The presence of lactogen receptors in human chorion laeve

Lactogen receptors have been identified in human chorion laeve and possibly placenta but not other periplacental tissues. The receptors show the same hormonal specificity, and similar binding parameters (affinity 0.47 x 10(9) l/m, capacity 175 fmol3/mg) to lactogen receptors in mammary gland and liver. The presence of these receptors, suggests they may play a role in mediating an action(s) of amniotic fluid prolactn in chorion laeve, such as osmoregulation.

Automated chromosome analysis using the Magiscan Image Analyser

An automated chromosome analysis system is being developed based on a commercially available image analyzer. At its present stage of development, the system will perform a complete analysis of well-spread, homogeneously stained metaphases. The system incorporates a metaphase finder to detect cells of potentially good quality. Chromosomes in a selected cell are segmented by their grey level using a locally determined threshold. An axis and a centromere are automatically assigned to each chromosome, and a "flexible" lookup table is used to classify the chromosomes into nine groups based on measurements of length and centromeric index. A grey-level karyogram can be displayed. Operator intervention is possible, thus permitting resolution of overlaps, correction of erroneous centromere assignments and modification of the karyogram. Analysis time is about two minutes per cell.

Cortical deafness--a case report and review of the literature

A 48-year-old woman with triple cardiac valve prostheses became completely deaf after bitemporal embolism. The lesions were demonstrated radiologically and neurophysiological investigation confirmed intact peripheral and brainstem pathways. Experimental studies of the auditory pathways are briefly reviewed. Reported cases of cortical deafness are discussed and the rarity of the condition emphasised.

Urinary bladder metastases from breast carcinoma

Four patients with primary carcinoma of the breast metastatic to the urinary bladder are described. Hematuria was present in 3 of the 4 patients. Two of the 4 women had received steroidal drugs which may have a role in the development of this unusual metastasis. This complication developed no sooner than 32 months after diagnosis of malignant breast disease and occurred shortly before death in 2 of the patients. Bladder metastasis in women with a history of breast carcinoma may be more prevalent than has previously been suspected.

A light microscopic and electron microscopic study of the superficial layers of the superior colliculus of the tree shrew (Tupaia glis)

Histochemical, Golgi, and electron microscopic methods were used to study the superficial layers of the superior colliculus of the tree shrew. Following horseradish peroxidase injections in the dorsal lateral ceniculate nucleus (LGd) and the pulvinar (Pul), retrogradely labeled somata were found in the upper two-thirds and the lower third of the stratum griseum superficiale (SGS), respectively, as has been described by Albano et al. ('79). In tissue prepared with Golgi methods, somata, similar in locatin and shape to those projecting to the LGd, had narrow, vertically oriented dendritic arbors, which were confined to the upper two-thirds of th SGS. Cells located in the lower third of the SGS had larger somata, similar to those projecting to the Pul, and wider dendritic arbors, which were confirmed to the lower two-thirds of the SGS. Electron microscopic comparison of the number of degenerating terminals following enucleation and striate cortex lesion indicated that within the SGS terminals from the retina overwhelmingly outnumbered those from the cortex. In both types of material, degenerating terminals were observed throughtout the SGS. However, the majority of te degenerating striate terminals were found in the lower SGS. Thus, cells that project to the LGd and those that project to the Pul differ not only with respect to location, size, and dendritic morphology, but also with respect to the proportion of retinal and straite afferents which terminate in the region of their dendritic trees.

Laser therapy of rheumatoid arthritis

Thirty people with classical or definite rheumatoid arthritis received laser exposure to a Q-switch neodymium laser that operated at 1.06 micrometer with an output of 15 joules/cm2 for 30 nsec. One hand was lased at the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) and metacarpal phalangeal (MCP) joints, whereas the other hand was sham lased. The patient, physician, and occupational therapy evaluators did not know which hand was being lased. Twenty-one patients noted improvement of both their MCP and PIP joints of both hands during laser therapy. Twenty-seven noted improvement of their PIP joints and 26 noted improvement of the MCP joints during therapy. Heat, erythema, pain, swelling, and tenderness all improved with time in both hands, but the lased hand had more significant improvement in erythema and pain. There was also significant improvement in grasp and tip pressure on the lased side. The level of circulating immune complexes as measured by platelet aggregation decreased during lasing. The improvement may be related to laser exposure. The exact role that laser radiation has upon rheumatoid arthritis and its mechanism of action remain to be elucidated.

