A case of disseminated tuberculosis during a twin pregnancy following in vitro fertilization.

A woman presented with cough, fever, and dyspnea during a twin pregnancy following a 13th in vitro fertilization procedure. Ultimately, she was diagnosed with miliary tuberculosis and tuberculostatic treatment was initiated, complicated by drug-induced hepatotoxicity. In retrospect, previous pelvic tuberculosis had likely been overlooked. This case report highlights the need to recognize tuberculosis as a cause of infertility even in low-incidence countries and emphasizes that the peripartum period is a major risk factor for drug-induced liver injury.

Determinants of disease in the simian immunodeficiency virus-infected rhesus macaque: characterizing animals with low antibody responses and rapid progression.

Clinical and laboratory markers of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection were studied during the first 3 months after intravenous inoculation of rhesus macaques. Virus-binding serum antibody titres were correlated strongly with disease progression (P < 0.005) and were predictive of disease outcome by 7 weeks after inoculation. Low virus-binding serum antibody responses to SIV occurred in animals that also showed acute depletion of circulating CD20+ B cells. Acute damage to the CD4+ T cell and CD20+ B cell populations rendered some animals incapable of mounting virus-specific antibody responses and these macaques became the rapidly progressing cases comprising approximately 20-30% of infected animal cohorts.

A descriptive notation system for contingency diagramming in behavior analysis.

We describe a notation system for diagramming behavioral contingencies. The system is descriptive. Stimulus functions are not represented with special symbols, such as S(R), S(D), or UCS, but are simply described in terms of the relation between behavior and stimulus change, and the resulting outcome. The system is atheoretical, self-explanatory, and easy to use. Our goal is to provide an approach to contingency diagramming for the student that represents directly the exact relations and outcomes involved in operant and respondent processes.

[The contamination of human milk with chlororganic pesticides (author's transl)]. / Zur Kontamination der Frauenmilch mit chlororganischen Verbindungen.

A survey on the situation concerning the residues on pesticides in human milk in West Germany is given, based on own investigations. Nearly the whole pattern of chlororganic pesticides - DDT with its metabolites DDE and DDD, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), the different isomeres (alpha-, beta-, gamma-) of benzenehexachloride (BHC) as well as dieldrin and heptachloroepoxid - together with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) coming from the environment - were found in all samples of human milk, though in different concentrations. PCB, HCB and beta-BHC had been discovered in human milk only about ten years ago. The residues have decreased in the past years. The concentrations are still so high that the amounts consumed by the suckling exceed the ADI values for the contaminants in question. But in the opinion of the experts the advantages connected with the alimentation with human milk weigh more than the eventual risk by the contamination.

[Capillary gas chromatographic separation of residues of chlorohydrocarbons in foods and identification of Mirex in human fat tissue]. / Kapillar-gaschromatographische Trennung von Rückständen an Chlorkohlenwasserstoffen in Lebensmitteln und Identifizierung von Mirex in menschlichem Fettgewebe.

The residue analysis of organochloroinsecticides could be substantially improved by using glass capillary columns. The special advantages of the capillary gas chromatography (separation of complex mixtures, simultaneous determination of by-components, improved reliability at the identification, increased sensitivity) can be used with right handling to directly separate the whole mixture of chlorohydrocarbons that are to be met in foods (insecticides, HCB and PCB). The identification is possible even of microgram amounts per kg substance by a direct coupling of GC and MS working without carrier gas separator. In this way the occurrence of Mirex in samples of human fat tissues could be demonstrated.

[Influence of water activity on the enzymatic changes in freeze-dehydrated muscle. IV. Change in the activity of glycolytic enzymes during storage (author's transl)]. / Einfluss der Wasseraktivität auf enzymatische Veränderungen in gefriergetrocknetem Muskelfleisch. IV. Anderung der Aktivität glykolytischer Enzyme während der Lagerung.

The influence of water activity (25-65% r.h.) on the changes in activity of glycolytic enzymes during storage (up to 120 days) of freeze-dehydrated bovine muscle was investigated. For this purpose, at different times of storage the decrease of glycogen and the increase in lactate in the rehydrated samples were determined. At 25% r.h. no loss in activity was observed. However, during storage at 40% r.h. and higher the glycolytic activity decreased; this effect increased with rising water activity. The denaturation of the enzyme proteins might be due to Maillard reactions, particularly to the reaction of proteins with the highly reactive glycolytic metabolites glyceraldehyde phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate.

[Influence of water activity on the enzymatic changes in freeze-dehydrated muscle III. The breakdown of muscle lipids (author's transl)]. / Einfluss der Wasseraktivität auf enzymatische Veränderungen in gefriergetrocknetem Muskelfleisch. III. Abbau von Muskellipiden.

