Reporting and founding of child neglect in urban and rural communities.

The community context in which child abuse and neglect takes place may influence both reporting and outcomes of investigations into such incidents. This study examines and contrasts urban versus rural community perceptions of neglect by lay citizens and protective service workers.

Histopathologic verification of Verhoeff's 1918 irradiation cure of retinoblastoma.

The authors studied an eye obtained postmortem from the first patient with a successfully irradiated retinoblastoma. This patient, first treated by Verhoeff in 1917, had been followed for 71 years. Ophthalmoscopy disclosed a depressed chorioretinal scar, approximately 3 disc diameters (DD) in size, with baring of the sclera temporal to the macula. This case is historically significant, in that Verhoeff and Reese debated as to whether this tumor regressed spontaneously or secondary to irradiation. Results of histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural examination showed a chorioretinal, neuroglial scar without evidence of calcification, necrotic tumor cells, or residual retinoblastoma. The authors discuss the clinical and histopathologic findings in spontaneously regressed retinoblastoma, retinoma/retinocytoma, and irradiated retinoblastoma. They believe that Verhoeff was correct in his belief that x-ray therapy had cured this patient.

Child abuse by adolescent caregivers.

The purpose of this analysis was to estimate the frequency and severity of child abuse committed by adolescents who were in nonparental caregiving roles. The sample was composed of cases in which either physical or sexual abuse was substantiated through child welfare investigation. The main comparisons were between adolescent and adult caregivers. While caregiver age did not appear to have a consistent effect on the occurrence of physical abuse, notable differences between adolescents and adults were found in the area of sexual abuse. Not only were adolescents observed to commit substantially more sexual abuse than older caregiver cohorts, but the sexual abuse they committed was more likely to involve intercourse and physical assault. These findings have implications for future research and practice.

Perceived changes in siblings of hospitalized children: a comparison of sibling and parent reports.

This study compared sibling perception of changes in feelings and behaviors to parental perception of sibling changes during a pediatric hospitalization. The data showed a low level of agreement on a Perceived Change Scale, with siblings reporting a significantly higher number of changes than did their parents. Further, the only significant main effect found on seven-way analysis of variance was sibling age, with a lower percentage of agreement for young siblings and their parents than for older siblings. Similarly, one significant two-way interaction revealed that the percentage of agreement increased for older siblings when they saw their parents more frequently, but it did not increase for younger siblings. In addition, siblings reported the worst parts of the experience and what could be done to help them. Implications of these findings for clinicians and researchers are presented.

The effect of prediction accuracy on choice reaction time.

In this study, we examined the effect of prediction accuracy on reaction time (RT). Subjects performed on three blocks of choice RT trials, all of which involved the mapping of four stimuli (red, green, 1, or 0) onto two response keys. The subjects were told that the four stimuli were equally probable and that their task was to respond to each stimulus onset by pressing the correct key. In one block (stimulus-prediction), the subjects predicted, prior to each trial, the precise stimulus that would appear. In a second block (category-prediction), the subjects predicted the category of the stimulus (i.e., color or digit) that would appear. In a third block (no-prediction), the subjects simply responded to each stimulus without making a prior prediction. In the stimulus-prediction block, RT was faster for correct predictions than for incorrect predictions. In addition, RT was faster on trials in which an incorrect prediction involved the correct category than on trials in which it involved the incorrect category: that is, a "half-wrong" prediction was better than an "all-wrong" prediction. In the category-prediction block, RT was faster when the stimulus category was predicted correctly than when it was not. There was little evidence of a response-facilitation contribution to the correct-prediction effect. These results permit inferences concerning the encoding and organization of information in memory.

A perfusion system developed for 31P NMR study of melanoma cells at tissue-like density.

A perfusion culture system has been developed for 31P NMR study of human uveal melanoma metabolism by adapting the Vitafiber I cartridge system (Amicon). 31P NMR spectra collected weekly during periods of up to 10 weeks demonstrated increasing levels of phosphorus metabolites as the anchorage-dependent cells grew to tissue-like density.

