Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, prepared by incubating autologous lymphocytes in cell culture medium with interleukin-2, selectively lyse tumor cells and are effective immunotherapy of some cancers. During a 3-month period, two patients at our center were infused with LAK cells subsequently found to have been contaminated by Aspergillus fumigatus. Each case was investigated by obtainin...

This chapter describes common laboratory procedures that can reduce the risk of culture contaminations (sepsis), collectively referred as "aseptic technique." Two major strategies of aseptic work are described: using a Bunsen burner and a laminar flow hood. Both methods are presented in the form of general protocols applicable to a variety of laboratory tasks such as pipetting and dispensing al...

Exposures to diacetyl, a primary ingredient of butter flavoring, have been shown to cause respiratory disease among workers who mix flavorings. This study focused on evaluating ventilation controls designed to reduce emissions from the flavor mixing tanks, the major source of diacetyl in the plants. Five exhaust hood configurations were evaluated in the laboratory: standard hinged lid-opened, s...

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 110 provides a quantitative method for testing the performance of laboratory fume hoods. Through release of a known quantity (4.0 Lpm) of a tracer gas, and subsequent monitoring of the tracer gas concentration in the "breathing zone" of a mannequin positioned in front of the hood, this method allows for evaluation of laboratory hood performance. Standard 110 specifies sulfu...

A colorimetric method for arsenic in urine utilizing a portable hood and requiring minimal laboratory facilities is described. Urine samples are combusted in a hot plate-oven with MgO and Mg(No3)2. Arsine is generated from the ashed product and passed into silver diethyldithio-carbamate in pyridine. Inorganic and organic arsenicals in urine at 0.03 ppm with 6% variation is detectable.

Hereditary osteo-onychodysplasia (HOOD, nail-patella syndrome) is an autosomal dominant condition characterised by nail dysplasia, patellar hypoplasia or aplasia, and nephropathy. The risk for HOOD patients to have a child with HOOD who will develop renal failure cannot easily be deduced from published pedigrees. We have studied a large family with 30 patients with HOOD and have analysed 34 kin...

BACKGROUND Sleeping metabolic rate (SMR) is used as a proxy for basal metabolic rate in infants, when measurement while awake is not practical. Measuring SMR via indirect calorimetry (IC) can be useful for assessing feeding adequacy especially in compromised neonates. Standard IC equipment, including a hood placed over the head, is not designed for the smallest of patients. Our aim was to deter...

It is well known that visually guided behavior is impaired in visually deprived cats. In particular, visual discrimination learning is strongly affected. In an earlier paper prepared in this Laboratory (2) such deficit was observed in cats visually deprived by means of linen hoods, which prevented pattern vision. In the present paper the targeting (orienting) reflex evoked by a sound from a vis...