[A method for microscopic detection of the excitation spreading by means of liquid crystals in the frog heart (author's transl)]. Nematic fluid crystals demonstrate in the presence of an electric field a dynamic scattering effect of the incident light. Therefore the question arose if these substances could be able to indicate bioelectric processes too. The blue colored and isolated frog's heart was used as model. The surface of the ventricle was covered by fluid crystals and photographed microscopically. The moment of the flash-light photographs has been marked in the electrocardiogram by a photoelectric method. By these means at the surface of the heart the dynamic scattering could be recorded. The effect switches off in a different degree during the QRS-complex and increases to maximal intensity during the T-wave. In the diastole occurs different relaxation. In the case of isoelectrical or descended ST-interval develops a homogeneous light scattering. There exists typological agreement between dynamic scattering and electrocardiogram. The dynamic scattering effect is bound to structure. It reflects the behaviour of the electric field at the heart's surface. The results are discussed under aspects of electrophysiology, physical chemistry and reflection optics, respectively.


[The effect of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) on membrane permeability in the perfused rat liver]. S-adenosilmethionine is present in most human tissues and is an important factor for transmethylation, transulphuration and aminopropylation reactions. The compound improves the biological, morphological and histochemical aspects of rat liver following CCl4 intossication. At the same time has been successfully used during chronic liver disease in man. With the aim to better clarify the action mechanism of SAMe some aspects concerning its effects on cell permeability in rat liver, by using the perfusion technique, have been investigated. In particular the capacity of this compound to prevent the enzymatic loss (GPT and GOT) during liver perfusion has been studied. 30 perfusions without SAMe, as control, and 6 by infusing 2 mg of compound during the perfusion time have been accomplished. Varing the perfusion time from 0 to 120 min it has been observed that at any time the presence of the SAMe reduced by about 50% the loss of GOT. Similarly the activity of GPT ranging from 2 to 6 mU/ml indicate that no appreciable enzyme output occurs in presence of SAMe.


Changes induced by KI administration on plasma heparinic activity in healthy subjects. Other researches WE HAVE carried out show how it is possible to correct the high level of neutral fats in subjects with high trygliceridemia, with the administration of KI. We wished to ascertain whether the capacity of KI to reduce trygliceridemia when this is increased should be correlated to a possible change induced by this salt on PHA. Our researches has been carried out on 11 subjects who received a daily dose of 28 mg/Kg of b.w. of KI for a period of 10 days. The result we have obtained indicates that the administration of KI does not cause any significant change of PHA both after load and after prolonged treatment with KI.


[Osteogenesis imperfecta. Human, dog, cat, fox. Comparative analysis of the ultrastructural aspects]. In the present work the authors have observed the ultrastructure of different types of cartilage and connective tissues of four different species of animals affected with osteogenesis imperfecta (man dog cat and young fox. The ultrastructural pictures demonstrate that the  morphological aspects of cartilage of different species are often comparable and all cartilage tissues present the following characters: 1) Some lipid droplets inside the cytoplasm. 2) A reduction of the number and diameter of collagen fibrils. 3) A sensible increase of diameter of the alcianophilic bands that are ultrastructural representation of glycosaminoglycans. Some abnormal aspect has been seen on the connective non cartilagineus tissues.


Electrical resistance of labellar taste hairs in the blowfly, Phormia regina M., as a function of age and sex. The electrical resistance of the labellar taste hairs of Phormia regina M. is enhanced by aging in both males and females; this increase is greater in males. Resistance variations, related to changes in response of stimulated chemoreceptors, may explain, at least in part, the reduction in reflex food intake, O2 consumption, weight increase and, on the whole, survival capabilities of males vis-à-vis female insects.


[Preservation at -195 degrees C of trypsinized organs for primary cultures]. Trypsinized cells from rabbit kidney can be kept at -195, 8 degrees C indefinitely. When necessary, propagation in monolayer cultures is readily obtained as primary cultures, provided that some conditions be respected: 1) only glass culture flask must be used. Falcon plastic vessels do not allow cell attachment in this type of primary culture 2) the lag period is particularly long: it taken about 20 days before the beginning of cell multiplication 3) fetal calf serum is toxic for the cells in the 2nd and 3rd change of the culture medium, during the lag period.


[Intestinal secretory IgA and bacterial antigens in oral administration]. The proposed technique for purification and concentration of secretory IgA has been applied to intestinal wash fluids obtained by clisma from 15 patients under bacterial extracts treated (COLOPTENE-DEBAT). The collected data show that the technique is suitable for routinary use and the bacterial extracts do increase the amount of IgA in the intestinal contents.


[Changes in serum levels of antibiotics in experimental CCL4 poisoning. I. Gentamycin]. The AA. studied gentamycin serum levels (1mg/Kg b.w.) in rats. The 50% of the animals studied where treated with CCl4 (1 ml/Kg b;w.) 24h previously, the remaining 50% recieved a placebo. The maximum serum levels where similar in both groups; but the antibiotic was removed more slowly (120-240min) in the groups which recieved CCl4. The slower rimotion rate causes more serious histological changes in the kidney.


[Induction of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and incorporation of BUdR in mouse cells treated with methotrexate]. MTX (approx. DI 50) induced an approx. 140% increase in SCE over controls. Increasing the BUdR concentration from 10(-5) to 10(-4) M an approx. 135% increase in SCE over controls was also obtained. The quenching of the H33258 dye fluorescence, measured microspectrofluorimetrically, suggested an increased in corporation of BUdR in MTX treated cells, roughly compatible with almost a doubling of the SCE control level in absence of MTX. Thus, at least a large fraction of the MTX induced SCE increase appeared to be dependent from an enhanced BUdR incorporation.


[Evaluation of arachidonic acid in amniotic fluid before and during labor]. Arachidonic acid is considered to be one of the precursors in prostaglandin synthesis. For this reason, arachidonic acid was measured in a series of amniotic fluid. Samples in order to rest the hypothesis that the beginning of uterine activity is accompanied by a rise of its concentration. In fact, it could be shown that in amniotic fluid from patients in labor arachidonic acid levels are much higher than in amniotic fluid from patients without uterine activity.


Changes in serum titres of prolactin, somatotropin and thyrotropin induced by fenfluramine in humans. An increase of serum titres of prolactin was observed upon acute and chronic administration of fenfluramine. In acute treatment also STH levels were enhanced. No changes were observed in TSH titres. The authors relate the endocrine effect to serotonin turnover stimulation in central nervous system.


[Distribution and orientation of the collagen fibers in the tunica media of muscular arteries]. X-ray diffraction tecniques were used to study the distribution and orientation of collagen fibers in media layer of human muscular arteries as a function of mechanical deformation. The close relationship between collagen fibers and smooth cells orientation was shown by X-ray diffraction and histological analyses.


[Glycolipid pattern and glycosilated hemoglobin (HbA 1) in a group of arteriosclerotic subjects]. Total glycosilated haemoglobin (HbA1) concentration, serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels were measured in 55 arterio sclerotic patients classified in three groups: (A) normal, (B) borderline and (C) chemical diabetics according to their OGTT results. HbA1 values were high only in group C. In these patients the HbA1 concentrations correlated to the serum glucose peaks and serum triglyceride levels. Therefore we believe that the HbA1 concentration can be considered an index of the degree of carbohydrate imbalance in arteriosclerotic patients who frequently have high triglyceride levels and carbohydrate intolerance.


[Action of human serum on differentiation of skin in vitro. Morphological data and study of the incorporation of labeled amino acids]. Epithelial-mesodermal tissue interactions have been shown to be required for normal cytodifferentiation of chick embryo skin. Six-day limb skin does not develop in a protein free chemically defined medium, but keratinization has been observed in medium containing chicken serum. In the present study the authors show that the addition of human serum may stimulate the in vitro differentiation of explants of six-day chick embryo skin. Human serum is able to support skin keratinization and this finding has been confirmed by histological and histochemical criteria. Synthesis of proteins in tissue cultures supplemented with human serum has been studied by use of labeled amino acids such as H3-Leucine and C14-Cystine. These incorporation studies show the existence of macromolecular factors in human serum which may be responsible for the observed skin differentiation.


[Further research on the differentiation in vitro of chick-embryo skin in the presence of histones]. In the present study the authors have carried out further researches on the differentiation of six day limb skin from chick embryo cultured "in vitro" in a complete medium supplemented with histones. When histones were added to the medium in the first two days "in vitro", epidermal keratinization was not observed. However the addition of histones after four days "in vitro" did not interfere with epidermal differentiation.


[Influence of phenobarbital on hyperbilirubinemia caused by nicotinic acid and rifamycin--SV in healthy subjects]. Ten healthy subjects have been given before and after treatment with phenobarbital the following intravenous charges: a) nicotinic acid; b) rifamicyn-SV; c) simultaneous administration of the two drugs. Along with confirmatory evidence of the wellknown increase in bilirubinaemia (prevalently unconjugated), we have observed phenobarbital to attempts partially yet significantly that effect. On the base of direct experience on rat liver, we hypothise phenobarbital to increase the pool of the Y protein carrying cholephilic organic anions into the hepatocytes.


[Gastrin stimulation of salivary secretion: preliminary observations]. The authors have investigated the effect of pentagastrin and of meat extract on salivary secretion. Both stimuli significantly increase the secretion of saliva. Factors such as taste and deglutition don't influence the increase of salivary secretion due to meat extract, as it remains even when meat extract was administered by naso-gastric tube. This finding suggest that endogenous gastrin, stimulated by meat extract, as well as exogenous pentagastrin, influence the secretion of saliva.


Different chromosome banding procedures to distinguish between mouse and rabbit chromosomes in mouse-rabbit somatic cell hybrids. The discrimination of the parental chromosomes in interspecific somatic cell hybrids, is a powerful tool in gene mapping studies. We report the methods used to distinguish between murine and rabbit chromosomes in mouse-rabbit somatic cell hybrids. By means of G-banding patterns it is possible to determine the murine or rabbit origin of the chromosomes, as well as the single chromosome identification in the same hybrid metaphase. To rapidly establish whether the chromosome are of murine or rabbit origin we use C-banding and Hoechst staining procedures, which staining or elongating respectively and preferentially the centromeric area of the mouse chromosomes allowed indubitable species assignment.


