Humoral immunostimulation. VI. Increased calcium uptake by cells treated with antibody and complement.

When L cells were treated with anti-L cell antibody in medium depleted of complement, rapid increases in calcium uptake were obtained over a wide range of antiserum concentrations. Concomitant cell growth and viability studies demonstrated that stimulation of cell growth occurred at higher dilutions of antiserum whereas cytotoxicity occurred at lower dilutions. The stimulatory and toxic effects of antibody on cell growth were potentiated by complement as was the enhancement in calcium uptake. Sera deficient in C1R, C2,4D, C4, C3-C9 did not increase the calcium uptake response to antibody whereas augmentation did occur with C6-deficient serum. A specific role for complement was further indicated by the ability of purified complement components to restore the response to complement in complement-deficient sera. C3 with C3-C9 deficient serum, but not C2, C5, and C6 with C3-C9 deficient serum restored augmentation effects. Taken together with the results of previous studies it is apparent that complement augments both calcium and nucleoside uptake and that the effect is primarily via the classical complement pathway through C3. Substrate saturation studies demonstrated that antibody activated the facilitated diffusion of calcium altering the Vmax but not the Km of transport whereas addition of complement altered both the Vmax and Km. These findings suggest that one of the early effects of enhancing antibody upon tumor cell metabolism in vitro is to stimulate uptake of calcium. In view of the suspected role of Ca++ in cell proliferation the increase in cell-associated calcium may be important in the subsequent proliferative response.


The primary structure of porcine C3a anaphylatoxin.

Porcine C3a was generated in whole porcine serum by inulin activation of enzymes of the alternative complement pathway. The C3a anaphylatoxin was isolated according to the procedures previously described by Hugli. The complete amino acid sequence for porcine C3a was determined utilizing automatic sequencing techniques in addition to manual subtractive Edman degradation and carboxypeptidase A, B, or Y digestion of isolated peptides. Porcine C3a is composed of a polypeptide chain containing 77 amino acid residues and has a m.w. of approximately 9,000 daltons. This C3a molecule is devoid of threonine, tryptophan, and carbohydrates. The proposed primary structure for porcine C3a is as follows: (see article) Comparisons between the amino acid sequences of human and porcine C3a reveal that the six half-cystinyl and five aromatic residue positions are conserved. Conservation of these six half-cystinyl residue positions suggest that the disulfide arrangement remains identical in both anaphylatoxin molecules. Maintenance of three interconnected disulfide linkages helps to explain a near identity between the secondary structures of human and porcine C3a as indicated by circular dichroism measurements. Particular attention was focused on the COOH-terminal region of the anaphylatoxins since an arginyl residue at position 77 is functionally essential in both human and porcine C3a. Five residue positions at the carboxy termini were conserved in both C3a molecules, and the sequence Leu-Gly-Leu-Ala-Arg probably relates directly to anaphylatoxin activity. A total of 23 residue replacements occur between human and porcine C3a which accounts for a 30% difference in primary structure. Although the C3a molecules exhibit identical biologic activity, this rather large structural difference readily explains the absence of a detectable immunologic cross-reactivity.


Production and characterisation of antisera to diphenylhydantoin suitable for radioimmunoassay.

The effect of carrier protein, nature of hapten-carrier bridge, and density of hapten substitution on the immunogenicity of diphenylhydantoin (DPH) derivatives in rabbits is described. DPH-3-valerate-bovine serum albumin (BSA) with a hapten: protein ratio of 27: 1 yields antisera of high titre and specificity for DPH. An antiserum to DPH-valerate-BSA was employed to develop a rapid, sensitive, one stage double antibody radioimmunoassay suitable for clinical application to serum, saliva, and urine samples. The assay, using 14C-DPH as tracer, is accurate and precise over the range 0.5--50 mug DPH per ml. Results by radioimmunoassay correlate closely with those obtained by gas-liquid chromatography (r = 0.97).


An evaluation of an assay for DNA synthesis in lymphocytes with [3H]thymidine and harvesting on to glass fibre filter discs.

Different grades of glass fibre filter paper have been compared for harvesting cells labelled with tritium using a semi-automatic harvester. Grade GF/C (Whatman Ltd) was selected for routine use although GF/B was found to be useful for whole blood cultures. The factors affecting the choice of thymidine concentration and activity are discussed and 1 mjCi or [3H]thymidine (5 Ci/mMol)/0.2 ml culture is shown to give a linear relationship with total DNA synthesis for up to 22 h.


Marihuana-induced antibody response.

Utilizing an indirect Coombs' technique, humoral antibodies to marihuana and its major components were found in 34 subjects with known marihuana exposure. Similar antibodies were absent in the sera of a control population of 34 subjects with no known marihuana exposure. The specificity of the antibodies was confirmed by differential absorption studies in six seropositive subjects. Routine laboratory tests were abnormal in 22 of 34 seropositive subjects and in 9 of 34 control subjects. The relationship of seropositivity to abnormal laboratory tests is not certain.


Interference by 2, 3-dimercapto-1-propanol (BAL) in angiotensin I radioimmunoassay.

The angiotensinase inhibitor 2,3-dimercaptopropanol (BAL) interferes with peptide-antibody binding when certain sensitive antisera are used in angiotensin I radioimmunoassay systems. Three of nine antisera tested showed sufficient interference to produce serious errors in data obtained using these antisera together with BAL. For PRA determinations in human plasma, at both pH 5.7 and pH 7.3, relationships between different PRA'S are altered, and results of renin stimulation tests are changed in unpredictable ways. Determination of renin concentration in rat plasma does not require use of BAL as inhibitor, and it is best avoided. For human plasma renin determinations, use of BAL-sensitive antisera should be avoided, since there is no satisfactory way to correct data for the resulting error. BAL itself, rather than its oxidation products, is probably the interfering substance. The interference appears to be due to an interaction between BAL and the BAL-sensitive antiserum. It is not related to the known actions of BAL as chelating or reducing agent.


Studies on platelet plasma membranes. II. Characterization of surface proteins of rabbit platelets in vitro and during circulation in vivo using diazotized (125i)-diiodosulfanilic acid as a label.

Diazotized (125I)-diiodosulfanilic acid (DD125ISA) binds specifically to the exposed proteins on the surface of the rabbit platelet plasma membrane. This was demonstrated by the following observations with the use of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of whole platelets and the isolated plasma membrane fraction: (1) the specific activity of isolated membrane protein was sevenfold that of whole platelet protein, (2) no proteins of intact platelets were labeled which were not represented in the isolated plasma membrane, (3) DD125ISA-labeled proteins were altered by trypsin treatment of intact, labeled platelets, and (4) the pattern of labeling produced by reaction of isolated membranes with DD125ISA differed from that produced by the labeling of intact platelets. Reaction of DD125ISA with intact platelets produced labeling of only the three membrane glycoproteins (molecular weights: 180,000, 125,000, and 92,000 daltons) with greatest labeling of the largest glycoprotein and least labeling of the smallest glycoprotein. When rabbit platelets were labeled simultaneously with DD125ISA and 51Cr, the two isotopes were similarly distributed in various density populations of platelets. Some DD125ISA was solubilized from labeled and washed platelets by sonication, but all platelet DD125ISA was recovered in the plasma membrane fraction after 30 minutes' circulation in vivo. In vivo 51Cr recovery and survival were not altered by simultaneous labeling of platelets with DD125ISA. The disappearance of DD125ISA from circulating platelets (T 1/2 = 17 hours) was more rapid than 51Cr (T 1/2 = 30 hours) and appeared exponential in contrast to the linear 51Cr disappearance. On the other hand, DD125ISA did not disappear from platelets faster than 51Cr when doubly labeled platelets were harvested after 3 hours' circulation and incubated in autologous plasma (T 1/2 of DD125ISA elution = 43 hours, 51Cr = 33 hours). SDS-PAGE analysis of DD125ISA-labeled platelets after 14 to 20 hours' circulation in vivo demonstrated the same pattern of DD125ISA distribution on membrane glycoproteins as on the platelets prior to infusion. We interpret this symmetrical loss of the membrane label to indicate symmetrical loss of membrane proteins, suggesting that the platelet may lose pieces of membrane and not specific surface proteins during circulation. This could occur during reversible adhesion encounters during the process of hemostasis and cause the smaller size and decreased effectiveness of older platelets.


Sarcoidosis with salivary gland involvement: biochemical studies on parotid saliva.

Parotid saliva from a patient suffering from sarcoidosis with salivary gland involvement has been shown to have a decreased level of alpha-amylase but increased levels of albumin and lysozyme. These observations suggest that in addition to impaired gland function, gland damage as a result of inflammation had occurred which permitted increased passage of constituents from serum into the gland secretion.


Halofenate: a potent inhibitor of normal and hypersensitive platelets.

Platelet hypersensitivity has been documented in diabetes and angina pectoris and can be partially reversed in hyperbetalipoproteinemia by clofibrate. We therefore examined the effects of incubating another lipid-lowering agent, halofenate, with both normal platelets and platelets made hypersensitive in vitro by incorporation of 55 per cent excess cholesterol into their membranes. At therapeutic concentrations, halofenate caused a time- and dose-dependent inhibition of the aggregation of normal platelets by epinephrine. After 30 minutes' incubation at 37 degrees C., halofenate significantly inhibited the extent of aggregation by 88 per cent (p less than 0.01), whereas clofibrate inhibited aggregation by 44 per cent (p less than 0.01). Halofenate was a more potent inhibitor of platelets than clofibrate (p less than 0.01). The mean threshold concentration of epinephrine necessary for aggregation of normal platelets (4.2 muM) was not significatnly increased with clofibrate (10 muM) but was markedly elevated with halofenate (245 muM; p less than 0.001). Significant but less dramatic increases in threshold concentration of ADP and collagen were found with halofenate but no clofibrate. Cholesterol-rich platelets were 114-fold more sensitive to epinephrine and twofold more sensitive to ADP than normal platelets but after incubation with halofenate became even less sensitive than normal. Clofibrate inhibited the extent of aggregation of hypersensitive platelets but did not alter the threshold concentration of epinephrine necessary for aggregation. Thus, halofenate is more potent than clofibrate in reducing the sensitivity of normal platelets to aggregating agents in vitro and can completely reverse experimentally produced platelet hypersensitivity. These data suggest that halofenate might be useful in reversing increased platelet sensitivity in cardiovascular diseases.


