Interplay of broccoli/broccoli sprout bioactives with gut microbiota in reducing inflammation in inflammatory bowel diseases

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) are chronic, reoccurring, and debilitating conditions characterized by inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, some of which can lead to more systemic complications and can include autoimmune dysfunction, a change in the taxonomic and functional structure of microbial communities in the gut, and complicated burdens in a person's daily life. Like many diseases based in chronic inflammation, research on IBD has pointed towards a multifactorial origin involving factors of the person's lifestyle, immune system, associated microbial communities, and environmental conditions. Treatment currently exists only as palliative care, and seeks to disrupt the feedback loop of symptoms by reducing inflammation and allowing as much of a return to homeostasis as possible. Various anti-inflammatory options have been explored, and this review focuses on the use of diet as an alternative means of improving gut health. Specifically, we highlight the connection between the role of sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables in regulating inflammation and in modifying microbial communities, and to break down the role they play in IBD.

A steamed broccoli sprout diet preparation that reduces colitis via the gut microbiota

Sulforaphane is a bioactive metabolite with anti-inflammatory activity and is derived from the glucosinolate glucoraphanin, which is highly abundant in broccoli sprouts. However, due to its inherent instability its use as a therapeutic against inflammatory diseases has been limited. There are few studies to investigate a whole food approach to increase sulforaphane levels with therapeutic effect and reduce inflammation. In the current study, using a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease, we investigated the ability of steamed broccoli sprouts to ameliorate colitis and the role of the gut microbiota in mediating any effects. We observed that despite inactivation of the plant myrosinase enzyme responsible for the generation of sulforaphane via steaming, measurable levels of sulforaphane were detectable in the colon tissue and feces of mice after ingestion of steamed broccoli sprouts. In addition, this preparation of broccoli sprouts was also capable of reducing chemically-induced colitis. This protective effect was dependent on the presence of an intact microbiota, highlighting an important role for the gut microbiota in the metabolism of cruciferous vegetables to generate bioactive metabolites and promote their anti-inflammatory effects.

A Specific Broccoli Sprout Preparation Reduces Chemically-Induced Colitis Via Gut Microbiota

Objectives

Sulforaphane is a bioactive metabolite with anti-inflammatory activity that is derived from glucosinolates, which are highly abundant in cruciferous vegetables including broccoli sprouts. There have been limited studies to investigate a whole foods approach to increase sulforaphane levels with therapeutic effect and reduce inflammation. In the current study, using a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease, we aimed to investigate the ability of steamed broccoli sprouts to ameliorate colitis and the role of the microbiota in mediating any effects.

Methods

C57BL/6J male mice were fed base diet or 5% steamed broccoli sprout diet for 2 weeks prior to induction of colitis with 2–3% DSS (5–7 days) and kept on their respective diets until sacrifice. Body weight and disease activity index scores were recorded daily, and histological assessment was performed on H&E sections of colon. Urine, feces, blood, and GI tract tissues and intestinal content were collected for LC-MS/MS quantification of sulforaphane and glucoraphanin. The 16S rRNA sequencing was performed to analyze gut microbiome. Germ-free mice were fed base diet or 5% steamed broccoli sprout diet for 2 weeks followed by treatment with 5 days of DSS to determine the role of gut microbiota in mediating the anti-inflammatory effects of the steamed broccoli sprout diet.

Results

We observed that despite inactivation of the plant myrosinase enzyme responsible for the generation of sulforaphane via steaming, measurable levels of sulforaphane were detectable in the colon tissue and feces of mice after ingestion of steamed broccoli sprouts. In addition, this preparation of broccoli sprouts was also capable of reducing chemically-induced colitis. This protective effect was dependent on the presence of an intact gut microbiota, highlighting an important role for the microbiota in the metabolism of cruciferous vegetables to generate bioactive metabolites and promote their anti-inflammatory effects.

Conclusions

Altogether, these results suggest that the incorporation of a steamed broccoli sprouts diet is a viable dietary intervention to complement current medical therapies for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Funding Sources

This work was supported by USDA-NIFA-AFRI Foundational Program [Grant No. 2018–67,017-27,520].

