Comparison of cowpox-like viruses isolated from European zoos. Brief report

Poxviruses isolated from captive carnivores in Russia (Moscow virus) and elephants in Germany (elephant virus) were very closely-related to cowpox virus. Immunological analysis with absorbed sera separated elephant virus but not cowpox and Moscow virus, whereas polypeptide analysis separated cowpox but not elephant and Moscow virus. A combination of biological tests separated all three. The epidemiological implications are briefly reviewed.

Structural polypeptides of Orthopoxvirus: their distribution in various members and location within the virion

The structural polypeptides of accepted species and recently isolated members of the genus Orthopoxvirus have been examined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The viruses shared many polypeptides but some differences were found. The viruses could be divided into a vaccinia group (including buffalopox, 'Lenny' and MK-10), an ectromelia group (including elephant virus and Moscow virus), cowpox, camelpox and monkeypox. Minor differences were found in the polypeptides of monkeypox virus strains from human and monkey outbreaks. Controlled degradation of virions showed that the polypeptides which enabled the viruses to be differentiated were located in the surface and sub-surface layers. The cores of the viruses all gave the same complex polypeptide pattern.

The control of movement in the preferred and non-preferred hands

The nature of the difference in skill between the preferred and non-preferred hands was investigated using a peg-board task. The first experiment examined the effects of varying movement amplitude and target tolerance on performance. The difference between hands was found to be related to tolerance rather than movement amplitude. The second study analysed a film record of well-practised subjects, confirming the hypothesis that most of the difference between hands is due to relative slowness of the non-preferred hand in the positioning phase involving small corrective movements. Analysis of the type and number of errors further suggested that this result is not due to differences in duration of movements but to their increased frequency, implying greater accuracy of aiming with the preferred hand. Thus whilst the initial gross analysis implicated feedback processing in skill differences the more detailed analysis suggests that motor output of the nonpreferred hand is simply more variable.

Hairy cell leukemia: a review

Hairy cell leukemia is a chronic but steadily progressive malignancy usually of older males. Clinically, patients present with splenomegaly and/or cytopenia. The diagnosis is made by demonstration of the hairy cell in Wright's-stained peripheral blood and in bone marrow and by the characteristic histologic findings in the bone marrow biopsy and spleen sections. Infection is the most significant problem complicating the course of patients with hairy cell leukemia and the role of granulocytopenia and/or monocytopenia is undoubtedly substantial. Splenectomy has produced an objective response in improving hematologic parameters in a large number of patients and may prolong survival in those patients who respond. The precise nature of hairy cells remains unknown. The cells exhibit features of both monocytes and B-lymphocytes in morphologic, cytochemical, immunologic and functional studies. A more complete understanding of the monocytic and lymphocytic stem cells and their maturation may provide insight into the origin of the hairy cell.

EEG spectrum analysis techniques applied to the problem of psi phenomena

Electroencephalographic techniques were used to study unusual sensory capabilities. One S, the "sender," of a pair of Ss was stimulated with 10 sec duration trains of flicker at 6 or 16 fps, randomly interspersed with periods of no flicker. EEGs were recorded from another S, the "receiver," to determine if EEG driving or alpha block would be evident on trials when the sender was stimulated, compared to when the sender was not stimulated. Differential alpha block on control and stimulus trials was observed reliably in one receiver, indicating some information transfer. The S's overt indications of which stimulus occurred were not different from what would be expected by chance. The physical parameters by which the EEG effect was mediated were not determined.

Effects of right and left unilateral ECT on naming and visual discrimination analysed in relation to handedness

The use of unilateral ECT as a method of exploring differences between the functions of the cerebral hemispheres has been suggested by Pratt et al. (1971). These authors found a greater impairment on a test of naming and a tendency to slower return to consciousness after left-sided than after right-sided treatments. Assuming that these effects depend on left hemisphere language specialization, they went on to use them as possible indicators of cerebral dominance for speech in left handers. The present enquiry was designed to explore these differences further by comparing patients immediately after right-sided and left-sided ECT for their ability to name objects and to make visual discriminations and for their time of recovery. Handedness was assessed through a measure of relative manual speed as well as by the usual questions of preference and family handedness. The speed differences give a continuous measure of degrees of right and left handedness which can be correlated with measures of differences between the effects of right-sided and left-sided ECT.

