Search

No description available

SARS-CoV-2 is primarily an airborne infection of the upper respiratory tract, which on reaching the lungs causes the severe acute respiratory disease, COVID-19. Its first contact with the immune system, likely through the nasal passages and Waldeyer’s ring of tonsils and adenoids, induces mucosal immune responses revealed by the production of secretory IgA (SIgA) antibodies in saliva, nasal fluid, tears, and other secretions within 4 days of infection. Evidence is accumulating that these responses might limit the virus to the upper respiratory tract resulting in asymptomatic infection or only mild disease. The injectable systemic vaccines that have been successfully developed to prevent serious disease and its consequences do not induce antibodies in mucosal secretions of naïve subjects, but they may recall SIgA antibody responses in secretions of previously infected subjects, thereby helping to explain enhanced resistance to repeated (breakthrough) infection. While many intranasally administered COVID vaccines have been found to induce potentially protective immune responses in experimental animals such as mice, few have demonstrated similar success in humans. Intranasal vaccines should have advantage over injectable vaccines in inducing SIgA antibodies in upper respiratory and oral secretions that would not only prevent initial acquisition of the virus, but also suppress community spreadviaaerosols and droplets generated from these secretions.

We describe fatal phaeohyphomycosis due to Veronaea botryosa in captive White’s tree frogs (Litoria caerulea), the first confirmed report in amphibians in North America. Over 15 months, six frogs developed ulcerative dermatitis on distal extremities/ventrum, which in one animal progressed to vasculitis and necrotizing osteomyelitis. All six frogs died. Clinicopathologic findings, diagnostic challenges, and control are discussed. Emerging fungi such as V. botryosa pose serious concerns for zoonosis and potential spread through the pet trade.

The deficit narrative is a critical component of the white racial frame and attributes disparate outcomes to the racialized groups themselves rather than the policies and actions that create conditions that produce these disparities. Educational research that employs racialized groups as a variable in quantitative research holds potential to contribute to deficit narratives by attributing differences in educational outcomes to racialized groups rather than the educational interventions and/or systems under study. This paper examines the extent to which research published over a ten-year period presents findings in a manner that contributes to deficit narratives. The findings indicate nearly sixty percent of manuscripts employed language that creates or perpetuates deficit narratives specific to educational outcomes about people of Black African descent. Suggestions are presented for how findings can be presented in a manner that avoids deficit narratives and instead produce an anti-racist narrative.

Additional file 3. Biochemical analysis of L-alanine. Biochemical analysis of L-alanine levels in total plasma for seven affected individuals (black squares to the left) versus nine controls (black circles to the right). The L-alanine levels are shown as percentage of average concentration in control samples.

Acute neck is very common in the general population and often causes disability over shorter or longer time periods. Unfortunately, the efficacy of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy (CSMT) and the efficacy of Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) on acute neck pain is unknown. This 4-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) will likely provide evidence for the efficacy of CSMT as well as NSAIDs. The applied methodology of the study will aim towards the highest research standards possible for manual-therapy RCTs, thus avoiding typical methodological shortcomings from previous manual-therapy studies. Our aim is to establish evidence-based knowledge on the efficacy of CSMT and NSAIDs in the treatment of acute neck pain.

Additional file 1. Gene list. Peripheral neuropathy genes included in the analysis.

Differential Item Functioning (DIF) is commonly employed to examine measurement bias of test scores. Current approaches to DIF compare item functioning separately for select demographic identities such as gender, racial stratification, and economic status. Examining potential item bias fails to recognize and capture the intersecting configurations of inequality (McCall, 2001) specific to a person's identify which impact item bias. The study presented here explores an intersectional approach to the flagging of items for content review using the standardized-D DIF method. The intersectional approach aims to capture the confounding/compounding impacts of intersectional configurations of inequality.