Development of a continuous direct compression platform for low-dose drug products

In this work a continuous direct compression process was developed for a low-dosed drug product. Each unit operation of the GEA CDC-50 system was thoroughly investigated. This paper aimed to tackle the macroscopic and microscopic blend uniformity challenges inherently associated with continuous direct compression of cohesive and agglomerated APIs formulated at low dose. Density, compressibility and flow were identified as key material properties at the feeding stage. The screw speed coupled with powder flow regulated the gravimetric feeding performance. The impact of process and design variables was elucidated at the blending stage. The impeller configuration (number and pattern of radial mixing blades) and speed were key variables to steer the residence time distribution at the blending stage. An impeller configuration with distributed radial mixing blades could sufficiently filter the steady state feeding variability at low mixer speed, but exerted limited strain and shear on the blend. Hence micro-agglomerates persisted through the blending process and occasionally resulted in super potent tablets. Therefore, a new configuration was evaluated with more radial mixing blades centered on the impeller. This configuration resulted in a long mixing time at high tip speed which induced a maximized strain and shear. Consequently, excellent uniformity of the blend and tablets at macroscopic and microscopic level was achieved. Besides, this impeller improved robustness towards feeding disturbances, changes in process settings and variable blend properties. Next, it was demonstrated that the lubrication step requires critical attention during the design of the equipment, formulation and process. This study provided abundant evidence that an optimized continuous direct compression process allows direct compression of challenging low-dose drug products.

A phase 1, randomized ascending single-dose study of antagonist anti-human CD40 ASKP1240 in healthy subjects

This first-in-human, phase I study evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of ASKP1240 in healthy subjects. Twelve sequential groups (each 6 active and 3 placebo) were randomly assigned to placebo or single ascending doses of intravenous ASKP1240 (0.00003-10 mg/kg). ASKP1240 exhibited nonlinear pharmacokinetics, with mean maximal serum concentrations and area under the serum concentration-time curves ranging from 0.7 to 251.6 μg/mL and 6.5 to 55409.6 h·μg/mL following doses 0.1 mg/kg-10 mg/kg, respectively. CD40 receptor occupancy by ASKP1240, which was dose-dependent, reached a maximum at doses above 0.01 mg/kg. ASKP1240 was well tolerated, with no evidence of cytokine release syndrome or thromboembolic events. Treatment emergent antibodies to ASKP1240 were detected in 5/70 (7.1%) ASKP1240 recipients. In conclusion, antagonism of the CD40/CD154 interaction with ASKP1240 was safe and well tolerated at the doses tested.

Effect of corticosteroid withdrawal on tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil exposure in a randomized multicenter study

As corticosteroid-sparing protocols are increasingly utilized in kidney transplant recipients, it is crucial to understand potential drug interactions between tacrolimus (TAC) and the effect of corticosteroid withdrawal as well as to characterize dose adjustments of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in this setting. This prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind study included 397 patients who were randomized on posttransplant day 8 to receive either placebo (CSWD) or corticosteroid continuance (CCS). TAC trough levels at week two posttransplant were significantly greater in the CSWD group whereas TAC doses were comparable to the CCS group. This interaction was not observed in the African American subgroup. Higher serum creatinine and potassium levels were also observed in the CSWD group. MMF dose was significantly reduced in the CSWD group by the investigators because of decreased WBC counts, mostly outside of study protocol criteria, despite similar incidence of neutropenia and reported cytomegalovirus infection. Understanding TAC and MMF exposure in the context of corticosteroid-sparing protocols should allow for improved dosing of immunosuppressants and better management of posttransplant patients.

