The gastrointestinal bacteria of mink (Mustela vison L): influence of age and diet

Total numbers of aerotolerant and anaerobic bacteria, and densities of Enterobacteriaceae, lactobacilli, staphylococci, salmonella and shigella, and campylobacteria were enumerated in the contents of the stomach, small intestine (and the associated mucosa), and colon of mink beginning at 2 weeks of age to adulthood, and in adults that were fed diets with different levels and types of fiber or food deprived. Highest densities of all bacterial groups were found in the colon at all ages (up to 10(8) cfu per g for total anaerobes), but were 2-4 orders of magnitude lower than those of other mammals. When all regions were pooled, significant age-related increases (p < 0.05) were detected for anaerobes, aerobes, and staphylococci, and these coincided with the dietary shift at weaning. Enterobacteriaceae did not vary with age. Lactobacilli were never common isolates, but were detected more often after weaning, particularly in adults fed diets containing the 2 sources of fiber. Campylobacteria were detected only at 2 weeks of age, and salmonella and shigella were not isolated from any of the experimental mink. Total bacterial densities, the relative proportions of the bacterial groups, and age- and diet-related effects differ from those known for other mammals, which may be related to the carnivorous diet and rapid movement of digesta through the GIT.

In ovo vaccination technology

More than 80% of the U.S. broiler industry has converted to the in ovo vaccination process for control of Marek's disease. Providing certain criteria are met, including timing and site of vaccine placement, vaccine mixing, machine sanitization, and hatchery management specifications, this has proven to be an efficacious and convenient method of vaccination. Efforts to extend the technology for other viral vaccines including Newcastle, bronchitis and bursal disease, and bacterial and parasitic vaccines are in progress. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that in ovo vaccination technology using approved vaccine is a safe, efficacious, and convenient method for vaccination of poultry.

SL1 trans splicing and 3'-end formation in a novel class of Caenorhabditis elegans operon

Many Caenorhabditis elegans genes exist in operons in which polycistronic precursors are processed by cleavage at the 3' ends of upstream genes and trans splicing 100 to 400 nucleotides away, at the 5' ends of downstream genes, to generate monocistronic messages. Of the two spliced leaders, SL1 is trans spliced to the 5' ends of upstream genes, whereas SL2 is reserved for downstream genes in operons. However, there are isolated examples of what appears to be a different sort of operon, in which trans splicing is exclusively to SL1 and there is no intercistronic region; the polyadenylation signal is only a few base pairs upstream of the trans-splice site. We have analyzed the processing of an operon of this type by inserting the central part of mes-6/cks-1 into an SL2-type operon. In this novel context, cks-1 is trans spliced only to SL1, and mes-6 3'-end formation occurs normally, demonstrating that this unique mode of processing is indeed intrinsic to this kind of operon, which we herein designate "SL1-type." An exceptionally long polypyrimidine tract found in the 3' untranslated regions of the three known SL1-type operons is shown to be required for the accumulation of both upstream and downstream mRNAs. Mutations of the trans-splice and poly(A) signals indicate that the two processes are independent and in competition, presumably due to their close proximity, raising the possibility that production of upstream and downstream mRNAs is mutually exclusive.

Effect of milk on somatostatin degradation in suckling rat jejunum in vivo

BACKGROUND

Somatostatin-14 is present in breast milk, and intact somatostatin-14 has been recovered from gastric lumen of infants. Studies have shown that somatostatin-14 is metabolized in the intestinal luminal contents in vitro, which could be prevented by the presence of breast milk. In this study, the effect of milk on stability of somatostatin-14 in suckling rat jejunum in vivo was examined.

METHODS

125I-Somatostatin-14[Tyr 11] was administered to the isolated jejunal loops in anesthetized suckling rats in the absence or presence of milk, fractions of milk, or known protease-peptidase inhibitors. Structural integrity of 125I-somatostatin-14[Tyr 11] recovered from tissues at different intervals was analyzed by gel filtration and high-performance liquid chromatography.