Children from lower-income households are at increased risk for poor health, educational failure, and behavioral problems. This social gradient is one of the most reproduced findings in health and social science. How people view their position in social hierarchies also signals poor health. However, when adolescents' views of their social position begin to independently relate to well-being is currently unknown. A cotwin design was leveraged to test whether adolescents with identical family backgrounds, but who viewed their family's social status as higher than their same-aged and sex sibling, experienced better well-being in early and late adolescence. Participants were members of the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study, a representative cohort of British twins (n = 2,232) followed across the first 2 decades of life. By late adolescence, perceptions of subjective family social status (SFSS) robustly correlated with multiple indicators of health and well-being, including depression; anxiety; conduct problems; marijuana use; optimism; not in education, employment, or training (NEET) status; and crime. Findings held controlling for objective socioeconomic status both statistically and by cotwin design after accounting for measures of childhood intelligence (IQ), negative affect, and prior mental health risk and when self-report, informant report, and administrative data were used. Little support was found for the biological embedding of adolescents' perceptions of familial social status as indexed by inflammatory biomarkers or cognitive tests in late adolescence or for SFSS in early adolescence as a robust correlate of well-being or predictor of future problems. Future experimental studies are required to test whether altering adolescents' subjective social status will lead to improved well-being and social mobility.

Presentation of poster 757A at TAGC 2020 Online. Files include a PDF of the poster (GFP-tagging interferes with myosin function and sarcomere assembly in C. elegans).

Additional file 2: Table S1. Average current densities at the hippocampus and SVZ with different electrode positions from Fig. S1. Table S2. Average electric fields at the hippocampus and SVZ with different electrode positions from Fig. S1.

Although there is much excitement surrounding the use of mobile and wearable technology for the purposes of delivering interventions as people go through their day-to-day lives, data analysis methods for constructing and optimizing digital interventions lag behind. Here, we elucidate data analysis methods for primary and secondary analyses of micro-randomized trials (MRTs), an experimental design to optimize digital just-in-time adaptive interventions. We provide a definition of causal "excursion" effects suitable for use in digital intervention development. We introduce the weighted and centered least-squares (WCLS) estimator which provides consistent causal excursion effect estimators for digital interventions from MRT data. We describe how the WCLS estimator along with associated test statistics can be obtained using standard statistical software such as SAS or R. Throughout we use HeartSteps, an MRT designed to increase physical activity among sedentary individuals, to illustrate potential primary and secondary analyses.

Additional file 1: Fig. S1. Output waveform and spectrogram of the 40 Hz stimulation. (A). Output waveform of the 40 Hz iACS, by oscilloscope. (B). EEG power spectral densities of 5xFAD mouse brain, pre-, inter- and post-iACS. Fig. S2. Computer simulation was used to estimate the current densities (1–4, A/m2) and electric field strengths (5–8, V/m) in different brain regions, with different electrode positions. Fig. S3. iACS did no damage to the neurons and brain of 5xFAD mouse.

Commercially available wearable devices are marketed as a means of objectively capturing daily sleep easily and inexpensively outside of the laboratory. Two ecological momentary assessment studies-with 120 older adolescents (aged 18-19) and 395 younger adolescents (aged 10-16)-captured nightly self-reported and wearable (Jawbone) recorded sleep duration. Self-reported and wearable recorded daily sleep duration were moderately correlated (r~.50), associations which were stronger on weekdays and among young adolescent boys. Older adolescents self-reported sleep duration closely corresponded with estimates from the wearable device, but younger adolescents reported having an hour more of sleep, on average, compared to device estimates. Self-reported, but not wearable-recorded, sleep duration and quality were consistently associated with daily well-being measures. Suggestions for the integration of commercially available wearable devices into future daily research with adolescents are provided.

