Poor co-ordination in 5 year olds: A screening test for use in schools

A simple standardized screening test (South Australian Motor Co-ordination Screening Test, SAM Test) was developed to screen for poor co-ordination in 5 year olds; This SAM Test, which can be used by teachers, nurses and doctors, has explicit pass/fail criteria and has classified correctly 90% of children. The McCarthy Motor Scales, which are time consuming and limited to use by psychologists, were used to categorize 60 poorly co-ordinated and 60 normal children. The 120 children thus selected were tested on 19 items covering gross and fine motor skills. Statistical analysis to determine which items best discriminated between the two groups found the following five gross motor items to be most effective: one leg balancing, hopping, heel-toe walking on line, jumping Over ribbon and dropping ball and catching.     

Undersensing of VF in a Patient With Optimal R Wave Sensing During Sinus Rhythm

We describe a case of potentially fatal undersensing of VF by a third generation ICD with predetermined automatic gain control. In this patient, ventricular sensing was optimal, as R wave amplitudes during sinus rhythm were at least 16 mV. Cyclical, high amplitude signals during VF elevated the sensing floor to such an extent that complete undersensing of subsequent lower amplitude local electrograms occurred. This led to bradypacing and complete ICD therapy failure. Therefore, high R wave amplitudes during sinus rhythm do not warrant flawless sensing during VF. (PACE 2004; 27[Pt. I] 833–834)     

Temporal stability of lipid responses to acute psychological stress in middle-aged men

The purpose of this study was to establish the temporal stability of lipid responses to acute psychological stress. Eighteen men were tested twice an average of 16.2 months apart in identical laboratory reactivity protocols. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, high- and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, plasma volume, heart rate, and blood pressure were assessed during rest, serial subtraction, and speech. After correction for changes in plasma volume, significant elevations were recorded for all variables during the speech task, but fewer variables showed changes during the serial subtraction task. Strong intersession associations were found when considering levels of the variables during baseline and stress (rs≥58). Correlations for the change scores ranged from .36 to .52 for the atherogenic lipids and from .39 to .87 for the cardiovascular variables. Little evidence was found for stability of plasma volume changes. There is moderate to high temporal stability of the atherogenic lipids when considering rest and stress levels and small to moderate temporal stability when considering change scores.     

Chronic Morpholine Exposure of Rats

Chronic Morpholine Exposure of Rats. HARBISON, R. D., MARINO,D. J., CONAWAY, C. C., RUBIN, L. F., AND GANDY, J. (1989). FundamAppl. Toxicol. 12,491–507. The chronic toxicity and carcinogenicpotential of morpholine were evaluated in 60 Sprague-Dawleyrats/sex/group receiving morpholine at mean inhalation exposureconcentrations of 0, 10, 50 and 150 ppm for 6 hr/day, 5 days/week,for 104 weeks. Survival, body weight gains, organ weights, hematology,and clinical chemistries were normal in exposed groups and comparableto those of the control animals. The incidences of palpabletissue masses and of histologically confirmed neoplasia werecomparable among all groups, including the control groups, andwere typical of the strain and age of the rats tested. In-lifeclinical examinations revealed increased incidences of irritationaround the eyes and nares, chromadacryorrhea, and urine stainson the fur, predominately in high-dose animals. Morpholine exposurewas associated with corneal irritation seen by ophthalmoscopicexamination and confirmed microscopically as keratitis limitedto the highest exposure group. Irritation of the maxillary andnasoturbinates as indicated by infiltration of neutrophils,focal squamous metaplasia of the turbinate epithelium, and necrosisof the turbinate bone was observed in high-dose animals. Therefore,chronic exposure of rats to morpholine for 2 years at concentrationsof 150 ppm or less revealed no carcinogenic potential or chronicsystemic toxicity. Consistent with its known irritating properties,morpholine produced only local irritation, which was limitedalmost exclusively to high-dose animals.     