Quantitation of maximal bactericidal capability in human neutrophils.

The quantitative capacity of normal human neutrophils to ingest and kill increasing multiples of bacteria up to a level of saturation was evaluated. The in vitro system, a modification of classic bactericidal assay, employed carefully controlled ratios of bacteria per neutrophil between 1.25 and 400:1 to stress neutrophil function. Morphologic examination and measurement of bacterial survival by quantitative plate culturing indicated that at a challenge of about 100 Staphylococcus aureus per neutrophil bactericidal activity reached its peak with each average cell killing 48 bacteria. The efficiency of bactericidal function fell as the challenge was increased while ingestion capabilities kept pace with the numbers of bacteria presented to the neutrophils. Various key test parameters were evaluated from which evolved a system which provides a highly reproducible, statistically based, method for clinical assessment of subtle or partial neutrophil dysfunctions which may escape detection by the currently employed techniques of bactericidal assay.


The removal of leukocytes and platelets from whole blood.

Various methods for the removal of leukocytes from whole blood have been compared and a new technique has been devised. This procedure consists of passing whole blood through a bed composed of microcrystalline cellulose and alpha-cellulose. The method is rapid, reliable, removes over 99.75 per cent of the leukocytes from blood, and does not seem selectively to retain reticulocytes or to release a significant proportion of leukocyte enzymes. Most of the platelets are also removed from anticoagulated blood, and platelet-free red cells can be obtained by passing defibrinated blood over the microcrystalline cellulose-alpha-cellulose bed.


Lipid, glucose, and insulin interrelationships in normal, prediabetic, and chemical diabetic subjects.

Fasting levels of plasma cholersterol and triglyceride, lipoprotein patterns, and fasting and postintravenous glucose levels of blood glucose, serum insulin, serum growth hormone, and plasma free fatty acids in a genetic potential diabetic population were compared to those in a similar normal control population. THe potential diabetic population was further divided into groups of patients with a normal (prediabetic) or abnormal (chemical diabetic) glucose tolerance test. Although no clear-cut lipid differences were noted, certain trends appeared. More type IV hyperlipoproteinemia was seen in male prediabetic (21%) and male chemical diabetic patients (19%) than in normal male subjects (5%); in female subjects only a few type IV patterns were seen. Type II hyperlipoproteinemia was not seen in any normal subject, but was noted in nearly 9% of those with chemical diabetes. Fasting cholesterol levels correlated better with age than did fasting triglyceride levels in most of the patient groups. Fasting triglyceride levels showed a significant positive correlation with the serum insulin area of the oral glucose tolerance test in the normals wna prediabetic persons, and also showed a significant positive correlation with the blood glucose area of the prediabetic and chemical diabetic patients. It is suggested that a normal relationship between triglyceride concentration and insulin response to glucose is lost in chemical diabetes. Sex differences were also noted in the inslin response and the insulin-glucose relationships during the oral glucose tolerance test, with normal menstruation women showing a significantly lower insulin-glucose relationship than the age-related men.


The effect of age on plasma proinsulin-like material after oral glucose.

The total plasma insulin and proinsulin-like material after oral glucose was studied in 68 lean subjects of varying ages with normal glucose tolerance tests. Although each subject had a normal test, the mean glucose levels increased with increasing age. When younger subjects (ages 15 to 44) were compared with older (45 to 74), no significant differences in total insulin responses were seen, but plasma proinsulin-like material was significantly higher in the older age subjects. All values after stimulation were significantly greater in subjects 45 to 74 years of age than in those 15 to 44  years of age (p less than 0.01). A significant correlation between the amount of proinsulin and the age of the subject was seen. These findings may reflect a decreased conversion of proinsulin to insulin in the aging pancreas or could reflect decreased clearance of proinsulin in older subjects.


Human vs. dog platelet adhesion to Cuprophane under controlled conditions of whole blood flow.

It is commonly assumed that a candidate biomaterial to which nonhuman (especially dog) platelets do not readily adhere is promising for human use. This assumption has been tested in a lucite chamber in which Cuprophane membrane (Bemberg PT-150), comprising one of the chamber surfaces, is exposed to citrated or heparinized flowing dog or human blood for 10 or 20 minutes and flowing buffer for 1 minute. Following exposure, membrane specimens are carefully removed, fixed in glutaraldehyde, and mounted on a slide. Platelets at a particular axial location are counted by phase-contrast microscopy (625 X). At a shear rate of 986 sec.-1 and at 10 minutes, platelets per square millimeter (mean +/- S.E.(N) in citrate were 28,400 +/- 5,000 (6), dog; 18 +/- 3.8 (4), human. Under the same conditions, platelets per squar millimeter in heparin were 32,600 +/- 8,400 (4), dog; 7.6 +/- 1.0 (3), human. A qualitatively similar species difference was found in citrate at one shear rate and at one other exposure time. Those observations suggest that evaluations of candidate human biomaterials carried out with dog (and perhaps other nonhuman) blood must be interpreted with caution.


Renal function in experimental cystic disease of the rat.

The administration of diphenylamine to rats induces an acquired form of cystic disease. In order to examine the early changes in this model of experimental cystic disease prior to the development of the more severe structural alterations, clearance, micropuncture, and morphologic studies were performed in rats fed DPA for 3 to 6 weeks. A significant defect in maximal urine concentrating ability (Umax) was manifest by the second week and averaged 50% of control values. Further studies were undertaken to examine the cause of the defect in Umax. Whole-kidney glomerular filtration rate (GFR), single-nephron GFR, end-proximal TF/Pinulin, glucose and bicarbonate reabsorption were all normal, indicating normal function of the proximal tubule. Free water clearance and free water reabsorption were not significantly different in DPA-treated rats as compared to controls, suggesting normal function of the ascending limb of the loop of Henle and collecting duct. Morphologic examination revealed gross cysts in less than 10% of the kidneys but structural changes were consistently demonstrated in the collecting ducts of DPA-treated rats. These studies indicate that the decrease in Umax in DPA-treated animals is the result of a defect located at the terminal portion of the collecting duct.


Platelets are not essential for the pulmonary vascular pressor response to hypoxia.

The literature suggests that platelets might help mediate the pulmonary vascular pressor response to hypoxia. This study evaluated the hypoxic response in thrombocytopenic dogs. Platet depletion was achieved in five dogs by the use of platelet antiserum. In the normoxic state these dogs had lower cardiac outputs and higher pulmonary and systemic vascular resistances than five control dogs. The pressor response to hypoxia in these dogs was not only preserved but considerably enhanced in comparison to the control dogs. Hypoxia increased the pulmonary vascular resistance 146 +/- 17% above its normoxic value in the thrombocytopenic dogs and 64 +/- 21% in the control dogs. Thus platelets may normally produce a dilator substance or inactivate a pressor substance during hypoxia. The mechanism of the effect is not apparent but it is clear tha the pulmonary pressor response to hypoxia in the dog is not mediated by platelets.


Selective diphenylhydantoin-induced suppression of lymphocyte reactivity in vitro.

Diphenylhydantoin (DPH) in concentrations approximating therapeutic blood levels was found to inhibit mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) proliferation as measured by uptake of 3H-thymidine when compared to alkaline diluent required to solubilize the DPH. Control cultures containing diluent alone manifested inhibition of 3H-thymidine uptake relative to non-diluent-containing cultures. Both reactor and stimulator cells were independently capable of effecting this inhibition after treatment with DPH. An inconsistent effect of DPH on lymphocyte reactivity to graded doses of phytohemagglutinin and to pokeweed mitogen was observed. A possible association between the effect of DPH on MLC reactivity and the phenomenon of dilantin-induced lymphadenopathy is suggested.


Hypercatabolism of the third component of complement in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

The possibliity that the disturbed immunity associated with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) includes abnormal metabolism of the complement system has been investigated by conducting simultaneous studies of the turnover of highly purified, hemolytically active, 125-i-labeled C3 (third component of complement) and 131i-albumin in seven control subjects and nine patients with PBC. Aliquots of each 125i-C3 preparation were injected, together with 131i-albumin, into one or two normal subjects and one to three patients with PBC and plasma and urine radioactivity data were analyzed. In all patients with PBC disappearance of 125i from plasma was much more rapid than in controls. In five of these patients no terminal monexponential decline of 125i occurred. The mean fractional catabolic rate (FCR) of C3 was higher in PBC (4.23 +/- 0.32 [S.E.M.] per cent IV pool per hour) than in controls (2.02 +/- 0.08% IV pool per hour, p less than 0.0005). In contrast, the mean FCR of albumin was similar in PBC (11.4 +/- 1.29 per cent IV pool per day) and controls (11.5 +/- 0.76 per cent IV pool per day), suggesting that the increased FCR of C3 in PBC was not due to a nonspecific process. There was no correlation between values for the FCR of C3 and indices of cholestasis. The mean synthetic rate of C3 was higher in PBC (2.94 +/- 0.48 MG. PER KILOGRAM PER HOUR) THAN IN CONTROls (1.03 +/- 0.11 mg. per kilogram per hour, p less than 0.0025). In five patients relatively more C3 was extravascular than in controls. The results are consistent with PBC being associated with chronic activation of the complement system and increased tissue attachement of C3, phenomena which could be related to a process of pathogenic significance in this disease.


Hemostatic alterations accompanying sickle cell pain crises.

Three patients with sickle-cell disease (SSD) were followed, weekly, for 1 1/2 to 2 years, during which time they experienced one or more episodes of crisis. Crisis was associated with reproducible sequential hemostatic alterations indicating intravascular fibrin formation and a marked disturbance in platelet economy. With crisis onset, or possibly before, there was an increase in plasma high-molecular-weight fibrinogen complexes and a transient fall in platelet count, with a subsequent rise in both fibrinogen concentration and platelet count; plasma fibrinogen peaked 1 week after crisis onset and platelet count approximately 2 weeks after onset. Subsidence of crisis was associated with a fall in high-molecular-weight fibrinogen complexes and a subsequent increase in fibrinogen first derivative, an early fibrinogen breakdown product. Hemostatic findings and patient clinical status were generally correlated, the findings during asymptomatic periods being essentially normal. Agents affecting platelet function (aspirin alone or in combination with dipyridamole) appeared to reduce the extent of laboratory abnormality, suggesting potential clinical usefulness in this disorder.


