Electronic structure of proteins and DNA: solid-state aspects.

The generalization of the Hartree-Fock method to periodic systems (polymers or crystals) using a linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) makes it possible to calculate ab initio self-consistent-field LCAO band structures of periodic protein and DNA models. The results obtained for polyglycine, polyalanine, and for the mixed poly(Gly-Ala) periodic chain, as well as for the four homopolynucleotides, are presented. The correction of these band structures for excitonic effects (in the excited state) and for long-range correlation effects is shown also. Furthermore, it is outlined how the short-range correlation in insulator biopolymers and correlation effects in proteins with a partially filled valence band (for instance, due to charge transfer) can be calculated. The Coherent Potential Approximation is outlined and its possible application to aperiodic proteins and DNA is pointed out. Finally the effect of an electron acceptor on proteins or of a chemical carcinogen bound to DNA is discussed as a local perturbation of the band structures of these systems on the basis of the self-consistent resolvent method.


The mechanisms of conduction in proteins.

Theoretical calculations have already shown that the electronic properties of biopolymers may be described in terms of conduction and valence energy bands in which electrons are delocalized to a significant degree. Because these bands are separated by a large energy gap, it is concluded that electronic conduction in such systems must be by 'holes' in the valence band. The mechanism of this conduction is discussed with special reference to dry proteins where the charge-transfer role of appropriate acceptor molecules and the modulating influence of amino acid residues will encourage localized and delocalized hole production at the valence band edge. It is suggested that there are close similarities, which have shown up in measurements, in the electrical behaviour of proteins and other non-biological semi-crystalline solids. The significance of such long-range conduction and attendant polarization is considered briefly in the light of evidence for the existence of proteins in cell membranes and in the skeleton of the cytoplasm


Electronic and dielectric properties of protein--methylglyoxal complexes.

Steady-state conduction and dielectric measurements over the frequency range 10(-5) to 10(5) Hz are reported for several proteins that have been complexed with methylglyoxal. Compared with the normal (white) proteins the brown protein--methylglyoxal complexes exhibit a marked increase in electronic conductivity and a pronounced low-frequency dielectric dispersion. The intensity of the brown colour and the electronic activity is directly related to the number of free lysine groups available to react with the methylglyoxal. It is proposed that the methylglyoxal molecules form Schiff bases with the epsilon-amino groups of lysine residues and that these Schiff bases then form a charge-transfer complex with a neighbouring peptide unit. For collagen, in particular, it is found that the electron 'holes' so formed in the polypeptide backbone are capable of long range motion in what can be interpreted as being the valence band of extended electronic states of the protein structure. The protein--methylglyoxal complexes have electronic and dielectric properties similar to those exhibited by the perylene-chloranil charge-transfer complex.


Lung alterations in newborn rabbits after maternal thrombin-shock. I. Morphological alterations.

Alterations of the lung structure, especially of the pneumocytes type II, of asphyxied newborn rabbits were investigated. Experiments were carried out on pregnant does shocked by thrombin- and Pamba-applications on the 28th, 29th and 30th day of gestation and on their newborns delivered by caesarian section at these days and killed after one or five hours life-time. Histologically, adult rabbits show characteristic alterations in an early phase of the shock. Lung alterations are the main findings in the newborns. Atelectases and, additionally, disturbances of circulation, permeability and also hyaline thrombi are seen. Lamellar bodies within the pneumocytes type II show a significant decrease of the lamellae and the whole osmiophilic material. The alterations of immature newborns are more severe than those of mature animals and also more severe after the longer life-time. These alterations are considered as a result of decreased synthesis of surface active phospholipids.


Differentiation of Pasteurella haemolytica biotypes A and T with growth inhibitors.

Differentiation of type A and type T cultures of Pasteurella haemolytica was accomplished by paper disks containing 0.3 microgram of penicillin G, which produced zones of inhibition larger than 10 mm with type A but not with type T strains. Basic fuchsin (0.2 microgram/ml), brilliant green (0.005 microgram/ml), methylene blue (3.1 micrograms/ml) in brain heart infusion broth permitted the growth of type T but that of type A isolates.


Bicultural training: a cost-effective program.

The effects of a bicultural training program in easing adjustment to the work world were studied on new graduate nurses working in eight medical center hospitals. Data from that study are used to examine program costs per new graduate-head nurse dyad. The cost effectiveness of the bicultural program is illustrated by comparing program costs with savings resulting from decreased turnover among new graduates who receive bicultural training. The mean time and cost estimates for the program may be used by others to determine cost effectiveness of bicultural training in their own institutions.


The computerized medical record system: meeting the challenge for nursing.

A system of computerized medical record-keeping in a health maintenance organization is described. Some problems arising in the shift from manual to computerized record-keeping are discussed. Perhaps the most important for nursing is the increase in the nursing staff's responsibility for complete, consistent documentation of patient care concomitant with the shift to a computerized system. Nurses must be comfortable with patient assessment, patient management and documentation in order to utilize the system effectively.


Peer review: a model for professional accountability.

This article describes the implementation of a peer review process for the classification, promotion, and ongoing evaluation of professional nurses in a large university hospital. From their experience, the authors discuss particular considerations and problems to be managed when implementing peer review.


The nursing administrator's role in health planning.

The role of the nursing administrator in community and regional health planning and institutional program planning is illustrated. A planning systems perspective is proposed and strategies for involvement at each level are outlined. Nursing administrators who are not already involved in these phases of health care planning may be stimulated to expand their scope of participation.


The nursing care plan problem.

If nursing care plans are related to positive patient outcomes, why don't nurses write them? The authors conducted a study to investigate the effect of variables such as reinforcement, knowledge, values and incentives, and certain demographic characteristics on the writing of nursing care plans. The findings have some important implications for nursing administrators and nursing educators, and emphasize the need for further study and investigation.


[Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of clinical isolates of Pseudomonas cepacia (author's transl)].

The yearly changes of relative frequency of glucose-nonfermentative Gram-negative bacilli except for P. aeruginosa isolated from various clinical specimens over the past 5 years were studied. Acinetobacter anitratum was the most commonly encountered strain and P. maltophilia and P. putida were also frequently encountered during 1974 through 1977. In 1978, P. cepacia became a significantly predominant strain, which was 44.6% of all nonfermentative Gram-negative bacilli excluding P. aeruginosa isolated in Juntendo Hospital. Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of 59 similar to 61 clinical isolates of P. cepacia in 1978 were studied by agar dilution method, standardized by the Japan Society of Chemotherapy. Miloxacin and minocycline inhibited more than 95% of the strain by the concentration of 6.25 micrograms/ml. Nalidixic acid and sulfamethoxazole were sensitive to approximately 52% and 75% of the strains respectively. The minimal inhibitory concentration of gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin, kanamycin, apalcillin, piperacillin and pipemidic acid for most strains was more than 1.25 micrograms/ml. More than 90% of the strains were highly resistant to ampicillin, carbenicillin, sulbenicillin, ticarcillin, cefazolin, cefotiam, tetracycline, clindamycin and colistin.


[Chronic fetomaternal bloodtransfusion with signs of heart failure (author's transl)].

A case of chronic fetomaternal bloodtransfusion with signs of heart failure is described. More than 200 ml blood were lost into the mother's circulation. Heartfailure did not fully account for the marked enlargement of the liver and the slight splenomegoly, so that reactivation of the extramedullary erythropoesis presumably was an additional causative factor for it.


In vitro response of Enterobacter to ampicillin.

Three strains of Enterobacter were studied for their response to ampicillin. They exhibited a basic level of resistance that depended on the medium used and high-level mutational resistance at a frequency of 10(-5) to 10(-7). Two classes of mutants were selected, one of which showed markedly enhanced antibiotic inactivation as indicated by a biological assay and the other of which resembled the wild type in this regard. Both mutants showed cross-resistance to other beta-lactam antibiotics. The results explained discrepancies between traditional broth dilution minimum inhibitory concentration tests and early read automated procedures.


Control of protein synthesis in mammalian cells by aminoacylation of transfer ribonucleic acid.

The dependence of protein synthesis on the intracellular content of aminoacylated tRNA has been studied in mouse ascites tumor cells deprived for various amino acids. A remarkable reduction in net protein synthesis has been found only after a drastic decrease in aminoacylation of tRNA. The quantitative correlation of protein synthesis with the degree of aminoacylation suggests that a moderate amino acid starvation primarily influences the rate of elongation at the codon concerned. These results are in contrast to the findings previously reported for HeLa cells. Some crucial steps during the determination of intracellular aminoacyl-tRNA have been investigated. The reliability of the method employed has been discussed on a theoretical basis.


Transcription of a cloned Bombyx mori tRNA2Ala gene: nucleotide sequence of the tRNA precursor and its processing in vitro.

We have analyzed the transcription of a cloned silkworm tRNA2Ala gene in germinal vesicle extracts of X. laevis oocytes. The primary transcript was sequenced; it is 98 nucleotides long, beginning with a 5' triphosphate nucleotide and ending in  a 3' oligouridine stretch. After transcription for long periods of time, enzymes in the frog extract also process the tRNA2Ala precursor to remove extra 5' and 3' nucleotides and to add a CCA end. The twenty-two extra nucleotides at the 3' end of this precursor are recovered as an intact fragment, implicating a new site of endoribonuclease cleavage in eucaryotic tRNA processing. This enzyme activity has also been demonstrated by reincubation of isolated pre-tRNA2Ala with a germinal vesicle extract. The products of in vitro cleavage are the same as those seen in the transcription reactions. The tRNA2Ala precursor molecules are made faithfully in the system with as few as 6 bp of Bombyx morti DNA upstream of the transcription initiation site of the tRNA2Ala gene. This result narrows down the minimal amount of DNA adjacent to the 5' end of a eucaryotic tRNA gene needed to support proper initiation by RNA polymerase III.


