The Action Of Sulphur As A Fungicide And As An Acaricide

The conclusion arrived at by chemical methods, that the volatile agent produced when sulphur is applied to a heated surface is gaseous sulphur, has been subjected to biological tests in which the fungi Ery-siphe graminis and Sphaerotheca Humulind the gall mite Eriophyes ribis were employed.
The fungi were found not to be sufficiently sensitive to yield satisfactory and concordant results and strong support is given to the view that actual contact of the sulphur particle with the fungus is necessary before fungicidal action can occur.
It was shown that the agent present in air passed over heated sulphur and responsible for the death of the gall mite was not removed by filtration through a heated glass-wool plug, this observation being contrary to the view that the toxic agent is produced initially in solid form.
Filtration through a cooled glass-wool plug only removed part of the volatile agent and it was shown that the gall mite is affected by the traces of sulphur volatilised at ordinary temperatures.
The results of the experiments with the gall mite were in complete accord with those obtained in the previous chemical work.
At relatively large concentrations sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide are without permanent effect upon the gall mite and these gases are therefore not responsible for the acaricidal action of sulphur.     

Patients' Perception On Clinical Outcome And Quality Of Life After A Diagnosis Of Cushing Syndrome

Objective: Excess cortisol production (Cushing syndrome, CS) is a chronic disease affecting many organ systems and impacting quality of life (QoL). This study analyzed factors associated with self-reported QoL, including aspects related to the diagnosis and treatment modalities of CS.Methods: In collaboration with the Cushing's Support and Research Foundation (CSRF), surveys using a validated QoL instrument were sent to CSRF members. Data were analyzed for associations between QoL and demographic, treatment, and disease factors.Results: A total of 269 patients completed the survey. Respondents were 89.9% female, and the mean age was 48 years (SD 12, range 16–76). Respondents visited a median of 4 physicians (range 1–40) prior to the diagnosis of CS, with a median of 5 years (mean 7, SD 5, range 1–30) to obtain a diagnosis, showing a statistically significant negative correlation (P<.001). In one-quarter of cases, someone other than a physician suggested the diagnosis. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that remission status, time to diagnosis, radiation therapy, and hypopituitarism were significant predictors of QoL. There was no association between QoL and patient's sex, age, replacement steroid use, having follow-up with an endocrinologist, or surgical approach.Conclusion: This is one of the largest QoL studies of CS patients and provides information for treatment and education goals. It is notable that early diagnosis and treatment was the major predictor of better QoL after achieving remission from disease, highlighting the need for awareness about the disorder. Patients in remission had better QoL, emphasizing the importance of disease control.Abbreviations:CD = Cushing diseaseCS = Cushing syndromeCSRF = Cushing's Support and Research FoundationQoL = quality of life     

Primary Pituitary Lymphoma As Rare Cause Of A Pituitary Mass And Hypopituitarism In Adulthood

Objective: Differential diagnosis of nonadenomatous sellar masses causing hypopituitarism is still a challenge. Among these masses, growing evidence has demonstrated that primary pituitary lymphoma is a specific and emerging entity. The aim of our study was to describe our experience with a case of primary pituitary lymphoma and to perform a review of the available literature.Methods: We searched relevant databases up to March 2020, identifying 36 suitable articles basing on inclusion criteria (primary pituitary lymphoma in adult immunocompetent subjects). Overall, 43 cases were included in the review, adding a new case diagnosed and treated in our hospital. Epidemiologic data, clinical presentation, hormonal status, radiologic findings, pathology, treatment, and outcome were extracted.Results: Mean age at diagnosis was 58.9 years, without gender difference. Symptoms related to mass were common (52.3%), in particular cranial nerve palsy (70.5%), headache (56.8%), and alteration in visual field (40.9%). Impaired hormonal status was detected in 89.7% of patients; of them, 58.9% presented with anterior pituitary failure (partial or total), while 25.6% presented with panhypopituitarism. Overall, diabetes insipidus was present in 30.8% and hyperprolactinemia in 41.0% of patients. The majority of patients presented a radiologically invasive mass in the suprasellar region and cavernous sinus (65.9% and 40.9%, respectively) and histologic diagnosis of diffuse B-cell lymphoma (54.5%).Conclusion: The differential diagnosis of sellar and parasellar masses causing hypopituitarism should include primary pituitary lymphoma, even in absence of systemic symptoms or posterior pituitary dysfunction. The disease has a heterogeneous pattern, so a collaboration between endocrinologists, neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons, and hematologists is desirable.     

