Can J Comp Med, 1984 Jul, 48(3), 275 - 7 Lung lesions in bovine fetuses aborted by Brucella abortus; Lopez A et al.; Considering the poor facilities available for microbiological diagnosis in some countries where Brucella abortus is a frequent cause of bovine abortion, a study was conducted to determine if isolation of B . abortus from an aborted bovine fetus could be predicted from a detailed histological study of the formalized lung . Thirty-nine samples of B . abortus positive and 20 negative fetal samples were examined for the presence of 14 different pulmonary lesions . Differences in the frequency of observed lesions between the positive and negative groups, were determined by odds ratios and chi square statistic . The confidence of the prediction was calculated by means of the logistic computer model . The frequency of eight lung lesions was found to be significantly (p less than 0.05) different between the groups; nevertheless, these lesions were not specific enough to be able to incriminate B . abortus as the cause of abortion. Infection, 1984 Jul-Aug, 12(4), 274 - 5 A comparison of oxytetracycline and trimethoprim in the treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis urethritis; Nielsen PB et al.; The effect of trimethoprim was compared with that of oxytetracycline in the treatment of uncomplicated urethritis and/or cervicitis . Twenty-six patients treated with oxytetracycline were all microbiologically cured . Of 19 patients treated with trimethoprim, ten (53%) still harboured the chlamydia after two weeks . The superiority of tetracycline was even more pronounced following the evaluation of dysuria and discharges . 85% of the patients treated with oxytetracycline and 6% of those treated with trimethoprim had neither dysuria nor discharge after the completion of treatment . The patients who failed to be cured by trimethoprim were all successfully treated with oxytetracycline. Z Urol Nephrol, 1984 Jul, 77(7), 391 - 400 {Serum resistance of Escherichia coli in chronic pyelonephritis . 1 . Serum resistance in the human serum pool}; Falkenhagen U et al.; 123 patients of the kidney department of the Clinic for Inner Medicine of Rostock University suffering from chronic pyelonephritis were taken into microbiological observation for between one and four years . 170 E . coli strains were bred from 59 patients with significant bacteriuria in the course of the disease and their serum resistence was determined with pooled human serum using Taylor's method . 78.24% of the strains examined were serum-sensitive, 11.18% intermediate and 10.59% serum-resistent . All strains were O-, K- and H-typed . 57.06% were successfully O-typed and were distributed over 40 O-serogroups . 24.12% were not typable and 18.82% were rough colonies . 86.50% of the resistent and intermediate strains strains were O-typable, 13.50% could not be typed . The significance of E . coli antigens (O, K, H) and serum resistence for the maintenance of a chronic infection is discussed. Urologe A, 1984 Jul, 23(4), 201 - 3 {Tuberculosis following kidney transplantation}; Ulshofer B et al.; Morbidity of tuberculosis following kidney transplantation is about 1% (14/1719 kidney transplantations) . All cases occurred within 1 year after transplantation; surprising was the relative high incidence in patients from outside Central Europe . Four patients with lack of clinical symptoms in whom the diagnosis was made by routine X-ray films of the chest survived after immediate therapy while five of ten patients with miliary tuberculosis died although proper treatment was performed . In cases of fever not caused by rejection or in pneumonia resistant to common antibiotics prophylactic antituberculous therapy should be considered even if microbiological evidence is not yet confirmed. Mikrobiyol Bul, 1984 Jul, 18(3), 137 - 44 {Rate of decomposition of keratinous material used by various organisms}; Goktan D; Keratinous materials such as feather, horn and nail are resistant to enzymatic degradation because they contain about 11-12 % cystine . However these materials can be used as a substrate by certain microorganisms . In this experiment 3 bacteria with different keratinous activities isolated from beforehand have been grown on ground feather . These microorganisms have rapidly used and as a result decomposed more than 60 % of the substrate in the first 3 days . But the amount of microbiological mass which has grown on the substrate is not high. Pharm Weekbl Sci, 1984 Jun 22, 6(3), 105 - 10 Comparison of media and temperature of incubation for microbiological examination of purified water; Van Doorne H et al.; The suitability of four commonly used nutrient media, and two incubation temperatures for the bacteriological examination of purified water was investigated . The temperature of incubation (22 or 30 degrees C) exerted no profound influence on the observed numbers of colony forming units . Five days was optimal for all incubation conditions . Tryptone Soya Peptone Broth Agar was found to be less productive than the other media investigated, viz . Nutrient Agar 1/8 strength, Nutrient Agar and King A medium, which appeared to be equally productive. Pharm Weekbl Sci, 1984 Jun 22, 6(3), 111 - 3 A note on the suitability of 'dip slides' for the microbiological examination of water and aqueous non-sterile pharmaceutical preparations; Van Doorne H et al.; The suitability of four brands of dip slides for the examination of purified water was studied . Especially when used in combination with a calibrated inoculating device reliable results were obtained . The usefulness for this purpose of the selective media present on three of the four brands is questionable, unless a previous resuscitation technique has been applied. Biochem J, 1984 Jun 15, 220(3), 755 - 65 Rat hepatic uroporphyrinogen III co-synthase . Purification and evidence for a bound folate coenzyme participating in the biosynthesis of uroporphyrinogen III; Kohashi M et al.; Rat hepatic uroporphyrinogen III co-synthase was isolated and purified 73-fold with a 13% yield by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation and sequential chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, Sephadex G-100 (superfine grade) and folate-AH-Sepharose 4B . The purified co-synthase has an Mr of approx . 42 000, and is resolved into two bands, each possessing co-synthase activity, by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis . A factor was dissociated from the purified co-synthase . Results of both microbiological and competitive protein-binding assays suggest that it is a pteroylpolyglutamate . The isolated pteroylpolyglutamate factor was co-eluted with authentic N5-methyltetrahydropteroylheptaglutamate on DEAE-Sephacel . Uroporphyrinogen III is formed by cosynthase-free preparations of uroporphyrinogen I synthase in the presence of tetrahydropteroylglutamate . Tetrahydropeteroylheptaglutamate is also able to direct the formation of equivalent amounts of uroporphyrinogen III at a concentration approximately one-hundredth that of tetrahydropteroylmonoglutamate . These results suggest that a reduced pteroylpolyglutamate factor is associated with rat hepatic uroporphyrinogen III co-synthase, and that this may function as a coenzyme for the biosynthesis of uroporphyrinogen III. Poult Sci, 1984 Jun, 63(6), 1243 - 9 Hematology of chicks experiencing marginal vitamin B6 deficiency; Blalock TL et al.; An economical vitamin B6-deficient ration, which was palatable to broiler chickens, was prepared and fed to 1-day-old broiler chicks . The experimental ration was a glucose-soybean meal diet . Vitamin B6 was removed by washing the soybean meal with water . Microbiological analysis revealed that the washed ration contained .45 mg vitamin B6 activity/kg . Experimental rations were formulated to contain .5, 1.0, and 3.0 mg added pyridoxine HCl/kg of ration . These supplemental levels produced total pyridoxine concentrations, as assayed, of .95, 1.48, and 3.18 mg pyridoxine HCl activity/kg of diet . Chicks were grown to 7 weeks of age and characteristic B6 deficiency traits, including increased mortality, decreased body weight gain, and increased incidence of abnormal leg conformation, were quantitated or observed . An extensive hematological evaluation at 4 weeks of age indicated that this marginal B6 deficiency resulted in increased erythrocyte numbers, decreased mean corpuscular hemoglobin levels, and increased erythrocyte fragility . No changes in hematocrits, total hemoglobin level, intracellular hemoglobin concentration, or reticulocyte number were found . These results indicate that anemia did not occur in broilers experiencing a moderate vitamin B6 deficiency . The hematological condition is described as microcytic, normochromic polycythemia. J Vet Pharmacol Ther, 1984 Jun, 7(2), 119 - 24 A preliminary study on the use of carbenicillin in snakes; Lawrence K et al.; The results of a 10 year survey on the in vitro antibiotic resistance patterns of Pseudomonas spp . isolated from clinically ill reptiles, showed a high degree of sensitivity to carbenicillin . On the basis of sensitivity testing, carbenicillin was used to treat nine snakes of four different species, with confirmed Pseudomonas infections . Plasma carbenicillin levels were assayed, by a microbiological agar diffusion technique, at intervals of time after a single intramuscular injection at a dose rate of 400 mg/kg . Peak plasma levels of 177 and 270 micrograms/ml were reached 1 h after the initial injection and therapeutic levels persisted for at least 12 h . This initial study indicated that a suggested dose regime in snakes, derived by extrapolation from mammalian dosages, of 100-125 mg/kg daily was insufficient to produce plasma levels of sufficient magnitude and duration to effectively treat Pseudomonas infections in snakes. J Clin Hosp Pharm, 1984 Jun, 9(2), 105 - 12 Storage of mixtures for total parenteral nutrition . II . Microbiological control of large volume TPN mixtures; Nordfjeld K et al.; Microbiological control of TPN mixtures can be performed either by controlling the aseptic filling procedure using culture medium instead of intravenous solutions, or by an end-product sterility test . A microbiological process control of the filling procedure is described, and it is shown that a hospital pharmacy can prepare 3-litre bags without contamination . The number of 3-litre bags necessary in the process control is discussed, as well as the frequency with which a control should be performed . A possible non-destructive system for testing each 3-litre bag microbiologically is outlined and discussed . This system may be used when TPN mixtures without lipid emulsion are stored for longer periods. Environ Health Perspect, 1984 Jun, 56, 35 - 41 The isolated perfused lung; Niemeier RW; The unique nonrespiratory functions of the lungs have become more apparent in recent years . The isolated perfused lung model offers many advantages over other methods for the study of pulmonary metabolism, xenobiotic disposition and the influence of interactions among agents of different physical forms . Detailed descriptions of the experimental preparation are elements in evaluating and comparing data from various sources but these are frequently neglected . A discussion and critique of the following elements are provided in this review in order to elucidate the typical problems one might encounter in evaluating data: perfusate type, perfusion method, construction materials, ventilation method, temperature control, surgical procedure, microbiological contamination and evaluation criteria of the preparation . Examples are given where the IPL method has been applied and suggestions are made for future research efforts. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1984 Jun, 25(6), 785 - 6 Effect of decreased renal function on the pharmacokinetics of ceftazidime; Ackerman BH et al.; The pharmacokinetics of ceftazidime after a 1-g bolus dose were studied in 11 subjects, with creatinine clearances ranging from 113 to 6 ml/min . Concentrations of ceftazidime in serum were determined by microbiological assay . These data were fitted to a two-compartment open model, and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated . Correlation of ceftazidime clearance with creatinine clearance was excellent (r = 0.99). Drug Intell Clin Pharm, 1984 Jun, 18(6), 466 - 74 Chemotherapy and periodontal disease--a review; Marder M et al.; Periodontal diseases are common, inflammatory infections of the mouth of microbiological etiology . Therapy traditionally focuses on professional tooth cleaning and debridement . Recent research has investigated the efficacy of antibiotic therapy, as well as the use of various other agents . Although protocols still are being developed, pharmacists can expect increasing use of these medications by dentists in the future. Pathol Biol (Paris), 1984 Jun, 32(5 Pt 2), 509 - 10 {Diffusion of ceftriaxone in the cerebrospinal and ventricular fluid in the absence of meningeal inflammation}; Chichmanian RM et al.; Spinal and ventricular diffusion of ceftriaxone, measured by HPLC or microbiological assay, is inconsiderable in subjects with healthy meninges. J Assoc Off Anal Chem, 1984 May-Jun, 67(3), 617 - 20 Effect of sodium chloride and potassium chloride on growth response of yeasts Saccharomyces uvarum and Kloeckera brevis to free vitamin B6; Guilarte TR; Acid hydrolysis is the most commonly used extraction procedure for the microbiological assay of vitamin B6 in food samples . Because NaCl or KCl is formed as a result of the extraction procedure, these 2 salts were tested as possible agents that may influence the growth response of the yeasts Saccharomyces uvarum and Kloeckera brevis . Results indicate that NaCl and KCl do effect the growth response of these 2 yeasts, depending on the salt concentration and the B6 vitamer present. Scand J Gastroenterol, 1984 May, 19(3), 369 - 74 Vitamin B12 in plasma