Progressive systemic sclerosis. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue"

These discussions are selected from the weekly staff conferences in the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. Taken from transcriptions, they are prepared by Drs. David W. Martin, Jr., Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Kenneth A. Woeber, Associate Professor of Medicine, under the direction of Dr. Lloyd H. Smith, Jr., Professor of Medicine and Chairman of the Department of Medicine. Requests for reprints should be sent to the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143.

Auditory perception

Auditory perceptual tasks involving the discrimination of fine differences in frequency, duration, or rhythmic pattern were given to a group of sixth form schoolboys. The results indicate that there is a wide range of auditory skills for different individuals, even within a relatively homogeneous group. There are also differences in a person's ability to carry out distinct tasks; there does not necessarily appear to be any correlation between his ability for each task.The findings support observations arising out of consideration of hearing problems in children and adults that pure tone threshold audiometry and its derivatives give an inadequate definition of hearing disorder and a limited understanding of the nature of hearing.

Longitudinal distribution of applied calcium, and of naturally occurring calcium, magnesium, and potassium, in Merton apple fruits

When 45Ca-labelled calcium chloride solution was applied to the skin of young developing Merton apple fruits, activity in the cortex at maturity was highest in the calyx end region where bitter pit lesions most commonly develop. Fruit age at time of application affected the amount of labelled calcium absorbed but not its longitudinal distribution. Following branch injection of labelled calcium chloride solution 8 weeks before harvest, activity in mature fruits was found mostly in the stem end. Leaves and buds accounted for 95% of the recovered activity, and the fruits for 5%, of which about one-quarter was in the calyx half. The same distribution pattern was found following injection of labelled calcium chloride solution into the fruit stem. The concentration of naturally occurring calcium in the cortex of the mature fruit declined steadily from stem end to calyx end. On the other hand, the magnesium concentration was lowest near the stem end and highest at the calyx end. The potassium concentration remained fairly constant along most of the length of the fruit, with a small increase at each end. The findings are discussed with regard to the longitudinal gradient in bitter pit susceptibility within apple fruits, and to the relative effectiveness of tree sprays of calcium, as compared with soil applications, in the control of the disorder. Results suggest that calcium does not have a trace element role in the control of bitter pit.

Alterations in thyroid iodine release and the peripheral metabolism of thyroxine during acute falciparum malaria in man

Previous studies of thyroid function during various infections have yielded conflicting results, but most have suggested an acceleration of peripheral thyroxine (T(4)) turnover during the acute infectious illness. In the present studies, thyroid function was examined by a method allowing simultaneous analysis of both endogenous thyroidal release and peripheral T(4) disposal in normal volunteers after induction of acute falciparum malaria. Subjects received iodide-(125)I, followed in 5-7 days by (131)I-T(4) intravenously. 4 days later, infection was induced by the injection of parasitized red blood cells. Bidaily measurements of serum protein-bound (125)I and protein-bound (131)I, and urinary (125)I and (131)I, together with frequent estimates of serum (127)I-T(4) (Murphy-Pattee) and free T(4) (FT(4)), were made during a control period, during acute illness, and during convalescence. Alterations in the peripheral metabolism of (131)I-T(4) during infection included significant decreases in the fractional disappearance rate for T(4) [(k)], and in the clearance and daily disposal of T(4), all of which returned to control values during convalescence. Total serum (127)I-T(4) increased late in the infected period to become greater during convalescence than either before or during infection, while FT(4) did not increase significantly until convalescence. An analysis of serum (131)I-T(4)/(127)I-T(4) and (131)I-T(4)/PB(125)I ratios confirmed these observations. The slope with time of ratios for urinary (125)I/(131)I, a reflection of thyroidal iodine release, was decreased during infection, but rebounded to control values during the convalescent period. The observed increments in serum (127)I-T(4) concentration in the convalescent phase may reflect in part the slowing of (k), but together with the rising ratios of urine (125)I/(131)I suggests enhanced thyroidal T(4) secretion immediately after the acute illness. Thus, with malarial infection, there appears to be an initial depression followed by a rebound in rates of thyroidal iodine release. In contradistinction to other infections, fractional turnover and daily disposal of hormone is decreased in malaria, perhaps due to hepatic dysfunction and the consequent impairment in cellular deiodinative processes.

Synthesis and induction of tyrosine aminotransferase in synchronized hepatoma cells in culture

The generation cycle of an established line of rat hepatoma cells (HTC cells) was studied using synchronized cell techniques. Dexamethasone phosphate (Dex), a synthetic adrenal corticosteriod which induces tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) in HTC cells randomly distributed in the cell generation cycle, did not affect the durations of the various phases of the cycle. The activities of TAT and several dehydrogenases, and the rates of general protein and RNA synthesis, were studied throughout the cycle.Dex, at 10(-5)M, when added to a synchronized cell population in the latter two thirds of G1 phase or anywhere in the S phase, induces TAT. During the period made up of G2, M, and early G1, Dex does not induce TAT. However, radioisotope incorporation into specifically immunoprecipitated TAT continues during mitosis, when general protein and RNA synthesis are decreased.

Changes in Rate of Leakage of Potassium from Excised Disks of Apple Fruits Held at 20'c After Harvest

As early as 1928, Blackman and Parija suggested that the climacteric rise in respiration which is associated with ripening in most fruits might be due to changes in cell permeability. This view has been supported by recent observations on some tropical and subtropical fruits, viz. the avocado (Sacher 1962; Ben-Yehoshua 1964; Young and Biale 1967), the banana (Baur and Workman 1964; Sacher 1962, 1966), and the nutmeg melon (Von Abrams and Pratt 1967).

Comparisons between Granny Smith apples from healthy and green crinkle virus infected trees

Fruits harvested from Granny Smith trees known to be affected to varying degrees by apple green crinkle virus were held in cool store for five months before analysis for their total nitrogen and protein nitrogen contents. Fruit seed number, cell number, and dry matter content were also determined. There tended to be a greater incidence of superficial scald in fruit from infected trees. Fruits from infected trees were smaller, had a higher dry matter content, a greater proportion of protein nitrogen to total nitrogen, and fewer cells than those picked from healthy trees. Within infected trees the total nitrogen content decreased as the severity of fruit crinkling increased. The results are discussed in relation to effects of the virus on yield, the physiological status of infected trees, and a consideration of the likely storage disorders to be encountered in fruit from healthy and infected trees.

Nitrogen Metabolism During Storage in Relation to the Breakdown of Apples. I. Changes in protein nitrogen level in relation to incidence

Protein nitrogen content was followed in fruits of four apple varieties during cool storage under conditions designed to induce different rates of water loss. Increase in protein nitrogen content during cool storage did not appear to be related to the development of breakdown. High nitrogen level in the fruit, high relative humidity in the storage atmosphere, and advanced maturity at harvest all increased susceptibility to breakdown, but only the first of these factors influenced the protein nitrogen level. An inverse relationship between percentage water loss and breakdown incidence was demonstrated.

Protein Nitrogen Content and Phosphorylative Activity of Apple Fruits During Ripening and Senescence

Respiratory activity, protein nitrogen content, and rate of esterification of infiltrated 32p have been followed during ripening and senescence at 20�0 in detached fruits of five apple varieties.