A phase 1, randomized ascending single-dose study of antagonist anti-human CD40 ASKP1240 in healthy subjects

This first-in-human, phase I study evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of ASKP1240 in healthy subjects. Twelve sequential groups (each 6 active and 3 placebo) were randomly assigned to placebo or single ascending doses of intravenous ASKP1240 (0.00003-10 mg/kg). ASKP1240 exhibited nonlinear pharmacokinetics, with mean maximal serum concentrations and area under the serum concentration-time curves ranging from 0.7 to 251.6 μg/mL and 6.5 to 55409.6 h·μg/mL following doses 0.1 mg/kg-10 mg/kg, respectively. CD40 receptor occupancy by ASKP1240, which was dose-dependent, reached a maximum at doses above 0.01 mg/kg. ASKP1240 was well tolerated, with no evidence of cytokine release syndrome or thromboembolic events. Treatment emergent antibodies to ASKP1240 were detected in 5/70 (7.1%) ASKP1240 recipients. In conclusion, antagonism of the CD40/CD154 interaction with ASKP1240 was safe and well tolerated at the doses tested.

Heparan sulphate, its derivatives and analogues share structural characteristics that can be exploited, particularly in inhibiting microbial attachment

Heparan sulphate (HS) and the related polysaccharide, heparin, exhibit conformational and charge arrangement properties, which provide a degree of redundancy allowing several seemingly distinct sequences to exhibit the same activity. This can also be mimicked by other sulphated polysaccharides, both in overall effect and in the details of interactions and structural consequences of interactions with proteins. Together, these provide a source of active compounds suitable for further development as potential drugs. These polysaccharides also possess considerable size, which bestows upon them an additional useful property: the capability of disrupting processes comprising many individual interactions, such as those characterising the attachment of microbial pathogens to host cells. The range of involvement of HS in microbial attachment is reviewed and examples, which include viral, bacterial and parasitic infections and which, in many cases, are now being investigated as potential targets for intervention, are identified.

Dense graphlet statistics of protein interaction and random networks

Understanding evolutionary dynamics from a systemic point of view crucially depends on knowledge about how evolution affects size and structure of the organisms' functional building blocks (modules). It has been recently reported that statistics over sparse PPI graphlets can robustly monitor such evolutionary changes. However, there is abundant evidence that in PPI networks modules can be identified with highly interconnected (dense) and/or bipartite subgraphs. We count such dense graphlets in PPI networks by employing recently developed search strategies that render related inference problems tractable. We demonstrate that corresponding counting statistics differ significantly between prokaryotes and eukaryotes as well as between "real" PPI networks and scale free network emulators. We also prove that another class of emulators, the low-dimensional geometric random graphs (GRGs) cannot contain a specific type of motifs, complete bipartite graphs, which are abundant in PPI networks.

[A case-control study on green tea consumption and the risk of adult leukemia]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether green tea consumption can reduce the risk of adult leukemia.

METHODS

A hospital-based matched case-control study was conducted in 2005 - 2006. We recruited 107 confirmed leukemia cases and 110 inpatient controls with orthopedic disease without leukemia or other malignancy matched on gender, age and hospitals that patients stayed. Related information were gathered on quantity, duration and frequency of tea consumption, demographic characteristics, exposure to radiation and occupational hazards, medications, using a validated questionnaire by face-to-face interview. Univariate and multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with SPSS 11.5 software.

RESULTS

Compared with non-tea-drinkers, the OR of those who consumed green tea was 0.58 (95% CI:0.34-1.00, P< 0.05) under univariate statistical analysis. The OR was 0.52 ( 95% CI: 0.28- 0.98, P = 0.04), using logistic regression to count for age, gender, residential area, smoking, level of education, exposure to radiation, benzene and organo-phosphorus. Compared with non-drinkers, the risk of adult leukemia declined with increasing quantity, duration, and frequency of green tea consumption. Tests for trend on dose-response was statistically significant (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

A higher consumption of green tea seemed to be associated with a declined risk of adult leukemia. Tea consumption might be of help to human health planning projects.