[Influence of temperature on the preferential extraction of RNA polymerase I from hepatic nuclei of the rat]. RNA polymerase I has been extracted from rat liver nuclei by three consecutive washings at 0 degrees C with a medium of relatively low ionic strength (0.15 M KCl) containing Mg++ rather than by incubating the organelles at 37 degrees C in the same medium, as originally proposed by Chesterton and Butterworth. The modified technique, which has the advantage of preventing a temperature-mediated conversion of form IB to IA, gives similar yields of RNA polymerase I and retains the capacity of preferentially extracting the enzyme with respect to the other forms of nuclear RNA polymerase.


[Reduced catalytic effectiveness of RNA polymerase I in hepatocytes of rats treated with cycloheximide]. Rat liver RNA polymerase I solubilized from isolated nuclei and present in a soluble form in the cytoplasmic fraction has been analyzed by phosphocellulose chromatography 3 hours after the administration of cycloheximide. The antibiotic did not induce any change in the chromatographic properties of both nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA polymerase I. They appeared to remain in the IB and IA forms, characteristic of the transcribing (IB) and non-transscribing (IA) enzyme. While the level of the nuclear enzyme was not modified, the level of the cytoplasmic one appeared significantly increased. These results support previous ones indicating that the cycloheximide-induced inhibition of ribosomal RNA synthesis cannot be merely explained by a decrease in the nuclear or cellular level of RNA polymerase I. The cellular level of RNA polymerase I, taking into account the relative proportion of the enzyme found in nuclei and cytoplasm, appeared to be slightly increased. Cycloheximide administration did not seem to result in the appearance, in intact nuclei, of enzyme molecules in a free form or as blocked transcription complexes. It is concluded that the antibiotic affects the catalytic efficiency rather than the number of RNA polymerase I molecules actually engaged in the transcription of ribosomal cistrone.


[Effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids on experimental ulcer in the rat]. The increase of gastric mucosal defensive reachons under linoleic acid loading (20 mg/kg i.m. x 2 x 10 die; 140-220 mg/kg per os x 2 x 15 die), was evaluated in hydrocortisone treated rats (10 mg/kg i.m. x 2 x 10 die) and in rats stressed by immobilisation at a low temperature (at 4 degrees for 1 hour). The incidence and extent of gastric lesions were recorded, in both samples treated differentialy, and in control groups. Although the results were not similarly significant in every case, the capacity of the linoleic acid administrations in limiting the gastric mucose injury was evident. This protective capacity is not dependent on the lesive agent.


Uncoupling effect of a low homolog of unbiquinone (UQ-3) in rabbit heart mitochondria. Short-chain ubiquinone (UQ-3) inhibits ADP-stimulated respiration (state 3) in intact rabbit heart mitochondria. This effect appears to be similar in all the three sites of oxidative phosphorylation by using different respiratory substrates. Ubiquinone-3 also immobilizes lipids into mitochondrial membranes indicating that the uncoupling effect might be a consequence of an altered physical state of membrane lipids.


[Thermoregulation in chickens subjected to hypoalimentation]. Calculation of the body temperature of 4 chickens, 14 days old, submitted during 26 days to a reduced nourishment so that their growing up was stopped. Morning temperature diminished, in comparison with checkings, of 0,78 degrees in the first week, of 1,57 degrees in the second week and of 1,80 degrees in the last days. After 1 and 2 hours of reduced meal, the temperature generally increases 0,76 degrees and 1,39 degrees respectively when chickens are hypo-nourished, while in the checkins it is almost unchanged, +0,02 degrees and +0,07 degrees. 5 hours after the meal, the temperature of hypo-nourished chickens increases 0,24 degrees, in checkings 0,30 degrees. AA thinks that hypotalamic thermoregulating centers always work and that the thermic differences between hypo-nourished and checkings are caused by percentage variations of metabolic substances put in circulation during digestion.


[Effect of aflatoxin B 1 on respiration and oxidative phosphorylation in the rabbit. I. Studies of the hepatic mitochondria]. The effect of various concentrations of aflatoxin B1 (AB1) is studied "in vitro" on rabbit liver mitochondria. AB1 inhibits at concentrations from 1 to 2-4 x 10(-4) M, the respiratory rate from 20% a maximum 41-35% by glutamate and succinate as substrates, but it does not uncouple oxidative phosphorylation nor does it inhibit site III (ascorbate + TMPD). The inhibited site appears to be between cytochromes b and c (c1). AB1 seems to be easily transported across the mitochondrial membrane. The maximum degree of inhibition and the promoting AB1 concentration are too high to explain the liver cell necrosis in rabbit induced by AB1 "in vivo".


[Effect of aflatoxin B 1 on respiration and oxidative phosphorylation in the rabbit. II. Research on cardiac and renal mitochondria]. The effect of various concentrations of aflatoxin B1 (AB1) is studied "in vitro" on heart (HM) and kidney mitochondria of rabbit (KM). AB1 inhibits (4 x 10(-4)M) the respiratory rate up to a maximum 50-35% in HM and 28-35% in KM by glutamate and succinate as substrates respectively, but it does not uncouple oxidative phosphorylation nor does it inhibit site III (ascorbate + TMPD). The inhibited site appears to be between cytochromes b and c (c1). AB1 seems to be easily transported across heart mitochondrial membrane. The relevance of these findings to liver cell necrosis promoted by aflatoxin is discussed.


[Different fatty acids in the egg, blood and feces of laying hens fed a diet containing "Toprina"]. Total lipids (TL, phospholipids (PL) and fatty acid composition of TL and PL (the latter in blood and eggs only) were estimated in Candida lipolytica cultivated on n-alkanes by industrial method ("Toprina") in 0%, 10% and 15% "Toprina" diets and in eggs, blood and faeces of laying hens fed these diets. With increasing concentrations of dietary "Toprina" 15:0 and 17:0 fatty acids increased, 17:1 and 17:2, typical of the product, appeared and increased in diets, eggs, blood and faeces. Other fatty acid values were not affected by dietary yeast.


[Addition of amino acids and oligopeptides to the diet of piglets. I. Effects on productive performance and development of intestinal microbial flora]. The effects in connection with the addition of small quantities of aminoacid and oligopeptide pools to balanced diets were studied on 36 male piglets, divided into three groups (1: control; 2: aminoacid pool; 3: aminoacid and oligopeptide pool). Piglets receiving the aminoacid pool (group 2) exhibited better performances: an increased weight gain resulting in higher feed efficiency and an increased overall microbial count with a predominance of the useful population.


[Addition of amino acids and oligopeptides to the diet of piglets. II. Effects on apparent digestion of some alimentary principles]. The apparent digestibility coefficients of some nutrients in connection with the addition of small quantities of amino acid and oligopeptide pools to balanced diets were determined on 15 piglets divided into three groups (1: Control; 2: amino acid pool; 3: amino acid and oligopeptide pool). Piglets receiving pools, and especially those belonging to the second group, show better results in comparison with the control animals. Besides the digestibility significantly increases with the time.


[Inhibitory effects of indomethacin on prolactin liberation induced with peptides with opium-like activity]. Indomethacin inhibits prolactin liberating effects by MET-enkefalin-NH2, a synthetic analogue of MET-enkefalin, both in intact and in ovariectomized, estradiol benzoate treated rats. The introduction of PGE1 increases the intensity of this effect. It is therefore possible to suppose that the PGs are involved as intermediaries of the prolactin relasing effect induced by MET-ENH-NH2.


[Histochemical studies of the parotid and submandibular glands of humans]. Human parotid and submandibular glands were studied using histological techniques. Proteins rich in arginine, tyrosine, cystine-cysteine and tryptophan were present within secretory granules of seromucous acini and ducts of both glands. Acid phosphatase, ali-esterase, peroxidase and 3-beta-steroid-dehydrogenase were also demonstrated in the two glands.


[Histochemical studies of the epithelium of the human ampulla ductus deferentis]. Human ampullary epithelium contains numerous apical granules, which show a strong P.A.S. reaction, but do not stain with methods for acid mucins. No glycogen is detected. Acid phosphatase and non-specific esterase are localized in granules, scattered within the cytoplasm, while peroxidase activity is not demonstrable. The significance of these results is discussed.


[Respiration during isometric contraction of the flexor or extensor muscles of the arm in humans]. An increase in the instantaneous pulmonary flow and a decrease in the respiratory frequency has been found in man as a consequence of isometric contraction of either flexor or extensor muscles of the elbow. The delay of 200 to 900msec between the onset of the muscle contraction and the beginning of the flow increment suggests that the respiratory system increases its activity due to the proprioreceptor activation. As there is no significant difference in the results obtained during flexor or extensor contraction, the contribution of the two different receptor groups appears to be the same.


[Effect of denaturation of DNA template on activity of RNA polymerase of class B]. The effect of the denaturation of homologous and calf thymus DNA on the RNA polymerase B activity purified from rat liver and spleen and Ehrlich ascites cells, was investigated in presence of either Mn2+ or Mg2+ and in presence or absence of alpha-amanitin. On the basis of the results here reported, we suggest: 1) denatured DNA is more effective than native as template for polymerase B; 2) denatured DNA template and cations might play a role in determining the extent of the reaction alpha-amanitin-polymerase B.


[Effect of actinomycin D on purified DNA-dependent RNA polymerases from normal and neoplastic tissues]. The effect of low concentrations of actinomycin D was investigated, using two forms of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (A and B) purified from normal tissues and experimental tumours, in the presence either of Mn2+ or Mg2+, and homologous DNA. The A enzyme activity was strongly inhibited by the antibiotic in presence of Mg2+ and much less in presence of Mn2+. The B enzyme activity was almost suppressed in presence of both cations. The results here reported provide support that the actinomycin D induce a cellular damage of the same extent in normal and tumour tissues.


