Determination of hexachloro-1,3-butadiene in spinach, eggs, fish, and milk by electron capture gas-liquid chromatography.

Hexachloro-1,3-butadiene (HCBD), a waste product formed in the manufacture of perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene, has been found in fish from the lower Mississippi River basin. The AOAC official method for organochlorine pesticide residues in fatty and nonfatty foods has been modified for the determination of HCBD residues in selected food commodities. Acetonitrile extracts of nonfatty foods, or the combined acetonitrile extracts obtained in acetonitrile-petroleum ether partitioning of fat isolated from fatty foods, are diluted with water and extracted with petroleum ether. The petroleum ether extracts are chromatographed on Florisil and HCBD is eluted with petroleum ether. The elute is analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography with an electron capture detector. Average recoveries of HCBD from fortified samples of fatty and nonfatty foods were greater than 90% in the interlaboratory trials of the method.


Toward reducing behavior problems in autistic children.

A historical perspective was presented, attempting to trace how some clinical concepts and working assumptions, effective in the past, had drifted out of relationship with social changes, and were now considered by many as being myths. These included the assumption that developmental deviations such as autism were primarily normal responses to family stress and that autism primarily involved the child's social withdrawal from a hostile environment. In this paper some relationships between such myth beliefs and parental difficulties in managing their autistic child were identified. Specific management difficulties were distinguished from general ones. The latter manifest themselves in parental confusion, inappropriate expectations, and social role diffusion. Suggestions were made for helping parental management through changing treatment structures from traditional procedures.


Educational strategies for the autistic child.

This paper includes some of the latest discussions regarding educational programming for autistic children. Until the last decade, special educators have not been either effective or optimistic regarding the prognosis for such children. Recent educational developments with such techniques as behavior modification, the behaviorally engineered classroom, and early identification of the condition have caused increased interest in the possible contributions of educators to the puzzling syndrome. The various alternative treatment possibilities will be presented together with an evaluation of the effectiveness of such programs to date.


Psychodynamic and behavior modification approaches to the treatment of infantile autism empirical similarities.

In the treatment of infantile autism, behaviorists emphasize directed behavioral change while psychodynamic therapists tend to focus attention on the worker-child relationship. A review of the literature suggests that both of these aspects of intervention are important, and that both play a role in virtually all therapeutic efforts. The similarities in methods of intervention found in the work of investigators of very different theoretical persuasion raise the possibility that most treatment methods owe more to empirical clinical experience than to their presumed derivation from a theoretical model. This thesis is further examined with respect to a 50-year-old case history by Lightmer Witmer, and the work of the present writer with an 11-year-old autistic boy.


Acquisition of American sign language by a noncommunicating autistic child.

Experiments in the perception and language abilities of autistic children indicate that the children have auditory-visual association problems. These findings, combined with the findings that autistic communication is primarily gestural, led to the teaching of elements of American Sign Language to a 5-year-old nonverbal autistic boy. Results after 20 hours of training indicate that the child did acquire signs, that increasing signing led to increasing vocal speech, and that the child has rudimentary English syntax. The use of Ameslan signs spontaneously generalized to other situations and the training resulted in increased social interaction.


A pair of classically early infantile autistic siblings.

This case study describes in detail two autistic siblings who were mentioned in Rimland's analysis of checklists for psychotic children, as the only pair of classically early infantile autistic siblings (Rimland, 1971). One of the children, a nonverbal girl, now 13 years old, who developed epileptic seizures at age 41/2, shows all symptoms of early infantile autism even today. Her brother, now 24 years old, however, does not fit any of the known psychopathological patterns of childhood. The boy showed all symptoms of early infantile autism, but also some of the main characteristics of childhood schizophrenia and austic psychopathy. It is suggested that we are dealing perhaps with an unusual mixed type falling within a broad category of genetically determined types of autistic disorders.


Folie á deux in a child.

Folie a deux is the transference of delusional ideas and behaviors from one person to another with whom there has been a close association. Its occurence in children has been rarely described in the literature, which was reviewed for case reports, diagnostic criteria, and etiological theories. A detailed case history of a 10-year-old girl who had delusions of special powers and delusions of persecution as well as hypochondriacal and hysterical symptoms is presented as an example of folie a deux between child and parent. This girl had developed a symbiotic incestuous relationship with her stepfather, a paranoid schizophrenic patient. Six criteria for making the diagnosis of folie a deux in a child were applied to the case studied. General and specific aspects of treating this disorder were discussed.


Effect of psychrotrophic bacteria from raw milk on milk proteins and stability of milk proteins to ultrahigh temperature treatment.

The effects of psychrotroph growth in raw milk on proteins of mils and on the response of milk proteins to heat treatments with ultrahigh temperature were studied. Ten gram-negative psychrotrophs isolated from raw milk readily attacked raw milk proteins. Kappa- and beta-casein were most susceptible although some of the isolates also attacked the whey proteins. Detectable proteolysis did not require large psychrotroph populations. A 10 to 20% decrease in kappa-casein during 2 days at 5 C accompanied growth of one isolate to a population of only 10,000/ml. Growth of psychrotrophs in raw milk predisposed the proteins to deleterious effects of ultrahigh temperature treatments. Ultrahigh temperature treatment by direct steam injection had little effect on raw milk caseins and decreased alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin by 21% and 34%, respectively. Milk that had undergone proteolysis exhibited decreased detectable kappa-, beta-, and alphas-caseins and increased loss of beta-lactoglobulin as a result of ultrahigh temperature treatment. Milk suffering extensive kappa-casein degradation coagulated during ultrahigh temperature treatment. Coagulation during or shortly after heating increased with severity of heat treatment and size of psychrotroph population.


Influence of type and amount of grain on digestibility of rations containing cottonseed hulls.

Twelve rations formulated from barley, corn, soy bean mill feed, or wheat and cottonseed hulls were fed to three sheep per ration to measure the influence of type and amount of grain on digestibility of the proximate constituents and cellulose. Each ration was fed at 2% body weight and with grain 20, 40, and 60% of dry matter. Net energy values for maintenance, gain, and milk production were calculated from the digestion coefficients. Dry matter digestibility for rations containing barley, corn, soybean mill feed, and wheat averaged over the three percents of grain were 63.1, 62.5, 60.0, and 61.5%, and 58.9, 61.6, and 64.0% for low, medium, and high grain. Digestibility of dry matter for soy bean-mill-feed rations was less than rations containing the other grains. Digestibility of crude fiber was lowest for wheat, followed by corn, barley, and soy bean mill feed in ascending order. Calculated net energy values usually increased lineraly with increasing grain for each type of grain with the exception of wheat. Wheat was least acceptable for ruminants.


Increased iodine uptake by obese strain thyroid glands transplanted to normal chick embryos.

The Obese strain (OS) of chickens spontaneously develops autoimmune thyroiditis. Since a defect or abnormality of the thyroid gland may be involved in this disease experiments were performed to compare the iodine uptake of OS with normal thyroid glands. To minimize the interaction of the OS immune system with the thyroid gland during these studies, thyroids were removed from 16-day-old embryos and transferred to the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of 9-day-old normal White Leghorn (NWL) embryos. NWL thyroid glands were transferred to the same CAM. Six days later the 20-hr 131I uptake of the transplants was determined. Twenty OS thyroid lobes had a mean 131I uptake of 2960 +/- 740 cpm, whereas the NWL thyroids incorporated significantly less iodine (890 +/- 160 cpm; p less than 0.025). These results, along with a previous report suggest that an abnormality of the thyroid gland might be an important factor in the development of autoimmune thyroiditis.


The relative paucity of IgE in human milk.

The levels of IgE were determined in paired samples of serum and milk when whey obtained 3 to 8 days of postpartum, from 16 human lactating mothers who had reported a history of allergy to a variety of common allergens. Two assay procedures were employed to measure total IgE, a double-antibody assay and a commercially available solid phase assay (RIST). In addition, each sample of serum and whey was tested for specific IgE antibodies to a variety of allergens by the RAST test. The levels of total serum IgE were between 30 and 2300 I.U./ml and relatively good agreement was observed for both the double-antibody and RIST methods. In contrast, total IgE levels in milk whey were either undetectable (less than 3.0 I.U./ml in 14 of 16 subjects) or very low when analyzed by the double-antibody method, but were very high (400 to 1650 I.U./ml when analyzed by the RIST method. However, IgE added to milk whey could be measured by the double-antibody procedure indicating that the low levels detected in milk were not a fault of the double-antibody assay. It was assumed that the RIST test was subject to nonspecific interference by factors in milk whey which caused the determination of high, but incorrect, levels of IgE. Specific IgE antibodies were detected in the serum of 10 of 16 subjects but were not present in milk whey. A comparison of the whey/serum ratios of albumin, IgA, and IgE suggested that little, if any, IgE is selectively synthesized or secreted in the mammary gland.


The effect of colchicine and vinblastine on the release of pulmonary surface active material.

The secretion of phosphatidylcholine was studied by incubating hamster lung slices which had been prelabeled by the in vivo administration of 14C-labeled choline. The release of 14C-labeled phospholipid into the medium continued for 2 hr. The specific activity of phosphatidylcholine in the medium was one-third that found in the tissue, and the fatty acid composition of the released phosphatidylcholine corresponded to that of surfactant. The prior injection of colchicine resulted in a 60% inhibition of phosphatidylcholine release into the incubation medium. A similar effect was obtained when vinblastine was administered. Colchicine demonstrated no inhibiting effect on the release of protein from lung slices which had been prelabeled by the administration of 14C-labeled leucine. The possible function of the microtubular system in the secretion of surface active components is discussed.


The immediate postimplantation development of tetraploid mouse blastocysts.

The development during and immediately after the implantation period of 143 tetraploid blastocysts was studied both in vitro and in vivo; 58-7% in vitro and 38-8% in vivo were found to exhibit the changes associated with the early implanting blastocyst, i.e. giant cell transformation of the trophoblast and induction of the decidual cell reaction in the uterus. Of these 38-7% in vitro and 19-4% in vivo showed evidence of inner cell mass function during this time but only two in each system could be claimed as showing normal development. Examination of the developing blastocyst leads to the conclusion that lack of cell numbers in the inner cell mass is the most likely reason for the poor development of tetraploid embryos and suggests that the minimum number of ICM cells required to fulfil its role in embryogenesis is between four and eight.


