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Fatigue is common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Understanding the relationship between fatigue, physical and neurobehavioural factors is important to inform future research and practice. Few studies explore this explicitly in people with progressive MS (pwPMS).

Radio frequency (RF) non-thermal (NT) bio-effects have been a subject of debate and attracted significant interests due to potential health risks or beneficial applications. In this work, we report a systematic method for broadband investigation of RF NT effects on Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast growth. The method includes a transverse electro-magnetic (TEM) device and a dielectric spectroscopy technique for RF frequency selection. A stripline-based TEM device has two 240-μL chambers 3D printed for cell cultures. The fabricated device operates up to a few GHz and produces uniform RF fields for cell exposure testing. A vector network analyzer (VNA) was used to provide −20 dBm continuous-wave (CW) RF power. The heating effects on cell growth were estimated to be negligible. Frequency regions, where large permittivity differences between the medium and yeast cultures were obtained and used to select RF testing frequencies, e.g., 1.0 MHz, 3.162 MHz, 10 MHz. These differences may indicate RF field gradients near cell membrane, and the gradients may affect local nutrient transport. Additionally, RF at 905 MHz is tested for comparison purpose. Yeast cells in the exponential growth phase were examined at four RF frequencies and compared with two controls. One control device held at the same temperature as the test device, while the other control was held at a temperature 1 °C higher. The results showed that the RF fields at 3.162 MHz reduced yeast growth rates by 15.1%; however, the RF fields at 1.0 MHz enhanced cell growth by 13.7%, while the observed 4.3% growth rate increase at 10 MHz is insignificant and the RF fields at 905 MHz had no effects on the cell growth. These results showed a clear RF NT effects on S. cerevisiae growth that was frequency dependent. The hypothesized mechanisms of these effects, i.e., non-uniform RF fields near cell membranes and fluidic diodes in cell membrane ion channels may play important roles in nutrient transport, need to be further investigated.

Hydrogen sulfide is produced by heterotrophic bacteria in anoxic waters and via carbonyl sulfide hydrolysis and phytoplankton emissions under oxic conditions. Apparent losses of dissolved cadmium (dCd) and zinc (dZn) in oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans have been attributed to metal‐sulfide precipitation formed via dissimilatory sulfate reduction. It has also been argued that such a removal process could be a globally important sink for dCd and dZn. However, our studies from the North Pacific OMZ show that dissolved and particulate sulfide concentrations are insufficient to support the removal of dCd via precipitation. In contrast, apparent dCd and dZn deficits in the eastern tropical South Pacific OMZ do reside in the oxycline with particulate sulfide maxima, but they also coincide with the secondary fluorescence maxima, suggesting that removal via sulfide precipitation may be due to a combination of dissimilatory and assimilatory sulfate reduction. Notably, dCd loss via precipitation with sulfide from assimilatory reduction was found in upper oxic waters of the North Pacific. While dissimilatory sulfate reduction may explain local dCd and dZn losses in some OMZs, our evaluation of North Pacific OMZs demonstrates that dCd and dZn losses are unlikely to be a globally relevant sink. Nevertheless, metal sulfide losses due to assimilatory sulfate reduction in surface waters should be considered in future biogeochemical models of oceanic Cd (and perhaps Zn) cycling. The Pacific Ocean hosts multiple oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), chiefly in the Northeast Pacific and the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Despite studies identifying apparent deficits of dissolved cadmium (dCd) and zinc (dZn) relative to established relationships with macronutrients within OMZ waters and hypothesizing that precipitation of insoluble metal sulfides is the cause, our measurements of particulate metal sulfides are too small to support this removal hypothesis. However, we demonstrate that a possible loss of dCd related to metal‐sulfide precipitation is actually more likely in the surface oxygenated ocean rather than in OMZ waters. Sulfide concentrations are too low to support the 0.1 nM deficit observed in dissolved Cd in the low oxygen North PacificAssimilatory and dissimilatory sulfate reduction can explain the dissolved metal deficits in the shallow Eastern Tropical South Pacific OMZParticulate sulfide maxima coincide with the largest apparent dissolved Cd deficits observed in the subsurface waters of the Pacific Ocean Sulfide concentrations are too low to support the 0.1 nM deficit observed in dissolved Cd in the low oxygen North Pacific Assimilatory and dissimilatory sulfate reduction can explain the dissolved metal deficits in the shallow Eastern Tropical South Pacific OMZ Particulate sulfide maxima coincide with the largest apparent dissolved Cd deficits observed in the subsurface waters of the Pacific Ocean

