[A feasibility study on the highly-efficient electronic fluorescent lamp used as a lighting source for cultivation of higher plant in space]

OBJECTIVE

To testify that the Highly-efficient Electronic Fluorescent Lamp (HEFL) can be used as a sole lighting source for the cultivation of higher plants in space.

METHOD

The HEFL was utilized as the lighting source for the culture of three varieties of Luctuca sativa L in the lately-constructed Space Higher Plant Cultivation Ground-based Experimental Facility(SHPCGEF). Other culturing conditions were: temperature 20 +/- 0.2 degrees C, relative humidity (75 +/- 1)%, average photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) 70 micromol m-2 s-1 PPF, average wind velocity 0.45 m/s, photoperiod 24 h light/0 h dark, peat + vermiculite substrate culture, useful growing area 1.2 m2, growing period 28 d, one variety was cultured at every batch. Following plant maturing and being harvested, observations of external morphology of above-ground parts of the plants, measurements and calculations of edible biomass output and photosynthetic efficiency, analysis of nutrient compositions such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins and elemental compositions of lettuce leaves, and comparisons with formerly-related experiments were made.

RESULT

All of the above-mentioned targets met our demands, some of them were superior to the results of other similar experiments.

CONCLUSION

The HEFL can completely meet the needs for the growth and development of some higher plants planned to be grown in space, its physical characters basically accord with the demands, so it can be utilized as the only lighting source for higher plant growth in space environmental conditions.

Tracking of body mass index in children in relation to overweight in adulthood

Body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2) values at or above the 75th percentile are associated with increased morbidity and mortality in adulthood, and there are significant correlations between BMI values in childhood and in adulthood. The present study addresses the predictive value of childhood BMI for overweight at 35 +/- 5 y, defined as BMI >28 for men and BMI >26 for women. Analyses of data from 555 white children showed that overweight at age 35 y could be predicted from BMI at younger ages. The prediction is excellent at age 18 y, good at age 13 y, but only moderate at ages <13 y. For 18-y-olds with BMIs above the 60th percentile, the probability of overweight at age 35 y is 34% for men and 37% for women. A clinically applicable method is provided to assign an overweight child to a group with a known probability of high BMI values in adulthood.

Total body water data for white adults 18 to 64 years of age: the Fels Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

Total body water (TBW) volume is reported to decrease with age, but much of the published data are 20 to almost 50 years old and are cross-sectional. Proper interpretation of clinical levels of TBW and trends with age necessitates the availability of current longitudinal data from healthy individuals.

METHODS

Mixed longitudinal data for TBW of 274 white men and 292 white women (18 to 64 years of age) in the Fels Longitudinal Study were collected on a regular schedule over a recent eight-year period. The concentration of deuterium was measured by deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Body composition estimates were made with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and random effect models were used to determine the patterns of change over time with and without covariates.

RESULTS

The mean TBW data for the Fels men are either similar to or approximately 2 to as much as 6 liters greater than that reported by most other investigators 20 to 50 years ago. For Fels women, the mean TBW ranges from approximately 2 to as much as 5 liters less than that reported previously. These comparisons with much earlier studies reflect cohort effects and the secular changes in overall body size that have occurred during the past 60 to 70 years. These findings are reinforced by the fact that some early data sets included individuals born almost 140 years ago. After adjusting for the covariate effects of total body fat (TBF) and fat-free mass (FFM) with age, there were no significant age or age-squared effects on TBW in the men. In the women, after adjusting for the covariate associations of TBF and FFM with age, there was a small, but significant, negative linear association of TBW with age. In the men and women, the mean ratio of TBW to weight declined with age as a function of an increase in body fatness and more so for the men than the women.

CONCLUSION

The findings from these mixed longitudinal data indicate that TBW volume, on average, maintains a reasonable degree of stability in men and women through a large portion of adulthood. These TBW data are recommended as current reference data for healthy adults.

Body mass and bone mineral quality

During adulthood, the amount and quality of muscle and bone mineral decreases, whereas fat increases. Persons with low muscle mass and bone quality may not have the physical or structural strength to support the body. The dual-energy x-ray absorptiometer is used to measure the amount of muscle, fat, and the quality of bone mineral. Men have larger average amounts of muscle and bone, and greater average bone density than women. In women, the normal decrease of body mass and bone quality is accentuated by menopause. On average, blacks have a larger amount of muscle and more dense bones than whites. A person with a high peak bone mass can lose bone normally with age and still maintain good bone quality. Lifestyle, diet, and exercise are important to maintaining a healthy body and good bone quality. Physically active persons have increased levels of muscle and bone density. Age, sex, race, and lifestyle affect the level of, and changes in, body mass and bone mineral density.

