Maternal nutrition and socio-economic status as determinants of birthweight in chronically malnourished African women

The birthweight is the most important determinant of mortality and morbidity in the neonatal period and may have an influence on health in adult life. The high rate of low birthweight in developing countries is therefore a major health problem. Maternal malnutrition is usually assumed to be a causal factor but other environmental factors are also involved. In this study we analysed maternal nutritional and socio-economic factors as determinants of birthweight in term infants from a rural African society characterised by a high rate of chronic malnutrition. Relations of maternal weight, gestational weight gain, parity, socio-economic status and infant sex with birthweight were analysed in 1,477 women and child pairs. The selected women were followed from early pregnancy and had an uncomplicated delivery at term of a living singleton child. The gestational weight gain was 5.6 (SD 6.0) kg and the mean birthweight 2.933 kg (SD 408). Maternal weight, representing the maternal long-term nutritional situation, was the most important independent determinant of birthweight, accounting for 13.0% of the variance in birthweight. The weight gain, representing the short-term nutritional situation, explained only 5.6% of the variance. Birthweight increased by 20 g (CI 18-23) for each kg maternal weight and by 15 g (CI 12-18) for each kg gestational weight gained. The socio-economic difference in birth-weight was 153 g (CI 109-196) 88 of which (CI 48-128) remained unexplained after adjustment for differences in maternal weight, parity and gender. Improved long-term nutritional situation and living conditions seems to be the most important prerequisites to counteract low birthweight in developing countries.     

Role of macrophage overactivation in the development of acute pancreatic injury in rats

PURPOSE: To report quantitative changes in the anterior chamber configuration after small-incision cataract surgery with implantation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens by means of ultrasound biomicroscopy. METHODS: We examined the anterior chamber configuration of 20 eyes of 20 patients before and 3 months after small-incision cataract surgery (phacoemulsification and aspiration plus foldable intraocular lens implantation through a 3.0- to 4.0-mm self-sealing wound) by means of ultrasound biomicroscopy. The following variables were measured: the anterior chamber depth at the center of the cornea, the angle-opening distance 250 microns from the scleral spur (AOD250), the angle-opening distance 500 microns from the scleral spur (AOD500), and the trabecular-iris angle. RESULTS: The anterior chamber depth at the center of the cornea, AOD250, AOD500, and trabecular-iris angle increased significantly after surgery. The preoperative anterior chamber depth at the center of the cornea and trabecular-iris angle were negatively correlated with the differences between the postoperative and preoperative values (P < .01). The preoperative values of all variables examined were negatively correlated with the ratios of the postoperative value to the preoperative value (P < .002). CONCLUSIONS: The present results showed that small-incision cataract surgery significantly deepened the anterior chamber and widened its angle. The more shallow the preoperative anterior chamber was, the greater the postoperative change of the chamber was; and the more narrow the preoperative angle was, the greater the postoperative change of the angle was.     

Haemangiopericytoma of the nasal cavity

Haemangiopericytoma of nose and paranasal sinuses is relatively uncommon tumour. It occurs in adults in sixth and seventh decades of life. In view of paucity of intranasal haemangiopericytoma old in Indian literature and young age of patient, we are reporting one case in 28-year-old female who presented with recurrent, profuse epistaxis.     

Thoracic lymphangiomatosis

The prognostic value of p53 protein in tumor extracts as measured by ELISA was studied retrospectively in 228 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The assay measures both wild-type and mutated p53. The specimens on which this study was performed have been used earlier to analyze the prognostic impact of components of the plasminogen activation system, which enabled an analysis of relationships between these components and p53 protein. The median of the p53 protein values in the 228 patients was 0.10 (range, 0-0.70) ng/mg protein. Survival analysis comparing patients with p53 levels below versus above the median showed no significant difference (P = 0.67). When analyzing the histological types, adenocarcinoma (n = 106), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 84), and large cell carcinoma of the lung (n = 38) separately, similarly, no significant differences in survival between patients having low versus high tumor p53 levels were found. When comparing levels of p53 protein in the three histological types, a significant difference (P < 0.0001) was found, with adenocarcinomas having the lowest levels. There was a weak positive correlation (r = 0.22) between p53 protein and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1). Multivariate analysis proved no impact of p53 on survival; tumor size, PAI-1, and lymph node involvement were the only variables with significant influence on survival. These data indicate that p53 protein quantitated with a sandwich ELISA in tumor extracts from NSCLC has no prognostic value, but the observed statistically significant difference of p53 protein content between histological subgroups may be related to differences in etiology and biology in different NSCLC subtypes. In addition, the weak association found between p53 protein and the independent prognostic marker PAI-1 could suggest yet undefined interactions in lung cancer.     

