Allergic alveolar diseases. Problems in diagnosis and management

One of the diagnostic possibilities to consider when a patient presents with cough, fever, dyspnea, or pulmonary infiltrates is hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Some of the problems encountered in diagnosis of diffuse lung disease are illustrated in two case reports. In one of the cases, interstitial pneumonitis of insidious onset was attributed to inhalation of thermophilic organisms in moldy silage. In the other, the outstanding pathologic feature was bronchiolitis obliterans, and circumstantial evidence pointed to a home humidifier as the source of the problem.     

Removal of a bound ligand from a macromolecule by gel filtration

If a solution of macromolecule of concentration c and volume a, initially saturated with a ligand of dissociation constant K, is gel filtered through a volume v of solution initially free of ligand, the saturation y with which it emerges is given by the equation y-lny-1=Kv/ca.     

Irradiation effects on meat color - a review

Color changes in irradiated fresh meat occur because of the susceptibility of the myoglobin molecule, especially the iron, to alterations in the chemical environment and to energy input. The potential for iron electrons to exist in various states makes the environment adjacent to the iron atom particularly vulnerable to the presence of electron-donating compounds and high energy inputs (irradiation). Initial condition of the myoglobin (Fe(++)O(2), Fe(+++)), modification of oxidation-reduction potential of the tissue, and generation of ligand-forming compounds (CO) from endogenous organic compounds and water are enhanced or suppressed depending on the gas atmosphere, temperature, pH and myoglobin concentration of the system. Generation of stable red pigments or brown pigments which become red over time appears to be due to binding of irradiation-generated reactive oxygen species (()O(2)(-)) or gasses (CO) which become ligands bound by iron under altered reducing conditions. Rapid generation of large amounts of metmyoglobin when irradiation is conducted in an oxygen-containing environment appears to be an acceleration of the normal process by which myoglobin undergoes oxidation. Generation of green pigments appears to be due to breakdown of the porphyrin integrity and/or formation of sulfmyoglobin. Maintenance of ideal meat color during irradiation can be enhanced by various combinations of pre-slaughter feeding of antioxidants to livestock, optimizing the condition of the meat prior to irradiation, addition of antioxidants, gas atmosphere (MAP), packaging, and temperature control.     

Surgical correction of torsion of the penis

Torsion of the penis is a rare anomaly, believed to be due to abnormal skin attachment and not to any structural abnormality of the corpora. The rotation is usually to the left in a counter-clockwise fashion. The urethral meatus is placed in a oblique position and the median raphe makes a spiral curve from the base of the penis towards the meatus. Three boys with congenital torsion of the penis are reported. A corrective operative for this condition is described. Penile torsion was first described by Verneuil in 1857, but in the past no operative correction was recommended, since attempts to move the skin around were believed not to correct the spiral alignment of the corpora cavernosa.     

Liver vitamin A slow release syndrome in cattle with a multiple nutrient imbalance

Data on liver vitamin A concentrations in malnourished, debilitated, down cattle in tropical, northern Australia support the hypothesis that 12% annual cattle mortality was due, in part, to a slow release of liver vitamin A. High Ca and low Zn levels in the legume forage apparently contributed to the slow release. The cattle showed marked sensitivity to sunlight and exhibited problems of sight. The malnourished yearling steers averaged 183.3 micrograms vitamin A/g wet liver vs 152.3 micrograms for steers slaughtered off good green wet season forage. Indications of a slow release of liver vitamin A were that: (1) only 4 to 7 micrograms vitamin A/g liver were in the alcohol fraction or release form; (2) after adjustments for decreases in liver and blood volume in starving animals, blood vitamin A was lowered to 18 micrograms/100 ml, which was low in relation to the adjusted liver vitamin A level of 91.7 micrograms/g, and (3) after adjustments, the liver had released only 1,667 units of vitamin A/day in the dry season, or about 1/4 of maintenance needs. The cattle were grazing a legume forage pasture containing 7.1% protein and no measurable carotene. The forage was deficient in Zn (25 ppm), which would slow the release of liver vitamin A. High Ca levels in the legume forage (.4 to .54%) in combination with low P levels (.11 to .18%) would further aggravate the low Zn level.     

Effect of dietary vitamin E supplementation on textural and aroma attributes of enhanced beef clod roasts in a cook/hot-hold situation

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing vitamin E into the diets of finishing cattle on quality characteristics of beef pumped with a phosphate/salt solution (enhanced) the cooked and held in a simulated foodservice situation. Twelve steers were fed either a control (E-) diet or a diet supplemented with dl-α-tocopheryl-acetate (E+). Paired clod roasts were either used as controls (C) or were pumped (P) to 110% of raw weight to contain 0.4% sodium chloride and 0.4% phosphate in the finished product. Following injection, clods were allowed to equilibrate then frozen. A flavor profile panel evaluated texture attributes and aroma characteristics of roasts immediately after cooking and after 1 and 2 h of hot-holding. Pumping improved taste and textural attributes of the hot-held clod roasts. Dietary vitamin E supplementation reduced thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) from ～0.61 to ～0.42, but over the 2-h time period, did not significantly improve aroma quality of beef roasts.