Differential effects of acute cardiovascular exercise on explicit and implicit motor memory: The moderating effects of fitness level.

A single bout of cardiovascular exercise (CE) performed after practice can facilitate the consolidation of motor memory. However, the effect is variable and may be modulated by different factors such as the motor task's or participant's characteristics and level of awareness during encoding (implicit vs explicit learning). This study examines the effects of acute CE on the consolidation of motor sequences learned explicitly and implicitly, exploring the potential moderating effect of fitness level and awareness. Fifty-six healthy adults (24.1 ± 3.3 years, 32 female) were recruited. After practicing with either the implicit or explicit variant of the Serial Reaction Time Task (SRTT), participants either performed a bout of 16 min of vigorous CE or rested for the same amount of time. Consolidation was quantified as the change in SRTT performance from the end of practice to a 24 h retention test. Fitness level (V̇O2peak) was determined through a graded exercise test. Awareness (implicit vs explicit learning) was operationalized using a free recall test conducted immediately after retention. Our primary analysis indicated that CE had no statistically significant effects on consolidation, regardless of the SRTT's variant utilized during practice. However, an exploratory analysis, classifying participants based on the level of awareness gained during motor practice, showed that CE negatively influenced consolidation in unfit participants who explicitly acquired the motor sequence. Our findings indicate that fitness level and awareness in sequence acquisition can modulate the interaction between CE and motor memory consolidation. These factors should be taken into account when assessing the effects of CE on motor memory.

Better care for less money: cost-effectiveness of integrated care in multi-episode patients with severe psychosis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare cost-effectiveness of integrated care with therapeutic assertive community treatment (IC-TACT) versus standard care (SC) in multiple-episode psychosis. METHOD: Twelve-month IC-TACT in patients with schizophrenia-spectrum and bipolar I disorders were compared with a historical control group. Primary outcomes were entropy-balanced cost-effectiveness based on mental healthcare costs from a payers' perspective and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as a measure of health effects during 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: At baseline, patients in IC-TACT (n = 214) had significantly higher illness severity and lower functioning than SC (n = 56). Over 12 months, IC-TACT had significantly lower days in inpatient (10.3 ± 20.5 vs. 28.2 ± 44.9; P = 0.005) and day-clinic care (2.6 ± 16.7 vs. 16.4 ± 33.7; P = 0.004) and correspondingly lower costs (€-55 084). Within outpatient care, IC-TACT displayed a higher number of treatment contacts (116.3 ± 45.3 vs. 15.6 ± 6.3) and higher related costs (€+1417). Both resulted in lower total costs in IC-TACT (mean difference = €-13 248 ± 2975, P < 0.001). Adjusted incremental QALYs were significantly higher for IC-TACT versus SC (+0.10 ± 0.37, P = 0.05). The probability of cost-effectiveness of IC-TACT was constantly higher than 99%. CONCLUSION: IC-TACT was cost-effective compared with SC. The use of prima facies 'costly' TACT teams is highly recommended to improve outcomes and save total cost for patients with severe psychotic disorders.

Diagnosis of Mycoplasma pulmonis infection of rats by an indirect immunofluorescence test compared with 4 other diagnostic methods.

Efficiency of indirect immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM) for detection of M. pulmonis antibody (IgG) in rats was compared with results of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), complement fixation (CF), cultural isolation and histopathology. IFM was carried out on M. pulmonis infected BHK-21 cells grown on cover slips or multitest slides. After acetone fixation these antigen carriers could be stored at -20 degrees C for several months so that serological tests could be done at any time and completed within 2 h. The IFM was strain specific and the sensitivity of the test was comparable with that of the ELISA, whereas the CF-test proved to be very insensitive. For routine monitoring, only in cases of fresh infections should time consuming cultural procedures be preferred to serological tests. Chronic disease stages were readily detected by histological examination.

Efficiency of air filter sets for the prevention of airborne infections in laboratory animal houses.

