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Background Our knowledge of the benthic fauna at lower bathyal to abyssal (LBA, > 2000 m) depths off Eastern Australia was very limited with only a few samples having been collected from these habitats over the last 150 years. In May–June 2017, the IN2017_V03 expedition of the RV Investigator sampled LBA benthic communities along the lower slope and abyss of Australia’s eastern margin from off mid-Tasmania (42°S) to the Coral Sea (23°S), with particular emphasis on describing and analysing patterns of biodiversity that occur within a newly declared network of offshore marine parks. Methods The study design was to deploy a 4 m (metal) beam trawl and Brenke sled to collect samples on soft sediment substrata at the target seafloor depths of 2500 and 4000 m at every 1.5 degrees of latitude along the western boundary of the Tasman Sea from 42° to 23°S, traversing seven Australian Marine Parks. Results The biological sampling included 35 beam trawls, 28 Brenke sleds, 8 box cores, 20 surface meso-zooplankton tows, and 7 Deep Towed Camera transects. In total, 25,710 specimens were identified to 1084 taxonomic entities, including 847 species-level, 144 genus-level and 69 family-level and 24 higher-level taxa. Of the species-level taxa, only 457 were assigned species-level taxonomic names, which implies that up to 58% of the collected fauna is undescribed. In addition, the ranges of numerous species have been extended to include the western Tasman Sea. Conclusions The lower bathyal and abyssal fauna of soft sediment seafloors off eastern Australia has been systematically surveyed for the first time. The resultant collections will provide the foundation for much future ecological, biogeographical, phylogenetic and taxonomic research.

Background The Great Australian Bight (GAB) comprises the majority of Australia’s southern coastline, but to date its deep water fauna has remained almost unknown. Recent issuing of oil and gas leases in the region has highlighted this lack of baseline biological data and established a pressing need to characterise benthic abyssal fauna. Methods From 2013 to 2017, six large-scale systematic surveys of the GAB were conducted from 200 to 5000 m depth, constituting the deepest systematic biological sampling in Australia. Sampling was conducted on soft sediment and hard substrates, both at pre-determined depth intervals along north-south transect lines and at sites of interest identified by multibeam sonar. Results A total of 66,721 invertebrate specimens were collected, comprising 1267 species, with 401 species (32%) new to science. In addition to the novelty of the fauna, there was a high degree of rarity, with 31% of species known only from single specimens. Conclusions In this paper, we provide an annotated checklist of the benthic invertebrate fauna of the deep GAB, supplemented with colour photos of live specimens and commentary on taxonomy, diversity and distributions. This work represents an important addition to knowledge of Australia’s deep sea fauna, and will provide the foundation for further ecological, biogeographical and systematic research.

Mental health is an increasing component of the burden of disease worldwide, providing challenges in healthcare and health systems (World Health Organization, 2013); it is widespread, and not limited to dedicated mental health facilities.

By cooling fresh suprarenal gland tissue immediately on removal from the animal, and by defatting, and mincing the same at low temperatures, and drying at 37 degrees C. with the least loss of time, a preparation is obtained which in daily doses of 3 grm. per os, is effective in restoring a large measure of health to sufferers from Addison's disease.It is essential that a potent extract of suprarenal cortex be available for (a) restoring the patient sufficiently to enable whole gland treatment to be instituted and (b) to treat any return of abdominal symptoms or circulatory collapse induced by intercurrent illness or failure to retain the whole gland through vomiting.It is desirable to increase the intake of sodium chloride to 10 to 15 grm. daily.Neither saline alone, nor cortical extract alone produces the same effective result as whole suprarenal gland prepared as above administered per os.Commercial preparations of whole suprarenal can be entirely without effect.Subcutaneous injection of adrenalin in a phase of weakness may have disastrous results.Trials, using the whole gland preparation on normal subjects, further establish the observations of Rowntree, that the gastric musculature is stimulated by injection of whole suprarenal gland. In certain cases, considerable elevation of blood-pressure may also result.