An improved low-formaldehyde embalming fluid to preserve cadavers for anatomy teaching

The desired properties required for successful embalming of cadavers for gross anatomy teaching include: (1) good long-term structural preservation of organs and tissues with minimal shrinkage or distortion; (2) prevention of over-hardening, while maintaining flexibility and suppleness of internal organs; (3) prevention of desiccation; (4) prevention of fungal or bacterial growth and spread within a specific cadaver and to other cadavers in the dissection room; (5) reduction of potential biohazards (spread of infection to dissection personnel and students); (6) reduction of environmental chemical hazards (especially from formaldehyde and phenol) in order to comply with increasingly severe health and safety regulations and a new awareness of possible dangers of these chemicals in the workplace; and (7) retention of colour of tissues and organs while minimising oxidation effects that result in 'browning'.     

Anthracenedione Antineoplastic Agent Effects on Drug Metabolism in Vitro and in Vivo: Relationship between Structure and Mechanism of Inhibition

Anthracenedione Antineoplastic Agent Effects on Drug Metabolismin Vitro and in Vivo:Relationship between Structure and Mechanismof Inhibition. KHARASCH, E. D., WENDEL, N. K., AND NOVAK, R.F. (1987). Fundam. Appl Toxicol. 9, 18–25. Two anthracenedioneantineoplastic agents, mitoxantrone and the nonhydroxylatedanalog, ametantrone, were found to inhibit hepatic microsomalcytochrome P-450-dependent drug metabolism in vitro and in vivo.Ethoxycoumarin deethylase activity of phenobarbital-inducedrabbit hepatic microsomes was inhibited 56 and 100% at 0.1 and0.5 mM mitoxantrone, respectively, whereas activity was inhibited38 and 88% at 0.1 and 0.5 mM ametantrone, respectively. Bothmitoxantrone and ametantrone were noncompetitive inhibitorsof ethoxycoumarin metabolism. Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activityof hepatic microsomes was diminished 41 and 56% by 1 and 3 mMmitoxantrone, respectively; identical concentrations of ametantroneinhibited metabolism by 20 and 31%, respectively. In contrastto the inhibitory influence of both agents on monooxygenaseactivity, a differential effect on NADPH oxidation was observed.In the presence of benzo[]-pyrene, mitoxantrone enhanced microsomalNADPH oxidation by 21%, whereas ametantrone produced a 22% decreasein cofactor oxidation relative to the control rate. The anthracenedionesalso inhibited hepatic cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenaseactivity in vivo, as evidenced by altered hexobarbital sleeptimes of mice. Mitoxantrone (20 and 40 mg/kg) prolonged sleeptime by 59 and 68%, respectively; ametantrone (50 mg/kg) produceda 56% enhancement. These results demonstrate that both mitoxantroneand ametantrone inhibit drug metabolism in vitro and in vivo.     

Developmental Toxicity of N-Methylformamide Administered by Gavage to CD Rats and New Zealand White Rabbits

N-Methylformamide (NMF) is a metabolite of dimethylformamide(DMF), a solvent with wide applications in the chemical industry.The potential developmental toxicity of NMF was evaluated inCD rats and New Zealand white rabbits. Pregnant rats and rabbitswere dosed once daily by gavage on Gestation Days 6–15and 6–18, respectively. Doses for rats were 0, 1, 5, 10,or 75 mg/kg; doses for rabbits were 0, 5, 10, or 50 mg/kg. Cesareansections were performed on rats and rabbits on Gestation Days20 and 29, respectively. No treatment-related maternal deathsor clinical signs occurred in either species. Body weight gainand food consumption were depressed in rats given 75 mg/kg andrabbits given 50 mg/kg. Fetal viability was reduced at 75 mg/kgin rats and at 50 mg/kg in rabbits. In rats, a significant increasein the incidence of malformations including cephalocele andstern-oschisis was observed in fetuses from the 75 mg/kg group.In addition, a developmental delay was indicated by reductionof fetal weight and by a significant increase in the occurrenceof incomplete ossification of various skeletal structures. Inthe rabbit, fetal body weight was reduced at 50 mg/kg. Malformationsobserved at 50 mg/kg included gastroschisis, cephalocele, domedhead, flexed paw, and skull and sternum anomalies. The lowest-observed-adverse-effectlevels for maternal and developmental toxicity in the rat andrabbit were 75 and 50 mg/kg, respectively. The no-observed-adverse-effectlevel for maternal and developmental toxicity in the rat andrabbit was 10 mg/kg.