Comparison of free amino acids and volatile components in three fermented milks

Free amino acids (FAAs) and volatile components were analysed in commercial samples of yoghurt and Actimel^® drink as well as laboratory‐made kefir. The lysine and cysteine were the principal amino acids and accounted for about 70% of the total FAAs in all the samples. However, the amino acid profiles in the different fermented milk products differed: on the whole values for most of the amino acids were observed to be significantly higher in the Actimel^® samples. A total of 50 volatile components were identified. The largest number of volatiles were found in the kefir. Ethanol, 2,3‐ butanodione and 3‐hidroxybutan‐2‐one were the most prevalent volatile components, with ethanol significantly higher in the kefir samples.     

Entrepreneurial migration and regional opportunities in developing countries

This paper aims to investigate the entrepreneurial migrants' preferences for a location for business activities in developing countries. In the modelling framework six socio-economic and six socio-cultural variables are used in this study to investigate the migrants' propensity to stay at a particular region. The empirical research was carried out in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. It appears that the presence of a supporting informal network is the most critical factor that attracts and keeps the entrepreneurial migrants in a particular region. Socio-cultural variables like experience and education play a less significant role in the migrants' decision to stay in a given region. RID="*" ID="*" Kees Gorter passed away in October 2001.     

Myocardial rupture during exercise ECG

We report a case of heart rupture in connection with a stress test performed nine days after an otherwise uncomplicated myocardial infarction. The Danish Association of Cardiologists recommend stress testing 5-20 days after myocardial infarction. We question whether this timing is appropriate considering the vulnerability of the myocardium at that time.     

Supplementation with isoflavonoid phytoestrogens does not alter serum lipid concentrations: a randomized controlled trial in humans

Isoflavonoids are a class of flavonoids that are derived in the human diet mainly from soybean-based foods. The major dietary isoflavonoids, genistein and daidzein, have estrogen-like activity and are classed as phytoestrogens. Because estrogens can lower serum LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol, the objective of this study was to determine if isoflavonoids could improve serum lipids in healthy subjects. Forty-six men and 13 postmenopausal women not receiving hormone replacement therapy completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of two-way parallel design and 8 wk duration. One tablet containing 55 mg of isoflavonoids (predominantly in the form of genistein) or one placebo tablet was taken daily with the evening meal. Subjects maintained their usual diet and physical activity, which were unchanged throughout the intervention. Measurement of isoflavonoids and their metabolites in 24-h urine samples provided an assessment of compliance and of isoflavonoid metabolism. Serum total, LDL, HDL and HDL subclass cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoprotein (a) were assessed at baseline and during the last week of intervention. After adjustment for baseline values, no significant differences in postintervention serum lipid and lipoprotein (a) concentrations between groups were identified. Further adjustment for age, gender and weight change did not alter the results. In addition, changes in urinary isoflavonoids were not significantly correlated with changes in serum lipids and lipoprotein (a). Therefore, this study does not support the hypothesis that isoflavonoid phytoestrogens can improve the serum lipids, at least in subjects with average serum cholesterol concentrations.     

Cholesterol, endothelial function and cardiovascular disease

Poster presentations have proved to be a popular method of displaying information at conferences, and are being used increasingly as a teaching method. Innovative strategies for teaching and assessing research need to facilitate students' achievement of research skills required for practice. These are outlined by the Department of Health, and emphasize the development of research literacy. Using the poster presentation as a teaching and assessing strategy on diploma level courses (Project 2000 and ENB 870 introduction to the Understanding and Application of Research) has proved to be valuable in developing vital research awareness skills and in harnessing enthusiasm for research. Students imply a sense of achievement gained through the process of developing the poster and the production of the poster itself. Herein lies the value of the poster presentation, for it allows the development of crucial research literacy skills which can be widely used in professional practice and future professional education.     

Thermodynamic parameters of polystyrene solutions in cyclohexane,determined from sedimentation—diffusion equilibria in the ultracentrifuge. dependence on concentration,temperature and molecular weight

Determination of the sedimentation–diffusion equilibrium is one of the methods furnishing data on the thermodynamic parameters of polymer solutions. By means of this procedure measurements can be performed over a considerable range of concentrations. The equilibria in the ultracentrifuge have been determined for five polystyrene samples of narrow distribution covering the molecular weight range 2 × 10⁴ to 2 × 10⁶, at concentrations up to 40 wt-% and at temperatures of 30, 45 and 65 °C. The results are expressed in the data for the chemical potential of the solvent, the number-average chemical potential of the polymer and the interaction parameter ξ. The results are compared with those obtained from osmotic pressure, light scattering and critical miscibility measurements. At very low concentrations the molecular weight dependence of the interaction parameter is in agreement with literature values derived from osmotic pressure and light scattering figures. At higher concentrations this molecular-weight dependence decreases sharply but remains noticeable up to 40% concentration.     

