Adjustment in Childhood Brain Tumor Survival: Child, Mother, and Teacher Report

Examined the adjustment of 6- to 18-year-old children and adolescents(n = 38) 2 to 5 years postdiagnosis of brain tumor with respectto standardized measures of anxiety and depression; self-perceptions;and adaptive living skills. Child, mother, and teacher reportdata were used. Maternal adjustment (anxiety and depression,parenting stress) was also assessed. Children and adolescentssurviving brain tumors reported themselves to be generally withinthe normal range. However, maternal ratings of social problemswere higher than normative scores and significantly lower thannorms on social problems, scholastic competence, and communicationskills. Teacher ratings on the Teacher Rating Form were allwithin normal limits. Maternal adjustment measures were withinthe normal range, although the Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interactionsubscale of the Parenting Stress Index was elevated. No differencesin scores were found between children in regular and specialeducation, or between children who had received radiation andthose who did not. This sample of survivors of pediatric braintumors and their mothers had relatively mild problems in adjustment,supporting a competency-based view of the adaptation of pediatricpatients and their families.     

Stability of intracranial self-stimulation following hypophysectomy

The possibility of a hypothalamo-pituitary involvement in the intracranial self-stimulation phenomenon was investigated. Threshold and optimal stimulation currents were identified by means of the method of limits, in rats with bipolar electrodes implanted in the lateral hypothalamus. Total or sham hypophysectomies were performed after the establishment of these current values, and found to have no effect on reinforcing brain stimulation. It was concluded that a hypothalamo-pituitary mechanism does not subserve reinforcing brain stimulation.     

Serotonergic regulation of canine enteric motility (measured as electrical activity) and absorption: physiologic and morphologic evidence

To explore the effect of serotonin (5-HT) on enteric electrical activity, transit and absorption, four dogs were prepared with 50 cm jejunal and ileal Vella loops. Electrodes for recording enteric electrical activity were attached to the loops and to the main small bowel. After recovery, both loops were perfused with a [14C-]PEG-glucose-electrolyte solution via the proximal stomas, while effluent was collected from the distal stomas and enteric electrical activity was monitored. Control periods were compared with periods when 5-HT was infused intravenously at a rate of 10 micrograms kg-1 min-1 for 60 min. Serotonin increased the mean +/- SEM % of jejunal and ileal pacesetter potentials with spike potentials from 33 +/- 7% and 35 +/- 9%, before infusion to 63 +/- 4% and 61 +/- 5% after infusion (P less than 0.05). Serotonin also induced distally-migrating bursts of spikes in the incontinuity small bowel. The changes were blocked by atropine, but not by ketanserin. Absorption of water, sodium and glucose from the jejunal and ileal loop and transit through the loops was not changed by 5-HT. At autopsy, all layers of the jejunum and ileum contained varicose nerve fibres with a positive immunoreaction to 5-HT, while positive nerve cell bodies were largely confined to the submucosa.     

Home chaos: sociodemographic, parenting, interactional, and child correlates.

We conducted 2 studies to (a) establish the usefulness of the construct of home chaos, (b) investigate its correlates, and (c) determine the validity of the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS) used to measure the construct in each study. Study 1 relied on a sample of European American preschoolers and their mothers and Study 2 on a sample of African American school-age children and their caregivers. Home chaos was associated with less effective parental discipline; elevated behavior problems, limited attentional focusing, and reduced ability to understand and respond to social cues in children; and reduced accuracy and efficiency in a cooperative parent-child interactional task, after controlling for potential confounds. It is concluded that (a) home chaos is not a proxy for adverse social or psychological circumstances but a useful construct in its own right; (b) home chaos is associated with multiple detrimental correlates in parents and children; and (c) the CHAOS scale provides an adequate and economical measure of home confusion and disorganization that should prove useful in clinical research with diverse populations.     

Haplotype structure,LD blocks,and uneven recombination within the LRP5 gene

Patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the human genome are beginning to be characterized, with a paucity of haplotype diversity in "LD blocks," interspersed by apparent "hot spots" of recombination. Previously, we cloned and physically characterized the low-density lipoprotein-receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) gene. Here, we have extensively analysed both LRP5 and its flanking three genes, spanning 269 kb, for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and we present a comprehensive SNP map comprising 95 polymorphisms. Analysis revealed high levels of recombination across LRP5, including a hot-spot region from intron 1 to intron 7 of LRP5, where there are 109 recombinants/Mb (4882 meioses), in contrast to flanking regions of 14.6 recombinants/Mb. This region of high recombination could be delineated into three to four hot spots, one within a 601-bp interval. For LRP5, three haplotype blocks were identified, flanked by the hot spots. Each LD block comprised over 80% common haplotypes, concurring with a previous study of 14 genes that showed that common haplotypes account for at least 80% of all haplotypes. The identification of hot spots in between these LD blocks provides additional evidence that LD blocks are separated by areas of higher recombination.     

