Demyelinating encephalomyelopathy associated with lead poisoning in nonhuman primates

Lead poisoning was diagnosed in four primates by the finding of toxic amounts of lead in tissues. Abnormalities in the brain and spinal cord were characterized by vascular lesions and demyelination. These findings suggest a new animal model for the study of demyelination and strengthen the supposition that lead may be a factor in some idiopathic demyelinating diseases.     

Carbon monoxide measurements in the troposphere

During the second flight of the space shuttle, the measurement of air pollution from satellites (MAPS) experiment in the OSTA-1 payload acquired approximately 35 hours of radiometric measurements of the carbon monoxide mixing ratio in the middle troposphere, upper troposphere, and lower stratosphere. A gas filter radiometer operating in the 4.67-micrometer band was used to acquire the data over the region from 38 degrees N to 38 degrees S during both daytime and nighttime. The performance of the measurement system was excellent. The data reduced to date indicate the presence of significant gradients in the middle tropospheric carbon monoxide mixing ratio with both latitude and longitude over the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Middle East. On the basis of comparisons with directly measured values, the accuracy of the measurements is approximately 15 percent. Comparisons of data taken on successive orbits over the same geographic region indicate that the repeatability of the measurements is approximately 5 percent.     

Replicative and cytopathic potential of HTLV-III/LAV with sor gene deletions

The genome of the human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III/LAV) has the potential to encode at least three polypeptides in addition to those encoded by the gag, pol, and env genes. In this study, the product of the sor (short open reading frame) region, which overlaps the 3' end of the pol gene, was found to be a protein with a molecular weight of 23,000. An assay was developed for testing the ability of cloned HTLV-III proviruses to produce viruses cytopathic for T4+ lymphocytes. In the cell line used, C8166, neither the HTLV-III sor gene product nor the complete 3'-orf gene product were necessary for the replication or cytopathic effects of the HTLV-III.     

A RAPID STAINING METHOD FOR RICKETTSIA ORIENTALIS

A rapid method for staining R. orientalis is described. Smears of infected tissues are defatted and stained in a dilute aqueous solution of methylene blue and basic fuchsin. Smears thus stained show R. orientalis as blue organisms on a pinkish-purple background.