Antibiotic sensitivity and synergism of 'penicillin-tolerant' Staphylococcus aureus.

15 Staphylococcus aureus strains were isolated from 15 patients with staphylococcal bacteremia. Eight of these strains were shown to be tolerant for cloxacillin. Cloxacillin-tolerant strains were also tolerant for most of the cephalosporins tested except for cephapirin. Strains were not tolerant for clindamycin and gentamicin. Penicillin-tolerant staphylococci showed a high degree of synergism between gentamicin and cloxacillin or cephalothin and gentamicin.


["Thefts not involving intentional personal gain"--not a psychopathological syndrome (author's transl)].

The term "thefts not involving intentional personal gain" is subjected to critical appraisal. Since analogies to the ancient theory of kleptomania are persistently restated, examples are given to illustrate the original meaning of that term, namely, "thieves" stealing objects immediately recognisable as not serving any useful purpose, or acting as though prompted by an irresistible impulse, no expert being required to diagnose classification of such acts. Recent cases in point include, on the one hand, "patients" in whom intentional personal gain can be neither proved nor disproved, and, on the other hand, persons from "higher strata" of society whom one may not believe to be capable of succumbing to a momentary weakness despite their avowals to the contrary. Finally, there are people whose behaviour is generally characterised by acting emotionally accentuated "parts" as if they were stage players. Be that as it may, the value of the patients' own statements is mostly overrated compared with the objective findings, and usually no comparison is attempted with the multitude of "normal" shoplifters.


[On the nosological position of the obsessional-compulsive depressions (author's transl)].

After the introduction of the term "Zwangsvorstellungen" (compulsive ideas) into german psychiatry in 1867, there were intensive psychopathological discussions concerning the role of the affective component of this disturbance. The conviction that an affective causation of compulsion has to be repudiated, that a primary compulsive idea is just followed by a secondary affect, contrasted with the belief that alterations of mood are a prerequisite of compulsive symptoms. The latter hypothesis led to the identification of a typical course of illness in the compulsive depressions. After a short review of Lauter's casuistry, some of our own cases are presented. A differentiation between two types of compulsive depression seems to fulfill the requirements of the clinic. The distinguishing criterion is the pattern of the premorbid personality. To the widespread therapeutic pessimism we oppose various psychotherapeutic techniques for the treatment of non-psychotic compulsive phenomenal; for the manifestations occurring in the course of psychotic illnesses, the appropriate psychotropic drugs will be used in the first place, although they are of limited importance in these types of illness which oppose serious difficulties to all methods of treatment.


[Psychodrama versus patient club activity (leisure group): effects of a 25 hours group psychotherapy with psychiatric patients (author's transl)].

The effects of psychodramatherapy versus patient club activity group is compared in a controlled study with psychiatric patients in a period of two month (8 times a three hour session per week). 22 patients (11 patients psychodramatherapy (PD); 11 patients patient club activity (PCA)). Diagnoses: neuroses, subacute psychoses. Patients were matched according to age, sex and syndrome (resp. diagnoses). Applied tests: semistandardized interview with formulation of personal therapeutic goals, personality tests (Giessen, MMPI), mood scales (EWL, Bf-S v. Zerssen, 100 mml line), psychopathology (AMP 3/interview), social adjustment (SAF). Testing periods: before beginning with PD and PCA, attendant to therapy, after therapy, follow up (three month after end oftherapy). it was advantageous to have both psychotic and neurotic patients in the same therapy group. In the course of psychodramatherapy and patient club activity there was an improvement with a regressive trend to baseline after end of therapy. PD in comparison to PCA appeared to be more effective in the improvement of some psychiatric relevant personality dimensions, in the improvement of psychopathology, in reaching the personal therapeutic goals and in a positive opinion of therapy. A psychodramatherapy lasting two month seems revealed to be more attractive and to have more therapeutic efficacy than a patient club activity group. Because of the instability of some effects a more prolonged therapy period is suggested.


Staff nurse turnover in neonatal intensive care units.

The turnover rate and patterns in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) were assessed and compared with adult Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and General Infant Care Units at the same hospitals for the year 1976. Thirty-five hospitals with NICUs participated in the study. The findings of this study disagree with the previous literature in three major ways: 1 The turnover rate of staff nurses was less than half that estimated by The National Commission on Nursing for 1970. 2 The turnover rates in ICUs and NICUs were not significantly higher than that for staff nurses in Non-Intensive Care Units. In addition, the pattern of turnover among leavers is identical for all three major types of unit. The variability pattern for neonatal units, however, is statistically significant; this is not so with the other units studied. 3 There is no evidence for a stabilization of turnover following the usual 'induction crisis period' (the first 3 to 6 months).


Nursing and the process of scientific inquiry.

Nurse education has to confront the problem of developing in students an understanding of the different perspectives put forward in nursing. However, all the perspectives adhere to the scientific method and it is therefore necessary to examine the process of scientific inquiry. As nursing occupies a position at the interface between physical and social sciences, it is also necessary to offer students an examination of the different paradigms which exist within the social sciences.


Research in nursing gerontology.

Nursing gerontology is the scientific study of the nursing care of the elderly as individuals, family members and population groups. The author identifies and discusses the ethical issues which must be considered in relation to research in nursing gerontology: respect for persons, adequate knowledge base for decision-making, quality of life, quality of death and distribution of limited resources. Research priorities are then discussed.


Reassurance: a nursing skill?

The proposition of this paper is principally that if the term 'reassurance' is used by nurses its meaning should be clearly stated and the methods by which it may be achieved should be clearly identified. The author begins by attempting to identify a workable definition of the term and by arguing a case for taking the approach that it is a nursing interpersonal skill rather than a nursing psychotherapy. Using this as the basis for the rest of the discussion he then suggests that as an interpersonal skill it is open to analysis and behaviours can be identified which help to achieve a restoration of the patient's confidence. Further to this, learning objectives are stated in the hope that the concept of reassurance can be seen as a skill which can be enhanced by educational processes. Full competence in the use of interpersonal skills is not a stable feature in all human beings; in every individual nurse there is scope for the development and training of interpersonal skills. Finally, the author attempts to achieve the major aim of the paper--stating nursing actions which may be employed in order to achieve this reassurance of the patient.


The problems of nursing patients with advanced multiple sclerosis at home.

This study, prepared by the author during her nurse training, examines the main problems encountered by 14 sufferers from multiple sclerosis living in the community, and the difficulties of those involved in their home care.


An evaluation of a workshop for teachers of nursing on an individualized teaching and learning strategy.

This paper is concerned with the evaluation of a workshop for teachers of nursing devoted to an individualized teaching and learning strategy. The paper gives a brief account of the history of such workshops and continues by defining individualized teaching. Following this the characteristics of the Keller Plan strategy are outlined. This is followed by details of the course organization; its aims and objectives, and the characteristics of the course members. Finally, the method of evaluation is described and results are discussed.


The development of a conceptually based nursing curriculum: an international experiment.

Nursing programmes in the United States of America are based on a conceptual framework. Not only do faculty and students ascribe to the necessity of such programmes but the national accreditation agency also provides its accreditation approval for the institution only after all criteria are met, including the requirement of a well-defined, operationalized and implemented framework. Can a nursing programme be developed in other nations utilizing the esoteric, American-based idea of the necessity for a conceptually based curriculum? The author answers this question. The manuscript presents both the process utilized in selecting a conceptual framwork for a new junior college programme in Kuwait and discusses the selected framework. The idea of a conceptual framework to guide the curriculum was as foreign in Kuwait as it was to nursing curricula in the United States 15 years ago. Though initially rejected by the faculty in Kuwait, the idea of a conceptual framework was reintroduced after much faculty discussion and questions related to nursing knowledge vis-a-vis medical knowledge, and what should be included in and excluded from the programme. By the end of the second year, a definite framework had been operationalized into courses and content. The selection of the framework evolved from faculty participation in the operationalization of the framework. This point is quite significant particularly in an international assignment, as it is the faculty who are left with the monumental task of supporting and continuing the work which has been done. Strategies used to develop and implement a conceptual framework included confrontation of faculty of the existing situation, lectures, seminars, workshops, and the identification of a critical review board.


Summary report on American nurse career-pattern study: baccalaureate degree nurses ten years after graduation: National League for Nursing, Division of Research, New York, U.S.A., March 1979.

The Nurse Career-Pattern Study, conducted by NLN's Division of Research, is a longitudinal study of nurses at 1, 5, 10, and 15 years after graduation from the four types of nursing education programmes. Participants in the study are individuals who entered a sample of associate degree, baccalaureate, diploma and practical nursing programmes in the autumn of 1962; and associate degree, baccalaureate and diploma programmes in the autumn of 1965 and 1967. Each group is followed separately, and the data collection for the four concurrent studies is staggered because of the varying lengths of programmes and times of graduations. According to project director Lucille Knopf, the study is designed to describe the career patterns of participants, their contributions to the health labour force, and the factors influencing their nursing careers.


Ethics in professional nursing practice.

With expanded roles in nursing comes increased responsibility, often without clear authority. Understanding professional ethics and their practical application is essential to professional practice. The authors review the concept of ethics and discuss examples for application of ethical judgment from OGN nursing practice.


A model for the delivery of health care to pregnant adolescents. Part I: assessment and planning.

The development and implementation of a health care delivery system for pregnant adolescents is described. The setting was an already functioning urban obstetrical outpatient facility for maternal and infant care. The successes and failures that were experienced are shared with the reader. In Part I the specifics involved in planning and putting into operation an adolescent clinic session are enumerated. In Part II the actual implementation, evaluation, and replanning are discussed. Both parts are based on the nursing process and the manner in which it was utilized in planning and development.


Divorce and its effects on children.