To test the hypothesis that thyroglobulin (Tg) and free T4 (FT4) concentrations more than 2SD from the control mean are not increased in pregnancy in an iodine replete area in the absence of elevated TSH concentrations. The second hypothesis to be tested was that if such abnormalities in FT4 and Tg in the absence of elevated TSH concentrations were to exist they would not be associated with lowered IQs in the progeny.Cross-sectional study in New England comparing TSH, Tg, antibodies to Tg and FT4 in volunteer nonpregnant women 20-40 years old with those in hypothyroid mothers and matched euthyroid control mothers. The results are contrasted with those from similar studies reported from iodine deficient areas.Sera obtained at 17 weeks gestation and stored at -20 degrees C for 8 years were retrieved and analysed from 62 mothers with subclinical hypothyroidism and 124 matched euthyroid mothers. The diagnosis of hypothyroidism was made by finding a TSH concentration97.7 percentiile for 25 000 consecutive pregnant women. Sera were also analysed from 53 healthy nonpregnant volunteer women aged 20-40 years.TSH, Tg and Tg antibodies were measured in the sera of the nonpregnant volunteers, and Tg and Tg antibodies in the sera of the pregnant women who had previously been analysed for TSH and FT4. The incidence of FT4 concentrations below the 2.3 percentile of nonpregnant laboratory controls was compared for the euthyroid and hypothyroid mothers and the laboratory normal controls.Thirty-one per cent of the 62 hypothyroid mothers had FT4 concentrations below the 2.3 percentile compared with only one (0.8%) of the euthyroid mothers. Mean Tg concentrations did not differ between the nonpregnant controls and the euthyroid pregnant women, 14 +/- 10 vs. 16 +/- 10 micro g/l. Tg concentration in the hypothyroid mothers was 44 +/- 61, significantly greater than for either of the euthyroid control groups, P0.005. Positive antibodies to Tg were found in 9% and 10% of the control groups and 57% of the hypothyroid mothers, P0.0005. When TSH is included as an independent variable in multiple linear and logistic regressions, FT4 and Tg no longer correlate significantly with IQs.The incidences of FT4 concentrations more than 2SD below the control mean and of Tg2SD above the control mean are significantly increased in hypothyroid mothers in iodlne-sufficient New England. However, in the absence of elevated TSH concentrations, the incidences of such abnormalities in FT4 and TG are negligible. Indeed, concentrations for FT4, Tg and Tg antibodies for nonpregnant and pregnant controls in our iodine-replete area do not differ significantly from each other or from previously reported normative concentrations with the methods used. Thus, pregnancy in New England neither increases Tg nor lowers FT4 concentrations.