The in vitro effect of primaquine on red cell phospholipid metabolism.

Primaquine converts erythrocytes into osmotically fragile spherocytes. Since primaquine increased the rate of acylation of erythrocyte lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), it has been suggested that a deficiency of LPC is responsible for its hemolytic action. We have examined the validity of this hypothesis. In the absence of added lysophosphatides, primaquine slightly decreased the incorporation of albumin-bound palmitic acid-14C into phosphatidylcholine (PC) whereas that into phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was more depressed. When unbound dispersions of fatty acid were used, red cells exposed to primaquine manifested a slight increase in palmitic acid-14C incorporation into PC whereas that into PE remained decreased. In the presence of exogenous LPC, control cells increased their incorporation of bound palmitic acid-14C into PC while decreasing it into PE. In these same experiments, red cells incubated with primaquine demonstrated a much greater enhancement of LPC acylation than control cells. Lysophosphatidylethanolamine acylation, while depressed, was still slightly greater than that of cells incubated with drug alone. The concentration of LPC in control and primaquine-treated erythrocytes incubated with exogenous LPC was comparable and was approximately five times that of cells not incubated with LPC. The osmotic fragility of erythrocytes correlated poorly with their concentration of LPC. The effect of primaquine on the incorporation of bound palmitic acid into erythrocyte PC was influenced by exogenous LPC with the reaction markedly increased in its presence but slightly depressed in its absence. The proposal that the hemolytic action of primaquine is due to a decrease in red cell LPC is not supported by the data.


Plasma alpha-L-fucosidase: presence of a low activity variant in some normal individuals.

The expression of a variant alpha-L-fucosidase has been determined in both plasma and leukocytes. This variant enzyme is characterized by unusually tow actuvity in plasma, an altered pH activity profile, and increased heat lability. Individuals possessing this low activity variant in plasma have usual levels of alpha-L-fucosidase activity in leukocytes. The leukocyte enzyme also shows increased heat lability and has an altered pH activity profile. Gel filtration of plasma alpha-L-fucosidase revealed both a high molecular weight form, alpha-L-fucosidase I, and a low molecular weight form, alpha-L-fucosidase II. Only alpha-L-fucosidase II could be detected upon gel filtration of the variant enzyme from plasma. Both control and variant leukocyte alpha-L-fucosidase revealed two peaks by gel filtration but the proportion of alpha-L-fucosidase I was reduced in the variant enzyme sample. Alpha-L-fucosidase II from both control and variant plasma and leukocyte samples was heat labile and possessed little activity at pH 4.0 Alpha-L-fucosidase I from control plasma and leukocytes was more stable to heating and possessed more activity at pH 4.0 than alpha-L-fucosidase II. In contrast, alpha-L-fucosidase I from the variant leukocyte sample was heat labile and had little activity at pH 4.0 thus resembling alpha-L-fucosidase II. These results suggest that the variant is the consequence of an altered allele which affects alpha-L-fucosidase expression in all tissues.


Approaches to the standardization of serum unsaturated iron-binding capacity.

An important aspect in the development and use of serum unsaturated iron-binding capacity (UIBC) procedures is the standardization of reference serum. Spectrophotometric titration of serum transferrin is the oldest of the UIBC methods; however, the literature on this subject indicates that the technique is not being fully exploited and describes a variety of suboptimal conditions. A spectrophotometric titration protocol is described which gives excellent reproducibility with fresh, frozen, lyophilized, and stored serum samples. An indirect UIBC method utilizing differential chelation and ultrafiltration is also described. In this method Fe3+ -NTA (nitrilotriacetic acid), in excess of the anticipated UIBC, is added to a serum sample supplemented with NaHC03. The addition of EDTA (ethelenediaminetetraacetic acid) allows the mobilization of iron from nonspecific macromolecular sites. The ultrafiltrate is analyzed for iron, and the UIBC is calculated. The results were validated via an ultrafiltration titration which was compared with a spectrophotometric titration. The precision of this method is excellent.


A computer-based method for the quantification of leukocyte chemotaxis.

A computerized method for the counting of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN's) on chemotactic membranes is described. Through the use of an optical scanner-computer accurate objective quantification is obtained which is similar to the results generated by visual tabulation of the same membranes. Futhermore, the electronic quantification method is both less time consuming and highly reproducible.


Radioimmunoassay of human Hageman factor (factor XII).

A secific, sensitive, and reproducible radioimmunoassay for human Hageman factor (HF, factory XII) has been developed with purified human HF and monospecific rabbit antibody. Precise measurements of HF antigen were possible for concentrations as low as 0.1% of that in normal pooled plasma. A good correlation (correlation co-efficient = 0.82) existed between the titers of HF measured by clot-promoting assays and radioimmunoassays among 42 normal adults. Confirming earlier studies, HF antigen was absent in Hageman trait plasma, but other congenital deficient plasmas, including those of individuals with Fletcher trait and Fitzgerald trait, contained normal amounts of HF antigen. HF antigen was reduced in the plasmas of patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation or advanced liver cirrhosis, but it was normal in those of patients with chronic renal failure or patients under treatment with warfarin. HF antigen was detected by this assay in plasmas of primates, but not detectable in plasmas of 11 nonprimate mammalian and one avian species.


Estimation of galactose-1-phosphate in blood spotted on filter paper.

A method is described for the enzymic estimation of galactose-1-phosphate (Gal-1-P) in blood which has been applied to filter paper and allowed to dry. The successful clinical management of patients with galactosemia depends upon exclusion of galactose from their diet. Earlier studies demonstrated that red cell Gal-1-P is a sensitive indicator of exposure of such patients to galactose. These earlier methods, however, required venipuncture, preparation of washed, packed red cells, and shipment of the sample in dry ice to a central laboratory. With the present method, capillary blood can be drawn by a nonphysician, applied to filter paper and mailed in a conventional envelope at ambient temperature. From this sample, the Gal-1-P content of the red cells can be determined, if the hematocrit is known. These conveniences should allow estimates of Gal-1-P at a frequency more appropirate for optimal dietary control.


A simple, rapid, efficient method for the preparation of gamma 32P-labeled guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

A simplified new method for synthesis fo gamma 32P GTP and gamma 32P ATP is described. Radiophosphorus is incorporated into GDP and ADP to form GTP and ATP, respectively, in the phosphoglycerate kinase reaction. The product is separated by ion exchange resin chromatography. The procedure is simple, gives a product a high purity, and the label is confined to the gamma position.


A multiple-electrode array for a cochlear implant.

A satisfactory multiple-electrode array for a cochlear implant has been developed. This can be passed around the turns of the cochlea if it is first introduced into the scala tympani through an opening in the apical turn.


X-ray video-tape studies of laryngectomized patients.

The voices of forty-one laryngectomized patients were studied by X-ray video-tape. Three-quarters had good and one-quarter poor voices. A high-seated and short pseudoglottis affords the best results. The causes of the poor voices are discussed.


Hereditary progressive sensorineural deafness.

Progressive sensorineural hearing losses found in seven members of three families are presented. Genetic transmission patterns in the study appeared to be autosomal dominant in two families and recessive in one family. The common audiological features of these cases include bilaterally symmetrical audiometric configuration and fairly good speech discrimination. The hearing losses of most of the cases appeared to begin at high frequencies progressing later to involve lower frequencies. The main histopathological changes in the temporal bones of one of the cases were degeneration of the organ of Corti and of the spiral ganglion in the lower cochlear coils and cystic degeneration of the stria vascularis in the upper coils.


Pleomorphic  rhabdomyosarcoma of the larynx. A case report and review of the literature.

A case of pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma of the larynx occurring in a 33-year-old male is reported. The clinical and histopathological aspects of this undoubtedly rare neoplasm are described. After a quick review of the most important classifications of rhabdomyosarcoma so far made, the authors suggest a division into two basic groups, i.e. pleomorphic and fetal rhabdomyosarcoma, while the botryoid sarcoma and the alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma should be considered only as two subgroups of fetal rhabdomyosarcoma. From a comprehensive review of world literature on the subject, the well-documented cases up to now described are only seven, including the authors. The present case is the third one after the instances of pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma reported by Filipo and Crifo (1964 and by Rodriquez and Ziskind (1970).


Gelfilm and blowout fractures.

A variety of alloplastic and natural substances have been utilized for support of the orbital floor following a blowout fracture. The employment of Gelfilm is herein recommended for the smaller floor defects. Sterile Gelfilm is manufactured from denaturated collagen, is 0.075 mm. thick, and is known to be tolerated well by ocular tissues. Complete absorbsion of Gelfilm occurs in two to three months, obviating the need for removal of a prosthetic material or the lifetime presence of an alloplast in the orbit. In contrast to autografts no additional surgery is required for its preocurement.


The natural history of chronic otitis media.

A retrospective study was made of 200 chronic otitis media patients. Simple chronic otitis media was observed in 76 per cent of cases; the rest were associated with cholesteatoma. In about one third of the patients, the contralateral ear showed some inflammatory middle ear disease as well. The average time lapse between initial symptoms and hospitalization was about 10 years. The events leading to the tympanic perforation were difficult to ascertain, but included probably acute otitis media, possibly external otitis, trauma, and a rather large group (35-40 per cent) of insidious 'essential perforations'. The aetiology of the 'essential perforations' is so far not known, but might be non-inflammatory in nature but related to insufficient middle ear aeration and hypo-pneumatization as well as to what is termed atelectatic ears. The bacteria isolated from chronic otitis media ears (usually gram negative bacteria and staphylococcus aureus) are usually not the types of micro-organisms found in association with any primary or acute otitis media. It is proposed that the bacterial infection encountered in what is termed 'chronic otitis media' is often a secondary infection of a primary perforated tympanic membrane, the perforation originating or persisting in underventilated ears, and having arisen from various causes--some of them as yet unknown.


Dacryocystantrostomy. A preliminary report.

