Dengue fever. Reappearance in northern Queensland after 26 years.

During March, 1981, a number of cases of dengue fever occurred in Cairns and Townsville, northern Queensland. From October, 1981, an outbreak of the infection was recognized on Thursday Island and, by May 1982, an estimated 38% of residents had been infected. Isolated cases were reported from other towns in northern Queensland and from other islands in the Torres Strait.

Acute renal failure secondary to vascular occlusion by a retroperitoneal plasmacytoma.

A case of acute renal failure secondary to bilateral renal vein occlusion by a retroperitoneal plasmacytoma is described. The use of low-risk radiographic techniques including radionuclide venography and a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan made a rapid and accurate diagnosis possible. Fatal hemorrhage occurred following tumor erosion and perforation of the vena cava.

[Work environment and health status of agricultural aviation personnel].

The morbidity rate and present health status of flying agricultural aviation personnel under health care of the Main Military Medical Committee for aviation workers were analysed and compared with another group of helicopter pilots. A detailed clinical examination of 77 "Agro" pilots indicated more trauma cases than idiopathic diseases cases, some of those trauma cases were due to professional work. Analysis of the present health status indicated the predominance of pilots with just one health disturbance, pilots with no health disturbances taking the second position in the comparison.

Effect of alterations in extracellular fluid volume on urinary kallikrein in the conscious rat.

The effect of alterations in extracellular fluid volume (ECV) and solute concentration on excretion of urinary kallikrein was examined in conscious Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were given infusions of either dextrose and water, saline, or albumin according to a variety of protocols. These were designed to evaluate possible relationships between excretion of kallikrein, volume, sodium, and potassium.

[Multi-shift work and work under conditions of jet lag. Questionnaire studies].

The authors discuss the disturbances in the biorhythm - sleep - waking in the workers who are on duty at the posts of command and in communication ouration pilots surpassing the time zones. The questionnaire method was used. The resultant desynchronization of the biological rhythm is exhibited mainly through the subjective feeling of fatigue and sleepiness.

Pesticides: insecticides and fungicides are chitin synthesis inhibitors.

Several important groups of fungicides and insecticides are specific inhibitors of chitin synthesis in a Phycomyces enzyme system and in insect organ cultures. The recently discovered benzoylphenylurea insecticides, which prevent chitin synthesis in insect tissues, are apparently not direct-acting chitin synthetase inhibitors. These insecticides may prevent insect chitin synthesis by interfering with the proteolytic activation of the chitin synthetase zymogen.

Cryosurgery and the CO2 laser.

Over the past decade, the management of intraepithelial lesions of the visible portion of the female genital tract has substantially changed with the introduction of cryosurgery and the carbon dioxide laser. Although cryosurgery and the carbon dioxide laser are very effective in eradicating preinvasive disease, the selection of patients by colposcopy and appropriate biopsies is more important than the treatment techniques. Failure to properly evaluate women with genital tract neoplasia can result in disastrous consequences for the patient.

Invasive cancer following outpatient evaluation and therapy for cervical disease.

Factors relating to the inappropriate therapy of 66 cases of cervical cancer are reviewed. The patients are divided into 2 major categories: 1) 33 who underwent cryosurgery or hot cautery without colposcopy; 2) 9 who underwent colposcopy without outpatient therapy; and 3) 24 who underwent colposcopy followed by outpatient therapy. Of the patients who had outpatient therapy without colposcopy, the major indication for treatment was "cervicitis," and all had a normal Papanicolaou smear.

Potential vectors of malaria and dengue at Townsville, Queensland.

A biting collection on the banks of Ross River included Anopheles farauti, Adedes imprimens and Ae. alboscutellatus, indicating a relict population of rain-forest mosquitoes and confirming two earlier records of An. farauti from Townsville.

Response of chronic renovascular hypertension to surgical correction or prolonged blockade of the renin-angiotensin system by two inhibitors in the rat.

1. Removal of the renal artery constriction but not of the clipped kidney restored the blood pressure to normal levels in Goldblatt two-kidney rats with hypertension of more than 4 months' duration. 2.

Vasodepressor property of the converting enzyme inhibitor captopril (SQ 14 225): the role of factors other than renin-angiotensin blockade in the rat.

1. The peptide converting enzyme inhibitor captopril was given (1.25 mg/kg intravenously) to normal and nephrectomized rats and rats with renovascular and deoxycorticosterone hypertension.