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Ewens H, Metilli L, Simone E. Analysis of the effect of recent reformulation strategies on the crystallization behaviour of cocoa butter and the structural properties of chocolate. Curr Res Food Sci 2021; 4:105-114. [PMID: 33748777 PMCID: PMC7957023 DOI: 10.1016/j.crfs.2021.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Chocolate is a complex soft material characterized by solid particles (cocoa powder, milk solid particles and sugar crystals) dispersed in a crystallized fat matrix mostly composed of cocoa butter (CB). Important chocolate properties such as snap, and visual appearance are strongly dependent on the internal molecular arrangement (polymorph), size and shape, as well as the spatial distribution of CB crystals within the chocolate mix. In recent years confectionary companies have put increasing effort in developing novel chocolate recipes to improve the nutritional profile of chocolate products (e.g., by reducing the amount of high saturated fat and sugar content) and to counteract the increasing price of cocoa butter as well as sustainability issues related to some chocolate ingredients. Different reformulation strategies can dramatically affect the crystallization thermodynamic and kinetic behaviour of cocoa butter; therefore, affecting the structural and sensorial properties of chocolate. In this review we analyse how different reformulation strategies affect the crystallization behaviour of cocoa butter and, hence, the structural and sensorial properties of chocolate. In particular, this work discusses the effect of: (1) CB replacement with emulsions, hydrogels, oleogels and oleofoams; (2) CB dilution with limonene or cocoa butter equivalents; (3) replacement or reduction of the amount of sugar and milk in chocolate. We found that there is certainly potential for successful novel alternative chocolate products with controlled crystalline properties; however, further research is still needed to ensure sensory acceptance and reasonable shelf-life of these novel products.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Ewens
- School of Food Science and Nutrition, Food Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - L. Metilli
- School of Food Science and Nutrition, Food Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - E. Simone
- School of Food Science and Nutrition, Food Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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Simone E, McVeigh J, Reis NM, Nagy ZK. A high-throughput multi-microfluidic crystal generator (MMicroCryGen) platform for facile screening of polymorphism and crystal morphology for pharmaceutical compounds. Lab Chip 2018; 18:2235-2245. [PMID: 29946616 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00301g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In this work, a novel multi-microfluidic crystallization platform called MMicroCryGen is presented, offering a facile methodology for generating individual crystals for fast and easy screening of the polymorphism and crystal habit of solid compounds. The MMicroCryGen device is capable of performing 8 × 10 cooling crystallization experiments in parallel using 8 disposable microcapillary film strips, each requiring less than 25 μL of solution. Compared to traditional microfluidic systems, the MMicroCryGen platform does not require complex fluid handling; it can be directly integrated with a 96-well microplate and it can also work in a "dipstick" mode. The produced crystals can be safely and directly observed inside the capillaries by optical and spectroscopic techniques. The platform was validated by performing a number of independent experimental runs for: (1) polymorph and hydrate screening of ortho-aminobenzoic acid, succinic acid and piroxicam; (2) co-crystal form screening of the p-toluenesulfonamide/triphenylphosphine oxide system; (3) studying the effect of o-toluic acid on ortho-aminobenzoic cooling crystallization (effect of structurally related additives). In all three cases, all known solid forms were identified with a single experiment using ∼200 μL of solvent and just a few micrograms of the solid material. The MMicroCryGen is simple to use, inexpensive and it provides increased flexibility compared to traditional crystallization techniques, being an effective new microfluidic solution for solid form screening in pharmaceutical, fine chemicals, food and agrochemical industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Simone
- School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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Zullo A, Simone E, Grimaldi M, Gagliardi M, Zullo L, Matarazzo MR, Mancini FP. Effect of nutrient deprivation on the expression and the epigenetic signature of sirtuin genes. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2018; 28:418-424. [PMID: 29499851 DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2018] [Revised: 02/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Over the last decades advances in understanding the molecular bases of the close relationship between nutrition, metabolism, and diseases have been impressive. However, there are always novel frontiers coming up and epigenetics is one of these. Sirtuins, are pivotal factors in the control of metabolic pathways according to nutrient availability. In the present study we evaluated the effect of nutrient deprivation on expression, DNA methylation and chromatin status of the sirtuin genes. METHODS AND RESULTS We performed these studies in mouse hepatoma cells, that were grown in standard medium, or in media containing low glucose concentration, or no glucose, or no amino acids. We applied quantitative real-time PCR to cDNA, methylation-enriched DNA and nuclease-treated DNA in order to evaluate gene expression, DNA methylation, and chromatin condensation, respectively. This study shows that the expression of sirtuin genes varies following nutrient deprivation. Moreover, we observed that changes of DNA methylation and chromatin condensation occur at the transcription start site of sirtuin genes following nutrient deprivation. CONCLUSIONS Epigenetic mechanisms may have a role in the sirtuin response to nutrient deprivations in cultured hepatoma cells. Replicating these results in vivo to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the epigenetic control of sirtuin expression following nutrient deprivations might open up novel therapeutic possibilities to cure metabolic diseases and promote human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Zullo
- Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, Benevento, Italy; CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, Naples, Italy.
