The development of meat-eating habits during childhood in Australia

The development of meat-eating habits of 999 Australian children between 1 and 16 years of age stratified across socioeconomic groups, was determined using a 4-day diary and measurement procedures to document intake. The results indicated that a stable pattern of meat-eating behaviour, as regards the frequency and type of meat eaten was established during the period 1-4 years of age and remained until 10-12 years for males and until at least 14-16 years for females. In contrast, the amount of meat consumed increased with age, the greatest increases occurring with adolescent males who ate the largest amounts of beef, chicken and pork. It is suggested that the early establishment of meat-eating habits may reflect a more general effect that may occur with other types of food.

Gene/longevity association studies at four autosomal loci (REN, THO, PARP, SOD2)

The possibility that four loci (REN, THO, PARP, SOD2) are associated with longevity was explored by comparing the genotypic pools of subjects older than 100 years with those of younger subjects matched for sex and geographic area (northern and southern Italy). The markers (all located within the respective gene) were HUMREN4; HUMTHO1; HUMPARP (gt)845nt; SOD2(C/T)401nt. In order to reduce the number of genotypes, multiallelic polymorphisms were recoded as diallelic according to allele size and frequency patterns (small: S, and large: L, alleles). A significant loss of LL homozygous genotypes was found at the THO locus in male but not in female centenarians with respect to matched controls. On the other hand no significant difference was found between case/control genotypic frequencies at REN, PARP, SOD2 loci. The latter loci therefore do not affect inter-individual variability in life expectancy (at least in terms of qualitative variants associated with the tested markers). However, the data is consistent with an association between the THO locus and longevity.

Life events, mood, mental strain and cardiovascular risk factors in Swedish middle-aged men. Data from the Swedish part of the Renault/Volvo Coeur Study

The associations between life events, mood, mental strain and cardiovascular risk factors were investigated in the Renault/Volvo Coeur Study. About 1,000 men, blue-collar and white-collar workers, were asked by means of interview-administered questionnaires about life events experienced during the year preceding the screening, about mood and mental strain and about smoking, alcohol consumption and exercise habits. Blood pressure, concentration of serum lipids and blood glucose, and anthropometric measures were determined in a screening procedure. Negative life events, especially work-related, were associated with depressed mood and mental strain but not with elevation of biological risk factors such as elevated blood pressure and serum lipids. Depressed mood and mental strain were related to increased tobacco consumption in blue-collar workers and increased alcohol consumption in white-collar workers.

Age-related changes of the 3'APOB-VNTR genotype pool in ageing cohorts

The analysis of seven different age cohorts (697 individuals from 10 to 109 years old) revealed age-related changes in the 3'APOB-VNTR genotype pool. By recoding the 3'APOB-VNTR alleles into three size-classes (small, S, 26-34 repeats; medium, M, 35-39 repeats; large, L, 41-55 repeats), an age-related convex trajectory of the frequency of SS homozygotes was found. The frequency of SS in the genotype pool increased from the group aged 10-19 years (3.06 +/- 1.74%) to that aged 40-49 years (8.51 +/- 4.07%). Then it declined reaching the minimum value in centenarians (1.58 +/- 0.90%). The observed trajectory is in agreement with that expected by assuming crossing of mortality curves relevant to subgroups of individuals having different genotypes.

Hiding worries from One's spouse: associations between coping via protective buffering and distress in male post-myocardial infarction patients and their wives

The relationship between protective buffering, a style of coping in which the individual hides his/her concerns from spouse, and level of distress was studied among post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients and their spouses. Forty-three male married MI survivors and their wives completed measures of psychological distress and protective buffering at 4 weeks and 6 months post-hospital discharge. At both time periods, a greater propensity for protective buffering by the patient was related to higher levels of patient distress. Protective buffering by wife was also associated with higher levels of wife distress. In addition, patient buffering at 4 weeks predicted increased patient distress at 6 months. The results suggest that male MI patients who conceal their worries from their spouses adjust more poorly over time.

Characteristics and clinical value of an intravenous echo-enhancement agent in evaluation of high-grade internal carotid stenosis

