Ethyl mercury p-toluene sulfonanilide: lethal and reproductive effects on pheasants.

Ethyl mercury p-toluene sulfonanilide (active ingredient of Ceresan M) at a dietary concentration of 30 parts per million (12.5 parts of mercury per million) was lethal to adult ring-necked pheasants. Egg production and survival of third-week embryos were sharply reduced when breeders were maintained on feed containing 10 parts of this compound per million (4.2 parts of mercury per million).

Familial essential thrombocythemia.

Primary or essential thrombocythemia is rarely observed in childhood, and familial occurrence has been reported only once. In this study, essential thrombocythemia is documented in five members of both sexes from two to 62 years of age in three successive generations. The propositus had a persistent elevation of the platelet count, splenomegaly, a normal hemoglobin level, a normal white blood cell count, and abnormal platelet aggregation. Platelet arachidonic acid metabolites assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography and serum thrombopoietin levels were normal. Megakaryocytes were increased in number and size. Both mature and early immature megakaryocytes, but no atypical megakaryocytes, were identified by surface immunofluorescence. Bone marrow cultures showed normal myeloid and erythroid colony formation, and chromosome studies revealed a normal female karyotype. These findings support the concept that familial essential thrombocythemia is a myeloproliferative disorder that is transmitted by an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance, and that untreated young women and children with essential thrombocythemia have long survival.

The detection of positive blood cultures by the BACTEC NR660. The clinical importance of four-day versus seven-day testing.

A total of 471 positive blood cultures obtained over a 3-month period were identified and evaluated for day of positivity by the BACTEC NR660. Of all positive blood cultures, 73% (344) were detected within the first 2 days, and 94% (441) were detected through day 4. The proportion of positive cultures detected at day 5 was significantly lower than that at day 4 (p less than 0.01). Patient chart review revealed that two of 30 isolates (0.4% of all positive isolates) identified on days 5-7 were considered clinically significant and would have been missed if cultures would not have been evaluated for seven days. Therefore, very limited additional patient benefit is derived after greater than 4 days of growth and detection by the BACTEC NR660.

Famciclovir for ophthalmic zoster: a randomised aciclovir controlled study.

AIMS: To compare the efficacy and safety of famciclovir with aciclovir for the treatment of ophthalmic zoster. METHODS: Randomised, double masked, aciclovir controlled, parallel group in 87 centres worldwide including 454 patients with ophthalmic zoster of trigeminal nerve (V(1)) comprised the intent to treat population. Oral famciclovir 500 mg three times daily or oral aciclovir 800 mg five times daily for 7 days. Assessments included day 0 (screening), days 3 and 7 (during treatment), days 10, 14, 21, 28 and monthly thereafter, up to 6 months (follow up). Proportion of patients who experienced ocular manifestations, severe manifestations and non-severe manifestations; loss of visual acuity was the main outcome measure. RESULTS: The percentage of patients who experienced one or more ocular manifestations was similar for famciclovir (142/245, 58.0%) and aciclovir (114/196, 58.2%) recipients, with no significant difference between groups (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.68, 1.45). The percentage of patients who experienced severe and non-severe manifestations was similar between groups, with no significant difference. The prevalence of individual ocular manifestations was comparable between groups. There was no significant difference between groups for visual acuity loss. CONCLUSION: Famciclovir 500 mg three times daily was well tolerated and demonstrated efficacy similar to aciclovir 800 mg five times daily.

Brain lesions in mallard ducklings from parents fed methylmercury.

Methylmercury dicyandiamide was fed to mallard ducks at 3 ppm mercury. Mercury accumulated in the eggs to an average of 7.18 and 5.46 ppm on a wet-weight basis in 2 successive years. Mercury in the eggs is believed to have caused brain lesions in the hatched ducklings. Lesions included demyelination, neuron shrink-age, necrosis, and hemorrhage in the meninges overlying the cerebellum. Brains of dead ducklings contained an average of 6.17 and 5.19 ppm mercury on a wet-weight basis in 2 successive years.

Lead poisoning in common loons (Gavia immer).

Two emaciated common loons (Gavia immer) were believed to have died of lead poisoning when fragments of fishing lines and lead sinkers were discovered in their stomachs. Later a third emaciated loon, which had only the remnants of fishing line in its stomach, was suspected of being a possible lead-poisoning victim when all other test results were negative. The liver lead levels in the first two loons were 20.6 ppm and 46.1 ppm (wet weight), and the level in the third was 38.52 ppm (wet weight). Thirteen common loons dying of other causes had liver lead levels of less than 1 ppm (wet weight).

Ruptured-yolk peritonitis and organochlorine residues in a royal tern.

Ruptured-yolk peritonitis was responsible for the death of a royal tern. Lodgment of eggs in the oviduct was probably due to reverse peristalsis brought about by breakage of the thin-shelled eggs and secondary bacterial infection. The thin shells were apparently not related to the low levels of DDE and other organochlorine pollutants found in tissues and egg contents.

Isolation of poxvirus from debilitating cutaneous lesions on four immature grackles (Quiscalus sp.).

