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The objectives were to compare slice char- acteristics and sensory attributes of bacon from immuno- logically castrated (IC) barrows with bacon from other sexes using a trained sensory panel. Bacon was obtained for sensory evaluation from 3 experiments. In Exp. 1, trimmed and squared bellies (n = 180) of IC barrows, IC barrows fed ractopamine hydrochloride (IC+RAC), physically castrated (PC) barrows, intact males (IM), and gilts were used. Data were analyzed as a general linear mixed model and pen (n = 48) served as the experimen- tal unit. Treatment (sex or diet) was a fixed effect in all 3 experiments. In Exp. 2, untrimmed, natural fall bel- lies (n = 96) from IC and PC barrows fed 0 or 30% or a withdrawal distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) program when slaughtered at 5 wk after the second dose (25 wk of age) were used. In Exp. 3, untrimmed, natural fall bellies (n = 96) from IC and PC barrows fed the same experimental diets as in experiment 2 but slaughtered at 7 wk after the second dose (27 wk of age) were used. Data from Exp. 2 and 3 were analyzed as a 2 × 3 facto- rial arrangement in a randomized complete block design and pen was the experimental unit. Bellies from all 3 experiments were processed using the same protocols. In Exp. 1, IM had the greatest (P < 0.0001) boar aroma and flavor scores among all treatments. No differences were detected among the other treatment groups for boar aroma or flavor. Intact males had the least (P < 0.0001) desirable cured bacon aroma and flavor among all treat- ments. No differences were detected among the other treatment groups for bacon aroma or flavor. There were no differences in bacon aroma or off-flavor between IC and PC barrows slaughtered at 5 wk after the second dose regardless of DDGS feeding program. Bacon from PC barrows was saltier (P < 0.01) than bacon from IC bar- rows when slaughtered at 5 wk after the second dose. There were no differences in bacon aroma, off-aroma, bacon flavor, or saltiness between IC and PC barrows slaughtered at 7 wk after the second dose regardless of DDGS feeding program. Total slice area of bacon slices from IC barrows slaughtered at 5 wk after the second dose were less (P < 0.01) than PC barrows, but the differences diminished (P = 0.16) when slaughtered at 7 wk after the second dose. Overall, panelists successfully detected boar odor and flavor in Exp. 1. Immunological castration was as effective as physical castration at eliminating boar aroma and boar flavor in bacon even when feeding dif- fering DDGS feeding programs or when slaughtered at 5 or 7 wk after the second dose.

Objectives were to test the effect of a low-sodium curing solution on processing characteristics of hams from purebred Berkshire pigs that were fed a step-up ractopamine HCl (RAC) feeding program or a negative control diet. Sixty pairs (n=120) of hams were selected from two blocks of purebred Berkshire pigs (n=200) that were fed either a control diet or 7.4 mg of ractopamine/kg of diet for 14 d followed by 10.0 mg of ractopamine/kg of diet for the last 14 d before slaughter. Three-piece, section-formed hams were cured with a standard (1.98% NaCl; REG) curing solution or a low-sodium with KCl replacement (0.67% NaCl and 1.29% KCl; LOW) curing solution. Pigs fed RAC had 3.18% greater BW, 11.90% greater ADG, and 10.34% greater G:F compared with control pigs. No differences (P≥0.07) were detected for the effect of diet, curing solution, or the interaction between diet and curing solution for ham weights, pump uptake, or cook yield [(cooked weight/green weight) 100]. Break strength (an indication of protein interaction and bind strength; 5.97 vs. 6.99 kg) and protein fat-free values (24.58 vs. 25.98%) were less (P≤0.05) in hams cured with LOW curing solution compared with hams cured with REG curing solution. Lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) values were greater (P≤0.03), while redness (a*) values were less (P

