Flavonoid (myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, and apigenin) content of edible tropical plants

Studies were conducted on the flavonoids (myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, and apigenin) contents of 62 edible tropical plants. The highest total flavonoids content was in onion leaves (1497.5 mg/kg quercetin, 391.0 mg/kg luteolin, and 832.0 mg/kg kaempferol), followed by Semambu leaves (2041.0 mg/kg), bird chili (1663.0 mg/kg), black tea (1491.0 mg/kg), papaya shoots (1264.0 mg/kg), and guava (1128.5 mg/kg). The major flavonoid in these plant extracts is quercetin, followed by myricetin and kaempferol. Luteolin could be detected only in broccoli (74.5 mg/kg dry weight), green chili (33.0 mg/kg), bird chili (1035.0 mg/kg), onion leaves (391.0 mg/kg), belimbi fruit (202.0 mg/kg), belimbi leaves (464.5 mg/kg), French bean (11.0 mg/kg), carrot (37.5 mg/kg), white radish (9.0 mg/kg), local celery (80.5 mg/kg), limau purut leaves (30.5 mg/kg), and dried asam gelugur (107.5 mg/kg). Apigenin was found only in Chinese cabbage (187.0 mg/kg), bell pepper (272.0 mg/kg), garlic (217.0 mg/kg), belimbi fruit (458.0 mg/kg), French peas (176.0 mg/kg), snake gourd (42.4 mg/kg), guava (579.0 mg/kg), wolfberry leaves (547.0 mg/kg), local celery (338.5 mg/kg), daun turi (39.5 mg/kg), and kadok (34.5 mg/kg). In vegetables, quercetin glycosides predominate, but glycosides of kaempferol, luteolin, and apigenin are also present. Fruits contain almost exclusively quercetin glycosides, whereas kaempferol and myricetin glycosides are found only in trace quantities.

Generalized cognitive deficits in schizophrenia: a study of first-episode patients

BACKGROUND

Cognitive impairment is recognized as a core characteristic of schizophrenia. There has always been a debate about the nature, selectivity, and time of onset of these deficits in relationship to the onset of illness and treatment factors. To our knowledge, the present study represents the largest sample of mostly neuroleptic-naive patients with first-episode schizophrenia that has been reported to date.

METHODS

A group of 94 patients experiencing their first episode of schizophrenic illness and 305 normal comparison subjects were administered a comprehensive clinical and neuropsychological evaluation. Seventy-three patients were neuroleptic naive, 14 had received treatment for less than 1 week, and the remaining 7 had been medicated for less than 2 weeks.

RESULTS

Patients performed significantly worse than the comparison subjects on every neuropsychological variable except those assessing savings scores (ie, forgetting over time). Twenty-five of 30 tests had an effect size (ES) greater than 0.75 when the 2 groups were compared. An ES analysis within the schizophrenia group revealed that the greatest relative impairments were on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised digit symbol (ES, -0.52) and comprehension (ES, -0.42) subscales.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings are in concert with others demonstrating that significant cognitive impairment across multiple ability domains is a core characteristic of schizophrenia and is not caused by chronic illness, treatment, or institutionalization. The ES analysis emphasizes that patients with schizophrenia have a generalized deficit that is not easily explained by a single anatomical region or ability area.

An MRI study of the basal ganglia in autism

1. High-resolution MRI scans were obtained from 35 relatively high-functioning persons with autism and 36 healthy controls, comparable in age, gender, and IQ. 2. Volumetric measurements were obtained from manual tracing of the bilateral caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus. 3. An increased volume of the caudate nuclei was found in subjects with autism. Caudate enlargement was proportional to increased total brain volume in subjects with autism. 4. Caudate volume was associated with compulsions and rituals, difficulties with minor change, and complex motor mannerisms in autism. 5. Based on evidence of caudate abnormalities, a second MRI study was completed which replicated the finding of caudate enlargement in autism using an independent sample. 6. The caudate may be part of an abnormal distributed neural network in autism and involved in the ritualistic--repetitive behaviors of the disorder.