Air filter sets (classes EU6 and EU9, or EU6 and S) were tested for their efficiency in protecting laboratory animals against potential airborne infections. Flexible-film isolators were used as a smaller scale model. In the first experiment, lasting 7 months, it was tested whether minute virus of mice (MVM) was able to penetrate the air filters between one isolator containing experimentally infected mice and another with MVM negative mice. In the second experiment we tested whether microorganisms in the incoming air were able to penetrate air filter sets. To assess this gnotobiotic mice in an isolator were monitored for 9 months for changes of their microbial flora. In both experiments a combination of EU6 and EU9 air filters proved to be sufficient to maintain the microbiological status of the animals. The same combination of medium efficiency filters (EU6 and EU9) is used on the air supply to 4 SPF-barrier units in which infections with MVM occurred repeatedly soon after the initial stocking. After a thorough disinfection no reinfection has been detected to date. This demonstrates that the relatively low efficiency of the air filters was not the cause of the repeated infection. The procedure for disinfection is described.

Adenovirus pneumonia in guineapigs: an experimental reproduction of the disease.

The recently described virus-induced pneumonia in guineapigs (Naumann et al., 1981) was experimentally reproducible in newborn animals, though not in preadult animals. Baby hamsters and newborn rats were also not susceptible to infection. 10 of 11 infected newborn guineapigs developed pathological changes identical with those found in spontaneous cases. The incubation period was from 5 to 10 days. The agent could not be cultivated in vitro, and therefore no applicable serological tests could be established. The morphology of the virus, its intranuclear location, the course of the disease and the histopathological and ultrastructural changes strongly suggest that the virus is an adenovirus specific for guineapigs. The virus did not cross-react with human or fowl adenoviruses. It was ether resistant and non-oncogenic in baby rats and hamsters. During a 5-year period we registered a total of 51 spontaneous death cases diagnosed as adenovirus pneumonia in our experimental guineapigs, 4 from own breeding colony.

Diagnosis of murine infections in relation to test methods employed.

Comparative investigations of Sendai virus, pneumonia virus of mice (PVM), mouse encephalomyelitis virus (mouse polio), minute virus of mice (MVM), and reovirus type 3 (Reo 3) infected murine colonies revealed a 30% higher incidence of positive sera when enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed instead of hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests. Equivalent sensitivity as in the ELISA was obtained when the same sera were investigated by indirect immunofluorescence (IF) tests. The virus purification techniques described resulted in highly suitable antigens for all indirect ELISA established. Since IIF requires no purified antigens, this test is recommended as an alternative to ELISA as well as to HI and complement fixation (CF) tests for laboratories lacking the necessary equipment for high speed centrifugation. A high incidence of false positive HI reactions was found particularly in Reo 3 routine serology. An updated survey of seromonitoring showed that European murine colonies appeared to be infected far less with Reo 3 if ELISA or IIF tests were employed. During 1982-1984, only 13% of the mouse colonies screened possessed Reo 3 positive sera whereas no natural Reo 3 infection was found in rat colonies. Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and the coronaviruses of rats exhibited the highest incidence in murine colonies. A total of 60% of mouse and 41% of rat colonies were found to be infected by these viruses. In comparison with earlier serological surveys, the relative incidence of other murine infections was similar. Antibodies against Bacillus piliformis (Tyzzer's disease) were detected by the IIF test in 41% of the rat colonies screened.

Cell cycle-dependent multiplication of avian adenoviruses in chicken embryo fibroblasts.

Propagation of CELO virus employing confluent monolayers of chicken enbryo fibroblasts (CEF) yielded virus titers one to two logs lower than those from confluent chicken kidney (CK) cells. An enhancement of virus production in CEF as measured by plaque formation was obtainedby infectng cultures in the growing non confluent state. Measurements of 3H-thymidine incorporation revealed a positive correlation between the DNA synthesis of CEF cultures at the time of inoculation and the amount of progeny virus, whereas in the CK-CELO-system no such relation was observed. Requirement of replicative fibroblasts for CELO multiplication was also demonstrated by comparison of virus replication in synchronized stationary and serum stimulated CEF cells. In stationary CEF cells arrested in the G1 phase of the cell replication cycle by serum deprivation and infected withe CELO virs, no cytopathic effect could be observed, and only very low amounts of virus were produced. But 24 hours after release of these cells for growth by serum stimulation a logarithmic rate of virus multiplication and a complete CPE occurred. Infection of synchronized CEF cultures at different stages of the cell cycle revealed that CELO multiplication was correlated with the S phase of the infected cell. In synchronized CELO infected CEF cultures viral DNA synthesis started 12 to 14 hours after growth stimulation when cells were near the end of the S phase. In contrast, no viral DNA synthesis could be measured in growth arrested CELO infected CEF cells, when cellular DNA synthesis was low. Therefore not only production of infectious virus but also viral DNA synthesis is correlated with events during the S phase of the infected CEF cell.

