and harmful systemic effects of acute exposure to large doses of CdN. The lethal dose and dose‐response study of the liver and kidney were determined after intravenous administration of CdN in rats. The LD50 of CdN was determined to be 5.5 mg/ kg. Doses of 2.1, 4.2, 6.3 mg/kg were selected for the dose‐response study. Liver injury was induced at doses greater than 4.2 mg/kg. Severe hepatic injury occurred in the 6.3 mg/kg group, which would have been caused by acute exposure to the high concentration of Cd that exceeded the critical concentration in hepatic tissue. A remarkable decrease in urine volume in the 6.3 mg/ kg group indicated acute renal failure. A decrease in creatinine clearance suggested acute glomerular dysfunction at doses greater than 4.2 mg/kg. Increases in urinary N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase/creatinine, β2‐microglobulin and glucose in the 6.3 mg/kg group indicated proximal tubular injury. Secretion of K ion was also severely affected by proximal tubular injury and severe decreases in urine volume, and an increase in serum K ion was identified at doses greater than 4.2 mg/kg. Thus severe hyperkalemia might be associated with the cardiac‐derived lethal toxicity of CdN.
Effect of Metalworking Fluid Mist Exposure on Cross‐Shift Decrement in Peak Expiratory Flow
Authors: Park Donguk , Chin Kuwon , Kwag Hunseok , Youn Kanwoo , Choi Sangjun , Ha Kwonchul , Yoon Chungsik , Yim Sanghyuk
Published: February 2007

Effect of Metalworking Fluid Mist Exposure on Cross‐Shift Decrements in Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF): Donguk Park, et al. Department of Environmental Health, Korea National Open University, Korea—Exposure to metalworking fluids (MWF) mist and cross‐shift decrements in peak expiratory flow (PEF) were evaluated and their relationship was analyzed using several statistical methods. The objective of this study was to assess workers, exposure to MWF mineral mist and to find the MWF mist level for predicting cross‐shift decrements in PEF. A total of 158 workers handling water‐soluble MWF had MWF mist exposures with an arithmetic mean (AM) of 0.4 mg/m3(range: LOD–13.5 mg/m3), and 9.2% of workers (219) showed a crossshift decline greater than 10% in PEF. MWF mist exposure and cross‐shift decrements in PEF that were matched (n=113) were linearly significantly associated (R2=0.036, p=0.045) although the correlation was quite weak (r=0.189). We found a slight increase in crossshift decrements in PEF with increased exposure to MWF aerosol mass concentration. The MWF mist exposure level was categorized into two or three groups by the cutoffs of either the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Recommended Exposure Level (NIOSH REL: 0.5 mg/m3) or the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Notice of Intended Change (ACGIH NIC: 0.2 mg/m3). The cross‐shift decrement in PEF observed from workers exposed to ≥0.2 mg/m3was slightly higher than that of the exposure level of ≤0.2 mg/m3 at p=0.207 while significant differences among categorized exposure groups (2 categories, <0.5 and ≥0.5 mg/m3, or 3 categories, <0.2, 0.2–0.5 and ≥0.5 mg/m3) were not detected. In order to find out whether there is a specific level that allows us to predict cross‐shift decrements in PEF, several statistical models were constructed. Logistic regression showed that the MWF concentration, whether treated as a continuous variable or a categorical variable, was not significantly associated with cross‐shift decrements dichotomized by a cutoff of either 10% or 15% in PEF. We couldn't find evidence of a significant PEF decrement increase with increasing exposure category. Thus, we concluded that PEF decrements measured in workers exposed to MWF mist concentrations greater than either 0.2 mg/ m3or 0.5 mg/m3was not significantly different from those found in workers exposed to lower MWF mist concentrations. Further study is needed to establish the level of MWF mineral mist predicting non‐malignant respiratory health effects.
Occupational Injuries in Korea: A Comparison of Blue‐Collar and White‐Collar workers' Rates and Underreporting
Authors: Won Jonguk , Ahn Yeonsoon , Song Jaesuk , Koh Donghee , Roh Jaehoon
Published: February 2007

