Detection of antibodies cross-reactive with type C RNA tumor viral p30 protein in human sera and exudate fluids.

Human sera and human exudate fluids were surveyed for the presence of antibodies cross-reacting with a type C viral protein with a molecular weight of 30,000 (p30). Antibodies cross-reactive with type C viral p30 were concentrated by means of affinity chromatography using Sepharose beads to which disrupted Simian sarcoma virus or Rauscher murine leukemia virus p30 had been coupled. Eluates obtained from the affinity beads were tested for activity against Rauscher murine leukemia virus p30, Simian sarcoma virus p30, and endogenous feline virus RD-114 p30 by radioimmunoprecipitation. Of 57 eluates tested, 29 showed activity against type C viral p30. A number of eluates were also tested for anti-p30 activity by a visual microcytotoxicity assay. Of 11 eluates positive in the radioimmunoprecipitation assay, five were also positive in the microcytotoxicity assay.

Including sheath effects in the interpretation of planar retarding potential analyzer's low-energy ion data.

The interpretation of planar retarding potential analyzers (RPA) during ionospheric sounding rocket missions requires modeling the thick 3D plasma sheath. This paper overviews the theory of RPAs with an emphasis placed on the impact of the sheath on current-voltage (I-V) curves. It then describes the Petite Ion Probe (PIP) which has been designed to function in this difficult regime. The data analysis procedure for this instrument is discussed in detail. Data analysis begins by modeling the sheath with the Spacecraft Plasma Interaction System (SPIS), a particle-in-cell code. Test particles are traced through the sheath and detector to determine the detector's response. A training set is constructed from these simulated curves for a support vector regression analysis which relates the properties of the I-V curve to the properties of the plasma. The first in situ use of the PIPs occurred during the MICA sounding rocket mission which launched from Poker Flat, Alaska in February of 2012. These data are presented as a case study, providing valuable cross-instrument comparisons. A heritage top-hat thermal ion electrostatic analyzer, called the HT, and a multi-needle Langmuir probe have been used to validate both the PIPs and the data analysis method. Compared to the HT, the PIP ion temperature measurements agree with a root-mean-square error of 0.023 eV. These two instruments agree on the parallel-to-B plasma flow velocity with a root-mean-square error of 130 m/s. The PIP with its field of view aligned perpendicular-to-B provided a density measurement with an 11% error compared to the multi-needle Langmuir Probe. Higher error in the other PIP's density measurement is likely due to simplifications in the SPIS model geometry.

Preoperative prediction of severe postoperative pain.

We developed and validated a prediction rule for the occurrence of early postoperative severe pain in surgical inpatients, using predictors that can be easily documented in a preoperative setting. A cohort of surgical inpatients (n=1416) undergoing various procedures except cardiac surgery and intracranial neurosurgery in a University Hospital were studied. Preoperatively the following predictors were collected: age, gender, type of scheduled surgery, expected incision size, blood pressure, heart rate, Quetelet index, the presence and severity of preoperative pain, health-related quality of life the (SF-36), Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS). The outcome was the presence of severe postoperative pain (defined as Numeric Rating Scale > or =8) within the first hour postoperatively. Multivariate logistic regression in combination with bootstrapping techniques (as a method for internal validation) was used to derive a stable prediction model. Independent predictors of severe postoperative pain were younger age, female gender, level of preoperative pain, incision size and type of surgery. The area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.68-0.74). Adding APAIS scores (measures of preoperative anxiety and need for information), but not STAI, provided a slightly better model (ROC area 0.73). The reliability of this extended model was good (Hosmer and Lemeshow test p-value 0.78). We have demonstrated that severe postoperative pain early after awakening from general anesthesia can be predicted with a scoring rule, using a small set of variables that can be easily obtained from all patients at the preoperative visit. Before this internally validated preoperative prediction rule can be applied in clinical practice to support anticipatory pain management, external validation in other clinical settings is necessary.

The quantitation of cell surface antigens by antibody-complement mediated cytotoxicity: application to murine leukemia virus-infected mouse cells.

51Cr-antibody-complement mediated cytotoxicity (ACC) can be used to quantify nanogram amounts of cell surface antigens. When pure antigen is available for calibration, inhibition of ACC by known amounts of antigen and by whole cells yields an estimate of the number of antigenic equivalents per cell. ACC is more suitable for this purpose than radioimmunoprecipitation assay. By ACC the number of antigenic equivalents of the oncornaviral proteins gp70 and p30 has been determined on the surface of various cells infected with Rauscher and Gross murine leukemia viruses.

Preservation of the canine liver for 24-48 hours using simple cold storage with UW solution.

The results of a series of 29 orthotopic liver transplants in the dog are described. The livers were preserved in a new cold storage fluid, UW solution, and were successfully transplanted after periods of storage of 24, 30, 36, and 48 hr. All six animals transplanted after 24 hr survived beyond 5 days after transplantation and had excellent graft function. Four of six survived for at least 5 days after 30 hr of cold storage, and five of five after 36 hr. Five of six consecutive dogs that received transplants that had been cold-stored for 48 hr survived for 5 or more days. This solution represents a substantial advance over all existing cold storage solutions for liver preservation.