Rheologic determinant changes of erythrocytes in Binswanger's disease

BACKGROUND

Binswanger's disease (BD) has been associated with severe arteriosclerotic changes in the long perforating arteries and with impaired cerebrovascular responsiveness to hypercapnia. Rheology parameters may become important factors in regulating cerebral blood flow. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in rheologic determinants of erythrocytes and to discuss the relation of erythrocytes and white matter lesions in this type of dementia.

METHODS

Twenty-eight patients suffering from BD and a control group matched for age, sex and cerebrovascular risk factors were tested for the following hemorheologic variables: erythrocyte deformability, erythrocyte membrane fluidity, erythrocyte aggregation, plasma viscosity and whole blood viscosity. Additionally, red cell membrane metabolic parameters, lipids and individual membrane phospholipids, sialic acid (SA) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, and ATPase activities were measured.

RESULTS

A significant decrease in erythrocyte deformability, erythrocyte membrane fluidity, membrane phosphatidylethanolamine, membrane phosphatidylcholine, membrane SA and membrane ATPase activities, and a significant increase in membrane cholesterol, cholesterol to total phospholipid ratio, MDA, broad viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation were observed in BD patients when compared with those of the matched control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in erythrocyte membrane parameters, especially in phospholipids, can produce serious metabolic disorders and influence the rheologic properties of erythrocytes in patients with BD. These alterations can contribute to a circulatory slowdown and may lead to worsening of the condition of the cerebral white matter in these patients.

Total-body and regional bone mineral content and areal bone mineral density in children aged 8-18 y: the Fels Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

Techniques for cross-calibration of bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) between manufacturers of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) instruments are currently inadequate for total body measurements. Therefore, manufacturer-specific data for BMC and BMD in children are needed.

OBJECTIVE

We provided age- and sex-specific means and SDs for total-body and regional BMC and areal BMD in 8-18-y-old white children.

DESIGN

BMC and BMD of the head, arms, legs, pelvis, spine, and total body were determined by DXA. Data include 465 annual measurements from 148 healthy children with body weights between 30 and 100 kg and statures <190 cm.

RESULTS

There were significant sex differences in BMC at ages 15-18 y for the total body and legs, at ages 12 and 15-18 y for arms and pelvis, at ages 11-13 and 16-18 y for the spine, and at ages 10-11 y for the head. There were significant sex differences in BMD at ages 16-18 y for total body, arms, and legs; at ages 12-13 and 16-18 y for the pelvis; at ages 12-14 and 18 y for the spine; and at ages 13-18 y for the head.

CONCLUSIONS

Data presented in this investigation can be used to compare the BMC and BMD of 8-18-y-old white children (with statures <190 cm and body weights between 30 and 100 kg) using DXA.

Serial changes in body composition throughout adulthood and their relationships to changes in lipid and lipoprotein levels. The Fels Longitudinal Study

Few studies have examined the relationships between measures of body composition and lipid and lipoprotein levels in long-term serial data from individuals unselected for cardiovascular disease- or obesity-related variables, and none have considered such extensive serial data as used in the current study. The aim was to examine in such individuals the associations between annual changes in lipid and lipoprotein levels and concurrent changes in total body fat, fat-free mass, percent body fat, and body mass index. Serial data from 1304 examinations of 423 adult white participants in the Fels Longitudinal Study were analyzed sex-specifically in 2 age groups, 18 through 44 years and 45 to 65 years. A regressive analytic approach utilized the long-term (4 to 20 years) serial data of individuals. Annual changes in adiposity, independent of levels of lean tissue changes, before and after age 45 for men and women were significantly correlated with corresponding annual changes in cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol. In men before age 45, changes in triglycerides and high density lipoprotein cholesterol were also significantly associated with changes in adiposity, with the relationship remaining after age 45 in high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Increases in adiposity in individuals are associated with changes in lipid and lipoprotein levels in the direction of increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Adult levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol across age and sex and high density lipoprotein cholesterol in men are responsive to changes in adiposity, independent of initial adiposity or lipid and lipoprotein levels.

Age- and maturity-related changes in body composition during adolescence into adulthood: the Fels longitudinal study

We examined patterns of change in body composition from 8 to 20 yrs of age and the effects of rate of maturation on these patterns using serial data for total body fat (TBF). There is a continual increase, but a declining rate of change with age in TBF. For %BF the same pattern as for TBF exists for females, but for males the pattern of change in percentage body fat (%BF) reflects the concurrent changes in fat free mass (FFM). For FFM, there is an increase in females that slows at older ages, but in males there is a continual rapid increase until young adulthood. There is marked tracking for body composition persisting from childhood to adulthood. At the same age, rapidly maturing children have significantly larger TBF, %BF and FFM than slowly maturing children.

