On the question of the “white” bile

Summary Experiments were performed on dogs with a gall bladder and common bile duct fistula. White bile obtained was characterized by the presence of much floccular precipitate of protein nature and by reduction of both relative and absolute bilirubin content with the normal bile acid content. White bile is a derivative of the liver itself, since it is secreted only at the height of digestion in response to intensive food stimulus. Evidently there is a momentary depression of the bile-forming function of the liver. This is confirmed by the fact that white bile appears during high intensity of bile formation with normal bile discharge.(Presented by Active Member of the Akad. Med. Nauk SSSR P. S. Kupalov) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 52, No. 10. pp. 21–25, October, 1961.     

On the “glycogen function” of the myometrium in pregnancy

Summary Investigation was made relative to the physiological significance of the glycogen function of myometrium in pregnancy and of the mechanisms regulating it. The a mount of glycogen in the sections of myometrium lying between individual fetuses was found to be same as in those of non-gravid animals. The glycogen level in myometrium directly bordering on the fetuses was several times greater. The glycogen level in the myometrium of the uterine horn from which the fetuses were removed 3-5-15 days prior to the investigation was lower than in the myometrium of the intact horn containing fetuses. With the development of pregnancy there is a growing resistance of the myometrial glycogen during its incubation in a thermostat at 37°C. This resistance appears to be maximal near the term of pregnancy. The data obtained conforms with the results of previous investigations. It shows that in the control of the glycogen function of myometrium an improtant role is played by the impulses appearing in connection with the vital activity of the fetus and that the physiological significance of this myometrial function is assocated with the requirements of the developing fetus, and probably with its trophics.Presented by Active Member of the AMN SSSR A. I. Serebrov Translated from Byulleten Èksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 101–104, April, 1960     

Reflex regulation of the “spontaneous” activity of the chemoreceptors of the tongue

Summary The spontaneous activity of the chemoreceptors of the frog's tongue was studied during stimulation of the interoceptors of the stomach and of the sympathetic chain. It was found to be under the control of the nervous system, adapting the receptors to give improved perception, and it indicates the preparedness of these apparatuses to receive stimuli. Spontaneous activity may be fundamentally a partial principle of the functioning of receptor elements. Further electrophysiological investigations of this problem are proceeding.(Presented by Active Member AMN SSSR P. K. Anokhin) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 55, No. 8, pp. 7–11, August, 1963     

On the antigenic variation of the influenza A virus“*”

Summary A sensitive micro antibody absorption test has been developed for use in studies on the antigenic structure of the influenza virus. The antigenic structure of the A-prime strains isolated in Hungary in the period 1949–54, as determined in tests against strain-specific sera, suggested that these strains originated or developed from the strains which had been isolated in Hungary at earlier dates.The experimental evidence obtained permits one to draw the conclusion that the variation of the antigen of the influenza A virus takes place not by a rearrangement of already present antigenic parts, but by an appearance of new and disappearance of old antigens. Changes in the viral antigen were demonstrable also within a single epidemic.The strains of influenza A virus can be classified by the use of strainspecific sera prepared with due regard to the origin of antigens within single strains.     

Effect of different “contact conditions” on the blue tongue virus-antibody reaction and on the validity of the “percentage law”

Summary The effect of various times and temperatures of virus-antibody contact (contact conditions) on the blue tongue virus-antibody reaction was studied. Linear regressions of neutralized virus on antibody titers were compared in three differentin vivo neutralization tests. In all three tests antibody titers were highly dependent on the virus test dose used, that is, the slopes of the regression plots were flat. In the twoin ovo neutralization tests slow virus multiplication probably caused the flat slopes.In conventional neutralization tests with limited contact conditions, the percentage law was invalid at low virus doses. With more favorable contact conditions the range of virus doses over which the regressions were linear and significant was extended gradually. Thus, the percentage law became valid for all virus doses. The invalidity of the law at low virus doses in conventional tests was most likely due to the inability of weak virusserum mixtures to react to equilibrium in such tests. Changes in contact conditions did not significantly affect the slopes of the neutralization plots when these plots were based only on data in agreement with the percentage law.No reversibility of the blue tongue virus-antibody reaction was demonstrable by dilution of reaction mixtures at neutral pH. Reaction mixtures were held at both conventional and extended contact conditions.Antibody titers were increased up to a hundredfold when extended contact conditions were compared with conventional methods.     

The origin of the “spontaneous” electrical activity of the frog brain

Summary Preparations with chronically implanted electrodes showed that there are periods during which no electrical activity is present in the brain of intact, non-anesthetized frogs sitting unconstrained in water in a jar. The activity appeared immediately upon stimulation.The results obtained confirm the suggestion of I. M. Sechenov that the electrical activity of the brain occurs either reflexly, or is due to direct effects on the brain. Without such effects, there is no electrical activity.(Presented by Active Member AMN SSSR V. V. Parin) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 52, No. 12, pp. 17–22, December, 1961     

Can intention override the “automatic pilot”?