Effect of organ phospholipids on the growth of embryonal tissues cultured in vitro. With regard to a set of studies about cellular nutrition, the effect of different amounts of phospholipids, extracted from various organs of calf (diencephalon, retina, cerebral cortex and heart), on normal embryonal chicken myocardium cultures has been tested. From the numerous observations we have made it is resulted that phospholipids, particularly at the highest levels, constantly decrease the culture migration velocity and this reduction is remarkably more accentuated in presence of 1.25%(0) heart phospholipids. Moreover in this condition the cells show a change in their morphology and appear all full of big lipid drops, perhaps in consequence of an alteration of the chemical-physical plasmalemma characteristics and a change in the membrane enzyme activities involving lipid metabolism too.


The action of Solcoseryl on two glycolytic enzymes of several organs of the irradiated mouse. The blood extract Solcoseryl (SO), when administered daily in i.p. injection to mice adapted to ambient temperature of 32.5 degrees C enhances within a period of 5 days the activities of the enzymes LDH and G-6-PDH of liver, kidney, testes and thymus in an oscillatory way. The changes of enzyme activity resulting from whole body irradiation with gamma-rays and exhibiting mostly a tendency towards diminution are abolished and the activities restored to values lying in between those obtained with sole SO treatment or irradiation alone, respectively, when following irradiation SO is again applied for a period of 3 days.


The effect of vitamin E administration to pregnant women, on the concentration of linoleic acid in adipose tissue of the newborns. The composition of various lipids were measured in ten healthy newborns of mothers who were treated with 100 mg vitamin E per day, starting in the 35th week of pregnancy. The maternal serum vitamin E levels following the treatment (1.10 +/- 0.49 mg/dl) showed no increase as compared to the pretreatment values (1.06 +/- 0.38 mg/dl). There was no significant difference in serum vitamin E levels in those newborns whose mothers were treated--(0.19 +/- 0.12 mg/dl) as compared to 10 newborns whose mothers were not treated with vitamin E (0.13 +/- 0.07 mg/dl). However, there was a striking increase in the relative concentration of linoleic acid in the adipose tissue to those newborns whose mothers were treated (9.4%--versus--4.1%).


Chlorpromazine induced anomalies in Saccobranchus fossilis. Cytomorphological implications studied after the inducement of chlorpromazine included various anomalies like precocious despiralization, stickiness, breaks and pseudobridges. It is certain that CPZ has the capability of depolymerizing the DNA contents of the germ cells of S. fossilis.


Effect of a long term oral administration of a hypercholesterolic diet on rat liver substructures. The effects of high cholesterol diets on ultrastructure morphologic alterations of rat liver have been investigated. It has been verified that these diets induce the biochemical and morphological damage, as well as death in a shorter time than alipidic or sole saturated lipid diets. Moreover it has been established that the anatomic irreversible damage appears at the last stage, just before death.


Free amino acids in various tissues of a fresh-water teleost, Rasbora daniconius (Ham). I. Qualitative analysis. Seven different tissues of the fish, Rasbora daniconius are analysed chromatographically for their free amino acid contents. Alanine and Cystine followed by Glycine and Glutamic acid are the most common amino acids found in the tissues. On the basis of sex, no apparent difference in amino acid pattern in various tissues is found. Up to 70% of the amino acids of the pools fall in the range of pH from 4.5-6.5. Thus it appears that the pools have some bearing on the maintenance of the tissue pH.


Plasma sorbitol dehydrogenase in diabetic subjects with or without vascular complications. Plasma Sorbitol Dehydrogenase levels were determined in subjects with diabetes mellitus and normal people. The diabetic subjects had circulating plasma levels of SDH significantly higher (p less than 0.001) than those observed in controls. Moreover, the diabetics with vascular complications presented the highest SDH values. The lack of positive correlation between plasma glucose and SDH levels suggests that SDH, like hemoglobin A1C, reflect the degree of previous metabolic control of diabetes mellitus.


Correlations between cutaneous and retinal microaneurysms in diabetes mellitus (preliminary note). A group of diabetic patients was submitted to a capillaroscopic examination at the level of the peri-ungual vallum and to a fluoroangiographic examination of the retina, for the evaluation of possible correlations between vessel conditions in to various districts. The Authors remarked that the subjects affected by proliferative diabetic retinopathy presented a greater dilatation of the ansae at cutaneous level, with haemorrhagic extravasations in 70% of the cases. On the contrary, on the subjects with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy numerous aneurysmal "buttons" were noted at cutaneous level, both apically and laterally along the vascular ansa.


The specificity of intrahemispheric EEG alpha coherence asymmetry related to psychological task. Male right handed subjects performed two parallel verbal and nonverbal memory tasks, known to be associated with the anterior temporal lobe, while EEG was recorded from temporal sites referred to either FZ or to linked mastoids. Intrahemispheric coherence and power in the alpha band were calculated. Coherence effects were observed, independent of reference site, which associated the right hemisphere and nonverbal tasks with increased coherence. These effects appear to be relatively specific to more anterior temporal electrode pairs, and confirm previous findings. Power effects demonstrated the difficulty of assessing task-dependent changes independent of reference site, and suggested that specific alpha enhancement may be observed with task involvement. The contribution of coherence analysis to the study of cerebral organisation is discussed.


An EEG study of visual attention in schizophrenic patients and normal controls. This is a series of experiments examining the EEG, both at rest and in response to visual stimuli of varied complexity, in schizophrenics and normal controls. Subjects attended on several occasions. The resting EEG of patients was more activated than that of normals on all sessions, although only the patients showed diminished activation as a function of visits. The EEG of normals responded systematically on all occasions, but the patients showed similar response only under conditions of instructional set prescribing active stimulus appraisal. For both groups, subsequent stimulus recognition scores were correlated positively with EEG discrimination of stimuli during inspection. Within the patient group, several measures of pathology correlated both with recognition performance and several EEG parameters. Thus the present study draws together data demonstrating attentional deficit, heightened arousal, and reduced cortical variability in schizophrenics. Attention is drawn to methodological difficulties inherent in this type of study.


Event-related potentials and selective attention to auditory stimuli varying in pitch and localization. Event-related potentials were recorded from subjects performing a discrimination task which required selective attention to one of (or divided attention to both of) two classes of tone pips imaged to arrive over two independent sound sources varying systematically in pitch and spatial localization. In selective attention N1 amplitude was larger and P2 amplitude was inversely smaller to the attended tones than to the unattended tones; P2 latency was prolonged to the attended tones; in divided attention, both N1 and P2 amplitudes and P2 latency were intermediate between selective attention and inattention. These attention effects upon both N1 and P2 components were interpreted to be due to a growth of a negative shift superimposed on those evoked components, rather than a modification of each component itself. This endogenous negativity was also considered to reflect the allocation of attentional capacity for discrimination processing whether tones coming from the attended source were 'signal' or not.


Antarctic wintering--over, suggestion and transient olfactory stimulation: EEG evoked potential and electrodermal responses. EEG evoked potential and electrodermal responses to real and suggested olfactory stimulation were recorded on a team of nine men who wintered-over at Scott Base, Antarctica. Multi-variate analysis of variance findings indicated some consistent trends despite adverse conditions and marked inter-individual differences. Consistent with studies of secondary afferentation olfaction-related EEGs were evidenced in the occipital area (O1 and O2) as well as the temporal area (T3 and T4). Skin conductance (SC) showed significant responses for real and suggested odorants pre and post wintering-over. Suppression of EEG amplitudes for real and suggested stimuli was evidenced prior to wintering-over. Following wintering-over experience suppression of EEG amplitudes for real stimuli showed a decrease while suppression increased for suggested stimuli. The implications of the suggestion findings are discussed in possible explanation of the apparent conflict between different sources of information about human responses to isolation in the Antarctic environment.


Electrodermal indices of public offending and recidivism. Three hypotheses based on the relationship between electrodermal activity and 'psychopathic' behaviour were investigated. These hypotheses are that 'psychopathic' behaviour relates to frequency of spontaneous fluctuations (Schalling, 1978), orienting response recovery time (Mednick, 1975) and orienting response amplitude (Siddle, Nicol and Foggitt, 1973). Non-recidivistic domestic offenders and highly recidivistic public offenders were compared on two test sessions. The high public risk recidivists had relatively lower rates of spontaneous fluctuation on both test sessions (p less than 0.001, p less than 0.02) and longer recovery OR(t/2)(p less than 0.05) on the first session. Reductions in fluctuation rate over sessions were significant for both groups, but were very much greater in the domestic offenders (p less than 0.001) than in the public offenders. OR amplitude did not discriminate between groups.


Evaluation of brine shrimp (Artemia salina) larvae as a bioassay for mycotoxins in animal feedstuffs. Brine shrimp larvae was tested as a possible simple biological screening system to identify specimens of animal feedstuffs that should be examined further by chemical analytical procedures for mycotoxins. All extracts of the control, nonmouldy feedstuffs increased larval mortality, this being most marked in the case of silage. Chemical and biological testing of diagnostic specimens indicated that the bioassay identified two of four chemically positive specimens and 59 of 135 chemically negative specimens and 59 identified larvicidal compounds present in normal feedstuffs gave a high percentage (56%) of false-positive bioassay results when compared to the results of chemical analyses for three mycotoxins. The use of brine shrimp larvae did not materially reduce the necessity of conducting chemical analyses for mycotoxins.


Cellular and humoral immune response of foals to vaccination with Corynebacterium equi. Transformation of peripheral blood lymphocytes from pony foals vaccinated and subsequently infected with Corynebacterium equi was studied. Three foals were vaccinated on two occasions using a formalinized C. equi vaccine with aluminum hydroxide as an adjuvant. Three nonvaccinated foals served as controls. Foals were challenged intratracheally with 9 x 10(9) C. equi six weeks after the initial vaccination. Foals survived this infection for one to two weeks. Significant lymphocyte transformation in response to C. equi antigens was detected in two vaccinated foals at the third week after initial vaccination and in all vaccinated animals at the fifth week. No statistically significant transformation was seen in nonvaccinated foals before infection. Vaccinated and nonvaccinated foals showed responsive lymphocytes following challenge. Vaccination offered no obvious protection against experimental challenge but this failure was probably due to an excessive infective dose of organisms. Low levels of humoral antibodies were detected in some challenged foals. The pathological changes in the lungs of infected animals were comparable with, but more fulminating than, changes observed in the natural disease.


