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.     

Production of Methyl Ketones from Secondary Alcohols by Cell Suspensions of C2 to C4n-Alkane-Grown Bacteria

Nineteen new C₂ to C₄n-alkane-grown cultures were isolated from lake water from Warinanco Park, Linden, N.J., and from lake and soil samples from Bayway Refinery, Linden, N.J. Fifteen known liquid alkane-utilizing cultures were also found to be able to grow on C₂ to C₄n-alkanes. Cell suspensions of these C₂ to C₄n-alkane-grown bacteria oxidized 2-alcohols (2-propanol, 2-butanol, 2-pentanol, and 2-hexanol) to their corresponding methyl ketones. The product methyl ketones accumulated extracellularly. Cells grown on 1-propanol or 2-propanol oxidized both primary and secondary alcohols. In addition, the activity for production of methyl ketones from secondary alcohols was found in cells grown on either alkanes, alcohols, or alkylamines, indicating that the enzyme(s) responsible for this reaction is constitutive. The optimum conditions for in vivo methyl ketone formation from secondary alcohols were compared among selected strains: Brevibacterium sp. strain CRL56, Nocardia paraffinica ATCC 21198, and Pseudomonas fluorescens NRRL B-1244. The rates for the oxidation of secondary alcohols were linear for the first 3 h of incubation. Among secondary alcohols, 2-propanol and 2-butanol were oxidized at the highest rate. A pH around 8.0 to 9.0 was found to be the optimum for acetone or 2-butanone formation from 2-alcohols. The temperature optimum for the production of acetone or 2-butanone from 2-propanol or 2-butanol was rather high at 60°C, indicating that the enzyme involved in the reaction is relatively thermally stable. Metal-chelating agents inhibit the production of methyl ketones, suggesting the involvement of a metal(s) in the oxidation of secondary alcohols. Secondary alcohol dehydrogenase activity was found in the cell-free soluble fraction; this activity requires a cofactor, specifically NAD. Propane monooxygenase activity was also found in the cell-free soluble fraction. It is a nonspecific enzyme catalyzing both terminal and subterminal oxidation of n-alkanes.     

Natural History of Isolated Patent Ductus Arteriosus and the Effect of Surgical Correction: Twenty Years' Experience at The Hospital for Sick Children,Toronto

Seven hundred and forty-four cases of patent ductus arteriosus were diagnosed at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, in the 20-year period from 1947 to 1966. Of these 705 have been treated surgically. It is concluded that operation is best performed between 6 and 12 months of age. Isolated ductus arteriosus is rarely a cause of congestive heart failure, and is more likely to be so in the presence of the rubella syndrome. Failure associated with the anomaly in the neonatal period can usually be successfully managed by medical treatment. Spontaneous closure after one month of age is not to be expected. Surgical treatment at the appropriate time prevents the subsequent development of Eisenmenger''s complex.     

Differential Tolerance of Streptomycetes to Sodium Chloride as a Taxonomic Aid

A survey was made of the NaCl tolerance of approximately 1,300 Streptomyces strains belonging to 313 species. The growth medium of the organisms was supplemented with a graded series of NaCl concentrations (4, 7, 10, and 13%). Only 1.8% of the species could not tolerate 4% NaCl; 26.9% could grow at a maximum of 4%; 49.7% could tolerate a maximum of 7%; 18.8% could grow at a maximum of 10%; and only 2.8% could tolerate 13% NaCl. In evaluating the relationships of NaCl tolerance to various taxonomic features, higher tolerance was statistically associated with the "yellow" and possibly the "white"-spored streptomycetes, whereas the "red"-spored series tended to have lesser tolerance. Higher tolerance was also indicated for spiny-spored species, as a group, than for smooth-spored forms. Likewise, nonproducers of melanin, collectively, were more NaCl tolerant than melanin-producing species. Uniformity of test responses between strains of species studied suggested the usefulness of NaCl tolerance as a taxonomic criterion.     

Electron microscopy of spore germination and cell wall formation in Mucor rouxii

Summary The fine structure of ungerminated and aerobically germinated sporangiospores of Mucor rouxii was compared. The germination process may be divided into two stages: I, spherical growth; II, emergence of a germ tube. In both stages, germination is growth in its strictest sense with overall increases in cell organelles; e.g., the increase in mitochondria is commensurate with the overall increase in protoplasmic mass. Noticeable changes occurring during germination are the disappearance of electron-dense lipoid bodies, formation of a large central vacuole and, most strikingly, formation of a new cell wall. Unlike many other fungi, M. rouxii does not germinate by converting the spore wall into a vegetative wall. Instead, as in other Mucorales, a vegetative wall is formed de novo under the spore wall during germination stage I. This new wall grows out, rupturing the spore wall, to become the germ tube wall. Associated with the apical wall of the germ tube is an apical corpuscle previously described. The vegetative wall exhibits a nonlayered, uniformly microfibrillar appearance in marked distinction to the spore wall which is triple-layered, with two thin electron dense outer layers, and a thick transparent inner stratum. The lack of continuity between the spore and vegetative walls is correlated with marked differences in wall chemistry previously reported. A separate new wall is also formed under the spore wall during anaerobic germination leading to yeast cell formation. On the other hand, in the development of one vegetative cell from another, such as in the formation of hyphae from yeast cells, the cell wall is structurally continuous. This continuity is correlated with a similarity in chemical composition of the cell wall reported earlier.     

Studies on Survival of Bacteria: Rhythmic Response of Microorganisms to Freeze-Drying Additives

Various materials were mixed with suspensions of Serratia marcescens and other organisms. Samples were removed and frozen at intervals after mixing; the number of cells that survived both freeze-drying and exposure to air varied rhythmically as a function of time between mixing and freezing. When assayed before or immediately after drying there were essentially no fluctuations. The response was evident only when these dried samples were exposed to air. In a typical experiment, the number of cells surviving in the sample frozen 30 sec after adding propyl gallate was at least 10 times that in samples frozen either 20 sec earlier or 20 sec later. Other "peaks" in survival were observed at approximately 125 and 450 sec, but the times at which the peaks were observed were not consistent from one experiment to the next. Although we have been unable to control or predict the time at which maxima in resistance occur, we have shown that the phenomenon does occur with Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as well as with S. marcescens. Furthermore, a rhythmic response also was obtained after a change in pH or cell concentration. It appears that microorganisms respond physiologically and synchronously to changes in their environment, and some of these responses have survival value.