A dose dependent impact of prebiotic galactooligosaccharides on the intestinal microbiota of healthy adults

The goal of this research was to determine the effect of different doses of galactooligosaccharide (GOS) on the fecal microbiota of healthy adults, with a focus on bifidobacteria. The study was designed as a single-blinded study, with eighteen subjects consuming GOS-containing chocolate chews at four increasing dosage levels; 0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0g. Subjects consumed each dose for 3 weeks, with a two-week baseline period preceding the study and a two-week washout period at the end. Fecal samples were collected weekly and analyzed by cultural and molecular methods. Cultural methods were used for bifidobacteria, Bacteroides, enterobacteria, enterococci, lactobacilli, and total anaerobes; culture-independent methods included denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) using Bifidobacterium-specific primers. All three methods revealed an increase in bifidobacteria populations, as the GOS dosage increased to 5 or 10g. Enumeration of bifidobacteria by qRT-PCR showed a high inter-subject variation in bifidogenic effect and indicated a subset of 9 GOS responders among the eighteen subjects. There were no differences, however, in the initial levels of bifidobacteria between the responding individuals and the non-responding individuals. Collectively, this study showed that a high purity GOS, administered in a confection product at doses of 5g or higher, was bifidogenic, while a dose of 2.5g showed no significant effect. However, the results also showed that even when GOS was administered for many weeks and at high doses, there were still some individuals for which a bifidogenic response did not occur.

New CO2 capture process for hydrogen production combining Ca and Cu chemical loops

This paper presents a new solids looping process for capturing CO2 while generating hydrogen and/or electricity from natural gas. The process is based on the sorption enhanced reforming of CH4, employing CaO as a high temperature CO2 sorbent, combined with a second chemical loop of CuO/Cu. The exothermic reduction of CuO with CH4 is used to obtain the heat necessary for the decomposition of the CaCO3 formed in the reforming step. The main part of the process is completed by the oxidation of Cu to CuO, which is carried out with air diluted with a product gas recycle of this reactor at sufficiently low temperatures and high pressures to avoid the decomposition of a substantial fraction of CaCO3.

EULID project: European living donation and public health

The choice of transplantation from a living donor offers advantages over a deceased donor. However, it also carries disadvantages related to donor risks in terms of health and safety. Furthermore, there are several controversial ethical aspects to be taken into account. Several national and international institutions and the scientific community have stated standards that have great influence on professional codes and legislations. Living organ donation and transplantation are to some extent regulated by parliamentary acts in most European countries. It is necessary to take a step forward to develop a legal framework to regulate all of these processes to guarantee the quality and to prevent illegal and nonethical practices. It is also necessary to develop and implement living donor protection practices not only in terms of physical health, but also to minimize potential impacts on the psychological, social, and economic spheres. Finally, an additional effort should be made to create a database model with recommendations for registration practices as part of the standardized follow-up care for the living donor. The European Living Donation (EULID) project's (http://www.eulivingdonor.eu/) main objective was to contribute to a European consensus to set standards and recommendations about legal, ethical, and living donor protection practices to guarantee the health and safety of living donors.

Optimization proposal of a standard-based patient monitoring platform for ubiquitous environments

This article describes the optimization of a patient telemonitoring platform based on the ISO/IEEE11073 (X73) standard to enable medical device interoperability. In order to achieve this, principal advantages and remaining improvements are evaluated to include in further upgrades towards the new profile evolution, oriented to ubiquitous environments and wearable devices (Personal Health Devices, X73-PHD), and opened to additional plug-and-play features and remote management. After evaluating the possibilities, we describe the platform porting process, a required step to adapt it to the new functionalities and allowing the development of end-to-end standard based systems. The paper details the implementation of the agent-manager architecture, particularized on the X73-PHD communication protocol between a Medical Device (MD) and a central gateway (Compute Engine, CE). Lastly, the obtained results are evaluated, oriented to constitute an X73-PHD tester to prove the challenges currently under discussion in the European Standardization Committee (CEN).