To test the hypotheses that preparatory informational interventions based on self-regulation theory delivered to radiation therapy (RT) recipients by staff nurses would reduce disruption in patients' usual life activities and have a positive effect on the moods of patients who tended to have pessimistic expectations about outcomes.A quasi-experimental design with repeated measures.University-affiliated RT department.226 patients receiving RT for breast or prostate cancer.The control-group patients received the nursing care that was the standard of practice before the experimental interventions were introduced. The experimental-group patients received theory-based interventions four different times from staff nurses. Patient data were collected by interview four different times.Type of nursing interventions generated, optimistic or pessimistic expectations about outcomes (Life Orientation Test), amount of disruption in usual life activities (Sickness Impact Profile), and moods (Bi-Polar Profile of Mood States).The patients who received the self-regulation theory-based nursing interventions experienced less disruption in their usual life activities during and following RT. Among the patients who tended to be pessimistic, those who received the theory-based interventions had a more positive mood than those who did not receive the interventions.Staff nurses should use self-regulation theory-based interventions to help patients cope with RT.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Thyroglobulin (Tg) has been found in varying concentrations in infants and children with congenital hypothyroidism. Our primary goal was to ascertain whether Tg in filter paper blood specimens used for routine newborn screening would be a useful adjunct in the early diagnosis of newborn children with congenital hypothyroidism. Our secondary objective was to correlate the results of the Tg determinations with the results of thyroid scintigraphy in the same cohort of infants with congenital hypothyroidism. DESIGN An RIA kit with high sensitivity for the measurement of Tg in serum was modified for use with filter paper blood specimens. Results of thyroid scintigraphy were obtained from the family physicians on 10 infants with ectopic thyroid glands and 18 who were considered to be athyreotic. MEASUREMENTS Determinations of Tg were carried out retrospectively on newborn screening filter paper blood specimens from 61 full-term normal infants and 42 newborns with confirmed congenital hypothyroidism. RESULTS Thyroglobulin concentrations during the first week of life in the normal controls ranged between 17 and 160 micrograms/l, with a median of 66 micrograms/l. Tg values for infants with ectopic thyroid glands ranged between 38 and 282 micrograms/l, with a median of 160 micrograms/l, with a median of 66 micrograms/liters. Tg values for infants who were considered athyreotic had Tg values ranging between undetectable and 104 micrograms/l with a median of 15 micrograms/l. Fifty per cent of the athyreotic patients and 50% of patients with ectopic thyroid glands had Tg values above or below the normal range and thus fell within the diagnostic category of hypothyroidism on the basis of Tg alone. Fifty per cent of patients who were considered athyreotic by scintigraphy had Tg concentrations ranging from 20 to 104 micrograms/l. CONCLUSION These studies have shown that thyroglobulin can be measured in the same filter paper blood specimens used for routine newborn screening. Estimation of thyroglobulin in screening specimens from hypothyroid and normal infants indicated that some infants with congenital hypothyroidism could be identified solely on the basis of the thyroglobulin concentration. Comparison of the result of scintigraphy with thyroglobulin levels in the same hypothyroid patients suggested that thryoglobulin provided a more reliable marker for the presence or absence of the thyroid gland than did scintigraphy.

A system of reporting discrepancies between antemortem and postmortem diagnoses was devised for use in interdepartmental quality assurance at a large community medical center. Between 1988 and 1991, 213 autopsies comprising 6% of deaths were coded using the system of Battle et al. (1) and distributed to the quality assurance committees of clinical departments. A major discrepancy was found in 11.7% (95% confidence interval; 6.8 to 18.4%) of adult cases. The discrepancy rate tended to increase with increasing patient age, but there was no significant effect due to patient sex, race, hospital of origin, clinical department of origin, whether the autopsy was restricted to examination of only part of the body, or whether the patient died in or out of the hospital. The possible uses of the quality assurance system and problems encountered with its implementation are discussed.

Intertidal saltmarsh is one of the least extensive habitats in New South Wales; the total area has been recently estimated to be only c.5800ha. (West et al. 1985). The loss of a number of saltmarsh sites through infilling and reclamation has been documented (see for example Underwood & Hutchings 1987); here we discuss the reduction of saltmash through invasion by mangroves. In the Sydney regin well developed saltmarsh and mangrove communities occur in close association, with the mangroves occurring seaward of saltmarsh. Over the past century substantial increases in the area of mangrove have been reported from the Parramatta River (Thorogood 1985) and the Lane Cove River (McLoughlin 1985, 1987).

