Association between gizzard lesions and increased caecal Clostridium perfringens counts in broiler chickens.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between mucosal gizzard lesions and caecal Clostridium perfringens counts. Gross pathological changes in the gizzard and small intestine, and caecal C. perfringens counts from 1217 meat-type chickens were recorded during the course of six experiments and were statistically analysed. C. perfringens counts increased significantly (P < 0.001) with the severity of mucosal gizzard lesions. Mucosal gizzard lesions were more prevalent than necrotic enteritis. Correcting for the pen and necrotic enteritis within experiment, mucosal gizzard lesions explained 31.8% of the variation in C. perfringens counts. Mucosal gizzard lesions and age together explained 59.1% of the variation in C. perfringens counts. The mean ages of birds with moderate and severe mucosal gizzard lesions were 1.7 and 0.8 days lower than the mean age of birds with necrotic enteritis, respectively. The association between mucosal gizzard lesions and high C. perfringens counts might be of importance when attempting to improve production efficiency, health and the welfare of the chickens.     

In vivo measurement of intracellular pH in human brain during different tensions of carbon dioxide in arterial blood. A 31P-NMR study

The effect of changes in carbon dioxide tension in arterial blood upon intracellular pH in brain tissue was studied in seven healthy volunteers, aged 22-45 years. The pH changes were monitored by use of 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, performed on a whole-body 1.5 Tesla Siemens imaging system. The measurements were carried out during hyperventilation and with the subject breathing atmospheric air containing 5 vol. % and 7 vol. % carbon dioxide. Intracellular pH increased significantly during 15 min of hyper-ventilation and decreased significantly during 18 min respiration of air containing 7 vol. % carbon dioxide. The intracellular buffer capacity was estimated. These results suggest that the ventilation response to carbon dioxide is correlated to changes in intracellular fluid pH.     

Evidence that the arterial baroreceptors influence muscle blood flow and not subcutaneous flow in man

Studies in man indicate that skeletal muscle blood flow is modulated via high pressure baroreceptors located in the carotid body. However, whether subcutaneous blood flow is influenced in this way remains controversial. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine whether subcutaneous as well as skeletal muscle blood flow was influenced by direct carotid body stimulation; this was done by means of neck suction. Six young healthy males were investigated. Subcutaneous and skeletal muscle blood flow in the forearm was measured by the local 133Xe washout technique. Neck suction of -20 mmHg was applied through a tight helmet covering the head and neck. In the supine position heart rate increased about 10%, mean arterial pressure was unchanged, subcutaneous blood flow was unchanged, but skeletal muscle blood flow increased about 70%. Measurements were repeated during neck suction, -20 mmHg, and 45 degrees head-up tilt (which is known to decrease subcutaneous blood flow and skeletal muscle blood flow by increasing sympathetic vasoconstrictor activity). Heart rate increased by about 20%, mean arterial pressure was unchanged, subcutaneous blood flow was unchanged and skeletal muscle blood flow increased about 100%. These results indicate that skeletal muscle blood flow is modulated through carotid baroreceptors. Subcutaneous blood flow seems not to be influenced by high pressure baroreceptor modulation, although a vasoconstrictor response to head-up tilt was demonstrated in this as well as other recent studies.     

Lack of effect of moderate hypoxaemia on human postural reflexes to skeletal muscle

The effect of moderate hypoxemia upon postural sympathetic vasoconstrictor reflexes in skeletal muscle was studied in five healthy young students, aged 20-30 years. The vasoconstrictor response to head-up tilt was studied in brachio radial muscle kept at heart level and in the anterior tibial muscle. The local sympathetic veno-arteriolar axon reflex was studied in the anterior tibial muscle placed at heart level and lowered 30-50 cm below heart level. Muscle blood flow was measured by the local 133Xe wash-out technique. The measurements were carried out with the subject breathing atmospheric air and with the subject breathing 10-11% oxygen. No sign of orthostatic intolerance was seen during hypoxaemia as arterial blood pressure remained constant in the tilted position. Hypoxaemia did not alter the head-up tilt induced vasoconstriction in brachio-radial and anterior tibial muscles. The vasoconstriction elicited by the local veno-arteriolar reflex was slightly reduced during hypoxaemia. The results suggest that central orthostatic vasoconstrictor reflexes to muscle are essentially normal during moderate hypoxaemia, but local veno-arteriolar reflexes are slightly attenuated. This does not, however, significantly alter blood pressure control during head-up tilt.     

The impact of the "scream": to use or not to use

The 1985 release of the graphic anti-abortion film "Silent Scream" presented health educators with the difficult decision of whether this 1-sided, scientifically inaccurate visual should be utilized to convey the right-to-life viewpoint. To address this dilemma, a study was conducted of 141 midwestern college students who were shown both the "Silent Scream"visual and the "Planned Parenthood Response" visual. The Abortion Attitude Scale was administered to study subjects at study entry, immediately after exposure to "Silent Scream," the day following viewing of the anti-abortion film after exposure to the Planned Parenthood pro-choice response visual, and 6 months after entry into the study. The sample included 90 females and 51 males; variance scores for males and females were equal at the 5 different points of measurement. At baseline, mean scores on the Abortion Attitude Scale were 37.6 for males and 36.5 for females (with scores of 56-70 considered indicative of strong pro-abortion attitudes and 0-15 reflecting strong anti-abortion attitudes). After viewing of "Silent Scream," the means dropped to 27.9 among males and 25.5 among females (indicative of moderate pro-life attitudes), but had increased to 31.1 and 2.87, respectively, by the next day. After exposure to the pro-choice visual, attitudes remained in the "unsure" attitude range but exceeded baseline values (37.9 for males and 37.2 for females). Overall, these findings indicate that the attitudes of college students on abortion are very easily influences yet the shift is temporary and there is a reversion to previously held attitudes once the emotionality of a one-sided presentation wears off.     