in patients with continent ileostomy and long observation time; Nilsson LO et al.; Plasma cobalamins (vitamin B12) were determined by a microbiological method in 235 patients with continent ileostomies and postoperative observation times of 3-13 years (mean, 6 years) . The influence of the reservoir on the vitamin B12 values could not be evaluated in 22 patients (9%)--because of prophylactic treatment in 6%, subnormal B12 values before the operation in 1%, and 'treatment' of various neurological symptoms not caused by vitamin B12 deficiency in 2% . Fourteen (7%) of the remaining 213 patients had developed subnormal plasma levels of vitamin B12 and another 14 patients (7%) had 'borderline' values (130-200 pmol/l) . The median time interval between reservoir operation and the development of subnormal values was 7.5 years (range, 3-11 years) . A small-bowel resection had been added to the proctocolectomy in 11 out of 14 patients with subnormal values and in 8 out of 14 patients with borderline values . Subnormal or borderline values were seen in 27% of patients with Crohn's disease and in 12% of patients with ulcerative colitis . No patient had anaemia or neurological symptoms caused by B12 deficiency . The study shows that most patients with continent ileostomies do not develop B12 deficiency, and there is therefore no need for general prophylaxis . Since at least 7% developed subnormal values, the plasma levels of vitamin B12 should, however, be followed up regularly in all patients with continent ileostomies. Pathol Biol (Paris), 1984 May, 32(5), 343 - 6 {Bone levels of dibekacin}; Dellamonica P et al.; Levels of an aminoglycoside, dibekacin, are studied in bone . Fifteen specimens were obtained by Tanzer trocar biopsy three hours after the ninth injection of dibekacin (1 mg/kg) . Separation of cortical and spongy bone was not feasible owing to the small weight of specimens . Dibekacin concentrations were determined by microbiological assay . These concentrations were evaluated using a reference range in bone tissue determined with the same method and must be corrected according to blood levels . Dibekacin levels were 0.22 +/- 0.10 mg/l in healthy, non- contaminated specimens, and 1.70 and 1.80 mg/l in infected bone tissue. J Pediatr, 1984 May, 104(5), 773 - 81 Developmental pharmacokinetics of mezlocillin in newborn infants; Janicke DM et al.; Single-dose pharmacokinetics of mezlocillin were studied in 53 newborn infants (72% less than or equal to 36 weeks' gestation) given ampicillin and an aminoglycoside for suspected or proved sepsis . Mezlocillin (75 mg/kg IV or IM) was substituted for ampicillin, serum was assayed microbiologically, and noncompartmental pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated . Analysis of covariance showed that dose/area under the serum concentration-time curve for mezlocillin was influenced by body weight, intramuscular administration, and treatment with gentamicin . A dual intravenous/intramuscular nonlinear regression model yielded an apparent intramuscular bioavailability of 84% . Clearance was proportional to body weight (WT) (r2 = 0.70) . Mean CL/WT (0.078 L/hr/kg) was one-half adult values and influenced by gestational age . Steady-state volume of distribution varied linearly with weight (r2 = 0.80), the mean value (0.38 L/kg) being twice that in adults . Mezlocillin half-life (mean 3.71 hours) exceeded adult values and did not correlate with weight . Twenty-four newborn infants received 75 mg/kg mezlocillin every 6 or every 8 hours, along with gentamicin, during the first 7 to 10 days of life . Peak (1.5 hours) and trough (6 or 8 hours) concentrations were determined; the latter decreased from day 3 to days 7 to 10, suggesting a possible postnatal age-dependent change in mezlocillin elimination . Although mezlocillin disposition is affected by age and therapeutic factors, weight alone may adequately predict dosing requirements. J Neurosurg, 1984 May, 60(5), 1014 - 21 Cerebrospinal fluid shunt infection . Influences on initial management and subsequent outcome; Walters BC et al.; A retrospective study of the management of patients with infected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunts was undertaken, covering the 20 years from 1960 to 1979, inclusive, and involving 222 patients with 267 infections . The data were analyzed with emphasis on influences surrounding treatment choice and subsequent outcome . Treatment was classified into three major categories: medical management (antibiotics alone), surgical management (antibiotics plus operative removal of the infected shunt), and no treatment (ranging from admission and observation only to shunt revision), the diagnosis of shunt infection having been missed . Results showed surgical treatment to be more efficacious than medical or no treatment, with a higher rate of initial cure, and lower morbidity and mortality rates . Also examined were the relationships among clinical presentation, infection rate, and results of specimens sent for culture, and initial treatment . The definitive nature of initial treatment was revealed to be directly proportional to the aggressiveness of microbiological investigation . This latter aspect was related to clinical presentation, with shunt malfunction being the least recognized symptom of shunt infection . Patients presenting with blocked shunts were less likely to receive therapy appropriate for infection than any other group, leading to the conclusion that shunt malfunction may be more specific to infection than heretofore believed. Antibiotiki, 1984 May, 29(5), 391 - 3 {Pharmacokinetics of mitomycin C in cancer patients during prolonged administration of the preparation}; Smolianskaia AZ et al.; The mitomycin C levels in the blood of patients subjected to prolonged intravenous injection of the drug in 200-300 ml of isotonic sodium chloride solution for 15-50 minutes were determined in the microbiological test system consisting of E . coli and 1.5 per cent of agar in the meat-peptone broth with restricted contents of the nutrients . Such administration of the drug usually provided lower blood levels than intravenous injections of the drug in analogous doses . However, the drug renal excretion was also less intensive . It suggested that the drug administered for a prolonged period was more completely absorbed by the host tissues . This was confirmed by much lower blood levels of the drug, when the tumors were large, as compared to those in patients with insignificant residues of the tumor tissue after surgical resections . The curves of mitomycin C distribution in the blood indicate that the pharmacokinetics of the drug in patients with tumors is a multi-factorial function. Prikl Biokhim Mikrobiol, 1984 May-Jun, 20(3), 393 - 9 {Structure and sorption properties of regenerated hemosorbent SCN}; Shataeva LK et al.; Stepwise desorption of protein components from the hemosorbent SCN after hemoperfusion was studied, and their molecular weights were determined . It was found that hard alkaline regeneration and oxidation with nitric acid do not affect the hemosorbent structure, composition and potentiometric characteristics . The regenerated hemosorbent can be successfully used for adsorbtion of extraneous low- and medium-molecular weight components to clarify microbiological liquids. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet, 1984 Apr-Jun, 9(2), 149 - 53 Pharmacokinetics and tissue localization of doxycycline polyphosphate and doxycycline hydrochloride in the rat; Michel G et al.; Two doxycycline derivatives Doxycycline polyphosphate and Doxycycline hydrochloride were administered to rats at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight . Doxycycline tissue levels were determined using a microbiological assay . Only an insignificant fraction of the antibiotics was found to cross the blood brain barrier . Doxycycline was highly concentrated in excretory organs: liver, kidneys and caecum . The high intestinal drug level observed is probably related to the entero-hepatic cycle of this antibiotic . There was a good correlation between serum and heart doxycycline concentration; heart level was about twice that of serum . In lung, antibiotic level was always higher than in serum. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1984 Apr, (4), 42 - 6 {Microbiological and immunodiagnostic studies in experimental erysipeloid}; Denisov GI et al.; The use of the passive hemagglutination test with a set of antigenic and antibody erythrocytic diagnostic reagents made it possible to detect antibodies to Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae specific and type specific antigens in the blood serum of infected mice and to reveal the presence of these antigens in the internal organs of the animals . After a considerable increase of the infective dose a higher level of contamination and the retention of the antigens in the internal organs were observed, while the activity of specific antibodies in the blood serum decreased. Poult Sci, 1984 Apr, 63(4), 750 - 3 Available biotin content of various feed ingredients; Frigg M; The availability to the chick of the microbiologically determined biotin in various feed ingredients was assayed using a standard curve methodology . The chicks were grown up to 28 days of age . Ingredients of the standard diet were partially replaced by the test ingredient . Each test mixture was also supplemented with 200 micrograms biotin/kg and fed to a control group . The percentage of growth of the test chicks compared with the controls proved to be a suitable parameter for the assessment of biotin availability . Availability of biotin was expressed in percentage of the biotin determined microbiologically . In the tested cereals availability was distinctly low, whereas in some other feed ingredients the availability was reduced less. J Appl Bacteriol, 1984 Apr, 56(2), 227 - 35 A new direct plate method for the enumeration of Escherichia coli in frozen foods; Hall LP; A new method has been devised, incorporating a resuscitant stage, which allows direct isolation of Escherichia coli biotype I, Irregular type II and Irregular type VI . Rapid indole tests on the distinctive colonies produced enable determinations of E . coli biotype I to be made within 24 h . This method employs materials of low cost and achieves complete recovery of injured cells . It also detects not only anaerogenic strains but those which are slow in producing acid from lactose or give negative results by other methods . If required, further study of isolates can be made after the indole test . Comparisons were made between conventional methods, the new method and a similar direct plate method . The implications of the higher counts obtained by the two latter methods are discussed in relation to microbiological specifications and standards for frozen foods. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1984 Apr, 47(4), 639 - 42 Bacterial conjugation in the digestive tracts of gnotoxenic chickens; Lafont JP et al.; Escherichia coli K-12 Hfr and F- strains were successively implanted in axenic chicks . Conjugation with exchanges of chromosomal genes occurred with high frequencies in the gut of the chicks and could continue as long as fertile strains coexisted in this environment . Almost all of the expected recombinant types were recovered in the feces under these experimental conditions . Furthermore, these recombinants were analogous to those obtained after conjugations in vitro . Recombinants formed in the gut were more numerous when the F- strain was seeded before the Hfr strain . The recombinants showed no apparent selective advantage over the parental strains in the intestinal medium . They were maintained throughout the experimental period and represented more than 10% of the total intestinal flora . The chick gut is usually rapidly colonized by other bacterial types under natural conditions . The possible effects of other components of the bacterial flora on conjugation of E . coli in holoxenic animals will require subsequent work with more complex microbiological conditions. Pathol Biol (Paris), 1984 Apr, 32(4), 285 - 8 {Technic for assaying cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime in serum by high performance liquid chromatography}; Boyer M et al.; Different high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods for determination of cefotaxime (Ctx) and desacetyl cefotaxime (D-Ctx) are used . The method described presents the following advantages: a fast extraction and efficient deproteinization of serum samples are achieved with Sep-Pak cartridges; the mobile phase is a mixture of methanol - bidistilled water - acetic acid which permits the simultaneous dosage of Ctx and D-Ctx under the same chromatographic process . The retention times are respectively 7 mn 05 s and 10 mn 40 s for D-Ctx and Ctx . The results of 92 assays were compared with microbiological procedures. Immunology, 1984 Apr, 51(4), 735 - 42 Frequencies of background cytoplasmic Ig-containing cells in various lymphoid organs of athymic and euthymic mice as a function of age and immune status; Van Oudenaren A et al.; The distribution of background Ig-secreting cells, measured as cells containing cytoplasmic immunoglobulin (C-Ig cells), over spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes and Peyer's patches was studied in congenitally athymic (nude) mice and heterozygous euthymic mice as a function of age and immune status (germ-free (GF) vs specific pathogen-free (SPF} . In young athymic as well as in young euthymic mice, the spleen was found to contain the great part of all C-Ig cells, irrespective of whether the mice were GF or SPF . The number of C-Ig cells in the spleen was found to be rather constant over the life span, while the number of C-Ig cells in the bone marrow of all groups of mice greatly increased with age . This indicates that the relative shift of C-Ig cells to the bone marrow is neither dependent on