Evaluation of the accuracy of real-time ultrasonic measurements of backfat and loin muscle area in swine using multiple statistical analysis procedures

Real-time ultrasonic measurements of 10th-rib backfat (BF10) and loin muscle area (LMA) were made by a single technician at four mean BW (67.4, 80.3, 93.4, and 104.9 kg) on live hogs to assess the accuracy of predicting carcass measurements before and at slaughter weight. Records were evaluated on 655 purebred barrows and 472 purebred gilts in two tests. Residual correlations-accounting for test, sex, and breed effects, among and between scans and carcass measurements--were moderate to high for BF10 (r=.69 to .82) and LMA (r=.57 to .68), with the largest correlations at 104.9 kg of live weight. Ultrasonic BF10 and LMA were within +/-4 mm and +/-6.45 cm2, respectively, of the corresponding carcass measurement 75.9 and 89.8% of the time. Sex differences for LMA bias were significant (P < .001); ultrasonic LMA was overestimated in barrows by .75 cm2 and underestimated in gilts by .91 cm2. Breed differences were significant (P < .001) for BF10 and LMA bias. Standard errors of prediction (SEP) for BF10 and LMA across the two tests were 3.46 mm and 4.04 cm2, respectively. The SEP for BF10 were 3.60 mm for barrows and 3.19 mm for gilts. The SEP for LMA were 3.77 cm2 for barrows and 4.22 cm2 for gilts. The SEP for BF10 within breeds ranged from 3.25 to 3.72 mm, and for LMA, ranged from 2.98 cm2 to 4.90 cm2. Ultrasound measurements overestimated the carcass measurement by .57 mm for carcasses measuring < 24.1 mm and underestimated by 2.81 mm carcasses with BF10 > 30.3 mm. Ultrasonic LMA overestimated the carcass by 2.35 cm2 in carcasses measuring < 32.5 cm2 and underestimated by 2.29 cm2 in carcasses measuring greater than 37.9 cm2. Results indicate that the magnitude of the carcass measurement affects bias and accuracy of prediction for real-time ultrasonic measurements of BF10 and LMA. The SEP statistic is more consistent in evaluating accuracy of ultrasonic measurement than bias, absolute deviations, and percentage of absolute deviation.     

Intracellular study of interaction of paired-pulse facilitation and late phase of hippocampal long-term potentiation]

Presynaptic paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) rate decreased in most CA1 pyramidal neurones following the long-term potantiation (LTP) induction. The decrease correlated with the LTP magnitude as well as with the initial (pretetanic) PPF rate. The data obtained suggests an involvement of presynaptic mechanisms in maintaining the early and the delayed LTPs.     

Defaults in stereoscopic and kinetic depth perception

This study presents three findings concerning the mechanisms of depth perception. First, the shape of the three-dimensional percept evoked by two-frame motion is defined solely by the rotation component around an axis in the frontoparallel plane; the visual system assigns a default value to this rotation component to arrive at a unique solution. Second, when the visual axes of two eyes are almost parallel, the visual system uses a default vergence value to reconstruct stereoscopic depth. Third, the default vergence and default rotation angles are highly correlated across subjects. This correlation implies that the two modalities share a common scaling default at an internal level.     

Prevalence of renal stones in a population-based study with dietary calcium, oxalate, and medication exposures

Little is known about the epidemiology of renal stones, in spite of the relative frequency of this painful condition. This population-based study examined reported renal stone diagnosis in 1,309 women aged 20-92 years to determine whether renal stones are associated with 1) food or water exposures or 2) lower bone mineral density and an increased likelihood of fractures. Results indicated a renal stone prevalence of 3.4%. The average age at diagnosis was 42 years. Renal stone formation was not associated with community of residence, hypertension, bone mineral density, fractures, high-oxalate food consumption, or ascorbic acid from food supplements. Women with renal stones consumed almost 250 mg/day less dietary calcium (p < 0.01) than did women without stones and had a lower energy intake (p < 0.04). The authors' findings do not support the hypothesis that increased dietary calcium is associated with a greater prevalence of renal stones, nor do they identify renal stones as a risk factor for low bone mineral density. Furthermore, lack of other identifiable environmental correlates and the relatively young age at initial diagnosis suggest that genetic components of renal stone formation need further study.     

On the relationship between the mitochondrial inner membrane anion channel and the adenine nucleotide translocase