Alpha-tocopherol content in 62 edible tropical plants

Vitamin E was determined by the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. All the plants tested showed differences in their alpha-tocopherol content and the differences were significant (p < 0.05). The highest alpha-tocopherol content was in Sauropus androgynus leaves (426.8 mg/kg edible portion), followed by Citrus hystrix leaves (398.3 mg/kg), Calamus scipronum (193.8 mg/kg), starfruit leaves Averrhoa belimbi (168.3 mg/kg), red pepper Capsicum annum (155.4 mg/kg), local celery Apium graveolens (136.4 mg/kg), sweet potato shoots Ipomoea batatas (130.1 mg/kg), Pandanus odorus (131.5 mg/kg), Oenanthe javanica (146.8 mg/kg), black tea Camelia chinensis (183.3 mg/kg),papaya Carica papaya shoots (111.3 mg/kg), wolfberry leaves Lycium chinense (94.4 mg/kg), bird chili Capsicum frutescens leaves (95.4 mg/kg), drumstick Moringa oleifera leaves (90.0 mg/kg), green chili Capsicum annum (87 mg/kg), Allium fistulosum leaves (74.6 mg/kg), and bell pepper Capsicum annum (71.0 mg/kg). alpha-Tocopherol was not detected in Brassica oleracea, Phaeomeria speciosa, Pachyrrhizus speciosa, Pleurotus sajor-caju, and Solanum melongena.

Total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and radical scavenging activity of 21 selected tropical plants

Free radical scavenging activity of 21 tropical plant extracts was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay (DPPH). Total phenolic compounds and flavonoids were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu and HPLC, respectively. Results of the study revealed that all the plants tested exhibited excellent antioxidant activity with IC(50) in the range of 21.3 to 89.6 microg/mL. The most potent activity was demonstrated by Cosmos caudatus (21.3 microg/mL) and Piper betle (23.0 microg/mL) that are not significantly different than that of -tocopherol or BHA. L. inermis extract was found to consist of the highest concentration of phenolics, catechin, epicatechin, and naringenin. High content of quercetin, myricetin, and kaempferol were identified in Vitex negundo, Centella asiatica, and Sesbania grandiflora extracts, respectively. Luteolin and apigenin, on the other hand, were found in Premna cordifolia and Kaempferia galanga extracts. Strong correlation (R = 0.8613) between total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids (R = 0.8430) and that of antioxidant activity of the extracts were observed. The study revealed that phenolic, in particular flavonoids, may be the main contributors to the antioxidant activity exhibited by the plants.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Potent antioxidant from natural sources is of great interest to replace the use of synthetic antioxidants. In addition, some of the plants have great potential to be used in the development of functional ingredients/foods that are currently in demand for the health benefits associated with their use.

Regional neural dysfunctions in chronic schizophrenia studied with positron emission tomography

OBJECTIVE

Whether chronicity of illness produces progressive neural abnormality is an important question in current schizophrenia research. Positron emission tomography (PET) offers an opportunity to visualize and measure blood flow in vivo to address this issue. The authors previously compared healthy volunteers with neuroleptic-naive patients experiencing their first episode of schizophrenia and reported that abnormalities in blood flow, including lower flow in prefrontal regions and higher flow in the thalamus and cerebellum, are present at the early stage of schizophrenic illness. The goal of the present study was to measure blood flow with PET in patients with chronic schizophrenia.

METHOD

PET was used to examine regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in 30 patients with chronic schizophrenia and 30 normal comparison subjects. To determine if the patterns of flow abnormality in the patients with chronic schizophrenia were similar to those of patients experiencing their first episode of schizophrenia, the same cognitive condition was examined as in the earlier study. The patients with chronic schizophrenia in the current study had been neuroleptic-free for at least 3 weeks.