The in vitro growth of erythroid colonies from dog bone marrow. Enriched methyl cellulose media together with either human urinary erythropoietin or serum collected from phlebotomized dogs exposed to hypoxia was used in the study of the erythroid colony forming (CFU-E) capacity of dog marrow. The dog serum erythropoietin was found to be more efficient in stimulating CFU-E than comparable concentrations of human urinary erythropoietin. Numbers of CFU-E were directly related to the culture concentration of the stimulating serum and to the number of cells per plate. Sheep plasma erythropoietin was also found to be effective in stimulating CFU-E growth. The system described is chemically better defined and produced more consistent results than has been reported for the plasma clot method.


The basophil response in blood and bone marrow of tick-infested guinea pigs. The concentrations of basophils in blood and bone marrow were monitored in guinea pigs subjected to primary and secondary infestations with larvae of Dermacentor andersoni. In these guinea pigs a significant increase of basophils was evident in peripheral blood. The response following the secondary infestation was more rapid and more intense than that following the primary infestation. Similar changes were also shown to occur in bone marrow. The possible significance of these responses in relation to acquired tick resistance in guinea pigs is discussed.


Pharmacological study of bovine airways. Evidence for excitatory and inhibitory effects of histamine. Bovine airway muscle contracts to carbachol greater than histamine greater than 2-methylhistamine greater than prostaglandin F2 alpha. Trachea of neonatal calves are more sensitive to histamine than those of older cattle. Partially contracted bovine airways relax to prostaglandins E1 and E2 greater than dopamine greater than phenylephrine greater than 4-methylhistamine greater than dimaprit. Histamine-induced airway constriction was incompletely blocked by mepyramine and the mepyramine-resistant component was blocked by atropine. After H1-receptor blockade, histamine-induced tracheobronchial relaxation was incompletely antagonized by metiamide and not blocked by propranolol or indomethacine, suggesting an atypical histamine receptor not associated with catecholamine or prostaglandin production.


Deficient cutaneous response to PHA-P in healthy puppies from a kennel with a high prevalence of demodicosis. Intradermal injection of phytohemagglutinin was used to evaluate the integrity of cell-mediated immunological reactions in Doberman puppies thought to be predisposed to demodicosis. Results indicate a statistically significant deficiency of cutaneous delayed response in these dogs when compared with age matched Beagles, adult Dobermans or random control dogs of various ages and breeding. The high prevalence of demodicosis in the kennel of origin may have been due to the observed deficiency of cutaneous immune function.


The use of induced mammary infections for evaluating dry cow treatment products. I. Development of a method. Experimental infections were induced by infusing one of three different numbers of colony forming units of Staphylococcus aureus, strain 305, into 74 quarters of 17 cows, at 30, 15 or five days before drying off. The remaining 26 served as controls. A total of 73% of infused quarters were infected both at drying off and calving, although some changes in status occurred during the dry period. All control quarters were negative at drying off, but two, one in each of two lactations of the same cow, became infected during the dry period. There was no change in infection status during the dry period in 86.5% and 88.5% respectively of infused and control quarters. Disregarding dose size, 18/27, 19/24 and 17/23 quarters became infected following infusion at five, ten and 30 days before drying off. Disregarding time, significantly more infections (88%) followed infusion of a 10(-4) dilution (mean count 3215 +/- 182 S.E.) than with 10(-5) and 10(-6) dilutions combined (65%). It was concluded that a dose of S. aureus, strain 305, consisting of 0.2 mL of a 10(-4) dilution in sterile milk of a six hour milk culture would provide optimum infection levels if no antibiotic treatment were given. Wether infusion took place 30, 15 or five days before drying off appeared immaterial.


The use of induced mammary infections for evaluating dry cow treatment products. II. Trial of a proposed method to compare three levels of novobiocin. Infections were induced at the end of lactation in all udder quarters of 19 cows by the infusion of 0.2 mL of a 10(-4) dilution in milk of a six hour milk culture of Staphylococcus aureus, strain 305 (A.T.C.C No. 29740). Two right or two left udder quarters were infected at 15 days and the opposite two five days before the last milking of lactation. Following the last milking all four udder quarters of eight cows were treated with 400 mg novobiocin in 10 mL of 2% aluminum monosterate in peanut oil, gelled. All udder quarters of eight other cows were treated with 50 mg novobiocin in the same vehicle and the udder quarters of three cows were treated with the vehicle only. At calving, eight of 32 quarters treated with 400 mg novobiocin were still infected, as were 18 of 32 treated with 50 mg of novobiocin and all those quarters treated with vehicle only. Results were identical from udder quarters infected 15 and five days before drying off. No significant differences were found between quarters in milk yield on the last day of lactation, nor the length of the dry period. An increasing number of udder quarters were infected at calving with increase in lactation age of the cow, although the small number of cows would not allow a firm conclusion. A significant difference in results was found between front and hind udder quarters, only five of 32 front quarters were infected at calving as compared to 21 to 32 hind quarters. The method proposed was found to give essentially the same results as those from a large field trial using the same antibiotic. It should therefore be useful in evaluation trials of new antibiotic products for dry cow treatment.


Observations on the resumption of development of inhibited Ostertagia, Cooperia and Nematodirus infections in calves stabled overwinter. Two groups of three month old, parasite-free calves grazed a permanently infected pasture for 14 days, Group A during the first two weeks of September and Group B during early November. Half of each group was killed 14 days after removal from the pasture and the remainder stabled overwinter before slaughter and parasitological examination. Marked inhibition of development occurred for Cooperia oncophora with a variable lower level of inhibition for Ostertagia ostertagi and practically none for Nematodirus helvetianus in those calves grazing late in the fall. Under the conditions of this study, inhibited Cooperia larvae resumed development in several calves soon after they were stabled while small numbers of Ostertagia resumed development regularly during the winter and spring with a considerable number of Ostertagia still present when the calves were slaughtered at the end of the stabling period. On the other hand, Nematodirus and practically all Cooperia worms were lost during the stabling period. In three of seven calves grazing late fall pastures, large Cooperia infections were either not established or failed to become patent.


Posology and field efficacy study with novobiocin for intramammary infusion in nonlactating dairy cows. Four dose levels of novobiocin (50, 200, 400, 600 mg) were compared with no drug for the intramammary treatment of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae and other streptococcal infections present in the udder of dairy cows at the initiation of the dry period. Treatment success was evaluated by comparing the microbiological status of duplicate pretreatment quarter milk samples collected at drying off with the microbiological status of duplicate quarter milk samples collected four to ten days postcalving. Infection status of 1318 cows in 75 herds in five geographic locations was determined. Treatment effects on infected cows were evaluated by least squares analysis of variance with treatment, herd, lactation number, days dry and milk production at drying off considered as variables. The dose of 400 mg novobiocin per quarter was demonstrated to be significantly more effective (P < 0.05) than no drug and significantly better than (P < 0.05) or equal to the other doses for curing infections caused by S. aureus, S. agalactiae and other streptococci. A significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the overall rate of new udder infections acquired during the dry period was observed in cows treated with >/= 200 mg novobiocin at drying off. The data supported the conclusion that the cow rather than the quarter is the appropriate experimental unit in the evaluation of intramammary mastitis treatments. Herd and lactation number were the most significant variables affecting cures.


[The infectious risk in neonatal surgery : an evaluation of frequency and consequences from a study of 300 cases (author's transl)]. This study is an evaluation of the infectious risk related to neonatal surgery in 300 patients between 1968 and 1978, and its consequences to mortality and morbidity. Bacteriological species, circumstances, chronology of infection, related to each type of surgical pathology prove the endogenous way of contamination to be usual and predominant. When intestinal obstruction occurs, the risk of hematogenous diffusion is directly dependent from local stasis and bacterial pullulation which can be evaulated with duodenal, jejunal or fecal samples. Both mechanical factors and antibiotictherapy can induce qualitative and quantitative changes in bacterial flora of the bowel, and then increase the incidence of endogenous septicemia.


[Idiopathic megaoesophagus in the child. A series of 17 cases treated surgically (author's transl)]. The authors undertook a retrospective study of a series of 17 cases of idiopathic megaoesophagus seen over a period of 25 years in two paediatric surgery departments. Age distribution was regularly between 20 months and 15 years. No neonatal nor familial forms were seen. Symptoms were dominated by regurgitation and dysphagia. Weight loss was an almost constant feature. Heller's operation, via an abdominal approach with retro-oesophageal valve of the tuberosity fixed to both edges of the myotomy, was the operation proposed. In one case of recurrent megaoesophagus operated upon elsewhere a Thal operation gave a good result with a follow up of 8 years. Immediate clinical and radiological results were favourable in the great majority of cases : 16 cases out of 17. Long term results (follow up of more than 5 years in 8 patients) were also favourable. However one patient was sometimes troubled by regurgitations due to persistent achalasia and a grave failure occured in a patient who five years after a Heller operation developed a peptic stenosis of the lower oesophagus. No recurrence of megaoesophagus was seen. The authors emphasise the importance of the prevention of gastro-oesophageal reflux and the value of oesophagoscopy and of manometry in cases where the result of a Heller's operation is imperfect.


[Rupture of the renal artery following blunt trauma. Interest of angiography and therapeutic possibilities (author's transl)]. Isolated rupture and thrombosis of the renal artery is a rare form of traumatic injury : two cases are added by the authors to the seventy reports found in the English and French literature. Clinical signs calling for the diagnosis like hematuria or high blood pressure may be absent. To make an early diagnosis, every patient suffering from acute blunt trauma of the abdomen should be submitted immediately to intravenous urography. Angiography should follow immediately when no secretion is produced on one or both sides. If a lesion of the renal artery is discovered, surgical repair can be attempted when the delay does not exceed 12 to 24 hours from the time of the accident. The best technical modalities include segmental resection with thrombectomy, aortorenal by-pass or eventually renal autotransplantation.