Cortical projections of the medial visual area in the owl monkey, Aotus trivirgatus

The cortical projections of the Medial Area (M) of the owl monkey were studied using the autoradiographic method. Area M projects to several extrastriate areas, including Area 18, in a pattern of terminations unlike that which would be expected if M was part of a larger Area 19 or V III band. The pattern of terminal lamination was found to be somewhat unusual in that projections were to layers VI, I and the deep portion of layer V in the major target areas.

Subcortical projections of six visual cortical areas in the owl monkey, Aotus trivirgatus

Subcortical projections of six visual cortical areas (Areas 17 and 18, the Middle Temporal, Dorsomedial and Medial Areas, and the Posterior Parietal Region) in the owl monkey, Aotus trivigatus, were investigated with autoradiographic methods following injections of tritiated proline. No contralateral projections were demonstrated. While some brainstem structures received input from all six subdivisions of cortex, each cortical area appeared to exhibit its own unique pattern of subcortical projections. All six cortical areas were found to project to the superior and inferior divisions of the pulvinar, reticular nucleus of the thalamus, pretectum and superior colliculus. Other subcortical targets of one or more visual cortical areas were the basal ganglia, claustrum, zona incerta, one or more of the intralaminar nuclei, lateral posterior nucleus, pregeniculate nucleus, dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, and pontine nuclei. Furthermore, details of corticofugal projections to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, pretectum and superior colliculus varied with the cortical area studied. The projections to the reticular nucleus, pregeniculate nucleus, dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, the inferior and a portion of the superior division of the pulvinar and the superior colliculus were found to be topographically organized. The targets of the subcortical projections were compared with those of the retina, as revealed by autoradiographic methods following tritiated proline injections of the eye and were found to overlap to varying extents in the superior colliculus, pretectum and dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and to be segregated in the pregeniculate nucleus. The results substantiate the validity of previous studies in the owl monkey that suggest that the visual cortex is subdivided into several functionally distinct areas; and illustrate the complexity of corticofugal influence on visual processing.

Thalamic relay nuclei for cerebellar and certain related fiber systems in the cat

Anterograde labeling techniques were used to define the terminal distributions in the thalamus of afferents arising in the deep cerebellar nuclei, entopeduncular nucleus and substantia nigra. Anterograde and retrograde labeling methods were then used to determine the extent of the cortical projections of the cerebellar relay nuclei. The cerebellar projection to the contralateral ventral nuclei of the thalamus terminates in a zone which is separate from that receiving pallido- and nigrothalamic fibers. None of the zones of termination of these fiber systems corresponds to commonly recognized cytoarchitectonic divisions. Instead, they include parts of the ventroanterior (VA), ventrolateral (VL) and principal ventromedial (VMp) nuclei. Some cells within the zone of termination of cerebellar afferents project to parietal cortex (areas 5 and 7). A further, distinct group of cells in this zone projects to motor cortex (area 4). But projections to area 4 also arise from small groups of cells: (a) in the zone receiving nigro- and pallidothalamic fibers; (b) in the part of VL, distinct from the cerebellar terminal zone, in which spinothalamic fibers terminate. Cerebellar, nigral, and entopeduncular fibers also terminate in the intralaminar nuclei. These projections are far greater in extent than those arising in the spinal cord. Some parts of the intralaminar nuclei are dominated by a particular afferent system, while others show substantial overlap of the terminal zone of several afferent systems.