Rheological behaviour and physical properties of controlled-release gluten-based bioplastics

Bioplastics based on glycerol, water and wheat gluten have been manufactured in order to determine the effect that mechanical processing and further thermal treatments exert on different thermo-mechanical properties of the biomaterials obtained. An "active agent", KCl was incorporated in these matrices to develop controlled-release formulations. Oscillatory shear, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), diffusion and water absorption tests were carried out in order to study the influence of the above-mentioned treatments on the physico-chemical characteristics and rheological behaviour of these bioplastic samples. Wheat gluten protein-based bioplastics studied in this work present a high ability for thermosetting modification, due to protein denaturation, which may favour the development of a wide variety of biomaterials. Bioplastic hygroscopic properties depend on plasticizer nature and processing procedure, and may be a key factor for industrial applications where water absorption is required. On the other hand, high water absorption and slow KCl release from bioplastic samples (both of them suitable properties in agricultural applications) may be obtained by adding citric acid to a given formulation, at selected processing conditions.

Implementing ISO/IEEE 11073: proposal of two different strategic approaches

This paper explains the challenges encountered during the ISO/IEEE 11073 standard implementation process. The complexity of the standard and the consequent heavy requirements, which have not encouraged software engineers to adopt the standard. The developing complexity evaluation drives us to propose two possible implementation strategies that cover almost all possible use cases and eases handling the standard by non-expert users. The first one is focused on medical devices (MD) and proposes a low-memory and low-processor usage technique. It is based on message patterns that allow simple functions to generate ISO/IEEE 11073 messages and to process them easily. In this way a framework for MDs can be obtained. Second one is focused on more powerful machines such as data loggers or gateways (aka. computer engines (CE)), which do not have the MDs' memory and processor usage constraints. For CEs a more intelligent and adaptative Plug&Play (P&P) solution is provided. It consists on a general platform that can access to any device supported by the standard. Combining both strategies will cut developing time for applications based on ISO/EEE 11073.

N-terminal CFTR missense variants severely affect the behavior of the CFTR chloride channel

Over 1,500 cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene sequence variations have been identified in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and related disorders involving an impaired function of the CFTR chloride channel. However, detailed structure-function analyses have only been established for a few of them. This study aimed evaluating the impact of eight N-terminus CFTR natural missense changes on channel behavior. By site-directed mutagenesis, we generated four CFTR variants in the N-terminal cytoplasmic tail (p.P5L, p.S50P, p.E60K, and p.R75Q) and four in the first transmembrane segment of membrane-spanning domain 1 (p.G85E/V, p.Y89C, and p.E92K). Immunoblot analysis revealed that p.S50P, p.E60K, p.G85E/V, and p.E92K produced only core-glycosylated proteins. Immunofluorescence and whole cell patch-clamp confirmed intracellular retention, thus reflecting a defect of CFTR folding and/or trafficking. In contrast, both p.R75Q and p.Y89C had a glycosylation pattern and a subcellular distribution comparable to the wild-type CFTR, while the percentage of mature p.P5L was considerably reduced, suggesting a major biogenesis flaw on this channel. Nevertheless, whole-cell chloride currents were recorded for all three variants. Single-channel patch-clamp analyses revealed that the channel activity of p.R75Q appeared similar to that of the wild-type CFTR, while both p.P5L and p.Y89C channels displayed abnormal gating. Overall, our results predict a major impact of the CFTR missense variants analyzed, except p.R75Q, on the CF phenotype and highlight the importance of the CFTR N-terminus on channel physiology.

Detection of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in chicken meat samples by real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification with molecular beacons

A nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) assay based on molecular beacons was used for real-time detection of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in samples of chicken meat. A set of specific primers and beacon probe were designed to target the 16S rRNA of both species. The real-time NASBA protocol including the RNA isolation was valid for both of the cell suspensions in buffered saline and the artificially contaminated chicken meat samples. The presence of rRNA could be correlated with cellular viability, following inactivation of the bacteria by heating, in inoculated chicken meat samples but not in RNase-free cell suspensions.

New Neandertal remains from Cova Negra (Valencia, Spain)

New Neandertal fossils from the Mousterian site of Cova Negra in the Valencia region of Spain are described, and a comprehensive study of the entire human fossil sample is provided. The new specimens significantly augment the sample of human remains from this site and make Cova Negra one of the richest human paleontological sites on the Iberian Peninsula. The new specimens include cranial and postcranial elements from immature individuals and provide an opportunity to study the ontogenetic appearance of adult Neandertal characteristics in this Pleistocene population. Children younger than 10 years of age constitute four of the seven minimum number of individuals in the sample, and this relative abundance of children at Cova Negra is similar that in to other Neandertal sites in Europe and southwest Asia. The recognition of diagnostic Neandertal features in several of the specimens, as well as their western European context and late Pleistocene age, suggests that all the human remains from Cova Negra represent Neandertals. The archaeological evidence from Cova Negra indicates sporadic, short-term occupations of the site, suggesting a high degree of mobility among Neandertals.