Identical genetic basis for lymphosarcoma and hemolytic anemia in the rabbit.

Tests for identity of ha (hemolytic anemia) and ls (lymphosarcoma) in the rabbit show that they are both allelic and identical by descent and that the two different conditions result from interaction of these genes with the host genotype. Hemolytic anemia is the primary cause of death in compound heterozygotes (ha/ls) with increasing lympho-proliferative disease with age. Ages at death of histologically confirmed affected rabbits range from 5 days to 22.5  monts with an average of 10.5 months. The symbol ha will now be used to represent the gene for either disorder.


The effect of short-term labelling in (3H) thymidine on the viability of mouse blastomeres: alone and in combination with unlabelled blastomeres.

A method of labelling 8-cell-stage mouse blastomeres with [3H]thymidine is described, which allows them to be followed to the late blastocyst stage and is compatible with normal postimplantation development. However, the [3H]thymidine does affect the postimplantation vigour of the cells when placed in competition with unlabelled cells in blastomere aggregates. This suggests that caution should be used in interpreting results using [3H]thymidine as a label for early mammalian cells.


Pharmacological evidence for the central serotonergic effects of monomethoxyamphetamines.

The effects of three monomethoxyamphetamines, dl-para-methoxyamphetamine (dl-PMA), dl-meta-methoxyamphetamine (dl-MMA) and dl-ortho-methyoxyamphetamine (dl-OMA), and d-amphetamine (d-A) on the myoclonic twitch activity (MTA) of PMA, MMA and d-A were found to increase the MTA but OMA was ineffective. The increased MTA induced by d-A was not influenced by the blockade of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor by methysergide or inhibition of 5-HT synthesis by para chlorophenylalamine (PCPA) but was reduced by haloperidol which blocked the dopamine receptor. On the other hand, the increased MTA produced by PMA was not influenced by haloperidol but was reduced by methysergide and PCPA. The increased MTA induced by MMA was not effectively blocked by either PCPA or haloperidol but was blocked by the combination of both PCPA and haloperidol. The results indicate that whereas the increased MTA produced by d-A is not dependent on the availability of 5-HT, PMA exerts by a release of 5-HT and that the MMA effect is due to a release of both 5-HT and dopamine. High doses of PMA and MMA increased the locomotor activity arevious biochemical findings that PMA releases 5-HT in brain tissue and suggests that PMA exerts its pharmacological effects by releasing 5-HT.


Comparative effects of niridazole on spermatogenesis and reproductive capacity in the mouse, rat and Japanese quail.

Niridazole is an effective schistosomicidal compound which, at lower dose levels, affects schistosome gonads. Its antifertility and possible mutagenic effects after various courses of oral treatment were compared in mice, rats and Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). In all three species the meiotic stage of spermatogenesis was particularly affected. In mice the highest dose rate (five daily doses of 100 mg/kg) produced sterility during the 4th week. Rats were more susceptible, the compound producing prolonged and, in some animals, permanent sterility against which HCG treatment offered no protection. In quail only a brief phase of sterility occurred. Niridazole appears to be non-mutagenic since dominant lethal mutations were not produced in dose-response studies. Minimal changes in testis histology occurred in the mouse, but in rats severe damage persisted even in animals which had recovered their fertility.


Correction of stereological parameters from biased samples on nucleated particle phases. I. Nuclear volume fraction.

Stereologists are aware that the experimental evaluation of component volume fractions and surface-to-volume ratios are subject to systematic errors whenever the requirements for cell identification impose the necessity for component-biased sectioning. Mathematical corrections of biased volume proportion data have recently been published; these corrections assume that the components under analysis are spherical, and that the nucleated particle phase is monodispersed. In this report, general methods for obtaining corrections of biased nuclear volume fraction data are set out for polydispersed phases of nucleated particles, in terms of the relevant shapes and joint size distribution of nucleus and cell; the scope and limitations of these methods are thereby discussed. Explicit corrections of an immediate applicability are obtained, together with their standard errors, for monodispersed phases where nucleus and cell are two dissimilar biaxial ellipsoids (spheroids). When nucleus and cell are two concentric and similar convex bodies of a certain class--to which triaxial ellipsoids belong--the corrections are shown to be very simple. The corrections for the spheroid-spheroid systems are easily accessible with the aid of a small programmable calculator, whereas those for the sphere-spheroid models are directly obtainable from two nomograms.


Correction of stereological parameters from biased samples on nucleated particle phases. II. Specific surface area.

General formulations for correcting component-biased S/V estimates on polydispersed phases of nucleated particles are set out. Direct application of these corrections to monodispersed phases where nucleus and cell are spheroids, yield explicit corrections. As a rule, the corrected specific surface area of the containing bodies equals the product of the nuclear-biased estimate times a correction coefficient, which is bigger than one, and depends upon the shape of the components and the relative volume of nucleus-in-cell. Reference curves which allow a rapid obtention of the correction factor, are provided. Simple formulae for correcting biased surface density and surface-to-volume ratio estimates other than the specific surface area, are also given, together with the standard errors of the corrected parameters.


Compensator transducer increases ease, accuracy, and rapidity of measuring changes in specimen birefringence with polarization microscopy.

An instrument has been designed to improve substantially the efficiency and convenience of measuring specimen birefringence retardation (BR) with a conventional Brace-Köhler compensator. The design is based on the precise transduction of the angular position of the compensator's Vernier dial to an easily visible red-illuminated display on a digital voltmeter. The instrument display is accurate to within 0.1 degrees over a range of +/-25 degrees in the compensator vernier dial position which is similar to the precision obtainable with an ordinary vernier and the Brace-Köhler method of measuring BR of biological specimens. For convenience in data reduction the display can also be read directly in nanometre units, with a similar precision for specimen BR in the range of 5 nm or less which is typical of birefringent fine structures in living cells.


Potential hazards of uranium and its compounds in electron microscopy: a brief review.

Uranium and its compounds are radioactive and highly toxic. Although well documented in the specialized literature the potential hazards are little known among microscopists. Labelling of these compounds does not indicate potential hazards sufficiently.


Analysis of electron microscope autoradiographs using the hypothetical grain analysis method.

Cross-fire between adjacent labelled sources can often introduce problems in the analysis of electron microscope autoradiographs. A general method is described which makes allowance for this cross-fire and is then applied to the analysis of autoradiographs of 3H-proline in the accessory olfactory bulb of the mouse. It is shown how the method allows estimates to be made of the radioactivity of the various cell types and the accuracy of these estimates and the errors in obtaining them are discussed.


EM autoradiography of non-sectioned biological material.

Methods of EM autoradiography suitable for the study of non-sectioned biological material deposited on a support film from suspension are described. The methods, which include modified procedures for specimen support and emulsion preparation, may also have advantages for the study of any specimen where physical separation of specimen and emulsion is desirable. In a study of the growth of 125I-labelled collagen fibrils reconstituted from solution in vitro, these procedures have allowed the production of EM autoradiographs which show a high resolution and are free from stress artefacts and chemography.


The use of direct deposition electron microscope autoradiography in studies of protein transport.

The use of direct deposition autoradiography in studies of the localization of proteins labelled with radio-iodine or tritium in the epithelia of fetal, suckling, and adult animals is described. Using a single marker in the first place, rabbit IgG and bovine IgG have been seen both in the vacuolar apparatus and also free in the cytoplasm of endodermal cells of the rabbit yolk-sac splanchnopleur. This has been confirmed in those cells using a combination of bovine IgG marked with tritium and rabbit IgG marked with 125I, presented simultaneously to the cells. Both proteins are present, apparently equally, attached to the brush border and distributed through the cytoplasm, as well as within vacuoles. Selection does not take place before or during entry to the cell, as has been suggested by quantitative results which have been reported elsewhere. It is hoped that the use of two markers together will permit localization of the selective process. In the adult rat gut, both isotopes have been demonstrated entering and within and leaving the ileal cell, confirming quantitative results reported elsewhere.


High-resolution autoradiography of 3H-ouabain binding in salt transporting epithelia.

The distribution of salt transporting sites in epithelia is a problem of special interest to electrolyte metabolism. Autoradiography of freeze-dried plastic embedded tissue was used to localize 3H-ouabain in rabbit small intestine and renal medulla and gills of killifish. Resolution approaching theoretical limits for tritium at the light microscope level was achieved. The results of several tests are presented which demonstrate the resolution of the method and the specificity of the observed ouabain binding patterns. A large uptake of ouabain was found along the basolateral membranes of the enterocyte, thick ascending tubules and chloride cells (fish gill).


Autoradiographic studies of DNA synthesis in lymphoid tissues.

Using long exposures of stripping film autoradiographs before processing, mixtures of weakly and strongly labelled nuclei were seen in different areas of the mouse spleen. Previous results (Harris et al., 1973) led to the conclusion that many cells, not in division cycle, were labelling with (3H) thymidine and that this process was important for the development of specific antibody-producing cells following stimulation with an antigen such as sheep red cells (SRC). The present data are an analysis of the (3H) thymidine labelling kinetics in the spleens of mice reared in conventional or germ-free conditions. The labelling seen in the 24 h following an injection of (3H) thymidine could best be interpreted on the basis of synthesis of unstable DNA. The changes in the pattern, and distribution of labelled nuclei as well as the intensity of their labelling was not compatible with cell division only, but was also the result of movement of labelled material between the lymphoid cells of the organ. Germ-free mice were followed for 24 days following a single injection of (3H) thymidine. The rate of uptake of label into the spleen was much slower than has been found previously in mice reared in conventional conditions. When SRC were injected 2 h after giving (3H) thymidine the labelling of lymphoid cells in the spleen and blood was quite different to controls given (3H) thymidine alone. Detailed analysis indicated that turnover of labelled material, presumably DNA, as well as cells was involved. This turnover of DNA could be considered to be metabolic in the sense that renewal, increase in amount, loss, and transfer to other cells were involved. These, and other studies, in vivo (Harris & Olsen, 1973) and in vitro (Harris et al. 1975) indicate that such processes, involving DNA, are highly relevant to the development of antibody-producing capacity by cells responding to antigenic challenge.


