Marking snails with numbered, colored discs: a technique for identifying individual specimens

Numbered, colored discs, measuring 2.5 mm in diameter, were evaluated under laboratory conditions as tags for marking and identifying individual snails. Discs were affixed to the shells of specimens of Helisoma duryi (Pulmonata: Planorbidae) with an adhesive supplied with the discs and with waterproof epoxy. All snails survived the initial tagging procedure and showed no observable behavioral responses to the tagging. The supplied adhesive, intended for use with terrestrial insects, was inadequate for securing the tags for prolonged periods under aquatic conditions. Use of waterproof epoxy, however, resulted in 100% tag retention for over 5 months without significant mortality. The permanence of the marks, their coding of individuals, the rapidity and ease with which the tags can be applied without causing behavioral changes or snail mortality suggest that this technique will be useful in studies requiring identification of individual aquatic snails.

Cytomegalovirus infection promotes bacterial translocation in thermally injured mice

Thermally injured mice that were given intraperitoneal injections of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) appeared to be clinically septic and to have increased mortality rates. To evaluate the possible role of MCMV infection in promoting bacterial translocation in burned mice, mesenteric lymph nodes were cultured from two strains of mice (BALB/c and CBA) that were given thermal injuries alone, MCMV alone, or both. BALB/c mice injected with 5 X 10(5) plaque-forming units MCMV following a 15% to 16% total body surface area scald injury had increased incidence of positive mesenteric lymph node cultures compared with other groups. No intestinal mucosal histologies, mucosal dry weights, or wet-to-dry weight ratios in any animals were abnormal. Differences in cecal bacterial concentrations were not observed. Murine cytomegalovirus infection appears to enhance bacterial translocation in this model.

Monofilament nylon filters for preventing dracunculiasis: Durability and copepod retention after long term field use in Pakistan

Filtration of drinking water to remove the cyclopoid copepod intermediate hosts of guinea worm. Dracunculus medinensis, is one of the primary intervention strategies for preventing dracunculiasis. In early 1987, monofilament nylon filters with 200 microns pore size were distributed to households in selected guinea worm-infected villages in Pakistan. The filters proved popular with the villagers, although reports of "loss of filters" could diminish the community-wide effectiveness of this control measure. After 12 to 15 months of usage a sample of these filters was collected and examined for damage or impairment which would decrease their use or their capacity to retain potentially infective copepods. Although all naupliar stages and early copepodids (Stages CI-II) passed through these used filters, the larger copepodids including adults (Stages CIII-VI) were retained despite small tears in the fabric. This field trial showed that after 12 to 15 months of regular use, monofilament nylon filters of 200 microns pore size remained effective in removing copepodid stages capable of supporting development of D. medinensis larvae. Considering the ease of use, popularity and effective filtration of potentially infective copepods following prolonged field use, we recommend that monofilament filters be considered in any program of guinea worm elimination.

Determination of free (pH 2.2) sulfite in wines by flow injection analysis: collaborative study

A method for the determination of free sulfite in wine by flow injection analysis (FIA) is described. The method involves liberation of sulfur dioxide from the wine at pH 2.2, with detection by decolorization of a malachite green solution. The method was collaboratively studied, and the results indicated an average reproducibility of 12% for white wine samples (average level 12.1 ppm SO2) and 26% for red wine samples (average level 3.1 ppm). When the FIA method was compared to an aeration/oxidation method, the results indicated a high degree of correlation between the 2 methods. The FIA method has been adopted by AOAC official first action.

Postoperative analgesia in children: a prospective study in intermittent intramuscular injection versus continuous intravenous infusion of morphine

