Convergence insufficiency: incidence, diagnosis, and treatment.

Convergence insufficiency is one of the most common ocular problems. The paper carefully reviews the existing literature paying particular attention to etiology, diagnosis, sensory findings, treatment, and treatment results.     

Effects of acute or chronic administration of low doses of a dopamine agonist on drinking and locomotor activity in the rat

Low doses of piribedil (0.25–5.0 mg/kg) administered acutely produced reliable decrements in locomotor activity in thirsty and non-thirsty animals, the greatest effect occurring at the highest dose. A sequence of ten daily injections of piribedil produced indications of the development of tolerance, at the two highest doses (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) in thirsty animals. The smallest doses used, given either acutely or chronically, produced a weak enhancement of drinking behaviour within the first 15 min of a drinking test, as shown by a reduction in latency to drink and an increase in the amount of water consumption. Tolerance did develop with respect to drinking behaviour; animals treated chronically with piribedil displayed higher levels of drinking at several dose levels when compared with acutely treated subjects. The tolerance displayed at the two highest doses could have a close affinity with that shown with regard to locomotor activity.     

Supraacetabular insufficiency fractures

Insufficiency fractures in the supraacetabular region were identified in five women, aged 55-83 years. Factors contributing to the diminished resistance of their bones included postmenopausal osteoporosis, steroid therapy, radiation therapy, and rheumatoid arthritis. The supraacetabular fractures were seen on routine radiographs as hazy bands of sclerosis located immediately above and parallel to the acetabular roof. All five patients had additional fractures in the spine or pelvis. Supraacetabular insufficiency fractures may be an unsuspected cause of hip pain, especially in older women.     

The yellow colour of the lens of man and other primates

1. Measurements have been made of the absorption spectra of the lenses of human, baboon (Papio), rhesus monkey (Macaca), squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) and bush baby (Galago crassicaudatus).2. In all these species an absorption maximum was found between 365 and 368 nm.3. The pigment responsible for this absorption was water-soluble and aqueous extracts were examined. Protein-free aqueous extracts showed an additional maximum at 260 nm which could be only partially accounted for by the presence of ascorbic acid.4. Chromatography of the protein-free solution from human lenses yielded a fast-moving yellow component with a blue fluorescence. Its absorption spectrum was very similar to that of the original protein-free solution. A fast-moving yellow component from the baboon lens had a yellow fluorescence.5. The human lenses appeared to contain more of the yellow, water-soluble pigment at birth than in adult life. The concentration remains constant during adult life.6. There is evidence for the appearance of another pigment in the human lens in later adult life. It is not water-soluble and has an absorption maximum at about 330 nm.     

Poliovirus temperature-sensitivie mutants defective in cytopathic effects are also defective in synthesis of double-stranded RNA.

The proportion of cells absorbing trypan blue (tb-+ character) can be used to measure the late c.p.e. of wild-type poliovirus (ts-+. tb-+), which was the same at restrictive (39-2 to 39-6 degrees C) or permissive (37 degrees C) temperatures. Of twenty ts mutants, seven showed normal c.p.e. at 37 degrees C but were defective in C.P.E. (TB) AT 39-5 degrees C; all seven tb mutants have previously been shown (Cooper et al. 1971) to give evidence of a primary defect in replicase 1 activity (to make the complementary or minus strand of virus RNA). The remainder (tb-+) have all previously been shown to give evidence of a primary defect either in replicase II activity (to make progeny plus strands) or in structural protein. Thus, the late c.p.e. is dependent on a product of the replicase I gene, of which the in vivo effector is probably double-stranded RNA. Late c.p.e. is not caused by prevention of host protein, RNA or DNA synthesis and is not necessarily correlated with lysosomal enzyme release. The tb mutants were also defective in inducing early changes in chromatin (chr) and in prevention of thymidine incorporation (pti), but the tb and pti/chr characters are probably independent expressions of replicase I activity. Virus growth does not depend on repression of DNA synthesis. Poliovirus represses the activities of host DNA-dependent RNA polymerase I and II to an equal extent. There is no evidence that repression of DNA or RNA synthesis results from direct interaction of virus protein with the DNA.     

Studies on human plasma C1 inactivator-enzyme interactions. I. Mechanisms of interaction with C1s, plasmin, and trypsin.

This study has explored the nature of the molecular events which occur when C1 inactivator, a human plasma inhibitor of the complement, kinin-forming, coagulation, and fibrinolytic enzyme systems, interacts with C1s, plasmin, and trypsin. Purified inhibitor preparations demonstrated two bands, when examined by acrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The molecular weights of the major and minor bands were 105,000 and 96,000 daltons, respectively. The minor component appeared to be immunologically and functionally identical to the main C1 inactivator component. Loss of C1s and plasmin functional activity was associated with the formation of a 1:1 molar complex between the inhibitor and each enzyme. These complexes were stable in the presence of SDS and urea. The light chain of both these enzymes provided the binding site for C1 inactivator. Complex formation and enzyme inhibition occurred only with native and not with an inhibitor preparation denatured by acid treatment, thereby demonstrating the importance of conformational factors in the enzyme-inhibitor reaction. Although peptide bond cleavage of the C1 inactivator molecule by C1s was not documented, plasmin was found to degrade the inhibitor with the production of several characteristic derivatives. At least one of these products retained the ability to complex with C1s and plasmin. Trypsin, which failed to form a complex with C1 inactivator, degraded the inhibitor in a limited and sequential manner with the production of nonfunctional derivatives one of which appeared structurally similar to a plasmin-induced product. These studies therefore, provide new information concerning the molecular interactions between C1 inactivator and several of the proteases which it inhibits.     

Continuous infusion of edrophonium (Tensilon) in treating supraventricular arrhythmias

Ten patients with atrial flutter or fibrillation and ventricular rates of greater than 140 beats/min were treated with a continuous infusion of 0.25 to 2.0 mg/min of edrophonium chloride (Tensilon), after an initial bolus of 5 to 10 mg had produced transient ventricular slowing. In 9 of these patients digitalis had been administered without a significant decrease in ventricular rate, and further digitalis was considered potentially dangerous. Four additional patients with supraventricular tachycardias, all receiving digitalis, received a bolus and then continuous edrophonium infusion. In all 14 patients edrophonium infused for periods of up to 30 hours was effective in maintaining a slowed ventricular rate with clinical improvement. There were no significant side effects.