Professional Registered Nurses in the United States and California, 1962—Report of the Bureau of Research and Planning

• Figures on professional registered nurses recently made available indicate that the ratio of active nurses to population in California in 1962 was 327 per 100,000 persons. The comparable figure nationally was 298/100,000. California ranked twentieth out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.The percentage of all nurses actively engaged in nursing is considerably lower in California than in the total United States: 60.4 per cent compared with 65.3 per cent. This indicates that the shortage of nurses in California is more attributable to underutilization of potential manpower than to its absence.There are some identifiable categories of nurses in California in which the utilization of personnel is particularly low, as compared with other states. In terms of rates of utilization, the group of nurses over 60 years of age are most noticeably under-utilized, while in terms of numbers, married nurses could provide the greatest supply of extra nurses were their employment rate in the state equal to the national rate.The recruiting potential is a very great one, however, as this report indicates.     

Radio Telemetry of the Electrocardiogram,Fitness Tests,and Oxygen Uptake of Water-Polo Players

During competitive water polo, heart rate in six subjects was monitored by cupped plastic and silver electrodes glued to the skin. Minimum rates during the game averaged 156 beats/min.; maximum rates averaged 186 beats/min. Mean maximum rate with bicycle exercise was 188 beats/min. Maximum oxygen (VO₂ max.) with bicycle exercise of 14 water-polo players was 53.3 ml./kg. Physical working capacity (PWC 170) was 1310 kilopond metres per square metre (k.p.m./sq.m.). PWC 170 correlated well with VO₂ max. in this small group (r = 0.77).Oxygen uptake was measured at three speeds of swimming and four levels of work on a bicycle ergometer. VO₂ max. of swimming was 88% of that obtained on bicycle exercise. The slope of the oxygen uptake vs. pulse rate curves was less for the swimming than for cycling, so that for a given oxygen uptake below the maximal, pulse rate was less in the swimmers. At near-maximal swimming, respiratory quotient was 0.95 compared with 1.27 for cycling, suggesting that the swimmers were underbreathing.     

Mechanism of Polykaryocytosis Associated with Noncytopathic Infection by Measles Virus.

Atherton, John G. (University of Southern California, Los Angeles), Sotiros G. Chaparas, Martha Cremer, and Irving Gordon. Mechanism of polykaryocytosis associated with noncytopathic infection by measles virus. J. Bacteriol. 90:213-219. 1965.-Infection with a measles virus variant resulted not only in formation of polykaryocytes (PK) but also in formation of multicellular immunofluorescent foci (IFF) in which no cytopathic effect could be detected. The ratio of IFF to PK changed from 27 to 4 during the first passage and remained 4 after a second passage. PK were plaques. Plaque assay was linear in the presence of IFF. To investigate the mechanism of PK formation, radioautography was done on cells pulse-labeled with tritiated thymidine before virus multiplication began. The results showed that PK were formed by fusion; there were no PK whose nuclei contained no label, and the proportion of labeled nuclei (32%) and distribution of grain counts was the same in PK as in uninvolved cells, ruling out nuclear replication without concomitant cytoplasmic membrane formation as the mechanism of formation of these PK. Early in PK development, neutral red uptake was markedly increased ("red" plaques). As PK matured, hyperchromicity disappeared ("white" plaques). This sequence provided an index of rate of evolution of PK. Rate of PK maturation was more rapid at 37 than at 32 C.     

Experimentelle Untersuchungen über die Beziehung zwischen Schilddrüse und Hypophyse während der Larvalentwicklung und Metamorphose von Xenopus laevis Daudin

Zusammenfassung Die Normalentwicklung von Schilddrüse und Hypophyse während der Larvalentwicklung und Metamorphose von Xenopns laevis Daudin und die Veränderungen des Hypophysenvorderlappens (HVL) und der Schilddrüse auf Behandlung mit Dinitrophenol, Natriumthiocyanat, Methylthiouracil, Kaliumperchlorat und Thyroxin im Überschuß wurden untersucht.Die Selbstdifferenzierungsfähigkeit der Schilddrüse und die Wirkung exogenen Thyroxins auf die Schilddrüse wurde an hypophysektomierten Tieren herausgestellt.Schilddrüse und -Zellen des Hypophysenvorderlappens werden mit Beginn des Hinterbeinwachstums funktionsfähig. Zur gleichen Zeit wird das Körpergewebe gegenüber Schilddrüsenhormon empfindlich. Das HVL-Schilddrüsen-Regulationssystem wird ebenfalls zudiesem Zeitpunkt reaktionsbereit.Die Schilddrüse ist bis zu einem gewissen Grad selbstdifferenzierungsfähig; sie wird auch dann morphologisch ausdifferenziert — wenn auch verzögert und nicht in vollem Umfang —, wenn genügend exogenes Thyroxin vorhanden ist, um die Entwicklung weiterzuführen, und beim Fehlen der Hypophyse.Die Sekret-Produktion und -Speicherung in den -Zellen des HVL erfolgt auch dann, wenn genügend exogenes Thyroxin die TSH-Produktion überflüssig macht.Dinitrophenol dämpft die Aktivität der Schilddrüse, ohne daß die -Zellen des HVL hypertrophieren. Eine Hemmung des Rückkopplungsmechanismus ist wahrscheinlich.Natriumthiocyanat, Methylthiouracil und Kaliumperchlorat bewirken Kropfbildung und eine starke Hypertrophie der -Zellen des HVL. Dabei entsprechen die durch diese drei Substanzen verursachten Veränderungen der -Zellen nicht dem jeweiligen Aktivitätsgrad der Schilddrüse. So ist z. B. nach Thiocyanat-Behandlung die Schilddrüsenhemmung am stärksten, die Kernvergrößerung der -Zellen aber am geringsten. Natriumthiocyanat, Methylthiouracil und Kaliumperchlorat hemmen demnach nicht nur die Hormonproduktion der Schilddrüse unterschiedlich, sie greifen außerdem noch störend in das Regulationssystem ein: entweder durch Veränderung des Schilddrüsenhormons selbst oder des Rückkopplungsmechanismus.

