Monoclonal antibodies to intermediate filament proteins: Diagnostic specificity in orbital pathology

Intermediate filaments derived from different cell types are antigenically distinct. Monoclonal antibodies to human intermediate filament proteins can, therefore, be used as tissue-specific reagents capable of distinguishing cell type in poorly differentiated neoplasms. We report a case demonstrating the specificity of antiintermediate filament protein antibodies in establishing a difficult orbital diagnosis of esthesioneuroblastoma.     

A psychodynamic approach to the master treatment plan.

Formulating master treatment plans for the hospital treatment of psychiatric patients is especially challenging to psychodynamically oriented clinicians unaccustomed to reducing complex intrapsychic and interpersonal phenomena to specific observable behaviors. In collaboration with a wide cross section of hospital staff members, the authors developed a conceptual framework for treatment plans compatible with psychodynamic thinking. They describe the treatment evaluation research from which the format of the treatment plan evolved, as well as the guide they developed to facilitate its implementation .     

Comparison of five cultural procedures for isolation of Clostridium difficile from stools.

Several procedures have been described for the culture of Clostridium difficile from stool specimens. The goal of this study was to determine the effectiveness of five of these methods for the isolation of C. difficile from feces of patients suspected of having C. difficile-associated illness. A total of 564 stool specimens were cultured by using heat shock, ethanol treatment (ET), and direct plating on Carr-Scarborough cycloserine-cefoxitin-fructose agar (CCFA) with horse blood (C/S medium), BBL CCFA medium, and Remel C. difficile agar. Cytotoxin assays were performed on all specimens. A total of 113 specimens (20%) were positive for C. difficile by one or more methods. The numbers of positive cultures by using heat shock, ET, and direct plating on C/S medium, BBL CCFA medium, and Remel C. difficile agar were 79 (70%), 89 (79%), 91 (81%), 79 (70%), and 52 (46%), respectively. We concluded that ET and direct plating on C/S medium were the most effective procedures for isolating C. difficile from stool specimens and found significant variation in the performance of modified CCFA from different manufacturers.     

Psychoactive mushroom use in Koh Samui and Koh Pha-Ngan, Thailand.

This paper presents the results of recent ethnomycological exploration in southern Thailand. Field observations, interviews and collection of fungi specimens were carried out primarily on two islands, Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan, situated in the western region of the Gulf of Siam. Some fieldwork was also conducted in the northern Thai province of Chiang Dao and in the southern Thai province of Surat Thani. During five separate excursions (1989-90), observations were made of occurrence, harvesting, use, and marketing of psychoactive fungi by local Thai natives (males and females, adults and children), foreign tourists, and German immigrants. The first records of psychoactive Psilocybe subcubensis and Copelandia dung fungi in Thailand are presented in this paper. These fungi exhibited intense bluing reactions when handled, indicating the presence of psilocybin and/or psilocin. Seven collections of Psilocybe cubensis (Earle) Singer and/or Psilocybe subcubensis Guzman and four collections of Copelandia sp. were harvested and sun-dried for herbarium deposit. These fungi are cultivated or occur spontaneously, often appearing in the decomposed manure of domesticated water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and at least three different species of cattle (Bos indicus, B. guarus, and B. sundaicus). The psychoactive fungi are cultivated in clandestine plots, both indoors and outdoors, in the uplands and villages on Koh Samui by both Thai natives and some foreigners. The sale of psychoactive fungi directly to tourists and to resort restaurants for use in edible food items such as omelettes and soups is discussed in detail. The preparation and sale of mushroom omelettes adulterated with artificial hallucinogens in some restaurants is also discussed. In addition, the marketing of items such as hand painted T-shirts, post cards, and posters bearing mushroom related motifs in Thailand is described.     

Myoplasmic Mg2+ concentration in Xenopus muscle fibres at rest, during fatigue and during metabolic blockade.

Intracellular free Mg2+ concentration ([Mg2+]i) was measured in isolated single fibres of Xenopus muscle using the fluorescent Mg2+ indicator furaptra. In resting muscle the [Mg2+]i was 1.7 mM in a Mg(2+)-free Ringer solution. There was no significant change in [Mg2+]i over 2 h in Mg(2+)-free Ringer solution. Elevating extracellular [Mg2+] to 40 mM for 5 min caused a small rise (0.13 mM) in [Mg2+]i. There was no detectable rise in [Mg2+]i after 5 min in Na(+)-free Ringer solution. These results suggest that the membrane is relatively impermeable to Mg2+ and that there was no detectable Na(+)-Mg2+ exchange over 5 min. When muscle fibres were fatigued by repeated tetani continued until force declined to about 40% of control, [Mg2+]i showed characteristic changes. During the early period of fatigue when force first showed a small decline and then became almost stable, [Mg2+]i was unchanged; during the final period of fatigue when force declined more rapidly, [Mg2+]i increased by 0.8 mM. Recovery of [Mg2+]i took about 30 min. Recovery of force was complex: tetanic force first declined (post-contractile depression) and then slowly recovered to control. Since the minimum force occurred at about the time when [Mg2+]i had recovered, it seems unlikely that post-contractile depression is caused by elevated [Mg2+]i. Rigor, produced by inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis, was associated with a larger increase (1.6 mM) in [Mg2+]i than fatigue. The rise in [Mg2+]i during fatigue and metabolic blockade could be explained as release of Mg2+ normally bound to ATP. A model of the metabolic changes and the resulting increase in [Mg2+]i explains our results reasonably well.     

