An increase in water content of mouse erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium yoelii

Mean cell volume and mean cell water content were examined in Plasmodium yoelii-infected mouse erythrocytes by gas chromatography and 3H-sucrose. Mean cell volume increased by 16% in infected erythrocytes with late trophozoites and schizonts. Mean cell water content further increased by 23% in the infected erythrocytes. Measurement of the erythrocyte potassium and sodium concentrations by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer revealed that the infected erythrocytes contained highly elevated sodium and slightly reduced potassium levels when calculated per single erythrocyte. It is suggested that membrane transport processes of sodium and potassium are changed in P. yoelii-infected erythrocytes and that a passive inflow of sodium takes place, which results in an increase in intra-erythrocytic water content.     

Surgery for morbid obesity

Although jejunoileal bypass surgery proved effective in controlling morbid obesity, the serious adverse effects from the operation were ultimately found to outweigh the benefits. Gastric partitioning results in weight loss by restricting the volume of food ingested rather than by interfering with absorption. Vertical banded gastroplasty has fewer complications than Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and is currently the surgical procedure of choice for morbid obesity.     

Clinical significance of quantitative studies of cell nucleus in lymphocytes of the cerebrospinal fluid in leukemia]

The nuclear content, area and perimeter of the nucleus of lymphocytes in the C.S.F. were determined quantitatively by means of image analysis technique. 26 cases of central nervous system lymphocytic leukemia (CNLL), and 8 suspected cases were studied, other 56 cases who did not have leukemic and neoplastic diseases and had normal C.S.F. lymphocytes were taken as a control. Our data showed that all the mean nuclear content (MNC), mean nuclear area (MNA), mean nuclear perimeter (MNP), and the maximum and minimum nuclear contents of the 2 groups of former patients were obviously higher than those of the contral (P less than 0.01). These results presented suggestion that the image analysis technique can be used for differentiating the leukemic lymphocyte from normal one especially in suspected cases, and thus the diagnosis of CNLL might be improved.     

Short and middle latency vestibular evoked responses to acceleration in man.

We have succeeded in recording short and middle latency vestibular evoked responses in human subjects. The head was held rigidly in a special, patented head holder, constructed individually for each subject, which gripped the teeth of the upper jaw. The stimulus consisted of 2/sec steps of angular acceleration impulses produced by a special motor with intensities of about 10,000 degrees/sec 2 and with a rise time of 1-2 msec. The electrical activity was recorded as the potential difference between special forehead and mastoid electrodes having a large, secure contact area with the skin. The activity was digitally filtered and averaged in 2 separate channels by means of a Microshev 2000 evoked response system. The short latency responses, with peaks at about 3.5 msec (forehead positive), 6.0 msec (forehead negative) and 8.4 msec (forehead positive; bandpass: 200-2000 Hz; average of 1024 trials), had amplitudes of about 0.5 microV. The middle latency responses had peaks at about 8.8 msec (forehead positive), 18.8 msec (forehead negative) and 26.8 msec (forehead positive; 30-300 Hz; N = 128 trials), with larger amplitudes (about 15 microV). These responses were consistently recorded in the same subject at different times and were similar in different normal subjects. Strenuous control experiments were conducted in order to ensure that these responses are not artefacts due to the movement of conducting media (head, electrodes and leads) in the electromagnetic field of the motor and are elicited by activation of normal labyrinths.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Novel method for detecting micro-organisms in blood cultures.

A method for detecting the growth of micro-organisms in blood culture by a visual signal is described. The system utilises a single blood culture medium that has been specifically formulated to support growth of aerobic, anaerobic, and microaerophilic micro-organisms. The system is based on the principle that when micro-organisms grow in the medium in a sealed bottle their metabolic products create positive pressure. This positive pressure displaces the infected blood and broth into an upper chamber, which acts as a visual signal of microbial activity. All the test micro-organisms, when inoculated at less than 20 colony forming units into simulated human blood cultures, gave a positive signal.     

Non-endemic Burkitt's lymphoma

Burkitt's lymphoma, characterized by jaw and abdominal tumors, is the most common early childhood malignancy in Central Africa and well-known in the United States, with only sporadic reports coming from other countries. Considered to be the fastest growing tumor in man, it is thought to be of viral etiology with warm, humid climate and malaria regarded as co-factors. This is the first case of Burkitt's lymphoma reported from Greece.