Although ultrasound is a highly useful tool for clinical diagnosis, it has certain limitations in accurately quantifying internal carotid stenosis or diagnosing internal carotid occlusion. However, these limitations can be overcome by increasing the echogenicity of flowing arterial blood by use of echo-enhancement agents. Two phase III studies assessed the usefulness of the IV transpulmonary echo enhancer Levovist (SH U 508A) in improving characterization and quantification of severe internal carotid stenosis on ultrasound scans. In addition, Levovist-induced enhancement characteristics of the Doppler frequency spectrum have been analyzed. To be included in the study reviewed here, patients had to have a high-grade (> or = 70%) stenosis or occlusion of an internal carotid artery (ICA), as judged by conventional angiography or by standard cervical Doppler ultrasound. Patients were excluded from consideration if they were pregnant or nursing, had a history of galactosemia, or had received an ionic contrast medium within 24 hours before or after the intended administration of Levovist. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients before entry into the study. Of 32 patients (14 women, 18 men, median age 64 yr) who were included in this study, high-grade stenosis was verified in 30 ICA vessels and occlusion was verified in two vessels. After admission into the study, the carotid bifurcation was insonated in all patients using a 7.5-MHz linear array transducer for color Doppler-assisted duplex imaging and a 4-MHz pulsed-wave Doppler for velocity spectrum measurements before and after injection of the echo enhancement agent Levovist. Levovist-induced increases in carotid blood echogenicity began 11 +/- 2 seconds (mean +/- SD) after the start of injection, peaked at 21 +/- 2 dB, and had a half-life of 75 seconds. A fast Fourier transform of the original Doppler velocity spectrum demonstrated Levovist-induced enhancement throughout the entire velocity spectrum, with an increase in ICA blood flow velocity paralleling an increase in reflected ultrasound energy. Quantitative vascular measurements (cross-sectional luminal area reduction and plaque length) obtained before and during echo enhancement were highly correlated (r > 0.90). However, visualization of the entire length of the intrastenotic residual flow lumen, was significantly improved by Levovist enhancement (52% versus 83%; p = 0.01). Levovist considerably increased interpretable data by improving image quality in patients with high-grade carotid stenosis. Furthermore, the significant improvement in visualization of the residual flow lumen suggests that echo-enhancement agents may be most useful in improving the ultrasonography-based diagnosis of internal carotid occlusion.

DNA multiallelic systems reveal gene/longevity associations not detected by diallelic systems. The APOB locus

To identify possible genetic factors affecting human longevity we compared allele pools at two candidate loci for longevity between a sample of 143 centenarians (S) and a control sample of 158 individuals (C). The candidate loci were APOB and TPO, which code for apolipoprotein B and thyroid peroxidase, respectively. Both restriction fragment length (RFL) (XbaI2488 and EcoRI4154) and variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) (3'APOB-VNTR) polymorphisms were analysed at the APOB locus; the TPO-VNTR polymorphism (intron 10) was analysed at the TPO locus. The main result of the investigation was that there is an association between the APOB locus and longevity that is revealed only when multiallelic polymorphisms are considered. In particular: (i) the frequency of 3'APOB-VNTR alleles with fewer than 35 repeats is significantly lower in cases than in controls; (ii) the linkage disequilibrium between the XbaI-RFLP and the EcoRI-RFLP is significantly different from 0 in cases but not in controls; (iii) the EcoRI-RFLP and XbaI-RFLP allele frequencies do not discriminate between cases and controls. The differences observed between case and control allele pools are specific to the APOB locus, since no significant difference was observed at the TPO locus.

Traumatic intrapericardial diaphragmatic hernia diagnosed by echocardiography

Emergency Department echocardiography revealed an intrapericardial hollow viscus in an 80-year-old auto crash victim. This proved to be stomach herniated through a ruptured diaphragm. Echocardiography and ultrasonography are very valuable diagnostic procedures currently available to the trauma surgeon to rule out diaphragmatic injury early in the trauma room.

Spinal neostigmine diminishes, but does not abolish, hypotension from spinal bupivacaine in sheep

Spinal neostigmine causes analgesia in animals and humans and abolishes hypotension from spinal bupivacaine in rats. Since drug distribution and action can vary with the size of the spinal cord, we tested the effects of the maximum tolerated dose of spinal neostigmine alone and with bupivacaine in conscious sheep. Neostigmine alone increased arterial blood pressure by 10%, with a statistically significant increase beginning 30 min after injection. Compared with spinal bupivacaine alone, addition of neostigmine resulted in hypotension of slower onset (15 vs 5 min), shorter duration (45 vs 105 min), and smaller magnitude (-18% +/- 3% vs -37% +/- 6%). Addition of neostigmine did not affect height of sensory block from spinal bupivacaine. These data agree with preliminary clinical reports that spinal neostigmine diminishes, but does not abolish, hypotension from spinal bupivacaine in humans.

Allele frequency distributions at seven DNA hypervariable loci in a population sample from Calabria (southern Italy)

Genotype and allele frequencies at seven Variable Number of Tandem Repeats (VNTR) loci currently used for forensic purposes have been estimated in a population sample from Calabria (south Italy). DNA target regions relevant to four microsatellites (THO.1; REN.4; D12S67; DYS19) and three minisatellites (D1S80; 3'APOB; TPO.10) were amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and analysed by electrophoresis and ethidium bromide or silver staining. For all loci, the observed genotypes were found to be in agreement with those expected by the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Data on allele frequencies were in line with those found in sample groups from northern or central Italy, tested for some of the above polymorphisms.