Occupational Injuries in Korea: A Comparison of Blue‐Collar and White‐Collar workers' Rates and Underreporting: Jonguk Won, et al. Yonsei University College of Medicine, Institute for Occupational Health, Korea—This study was performed to determine the differences in occupational injuries and illnesses between white‐collar and blue‐collar workers and to estimate the magnitude of the underreporting of these injuries and illnesses in Korea. Two datasets were used. One was a cohort established in the Gyeongin area with workers who underwent mandated health examinations, and the other was the National Health Insurance (NHI) data of claims submitted by workers employed between 1999 and 2001. Workers were classified into two groups— white‐collar and blue‐collar workers—according to their job types and the type of health examination they received. Injury rates were calculated for white‐collar and blue‐collar workers. The differences in the incidences of musculoskeletal diseases or injury and poisoning between the two groups were regarded as unreported occupational injuries or illnesses. Thereafter, work‐related injury rates were estimated. With regard to medical treatment for musculoskeletal diseases or injuries and poisonings covered by the NHI, blue‐collar workers had 3.47 more cases per 100 person‐years than white‐collar workers. This translates into a rate of between 12.57 and 18.1 injured workers per million working hours. The injury rate was 2.74 to 3.29 injured workers and the incidence rate was 3.62 to 5.44 injuries and illnesses per hundred workers. The estimated occupational injury and illness rates in this study were likely to be two to three times higher than those officially reported. However, the limitations of the study should also be considered.
Workplace Stressors and Lifestyle‐Related Cancer Risk Factors among Female Physicians: Assessment Using the Occupational Stress Index
Authors: Belkić Karen , Nedic Olesja
Published: February 2007

Workplace Stressors and Lifestyle‐Related Cancer Risk Factors among Female Physicians: Assessment Using the Occupational Stress Index: Karen Belkić, et al. Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Sweden—This study examined the relationship between work stressors and lifestyle‐related cancer risk factors (LRCRF): smoking, obesity, sedentariness and alcohol consumption, among 112 female physicians in Novi Sad, a region of high LRCRF prevalence. The participation rate was 92.6%. Participants completed the physician‐specific version of the Occupational Stress Index (OSI). Self‐reported data concerning LRCRF and working conditions were cross‐validated with medical records, as well as with worksite measurements and expert observations. A total of 35 (31.3%) of the physicians were current smokers and 10 (8.9%) were heavy smokers (>20 cigarettes/day); 23 (20.5%) had a body mass index (BMI) of 28 or more, and 11 (9.8%) were obese (BMI≥30). Only 27 (24.1%) regularly engaged in recreational physical activity (PA). Slightly over 5% consumed alcohol daily. Altogether 15 (13.4%) had a low lifestyle‐related cancer risk profile (not a current smoker, BMI<28, regular recreational PA and no daily alcohol consumption). Total OSI and several OSI aspects, particularly threat avoidance alone or in combination, showed significant multivariate associations with LRCRF, as did individual OSI elements. The latter included long work hours, restricted problem‐solving strategy, insufficient help with clinical difficulties and supervisory responsibility (obesity and/or sedentariness) and problems hampering patient care (smoking). There is an urgent need to lower the LRCRF among female physicians in this high risk region. Our findings suggest that diminishing the work stressor burden should be considered when developing intervention strategies aimed at these risk factors.
Fine‐Scale Population Structure of Rainbow Trout in the Spokane River Drainage in Relation to Hatchery Stocking and Barriers
Authors: Small Maureen P. , McLellan Jason G. , Loxterman Janet , Von Bargen Jennifer , Frye Alice , Bowman Cherril
Published: February 2007

We used 13 microsatellite loci to examine population structure in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss collected from 20 tributaries and 3 main stems in the greater Spokane River drainage. Populations displayed some excess homozygosity and linkage disequilibrium, which was more pronounced in upper tributary collections and probably the result of small effective population sizes or structuring within tributaries. In general, population structure followed geographic structure; collections from creeks within sub‐drainages were the most closely related, and collections from different tributaries were genetically distinct. Comparisons with cutthroat trout O. clarkii indicated little to no introgression. Comparisons with steelhead (anadromous rainbow trout), coastal rainbow trout O. mykiss irideus, and inland rainbow trout from hatcheries suggested introgression by hatchery fish into some wild populations. Introgression was suspected in populations from stocked tributaries and tributaries that lacked barriers to escaped hatchery fish. Populations from tributaries above barriers that had not been stocked were genetically distinct from hatchery fish and appeared to be native inland redband trout O. mykiss gairdneri.
Clinical, hematologic and biosynthetic studies in sickle cell‐β°‐thalassemia: A comparison with sickle cell anemia
Authors: Steinberg Martin H. , Dreiling Bernard J.
Published: February 2007