A new operative technique is described in which the lacrimal sac is drained into the maxillary sinus. The advantages of the procedure, especially of avoiding a facial incision, are emphasized. Five patients suffering from long-standing epiphora underwent surgery. Two patients had chronic dacryocystitis. Two other patients presented with a mucocele of the lacrimal sac. In the fifth patient, there was obstruction in the nasolacrimal duct. Short term follow-up results suggest its usefulness as a first line of surgical treatment in cases of epiphora due to obstruction in the lacrimal sac or the naso-lacrimal duct.


Improvement of recalcitrant psoriasis vulgaris after tonsillectomy.

To study the effect of tonsillectomy as a possible part of the treatment of infection-released, relapsing and recalcitrant (to topical therapy and courses of penicillin) psoriasis vulgaris in children and adolescents and to test a possible correlation between tonsillitis and exacerbations of psoriasis vulgaris, a retrospective study (charts and questionnaires) of the course of psoriasis after tonsillectomy was undertaken in 74 patients with such psoriasis. Each patient served as his own control. At tonsillectomy the average age of patients and the duration of psoriasis were 14-2 years and 4-5 years, respectively, while the average follow-up period was 4-5 years. The clearing of psoriasis vulgaris was stastically significant, p less than 0-01, as 1/3 of the patients obtained clearing of psoriasis throughout the entire follow-up period, while an additional 1/3 noticed considerable improvement of their psoriasis. After having tried both topical therapy of various sorts and courses of penicillin, tonsillectomy might be taken into consideration in relapsing, recalcitrant psoriasis vulgaris in children and adolescents.


Positive 'fistula sign' with intact ear-drum in a patient with eosinophil granuloma of the mastoid.

A case is presented of a positive 'fistula sign' in a patient with an intact ear-drum and no history of previous ear-disease. The cause proved to be an eosinophil granuloma of the temporal bone which responded well to radiotherapy.


Sensorineural deafness due to compression chamber noise.

A case of unilateral sensorineural deafness following exposure to compression chamber noise is described. A review of the current literature concerning the otological hazards of compression chambers is made. The possible pathological basis is discussed.


Cervicoauricular fistula.

(I) A rare case of cervicoauricular fistula with a review of available literature has been presented. (2) The cephalic end of a fistulous tract showing elevations and depressions probably represents the duplication of tubercles taking part in the formation of external ear.


Regulation by the H-2 gene complex of macrophage-lymphoid cell interactions in secondary antibody responses in vitro.

The ability of antigen-bearing syngeneic and allogeneic peptone-induced peritoneal exudate macrophages to support development of primary and secondary antibody responses by murine lymphoid or spleen cells in vitro has been investigated. The antigen used was the terpolymer of L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT). Syngeneic and allogeneic macrophages supported development of comparable primary antibody responses to GAT, indicating that genetic restrictions do not limit efficient macrophage-lymphocyte interactions in primary responses. By contrast, immunized spleen or lymphoid cells developed secondary antibody responses preferentially when stimulated in vitro with GAT on macrophages syngeneic to the macrophages used to present GAT during in vivo immunization. Thus, genetic restrictions regulate efficient macrophage-lymphocyte interactions in secondary antibody responses. These restrictions have been demonstrated from 2 to 8 wk after a single immunization with limiting quantities of GAT and are controlled by the H-2 gene complex. The implications that immune lymphocytes selectively recognize and respond to antigen presented in the context of the macrophage membrane-antigen complex which sensitized the lymphocytes initially are considered.


Association of serum hemolytic complement levels with the major histocompatibility complex in chickens.

The total hemolytic complement (C) levels in inbred line 7 chicks and adults were lower than C levels in inbred lines 2 and 3 and in outbred chickens of the same age. In all birds, adult levels of C were obtained in 5- to 6-wk-old chickens. Analysis of F1 and F3 generations clearly showed that the C level in chickens was determined by a dominant gene(s) associated with the major histocompatibility complex. Finding this association in a nonmammal strengthens the importance of the relationship between closely linked genes controlling histocompatibility, immune responsiveness, mixed leukocyte reaction, and C activity.


The synthesis and secretion of immunoglobulins by lymphoid cells in the sheep. The primary response to salmonella lipopolysaccharide.

The primary response of the popliteal node to Salmonella lipopolysaccharide was studied in the sheep. All three classes of immunoglobulin IgG1, igG2, and IgM were produced by both free-floating cells in the lymph and by cells within the pymph node throughout the immune responce which extended over a period of at least 20 days.. Most of the immunoglobulins were found to be nonspecific for the antigen when tested by a binding assay. It was calculated from the binding assay that far more antigen-specific IgG molecules were produced than IgM molecules. The proportion of IgM and IgG1 which showed affinity for Salmonella organisms increased throughout the response. IgG2 had no affinity for the antigen until around 480 h after challenge. When a hemagglutination assay was used to measure antibody production, most of the specific antibody produced during the response was found to be IgM. Blast cells produced most of the immunoglobulin during the first 4 days of the response, and these cells were responsible for almost all of the IgM production. Differences were observed in the relative amounts of IgG and IgM produced by the cells within the node and by free-floating cells in the efferent lymph. The free-floating cells in lymph synthesized and secreted relatively more IgM and relatively less IgG than did cells within the lymph node. Both populations of cells, however, secreted much more IgG than IgM.


Lymphocyte homing into lymph nodes: in vitro demonstration of the selective affinity of recirculating lymphocytes for high-endothelial venules.

An in vitro model is described for studying the interaction between lymphocytes and high-endothelial venules (HEV) of lymph nodes. Rat or mouse lymphocytes which were layered over fixed sections of syngeneic lymph nodes adhered selectively to the endothelium of HEV but did not bind to other vascular endothelia. Evidence is presented that adherence to HEV in vitro is a property of recirculating lymphocytes and not a characteristic of cells which are unable to home into lymph nodes in vivo.


Total plasma porphyrins in renal disease.

Thirty patients suffering from chronic kidney disease were examined for urinary, fecal and total plasma porphyrins. Twenty patients had nitrogen retention whereas the remaining ten patients displayed normal values. Urinary coproporphyrin excretion and total plasma porphyrin levels were comparatively less pronounced in patients with nitrogen retention. Such changes in porphyrin metabolism could be explained by a diminished capacity for kidney excretion. It is concluded that the total amount of porphyrins synthesized in the body is decreased as a result of nitrogen retention.


Evaluation of the Abbott Bichromatic Analyzer 100 (A proposal for an evaluation scheme).

This report summarizes a one year evaluation of Abbott's ABA 100, with respect to mechanical parts (syringe plates, precision and linearity of photometry, band width of several filters, multicuvet precision, temperature control) and the reliability of several methods (endpoint procedures: determination of the glucose concentration with hexokinase- and the glucose dehydrogenase method, and of the protein concentration; enzyme activities: alanine and aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, alkaline phosphatase). The critical batch size was estimated as an indicator of economy (about 40 samples per day for the glucose concentration). Various aspects of the instrument are discussed with respect to its use in clinical chemistry.


[Further characterisation of trypsin inhibitors in the polychaet Sabellastarte indica (Savigny), II (author's transl)].

In this paper we discribe a method for the isolation of trypsin inhibitors from the tentacles of the annelid Sabellastarte indica Savigny. These inhibitors - now homogeneous in their molecular weight - can be characterised by sodium dodecylsulfate-acrylamide gel-electrophoresis, in their inhibitory activity towards trypsin, plasmin and chymotrypsin. The inhibitors from Sabellastarte indica possess a stoichiometric binding relation of 2:1 for trypsin, lysine being the amino-acid in the reactive centre of the inhibitor responsible for interaction with trypsin. The reactive centre for trypsin is not identical with the reactive centre which binds chymotrypsin and does not influence the binding of chymotrypsin. These newly described inhibitors are therefore multiheaded, a type not previously described for invertebrates.


[Calculation of radioimmunochemical determinations by "spline approximation" (author's transl)].

A simplified method, based on the "spline approximation", is reported for the calculation of the standard curves of radioimmunochemical determinations. It is possible to manipulate the mathematical function with a pocket calculator, thus making it available for a large number of users. It was shown that, in contrast to the usual procedures, it is possible to achieve optimal quality control in the preparation of the standard curves and in the interpolation of unknown plasma samples. The recaluculation of interpolated values from their own standard curve revealed an error of 4.9% which would normally be an error of interpolation. The new method was compared with two established methods for 8 different radioimmunochemical determinations. The measured values of the standard curve showed a weighting, and there was a resulting quality control of these values, which, according to their statistical evalution, were more accurate than those of the others models (Ekins et al., Yalow et al., (1968), in: Radioisotopes in Medicine: in vitro studies (Hayes, R. L., Goswitz, F.A. & Murphy, B. E. P., eds) USA EC, Oak Ridge) and Rodbard et al. (1971), in: Competitive protein Binding Assys(Odell, W. D. & Danghedy, W. H., eds.) Lipincott, Philadelphia and Toronto). In contrast with these other models, the described method makes no mathematical or kinetic preconditions with respect to the dose-response relationship. To achieve optimal reaction conditions, experimentally determined reaction data are preferable to model theories.


[Kinetic determination of urea with the LKB system (author's transl)].

The kinetic determination of urea based on the urea/glutamate dehydrogenase method was adapted for the LKB Reaction Rate Analyzer System 8600. A ratio of sample to reagent volume of 1:50 ensures linearity up to 33.3 mmol/l with a day to day precision of 5%. Parallel studies with the urease/glutamate dehydrogenase method were performed with the CentrifiChem System and with the manual Berthelot/Salicylate method.


Cooperative study on the radioimmunological thyrotropin determination (hTSH) in serum (author's transl).

This paper deals with a cooperative survey on the radioimmunoassay of thyrotropin in human serum, which was organized by the Thyroid Group of the German Society for Endocrinology. Eighteen serum specimens were to be measured in triplicates. Among the latter were 10 specimens of a hTSH standard curve, prepared in low hTSH serum, which contained approximately 1 mU/l. One of these pool sera was divided in half, and one half was enriched with 10 kU/l human chorionic gonadotropin to test for cross reactivity. One specimen las for the measurement of the non-specific binding. The count rates and the dose levels of the standard curve of each participating laboratory (N = 32), normally performed in albumin-buffer, and the count rates of the 18 unknowns were requested as results. THE CALCULATION OF THE STANDARD CURVES AND THE RECOVERy curves, the evaluation of the unknowns and the statistics were performed by spline functions, using a 48 kb FORTRAN-program on a Siemens 404/3 computer. The results demonstrated that the interlaboratory precision of 128% and the recovery rates between 50 and 926% are very unsatisfactory. However, the coefficient of variation was lowered to 31%, when the controls were read from the recovery curves, as included in the samples. In addition to this improvement of the interlaboratory precision and of the accuracy, this study showed, that the sensitivity was markedly improved by using delayed addition of tracer.