Summary. objective The present study was designed to determine the current prevalence of gestational hypothyroidism, since maternal thyroxine deficiency is associated with poor obstetric outcomes and mental retardation in the surviving offspring. design TSH concentrations were measured In the sera of women at 15—18 weeks of gestation. Those sera with TSH concentrations above 6 mU/l and the two sera closest In order with TSH concentrations below 6 mU/l were further analysed for T4, FT4, TBG, and antithyrold antibodies. Study criteria for hypothyroidism were sera with elevated concentrations of TSH plus both a free T4 concentration and a total T4 concentration and /or T4/TBG ratio more than two standard deviations below the mean for the control pregnant women. patients The sera were from 2000 consecutive women In Maine being tested for alpha-fetoprotein concentration at 15–18 weeks of gestation. results TSH concentrations above 6 mU/l ere found in the sera of 49 women, 2.5% of the pregnant women. Six women with elevated TSH concentrations (range 6.9–54 mU/l) had both a FT4 concentration and a T4/TBG ratio and/or a T4 concentration more than two standard deviations below the respective control means, meeting the study criteria for thyroid deficiency, and thus giving a prevalence of 0.3%. The remaining 43 women with elevated TSH concentrations were classified as having compensated thyroid disease although some may have been hypothyroid. Fifty-eight per cent of women with TSH concentrations above 6 mU/l and 90% of the women with elevated TSH concentrations and at least one thyroxine index more than two standard deviations below the control means had positive titres of antithyroid antibodies as opposed to 11% of the controls. conclusions Although it is not known what severity of maternal thyroid deficiency is necessary to cause fetal brain damage, the present data Indicate a sufficiently high prevalence of thyroid dysfunction to demand Investigation of the mental development of the offspring of women with thyroid dysfunction and of the effect of replacement therapy.

Two cases of neuropathic disease of the shoulder without evidence of a neurological disorder are described. The absence of any neurological disorder led to the cases being initially mistaken for primary neoplasms of bone, lending support to the vascular theory of pathogenesis of this lesion. Careful attention to the radiographic features and knowledge that a neurological disorder need not be present should lead to the correct diagnosis.

Until recently, inadequate measures of affiliation need and relationship closeness hindered investigations into the social development of adolescents. For example, assumptions about gender differences (DouvanAdelson, 1966; Gilligan, 1982) and age-related changes (Dunphy, 1972; Erikson, 1968; NewmanNewman, 1976) in affiliation need and relationship closeness have remained virtually untested. To better understand adolescent social behavior and test these assumptions, recently developed measures of affiliation need and interpersonal closeness were used to examine seventy-four 18- to 20-year-olds. In support of Erikson's theory, need for social comparison declined with age for both sexes. However, in support of Gilligan's theory, not only were females more attached to their partners, but these gender differences were most pronounced for the 18-year-olds. Finally, Dunphy's (1972) assumption that adolescents' need for stimulation peaks around age 18 or 19 and then declines, and Newman and Newman's (1976) position that need for emotional support declines in later adolescence, held true--but only for females.

We presented data showing a direct correlation of screening T4 values with birthweight in premature infants at this meeting three years ago.We opined that low T4 concentrations were due to decreased protein binding of T4. The next year,we reported data proving the speculation and showing lower binding was more than compensated for in term infants by increased TBG concentration. FT4 concentrations for term and VLBW infants were all within the normal adult range and the neonates had similar TSH concentrations indicating low T4 values were due to NTI. Further findings at 2 weeks in 5 of 32 VLBW infants suggest a Euthyroid Sick Syndrome. We compare clinical and hormonal values of these 5 with the remaining 27 infants in the tables.(cord v 2 wk- * p

Levels of somatomedin-C/insulin-like growth factor-1 (Sm-C/IGF-1) were determined in whole blood collected on filter paper from 41 newborns with congenital hypothyroidism and 183 full-term neonates with normal thyroid function. The mean Sm-C/IGF-1 value of the untreated hypothyroid infants (0.10 U/ml) was virtually identical with that of the normal controls (0.11 U/ml). We are unable to confirm earlier findings of others that Sm-C/IGF-1 concentrations are lower in hypothyroid newborns than in normal infants.