Binding of oligonucleotides to the disk of tobacco-mosaic-virus protein

The trinucleoside diphosphate A-A-G and the hexanucleotide fraction from a ribonuclease I digest of yeast RNA have been soaked into crystals of the disk aggregate of tobacco mosaic virus protein. At high concentrations these cause disruption of the crystal, probably by mimicking the normal nucleation of assembly. At lower nucleotide concentrations the crystals remain intact and the differences caused by nucleotide binding have been studied by X-ray diffraction. The most obvious change is an upwards movement of about 0.3 nm at the low-radius end of the left radial helix in the protein with some stiffening of the helix so that it now extends visibly in from 4 nm to 6 nm radius. Similar shifts also occur in the right radial and left slewed helices. A positive peak, which is tentatively identified with the bound oligonucleotide, is seen around 4 nm radius and below the right radial helix. The amino acid residues in possible contact with this feature are discussed.

Survival of potato strain (race 3) of Pseudomonas solanacearum in the deeper soil layers

In two naturally infested potato fields, Pseudomonas solanacearum E.F.Sm, race 3 was detected at all soil levels between 15 and 75 cm with the use of indicator plants. In artificially infested soils, recovery of the bacterium, by plating on a selective medium, was greater in soil sampled from the 55–65 cm layer than from the 10–15 cm layer. These results suggest that, in certain soils, the bacterium can survive for extended periods of time in the deeper soil layers.

Proposed coupling of chromatin replication, hormone action, and cell differentiation

DNA replication in isolated nuclei is highly dependent on the availability of soluble proteins from the cell cytoplasm. Activity is distributed nonrandomly among the different proteins, and the range of proteins that are required for optimal DNA replication varies with the fractions of DNA being replicated. Support of DNA replication has been correlated with the uptake of these proteins by nuclei and their integration into an immature form of the newly replicated chromatin; the latter has been shown by density analysis to be richer in protein content than the bulk of nonreplicating chromatin. Pulse labeling of DNA in living cells has revealed that a similar protein-rich chromatin is formed as an intermediate in chromatin replication in vivo; however, this form rapidly matures by the exclusion of proteins. The dependency of DNA replication on the presence of soluble cytoplasmic proteins and the physical association of these entities with newly replicated chromatin prompt the proposal that availability of specific proteins may play an important role in determining the ultimate genetic expressability of the matured chromatin and thus the cell phenotype. The finding that dexamethasone, a steroid that regulates the expression of several genes and directs the differentiation of certain cells, can modify the uptake of proteins in isolated nuclei is in accord with this hypothesis.

The fibrinogen uptake test after hip surgery

The fibrinogen uptake test has been used to detect deep vein thrombosis after total hip replacement in 90 patients. The upper third of the thigh in each leg was ignored and peripheral leg counting carried out distal to this. The results were directly compared with the findings of venography in the 170 legs of the 90 patients. There was a high false positive rate (30 per cent) with the fibrinogen uptake test which was associated with the presence of the knee joint effusion or varicose veins, but not with the site of operation. There was a low false negative rate (less than 5 per cent), and the fibrinogen uptake test, used in this way, may fail to detect a percentage of small thrombi in the wound area that are probably produced by the local trauma of operation. It is considered that the fibrinogen uptake test has a clinical use as a screening test for deep vein thrombosis after hip replacement, but venography is required in the interests of accuracy.

An unusual case of metastatic carcinoma to the eyelid

A 46-year-old woman developed a painless nodular lesion of her right lower eyelid four years after having a right radical mastectomy for breast carcinoma. The lesion slowly increased in size over one year to involve full thickness eyelid tissue that included the margin and inferior punctum and was associated with localized loss of cilia. The clinical appearance of the lesion and its course of development suggested a primary eyelid neoplasm. Incisional biopsy revealed metastatic mammary carcinoma.

Palliative urinary diversion for malignant ureteral obstruction

An analysis of 62 palliative urinary diversions for malignant ureteral obstruction is presented. The average postoperative survival was 187 days. Cell type, duration of known disease, tumor grade and stage, renal function and previous therapy did not strongly influence survival. Renal function returned to normal in 64 per cent of the azotemic patients. Morbidity and mortality rates were high, largely because of underlying disease and adjuvant therapy . Nearly two-thirds of the patients left the hospital and this group subsequently spent 84 per cent of their remaining survival time at home. A criterion is presented for patient selection and suggestions are made for the selection of an operative procedure.

