Incidence of actinomycetes infection in women using intrauterine contraceptive devices

Pancervicovaginal smears taken from 350 women using an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD) were screened for the presence of actinomycetes organisms. Of the 12 cases in which actinomycetes-like organisms were seen in Papanicolaou-stained smears, the presence of actinomycetes organisms was confirmed by immunofluorescence in 10 cases. The prevalence of actinomycetes infection was thus 2.8% (10 of 350 cases) in the IUD users. Eight (4.3%) of 173 symptomatic subjects had actinomycetes infections. Two of the positive cases were asymptomatic. Eight of the ten patients with confirmed actinomycetes infection were using the Cu T device while two were wearing the Lippes Loop IUD. Seven of the ten patients had been using an IUD for more than two years. The time of insertion of the IUD (postpuerperal, postmenstrual or after medical termination of pregnancy) did not show any correlation with the presence of actinomycetes infection. Actinomyces israelii was responsible for the infection in eight cases while Arachnia propionica was seen in two cases. The organisms could not be grown in culture.     

A microassay for the rapid and selective binding of cells from solid tumors to mouse macrophages

Summary A microassay was developed to study the rapid binding characteristics of murine macrophages activated by gamma interferon and muramyl dipeptide to adherent neoplastic or nonneoplastic target cells. The binding of tumor cells to both activated and nonactivated macrophages was time- and temperature-dependent, and independent of tumor cell type. Activated macrophages bound more tumor cells than nonactivated macrophages. The initial binding of macrophages to target cells did not necessarily lead to lysis. First, primed macrophages bound tumor cells but did not lyse them, and second, nonactivated macrophages bound nontumorigenic cells without subsequent lysis. The rapid binding assay described here could prove useful in investigating the recognition mechanism(s) between macrophages and tumor cells derived from solid primary and metastatic cancers.     

Considerations on overcoming intrasomatic selection during mutation breeding of vegetatively propagated plants

Summary When seeds and vegetative tissues are irradiated, a competition occurs in meristematic tissues between lethally and sublethally affected cells on one hand and unaffected cells on the other hand to the advantage of the latter. This phenomenon was first recognized by Freisleben and Lein (1943) and termed intrasomatic selection by Kaplan (1951) and diplontic selection by Gaul (1957). The work done on the nature of this phenomenon in seed-propagated plants is summarized along with suggested methods to reduce its intensity.The generally unencouraging results obtained so far in vegetatively propagated plants have been attributed to the more intensive operation of this phenomenon in this group of plants, consequent on the more complex nature of apical meristems and propagating materials. The work of Zwintzscher (1959) in apples and Bauer (1957) in black currants have shown that it is possible to overcome its effects with suitable handling of irradiated materials.The radiogenetic studies done by the author in the potato have been reviewed in this context. Low intensity irradiation, dose fractionation and irradiation of physiologically dormant tubers gave higher survival value. The method of isolating sprouts from irradiated tubers and growing them, and scoring for mutations in sproutling progenies was found to increase mutation frequency considerably. Other methods proposed for minimizing the effects of intrasomatic selection in vegetatively propagated plants are chronic irradiation, neutron irradiation, chemical mutagenesis and lastly, mutagenesis of isolated single cells and growing them into whole plants.