Adult changes in body composition are associated with changes in cholesterol levels: the Fels longitudinal study

Serial data from 507 adult participants in the Fels Longitudinal Study were used to study relationships between average annual changes in serum cholesterol levels and annual changes in total body fat, fat-free mass, percent body fat or body mass index in men and women aged 18-45 years or 45-65 years. Average annual changes in adiposity before and after 45 years of age for men and women show statistically significant, strong, positive relationships with corresponding changes in cholesterol levels.

Six-compartment body composition model: inter-method comparisons of total body fat measurement

OBJECTIVE

To compare 16 currently used total body fat methods to a six-compartment criterion model based on in vivo neutron activation analysis.

DESIGN

Observational, inter-method comparison study.

SUBJECTS

Twenty-three healthy subjects (17 male and 6 female).

MEASUREMENTS

Total body water (TBW) was measured by tritium dilution; body volume by underwater weighing (UWW); total body fat and bone mineral by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), total body potassium (TBK) by whole-body 40K counting; total body carbon, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, sodium and chlorine by in vivo neutron activation analysis; skinfolds/circumferences by anthropometry (Anth); and resistance by single-frequency bioimpedance analysis (BIA).

RESULTS

The average of total body fat mass measurements by the six-compartment neutron activation model was 19.7+/-10.2kg (mean+/-s.d.) and comparable estimates by other methods ranged from 17.4-24.3 kg. Although all 16 methods were highly correlated with the six-compartment criterion model, three groups emerged based on their comparative characteristics (technical error, coefficient of reliability, Bland-Altman analysis) relative to criterion fat estimates, in decreasing order of agreement: 1. multi-compartment model methods of Baumgartner (19.5+/-9.9 kg), Heymsfield (19.6+/-9.9 kg), Selinger (19.7+/-10.2 kg) and Siri-3C (19.6+/-9.9 kg); 2. DXA (20.0+/-10.8 kg), Pace-TBW (18.8+/-10.1 kg), Siri-2C (20.0+/-9.9 kg), and Brozek-UWW (19.4+/-9.2 kg) methods; and 3. Segal-BIA (17.4+/-7.2 kg), Forbes-TBN (21.8+/-10.5 kg), Durnin-Anth (22.1+/-9.5 kg), Forbes-TBK (22.9+/-11.9 kg), and Steinkamp-Anth (24.3+/-9.5 kg) methods.

CONCLUSION

Relative to criterion fat estimates, body composition methods can be organized into three groups based on inter-method comparisons including technical error, coefficient of reliability and Bland-Altman analysis. These initial groupings may prove useful in establishing the clinical and research role of the many available fat estimation methods.

Stature prediction equations for elderly non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Mexican-American persons developed from NHANES III data

OBJECTIVE

To develop new, nationally representative equations to predict stature for racial/ethnic groups of the elderly population in the United States.

DESIGN

Anthropometric data for stature, knee height, and sitting height for adults aged 60 years or older were collected from a sample of persons in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994), a national probability sample of the US population.

SUBJECTS

A gender- and racial/ethnic-stratified sample of 4,750 persons from the US population (1,369 non-Hispanic white men, 1,472 non-Hispanic white women, 474 non-Hispanic black men, 481 non-Hispanic black women, 497 Mexican-American men, 457 Mexican-American women) aged 60 years or older participated in this study.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

Sampling weights were used to adjust the individual data to account for unequal probabilities of selection, nonresponse, and coverage errors so that all individual data used in these analyses represented national probability estimates. Regression analysis was performed to predict stature in each gender and ethnic group, and the results were cross-validated.

RESULTS

Stature prediction models using knee height and age and sitting height and age were evaluated for each gender and racial/ethnic group. The equations with knee height and age were selected on the basis of root mean square error and pure errors in cross-validation and on the accuracy and validity of measures of knee height over sitting height. Results of these regressions, including regression coefficients, standard errors of the coefficients, multiple correlation coefficients, root mean square error, and the standard error for the individual for the final equations, are presented.

CONCLUSIONS

New stature prediction equations using knee height and age are presented for non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American elderly persons from current nationally representative data. These equations should be applied when a measure of stature cannot be obtained, for example, for persons with amputations of the leg, or with spinal curvature or who are confined to bed. Predicted stature values are acceptable surrogates in nutritional indexes.