Automated amino acid analysis with sensitive fluorescence detection.

The fluorigenic o-phthalaldehyde-mercaptoethanol reagent gives good reproducibility with a very stable baseline when applied to the automated analysis of amino acids at the nanomole level. Determination of even smaller quantities is possible; basic amino acids are then preferably eluted separately at constant pH (for example pH 6.0); this eliminates the baseline irregularities that occur with single column systems at high sensitivity settings. The reagent gives excellent results in the assay of small quantities of biological fluids such as blood plasma.


[Action of the "Ca-ionophore" X-537A on the electrolyte content and metabolism of Yoshida ascites tumour cells: a model for the analysis of Mg deficiency (author's transl)].

X-537A, an ionophore for divalent cations, causes a rapid replacement of extracellular Na+ by intracellular K+ in Yoshida ascites tumour cells. The loss of K+ is prevented by high extracellular concentrations of K+. In incubation solutions containing Ca2+, the Ca2+ content of the tumour cells increases in the presence of X-537A, but the Mg2+ content is not affected. The intracellular level of cyclic AMP is also increased. In all the incubation media used, the presence of X-537A resulted in a decrease in biosynthesis in the order RNA greater than DNA greater than protein, at constant ATP concentration. The observed changes in the content of electrolytes and cyclic AMP, and on the metabolism of DNA, RNA and protein in Yoshida ascites tumour cells in response to X-537A, correspond to those observed during Mg deficiency in these cells. These changes are caused by changes in the intracellular concentrations of Ca2+ and/or K+.


[Determination of glucose with glucoseoxidase-UV, using hexokinase as the reference method (author's transl)].

Results obtained with the commercial test-set "GOD-UV" (Dr. Haury, München) are reported. This method permits the determination of serum-glucose within 3 minutes. The procedure is satisfactory in normal and hyperglycaemic patients. In the hypoglycaemic state, however, there is a danger of misinterpretation. The glucose oxidase-UV is compared with the hexokinase reaction.


[Gaschromatographic method for routine determination of pregnanediol and pregnanetriol in urine (author's transl)].

A rapid, highly sensitive and simple method for the routine measurement of urinary pregnanediol and pregnanetriol involving enzymatic hydrolysis, extraction with toluene and gas liquid chromatography is described.


Death from intravenously administered narcotics: a study of 114 cases;.

A careful study of more than 100 fatal cases due to intravenously administered narcotics provides further evidence of the complexity involved in the certification of death. The wide range of blood morphine concentrations found in these cases indicates that tissue concentrations alone will not always provide the necessary information. High concentrations of morphine, the major metabolite of heroin, in blood and other tissues may be consistent with overdose. But in those cases involving very low concentrations at the time of death, other criteria must be considered.


Accidental asphyxial deaths involving infants and young children.

Forty-five cases of accidental asphyxial deaths in infants and young children below 2 years of age are described. The mechanism involved, the available historical information, and the possible preventive measures are discussed. Dangers such as bed- and tub-sharing, diaper and cleaning pails, plastic wrappers, balloons, small beds, toys on strings, broken or poorly designed cribs, and poorly positioned adult beds must be brought to the attention of the parent as consumer. The public heatlh considerations and the educational aspects relating to the community at large are cornerstones in the effort to reduce these tragic and untimely deaths.


Studies by crossed electroimmunodiffusion on the individuality and sexual orgin of bloodstains.

Crossed electroimmunodiffusion (CEID) was evaluated as a means for individualizing human blood stains by studying variations within and among individuals in 22 serum antigens in ten subjects over a four-month period. The extent of variation within an individual was determined by making CEID runs on blood stains obtained on ten different occasions and measuring the precipitin peak heights produced by each of the 22 antigens. When the range in height of any particular peak was completely different in subject-subject comparisons, the peak was judged to be of value in individualization. By this criterion, each of the ten subjects could be distinguished from all others (65 subject-subject distinctions), but in most cases the distinction had to be based on difference in 5 or less of the 22 antigens. The antigens of value in distinguishing among males were largely different from those of value in distinguishing among females. Overall, the antigens of greatest value in individualization were 8, 9, 10, and 11. Only one of these (10, ceruloplasmin) could be identified as a particular serum proteins.


Probabilities and human pubic hair comparisons.

By use of a card coding system for some macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of human pubic hairs, 101 368 comparisons were made between 454 hairs from 60 different individuals. Of these, 16 pairs were found to be similar. For a Caucasian population, it is estimated that if one human pubic hair is found to be similar to at least one of a group of six to eleven mutually dissimilar hairs from a given source, the probability that it could have originated from another source is small, about 1 in 800.


Antemortem conversion of codeine to morphine in man.

Forty-five drug overdose cases involving codeine were investigated. Concentrations of codeine and morphine were determined in blood, bile, liver, kidney, and urine. Ratios of codeine to morphine values for each of these specimens were compared and evidence was developed that codeine was metabolized partially into morphine in the antemortem stage. Morphine concentration was less than that of codeine in blood, liver, kidney, and urine. However, bile analyses showed that the amount of morphine exceeded that of codeine, suggesting a more active demethylation activity in the hepatic system than in the blood and other tissues studied. Controlled-in-vitro studies showed that no codeine demethylation occurred in postmortem tissues during cold storage for a period as long as 30 days.


Identification of drugs and other toxic compounds from their ultraviolet spectra. Part III: Ultraviolet absorption properties of 22 structural groups.

The ultraviolet absorption spectra of 22 different chemical (structural) groups of drugs and toxic compounds were studied. This paper completes a three-part series in which more than 500 individual compounds have been grouped according to structure as it pertains to characteristics of the ultraviolet absorption scan. Each group has a typical absorption profile with respect to the number of bands between 200 and 340 nm, the intensity of the band(s), and the changes in absorption pattern with solvent and pH changes. Phenothiazines, xanthines, coumarins, quinolines, naphthalene derivatives. O-alkyl benzene derivatives, opiates, ergot alkaloids, benzodiazepines, and various heterocyclic compounds are among the groups of compounds covered in this paper.


Identification of drugs and their derivatives.

This paper represents a brief review of traditional procedures for the analysis of confiscated drugs and the application of these procedures to the products formed after reductive fragmentation and halogen-acetylated derivatization of the drugs. Confiscated pills, already tentatively identified by some previous procedure, were analyzed by the use of infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and gas chromatography. The same drugs were confirmed by analyzing the alcohols obtained after reductive fragmentation with LiA1H4 as well as the acetylated derivative fractions. Infrared spectra were determined from salt plate films after the evaporation of acidic or basic chloroform extracts of the pill; similarly, ultraviolet spectra were obtained by processing each drug in acidic and basic aqueous solutions. Gas chromatographic analyses involved the determination of characteristic retention times as a function of temperature and the preparation of, and determination of retention times for, derivatives of the drugs. No procedures were specifically included to remove filler material, save its sparing solubility in the extracting solvents; likewise, no special attempts were made to perfect special microtechniques which would allow all analyses to be performed on a single pill. Desired, rather, were the ease, simplicity, and relative speed realized from analysis of approximately five confiscated pills.


Contaminants in illicit amphetamine preparations.

Samples from illicit preparations of amphetamine and methamphetamine were investigated by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to detect and identify contaminants, excipients, and by-products from manufacture. In addition, these samples were subjected to energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and it was determined that the preparations of these compounds were made in the present of zinc, probably as a reductant. In addition to identifying polycondensation products from these preparations, the illicit origin of amphetamine-type drugs can generally be determined by the detection of contaminants and by-products present in submitted samples. Thus, a multidisciplinary analytical approach yields data of potential value for comparative examinations and possibly for legal purposes.


Comparative postmortem chemistries of vitreous humor before and after embalming.

Examination for common biochemical substances in the vitreous humor of embalmed bodies indicates that individuals with significant nitrogen retention or diabetics with marked elevation in vitreous glucose will be recognized by standard laboratory procedures on postembalming specimens. The work of Scott et al [3] on vitreous alcohol in the embalmed body has been substantiated with good general agreement found between specimens obtained before and after the embalming process.


Latent fingerprints on cartridges and expended cartridge casings.

The effects of time and detonation on latent fingerprints from cartridges and cartridge castings were explored. Time alone did not appear to seriously degrade latent fingerprint quality over the three-week period of experimental trials. The greatest effect of detonation seemed to stem from hot gaseous blowback on the external surface of the cartridge casings. Nickel-plated casings, because of their greater chemical resistance and more polished surface, were found less satisfactory as a substrate for latent impressions than brass casings. An interesting technique for development and permanent preservation of latent fingerprint impressions on castridge casings was also described.


Detection of gunshot residue by use of the scanning electron microscope.

Particle analysis techniques provide much more information useful for identification of gunshot residue than the conventional analytical techniques that measure only the concentration of elements averaged over the entire specimen. By combining the morphological information by microscopy with elemental analysis by X-ray fluorescence, the SEM provides definitive identification of residue particles. Therefore, the particle analysis technique should be more revealing in situations where conventional methods fail as the quantity of residue approaches the background level.


The application of a standard color coding system to paint in forensic science.

The procedure described for the measurement of paint colors represents an attempt to standardize the measurement of color in the forensic science service and provides a means of communicating colors between individuals. The effect of sample size on color comparisons has been discussed. It has been shown that color data collected from many control samples of paint flakes can provide the frequency of occurrence of paint colors. The errors involved in color comparisons have been assessed and the system has been shown to be a practicable one.


Unusual three-dimensional bite mark evidence in a homicide case.

