Cryosurgery of the ureter in dogs

The effect of cryosurgery on the ureter has been studied in dogs. A single 1- or 2-min cryosurgical exposure produced stricture in two of eight animals. A tumoricidal cryosrugical dose consisting of three, 2-min exposures caused stricture in six of eight dogs. Histopathologic examination of the ureter after repetitive cryosurgery showed progressive, persistent loss of smooth muscle, fibrosis of the lamina propria, and early loss with subsequent regeneration of the transitional epithelium. Although there was no loss of ureteral integrity, the possibility of permanent ureteral damage should be considered with the use of cryosurgery.     

Bird breeder's hypersensitivity pneumonitis: progress studies of lung function after cessation of exposure to the provoking antigen

Lung function and immunologic studies have been performed in 9 patients with bird breeder's hypersensitivity pneumonitis at the time of diagnosis and at intervals from 8 to 30 months after they ceased exposure to the provoking antigen. All 9 patients had evidence of small airway obstruction at the time of diagnosis. Complete recovery of lung function occurred in 4 patients. The other 5 all had evidence of interstitial damage; 3 of them had progressive increase in the degree of airway obstruction, and one had progressive loss of elastic recoil. The patients were nonsmokers, and these progressive changes could not be explained by occult exposure to antigen because the tests of immunologic sensitivity to relevant avian antigens became negative. Neither the nature or degree of lung function abnormality nor the form of clinical presentation was related to the development of residual damage. The period of exposure to antigen after symptoms developed and the age of the patient appeared to be the most important factors determining recovery of lung function.     

Genetic studies of coliphage P1. III. Extended genetic map

An extensive genetic map of coliphage P1 has been constructed for 113 amber mutants, using primarily a modification of the conventional complementation spot test. These spot tests failed to classify the mutants into cistrons, but when they were quantitated they permitted assignment of the mutants into 10 linkage clusters. Furthermore, a linear order could be deduced for most of the mutants within each cluster. This strongly suggested that recombination was the predominant event generating plaques and that, for the practical purpose of rapid genetic mapping, such spot tests could be considered as a series of two-factor crosses. Six of the 10 linkage clusters correlated with the P1 genetic map established by Scott (1968). The locations of the remaining four clusters were determined by three-factor crosses and by prophage deletion mapping. The nonrandom occurrence of termini for 14 deletion prophages, which we established previously (Walker and Walker, 1975), and the coincidence of these termini with five out of ten regions demarcating the linkage clusters are discussed. Complementation tests in liquid frequently gave ambiguous results. Therefore, cistron designations were not assigned.     

Terminal residues of hog pancreatic amylase

We have considered a differential diagnosis of clinical hyperkalemia. The clinical signs and symptoms of patients with hyperkalemia are manifold and can involve many organ systems. The nonoliguric chronic renal failure patient with hyporeninemia and hypoaldosteronemia may have as one of his principal problems recurrent hyperkalemia. Treatment of this condition includes well-known modalities such as administration of calcium salts, NaHCO3, removal of potassium with resin or dialysis as well as placement of a transvenous pacemaker in anticipation of bradyarrhythmias or asystole.     

Strain differences among chickens in tonic immobility: evidence for an emotionality component

Substantial strain differences in tonic immobility were found between different breeds of chickens. Crossbreeding between strains showing different immobility durations yielded hybrids that exhibited intermediate reactions. For purpose of relating the strain differences in tonic immobility to more conventional measures of emotionality, data were collected on open-field activity, defecation, and adrenal weight. Overall, the results implicated strain-specific differences in emotionality as being the basis for the observed differences in immobility. Latency to defecate in an open field, however, was highly correlated with latency to ambulate. It was argued that defecation, rather than being an absolute measure of fear or emotionality, may in fact be an intermediate response to gradual fear reduction.     

Hartnup disease. Clinical, pathological, and biochemical observations

Hartnup disease is a rare genetic disorder of amino acid transport associated with variable and intermittent clinical abnormalities. A family is described in which three siblings had an intermittently progressive neurological disease and two of the affected siblings had the Hartnup-pattern aminoaciduria. Neuropathological examination of one case showed severe diffuse atrophy, generalized neuronal loss in the cortex, and Purkinje cell loss in the cerebellum. In vivo and in vitro studies of intestinal amino acid transport in the surviving sibling indicated a partial defect in the transport of several neutral amino acids (tryptophan, alanine, serine, and methionine) with normal transport of other neutral amino acids (threonine, phenylalanine, histidine, tyrosine, and isoleucine). Transport of glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, and the basic amino acids appeared normal.