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The sterol and alcohols of human hair and scalp lipids have been concentrated by saponification and chromatography of the unsaponifiable portion over alumina; the alcoholic components (Fraction V) were eluted from the column by means of absolute methanol. For one large batch of lipids (CF-45E), Fraction V was filtered from solid and the resulting rectified oil dissolved in n-hexane, chromatographed over partially spent silica gel (activity: 20) and the column eluted with benzene, chloroform, 1-butanol and methanol. By this method, separation of high and low-molecular weight components and polar materials was afforded. The alcohols were converted to the acetates and analyzed by gas chromatography. A proximate analysis of sterol and alcohols is summarized in Table V. The distribution of fatty alcohols in Fractions V from lipids collected according to sex, race and scalp condition was rather consistent from pool to pool and no unequivocal differences could be attributed to any particular category though a few discrepancies were apparent. Thus, an irregularity was noted in the C20 component from two pools and branched C14 and C16 alcohols could not be detected in yet another one.

The impact of shedding of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) on hospital survival of patients receiving assisted ventilation in an adult tertiary referral, acute trauma intensive care unit was assessed. The study was designed to address a clinical impression linking HSV-1 recovery with poor survival. Two hundred and forty-one males and 152 females were enrolled into a longitudinal cohort study. Combined throat swabs and tracheal secretions were tested for HSV-1 shedding using a nested nucleic acid amplification protocol; patients were ranked as nonshedders, shedders, and high-level shedders. Nonparametric analysis assessed the impact of shedding on hospital survival and logistic regression measured the confounding influence of sex, age, and the Acute Physiology, Age and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score. Linear-by-linear association determined the influence of the level of shedding on hospital survival. The observed mortality rate was 113/393 (28.8%). Patients shedding HSV-1 106/393 (27%) had a significant reduction in hospital survival 66/106 (62%) in HSV-1 shedders compared with 217/287 (75.6%) in nonshedders (P = 0.002). This difference remained significant when adjusted for age and sex (P = 0.026). Respective mortality figures for HSV-1 shedders and nonshedders were 43/106 (40.6%) and 70/287 (24.4%) (P = 0.002). HSV-1 shedding was associated with a significant reduction in hospital survival amongst patients receiving assisted ventilation. Hospital mortality in HSV-1 shedders was increased by 16.2% over nonshedders. The role of HSV-1 in this setting needs to be addressed.

The ability to access information for use in decision making is a well-recognized need within the context of management sciences. A similar need exists in order to make effective technical decisions pertaining to environmental resource management. Data bases are the principle vehicle by which scientists, engineers, and resource managers store and access environmental information. An integrated data-base mechanism is essential in order for federal agencies to manage programs such as enforcement of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), state of the environment (SOE) reporting, and the environmental assessment and review process (EARP). A data-base structure and data dissemination mechanism under current development within Environment Canada, Conservation and Protection, Atlantic Region, is presented along with some of its operational benefits and constraints.

During the period of 1985 to 1988, municipal water supply sources in Atlantic Canada were sampled and analyzed for various compounds including major ions, nutrients, heavy metals, pesticides and synthetic organic chemicals. Both surface and ground water sources were sampled. Ninety-eight percent of supply sources were within the health-related maximum acceptable concentrations of the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (Health and Welfare Canada 1987), and eighty-five percent within the aesthetic guidelines. A geographic information system was used to classify the municipal sources by surrounding land-use and comparisons made to nitrate-N. All samples reported as 1.0 mg.L−1 or greater were from ground water supplies in areas classed as high agricultural use. Though a direct input from agriculture was established for two wells, the source of nitrate-N at the remaining sites was attributed to soil-N and/or fertilizer-N.

During an outbreak of parvovirus B 19 in 1989 in Northern Ireland, 7580 blood donors were screened for B 19 antigen. Two units screened positive, one of which was obtained for use as viral antigen. A monoclonal antibody (R92F6) made against this antigen was specific for B 19 capsid proteins VP 1 and VP 2. The monoclonal antibody was used in the development of 2 anti-B 19 IgM capture enzyme assays. These used a conventional substrate (O-phenylene diamine) and a chemiluminescent signal reagent. There was excellent concordance between the 2 assays. A total of 403 patients sera were tested and 65 sera were positive in each assay.