Few advancements in postoperative pain control in children have been made despite longstanding inadequacies in conventional intramuscular analgesic regimens. While overestimating narcotic complication rates, physicians often underestimate efficacious doses, nurses are reluctant to give injections, and many children in pain shy away from shots. This study prospectively focuses on the safety, efficacy, and complication rate of intermittent intramuscular (IM) versus continuous intravenous infusion (IV) of morphine sulfate (MS) in 46 nonventilated children following major chest, abdominal, or orthopedic surgical procedures. Twenty patients assigned to the IM group had a mean age of 6.17 years and a mean weight of 23.0 kg. Twenty-six patients assigned to the IV group had a mean age of 8.74 years and a mean weight of 27.4 kg. The mean IM MS dose was 12.3 micrograms/kg/h while the mean IV dose was 19.8 micrograms/kg/h (P less than .001). Postoperative pain was assessed with a linear analogue scale from 1 to 10 (1, "doesn't hurt"; 10, "worst hurt possible") for 3 days following operation. Using the analysis of covariance (ANACOVA), nurse, parent, and patient mean pain scores in the IV group were significantly lower than those of the IM group when controlled for age, MS dose, and complications (P less than .007). Nurse assessment of pain correlated well with the patient and parent assessments (Pearson correlation coefficients greater than 0.6). Not only did IV infusion give better pain relief than IM injections, but there were no major complications such as respiratory depression. Minor complications in this study (nausea, urinary retention, drowsiness, vomiting, hallucinations, lightheadedness, and prolonged ileus) were not significantly different between IM and IV groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Determination of total sulfite in shrimp, potatoes, dried pineapple, and white wine by flow injection analysis: collaborative study

A method for the determination of total sulfite in shrimp, potatoes, dried pineapple, and white wine by flow injection analysis (FIA) was collaboratively studied by 8 laboratories. In the method, the sample solution is reacted with sodium hydroxide to liberate aldehyde-bound sulfite. The sample stream is acidified to produce SO2 gas, which diffuses across a Teflon membrane in the gas diffusion cell into a flowing stream of malachite green. The degree of discoloration of the malachite green is proportional to the amount of sulfite in the sample solution. Red wine was included in the study but interlaboratory precision for these samples was not satisfactory and correlation with Monier-Williams results was poor. The present method is not recommended for use with these samples. For shrimp, potatoes, dried pineapple, and white wine, average reproducibility (RSDR) of results was 25% for samples at 10 ppm SO2 and 10% for samples at greater than 50 ppm. Overall average reproducibility was 14%. Recoveries of sulfite added to samples averaged 80%. Comparison of FIA with the Monier-Williams method indicated comparable results by the 2 methods. The FIA method has been adopted official first action for determination of greater than or equal to 5 ppm total sulfite in shrimp, potatoes, dried pineapple, and white wine.

Toxin composition variations in one isolate of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense

A commonly accepted paradigm in the study of saxitoxin-producing dinoflagellates is that the total concentration of all toxins (toxin content) in one isolate can vary with growth conditions, but that the relative abundance of each toxin (toxin composition) does not change. We demonstrate here that dramatic changes in toxin composition do occur in one isolate of Alexandrium fundyense. In nitrogen- and phosphorus-limited semi-continuous cultures, toxin composition varied systematically with growth rate. When cells grew slowly under severe nutrient limitation, toxin composition was dominated by one or at most two toxin epimer pairs; as nutrient stresses eased at higher growth rates, the toxin profiles became more heterogeneous. Steady-state, sustained nitrogen limitation favored the production of toxins C 1,2 and GTX I,IV, whereas phosphorus limitation produced cells with high relative abundance of GTX II,III. STX reached its highest relative abundance when growth was most rapid. The lack of observed compositional changes in most past studies is probably not due to inherent differences in toxin biosynthetic pathways between the strains of Alexandrium examined, but rather to differences in the physiology of cells grown under different culturing modes (batch vs semi-continuous), methods of toxin analysis, and dominant toxins in the particular isolates examined.

Naloxone inhibits the in vivo immunosuppressive effects of morphine and thermal injury in mice

The effect of opioids (both exogenous and endogenous) on cell-mediated immune response in normal and thermally injured mice was evaluated with a delayed-type hypersensitivity assay. The administration of morphine sulfate to normal mice resulted in decreased delayed-type hypersensitivity response. This morphine sulfate-induced immunosuppression was prevented by concurrent treatment with the opioid antagonist, naloxone; however, naloxone alone did not alter immune response. Thermally injured mice had a suppressed delayed-type hypersensitivity response that was not further affected by morphine sulfate administration. In contrast, the immunosuppressive effects caused by burn injury, alone or in combination with the administration of morphine sulfate, were not observed in the presence of naloxone as measured by delayed-type hypersensitivity response. These results suggest that opioids depress cellular immune response and may play a role in immune dysfunction that follows thermal injury.

