Bile and serum immunoglobulin levels during primary and secondary infections with Eimeria tenella in chickens

Using a radial immunodiffusion assay, total bile and serum IgG, IgM and IgA were measured following primary and secondary exposures to Eimeria tenella. Neither IgG nor IgM could be detected consistently in bile. Biliary IgA peaked at Days 6 and 10 following a primary infection of either 5000 or 10,000 oocysts and remained elevated following a subsequent 10,000-oocyst challenge at Day 10. Serum IgG and IgM levels were not influenced by parasitism and measurable concentrations of serum IgA were not detected.

A variation in the anatomic position of the pterygomandibular raphe: report of case

A literature review of the anatomic position of the pterygomandibular raphe discloses no reports of possible variations in the attachment of this structure. A case study is presented describing such a variation from the typical anatomic description. The treatment regimen and factors related to denture retention are discussed.

Major histocompatibility (B) complex-associated differences in the delayed wattle reaction to staphylococcal antigen

The influence of the major histocompatibility (B) complex on the delayed wattle reaction (DWR) to Staphylococcus aureus was studied in 109 segregants (B2/B2, B2/B5, and B5/B5) of a fourth generation cross between inbred Regional Poultry Research Laboratory lines 6(1) and 15(1). Chickens were sensitized at 6 weeks of age with S. aureus antigen. One week later, DWR was evaluated by injecting the right wattle with S. aureus antigen. Thickness measurements were taken 4, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr after injection. A quadratic equation model was used for each bird to calculate maximum wattle thickness, hour of maximum response, and rate of response development and decline. In males, the maximum wattle thickness in response to S. aureus antigen was significantly greater in B2/B5 heterozygotes (1.77 +/- .07 mm) than in either homozygote, B2/B2 (1.36 +/- .13 mm) or B5/B5 (1.39 +/- .08 mm). Heterozygous males reached maximum response sooner and recovered more quickly than homozygous males but these differences were not statistically significant. In females, response developed later than in males but no B complex effect was detected in either rate of development or maximum response.

Operative closure of patent ductus arteriosus in premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit

Fifty-two premature infants underwent hemoclip closure of patent ductus arteriosus in the neonatal intensive care unit after a brief trial of fluid restriction and diuretics. Indomethacin was used in only four patients. The median time from diagnosis to operation was 3 days. There were no deaths directly attributable to operation. Nine operative complications developed in nine patients (17 percent). There were no surgical infections. Complications related to prematurity resulted in 20 deaths (38 percent). Patent ductus arteriosus closure in the neonatal intensive care unit prevented the complications of hypothermia, inadvertent extubation, and interruption of vascular access and monitoring. Early operative closure in the neonatal intensive care unit is the treatment of choice in most premature infants with patent ductus arteriosus.

Comparison of the cardiovascular effects of intravenous and intraaortic protamine in the conscious and anesthetized dog

Controversy exists as to whether intraaortic (IA) administration of protamine sulfate has less adverse effects than the intravenous (IV) route. The effect of protamine on contractility is not well established. Therefore, 9 dogs underwent chronic instrumentation to monitor aortic pressure (AP), left ventricular (LV) pressure, central venous pressure, cardiac index (CI), heart rate, stroke volume index (SVI), systemic vascular resistance index, and LV volume. The end-systolic LV pressure-volume relationship was used as a load-independent measure of contractility. Each dog was administered IV and IA protamine on separate occasions after pretreatment with heparin. Studies were performed with and without anesthesia. In the awake studies, analysis of variance showed greater decreases in mean AP (p less than .03), CI (p less than .05), and SVI (p less than .02) with IA protamine infusion. In the anesthetized animals, there were no significant differences between IA and IV administration of protamine. Protamine did not decrease contractility in any group. We conclude that IA administration of protamine offers no advantage over IV administration in the dog. Protamine does not decrease contractility when given by either route.

Performance differences for retarded adolescents on the PPVT and the PPVT-R

Scores from 26 moderately retarded adolescents were obtained on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and the PPVT—Revised (PPVT—R). While the scores on the test were correlated .85, the PPVT scores were significantly higher, which is consistent with prior research using different populations including mildly retarded and gifted. Implications for the practitioner are discussed.

