Difficulties in family therapy evaluation. I. A comparison of insight vs. problem-solving approaches. II. Design critique and recommendations. In Part 1, an outcome study comparing two methods of family treatment, is reported. Families were randomly assigned to one of two forms of conjoint therapy: an Insight-oriented treatment (N = 10) or a Problem-Solving intervention (N = 10). The results on self-report measures of family functioning indicate that the Problem-Solving intervention produced more favorable changes after three months. Experienced therapists did better than inexperienced therapists in the Insight-treatment condition but level of experience did not make a difference in the Problem-Solving therapy. A group of eight families who dropped out of the Insight-treatment group provided data on correlates of premature termination. In Part II, the study is critically reviewed. The practical obstacles to implementing an experimental design in a clinic setting are considered. Special attention is given to issues involving the selection of treatment and control conditions: sampling and the measurement of outcome. Alternatives to experimental designs are considered.


Power relationships in families: a social-exchange perspective. Although researchers have investigated power relationships in families for twenty-five years, conclusions about normative family power patterns have been inconsistent and contradictory. Comparisons across studies have been difficult owing to different definitions of the construct, multiple methodologies, and inconsistent goals. With such confusion, a new, more integrated theoretical approach to the power issue seems warranted, as is suggested by the present paper. The current individual focus on power as a personal attribute can be replaced by a more dynamic, reciprocal, interactive process. Instead of specific or stable power patterns, power interactions should be fluid and time- or situation- specific. No one member would dominate, since power involves a mutual relationship system that changes its content, though not its rules of operation, across decision-making areas. Furthermore, family adjustment would relate to those rules and the family members' reactions to their particular exchange system but not to specific types of power structures. With these considerations, future research should analyze the process, not the content, of power operations in order to maximize the clinical and theoretical utility of its construct.


Social-exchange theory: cognitive restructuring in marital therapy. Problems arise in marital relationships when any of the following conditions are not met: first, that the couple have correspondence of their beliefs, or rules, as to what behaviors constitute "value messages" or "devalue messages"; second, that they depend primarily upon nonpainful channels for sending and receiving value messages; and third, that each partner's required quota of value messages from the other be of a reasonable quantity, not inflated by unrealistic fear of abandonment or devaluation. Problems in any of these areas may present in a variety of seemingly disparate fashions. Each of these problems is amenable to cognitive restructuring strategies. Different demands are placed on the therapeutic alliance and the marital alliance by the elucidation of each of these three types of problems; proper timing of interventions is therefore necessary.


Relabeling and reframing reconsidered: the beneficial effects of a pathological label. Traditional labeling theory usually contends that pathological labels contribute to pathology and benign labels help alleviate it. However, it is likely that the role of pathological labels as the cause of pathology has been overstated and overgeneralized. Family therapists have probably overused the practice of substituting a benign label for a pathological label--relabeling. In fact, there are many families in which a pathological label applied to one family member may have beneficial impact on the family system, including that member. Five such cases are presented, and labeling theory is reviewed. Definitions of the terms reframing and relabeling are suggested, and the differing implications of diagnosis and labeling theory are discussed.


Concurrent grandparent death and birth of schizophrenic offspring: an intriguing finding. The finding, in the following study, of grandparent death within +/- two years of birth of 41 per cent of schizophrenics (N = 70), a rate significantly higher than that in psychiatric (N = 45) and normal (N = 25) control groups, raises the possibility that this family stress factor may contribute to the development of schizophrenia. The implications are considered regarding the likelihood that the concurrent stresses of the death and the birth, two major events in the family life cycle, could confound and impede mourning and parenting processes. Two hypotheses are suggested: (a) that a bereaved parent may be emotionally unavailable to spouse and infant, and (b) that attention to the child may block mourning and absorb painful feelings, with the child assuming a special replacement role. The dysfunctional potential is related to other interacting variables, including biological factors, mourning resolution, and the family system. Further study is called for.


Charting as a multipurpose treatment intervention for family therapy. This paper discusses the behavior modification technique of charting as a double-bind communication. Though the procedure was initially employed as a step in demonstrating operant conditioning (7) and later in diagnosis of the antecedents and consequences maintaining undesired behavior (8), it also proved one of the more powerful therapeutic interventions. Literature reviews on treatment programs for obesity (6) and behavioral approaches to marital therapy (2) support this contention. Its efficacy can be explained by integrating the viewpoints of behaviorist and family therapy approaches espoused by Haley (4) and Weakland et al. (9). Following are brief case reports in which charting resulted in quick and sometimes dramatic change.


Fixation and regression in the family life cycle. In spite of the obvious fact that families differ significantly depending upon their current stage of the life cycle, most of the family therapy literature focuses on intervening in ongoing family interaction without specific attention to the dimension of family development. Family sociologists, on the other hand, while not dealing with modifying family functioning, have provided more detailed tools with which to understand variations in family functioning based on stages of family development. Our work with families in acute distress suggests the need to increase the specificity with which our assessments and interventions are tailored, by incorporating the family developmental view. This paper explores the utility of the family developmental view using the concepts of fixation and regression in the family life cycle. These concepts were found to be relatively refined and quite pragmatic assessment devices that assist therapists in specifying developmental issues of the family. Case examples of actual families in crisis are presented in order to demonstrate the utility of these conceptual tools.


An index for measuring agency involvement in family therapy. The Progress Index for Family Therapy Programs, an instrument for measuring the relative level of involvement in family therapy by treatment programs, is presented. It was developed as part of a national survey on the use of family therapy for treating drug abuse and includes data from 500 agencies, 76 of which were Community Mental Health Centers. The Index may be useful for assessing extent of family therapy involvement for differing agencies treating different populations.


The renal circulations.

The renal circulations. The plural is used advisedly. Each of several microcirculations with specialized structural and functional properties is necessary to the physiologic functioning of the kidney. Newly elucidated aspects of renal vascular anatomy are mapped out and clearly related to the exchange processes that occur at the capillary level in each part of the nephron to produce the final ureteral urine of the required volume and composition.


Role of interferon in the pathogenesis of herpes simplex virus disease in mice. The use of a potent antiinterferon serum has demonstrated the importance of the interferon response in host resistance to infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV). Inoculation of mice with potent antiinterferon globulin was associated with a very marked effect on the evolution of HSV disease, as shown by an acclerated appearance of signs of disease and death. In a total of seven experiments, i.v. administration of a sheep antimouse interferon globulin (titre 4 x 10(5)) resulted in the early appearance of disease and death, and increased the overall mortality due to HSV-1 strain F injected either i.p. or s.c. Comparable results were obtained with strain B-12. Twenty-five mice that had survived HSV inoculation (s.c. or i.p.) were injected with antiinterferon globulin 18 days after viral inoculation. In no instance did this treatment induce signs of HSV disease.


Concanavalin A receptors on the surface membrane of lymphocytes from patients with Burkitt's lymphoma, other malignant lymphomas, leukaemia and lymphoma cell lines. Lymphocytes isolated from the peripheral blood and tumour tissues of patients with African Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) showed a reduced cap-forming ability and increased agglutinability by concanavalin A (con A) compared to normal lymphocytes. Lymphocytes from the blood of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, Hodgkin's disease and other malignant lymphomas showed a similar reduction in cap formation and increase in agglutination compared to normal lymphocytes, lymphocytes from patients with carcinoma, and lymphocytes from patients with non-malignant disorders. The cap formation of lymphocytes from a healthy donor or a lymphoma patient was independent of the source from which the cells were isolated, e.g., lymph-node, spleen or blood. Lymphoma cell lines established from tumours of BL patients and lymphoblastoid cell lines originating from other sources also exhibited an increased agglutination and reduced cap formation with con A. Further studies indicated that EBV-carrying human lymphoid lines had a reduced cap-forming ability compared to EBV-negative lines.


Cellular immunity in infectious mononucleosis: I. Spontaneous and phytohaemagglutinin-induced blast transformation in infectious mononucleosis, with special reference to depressed cellular reactivity and stimulation-blocking serum factors. Lymphocytes of patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM), EBV sero-positive subjects, patients with viral infections other than EBV, and EBV sero-negative subjects were tested for phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-induced and spontaneous transformation in vitro. Lymphocytes of EBV sero-positive healthy subjects, tested in autologous serum, have higher spontaneous transformation than those of EBV sero-negative subjects. IM patients, in the acute phase of illness, have depressed spontaneous lymphocyte transformation, independent of serum factors. Serum factors are present in acute IM that depress spontaneous transformation further, and to a lesser extent depress reactivity to PHA. By the time the IM patients had recovered, greater than 9 weeks after onset of illness, the defects observed had disappeared.


On the etiological role of Herpesvirus ovis in jaagsiekte. Serologically related ovine herpesviruses have been isolated independently by various workers in different countries from adenomatous lung tissue of sheep or cell cultures derived from it. Although the disease can be transmitted with lung homogenates and with cell cultures, transmission attempts with virus alone failed. IUDR treatment of tumour-cell cultures and co-cultivation or fusion with cells permissive for virus replication induced antigens which react with some sera from tumour-bearing animals. These antigens give positive immunofluorescence reactions with sera both positive and negative in neutralization assays against the virus, however. Hybridization studies failed to demonstrate the presence of viral genomes in 15.4 tumour cells.


The development and application of a direct radioimmunoassay for plasma aldosterone using 125I-labeled ligand--comparison of three methods. A direct, rapid, sensitive, and highly specific radioimmunoassay for plasma aldosterone has been developed using aldosterone conjugated to [125I]histamine as ligand and a highly specific aldosterone antiserum. This assay permits the direct measurement of plasma aldosterone without preliminary extraction or purification steps and hence allows a single technician to assay 500 samples in a week. An excellent correlation was obtained between the results of the direct assay and the levels measured after paper chromatography (n = 43, r = 0.99, P less than 0.001) or after extraction (n = 43, r = 0.99, P less than 0.001). The coefficients of variation for intra-assay and inter-assay determinations of samples from a normal plasma pool were 7.6% and 9.3%, respectively.


