Transforming DNA sequences of human hepatocellular carcinomas, their distribution and relationship with hepatitis B virus sequence in human hepatomas.

Several related human transforming DNA sequences, hhc, and a putative normal liver homologue, c-hhc, have been molecularly cloned from the genomic DNAs of individual African and Asian hepatomas and from normal liver respectively. hhcM (Mahlavu) and hhcK3 (Korean), but not c-hhc, transformed NIH3T3 cells in DNA-mediated gene transfer assays. Transformed cells were found tumorigenic in athymic NIH Swiss nu/nu mice. In view of recent epidemiological studies implicating hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection early in life as causative for the eventual development of primary hepatocellular carcinoma in humans in Southeast Asia, the Far-East, and certain areas of Africa, we hereby analyzed the relationship between these hhcs and HBV in a survey of 20 hepatomas for DNA sequences homologous to hhcM and HBV by sequential hybridizations against [32p]hhcM and [32p]HBV probes. hhcM related DNA sequence were found highly amplified in 80% of the 20 hepatomas but HBV DNA sequence was rare or low. hhcM lends itself as a marker for human hepatomas. However, overall results indicated that patients with integrated HBV DNA sequences showed high copy number of hhcM sequence. Furthermore, EcoR1-restricted hepatoma DNAs showed that HBV and hhcM DNA sequences resided at different fragments in hepatomas. Our results suggest that HBV contributes to hepatocarcinogenesis probably via an activation mechanism involving possibly an integration or transient interaction of HBV DNA with hepatocyte DNA sequences, leading to recombination and eventual amplifications of the hhcM sequence in Mahlavu.

Fetal mummification associated with porcine parvovirus infection.

A crossbred gilt farrowed 2 mummified fetuses at term, but subsequently developed uterine inertia and became listless. The remaining 5 fetuses of the litter (4 mummified and 1 normal appearing) were collected by hysterectomy. Porcine parvovirus (PPV) was isolated from tissues of the mummified fetuses, and masses of viral antigen were detected throughout the same tissues when cryostat sections were examined by immunofluorescence microscopy. Serum from the normal-appearing fetus of this litter had a hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titer for PPV of 320. The finding of antibody (HI titer of 1,280) in serum collected from the gilt on the day of farrowing, but not in serum collected 67 days before, indicated initial exposure to PPV during gestation.

The paradox of the contented working woman in intercollegiate athletics administration.

We investigated the paradox of the contented working woman among middle and first-line intercollegiate athletics administrators. In this paradox, women report lower salaries than men but express comparable job satisfaction. The sample comprised 143 women and 371 men in 106 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I-A institutions. Job satisfaction was measured with the Job Descriptive Index (Smith, Kendall & Hulin, 1969) and Job in General (Ironson, Smith, Brannick, Gibson & Paul, 1989) scales. Analyses revealed the existence of the paradox: Women were paid significantly less, but were equally satisfied with their jobs. Neither gender was satisfied with promotion opportunities or pay, but both were highly satisfied with their jobs in general--another apparent paradox. The disproportionate number of male respondents raised questions about gender equity in athletics administration.