Seasonal variations in plasma glucose and insulin concentrations after glucose loading in the edible dormouse (Glis glis L.).

Glucose tolerance tests made in the Edible dormouse showed annual variations in B cell secretory capacity, associated with glucose tolerance changes. 1. During autumn and winter, the B cell is sensitive to glucose, and insulin regulates the high peripheral consumption of this hexose. 2. At the beginning of spring, insulin secretion decreases and glucose tolerance is impaired. In June, the B cell response si low or absent and a poor tolerance to glucose still persists. 3. The variations in B cell activity can be related to changing energy requirements during the year.


Preferences and self-disclosure in relation to psychotherapist professional and ethnic identification.

This study examined the effects of psychotherapist ethnicity and expertise on preferences and self-disclosure. Thirty-four white Anglo American college students, 20 male and 14 female, listened to one of two matched psychotherapy tapes. The therapist was identified by background introductions as being either professional or nonprofessional and as either of Anglo American or Mexican American ethnicity. After hearing the tape, the Ss' perceptions and willingness to talk to the therapist were measured on a self-disclosure scale and an attitude-toward-therapist scale. Ss showed significantly higher self-disclosure to the therapist introduced as an Anglo American professional. The Mexican American nonprofessional also received significantly higher negative attitude-toward-therapist scores compared to the other therapist conditions.


Aggression and family size.

The aggression displayed under controlled conditions by 56 inner-city Hispanic boys ages 7-8 was measured to test the hypothesis that S s from large families will display less antisocial aggression than S s from small families. The results indicate that aggression and family size were related in a linear manner: decreasing aggression was linked to increasing family size. These behavioral results may be, in part, the result of increased accelerated development of social skills within children living in large families.


Effects of external incentive and aggressive predisposition on aggression reduction.

Female undergraduates (N = 40) received four counteraggression strategies (0%, 10%, 50%, and 150% retaliation) in response to their aggression in a complex reaction time task. They either were or were not offered a monetary incentive to beat their opponent and were divided into those low and high in their initial predisposition to aggression. Four major findings resulted: 1) escalation of aggression to 150% retaliation supported reciprocity over contingent punishment theory. 2) Ss low in aggression were unaffected by strategies, rather than being most responsive to pacifism, as predicted. 3) Ss high in aggression reduced their aggression most to the intermediate 10% and 50% retaliation strategies. 4) An external (monetary) incentive for beating the opponent did not parallel the aggressiveness personality factor as expected. The external incentive reduced the difference between low and high aggression participants and resulted in a linear relationship between retaliation strategy and aggression reduction. This is the first study showing minimum (10%) retaliation to be more effective than pacifism (0% retaliation), but the effect occurred only among the 25% most aggressive Ss when there was no monetary incentive.


[Results of radiological studies of prostate lesions in patients with urinary tract tuberculosis (author's transl)].

The authors have reviewed the case-reports of 160 patients with urinary tract tuberculosis in whom a complete radiological examination of the lower urinary tract had been performed. They analyze the frequency and significance of any prostatic lesions and describe the most effective investigational procedures for demonstrating such lesions. They were observed in about 50% of patients as opacification of the prostatic cavities, and can be clearly demonstrated in the large majority of cases by micturition cystography after intravenous urography, provided a satisfactory technique hs been used. In those cases where intravenous urography does not permit an effective micturition study, retrograde opacification is necessary, preferably by suprapubic cystography, and in some well-defined cases, by retrograde uretrography. The search for any prostatic affection is not a t a speculative study as it can explain some of the symptoms presented by the patient, and enable specific therapy to be prescribed.


[Radiological appearances in postoperative obstructions (author's transl)].

In the light of 9 cases, the authors study the varioud radiological appearances of postoperative obstructions. These may be early, before the restoration of intestinal transit, or secondary, during the days following the restoration of transit. The authors eliminate late postoperative obstructions from this study. There are various mechanisms of postoperative obstruction: organic obstructions may be due to an adhesion but also to agglutination or incarceration of intestinal loops. Functional obstructions most often accompany a localised area of inflammation. Mixed obstructions are a special feature of the postoperative period: agglutination of loops in contact with an area of inflammation. The authors emphasize the difficulty of radiological interpretation and the frequent disagreement between radiological and surgical findings.


[Acute oesophageal obstruction from food or mucilage: a report on 15 cases (author's transl)].

The authors review 15 cases of acute oesophageal obstruction arising from food (meat) or mucilage (3 cases). Obstruction was usually observed in the lower third of the oesophagus whereas in cases with stenosis due to caustic agents (2 cases), or tuberculosis (1 case), the middle third was affected. The obstruction is mainly related to the presence of a dyskinesia with or without an associated hiatus hernia. A transient isolated spasm of the lower oesophageal sphincter was present in three cases (20%). Urgent radiological examinations are essential for diagnostic and therapeutic reasons. An intravenous injection of glucagon must be given systematically and the patency of the oesophagus checked immediately afterwards. One patient was found to have two perforations of the oesophagus at different levels and these were thought to be due to different reasons. That in the cervical region was caused by a swallowed bone, the other was the probable consequence of the fibroscopic examination.


[Value of transfemoral lumbar phlebology in narrow lumbar canals (author's transl)].

Lumbar phlebology satisfies the three essential criteria for pre-operative investigation: 1) it confirms and defines the extent and morphological type of N.L.C. according to several characteristic signs (progressive approaching of the L.E.P., absence of injection of the L.E.P., reduced opacification of the L.E.P.). 2) it enables measurement of the degree of constraint of the vascular and nervous tissues in the spinal canal by studying the emissary veins. 3) it can detect any vertebral disc lesion present, by studying the L.E.P. This additional clinical investigation, which the authors found to be quite safe, complements conventional radiological examinations, tomography, and sacroradiculography with Dimer X, during pre-operative investigational procedures.


[The compression syndrome: A revaluation of the value of postural angiography (author's transl)].

A total of 136 patients with a compression syndrome of the upper limb were examined systematically by selective dynamic angiography as developed by the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital in Montreal. The method consists of given multiple injections of a contrast medium with the patient's arm in thirteen different positions. This retrospective study demonstrated that this method carries very little risk and is well-tolerated by the patients. Conclusions are drawn from a comparative statistical analysis of the angiographic results and the therapy chosen. The practical value of the examination is not to confirm the anatomical site of the compression but to evaluate the characteristics of the stenosis before a decision is made whether to operate. In this respect, the positions in which the patient is sitting down and the arm is in abduction are those in which a difference is found between those patients operated upon and those given medical treatment, which is a point in favour of this particular procedure.


[Diagnostic value of ultrasonography in primary gallbladder cancer (author's transl)].

The authors analyze the clinical, radiological, and ultrasonography findings in a personal series of 3 cases, and 6 other cases reported in the published literature. As a result of their studies, they propose several groupings of symptoms and signs which enabled a precise diagnosis to be made in 5 cases.


[Treatment of bladder hemorrhages due to inoperable pelvic cancers by embolization of the hypogastric arteries (author's transl)].

Transcatheter embolization of the hypogastric arteries has become more and more widely used in the management of bladder hemorrages due to inoperable pelvic cancers. It is a not shocking technique for the patient, without major complications. However, if its immediate results can be defined as very good, its long-term effects are not well known. The purpose of this paper is to describe the Authors' experience on this matter, which is based on 9 cases of transcatheter embolization of the hypogastric arteries. The patients were followed for at least 1 year or, in some cases, until their death.


[Goodpasture's syndrome. Two cases (author's transl)].

A brief report of two cases of Goodpasture's pneumonephrotoxic syndrome offers the greatest contribution that can be given by renal radiographic signs obtained by contrast radiography. Their association with already known pulmonary signs helps diagnosis and is an absolute indication for nephrobiopsy.


[Varices of the anterior mediastinum in a case of portal hypertension treated by omentopexy (author's transl)].

The authors report a case of portal hypertension due to cirrhosis of unknown aetiology, treated by omentopexy. They note the existence of a large varice of the anterior mediastinum responsible for the formation of two opacities of the left cardiophrenic angle. They discuss the nature and formation of these appearances in relation to the omentopexy and the portal hypertension.


[Giant diverticulum of the sigmoid: A report on one case and review of the literature (author's transl)].

The authors report a case of giant diverticulum of the sigmoid and review the approximately forty cases published in the literature. Clinical manifestations can be either an acute abdominal syndrome of symptoms of a chronic disease. Radiological appearances are usually characteristic: the giant diverticulum is located in the sigmoid, though in one case it arose from the transverse colon. An opaque image was noted in 15 of the patients following barium meal examination, and the lesion was associated with diverticulosis of the colon in every case. Apart from 4 cases, histological appearances were also typical: the colon wall is composed of fibrous tissue which has replaced the normal layers, and the neck of the giant diverticulum is always in the antimesenteric position.


[Pancreas pseudocyst examined by gastro-duodenal transit. From one observation (author's transl)].

From one obstructive jaundice case examined, the Authors describe, radiologically, the result of a chronicle pancreatitis: pseudocyst with internal cysto-duodenal fistula and visualisation by radiographic examination; stenosis of second duodenum; aerobilia.


Cost containment education efforts in United States medical schools.

Noting the increasing nationwide concern with factors relating to rising health care costs, the Association of American Medical Colleges surveyed 119 U.S. medical schools in the summer of 1978 to ascertain the degree of program activity in the area of cost containment education. A 100 percent response was achieved. An analysis of this data indicates that considerable activity is underway. Forty-one institutions (34 percent) have programs underway or planned specifically to teach health care cost containment to undergraduate medical students or residents or both. The majority of such programs were introduced during the past two years. The costs of such programs are fairly modest, averaging $22,680 per year. Respondents indicated that further activities might be enhanced by development of a primer for faculty and students on elements of cost containment education and the organization of a series of regional workshops related to this subject.


The role of physician education in cost containment.

As the cost of health care in the United States has increased to consume an ever greater portion of the gross national product, various strategies for cost containment have been advanced. Too little attention has been paid to the education of physicians for more responsible use of expensive resources. Current data on the role of physician knowledge, attitudes, and behavior in cost containment are reviewed; several intervention strategies are presented; and recommendations are proposed for increasing the sensitivity of physicians to the financial implications of their clinical decisions.