C957T DRD2 polymorphism is associated with schizophrenia in Spanish patients

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to confirm whether a homozygous genotype for the C957 allele of the C957T DRD2 gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is associated with schizophrenia in an independent study population.

METHOD

We examined the genotypic distribution of this SNP in a set of clinically ascertained schizophrenic patients (n = 131) and age-matched control subjects (n = 364). Individuals were genotyped using automated analysis of fluorescently labeled PCR products.

RESULTS

The distribution of grouped genotypes for the C957T DRD2 SNP (CC vs. CT, TT) showed that C homozygote genotype was over-represented in our patient sample when compared with control subjects. This difference reaches the statistical significance (chi(2) = 7.0; df = 1; P = 0.008; OR = 2.05; % CI 1.2-3.4).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study provide additional evidence that genetic variation at the DRD2 gene plays an important role in the vulnerability to schizophrenia.

[Intestinal occlusion due to pancreatitis mimicking stenosing neoplasm of the splenic angle of the colon]

Colonic involvement in patients with severe acute pancreatitis or chronic pancreatitis is common and complications such as paralytic ileus, segmental necrosis and pancreatic-colonic fistulae have been described. However, mechanical occlusion of the colon due to pancreatitis is infrequent. We present the case of a 45-year-old man with occlusion of the colon secondary to asymptomatic pancreatitis mimicking a locally advanced stenosing neoplasm of the splenic angle. Ten years prior to the present episode the patient had presented acute alcoholic pancreatitis complicated by a pseudocyst requiring surgery. The current reason for admission was abdominal colic pain and constipation with onset 5 days previously. Contrast enema was administered showing colonic occlusion caused by stenosis at the splenic flexure, suggesting the presence of a neoplasm. Urgent laparotomy showed the presence of a tumor originating in the colon that infiltrated the splenic hilum. Subtotal colectomy and en-bloc splenectomy were performed. Histopathological analysis showed pericolonic inflammation and fibrosis secondary to pancreatitis; the colonic mucosa showed no tumoral infiltration. To date, fewer than 30 cases of this infrequent complication have been published.

Adiponectin values are unchanged during pregnancy in rats

Adiponectin is believed to be a key factor in determining insulin sensitivity. In turn, insulin sensitivity is known to change from an enhanced state in early pregnancy to a reduced one in late pregnancy. A role for adiponectin in these changes has been proposed for mice but questioned for humans. We addressed this issue in rats by measuring adiponectin expression in both visceral and subcutaneous white adipose tissue, together with tissue content and release of the hormone in non-pregnant and in pregnant rats by days 8, 15 and 19 of pregnancy. Plasma concentration was also determined. No differences were found in any of the parameters measured between non-pregnant and pregnant rats at any time of pregnancy despite changes in white adipose tissue mass and insulin sensitivity. Adiponectin was also detected in cerebrospinal fluid at a concentration 1,000 times lower than in plasma, but again no differences were found between non-pregnant and pregnant animals. It is concluded that adiponectin does not play any role in regulating changes in insulin sensitivity during pregnancy in rats.

Orogenital transmission of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C confirmed by genotyping techniques

Urethritis caused by Neisseria meningitidis in heterosexual patients is presumed to occur via orogenital contact, but confirmation has not been possible in most cases. Presented here is a case of urethritis caused by N. meningitidis, serogroup C, and the isolation of the same microorganism from the nasopharynx and endocervix of the patient's sexual partner. The similarity of the urethral and nasopharyngeal isolates' electrophoretic patterns, obtained using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, proves the infection was transmitted via orogenital contact.

Audición y lenguaje en niños menores de 2 años tratados con implantación coclear

BACKGROUND

To compare the auditory abilities and speech performance of children with a profound prelingual bilateral hearing impairment, treated with a cochlear implant (CI) before or after 2 years of age. To analyze the complications arising during the selection process of the children, or as a result of the implantation, programming and follow-up.