One-year results with extended-release tacrolimus/MMF, tacrolimus/MMF and cyclosporine/MMF in de novo kidney transplant recipients

Once-daily tacrolimus extended-release formulation (Prograf XL, formerly referred to as MR or MR4) was compared with the twice-a-day tacrolimus formulation (TAC) and cyclosporine microemulsion (CsA), all administered in combination with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), corticosteroids and basiliximab induction, in a phase 3, randomized (1:1:1), open-label trial in 638 de novo kidney transplant recipients. In combination with MMF and corticosteroids, XL had an efficacy profile comparable to TAC and CsA. XL/MMF and TAC/MMF were statistically noninferior at 1-year posttransplantation to CsA/MMF for the primary efficacy endpoint, efficacy failure (death, graft loss, biopsy-confirmed acute rejection (BCAR) or lost to follow-up). One-year patient and graft survival were 98.6% and 96.7% in the XL/MMF group, 95.7% and 92.9% in TAC/MMF group and 97.6% and 95.7% in CsA/MMF group. The safety profile of XL in comparison with CsA was similar to that observed with TAC in this study and consistent with previously published reports of TAC in comparison with CsA. The results support the safety and efficacy of tacrolimus in combination with MMF, corticosteroids and basiliximab induction, as well as XL as a safe and effective once-daily dosing alternative.

One-year results with extended-release tacrolimus/MMF, tacrolimus/MMF and cyclosporine/MMF in de novo kidney transplant recipients

Once-daily tacrolimus extended-release formulation (Prograf XL, formerly referred to as MR or MR4) was compared with the twice-a-day tacrolimus formulation (TAC) and cyclosporine microemulsion (CsA), all administered in combination with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), corticosteroids and basiliximab induction, in a phase 3, randomized (1:1:1), open-label trial in 638 de novo kidney transplant recipients. In combination with MMF and corticosteroids, XL had an efficacy profile comparable to TAC and CsA. XL/MMF and TAC/MMF were statistically noninferior at 1-year posttransplantation to CsA/MMF for the primary efficacy endpoint, efficacy failure (death, graft loss, biopsy-confirmed acute rejection (BCAR) or lost to follow-up). One-year patient and graft survival were 98.6% and 96.7% in the XL/MMF group, 95.7% and 92.9% in TAC/MMF group and 97.6% and 95.7% in CsA/MMF group. The safety profile of XL in comparison with CsA was similar to that observed with TAC in this study and consistent with previously published reports of TAC in comparison with CsA. The results support the safety and efficacy of tacrolimus in combination with MMF, corticosteroids and basiliximab induction, as well as XL as a safe and effective once-daily dosing alternative.

The influence of attractiveness factors and distance to general practice surgeries by level of social disadvantage and global access in Perth, Western Australia

The impact on attendance of the distance to general practice surgeries, and the attributes offered by those surgeries, was investigated. One thousand and forty four subjects, selected at random from the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia, responded to a household interview survey concerning which attributes of general practice (GP) surgeries they found attractive and the identity of the surgery they preferred to attend. The sample was stratified by different levels of social disadvantage and by good and poor global levels of spatial accessibility of GP surgeries. In separate fieldwork, interviewers collected detailed environmental data from practice staff at 466 GP surgeries available to the community survey respondents within metropolitan Perth. Respondents living in areas of poor global access were more likely to attend their nearest surgery (25% vs. 6%) and to bypass fewer surgeries to attend a preferred surgery (median 2 vs. 20). Those who were most socially disadvantaged were less likely than those who were better off to bypass surgeries where global access was poor, but more likely to bypass nearby surgeries and to seek out a surgery that bulk billed in areas where global access was good. A number of attractiveness factors had an important influence on choice of surgery, including: 'easy to make an appointment'; 'generally sees patients on time'; 'pharmacy nearby'; 'bulk bills' and 'open at all on Sundays'. Respondents attending their nearest surgery were more likely to have all of their nominated 'very important' attributes satisfied at that surgery than non-attenders (40% vs. 16%). A logistic regression model, adjusting for distance effects and size of surgery, showed within each level of global access and social disadvantage a consistent increase in the odds of attending a surgery that satisfied the attributes desired by respondents.

