Under the mantle of science.

Presents the authors' views of the debate on false memory syndrome in light of the article by K. S. Pope (see record 83-37387). The authors highlight the need to move the debate from the political realm to the scientific realm, and to apply the standards of scientific inquiry and integrity to all claims made by those who would have their message conveyed with the validating stamp of "science," including the False Memory Syndrome Foundation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of small and large bowel in renal transplantation

The continued success of renal transplantation has provided a higher quality of life for properly selected patients with ESRD. It is also a much more cost-effective and efficient treatment of ESRD compared with chronic dialysis. Innovative urologic reconstructive surgery using enteric segments for both continent and incontinent urinary diversions has permitted this therapeutic modality to be offered to the recipient with lower urinary tract disease not previously amenable to renal transplantation. These same reconstructive techniques using ileal segments have also permitted preservation of renal allografts with previously nonreconstructable renal pelvic or ureteral disease.     

Probabilistic analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data

Probability theory is applied to the analysis of fMRI data. The posterior distribution of the parameters is shown to incorporate all the information available from the data, the hypotheses, and the prior information. Under appropriate simplifying conditions, the theory reduces to the standard statistical test, including the general linear model. The theory is particularly suited to handle the spatial variations in the noise present in fMRI, allowing the comparison of activated voxels that have different, and unknown, noise. The theory also explicitly includes prior information, which is shown to be critical in the attainment of reliable activation maps.     

A descriptive study of visits by animal health specialists in pig farming: type, frequency, and herd-health management factors

This research was carried out to analyse the visits specialists of the Dutch Animal Health Service made to growing and fattening pig farms. The type and frequency of the visits and identified herd-health management factors that did not meet accepted standards were investigated. In total 373 visit reports were studied. The majority of the visits (n = 306 of 373) were made to investigate the cause of health, welfare, and performance problems ('problem-solving visits'). Respiratory disorders were the main reason for requesting a specialist to assess farm conditions and management (n = 156). In the other 67 of 373 visit reports the specialists screened for herd-health management factors that did not meet standards for the prevention of disease ('screening visits'). For both types of visits, the main factors detected were abrupt changes in feeding regimens (e.g. changes in feed type, feed composition or feed supplier) (37%), inadequate measures to prevent introduction of pathogens by people and trucks (83%), and incorrect adjustment of the ventilation system (58-60%). The specialists focusing on housing-climate management, identified the majority of factors in an equal number irrespective of whether the visit was a problem-solving visit or a screening visit. This implies that even on farms that appear not to have health or performance problems, factors that relate to disease are present and may cause problems sooner or later. Although veterinary practitioners and other farm advisors assist farmers in their management to optimize herd health, the findings of the research suggest that advisors could provide additional support in situations where environmental and managerial factors play a role in pig health and performance. The knowledge of advisors about integrated herd-health management can be broadened by means of textbooks, courses, or computer programs.     

Characterization of a human papillomavirus type 16 variant-dependent neutralizing epitope

We have determined that three type-specific and conformationally dependent monoclonal antibodies, H16.E70, H16.U4, and H16.V5, neutralize pseudotype human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) virions in vitro. H16.U4 and H16.V5 neutralized pseudotype virions derived from the German HPV16 variant 114K and the Zairian variant Z-1194 with equal efficiency. In contrast, neutralization of Z-1194 pseudotype virions by H16.E70 was two orders of magnitude weaker than neutralization of 114K pseudotype virions. This difference correlated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reactivity of H16.E70 to L1 virus-like particles of the two variants. A substitution at residue 282 of L1 was responsible for this differential reactivity, suggesting that this residue constitutes part of the H16.E70 epitope.     

Comparison of single-dose oral grepafloxacin with cefixime for treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea in men. The STD Study Group

In a randomized open study, 351 male patients with uncomplicated gonorrhea were given single oral doses of grepafloxacin (400 mg) or cefixime (400 mg). In the 299 microbiologically evaluable patients, urethral infections were cured in 99% (147 of 149) of those receiving grepafloxacin and 97% (145 of 150) of those given cefixime. Eradication rates for both regimens were 100% in the 16% (47 of 299) of participants who were infected with penicillin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae and 97% in the 21% (62 of 299) of participants infected with tetracycline-resistant strains. Grepafloxacin is a well-tolerated alternative to cefixime for treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea in males.     

First-pass metabolism of ethinyl estradiol in dogs and rats

The contraceptive steroid ethinyl estradiol was extensively metabolized when given orally in solution to dogs. It was thought at first that metabolism occurred exclusively in the liver. However, use of standard equations to predict the oral bioavailability of drugs known to be metabolized by hepatic first pass resulted in significantly higher values than those obtained experimentally. To rationalize the data and to determine whether ethinyl estradiol also is metabolized in the gut wall during absorption, metabolism in rats was studied. The drug was administered in solution intraduodenally, intraportally, and intravenously as a bolus by first-order infusion. The results indicate that, in rats, 40% of the drug is metabolized by the gut wall and 79% of the drug in the portal blood is metabolized by the liver intraduodenal administration.