RESULTS

As in the authors' previous study, the chronically ill patients showed lower flow in prefrontal areas and higher flow in thalamic and cerebellar regions than normal comparison subjects, suggesting that a similar neural dysfunction occurs in both first-episode and chronic schizophrenia.

CONCLUSIONS

rCBF abnormalities in patients with chronic schizophrenia are not due to chronicity of illness or the effects of medication. These results provide evidence that the primary neural abnormalities in schizophrenia may occur in cortical, cerebellar, and thalamic regions and that the dysfunction in these regions may explain the "loosening of associations" that Bleuler considered to be the fundamental cognitive phenotype of schizophrenia. These abnormalities can be reconceptualized as "cognitive dysmetria."

Vulnerability to food insecurity in urban slums: experiences from Nairobi, Kenya

Food and nutrition security is critical for economic development due to the role of nutrition in healthy growth and human capital development. Slum residents, already grossly affected by chronic poverty, are highly vulnerable to different forms of shocks, including those arising from political instability. This study describes the food security situation among slum residents in Nairobi, with specific focus on vulnerability associated with the 2007/2008 postelection crisis in Kenya. The study from which the data is drawn was nested within the Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System (NUHDSS), which follows about 70,000 individuals from close to 30,000 households in two slums in Nairobi, Kenya. The study triangulates data from qualitative and quantitative sources. It uses qualitative data from 10 focus group discussions with community members and 12 key-informant interviews with community opinion leaders conducted in November 2010, and quantitative data involving about 3,000 households randomly sampled from the NUHDSS database in three rounds of data collection between March 2011 and January 2012. Food security was defined using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) criteria. The study found high prevalence of food insecurity; 85% of the households were food insecure, with 50% being severely food insecure. Factors associated with food security include level of income, source of livelihood, household size, dependence ratio; illness, perceived insecurity and slum of residence. The qualitative narratives highlighted household vulnerability to food insecurity as commonplace but critical during times of crisis. Respondents indicated that residents in the slums generally eat for bare survival, with little concern for quality. The narratives described heightened vulnerability during the 2007/2008 postelection violence in Kenya in the perception of slum residents. Prices of staple foods like maize flour doubled and simultaneously household purchasing power was eroded due to worsened unemployment situation. The use of negative coping strategies to address food insecurity such as reducing the number of meals, reducing food variety and quality, scavenging, and eating street foods was prevalent. In conclusion, this study describes the deeply intertwined nature of chronic poverty and acute crisis, and the subsequent high levels of food insecurity in urban slum settings. Households are extremely vulnerable to food insecurity; the situation worsening during periods of crisis in the perception of slum residents, engendering frequent use of negative coping strategies. Effective response to addressing vulnerability to household food insecurity among the urban poor should focus on both the underlying vulnerabilities of households due to chronic poverty and added impacts of acute crises.

Results of revascularization in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction

BACKGROUND

In patients with coronary artery disease and poor ventricular function (ejection fraction, < 20%), bypass grafting remains a surgical challenge. This study evaluates experience with isolated revascularization in such patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In 79 consecutive patients (69 men, 10 women; average age, 59 +/- 9 years), preoperative ejection fraction was 18 +/- 5%. Indications for surgery were congestive heart failure (CHF) in 5 of 79 patients (6%), CHF and angina in 19 (24%), angina in 41 (52%), ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) in 8 (10%), and critical anatomy in 6 (8%). Some patients had prior VAs (23 of 79; 29%) or mitral regurgitation (18; 23%) and required emergent surgery (25; 32%). At surgery, temperature mapping ensured adequate distribution of antegrade cold cardioplegia, with 3.6 +/- 0.7 grafts per patient, including left internal mammary artery graft in 60 of 79 (76%) and endarterectomy in 14 (18%). Hospital mortality was 3.8%. Perioperative support included intra-aortic balloon pump in 18 of 79 (23%) and drugs for VAs in 28 (35%). Morbidity included myocardial infarction in 2 of 79 (2.5%) and stroke in 2 (2.5%). During follow-up, there were 19 late deaths. Actuarial survival was 94%, 82%, and 68% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively, and was similar in patients with severe angina, CHF, mitral regurgitation, or VAs. Freedom from sudden death was 100%, 98%, and 91% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively. Among survivors, angina improved in 84% and heart failure improved in 26%.