The diseases commonly confused with sickle cell anemia include sickle cellβ‐thalassemia in which synthesis of βA‐chains are completely suppressed (HbS‐βO‐thalassemia). We obtained hematologic measurements and studied globin biosynthesis in five patients with this disorder and compared the results with those obtained in five patients with “mild” sickle cell anemia and seven individuals with sickle cell‐β‐thalassemia having hemoglobin A levels of 20–30% (HbS‐β+‐thalassemia). A distinction between HbS‐βO‐thalassemia and sickle cell anemia was not always possible on clinical, hematologic, or electrophoretic grounds. Thalassemia heterozygotes had hypochromia and microcytosis, not generally a feature of sickle cell anemia, although overlap of values did exist. The ratio of β to non‐β, or β to βS‐chains in sickle cell anemia approximated unity, whereas patients with HbS‐βO‐thalassemia had a deficit of β‐chain production relative to that of the β‐chain. The differentiation of HbS‐βO‐thalassemia and sickle cell anemia can be best made on the basis of family or biosynthetic study. We estimated the regional prevalence of HbS‐βO‐thalassemia to be 1:23,000 of the black population.
In vivo dissociation of factor vii (ahf) activity and factor viii‐related antigen in von willebrand's disease
Authors: Lian Eric Chun‐Yet , Deykin Daniel
Published: February 2007

Using monospecific rabbit antihuman factor VIII antiserum, we have examined the amounts of factor VIII‐related antigen and compared these to the levels of factor VIII procoagulant activity in normal subjects and patients with von Willebrand's disease. We have observed that even without transfusion all nine probands with von Willebrand's disease and 20 of their 34 relatives possessed a significantly elevated factor VIII activity/factor VIII‐related antigen ratio when compared to that of 55 normal subjects. It is suggested that an elevated factor VIII activity/factor VIII‐related antigen ratio may be used for detection of the carriers of von Willebrand's disease.
Platelet injury during phototherapy
Authors: Maurer Harold M. , Haggins Joyce C. , Still W. J. S.
Published: February 2007

Phototherapy with blue fluorescent light is widely employed for treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Functional, biochemical, and morphologic changes produced by blue fluorescent light in human platelets were identified and characterized. Platelet‐rich plasma was exposed for up to 170 min to amounts of light equivalent to that used in phototherapy of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Within 110 min of light exposure, platelets were essentially no longer aggregable by ADP and connective tissue suspension and were depleted of ADP, ATP, and glycogen. Electron photomicrographs revealed these platelets to be swollen, depleted of glycogen granules and organelles, and to have ill‐defined membranes. Platelet injury could be accelerated by adding a photosensitizing agent, hematoporphyrin, to platelet samples before exposure. In contrast, control platelets kept in the dark for 170 min or nonirradiated platelets resuspended in irradiated plasma maintained their integrity. The results indicate that platelets are damaged in vitro when exposed to amounts of blue light used in phototherapy.
Treatment of refractory thrombocytopenic purpura with cyclophosphamide
Authors: Verlin Michael , Laros Russell K. , Penner John A.
Published: February 2007

Cyclophosphamide, an immunosuppressive agent, was administered as an additional mode of therapy to 30 patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) refractory to conventional management. Of 22 previously tested by splenectomy an excellent response was achieved in 12, who remained in complete hematologic remission for 14–96 months after therapy was discontinued; a fair response in 3, with definite increase in platelets, but not to normal levels; and a poor response in 7 who failed to improve. Of 8 nonsplenectomized patients who failed to respond to steroids or maintain a response after steroids were discontinued, 4 were considered excellent, 1 required continued therapy to remain in remission (good response), 2 were fair, and 1 was poor. Remission was observed in 2–10 weeks in both groups and appeared to be related to duration of disease; presence of disease for less than 1 year was associated with a much better response to treatment (11 of 15) when compared with disorders lasting over 2 years (6 of 15). Cyclophosphamide therapy offers additional means of treating patients with ITP who fail to respond to conventional therapy and may serve as an alternative to splenectomy when surgery is contraindicated.
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in hodgkin's disease after splenectomy
Authors: Julia Antonio , Miller Sherwood P.
Published: February 2007