Initial cost-effectiveness evaluations of Xpert(®) MTB/RIF for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis have not fully accounted for the realities of implementation in peripheral settings.To evaluate costs and diagnostic outcomes of Xpert testing implemented at various health care levels in Uganda.We collected empirical cost data from five health centers utilizing Xpert for TB diagnosis, using an ingredients approach. We reviewed laboratory and patient records to assess outcomes at these sites and10 sites without Xpert. We also estimated incremental cost-effectiveness of Xpert testing; our primary outcome was the incremental cost of Xpert testing per newly detected TB case.The mean unit cost of an Xpert test was US$21 based on a mean monthly volume of 54 tests per site, although unit cost varied widely (US$16-58) and was primarily determined by testing volume. Total diagnostic costs were 2.4-fold higher in Xpert clinics than in non-Xpert clinics; however, Xpert only increased diagnoses by 12%. The diagnostic costs of Xpert averaged US$119 per newly detected TB case, but were as high as US$885 at the center with the lowest volume of tests.Xpert testing can detect TB cases at reasonable cost, but may double diagnostic budgets for relatively small gains, with cost-effectiveness deteriorating with lower testing volumes.

Objectives were to test the effect of a low-sodium curing solution on processing characteristics of hams from purebred Berkshire pigs that were fed a step-up ractopamine HCl (RAC) feeding program or a negative control diet. Sixty pairs (n=120) of hams were selected from two blocks of purebred Berkshire pigs (n=200) that were fed either a control diet or 7.4 mg of ractopamine/kg of diet for 14 d followed by 10.0 mg of ractopamine/kg of diet for the last 14 d before slaughter. Three-piece, section-formed hams were cured with a standard (1.98% NaCl; REG) curing solution or a low-sodium with KCl replacement (0.67% NaCl and 1.29% KCl; LOW) curing solution. Pigs fed RAC had 3.18% greater BW, 11.90% greater ADG, and 10.34% greater G:F compared with control pigs. No differences (P≥0.07) were detected for the effect of diet, curing solution, or the interaction between diet and curing solution for ham weights, pump uptake, or cook yield [(cooked weight/green weight) 100]. Break strength (an indication of protein interaction and bind strength; 5.97 vs. 6.99 kg) and protein fat-free values (24.58 vs. 25.98%) were less (P≤0.05) in hams cured with LOW curing solution compared with hams cured with REG curing solution. Lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) values were greater (P≤0.03), while redness (a*) values were less (P0.01) in hams cured with LOW curing solution compared with hams cured with REG curing solution. A trained sensory panel detected less (P=0.03) flavor intensity in hams cured with LOW curing solution compared with hams cured with REG curing solution. Yet, no differences (P≥0.55) were detected between hams cured with LOW or REG curing solution for saltiness. Overall acceptability of hams cured with LOW curing solution tended to be less (P=0.09) compared with hams cured with REG curing solution; however, the magnitude of this difference was 0.34 on a 1 to 9 scale. Hams cured with LOW curing solution made hams paler and contain less intense flavor compared with hams cured with REG curing solution, but this was a justifiable way to lower sodium content by 64% units (1.44 vs. 4.04% Na) without detrimental processing or sensory effects.

The hormone gastrin exerts a growth-promoting effect on gastrointestinal cells. The molecular mechanisms by which colonic epithelial cells respond to gastrin are still poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate a novel feature of the action of gastrin on normal colonic cells, namely the rapid phosphorylation on tyrosine of phospholipase C gamma 1 (PLC gamma 1). Tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 1, elicited by gastrin, was transient, concentration-dependent, and was abrogated by pretreating the colonic cells with the gastrin-receptor antagonist proglumide, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein, and by removal of the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor orthovanadate from the isolation buffer. Tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 1 correlated with the time- and concentration-dependent decrease in the mass of membrane phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and the increase in the epithelial concentration of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). Likewise, the stimulated increase in IP3 was also prevented by proglumide and genistein. Gastrin induced a definite but transient increase in the intracellular concentration of free Ca2+ [Ca2+]i, and increased membrane-translocation of immunoreactive alpha- and beta-protein kinase C. The data thus indicate that gastrin elicits at least one signalling cascade, through rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 1, leading to the activation of a PIP2-specific PLC pathway.