Results are reported for three triazine herbicides (atrazine, metribuzin and simazine) monitored in surface waters in agricultural areas of the Maritime Canada for the period 1983–1989. Of 125 surface water, 113 bottom sediments and 37 biota samples, atrazine residues were detected only in 38 water samples (30%) with a concentration range of 0.011 μg/L to 0.34 μg/L. Post-application metribuzin results from a tile drainage study site ranged from 0.14 μg/L to 1.53 μg/L.

Drain outflow volumes averaged 75 and 115 nm per unit area in 1987 and 1988, respectively. Considerable drain flow occurred during snowmelt each year before data collection began. Measured NO 3 -N concentrations ranged from 1 to 65 mg L −1 and there were substantial changes in NO 3 -N concentrations within flow events. The flow-weighted average annual nitrate concentrations of the drainage effluent, (NO 3 -N) a f , were ≥10 mg L −1 for potato site-years, regardless of whether the sites were established potato rotation fields or not

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) are common causes of cutaneous and mucocutaneous vesicular eruptions. Laboratory diagnostic techniques include Tzanck smears, electronmicroscopy, antigen detection and viral culture. This paper describes a nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction with respective sensitivities of 0.0001, 0.01 and 0.1 TCID50 for VZV, HSV-1 and HSV-2. The assay was used in (a) a salvage capacity for slides already processed for electronmicroscopy, and (b) as a front-line assay for prospectively processed specimens. Sixty-two glass slides with vesicle lymph/scrapings from 58 patients with suspected cutaneous herpetic lesions were examined. The clinical presentations were described as atypical/not specified (24), VZV (20) or HSV (18), and involved eruptions from diverse anatomical sites, including the genitalia. Of the 62 specimens, 6 and 38 were positive by electronmicroscopy and multiplex PCR respectively, giving a comparative sensitivity of 16% for electronmicroscopy. Nested multiplex PCR identified 15 VZV and 20 HSV-1 infections. Where the clinical details indicated either HSV or VZV (38/62), nested multiplex PCR was statistically likely to be reactive (26/38 vs. 9/24) (chi2 P = 0.000004) whereas electronmicroscopy was not (4/38 vs. 2/24) (chi2 P= 0.77). Where the clinical details indicated VZV (20/62) or HSV (18/62), nested multiplex PCR was statistically more likely to confirm VZV (10/20 vs. 5/42) (chi2 P= 0.001) or HSV (9/18 vs. 11/44) (chi2 P = 0.05) respectively. Two suspected HSV and 6 suspected VZV infections were shown to be VZV and HSV respectively by nested multiplex PCR.

EDITOR, - After investigating an outbreak in December 1993 of 24 cases of infection with parvovirus B19 in primary schools in Dublin, we wish to comment on J R Pattison's editorial.1 Firstly, Pattison noted that parvovirus B19 infection is often misdiagnosed as allergy, rubella, or other “viral infection” and may be clinically recognised only in an outbreak. The most striking feature reported …

Eighty-five cases of B19 infection were diagnosed in Northern Ireland from 1984 to 1989; 65 of these occurred during 1989, the outbreak year. Of the total 85 cases, 15 had a rash, 21 had arthralgia, 47 had a rash and arthralgia, and 2 had aplastic crisis. The age range was 4-63 years with a mean of 26.9 years. Thirty cases (35%) were referred to hospital; 25 of these had arthralgia and 2 had aplastic crisis. Two thousand four hundred pregnant women at 12 weeks gestation in 1989 were screened for anti-B19 IgM; 8 were positive. Of these 8 patients, 7 progressed to delivery of a normal fetus and one had an intra-uterine death at 26 weeks gestation; no congenital abnormalities were noted in any fetus. The incidence of fetal involvement in maternal B19 infection in this study was therefore 12.5%.