In any given case, the developmental stage of the child, the parental attitude, the financial situation, the custody battle, the visitation policies, the interactions between parents prior to and after divorce and the openness with which the subject is approached will interact to produce some effect, positive or negative, on the child. The question is, as professionals, what can we do to reduce the negative effects for this population at risk? It is comforting to note that the suffering caused by family disruptions, in general, are temporary. But there is no reason why school personnel, armed with appropriate information and understanding, cannot help to make the transition a little easier for the children. "For the sake of the children" should not be just a phrase associated with keeping unhappy marriages intact.


Interdisciplinary support of the gynecologic cancer patient.

The gynecologic cancer patient has unique needs and problems that require a specialized approach not available through traditional and established hospital services. Discussed here are the innovations made at one urban hospital to meet this patient's needs. Central to the program is an interdisciplinary committee that routinely reviews and plans health care services for the individual.


One hospital's experience with implementing family-centered maternity care.

In developing a family-centered maternity care program, staff at one urban hospital developed a set of implementation principles. These principles, plus anecdotal experiences illustrating them, are discussed. Patient and nurse satisfaction with the program are described, and a recommendation for FCMC immplementation is offered.


"Angel dust:" an overview of abuse patterns and prevention strategies.

Adolescent abuse of phencyclidine, also known as "ANGEL DUST" or "PCP," has increased dramatically in the past several years. Phencyclidine can be highly toxic, and efforts should be made to prevent its abuse. The authors advance one model of behavorioral intervention which utilizes peer group counseling to promote learning of practical skills for resisting pressures to use "hard drugs," especially phencyclidine.


Music for the childbearing family.

The therapeutic values of music apply to many experiences in life. The author illustrates how exercise, relaxation, controlled breathing, and sensory stimulation are enhanced by the use of music in childbirth education classes, labor and delivery, nursery, postpartum, and in the home. Charts provide suggestions of musical selections that may be used as well as a guide to tempo and intensity. Adaptations to the clinical setting are also illustrated.


Treating childhood obesity in a public school setting.

Experience at an elementary school in Petaluma, CA, demonstrates that daily group exercise as part of a nutrition education program can help obese children attain normal weight-for-height. Such an exercise program requires minimal equipment and may be led by a classroom aide or volunteer parent at minimal cost. Dramatic improvement in participants' weight-for-height status may occur provided that student interest and attendance is maintained over a period of several months.


Medical records--legal perspectives.

Good documentation of medical diagnosis and treatment is not only a medical necessity, it is a legal one. Whether the physician is innocent or guilty of malpractice quickly becomes a side issue when it is discovered that he has tampered with the evidence, thereby attempting to perpetrate a fraud upon the court. And discovered it will be--the techniques are sophisticated and the motivation is high. Medical records are also important in workman's compensation cases, insurance claims, personal injury cases, and even in physician disciplinary hearings as well as their collection of bills. In creating and maintaining patient records, physicians and hospitals have several legal duties, including the duty to do so adequately, to safeguard the records' physical existence, and to prevent such use of the records as would violate the patient's right to confidentiality. Courts and legislatures are looking with increasing favor on the patient's interest in the content of his record, a phenomenon which is closely linked to the nationwide trend in favor of the patient's right to know and his right to determine his own physical destiny. For all these reasons, medical records no longer serve exclusively as the physician's private aid; medical records are increasingly becoming legal documents as well.


Ultrastructural changes in the placenta of the ewe after long-term intravascular infusion of 2-bromo-alpha-ergocryptine (CB154) into mother or fetus.

The fine structural appearance of the placenta of the ewe has been examined following long-term infusion of CB154 into either the fetus or the pregnant ewe. Binucleate cells which usually contain aggregations of spherical membrane-bound electron-dense inclusions, are a characteristic component of the chorionic epithelium of the sheep. Following CB154 infusion into either the fetus or ewe at 111 to 137 days of gestation, binucleate cells were partially or completely depleted of the droplets which are present in binucleate cells of control animals at a similar gestational age. No obvious changes in the maternal epithelial syncytium were observed after CB154 administration. Infusion of CB154 into the fetus alone was also followed by degenerative changes in some binucleate cells which ranged from condensation of nuclei to complete cell fragmentation. Either a direct or an indirect action of CB154 on binucleate cells is suggested by these observations. Hypoprolactinaemia followed CB154 infusion in all treated animals; its possible influence on binucleate cell activity is discussed.


Maintenance of normal serum calcium level in the hyperprolactinaemic rat.

The effect of experimentally induced chronic hyperprolactinaemia in male rats on the serum levels of calcium has been examined. Chronic elevation of circulating prolactin levels had no significant effect on the serum calcium levels and normal blood calcium homeostasis was still maintained.


Effect of protamine zinc insulin on feed intake and weight gain in broiler chicks.

Ten-day old Robro broiler chicks were used to test the effect of daily subcutaneous injections of two insulin levels (5- and 10-IU . kg-1 BW) administered for two different periods (5 and 21 days). Birds which received either 5- or 19-IU insulin significantly increased their feed intake over those of the controls (P less than 0.05). However, the lower insulin dose was found to be more effective in increasing both the feed consumption and weight gain of the birds, especially if administered for a long period. Between the injection periods, the high insulin dose seemed to have a greater carry-over effect. On the other hand, the administration of 5- or 10-IU insulin for either 5 or 21 days had no effect on efficiency.


Susceptibility and synergy studies of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis is an important cause of cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections and prosthetic valve endocarditis. Agar dilution minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined for 100 strains of methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis which were isolated from clinical specimens. Vancomycin inhibited all 100 strains at </=3.12 mug/ml, whereas clindamycin inhibited only 46 strains at </=12.5 mug/ml. Methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis strains were resistant to achievable levels of erythromycin, with 90 strains having a minimum inhibitory concentration of >/=3.12 mug/ml. Of the five cephalosporins and one cephamycin tested, cefamandole was the most active in vitro, inhibiting 97 strains at </=25 mug/ml. Antibiotic synergism was examined by a quantitative bacterial time-kill method. Synergism (>/=10(2) kill by the combination over the most effective single antibiotic at 24 h) was demonstrated with vancomycin (1.56 mug/ml) plus cefamandole (6.25 mug/ml) in 14 of 14 strains, vancomycin plus cephalothin (6.25 mug/ml) in 14 of 14 strains, vancomycin plus rifampin (0.008 to 0.012 mug/ml) in 6 of 12 strains, rifampin plus cefamandole in 9 of 12 strains, and rifampin plus cephalothin in 10 of 12 strains. The emergence of populations of bacteria resistant to 0.2 mug of rifampin per ml developed in three of five methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis strains tested. The addition of either vancomycin, cephalothin, or cefamandole to the rifampin prevented the emergence of resistance in these three strains. Clinical trials of synergistic antibiotic combination therapy for serious methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis infections are indicated.


Mutagenicity obtained experimentally by oral administration of dextroamphetamine sulphate to the rat.

Research work on the possible mutagenic effects of the amphetamine, sympathomimetic amine, was carried out on the rat. The method used was the dominant lethal assay, in its sub-acute form. Dextroamphetamine sulphate was administered orally. At the dosage and frequency of the test, dextroamphetamine sulphate was found to be a significantly mutogenic agent. The over-all mutagenic index was 13.92% (P less than 0.01) for the test group and 8.90% for the control group.


Constituents in Erythroxylum coca I: gas chromatographic analysis of cocaine from three locations in Peru.

A method for the determination of cocaine content in coca leaves (Erythroxylum coca) has been developed. The procedure involves refluxing the powdered leaves in 95% ethanol for 15 minutes, followed by acid-base partitioning with chloroform and a GLC assay. The recovery of cocaine was quantitative. This procedure was applied to determine cocaine content in three samples of Erythroxylum coca Lam. collected from different geographic locations in Peru. Using androst-4-ene-3,17-dione as the internal standard the calibration curve was linear over a factor of 0.5 to 10 fold cocaine concentration relative to internal standard. The slope (b) was 0.733, the coefficient of determination (r2) was 1.00 and the average precision was 3.9%.


Similarity between a kininogenase (kallikrein) from human large intestine and human urinary kallikrein.

A human colon kininogenase (kallikrein) was isolated by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200 and affinity chromatography on Trasylolbound Sepharose, yielding a material with a specific activity of 1.3 U/mg (substrate: AcPheArgOEt). The molecular weight of the enzyme as estimated by gel filtration is approximately 70 000. After reduction with mercaptoethanol two bands were obtained in dodecyl sulfate eletrophoresis with molecular weights of 27 000 and 70 000. The bimolecular velocity constant for the inhibition by diisopropyl fluorophosphate was determined as 4 l x mol-1 x min-1. The preparation was characterized by immunological and enzymatic methods. Using the radioimmumoassay for human urinary kallikrein cross-reactivity and parallel binding curves were obtained. Kinin liberation from human high Mr-kininogen was totally inhibited by antibodies directed against human urinary kallikrein. Trasylol and diisopropyl fluorophosphate, but not by antibodies directed against human trypsin and plasma kallikrein. The effect on dog blood pressure was comparable to that obtained with human urinary kallikrein. The amino acid composition of human large intestine kallikrein is very similar to that of human urinary kallikrein.


Urinary excretion of prostaglandin E like material and kallikrein: effects of furosemide.

In a controlled study of 11 women, 5 with mild essential hypertension and 6 normal volunteers, furosemide produced a significant natriuresis and diuresis without changes in the urinary excretion of prostaglandin E-like material and kallikrein. Therefore, although some evidence in man or animals suggests involvement of both of these substances in renal responses to furosemide, the present data suggest that the natriuretic and diuretic effect of this drug are not associated with an increased excretion of prostaglandin E like material or kallikrein.


[Activity of cefamandole against enterobacteria resistant to cephalosporins (author's transl)].