| | - E Simone
- Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, Benevento, Italy
| | - M Grimaldi
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Gagliardi
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics 'Adriano Buzzati-Traverso', CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - L Zullo
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN), IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - M R Matarazzo
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics 'Adriano Buzzati-Traverso', CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - F P Mancini
- Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, Benevento, Italy.
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Simone E, Szilagyi B, Nagy Z. Systematic model identification and optimization-based active polymorphic control of crystallization processes. Chem Eng Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2017.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Hasse B, Tarr PE, Marques-Vidal P, Waeber G, Preisig M, Mooser V, Valeri F, Djalali S, Andri R, Bernasconi E, Calmy A, Cavassini M, Vernazza P, Battegay M, Weber R, Senn O, Vollenweider P, Ledergerber B, Aubert V, Barth J, Battegay M, Bernasconi E, Böni J, Bucher HC, Burton-Jeangros C, Calmy A, Cavassini M, Egger M, Elzi L, Fehr J, Fellay J, Furrer H, Fux CA, Gorgievski M, Günthard H, Haerry D, Hasse B, Hirsch HH, Hösli I, Kahlert C, Kaiser L, Keiser O, Klimkait T, Kouyos R, Kovari H, Ledergerber B, Martinetti G, Martinez de Tejada B, Metzner K, Müller N, Nadal D, Pantaleo G, Rauch A, Regenass S, Rickenbach M, Rudin C, Schöni-Affolter F, Schmid P, Schultze D, Schüpbach J, Speck R, Staehelin C, Tarr P, Telenti A, Trkola A, Vernazza P, Weber R, Yerly S, Jean-Michel A, Murielle B, Jean Michel G, Christoph H, Thomas L, Pedro MV, Vincent M, Fred P, Martin P, Peter V, Roland VK, Aidacic V, Gerard W, Jürg B, Markus B, Heinz B, Martin B, Hans-Ulrich B, Ivo B, Reto C, Isabelle C, Corinne C, Sima D, Peter D, Simone E, Andrea F, Markus F, Claudius F, Jakob F, Ali GM, Matthias G, Denis H, Marcel H, Walter H, Simon H, Felix H, Paul H, Eva K, Vladimir K, Daniel K, Stephan K, Beat K, Benedict K, Heidi K, Vesna L, Giovanni L, Werner LH, Phillippe L, Severin L, Christoph M, Jürgen M, Damian M, Werner M, Titus M, Valentina N, Jakob R, Thomas R, Hana S, Frank S, Georg S, Oliver S, Pietro S, Jacques S, Alfred S, Alois S, Claudia S, Othmar S, Phuoc TT, Marco V, Alessandro V, René VA, Hans W, Fritz W, Johanna WS, Joseph W, Marco Z. Strong Impact of Smoking on Multimorbidity and Cardiovascular Risk Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Individuals in Comparison With the General Population. Open Forum Infect Dis 2015; 2:ofv108. [PMID: 26284258 PMCID: PMC4536331 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofv108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
AIDS-associated morbidity has diminished due to excellent viral control. Multimorbidity are more prevalent and incident in Swiss HIV-positive persons compared to HIV-negative controls. However, smoking, but not HIV status, had a strong impact on cardiovascular risk and multimorbidity. Background. Although acquired immune deficiency syndrome-associated morbidity has diminished due to excellent viral control, multimorbidity may be increasing among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons compared with the general population. Methods. We assessed the prevalence of comorbidities and multimorbidity in participants of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) compared with the population-based CoLaus study and the primary care-based FIRE (Family Medicine ICPC-Research using Electronic Medical Records) records. The incidence of the respective endpoints were assessed among SHCS and CoLaus participants. Poisson regression models were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking. Results. Overall, 74 291 participants contributed data to prevalence analyses (3230 HIV-infected; 71 061 controls). In CoLaus, FIRE, and SHCS, multimorbidity was present among 26%, 13%, and 27% of participants. Compared with nonsmoking individuals from CoLaus, the incidence of cardiovascular disease was elevated among smoking individuals but independent of HIV status (HIV-negative smoking: incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2–2.5; HIV-positive smoking: IRR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.1–2.6; HIV-positive nonsmoking: IRR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.44–1.4). Compared with nonsmoking HIV-negative persons, multivariable Poisson regression identified associations of HIV infection with hypertension (nonsmoking: IRR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.5–2.4; smoking: IRR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.6–2.4), kidney (nonsmoking: IRR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.9–3.8; smoking: IRR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.9–3.6), and liver disease (nonsmoking: IRR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.4–2.4; smoking: IRR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.4–2.2). No evidence was found for an association of HIV-infection or smoking with diabetes mellitus. Conclusions. Multimorbidity is more prevalent and incident in HIV-positive compared with HIV-negative individuals. Smoking, but not HIV status, has a strong impact on cardiovascular risk and multimorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Hasse