ADMINISTRATION OF ANTERIOR PITUITARY GROWTH HORMONE TO RATS DURING COLD EXPOSURE

Male, growing rats were injected daily with anterior pituitary growth hormone (3 mg/100 g body weight) and fed ad libitum for 7 days at environmental temperatures of 22 °C and 2–3 °C. Body weight gain, nitrogen retention, and four liver enzyme activities were measured. As observed previously, cold exposure retarded body weight gain and decreased nitrogen retention despite an increased food intake. These effects of cold were not eliminated by administration of growth hormone. The increased activities of liver arginase, alanine-glutamic transminase, and phosphate-activated glutaminase consequent upon cold exposure were not significantly affected by growth hormone although, at 22 °C, growth hormone decreased the activities of liver arginase and alanine-glutamic transaminase. Cold exposure eliminated the lowering effect of growth hormone on liver glutamic acid dehydrogenase activity observed at 22 °C. It is concluded that, under these conditions, growth hormone does not overcome the protein catabolic effects of cold exposure but rather, cold exposure eliminates the protein anabolic effects of the hormone.

NITROGEN METABOLISM IN COLD-EXPOSED RATS

In these studies, male albino rats were exposed to cold (2–3 °C) for a 7-day period. In vivo studies included the daily measurement of body weight gain, food intake, urine volume, body and liver composition, and nitrogen retention. In vitro, the activities of the following liver enzymes were measured: aspartic acid transaminase, alanine transaminase, arginase, glutamic acid dehydrogenase, and phosphate-activated glutaminase. The results of these experiments demonstrate that exposure of rats to cold increases amino acid catabolism, in part at least to meet increased energy requirements, and reduces protein synthesis as a consequence in the period 2–5 days inclusive, despite a marked increase in food intake. Cold exposure was without effect upon protein absorption but, after 24 hours in the cold, the nitrogen which appeared in the urine increased from about 55% (at 22 °C) to about 76% of the amount that had been absorbed. No effect of cold exposure on nitrogen retention was apparent in the first 24 hours of cold exposure. The subsequent decreased nitrogen retention, on a time basis, appears to bear a relationship to changes in liver enzyme activities, particularly to the increased activities of liver transaminases and arginase.

METABOLIC EFFECTS OF THREE DIETARY PROTEIN LEVELS FED ISOCALORICALLY TO COLD-EXPOSED RATS

Male albino rats were fed isocalorically on diets containing 5%, 20%, and 40% protein (casein) and 10% corn oil by weight at environmental temperatures of 22 °C and 2 °C. Since the 5% protein fed group consumed less than normal amounts of food, consequently the food intake of all groups was moderately restricted. Measurements were made of urinary excretion of nitrogen, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, and creatinine, of blood levels of glucose, urea, amino nitrogen, packed cell volume, and serum total proteins and of total body content of protein, water, and crude fatty acids. Metabolic effects of dietary protein level were readily apparent at both environmental temperatures. Unlike earlier studies with ad libitum and severely restricted feeding, superimposition of cold exposure did not eliminate metabolic differences among groups. As observed in previous studies, reduction of dietary protein level from 20% to 5% had a deleterious effect in cold-exposed rats. In the present study no beneficial effects due to increasing dietary protein level from 20% to 40% were observed.

METABOLIC EFFECTS OF DIETARY PROTEIN LEVEL IN COLD-EXPOSED RATS

Male albino rats were fed ad libitum isocaloric diets containing 5%, 20%, and 40% protein and 10% corn oil by weight. Measurements were made of nitrogen retention, urine volume, water intake, body composition, and blood levels of glucose, amino nitrogen, and urea at environmental temperatures of 22 ± 2 °C (7 days) followed by 2 ± 1 °C (8 days). Significant metabolic differences were evident among the three dietary groups at 22 °C but these differences were, in general, reduced under conditions of cold exposure. It is of interest that the rats on the 40% protein diet did not exhibit the typical increases in food consumption and urine volume when exposed to cold and, further, that these animals appeared able to maintain body weight and synthesize body fat during cold exposure. It seems that dietary protein level may play an important role during exposure to cold.

