Characteristics of bacterium GB-2, a presumptiveCytophaga species with novel immunoregulatory properties

A Gram-negative, psychrophilic bacterium, designated GB-2, was isolated from fetal calf serum and analyzed for its morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics. Gliding motility, sensitivity to actinomycin D, the presence of the pigment flexirubin and cytochrome c, growth on a variety of carbohydrates, the production of acid fermentation products, and a 34.9 mol% guanine+cytosine (G+C) content of bacterial DNA indicate GB-2 to be a member either of the generaCytophaga orFlexibacter. Growth of GB-2 was optimized in a simple defined medium to facilitate isolation and characterization of bacterial products. Liquid growth of GB-2 resulted in the release of significant quantities of a macromolecule free of both endotoxin and protein into the growth supernatant, which activated the proliferation of murine lymphocytes. The relationship between this bacterium and its end-products to other species of theCytophaga/Flexibacter group is discussed.     

Care Needs of the Elderly Treated at a Dental School1

Increased longevity and recently intensified emphasis on gerodontology mandate that dental students'exposure to clinical care of the elderly be enhanced. The extent to which individual students can be exposed to geriatric dental care depends on the availability of elderly patients to dental school clinics and the treatment needs of these patients. The purposes of this study were (1) to determine the dental treatment needs of geriatric patients who seek care at a dental school, and (2) to ascertain if differences exist between the needs of older versus relatively young geriatric patients. Data collected on 128 elderly patients during a three month period indicate that 57% of the aged were either edentulous at examination or treatment planned to become edentulous and receive two full dentures. The remaining 43% were treatment planned to remain dentulous and receive therapies other than full upper and lower dentures. More older geriatric patients required full dentures than their younger cohorts. More young elderly required prophylaxes, scalings, root planing therapy, dental restorations, and partial dentures. Additional to their denture requirements, aged patients appear to have sufficient non-prosthetic needs to allow for meaningful gerodontic experience by students.     

Detection of gonadotrophic hormones on isolated granulosa cells of the domestic hen, Gallus domesticus, by an immunohistochemical method

Two immunohistochemical methods were used to detect the presence of luteinizing hormone (LH) on the cells of chicken granulosa. Using a peroxidase-labelled anti-rabbit serum together with anti-chicken LH serum raised in rabbits, a strong positive response was obtained with granulosa cells from small and large pre-ovulatory follicles obtained from the mid-cycle. Similarly, by using an available antiserum to human follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), a slightly weaker response was obtained with cells from both large and small follicles. After incubating cells with ovine LH, ovine FSH and ovine prolactin, there was no detectable difference with the method used in reaction with their respective antisera to cells which had received no incubation, implying that chicken gonadotrophins were displaced only partially from their receptors by mammalian gonadotrophic hormones. Pre-incubation of the cells with human chorionic gonadotrophin gave negative results with anti-hCG serum. Using a fluorescent-labelled antibody method, similar results were obtained except that the distribution of the receptors on the granulosa cell for LH or FSH appeared to be different. With the LH, the fluorescence formed a halo around the cell in contrast to the overall fluorescence with FSH.     

Does New Guinea cannibalism have nutritional value?

This paper examines the question of the nutritional value of cannibalism. Although other authors have concluded that the practice does not have such value, we argue that this cannot properly be determined except in the context of the total subsistence economy and local human ecology. The paper also presents a format for the empirical investigation of foodgetting and new ethnographic information about New Guinea cannibalism. Our major conclusion is that this practice does have nutritional value for certain human groups, specifically tropical peoples living at lowmedium population densities and exploiting a diverse range of animal foods.     

Purification of human placental alkaline phosphatase. Salt effects in affinity chromatography

Human placental alkaline phosphatase was chromatographed on Sepharose derivatives of d- and l-phenylalanine, l-leucine, glycine, aniline and p-aminobenzoic acid in high concentrations of (NH(4))(2)SO(4). Retention on these columns was greatest at the highest concentrations of (NH(4))(2)SO(4). By using decreasing concentrations and changing the types of salts, elution was effected from each of the columns. The (NH(4))(2)SO(4)-mediated retention appeared to be related to the hydrophobic character of the substituted Sepharose, rather than to any specific binding site of the enzyme. It is suggested that this provides a way of controlling hydrophobic affinity chromatography. By use of chromatography on l-phenylalanine-Sepharose and of DEAE-Sephadex chromatography in the presence of Triton X-100 detergent, a preparation of highly purified (1000-fold) human placental alkaline phosphatase was obtained in 22% yield.