Cefamandole is a new cephalosporin active against non beta-lactamase producing enterobacteria, at lower concentrations (mean of MIC: 0.79 mcg/ml) than those of cefalothin taken as a reference amongst current cephalosporins (mean of MIC: 6.84 mcg/ml). This improved activity was also seen against enterobacteria producing extra-chromosomal penicillinase (mean of MIC: 3.59 mcg/ml for cefamandole and 12.76 mcg/ml for cefalothin). These findings would suggest that cefamandole is better able to reach the site of action of beta-lactamines within the bacteria. In contrast to current cephalosporins, cefamandole is active against enterobacteria producing chromosomal cephalosporinase, by virtue of its stability against the hydrolytic activity of this type of enzyme. It thus is the leader of a new generation of cephalosporins.


The differential diagnosis of stroke.

Size, shape, location and etiology must all be considered in the differential diagnosis of stroke. A logical sequence of steps will be helpful in the evaluation of individual patients.


Disease of the carotid system.

Tremendous progress has been made in the investigation of occlusive disease of the internal carotid artery. With the advent of technologic advances such as CT scanning and more highly skilled personnel for the safe performance of cerebral angiography, diagnostic capabilities have been heightened. Carotid endarterectomy and surgical shunts have expanded the surgical armamentarium. Medical treatments have also proliferated.


Cardiac embolic cerebrovascular disease.

Cerebral emoli may originate in the heart, the carotid arterial system, or the aortic arch. If the source of the embolus can be located, medical or surgical therapy may be able to prevent the occurrence of further strokes.


Subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage is most frequently caused by rupture of an aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation. Early clinical diagnosis is important to avert fatal hemorrhage. Surgical treatment should be carried out in patients in good neurologic condition.


Treatment of intracranial hemorrhage.

The acute cerebellar hematoma and the subdural hematoma resent urgent surgical problems and treatment early in the clinical course should result in an excellent outcome. The subdural hematoma may be especially difficult to diagnose early, but may be suspected in patients on anticoagulant therapy or with shunze, and surgery, especially in the acute stage, should be avoided if possible. The CT scan supplemented when necessary by angiography is the diagnostic procedure of choice and will clearly demonstrate the lesions.


Language dysfunction in cerebrovascular disease.

Language disorder is often mistaken for confusion, psychosis, or memory loss, and thorough evaluation may require much time. A simple beside examination can often separate aphasic syndromes, and the anatomic location of the lesion can be inferred. Speech therapy, although not entirely satisfactory, is helpful in most patients.


Chronic vascular dementia.

Vascular disease is responsible for only a minority of cases of chronic dementia. Vascular dementia can be an end stage of a variety of mechansisms. Correct identification of the cause of the vascular disease is the key to successful treatment.


Temperature dependent activation of the alternate complement pathway by an IgG cryoglobulin.

A patient with chronic membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis is presented whose serum contains a monoclonal IgG3 cryoglobulin. The presence of persistent hypocomplementemia suggested the possibility that the cryoglobulin, upon cold-induced precipitation, was capable of activating the complement system. Because visible cryoprecipitation commenced in vitro at 30 degrees C, the patient's serum and normal serum had been added the isolated cryoglobulin were repeatedly cooled to 30 degrees C and rewarmed to 37 degrees C. This reproduction of the in vivo counterpart of blood circulating through an extremity exposed to the cold resulted in activation of C3-proactivator (properdin factor B), C3 cleavage, and a 78% reduction in total hemolytic complement. This study demonstrates that IgG is capable of activating complement via the alternate pathway and reveals a mechanism through which this can occur in vivo; namely, by means of temperature dependent polymerization. In addition, we postulate that episodic complement activation initiated by the cryoglobulin contributed to the development of glomerulonephritis in this patient.


Limited proteolysis of complement components C2 and factor B. Structural analogy and limited sequence homology.

A method is described for the simultaneous purification of milligram quantities of complement components C2 and Factor B. Both products are homogeneous by the criteria of polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and N-terminal sequence analysis. Component C2 is cleaved by serine proteinase C1s at an X-Lys bond to give fragment C2a (approx. mol.wt. 74000) and fragment C2b (approx. mol.wt. 34000). The two fragments can be separated by gel filtration without the need for reducing or denaturing agents. Fragment C2b represents the N-terminal end of the molecule. Similar results were seen on cleavage of Factor B by Factor D in the presence of component C3. Again two non-covalently linked fragments are formed. The smaller, fragment Ba (approx. mol.wt. 36,000),) has threonine as the N-terminal residue, as does Factor B; the larger, fragment Bb (approx. mol. wt. 58000), has lysine as the N-terminal residue. A similar cleavage pattern is obtained on limited proteolysis of Factor B by trypsin, suggesting an Arg-Lys-or Lys-Lys bond at the point of cleavage. Although component C2 and Factor B show no apparent N-terminal sequence homology, a limited degree of sequence homology is seen around the sites of proteolytic cleavage.


Low urinary kallikrein excretion and elevated blood pressure normalized by orally kallikrein in essential hypertension.

1. Urinary kallikrein was measured in 67 patients with essential hypertension and 25 normotensive subjects variously on unrestricted and low sodium diet. Also, the effect of orally applied hog pancreatic kallikrein on elevated blood pressure and kallikrein excretion was evaluated. 2. Urinary kallikrein was reduced in a large subgroup of patients with sustained essential hypertension. 3. With salt restriction, urinary kallikrein rose markedly in normotensive subjects and patients with borderline hypertension but not in those with sustained hypertension. 4. Oral kallikrein normalized reduced kallikrein excretion and lowered elevated blood pressure. 5. The rise in urinary kallikrein with oral kallikrein was due to an increased formation of endogenous enzyme. 6. A defective kallikrein-kinin system may be involved in both the low urinary kallikrein excretion and the hypertension.


Mode of insertion of the sucrase-isomaltase complex in the intestinal brush border membrane: implications for the biosynthesis of this stalked intrinsic membrane protein.

Unlike other intrinsic plasma membrane proteins the sucrase-isomaltase complex is associated with the intestinal brush border membrane through a highly hydrophobic segment located not far from the N-terminal of one subunit (isomaltase). This observation calls for additions and/or modifications to the generally accepted scheme of biosynthesis of plasma membrane intrinsic proteins.


Development of sucrase activity: effect of maternal hormonal status and fetal programming of jejuno-ileal differences.

The first part of the paper deals with the effect of changes in the mother's hormonal status on the development of the small intestine of her offspring. Administration of cortisone or triiodothyronine (T3) to pregnant rats evokes a precocious appearance of sucrase activity in the fetal small intestine. Administered to lactating rats, T3 evokes a precocious increase in sucrase activity in sucklings and leads to increased T3 levels and decreased TSH levels in the mother's milk and in sera of mothers and sucklings. These experiments show that (a) sucrase activity can be induced in the fetal period; (b) changes in the mother's hormonal balance during the fetal and suckling period can influence the development of the small intestine; and (c) levels of thyroid hormones in milk can be altered experimentally. The second part deals with jejuno-ileal gradients in villus size and sucrase activity. Both gradients appear in fetal jejunal and ileal implants developing in adult hosts. Our experiments indicate that (a) the gradients are already 'programmed' during the fetal period; and (b) direct contact with food, and proximity of the jejunum to the flow of digesta from the stomach, are not decisive for expression of the jejuno-ileal gradients, but may play a 'tuning' role.


Absorption of di- and tripeptides by the intestine of the guinea-pig.

This paper describes a method of quantifying the amount of smaller peptides in physiological fluids and reports the preliminary results of studying the mesenteric blood of adult guinea-pigs during absorption of a partial hydrolysate of casein. Because of the different roles suggested for plasma and erythrocytes in the inter-organ transport of amino acids, both plasma and whole blood have been studied. Whole blood and plasma samples were deproteinized with sulphosalicylic acid, and amino acids and small peptides separated from residual small amounts of protein on a Sephadex G-25 column. Ion exchange chromatography was then performed before and after acid hydrolysis. The concentration of small peptides in blood seems to be much lower than was previously believed. The adult guinea-pig did not absorb small peptides across the intestine into mesenteric whole blood or plasma in our experiments. However, casein hydrolysates are not necessarily representative of all protein hydrolysates, and further studies are required using different proteins and varying degrees of hydrolysis. The possibility of peptide transfer during development, and in conditions involving mucosal damage, should also be investigated. The present investigation confirms the assumption that predominantly plasma, and not red blood corpuscles, carries amino acids from the gut to the liver. It is worth noting, however, that taurine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, citrulline and arginine were found in higher concentrations in whole mesenteric blood than in plasma.


Gastrointestinal host defence: importance of gut closure in control of macromolecular transport.

An important adaptation of the gastrointestinal tract to the extrauterine environment is its development of a mucosal barrier against the penetration of harmful substances (bacteria, toxins and antigens) present within the intestinal lumen. At birth, the newborn infant must be prepared to deal with bacterial colonization of the gut, with formation of toxic byproducts of bacteria and viruses (enterotoxins and endotoxins) and with the ingestion of antigens (milk proteins). These potentially noxious substances if allowed to penetrate the mucosal epithelial barrier under pathological conditions can cause inflammatory and allergic reactions which may result in gastrointestinal and systemic disease states. To combat the potential danger of invasion across the mucosal barrier the infant must develop an elaborate system of defence mechanisms within the lumen and on the luminal mucosal surface which act to control and maintain the epithelium as an impermeable barrier to uptake of macromolecular antigens. These defences include a unique immunological system adapted to function in the complicated milieu of the intestine as well as other non-immunological processes such as a gastric barrier, intestinal surface secretions, peristaltic movement and natural antibacterial substances (lysozyme, bile salts) which also help to provide maximum protection for the intestinal surface. Unfortunately, during the immediate postpartum period, particularly for premature and small-for-dates infants, this elaborate local defence system is incompletely developed. As a result of the delay in the maturation of the mucosal barrier newborn infants are particularly vulnerable to pathological penetration by harmful intraluminal substances. The consequences of altered defence are susceptibility to infection and the potential for hypersensitivity reactions and for formation of immune complexes. With these reactions comes the potential for developing life-threatening diseases such as necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis and hepatitis. Fortunately, 'nature' has provided a means for passively protecting the 'vulnerable' newborn against dangers of a deficient intestinal defence system, namely human milk. It is now increasingly apparent that human milk contains not only antibodies and viable leucocytes but many other substances which can interfere with bacterial colonization and prevent antigen penetration.


