Decline in measles mortality: nutrition,age at infection,or exposure?

The mortality from measles was studied in an urban area of Guinea-Bissau one year before and five years after the introduction of a vaccination programme. The years after the introduction of immunisation saw a decline in mortality among unvaccinated children with measles. This decline occurred despite a lower age at infection and an increasing prevalence of malnourished children. State of nutrition (weight for age) did not affect the outcome of measles infection. The incidence of isolated cases, however, increased in the period after the introduction of measles vaccination. As mortality was lower among these cases, diminished clustering explained some of the reduction in mortality. Comparison between the urban district and a rural area inhabited by the same ethnic group showed a lower age at infection, less clustering of cases, and lower case fatality ratios in the urban area.Endemic transmission of measles in urban districts leads to less clustering of cases, which may help explain the usually lower case fatality ratios in these areas. As measles vaccination increases herd immunity and diminishes clustering of cases, it may reduce mortality even among unvaccinated children who contract the disease.     

Screening of yeasts for production of xylitol fromd-xylose and some factors which affect xylitol yield inCandida guilliermondii

Summary The ability to convertd-xylose to xylitol was screened in 44 yeasts from five genera. All but two of the strains produced some xylitol with varying rates and yields. The best xylitol producers were localized largely in the speciesCandida guilliermondii andC. tropicalis. Factors affecting xylitol production by a selectedC. guilliermondii strain, FTI-20037, were investigated. The results showed that xylitol yield by this strain was affected by the nitrogen source. Yield was highest at 30–35°C, and could be increased with decreasing aeration rate. Using high cell density and a defined medium under aerobic conditions, xylitol yield byC. guilliermondii FTI-20037 from 104 g/ld-xylose was found to be 77.2 g/l. This represented a yield of 81% of the theoretical value, which was computed to be 0.9 mol xylitol per mold-xylose.Issued as NRCC publication No. 28798.     

Suitability of a rapid gas chromatographic method for total mesophilic bacteria and coliform enumeration in hamburgers

An instrumental method for the rapid determination of total mesophilic bacteria and total coliforms in hamburgers is described. The two procedures are based on the gas chromatographic determination of metabolic CO₂ in equilibrium in the head space of sealed vials containing suitable media and inoculated with aliquots of the sample under examination. Both procedures proved to be suitable for quality control of meat products, being highly sensitive, reproducible, simple and rapid. Good correlation coefficients were obtained with plate counting for microbial concentrations ranging between 10¹ and 10⁸.     

Electro and acoustic myography for noninvasive assessment of lumbar paraspinal muscle function

In 31 normal subjects (17 male), aged 19-48 years, and 8 patients with chronic low back pain (4 male), aged 37-55 years, the repeatability of surface recordings of acoustic myography (AMG) and electromyography (EMG) were examined in the lumbar paraspinal muscles. Five isometric test positions were examined. In 21 of the normal subjects, four positions tested were: quiet standing, half extension from prone lying, full extension from prone with and without resistance. In 10 of the normal subjects and the 8 back pain patients, a standardised, unsupported horizontal position with the upper body over the end of a couch was tested. The AMG and EMG signals were full-wave rectified and integrated (iAMG and iEMG). The variability of recordings during repeated 5-s isometric contractions was assessed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated from the ANOVA. Both recording techniques produced the most repeatable results during the unsupported, horizontal hold position. In the normal subjects, CV were, iAMG 5.6%, iEMG 4.9%; and in the patients, iAMG 4.4%, iEMG 2.6%. The CV for the other four isometric test positions ranged from 15.3% to 29.4% for iAMG, and 8% to 15.7% for iEMG. These results demonstrated that a controlled test manoeuvre for examining AMG and EMG of the paraspinal muscles was vital for repeatable recordings. The CV for the standardised, horizontal position were lower than for previously published results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Active specific immunotherapy with Newcastle-diseasevirus-modified autologous tumor cells following resection of liver metastases in colorectal cancer