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition with significant morbidity and mortality that affects 15% of adults in the United States. One cause of CKD is acute kidney injury (AKI), which commonly occurs secondary to sepsis, ischemic events, and drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Unilateral ischemia-reperfusion injury (UIRI) without contralateral nephrectomy (CLN) and repeated low-dose cisplatin (RLDC) models of AKI to CKD demonstrate responses characteristic of the transition; however, previous studies have not effectively compared the pathogenesis. We demonstrate both models instigate renal dysfunction, inflammatory cytokine responses, and fibrosis. However, the models exhibit differences in urinary excretory function, inflammatory cell infiltration, and degree of fibrotic response. UIRI without CLN demonstrated worsening perfusion and function, measured with 99mTc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine-3 imaging, and physiologic compensation in the contralateral kidney. Furthermore, UIRI without CLN elicited a robust inflammatory response that was characterized by a prolonged polymorphonuclear cell and natural killer cell infiltrate and an early expansion of kidney resident macrophages, followed by T-cell infiltration. Symmetrical diminished function occurred in RLDC kidneys and progressively worsened until day 17of the study. Surprisingly, RLDC mice demonstrated a decrease in inflammatory cell numbers relative to controls. However, RLDC kidneys expressed increased levels of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1), and colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1), which likely recruits inflammatory cells in response to injury. These data emphasize how the divergent etiologies of AKI to CKD models affect the kidney microenvironment and outcomes. This study provides support for subtyping AKI by etiology in human studies, aiding in the elucidation of injury-specific pathophysiologic mechanisms of the AKI to CKD transition.

Background:: It has not been established whether control conditions with large weight losses (WLs) diminish expected treatment effects in WL or prevention of weight gain (PWG)-randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Subjects/Methods:: We performed a meta-analysis of 239 WL/PWG RCTs that include a control group and at least one treatment group. A maximum likelihood meta-analysis framework was used to model and understand the relationship between treatment effects and control group outcomes. Results:: Under the informed model, an increase in control group WL of 1?kg corresponds with an expected shrinkage of the treatment effect by 0.309?kg (95% confidence interval (-0.480, -0.138), P=0.00081); this result is robust against violations of the model assumptions. Conclusions:: We find that control conditions with large WLs diminish expected treatment effects. Our investigation may be helpful to clinicians as they design future WL/PWG studies.

Compare survival in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) from a U.S. commercial health insurance database with a matched cohort of non-MS subjects.

Diel vertical migration (DVM) is common in zooplankton populations worldwide. Every day, zooplankton leave the productive surface ocean and migrate to deepwater to avoid visual predators and return to the surface at night to feed. This behavior may also help retain migrating zooplankton in biological hotspots. Compared to fast and variable surface currents, deep ocean currents are sluggish, and can be more consistent. The time spent in the subsurface layer is driven by day length and the depth of the surface mixed layer. A subsurface, recirculating eddy has recently been described in Palmer Deep Canyon (PDC), a submarine canyon in a biological hotspot located adjacent to the West Antarctic Peninsula. Circulation model simulations have shown that residence times of neutrally buoyant particles increase with depth within this feature. We hypothesize that DVM into the subsurface eddy increases local retention of migrating zooplankton in this feature and that shallow mixed layers and longer days increase residence times. We demonstrate that simulated vertically migrating zooplankton can have residence times on the order of 30 days over the canyon, which is five times greater than residence times of near‐surface, nonmigrating zooplankton within PDC and other adjacent coastal regions. The potential interaction of zooplankton with this subsurface feature may be important to the establishment of the biological hotspot around PDC by retaining food resources in the region. Acoustic field observations confirm the presence of vertical migrators in this region, suggesting that zooplankton retention due to the subsurface eddy is feasible. Diel vertical migration (DVM) is considered the world's largest migration by biomass. Zooplankton migrate into the sea's surface waters to feed at night when risk of predation by visual predators is low. During the day, zooplankton migrate to deeper waters when risk of predation by predators like seabirds and fish is highest. This behavior may also retain zooplankton in areas of high biological activity, or hotspots. Migration between a rapidly moving surface layer and a sluggish subsurface layer may reduce the net horizontal movement of organisms. Since this behavior is modulated by light intensity, more daylight hours may increase the time spent in the slower subsurface layer and help retain zooplankton in these hotspots. We used simulated zooplankton in a numerical model over Palmer Deep Canyon to test how DVM behavior, and the factors that control the time spent in the subsurface layer, affects zooplankton retention within biological hotspots. Retention was highest for zooplankton when migrations were deepest, days were long, and surface mixed layer was shallow. Performing migrations also increased retention relative to near‐surface nonmigrating zooplankton. Acoustic observations within our study site suggest that the magnitudes of DVM simulated are feasible in this system. Simulated diel vertical migrating zooplankton have increased residence time compared to nonmigrators near a biological hotspotShallow surface layers and long days lead to longer residence times of simulated diel vertical migrating zooplanktonField acoustic measurements show the presence of zooplankton diel vertical migration consistent with simulated migration Simulated diel vertical migrating zooplankton have increased residence time compared to nonmigrators near a biological hotspot Shallow surface layers and long days lead to longer residence times of simulated diel vertical migrating zooplankton Field acoustic measurements show the presence of zooplankton diel vertical migration consistent with simulated migration

