Five types of African-American marriages.

This study developed a marital typology based on a nonrandom, national sample of 415 African-American couples who took the Enriching Relationship Issues, Communication and Happiness (ENRICH) marital assessment inventory. Five types of African-American marriages were identified through cluster analysis using the positive couple agreement (PCA) scores in 10 relationship domains. Relationships between marital satisfaction, marital stability, and the five marital types were then analyzed. The five types (from highest marital satisfaction to lowest) were labeled as vitalized, harmonious, traditional, conflicted, and devitalized. The results were similar to findings in studies of ethnically mixed (predominantly European-American) marital samples including the number and characteristics of marital types.

The treatment of rigid metatarsus adductovarus with the use of a new hinged adjustable shoe orthosis.

A retrospective review of the early results of treatment of metatarsus adductovarus with a new hinged adjustable shoe orthosis, the Bebax shoe, is presented. The results in 120 cases (210 feet) are included in the study. Criteria for severity of the initial deformity were developed, and all cases of true clubfoot and those cases with prior treatment were excluded. The average age at institution of treatment was 4.5 months, and treatment time averaged 2.7 months (range 1-7 months). Overall, 96% of the cases were completely resolved with the use of the orthotic alone, 3% required additional casting, and 1% required a bar and shoes for complete correction of the deformity. No treatment complications were encountered except some minor problems with hinge loosening, particularly in the child of walking age. We believe that the Bebax shoe is a lightweight, convenient, safe, and both cost- and treatment-effective device in the management of metatarsus adductovarus.

Evaluation of "in feed" vaccination of piglets and sows against enteropathogenic "E. coli" using environmental production parameters.

Current approaches to the immunological control of enteric E. coli infections in pig herds concentrate on the provision of passive immunity for the neonate by multiple parenteral vaccination of the sow to stimulate colostral antibody production. Little account is taken of the kinetics of the animals' natural immune response. In particular the potential of the gut as a target organ for immunization has largely been ignored in practical disease control. A new approach to the problem, which combines oral with parenteral vaccination, stimulates a colostral antibody response closely mimicking a sow's natural response to infections and comparison between this and classical parenteral vaccination, using an acute E. coli infection model, demonstrated the greater protective efficacy conferred by the new protocol. The widespread use of this method of vaccination has been continuously monitored, using production parameters most relevant to the farming industry. From this evaluation of user experience and results of trials conducted in various locations, a new perspective is emerging which indicates the vaccine has a wider spectrum of biological activity than was expected. Production, health and environmental benefits are arising which could not have been predicted from a model merely concerned with the control of alimentary E. coli infection.

Intestinal immune response to E. coli antigens in the germ-free chicken.

The secretory intestinal immune response to live and heat-inactivated E. coli 02 has been studied in young germ-free chicks. A response to live organisms was evident from an infiltration of the intestinal mucosa with IgA and IgM immunoglobulin-producing cells (IPC). Antibody associated with both immunoglobulin classes which was specific for E. coli 02 was demonstrated in saline extracts of contents from the small intestine. Repeated oral immunization with heat-killed E. coli 02 failed to stimulate serum or intestinal antibody. This finding reflected the complete absence of IPC within the intestinal mucosa of these birds. The IPC profile of unimmunized germ-free chicks was identical to that seen in chicks orally immunized with inactivated E. coli. An interesting feature of all gnotobiotic birds was a considerable elevation of serum IgM levels, compared to those of conventional birds, which was unassociated with immunization procedures. Serum IgG and IgA levels in gnotobiotes were much lower than those in the serum of conventional birds of comparable age. Studies on the fate of orally administered antigen using radiolabelled E. coli endotoxin indicated that a proportion remained intact as far down the intestinal tract as the caecum. However, unaccountably high levels of low mol. wt antigen in the faeces suggested degradation, intestinal absorption and subsequent excretion of endotoxin fragments in the urine. The differences between the avian response and that observed in mammals are discussed in relation to the comparative roles of Peyer's patches and the bursa of Fabricius in initiating intestinal immununity.