Interaction of a free-living soil nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, with surrogates of foodborne pathogenic bacteria

Free-living nematodes may harbor, protect, and disperse bacteria, including those ingested and passed in viable form in feces. These nematodes are potential vectors for human pathogens and may play a role in foodborne diseases associated with fruits and vegetables eaten raw. In this study, we evaluated the associations between a free-living soil nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Escherichia coli, an avirulent strain of Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria welshimeri, and Bacillus cereus. On an agar medium, young adult worms quickly moved toward colonies of all four bacteria; over 90% of 3-day-old adult worms entered colonies within 16 min after inoculation. After 48 h, worms moved in and out of colonies of L. welshimeri and B. cereus but remained associated with E. coli and Salmonella Typhimurium colonies for at least 96 h. Young adult worms fed on cells of the four bacteria suspended in K medium. Worms survived and reproduced with the use of nutrients derived from all test bacteria, as determined for eggs laid by second-generation worms after culturing for 96 h. Development was slightly slower for worms fed gram-positive bacteria than for worms fed gram-negative bacteria. Worms that fed for 24 h on bacterial lawns formed on tryptic soy agar dispersed bacteria over a 3-h period when they were transferred to a bacteria-free agar surface. The results of this study suggest that C. elegans and perhaps other free-living nematodes are potential vectors for both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, including foodborne pathogens in soil.     

Influence of body segment dynamics on loads at the lumbar spine during lifting.

Flexion-extension moments acting at the L5/S1 level and hip joints were calculated using three different techniques; a pure static analysis, a static analysis including the inertial force of the load, and a dynamic analysis. Ten subjects participated in the study and were asked to lift a box weighing either 50 N or 150 N, using a freestyle technique. The lifts were performed at normal and fast speed. The intra-subject lifting techniques were consistent when lifting the same loads. The moments predicted by the dynamic analysis and the static analysis were the same when holding weights in static postures. When performing the lifts, differences in the peak moments occurred between static and dynamic analyses. These differences were influenced by external load and by lifting speed. Taking the effect of the inertia of load into account in the static analysis resulted in an increase in the moment magnitude, but the predicted moment was still much less than in the dynamic analysis which yielded the largest moment magnitudes. The difference between dynamic and static analysis was greatest when lifting 50 N at fast speed; an 87% increase in L5/S1 moment and a 95% increase in hip moment was observed when replacing the pure static with a dynamic analysis.     

Food intake after gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma: the role of a gastric reservoir

Patients with carcinoma of the stomach who underwent curative resection were randomized to total gastrectomy (n = 49), total gastrectomy and an S-shaped gastric substitute (n = 28) or subtotal gastrectomy (n = 12); all had a Roux-en-Y reconstruction. The gastric substitute and gastric remnant allowed a volume of 400-500 ml to be installed without increments in basal pressures. The corresponding volume in the Roux limb was 100 ml. Energy intake was approximately 120 kJ/kg preoperative weight per day 3 months after operation, and then remained constant. Patients who had subtotal gastrectomy ate less (91.7 kJ/kg preoperative weight) 3 months after operation, but thereafter increased their intake. Patients allocated to have a gastric pouch or subtotal gastrectomy complained more frequently of adverse postprandial symptoms (P < 0.03) as a major cause of reduced calorie intake. The construction of a gastric reservoir did not improve nutritional adaptation after surgery for gastric carcinoma.