The responses of professional fire-fighters to disaster

This paper reports the results of a survey of the physical and mental reactions of a group (N= 72) of members of the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) who were engaged in fighting the bushfires close to Adelaide, 16th-19th February 1983. A questionnaire, designed to elicit reports on both physical and mental reactions to exposure to the fire, as well as perceptions of several measures of social strain and social support, was administered to the firefighters when they came off duty. The results reported show the possible influence of role strain factors in predicting mental reactions, and also demonstrate what may be mediating effects of perceived social support. The paper also discusses methodological problems affecting this and other studies of the reactions of emergency service personnel to disaster.

Cholesteryl esters in human gallbladder bile and mucosa

Cholesteryl esters, identified by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography followed by mass spectroscopy in a few cases, were found in all human bile samples analysed. The amount varied extensively both in absolute concentration and when expressed as a percentage of the total cholesterol present. In about 30% of samples, the percentage of ester exceeded 4% of total cholesterol but there was no clear association with the presence of cholesterol gallstones or pigment stones, nor was there any association with the lithogenicity of bile.

Child life intervention in the emergency department

Since 1979, the Child Life Department of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario has provided 75 hours per week of Child Life intervention for children and parents in the emergency department. Factors that would influence a child's ability to master an emergency experience have been identified through a review of the literature. The protocol for Child Life intervention in frequent emergency situations is described. Practical approaches to Child Life programs in Emergency and evaluation of effects of Child Life intervention are discussed.

Familial intracranial gliomas

The pedigree of two interrelated families with 10 affected members suffering from malignant supratentorial gliomas is reported. In addition, three other unrelated families with two members each who were treated for different types of brain tumors are described. Genetic implications are discussed.

Women and the economics of aging

Economic and policy arrangements assure the maintenance of gender-based inequities throughout the life cycle. To understand the economics of aging requires consideration of the problems of women of all ages, commencing early in the adult life cycle when the different social roles and opportunity structures available to men and women take effect. Because the economic inequities suffered by women in old age derive principally from inequities suffered earlier as wives and workers, public policy focused on redressing income in old age does nothing to alter the structural basis of inequity. This article examines factors underlying the economics of aging for older women in the United States; delineates the relation between women's roles, social policy, and income; and raises salient policy questions for younger and older women.

Morphological, total nucleic acid and total protein analyses of rat embryos cultured in supplemented and unsupplemented human serum

Culture of explanted 9 1/2 day rat conceptuses for 48 hours (i.e. until 11 1/2 days) in 100% human serum supplemented only with glucose does not result in growth and development comparable to those conceptuses cultured for the same period in 100% rat serum. Significant differences were observed in the yolk sac diameter, crown-rump length, morphological score and total embryonic nucleic acid content. No difference was observed in the total embryonic protein content. A large proportion of the embryos cultured in glucose-supplemented human serum (100%) exhibited abnormalities of the neural tube. Supplementation of the human serum with glucose and 10% rat serum resulted in embryos showing higher indices of embryonic growth and differentiation (in all criteria of assessment) than those cultured in pure rat serum; no abnormalities were observed. The significance of better growth and differentiation of the conceptuses in human serum supplemented with glucose and 10% rat serum is discussed.

Social and exploratory behaviour in the rat after septal administration of ORG 2766 and ACTH4-10

The time spent in active social interaction by pairs of male rats in a dimly-lit, familiar test arena, was decreased significantly after intraseptal injection of ACTH4-10 (250-500 ng). In contrast, the time spent in active social interaction was increased significantly after intraseptal injection of the tri-substituted ACTH4-9 analogue ORG 2766 (250-500 pg). Neither ACTH4-10 (250 ng) nor ORG 2766 (250 pg) affected exploration or locomotor activity measured in a holeboard, after intraseptal injection. Intraseptally administered ACTH4-10 (250 ng) increased aggression measured in a colony intruder model, but ORG 2766 (250 pg) was without effect.

Selective neurotoxin lesions of the lateral septum: changes in social and aggressive behaviours

Bilateral microinjection of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine into the lateral septum resulted in a behavioural profile in the Social Interaction test of anxiety similar to that seen after chronically-administered benzodiazepines. In contrast, bilateral microinjection of 6-hydroxydopamine into this locus did not alter the profile of rats tested in this model. In a colony-intruder model of aggression, the 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine lesioned rats showed decreased dominance, while the 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rats showed increased dominance and reduced subordination. The results suggest that lateral septal 5-hydroxytryptamine, but not catecholamines, is important in the control of anxiety, whereas both lateral septal 5-hydroxytryptamine and catecholamines are involved in the control of aggression.