Evidence for an angiotensinogenic mechanism of the hypertension of Cushing's syndrome. The blood pressure response to the angiotensin II analog 1-sar-8-ala-angiotensin II, or saralasin, was studied in five patients with clinical and laboratory evidence of Cushing's syndrome. Plasma renin activity, plasma renin substrate, and plasma renin concentration were measured in all five patients. The renin system and the response to saralasin were measured after furosemide administration. Plasma aldosterone was measured after infusion of 2 liters normal saline. All patients studied showed a hypotensive response to saralasin, the mean BP changing from 163/108 mm Hg to 130/85 mm Hg (P less than 0.02). There was a significant elevation of the plasma renin activity and plasma renin concentration in the patients compared to normal subjects, although plasma renin substrate was not significantly different from normal values. There was normal suppression of plasma aldosterone after the infusion of 0.9% saline. The findings indicate that the hypertension of these patients with Cushing's syndrome was mediated in large part by angiotensin II.


Control of pancreatic polypeptide secretion by glucose in man. In this work we have evaluated the effects of blood sugar changes on human pancreatic polypeptide (hPP) secretion in young, healthy subjects. Mean fasting hPP level was 74 +/- 5 (SEM) pg/ml (n = 53). Insulin-induced as well as tolbutamide-induced hypoglycemia clearly provoked hPP secretion (peaks: 1201 +/- 370 pg/ml, P = 0.03, and 520 +/- 112 pg/ml, P = 0.005, respectively). In contrast, the induction of hyperglycemia by intravenous glucose infusion (0.6 g/min) elicited a significant depression of circulating hPP (37-49% of basal values); discontinuing the infusion resulted in an increase of hPP concentrations (peak: 519 +/- 141 pg/ml, P = 0.018), which coincided with the decline of blood sugar to sub-baseline levels. Glucose as an intravenous bolus (0.33 g/kg) also induced a fall in plasma hPP. Glucose ingestion (1.75 g/kg) was followed by a small and short lived elevation of hPP (154 +/- 34 pg/ml at 15 min, P = 0.04) and by a marked rise during the late hypoglycemic phase of the test (538 +/- 168 pg/ml at 120 min, P = 0.028). Finally, after intravenous arginine, a delayed increase of hPP values was observed, occurring subsequently to the plasma glucose drop. The foregoing data indicate that experimental fluctuations in glycemia inversely affect hPP secretion. Nevertheless, this relationship does not necessarily mean that hPP should be directly implicated in glucose homeostasis.


Aromatization of androgens by muscle and adipose tissue in vivo. [7-3HA1Androstenedione and [4-14C]estrone or [7-3H]testosterone and [14C]estradiol were infused at constant rates into brachial arm veins of 15 normal men. During the infusions blood samples were obtained from the brachial artery, a deep vein draining primarily muscle, and a superficial vein draining primarily adipose tissue of the arm contralateral to the infusion. In seven men the mean +/- SE value for the fractional conversion of androstene tissue. In eight men the mean +/- SE value for the fractional conversion of testosterone to estradiol was 0.0007 +/- 0.0001 for muscle and 0.0012 +/- 0.0002 for adipose tissue. Both of these values were significantly (P less than 0.01) less than the respective values of androstenedione aromatization to estrone. If constancy of tissue aromatization throughout the body is assumed, the muscle accounts for 25-30% and adipose tissue for 10-15% of the total extragonadal aromatization of androgens to estrogens.


Turner's syndrome: index case after 44 years (a tribute to Dr. Henry H. Turner). Forty-four years after Dr. Henry Turner's original observations, the index case of Turner's syndrome was re-examined. Mild hypertension and sensorineural deafness were found in addition to the classic somatic changes of gonadal dysgenesis. Buccal smear examination and chromosome analysis, previously not performed, revealed absence of chromation bodies and 45,X, respectively.


Somatomedin activity and inorganic sulfate in children undergoing hemodialysis. Bioassayable serum somatomedin activity could be estimated in uremic subjects only after appropriate correction for increased circulating inorganic sulfate. Somatomedin activity increased after hemodialysis in six of ten patients, possibly due to removal of somatomedin inhibitors.


Early paradoxical decrease in serum somatomedin activity following injection of growth hormone. The early effects have been investigated of an intra-muscular growth hormone injection (6 mg/m2) on serum somatomedin activity in 21 children with growth hormone deficiency and in 5 children with constitutional short stature. In cases of hGH total deficiency, there was an early and significant decrease in SM activity, which reached a minimum level 2 hours after the injection (-34% p less than 0.01). After 24 hours, SM activity increased to +64% above basal levels. In cases of hGH partial deficiency and in short, non-hGH deficient children, no similar early changes were observed. Neither was any correlation found between the variations in SM activity and those in hGH or free fatty acid levels. The unexpected early decrease in SM activity following hGH administration seems to be related to GH deficiency.


The immediate pressor effect of saralasin in man. An immediate pressor response to [Sar1-Ala8]-angiotensin II (saralasin) is described in all of 16 hypertensive subjects. Blood pressure rose within 1-3 min, peaked at 4-6 min, then returned toward baseline. Plasma norepinephrine and dopamine beta-hydroxylase activity were unchanged by saralasin, indicating that the pressor response is not mediated by saralasin-induced catecholamine release. Ten normal renin hypertensives had diastolic pressor responses of 19.4 +/- 3.3 mm Hg. After 5 weeks of diuretic therapy, the diastolic pressor responses to saralasin were decreased to 4.9 +/- 2.4 mm Hg. Six low renin hypertensives had diastolic pressor responses of 26.2 +/- 6.2 mm Hg, but 5 weeks of diuretic therapy did not decrease these pressor responses significantly. In two normal and two low renin hypertensives, the diastolic blood pressure rose to levels greater than 150 mm Hg. The amplitudes of the immediate pressor responses were inversely correlated with the base-line plasma renin activities, r = -0.46. The data support the concept that the agonist activity of saralasin occurs at the angiotensin II vascular receptor level with clinical expression mediated by sodium and/or volume changes.


Estriol production rates and breast cancer. We have infused [6,7-3H]estrone or [6,7-3H]estradiol and [4-14C]estriol into seven women who had had breast cancer and into five normal postmenopausal women. We measured the endogenous concentrations and the metabolic clearance rates of estrone, estradiol, and estriol and calculated the blood production rates for these steroids in each group. There were no significant differences between the respective measurements for each group. Our data does not support the argument that physiological amounts of estriol are protective against breast cancer development in women.


The relationships between serum concentrations of 17OH-progesterone and other serum and urinary steroids in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Simultaneous determinations of serum concentrations of 17OH-progesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, and progesterone, and of urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids and pregnanetriol have been performed at intervals in 31 patients with the C21-hydroxylase form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. In prepubertal patients there were highly significant correlations between levels of 17OH-progesterone and those of testosterone, androstenedione, and progesterone, respectively. Similar correlations were observed in adolescent girls. In adolescent boys rising 17OH-progesterone levels were reflected by increasing levels of androstenedione and progesterone, but there was no change in serum testosterone concentrations. Levels of serum 17OH-progesterone below 200 ng/dl were uniformly associated with normal serum concentrations of testosterone, androstenedione, and progesterone, and normal urinary 17-ketosteroid and pregnanetriol excretion. In contrast, levels above 1000 ng/dl were accompanied by increased levels of the other steroids except in adolescent males; in this group the finding of unchanging serum testosterone concentrations in spite of rising 17OH-progesterone levels presumably indicates that testosterone of adrenal origin causes suppression of testicular testosterone production, either through a direct effect upon Leydig cells or via suppression of LH release.


Amniotic fluid reverse triiodothyronine in complicated pregnancy. The concentrations of reverse triiodothyronine (3,3',5'-T3 or rT3) in amniotic fluid (AF) were measured by radioimmunoassay in 81 patients with various complications of pregnancy and in 39 normal pregnant patients at equivalent gestational age. In normal pregnancy, AFrT3 concentrations decreased with advancing gestational age. At 21-25, 26-30, 31-35, and 36-40 weeks of normal pregnancy, AFrT3 concentrations (mean +/- SE) were 353 +/- 62 (n = 6), 131 +/- 49 (n = 7), 94 +/- 25 (n = 14), and 93 +/- 5 (n = 20) ng/dl, respectively (ranges: 200-600, 57-350, 66-135, and 50-135). Both normal and supranormal values of AFrT3 were found in patients with complicated pregnancy. In patients with RH isoimmune disease, higher than normal AFrT3 concentrations were associated with seriously affected or gravely ill fetuses wheras normal AFrT3 concentrations predicted a more favorable outcome. There was a good correlation between AFrT3 and AF pigment (deltaOD450) levels (r = 0.70, P less than 0.001). In complicated pregnancy other than erythroblastosis fetalis, AFrT3 concentrations were not of any prognostic significance, and there was no correlation between AFrT3 and lecithin/spingomyelin ratio. The data suggest that AFrT3 determination may help in the assessment of the fetal condition in erythroblastosis fetalis.


Sex variations in free fatty acids and ketones during fasting: evidence for a role of glucagon. Women differ markedly from men in their metabolic response to caloric deprivation. To determine if these differences could be attributed solely to changes in insulin concentration, a group of 8 women was matched with a group of 7 men so that the mean fall in serum insulin during a 72-h fast did not differ between the groups. Glucose levels fell to a greater degree in the women than in the men. The serum concentrations of free fatty acids and ketone bodies rose more rapidly in the women and closely paralleled the earlier rise in glucagon concentrations. Over the first 36 h of fasting the change in free fatty acids was positively correlated to the change in glucagon and negatively correlated to the change in insulin. For the second 36 h of fasting, only changes in glucagon correlated with changes in free fatty acids. These correlations were true for both sexes and support the hypothesis that glucagon plays a physiologically significant role the regulation of lipolysis during starvation.


