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Notes: Blood eosinophils, and serum levels of the eosinophil proteins, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and eosinophil protein X (EPX) were measured in childhood asthma. Seventeen patients mean age 11–9 years who were symptomatic with asthma, were enrolled in a study examining the eosinophil counts and eosinophil proteins at the onset of study and after treatment in relation to changes in their baseline forced expiratory volume at 1 second (FEV1) and % predicted FEV1. The patients with symptomatic asthma were compared with 17 patients mean age 12.0 years with asymptomatic asthma maintained on daily inhaled steroid and 13 patients, mean age 12.0 years, without asthma but with urticaria who served as non-asthma controls. Patients with symptomatic asthma did not have significantly higher initial eosinophil counts compared with those with asymptomatic asthma (0.43 × 109/1 vs 0.26 × 109/1, P= 0.09) but had higher serum ECP levels (28.9 μ/1 vs 18.5 μg/1). Both asthma patient groups had significantly higher serum ECP levels (P〈0.01) than the controls (9.8 μg/1). After therapy consisting of increased dose of inhaled steroids and/or oral steroids, patients in the symptomatic asthma group demonstrated a significant rise in FEV1 (1.67 1/sec at Visit 1 vs 2.08 1/ sec at Visit 2, 1〈0.01). A similar rise was seen for % predicted FEV1. Patients in the asymptomatic asthma group showed no significant change in FEV1 between visits (2.23 1/sec vs 2.37 1/sec), which was verified with the % predicted FEV1, Patients in the symptomatic asthma group showed a significant decrease in ECP level following treatment (28.9 μ/1 to 9.6 μ/1. P〈0.001) while the values in the asymptomatic group did not change (18.6 μ/1 to 15.2 μ/1 not significant). There was a significant correlation between the initial ECP level in the symptomatic asthma group and the change in the FEV| with treatment. Serum EPX levels showed similar trends but there was no significant correlation between the initial EPX levels and the changes in FEV1. Neither did blood eosinophil counts show such a correlation. This data suggests that the changes in serum ECP levels correlate with the changes in lung function subsequently to anti-inflammation therapy.

Notes: Children less than 5 years of age with asthma were assessed for total eosinophil counts and scrum levels of the eosinophil proteins, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and eosinophil protein X (EPX). to determine whether these measurements would reflect eosinophilic inflammation in the airways. Initially 27 symptomatic patients, 14 atopic and 13 non-atopic were investigated. They had a mean age of 1.8 years and had never been treated with inhaled steroid and had not received Intal for 2 weeks prior to the assessment. The 14 atopic patients proved to have higher mean total eosinophil counts and serum levels of ECP and EPX than the 13 non-atopic patients (eosinophil counts 0.63 109/1 vs 0.26 × 109/1, P 〈 0.001; ECP 36.9 μg/1 vs 10.8 μg/1, P 〈 0.001; EPX 69.0 μg/1 v.s 19.6 μg/l, P 〈 0.01. Thirteen of these patients required treatment with daily doses of inhaled steroid and 11 had a repeal assessment (seven atopic and four non-atopic). The mean serum EC'P of the seven atopic patients had fallen significantly (40.6 to 22.9. P 〈 0.05) while the total eosinophil counts did not. These results suggest a difference in numbers and activity of eosinophils in a topic compared with non-atopic asthma in young children.To determine whether the results were influenced by treatment with inhaled steroids. 31 patients who were being treated with daily inhaled steroid underwent assessment when they were symptomatic (22 samples) or asymptomatic (19 samples). Of the 31 patients. 11 were atopic and 20 non-atopic, Atopic asthmatics had higher levels of eosinophils and serum ECP than non-atopic patients when symptomatic patients were compared, despite treatment with inhaled steroid.Finally, in order to determine whether the ECP correlates with atopy rather than asthma, 19 patients who were seen for assessment of a reaction to a food (usually peanut or egg) and who had a positive skin lest to the appropriate food were examined. Twelve of these patients had a history of intermittent asthma and a mean ECP of 31 9μg/I while seven patients had no asthma and a mean ECP of 13.4 μg/l (P 〈 0.05), The total eosinophil counts showed the same difference. This suggests that atopy in the absence of asthma may not be associated with an elevated eosinophil count or ECP level. The data suggest that atopy contributes lo childhood asthma, even in infancy, by mobilization and activation of eosinophils. Scrum ECP might be a useful measure of eosinophil activation in asthma of early childhood.