Molecular hybridization of RNA and DNA in situ" visualization at the electron microscope level.

Electron microscopic visualization of molecular hybrids formed in situ is feasible at the present time. It can be accomplished by two alternative approaches. In one, the in situ hybridization is carried out on ultrathin sections of target embedded in glycol methacrylate. In the other, whole cells are used for hybridization and they are subsequently prepared for electron microscopy. The choice of the method to be adopted depends on the type of target tissue. When there is a choice, the second approach seems preferable. Some of the important technical steps in the hybridization procedure, such as DNA denaturation in ultrathin sections, have been discussed and attention has been drawn to practical problems that may arise during the preparatory steps. Our light microscope experiments demonstrate that preparations made after glutaraldehyde fixation have a lower hybridization efficiency than those fixed with 3 : 1 methanol-acetic acid. Attempts are therefore being made to explore the possibility of using methanol-acetic acid for electron microscope in situ hybridization. First results of straight-forward fixation show that the preservation of nuclear structure may be fairly satisfactory for the purpose. However, the cumultative effects of subsequent treatments in the procedure still remain to be examined. For electron microscope autoradiograph (EM ARG) of hybridized preparations, the most suitable emulsion at present appears to be Ilford L4. Various factors conductive to optimum resolution consistent with maximum efficiency in this emulsion have been pointed out. Practical problems that may arise in autoradiographs of hybridized preparations such as background and variation of grain density in adjacent sections have also been considered.


Hyperactivity and faster replicating property of the two arms of the male X of Drosophila pseudoobscura.

The two arms of the X chromosome of Drosophila pseudoobscura have different phylogenetic origin, the XL being homologous to the X and the XR homologous to the 3L of D. melanogaster. The replicative and transcriptive activities of the two arms have been examined in order to understand how such phylogenetically different components of the X contribute toward the chromosomal basis of dosage compensation. The 3H-uridine labelled autoradiograms of the polytene chromosomes of larval salivary glands reveal that the intensity of labelling in the XL and XR of the male is not significantly different from that in the two arms of the female, respectively. The number of grains on the two arms plotted against the grain number on an autosome follows a linear regression, and neither slope in the male is significantly different from its counterpart in the female. The 3H-thymidine autoradiograms show that in all phases of replication, viz. initial, middle and terminal, both arms of the X chromosome in the male are advanced by one step in the cycle. Results, therefore, suggest that both arms of the X of D. pseudoobscura, are hyperactive and faster replicating in the male. Such a situation might arise due to a primary signal coming from autosomally located regulators controlling the super-operon structure of the X chromosomal genes.


Cell proliferation in the prostate complex of the castrate mouse.

Cell proliferation during 100 h of continuous androgen challenge was studied in the seminal vesicle and coagulating gland of Balb/c mice castrated 3 days or 14 days prior to the first daily injection of 250 mug testosterone propionate. Continuous labelling with [3H] thymidine indicated that the seminal vesicle was almost totally responsive to androgen, as early as 3 days after castration, whereas the androgen sensitivity of the coagulating gland increased from 30% at 3 days after castration to 85% at 14 days after castration. In both tissues the magnitude of the proliferative reaction could be related to the extent of cell loss prior to stimulation. The duration of the pre-replicative phase in the response of the seminal vesicle to androgen was 20-25 h both at 3 and 14 days after castration. In the coagulating gland the pre-replicative phase was 40 h at 3 days after castration and 20 h at 14 days after castration. The maximum uptake of [7alpha-3H] testosterone administered to mice 3 days after castration was significantly greater (P less than 0-01) in the seminal vesicle compared to the coagulating gland. At 14 days the seminal vesicle and coagulating gland exhibited a similar capacity for uptake. The in vivo metabolism of [7alpha-3H] testosterone was studied by thin layer chromatography 30 min and 120 min after administration. A high proportion of the radioactivity extracted from all the tissues was associated with highly polar steroids. At 3 days after castration, the seminal vesicle, 2 h after administration of radioactive testosterone, retained a much higher proportion of radioactivity associated with dihydrotestosterone than did the coagulating gland. The localization of steroid in mice 3 days after castration was studied by dry-mount autoradiography at intervals up to 2 h after the injection of [1,2,6,7(n)-3H]-testosterone. A heavier deposition of silver grains was observed over autoradiographs of the seminal vesicle. In the seminal vesicle the grains were primarily located over nuclear areas whereas in the coagulating gland the grains were diffusely distributed over both nuclear areas and over cytoplasmic areas.


Proliferative characteristics of epithelial cells in the pregnant rat uterus.

In the pregnant rat, killed at about mid gestation and 1 h after injection of tritiated thymidine, 40% of the cells in the epithelium lining the uterine lumen at the implantation site were labelled. Between implantation sites fewer than 20% of the surface epithelial cells were labelled. A series of rats was given tritiated thymidine on day 12 of pregnancy and killed at intervals in the next 30 h. A percentage labelled mitoses analysis of the epithelium between implantation sites (interconceptual) and within the implantation site (conceptual) showed that cells in either region spent 7 h in DNA synthesis and 1-5 h in the G2 + 1/2 MITOSIS PHASES. The epithelial cells in the conceptual region spent 1-5 h in the G1 + 1/2 MITOSIS PHASES WHEREAS CELLS IN INTERCONCEPTual regions spent at least 11-5 h in these phases. The average cycle times of cells in conceptual regions was 10 h: in interconceptual regions minimum cycle time was 20 h and the average appeared to be considerably longer. The grain count of the epithelial cells in the conceptual region was rapidly reduced during the 30 h after injection of tritiated thymidine suggesting successive rounds of cell division. In contrast the grain count distribution of cells in interconceptual regions changed only slowly during this time. The percentage of labelled epithelial cells was determined in the animals killed up to 30 h after injection of tritiated thymidine. In both conceptual and interconceptual regions these percentages increased initially as labelled cells produced labelled progeny. In the conceptual region the increase was not maintained after 7 h as cells initially in G1 divided to give unlabelled progeny. In the interconceptual region the increase in the percentage of labelled cells continued for 14 h; thereafter the percentage did not significantly alter. The interpretation of these results is discussed in relation to the differences in the kinetic characteristics of the epithelial cells in the two regions and in relation to the morphology of the epithelium lining the uterus during pregnancy.


A practical approach for lateral meniscectomy.

A variant surgical approach to the lateral meniscus is described in an effort to overcome the difficulties encountered in the region of the anterior horn of this meniscus. The knee is braced in 90 degrees of flexion and the incision is made from the lower lateral side of the patella, extending down and back for 4-5 cm.


Rubella immunization. Persistence of antibody four years after a large-scale field trial.

A long-term comparative field trial of three live, attenuated rubella vaccines (HPV-77 DE-5, HPV-77 DK-12, and Cendehill) was initiated in 1969 on the islands of Kauai and Hawaii in the state of Hawaii. Rubella hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) tests on prevaccination serum specimens from 7,931 children in the two study areas indicated an overall susceptibility to rubella of nearly 70%. The rates of seroconversion of 5,153 seronegative subjects to HPV-77 DE-5, HPV-77 DK-12, and Cendehill vaccine were 97.5%, 99.9%, and 99.8%, respectively. Over the subsequent four-year follow-up period, during which time natural exposure to rubella was minimal, the percent decline of geometric mean titers did not vary substantially among the three vaccine groups and measured about twofold for all three. A total of only 28 vaccines (0.7%) who seroconverted to one of the vaccines in 1969 lost all measurable antibody by 1974. Measurable antibody persisted in more than 98% of all vaccinees over the four-year period. Reinfection, thought possibly to be an important factor in maintaining titers, did not occur frequently in the study population and could not be related to outbreaks of disease.


Bilaterally small kidneys in shock.

Three cases of "shock kidneys" were demonstrated by excretory urography. A dense, prolonged nephrogram and decreased excretion of the contrast material during the hypotensive episode were seen. In addition, our cases show bilaterally small kidneys without evidence of underlying chronic renal disease, which we consider to be a normal physiologic response.


Thrombocytopenia associated with long-term levodopa therapy.

A 63-year-old man had severe thrombocytopenia after long-term levodopa therapy. Serologic studies and clinical features indicate that the thrombocytopenia was due to an autoimmune process, presumably similar to that induced by the chemically similar drug methyldopa. Direct allergy to levodopa was ruled out by controlled challenge of the patient receiving levodopa. Combined levodopa-prednisone therapy was then instituted, with good clinical response and no recurrence of thrombocytopenia.


Family practitioners' knowledge about treatment of depressive illness.

Since nonpsychiatrists, particularly family practitioners, treat a large proportion of patients with depressive illness, their knowledge in this area should be assessed. An audience of 227 family practitioners at a postgraduate symposium were examined on basic principles of treatment of depressive illness, particularly the use of tricyclic antidepressants. Their responses were compared to a group of 17 university psychiatrists. The results showed that the family practitioners knew the right treatment for endogenous depression but tended to prescribe inadequate doses of tricyclics and gave too short a therapeutic trial as compared to psychiatrists. Both the psychiatrists and family practitioners tended to discontinue medications about three to six months after improvement, which is considered a somewhat short treatment span but not inappropriate. Family practitioners need to become better informed about tricyclic dosages and therapeutic trials.


Successful detoxification from methadone maintenance. Follow-up study of 38 patients.

Thirty-eight patients were successfully detoxified from maintenance with methadone hydrochloride. Contrary to results of most previous studies, a substantial number of individuals were found to have remained  drug-free, employed, and uninvolved with the criminal justice system since detoxification. Almost half of those who returned to drug use have become reinvolved in treatment. Escalated alcohol use occurred during and following methadone maintenance.


Joint study of extracranial arterial occlusion. IX. Transient ischemic attacks in the carotid territory.

This prospective analysis of 79 patients with transient carotid ischemic attacks (TIAs) showed that only 15% of them subsequently had strokes causing serious disability or death. They were followed up from one to nine years. All had arteriography  during initial evaluation. Most of the patients who suffered strokes had at least one additional risk factor for stroke, such as hypertension or a cardiac problem. Today it is probably impossible to collect data on the natural history of untreated TIAs, inasmuch as virtually all patients are receiving either specific medical or surgical therapy.


Aluminum "pop tops". A hazard to child health.