A controlled environment greenhouse study was con-ducted to observe root growth and initial seedling establishment of loblolly pine (Pinusa taeda L.) over a range of soil porosities within a uniform soil matrix. Loblolly pine trees were grown for 19 weeks in pots with soil at bulk densities of 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, and 2.0 g/cc. Root and shoot masses, root system surface area, and root collar diameter increased significantly with decreas-ing soil bulk density. Significant differences in tree height appeared the seventh week after planting and con-tinued to increase until harvest at week nineteen.

THE administration of small doses of purified preparations of human growth hormone to patients with diabetes mellitus may produce profound changes in the metabolism of carbohydrate, resulting in elevations in blood sugar and the appearance of ketoacidosis.1 2 3 It is of interest that despite the "anti-insulin" effects of human growth hormone, especially in hypophysectomized diabetic patients,4 , 5 small doses of this hormone have had little or no effect upon carbohydrate metabolism in normal subjects6 7 8 or in panhypopituitary dwarfs,9 but few studies have been carried out with human growth hormone in conditions of altered carbohydrate metabolism caused by conditions other than diabetes mellitus. . . .

The anabolic steroids Nilevar and Dianabol were administered to a total of 21 persons for a period of 3 weeks in a dosage of 30 and 10 mg daily, respectively. This regimen resulted in a prompt and appreciable decrease in both the concentration of serum protein-bound iodine and the serum thyroxine-binding capacity. These responses were observed not only in euthyroid subjects but also in athyrotic cases. It is likely that the decrease in PBI is a consequence of the reduced thyroxine-binding capacity of the serum.

Raman scattering of actinide (VI) ions from carbonate media were obtained. Results indicate bidentate complexation of carbonate and linear geometry for the AnO22+ ions. The trend of the frequency position of the ν1 vibration in AnO22+ ions is U > Np > Pu > Am in both acid and basic solutions, with higher frequencies occurring in acid media.

IGF-I concentrations were determined by RIA in eluates of dried blood collected on filter paper from infants who ranged in age from 3 to 21 d. The infants were separated into normal (greater than 2.5 kg) and low (less than 2.5 kg) birth wt groups and further subdivided on the basis of normal (greater than 83.7 nmol/liter) or low (less than 64.4 nmol/liter) levels of thyroxine. Both the normal and low birth wt groups whose blood thyroxine was in the normal range had similar mean IGF-I values during the 1st wk of life that were significantly higher (p less than 0.05) than those of either the normal or low birth wt groups whose thyroxine concentrations were below normal. Infants older than 1 wk of age with normal birth wt and normal thyroxine levels had significantly greater (p less than 0.05) mean IGF-I values than those of any of the other groups. Infants in the low birth wt-normal thyroxine group exhibited modest increases in IGF-I levels after the 1st wk of life that were significantly greater (p less than 0.05) than those found in the low birth wt-low thyroxine infants. These studies have demonstrated that IGF-I concentration is correlated positively with total thyroxine and with birth wt and that the latter is confounded by the former.

We describe a simple radioimmunoassay (RIA) for estimating concentrations of somatomedin-C (Sm-C) in dried blood on filter paper. A single 3.2-mm blood spot specimen on filter paper is eluted overnight into buffer containing antibody and 125I-labeled Sm-C. The following day, bound and free hormones are separated by addition of goat anti-rabbit gamma globulin in 60 g/L polyethylene glycol solution. The correlation between values obtained for such blood-spot discs and the corresponding wet plasma is highly significant (r = 0.90, p less than 0.001). The relative concentrations (arbitrary units) of Sm-C as determined for specimens on filter paper from mothers and infants, and for cord bloods, are similar to those reported by others using acidified serum.

I describe an improved procedure for estimating thyroxine in dried blood on 0.32-cm filter paper discs, by radioimmunoassay. A weak anion-exchange resin is used to separate free and antibody-bound radiothyroxine and, by measuring the resin-bound 125I-labeled thyroxine rather than the supernatant radioactivity, a tedious and cumbersome step is eliminated. The unique properties of the resin permit considerable latitude in the experimental conditions, in contrast with charcoal, without compromising sensitivity or precision. There is excellent correlation between thyroxine values obtained from discs and those of the corresponding plasmas. Application of this procedure for large-scale screening of newborns has proved to be highly successful in identifying thyroid insufficiency in several babies before clinical signs were apparent.