Previous research has suggested that the visuomotor system possesses an “automatic pilot” which allows people to make rapid online movement corrections in response to sudden changes in target position. Importantly, the automatic pilot has been shown to operate in the absence of visual awareness, and even under circumstances in which people are explicitly asked not to correct their ongoing movement. In the current study, we investigated the extent to which the automatic pilot could be “disengaged” by explicitly instructing participants to ignore the target jump (i.e., “NO-GO”), by manipulating the order in which the two tasks were completed (i.e., either “GO” or NO-GO first), and by manipulating the proportion of trials in which the target jumped. The results indicated that participants made fewer corrections in response to the target jump when they were asked not to correct their movement (i.e., NO-GO), and when they completed the NO-GO task prior to the task in which they were asked to correct their movement when the target jumped (i.e., the GO task). However, increasing the proportion of jumping targets had only a minimal influence on performance. Critically, participants still made a significant number of unintended corrections (i.e., errors) in the NO-GO tasks, even under explicit instructions not to correct their movement if the target jumped. Overall these data suggest that, while the automatic pilot can be influenced to some degree by top-down strategies and previous experience, the pre-potent response to correct an ongoing movement cannot be completely disengaged.     

Can the combination of localized “proliferative therapy” with “minor ozonated autohemotherapy” restore the natural healing process?

Regenerative injection therapy (RIT), also known as proliferative therapy, has been used for over 30 years in the USA in patients with spinal and peripheral joint and ligamentous pathologies. It involves the injection of mildly irritating medications onto ligaments and tendons, most commonly at origins and insertions. These injections cause a mild inflammatory response which "turns on" the normal healing process and results in the regeneration of these structures. At the same time they strengthen and become less sensitive to pain through a combination of neurolysis of small nerve fibers (C-fibers) and increased stability of the underlying structures. Oxygen/ozone therapy is a well established complementary therapy practiced in many European countries. The ozone dissolves in body fluids and immediately reacts with biomolecules generating messengers responsible for biological and therapeutic activities. This results in an anti inflammatory response, which also results in a similar trophic reaction to that of RIT. It is logical to expect that combining these two modalities would result in enhanced healing and therefore improved clinical outcomes. Oxygen/ozone therapy, accomplished by autohemotherapy (AHT), is performed by either administering ozonated blood intravenously (Major AHT) or via intramuscular route (Minor AHT). These procedures result in stimulation of the immune and healing systems. Our concept is that the local injection of this activated blood injected directly to the ligamentous areas that are also being treated with RIT will act as a direct stimulation to the healing process. In addition, combining this with intravenous major AHT should stimulate the immune system to augment and support this process. RIT and oxygen/ozone therapy have been extensively studied separately. We propose a study of lumbosacral ligamentous pain to explore this therapeutic combination. We hope that this paper will stimulate general interest in this area of medicine and result in investigation of the "interface" between these treatment modalities.     

Congenital “clear cell sarcoma of the kidney”

At 31 weeks gestation, a hydropic male fetus died in utero with metastatic disease from a renal clear cell sarcoma. The tumor had metastasized to para–aortic and mediastinal lymph nodes, lung, pleura, and liver, leading to superior vena cava obstruction and pulmonary hypoplasia. The pathologic findings and cytogenetic analysis of the fetus and tumor are presented. In addition, review of the literature reveals six other cases aged <6 months of age, including two extrarenal cases.     

Instability of the “steady state” during exercise

Summary The steady state of exercise is only relatively steady; considerable fluctuation in the rate of oxygen consumption occurs from minute to minute. The standard deviations expressed in per cent of mean O₂ consumption are smallest with a moderate work load which requires a certain effort and concentration of the subject; they are greater at either extreme of work load. The instability of the steady state of exercise appears to be a normal phenomenon.This investigation was supported by research grant GM-08013 (Principal Investigator: Dr.Verne T.Inman) from the National Institutes of Health, U. S. Public Health Service.     

Initiation of the alternative pathway of complement and the history of “tickover”

The evolutionary history of complement suggests that the alternative pathway arose prior to the arrival of the classical and lectin pathways. In these pathways, target specificity is provided by antibodies and sugar specific lectins. While these efficient initiation systems dominate activation on most targets, the alternative pathway produces most of the C3b and 80%-90% of the C5b-9. While the tickover process, originally proposed by Peter Lachmann, provided ancient hosts with a crude self/non-self-discriminatory system that initiated complement attack on everything foreign, tickover clearly plays a more minor role in complement activation in modern organisms possessing classical and lectin pathways. Spontaneous activation of the alternative pathway via tickover may play a major role in human pathologies where tissue damage is complement-mediated. The molecular mechanism of tickover is still not convincingly proven. Prevailing hypotheses include (a) spontaneous hydrolysis of the thioester in C3 forming the C3b-like C3(H₂O) in solution and (b) “enhanced tickover” in which surfaces cause specific or non-specific contact activated conformational changes in C3. Theoretical considerations, including computer simulations, suggest that the latter mechanism is more likely and that more research needs to be devoted to understanding interactions between biological surfaces and C3.     