METHODS

Prospective cohort single-subject repeated-measures study of 130 children who received an implant at our center. The children were divided into two age groups: 0-2 (n=36), and 2-6 years of age (n=94). Preoperative evaluation included: 1. History, physical exploration, and ENT examination. 2. Neuropaediatric examination, family evaluation, and psychological assessment. 3. Auditory brainstem responses. 4. High resolution computed tomogram of temporal bones. 5. Counseling and informed consent. The children were evaluated prior to, and each year following, the intervention (for up to 5 years), using closed and open-set logoaudiometric tests, and speech perception tests. Speech was evaluated according to the Peabody Picture Vocabulary and Reynell general oral expression scale.

RESULTS

Auditory and speech perception tests improved significantly in all children after CI, regardless of the follow-up time. The infant's performance was better in the group of early implantees. Speech tests showed that the development of children treated before 2 years of age was similar to that of normal children. No additional complications were observed when compared to CI in older children.

CONCLUSIONS

When performed before 2 years of age, CI offers a quicker and better improvement of performance, with no increase in complications when compared with a later intervention.

Auditory capacities in Middle Pleistocene humans from the Sierra de Atapuerca in Spain

Human hearing differs from that of chimpanzees and most other anthropoids in maintaining a relatively high sensitivity from 2 kHz up to 4 kHz, a region that contains relevant acoustic information in spoken language. Knowledge of the auditory capacities in human fossil ancestors could greatly enhance the understanding of when this human pattern emerged during the course of our evolutionary history. Here we use a comprehensive physical model to analyze the influence of skeletal structures on the acoustic filtering of the outer and middle ears in five fossil human specimens from the Middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos in the Sierra de Atapuerca of Spain. Our results show that the skeletal anatomy in these hominids is compatible with a human-like pattern of sound power transmission through the outer and middle ear at frequencies up to 5 kHz, suggesting that they already had auditory capacities similar to those of living humans in this frequency range.

[Home Enteral Nutrition: National Registry 2001]

GOAL

The NADYA-SENPE Working Group analyzed the registered data of patients on Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) in our country, during year 2001.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The data were collected through a closed questionnaire included on our web site (www.nadya-senpe.com). Apart from epidemiological information, the form includes the indication to prescribe this treatment, the specific nutritional treatment used and its duration, access path, complications and readmission rate in hospital, follow-up of the treatment, patient's quality of life and progress. All data were processed and analyzed by the coordinating team.

RESULTS

Twenty two hospitals participated and 3,458 patients, aged 5.6 +/- 4.0 y for those younger than 14 y, and 67.1 +/- 19.5 y for those older than 14 y, were enrolled. Of these patients, 43.4% were diagnosed with neurological diseases and 33.5% with cancer. The mean time on HEN was 6.5 +/- 4.5 months. Oral nutrition was the preferential route (54.5%), followed by nasoenteral tube (32.3%), and in 13.3% ostomy tubes were placed. Polymeric was the formula composition mainly used (85.9%). Patients were followed (71.1%) by the hospital reference Nutritional Support Unit. The complications related to nutrition included mainly the gastrointestinal (0.16 complications/patient), and the mechanical one (0.15 complications/patient). At the end for the year, 48.3% of the patients were in the HEN program, and in 33.3% HEN was finish due to different reasons. In 22.9% of the patients no, o light, discapacity degree was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Neurological diseases and cancer were the more frequent diagnoses in HEN patients. Oral access was the higher feeding route due, probably, to the high prevalence of cancer patients. In spite of the elevated prevalence of neurological diseases, a few number of patients, as previous years, were feed with ostomy tube. Due to the few complications observed, HEN is a safe treatment in our country.

[Effects of sevoflurane on mid-latency auditory evoked potentials and the 95% spectral frequency limit]

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the effects of sevoflurane on mid-latency auditory evoked potentials (MLAEP) and compare them to changes in the encephalographic 95% spectral edge frequency (SEF95).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The effect of sevoflurane on MLAEP and SEF95 was studied in 15 patients. Anesthetic induction was carried out with propofol, remifentanil, and cisatracurium. After anesthetic induction, the patients were ventilated to achieve different expired concentrations of sevoflurane (1%, 1.5%, and 2%) during 3 consecutive 10-minute periods before the start of surgery. SEF95 and the amplitude and latency of the Na, Pa and Nb MLAEP waves were recorded. All the parameters were measured at baseline and during the different expired fractions of sevoflurane.