METABOLIC EFFECTS OF DIETARY PROTEIN LEVEL WITH CALORIC RESTRICTION IN COLD-EXPOSED RATS

Male albino rats were fed isocaloric diets (5%, 20%, and 40% protein and 10% corn oil by weight) in restricted amounts (6 g/rat per day) at environmental temperatures of 22 °C and 2 °C. Measurements were made of urinary excretion of nitrogen, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, and creatinine, of blood levels of glucose, urea, amino nitrogen, packed cell volume, and serum total proteins and of body contents of protein, moisture, and total crude fatty acids. Metabolic effects of food restriction were readily apparent at 22 °C and the diet appeared to play a role in modifying some of these effects in approximate proportion to the dietary protein level. With superimposition of cold exposure, metabolic differences among groups were decreased in degree with some suggestive evidence of a beneficial effect of increased dietary protein level and of a deleterious effect of decreased dietary protein (high carbohydrate) under these conditions.

PREVIOUS DIETARY PROTEIN LEVEL AND SURVIVAL OF STARVING RATS IN THE COLD

The effect of the level of dietary protein (5%, 20%, 40% casein by weight) fed for 7 days in an environmental temperature of 22 °C, upon the survival of rats subsequently starved in an environmental temperature of 2 °C was studied. In these experiments ad libitum feeding, isocaloric feeding, and restricted feeding techniques were used, and the effects of thyroidectomy and thyroid feeding were investigated. In all cases, animals provided with the 5% protein diet survived for shorter periods than did those fed the 20% protein diet. In intact rats, but not in thyroidectomized rats, survival time appeared to be inversely related to rate of body weight loss in starvation. Differences in duration of survival among dietary groups are not explicable on the basis of differences in body weight, body composition, or total food intake prior to starvation. The results of experiments using thyroidectomized rats and thyroid feeding suggest that the effect of dietary protein level upon survival in subsequent starvation in the cold are not mediated through the thyroid gland.

METABOLIC EFFECTS OF DIETARY PROTEIN LEVEL IN COLD-EXPOSED RATS

Male albino rats were fed ad libitum isocaloric diets containing 5%, 20%, and 40% protein and 10% corn oil by weight. Measurements were made of nitrogen retention, urine volume, water intake, body composition, and blood levels of glucose, amino nitrogen, and urea at environmental temperatures of 22 ± 2 °C (7 days) followed by 2 ± 1 °C (8 days). Significant metabolic differences were evident among the three dietary groups at 22 °C but these differences were, in general, reduced under conditions of cold exposure. It is of interest that the rats on the 40% protein diet did not exhibit the typical increases in food consumption and urine volume when exposed to cold and, further, that these animals appeared able to maintain body weight and synthesize body fat during cold exposure. It seems that dietary protein level may play an important role during exposure to cold.

METABOLIC EFFECTS OF THREE DIETARY PROTEIN LEVELS FED ISOCALORICALLY TO COLD-EXPOSED RATS

Male albino rats were fed isocalorically on diets containing 5%, 20%, and 40% protein (casein) and 10% corn oil by weight at environmental temperatures of 22 °C and 2 °C. Since the 5% protein fed group consumed less than normal amounts of food, consequently the food intake of all groups was moderately restricted. Measurements were made of urinary excretion of nitrogen, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, and creatinine, of blood levels of glucose, urea, amino nitrogen, packed cell volume, and serum total proteins and of total body content of protein, water, and crude fatty acids. Metabolic effects of dietary protein level were readily apparent at both environmental temperatures. Unlike earlier studies with ad libitum and severely restricted feeding, superimposition of cold exposure did not eliminate metabolic differences among groups. As observed in previous studies, reduction of dietary protein level from 20% to 5% had a deleterious effect in cold-exposed rats. In the present study no beneficial effects due to increasing dietary protein level from 20% to 40% were observed.