Age- and maturity-related changes in body composition during adolescence into adulthood: the Fels Longitudinal Study

OBJECTIVES

To examine patterns of change in total body fat (TBF), percent body fat (%BF), and fat-free mass (FFM), from 8-20 y of age and the effect of rate of skeletal maturation. To determine the degree of tracking of body composition for individuals from childhood into adulthood.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Annual serial data for TBF, %BF and FFM from underwater weighing using a multicomponent body composition model were collected from 130 Caucasian males and 114 Caucasian females between 1976 and 1996. Rate of maturation was defined as FELS skeletal age (SA) less chronological age (CA). Random effects models were used to evaluate general patterns of change and tracking of individual serial data over the 12 y age range.

RESULTS

Changes in TBF followed a quadratic model for males and for females with declining rates of change. Changes for %BF followed a cubic model for males and females. General patterns of change for FFM followed a cubic model for males and a quadratic model for females. TBF for males and females increased with age, but the rates of change declined with age. %BF for females increased from age 8-20 y. For males, %BF increased with age, but the positive rates of change declined and became a negative when aged about 13 y and reached a minimum at about the age of 15 y. The rate of change for %BF increased thereafter. FFM for males and females increased with age, but the rates of change decreased with age. The extent of tracking is inversely related to the length of the time interval. At the same age, rapidly-maturing children have significantly larger amounts of TBF, %BF and FFM then slow-maturing children. Tracking in body composition for individuals persisted from childhood to adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS

(1) There are gender-associated differences in these patterns of change for %BF and FFM but not for TBF; (2) TBF, %BF and FFM increased with increased rates of maturation; (3) significant tracking in body composition for individuals persists from childhood to adulthood.

Opportunities and difficulties in long-term studies of growth

Overviews are presented of the University of Melbourne Child Growth Study and of the Fels Longitudinal Study; each of these studies had a major focus on the growth and maturation of children. Planning, study design, logistics and staffing varied between these studies, but each led to exciting research opportunities that can exist only when longitudinal data are available. There are important differences between these studies in the types of participants, ages at examinations, the variables measured, some topics of central concern, and in funding. In each study, research productivity was low in the early years, the retention of participants was a major concern, and it was necessary to maintain a balance between data collection, data management, and data analysis. More such studies are needed that focus on particular population groups and topic areas and that utilize the lessons of the past to maximize the chances of future success.

Growth in weight, recumbent length, and head circumference for preterm low-birthweight infants during the first three years of life using gestation-adjusted ages

Data from 867 preterm low-birthweight participants in the Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) were used to develop reference data for growth status at an age and for increments from term to 36 month gestation-adjusted age (GAA). Weight, length and head circumference were recorded at 4 month intervals in the first year and at 6 month intervals in the second and third years. Selected percentiles for values at an age (status values) and increments for age intervals are presented in graphs separately for VLBW infants (< or = 1500 g at birth) and for LBW infants (1501-2500 g at birth). Percentiles of weight increments are presented beginning shortly before term for 1 month intervals to 6 month GAA, for 2 month intervals to 12 month GAA, and for 3-month intervals to 36 month GAA. Percentiles for length and head circumference increments are presented from term to 6 months for 2-month intervals, and to 36 month GAA for 3 month intervals. Among LBW infants, boys, had larger status and increment values than girls (P < 0.05), but there were no significant sex-associated differences in VLBW infants for status or increments. The mean status values and increments in weight and head circumference of the LBW infants were larger than those of VLBW infants, but the differences in length were not significant.

[Effect of xianzhen tablet on Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase, of red blood cell membrane in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus]

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of Xianzhen tablet in treating non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).

METHODS

Seventy-two cases of NIDDM patients with deficiency of both Qi and Yin, deficiency of the Kidney and blood stasis were selected, and the effects of treatment on Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase, whole blood viscosity, blood sugar and clinical symptoms were observed.

RESULTS

After treatment, the treated group showed increased activities that were statistically significant of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase (P < 0.01, P < 0.02). The whole blood viscosity and symptoms showed improvement to an extent and the total effective rate of blood sugar lowering were as follows: fasting blood glucose (FBG) 77.8%, 2hr. postprandial plasma blood glucose (2hr. postprandial PBG)69.4%. Whereas, the placebo group showed no marked improvement in either whole blood viscosity or symptoms and the total effective rate of blood sugar lowering were FBG 41.7%, 2hr. postprandial PBG 38.9%.

CONCLUSION

Xianzhen tablet is effective in improving the activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase, as well as the whole blood viscosity, blood sugar lowering and in improving clinical symptoms, it could treat effectively NIDDM patients with deficiency of both Qi and Yin, deficiency of the Kidney and blood stasis.

