Fourteen strains of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus were isolated from Aedes albopictus mosquitoes collected in Polk County, Florida. These are the first isolations of an arbovirus of proven public health and veterinary importance from naturally infected Ae. albopictus in the United States since established populations of this introduced mosquito were first discovered in 1985. The widespread distribution of Ae. albopictus in Florida and in other areas of the United States where EEE is endemic raises concern that this species may become an epizootic and epidemic vector of EEE virus.

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Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) seeds were coated with either lime, reverted superphosphate plus nitrogen as isobutylidene diurea (RSN), or partially acidulated rock phosphate plus sulfur (ESPARP). In one experiment emergence rates and total emergence were calculated by fitting Mitscherlich-type curves to the data and then conducting statistical tests on the three parameters found for each curve. There was a significant interaction between soil moisture and coating treatment for all three parameters. In a glasshouse experiment, the same coated and uncoated seed treatments were sown either in soil supplied with nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur or in soil with nutrient deficiencies of either N, P, or S or NPS, and the early growth of the plants and their P and N uptakes were studied. The two nutrient-coated treatments (RSN and ESPARP) produced more tillers and dry matter yields of roots and shoots than did lime-coated or uncoated seed when grown in soils deficient in P, S or NPS. Nitrogen deficiency reduced yields of all plants, even those derived from RSN seeds. N uptake in the RSN treatment was not significantly different from the ESPARP treatment, indicating that the N in isobutylidene diurea was not available to the plant.

Seventy-five endoscopies were performed in 60 patients known to have oesophageal varices presenting with further upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage during the previous 72 hours. A site of active bleeding was found at 50 of 75 examinations (67 percent) including all 21 patients endoscoped within three hours of the last haemorrhage. Variceal bleeding alone was seen in 40 of these 50 examinations (80%) and both varices and mucosal lesions were bleeding in 4 patients; mucosal lesions were an uncommon cause of haemorrhage and only 6 patients were bleeding from these alone. The adult GIF-D2 endoscope was used for 45 examinations. Variceal bleeding was restarted on three occasions and prolonged unconsciousness induced by intravenous diazepam in one patient. In contrast, the paediatric GIF-P endoscope (30 examinations) was easily tolerated with little or no sedation, did not impair diagnostic accuracy and was not associated with any complications.