Jefferson Medical College Student Model Utilization Review Committee.

A Student Model Utilization Review Committee Project is in progress at Jefferson Medical College. Students participate in the program for 90 minutes during the six weeks of their clerkship in family medicine at the university hospital. Information collected from participants and controls before and after the program indicates that the experimental group has greater knowledge and more positive attitudes about utilization review and cost control in the health care field than do the controls. Students express positive feelings about the program. More importantly, one year later, as seniors, those in the experimental group demonstrated clinical behavior which was more consistent with the objectives of the program than other students. These results have led the Department of Family Medicine to incorporate the utilization review program into its formal curriculum beginning in the 1979-1980 academic year.


Student peer review of diagnostic tests at the Medical College of Ohio.

Students in their clinical clerkship performed retrospective reviews of their peers' laboratory usage patterns. Data covering the patient's history and physical examination, problem list, and treatment plan had been completed by students during internal medicine and pediatrics rotations. This information, along with the first day's diagnostic orders, was provided to community medicine clerkship students who then evaluated the cost and medical necessity of diagnostic tests ordered in light of the problem information. Application of such cost control programs, before students form definitive conceptions of treatment, may contribute to more cost-conscious behavior in their future medical practice.


Teaching cost containment to house officers at Charlotte Memorial Hospital.

A cost containment program initiated in 1975 on the medical teaching service of an 890-bed university affiliated hospital has led to a significant improvement in house staff utilization of facilities and procedures. During the first three and one-half years of the program the average length of stay on the general medical service was reduced by 21 percent; and the cost per admission rose at a rate of only 4.3 percent per annum, while the cost per admission on other services rose at an average rate of 14.5 percent per year. In the outpatient setting eliminating unnecessary laboratory procedures resulted in an actual reduction in patient-encounter cost initiated by interns despite price increases on all procedures. Overall cost advantage gained by reduction in utilization will rapidly be negated, however, if the current rate of inflation continues.


Discrepancies between knowledge and use of diagnostic studies in asymptomatic patients.

The value of educational programs designed to promote optimal use of laboratory tests by physicians remains unsolved. To assess the effects of level of training and knowledge of test characteristics in determining laboratory ordering habits, physicians' use of laboratory tests as applied to asymptomatic patients was surveyed and their knowledge of four specific procedures was tested. The survey included 148 physicians both in training and in practice in Rochester, New York. Increased selectivity in the use of tests occurred during residency training, but selectivity correlated poorly with knowledge of test characteristics. These data underline the need for additional studies to determine the role of factors other than knowledge which contribute to the use of laboratory tests. Planners of cost containment programs and educational strategies will need to direct attention to these factors.


Multiple hospital systems and the teaching hospital.

A substantial portion of hospital beds are in institutions that are in multiple hospital systems having varying degrees of formal linkage. Relatively few core teaching hospitals are part of such systems, but they do share strong relationships with their parent medical schools and affiliated hospitals. The missions of core teaching hospitals are patient care, education, and research. The traditional affiliation arrangement between hospitals permits the parent university to achieve these missions. The possible benefits to be gained through participation in a multiple hospital system do not appear to be of sufficient magnitude to either core teaching hospitals or their parent universities to persuade them to join or form such a system.


Interpersonal skills training: evaluation in an internal medicine residency.

To determine the effectiveness of teaching interpersonal skills in a general internal medicine residency, a program was developed utilizing videotape feedback of house-staff/patient interactions, a modification of Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR). Fifty-one randomly selected house officers at different levels of training were included in a controlled, pretest-posttest study design. The major pre-post measures were three independent ratings of videotapes of actual first-visit interviews between resident and patient. House officers in the experimental group significantly increased the proportion of each interview devoted to psychosocial issues compared with controls, although the interviews remained predominantly medical; increased the use of effective responses; and improved their level of empathy with patients. Personality and attitude measures were found not to correlate with observed interpersonal skills on pretest or posttest videotapes. House officers rated the training program as being interesting, valuable, relevant, and nonthreatening. The data suggest that interpersonal skills can be effectively taught to internal medicine residents utilizing a videotape feedback training program.


Effects of human leucocyte interferon on hepatitis B virus replication and immune responses in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection.

Eight patients with chronic hepatitis B infection (seven with chronic active hepatitis and one with chronic persistent hepatitis) were treated with daily intramuscular injections of human leucocyte interferon for periods of 5 to 8 weeks and in one case for 5 months. In one patient there was a marked fall in virus-associated DNA polymerase activity and in the number of DNA containing viral particles during each of two courses of interferon. Hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) also disappeared, the aspartate transaminase levels fell and liver histology improved. In the four other patients with detectable DNA polymerase activity there was an early fall but this was transient and in one of these patients there was a continuing rise in activity despite treatment. One other patient became HBeAg negative but hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) titres were mostly unaffected by treatment. A marked decrease in T-lymphocyte mediated cytotoxicity towards HBsAg coated target cells was demonstrated and raises the possibility that an immunosuppressant action of interferon may offsets its direct anti-viral action but may also account for the improvement in liver function which occurred in some patients.


Altered responsiveness to mitogens in subgroups of patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Thirty patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) were compared to an age-matched control population with respect to lymphocyte transformation by the mitogens Concanavalin A, Phytohemagglutinin-P, Pokeweed and Lipopolysaccharide, as well as for the relative frequency of E-rosette and Ig-bearing cells in peripheral blood. The data were analysed according to sex, age of onset, mode of onset and disease activity. Lymphocytes from patients with a pauciarticular pattern of onset of JRA responded to mitogens in a similar fashion as normal volunteers, whereas lymphocytes from patients with both a polyarticular and Still's mode of onset had a diminished response to the mitogens. However, this reduction was noteworthy only during periods of disease activity; during periods of remission, lymphocytes from the patients responded similarly to lymphocytes from normals. In contrast to this reduction in mitogen stimulation in these subgroups of patients with JRA, all patients with JRA--irrespective of disease activity or mode of onset--were similar to controls with respect to the percentage of E-rosette and Ig-bearing cells. These alterations in mitogen responsiveness could not be attributed to therapy. Finally, the abnormalities of lymphocyte transformation in patients with polyarticular and Still's mode of onset represent secondary features of disease and are not due to a generalized predisposition or abnormality of cell mediated immunity.


The use of indium-111 for studies of cytotoxicity mediated by lymphocytes or by antibodies and complement.

Mouse P815 mastocytoma cells, Meth A sarcoma cells and human MRC5 fibroblasts and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were labelled with 111In, 51Cr or 125IUdR and their release from the cells measured. Spontaneous release of 111In from the cells in cultures was less than half that of 51Cr and was comparable to the release of 125I. When 111In-labelled P815 cells were lysed with antibodies and complement or with sensitized lymphocytes the label was released rapidly. 111In is a convenient label in short- as well as in long-term in vitro cytotoxicity studies because of its high labelling and detecting efficiency and its stable cell association.


Increased lymphocyte transformation by insulin induced hypoglycaemia in normal subjects.

To study the effect of carbohydrate metabolism on lymphocyte reactivity, we performed phytohaemoagglutinin and pokeweed mitogen induced lymphocyte transformation after insulin induced hypoglycaemia in normal subjects. A statistically significant increase of PHA-LT and a slight increase of PKW-LT were detected 30 minutes following insulin administration. These data suggest a stimulating effect of insulin induced hypoglycaemia on T lymphocyte reactivity and this finding has clinical importance in regard to the management of diabetic patients.


Complex admittance of Na+ conduction in squid axon.

The complex admittance, Y(p), of squid axon was measured (4--1000 Hz) during step voltage clamp to obtain linear data on Na+ conduction. Y(p) is used as a spectroscopic tool to identify Na+ and K+ conduction, which dominate Y(p) at low frequencies and can be separated from each other and from the static capacitance. Na+ conduction is readily distinguishable from K+ conduction in that it produces a steady-state negative conductance. The admittance of the Na+ system can show an anomalous resonance or an antiresonance depending on whether the net shunt conductance is negative or positive. Use of the Na+ negative conductance to neutralize leakage yields a measurement of dielectric capacitance at low frequency. A 90 degrees phase angle suggests that the capacitance is ideal.


Microtubules inside the plasma membrane of squid giant axons and their possible physiological function.

The effects of application of the microtubule-disassembling reagents to squid giant axons upon resting potential, the height of the propagated action potential, and the threshold to evoke action potential were studied using colchicine, podophyllotoxin, vinblastine, griseofulvin, sulfhydryl reagents including NEM, diamide, DTNB and PCMB, and Ca2+ ions. At the same time, the effects of concentrations of K halides and K glutamate on the above physiological properties were studied in comparison with in vitro characteristics of microtubule assembly from purified axoplasmic tubulin. It was found that there was good correlation between conditions supporting maintenance of membrane excitability and microtubule assembly. The experiments suggest that associated with the internal surface of the plasma membrane there are microtubules which regulate in part both the resting and action potentials.


Alterations of the carrier-mediated transport of an anionic solute, methotrexate, by charged liposomes in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells.

Interaction of positively charged liposomes with Ehrlich ascites tumor cells increases the bidirectional transmembrane fluxes of the anionic folic acid analog, methotrexate. Negative liposomes reduce methotrexate influx. Stimulation of methotrexate influx by positively charged liposomes is time and concentration dependent, requiring at least a 5-min incubation with 2.5 mM phosphatidylcholine containing 20% stearylamine for maximum effect. Stimulation is not appreciably reversed by washing the cells. Similar increases are observed for influx and efflux so that there is no change in the steady-state methotrexate electrochemical-potential difference across the cell membrane. The increase influx appears to be a stimulation of the carrier-mediated transport process for methotrexate since both control and stimulated influx are abolished by the competitive inhibitor, 5-formyltetrahydrofolate or the sulfhydryl group inhibitor, p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid and the Q10 of the system remains unchanged. Influx of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, which shares the same transport carrier as methotrexate, is also stimulated. However, the transport of folic acid, which is structurally similar to methotrexate but does not utilize the carrier, is unaffected. The kinetic change induced by positively charged liposomes is an increase in the Vma in, while the Kt in remains unchanged. Trans-stimulation of methotrexate influx by 5-formyltetrahydrofolate occurs to the same extent in the presence or absence of positively charged liposomes. The liposomes have no apparent effect on the intracellular water, the extracellular space, or the chloride distribution ratio. The data suggest that interaction of positively charged liposomes with Ehrlich ascites tumor cells accelerates the rate of transposition of the membrane carrier system for methotrexate, altering the kinetics of transport without a change in transport thermodynamics.