CONCLUSIONS

These data support bypass graft surgery in patients with severe LV dysfunction. With careful cardioplegic techniques, hospital mortality was low (3.8%). Long-term survival is encouraging, with good relief of symptoms in most patients. Perioperative VAs are frequent but respond to medical treatment, with only 23% of patients discharged on antiarrhythmic drugs. Five-year freedom from sudden death is 91%, with only 3 late sudden deaths in this series.

Vasorelaxation induced by common edible tropical plant extracts in isolated rat aorta and mesenteric vascular bed

In this study, the vasodilatory actions of nine edible tropical plant extracts were investigated. Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato leaf), Piper betle (betel leaf), Anacardium occidentale (cashew leaf), Gynandropsis gynandra (maman leaf), Carica papaya (papaya leaf), and Mentha arvensis (mint leaf) extracts exhibited more than 50% relaxing effect on aortic ring preparations, while Piper betle and Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass stalk) showed comparable vasorelaxation on isolated perfused mesenteric artery preparation. The vascular effect on the aortic ring preparations were mainly endothelium-dependent, and mediated by nitric oxide (NO) as supported by the inhibition of action in the presence of N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (NOLA), an nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, or by the removal of endothelium. In contrast, vasodilatory actions in resistance vessels (perfused mesenteric vascular beds) appear to involve several biochemical mediators, including NO, prostanoids, and endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizing factors (EDHFs). Total phenolic contents and antioxidant capacities varied among different extracts and found to be independent of vascular relaxation effects. This study demonstrates that many edible plants common in Asian diets to possess potential health benefits, affording protection at the vascular endothelium level.

Increased interleukin-4 and interleukin-5 production in response to Schistosoma haematobium adult worm antigens correlates with lack of reinfection after treatment

Acquired immunity to human schistosomiasis correlates with increased serum levels of schistosome antigen-specific IgE. Since interleukin (IL)-4 stimulates IgE production, the hypothesis that Th2-associated cell-mediated immunity participates in protection to reinfection was studied in a cohort of adolescent boys 12-18 months after chemotherapeutic cure in Upper Egypt. Initial Schistosoma haematobium prevalence was 51% and posttreatment incidence was 44%. Water contact was similar between putatively resistant and susceptible patients. Resistant persons had a 3.5- to 14-fold greater frequency of schistosome adult worm antigen (SWAP)-specific lymphocytes secreting IL-5 or IL-4 (by ELISPOT) and IL-5 or IL-4 production in peripheral blood lymphocyte culture supernatants (P < .05 to < .001, n = 48) versus susceptible subjects (n = 38). In contrast, SWAP-induced interferon-gamma and IL-10 production and lymphocyte proliferation were similar between the 2 groups. Schistosome egg antigen and streptolysin O each stimulated similar cytokine production in susceptible and resistant persons. Thus, enhanced SWAP-driven IL-4 and IL-5 production correlates with immunity to reinfection in adolescents exposed to urinary schistosomiasis.

