[Adaptation to a rapeseed oil enriched diet as shown by the mitochondrial oxidation rate in the heart (author's transl)]. 40 wistar rats were divided into two groups which had been fed one year earlier a diet in which 30% of the caloric intake consisted of rapeseed oil and peanut oil respectively. Both groups were then fed a diet of 30% peanut oil for five months and then fed a normal diet for seven months. At this time each of the two main groups was subdivided into four smaller groups, each group receiving a different diet: one of 25% rapeseed oil, one of 25% peanut oil, one of 25% butter, and one internal control group. At the end of the experiment the rats were sacrificed by decapitation. One portion of each heart was used for measuring its fatty acid content and the remaining portion was used for preparing sarcosomes on which the exigen consumption was measured polarographically. It was found that no erucic acid was present in the hearts of the rats fed rapeseed oil one year previously, and then then refed the same diet in the present experiment. The mitochondrial respiratory activity of the treated rats did not show any significant difference with respect to the found in the control groups, unlike the first experiment.


Lactose malabsorption in Thai infants and children: effect of prolonged milk feeding. More than one-third of Thai infants were lactose malabsorbers soon after birth and the percentage of lactose malabsorption increased with age. Beyond 4 years of age, all Thai children studied were lactose malabsorbers. Continued milk supplementation over the study period did not affect the ability to digest lactose in the amount given in the load test. Since the milk-supplemented group of children tended to have better weight gain and few undesirable gastrointestinal symptoms, it seems milk feedings can be used to advantage even among populations with a record of high lactose intolerance.


[Use of infrared radiations in the freeze-drying of foods (author's transl)]. Use of near infrared radiation as heating source in freeze drying of food products, appear to be interesting both for the efficiency of the process and for its economical aspect. In the present paper the results obtained in freeze drying runs with heating plates and I.R. radiations are described. The obtained results show that: with increasing trays load of product, the I.R. system is more efficient than the traditional one; the product quality obtained is higher for I.R. radiation, especially with higher tray loads; the heat flux output of the I.R. system is much lower than the one of the heating plates, at the same level of subliming water.


Effects of gamma irradiation on onion sprouting. I.--Influence of dose rate and post-harvest period of treatment. Onions of "Dorata di Parma" variety were exposed to 10 Krads of Co60 gamma irradiation in 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 minutes in December, 1975 and then stored in the cold storage (10 +/- 1 degree C; R.H. 65-70%) and at the room temperature (15-20 degrees C; R.H. 40-70%) for 3 months, to study the influence of dose-rate and post-harvest period of treatment. Average number of buds sprouted in each onion bulb under cold storage condition ranged from 2-3, while this number was found to increase to 3-4 under ambient storage conditions. Although no effect of either irradiation or dose rate was observed when onions were irradiated after the break of their dormancy, however, a significant slowing down effect of irradiation could be observed as far as the rate of growth  of sprouts was concerned. Weight loss was also reduced significantly in the irradiated onions as compared with controls.


[Poly-protein. II--Precipitation of proteins from alfalfa juice by cationic polyacrylamide (author's transl)]. This note reports some experimental results on the preparation of leaf protein concentrates (LPC) from alphalpha juice by means of polyelectrolites, according to Poly-Protein Process. The pilot plant is described with its working conditions, and the yield and the chemical composition of the products (pressed alphalpha, juice, green LPC and brown juice) are reported. In particular 50 liters of juice, obtained by pressing 100 kg of fresh alphalpha, gave 1.6 kg of green LPC (on a dry weight basis). The product so obtained has a high protein content (56.2%) and represents a particularly valuable product for its several prospective uses in the feed industry.


[T.L.C. separation and capsaicin evaluation in red peppers (author's transl)]. Capsaicin is extracted from dried powdered pepper by 2-propanol in Soxhlet, separated by TLC on Silica gel, developing with petroleum ether (40-60 degrees C PB), chloroform and acetonitrile (40:45:15) mixture and spectrophotometrically estimated at 280nm. The method appears to be accurate and suitable for routine analysis.


[Research on some phosphorganic insecticide residues in olive oil in relation to techniques of Dacus oleae control. I. Results of total treatment to the foliage (author's transl)]. The research conducted to verify the presence and the amount of residues of organophosphorus insecticides in olive oil from olive trees sprayed against. Dacus oleae has shown that both hydrophilic (dimethoate, formathion, phosphamidon) and lypophilic (fenthion, medathion, prolate) substances tested leave more or less appreciable residues in the oil, either in a short time or in more than one month from the treatment. In the operative conditions reflecting antidacic practice, the amount of residue appears higher for the lypophilic organophosphorus insecticides.


[Presence of free-living amoebae in urban and communal water-supply systems of the Brest area]. During a preliminary study, from October 1975 until June 1976, we tried to find free-living limax amoebae in the waters proceeding from 6 systems which partly cover the wants of Brest and its bay (Finistère). From the 32 analysed samples, 19 were positive, of which 10 were able to grown at the first at 37 degrees C. The free-living amoebae belong to 3 genus: Harmanella, Vahlkampfia and Acanthamoeba. We have not found Naegleria species.


[Amoebecide and trichomonacide activities of secnidazole in the laboratory]. A study of the experimental chemotherapeutic activity of secnidazole as compared to metronidazole is presented, including a summary of toxicity, metabolism, pharmacokinetic studies and preliminary results from clinical trials. Secnidazole is about twice as active as metronidazole against experimental amebiasis, equiactive against trichomoniasis, and possesses low toxicity. After oral administration to man, active concentrations in the blood persist much longer than in the case of metronidazole and notably longer than for tinidazole. In the clinic, its therapeutic activity against hepatic amebiasis seems to be at least equal to that of metronidazole; it appears also to be more active against acute intestinal amebiasis, and specially more effective against E. minuta and cyst carriers. Against vaginal trichomoniasis it was as effective as metronidazole after repeated administration for several days, and the percentage recovery rate was as high after one single dose as after daily administration. The digestive tolerance seems to be very satisfactory. In view of these findings, the advantages which secnidazole might possess over other 5-nitroimidazoles already in use for the treatment of amebiasis and trichomoniasis are discussed.


[Study on a focus of ascaridiasis in a locality of Cap Bon (Tunisia)]. The study of ascaridiasis in a single locality of the Cap Bon region (Tunisia) where prevalence of this helminthiasis is much higher than anywhere else in the region, shows that 71,1% of the population is infected and all ages approximately in the same proportion. This high prevalence can be explained by a cumulative effect of two transmission factors: a particular construction of houses, which have a kind of reservoir for organic wastes in direct connection with the street, and the use of human excrements in agriculture. Mass chemotherapy every 3 months during several consecutive years is proposed.


[Presence of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the Réunion Island. Isolation of the strain]. The detection of some cases of eosinophilic meningitis suggest that Angiostrongylus cantonensis is present in Reunion Island. Larvae of this nematode have been isolated after dissection of Achatina fulica and have been used to infest laboratory rats. 30 days later, the dissection of these animals shows the presence of young worms in the brain and in the pulmonary arteries. 45 days later, first-stage larvae are recovered from the feces of animals. Now, the strain is maintained in Biomphalaria glabrata and in the rat.


A comparison of the dissolution and bioavailability characteristics of three spironolactone tablet formulations, including preliminary data on two spironolactone metabolites. The bioavailabilities of three spironolactone tablet formulations specially selected for major differences in in vitro dissolution tests were compared in normal male volunteers by measuring plasma and urinary levels of the pharmacologically active spironolactone metabolite canrenone. It was possible to demonstrate small but statistically significant differences in plasma canrenone concentration-time curves derived from the three formulations together with significant differences in the time course of urinary canrenone excretion. The bioavailabilities of the three formulations did not differ significantly although the tablet with the poorest in vitro dissolution produced a significant delayed peak canrenone concentration. The dissolution rate methodology and results are described and an approach to the development of improved in vitro dissolution tests for spironolactone is suggested. The use of a new method for canrenone estimation resulted in the incidental detection of two other quantitatively significant spironolactone metabolites and preliminary information is given on these.


[French Guiana and bilharziasis].

[French Guiana and bilharziasis]. The authors discuss about the lack of bilharziasis in French Guyana and report the experimental infestation of Biomphalaria glabrata coming from Cayenne with a porto-rican strain of Schistosoma mansoni.


[Evolution of filarial hemagglutinating antibodies 1 year after a single dose of diethylcarbamazine]. The authors compare the serological results obtained before and after a single dose with diethylcarbamazine (6 mg./kg.) in a homogeneous and strongly infected with Wuchereria bancrofti var, pacifica population. They point out a statistically significant decrease of the hemagglutining antibody titres of filarian patients.


Recognition of lactose intolerance.

Recognition of lactose intolerance. Evidence has been accumulating that except where dairying has been carried on for centuries, postweaning inability to digest milk is the norm for humans as well as other land mammals. Given the ethnic diversity of the U.S., there may well be 30 million Americans who cannot drink milk without developing symptoms and many instinctively learn to avoid it. A simple lactose tolerance test is described that establishes the diagnosis.


[Mobile edema of the face and neck followed by intraocular localization of Gnastosoma spinigerum]. The authors report the first case observed in Cameroon of an intraocular localization of the nematode Gnastostoma spinigerum. The course of about 3 months presented three phases. The first one consisted of pains in the right hypochondrium, with scapulalgia during three weeks, probably correlated with the crossing of the digestive wall and intraocular migrations. The second phase consisted of ambulatory oedema in the face and neck during three weeks. The last phase consisted of a localization of the parasite in the right eye anterior chamber. After three weeks' observations the surgical extraction of a living gnastostoma larva was carried out. The biological signs were an increase of the sedimentation rate, hyperleucocytosis with marked eosinophilia during the first two phases of the disease. These symptoms became normal after the ocular localization. From the functional point of view the result was better than foreseen.