AIMS--To compare the sensitivity, specificity, and practicality of recombinant proteins in serological tests for the detection of human parvovirus B19 IgG and IgM. METHODS--Indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assays using B19 structural proteins expressed in Escherichia coli were developed for the detection of B19 specific IgG and IgM (rELISA-G and rELISA-M). Cells infected with baculovirus expressing B19 structural proteins were also used in an indirect immunofluorescence assay for IgG and IgM antibodies (IFA-G and IFA-M). Antibody capture radioimmunoassays for IgG and IgM (GACRIA and MACRIA) were used as comparative assays. RESULTS--Twenty nine pools of intravenous immunoglobulin were clearly positive for B19 IgG by rELISA-G and contained low IgG titres by GACRIA. From 113 samples tested by all methods, sensitivities of 92% (77/84) and 97% (68/70) were obtained for ELISA and immunofluorescence, respectively, when compared with GACRIA. One hundred and sixteen samples from patients presenting with rash or arthralgia were compared by MACRIA, rELISA-M, and IFA-M. Sensitivities of both recombinant tests were more than 95%. Despite pretreatment to remove IgG or rheumatoid factor, false positive results were a problem in the rELISA-M but were not seen with the IFA-M. CONCLUSIONS--The limited supply of native antigen has severely restricted the wide application of serology for parvovirus B19. The use of recombinant antigens permitted the introduction of local screening tests which had many advantages, including quicker results and relief of the burden on the Reference Laboratory. The use of rELISA-M for sensitivity and IFA-M for specificity and confirmation proved a useful and practical combination for diagnosis of recent infection with B19, and rELISA-G allowed the immune response to be determined in selected populations.

The incidence of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection in Northern Ireland (1970-1989) was tested by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in 401 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive sera. Hepatitis delta antigen (HDAg) was tested in 388 patients and antibody to delta antigen (anti-HD) in 401 patients. Four patients (1.03%) were HDAg positive. Nine patients (2.24%) were positive for anti-HD and after acid pre-treatment of sera from eight of these patients, five were positive for HDAg. The overall incidence of HDV markers was 3.27%, which reflects the low incidence in HBsAg carriers in Northern Ireland (who were in high risk groups for delta hepatitis). The use of acid treatment of the sera to break up antigen/antibody complexes has been a useful technological improvement in the identification of this virus.

Q fever was diagnosed in 443 patients in Northern Ireland between 1962 and 1989. From 1986 onwards there was an increase, which peaked in 1989 with 107 cases of whom 47 were infected in Ballycastle, Co Antrim. There were three outbreaks and 21 clusters of patients with Q fever. Most cases were in April and May which correlated with the peak lambing and calving season. Q fever mainly affected males in the 40-49 year old age group. County Antrim had the highest prevalence rate of 40/100,000 population and also had the most sheep. The number of sheep in Northern Ireland has doubled in the past ten years. Q fever was strongly associated with occupation and animal contact. Eighty-seven patients (19.6%) drank unpasteurized milk. The commonest presenting illnesses were pneumonia (62.8%), influenza-like illness (24.6%), involvement of the heart (9.0%) and hepatitis (1.6%). Thirty-two patients (7.2%) had endocarditis, 20 of whom had prosthetic valves and three of whom died. Coxiella burnetii was present on valves removed from seven patients.

Sera from 27 renal transplant patients with primary and recurrent CMV infections and which were known to contain CMV-specific IgM antibodies were investigated by indirect immunofluorescence for the presence of virus-specific high molecular weight IgM (19S IgM) and low molecular weight IgM (7S IgM). After sucrose gradient fractionation of the sera, 19S IgM was found in all 27 patients, whereas 7S IgM was present in 11 out of 19 (56%) patients with primary CMV infection and in 1 out of 8 (12%) patients with recurrent CMV infection. The presence of 7S IgM was unrelated to the titre of the virus-specific IgM in whole serum. The presence of IgM rheumatoid factor was monitored by a sensitive fluorescence assay using measles virus antigen/antibody complexes. The absorption of the serum fractions with heat-aggregated gamma globulin failed to remove the specific IgM staining indicating that it was not due to IgM rheumatoid factor. On the other hand adsorption with protein A/sepharose removed the specific IgM staining from the 7S IgM fractions but not from the 19S IgM fractions. This suggests that specific 19S and 7S IgM antibodies may belong to different subclasses of IgM.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody responses were measured before and after renal transplantation in 20 patients with primary CMV infection and in 16 patients with recurrent CMV infection. In primary CMV infection IgG antibody titres to late antigen (IgG-LA) measured by indirect fluorescence (IFA) were approximately seven times higher than those obtained by the complement fixation test (CFT). In contrast, in recurrent CMV infection this difference was found to be about twofold. Virus-specific IgM antibody to late antigen (IgM-LA) was detected in 100 percent of patients with primary CMV infection and in only 50 percent of patients with recurrent CMV infection. The IgM-LA titres were highest in primary CMV infection and reached peak levels at approximately 10 weeks post transplantation, whereas in recurrent CMV infection the IgM-LA titres were lower and reached peak levels at three months post transplantation. Moreover, IgM-LA was found to persist in patients from both groups at nine months post transplantation. IgM antibody to early antigen (IgM-EA) was not detected in any patient in this study. However, significant fourfold titre rises in IgG antibody to EA (IgG-EA) were detected in 100 percent of patients with recurrent CMV infection and in 50 percent of patients with primary CMV infection. These results clearly show the difference in antibody responses to the various antigens of CMV in patients with primary and recurrent CMV infection.

