The value of the D-xylose test compared with the differential sugar absorption test in recognizing coeliac disease

Absorbable stapling devices have been described by several groups for the creation of continent urinary diversions. Experience with these devices in the creation of the LeBag ileocecal orthotopic pouch is described. Use of the staplers simplifies pouch construction and yields functional results similar to hand-sewn reservoirs.     

Far-field analysis of coupled bulk and boundary layer diffusion toward an ion channel entrance

We present a far-field analysis of ion diffusion toward a channel embedded in a membrane with a fixed charge density. The Smoluchowski equation, which represents the 3D problem, is approximated by a system of coupled three- and two-dimensional diffusions. The 2D diffusion models the quasi-two-dimensional diffusion of ions in a boundary layer in which the electrical potential interaction with the membrane surface charge is important. The 3D diffusion models ion transport in the bulk region outside the boundary layer. Analytical expressions for concentration and flux are developed that are accurate far from the channel entrance. These provide boundary conditions for a numerical solution of the problem. Our results are used to calculate far-field ion flows corresponding to experiments of Bell and Miller (Biophys. J. 45:279, 1984).     

Breed group effects on milk production of Brazilian crossbred dairy cows

Lactation records (n = 2362) of 1402 crossbred cows in 22 cooperating dairy herds in southeastern Brazil were evaluated. Cows were mixtures of Zebu (Gir, Guzera, and unknown) and European breeding (mostly Holstein). Lactation milk yields were expressed as total, 3050-d, or deviated 305-d yields, either adjusted or unadjusted for days in milk (DIM). Mean DIM was 280. Arithmetic means unadjusted for DIM were 1942, 1666, and 5 kg per record. Milk yields of daughters from sires of 6/8 and 7/8 European breeds were higher than yields of daughters from sires of 5/8 European breeds when data were either adjusted or unadjusted for DIM. The differences associated with breed group of sire were only slightly reduced when records were adjusted for DIM. There was no evidence of a decline in milk yield as the fraction of European breeding of the sire increased from 6/8 to 7/8. For a given breed group of sire, whether the grandsire was purebred or crossbred had no detectable effect. These results should be useful in determining strategies for crossbreeding of dairy cows in tropical areas, particularly when crossbred sires are used.     

Association of high plasma antioxidant capacity with new lesion formation in carotid atherosclerosis: a prospective study

BACKGROUND: In atherosclerosis, both reductions and elevations in plasma levels of antioxidants have been reported. This study investigated total antioxidant capacity of plasma from subjects with atherosclerotic disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 48 men with or without carotid atherosclerosis. At baseline (1990) carotid arteries were evaluated by duplex sonography and plasma samples were obtained for testing antioxidant capacity by two different test systems. One assay system used neutrophils from healthy volunteers as a source of oxygen free radicals activating the non-fluorescent dichlorofluorescin diacetate in the presence of antioxidant containing plasma from study subjects. In the other test system, total plasma antioxidants were detected colorimetrically by using 2,2'-azino-di-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulphonate), metmyoglobin and superoxide in the presence of plasma. Carotid arteries were re-evaluated for the development of new plaques 5 years later (1995). RESULTS: Increased baseline total antioxidant capacity of plasma was significantly associated with the development of new atherosclerotic lesions during a period of 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Endogenous antioxidant capacity of plasma is increased in patients with active atherosclerotic disease. As scavenging of oxygen free radicals is thought to protect from atherogenesis, elevated antioxidative capacity may represent an adaptive mechanism.     

A study of the lethal and sublethal toxicity of polyphase P-100, an antisapstain fungicide containing 3-iodo-2-propynyl butyl carbamate (IPBC), on fish and aquatic invertebrates

Since pneumotachograph masks are commonly used in studies of speech breathing, the purpose of this study was to measure the differences in respiratory volumetric and frequency measures during speech under two conditions: with and without a circumferentially vented pneumotachograph mask coupled to the face. Thus we sought to identify whether changes in breathing patterns occur with the use of a specific face mask, because these patterns are accepted as representative of normal speech breathing. Subjects were 10 normal-speaking women, each of whom produced a syllable train and a connected speech task, both at comfortable intensity levels. Respiratory measures were made using linearized magnetometers during speech production. The measurements included lung volume, rib cage volume, and abdominal volume at utterance initiation and termination, volume excursions during the utterance, and the number of breath groups during the speech task. There were no significant differences between the mask-on and mask-off conditions in volumetric and frequency measures. A significant task difference for abdominal initiation was found. It was concluded that the use of a circumferentially vented pneumotachograph mask does not alter the reliability of respiratory volume and frequency measures for studies of voice.     

