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In brief Football fatality and catastrophic injury data for 1976 through 1981 are compared with earlier data. The purpose is to analyze the data in regard to rule and equipment changes that have taken place in football since 1976 and to demonstrate the reduction in fatalities and catastrophic injuries. Fatality data for 1981 show five high school and two college fatalities. In 1981 there were five permanent spinal cord injuries in high schools and one in college.

In brief: Catastrophic spine injuries among football players are decreasing, according to data furnished by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. A total of 105 players incurred permanent cervical cord injuries from 1977 through 1987, with 13 such injuries in 1980 and only seven in 1987. Defensive players are at greater risk for quadriplegia than offensive players, and most are injured while tackling. To further reduce catastrophic spine injuries, players must stop using the head as a battering ram and use the shoulder for blocking and tackling instead.

In brief: The latest data on football deaths and injuries at the college, high school, and youth league levels show that seven direct fatalities and seven permanent cervical cord injuries occurred in 1985, for an incidence in each category of 0.44 per 100,000 players. Direct fatalities have been in single digits for eight years, and the total for the 1975 to 1984 period was significantly lower than for the preceding decade (83 vs 204). Overall, the latest figures indicate a continued decline in football deaths and catastrophic injuries, which is credited to a ban on spearing and to a helmet standard, Guidelines for prevention of fatalities and catastrophic injuries are listed.

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the detection of colorectal liver metastases. PATIENTS AND METHODS Pre-operative MRI scanning of the liver was performed by a single radiologist and the size and number of definite liver metastases were recorded. Patients then underwent hepatectomy with routine intra-operative ultrasonography (IOUS) and resected specimens were sent for histopathology. Pathology findings were compared with those of MRI scans to determine the sensitivity of this imaging modality. Exclusions were patients undergoing hepatic resection more than 4 weeks after the MRI scan, those undergoing chemotherapy at the time of the scan, and those with conglomerate unilobar metastases. RESULTS Complete data were available for 84 patients. There was total agreement between MRI, IOUS and histology in 79 patients (101 metastases). MRI missed 5 metastases in 5 patients that were found on IOUS (or palpation of superficial lesions) and subsequently confirmed by histological examination. These measured 5 mm or less (4 patients) and 7 mm (one patient). The sensitivity of MRI in the detection of colorectal liver metastases was thus 94% for all lesions and 100% for lesions 1 cm or larger in diameter. CONCLUSIONS MRI of the liver is a non-invasive technique with an extremely high degree of sensitivity in the detection of colorectal liver metastases and should be considered as the ‘gold standard’ in the pre-operative imaging of these patients.

We currently use a rat model in our investigations into human rheumatic heart disease (RHD). This model traditionally involves footpad immunization with antigen emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Trials to find an alternative adjuvant to CFA which produced a Th1 type response in the rats resulting in carditis were unsuccessful. However, hock immunization was found to produce the desired valvular pathology without the adverse inflammatory side-effects associated with CFA. We therefore consider the hock an ideal site for immunization, particularly when using CFA.

Drugs with antidopaminergic properties and those capable of stimulating serotonin release can be responsible for hyperthermia syndromes such as neuroleptic malignant syndrome and serotonin syndrome. Dopamine and serotonin are important neurotransmitters in temperature regulation and it is likely that these reactions result from drug-induced changes in neurotransmitter levels. We describe three cases of drug-induced hyperthermia, discuss their aetiology and management, with both general measures and therapies designed to redress neurotransmitter imbalance. Language: en