Effect of galactose and sugar substitutes on blood insulin levels in normal and obese individuals

Eighteen male patients between the ages of 25 and 50 were given on a double blind randomized basis (A) 40 gms. galactose (B) 50 gms. arabinogalactan and 0.11 gm. sodium saccharin (C) 2 gm. methyl cellulose and 0.083 gm. sodium saccharin and (D) 4 gm. galactose, all in 200 ml water. Blood glucose, galactose and insulin levels were determined during a six hour period before and after ingestion. The three first mentioned solutions tasted equally sweet, the fourth was essentially tasteless. None of these feedings altered plasma insulin or glucose levels. It appears that in contrast to other conclusions reached by earlier investigators sweet taste is unable to induce insulin secretion through neurogenic pathways.     

Blood and plasma selenium levels and GSH-Px activities in patients with arterial hypertension and chronic heart disease

Among the 57 monoclonal antibodies analyzed within the T-cell group of the Second International Swine CD Workshop, one mAb fell within cluster T14a that included the CD6 standard a38b2 (No. 175). The new mAb MIL8 (No. 082) and a38b2 both precipitated from activated T-cells a 150 kDa monomeric protein. Staining patterns on the various cell types were similar. There was no inhibition of binding of either mAb to peripheral blood T-cells with the opposite mAb. The new mAb, MIL8, reacts with a separate epitope on porcine wCD6.     

Methods development for epidemiologic investigations of the health effects of prolonged ozone exposure. Part II. An approach to retrospective estimation of lifetime ozone exposure using a questionnaire and ambient monitoring data (California sites)

An extensive body of data supports a relation between acute exposures to ambient ozone and the occurrence of various acute respiratory symptoms and changes in measures of lung function. In contrast, relatively few data are available on the human health effects that result from long-term exposure to ambient ozone, Current efforts to study long-term ozone-related health effects are limited by the methods available for ascertaining lifetime exposures to ozone. The present feasibility study was undertaken as part of the Health Effects Institute's Environmental Epidemiology Planning Project (Health Effects Institute 1994) to (1) determine whether, in the context of an epidemiologic study, reliable estimates can be obtained for lifetime exposures to ozone by combining estimates from lifetime residential histories, typical activity patterns during life, and residence-specific ambient ozone monitoring data; (2) identify the minimum data required to produce reliable estimates of lifetime exposure; and (3) analyze the relations between various estimates of lifetime ozone exposure and measures of lung function. A convenience sample of 175 first-year students at the University of California, Berkeley, who lived all of their lives in selected areas of California (the Los Angeles Basin or the San Francisco Bay Area), were studied on two occasions (test and retest or test sessions 1 and 2), five to seven days apart. Residential and lifestyle data were obtained from a questionnaire: residence-based ambient ozone exposure values were assigned by interpolation of ambient ozone monitoring data to residential locations. Estimated lifetime exposure was based on average ozone levels between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and hours of exposure to ozone concentrations greater than 60 parts per billion (ppb). "Effective" lifetime exposure to ozone was based on a weighted average of estimated time spent in different ambient ozone environments as determined by different combinations of activity data. Pulmonary function was evaluated with flows and volumes from maximum expiratory flow-volume curves and slope of phase III of the single-breath nitrogen washout (SBNW) curves. Although the test-retest reliability of the residential history was acceptably high only for first and second residences, most of the unreliability for other residences came from residences occupied for relatively short durations. Therefore, the test-retest reliability of estimated lifetime exposure to ozone was high, with intraclass correlations greater than 0.90 for all approaches evaluated. Multiple, linear regression analyses showed a consistently negative relation between estimates of lifetime exposure to ozone and flows that reflect the physiology of pulmonary small airways. No relation was observed between lifetime ozone exposure and forced expiratory volume or the slope of phase III, and the relation between lifetime exposure and forced expiratory volume in one second was inconsistent. The results of the flow measures were unaffected by the method used to estimate lifetime exposure and gave effect estimates that were nearly identical. The data from this study indicate that useful and reproducible estimates of lifetime ozone exposure can be obtained in epidemiologic studies by using a residential history. However, the total burden of ozone to which the subjects were exposed cannot be determined accurately from such data. Nonetheless, the estimates so obtained appear to be associated with alterations in pulmonary function that are consistent with the predicted site of maximum effect of ozone in the human lung.     

Ex vivo expansion with stem cell factor and interleukin-11 augments both short-term recovery posttransplant and the ability to serially transplant marrow

The characterization of many cytokines involved in the control of hematopoiesis has led to intense investigation into their potential use in ex vivo culture to expand progenitor numbers. We have established the optimum ex vivo culture conditions that allow substantial amplification of transient engrafting murine stem cells and which, simultaneously, augment the ability to sustain serial bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Short-term incubation of unfractionated BM cells in liquid culture with stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin-11 (IL-11) produced a 50-fold amplification of clonogenic multipotential progenitors (CFU-A). Following such ex vivo expansion, substantially fewer cells were required to rescue lethally irradiated mice. When transplanted in cell doses above threshold for engraftment, BM cells expanded ex vivo resulted in significantly more rapid hematopoietic recovery. In a serial transplantation model, unmanipulated BM was only able to consistently sustain secondary BMT recipients, but BM expanded ex vivo has sustained quaternary BMT recipients that remain alive and well more than 140 days after 4th degree BMT. These results show augmentation of both short-term recovery posttransplant and the ability to serially transplant marrow by preincubation in culture with SCF and IL-11.