Metabolism of 19-hydroxyandrostenedione in human subjects. Urinary excretion of conjugates. A mixture of [19-3H]hydroxyandrostenedione and [14C]androstenedione was administered intravenously to 3 women and urine was collected. Only negligible radioactivity could be extracted from the untreated urine. Most of the 14C but only 11% of the 3H was rendered solube in organic solvents by beta-glucuronidase. [3H-19]hydroxyandrostenedione was recovered from this fraction. The conjugates remaining in the urine were extracted into CHCl3 as their pyridinium salts. After solvolysis of the extract with HCLO4 in tetrahydrofuran, neutral metabolites were obtained. Substances extractable from water with organic solvents were obtained by solvolysis of the conjugates with perchloric acid in tetrahydrofuran. [3H-19]hydroxyandrostenedione was identified by isotopic dilution as the major product of solvolysis. Thus, 19-hydroxyandrostenedione undergoes conjugation with glucuronic acid and probably sulfuric acid, most likely at C-19. The major urinary metabolite is the sulfate-like conjugate. Reduction in ring A is less important than for other steroids.


Effect of atropine on meal-stimulated gastrin and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) release. The effect of atropine on meal-stimulated gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and gastrin release was studied in 5 purebred foxhounds and compared with control studies done in the same animals given a meal without atropine, peak incremental serum gastrin occurred between 5 and 15 min after the meal whereas the greatest increment in serum GIP occurred 60 min postcibal. Atropine had no effect on basal concentrations of gastrin or GIP. However, when atropine was given before feeding serum gastrin concentrations from 75 to 120 min postcibal were significantly higher (P less than 0.04) than after the meal alone. The normal meal-stimulated rise in serum GIP was almost completely inhibited by atropine. We conclude that: 1) the rise in serum gastrin adter a meal preceeds the rise in serum GIP; 2) atropine potentiates the late gastrin response while suppressing the increase in serum GIP after a meal; and 3) the mechanism by which atropine potentiates gastrin release may be related to its suppressive effects on intestinal inhibitors of gastrin secretion, such as GIP.


Integrated concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone and puberty. Integrated serum concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone are compared from 25 males (aged 6-27 years) and 8 females (aged 5-16 years). Mean levels of FSH among prepubertal and early-to-mid pubertal individuals were significantly greater during sleep than while awake. Levels for late pubertal and postpubertal individuals do not differ between waking and sleeping periods.


Some limitations of using equilibrium dialysis to study human serum albumin-testosterone interaction. The apparent association constant of testosterone binding to pure human serum albumin was found to be significantly less at 5 g/dl (1.79 x 10(4) M-1) than at 1 g/dl (2.29 x 10(4) M-1). This demonstrates that the common assumption that binding site characteristics are constant with serum protein dilution is not strictly valid. Determination of the percent free testosterone at normal serum protein concentrations by equilibrium dialysis may also be in error by 20% or more due to fluid shifts within the test system.


Abnormal response of pancreatic glucagon to glycemic changes in diabetes mellitus. In order to determine pancreatic alpha cell function in diabetes mellitus, plasma glucagon responses to either an oral glucose load or insulin-induced hypoglycemia were investigated. Plasma glucagon in 6 normal control subjects fell significantly after the administration of glucose, whereas the levels of plasma glucagon did not decrease after glucose ingestion in patients with diabetes mellitus. In the group with severe diabetes, whose fasting blood glucose exceeded 200 mg/100 ml, the plasma glucagon level rose after glucose administration instead of decreasing. In 6 patients with diabetes mellitus, plasma glucagon did not decrease but rather increased during a glucose tolerance test which was performed after treatment with insulin and/or diet. In 6 control subjects, there was a remarkable rise of plasma glucagon in response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia. In contrast, no significant rise in plasma glucagon was demonstrated in 19 diabetic subjects undergoing intravenous insulin test. Seven patients, in whom an insulin test was repeated after treatment with insulin, sulfonylurea, or diet had a small rise in peak plasma glucagon and an increase in the integrated area under the glucagon response curve. It is concluded that the abnormal glucagon response to changes in blood glucose might be a primary defect in diabetes mellitus.


Increased plasma somatomedin reactivity in chronic renal failure as determined by acid gel filtration and radioreceptor assay. Plasma Somatomedin (SM) reactivity has been determined in patients with chronic renal failure and in normal children by radioreceptor assay (RRA) following acid gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. Total small molecular weight SM reactivity was obtained by the summation of all values between Kav 0.55 to 0.75. The mean SM reactivity (+/-SE) for the renal failure group (N = 9) was 154 +/- 10 ng/ml and for the normal subjects (N = 9) was 91 +/- 5 ng/ml (p less than .001). The renal failure group also had significantly increased mean levels of insulin, GH and PRL, but individual increases were not always concordant. Our data reveal that small molecular weight SM reactivity as determined by RRA of column eluates is increased in chronic renal failure compared to normal controls. Thus SM reactivity is not low in chronic renal failure, supporting the suggestion that peripheral antagonism to SM action contributes to the growth failure observed in these patients.


Response of norepinephrine and blood pressure to stress increases with age. While at rest young subjects have lower mean arterial blood pressure than old subjects and lower circulating levels of the neurotransmitter of the sympathetic nervous system, norepinephrine (NE). After standing and performing an isometric exercise, young subjects increase their circulating levels of NE less than old subjects. The cold pressor test is commonly used as a stimulus to the sympathetic nervous system, and young subjects have a much smaller pressor response than old subjects. In response to uniform stresses young subjects secrete less NE and have a smaller blood pressure response than old subjects.


The effect of age on amino acid composition of human skin collagen. To study the effect of age on amino acid composition of human skin collagen, skins from 8 women aged 0 to 93 were extracted with acetone and EDTA and then gelatinized. Gelatin was purified by extraction with chloroform-methanol and DEAE cellulose chromatography. Hydroxyproline was spectrophotometrically determined and its contents were essentially the same (12.6%). Amino acid analysis indicated no significant age-related variations in the contents of proline, hydroxyproline, lysine, and hydroxylysine over the range of 0 to 93 years of age. The content of cysteine was reasonably low (0.4 to 0.6 per 1,000 amino acid residues) except in the cases of those 0 and 93 years of age. Aldehyde content was slightly lower in young cases than in infant and old cases. These results indicate that the changes in cross-links derived from aldehyde may be responsible for the effect of age.


Electroencephalograms and autopsy findings in geropsychiatry. The relationships between post-mortem findings and electroencephalographic tests obtained during the 12 mo before death were investigated for 100 psychogeriatric subjects. The results, which due to methodological limitations are only tentative, suggest a fairly close correlation between the two sets of data, which can, however, be obscured by a number of factors, notably the presence of severe physical illness (cerebral and systemic, including severe drug effects) of a nonstructural type at the time of the EEG. In their absence, diffuse EEG slowing strongly suggests senile-Alzheimer's brain disease (it is associated with plaque and tangle formation, ventricular dilatation, and cortical atrophy); and intermittent lateralized slow waves strongly suggest hemodynamic problems due to sclerosis of cerebral arteries. Brain lesions produce EEG changes mostly if large and close to the cortex. If the necessary precuations in EEG interpretation are taken (i.e., mainly consideration of present clinical state), the EEG is diagnostically quite helpful in this group of subjects.


Haptic exploration in young, middle-aged, and elderly adults. Matching accuracy and strategy utilization in young, middle-aged, and elderly adults was examined in a series of intramodal, haptic match-to-standard problems. Subjects were presented with 2-, 3-, and 4-comparison stimulus arrays and asked to locate by touch alone the comparison stimulus that exactly matched the standard. Results indicated that elderly adults, in comparison to young and middle-aged adults, were less successful in solving the haptic problems. Furthermore, they also displayed less systematic and logical haptic search strategies. Discussion of the results focused on the competence-performance distinction and the relation of selectivity and performance during the aging process.


Age and familiarity in memory scanning.

Age and familiarity in memory scanning. Sixty-five healthy males (31 to 75 years old) memorized lists of six letters (familiar or unfamiliar organization). Letters were then presented singly, and subjects responded yes or no according to whether a given letter was in the memorized set. Subjects of all ages took longer to respond in the case of the unfamiliar list. This was disproportionately true for the oldest subjects, consistent with the idea that the age-related differences in the unfamiliar condition could not be wholly accounted for by psychomotor factors. The distributions of response latencies in the oldest groups had greater variance and skew.


Differences and changes with age in the Benton visual retention test. The relation of adult age and performance on memory for designs (Benton Revised Visual Retention Test) was determined for men by analyzing: (a) three cross-sectional samples (Ns = 402, 162, and 293); (b) two longitudinal samples (repeated measures at least 6 years apart, Ns = 268 and 82); and (c) within-cohort comparisons of men born in the same period, but tested at different times. The results were essentially the same for the age differences, age changes, and estimates of age changes based upon within-cohort differences. Increases in errors were small for the young groups, moderate for the men in their 50s and 60s, and substantial for the men over 70. WAIS Vocabulary measures for these same samples showed small cross-sectional differences favoring the older men, no overall longitudinal change but small relative deficits for the older participants, and small declines in estimates of age changes based upon comparisons of independent samples born during the same period. In general, the results indicate age declines in memory-for-designs performance for men particularly late in life, but only small (if any) age declines in vocabulary for the same samples. No correlation was found in either longitudinal sample between change in memory performance and change in vocabularly score.


Cognitive egocentrism in institutionalized adult males. Spatial egocentrism and its relationships to discrimination ability and communicative egocentrism were investigated in a sample of 80 adult males from a single institutional setting. The participants ranged in age from 33 to 83 years. As predicted, no significant age differences were obtained on any of the three dependent measures. However, significant effects of order of task presentation indicated that the experimental procedure influenced performance on the spatial and communicative egocentrism and discrimination tasks. The findings, which provide support for the Piagetian position of maintenance of operational level through the life-span, were discussed in terms of social and affective factors which may influence adult performance on cognitive tasks.


The effect of aging on the stages of processing in a choice reaction time task. Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of aging on the encoding and response selection stages of a choice reaction time task. In Experiment I, the Sternberg Additive Factor Method was used. Young (average age 20) and old (average age 73) subjects pressed a left- or right-hand key in response to the onset of an X or an O. The discriminability of these characters was manipulated so as to affect primarily the stimulus encoding stage. A tone presented simultaneously with the characters provided an irrelevant directional cue which previous research had indicated affects the response selection stage. The pattern of interactions of these manipulated variables with age suggested that aging affected stimulus encoding but not response selection. Results of Experiment II suggested that reducing stimulus discriminability may affect information processing prior to the encoding stage but confirmed the major conclusion of Experiment I that the encoding stage was the primary locus of the slowing which accompanied aging.