Kinetic constants for intestinal transport of four monosaccharides determined under conditions of variable effective resistance of the unstirred water layer.

Theoretical considerations have suggested that variations in the resistance of the unstirred water layer (UWL) have a profound effect on the kinetic constants of intestinal transport. In this study, a previously validated in vitro technique was employed to determine the unidirectional flux rate of glucose, galactose, 3-O-methyl glucose and fructose into the rabbit jejunum under carefully-defined conditions of stirring of the bulk phase known to yield different values for the effective resistance of the UWL. For each monosaccharide, uptake is much greater when the resistance of the UWL is low than when high. The maximal transport rate, Jd m, of glucose was half as large as the Jd m of galactose and 3-O-methyl glucose (3-O-MG), and was twice as great as the Jd m of fructose. The apparent affinity constant, Km * of glucose is less than that of fructose, which was lower than the Km * of galactose and 3-O-MG. The use of the Lineweaver-Burk double reciprocal plot is associated with an overestimation of both Jd m and Km *. This discrepancy between the true and apparent values of the kinetic constants is much greater for lower than for higher values of Jd m and Km *; variations in the resistance of the unstirred layer influences the magnitude and direction of the discrepancy. The apparent passive permeability coefficient is similar for each sugar, but because of the different values of Jd m, passive permeation contributes relatively more to the uptake of glucose and fructose than of galactose or 3-O-MG. Under conditions of high unstirred layer resistance, differences in uptake rates of the sugars are due to differences in their Jd m rather than their Km *. Kinetic analysis is compatible with the suggestion that the glucose carriers are predominantly near the tip of the villus, whereas those for galactose and 3-O-MG are located along the entire villus and the Km * of their carriers at the tip is lower than their Km * towards the base of the villus. It is proposed that there are multiple or heterogeneous intestinal carriers for glucose, galactose and 3-O-methyl glucose in the jejunum of the rabbit.


A comparative light and electron microscopic study of the pineal complex in the deep-sea fishes, Cyclothone signata and C. acclinidens.

The pineal complexes of the two closely related deep-sea fished Cyclothone signata and C. acclinidens were compared both qualitatively and quantitatively. Photoreceptor and supportive cells were identified in both species. The deeper-dwelling species, C. acclinidens, had a significantly greater number of photoreceptor-cell outer segment saccules and a higher ratio of receptor cells to nerve fibers in the pineal stalk. It was suggested that these indicate increased photosensitivity of the pineal. Supportive cells were sometimes seen to contain arrays of undulating tubules. The functional significance of these tubules is not understood. A prominent dorsal sac is closely associated with the pineal end-vesicle. Both structures appear to have a common vascular supply suggesting that they are functionally related. Dorsal sac cells contained abundant mitochondria, glycogen, and large filament-like inclusions.


Cell death and optic fiber penetration in the optic stalk of the chick.

The role of dying cells in the optic stalk in relation to retinal fiber migration was investigated in the chick embryo. Cell death was analysed at various stages of development by counting pycnotic nuclei and also by the Gomori acid phosphatase reaction, while nerve fibers were visualised by the Bodian method. A wave of cell death, beginning in the neural retina at stage 18 and advancing with time through the stalk towards the diencephalon, occurred simultaneously or slightly prior to differentiation and migration of ganglion cell axons. Cell death stopped and gliogenesis occurred in the stalk after penetration by retinal fibers. Cell death occurred in the stalk even when fiber penetration was prevented by optic cup ablation. In this case, necrosis ensued until almost complete degeneration of the stalk, usually within three days after the operation, and gliogenesis did not occur. As the stalk degenerated, its cells became heavily pigmented. These observations suggest that the onset of cell death in the optic stalk is determined prior to and independently of retinal fiber penetration. On the other hand, cessation of cell death and subsequent gliogenesis occur only in the presence of ingrowing optic fibers.


Amino acids in a carbonaceous chondrite from Antarctica.

A carbonaceous chondrite from the Antarctic, referred to as the Allan Hills meteorite 77306, appears to be free from terrestrial organic contamination. The presence of both protein and non-protein amino acids and an equal abundance of D- and L-enantiomers of amino acids, is testimony to the extraterrestrial nature of these compounds.


The formation of dipeptides from amino acids and the 2'(3')-glycyl ester of an adenylate.

The yields of dipeptide obtained from the reaction of 0.2M 2'(3')-O-(glycyl)-adenosine-5'-(O-methylphosphate) and 0.2M amino acid at pH 8.2 ranged from 0.1% to 35.5% for a group of 15 amino acids. The yields of glyser (35.3%), gly-cys (11.8%) and gly-thr (5.4%) were considerably greater than dipeptide yields obtained from any of the other 12 amino acids (less than or equal to 1.7%). Aminolysis of 0.05M 2'(3')-O-(glycyl)-adenosine-5-'-(O-methylphosphate) by 0.4M serine ethyl ester yielded 53% glycylserine diketopiperazine, via N-(glycyl)-serine ethyl ester as a transient intermediate. The prebiotic significance of these reactions is discussed.


The formation of peptides from glycine thioesters.

The condensation products obtained from 0.01M S-glycyl-N-acetyl-cysteamine at different pH's were investigated. The highest yields of diketopiperazine (approx. 50%) were observed in phosphate buffers between pH 7.5 and 8.5. The highest yields of diglycine (46%), triglycine (10%) and tetraglycine (2%) were observed in carbonate buffers at pH 9.5. At pH 8.0, over 90% of the glycyl residues of 0.15M S-glycyl-N-acetylcysteamine were incorporated into condensation products, mainly DKP (60--70%). The yields of products from the condensation of S-glycyl-ethanethiol under similar conditions closely resembled those obtained with S-glycyl-N-acetylcysteamine.


Template-directed synthesis of oligoadenylates catalyzed by Pb2+ ions.

The Pb2+ ion is an effective catalyst for the template-directed condensation of ImpA on poly(U). This reaction generates up to 35% of oligomers 5 or more units long. Furthermore, the product is predominantly 3'-5'-linked (75%) unlike that from the uncatalyzed reaction which is more than 90% 2'-5'-linked. The significance of metal-ion catalysis for prebiotic polynucleotide formation is discussed.


Studies on DNA sequences in the Osmundaceae.

Phylogenetic relationships of Osmunda cinnamomea, O. claytoniana, and O. regalis were explored by means of DNA sequence comparisons. Hydroxyapatite thermal elution profiles of self-reassociated repetitive DNA fragments were very similar, indicating the absence of gross differences in the amount of recent amplification or addition of repetitive DNA in any of these three genomes. Interspecific DNA sequence comparisons showed, in contrast to our earlier interpretation, that repeated DNA sequences of O. claytoniana are nearly equally diverged from those of O. cinnamomea and O. regalis. Differences between repetitive sequences of the three species can be interpreted as reflecting amplification events which occurred subsequent to speciation. The data obtained suggest that the three Osmunda species most likely arose more or less simultaneously from a common ancestor. These findings were verified in experiments with tracer DNA preparations enriched for single copy sequences. On the basis of the hydridization data presented here and of the fossil record, the rate of single copy sequence divergence in the ferns is comparable to that in the primates, although slower than that observed in other animal taxa. From this first evaluation of rates of DNA evolution in plants it would seem that the rates for plants and animals are roughly comparable. The evidence suggests that species divergence is accompanied by further reiteration of preexisting repeat sequences. The rate of addition of repetitive sequences probably is slower in ferns than in angiosperms. This difference might be attributable to the much larger effective generation time in ferns.


The phylogenetic distribution of tubulin:tyrosine ligase.

The post-translational addition of tyrosine to alpha-tubulin, catalyzed by tubulin:tyrosine ligase, has been previously reported in mammals and birds. The present study demonstrated that significant ligase activity was present in representative organisms from several other major vertebrate classes (chondrichthyes through reptiles) and that both substrate and enzyme from all vertebrates investigated were compatible with mammalian ligase and tubulin in the tyrosination reaction. None of the invertebrate tissues examined showed incorporation of tyrosine, phenylalanine or dihydroxyphenylalanine into alpha tubulin under conditions allowing significant incorporation of these compounds in vertebrate supernatant samples. The failure of invertebrate tubulin to incorporate tyrosine in vitro did not appear to be due to saturation of the carboxyl terminal position with tyrosine or the presence of a soluble inhibitor of ligase activity. Although tubulin amino acid composition has been highly conserved throughout evolution, a major evolutionary divergence is described based upon biochemical differences whereby invertebrate tubulin cannot be tyrosinated or post-translationally modified with phenylalanine or dihydroxyphenylalanine under conditions suitable for the incorporation of these compounds by vertebrate alpha tubulin.


Aldocyanoin microspheres: partial amino acid analysis of the microparticulates formed from simple reactants under various conditions.

The work of Kenyon and Nissenbaum on aldocyanoin microspheres was repeated and extended. It was determined that the microspheres contained amino acids and that specific amino acids could be incorporated into the microspheres by adding the requisite aldehyde or ketone precursor to the model mixture. Microsphere formation was found to be dependent on the availability of oxygen. Under anaerobic conditions of synthesis, no microspheres formed in the time allotted and the amino acid composition of the macromolecular material was simple. Microparticulate material synthesized by C. Folsome using a quenched spark technique was analyzed and found to contain amino acids that had a qualitative composition similar to both a Miller-Urey discharge and the Kenyon-Nissenbaum microspheres.


The organic composition of the Allan Hills carbonaceous chondrite (77306) as determined by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and other methods.