Advances of optical coherence tomography in myopia and pathologic myopia

The natural course of high-axial myopia is variable and the development of pathologic myopia is not fully understood. Advancements in optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology have revealed peculiar intraocular structures in highly myopic eyes and unprecedented pathologies that cause visual impairment. New OCT findings include posterior precortical vitreous pocket and precursor stages of posterior vitreous detachment; peripapillary intrachoroidal cavitation; morphological patterns of scleral inner curvature and dome-shaped macula. Swept source OCT is capable of imaging deeper layers in the posterior pole for investigation of optic nerve pits, stretched and thinned lamina cribrosa, elongated dural attachment at posterior scleral canal, and enlargement of retrobulbar subarachnoid spaces. This has therefore enabled further evaluation of various visual field defects in high myopia and the pathogenesis of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. OCT has many potential clinical uses in managing visual impairing conditions in pathologic myopia. Understanding how retinal nerve fibers are redistributed in axial elongation will allow the development of auto-segmentation software for diagnosis and monitoring progression of glaucoma. OCT is indispensable in the diagnosis of various conditions associated with myopic traction maculopathy and monitoring of post-surgical outcomes. In addition, OCT is commonly used in the multimodal imaging assessment of myopic choroidal neovascularization. Biometry and topography of the retinal layers and choroid will soon be validated for the classification of myopic maculopathy for utilization in epidemiological studies as well as clinical trials.

Inhibition of endothelial cell tube formation by the low molecular weight heparin, tinzaparin, is mediated by tissue factor pathway inhibitor

Heparin and low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) have both antithrombotic and anti-angiogenic activities. The antiangiogenic activity of LMWH may be associated with the release of endothelial tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), an important endogenous inhibitor of tissue factor/Factor VIIa (TF/fVIIa).To evaluate the effects of LMWH, tinzaparin, and TFPI in a model of angiogenesis-mediated processes, we compared the effects of tinzaparin, and recombinant TFPI in inhibiting either basic fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) or TF/fVIIainduced endothelial cell tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC).Our results show that tinzaparin and recombinant TFPI both blocked endothelial tube formation induced by either FGF2 or TF/fVIIa, in a concentration-dependent manner. Endothelial tube formation was only marginally inhibited by a potent and specific anti-Factor Xa, recombinant tick anticoagulant protein (rTAP). A monoclonal anti-TFPI antibody reversed the inhibitory effects of either tinzaparin or recombinant-TFPI on HUVEC tube formation. Tinzaparin fractions in the range of 8,000 to 12,600 Da were most effective in stimulating the release of TFPI from HUVEC. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of the LMWH tinzaparin on endothelial tube formation is associated with stimulation of the release of TFPI, but not to anti-Factor Xa activity.

Insight in schizophrenia: its relationship to measures of executive functions

Lack of awareness of specific symptoms among persons with schizophrenia has not been adequately studied in the context of neuropsychological function. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether poor insight as measured by the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder is empirically related to performance measures having a known association with executive functions in a group of individuals with chronic schizophrenia. The results showed that unawareness and misattribution of negative symptoms are significantly associated with deficits in some aspects of executive functioning even after a test of general intelligence had been partialed from the analyses. We conclude that unawareness of negative symptoms is associated with executive functioning in individuals with chronic schizophrenia. Unawareness of other symptoms (i.e., positive symptoms) may reflect dysfunction in other types of neuropsychological processes, or it may reflect motivation to deceive oneself or others.

Is sex a factor in determining operative risk for aortocoronary bypass graft surgery?

BACKGROUND

This study examines trends and sex differences in characteristics of patients referred for bypass graft surgery to identify factors associated with operative morbidity and mortality.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Data were collected prospectively on consecutive patients (1132 men and 355 women). Over time, the proportion of patients > 65 years old, with diabetes, or requiring urgent surgery, increased. Predictors of mortality were age > 75 years, urgent surgery, and poor left ventricular (LV) grade. Women were older (62 +/- 9 versus 59 +/- 9 years, P < .001) and had more varicose veins (18% versus 7%, P < .001), diabetes (27% versus 18%, P < .001), hypertension (48% versus 41%, P < .05), peripheral vascular disease (16% versus 12%, P < .05), and more severe angina (P < .001). There were no sex differences in prior myocardial infarction (59% versus 62%) or need for urgent surgery (17% versus 18%). Women had a higher ejection fraction (51% +/- 12% versus 47% +/- 14%, P < .001) and fewer diseased vessels (2.4 +/- 0.7 versus 2.6 +/- 0.6, P < .001) and received fewer grafts (2.9 +/- 0.9 versus 3.3 +/- 0.8, P < .001). Women had smaller body size but were no more likely to have small target vessels (< 1.5 mm). There was no sex difference in operative mortality (1.4% versus 1.1%), perioperative myocardial infarction (4.8% versus 3.5%), need for intra-aortic balloon pump (10% versus 8%), stroke (1.7% versus 1.4%), reexploration for bleeding (1.7% versus 1.7%), or leg infection (2.0% versus 1.4%). Women had fewer sternal wound infections (0.6% versus 2.2%, P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Predictors of mortality include advanced age, decreased LV function, and need for urgent surgery. With time, despite increasing age, associated diabetes, and increased urgent surgery, operative mortality has decreased. Women were older and had more diabetes and hypertension but less extensive disease and better LV function. Bypass graft surgery was associated with equally low mortality in women and men (1.4% versus 1.1%). Concern over increased operative mortality in women should not bias referral patterns for angiography and coronary bypass graft surgery.