Seromonitoring in small laboratory animal colonies. A five year survey: 1984-1988.

From 1984 to 1988 one thousand serologic investigations of laboratory animal colonies originating from 10 different European countries were performed. The most prevalent infections in mouse stocks were caused by Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), Minute virus of mice (MVM), Theiler's encephalomyelitis virus (TEMV), Reovirus type 3 (Reo3), Sendaivirus, and Pneumonia virus of mice (PVM). In mice no infections with Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCM), Polyomavirus, Mouse adenovirus, and K-virus were recorded. Only two colonies were infected by Ectromelia virus. The first six virus infections of mice were also found in rat colonies as well as the rat-specific Coronaviruses (Sialodacryoadenitisvirus--SDA, Rat corona virus--RCV) and Parvovirus (Kilham rat virus--KRV, Toolan H-1 virus) being endemic. Antibodies to Bacillus piliformis were detectable in about 50% of rat stocks screened. This is in contrast to the mouse, where only about 10% of the colonies were found to be positive. A similar picture was seen for M. pulmonis which is primarily an infection of the rat. In mice no case was detected during the last two years. The number of investigations performed from guineapig, hamster and rabbit colonies was relatively low. Nevertheless, antibodies against the following antigens were detectable: In guineapig stocks: Reo3, PVM, Sendai, Simian virus 5 (SV5) and B. piliformis; in rabbits: Reo3, Sendavirus, SV5, and B. piliformis; in hamsters: PVM, LCM and B. piliformis. The overall contamination rate showed a continuous decrease until 1988. Nevertheless, about 50% of mouse and rat stocks still exhibited antibodies to one or more viral infections.

Contamination of transplantable tumors, cell lines, and monoclonal antibodies with rodent viruses.

Different biological materials were tested for murine viral contamination by using the mouse/rat antibody production test. Of 297 tumors examined, 75 (25.3%) were contaminated. Considerable differences in the contamination rate became evident when transplantable tumors from in vitro and from in vivo passages were compared. Of 186 tumors that had been propagated in animals, 36.6% were positive, whereas only 7 of 111 (6.3%) tumors propagated in vitro were contaminated. The highest rate of contamination was detected in mouse tumors. Testing of 135 specimens of mouse origin revealed 46.7% were contaminated, and 57 (70.4%) of 81 samples propagated in mice were positive for murine viruses. Moreover, 6.7% of 90 human tumors that had been passaged in athymic nude mice and 3.5% of 57 rat tumors were positive. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus was detected in 4 of 14 hamster tumors. The most frequent contaminant was lactic dehydrogenase elevating virus followed by reovirus 3, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, minute virus of mice, mouse hepatitis virus, rat coronaviruses, Kilham rat virus, and Mycoplasma pulmonis. Contamination with reovirus 3 and minute virus of mice was found in 4 (3.7%) of 109 cell lines tested, and 2 of 60 monoclonal antibody preparations or hybridoma cells contained lactic dehydrogenase virus. Contamination with two pathogens was detected in four mouse tumors and in one cell line.

Ultrastructural characterisation of isolate 127 of egg drop syndrome 1976 virus as an adenovirus.

Virus isolate 127 causing egg drop syndrome 1976 was purified and examined by electron microscopy. In CsCl equilibrium density gradients three bands could be visualised. Two bands at an apparent density of 1.32 g/ml, which could not be separated by fractionation, harboured high amounts of HA-activity and infectivity. Electron microscopic examination of these bands revealed particles of typical adenovirus morphology. The third band at a density of 1.30 g/ml consisted mainly of disrupted particles. This band showed a clear peak of HA-activity but no evidence of radioactivity and negligible amounts of infectivity.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies to Pasteurella pneumotropica in murine colonies.