During the 1990s a number of trials were implemented in the summer rainfall region of South Africa to determine both the short- and long-term impacts of competing vegetation on pine growth. Trial sites were selected across different physiographic regions such that a range of altitudinal, climatic and environmental gradients were represented. Although the understanding gained from these trials allowed for the development of vegetation management standards, their operational and economic viability need to be tested on a commercial basis. Four pine trials were thus initiated to test the applicability of these standards when utilised on a commercial scale. Two of the trials were situated at lower-altitude sites (900 m and 1 000 m above sea level [asl]), one at a mid-altitude site (1 267 m asl), and one at a higher-altitude site (1 650 m asl). Several vegetation management treatments developed to suit the predicted vegetation load at each site were implemented and varied according to either weeding intensity (high, moderate and minimal), or the area around the tree that was kept free of vegetation (no vegetation control, a ring/row weeding and complete vegetation control). Tree growth up to 3.5 years was linked to the level of vegetation management in each treatment and its associated total cost for that time period, allowing for the development of different cost–benefit comparisons. The intensity of vegetation management required to produce significant growth benefits decreased with increasing altitude, as did the area that needed to be kept free from competing vegetation. In contrast to the higher-altitude site, where tree growth did not benefit from vegetation management, there was a 18, 25 and 112% increase in diameter growth for the high-intensity vegetation management operations relative to minimal or no vegetation control at the three mid- and lower-altitude sites. Besides demonstrating the commercial applicability of research results, this series of trials has shown that site-dependent vegetation management is viable on a commercial scale and will allow the South African forest industry to adjust their weed control budgets on a regional scale (linked to altitude).Keywords: across-site comparisons, altitude, cost–benefit comparisons, site specific, weed control, weeding intensitySouthern Forests 2009, 71(3): 187–199

A reduced thyrotropin (TSH) response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) has been reported in subjects with a history of alcoholism whereas prolactin (PRL) responses have generally been normal. One hypothesis proposed to explain the reduced TSH response is down-regulation of pituitary TRH receptors. If this is correct, PRL response should also be diminished. To account for the different dose-response characteristics of TSH/PRL we have given four dosages of TRH (25, 100, 500 and 800 micrograms) to eight noncirrhotic, male alcoholics abstinent from ethanol a minimum of 28 days and to seven male control subjects. Across the TRH dose range the alcoholic subjects exhibited reduced basal TSH (p = .01) and a reduced TSH response (p = .0023) but no differences in basal and stimulated PRL levels. Alcoholic subjects had higher basal T4, T3 and FT4I values than did control subjects but covarying for T4, T3 and FT4I did not change the significance of either TSH or PRL findings. No significant differences in estradiol, estrone, testosterone, cortisol or glucose were noted between groups. The present study confirms the observation of a lower TSH response to TRH in abstinent alcoholics and indicates that the lower response cannot be overcome by increasing TRH dosage. The similar PRL response between groups suggests normal lactotroph function in noncirrhotic abstinent alcoholics and argues against the pituitary TRH receptor down-regulation hypothesis.

Lymphoid cells from most inbred mouse strains respond to amphotericin B (AmB)-induced immunostimulation. However, C57BL/6 mice and related strains display low or absent lymphoid cell stimulation by AmB and enhanced susceptibility to AmB toxicity. Experiments reported here show that in vitro incubation with AmB can stimulate AKR (AmB-high responder strain) macrophage proliferation. Intraperitoneal injection of AKR mice with AmB also elicits a population of macrophages primed for enhanced oxidative burst activity after triggering by zymosan particles. Under the same experimental conditions, AmB elicits a population of very weakly responsive macrophages from C57BL/6 mice. The low responsiveness of C57BL/6 macrophages correlates with previous observations that AmB is a potent immunoadjuvant and B cell mitogen in most inbred strains, but it selectively lacks immunoadjuvant effects in C57BL/6 mice and it also fails to induce polyclonal B cell stimulation in their spleen cell suspensions. Similarly, in measurements of protein synthesis in vitro, high concentrations of AmB produce a greater inhibition of protein synthesis in C57BL/6 peritoneal macrophages than in parallel cultures of AKR macrophages. These findings support the hypothesis that the macrophage is an important target cell in the mediation of AmB-induced immunomodulation.

