Cuticle chirality and body handedness in Caenorhabditis elegans

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Norway has the highest reported incidence of hip fractures in western Europe. Little is known about the epidemiology of falls in Norway where the winter season is long and dark. The objective of this work was to study reported falls and their consequences among elderly Norwegians living at home. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used for the study. Interviews were performed in the homes of 431 subjects, aged 67-97 years, living at home. Information on falling was gathered through six questions: whether the subject had fallen during the last six months, and if so, how many falls they had, where the last fall occurred, its perceived reason, the activity the subject had been engaged in when the fall occurred, and the resulting injury. RESULTS: In all, 24.1% of subjects reported falling during the last six months, and 9.5% had suffered more than one fall. Falls were most frequently linked to external events (63.1%). Outdoor falls were more frequent (59.0%; 95% CI = 51.2-82.0) than indoor falls. Older subjects were associated with more frequent indoor falls (p < 0.05), but gender was not significant. Fifty-one per cent of subjects had fallen while walking and 53% had suffered an injury from the last fall. In 13.4% of the women and 16.2% of the men, the last fall had resulted in a fracture. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the results of other studies from industrialized Western countries, a similar crude fall rate, similar frequency and similar type of injury were found. However, in contrast to other studies, no gender difference was observed with regard to falling, place of falling and fracture rate.     

Self-care behaviors, self-efficacy, and social support effect on the glycemic control of patients newly diagnosed with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

The purpose of this study was to explore the glycemic control and influencing factors in outpatients newly diagnosed with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). By purposeful sampling, data were collected from 130 outpatients with NIDDM at one medical center in Kaohsiung. The results indicated: (1) the mean value for HbA1C was 7.12%; and 63.1% of the patients belonged to moderate to well controlled group; (2) male patient's HbA1C value was significantly lower than female patient's; patients with no religious belief also had a lower HbA1C value than patients with a religious background; (3) there were strongly negative correlations between self-care behaviors, social support, and self-efficacy and HbA1C; (4) using a multiple stepwise regression analysis, religious belief and self-care behaviors were found to explain 10.9% variance of HbA1C level. The results of this study could be used as a reference for diabetes health education program.     

Preweaning growth traits for Senepol, Hereford, and reciprocal crossbred calves and feedlot performance and carcass characteristics of steers

We conducted a multiyear study in two phases to determine preweaning performance traits of Senepol (S x S), Hereford (H x H), and reciprocal (S x H and H x S) F1 crossbred calves and feedlot performance and carcass characteristics of steers. In Phase I, from 1985 to 1989, data from S x S (n = 194), H x H (n = 383), and S x H (n = 120) calves were used. Numbers of S x S cows were increased during Phase I so that data from H x S (n = 74) calves could be included in Phase II (1990 to 1992) in addition to S x S (n = 118), H x H (n = 130), and S x H (n = 56) calves. Also during Phase II, feedlot performance and carcass characteristics were determined for S x S (n = 30), H x H (n = 26), H x S (n = 36), and S x H (n = 26) steers. In Phase I, S x S calves had heavier (P < .01) birth weights and heavier (P < .01) 205-d adjusted weaning weights than H x H calves. Birth weights of S x H calves were heavier (P < .01) than the mean of the purebred calves, but 205-d adjusted weaning weights did not differ (P > .10). In phase II, direct heterosis was 3.5% for birth weight (P < .05) and 5.1% for 205-d adjusted weaning weight (P < .01). Senepol maternal breed effects were 1.9 kg for birth weight (P < .10) and 37.9 kg for 205-d adjusted weaning weight (P < .01). Levels of direct heterosis, Senepol maternal breed effects, and Hereford direct breed effects were significant for most feedlot performance traits of steer calves that were fed to a common end point. Breeds did not differ (P > .10) for USDA yield and quality grades, and direct heterosis was not significant for Warner-Bratzler shear force. These results demonstrate significant levels of heterosis in preweaning performance between S x S and H x H calves and in feedlot performance of steers. Levels of heterosis were smaller and nonsignificant for most carcass traits including meat tenderness, which did not differ between S x S and H x H steers in this study.     

Whole-body 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) for accurate staging of Hodgkin's disease

BACKGROUND: Staging of Hodgkin's disease (HD) is accomplished by a variety of invasive and non-invasive modalities. This prospective study was undertaken to investigate the value of whole-body positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) in defining regions involved by lymphoma compared with conventional staging methods in patients with HD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fourty-four newly diagnosed patients with HD underwent FDG-PET as part of their initial staging work-up. PET findings were correlated with findings of conventional staging including computed tomography, ultrasound, bone scanning, bone marrow biopsy, liver biopsy and laparotomy. When results of FDG-PET differed to those obtained by conventional methods reevaluation was performed by biopsy, if possible, or magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: The results of FDG-PET were compared with three hundred twenty-one conventional staging procedures performed in 44 patients. FDG-PET was positive in 38 of 44 (86%) patients at sites of documented disease. PET detected additional lesions in five cases previously not identified by conventional staging methods. In another case a nodal lesion suspect on CT was negative at FDG-PET and was settled as true negative by biopsy. As a consequence of PET findings five patients had to be upstaged and one patient had to be downstaged, resulting in changes in treatment strategy in all six cases (14%). FDG-PET failed to visualize sites of HD in four patients. In two of our patients a false positive PET result was obtained. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that FDG-PET provides an imaging technique that appears to visualize involved lesions in most patients with HD and is useful in the management of these patients.     

