Functional chemotactic factor CP-10 and MRP-14 are abundant in murine abscesses.

Murine abscesses induced by intraperitoneal injection of a mixture of Escherichia coli, Bacteroides fragilis, and bran are established models for the study of localized infectious and inflammatory lesions. Chemotactic factors are though to mediate the directed migration of large numbers of leukocytes into the abscess. Microorganisms located within the encapsulated lesion are not readily eliminated by the leukocytes, but their numbers are controlled over many weeks.

BOOMSLANG: a program for combinatorial structure generation.

An approach to exploiting pharmacophore models is described. Structures are assembled combinatorially from user-defined fragments and flexibly overlaid into the reference frame of the pharmacophore using distance geometry and molecular mechanics. The match with the pharmacophore is quantified by conformational energy and volume of overlap.

Detection of p53 mutations in benign and dysplastic nevi.

We have examined melanocytic cells derived directly from fresh biopsy tissue for the presence of p53 mutations. Using selective media that permits growth of melanocytes and inhibits growth of fibroblasts and keratinocytes, we established short-term, primary cultures of melanocytes from skin biopsies of common acquired nevi, dysplastic nevi, and from metastatic melanoma. Using PCR-single-stranded conformational polymorphism analysis, we have detected p53 mutations in 2 of 11 benign compound nevi and 2 of 5 dysplastic nevi.

SP-303, an antiviral oligomeric proanthocyanidin from the latex of Croton lechleri (Sangre de Drago).

SP-303, a large proanthocyanidin oligomer isolated from the latex of the plant species Croton lechleri (Eupborbiaceae) has demonstrated broad activity against a variety of DNA and RNA viruses. In cell culture, SP-303 exhibits potent activity against isolates and laboratory strains of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza A virus (FLU-A) and parainfluenza virus (PIV). Parallel assays of SP-303 and ribavirin showed comparable activity against these viruses.

Rapid diagnosis of cutaneous herpes simplex infections using specific monoclonal antibodies.

One hundred children with suspected herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection and 20 controls were studied to compare a rapid immunofluorescence (RIF) test for detection and typing of HSV from smears of lesions with standard viral culture. The RIF test was evaluated for ease of use and speed of diagnosis. RIF and/or culture were positive in 64% of patients.

The costs and effects of early discharge in the management of fractured hip.

The cost-effectiveness of a Fractured Hip Management Programme (FHMP) was evaluated by considering available measures of patient outcome and comparing the cost of the programme with the value of resources freed by reductions in length of hospital stay. The FHMP adopted a multidisciplinary team approach to care for elderly patients with hip fracture. The aims of the programme were to reduce delays before surgery; provide specialist geriatric medical supervision; improve early post-operative mobility; plan for hospital discharge with rehabilitation in the patient's normal environment; and provide continuity of care by a small number of staff.

The effect of cytokines on bactericidal activity of murine neutrophils.

A range of recombinant cytokines have now been shown to modify aspects of the phenotype and function of human and murine neutrophils. However, few reports describe modification of the bactericidal activity of neutrophils. We therefore examined the recombinant murine cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha, 10-1000 ng ml-1) and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF, 10-1000 U ml-1) for their ability to increase the bacterial killing capacity of murine neutrophils.

Satisfaction with postnatal care--the choice of home or hospital.

This paper reports the findings of a study of client satisfaction with postnatal midwifery care. Women could choose one of two forms of care; either domiciliary care following early discharge, or hospital care until discharge. Consumers' perceptions of their postnatal care were examined at the end of the period of care.

Caring for the confused geriatric surgical patient.

Postoperative confusion in elderly patients is generally a temporary and reversible condition. The causes and contributing factors are numerous. The number of elderly surgical patients will continue to increase as this age group continues to grow.

The role of the clinical nurse co-ordinator in the provision of cost-effective orthopaedic services for elderly people.

Positions for nurses as coordinators and case managers have developed in response to demands for increased efficiency in the provision of hospital care. The Fractured Hip Management Programme in Western Sydney is one example of this development. The programme was introduced in response to mounting concern about the demands on hospital resources from elderly patients with hip fracture.

Pharmacophoric pattern matching in files of three-dimensional chemical structures: implementation of flexible searching.

The conformational space of a flexible three-dimensional (3D) molecule can be represented for searching purposes by a smoothed bounded distance matrix. Such matrices provide an effective way of carrying out flexible searching, but search times can be very long when compared with rigid searches that take no account of conformational flexibility. This paper considers two techniques for minimizing the computational requirements of flexible searching.

