Dermal irritation of petrolatum in rabbits but not in mice, rats or minipigs.

Petrolatum is widely used in cosmetics, topical pharmaceuticals and also as a vehicle in dermal toxicity studies. New Zealand white rabbits treated with white petrolatum (vehicle control) in a 2-week dermal irritation study exhibited moderate to severe erythema starting on Day 7 that subsided towards the end of the study. Histological examination of abraded and non-abraded petrolatum-treated skin obtained at termination (Day 15) revealed mild acanthosis, hyperkeratosis, dermal edema with mixed inflammatory cells in the dermis. Macroscopic and microscopic features noted in rabbits were consistent with dermal irritation to petrolatum. Wistar-Han rats, CD1 mice, C57/Bl/6J mice and Göttingen minipigs treated topically with white petrolatum did not exhibit clinical or histologic evidence of dermal irritation. Therapeutic agents developed for topical application are generally tested in rabbits during some point in development. Interpretation of skin irritation data from a single species can impact risk assessment for humans and on product labeling.

Fungi from koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) faeces exhibit a broad range of enzyme activities against recalcitrant substrates.

AIMS: Identification of fungi isolated from koala faeces and screening for their enzyme activities of biotechnological interest. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-seven fungal strains were isolated from koala faeces and identified by the amplification and direct sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA. The fungi were screened for selected enzyme activities using agar plates containing a single substrate for each target class of enzyme. For xylanase, endoglucanase, ligninase (ligninolytic phenoloxidase) and protease over two-thirds of the isolates produced a clearing halo at 25 degrees C, indicating the secretion of active enzyme by the fungus, and one-third produced a halo indicating amylase, mannanase and tannase activity. Some isolates were also able to degrade crystalline cellulose and others displayed lipase activity. Many of the fungal isolates also produced active enzymes at 15 degrees C and some at 39 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS: Koala faeces, consisting of highly lignified fibre, undigested cellulose and phenolics, are a novel source of fungi with high and diverse enzyme activities capable of breaking down recalcitrant substrates. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: To our knowledge, this is the first time fungi from koala faeces have been identified using ITS sequencing and screened for their enzyme activities.

Characterisation of One Class of Group III Sensory Neurons Innervating Abdominal Muscles of the Mouse.

Group III/IV striated muscle afferents are small diameter sensory neurons that play important roles in reflexes and sensation. To date, the morphological features of physiologically characterised group III/IV muscular afferents have not been identified. Here, the electrophysiological and morphological characteristics of sensory neurons innervating striated muscles of the mouse abdominal wall were investigated, ex vivo. Extracellular recordings were made from subcostal nerve trunks innervating the muscles. A distinctive class of mechanosensitive afferents was identified by a combination of physiological features including sensitivity to local compression, saturating response to graded stretch and, in most cases, absence of spontaneous firing. Studies were restricted to these distinctive units. These units had conduction velocities averaging 14 ±â€¯4 m/s (range: 8-20 m/s, n = 7); within the range of group III fibres in mice. Von Frey hairs were used to map receptive fields, which covered an area of 0.36 ±â€¯0.18 mm2 (n = 7). In 7 preparations, biotinamide filling of recorded nerve trunks revealed a single axon in the marked receptive field, with distinctive axonal branching and terminations meandering through the connective tissue sandwiched between two closely associated muscle layers. These axons were not immunoreactive for CGRP (n = 7) and were not activated by application of capsaicin (1 µM, n = 14). All of these afferents were strongly activated by a "metabolite mix" containing lactate, adenosine triphosphate and reduced pH. Responses to mechanical stimuli and to metabolites were additive. We have characterised a distinctive class of mechano- and chemo-sensitive group III afferent endings associated with connective tissue close to muscle fibres.

Paradoxical increase in cigarette smuggling after the market opening in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the magnitude of cigarette smuggling after the market opened in Taiwan. METHODS: Review of tobacco industry documents for references to smuggling activities related to Taiwan and government statistics on seizure of smuggled cigarettes. RESULTS: The market opening in 1987 led to an increase in smuggling. Contraband cigarettes became as available as legal ones, with only a small fraction (8%) being seized. Being specifically excluded from the market-opening, Japan entered the Taiwan market by setting up a Swiss plant as a legal cover for smuggling 10-20 times its legal quota of exports to Taiwan. Smuggling in Taiwan contributed to increased consumption of foreign brands, particularly by the young. Taiwan, not a member of the World Health Organization, was excluded from the East Asian 16-member "Project Crocodile", a regional anti-smuggling collaborative effort to implement the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. CONCLUSIONS: Taiwan showed a sharp increase in smuggling after market liberalisation. Being excluded from the international community, Taiwan faces an uphill battle to fight smuggling alone. If Taiwan remained as its weakest link, global efforts to reduce tobacco use will be undermined, particularly for countries in the East Asian region.