Notes: Abstract This study demonstrates that SC-41930, 7-[3-(4-acetyl-3-methoxy-2-propylphenoxy)-propoxy]-3,4-dihydro-8-propyl-2H-1-benzopyran-2-carboxylic acid, an orally active LTB4 receptor antagonist, reduces LTB4-induced leukocyte adhesion and emigration in rat mesenteric venules. The mesentery of Sprague-Dawley rats was prepared for intravital microscopic examination and venules of 25–35 μm were chosen for evaluation. In control animals, LTB4 (20nM) was superfused over the mesentery for 30 min. In the treatment group SC-41930 (5 μM) was superfused for 30 min, followed by a 30 min superfusion with SC-41930 and LTB4. The LTB4-induced increase in leukocyte adherence and emigration in postcapillary venules was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with SC-41930. Other experiments demonstrated that platelet-activating-factor-induced leukocyte adherence was not affected by SC-41930. These results indicate that SC-41930 is a potent inhibitor of LTB4-induced leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesive interactions in postcapillary venules.

Notes: Abstract The performance of two external plastic scintillator detectors has been tested in an off-line mode using a source of106RuFe at UNISOR/NOF. The measurement of beta asymmetries at various temperatures has resulted in the reproduction of the previously-determined magnetic dipole moment for the 1+ ground state of106Rh and in addition the conclusion that the sign of this moment is positive.

Notes: Abstract The magnetic dipole moment of114Sb has been measured using on-line nuclear orientation (OLNO) at the UNISOR Nuclear Orientation Facility (UNISOR/NOF). The value was determined to be 1.72 (8) nuclear magnetons. The observed anisotropy of the 1299 keV transition was fitted as a function of temperature making allowance for incomplete thermalization of the114Sb nuclei prior to decay. The relaxation constant, Ck, is discussed, as is the ground state structure of114Sb.

Notes: Abstract Angular distribution data for gamma radiation from separated116,116m,114Sb and116In oriented on-line at mK temperatures at the UNISOR Nuclear Orientation Facility, Oak Ridge, is reported. Mixing ratios of three 2+ states in116Sn are deduced. The magnetic moments of116mSb, (+)2.59(22) µN and114Sb, (+)1.72(8) µN, are extracted with full allowance for incomplete spin-lattice relaxation. Single particle descriptions of these states are briefly discussed.

Notes: Abstract The184Au→184Pt decay, studied on-line with the UNISOR facility at HHIRF, is discussed. Gamma-ray and conversion-electron spectroscopy of184Pt as well as on-line nuclear orientation measurements of184Au were done. A new low-lying level scheme of184Pt is proposed. Two coexisting bands with different deformations and their respective γ-vibrational bands are established. Internal conversion coefficients for interband transitions between states with the same spin are extracted from the spectroscopy measurements. The relative E0 contents of the transitions are determined by combining internal conversion coefficients with E2/M1 mixing ratios deduced from gamma-ray anisotropies measured from oriented nuclei.

Notes: Abstract A more complete level scheme is presented here for the decay of187Pt, incorporating many new lines and levels up to 2.4 MeV. Emphasis has been placed on the extraction of multipole mixing ratios from nuclear orientation data. Analysis of that data, however, required a more complete understanding of the level structure (including, in particular, branching ratios, conversion coefficients, and level feedings), prompting the collection of new spectroscopy data. The low-lying, positive-parity levels are described in terms of (odd-proton) single-particle Nilsson states coupled to a triaxial core. Multipole mixing ratios are compared to those calculated in the Particle-Plus-Triaxial-Rotor Model.