the presence of the thymus, nor on the microbiological status of the mice . However, at young and intermediate age the microbiological status of the mice did affect the total number of C-Ig cells per mouse . This was mainly due to the effect upon the bone marrow, mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer's patches . At these ages the background Ig synthesis in these organs appeared to be mainly dependent on external antigenic stimulation, in contrast to the spleen, where the Ig synthesis appeared to be mainly due to endogenous stimulation . The Ig (sub)class distribution of the C-Ig cells was different for all different organs tested . Hardly or no difference in percentage distribution was found between the GF nude and GF heterozygous mice . Most C-Ig cells in spleen, bone marrow and lymph nodes of the GF mice were of the IgM isotype . C-IgG and C-IgA cells occurred in substantial percentages only in bone marrow and lymph nodes . In the lymph nodes of GF nude mice a remarkably high percentage of C-IgA cells was found. Cytometry, 1984 Mar, 5(2), 145 - 50 Use of flow cytometry in industrial microbiology for strain improvement programs; Betz JW et al.; A flow cytometry (FCM) system was chosen to analyze and sort microbiological samples, e.g., bacteria, bacterial spores, yeasts, and fungal spores, without major changes in the commercially available state . The system was further improved by addition of a stepping motor-driven scanning table that accepts standard petri dishes or microtiter plates . The electronics of the sorting system were changed to enable the sorter to deliver only one particle at a time, working in a "handshake" mode with the scanning table . Appropriate parameters, depending on the biological material and including all fluorescent stains that do not impair growth and productivity of cells were chosen to sort distinct bioparticles under aseptic conditions and to clone colonies or cultures out of them . A mutagenized sample of spores entering the germination cycle can be followed and thus provide a means to pick only viable growing cells despite the killing effect of the mutagen . One example of a typical strain improvement is illustrated . From a spore suspension of Rhizopus arrhizus, a subpopulation of morphologically different spores comprising about 5-10% of the whole population was cloned . From approximately 8,000 clones, 10 were isolated that produced approximately five- to six-fold the amount of fungal lipase activity, compared to the original strain or to reisolated clones from the mean population of clones. Chest, 1984 Mar, 85(3), 311 - 7 Summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis . A unique disease in Japan; Kawai T et al.; A unique form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in which clinical symptoms appear in the summer and subside spontaneously in the mid-autumn was found in Japan . This disease was named summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis and was found the most prevalent form in Japan . This disease has the following characteristic features: 1) initiation in the summer; 2) repeated episodes during subsequent seasons for many years; 3) familial occurrence; 4) no occupational relationship; 5) positive returning-home provocation test; 6) cough, dyspnea and remittent fever as a clinical triad; 7) diffuse nodular shadows on chest x-ray film; 8) leukocytosis with neutrophilia; 9) moderately decreased % VC and markedly decreased Dco and PaO2; 10) skin reactivity to PPD is negative while symptomatic; 11) pulmonary lesions of biopsied specimens show epithelioid cell granulomas without central necrosis (63.3 percent), plus alveolitis and/or pneumonitis; 12) isolation of patients from their home environment diminishes symptoms; 13) corticosteroid is effective; 14) seasonal atmospheric microbiological pollution is speculated upon, but the offending antigen is not defined yet. Can Med Assoc J, 1984 Mar 1, 130(5), 593 - 7 Pulmonary complications in patients receiving granulocyte transfusions and amphotericin B; Bow EJ et al.; To evaluate the possibility that in febrile granulocytopenic patients amphotericin B given along with granulocyte transfusions could increase the incidence of pulmonary complications, we studied 43 severely granulocytopenic patients during 46 episodes of fever . Granulocytes were administered as part of the clinical protocol to all 19 patients who had clinically or microbiologically documented infection; the other 24 patients were randomly allocated to treatment with granulocytes (13 patients) or without granulocytes (11 patients) . In all, 32 patients received granulocyte transfusions during 35 episodes of fever . Pulmonary complications developed in six patients in each of the two randomized groups . The incidence of pulmonary complications was not influenced by the number of granulocyte transfusions or by the number of granulocytes per transfusion . Pulmonary complications were significantly more likely to occur in patients with fungal infections . Amphotericin B was given according to clinical indications; 21 patients in all received it . Survival was significantly poorer in patients with pulmonary complications, but the administration of amphotericin B was not related either to survival or to the incidence of pulmonary complications . We conclude that pulmonary complications and poor prognosis are related to underlying pulmonary fungal infection and not to any interaction between amphotericin B and granulocyte transfusions. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol, 1984 Mar, 20(3), 319 - 25 Serum C-reactive protein levels in the management of infection in acute leukaemia; Starke ID et al.; C-reactive protein (CRP) was measured serially in 29 patients with acute leukaemia . Sixty-four febrile episodes (greater than or equal to 38 degrees C) occurred during 37 periods of neutropenia (less than 0.5 X 10(9)/l) . In all of 41 microbiologically or clinically documented infections the maximum CRP level exceeded 30 mg/l, and in 25 it was greater than 100 mg/l . In no case in which the CRP level remained below 30 mg/l for 48 hr after the onset of fever was any clinical or microbiological evidence of infection obtained . The CRP level during documented infection began to fall 24-48 hr after appropriate treatment was begun . A CRP level above 30 mg/l in neutropenic patients was associated with early recurrence of fever if systemic antibiotics were discontinued . Graft-vs-host disease, without infection, did not result in high levels of CRP. Arch Latinoam Nutr, 1984 Mar, 34(1), 83 - 93 {Use of food treated with gamma radiation in the feeding of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdnerii irideus)}; Grumberg J et al.; A rainbow trout diet, partially prepared with agroindustrial by-products, including laying hen's dung, was treated with gamma radiation (25 KGy) . The objective was to reduce the microbiological contamination and test its effect on weight gain, feed efficiency and mortality of trouts . For this purpose, two groups of trouts were compared: one received irradiated food, and the other the same diet, but without treatment . The experience was carried out through a period of 32 weeks, during the free growth stage (from 2 to 20g) . Microbiological contamination decreased from high values (greater than 6 X 10(6) germs/g of food) to acceptable levels (less than or equal to 3 X 10 germs/g of food), but the parameters measured in trouts, did not show any difference among both groups. Vopr Pitan, 1984 Mar-Apr, (2), 54 - 5 {Evaluation of a food additive prepared from blood proteins}; Chirkina TF et al.; The authors provide the data on the biological value of food additive manufactured from the slaughtered animals' blood upon its defibrinization . The biological value was determined from the effects of proteolytic enzymes on proteins and by the microbiological rapid method with the use of ciliary infusoria as test object . The relationship was found between the biological value of the food additive and the ratio in it of fibrin and coloring enzyme. Antibiotiki, 1984 Mar, 29(3), 179 - 82 {Effect of the pH of the medium and of temperature on tylosin stability}; Aksenova IA et al.; The stability of tylosin, a macrolide antibiotic, in solutions with varying pH and temperature was determined quantitatively . It was shown that tylosin was the most stable at pH about 3.5 and 9.0, which corresponded to the salt and nondissociated forms of the substance . Outside these stability ranges significant inactivation of the antibiotic was observed . The inactivation markedly increased with an increase in the temperature level and the exposure period . Satisfactory correlation between the data on microbiological and spectrophotometric determinations of tylosin in solutions is indicative of the advisability of the use of spectrophotometry in production of tylosin. Quad Sclavo Diagn, 1984 Mar, 20(1), 1 - 14 {Automated management of information in the microbiology department of a hospital analysis laboratory . Practical evaluations and operational proposals}; Rossetti R et al.; The computer has now an important role in analysis laboratory . Particularly the microbiological sector may receive a considerable support by the computer . In fact it's possible to form an effective epidemiologic hospital observatory, by making a systematic and continuous control of bacterial ecology in hospital wards, through the statistical results elaborated by computer . This is the object of the microbiological sector in the hospital's laboratory in Pistoia Town. J Am Optom Assoc, 1984 Mar, 55(3), 205 - 11 Microbiological evaluation of soft contact lens disinfecting solutions; Houlsby RD et al.; Several chemical disinfecting solutions for soft contact lenses were evaluated according to the tests suggested by FDA in the May 1983 revision of the Microbiological Guidelines . It was experimentally determined that cleaning and rinsing lenses remove 3.5 to 3.9 logs of microorganisms . Furthermore, it was determined that only 3% hydrogen peroxide had a rapid enough disinfection rate to meet the safety factor requirement within four hours as suggested in the "D-value test.' when contaminated lenses were cleaned, rinsed, and disinfected with commercially available solutions, all failed to disinfect the lenses within the minimum time specified on the label . These results were used to recommend significant changes in the Microbiological Guidelines . These changes include (1) limiting the rechallenge requirement during preservative effectiveness testing to only disinfecting solutions, (2) using the death rate kinetic profile of any approved chemical disinfecting solution as a basis for comparison of a new chemical disinfecting solution, and (3) using the results of the multi-item test for any approved chemical disinfecting solution as a basis for comparison of a new, proposed chemical disinfecting solution. Mol Cell Biol, 1984 Mar, 4(3), 435 - 41 Mutagenesis of a shuttle vector plasmid in mammalian cells; Razzaque A et al.; Recently we and others have reported a high frequency of mutagenesis of shuttle vector plasmids after passage in mammalian cells (Razzaque et al., Proc . Natl . Acad . Sci . U.S.A . 80:3010-3014, 1983; Calos et al., Proc . Natl . Acad . Sci . U.S.A . 80:3015-3019, 1983) . The mutation frequency was determined by monitoring the integrity of a bacterial marker gene on the plasmid by standard microbiological procedures . Mutant plasmids contained deletions, insertions of cell DNA, and point mutations . The observed mutation frequency of 1% is much higher than that of cellular markers and could be due to the induction of a mutagenic environment by infection with a replicating plasmid . Alternatively, the hypermutagenesis may be due to some critical transient or persistent difference between the DNA in the plasmid and the cellular chromosome . We performed a number of experiments designed to distinguish between these alternatives, with particular reference to deletion mutagenesis . We conclude that mutagenesis was specific to the plasmid and propose that the majority of the deletion and insertion mutants were generated very early in the infection, before replication of the vector . However, some deletion mutagenesis also occurred after plasmid replication had begun. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1984 Feb, 47(2), 443 - 4 The wood preservative chromated copper arsenate is a substrate for trimethylarsine biosynthesis; Cullen WR et al.; The wood preservative chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is a very widely used product . As it contains both copper and arsenic, it is not dissimilar to the pigments Scheele's green and Schweinfurter's green which were found to be biologically convertible to the toxic Gosio gas (B . Gosio, Ber . 30:1024-1026, 1897) later identified by Challenger and co-workers as trimethylarsine (F . Challenger, Adv . Enzymol . 12:429-491, 1951) . Thus, it was of interest to determine whether microbiological action on CCA and wood treated with CCA could result in the production of trimethylarsine . We report that the fungus Candida humicola will produce this arsine from dilute solutions of CCA and from wood soaked in CCA. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J, 1984 Feb, 45(2), 76 - 83 Personal air samplers for measuring occupational exposures to biological hazards; Macher JM et al.; Microbiological air samplers, designed to be worn as personal samplers, were evaluated for studying occupational exposures to aerosols of infectious and allergenic materials . Gelatin filter media, an impinger sampler, and spiral and cascade impactors were tested for collection efficiency for small (less than or equal to 2 microns) latex spheres and for recovery of bacterial aerosols . Only 20% of an aerosol of 0.8 micron latex particles passed through the impinger uncollected, while recovery of bacteria equalled or exceeded collection in an all-glass impinger . Gelatin filters matched the collection efficiency of membrane filters, but were unsatisfactory for the isolation of bacteria sensitive to dehydration . The spiral sampler and the cascade impactor provide information on the size distribution of collected particles, although, at present, collection efficiencies for very small particles are too low for rigorously quantitative studies . Methods of collection, and sampling strategies for biological aerosols are similar to those used for measuring exposures of workers to chemical and mineral aerosols; however, preparation of samples and identification of isolates may have to be referred to experts in the fields of bacteriology, virology, and mycology. Ann Rheum Dis, 1984 Feb, 43(1), 80 - 2 Synovial infection with Mycobacterium kansasii; Leader M et al.; Atypical mycobacteria have been recognised as saprophytic organisms for many years, but it was only with the development of better microbiological culture techniques that they became recognised as potentially pathogenic to man . Infections of tendon sheaths and joints by these organisms may present diagnostic problems, and we report here 3 cases in which Mycobacterium kansasii was responsible for disease at the hand and wrist. J Nutr, 1984 Feb, 114(2), 312 - 22 Humoral immunity in chicks experiencing marginal vitamin B-6 deficiency; Blalock TL et al.; An economical vitamin B-6-deficient ration that was palatable to broiler chickens was prepared and fed to 1-day-old chicks . The experimental ration was a typical soy-glucose ration . Vitamin B-6 was removed by washing the soybean meal with water . Microbiological analysis revealed that the washed ration contained 0.45 mg vitamin B-6 per kilogram . Experimental rations were formulated to contain 0.5, 1.0 and 3.0 mg supplemental pyridoxine x HCl per kilogram of ration . These supplemental levels produced the following total pyridoxine concentrations in the diet: 0.95, 1.48 and 3.18 mg pyridoxine x HCl activity per kilogram of diet . Chicks were grown to 7 weeks of age and characteristic vitamin B-6 deficiency signs were quantitated and/or observed . Notable signs in chicks receiving 0.5 mg added vitamin B-6 were increased mortality, decreased body weight gain and increased incidence of abnormal leg conformation . The humoral immune system of broiler chicks that were moderately deficient in vitamin B-6 was investigated . Marginal pyridoxine deficiency caused significant reduction in antibody levels to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and relative levels of IgM and IgG during the peak and degradation phases of the primary response . During the hyperimmune response total anti-SRBC levels were not affected; however, relative levels of IgM and IgG were lowered. Br J Exp Pathol, 1984 Feb, 65(1), 59 - 65 A colposcopic and histological study of experimental chlamydial cervicitis in marmosets; Johnson AP et al.; A total of 14 marmosets were inoculated intra-vaginally with Chlamydia trachomatis and the development of genital tract disease was assessed microbiologically, by colposcopic examination of the cervical and vaginal mucosa and by cytological and histological examination of biopsy and autopsy specimens . Eight animals had infections which persisted microbiologically for 2-5 weeks, and six animals, three of which had been inoculated on multiple occasions in a previous study, apparently eliminated their infection within 1 week of inoculation . Colposcopic examination showed that four of the eight infected animals developed acute cervicitis characterized by erythema, occasional slight oedema, and the presence of cloudy or purulent cervical mucus . The other four infected animals showed minimal signs of cervical inflammation . Three of the six animals which rapidly cleared their infections developed slight cervical inflammation characterized by erythema and cloudy cervical mucus during the fortnight after inoculation . Six control animals inoculated with medium displayed minimal cervical changes . The diagnosis of acute cervicitis in the infected animals was confirmed by examination of histological sections and cervical smears, which revealed the presence of polymorphonuclear leucocytes, with lymphocytes occasionally being seen . Although inflammatory changes were occasionally noted in specimens from control animals, the changes were relatively mild and occurred at a later time than those seen in infected animals . Intracytoplasmic chlamydial inclusions in epithelial cells were not detected in any of the specimens studied . Examination of genital tract tissue obtained at autopsy from five inoculated animals generally showed inflammation of the cervix and vagina, but in only one of these animals was there evidence of endometriosis and salpingitis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Am J Vet Res, 1984 Feb, 45(2), 260 - 2 Experimental infection of lambs with ovine adenovirus isolate RTS-151: clinical, microbiological, and serologic responses; Lehmkuhl HD et al.; Twelve 1-week-old colostrum-deprived lambs that were inoculated with ovine adenovirus isolate RTS-151 developed a mild febrile response between postinoculation days (PID) 4 and 10 . They were inactive and some had serous nasal discharges; their respiratory rates and efforts were increased . Virus was isolated from nasal secretions from PID 2 to PID 8 . Virus also was isolated from tracheal fluid and lung tissue of most lambs at necropsy (between PID 2 and 12), but not from liver, kidney, small intestine, and feces, indicating that the infection was confined to the respiratory tract . Four control lambs remained healthy and neither virus nor serum antibody was detected. Lancet, 1984 Jan 7, 1(8367), 36 - 8 Acute chest syndrome in sickle-cell disease; Davies SC et al.; 25 consecutive episodes of acute chest syndrome in 13 adult patients with sickle-cell disease were studied retrospectively . Chest symptoms were present on admission in 23 of 25 episodes . Abnormal chest signs and an abnormal chest X-ray were present on admission in only 11 and 9 episodes, respectively, but developed later in the remainder . The 9 episodes with bilateral radiological changes were associated with higher pulse rates, longer-lasting fever, more profound arterial hypoxaemia, and greater falls in haemoglobin than the 16 unilateral episodes . 2 patients with bilateral disease died; both had platelet counts less than 100 X 10(9)/litre . In 12 episodes (6 bilateral, 6 unilateral) exchange transfusion was required and produced striking improvement in 11 . Despite intensive microbiological investigation, infection was found in only 2 episodes--1 mycoplasma and 1 evidence of Escherichia coli . Pulmonary intravascular sickling may account for much of the clinical picture. Eur J Clin Pharmacol, 1984, 26(3), 389 - 92 Pharmacokinetics of cefoxitin administered by i.v . infusion to patients with a pleural effusion; Otero MJ et al.; The pharmacokinetics of cefoxitin was studied in 6 healthy volunteers and in 5 patients with a pleural effusion after administration of a single dose of 30 mg/kg i.v . infusion . The serum and pleural fluid concentrations of cefoxitin were determined microbiologically . The elimination half-life of the antibiotic from pleural fluid in all cases was 2-3 fold longer than from serum, which shows a difference between the kinetic elimination processes of the antibiotic from the two fluids . The slow elimination of cefoxitin from pleural fluid facilitates its accumulation in this compartment during a multiple dosage regimen. Vet Med Nauki, 1984, 21(1), 103 - 9 {Microbiological studies of Mladost sour milk}; Mladenov MG et al.; Studied were a total of 239 productional batches of Mladost sour milk to establish the occasional contamination with coliform bacteria . It was found that 97.9 per cent of the batches had coli titers of 0.1 and over 0.1, and 2.1 per cent of the batches--over 0.01 . Fourteen productional experiments were carried out to ascertain the sources of contamination with coli forms, yeasts, and moulds . It was found that the productional starter used for this type of sour milk did not contain coliforms and moulds in 0.1 cm3 but in about 43 per cent of the batches it contained 20 to 470 cm3 yeasts . It was also established that both yeasts and moulds that have found their way to the product multiplied in it to a various extent, depending on the activity of the cultures and the temperature of storage . Some of the stored batches deteriorated in terms of their organoleptic indices . At 11,000 cm3 yeasts the deterioration becomes stronger following the cummulation of greater amounts of biomass. J Pharm Sci, 1984 Jan, 73(1), 113 - 5 Determination of pantothenic acid in multivitamin pharmaceutical preparations by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography; Hudson TJ et al.; A high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure was developed for the analysis of calcium pantothenate in nutritional supplements . The method involves a simple extraction using phosphate buffer and sonication . Chromatographic separation is obtained using an aminopropyl-loaded silica gel column in the reverse-phase mode . A UV detector set at 210 nm was used to monitor the effluent . Quantitative recoveries were obtained, and precision of the method is discussed . The method is applicable to multivitamin tablets, calcium pantothenate raw material, and yeast grown in the presence of high levels of calcium pantothenate . The results of the method are compared with results obtained from the USP microbiological method of analysis . It was concluded that the procedure is rapid, accurate, easily automated, and practical for routine quality control use. Scand J Infect Dis Suppl, 1984, 42, 169 - 76 Requirements for documentation of clinical effects of antibiotics; Norrby SR; Documentation of clinical and microbiological efficacy and safety of antibiotics require well designed studies involving large number of patients . In principal, all studies should be comparative and the comparative agent(s) should be well documented in the literature . If possible, the studies should also be blind but if satisfactory blinding cannot be guaranteed, open studies will have to be performed, especially if injectible antibiotics are studied . The size of the trial, in terms of number of patients evaluable for clinical and especially for microbiological efficacy, must be sufficient either to prove significant differences between the regimens studied or to demonstrate equality with a reasonable type II error . Since the end-points used for efficacy and safety are not normally continuous, the patient materials must often be of a size which can only be achieved by multiple independent trials or multicentre trials . Thus, such studies are recommended. J Clin Pathol, 1984 Jan, 37(1), 78 - 82 Disseminated petriellidiosis (allescheriasis) in a patient with refractory acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; Shih LY et al.; A case of disseminated petriellidiosis is presented . This complication occurred in a patient with refractory acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, who was receiving repeated courses of cytotoxic drugs, antibiotics and prolonged corticosteroid therapy . The diagnosis of infection by Petriellidium boydii was established by pathological and microbiological studies of a specimen obtained at open lung biopsy . The portal of entry was probably through the lung spreading later via the blood stream to the brain, thyroid and kidneys . The present case once again emphasises the importance of specific microbiological identification in definitive diagnosis . To our knowledge, only three cases of disseminated petriellidiosis have been reported and this case appears to be the first case with renal involvement. Rev Pneumol Clin, 1984, 40(4), 233 - 6 {Comparative study of 2 assay methods for serum isoniazid in 413 patients: microbiological method and high performance liquid chromatography}; Meurice JC et al.; Serum INH was assayed by 2 techniques over 4 years in 413 patients following the administration of a single test dose of 300 mg of isoniazid . The microbiological method measures the inhibitory activity of the serum on the growth of mycobacteria . The pharmacological method consists of high performance liquid chromatography with ultra-violet detection (HPLC) . The mean difference in the assays performed by the 2 methods in each subject was 0.061 mcg/ml and the global correlation between the 2 assays was 0.76 . Liquid chromatography also allows the simultaneous assay of acetyl INH . Thirty-three per cent of the subjects who received a test dose of 300 mg of INH had a serum INH concentration of between 1 and 2 mcg/ml at the third hour . This study therefore confirms the usefulness of a pre-treatment assay of INH and the good correlation of the results obtained with the 2 methods. Arch Androl, 1984, 12 Suppl, 35 - 41 Ureaplasma-infected human sperm in infertile men; Grossgebauer K et al.; The case of an infertile man with oligospermia and symptoms of urethritis-prostatitis, whose spouse had a vaginal discharge, is reported . Microbiological analysis of appropriate specimens revealed a strain of tetracycline-resistant ureaplasma urealyticum in both patients . Using the transmission electron microscope, it was possible to demonstrate spermatozoal heads "infected" with microorganisms strongly resembling ureaplasma urealyticum. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1984, 50(4), 405 - 16 Microbial contamination of a vitamin A formulation, prepared in local pharmacies, and its preservation against yeasts and moulds; van Doorne H et al.; The microbial contamination of 44 samples of a vitamin A preparation in sucrose syrup was investigated . The contaminants were almost exclusively yeasts and moulds . Microbiological and physicochemical studies showed that sorbic acid was the preservative of choice for this formulation . The results are discussed with respect to the preservation of non-sterile pharmaceuticals. Scand J Infect Dis, 1984, 16(3), 309 - 14 Comparative determination of sulfonamide concentration in serum by chemical and microbiological assay; Malmborg AS et al.; Analysis of sulfamethoxazole in serum from patients treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was performed with the agar diffusion assay which is supposed to measure only unconjugated sulfonamide and with the spectrophotometric method which enables one to measure both unconjugated and conjugated sulfonamide . The two methods gave serum concentrations in the same range when used in patients with intact kidney function . In patients with decreased renal function the chemical method yielded higher values, probably due to accumulation of conjugated sulfamethoxazole . The agar diffusion assay gives an accurate answer if the clinical question concerns the therapeutic effect only . The spectrophotometric analytical method has a broader potential since it may be employed irrespective of the clinical question that motivated the analysis. Acta Microbiol Hung, 1984, 31(4), 399 - 404 Hydroxylamine inactivation of cephalosporins: nucleophilic attack on beta-lactam structures; Uri JV; Cephalosporins are not degraded by hydroxylamine (NH2OH) in neutral and acidic solutions . Their reaction with NH2OH in slightly alkaline solutions leads to microbiological inactivation which seems to be a structure dependent phenomenon . In these experiments the mandelic acid-type compounds appear to be quite stable to the effect of NH2OH, whereas, cefazolin is gradually degraded and the straight chain-containing cephalosporins are variably inactivated . The phenylglycine-type oral cephalosporins were generally sensitive to the alkaline conditions used in these tests and apparently are not inactivated by NH2OH . On the contrary, the phenylglycine-type cephalosporins seem to be somewhat stabilized in the presence of NH2OH. Arzneimittelforschung, 1984, 34(1), 66 - 71 {Bioavailability of penicillin V in aqueous dosage forms}; Lintz W et al.; The bioavailability of Megacillin-oral-Trockensaft (active substance: potassium salt of phenoxymethylpenicillin, penicillin V potassium) was compared with that of another commercially available drug containing the same active substance . In a cross-over study, 12 healthy volunteers were administered by oral route 10 ml of each preparation (equivalent to 600 000 U = 392.2 mg potassium salt of phenoxymethylpenicillin) under standardized experimental procedure . Relative bioavailability was assessed by determination of phenoxymethylpenicillin concentrations in the plasma, employing both microbiological assay as well as high-performance liquid chromatography, by computation of the areas under the plasma concentration curves, and by calculation of the time periods necessary for the attainment of maximum plasma concentrations . In order to assess differences between the two forms in duration of efficacy, calculation of time intervals were based on plasma concentrations which were above 0.5; 1.0 or 1.5 micrograms/ml, respectively . Results of this comparative study indicate that Megacillin-oral-Trockensaft is superior to the other commercial preparation . The considerably better bioavailability of Megacillin-oral-Trockensaft is attributed to a substantially higher absorption rate and to a 2.4 times greater extent of absorption . Due to the distinct advantage in the bioavailability of Megacillin-oral-Trockensaft peak plasma concentrations of phenoxymethylpenicillin 5-6 fold higher and are reached faster when compared with those following intake of the other form tested . In practice, the superior bioavailability of Megacillin-oral-Trockensaft guarantees quicker initiation of therapeutic activity and greater safety (higher plasma concentrations, prolonged effect). Eur J Immunol, 1984 Jan, 14(1), 102 - 5 The regulation of macrophage activity in congenitally athymic mice; Sharp AK et al.; It has been suggested that non-T cell-mediated cellular immune mechanisms might be elevated in nude mice, which could contribute to their partial resistance to intracellular infectious agents and to the development of spontaneous tumors . In this study we have examined macrophages (M phi) from athymic, euthymic and athymic T cell-reconstituted mice in terms of their phagocytic capacity, microbicidal and tumoricidal activity, and the production of hydrogen peroxidase and superoxide anions . These studies have demonstrated the presence of activated M phi in nude mice and suggest that this activation is associated with the absence of T cell-mediated suppression . We have also compared M phi activation levels in germ-free nude mice which have received a defined intestinal bacterial flora . We have found M phi activity to be significantly elevated in microbiologically defined nude mice when compared to germ-free nude mice, indicating that a resistant gut flora is capable of nonspecifically stimulating nude mouse M phi. Contemp Issues Clin Biochem, 1984, 1, 188 - 224 Nutrition and vitamins in alcoholism; Ryle PR et al.; Chronic alcoholics frequently have evidence of nutritional deficiency due to decreased intake, reduced uptake and impaired utilisation of nutrients . The alcoholic has increased nutrient requirements due to greater metabolic demands and the need for tissue repair . Chronic alcohol-related brain damage can often be a direct result of nutrient depletion, particularly of the vitamins thiamine, B12, nicotinamide and pyridoxine . Lesser degrees of brain damage are frequently unrecognised, and by the time a vitamin deficiency syndrome has developed and been diagnosed, irreversible damage has often occurred . The development of suitable computerised psychometric tests may allow earlier detection of brain malfunction associated with malnutrition, which can be reversed by nutrient repletion before permanent damage occurs . Circulating levels of vitamins can be a valuable guide to nutritional status, although care is needed when interpreting the results of such tests in the alcoholic . Sensitive microbiological and biochemical tests for assessing vitamin status in man have been available for some years, and in addition, new biochemical methods are constantly being developed . It is important that such methods are evaluated, and possibly adapted for clinical use where appropriate . Newer methods may have significant advantages over older, more established techniques . For thiamine and pyridoxine, for example, methods now exist to determine accurately circulating levels of the active forms of these vitamins, which could give more direct assessment of vitamin status than earlier methodology that uses indirect measurements, such as red cell enzyme activities . On the other hand, in the case of folate and B12, there has been a tendency to opt for the easy-to-perform radioassay techniques, when in fact the earlier microbiological methods offer greater sensitivity and probably also better accuracy . Technically difficult assays should not be disregarded if they can give information which is of greater clinical use than a simpler assay technique . Clinical laboratories should always bear in mind what their vitamin methods are actually measuring, particular consideration being given to whether metabolically inactive forms or analogues are determined in the assay . This can be of importance to the interpretation of vitamin data in the alcoholic, who often has problems forming active vitamins from their precursors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) G Batteriol Virol Immunol, 1984 Jan-Jun, 77(1-6), 45 - 53 {Phagocytic and intracellular killing activity of rat macrophages: critical analysis of 2 different evaluation methods}; Iannello D et al.; Two different evaluation methods of the "in vitro" bacterial killing activity of macrophages were compared; the former based on the determination of the number of viable microorganisms in the supernatant of macrophage cultures by a microbiological plate method; the latter based on the evidentiation of intracellular killing by differential staining of living and killed microorganisms with acridine orange . Phagocytic and microbicidal activities of peritoneal cells were investigated by the two methods in control rats and in tumor-bearing rats . Qualitative and quantitative differences in the kinetics of phagocytosis and microbial killing were evidentiated in macrophages from tumor-bearing rats . Furthermore, both methods proved to be suitable and reproducible. IARC Sci Publ, 1984, (53), 339 - 65 Nickel--an essential element; Anke M et al.; Nickel is necessary for the biosynthesis of the hydrogenase, carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, and of factor F 430, found in a number of genera of bacteria . Urease from jack beans and several species of plants is also a nickel protein . These plant enzyme systems can affect animals via the microbiological digestion of food in the rumen . Nickel is a constituent part of all organs of vertebrates . Its absorption can be controlled . Low nickel offers reduce growth; this is particularly true of intra-uterine development . Such offers also decrease the life expectancy of reproducing animals . Nickel deficiency is accompanied by histological and biochemical changes and reduced iron resorption and leads to anaemia . It can disturb the incorporation of calcium into skeleton and lead to parakeratosis-like damage, which finds expression in disturbed zinc metabolism . Nickel deficiency results in lower activities of different dehydrogenases and transaminases and, above all, of alpha-amylase, and particularly affects carbohydrate metabolism . A marked decrease in metabolism was observed in the case of the energy sources fat, glucose, and glycogen . Nickel therefore performs a vital function in metabolism: it is an essential element . The nickel requirements of human beings and animals amount to less than 500 micrograms/kg and are probably even considerably lower . It therefore follows that, in view of the available nickel offer, primary nickel deficiency in human beings and animals can be excluded, at least in the present state of knowledge . On the other hand, it should be remembered that, 25 years after the discovery of the essentiality of manganese, this element was included among the trace elements of academic importance only, whereas today it is a feed additive. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1984, 50(5-6), 641 - 63 A centenary of academic and less learned food microbiology . Pitfalls of the past and promises for the future; Mossel DA et al.; A review is presented of the development of Food Microbiology from its roots in different disciplines - including human and animal medicine, general microbiology, agricultural science and food chemistry - to an autonomous science with the main vocation to provide the knowledge allowing providing food that is wholesome, of high quality and acceptable in the microbiological sense . This evolution entailed a change in approach from mere, and often rather primitive inspection of end-products to intervention by (i) identification of hazard points ("critical points" or CPs) by ecological studies; (ii) elimination of CPs by elaboration of Good Manufacturing and Distribution Practices (GMPs); (iii) validation of GMPs by monitoring production lines and final products at point of sale and gauging the results by Risk Analysis . It is emphasized, that although advanced and ecologically sound techniques have become available, it will still require extensive education and training at all levels before the scientific advances outlined in this review will have been fully integrated in day-to-day food production and catering in developed as well developing areas of the world . Interdisciplinary instruction and co-operation cannot be missed in attempts to reach this goal. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 1984, 21(4), 289 - 322 Modification of plant proteins by immobilized proteases; Lee JW et al.; A potential application of plant proteins could be a replacement of animal proteins now in use in the food industry on the basis of certain specific functional properties plant proteins have . Modification of the chemical structure of selected plant proteins is needed to replace more expensive animal proteins as food ingredients that have specific functional characteristics . Structure modification may be achieved by physical, chemical, or microbiological methods, or by a combination of these . Immobilized enzyme techniques offer significant advantages for protein modification . Knowledge of the molecular properties of plant proteins is essential to understand the basis of protein functionality, to modify proteins so that they acquire desirable functional properties, and to predict potential applications of modified plant proteins . This paper reviews all the above mentioned aspects of plant protein chemistry and potential utilization. Tierarztl Prax, 1984, 12(3), 307 - 15 {Swine dysentery}; Seeger K et al.; The microbiological and serological properties of Treponema hyodysenteriae, its mediators of pathogenicity and the morphological changes in infected animals were presented . From these changes and from the disturbances of the intestinal function, the clinical symptoms could be derived . Finally problems of epidemiology, therapy and prophylaxis of swine dysentery were discussed. Z Rechtsmed, 1984, 92(3), 189 - 97 {Microbial contamination of ABO antigens in bone tissue}; Hauser R et al.; Fragments of human bones were stored in different media for two years and then expression of the ABO antigens was indicated . Simultaneously, microbiological investigations were performed . In almost all cases, different ABO substances were detected in putrefied and fresh bones taken from the same person . Blood group antigens found in putrefied bones were compared with serological activity of bacterium cultured from these tissues . Attempts were made to remove unspecific reactions . The authors assume that bacteria are responsible for nonspecific serological reactions, not only as a carrier of blood-group-like substances, but also as a source of enzymes responsible for changes in the structure of ABO antigens in putrefied bones. Pharmatherapeutica, 1984, 3(9), 613 - 7 The treatment of napkin dermatitis: a double-blind comparison of two steroid-antibiotic combinations; Bowring AR et al.; A double-blind trial was carried out in 62 infants with moderate to severe napkin dermatitis to assess the effectiveness and acceptability of topical treatment with a miconazole/hydrocortisone preparation compared with that of a nystatin/benzalkonium chloride/dimethicone/hydrocortisone preparation . Patients were allocated at random to one or other treatment and the creams were applied to the affected area 3-times daily for 7 days . At the initial visit, a swab was taken for microbiological investigation . Clinical assessments were made of the signs and symptoms of erythema, weeping, tissue maceration and the more general symptom irritability, before and after 7-days' treatment . Parents were asked to note the time taken to significant improvement of their infant's condition and to comment on ease of application and staining properties of the preparation used . Both treatments produced a high and similar overall cure rate (80% and 84%, respectively), with a significant improvement within 48 hours in the majority of cases . Staining of napkins was reported in significantly fewer cases with the miconazole/hydrocortisone cream. Mikrobiologiia, 1984 Jan-Feb, 53(1), 167 - 9 {Anaerobic glove box}; Tashirev AB et al.; Anaerobic conditions can rapidly be created in a box designed for working with obligate anaerobic organisms by driving out the air with an inflatable ball . The box is fitted with a device for sterilising a microbiological loop. Mol Biol (Mosk), 1984 Jan-Feb, 18(1), 176 - 88 {Prospects and achievements of genetic engineering in development of antiviral vaccines}; Tikhonenko TI; Proceeding from the known data various theoretical and experimental approaches to the construction of gene-engineering vaccines are considered . Gene-engineering subunit vaccines of the first generation are based on isolation of the genes coding for the synthesis of full length capsid proteins with the main antigenic determinants and their subsequent expression in suitable recipient cells . Initial idea of the microbiological synthesis as the main way for production of any antiviral vaccines was not confirmed by the later development . Now for this type of vaccines eucaryotic systems are widely employed using the animal virus vectors and the animal cell cultures . Gene-engineering subunit vaccine of the second generation appears to be a chimeric protein with built-in antigenic determinants of different viruses and maximal immunogenicity in monomeric form . The last point reopens the perspective to use a microbiological synthesis for the production of antiviral vaccines . Besides that the chemically synthesized polypeptide antiviral vaccine will be used widely . In gene-engineering subunit vaccines of the third generation it is possible to use not the natural antigenic determinants which often are characterized by high level of the primary structure changes but artificial (non-natural) antigens, that are the capsid protein conservative regions which under natural conditions of infection or immunization do not induce the protective antiviral antibodies . The recombinant DNA technology in addition to subunit type vaccine allows to construct living vaccines which represent a DNA-containing attenuated virus with build-in natural or synthetic gene of the capsid or chimeric protein with antigenic determinants of another viral species. Chemotherapy, 1984, 30(1), 1 - 6 Concentrations of ceftriaxone in prostate adenoma tissue; Adam D et al.; A total of 46 patients aged 59-84 who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate gland received 2 g of ceftriaxone intravenously at different points in time, ranging from 30 min to 74 h before the operation . The antibiotic concentration was determined in the serum as well as in the prostate adenoma tissue using microbiological methods after treating the tissue in a stomacher . 30 min after application, tissue concentrations were between 12.9 and 73.7 micrograms/g, and after 4 h still between 1.0 and 50.0 micrograms/g . Even after 48 h levels between 0.6 and 5.6 micrograms/g were found . Therefore ceftriaxone proved not only to have a long serum half-life as compared to other comparable cephalosporins, but also prolonged tissue concentrations, which justifies a single preoperative dose before transurethral resection of the prostate gland, as established by the clinical results described. Arzneimittelforschung, 1984, 34(12), 1787 - 91 Investigation of human bile and serum levels by high pressure liquid chromatography after administration of latamoxef or cefotaxime; Krausse R et al.; The high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for the quantitative determination of R- and S-epimers of latamoxef, cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime in serum and bile . Bile levels of latamoxef, 1 and 2 h following administration of the antibiotic, were markedly above serum values . Those of cefotaxime, however, were identical after 1 h, after 2 h bile levels were below serum values . Desacetylcefotaxime concentration in bile after 1 and 2 h was four to five times higher than in serum . The ratio R-:S-epimer of latamoxef in serum was 49:51 after 1 and 2 h, in bile 44:56 after 1 h and 48:52 after 2 h . In the case of latamoxef the comparison of the microbiological and the HPLC assay showed good correlation (r = 0.98) . The ratio cefotaxime: desacetylcefotaxime in serum was 72.5:27.5 after 1 h and 61.5:38.5 after 2 h, in bile 41:59 after 1 h and 24:76 after 2 h. Z Allg Mikrobiol, 1984, 24(10), 709 - 11 A new fluorimetric assay for streptothricins; Hesse G et al.; In strongly acidic medium (70% HClO4) streptothricins form a fluorophore (lambda ex = 312 nm; lambda em = 381 nm) with unknown structure . A fluorimetric determination of pure or crude products and cultures, respectively, was worked out based on this reaction . Concentrations for fluorescence measurements were in the range of 10(-8) - 2 X 10(-7) moles . Interferences of the assay are discussed, a statistical evaluation of results and a comparison between microbiological and fluorimetric findings are given. Lancet, 1983 Dec 17, 2(8364), 1379 - 82 Anaerobic vaginosis (non-specific vaginitis): clinical, microbiological, and therapeutic findings; Blackwell AL et al.; The effect of metronidazole on anaerobic vaginosis (non-specific vaginitis) was assessed in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 40 women . 19 of 20 women given metronidazole 400 mg twice a day for seven days were clinically and microbiologically cured by the time they completed treatment . All 20 women given a placebo were treatment failures, but when they were given a single 2 g dose of metronidazole, 15 showed clinical and microbiological cure a week later . 14 of the responders showed a recurrence of infection a month after treatment; this was probably due to reinfection, although persistence of infection cannot be ruled out . Findings in the clinic correlated closely with subsequent microbiological results in 133 out of 140 patient-visits, which suggests that there is no need for expensive and time-consuming laboratory investigations in this condition. Pharm Weekbl Sci, 1983 Dec 16, 5(6), 298 - 301 Synthesis, physical properties and microbiological activities of more water soluble silver sulfadiazine derivatives; De Wit PP et al.; In this study the preparation of five hydrophilic derivatives of sulfadiazine is reported . The common structural element in the compounds is the 2-sulfonamidopyrimidine moiety . Three of these compounds are suitable for the preparation of a photostable I: I silver compound . These silver compounds are five to ten times more water soluble than silver sulfadiazine . The IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR data point to a similar co-ordination of silver in these compounds as with silver sulfadiazine . The microbiological activity of these silver compounds against St . aureus is slightly lower. Fortschr Med, 1983 Dec 8, 101(46), 2129 - 32 {Demonstration of a tetracycline-resistance factor in a genital Mycoplasma strain . Clinical and molecular biology aspects of Ureaplasma coinfected penicilliń and tetracycline-resistant gonorrhea}; Jahn G et al.; We report a male patient with severe penicillin-resistant gonococcal urethritis, coinfected with a tetracycline resistant strain of ureaplasma urealyticum . Ureaplasmas are frequently involved in gonococcal urethritis and commonly this organism may persist after the penicillin therapy causing a "post-gonoccal-urethritis" (PGU) . Additional treatment with tetracyclines prove to be successful in most of these patients except in cases of tetracycline resistance in ureaplasma urealyticum . In a case like this erythromycin may be useful, a drug to which these isolates are sensitive . The microbiological and genetic feature of a tetracycline resistant strain of ureaplasma urealyticum is presented in detail . The clinical and epidemiological importance of these results are discussed and compared with the literature. J Pharm Sci, 1983 Dec, 72(12), 1470 - 1 Quantitation of amikacin, kanamycin, neomycin, and tobramycin in pharmaceutical dosage forms using the Hantzsch reaction; Gupta VD et al.; A spectrophotometric assay method for the quantitative determination of amikacin, kanamycin, neomycin, and tobramycin in pharmaceutical dosage forms has been developed . The method is based on the Hantzsch reaction, forming dihydrolutidine derivatives which can be measured spectrophotometrically . The excipients EDTA, phenol, sodium bisulfite, and sodium citrate do not interfere, while salts of ammonia do interfere . The relative standard deviations based on seven readings were 1.64, 1.88, 2.10, and 1.93% for amikacin, kanamycin, neomycin, and tobramycin, respectively . Assay results have been compared with microbiological assay results provided by the manufacturers . The assay method appears to be stability indicating. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Dec, 12(6), 629 - 39 The pharmacokinetics of chloramphenicol in the neonate and young infant; Mulhall A et al.; The peak and trough serum concentrations and total body clearance of chloramphenicol were determined by microbiological assay in a multicentre investigation of 90 babies . Chloramphenicol was administered by the intravenous, intramuscular or oral route and dosage ranged between 12 and 210 mg/kg/day . A wide variation in both serum levels and clearance amongst babies receiving the same dose was observed . Neonates (64) had significantly higher serum concentrations (P less than 0.001) and slower clearance (P less than 0.0001) than infants (26) . Oral administration in neonates resulted in lower steady state serum levels (P less than 0.02) than those following intravenous administration . Term neonates cleared chloramphenicol more rapidly than their preterm contemporaries (P less than 0.005) . Forty-one per cent of subjects had potentially toxic serum levels; subtherapeutic peak serum levels (less than 15 mg/l) were recorded in 39/90 babies . Concomitant penicillin therapy resulted in higher serum concentrations (P less than 0.05); phenobarbitone was not associated with increased clearance or lower steady state serum levels of chloramphenicol . Postnatal age and gestational age accounted for some of the variability in pharmacokinetic response to chloramphenicol . Although many babies receiving the recommended dose had serum levels within the accepted range (15-25 mg/l), others did not . Routine monitoring of chloramphenicol in every baby receiving this antibiotic is essential: the regimens of 18% babies in the present study were altered after assay. J Periodontol, 1983 Dec, 54(12), 712 - 3 Microbiological study of localized juvenile periodontitis in Panama; Eisenmann AC et al.; The occurrence of subgingival Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Capnocytophaga in 12 localized juvenile periodontitis and 10 gingivitis patients from Panama was determined using selective culture techniques . A actinomycetemcomitans was present in all localized juvenile periodontitis lesions studied and was, on average, recovered in hundred-fold-higher numbers from localized juvenile periodontitis lesions than from gingivitis lesions . Capnocytophaga was only recovered in approximately threefold-higher numbers from localized juvenile periodontitis than from gingivitis . The study confirms and extends previous data indicating a close relationship between A actinomycetemcomitans and localized juvenile periodontitis . It is proposed that identification of A actinomycetemcomitans may be a valuable adjunct in the diagnosis of localized juvenile periodontitis. Hum Nutr Appl Nutr, 1983 Dec, 37(6), 426 - 40 Microbiological aspects of the preparation and administration of naso-gastric and naso-enteric tube feeds in hospitals--a review; Anderton A; The reported instances of microbial contamination of naso-gastric and naso-enteric feeds are reviewed and the significance of contamination discussed . Possible sources of contamination are suggested and factors affecting the rate of growth of organisms in feeds and feeding systems are considered . Comparisons are made with the in-use contamination of intravenous feeds. J Pharm Sci, 1983 Dec, 72(12), 1467 - 9 Quantitation of ketoconazole in biological fluids using high-performance liquid chromatography; Pascucci VL et al.; A rapid, specific procedure is described for the quantitation of ketoconazole in biological fluids using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) . The