Supplemental material, Jensen_Open_Practices_Disclosure for Young Adolescents’ Digital Technology Use and Adolescents’ Mental Health Symptoms: Little Evidence of Longitudinal or Daily Linkages by Michaeline Jensen, Madeleine George, Michael Russell and Candice Odgers in Clinical Psychological Science

OBJECTIVES. This study was conducted to test the supposition that both smoking and consuming alcohol suppress host resistance to viral infections. METHODS. The relations between smoking, alcohol consumption, and the incidence of documented clinical colds were prospectively studied among 391 subjects intentionally exposed to one of five respiratory viruses and 26 subjects given saline. Clinical colds were defined as clinical symptoms verified by the isolation of virus or by an increase in virus-specific antibody titer. Analyses included control variables for demographics; body weight; virus; and environmental, immunological and psychological factors. RESULTS. Smokers were at greater risk for developing colds than nonsmokers because smokers were more likely both to develop infections and to develop illness following infection. Greater numbers of alcoholic drinks (up to three or four per day) were associated with decreased risk for developing colds because drinking was associated with decreased illness following infection. However, the benefits of drinking occurred only among nonsmokers. CONCLUSIONS. Susceptibility to colds was increased by smoking. Although alcohol consumption did not influence risk of clinical illness for smokers, moderate alcohol consumption was associated with decreased risk for nonsmokers.

ObjectiveTo test whether exposure to violence is associated with same-day increases in obesogenic behaviors among young adolescents, including unhealthy food and beverage consumption, poor quality sleep, and lack of physical activity.MethodsYoung at-risk adolescents between 12 and 15 years of age were recruited via telephone screening from low-income neighborhoods. Adolescents and their parents completed in-person assessments, followed by Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) delivered to 151 adolescents' mobile phones three times a day for 30 days (4329 person days). Three obesogenic behaviors - unhealthy food consumption, poor sleep quality, and lack of physical activity - and violence exposure were assessed daily. Adolescents' body mass index (BMI) was assessed prior to the EMA and 18 months later. A replication was performed among 395 adolescents from a population-representative sample (with 5276 EMA person days).ResultsOn days that at-risk adolescents were exposed versus not exposed to violence, they were more likely to consume unhealthy foods and beverages (b=0.12, p=0.01), report feeling tired the next morning (OR=1.58, p&nbsp

Additional file 1. Participants flow diagram.

This document describes the methods and materials used and the references consulted to develop best practices for rice growth at the Plant Growth Facility of the Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture in the College of Agriculture at Purdue University.

This publication describes our studies to determine the best root substrate to optimize greenhouse rice production. We recommend calcined clay granules. This version is updated to confirm suitability of a 1:1 mix of calcined clay and commercial soilless mixes. Photo of the plants growing using differing root media is provided, as well as close up image of the calcined clay we used. This document is one entry in a series of questions and answers originally posted to the Purdue University Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture’s Plant Growth Facility Web site [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/hort/facilities/greenhouse/RiceMethod.shtml] regarding best practices for rice plant growth in a greenhouse. Controlled studies were conducted with the goals of optimizing growth and yield; developing standardized methodology using readily available commercial materials; and providing recommendations for large scale high-throughput production. Digital images showing treatment differences are included. A summary of recommendations; materials and methods description; and references list are available in separate documents.

This publication describes our studies to determine the best pot size to optimize greenhouse rice production. We recommend 9-cm (4-inch) diameter square pot. Pots as small as 7-cm diameter yielded seed. This version is updated to include observations of larger pots with multiple plants. Photos of the plants growing under differing pot sizes are provided. This document is one entry in a series of questions and answers originally posted to the Purdue University Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture’s Plant Growth Facility Web site [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/hort/facilities/greenhouse/RiceMethod.shtml] regarding best practices for rice plant growth in a greenhouse. Controlled studies were conducted with the goals of optimizing growth and yield; developing standardized methodology using readily available commercial materials; and providing recommendations for large-scale high-throughput production. Digital images showing treatment differences are included. A summary of recommendations; materials and methods description; and a reference list are available in separate documents.

The linear friction welding process is rapidly developing into an important manufacturing technology for high quality joining of engineering materials. The energy required for linear friction welding is an important issue due to economic and environmental reasons, but is not currently fully understood. This paper describes a comprehensive evaluation of the energy input during linear friction welding of a medium carbon steel with different process parameters. This calculation is based on an analysis of force and displacement data from the machine, which takes momentum into account. The analysis shows that energy input to the weld is minimised with high frequencies and rubbing velocities; however, there is a considerable amount of energy lost in oscillating the machine tooling under these conditions. Furthermore, analysis of the force indicates that a peak load occurs just before the samples being aligned, which is probably caused by ploughing of the samples during welding.

