Dietary habits of preschool aged children with tonsillar hypertrophy, pre- and post-operatively.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tonsillectomy has been reported to have a positive effect on weight gain of children with tonsillar hypertrophy. This effect may be related to better respiration or/and feeding, immunological or metabolic factors. In this study we analyse the effect of tonsillectomy on the dietary habits of children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Dietary habits of thirty 4-6 years old children were assessed before the operation and six months after it, using 24 hours dietary-recalls. In parallel, dietary habits of eighteen healthy children of the same age were assessed using the same method. RESULTS: Children with tonsillar hypertrophy were receiving greater amounts of daily calories overall from sugar products, soft drinks and edible fats (p = 0.01, t = 2.673). Post-operatively, they increased the calories they were consuming daily and consumed even greater amounts of these food (p < 0.001, t = 3.527) in relation to the control group, gaining weight significantly (p = 0.043). DISCUSSION: Parents should be aware of a possible weight increase after tonsillectomy which can be related to an over-consumption of products like candies and soft drinks.

Characterization of Fusarium oxysporum Isolates Obtained from Cucumber in China by Pathogenicity, VCG, and RAPD.

Thirty-four isolates of Fusarium oxysporum, obtained in China from cucumber plants showing either Fusarium wilt (F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum) or root and stem rot (F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum) symptoms, were characterized by pathogenicity, vegetative compatibility, and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Of these, 23 isolates were identified by pathogenicity as F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum, and one as F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum, while 10 isolates were avirulent on cucumber, melon, sponge gourd, and pumpkin. The Chinese isolates of F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum were assigned to RAPD groups III and XXI and to vegetative compatibility group (VCG) 0183, four new VCGs, 0184 to 0187, and a single-member VCG included in the artificial VCG 018-. The Chinese isolate of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum was assigned to RAPD group I and bridging VCG 0260/0261. The occurrence of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum on cucumber is reported for the first time in China.

Isozyme variation in Verticillium dahliae isolates from Crete.

Fifteen isolates of Verticillium dahliae (eight of race 1, seven of race 2; most from the island of Crete, Greece) were examined for isozyme and molecular variation. Among the isozyme banding patterns (zymograms) of six enzymes that were "activity-stained" after electrophoresis in 9% polyacrylamide gels, differences were observed in diaphorase, alpha-esterase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase; 2, 2, 3 and 5 different types of zymograms were recorded, respectively. The zymograms could not be correlated with either race 1 or 2. However, all six isolates originating from the Oropedio (plateau) area of Lasithi (Crete) showed an esterase zymogram clearly distinguishable from the other isolates. No differences were observed when staining for acid phosphatase or aspartate aminotransferase ('glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase'). Furthermore, electrophoresis of random-amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) in 2% agarose gels showed that three race-2 isolates from Oropedio of Lasithi could also be distinguished by the RAPD pattern generated with primer OPA-1. The variation observed possibly represents adaptation of V. dahliae to the Oropedio environment.

Isolation of lectins from hemolymph of decapod crustaceans by adsorption on formalinized erythrocytes.

Hemolymph of decapod crustaceans contains lectins of important specificity. An isolation procedure, based on adsorption of hemolymph lectins on red blood cells (RBC) fixed with formaldehyde, is described. Hemolymph is let to clot for 3 h at 22-28 degrees C (RT) and for 24 h at 5 degrees C; centrifuged at 13000 g for 30 min; filtered through 5-microm filters; diluted with an equal volume of 50 mM NaCl, 100 mM CaCl(2); supplemented with protease as well as phenoloxidase inhibitors; centrifuged at 13000 g for 20 min. Formalinized RBC (FRBC) are mixed with diluted hemolymph to a suspension of about 20% v/v FRBC. After incubation for 30 min at RT, FRBC are washed five times with 150 mM NaCl, 10 mM CaCl(2). The lectins adsorbed on FRBC are desorbed using either 100-500 mM of carbohydrate solutions in 0.9% NaCl or 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 8.0 containing 100 mM NaCl and 20 mM entylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA). The procedure is efficient in isolating the hemolymph lectins of the decapods Liocarcinus depurator and Potamon potamios.

Genetic Diversity of Fusarium oxysporum Isolates from Cucumber: Differentiation by Pathogenicity, Vegetative Compatibility, and RAPD Fingerprinting.

ABSTRACT A total of 106 isolates of Fusarium oxysporum obtained from diseased cucumber plants showing typical root and stem rot or Fusarium wilt symptoms were characterized by pathogenicity, vegetative compatibility, and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Twelve isolates of other formae speciales and races of F. oxysporum from cucurbit hosts, three avirulent isolates of F. oxysporum, and four isolates of Fusarium spp. obtained from cucumber were included for comparison. Of the 106 isolates of F. oxysporum from cucumber, 68 were identified by pathogenicity as F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum, 32 as F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum, and 6 were avirulent on cucumber. Isolates of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum were vegetatively incompatible with F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum and the other Fusarium isolates tested. A total of 60 isolates of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum was assigned to vegetative compatibility group (VCG) 0260 and 5 to VCG 0261, while 3 were vegetatively compatible with isolates in both VCGs 0260 and 0261 (bridging isolates). All 68 isolates of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum belonged to a single RAPD group. A total of 32 isolates of F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum was assigned to eight different VCGs and two different RAPD groups, while 2 isolates were vegetatively self-incompatible. Pathogenicity, vegetative compatibility, and RAPD were effective in distinguishing isolates of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum from those of F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum. Parsimony and bootstrap analysis of the RAPD data placed each of the two formae speciales into a different phylogenetic branch.

The lectin from the crustacean Liocarcinus depurator recognizes O-acetylsialic acids.

A lectin that recognized sialic acids and aggultinated mouse erythrocytes was purified from hemolymph of the crab Liocarcinus depurator. It consisted of 38-kDa subunits and had a pI about 6.0. The specificity of the lectin was assayed by hemagglutination inhibition. N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) was a good inhibitor and its N-acetyl group at C-5 was critical for lectin-ligand interaction. Substitution of the C-9 hydroxyl on Neu5Ac with an O-acetyl group (9-O-Ac-Neu5Ac) increased the inhibitory potency of this molecule. Furthermore, O-acetyl substitution of all the hydroxyl groups yielded even better inhibitors (2,4,7,8,9-O-Ac-Neu5Ac and its 1-O-methyl ester). Removal of the hydroxyl or O-acetyl group connected to C-2 reduced the potency of these inhibitors. The lectin agglutinated and stimulated human but not mouse lymphocytes. It was also inhibited by Escherichia coli (O111:B4) lipopolysaccharide and agglutinated specific gram-negative bacteria. In vitro labeling with [35S]methionine indicated that the lectin was synthesized in hepatopangreas of L. depurator. Immunofluorescence showed that among hemocytes it localized mainly in the large-granule population.