Major histocompatibility (B) complex effects on acquired immunity to cecal coccidiosis

The influence of the major histocompatibility (B) complex on acquired immunity to the avian coccidium Eimeria tenella was studied in 217 F4 segregants (B2B2, B2B5, B5B5) of a cross between inbred lines 6(1) (B2B2) and 15(1) (B5B5) and segregating haplotype combinations of UNH105 (B23B23, B23B24, B24B24), a noninbred line of New Hampshire chickens. Chickens were immunized at 6 weeks of age with 500 oocysts daily for 5 days, then challenged 14 days later with 10 000 oocysts. Responses to infection were evaluated by cecal lesion scores, body weight gain, delayed wattle reaction (DWR), and spleen weight. The F4 segregants of genotypes B2B5 and B5B5 exhibited greater immunity to challenge than B2B2 chickens. B5B5 chickens showed a significantly greater DWR following immunization and larger spleens 6 days after the challenge than either of the other genotypes. However, both B2B5 and B5B5 chickens demonstrated significantly lower lesion scores than B2B2 chickens. There were no significant differences in weight gain among these genotypes. Among 139 line UNH105 segregants, B23B23 hosts had significantly lower lesion scores than B24B24 chickens. No other differences in immune response among line UNH105 genotypes were detected.

Comprehensive toxicology screening in the emergency department: an aid to clinical diagnosis

An audit of 2,641 toxicology requests from the Georgetown University Hospital Emergency Department from 1981 through 1984 was conducted to assess the contribution of toxicology laboratory results to the clinical evaluation of the intoxicated patient. Positive findings were obtained in 80% of the patients tested. Ethanol was the most common intoxicant, accounting for 48% of all positive results and an average serum concentration of 250 mg/dl. Multiple drug use was documented in 28% of the patients with positive results; some ingested as many as six substances. Women were more likely than men to be polydrug users. A comparison of laboratory findings with diagnosis based on history and examination for 76 patients revealed that the laboratory provided additional information on the nature of the intoxication two-thirds of the time. Our conclusion is that the toxicology laboratory offering a broadly based screening service when properly utilized by the emergency department staff can aid in establishing an accurate diagnosis and provide a guide to therapy in the intoxicated patient.

Effect of surgical bursectomy on the ellipsoid, ellipsoid-associated cells, and periellipsoid region of the chicken's spleen

Surgical bursectomy resulted in cellular depletion of the periellipsoid white pulp, confirming its bursa dependency. Also, in bursectomized birds, the ellipsoid could not be identified, although a small number of abnormal ellipsoid-associated cells (EAC) were observed in the periellipsoid region. The most characteristic finding was the degeneration of the EAC. Degeneration of EAC indicated that the intact bursa was mandatory for normal differentiation of cells of the periellipsoid white pulp into EAC. The promoting effect of the bursa might take place by a bursal hormone. The histological impairment of the EAC was followed by reduced carbon binding and migrating capabilities. Bursectomy resulted in a shift in bacterial phagocytosis in that many cells of the periellipsoid phagocytosed Salmonella. The reduced heterophil infiltration of the ellipsoid in bursectomized birds might be explained by the impaired granular content of the EAC. The impaired migration capability of the EAC might contribute to the low number of germinal centers in bursectomized birds.

High-affinity binding of [3H]acetylcholine to muscarinic cholinergic receptors

High-affinity binding of [3H]acetylcholine to muscarinic cholinergic sites in rat CNS and peripheral tissues was measured in the presence of cytisin, which occupies nicotinic cholinergic receptors. The muscarinic sites were characterized with regard to binding kinetics, pharmacology, anatomical distribution, and regulation by guanyl nucleotides. These binding sites have characteristics of high-affinity muscarinic cholinergic receptors with a Kd of approximately 30 nM. Most of the muscarinic agonist and antagonist drugs tested have high affinity for the [3H]acetylcholine binding site, but pirenzepine, an antagonist which is selective for M-1 receptors, has relatively low affinity. The ratio of high-affinity [3H]acetylcholine binding sites to total muscarinic binding sites labeled by [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate varies from 9 to 90% in different tissues, with the highest ratios in the pons, medulla, and heart atrium. In the presence of guanyl nucleotides, [3H] acetylcholine binding is decreased, but the extent of decrease varies from 40 to 90% in different tissues, with the largest decreases being found in the pons, medulla, cerebellum, and heart atrium. The results indicate that [3H]acetylcholine binds to high-affinity M-1 and M-2 muscarinic receptors, and they suggest that most M-2 sites have high affinity for acetylcholine but that only a small fraction of M-1 sites have such high affinity.

