Coccygeal movement test: an objective, non-invasive test for localization of the pelvic floor muscles in healthy women

To evaluate the use of palpation of the coccyx [the coccygeal movement test, CMT] as a possible objective screening tool for the assessment of adequate localization of the pelvic floor muscles [PFMs]. Twenty-four healthy female volunteers, known to be able to locate their PFMs, were given instructions [allocated at random] to perform a 'correct contraction', 'straining' or 'nothing' when examined by six independent assessors using the CMT. The assessors were blinded to the instructions and to the test results recorded by other assessors. Data were available for 137 observations, and these were dichotomized into either 'able to contract' ['correct contraction'] or 'not able to contract' ['straining' or 'nothing']. This information was used to calculate the sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values for the CMT. The CMT correctly identified 56/58 observations when women did not perform the contraction of the PFMs compared to 61/79 observations when they did. Hence, the sensitivity and specificity were 97 and 77%, respectively. This study showed that the CMT was a useful test to identify women who were able to localize their PFMs compared to those who were not, making it a potentially useful initial screening test in structured training programmes for the PFMs

Microscopic study on the effect of total cannabis extract on the developing liver of chick embryo

Total Cannabis extract was injected through the shell of fertilized chick eggs as a single dose of 1mg/egg on day 4 or day 9 of incubation. Ten days later the embryos were extracted and the liver specimens were collected and processed for light and electron microscopic examination. The results revealed that the mortality rate was higher among the younger age group [14th day after incubation] as compared with the elder one [19th day after incubation]. Disturbances in the hepatic architecture, presence of massive necrotic areas and degenerative changes associated with inflammatory infiltrative cells were the resultant effects encountered with cannabis injection on the 4th day of incubation. The liver of embryos from eggs injected by cannabis on the 9th day of incubation showed vast changes in the form of delayed development, lymphocyte infiltration, granulomatous formation and subcapsular as well as interstitial haemorrhage. The electron microscopic examination of the liver of the chick embryo injected with cannabis on the 9th day of incubation revealed histological changes in the form of hypertrophy of the microvilli of the hepatocytes, loss of combination between the fat globules and lysosomes within the hepatocytes, apparent increase in the endothelial gaps of the blood sinusoids and hypertrophy of von-Kupffer cells. Possible mechanisms of cannabis induced histopatholoogical changes in the developing liver of the chick embryo are discussed

Characteristics of spermidine oxidase from sera of schizophrenic and normal subjects

Spermidine [spd] oxidase was initially purified from sera of schizophrenic and normal subjects by anion exchange chromatography. This purified the spd oxidase 105 and 128 folds, relative to the crude sera of schizophrenics and normals respectively. The specific activities of purified Spd oxidase were 231.3 and 135.2 nkat/mg protein, for schizophrenic and normal respectively. Spermidine oxidase activity was found to be linearly proportional to the amount of protein up to 900 micro g and with time of reaction up to about 50 sec. The enzyme showed a maximum activity at PH 4.5 for both schizophrenic and normal subjects. Spermidine oxidase was found to be highly activated by Ca++, ospexin and to a lesser extent, by Al+++ and folic acid. While the activity of this enzyme was found to be inhibited highly by pyrazole, antipyrine, iodoacetamide, glutathione and Inderal

Effect of zinc and copper on metabolic activities of some fungi

Carbohydrate, nitrogen, phosphoorus and nucleic acids metabolism as affected by various zinc and copper concentrations in Aspergillus terreus, cladosporium herbarum and Fusarium oxysorum were studied. sugar consumption increased in the test fungi as the concentration of the two' metals was increased, except at the sublethal metal concentrations for each fungal species where the consumption was inhibited. The administration of zinc and copper resulted, generally, in enhanced soluble nitrogen consumption by the three fungal species. The soluble sugar and polysaccharide contents of the fungal biomass was enhanced in presence of the various concentrations of Zn and Cu except for the sublethal concentration. The metal treatment was coupled with inhibition in peptide and protein synthesis. The RNA and DNA accumulation in the tested fungal species was accelerated on zinc treatment and inhibited on cooper treatment. While zinc treatment resulted in increased accumulation of phosphorus mainly due to increased accumulation of insoluble phosphorus, copper treatment resulted in decreased accumulation of total phosphorus and insoluble phosphorus of the tested fungal species

Effect of soil amendment with eucalyptus rostrata leaves on activity of hydrolytic enzymes, total phenol content and onion-white-rot disease incidence