An ELISA for the detection of class specific IgG antibodies to Pasteurella pneumotropica was developed for the serological diagnosis of infections in mouse colonies. Heat inactivated whole cell preparations of an isolate of P. pneumotropica biotype Heyl (strain P 166) served as antigen for the ELISA procedure and for immune serum production in germ-free Han:NMRI mice. Cross reactions with the autochthonous flora of Han:NMRI SPF-mice were not observed, but were evident when a P. pneumotropica antiserum was tested against other antigens of the Pasteurella-Actinobacillus group. According to the reclassification of this bacterial group proposed by Mutters et al. (1), strains of the following species were tested: P. anatis, P. canis, P. dagmatis, P. langaa, Pl multocida sub. multocida, P. pneumotropica biotype Jawetz, P. stomatis, Actinobacillus equuli and A. lignieresii. Clear cross reactions could be shown with P. pneumotropica biotype Jawetz and A. equuli and to a lesser extent with P. anatis. Antibody formation profiles after nasal infection of Han:NMRI mice exhibited a primary rise of IgG-type antibody titer between 17 to 21 days post infection. Investigations of different mouse colonies free and infected with P. pneumotropica revealed good correlations between serological and bacteriological findings.

[Phenol in the serum of dogs and horses and its clinical significance]. / Phenol im Serum von Hund und Pferd und seine klinische Bedeutung.

Reference values of serum phenols between 0.3 and 0.7 mmol/L in dogs respectively between 0.25 and 0.37 mmol/L in horses are determined. In dogs increased phenol values were found frequently in hepatopathy. Furthermore elevations, particularly in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, were obtained; especially in hemorrhagic enteritis of dogs, associated with parvovirosis, and in mechanical ileus of the small intestine and the large intestine respectively in horses. In renal and endocrine diseases increased phenol values were seldom obtained.

Rederivation of inbred strains of mice by means of embryo transfer.

Embryo transfers were performed to rederive six inbred strains of mice, A/He, BALB/cByJ, BALB/c Lac, B10.BR/SgSnJ, C57BL/6J and DBA/2J. The aim was to determine whether it is possible to eliminate pathogens like mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and Pasteurella pneumotropica (P.p.). The embryos were collected, handled and transferred into the oviduct of day one pseudopregnant SPF surrogate mothers under aseptic conditions. In 40.5% of the transfers, embryos developed to term. With respect to surrogate mothers delivering viable litters, 47.9% of the transferred embryos were born alive. Out of these 93.5% were reared. Virological and bacteriological examination of embryo donors verified the presence of P.p. and of antibodies against MHV in all strains. In some embryo donors P.p. could be isolated even from the uterine mucosa. However, neither in the surrogate mothers nor in the offspring could P.p. and antibodies against MHV be detected. Further bacteriological examination revealed that the offspring carried only the microbial flora received from the surrogate mother. The results indicate that embryo transfer is an appropriate tool to rederive mouse strains. In contrast to hysterectomy rederivation, embryo transfer has the advantage of avoiding postimplantational vertical transmissions of infections.

Functions of estrogens and anti-estrogens in the rat endometrial adenocarcinoma cell lines RUCA-I and RUCA-II.

Inbred rats of the DA/Han and BDII/Han strains have been proposed as suitable model systems for studying hormonal carcinogenesis, because they die mainly from hormone-dependent endometrial adenocarcinoma. Here we characterize the RUCA-I cell line derived from an endometrial adenocarcinoma of an inbred DA/Han rat and the RUCA-II cell line derived from an endometrial adenocarcinoma of an inbred BDII/Han rat. The RUCA-I cell line, if transplanted to the neck of female DA/Han rats, gives rise to endometrial adenocarcinomas at the ectopic site. The morphology of these ectopically grown tumors is predominantly of the moderately differentiated sub-class. In contrast, ectopic tumor growth of the RUCA-II cell line can be observed only if cells are transplanted to athymic nude mice. Biochemically, both cell lines are characterized by the stable expression of estrogen receptors. However, no statistically significant mitotic response of RUCA-I and RUCA-II cells to estradiol was measurable, and no induction of expression of the progesterone receptor by estradiol was detectable, although estradiol transformed the estrogen receptor into its stable DNA-binding state. In contrast, the rate of proliferation of RUCA-I but not of RUCA-II cells was reduced in the presence of 10(-6) M tamoxifen. From these results we conclude that (i) both cell lines, RUCA-I and RUCA-II, represent a new and promising endometrial tumor model; (ii) the mechanism of the hormone-dependent growth regulation of RUCA-I and RUCA-II cells is obviously impaired; (iii) the RUCA-I cell line appears to be a suitable model system for the study of molecular aspects of estrogen- and tamoxifen-dependent gene expression.