Detection of fatty acid beta-oxidizing syntrophic bacteria by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

A new 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probe, specific for the cluster of fatty acid beta-oxidizing syntrophic bacteria of the family Syntrophomonadaceae was designed for fluorescence in situ hybridization. This probe was evaluated with target as well as non-target cultures. Moreover this probe was assessed with butyrate and oleate degrading enrichment cultures and methanogenic sludges from full-scale plants. The results showed that the probe revealed the presence of fatty acid beta-oxidizing syntrophic bacteria in some of the samples analyzed. However, cell quantification was possible only in enrichment cultures and in a flocculent sludge from a reactor that treats lipid-rich wastewaters, but not in methanogenic granular sludges from upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors.     

Child health and the social environment of white and black children

Both poverty and other factors associated with race are related to child health. However, the mechanisms of these relationships have not been adequately specified. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of the social environment to child health status in black and white children and further, to explore whether the patterns of the effects of social class were different by race. This study provides further evidence that the social environment is strongly associated with child health status. Several risk factors are similar for both white and black children: mothers who view their own health as fair or poor are much more likely to rate their children in poor health. The presence of childhood chronic medical conditions is independently associated with poor health status regardless of race. However, the relative importance of several social risks for poor health status differs between white and black children. Specifically, while low family income is a consistent risk factor for poor health among white children, low income alone is not a risk factor for black children. Among black children, other social risks that are associated with poverty, such as low maternal education and a mother's perception of her own health as poor, increased the risk of poorer health in the child.     

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes: from physiopathology to treatment

Non-insulin-dependent (or type 2) diabetes mellitus is a common, underdiagnosed and growing disease in our society. It is responsible for increased morbidity and mortality and represents an important public health problem. This polygenic disease is often expressed late in life and its evolution is accelerated by environmental factors leading to obesity. It combines defects in both insulin secretion and insulin action, and such defects are present in various proportions according to the type of patient and the stage of the disease. Diet and physical activity recommendations are the basis of the treatment. Current pharmacological approaches aim at improving insulin secretion and/or insulin cellular action. After secondary failure to oral drugs, insulin therapy should be initiated, the patient becoming "insulin-requiring". A synergy should be searched in the combination of various therapeutic modalities in order to improve the glycaemic control.     

Low linolenate and commercial soybean oils diminish serum HDL cholesterol in young free-living adult females

OBJECTIVE: A mutant soybean line (A16) low in linolenic acid content (2% of oil by weight) was developed to increase oil oxidative stability. It was unknown whether serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in humans would be affected should A16 soybean oil (A16 oil) replace commercial soybean oil in diets. This study was conducted to examine the hypothesis that in free-living normolipidemic women, the consumption of A16 oil at approximately 10% of energy intake (en%) would not affect serum lipids and lipoproteins differently than would the consumption of the same amount of a commercial soybean oil with 7% of linolenic acid content. DESIGN: Fifteen free-living female college students consumed the soybean oil daily with regular meals for 9 weeks in different orders, with each test oil being eaten for 3 weeks. During the study, 13 en% was provided by each test oil and a total of 35 en% was from dietary fat. Serum concentrations of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL cholesterol), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) and triacylglycerides (TAG) were measured. Serum total fatty acid patterns were analyzed as well. RESULTS: Each of the three test oils decreased serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and TAG concentrations from the baseline values. The feeding of A16 and commercial soybean oils decreased serum HDL cholesterol significantly compared with coconut oil (p < 0.05). Dietary inclusion of coconut oil increased serum myristic acid significantly more than did either soybean oil (p < 0.01). Serum arachidonic acid concentrations were significantly greater with A16 consumption than with commercial soybean oil consumption (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A16 and commercial soybean oils both diminished serum HDL cholesterol. Although the fatty acid composition differed between the two soybean oils, A16 oil and commercial oil had similar effects on serum concentrations of lipoproteins and lipids. With increased oxidative stability, A16 oil is a good alternative to commercial soybean oil.     

Perichondritis of the ear as a complication of acupuncture

A 54-year-old woman developed pain, tenderness, and swelling at the site where a short acupuncture needle had been placed in the helix of the pinna. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from this LESION. Which was treated with removal of the needle and intravenously administered nafcillin. The patient recovered completely and had no scarring.     

Vulvar histology after neutral red photoinactivation of herpes simplex virus

The use of photodynamic dye and light inactivation for the treatment of genital herpes simplex virus infections has been associated with the risk of potential oncogenesis. Sixteen patients treated with neutral red and fluorescent light for documented herpetic infections were studied at intervals ranging from 9 to 52 months following treatment. Four patients treated with other modalities were included in the study. Biopsies of the treated areas were obtained, and 3925 tissue sections were examined. Mild atypical epithelial changes were focally present in most specimens regardless of therapy. Histologically identifiable premalignant change could not be demonstrated.     

Satiety elicited by the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin-pancreozymin in normal and VMH-lesioned rats

The frequency and severity of CNSLD was studied in workers of an Hungarian firm (Ganz-Mavag) by means of questionnaire. Symptoms of CNSLD can be found more frequently in workers with air pollution than in those without. The symptoms of CNSLD show an age-dependence with regard to frequency and grade of severity, the single symptoms of CNSLD not occurring simultaneously and changing in their proportional frequency.