Treatment of meningeal leukemia.

Treatment of meningeal leukemia. Chemotherapy via the intrathecal and intraventricular routes with the use of up to three drugs plus radiotherapy have produced remissions so prolonged that it is now practical to think of a "cure" rather than simple palliation of this disease. A promising treatment protocol is described in which radiotherapy is combined with and followed by intraventricular methotrexate and cytosine arabinoside.


[Human sparganosis. Report of a probable 7th case in South America and review of the subject]. A case of human Sparganosis was found in a resident of Northern Argentina, Pozo del Tigre, Province of Formosa, a zone bordering with the Republic of Paraguay, with a histopathologic diagnosis realized in the Pathologic Anatomy Institute of Asunción. In the Republic of Paraguay Dyphyllobrotium has been observed in cats, which reveals the existence of intermediaries (rats, water snakes, birds, etc.) as sources of human infection. Northern Argentina, where the patient always lived, is a geographic zone similar to the Republic of Paraguay. This case is the first described in the inland zone of the continent (and probably the seventh case in the Southamerican continent). The patient's profession, called "tropero" (cowherd), required that he had close contact with the land or a habitual exposure to nature, which does not exclude the probability of infection related to the patient's professional habitat.


Growth rate, feeding practices, and dietary intake of Thai infants under two years old in central Bangkok. There is a growth retardation among Thai infants under the age of two years in the Bangkok area. A serious matter is the possible delay in brain development which may start at this early stage. In comparing growth curves of infants on three patterns of feeding it appears that those having sweetened condensed milk suffer from malnutrition and possible delay in brain development. Breast feeding provides satisfactory growth rate and brain development up to the age of 12 months and there is great hope that a nutrition programme to encourage breast feeding could combat existing problems of protein energy malnutrition. There is evidence of greater deficiency of energy than of protein, and there is need to investigate whether growth retardation is due to inadequate energy intake or to high infection rates or to both. Rice is the most suitable basic food for supplementing infants diets, and uncooked grain giving 1 g protein and 83.68 kJ (20 kcal) may well be the simplest formula for supplementing feeding up to the age of two years.


[Radioautographic and cytofluorimetric analysis of DNA synthesis during the pre-implantation period of rat and mouse embryonic development]. The patterns of DNA synthesis and kinetics of cell population in the rat and mouse embryos were studied by means of 3H-thymidine autoradiography and cytofluorimetry. The rat and mouse embryos during the period of cleavage consist of a heterogenous population of blastomeres. At all the stages under study, all phases of the cell cycle occur in the blastomeres: G1, S, G2 and mitosis. The embryonic cells were distributed into groups containing 2c, 3c, 4c and more DNA. The ratio of cell number in these groups differed in the mouse and rat embryos. The mouse embryos are characterized by the appearance of a considerable amount of polyploid cells in S phase at the morula stage. The stage and species specific quantitative and qualitative patterns were established for DNA synthesis and kinetics of the cell population of blastomeres.


The effect of minocycline, doxycycline and oxytetracycline on experimental mouse toxoplasmosis. This is a comparative study of the effect of oral and parenteral administration of oxytetracycline, doxycycline and minocycline on experimental acute toxoplasmosis in mice. Two different inocula were used. All the antibiotics were ineffective orally. Doxycycline and minocycline were effective intraperitoneally, curing 90% of the mice who received the smaller inoculum. However, cerebral cysts of T. gondii were more common in the survivors treated with doxycycline.


[Experimental study of the biology of the miracidium of Philophthalmus rhionica Tichomirov, 1976 (Trematoda, Philophthalmidae)]. Some peculiarities of the biology of miracidia of Philophthalmus rhionica have been studied: penetration of the parasite's eggs into the environment, hatching of larvae, the miracidia motion, their life span and changes in the invasion ability character in time.


The effects of treatment with enzymatic preparations and tannin phenolic absorbent agents in extracting the olive oil by single pressure process on the oil yield, on the analytical characteristics of the oils of the vegetation waters and of the waste waters. The vegetation waters of the must, the oils and the waste waters extracted from olive pastes, treated by enzymatic preparations (Cellulase, Hemicellulase, Polygalacturonase and Protease) and tannin phenolic adsorbent agents (Polyclar AT, Methylcellulose, Albumine) employed during crushing of olive were analysed:--the vegetation waters in order to justify some technological results (oil yields and extraction speed) obtained by the treatments;--the oils in order to examine the effects of the treatments on the same chemical characteristics and the stability to rancidity. --The waste waters to verify the possible influence of the treatments on the BOD. From the results relative to the vegetation waters, it has been suggested that the increase of the "detached oil" does occur by two different biochemical mechanisms which involve the constitutive lipoprotein of the oil drop membrane and colloidal constituents of the liquid and solid phase of the pastes. For what concerns the oils, the treatments induce the slight modification of the fatty acid composition and chromatic characteristics, a higher stability to rancidity, a qualitative and quantitative increase of the "headspace" violates constituents above oils. The waste waters obtained from the olive pastes show lower BOD5 values.


Simultaneous purification of mitochondrial and cytoplasmic isozymes of aspartate aminotransferase from beef kidney. Mitochondrial and cytoplasmic isozymes of aspartate transaminase are separated from beef kidney homogenates by ammonium sulfate fractionation. The mitochondrial isozyme is purified essentially as described earlier (Eur. J. Biochem., 1972, 26, 196-206) with slight modification in order to increase the yield. The cytoplasmic isozyme is purified by heat treatment followed by ion exchange cellulose chromatography and gel chromatography. The enzyme is pure in the ultracentrifuge and in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; it shows only one anionic band and no subforms. It has a molecular weight of 93,000 +/- 2000 and is composed of two subunits of 46,000 M.W. The enzyme has a specific activity of 49 micronmoles of oxalacetate x min-1 x mg-1. It contains 5 SH groups per subunit; three are directly titratable with p-mercuribenzoate and the other two only after addition of 0.2% SDS; there is no evidence of S-S groups. Km values for aspartate, glutamate, alpha-ketoglutarate and oxalacetate are in the order 1.25, 3.2, 0.06 and 0.41 mM in the cytoplasmic isozyme and 0.7, 5.0, 1.25 and 0.12 mM in the mitochondrial one.


L-Asparaginase: effect on 7S gamma globulin extents and germinal centers in spleen and lymph-nodes. Administration of L-asparaginase may cause remission in a high percentage of acute lymphocytic leukemias and lymphomas, either in experimental animals or in human beings. This enzyme is able to depress immune reactions like lymphocyte blastogenesis and delayed hypersensitivity, and to impair gamma-globulin synthesis. L-asparaginase also has antigenic properties, and may cause the formation of anti-L-asparaginase antibodies. This study reports observations on the effect of L-asparginase on the 7S gamma-globulin levels and on the behaviour of the germinal centers in spleen and lymph nodes. It has been found that after administration of low or intermediate doses of L-asparginase, a decrease in the size of the follicular marginal zones occurred. This was accompanied by an enlargement of the germinal centers. Furthermore the spleen weight decreased and the concentration of 7S gamma-globulin diminished slightly. In animals given high doses of L-asparaginase, germinal centers were enlarged even more but marginal zones appeared repopulated although not to the degree of the controls. The spleen weight of these enzyme-injected animals reached almost the normal values, while a statistically significant decrease of 7S gamma-globulin concentrations was found.


[Retinol and lipid peroxidation].

[Retinol and lipid peroxidation]. The addition of retinol "in vitro" to erythrocyte ghosts and to subcellular fractions of normal rat liver, kidney and spleen homogenates, strongly decreases their lipid peroxide production. This retinol-effect is dose-dependent and can be observed also at physiological doses. The antilipoperoxidative effect of retinol has also been demonstrated "in vivo", in the nuclear and mitochondrial fractions of liver homogenates and in the nuclear fraction of spleen homogenates. A contrasting effect (prolipoperoxidative) of retinol has been observed in mitochondrial fraction of kidney and spleen homogenates and in the microsomial fraction of spleen homogenates. These results are discussed and related to tocopherol metabolism in A-hypervitaminotic rats and to the well-known antagonism between retinol and cholecalcipherol, whose prolipoperoxidative action "in vivo" is recorded.


[Regulation processes in biological systems. I. General principles and enzymatic control mechanisms]. A property, characteristic of all living organisms, is the ability to adapt their metabolism to changes of environment. Such an adaptation, i.e. a regulation of metabolism, is made possible not only by nervous and hormonal mechanisms, but it is also caused by the cooperation of enzymes and enzyme systems localized in different cell areas and may called "enzymic regulations". Enzymes are functional units of complex chemical systems. Although present knowledge in this area is primitive, it is already apparent that the properties of regulatory enzymes are very precisely tailored to the needs of the cells  in which they occur. The kinetic behaviour of an enzyme can be rationally interpreted only in terms of metabolic function and the structural features of an enzyme molecule are only the means by which this behaviour is attained. Each enzyme has evolved in the context of a metabolizing cell and the progress in understanding the kinetic and structural properties of enzymes will be aided by progress toward understanding the interactions in which that enzyme participates in the living cell. It is certain that we have only just begun to comprehend the ways in which the enzymes interact to produce a stable, yet flexible and responsive metabolic unit.


[Stages of the development of the embryos of snakes by the time of oviposition]. Embryos of 6 species of snakes--Ptyas mucosus (L.), Elaphe dione (Pall.), Psammophis lineolatum (Brandt), Natrix tesselata (Laur), Naja oxiana (EICHW.), Vipera lebetina turanica (Cernov) and V. l. obtusa--at the stage of egg laying are described morphologically. Different species of snakes are shown to lay the eggs containing embryos of different degrees of maturation. This series of transitions at the embryonic age (up to the time of egg viviparity) is connected with ecological peculiarities of different species.


