Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus From Organ Donors Despite Nucleic Acid Test Screening.

Nucleic acid testing (NAT) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is recommended for screening of organ donors, yet not all donor infections may be detected. We describe three US clusters of HCV transmission from donors at increased risk for HCV infection. Donor's and recipients' medical records were reviewed. Newly infected recipients were interviewed. Donor-derived HCV infection was considered when infection was newly detected after transplantation in recipients of organs from increased risk donors. Stored donor sera and tissue samples were tested for HCV RNA with high-sensitivity quantitative PCR. Posttransplant and pretransplant recipient sera were tested for HCV RNA. Quasispecies analysis of hypervariable region-1 was used to establish genetic relatedness of recipient HCV variants. Each donor had evidence of injection drug use preceding death. Of 12 recipients, 8 were HCV-infected-6 were newly diagnosed posttransplant. HCV RNA was retrospectively detected in stored samples from donor immunologic tissue collected at organ procurement. Phylogenetic analysis showed two clusters of closely related HCV variants from recipients. These investigations identified the first known HCV transmissions from increased risk organ donors with negative NAT screening, indicating very recent donor infection. Recipient informed consent and posttransplant screening for blood-borne pathogens are essential when considering increased risk donors.

A highly active PtCu3 intermetallic core-shell, multilayered Pt-skin, carbon embedded electrocatalyst produced by a scale-up sol-gel synthesis.

We present a novel, scaled-up sol-gel synthesis which enables one to produce 20 g batches of highly active and stable carbon supported PtCu3 nanoparticles as cathode materials for low temperature fuel cell application. We confirm the presence of an ordered intermetallic phase underneath a multilayered Pt-skin together with firm embedment of nanoparticles in the carbon matrix.

Transmission of Balamuthia mandrillaris through solid organ transplantation: utility of organ recipient serology to guide clinical management.

A liver, heart, iliac vessel and two kidneys were recovered from a 39-year-old man who died of traumatic head injury and were transplanted into five recipients. The liver recipient 18 days posttransplantation presented with headache, ataxia and fever, followed by rapid neurologic decline and death. Diagnosis of granulomatous amebic encephalitis was made on autopsy. Balamuthia mandrillaris infection was confirmed with immunohistochemical and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Donor and recipients' sera were tested for B. mandrillaris antibodies. Donor brain was negative for Balamuthia by immunohistochemistry and PCR; donor serum Balamuthia antibody titer was positive (1:64). Antibody titers in all recipients were positive (range, 1:64-1:512). Recipients received a four- to five-drug combination of miltefosine or pentamidine, azithromycin, albendazole, sulfadiazine and fluconazole. Nausea, vomiting, elevated liver transaminases and renal insufficiency were common. All other recipients survived and have remained asymptomatic 24 months posttransplant. This is the third donor-derived Balamuthia infection cluster described in solid organ transplant recipients in the United States. As Balamuthia serologic testing is only available through a national reference laboratory, it is not feasible for donor screening, but may be useful to determine exposure status in recipients and to help guide chemotherapy.

The influence of chloride impurities on Pt/C fuel cell catalyst corrosion.

Potentiodynamic Pt/C fuel cell catalyst corrosion has been studied as a function of chloride concentration with an electrochemical flow cell (EFC) coupled with highly sensitive ICP-MS. The Pt corrosion mechanism changes significantly: the anodic corrosion is much enhanced compared to the cathodic corrosion that prevails in electrolytes without Cl(-).

One-step electropolymeric co-immobilization of glucose oxidase and heparin for amperometric biosensing of glucose.

Electropolymerization was used for the co-deposition of glucose oxidase and heparin onto metal electrode transducers. Such electropolymeric co-entrapment within a non-conducting poly(1,2-phenylenediamine) (PPD) film imparts both biocatalytic and anticoagulation activities onto the transducer, and greatly improves the performance of the sensor after exposure to whole blood. Essentially identical glucose signals are observed before and after exposure to blood samples. Scanning electron micrographs after such exposure reveal no platelet deposition or formation of a fibrin "clot". The effect of the heparin co-immobilization on the glucose response is examined. Improved biocompatibility is reported also in connection with a needle-type carbon paste biosensor configuration. The simultaneous localization of the enzyme and heparin offers great promise for simplifying the preparation of enzyme electrodes and designing biocompatible implantable glucose biosensors.

Thermodynamic properties of polyelectrolyte solutions containing mixtures of monovalent and trivalent counterions.

The osmotic coefficients, heats of dilution, and volume changes on dilution of aqueous solutions containing mixtures of polystyrenesulfonic acid and its lanthanum salt have been determined at 25 degrees C. The curve representing the osmotic coefficient as a function of the equivalent fraction of the acid has a maximum; the corresponding curves for the enthalpy and volume changes on dilution have a sigmoidal shape. Experimental results have been compared with predictions of the theory based on the cell model with cylindrical symmetry. A semiquantitative agreement between theory and experiment has been found.