Brain hydatidosis: report on 117 cases

Among a series of 155 brain hydatid disease patients hospitalized between 1965 and 1998, 117 were children. The mean age was approximately 7.2 years, with a slight male predominance. Eighteen patients presented with another visceral localization. Symptoms and signs of intracranial hypertension are currently encountered (75%) followed by hemiparesis, epilepsy, mental changes, skull deformities and, more rarely, dyskinetic phenomenon. Brain hemispheric localization is the rule, with some exceptions. CT scans reveal an intra-parenchymal lesion with clearly defined, rarely enhanced margins. Medical treatment has virtually no place in the management of cerebral solitary cyst. Albendazole has been used in cases of multiple involvement, with controversial results. Surgical hydrostatic expulsion is the only effective treatment. Recovery is expected when the cyst is extracted completely unruptured.

Phacoemulsification with intravitreal triamcinolone in patients with cataract and coexisting diabetic macular oedema: a 6-month prospective pilot study

AIMS

To assess the safety and efficacy of phacoemulsification with intravitreal triamcinolone (ivTA) injection in diabetics with cataract and clinically significant macular oedema (CSMO).

METHODS

A total of 19 eyes of 15 consecutive diabetic patients with cataract and CSMO were prospectively recruited. Patients underwent phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation with 4 mg ivTA injection at completion of surgery. Patients were followed up on day 1, then weekly for 1 month, and thereafter monthly until 6 months postoperatively. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT) measured by optical coherence tomography, and adverse events were recorded.

RESULTS

In total, 17 eyes completed 6 months of follow-up. In all, 58.8% showed improvement in BCVA of >or=2 lines, with statistically significant improvement in mean Snellen BCVA of 2.4 lines at 6 months. The peak BCVA was achieved at 4 months. The mean CMT decreased from a baseline of 449 microm to a minimum of 321+/-148 microm (28.5% reduction) achieved at 2 months, with statistically significant reduction at all postoperative time intervals until 6 months. Of 17 eyes, 4 (23.5%) developed transiently elevated intraocular pressure that normalised by 6 months in all but one patient. No injection- or surgery-related complications were encountered.

CONCLUSIONS

Phacoemulsification with concurrent 4 mg ivTA injection appears to be a safe option for managing diabetics with cataract and CSMO. However, large-scaled randomised controlled trials are necessary for delineating the relative contributions of cataract removal and CMT reduction to visual improvement. Moreover, the transient effect on CMT may warrant further studies to determine optimal timing and dosage of further ivTA injections.

miRNAs as potential game-changers in renal cell carcinoma: Future clinical and medicinal uses

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has the highest mortality rate of all genitourinary cancers, and its prevalence has grown over time. While RCC can be surgically treated and recurrence is only probable in a tiny proportion of patients, early diagnosis is crucial. Mutations in a large number of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes contribute to pathway dysregulation in RCC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have considerable promise as biomarkers for detecting cancer due to their special combination of properties. Several miRNAs have been proposed as a diagnostic or monitoring tool for RCC based on their presence in the blood or urine. Moreover, the expression profile of particular miRNAs has been associated with the response to chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapeutic options like sunitinib. The goal of this review is to go over the development, spread, and evolution of RCC. Also, we emphasize the outcomes of studies that examined the use of miRNAs in RCC patients as biomarkers, therapeutic targets, or modulators of responsiveness to treatment modalities.