The influence of gestational age and size on the absorption of D-xylose and D-glucose from the small intestine of the human neonate.

D-Xylose absorption (using the one-hour blood levels) and active D-glucose absorption (calculated from changes in transmural electrical potential difference) have been measured after intraduodenal infusion of the appropriate sugar, in groups of neonates who were full-term or preterm, and who were in addition either appropriately sized for gestational age, or growth-retarded in utero. The one-hour D-xylose blood levels were significantly lower in preterm infants, and were even lower in the growth-retarded group. In follow-up studies D-xylose absorption rose in all groups of infants over the first three weeks of postnatal life but there was no sign of 'catch-up' in the results of the growth-retarded infants. In the studies of D-glucose absorption the theoretical kinetic parameters 'apparent P.D.max' (equivalent to Vmax) and 'apparent Km' were calculated. Normal full-term infants had values for both parameters that were approximately two-thirds of published adult values. Malnourished neonates had significantly lower P.D.max and apparent Km, and preterm infants had a lower P.D.max, than the values obtained in those infants who were full-term and appropriately grown.


Perinatal changes in the absorption of trace elements.

Fetal demands for many of the essential trace elements change markedly during the terminal stages of development. Susceptibility to deficiency during early postnatal life is influenced by the extent of fetal trace element reserves, by inadequacies in the supply of some elements in maternal milk and by postnatal changes in the efficiency of trace element absorption. The efficiency with which essential and some toxic trace elements are absorbed after birth is a function both of age and of diet. Homeostatic mechanisms for the control of iron absorption are poorly developed in the newborn. There are indications that pinocytotic absorption of iron, copper, lead and cadmium may occur at this stage and account for the high efficiency with which these elements are absorbed from a liquid diet. Evidence of developmental changes in the enterohepatic recirculation of such metals is considered and an account is given of our very inadequate understanding of the processes of trace metal absorption in the weaned animal.


Absorption of biological amines of bacterial origin in normal and sick infants.

This investigation aims at monitoring the formation of diamines in the gastrointestinal tract of human infants, and thereby also the bacterial colonization of the intestine, by studying the urinary excretion of the heterocyclic amine piperidine during development and in different malabsorptive states. A gas chromatographic assay of the dinitrophenyl derivative of piperidine and a mass spectrometric method of identification were worked out and applied. The piperidine excretion was expressed in units of urinary creatinine concentration. Adult women show a greater variation than men, both inter- and intra-individually. The piperidine excretion is very low and mostly undetectable in the first week of life. There is an increase in weaning, with a significant difference between breast-fed and formula-fed infants at 4--6 months. There is a significant difference between infants suffering from untreated coeliac disease and infants without malabsorption. The findings indicate that piperidine excretion is a sensitive biochemical index of changes in the gastrointestinal flora. The high excretion in coeliac disease suggests that piperidine, which is known to have nicotine-like synaptic activity in the CNS, is one of the hitherto unidentified 'auto-intoxicating' substances arising from the bacterial decomposition of protein suggested by Metchnikoff in 1903.


Studies on recently isolated cultures of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Of 19 recently isolated cultures of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 18 showed inducible low-level resistance to minocycline, 15 showed high-level resistance to streptomycin, and 4 showed resistance to low levels of streptomycin. Two cultures produced yellow pigment and may have been derived in vivo by loss of a gene(s) determining orange pigment. Treatment of three cultures with serial exposures to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine resulted in a widening of phage typing pattern that included all reactions in group I, the great majority in group III, but none in group II. The widening in phage lysis was possibly due to the elimination of defective prophages. Transfer of tetracycline resistance occurred from 12 out of the 19 cultures to a recipient in mixed culture; this transfer required either Ca2+ or Mg2+, was abolished by citrate, and enhanced by high cell density. It was probably mediated by defective bacteriophages. No evidence was obtained for the occurrence of recombination within the methicillin-resistant clone in nature. Eleven methicillin-resistant cultures stored for at least 5 years on agar slopes at 20 degrees C had all lost this resistance at high frequency.


Morphogenesis of the small intestine during fetal development.

During the last five days ('last trimester') of the 22-day gestation period of the rat the mucosa of the small intestine changes from undifferentiated stratified epithelium without villi to a mucosa with villi covered with simple columnar epithelium. During this process many secondary lumina form in the primitive stratified epithelium; these lumina enlarge and eventually fuse with the main intestinal lumen as degenerating superficial epithelial cells are exfoliated and as upward growth of mesenchyme towards the main lumen takes place. Proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells occurs along the entire length of the newly formed villi until one or two days before birth, when proliferating epithelial cells become confined to incompletely formed crypts at the base of the villi. In contrast, differentiation of the small intestinal mucosa in human fetuses begins much earlier in gestation. Villi form at 9 to 10 weeks and crypts are well developed by 12 weeks (first trimester). By 17 weeks, all epithelial cells types seen in intestinal crypts of adults are present. Absorptive cells on villi have a prominent apical tubular system, large meconium-filled lysosomes and abundant glycogen between 10 and 22 weeks' gestation. Whereas there is uptake of the macromolecular marker, ferritin, into the apical tubular system after eight or more minutes of in vitro exposure, there is no evidence of transport of ferritin across the absorptive cells after up to 40 minutes of exposure between 11 and 12 weeks' gestation.


Cell surface components of intestinal epithelial cells and their relationship to cellular differentiation.

The surfaces of the epithelial cells of the rat small intestine were studied by fluorescence microscopy using various fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated lectins. Throughout most of the adult intestine changes were detected in the luminal surfaces as the cells differentiate and move from the crypts to the villi. These changes in cell surface material depend upon the region of intestine in which the villi are located. By the end of the second week of postnatal development the cell surface components detected by the lectins used in this study have appeared at all levels of the small intestine. The maturational and regional differences begin to appear during the third week of postnatal development, and the adult pattern of distribution of surface components is established by 30 days after birth. By eight weeks after proximal jejunal-ileal resectioning or transposition of ileal segments to the jejunum, the epithelial cell surfaces of the relocated ileum had acquired the surface properties characteristic of the jejunal cells. However, jejunal segments transposed to the ileum maintained their original cell surface characteristics and influenced the properties of ileal cell surfaces distally adjacent to the transposed segment. The cell surface material detected by the Ricinus communis (RCAI) lectin was extracted from crypt cells of adult rat jejunum and isolated by affinity chromatography. The isolated material was found to contain at least two components, and its distribution in the jejunum was examined by fluorescence microscopy using antibodies prepared against the isolated material.


Relationship between kallikrein release and factor XII in normal persons and carriers of the Hageman trait.

In four healthy subjects with Factor XII levels equal to or below 50% (selected at random from 100 persons) the release of Kallikrein was studied in order to establish the relationship between the above data and those found in four Hageman trait carriers showing levels of Factor XII above the lowest normal limits. It was found that for similar amounts of Hageman activity three of the carriers showed significantly less release of Kallikrein than the control subjects in whom it was normal. The conclusion was reached that the additional determination of the amount of Kallikrein released may be of value in the detection of carriers of the Hageman trait.


[Antibiotic therapy of infections in patients under surgical intensive care, in particular with mezlocillin (author's transl)].

Twenty-two patients from our surgical intensive care ward were, after unsuccessful treatment outside, treated with a combination of antibiotics including 6-[(R)-2-[3-methylsulfonyl-2-oxo-imidazolidine-1-carboxamido]-2-phenyl-acetamido]-penicillanic acid sodium salt (mezlocillin, Baypen) as a beta-lactam antibiotic. The infection was cured in 16 and improved in 2 patients. Three cases of infection with Serratia did not respond to treatment and antibacterial efficacy was unassessable in another case. Four patients died of shock lung (2), pulmonary embolism (1) or Candida-induced septicaemia (1) after cure of the infection. The daily dose of mezlocillin was 3 x 5 g, given as an i.v. short-term infusion. Diarrhoea (1) and petechiae (1) were observed as side effects probably attributable to mezlocillin. In none of the patients was a discontinuation of treatment necessary. Owing to its broad spectrum of action (covering both gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms and anaerobes) and its consistently strong molar action, mezlocillin is well suited as a beta-lactam combination component for intensive care patients. At the end of this study in vitro resistant strains appeared. Therefore mezlocillin with its very valuable properties should be given only to critically selected cases.


The kallikrein-kininogens-kinins system in the Brown-Norway rat.

The Brown-Norway rat is deficient in plasma kallikrein and kininogens, making it particularly useful in studies on the role of the kinins system in some physiological and physiopathological processes.


UN/Thai programme for drug abuse control in Thailand-A report on phase I:February 1972-June 1979.

The paper describes the principal achievements of the UN/Thai programme for drug abuse control which was carried out during the years 1972-1979. The programme was of a pilot nature and covered five selected key villages and 25 satellite villages in the north of Thailand. The major components of the programme were crop replacement and community development, treatment and rehabilitation, and drug information and education. The Royal Thai Government has accepted the achievements of this project as models for greatly expanded programmes for the eradication of the opium poppy cultivation. Two key villages-Ban Mae Tho and Hui Tund Jaw which were included in a pilot programme have provided to be opium free.