After injection of glucagon, growth hormone increased to 8.0 ng per milliliter or more in 33 of 34 subjects without apparent pituitary disease. In 21 of 23 patients with pituitary disease the maximum value did not exceed 4.8 ng per milliliter. The glucagon stimulation test is a safe, convenient and reasonably reliable way of testing for growth-hormone deficiency.

During the first year of operation, the New England Regional Hypothyroidism Screening Program determined the concentration of thyroxine (T4) levels in dried blood on filter paper from 129,028 infants born in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Specimens from approximately 3,800 neonates were found to have levels of T4 below the lower limit of normal (less than 6.0 microgram/dl) and were assayed for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) content. Levels of TSH were elevated (greater than 20 muU/ml) in 31 infants, 23 of whom eventually proved to have unequivocal hypothyroidism. Based on these figures and including two hypothyroid infants who were not tested, the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism in the New England region is approximately 1:5,200 births. The estimation of T4 values supplemented by measurement of TSH values on specimens with low T4 values has proved to be a satisfactory approach to large-scale screening for congenital hypothyroidism.

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) of enlarged adrenal glands detected by computed tomography is a valuable method for extrathoracic staging of pulmonary carcinomas. This paper presents the case of a middle-aged man with pulmonary adenocarcinoma metastatic to the adrenal glands, the FNA sample of which closely resembled normal adrenal cortical epithelium. Through review of the case and comparison with cytologic preparations from normal adrenal glands, the aspiration cytologic features suggesting carcinoma are described.

We report the use of Staphylococcus aureus rich in protein A as an immunoadsorbent in the radioimmunoassay of thyrotropin and thyroxine in blood collected from newborn infants and dried on filter paper. The procedures for thyrotropin and thyroxine, which differ mainly with respect to concentration and volume of the Staphylococcus aureus suspension, are reliable, rapid, and technically simple. The ease of this method, coupled with its dependability, offers certain advantages over some of the commonly used techniques of separation, and therefore it provides a unique approach to measurement of these analytes in laboratory screening programs for neonatal hypothyroidism.

Transthoracic fine needle aspiration specimens with abnormal cytology were obtained from 272 patients between 1976 and 1980 at the University of Rochester Medical Center. A comparison was made between the original specific cytologic and final histologic diagnoses on 116 patients; an additional 16 patients with the cytologic diagnosis of small-cell carcinoma were evaluated by clinical criteria. Analysis of the data indicated that malignant neoplasms were identified correctly with an accuracy of 99%. There was a single false-positive diagnosis. Predictive values for a specific morphologic variant of pulmonary neoplasm were 70% for squamous-cell carcinoma, 86% for adenocarcinoma and 95% for small-cell carcinoma. The probable bases for diagnostic error are discussed. Confidence intervals calculated from these data compared favorably with those in recently reported studies. The results reconfirmed the value of fine needle aspiration cytopathology for the diagnosis of pulmonary neoplasms.

Retrospective review of pancreatic fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy specimens collected with computed tomographic guidance from 73 patients between 1980 and 1985 at the Medical Center of Delaware was performed to determine the accuracy of the procedure in our hands and to identify possible problem areas for cytologic diagnosis. When compared with clinical data or tissue diagnosis, FNA had a sensitivity for the detection of pancreatic carcinoma of 67.7%. The predictive value of a negative result was only 23.1%. When compared to the cytologic diagnosis made at the time of review, FNA had a sensitivity of 100%, but a single false-positive case was identified. In addition to the majority of probable pancreatic ductal carcinomas, a hepatoma and a lymphoma were detected. Cases of primary pancreatic carcinoma were classified by cytologic features, but all groups had dismal three-to-six-month median survivals, regardless of the degree of tumor differentiation. Survival times were similarly low for patients with negative pancreatic FNAs. The low patient survival times, regardless of FNA diagnosis, support the value of avoiding laparotomy in these patients and confirm the high false-negative rate of the procedure.