The declining incidence of fatal sepsis following thermal injury

Successful management of burned patients requires effective prevention and management of infectious complications. This study reviews the incidence of fatal sepsis in our burn center and attempts to analyze factors which may predict septic mortality. From January 1, 1978, through May 31, 1988, 1,913 patients were admitted, with a mean age of 24.8 +/- 0.5 years, a mean burn size of 17.7 +/- 0.4% total body surface area (%TBSA), and a mean 10.1 +/- 0.5% TBSA full-thickness injury. Nine per cent of patients sustained concurrent inhalation injuries. Overall mortality was 7.4%, and 1.6% of patients died from sepsis. Regression analysis showed that overall burn size, presence of inhalation injury, and the extent of full-thickness burn injury were significant independent predictors of death from sepsis, in decreasing order of relative importance. During the period 1983-1988, the incidence of septic mortality was 0.7%, which was significantly lower than the earlier half (1978-1982) of the study period (p less than 0.01). These data indicate that fatal infections are becoming increasingly uncommon after thermal injury. The reasons for this decline are probably multiple, and they include the widespread practice of early excision, and improvements in fluid resuscitation and the general medical care of burned patients.

Major abdominal complications following cardiac transplantation. Utah Transplantation Affiliated Hospitals Cardiac Transplant Program

Serious complications involving the alimentary tract are commonly reported following cardiac transplantation, and may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of this report was to review the incidence, severity, and outcome of abdominal complications in our heart transplant population in whom we used corticosteroid-sparing protocols for immunosuppression. From March 1985 through September 1988, 178 patients underwent 185 cardiac transplants. Twenty-six cardiac transplant recipients (15%) sustained 33 major abdominal complications, including gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 8), pancreatitis (n = 8), bowel perforation (n = 6), cholecystitis (n = 4), and miscellaneous other problems (n = 7). Operative therapy was required in 61% of cases. No deaths were caused by the gastrointestinal complications of their operative management. Corticosteroid-sparing immunosuppression may be responsible for the low incidence of abdominal morbidity, and early, aggressive surgical intervention may reduce subsequent mortality.

A randomized trial of plasma exchange in the treatment of burn shock

Hypovolemia following major thermal injury results from increased capillary permeability with subsequent loss of fluid into the interstitium. Investigations of burn shock have demonstrated the release of circulating factors that effect these fluid shifts. Previous studies have suggested that this process can be altered by the performance of plasma exchange in patients who fail to respond to conventional resuscitation. This study evaluated the effect of plasma exchange during burn shock. Twenty-two adult subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The control group received standard fluid resuscitation guided by the Parkland formula; the treatment group received the same resuscitation in addition to a course of plasma exchange. Seventeen subjects, eight from the control group and nine from the plasma exchange group, completed the study. Control subjects had a mean age of 37 years, a mean burn size of 52.3% total body surface area, and a mean full-thickness injury of 24.6% total body surface area. Plasma exchange patients had a mean age of 38 years, a mean burn size of 49.4% total body surface area, and a mean full-thickness injury of 37.3% total body surface area (p less than 0.01 compared to the control group). Completion of resuscitation was accomplished earlier in the plasma exchange group (20.2 hours versus 30.8 hours; p less than 0.05). There was no difference in the total amount of fluid required to achieve resuscitation. The mean urine output during resuscitation was greater for the plasma exchange group (p less than 0.01). Performance of plasma exchange during the second 8-hour period after the burn did not alter the course of burn shock in this study group.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning in northwest Spain: the toxicity of the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum

The highly productive mussel fishery in the Rias Bajas region of northwest Spain has experienced several outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) beginning in 1976. In this study, similarities in the HPLC analyses of extracts from toxic shellfish, plankton tows and cultured dinoflagellates from the Rias Vigo and Pontevedra clearly indicate that Gymnodinium catenatum Graham is the organism responsible for recent PSP episodes. The toxin profile of the dinoflagellate contains an unusually high proportion of the low potency sulfocarbamoyl toxins (ca. 90-95 mole %), although a major portion of the overall toxicity is due to the more potent saxitoxin that is present at 5-10% of the total. Toxin profiles of shellfish showed approximately the same composition as that of the dinoflagellate, although the shellfish contained several carbamate toxins (GTX I, GTX II, GTX IV and NEO) that were not detected in G. catenatum culture extracts. The shellfish also contained decarbamoyl toxins (dc-GTX II and dc-GTX-III) at approximately 2% of the total profile. Since these were not detected in the dinoflagellate, their presence reflects either chemical or enzymatic conversion within the shellfish.