Effects of social incentives on task performance in the elderly. The performance of 60 elderly volunteers (mean age = 74.5 years) on two cancellation tasks was examined under one of three experimental conditions: social praise, social reproof, or no comment. When compared with the no-comment group, subjects in the reproof condition showed response increments over baseline performance (p less than .05). Praise, when compared with no comment, failed to reach statistical significance. Results are interpreted in terms of the possible negative reinforcement, challenge, or informational properties of reproof. The clear implications from these data are that social incentives may well facilitate behavioral change in the aged and that there is a need for further examination of the effects of this variable.


Young children's contact with the elderly. The present research is an investigation of the frequency and type of contact which young children have had with elderly persons. It is also an examination of the relationship between this contact and children's ability to identify or discriminate elderly persons. Interview data were gathered from children's parents pertaining to experiences which the children had with persons 70 years or older. The same children were also exposed to a series of stimulus discrimination tasks in which they were asked to identify the oldest man from  a range of pictures. The research yielded descriptive data pertaining to the contact which children have with the elderly. It also revealed a statistically significant relationship between children's frequency of contact with elderly persons and their ability to identify the elderly.


Retirement choice and retirement satisfaction. Retirees from major corporations who reported they retired voluntarily were compared with nonvoluntary retirees to determine the individual factors that led to a voluntary or nonvoluntary decision to retire and the impact of that voluntary/nonvoluntary decision on retirement attitudes and satisfaction. Seven firms provided mailing lists of recent retirees, and 1486 respondents completed questionnaires. Voluntary retirees tended to be persons with higher income, occupation, and health status, who had more positive feelings about retirement and more family support for their decision to retire, compared with nonvoluntary retirees. Voluntary retirees were significantly more likely to have positive attitudes and higher satisfaction in retirement than nonvoluntary retirees. However, health status and preretirement feelings about retirement were more significant predictors of retirement attitudes and satisfaction than the voluntary/nonvoluntary decision. Implications of these findings for preretirement counseling and retirement policies are discussed.


Aging and the right to terminate medical treatment. Belief in the right of patient and/or family to terminate medical care in the case of irreversible terminal illness is analyzed by age level, education, health, and attitudes to patient rights in general. The issue of terminating treatment has become important as the result of new technologies which permit continuance of bodily functions by mechanical means; stopping care involves confrontation with the norm of maintaining life at all costs. Although age is related to support of the right to halt treatment, with those over 65 least likely to agree, the style of relation to professional care in general has more explanatory power.


Issues and findings relating to multi-level accommodation for seniors. Tenants in self-contained suites and board-residence in a building also offering personal care were interviewed pre- and post-move and were compared with tenants in more traditional retirement housing, offering only self-contained suites, with applicants who did not move in and with elderly nonapplicants. There was no evidence of differential decline, relative to controls, in the self-reported health status, level of interaction with family and friends, or in the activity level of those who moved to the multilevel facility. If anything, benefits accrued from the move in the form of higher morale and increased interaction with neighbors. Furthermore, more in the multi-level tenant group than in any other group felt that they had more friends and that they were "getting out" and "dressing up" to a greater extent than when interviewed 18 mo earlier. These findings should help to allay the fears of those concerned that the well-elderly might find it depressing to be among those less competent and that the availability of on-site meals, housekeeping and nursing services, and recreation might foster dependency and/or disengagement from the broader community.


The occurrence of Oesophagostomum multifoliatum Daubney and Hudson, 1932, in Nigerian cattle. Oesophagostomum multifoliatum, previously known to occur only in Kenya, Rhodesia and Tanzania, was found on the Jos Plateau of Nigeria in cattle. Of the 120 cattle examined post-mortem, 78 (65%), were found to be infected. The faecal egg, of which only the size was hitherto known, is described and figured; it shows striking similarities to that of Nematodirus. The possibility is expressed that O. multifoliatum might have been mistaken for the more familiar but closely related species O. radiatum and O. columbianum or its egg with that of Nematodirus; it is probable that it is much more widespread than hitherto thought.


A study of the relationship between the energy contents of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae and their death during penetration of mammalian host skin. Immersion of Biomphalaria pfeifferi in 1.5% glucose solution showed that the snails did not absorb any glucose during the first six hours but that almost 30% of the glucose was absorbed after 24 hours. The glycogen content of such "glucose-fed" snails was much higher than that of control normal snails. Cercariae of S. mansoni collected from the former snails exhibited a much lower level of death (20%), during penetration of mouse skin, than that of control normal cercariae (36%). It is suggested that death of S. mansoni cercariae during penetration of mammalian host skin is probably due to exhaustion of their energy reserves.


Morphological variations within the species Onchocerca armillata and O. gutturosa in buffaloes and cattle in India, with special reference to the male tail and cuticular ornamentation. Morphological variations in Onchocerca armillata and O. gutturosa, from buffalo and cattle, with special reference to male tail and cuticular ornamentation, have been studied from a large collection of worms available from the infected aortae and ligamentum nuchae, procured from slaughter houses at 3 different localities in Uttar Pradesh, India. Seven variations in the disposition of caudal papillae in males in O. armillata and 14 in O. gutturosa are described. The prevalence of these two Onchocerca species in bubaline and bovine populations appears to be widespread.


Identification of active cell in potassium transporting epithelium. Epithelial ion transport regulates the environment of cells and modulates the environment inside them, making possible the evolution of eukaryotic organisms. Analysis of the transport process requires that the route taken by ions as they are actively transported across epithelia be known. The route can be determined by locating ion pumps electrically and by measuring transport pool sizes kinetically provided that the epithelial structure is simple enough to enable the results to be interpreted in cellular terms. The route by which potassium is actively transported across the lepidopteran midgut is demonstrated here by a combination of electrical and kinetic analyses. Two sorts of cells, goblet and columnar cells, are distinguished by their electrical properties. The goblet cell is identified as the site of active potassium transport, the pump being localized in its apical membrane. The goblet cells are electrically coupled with columnar cells only when midguts that have been isolated from diet-reared larvae are short circuited. A corollary to this result is that the size of the pool of potassium which is involved in transport should be small when the goblet cells are not coupled with columnar cells and should become large when they are coupled. This corollary has been confirmed by direct measurement of the transport pools using isotope tracer kinetic analysis. This is the first time that the cell type responsible for active ion transport in a polymorphic tissue has been identified directly by physiological means.


Refinements in the short-circuit technique and its application to active potassium transport across the cecropia midgut. 1. The conventional, two-electrode method for measuring potential difference across an epithelium is subject to error due to potential gradients caused by current flow in the bathing medium. Mathematical analysis shows that the error in measuring short-circuit current is proportional to the resistivity of the bathing medium and to the separation of the two recording electrodes. It is particularly serious for the insect larval midgut, where the resistivity of the medium is high, and that of the tissue is low. 2. A system has been devised, which uses a third recording electrode to monitor directly the potential gradient in the bathing medium. By suitable electrical connexions, the gradient can be automatically compensated, leaving a residual error which depends on the thickness of the tissue, but not on the electrode separation. Because the thicknesses of most epithelia are smaller than the smallest practical electrode spacing, this error is smaller than that inherent in a two-electrode system. 3. Since voltage-gradients are automatically compensated, it is possible to obtain continuous readings of potential and current. A 'voltage-clamp' circuit is described, which allows the time-course of the short-circuit current to be studied. 4.The three-electrode system has been used to study the larval midgut of Hyalophora cecropia. The average results from five experiments were: initial potential difference (open-circuit): 98+/-11 mV (S.E.M.); short-circuit current at time 60 min: 498+/-160 microA cm=2; 'steady-state' resistance at 60 min: 150+/-26 omega cm2. The current is equivalent to a net potassium transport of 18.6 mu-equiv cm-2 h-1. 5. The electrical parameters of the midgut change rapidly with time. The potential difference decays with a half-time of about 158 min, the resistance increases with a half-time of about 16 min, and the short-circuit current decays as the sum of two exponential terms, with half-times of about 16 and 158 min respectively. In addition, potential and short-circuit current show transient responses to step changes. 6. The properties of the midgut are compared with those of other transporting epithelia, and their dependence on the degree of folding of the preparation is discussed. Their time-dependence is discussed in the context of changes in potassium content of the tissue, and the implications for measurements depending on the assumption of a steady state are outlined.


Non-release of lactic acid from anaerobic swimming muscle of plaice Pleuronectes platessa L.: a stress reaction. 1. Plaice caught by trawl net and plaice exercised in laboratory tanks all show high levels of lactic acid (33--44 mmol/kg) in the anaerobic swimming muscle. During exhausting exercise 2 moles of lactate are formed from 1 mole of glycogen glucose. After an 8 h rest 50--80% of the muscle glycogen is restored. 2. Blood lactate levels remain low (0.5--2 mmol/l) in the majority of plaice caught by trawl. In a small number of plaice, peak levels over 5 mmol/l are reached 2--4 h after capture. Low blood lactate levels could be guaranteed in all fish exercised 24 h after the stress of capture and in tank-adapted fish exercised and injected with the beta-adrenergic stimulating drug, isoxsuprine hydrochloride. The blood lactate in plaice, tank-adapted for more than 8 days and then exercised, may reach peak levels up to 5 mmol/l 2--4 h later. 3. High blood lactate levels were obtained by injecting the beta-adrenergic block propranolol to stressed exercised fish. The alpha-adrenergic block did not have this effect. All plaice with blood lactate levels reaching 5--12 mmol/l died. 4. The results indicate that the muscle cells regulate the release or nonrelease of their lactate load to the blood stream and increases in the blood circulating to the muscle do not influence this release. The non-release mechanism may be actived by a catecholamine circulated in the blood stream following a stress.