procedure involves sample preparation using a reverse-phase C-18 cartridge prior to chromatography and quantitation using peak height ratios (UV absorbance detection, 231 nm) of ketoconazole to the internal standard, phenothiazine . A sensitivity of 0.2 micrograms/ml was achieved using a 0.5-ml sample . The mean recovery was 86.2%, and overall coefficient of variation of the procedure was 7.1% . This procedure has been used to determine ketoconazole levels in human serum, plasma, CSF, and synovial fluid . A comparison with a microbiological assay is presented, and adaptability of this procedure to quantitation by fluorescence to increase the sensitivity fivefold is discussed. Pharmazie, 1983 Nov, 38(11), 740 - 3 {Protein binding of the macrolide antibiotic turimycin . Methodologic effects on results}; Hesse G et al.; A methodological investigation deals with the binding of the macrolide antibiotic turimycin to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and serum proteins . On this occasion, it is pointed out that, especially when serum is used, the critical evaluation of the analytical method is of the same importance as the utilization of standardized procedures for the quantification of the protein binding in the sense of general comparability . This concerns, for example, the chemistry of the reaction used for detection, the formation of degradation products of the active principle in the serum during the study of the binding and possible repercussions on the chemical determination, the electrolyte content of the sample in the punched hole of the microbiological test plate, losses of activity or synergistic effects of the serum-antibiotic combination during incubation of microbiological test plates after termination of the equilibrium dialysis . The determination of binding constants by means of a competitive fluorescence titration, the chemical analysis of equilibrium dialyses and their parallel assessment with the aid of the agar-diffusion plate test led to results which were not in agreement with each other . Turimycin which is very slightly soluble at pH = 7.4 and fairly soluble at pH = 5.0, is practically not bonded at the lower pH value of BSA and serum proteins (fluorescence titration of BSA: Kb approximately 20; equilibrium dialysis and chemical evaluation) . The microbiological determination in serum on the basis of equilibrium dialyses yields higher values for the binding of turimycin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Am Rev Respir Dis, 1983 Nov, 128(5), 955 - 6 Unresponsiveness of Legionella bozemanii pneumonia to erythromycin administration despite in vitro sensitivity; Parker MM et al.; We report a case of Legionella bozemanii pneumonia that failed to respond clinically and microbiologically to erythromycin administration . The organism was recovered from bronchial brushings and washings and was demonstrated to be sensitive in vitro to erythromycin as well as to rifampin and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim . The patient received a 9-day course of erythromycin before she died . Nonetheless, postmortem lung tissue yielded Legionella bozemanii . In treating Legionella pneumonia unresponsive to erythromycin, addition of another antibiotic, based on sensitivity testing, should be considered. Acta Otolaryngol, 1983 Nov-Dec, 96(5-6), 501 - 8 Penetration of doxycycline in respiratory mucosa; Sundberg L et al.; In order to study the penetration of doxycycline (Idocyklin) in respiratory mucosa 100 mg tablets were given in standard dosage to 58 patients with longstanding secretory otitis media, the "secretion-in-cavity" model, and to 37 patients with nasal polyposis, the tissue model . Myringotomy with aspiration of the middle ear secretion or polypectomy was performed at different intervals during the course of medication . Blood samples were drawn simultaneously . The concentration in secretion, tissue and serum was assessed by means of a microbiological agar well method . The mean concentration of doxycycline in respiratory mucosa and secretion was found to exceed the MICs of the common respiratory pathogens as soon as 3 hours after the first dose, and remained on a therapeutical level until 24 hours after the last dose . The results are in full agreement with those obtained from penetration studies in other parts of the respiratory tract, thereby lending support to the validity of the models used. Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5(6), 1061 - 77 Invasive aspergillosis; Rinaldi MG; Invasive fungal disease of humans caused by species of the genus Aspergillus Micheli ex Linnaeus has become a significant and prevalent problem in contemporary medicine, particularly with regard to the compromised host . This review addresses the current status of invasive aspergillosis, including microbiological, clinical, and pathologic aspects . Diagnostic and therapeutic considerations are discussed with a view toward early and aggressive intervention in order to prevent the high mortality rate associated with aspergillosis. Farmakol Toksikol, 1983 Nov-Dec, 46(6), 83 - 8 {Microbiological method of determining cyanocobalamin in tissues and finished drugs made from animal raw materials}; Krylov IuF et al.; An assay for cyanocobalamin with the use of the test microorganism E . coli, mutant ATCC 9637, is offered . The measurement of the content of cyanocobalamin in the blood serum and liver of intact rats after intraperitoneal drug injection demonstrated its content to reach a maximum 30 minutes after injection and to depend on the dose . When given in doses 100 and 400 micrograms/kg, the drug dose in the serum amounted to 82 and 261 ng/g, respectively, and in the liver to 80 and 259 ng/g . The method is readily reproducible, does not require the observance of strict aseptics, it is economical and time-saving. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Nov, 12(5), 519 - 21 The penetration of cefmenoxime into cerebrospinal fluid across non-inflamed meninges; Rolston KV et al.; The penetration of cefmenoxime, a newly-developed cephalosporin, across non-inflamed meninges was studied in 12 volunteers undergoing elective myelograms . Patients received 30 mg/kg of cefmenoxime intravenously every 6 h for three doses . Trough and peak serum levels were drawn just prior to and immediately after the last dose . CSF was obtained from 1 to 4 h after the administration of the last dose and a concomitant serum sample was also drawn . Cefmenoxime levels were determined by a microbiological assay and by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) . Cefmenoxime was detected in the CSF of all 12 patients and ranged between 0.15 and 1.4 mg/l. Vopr Virusol, 1983 Nov-Dec, 28(6), 737 - 41 {Behavior of Mycoplasma in a continuous cell culture of embryonic sheep kidney producing the bovine leukemia virus}; Rakovskaia IV et al.; Mycoplasma sp . previously isolated from sheep embryo kidney cells producing bovine leukemia virus (FLK-BLV) was serologically identified in the growth inhibition test as M . arginini . SDS-PAGE of cellular proteins demonstrated their identity in M . sp . and M . arginini . Upon artificial inoculation of FLK cells, M . arginini persisted in the cells for a long time and was detectable in high titres by all the methods used . Other species of mycoplasma were isolated from the cells by microbiological method but were detectable by other methods in first passages only . The phenomenon of "disappearance" of mycoplasma was not associated with the toxic effect on them of the ingredients used in cell propagation and of cell metabolism products . It is assumed that sheep embryo cells, M . arginini, and bovine leukemia virus is a fortunate biological model of natural infection. N Z Med J, 1983 Oct 26, 96(742), 795 - 6 Bacterial endocarditis due to Kingella kingae; Sage MJ et al.; A case of infective bacterial endocarditis due to Kingella kingae in a 26 year old male involving a prosthetic mitral valve is described . Microbiological features of this organism are outlined, and the treatment of this endocarditis is discussed with reference to the four previously reported cases. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Oct, (10), 79 - 82 {Interaction of Acholeplasma laidlawii and Mycoplasma arthritidis with the lymphocytes of mice of different strains}; Rakovskaia IV et al.; The interaction of mycoplasmas and mouse lymphocytes has been studied by the microbiological and electron-microscopic methods . The experiments have shown that A . laidlawii and M . arthritidis are adsorbed on lymphocytes and thymocytes of (C57BL6 X A/He)F1, BALB and C57BL mice after 15 minutes of their joint incubation at 37 degrees C, 1 hour later adsorption reaches its maximum intensity and after further prolongation of the time of incubation the number of adsorbed microbial cells remains unchanged . The first stage of the interaction of mycoplasmas with splenic and thymic lymphocytes (adsorption) is the same in (C57BL6 X X A/He)F1, BALB and C57BL mice, and differences in the persistence of mycoplasmas in mice of the above strains are probably due not to different capacity of the cells for adsorbing mycoplasmas, but to differences in the immune status of these animals. Equine Vet J, 1983 Oct, 15(4), 317 - 20 Leptospiral infection in horses in Northern Ireland: serological and microbiological findings; Ellis WA et al.; Thirteen strains of pathogenic leptospires were isolated from 12 of 91 horses; seven strains belonged to the Australis serogroup (serotype bratislava) with three, two and one strains belonging to the Icterohaemorrhagiae, Hebdomadis (serotype hardjo) and Autumnalis serogroups respectively . Using leptospires isolated from horses and others representing the known parasitic Leptospira serogroups, a sample of 650 mares' sera was tested for agglutinating antibodies . Antibodies were found in 89.1 per cent of sera . The predominant reaction was to serotype bratislava, strain S/1334/79, isolated in this study, antibodies to which were detected in 81.8 per cent of sera . It is suggested that serotype bratislava may be adapted to, and maintained by, the horse population in Northern Ireland. J Clin Pathol, 1983 Oct, 36(10), 1102 - 4 Ozone killing action against bacterial and fungal species; microbiological testing of a domestic ozone generator; Dyas A et al.; The action of ozone generated from a small domestic device was examined with a view to using it in clinical isolation units accommodating immunosuppressed patients . Over a six-hour period in an average size room the device did not generate sufficient ozone to suppress bacterial and fungal growth . A useful bactericidal action, against a variety of human pathogens was achieved with ozone concentrations between 0.3 to 0.9 ppm . Bactericidal ozone concentrations are close to the limit permitted for human exposure however and further experiments are indicated. Vet Med (Praha), 1983 Oct, 28(10), 633 - 40 {Incidence of foreign substances in raw and pasteurized milk}; Malikova M et al.; In 1980 to 1982, the occurrence of inhibiting substances, herbicides and chemical elements contaminating raw farm and bulk milk and pasteurized milk in different stages of technological processing was studied in the input regions of 19 dairies of the Lacrum Brno concern corporation . Residues of inhibiting substances were demonstrated by the thin-layer microbiological diffusion disk method using the testing strain of B . stearothermophilus var . calidolactis, to be present in raw milk (9.1% out of 143 samples) as well as in pasteurized milk (2.0% out of 151 samples) . Chromatographic method (sensitivity 0.01-0.05 mg.kg-1 milk) was used for examining 135 raw milk samples for the occurrence of herbicides based on diazines and triazines . Herbicides were demonstrated to get into milk; residues were found in 45 samples (33.3%) . Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used for examining 143 raw milk samples for the contents of zinc, copper, iron and manganese . As to zinc content, 100% of the samples met the standard, as to iron content 99%, and as to the content of copper, 89% (Ministry of Health Directives, No . 50, 1978) . The content of manganese remained within the range up to 0.1 mg.kg-1 milk in 60% of the samples . Out of the 135 milk samples (101 raw, 34 pasteurized milk ones) examined for the content of lead, four samples (3%) failed to meet the limit of the highest admissible level. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Oct, 12(4), 403 - 6 Assay of netilmicin in serum by substrate labelled fluoroimmunoassay; White LO et al.; A substrate-labelled fluoroimmunoassay (SLFIA) for gentamicin was used to assay netilmicin by substituting serum calibrators containing netilmicin . The assay proved highly reproducible and the results obtained showed a good correlation with the results of EMIT and microbiological assays. Vet Microbiol, 1983 Oct, 8(5), 437 - 42 Experimental parainfluenza type 3 infection in young lambs: clinical, microbiological, and serological response; Lehmkuhl HD et al.; Five, 1-week-old, colostrum-deprived lambs were inoculated transtracheally with a parainfluenza type-3 (PI-3) virus that had been isolated from a pneumonic lamb lung . A biphasic febrile response, cough, rapid breathing followed by forced expirations, listlessness, and anorexia were observed in the lambs . There were multifocal areas of consolidation in the lungs of all lambs and ulcerations in the nasal mucosa of three lambs . Serum antibody titers to PI-3 virus ranged from 2 to 16 in lambs necropsied Day 3 to Day 7 post-inoculation, respectively . Virus was isolated from nasal secretions, tracheal fluids, and lung tissues of all lambs. Boll Ist Sieroter Milan, 1983 Sep 30, 62(4), 328 - 32 {Bacteriological study at the vaginal level in sexually active women}; Altomare GF et al.; We have studied the microbiological environment of the vagina in 202 sexually active women when they came into an outpatient gynecological hospital . By some specific bacterioscopic and cultural examinations we have tried to understand the pathological role of some microrganism in sexually transmitted diseases . An elevated incidence of mycoplasm in asymptomatic subjects has shed light on the probable saprophytic behaviour of these microrganisms. Schweiz Med Wochenschr, 1983 Sep 17, 113(37), 1327 - 30 {Clinical and microbiological aspects of peritonitis in patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis}; Broquet PE et al.; Over a 3-year period 22 episodes of peritonitis were observed among 20 patients treated for end-stage renal failure by CAPD . This represents an overall incidence of 1 episode every 9.5 patient-months (1/14.2 months in 1981, 1/11.3 months in 1982) . Eight patients out of 20 never developed peritonitis, and 6 had one episode only . Cocci + were the most frequent culture finding . Two episodes of mycotic peritonitis and 1 sterile peritonitis were observed . Antibiotic treatment was generally successful within 24 h . The incidence of peritonitis was higher among diabetic (1/7 months) than among non-diabetic patients (1/12.6 months) . Patient selection, the bag connection technique and the experience accumulated by the dialysis team appear to be the principal factors in lowering the incidence of this complication. J Chromatogr, 1983 Sep 9, 276(2), 385 - 94 Determination of amikacin in serum by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection; Barends DM et al.; A procedure for the determination of amikacin in serum is described . The aminoglycoside is extracted from serum by using a disposable cation-exchange column . The eluate of this column is derivatized with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and subsequently analysed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection at 365 nm . The absolute recovery of amikacin by this procedure is 72% . Kanamycin is used as the internal standard . The sensitivity is 1 mg/l for amikacin with samples of 200 microliters . Precision, expressed as the coefficient of variation, is about 3% in the therapeutic concentration range . The 2,4-dinitrophenyl derivative of amikacin is synthesized on a preparative scale by a new method and its structure is demonstrated to be the fully derivatized amikacin . The analysis of serum samples obtained in an in vivo experiment correlates well with the results from a microbiological assay. Med J Aust, 1983 Sep 3, 2(5), 217 - 21 Use of antibiotic agents in a large teaching hospital . The impact of Antibiotic Guidelines; Harvey K et al.; Three surveys of antibiotic use have been conducted at The Royal Melbourne Hospital . The first was conducted in 1978, before the introduction of the booklet, Antibiotic Guidelines; the second was conducted eight months after, and the most recent, four years after, its distribution . In 1978, 30% of 563 patients surveyed were receiving antibiotic therapy; this proportion declined to 28% of 967 patients studied in 1982 . At the beginning of 1978, 52% of all treatments audited were judged appropriate when compared with those recommended in the Guidelines; this proportion rose to 72% in the second survey and was maintained at 70% in 1982 . Certain inappropriate prescribing patterns persisted, such as the use of amoxycillin for the treatment of primary pneumonia, surgical antibiotic prophylaxis which was started too late, and the failure to simplify therapy when the results of microbiological investigations became available . Antibiotic guidelines facilitate the auditing of antibiotic usage and aid rational prescribing . Nevertheless, additional measures appear necessary if specific patterns of misuse of antibiotic agents are to be corrected. J Clin Pathol, 1983 Sep, 36(9), 1067 - 70 Necrotising granulomata in prostatic resection specimens--a sequel to previous operation; Lee G et al.; Six cases, in which necrotising granulomata were discovered in transurethral resection specimens of prostate gland, are described . In four of these cases, granulomata of foreign body type were also present . None of the patients had clinical, microbiological or histological evidence of tuberculosis, past or present . All had had at least one previous prostatectomy . The necrotising granulomata had characteristic microscopic appearances . They were almost certainly caused by operative trauma. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1983 Sep, 178(1-2), 1 - 29 {Waste from hospitals, health resorts and sanatoria}; Althaus H et al.; As part of the waste disposal planning in the administrative districts in Nordrhein-Westfalen, the present expertise intends to determines the requirements to be satisfied by the collection and intermediate storage of hospital waste, and to answer the question from a hygienic point of view as to what sort of waste may be taken to an internal garbage dump and what waste is to be burned . From among the variety of hospital refuse, that material was selected for which, as a result of the direct contact between waste and patient, a certain hygienic risk could not be entirely ruled out . This includes waste from the wards similar to private houshold garbage, medical soft waste (swabs, dressings etc.) medical solid waste (syringes, cannulae etc.) . For waste other than this, disposal by way of garbage dumps is considered unproblematic or else such waste is to be disposed off in compliance with legal provisions (infection wards) . For organ refuse, the only mode of disposal is by burying or burning . On perusal of the literature it was found that with regard to the hygienic condition of the above-mentioned waste, views differ widely ranging from "unobjectionable" to "infectious" . Apart from this, these views are not supported by microbiological data ascertained experimentally . However, a reliable assessment cannot do without such data . Preliminary investigations were carried out to see what waste disposal routes exist in the various hospitals; then in two hospitals the waste volume of each ward was determined on 7 workdays over a total period of approx . two months and the waste was checked for the three sorts of refuse mentioned above . It was found that the refuse averaged 0.54 or 0.56 kgs per bed per day and 5.44 or 5.43 litres per bed per day with a specific weight of 0.10 kg/l . The microbiological analyses included both hospital refuse and "normal" household garbage from three dumps . Within the first group of waste the analyses covered not only waste conglomerates but also individual refuse ingredients (e.g . syringes) . The workup comprised 264 waste samples from the hospital area and 21 samples from dumps, which were subjected to quantitative and qualitative microbiological tests . The results showed that hospital refuse very often contains less pathogens than household garbage and that it was even germ-free in some cases; especially individual samples repeatedly proved to be free of bacterial growth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) Arch Dis Child, 1983 Sep, 58(9), 745 - 7 Psychogenic cough; Shuper A et al.; Psychogenic cough is croupy and explosive, never occurs during sleep, and is not affected by antitussive drugs . Physical and radiographic examinations of the respiratory tract and microbiological investigations are normal . Bronchial asthma manifested as chronic cough should be excluded in each patient by lung function testing. Biometrics, 1983 Sep, 39(3), 765 - 70 Discovering an epidemic before it has reached a certain level of prevalence; Metz JA et al.; In this communication we calculate the probability of discovering a simple epidemic in a large population before the epidemic has reached a given level of prevalence, by regularly taking a small random sample from the population for microbiological screening . Apart from the general formula which has to be evaluated numerically, we derive various simple approximation formulae which shed light on the properties of various monitoring regimes . These formulae are, moreover, rather robust against deviations from the model specifications . The results are applied to the evaluation of the efficiency of an infection-monitoring program in an animal breeding centre. J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Sep, 18(3), 702 - 8 Nocardia asteroides recovery from a dog with steroid- and antibiotic-unresponsive idiopathic polyarthritis; Buchanan AM et al.; This report describes a fatal case of idiopathic polyarthritis in a dog that was partially responsive to vigorous immunosuppressive treatment . Synovial fluids were cultured for L-forms at the following stages of disease: (i) acute arthritic relapse, (ii) incomplete remission, and (iii) death . Nocardia asteroides UCD 1-581 was recovered from the L-form broth culture of the specimen taken during acute relapse, 5 weeks after inoculation, but not at any other stage of disease . Numerous conventional microbiological cultures were unproductive during all phases . Changes occurring in L-form plates included the formation of large irregular mineral deposits and many transferable bodies resembling pseudocolonies . Microscopic examination revealed the presence of many intracellular golden-brown granules and acid-fast bodies in macrophages of the lung and bronchial lymph node tissues . The granules are believed to be the variants embedded in calcium deposits similar to those which developed in the L-form cultures in vitro . Fluorescence of these acid-fast bodies with antibody specific for superoxide dismutase of N . asteroides GUH-2 and labeled anti-immunoglobulin G established their relationship to the isolate . The unrelenting course of disease and the persistence of N . asteroides as an L-form in this animal despite vigorous immunosuppression suggest that this organism plays a direct role in the etiology of this disease. Am J Trop Med Hyg, 1983 Sep, 32(5), 1172 - 6 Antigenic characterization of Tettnang virus: complications caused by passage of the virus in mice from a colony enzootically infected with mouse hepatitis virus; Smith AL et al.; Neutralization assays were undertaken for the purpose of antigenically characterizing three strains of Tettnang virus from two geographic regions . The previously reported relationship of Tettnang virus strains to mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) was confirmed . However, the precise relationship of the Tettnang strains to prototype MHV strains was obscured in our study by the finding that the isolates had been passaged in mice from a colony subclinically infected with MHV . An Egyptian strain of Tettnang which had not been passaged in that colony was reciprocally related to the neurotropic JHM strain of MHV . Our data stress the importance of microbiological monitoring of apparently healthy laboratory animals used for virologic research. Pathologist, 1983 Sep, 37(9), 641 - 7 Microbiological safety cabinetry; Kruse RH; This article presents a brief history of the safety cabinet, with emphasis on the Class II Laminar Flow Biological Safety Cabinet . The why, what, how, and when of cabinet operation, purchase, certification, HEPA filters, and cabinet working techniques are explained thoroughly. Br J Haematol, 1983 Aug, 54(4), 613 - 21 Separation of cobalamin analogues in human sera binding to intrinsic factor and to R-type vitamin B12 binders; Muir M et al.; Intrinsic factor (IF) and cobalamin-R-binding protein (R-binder) linked to polyacrylamide beads were used to absorb cobalamins from solutions and serum extracts . Both binding agents were equally effective in removing {57Co}B12 from aqueous solution . IF was more effective than R-binder in removing {57Co}B12 added to a serum extract . All endogenous cobalamins detectable in serum by saturation analysis assay were removed by absorption onto R-binder . Absorption with IF removed microbiologically-active cobalamins but left behind analogues assayable with an R-binder . However, when absorption with IF was continued the concentration of R-binding cobalamins steadily declined indicating that IF bound both types of cobalamins through the binding was less avid for the microbiologically-inactive analogues than for microbiologically-active cobalamins . Finally, the R-binding analogues in serum were carried on transcobalamin I and none was detectable on transcobalamin II . The absorption studies establish the presence of two types of cobalamins one binding preferentially to IF and the other preferentially to R-binder . Only the former is detected by microbiological assay. Pharmazie, 1983 Aug, 38(8), 559 - 60 {Sterile packing materials for formaldehyde sterilization}; Fleck H et al.; Apart from the already widely applied sterilization by ethylene oxide, the sterilization by gaseous formaldehyde is another reliable procedure for the sterilization of thermolabile instruments . An essential advantage of the sterilization by gaseous formaldehyde over the so-called wet sterilization is that it can be performed in a recontamination-proof sterile packing . Packing materials produced in the GDR, the germ-tightness and toxicological safety of which were already known, were tested to evaluate their suitability for sterilization by gaseous formaldehyde . An appropriate packing variant was found and tested for microbiological reliability. J Rheumatol, 1983 Aug, 10(4), 643 - 6 Observations on the responses of synovial lymphocytes to viral antigens in rheumatoid arthritis and Reiter's syndrome; Ford DK et al.; The responses of synovial lymphocytes to 12 microbiological antigens, including 8 viral antigens, were studied with the 3H-thymidine uptake procedure in 15 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 4 patients with Reiter's syndrome . In 4 patients with rheumatoid factor (RF) negative RA, responses to the paramyxovirus antigens, parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial were marked, with lesser responses to adenovirus and mumps antigens . The synovial lymphocytes of 6