Relationship between Phospholipid Breakdown and Freezing Injury in a Cell Wall-Less Mutant of Chlamydomonas reinhardii

The effects of freezing and thawing on a cell wall-less mutant (CW15+) of Chlamydomonas reinhardii were investigated by monitoring enzyme release, cell viability, cell ultrastructure, and lipid composition. Cells suspended in Euglena gracilis medium were extremely susceptible to freezing injury, the median lethal temperature in the presence of extracellular ice being -5.3 degrees C. Cell damage was associated with a release of intracellular enzymes and massive breakdown of cellular organization. Changes in phospholipid fatty acid composition consistent with either a peroxidation process or phospholipase A(2) activity were evident, but the time course of these changes showed clearly that alterations in phospholipid fatty acid composition were a secondary, pathological event and not the the primary cause of freeze-thaw injury in Chlamydomonas reinhardii CW15+.

Characterization of glycoprotein antifreeze biosynthesis in isolated hepatocytes from Pagothenia borchgrevinki

Incorporation of 14C-leucine and 3H-alanine into TCA-precipitable protein. TCA-soluble protein, and antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGP) was measured in isolated hepatocytes from Pagothenia borchgrevinki Boulenger following acclimation to -1.5 degrees C and +4 degrees C. the rate of 3H-alanine incorporation into AFGP followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a Vmax of 4.8 nM X mg protein-1 X h-1 at -1.5 degrees C and 7.5 nM X mg protein-1 X h-1 at +4 degrees C. Km values were 27.9 microM and 41.7 microM at -1.5 degrees C and +4 degrees C, respectively. Incorporation of 14C-leucine into TCA-precipitable protein also showed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a Vmax of 20 nM X mg protein-1 X hr-1 at 1.5 degrees C and 32.3 nM X mg protein-1 X hr-1 at +4 degrees C. Km values were 83.3 microM at -1.5 degrees C and 125 microM at +4 degrees C. AFGP synthesis was monitored over a 120-h period by radioimmunoassay in cultures of hepatocytes from cold acclimated fish (-1.5 degrees C) incubated at both -1.5 degrees C and +4 degrees C. The estimated Q10 for AFGP from these data is 3.23. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of antifreeze glycoproteins produced by isolated hepatocytes showed that all four antifreeze fractions normally present in the serum of P. borchgrevinki are also synthesized by isolated hepatocytes. The two major conclusions from these experiments were that 1) P. brochgrevinki, unlike many northern fishes, does not show thermal acclimation, and 2) environmental factors responsible for modification of peptide antifreeze synthesis in northern fishes do not elicit changes in AFGP synthesis in P. borchgrevinki.

Effects of ACTH, benzodiazepines and 5-HT antagonists on escape from periaqueductal grey stimulation in the rat

1. The effects of drugs has been studied on escape behaviour of rats following electrical stimulation of the periaqueductal grey, in order to assess the feasibility of using the latency to escape as a measure of experimental anxiety. 2. Escape latencies were decreased by methysergide and cyproheptadine, whilst lorazepam and chlordiazepoxide (CDP) increased the latencies. 3. ACTH marginally decreased escape latencies, and did not alter the response to lorazepam. 4. Difficulties associated with using this paradigm to detect anxiolytic or anxiogenic effects of drugs are discussed.

Exploration and motor activity after intraventricular ACTH, morphine and naloxone

Intraventricular injection of morphine (5 microgram) and ACTH (2.5 microgram) reduced the time spent head-dipping and the number of head-dips made by rats during a 10-min trial in a holeboard. These effects were reversed by naloxone (2.0 mg/kg, i.p.), in spite of the fact that naloxone alone also reduced these measures of exploration. None of the drugs or drug combinations tested significantly reduced locomotor activity. The results are discussed in relation to the action of ACTH on opiate receptors.