To examine the effects of interferon beta (IFN)-1b on all-cause mortality over 21 years in the cohort of 372 patients who participated in the pivotal randomized clinical trial (RCT), retaining (in the analysis) the original randomized treatment-assignments.

Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) was recently described in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). A subject is considered CCSVI positive if ≥2 venous hemodynamic (VH) criteria are fulfilled.

To compare interferon -1b (IFN-1b) and glatiramer acetate (GA) on new lesion (NL) (gadolinium-enhancing, new T2) evolution into permanent black holes (PBH)—a marker of irreversible tissue damage—in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Vascular comorbidity adversely influences health outcomes in several chronic conditions. Vascular comorbidities are common in multiple sclerosis (MS), but their impact on disease severity is unknown. Vascular comorbidities may contribute to the poorly understood heterogeneity in MS disease severity. Treatment of vascular comorbidities may represent an avenue for treating MS.

Comorbidity is common in the general population and is associated with adverse health outcomes. In multiple sclerosis (MS), it is unknown whether preexisting comorbidity affects the delay between initial symptom onset and diagnosis (“diagnostic delay”) or the severity of disability at MS diagnosis.

The increasing number of established effective therapies for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) and emerging consensus for early treatment raise practical concerns and ethical dilemmas for placebo-controlled clinical trials in this disease. An international group of clinicians, ethicists, statisticians, regulators, and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry convened to reconsider prior recommendations regarding the ethics of placebo-controlled trials in MS. The group concluded that placebo-controlled trials can still be done ethically, with restrictions. For patients with relapsing MS for which established effective therapies exist, placebo-controlled trials should only be offered with rigorous informed consent if the subjects refuse to use these treatments, have not responded to them, or if these treatments are not available to them for other reasons (e.g., economics). Suggestions are provided to protect subject autonomy and improve informed consent procedures. Recommendations are tighter than previously suggested for placebo-controlled trials in “resource-restricted” environments where established therapies may not be available. Guidance is also provided on the ethics of alternative trial designs and the balance between study subject burden and risk, scientific rationale and interpretability of trial outcomes.

To examine the relation between low-contrast letter acuity, an emerging visual outcome for multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical trials, and brain MRI abnormalities in an MS cohort.

To examine retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, macular volumes (MV), and visual acuity in multiple sclerosis (MS) eyes, with and without history of acute optic neuritis (ON).

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) noninvasively quantifies retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. Studies show RNFL thinning in multiple sclerosis (MS), and we assessed its association with brain atrophy.

