Production and characterization of an anti-idiotypic antibody specific for a monoclonal antibody to glycoprotein D of herpes simplex virus.

A monoclonal antibody specific for glycoprotein D (gD) of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) was used to prepare an anti-idiotypic antibody in rabbits. After removal of antibody reactivity to constant region determinants by absorption with polyclonal mouse immunoglobulins and a monoclonal antibody of the same subclass as the anti-gD monoclonal, the anti-idiotypic (anti-id) antibody reacted specifically with anti-gD. Using an ELISA inhibition assay with immunoaffinity-purified gD, the anti-id D reagent inhibited the binding of anti-gD to gD, suggesting that anti-id D mimics an epitope of gD by binding the antigen-combining site of anti-gD. Immunization of mice with anti-id D could prime splenocytes in vivo to proliferate in response to HSV antigen stimulation in vitro. The possibility that anti-id D could act similarly to gD and stimulate an immune response to HSV when administered in vivo is discussed.

Categorization Methodology: an Approach to the Collection and Analysis of Certain Classes of Qualitative Information.

A new methodology has been developed for the study of certain classes of qualitative information. The methodology is composed of two major techniques: the F-sort task for data collection and latent partition analysis for data summarization. In this paper, similarities and differences of the methodology in relation to existing techniques are discussed. This includes a review of the historical antecedents and development of the methodology as well as a listing of recent applications of the methodology, which have been in several fields of psychology and education. Following that review, a detailed presentation is given of how the methodology was applied to studying teachers' views of facilitating student learning in the classroom. In the data analysis, some previously unpublished enhancements of latent partition analysis are introduced -- for basic categorization statistics, recovery of subgroup information, and linkage to multidimensional scaling. This complete and substantively intriguing example is intended to illustrate the power and utility of the methodology in exploring important research topics. Then, examinations are made of the main components of the F-sort technique and of latent partition analysis. The intent is to lay out detailed frameworks for designing and interpreting research that applies the categorization methodology. The methodology has not previously been given an integrated description. Finally, discussion concerns the uses of the methodology and the importance of standardized application of the procedures.

Use of phenytoin serum levels in a case of status epilepticus.

Serum anticonvulsant determinations made possible the identification of an unusual cause of status epilepticus and assisted with appropriate therapy in an epileptic patient with second-degree burns. The seizures were associated with a serum phenytoin concentration of 3.5 mug per milliliter. This suboptimal concentration of drug developed despite continuation of the patient's customary oral dose of phenytoin led to the conclusion that the unexpected decrement in serum anticonvulsant concentration was related to an experiment in absorption of that drug, possibly caused by the concurrent administration of oral oxacillin.

ESTIMATING CONTENT-ACQUIESCENCE CORRELATION BY COVARIANCE STRUCTURE ANALYSIS.

A topic of continuing interest in the measurement area is response acquiescence. A recent study has demonstrated the feasibiliy of studying acquiescence or, more importantly, content/acquiescence correlation in the MMPI. Utilizing the components of variance approach, this study found that the variance due to acquiescence in scores on the Pt and Hg scales was small relative to content variance, but that the correlation between acquiescence and content may be substantial for the Pt scale. The present paper describes a general statistical procedure for investigating content variance, variance due to non-content characteristics of items, and the covariances of content and various item characteristics. The data from a previous paper are reanalyzed, using alternative covariance structure models. Maximum likelihood procedures which allow for a statistical test for parameters of interest are used. The results point to the significance of the content- acquiescence correlation in the Pt scale, but not in the Hy scale. The previous findings are verified statistically, and procedures which hold promise for other investigation into the properties of behavioral tests are described.