[Surface activity of the extracts of the lungs and other organs]. Monomolecular surface films on the border-line of the "liquid-air" phases were observed to be formed in the water-saline extracts of the lungs and of the other organs. The surface films were compressed and extended on Wilhelmy's balance; the isotherm surface tension (ST)-square typical of the solutions of the surface-active materials (SAM) were recorded. Analogous curves with the minimum ST below 12 din/cm were recorded in testing the SAM monolayers placed on the liquid lining of the volatile solvent. Pulmonary surfactants differed from the SAM of other organs by the highest capacity to lower the ST in compression of the monolayer.


[Effects of ceruletide in the treatment of postoperative paralytic ileus]. After a short analysis of the pathogenetic causes which can lead to paralytic ileus and the drugs at present available for treatment of this serious morbid form, the paper reports results obtained with Ceruletide, a decapeptide which has proved active on intestinal peristalsis in experimental and clinical trials. The results of this study, carried out on 20 patients subjected to surgical operation on the abdomen, treated with Ceruletide by intramuscular route 24-48 hours after the operation, showed that this drug is capable of leading to a quick recovery of intestinal motor activity without causing the patient unpleasant effects for the patient. The practical utility of Ceruletide is evident since by leading to earlier canalisation of the intestine it also allows the venous hydro-electric delivery to be reduced, nasogastric aspiration to be eliminated early and hence the postoperative course to be made more acceptable to the patient.


Studies on the new cell line TT-I: viral susceptibility and chromosomal changes related to mycoplasma contamination. For understanding some biological properties of TT-1 cell line established in our laboratory in 1962, its viral susceptibility and the changes in chromosomes related to mycoplasma contamination were studied. TT-1 cells were susceptible to the infection of picorna (Polio type 1, Coxsackie B1 and Echo type 2), measles, Newcastle disease, herpes simplex (type 1), adeno (type 12) and vaccinia viruses. Contamination of TT-1 cells with Mycoplasma hominis was treated successfully with bottromycin A2 (50 microgram/ml). The chromosomes of the cells ranged from 52 to 55 in number and two additional minute chromosomes were found in the cells contaminated with the mycoplasma. However, after treatment with bottromycin, these two minute chromosomes disappeared.


Prevalence of cytoplasmic antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus. Prevalence of cytoplasmic antibodies--smooth muscle antibodies (SMA), gastric parietal cell antibodies (GPA), and mitochondrial antibodies (MTA)--was evaluated in 148 normal persons and 168 patients by indirect immunofluorescent method. Their prevalence in normal persons was 0%, 2% and 0% for SMA, GPA and MTA respectively, while SMA and MTA were positive in 5.7% and 8.6% of the 35 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients respectively. The difference in the prevalence of SMA and MTA between these two groups was statistically significant. The higher prevalence of these antibodies and the occurrence of various kinds of antibodies in SLE patients support the thesis that SLE is an autoimmune phenomenon.


Standardization of antimicrobial disc susceptibility test for anaerobic bacteria. Both agar diluiton and agar diffusion tests with 8 clinically useful or potentially useful antimicrobial agents were performed with 74 strains of Bacteroides fragilis. Correlation of results obtained by the two methods and applicability of the single disc test to the measurement of antimicrobial susceptibility of anaerobes were analyzed. Prediction of susceptibility, intermediate susceptibility, and resistance of anaerobic bacteria to antimicrobial agents, based on the measurement of inhibition zone diameter, appeared to be satisfactory generally.


[Trans-membrane difference of the vascular wall potentials and electrolyte content under the effect of nicotine and pentamine]. In experiments with anesthetized cats the effect of nicotine and pentamine with their intravenous administration into the organism on the transmembraneous difference on the carotid artery potentials and electrolytes exchange in the vascular wall was analyzed. Nicotine (60 and 120 gamma/kg) was found to increase the difference of potentials in the vascular wall of the carotid artery and pentamine (1 and 10 mg/kg)--to reduce it. Nicotine raised the level of potassium and downgraded the sodium concentration in the vascular wall, while changes in the proportion of calcium and magnesium ions proved to be insignificant and were demonstrable only in individual vessels. Pentamine increased the potassium and sodium content in the wall of blood vessels, excercising but little effect on the level of calcium and magnesium ions. A relation between changes in the transmembraneous difference of potentials and variations of the ionic composition in the vascular wall, mostly of potassium and sodium ions, is suggested.


Malic dehydrogenase patterns in different strains of Schistosoma japonicum and subspecies of Oncomelania hupensis. Malic dehydrogenase (MDH) of the Formosan Philippine and Indonesian Strains of Schistosoma japonicum and 3 subspecies of snails, Oncomelania hupensis formosana, O. h. quadrasi, and O. h. lindoensis were identified by disc electrophoresis with 10.5% acrylamide gel columns using tris-malic buffer. Male worm extracts of S. japonicum demonstrated 3, 2, and 2 clear MDH patterns and female worm extracts showed patterns of 2, 1 and 1 for the Formosan, Philippine and Indonesian strains of the parasite, respectively. MDH patterns were the same for all 3 subspecies of snails; one major and one minor band being found in all.


[Use of nitrates in cheese-making].

[Use of nitrates in cheese-making]. In the technology of semi-hard cheeses, nitrate is added to prevent thelate-blowing defect due to the growth of Clostridia. In normal technological conditions no risks must be encountered by the consumer. But if whey is re-used for feeding the amount of nitrate and nitrite in the whey must be controlled.


[Whey as a substrate for obtaining an edible yeast]. Using a fermentative process of whey through Kluyveromyces fragilys, Jörgensen, the Author prepared two edible products: Biomass I (yeast) and Biomass II (yeast plus protein of whey). Biomass I offered 53% of protein, and the yield was 22,3 g/1 whey. Biomass II, 62% of protein and yield of 27,7 g/1 whey. The test of food efficiency for Biomass II was similar to that presented by casein; the protein eficiency ratio at the level of 5% was the same, both for Biomass I and II. More research is needed specially to determine the economical convenience of the process.


Model ecosystem evaluation of the environmental impacts of the veterinary drugs phenothiazine, sulfamethazine, clopidol, and diethylstilbestrol. Four veterinary drugs of dissimilar chemical structures were evaluated for environmental stability and penchant for bioaccumulation. The techniques used were (1) a model aquatic ecosystem (3 days) and (2) a model feedlot ecosystem (33 days) in which the drugs were introduced via the excreta of chicks or mice. The model feedlot ecosystem was supported by metabolism cage studies to determine the amount and the form of the drug excreted by the chicks or mice. Considerable quantities of all the drugs were excreted intact or as environmentally short-lived conjugates. Diethylstilbestrol (DES) and Clopidol were the most persistent molecules, but only DES bioaccumulated to any appreciable degree. Phenothiazine was very biodegradable; sulfamethazine was relatively biodegradable and only accumulated in the organisms to very low levels. Data from the aquatic model ecosystem demonstrated a good correlation between the partition coefficients of the drugs and their accumulation in the fish.


[Evaluation of 25 years of antileprosy chemotherapy in French Polynesia. Influence of age on the onset of the disease]. In French Polynesia the cases of leprosy are individually severe, like in Asia, but the endemy always stood under a relatively low level. A strong campaign of chemiotherapy has been conducted for 25 years. Unfortunatly the actions of systematic detection of new cases are not sufficient and the sanitary education is almost non existent. The territory is actualy reached by deep demographic and social upsettings and chemiotherapy used alone is not enough efficient to obtain a definitive decrease of the endemy or even to avoid, for a long time, a new increase. However a significant decrease of the age of advent of the decrease must be credited to the action of chemiotherapy.


[Experimental "per os" transmission of Entomophthora coronata to the mouse]. Mycelial fragments of E. coronata have been observed in the pus of abscesses of the neck and the shoulder of mice inoculated per os, far from the point of inoculation. However, the subcultures were negative; a positive subculture was obtained in only one instance from a lung taken off ten days after the inoculation by the fungus.


[Eosinophilia and lymphatic filariasis in French Polynesia]. An important hypereosinophilia is usually regarded as an interesting argument of presumption in lymphatic filariasis. This present report concerns 278 Polynesians people infected with Wuchereria bancrofti pacifica. Six kinds of patients were analysed: carriers of microfilarias, patients with elephantiasis, with lymphangitis attacks, new infections, carriers of microfilariasis recently treated with Diethylcarbamazine and, at least, 100 fellows without filariasis. The results which were observed differ, in some aspects, from the usually admitted ideas.


[Impact of a profound change in the structure of a society on the evolution of an endemic disease: leprosy in French Polynesia]. In French Polynesia the cases of leprosy are individually severe but the endemy itself always stood in low limits. The intensive use of modern treatments since 1950 have been making the eredication reasonably possible in the future. However the brutal demographic increase, the deep upsetting of the society and the important migrations made propitious conditions in the urbanized area for the advent of a new centre of infection. The result seems to be an increase of leprosy in the territory.


Regeneration-promoting properties of tribenoside in Amblystoma mexicanum. Tribenoside in a dose of 100 mg/kg i.p. significantly accelerates the regeneration of puncture wounds in the caudal membrane of Amblystoma mexicanum. A dose of 200 mg/kg exerts a less-pronounced vulnerary effect and is occasionally toxic. Tribenoside also stimulates regeneration in this species when added to bath fluid in a concentration of 1:400,000 (exposure for 6 h daily). A concentration of 1:200,000 is less effective and has a slightly irritant effect on the tissue. 14 days after operation, the rate of mitosis in the regenerative blastema is distinctly greater than that demonstrable in the normal integument of the axolotl. The number of cell divisions in the regenerating tissue is not significantly altered by tribenoside in a concentration of 1:400,000. The possible involvement of other mechanisms in the stimulated regeneration observed after treatment with tribenoside is discussed.


