Inheritance of Responsiveness of Tolerant Animals to a Cross-Reacting Antigen

Random-bred rabbits were rendered tolerant to human serum albumin (HA) by neonatal injections. Starting at 44 days of age, the rabbits were injected i.v. with para-azobenzenesulfonic acid human albumin HA-D₃₁). Animals which made an antibody response (TCR-responders) were matea with each other, as were animals, which failed to make an antibody response (TCR-nonresponders). TCR-nonresponsiveness was found to breed true after 3 generations of selective matings. TCR-responsiveness did not appear to be correlated with tolerance duration or with any of the allotypic specificities (A1,2,3,) controlled at the Aa locus. There were no C6-deficient animals among TCR-responders nor among TCR-nonresponders. There was a slightly lower responsiveness to HA-D₃₁ of TCR-nonresponders which were not injected at birth than of unselected animals.     

Blizzard morbidity and mortality: Rhode Island, 1978.

The total number of outpatient visits to 10 hospital emergency rooms declined 64 per cent and emergency admissions 35 per cent immediately after the February 1978 blizzard in Rhode Island; both quickly returned to normal levels. Three days after the storm, admissions for myocardial infarction increased markedly. Total mortality and ischemic heart disease deaths showed a considerable increase for the five-day period following the blizzard. The physical and psychological stress of the blizzard probably precipitated cardiac deaths in susceptible individuals.     

Preparation and purification of L-(+/-)-5-formyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid.

Reinvestigation of the conversion of folic acid to leucovorin [L-(+/-)-5-CHO-THF] led to improved methods for the synthesis of this drug, which is suitable for clinical use. Also, methods were developed for the chromatographic and nonchromatographic purification of less pure samples of L-(+/-)-5-CHO-THF.