The significance of p16/Rb tumor suppressor pathway inactivation in T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) remains incompletely understood. We used naturally occurring canine NHL to test the hypothesis that p16 inactivation has specific pathologic correlates. Forty-eight samples (22 T-cell NHL and 26 B-cell NHL) were included. As applicable, metaphase- or array-based comparative genomic hybridization, Southern blotting, promoter methylation, and Rb phosphorylation were used to determine the presence, expression, and activity of p16. Fisher's exact test was used to test for significance. Deletion of p16 (or loss of dog chromosome 11) was restricted to high-grade T-cell NHL (lymphoblastic T-cell lymphoma and peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified). These were characterized by a concomitant increase of tumor cells with Rb phosphorylation at canonical CDK4 sites. Rb phosphorylation also was seen in high-grade B-cell NHL (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Burkitt-type lymphoma), but in those cases, it appeared to be associated with c-Myc overexpression. The data show that p16 deletion or inactivation occurs almost exclusively in high-grade T-cell NHL; however, alternative pathways can generate functional phenotypes of Rb deficiency in low-grade T-cell NHL and in high-grade B-cell NHL. Both morphologic classification according to World Health Organization criteria and assessment of Rb phosphorylation are prognostically valuable parameters for canine NHL.

Participants enrolled in the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS) registry report disability status using Performance Scales (PS), a self-report measure. The bladder/bowel subscale (PSB) of PS has not been validated. It is also unknown whether ethnic or socioeconomic disparities exist in bladder care.

(JAMA. 2019;322:1877–1886)Umbilical cord milking has been cited as an alternative to delayed umbilical cord clamping, which is the current standard of care. Like delayed umbilical cord clamping, umbilical cord milking provides placental transfusion that has been associated with neonatal benefits, including fewer deaths in preterm infants. The aim of this study was to examine whether umbilical cord milking was noninferior to delayed umbilical cord clamping in preterm infants.

To investigate differences in disability between African American and Caucasian patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) by comparing the relationship between current age and disability between races and by assessing the effect of adjustment for socioeconomic status (SES) on the associations.

Whereas recent data from imaging studies challenge the prevailing notion that multiple sclerosis (MS) is purely an inflammatory disease, pathologic studies suggest differences in the disease processes between individual patients with MS. The ability to dissect the pathophysiologic disease heterogeneity, if it indeed exists, by methodologies that can be applied in vivo is important both for the development of new therapeutics and for the ability to identify the optimal therapy for an individual patient.

With diagnostic criteria alterations, increased MRI availability, and awareness of therapies, temporal changes in incidence and prevalence rates may occur, with an increase in the proportion of mildly affected persons diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). The authors assessed temporal trends in the delay from symptom onset to diagnosis (DONDX), and determined whether the degree of disability at diagnosis differs by year of symptom onset (YONSET), using the NARCOMS Registry.

To evaluate concurrent and predictive validity for low-contrast letter acuity (L-CLA) testing as a candidate visual component for the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC).

Visual dysfunction is one of the most common causes of disability in multiple sclerosis (MS). The Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC), a new clinical trial outcome measure, does not currently include a test of visual function.

Abstract: Fish-habitat relationships on the shallow inner continental shelf were quantified with video sled and metered beam trawl on Fenwick and Weaver shoals offshore of Maryland and Delaware, U.S. These areas provide megascale physical relief and habitat complexity, but for juvenile fishes, mesoscale and microscale habitat is very important particularly as refuge from predation. At these smaller scales, much of the relief on the inner continental shelf is contributed by bedforms or sand waves and biogenic structures such as tubes, shell beds, or pits. A quantitative association for juvenile fishes between and within benthic habitats was found and related primarily to bedform size and amount of biogenic structure. The incidence of fishes was about four-times higher for large bedforms (> 30 cm wavelength and about 10 cm crest height) relative to smaller bedforms (<30 cm wavelength and about 5 cm crest height). For biogenic structure, going from high patch-mat tube densities to lower densities or no biogenic structure increased fish incidence by 5.4 and 3.3 times, respectively. The significant relationships of fishes with bedform size and density of biogenic structure indicated that seemingly small differences in physical structure of a habitat can make the difference between unacceptable and essential habitat for juvenile fishes. Proximity of complex and simple habitats was important in the diel use of habitat and in balancing pressure of refuge from predation provided by complex habitats with foraging for increased resources available in simpler habitats. During the day, spatially complex habitats comprised ofDiopatra andAsabellides tube mats had about twice as many fishes relative to bare sandy habitats (8.3–9.9 versus 4.0–4.1 fishes 100 m−2, respectively). At night, the pattern was reversed with more fishes present in the bare sandy habitats (12.4–13.5 versus 5.6–8.7 fishes 100 m−2). Some fish, such asAmmodytes spp., were very habitat specific and occurred only on dynamic coarser sands near the top of the shoals. Others, such asUrophycis regia, showed less habitat preference and occurred in all habitats during both day and night. Combining the effects of physical relief and biogenics, the habitat with the highest incidence of fishes had large bedforms with some biogenic structure. More emphasis needs to be placed on quantifying the relationship between fishes and their habitats for the fisheries management concept of essential fish habitat to develop into an effective tool on the inner continental shelf. The juvenile life history stages need to be emphasized because fish-habitat interactions are the strongest for these stages and may be the most ecologically important.