Promoting social support: the impact of California's "Friends Can Be Good Medicine" campaign

Increasing recognition of the importance of social support for health has not been accompanied by commensurate increases in knowledge about how to strengthen natural support networks on a large scale. This study evaluated the impact of California's innovative "Friends Can Be Good Medicine" public education campaign in promoting social support. Campaign impact was assessed with pre-, post-, and long-term follow-up interviews with a panel sample of 340 adults in the six county Fresno media market area. Comparisons of exposed and unexposed individuals found that the campaign appeared to have measurable impact on knowledge, attitudes, behavioral intentions, and support enhancing behavior. Follow-up interviews indicated that these gains maintained themselves over the course of a year. The campaign was most effective when it utilized multiple channels of communication. In Fresno City, where there was the most intensive combination of community activities and media exposure, respondents indicating substantial likelihood of engaging in support enhancing behavior increased from 42% to 59% compared to smaller gains in areas which relied primarily on community implementation, and no gains in areas where exposure to the campaign was limited to mass media. The campaign appeared particularly effective with people who had experienced the death of someone close to them during the past year, and within that group, gains were largest among respondents below average in initial levels of social support.

Effect of soluble antigen on the ellipsoid-associated cells of the chicken's spleen

The ellipsoid-associated cells (EAC) localize on the surface of the ellipsoid. They bind the IV injected horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), migrate to the red pulp and then enter the systemic circulation. After protein injection, the number of white blood cells increased above the normal level. The highest number of white blood cells occurred between 4 and 6 hr after HRP injection. In this period, the cell enhancement resulted in HRP-positive mononuclear cells which might come from the spleen. This cell population may vary in size and number in the blood and may be identical with the dendritic cell of the chicken. The other type of blood mononuclear cell is histologically identical with the classical monocyte endogenous peroxidase positive type and their number is lower than that of the former. This type of monocytic (MN) cell could be of bone marrow origin.

Education of children with learning problems

Approximately 10 per cent of all school-aged children have some type of learning disorder. These students are usually labeled mentally retarded, learning disabled, or emotionally disturbed/behavior disordered. The authors discuss the commonly used definitions of these disorders, the prognosis in school for children with learning disorders, the educational characteristics of these children, specific teaching and training approaches, and the administrative arrangement and physical environment for learning-disordered students.

Educational and psychological assessment of children with learning disorders

This article provides an overview of assessment in the educational process and a critical analysis of the standardized tests that are typically seen in educational and psychological reports.

Meckel's diverticulum. II. A novel lymphoepithelial organ in the chicken

We have studied the lymphoid development and structure of Meckel's diverticulum (MD). The lymphoid accumulation began about 2 weeks of age. Between 2 and 5 weeks of age the longitudinal folds were filled with lymphoid tissue. The intensive germinal center formation occurred between 5 and 7 weeks of age. Germinal center formation was associated with the presence of secretory cells. The absence of the secretory cells in the germinal centers was followed by germinal center inactivity which was indicated by the lack of lymphoblasts and the high number of tingible body macrophages. The lymphoid tissue of MD seemed to be fully developed by 10 weeks of age and remained lymphoid at least until 21 months of age. Meckel's diverticulum produced large numbers of plasma cells which were comparable to those of the gland of Harder. We may regard MD as the third pouch of the intestine and suggest that it may be a novel lymphoepithelial organ in the chicken.

Friends can be good medicine: an excursion into mental health promotion

This paper describes Friends Can Be Good Medicine, a multi-media, mental health promotion campaign conducted in 1982 throughout California. The creative design, pilot-test, implementation and results are reviewed. Conceptually, Friends was derived from evidence linking supportive personal relationships with increased physical and mental health. Three major campaign elements were: broadcast media, an array of educational materials, and community activities. Evaluation findings revealed that Friends was most effective when campaign elements reinforced one another. Resulting changes in knowledge, attitudes, and intentions among those reached by Friends were maintained after one year. It is contended that, for better or worse, mass media is part of the health care system.

Treatment of experimental murine candidiasis with liposome-associated amphotericin B

Mice were challenged intravenously with Candida albicans, and then treated either with nothing (controls), amphotericin B-desoxycholate (AMB), or amphotericin B associated with liposomes (AMB-lipo). AMB-lipo permitted larger doses of amphotericin B to be given, and also appeared to have no severe toxicity in the animal model. High doses of AMB-lipo were protective, but at equal doses, AMB-lipo was not as effective as commercial AMB.