Recent clinical evidence indicates that the broad spectrum anticonvulsant drug lamotrigine is effective against the depressive phase of bipolar illness and the difficult to treat rapid cycling form of the disorder. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this therapeutic action remains uncertain. Given that inhibition of the A-type of monoamine oxidase (MAO) is a proven antidepressant mechanism, we investigated the effects of lamotrigine on MAO activities in vitro and on monoamine disposition in vivo. In vitro, lamotrigine inhibited rat brain MAO activities with Ki values (MAO-A, 15 microM; MAO-B, 18 microM) potentially within the therapeutic range for this drug. The effects of lamotrigine on the MAO-A activities of rat brain and human liver preparations were almost identical suggesting minimal species or tissue variation. In contrast, there was no (MAO-A) or minimal (MAO-B) reduction in brain MAO activities when assayed ex vivo following the administration of lamotrigine to rats. In vivo brain microdialysis failed to detect meaningful alterations in extracellular hippocampal or frontal cortex monoamine concentrations. Furthermore, lamotrigine did not modulate oral tyramine-induced hypertension in rats or 5-hydroxytryptophan-induced head shaking in mice, providing strong evidence that the drug does not perturb monoamine metabolism in vivo. The absence of observable effects of lamotrigine on monoamine disposition in vivo may be explained by the competitive and highly reversible nature of the interaction of lamotrigine with MAO isoforms. Thus, altered monoamine metabolism in vivo is unlikely to account for the antidepressant action of the drug in bipolar depression.

In kindling models of epilepsy, the period during which repeated stimulation evokes intensifying seizures is attributed to an underlying epileptogenic process, and the point at which class 5 kindled seizures occur is considered the established epileptic state. Previous studies have indicated that a separation can occur between drug effects on these two components. For example, carbamazepine and phenytoin inhibit kindled seizures but have no effect on seizure development, whereas levetiracetam inhibits both components. We have investigated the profile of lamotrigine in the amygdala kindling model, including levetiracetam for comparison. As expected, both treatments dose-dependently inhibited class 5 kindled seizures. In a separate study, daily administration of either lamotrigine (20mgkg(-1) i.p.) or levetiracetam (50mgkg(-1) i.p.) demonstrated antiepileptogenic-like effects by blocking seizure development during the treatment period. Following cessation of drug treatment, further daily stimulation resulted in kindled seizure development, though there was a significant increase with both treatment groups, relative to the control group, in the total number of stimulations required to produce classes 3 and 5 seizures. In addition, prior levetiracetam treatment appeared to delay or prevent the expected increase in after-discharge duration (ADD). These results suggest that lamotrigine, like levetiracetam, possesses the ability to counteract kindling acquisition, which differentiates it from other drugs with sodium channel blocking activity.

We have measured extracellular NO/NO2− concentrations in guinea-pig suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) brain slices using fast cyclic voltammetry. A rapid and transient signal equivalent to 2.2±0.2 μM NO/NO2− (mean±s.e.mean, n=13) was detected at 1.26 V, the peak oxidation potential for NO, following local electrical stimulation (five pulses of 0.1 ms duration at 100 Hz, delivered every 5 min). The NO/NO2− signal was inhibited by the non-selective nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors L-NAME, L-NMMA and the highly selective type II NOS (iNOS) inhibitor 1400 W (Garvey et al., 1997) in a concentration-dependent manner. IC50 values were 229 μM (65 – 801, n=3, geomean and 95% confidence intervals (C.I.)), 452 nM (88 – 2310, n=5), and 14.2 μM (3.6 – 54.4, n=5), with maximum inhibitions of 82.8±6.7, 46.0±8.1, and 90.6±3.6%, respectively. Exposure of the slices to the protein synthesis inhibitor cyclohexamide or the inhibitor of type II NOS induction dexamethasone immediately following slice cutting, and for a subsequent 4 – 5 h, did not inhibit the NO/NO2− signal. The evoked NO/NO2− signal was not reduced following 6 h perfusion in Ca2+-free media, consistent with a Ca2+-independent type II NOS activity. PCR for type II NOS revealed the presence of this isotype in the SCN, even immediately following removal of the brain. These studies provide the first evidence to suggest a functional, constitutively-active type II NOS within the brain of normal, healthy adult animals, and add type II NOS to the multiple isotypes of NO synthase playing a role within the mammalian SCN. British Journal of Pharmacology (2001) 134, 1084–1092; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0704330