The amino acid composition and the pyrolyzable organic content of the Antarctic Allan Hills meteorite (ALHA 77306.9 and ALHA 77306.17) was examined. The pyrolysis products are very similar to those of the Murchison meteorite. The identified amino acids are present at quite low levels, they are racemic and are structurally similar to those observed in the Murchison meteorite. This indicates the possible chemical synthesis of these compounds in the meteorite parent body. The Allan Hills meteorite is not detectably contaminated.


Immunosuppressive therapy of ocular disease.

Care and caution are required in using immunosuppressive agents to combat sight-threatening ocular disease. Informed consent of the patient and the active participation of a knowledgeable internist are mandatory in view of the known potential consequences of therapy. These consequences or side effects include specific and general problems, and before initiating therapy the cost/benefit ratio must be considered. Although the most commonly used agents are nonspecific, some drugs appear more beneficial in certain conditions than others, as is the case of chlorambucil in Behcet disease. It is a policy at the Uveitis Clinic of the University of California, Irvine, to institute immunosuppressive therapy early enough for conservation of useful vision, yet late enough so that it is clear that moderate to heavy steroid therapy cannot prevent blindness. In the event of failure of the "conventional" immunosuppressive therapy, plasmapheresis may prove a helpful adjunct.


Experience of a sickle cell screening program in Baltimore.

The hemoglobinopathies constitute a major medical problem in the black community of Baltimore. A sickle cell service should be designed to discover, educate, and, if necessary, treat. Screening is sound preventive medicine and may serve to introduce the patient to the concept of continuing medical surveillance. The prevention of serious complications in patients with the more severe types of hemoglobinopathy should be a basic goal in the program.


Slipping rib syndrome.

Three cases of slipping rib syndrome are presented. The pertinent anatomy of the costal margin and nerve supply are reviewed. The treatment of the disease is presented along with case histories. This entity is little known to the medical profession, although first described in 1919. Probably far more common than is realized, it should always be included in the differential diagnosis of thoracic and abdominal pain.


Benign breast lesions.

A review of 52 unselected cases of benign breast masses operated on at the University College Hospital Ibadan, showed that fibroadenoma was the most common benign lesion found, followed by fibrocystic disease of the breast. Fibroadenoma is most common in the second and third decades of life, usually in nulliparous young women, whereas fibrocystic disease is most common in the fifth decade, usually in parous women. Benign breast lesions are more common in the left breast than the right, and the most common location is the upper outer quadrant.


Effects of maternal-fetal monitoring on pregnancy outcome in a high risk pregnant population.

A program was designed to determine the effects of monitoring all patients admitted to labor and delivery at the District of Columbia General Hospital during 1976. This paper reports the findings and discusses the value of electronic surveillance on fetal and perinatal survival.


Mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome without exanthema: a case report.

A seven-year, eight-month-old Mexican-American boy was admitted to the hospital with a history of prolonged fever and cervical adenitis. The fever persisted for approximately two weeks and was associated with bilateral conjunctivitis, dryness and redness of the lips, and a deeply red tongue with marked hypertrophy of the papillae. Approximately two weeks following admission a peculiar desquamation of the perianal area was noted, followed by the desquamation of the hands and feet typically noted with mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome (MLNS).Numerous laboratory studies were performed and were not revealing. With the desquamation of the hands and feet a diagnosis of MLNS was believed confirmed. This case is unusual because there was no cutaneous eruption so characteristic of MLNS, and also because of the presence of the peculiar perianal desquamation which has not been previously reported.


The unrewarding results of curative therapy in esophageal cancer.

The mortality from carcinoma of the esophagus in the non-white male population of the metropolitan Washington, DC, area is probably the highest in the United States. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics indicates a mortality figure of 27.9/100,000 for the period 1969-1971.(1) Between 1971 and 1976, 114 patients were seen at Howard University Hospital with the diagnosis of carcinoma of the esophagus, of which only 48 were suitable for definitive therapy. All patients were black. The male/female ratio was 4 to 1. Postoperative irradiation appeared to confer benefit on surgically respected patients. In this selected group of patients, treatment had little influence on the natural history of the disease and the adjusted direct five-year survival was 2.1 percent.(*)


Preventive psychiatry in the Board of Education.

The Board of Education has a significant role in the psychiatric prevention of criminal and psychiatric disorders. Two hundred and seventy-four children were seen over a two year period and their diagnostic groupings are presented. Follow-up was possible on 150 of the children and it was found that 70 percent of them were better. The findings and conclusions from this sample are presented.


Child abuse: a black perspective utilizing a social-psychological model.

The majority of models utilized in the formulation of the dynamics of child abuse rely upon an individual psychopathological frame of reference. Not only is this approach limited, but it renders primary preventive approaches virtually impossible. The author presents a social-psychological model, with the recommendation that it be applied among blacks. Essential to the model's applicability is the vulnerability of blacks to institutionalized racism and to the universal and destructive institutional abuse to which blacks are subjected. While often quite covert, this abuse is nonetheless extremely noxious, and serves to potentiate the view blacks have of themselves as undervalued individuals, and as individuals who have no alternative other than to commit abuse to others. Child abuse in blacks is viewed as reactive in nature-reactive to societal abuse. This adaptational model of child abuse, rather than precluding an individual psychopathological model, complements it. Use of this model should facilitate primary prevention with respect to child abuse. Current approaches to child abuse are comparable to "an ambulance service at the bottom of a cliff." What is lacking is an approach that will "fix the road on the cliff that causes the accidents." Only by examining the intricate interplay between individual and society can the factors that lead to child abuse be modified.


Studies on the toxicity of coal-tar dyes. I. Photodecomposed products of four xanthene dyes and their acute toxicity to fish.

The acute toxicity of photodecomposed products of Erythrosine, Eosine, Phloxine and Rose Bengale were studied, since it was found that toxicity of these dyes to fish increased after the dyes had been photoirradiated. Photodecomposed products of the dyes were isolated and identified with UV, IR, NMR spectra and the acute toxicity of those compounds were determined by TLm test. As results of these studies, it became clear that the toxicity of photodecomposed organic products (dehalogenated compounds of dyes) were lower than the mother compounds. The increases in toxicity of the xanthene dyes by photo-irradiation were attributed to the liberated halogens by irradiation.


[Mutagenicity test of antithyroid agent, methimazole--dominant lethal mutation test on male mice (author's transl)].

Mutagenicity test of Methimazole (MMI) was performed by means of dominant lethal mutation test in the male mice. Male mice were treated with a single s.c. injection of 45 mg/kg or 90 mg/kg MMI. Mean body weights were slightly decreased and mating rates were low immediately after treatment of MMI. Mean numbers of living implants at any periods examination up to 6 weeks after the treatment were compared with Salin Control, indicating lack of dominant lethality of MMI. On the other hand, EMS and MMC known mutagens and reference agents used in the present study, induced dominant lethalities at a single s.c. injection respectively.


The effects of paraquat on cultured human embryonic cells.

The effects of paraquat on human embryonic somatic cells were studied. Monolayer cultured cells, from several different organs, were exposed to various concentrations of paraquat. Then, the cells were stained with nigrosine and Sudan IV to demonstrate dead or damaged cells and fatty granules, respectively. The lowest paraquat concentration that caused morphological changes varied from 1 to 10 ppm, and the lowest concentration that caused fatty degeneration varied from 1 to 5 ppm. In both types of staining, the lowest degenerative concentration was lower as the culture generation was younger, and the degree of degeneration did not differ with the cell origin. The protein content per cell in paraquat-treated cells was not significantly decreased in comparison with control cells.


Broken paediatric appointments at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City.

Appointment system was introduced to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital at the initial stage of the Hospital development. This is a new experience to the local community which is largely illiterate. The appointment breaking was low contrary to expectation. Indifference or negligence accounted for a high percentage of defaulting. The system was deemed to be good by 66.4 per cent of the defaulters interviewed only 1.2 per cent felt that it was bad. Efforts by the health visiting Sister to visit the defaulters at home and persuade them to attend the clinic reduced the number of broken appointments. The habit of breaking appointments by parents/guardians of children who showed indifference or negligence were more difficult to remedy. For a referral system to be effective in a largely illiterate community where referral system is new, knowledge of the reasons for breaking appointments in the community should be known and remedied. Promotion of personalized attention and intensive health education are essential.


Serum vitamin A levels of patients with onchocerciasis from two areas of the Sudan.

Two areas of the Sudan known to be endemic to onchocerciasis were surveyed for skin and ocular changes, and serum vitamin A levels in patients and normal controls. In Southern Sudan severe eye lesions and blindness are common complications. In Northern Sudan skin lesions predominate, and no case of blindness was recorded. Serum vitamin A levels were found to be adequate in all groups studied. However, patients from Southern Sudan with both eye and skin lesions due to onchocerciasis had the lowest mean serum vitamin A level. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the possible aetiological role of vitamin A deficiency in the pathogenesis of ocular complications of onchocerciasis.


Haemoglobinopathies in Libya.

Electrophoretic study of haemolysates from five hundred and forty-five subjects from the University of Garyounis, Benghazi, was carried out to find out the incidence of abnormal haemoglobins in Libya. Abnormal haemoglobins were encountered in 23 subjects of unrelated families, giving an overall incidence of 4.2 per cent. Sixteen of these subjects had Hb-AS trait (3.0%), Five subjects had Hb-AC trait (0.9%) and two subjects had Hb-AD trait (0.36%). Present study indicates that the incidence of abnormal haemoglobins in the indigenous population of Libya is low.


Acute amoebic dysentery due to free-living amoebae treated with methronidazole.

A case of non-fatal acute amoebic dysentery without symptoms of meningoencephalitis, due to free-living amoebae possibly of the genus Acanthamoeba, is reported. The disease was diagnosed by the presence of motile amoebae in the fresh, wet preparation of the stool. The case was treated successfully with metronidazole.


Hepatic intracellular sodium in schistosomal hepatic fibrosis.