[Bilateral congenital eventration of the diaphragm with lobar giant emphysema (author's transl)]. The authors relate the difficulties in management of bilateral congenital diaphragmatic eventration in a new-born. After the surgical correction of the left diaphragmatic eventration, an opacity at the base of the right hemithorax was studied by concomittant pulmonary and hepatic scintigraphy and by pneumoperitoneum. The right diaphragmatic eventration was secondarily treated. The baby was later reoperated twice : on the left side at the age of 7 months for a partial relaps of the left eventration, then at the age of 9 months for a malformative giant lobar emphysema of the right middle lobe, requiring lobectomy.


[A new orthopedic apparatus for the treatment of congenital equinovarus clubfoot. The active-passive articulated splint. Critical study propos of 72 cases treated in our department]. The authors present a new equipment for orthopaedic assesment of club-foot. This "dynamic splint" aims to produce a self-correction of the deformity by the infant at time of each movement of his lower limb. With regard to 72 such deformities, concerning 47 children, they record the results after an average follow-up of more than 2 years. Criterions of results, clinical and chiefly radiological, more objectives, are classified into 3 parts : correction of varus of the foot, correction of adduction of the hind-foot, correction of equinus.


[The Lockhart-Mummery technique in the treatment of the total rectal prolapse among children. Concerning 25 cases (author's transl)]. A variant of Lockhart-Mummery's technique is proposed. Packing retrorectal space by Spongel instead of the vaseline gauze, the post-operative care is simplified and the delay of hospitalisation really shortened. This technique has been always efficient in 25 cases.


[Abnormal transclavicular course of a branch of the supraclavicular nerve (foramen nervi supraclavicularis) (one case) (author's transl)]. The clavicle occasionally is pierced by a branch of the supraclavicular nerve as a rare anatomical variant. The supraclavicular nerve-entrapment neuropathy has only been described once in literature before this case of painful shoulder.


[Bone scanning in children: technic and indications. Apropos of 50 cases]. In children, radionuclide skeletal imaging with 99m Tc M. D.P. has been performed in 50 cases. Scans are done immediately, 20 minutes and three hours after injection. Osteomyelitis has been studied in 24 cases, Legg Perthes disease and benign bone tumors in the others. The scintigraphic patterns are very sensitive but not characteristic. However this exam seems to be essential in some orthopedic disorders of children.


[Treatment of hyperthyroidism in childhood and adolescence (author's transl)]. 33 cases of hyperthyroidism have been treated at "L'Hôpital Sainte-Justine" of Montréal, during the period 1961-1974. Nearly all patients were submitted to medical treatment. 15 were cured with medical treatment only, and 18 had to be submitted to a subtotal thyroidectomy. These two groups are compared and show the clear advantage of surgery in the treatment of this disease. There was no major post-operative complication. Two patients became definitively hypothyroid. The mean follow-up is five years and six months.


[Chiari pelvic osteotomy in treatment of sequellae of hip osteochondritis (author's transl)]. The authors analyze the results of Chiari pelvic osteotomy in treatment of sequellae of hip osteochondritis with 11 cases of children 6 to 10 years old, operated and reviewed with an average follow up of 21 months. They used the operative procedure decided by Chiari, on orthopaedic table, followed by plaster cast immobilisation for 3 weeks. The Xray results are specially analyzed as the peroperative functional troubles were absent. This procedure is mainly effective on articular congruence with gain not only in lateral but also in anterior head-coverage. The secondary modelling appears to affect either the head and the acetabulum. But the medialization remains poor, which is explained by an analyze of the lower fragment operative displacement. Actually, this operative procedure may be used in late osteochondritis with a coxa magna and specially when a coxa vara or a short neck contra-indicate a femoral osteotomy.


[Partial fractures of the patella (author's transl)]. The authors reviewed the blood supply of the patella necrosis and pseudarthrosis were retained after patella fracture. These complications made the authors better defining the vascular anatomy of the patella region. A poor peripheral blood supply and a special vascular pedicle to the tip are suggested as an factor of these complications.


[Sickle cell anemia and surgery. Personal experiences at the Owendo Pediatric Hospital]. This work is based on 21 cases. The age varies from 1 to 15 years. The clinical manifestations are dominated by osseous painful phenomena, occurring by crisis relative to ischemic processes and infarctus, lameness and seldom a pathological fracture. Radiography ranks among the important means in the balance of the evolution and spreading of the osseous lesions. We prefer the notion of osteitis, which has its own particularities and corresponds much more to the nosology than that of osteomyelitis commonly employed.


[Rare posterior mediastinal tumors in children (author's transl)]. When there is a posterior mediastinal mass on a chest X-RAY, a neurogenic tumor is usually evocated. However the occurrence of several other tumors is possible and they should be looked for preoperatively. The literature on the subject is very scarce. We report three cases of uncommon posterior mediastinal tumor. A bronchogenic cyst located between the trachea and the esophagus is described in a two months old girl. The diagnosis is made by tracheoscopy and esophagal contrast study. The anatomic situation explains why even a small tumor induces severe respiratory troubles and requires urgent treatment. An esophageal cyst is described in a 13 year old boy--the mediastinal mass is found incidentally on a routine chest X-RAY because of the risk of complications, the resection of this cyst is required and usually easy when they are intramural. A mediastinal pheochromocytoma is described in a five years old girl. The tumor is discovered during the investigation of a hypertensive syndrome. This location is very uncommon and may be unique or associated with more usual locations. The resection is delicate because of the situation of the tumor in the upper mediastinum. The preoperative angiogram is very helpful in deciding the operative approach.


[Recurrent fractures of both bones of the forearm in children]. Repeated fractures are not unusual in the course of forearm fractures in children. 49 cases were reviewed in this work. Some of them result from insufficient duration of the plaster. Other fractures are due to the weakness of the forearm bones after the fractures especially when there is a residual malalignment. The findings of this work emphasize the importance of the reduction even when the displacement is moderate. Open reduction and internal fixation is reserved in only rare cases.


[Renovascular hypertension in infancy treated by aortorenal by-pass (author's transl)]. The writers record a severe case of renovascular hypertension resulting from fibromuscular dysplasia which appeared in the only main left renal artery. The first clinical symptoms were noticed at five months. The failure of medical treatment led to exploratory surgery at seven months with renal revascularisation by an aortorenal by-pass using a hypogastric arterial autograft. The writers stress the scarcity of hypertension symptoms among infants of less than one year and conclude the impossibility of prognosis in spite of an apparent cure after six months.


[Esophago-tracheal fistula and ano-cutaneous fistula in a newborn (author's transl)]. Esophago-tracheal fistulas are rare malformations in which the frequency of associated defects is not yet well known. This is the reason for the description of a case of oesophago-tracheal fistula and ano-cutaneous fistula in a female newborn. Special attention is also paid to the problem of diagnostic difficulties, which were here resolved by oesophagoscopy accompanied by positive pressure ventilation through a tracheal tube.


[Multiple extremities gangrene as complications of meningococcemia (author's transl)]. Five limb extremities gangrene are reported in 54 meningococcemia. Prognosis depends first on early medical treatment. Extremities ischemia require large early aponeurotomy for limb preservation.


[An exceptional location of oxyurids. Apropos of a case]. The authors present an unusual site of localization of the oxyurid in the spermatic vessels.


[Rare case of intestinal malrotation: duodenal-jejunal stenosis caused by ileal hyperrotation (180 degrees) in a newborn (author's transl)]. The authors present a case of intestinal malrotation characterized by a hyperotation of ileal loops (180 degrees) causing a stenosis of the duodenal-jejunal junction. Some ileal loops were situated, through a defect of the ascendent mesocolon, behind the ascendent colon. The difference between the ileal volvulus and this malformation is: 1. There was no vascular sufference of hyperrotated ileum. 2. The ileal loops were fixed in that hyperrotated position. 3. Some loops were located behind the colon ascendent. 4. After the derotation of ileal loops the stenosis at the duodenal-jejunal level persisted and we proceded to surgery of the stenotic point.


Hemispheric differentiation and category width. This study concerns the relationship between a cognitive style dimension, category width, and hemispheric differentiation. When lists of word pairs were presented simultaneously in a dichotic listening task to broad and narrow categorisers (all female, right-handed), both groups of subjects recalled more words presented to the right ear than those presented to the left ear; indicating left hemisphere's superiority in verbal processing. Both broad and narrow categorisers recalled a similar number of words in the right ear (left hemisphere), but the former recalled significantly more words in the left ear than did the latter. This finding is interpreted as meaning that narrow categorisers rely predominantly on the left hemisphere in verbal processing, and that in comparison with narrow categories, there is greater right hemispheric involvement in processing in the case of broad categorisers. The implication of this finding in terms of the differential processing strategies adopted by the two groups of individuals is discussed.


Lateralization effects in response to words and non-words. Subjects were timed as they judged whether items presented to them were words or not. In one experiment responses to nouns and verbs were compared, in a second experiment ones to concrete and abstract nouns were compared. In both experiments responses to pronounceable and non-pronounceable non-words were also compared. By and large, no significant main lateralization effects nor interactions with word type were found.


Sex and visual field effects on accuracy and decision making when subjects classify male and female faces. Male and female subjects classified tachistoscopically presented slide photographs of faces as male or female. In Experiments I and II presentation was at random to the right or left visual hemifield. Two different signal detection procedures demonstrated that accuracy for both visual fields is equivalent in females and that males show a marked right-field advantage. A third experiment showed that this field advantage is preserved for males when presentation right or left is by blocks of trials suggesting that the left hemisphere is specialized for classification tasks. Results also showed that optimization in signal detection tasks may be lateralized for both males and females though males optimize more poorly than females in the left visual field. The data are taken to demonstrate equipotentiality of hemispheric functioning in females and stronger hemispheric lateralization in males.


Muscular or directional preferences in finger movement as a function of handedness. Right handed, left handed, and "ambiguous" male and female subjects performed circular index finger movements. Analysis of preferred direction of movements showed that strong right handers tend to move both left and right index fingers in the same direction, and familial left handers tend to move them in opposite directions. Since right handers tend to possess a strongly dominant left hemisphere, while familial left handers exhibit a high degree of cerebral lateral equipotentiality, the result indicates that interhemispheric interference in a motor skill consists of activation of inappropriate muscles of the non-preferred hand by the dominant ipsilateral hemisphere as its attempts to force that hand to conform to the direction of movement preferred by the dominant hand.