Fluorochrome tagging is useful in growth, reproductive, and behavior studies. One commonly used fluorochrome, calcein, is typically administered by immersing individuals in a bath containing dissolved calcein. However, there are no optimal dosing studies for echinoderms. We used a 3 x 4-factorial (ANOVA) experiment to test whether lower concentrations of calcein (20 mg·l-1 = 100%, 10 mg·l-1 = 50%, 2 mg·l-1 = 10%) and shorter soaking times (24 h, 12 h, 4 h & 2 h) produced detectable fluorescence in the green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (Müller, 1776). Juvenile sea urchins (n = 72) from a single hatchery spawning cohort were standardized by size (mean and variance) into 12 groups. These groups were randomly assigned to the 12 factorial treatments and individual replicates randomly distributed in a circulating sea table. During calcein treatment, individual urchin replicates were isolated in 500 ml beakers, maintained at a constant temperature, and returned to the sea table after 24 hours. Replicates were then kept in controlled conditions for ten days after the treatment. Urchins were then euthanized, processed with sodium hypochlorite, rinsed, and dried. We examined the demipyramids of Aristotle's lantern with UV illumination and quantified the intensity of fluorescent marks with ImageJ software. Demipyramids from replicates soaked in 50% for 12 hours were not significantly different from those in 100% at 24 hours. This lower exposure treatment combination may ameliorate any negative effects of calcein exposure.

When teachers share ambitions for their practice, they are raising both their own awareness of their personal theory and articulating a shared conception of educational values. In contrast to traditional research methods modules which encompass a variety of methodologies, a new module has been collaboratively developed between two higher education institutions in Ireland to focus on action research, specifically requiring participants to engage in and document a research project linked to practice. Research methods as a subject can prove challenging for teacher-researchers especially in applying the concepts to their own practice-based projects. This module, aimed at practitioners in further and higher education in Ireland, forms part of a flexible pathway to a postgraduate diploma which is underpinned by core professional values. Until now, there has not been such a blended action research module offered within Ireland, and we are keen to explore the potential of shared ambitions in this context.

This special purpose award was designed as part of the LIN flexible pathway to a postgraduate diploma in learning teaching and assessment. The certificate was developed by the AIT Learning and Teaching Unit in conjunction with experts from the DIT Learning, Teaching and Technology Centre with the support of the Learning Innovation Network (LIN).

A subject's heart beat can be nearly invisible in a spectrum, when that spectrum is generated using conventional methods of Fourier analysis. The phenomenon has been observed in records of both electrocardiography type and seismocardiography type. The mechanisms of nonlinear physics responsible for these complexities involve the phenomenon of amplitude modulation. Fortunately, there is a simple remedy to prevent loss of valuable frequency domain information. Instead of operating on the raw signal, one simply rectifies that signal before performing the fast Fourier transform (FFT) calculation. Alternatively, nearly equivalent spectra can be obtained by operating on the signal with the Teager-Kaiser operator before doing the FFT., Comment: 10 pages,6 figures

