Composition of pecan cultivars Wichita and Western Schley [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.)K. Koch] grown in Australia.

Pecans from the cultivars Wichita and Western Schley [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] collected over three years were analyzed for the following constituents: total lipid content; fatty acid profiles; sucrose content; protein; total dietary fiber; the minerals magnesium, calcium, potassium, sulfur, phosphorus, boron, copper, iron, manganese, sodium, zinc, and aluminum; vitamin C; and lipase and lipoxygenase activities. Year of harvest and cultivar had little effect on the composition of the pecans. Overall, protein content was the only constituent that differed between pecans grown in Australia and those grown in the United States. This difference is probably related to differences in growing location and horticultural practices between the two countries.

Effect of aspirin on prostaglandin E2 formation and transforming growth factor alpha expression in human rectal mucosa from individuals with a history of adenomatous polyps of the colon.

Colorectal cancer is the second-most frequent cause of cancer mortality in the United States. Human epidemiology and laboratory studies indicate that aspirin may be an effective colorectal cancer chemopreventive agent. This study was designed to determine whether treatment with 81 mg of aspirin per day for 3 months would alter two putative surrogate end point biomarkers of chemoprevention of colorectal cancer [i.e., mucosal prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) formation and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) expression] in normal-appearing rectal mucosa from individuals with a history of adenomatous polyps. Rectal biopsies were obtained by flexible sigmoidoscopy at three sequential time points: (a) after a 1-month placebo run-in period (baseline), (b) after 3 months of ingesting 81 mg of aspirin (as a single tablet) once per day, and (c) after 3 months of ingesting a placebo tablet once per day (washout period). Daily aspirin significantly suppressed PGE2 formation, but this significant suppression was completely reversed when aspirin was withdrawn. The extent of TGF-alpha staining in rectal crypts was also reduced significantly (P = 0.039) by daily aspirin. After a 3-month placebo-washout period, however, the mean extent of TGF-alpha staining was not significantly different from either baseline or the aspirin time point. Thus, 81 mg of aspirin daily significantly reduced rectal mucosal PGE2 formation and TGF-alpha expression in patients with a history of adenomatous polyps. These putative surrogate end point biomarkers may be useful intermediate end points in future colorectal cancer chemoprevention trials.

Histochemical method for localization of hydrogen peroxide and oxygen radicals in the intact neonatal brain.

The generation of reactive oxygen species has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of diseases of the central nervous system. Often these pathological conditions involve damage to specific cell types within selected areas of the brain. Thus, there is a marked need for a method which allows microscopic visualization/detection of these oxygen radicals in discrete brain areas. We are reporting a method to histochemically localize, with single cell resolution, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and oxygen radicals in the neonatal brain in vivo. This method expands on the technique developed to visualize H2O2 and the superoxide anion radical (O2-) in isolated perfused organs (e.g., lung, heart) (Bobbs, 1994). With our technique, the intact brain is perfused intracardially with warm oxygenated saline to remove blood, followed by perfusion with buffers containing either iron and diethylenetriaminepentaacetate for the detection of H2O2 or manganese for the detection of oxygen radicals. The free radical oxidizes its respective metal, which in turn oxidizes diaminobenzidine (DAB) to form a brown reaction product which can be visualized using light microscopy.

Analysis of Gasolines by FT-IR Spectroscopy.

An experimental and computational protocol was established for the simultaneous determination of several key gasoline properties from a single Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum. The study has shown that midband FT-IR spectroscopy combined with multivariate calibration analysis is a versatile, efficient, and accurate technique for the simultaneous estimation of key gasoline properties within about 1 min with less than 2 mL of sample. The FT-IR-derived values of gasoline properties include research and motor octane numbers, aromatic, olefinic, and saturated hydrocarbon content, benzene content, and concentrations of ethanol, methyl tert-butyl ether, and total oxygen. Concentrations of other oxygenated compounds are expected to be equally predictable. However, since these oxygen-containing species have not been adequately represented among the currently commercially available gasoline samples, their calibration may only be achieved using laboratory fuel blends. Midrange boiling point data may also be estimated. Fuel properties determined by minor concentrations of fuel components, e.g., flash point, sulfur content, etc., may not be modeled because the corresponding FT-IR signals are below detection limits of presented experimental protocol. The precision of this procedure was shown to be comparable to reproducibility of the standard laboratory analyses used for direct measurement of specific fuel properties, with squared correlation coefficient (R(2)) ranging from 0.94 to 0.99 between the two sets of measurements. This new methodology could increase the corresponding output of the petroleum laboratories by a factor of over 200 to 1 while maintaining data integrity and minimizing sample requirements, environmental hazards, and cost.

