Atrophy of the corpus callosum associated with cognitive impairment and widespread cortical hypometabolism in carotid artery occlusive disease

BACKGROUND: The independent influences of small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth and old age on mucosal immunoglobulin production and secretion have not been assessed. This is an important issue, since luminal IgA deficiency may exacerbate small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth, the prevalence of which is high in selected elderly populations. METHODS: Proximal small-intestinal aspirates were obtained from 33 subjects for bacteriologic analysis and measurement of total IgA, IgM, total IgG. IgG subclass, and IgD concentrations. IgA subclasses were measured in 24 unselected subjects. Serum immunoglobulin and salivary IgA concentrations were measured in all subjects. RESULTS: IgA2 and IgG3 were predominant IgA and IgG subclasses in proximal small-intestinal luminal secretions. Luminal concentrations of IgA2 and IgM, but not IgG3 or any other IgG subclass, were significantly increased in small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth, which was present in 19 of 33 (57.6%) subjects. Old age did not influence these levels. Luminal immunoglobulin concentrations did not correlate significantly with either serum or salivary values. IgD was not measureable in proximal small-intestinal secretions. CONCLUSIONS: Increased luminal concentrations of the secretory immunoglobulins, IgA2 and IgM, occur in small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Local investigation is mandatory when assessing the mucosal immunopathology of this disorder. Luminal IgG3 is unlikely to be predominantly derived from serum. Old age does not independently influence luminal immunity.     

Organization of quasi-consecutive retrieval files

In 1972, Ghosh introduced the consecutive retrieval (CR) file organization. It is an efficient file organization in which all records pertinent to a query are consecutively stored on linear storage locations.In this paper, we introduce the quasi-consecutive retrieval (QCR) file organization. The QCR file organization is an extension of Ghosh's CR file organization and normally offers less redundancy. In the QCR file, all the records pertinent to each query are not necessarily stored consecutively, but rather they are stored within an area of the buffer size.In this paper, we discuss graph theoretic properties of CR files and QCR files by using the properties of interval graphs well known in graph theory. We provide a basic condition for the existence of a QCR file without redundancy for a given buffer size. By introducing redundant queries, such a condition is simplified.Furthermore, a heuristic computer algorithm is given to organize a QCR file with less redundancy for a given buffer size.     

Study on skin roughness caused by surfactants: II. Correlation between protein denaturation and skin roughness

An attempt to determine protein denaturing potency of typical surfactants has been made by measuring specific rotation of bovine serum albumin. The potencies obtained were examined in relation to the intensities of skin roughness in vivo caused by the surfactants, and a noticeable correlation was found between them. This fact also suggested that the cause of skin roughness may be attributed to a certain extent to adsorption of surfactants. In addition, this technique is very useful in predicting the skin roughening potency of a surfactant without using human skin.     

Gas and vapor permeability of perfluoroalkylated polymers

Summary Three polymers bearing benzene rings: polystyrene, poly(2,6-dimethyl-p-phenylene oxide) and poly(diphenylacetylene), were chemically modified with bis(heptafluorobutyryl) peroxide. The heptafluoropropylated products have higher gas permeabilities than the parent polymers. In the pervaporation of aqueous ethanol, modified poly(diphenylacetylene) showed ethanol permselectivity.     

Production of gamma-aminobutyric acid by cheese starters during cheese ripening

Nine mixed-strain starters were examined for their abilities to produce gamma-aminobutyric acid. Six commercial starters were found to produce gamma-aminobutyric acid in a skim milk culture. The bacterium that produced gamma-aminobutyric acid was isolated from the mixed-strain starters, identified as citrate-utilizing Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis (formerly L. lactis ssp. lactis biovar diacetylactis) and designated as strain 01-7. A cell extract showed glutamate decarboxylase activity, for which the optimum pH was 4.7. In pH-controlled cultivation, gamma-aminobutyric acid was generated at pH 5.0 but not above pH 5.5. Cheeses were prepared experimentally using strain 01-7 to determine the relationship between the pH values and the production of gamma-aminobutyric acid during cheese ripening. gamma-Aminobutyric acid increased linearly in the experimental cheeses as the pH of the cheese decreased. Based on these results, gamma-aminobutyric acid was concluded to be produced by the cheese starters during ripening.     

Some elements comprising particulate matter during summer in waters of various environments in British Columbia, Canada

Multi-elemental traces comprising particulate matter in natural water collected during summer in 1978 and 1979 from British Columbia, Canada, were analyzed by α-particle excited X-ray fluorometry. Common elements from all waters examined were Si, Cl, Ca and Fe. The similarity of their distribution in different aquatic environments was statistically analyzed. They were distributed homogeneously in the marine environment but heterogeneously in the freshwater environments. No heavy metals concerned with the environmental standards were detected for all waters examined.