Evaluation of Tc-99m(V) DMSA for imaging inflammatory lesions: An experimental study

The present study evaluated^99mTc(V) DMSA as an agent for the visualization of inflammatory lesions in comparison to^99mTc(HI) DMSA and^99mTc-HIG. All three radiopharmaceuticals were prepared with commercial kits.^99mTc(V) DMSA was prepared at neutral pH by the addition of first bicarbonate and then pertechnetate to the kit contents. The labeling efficiency was 99% as determined by ITLC. Abscesses were induced by i.m. injection of 50 μl turpentine into the right thighs of 36 Swiss albino mice. Six days later 3.7 MBq of each radiopharmaceutical was i.v. administered to 12 mice. The mice were sacrificed at 1,3,6 and 24 h later. Scintigrams were obtained with a gamma camera. The abscesses were better visualized on scintigrams with^99mTc(V) DMSA compared to^99mTc(III) DMSA, starting at 1 h. The animals were dissected and the organs were removed, weighed and the radioactivity determined with a gamma counter. The abscess to other tissue ratios were higher with^99mTc(V) DMSA than the other radiopharmaceuticals. The max. abscess/muscle ratios were 9.46 ± 3.20 (24 h), 4.19 ± 1.39 (6 h) and 5.98 ± 1.17 (24 h) and max. abscess/blood ratios were 6.22 ± 1.41, 4.09 ± 0.84 and 0.914 ± 0.351 all at 24 h for^99mTc(V) DMSA,^99mTc(III) DMSA and^99mTc-HIG, respectively. Experimental arthritis was produced in 6 New Zealand white rabbits by intra-articular injection of ovalbumin. Four days later 37 MBq of^99mTc(V) DMSA and^99mTc-HIG were each i.v. administered to 3 rabbits. Scintigrams obtained at 1, 3, 6, and 24 h clearly demonstrated arthritic joints. ROFs over arthritic joints were compared to contralateral normal joints (A/C). The max. A/C ratios were 2.10 ± 0.31 (3 h) and 2.92 ± 0.99 (24 h) for^99mTc(V) DMSA and^99mTc-HIG, respectively. Our results indicated the feasibility of imaging inflammatory lesions with^99mTc(V) DMSA.     

Age determines memory for face identity and expression

Background: The recognition of facial expressions is an important component of emotion processing which contributes to interactional behavior. One of the factors highly associated with potential decline of ability in behavioral tasks is age. Methods: We have investigated age‐related changes in facial identity and expression memory of healthy subjects in three age groups: young adults (20–40 years), elderly adults (60–80 years) and, for the first time in the literature, very old adults (over 80 years of age). Using a picture test, photographs of faces with happy or angry expressions were presented to study participants during the encoding task, and the memory for identity and emotional facial expression was investigated in a subsequent recognition task showing emotionally neutral faces. Half of the faces presented in the recognition task were initially shown in the encoding task. Results: Age interacted with the memory process: the ability to recognize both facial identity and emotional expression declined with advanced age. Happy facial expressions were better recognized in all age groups. Although there was a continuous overall decrease in recognition of both happy and angry expressions with advanced age, the effect favoring happy facial expressions was stable also in very old adults. Other factors such as gender or educational level did not affect the memory process for facial expressions. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that age is a significant determinant of memory for facial identity and emotional expression, and that, similar to younger adults, the recognition process of the elderly favors happy emotional facial expressions.     

Overseas Occupational Therapists in Australia: the Issue of Recognition

The Australian government established the Council on Overseas Professional Qualifications (COPQ) in 1969. In response to approaches by the occupational therapy profession, an Expert Panel in Occupational Therapy was established in 1979 in order to develop a screening examination to be used in assessing the competency of overseas trained occupational therapists. This paper describes the development of the COPQ examination for all overseas qualified occupational therapists wishing to work in Australia; the experience of candidates since its inception in 1983; and the problems associated with achieving recognition of the COPQ examination throughout Australia given the lack of uniform recognition procedures in the various States and Territories. The need for a consistent national approach to the policy of recognition and employment of overseas trained occupational therapists is addressed, with stress placed on the need for all employer groups, in both the public and the private sectors, to cooperate with COPQ's assessment procedures.     

