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Several turkey respiratory adenoviruses were isolated in turkey embryonic liver cells from nasal turbinate filtrate collected from clinically ill turkey poults during postmortem examination. Suspect adenovirus inoculum had to remain in cell culture for 5 to 7 days, and 9 blind passages were required before a sample was declared negative. Once isolated, the turkey adenoviruses adapted rapidly to turkey kidney cells.
Carcinomas were induced to the thyroid gland of female rats, using a method originally proposed by Thomas and Bollmann (metachronous application of nitrosomethylurea and methylthiouracil), to establish cytomorphological, histomorphological, cytochemical, and flow-cytophotometric criteria for diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma. Verification was also intended of the diagnostic value of each of the methods involved for differentiation of nodular goitre. Another purpose of the study was to find out, whether chemically induced thyroid tumours in rat were comparable to thyroid neoplasms in man. This provided to the examiners genetically coherent and morphologically comparable biological material at various stages of thyroid tumour growth which included diffuse and adenomatous hyperplasias, adenomas, and, from the 18th to 42nd experimental weeks, papillary as well as follicular carcinomas in 31 to 100% of all experimental animals involved. Cytomorphological comparability of rat thyroid material (imprint specimens) with human material (fine-needle aspiration cytology) was ensured for normal as well as for hyperplastically altered thyroid glands, including adenomatous and carcinomatous changes. Hence, group typing of thyroid cytology, originally devised for human specimens, could be easily adapted to material obtained from rat. Assessment of cytological samples by microscopic criteria yielded an accuracy of 89% in malignoma diagnosis and proved to be an approach of highly informative potential also in the context of rat experiments. Use of additional cytochemical techniques (PAS, toluidine-blue, peroxidase, alkaline and acid phosphatases, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase) as well as quantitative DNA determination by means of flow-cytophotometry was helpful in casting light at some scattered trends of change from normal for certain stages of proliferation, but it failed to enhance information in cytomorphological diagnosis of the individual case.
We studied the frequency of depression as well as biomedical and social features of 179 pregnant women under control at an urban clinic in metropolitan Santiago. The random sample comprised 38% of all controlled pregnancies. A questionnaire adapted and validated by Florenzano et al was used to appraise depression. The Graffar methodology was used to measure socioeconomic level. Frequency of depressive symptoms was 30% and mean age of depressed women was 27.3 years, similar to non depressed ones (26.1%). A significantly higher proportion of depression was found in single women and those having a dystocic last delivery. The high frequency of depression in this vulnerable group suggests the need for integrated obstetric-psychiatric units to provide a more comprehensive medical care to theses patients.
The Electra 700, an automatic coagulation tester recently available in France, was investigated for its performance on routine tests: Quick's test, APTT, thrombin clotting time test, assay of fibrinogen and prothrombin complex factors. Reproducibility was exceptionally good for Quick's test (CV less than 1%), excellent for the other tests (CV less than 3%), acceptability of the various commercial reagents very good, and standard linearity excellent. There was close correlation with manually obtained (electromagnetic B.M.) or semiautomated (KC 10) results (0.9948 to 0.9345). The apparatus is entirely automatic once specimens have been loaded, and it is particularly adapted to dealing with long series of specimens (60 samples). Its original loading system makes it possible to carry out two types of test concurrently, as well as to insert emergency tests. Economically, the cost of disposables and "reagent loss" is satisfactory; however, all tests are carried out relatively slowly, though this is compensated for by the fact that the reactions are completely automatic.
The G tolerance of pilots flying modern, high-performance fighter aircraft is crucial. Therefore, methods to increase G tolerance are of vital importance. In this study, G tolerance was studied in a human centrifuge using simulated aerial combat maneuvers (ACM)--consisting of 15-s periods of 4.5 and 7 G until exhaustion--before and after 11 weeks of muscle strength training. The ACM-time in 11 fighter pilots was increased after this training by 39%. Gains were observed in knee extensor muscle strength during slow contractions by 17% and in anaerobic power by 14%. Aerobic performance and various muscle histochemical indices, as assessed from muscle biopsy samples obtained from m. vastus lateralis, were unchanged. Neuromuscular adaptation seems to be responsible for the increased muscle strength, as well as for the improved performance of the M-1 straining maneuver. This might explain the enhanced G tolerance.