This study was performed on 15 male non-ascitic schistosomal cases to estimate hepatic intracellular electrolytes content. Another 10 non-schistosomal non-cirrhotic cases were taken as control. It has been found that, serum sodium and potassium concentration and hepatic intracellular potassium content were within normal range with no statistical difference in the values obtained in both schistosomal and control group. The hepatic intracellular sodium content was higher than normal in all our cases, with a significant statistical difference between the schistosomal and the control group. It has been concluded that, in schistosomal patients increase in the intracellular sodium content is an early finding before the development of ascites.


A tinnitus clinic.

Eighty patients with a main complaint of tinnitus were assessed. In only 32 was help possible. In 16 of these symptomatic relief utilized the masking technique which is briefly described. These results though not outstanding are encouraging and represent a definite step forward in helping patients with this unpleasant condition. Apart from symptomatic treatment of tinnitus, the clinic allowed early diagnosis of noise-induced hearing loss in some patients. Several patients had asymmetrical hearing loss, but despite extensive investigation no cerebellopontine angle tumors were identified. These patients are being followed. For these reasons, the tinnitus clinic is regarded as a success and will continue to function as a specialty clinic in otolaryngology at Vancouver General Hospital.


Osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone.

Six cases of osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone are described. Persistent symptoms of otitis externa refractory to local treatment measures should alert the physician to the possibility of underlying osteoradionecrosis. Treatment of superficial parotidectomy and partial temporal bone resection with preservation of the facial nerve is indicated if local aggressive conservative measures fail to control the disease. Benign mixed tumors of the parotid gland should be treated surgically with avoidance of radiotherapy.


Thyroid carcinoma presenting as a tracheal tumor. Case report and literature review with reflections on pathogenesis.

Ectopic thyroid tissue within the submucosa of the trachea is a rare cause of upper airway obstruction. Most case reports in the literature record examples of intratracheal goiter with only occasional reports of neoplasms arising from such thyroid rests. This report describes a young female patient with a malignant tumor, thought to be primary in the trachea, treated first by radiotherapy and eventually successfully surgically excised. The surgical resection required total thyroidectomy with partial laryngectomy and major tracheal resection, and provided an excellent functional result. The clinical history, laboratory findings and histologic sections strongly suggest that this tumor arose within the tracheal submucosa from ectopic thyroid tissue. In a series of 250 serially sectioned larynges, such ectopic thyroid tissue has been identified in only two patients.


Teratomas of the nasopharynx.

The case of an infant with a large nasopharyngeal teratoma is presented. The tumor completely obstructed the airway and necessitated immediate intubation. It was excised the day of birth and the child's postoperative course has been satisfactory. A review of the literature reveals dermoid tumors to be relatively common but teratomas occur considerably less frequently. Four previously reported cases with successful surgical excision were found. The etiology of these lesions is unknown. They probably arise from uncontrolled growth of a pleripotential cell originating in the region of the embryonic notochord. Dermoid tumors often present in the adolescent or adult. Teratomas however, generally present in the neonate and are incompatible with life without surgical excision which provides the only chance of survival for these infants.


Concepts in cosmetic blepharoplasty.

Cosmetic consideration in evaluating patients seeking cosmetic blepharoplasty is discussed. Emphasis has been placed on the need to develop a desirable supratarsal fold, elevate the lateral canthal area, and prevent lower eyelid complication. The goal is a more favorable, youthful appearance of the eyes.


Occult primary of the head and neck.

This paper reviews clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of 199 cases of metastatic carcinoma of the neck with an occult primary, seen at the Cancer Control Agency of British Columbia from 1950-1975. In 35 patients a primary tumor was ultimately found, with the commonest location the nasopharynx. In a further 46 patients a primary was suspected on a clinical basis only. The other 118 cases remained occult. Therapeutic results of the whole series and individual groups are analyzed. Best survival was found in those in whom a primary source was ultimately demonstrated. Single, small, mobile cervical nodes had the best prognosis. Supraclavicular nodes indicated a poor prognosis and an even greater need to search for an infraclavicular primary. A comparative review of the literature is included.


Multiple tumors of the parotid gland.

Multiple tumors in a single major salivary gland are rare. Recently a patient with an acinic cell carcinoma and a Warthin's tumor in the same parotid gland was surgically treated at the Toronto General Hospital. A review of the world literature failed to reveal any report of this combination of tumors in the same gland.


Retropharyngeal abscess and upper airway obstruction.

Two cases of retropharyngeal abscess with associated airway obstruction are presented. The pertinent diagnostic features as well as treatment are reviewed.


Combined modalities in the management of hypertrophic scars and keloids.

A surgeon has many treatment options available during the longterm management of a patient with keloids or hypertrophic scars. The thoughtful combination of multiple modalities in a staged manner may produce a more favorable result than the application of a single technique. A case is presented which illustrates the concept of preliminary treatment with cryotherapy and low dose intralesional triamcinolone followed at interval by surgical excision.


Polymorphism of the migration of double-stranded RNA genome segments of reovirus isolates from humans, cattle, and mice.

A series of 94 isolates of reovirus from humans, cattle, and mice, showed extensive variability in the patterns of migration of the ten double-stranded RNA genome segments. This variation was found in all three serotypes, and involved all ten genome segments, including the segment responsible for serological specificity. Although a single pattern was present among several samples isolated from individuals and collected at a single time and place, there were often multiple genetic variants of a single serotype present in a population. Samples isolated from widely different geographic origins or different mammalian hosts showed different patterns; samples from a single species from the same area over a period of time showed more limited variations. Among most isolates, the migration of the slowest S segment, the segment that encodes the hemagglutinin and is responsible for serological specificity in laboratory strains, was similar to reference strains for type 1 and type 3 isolates. However, the type 2 isolates showed considerable variation in this segment.


Cleavage map of bacteriophage T4 cytosine-containing DNA by sequence-specific endonucleases SalI and KpnI.

Cytosine-containing T4 DNA from endoII- endoIV- dCTPase- alc2 phage grown in a sup+ rB- mB- host is cleaved by endo R.EcoRI and endo R.HindIII to greater than 40 fragments and by endo R.SalI and endo R.KpnI to 8 and 6 fragments, respectively. The latter two fragment sets have been correlated to each other to produce a cleavage map of the genome. The sum of the molecular weights of the fragments calculated from electrophoretic mobility in agarose gels yields a genome molecular weight for cytosine-containing T4 DNA of 105 x 10(6).


Spleen focus-forming Friend virus: identification of genomic RNA and its relationship to helper virus RNA.

The genome of the defective, murine spleen focus-forming Friend virus (SFFV) was identified as a 50S RNA complex consisting of 32S RNA monomers. Electrophoretic mobility and the molecular weights of unique RNase T1-resistant oligonucleotides (T1-oligonucleotides) indicated that the 32S RNA had a complexity of about 7.4 kilobases. Hybridization with DNA complementary to Friend murine leukemia virus (Fr-MLV) has distinguished two sets of nucleotide sequences in 32S SFFV RNA, 74% which were Fr-MLV related and 26% which were SFFV specific. By the same method, SFFV RNA was 48% related to Moloney MLV. We have resolved 23 large T1-oligonucleotides of SFFV RNA and 43 of Fr-MLV RNA. On the basis of the relationship between SFFV and Fr-MLV RNAs, the 23 SFFV oligonucleotides fell into four classes: (i) seven which had homologous equivalents in Fr-MLV RNA; (ii) six more which could be isolated from SFFV RNA-Fr-MLV cDNA hybrids treated with RNases A and T1; (iii) eight more which were isolated from hybrids treated with RNases A and T1; and (iv) two which did not have Fr-MLV-related counterparts. Surprisingly, the two class iv oligonucleotides had homologous counterparts in the RNA of six amphotropic MLV's including mink cell focus-forming and HIX-MLVs analyzed previously. The map locations of the 23 SFFV T1-oligonucleotides relative to the 3' polyadenylic acid coordinate of SFFV RNA were deduced from the size of the smallest polyadenylic acid-tagged RNA fragment from which a given oligonucleotide was isolated. The resulting oligonucleotide map could be divided roughly into three segments: two terminal segments which are mosaics of oligonucleotides of classes i, ii, and iii and an internal segment between 2 and 2.5 kilobases from the 3' end containing the two oligonucleotides shared with amphotropic MLVs. Since SFFV RNA consists predominantly of sequence elements related to ecotropic and amphotropic helper-independent MLVs, it would appear that the transforming gene of SFFV is not a major specific sequence unrelated to genes of helper viruses, as is the case with Rous sarcoma and probably withe other defective sarcoma and acute leukemia viruses.


Identification of the vaccinia hemagglutinin polypeptide from a cell system yielding large amounts of extracellular enveloped virus.

HeLa, SIRC, and RK-13 cells were compared as to their production of intracellular naked vaccinia virus (INV) and extracellular enveloped vaccinia virus (EEV) after infection with vaccinia strains WR and IHD-J. IHD-J produced more EEV from all three cell lines than did WR, although both strains produced approximately the same quantity of INV. The most efficient EEV release was from RK-13 cells infected with IHD-J, which was 200 times more than from WR-infected SIRC cells. This permitted for the first time the purification of milligram quantities of EEV that contained much fewer cell protein contaminants than could be obtained from HeLa or SIRC cells. The INV surface proteins 200K, 95K, 65K, and 13K were present in both HeLa and RK-13 cell-derived INV but were absent in SIRC cell INV. These proteins were absent in EEV from all three cell lines. Four glycoproteins of molecular weights 210 x 10(3) (210K), 110K, 89K, and 42K and five glycoproteins in the 23K to 20K range plus a nonglycosylated protein of 37K were detected in EEV from the hemagglutinin-positive IHD-J vaccinia strain. The 89K glycoprotein was not present in EEV or membranes from cells infected with the hemagglutinin-negative vaccinia strain IHD-W. Antisera to IHD-W lacking hemagglutinin-inhibiting antibodies did not precipitate the 89K glycoprotein of IHD-J. The only glycoprotein that specifically attached to rooster erythrocytes was the 89K glycoprotein. This evidence indicates that the 89K glycoprotein is the vaccinia hemagglutinin.


Carbohydrates of influenza virus. III. Nature of oligosaccharide-protein linkage in viral glycoproteins.