[Imported tropical parasitosis in Rumania]. The frequency of intestinal parasitoses among subjects coming from warm countries is high and its range is similar to that found by other parasitologists in Europe as well as by those who made investigations in groups of individuals in various warm countries. Bearing in mind the pathogenous role--even limited--of certain parasites, their systematic detection and the treatment of every individual infested with parasites appears necessary. The hereby investigations point out the importance of a complex coproparasitologic examination and the high efficiency of some special diagnosis methods. Every laboratory must perform in rarallel several ovoscopic and larvoscopic methods of investigation in view of an accurate parasitologic diagnosis or for a prophylactic control of subjects coming from warm countries. The high frequency of ankylostomiasis raises peculiar problems related to its systematic detection and its compulsory treatment up to the parasitologic sterilization, bearing in mind the past evolution in Rumania of an underground focus, which does not exist any more, having been entirely eradicated.


[Vitamin B1 resorption. IV. Level of sulfhydryl groups in intestinal mucosa resorption of 35S-thiamine]. Studies have been carried on with the aim of investigating the effect of SH-groups on the absorption of 35S-thiamine in chicken's duodenum. The trial has been performed in chickens aged 56 days; as SH-groups releasing agents L-cysteine and SH-glutathion have been utilized; urea has been used in order to release SH-groups from protein molecules. The absorption of 35S-thiamine in duodenum is significantly increased in the presence of L-cysteine, SH-glutathion and urea. 35S-thiamine appears to be stored in the intestinal mucosa more conspicuously in the presence of urea. Concomitanly with the high levels of SH-groups in the duodenal mucosa, also the thiamine absorption results to be increased (P less than 0.001).


[Deviation of the life cycle of Dipetalonema viteae (Filarioidea)]. Dipetalonema viteae is a filarial that can evoluate among hosts zoologically broadly apart (Ixodides and Argasides), but always gathered from meriones burrows. Its evolution is, on the contrary, blocked among most of the other ticks, particularly among Ornithodoros erraticus morphologically very similar to the normal vector. Our work concerns the experimental deviation of the cycle of Dipetalonema viteae, with its possible adaptability in the bosom of an intermediate of fowl tropism and a permanent host, different from a gnawing.


[Vitamin B1 resorption. V. The effect of an extract of male sex glands and of 4,4-dioxydiphenylhexane on thiamine resorption]. A research was made to investigate how a male sexual gland extract and 4,4-dioxydiphenylhexane affect the absorption of thiamine in chicken's duodenum. A reduction was observed of thiamine conveyed to the intestine and of thiamine diphosphate concentration blood levels in duodenal artery and vein, as well as in liver. At the same time also a decrease of SH groups in duodenal mucosa was observed. The absorption of 35S-thiamine is increased after addition of SH-glutathione and L-cysteine, as free SH-groups releasing agents.


[10th case of lobomycosis observed in French Guiana]. Lobomycosis a disease specific to the South-American continent; it is rare but not exceptional, since 11 cases have already been observed in French Guyana. A propos of the 10th case, the authors recall the circumstances of the discovery and the basic elements of the microscopical diagnosis. The actual progress in the in vivo culture techniques should allow a better knowledge of the pathogen agent in the future.


[Distribution and depletion with time of retinol-C14 in different tissues and organs of albino rats]. Albino male rats of Wistar strain, weighing about 350 g., were administered orally a single dose of 2,50 mu C of retinol-C14 after a fast of 24 h. At intervals of 3 h and of 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 days rats were killed; livers, kidneys, blood, white fat tissue and brown fat tissue were removed. Samples were dried and radioactivity was measured. From the results, expressed in mu C/g of dry tissue, it is clear that vitamin A is taken up by all tissues. After 3 days it decreases in all tissues, between the 3rd and 18th day, its rate is constant and the depletion is complete within 24 days.


[Variations of retinol-C14 incorporation in rats of different ages fed a vitamin A-free diet]. Two groups of Wistar strain male albino rats of different age were treated with a large dose (300 I.U.) of vitamin A-acetate, after 24 h fasting. Each rat was then administered orally a single dose of 1,25mu C retinol-C14 to determine the rate of incorporation into different tissues. At intervals of 3 h and of 3, 6, 12 days the rats were killed; liver, kidney, blood, white fat tissue, brown fat tissue were taken and dried. Radioactivity was measured. The results show that in all tissue the mean percentage of incorporation, expressed in muC/g dry tissue, is generally higher in young than in adult rats.


[Human trichinosis. A recent epidemic in Vientiane (Laos) (apropos of 32 cases)]. Fifty patients were hospitalised at Vientiane during May and June 1975. Infection was caused by consumption of pork meat (som-mou, lap mou and lap leuat). After an incubation period of 8 to 11 days intermittent diarrhoea followed by constant fever and orbital oedema occurred. Several days later diffuse myalgias occurred. Three patients presented neurological symptoms: left hemiplegia flexible paraplegia and limb paresis; these symptoms regressed spontaneously. 87% of the clinically suspected cases had specific serum antibodies (IFI, ID, IE). Hyperleucocytosis and hypereosinophilia were a constant factor. Anti-AH antibodies were detected by the Widal test. The histopathology characteristic of myositis was seen in the 12 muscle biopsies. Also observed was the precystic state of the larvae which is in agreement with the early timing of the samples which were obtained during the 3rd and 4rd week of infection.


Leukocyte migration inhibition in vitro in untreated and methimazole-treated patients with Graves disease. The leukocyte migration tests has been applied to investigate immune-reactivity of 43 untreated and methimazole-treated patients against thyroid crude antigen. A significant migration inhibition was observed in 21 untreated patients, while in 22 methimazole-treated patients the migration test was negative independently of T3 suppressibility. Migration inhibition against thyroid antigen and purified protein derivative (PPD) was reduced or abolished after preincubation with methimazole of leukocytes of untreated patients. It seems that methimazole-treatment influences not only thyroid iodine metabolism, but by means of a direct effect on lymphocytes it also decreases the pathological stimulation.


The effect of the antibilharzial compound (Bilharcid) on Schistosoma mansoni in vitro and in vivo. The effect of Piperazine diantimonyl tartrate (Bilharcid) as compared with that of tartar emetic on Schistosoma mansoni has been studied. In vitro experiments on living worms in tyrode/serum cultures have proved that Bilharcid 5-10 gamma/ml has the same antibilharzial activity as tartar emetic in 5-10 gamma/ml. In vivo experiments on Schistosoma mansoni infected mice have proved also that Bilharcid has more or less the same effect as that of tartar emetic. In this study, the worm burden load and the oogram techniques were used as the criteria for antibilharzial assessment.


The influence of cultural heritage on the health status of Puerto Ricans. The problems of poor health among Puerto Ricans today are compounded by their cultural traditions. Many Puerto Ricans still rely on folk medicine to cure their ills. One study by Suchman found that compared with persons of other ethnic groups in New York City, the Puerto Ricans are more suspicious of scientific medical care, tend to use general health services less, have more limited health horizons than any other ethnic group. Aside from the unsophisticated health practices stemming from a knowledge of Puerto Rican folk medicine, the cultural phenomena of spiritualism plays a significant role in retarding the health status of the Puerto Rican. Puerto Ricans who view illness as possession by evil spirits will consult a medium or curandero(a) for treatment instead a physician. The hot and cold theory of disease has a profound influence on the Puerto Ricans' health status. In the attempt to achieve equilibrium of the four body humors, Puerto Ricans will often disregard a physician's advice which does not conform to this theory. Also, machismo, the concept of male dominance and superiority leads to sexual promiscuity, over-population, venereal disease, family breakdown, early marriage, and a variety of health related problems.


The movement of an unemulsified oil test meal and aqueous- and oil-phase markers through the intestine of normal and bile-diverted rats. An unemulsified oil test meal containing aqueous- and oil-phase markers (PEG and 3-H labelled triether) was fed to control and bile fustula rats. PEG moved ahead of the lipid phase in all groups, and was of limited value as a marker for the test meal. Triether was an excellent marker for studies of gastric emptying. An unexpectedly high correlation was seen between the triether and the test meal and its digestion products in the intestine. The results suggest that triether is a valid marker for following the movement of lipid through the bowel under the conditions of this study. Triether/fat ratios indicated that fat absorption occurred largely from the upper small bowel in control animals and from the lower small bowel in the absence of bile. Bile diversion resulted in more rapid gastric emptying initially, but very slow gastric emptying of the last part of the oil test meal. Intestinal transit of test meal or either marker was not significantly affected by bile diversion. No evidence for a direct effect of bile diversion on gastrointestinal motility was found.


Separation of the placenta in the ewe: an ultrastructural study. Placental separation in the ewe appears to involve an explosive degeneration of the chorionic epithelium which occurs in the short space of time between parturition and the delivery of the fetal membranes. In the goat there is a similar mechanism of separation. By contrast separation of the placenta in the cow appears to depend upon a detachment at the junctional region between fetal and maternal epithelia. There is no obvious explanation for these findings. The results are discussed in the light of the placental hormonal environment in the period which immediately precedes parturition.


The mental health of students--do teachers hurt or help? Students' problems of adjustment are serious, and merit attention. Teachers who are so inclined could help prevent many emotional problems by applying some methods and attitudes of psychotherapists. It is appropriate for them to avoid such tactics, as threat, shame, and sympathy, and adopt such skills and attitudes as acceptance, empathy, genuineness, and relevancy.


Differences in mean adolescent blood pressure by age, sex ethnic origin, obesity and familial tendency. The researcher used the analysis of variance and the uncorrelated t-test to determine the significant differences between age, sex, obesity, race, and familial tendency in systolic and diastolic blood pressures for 496 randomly chosen adolescent subjects. Significance was found in the differences between the systolic blood pressure by sex, obesity and race. Mean values were presented for the systolic and diastolic blood pressure by sex, age, and ethnic origin.


