From the Cleavers to the Clintons: role choices and body orientation as reflected in magazine article content

The media have been heavily implicated as sources of overconcern with body focus, attractiveness, and thinness, primarily for women. Attendant negative consequences are widely assumed. Yet there appears to be a recent media trend to concern with physical health and fitness, rather than just appearance. This trend has not been empirically assessed. Further, previous research has not adequately explored the possibility that there may be an assortment of physical ideals represented in the media, which may vary according to the different audiences being targeted. The current study assessed magazine article content, examining gender differences, time trends, and magazine audience type. Four types of article content were examined: health, fitness, beauty, and weight loss, in an attempt to capture the major aspects of body focus. The numbers of articles containing such content were tallied, over a 12-year period, in a sample of magazines oriented to three distinct audiences: traditional, high fashion, and modern. Huge gender differences were obtained, with female-targeted magazines not surprisingly outstripping male-targeted ones for all content categories assessed. There were also clear differences in content between magazine types. Time-trend analyses indicated a decrease in emphasis on weight loss in women's magazines over the period studied, and a statistical trend for an increase in weight loss focus in men's magazines. We conclude that apparent trends toward healthier habits are not just thinness goals revisited.     

Rapid arrest of seizures with an inhalation aerosol containing diazepam

Diazepam (DZP) and a mixture of Chinese herbs customarily used to treat epilepsy were prepared as an aerosol under the trade name Aerosolum Diaiepami Compositae or Flvalscop (FVS). FVS was studied in a single-blind trial in 101 patients with seizures preceded by an aura and in 19 without an aura to whom was administered by another person. FVS or a control preparation was administered. In 16-22 s, (average 18.5 s), the aura was interrupted and no seizure ensued in 90% of the cases treated with FVS and in 26% of cases treated with the control preparation. Of the 120 patients, 8 had elementary partial seizures with Jacksonian march, 18 had complex partial seizures (CPS), 7 had simple partial seizures with autonomic symptoms, and 87 had secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Eleven patients have now received FVS for 2 years (400 ml each). Forty patients for 1 year (150-200 ml each); none of these patients have shown any side effects or abnormal laboratory findings. An aerosol-administered drug may be a valuable adjunct to the antiepileptic drug (AED) arsenal and merits more extensive evaluation.     

Evaluation of WHO monoclonal antibody kit for diagnosis of acute respiratory viral infections

Isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase (IVD) catalyzes the conversion of isovaleryl-CoA to 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA in the leucine catabolism pathway. The cDNA encoding the mature human IVD polypeptide was cloned in a prokaryotic expression vector, but the level of expression in Escherichia coli was extremely low and attempts to purify the enzyme to homogeneity were unsuccessful. To enhance expression, the nucleotide sequence of 22 codons within the 111-bp region at the 5'-end of the cDNA was altered to accommodate E. coli codon usage without altering the amino-acid coding sequence. The altered IVD cDNA was synthesized by PCR, using a primer containing the desired modifications. Following overnight induction of the E. coli transformed with this cDNA, the enzyme was purified to homogeneity using diethylaminoethyl agarose and high-pressure ceramic hydroxyapatite resins. IVD activity was increased 165-fold in the crude extract of cells containing the modified cDNA, as compared to that containing the wild-type cDNA.     

Should curative surgery be attempted in patients with cancer of the main stem bronchus?

Among tumors of the lung, main stem bronchial cancer offers a particularly unfavorable prognosis, probably because of its rapid extension to the segmental bronchi, trachea, and extrapulmonary structures. However, analysis of data gathered by the End Results Group indicates that survival among those patients with main stem bronchial cancer whose tumor was resected was virtually the same as that of patients with resectable lung cancer of other sites. From these data it is impossible to assess what role, if any, the resection itself played, and a randomized trial would be necessary to determine whether resection improves the probability of patient survival. On the other hand, it is not now advisable to deny resection to patients with operable main stem bronchial tumors (except oat cell tumors) on the basis of the available nonexperimental evidence alone.     

Optimization of the nutrient medium for Actinomyces spheroides--producer of proteolytic enzymes with fibrinolytic activity

Optimization of the medium for growing Actinomyces spheroides producing proteolytic exoenzymes with the fibrinolytic activity was performed by the method of mathematical planning. The composition of the medium is as follows (%): glucose 7.1, sodium citrate, trisubstituted, 0.48; (NH4)2SO4, 0.15; MgSO4, 0.575; KH2PO4, 0.2; ZnSO4, 0.001; FeSO4, 0.002. The fibrinolytic activity of the cultural broth on this medium is three times as high as on the initial medium (7142 units). Changes in the ratio between components of the medium lead to changes in the ratio between the fibrinolytic and caseinolytic activities. Therefore, Act. spheroides, strain 1, produces exoenzymes which differ by their substrate specificity. The ratio between the fibrinolytic and caseinolytic activities of the complex on the optimized medium is twice as high as on the initial medium.     

Diurnal dynamics of the functional state of the nervous system in students of occupational-technical secondary schools

The effect of the proteins and vitamin "D" deficiency in the diet on the formation of the calcium-binding protein (CaBP), absorption of calcium in the small intestine and on the Ca and P content in blood serum of rats was studied. The resulting data demonstrate that hypovitaminosis "D" leads to a significantly reduced formation of CaBP, diminished absorption of tagged C35 in the small intestine and Ca and P level in the blood serum. The decline of these values is observed in cases of protein deficiency and with rising protein shortage these changes become more marked. A further fall of the CaBP level, of the labelled calcium absorption and of the serumal Ca and P is observed with simultaneous action on the organism of the proteins and vitamin "D" deficiency.     

Basis of pulmonary toxicity associated with cationic lipid-mediated gene transfer to the mammalian lung

Studies have indicated that although abundant levels of transgene expression could be achieved in the lungs of mice instilled with cationic lipid:pDNA complexes, the efficiency of gene transfer is low. As a consequence, a relatively large amount of the complex will need to be administered to the human lungs to achieve therapeutic efficacy for indications such as cystic fibrosis. Because all cationic lipids exhibit some level of cytotoxicity in vitro, we assessed the safety profile of one such cationic lipid, GL-67, following administration into the lungs of BALB/c mice. Dose-dependent pulmonary inflammation was observed that was characterized by infiltrates of neutrophils, and, to a lesser extent, macrophages and lymphocytes. The lesions in the lung were multifocal in nature and were manifested primarily at the junction of the terminal bronchioles and alveolar ducts. The degree of inflammation abated with time and there were no apparent permanent fibrotic lesions, even in animals that were treated at the highest doses. Analysis of the individual components of the complex revealed that the pulmonary inflammation was primarily cationic lipid-mediated with a minor contribution from the neutral co-lipid DOPE. Associated with the lesions in the lungs were elevated levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) that peaked at days 1-2 post-instillation but resolved to normal limits by day 14. Total cell counts, primarily of neutrophils, were also significantly elevated in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids of GL-67:pDNA-treated mice between days 1 and 3 but returned to normal limits by day 14. No specific immune responses were detected against the cationic lipid or plasmid DNA in mice that had been either instilled or immunized with the individual components or complex, nor was there any evidence of complement activation. These studies indicate that a significant improvement in the potency of cationic lipid:pDNA formulations is desirable to minimize the toxicity associated with cationic lipids.