---

Summary The normal development of the thyroid gland and the pituitary during larval development and metamorphosis of the clawed toad Xenopus laevis Daudin and the changes of the anterior pituitary and the thyroid after treatment with dinitrophenol, thiocyanate, thiouracil, perchlorate and exceeding thyroxine were investigated.The capacity of self-differentiation and the effect of exogenous thyroxine on the thyroid were pointed out in hypophysectomized animals.Thyroid and TSH-producing cells (-cells) of the anterior pituitary start functioning at the beginning of the hindlimb-growth. At the same time the body tissue gets sensitive to thyroid-hormone and the anterior pituitary-thyroid-regulating system shows first signs of reactivity.The thyroid is able to selfdifferentiate up to a certain degree. The gland morphologically differentiates — though retarded and not to the full extent —, even if either sufficient exogenous thyroxine is available to proceed the development or the pituitary is lacking.The -cells of the anterior pituitary synthesize and store hormone, even if sufficient exogenous thyroxine makes the TSH-production unnecessary.Dinitrophenol restrains the activity of the thyroid without causing hypertrophy of the -cells of the anterior pituitary. An inhibition of the feed-back mechanism seems to be possible.Thiocyanate, thiouracil and perchlorate cause goitre and a strong hypertrophy of the -cells of the anterior pituitary. Considering the effects of these three substances, the changes of the -cells, caused by the lack of thyroid hormone, do not correspond with the respective activity of the thyroid. The inhibition of the thyroid is strongest after treatment with thiocyanate, but in this case the increase of the nuclear diameter of the -cells is smallest. Therefore thiocyanate, thiouracil and perchlorate do not only inhibit the hormone production of the thyroid. They also interfere with the regulation system in a different manner: they either modify the thyroid hormone itself or interfere with the feed-back mechanism.

---

---

Dissertation der Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der J. W. Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt a. M.Meinem Lehrer, Herrn Prof. Dr.H. Giersberg, danke ich für die Anregung dieser Arbeit, Herrn Prof. Dr. M. Lindauer für die weitere Überlassung des Arbeitsplatzes. Besonderen Dank schulde ich den Herren Prof. Dr. W. Hanke und Dr. F.-W. Pehlemann für jederzeit hilfreichen Rat.     

Durhamycin, a Pentaene Antifungal Antibiotic from Streptomyces durhamensis sp. n

Durhamycin, derived from a previously undescribed soil isolate, is an apparently new antibiotic active against many of the fungi pathogenic for man and animals. Cultural and morphological characteristics and biochemical reactions of Streptomyces durhamensis are detailed. Methods of extraction of the antibiotic, physicochemical properties, antimicrobial spectrum, and results of mouse toxicity and protection tests are given.     

Motor unit territories supplied by primary branches of the phrenic nerve

Recent studies have demonstrated that, under certain circumstances, the diaphragm does not contract as a homogeneous unit. These observations suggest that motor units may not be randomly distributed throughout the muscle but confined to localized subvolumes. In the present study, electromyographic (EMG) and glycogen depletion methods were combined to investigate the organization of motor units supplied by the primary branches of the phrenic nerve in the cat. Four primary branches are generally present, one branch to the crus and three branches to the sternocostal region. The gross motor-unit territory of each of the four phrenic primary branches was determined by stimulating each nerve separately, while recording from nine EMG electrodes distributed over the hemidiaphragm. Stimulation of the crural branch evoked activity in the ipsilateral crus, whereas stimulation of each of the remaining branches evoked activity in discrete but overlapping areas of the sternocostal diaphragm. A more precise analysis of the distribution and borders of the motor territories was obtained by mapping regions depleted of muscle glycogen due to stimulation of each primary branch for 90 min. Glycogen depletion results closely matched the EMG findings of a localized distribution of motor units served by single primary branches. Stimulation of the crural branch typically caused depletion of the ipsilateral crus, whereas the sternocostal branches each served a striplike compartment. In the majority of cases, the borders of the sternocostal compartments were relatively abrupt and consisted of a 1- to 2-mm transition zone of depleted and nondepleted fibers. These studies demonstrate that motor unit territories of the primary branches of the phrenic nerve are highly delineated. This compartmentalization provides the central nervous system with the potential for a more precise regional motor control of costal and crural diaphragm than previously suspected.