Inbreeding effects on reproductive outcome in a Sudanese population

926 women attending the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of the Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum, were investigated to study the inbreeding effects on reproductive profiles and morbidity of the offspring. 49.5% of the women had married their first cousins and 13.8% had married more distant relatives. Altogether, 4,471 pregnancy outcomes were analysed including abortions, still births, neonatal and childhood deaths, physical deformity, mental retardation and other congenital abnormalities. No significant difference in the reproductive loss or net fertility was observed between the inbred and outbred groups. Only the proportions of childhood deaths were found to be significantly higher in the inbred marriages (p less than 0.005). The morbidity was also not affected by the practice of inbreeding.

Conductance catheter measurements of left ventricular volume in the intact dog: parallel conductance is independent of left ventricular size

OBJECTIVE

It has recently been suggested that conductance catheter parallel conductance (alpha Vc) is a function of left ventricular volume. To confirm this, alpha Vc was measured in this study over a wide range of steady state volumes. In addition, conductance derived volumes were compared to those obtained by radionuclide angiography to determine if the conductance catheter can be used to measure absolute left ventricular volume accurately in the intact dog heart.

METHODS

Seven dogs were anaesthetised and instrumented with left ventricular conductance and pressure tip catheters, a flow through rho cuvette to continually measure blood resistance, a thermodilution catheter, and a venous catheter for volume infusion/withdrawal. Conductance and angiographic data were acquired at 8(SD 1) variably loaded states. Parallel conductance was measured twice at each state using a saline dilution technique and a new non-linear algorithm that allows variability in the observations of both maximum and minimum conductance volumes.

RESULTS

The mean value of alpha Vc was 89.1(18.0) ml (71.8 to 111.3 ml) with a mean within-animal coefficient of variation of 7.3(3.4)%. Multiple linear regression using dummy variables to account for the large interanimal variability did not reveal any relationship between alpha Vc and either maximum or minimum left ventricular volume. Furthermore, no difference was found when alpha Vc values measured at the lowest and highest loading levels in each dog were compared. Linear regression showed good agreement between conductance and radionuclide derived end diastolic volumes (slope = 0.94, R = 0.9, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

While alpha Vc varies between animals, it remains constant within any given animal over a broad range of left ventricular volumes. Thus the conductance catheter can provide reliable absolute left ventricular volume measurements under steady state conditions.

Evaluation of Antifungal Efficacy in an Optimized Animal Model ofTrichophytonmentagrophytes-Dermatophytosis

Dermatophytoses are known to cause considerable discomfort, cosmetic problems and financial loss that have been recognized as a significant health concern worldwide. Since currently available antifungal agents have limitations in their efficacy, new agents are being developed. This study was undertaken to optimize an in vivo model of experimental dermatophytosis for evaluation of the efficacy of antifungal compounds. Guinea pigs were infected with different inocula of T. mentagrophytes to establish dermatophytosis. The optimal conditions for dermatophytosis in guinea pigs were found to be an inoculum size of 1 x 10(7) fungal cells applied on abraded skin. After optimization, animals were treated with oral or topical formulations of terbinafine. The optimized guinea pig model was found to be highly reproducible, and useful in the primary screening and evaluation of the anti-dermatophytic efficacy of topical and oral formulations of antifungal agents.