Four different glycopeptides can be distinguished after pronase digestion of influenza A virus glycoproteins: Ia and Ib, containing N-acetylglucosamine, mannose, galactose, and fucose, and IIa and IIb, containing mannose and N-acetylglucosamine. All glycopeptides yielded N-acetylglucosaminyl-asparagine after mild acid hydrolysis. There was no evidence for O-glycosidic bonds. Thus, the carbohydrate complement is linked to the polypeptide exclusively by N-glycosidic linkages between N-acetylglucosamine and asparagine.


Inhibition of influenza virus uncoating by rimantadine hydrochloride.

In freeze-thaw lysates of MDCK cells infected with 32P-labeled influenza virus A/WSN in the presence of added RNase, acid-precipitable radioactivity diminished to about 50% of initial values within 90 min after a 1-h virus adsorption period. A similar preparation containing rimantadine at a concentration of 50 micrograms/ml exhibited only a 10% reduction in acid-precipitable radioactivity. These findings suggest that rimantadine interferes with uncoating of influenza virus in infected cells.


Transforming DNA sequences in rat cells transformed by DNA fragments of highly oncogenic human adenovirus type 12.

Rat cell lines tranformed by viral DNA fragments, EcoRI-C and HindIII-G, of adenovirus type 12 DNA were analyzed for the viral transforming DNA sequences present in cell DNAs. Cell lines transformed by the EcoRI-C fragment of adenovirus type 12 DNA (leftmost 16.5% of the viral genome) contain most of the HindIII-G sequences of the HindIII-G fragment, but at a different frequency depending on the portions of the fragment. The sequence of the AccI-H fragment of adenovirus type 12 DNA (the left part of the HindIII-G; leftmost 4.5% of the viral genome) was detected dominantly in cells transformed by the HindIII-G fragment Southern blot analysis showed that viral DNA sequences are present at multiple integration sites in high-molecular-weight cell DNA from cells transformed by the EcoRI-C or HindIII-G fragment of adenovirus type 12 DNA. These results suggest that most of the HindIII-G sequences in cells transformed by the HindIII-G fragment are present as fragmented forms.


Synthesis and processing of adenoviral RNA in isolated nuclei.

Adenoviral RNA sequences synthesized in nuclei isolated during the late phase of productive infection comprise, besides virus-associated, VA, RNA, five major species, ranging in size from approximately 13S to 55S. The latter RNA species is of the length predicted if the major transcriptional unit expressed during the late phase were completely copied in vitro. Some 30% of the RNA sequences labeled in vitro are polyadenylated, and about one-third of the polyadenylated RNA is virus specific. Hybridization analysis of the sequences immediately adjacent to polyadenylic acid in late RNA labeled in isolated nuclei suggests that polyadenylation in vitro occurs at the same sites recognized within the cell. The polyadenylic acid-containing viral RNA sequences made in isolated nuclei are found in three major species of RNA, sedimenting at approximately 28S, 18S, and 13S. These sizes are remarkably similar to those reported for late mRNA species, suggesting that additional processing steps can occur in isolated nuclei. Hybridization of RNA to XhoI fragments of adenovirus type 2 DNA transferred to nitrocellulose filters reveals that sequences complementary to the region from 22.0 to 26.5 units present in 55S RNA are absent from all smaller species, suggesting that the smaller RNA species labeled in isolated nuclei are generated by splicing. The splicing events necessary to generate the 5' leader segment common to the majority of late adenoviral mRNA species are shown to be performed correctly in isolated nuclei.


Structural role of the polyglutamate portion of the folate found in T4D bacteriophage baseplate.

Three types of reagents were used to determine the structural role and location of the polyglutamate portion of the Escherichia coli T4D bacteriophage baseplate dihydropteroyl hexaglutamate. These reagents were examined for their effect in vitro on some of the final steps in phage baseplate morphogenesis. The reagents were (i) a series of oligopeptides composed solely of glutamic acid residues but with various chemical linkages and chain lengths; (ii) a homogeneous preparation of carboxypeptidase G1, an exopeptidase that hydrolyzes carboxyl-terminal glutamates (or aspartates) from simple oligopeptides, including the gamma-glutamyl bonds on folyl polyglutamates as well as the bond between the carboxyl group of the p-aminobenzoyl moiety and the amino group of the first glutamic acid residue of folic acid; and (iii) antisera prepared against a polyglutamate hapten. All three types of reagent markedly inhibited the attachment of the phage long tail fibers to the baseplate. Other steps in baseplate assembly such as the addition of T4D gene 11 or gene 12 products were not affected by any of these reagents. These results indicate that the polyglutamate portion of the folate is located near the attachment site on the bacteriophage baseplate for the long tail fibers.


Mechanism of vaccinia virus release and its specific inhibition by N1-isonicotinoyl-N2-3-methyl-4-chlorobenzoylhydrazine.

The release of vaccinia virus from RK-13 cells and its specific inhibition by N(1)-isonicotinoyl-N(2)-3-methyl-4- chlorobenzoylhydrazine (IMCBH) was studied. Intracellular naked vaccinia virus (INV) was wrapped by intracytoplasmic membranes, forming an intracellular double-membraned virion. Wrapped virions migrated to the cell surface, where the outer virion membrane presumably fused with the plasma membrane, releasing virus surrounded by the inner membrane, referred to as extracellular enveloped vaccinia virus (EEV). At no time was there any evidence that vaccinia virus acquired an envelope by budding of naked virus from the cytoplasmic membrane. Naked virus and double-membraned virus each constituted about one-third of intracellular virus at 8 and 12 h postinfection (p.i.). Beginning at 16 h p.i., the proportion of intracellular virus occurring as double-membraned virus steadily decreased to 1% at 24 h while the proportion of naked virus rose to 87%. IMCBH inhibited the formation of the double-membraned virion and the appearance of EEV while not affecting the production of INV. IMCBH had no effect on INV infectivity or polypeptide composition, on vaccinia virus-specified membrane-associated proteins or glycoproteins, or on hemadsorption. The presence of IMCBH until 4 h p.i. did not decrease the amount of EEV at 48 h p.i., whereas less than 10% of the normal 48-h EEV yield was obtained if the drug was present during the first 16 h p.i. Cell cultures infected at very low multiplicities showed a rapid virus dissemination in the absence of the drug, whereas the presence of IMCBH very effectively inhibited this spread. We conclude that vaccinia virus is liberated via a double-membraned intermediate as an enveloped virion and that it is this extracellular enveloped virus that is responsible for dissemination of infection.


Physical mapping of a large-plaque mutation of adenovirus type 2.

We have developed a simple method based on cotransfection of overlapping DNA restriction fragments for construction of recombinants of adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) and Ad5. When Ad2 DNA digested with restriction endonuclease EcoRI was cotransfected with Ad5 DNA digested with SalI, recombination occurred between Ad2 EcoRI-A (map position 0 to 59) and Ad5 SalI-A (map position 45 to 100). Analysis of the recombinant DNAs by digestion with EcoRI or BamHI restriction endonucleases indicated that, as expected, recombination had occurred in overlapping sequences (map position 45 to 59) between the Ad2 EcoRI-A fragment and the Ad5 SalI-A fragment. By using this method, several recombinants were constructed between a large-plaque (lp) mutant of Ad2 and wild-type Ad5. Cleavage of the recombinant genomes with restriction endonucleases BamHI, EcoRI, and HindIII revealed that the lp mutation is located within the left 41% of Ad2 genome.


Cell-free synthesis of measles virus proteins.

Polyadenylated mRNA extracted from cytoplasm of measles virus-infected Vero cells was translated in a cell-free system. Three of the polypeptides obtained corresponded to nucleocapsid protein, phosphoprotein, and membrane protein of measles virions. A fourth polypeptide, present in measles virus-infected cells, could be generated by addition of Vero cytoplasmic extract and was identified as a cleavage product of the nucleocapsid protein.


Defective influenza viral ribonucleoproteins cause interference.

Ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) isolated from infectious and defective interfering (DI) influenza virus (WSN) contained three major RNP peaks when analyzed in a glycerol gradient. Peak I RNP was predominant in infectious virus but was greatly reduced in DI virus preparations. Conversely, peak III RNP was elevated in DI virus, suggesting a large increase in DI RNA in this fraction. Labeled [(32)P]RNA was isolated from each RNP region and analyzed by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels. Peak I RNP contained primarily the polymerase and some HA genes, peak II contained some HA gene but mostly the NP and NA genes, and peak III contained the M and NS genes. In addition, peak III RNP from DI virus also contained the characteristic DI RNA segments. Interference activity of RNP fractions isolated from infectious and DI virus was tested using infectious center reduction assay. RNP peaks (I, II, and III) from infectious virus did not show any interference activity, whereas the peak III DI RNP caused a reduction in the number of infectious centers as compared to controls. Similar interference was not demonstrable with peak I RNP of DI virus nor with any RNP fractions from infectious virus alone. The interference activity of RNP fractions was RNase sensitive, suggesting that the DI RNA contained in DI RNPs was the interfering agent, and dilution experiments supported the conclusion that a single DI RNP could cause interference. The interfering RNPs were heterogeneous, and the majority migrated slower than viral RNPs containing M and NS genes. These results suggest that DI RNP (or DI RNA) is also responsible for interference in segmented, negative-stranded viruses.


A new simplified approach to the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma.

Blood catecholamine assays have been used for diagnosis and computerized axial tomography for localization of proved pheochromocytomas in a series of 16 patients. Blood catecholamine assays were obtained in 15 of the patients and were significantly elevated in every instance. Successful localization of the tumor was accomplished by excretory urography in only 40 per cent of the cases, by selective angiography in 84 per cent of the cases and by abdominal computerized axial tomography in 84 per cent of the cases studied. In 4 patients preoperative identification and localization of tumor were correctly determined by computerized axial tomography alone. Data in this series suggest that the diagnosis and localization of pheochromocytoma usually can be accomplished by a simple test and body scan. More elaborate and sometimes hazardous studies should be necessary only in exceptional cases, usually with tumors less than 3 cm. in diameter.