Studies on the serum proteins of chimeras: III. Detection of donor-type C′5 in allogeneic and congenic post-irradiation chimeras

Allogeneic and congenic post-irradiation chimeras were produced by bone marrow transfer from C′5 active donor mice into C′5 defective recipients. During the first 4 weeks after transfer many of the chimeras contained haemolytic complement activity in their sera. B6AF₁→A chimeras developed higher levels of activity than did B10D2 (new line)→ B10D2 (old line).

Spleen tissue, but not liver tissue, taken from the chimeric animals during this time period incorporated [¹⁴C]amino acid into MuB1 as demonstrated by autoradiography of immunoelectrophoretic patterns, suggesting localization of the active donor cells in the spleen rather than in the liver. Formation of donor-type IgG remained demonstrable for a more extended period after induction of chimerism than formation of MuB1.

A transplantable hepatoma in C57L/J, a C′5 active mouse strain, also incorporated [¹⁴C]amino acid into MuB1.

     

Cultivation and partial characterization of spiroplasmas in cell cultures.

Spiroplasmas were propagated in the Drosophila melanogaster cell line Dm-1. Spiroplasma citri and unidentified strains (corn shunt organism, 277F [tick isolate], powder puff, BNR-1, honey bee, and OBMG) grew to 10(8) to 10(9) colony-forming units per ml and could be passaged. Cytopathic effect (CPE) varied with the infecting spiroplasma. The honey bee isolate killed Dm-1 within 2 to 4 days and produced CPE in four mammalian cells tested. At 25 degrees C, suckling mouse cataract agent produced no CPE in Dm-1 cells. Dm-1 cells did not support growth of the spiroplasmal sex ratio organism. Spiroplasmas could be detected in the cell cultures by agar inoculation, dark-field microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and DNA fluorescent staining. The uridine phosphorylase test showed significant levels of conversion of [14C]uridine to [14C]uracil for all but some plant isolates: S. citri, corn shunt organism, lettuce, cactus, and powder puff strains, the first mycoplasmas to lack the enzyme. Primary isolations of corn shunt organism from infected corn plants were made in Dm-1 and I-XII cultures. The course of corn stunt organism infection of Dm-1 was monitored for three passages. The use of agarose and Dienes staining of the colonies improved growth and colony counting of corn stunt organism. The number of viable infected DM-1 cells decreased from 1.2 x 10(7) at passage 1 to 7.0 x 10(6) at passage 2 and 3 x 10(5) at passage 3.     

Amino acid substitutions within the heptad repeat domain 1 of murine coronavirus spike protein restrict viral antigen spread in the central nervous system

Targeted recombination was carried out to select mouse hepatitis viruses (MHVs) in a defined genetic background, containing an MHV-JHM spike gene encoding either three heptad repeat 1 (HR1) substitutions (Q1067H, Q1094H, and L1114R) or L1114R alone. The recombinant virus, which expresses spike with the three substitutions, was nonfusogenic at neutral pH. Its replication was significantly inhibited by lysosomotropic agents, and it was highly neuroattenuated in vivo. In contrast, the recombinant expressing spike with L1114R alone mediated cell-to-cell fusion at neutral pH and replicated efficiently despite the presence of lysosomotropic agents; however, it still caused only subclinical morbidity and no mortality in animals. Thus, both recombinant viruses were highly attenuated and expressed viral antigen which was restricted to the olfactory bulbs and was markedly absent from other regions of the brains at 5 days postinfection. These data demonstrate that amino acid substitutions, in particular L1114R, within HR1 of the JHM spike reduced the ability of MHV to spread in the central nervous system. Furthermore, the requirements for low pH for fusion and viral entry are not prerequisites for the highly attenuated phenotype.     

Basophils express a type 2 cytokine profile on exposure to proteases from helminths and house dust mites

The proteolytic activities frequently associated with sources of allergens and parasite secretions have been suggested as important immunomodulators. We have investigated whether the protease activity of the house dust mite allergen Der p1 and the secreted proteases of the hookworm Necator americanus are able to directly induce type 2 cytokine production by basophils. Der p1 and the secretions of N. americanus induced interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13 but not interferon-gamma mRNA in KU812 basophils. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay confirmed that IL-4 and IL-13 were secreted. A nonproteolytic antigen failed to induce cytokine expression, and preincubation of Der p1 or N. americanus secretions with protease inhibitors inhibited cytokine expression. Data were confirmed using basophils purified from human peripheral blood. We speculate that this innate mechanism may contribute to the development of a cytokine milieu that could promote immunoglobulin E synthesis, eosinophil recruitment, and the development of type 2 T cells.