Tin ear syndrome: rotational acceleration in pediatric head injuries.

An array of signs pathognomonic of child abuse is described for three young children. The eponym "tin ear syndrome" describes distinct unilateral ear bruising, radiographic evidence of ipisilateral cerebral edema with obliteration of the basilar cisterns, and hemorrhagic retinopathy. Rotational acceleration produced by blunt trauma to the ear is shown to be a necessary and sufficient cause for the production of this syndrome. An approximate value of 4,670 radians/s2 produced by a force of 309 to 347 N (70 to 80 lb) results in shear stress and tearing of the subdural veins, loss of cortical vasomotor tone, cerebral hyperemia, herniation, and death. Past history and environmental circumstances implicated child abuse in every case.

Quality of life and psychosocial relationships in patients with chronic renal insufficiency.

The goal of the present study was to assess the psychological functioning level and the relationship between psychosocial variables and psychological functioning and social support buffering effects among a population of outpatients with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). The Beck Depression Inventory, Illness Effects Questionnaire, Multidimensional Scale of Social Support, and Satisfaction With Life Scale were administered to 50 patients with CRI. The patients' nephrologist provided a Karnofsky scale rating to assess physical functioning. Sample scores were also compared for descriptive purposes to a previously reported sample of patients with more advanced disease and chronic renal failure (CRF), and a population of patients who had just started hemodialysis therapy for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Patients with CRI are minimally depressed and perceive few negative illness effects. Satisfaction with life and cognitive depression scores were similar among the patients with CRI, CRF, and ESRD. Within the CRI sample, perception of illness, depression, and quality of life were significantly intercorrelated, indicating an emerging pattern of negative psychological reactions among some patients. Level of perceived social support was not correlated with other study variables. The mean level of perceived social support was lower among patients with CRI than in patients with ESRD. We conclude that even though most adjustment variables are in normal ranges, higher negative perception of illness is associated with higher depression scores and lower quality of life, even at this early stage of CRI. Additionally, social support may play an important role for those individuals beginning to experience a decline in renal functioning.

Depression and marital dissatisfaction in patients with end-stage renal disease and in their spouses.

Little research has been performed assessing patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) as parts of marital dyads or within family structures. Recent findings suggest patient interactions within such systems are associated with patient outcomes. To evaluate the relationship between level of patient depression and spouse psychosocial status, 55 couples in which one partner was undergoing chronic hemodialysis therapy for ESRD were interviewed. Two variables that alone and in interaction with one another were expected to relate to the spouse's level of depression and marital satisfaction were investigated: patient depression level and spouse's perceived social support. Depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Spouses' levels of depressive affect correlated directly with patient BDI scores. A significant two-way interaction for spousal depression (patient depression and spousal support) supported viewing spouses' adjustment as a function of the interaction between spouse and patient factors. Additionally, a main effect of perceived spousal social support on spousal marital satisfaction indicated that spouses reporting high levels of social support had the least marital strain. The severity of the patient's illness did not correlate with any of the predictor variables or measures of spousal adjustment, but spouses reported significantly lower functional status for patients than did nephrologists. Spouse and patient levels of depression are related, although causal relationships cannot be determined by these studies. Moreover, spouse perception of marital satisfaction is related to depression scores. These findings suggest the patient with ESRD functions in a psychosocial dyad. Spouse psychosocial status could impact on the level of patient depression, and the spouse might be amenable to interventions that could improve patient outcome.

Coping behaviors among depressed and nondepressed medical inpatients.