The role of computed tomography in the diagnosis of renal and perirenal abscesses.

Computed tomography was done on 4 patients suspected of having an intrarenal or perirenal abscess based on clinical grounds and an abnormal excretory urogram. Intrarenal abscesses with perinephric extension were demonstrated in 3 patients and a solitary perinephric abscess was demonstrated in 1. Computed tomography is a valuable tool in the diagnostic study of suspected intrarenal and perirenal abscesses because not only can the primary abscess be shown but also its possible extrarenal extension.


Anatrophic nephrolithotomy: experience with a simplication of the Smith and Boyce technique.

The anatrophic nephrolithomty procedure described by Smith and Boyce is a safe, effective method to remove dendritic renal calculi. Two major departures from their surgical technique have simplified the procedure in our hands. Our experience with 56 consecutive cases treated with the simplified technique is reported.


Renal carcinoma: computer analysis of 96 patients treated by nephrectomy.

We submitted to computer analysis 109 items of pathologic, clinical and survival data from 96 patients with renal carcinoma treated by nephrectomy with or without adjuvant therapy between 1956 and 1976. The combined 1, 5 and 10-year calculated survival rates for potentially curable non-metastatic renal carcinoma (stages I, II and III, provided the regional lymph nodes were not involved) were 95, 61 and 47 per cent, respectively, compared to 1, 5 and 10-year survival rates of 61, 5 and 0 per cent, respectively, for stage IV tumors. The cytoplasmic appearance (clear or granular) was not a significant microscopic feature relevant to survival of the patient but the grade of the tumor was predictive of the outcome of disease. Other features of renal carcinoma, particularly invasion of the renal vein and, to a lesser degree, perinephric fat, were not as prognostically significant in this series. In this retrospective study we further analyze the clinical, radiologic, pathologic and survival data of this group of patients.


Self-catheterization for decompensated bladder: a review of 100 cases.

The non-neurogenic decompensated bladder is a poorly defined entity. In an attempt to elucidate this condition 100 consecutive patients with non-neurogenic decompensated bladders were studied, etiology was sought and treatment with intermittent self-catheterization was done. Of the patients 34 per cent were able to resume voiding. Bacteriuria and pyuria were decreased from 90 to 18 per cent. Complications were few and over-all acceptance was excellent. A definition of non-neurogenic decompensated bladder was established.


The role of urethrography in urethral disease. Part I. Accurate radiological localization of the membranous urethra and distal sphincters in normal male subjects.

Radiological localization of the membranous urethra requires visualization of the whole urethra with dynamic retrograde urethrography and voiding cystourethrography. These methods are described together with a critical analysis of other methods of urethrographic examination, that is static retrograde urethrography alone and voiding urethrography alone. The normal radiological landmarks allowing accurate localization of the membranous urethra are described and correlated with anatomical dissections from 9 autopsy specimens.


The role of urethrography in urethral disease. Part II. Indications for transphincter urethroplasty in patients with primary bulbous strictures.

We herein outline the radiological and clinical criteria that will aid the surgeon in deciding whether transphincter urethroplasty is required in patients whose primary stricture is in the proximal bulbous urethra. Sinc proximal bulbous urethral strictures are common the urologist frequently is called upon to make this important decision. The criteria described herein will help him to do so and, thus, avoid urethroplasty failure because of proximal stenosis in the membranous urethra. The concept of paradoxical dilatation of the membranous urethra on voiding urethrography also is described. Paradoxical dilatation means that in the presence of a primary obstructive bulbous urethral stricture the membranous urethra, although containing significant scar tissue, is dilated on the voiding study because of the distal obstruction. Relief of the bulbous urethral stricture alone may result in rapid contraction and stenosis of the previously dilated membranous urethra.


A new approach to the correction of the penile deformity in Peyronie's disease.

Nesbit's operation was performed on 23 of 160 patients with Peyronie's disease seen between January 1975 and July 1978. Details of the preoperative treatment and operative technique are provided. Normal sexual intercourse was resumed by 20 of the 23 patients and none had a significant residual deformity. It is suggested that Nesbit's operation is the procedure of choice in patients who do not respond to conservative treatment.


Effects of estrogens on the testosterone levels of peripheral and spermatic vein blood in patients with prostatic cancer.

The mean testosterone levels of peripheral and spermatic vein blood in 16 patients with prostatic cancer who did not have estrogen therapy were 418.2 plus or minus 30.8 ng./dl. (mean plus or minus standard error) and 39.7 plus or minus 5.6 micrograms/dl., respectively. There were 13 patients with prostatic cancer who received estrogen therapy with daily doses of 30 mg. hexesterol or 300 mg. diethylstilbestrol diphosphate and who had decisive decreases of testosterone levels in peripheral (90.1 plus or minus 23.2 ng./dl.) and spermatic vein blood (3.3 plus or minus 1.2 migrogram/dl.). The rate of reduction of testosterone by estrogen therapy was one-tenth in the spermatic vein blood, while that in the peripheral blood was one-fifth. These data indicate that continuation of oral estrogens of these doses is sufficient to suppress the testicular androgens. On the other hand, the spermatic testosterone concentration was about 40 times higher than the peripheral testosterone concentration in patients receiving estrogen treatment. This result suggests that testosterone still is secreted from the testes under large therapeutic doses of estrogens.


Cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride and 5-fluorouracil in advanced carcinoma of the prostate.

Combination chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride and 5-fluorouracil was evaluated in 21 patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate who were unresponsive to conventional therapy. All patients had extensive bone metastases. Of the 21 patients 5 (29 per cent) had a subjective response and an additional 12 (57 per cent) remained stable for 2 to 13 months after initiation of therapy. The median survival of patients with a subjective response was 60 weeks compared to 40 weeks for the stable patients. Patients who progressed on therapy had a median survival of 22 weeks. The significant response rate with a corresponding improvement in survival for patients on this 3-drug regimen suggests a need for additional trials to determine the response rate and survival compared to single agents.


Experience with flutamide in previously untreated patients with advanced prostatic cancer.

Twenty-one patients with advanced prostatic adenocarcinoma previously untreated with conventional endocrine therapy were treated with an oral non-steroidal antiandrogen, flutamide. There were 19 favorable responders, 1 failure and 1 equivocal response. Flutamide seems to be a safe antiandrogen, which is effective in the management of previously untreated patients with advanced prostatic carcinoma.


Urodynamic patterns in multiple sclerosis.

Most patients with multiple sclerosis who have vesical dysfunction will have some variety of uninhibited bladder that generally will progress toward a hyperreflexic state. Management of these patients requires, primarily, control of the infection ahd the use of a variety of techniques and pharmacologic agents in many combinations to achieve a socially acceptable state.


The reproducibility and significance of carbon dioxide urethral profilometry.

Infusion urethral profilometry using carbon dioxide as a medium is an interesting study with a wide range of variability from day to day in a single individual, a fact that considerably reduces the value of a single measurement as a diagnostic tool. Presently, all forms of infusion profilometry must be considered to be interpretable only within the framework of the entire neurourologic evaluation. The study may be useful to make the clinician more secure about a particular diagnosis and as an objective measurement for medico-legal documentation. It also may be useful in predicting and objectively demonstrating treatment results if normal variability can be excluded. However, a high level of skepticism should be maintained regarding the value of the profile in those situations in which its interpretation does not correlate with the impression formed from the remainder of the neurourologic evaluation.


Striated sphincter participation in distal passive urinary continence mechanisms: studies in male subjects deprived of proximal sphincter mechanism.

Striated urethral sphincter function was studied in passive incontinent and continenet male subjects who were deprived of the proximal sphincter mechanism. Functional assessment of striated urethral sphincter include electromyography and electrostimulation. Varying degrees of diminished striated sphincter excitability and reflex activity were observed in passive incontinent male subjects who also had varying degrees of somatomotor neuron lesions. The studies indicate that the participating role of periurethral striated musculature in distal passive continence mechanisms cannot be ignored.


Urinary tract infections occurring in recent spinal cord injury patients on intermittent catheterization.

During a 28-month interval 70 spinal cord injury patients in the initial rehabilitation hospitalization underwent 5,052 days of intermittent catheterization. Intermittent catheterization was done with a sterile technique and a neomycin-polymyxin irrigant. At the time of transfer to our facility 39 patients were using Foley catheter drainage but no difficulty was encountered when these patients were changed to intermittent cateterization. While on intermittent catheterization 52 urinary tract infections occurred, half caused by gram-positive cocci, 24 by gram-negative bacilli and 2 by Candida albicans. These infections occurred in 38 patients (54 per cent) at an over-all rate of 10.3 infections per 1,000 patient-days of intermittent catheterization. Only 2 infections were symptomatic and these occurred in patients on pass who unilaterally discontinued intermittent catheterization. Only 6 infections were not cured by antimicrobial therapy. Urinary tract infection was less common in patients who had incomplete spinal cord injuries. Infections caused by organisms susceptible to the irrigant containing neomycin-polymyxin occurred almost exclusively in patients catheterized 3 or fewer times daily. Infection was rare after 3 months on intermittent catheterization. Intermittent catheterization with our technique poses little infection hazard and can be introduced readily in acute spinal cord injury patients before transfer to specialized facilities.


Neonatal adrenal hemorrhage.

The neonatal adrenal gland is vulnerable to traumatic hemorrhage. With the correct interpretation of clinical, laboratory and radiographic data the diagnosis can be made non-operatively. We review 6 cases of acute neonatal hemorrhage. Trauma during or shortly after birth occurred in 4 cases and all 6 newborns had jaundice and anemia. Operative intervention rarely is necessary either for the diagnosis or treatment of intracapsular adrenal hemorrhage in the newborn.


The radiographic approach to injuries of the prostatomembranous urethra in children.

We favor initial non-operative treatment (suprapubic cystostomy drainage only) for prostatomenbranous urethral injuries in children and adolescents. Non-operative treatment usually results in uncomplicated strictures that can be corrected by a 1-stage transperineal or transpublic operation 4 to 6 months later. A hands-off diagnostic approach, which relies on excretory urography and retrograde injection urethrography to demonstrate partial and complete tears, eliminates the need for blind passage of catheters, an invasive procedure that may lead to complicated strictures unsuitable for a 1-stage repair. If a 1-stage repair is planned it is necessary to determine the length of the stricture, whether there are local complications and whether the anterior urethra can be widely mobilized. The radiographic techniques used to plan a corrective operation and to evaluate the results are described.