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology , University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich
| | - Philip E Tarr
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology , Kantonsspital Baselland Bruderholz, University of Basel , Bruderholz
| | | | | | | | - Vincent Mooser
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine , Lausanne University Hospital (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois)
| | - Fabio Valeri
- Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich
| | - Sima Djalali
- Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich
| | - Rauch Andri
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology , University and Inselspital Berne
| | - Enos Bernasconi
- Division of Infectious Diseases , Regional Hospital , Lugano
| | - Alexandra Calmy
- Division of Infectious Diseases , University Hospital Geneva
| | - Matthias Cavassini
- Division of Infectious Diseases , Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne
| | - Pietro Vernazza
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology , Cantonal Hospital , St. Gallen
| | - Manuel Battegay
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology , University Hospital Basel , Switzerland
| | - Rainer Weber
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology , University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich
| | - Oliver Senn
- Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich
| | | | - Bruno Ledergerber
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology , University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich
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Simone E, Steele G, Nagy ZK. Tailoring crystal shape and polymorphism using combinations of solvents and a structurally related additive. CrystEngComm 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ce01878a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Simone E, Nagy ZK. A link between the ATR-UV/Vis and Raman spectra of zwitterionic solutions and the polymorphic outcome in cooling crystallization. CrystEngComm 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ce00702j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Simone E, Saleemi AN, Nagy ZK. In Situ Monitoring of Polymorphic Transformations Using a Composite Sensor Array of Raman, NIR, and ATR-UV/vis Spectroscopy, FBRM, and PVM for an Intelligent Decision Support System. Org Process Res Dev 2014. [DOI: 10.1021/op5000122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. Simone
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, U.K
| | - A. N. Saleemi
- EPSRC
Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Continuous Manufacturing and
Crystallization, Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, U.K
| | - Z. K. Nagy
- EPSRC
Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Continuous Manufacturing and
Crystallization, Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, U.K
- School
of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2100, United States
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Simone E, Saleemi A, Nagy Z. Application of quantitative Raman spectroscopy for the monitoring of polymorphic transformation in crystallization processes using a good calibration practice procedure. Chem Eng Res Des 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2013.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Abiru N, Wegmann D, Kawasaki E, Gottlieb P, Simone E, Eisenbarth GS. Dual overlapping peptides recognized by insulin peptide B:9-23 T cell receptor AV13S3 T cell clones of the NOD mouse. J Autoimmun 2000; 14:231-7. [PMID: 10756085 DOI: 10.1006/jaut.2000.0369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
T cells isolated from islets of non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice are enriched for insulin-reactive cells. The great majority of these T cells recognize insulin B chain peptide (B:9-23). B:9-23 reactive T cell clones are diabetogenic and show a dramatic TCR alpha -chain restriction (predominant AV13S3). We have studied the reactivity of five different B:9-23 reactive T cell clones to truncated peptides and alanine substituted analogues of B:9-23. Amongst these AV13S3 T cell clones, one reacted with peptide B:9-16 and four with B:13-23. The two peptides have in common only four amino acids (B:13-16; EALY). Having defined minimal peptide epitopes, we evaluated a mutant insulin sequence (B:13 glutamine) which retains metabolic activity. As predicted, this single amino acid change abrogated T cell reactivity. In addition, we have created a modified I-A(g7)gene with the B:9-23 peptide covalently linked to I-A(g7). Antigen presenting cells transfected with this construct were excellent presenting cells for all clones studied. The definition of dual peptide motifs and creation of bioactive covalent I-A(g7)-B:9-23 should facilitate studies of the pathogenic significance and antigen recognition by B:9-23 reactive diabetogenic T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Abiru
- Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado 80262, USA