Sixty medical inpatients completed a variety of psychological measures related to factors associated with depression. An analysis of self-reported depression and coping response indices revealed significant differences in coping strategies between depressed and nondepressed medical inpatients. Depressed patients more often reported avoidance strategies to cope with the stressors associated with hospitalization, while nondepressed patients were more likely to utilize active coping techniques. Since the coping and depression measures were assessed concurrently, the direction of influence cannot be determined. Still, these findings are consistent with the learned helplessness model of depression for medical inpatients and suggest specific psychological interventions for treating this population. Such treatment would attenuate the adverse effects of inpatient medical depression and thereby enhance the desired benefits of medical hospitalization. It is suggested that future research examine the effectiveness of coping in a prospective design to clarify the direction of the coping and depression relationship.

Effects of anxiety sensitivity on emotional response to a stress task.

The purpose of this investigation was to further define the role of anxiety sensitivity, in relation to physiological arousal and the cognitive perception of anxiousness, as a determinant of anxiety. One hundred and thirty-two undergraduates at an urban university served as subjects. Two physiological measures of arousal and two cognitive measures of anxiety were used following an anxiety inducing task (mental arithmetic). The general expectation, which was supported, was that individual differences in anxiety sensitivity levels are more closely related to subjects' reported anxiousness in stressful conditions than are the actual physiological changes. Additionally, anxiety sensitivity was related to poststress levels of anxiety whereas trait anxiety was only related to pre- and postrelaxation levels of anxiety. Implications of the findings are addressed.

The custom face life: design and maintenance. An opinion.

The author presents his program for custom-designing face lifts. Recommendations for evaluation, indications for the various kinds of face lifts, and guidelines for setting up a face lift maintenance program are included.

Correction of the senile chin deformity in face lift.

This operation, or some modification of its concept and technique, should become a standard ancillary face lift procedure in patients requiring correction of a senile chin deformity for elimination of the ptosis of the mentum and improvement of the adjacent integumentary contours. The chin, submental, and cervical contours so obtained have been consistently good (Figs. 3 to 7). There was contour improvement in every patient who underwent the operation in a 10-year interval. No implant has required removal for infection, malposition, or migration. Infrequently, the submental scar has required revision to eliminate minor, superficial contour irregularities at the lateral ends of the incision.

Facile identification of the facial nerve branches.

The buccal, mandibular, zygomatic, and temporofrontal branches of the facial nerve are easily located by the surgical methods reported herein. The buccal and mandibular branches can be safeguarded during parotid, submaxillary gland, mandibular, or double-layer face lift surgery by these nerve location techniques.

Hyperglycemia and non-enzymatic glycation of serum and tissue proteins in chickens.

The objectives of these studies were to determine whether elevated plasma glucose concentrations in broiler breeder chickens (200-250 mg/dl) can result in the non-enzymatic attachment of glucose to serum proteins (fructosamine) and eventual cross-linking of tissue proteins (basement membrane thickness), and to investigate the effects of a factor that may influence this cross-linking process. In response to feeding the satiety factor calcium propionate (CaP, 1.7%), plasma glucose and fructosamine concentrations were increased (P < 0.05) from 1 to 9 weeks of age, whereas concentrations of plasma glucose and fructosamine in feed-restricted chicks were reduced for the first 7 weeks after hatch. In a second study, the age-related increase in kidney capillary basement membrane thickness was prevented (P < 0.05) by feeding the cross-linking inhibitor aminoguanidine (AG, 800 ppm) to 30-week-old broiler breeder hens for 34 weeks. The results from these studies suggest that concentrations of plasma glucose in chickens may, in fact, be exerting long-term detrimental effects on tissue proteins, which can be ameliorated by factors that limit the cross-linking reaction.

Effect of thyroid hormone on concentrations of plasma calcitonin in broiler chicks.

The purpose of these studies was to determine the effect of thyroidectomy (Tx), and thyroid hormone (T3/T4) treatment on concentrations of plasma CT in chicks. In addition, the turnover of CT in Tx- and T3/T4-treated chicks was estimated using a novel nonradioactive salmon CT preparation. One-week-old broiler chicks (Gallus domesticus) (n = 75) were divided into three groups. Group I was sham-injected daily (i.m. saline), Group II was injected with 50 micrograms/day of T3/T4 while Group III was injected with the goitrogen, methimazole, (150 mg/kg BW per day) for 8 weeks. Chicks (8-9 weeks old) were implanted with catheters in the brachial wing vein and administered ruthenium-labeled salmon CT. Blood samples were collected at 30 s, 1, 2, 4, 8, 20 min, and 3 h after injection. Results showed that concentrations of plasma CT were decreased in T3/T4-injected birds. There was no significant effect of methimazole on circulating concentrations of plasma CT. The half-life of CT was significantly increased (P < 0.05) in both T3/T4-injected (n = 6; 1.34 +/- 0.16 min) and goitrogen-treated birds (n = 2; 5.81 +/- 2.83 min) compared to controls (n = 7; 54 +/- 3 s) The results demonstrate that changes in concentrations of plasma thyroid hormones can significantly affect concentrations of plasma CT.