RESULTS

The increase in sevoflurane concentration was accompanied by a significant decrease in amplitude and a statistically significant increase in latency of the Na, Pa and Nb waves. Likewise, SEF95 decreased significantly. A linear relation was demonstrated between sevoflurane concentration and the variables Na, Pa, Nb and SEF95.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that the effect of sevoflurane on the MLEAP of Na, Pa and Nb is similar to that of other anesthetic gases. Even though the amplitude of the Na, Pa and Nb waves decreased in a dose-dependent way, SEF95 correlated more strongly with sevoflurane concentration.

Epidemiological factors on hymenoptera venom allergy in a Spanish adult population

BACKGROUND

The prevalence and risk factors of hymenoptera venom allergy (HVA) have been studied in several countries. However, there are few studies on the general population and these have very variable results.

METHODS

An observational, prospective and cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 1064 subjects in a total working population of 7887 subjects (Ford factory, Spain) in order to know the prevalence of HVA in this population and the influence of several risk factors in its development.

RESULTS

The rate of exposure to stings was 84.1% (ci 95%: 81.8-86.3%). The prevalence of HVA was 7.6% (ci 95%: 6.1-9.4%), with local severe reactions (LSR) in 5.3% (ci 95%: 4-6.8%) and systemic reactions (SR) in 2.3% (ci 95%: 1.5-3.4%). More than 82% of individuals over 20 years had already had some exposure, a figure that did not change in the age groups of older decades. In our study, the prevalence of HVA was not dependent on either age (similar age in all groups), sex: for LSR OR 2.75 (ci 95%: 0.37-20.30), for SR OR 0.54 (ci 95%: 0.12-2.38), or atopy OR 0.96 (ci 95%: 0.50-1.83); SR being more frequent among the residents of rural habitats, with ranges approaching statistically significant levels OR 2.15 (ci 95%: 0.95-4.81). The number of stings was larger in HVA group with respect a control group. The degree of venom sensitization measure by skin test and CAP-RAST was more intensive in SR group versus LSR group. Among vespids, sensitization to Polistes was more frequent than Vespula.

CONCLUSIONS

HVA in our sample has a similar prevalence to other countries located in similar geo-climatic environments. Rural habitat and the number of stings suffered along life are risk factors of HVA development.

[Role of diet in the management of osteodystrophy during progressive renal insufficiency]

Secondary hyperparathyrodism (SH) is an early manifestation of chronic renal failure (CRF), which has serious complications. Moreover, treating SH is not a risk-free process. Once in its advanced state, it is extremely difficult to reverse and therefore it is critical an early intervention and prevention. An excess of phosphorus and a deficit of calcium and calcitriol are key factors in the evolution of SH. Despite the fact that plasma phosphorus levels remain normal until an extremely advanced stage of CRF, and even apparent hyperphosphatemia in mild CRF, it has been shown that restricting dietary levels of protein and phosphorus impedes the progression of SH. A decrease of protein in the diet also decreases the amount of calcium, thus the calcium levels must be supplemented in order to prevent their deficit. In addition to that slightly diminished levels of calcitriol can be observed in the early stages of CRF, thus it is logical to provide this hormone. However, administering calcitriol may induce hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia, which in turn risks the onset of cardiovascular calcifications and complications. Therefore, the calcitriol dosage should be small and then adjusted according to the degree of SH. Neither the PTH levels nor alterations in the phospho-calcium metabolism follow a linear increase appropriate to the decrease in renal function, therefore we propose a treatment strategy which adapts to the different degrees of renal failure.

The adrenal cortex in experimental congenital diaphragmatic hernia

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Adrenal cortical malfunction was found recently in patients with severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). The current study tests the hypothesis that the development and function of the adrenal cortex could be abnormal in an experimental model of CDH.

METHODS

Pregnant rats were exposed on day 9.5 of gestation to 100 mg of 2-4-dichlorophenyl-p-nitrophenyl ether (nitrofen) diluted in olive oil. The sham group was treated only with oil. Fetuses were recovered on the 21st day, bled, and examined for the presence or absence of CDH. Adrenal glands from sham and CDH animals were dissected, weighed, and prepared for histologic, biochemical, and immunohistochemical studies (ki-67) aimed at measuring total DNA, total protein, and the proportion of proliferating cells. Serum corticosterone levels were assayed. The results in both groups were compared with parametric tests with a significance level of P <.05.