The application of Eucalyptus leaf amendments to soil was not only efficient in controlling the white rot disease of onion caused by Sclerotium cepivorum, but also in production of significantly higher crop yield after 5 months growth. The pectolytic activities of healthy untreated bulbs transplanted in unamended or amended soils fluctuated between 46-51 and 43-58 percentage reduction in viscosity of pectin respectively. A tremendous increase in enzyme activities ranging from 88 - 100 was evident when bulbs became infected. The cellulolytic activities in both healthy and diseased tissues were lower than the pectolytic activities. Eucalyptus amendment was promotive to cellulases in healthy onion bulbs, but the infected ones showed a clear depression. In contrary of the high phenolics in infected tissues, the relatively low level of such compounds in bulbs of healthy uninfected onion plants most probably indicates that the soil itself was the area of struggle and inhibition of the pathogen. On the other hand, the healthy bulbs previously planted in Eucalyp hus amended soil showed higher phenolic content than their corresponding untreated ones

Effect of aspergillus terreus and bacillus pumilus culture filtrates on sclerotium cepivorum in vitro

Antagonism between many fungal and bacterial soil microorganisms, isolated and selected from the rhizospheres and the surrounding soils of onion plants, and Sclerotium cepivorum Berkwas studied of these tested organisms, Aspergillus terreus Thom and Bacillus pumilus were found to be the most antagonistic ones. The linear growth and the sclerotial yields of Scepivorum were inversely proportional with the increasing concentration of the culture filtrates of either Bpumilus or AterreusThe filtrate of the bacterium was more efficient than that of the fungusThe concentrations of either filtrate [10, 25, 50%] reflected the toxic effects on sclerotial germination which became more pronounced with prolongation of the soaking periodThe higher concentrations [50, 100%] gradually reduced the sclerotial size with progress in soaking time up to 72 hrThe bacterium filtrate was more effective and toxic than the fungus filtrate. Application of suspensions of the antagonistic microorganisms, ATerreus and Bpumilus, to onion bulbs significantly reduced the disease incidence caused by Scepivorum

Biocontrol of onion white rot caused by sclerotium cepivorum bark, in presence of eucalyptus rostrata leaf amendments

The application of either Aspergillus terreus or Bacillus pumilus to soil infested with sclerotia of Sclerotium cepivorum caused a decrease in percentage of infected plants matching with that resulting from Eucalyptus leaf amending soilHowever, application of BPumilus to onion bulbs led to more inhibitory effect than ATerreus in decreasing the percentage infectionCombination of either Aterreus or Bpumilus to Eucalyptus leaves caused a better control of pathogenicity of Scepivorum to onion plantsMixed culture of both antagonists resulted in lower yields of onion plants than when applied separately to infested soils

Ultrastructural and histochemical changes in the liver and kidney of Albino rat following pirprofen administration

In the present investigation, fifteen albino rats were used to study the effect of pirprofen administration on the histology, histochemistry and ultrastructure of the liver and kidney. Five animals were used as controls and the remaining ones were injected with pirprofen for seven days. The results obtained showed focal areas of degeneration in the peripheral parts of the hepatic lobules, while middle and central zones were nearly unaffected. The affected areas showed generalized reduction in the glycogen content, with moderate increase in alkaline phosphatase activity. The ultrastructural changes in the injured hepatocytes denote cytoplasmic affection, abnormal giant forms of mitochondria, patchy increase in the thickness of the cell membranes, occasional dilatation of bile canaliculi, degranulation of RER and slight dilatation of SER. In the kidney, most of the glomeruli and tubules were quite normal apart from few of them which showed obliteration of Bowan's space, focal thickening of the basal lamina of glomerular capillaries or complete destruction. Few tubules lost the brush borders, while the majority exhibited an intense diffuse alkaline phosphatase activity with the appearance of dense bodies. Severely effected tubules showed complete loss of architecture. It can be concluded that the hepatorenal damage may be attributed to the increased concentration of pirprofen at the periphery of the hepatic lobule. In the kidney the focal lesions are due to the fact that not all nephrons are functioning at the same time. However the possibility of mixed immuno-allergic form of hepatitis or metabolic idiosyncrasy that interferes with the metabolism of arachidonic acid which affects renal hemodynamics cannot be excluded. An attempt was made to explain the structural and functional relationship between the obtained results and the previous data mentioned by previous authors

Effect of some phenolic compounds on spore germination and germ-tube length of Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium oxysporum fsp iycopersici

The effects of twelve different phenolic compounds on the percentage germination and germ-tube lengths of spores of Aspergillus fumigatus Fresenius and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici [Sacc.] Synder and Hansen were studied. The results indicate that the compounds vary in their inhibitory action on the spores of these two fungi depending on dosage, the organism under test and the chemical structure of the compound. Gallic acid, resorcinol, m-digallic acid and hydoquinone insignificantly affected the percentage spore germination of both fungi, even at high concentrations. The remaining compounds, on the other hand, revealed different inhibitory compound to the most in the order pyrogallol, 2, 4-dinitrophenol, phenol, salicylic acid, p- cresol, m-cresol, o-cresol and o-nitrophenol. The effects of the two fungi were generally similar to those of spore germination