Direct surgical resection of pineal region tumors has become safer, more effective, and now plays an essential role in their management. Tissue diagnosis allows for the initiation of appropriate therapies and resection can be curative or improve the efficacy of adjuvant therapies. Several approaches have been reported. Based on our operative experience with 57 patients over a 20-year period, we conclude that the Infratentorial Supracerebellar and Parieto-Occipital Paramedian Transtentorial approaches provide excellent exposure while allowing minimally invasive, relatively low risk access to the majority of pineal region tumors. Indications, positioning, techniques, advantages, and disadvantages are discussed. A review of other approaches, pertinent historical remarks, and a discussion of the role of surgery in the contemporary management of pineal region tumors are presented.

A large body of literature indicates that the serotonergic system is involved in behavioral regulation, as evidenced by the inverse relationship between impulsive aggression and serotonergic function found in adult alcoholics and nonalcoholics. However, studies of this relationship among child and adolescent offspring of alcoholics (COAs) have not previously been done. This study examines the potentially parallel relationship between behavioral dysregulation and low serotonergic function in young COAs. The relationship is of potential interest as a phenotypic marker of biological vulnerability to aggressiveness, which itself has been hypothesized to be a risk factor for later antisocial alcoholism. The present work is part of an ongoing prospective study of the development of risk for alcohol abuse/dependence and other problematic outcomes in a sample of families subtyped by the fathers' alcoholism classification. We examined the relationship between overt behavior problems in middle childhood (mean age = 10.5 +/- 1.7 years) and whole blood serotonin (5-HT) in a subsample of the offspring (N = 32 boys and 12 girls). Using a Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) index of behavioral undercontrol, we obtained results indicating that high total behavior problem (TBP) children had lower levels of whole blood 5-HT than did low-TBP children (p0.01). These results support the hypothesis that there is an inverse relationship between whole blood serotonin levels and behavior problems in young male and female COAs. A father's alcoholism status was not significantly related to his child's 5-HT level, i.e., the child's phenotypic expression of behavioral dysregulation was more reliably connected to serotonergic function than was paternal alcoholism.

Disturbances of the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the serotonin system are commonly found in depressive illness. Studying the effect of stress on these two neurobiological systems may give us important clues into the pathophysiology of affective illness and help us understand how stress and mood disorders are related.We studied the effect of chronic unpredictable stress and antidepressant treatment on serotonin 1A (5-HT1A), glucocorticoid (GR), anti mineralocorticoid (MR) receptor levels in rat hippocampus, using in situ hybridization and receptor autoradiography. We also used in situ hybridization to quantify hippocampal 5-HT1A, GR, and MR messenger (mRNA) levels in a small group of suicide victims with a history of depression, compared to matched controls (n = 6).We found that rats subjected to chronic unpredictable stress showed a significant elevation of basal plasma corticosterone compared to nonstressed rats. Chronic stress also caused a decrease in 5-HT1A mRNA and binding in the hippocampus. In addition, chronic stress produced alterations on the MR/GR mRNA ratio in this same region. The decreases in 5-HT1A mRNA and binding, as well as the MR/GR alterations, were prevented in animals that received imipramine or desipramine antidepressant treatment. Zimelidine was unable to reverse stress-induced increases in corticosterone, and was only partially successful in preventing the stress-induced receptor changes in the hippocampus. Suicide victims with a history of depression showed changes that were very similar to the changes found in chronic stress.Alterations in hippocampal 5-HT1A levels and in the MR/GR balance may be one of the mechanisms by which stress may trigger and/or maintain depressive episodes.

