The ketogenic diet 2011: how it works.

Although the ketogenic diet (KD) has been widely accepted as a legitimate and successful therapy for epilepsy and other neurological disorders, its mechanism of action remains an enigma. The use of the KD causes major metabolic changes. The most significant of them seems to be the situation of chronic ketosis, but there are others as well, for instance, high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). These "primary" influences lead to "secondary", in part adaptive, effects, for instance changes in mitochondrial density and gene expression. Clinically, the influences of the diet are considered as anticonvulsive and neuroprotective, although neuroprotection can also lead to prevention of seizures. Potential clinical implications of these mechanisms are discussed.

Confirmation of an excess of the high enzyme activity COMT val allele in heroin addicts in a family-based haplotype relative risk study.

A previous case control study by Vandenbergh et al. [1997: Am J Med Genet 74:439-442] showed an association between the high activity catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) polymorphism and polysubstance abuse in a group of North American subjects. In the current study we confirm these results by genotyping 38 Israeli heroin addicts and both parents using a robust family-based haplotype relative risk (HRR) strategy. There is an excess of the val COMT allele (likelihood ratio = 4.48, P = 0.03) and a trend for an excess of the val/val COMT genotype (likelihood ratio = 4.97, P = 0.08, 2 df) in the heroin addicts compared to the HRR control group. We also genotyped an additional 101 nonrelated heroin addicts and 126 control subjects using a case control design and found no significant difference in COMT val allele frequency (25.4% vs. 29.7%, likelihood ratio = 1.04, P = 0.31). A significant difference is observed in COMT allele frequency among the three principal Israeli ethnic groups (Ashkenazi Jewish, non-Ashkenazi Jewish, and Palestinian Arab) in a large group of control subjects we have so far examined (chi-square = 7.9, P = 0.019, df = 2, n = 1,422 alleles) suggesting that population stratification is responsible for our failure to observe an excess of the COMT val allele when using the case-control design.

Pulse transmission and impedance characteristics of a non-uniform circulatory model.

In recent years, the technique of non-uniform transmission lines has been utilized in the synthesis of lines feeding antennae from transmitters, thereby maintaining matching over a wide band of frequencies and with varying load. For this reason, an electrical model based on that technique stems from the resemblance between the two systems: in both the feeding medium is non-uniform, and it is necessary to maintain a good response over a wide range of frequencies. Our non-uniform transmission line model of the arterial system, introduced in an earlier publication, supplies comprehensive answers to many questions dealing with the research into this system. Whereas in our earlier model the ohmic resistance R was considered small and not considered in the calculations, it is included in the present study. We have calculated the variation of the input impedance with the frequency and distance from the source, the effect of occluded main branches, augmentation of the pressure wave, the relationship between body size and heart rate and the matching of impedances at large bifurcations. We found that our calculated results agree very well with the quantitative results measured by other investigators in the field.