Paraproteinemic crystalline keratopathy.

Paraproteinemic crystalline keratopathy is an uncommon complication of multiple myeloma and other plasma cell dyscrasias. A case of 16 years' duration was associated with an IgG kappa monoclonal gammopathy and recurrent uveitis. The corneal changes were unusually extensive and distributed throughout all corneal layers. The deposits consisted of diffuse, small, polymorphic aggregates, which were iridescent in the superficial cornea, mat elsewhere, and associated with a diffuse stromal haze; specular microscopy showed additional features. Both corneas were thickened. The deposits failed to stain histochemically, except patchily with Masson Trichrome. There was extensive immunohistochemical labeling for IgG, kappa, and surprisingly, lambda. Ultrastructurally, pleomorphic deposits were found in every corneal cell; paracrystalline deposits with internal banding were seen only in the basal epithelium. Keratocytes and endothelial cells were damaged and reduced in number. Disease recurred in a corneal graft. Three main types of paraproteinemic keratopathy can be distinguished. The deposits probably represent various metabolic products of the monoclonal protein. This is not necessarily a benign condition; hematologic control may be necessary on purely ophthalmological criteria.

Electron microscopy and HLA expression of a new cell line of retinoblastoma.

A new continuous retinoblastoma cell line (Rb 355-7) derived from a nonfamilial unilaterally-affected child was studied morphologically and with regard to HLA expression. The tumor was compared with two older and widely studied cell lines, the Y-79 and WERI-Rb1 strains. The Rb 355-7 line grew in tissue culture in clusters and chains. Its doubling time was calculated to be 4.4 days. In contrast to the Y-79 and WERI-Rb1 cell lines, the Rb 355-7 showed a paucity of HLA expression.

Olfactory neuroblastoma metastatic to the eye.

A case of olfactory neuroblastoma metastatic to the choroid is reported and described. Histologically, the tumor consisted of islands of small round cells, many of them surrounding blood vessels in a 'pseudorosette' pattern. Numerous mitotic figures were present. Transmission electron microscopy reveals neuritic processes containing neurosecretory granules and microtubules, features characteristic of olfactory neuroblastoma. This is the first published case of an olfactory neuroblastoma demonstrating intraocular metastasis.

Transmission electron microscopic observations of vitreous abnormalities in retinitis pigmentosa.

Ultrastructural studies of six vitreous biopsy specimens obtained during cataract surgery on patients with retinitis pigmentosa showed four types of cells. These were ocular pigment epithelium, uveal melanocytes, retinal astrocytes, and macrophage-like cells. The fibrous astrocytes displayed plump cell bodies, large nuclei, and numerous intracytoplasmic filaments. The pigment epithelial cells and uveal melanocytes were round to cuboidal and were heavily pigmented. Macrophage-like cells demonstrated round cell bodies, inclusions of glycogen, and long processes extending from the cell membrane. Also identified in the vitreous material were loose pigment granules. In contrast, vitreous from the control group showed occasional macrophages and loose pigment. These findings explained the clinical observation of material within the vitreous of patients with retinitis pigmentosa.

Glial cell component in retinoblastoma.

The right eye of a 4-month-old girl with a large, unilateral, sporadic retinoblastoma was enucleated. The tumor was unusual because it contained Flexner-Wintersteiner rosettes with extremely large lumina. Smaller rosettes and undifferentiated tumor cells were observed within the lumina. Also of importance were cells resembling glial cells which were intermixed with more typical cuboidal retinoblastoma cells. These cells had electron microscopic features typical of glial cells and stained positively for glial fibrillary acidic protein in immunohistochemical studies. Rosettes and glial cells continued to be observed in the tumor carried in tissue culture through two passages over a 7-month period. This tumor is presented because of its unusual rosette structures and because it confirms recent reports describing a glial cell component in retinoblastoma.

Case disposition recommendations of attorneys and social workers in child abuse investigations.