During storage of freeze-dehydrated bovine muscle triglycerides and cholesterolesters are slowly hydrolyzed even at 25% relative humidity (r.h.). The extent of lipid hydrolysis in the tissue increases with rising water activity, the final degree of hydrolysis being dependent on water activity. It has been demonstrated that these changes are due to the effect of muscle enzymes. Phospholipids are not hydrolyzed even at 65% r.h. This might be due to an association of the phospholipids with membranes or to a lack of phospholipase activity in the freeze-dehydrated tissue. The fact that lipids in muscle tissue are hydrolyzed at water activities at which water soluble substrates are not split by hydrolyses agrees well with general ideas about the influence of water activity on the enzymatic breakdown of lipids. Freeze-dehydrated beef should not contain more than 3% moisture in order to prevent undesirable flavour changes caused by lipid changes during storage.

[Influence of water activity on the enzymatic changes in freeze-dehydrated muscle. II. Reactions of carbohydrates (author's transl)]. / Einfluss der Wasserktivität auf enzymatische Veränderungen in gefriergetrocknetem Muskeltleisch II. Reaktionen der Kohlenhydrate

During storage of prerigor freeze-dried beef, glycogen is not broken down even at 97.5% r.h. (moisture content of the meat about 30%). However, the metabolites of glycogen -- glucose, fructose, and their phosphoric acid esters -- are changed during storage at r.h. greater than 25%, mainly by the effect of glycolytic enzymes. Also nonenzymic reactions of the Maillard type seem to occur. An accelerated breakdown of these carbohydrates with increasing water activity was found. Even though the sugar monophosphates are broken down, no increase in C3 metabolites was found. The reason for this could be that the energy-rich compounds glyceraldehyde phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate form complexes with some proteins. It is suggested that also pyruvate reacts with free amino groups of proteins. The breakdown of carbohydrates increases in uncooked freeze-dried samples above 60% r.h. whereas nonenzymatic reactions of the Maillard type reach a maximum rate at nonenzymatic reactions of the Maillard type reach a maximum rate at 60% r.h. This also shows that the disappearance of carbohydrates during storage of freeze-dried prerigor beef is mainly due to enzymatic processes.

[Contamination of milk and milk products with chlorinated hydrocarbons in the Westphalian area. II. Results and discussion]. / Zur Kontamination von Milch und Milcherzeugnissen mit chlorierten Kohlenwasserstoffen im westfälischen Raum. II. Ergebnisse und Diskussion

During the time of August 1972 til end of January 1974 samples of butter from 20 dairies from the westfalian area were investigated with regard to their content of chlorinated hydrocarbons. In all samples of milk and butter could be proved: HCB, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-BHC, Heptachlorepoxid (HE), DDT, DDE, DDD, Dieldrin and PCB's, not however, Aldrin, Heptachlor and o,p'-DDT. With HCB, alpha- and gamma-BHC a dependance on the season was observed with maximum values during the winter months. With DDT, DDE and HE the variations were less. With PCB's dependencies on the season or influences of the location were not be recognised. The structure of farming seems to have a significant influence on the contents of HCB. In the course of butter processing the content on chlorinated hydrocarbons related to milk fat is not changed, metabolization does not play a role, either. With the start of lactation the concentration of chlorinated hydrocarbons especially of PCB's are increased as could be shown with single samples.

[Phospholipase D - a review (author's transl)]. / Phospholipase D-Vorkommen und Eigenschaften

Phospholipase D (phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.4) hydrolyses lecithin into phosphatidic acid and choline. A review is given on the properties of phospholipase D described in the literature; it deals with the occurrence and distribution of phospholipase D in higher plants, with it's pH and temperature, substrate specifity, activators, inhibitors and with occurrence and properties of bacterial phospholipase D.

[On the contamination of milk and milk products with chlorinated hydrocarbons. I. Methods]. / Zur Kontamination von Milch und Milcherzeugnissen mit chlorierten Kohlenwasserstoffen im westfälischen Raum I. methodik

A method of gaschromatographic determination of chlorinated insecticides in milk and butter in the presence of PCB's is described. The fatty components were extracted from milk after adding sodium oxalate and ethanol with diethyl ether and petrol ether. The clean up of the extracts was carried out according to a modification of the method of Hadorn and Zürcher with propylene carbonate as a selective solvent.

[Phospholipase D of cereals (author's transl)]. / Phospholipase D des Getreides

Phospholipase D containing water insoluble fraction was isolated from mature barley; the enzym preparation only had weak phospholipase B activity. The phospholipase D of barley was activated by Ca2+, diethyl ether and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS); EDTA inhibited the enzyme to an extent of 10% of the original activity. Diethyl ether and SDS showed and additive effect. Phospholipase D activated by CaC12, diethyl ether and SDS exhibited a sharp optimum at pH 6.6. Lysophosphatidylcholine was hydrolysed much slower than phosphatidylcholine. Diethyl ether and SDS also increased the breakdown of the lysophosphatidylcholine.