The effects of T cell subpopulations and recombinant interleukin (IL)-2 on peripheral B cell function in patients with myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease mediated by antibodies to acetylcholine receptors (AChR) of skeletal muscle. The production of anti-AChR antibodies has been shown to be T cell dependent. To elucidate the mechanism(s) of anti-AChR antibody production in myasthenic patients, we studied the effects of regulatory T cells and/or IL-2 on the differentiation of AChR-primed B cells, with use of AChR stimulation for the induction of anti-AChR antibodies in vitro. Our data suggest that CD8+ T cells possess some complicated functions. CD8+ T cells could not only provide help for B cells to secrete anti-AChR antibody, but also possibly inhibit response of CD4+ T cells or kill B cells, then repress anti-AChR antibody production in MG patients. There might be some defect either in the number or function of CD8+ T cell in MG patients. Exogenous IL-2 could completely restore the suppression activity of CD8+ T cells in anti-AChR antibody production in vitro.

Reference data for head circumference-for-length in preterm low-birth-weight infants

OBJECTIVE

To provide reference data for head circumference-for-length in preterm low-birth-weight infants that are independent of age, but extend for the ranges of head circumference (34-49 cm) and length (52.0-102.9 cm) values found from birth to 36 months of gestation-adjusted age.

DESIGN

Measurements were made at 9 ages in 867 preterm infants in the Infant Health Development Program, a randomized clinical trial that included various ethnic groups at 8 sites. At birth, two thirds of the infants weighed less than 2000 g, and one third weighed between 2000 and 2500 g. Measurements were taken at birth, at 40 weeks of postconceptional age, and at 4, 8, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months of gestation-adjusted age. A model fitted to the serial data for each infant was used to estimate head circumference and length from 36 weeks after conception to 36 months of gestation-adjusted age.

RESULTS

Tables and charts of means and SDs and selected percentiles for each sex were made. These tables and charts are for very low (< or = 1500 g) and low-birth-weight (1501-2500 g) infants by 3-cm intervals of length.

CONCLUSION

These tables and charts should assist clinicians in evaluating and monitoring head circumference in preterm low-birth-weight infants by taking body length into account.

Effects of continuous light on experimental refractive errors in chicks

It is possible to induce ametropias in young chicks either by depriving the developing eye of clear form vision with a translucent goggle or by defocusing the retinal image with convex or concave lenses. The refractive properties of the developing chick eye are also altered by raising young birds in a continuous light environment. The effects of superimposing form deprivation or defocus treatments on chicks raised in continuous light are unclear. Newly hatched (n = 31) chicks were raised for 2 weeks under continuous light while wearing either translucent goggles or + 10 or -10 diopter (D) lenses over one eye. Refractive states, corneal curvature and intraocular dimensions were measured periodically by retinoscopy, keratometry and A-scan ultrasound. The birds were sacrificed after 2 weeks and the eyes removed and measured with calipers. Under continuous light, all eyes treated with translucent goggle and -10 D lens developed moderate myopia (-2.6 +/- 0.5 D and -1.4 +/- 0.3 D, respectively) by day 4. The eyes treated with a + 10 D lens developed moderate hyperopia (+ 4.8 +/- 0.5 D) at day 4. Corneal curvatures of all treated eyes were slightly, but significantly, larger than contralateral control eyes by day 4. After 2 weeks of goggle or lens application, all the treated eyes were hyperopic due to corneal flattening. But the eyes treated with a goggle or a -10 D lens still showed relative myopia compared to the fellow eyes (treated minus untreated = -3.8 +/- 0.4 D and -2.8 +/- 0.4 D, respectively), and the eyes treated with a + 10 D lens showed more hyperopia than fellow eyes (treated minus untreated = + 5.1 +/- 0.6 D). Compared with the control eyes, the axial length (mainly vitreous chamber depth) was slightly, but significantly, increased in the eyes treated with a goggle or a -10 D lens, and the axial length decreased slightly in the eyes treated with + 10 D lens. The results suggest that form deprivation and retinal defocus (induced by +/- 10 D lenses) could still induce experimental refractive errors (myopia and hyperopia) in chicks kept under continuous light, but the effects of form deprivation and retinal defocus were partially suppressed by continuous light.

Mechanical and physiologic modifiers and bioelectrical impedance spectrum determinants of body composition

Fat-free mass and total and percentage body fat were determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and total-body and segmental impedance measures were taken at 16 frequencies from 5 to 1300 kHz in a sample of white men and women aged 18-30 y. Plots of total-body and segmental impedance against frequency for each individual indicated that the general shape of these curves was described by the same mathematical function consisting of three components-ai, bi, and ci,-that contain information derived from the individual measurements of impedance summarized across the spectrum of current frequencies. Total-body and segmental multifrequency impedance were significantly correlated with hemoglobin, hematocrit, and serum sodium, potassium, creatinine, and osmolality. Regression models of body composition with total-body or segmental impedance measures at discrete frequencies or the impedance spectrum variables were similar to corresponding findings for impedance models at 50 kHz. The segmental impedance spectrum variables for total and percentage body fat and the ratios of low- to high-frequency impedance from the trunk were significantly associated with total body fatness as measured by DXA.