RESULTS

The adrenal weight was not different in CDH animals versus controls (0.049 +/- 0.014 v 0.052 +/- 0.012% of body weight; not significant). Total DNA was reduced significantly (1.180 +/- 0.481 v 1.909 +/- 0.893 microgram P <.05) with unchanged DNA to protein ratio. Proliferation index in both groups was 20.1 +/- 3.1% and 26.5 +/- 7.5%, respectively (not significant), and the proliferating cells were mainly located in the glomerular areas of the glands. Corticosterone levels were similar in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Nitrofen induces very slight changes in the development of adrenal glands of fetal rats, expressed by reduced cell proliferation especially in glomerular areas, reduced total DNA with preservation of cell sizes (constant DNA to protein ratio), with no change in function because corticosterone levels remained unchanged. It is doubtful that primary adrenal malformation/malfunction contributes to the severity of CDH in this model.

[Impact of the protocol of ABO group and irregular antibodies on the transfusional index]

OBJECTIVES

The ABO group/irregular red cell antibodies (G/A) protocol is a scheme for reducing the number of unnecessary crossmatch tests in selected patients scheduled for surgery. Reduction would lower expenses and risks related to the overuse of such tests. Studying transfusion rates allows us to predict which patients are candidates for application of the protocol. The present study evaluated the impact of the G/A protocol on transfusion rate.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis of pre-transfusion testing of patients in our hospital in 1996, before application of the G/A protocol, and in 2001, after four years of experience with the scheme.

RESULTS

The G/A protocol was followed with 194 patients in 2001. The surgical transfusion rate decreased by 27.8% over the rate for 1996 (1.84 vs. 2.55). The outdating of blood units in 2001 decreased by 42.4% (65 units outdated vs. 113). Only one patient subject to the protocol had to be transfused.

CONCLUSION

The transfusion rate can be significantly reduced by applying the G/A protocol with selected patients, with no loss of transfusion safety.

[Enteral nutrition at home: National register for the year 2000]

GOAL

Once again, the NADYA-SENPE Working Group analysed the registered data of Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) in our country, during the year 2000.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The data were collected through a closed questionnaire included on our web site (www.nadya-senpe.com). Apart from epidemiological information, the form includes the indication to prescribe this treatment, the specific nutritional treatment used and its duration, access path, complications and readmission rate in hospital, follow-up of the treatment, patient's quality of life and progress. All data were processed and analysed by the co-ordinating team.

RESULTS

Twenty two hospital participated and 2,986 patients, aged 65.1 +/- 19.7 years, were enrolled. Of these patients, 41.2% were diagnosed with neurological diseases and 33.3% with cancer. The mean time on HEN was 6.3 +/- 4.4 months. Oral nutrition was the preferential route (50.8%), followed by nasoenteral tube (30.5%), and in 17.4% ostomy tubes were placed. Polymeric was the formula composition mainly used (83.2%). Patients were followed (70.1%) by the hospital reference Nutritional Support Unit. The complications related to nutrition included the gastrointestinal (0.25 complications/patient), the mechanical one (0.19 complications/patient), and the metabolic (0.007 complications/patient). Feeding tube need to be replaced 0.3 times/patient/year. The readmission rate, for nutritional problems, was observed in 0.03 patients. At the end of the year, 54.9% of the patients were in the HEN program, and in 30.3% HEN was finish due to different reasons. In 21.9% of the patients no, o light, discapacity degree was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Related to previous years, there is an increment in the number of enrolled patients. Neurological diseases and cancer were the more frequent diagnoses in HEN patients. Oral access was the higher feeding route due, probably, to the high prevalence of cancer patients. In spite of the elevated prevalence of neurological diseases, a few number of patients were feed with ostomy tube. Finally, due to the few readmission rate and complications, HEN is a safe treatment in our country.

Monteggia fractures in adults. Review of 54 cases

INTRODUCTION

We present a review of Monteggia fractures treated in our hospital between 1992 and 1998.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty four patients with a Monteggia fracture were treated in our hospital with an average follow-up of 24 months (12-48 months). The average age was 41 years (18-81 years). According to the classification of Bado, there were 24 type I, 20 type II, 6 type III and 4 type IV. The etiology was in 27 cases a motor-vehicle and motorcycle accident, five a pedestrian struck by a car, 21 by a causal fall and only one by a direct hit by an iron bar in an assault. In 56% of the patients, the lesions were associated with polytrauma. In all the cases, treatment consisted of open reduction and internal fixation of the ulnar fracture using different methods of osteosynthesis (3.5 mm DCP, 3.5 mm reconstruction plates, 6.5 mm cancellous screw, tension band technique with Kirschner wires, and one-third tubular plates). Initial treatment of the radial head dislocation was attempted by closed reduction and verification under fluoroscopy. Subsequent open reduction and osteosynthesis were performed in 10 cases, and resection of radial head was necessary in three cases as the initial treatment. There were six open fractures with one case developing chronic infection.