Of 5008 patients with normal serum thyroxine concentrations (T4 = 4.8-12.2 micrograms/dl) assayed by our laboratory during an 11-mo period, only 41 (0.82%) had an abnormal free thyroxine index (FTI). Narrowing the T4 normal range by 0.5 microgram/dl at both ends to create a discriminatory range of 5.3-11.7 microgram/dl reduced this number to 13 (0.26%). Evaluation of the medical records for 11 of these 13 patients revealed his histories of estrogen and thyroid-hormone administration, individually or in combination, which may have contributed to their divergence form the population. A program for these selective performance of serum Tc uptake (T3U and FTI determinations only on those sera wtih T4 concentrations outside of a discriminatory range is described and evaluated. This initial discrimination is the first step in practical system for selective performance of additional in vitro thyroid function assays to derive maximum diagnostic information from a single patient sample. In our institution of program described is easily adapted to computerization and has resulted in a substantial reduction of reagent costs while providing more efficient utilization of laboratory personnel.
We describe a new nonradioisotopic method for HLA class II molecular typing performed in 96-well plates of the same size as those used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and radioimmunoassays (RIA). Biotinylated sequence-specific oligonucleotide (SSO) probes are bound to avidin-coated plates. Digoxigenin-labeled PCR-amplified DNA samples are hybridized, washed and detected with a peroxidase conjugated antibody assay. The method was tested by performing a partial HLA DQA1 and DQB1 typing on 69 randomly selected blood samples. The results are completely concordant with a traditional SSO-PCR typing performed on the same samples. This procedure is simple, fast and could be adapted for performance in semi-automated or automated fashion using equipment already available for ELISA and RIA assays.
UNLABELLED: The diaphragm seems to undergo adaptive structural change in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The possibility of obtaining muscle specimens is limited, however, particularly when respiratory function is severely affected. OBJECTIVE: To assess the viability of a new technique for obtaining diaphragm muscle samples appropriate for structural assessment even from patients with severe functional change, and to study the size of fibers in relation to severity of disease. METHODS: Fifteen muscle specimens were obtained from patients (aged 57 +/- 15 years) by abdominal laparotomy. All had undergone full lung function testing. Muscle samples were taken during surgery using a new technique involving formation of a tobacco pouch with dome biopsy. The method had been previously validated in animal models. Later, the biopsies were processed to evaluate fiber proportions and sizes (ATPase dyes at different levels of pH). RESULTS: The 15 patients had a wide range of lung function results (FEV1 22-120% ref); 4 were severely affected (FEV1 < or = 50% ref). Nutritional status was normal in all cases; FEV1/FVC was 67 +/- 13%, RV was 134 +/- 55% ref, maximal mouth pressure (PImmax) was -75 +/- 27 cmH2O, transdiaphragmatic pressure (PIdimax) was 96 +/- 26 cmH2O, DLCO was 87 +/- 26% ref and PaO2 was 89 +/- 14 mmHg. We were able to obtain specimens valid for structural analysis from all patients with no complications. Light type I fibers predominated (54 +/- 9%) and size was normal overall (57 +/- 9 microns minimum diameter [Dm] atrophy index 195 +/- 243, and hypertrophy index 66 +/- 78), with no differences between the two fiber subtypes (Dm 58 +/- 8 microns for type I and 61 +/- 8 microns for type II). Overall size correlated inversely with static volumes (e.g. Dm with RV, r = -0.729, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The laparoscopic technique described is simple and safe for use in humans to obtain diaphragm muscle specimens that are valid for morphometric analysis, allowing us to enlarge the range of subjects that can be enrolled for this type of study. The fiber muscles studied are smaller when functional involvement is greater in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The Child Behavior Checklist's (CBCL) applicability to a sample of 105 Russian 9- and 10-year-old children was evaluated by examining the internal consistency of Russian adaptations of parent and teacher report forms. In addition, child behavior scores were correlated with child report of internalizing symptoms and maternal reports of their own internalizing symptoms and general family functioning. Finally, rates of child behavior problems and patterns of interrater agreement were compared with U.S. normative data. The psychometric properties of the adaptations demonstrate the adequacy of these instruments for use in Russia. Internal consistency and interrater agreement were generally comparable to estimates obtained in U.S. normative samples. Further, an exploration of the construct validity of the Russian versions of the CBCL and Teacher Report Form (TRF) lends additional support to the adequacy of these instrument.