Analysis of two lots of mineral oil indicated the overall composition to be quite similar with two major hydrocarbon ranges: a low range from C14 to C20 with a maximum at C16 and a high range from C20 to C30 with a maximum at C25. The low range components represented 40.8 and 49.3 wt. % of Lots Q-9 and Q-10, respectively. Urea fractionation of the paraffin-naphthene fraction from silica gel chromatography yielded 28.2 and 28.8 wt. % for Lots Q-9 and Q-10, respectively. The nonadductable material consisted of highly branched and cyclic structures containing up to four-ring systems. The total butyl phthalate content in Lots Q-9 and Q-10 was 13.2 and 7.0 p.p.m., respectively, with the ratio of mono-butyl phthalate to dibutyl phthalate being 9:1. No evidence was found to indicate the presence of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons.

Direct solvent-extraction procedures were explored for their effectiveness in removing the residual levels of cyclopropenoid fatty acids from commercial cottonseed meals. Of the seven solvent systems screened, a simple stepwise extraction with an acetone/hexane/water azeotrope was found suitable for the removal of up to 88% of the original CPA content of the meal.

A rapid analytical procedure for determining the residual cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPA) in cottonseed meal has been developed. The procedure involves room-temperature extraction of crude CPA-containing lipids with a hexane-water-acetone azeotrope solvent, followed by a benzenemethanol wash. The crude lipids are then converted to methyl esters by methanolysis with sodium methoxide. Extraction with petroleum ether, followed by washing with aqueous acetone, results in a substance which is free from interfering materials. The purified methyl esters are then analyzed for CPA by a spectrophotometric modification of the Halphen reaction.

Chemical inactivation of cyclopropenoid fatty acids in commercial cottonseed meals was explored with three classes of compounds: anhydrous gases, organic acids and sulfhydryl compounds. Of the reagents screened, sulfur dioxide reduced the cyclopropenoid content by over 90% while free cottonseed fatty acids and thioglycollic acid reduced the cyclopropenoid fatty acid content by over 30%. Large batches of the above three selected meals, as well as a control commercial screw-pressed meal, were then incorporated at 20 wt % levels in the rations of laying hens. A negative control containing 25% soybean meal and a positive control containing a 2% refined cottonseed oil of known CPA content were also employed. During a four-week feeding period, eggs were collected during the third and fourth week and stored at 35 F for periods of 3 and 6 months. Overall egg quality and the fatty acid distribution of the yolk lipids were determined after the 3 and 6 months’ storage periods.

Backstreaming of both diffusion-pump and mechanical-pump fluids has been a constant problem with respect to their safe and efficient operation in high-vacuum systems. In most instances, the exact nature of the backstreaming oil is unknown. This study describes a gas-chromatographic procedure that was used to characterize the composition of backstreamed samples when a polyphenyl ether, Convalex-10, was used as the diffusion-pump fluid. The backstreamed fluid used for analysis was collected and removed from specially designed collection plates mounted within the diffusion pumps, which were maintained at −75 °F. The oil samples removed from the plates were further characterized by ir, uv, and gravimetric techniques.

The success of the submarine atmosphere control program has depended solely upon periodic identification of contaminants in the ship's atmosphere. Substances found to exceed safeguard concentrations are controlled by restricting their use aboard ship or scrubbing them from the atmosphere. But, this approach tends to ignore the human host. Advancements in technology now enable biomedical scientists to identify organic gases absorbed by the human body during exposures to industrial environments. We evaluated the potential application of computer-assisted gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS/COMP) to measuring of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) absorbed by submarine crewmembers. Expired breath samples were collected from watchstanders stationed in the forward space, torpedo room, forward engine space, and engineering space of a fast-attack submarine. Thirteen of the 17 highest concentrations of VOC's were acyclic, C7-C11 alkanes. Assuming that most of the expired VOC's were derived from the submarine, the hydrocarbon composition of the atmosphere was more concentrated and complex than in residential dwellings. This indicates that crewmembers absorb atmospheric VOC's during patrol and desorb the contaminants at home.