Skin microflora of atopic eczema in first time hospital attenders.

The bacterial flora of the skin was assessed quantitatively in 50 children with eczema, aged 6 months to 14 years, referred to the hospital for the first time. Twenty nonatopic controls with an unrelated non-infective disorder were also studied. Cotton-tipped swabs and contact agar discs were taken from the worst affected area of eczema and from an uninvolved site in patients and from the forearm in controls.

New nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonists. 3. Synthesis, biological properties, and structure-activity relationships of 2-alkyl-4-(biphenylylmethoxy)pyridine derivatives.

A novel series of nonpeptide angiotensin II (AII) receptor antagonists is reported, derived from linkage of the biphenylyltetrazole moiety found in previously described antagonists via a methyleneoxy chain to the 4-position of a 3-substituted 2,6-dialkylpyridine. When evaluated in an in vitro binding assay using a guinea pig adrenal membrane preparation, compounds in this series generally gave IC50 values in the range 0.005-0.

Analgesia following arthroscopic knee surgery. A controlled study of intra-articular morphine, bupivacaine or both combined.

In a double-blind, randomised controlled trial, we studied 40 patients who received one of four intra-articular injections at the end of arthroscopic surgery. Each group contained ten patients. The patients in Group 1 received normal saline 25 ml; those in Group 2 received bupivacaine 0.

Pharmacophoric pattern matching in files of three-dimensional chemical structures: use of bounded distance matrices for the representation and searching of conformationally flexible molecules.

This paper discusses the use of bounded distance matrices for the representation of conformationally flexible three-dimensional (3D) molecules. It is shown that pharmacophoric pattern searches of databases of flexible 3D molecules represented in this way can be carried out using screen and geometric searching algorithms that are analogous to those used for searching databases of rigid 3D structures. Molecules matching a query pattern after the geometric search must then undergo a final conformational search to determine whether they can, in fact, adopt a conformation that matches the query.

Solution conformations and aggregational properties of synthetic amyloid beta-peptides of Alzheimer's disease. Analysis of circular dichroism spectra.

The A4 or beta-peptide (39 to 43 amino acid residues) is the principal proteinaceous component of amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease. Using circular dichroism (c.d.

The FMRFamide-related decapeptide of Mytilus contains a D-amino acid residue.

1. An FMRFamide-related decapeptide isolated from the anterior byssus retractor muscle (ABRM) of the bivalve mollusc, Mytilus edulis, was shown to have D-Leu as the second amino acid residue. 2.

Covalent modification of Alzheimer's amyloid beta-peptide in formic acid solutions.

beta-peptide is a normal component of amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease. In aqueous solution, beta-peptide is extremely insoluble and rapidly aggregates forming oligomeric beta-sheet structures that eventually precipitate from solution. Presumably, this process is related to the production of amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease.

Tandem mass spectrometric analysis of peptides at the femtomole level.

In the sequential analysis of peptides by fast atom bombardment (FAB) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), the principal obstacle to decreasing sample quantities was determined to be the signal-to-background ratio of the ionization/desorption process. By decreasing the background ion current, continuous-flow FAB allows complete analysis (both MS and MS/MS) to be performed on 25-75% less sample than required for a conventional FABMS/MS experiment alone. The combination of CF-FAB with array detection permitted sequential analysis of several peptides (900-2000 Da) at the 900 fmol to 5.

Use of an east end children's accident and emergency department for infants: a failure of primary health care?

Objective: To ascertain why parents use an accident and emergency department for health care for their infants.

Design: Prospective one month study.

Setting: One accident and emergency department of a children's hospital in the east end of London.

Fragmentation studies of peptides: the formation of y ions.

The mechanism for the formation of y ions in the collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectra of protonated peptides produced by fast-atom bombardment was investigated by tandem mass spectrometry and deuterium labelling studies. The results show that a hydrogen atom attached to nitrogen and not to carbon migrates during cleavage of the amide bond. A mechanism based on these results is presented.

Mytilus-inhibitory peptide analogues isolated from the ganglia of a pulmonate mollusc, Achatina fulica.

1. Ten peptides that showed an inhibitory effect on phasic contraction of the ABRM of Mytilus were isolated from the ganglia of the African giant snail, Achatina fulica. 2.