Left-handers' smiles: asymmetries in the projection of a posed expression. Asymmetries in the expression of a posed smile and in a relaxed facial expression were observed in 24 left-handers. Neither writing position nor familial sinistrality predicted the variance of the results. Left-handers were found to smile more with their left than right side of face; an asymmetry which had previously been observed in right-handers. If anything, left-handers' smiles were more asymmetric, though in the same direction, than right-handers. When relaxed, however, the left-handers' face was judged more unhappy on its right than left side--a reversal of the direction of asymmetry previously noted in right-handers' relaxed expressions. No single neurological or psychological theory accounts for these results; it is suggested that hand preference may exert a myotonic effect which is reflected in judgements of relaxed facial expressions.


Laterality and reading attainment.

Laterality and reading attainment. This investigation was concerned with measures of laterality and their usefulness as predictors of reading attainment. Previous research has suggested that retarded reading is the result of abnormal development of cerebral dominance, and that this may be indicated by left-handedness or by inconsistencies in lateral preference. A group of schoolboys carried out tests of lateral preference, reading, spelling, and experimental tasks involving dichotic listening and tachistoscopic recognition. There was no evidence that left-handedness, right cerebral dominance, or inconsistencies in laterality were correlated with reading retardation.


Evidence for a right hemisphere superiority and for a serial search strategy in a dot detection task. In Experiment I the subjects manually signaled whether a solid dot was present or not in an array of empty dots presented either in the right or in the left visual field. The dots were either three or six and the target could appear in any of the possible locations. The results showed (a) a left visual field superiority; (b) a left hand superiority; (c) faster responses to three-dot than to six-dot displays, and (d) an effect of the location of the target in the display. Experiment II exactly replicated the previous experiment with the exception that the stimuli were centrally projected. The results showed: (a) a left hand superiority; (b) an effect of the number of dots in the display. These results can be interpreted to indicate: (a) a right hemisphere specialization in a simple feature detection task without any spatial component; (b) the compatibility of a right-hemisphere advantage with a serial search strategy.


Television questionnaire techniques in assessing forgetting in long-term memory. Two experiments were designed to test methodological assumptions basic to the television questionnaire technique in order to analyze its appropriateness in assessing forgetting in long-term memory. After controlling for confounding variables in the technique as it is presently used, a non-linear function of time period of television program on recognition response to that program's title was found. Reported television viewing habits had a significant effect on recognition score. The relevance of these findings in regard to the quantitative study of retrograde amnesia is discussed.


Hemispheric specialization in children as reflected in the longitudinal development of ear asymmetry. The longitudinal development of ear asymmetry has been investigated in two samples of kindergarten and primary school children over an age range of six years. Ear preference in a dichotic digit test, administered four times, did not appear to be affected by age and sex: right ear advantage was predominant at all times. Individual comparison showed the development of ear advantage to depend on initial preference. Initially left eared subjects when changing ear advantage do so from left to right at early and from right to left at later school ages. The left-right shift may be due to the school teaching of linguistic skills which could selectively activate the left cerebral hemisphere. This explanation is supported by the finding that initially right eared subjects tended to conserve that preference at early school ages. Acknowledgements. We would like to thank Mr. P. Borgman and his staff of the Johannesschool in Amsterdam as well as their pupils who did not protest despite being examined year after year. The cooperation of the Free University Audio-Visual Center (Mr. Fred Van Hilst) is kindly acknowledged. Finally we would like to thank Dr. Paul Harris who was willing to read the English text critically and all others who assisted in the completion of this research.


Orthoptic status and reading disability. 147 unselected 8-year-olds were given tests of intelligence, reading ability and orthoptic status, including the reference eye test described by Dunlop, Dunlop and Fenelon (1973). We failed to replicate their findings of a raised incidence of convergence deficiency, defective stereopsis and esophoria in children with specific reading disability. Furthermore, in contrast to their results, we found that crossed reference (i.e. reference eye on opposite side to preferred hand) was common in this sample and not associated with reading problems.


The effects of musical training and cerebral asymmetries on perception of an auditory illusion. Twenty-seven right- and fourteen left-handed subjects with varying amounts of musical training listened to dichotic octave patterns. Each pattern consisted of twenty 250-msec. tones which oscillated from 400 to 800 Hz. Patterns were combined in such a way that while one ear received a 400 Hz tone, an 800 Hz tone was simultaneously present in the opposite ear. Reported perception of these patterns was significantly related to the handedness of the subjects. In addition, responses of subjects with musical training differed significantly from those of untrained subjects. An hypothesis is suggested that musical training serves to establish a sharper psychophysical criterion for judging unfamiliar sounds. Further research should be directed toward understanding the relationship between the octave illusion and cerebral dominance.


Normative data on hand position during writing. It has been suggested that inverted versus upright handwriting position is an indicator of cerebral lateralization and the pattern of neuromotor control. Normative data on the prevalence of these handwriting positions was collected from 1758 subjects ranging in age from 10 to 75 years. Both age and sex differences in the prevalence of inverted handwriting positions were found.


An evaluation of the Briggs-Nebes modified version of Annett's handedness inventory. The Briggs-Nebes (1975) modified version of Annett's (1967) handedness inventory was administered to 59 female and 51 male undergraduates and 101 nursing students. J-shaped distributions of scores in the dextral direction and significant sex differences such that males were more sinistral than females were found. The inventory was found to be multi-dimensional with up to three factors, power, skill, and rhythm in order of importance. The utility of the modified inventory was supported and recommendations were made concerning the use of subscale or factor scores in addition to overall scores.


A dichotic index of laterality that scores linguistic errors. The measure of cerebral laterality most commonly used in dichotic listening to detect ear advantages does not take errors into consideration. Experimental data were used to compare the laterality coefficient measure commonly used with a new method which scores error responses using linguistic rules. This new method produced significant results when applied to data for which the traditional measure found no significant effects. This suggests that on dichotic tasks where only one response is required, the traditional method of computing ear asymmetry by excluding errors may overlook a significant amount of information in these responses, information which is recoverable with the linguistically based scoring system.


The radiologist and informed consent: a review, comments and proposals. In summary, the physician's duty to inform has been described and discussed. The minority and majority rule have also been defined and analyzed along with the major causes of physician failure and resistance to disclose risks. In a proper physician-patient relationship, informed consent controversy should be rare. A calm, clear, direct and properly documented disclosure of risks of a procedure is the best defense in any jurisdiction.


[Blood flow disorders of the colon and rectum and their therapy]. Ischemic colitis or proctitis shows three evolutionary stages. a. complete recovery, b. fibrous stenosis, and c. acute ischemia leading to gangrene. The two first stages result more frequently from hemodynamic disorders than from vascular occlusions because, in the presence of the latter, collateral circulation develops. In addition, the colonic ischemia occurs in a septic medium in the presence of an abundant microbial flora which may be highly pathogenic.


[Injury to pelvic vessels in total hip replacement surgery]. Massive bleeding of the pelvic vessels during an alloarthroplastic operation on the hip joint should be suspected in cases of abnormal anatomic conditions. Therefore, the operative procedure should be meticulously planned including extensive X-ray investigations such as angiography and computer-tomography. Surgical preparation and procedures in case of vascular complications are described. Hints on operative techniques are given to prevent vascular complications during and after surgical intervention of the hip joint.


Phenol derivatives are immunodepressive in mice. Mice exposed to a compound containing three phenol derivatives by being housed in cages washed with dilute solutions of the compound, developed considerable depression of the ability to generate plaque forming cells (PFC) in response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) in vitro after a four week exposure. The depression became more severe with continued exposure up to fourteen weeks. Administration of orthophenylphenol (OPP), the most abundant derivative in the mixture, resulted in a similar immunodepression at 10 ppm and a slight depression at 1 ppm. Numbers of FcR+ lymphocytes and of macrophages did not appear to be affected by this treatment. The response to a T-dependent and a T-independent antigen were affected similarly, although the latter was depressed less markedly than the former. While these data are only preliminary, they suggest that studies should be performed in detail to elucidate the immunodepressive effects of compounds which are in wide use as household and institutional disinfectants.


Tricyclics modulate frequency of mood cycles. In 5 female manic-depressive patients studied longitudinally, mood cycle frequency was markedly accelerated from 1 cycle/2-8 months to 1 cycle/1-6 weeks by tricyclic antidepressant drugs. In a sixth patient a similar effect was observed with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (another major type of antidepressant medication). Affective disorders are inherently cyclic. In the group of patients reported here the action of 'antidepressant' drugs can be more broadly conceived as accelerating the entire cyclic illness process rather than counter-acting only one of its phases. The effect of these drugs on the spontaneous frequencies of other rhythmic biological processes should be explored.


An in vivo model for assessing effects of drugs and toxicants on immunocompetence. An in vivo assessment of the capacity of exposed animals to respond to antigenic challenge is recommended as the first screening phase for detecting potential immunotoxicants, with subsequent in vitro functional tests utilized to pinpoint the site of induced cellular alteration. Risk assessment of a candidate toxicant is based on a comparison of immune profiles of exposed animals with those of animals treated with prototype immunotoxicants. Extrapolation to man is facilitated by the use of licensed vaccines for antigenic challenge and the selection of clinically useful pharmaceutical drugs as prototype immunotoxicants. Three chemically induced alterations in immune responses are presented: 1) Immunosuppression characterized by impaired capacity to produce IgG and IgM classes of antibody on stimulation, 2) chronic high levels of IgE antibody in response to commonly encountered antigens, 3) modification of the capacity to mount an inflammatory response to antigenic material.


Strain-difference in circadian murine chronotolerance to the antidepressant drug nomifensine. The anti-depressant drug nomifensine (8-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-methyl-4-phenylisoquinoline) was administered at several dose levels to mice of 2 inbred strains at one of 6 circadian times 4h apart under conditions standardized for light-dark synchronized rhythmometry. A circadian rhythm in tolerance to nomifensine reflected by differences in mortality was demonstrated for both C57 and DBA mice. An interstrain difference in tolerance was also observed.