To characterize whole-brain atrophy in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients over an 8-year period. The specific goals of this study were to determine if brain atrophy is related to subsequent disability status and to identify MRI correlates of atrophy progression.

Interferon -1a (IFN-1a, Avonex) is efficacious in relapsing forms of MS. Studies of other IFN preparations in secondary progressive MS (SPMS) yielded conflicting results. This study was undertaken to determine whether IFN-1a slowed disease progression in SP-MS.

To determine whether the MS Functional Composite (MSFC) can predict future disease progression in patients with relapsing remitting MS (RR-MS).

•White matter tracts that overlap with the thalamus and the putamen (hub+ tracts) have a lower degree of lesional and non-lesional tissue injury than white matter tracts that do not overlap or pass through these structures (hub- tracts), suggesting a protective role of the hubs against MS pathology.•Disease in both hub+ and hub- tracts was associated with measures of disability, however, disease in hub- tracts, retained slightly stronger correlation coefficients.•Our data points to the role of disease location in relation to hubs as guidance for treatment personalization, considering more aggressive approaches for patients presenting with MRI changes in hub- tracks.

The female gametophyte of genetic male‐sterile soybeans [Glycine max(L.) Merr.] (ms1ms1) was examined histologically to gain insight into the association of the ms1gene with polyembryony, haploidy, and polyploidy. Embryo sacs on the day of flowering appeared normal in only 28% of 225 male‐sterile ovules examined. The most common abnormality was supernumerary nuclei in the regions of the secondary nucleus and egg apparatus. It was concluded that these nuclei could arise by proliferation of nuclei during embryo sac development. Presence of supernumerary nuclei and their restitution products provides an explanation for polyembryony, haploids, and polyploids found among male‐sterile progeny. Ovules without an embryo sac occurred at a frequency of 11 and 12% in male‐sterile and normal fertile plants, respectively. Only one‐fourth of the embryo sacs of male‐sterile plants examined at 3 to 4 days post‐pollination contained an embryo, which agreed with the 29% normal embryo sacs observed before pollination. This also provides an explanation for the single‐seeded pods and the reduced seed set associated with the male‐sterile ms1ms1plants.

The transmission of mutans streptococci is thought to occur along familial lines based on investigations which have shown common strains within family units by using phenotypic typing methods, such as bacteriocin production and immunity profiles and serotyping. Difficulties in implementing these typing methods, coupled with conflicting interpretations of results between laboratories, led us to study the conservation of Streptococcus mutans strains within a mother-child cohort by using a genotypic marker, plasmid DNA. Plasmids (all 5.6 kilobases in size) were observed at an overall frequency of 3.3%, with a significantly different frequency in whites (1.5%) compared with blacks (6.6%). Plasmid-containing strains were significantly clustered in mother-child pairs compared with nonrelated individuals (58 versus 3.3%; P less than 0.001). Moreover, the different plasmid groups (I and II) were highly conserved within racial boundaries (P = 0.007). In those instances in which we were able to characterize distinct strains by either biotype or plasmid profile, we found that mothers harbored a more heterogeneous population of mutans streptococci than did their children. This suggested, among other possibilities, that children acquire additional strains as they approach adulthood. Alternatively, we may have been unable to detect more heterogeneity of strains in children because of quantitative differences of strains in saliva. We present collective data which show that strains of S. mutans are highly conserved within not only mothers and their children but also racial groups, suggesting vertical transmission of this organism within human populations. Moreover, we show that levels of S. mutans found in the saliva of the mother correlated with levels found in her child, demonstrating a quantitative relationship within mother-child pairs.