Objective. —To assess the value of measuring circulating concentrations of mediators (endotoxin, tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], interleukin-1β [IL-1β], and interleukin-6 [IL-6]) and their endogenous antagonists (antiendotoxin core antibody [EndoCAb], interleukin-1 receptor antagonist [IL-1ra], and soluble TNF receptors [sTNF-R]) in predicting mortality and organ failure in sepsis syndrome. Design. —Cohort study with a follow-up period of 30 days. Setting. —Intensive therapy units of five tertiary referral centers in Scotland. Subjects. —A total of 146 intensive therapy unit patients with sepsis syndrome underwent repeated sampling during a 10-day period following admission to an intensive therapy unit. Main Outcome Measures. —Circulating concentrations of mediators and antagonists were compared in survivors and nonsurvivors. Results. —Median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was 23 (range, 8 to 40). Mortality at 30 days was 49%. On entry to the study, circulating endotoxin was detected in 66% of patients, TNF-α in 14%, and IL-1β in 29%. Levels did not predict mortality or organ failure. Patients with IL-6 concentrations in excess of 3000 pg/mL had an increased mortality rate (64% vs 40%, P =.02). The incidence of IgG EndoCAb depletion on entry to the study was 26% in nonsurvivors and 10% in survivors ( P =.02). Initial concentrations of both type I and type II sTNF-R were significantly higher in nonsurvivors ( P Conclusion. —The observed high circulating levels of the cytokine antagonists IL-1ra and sTNF-R and the relatively small proportion of patients developing EndoCAb depletion may contribute to the limitations of therapies that aim to augment natural defenses against endotoxin or the proinflammatory cytokines. ( JAMA . 1995;274:172-177)

Surveillance of data regarding sports injuries is mandatory if continued progress is to be made in the prevention of injuries. The literature on the epidemiology of athletic injuries is reviewed and specific data collection systems are discussed including the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System and the National Athletic Injury/Illness Reporting System.

In brief: Football fatality data have been collected since 1931 and catastrophic injury data since 1977. There have been dramatic reductions in both areas, but for the past six years these numbers have remained steady. Some experts in the field of football injury research have stated that further reductions are not possible. The authors argue that efforts should be continued to eliminate these injuries and recommend mandatory medical examinations, rule changes, proper conditioning and equipment, having a physician on the field whenever possible, and continued research to help in this effort.

Improved conditioning, a helmet standard, and rules forbidding butt blocking and face tackling account for the lowest incidence of football head and neck injuries in 18 years.

In brief The authors compiled data from 20 National Collegiate Athletic Association lacrosse teams to study the relationship between injuries, protective equipment, and game rules. Athletic trainers for each team kept track of Injuries as they occurred. The 586 players sustained 306 injuries for an injury rate of 52.2%. Half the injuries occurred in the lower extremities, which have no protective equipment. The trunk and arms received 39.8% of the injuries, and the head and face received 9.8%, even though the players are required to wear helmets and face masks. Fewer than 10% of the athletes wore mouth guards. The authors concluded that lacrosse equipment and rules need further study.

1. Peculiarities of form and function in the accessory sexual apparatus of a number of experimental pullets, derived from eggs injected with œstrone at an early stage of incubation, are described and discussed. 2. Only one of a group of 6 females laid normal eggs when sexually mature, the remainder producing eggs devoid of shell or lacking both shell and egg membranes. This phenomenon is ascribed to an abnormality of the oviduct. 3. All the experimental birds autopsied possessed two oviducts which showed incomplete development both as regards total length and length of component parts. 4. The total weight of the two ducts approximated that of the single left oviduct in the normal hen. 5. It is suggested that either the œstrone injection to the egg interfered with the normal processes of differentiation of the mullerian duct into the sex duct in the embryo, rendering it incapable of efficient response to the hormone stimulus subsequently supplied by the functional ovary of the individual, or that the normal level of secretion of female hormone by the fowl's ovary is sufficient only for the complete development of a single duct.

From a series of experiments on Brown Leghorn fowls Juhn and Gustavson (1930) suggested that the production of the red pigment in the breast feathers of the castrated male of this breed might be used as an indicator of the female hormone (œstrin). They were able to demonstrate the feminizing effect on the breast feathers of the capon within 48 hours of the injection of a single does of œstrin of the order of 600 rat units. This suggested the possibility of extending the use of the fowl test for œstrin, and of ascertaining whether or not the amount of this hormone in the urine of the pregnant of urine, a diagnosis of pregnancy could be obtained as early as 48 hours after injection. If this could be done the method would be of considerable practical value since the mouse test requires a period of five days from the initial injection before a result can be obtained. With this object a small series of tests have been carried out, and while it will be impossible for some months to verify or disprove the diagnosis from actual facts, they have been controlled and compared as regards results, sensitivity and uniformity with mouse tests on the same sample, the latter, up to the present having given over 99% correct diagnosis. Since the method may prove to be of practical import, the details of the experimental technique will be given at considerable length.