Changes in students' knowledge and attitudes following a course in human sexuality: report of a pilot study. Eleven female undergraduate nursing students and 12 male undergraduates from a private southern university responded to a 163-item questionnaire, the Human Sexuality Knowledge and Attitude inventory, prior to and immediately following a formal course in human sexuality. The results of a pilot test indicated that improvement in respondents' total knowledge score (TOTSC) was correlated with completion of the course. No correlation existed between liberalization of attitudes toward sexuality and completion of the course. Demographic variables of age, sex, perception of self as "somewhat" or "slightly religious" and "somewhat liberal politically", and residence in small cities in the New England/Middle Atlantic area were significantly correlated with improvement of TOTSC. Demographic variables did not appear to affect liberalization of attitudes. The investigators concluded that the course is an effective model for assisting students to accumulate a knowledge base about sexuality. Although attitudinal change was not an immediate outcome of the course, perhaps this variable will change on a long-term basis.


Increasing nursing students' interest on working with aged patients. The Tuckman-Lorge Attitude questionnaire, which measures stereotypes and misconceptions about the aged, was administered to 311 baccalaureate nursing students who were also asked to indicate their relative preferences for various fields of specialization within nursing and their preferences for working with child, adult, and elderly patients. The study was designed to examine factors--a two-semester course in human development and aging, visits with a physically "well" older person living in the community, attitudes toward the aged, and several biographic factors--associated with increased interest in working with elderly patients. Findings included: Students showed minimal interest in working in nursing homes; they preferred to work with child and adult patients. The more stereotyped their thinking about the aged, the greater their interest in working with ederly patients. Students who previously worked in a nursing home or convalescent hospital showed greater willingness to work with elderly patients. The authors suggest that schools of nursing include gerontology in their curriculums and that nursing students be provided with clinical experience in institutions for the aged to acquaint them with, and to encourage interest in, this increasingly important field of specialization.


A role-playing simulation approach toward studying nurses' decisions to listen to patients. To test a methodology that used role-playing responses by nurses to simulated patient disclosures, a three-part investigation was carried out at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. Four simulated patients-with diagnoses of diabetes mellitus, alcoholism with bleeding ulcer, ulcerative colitis, and cancer of the large intestine-tape recorded 20- to 30-second segments on 12 topics pertaining to their illness. Six topics dealt with the patients' physical problems; six with psychological aspects of the problems. In the tests for nurses' willingness both to listen and to pass along information to the next nurse, the 48 tape-recorded segments of patient information were played for 16 volunteer nurses in a laboratory set up for the purpose. Although the nurses had an option of listening or preparing a medication, they were expected to listen to at least 16 of the 48 segments. Following this, they were asked to tape record a report on the patient for the nurse who would follow them. The nurses, on average, listened to 29 of the 48 segments. The diabetic patient was listened to least; the cancer and the colitis patients each received a similar amounts of attention. The nurses gave substantial amounts of information as well as interpretive data about the patients so that the methodology seemed to prove that nurses could become sufficiently involved in a simulated patient setting.


Associate degree nursing students: nonintellective differences between dropouts and graduates. A comprehensive battery of tests designed primarily to measure nonintellective characteristics was administered to 112 students entering five associate degree nursing programs. At the end of two years, analyses of the entrance data revealed significant differences between the 73 graduates (those who completed the program on schedule) and the 32 nongraduates (those who dropped our of the program for various reasons). Seven students who remained in the programs but who had not completed the requirements were not included in the analyses. The data indicated that at the time of entry into their programs, those students who later completed the program on schedule were more mature--older and married, more achievement oriented, responsible, and self-controlled than dropouts. Successful students also manifested more accepting and nonjudgmental attitudes toward other people.


Development of an instrument to measure patient satisfaction with nurses and nursing care in primary care settings. An instrument that evaluated patient attitudes toward nurses and nursing care in a primary care setting is described. The tool consists of 25 items, subdivided into three subscales--1) technical-professional area, 2) interpersonal educational relationship, and 3) interpersonal trusting relationship--to which respondents indicate agreement to disagreement in five Likert-type steps. Items, developed from interviews with patients, literature review, and other similar scales, were submitted to two sequential trials and to application of criteria such as variability, representativeness of content definition, ability to discriminate between respondents, and internal consistency. Respondents for the two sequential trials were 78 and 60 patients of internists or general practitioners at a group health cooperative. Scott's homogeneity ratios and reliability coefficients as measured by Cronbach's alpha were obtained for the subscale and the total scale, and subscale intercorrelation coefficients were determined, but further testing of the scale for validity is needed.


Increasing the quality of nursing care by introducing the concept of primary nursing: a model project. To ascertain the extent and degree of skill with which nurses have carried out processes judged to represent good nursing care, two alternate approaches were tested to organize the delivery of nursing care to children: Nurses on an experimental unit were trained to use primary care, that is, assignment of six to eight patients to one nurse who was responsible for the planning, implementation, evaluation, and coordination of the nursing care until the patient's discharge. On a control unit, nurses participated in delivery of group care, so that the care of each patient was assigned to various nurses. Performance of the nursing care was measured by the Slater Nursing Competencies scale, the Quality Patient Care scale, and the Phaneuf Nursing Audit. Mean scores on the three instruments were found to be higher on the experimental unit.


Team teaching: advantages and disadvantages to the student. To test an instrument for its ability to identify advantages and disadvantages of team teaching in baccalaureate nursing education, a questionnaire was given to 97 undergraduate nursing students from two colleges who had experienced similar team teaching experiences. Distinct advantages and disadvantages of team teaching were identified.


Comparison of student achievement with performance ratings of graduates and state board examination scores. For a study concerned with investigating relationships between the on-the-job performance of 1971 graduates of a diploma school of nursing, their achievements as students in the school, and their state board scores, the school's curriculum objectives were used in developing an instrument for measuring graduates' competence. Findings indicated how well the learning experiences provided by the school prepared the students for first-level positions in nursing. The three-year cumulative grade point averages and nursing theory and grades were best predictors of success on state board examinations, and nursing practice grades were best predicators of performance as registered nurses.


Effect of brief training on mental health knowledge and attitudes of nurses and nurses' aides in a general hospital. A six-week psychiatric nursing training program for professional nurses (N equals 15) and nurses' aides (N equals 14) in a stage general hospital setting resulted in significant improvement in both training groups on psychiatric nursing knowledge. No statistically significant change in mental health attitudes was found on the Opinions about Mental Illness (OMI) scale in the nurse group but a significant reduction in social restrictiveness was revealed in the nurses' aide group. No significant change in knowledge or attitudes was found in a matched control group of nurses' aides (N equals 14).


Why associate degree nursing students persist. A study of 120 associate degree nursing (ADN) students at Illinois Central College during 1972-1973 tested the hypothesis that there will be no statistically significant difference in certain measured personality factors of the persister compared with the dropout. The Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS) was used to measure personality characteristics. The null hypothesis was rejected for four of the 15 variables measured by the EPPS. Significantly greater needs were achievement, deference, and heterosexuality for the persisters and abasement for the dropouts. Differences in needs may have resulted from two specific focuses of the ADN program: on the problem-solving process based on assessment of individual patient's needs and on team nursing which includes both the aspects of assuming responsibility for authority and accepting leadership. Through their greater need for abasement, the dropouts expressed a need for feelings of inferiority, guilt, blame, and inadequacy. Based on the academic prerequisites for admission to the ADN program, the dropouts should have succeeded. Therefore, it appeared the dropouts had a need to fail or withdraw from the program.


Endocrine influences on pulmonary maturation and the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio in the fetal baboon. By utilizing the baboon model system, preliminary data indicate that intra-amniotic dexamethasone caused an increase in the L/S ratio. Metopirone 11-betahydroxylase inhibition prevented the expected increase in the L/S ratio without influencing pulmonary distensibility, stability on deflation, or lung mince minimal surface tension. Infants born at term to Metopirone-treated baboons were free of pulmonary distress and survived to adolescence.


Psychological characteristics of the nurse practitioner. First, present research on the selection and characteristics of practitioners is both controversial and important. We need good answers to be helpful to those planning directions for the future of nursing. Second, we need good descriptive research indicating how applicants for different types of programs vary; how age, experience, and background factors affect the outcome of training. Third, we need multi-criteria for measuring success and effectiveness-criteria that will take into account both competence and commitment and will measure competence in a variety of ways. Fourth, we need more theory for what we are measuring and why we are measuring it. We need predictions from different personality and developmental theories. We need to contrast and combine these theoretical approaches, and we need more complex variables than we currently have. We need constructs and types rather than simple empiricism and single traits. Finally, we should not overlook the fact that the majority of nurse practitioners are women, and thus we are doing research on an interesting group at a significant time in women's history. If we are alert and responsive to what we learn about our subjects, we may also gain a deeper understanding of the lives of adult women and how they are affected by social change and changing times.


Effect of timed hygienic measures on oral mucosa in a group of elderly subjects. A study was conducted to identify and compare the effect produced on oral mucosa by the application of oral hygiene by the use of either a toothette or a toothbrush at two-, three-, or four-hour intervals during an eight-hour period for ten days. The sample consisted of 48 geriatric patients randomly selected from an extended care facility. Two investigators were responsible for scoring nine dependent variables--salivation, tongue moisture, tongue color, moisture of palates, color of gingiva, condition of membranes, lip texture, lip moisture, and soft tooth debris-- twice daily. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Results of the study indicated significant improvement in six dependent variables in the four-hour interval groups. In the two-hour interval groups, two dependent variables were improved significantly. The toothbrush was more effective in stimulating gingival tissue and removing soft tooth debris; the toothette was found to be more effective in producing improvement in other oral tissues.