A comparison has been made between bite marks observed on the nose of a female homicide victim and the configuration of the dental structures of a male suspect. The victim's bite marks showed a number of demonstrable characteristics which could be reproduced by models of the dentition of the suspect. Special peculiarities within and between individual teeth, together with the upper and lower jaw relationship, were demonstrably consistent with the bite mark patterns on the victim's nose. Detailed examination of the scientific evidence led the dental investigators to the conclusion that there was a positive match between the suspect's dentition and the bite mark on the decedent's nose. The dental investigation and subsequent dental testimony were prime factors leading to the defendant's conviction of manslaughter in the first case in California involving the major use of bite mark evidence.


A suicidal gunshot wound of the back.

An 18-year-old woman committed suicide by shooting herself in the right temple, presternal region, and lower thoracic back. The anatomic and other investigative data on this case are reported and discussed in the perspective of our experience with suicides by firearms.


Heat stroke and fluphenazine therapy: report of a case.

A fatal case of heat stroke in a 21-year-old man with chronic schizophrenia is reported. Phenothiazine therapy is thought to have been a factor of major importance in the induction of this syndrome. These cases may become the responsibility of the medical examiner, and the importance of obtaining a complete drug history is stressed.


Sodium channel selectivity. Dependence on internal permeant ion concentration.

The selectivity of sodium channels in squid axon membranes was investigated with widely varying concentrations of internal ions. The selectivity ratio, PNa/PK, determined from reversal potentials decreases from 12.8 to 5.7 to 3.5 as the concentration of internal potassium is reduced from 530 to 180 to 50 mM, respectively. The internal KF perfusion medium can be diluted by tetramethylammonium (TMA), Tris, or sucrose solutions with the same decrease in PNa/PK. The changes in the selectivity ratio depend upon internal permeant ion concentration rather than ionic strength, membrane potential, or chloride permeability. Lowering the internal concentration of cesium, rubidium, guanidnium, or ammonium also reduces PNa/Pion. The selective sequence of the sodium channel is: Na greater than guanidinium greater than ammonium greater than K greater than Rb greater than Cs.


Water and nonelectrolyte permeability of lipid bilayer membranes.

Both the permeability coefficients (Pd's) through lipid bilayer membranes of varying composition (lecithin [L], lecithin:cholesterol [LC], and spingomyelin:cholesterol [SC]) and the n-hexadecane:water partition coefficients (Knc's) of H2O and seven nonelectrolytes (1,6 hexanediol, 1,4 butanediol, n-butyramide, isobutyramide, acetamide, formamide, and urea) were measured. For a given membrane compositiin, Pd/DKnc (where D is the diffusion constant in water) is the same for most of the molecules tested. There is no extraordinary dependence of Pd on molecular weight; thus, given Pd(acetamide), Pd(1,6 hexanediol) is correctly predicted from the Knc and D values for the two molecules. The major exceptions are H2O, whose value of Pd/DKnc is about 10-fold larger, and urea, whose value is about 5-fold smaller than the general average. In a "tight" membrane such as SC, Pd(n-butyramide)/Pd(isobutyramide)=2.5; thus this bilayer manifests the same sort of discrimination between branched and straight chain molecules as occurs in many plasma membranes. Although the absolute values of the Pd's change by more than a factor of 100 in going from the tightest membrane (SC) to the loosest (L), the relative values remain approximately constant. The general conclusion of this study is that H2O and nonelectrolytes cross lipid bilayer membranes by a solubility-diffusion mechanism, and that the bilayer interior is much more like an oil (a la Overton) than a rubber-like polymer (a la Lieb and Stein).


Nature of the water permeability increase induced by antidiuretic hormone (ADH) in toad urinary bladder and related tissues.

In artificial  lipid bilayer membranes, the ratio of the water permeability coefficient (Pd(water)) to the permeability coefficient of an arbitrary nonelectrolyte such as n-butyramide (Pd(n-butyramide)) remains relatively constant with changes in lipid composition and temperature, even though the individual Pd's increase more than 100-fold. I propose that this is a general rule that also holds for the lipid bilayers of cells and tissues, and that therefore if Pd(water)/Pd(solute greatly exceeds the value found for artifical lipid bilayers (where "solute" is a molecule, such as 1,6 hexanediol or n-butyramide, that crosses the cell membrane by a solubility-diffusion mechanism without the aid of a special transporting system), then water crosses the cell membrane via aqueous pores. Applying this criterion to the toad urinary bladder, we find that even in the unstimulated bladder, water probably crosses the luminal membrane primarily through small aqueous pores, and that this almost certainly the case after antidiuretic hormone (ADH) stimulation. I suggest that ADH stimulation ultimately leads either to formation (or enlargement) of pores, by the rearrangement of preexisting subunits, or to an unplugging of these pores.


Axoplasmic free magnesium levels and magnesium extrusion from squid giant axons.

The free magnesium concentration in the axoplasm of the giant axon of the squid, Loligo pealei, was estimated by exploting the known sensitivity of the sodium pump to intracellular Mg2+ levels. The Mg-citrate buffer which, when injected into the axon, resulted in no change in sodium efflux was in equilibrium with a Mg2+ level of about 3--4 mM. Optimal [Mg2+] for the sodium pump is somewhat higher. Total magnesium content of axoplasm was 6.7 mmol/kg, and that of hemolymph was 44 mM. The rate coefficient for 28Mg efflux was about 2 X 10(-3) min-u for a 500-mum axon at 22-25degreesC, with a very high temperature coefficient (Q10=4-5). This efflux is inhibited 95% by injection of apyrase and 75% by removal of external sodium, and seems unaffected by membrane potential or potassium ions. Increased intracellular ADP levels do not affect Mg efflux nor its requirement for Na+/o, but extracellularl magnesium ions do. Activation of 28Mg efflux by Na+/o follows hyperbolic kinetics, with Mg2+/o reducing the affinity of the system for Na+/o. Lanthanum and D600 reversibly inhibit Mg efflux. In the absence of both Na+ and Mg2+, but not in their presence, removal of Ca2+ from the seawater vastly increased 28Mg efflux; this efflux was also strongly inhibited by lanthanum. A small (10(-14) mol cm-2) extra Mg efflux accompanies the conduction of an action potential.


Biochemical isolation and physiological identification of the egg-laying hormone in Aplysia californica.

It has been determined that the bag cells of Aplysia californica produce two polypeptide species that comigrate on electrophoretic gels containing sodium dodecyl sulfate. By this separation procedure both species can be assigned a molecular weight of approximately 6,000. One of these molecules has an Rf of 0.65 on alkaline discontinuous electrophoresis gels, an isoelectric point at pH 4.8, a gel filtration molecular weight of approximately 12,000, and has no known biological function. The other does not enter alkaline disk gels, has an isoelectric point at approximately pH 9.3, shows a gel filtration molecular weight consistent with that determined by SDS gel electrophoresis, and is the egg-laying hormone.


Precursor and product processing in the bag cell neurons of Aplysia californica.

Posttranslational processing in the biosynthesis of the egg-laying hormone (ELH) by the bag cell neurons of Aplysia californica was studied. The precursor (pro-ELH) to ELH was found to be resistant to solubilization in denaturant-free media throughout its lifetime. Its principle products show a similar insolubility for 3 h, but two of these, ca. 6,000 daltons, subsequently become readily recoverable in the low-speed supernatant of a homogenate of the cells. The remaining product shows no change in solubility characteristics. From studies employing ultracentrifugation and examination of axoplasmic transport, the solubility shift for the lower molecular weight products is interpreted to represent the liberation of secretory vesicles into the cytoplasm from larger membranous associations. This event is accompanied by, but does appear to be dependent upon, a 15% reduction in the molecular weight of one of the products. These findings are considered in the light of the extensively studied posttranslational processing regimen for the production of insulin in the pancreatic beta cell.


Genetic studies on SCP1-prime strains of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).

SCP1'-cysB carries a short chromosomal insertion: cysB was the only chromosomal locus identified on this plasmid; the plasmid was seldom lost; and a comparatively low frequency of crossing-over between the exo- and endogenote in a cysB+/cysB+ heterozygote. SCP1'-argA, uraB carries a longer chromosomal insertion: five chromosomal loci have been detected on the plasmid; it was very often lost; and there was frequent crossing-over between exo- and endogenote in heterozygous strains. Both SCP1' plasmids gave rise to plasmids closely resembling, or perhaps identical with, the original SCP1 by deletion of the chromosomal insertion. Markers argA and uraB were always deleted together from SCP1'-argA, uraB, whereas random deletion should more often have removed uraB alone. This suggests that special DNA sequences are involved in SCP1' formation. An analysis of recombination between exo- and endogenote within a double heterozygote for argA and uraB supports the hypothesis that single copies of plasmid and chromosome assort from a pool of interacting molecules at, or immediately before, spore formation. A strain carrying the SCP1'-cysB plasmid gave rise to a 'bidirectional' donor of chromosomal markers in which the plasmid had apparently integrated into the chromosome at or close to the cysB locus.


Synthesis and hydrolysis of malyl-coenzyme A by Pseudomonas AM1: an apparent malate synthase activity.

The malate synthase activity detectable in crude extracts of Pseudomonas AM1 has been shown to be due to a coupling of a malyl-CoA hydrolase with malyl-CoA lyase and not due to a discrete malate synthase enzyme. The partial purification of this malyl-CoA hydrolase from Pseudomonas AM1 has shown that it is distinct from citrate synthase which also hydrolyses malyl-CoA. The malyl-CoA hydrolase has a low Km for malyl-CoA (7-0 muM). A mutant of Pseudomonas AM1, ICT51 (Taylor & Anthony, 1975), which is unable to grow on ethanol, malonate or 3-hydroxybutyrate, has been shown to have an altered malyl-CoA hydrolase with a Km for malyl-CoA 30 times higher than that of the enzyme present in the wild-type organism. Two classes of revertants to growth on these substrates have been isolated: (i) those with a malyl-CoA hydrolase of similar Km to the wild-type and (ii) those in which the malyl-CoA hydrolase activity remains the same as in the mutant ICT51. The nature of the mutation leading to the latter class of revertants is unknown.


Existence of a surface configuration on the aerial spore and aerial mycelium of Micropolyspora.

