Effect of pravastatin treatment on glucose, insulin, and lipoprotein metabolism in patients with hypercholesterolemia

Treatment of patients with type IIA hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP) with pravastatin for 3 months led to significant decreases (p < 0.001) in total cholesterol (7.18 +/- 0.30 to 5.75 +/- 0.30 mmol/L), LDL cholesterol (5.56 +/- 0.33 to 4.02 +/- 0.32 mmol/L), and ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol (6.5 +/- 0.4 to 4.6 +/- 0.4). Decreases of a similar magnitude were also seen in patients with type IIB HLP. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations after an oral glucose load and from 8 AM to 4PM in response to meals were higher in patients with Type IIB HLP, who also had higher steady-state plasma glucose concentrations after an infusion of somatostatin, insulin, and glucose (12.4 +/- 1 vs 5.5 +/- 0.8 mmol/L, p < 0.001). Because steady-state plasma insulin concentrations were similar in both groups, patients with type IIB HLP were relatively insulin resistant. Furthermore, day-long plasma glucose concentrations and insulin resistance were modestly, but significantly (p < 0.01), greater after treatment in both groups. In conclusion, LDL cholesterol metabolism improved in hypercholesterolemic subjects treated with pravastatin, but the hypertriglyceridemia, insulin resistance, relative glucose intolerance, and hyperinsulinemia present in patients with type IIB HLP either did not improve with treatment or was somewhat worse.     

Electrodeposition of Zn-Co alloys with pulse containing reverse current

The electrodeposition of Zn-Co alloy deposits was studied by means of pulse-plating technique. The surface morphologies of Zn-Co alloy deposits were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and an attendant energy dispersive X-ray analyser (EDA) was used to analyse the composition of Zn-Co alloy deposits. Results obtained showed that the average current density and reverse current density amongst all the variables investigated had very strong effects on the cobalt content in the Zn-Co alloy deposits. It is possible to electrodeposit Zn-Co alloy coatings with a very wide cobalt content range of 10-90 wt.% by modulating pulse parameters. Grain size, surface appearance and internal stress in the deposits were also improved significantly by introducing reverse current.     

Rapid diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis by polymerase chain reaction assay of cerebrospinal fluid

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) was used to study prospectively 47 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 45 patients. Twenty CSF samples were from patients with clinically suspected TBM and another 27 samples came from patients without clinically suspected TBM. Mycobacterial DNA was detected in 15 CSF samples (14 from patients with clinically suspected TBM and 1 from a patient not suspected of having TBM). Of the PCR-positive samples, 4 were also positive for mycobacterial culture. However, 32 PCR-negative samples were all culture-negative. All samples were negative for the acid-fast bacillus by direct smear. The single PCR-positive patient in the clinically unsuspected TBM group was initially diagnosed as suffering from aseptic meningitis on the basis of his clinical features. The mycobacterial culture of his CSF specimen was also positive and a revised diagnosis of an aseptic type of TBM was made. The estimations of specificity and sensitivity in this study were 100% and 70% respectively. The results showed that using a PCR to detect mycobacterial DNA in CSF for the early diagnosis of TBM is not only a rapid but also an accurate method.     

Authorship: the coin of the realm, the source of complaints

CONTEXT: Disputes associated with achieving recognition for work done may affect both morale and subsequent resource allocation to medical researchers. OBJECTIVE: To assess authorship disputes brought to the Ombuds Office. SETTING: The Ombuds Office, Harvard Medical School, Dental School, School of Public Health, and affiliated hospitals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Change in number of queries related to authorship between 1991 to 1992 and 1996 to 1997. RESULTS: Disputes increased from 8 (2.3%) of 355 issues brought to the office in 1991 to 1992 to 59 (10.7%) of 551 issues in 1996 to 1997. They also increased from involving 0.06% of the total population of faculty, staff, and students affiliated with the schools in 1991 to 1992 to 0.33% of the total population in 1996 to 1997. Such problems appear to occur more often for women (53% of complaints in 1994-1995 through 1996-1997) and for non-US citizens (21 % of complaints in 1991-1992 through 1996-1997). CONCLUSIONS: Authorship disputes are increasingly frequent. Institutions should increase enforcement of published authorship standards and place more emphasis on managerial skills for laboratory and research department heads.     