Dopamine Transporter (DAT) binding sites in medial temporal lobe structures are much less dense than in striatum and have been difficult to image and quantitate. The recently synthesized compound [125I]RTI-121 ([125I]2 beta-carboxylic acid isopropyl ester-3 beta-(4-iodophenyl)tropane) has demonstrated high specificity and affinity for the DAT in preliminary animal studies. The present experiments were designed to delineate the pharmacological and anatomical characteristics of [125I]RTI-121 binding sites in the striatum and medial temporal lobe of normal humans. A series of saturation experiments performed with striatal membrane preparations generated a one-site model with a KD averaging 1.49 +/- 0.06 nM, and a Bmax that was comparable to those of earlier reports. Competition experiments confirmed the selectivity of [125I]RTI-121 for DAT binding sites. After the assay conditions for autoradiography were optimized, [125I]RTI-121 binding was visualized, pharmacologically characterized and quantitated in human temporal lobe structures. In the hippocampus, specific binding was distributed in the CA4 and CA3 pyramidal cell layers, the outer stratum radiatum and the dentate molecular layer, but not in the dentate granule cells or outer pyramidal cells. In the amygdala specific binding was limited to the basolateral nuclei. Dopamine nerve terminals, as identified with [125I]RTI-121 binding, also displayed a discrete and homologous innervation pattern in the amygdala and hippocampus of several other mammalian species. In summary, the kinetic, saturation, competition and autoradiographic experiments demonstrated that [125I]RTI-121 can be used to identify DAT binding sites and to assess their functional state in post mortem human brain samples.

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that continuing a regular regimen of recreational endurance exercise alters the time-specific rate of maternal weight gain and subcutaneous fat deposition during pregnancy. Serial measurements of body mass and 5-site skinfold thickness were obtained from 44 women before and during pregnancy who continued their preconceptional exercise regimen throughout pregnancy and from women who voluntarily stopped their preconceptional exercise regimen either before conception (N = 31) or reduced it below baseline fitness levels in very early pregnancy (N = 4). In the first and second trimester, the rate of weight gain and change in skinfold thicknesses were unrelated to exercise performance. However, those who continued exercise had a reduced rate of weight gain and change in skinfold thickness at specific sites in the last trimester of pregnancy. Overall weight gains were (mean +/- SEM) 13.0 +/- 0.5 kg and 16.3 +/- 0.7 kg in the exercise and control groups, respectively, and the increases in the sum of skinfolds were 22 +/- 2 mm and 31 +/- 2 mm, respectively. We conclude that continuing a regular exercise regimen throughout pregnancy does not influence the rate of early pregnancy weight gain or subcutaneous fat deposition but decreases both in late pregnancy. However, overall pregnancy weight gain remains well within the normal range.

A reliable, cheap, simple and rapid method for measuring petroleum hydrocarbon contamination of soil out in the field has been developed to aid with the investigation and remediation of sites where petroleum hydrocarbons have been handled such as: retail filling stations, distribution depots, refineries, oil and gas terminals and onshore oil and gas production sites. It is useful for identifying and delineating any zones of contamination in the soil and monitoring the progress of site clean-up. No experience of analytical chemistry is necessary to be able to use the method effectively.

The time course of beta adrenergic receptor adaptation in response to chronic imipramine treatment (10 or 20 mg/kg) was assessed by quantitative autoradiographic analysis of 125I-pindolol binding in rat brain. Binding of the radioligand was assessed in 18 brain areas, including subregions of the hippocampus, amygdala, septum, hypothalamus and specific cerebral cortical regions. After only 2 days treatment with imipramine at a dose of 20 mg/kg, select cortical regions exhibited a reduction in 125I-pindolol binding. These rapidly adapting cortical regions included the medial prefrontal, lateral frontal, ventrolateral orbital and piriform cortices. After 7 or 21 days treatment with imipramine at 20 mg/kg, 16 of 18 brain regions examined exhibited significant reduction in 125I-pindolol binding. The only regions examined that did not show reduced 125I-pindolol binding for these treatment conditions were the caudate-putamen and anterior hypothalamic area. After 2 days treatment with 10 mg/kg of imipramine, down-regulation of beta adrenergic receptors was not observed in any region. After 7 days treatment with 10 mg/kg, down-regulation of beta adrenergic receptor binding was found only in certain cortical regions: medial prefrontal, lateral frontal, ventrolateral orbital and piriform cortices. Thus, the cortical regions that were most rapidly affected with the 20 mg/kg dose of imipramine (i.e., after 2 days) were also the first to respond with the 10 mg/kg dose of the drug. After 21 days treatment with imipramine at 10 mg/kg, 125I-pindolol binding was reduced in 13 of the 18 regions examined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that there are regimen-specific differences in the thermal, metabolic, and cardiovascular responses of nonpregnant women when they perform their chosen type of aerobics at their usual performance level. Thirty-six instructors and 53 participants were studied while performing their chosen aerobics regimen under simulated field conditions using oxygen consumption as the index of exercise intensity. Under these conditions no significant differences were observed in the physiological response to low impact, high impact, or step regimens. However, although their ratings of perceived exertion were lower, the participants worked at a much higher exercise intensity than the instructors (76 +/- 1 vs 62 +/- 2% VO2max). As a result they attained a higher respiratory exchange ratio (0.96 vs 0.90), rectal temperature (38.62 vs 38.12 degrees C), and blood levels of glucose (5.70 vs 4.95 mmol.l-1), lactate (3.65 vs 1.60 mmol.l-1), and norepinephrine (2656 vs 1191 pg.ml-1). We conclude that both intensity and physiological response to aerobics are individual specific not regimen specific and that participants consistently underestimate their level of performance.