We report the existence of a surface configuration in a true spore-forming genus having cell wall constituents of type IV. Micropolyspora angiospora, M. caesia and M. faeni freeze-fractured along the wall surface and only had a surface configuration on their aerial mycelium and aerial spores, with none on the substrate mycelium and substrate spore. The surface configuration of Micropolyspora was distinctly more complicated than that of Nocardia. The aerial spores of M. angiospora were characteristic in that they possessed ridges, two kinds of surface configurations (i.e. rodlets and fibres), and a complex pattern on the surface. Some rodlets of this organism were formed of a two-stranded helix, each strand having a diameter similar to that of a fibre.


Phytochrome system of the yeast Candida guilliermondii and recovery from ultraviolet injury.

The effect of red (660 nm) and far-red (730 nm) light on the stability of the yeast Candida guilliermondii to lethal u.v. radiation has been studied. Reactivation and protection were exhibited for 30 min after treatment with red light and were abolished by far-red exposure applied within this time period. The temperature dependence of the reactivation effect was also studied. The data obtained showed that the properties of recovery and protection against u.v. exposure are associated with the phytochrome system of the yeast.


Isolation and structure of an extracellular polysaccharide from streptomyces sp. FERM-P1185.

A streptomycete strain (FERM-P1185), isolated from soil, secreted a slime on glucose-asparagine agar, and produced viscous growth in liquid media containing peptone as nitrogen source. A purified polysaccharide isolated from the culture broth was composed of glucose and mannose units (molar ratio 1-87:1). Periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, methylation analysis, infrared and 13c nuclear magnetic resonance spectra indicated that this mannoglucan had a linear structure consisting of alpha-1,3- and alpha-1,4-linked glucopyranose and mannopyranose units.


Effect of light on growth and sporulation of Aspergillus ornatus.

Aspergillus ornatus produces conidia when grown in continuous light but few, if any, when grown in continuous darkness. A minimum of 3 h of exposure to light is needed for induction. Light inhibits growth, glucose uptake and phosphorylation but does not inhibit the uptake of lysine. A low molecular weight substance produced or accumulating in the light inhibits the phosphorylation of glucose. It is suggested that the inhibition of glucose uptake and phosphorylation precedes conidiation and that conidiation may be the result of starvation caused by this light-induced inhibition.


Ultrastructure of Rothia dentocariosa.

Rothia dentocariosa was seen as a typical prokaryotic cell, lacking nuclear envelope, mitochondria and a reticulum with ribosomes. The plasma membrane was located close to and parallel to the wall. The outer limits of the wall were associated with what may be capsular or slime material. Chain-like filaments of thick walled coccoid cells underwent septation both transverse and parallel to the long axis of the chain. Side branching and terminal clavate forms were also present. These clavate forms may represent specialized cells during the life-cycle. Fragmentation of the chain resulted when the outer wall ruptured to release the coccoid bodies.


Butyricin 7423: a bacteriocin produced by Clostridium butyricum NCIB7423.

Butyricin 7423 is a trypsin-sensitive bacteriocin produced by Clostridium butyricum NCIB7423 and active against some other species of Clostridium. It has a bactericidal but non-lytic action on growing cultures of Clostridium pasteurianum. The primary action of butyricin 7423 appears to be at the cell membrane. Thus treatment of C. pasteurianum with an excess of butyricin altered the permeability of its cell membrane, allowing the release of several metabolites and ions. Efflux of rubidium ions from organisms preloaded with 86Rb+ was particularly rapid and extensive. The action of butyricin 7423 on Clostridium species seems to differ from that of other clostridocins, such as the boticins and perfringocin 28, and more closely resembles the mode of action on susceptible (aerobic) organisms of bacteriocins such as staphylococcin 1580 or colicins A, E1, I and K.


Nitrogen fixation by bacteria from the hindgut of termites.

Anaerobically grown bacteria isolated from the hindgut contents of the termites Coptotermes lacteus (Froggatt), Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggatt and Nasutitermes exitiosus (Hill) were nitrogenase-positive as assayed by acetylene reduction. Nitrogen fixation, confirmed with 15N2, was highest in the isolate from M. darwiniensis. All isolates were identified as Citrobacter freundii (Braak) Werkman & Gillen.


An approach to numerical identification of bacterial species.

The distribution of matching coefficients (M values) for strains of a species to their own 'hypothetical mean organism' (HMO) or to HMO patterns of other organisms was studied in 754 strains of 19 mycobacterial species, testing for 91 discriminating characters. The M values of strains of a species to the HMO of other species usually showed a normal distribution, and M values to their own HMO showed either a normal distribution of a binomial distribution, depending on the mean of M values. If the number of test characters was large, the binomial distribution usually resembled the normal distribution. After preparation of the HMO for every species and estimation of the mean of the M values (M) and the standard deviation (s), numerical identification could be carried out: if a test strain had an M value to the HMO of species chi that only fell within the range (M +/2s) for species chi, the strain would be identified as a member of that species.


Synthesis of ribonucleic acids during the germination of Botryodiplodia theobromae pycnidiospores.

During the initial phases of germination of Botryodiplodia theobromae pycnidiospores, protein synthesis was initiated in the absence of detectable ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis. The lack of RNA synthesis during the early stages of germination was not an artefact due to reduced precursor permeability or to changes in the nucleotide pool. Further studies showed that the synthesis of messenger RNA and transfer RNA began about 30 min after the initiation of germination and that of 5S RNA after 45 min, whereas ribosomal RNA synthesis was not detected until after 1 h of germination. Approximately 45 to 55% of the messenger-like RNA synthesized during the first hour of germination was devoid of polyadenylate segments.


Virulence heterogeneity of a predominantly avirulent Western equine encephalitis virus population.

Selective removal of small plaque (SP) Western equine encephalitis (WEE) virus from a population heterogeneous with respect to virulence and plaque morphology permitted direct detection of a small sub-population of virulent large plaque (LP) WEE virus. Selective removal of SP-WEE virus was achieved by intracardiac (i.c.a.) inoculation of hamsters; plasma obtained 60 min after inoculation was proportionately enriched for LP-WEE virus since only the SP-WEE virus was cleared. By this method, the proportion of LP- to SP-WEE virus, in a population of SP-WEE virus which appeared to be homogeneous by conventional plaquing methods, was calculated to be 1 LP- to 250000 SP-WEE virions. The presence of a virulent LP-WEE virus sub-population explains why a single passage of a high but not low dose of SP-WEE virus in hamsters resulted in the emergence of an LP-WEE virus population with enhanced virulence.


Suppression of interferon production by vitamin A.

Vitamin A (retinoic acid) suppressed interferon production by L cells infected with Newcastle disease virus (NDV). This suppression was maximal when cells were treated with retinoic acid for 2 h after NDV adsorption, indicating that the inhibitory step was an early event. It was not due to inhibition of total RNA synthesis. Retinoic acid treatment caused both a delay in appearance of interferon and a reduced rate of synthesis thereafter.


Bacteriophage growth on stationary phase Achromobacter cells.

A new phage-host system is described in which phage alpha 3a grows on stationary phase Achromobacter mutant strains. Characteristic clear plaques are formed, at an e.o.p. 10(-1) to 10(-2), on already confluent bacterial lawns of the mutant strains. Phage growth is sensitive to aeration and growth only occurs under micro-aerophilic conditions. Lysates prepared on the mutant strains cannot transduce in contrast to transducing lysates prepared from wild type Achromobacter strains.


Establishment of a secondary drive based on thirst: a replication.

In order to establish a secondary drive based on thirst, 16 male albino rats were deprived of water for 23 hours per day for 14 days in square cages. At the end of each 23-hour period, the Ss were placed in triangular cages with free access to water for 1/2 hour followed by 1/2 hour in a circular cage with no water available. On day 15 the Ss were divided into two groups following satiation in the triangular cage. The control Ss were placed in the circular cages with water present for the first time, and experimental Ss were placed in the square cages with water present for the first time. During this 1/2-hour period the experimental Ss drank significantly more than the control Ss which indicated the presence of thirst fear in the experimental group.


Acoustic image in visual detection for deaf and hearing college students.

To explore the role of acoustic factors in visual detection, this study employed 40 deaf and hearing Ss. Ss were requested to cancel all the letters "e" in a passage from Treasure Island. Results were analyzed in terms of probabilities of missing a pronounced or silent e and the e in the word "the." Hearing and hard of hearing Ss were more likely to miss silent e's than pronounced e's. There was no significant difference between silent and pronounced e's for the profoundly deaf. Deaf and hearing Ss missed significantly more e's in "the" than pronounced or silent e's. The deaf, when compared to the hearing Ss, were more efficient in detecting pronounced and silent e's. They did not differ significantly from the hearing Ss in detecting the e in "the."


An experimental analysis of the Chevreul pendulum illusion.

An investigation was performed, with the use of 60 male and female college students, to quantify the Chevreul pendulum illusory effect, the tendency of a small pendulum, when suspended from the hand and imaginatively concentrated upon, to oscillate seemingly of its own accord. By means of a time exposure photographic measurement technique, strong parametric influences of the pendulum's sinusoidal motion were isolated. It was found that the pendulum effect was enhanced when (a) attentional capacity remained undivided, (b) the amount of musculature used to suspend the pendulum was at a maximum, (c) oscillating visual and auditory external stimuli were present, and (d) females were Ss. In addition, the visual stimulus was found to be superior to its auditory counterpart. The relevance of ideomotor and visual capture interpretations of covert muscle processes in the pendulum illusion was discussed.


Chronic methylphenidate effects on learning in an F2 generation.

This study investigated chronic methylphenidate effects on the learning of undrugged second generation offspring. Seventy-two albino rats were tested on avoidance conditioning. The results indicated that (a) the learning of the undrugged offspring was affected, (b) differential sex effects were obtained, and (c) some difficulty was encountered in reproduction.


Unconditioned response diminution in the skin resistance response.

An experiment was carried out to investigate unconditioned response diminution in the skin resistance response. By using an alternating series of paired and unpaired stimuli the differential predictions of the hypotheses of response interference, conditioned inhibition and expectancy could be tested. Ss were 27 young adult male students. The unconditioned stimulus was a tone of 105 db. For the conditioned stimulus the Ss were divided into two groups, one receiving a tone at 65 db and the other a tone at 85 db. Unconditioned response diminution was found. This diminution showed no significant change over trials and showed no correlation with amplitude of the conditioned response. This result is best explained in terms of expectancy.


