Relative efficacy of the proposed Space Shuttle antimotion sickness medications.

Space motion sickness has been estimated as affecting between 1/3 and 1/2 of all space flight participants. NASA has at the moment proposed a combination of promethazine and ephedrine (P/E) and one of scopolamine and dextroamphetamine (S/D), both given orally, as well as a transdermally applied scopolamine (TAS), as preventive and ameliorative measures. The reported double-blind study, tests the early phase actions and efficacy of the transdermal scopolamine (Transderm (TM)-V of ALZA Corporation) and compares these in detail to the oral medications.

Mortality in robins (Turdus migratorius) due to avian malaria.

Two juvenile robins (Turdus migratorius) died shortly after being captured in Baltimore, Maryland. Both had high erythrocytic parasitemias of mixed Plasmodium infections. Postmortem examination revealed large numbers of exo-erythrocytic malarial schizonts in the liver, spleen, lungs and brain of both cases.

Avian malaria in African black-footed penguins.

Ten captive-reared African black-footed penguins (Spheniscus demersus) from a large outdoor colony were monitored for avian malaria, using several diagnostic tests. One treatment regimen was evaluated. Thin smear blood evaluation enabled detection of seven parasitemias involving Plasmodium relictum and Plasmodium elongatum in the penguins.

[Comparison of two point discrimination on the thumb and the big toe].

The functional value of operations for the replacement of thumbs by autotransplantation of the great toe depends on the recovery of sensibility. The two-point-discrimination of 107 thumbs compared to 121 great toes in persons aged between 10 and 70 years was examined. The thumb had age-independent mean value of 4,5 mm while that of the great toe decreased from 9,1 to 16,0 mm.