RESULTS

Radioactivity rapidly disappeared from the jejunal lumen with a 50% clearance achieved by 1.2 minutes. Gel filtration and high-performance liquid chromatography analyses showed that 125I-somatostatin- 14[Tyr 11] was rapidly degraded into smaller fragments. At 1 minute, jejunal luminal radioactivity was eluted in a major peak with retention time of 42.4 minutes, along with other minor peaks (retention time, 5.6, 8.0, 10.4, and 14.4 minutes); only a trace amount of intact 125I-somatostatin-14[Tyr 11] (retention time, 44.8 minutes) was present. Coadministration of rat's milk or its soluble fraction increased the level of intact 125I-somatostatin-14[Tyr 11] in the jejunal lumen and jejunal tissue. Presence of rat's milk-casein or peptidase inhibitors (bestatin, phosphoramidon, or Bowman-Birk inhibitor), however, failed to increase the level of intact 125I-somatostatin-14[Tyr 11].

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that somatostatin-14 is rapidly degraded in the jejunal lumen of suckling rats, and that milk-borne peptidase inhibitors prevent this somatostatin-14 degradation.

Persistence of self in advanced Alzheimer's disease

PURPOSE

To determine if evidence of the persistence of a sense of self or personal identity could be found in people in the middle and late stages of Alzheimer's disease. The theme of diminishing self pervades both the popular and professional literature on Alzheimer's disease.

DESIGN

Qualitative using conversational analysis. The purposive sample was 23 residents of two urban nursing homes in the southeastern United States who were in the middle and late stages of Alzheimer's disease. Their mean Mini-Mental State examination score was 10.65. Nineteen subjects were women, four were men in this 1993-1997 study.

METHODS

Analysis of 45 conversations lasting 30 minutes with nursing home residents with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease. Use of the first person indexical and other evidence, such as awareness and reactions to the changes that had taken place, in support of and counter to the notion of persistence of self, were sought in conversational analysis.

FINDINGS

Respondents used the first person indexical frequently, freely, and coherently. Evidence was also present that participants were aware of their cognitive changes. Many struggled to provide an explanation, but none mentioned Alzheimer's disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence suggests the persistence of awareness of self into the middle and late stages of Alzheimer's disease. Failure to recognize the continuing awareness of self and the human experience of the person in the middle and late stages can lead to task-oriented care and low expectations for therapeutic interventions. The bafflement noted in respondents suggests that people should be told their diagnosis and offered an explanation of what this diagnosis means.

Binary quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis of estrogen receptor ligands

The use of high throughput screening (HTS) to identify lead compounds has greatly challenged conventional quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) techniques that typically correlate structural variations in similar compounds with continuous changes in biological activity. A new QSAR-like methodology that can correlate less quantitative assay data (i.e., "active" versus "inactive"), as initially generated by HTS, has been introduced. In the present study, we have, for the first time, applied this approach to a drug discovery problem; that is, the study of the estrogen receptor ligands. The binding affinities of 463 estrogen analogues were transformed into a binary data format, and a predictive binary QSAR model was derived using 410 estrogen analogues as a training set. The model was applied to predict the activity of 53 estrogen analogues not included in the training set. An overall accuracy of 94% was obtained.

Long-term outcome analysis of two treatment methods for cleft palate: combined levator retropositioning and pharyngeal flap versus double-opposing Z-plasty

OBJECTIVE

Two surgical techniques for repair of a cleft palate include levator retropositioning in combination with a pharyngeal flap and the Furlow double-opposing Z-plasty. This study compared morbidity and speech results from the use of these two methods in an effort to determine which was the superior technique.

DESIGN

Patient records from 1986 to 1996 were retrospectively reviewed, and 10 patients with a cleft palate who underwent repair with a levator retropositioning and pharyngeal flap were compared to 14 patients who underwent a double-opposing Z-plasty repair. Postoperative complications including fistula formation, obstructive sleep apnea, and residual velopharyngeal insufficiency were recorded. Speech was assessed perceptually and through the use of nasometry.

RESULTS

Both surgical techniques resulted in good speech in the majority of patients. Only two patients in the study, both in the Z-plasty group, had severe postoperative hypernasality. Two patients in the levator retropositioning and pharyngeal flap group developed severe postoperative obstructive sleep apnea, requiring additional surgery.

CONCLUSION

The levator retropositioning and pharyngeal flap technique was successful in achieving good speech results, but it also caused more serious postoperative complications when compared to the double-opposing Z-plasty technique.

Broken past, fragile future: personal stories of high-risk adolescent mothers

PURPOSE

To uncover what adolescent mothers view as their childhood struggles, their transition to the role of motherhood following a childhood of abuse/neglect, and their important relationships after they became parents.

DESIGN

Qualitative, phenomenological.

SETTING

Community-based parenting program for first-time mothers at risk for abusing or neglecting their children.