Functional brain imaging and source localization based on the scalp's potential field require a solution to an ill-posed inverse problem with many solutions. This makes it necessary to incorporate a priori knowledge in order to select a particular solution. A computational challenge for some subject-specific head models is that many inverse algorithms require a comprehensive sampling of the candidate source space at the desired resolution. In this study, we present an algorithm that can accurately reconstruct details of localized source activity from a sparse sampling of the candidate source space. Forward computations are minimized through an adaptive procedure that increases source resolution as the spatial extent is reduced. With this algorithm, we were able to compute inverses using only 6% to 11% of the full resolution lead-field, with a localization accuracy that was not significantly different than an exhaustive search through a fully-sampled source space. The technique is, therefore, applicable for use with anatomically-realistic, subject-specific forward models for applications with spatially concentrated source activity.
This paper presents an improvement of the subtraction procedure for interference cancellation in ECG. In contrast to the well-known hardware and software filters, the procedure does not affect the signal frequency components around the rated powerline frequency. Originally, the procedure was developed for multiplicity between the sampling rate and the interference frequency. We analysed and improved the procedure structure in cases of non-multiple sampling, introducing a set of specially designed filters. Thus the implementation of the subtraction procedure is extended to almost all possible cases of sampling rate and interference frequency variation. The procedure has been adapted for online implementation. The research was initially carried out in a MATLAB environment. Further, programmes have been written in C( + +) language for digital signal processors and personal computers. The results obtained with real ECG signals show high efficiency of the interference cancellation.
Physiologic indicators reflect the functional consequences of vitamin A deficiency and may be particularly useful for detecting early perturbations in vitamin A status. In conjunctival impression cytology (CIC), epithelial morphology and the presence or absence of mucin spots and goblet cells allow samples, obtained by applying filter paper to the temporal conjunctiva, to be characterized as normal or typical of vitamin A-deficient keratinizing metaplasia. The validity of CIC has been established with reference to other indicators of vitamin A status, and a prevalence of > or =20% abnormal results has been suggested as indicative of a public health problem. However, interpretation of specimens requires considerable training, and nonresponsiveness to supplementation is a frequent problem, which limits the utility of CIC as a method for evaluating the impact of intervention programs. Several simplified field protocols for dark adaptation have been developed, including one in which dark adaptation is assessed by the responsiveness of the pupil to light. Night blind subjects have consistently shown abnormal results on this test, and a significant response to placebo-controlled dosing has been demonstrated for children and pregnant women. Scores have correlated significantly with serum retinol and relative dose response. Pupillary dark adaptation testing is acceptable to most children as young as 2 y old. Limitations of this technique include a time course for recovery after dosing as long as 4-6 wk, a testing time of 20 min, and the need for 1-3 d of training. Given its low cost, noninvasive nature, and lack of the need to transport samples, pupillary dark adaptation offers advantages over other techniques for assessing a population's vitamin A status.
Life-span development of adaptive behavior of 30,749 mentally retarded individuals residing in California and being served by the California Department of Developmental Services was studied. The estimated life-span trends differed somewhat from those reported in an earlier investigation (Eyman & Arndt, 1982.) We used a larger sample and a more appropriate model and found different growth curves in adaptive behavior over levels of retardation, contrary to the Eyman and Arndt findings. Moreover, when cross-sectional vs. semi-longitudinal growth curves were compared, the degree of similarity of the two types of curves was a function of level of retardation. Evidence on the need for large sample life-span studies based on at least 6 to 8 years follow-up was presented.
The weight stability of the sampling cassette of the IOM sampler for inhalable dust was tested in several weighing experiments. The results show that the reliability of repeated weighings was good, but the absorption of water vapour was slow and varied considerably among cassette specimen. The exponential time constant for water absorption was approximately 4 days, and 15-20 days were needed to obtain weight stability. With the help of cassette blanks the imprecision in dust weight could be held below 0.05 mg, if the cassettes were allowed one week's storage in the weighing room before weighing, both before and after sampling. The IOM sampling cassettes seem to consist of a few subsets, each with identical relative weight increase in a weighing room. To keep the variability low it is important that both the blanks and the cassettes used for sampling come from the same subset. Experiments indicate that the conducting plastic of the IOM sampling cassette may be replaced with another kind of plastic with similar electrical conductivity, but whose humidity absorption is 30 times lower. A lid, which is weighed with the cassette, was designed so that the potential dust loss from the cassette proper to the commercial transport clip was eliminated. A flow adapter, which simplifies the measurement of the air flow during personal sampling, was designed.