Perception of life change events by the elderly. The perception of the amount of adjustment necessitated by the occurrence of common life events was assessed for 41 members of a senior citizens' club who ranged in age from 65 to 84. Significant agreement was found between the elderly subjects and the normative sample with regard to rank ordering of the life events. Markedly significant differences were found between the elderly and the normative sample in the magnitudes assigned to the life events, with the elderly group assigning the larger magnitude to most items.


Needs of the grieving spouse in a hospital setting. In an attempt to determine whether the spouse whose mate is terminally ill or had died can recognize his own needs and whether he, himself, perceives that he has been helped by nurses, 27 spouses were interviewed during the terminal illness of their mates. Subsequently, 18 mates died; 14 of the spouses were interviewed after the death event. Data were collected by means of tape-recorded semistructured interviews, with the exception of one written second interview. Eight needs of grieving spouses were noted. Twenty-five spouses identified all eight needs and the other two spouses identified five and seven needs, respectively. The fact that the needs were identified did not mean, however, that these needs had been met. Spouses believed nurses had been helpful to the dying mates. The spouses recognized that the nurses' primary responsibility was to the patients and felt that nurses were too busy to help the families. The death event did not alter the identified needs and concerns of the spouses. Eighty-seven percent of the needs identified in the second interview had been identified in the first interview.


Increasing the quality of patient care through performance counseling and written goal setting. Patient care scores of staff nurses in seven Veterans Administration hospitals who used a performance counseling protocol that required written goal setting, coupled with head nurse modeling and support to achieve goals (experimental), were compared with scores of nurses who continued with usual practice (control). Staff nurses chose their own goals. One goal was to improve patient care and the other was to improve staff nurse professional competence. After six months, experimental group scores were higher on five patient care scales, one significantly. After 12 months, scores shifted in favor of the control group, one significantly. Experimental group scores were higher on patient interview questions after six months and made additional gains after 12 months. Experimental nurses generally were more satisfied with their nursing careers and described working relationships more positively. Some progress the experimental nurses made after six months was lost after 12 months. Nurses who received high patient care scores from outside observers described the hospital working environment in more positive terms. Relationships of three instruments that measure quality of patient care are presented.


8-4 Research. Part 1: a stance for nursing research--tenacity or inquiry. In a two-part series, a/proprosal is presented for implementation research which integrates practical, technical, and political judgment. This implementation research--or 8-4 research--is contrasted with pseudo-technical research. In Part I it is proposed that nursing research should be assessed in terms of payoff for nursing rather than promise for nursing, that 8-j research is a suitable paradigm for all nursing research, and that nursing research is a suitable preoccupation for any and all nursing personnel. Part II (to appear in the May-June 1975 Nursing Research) develops eight points of encounter--as between 8-4 research and pseudotechnical research--pertinent to designing nursing research. A conception of design is proposed that displays an appropriate role for conation, drive, or intent in any designed research.


Common cardiovascular problems in the postoperative period. In summary, it should be stated that there is a basic philosophic difference concerning the importance and the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias in postoperative patients when compared to patients with myocardial infarctions. In the latter group the etiology for the arrhythmia is assumed, and very frequently correctly. In the former group of patients, the postoperative group, the etiology of the arrhythmia is often covert and difficult to come by. In patients with myocardial infarction treatment frequently is stereotyped and the effect of therapy often predictable. In the postoperative patient with a cardiac arrhythmia, be it tachycardia or an irregular pulse, the treatment may be as varied as the cause. Thus the thrust of our endeavor in the postoperative patient should be directed primarily toward determining the cause of the arrhythmia and thereafter administering correct therapy based on a reasonable diagnosis.


Application of selected nursing research findings into nursing practice: a pilot study. This study investigated the extent to which one research finding, obtained through a series of investigations and reported widely in the nursing literature, was being utilized by nurse practitioners for the improvement of nursing practice. Based on the research findings of Nichols and colleagues on the oral mode of temperature determination, a questionnaire was constructed and administered to 87 registered nurses in the states of Massachusetts and New York. Only one response corresponded to the findings of Nichols and colleagues on how oral temperature is correctly determined. Contradictions between theory and practice, moreover, were cited.


Changes in judgment of duration with different patterns of auditory information for individuals confined to bed. A theoretical proposition that changes in the organization and structure of auditory information result in changes in temporal experience was tested in this study. Changes were measured in the judgment of duration of a 40-second interval that occurred in three different patterns of auditory information among individuals confined to bed. The sample consisted of 90 men and 90 women aged 18 to 35 years who had no known physical or mental health problems. Subjects rested in bed in a comfortable room for two and one-half hours. Each subject received one of three forms of auditory information-called decoded, coded, and ambient auditory information. At four periods during the 150 minutes of auditory information (25 minutes, 75 minutes, 120 minutes, 150 minutes) the subject was directed by a lighted sign to produce a 40-second interval by depressing a button. The button was connected to a microtimer which timed the interval to the nearest tenth second. None of the three hypotheses-1) that time would seem to pass more slowly in the coded than in the decoded condition: 2) that time would pass more slowly in the decoded than ambient condition: and 3) that as the period of bedrest progressed differences in duration experience would occur among the three groups--was supported by the data. The produced interval for ambient auditory information was expected to be the longest of the three groups, but the opposite effect occurred; it was the shortest. The significant overestimation that occurred in the ambient condition relative to the decoded condition appeared to be related to the methodological imposition of vigilance, lack of structuring information, and the condition of waiting. The coded auditory input did not effect changes in duration relative to the decoded and ambient auditory information as subjects were able to reorder the coded information.


Problem-oriented recording as a teaching-learning tool. The assumption that problem-oriented records help teach critical thinking was tested by co-paring clinical recordings and case study data for a group of beginning nursing students who were taught problem-oriented charting with a group who were taught traditional charting. No differences were found between the groups in the mean number of patient problems identified from a case situation. However, in clinical charting, the problem-oriented group identified significantly more patient problems and had significantly higher quality-of-organization scores. Assuming the case situation and clinical situation were equivalent in presentation of identifiable problems, these findings suggested that the problem-oriented format was superior in allowing students to demonstrate their ability to identify and solve patient problems.


The meaning of mental health: a report of two ethnoscientific studies. The use of the ethnoscientific method in nursing research is demonstrated in an initial study and a replication of that study, utilizing male and female informants. The domain of "mental health" was explored, analyzed, and contrasted within the subculture of the central city resident and the subculture of the psychiatric-mental health professional. To facilitate an understanding of ethnoscience, the method is briefly outlined; then, to illustrate the methodology, data from one informat are presented in depth. A summary of the major similarities and contrasts that emerged from the data of both studies is presented. Implications for nursing of the research and ethnoscience are discussed.


[The problem of the relations between month of birth and psychic disorders (author's transl)]. Groups of 730 each Schizophrenics, Affectpsychotics, and Psychopaths of approximately the same age are compared with 3.650 controls according to their month-of-birth-frequency distribution. (Also included in the comparison are  Schizophrenics, Manic-depressifs, Psychopaths, Hysterics as well as the siblings of the Manic-depressifs and Psychopaths of the study by Lang, 1931.) Schizophrenics show significant deviations in the total yearly distribution of birth as well as in 2 or 3 consecutive months - increased birth-frequency in November, December, January, decreased birth-frequency in February, March and in August, September. In the case of the Affectpsychotics only significant decreased birth-frequency can be detected for March. The month-of-birth-frequency distribution for Psychopaths is for the most part identical with that of the control group. The results are compared with the existing studies in this field of research, and possible biological explanations are discussed. Further research is necessary to identify the pathogenetic factors.


[Clinical picture of acute viral encephalitides (author's transl)]. 1. This report is concerned with 44 cases of acute viral encephalitides which were seen in the eight-year period 1965-72. 2. There is a significant difference in sex distribution: 63% males and 37% females. Nearly two-thirds of our patients were aged up to 30 years. There is no seasonal accumulation of incidence of the sporadic encephalitides. 3. The clinical diagnosis was based on "influenza-like" preliminary symptoms (25 patients), acute onset of neurological symptoms (30 patients) with signs of cerebral alterations like headache, drowsiness, confusion and epilepsy (22 patients), partly focal neurological signs (14 patients), inflammatory cerebro-spinal fluid alterations (36 patients) and other virus caused simultaneous diseases like myocarditis, hepatitis, pneumonia and exanthemata (19 patients). Alterations of blood sedimentation rate, number of white or red blood cells and differential blood count have no bearing on rapid diagnosis of acute viral encephalitides. Results of usual virological examinations often come to late for early diagnosis. Neuro-radiological procedures and isotope encephalography cannot help to get diagnosis in the initialphase of encephalitis. 4. 6 patients died, 5 had residual neurological deficit. 33 patients recovered completely though they partly had severe encephalitides. 5. There is no spezific treatment of acute viral encephalitides. Application of cortisone and antipyretic drugs is not indicated. 6. Most of the viral encephalitides may be classified when an extensive virological examination will be carried out.


Effect of experimental dermatophyte infection on cutaneous flora. The cutaneous aerobic bacterial flora was monitored during the course of experimental dermatiphyte (ringworm) infections on the forearms of 9 volunteers. Micrococcaceae were identified by the new Baird-Parker classification with the aid of a replica-plating technique. There were significant differences in total populations but not in kinds of flora compared with control (opposite) forearms. The proportion of penicillin-resistant microorganisms, however increased the infection, to a degree which varied as to individual. All coccal groups were affected; resistant flora diminished when the fungus was no longer DETECTED. Staphylococci were more frequently isolated than micrococci on the infected areas, but Staphylococcus aureus was not found. Trends toward hierarchies in persistance and quantities IV were observed among the flora, with Staphylococcus subgroups II and dominating the infected sites. On both areas almost all diphtheroids were nonfluorescent, lipophilic, and lipolytic. One subject consistently carried Bacillus firmus; another's normal microbiota contained Alcaligenes faecalis.