The relative frequencies and distribution of immunoglobulin-bearing cells in the intestinal mucosa of neonatal and weaned pigs and their significance in the development of secretory immunity.

A comparative immunohistochemical study has been made of cells containing immunoglobulins IgM; IgA and IgG in the intestines of pigs varying in age from 2 days to 12 weeks. Cells with cytoplasmic IgM appeared in the lamina propria earlier than those containing either IgA or IgG. The duodenum appeared to be the preferred site of infiltration, the numbers of cells occurring in duodenal mucosa were consistently higher than at other levels of intestine irrespective of immunoglobulin class. Igm cells formed the majority of immunoglobulin contained cells in the lamina propria of the small bowel in suckling pigs upto 4 weeks of age. But in the weaned animal the proportion of IgM cells gradually declined with maturity until by the time the pigs were 12 weeks old nearly 90 per cent of the cells contained IgA.

Significance of immune mechanisms in relation to enteric infections of the gastrointestinal tract in animals.

The impact of bacterial colonization on the alimentary tract in early life is reflected in gross changes in morphology. Subsequent health, if not survival, may largely be determined by a continuum of local intestinal immune mechanisms and it is essential for antibody development during the neonatal period to compensate adequately for declining passive maternal antibody. Consequent upon the development of the gut microflora the lamina becomes infiltrated with immunocytes in which the dominant immunoglobulins produced are IgM and IgA. Both immunoglobulins are transported across the epithelium by a process involving membrane-bound vesicles. Germ-free and fistulated pigs and calves are shown to be able to respond to oral immunization with Escherichia coli O somatic antigens during the first week of life. Resistance to infection with enteropathogenic E. coli was significantly enhanced, along with other parameters of nutrition and performance. However, in the young chick, although the intestinal response to infection with E. coli was similar to that in the mammal, no response to E. coli O antigens could be determined on oral administration in germ-free or local intestinal applications in fistulated birds. In the mammalian intestine secretory antibodies participate in the control of pathogenic E. coli by blocking adhesion to the mucosal epithelium, interfering with the elaboration of surface antigens, inhibiting toxins, and facilitating rapid elimination from the alimentary tract by agglutination and bacteriostasis. In consequence fewer enteropathogens are excreted into the environment, an important feature in modern intensive systems of animal production.

Evidence for the secretory transport mechanism of intestinal immunoglobulin. The ultrastructural distribution of IgM.

The intracellular localization of IgM in porcine intestinal tissue has been studied by immunoelectron microscopy and immunofluorescence. IgM was demonstrated in vesicles in the cytoplasm of crypt epithelial cells particularly in the supranuclear region. It was also shown in the ergastoplasmic cisternae of plasma cells in the intercryptal lamina propria. The findings are compared with those of a previous similar study on secretory IgA and their implications for possible mechanisms of selective transport are discussed.

Localization of immunoglobulins in intestinal mucosa and the production of secretory antibodies in response to intraluminal administration of bacterial antigens in the preruminant calf.

Immunofluorescent studies of intestinal tissues from young preruminant calves demonstrate the presence of two main populations of immunocytes synthesizing IgA and IgM. These cells had infiltrated the lamina propria of the intestine as early as 4 days of age. There was little evidence of any significant involvement of IgG1 in intestinal immune synthesis of calves at this age although activity was demonstrable in the ileum and colon of one calf. In general there were more IgG2-synthesizing cells than IgG1, but these were few compared with the main populations of IgA and IgM cells. Local antigenic stimulus to the intestinal mucosa of young fistulated calves using extracts of heat-killed Gram-negative bacteria produced antibody in the secretions over a period of approximately 3 weeks. A second administration of a similar antigenic dose produced a similar response indicating the requirement for continuous stimuli to maintain a measurable level of antibody secretion. Gel filtration and antiglobulin assays indicated that the antibacterial activity was predominantly associated with IgA and that IgM also played a significant role. Oral administration of bacterial antigens to colostrum-fed calves from 5 to 8 days of age produced a faecal antibody response, indicating that intestinal secretion could be successfully interrelated with the declining passive antibody to maintain an almost continuous level of intestinal antibody in early life.