Prospects for social workers in health planning

The nature and extent of social worker's involvement in regional health planning agencies was the subject of the nationwide study reproted here. Social work proved to be more heavily represented on the professional staffs of these agencies than any other discipline. This was just one of the findings that can help shape the profession's response to the possibilities this new field represents.     

The clinical diagnosis of major congenital abnormalities of the fetal central nervous system

During the ten years between 1965 and 1974, 207 infants with a major congenital abnormality of the central nervous system were born at Mill Road Maternity Hospital, Liverpool; open neural tube defects occurred in 92 per cent of cases. Only cases of anencephaly were frequently diagnosed clinically before labour and this was rarely so for spina bifida alone. Only 11 patients (5-3 per cent) had previously been delivered of an affected infant. The routine screening of pregnant patients is briefly discussed.     

The fine structure of a microplate-microtubule array, microfilaments and polyhedral body associated microtubules in several species of Anabaena

A microplate-microtubule array was observed in Anabaena sp. (B-378). This structure consists of an arched plate, about 8 nm thick, and various microtubules, 12 nm in diameter and 50 nm long, arranged in rows. The microtubules project at right angles from one side of the plate into the cytoplasm or towards the plasma membrane. Up to twelve microplate-microtubule arrays were observed in a single section of a cell. Microfilaments, about 2.8 nm in diameter and of undetermined length, were observed in four isolates of Anabaena. The microfilaments were always found in bundles, nwhich varied in size, up to 0.63 mum across and 0.91 mum long. Microtubules, 10 nm in diameter and about 150 nm in length, were observed associated with one facet of polyhedral bodies in 8 out of 20 isolates of Anabaena. The microtubules occurred in groups of up to 20 or more, and were always oriented with the long axis parallel to the facet of a polyhedral body. In cross section, the microtubules had an electron transparent lumen 5 nm wide and a wall 2.5 nm thick. These structures are compared to previously described microtubules and microfilaments.     

A boxer dog with chronic hypertrophic gastritis resembling Menetrier's disease in man

Chronic hypertrophic gastritis in a 7-year-old Boxer dog is described. This gastritis resembles Menetrier's disease in man. The dog was emaciated, lethargic, vomiting and had a poor appetite over a 4-month period. There was anaemia, and the blood smear was characterized by hypochromasia, strong anisoplania and striking poikilocytosis. There was a protein loss and at a later stage of the disease, a hypoalbuminaemia. On gastroscopic examination the plicae gastricae were numerous and strongly marked; moreover, they were granulated with numerous small haemorrhages. Radiographically, the stomach had a marked folding, primarily at the greater curvature. The passage of contrast medium from the stomach into the duodenum was strongly retarded. The pathological findings included macroscopical folding caused by local gland cell hyperplasia in the body as well as the pylorus, foveolar hyperplasia and, in the fundus and in the corpus near the greater curvature, folding of the muscularis mucosae and the submucosa. A superficial gastritis was found particularly in the fundus and corpus, whereas the pyloric antrum showed a more diffuse inflammation.     

Early unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia after paracetamol overdosage

A rapid increase of predominantly unconjugated bilirubin in the blood -- which was not due to haemolysis -- was observed in 38 of 60 patients who had taken an overdose of paracetamol. Studies in the rat given an overdose of the drug showed that within 24 hours there was a striking reduction in the activity of bilirubin glucuronyl-transferase and the content of cytochrome P.450 in the liver. It is suggested that such early damage of the hepatic endoplasmic reticulum contributes to the hyperbilirubinaemia of paracetamol poisoning.     