In a 3 1/2- year period, seven children have been treated for complications of ingestion or aspiration of pull tabs from aluminum beverage cans. One child died from a fistula between the esophagus and a branch of the aortic arch, and two children suffered esophageal perforation with local abscess formation. Since aluminum absorbs x-rays poorly, the pull tabs cannot be seen in frontal projection if they overlie vertebral bodies. Any toddler with unexplained alteration of feeding habits or persistent respiratory symptoms requires evaluation for an aspirated or ingested foreign body.


The Accelerated Medical Program and the Liberal Arts at Boston University.

Since September 1961, fifteen classes have matriculated in Boston University's Six- Year College of Liberal Arts--Medical Education Combined Degree Program. The  applicant pool is approximately three to four times larger now than in the earlier years, with classes averaging 50 students. Academic qualifications (high-school class rank and Scholastic Aptitude Test and College Board Achievement Test results) of the entering  classes have been at a consistently high level. Fifty percent or more of the graduates receive the BA degree with honors; 10% or more receive the MD degree with honors. The degree of flexibility in  the liberal arts component of the program has increased and currently exceeds that of the traditional four-year premedical curriculum. These data, together with additional information concerning postgraduate professional activities, indicate that the combined accelerated program has been successful.


HLA-B27 antigen in women with ankylosing spondylitis.

Twenty-three (85.2%) of 27 female patients with ankylosing spondylitis were positive for HLA-B27 antigen, including 15 of 18 white women (83.3%) and eight of nine black women (88.9%). Ankylosing spondylitis in women appears to have the same high association with HLA-B27 antigen as that reported in predominantly male studies (88% to 96%). Determination of this antigen may be useful in the evaluation of female patients suspected of having ankylosing spondylitis.


Alopecia in crash dieters.

Nine patients experienced profuse hair loss two of five months after starting a vigourous weight reduction program resulting in weight loss of 11.7 to 24.75 kg. Telogen counts of 25% to 50% were observed. Regrowth of hair occurred within several months. Three patients had experienced hair loss closely following a successful weight reduction program on several occasions. Rigorous caloric restriction with subsequent inadequate energy supply of the hair matrix is thought to be the cause for the precipitation of the telogen effluvium of the crash dieter.


Bioavailability of ascorbic acid in orange juice.

Several orange juice preparations were analyzed for biologically active and inactive ascorbic acid derivatives --L-ascorbic acid , dehydro-L-ascorbic acid, and inactive 2,3-diketo-L-gulonic acid. Fresh orange juice contained from 4 to 7 mg/100 ml of inactive ascorbic acid. In contrast, pasteurized orange juice contained from 15 to 30 mg/100 ml of inactive ascorbic acid (up to 400% more than fresh orange juice). Samples of fresh orange juice contained as much as 100% more active ascorbic acid than samples of pasteurized orange juice. There is great variability in prepared orange juice derivatives with a substantial decrease in bioavailability of active ascorbic acid.


Rushing the net and retinal detachment.

With the growth in popularity of tennis has come an increase in ocular injuries due to tennis balls. This report describes ten patients who sustained ocular confusion from high-speed tennis balls. Seven of the patients required either retinal surgery, laser photocoagulation, or both. Early detection of regional damage is essential, but of greater importance is prevention. For that reason, we advise use of some sort of ocular protection device for high-risk individuals.


Abnormal Q waves in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Incidence and clinical significance.

Between January 1970 and January 1975 the diagnosis of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome was entertained in 44 patients. Thirty-one (70%) of these patients had negative sigma-deflections (Q waves) on one or more electrocardiographic leads, thereby simulating a pattern of myocardial infarction (Mi). Fifteen patients (34%) were initially referred with an erroneous diagnosis of Mi based on the presence of Q waves. In nine of these 15 patients, the referring diagnosis was Mi plus ventricular preexcitation; in six, the diagnosis of ventricular preexcitation was overlooked entirely. The incidence of misdiagnosis (34%) was exactly the same as that reportly by Wolff and White approximately 30 years ago. Erroneous diagnosis of Mi can be virtually eliminated by normalizing the QRS complex by premature stimulation of the atrium during the effective refractory period of the accessory pathway.


Joint study of extracranial arterial occlusion. X. Internal carotid artery occlusion.

One cannot now predict with accuracy the degree of deficit that may be anticipated following a carotid occlusion even when the condition of the opposite artery is known. When symptoms and signs occur, they are most likely related to the hemisphere or eye on the side of the occlusion. In patients with carotid occlusion, a higher rate of severe complications and mortality was encountered following arteriography than in the general study population. Among randomized patients with a carotid occlusion and a contralateral carotid stenosis, 63% of medically treated patients were alive at the end of a 66-month follow-up, whereas only 34% of surgically treated patients were still living. Surgical mortality was extremely high in patients with a carotid occlusion. Sixty-seven percent mortality occurred in patients undergoing surgery within one week of a cerebral infarction.


Tubuloreticular inclusions in neonatal lupus erythematosus.

Numerous tubuloreticular structures were seen on electron microscopic examination of involved and uninvolved skin of a neonate with lupus erythematosus. The patient had characteristic lupus skin lesions at birth that worsened for three months, and then gradually subsided. Their course was associated with systemic illness. Skin biopsy specimen was diagnostic. Direct immunogluorescence of the skin showed no abnormalities. Abnormal serological findings were noted in the mother, who had no overt clinical disease. The significance of these virus-like structures in lupus erythematosus is emphasized by the present case.


Twelve-year "cure" of lung cancer with metastasis to the brain.

In managing lung cancer with metastasis to the brain, the clinician must decide whether to treat the primary lesion, the metastasis, neither, or both. A patient enjoying a useful survival of five years or more following treatment may be regarded as apparently cured. This patient was functioning normally twelve years after surgical treatment of the brain and lung lesions. Lung cancer with metastasis to the brain is not always a hopeless situation; occasionally a patient will derive great benefit from treatment.


Gravlee jet irrigator. Efficacy in diagnosis of endometrial neoplasia.

The Gravlee jet irrigator was used in 556 women with abnormal uterine bleeding. The irrigator failed to demonstrated endometrial adenocarcinoma in 14 of 25 patients. In ten of these 14, the specimens were found to be unsatisfactory. Twenty-six percent (16 of 61) of those patients with unsatisfactory specimens had a proliferative endometrial lesion. The false-negative rate in diagnosing endometrial cancer with an adequate specimen was 27% (4 of 15). Forty-eight of 61 cases of hyperplastic endometrial lesions were not diagnosed by means of jet irrigation. The irrigation failed to detect premalignant endometrial lesions and was not sufficiently reliable to exclude endometrial carcinoma when a satisfactory negative specimen was obtained.


Treatment of Candida endocarditis and arteritis.

A patient suffering from Candida endocarditis presented with a gangrenous foot. In addition to arterial embolism, occult mycotic aneurysms were found by arteriography. Clinical cure was achieved with a combination of chemotherapy and valvular débridement, but viable Candida persisted in an easily removable embolus. Occult peripheral vascular lesions may be a continuing source of Candida sepsis in some patients.


Lymphosarcoma of bowel in childhood.

A report of nine cases of lymphosarcoma of the bowel in childhood is presented, together with a review of the literature. Until recently, the prognosis of this condition has been poor,but it is hoped that modern treatment with surgery, radiotherapy and multiple cytotoxic drugs given in high dosage over a two-year period will result in improved results.


Iron fortification of milk powder.

The bioavailability of an iron-fortified full cream milk preparation was studied and found to be effective for supplementation of the diet with iron. It consequently could be of value in the prophylaxis against iron deficiency and serve as an additional source of dietary protein.


[Peripheral arterial aneurysm of the brain occurring after brain abscess extirpation and healing spontaneously-report of a case and review of the literature (author's transl)].

In 33 year-old man an aneurysm of a pheripheral branch of the right middle cerebral artery was disclosed by angiography 8 days after extirpation of a parietotemporal brain abscess. The aneurysm was absent in the preoperative angiogram. Since the site of the aneutysm coincided with the operative field, it is sure that the etiology of the aneurysm was related to operative trauma and/or arteritis. Although inflammatory or mycotic factor could not be excluded from its etiology, it seems reasonable that traumatic factor was major one. The aneurysm was found to have disappeared eventually in the angiogram made on 372th postoperative day. Traumatic aneurysms arising from peripheral branches of the intracranial arteries are very rare. The first case was reported by Krauland in 1949. We collected 32 such cases from the literature. Of the 33 cases including the present one, 5 are iatrogenic. In more than half of the 33 cases, aneurysms were formed within 14 days following head injury. Posttraumatic delayed hemorrhage was found in 15 cases, the hemorrhage occurring within one month following injury in 12 cases. Of 31 cases with known prognosis, 11 died, 6 of them dying of delayed hemorrhage. Aneurysm operation was performed in 21 cases and 15 of them survived. In the present case, aneurysm luckily healed spontaneously. There are two cases including the present one, of spontaneous healing in the 33 cases. We believe surgical treatment is one of choice whenever possible.


The chronically reserpinized rat as a possible animal model for cystic fibrosis. IV. The protein composition of pulmonary lavage fluid.

Lung lavage samples obtained from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) had significantly higher levels of total protein per ml lavage fluid (0.49 vs. 0.30 mg/ml). A significant increase in the absolute and relative amounts of a low molecular weight glycoprotein (15,000 mol wt) was noted in lavage specimens from CF patients. Reserpine-treated rats also showed a significant increase in the total protein recovered in the lung lavage fluid with a 233% increase in the absolute and relative amounts of a low molecular weight glycoprotein (15,000 mol wt). Thus, reserpine induced changes in the secretions of the lung of the rat which are similar to those observed in samples obtained from the lung of CF patients.


Changes in the sensitivity to hypoxia and glucose deprivation in the isolated perfused rabbit heart during perinatal development.