This study is concerned with decision making in child abuse investigations. The study used an experimental design to investigate the effects of four case factors that influence child protective service workers' and attorneys' dispositions choices in alleged cases of physical child abuse. The factors were: the physical injury, mild or serious; previous report of child abuse, yes or no; parental reaction, positive or negative; and parental admission of involvement with injury, admit or deny. The main findings were: Attorneys had a tendency to recommend court intervention, while protective workers had a tendency not to recommend court action; and all four case factors had a significant effect on the disposition choices for both professional groups, although injury and previous report accounted for a larger proportion of the variance.

Establishment of cell lines of uveal melanoma. Methodology and characteristics.

Six continuous cell lines have been established from choroidal and ciliary body melanomas. These lines have been maintained in culture for at least 100 in vitro population doublings for periods over 1 year. They were established initially using a human diploid fibroblast strain MRC-5 as a feeder layer. Cells were grown in Ham's F-12 medium containing fetal bovine and horse sera and supplemented with glucose, cholera toxin, and epidermal growth factor. Culture doubling times ranged from 72-96 hr; cloning efficiencies ranged from 1-5% in the absence of a feeder layer. Six cell lines were studied in detail by electron microscopy, and all were found to have evidence of melanosomes and/or premelanosomes. The morphology of the cells was characteristic of melanomas as defined by the Callender classification, with cell types ranging from spindle A to epithelioid. Karyotypic studies revealed the presence of only human chromosomes with modal numbers ranging from 48-54 in the different lines.

The Alström syndrome: ophthalmic histopathology and retinal ultrastructure.

A case of pigmentary retinal degeneration causing blindness in early childhood, progressive neurosensory hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, acanthosis nigricans, hypogonadism with normal secondary sex characteristics, and kyphoscoliosis without polydactyly and with no mental retardation is reported. The results of endocrinological studies, karyotype analysis, and digital dermatoglyphics supported the clinical diagnosis of the Alström syndrome. The patient had small globes, bilateral posterior subcapsular cataracts, lacy vacuolation of the iris, ciliary process hyalinisation, unilateral asteroid hyalosis, total absence of rods and cones, intraretinal melanin pigment, retinal pigment epithelium atrophy, focal chorioretinal fusion, preretinal fibrosis, bilateral giant optic disc drusen, and optic nerve atrophy. Electron microscopy of the retina demonstrated large numbers of melanolysosomes, numerous folds of basement membrane material, disruption of Bruch's membrane, and numerous bundles of extracellular collagen fibrils in the retinal pigment epithelium.

Co-cultivation of retinoblastoma with fibroblasts, iris pigment epithelium, and retinal pigment epithelium in tissue culture.

Retinoblastoma cells of the Y79 line were co-cultivated with human fibroblasts and bovine iris and retinal pigment epithelium in tissue culture. The Y79 cells, which characteristically grow as a suspension culture, were found to attach directly to the fibroblasts and pigment epithelium on the flask surface. Electron microscopic examination of the fibroblast-retinoblastoma co-cultures revealed numerous pinocytotic vesicles lining the fibroblast cell borders that were in contact with the tumor cells. The retinoblastoma cells contained increased numbers of ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, and-mitochondria. Fibroblastic processes appeared to wrap around and engulf tumor cells. In both the iris and retinal pigment epithelium co-cultures with retinoblastoma cells, there were increased numbers of mitochondria in the tumor cells in areas adjacent to pigment epithelium but no pinocytotic vesicles were seen. The pigment epithelium attached to Y79 cells showed fewer processes than did the fibroblasts in co-culture. In summary, both fibroblast and pigment epithelium functioned as an effective carrier cell layer for retinoblastoma cells. In addition, we believe that the fibroblast layer removed substances secreted by the tumor cells via pinocytotic vesicles.

Histologic and ultrastructural characteristics of temporal arteritis. The value of the temporal artery biopsy.