Both d-amphetamine and methylphenidate cause similar behavioral and subjective effects and can relieve depressive symptoms in some patients. However, the neurochemical effects of d-amphetamine and methylphenidate are distinct, and clinical experience suggests that individual depressed patients may respond dissimilarly to each stimulant.d-Amphetamine and methylphenidate were administered sequentially to 18 DSM-III diagnosed depressed inpatients on consecutive days, and the acute effects were measured by a variety of instruments.Although many patients were acutely better after taking one drug or the other, as assessed by Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and Global Visual Analogue Scale scores, relatively few responded with equal improvement to both.Acute symptomatic improvement after d-amphetamine or methylphenidate is unpredictable and can only be determined by an empirical trial on an individual basis. These data also suggest that even if one stimulant is not helpful therapeutically, another might be. The long-term benefits of selective stimulant therapy in depressed patients remain to be assessed.

The effects of seven consecutive daily injections of desmethylimipramine (DMI 20 mg/kg) and propranolol (PRO 10 mg/kg) on 3H-dihydroalprenolol (3H-DHA) and 3H-ketanserin (3H-KET) binding in rat brain were examined. Analyses of saturation binding data using the iterative, nonlinear curve-fitting program LIGAND revealed that PRO increased, while DMI reduced, 3H-DHA binding site density in cerebral cortex without altering receptor affinity, as previously reported. DMI reduced 3H-KET binding site density without changing affinity, and PRO produced the same effect. In cerebral cortex and probably in hippocampus and striatum, DMI and PRO administered together increased the density of 3H-DHA binding sites (beta-adrenergic receptors) and reduced their affinity. This combination of drugs reduced the density of 3H-KET binding sites (5-HT2 receptors) in cerebral cortex, but did not change their affinity. These findings indicate a need for additional studies on the interactions of DMI and PRO and related drugs because of implications for the treatment of depressed patients with cardiovascular disorders.

Cardiac tamponade is an unusual cause of sudden death in the first weeks of life. We present two cases of cardiac tamponade in the neonatal period that caused death 5 to 6 days following the insertion of intracardiac lines, to draw attention to the possibility of a "delay phenomenon" between the time of the initial procedure and the occurrence of sudden and unexpected death. The presence of blood or clear fluid within the pericardial sac should prompt careful examination of the myocardium for small foci of traumatic damage, particularly when the fluid is under pressure or of large volume. Although the development of circulatory impairment or shock in the days following central line insertion or catheterization raises the possibility of tamponade, it should be noted that sudden death may occur in the absence of any significant antemortem symptoms or signs.

A 16-year-old girl with recurrent pain in the right upper quadrant and abnormal results of liver function tests was found to have a large choledochal cyst filled with stones. Computerized tomography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed the large cyst with innumerable primary cyst stones and an anomalous pancreaticobiliary duct junction.