Infundibular ACTH can be excluded as a critical mediator in social behaviours

Kainic acid lesions of the infundibulum resulted in a significant decrease in infundibular ACTH concentrations. However, the lesioned rats did not differ from the vehicle-injected controls in a social interaction test, in their latency to start drinking in a novel environment, or in their aggressive behaviour in home-cage intruder tests. It can therefore be concluded that endogenous infundibular ACTH does not play a significant role in these behaviours. This can be contrasted with the effects of exogenously administered ACTH which has previously been shown to reduce social interaction and increase aggression. Both the lesioned rats and the controls showed decreased social interaction after ACTH administration, and therefore the infundibulum can be excluded as a critical site of action of exogenous ACTH in mediating this behavioural change.

Reaction patterns of herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 proteins with sera of patients with uterine cervical carcinoma and matched controls

Serum from 105 individuals with diagnosed uterine cervical cancer and 231 matched controls were examined for their ability to react with a large number of herpes simplex virus type 1 or type 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2) proteins. Radiolabeled HSV-1 or HSV-2 proteins were mixed with test serum and immune complexes were isolated with staphylococcal protein A. Viral proteins in the immune complexes were resolved by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and visualized by fluorography. When the frequency of precipitation for cancer and control serum was calculated for each HSV-1 and HSV-2 protein, the results demonstrated that four HSV-1 and 11 HSV-2 proteins were precipitated more frequently by cases than by controls (p less than or equal to 0.05). However, since these results could be influenced by the presence or absence of HSV-2 specific antibodies as well as social, economic, and sexual history, the data were grouped and analyzed according to these parameters. This enabled all significant differences between case and control sera in the precipitation of HSV-1 or HSV-2 proteins to be abolished except for two HSV-2 proteins with molecular weights of 38,000 and 118,000. These two proteins appear to be tumor associated and not merely covariables of past infection or risk factors alone.

Intraventricular ACTH reduces social interaction in male rats

Intraventricular ACTH (1.25 microgram), ACTH (1.6 microgram) and ACTH:D-Phe (1.6 microgram) resulted in significant reductions in the time that pairs of male rats spent in active social interaction. This decrease in social behaviour was not accompanied by a decrease in motor activity. The results are similar to those previously found with peripheral administration of ACTH and suggest that these behavioural effects of ACTH are centrally mediated. None of the ACTH fragments had a significant effect on the latency with which thirsty rats started drinking in an unfamiliar environment. The results are discussed in relation to a possible anxiogenic action of ACTH.

Effect of safety packaging on aspirin ingestion by children

The effectiveness of child-resistant closures, required under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970, in reducing the incidence of accidental ingestion of aspirin and aspirin-containing products among children less than 5 years of age has been investigated. Data from Poison Control Centers and the National Center for Health Statistics were analyzed to determine the ingestion level before and two to three years after safety closures were required. Baby aspirin and nonbaby aspirin products were analyzed separately. For baby aspirin. It is estimated that safety packaging has reduced the incidence of ingestions 45% to 55%. For nonbaby aspirin products, the reduction has been 40% to 45%.

The cryopreservation of Chlorella. 4. Accumulation of lipid as a protective factor

Following growth under sub-optimal concentrations of nutrients, cells of Chlorella emersonii accumulated lipid and became more resistant to the damage caused by freezing and thawing. These results suggest that the factor responsible for the cold hardening of some Chlorella spp is not the effect of low temperatures per se but simply that of the reduced metabolic rate. Evidence is given that the post-thaw injury observed following rapid rates of cooling is associated with the vacuole.

Ia antigenic specificities are oligosaccharide in nature: hapten-inhibition studies

We have previously reported that the Ia specificities, coded for by the I region within the H-2 complex, appear to consist predominantly of carbohydrate. This conclusion was reached by examining low molecular weight Ia-bearing oligosacharides isolated from mouse serum. We now report hapten-inhibition studies which indicate that the binding of both allogeneic and xenogeneic anti-Ia antibodies to the Ia glycoproteins found predominantly on B lymphocytes can be specifically inhibited by certain free sugars. Both inhibition assays revealed that the specificity for the following Ia antigens resides predominantly in the following sugars: (a) Ia.1: N-acetyl-D-mannosamine or related sugars; (b) Ia.3: alpha-D-galactose and related sugars; (c) Ia.7: L-fucose; and (d) Ia.15: N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. It seems likely that these sugars are found at the terminal nonreducing ends of the carbohydrate portion of the Ia-bearing glycoproteins present in the lymphocyte membrane. In contrast, several public and private H-2 antigenic specificities did not appear to be sugar defined. These studies imply that at least some of the Ia genes from both the I-A and I-C subregions of the I region code for glycosyl transferases which modify oligosaccharide structure and impart specificity to the Ia antigens by alteration of their terminal sugar residues.