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Romano L, Peritore D, Simone E, Sidoti A, Trischitta F, Romano P. Chloride-sulphate exchange chemically measured in human erythrocyte ghosts. Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand) 1998; 44:351-5. [PMID: 9593586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide a clear description of a new chemical method to measure and analyze the net anion exchange (Cl-/SO4--) in resealed human erythrocyte ghosts. With this technique, we measured the influx of an inorganic divalent anion (SO4--) against a monovalent anion (Cl-) as a function of temperature. We found an apparent activation enthalpy Ea of 21-24 Kcal/mol. Besides the Cl-/SO4-- influx pH - dependence, measured under condition of electric anion equilibrium, shows a bell shape with a maximum around pH 6.3. In addition we accounted for the extracellular pH changes during the exchange of chloride for sulphate across the erythrocyte ghosts when bicarbonate is present in the medium. The pH drops sharply, then increases for the remaining experimental time course.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Romano
- Ist. Fisiologia Generale, C/da Papardo, S. Agata, Messina, Italy
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Simone E, Goosen M, Notermans SHW, Borgdorff MW. Investigations of Foodborne Diseases by Food Inspection Services in The Netherlands, 1991 to 1994. J Food Prot 1997; 60:442-446. [PMID: 31195544 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x-60.4.442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Foodborne illnesses investigated in the period 1991 to 1994 by the regional Food Inspection Services in The Netherlands are summarized and evaluated. In this period 2,621 incidents were reported, involving 7,567 ill people. Types of food most commonly implicated were Chinese-Indonesian food and meat products. More than half of the incidents were reported to originate in a restaurant or snack bar. Although laboratory investigations were carried out when possible, a likely causative agent was identified in only 8.3% of the incidents. Of the incidents with a known etiological agent, 19% were attributed to Bacillus cereus , 16% to Salmonella spp., 11% to Clostridium perfringens , 10% to chemical toxins, 6% to Escherichia coli , and 5% to Staphylococcus aureus . The present system covers only a tiny proportion of all foodborne illness and does not utilize epidemiological evidence to identify the source of outbreaks. It is recommended to supplement the microbiological data collected at present with epidemiological evidence, in particular in outbreaks involving 10 people or more.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M Goosen
- Department for Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, P.O. Box 1,3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Servé H W Notermans
- Laboratory for Microbiological Health Protection, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1,3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Martien W Borgdorff
- Department for Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, P.O. Box 1,3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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Simone E, Daniel D, Schloot N, Gottlieb P, Babu S, Kawasaki E, Wegmann D, Eisenbarth GS. T cell receptor restriction of diabetogenic autoimmune NOD T cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1997; 94:2518-21. [PMID: 9122227 PMCID: PMC20120 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.94.6.2518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/1996] [Accepted: 12/30/1996] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Restricted use of T cell receptor (TCR) gene segments is characteristic of several induced autoimmune disease models. TCR sequences have previously been unavailable for pathogenic T cells which react with a defined autoantigen in a spontaneous autoimmune disease. The majority of T cell clones, derived from islets of NOD mice which spontaneously develop type I diabetes, react with insulin peptide B-(9-23). We have sequenced the alpha and beta chains of TCRs from these B-(9-23)-reactive T cell clones. No TCR beta chain restriction was found. In contrast, the clones (10 of 13) used V alpha13 coupled with one of two homologous J alpha segments (J alpha45 or J alpha34 in 8 of 13 clones). Furthermore, 9 of 10 of the V alpha13 segments are a novel NOD sequence that we have tentatively termed V alpha13.3. This dramatic alpha chain restriction, similar to the beta chain restriction of other autoimmune models, provides a target for diagnostics and immunomodulatory therapy.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Cells, Cultured
- Clone Cells
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/genetics
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/immunology
- Insulin/pharmacology
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Peptide Fragments/pharmacology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/biosynthesis
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/chemistry
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/genetics
- Spleen/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/drug effects
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- E Simone
- Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262, USA
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14
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Abstract