Surgical treatment of drooling by bilateral parotid duct ligation and submandibular gland resection.

We have followed 14 patients for up to 6 years after they had submaxillary gland resections and parotid duct ligations for drooling. Good to excellent results were found in more than 85 percent of them in the control saliva, and there have been no recurrences or fistulae. This procedure is technically simple to do, and it is associated with less morbidity than surgical relocation of the parotid ducts.

The development of the Cultural Health Attributions Questionnaire (CHAQ).

Current general health belief measures that are used to assess health behaviors do not capture the full range of health beliefs present among Latinos. The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid measure of Latino health beliefs, the Cultural Health Attributions Questionnaire (CHAQ). Three hundred forty participants were recruited in 2 metropolitan areas with large Latino populations. Exploratory factor analysis revealed 2 highly interpretable 12-item subscales: the Equity Attribution and the Behavioral-Environmental Attribution scales. Examination of the relationships between the subscales and measures of acculturation provided evidence of construct validity. Moreover, the prediction of health care behavior by the CHAQ also indicated initial criterion validity.

Effects on body temperature produced by micro-injection of Salmonella typhimurium lipopolysaccharide into the third cerebral ventricle of the chicken.

Salmonella typhimurium lipopolysaccharide was injected into the third cerebral ventricle of the hen via a surgically implanted cannula. Hens injected with 20-80 mug. Salmonella typhimurium lipopolysaccharide had higher (P less than .01) rectal temperatures (42.3 degrees C. compared to 41.3 degrees C.) than uninjected hens. Those injected with 0.9% NaCl had significantly lower (P less than .01) rectal temperatures (41.8 degrees C. compared to 42.3 degrees C.) than hens injected with this bacterial pyrogen. There is an indicated function for bacterial pyrogen acting directly in the hypothalamic area of the chicken.

Effects on body temperature produced by micro-injection of prostaglandin into the third cerebral ventricle of the chicken.

Hens injected with 1-2 mug. of either prostaglandin E1 or F1 alpha into the third cerebral ventrical had significantly higher (P LESS than .05 at 60 and 90 minutes post injection) rectal temperatures (0.4 degrees C.) as compared to uninjected control hens. Those injected with 0.9% saline had significantly lower (P less than .05 at 60 and 90 minutes post injection) rectal temperatures (0.2 degrees C.) than hens injected with prostaglandin.

The effect of age of breeder hens on residual yolk fat, and serum glucose and triglyceride concentrations of day-old broiler chicks.

The fat content and the concentrations of glucose and triglyceride in day-old chicks hatched from 27 and 60 wk-old broiler-breeder hens were determined from pooled samples of residual yolk and blood serum, respectively. Serum glucose and triglyceride levels were unaffected (P greater than .05) by breeder age, although there was a linear (P less than .001; r = .67) relationship between these characteristics and chick weight. Yolk fat, adjusted for chick weight, was on the average 13% greater (P less than .05) in chicks from old breeders than chicks from young breeder hens. Yolk wet weight was not affected (P greater than .05) by breeder age. Results indicate that breeder age may affect chick performance through alterations in the fat content of residual yolk.

Spontaneous contractions of the reproductive tract in laying and nonlaying hens.

The amplitude and frequency of contraction of muscle strips from the uterus, isthmus, and magnum from both laying and nonlaying hens were measured in vitro. The muscle strips from laying hens exhibited a greater amplitude of contraction (P less than .05) than the nonlayer; frequency was not significantly different between the two groups. In a comparison of organ sections tested, significant differences in amplitude, but not frequency of contraction were found. In the laying hen the magnum had the highest amplitude of contraction (2.59 mm.) followed by the uterus (1.63 mm.), and isthmus (.81 mm.).