Reproduction versus somatic growth: hormonal control in Octopus vulgaris. 1. Octopus vulgaris can be forced into precocious maturity by removal of the subpedunculate lobe from the brain, an operation that releases the optic glands from inhibition, and allows them to secrete a gonadotropin. 2. 14C-leucine was injected into the bloodstream of immature animals and its subsequent incorporation into muscle protein followed by taking successive samples from the arms. The optic glands were then activated, and a further injection of 3H-leucine given and followed by means of further arm samples. 3. Optic gland secretion suppresses protein synthesis in the muscles. This is associated with an increase in the total amino acid pool in the muscles and with a considerable increase in the concentration of free amino acids circulating in the blood. 4. If an ovary is present these events are associated with a rapid growth of the ovary and its ducts, and a loss of weight elsewhere. In ovariectomized animals the ducts grow, but there is no yolk to absorb the large pool of free amino acids, and the animals gain weight by osmotic uptake of water into the muscles. 5. The developing ovary may produce a hormone that increases the release of amino acids from muscle, since the concentration circulating in the blood of intact animals remains at least as high as in ovariectomized octopuses, despite the demands of the developing ovary. 6. These matters are discussed in relation to other evidence for a gonadial hormone and in relation to the 'self-destruct' effect of the optic gland secretion in determining the post-reproductive death of octopuses.


Decreased locomotor and investigatory exploration after denervation of catecholamine terminal fields in the forebrain of rats. 1. Pressures on the right and left sides of the tails of swimming bluefish were measured and found to have a range of +5.9 to -5.9 cm H2O. The pressures were resolved into their forward and lateral vectorial components of force to allow calculation of forward and lateral force and power at speeds ranging from 0.26 to 0.87 m/s. 2. The peak to peak changes in force of acceleration of the body, measured with a forward accelerometer averaged 209 g or 2.05 N at 0.48 m/s, and were compared with the maximum to minimum excursions of forward tail force averaging 201 g or 1.97 N at the same speed. The mean difference was 8 g, S.D. of the mean difference +/-29, SE. of mean difference +/-10 g. 3. Mean tail thrust was calculated as the time average of tail force in the forward direction. It averaged 65 g , or 0.64 N, at 0.48 m/s. The mean forward power was 0.34 N m/s at 0.48 m/s. The drag of the gauges and wires accounted for 10% of this figure. 4. The mean lateral power of the tail was 1.28 N m/s at a mean speed of 0.48 m/s. 5. The propulsive efficiency of the tail, calculated as the ratio of forward power to forward plus lateral power, was found to be 0.20 S.D.+/-0.04, S.E.+/-0.01 and was not related to speed. This suggests that 80% of the mechanical power of the tail was wasted. Turbulence in the water may have contributed to this large drag and low tail efficiency.


Measurement of single nephron filtration rate in the kidney of the river lamprey, Lampetra fluviatilis L. 1. The reliability of [3H]inulin as a reference substance for the measurement of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in river lampreys was investigated. 2. Simultaneously measured renal clearances of [3H]inulin and [14C]-polyethylene glycol (PEG) were not significantly different. 3. Recoveries of [3H]inulin in the urine following its injection into the proximal tubule and urinary duct averaged 83.5+/-4.0% (n = 14) and 93.0+/-4.6% (n = 9) respectively. 4. No evidence was obtained to suggest penetration of the tubular wall by by [3H]inulin following its introduction into peritubular capillaries. 5. Gel-filtration of lamprey plasma and urine produced no signs of any significant degradation of the inulin to fructose. 6. [3H]inulin recoveries, though significantly below 100% (P less than 0.001), were considered adequate to justify its use after allowing for possible sources of error. 7. A mean single nephron filtration rate (SNGFR) value of 7.02+/-0.27 nl/min (n = 89) was obtained from the kidneys of anaesthetized freshwater lampreys. 8. [51 Cr]EDTA was found to be totally unsuitable for the measurement of GFR in this species.


Partial trisomy 13q inherited from balanced translocation (5;13) (p14;q13). A girl with multiple congenital malformations was found to have an abnormal karyotype: 46,XX,t(5;13) (13pter leads to 13q13 : : 5p14 leads to 5qter), meaning that she is monosomic for the distal part of the short arm of chromosome No. 5 (from 5pter to 5p14) and trisomic for the long arm of chromosome No. 13 (from 13q13 to 13qter). The proband's father is a carrier of a balanced reciprocal translocation: 46, XY, t(5;13) (p14;q13) (13qter leads to 13q13 : : 5p14 leads to 5qter; 13pter leads to 13q13 : : 5p14 leads to 5pter). Therefore, the propositus' abnormal karyotype was interpreted as the result from an adjacent type 1 malsegregation of the meiotic paternal quadrivalent MI22,IV (5p 14;13q13). Her phenotype agrees with the preliminar map of Noël et al. (1976) but, in addition, she shows craniosynostosis and practically normal psychomotor maturation.


The peroneal muscular atrophy syndrome: clinical, genetic, electrophysiological and nerve biopsy studies. I. Clinical, genetic and electrophysiological findings and classification. 1. A clinical, genetic, electrophysiological and nerve biopsy study of 49 index cases with peroneal muscular atrophy is reported. 2. In dominantly inherited cases, motor conduction velocities of the upper limbs within kinships indicated segregation into five groups which we have termed: a) hypertrophic neuropathy (less than 25 m/sec); b) intermediate group (25-45 m/sec); c) neuronal sensorimotor neuropathy (greater than 45 m/sec); d) neuronal motor neuropathy (greater than 45 m/sec); e) neuronal motor neuropathy with upper motor neurone involvement (greater than 45 m/sec). 3. The intermediate group is distinguished from the hypertrophic neuropathy group by the absence of clinically observed nerve hypertrophy and by the presence of a number of clinical features, including a more rapidly progressive disease. It is concluded to be genetically separate. This group is similarly quite distinct from the neuronal groups. Nerve biopsy studies support this view (Madrid et al., 1977; Bradley et al., 1977). 4. There was a relationship between severity of the disease and the conduction velocity which was most evident in the intermediate group. 5. There appeared to be an increase in motor conduction velocity with age in the hypertrophic neuropathy group, while the velocity fell in older patients in the intermediate group. 6. Sensory conduction velocity generally paralleled motor velocity but showed relatively less reduction. 7. Upper motor neurone features were not uncommon, appearing particularly in the intermediate group. Their presence may not therefore be a reliable basis for the classification of cases of peroneal muscular atrophy. 8. Tremor was observed in the hypertrophic, intermediate and neuronal motor neuropathy groups of patients, and does not provide a useful criterion for the classification of peroneal muscular atrophy. 9. There was occasional evidence to suggest poor or abnormal expression of the gene in dominantly inherited cases. Until more specific markers are available sporadic cases should be classified on the basis of the dominant forms, though they show a greater variability.


[Familial manifestation of a circumscribed cutaneous aplasia of the vertex associated, in one case, with cardiac malformation (author's transl)]. The authors described a one-month-old baby girl showing a zone of cutaneous aplasia of the vertex; she presented, in addition, an extensive interventricular communication. A family study enabled them to ascertain that her three-year-old brother had a scarred alopecial area starting at the bregmatic region and continuing backwards along the median line; the six-year-old sister also had a scar on the vertex. Neither parent had any anomaly of the scalp. It would appear that circumscribed cutaneous aplasias generally result from a localised developmental defect, the exact mechanism of which remains unexplained. Circumscribed cutaneous aplasia which is sporadic and isolated in the majority of cases of trisomy 13) can, however, be transmitted as a mendelian trait, usually dominant. In the family under study, the absence of any lesion in the parents and the very small distance separating the two communes from which they originated rather favour a recessive autosomal mode of heredity.


[Porphyria variegata: a study of a large family (author's transl)]. Porphyria variegata (or South-African porphyria) is not a rare disease in Europe. Its transmission, in a Walloon family, is described. The pedigree extends over 7 generations and comprises 184 individuals. It was possible to carry out biological studies on 100 family members. The results of the analyses are presented and discussed. The levels of fecal porphyrines, the presence of cutaneous lesions and the genealogical relationships permitted the establishment of a coherent picture. Three other families suffering from the same disease are briefly reported. A systematic search for carriers of the gene is indispensable in porphyrias. All identified carriers must be warned of the risks they run and must be supplied with a list of medicaments to be avoided. The prevention of cutaneous lesions by beta-carotene is envisaged.


[Genetic risk in cases of reciprocal translocation (author's transl)]. The analysis of 206 families with reciprocal translocations revealed thanks to a patient who was a carrier of an unbalanced translocation demonstrated the risk of a child suffering from the disease at about 16.4%, in the case of a meiotic segregation 2 : 2. In the case of translocation with meiotic segregation 3 : 1, the risk is much less, i.e. 7.6% for female carriers and significantly less than 3/83 for male carriers. It is extremely important to take this difference into account when evaluating the risks during genetic counselling. On the other hand, the freqeuncy of spontaneous abortions is practically the same for carriers of translocations with these two types of segregation and rises to nearly 23%; i.e. the postzygotic selection influences, to the same degree, zygotes with one chromosome too many, one two few, and zygotes with 46 chromosomes, but of which one has a defect or an excess of genetic material. Such selection depends rather on an interaction between the abnormal genome of the zygote (embryo) and the genome of the mother, whilst the prezygotic selection operates against the gametes having one chromosome too many or one too few. A large asymmetry in the length of the exchanged fragments could be one of the causes of the 3 : 1 segregation. This is proved by a more frequent participation (48/60) of the acrocentric chromosomes in the translocations with segregation 3 : 1. On the other hand, in translocations with segregation 2 : 2, acrocentrics are found much more rarely (66/146).


[Onycho-osteo-dysplasia (in connection with two familial observations) (author's transl)]. The authors report on two familial observations of hereditary onycho-osteo-dysplasia and review the principal characteristics of this syndrome. Only one of the three reported cases presented the classical dysplastic tetrad. The other two suffered only from three associated anomalies (absence of elbow dysplasia). No renal involvement was observed. Dominant autosomal transmission was confirmed, in addition to a linkage with ABO blood groups. Finally, the authors emphasise the identity of phenotypic expression found in the cases studied.