The isometric contraction of the isolated rabbit myocardium was measured from 24 days post coitum (dpc) to young adulthood. Tension per gram of heart as developed by the isolated perfused hearts remained constant during late foetal life but increased during the first postnatal week. Sensitivity to hypoxia rapidly increased during foetal life from 26 to 28 days post coitum. In young foetal hearts (up to 28 days post coitum), contraction continued for several hours in the absence of glucose. In contrast, from 28 days post coitum onwards foetal hearts became increasingly dependent on external glucose to maintain their contractility. This change was concomitant with a decrease in myocardial glycogen content. Intracellular electrical activity recorded in the absence of glucose showed that during hypoxia in the foetus at term were reduced, whereas normal activity continued in the same hypoxic glucose-free medium in hearts from foetuses 26 days post coitum. The relative role of glycolysis and oxidative metabolism is discussed and the importance of glycogenolytic metabolism in young isolated foetal hearts is pointed out.


Alveolar stability and phospolipid content in normal pig lungs and in pig lungs with Mycoplasma pneumonia.

In pig lungs with enzootic pneumonia (a mycoplasma infection) a considerably higher phospholipid content was measured than in normal lungs, in spite of a reduced surfactant function in these lungs.


Acute aortic regurgitation and abscess of sinus of Valsalva due to fulminating ulcerative endocarditis.  Report of three fatal cases in children.

Acute aortic regurgitation due to ulcerative endocarditis developed in 3 children aged 10, 6, and 7 years, respectively. All had congenital aortic valve lesions. Intractable congestive heart failure ensued about 2 weeks, 1 week, and a few days, respectively, after onset of infection. Two patients were operated on in the acute stage, and in both, perivalvular spread of the infection was found with abscess formation of the right sinus of Valsalva perforating through the interventricular septum to the right ventricle; valve replacement and repair were performed, but both patients died. The correct diagnosis was missed in the third patient, who was thought to have myocarditis and who died one week after onset of infection: at autopsy a perforation of a bicuspid aortic valve and an aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva were found.


Gametogenesis in planktonic foraminifera.

Gametogenesis in Globigerinella aequilateralis and Globigerinoides sacculifer in culture is preceded by sinking of the organism and loss of its spines. Hundreds of thousands of flagellated gametes, about 5 micrometers in diameter, are produced within the parent shell and released within a period of 13 hours.


Response independent habituation of territorial aggression in the three-spined stickleback (gasterosteus aculeatus).

Territorial sticklebacks were habituated to a male conspecific confined to a clear glass tube in a two stage experiment. In the first stage, one group was allowed complete access to a stimulus tube containing a live, male conspecific  and the number of bites directed at the stimulus was recorded. A second group was prevented from biting at the stimulus fish by placing a glass barrier between the territorial resident and stimulus tube. A third group was treated the same as the second but without a stimulus fish present. During the second stage of the experiment, which followed a 15 min rest, all groups were allowed access to the stimulus tube and confined conspecific. A typical habituation curve resulted across both sessions for the first group. The second group, which was characterized by very infrequent attempts to bite during state 1, showed behavior during stage 2 identical to that of group 1. During the second stage, the third group demonstrated typical initial habituation behavior (parallel to that of group 1 during the first stage). These results are interpreted as evidence that habituation proceeds as a function of exposure to a stimulus and is independent of whether or not a response is made.


[Tests for anthropozoonoses in sera of farmers in eastern-Austria. I. Communication (author's transl)].

Because of human disease and the evidence of antibodies in domestic- and wild animal-sera, human sera were tested for various anthropozoonoses in three districts of the so called "Seewinkel" (Eastern-Austria). Positive reactions were found for listeriosis, tularemia, leptospirosis, ornithosis, Q-fever, rickettsiae of the RMSF-group "Stamm B", mycoplasmosis, TBE-(FSME-), Sindbis-, West Nil-VIRUS. These results are indicators for the occurrence of the pathogens and are supported by the positive results already found at serological tests of domestic and wild animals.


Synergistic effects of oestrogen and brain stimulation on precocious sexual maturation in the female rat.

Precocious activation of the pituitary-gonadal axis was induced in immature rats by unilateral electrochemical stimulation of the basal hypothalamus on day 23 of life. In response to this brain stimulus, about 50% of animals ovulated prematurely on either day 27 (96 h after stimulation) or on day 28 (120 h after stimulation), whereas less advanced stages of sexual development (increased ovarian and uterine weights, growth of ovarian follicles) were noted in the others. The combination of the brain stimulus with a single injection of 0.25 mug oestradiol benzoate on day 23 induced ovulation in 15% of rats already on day 26 (72 h after stimulation). When injected alone, this dose of oestradiol benzoate did not induce ovulation, but led to a rapid and sustained increase in the LH/FSH ratio (assessed by radioimmunoassays) in both the anterior pituitary gland and in plasma. Lower priming doses (0.05 mug and 0.125 mug) led to progressively fewer animals ovulating on day 26, but left the number ovulating on day 27 largely unaffected. In contrast, a higher dose (0.5 mug) gave an early response in 15% of the population, but severely reduced the number ovulating in a 10 day follow up period. It is concluded, in agreement with Hohlweg's early concept regarding the feedback effect of oestrogen in immature female rats, that steroid-priming facilitates the ovulatory response to brain stimulation by shifting pituitary gonadotropin output in favour of LH.


Studies on the mechanism of action of potassium iodide on thyroid protein biosynthesis.

Potassium iodide (KI) has been shown to have an antigoitrogenic action and to inhibit in vivo thyroid protein biosynthesis. Beef thyroid slices were used to clarify further the mechanism of action of KI. Incubations were performed in Krebs-Ringer-bicarbonate (KRB) buffer under 95%O2 and 5% CO2. KI caused a slight decrease in the uptake of [3H]eucine by the tissue. When labelled leucine incorporation into protein was measured it was found that 10(-6) M KI caused a marked inhibition. Increasing concentrations of KI up to 10(-3) M did not further increase this inhibition. This effect of KI was reduced by simultaneous addition of 0.5 mM KClO4 or 1 mM methylmercaptoimidazole (MMI). In several experiments it was found that equimolar amounts of thyroxine (T4) or triiodothyronine (T3) were more potent than KI in inhibiting thyroid protein biosynthesis. In double plabelled studies KI decreased [3H]leucine incorporation into thyroid soluble proteins and into immunoprecipitable thyroglobulin (T4) while it did not modify that of [14C]galactosamine. When tissue specificity was examined, KI failed to alter [3H]leucine incorporation into proteins either in the liver or in the submaxillary gland. The present results indicate that intracellular KI is necessary to exert its effect on protein synthesis, and that this effect is mediated through a organic form of iodine, probably iodothyronines. This action of KI is specific for the thyroid gland.


Uptake and metabolism of serotonin by rat adrenal tissue in vitro.

After incubation of separate zones of rat adrenals with radioactively labelled serotonin--at concentrations at which the amine had been previously shown to stimulate aldosterone biosynthesis--the tissue radioactivity was several times higher in the capsular ("zona glomerulosa") than in the decapsulated portions of the glands. High doses of unlabelled serotonin diminished the accumulation of radioactivity, but only when added simultaneously with the tracer. In the course of the incubation, radioactive 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid, i.e. the deaminated metabolite of serotonin, rapidly appeared in the medium. Most of the radioactive material accumulated by the adrenal was recovered in the cytosol fraction and was no longer identical with serotonin, but consisted mainly of 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid and another, unidentified metabolite. Unaltered serotonin was found in capsular adrenal tissue extracts only when a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (nialamide) has been added to the incubation medium. Rapid uptake and metabolism thus appeared to be the predominant features of the interaction of incubated adrenal tissue with serotonin. These events may have obscured the possible binding of very small amounts of serotonin to receptor sites. The observed accumulation of radioactivity in adrenal tissue was mainly due to delayed outflow of intracellulary formed metabolite, since 5-hydroxy-3indoleacetic acid was neither taken up by incubated adreanls nor bound by adrenal cytosol. No evidence of serotonin storage in the zona glomerulosa was found in these studies.


Ovarian enzymatic divergence in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome excreting urinary pregnanetriolone.

When ovarian mitochondria from patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (POS) were incubated with [7-3H]17alpha-hydroxypregnenolone and [4-14C]-17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, 11beta-hydroxylated metabolites were obtained. The mitochondria, prepared from pooled, frozen, polycystic ovarian tissue of 5 patients, converted [7-3H]17alpha-hydroxypregnenolone to 3beta, 11beta, 17alpha--trihydroxy-5-pregnen-20-one (yield 0.065%) and to 3beta, 17alpha-dihydroxy-5-pregnene-11,20-dione (0.22%), while [4-14C]17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone was converted to 21-deoxycortisol (0.1%). Incubation of mitochondria, prepared from 4 pooled samples of frozen, normal ovarian tissue, yielded no evidence of 11beta-hydroxylation of either of the substrates. Mitochondria obtained from fresh, polycystic ovarian tissue of a single patient with POS converted [7-3H]17alpha-hydroxypregnenolone to 3beta,17alpha-dihydroxy-5-pregnene-11,20-dione (2.1%) and [4-14C]17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone to 21-deoxycortisol (0.1%). When the same mitochondrial preparation was incubated simultaneously with [7-3H]17alpha-hydroxypregnenolone and [4-14C]11-deoxycortisol, it converted 17alpha-hydroxypregnenolone to 3beta,17alpha-dihydroxy-5-pregnene-11,20-dione (1.9%), but no 11beta-hydroxylated derivatives of 11-deoxycortisol were found. These results demonstrate that ovaries of patients with POS contain an 11beta-hydroxylase active towards C-21-deoxysteroids but inert to C-21-hydroxysteroids such as 11-deoxycortisol.


Dihydrotestosterone in human ovarian venous plasma.

Androstenedione (delta), oestradiol-17beta (Oe2), 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), progesterone (P) and testosterone (T) concentrations have been measured by radioimmunoassay in ovarian and peripheral venous blood from 15 women in the luteal phase of the cycle. The ovarian blood samples were obtained during surgical intervention from 15 ovaries containing the corpus luteum and from 5 contralateral ovaries. The mean concentration of DHT in ovarian venous blood was not higher than that found in the cubital vein. However in some cases with high concentrations of testosterone in ovarian venous blood, a small but significant DHT gradient was found.


Hormonal mechanisms involved in the control of oestrous cycle duration by the odour of urine in the rat.

