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The structure and ultrastructure of 122 lamellated corpuscles and 33 Golgi tendon organs (GTO) from adult human musculotendinous junctions were studied by light microscope and electron microscope techniques. One Meissner corpuscle from a human fingertip was examined for comparison. At the musculotendinous junction the axon terminals of the GTO were observed in direct contact with the tendon collagen. The lamellated corpuscles were located in the connective tissue surrounding the musculotendinous junction. The axon terminals of the lamellated corpuscles were separated from the surrounding tissues by the inner core lamellar cell processes and the capsule layers. A great variation in the structure of both types of receptors was observed. The lamellated corpuscles that were found close to the musculotendinous junction and the GTO may respond simultaneously to muscular contraction, thus providing proprioceptive feedback for sensorimotor control from within the tendon and from the tissues surrounding the musculotendinous junction. Mechanoreceptors found in dermis, subcutaneous and deep tissues can be classified into 2 broad groups. This practical morphologic classification is based on the characteristics of the sensory nerve terminals which have been found to be in contact with the surrounding tissue (muscle spindle, GTO) or with the lamellar cell processes (Vater, Pacini, Meissner), rather than the inconsistent features of the entire receptor such as the size, the shape, or the encapsulation.

A comparison is made of the characteristics of female breast cancer patients, their diseases, and treatment practices in medical centers in Israel and the West Bank of the Jordan River. This experience is further compared with tumor registry data from a major medical center in the United States. Differences are found in the age distributions of patients, marital status, parity, stage of disease at diagnosis, delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis as well as between diagnosis and treatment. Some of these observations reflect differences in population characteristics, sociocultural practices and local attitudes toward disease, its diagnosis and management.

Cyclosporine administration has been associated with the development of lymphomas in human transplant patients as well as animals. Its effect on the genesis of common epithelial carcinomas is unknown. To investigate this N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) was administered in drinking water to Wistar rats. Seventy-five young healthy male animals were divided into six groups and received cyclosporine alone, cyclosporine followed by MNNG, MNNG alone, cyclosporine during MNNG administration, MNNG followed by cyclosporine, and no treatment. Cyclosporine seemed to have minimal overall health effects and no cancers were encountered in the group receiving this agent alone. Animals in all carcinogen-treated groups developed gastric and upper intestinal carcinomas by Week 39. No statistically significant differences among carcinogen-treated groups were evident with respect to tumor incidence, histology, or distribution. There appeared to be trends (not statistically significant) toward a greater incidence of small bowel carcinomas in animals receiving cyclosporine plus MNNG as compared to those receiving MNNG alone; greater multiplicity of small intestinal carcinomas in animals receiving cyclosporine after MNNG as compared to all other groups; and greater incidence of small bowel tumors greater than 1 cm3 in animals receiving cyclosporine after MNNG as compared to all other groups. The median total tumor volume in the animals receiving cyclosporine following carcinogen was significantly greater than in any other group. This study does not support a policy of aggressive surveillance for gastrointestinal carcinoma in the human population receiving cyclosporine.

Movement of the cervical spine in the sagittal plane was studied in ten normal subjects from 20 to 30 years of age without and with four different cervical orthoses: (1) polyethylene Camp plastic collar with chin and occiput piece, (2) plastizote Philadelphia collar, (3) four-poster and (4) SOMI (sternal occipital mandibular immobilization). The effect of the orthoses on restricting sagittal motion was measured simultaneously using roentgenographic and bubble goniometric methods. The subject was immobilized in a straight back chair to eliminate trunk motion, and lateral cervical spine films were taken of each subject in neutral, flexion and extension without and with each orthotic device. Distortion forces exerted on the orthotic devices were standardized by measurement of pressures at the chin and occiput. Roentgenographic measurements of flexion and extension and anteroposterior displacement of the cervical spine were compared to the measurements obtained by bubble goniometry. The four-poster and SOMI were found to be most effective in restricting extension and flexion respectively. The polyethylene and plastizote orthoses were significantly less effective in restricting motion. The bubble goniometer is an adequate clinical tool in assessing overall flexion-extension of the cervical spine but is not so precise and does not give information on the degree of motion at an individual vertebral level.

1. Crystalline myoglobin was prepared from camel heart muscle. 2. A method was developed for the isolation of myoglobin that employs molecular-sieve chromatography. 3. Analytical chromatography of the camel myoglobin on a molecular-sieve column and on two types of ion-exchange columns gave in each case a single elution band, which accounted for better than 98% recovery and showed that the product was free from haemoglobin. 4. The iron content on a dry weight basis was 0.308%. This value corresponds to a molecular weight of 18100. 5. The spectra of acidic ferrimyoglobin, basic ferrimyoglobin and ferrimyoglobin cyanide were measured. 6. The pK(a) of the dissociation of the haem-bound water molecule in acidic ferrimyoglobin was 8.53 at 25 degrees . 7. Conclusions are drawn about the charge on the surface of the camel ferrimyoglobin molecule as compared with horse and sperm-whale ferrimyoglobins.