PARTICIPANTS

Seven first-time mothers, ages 13 to 20, who reported they had been abused and/or neglected as children. All had healthy newborns.

RESULTS

Five themes emerged from the data: impoverished past, disintegration of relationships, emotional distance, problem fixing, and reconnecting. Participants described a process of using the experience of pregnancy and parenting as a mechanism for growth. Becoming a parent provided an opportunity to receive support from family members and to build more positive relationships. They viewed the experience as a second chance for a successful and fulfilling life.

Smoking cessation following treatment in a smoke-free Navy Alcohol Rehabilitation program

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in smoking behavior and attitudes following treatment in the smoke-free Navy Alcohol Rehabilitation program (NARC) and to evaluate changes in staff attitudes toward the smoke-free policy. Consecutive patients (N = 404; 93.8% male) admitted to the NARC between February 1, 1993 and September 30, 1993 were studied, of whom 54.7% were current smokers. Measures included patient surveys administered repeatedly at admission and discharge and at 12 months following the 4-week treatment program. The staff were also administered a survey 2 months before (N = 86) and 6 months after (N = 104) policy implementation. Results indicate that alcohol treatment in a smoke-free environment did not markedly affect the smoking status of patients; the proportion of current smokers at discharge was 54.7%. Significant reductions in cigarettes smoked per day (p < .001) were observed among patients from admission to discharge. However, no statistically significant change in readiness to consider smoking cessation scores was detected. Results indicated no significant change in patient smoking status at 12-month follow-up, although the survey response rate was low (35.1%; N = 142). Six months following implementation of the smoke-free policy, 84.6% of staff indicated that the NARC should remain smoke-free and 84.6% recommended that other alcohol and drug treatment facilities be smoke-free.

RoHo Dry Floatation system: an alternative means of pressure relief

Pressure sores are believed to occur as a result of two pressures, external pressure leading to occlusion, and disruptive shearing forces causing endothelial damage to the micro circulation. One of the main principles, therefore, of pressure sore prevention is relief or reduction of pressure. Scandinavian Mobility produces a range of systems--therapeutic cushions, specialist cushions and products, and mattresses--that can reduce the pressure, reportedly achieving interface pressures of 21-28 mmHg. These systems have been shown to be cost-effective in the clinical setting and provide pressure relief in low-, medium- and high risk patients.

Relation of tolerance of ambiguity to global and specific paranormal experience

We examined the relationship of tolerance of ambiguity to severe global factors and specific types of anomalous or paranormal experience. 107 undergraduate students completed MacDonald's 1970 AT-20 and the Anomalous Experiences Inventory of Kumar, Pekala, and Gallagher. Scores on the five subscales of the Anomalous Experiences Inventory correlated differently with tolerance of ambiguity. Global paranormal beliefs, abilities, experiences, and drug use were positively associated with tolerance of ambiguity, whereas a fear of paranormal experience showed a negative relation. The specific types of anomalous experiences that correlated with tolerance of ambiguity often involved internal or physiological experience, e.g., precognitive dreams, memories of reincarnation, visual apparitions, and vestibular alterations. We generally found no effects of age of sex. These results are consistent with the idea that some paranormal experiences are misattributions of internal experience to external ('paranormal') sources, a process analogous to mechanisms underpinning delusions and hallucinations.

Hydrocoll: a 'new breed' of hydrocolloid wound dressing

Hydrocolloid dressings were first used in wound management in the 1960s. They provide the optimal environment for wound healing, i.e. a moist environment, constant wound temperature and infrequent dressing changes, and can be used on wounds in various stages of healing. As a result they are a popular treatment option for health professionals in both the community and hospital settings. This article describes the properties of Hydrocoll--a new and exciting range of hydrocolloid dressings from Paul Hartmann Ltd--which was launched in the UK in January 1998 and became available on the Drug Tariff in June 1998.