Evaluation of cytotoxicity of some Mannich bases of various aryl and arylidene ketones and their corresponding arylhydrazones.

Mannich bases were synthesized and converted to the corresponding arylhydrazones. X-ray analysis of a ketone (1a) and a hydrazone (4d) revealed structural features of interest. All of the compounds showed cytotoxicity toward murine lymphocytic leukemia L1210 cells in the 4.9-25.0-microM range. The correlation coefficients generated by plotting the IC50 values (the concentrations of compounds that inhibit the growth of tumors by 50%) of some hydrazones against certain electronic, hydrophobic, and steric constants of the aryl substituents indicated only weak correlations. A few ketones and hydrazones displayed significant cytotoxicity to the WiDr human colon cancer cells, and these derivatives, especially the ketones, may serve as prototypes for future drug development. The KB tumor (a human epidermoid carcinoma of the nasopharynx) was somewhat refractory to selected compounds. In an in vitro assay conducted by the National Cancer Institute and involving approximately 53 tumor cell lines originating from eight neoplastic diseases, 65% of the compounds showed some selectivity toward one or more groups of cancers, principally leukemia, melanoma, and colon cancer. The bioevaluation of the ketones and hydrazones against the L1210, WiDr, and KB tumors, as well as evidence from proton nuclear magnetic resonance studies did not support the suggestion that hydrazones may be prodrugs of the corresponding ketones.     

Etiology of low back pain in elite boardsailors.

Seven elite boardsailors reporting nonradiating low back pain without leg pain during sailing volunteered for detailed examination. In these subjects, the onset of pain was limited to those occasions when sailing positions were held for a significant period of time, e.g., close hauled sailing or in light winds. No pain was described at any other time. The determination of possible antecedent factors was based on the results of clinical assessment, radiological evaluation, and computer tomography (CT) scanning. Apart from limited flexibility in some subjects, the clinical examination of these athletes was normal; CT changes in this group were limited to disc protrusions and bulges, and pars interarticularis defects. Despite the small number of subjects in the present report, it appears that the frequency of these problems exceeds that in the normal population. It may be possible to suggest that risk factors such as body position during prolonged sailing, particularly under light wind conditions without a harness, and limited flexibility may be associated with the radiological findings and may be implicated in the presence of low back pain, although further investigations appears warranted.     

Recruitment and retention of black students in baccalaureate nursing programs

The purposes of this study were to 1) identify the major factors that influence the retention of Black undergraduate nursing students in baccalaureate nursing programs; 2) compare and contrast the major retention problems of Black baccalaureate nursing students in predominantly White universities with those of all Black students in similar institutions; and 3) generate questions for further study in the area of student retention. The study used a convenience sample which included one private university and one public state university with baccalaureate nursing programs from the Eastern, Southern, Midwest, and Western regions in the country. Contact persons at each institution were asked to administer questionnaires to Black nursing students enrolled in the professional sequence of the curriculum, Black nursing faculty and administrators, and White nursing faculty and administrators. Data analysis consisted of a comparison between the responses of students, faculty, and administrators in 1980 and those of nursing students, faculty and administrators in 1984 to identified admission-retention barriers and possible remedies.     

Sentinel surveillance of human immunodeficiency virus infection in women seeking reproductive health services in the United States, 1988-1989. The Field Services Branch.

Cases of AIDS among women of reproductive age have increased dramatically since 1981; nearly a third of all cases among females were reported in 1990 alone. Surveillance of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among women is essential for monitoring the spread of HIV over time and identifying specific populations and geographic areas in need of HIV counseling, testing, and prevention services. Blinded (unlinked) serologic surveys were conducted in the United States and Puerto Rico in sentinel clinics providing reproductive health services to women, including family planning, prenatal care, and abortion services. Seventy-eight of 94 clinics (83%) in 30 cities conducting surveys during 1988 and 1989 detected at least one HIV-positive woman. Clinic-specific prevalence ranged from 0-2.28% (median 0.22%), with rates over 1% occurring in clinics predominantly on the East Coast and in Puerto Rico. Seroprevalence varied by primary type of service, race-ethnicity, and age group. Median rates were higher in clinics offering prenatal services and lower in abortion and family planning clinics in the same cities. In general, women 25-29 years of age showed the highest median rate of infection (0.32%), and rates were higher among black women (median 0.34%) than among Hispanic (median 0.11%) and white women (median 0%). Our data indicate the need to educate women about recognizing and reducing their risk of HIV infection. Reproductive health clinics with high seroprevalence should implement voluntary HIV counseling and testing with appropriate follow-up clinical evaluation and referral for infected women. Clinics with low prevalence should seize the opportunity to enhance HIV education and prevention efforts.