The induction of mammary carcinogenesis in the rat by 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea (MNU) is widely used in experimental breast cancer research. In the experiments reported, the Ha-ras codon 12 (ras12) mutation (GGA-->GAA) was used as a molecular marker to address issues of the clonality of carcinomas induced, pathogenetic independence among multiple carcinomas within the same animal and topographic distribution of mutant ras12 carcinomas in different mammary gland chains. In order to determine whether the frequently observed morphologically distinguishable lobules within carcinomas originate from the coalescence of independent lesions or whether cancerous cells within a carcinoma share a common origin, 44 randomly selected MNU-induced mammary carcinomas were genotyped for two to four lobules each for the ras12 mutation. A total of 43 carcinomas out of 44 (97.7%) had concordant ras12 genotypes among the multiple sites within each tumor, which is consistent with the latter possibility. Next, it was observed that as carcinoma multiplicity increased, the discordance rate of ras12 genotypes among multiple carcinomas within the same animal increased in a manner that was in excellent agreement with the expected discordance rate based on an assumption of no pathogenetic association among carcinomas. Furthermore, a significant difference was observed in the occurrence of mutant ras12 carcinomas between the cervical-thoracic and the abdominal-inguinal mammary glands in that three times as many carcinomas were mutant in the former as in the latter glands, whereas the occurrence of wild-type carcinomas was approximately the same in both regions. Taken together, the data are consistent with (i) carcinomas induced by MNU and detected by palpation are monoclonal in origin, (ii) independently-initiated cells emerge as distinct mammary carcinomas in the same animal, and (iii) the anatomical location of the gland may affect the prevalence of mammary carcinomas that harbor a mutant ras12.

Multiparametric flow cytometry (FC) of CSF allows one to easily estimate the percentage of lymphocyte subpopulations in CSF. We hypothesized that an increased ratio of B-lineage cells in CSF of MS patients, as assessed with FC, could be useful for diagnostics. We analyzed CSF of 137 patients (70 MS, 24 infectious/autoimmune neurologic disorders (INDs), and 43 non-infectious/autoimmune neurologic disorders (NINDs)), and showed that CSF plasmablasts of >0.1% had a sensitivity of 40% for MS and specificity of 92% when comparing MS and IND, while plasmablasts of >0.25% had sensitivity of 36%, and 100% specificity.

DATA on the deposition of plutonium isotopes are presented here from the atmosphere at Dome C (123°10′E, 74°39′S; 3,214m elevation) on the high Antarctic plateau. Plutonium isotopes are among the anthropogenic chemicals that have become global contaminants1–3and it is, therefore, important to gain a historical perspective to their worldwide dispersion. The analysis of successive layers of permanent snow fields permits the determination of both present and historical fluxes of anthropogenic chemicals and other contaminants that are dispersed through the atmosphere3–6. Dome C is an ideal site for such studies: annual precipitation at Dome C is of the order of 3.7 g H2O cm−2(ref. 7), considerably lower than the mean annual deposition of 15.5 g H2O cm−2over the entire continent8. The mean annual temperature is −53.5 °C7, with summer temperatures remaining well below freezing, precluding vertical percolation through successive layers and reducing potential losses from volatilisation.

To assess practice effects, and intrarater and interrater reliability of the MS functional composite (MSFC) outcome measure.

Recent studies show an association between the presence of Ureaplasma urealyticum in tracheal aspirates and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. We hypothesized that among infants with birth weights 1,250 g and respiratory disease, those with U. urealyticum in their tracheal aspirates would have radiographic evidence of more-severe pulmonary disease more often than would those without this organism. A total of 292 low-birth-weight infants who had endotracheal aspirate cultured within 7 days of birth were enrolled. The radiographic outcome variables were pneumonia, early severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (precocious), and chronic lung disease. Microorganisms were isolated from 128 infants (44%); U. urealyticum was isolated from 44 (15%). Pneumonia was significantly more common in infants with than without U. urealyticum (30% vs. 16%, P = .03). U. urealyticum also was associated with precocious bronchopulmonary dysplasia independent of prematurity, race, and sex (odds ratio, 2.2; P < .05). Tracheal isolation of U. urealyticum within 7 days of birth is associated with pneumonia and precocious bronchopulmonary dysplasia.