Preservation of dog liver, kidney, and pancreas using the Belzer-UW solution with a high-sodium and low-potassium content.

The UW solution developed for cold storage of the liver, pancreas, and kidney was used in a modified form in this study and tested in the orthotopic transplantation of dog livers, kidneys, and pancreases preserved for 48 hr. The modification was the alteration of the concentrations of potassium and sodium. The original UW solution contained 120 mM K+ and 30 mM Na+. In this study the Na+ was 140 mM and the K+ only 9 mM, all other agents were identical to the original UW solution. Six of 11 dogs survived with livers preserved for 48 hr. The five deaths were due to technical complications and unrelated to preservation failure. Postoperative AST and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) values were lower (statistically significant on days 1, 3, and 4) in livers preserved in the high Na+ UW solution than as previously shown in the high-k+ UW solution. Other measures of liver function (bilirubin and fibrinogen) were similar between the high-Na+ and high-K+ groups. Six dogs survived with kidneys preserved for 48 hr in the high-Na+ UW solution. The results were comparable to those obtained with the high K+ solution. Four of six dogs survived for up to 28 days with pancreases preserved for 48 hr. The two deaths were due to technical complications unrelated to preservation failure. Three of the four dogs had normal blood glucose values for one month, and intravenous glucose tolerances test on day 7 and 28 were identical to those obtained in pancreases preserved with the high-K+ UW solution. The high-Na+ version of the UW solution appears equally or slightly more effective for 48-hr organ preservation than the original high-K+ UW solution. The use of a high-Na+ UW solution reduces the problems of hyperkalemic cardiac arrest in in situ flushing of the donor for multiple organ harvesting and in transplantation of the liver. Thus, with this solution livers do not need to be flushed with a low K+-containing solution prior to transplantation.

Correlation methods for the centering, rotation, and alignment of functional brain images.

Simple methods are described using correlation analysis to rotate functional brain images to a standard vertical orientation, identify the antero-posterior centerline, and align multiple images from the same brain level. Image rotation and centering are performed by determining the angle of rotation and centerline coordinate that result in maximal left-right correlation. Testing of this method on sets of multiple images acquired simultaneously through different brain levels suggests that the optimal rotation can be determined within 1 degree and the centerline within 0.3 mm. Spatial alignment of two or more images from the same brain level of a single subject is accomplished by finding the translation and rotation that yield the highest correlation between the images. Testing of the alignment method on sets of simultaneously acquired images at multiple brain levels suggests that the optimal translation can be determined within 0.45-0.69 mm and the optimal rotation within 0.8 degrees. These methods are completely objective and can easily be automated.

Small-bowel obstruction caused by heterotopic pancreas in an adult.

Aberrant pancreatic tissue has been found in several abdominal and intrathoracic locations, most frequently in the stomach or duodenum. Heterotopic pancreas in the jejunum or ileum is a rare, usually asymptomatic, incidental finding. A review of the English language literature since 1950 shows only one pediatric and one adult case of heterotopic pancreas causing small bowel intussusception. The authors report a case of ileo-ileal intussusception caused by a submucosal mass of aberrant pancreatic tissue that remained undetected during several diagnostic tests and two laparotomies.

Tracking the majority: households, older workers, and retirement during the Great Depression.

OBJECTIVES: Well into the 20th century, elderly people relied on traditional means of support, such as children's financial contributions or continued labor force activity. After the institution of Social Security in the late 1930s, retirement--permanent withdrawal from the labor force with financial arrangements made for support--became an expected part of the life cycle of men 65 years and older in the United States. This research explores the extent of retirement and methods to finance it in the period just before Social Security became available. METHODS: The 1935-1936 Study of Consumer Purchases (SCP) contains information on demographic and economic conditions for 5,975 households. The SCP is a rich but underutilized source of data on household behavior. The data allow two definitions of labor force activity to be constructed; descriptive statistics identify factors associated with retirement. RESULTS: Alternative sources of support, such as pensions and investment income, have been thought to be relatively insignificant before the 1940s. This article shows that retirement in the modern sense appeared before state provision of support for aged persons. SCP data indicate considerable reliance on such financial instruments, a particularly noteworthy result given Depression conditions. Pension and investment income also helps identify persons who might report a gainful occupation but appear to have withdrawn from labor force activity, meeting a modern definition of retirement. DISCUSSION: The SCP, collected just as Social Security was enacted, reveals that nonfamilial sources of income like pensions and investments had begun to underwrite retirement without dependence on family members. Many older persons relied on these instruments for support in old age, and many did not have children present in their households. These results constitute evidence for an independent, nonfamily-based retirement before governmental provision of assistance through Social Security.