The mechanisms involved in the reduced cycle duration following exposure to the odour of urine were studied in natural and experimental 5-day cyclic female Wistar rats. A decrease in the rate of ovarian progesterone secretion from the morning of dioestrus I to that of dioestrus II was observed in females whose cycle duration was reduced from 5 to 4 days following exposure to the odour of rat urine. No decrease in ovarian progesterone secretion occurred in females maintaining a 5-day cyclicity despite exposure to this odour. An increase in follicular growth was noted in females with cycle duration reduced from 5 to 4 days, when compared with those maintaining a 5-day rhythm. As a result of exposure to the odour of urine no reduced cycle duration occurred in females with cycles lengthened from 4 to 5 days as a result of progesterone injection on dioestrus I of 4-day cycles. Hence the decrease in ovarian progesterone secretion, induced by exposure to the odour of urine, is considered to cause a speeding up in follicular growth, thereby reducing oestrous cycle duration in 5-day cyclic rats.


Serial measurement of arterial plasma progesterone levels throughout gestation and parturition in individual rats.

Daily blood samples were taken from 6, chronically cannulated, fully conscious rats to measure plasma progesterone levels throughout gestation. Progesterone levels in individual rats fluctuated by up to 28 ng/ml per day, but tended to be consistently higher or lower than the group mean. The accuracy of predicting progesterone levels in individual rats from previous values was examined. Progesterone levels on day 7 of gestation were negatively correlated with foetal weights near term. There was little indication that high progesterone levels at any stage of gestation lead to increased foetal or placental weights. Progesterone levels on day 17 were positively correlated with the number of corpura lutea but there was little relationship between progesterone and either the number or total mass of the placentas. Serial blood samples taken from a second group of 6 rats at 2 hourly intervals showed that the time between the major fall in progesterone levels to below 12 ng/ml and the onset of parturition was relatively constant (varying by only 8 h) despite a 29 h range in the total length of gestation.


Serum 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone and testosterone changes with age in man.

Serum 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and testosterone (T) were measured in 98 normal adult men aged between 20-80 years, separating T and DHT by thin layer chromatography and using a sensitive and reliable radio-immunoassay. In three age groups between 20-40, 40-60 and 60-80, the means +/- SEM for serum DHT were 84 +/- 4, 79 +/- 3 and 67 +/- 3 (ng/100 ml) respectively. The corresponding values for testosterone were 559 +/- 25, 491 +/- 25 and 475 +/- 28 (ng/100 ml). A significant decrease was observed in the DHT level of the 60-80 years age group compared to either the 20-40 (P less than 0.01) or the 40-60 (P less than 0.02) age groups. There was a moderate decline in the testosterone level of the 60-80 years age group compared to 20-40 years (P less than 0.05) but there were no significant changes in the testosterone levels between other groups.


Heterotypic antibodies in Liberian sera causing anomalous reactions when using a commercial haemagglutination test for hepatitis-B surface antigen.

Agglutinins reacting with normal and tanned sheep erythrocytes were the probable cause of false positive reactions given by 51 of 214 Liberian sera when using a commercial passive-haemagglutination test for hepatitis-B surface antigen. Absorption showed these agglutinins to be identical to those described earlier in Nigerian sera. Rheumatoid factor and anti-sheep-serum antibodies although present in 12 and five per cent respectively of all sera were not responsible for any false positive reactions. The practical conclusion is that such tests, based on sheep erythrocytes are unsuitable for screening this population.


Motor and secretory effects of nerves on the parotid gland of rat.

The influence of parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves on the parotid gland of the rat was investigated. It was found that both divisions of the autonomic nerves evoke secretion and probably also motor effects in this gland. Secretion elicited on sympathetic stimulation was mediated both via alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors, while motor effects were mediated via alpha-adrenoceptors. On stimulation of the autonomic nerves a lower duct pressure was reached in the parotid than in the submaxillary gland, and on sympathetic nerve stimulation the flow of saliva always started later from the parotid than the submaxillary gland. These findings are discussed in the view of the different arrangement of the myoepithelial cells in the 2 glands.


Effect of noradrenaline on the content, synthesis and catabolism of acetylcholine in the brain.

ACh synthesis and content in the cerebral cortex and brain stem as well as the activity of choline acetylase (AcCh) and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) in brain homogenates were determined after NA administration both in vivo and in in vitro. In in vivo experiments NA was injected intraperitoneally or into the lateral ventricle of the brain. Intraperitoneal injection of NA caused a significant fall of ACh content in the cerebral cortex. AchE activity was inhibited after intraventricular NA injection and in in vitro investigations, in which NA was added into the incubation medium. ACh synthesis and AcCh activity showed no abnormalities after NA administration in vivo and in vitro.


Arthrography of the knee. II. Isolated and combined lesions.

The findings in 1 349 abnormal cases out of 2 836 arhtrographies of the knee have been evaluated statistically. Isolated and combined lesions of menisci, medial collateral and cruciate ligaments have been compared. Type and degree of the individual lesion change with increased complexity of combined injuries. A sequential grading for some lesions has been established. A dominant direction of rupture was found differing in themedial and lateral meniscus. Vertical ruptures anf ruptures of the posterior part of the medial meniscus were positively correlated to more complex injuries.


Role of catecholamines in release of gonadotrophic hormones in the rabbit.

Role of catecholamines (CA) in transmission of neurohormone releasing gonadotrophin (GnHR) from the hypothalamus to hypophysis was estimated on the basis of the hypothalamic catecholaminergic system blockade with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and intraventricular infusions of CA in the rabbit. 6-OHDA administered intraventricularly in doses 200-500 mug caused temporary blockade of ovulation. Intraventricular infusion of noradrenaline (NA) induced ovulation in 50% of animals tested, whereas dopamine (DA) and adrenaline (A), induced ovulation only in very few cases. It seems, that catecholaminergic system participates in transmission of neurohormones to the hypophysis, and NA plays the most important role in this process.


The pathology of americium 241.

Male CBA-mice were injected intraperitoneally with different doses of 241Am-citrate (16, 8, 0.4, 0.2, 0.04 muCi/kg). The two highest doses were highly destructive of the haematopoietic tissues, testes and bone tissue. The highest frequency of induced tumours of the skeleton and haematopoietic tissue was found in the 8 muCi group. In the liver, adrenal glands, kidney and heart degenerative lesions were found mainly in the higher dose groups. In the lower dose groups degenerative lesions seemed to appear earlier and at a higher frequency than in the control group.


The size-distribution and protease content airborne particles in textile mill cardrooms.

The concentration of 1.-4 mum airborne particles and the protease content of the airborne dust measured in the cardrooms of ten cotton mills were found to correlate with byssinosis prevalence. Airborne proteases were found in abundance also in wool mills where byssinosis does not occur.


Symptom response to lactose-reduced milk in lactose-intolerant adults.

The possible usefulness of low-lactose milk for those lactose-intolerant subjects who develop symptoms from milk consumption was investigated. In the first part of the study, 16 intolerant subjects (blood glucose rise less than 25 mg/100 ml) received low-lactose skim milk containing 15 g lactose (2.5 cups) and 7.5 g lactose (2.5 cups), regular skim milk containing 30 g lactose (2.5 cups), and all three milks plus a small breakfast. The low lactose milks produced significantly fewer symptoms. The food given with the milk had no significant effect on symptomatic response. The second group of 17 subjects received 25 g lactose in water (250 ml), skim milk (500 ml) and whole milk (500 ml); 10 g lactose in lactose-reduced skim (500 ml) and whole milk (500 ml) and whole milk (500 ml); and a placebo (250 ml). There was a significant positive relationship between amount of lactose consumed and symptom response. The form in which the lactose was administered (e.g., whole versus skim milk) was not significantly related to symptoms. It is concluded that in a symptomatic subjects a significantly greater quantity of low-lactose milk than regular milks can be consumed.


Veneral infections in three ethnic groups in Sacramento.

Blacks treated in Sacramento County (CA) Clinics were most likely to have gonorrhea. Chicanos were slightly more likely to have nonspecific urethritis and other sexually transmitted diseases, and Whites were most likely to be uninfected. Whites tended to name greater numbers of different sexual partners, but differences among the three groups were not statistically significant. Black men more frequently reported to clinics with genitourinary symptoms and delayed significantly longer before seeking treatment. Future research should assess the relative contributions of sexual and health behaviors to the distributions of different sexually transmitted diseases in different groups.


[Toxicity and antitumor activity of the antibiotic rubomycin and dipin in combination with diuretics (diacarb)].

Rubomycin or dipin in combination with diacarb had higher toxicity and antitumor activity as compared to administration of the cytostatic agents alone to mice with transplanted lymphosarcoma, strain L10-1. The chemotherapeutic indices of the combinations did not differ or were somewhat lower as compared to the same indices of the cytostatic agents used alone.


Hyperthyroidism in Graves disease. Current trends in management and diagnosis.

The radioimmunoassay for T3 is now widely available and is a useful diagnostic tool for hyperthyroidism, especially in T3-thyrotoxicosis. It is an essential tool in the management of hyperthyroidism that persists after treatment with normal T4 serum levels or, in euthyroid cases, with low T4 serum levels. In these conditions, it reflects the metabolic state more accurately than serum levels of T4. A promising new test is the response of radioimmunoassayable TSH to protirelin (TRH) administration. An absent response indicates pituitary suppression and thyroid autonomy as seen in frank hyperthyroidism or euthyroid Graves disease, treated or untreated. It is safer and quicker than the conventional T3 suppression test of thyroid radioactive iodine uptake and may replace it at least partly in the future.


The solubility of collagen of the uterine cervix during pregnancy and labour.

The solubility of collagen during pregnancy and labour was studied in tissue specimens of the uterine cervix of 48 women in childbearing age. In the course of pregnancy the fractions of collagen which are soluble in 0.175 M acetic acid at +5 degrees C and in 8 M urea at  +40 degrees C increased continuously in relation to the total collagen content and dry weight. The highest values were found during labour at full cervical dilatation and also immediately post partum. The results show that for the dilatation of the cervical canal during labour biochemical changes must take place not only in the ground substance, but also in the collagenfibres.


[Pattern of gonadotropins and ovarian steroids during the menstrual cycle in adolescence (author's transl)].

