Clinical trial: oral feeding with a soft diet compared with clear liquid diet as initial meal in mild acute pancreatitis

Background  In mild acute pancreatitis, traditional treatment has been initial fasting and oral refeeding with clear liquids to prevent adverse gastrointestinal events such as pain. The diet is gradually progressed to soft solids and hospital discharge is planned based on patients' tolerance to a solid diet.
Aim  To determine the length of hospitalization and tolerance to oral refeeding when initiated on a soft diet as compared to a clear liquid diet.
Methods  One hundred and one patients with mild acute pancreatitis were randomized to receive either a clear liquid diet or soft diet when oral feeding was initiated. Frequency of pain, total and postrefeeding length of hospitalization, and dietary intake were monitored. Hospital discharge was decided by the medical team without input from the study coordinators.
Results  A statistically significant decrease in the length of hospitalization (total and postrefeeding) of a median of 2 days was seen in patients receiving a soft diet ( P  < 0.001). No significant difference in the need for cessation of diet because of pain was observed between the two groups. Patients initiated on a soft diet consumed significantly more calories and fats on study day 1 ( P  < 0.001).
Conclusion  Oral refeeding with a soft diet in patients with mild acute pancreatitis can be considered safe and can result in shorter length of hospitalization.     

Protein structural homology: a metric approach

The flexibility of the polypeptide fold of proteins is essentially due to the rotational freedom about the main chain bonds involving C_α atoms. The polypeptide fold can therefore be represented by virtual bonds joining consecutive C_α atoms. The ordered sequence of virtual torsion and bond angles involving these bonds can be used to specify the fold. Such representations can then be compared to reveal structural similarities using the Needleman & Wünsch algorithm, which has been developed for comparison of amino acid sequences. Such an approach is presented and illustrated with examples. The method is suitable for detecting structural similarities that extend over 7 or more residues.     

A spectroscopic study of the interaction of allylisothiocyanate with mustard 12S protein

The intraction of allylisothiocyanate (AIT) with mustard 12S protein resulted in a change in the absorption spectrum of the protein below 280nm without any shift in the ^γmax. The spectrophotometric titration of mustard 12S protein after interaction with AIT suggested the involvement of phenolic groups. Upon interaction with AIT, a new band at 250nm appeared in the near ultraviolet circular dichroism spectrum of the protein. However, no change occurred in the far ultraviolet circular dichroism spectrum. Circular dichroism measurements with amino acids suggest the possible involvement of tyrosine residues in the interaction of AIT with mustard 12S protein.     

INDOMETHACIN OR PREDNISOLONE AT NIGHT IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS?

Indomethacin, 100 mg orally, was compared with prednisolone,5 mg, as additional therapy at night, in a two-week, double-blind,between-patient study in twenty-four in-patients with rheumatoidarthritis. Both therapies proved equally effective, and significantlylessened morning stiffness and increased grip strength. Twopatients with dyspepsia were discontinued from the indomethacingroup. Using indomethacin at night avoided the central nervoussystem side-effects frequently seen with this compound. ^*Merck Sharp & Dohme Ltd., Hoddesdon, Herts.     

Defective Ultraviolet-Induced DNA Repair in Bone Marrow Cells and Peripheral Lymphocytes of Patients with Refractory Anemia with Excess of Blasts

The extent of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation-induced DNA repairwas measured in bone marrow cells and peripheral lymphocytesof patients with refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB).Bone marrow cells from RAEB, when exposed to a 2 J/m dose ofUV, exhibited 50% lower incorporation of tritiated thymidinethan those of control subjects. A similar finding was observedin the peripheral lymphocytes. These data suggest that bonemarrow cells and peripheral lymphocytes from RAEB are deficientin repair of UV-induced lesions by DNA. Furthermore, this impairedDNA repair efficiency in RAEB was not related to the presenceor absence of a karyotype abnormality.