Cytogenetic polymorphism or Y/15 translocation in a black male with ambiguous genitalia. A black male with ambiguous genitalia was found to have presumptive Y/15 translocation (46,XY,der(15) ? t(15;Y) (13;q12.2). The proband inherited this translocation from his father. All banding techniques were utilized to determine whether this was a polymorphism or a Y/15 translocation. No definite conclusion was reached but the results of QFQ, RFA, CBG, and GTG banding techniques are highly suggestive of Y/15 translocation.


The future of veterinary services in the Republic of South Africa. Future developments will depend mainly on new information generated by research and on effective application of preventive medicine. In the latter case, the various diagnostic centres in South Africa will have to be developed to their full extent, leading to the drawing up of computerised disease profiles and monitoring of the incidence of scheduled diseases. Dealing with these problems will require further knowledge to be generated by research. Problems of increasing drug, insecticide and acaricide resistance and problems of virus bionomics will call for attack at the molecular, biochemical, biophysical and immunological levels. This will demand adjustment of post-graduate veterinary education and of ever closer collaboration with scientists well-versed in the basic disciplines. Despite the argument that animal production will be ousted by crop production, the former, particularly in South Africa, is bound to develop and will call for more attention to the physiology of digestion and metabolism and to diseases of metabolism of ruminants. Concern is expressed that so few young veterinarians take up research as a career, as South Africa has many veterinary problems peculiar to itself.


Swimming--a method to study the physiologic response of the horse to exercise. The literature on exercise physiology in the horse with special reference to swimming is briefly reviewed. The use of a pool for swimming horses is described and a technique discussed for the collection of haematologic and haemodynamic data using this form of exercise.


Cube colic.

Cube colic. "Cube colic" is described and vain attempts to cause the problem on an experimental basis are recorded. It is concluded that not all horses are susceptible to cube colic and if colic occurs in horses being fed on cubes, it is not necessarily due to feeding of cubes. Nomenclature of bowel disorders is considered.


Fatal ovine nephrosis caused by Anagallis arvensis L. Cases of acute mortality in sheep, characterised by severe nephrosis and resultant uraemia, were investigated on two farms 150 km apart in the Winter Rainfall area of the Republic of South Africa. This condition was experimentally reproduced by dosing sheep with Anagallis arvensis L plants. The most consipicious lesion was a coagulative necrosis with intratubular haemorrhage in the renal cortex. The history, clinical signs and the pathology, and experimental reproduction of the disease are described.


The current status of resistance to organophosphorus ixodicides by the blue tick, Boophilus Decoloratus (Koch) in the Republic of South Africa and Transkei. In a four year survey 253 isolates of Boophilus decoloratus from the Republic of South Africa and Transkei were tested in the laboratory for their susceptibility to certain organophosphorus ixodicides. Fifty-seven of these isolates were susceptible to organophosphorus compounds, 88 isolates showed a range of susceptibility between that of the susceptible laboratory strain and a strain having a resistance greater than that for the Berlin type strain. A field trial confirmed degrees of resistance shown in the laboratory to the organophosphorus ixodicides benoxophos, chlorfenvinphos, dioxathion, dicrotophos, quintiofos and chlorfenvinphos/dioxathion.


Resistance to certain organophosphorus ixodicides in the bont tick, Amblyomma hebraeum Koch, in the Republic of South Africa and Swaziland. A series of in vitro trails confirmed resistance in the three-host tick, Amblyomma hebraeum Koch, to the organophosphorus ixodicides, dioxathion, chlorfenvinphos, quintiofos, bromophos-ethyl and a dioxathion/chlorfenvinphos combination. The results of a routine survey showed that a resistance factor of greater than 100x was present in the offspring of ticks in six of 115 field isolates tested. These six isolates were confined to the lowveld areas of the province of Natal, Republic of South Africa, and Swaziland. Ticks in a further 59 isolates were less susceptible than the reference strain. Resistance was present in all three tick instars. This is the first recorded resistance to the organophosphorus group of ixodicides by multi-host ticks in Africa.


The divided dosage/low dosage concept using fenbendazole. Fenbendazole was administered as an anthelmintic to cattle and sheep by incorporation into feed blocks. The therapeutic dose of 5 mg/kg live mass for sheep and 10 mg/kg for cattle was administered in divided dosages over periods of 4 d and in some cases 5 d. The periods were limited to obviate possible development of resistance. The anthelmintic effect was equal to, or better than, the standard therapeutic dose administered as a single dose in the form of the commercially available fenbendazole suspensions, when comparing the results obtained by the modified non-parametric method of evaluating anthelmintics.


A chronic wasting syndrome in a horse associated with granulomatous enteritis. A case of granulomatous enteritis in a 2 year-old Thoroughbred colt is reported. Clinically the horse showed chronic wasting and subcutaneous oedema of the ventral parts of the body and legs. Grossly the wall of the jejunum and ileum was uniformly thickened. Microscopically the lamina propria, submucosa and the tunica muscalaris of the small intestine were infiltrated with lymphocytes, plasma cells, epithelioid cells and occasional multinucleated giant cells. The granulomatous reaction was most marked in the muscular layers of the gut wall.


Oestrogen-induced bone marrow aplasia in a dog. A case of oestrogen toxicity in the dog is described. The bone marrow was primarily affected with resultant non-regenerative anaemia, leukocytosis followed by leukopaenia, and thrombocytopaenia. Endometritis, toxaemia and disseminate intravascular coagulation were complicating factors. The case terminated fatally intensive therapy.


Financial awareness for the veterinarian in private practice. The need for economic awareness is stressed, and some practical aspects which the author has found helpful are described in detail. Some such examples are: linking both professional and other salaries to gross fees as an aid to motivation, cash or credit for accounts receivable, financial analysis to guide money management, and the marketing of pet vaccines.


Mechanism of alteration in baroreflex cardiovascular responses due to volume loading. The effect and mechanism of volume loading (VL) on the baroreflex sensitivity, in terms of the changes in arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR) to a given change in carotid sinus pressure (CSP), were studied in rabbits anesthetized with chloralose and urethan. The carotid sinuses were vascularly isolated in order to regulate the CSP independently from the systemic arterial pressure. VL was accomplished by intravenous infusion of dextran solution or whole blood to raise the right atrial pressure from 0.4 to 10 cm water. When the CSP was lowered from 90 to 40 mmHg, VL reduced the baroreflex pressor response by 10.1 mmHg (42%) and 19.9 mmHg (46%) before and after aortic nerves section, respectively. The attenuation effect of VL on the carotid pressor response was abolished after cervical vagotomy. VL also reduced the extent of bradycardia and hypotension upon an elevation of CSP from 90 to 140 mmHg. Before aortic nerve section, the reduction by VL was 19.7 beats/min (41%) for the bradycardic response, and 15.1 mmHg (43%) for the depressor response. These attenuation effects of VL were absent after aortic denervation. The results suggest that VL alters the carotid baroreflex pressor response via the vagal afferents subserving the cardiopulmonary receptors, whereas it reduces the depressor and bradycardic responses through the aortic baroreceptor.


Caffeine contracture in transverse tubules-disrupted fiber and effect of anomalous anions on the contracture in frog twitch fiber. Caffeine contracture in transverse tubules-disrupted (T-disrupted) muscle preparation and the effect of anomalous anions (SCN and NO3) on the contracture in single twitch fibers or thin bundles consisting of 2 or 3 fibers of frog were investigated. The magnitude and the rate of rise of caffeine contracture tension were decreased by T-disruption and the decrease was more marked at lower concentrations of caffeine. No seasonal difference between summer and winter frogs on the effect of T-disruption on caffeine contracture was observed. On the other hand, the magnitude and the rate of rise of caffeine contracture tension in the intact preparation was increased by anomalous anions, whereas the rate of spontaneous relaxation of the contracture was decreased. The effect of SCN on caffeine contracture appeared 5 min after the pre-exposure of muscle preparation of SCN-Ringer solution, with the maximal effect appearing after 10 min. The threshold curve of caffeine contracture was shifted toward the lower caffeine concentrations by anomalous anions and the extent of the shift in the curve was more pronounced with SCN than with NO2. In contrast, the potentiating effect of these anions on the caffeine contracture completely disappeared in T-disrupted muscle preparation. On the basis of these results, the caffeine pathway to the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and the sites and mechanism of the action of anomalous anions on caffeine contracture are discussed.


Binding of 45Ca to intercalated discs of cardiac muscles studied by electron microscope autoradiography. The binding sites of Ca2+ entering the injured cardiac muscle cell was investigated by 45Ca electron microscope autoradiography in guinea pig papillary muscle and in frog ventricular muscle. The muscle was injured in Ca-free Tyrode's solution, transfered into 45Ca-Tyrode's solution and, after 30 min, fixed and cut into thin sections. An autoradiogram was taken after exposure (4--7 weeks) the thin film of the section was developed. Fine, or sometimes filamentous, silver grains produced by radiation with 45Ca were frequently observed on the intercalated discs of injured cells where most of the nexal membranes were separated. The number of 45Ca grains on the discs of injured cells was eight times more than that found on intact cells. The concentration of 45Ca grains estimated by the number of grains per unit area was 3.2 times higher in the disc region than that in the other cytoplasmic regions in the injured cells, while in the intact cells it was only 1/3 of that found in the latter. The localization of 45Ca grains along the disc of the injured cell was also examined and the fine grains were seen to be located on the separated nexal membrane or at the cytoplasmic side of the desmosome and fascia adherens. It is likely that Ca2+ binds with the nexal membrane and the resulting structural change, such as nexal separation, is indispensable for intercellular uncoupling or healing-over of cardiac muscles.