RESULTS

Results were evaluated according to the criteria of Anderson (union fracture, elbow and wrist flexion/extension). The results were excellent in nine patients (17%), satisfactory in 33 (61%), unsatisfactory in nine (17%) and failure in three (5%). Complications could be attributed to the severity of injury, type of fixation and errors in technique (four non-union, three failure of one-third tubular plates, one distal radioulnar instability) and to some features peculiar to this lesion (five nerve injuries, three redislocations of the radial head and four radioulnar synostosis). We needed to perform 14 reoperations to resolve some of the above mentioned complications.

[Doxazosin, of modified liberation, in hemodialyzed patients]

INTRODUCTION

Valuation of doxazosin, system formulation modified, in the hypertension in the hemodialysis population.

METHOD

Arterial Hypertension (AHT) has been studied in 77 patients (p) subjected to hemodialysis (HD). Mean age (mag) was 61 years (y), range 84y-25y; 66% were males. The underlying etiology was glomerular in 19%, tubulo-interstitial in 18%, congenital in 18%, vascular in 19% and diabetic in 26%.

RESULTS

Doxazosin (system formulation modified, single daily dose (4 mg), treatment follow-up was completed in 16 patients subjected to HD for 24 weeks (wk).

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that AHT is of great importance in HD, and can be adequately controlled with the new antihypertensive drugs. In this context, doxazosin affords excellent therapeutic control, efficiency and good pharmacological tolerance.

Clone B7 cells have a single copy of SIVsmB7 integrated in chromosome 20

B7 is the designation of a cell clone derived from the human cell line CEMx174, which was infected with SIVsmH3 clone. B7 cells chronically produce high quantities of non-infectious virus-like particles (VLP) denominated SIVsmB7. Here we report the molecular characterization of the B7 cell line. We found that B7 cells have a single copy of the SIVsmB7 provirus integrated in a noncoding region of chromosome 20 (nt 24,957 of clone RP5-963K23 on human chromosome 20q 13.11-13.2). Similarly to HIV and SIVmac, we show that integration of SIVsm results in a characteristic five base pair sequence repeat of host DNA that flanks the proviral DNA genome. Since the SIVsmB7 genome has a deletion in the IN coding sequence, the generation of this defective proviral genome most likely occurred during a faulty process of reverse transcription. Thus, these studies reveal the molecular clonality of the SIVsmB7 VLP produced by B7 cells. These genetically homogeneous VLP are useful reagents for vaccine development. In addition, these particles have been used by others (Montelaro et al.) to study the maturation of immune system responses to SIV infection.

Comparison of adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of four chlorinated organics from water onto GAC

This study deals with the adsorption of four chlorinated pollutants onto GAC (F-400); two pesticides (lindane and alachlor) and two PCB congeners: 2-PCB (MPCB) and 2,2',5,5'-PCB (TPCB). Equilibrium and kinetic parameters have been obtained for the adsorption of alachlor and each PCB. whereas the kinetic results for lindane presented elsewhere (Proc. First World Water Congr. Int. Water Assoc., Texts of Posters, CD-ROM, AGHTM, Paris, 2000) are reanalyzed in this work. A model assuming a bidisperse structure (macro- and micropores). each region having a different adsorption isotherm, is used to study the adsorption kinetics in a batch system in the period dominated by macropore diffusion. Both the saturation capacity and the rate of internal transport of TPCB are much lower than those of the other solutes. This difference is attributed to a chemisorption mechanism for this compound, which is favored by its very low solubility.

[Home enteral nutrition. Annual report 1999. NADYA-SENPE Group]

GOAL

During 1999, as in previous years, the NADYA-SENPE Group has maintained an annual register of patients with Artificial Nutrition at Home in order to keep up to date our available knowledge of this therapy. The present paper analyzes the results of the sixth National Register of patients under treatment with Enteral Nutrition at Home corresponding to 1999, produced with the co-operation of twenty-three centres in the Spanish national health network.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The data were collected through a closed questionnaire included on our web site (www.nadya-senpe.com). Apart from epidemiological information, the form includes the indication that led to the prescription of nutrition, nutritional treatment, access path, complications and admissions to hospital, follow-up of the treatment, patients' quality of life and progress. All of the data are processed by the co-ordinating team. The Nutrition Unit at La Paz Teaching Hospital in Madrid has acted as the group co-ordinator.