How good is intercenter agreement in the identification of embolic signals in carotid artery disease?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There has been concern regarding the reproducibility of the detection of embolic signals, particularly in patients with carotid artery stenosis in whom the signals are of low intensity. No published studies have examined inter-center agreement in reporting specific embolic signals or the factors responsible for any lack of agreement. We examined reproducibility between two centers in which widely differing proportions of embolic signals have previously been reported in patients with carotid artery stenosis.

METHODS

Recordings from the middle cerebral artery of eight patients with ipsilateral carotid artery stenosis in whom embolic signals had been detected during a previously study were independently examined by three experienced observers in one center and by one experienced observer in another center. We calculated agreement within and between centers by estimating the probability that one observer would identify a specific embolic signal if other observers had identified it (a probability of 1 indicates complete agreement). The influence of different characteristics of the embolic signal on the probability of its detection as an embolic signal was determined.

RESULTS

A high level of agreement in the identification of specific embolic signals was found. This was similar between all observers (.90), between the three observers in one center (.89), and between observers in the two different centers (.94). The probability of detection was independently related to the relative intensity of the embolic signal (P<.0001). It was less (although significantly) independently related to the position of the embolic signal in the cardiac cycle (P=.02), with signals in systole being more reliably detected. There was no independent relationship between the probability of detection and either the duration of the embolic signal or the velocity at the maximum intensity increase. The use of threshold intensity as a criterion for embolic signal detection increased interobserver agreement but reduced the sensitivity in detecting signals.

CONCLUSIONS

The high level of interobserver agreement suggests that the technique is sufficiently reproducible for clinical use.

Effects of a health examination programme on quality of life and subjective well-being

The effects on quality of life and psychological well-being of a health examination programme in a branch of Swedish industry were studied by means of questionnaires in 124 white-collar workers. They were asked to answer two questionnaires, one before and the other one month after the examination (the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and the Psychological General Well-being Schedule (PGWB)). Both are well-known and well-documented standard questionnaires used for estimating quality of life and degree of subjective well-being. The answers were compared with those of a control group comprising other white-collar workers in the same industry, of the same sex and age but who did not participate in the health examination and who were asked to complete the same questionnaires twice. The group that had participated in the health examination did not differ generally from the control group with respect to intra-individual differences as studied in the questionnaires on the two occasions. This indicates that no deterioration of quality of life or of psychological well-being was experienced by the participants in the health examination.

Evaluation of household dust mite exposure and levels of specific IgE and IgG antibodies in asthmatic patients enrolled in a trial of immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

Monitoring the response to immunotherapy entails understanding exposure to relevant allergens. For the major indoor allergens, this requires sampling of dust from the patient's house. The objectives of this study were to measure indoor allergen levels during a controlled trial of dust mite immunotherapy for asthma and to relate these results to serum antibody levels.

METHODS

Eighty-eight asthmatic patients with mite allergy from seven geographic areas in the United States were enrolled in and completed a course of immunotherapy with Dermatophagoides extract or placebo control. Sensitization was evaluated by quantitative measurements of IgG and IgE antibodies. Dust samples were assayed for group I mite (Der p 1 and Der f 1), cat (Fel d 1), and cockroach (Bla g 1) allergens by monoclonal antibody-based ELISA.

RESULTS

Over the 4 years of the study, each of the houses had at least one sample that contained more than 2 micrograms of group I mite allergen per gram of dust. Mean mite allergen levels, however, varied over a wide range, from 0.2 microgram/gm or less to more than 50 micrograms/gm. IgE antibodies to mite were present in sera from 78% of the patients, whereas IgE antibodies to cat and cockroach allergens were found in sera from 34% and 11% of patients, respectively. Sixty-four percent of the patients had exposure and sensitization to mite, whereas the comparable figure for each of the other allergens was 5%.

CONCLUSIONS

Examination of the results suggested that allergen exposure, relative to a trial of immunotherapy, could be expressed as (1) the maximum level found in the house, (2) the percentage of sites having greater than 2 micrograms/gm, or (3) the mean value at the site with the maximum level. This report provides a background for evaluating the clinical results of immunotherapy in these patients and a model for the way in which sensitization and exposure should be monitored in studies of this kind.