Methods to evaluate the effects of toxic materials deposited in the lung on immunity in lung-associated lymph nodes. Intratracheal instillation of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) induced a primary immune response in lung-associated lymph nodes of Chinese hamsters and Fischer-344 rats. Few or no anti-SRBC antibody forming cells (AFC) were found in the spleen or cervical lymph nodes after intratracheal immunization. The number of AFC was significantly suppressed in the lung-associated lymph nodes from hamsters exposed by inhalation of 239PuO2 and in rats exposed by intratracheal instillation of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). Although the immunologic function of the lung-associated lymph nodes was suppressed by 239PuO2 and BaP exposure, there was no observable increase in the number of AFC in distant lymphoid tissues. These data indicate that damage to lung cells and/or cells in lung-associated lymph nodes can suppress immunity induced by deposition of antigen in the lung. Even though lung-associated lymph nodes in exposed animals contained lower numbers of AFC, antigen instilled into the lungs of exposed animals did not significatnly translocate to distant lymphoid tissues. This indicates that the antigen filtering capacity of the lung-associated lymph nodes was not altered.


Nomifensine chronopharmacology, schedule-shifts and circadian temperature rhythms in di-suprachiasmatically lesioned rats--modeling emotional chronopathology and chronotherapy. Some emotional disorders are associated with alterations of biological rhythm characteristics ('echronism'). Chronotherapy aims empirically to 1. optimize the kind and timing of conventional psychopharmacologic treatment and, need be, to use such old or new molecules in the rational endeavor to 2. correct (disease-determining) rhythm alteration directly. With respect to the first aim, a reduction by timing of undesired pharmacodynamic effects, as well as an amplification of empirically desired ones, can be dramatically illustrated by circadian rhythms in tolerance to many drugs affecting the central nervous system of rodents. A more rational approach is aimed at correcting ecchronism. The new antidepressant drug, nomifensine, achieves this task in rats with bilateral suprachiasmatic lesions, exhibiting in the telemetered core temperature an echronism of varying degrees. In this model system for the chronobiotic treatment of ecchronism, the properly timed administration of nomifensine speeds the adjustment of bilaterally (suprachiasmatically) lesioned rats to a shift in the synchronizing light-dark schedule. With methodologic provisions, notably for treatment timed by pertinent marker rhythms, nomifensine deserves clinical tests in psychochronotherapy.


Effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF) on the immune system in guinea pigs. The effects of TCDF exposure on the immune system were investigated in Hartley guinea pigs. TCDF was administered by gavage at doses of 0.05, 0.17, 0.5 or 1.0 microgram/kg body weight once weekly for six weeks. Thymus/body weight ratios were suppressed in the higher dosage groups. Parameters of cell-mediated and humoral immune function were investigated. TCDF modestly suppressed cell-mediated immune function and had slight effects on humoral-mediated functions. TCDF immunosuppression appears similar to that induced following exposure to TCDD.


Assessment of immunobiological effects induced by chemicals, drugs or food additives. I. Tier testing and screening approach. The indications of immunologic dysfunction following low level exposure of rodents or even man to certain chemicals and drugs have raised concern regarding methodology and approaches for routine assessment of immunobiological effects. The immunogiological effect observed may either indicate impaired immunopotentiation or hypersensitization. The assays selected for testing should be relevant to the human experience and adaptable to certain practical considerations such as cost, reproducibility of data, ease of performance and application to routine toxicology studies. Using these considerations, a tier approach was proposed consisting of assays for screening for immunologic effects (Tier I) and assays to help define the mechanisms responsible for the immunobiological effects observed (Tier II). A tier of assays was also proposed for measuring the sensitization potential of certain compounds. Certain assays from the screening tier were assembled into a hypothetical and practical test battery to screen for immunological effects of a chemical with potential immunosuppressive properties. Information provided by this test battery should provide a reasonable and sensitive data base from which a standard of evaluation could be made regarding the safety of the test (1) compound.


The effect of perinatal exposure to tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on the immune response of young mice. The immunocompetence of 5 week old offspring from mice fed control chow or chow containing 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) was evaluated. The 5 ppb maternal feeding level was the only level that produced symptoms of intoxication in the offspring (i.e., facial alopecia and periorbital edema). Mice from mothers fed either 2.5 or 5 ppb of TCDD demonstrated thymus cortex atrophy and a significantly reduced spleen anti-SRBC plaque forming cell (PFC) response, but had normal serum anti-SRBC antibody levels following primary and secondary immunization. Contact sensitivity response to DNFB was significantly reduced only in offspring from mothers fed 5 ppb of TCDD. The blastogenic response of splenic T- and B-lymphocytes to concanavalin-A and E. coli lipopolysaccharide was unaffected by perinatal TCDD exposure. This correlated with the normal appearance of the T- and B-cell dependent areas of the spleens from these animals. There was no significant difference in the differential white blood cell counts between control and TCDD-exposed offspring. Offspring from mothers fed up to 5 ppb of TCDD withstood a live Listeria challenge as well as controls. However, maternal feeding levels as low as 1 ppb of TCDD rendered offspring more sensitive to an endotoxin challenge.


[Duodenitis and its correlation to diseases of the neighbouring organs and to duodeno-gastric reflux (author's transl)]. In 26,4% of patients (n = 201) with disturbances in the upper abdomen a serious proximal duodenitis was found. Older persons were more often concerned. A duodeno-gastric reflux was more frequent in presence of a serious duodenitis than in normal mucous membrane. Duodenitis was significantly more frequent in patients with atropic gastritis, ventricular ulcers and cholecystectomy. In the patients with reflux of bile the cases of antrum gastritis, with diseases of the biliary tract and nonoperated biliary tract diseases were significantly correlated with duodenitis; in atrophic gastritis as well as in gastric ulcers a duodeno-gastric reflux was found more than accidentally.


[Occult miniature lipomas of duodenum (author's transl)]. By intensive investigation relatively often small lipomas in the duodenum can be found at post mortem examination. They are harmless and develop in the submucosa and grow in a polypous form into the lumen. Lipomas seem to be the most frequent among the benign mesenchymal tumours.


[Alcohol-induced hypoglycemia (author's transl)]. Alcohol-induced hypoglycemia was found in 4 cases. In 3 patients blood glucose was estimated during the attack and was reduced to 17--23 mg/100 ml. The values of immunoreactive insulin were within the normal range. In 1 case the diagnosis could be endorsed by alcoholic provocation. Diagnosis and pathogenesis of the syndrome were discussed.


[Histomorphological liver changes due to extrahepatic biliary stresia]. Among 137 non-selected liver tissue specimens of 101 infants between 1968 and 1978 six cases of extrahepatic biliary atresia were found. For the pathologist examining the liver cylinder the differential diagnosis between biliary atresia and neonatal hepatitis may be extemely difficult. Findings typical of extrahepatic biliary atresia, such as obstruction of portal tracts, cannot be observed before the 4th or 6th week. Formerly, biliary atresia was considered as a congenital deformity. However, under morphologic aspects a positive syntrophy or a causative relationship between neonatal hepatitis and biliary atresia can at present not be excluded.


[The mechanism of action of phenobarbital on the metabolism of 131J-B.S.P. in cholestasis induced by ANIT in isolated and perfused rat liver (author's transl)]. In order to establish whether the increased B.S.P. secretion in the bile following phenobarbital administration is the consequence of change in the bile output or represents a consequence of the enzymatic induction, the dynamics of the elimination of 131J-B.S.P. was studied in animals treated with ANIT and Phenobarbital in the conditions of isolated perfused liver. At the same time the levels of the conjugation enzyme of B.S.P. were also determined. It was noted that after Phenobarbital the biliary elimination of 131J-B.S.P. is in correlation with the important increase of the output; in the animals treated with ANIT, on the other hand, the biliary excretion of B.S.P. is minimal. The biliary elimination is directly proportional to the increased of the bile output and reflects the changes found in the perfusate. Our findings  allow us to assume that the increased of the bile output and in a smaller extent the result of the stimulation B.S.P. conjugation with Gluthation.


[Modern aspects of mood disorders].

[Modern aspects of mood disorders]. Mood disorders, particularly depression, now represent a major world health problem which will most likely continue increasing. From a clinical standpoint, the synthesis of new antidepressant agents of various chemical structures and the advent of the thymoregulators (lithium salts) has allowed a more flexible, better individualized, therapeutic approach to the affective disorders. However, the widespread use by general practitioners of the antidepressants, alone or in combination with other psychotropic drugs, often with mitigated success, brings to psychiatric consultation patients whose symptomatology has become less characteristics, is more difficult to identify rapidly, requiring thus greater diagnositc refinement. Moreover, greater attention is currently given to depressive affects that can occur during organic illnesses or at various periods of life, particularly at senescence. Besides sustained concerns concerning suicide, the attitude of man confronted with his death arouses great interest and a depressive phase constitutes one of the steps towards this ending. Finally, during the last two decades, some psychoanalysts have reexamined the psychodynamic concepts of mood disorders, whereas from behavioral and cognitive theories new techniques of treatment of depression have emerged. In brief, if no revolution has occurred, there has been evolution. Mood disorders and their approach have known modifications and some concepts pertinent to this are considered here from various angles, particularly from the clinical (association with organic illnesses, with respect to death), therapeutic (psychopharmacological, behavioral and cognitive therapies), sociological (including suicide) and psychoanalytic viewpoints.


[Chronic depressions (author's transl)]. The definition of chronic depression necessarily calls for a review of the concept of recovery which in psychopathology is not clearly and univocally defined. The percentage of chronic evolution among depressive patients either as a persistence of depressive symptoms or as an impairment of social and professional role, ranges from 12 to 15%. Chronic depression raises psychopathologic and nosographic problems as well as clinical ones. In fact chronic depressives are often not correctly diagnosed, inadequately treated and destined to be affected by an over increasing inability. The chronic evolution of depression may result as a concurrence of several factors: a neurotic personality, an inadequate antidepressant maintenance treatment, an inappropriated use of minor tranquillizers as the only treatment. The occurrence of physical impairement, the continuous nature of depression and the resistance of antidepressant treatment may be also considered. Moreover the psychodynamic mechanisms aroused by the depressive experience and the secondary advantages of the illness may plan an effective role maintaining depressive symptomatology.