Weight-for-length reference data for preterm, low-birth-weight infants

OBJECTIVE

To provide weight-for-length reference data for preterm, very-low-birth-weight and low-birth-weight infants.

DESIGN

Data from 867 infants (428 boys and 439 girls) in the Infant Health and Development Program, who each were preterm and who had a low birth weight, were used to develop weight-for-length reference data. The Infant Health and Development Program is a national, randomized, clinical trial that included various ethnic groups at 8 sites. At each site, sampling ensured that two thirds of the infants in the study weighed 2000 g or less and that one third of the infants weighed from 2001 to 2500 g at birth. Infants were examined at birth, at 40 weeks' postconception, and at 4, 8, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months' gestation-adjusted age. Gestation-adjusted age was used instead of chronological age from birth to correct for the degree of prematurity.

RESULTS

Weight-for-length percentiles are given for lengths at 3-cm intervals ranging from 48 to 100 cm. These percentiles are sex specific and are for a very-low-birth-weight group (< or = 1500 g) and a low-birth-weight group (1501-2500 g).

CONCLUSIONS

These data should assist screening for deviations from normal growth and may aid in the early detection of failure to thrive and excessive weight gain in infancy.

The role of endothelin-1 in Binswanger's disease

BACKGROUND

Endothelin-1 is known to exist in the nervous system. A notable increase of plasma endothelin-1 is associated with acute stroke. This study was designed to measure plasma endothelin-1 levels in Binswanger's disease and explore the relationship between endothelin-1 and this disorder.

METHODS

Plasma levels of endothelin-1 were-examined by radioimmunoassay in 31 patients with Binswanger's disease and in three groups of control subjects. The ratio of the plasma concentration of endothelin-1 in the internal jugular vein to that in the antecubital vein was calculated as an indicator of endothelin-1 level in cerebral circulation.

RESULTS

Endothelin-1 ratio devation was seen more often in patients with Binswanger's disease than in acute stroke patients. Endithelin-1 ratios were significantly negatively correlated with Hasegawa's Dementia Scale scores is subjects with Binswanger's disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Abnormalities is vasoactive factors may make an important contribution to the pathophysiology of Binswanger's disease. Endothelin-1 might be involved in the pathogenesis of this illness.

Use of statistical methods to estimate body composition

Epidemiologic investigations of chronic diseases in relation to body composition require large samples. This necessitates simple, reliable, and portable measures of body composition. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) variables and selected anthropometric characteristics are frequently used to predict body composition for groups or individuals when the application of sophisticated methods is not practical. We address statistical issues pertinent to the formulation of prediction equations for body composition from BIA measures and anthropometry, and factors associated with the accuracy and precision of the prediction equations.

[Study on relationship of lipid peroxide in coronary heart disease with and without diabetes]

Activity of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (RBC-SOD), levels of serum malondialdehyde (MDA), plasma 6-keto-prostaglandin F 1 alpha (6-keto-PGF 1 alpha) and thromboxane B2(TXB2) were measured in 30 healthy subjects and 57 coronary heart desease (CHD) patients inoluding 21 cases complicated with diabetes and 36 without. Their characteristics of Syndrome Differentiation and typing were observed. The results showed that the activity of RBC-SOD, 6-keto-PGF 1 alpha in CHD patients were significantly lower than those in the healthy subjects, but the levels of TXB2, MDA were significantly higher. The levels of TXB2 in CHD patients with diabetes were significantly higher than tose without, but the activity of RBC-SOD were significantly lower. There were remarkably positive correlations between the levels of serum MDA and that of blood sugar, TXB2, TG and BMI in CHD patients with diabetes. There were remarkably negative correlations between the levels of serum MDA and plasma 6-keto-PGF 1 alpha. The results suggested that the metabolic abnormality of lipoperoxides was more serious in CHD patients with diabetes than without. The main Syndrome of CHD with diabetes was Qi-Yin Deficiency with Blood Stasis, while that of without diabetes was Qi Deficiency with Blood Stasis.

Techniques of assessing muscle mass and function (sarcopenia) for epidemiological studies of the elderly

For epidemiological studies, reliable and valid measurements or indices of muscle mass are needed to screen for those elderly persons at risk for sarcopenia, and to determine the prevalence of these conditions on a national level. The methods more suitable for field or epidemiological settings are anthropometry, bioelectrical impedance, and grip strength. These field methods, while reliable, have limited demonstrated validity in their application to the elderly and are restricted by the limited functional capabilities of the elderly, which decrease with age. Epidemiological studies of the elderly need to include sufficient numbers of persons of different ethnic backgrounds, and at the older ages. For an epidemiological study of the elderly today, one also needs to select the categories of elderly persons to be included in such studies: healthy, sick, very old, handicapped, level of functional status, etc., because relationships among variables can have different statistical and biological associations. Future work should be directed at improving the design and methodology of epidemiological and serial studies so as to maximize the numbers and categories of elderly persons who can be studied.