This is a report of a patient with Hodgkin's disease who underwent a staging splenectomy and extensive radiation therapy and then developed “idiopathic” thrombocytopenic purpura. This appears to be the second known instance of such a combination of events. The patient was in complete remission of his Hodgkin's disease from radiation therapy at the time and continues in remission 56 mo since completing therapy. There was a complete and, apparently, permanent response of the thrombocytopenic purpura to a course of corticosteroid therapy.
The diagnosis of beta‐thalassemia trait: A review
Authors: Rowley Peter T.
Published: February 2007

Diagnostic and screening methods for beta‐thalassemia trait are reviewed in the order of their development, including identification by homozygous offspring, erythrocyte morphology, osmotic fragility, hemoglobin composition, globin synthetic rates, and red blood cell indices.
T and B lymphocytes in leukemia therapy
Authors: Esber Elaine , Dinicola William , Movassaghi Nasser , Leikin Sanford
Published: February 2007

In order to evaluate the effect of radio‐ and chemotherapy on immunity, T and B lymphocyte surface receptors were studied sequentially in the blood from 28 previously untreated leukemic children. Following the initiation of chemotherapy an increase in the percent T and B cells was noted in the peripheral blood. In association with sanctuary therapy and chemotherapy there was a decrease in the total number of circulating T and B cells and a relative increase in lymphocytes lacking markers. Based on total numbers at remission the reduction in B cells was greater than in T cells, and the most marked changes occurred during sanctuary therapy. A reduction in the mean serum immunoglobulin was associated with decreasing B cell numbers.
Bilateral interstitial pneumonia in acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Iyer R. , Ravindranath Y. , Kulkarni R. , Philippart A. , Reed J. O. , Brough A. J. , Zuelzer W. W.
Published: February 2007

Of 148 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) 34 had bilateral interstitial pneumonia (BIP). Their records were reviewed retrospectively to evaluate the incidence of this pneumonia and delineate the various etiologic factors involved. All but 1 were in remission; 82% of the episodes occurred within the first 6 months, the majority of these occurring during the first 3 months of diagnosis of ALL; 16 were receiving methotrexate (MTX), and 14 were receiving combination chemotherapy with vincristine, prednisone and 6‐mercatopurine (6‐MP) and 4 were on no systemic therapy. Thirty patients with 35 episodes recovered within an average period of 18 days, including clearance of radiologic findings; 4 died. Four had open lung biopsies without complications. There was a single case of pneumocystis carinii infection diagnosed postmortem. Laboratory data and histopathologic findings (of 4 biopsies and 3 remaining autopsies) were suggestive of a viral etiology. The incidence of BIP in ALL at Children's Hospital of Michigan is 22.9% with a mortality rate of 10.3% The incidence of pneumocystis carinii infection appeared to be low. Hypersensitivity to MTX was not substantiated.
The human spleen as revealed by scanning electron microscopy
Authors: Barnhart Marion I. , Lusher Jeanne M.
Published: February 2007

The three‐dimensional world of the spleen was explored by scanning electron microscopy on both arterially perfused and nonperfused specimens, as well as on plastic corrosion casts of splenic vasculatures. Of 25 spleens studied, 18 were examples of hypersplenism. These were contrasted to 7 essentially normal spleens taken from children being staged for treatment of Hodgkin's disease whose spleens proved to be uninvolved in the pathologic process. Splenic sinuses in all 25 spleens were typified by a degree of porosity. RBC were caught in the act of entering sinuses from splenic cords. These sinus windows thus represent one end of an “open” circulatiion pathway. In casts of microvasculature, direct arteriovenous connections were demonstrated, thus establishing an anatomical basis for an often disputed “closed” circulation pathway.