Poxvirus was isolated from nodules on four immature grackles (Quiscalus sp.) collected in two residential areas of Victoria, Texas. All of the birds were emaciated and had nodules on the eyelids, bill, legs, toes, and areas of the skin on the wings, neck, and ventral abdomen. These pox nodules were extensive and probably interfered with both sight and flight. The preliminary diagnosis was confirmed by virus isolation, histopathology, and electron microscopy. Poxvirus was isolated on the chorioallantoic membrane of embryonated hen's eggs and in Muscovy duck embryo fibroblast cell culture. Phaenicia calliphoridae (blowfly) larvae were found in one of the pox nodules, raising the possibility of mechanical transmission of the virus by contaminated adult blowflies.

Epizootic of coccidiosis in free-flying lesser scaup.

A coccidiosis epizootic has occurred in lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) at Bluestem Reservoir in eastern Nebraska during the spring in each of three recent years: 1976-1978. Losses peaked during the period from mid-March through April. As much as 29% of the peak population of scaup using the reservoir died. Necropsies of 72 of the nearly 1390 scaup that died revealed destruction and sloughing of the intestinal mucosa and associated hemorrhaging. Fibrinonecrotic cores were frequently found in the intestinal lumens. Scrapings from the intestinal mucosal contained massive numbers of oocysts of the coccidian Eimeria aythyae. This is the first report of recurrent epizootics of coccidiosis in freeflying waterfowl.

Kidney lesions associated with mortality in chickens inoculated with waterfowl influenza viruses.

Seventy-six type A influenza viruses recovered from waterfowl in Wisconsin, California, South Dakota, Florida, Texas, Alabama, and Nebraska were tested for virulence in chickens. The challenge to chickens was intravenous inoculation of first-, second-, or third-egg-passage virus. Each of the virus strains was tested separately in three or four chickens. Eighteen of the 76 viruses caused the death of one or more chickens following inoculation. Postmortem lesions were similar in all dead birds. In decreasing order of frequency, gross lesions included: swollen kidneys evident as accentuated lobular patterns, urates in the pericardial sac, and urates on the surface of the liver. Microscopic lesions present in kidneys were consistent with visceral gout. Mortality was associated with inoculations having higher concentrations of infectious virus. These results indicate that the influenza A viruses circulating in duck populations may include strains potentially pathogenic for chickens.

A proposed optimal health care system based on a comparative study conducted between Canada and Japan.

OBJECTIVES: Every country wants a good health care system for all citizens with minimum expenditure. By comparing health care systems in Canada and Japan, both of which have a universal health care system for all citizens in its own country, an attempt was made to visualize or search for an optimal health care system. METHOD: Data and information obtained were tabulated and compared from the standpoint of the effectiveness of the health insurance system and the feasibility of its application so as to propose an optimal health care system. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Some of the suggestions and proposals made for an optimal health care system for all citizens include implementation and/or establishment of minimal user fees, centralized rational decision-making processes, private delivery system of health care, centralized computer-aided patient record system, insurance monitoring system, patient education, and physician guidelines.

A biomechanical study of two methods of internal fixation of unstable fractures of the femoral neck. A preliminary study.

A model of an unstable femoral neck fracture was used in this study to compare the axial and torsional displacement obtained when the neck was fixed by a compression hip screw (CHS) and side plate, or three Knowles pins. Six paired, embalmed femora were mounted on a special, custom-made jig that grasped the femoral head and shaft securely. A standardized osteotomy was made with an oscillating saw, bisecting the distance between the lower cartilaginous portion of the femoral head and the intertrochanteric line. A 5-mm thick slice of bone was excised from the posteromedial quadrant of the distal fragment. The right or left femur in each pair was then randomly assigned to internal fixation with either three Knowles pins or a keyed CHS plus a 130 degrees four-hole side plate. After potting of the specimens and application of rosette strain gauges, axial displacements were measured during the application of in-plane and out-of-plane compressive loads. The resistance to torsion was also determined. There were no statistical differences between the two devices for compressive or torsional loading using this model.

An outbreak of fowl cholera in waterfowl on the Chesapeake Bay.

An outbreak of fowl cholera (Pasteurella multocida infection) occurred in waterfowl wintering on the Chesapeake Bay during February to March 1970. Losses were primarily confined to sea ducks: oldsquaws (Clangula hyemalis), white-winged scoters (Melanitta deglandi), goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula), and buffleheads (Bucephala albeola).

Clients' views of live supervision and satisfaction with therapy.

In this study we examined clients' perceptions of live supervision and their satisfaction with therapy in a university-based training clinic for marriage and family therapists. A total of 108 clients completed the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 and a modified version of the Purdue Live Observation Satisfaction Scale. Clients' comments on the advantages and disadvantages of live supervision were also solicited through short-answer questions. Results indicated that clients were generally satisfied with therapy and found the live-supervision process satisfactory as long as the perceived helpfulness of live supervision outweighed its perceived intrusiveness. The challenge for training clinics is striking a balance between helpfulness and intrusiveness in an effort to both train competent therapists and provide quality treatment.