Deficits in neurocognitive functioning are common to both schizophrenia and alcoholism. Recent studies suggest that neurocognitive functioning is the most significant predictor of social-adaptive functioning in schizophrenia. Cognitive impairment induced by alcoholism may result in more impaired functional outcome for comorbid patients. Past research examining alcohol-abusing schizophrenia patients has not examined correlates with functional outcome and has generally been limited to relatively younger patients. This study examined neurocognitive functioning and its correlates in alcohol-abusing schizophrenia patients between the ages of 40 and 80. Outpatients with schizophrenia (SZ; n = 17) or both schizophrenia and alcohol abuse or dependence (SZ + ETOH; n = 18) were tested on a neurocognitive battery, rated for symptomatology, and assessed for functional abilities. The results suggest that alcohol abuse in schizophrenia is associated with more impaired functioning across many domains, including memory impairment, negative and general psychopathology symptoms, and adaptive functions. The only significant predictor of impaired functional status in the overall sample and the SZ + ETOH group was neurocognitive functioning.
The current study investigated hostile mood, response style (repression-sensitization [RS]), and cardiovascular (blood pressure and heart rate) as well as endocrine recovery (cortisol, norepinephrine, and epinephrine) from a 10-minute mental task in 57 healthy, adult women. Emphasis was placed on resting levels and recovery from, rather than the more frequently studied initial responses to, mental stress tasks. The task consisted of the "Electrocardiogram Quiz" (shortened version) and mental arithmetic (serial subtraction) of equal length, totaling 10 minutes. Physiological/biochemical samples were collected at the end of a 15-minute adaptation phase (i.e., the designated baseline), at the end of the mental task phase and at 5-minute and 30-minute recovery. R-S and hostility scale scores were not correlated and permitted the creation of four subsamples: 1) repressor-low expressed hostility; 2) repressor-high expressed hostility; 3) sensitizer-low expressed hostility; and 4) sensitizer-high expressed hostility. Results indicated that tonic levels of SBP and DBP were consistently higher in subjects with low expressed hostility. Cortisol level and phasic activity discriminated between high expressed hostility-sensitizers and the other three samples, with the former displaying more cortisol activity at baseline and at 30-minute recovery. Women on birth control pills had consistently elevated levels of cortisol secretion throughout.
To study the behavioral style or temperament of 45 boys, aged 47 to 88 months, with full-mutation fragile X syndrome (FXS), 102 parent ratings on the Behavioral Style Questionnaire (McDevitt and Carey 1978) were recorded. These ratings were analysed with a variety of statistical techniques. Considerable variability was evident in temperament profiles; consequently, a characteristic profile was not identified for FXS. Boys with FXS differed significantly from the reference sample on five of nine temperament dimensions. They were more active and less intense, approachable, adaptable, and persistent. No significant differences were found in distractibility, rhythmicity, mood, or sensory threshold. Only 16 of the 45 boys in the sample could be classified as easy, difficult, or slow to warm up. There was no link between severity of developmental disability and temperament ratings. This supports the theory that intelligence and temperament are separate constructs. Scores on temperament dimensions were stable over time. Our results suggest that many of the behaviors observed in boys with FXS may be related to temperament. Consequently, parent counseling and environmental modifications should be considered as first line treatment. The question of whether the behavior problems observed in boys with FXS are innate or whether they result from poorness of fit between child and environment is an important issue that needs further study.
The term "trichothiodystrophy" (TTD) covers several autosomal recessive diseases whose diagnostic hallmark is short, brittle hair low in sulfur and cystine because of impaired synthesis of high-sulfur matrix protein. Clinical symptoms associated with TTD represent a variable range of abnormalities in organs derived from ectoderm and neuroectoderm. Important laboratory tests of the hair for the diagnosis of TTD comprise polarizing microscopy ("tiger-tail" pattern), electron microscopy, and amino acids analysis of hydrolyzed hair with a special focus on cystine. However, only very few institutions determine the amino acid composition of human hair and nail clippings, which requires special sample preparation including hydrolysis. If no special precautions are taken, quantification of cysteine and cystine becomes inaccurate because of decomposition of these residues during hydrolysis. We therefore performed the sample work-up with azide-dependent oxidation which we have for the first time adapted for analysis of hair and nail clippings. With our control and parent data resembling published data on hair and nail samples, we obtained a decreased proportion of cysteine (half cystine, determined as cysteic acid) in materials obtained from a boy with TTD. Clearly, the method for the quantification of cysteine following sodium azide-dependent oxidation is a suitable and rather convenient approach to the quantification of cyst(e)ine and other amino acids in hair and nail proteins, and is a valuable contribution to the diagnosis of TTD.