Five-Month Oral (Diet) Toxicity/lnfectivity Study of Bacillus thuringiensis Insecticides in Sheep

Five-Month Oral (Diet) Toxicity/Infectivity Study of Bacillusthuringiensis Insecticides in Sheep. HADLEY, W. M., BURCHIEL,S. W., MCDOWELL, T. D., THILSTED, J. P., HIBBS, C. M., WHORTON,J. A., DAY, P. W., FRIEDMAN, M. B., and STOLL, R. E. (1987).Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 8, 236–242. Bacillus thuringiensisinsecticides (Bt) [Dipel (test substance D or Thuri-cide-HP(test substance T)] were administered in the diet for 5 monthsto castrated mixed ram-bouillet/merino sheep (24–34 kgat the beginning of the study) at a dose of 500 mg/kg/day (approximately10¹² spores per day). No treatment-related effect was seen onweight gain or clinical chemistry parameters nor were significantgross clinical changes observed. Several blood and tissue samplestaken just prior to the time the animals were killed or at necropsywere found to be positive for Bt when cultured. Detailed grossand microscopic pathologic examination of the sheep revealedseveral incidental lesions. However, the only lesion that mayhave been associated with the treatment was lymphocytic hyperplasiain Peyer's patches seen in the cecum of three sheep and it wasnot considered to be clinically significant.     

Effects of a Health Activist Course on Knowledge and Awareness of Antibiotic Use

A cohort study investigated the specific outcomes of a healtheducation coursed carried out by recently graduated physiciansin an urban primary care setting in Israel. Questionnaires wereused to study the effects of the programme on knowledge andawareness concerning antibiotic usage. The results showed asignificant gain in knowledge about the causes of infectiousdisease, appropriate duration of antibiotic intake, side effectsof antibiotics and the importance of compliance. In contrastwith other studies, low income blue collar workers with lessthan high school education showed the most significant gainsfrom the programme. Inexperienced physicians were able to implementa community health education programme with clearly definedgoals.     

Localization of the Origin of Arrhythmias for Ablation: From Electrocardiography to Advanced Endocardial Mapping Systems

Radiofrequency catheter ablation techniques have had a dramatic impact on the treatment of a variety of cardiac arrhythmias. However, catheter ablation of complex arrhythmias, such as intra-atrial reentry, ventricular tachycardias, and atrial fibrillation, continues to pose a major challenge. This stems from limitations of fluoroscopy and conventional catheter-based mapping techniques that limit the accurate anatomic localization of complex arrhythmogenic substrates. In this article, ECG features of complex arrhythmias are reviewed, which may facilitate the planning of an ablation procedure. The physical principles of the newly available catheter-based endocardial mapping techniques and their clinical applicability for treatment of complex arrhythmias are discussed. The role of intracardiac echocardiography to facilitate mapping and ablation is reviewed.     

TSH RECEPTOR ANTIBODY INDUCTION OF THYROGLOBULIN RELEASE FROM HUMAN THYROID CELL MONOLAYERS

We investigated the influence of TSH receptor antibody (TRA), as detected by inhibition of 125I-bTSH binding to detergent solubilized porcine TSH receptors, on in-vitro thyroglobulin (hTg) production using normal thyroid cells in monolayer. Secretion of hTg into the culture medium was analysed by a non-competitive enzyme immunosorbent (ELISA) technique utilizing two murine monoclonal antibodies. Basal hTg release (mean +/- SD 124 +/- 27 ng/10(5) cells/6 d, n = 5) was stimulated by bTSH (10, 10(2), 10(3) microU/ml) in a dose related manner (mean +/- SD 191 +/- 24, 587 +/- 80, 695 +/- 66 ng/10(5) cells/6 d, respectively). IgG (2 mg/ml) from seven patients with hyperthyroid Graves' disease, and known titres of TRA, similarly enhanced production of hTg, in a dose and time-dependent manner, when compared to control IgG. The degree of induction varied from a 140-230% increase in total hTg release over a 6-day incubation period. There was a direct correlation between the degree of 125I-bTSH binding inhibitory activity and the hTg response (r = 0.9, P less than 0.01). These data demonstrate that TSH receptor antibodies enhance hTg release from human thyroid cell monolayers and allow an assessment to be made of antibody-activated post receptor mechanisms.     

Endodontic management of molars with developmental anomalies

Summary. Rare reports of endodontic therapy in fused permanet molars appear in the literature, and these indicate the complexity of such cases. Three further cases are reported in this paper, establishing a conclusion of clinical value; all the root canals should be expected to emerge from one chamber, comprising one root canal system. This finding dismisses any attempts of 'partial' therapy in cases of posterior fusion. The variability in root canal systems in fused teeth makes it difficult to predict their configuration. Endodontic treatment of fused teeth calls for special efforts directed towards realizing and successfully managing their complex root canal systems.     

School achievement in treated PKU children

ABSTRACT. Phenylketonuric children who were treated early and maintained a phe- restricted diet through age 10 were compared with those who discontinued the diet after age 6 on a standardized test of intelligence, school achievement, language and perceptual skills. Mean IQ, reading and spelling test scores improved between ages 6 and 10 for the on-diet children in comparison to those who were off-diet. However, mean scores on arithmetic, language and perceptual skills declined at a uniform rate for both groups. Children with PKU scored significantly lower than did their non-PKU siblings on tests of visual perception and visual-motor skills. Because the school years, particularly, the early teens, pose increased stress in affected PKU individuals, it is recommended that dietary restriction at least through the high school years is prudent for their optimal physical, mental, emotional and educational growth.