Placing a bone graft more posteriorly may reduce the risk of pedicle screw breakage: analysis of an unexpected case of pedicle screw breakage

Studies on collagen in heart are important to understand the pathogenesis of myocardial necrosis and to evaluate cardiac function in infarcted heart. The present study has been undertaken to find out the alterations in collagen types in heart as well as serum proteins during myocardial injury in rats. A decreased collagen content was observed on day one which may be due to increased secretion of collagenase and proteases from inflammatory cells or from the myocardium. The changes noticed in the collagen types (I, III and V) indicated the altered elasticity of the heart. Histological studies were observed to correlate well with the biochemical changes in collagen. Evaluation of myocardial collagen could provide new approaches to the treatment of infarct size reduction.     

Fluorimetric determination of monobromobimane and o-phthalaldehyde adducts of gamma-glutamylcysteine and glutathione: application to assay of gamma-glutamylcysteinyl synthetase activity and glutathione concentration in liver

The reversed-phase HPLC separation of fluorescent o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) derivatives has been applied to the assay of hepatic gamma-glutamylcysteine and glutathione (GSH) levels and the enzymes producing these peptides. The method has been compared to the assay using monobromobimane (MB) as the derivatizing agent. The OPA method has the advantage of faster derivatization, the lack of need to adjust the pH, isocratic separation and selectivity for GSH and gamma-glutamylcysteine. The MB method requires pH adjustment following derivatization and gradient elution chromatography. MB is also non-selective, yielding fluorescent derivatives of all biological thiols and more interfering peaks on the chromatogram. MB-based analyses are also approximately sixty times more expensive per sample. MB yields fluorescent degradation products on exposure to light. OPA adducts are stable for up to ten days when stored at -20 degrees C. OPA detection is sensitive to 12.5 pmol in the sample, at a signal-to-noise ratio of 2.5. The two methods correlate well. Hepatic gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase in the same liver preparation was found to be 4.85 +/- 0.47 nmol min-1 mg-1 protein by the OPA method and 4.42 +/- 0.52 nmol min-1 mg-1 protein by the MB method. GSH concentrations were found to be 90.4 +/- 6.5 nmol/mg protein for the OPA method and 92.5 +/- 3.4 for the MB method.     

Relationship between mutagenic effects of drinking water and incidence of liver cancer in Fusui County--a prevalent area

Relationship between mutagenic activity of drinking water and incidence of liver cancer was studied in Fusui County with micronucleus technique in the root tips of vicia faba. Results showed there existed substance that caused chromosome aberration in the drinking pond water of Fusui County. Micronucleus effects on the root tips of vicia faba induced by the substance in different kinds of drinking water coincided with the incidence of liver cancer (r = 0.86, P < 0.05). It suggested the existence of these chemical mutants in the water may be one of the important factors that caused high incidence of liver cancer. It provided experimental evidence for the etiological theory of liver cancer caused by the pollution of drinking water.     

Temperature monitoring

Central temperature is usually tightly regulated in human beings. Anesthesia alters the normal thermoregulatory controls of the body. Intraoperatively, mild degrees of hypothermia may provide some cerebral protection. However, the risk of organ dysfunction and shivering require that the anesthesiologist be prepared to treat severe hypothermia. Appropriate measures such as warning the operating room and using forced air blankets can prevent both intraoperative hypothermia and postoperative shivering. The use of temperature measurement is not limited to the operative and immediate recovery periods. Anesthesiologists practicing in intensive care units and in pain clinics use temperature monitoring as a diagnostic tool in a variety of situations.     

The function of adenosylcobalamin in the mechanism of ribonucleoside triphosphate reductase from Lactobacillus leichmannii

BACKGROUND: Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is a proinflammatory cytokine found in abundance in diseased intestine. AIMS: The T cell production of TNF-alpha and the impact of this cytokine on intestinal T cell proliferation, migration, and cytotoxicity were studied. METHODS: Intestinal lymphocytes from normal jejunum were used. TNF-alpha production in culture supernates was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Lymphocyte proliferation was measured using 3H thymidine uptake; migration, using transwell chambers; and cytotoxicity of HT-29 colon cancer cells, using the chromium-51 release assay. RESULTS: TNF-alpha was produced mainly by the CD8+ T cells in the intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) and the CD4+ T cells in the lamina propria lymphocytes in response to CD2 stimulation: 478 (94) and 782 (136) pg/ml, respectively. TNF-alpha (1 ng/ml or greater) augmented proliferation of IEL in response to interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-7, or antibody to CD3 due to increased activation that did not involve IL-2 production or receptor generation. Conversely, antibody to TNF-alpha reduced IEL proliferation in response to IL-2 or IL-7. TNF-alpha also induced calcium mobilisation and chemokinesis (by 2.8 (0.5) fold over spontaneous migration). TNF-alpha had no effect on lymphokine activated killer cell activity. CONCLUSIONS: TNF-alpha increases the proliferation and migration of IEL, which may expand their number in the epithelium.