A considerable body of data supports the hypothesis that type I diabetes is a chronic progressive autoimmune disorder. Individuals with very high probability of progressing to diabetes can now be readily identified. Assays for autoantibodies reacting with insulin (IAA), glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65AA), and the neuroendocrine tyrosine phosphatase ICA512/IA-2 (ICA512AA) allow for the identification of more than 95% of individuals developing type I diabetes. The expression of a single autoantibody does not indicate high risk for diabetes and in general, prediabetic individuals express a series of biochemically defined autoantibodies. Levels of such autoantibodies are usually stable over years of follow-up. Unusual variants of autoantibody expression (e.g. GAD-ICA with high titers of GAD65 autoantibodies as the sole autoantibody) have low prognostic significance. Given the presence of multiple autoantibodies, low first phase insulin secretion (following intravenous glucose) is the best predictor of time to diabetes onset. Measurement of autoantibodies can now be automated and applied to large populations such that screening and prediction in the general population is now feasible. We favor the hypothesis that insulin may be the primary autoantigen for type I diabetes, and therapies which after the immune response to insulin may lead to safe and effective preventive modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Simone
- Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, USA
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Abstract
Three experiments are reported in which it is tested whether the Gestalt effect of configural orientation on shape perception operates on two-dimensional (2-D) or three-dimensional (3-D) representations of space. It is known that gravitationally defined squares and diamonds take longer to discriminate in diagonal arrays than in horizontal or vertical arrays. In the first experiment it is shown that this interference effect decreases dramatically in magnitude when pictorial depth information is added so that subjects perceive the target shapes in different depth planes. In the second experiment this difference is shown not to be due to relative size of the target shapes or to occlusion of a background plane. It is also shown, in the final experiment, that this difference is not due to linear perspective information or merely to perception of the target figures in a 3-D scene. The overall pattern of results supports the position that this configural reference frame effect arises primarily when the elements of the configuration are coplanar, and that the principal organization underlying it is the structure of the perceived 3-D environment rather than that of the 2-D image. In all three experiments, however, there is also a small interference effect in the noncoplanar 3-D conditions. This might be due either to some aspect of reference frame selection operating on the 2-D image representation or to the failure of subjects to see depth in the 3-D stimuli on some proportion of the trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Palmer
- University of California, Berkeley 94720
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16
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Abstract
Height and sitting height were measured in all the 28 patients (19 females and 9 males) of our Thalassaemic Centre who exhibited evidence of cessation of growth. Their average final stature, which had been spontaneously achieved at an age ranging from 15.0-21.5 years (mean 17.9), was slightly lower with respect to the mean standards for women (159.1 +/- 8.4 vs 160.0 +/- 6.0 cm) and men (167.8 +/- 6.4 vs 172.5 +/- 6.0 cm). Height deficiency exceeded 2 SD scores in only 3/28 patients. If compared to the familial target height, patients' stature fell within the familial range in 19/24 cases and in only one case was it below the lower limit. In the whole sample the patients' height was positively related to their familial target height (r = 0.72, P less than 0.0002) and also to mid-parental stature (r = 0.45, P less than 0.05). Heights of both females and males were superimposable on those of their own mothers and fathers respectively. Average values of either SH (76.4 +/- 3.8 vs 79.9 +/- 3.4 cm, 2 P less than 0.02) or SH/H ratio (48.9 +/- 2.5 vs 51.5 +/- 1.0, 2 P less than 0.005) were significantly lower in the female thalassaemics than in the sex-matched controls. Three females and one male showed subnormal values of both SH and SH/H ratio. Two out of these patients with eunochoid body proportions and another one with a decreased SH/H ratio have hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and are undergoing a chronic substitutive treatment with sexual hormones, which was instituted after the achievement of final stature.
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Affiliation(s)
- F De Luca
- Istituto di Clinica Pediatrica, Università di Messina, Italy
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Abstract
The neighborhood health center is becoming a major locus of mental health care delivery. Because of their strategic position at the neighborhood level, mental health care systems in the comprehensive health center locus have been able to develop linkages with both general health and community mental health systems to provide a broad continuum of coordinated health and mental health care. Four models identified in a survey of 19 neighborhood mental health programs are described. The authors suggest that persistent problems in coordination of care between neighborhood mental health and other caregiving systems would be considerably alleviated by a fiscal reimbursement scheme that rewarded integration rather than fragmentation of care.
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