Temporal artery biopsy is an easily performed procedure of low morbidity that produces valuable information in establishing a diagnosis and guiding therapy as well as providing tissue for further pathologic and immunologic research aimed at understanding and ultimately controlling this disease. The pathogenesis of temporal arteritis remains unresolved. In an effort to clarify this question, 19 temporal arteries demonstrating typical arteritic changes by light microscopy were also examined by transmission electron microscopy. At the light microscopic level, a granulomatous inflammation, often containing giant cells, was found in all layers of the vessel but most commonly concentrated within the internal or external border of the muscular media. The internal elastic lamina was usually fragmented and surrounded by inflammatory cells. Segmented subintimal fibromuscular hyperplasia and lymphocytic and plasma cell infiltration of the adventitia were nondiagnostic but suggestive findings commonly observed. Ultrastructural alterations were most striking in the muscular media. Degenerating smooth muscle cells with elongated mitochondria, dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum, and autophagic vacuoles containing electron-dense material were observed. Macrophages and giant cells contained degenerated smooth muscle cell basement membrane within phagocytic vacuoles, and macrophages were found within smooth muscle. Although frequently found in the vicinity of macrophages and giant cells, disrupted elastic lamina was not demonstrated in phagocytic cells.

Mass cultivation of bovine ocular pigment epithelial cells in microcarrier suspension culture.

Recent developments in tissue culture technology permit the mass cultivation of anchorage-dependent cells in a compact and easily maintained system by utilizing the large surface area of suspended microspheres for cellular attachment and proliferation. The present study describes the successful cultivation of pure bovine iris pigment epithelium and mixed bovine retinal pigment epithelium-choroid by microcarrier suspension culture. Ocular pigment epithelial cells were collected from enucleated calf eyes and cultured in conventional monolayer fashion on flat plates. Subsequently, cells were harvested by trypsinization and were inoculated into microcarrier culture. Confluence was obtained in 8 to 12 days and final cell densities were 1 x 10(6) cells/ml for iris pigment epithelium and 8 x 10(5) cells/ml for combined retinal pigment epithelium--choroid; the microcarrier density was 5 gm/L. Samples from ongoing microcarrier cultures were processed for light and electron microscopic examination. Culture of bovine ocular pigment epithelial cells by microcarrier suspension technique provides a simplified method of cultivation of large numbers of cells, with additional advantages in ongoing culture maintenance and accessibility.

Induction of ocular neoplasms in Fischer rats by intraocular injection of nickel subsulfide.

Nickel subsulfide, alpha Ni3S2, was administered to albino Fischer rats by a single injection into the vitreous body of the right eye (0.5 mg alpha Ni3S2/rat, suspended in 20 microliter of NaCl vehicle). Control rats received a similar injection of the vehicle. Malignant tumors developed in the injected eyes of 14/15 alpha Ni3S2-treated rats by 8 months (vs. 0/11 controls, p less than 0.001). Five of the injected eyes of alpha Ni3S2-treated rats contained multiple tumors. The 21 eye tumors that were induced by alpha Ni3S2 included 11 melanomas, four retinoblastomas, three gliomas, and three unclassified malignant neoplasms. Three of the melanomas developed extraocular extensions; one of the melanomas metastasized to lungs and brain. Although the melanomas arose from amelanotic uveal melanocytes, melanosomes were observed in electron micrographs of the tumor cells. This study provides a new experimental model for chemical induction of ocular neoplasms. As a procedure to test the carcinogenicity of nickel compounds, intraocular injection has the advantages of short latency period, high tumor incidence, and ease of tumor detection.

Development of the outer plexiform layer in albino rats.

The development of the outer plexiform layer (OPL) at the posterior pole was studied in albino rats, ages 1 to 18 days. Light microscopic observations were consistent with previous reports that within the first postnatal week neuroepithelial cells migrate into outer and inner nuclear layers with formation of the intervening OPL. The relation of neural and glial cells was consistent with the suggestion of others that guidance by glial cells influences the radial organization of the developing neural retina. The new observations presented in this paper raise the possibility that the horizontal orientation of neural processes in the outer plexiform layer depends upon guidance of glial cells.