Reduced skin tumor development in cyclin D1-deficient mice highlights the oncogenic ras pathway in vivo

Cyclin D1 is part of a cell cycle control node consistently deregulated in most human cancers. However, studies with cyclin D1-null mice indicate that it is dispensable for normal mouse development as well as cell growth in culture. Here, we provide evidence that ras-mediated tumorigenesis depends on signaling pathways that act preferentially through cyclin D1. Cyclin D1 expression and the activity of its associated kinase are up-regulated in keratinocytes in response to oncogenic ras. Furthermore, cyclin D1 deficiency results in up to an 80% decrease in the development of squamous tumors generated through either grafting of retroviral ras-transduced keratinocytes, phorbol ester treatment of ras transgenic mice, or two-stage carcinogenesis.     

Fuzzy-trace theory and false memory: new frontiers

We describe the origins of fuzzy-trace theory, including Piagetian, interference, information-processing, and judgment and decision-making influences. The contrasting properties of gist and verbatim memory serve as its foundation and, in recent models of spontaneous and implanted false memories, explain seemingly contradictory developmental trends, such as reverse developmental findings, differential time courses for true and false memories, and conflicting effects of trace strength. However, approaches that integrate fuzzy-trace theory with neurological, social, emotional, and motivational perspectives are needed. A method for accomplishing this integration, using the recent models, is introduced and new research that spans these perspectives is discussed. Relations to other contemporary theories, especially source-monitoring and dual-process theories, are also explained. We conclude by rejecting the notion that spontaneous false memories are actually "true" and distinguish gist and verbatim senses of the term "true" that have different consequences in real life.     

Temporal processing of the pitch of complex tones

The effect of tone duration on fundamental frequency (F0) discrimination is greater for complexes containing unresolved harmonics than for those containing resolved harmonics [Plack and Carlyon, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 98, 1355-1364 (1995)]. Three experiments explored this effect further. The first experiment measured sensitivity (as d') to fundamental frequency (F0) differences for two complexes, both with an F0 of 250 Hz. The first complex was low-pass filtered at 1875 Hz to create a resolved complex and the second was bandpass filtered between 5500 and 7500 Hz to create an unresolved complex. The harmonics for the resolved complex were selected so that no two harmonics were the same between the two observation intervals. Performance for both complexes was measured for tone durations of 20, 40, 80, and 160 ms. For the unresolved complex, the effect of duration was greater than that for the resolved complex and greater than the predictions of a "multiple-looks" model assuming either peripheral (before sampling) or central (after combining samples) sources of variance. The second experiment replicated these results using an F0 of 62.5 Hz with the cutoff frequencies of the bandpass filters divided by four, confirming that the effect is related to resolvability and not to spectral region. In the final experiment, F0 discrimination for pairs of complexes separated by a temporal gap was measured relative to that for one complex. Performance for the resolved and unresolved complexes was similar: Very little effect of gap duration was observed and the results were consistent with the predictions of the peripheral-variance multiple-looks model. Taken together, the results suggest that the pitch mechanism for resolved harmonics uses a relatively short sampling window of around 20 ms, while the mechanism for unresolved harmonics may use a more complex strategy for optimizing the combination of information over time, perhaps involving a flexible integration time.     

The lactulose breath hydrogen test and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth

OBJECTIVES: To i) document the sensitivity and specificity of a combined scintigraphic/lactulose breath hydrogen test for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and ii) investigate the validity of currently accepted definitions of an abnormal lactulose breath hydrogen test based on "double peaks" in breath hydrogen concentrations. METHODS: Twenty-eight subjects were investigated with culture of proximal small intestinal aspirate and a 10-g lactulose breath hydrogen test combined with scintigraphy. Gastroduodenal pH, the presence or absence of gastric bacterial overgrowth, and the in vitro capability of overgrowth flora to ferment lactulose were determined. RESULTS: Sensitivity (16.7%) and specificity (70.0%) of the lactulose breath hydrogen test alone for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth were poor. Combination with scintigraphy resulted in 100% specificity, because double peaks in serial breath hydrogen concentrations may occur as a result of lactulose fermentation by cecal bacteria. Sensitivity increased to 38.9% with scintigraphy, because a single rise in breath hydrogen concentrations, commencing before the test meal reaches the cecum, may occur in this disorder. Sensitivity remained suboptimal irrespective of the definition of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth used, the nature of the overgrowth flora, favorable luminal pH, the presence of concurrent gastric bacterial overgrowth, or the in vitro ability of the overgrowth flora to ferment lactulose. CONCLUSIONS: Definitions of an abnormal lactulose breath hydrogen test based on the occurrence of double peaks in breath hydrogen concentrations are inappropriate. Not even the addition of scintigraphy renders this test a clinically useful alternative to culture of aspirate for diagnosing small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.