[The concept of masked depression (author's transl)]. Masked depression is an endogenous or psychogenic depressive state in which the somatic symptoms predominate while the psychical symptoms are only present in the background. Therefore it is a matter of phenomenological diagnosis. An enquiry conducted among general practitioners in Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland has shown that up to 10% of the patients consulting a physician are suffering from depression and half of the cases are masked depressions. An enquiry disclosed in 1978 among 74 practising physicians proved that 18% of the patients seeking medical advice suffer from depressive states and that about half of the cases are masked depressions. Diagnosis and therapy of masked depression are of great practical importance in everyday practice because of its frequency. The diagnosis has to be established on the basis of the depressive background symptoms. The masked depressions often show anxious-hypochondrical character and therefore have to be treated with antidepressant drugs with anxiolytic effect. The choice of the antidepressant drug with the right activity profile is decisive for the success of the therapy. Finally, there is a short review about diagnosis and therapy of masked depression.


[Depression in elderly--results of a follow-up study (author's transl)]. In this paper results of a prospective follow-up study from 1959 to 1975 are presented. 159 unipolar depressive and 95 bipolar manic-depressive patients were subdivided into: --early onset patients (EO) less than 40 years, and--late onset patients (LO): greater than 40 years. These two groups are compared with each other. The common features predominate: they do not differ in the sex ratio, and the periodicity of the disorder. However, they differ in the length of episode of unipolar depression, recovery rate, and chronification.


[The problems posed to the general practitioner by depression (author's transl)]. Given the high incidence of depression, it is necessary and desirable that as many cases as possible should be treated by general practitioners. However, general practitioners are on the whole ill-prepared to meet the needs of depressed patients. In the last few years a big effort has been made in certain countries to improve the psychiatric training of general practitioner and to enable him the better to detect and treat depression. Communication between psychiatrists and general practitioners is made difficult by the lack of a common language and terms used should be defined clearly. Some of the problems in practice are diagnostic in nature: detect of the depressive syndrome, of the minor or masked forms; differential diagnosis of depression and anxiety. The commonest problems in treatment are: selection of drug, monitoring of side-effects, duration of treatment. The general practitioner needs information also on such questions as: how to evaluate the risk of suicide; when to call in the specialist; how far to use supportive psychotherapy. Some types of depression are particularly likely to come to the general practitioner: depression masked by physical symptoms, depression associated with or secondary to physical disease, depression in the elderly.


[The role of norepinephrine in affective disorders (author's transl)]. The role of norepinephrine in affective disorders is supported by the following data. There is a decrease of activity of the noradrenergic system in depressive patients, evaluated by: --a decrease of the metabolism of noradrenaline; --an hyperreactivity of adrenergic receptors; --a decrease of the secretion of some hormones (melatonine, renine, corticosteroides) the liberation of which is mediated by stimulation of adrenoreceptors. The well recognized antidepressant drugs are able to activate by different mechanisms the noradrenergic system. Reciprocally, drugs well known to stimulate noradrenergic system are able to increase mood. Complementarily, antimaniac drugs are adrenolytic and adrenolytic drugs are antimaniac and depressogenic.


[Psychodynamic aspects of depression (author's transl)]. 1. Freud's study of Mourning and Melancholia provides the psychopathological model for depression. Basing himself upon the views of Abraham regarding the oral sadism which the depressed person wants to inflict upon the lost object. Freud added that the gilt associated with that oral sadistic aggression oppresses the depressed with the weight of his superego. 2. The childhood model for this depression caused by object loss is provided by Melanie Klein, who sees the bad object as a projection of aggressive fantasies, and by Donald Winnicott who regards the excited child as a "worried", although replete. 3. Hence the social importance of the clinical facts of the psychiatry of the very young child: anaclitic depression of separation (René Spitz) or depression by severance of the bonds (John Bowlby). 4. Finally, we must reassess the notion of depression with inferiority (Francis Pasche). It is organised as a disorder of idealisation and must be considered in connection with the feelings of nostalgia of the adolescents in our society.


[Recent developments in lithium treatment: is the kidney affection dangerous? (author's transl)]. In our hospital, we are studying the renal function of more than 200 patients under lithium treatment. The glomerular function seems to be affected to a small extent, even by long-term lithium administration, and there have been no instances of progressive deterioration of renal function with azotemia. Most of the patients have impaired water reabsorption with polyuria and polydipsia. This is frequently combined with lowered concentrating ability. Polyuria and lowered concentrating ability are not in themselves life-threatening. However, development of dehydration may lead to lithium poisoning, and patients under lithium treatment should be advised to drink extra fluid under circumstances when the fluid balance may become negative. Further studies are required for definitive recommendations concerning extra monitoring of kidney function and lowering of lithium doses.


[Rating of antidepressant activity (author's transl)]. In this brief review. I have mentioned recent developments and the possibility of new ones. I have referred to technical problems in the organisation of trials, the selection of patients, methods of assessment and their statistical anlaysis, the specific problems of side-effects of drugs and, finally, the social aspects of depressive illness.


[Distress and lyrical productions (author's transl)]. Literary creation (in fact, artistic creation in general) and depressive syndrome. Reference to Verlaine, Nerval, Virginia Woolf, Hemingway, Drieu.


[Amineptine: clinical review (author's transl)]. Amineptine is a new compound, derived from the tricyclic antidepressants. Its mechanism of action is principally dopaminergic and to a lesser extent serotoninergic. The following are here reported: The results of trials after a single dose: cerebral electrophysiology. Trials of treatment of depression--monopolar and bipolar,--involutional,--neurotic and reactive,--in chronic schizophrenia. The spectrum of activating antidepressant therapeutic activity of this drug is discussed. Other areas in which amineptine has seemed effective in children and adults are discussed. Finally, general, cardiac, ocular acceptability and tolerability in the elderly are reported, together with an analysis of cases of overdose.


Erythroid stem cell regeneration in normal and plethoric mice treated with hydroxyurea. Hydroxyurea (4 x 500 mg/kg at 6 hour intervals) was used to study hemopoietic regeneration in normal and in hypertransfused mice. All recognizable granuloid and erythroid cells, most granulopoietic (CFU-C) and all erythroid (CFU-E) precursors and about 80% of the pluripotent stem cells were eliminated after this treatment. Regeneration started between days 2 and 3 in the marrow and 1 day later in the spleen. An overshoot in CFU-C and CFU-E per femur was seen at day 4. In parallel to their committed precursors granulopoietic cells reappeared between days 2 and 4, erythroblasts between days 3 and 5. In the spleen a maximum CFU-S and CFU-C concentration was seen at day 7. The early increase of CFU-E in the marrow was followed by a fall to low levels, then the CFU-E concentration in the spleen increased. The regeneration was further studied in hypertransfused mice. CFU-S and also CFU-E in the marrow regenerated in exactly the same way as in normal mice and erythroblasts were found in marrow smears. The further maturation of erythroblasts to reticulocytes was impaired in hypertransfused mice, but not in normal mice. The role of erythropoietin (Ep) in the regulation of the CFU-E regeneration is discussed; early differentiation steps seem to be possible without Ep.


Evidence that the fetal mouse liver cell assay detects erythroid regulatory factors (ERF) not measured with a standard in vivo assay. A simplified modification of the fetal mouse liver cell (FMLC) assay has been used to investigate the relationship between in vivo and in vitro detectable Erythroid Regulatory Factors (ERF) in the serum of dogs exposed to hypoxia. The results suggest that the FMLC assay is a useful technique for following changes in serum ERF. However, the data obtained cannot be directly equated with the in vivo erythrocythemic mouse assay unless a correction factor is applied. This is necessary because the in vitro assay, in general, detects 50% more ERF than does the standard mouse assay.


Nonspecific esterases in normal human blood cells: characterization of isoenzymes by isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel. Using the high resolution technique of isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel, isoenzymatic components of nonspecific esterase were resolved in esterase-rich extracts obtained from normal human monocytes, lymphocytes, granulocytes and platelets. In the case of each cell type, different isoenzymatic patterns of nonspecific esterase activity could be visualized. These studies extend the cytochemistry of nonspecific esterases by detection of previously undescribed isoenzymatic components, and suggest that the elaboration of nonspecific esterase isoenzymes may be a function of cellular differentiation.


[Late hypoglycaemia in chemical diabetes. Abnormalities of pancreatic glucagon secretion and effect of pectine (author's transl)]. Nineteen patients suffering from chemical diabetes either with (group A, ten cases) or without (group B, nine cases) reactive hypoglycaemia were included in the study and compared with seven control (group C). The following variables were measured over a 5 hour period during a standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT): (i) blood glucose by continuous monitoring; (ii) plasma insulin and glucagon levels by radioimmunoassay. Furthermore, in five diabetics of group A, the data from the standard OGTT were compared with those from a pectin-supplemented OGTT (9 g per square meter of body surface). Although the insulin response was similar glucagon levels were significantly higher (45.1 +/- 11.8 pmol/l) (p less than 0.01) in group B than in group A (9.6 +/- 1.3) and C (8.1 +/- 1.4 at 30 minutes). The high glucagon levels noted in group B may explain the absence of reactive hypoglycaemia. The pectin supplementation improved the OGTT pattern by blunting the blood glucose peak (p less than 0.05), and avoiding the reactive hypoglycaemia (p less than 0.01). The addition of pectin did not produce any significant effect on the insulin response while a significant increase in glucagon concentrations (p less than 0.05) was observed beyond the 150th minute. Therefore, the data suggest that pectin may improve the OGTT pattern by increasing the glucagon response in the late period of the test. The development of postprandial reactive hypoglycaemia seldom coincides with a plasma glucagon peak, while the absence of reactive hypoglycaemia tends to be associated with high levels of glucagon, as is the case in overt diabetes mellitus.