Mapping of epitopes exposed on intact human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virions: a new strategy for studying the immunologic relatedness of HIV-1

To study the antigenic conservation of epitopes of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates of different clades, the abilities of human anti-HIV-1 gp120 and gp41 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to bind to intact HIV-1 virions were determined by a newly developed virus-binding assay. Eighteen human anti-HIV MAbs, which were directed at the V2, V3 loop, CD4-binding domain (CD4bd), C5, or gp41 regions, were used. Nine HIV-1 isolates from clades A, B, D, F, G, and H were used. Microtiter wells were coated with the MAbs, after which virus was added. Bound virus was detected after lysis by testing for p24 antigen with a noncommercial p24 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The anti-V3 MAbs strongly bound the four clade B viruses and viruses from the non-B clades, although binding was weaker and more sporadic with the latter. The degrees of binding by the anti-V3 MAbs to CXCR4- and CCR5-tropic viruses were similar, suggesting that the V3 loops of these two categories of viruses are similarly exposed. The anti-C5 MAbs bound isolates of clades A, B, and D. Only weak and sporadic binding of all the viruses tested with anti-CD4bd, anti-V2, and anti-gp41 MAbs was detected. These results suggest that V3 and C5 structures are shared and well exposed on intact virions of different clades compared to the CD4bd, V2, and gp41 regions.

Genetic instability in the 9q22.3 region is a late event in the development of squamous cell carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin represents a group of neoplasms which is associated with exposure to UV light. Recently, we obtained data suggesting that invasive skin cancer and its precursors derive from one original neoplastic clone. Here, the analysis were extended by loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis in the chromosome 9q22.3 region. A total of 85 samples, taken from twenty-two sections of sun-exposed sites, corresponding to normal epidermis, morphological normal cells with positive immuno-staining for the p53 protein (p53 patches), dysplasias, cancer in situ (CIS) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the skin were analysed. Overall, about 70% of p53 patches had mutations in the p53 gene but not LOH in the p53 gene or 9q22.3 region. Approximately 70% of the dysplasias showed p53 mutations of which about 40% had LOH in the p53 region but not in the 9q22.3 region. In contrast, about 65% of SCC and CIS displayed LOH in the 9q22.3 region, as well as frequent (80%) mutations and/or LOH in the p53 gene. These findings strongly suggest that alterations in the p53 gene is an early event in the progression towards SCC, whereas malignant development involves LOH and alterations in at least one (or several) tumor suppressor genes located in chromosome 9q22.3.

Mefilm: an adherent polyurethane dressing for superficial wounds

Research has demonstrated that wounds heal faster in a moist environment. Film dressings are used to promote a moist environment. Mefilm is part of the Mölnlycke Health Care chronic wound care system and is a gentle, adherent polyurethane dressing. This product focus discusses the development of the semi-permeable film dressing, Mefilm, examining its uses, application and removal.

Melgisorb: a highly absorbent calcium/sodium alginate dressing

Alginates have been used in wound care for many years. In recent years alginate dressings have developed to provide an extremely cost-effective way of managing wounds with a moderate to high level of exudate. The dressing gel has traditionally been either soft or firm on removal, but with new technology softness and fast gelling may now be combined with high integrity in a single product. An example of such a product is Melgisorb from Mölnlycke Health Care (the makers of Mepore). Melgisorb is just one dressing in their range of chronic wound care products.

Current or recent proton pump inhibitor therapy markedly impairs the accuracy of the [14C]urea breath test

BACKGROUND

There are increasing indications for assessing Helicobacter pylori status by non-invasive means in dyspeptic patients. There is also increasing use of proton pump inhibitor therapy for dyspeptic disease.

AIMS

To determine the effect of proton pump inhibitor therapy on the accuracy of the [14C]urea breath test.

PATIENTS

[14C]Urea breath tests were performed in 20 H. pylori-positive and 13 H. pylori-negative dyspeptic patients before commencing omeprazole and after 4 weeks of treatment with 40 mg/day and then 6 months of treatment with 20 mg/day. Further studies were done in H. pylori-positive patients to examine the time course of the onset and resolution of the effect observed.

RESULTS

False negative results occurred in 45% of the H. pylori-positive subjects after 4 weeks of omeprazole 40 mg/day and in 28% after 6 months of 20 mg/day. False positive results occurred in 15% of the H. pylori-negative subjects after 4 weeks of omeprazole 40 mg/day. In the H. pylori-positive subjects time course studies showed increasing suppression of the breath test result over the first 2-4 weeks of treatment. It took a similar time for the breath test result to recover after stopping treatment. There was no significant change in H. pylori IgG serology in the H. pylori-positive patients after 7 months of omeprazole treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Proton pump inhibitor therapy markedly impairs the accuracy of the [14C]urea breath test and, in particular, produces a high proportion of false negative results. The effect is dose related and may persist for 2-4 weeks after stopping therapy. Patients should be carefully questioned about recent proton pump inhibitor therapy before accepting a negative breath test result as reliable.