The reduction of bacteria in the operation room through the use of non-woven clothing

Operation room clothing manufactured from disposable non-woven fabric (Barrier ‘450’ fabric supplied by Johnson & Johnson Ltd) was assessed in a dispersal chamber and in plenum-ventilated operation rooms. If proved to be very comfortable to wear and was shown to be equally effective bacteriologically as the closely woven and uncomfortably hot Ventile material. As the majority of bacteria are known to be generated from below the waist, and hence not contained by an operation room gown, trousers were used as well as gowns. Dispersal chamber experiments suggested that when all staff wore non-woven trousers and the scrubbed staff wore gowns as well, a 55 per cent reduction would be achieved in the number of bacterial particles in the air of an operation room. In practice, 60 per cent reduction was achieved in one operation room and 43 per cent in another.

The number of bacteria which could easily be removed from the surface of the gowns was surprisingly few. However, use of non-woven, as compared to cotton, clothing reduced these surface bacteria by 50-60 per cent. These bacteria would not be as easily dispersed into the air from the surface of non-woven gowns, as it was demonstrated that non-woven gowns, as well as gowns manufactured from certain artificial fibres, shed substantially fewer fibres.

Cholesterol granuloma of the maxillary antrum

Five cases of cholesterol granuloma in the maxillary antrum are described. The lesion takes place in the mucosa. It seems likely that filtration and haemorrhage are the 2 main ways in which cholesterol is concentrated in certain tissues. The maxillary antrum provides a clear illustration of these 2 mechanisms at work.

Location of tyrosine residues in the disk of tobacco-mosaic-virus protein and comparison of the subunit packing with that of the virus

The products of iodination of the disk of tobacco mosaic virus coat protein have been investigated in order to locate the reactive amino acid residues in the three-dimensional structure. Reaction occurs mainly with tyrosine-139 and, to a lesser extent, tyrosine-2 and the positions of these modified residues have been determined by X-ray crystallography. Different extents of reaction are found in the two rings of the disk and also, on adding the high salt concentration needed for stabilisation of the crystal during reaction, some conformational changes in the polypeptide chain in the inner part of the disk. Comparison of the relative positions of residues 27 and 139 in the disk and virus shows that little distortion occurs in the outer part of the subunit during the transition between the disk and virus structures.

Fat droplets and synovial fluid leukocytosis in traumatic arthritis

The presence of fat droplets in synovial fluid signifies major or minor joint trauma with damage to the bones or adjacent supporting structures. Synovial fluids aspirated after traumatic hemorrhage usually have a low white blood cell count. In this report 2 patients with hemorrhagic effusions had synovial fluid leukocytosis, presumably secondary to lipid droplet phagocytosis. Lipid globules intra- and extracellulalary in the synovial fluid and a top fatty layer in the hematocrit spin of the hemorrhagic synovial fluid are indications of the traumatic etiology of this inflammatory arthritis.

Continuing education in US dental schools

This information provides a rudimentary profile of continuing dental education in US dental schools. Some schools have wide-ranging, time-tested programs, whereas others have initiated programs only recently, yet over half of the schools mentioned that there still was an unfilled need for continuing dental education in their locality. To meet the need for quality programs in the future, the great majority of the schools (49) indicated that, although the nature and level of evaluation was open to discussion, a program of accreditation or evaluation is definitely necessary and should be implemented in the future.

Congenital partial pericardial defect: surgical correction by partial pericardiectomy through a median sternotomy

A case of symptomatic congenital pericardial defect with herniation of the left atrial appendage is reported. The patient had experienced increasing fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, and slight cyanosis. A partial pericardiectomy through a median sternotomy was performed and the patient made an uneventful recovery.

Clinical studies of induction agents. XLIII: recovery from althesin--a comparative study with thiopentone and methohexitone

A detailed assessment of recovery endpoints and a simple performance test were employed to investigate recovery from anaesthesia. 150 patients participated in a comparative study using different doses of Althesin, thiopentone and methohexitone. Althesin was found to be suitable anaesthetic agent for the outpatient practice, although recovery was not as rapid as that following methohexitone.