The Mentor, Volume 10

The epithelial proliferations that are designated adenoid basal carcinoma (ABC) in the current classification from the World Health Organization represent 15%). The biologic course of ABCs that are associated with separate malignancies is largely dependent on the clinicopathologic parameters of the associated malignancies. Morphologically pure lesions, in contrast, have largely been associated with favorable patient outcomes, as none of the 66 reported patients have experienced tumor recurrence, metastases or tumor-associated death, irrespective of the modality of treatment. Although the finding of genome integrated high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types and p53 alterations in adenoid basal lesions (ABL) argue in support of their neoplastic nature, we identified no lines evidence that suggest an inherent malignancy for morphologically pure lesions. The finding of morphologic transitions between ABLs and conventional malignancies and shared HPV types in these areas, suggest that ABLs have some malignant potential. However, the precise magnitude of this potential is not readily quantifiable and should not dictate the management of morphologically pure lesions that are entirely evaluable. ABLs continue to occupy a unique position in human oncology in which the term carcinoma (without an in-situ suffix) is applied to a tumor that has not been shown to recur, metastasize or cause death. We concur with a previous proposal that the term ABC should be discarded and replaced with Adenoid Basal Epithelioma (ABE). In our opinion, there is insufficient evidence at present time to expose patients with morphologically pure lesions to the ominous implications – social, psychological, medical, financial – of a "carcinoma" diagnosis. Morphologically impure lesions should not be designated ABC or ABE. Furthermore, given the uncertainties regarding the frequency with which ABE are associated with separate malignancies, we suggest that the ABE designation only be applied when the tumor in question is entirely evaluable e.g in a hysterectomy specimen or in an excisional biopsy with negative margins. Otherwise, the generic designation Adenoid Basal Tumor is preferable. This approach strikes an appropriate balance between the need to prevent over-treatment of pure lesions on one hand, and the need to ensure that the lesions are indeed pure on the other.

The interaction of heavy-ion nuclei via the strong nuclear force can be usefully approximated by a mean-held local potential. Such potentials contain much information concerning nuclear structure and the relative importance and radial dependence of the various reaction channels involved in the interaction. Existing methods of fitting optical potentials to scattering cross-sections, both model-dependent and -independent, have various problems. Phenomenology based on S-matrix fitting followed by iterative-perturbative (IP) inversion enables us to obtain fits to the cross-section with X2/N ~ 1. The calculations in this thesis represent an exploration of the viability of the IP method applied to heavy-ion scattering. There are two parts to the thesis. The first uses the IP method to investigate the heavy-ion phenomenological potential, in particular 16O+12C at Elab — 608 MeV and 12C+12C from Elab = 159 to 2400 MeV. The second uses the IP method in conjunction with coupled reaction channels calculations to examine the dynamic polarization potentials which represent the contribution of specific reaction channels to the heavy-ion interaction. This is applied to the case of 16O+62Ni near the Coulomb threshold, specifically to investigate the quadrupole Coulomb DPP, and the fusion cross-section and spin distribution. Both parts of the thesis are therefore linked by a common thread—the use of the IP inversion methodology to understand the heavy-ion interaction at low and intermediate energies.

Thirteen of 131 Tropicorbis havanensis from a laboratory colony started from two snails collected at Baton Rouge, Louisiana shed cercariae 22 to 32 days following mass-exposure to a Puerto Rican strain of Schistosoma mansoni. This and the Tropicorbis havanensis found in New Orleans, Louisiana were both refractory to a strain of S. mansoni found in a baboon. The latter colony of T. havanensis was also refractory to the Puerto Rican strain. Control snails, Australorbis glabratus, invariably became infected when exposed to five or more miracidia of either the Puerto Rican or baboon strain of S. mansoni.

The combination citrate-saponin-acid procedure with its internal modifications of each of the separate standard methods, viz. , citrate, saponin, and Knott's, was developed to produce greater yields of microfilariae from equivalent amounts of peripheral blood of infected patients, especially those with scanty numbers of organisms, than the total yields recoverable by the three standard methods separately. Packed erythrocytes from 10.0 ml. of citrate-treated whole blood were destroyed through the action of a 0.5% saponin solution, after which centrifugation facilitated the recovery under low power magnification of motile microfilariae in wet mounts made from the sediment. Preparations designated "mini-Knott's" were made as wet mounts from two drops of sediment and were first examined for motile microfilariae and subsequently mixed in place with several drops of 1.0% acetic acid solution before drying and staining. Examination of these slides permitted the demonstration of concentrated numbers of straightened microfilariae under low power and identification under oil immersion magnification. Eighteen cases are reported.