Axillary versus rectal temperatures in preterm infants under radiant warmers.

Twenty-five preterm neonates were studied to determine whether monitoring of body temperature may be accomplished by taking axillary instead of rectal temperatures. Both axillary and rectal temperatures were taken simultaneously 12 times over a two-day period. Temperatures were recorded at three, five, eight, and ten minutes. The researchers concluded that an axillary measurement of temperature may be adequately substituted for rectal measurement of temperature.

Aqueous lithium heparin is a superior anticoagulant to solid heparin for blood collection from the retro-orbital sinus of rats.

Blood specimens from the retro-orbital sinus of 80 Sprague Dawley rats were collected into tubes containing lithium heparin either as a solid or an aqueous solution. Plasma was separated for blood chemistry analysis. Twenty-eight blood specimens collected into tubes containing solid heparin were clotted and eight specimens were partially clotted making these samples unsuitable for some analyses. None of the specimens collected into heparin solution showed any evidence of clotting. The variances of lactate dehydrogenase and alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase activities in plasma prepared with solid heparin were significantly greater than those prepared with heparin solution. Lithium heparin solution is now used routinely in our laboratory.

Refill adherence by the elderly for asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease drugs dispensed over a 10-year period.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to survey prescription refill adherence for preventive asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) medication dispensed to patients 60 years and older over a 10-year period. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted based on a Swedish pharmacy record database in the county of Jämtland for the years 1994-2003. Satisfactory refill adherence was set as dispensed refills covering 80-120% of the prescribed treatment time for inhaled corticosteroids, combination products of adrenergics and steroids and anticholinergics. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Only 28% (n=160) of the repeat prescriptions for inhaled corticosteroids had been dispensed with a satisfactory refill adherence, 59% showed an undersupply and 12% showed an oversupply. There was no difference in refill adherence in relation to age and gender. However, during the 10-year study period repeat prescriptions being dispensed for 2-4 years showed higher satisfactory refill adherence than those being dispensed for <2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that over half of the repeat prescriptions for inhaled corticosteroids dispensed to patients over 60 years showed an undersupply. Therefore, it is likely that elderly patients on long-term therapy have a non-optimal drug use of their preventive asthma/COPD medication.

Refill adherence to repeat prescriptions of cancer drugs to ambulatory patients.

The objective was to study the refill adherence among ambulatory patients with prescribed cancer drugs. The study was based on copies of repeat prescriptions, which were collected at three large Swedish pharmacies during the last 3 months of 2004. Copies of 141 repeat prescriptions were analysed. There was no statistical significant difference between the number of patients with undersupply of cancer drugs (i.e. <80% of prescribed cancer drugs) and that of patients with undersupply of all other drugs, or between the number of patients with oversupply of cancer drugs (>120% of prescribed cancer drugs) and that of patients with oversupply of all other drugs. Undersupply of drugs was found among 14% of the patients. The median treatment gap for these patients was 39 (range 29-49 days) per 98-100 days of prescribed treatment time, meaning that the undersupply leads to treatment gaps that may jeopardize their therapeutic outcome. It is reasonable to expect that more seriously ill patients would be adherent to prescribed medication, and consequently that cancer patients would have high adherence. However, our data show that cancer patients on oral long-term treatment have a non-adherence similar to that of patients in general.

Orientational research into dismissed managers in health care.

The importance of the competence of managers is illustrated by findings of provisional research conducted on the failure of managers in health care (15 case studies of dismissed managers in hospitals, nursing homes, and convalescent homes). The first guarded conclusion that may be drawn from the preliminary study is that, as a rule, the dismissal is based on the attitude and competence of the manager ("software") and not on business expertise or technical skill ("hardware"). It could be said that the manager in health care is judged more on the process than the results.

Survival following renal transplantation in Saskatchewan, 1970--74: follow-up study using medical insurance records.

The patient history file of a medical care insurance plan can be used for statistical purposes in many ways. This is illustrated by the use of the records of the Saskatchewan Medical Care Insurance Commission to study the survival of patients receiving kidney transplants in the period 1970--74. During this period 48 males and 23 females received at least one renal transplant; these patients represented 34% of all males and 28% of all females undergoing regular renal dialysis. These period prevalence estimates are consistent with calculations based on incidence and point prevalence reported elsewhere. Life-table calculations showed the 4-year survival rate following first kidney transplantation in Saskatchewan to be 45% for all patients, 55% for those less than 45 years of age and 26% for those 45 years of age or older.

PKU as a factor in the development of self-esteem.

Self-esteem of ten children with phenylketonuria was compared with that of seven unaffected siblings of children with PKU in a total of 11 families. Ages of the nine girls and eight boys ranged from 8 to 15 years. The study examined several variables that might affect self-esteem. From this study, it appears that PKU status and lowered IQ together contribute to lowered self-concept and that PKU status alone (i.e. with the effects of IQ removed) has a strong tendency to influence self-esteem.