Completed suicides and emergency psychiatric evaluations: the Louisville experience

Suicide is one of the most serious outcomes of psychiatric illness, and the most extreme intervention (involuntary hospitalization) can be exercised if this event is likely. Despite this, the rate of suicide has remained fairly consistent at 1.1-1.4%. In an ongoing effort of identifying factors that can predict subsequent suicides, we retrospectively examined the records of individuals who completed suicides in Jefferson County, January 1997 through September 1998, and who were evaluated at the Emergency Psychiatric Service (EPS) at University of Louisville Hospital. Fifteen of the 132 (11.4%) subjects who completed suicide were evaluated at some point in time at EPS. Only 8 (6.1%) were seen within 60 days of the fatal event. This represents less than 0.1% of the total 9,469 patients seen at the EPS during this time period. No specific factors could be identified that predicted imminent suicide. Given the inaccuracy in being able to predict suicide, clinicians need to continue to be vigilant when assessing acutely distressed substance abusing or psychiatric patients.

Antibiotic resistance in staphylococci adherent to cortical bone

The surface-adherent mode of bacterial growth has been shown to play a pivotal role in the persistent nature of infections involving retained foreign bodies, biomaterials, or dead bone (e.g., osteomyelitis). The hypothesis tested herein is that bone and implant materials--polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)--provide a surface environment that promotes a type of bacterial growth characterized by an enhanced antibiotic resistance. The antibiotic resistance estimates of three staphylococcal subtypes were determined for organisms grown in an adherent state on the aforementioned surfaces as well as in their nonadherent or suspended state. Antibiotic resistance was found to vary with mode of bacterial growth. Secondly, for the staphylococcal subtypes, antibiotics and modes of growth studied herein, adherent growth on bone was associated with the most antibiotic resistance.

Accurate measurement of surface areas of anatomical structures by computer-assisted triangulation of computed tomography images

There is a need for accurate surface area measurement of internal irregular anatomical structures in order to define light dosimetry in adjunctive intraoperative photodynamic therapy (AIOPDT). No satisfactory preoperative method exists of measuring this parameter. We have investigated whether computer-assisted triangulation of serial sections generated by computed tomography (CT) scanning can give an accurate assessment of the surface area of the walls of the true pelvis after anterior resection and before colorectal anastomosis. We have shown that the technique of paper density tessellation is an acceptable method of measuring the surface areas of phantom objects, with a maximum error of 0.5%, and is used as the gold standard. Computer-assisted triangulation of CT images of standard geometric objects and accurately-constructed pelvic phantoms gives a surface area assessment with a maximum error of 2.5% compared with the gold standard. The CT images of 20 patients' pelves have been analysed by computer-assisted triangulation and this shows that the surface area of the walls varies from 143 cm2 to 392 cm2. Simple step-like analysis of images and approximation to geometric shapes with subsequent calculation give unacceptably high errors. The surface area of an internal, rigid, irregular surface area for illumination in AIOPDT can be accurately measured preoperatively by computer-assisted triangulation of CT images.

Emergence of drawing devices for total and partial occlusion: a longitudinal study

The developmental emergence of two drawing devices was investigated in young children: the use of omission (ie not drawing any of a hidden object) to depict total occlusion and the use of hidden line elimination (HLE, ie deleting only that part of an object that is hidden from view) to depict partial occlusion in a three-dimensional scene. Three groups of school children (5, 6, and 7 years old) were tested individually with two tasks four times over a 2-year period. One task called for the omission device (to draw a cup with its handle not in view) and the other for the HLE device (to draw one ball behind and partially occluded by another). The stimuli in each task were presented in pairs, with one member of the pair showing the occluded scene and the other a canonical or not-occluded scene. Changes in the strategies used by the children to indicate the visual differences within the pairs were recorded over the four testing sessions. Children were found to use the omission device more readily with the cup task than the HLE device with the ball task. There was an age-related trend in every task in the use of the drawing device appropriate to that task. For those who did not use the drawing device appropriate for a perspective drawing, there was a tendency for each age group to favour a particular strategy for representation. The advantage of using a longitudinal design to chart the developmental trend of the emergence of these two drawing devices is discussed.

