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A semicomatose 34-year-old man had fever, heart murmur, and multiple gangrenous lesions. Several blood cultures were negative. Cultures of the heart valve grew beta-haemolytic streptococcus group B. The organism was seen in buffy-coat examination of the venous blood. The gas-liquid chromatogram of the serum was different from those of normal controls and of patients with invasive candida infection; it closely mimicked the one obtained from the organism itself. These studies promise to be valuable diagnostic adjuncts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The authors present a view of biochemical engineering by describing their personal interests and experience over the years involving mostly conversion of lignocellulosics into fuels and chemicals and the associated engineering subjects.

This article presents the advanced technology that has been developed by BioEnergy International of Gainesville, Florida, utilizing novel recombinant strains of bacteria developed by Lonnie Ingram of the University of Florida. The first commercial applications of these unique fermenting organisms convert 5-carbon sugars, as well as 6-carbon sugars, and oligomers of cellulose (e.g., cellobiose and cellotriose) directly to ethanol. The proposed systems that will be utilized for conversion of agricultural wastes, mixed waste papers, and pulp and paper mill waste in forthcoming commercial installations are now under design. This involves the extensive experience of Raphael Katzen Associates International, Inc. in acid hydrolysis, enzyme production, enzymatic hydrolysis, large-scale fermentation engineering, and distillation/dehydration. Specific examples of this advanced technology will be presented in different applications, namely: 1. Conversion of the hemicellulose content of sugar cane bagasse to 5-carbon sugars by mild-acid prehydrolysis, followed by fermentation of the 5-carbon sugar extract with recombinant Escherichia coli in a commercial installation soon to be under construction in Brazil. This unique process utilizes the surplus hemicellulose fraction of bagasse not required for steam and power generation to produce ethanol, additional to that from the original can juice, which has been converted by conventional sucrose fermentation to ethanol. The process also recovers and converts to ethanol the majority of sucrose normally lost with the bagasse fibers. Resultant beer is enriched in an innovative process to eliminate the need for incremental rectification capacity. 2. Application of this technology to mixed waste paper in Florida, with a moderate loading of newsprint (85% mechanical wood fiber), will involve a mild-acid prehydrolysis, the partial extraction of the 5-carbon sugars produced from hemicellulose as a feedstock for propagation of the recombinant Klebsiella oxytoca bacterium. Included is a facility providing for in-house production of cellulase enzyme, as an active whole broth for direct use in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of the remaining cellulose and residual 5-carbon sugars to ethanol. This is followed by distillation and dehydration in the advanced commercially available low-energy recovery system. 3. Another potential application of this unique technology involves utilization of a variety of wastes from several pulp and paper mills in close proximity, permitting collection of these wastes at low cost and reducing the considerable cost encountered in disposing of such low-energy wet waste.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Hypoaminoacidemia and skin rash are features of the glucagonoma syndrome. A glucagonoma patient with earlier insulin treated, noninsulin-dependent diabetes, and functional liver metastases, 3 yr postresection of pancreatic tumor, was treated with a high protein diet for 2 wk, then switched to a high carbohydrate diet for 3 wk followed by 3 wk on high protein diet, which continued for 3 months with additional carbohydrate. While on the high protein diet urine nitrogen indicated frank retention and total plasma amino acid levels normalized each time. Plasma amino acid decreased again after 1 wk on the high carbohydrate diet. Skin rash varied irrespective of amino acid levels, but cleared 4 days after resection of metastases. However, total amino acid did not reach normal levels on a conventional diet 3 wk postsurgery, but were normal 6 wk later. A high protein diet can normalize plasma amino acids and allow nitrogen retention in glucagonoma, apparently overriding the gluconeogenic drive of the high circulating glucagon levels. The skin rash may not be only attributed to hypoaminoacidemia.

Gas-liquid chromatography was performed on serum samples obtained from selected patients with infectious diseases. The characteristic chromatographic profile was seen in serum samples from 21 patients with either documented invasive candidiasis or candidemia. Serum samples from ten normal controls, three patients with candidal colonization, and 11 clinically noninfected patients, seven of whom had fevers attributable to malignancies, showed normal chromatograms. The eradication of Candida from deep tissue and/or bloodstream was reflected promptly by a normalization of the chromatograms in all six cases. Use of amphotericin B was safely avoided in three patients with candidemia whose follow-up chromatograms became normal following the discontinuation of intravenous catheterization. This test promises to be useful in the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of invasive candidal infections and candidemia.