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Zusammenfassung Bei Bestrahlung von Samen und vegetativen Geweben konkurrieren in den meristematischen Geweben letal und subletal geschädigte Zellen einerseits und unbetroffene Zellen andererseits, wobei die letzteren überwiegen. Diese Feststellung wurde zuerst von Freisleben und Lein (1943) gemacht und durch Kaplan (1951) als intrasomatische Selektion und durch Gaul (1957) als diplontische Selektion bezeichnet. In der vorliegenden Arbeit sind die an samenvermehrten Pflanzen vorgenommenen Untersuchungen dieses Phänomens zusammengestellt mit den vorgeschlagenen Methoden zur Verminderung dieser Erscheinung.Die im allgemeinen wenig ermutigenden Ergebnisse, die bisher bei vegetativ vermehrten Pflanzen erzielt wurden, sind einem verstärkten Auftreten der intrasomatischen Selektion als Folge der komplexeren Art der apikalen Meristeme und der Fortpflanzungsorgane bei dieser Pflanzengruppe zugeschrieben worden. Zwintzscher (1959) und Bauer (1957) haben durch ihre Arbeiten an Äpfeln bzw. Schwarzen Johannisbeeren gezeigt, daß durch eine entsprechende Behandlung des bestrahlten Materials eine Ausschaltung dieses Effektes möglich ist.In diesem Zusammenhang wird über die Bestrahlungsuntersuchungen des Verfassers an Kartoffeln berichtet. Höhere Überlebenswerte wurden durch geringere Bestrahlungsintensität, durch Dosisfraktionierung und Bestrahlung physiologisch ruhender Knollen erreicht. Eine Isolierung und Aufzucht von Keimen bestrahlter Knollen ergab eine erhebliche Steigerung der Mutationshäufigkeit in den Nachkommenschaften. Andere zur Verminderung der Wirkungen der intrasomatischen Selektion vegetativ vermehrter Pflanzen vorgeschlagene Methoden sind Dauerbestrahlung, Bestrahlung mit Neutronen, chemische Mutagenese und schließlich Mutagenese isolierter einzelner Zellen und ihre Aufzucht als ganze Pflanze.

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Invitational Paper presented at the Seminar on Use of Radioisotopes and Radiations in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, 28 March–1 April 1966, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India.     

Naturally occurring anhydrovitamin A2: Transformation into retinene2

1. ;Naturally occurring anhydrovitamin A(2)' obtained from the liver oil of freshwater fish Bagarius bagarius yielded, after six-stage chromatography, a pure product showing characteristic bands at 350, 368 (E(1%) (1cm.) 1006) and 390mmu in ethanol, and producing a green colour with antimony trichloride (E(1%) (1cm.) 1884 at 693mmu). 2. On distribution of the material between light petroleum and 95% methanol, 70% of it is found in methanol, which points to its hydroxylic character. 3. It gives an acetyl derivative, from which the original hydroxy compound can be regenerated on hydrolysis. 4. The infrared spectrum shows, besides other bands, one at 3460cm.(-1) attributable to a hydroxy group. 5. On passing a light-petroleum solution of naturally occurring anhydrovitamin A(2) through manganese dioxide a 6% conversion into retinene(2) is observed. 6. A 3-hydroxyanhydroretinol structure is proposed for naturally occurring anhydrovitamin A(2) and a mechanism of its transformation into retinene(2) on this basis is suggested.     

Effect of soil solarization on nodulation,infection by mycorrhizal fungi and yield of cowpea

Solarization of soil was found beneficial for plant growth in cowpea under field conditions. Root nodulation, infection by mycorrhizal fungi and yield were higher in plants grown in solarized soil. These increases were to the extent of 104.7, 20.0 and 23.7 per cent respectively when compared to control treatment without solarization.     

Critical appraisal of fine needle aspiration cytology in tuberculous lymphadenitis.

A cytomorphologic diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis by examination of needle aspirates was made in 560 of 1,471 cases of lymphadenopathy studied over two years. Cytologic features were categorized into four groups: epithelioid clusters with or without Langhans's giant cells without necrosis (32.14%), epithelioid clusters with or without Langhans's giant cells with necrosis (50.35%), occasional epithelioid cells without characteristic necrosis/giant cells (2.85%) and necrosis without epithelioid clusters or Langhans's giant cells (14.64%). While a diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis was offered with confidence in the first two groups, constituting about 82.49% cases, aspirates from the third- and fourth-group patients were subjected to Ziehl-Neelsen staining for acid-fast bacilli, which was positive in 12.5% and 75.6% of cases, respectively.