Forced Contact between Antigen-Presenting Cells and T Cells: Consequences for T-Cell Activation

It is still not known how T cells are activated, which T-cell surface structures transmit activation signals, and if antigen-presenting cells possess activation structures for T cells. We have studied whether the T-cell receptor (TcR) must be engaged for T-cell activation to occur. By using membrane-incorporated monoclonal antibodies, we artificially forced T cells to bind to antigen-presenting cells in a mixed lymphocyte reaction system and thereby bypassed the need for TcR engagement and also made it possible for any surface molecule on antigen-presenting cells to deliver a stimulatory signal to the T cells. Theoretically, T cells would become polyclonally activated by this procedure. However, we found that they did not, even though they were intimately bound to the antigen-presenting cell, thus demonstrating that the TcR must participate in antigen/MHC binding in order for the T cells to become activated. This study does not exclude the possibility that antigen-presenting cells possess structures that can activate T cells.     

Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in Patients with Hematological Malignancies and/or Agranulocytosis

ABSTRACT. A total of 6 253 cases of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, including 274 (4.4%) endocarditis cases, were registered in Denmark in the period 1975–1984. Patients with hematological malignancies and/or agranulocytosis accounted for 479 of the bacteremia cases. The incidence of endocarditis in this group of patients was only 0.4% as compared to 4.7% in other patients with staphylococcal bacteremia (p<0.01). The lower incidence of endocarditis complicating bacteremia in these patients may justify a shorter course of therapy than usually recommended for suspected endocarditis. Patients with hematological malignancies and other patients with agranulocytosis had a higher mortality (49 and 46%, respectively) than other patients with S. aureus bacteremia (33%). The highest mortality was found in patients with multiple myeloma (71%, p<0.01), the lowest in patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (28%, p<0.01). The higher mortality in these patients may indicate that empiric antibiotic regimens in granulocytopenic patients should include a specific anti-staphylococcal agent.     

International Family-planning Training for Nurse Practitioners

Since the mid-1970s, the Margaret Sanger Center of Planned Parenthood of New York City has prepared nurses and nurse midwives from less developed countries to be family-planning nurse practitioners. These nurse practitioners then provide services to patients, train other staff, and manage integrated family-planning clinics. More than 120 nurses and nurse midwives have arrived in groups of 10 at the Sanger Center, with 72 attending since 1981. Each course lasts 10 weeks. The core curriculum provides trainees with skills in women's health care including contraception, in training and advocacy, and in management of clinics. Whether, in the current period of scarce resources, cross-cultural training programs of this type remain a worthwhile investment, and if so, which of their components are most important to this success, is assessed.     

Variation in Mortality from Ischaemic Heart Disease between England and Scotland

A Comparison of mortality from ischaemic heart disease underthe age of 60 for 1980 to 1981 between the Grampian Health Boardand the North Staffordshire Health Authority has been made.A total of 993 deaths was notified by death certificate fromthe two areas of similar population of which 434 were from Grampianand 559 from North Staffordshire. After examination of generalpractitioner and hospital case notes, autopsy reports and deathcertificates, nearly all (532) of the North Staffordshire deathswere accepted as being due to ischaemic heart disease but onlythree-fifths (263) of the Grampian deaths could be begin besubstantiated as there was inadequate information for the remainder.Deaths from ischaemic heart disease seem apparently to be twofoldgreater in North Staffordshire than Grampian but much of thisdiscrepancy could be attributed to a widely different autopsyrate and to unavailability of case notes. Experience of thissurvey suggests that the results of other epidemiological investigationsmay be equally or even more unreliable.