Determination of avian leucosis virus in chicken pancreas

30 one-day-old chickens of the commercial HX-SL hybrid from the incubator house at Premyslovice were infected with tissue culture supernatant of clone LSCC-H32. This tissue culture produced the virus of avian lymphoid leucosis of subgroups A and B. After killing at the age of 21-37 weeks, samples of chick pancreas were examined histopathologically and by electron microscopy. Serological examination of serum and feather pulp for presence of avian sarcoma-leucosis gs antigen was simultaneously performed, using the ELISA test. In the pancreas of the experimental chickens both complete and incomplete viral particles of avian leucosis were found. Most frequently, they were localised in the electron-dense secretions of the lumen of pancreatic acini at apical plasma membranes of acinar cells but also in zymogenic granules and in intercellular spaces. The significance of these findings to possible horizontal transmission is discussed.

[Morphogenesis of nuclear pockets in tumor cells in bovine leukosis]

In cases of lymphatic bovine leukemia, the nuclear pockets of the tumour cells in the lymph nodes contain part of cytoplasm and usually protrude above nucleus surface. A wall 60 to 90 nm thick forms the boundary between the nuclear pockets and cytoplasm. The wall consists of two complete nuclear membranes 25 nm thick with a 30-40 nm layer of heavily condensed heterochromatin in between. The nuclear membranes of the walls of the pockets have no nuclear pores. Extensive fusions, built from all the three layers, occur in the walls of the nuclear pockets. These pockets appear on nucleus surface when the plicae of the nuclear membrane are closed or when the apex of the plica merges with nucleus surface. Centriol is involved in the rise of the plicae of the nuclear membrane. The microtubuli inserted in the centriolar satellites on the one side merge with nucleus surface on the other side.

Effect of pupillary dilatation in flash VER testing

Light flash transient visual evoked response (VER) testing is often a part of the perioperative evaluation of eyes with opaque media, and pupillary size in these patients may not be knowable or may be inadvisable to alter. We therefore evaluated transient light flash VER responses before and after pupillary dilation in normal controls and in patients with media opacities to evaluate the effects of pupil size on the amplitude and latency of the recorded VER. Monocular testing was performed bilaterally with a Grass PS-22 photostimulator at the S1 and S16 settings, with monopolar recordings 1 cm above the inion. One hundred twenty-eight 200-msec samplings were recorded and averaged on a Nicolet CA-1000 clinical averager. Latencies were often shorter with the stronger light stimulus, but pupillary dilation did not produce a clear trend toward shorter latencies. Overall, pupillary dilatation did not significantly increase recorded amplitudes, nor did iris color appear to be a factor. These results suggest that, under our testing conditions, pupillary dilatation is not necessary for obtaining reliable transient flash VER recordings.

Age stereotyping: are we oversimplifying the phenomenon?

This study investigates the use of age stereotypes in evaluating individuals' behavior in context-specific situations. One hundred university students assessed young male, young female, old male, and old female characters in four vignettes using the Rosencranz and McNevin Semantic Differential. The data revealed limited but conflicting evidence of the use of stereotypes when the stimuli portrayed target characters in lifelike situations rather than in an experimental vacuum. It is argued that while stereotyping can occur in specific contexts, its form is greatly influenced by other aspects of the situation. The need to reconceptualize the notion of stereotypes of the elderly is discussed, and a shift in emphasis toward the analysis of subgroup stereotypes as opposed to one consistent global stereotype of old age is urged.

Effects of ethyl alcohol on VECP

Previous studies have demonstrated that ethyl alcohol ingestion affects the clinically recorded visually evoked cortical potential (VECP). However these studies have not related the possible relevance of such alcohol-induced VECP changes to visual performance. We studied the flash and pattern-reversal monopolar VECP recorded at the occiput before and after alcohol ingestion and compared the recordings with psychophysical parameters (e.g. contrast sensitivity) also measured before and after alcohol intake. Results are presented, and the potential usefulness of VECP alterations in predicting alcohol-induced effects on visual performance is evaluated. We found no clear, consistent effect of blood alcohol levels ranging from 0.05% to 0.15% on the parameters tested.