Patterns and prevalence of opium use in rural Punjab (India).

A household survey of opium use was carried out in three district of Punjab. Of the 1,400 randomly selected households, 1,276 were covered by the study. All members above the age of 15 years were individually interviewed. The survey included 2,064 men and 1,536 women. The percentage prevalence rate of opium use was 5.76, much higher among men than women. Because of the small number of women involved in opium use (0.5 per cent), the data on socio-demographic variables were analysed only for men. The male opium users were classified as past, experimental, regular and seasonal users, with 3.4, 0.8, 3.6 and 1.8 percentage prevalence rates respectively. The relationships between opium use and variables such as age, occupation, religion, education, marital status and per capita income are discussed as well as their implication on drug abuse control policy.


The identification of drugs of abuse in the Republic of Ireland during the years 1968-1978.

A survey of the composition of 4,933 exhibits submitted for laboratory analysis by the Drug Squad of the Irish police during the years 1968-1978 indicated an increase in the level of non-medical drug consumption in the Republic of Ireland. Cannabis was the most widely encountered drug. Barbiturates constituted a considerable proportion. Amphetamines were rarely found; this was attributed to the unique legislation controlling the storage and sale of amphetamines. Various substances were sold as drugs of abuse. For example, Datura was sold as cannabis which caused a considerable concern because of its toxicity. The recognition of a drug-related problem of some significance in Ireland during 1968 led to the formation of a drug squad in the Irish police. Since that time a total of 4,933 exhibits arising from arrests and drug seizures have been submitted for laboratory analyses. These exhibits ranged from "normal" pharmaceutical formulations (tablets, ampoules, etc.) to unknown powders and a large number of more unusual items (table 1). The drugs were identified using an appropriate combination of microscopic, chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques (1, 2).


Association of socio-economic factors with drug use among college students in an Indian town.

The paper examines the association of various socio-economic factors with the use of drugs by college students in a town in central India. Data were collected from a large sample, using a self-reporting questionnaire. It was found that analgesics, tobacco and alcohol were the most commonly used drugs amongst some 30 per cent of the students. Factors such as age, urbanity, sex, marital status as well as the family's educational and economic status were seen to be relevant. Inter-parental and inter-generational tensions in the family also had a bearing. Drug use by one or more members of the family was seen as a highly significant factor. The data thus suggest that an inclination towards drug taking might be embedded in the social matrix itself.


Behavioral effects of strong 60-Hz electric fields in rats.

Eight individually housed male Long Evans rats were raised, beginning at age 30 days, for six weeks in an electric field exposure apparatus. During five of the six weeks, the animals were exposed to a 25 kV/m, 60-Hz electric field. A similar population of rats housed in an identical environment, except for the absence of the high voltage field, were used as control animals. Differences between the two groups in body mass, food and water intake, and exploratory activity were studied. Statistical analysis shows the high voltage fields to have no significant effects on the above parameters.


Effects of low level microwave radiation on the digestive transit of the rat.

The effects of low level microwave radiation (3-4 mW/cm2--2450 MHz) during 4 and 8 h on the WISTAR Rat digestive transit has been studied. The results showed no effect after 4 h radiation and an acceleration of the digestive transit after 8 h of radiation (p less than .001). The acceleration of the digestive transit was still observed after 24 h (p less than .001). 60-90 s after radiation time the rectal temperature of radiated animals did not differ from the controls.


Microwave-evoked brainstem potentials in cats.

Rectangular pulse-modulated microwave radiation has been shown to produce auditory responses in mammals. It is therefore reasonable to explore the possibility of using microwave pulses to achieve an estimate of sensori-neural involvement in the objective evaluation of human hearing and to assess the presence of tumors or brainstem lesions in patients with neurological disorders. In this paper we shall show that microwave-evoked auditory response of cats closely resembles that evoked by acoustic pulse. We shall also give preliminary results obtained from electrodes fastened to the vertex of the skull after successive coagulative production of lesions in the inferior colliculus, lateral lemniscus, and superior olivary nucleus.


Middle-ear structures contribute little to auditory perception of microwaves.

The contribution of the ossicles (middle-ear bones) to auditory perception of microwaves was evaluated by the brain-stem evoked response (BER). Amplitude and latency of BERs were recorded from guinea pigs that were stimulated at various intensities by acoustic pulses coupled to the auditory canal or via bone conduction, and by microwave pulses. Blocking of the external ear, middle-ear damping, and middle-ear destruction produced little change in the BERs that were elicited by microwave pulses. Results indicate that activity in the central auditory pathway as induced by pulsed microwaves only requires stimulation of the cochlea. Conduction of pressure waves through the bones of the calvarium appears to be the mechanism responsible in perception of pulsed microwaves.


Miniature anechoic chamber for chronic exposure of small animals to plane-wave microwave fields.

A system of miniature anechoic chambers for chronically exposing a sizeable number of animals to microwave radiation was developed in which each animal can be individually exposed to microwaves or sham-exposed under controlled environmental conditions. Each animal is supplied with food and water by means designed to eliminate undesirable perturbations of the field. Field patterns in each chamber correspond closely to those made in large anechoic chambers; measurements indicate that a power density of 169 microW/cm2 per watt of input power can be provided, which results in peak SAR levels of 0.37 W/kg in cadavers of exposed rats.


An invasive microwave antenna for locally-induced hyperthermia for cancer therapy.

A microwave system has been developed and characterized for delivering heat directly into tumors. This system employs a microwave power source (3-10W) operating in the 500 MHz to 1.3 GHz frequency range, coaxial transmission line, and a monopole antenna. Absorbed power was measured in saline, in tissue equivalent phantoms, and in tumors in live and dead mice. Antennas were designed to operate at 500 MHz and 1 GHz, and the critical design parameters have been identified for this system. Analytical and experimental results obtained in our laboratory suggest that this system is capable of providing controlled temperature distributions appropriate for hyperthermia in animal tumors. Theoretical results predict that 3 GHz may be an optimum choice for this system in animal tumors of approximately 1 cm diameter; the microwave antenna system provides a heat distribution superior to that obtained using a resistance heater of similar dimensions. We propose that further development of this approach may overcome some of the problems associated with other systems which use external radiation sources, and implications for clinical application of this system are discussed.


Physiological and behavioral effects of chronic exposure to 2450-MHz microwaves.

Long-Evans male adult rats were exposed for sixteen weeks to 2450-MHz CW microwaves at an average power density of mW/cm2. The resulting dose rate was 1.23 (+/- 0.25SEM) mW/g. The animals were exposed eight hours a day, five days a week, for a total of 640 h in a monopole-above-ground radiation chamber while housed in Plexiglas holding cages. Daily measures of body mass and of food and water intakes indicated no statistically significant effects of microwave irradiation. Biweekly stabilimetric tests immediately after exposure revealed a significant depression of behavioral activity by 15 microwave-exposed rats as compared with 15 sham-exposed animals. Measures of locomotor activity based on revolutions of a running wheel, which were obtained during 12-h periods between each 8-h exposure, showed no significant effect of irradiation. Blood sampled after 2, 6, 10, and 14 weeks of exposure indicated slight alterations of sulfhydryl groups, and of red and white blood-cell counts. Measures of levels of 17-ketosteroids in urine at weeks 1, 5, 9, and 12 of exposure, and mass of adrenals, heart, and liver at the end of the sixteen-week period of exposure, revealed no indications of stress.


Preliminary studies: far-field microwave dosimetric measurements of a full-scale model of man.

Measurements of microwave heating were made in a full-size, upright human model. The 75-Kg model, composed of electrically simulated muscle, was placed in the far-zone of a standard-gain horn inside an absorber-lined chamber. Pulsed energy at 1.29 GHz was obtained from a military radar transmitter (AN/TPS-1G) and produced radiation at 6-14 mW/cm2 average power density at the location of the model. Microwave heating at the front surface was measured at nine locations on the phantom. Measurements at several depths within the phantom were also made at a central location to gain information on the depth-of-penetration of the microwave energy. Results of the frontal surface measurements and of the penetration study permitted a calculation of the approximate whole-body average specific absorption rate (SAR) when the model's long axis was parallel to the E-field vector. For a normalized power density of 1 mW/cm2 at a frequency of 1.29 GHz, the whole-body average SAR approximated 0.03 W/Kg. This result agrees well with theoretical predictions based on absorption in prolate spheroidal models of man.


Microwave irradiation and ambient temperature interact to alter rat behavior following overnight exposure.

Each of twelve male hooded rats was trained to insert its head into a food cup for food pellets on a random-interval schedule of reinforcement. After performances stabilized, the rats were assorted into 3 groups of 4 animals. Groups were matched for response rates. Animals were exposed in groups of 4 for 15.5 h to CW 2450-MHz microwaves once every 6 nights. Animals of each group were exposed to microwaves at only one power density, either 5, 10, or 15 mW/cm2; they were exposed three times at an ambient temperature of 22 degrees C, then three times at 28 degrees C, and then once more at 22 degrees C. The relative humidity was 50% during all exposures. Rats were sham irradiated (at 0 mW/cm2) the night before each microwave exposure. Behavior was tested daily after termination of microwave irradiation or after sham exposures. None of the exposures to microwaves at 22 degrees C altered rates or durations of responding. Exposures at 28 degrees C reduced response rates and increased response durations in direct relation to the power density. The results are interpreted as the transient debilitation of behavior produced by the interaction of a mild elevation of ambient temperature and microwave irradiation.


Carbon-loaded Teflon electrodes for chronic EEG recordings in microwave research.