Paralytic Shellfish Toxins in Protogonyaulax tamarensis and Protogonyaulax catenella in Axenic Culture

Paralytic shellfish toxin concentrations were measured and individual toxin profiles were monitored in axenic batch cultures of Protogonyaulax tamarensis and Protogonyaulax catenella. High pressure liquid chromatographic methods were used that allowed the separation of all 12 known paralytic shellfish poisons, including toxins C1, C2, and C3, from a single sample. In isolates of both Protogonyaulax species, total toxin levels were relatively low after inoculation, increased rapidly in early to mid-exponential growth to a value 100 to 300% of that at the initial time point, then decreased by 86 to 95% as the culture aged. Although the concentrations of individual toxins per cell followed the same general pattern as that seen for total moles of toxin per cell, variability in toxin profile with culture age was observed. In P. tamarensis, the mole percent of neosaxitoxin increased substantially from 8 to 44% as total toxin levels per cell decreased. A concomitant decrease in the mole percent of saxitoxin with culture age was noted. Although not as precipitous, changes in the mole percent of specific toxins from P. catenella were also observed. The mole percent of gonyautoxins I and IV increased, while that of gonyautoxins II and III decreased. These data suggest that the toxin profile in isolates of Protogonyaulax can change, sometimes significantly, with changing environmental variables.

Immunosuppressive effects of a trauma-induced suppressor active peptide

The isolation and partial characterization of an immunosuppressive glycopeptide from sera of severely burned patients has previously been reported. Recently, a monoclonal antibody to this factor and an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for detection of the peptide have been developed. The presence of the peptide in elevated quantity has been demonstrated in serum of patients with multiple blunt trauma as well as thermally injured patients. It was determined that the peptide is capable of suppressing neutrophil chemotaxis and T-cell blastogenesis as measured by MLR. Inhibition of B-cell blastogenesis induced by the peptide as measured by LPS mitogen-induced proliferation was demonstrated to be less sensitive to suppression. Further, it appears that activated T lymphocytes, those expressing increased IL-2 receptors, are more sensitive to suppression by the peptide at lower concentrations than are nonactivated T lymphocytes.

Synthetic-fibre filters for preventing dracunculiasis: 100 versus 200 micrometres pore size

Filtering of drinking water to remove the copepod intermediate hosts of Dracunculus medinensis is a primary strategy for control of guinea-worm disease. Since filters of different porosities are used, we tested the efficiency of synthetic-fibre filters of 100 microns and 200 microns pore size in removing the various stages of 3 species of copepods from water samples. The 200 microns mesh retained the larger copepodid stages including adults (C III-VI), but permitted passage of smaller copepodids and all naupliar stages. The 100 microns mesh retained all but the earliest naupliar stages (N I-II) which are unlikely to harbour guinea-worm larvae.

A new antibiotic combination for frozen bovine semen. 2. Evaluation of seminal quality

Amikacin, clindamycin, gentamicin, Linco-Spectin, minocin and tylosin were added individually and in combinations at various concentrations to bovine neat semen and to egg-yolk citrate, egg yolk-tris or heated whole milk extenders (nonglycerol fractions) prior to final processing for freezing to -196 degrees C. After thawing samples, seminal quality was measured by progressive motility and acrosomal integrity evaluations. Studies were performed in parallel with microbiological efficacy studies of Shin et al. (7). The antibiotic combination including gentamicin, tylosin and Linco-Spectin at 500 ug/ml, 100 ug/ml and 300/600 ug/ml, respectively, was not detrimental to seminal quality and, in the parallel studies, was most efficacious in controlling microorganisms potentially present in bovine semen.