Retinal dopamine and lens-induced refractive errors in chicks

This study investigated the relationship between retinal dopamine and lens induced refractive errors in chicks by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). After two weeks of lens wear, the chick eyes treated with +10D lenses were hyperopic (+8.29 +/- 0.43D), while the eyes treated with -10D lenses were myopic (-11.69 +/- 0.74D). At the same time, in myopic eyes the level of retinal dopamine and its metabolite 3,4-dihydroxy-phenylacetic acid (DOPAC) were reduced compared to control eyes, while in hyperopic eyes the level of retinal dopamine and DOPAC were increased as compared with control eyes. Therefore, retinal dopamine may participate in the development of lens induced refractive errors in chicks.

Prediction of stature from knee height for black and white adults and children with application to mobility-impaired or handicapped persons

OBJECTIVE

No adequate methods exist for predicting stature to help assess the growth of handicapped (including mobility-impaired) children or to help in developing indexes of obesity or equations for estimating basal energy expenditure for adults. In this project, equations were developed to predict stature in white and black adults and children from nationally representative samples for application to mobility-impaired and handicapped persons.

SAMPLES

Samples of healthy adults (n = 5,415) and children (n = 13,821) were selected from cycles I, II, and III of the National Health Examination Survey (NHES) conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics from 1960 to 1970. Balanced validation and cross-validation groups were created with regard to age, ethnic group, and sex.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The NHES is the only national survey that contains body measurements biologically appropriate for predicting stature. These measurements include stature, sitting height, knee height, and buttocks to knee length.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Equations were computed from an all-possible-subsets of weighted regression procedure to select the predictor variables in the validation group based on the values of R2 and the root mean square error.

RESULTS

Knee height predicted stature for white and black men, but the predictor variables for white and black women were knee height and age. For predicting stature in children 6 to 18 years of age, the predictor variable was knee height for all children.

APPLICATIONS

The equations presented here were developed for use with mobility-impaired or handicapped persons, but the measurements were collected from ambulatory people by means of standard techniques. The use of recumbent anthropometric data from mobility-impaired or handicapped persons in the equations will expand the errors of prediction over those presented in this report. The standard error for a person is a guide to the range of probability within which a predicted value can occur.

The predictive value of childhood body mass index values for overweight at age 35 y

Larger body mass index values (BMI in kg/m2) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality in adulthood and there are significant correlations between BMI values in childhood and in adulthood. The present study addresses the predictive value of childhood BMI for overweight at 35 +/- 5 y, defined as BMI > 28 for men and > 26 for women. Analyses of data for 555 white children indicated that overweight at 35 y can be predicted from BMI at younger ages. The prediction is excellent at age 18 y, good at 13 y, but only moderate at ages younger than 13 y. For 18-y-olds with a BMI value exceeding the 60th percentile, the odds of overweight at 35 y are 34% for men and 37% for women. A clinically applicable method is provided to assign an overweight child to a group with a known probability of high BMI values in adulthood.

Bioelectrical impedance and body composition: present status and future directions

Single-frequency bioelectrical impedance analyzers used to assess body composition are being replaced by multiple-frequency analyzers. At low frequencies, the current flows primarily through extracellular fluids; at high frequencies, it completely penetrates all body tissues. Measures of bioelectrical impedance at multiple frequencies can differentiate total and extracellular fluid compartments in the body. This has considerable value for assessing clinical and nutritional status. Impedance measures at a single frequency contain only a small window of the available impedance spectrum information, which may explain the difficulty in discriminating among individuals. The impedance spectrum and its analysis may provide a much clearer picture of individual differences in body water and body composition. With increasing clinical uses of bioelectrical impedance in individuals and sample populations, the use of multiple-frequency impedance may help to elucidate differences that are not discernible with single-frequency impedance.