Serial determinations of FSH, LH, estradiol-17 beta and progesterone in plasma and of total gonadotropins, total estrogens and pregnanediol in urine were performed in 10 adolescent girls between 15 and 19 years of age. Two types of menstrual cycles could be distinguished. The first type is characterized by a nearly normal pattern of FSH, while a preovulatory rise of estradiol-17 beta and an LH-peak is still missing. Only few days prior to menstrual bleeding a small rise of estradiol and progesterone in plasma as well as of estrogens and pregnanediol in urine can be seen, being equivalent to a short luteinization of the follicle without ovulation taking place. The second type already shows all criteria of a regular ovulatory cycle. However the plasma level of LH, estradiol and progesterone and the excretion of estrogens and pregnanediol are still below the average values of control cycles of adult women. On the basis of the hormonal pattern and a shortened luteal phase, a relative insufficiency of this type of cycles is still evident. These studies demonstrate, that the cyclic ovarian function postmenarchial develops gradually and that the onset of ovulation is a marked step in this development. This process of maturition, which is due to the gradual development of the positive feedback of estrogens on the release of LH by the pituitary gland, allows to distinguish in adolescence between cycles before and after maturition of the feed-back mechanism in the ANS.


The natural duration of cervical carcinoma.

On the basis of patients from Hungary, as well as literary data, the authors endeavour to determine time course averages for cervical carcinoma. They are of the opinion that a women with typical cervical carcinoma enters the in situ stage at the age of 32.8 years and dies of it at the age of 62.51 years.


[On the correlation between standard variables of mother and newborn child (author's transl)].

In a previous study on the relations existing between infant weight, placental weight and maternal weight and height a strong positive correlation was found between infant and placental weight as well as a positive correlation between maternal weight before birth and infant and placental weight respectively. This could be confirmed in this extended study on 438 cases, in which also other variables, in particular the maternal weight increase during pregnancy, were investigated. Where as in the previous study it was suggested, that maternal weight acts via placental weight on infant weight, the findings of this study imply, that there is also a direct influence of maternal on infant weight. Taking maternal weight before pregnancy and immediately before birth (uncorrected and corrected for placental and fetal weight) separately, the correlation between maternal weight before pregnancy showed a stronger relation to infant weight than the corrected maternal weight increase during pregnancy.


[Fissured "single" umbilical artery (author's transl)].

The finding of a single umbilical artery 10 cm above the placenta is no prove of its singularity in all the course. This observation indicates that a solitary umbilical artery is neither a main pathogenetic fact nor an evident morphologic pattern concerning fundamental disorders in placentation and fetal development.


A 10-year study of homosexually transmitted infection.

A 10-year survey is presented of male cases of homosexually acquired infection seen between 1962 and 1971 at Charing Cross Hospital (West London Branch). Tables showing the number of cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and other conditions in homosexual and heterosexual males and in females are considered. Tables of other relevant data are also presented. The reasons underlying the changes illustrated, including the Act legalizing homosexual practices between consenting adult males, which became effective in 1968, are discussed. Certain pathological conditions apparently connected with homosexual practices, such as serum hepatitis, local rectal disease, and mucous colitis, are included and also some relevant manifestations of herpes genitalis and genitral warts. Homosexually acquired infection in prisoners is described. Some of the psychiatric effects of homosexuality on clinic patients and also their fears of treatment at clinics are considered, as well as the behavioral differences in response to infection between exclusively homosexuals, bi-sexuals, and married homosexuals.


Ultrastructural modifications of renal cells in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) after castration.

The mechanisms of cellular autophagy have been studied in the renal epithelium of male sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) following castration. Two main types of alteration are described at the level of the proximal tubule cells. At first, the formation of endoplasmic reticulum whorls is observed, followed immediately by the secretion of lacunar progranules and by nucleolar modifications. These alterations lead to a progressive decrease of the glandular activity of the cells. The other main effect of castration is a general involution of the secretory granules still present in the cells. The involutive processes which lead to the complete destruction of the secretory material and, sometimes, of entire proximal cells, are described. In the collecting tubules, a marked and rapid decrease in glandular activity occurs, followed by disappearance of the mucous secretions. Small dense granules, supposedly lysosomes, are present. The processes described also appear to be characteristic of the normal involution of the renal cells occurring at the end of the breeding period. The findings strongly suggest that the male sex hormone may exert a double control on the renal cells in the stickleback, at both the cytoplasmic and nucleolar levels.


Monitoring drug concentrations in a case of combined overdosage with primidone and methsuximide.

We describe a case of fatal overdosage with primidone and methsuximide. During the early phase of the patient's hospital course we found concentrations of methsuximide, N-desmethylmethsuximide, and primidone in serum that far exceeded the usual therapeutic concentrations, as determined by gas-liquid chromatography. Determination of N-desmethylmethsuximide in peritoneal fluid demonstrated concentrations comparable to those in serum. This led to the therapeutic decision to manage the patient by dialysis. Subsequently, serum samples collected during the course of hospitalization were analyzed quantitatively by gas-liquid chromatography for methsuximide, N-desmethylmethsuximide, primidone, phenobarbital, and diphenylhydantoin. Selected serum specimens were also analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and N-methyl-2-hydroxymethyl-2-phenylsuccinimide, a metabolite of methsuximide not previously described in human serum, was identified by analysis of its mass spectrum.


Amniotic fluid lipid profiles: a rapid gas chromatographic method.

The lipid extract of amniotic fluid has been analysed for the important fatty acids derived mainly from the lecithin component of lung surfactant. Using gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, these fatty acids have been identified. A positive correlation between certain lipid profiles and lack of lung surfactant with its associated respiratory problems for the newborn infant has been demonstrated.


[Milk intolerance, lactose intolerance and lactase deficiency in partial resection of the stomach].

Of 40 patients with a partial gastrectomy (Billroth-II) 10 developed a milk intolerance and 11 had a lactase deficiency, the latter in 4 cases appearing together with a decrease in other disaccharidases. Only 2 of the 11 lactase-deficient patients complained of milk intolerance. The Ethanol lactose tolerance test (ELTT) was performed in 21 patients and was found to be abnormal in 6. Whereas cases of abnormal ELTT usually (4 of 6 cases) showed a lactase deficiency, only 2 patients with milk intolerance showed an abnormal ELTT and lactase deficiency. Milk intolerance can therefore only exceptionally be explained by lactase deficiency, and lack of lactase in the upper jejunum usually does not produce intolerance symptoms. Moreover, in comparable determinations from the afferent and efferent jejunal loop no differences in enzyme activities could be observed.


[False radioimmuno-assay of thyroxine and triiodothyronine in the presence of hormone-binding autoantibodies in serum (author's transl)].

Radioimmunoassay of thyroxine and triiodothyronine in a 14-year-old girl with primary hypothyroidism and nodular goitre as a result of Hashimoto's thyroiditis gave falsely low values due to the presence of hormone-binding antibodies. Such antibodies occur in Hashimoto's thyroiditis and thyroid carcinoma. Their presence requires special methods for determining these hormones.


Prolactin: the initial luteotropic stimulus of pseudopregnancy in the rat.

The luteotropic stimuli necessary to transform the corpus luteum of the estrous cycle into a corpus luteum of psuedopregnancy on the morning of diestrus-2 (Day 2), as reflected by a dramatic divergence in progesterone secretion, were studied (Day 1 was taken as the first day of diestrus of pseudopregnancy). The requirement of prolactin (PRL) as a luteotropic stimulus was determined by inhibiting the diurnal and nocturnal PRL surges that occur immediately before and during the divergence in progesterone. Following cervical stimulation, 1 mg of 2-Br-alpha-ergocryptine (EC) was injected at 1100 and 2300 h on Day 1 (lights on 0600-1800 h), and the animals were decapitated at 2-4 h intervals from 1100 h on Day 1 to 1700 h on Day 2. In the control animals, the PRL surges on Day 1 and Day 2 were associated with an increase in progesterone secretion on Day 2. However, the regimen of EC treatment resulted in an inhibition of PRL surges, prolactin remaining at baseline values from 1100 h on Day 1 to 1700 h on Day 2. The inhibition of PRL secretion was associated with a fall in progesterone concentration to reach baseline values by 1700h on Day 2. Furthermore, a group of animals similarly treated with EC returned to vaginal estrus 2 days later. LH concentrations did not differ in control and EC-treated animals. The effect of EC on corpus luteum function could be completely reversed by the simultaneous administration of PRL. In addition, if PRL was administered at 1100 h and 2300 h on diestrus-1 of the estrous cycle, in an attempt to mimic the surges os pseudopregnancy, regression of the corpora lutea did not occur. Progesterone levels increased to reach values comparable to those observed in pseudopregnancy on diestrus-2. The role of LH was studied by administering a dose of LH antiserum at 110 and 2300 h on Day 1 of pseudopregnancy. This treatment failed to inhibit the increase in progesterone observed on Day 2. These results demonstrate that the surges of plasma PRL initiated by cervical stimulation are responsible for transforming a corpus luteum of the estrous cycle into a corpus luteum of pseudopregnancy, as reflected by an increase in progesterone secretion of Day 2. LH seems to have a minor role in maintaining corpus luteum function beyond that observed during the estrous cycle.


Elevated plasma testosterone and gonadotropin levels in infertile males with hyperthyroidism.

Little attention has been given the existence of male infertility in hyperthyroidism and the mechanisms adversely affecting spermatogenesis therein. The chance presentation of three young thyrotoxic men within a short period of time allowed us to document the common findings in all three of reversibly impaired semen quality. The unexpected finding of elevated testosterone and gonadotropin levels in each case, with return of these values to normal on attaining euthyroidism, and the finding of maturation arrest in one patient prior to treatment of his thyrotoxicosis, allow some considerations of the altered physiology and spermatogenic defect and suggest a need for further attention to this disorder.


Gastric emptying rate measurement in man. A double isotope scanning technique for simultaneous study of liquid and solid components of a meal.