Preferences by northern grasshopper mice for solutions of sugars, acids, and salts in Richter-type drinking tests.

Taste preferences, as measured in 48-hour, Richter-type drinking tests (test solution opposite distilled water), were determined for northern grasshopper mice (Onychomys leucogaster, ssp. breviauritus). The Ss were nine males and nine females which were individually housed within an environmental chamber. The test solutions were prepared from five sugars (fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose) three salts (magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride, sodium chloride), and two acids (citric acid and hydrochloric acid). In randomly assigned order, each sugar and each salt solution was presented at five molar concentrations, and each acid was paired with distilled water at six levels of pH. Strong drinking preferences were shown for all concentrations of the sugars above .05-.10 M, and sugars ranked in order of preference as follows: Maltose = sucrose greater than glucose = fructose greater than lactose. Preferences were also shown for hypotonic concentrations of NaCl. The other salts and both acids, however, were indifferently preferred at low concentrations and were rejected at the higher concentrations. Taste preferences by grasshopper mice for these chemicals were similar to those exhibited by Monogolian gerbils tested with the same items. The similar patterns of preference shown by New World cricetid rodents (grasshopper mice) and Old World cricetid rodents (gerbils) suggest that conclusions concerning disparity in taste sensibilities among animal forms may be premature.


Utilization review, attempted suicide, and involuntary hospitalization.

A patient's refusal to participate in recommended treatment is a problem faced in all branches of medicine. However, psychiatry faces special problems because of its authority to impose hospitialization of suicide attempters, cases were identified where there was indepdent agreement between both the experts' standards and the treating resident psychiatrists that hospitalization was required. Despite this agreement, the patients were not hospitalized because the patients refused. By most criteria, these patients were a high risk group. They had made repeated suicide attempts, used lethal means which eventuated in serious medical consequences, and were still suicidal when referred for treatment. The emergency room psychiatrists reported feeling confused, anxious, and annoyed in dealing with these patients, and the patients signed out against medical advice. A review of these cases indicated that discussions of social control vs. medical responsibility and clear criteria for hospitalization should be incorporated into residency training programs since the emergency room resident faces these tension-producing issues frequently with several different types of patients. Moreover, utilization review criteria may help to set standards which will assist the psychiatrist in making these difficult decisions.


Phantom limb phenomenon in patients with leprosy.

The phantom limb phenomenon (PLP) was studied in 42 patients with leprosy who had limb amputation and/or digital shortening; some of the patients also had another type of limb deformity, such as claw-hand or foot-drop, which did not involve significant loss of tissue. Thirty-eight (90 per cent) of the patients reported having at least one phantom limb (PL) for a missing or deformed part. Associated with each of the three types of limb defects, two descriptively and experientially distinct types of PLs were found: the paresthetic or typical (TPL) and the painless or natural (NPL). Descriptions of the TPL and the NPL are given. The findings were compared to various reports, particularly those of Stetter and Frederiks. The leprosy TPL was similar both to the PL of amputees as frequently described in the literature, and to what Stetter and Frederiks termed the PL sensations. A close correspondence, if not identity, was noted between the NPL of leprosy patients and the equivalent categories of Stetter's PL experience and Frederiks' PL as such. Included in these three designations are aspects of the PLP that are associated with the normal, intact limb; these aspects are thought to be usual concomitants of the PLP and to constitute manifestations of the persistence of the normal body image. From our findings, we conclude that for the appearance of a PLP, the actual loss of a part of a limb, whether slow or sudden, is not required, but the loss of its sensorimotor functions is sufficient.


Psychological characteristics of women with sexual inhibition (frigidity) in six clinics.

Traditional psychiatric thought has equated the inability of a female to obtain an orgasm (particularly a vaginal orgasm during intercourse) with psychological maladjustment. The research literature generally does not support this position. The present paper describes the psychological characteristics of 44 frigid women who applied for treatment of their sexual problem at two university hospital sex clinics and 26 women selected for treatment by the same criterion, but treated in private practice. Presented for comparison are 53 female neurotics from a Temple University Hospital psychotherapy study, a sample of 65 consecutive female walk-ins of mixed psychiatric diagnosis from the Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic of Temple Hospital, and a group of 35 female college student sophomores from Temple University who comprised the normal sample. A battery of psychological tests including the MMPI, the Institute for Personality and Ability Testing--Self-Evaluation Form (IPAT), the Symptom Check List, and the Eysenck Personality Inventory were given to each group. The data indicate that female patients who apply to a sex dysfunction clinic, complaining primarily of sexual inhibition, appear as a group identical to a normal control group in terms of their psychological profile and less neurotic than psychiatric outpatients, with the exception that the normals were less depressed. When women with primary orgasmic dysfunction from the above three samples were combined and compared to those with secondary orgasmic dysfunction (using Masters and Johnson's criterion), the groups were identical, at least from a global psychological perspective. We suggest that little else can be gained by assessing global personality characteristics. Without discarding the primary and secondary classifications a potentially more fruitful approach would be to develop instruments that would measure specific dimensions, such as sexual misinformation, specific sexual anxiety or guilt, or resentment or hostility directed toward the immediate sexual partner. A scale to measure specific phobic-like sexual anxiety, in addition, would have treatment implications because of the recently demonstrated effectiveness of specific anxiety-reducing techniques, such as systematic desensitization. Specific scales can also be useful in the assessment and prediction of outcome in psychotherapy.


Truax factors, speech characteristics, and therapeutic outcome.

Initial interview ratings of therapist accurate empathy, unconditional positive regard, and self-congruence were correlated with nonlexical speech characteristics and outcome of individual psychotherapy. Speech characteristics of both patients (greater total speech time, shorter pause time following therapists' comments, and faster reaction times) and therapists (fewer speech units) were significantly related to improved outcome. While Rogers-Truax factors were unrelated to outcome, they were related to speech characteristics of both patient and therapist. Furthermore, patients whose therapists showed high levels of the Truax factors tended to increase their average speech durations and total speech time during the course of the initial interview.


Therapists' physiological activation and patient difficulty.

The differential effects of an easy and difficult-to-interview patient on therapist self-reported behavioral arousal and physiological activation were observed. Eighteen experienced white male psychiatrists each interviewed two patient simulators believing they were real patients. Each actress was programed to act the part of a difficult-to-interview patient and an easy-to-interview patient. Each randomly played either part as assigned and the order of patient and role was counterbalanced. Differences in patient roles were validated by the participating therapists and independent raters. Fifteen-minute rest periods with soft music preceded each therapy session such that a complete experimental session consisted of rest 1, therapy 1, rest 2, and therapy 2. Self-reported arousal was assessed during each of the four periods by Thayer's factors from the Nowlis Mood Adjective List. Physiological activation was measured by electromyogram, heart rate, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), and skin conductance. Therapist self-reported behavioral arousal and measured physiological activation during therapy were significantly greater than during rest. The difficulty of the patient did not appear to affect either behavioral or physiological activation level of the therapists. Several explanations for this are explored.


Short term memory for numerousness in schizophrenic young adults.

The short term memory of schizophrenics for random dot patterns was examined by a delayed comparison procedure. In experiment 1, the 10 schizophrenics and 10 normals compared a fixed dot pattern (standard) with a variable dot pattern (compairson) appearing 2 or 8 seconds later and decided whether the comparison stimulus had "more" or "less" dots than the standard. Memory strength, indexed by the d' value of signal-detection theory, showed neither group difference nor decay over time. In experiment 2, the interstimulus interval was filled with an unjudged dot pattern (storage interference), and the standard stimulus followed the variable comparison stimulus (encoding difficulty). The memory strength of 17 schizophrenics and 17 normals was severely impaired, and their memory strength weakened over time, but again, no group differences were found. In both experiments, the two groups showed a strong bias (beta) in underestimating the first (to-be-remembered) stimulus. It was concluded that schizophrenics' short term perceptual memory for nonverbal stimuli remains good.


Voice predicts affect during psychotherapy.

This study examined the relationship between emotions and the frequency and power characteristics of the voice in psychotherapy. The intensity of fear, anger, depression, and total affect in each of four interviews with one patient was rated every 20 seconds on a nine-point scale. Significant agreement among judges was achieved. Voice samples from each epoch in which there was sufficient speech were subjected to spectral analysis of the frequencies between 0 and 1000 HZ. These spectra were scored for nine frequency and power parameters. Multiple linear regression equations were then developed from two interviews, using the nine voice spectral variables as predictors and the mean ratings for each affect as the criterion variables. Significant multiple correlations were achieved between every rated affect and various combinations of voice variables. The beta weights and constants from these equations were then employed in the successful prediction of levels of anger, fear, depression, and total affect in one interview, and the levels of depression and total affect in another interview. In addition, epochs of conflict differed from "pure" affect epochs, and pure epochs of anger, fear, and depression differed from each other in various frequency and power characteristics of the voice. Voice spectral measures may be an objective means of identifying and quantifying affect in psychotherapy.


Depressive disorders in Vietnam returnees.

A random sample of 470 Army enlisted men who served tours of duty in Vietnam and returned to the United States in September, 1971 was selected from military records. Between May and September, 1972, these servicemen were located and personally interviewed. Additional information was obtained from their military records and from Veterans Administration files. Interviews were obtained for 95% and military records for 99%. Veterans Administration records were available for 22% of the sample. Depressive disorders appeared to be a significant problem in these enlistees after their return. Twenty-six per cent of the total sample reported at least some symptoms of depression, and 7 per cent reported a full affective syndrome. A third of those with depressive syndromes have had psychiatric care since their return. The association of depression with combat, use of illicit drugs, and other pre- and post-Vietnam variables is discussed.


Do depressed patients show thought disorder?

Twenty-one patients suffering from major depressive disorder are compared for evidence of thought disorder on admission and at the time of discharge. Two aspects of cognition are evaluated: the ability to abstract, and the quality of association. These aspects of cognition were tested using the Shipley-Hartford, the Raven Progressive Matrices, and the Goldstein-Scheerer Object Sorting Test. Althouh the patients showed some improvement in ability to abstract, and although their associations became somewhat less underinclusive or improverished, these improvements did not achieve statistical significance. Consequently, this group of depressed patients did not appear to show any thought disorder of the type under investigation.