Conventional metal electrodes can cause serious modification and intensification of the rate of energy absorption in tissues during exposure of animals to microwaves. Carbon-loaded Teflon with a conductivity close to that of tissue has been implanted and maintained for four to six months at cortical and subcortical locations in rabbits. The EEG and its spectrum as recorded from the carbon-loaded Teflon electrodes are comparable to those recorded from conventional metal electrodes. Histological examination showed good tissue compatibility. Recordings made during acute exposure of rabbits to microwave radiation (2450-MHz) at 100 mW/cm2 showed no electromagnetic interference. The results indicate that carbon-loaded Teflon electrodes can be implanted chronically to record the EEG in animals during the course of microwave radiation.


Opium administration to infants in Peshawar region of Pakistan.

Use of opium for sedating infants in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan causes a grave public health problem. Among the infants hospitalized for opium overdosage, 22 were studied in detail, and their major clinical picture is presented in this paper. The effect of opium use on the nutritional status of these infants, or the relation of infant opium use to addiction in adult life, have not been assessed. It is, however, pointed out that opium overdosage of infants contributed to infant mortality. Despite emergency treatment, the lethality rate of opium overdosed infants was 40 per cent. It is emphasized that a preventive programme should be undertaken to educate parents who are ignorant of the dangers of opium administration to infants.


Prevalence and patterns of drug use among high-school students: a replicated study.

A survey of high-school students in Delhi, carried out in 1975, revealed that 34.3 per cent of respondents used psychoactive drugs in the preceding year. The percentage of users of psychoactive substances other than alcohol and tobacco was 15.5 per cent. The percentage prevalence rates by substance ranked as follows: tobacco (35.1), alcohol (26.2), cannabis (12.0), tranquillizers (8.9), amphetamines (5.8), sedatives (4.9) and opium (1.3). The survey was replicated in the same classes of students in 1976. It revealed that the non-response vote was slightly lower, as was also involvement with drugs, though the difference between prevalence rates of drug use in the two years was not statistically significant.


Sociocultural differences between former and current users of psychoactive drugs in a sample of college student.

The paper present the results of a study on the underlying sociocultural factors which distinguish "former users" of drugs from "current users" among the college youth. Belonging to a similar social milieu, the two sets showed little difference in many respects. There were, however, features on which the two differed. Those who gave up drug use were mostly from the middle or lower strata of society, and had tolerant but drug abstaining family members. They were mostly junior students pursing "professional courses", and had fewer drug-using friends. Also they did not view drugs with favour. Giving up drug use had been mainly their personal decision, perhaps prompted by the influence of their family members and peer-group and by their own experience with drugs. Thus the former users have been found to differ noticeably from the current users.


[Tryptophanyl-tRNA-synthetase: limited proteolysis by elastase and isolation of "one-site" enzyme].

Each subunit of the dimeric tryptophanyl-tRNA-synthetase from beef pancreas is subjected to limited hydrolysis by elastase in two stages, according to scheme: 60 00 +/- 2000 leads to 51 000 +/- 2000 leads to 40 000 +/- 1500 daltons. In the course of the second step tryptophanyl-tRNA-synthetase looses its enzymatic activity. In the presence of substrates the pattern of fragments does not change. Formation of tryptophanyladenylate enzyme complex decreases the rate of proteolysis. Using the ability of synthetase to form one mole of stable aminoacyladenylate per mole of synthetase, the "one-site" enzyme was obtained by action of elastase on aminoacyladenylate-enzyme complex. This "one-site" enzyme consists of two subunits, one of which has a molecular weight of 51 000 daltons and is active and the other has a molecular weight of 40 000 daltons and is inactive. The "one-site" enzyme had Km values for all substrates for both aminoacylation and ATP--[32P]PP exchange reactions which are similar to values of Km for the native enzyme.


Kallikrein excretion in parotid saliva in rats with various forms of arterial hypertension.

A technique for continuous and quantitative collection of parotid saliva--including salivary flow rate determination--for in vivo experiments in rats is described. Excretion of kallikrein-like activity in parotid saliva of rats with various forms of arterial hypertension (genuine, renovascular and DOCTMA-salt hypertension) was studied. Kallikrein excretion was measured by its esterolytic activity. The levels of kallikrein-like activity in parotid saliva of normotensive control rats ranged between 2.5--4.0 mU/min during salivary flow stimulation with pilocarpine. In all forms of experimental hypertension salivary excretion of kallikrein-like activity was increased 2--4 fold. This increase was not related to the activity of the renin-angiotensin system.


Neuropsychological evidence for multiple memory systems.

Neuropsychological data provide strong support for the existence of multiple memory systems. The distinction between short-term memory and long-term memory has been discussed in the experimental literature for some years. More recently it has been argued that the concept of long-term memory is misleading in that it fails to differentiate between semantic memory and episodic/event memory. The independent and selective impairment of multiple memory systems, each with its own functional and structural properties, has been recorded in patients with cerebral lesions and the evidence for impairment of such systems is reviewed. It is argued that the cerebral organization of short-term memory, long-term (non-individual) semantic memory and long-term (individual) event memory is highly differentiated.


The tasks of consciousness: how could the brain do them?

According to Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, the existence of mental operations proves their usefulness. Darwin called himself a mental materialist. This is one scientific theory of consciousness. Human consciousness has three useful aspects: awareness, intentionality and sharing with others. All have simple equivalents in animals. The latter two are neglected in neurophysiology and experimental psychology. Developmental, neuroanatomical and neuropsychological evidence shows that the human brain has innate structures of awareness, intentionality and interpersonal sharing. Human life depends on interpersonal cooperation. We may have a conscious self, but consciousness of others is essential in us. Studies of commissurotomy patients demonstrate the elaborate interconnected neural organization of consciousness and provide evidence of underlying and necessary levels of motivation, perception and motor integration below consciousness. Additionally, they show that awareness may be split into two different modes. These regulate one another during development and are complementary in culturally sophisticated adult life. One hemisphere, usually the left, has responsibility for expressing ideas and purposes in language. The other responds to the phenomenal context and the subjective situation. Both have human experiences and purposes. Both still collaborate in a unified intentional system after commissurotomy. Infant studies reveal that language develops out of an interpersonal mental process. This seems to control development of thinking. Thus notions of the newborn as an isolated amoral id, and of the infant as an egocentric discoverer of the object concept, must be rejected. Cultivation of moral awareness and a sense of purpose guided by meanings and values depends on innate organization of the human brain for interpersonal consciousness.


Neurophysiological mechanisms and consciousness.

Consciousness may be understood as a behavioural state and thus levels of consciousness may be distinguished. But consciousness as we understand it is an experience. Any critical reasoning about it will lead to a dualistic formula. A neurophysiological mechanism may exist for this. In the neocortex various aspects of the world and of the physical and social relationships of the individuum to the world are represented through thalamocortical projection systems. There is no unified representation of the world in any single cortical area. All neocortical outputs feed into action systems of the brain. The synthesis of the distributed cortical representations of the world is thus realized through the action elicited by their combination. The action systems of the midbrain-cerebellum and the basal ganglia feed back into neocortical areas (internal loops). The action itself changes the relationship of the individual to the outside world and thus its representation in the brain (external loops). The role of the basal ganglia in the normal functioning of processes in consciousness and in the synthesis of cortical representations is described, which further emphasizes the intricate connections between motor performance and consciousness. The function of the reticular substance and related structures is seen as a gating mechanism for the (thalmic) access gates to the cortex and thus to mechanisms of conscious experience. The basis for the experience of consciousness is the symbolic representation of the world and of the individual to that individual's brain. This self-representation is based on the linguistic competence of the brain in a broad sense and is therefore possible only for brains with such a competence. The symbolic self-representation is called the reflective loop and its conditons are briefly discussed.


Three types of consciousness.

It is useful to distinguish three senses of the word 'consciousness'. 'Minimal' consciousness is the occurrence of any mental activity, whether or not the subject is aware of this activity. 'Perceptual' consciousness is perceptual activity. Minimal and perceptual consciousness may be present, yet 'introspective' consciousness be lacking. Introspective consciousness is conceived as it was by Locke and Kant: as perception-like awareness of the subject's own current mental states and activities. It includes introspective consciousness of introspective consciousness itself. A useful model for demystifying and naturalizing introspective consciousness is the subject's proprioceptive awareness of bodily states and activities. Introspective consciousness may be further subdivided into 'reflex' introspective consciousness and 'introspection proper'. The distinction is one of degree: the degree of attention involved. We attach a quite special importance to introspective consciousness and are particularly unwilling to identify it with a purely physical process in the brain. It is suggested, however, that this springs from (a) the fact that what is introspected is taken to be a state or activity of a single thing, the self; and (b) the fact that event-memory is generally only possible if the event remembered was the object of introspective consciousness at the time. Without introspective consciousness, therefore, awareness of a self and the past history of that self is lacking.


Outcome from severe neurological illness; should it influence medical decisions?

Most persons now accept the concept that when brain is dead, self is dead, and are willing to act accordingly. Much more difficult is to decide what to do when illness irreparably deprives the brain of cognitive functions. To facilitate less impassioned discussion of this question, 500 consecutive patients in coma from non-traumatic causes have been studied in the USA and Europe and the outcome has been compared against carefully selected early neurological signs. Medical coma was itself a dangerous sign, with only 15% of patients recovering independence within the first month. Within the first six hours, when most medical decisions are made about applying intensive care, neurological signs predicted with 95% confidence between the extremes of favourable and unfavourable outcomes in as many as a quarter of the patients. Only 5% of patients who failed to regain cognition by the end of one week regained any independence. Other more detailed guidelines were equally informative. If prognostic signs that confidently separate potentially favourable from unfavourable outcomes can be identified in severe neurological illness, perhaps society can more easily help medicine in reaching difficult ethical decisions.


Three phases of evil: the relation of injury to pain.