Developmental changes of the contractile activity and the drug sensitivity of smooth muscle of the alimentary tract of guinea pig. The mechanical activity of the smooth muscle of guinea pig alimentary tract changed during fetal and postnatal development. At the F20 (fetus, body weight 20 g) stage of the fetus, the antrum, small intestinal and colonic preparations showed no spontaneous activity. After this stage, spontaneous activity occurred but the patterns of contractile activity of various regions of the alimentary tract differed from those of the adult. However, at later fetal stages (F50 or later), the mechanical patterns of various regions, except the lower region of colon, were similar to adult patterns. An excitatory response to acetylcholine was observed in all regions at the F20 stage but catecholamines were not effective at this stage. Responses to catecholamines appeared later than those to acetylcholine but they were not constant. During development of the colon, the excitatory effect of adrenaline was significant and the effect was blocked by phenoxybenzamine, and isoprenaline inhibited the spontaneous activity. However, sympathetic nerve stimulation at F70 inhibited the mechanical activity and propranolol blocked the inhibitory action of sympathetic nerves. These results indicate the co-existence of alpha-excitatory and beta-inhibitory receptors on the developing colonic smooth muscle cell membrane.


Isolation and characterization of defective interfering particle of Newcastle disease virus. Newcastle disease virus grown in embryonated eggs was separated and purified by sucrose density gradient centrifugation into two distinct type of particles, B and T, the former being normal virus particles with high activities of hemagglutination, hemolysis, neuraminidase and infectivity, the latter being non-infectious virus particles with low activities of hemolysis and neuraminidase but high hemagglutination activity. B and T particles were shown to share a common antigen by immunodiffusion test. T particles were deficient in viral RNA, since they contained only 13s RNA in a small amount, whereas B particles possessed a large amount of 57s RNA and a small amount of 13s RNA. T particles interfered with the multiplication of normal Newcastle disease virus in primary cultures of chick embryo cells.


Carcinogenicity and polarographic behavior of dibenz[a,h]anthracene, dibenz[a,h]acridine and dibenz[a,h]phenazine. In a simultaneous test of carcinogenicity the authors have studied the activities of dibenz-[a,h]anthracene, dibenz[a,h]acridine and dibenz-[a,h]phenazine. These compounds were dispersed in paraffin disks and subcutaneously implanted in rats. Each experimental group consisted of 30 animals. The number of sarcomas induced by the above-mentioned compounds was 20, 5 and 3 respectively. Tumorigenicity of the aza analogues of dibenz[a,h]anthracene was proportional to their electron donation and inversely proportional to their electron acceptance in the performed polarographic test. The authors discuss the possibilities of using polarography as a screening test for the exclusion of carcinogenic polycyclic compounds.


F-wave conduction velocity in the deep peroneal nerve: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and dystrophia myotonica. The F-wave has been used to estimate the motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) along the proximal segment (spinal cord to knee) of the axons of the deep peroneal nerve in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and those with dystrophia myotonica. A new, modified method has been applied to estimate proximal MNCV in patients in whom F-waves or M-responses cannot be obtained from the small muscles of the foot. Terminal latencies and MNCV along the distal nerve segment (knee to ankle) have also been estimated using conventional techniques. The results have been compared with those obtained for control subjects. Proximal MNCV was severely slowed in every patient with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease; the degrees of proximal and distal MNCV decreases were related. In patients with dystrophia myotonica, distal and proximal MNCVs were significantly reduced in comparison with control subjects, the MNCV slowing was not related to the degree of muscle atrophy. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the nerves and muscles are independently affected in dystrophia myotonica. It is concluded that the F-wave MNCV technique is as useful as, and may be more sensitive than, the conventional MNCV method.


Combined chemoimmunotherapy of L5178Y lymphoma. The antitumoral effect of chemotherapy and immunotherapy with BCG and/or irradiated L5178Y cells has been compared to antitumoral effect of chemotherapy alone. Significantly better results were noted in a transplantable L5178Y lymphoma grafted on DBA/2-J mice treated with methotrexate and BCG than in any other group which was not treated with BCG. The effect of irradiated lymphoma cells was similar to effectivity of methotrexate alone.


Effect of ethanol on lactic acid production by exercised normal muscle. Several studies have suggested that muscle lactic acid production is defective in alcoholic myopathy. However, normal controls have not been evaluated. To study the effects of ethanol on the production of lactic acid in normal exercised muscle, oral ethanol (1 g per kg body weight, 20% v/v) was given to eight nonalcoholic subjects. Forearm ischemic exercise with a total work load of 7.2 kg-m/min was performed just before and 90 min after ingestion of ethanol. At the time of exercise, the serum ethanol level was 95.7 +/- 15.1 mg% (mean +/- SD). Resting serum lactic acid was significantly higher after ingestion of ethanol (15.7 +/- 4.5 mg%) than before (8.5 +/- 4.7 mg%). Lactic acid generation with ischemic exercise was significantly lower after ethanol ingestion. The mean peak serum lactic acid level (expressed as percentage elevation above resting) was 330.5 +/- 118.2% before and 127.9 +/- 75.1% after (p less than .05). These results indicate that a single oral dose of ethanol decreases lactic acid production by exercised muscle in normal subjects.


Electrochemical properties of polycyclic compounds studied by the polarographic method in anhydrous systems. VI. The influence of proton-donor on reduction of carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons in anhydrous environment. The authors have studied the electrochemical behaviour of a series of carcinogenic and inactive aromatic hydrocarbons in anhydrous environment in the presence of a proton-donor. As anhydrous environment the authors used water-free dimethylformamide and dimethylsulfoxide; as proton-donor phenol. Phenol gave rise to quantitative changes in the number of polarographic waves when the carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons were undergoing reduction. Between the two original waves there originated in the presence of phenol a new polarographic wave in these hydrocarbons. In inactive analogues of the investigated hydrocarbons no such effect of phenol has been ascertained. In their present study the authors discuss the potential mechanism of electroreduction of carcinogenic and inactive aromatic hydrocarbons in anhydrous environment in the presence of a proton-donor and compare the values of half-wave potentials of the investigated compounds measured in water-free dimethylformamide, dimethylformamide + phenol and in ethylenglycolmonomethylether.


Centronuclear myopathy: possible central nervous system origin. The authors describe a case of myopathy characterized physically by limb weakness, eyelid ptosis, voluntary and reflex paralysis of vertical movements of gaze, and loss of deep tendon reflexes; and morphologically by the abnormal presence of centrally located nuclei in muscle fibers and type 1 fiber hypotrophy. The establishment in this case study of two particular findings--the probably nuclear or supranuclear ophthalmoplegia and the apparently impaired nuclear migration from the center of the muscle fiber toward its periphery--supports the hypothesis of a neuromuscular disorder whose level of severity depends on the degree of difficulty in the nuclear migration itself. This would be linked to a reduction in central nervous system influence.


Establishment of cell line derived from human malignant melanoma. A new human cell line of malignant melanoma (MJM) was established with the use of the in vitro fragment technique. It has been maintained over 34 months of continuous cultivation. Three types of cells can be recognized by light microscope. The epitheloid elements predominate, less frequent are fibroblastoid and giant multinuclear cells. The pigment production is not macroscopically visible. Over 60 per cent of analyzed metabphases showed hyperdiploid number of chromosomes, the rest was mostly tetra and hexaploid. No marker chromosomes were detected. The growth studies indicate the MJM cells have 63-hr doubling time. Cytochemistry revealed positive pigment or propigment granules in 36 per cent of cells. Ultrastructural studies did not detect melanin granules but some particles resembling atypical premelanosomes and melanosomes were recognized in some sections.


Cytologic criteria in diagnostics of esophageal dysplasia. On the basis of exfoliative cytology material of 62 patients with precancerous esophageal diseases 3 stages of esophageal dysplasia were determined: mild, moderate and severe. In order to establish the stage of dysplastic alteration the author used morphological, functional, morphometric and cytochemical criteria. Cytologic criteria suggest by the author are objective indicies to find out early malignancy of esophageal epithelium. The usage of the above mentioned criteria enable to distinguish earlier forms of cancer of the esophagus and permits to lower the number of advanced cases.


Immunoglobin levels in patients with Hodgkin's disease. The authors examined a course of immunoglobulin values (IgA, IgG, IgM) in 40 patients with the Hodgkin's disease and repeatedly in 11 healthy persons. In the patients they followed the levels of the immunoglobulins during the disease, up to 5 years. In untreated patients there were statistically significant increased IgA levels and insignificant increase of IgG. In the course of remission the immunoglobulin values were normalized. The radiotherapy did not affect significantly the value of immunoglobulins, the combined chemotherapy (COPP) led to a drop of this level. The levels of immunoglobulins are recovered after chemotherapy in the case of successful treatment. In terms of the prognosis the authors consider as unfavorable high increase in the immunoglobulin levels in untreated patients and their rapid drop during the chemotherapy. They observed an average preterminal drop of the IgA by 27%, IgG by 23% and IgM by 44% with respect to controls.


Delayed hypersensitivity reactions in patients with breast cancer. Fifty six patients with metastatic cancer of the breast (stage IV) were treated with Cyclophosphamide, 5-Fluorouracil and Cyclophosphamide + 5-Fluorouracil. Tests for delayed hypersensitivity to homologous tumor antigen before treatment were positive in 83.9% and negative in 16.1%. Response to DNCB was positive before treatment in 51.8% and negative in 48.2%. Following chemotherapy the skin reaction, to homologous tumor antigen remained positive, only in 12.6% and negative in 87.4%. The reaction of DNCB remained positive after treatment only in 17.8%. In the remaining 82.2% suppression of the reaction occurred. These data show that chemotherapy may suppress, to a certain excent, immune responses. It is established that among patients who have shown a positive reaction to homologous tumor antigen 55.3% of all cases have displayed objective response to the treatment, and among these with negative skin reactions objective responses were observed in 22.22% of all cases. In patients with positive DNCB reactions objective responses were observed in 79.3% and among the negative ones--in 37.4%.


The response rate at chemotherapy in advanced Hodgkin's disease reflected by peripheral lymphocyte count. Forty patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease stage III and IV were treated with combination chemotherapy. Absolute lymphocyte count in the peripheral blood was determined before start to chemotherapy. Higher levels of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood were associated with higher chemotherapy response rates. This difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.05).


Infiltrating lipoma: a cause of monomelic hypertrophy. Muscle biopsy and computerized tomography indicated that unilateral enlargement of the gastrocnemius muscle in a 12-year-old girl was the result of an infiltrating lipoma. This rare condition may cause diagnostic confusion before EMG and muscle biopsy studies are performed, but it can be readily distinguished from other causes of unilateral muscle enlargement using these methods.