Nuclear changes in cytologic specimens obtained by CT-guided fine needle aspiration biopsies.

A light and electron microscopic study was conducted to investigate nuclear changes observed in specimens obtained from various sites by computed tomographic (CT)-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. These changes, which consisted of a disappearance of the nuclear chromatin and a disruption of the nuclear membrane, were found in 70% of 10 FNA specimens obtained with CT guidance, in 26% of 15 specimens obtained with fluoroscopic guidance and in 0% of 10 specimens obtained without x-ray imaging techniques. Although the number of cases studied was small and the mechanisms responsible for these changes are not clear, cytopathologists should be aware of alterations in evaluating FNA specimens obtained with the guidance of x-ray imaging techniques.

Cost analysis of kinetic therapy in the prevention of complications of stroke.

We prospectively evaluated the costs of medical care in a group of 43 patients with acute severe stroke. Patients were assigned to either a routine hospital bed or a rotational bed. The rotational study bed (kinetic therapy) is designed to prevent complications of prolonged bed confinement by keeping patients in continuous slow rotation. The average number of acute care days was 11.2 in the study group and 16.4 in the control group. Study patients had similar costs per day for laboratory testing, x-ray studies, respiratory therapy, total acute care expenses, and total hospital expenses. Among study patients, reduction in medication costs per day did approach statistical significance, by unpaired t test, at P = .014, with a corrected significance level of .008. Overall, the average acute care costs per day were $544 in the study group verus $410 in the control group. This difference was approximately the average per day charge for the rotational bed ($130). We conclude that therapy designed to prevent complications of prolonged bed confinement is cost effective.

Effect of age of initiation of feed restriction on growth, body composition, and longevity of rats.

Male Wistar rats were maintained on four dietary regimens: fed ad libitum throughout life (A); fed intermittently either during the first year of life and ad libitum thereafter (RA) or vice versa (AR); and fed intermittently throughout life (R). Low body weights, low amounts of body components (protein, fat, moisture, and ash), and long life spans were observed in R. AR and RA lost or gained body weight, respectively, after dietary transfer and lived longer than A. Maximum body weight and the age at which it was attained were correlated positively with life span in A. Predicted mature body weight was correlated negatively with life span in R. RA and AR differed in growth and body composition, but their life spans were similar and intermediate to those of A and R. Increases in life span were obtained by intermittent feeding during all or part of the life span, but growth and body composition data did not consistently explain the mechanism of this effect.

Relationships among anthropometric indices of growth and creatinine and hydroxyproline excretion in preadolescent black and white girls.

Relationships among anthropometric indices of growth and creatinine and hydroxyproline excretion were studied over a 2-year longitudinal period in 124 preadolescent girls. Four groups of girls were selected: low-income white (LIW), middle-income white (MIW), low-income black (LIB) and middle-income black (MIB). Changes in body height, weight, subcapsular skinfold, bone density of the phalanx and bone mineral of the radius and ulna were used as indices of growth in relation to creatinine and hydroxyproline excretion. There were no significant differences in subcapsular skinfold among the groups. Bone density of the phalanx and bone mineral of the radius and ulna were significantly greater in blacks than whites at each age. Mean values for urinary creatinine concentration ranged from 0.115 to 0.209 g/dl from 9 to 11 years of age and tended to be greater for the middle-income than the low-income girls. Urinary hydroxyproline (g)/creatinine (g) ranged from 0.072 at 9 to 0.128 at 11 years of age with no significant differences between groups. All measurements showed significant increases with age. Significant positive correlations were seen among several indices in both racial groups and are discussed. INDEX WORDS: Growth, height/weight, hydroxyproline/creatinine excretion, race-income groups, subscapular skinfold, bone density, bone mineral content, preadolescent girls.