During the winter of 1937–38 it became necessary to obtain the maximum number of offspring from a certain pen mating for the purposes of an experiment unconnected with the present report. Accordingly all suitable eggs were incubated, and since chicks were required all the year round the data which accumulated related to periods extending beyond the normal hatching season. Not long after the beginning of the project strikingly consistent differences between the records of the individual females became apparent, and interest in this phenomenon led to the decision to incubate every intact egg from the pen, irrespective of any normally undesirable characteristics of shell texture or shape. This was done for two years (1938–39), and provided the main data for the study of fertility and embryonic mortality reported here.

To determine the effects of water balance on ability to perform in high temperatures, 18 male subjects were subjected to exhaustion runs on the treadmill under three experimental conditions: normal water balance, dehydration, and superhydration. All three runs were performed in an ambient temperature of 120°F. No statistical difference was found between performance under conditions of superhydration and normal water balance, but performance in the dehydrated state was significantly reduced. The performance of a subgroup of 11 athletes under the condition of superhydration was significantly superior to their corresponding performance under the condition of normal water balance. The seven nonathletes did not exhibit this tendency.

1. Extracts of Horse, Sheep, and Pig Pituitary, Pregnant Mare's Serum and Chorionic Gonadotrophin were administered to hens prior to and during the moulting period. Dried thyroid powder was fed during the non-productive phase. 2. Injections of P.M.S. to laying hens resulted in cessation of egg production within 5 days, and the onset of a heavy moult. The combs increased in size during treatment. Apart from a slight increase in comb size in the group receiving Pig Pituitary extract, no reaction to the other gonadotrophins could be detected at the dosage-level employed. 3. In non-laying hens P.M.S. had little effect; Pig Pituitary appeared to cause a temporary reactivation of the reproductive organs, but in no case did ovulation occur. The other gonadotrophins were again inactive. 4. Consistent symptoms of ovarian stimulation resulted from the administration of thyroid, and a number of birds resumed egg production following this treatment. Variations in the degree of response obtained appeared to be related to the media in which this hormone powder was fed.

1. Typical female plumage was induced in a young Brown Leghorn male by the introduction into the abdominal cavity of testicular substance from other males.

To investigate further the inverse relationship that appears to exist between ischemic heart disease and physical activity, experiments were conducted on 54 healthy male students to determine the relationship between blood coagulation time and fat storage, Harvard Step Test scores, age, height, and weight. No significant relationship was found to exist between clotting time and the selected variables.

General Summary1. The plumage of the Brown Leghorn fowl is analysed and the extent of its dependence on the activity of the thyroid and gonad is discussed.2. Hypothyroidism results (a) in a diminution in the amount of melanin and a coincident increase in the red pigment; (b) in an increase in the amount of fringing due to a lack of barbule formation. The female pattern tends to disappear.3. Hyperthyroidism in the male gives exactly the opposite effect—i.e. the melanin increases in amount while the red pigment and fringing tend to disappear. In the female the effect of hyperthyroidism is slight, and with moderate doses of thyroid there is practically no modification of the female pattern of pencilling and no melanin appears in the breast. The neck hackle, however, becomes darker and shows a decrease in fringing.4. From these results, together with what is known concerning the effect of gonad on plumage, a hypothesis is advanced, that whereas the plumage typical of the male is developed independently of the gonad and depends for its maintenance on a certain level of thyroid functioning, both gonad and thyroid play a part in regard to that of the female; the former stimulates the latter to a higher level of activity than that present in the male and so indirectly causes a hyperthyroid effect on the feathers. At the same time it modifies this condition by acting directly on the feathers and restricting the deposition of melanin.5. The fact that in both sexes the plumage in the young chick is similar to that of the female puts this theory in question. There is evidence to show, however, that yolk may have a modifying effect on plumage similar to that of the ovary, and thus the doubt regarding the validity of the hypothesis can be removed by the suggestion that the chick plumage develops under the influence of the yolk in its own yolk sac. This second theory gains confirmation by a study of the atypical plumage which is occasionally met with in growing females, and also by a consideration of the type of plumage developed in juvenile females following the successful implantation of testis.