[Membrane oxygenator for the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome (author's transl)]. This report deals with the extracorporeal oxygenation in the respiratory distress syndrome. Investigations were performed with a membrane oxygenator. If one considers the present results, one might suppose an extracorporeal oxygenation without pumping-system to be ineffective. There are many different complications. It is doubtful whether this method will ever be an effective and sufficient therapy in respiratory distress syndrome.


From chaos to a structured therapeutic community: treatment programme on Emiliehoeve, a farm for young addicts. Within two years a centre for young addicts emerged; from a chaotic situation where drug use was frequent a drug-free therapeutic community developed with a solid structure; encounter group techniques were the major therapeutic tool. The community is located on a farm providing a great variety of work situations. The evolution in this direction is described, pointing out the failings of several approaches attempted during the different phases of the programme.


Understanding British addiction statistics. The statistical data issued by the Home Office and Department of Health and Social Security are quite detailed and generally valid measures of hard core addiction in Great Britain (Judson, 1973). Since 1968, the main basis of these high quality British statistics is the routine reports filed by Drug Treatment Centres. The well-trained, experienced staff of these clinics make knowledgeable dicsions about a cleint's addiction, efficiently regulate dosage, and otherwise exert some degree of control over addicts (Judson, 1973; Johnson, 1974). The co-operation of police, courts, prison physicians, and general practitioners is also valuable in collecting data on drug addiction and convictions. Information presented in the tables above indicates that a rising problem of herion addiction between 1962 and 1967 were arrested by the introduction of the treatment clinics in 1968. Further, legally maintained heroin addiction has been reduced by almost one-third since 1968, since many herion addicts have been transferred to injectable methadone. The decline in herion prescribing and the relatively steady number of narcotics addicts has apparently occurred in the face of a continuing, and perhaps increasing, demand for heroin and other opiates. With few exceptions of a minor nature analysis of various tables suggests that the official statistics are internally consistent. There are apparently few "hidden" addicts, since few unknown addicts die of overdoses or are arrested by police (Lewis, 1973), although Blumberg (1974) indicates that some unknown users may exist. In addition, may opitate usersnot officially notified are known by clinic doctors as friends of addicts receiving prescriptions (Judson, 1973; Home Office, 1974). In brief, offical British drug statistics seem to be generally valid and demonstrate that heroin and perhaps methadone addiction has been well contained by the treatment clinics.


Field and laboratory test for raw and prepared opium. Two new colour tests for opium are described. These may be used alone, as field tests, or in combination with traditional tests rapidly to confirm raw or prepared opium. Absolute confirmation of opium by thin layer chromatography is also useful in the determination of origins. An alternative chromogen to the Dragedorff reagents is described, although iodoplatinate remains the preferred chromogen.


Inactivation of cefazolin, cephaloridine, and cephalothin by methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Cefazolin was more susceptible than cephaloridine and cephalothin to in vitro inactivation by coagulase-positive, penicillinase-producing strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Inactivation (which was greater with methicillin-resistant than with methicillin-sensitive strains) was demonstrated by assay of the antibiotics in broth cultures with simultaneous colony counts and by exposure of the antibiotics to penicillinase powders extracted from S. aureus. Cefazolin was destroyed to a greater extent than was cephaloridine, whereas cephalothin underwent little, if any, destruction. The clinical implications of this degradation, thought by some to be of importance for cephaloridine, might also apply to cefazolin.


Activity of amoxycillin against enterococci and synergism with aminoglycoside antibiotics. Amoxycillin was more active in vitro than ampicillin or benzylpenicillin against clinical isolates of enterococci. All 55 strains tested were sensitive to the three penicillins but 15 strains showed a high level of resistance to streptomycin and two of these were also insensitive to kanamycin. All strains were sensitive to gentamicin, which was the most active of the aminoglycoside antibiotics. The penicillins showed pronounced bactericidal activity against the enterococci but failed to sterilise cultures of these organisms. Combinations of penicillins and aminoglycosides invariably produced synergistic bactericidal effects which resulted in sterilisation of cultures of these organisms. Combinations of penicillins and aminoglycosides invariably produced synergistic bactericidal effects which resulted in sterilisation of cultures of enterococci provided that the strain was sensitive to the aminoglycoside moiety of the antibiotic combination. Synergism was not observed with a combination of a penicillin and an aminoglycoside when the enterococcus was resistant to the aminoglycoside. The data reported suggest that amoxycillin may have certain advantages, compared with ampicillin or benzylpenicillin, for the treatment of enterococcal infections.


Effect of plasmid carriage on the virulence of staphylococcus aureus. The possession of any of eight different plasmids by Staphylococcus aureus strain 649--either singly or simultaneously (in no. 649MR)--caused changes in growth kinetics. Six of the plasmids caused an increase in exponential doubling time (by 8-25%), and most also altered the duration of the lag period. Strain 649MR was significantly less virulent for 10-day chick embryos than the corresponding plasmid-negative culture (no. 649N). The avirulence persisted even after loss of the plasmids from no. 649MR. The presence of a single plasmid specifying tetracycline resistance produced a moderate reduction in virulence, but chromosomal tetracycline resistance had an insignificant effect on it. The decrease in virulence could not be attributed to reduced formation of soluble products. It probably resulted from alterations in the cell surface, but membrane-polypeptide profiles of virulent and avirulent cells lacking plasmids were similar. Survival of strains 649MR and 649N on glass was identical. Therefore, reduction in the incidence of staphylococcal sepsis may be due in part to loss of virulence that has resulted from plasmid carriage.


Variation in the properties of a strain of Staphylococcus aureus isolated over three months from a single hospital. A strain  of Staphylococcus aureus has been isolated from a hospital environment over 3 months. Every isolate was lysed by phage 77, had high-level resistance to streptomycin, and was resistant to about 250 pg per ml of both tetracycline and sulphonamide; a combination of sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprim produced little bacteristatic synergy towards each isolate. All These organisms were thus considered to be "the same"; the variation in other properties was probably due to rapid evolutionary change in vivo. the variation in senxitivity to methicillin and neomycin, and the absence of penicillinase production in some isolates, probably indicated loss of the relevant genes. Several isolates had probably acquired resistance to lincomycin by a one-step mutatuon in vivo. The usefulness of lincomycin and analogues in treating staphylococcal infections seems limited.


8-4 research. Part II: DESIGNING NURSING RESEARCH--EIGHT POINTs of encounter. In a two-part series, a proposal for research which integrates practical, technical, and political judgment is presented. Such research is called 8-4 research and is opposed to pseudotechnical research. 8-4 research is discussed as an advance over more current nursing research preoccupations. In Part I it is proposed that nursing research should be considered in terms of payoff not merely promise for nursing, that 8-4 research is a suitable paradigm for all nursing research, and that nursing research is a suitable preoccupation for any and all nursing personnel. In Part II eight points of encounter--as between 8-4 research and pseudotechnical research-pertinent to designing nursing research are given. A conception of design is proposed that displays the role of conation, drive, or intent in any designed research.


Research for a practice professional.

Research for a practice professional. Research for any practice profession necessarily deals with professional arts and skills, with the base of knowledge underlying the practice field, and with the initial and continuing education of the professional. Recent developments and activities in the above areas are discussed, including growth in the investigator pool and studies that deal with the process and outcomes of nursing care.


Comparison of Methods for evaluating patient response to nursing care. Prenatal patients (chosen because the staff wished to know the patients attitudes toward their care and because on the health-illness continuum they were well and not dependent on staff for their daily needs) were asked to evaluate their obstetric care by means of a questionnaire and an interview. Of 191 questionnaires distributed in the obstetric clinic of a large university medical center, 79 completed forms were returned and 39 interviews were done, using the format of the questionnaires. The interviews were conducted from the clinic by a person not on the clinic staff. Overall results showed no significant difference in patient responses between interview or questionnaire. The study revealed that the patients generally were satisfied with their care but that certain areas needed improvement.


Nursing students' opinions about acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Eighty senior nursing students at the University of San Francisco (USF) were divided at random into four groups of 20. Two groups were pretested on their knowledge of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. One week later a 50-minute class in acupuncture and Chinese medicine was given in a community health class to one of the two pretexted groups and one of the two untested groups. Following the class, the test was given to all four groups. Using the Solomon Four-Group design to measure effects of pretesting and the class content, significant differences were found between the groups on questions seeking differences, to confirm the first hypothesis that an increase in knowledge about acupuncture and Chinese medicine will accompany an increase in its acceptance as a healing tool and the desire to learn more about it. A t-test on the results of pre- and post- tests confirmed the second hypothesis that there will be no difference between groups in history or maturation from one week to the next.


Pharmacokinetics and efficacy of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in the treatment of gastroenteritis in children. In vitro studies indicates that the constitutents of the drug combination co-trimoxazole are synergistic against Salmonella and effective against shigella isolated from children ill with gastroenteritis. The drug is well absorbed in children with gastroenteritis due to a variety of causes and is distributed, excreted and metabolized in a manner similar to that seen in normal adult volunteers. The drug is tolerated well by children with gastroenteritis even in very high dosages. Despite its in vitro and pharmacokinetic advantages, co-trimoxazole was not any more efficient than any other durg or no therapy in the treatment of salmonella gastroenteritis; it seems to have a role, however, in the treatment of typhoid fever and may be life-saving in patients infected with ampicillin- and chloramphenical-resistant strains. It is also effective in the treatment of shigella gastroenteritis and is recommended where ampicillin-resistant strains are encountered. Its potential usefulenss for the treatment of other bacterial causes of gastroenteritis in children must be evaluated by further controlled therapeutic trials.


