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Familial hemophagocytic syndrome (FHS) is a rare, fatal disorder of childhood demonstrating failure to thrive, fever, hepatosplenomegaly (HSM), recurrent infections, pancytopenia, and histologically, the infiltration of reticuloendothelial organs by benign-appearing histiocytes demonstrating hemophagocytosis. We report two fatal cases of FHS including a 3 year-old female who underwent fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of the liver in the initial workup of the disease (case 1) and an 8 month-old boy with ascites and HSM having peritoneal fluid cytology submitted as the first specimen for morphologic examination (case 2). In case 1, the FNA cytologic findings included benign hepatocytes and scattered mature and reactive lymphocytes and histiocytes. The histiocytes demonstrated fine to coarse cytoplasmic vacuoles and erythrophagocytosis. The diagnosis was confirmed at autopsy which revealed extensive lymphohistiocytic infiltrates in various organs including the central nervous system. In case 2, the peritoneal fluid cytology specimen contained numerous atypical and degenerating mononuclear lymphoreticular cells which were dispersed as a single cell suspension admixed with infrequent mesothelial elements; hemophagocytosis was not appreciated. Subsequent liver biopsy revealed portal tracts and sinusoids infiltrated by benign but atypical histiocytes with hemophagocytosis. Bone marrow examination and then autopsy confirmed the diagnosis of FHS. A panel of immunocytochemical studies was performed in the first case which was an aid in confirming the diagnosis of FHS and ultrastructural examination of the second case revealed well-developed erythrophagocytosis. Both patients had siblings who died of FHS. Although not diagnostic, cytomorphology may suggest FHS.

Several 1-(4-biphenoxyacetyl)-4-substituted arylthiosemicarbazides and their corresponding cyclized 2-(4-biphenoxymethyl)-5-arylamino-1,3,4- oxadiazoles were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses and IR, mass, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. All compounds were evaluated for anti-inflammatory activity by determining their ability to provide protection against carrageenin-induced edema in rat paw. The anti-inflammatory activity possessed by substituted thiosemicarbazides [100 mg/kg, intraperitoneal(ip)] ranged from 22 to 68%, whereas substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazoles (100 mg/kg, ip) provided protection of 10-76%. Hydrocortisone (10 mg/kg, ip) and oxyphenbutazone (40 mg/kg, ip), used as standard reference drugs, decreased edema in rat paw by 44.6 and 52.9%, respectively. All compounds (1 mM) possessed antiproteolytic activity that was reflected by their ability to cause in vitro inhibition of trypsin-induced hydrolysis of bovine serum albumin. This inhibition ranged between 43 and 72% for substituted thiosemicarbazides and 30 and 83% for substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazoles.

Reactions of reduced horse spleen ferritin with horse and Saccharomyces cerevisiae ferricytochromes c, cow ferricytochrome b5, sperm-whale metmyoglobin and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ferricytochrome c-551 were investigated by u.v.-visible spectrophotometry. In all cases the reduced ferritin reduced the ferrihaemoproteins. The rate of reduction varied from less than 0.2 M-1.s-1 for metmyoglobin to 1.1 x 10(3) M-1.s-1 for horse ferricytochrome c (0.1 M-phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, at 25 degrees C). We conclude that the mechanism of ferrihaemoprotein reduction involves long-range electron transfer through the coat of ferritin and that such electron transfer is rapid enough to account for the rates of iron release observed by other workers in reductive release assays.

Crude 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine-5'-phosphate (AZT-P), obtained from direct phosphorylation of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (azidothymidine, AZT), was separated and purified by isocratic preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. The components in a 2.5-g load of crude AZT-P, obtained from work-up of the phosphorylation reaction, were separated in 50 min to give 1.8 g of 99.5% pure AZT-P. AZT-P was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and by high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (1H, 13C, 31P) spectroscopy. The practical and rapid preparative chromatographic method is being applied to the purification of AZT-P and other antiretroviral dideoxynucleotides, used as intermediates in the synthesis of target-directed experimental drugs for the treatment of AIDS.

Brahmi (Bacopa monniera Linn.) is a reputed nerve tonic in Ayurvedic literature. Hence its effects on the learning performance of rats have been studied in different conditioning schedules by administering an aqueous suspension of an alcoholic extract (40 mg/kg, p.o.) for three or more days. The first schedule induced a labile behaviour using a shock-motivated brightness-discrimination reaction. The brahmi-treated group showed better acquisition, improved retention and delayed extinction (p is less than 0.01-0.05). Similarly, in an active conditioned flight reaction, the drug-treated animals showed a shorter reaction time than the controls (p less than 0.01). Also in the continuous avoidance response the drug-treated group performed better than the controls (p less than 0.01-0.05). Our findings are in conformity with the Ayurvedic claims and indicate that Bacopa monniera can improve the performance of rats in various learning situations.

"Fears are often expressed that migration to the towns is a cause of surplus labour, increased unemployment, and the general decline in the quality of life in urban areas. In a detailed study of the interaction between migration and the urban labour market in an Indian city, the authors investigate these questions and show how the migrants fare as compared with the urban natives. They find no evidence that migrants are confined to marginal employment or contribute disproportionately to urban underemployment. Policy-makers are cautioned against adopting measures to curb migration, which is part of the process of economic growth and social advance, without first making a detailed assessment of its effects.", (excerpt)

Injections of adrenaline produced an immediate rise in peripheral absolute eosinophil count in cases of tropical pulmonary eosinophilia, but a fall or no change in other conditions with similar clinical manifestations. A similar early eosinophilic effect was noted in control guinea pigs as well as in Ascaris larvae-fed guinea pigs. The effect of adrenaline on eosinophil counts in cases of tropical pulmonary eosinophilia was not paralled by effects on total erythrocyte or leucocyte counts or on packed cell volumes. The early eosinophilic effects of adrenaline in guinea pigs was blocked by pehntolamine but no be propranalol. Adrenaline-induced changes on eosinophil counts may be used as a disgnostic test of tropical pulmonary eosinophilia.