Longitudinal bone mineral density changes in early rheumatoid arthritis

A prospective longitudinal study of patients with early RA was performed to examine the influence of disease duration, disease activity and physical activity on bone loss. Sixty-seven patients with non-steroid treated RA of less than 5 yr duration, including 16 patients with disease duration less than 6 months, had BMD measurements of the femoral neck and the lumbar spine over a 12-month period using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The BMD changes were compared with values from 72 control patients and were also correlated with serial measurements of disease activity (measured by the Stoke Index) and disability [measured by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score], at 3-monthly intervals over the 12-month period. No significant differences in BMD changes were found between RA patients and controls overall. Patients with disease duration of less than 6 months had significantly greater loss of BMD at the femoral neck (-3.9%, S.E.M. 1.5) than the remainder of the cohort (-0.2%, S.E.M. 0.7) (P = 0.02) and controls (-0.8%, S.E.M. 0.6). Lumbar spine BMD changes correlated with the initial Stoke Index (Rs-0.373, P = 0.01) but not mean Stoke Indices. There was no correlation of BMD changes with age or HAQ scores. These findings suggest that significant bone loss occurs within the first few months of disease in patients with RA.     

Evidence for superantigen involvement in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus aetiology

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease whose onset is believed to be triggered by unknown environmental factors acting on a predisposing genetic background. Islet-infiltrating T (IIT) cells from two IDDM patients, who had died at the onset of the disease from brain swelling as a complication of ketoacidosis, were analysed. The results provided evidence for the involvement of a pancreatic islet cell membrane-bound superantigen as a diabetes aetiopathogenetic factor. There was a selective expansion of a T-cell receptor (TCR) variable segment of the beta-chain (V beta 7) in these IIT cells in association with unselected V alpha-chain segments; extensive junctional diversity of the TCR V beta 7 chains; and evidence of positive selection, after exposure to diabetic islet cell membrane preparations, of V beta 7+ T-cell clones among peripheral blood lymphocytes from non-diabetic individuals.     

Simplified method for the measurement of segmental colonic transit time

Segmental colonic transit has been measured in 101 patients. Two MBq of 111Indium absorbed on resin pellets and encapsulated in an enteric coated capsule was given at 7 00 am. Hourly images during the first day, and three images during each subsequent day were acquired for up to three days. Using all scan and patient data the scans were categorised in one of the five patterns of colonic transit: normal, rapid, right delay, left delay, or generalised delay. The geometric centres and per cent activity at each time point was compared between the five groups of colonic transit patients to find the best time for imaging and so to distinguish the five groups. During the first day, early images did not help in diagnosis of patterns of transit, however, in the later images (six hours onwards after the ingestion of the activity) the rapid transit groups could be identified. Images at 27 and 51 hours were both required to distinguish all five groups of patients from each other. Only in the 'normal' transit patients was there some excretion of the activity during the course of the second day, otherwise there was no difference in the images taken in the course of a day (second or third day). A simplified protocol requires a minimum of three images to distinguish all five patterns of colonic transit. The activity should be ingested in the morning (7 00 am) and the first image taken at the end of the working day (8-10 hours after ingestion), the second image on the morning of the second day, and the third image during the course of the third day. This simple protocol would provide all the clinically relevant information necessary for correct classification of the colonic transit.     

Measurement of specimen charging in scanning electron microscopy with a kelvin probe

A vibrating Kelvin probe in form of a platinum wire loop is used to measure the surface potential U_s on electron-irradiated free-floating metal and insulator specimens as a function of electron energy E. This allows an accurate measurement of the critical electron energy E₂ for no charging. At energies below E₂, the positive charging increases with decreasing energy to U_s=2–5 eV at E=0.5 keV and switching off the collector bias of the Everhart-Thornley detector. A two-to threefold increase of U_s is observed when the bias is switched on. For E > E₂, the strong increase of a negative surface potential can be measured. Insulating films free-supported on a conductive substrate show a steep decrease to small positive and negative U_s when the film thickness becomes lower than the electron range at a critical energy E₃ > E₂. At insulating specimen the temporal decrease of charging can be measured when the electron beam is switched off.     

Pain threshold in man

The design and application of an apparatus for measuring pain threshold by controlling the conditions of an experiment carefully and measuring stimulus and response parameters precisely are described. Heat generated by an incandescent source, focused on a small area of the subject's forehead, was used as the stimulus to determine the cutaneous pain threshold. The equipment was in different experiments in which the threshold of thermocutaneous pain was evaluated with and without the use of an analgesic. The analgesic Pirazolane was found to reduce thermocutaneous pain threshold and to diminish the average duration of alpha rhythm blockade and the response of galvanic skin resistance. The results of these experiments with constituents of marijuana indicated that canabidiol provokes and increases the sensibility of pain reactions while both Δ9 THC and canabinol do not modify the pain threshold     

A neural network model for fault detection in conjunction with a programmable logic controller

This paper discusses the feasibility of using neural networks as a tool in the fault detection process. A neural network is integrated with a state language programmable logic controller, an important device in an automatic control system. Time series data related to time spent in a state is gathered and used as input into a neural network, for the purpose of identifying when a fault has occurred. A feedforward neural network is used to identify which (if any) of three types of faults may have occurred. Experimental results related to sensitivity and accuracy measures are presented. A brief review of related applications and research is also presented.