Object individuation in infancy: the use of featural information in reasoning about occlusion events

Recent findings by Xu and Carey (1996) indicate that, after seeing two distinct objects (e.g., a duck and a ball) emerge on the opposite sides of a screen, 10-month-olds show no surprise when the screen is removed to reveal one (e.g., a duck) as opposed to two objects (e.g., a duck and a ball). The authors took their results to mean that 10-month-olds are unable to use featural information to individuate objects. The present research examined a different interpretation of the results. This interpretation was based on a distinction between event mapping, in which infants see a sequence of two distinct events and judge whether the two are consistent, and event monitoring, in which infants see a single event and judge whether successive portions of the event are consistent. The present research contrasted infants' performances in event-mapping tasks in which they saw first an occlusion and then a no-occlusion situation (as in Xu & Carey) and in event-monitoring tasks in which they saw only an occlusion situation. It was hypothesized that infants would be more likely to give evidence of correct individuation when tested with the event-monitoring as opposed to the event-mapping tasks. Eight experiments were conducted with infants ages 7.5 to 11.5 months. These experiments yielded two main findings. First, when tested with an event-monitoring task, even 7.5-month-olds give evidence that they can use featural information to individuate the objects involved in an occlusion event. Second, when tested with an event-mapping task, even 9.5-month-olds give evidence that they can use featural information to interpret an occlusion event as long as the event is made extremely simple. These findings give weight to the distinction between event mapping and monitoring and more generally begin to shed light on the fundamental processes involved in infants' formation and use of event representations.     

Molybdate doping of networks in epoxy–silica hybrids: Domain structuring and corrosion inhibition

Epoxy–silica hybrids were prepared from a silane-functionalized resin mixture of two diglycidyl ether bis-phenol A oligomers with different molecular weights, using molybdate anions as dopants for the siloxane domains.     

The breast cancer gene product TSG101: a regulator of ubiquitination?

Sequence analysis is a powerful tool to obtain structural and functional information about genes and their products. Here we show that TSG101, a gene subjected to somatic mutations in breast cancer, contains an amino terminal domain that is a homologue of ubiquitin conjugating enzymes (UBCs) and not, as previously proposed, DNA-binding domains. As the UBC active site residue is replaced in the TSG101 sequence in a similar manner to several other members of the UBC family, we propose a role for TSG101 in regulating the ubiquitination of short-lived gene products.     

Complete nucleotide sequence of the Plasmodium vivax 6 kb element

A small survey confirms that epidural infusions are often prepared by clinicians and solutions may be changed each day because of fears of microbiological contamination. We have assessed the microbiological safety of six mixtures of diamorphine (0.01-1.0%) and bupivacaine (0.1-0.5%) representing the spectrum of clinically useful concentrations for use as extradural infusions. The solutions were studied for antibacterial activity against common contaminants of fluids: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis and a coagulase negative Staphylococcus sp. A saline control was included. Challenge experiments used an inoculum of approximately 5.0 x 10(6) cfu/ml. Mixtures were incubated at 30 degrees C for up to 7 days. Viable counts of all organisms decreased with time for all the formulations tested. Formulations containing 0.5% bupivacaine were rapidly bactericidal, and increasing diamorphine concentrations increased this effect. Formulations with 0.5% bupivacaine had more activity than those with 0.1% bupivacaine. Mixtures of diamorphine and bupivacaine in concentrations used clinically have bactericidal activity against commonly encountered skin organisms. The common practice of changing every day epidural infusions containing these drugs is unnecessary.