Spleens from 7 patients with hereditary spherocytosis had a super abundance of red pulp. Splenic cords were thickened and crowded with spherocytes, many of which presented slightly wrinkled membranes, as were also noted on the peripheral blood RBC. It is possible that these membrane features are unique for HS and reflect the intrinsic membrane abnormality in protein composition. The 7 spleens from chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura had white pulp as the predominant region. Germinal centers were frequent. Lymphocytes and plasma cells with well‐developed microvilli were suggestive that relese of antiplatelet antibody might be occurring in white pulp. Platelets were especially notable in peripheral white pulp and marginal zones. Platelet clumps were observed, generally adjacent to splenic macrophages.
ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn, without hyperbilirubinemia
Authors: Kaplan Eugene , Herz Fritz , Scheye Elsie
Published: February 2007

ABO hemolytic disease of the the newborn without hyperbilirubinemia is described in 17 full‐term infants. The erythrocyte characteristics, such as reticulocytosis, microspherocytosis, and positive indirect antiglobulin (Coombs') test, resembled those in ABO disease with hyperbilirubinemia. Erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity was reduced in this group to the same degree as in the more severely affected infants. Negro infants predominated over white, in a 2.5:1 ratio in this mild ABO group.
A filtration model for study of leukocyte transit in the microcirculation
Authors: Tanner Louis Mc K. , Scott Robert B.
Published: February 2007

In order to study characteristics of leukocytes which would be important determinants of their flow in the microcirculation, a model system was tested which utilizes in vitro filtration of leukocytes. Normal human peripheral blood leukocytes (85–90% granulocytes) were studied with filters with uniform 8 μm pore size.

Studies were performed to determine the effects of EDTA, temperature, hydrostatic pressure, pH, and osmolarity on filtration. Filterability was optimal at 0.2% EDTA, 10 cm hydrostatic pressure, neutral pH, isotonicity, and at room temperature.

Filtration was slowed greatly at leukocyte concentrations exceeding 25 × 199/liter. When leukocyte membranes were altered by formalin fixation, filtration slowed greatly, indicating that deformability is an important determinant of flow through small orifices. When mixtures of erythrocytes and leukocytes were filtered, there was a paradoxically enhanced transit of leukocytes compared to filtration of leukocytes alone, indicating interactions between these cells which alter flow.

These studies serve to characterize this model system which can be used to study the contribution to flow in the microcirculation of both normal and pathological leukocytes.
Leukocyte function in familial mediterranean fever
Authors: Territo Mary C. , Peters Robert S. , Cline Martin J.
Published: February 2007

Neutrophilic leukocytes of patients with familial Mediterranean fever and of normal control subjects were studied in vitro. FMF neutrophils were found to be morphologically normal by light and electron microscopy and to have normal quantities of the lysosomal enzyme lysozyme. FMF cells demonstrated a slight decrease in their ability to migrate randomly in capillary tubes, this was primarily seen in Armenian patients and in those experiencing an acute attack. The leukocytes of these patients functioned normally in regard to their chemotactic and Candida‐killing activity.
Actions of ristocetin on platelets
Authors: Koutts J. , Sc Lyne Stott B. , Firkin B. G.
Published: February 2007

The absence of ristocetin‐induced platelet aggregation appears to correlate with the platelet defect in von Willebrand's disease, suggesting that this reaction mimics a physiological process. The effect of ristocetin on plasma and on the residual levels of the von Willebrand factor (vWF), Factor VIII procoagulant activity, and Factor VIII‐related protein in plasma after aggregation of platelet rich plasma by this agent has been studied in order to further elucidate the mechanism and requirements of this reaction. Ristocetin‐induced platelet aggregation causes a consumption of vWF, Factor VIII procoagulant activity, and Factor VIII antigen from the supernatant plasma which is proportional to the number of platelets aggregated. Such a consumption of these factors does not appear to occur after aggregation by other agents. Factor VIII procoagulant activity does not appear necessary for ristocetin‐induced platelet aggregation, yet is utilized in this process. These findings support the hypothesis that the molecule associated with Factor VIII procoagulant activity is carried by the molecule necessary for ristocetin‐induced platelet aggregation.
Combined deficiencies of factor vlll (ahf) and factor xi (pta)
Authors: Lian Eric Chun‐Yet , Deykin Daniel , Harkness Donald R.
Published: February 2007

Combined deficiencies of Factor VIII and Factor XI associated with moderate degree of bleeding symptoms were found in 3 brothers. Examination of Factor VIII activity and Factor VIII‐related antigen revealed that the Factor VIII activity/ Factor VIII‐related antigen ratio was significantly decreased in their mother and maternal grandmother consistent with the carrier state of hemophilia. Factor XI deficiency was found in 2 siblings, the father, and 2 of his sisters. The paternal grandmother was thought to carry the abnormal Factor XI gene, although her Factor XI level was normal, because of a significant bleeding history. It was concluded that the combined Factor VIII and XI deficiencies in the 3 brothers represent the coincidental inheritance of 2 separate and independent abnormal genes.
Immunologic studies of human plasma cells
Authors: Beaulieu Raymond , Pirofsky Bernard , Davies Gordon H.
Published: February 2007