A new antibiotic combination for frozen bovine semen, 3. Evaluation of fertility

Field fertility (nonreturn rate) studies were performed independently by three artificial insemination organizations to evaluate bovine semen processed for freezing using the antibiotics gentamicin, tylosin and Linco-Spectin at concentrations of 500 ug, 100 ug, and 300/600 ug, respectively, per milliliter of neat semen and per milliliter of nonglycerol portion of the extender. The antibiotic combination including penicillin, dihydrostreptomycin, polymyxin B sulfate, with/without Linco-Spectin (500 units/ml, 2000 ug/ml, 1000 units/ml and 300/600 ug/ml, respectively) was used as the control treatment. Results indicated no significant effect on seminal quality as measured by field fertility under the conditions of these experiments using heated whole milk or egg yolk-sodium citrate seminal extenders. Use of the new antibiotic combination has been adopted by Certified Semen Services.

Increased survival after major thermal injury. A nine year review

This study has reviewed the results of burn care in a burn center between 1978 and 1986. The total population included 1,458 patients. Mean burn size was 19 percent total body surface area, mean patient age was 24.4 years, and overall survival rate was 92 percent. We separately analyzed patients with burns of 30 percent total body surface area or greater during both halves of the study with respect to survival and length of hospital stay. Before 1982, patient survival was 59 percent and mean length of hospital stay was 28.1 days. Since that, the survival rate increased to 77 percent and mean length of hospital stay increased to 35.2 days. The early burn mortality rate remained nearly constant during the period of study (17 percent during the first half of the study and 16 percent during the second half), but the late mortality rate decreased significantly during the second half of the study (24 percent versus 8 percent, p less than 0.01). These data demonstrate increased survival rates after major thermal injury due to improvements in prevention and treatment of sepsis and other late complications of thermal injury.

Disseminated spiked hyperkeratosis

Multiple small hyperkeratoses were observed in a 42-year-old woman. They had first appeared in early adult life. There was a history of an apparently identical disorder affecting her father, her brother, and her brother's son. A similar condition has been described in four previous reports in which seven individual cases have been documented. Four had a positive family history, bringing the total number of previously known cases to 14. The disorder is characterized by the development in early adult life of widely disseminated small spikes of keratin that are unrelated to hair follicles. Microscopic examination shows digitate orthokeratosis with moderate epidermal cell hyperplasia and a normal underlying dermis.

Fluid resuscitation in thermally injured children

The fluid resuscitation requirements and mortality from thermal injury were reviewed in 177 children admitted to the Intermountain Burn Center over a 7 year period. Mean burn size was 27 percent of the total body surface area, whereas the mean full-thickness burn size was 13 percent of total body surface area. Twelve percent of children had associated inhalation injuries. The mean amount of fluid received during burn shock resuscitation was 5.8 +/- 0.25 ml/kg per percentage of total body surface area burned and the mean amount of sodium, 1.06 +/- 0.04 mEq/kg per percentage of total body surface area burned. There was no morbidity due to fluid overload. The presence of inhalation injury did not increase fluid or sodium requirements, but did increase mortality (29 percent versus 7 percent, p less than 0.05). The resuscitative mortality rate for all pediatric patients was 7 percent, the in-hospital mortality rate was 15 percent, and the 50 percent mortality burn correlate for these patients was 64 percent of the total body surface area. Data on children with burns were compared with an unselected, concurrent group of adult burn patients using an analysis of covariance. Fluid and sodium requirements were significantly higher for children, but there was no difference in the length of resuscitation or mortality rate. We conclude that children require much more fluid for resuscitation from burn shock than adults with similar burns. Appropriately aggressive fluid therapy for acute thermal injury in children is essential to achieve an acceptable survival rate in these patients.

Determination of sulfite in food by flow injection analysis

A method is described for the determination of sulfite levels in food products by flow injection analysis (FIA). The method is based on the decolorization of malachite green by SO2, which is isolated from the flowing sample stream by means of a gas diffusion cell. The FIA method has a detection limit in food sample extracts of 0.1 ppm SO2 (3 times peak height of blank), which corresponds to 1-10 ppm SO2 in a food product, depending on the extraction procedure used. At the 5 ppm SO2 level in a food extract, the precision of replicate injections is +/- 1-2%. The method was tested on a variety of both sulfite-treated and untreated food products and the results compared favorably with those obtained by the Monier-Williams, colorimetric (pararosaniline), and enzymatic (sulfite oxidase) methods. The average differences from the FIA results were 19, 11, and 12%, respectively, for those samples (n = 12) above 50 ppm SO2. At lower levels the results were somewhat more erratic due to inaccuracies of the various methods at low concentrations.