Will genetics revolutionize psychiatry?

After a declining period by the mid-1980s and its stabilization in 1985-1995, the morbidity rates of tuberculosis in Uzbekistan increased in 1996 by 20.7% as compared to 1995, by 24% among children in the past decade, and 2 times among adolescents and young individuals aged under 30 years within 5 years. The rise of mortality rates is accompanied by aggravation of the clinical forms of the tuberculosis cases detected. The goal-oriented examinations of populations at risk of the disease in 14 districts of the Republic indicated a 1.5-fold increase in total mortality rates, followed by an upward tendency.     

Antigen detection on resin sections and methods for improving the immunogold labeling by manipulating the resin

Considering the importance of immunolocalization of cellular substances combined with good ultrastructure and ease of use, this review is focused on the use of resin and the possibilities of manipulating the resin before and after embedding in order to improve the immunolabeling of resin sections for electron microscopy. The qualities of acrylic resins and conventional epoxy resin for immunoelectron microscopy are discussed. Acrylic sections are usually more suited for immunoelectron microscopy than conventional epoxy sections. Different etching procedures (sodium ethoxide or sodium metaperiodate) may be applied to conventional epoxy sections to enhance the yield of immunolabeling. Lately, a method which does not involve any kind of etching has been developed for enhancing the immunogold labeling of epoxy sections up to about 8 times. This method involves increased concentration of accelerator in the epoxy resin mixture when processing the tissue. The ultrastructural preservation of the tissue is important in immunoelectron microscopical procedures, and not only the intensity of the immunolabeling; in this respect no resin may compete with the widely used epoxy resins.     

Occupational disease profile in Taiwan, Republic of China

Lack of knowledge of the exact contents of the materials and improper handling of the toxic chemicals lead to the occurrence of occupational illnesses in the developing countries. However, the incidence of occupational diseases was usually underestimated. This article presents the profile of occupational diseases in Taiwan from two sources, i.e. occupational disease benefit payments of labor insurance and the review of relevant literature. The primarily documented occupational diseases in Taiwan were pneumoconioses. The second most common occupational disease was carbon monoxide intoxication, followed by lead poisoning and noise-induced hearing loss. Less than five percent of occupational diseases were due to the other causes, including decompression syndrome, heat stroke, toxic hepatitis, neurological disorders and hematologic disorders. The number of occupational diseases recognized in Taiwan was considered to be seriously underestimated due to the shortage of occupational medical specialists. Priority in the development of occupational medicine in Taiwan is to educate industrial hygienists and physicians to recognize health hazards in the work environment and to diagnose occupational diseases. Recognition of occupational diseases could subsequently highlight the health hazards in the workplace and prevent workers from overexposure.     

Characterization of the effect of 2-deoxy-D-glucose(2-DG) on the immune system

This study was designed to characterize the effects of the metabolic stress of administration of 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG, 500 mg/kg) on immune function. Male Lewis rats were exposed to one or five injections (one every 48 h) of 2-DG. Control rats received saline injections. Administration of 2-DG induced a reduction of total leukocytes in the spleen, thymus, and blood. The reduction was most prominent in animals that received five injections of 2-DG. The ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+) in the spleen was decreased due to a significant increase of CD8(+) T-cell subpopulation. Additionally, 2-DG induced a suppression of mitogenic responsiveness and IFN-gamma production in both whole blood and spleen lymphocytes. The production of IL-1 and IL-2 was significantly reduced in the blood, but not in the spleen. Conversely, there was a significant increase in nitric oxide production in cultures of Con A-, PHA-, and LPS-stimulated splenocytes from 2-DG-injected animals compared with saline-injected controls. In blood cultures stimulated with Con A and PHA, the nitric oxide production of the group that received five injections of 2-DG was significantly higher than in the group that received one injection of 2-DG or saline. These results demonstrated that the metabolic stress 2-DG induced a downregulation of Th 1 cellular immune function in a manner similar to physical and psychological stressors. Additionally, the use of 2-DG in rats provided an important model with which to study metabolic stress.     

Teaching nursing delegation: analyzing nurse practice acts

Teaching delegation to nurses, especially for those nurses who have mostly practiced in primary nursing, is challenging. Many staff development and continuing education instructors are teaching delegation principles to nurses today because good delegation skills are needed to effectively implement current skill-mix and patient-focused care changes. In these courses, nurses almost always want guidelines on what they can and cannot delegate to unlicensed assistive personnel and LPN/LVNs. The best foundation for teaching what can and cannot be delegated is the nursing practice act in the state, even though analyzing state practice acts can be cumbersome. Analyzing practice acts as the basis for teaching delegation principles is a critical requirement for today's staff development/continuing educator.     

Plutonium anomalies in attic dust and soils at locations surrounding the Nevada Test Site

Attic dust and soil samples were collected during the Summer of 1996 and the Spring of 1997 in southern Nevada and southern Utah. Analysis of the samples for radiocesium and plutonium give activity ratios of radiocesium/plutonium that range from 0.7 +/- 0.1 to 27 +/- 2, well below the world-wide fallout ratio of 34 +/- 4 (as of 1 July 1997). This indicates anomalous plutonium throughout the region, including areas to the south of the Nevada Test Site (NTS), generally believed to have received only world-wide fallout. Safety tests and above-ground detonations that resulted in incomplete fission, conducted at the NTS during the 1950's and 1960's, are likely sources of this excess plutonium.