Is the “instant flow” option on the NIOX® analyser needed?

Asthmatics have increased gaseous nitric oxide in their exhaled breath. Measurements of the fraction of nitric oxide in exhaled breath (FE(NO)) are used for the diagnosis and management of asthma. One analyser (the NIOX chemiluminescence analyser) has a feature (restriction of instant flow, IF) which we suspected was responsible for reducing the success rate for obtaining FE(NO) measurements whilst not affecting the measurement itself. In a study involving 38 children, median age 10 years, we observed that FE(NO) values taken in the same individual with and without IF restriction did not differ. We also observed that the success in obtaining a FE(NO) measurement was higher (57%) when IF was not restricted and was lower (41%) when IF was restricted, p=0.002. Our findings do not support the use of restriction of IF on the NIOX analyser.     

The “critical zones” of entrapment of the nerves of the lower limb

Summary The author has studied, in a group of 40 dissections on cadavers of individuals of different ages, the main critical zones of entrapment of some terminal branches of the lumbo-sacral plexus, which include canals (fibrous, osteo-fibrous, fibro-muscular), intervals (intermuscular, fibro-muscular, musculo-ligamentous), rings (fibrous or fibro-muscular) and foramina. They provide the topographical anatomical basis for possible compressive phenomena of the nerves of the lower limb.

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Les zones critiques d'étranglement des nerfs du membre inférieur

Résumé L'auteur a étudié sur 40 dissections cadavériques d'individus d'âges différents, les principales zones critiques d'étranglement de certaines branches terminales du plexus lombo-sacré, constituées de canaux (fibreux, ostéo-fibreux, fibro-musculaires) d'interstices (musculaires, fibro-musculaires, ligamento-musculaires), d'anneaux (fibreux, fibro-musculaires) et de trous. Elles représentent les bases anatomotopographiques d'èventuels phénomènes de compression des nerfs du membre inférieur.

     

Nasopharyngeal morphology contributes to understanding the “muddle in the middle” of the Pleistocene hominin fossil record

The late archeologist Glynn Isaac first applied the term “muddle in the middle” to a poorly understood period in the Middle Pleistocene human fossil record. This study uses the nasopharyngeal boundaries as a source of traits that may inform this unclear period of human evolution. The nasopharynx lies at the nexus of several vital physiological systems, yet relatively little is known about its importance in human evolution. We analyzed a geographically diverse contemporary Homo sapiens growth series (n = 180 adults, 237 nonadults), Homo neanderthalensis (La Chapelle aux Saints 1, La Ferrassie 1, Forbes Quarry 1, Monte Circeo 1, and Saccopastore 1), mid-Pleistocene Homo (Atapuerca 5, Kabwe 1, Petralona 1, and Steinheim 1), and two Homo erectus sensu lato (KNM-ER 3733 and Sangiran 17). Methods include traditional (Analysis 1) and 3D geometric morphometric analysis (Analysis 2). H. erectus exhibited tall, narrow nasopharyngeal shape, a robust, ancestral morphology. Kabwe 1 and Petralona 1 plotted among H. sapiens in Analysis 2, exhibiting relatively shorter and vertical cartilaginous Eustachian tubes and vertical medial pterygoid plates. Atapuerca 5 and Steinheim 1 exhibited horizontal vomeral orientation similar to H. neanderthalensis, indicating greater relative soft palate length and anteroposterior nasopharynx expansion. They may exhibit synapomorphies with H. neanderthalensis, supporting the accretionary hypothesis. Species-level differences were found among H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis, including relatively longer dilator tubae muscles and extreme facial airorhynchy among Neanderthals. Furthermore, H. neanderthalensis were autapomorphic in exhibiting horizontal pterygoid plate orientation similar to human infants, suggesting that they may have had inferiorly low placement of the torus tubarius and Eustachian tube orifice on the lateral nasopharyngeal wall in life. This study supports use of osseous nasopharyngeal boundaries both for morphological characters and understanding evolution of otitis media susceptibility in living humans.     

Studies of the Behavior of “Impulsive” and “Self-Controlled” Animals in an “Emotional Resonance” Test

Rats divided on the basis of a test in which they were presented with the “right” to choose a more valuable but delayed or a less valuable but immediate reinforcement into “impulsive” and “self-controlled” groups were studied using the “emotional resonance” method. These experiments showed that none of the rats of the “self-controlled” group, selecting the more valuable but delayed reinforcement, avoided defensive arousal signals from another individual of the same species, preferring to spend a large proportion of time in the dark “house.” Most (80%) of the animals of the “impulsive” group spent more than half the experimental period in the light sector, thus saving the partner from electrical stimulation. It is suggested that there are several common mechanisms underlying these two types of behavior.