CT of the base of the skull.

CT of the base of the skull. A systematic study of the structures of the base of the skull was performed with CT. The findings in 141 pathological cases are described. The value and some limitations of this kind of investigation are described and discussed. A comparison with conventional tomography is made.


CT scanning for papilloma of choroid plexus. A case of choroid plexus papilloma is presented which was extensively investigated. The location of the pedicle of this tumor was not demonstrated by conventional CT, ventriculography of ventriculoscopy. Coronal CT sections, however, clearly showed the pedicle and its location. Dilatation of the cisterns and sulci suggested that there was overproduction of cerebrospinal fluid.


Computed tomographic findings in cerebral hemiatrophy. The clinical, plain skull radiographic, brain scan, and CT findings of four patients with cerebral hemiatrophy are described. CT scanning is the most innocuous and most sensitive diagnostic method available to confirm the clinical diagnosis when plain skull radiographic changes are not confirmatory.


Diagnosis of acoustic neuroma with computed tomography. Sixty-one acoustic neuromas were examined with computed tomography (CT). For differential diagnosis the tumors were thoroughly analyzed for manner of growth, shape, volume, calcification, attenuation pattern, constrast enhancement, presence of peripheral edema, and cisternal deformation.


Early contrast enhancement of acoustic neuroma. The changes of the enhancement of the lesion with time after intravenous administration of contrast medium were measured with computed tomography (CT) in 23 cases of acoustic neuroma. The pattern of high initial enhancement followed by a fairly rapid decrease is confirmed. A more rigorous study of the enhancement pattern using a mathematical description of the enhancement curve of the tumor as well as a measurement of the individual blood enhancement curve is discussed.


The so-called anterior meningeal artery of the cervical vertebral artery. Normal radioanatomy and anastomoses. Following a review of the literature, the authors show that the posterior branch of the odontoid arch and the anterior meningeal artery are, in reality, the same vessel. Focusing attention on the metameric nature of the upper cervical spine and its blood supply makes a simplified approach to the pharyngovertebral anastomoses possible.


Homocystinuria and carotid arteriography. This is a report of a case of homocystinuria where the diagnosis was suggested by the carotid arteriogram.


Neurological complications and myelographic features of achondroplasia. The neurological complications of achondroplasia are discussed based on the literature and two of our cases. Thoracolumbar kyphosis, hypertrophic osteoarthritis, and intervertebral disc herniations may cause early neurological disturbances to adult achondroplasts owing to the spinal stenosis. The symptoms range from nerve root compression syndromes to complete transverse myelopathy. The radiographic features are characteristic, but the value of myelography for etiological clarification and location of the pathological process is limited. The significance of early symptoms and signs must be stressed and early decompression performed, as results are very disappointing once extensive neurological damage has occurred. An extensive laminectomy is usually indicated.


Carotid artery occlusion and computed tomography. A clinicoradiological study. Computed tomography (CT scanning) was carried out on 35 patients with proven occlusion of the carotid artery. There was a clear correlation of the clinical picture with the CT demonstration of cerebral infarct; 14 patients had no identifiable infarct. The findings were also correlated with angiographic data. The degree of cross or collateral filling of the middle cerebral artery on the affected side correlated better with the clinical features than with the CT data. Radioisotope studies were positive in only 50% of cases in which CT had shown infarction; this was related to the time interval between the onset of symptoms and scanning. The significance of these findings and their relationship to previous clinical necropsy data are discussed.


Porphyrin-like compounds genesis under simulated abiotic conditions. Experiments with gas mixtures intended to simulate the primaeval atmosphere of the Earth yielded many biologically important chemicals. Investigations into the synthesis of porphyrin-like compounds from methane, ammonia and water vapour were carried out by using high frequency discharges. Microanalyses of porphyrins showed that porphyrin-like pigments were formed in this way. The presence of divalent cations in the reaction system increased the yield of porphyrin-like pigments also involving the direct synthesis of their metal complexes. The ready formation of these compounds in abiotic conditions is significant, suggesting the possibility of their appearance during the early stage of chemical evolution.


Ion-molecule condensation reactions: a mechanism for organic synthesis in ionized reducing atmospheres. The CH3+ ion, formed in ionized methane, undergoes consecutive eliminative condensation reactions with methane to form the carbonium ions C2H5+, i-C3H7+ and t-C4H9+. At T smaller than 500 degrees K, NCH4 greater than 10(16) cm-3 these ions react with NH3 in competitive condensation -- H+ transfer reactions, e.g. C2H5 + NH3 M leads to C2H5NH3+ leads to NH4+ + C2H4 At particle densities of NCH4  smaller than 10(16) cm-3 proton transfer is the only significant reaction channel. At NCH4 greater than 10(17) cm-3 condensation constitutes 5--20% of the overall reactions. The product of the condensation reaction further associates with CO2 to form C2H5NH3+ . CO2; the atomic composition of this cluster ion is identical with the protonated amino acid alanine. The carbonium ions i-C3H7+ and t-C4H9+ condense also with HCN to yield protonated isocyanides. HCNH% also appears to condense with HCN at T greater than 570 degrees K, and form cluster ions with HCN at lower temperatures. The rate constants of the condensation reactions vary with temperature and pressure in a complex manner. Under conditions similar to those on Titan at an altitude of 100 km (T = 100--150 degrees K, NCH4 approximately 10(18) cm-3), with a methane atmosphere containing 1% H2 and traces of NH3 and H2O, ion-molecule condensation reactions followed by H+ transfer are expected to lead to the atmospheric synthesis of C2H6, C3H8, CH3OH, C2H5OH and the terminal ions NH4+, CH3NH3+ and C2H5NH3+. At higher temperatures (250 degrees K smaller than T smaller than 400 degrees K), the synthesis of i-C4H10, i-C3H7OH and t-C4H9OH and of the ions i-C3H7NH3+ and t-C4H9NH3+ is also expected. Electron recombination of the terminal ions may yield amines, imines and nitriles. Cycles of protonation and dissociative recombination of the alkanes and alcohols produced in condensation reactions will also produce unsaturated hydrocarbons, ketones and aldehydes in the ionized atmosphere.


Speculations on the evolution of the genetic code. II. An evolutionary scheme is postulated in which a primitive code, involving only guanine and cytosine, would code for glycine (GG), alanine (GC), arginine (CG) and proline (CC). From each of these amino acids and their codons, there evolves a family of related amino acids as the code expands. The four families are: (1) alanine valine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, methionine and tryptophane; (2) proline, threonine and serine; (3) arginine, lysine, and histidine; (4) glycine, serine cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, aspartic acid and asparagine. Except for the glycine relation to glutamic acid and aspartic acid, all amino acids are related by chemical similarities in their side chains. Glycine not having a side chain would permit a more complex set of substitutions.


Evolution of a genetic code simulated with the computer. A simple selforganizing model system of molecules is considered and it is demonstrated by a computer simulation, that a genetic code of 16 elements (aminoacids) can gradually be formed by such a system in the course of many generations. By a number of rare chance events, each suppressing other events of equal a priori probability, a single code results out of an immense number of possible codes of the same a priori probability. The result is discussed in relation to the uniqueness of the genetic code in living systems. The computer simulation emphasizes a particular step in a model pathway discussed elsewhere consisting of many assumed physicochemical steps leading to a genetic apparatus.


The Viking biological investigations: review and status. The three experimental approaches incorporated into the Viking biology instrument have yielded results that are most readily explained as nonbiological phenomena. The predominant view among investigators trying to simulate the Mars results is that the surface material of Mars contains strongly oxidizing compounds which would account for many of the more intense reactions seen on Mars. Other mechanisms are also currently being proposed and studied.


The evolution of the environment and its influence on the evolution of life. Thermodynamic data and known paleogeological data were used to deduce when and what elements (compounds) were readily available during the whole history of the earth. On the basic assumption that available compounds would dictate the type of organisms to emerge, we attempted to derive a kind of evolutionary tree. This was then compared with the existing evolutionary trees derived from the sequences of proteins and polynucleotides.


Synthesis of organic compounds from carbon monoxide and water by UV photolysis. The photolysis of water vapor with carbon monoxide at 1849 A yields alcohols, aldehydes and organic acids, with an overall quantum yield of 3.3 x 10(-2). This rather high quantum yield could have led to a contribution of approximately 10(11) organic molecules cm-2 sec-1 to the pool of organic material on the primitive Earth. The reactions are initiated by the photolysis of water molecules and the resulting hydrogen atoms reduce the carbon monoxide to a variety of one and two carbon compounds. The organic molecules are dissolved in water and thus escape destruction by photolysis. Photolysis of water vapor with carbon dioxide did not yield organic compounds under these conditions.


Proliferation of human lymphocytes in culture : determination by measurement of nuclear volume and cell number. Proliferation of stimulated human lymphocytes was studied in cultures by determining cell counts and nuclear volume enlargement. DNA content and the nuclear volume increase before the cell divides. Volume-frequency curves were obtained of unstimulated and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulated lymphocytes on 0, 3, 6 and 9 days of cultures with the Coulter Counter H4 system. As the number of lymphocytes in the cultures transformed and enlarged in volume, the area under the volume-frequency curve increased proportionately. The fraction of transforming cells was determined by comparing the area under the curve of the unstimulated and the stimulated lymphocytes. This method provides both the fraction of cells transformed and the increment of the number of cells in the culture and is therefore a better indicator of cell proliferation than the commonly used isotope-labeled thymidine uptake method which monitors the fraction of the cells in DNA synthesis phase only.


[Electrophoretic and kinetic properties of erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (Gd) in hereditary enzyme deficiency. A new variant of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase : Gd Kremenchug]. A study of the activity of human erythrocyte G-6-PD has been completed on a great number of normal controls, coming from different regions of the USSR. This study has led to the discovery of a new variant of erythrocytic Gd, which was named "Kremenchug" from the origin of the patient. This new Gd, has a very low Km for G-6-P, and has a greater affinity for 2-deoxyglucose-6-phosphate. The maximal activity versus the pH of the medium is also characteristic of this new Gd.