Sacral agenesis: an analysis of 11 cases and review of the literature.

Sacral agenesis is an uncommon condition associated with familial diabetes mellitus and complicated pregnancy. The condition is characterized by gluteal skin dimpling, loss of gluteal fold, myelomeningocele, sacral lipoma, as well as numerous orthopedic, anorectal and other widespread anomalies. The motor nerve deficit, for example poor anal sphincter tone, is more pronounced than the sensory nerve deficit, for example perianal anesthesia. Diagnosis is made by anteroposterior and lateral spinal x-rays. All of our patients had bladder or external sphincter dysfunction, while 91 per cent had vesicoureteral reflux. Early diagnosis and conservative management with intermittent catheterization and uropharmacological agents are now advocated.


Solitary calix in siblings.

An unusual anomaly of a solitary kidney with a solitary calix in siblings is described.


Giant dendritic struvite calculus associated with transitional cell carcinoma of the ipsilateral renal pelvis and bladder: a case report and review of the literature.

Renal calculi weighing in excess of 100 gm. are rare, since most stones cause arrest of renal function before they reach giant proportions. We report a rare case of a 100 per cent struvite calculus weighing 698 gm., associated with transitional cell carcinoma of the ipsilaterl renal pelvis. A summary of the large calculi reported in the recent literature is included.


Paraduodenal hernia: an unusual cause of renal displacement.

Exploration of a retroperitoneal mass displacing the right kidney and lumbar paravertebral lymph nodes revealed a paraduodenal hernia. Paraduodenal hernias are explained in detail, the differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal masses is presented and the diagnostic modalities are described.


Spontaneous rupture of renal and ureteral tumors presenting as acute abdominal condition.

We report on 3 patients who presented with an acute onset of abdominal pain, a palpable abdominal mass and a rapid decrease in hemoglobin. In 2 patients a spontaneously ruptured hypernephroma was found and the other patient had a squamous cell carcinoma of the ureter with bleeding into the tumor. Although in all 3 cases the tumors were at an advanced stage of development, the patients had been entirely free of urological symptoms until shortly before hospitalization. The importance of considering the possibility of spontaneous rupture of such a tumor in the evaluation of cases of an acute abdomen is stressed.


Non-opaque calculus demonstrated by computerized tomography.

Computerized tomography demonstrated that a non-opaque filling defect within the ureter of a ureterostomy patient was a struvite calculus containing a minimal amount of calcium salts.


Malacoplakia of the ureter.

Malacoplakia of the urinary tract affects primarily the bladder and secondarily the distal ureter. Characteristic gross and microscopic lesions have been well described. A case of malacoplakia is reported in a 55-year-old woman who presented with hydronephrosis in a solitary kidney. The only lesion in the urinary tract was an apple-core type mass of the distal ureter, which was resected. This represents a rare and unusual presentation of malacoplakia. The differential diagnosis and pertinent literature are discussed.


Malacoplakia of the bladder: efficacy of bethanechol chloride therapy.

Present evidence suggests that malacoplakia is the result of a functional defect in the mononuclear cells of the lesion caused by a deficiency of cyclic 3',5' guanosine monophosphate. This defect results in the impaired ability of the macrophage to release lysosomal enzymes necessary for the digestion of phagocytized bacteria. The persistent inflammatory reaction produces the characteristic granuloma of malacoplakia. Previous laboratory studies indicate that the phagocytic defect is reversible by cholinergic agonists, which led to the use of bethanechol chloride in the treatment of patients with malacoplakia. We report on 3 patients with vesical malacoplakia who were treated successfully with bethanechol chloride.


A case of urethral malacoplakia associated with vesical disease.

A case of recurrent urethral malacoplakia with coexisting disease of the bladder is described. This is compared to the single previously reported case of involvement of this site.


Apparent congenital anterior urethral stricture in brothers.

Anterior urethral strictures of apparent congenital origin are reported in brothers and the literature is reviewed.


Carcinosarcoma of the prostate: report of a case with ultrastructural observations.

A carcinosarcoma of the prostate was examined by light and electron microscopy. The epithelial component was comprised of adenosquamous carcinoma. The stromal component demonstrated osseous and cartilaginous differentiation, and appeared mesenchymal by fine structure analysis. Despite aggressive therapy the patient died with disseminated disease 5 months after diagnosis.


Actinobacillus septicemia in a black swan (Cygnus atratus).

A species of Actinobacillus was isolated in pure culture from the carcass of a captive Australian black swan (Cygnus atratus) dying of acute septicemia. The gross and microscopic findings are described and the significance of the isolate is discussed.


Coccidioidomycosis in a California sea otter (Enhydra lutris).

A weak and emaciated California sea otter (Enhydra lutris) was found stranded on Atascadero Beach in Morro Bay, California. It died three weeks after capture. A diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis was confirmed by histology, serology and culture. This is believed to be the first reported case of this disease from the Morro Bay area of San Luis Obispo County, California as well as the first reported case in a free-ranging marine mammal.


Evaluation of the anaplasmosis rapid card agglutination test for detecting experimentally-infected elk.

Anaplasma marginale was experimentally transmitted from cattle to elk to cattle. Six intact adult elk (Cervus canadensis canadensis) inoculated with freshly collected heparinized blood from cattle chronically infected with A. marginale became asymptomatic carriers. Although the elk did not develop clinical or hematologic evidence of infection, they became seropositive by the serum(SRCA) and plasma rapid card agglutination (PRCA) tests. Blood from the experimentally-infected elk produced disease in splenectomized bovine calves and the carrier state persisted for at least one year. Infection did not occur when two elk were inoculated with 0.5 ml of frozen blood from known bovine carriers. The blood had been frozen for four weeks in liquid nitrogen with 6% dimethyl-sulfoxide. The bovine SRCA and PRCA tests were adapted for use with elk serum. To obtain accurate test results, serum collected from clotted elk blood had to be held for at least 72 h at 21-27 C before performance of the SRCA test. Comparative serologic and infectivity studies indicated that the carrier (reactor) status of elk was accurately identified with the serologic tests in 61 of 68 samples evaluated. Incorrect serologic results with the SRCA and PRCA tests were false-negative readings. In no case were uninfected elk identified as seropositive.


Mycobacteriosis in the lesser flamingos of Lake Nakuru, Kenya.

In 1974, 51 debilitated lesser flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor) were easily captured at Lake Nakuru, Kenya. Nineteen (37%) of these had extensive mycobacterial lesions. Two years later it was difficult to locate any debilitated flamingos and no evidence of mycobacterial infection was found. Possible reasons for the high prevalence of mycobacteriosis in the 1974 collection are discussed.


Streptobacillary pleuritis in a koala (Phascolarctos cinereus).

A case of Streptobacillus moniliformis pleuritis  in a koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is reported. Lesions were granulomatous in nature. S. moniliformis was recovered in pure culture, and found by experimental inoculation to be pathogenic for mice but not for a rat.


Capillariasis in penned wild turkeys.

Capillariasis caused by Capillaria annulata was associated with dilated crops, emaciation and mortality of 23 juvenile wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) in a captive flock. Gross lesions in the crops ranged from slithtly-thickened lining folds to a thick necrotic diphtheritic membrane covering the entire inside surface. The parasites were in the squamous epithelium. Hygromycin controlled the outbreak.


Experimental transmission of gastro-intestinal nematodes between sheep (Ovis aries) and Thomson's gazelles (Gazella thomsonii).

Experimental cross-transmission of gastro-intestinal nematodes between Merino sheep (Ovis aries) and Thomson's gazelles (Gazella thomsonii) from similar but separate grazing habitats in Kenya was studied. Cross-transmission did occur with some species but the faecal egg counts of sheep were higher than the gazelles' following infection with larvae isolated from either sheep or gazelles. Of the 11 gastro-intestinal nematodes which became established in gazelles following infection with larvae cultured from nematodes in gazelles, only Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus probolurus and Cooperia hungi were infective for sheep. Following infection with larvae of either sheep or gazelle origin, the H. contortus recovered from the sheep at necropsy were more numerous and had greater average weights, lengths and spicule lengths than those recovered from the gazelles. This would suggest that H. contortus is primarily a sheep parasite. It is concluded that Thomson's gazelles probably would not contribute significantly to the problem of haemonchosis in sheep in areas of shared grazing, unless efforts were being made to eradicate the parasite from sheep, in which case the gazelles would act as a continuing reservoir of infection.


Gastro-intestinal helminths in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) of Illinois.

Two deer populations, one in northern Illinois the other in southern Illinois, were examined by necropsy (n = 44 and 40 respectively) for helminth parasites of the gastro-intestinal tract and abdominal cavity. Both herds were parasitized by Apteragia odocoilei, Haemonchus contortus, Gongylonema pulchrum, Setaria yehi, Trichuris ovis, and Moniezia benedeni. Nematodirus sp. was found only in deer of northern Illinois. Ostertagia mossi, Capillaria sp., Cooperia sp., and Oesophagostomum sp. were found only in deer of southern Illinois.


Microsporidal encephalitis in muskrats.

Microsporida similar morphologically to Encephalitozoon cuniculi were found in granulomatous foci in the brain of 5 of 29 wild-caught muskrats (Ondatra zibethica) held in captivity for various periods of time, but not in any of 36 free-living muskrats examined. The significance and possible source of this infection are discussed.


Pathogenicity attributed to massive infection of Nanophyetus salmincola in a cougar.

An estimated 650,000 Nanophyetus salmincola were recovered from the small intestine of a wild female cougar kitten (Felis concolor). The trematodes stimulated marked mucosal thickening in the duodenum and jejunum and caused a marked enteritis. Malnutrition was listed as the cause of death due to impaired nutrient absorption resulting from the combined effects of the diarrhea and thickening of the intestine.