[Clinical and experimental study on effect of jin-qi-jiang-tang-pian on qi-yin deficiency and hyperactivity of diabetes mellitus]

The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of Jin-Qi-Jiang-Tang-Pian (JQJTP) on fasting blood glucose (FBG), postcibal blood glucose (PBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), acetylcholine esterase (AchE), insulin, RBC-superoxide dismutase (RBC-SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Efficacy was observed in 40 cases of diabetes mellitus, 20 cases administered with Yu-Quan Pian (YQP) were taken as control. Each group took drugs for two months. After treatment with Jin-Pi-Jiang-Tang-Pian, FBG, PBG, AchE were apparently dropped and RBC-SOD increased, as compared with patients of the YQP group (P < 0.05-0.01), and major symptoms of diabetes were improved. In experimental study, model rats suffering from diabetes induced by alloxan were observed, the rats' blood sugar level above 11.1 mmol/L were chosen for observation. These rats were divided into JQJTP group, YQP group and control group. It was found that JQJTP was able to lower blood sugar, TG and MDA (P < 0.05-0.001) significantly, with a increase of the SOD/MDA, as compared with those of patients of the control groups.

Bioelectric and anthropometric assessments and reference data in the elderly

Most studies using bioelectric impedance have estimated the volume of total body water, fat-free mass and on occasion extracellular fluid volume using whole-body resistance and reactance. However, the validity of bioelectric impedance has not been established for the elderly except in small samples of limited age ranges. The estimation of whole-body composition from impedance of body segments may be an alternative method that can be applied to many chair- and bedfast elderly patients. Also, measures of bioelectric impedance at lower and higher frequencies than 50 kHz are reported to differentiate the proportions of intra- and extracellular fluid volumes, and this could also provide important information about fluid quantities and balances in the elderly. Distribution statistics for body measurements for persons 65-85 y of age are available from the national health surveys and large clinical studies but reference data for persons > or = 80 y are sparse. Some reference data may be from groups that are not representative of the elderly because the samples were from cohorts older than elderly persons living today and significant group and racial differences existed among these as children and adults. These differences may have increased interindividual variances among the elderly. Suitable reference data for the present generations of elderly in the United States will be available with the culmination of NHANES III after 1994, but limited reference data for elderly persons up to 90 y of age have been published.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Effect of jiang-zhi zhong-yao-pian on total cholesterol, triglyceride, TXB2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in hyperlipemic patients]

The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of a Chinese herbal medicine Jiang-Zhi Zhong-Yao-Pian to reduce serum lipoid. Efficacy was observed in 30 cases of hyperlipemia; 20 cases administered with evening primose oil capsules were taken as controls. Each group took drugs for two or three months. The results were as follows: After treatment as compared with before treatment, the serum levels of TC, TG and TXB2 dropped from 264.28 +/- 70.52 mg%, 393.52 +/- 250.42 mg% and 110.75 +/- 43.52 pg/ml to 225.60 +/- 50.93 mg%, 264.97 +/- 252.81 mg% and 88.82 +/- 46.50 pg/ml respectively (P less than 0.001, less than 0.01, less than 0.05). However, in the group taking evening primrose oil capsules, TC, TG and TXB2 in comparing with the pre-treatment levels were changed from 251.33 +/- 58.24 mg%, 316.35 +/- 104.93 mg% and 131.53 +/- 49.77 pg/ml to 244.30 +/- 43.28 mg%, 272.10 +/- 92.52 mg% and 115.33 +/- 47.49 pg/ml respectively (P greater than 0.05, less than 0.05, greater than 0.05). This medicine had no side-effect. The results showed that the herbal formula might be useful to reduce serum TC, TG and TXB2.

[Determination of blood flow of the lower leg in patients with diabetes mellitus and the effects of treatment with the principle of vitalizing blood and solubilizing thrombus]

This paper reports the determination of blood flow of the lower leg in 50 cases of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) using an XLJ-2 Bipolar Rheoencephalometry Impedance Rheogram. In patients with leg pain (but without obvious vascular pathological changes, 85 legs) the blood flow was decreased. In male patients the blood flow of the left leg (9 legs) was 3.28 +/- 0.47 ml/100ml.tissue.min (mean +/- S), while that in the right leg (11 legs) was 3.88 +/- 0.80; in females, the blood flow of the left leg (32 legs) was 2.72 +/- 0.8; while that in the right leg (33 legs) was 2.94 +/- 0.66. These figures were significantly (P less than 0.01-0.001) lower than those obtained from normals. In diabetic feet (15 painful legs) the decrease of blood flow of the lower leg was more apparent: it averaged 1.87 +/- 0.79 for the left leg (7 legs) and 2.66 +/- 0.87 for the right leg (5 legs) in male patients. The values were significantly different when compared with those of normals (P less than 0.001) or with those of the diabetic patients with leg pain (P less than 0.05). These results demonstrated that determination of the blood flow of the lower leg of diabetic patients might aid in early discovery of the abnormal changes of blood supply to the lower legs in diabetes mellitus and judge the degree of ischemia. Of the 50 cases of diabetics 32 were Qi-Yin deficiency with blood stasis while the remaining 18 cases were deficiency of both Yin and Yang with blood stasis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)