The Function Of The Old Fort In Central Missouri Oneota Subsistence And Settlement Systems

Abstract

The Old Fort is a large Oneota earthwork enclosure situated on a ridge tope overlooking the Missouri River flood-plain. The objective of this inquiry is to determine how the Old Fort functioned in central Missouri Oneota subsistence and settlement systems. Five tenable functions were formulated as hypotheses, then confronted with data from test excavations at the site. Three hypotheses are rejected; the Old Fort was not a fortified village, a redoubt, or a cemetery. Two hypotheses could not be rejected; however, circumstantial evidence supports the tobacco garden hypothesis more than the firebreak refuge hypothesis since the former can account for all of what is currently known about the Oneota enclosure whereas the latter can not. The Old Fort had no direct or obvious role in the subsistence system.     

The Effect Of Commercial Bovine Serum Albumin And Other Proteins On The Activity Of Bovine Milk Galactosyltransferase

Abstract

The widespread use of bovine serum albumin preparations for the stabilization of purified glycosyltransferases has prompted us to study the effects of different preparations of albumins on the galactosyltransferase activity of bovine milk. For comparison, several other proteins were tested as well. The albumins caused a large stimulation of transferase activity (400–700%) which varied depending on the source of the albumin and the treatment to which it had been subjected. Several other unrelated proteins were tested for their effects on transferase activity. Some proteins stimulated, while others had little effect. Lysozyme stimulated the activity by 178% and poly-L-lysine had Vittle effect. Other proteins stimulated to variable extents. The stimulations obtained with albumin and myelin basic protein were noteworthy. The stimulation was considerably less marked when the enzyme was incorporated into lipid vesicles.     

The Proliferative Status And Clonogenic Capacity Of Tumour Cells In A Transplantable Rhabdomyosarcoma Of The Rat Before And After Irradiation With 800 Rad Of X-Rays

R-1 Rhabdomyosarcomas Transplantable In The Inbred Strain Of Wag/Rij Rats Were Labelled Semicontinuously With ³H-Tdr And Subsequently Irradiated With X-Rays In Order To Estimate The Rate Of Recruitment Of Q Into P Cells And To Obtain More Insight Into The Importance Of Hypoxia With Respect To The P And Q Status Of Clonogenic Cells. Labelling Was Performed By Giving Animals From One To A Total Number Of Up To Seven Intraperitoneal Injections With ³H-Tdr Within 30 Hr. Half Of The Number Of Tumours Received An Acute Dose Of 800 Rad Of 300 Kv X-Rays At 45 Min After Completion Of The Last Labelling In Order To Reduce The Fraction Of Well Oxygenated Cells Among The Surviving Clonogenic Cells To Less Than 1%; Labelled Control Tumours Were Sham Irradiated. Fractions Of Labelled Tumour Cells, Li_Tumour’Were Evaluated From Autoradiographs Prepared From Sections Of Tumours That Were Fixed 15 Min After Irradiation: Fractions Of Labelled Cell Foci, Li_Fo, Were Determined In Autoradiographs Prepared From Cultures Of Cells Isolated From The Remaining Parts Of The Tumours. Analysis Of The Variation In Li_Tumour As A Function Of Time And Of The Number Of Injections Showed That The Rate Of Recruitment Of Q Cells Into P Cells Is Most Likely Less Than 1%/Hr. Comparison Of Data On Li_Fo Derived For Irradiated And Non-Irradiated Tumours Indicates That Clonogenic Q Cells Are More Frequently Present Among Cells Which Survived The Dose Of 800 Rad Of X-Rays. These Results Suggest That, In R-1 Tumours Of About 800 Mm³ The Clonogenic Q Cell Population Contains A Larger Fraction Of Hypoxic Cells Than The Fraction Of Hypoxic Cells Present In The Clonogenic P Cell Population. Several factors are discussed which complicate the analysis and may influence the results, e.g. reutilization of labelled debris of dead cells from irradiated tumours.     

Stereoselective Synthesis Of Homo-Apioneplanocin A As Potential Inhibitor Of S-Adenosylhomocysteine Hydrolase

Homo-apioneplanocin A (1) as a potential inhibitor of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase was synthesized from D-ribose, employing stereoselective hydroxymethylation, regioselective oxidation, and regio- and chemoselective hydroboration as key steps.