The mitochondrial inner membrane anion channel (IMAC) is a transport pathway which is believed to be involved in mitochondrial volume homeostasis. The protein, however, has not been identified. In this paper, we examine the relationship between IMAC and the adenine nucleotide translocator. Many inhibitors of the adenine nucleotide translocase are shown to block IMAC, including Cibacron blue 3GA, bromcresol green, alizarin red S, agaric acid, palmitoyl-CoA, and the fluorescein derivatives erythrosin B, erythrosin isothiocyanate, rose bengal, and eosin Y. The following evidence suggests that Cibacron blue, agaric acid, and palmitoyl-CoA inhibit by binding to a common site. 1) They all only partially block the transport of small anions such as Cl-, NO3-, and HCO3-, but completely block the transport of larger anions such as malonate. 2) They decrease the IC50 values of each other in a manner consistent with competitive binding. 3) N-Ethylmaleimide decreases their IC50 values by a similar extent. 4) Inhibition by all shows no dependence on matrix pH and only a small dependence on medium pH. It is suggested that these agents may selectively bind to an open state of IMAC and inhibit by decreasing its conductance. The physiological nucleotides CoA, NAD+, NADH, NADP+, NADH, and ATP do not inhibit; in fact, IMAC is shown to transport ATP. Despite these similarities between IMAC and the adenine nucleotide translocase, IMAC appears to be a separate entity, since some of the IC50 values differ by up to 8-fold, and carboxyatracyloside, the most selective inhibitor of the adenine nucleotide translocase, has no effect on IMAC. In addition, IMAC is also able to transport AMP, while the adenine nucleotide translocase does not.     

Native valve infective endocarditis in elderly and younger adult patients: comparison of clinical features and outcomes with use of the Duke criteria and the Duke Endocarditis Database

The effect of age on the presentation and outcome of infective endocarditis (IE) is unclear. Many of the available data are based on analyses of mixed populations of patients including intravenous drug users or those with prosthetic valve endocarditis or native valve IE. We used the Duke criteria to compare the characteristics of 44 episodes of definite native valve IE in elderly patients (> 64 years old) with the characteristics of 64 similarly defined episodes of native valve IE in younger, nonintravenous-drug-using adult patients (> 29 years and < 60 years old). Our data suggest that the clinical presentation, characteristics, and outcome of native valve IE are similar for elderly patients and younger adult patients, although elderly patients were hospitalized an average of 12 days longer. Although we found that the occurrence of renal failure and cerebral embolism during an episode of IE was associated with higher rates of death (odds ratios, 4.8 and 4.0, respectively), age was not a significant contributor to mortality.     

Seminar planning guidelines. As I see it

Small local chapter groups can present quality cost effective regional seminars. Key components are dedication of members, teamwork, and a sense of direction. The following guidelines and information can provide a framework for planning and coordinating a seminar.     

Comparison of CT and MR imaging in staging of neck metastases

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether adaptive cytoprotection exists in human intestinal cells under in vitro conditions and what role, if any, endogenous prostaglandins or calcium may play in mediating this protective response. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Adaptive cytoprotection can be defined as that process whereby the administration of a low concentration of a damaging agent, termed a "mild irritant," which by itself is not injurious, can attenuate gastrointestinal mucosal injury subsequently induced by the application of higher concentrations of the same or other necrotizing agents. Despite substantial investigation, the mediator or mediators of adaptive cytoprotection remain poorly understood. METHODS: Postconfluent Caco-2 cells were used in all experiments. Cellular death was quantitated using a dual-component fluorescent assay. Changes in intracellular calcium concentration were quantitated by measuring fluorescent signal changes of the single wavelength calcium indicator (Fluo-3). Finally, prostaglandin E2 release into the media was quantitated by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Pretreatment of Caco-2 cells with low concentrations of ethanol (mild irritant) significantly attenuated injury induced by higher damaging concentrations of ethanol. The protection conferred by the mild irritant was directly dependent on both the concentration of the irritant used and the duration of exposure and was abrogated when cells were pretreated with an endogenous prostaglandin inhibitor (indomethacin) or if the mild irritant was administered in calcium-free media. Cells exposed to ethanol had a significant and concentration-dependent increase in intracellular calcium concentration, an effect that was highly related to cellular injury. Pretreatment with a mild irritant significantly decreased intracellular calcium increases induced by not only ethanol but also by a calcium ionophore (A23187). Cells treated with low concentrations of ethanol demonstrated no significant elevation in prostaglandin E2 release. CONCLUSIONS: Adaptive cytoprotection induced by ethanol exists in human colonocytes under in vitro conditions independent of mucosal blood flow, neural innervation, or circulating humoral factors. The authors' data suggest that this response does not require endogenous prostaglandin synthesis but may involve processes whereby intracellular calcium accumulation is prevented.     

The state of the state mental hospital 1996

OBJECTIVES: This analytical review is intended to update the author's earlier writings on the position of the state mental hospital within the spectrum of services for long-term mental patients and to provide perspective for the next generation of service planners. METHODS: Findings and commentary are organized around four major questions. First, what is the prevailing view of state mental hospitals today, and how does it compare with the view that existed in the first half of this century? Second, what individuals tend to be served in state mental hospitals today? Third, what has been the fate of mentally ill persons who are no longer served in state mental hospitals? Fourth, what is an appropriate role for the state mental hospital in today's uncertain and rapidly changing systems of care? Source material consists of periodical articles suggested in MEDLINE searches, plus newspaper reports, recent books on mental health service systems, and a variety of writings found in the "fugitive" literature generally not indexed in traditional archives. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Individual state mental hospitals vary in the composition of their resident populations, the content of their services, and the overall quality of their care. Although they have been superseded by community-based service structures in some places, they continue in general, as the result of their multifunctionality, to occupy a critical place in systems of care. Renewed efforts to integrate them as full partners within those systems must be undertaken.