Summary A group of 23 colorectal cancer patients were treated by a new type of active specific immunotherapy (ASI) following complete surgical resection of liver metastases (R0 resection). For ASI treatment we used a vaccine consisting of 1 × 10⁷ autologous, irradiated (200 Gy) metastases-derived tumor cells incubated with 32 hemagglutination units (HU) of Newcastle disease virus (NDV). The adjuvant vaccine therapy was started 2 weeks after surgery and was repeated five times at 14-days intervals followed by one boost 3 months later. The delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin reactions to the vaccine were measured as well as the DTH reactions to a challenge test of 1 × 10⁷ non-virus-modified autologous tumor cells from liver metastases or 1 × 10⁷ autologous normal liver cells. In addition 32 HU NDV alone and a standard antigen test (Merieux test) were applied pre- and post-vaccination. The vaccination was well tolerated. In 13 of 23 patients an increasing reactivity against the vaccine was observed during the vaccination procedure. Nine patients (40%) experienced an increased DTH reactivity against autologous tumor cells following vaccination, while 17% or fewer showed an increased reactivity to Merieux test antigens, NDV, or normal liver cells. The increased antitumor response was not correlated to responsiveness to NDV alone, autologous liver cells, enzymes and culture medium used for vaccine preparation or standard antigens (Merieux test). After a follow-up of at least 18 months 61% of the vaccinated patients developed tumor recurrence in comparison to 87% of a matched control groups from the same institution that had been only surgically treated. The results of this phase II trial are encouraging and should stimulate further prospective randomized studies.     

Phase variations inBifidobacterium animalis

Strains isolated from rabbit, chicken, and rat feces and from sewage and fermented milk products, all identified asBifidobacterium animalis, were found to show phase variations in colony appearance and in cellular morphology. The rate of transition in a switching system from opaque to transparent colonies and vice versa was determined. Differences in protein components and in penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) of the cells from different colony types are shown.     

Genotype of Yupik Eskimos with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

Summary An A-to-G transition in the second intron was the sole mutation detected in four Yupik Eskimo patients with salt-wasting congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Allele-specific hybridization should be an efficient means of performing prenatal diagnosis of the disease in this highly inbred population.     

Genetic and blood coagulation characterization of “Swedish” families with von Willebrand's disease types I and III: New aspects of heredity

Summary Twenty-five patients with von Willebrand's disease (vWD) type III were analysed with regard to blood coagulation variables and possible deletions. Nine of the probands and their families were further investigated with DNA linkage analyses. Different patterns of heredity can be suggested in our families with vWD type III, on the basis of blood coagulation analyses. The findings suggest homozygosity in five families and the possibility of compound heterozygosity or a new mutation in the proband in three families. The linkage analyses confirm the results of the coagulation analyses. The segregation of the von Willebrand factor (vWF) gene can be followed in the families, and carrier diagnosis can be made in several of the probands' relatives. The possibility of large deletions in the vWF gene of the probands and their parents was investigated with probes representing the whole vWF cDNA. No deletions were found.This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Karolinska Hospital (No. 84:1)     

Cytogenetics of human oocytes,zygotes, and embryos after in vitro fertilization

Summary Chromosome errors, inherited or arising de novo during gametogenesis and transmitted at fertilization to the conceptus, may be a major cause of embryonic mortality. The in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF/ET) procedure provides extra material — oo-cytes, zygotes, and embryos — to investigate the contribution of chromosomal abnormality to implantation failure. This paper reviews the results of cytogenetic studies on such material. Estimates from a total of 1120 oocytes from 11 studies give an overall proportion of chromosomal abnormality of 35%. Single and multiple nullisomies and disomies are found, involving nonrandom chromosome gain or loss. Hypohaploid complements are more frequent than hyperhaploid complements. The higher rate of chromosome loss of hypohaploid karyotypes was found to be largely artifactual. The estimated overall frequency of aneuploidy is 13%. In embryos the level of chromosomal abnormality is 23%–40%. Errors of fertilization are responsible for a substantial number of triploid embryos, many of which develop into mosaics. Factors extrinsic to the conceptus, such as infertility, advanced maternal age, and ovarian hyperstimulation, may increase the level of chromosomal abnormality. More refined methods for accurately recognizing and selecting chromosomally normal embryos for transfer are needed to improve the success rate of this reproductive technology.