It is proposed that injury may be followed by three phases of behaviour in human beings and animals. In the immediate phase, pain may not occur and other activities take precedence. Even when the victims are fully aware of their injury, these other activities may include fighting, escaping and obtaining safety and aid. Once relative safety from the source of injury has been achieved, a new form of behaviour related to allowing recovery begins. This is the acute stage. The need for the initiation of this behaviour is signalled by pain. In the transition stage from injury to the beginning of recovery, anxiety is a cardinal feature. The anxiety is directed at assuring safety from the original damage, at assuring the best conditions for the initiation of treatment and recovery, and at the possible future consequences of the damage. This phase merges with the third period, during which quiet inactivity is the optimal tactic to encourage cure and recovery. This third stage associated with pain and depression may appear prolonged far beyond the necessary period for recovery. It is proposed here that pain is associated with the search for treatment and optimal conditions for recovery.


Pain and the senses.

There has been considerable philosophical debate over whether pain is a form of perception. A point of controversy is what pain is perception of; the best answer is neither pain-causing stimuli nor pain sensation but injury or the threat thereof. This answers the argument that pain cannot be perception because its 'objects' are private and exist only when perceived. A more potent argument is that pain is too poorly correlated with injury to count as perception of it. This issue is to be settled, in part, by determining the function of pain. The standard view of pain's function has here been contested and the resolution of the controversy will affect our inclination to ascribe to pain the status of perceptual faculty.


Communication and abnormal behaviour.

In this paper the similarities between normal and abnormal behaviour are emphasized and selected aspects of communication, normal and aberrant, between persons are explored. Communication in a social system may be verbal or non-verbal: one person's actions cause a response in another person. This response may be cognitive, behavioural or physiological. Communication may be approached through the individual, the social situation or social interaction. Psychoanalysis approaches the individual in terms of the coded communications of psychoneurotic symptoms or psychotic behaviour; the humanist-existential approach is concerned more with emotional expression. Both approaches emphasize the development of individual identity. The interaction between persons and their social background is stressed. Relevant are sociological concepts such as illness behaviour, stigma, labelling, institutionalization and compliance. Two approaches to social interactions are considered: the gamesplaying metaphor, e.g. back pain as a psychosocial manipulation--the 'pain game'; and the 'spiral of reciprocal perspectives' which emphasizes the interactional complexities of social perceptions. Communicatory aspects of psychological treatments are noted: learning a particular metaphor such as 'resolution' of the problem (psychotherapy), learning more 'rewarding' behaviour (learning theory) or learning authenticity or self-actualization (humanist-existential).


Consciousness and the brain: evolutionary aspects.

Self-reflective consciousness is distinguished from 'simple' awareness and from conscious awareness. Awareness is a fundamental property of living matter as it reacts to environmental stimuli. A hypothesis is advanced to account for the general phenomenon of decussation of nerve fibres in the central nervous system of vertebrates. This feature, the crossing over of nerve fibres to the opposite side of the brain, is interpreted as exemplifying the inherent caution of living forms. The evolution of increasing complexity of structure in spinal cord and brain is a prerequisite for increasing awareness of the environment and for increasing freedom from its constraints. Conscious awareness is manifested in living forms primarily when they are learning to respond either to new stimuli or to internal demands such as breathing and walking. The relegation of learnt activities to the realm of unconscious reflex allows for concentration on new and more complex responses, which leads to further freedom of action. The seeming simplicity of human thinking rests on the increasing complexity of the evolving brain and of appropriate responses learnt during phylogenetic development. The human brain and its thinking functions are basically trustworthy because they are rooted in biological evolution.


The mine--body problem in an evolutionary perspective.

Charles Darwin realized that his theory of evolution, jointly with the psychoneural identity hypothesis, implies the conjecture that behaviour and ideation evolve alongside anatomical and physiological traits. He was therefore the founder of evolutionary psychology. However, this science has not been pursued with vigour: not even its name has attained currency. In fact most psychologists still think in a pre-evolutionary fashion and seldom ask questions about the adaptive value and possible evolution of behavioural and mental traits. One reason for the underdevelopment of evolutionary psychology is that, on the whole, psychology is still separate from biology. In turn, one reason for this estrangement between close relatives is that psychology is still to some extent in the grip of psychoneural dualism, or the prehistoric belief that mind and body are separate entities. This doctrine is bound to block the advance of evolutionary psychology because a dualist must either deny mental evolution or speculate that it proceeds by some mechanism other than genic variation and natural (and social) selection. On the other hand the psychoneural identity hypothesis fits in with biology and, in particular, with evolutionary biology. Moreover, by construing ideation as a brain process, psychoneural monism explains how ideas (via behaviour) can become a motor of evolution as well as an outcome of it. So, it is in the interest of evolutionary psychologists to pay closer attention to the mind-body problem and to adopt the psychoneural identity hypothesis and turn it into a full-fledged scientific theory.


Language: perspectives from another modality.

Human languages have been forged in auditory-vocal channels throughout evolution. This paper examines the formal properties of a communication system that has developed in the absence of speech: the sign language of the deaf. The objective is to investigate to what extent the overall form and organization of language is determined by the articulatory and perceptual modality in which it has developed (its transmission system) and to what extent its form and organization represent more fundamental aspects of the human mind (intellect). Experimental and linguistic evidence is brought to bear on the analysis of the sign: studies of coding and processing of signs in memory; of slips of the hand; of historical change in signs over time; the heightened use of language in poetry and wit. American Sign Language differs dramatically from English and other spoken languages in the mechanisms by which its lexical units are modified. For the form of its morphological processes, the mode in which the language develops appears to make a crucial difference. Finally, the issue of cerebral specialization with respect to a visual-manual language is addressed.


The effects of combined action of beta-lactame and aminoglycoside antibiotics on resistant strains of streptococcus group D.

The aim of the paper was to study the effect of benzylpenicillin, cloxacillin and ampicillin in combination with streptomycin, kanamycin and gentamicin on antibiotic-resistant strains of Streptococcus group D. Most frequently the synergistic effect was observed when cloxacillin was combined with streptomycin (76%), cloxacillin with kanamycin (63%) and benzylpenicillin with streptomycin (53%). In some cases the synergistic effect was so pronounced that MIC of two antibiotics used in combination was equal or lower than levels of these antibiotics in patients sera. It is assumed that these combinations may have therapeutic meaning.


Similarities between cysteinesulphinate transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase.

A method for the purification of two cysteinesulphinate transaminases, A and B (EC 2.6.1), is described. These enzymes catalyse the conversion of cysteinesulphinic acid to beta-sulphinyl pyruvate. The final preparations are homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectrofocusing. The molecular weight of the subunits is 41 000 for cysteinesulphinate transaminase A and 43 400 for B. Both enzymes are unspecific, as L-asparate, L-glutamate and L-cysteic acid serve as substrates in addition to L-cysteinesulphinic acid. Cysteinesulphinate transaminase A has a Km of 9.8 mM for cysteinesulphinic acid and 0.25 mM for aspartic acid, whereas the B enzyme has a Km of 6.5 mM for cysteinesulphinic acid and 1.4 mM for aspartic acid. The Vmax values of the A and B enzymes are respectively 7.1 and 6.2 mmol h-1 mg-1 protein for aspartic acid and 45 and 9.3 mmol h-1 mg-1 protein for cysteinesulphinic acid. Both enzymes exhibit maximum activity at pH 8.6. A high specific activity is found in optimal conditions for these two transaminases, the pI values being 9.06 and 5.70 for cysteinesulphinate transaminase A and B respectively. These results have been compared with those already obtained for purified aspartate aminotransferase. Similarities in the pathways of taurine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) metabolism are discussed.


[Pulmonary damage in the rabbit caused by porcine pancreatic elastase and leukocyte lysate: unusual microscopic aspects].

Intratracheal injection of rabbit whole leukocyte homogenate induced emphysema-like lesions in rabbits. The lesions were produced only by preparations having elastinolytic activity. The pathological aspects appeared similar to those induced by the administration of porcine pancreatic elastase. The pulmonary changes, resembling several of the anatomic appearances of panacinar human emphysema, may be a suitable experimental model for studying histogenesis of panacinar human emphysema. Numerous abnormal fenestrations were present in air spaces walls and were a constant feature in opposition to that has been reported in elastase-treated hamsters. For the presence of a prominent dilatation of the periarterial lymphatic network, this experimental model might be used also for studying the ultrastructural features of pulmonary lymphatic vessels.


Anticomplementary activity of cornea, vitreous and chorioretina in rabbits.

We wished to determine if inhibitors of the complement system are present in different rabbit ocular tissues. Soluble extracts of cornea, vitreous humor and chorioretina in different dilutions were incubated with normal human serum (as source of complement). The ability of the latter to lyse sheep erythrocytes sensitized with antisheep rabbit hemolysin was assessed. The cornea did not show any inhibition of complement. The vitreous humor exhibited very low inhibitory activity. The extracts of the uveo-retinal tissue contained heat-labile and heat-stable factors capable of cleaving C3 and factor B.


Semipermeable membrane techniques in quantitative enzyme histochemistry.

Non-structurally bound, partially structurally bound or weakly structurally bound enzymes diffuse out of sections during the histochemical incubation period. Fixation of sections does not help to prevent diffusion since the enzymes may be inactivated by their chemical reaction with the fixative. Moreover watery fixatives cause partial leakage of enzymes into the fixative solution. The inclusion of macromolecular substances in the incubation media only partially prevents the leakage of enzymes. In the technique discussed here a semipermeable membrane is interposed between the incubating solution and the tissue section. Because only molecules with a molecular weight of 20 000 can penetrate the membranes, diffusion of enzymes is prevented, whereas substrate molecules and other components necessary for the staining reaction diffuse through the membrane. This technique is suitable for the histochemical demonstration of activity of oxidoreductases, transferases, hydrolases and isomerases. Particular attention is paid to how far semipermeable membrane methods are suitable for quantitative histochemical studies of enzymes.