Faculty Bibliography

Vesicles and micelles, the major carriers of cholesterol in bile, play a role in the formation of cholesterol gallstones. A simple and rapid ultracentrifugation method was developed to isolate these biliary cholesterol carriers when only microliter amounts of bile were available. The proposed method employs a 46 to 0% sucrose density gradient, a NVT90 near-vertical rotor, and a centrifugation time of one hour. As little as 25 microL of bile can be used with no disruption of the carriers. The method was validated by comparison with gel filtration column chromatography using 6 mM taurocholate in the elution buffer. The sucrose linear density gradient ultracentrifugation procedure described here is simple, fast, and compares favorably with the gel filtration chromatography method for the separation of cholesterol carriers from bile.

A 34-year-old woman presented with cyanosis and a methemoglobin level of 23.2% after perineal application of a topical anesthetic cream containing 20% benzocaine. Many commonly used products contain high levels of benzocaine, and their use can lead to life-threatening methemoglobin levels. This case reinforces the need for stricter guidelines for product use and warning labels to alert consumers to this potential side effect of topical benzocaine-containing products sold over the counter

In a move affecting all pregnant women, federal health officials on Thursday recommended new strategies to reduce the incidence of a serious and often fatal bacterial infection in newborns. The recommendations to prevent the infection, from group B streptococci, are likely to lead to treating hundreds of thousands of pregnant women with antibiotics during labor. Group B strep infections are the most common serious infection in newborns. About 7,600 newborns, or 1 in 500, develop group B strep infections each year. Infection is usually acquired during pregnancy when the bacteria climb from the vagina to the womb or during passage through the birth canal

In a move affecting all pregnant women, federal health officials recommended new strategies Thursday to reduce the incidence of a serious and often fatal bacterial infection in newborns. The recommendations affect about 1 million pregnant women who carry these bacteria in their intestinal and genital tracts without developing illness but who can transmit the microbe to their babies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said in publishing the recommendations

In a move affecting all pregnant women, federal health officials recommended new strategies yesterday to reduce the incidence of a serious and often fatal bacterial infection in newborns. The recommendations affect about 1 million pregnant women who carry these bacteria in their intestinal and genital tracts without developing illness but who can transmit the microbe to their babies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said in publishing the recommendations

In a move affecting all pregnant women, federal health officials on Thursday recommended new strategies to reduce the incidence of a serious and often fatal bacterial infection in newborns. The recommendations to prevent the infection, from group B streptococci, are likely to lead to treating hundreds of thousands of pregnant women with antibiotics during labor. Group B strep infections are the most common serious infection in newborns. About 7,600 newborns, or 1 in 500, develop group B strep infections each year. Infection is usually caused during pregnancy when the bacteria climb from the vagina to the womb or during passage through the birth canal

In a move affecting all pregnant women, FDA officials recommended new strategies to reduce the incidence of a serious and often fatal bacterial infection in newborns brought on by group B streptococci. The recommendations affect about one million pregnant women who carry these bacteria in their intestines and genital tracts without developing illness but who can transmit the microbe to their babies

Group B strep infections are the most common serious infection in newborns. About 7,600 newborns, or 1 in 500, develop group B strep infections each year. Infection is usually acquired during pregnancy when the bacteria climb from the vagina to the womb or during passage through the birth canal. Treatment is directed at the mother following testing about one month before she gives birth because group B strep infections in newborns ''are easier to prevent than trying to save the baby after it occurs,'' said Dr. Anne Schuchat, a CDC epidemiologist. Dr. Schuchat said federal officials were urging pregnant women to ask doctors about possible treatment because ''this is one bad thing that can happen to your baby that you can actually do something about up front.''

Two hundred years after a vaccine was first used to stem the spread of smallpox, the World Health Organization has decided to destroy the last remaining stocks of the smallpox virus, one of the biggest killers in history. Destruction is scheduled for June 30, 1999, according to a plan that representatives of 190 counties approved at the final day of the weeklong annual meeting of the health organization. Final approval is required by member countries of WHO, the United Nations agency in Geneva, at their May 1999 meeting

Two hundred years after a vaccine was first used to stem the spread of smallpox, WHO has decided to destroy the last remaining stocks of the smallpox virus, one of the biggest killers in history. Destruction is scheduled for Jun 30, 1999, according to a plan that representatives of 190 counties approved at the final day of the weeklong annual meeting of the health organization