[Microorganisms in home-care inhalation devices].

Contamination of inhalation equipment used at home, cleaning procedures, and the occurrence of potentially pathogenic micro-organisms in mouthwash water was studied in 55 patients. Fungi in the oropharyngeal space were found in 58%, Staphylococcus aureus in 29%, Enterobacteriaceae in 47% and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 11%. Contamination with potentially pathogenic micro-organisms occurred in 64% of inhalation equipment and inhalation solutions.

Is there a general relationship between estimated chromosome distances in interphase and location of genes with related functions?

The problem of a possible clustering of human chromosomes containing genes with related functions was examined in the interphase nucleus of lymphocytes by a statistical comparison of distances between chromosomes containing such functionally related genes with all sets of chromosome distances. The gene locus assignments were taken from a recent review (McKusick 1982); the chromosomal distances were those estimated by Hager et al. (1982) from the frequencies of reunion figures between specific chromosomes as observed in chromosome instability syndromes (Fanconi anemia, Bloom syndrome) and after treatment with Trenimon.

Genetic control of platelet glutaminase: a twin study.

The extent of genetic determination of platelet glutaminase was evaluated by sampling 13 monozygotic and 11 dizygotic adult male twin pairs. Intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.96 for monozygotic and 0.

DNA of the Streptomyces phage SH10: binding sites for Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and denaturation map.

Escherichia coli RNA polymerase bound to Streptomyces phage SH10 DNA was visualized by electron microscopy. Six specific binding sites were observed at map units 53, 85, 93, 97, 98, and 99 on the physical map of the 48 kb long genome. Electron microscopy of partially denatured SH10 DNA revealed a characteristic melting pattern of A + T-rich regions around map units 1, 3, 48, 52, and 99.

Utmost cytoplasmic location of catalytic center in Na,K-motive ATPase disfavors Mitchell's phosphate-cation symport mechanism of Na/K transport across plasma membrane.

A combined electron microscopic and graded tryptic dissection analysis of the catalytic protein of pure Na,K-motive ATPase reveals that the aspartyl phosphate residue-carrying catalytic center is located at the utmost radius of the hydrophilic cytoplasmic domain. This makes the cation-phosphate symport mechanism of Na/K transport across plasma membrane as proposed by Mitchell topologically unrealistic, and indirectly favors the mechanism of conformational coupling between the catalytic and ionophoric function of the transport system.

Evolutionary relationships between papovaviruses and their hosts.

The papovaviridae family consists of two genera, the papillomaviruses (PV) and the polyomaviruses (Py-V). Both genera are distinguished by morphological (larger sizes of the PV) and several biological characteristics. The genomes of either of the two genera share highly conserved DNA regions and a common antigenic determinant, located in their major capsid polypeptides.

A linkage study of acrokeratoelastoidosis. Possible mapping to chromosome 2.

As evidenced by a large pedigree with 21 affected members, acrokeratoelastoidosis (AKE) is an autosomal dominant skin disease (10185; McKusick 1978). Linkage with genetic markers already assigned to human chromosomes could help to map the gene for this disease. Therefore 22 markers were investigated in 61 members of the AKE family.

Effect of midazolam on sleep of insomniacs.

We studied in a sleep laboratory the effects of bedtime 15 mg midazolam and 20 mg midazolam on the sleep and morning performance of healthy subjects with polygraphically verified sleep onset insomnia. Six subjects received 15 mg midazolam and six subjects received 20 mg midazolam for 14 consecutive nights which were preceded by a three-night placebo baseline and followed by a three-night placebo period. The medications were administered in a double-blind manner.

Human endothelial cell proliferation inhibiting activity in the sera of patients suffering from 'shock' or 'sepsis'.

The response of DNA-synthesis of human endothelial cells to sera derived from twenty-five patients suffering from 'sepsis' or 'shock' was measured by autoradiographic methods. In eight cases a constant decrease in proliferative response was found compared to that of sera from healthy donors. These proliferation values were shown to lie below the '60%-of-control-line'.

Cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide-induced modulation of murine immune responses.

Cryptococcus neoformans, an opportunistic fungal pathogen, often causes serious and life-threatening infections in immunocompromised hosts as well as in normal individuals. In the present study, purified cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide antigen was examined for its effect on several parameters of immune response and its ability to induce immune response to itself. Injection of the antigen into mice resulted in a dose-related specific antibody response which was detected at the individual antibody plaque-forming-cell level by a hemolytic assay in gel.

A comparison of the phage T4 gene 32 protein and Escherichia coli RNA polymerase binding sites on hamster papovavirus DNA.

Phage T4 gene 32 protein and Escherichia coli RNA polymerase were bound to hamster papovavirus DNA. The binding regions were identified by electron microscopy employing a protein-free spreading technique. After gene 32 protein treatment four denaturation regions could be mapped, at 0.

Position of chromosomes in the human interphase nucleus. An analysis of nonhomologous chromatid translocations in lymphocyte cultures after Trenimon treatment and from patients with Fanconi's anemia and Bloom's syndrome.

The problem of localization of chromosomes in relation to each other in the interphase nucleus of human lymphocytes was investigated by analysis of chromatid and chromosome aberrations observed in lymphocyte cultures of three patients with Fanconi's anemia, one patient with Bloom's syndrome, and in Trenimon-treated (Trenimon, Bayer) normal cells. Distribution of open gaps and breaks is highly correlated with chromosome length and distribution of breaks involved in chromatid translocations in Fanconi's anemia and in Trenimon-treated cells. Both correlations are much lower in Bloom's syndrome.

Relationship between behavioral maturation measured by the "Baum" test and EEG frequency. A pilot study on monozygotic and dizygotic twins.

In a pilot study, the possible influence of the inherited electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern on aspects of psychologic maturation was investigated. The twin sample consisted of 208 pairs, 110 monozygotic (MZ) and 98 dizygotic (DZ), mostly children and adolescents. The study showed a greater similarity between MZ compared with DZ twins in an immaturity score constructed from the Baum test (Koch 1976) and in a teacher's maturity scoring of essays.

[Genetically determined variability in mental and emotional development (author's transl)].

Human beings develop in biologically determined phases: During certain periods of life, sensitivity for learning specific tasks is increased. For successful completion of the learning process, however, adequate offers from the environment are necessary. Within the limits of this general rule, considerable genetically determined, interindividual differences are observed.

[Characterization of genetic EEG-variations with the amplitude-interval-analysis. III. Assignment of new obtained EEGs to well-known types of bioelectric activities on the basis of data of amplitude-interval-analysis (author's transl)].

Quantitative description of some EEG-variants by amplitude-interval (time-domain) analysis revealed significant differences of parameter means but failed to give one single, sufficiently reliable criterion for classification. Therefore, we tried to solve the problem of classification through quantitative criteria by discriminant analysis. For each EEG, 128 different measurements were taken, but only 104 were included in the analysis; the rest failed to contribute any measurable information.

[Prophylaxis and treatment of respiratory tract infection in ventilated patients by endotracheal administration of aminoglycosides (author's transl)].

The effects of intratracheal administration of gentamicin on frequency of bacterial contamination of the trachea and respiratory tract infection were assessed in a controlled and prospective study in 20 patients on a respirator. Gentamicin was instilled undiluted 6-hourly in a dosage of 40 mg into the trachea. Compared with a control group (n = 20), patients with intratracheal gentamicin instillation showed earlier reduction of tracheal bacterial contamination and during further ventilation a diminished rate of colonisation of the trachea.