We tested the hypothesis that therapeutic endoscopy using the Nd:YAG (neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet) laser would benefit patients with acute peptic-ulcer bleeding. Over 43 months, 174 patients with active bleeding (n = 32) or stigmata of recent bleeding (n = 142) due to peptic ulcers were randomly assigned during endoscopy to either standard treatment with laser photocoagulation or therapy without photocoagulation. There were no significant differences in a number of outcomes between the group treated with laser photocoagulation and the control group. Continued bleeding or rebleeding was observed in 22 percent of the laser-treated group and in 20 percent of the control group. Urgent surgery was necessary in 16 percent of the laser-treated patients and in 17 percent of the controls. Laser-treated patients spent a mean of 41 hours in the intensive care unit, and controls spent a mean of 32 hours. The mean hospital stay was 12 days in the laser-treated group and 11 days in the control group. One death occurred in each group. When patients with active bleeding were analyzed separately, there was no significant difference in outcome, even though laser photocoagulation stopped active bleeding in 88 percent of cases. Among patients with visible vessels, rebleeding occurred in 5 of 14 (36 percent) who received laser treatment and 2 of 15 (13 percent) who did not. Laser treatment precipitated bleeding in four patients and duodenal perforation in one. We conclude that Nd:YAG-laser photocoagulation does not benefit patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding from peptic ulcers.

High-titered antisera specific for amphotericin B (AmB) were induced by immunization with a protein conjugate of the D-lysyl AmB methyl ester. These polyclonal anti-AmB antibodies reacted preferentially with AmB or the AmB methyl ester and discriminated sharply between nystatin and AmB. A solid-phase radioimmunoassay was developed with radioiodinated immunoglobulin G fractions derived from the anti-AmB antisera. This assay was capable of detecting AmB in the sera in the same concentration range that is regularly achieved during AmB treatment of systemic fungal infections. This study demonstrated the feasibility of immunoassays in measuring the concentration of AmB in blood and tissue fluids.

These studies document certain features of the splenic IgA plaque-forming cell response and the serum IgA antibody content in BALB/c mice following immunization with TNP-BγG. Differences in the magnitude and temporal sequence of the indirect (IgA) and direct (IgM) plaque-forming cell responses have been documented. Following booster immunization, there was a shorter latent period and higher peak level of cells secreting IgA anti-TNP antibodies suggesting an anamnestic response.

Opening ParagraphWomen in the Sierra Leone Protectorate fulfil a role which, as in the case of the men, varies in accordance with their social age. In the early stages there is little distinction between the sexes either in training or in their relation to the rest of the community.Among the Mende, the arrival of a female child is greeted by the women with even greater delight than is that of a boy. They say that girls do not forget their mothers in time of need as boys sometimes do. A girl, like a male child, is named according to whether she is the first or a subsequent surviving child of her mother; if she is the first she will be known as Boi. The children who follow her may be named after various ancestors, or after important living members of the family. The naming is done four days after birth, and the individual woman, whose name the child is to bear, carries her out in the early morning, faces the sun, spits three times on to the child's face, and says: ‘Resemble me in all my ways and deeds, because you are named after me.’ As an infant, the child is referred to as nyalui, and though she may enjoy the considerable affection of both parents, her social significance is very small. Should she die, there is no crying for her. The corpse is simply wrapped up in leaves and buried under a banana tree, or at some other place where it is customary to deposit rubbish.

The main factor promoting change in African society today is the desire for a higher standard of living than is attainable under the tribal system. Having had a few years at school places the individual on the fringe of a new society. In the Sierra Leone Protectorate the Europeanized African "Creole" from the original Sierra Leone Colony is the main cultural medium and, alogn with the European official, sets the princiapl social standars. "Creolization" is giving rise to a system of social classes in the Protectorate which, though still embryonic, can be clearly conceptualized in terms of "Creole," "literate native," and "illiterate native".

Several researchers have explored the possibility that acute stimulant response may predict eventual improvement after specific antidepressants. This review analyzes the relationship between stimulant response and nonspecific antidepressant response. In five studies, amphetamine responders were found to eventually improve after antidepressant treatment in 85% of the cases, while nonresponders improved in 43% of the cases. In contrast, acute methylphenidate responders and nonresponders eventually improved on antidepressants at equivalent rates. Amphetamine sensitivity appears to be a trait (possibly pharmacodynamic) that is independent of depressive illness but predictive of tricyclic responsiveness. Other evidence has suggested that amphetamine and methylphenidate cause similar behavioral and symptomatic effects through distinct mechanisms of potential clinical relevance. The most effective method for administering an amphetamine challenge and its appropriate clinical use remain unclear.