Effects of protein kinase C inhibitors on thromboxane production by thrombin-stimulated platelets

The purpose of these studies was to identify a possible role for protein kinase C in thromboxane production. The effects of four putative protein kinase C inhibitors were studied with platelet stimulation by thrombin (0.5-150 nM), Thrombin Quick I (1.5-500 nM) or a thrombin receptor (protease activated receptor-1) agonist peptide (TRAP) (5-120 microM). Thromboxane production was increased by the bisindolylmaleimide derivative, 2-[1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-1H-indol-3-yl]-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-maleimi de (GF 109203X), unchanged by the inhibitors 12-(2-cyanoethyl)-6,7, 12,13-tetrahydro-13-methyl-5-oxo-5H-indolo (2,3-a) pyrrolo (3, 4-c)-carbazole (G? 6976) and 5,21:12,17-dimetheno-18H-dibenzo[i, o]pyrrolo[3,4-l][1,8]diazacyclohexadecine-18,20(19H)-dione, 8-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-6,7,8,9,10,11-hexahydro-, monomethanesulfonate (379196), the latter of which is protein kinase C beta-selective, and decreased by 1-[6-[(3-acetyl-2,4, 6-trihydroxy-5-methylphenyl)methyl]-5,7-dihydroxy-2, 2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-8-yl]-3-phenyl-2-propen-1-one (rottlerin), an inhibitor selective for protein kinase C delta. These results indicate complex regulation of thromboxane synthesis in human platelets including a probable role for protein kinase C delta. The results taken together further suggest that GF 109203X may suppress negative feedback resulting from an unidentified kinase and that the classical protein kinase C isoforms alpha and beta do not have a significant role in regulating thromboxane production by platelets.     

Visual cortex activation recorded by dynamic emission computed tomography of inhaled xenon 133

Regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) was studied tomographically with ¹³³Xe administered by inhalation over a 1-min period at a concentration of 10 mCi/l. A fast rotating (dynamic) single-photon emission computed tomograph with four detector heads was used, an instrument that has been found to be well suited for detecting focal ischemia. In the present study its ability to detect focal hyperemia was investigated in 13 normal subjects studied during rest and during visual stimulation. A flickering light seen with eyes open and closed, increased blood flow in the visual cortex by 35% and 22% respectively. Looking at different pictures displayed on a screen raised regional CBF by 26%. The most complex task, reading and copying a text, increased blood flow by 45%. Averaging the different tasks resulted in a mean regional CBF increase in the visual cortex of 35%. The result is comparable with that obtained by positron emission tomography. Both forms of isotope tomography offer unique possibilities for the study of brain function in health and disease, possibilities not matched by X-ray tomography. The low cost and ready availability of appropriate single-photon radionucleides (¹³³Xe and ¹²⁷Xe) are mentioned.Supported by the Danish Medical Research Council, the Danish Sclerose Association, and the Johann and Hanne Weimann Foundation.     

The “Scandinavian Star” ferry disaster 1990 -a challenge to forensic odontology

Summary With 158 victims, the fire on board the Scandinavian Star was one of the world's worst ferry disasters. A team of identification experts, including dentists, were employed to secure evidence for identification and to remove the victims from the ferry. Four parallel teams, each with 2 dentists, examined and autopsied the victims at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Oslo. Using the INTERPOL Disaster Victim Identification forms and aided by computers, all victims were identified within 17 days. Dental identity could be established in 107 cases (68%).     

Sera from preeclamptic women increase the content of triglycerides and reduce the release of prostacyclin in cultured endothelial cells

The causes of the "endothelial dysfunction" accompanying preeclampsia are unknown. Women with preeclampsia have a marked hyperlipidemia which reflects altered lipid metabolism. We asked if the hyperlipidemic sera of preeclamptic women could cause altered endothelial cell properties. Cultured endothelial cells were incubated with sera from women with preeclampsia (PE) or normal pregnancies as controls. Fifty PE-sera were tested and in 45 cases the endothelial cells acquired a large number of sudanophilic granules which by electron microscopy had lipid appearance. In 31 incubations with 31 individual control sera cellular lipid granules were observed in 4 cases. The cellular triglyceride content was increased to 153 +/- 30 compared to 48 +/- 10 micrograms/mg cell protein in the control cells. Furthermore, the endothelial release of prostacyclin, measured as 6-keto PGF1 alpha, was 8.8 +/- 0.6 ng/mg cell protein in cells incubated with PE-sera as compared to 40.3 +/- 6.4 ng/mg in the control cells. Conclusion: The hyperlipidemic sera from preeclamptic women induced triglyceride accumulation in cultured endothelial cells. This was accompanied by altered endothelial function as demonstrated by reduced prostacyclin release.