Halothane genotype, pre-slaughter handling and stunning method all influence pork quality

Seventy-six Landrace and four Large White × Landrace pigs (n=80) of 90-134 kg liveweight were randomly allocated to a 2×2×2 factorial experiment to determine the effect of halothane genotype [heterozygous for the halothane gene (Nn) and homozygous dominant (NN)], pre-slaughter handling (minimal and negative) and stunning method (CO(2) stunning and electrical) on pork quality. The rate of muscle pH decline post-slaughter of the m. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle was faster in Nn pigs compared with NN pigs (0.86 and 0.30 pH units/h, respectively). Pork from Nn pigs was also paler in colour, had higher percentage drip loss and purge and lower sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar protein solubility compared with NN pigs. Pork from CO(2) stunned pigs had a lower drip loss compared to pork from electrically stunned pigs (5.80 and 7.28%, respectively?- means of both genotypes combined). Tenderness of pork assessed at 24 h post-slaughter was not influenced by genotype, pre-slaughter handling or stunning method. However, pork from Nn pigs aged for 5 days post-slaughter was less tender than NN pigs (5.84 and 4.84 kg, respectively). Pale, soft and exudative pork was produced in all negatively handled Nn pigs, regardless of stunning method. The average amount of ecchymosis-affected muscle trimmed from carcasses of electrically stunned pigs was higher compared to pigs stunned with CO(2) (65 and 0.7 g, respectively). These data indicate that although halothane status was the most important factor influencing pork quality, pre-slaughter handling and stunning method also influenced meat and carcass quality.     

Estimating Outages Due to Polarization Mode Dispersion Using Extreme Value Statistics

Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) is a time varying phenomenon, which in a network can result in system outages. In this paper, it is demonstrated that the method of extreme value statistics can be used to model the occurrence of these rare events. The extreme value behavior of the bit error rate (BER) due to PMD is analyzed both theoretically and experimentally, revealing that the logarithm of the BER follows a Gumbel distribution     

Maximum-tolerated dose, toxicity, and efficacy of (131)I-Lym-1 antibody for fractionated radioimmunotherapy of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

PURPOSE: Lym-1, a monoclonal antibody that preferentially targets malignant lymphocytes, has induced remissions in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) when labeled with iodine 131 ((131)I). Based on the strategy of fractionating the total dose, this study was designed to define the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and efficacy of the first two, of a maximum of four, doses of (131)I-Lym-1 given 4 weeks apart. Additionally, toxicity and radiation dosimetry were assessed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients with advanced NHL entered the study a total of 21 times. Thirteen (62%) of the 21 entries had diffuse large-cell histologies. All patients had disease resistant to standard therapy and had received a mean of four chemotherapy regimens. (131)I-Lym-1 was given after Lym-1 and (131)I was escalated in cohorts of patients from 40 to 100 mCi (1.5 to 3.7 GBq)/m2 body surface area. RESULTS: Mean radiation dose to the bone marrow from body and blood (131)I was 0.34 (range, 0. 1 6 to 0.63) rad/mCi (0.09 mGy/MBq; range, 0.04 to 0.17 mGy/ MBq). Dose-limiting toxicity was grade 3 to 4 thrombocytopenia with an MTD of 100 mCi/m2 (3.7 GBq/m2) for each of the first two doses of (131)I-Lym-1 given 4 weeks apart. Nonhematologic toxicities did not exceed grade 2 except for one instance of grade 3 hypotension. Ten (71 %) of 14 entries who received at least two doses of (131)I-Lym-1 therapy and 11 (52%) of 21 total entries responded. Seven of the responses were complete, with a mean duration of 14 months. All three entries in the 100 mCi/m2 (3.7 MBq/m2) cohort had complete remissions (CRs). All responders had at least a partial remission (PR) after the first therapy dose of (131)I-Lym-1. CONCLUSION: (131)I-Lym-1 induced durable remissions in patients with NHL resistant to chemotherapy and was associated with acceptable toxicity. The nonmyeloablative MTD for each of the first two doses of (131)I-Lym-1 was 100 mCi/m2 (total, 200 mCi/m2) (3.7 GBq/m2; total, 7.4 GBq/m2).     

Defective repair of oxidative damage in mitochondrial DNA in Down''s syndrome

BACKGROUND: Synthetic homopyrimidine peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) can bind complementary targets in double-stranded DNA, generating strand-displacement complexes, and so offering an opportunity to modulate specific gene expression. Several issues remain to be addressed before these attributes can be exploited in vivo, however. RESULTS: The kinetics of the interaction between a homopyrimidine PNA and a complementary homopurine target on double-stranded DNA were analyzed in the presence or absence of a preformed strand-displacement complex proximal to the target. The complex was established under low salt conditions by the binding of a different homopyrimidine PNA to a target situated adjacent to the first PNA target. These two targets were placed next to each other on opposite strands at distances of 0, 2, 4 and 8 base pairs apart. The presence of a preformed strand-displacement complex near the target accelerates the binding of PNA to double-stranded DNA in a salt-dependent manner. The influence of salt on the binding rates was also examined. The binding rate is increased by a factor of 1 x exp(70[NaCl]), that is, 16-fold at 40 mM NaCl and more than 10(4)-fold if extrapolated to 140 mM NaCl. This effect is significantly reduced if the two targets are 2 base pairs apart and completely absent if the distance is 4 base pairs or more. CONCLUSIONS: The perturbation of the DNA helix imposed by a PNA strand-displacement complex only propagates a few base pairs. It is therefore possible to target sites in the immediate vicinity of strand invasion complexes specifically. The results presented have implications for the mechanism of strand displacement and for the application of PNA in a genomic context.     

Fever in intensive care: keep medications in mind at all times

In two patients, men aged 35 and 69 years admitted postoperatively to the intensive care unit, fever of unknown origin developed. One had been admitted because aspiration was suspected. He had been treated immediately with amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. The other had undergone oesophageal excision and gastric reconstruction because of oesophageal carcinoma and had been subjected to antibiotic decontamination (amphotericin B, norfloxacine en fungizone). No cause for the fever was detected, but it quickly subsided after discontinuation of the amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and the norfloxacine, respectively. When encountering fever of unknown origin in intensive care patients it is always important to think of drug fever.     

Tuberculosis cutis miliaris disseminata due to multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in AIDS patients

Two patients with AIDS and disseminated tuberculosis characterized by cutaneous involvement are reported. They developed a maculopapular skin eruption, from which a multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain was isolated. In both cases the clinical course was rapidly fatal. Tuberculosis cutis miliaris disseminata should be differentiated from the skin lesions frequently seen in HIV-infected patients, especially from folliculitis. In patients with tuberculosis, the appearance of cutaneous lesions may be due to the haematogenous dissemination of mycobacteria. Therefore, early identification of the causative organism by use of optimal microbiological methods is fundamental.