Purified plasma cell suspensions were produced from 3 subjects with malignant plasma cell disease. Various physical, biological, and immunological properties of these cells were studied. Neoplastic human plasmablasts were found to be denser than their mature forms, in contrast to the usual relationship of the lymphoid, myeloid, and erythroid series. The human plasma cells did not respond to phytohemagglutinin stimulation and were found to be weakly reactive in mixed lymphocyteplasma cell cultures. Potent antisera was produced against such cells, and the antisera demonstrated a broad cross reactivity with various human lymphocyte populations. The data suggest a lymphoid origin for human plasma cells and possibly a specific relationship to B‐type lymphocytes.
Post‐transfusion thrombocytopenic purpura: A case report
Authors: Howard Jean E. , Glassberg Alan B. , Perkins Herbert A.
Published: February 2007

Post‐transfusion thrombocytopenic purpura (PTTP) is a rare syndrome which was first brought to widespread attention by Shulman et al. Eighteen cases have been reported. The present report describes an additional patient, a multiparous female who developed petechiae 7 days after blood transfusion. The patient's serum contained anti‐PIA1 antibodies and her own platelets were PIA1‐negative. She was treated with prednisone and recovered spontaneously without exchange transfusion of whole blood or plasma.
Inhibition of murine granulopoiesis in vitro by dexamethasone
Authors: Golde David W. , Bersch Noelle , Quan Shirley G. , Cline Martin J.
Published: February 2007

The effect of dexamethasone on mouse bone marrow granulocyte‐monocyte precursor cells (CFU‐C) was studied in vitro. Dexamethasone inhibited colony formation in the presence of maximally stimulating concentrations of colony‐stimulating activity. A mean colony reduction of 55% occurred at 109 M dexamethasone and inhibition was observed at concentrations as low as 10−12 M. The dexamethasone suppression could be abrogated by progesterone. These studies provide evidence that the committed granulocyte‐monocyte stem cell has a glucocorticoid receptor mechanism that when activated results in inhibition of cellular proliferation in vitro.
Alteration of colony‐stimulating factor output, endotoxemia, and granulopoiesis in cyclic neutropenia
Authors: Greenberg Peter L. , Bax Ine , Levin Jack , Andrews Tony M.
Published: February 2007

Cellular and humoral factors involved in the regulation of granulopoiesis were evaluated in two patients with cyclic neutropenia by utilizing the agar‐gel marrow culture technique to serially study marrow granulocytic colony‐forming capacity (CFC) and the urinary output of colony‐stimulating factor (CSF). CSF output varied inversely with peripheral neutrophil counts and directly with monocyte counts and evidence for infection (endotoxemia and/or staphylococcal abscesses). Following autologous infusion of one patient's plasma obtained during a period of neutropenia, increased urinary excretion of CSF occurred concomitant with increments in both marrow CFC and the proportion of granulocytic progenitor cells in DNA synthesis. Neutrophil periodicity was not altered by the administration of the neutropenic plasma. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that cyclic neutropenia is caused by a quantitatively decreased entry of stem cells or granulocytic progenitor cells into granulopoiesis.
Myelotoxicity of vincristine‐prednisone therapy in treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia in blastic transformation
Authors: Stein Richard S. , Roth Daniel G.
Published: February 2007

Therapy with vincristine and prednisone (VP) has produced remissions in 30% of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast transformation (CML‐BT). The possibility that therapy with VP can adversely affect the production of mature granulocytes in this setting has not been appreciated, as these drugs are generally considered free of myelotoxicity. In this report we review eight courses of VP administered to three patients with CML‐BT. Granulocytopenia developed following all five courses in which granulocyte counts were normal prior to therapy; granulocytopenia worsened in two of three courses in patients who were granulocytopenic prior to therapy. Progressive leukemia in the marrow was excluded as a cause of granulocytopenia. It is important to recognize that VP therapy rather than disease progression may be a cause of granulocytopenia in CML‐BT.
Specific radioimmunochemical identification and quantitation of hemoglobins a2 and f
Authors: Garver Fred A. , Jones C. Sidney , Baker Marilyn M. , Altay Gultekin , Barton Betty P. , Gravely Marsha , Huisman Titus H. J.
Published: February 2007