Putting sexuality (back) into HIV/AIDS: issues, theory and practice

After more than twenty years of programming and activism aimed at stemming the sexual transmission of HIV (and addressing the needs of those most vulnerable to infection) the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to grow worldwide. Taking up this concern, this paper argues that one of the reasons why HIV prevention has had limited success is because of inadequate conceptualization of human sexuality in such work. Giving sexuality a more prominent position in responses to the epidemic raises a range of issues, including theorization of gender, understanding of sexual subjectivity, the significance of pleasure (or lack of pleasure) in sexual decision-making, and conceptualization of sexual behaviour and culture. Taking these themes forward entails asking significant questions about the underlying paradigmatic and methodological commitments of mainstream HIV/AIDS research, especially the tendency to reproduce accounts of human sexuality as if it were a measurable form of conduct only. Advocating new approaches that take the meaning and symbolic value of sexualities into account complicates established orthodoxies in the field whilst offering potential for more effective HIV prevention strategies.

Are patients receiving amiodarone at increased risk for cardiac operations?

Amiodarone therapy has been implicated as a risk factor for cardiothoracic surgical procedures. In patients undergoing map-guided surgical procedures for the treatment of ventricular tachycardia, we compared the perioperative course of those receiving long-term amiodarone therapy (n = 36) versus that in those not receiving the drug (n = 31). The two groups were similar with respect to age, sex, presenting symptoms, functional class, extent of coronary artery disease, presence of a ventricular aneurysm, technique of ventricular tachycardia ablation, cross-clamp or pump time, the number of vessels grafted, the operative fluid balance, and a need for intraaortic balloon pump or inotropic agent support. In 5 patients receiving amiodarone, epinephrine was required to maintain a normal systemic vascular resistance and adequate arterial pressure. Postoperatively, 6 patients (17%) on amiodarone therapy suffered acute respiratory failure. In spite of aggressive therapy, 3 of these patients died. Only 1 patient not receiving amiodarone died of a stroke. We conclude that amiodarone therapy in patients undergoing open heart operations is associated with an increased risk of severe pulmonary complications (p = 0.03 by Fisher's exact test). Amiodarone therapy should be withheld in patients with ventricular tachycardia until they have been assessed as candidates for possible surgical intervention.

Simultaneous determination of artemether and its major metabolite dihydroartemisinin in plasma by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-selected ion monitoring

A sensitive, selective, and reproducible GC-MS-SIM method was developed for determination of artemether (ARM) and dihydroartemisinin (DHA) in plasma using artemisinin (ART) as internal standard. Solid phase extraction was performed using C18 Bond Elut cartridges. The analysis was carried out using a HP-5MS 5% phenylmethylsiloxane capillary column. The recoveries of ARM, DHA and ART were 94.9 +/- 1.6%, 92.2 +/- 4.1% and 81.3 +/- 1.2%, respectively. The limit of quantification in plasma was 5 ng/ml (C.V. < or = 17.4% for ARM and 15.2% for DHA). Calibration curves were linear with R2 > or = 0.988. Within day coefficients of variation were 3-10.4% for ARM and 7.7-14.5% for DHA. Between day coefficients of variations were 6.5-15.4% and 7.6-14.1% for ARM and DHA. The method is currently being used for pharmacokinetic studies. Preliminary data on pharmacokinetics showed Cmax of 245.2 and 35.6 ng/ml reached at 2 and 3 h and AUC0-8 h of 2463.6 and 111.8 ngh/ml for ARM and DHA, respectively.

Detection of low-frequency lambda-doublet transitions of the free 12CH and 13CH radicals

By Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy, lambda-doubling transitions of (12)CH and (13)CH in the lowest rotational levels of the X(2) product operator(1/2) ground state have been directly detected, which has not been done previously. For both radicals, hyperfine-split lines have been measured to an accuracy of better than 1 ppm between 3 and 15 GHz, an improvement of at least 2 orders of magnitude over previous laboratory data. The measured frequencies have been combined with all previous data for CH and (13)CH in the v = 0 level of the X(2) product operator electronic state to determine improved hyperfine parameters. The production of CH from various gases also has been studied and, with methanol, the yield of CH relative to OH. Astronomical studies of CH in higher rotational levels and (13)CH can now be undertaken on the basis of the present work.