Summary1. Two modified blood mediums, one diphasic, the other liquid, are described for growth and maintenance of Entamoeba histolytica of large and small races. The mediums are modifications of the one described and used by Tarshis(11) to grow Mycobacterium tuberculosis. 2. Strains of small race-Griffith; Brown, a new strain; Conrad; and 110-maintained in the diphasic medium exhibited increased motility as compared to egg slant controls and increased growth over liquid charcoal cultures. The large race strains-200; K9; and Komin, a new strain-grew equally well in the diphasic blood medium. 3. The liquid blood medium was particularly unsatisfactory for maintenance of strains of small race, as the organisms were not easily discerned in the highly cellular sediment. 4. No attempts were made to culture stools or to isolate new strains of small or large race in either blood medium. 5. A 48-hour subculturing scheme was satisfactory for diphasic blood medium, liquid charcoal medium and egg slants; 0.5 ml of sed...

Culturing of the small race of Entamoeba histolytica has been difficult, and yet this phase of study has received little attention from investigators. Although Drbohlav reported growing a small race in 1925, it was not until 1936 that Spector reported growth of only 5 to 8 per cent of organisms of the small race from stools. Later, Meleney and Frye isolated the D strain. Perhaps the most concentrated efforts to culture the small race from stools were those of Sapero and co-workers, who reported uniform failure in more than 100 attempts. However, Spector and Sapero and his associates had no difficulty in culturing the large race with the technics that they used for the small race. In 1948, Reardon succeeded in isolating strain 110, and more recently, Shaffer and Schneider isolated the Conrad strain, but they failed to isolate additional strains from other stools in nearly 50 attempts. Norman and Brooke • mentioned culturing, but not isolating, the small race from stools. The lack of a satisfactory medium for isolating the small race led us to investigate the possibilities of a new medium containing charcoal. Tsuchiya added charcoal to the nutrient broth overlay of Dorsett egg medium in order to culture amebas, and Anderson and Hansen used charcoal as a substitute for starch. Hirsch provided us with a charcoal medium that was prepared for the culturing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The purpose of this paper is to describe 2 modifications of this medium that were developed for the maintenance of several well-established strains of the large race of E. histolytica, and for the isolation and maintenance of strains of the small race from stool specimens.

PPHN is a syndrome associated with high morbidity and mortality. Therapy often aims at maintaining pCO2 7.5 until pulmonary hypertension resolves. To assess whether the disease or its therapy adversely affects ND or CR outcome,12 infants were evaluated with long-term followup. All were male with mean (M) birth wt.=3.23kg(range2.4-4.2), M gest. age=38wks(35-40), M Apgars 6.6(1-9)lmin/8(4-9)5min and M initial pO2=37mmHg(17-63). During therapy, pCO2 was 7.5 for a M of 62 hrs(36-96). M duration of ventilation was 9.5 days(¼-36) with peak inflating press.(PIP)>30cmH2O for a M of 102 hrs(12-228). M age of followup evaluation was 29 mo(6-48). 9/12 are entirely normal neurologically. 2/12 have slightly increased lower extremity tone and 1 has mod. unilateral hypertonia. 11/12 children are normal or mildly delayed. 9/11 have developmental quotients(DQ) or IQ=87-105. 2/11 have mildly delayed DQ's(70-80). Only 1 is mod-sev delayed(DQ=50); however, he has a strong family history of retardation. All cardiac exams, electrocardiograms, & echocardiograms are normal. 4/12 have chronic lung disease (CLD) requiring bronchodilators. The presence of CLD is apparent only in those exposed to prolonged high PIP (M cmH2O=50 for M=34 hrs). The exact etiology of the CLD in these patients, however, is not clear. Conclusion:Survivors of PPHN have a low incidence of severe ND or CR problems resulting from either the disease or its therapy.

SummaryEncystment of Chilomatix mesnili was observed in cultures of 9 stool specimens which had been placed in a diphasic charcola medium.