A sequential scintiscanning method was used to study gastric emptying in a total of 46 patients given a meal of cornflakes, sugar and milk containing radioactive markers of the solid and liquid components. In control and duodenal ulcer patients, liquid emptying was faster than solid emptying and could be represented as a monoexponential process, but  solid emptying followed a different pattern, better represented as linear emptying with time. However, in patients who had undergone Billroth II gastrectomy there was no evidence of differential emptying of the two markers. In addition, rapid emptying of both markers occurred in the gastrectomy patients during the first 10 min after meal ingestion but did not occur in control or duodenal ulcer patients. The observations illustrate the limitations of using liquid meals to identify the effects of gastric surgery on emptying. Measurements of early emptying and of solid-liquid differentiation are necessary for full definition of gastric emptying after ingestion of a mixed solid and liquid meal.


Formation of homocytotropic antibodies with penicilloyl specificity in the rabbit.

The formation of homocytotropic antibodies (IgE) as determined by immunochemical characteristics against penicilloyl in rabbits was shown. The production of such antibodies to azidocilloyl-human serum albumin (AzO10-HSA) in alum was found optimal using 1 mg of antigen in the tested range of 0.01-8 mg. At the lowest dose (0.01 mg) only haemagglutinating but no IgE antibodies were formed. Immunization with azidocilloyl-bovine gamma-globulin (AzO9-BGG) resulted in a slower increase in antibody levels than was caused by AzO10-HSA. Univalent benzylpenicilloyl-epsilon-aminocaproate or ampicillin given together with the antigen upon immunization decreased the levels of penicllloyl specific IgE and haemagglutinating antibodies, but induced the formation of IgE antibodies against the carrier molecule. Further, the administration of penicilloyl specific IgG antibodies diminished formation of both IgE and haemagglutinating antibodies, but no antibodies specific for the carrier were formed. The usefulness of this animal model for the experimental study of penicillin allergy is discussed.


Study of the mechanism of Corynebacterium parvum anti-tumour activity. I. Protective effect on the growth of two syngeneic tumours.

The protective effect of C. parvum against two different tumours - a lymphosarcoma and a mammary carcinoma - has been demonstrated. In the case of lymphosarcoma, a significant protective effect was obtained when both C. parvum and tumor cells were injected IV. In contrast in C3H mice the best protection was obtained when both C. parvum and mammary carcinoma cells were injected IP. Thus both C. parvum and tumour cells must be inoculated by the same route which, however, varies for different tumours. A very small dose of C. parvum still inhibited the growth of the two tumours. Splenectomy performed before C. parvum treatment did not interfere with the anti-tumour activity of C. parvum on the tumours. However, when splenectomy was performed after  C. parvum injection, the protective ffect of C. parvum still persisted against XVII lymphosarcoma but not against C3H carcinoma.


Chemotherapy of psoriasis: ten years of experience.

The hunt for an effective, easier to administer, more acceptable therapeutic modality for extensive chronic psoriasis continues. The chemotherapy of psoriasis is reviewed in 246 patients from 1964 to 1974 treated with methotrexate, 92 patients from 1971 to 1974 with hydroxyurea, and 36 patients from 1972 to 1974 with azaribine. Currently, the available chemotherapy agents are the least palatable and desirable form of treatment. Methotrexate continues to be the most predictable, effective and least expensive. The use of photochemotherapy may prove to be more effective, less toxic, and more practical until a more specific and effective etiologically directed form of therapy becomes available.


Juvenile retinal detachment.

We feel that the management of juvenile retinal detachment can best be improved by earlier diagnosis. School vision-screening tests should be encouraged, and long-term followup of patients with high myopia, aphakia, and retrolental fibroplasia should be practiced. The peripheral retina should be examined in all traumatized eyes since delayed detachment is the rule. When retinal breaks are found in high-risk eyes, in our opinion, prophylactic treatment is indicated.


Stiffness and laxity of the knee--the contributions of the supporting structures. A quantitative in vitro study.

Thirty-five normal cadaver knees were tested manually in six positions of the knee using apparatus designed to measure the moment-rotation responses for both varus-valgus angulation and torsion of the tibia, as well as the force-displacement responses for anterior-posterior movement of the tibia. The responses of all knees to all modes of loading were non-linear, reflecting increasing stiffness. With the knee at full extension, stiffness was maximum and laxity was minimum. Hence, it was in this position that changes in stability (laxity and stiffness) were best demonstrated when ligament structures were sectioned. Differences in laxity were observed between right and left knees of intact paired specimens. Torsional laxity and internal rotation stiffness were most affected by sectioning the medial collateral ligament, while external rotation stiffness was only affected by division of both the lateral collateral ligament and the posterior capsule. Varus-valgus laxity was relatively unaffected by removal of the menisci or section of the cruciate ligaments but increased greatly when either collateral ligament was cut. The medial collateral ligament was the main contributor to valgus stiffness, whereas the lateral collateral ligament had no measurable effect on varus stiffness. Anterior-posterior stability was affected to some extent by virtually every sectioning procedure. Isolated section of the anterior cruciate ligament produced the greatest increase in anterior-posterior laxity at full extension and section of the posterior cruciate, the greatest increase at 90 degrees of flexion. Large increases in anterior-posterior laxity were also observed when the medial collateral ligament and posterior capsule were sectioned in combination.


Mechanical changes in the knee after meniscectomy.

A compression testing machine was used to transmit increasing loads at various strain rates across twelve canine and twelve human cadaver knees. The specimens were originally evaluated with both menisci intact and the same tests were repeated with one meniscus removed and then with both menisci removed. This investigation showed that the menisci perform a load-transmitting and energy-absorbing function in the knee joint. The stress acting across the joint increased significantly after meniscectomy. The intact meniscus was deformed during compressive loading rather than being passively pushed away, thus demonstrating the presence of hoop stresses within the meniscus.


Column switching techniques in the liquid chromatographic analysis of organochlorine pesticides in milk.

A system is described for the analysis of organochlorine pesticides in milk by high-performance liquid chromatography. Sample clean-up, separation of pesticides from milk fat and quantification of both fat and pesticides are carried out on-column using column switching and backflushing techniques. The combination of liquid chromatography with electron-capture detection results in a detection limit of approximately 0.1 ppm pesticide in milk fat.


An alternative method for inactivating heteroagglutinins in human sera applicable to rubella haemagglutination inhibition testing at low dilutions.

Serum agglutinins of chick and pigeon cells are predominantly immunoglobulin M and can be inactivated by 2 mercaptoethanol. 2 Mercaptoethanol is more effective than strong suspensions of red cells in removing the agglutinins of indicator cells from sera being prepared for HAI tests. In rubella HAI tests from a dilution of 1 to 10 dilute 2 mercaptoethanol offer a convenient method of removing agglutinins, and, at higher concentration, allow dilutions of sera from 1 in 2-5 to be tested without significant interference by heteroagglutinins. HAI titres are comparable when red cell absorbed and 2 mercaptoethanol treated sera are tested in parallel.


Safety and efficacy of "Alice" influenza virus vaccine in normal healthy adults.

A live influenza virus candidate vaccine, "Alice" strain, was evaluated in normal healthy adults. It proved to be safe, with minimal clinical reactions. Thirteen of 21 volunteers (61.9%) with pre-existing titers of hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody of less than or equal to 1:4 and three of nine (33.3%) with initial titers of 1:8-1:16 had four-fold increases in titers of serum antibody. A second dose of vaccine did not increase the frequency or the magnitude of the serum antibody response. Nasal neutralizing antibody responses occurred in six of 18 subjects tested (38.8%). The vaccine virus appeared to produce its effect by replication since vaccine virus was recovered from six of 17 subjects (35%), administration of a vaccine inactivated by ultraviolet irradiation did not produce a response, a 1:10 dilution of virus infected two of five subjects, and a 1:100 dilution infected none of six subjects. The virus was not transmitted to the antibody-negative controls who were confined with infected volunteers. Challenge of 20 volunteers and 26 control subjects with wild-type influenza A/Udorn/307/72 (H3N2) virus revealed a significant reduction in the frequency of infection and illness among subjects who responded to "Alice" vaccine compared with the frequency among unvaccinated controls.


Evidence for lipid synthesis by the dihydroxyacetone phosphate pathway in rabbit lung subcellular fractions.

Lipid synthesis by the lung requires a 3-carbon skeleton that can be provided by sn-glycerol-3-phosphate derived from glycolysis. This study investigated whether acylation of dihydroxyacetone-phosphate can serve as an alternate pathway for lung lipid synthesis. Rabbit lung microsomal and mitochondrial fractions were incubated with radiolabelled sn-glycerol-3-P and/or dihydroxyacetone-P. Palmitoyl CoA was used as acyl donor. The lipid fraction was subsequently isolated and radioactive incorporation was determined. Glycerol-3-P and dihydroxyacetone-P were both incorporated into the lipid fraction when each substrate was present alone. During incubation in the presence of equimolar concentrations of both substrates dihydroxyacetone-P accounted for 41 per cent of the total incorporation. These results show that acylation of dihydroxyacetone phosphate is a potential alternate to the glycerol-3-phosphate pathway for lung lipid synthesis.


Effect of phloretin on the permeability of thin lipid membranes.

Phloretin dramatically increases cation conductances and decreases anion conductances of membranes treated with ion carriers (nonactin, valinomycin, carbonyl-cyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone [CCCP], and Hg(C6F5)2) or lipophilic ions (tetraphenylarsonium [tphAs+] and tetraphenylborate [TPhB-]). For example, on phosphatidylethanolamine membranes, 10(-4) M phloretin increases K+ -nonactin and TPhAs+ conductances and decreases CCCP- and TPhB- conductances 10(3)-fold; on lecithin: cholesterol membranes, it increases K+-nonactin conductance 10(5)-fold and decreases CCCP- conductance 10(3)-fold. Similar effects are obtained with p- and m-nitrophenol at 10(-2) M. These effects are produced by the un-ionized form of phloretin and the nitrophenols. We believe that phloretin, which possesses a large dipole moment, adsorbs and orients at the membrane surface to introduce a dipole potential of opposite polarity to the preexisting positive one, thus increasing the partition coefficient of cations into the membrane interior and decreasing the partition coefficient of anions. (Phloretin may also increase the fluidity of cholesterol-containing membranes; this is manifested by its two- to three-fold increase in nonelectrolyte permeability and its asymmetrical effect on cation and anion conductances in cholesterol-containing membranes.) It is possible that pholoretin's inhibition of chloride, urea, and glucose transport in biological membranes results from the effects of these intense intrafacial dipole fields on the translocator(s) of these molecules.