I describe an improved procedure for estimating thyroxine in dried blood on 0.32-cm filter paper discs, by radioimmunoassay. A weak anion-exchange resin is used to separate free and antibody-bound radiothyroxine and, by measuring the resin-bound 125I-labeled thyroxine rather than the supernatant radioactivity, a tedious and cumbersome step is eliminated. The unique properties of the resin permit considerable latitude in the experimental conditions, in contrast with charcoal, without compromising sensitivity or precision. There is excellent correlation between thyroxine values obtained from discs and those of the corresponding plasmas. Application of this procedure for large-scale screening of newborns has proved to be highly successful in identifying thyroid insufficiency in several babies before clinical signs were apparent.

We describe a simple radioimmunoassay (RIA) for estimating concentrations of somatomedin-C (Sm-C) in dried blood on filter paper. A single 3.2-mm blood spot specimen on filter paper is eluted overnight into buffer containing antibody and 125I-labeled Sm-C. The following day, bound and free hormones are separated by addition of goat anti-rabbit gamma globulin in 60 g/L polyethylene glycol solution. The correlation between values obtained for such blood-spot discs and the corresponding wet plasma is highly significant (r = 0.90, p less than 0.001). The relative concentrations (arbitrary units) of Sm-C as determined for specimens on filter paper from mothers and infants, and for cord bloods, are similar to those reported by others using acidified serum.

Chondrocytes, dissociated from their matrix with trypsin and clostridial collagenase, retain their cytologic integrity. Successful preparations have been made from postmortem as well as surgical specimens. The method may lend itself to diagnosis of both neoplastic and developmental lesions.

Attempts to predict the course of the epidemic of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been hampered by the lack of an objective, practical way to estimate the prevalence of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the general population. Testing for the prevalence of HIV infection in women should be a sensitive means to track the epidemic and to study the potential for perinatal transmission. Antibodies in maternal blood are contained in neonatal blood specimens routinely collected on absorbent paper for other purposes, such as screening for phenylketonuria; we therefore tested for HIV antibody in these specimens. Analysis of batches of individually blinded specimens from selected hospitals protected the anonymity of the mothers and babies and was cost efficient. Using the newborn's blood as an indicator of the mother's serologic status, we concluded that 1 of every 476 women (2.1 per 1000) giving birth in Massachusetts was positive for HIV antibody by immunofluorescence assay or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, both confirmed by immunoblot (Western blot) testing. The prevalence of HIV infection varied according to the type and location of the maternity hospitals; rates of seropositivity were highest in inner-city hospitals (8.0 per 1000), lower in mixed urban and suburban hospitals (2.5 per 1000), and lowest in suburban and rural hospitals (0.9 per 1000). This method is useful for collecting data needed to plan and evaluate prevention strategies and to predict the health care resources that will be needed to care for women and children who contract AIDS. Because other states have newborn screening programs similar to the Massachusetts program, this approach can be used for national surveillance of AIDS in women.

In order to define the problems in the interpretation of peritoneal washing cytology specimens, 149 benign cases were examined retrospectively and the cytologies compared with the correlating histologies. There were problems in the cytologic interpretation on blind review in 18 cases (12.1%). Difficulties in interpretation of peritoneal washing cytology included conditions associated with (1) mesothelial reactions and adhesion formation, (2) rupture of cystic structures, (3) fallopian tube epithelium and (4) combinations of these factors. It is anticipated that familiarity with these problems will enhance accuracy in peritoneal washing cytology, particularly in those cases in which a malignancy is present but has not penetrated into the peritoneal cavity.