Dose-response relationship after immunization of volunteers with a new, surface-antigen-adsorbed influenza virus vaccine

Volunteers (15 per group) were given inoculations of various doses (5-400 international units [IU]) of surface-antigen-adsorbed influenza virus A/Port Chalmers/73 vaccine; this vaccine was prepared from purified virus hemagglutinin and neuraminidase antigens and adsorbed to alhydrogel. The titers of hemagglutination-inhibiting (HAI) and neuraminidase-inhibiting antibodies in serum after immunization showed a clear dose-response relationship. Thus, for volunteers given 400, 100, 25, or 5.0 IU of vaccine, the titers of HAI antibody in serum increased 174-, 32-, 12-, and eightfold, respectively. A similar dose response was observed for production of local neutralizing antibody. Immunization with A/Port Chalmers/73 virus vaccine also induced serum HAI antibody to influenza viruses A/Scotland/74, A/England/72, and A/Hong Kong/68; the increase in titers of antibody to these viruses corresponded directly to the degree of cross-reactivity between the virus tested and the vaccine virus. Four weeks after immunization, all volunteers were challenged with attenuated WRL-105 influenza virus. Evidence of viral infection was found in one, two, and two volunteers in each group of 15 subjects previously immunized with 400, 100, and 25 IU of vaccine, respectively; in six of the 15 volunteers given 5.0 IU of vaccine; and in 10 of 15 control subjects. The results suggest that equivalent immunity was induced in volunteers given greater than or equal to 25 IU of vaccine.

Haematemesis: a new syndrome?

Three patients presented with symptoms suggesting a Mallory-Weiss tear. Endoscopy showed a localized, clearly demarcated area of bright red mucosa near the gastro-oesophageal junction; this was thought to have arisen by retrograde intussusception of the stomach during vomiting or retching and may have caused the haemorrhage.

Immunity following intranasal administration of an inactivated, freeze-dried A/England/42/72 vaccine

A group of 23 student volunteers were each inoculated intranasally with 400 IU of inactivated, freeze-dried A/England/42/72 vaccine. Only one volunteer showed a four-fold rise in serum HI antibody following immunization, and the mean increase in serum HI antibody (gmt) for all volunteers did not increase two-fold. Thirteen of the volunteers developed detectable levels of nasal wash neutralizing antibody after immunization; local antibody was most commonly found in volunteers who produced a detectable but less than four-fold fise in serum antibody titre, and who produced nasal washings with relatively high concentrations of protein and secretory IgA. Four weeks after immunization, the vaccinees and a matched group of control subjects were inoculated with attenuated A/England/42/72 (MRC-7) virus. Evidence of infection was found in 14 of 23 (61 per cent) of control subjects and in seven of 23 (30 per cent) of immunized volunteers. This result showed a significant protection (P = 0.04) against challenge virus infection for volunteers given intranasal vaccine.

Herpes zoster in general practice

Eighty-seven patients with the clinical diagnosis of herpes zoster were seen during a one-year period in eight general practices in Glasgow, the rate per 1,000 practice population being approximately 2.4. Of these, 78 (90 per cent) had serological evidence of active infection with herpes zoster. The anatomical location of the skin eruption was most common in the areas of the fifth cranial nerve, middle and lower trunk and thigh. A possible reactivating agent (trauma four, steroids two, irradiation one) was found in only seven patients. The illness as assessed by systemic upset and dissemination of lesions was generally not severe. Post-herpetic neuralgia was the most troublesome complication, found in 44 per cent of 64 patients revisisted 3-18 months after the acute illness.

Orthotopic transplantation of the pig heart

Orthotopic transplantation of the pig heart is described, with success in the last 12 of 23 studies, leading to survival until rejection in the last two. The pig heart was found to be easily damaged by cold. In contrast, organ viability was not appreciably affected when the warm ischaemic time was shortened by making the aortic anastomosis the initial manœuvre of implantation. The advantages of the pig as a model for the study of orthotopic cardiac allografts would appear to be its tolerance of long periods of cardiopulmonary bypass, immediate clotting after heparin reversal and ability to maintain the circulation without drug or pacemaker support. These factors have contributed to the relative simplicity of post-operative management.