Vertical nystagmus provoked by locally applied calorization at the vertical semicircular canals: a study in pigeons.

Calorization of the vertical semicircular canals in pigeons was performed by irrigation of water through a polyethylene cannula, that was attached at a selected site to the bony wall of the anterior or posterior canal of the labyrinth. The temperature differences between the stimulated site and the corresponding location inside the contralateral mastoid were detected by two thermistors. (a) Calorization of an anterior or posterior canal evoked a dissociated vertical nystagmus in both eyes.

Comparative translocation of enteropathogenic Campylobacter spp. and Escherichia coli from the intestinal tract of gnotobiotic mice.

In C3H gnotobiotic mice, no significant difference was observed between the translocation of nine clinical isolates of enteropathogenic Campylobacter spp. and that of seven nonisogeneic Escherichia coli strains with or without various determinants of pathogenicity. In addition, there was no correlation found between the intensity of translocation of Campylobacter strains and the signs of invasiveness in the patients from whom the strains had been isolated.

Modified selective medium for isolation of Campylobacter spp. from feces: comparison with Preston medium, a blood-free medium, and a filtration system.

Our previously described (H. Goossens, M. De Boeck, and J.

Evaluation of the direct detection of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal antigen in a pediatric population: comparison with the traditional culture technique.

An evaluation of the Directigen Group A Strep Test (DGAST) in comparison with the traditional culture technique, was carried out on 1907 throat specimens, obtained from pediatric patients suspected of having a group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis. Of the 344 specimens positive by culture, 277 were DGAST positive (sensitivity, 81%). Of the 1563 specimens negative by culture, 1511 were DGAST negative (specificity, 97%).

Nosocomial outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni meningitis in newborn infants.

In a nosocomial outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni infection 11 newborn infants (7 female, 4 male) had meningitis. The outbreak was caused by a single strain of C jejuni, as demonstrated by biotyping (biotype I), serotyping (LAU 7/PEN 18 on heat-stable antigens, a new serotype on heat-labile antigens), and the identical susceptibility pattern and outer-membrane-protein profile on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Specific antibodies against the outbreak strain (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot) developed in all the babies.

Prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria and comparison between different screening methods for its detection in infants.

Urine was cultured from 441 healthy children, aged 3 to 36 months, simultaneously by standard pour plating and by dip-slide. Significant bacteriuria (greater than or equal to 10(5) colony-forming units/ml in two successive specimens) was found in 13 children (2.9%): 11 boys, 2 girls.

Comparative in vitro activities of aztreonam, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, HR 810 (a new cephalosporin), RU28965 (a new macrolide), and other agents against enteropathogens.

The in vitro activity of drugs currently used in the treatment of diarrhea against 595 enteropathogens from worldwide sources was compared with that of six newly developed antibiotics, ciprofloxacin; norfloxacin; ofloxacin; aztreonam; HR810, an expanded-spectrum cephalosporin; and RU28965, a new macrolide. In contrast with ampicillin and chloramphenicol, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole showed an excellent activity against all of the enteropathogens tested, except Campylobacter species. Ciprofloxacin had the highest activity, with an overall 90% MIC of less than or equal to 0.

[Prevention of motion sickness with a transdermal therapeutic system containing scopolamine. A randomized, comparative double-blind study in the German Federal Navy].

To test the prophylactic value of anti-motion sickness drugs, a randomized double-blind trial was undertaken on 46 young, healthy, male volunteer marines. Comparison was made between a transdermal therapeutic system (TTS) containing as the effective agent scopolamine (TTS-scopolamine) and proprietary meclozine tablets. An artificial "sea voyage" served to produce motion sickness, each subject sitting by himself on an artificially tilting "island", on two days for 30 minutes.

In-vitro susceptibility of salmonellae to antimicrobial agents.

The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of various antimicrobial drugs, for 667 strains of Salmonella, isolated in three different continents of the world, were determined: 17 antibiotics were tested against 506 randomly selected and 161 chloramphenicol-resistant strains. The activity of the monobactam aztreonam against these organisms was in general equal or superior to that observed with the third-generation cephalosporins, cefotaxime and ceftazidime. Furthermore aztreonam and cefotaxime exhibited uniform and high activity against all the salmonella strains tested, irrespective of their chloramphenicol resistance.

Semisolid selective-motility enrichment medium for isolation of salmonellae from fecal specimens.

A semisolid selective-motility enrichment medium for the isolation of salmonellae from fecal specimens was developed which was based on Rappaport enrichment broth. During a 7-year period more than 30,000 stool samples were tested. The medium showed a high specificity (95.

A new selective medium for the isolation of Campylobacter jejuni from human faeces.

A new selective medium, Butzler's medium Virion, for the isolation of Campylobacter jejuni from human faeces is described. This medium contains the following antibiotics per liter: cefoperazone 15 mg, rifampicin 10 mg, colistin 10,000 IU, and amphotericin B 2 mg. At 42 degrees C there was no difference in the isolation rate on Butzler's medium Virion and Butzler's medium Oxoid, but the competing faecal flora was best suppressed by the new medium which allows easier reading of plates and better recognition of campylobacter colonies.

Susceptibility pattern of Campylobacter jejuni from human and animal origins to different antimicrobial agents.

The in vitro antimicrobial activities of different antimicrobial agents on Campylobacter jejuni from human and animal origins were compared by using a Dynatech MIC 2000 system. In general, the minimal inhibitory concentration distributions for the human strains were very comparable with those of the animal strains. The animal strains had a bimodal distribution for ampicillin, clindamycin, and tetracycline.