Prognostic relevance of DNA ploidy in rhabdomyosarcomas and other sarcomas of childhood.

A study of DNA content by flow cytometry revealed a significant difference between rhabdomyosarcomas, which were mainly non-diploid, and other sarcomas of children which were mainly diploid (p = 0.01). There was no association between DNA ploidy and survival or aggressive behaviour of the tumour as indicated for example by advanced clinical stage or unfavourable histology. While DNA ploidy correlated with age, it did not correlate with any other clinical characteristic. The apparent lack of prognostic value of DNA content may have been masked by some high CV values and overridden by the effect of chemotherapy which was the most significant variable in determining a patient's survival (p = 0.00005).     

Bacteriophage typing in Salmonella bareilly.

A total of 675 strains of Salmonella bareilly received from different parts of India and France during 1959-92 were phage typed using six bacteriophages. Overall typability achieved was 90.8% with 23 distinct phage types excluding a group of untypable strains. Phage types have been defined in octal code. Simpson''s coefficient was applied for diversity index having a value of 0.839. This system was found to be reproducible, stable and epidemiologically useful.     

Beta hemolytic streptococcal carriers among school children in western Orissa.

Detection of carriers of Beta hemolytic streptococci and serogrouping of the strains isolated from throat of School Children helps in the epidemiological serosurveillance of the disease. With this in view the carriers among otherwise healthy school children in and around Buria, a small town in western Orissa, have been detected and the Streptococci isolated are grouped and typed.     

Psychological responses to thermal stress in a glass bangle factory.

Behavioural studies were conducted on a random sample of 38 glass bangle workers engaged in various occupations and exposed to high ambient temperature (38.2 +/- 3.4 degrees C) and radiant heat (46.2 +/- 5.1 degrees C) during their work in the glass bangle industries at Firozabad, India. Twenty-two control subjects of similar age and socio-economic status unexposed to heat during their work were also studied for comparison. The digit span test, digit symbol test, Bourdon-Wiersma vigilance test, flicker fusion test and Maudsley personality inventory (MPI) were used to assess the behavioural changes induced by the existing heat stress. The mean scores of immediate memory were much lower in the exposed population than in the controls thereby indicating impairment of immediate memory in the study group. The visuo-motor coordination and vigilance were also significantly affected. Visual perception showed a downward trend among the glass bangle workers, although the MPI test indicated no personality changes.     

Dengue fever presenting with acute colitis.

Gastrointestinal manifestations of dengue fever are mainly in the form of bleeding or liver function abnormalities. Dengue fever presenting as acute colitis-like picture is not reported to date. We report a 50-year-old man with dengue fever presenting with lower gastrointestinal bleeding and colonoscopic features of acute inflammatory colitis.     

The physiology of the vitamin D endocrine system

It is clear that the vitamin D endocrine system plays a central role in the maintenance of calcium and phosphate homeostasis. It may be involved in the cellular differentiation and growth of various cells. Investigation of these properties in the future is likely to yield interesting information concerning the biology of this sterol hormone.