Eight track athletes were studied to determine the effects of a warm-up and a lack of a warm-up on the heart rate during specified exercise routines. The variables of anticipatory increase in heart rate, maximum heart rate, and recovery decrease in heart rate were studied. The difference between these variables was not significant at the .05 level of confidence. The same variables were correlated with the Harvard step test scores for the subjects. High correlations were found between the variables of maximum heart rate and recovery decrease in heart rate, and the step test scores.

1. Injections of androsterone directly into the substance of the capon's comb produced a response greater than that elicited by the same dose when injected intramuscularly in the pectoral region. 2. In a preliminary test of the effect of the hormone in intact birds, two females responding to the treatment, showed less increase in comb size than the capons, as recorded in the length plus height measurements, but developed well-marked swellings at the base of the comb, which are considered to be manifestations of a local effect. A normal male showed no reaction to the same treatment, while an incompletely castrated male, with a comb similar in size to those of the females, gave a marked response. 3. The significance of the results is briefly discussed.

A Brown Leghorn male which had been castrated prepubertally and had developed into an apparently normal capon, began to assume female characters (thin lop comb, female plumage and the cessation of the continuous moult typical of the capon) when about 15 months old. The case is discussed in relation to other known cases of “sex reversal,” the abnormal appearance being attributed to the influence of a small tumour situated on the right side of the body, posterior to the normal gonad site.

Changes in heart rate, skin and rectal temperatures and rates of sweating were measured in 14 normal and 14 obese subjects under the following test situations: 1) 90 minutes' resting exposure to he...

The body density of 50 healthy young women was determined by underwater weighing, and five skin-fold thicknesses and five girths were measured on each subject. The mean body density was 1.0467 g/ml (sd ± 0.0122), corresponding to 20.06 ± 4.63% by weight of fat in the body by the formula of Keys and Brozcaronek or 22.91 ± 5.58% by the formula of Siri. The mean specific gravity at water temperature 37.5 C was 1.0537 (sd ± 0.0122), corresponding to 22.13 ± 7.08% fat by the formula of Rathbun and Pace. The skin-fold measurement that showed the highest correlation with a composite criterion of skin folds was that over the iliac crest (r = +.92). The best prediction of body density was from skin-fold measurements over the iliac crest and back of arm, which gave a multiple correlation of –.74. Submitted on October 9, 1961

The application of epidemiologic methods in determining the nature and extent of athletic injuries occurring in high school football shows that (1) no significant difference in the rate of injury for players based on time exposed to risk exists, (2) injury risk increases with age, (3) a student with a history of prior football injury sustains injury at a significantly higher rate than his associates with no history, and (4) certain types of protective equipment are associated with greater injury incidence. These data are part of a five-year continuing study of athletes in 43 high schools.

IN a series of experiments now being carried out with Brown Leghorn chicks concerning the relation of thyroid gland to plumage characterisation, some interesting results are already apparent in the thyroidectomisod females. The operation was carried out when the birds were 6 weeks old, and 3 weeks after the operation the effect on the plumage became visible. Changes in coloration first appear in the contour feathers of the wing, shoulder and cape, the whole forming a continuous arc of brightly coloured feathers from one wing edge to the other when the bird is examined with the wings outstretched. Examination of control male chicks at the same time showed a similar continuous band of brightly coloured feathers replacing the juvenile plumage in these areas, while no such band was present in the control females. In the region of the saddle, brightly coloured feathers were also observed in the thyroidectomised females and in control males, while being absent in control females.