Hyperimmune antisera to chromatographically purified hemoglobins F and A2, were produced in rabbits and made specific for the immunogen by adsorption with normal human hemoglobin A conjugated to cyanogen bromide‐activated agarose. A radioimmunoassay was established that permitted identification and quantitation of each of these two minor hemoglobins in hemolysates containing other hemoglobin components. The quantities of hemoglobins A2, and/or F present in hemolysates of individuals with β‐thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, Hb‐C disease, and other hematological disorders were determined immunochemically, and the results were compared to values obtained by microcolumn chromatography for the measurement of Hb‐A2 or with the alkali denaturation technique in quantitating Hb‐F. The immunoassay procedure has a greater sensitivity than other commonly employed techniques and can detect as little as 0.05 μg of these hemoglobins.
Predictive value of cross‐matching for transfusion of platelet concentrates to alloimmunized recipients
Authors: Filip Donald J. , Duquesnoy Rene J. , Aster Richard H.
Published: February 2007

Compatibility tests in which donor platelets were tested with recipient sera were performed retroactively after 64 transfusions of platelets from 59 unrelated donors to 10 alloimmunized patients. Techniques used were serotonin release, aggregometry, platelet factor 3 release, and lymphocytotoxicity, each of which has been advocated as a means of testing donor‐recipient platelet compatibility. Although “false positive” reactions were few (positive crossmatch but satisfactory transfusion response), “false negative” reactions (negative crossmatch but poor transfusion response) were unacceptably high (43% by lymphocytotoxicity, 60% by serotonin release, 76% by platelet factor 3 release, and 83% by aggregometry). We conclude that current methods of detecting isosensitization to platelet alloantigens are less satisfactory than HLA phenotyping in selecting unrelated platelet donors for an alloimmunized patient population.
Sickle cell anemia and trait in a population of southern india
Authors: Brittenham Gary , Lozoff B. , Harris J. W. , Sharma V. S. , Narasimhan S.
Published: February 2007

In an ethnic group in southern India, the Irula, seven individuals with sickle cell anemia were found to manifest only mild illness. Although a relatively high level of fetal hemoglobin was present in one, none of the factors thought to ameliorate the course of sickling disorders could be identified in the remaining six. In a random population survey, sickle hemoglobin was found in 90 of 292 Irula (31%). In those with sickle cell trait, the proportion of sickle hemoglobin in hemolysates (mean = 26%, range 19–32%) was substantially lower than that reported for any other population.
A family study of a patient with idiopathic hemochromatosis
Authors: Miller Aaron , Zimelman Abraham , Brauer Mark J.
Published: February 2007

A family study of a patient with idiopathic hemochromatosis using noninvasive techniques is presented. All 6 of the patient's asymptomatic children had an increase in transferrin saturation and/or an increase in the absorption of Co57. The Co57 absorption test was the most sensitive index of family involvement since one of the children had an increase in absorption at a time when transferring saturation was normal. The family data strongly support the hereditary nature of the disorder, with the mode of inheritance not clearly established from the available data.
Use of specific fluorescent antibodies for the identification of hemoglobin C in erythrocytes
Authors: Papayannopoulou TH. , Ahern V. , Stamatoyannopoulos G. , Lim G. , Nute P. E. , McGuire T. C.
Published: February 2007

Antibodies against hemoglobin C (α2β2 6Glu→Lys) were produced by immunizing horses and were purified by affinity chromatography. As expected from the bivalency of both the antibody and the antigen, the purified antibodies failed to produce immunoprecipitates upon reaction with the corresponding antigens. Identification of hemoglobin C in individual erythrocytes was achieved by reacting the fluorescein isothiocyanate‐conjugated antibodies with the hemoglobin antigen in fixed smears of peripheral blood. Red cells from persons having a hemoglobin C gene were labeled strongly upon reaction with anti‐Hb C‐FITC; there was no labeling of red cells containing normal hemoglobins or Hb S, suggesting that the anti‐Hb C antibodies recognize only the amino‐terminal segment of the β chains that contain lysine in position β6.