Lung vascular permeability after reversal of fibronectin deficiency in septic sheep. Correlation with patient studies

Plasma fibronectin deficiency and opsonic dysfunction exist in critically ill septic surgical, trauma, and burn patients with multiple organ failure. Fibronectin deficiency can be reversed by infusion of fresh plasma cryoprecipitate. The influence of therapy with human cryoprecipitate on lung vascular permeability in septic sheep with plasma fibronectin deficiency following surgery was evaluated. Additionally, selected studies on pulmonary function in septic surgical and trauma patients after infusion of plasma cryoprecipitate were completed. In patients, ventilation-perfusion balance appeared to improve as measured by the multiple inert gas elimination technique. With the lung lymph fistula preparation in fibronectin deficient sheep, infusion of human plasma cryoprecipitate (10 units; 250 ml) delayed the onset and minimized the increase in lung vascular permeability during postoperative Pseudomonas sepsis (5 X 10(9) bacteria, I.V.; 5 X 10(10) bacteria, I.P.). For example, in a first group of sheep, the transvascular protein clearance (TPC) at 2 hrs in septic sheep (n = 4) treated with only saline (volume control) was 20.1 +/- 3.1 ml/hr, compared to 11.23 +/- 0.83 ml/hr in the sheep (n =a 4) treated with fibronectin-rich cryoprecipitate (p less than 0.05). In a second group of sheep, cryoprecipitate depleted of fibronectin by affinity chromatography was used as the control solution. It also did not manifest this protective effect with respect to lung vascular permeability. Thus, at 2 hrs the lymph flow (Qlym) was 30.2 ml/hr and the transvascular protein clearance (TPC) was 18.0 ml/hr in septic sheep given fibronectin-deficient cryoprecipitate. In contrast, in the fibronectin-rich cryoprecipitate treated sheep, the Qlym was 14.8 ml/hr and the TPC was 8.12 ml/hr. It is suggested that fibronectin may influence lung vascular integrity during sepsis following surgery and trauma.

[The origin and transport of chylomicrons in enterocytes in chickens]

After peroral administration of sunflower oil to chick old 14 to 23 days, the rise and passage of chylomicrons were studied electronoptically in the enterocytes of the small intestine. Enterocytes resynthetize the absorbed monoglycerides and fatty acids into neutral fat in the profiles of smooth endoplasmic reticulum and in multivesicular corpuscles in the form of chylomicrons and loose cytoplasmic fat drops in their apical part. The finishing and transport of chylomicrons in the enterocyte are the result of the activity of granular endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus. Exocytose carries chylomicrons from enterocytes to intercellular space of the epithelium from where they pass the basal membrane of the epithelium and then, carried by pinocytose, they pass into the lumen of the blood and chyle capillaries. No morphological manifestations of fat absorption in the other cell types of intestinal epithelium (goblet cells, argyrophil cells and intraepithelial lymphocytes) were demonstrated.

[Ultrastructure of nuclear membrane pockets in lymphoid cells in cattle]

In comparison with the cells of lymphoreticular tissue in a normal lymph node, the lymphoid cells of a tumorous lymph node in cattle suffering from lymphatic leucaemia show a high occurrence of nuclear pockets. The pockets protrude above the nucleus surface and contain cytoplasmic particles. The wall of a nuclear pocket on the outer side of the nucleus consists of two complete nuclear membranes with an inter-layer of highly condensed heterochromatin. The structure of the nuclear pocket wall documents the origin of the pockets from secondary connection of the plicae of the nuclear membrane and enclosing of part of cytoplasm in the pocket.

Facilitating generalization of on-task behavior through self-monitoring of academic tasks

This study (1) examined whether a self-monitoring procedure taught in a laboratory setting would increase independent on-task behavior there and would generalize without further teaching to a classroom setting, and (2) analyzed the durability of the training effects over the course of 5 months for one subject and 10 months for two other subjects. Two multiple-baseline designs, one across three normal and the other across three deviant children, showed that self-monitoring of academic task-completions facilitated on-task responding for all subjects in the generalization (classroom) setting. A subsequent reversal design showed that these effects were durable, in two of the three subjects still available, at least as much as 1 year after commencement of training. This latter design also suggested that one subject who was not maintained by self-monitoring could be supported in on-task behavior by a peer who was maintained by self-monitoring.