A galactosidase immunosorbent test for human immunoglobulin E

We report here the development of a galactosidase-immunosorbent test (GIST) for immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in which the amount of galactosidase adsorbed to a cellulose disc is a single valued function of IgE concentration in human serum. Rabbit anti-IgE immunoglobulin insolubilized on cellulose discs is incubated sequentially with human serum, sheep anti-IgE serum, and a covalent conjugate of rabbit antisheep immunoglobulin with the enzyme beta-D-galactoside galactohydrolase (E.C.) 3.2.1.23). Colorimetric assay of enzyme conjugate adsorbed to discs permits quantitation of 1.0 to 25 ng of IgE per test. Concentrations of IgE in 48 sera as measured by the GIST gave a linear correlation coefficient of 0.97 with IgE concentrations as determined by radioimmunoassay. Preliminary studies indicate that the GIST makes possible nonisotopic measurement of ragweed-specific IgE antibiotics in human serum. The GIST for IgE is simple to perform and requires neither short-lived radioisotopes, expensive scintillation detection equipment, nor scarce, purified IgE.     

Effect of bromo-ergocryptine on serum hPRL, hLH, hFSH, and estradiol 17-beta in women with galactorrhea-amenorrhea

Fourteen women with amenorrhea-galactorrhea were treated with bromo-ergocryptine. Serum prolactin hPRL, hLH, hFSH, estradiol 17-beta (E2), and progesterone values were determined before and during treatment. No consistent pretreatment hormonal pattern was found. During treatment hPRL levels fell in 13 of 14 patients, and E2 rose in 12 of 14 patients. Levels of hLH became normal, and amounts of hFSH did not change. Galactorrhea lessened in all cases and ceased in 11. Menses resumed in 11 patients and 3 women became pregnant. Cessation of galactorrhea and resumption of menses occurred irrespective of initial hPRL or hLH levels. It is suggested that improvement of galactorrhea and resumption of menses in some patients with normal hPRL values are the result of increased serum E2 levels and may be due to a direct action of bromo-ergocryptine on the ovary. Bromo-ergocryptine may also be effective in treatment of amenorrhea, unassociated with galactorrhea or elevated hPRL levels.     

Selective isolation of reversible cold sensitive variants from Chinese hamster ovary cell cultures

The fine structure and cellular associations of the large pigment cells (LPC's) of the compound eye of the house fly were studied with high voltage and conventional electron microscopy. Depending on the sector of the compound eye, the facets are either rectangular or hexagonal. The underside of each facet has indentations exactly aligned with those on top into which inserts an angulated sleeve of LPC's. Under the rectangular lens facet 6 or 8 small compact (in cross section) LPC's join four elongate LPC's. Clusters of compact cells alternate in this ring with elongate ones. Compact cells compress together and become quadrangular (in cross section) several microns below their insertion into the lens and form "building block" corners while elongate cells form "side rails" for the rectangular type of distal pseudocone enclosure. Beneath hexagonal facets all LPC's are rather elongate with out corner cells. In both facet types LPC's enclose the pseudocone for a longitudinal distance of 4 mum and then are displaced as bordering cells by a sleeve of two corneal pigment cells (CPC's), each of which encloses half of the proximal pseudocone. For the following 6 mum of longitudinal distance these concentric sleeves of CPC's and LPC's form a double layer around the pseudocone. At about 10 mum below lens base the two sleeves separate; LPC's become attenuated and extend cable-like to the basement membrane and CPC's enclose the proximal pseudocone, Semper cells and distal retinula. The junction between lens and LPC's has critical structural value in that (1) this is the sole anchorage to the lens by the lengthy remainder of the ommatidium, and (2) LPC's enclose the semiliquid pseudocone in the most distal portion of the pseudocone. In addition to vertical support, the LPC's send out numerous lateral processes that make structural contact among themselves, with the corneal pigment cells and the photoreceptor cells. The structural features of this array are discussed relative to possible physiological roles.     

Collateral splanchnic circulation (author''s transl)]

The structure of developing rat testes was studied by light and electron microscopy. Ultrastructural differentiation of Sertoli and Leydig cells was followed from 14 days of gestation through birth. Specialized morphology in Sertoli cells was first seen at 16 days of gestation. In these cells the rough endoplasmic reticulum increased and became organized as numerous short cisternae loaded with a homogenous material. Typical Leydig cells were found among the stromal cells, around day 17 of gestation. There is good correlation between the time of appearance of ultrastructural specialization and published data on secretory capacity of the fetal testes, in respect to the inhibition and differentiation of the Müllerian and Wolffian ducts.