Variability of air calorics vs water. Statistical implications.

The increasing use of air as a medium for inducing caloric nystagmus has produced a wide variety of comment, much of which may be ignored by opponents or proponents of air. What cannot be ignored by the latter is the report of increased response variability with air irrigation. The effect of increased single-measure variability on the variability of the resultant measures of unilateral weakness (UW) was explored by (1) development of a theoretical equation for the variance of UW and (2) examination of results from normal and clinical subjects. The theoretical equation indicates that variability is a function of both mean responses and the correlation between responses from opposite sides, as well as the variability of single measures. Increases in single-measure variability are attenuated by the formula to a degree such that clinically important increases in the variability of measures of UW are unlikely. This conclusion was supported by results from 22 normal and 12 clinical subjects and reexamination of previous reports.

Advantages of examining multicollinearities in regression analysis.

In this paper a regression analysis is performed with data on spinal cord injuries in order to demonstrate the benefits of determining which, if any, multicollinearities are present in prediction data. Existing multicollinearities are shown to be useful both in determining characteristics of the sampled population as well as explaining possible erratic behavior of variable selection procedures. Latent root regression is performed on the data to illustrate one method of using biased regression techniques to incorporate knowledge of multicollinearities in developing prediction equations.

Prediction of mobility gains in patients with cervical spinal cord injuries.

A measure of mobility for patients with spinal cord injuries is introduced that is very useful in determining patient recovery. The index is used to obtain a prediction equation for motor skills 1 year after injury. Important predictor variables identified include the patient's sex, rectal status, total reflexes, two treatment combinations, motor and sensory neurological history since injury, neurological status, and initial mobility score. Interpretations are made to explain the meaning of the contributions of these variables and show the usefulness of the prediction equation.

Physicians and alcoholics. Modifying behavior and attitudes of family-practice residents.

On completion of an alcoholism education course, family-practice residents exhibited significant cognitive and affective learning as evidenced by increases in factual knowledge about alcoholism and improved attitudes toward alcoholic patients. Diagnostic patterns were also improved.

A diagnostic formula for alcoholism.

Clinical pathologies with unusually high morbidities in alcoholic populations were analyzed to determine their capacity to diagnose alcoholism. On the basis of five systemic variables it was possible to diagnose correctly nearly 75% of alcoholic and matched control subjects.

Influence of diet and feed restriction on kidney function of aging male rats.

The influence of diet and feed restriction on kidney function was studied in aging male albino rats. Rats were fed either a commercial feed (LB) or a modified human diet (MHD) from weaning until sacrifice at either 12 or 24 mo. of age. Restricted rats were fed for only 15 out of each 48 hours. Feed restriction during either the first, the second, or both years of life was beneficial in delaying age-associated changes in kidney function as indicated by decreased proteinuria, increased in vitro transport of paraaminohippuric acid, and reduced incidence and severity of renal lesions. Urinary creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were also favorably influenced by restriction. Most parameters were modified by diet as well as by restriction, with MHD being generally associated with improved kidney function. Improvement in kidney function may have been more related to a reduction in protein intake than to a reduction in caloric intake as a whole.

Physicians and alcoholics. The effect of medical training on attitudes toward alcoholics.

The over-all ratings assigned by first- and second-year medical students and housestaff (residents and interns) to alcoholics on a 16-adjectivee bipolar semantic differential measure differed significantly. Mean ratings by the housestaff were lowest and the ratings by the second-year students were lower than those of the first-year students on 5 of the 6 adjective pairs on which the groups differed significantly.

Physicians and alcoholics. Factors affecting attitudes of family-practice residents toward alcoholics.

Family-practice residents rated alcoholics as weaker, sicker and more hopeless and aimless than average persons on an adjective semantic differential, and diabetics as sicker than average persons. The implications for the diagnosis and treatment of alcoholism are discussed.