The specificity of autobiographical memory and imageability of the future

Three studies examined whether the specificity with which people retrieve episodes from their past determines the specificity with which they imagine the future. In the first study, suicidal patients and nondepressed controls generated autobiographical events and possible future events in response to cues. Suicidal subjects' memory and future responses were more generic, and specificity level for the past and the future was significantly correlated for both groups. In the second and third studies, the effect of experimental manipulation of retrieval style was examined by instructing subjects to retrieve specific events or summaries of events from their past (Experiment 2) or by giving high- or low-imageable words to cue memories (Experiment 3). Results showed that induction of a generic retrieval style reduced the specificity of images of the future. It is suggested that the association between memory retrieval and future imaging arises because the intermediate descriptions used in searching autobiographical memory are also used to generate images of possible events in the future.

Cerebral microembolism and the risk of ischemia in asymptomatic high-grade internal carotid artery stenosis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Previous work has shown that cerebral microembolism detected with transcranial Doppler sonography distal to internal carotid artery stenosis occurs more frequently in recently symptomatic compared with asymptomatic patients. It has remained unclear whether cerebral microembolism also indicates a higher risk of future cerebral or retinal ischemia.

SUMMARY OF REPORT

Sixty-four asymptomatic patients with unilateral 70% to 90% internal carotid artery stenosis were investigated prospectively (mean follow-up, 72 weeks). Five patients developed ischemic symptoms attributable to the stenosis (transient ischemic attack, 2 patients; stroke, 3 patients). A microembolic rate of > or = 2 per hour in the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery was associated with a substantially increased risk of developing ischemia of the corresponding carotid territory (odds ratio, 31; 95% confidence interval, 3 to 302; P = .005).

CONCLUSIONS

This prospective pilot study suggests that cerebral microembolism detected with transcranial Doppler sonography may define a high-risk subgroup among patients with asymptomatic high-grade internal carotid artery stenosis.

Quantitative assessment of exposure to dog (Can f 1) and cat (Fel d 1) allergens: relation to sensitization and asthma among children living in Los Alamos, New Mexico

BACKGROUND

Our objective was to identify the allergens associated with asthma among schoolchildren in an area of the United States where dust mite growth is expected to be poor. Los Alamos, N.M., was chosen because it has low rainfall and is at high altitude (7200 feet) making it very dry. One hundred eleven children (12 to 14 years old) from the middle school who had been previously classified according to bronchial hyperreactivity to histamine (BHR) were studied.

METHODS

Sera were assayed for IgE antibodies to mite, cat, dog, cockroach, Russian thistle, and grass pollen, with both CAP system fluoroimmunoassay (Kabi Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden) and conventional RAST. Allergens were measured in dust samples from 108 homes with two-site assays for mite (Der p 1 and Der f 1), cat (Fel d 1), dog (Can f 1), and cockroach (Bla g 2).

RESULTS

Concentrations of dog and cat allergens were elevated in almost all houses with pets but were also high in a significant proportion of the houses without pets. Levels of mite allergen were less than 2 micrograms/gm in 95% of the houses, and cockroach was undetectable in all but two of the houses. Among the 21 with BHR who had symptoms, 67% had IgE antibody to dog and 62% had IgE antibody to cat. For these allergens IgE antibody was strongly associated with asthma (p < 0.001). By contrast, the presence of IgE antibody to mite, cockroach, or grass pollen was not significantly associated with asthma.

CONCLUSION

The high prevalence of IgE antibody to cat and dog allergens among these children is in keeping with the presence of cat and/or dog allergen in most of the houses. Furthermore, sensitization (as judged by IgE antibodies) to cat and dog allergens was strongly associated with asthma. On the other hand, no clear relationship was found between sensitization or symptoms and the current level of allergen in individual houses. The results show that in this mite-and cockroach-free environment sensitization to domestic animals was the most significant association with asthma.

Cooperative effects of neuronal ensembles

Electrophysiological properties of neurons as the basic cellular elements of the central nervous system and their synaptic connections are well characterized down to a molecular level. However, the behavior of complex noisy networks formed by these constituents usually cannot simply be derived from the knowledge of its microscopic parameters. As a consequence, cooperative phenomena based on the interaction of neurons were postulated. This is a report on a study of global network spike activity as a function of synaptic interaction. We performed experiments in dissociated cultured hippocampal neurons and, for comparison, simulations of a mathematical model closely related to electrophysiology. Numeric analyses revealed that at a critical level of synaptic connectivity the firing behavior undergoes a phase transition. This cooperative effect depends crucially on the interaction of numerous cells and cannot be attributed to the spike threshold of individual neurons. In the experiment a drastic increase in the firing level was observed upon increase of synaptic efficacy by lowering of the extracellular magnesium concentration, which is compatible with our theoretical predictions. This "on-off" phenomenon demonstrates that even in small neuronal ensembles collective behavior can emerge which is not explained by the characteristics of single neurons.