Virus particles similar to Otofuke virus have been found, together with rotaviruses and astroviruses, by electronmicroscopy in faeces from an infant with diarrhoea in Northern Ireland. Previously Otofuke virus has been found only in Japan whence it may have been carried to this country by a businessman. ImagesFIGURE

A simple computer-based screening technique has been developed for classifying human expired air components into 16 chemical classes, based on empirical formulas. The sort procedure was developed to simplify the screening of the composition of expired air samples by sorting all components into chemical classes and classifying components at the greater than 75% and greater than 90% occurrence levels. Both occurrence-rate components are then evaluated as diagnostic markers in a discriminant function model for their ability to detect lung cancer. Of the 386 components detected in the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) data files, 45 components were present at the greater than 75% occurrence level and 28 components at the greater than 90% occurrence level. Thus, this preliminary sort routine, performed by using a simple macro program installed into a standard personal-computer spread-sheet, greatly reduces the amount of data required for statistical treatment. Such a sort routine can also be applied as easily to other complex GC/MS data files for the purpose of data reduction.

Modern and ancient human feces (coprolites) and modern nonhuman animal fecal samples were subjected to headspace gas-chromatographic analysis for detection of odors related to dietary intake. The odors of grass, green leaves, licorice, meat, and corn were detected in coprolites dating to 6400 years BP (before present). Analysis of modern human samples revealed a large number of odors reflecting dietary constituents. The complexity and number of fecal dietary odors recovered was directly related to the number of food items ingested. Animal fecal odorgrams were characterized by a relatively large number of pleasant odors. Fecal odorgrams represent a new method by which modern and ancient diets may be partially reconstructed.

Using a specially developed breath collection technique and computer-assisted gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), we have identified in the exhaled air of lung cancer patients several volatile organic compounds that appear to be associated with the disease. The GC/MS profiles of 12 samples from lung cancer patients and 17 control samples were analyzed by using general computerized statistical procedures to distinguish lung cancer patients from controls. The selected volatile compounds had sufficient diagnostic power in the GC/MS profiles to allow almost complete differentiation between the two groups in a limited patient population.

Two lots of a specially treated mannide monooleate emulsifier were fractionated by column chromatography and characterized by TLC and GC; individual components were identified by mass spectrometry. Silica gel fractionation indicated the presence of three major classes of components: diesters, monoesters, and polymeric carbohydrate material. The diester contents of Lots 114B and 115B were 36.3 and 51.8 wt. % while the monoester content was 52.2 and 31.4 wt. %, respectively. The carbohydrate polymer content amounted to 11.2 and 15.8 wt. %, respectively. The mannide monooleate (as the chemical entity) content within Lots 114B and 115B was 33.6 and 20 wt. %, respectively, while the mannide dioleate content varied from 21.9 wt. % (114B) to 29.2 wt. % (115B). Six cyclic fatty acids were observed in these two lots as well as in two toxic lots identified as 8B and 3589. The UV absorptions at 267, 278, 298, and 315 nm. were approximately fivefold greater for Lot 8B than Lot 114B and approximately 20‐fold greater for Lot 3589. Nonconjugated trans ‐olefins were present in Lots 114B and 115B to the extent of 5.9 and 6.0 wt. %, respectively, while the conjugated tratts ‐ trans ‐diene content amounted to about 1.6 wt. % for both specially treated lots. In both lots, 14 components were found to comprise the monoester class, while 13 components comprised the diester class. The carbohydrate material was not characterized.

Two commercial cottonseed meals, a direct solvent-extracted meal and a screw-pressed meal, were subjected to successive solvent-extraction procedures by using an acetone/hexane/water azeotrope to reduce their cyclopropenoid fatty acid content. The two original commercial meals, as well as a double- and triple-extracted portion, were then incorporated at 20 wt % levels in the rations of laying hens. A negative control containing 25% soybean meal and a positive con-trol containing 2 % refined cottonseed oil of known CPA content were also employed. During a four-week feeding period the eggs were collected dur-ing the third and fourth week and stored at 35F for periods of three and six months. Over-all egg quality and the fatty acid distribution of the extracted yolk lipids were determined after the three- and six-month storage period.