RESULTS

During 1999, a total of 2,262 patients at the twenty-three collaborating centres followed treatment with Home Enteral Nutrition (NED in its Spanish acronym). The mean age was 63.6 (19.67 years (males: 57.6%; females: 42.3%). The mean time with nutritional treatment is 5.89 (4.25 months. The neurological alterations (37.5%) and neoplasias (36.8%) were the most frequent indications for NED. Most patients used oral administration (50.7%), the use of artificial routes is less frequent, with 5NG being used on 27.9% and PEG on 12.7%. The polymeric formulas are the ones most commonly used (87.7%). The number of complications recorded amounted to 1,403 episodes, representing 0.62 complications per patient per year, of which 40.8% were gastro-intestinal (0.26 complications per patient per year) and 18.7% were mechanical complications, with only 9 recorded cases of bronchoaspiration. It was necessary to admit patients to hospital on 836 occasions (0.38 admissions per patient), albeit generally for causes not associated with nutrition (86.1%). At year-end, 51.4% of patients continued to receive nutritional support.

CONCLUSIONS

Enteral nutrition at home is a safe technique whose use is growing in Spain. It requires the existence of appropriately equipped nutrition teams as well as the collaboration of the Primary Health Care services and the suitable training of patients and relatives. It is essential to progress more deeply into the development and application of clinical routes that provide a clear and concise methodology covering all nutrition-related aspects. In itself, nutrition is a therapeutic alternative regardless of whether access is obtained through a natural or an artificial route. It is necessary for the persons responsible for health-care administration to realize that the appropriate nutrition of patients leads to an improvement in their general health, a shorter course for their illness and, therefore, a reduction in costs.

Naloxone blocks place preference conditioning after paced mating in female rats

Sexual behavior in male rats induces a positive affect as evaluated by conditioned place preference (CPP). In addition, when females control or "pace" the rate of sexual interaction, a clear CPP is also observed. The reward state induced by mating in male rats is blocked by the injection of the opioid antagonist naloxone. In the present experiment, a dose of 4 mg/kg of naloxone completely blocked the CPP induced in females by paced mating. It appears that a common opioid system is involved in the positive affect induced by sexual behavior in both male and female rats.

Only self-paced mating is rewarding in rats of both sexes

When rats are mated in a traditional mating chamber (with one male and one female) in which the male dictates the pace of the copulatory sequence, males develop a reward state as evaluated by conditioned place preference (CPP). In this mating situation no reward state is induced in females. However, when female rats are able to control (pace) the rate of sexual stimulation, thereby reducing the aversive consequences associated with mating, a clear CPP is observed. In the present study the CPP paradigm was used to determine whether if the reinforced state induced by coital interactions in male rats can be maintained when females pace the sexual interaction. Adult male and female rats were mated in one of two different conditions: (1) where subjects were able to pace their coital interactions or (2) where subjects were not able to pace their sexual contacts. The results showed that when males had control over the sexual interaction they developed a clear place preference while males that mated with females that paced their coital contacts did not develop CPP. Similarly, only females that were able to pace their sexual contacts developed place preference. These results suggest that coital interactions in males, as well as in females, can induce a reward state only when they are able to control the sexual interaction. Under seminatural conditions sexual behavior in rats is highly promiscuous, they mate in groups and repeatedly change partners in the middle of copulation. This behavioral sequence allows both, male and female to control the rate of sexual interaction, assuring the induction of a reward state outlasting the actual performance of coital responses.

Detection, distribution and selection of microsatellites (SSRs) in the genome of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as molecular markers

AIMS

The aim of this work was the selection of six polymorphic microsatellite loci for their use as molecular markers in the identification, typification and genetic differentiation of S. cerevisiae strains.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The selection was undertaken following a search of the genomic DNA database of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for simple tandem repeat sequences (microsatellites) of di- and trinucleotides. The genetic variability generated by these markers was evaluated in 51 isolates. The discriminatory power produced by combining the information obtained by the six microsatellites was very high. A total of 57 alleles, which generated 44 genotypes, were found.

CONCLUSIONS, SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The multiple analysis of microsatellites proved to be a powerful and agile tool for analysing the genome of S. cerevisiae populations.