Genetic control of wing disc development in  Drosophila. In multicellular organisms morphogenesis results from organized cell proliferation and spatial cell differentiation.  A genetic approach to development has the two-fold task of explaining how the genetic information is selected and how it expresses itself in developmental operations.  The genetic and developmental analysis of morphogenetic mutants in Drosophila has thrown some light on both problems.  Experiments on genetic mosaics confirm the idea that the genetic information is expressed within the cell itself.  The behaviour of those morphogenetic mutants in mosaics suggests the existence of at least two classes of morphogenetic genes.  Genes of a first group (cyto-differentiation genes) would include those controlling cell behaviour relevant to morphogenesis and common to most developing systems: mitotic rate, mitotic orientation, cell recognition and cuticular differentiation.  Those of a second group (selector genes) seem to control developmental pathways and share several operational characteristics.  A functional scheme is advanced showing how selector genes may become activated and control development.  We postulate that inductor molecules interfere with the products of activator genes which are selector specific.  In this way signals extrinsic to the genome become translated into genetic ones.  The activation, or repression, of selector genes occurs once in development and remains clonally irreversible.  This, possibly, is the genetic basis of a stable state of determination.  However, the products of these activated selector genes are required throughout subsequent development in order to maintain a certain pathway.  They may function by activating in turn the corresponding cytodifferentiation genes leading to changes in developmental operations.


Attmepts to analyse the biochemical basis of regional differences in animal eggs. The microinjection of cell material or macromolecules into living cells is potentially useful for identifying cell components responsible for positional information.  Experiments with purified globin mRNA injected into frog oocytes and eggs show that macromolecules can retain their activity when injected into living cells.  Experiments with histones show that injected macromolecules can take up their normal intracellular location in living cells.  Attempts have been made to identify the molecules involved in regulating DNA synthesis, ribosomal RNA synthesis, and early developmental events by fractionating egg cytoplasm, and by rescuing maternal effect mutants.  The present state, and theoretical basis, of such experiments is discussed.


Pattern specification in the insect embryo. Specification of developmental pathways by specific determining substances prelocalized in the egg cytoplasm is duscussed using the so-called germ cell determinants as an example.  Some theoretical considerations speak against the assumption that in insects the various elements of the basic body plan are specified by a prelocalized mosaic of specific determinants.  Experimental evidence also points towards a largely epigenetic mode of pattern specification.  The process of axial pattern specification can be altered drastically by experiment: in some insects, tail ends may be formed in place of head parts and identical wequences of bocy segments may be specified two or even three times along the longitudinal egg axis.  The experimental results indicate that polarity and regional character of pattern elements formed are specified by one and the same influence, and that this influence can be shifted to or simulated in various other egg regions by transposition or elimination of egg components, or by UV irradiation.  Evidence obtained from several types of experiment in the chironomid midge Smittia points towards a key role for local metabolsim or energy charge in determination of cell polarity and in pattern specification.  A model for embryonic pattern specification involving differential reaction of cells to a system of longitudinal gradients, which was proposed in 1960, can in principle formally account for all results described.  Some striking coincidences of model and experimental results with Wolpert's concept of positional information are noted.  Finally it is pointed out that universality of mechansims for pattern specification is much more likely with respect to formal principles than at the level of their physiological realization.


The development of neuronal connection patterns in the visual systems of insects. The retina of the compound eye contains a patterned spatial array of receptor cell groups whose symmetry and component numerical constancy allow the unique identification of individual cells.  The axon connection patterns arising from the retina similarly are uniquely identifiable and relate by simple consistnet transpositons to the retinal position of their somata.  The coincidence of these features and the epidermal origin or retinula cells provides a model system for the developmental analysis of neural patterns.  It is known that the retina develops by a wave of determinative mitoses and subsequent cellular differentiation, transmitted inductively from a posteriorly situated differentiation centre, which passes over the prospective eye field independently of the growing axon connections with the optic lobe.  The ganglion cells of the optic lobe are similarly produced in a temporal sequence but their subsequent differentiation depends on centripetal innervation and proceeds as a wave initiated in the retina.  Axon growth between the retina and optic neuropiles occurs in this temporal sequence, appears largely non-exploratory and dependent on mechanical guidance.  By contrast, individual axon connections within the neuropile form probabilistically by extensive filopod explorations between cones.  Both growth between and growth within the neuropile depend upon features in the pattern of retinal development which are discussed.


Topography and topology in functional recovery of regenreated sensory and motor systems. Motor and sensory nerves can re-establish coordinated movement and accurate sensation when they regrow into denervated tissues of some lower vertebrates.  Motor nerves achieve their end by a competitive process in which each motoneuron innervates many muscle fibres but, in the presence of many applicants, only those synapses from motoneurons most appropriate to a muscle cell, with respect to the original pattern of development, are retained in a functional state.  The discharge pattern of a motoneuron, determined by its connections with the network of central interneurons, is not sensitive to the location of the muscles in which the axon terminates, but the efficacy of transmission from the terminals is.  Sensory nerves re-establish their functional specificity as to receptor type by an inductive  process occurring at the terminals along with the cessation of growth.  However, in the case of cutaneous nerves they can terminate anywhere over the skin surface.  The return of correctly localized reflex behaviour therefore demands a restructuring of the central nervous system in response to local position-specific signals, presumably of developmental origin, that are supplied to the sensory nerves by the skin.  The re-arrangement of the central nervous connections made by the central processes of the sensory neurons probably uses the same competitive mechanism of enabling and disabling formed synaptic connections as is used in sorting out the correct site of functional termination of the peripheral processes of motoneurons.


The structure and properties of a compartment border: the intersegmental boundary in Oncopeltus. García-Bellido et al. have described how groups of cells in developing Drosophila become subdivided into 'compartments'.  Cells within any compartment have rigid prospective fates such that, while their progeny may give rise to variable regions within a compartment, they can never generate cells in any other compartment.  Analysis of the position and shapes on clones allows definition of the compartment boundaries.  I report studies on a compartment boundary (likewise demonstrated by clonal analysis) in the hemipteran insects Oncopeltus and Rhodnius.  The advantage of this border is that it can easily be identified in the light and electron microscopes.  There is an abrupt change of cell shape at the border, which has been analysed by means of serial electron microscope sections.  The types of cell junctions at the border and elsewhere are compared and shown to have no qualitative differences.  The border is an effective barrier to the growth of peripheral sensory axons, although not apparently to dendrites.  The intersegmental boundary allows passage of information relating to cuticle deposition, wounding response, tracheolar movement and intercellular coupling.  Making wounds across the border leads to greater effects on polarity of epidermal cells than making similar wounds elsewhere on the tergites.


A molecular approach to retinotectal specificity. An assay is described to examine the hypothesis that retinal neurons adhere preferentially to that part of the optic tectum near theri normal synaptic termini.  The method measures the adherence of isotopically labelled cell bodies from either the dorsal or ventral half of the neural retina of chick embryos to dorsal and ventral tectum halves.  When a labelled cell suspension is prepared from a dorsal half-retina, more cells adhere to the ventral half of the tectum.  When the cells are from the ventral part of the retina, more bind to the dorsal half of the tectum.  This preferential adhesion mimics the retinotectal projection found in vivo and supports an interpretation of neuronal specificity dependent on cell surface adhesive properties.  Molecular mokels are presented that utilize glycosyltransferases and their substrates as the basis for adhesive recognition.  Two of these models suggest that quantitative changes in the distribution of transferases and their substrates determine retinotectal specificity.  The third proposes qualitative variations in these molecules across the retina and tectum.


Feather pattern development.

Feather pattern development. Experiments on skin development in amniotes have shown conclusively that the pattern of cutaneous appendages is determined by the dermis.  The following concept of feather pattern formation is proposed.  The diameter of feather rudiments and the dermal cell density inside the dermal feather condensations are genetically fixed, region-specific parameters.  The first feather rudiment is established along the middorsal line (in the lumbar region) as soon as a sufficient width of dense dermis is available.  This occurs at about 6 1/2 days in the chick embryo.  The next rudiments are formed in front of and behind the first one, within the longitudinal band of dense dermis.  They are laid down as close as possible to the first one, given rudiment diameter and dermal condensation cell density.  In other words, as they form, the middorsal rudiments are tangent circles.. Later they become separated from one another due to longitudinal growth.  As progressively more dense dermis becomes available to the sides of the middorsal row of rudiments, new rudiments are being laid down lateral to the middorsal row, in successive longitudinal rows, until, by 9 or 10 days, all the available dense dermis has been used up.  Again, the rudiments in the lateral rows, given their diameter and dermal condensation cell density, develop as close as possible to those of the preceding row, i.e. tangentially to two neighbouring rudiments of the preceding row, thus generating a hexagonal pattern.


Regeneration and duplication in imaginal discs. When two complementary fragments of a Drosophila imaginal disc are cultured in adult abdomens before transfer to host larvae for metamorphosis, the usual result is that one of the two fragments regenerates the missing parts while the other fragment duplicates the anlagen already present.  To account for this it is proposed that in the disc there is a gradient of developmental capacity, by which new positional information can be generated from a cut surface only in the downward direction in the gradient, irrespective of the physical direction faced by the cut surface.  The same kind of behaviour is shown by other epimorphic systems, such as the regenerating appendages of amphibians and of hemmimetabolous insects, and the regenerating body segments of annelids.  The regeneration-duplication rule has been shown to apply for thirteen different cuts in the wing disc, some across the proximodistal and others across the anteroposterior axis.  In both axes there is a reversal in the direction of regenerative ability at the approximate centre of the disc.  As an alternative to the hypothesis of orthogonal double gradients, it is proposed that the wing disc has multiple gradients of developmental capacity which radiate from the centre of the disc.  The location of this centre is known, and its properties are being studied.