College students' trait ratings of three age groups around the Pacific Rim

In this paper, the traits which younger adults associate with younger, middle-aged, and older adults in a number of Pacific Rim nations were assessed. Two dependent variables (personal vitality and benevolence) emerged from factor analyses of a series of trait adjectives. Cross cultural trends emerged which replicated patterns found in the US context. Main effects indicated declines in ratings of personal vitality and increases in ratings of benevolence with increasing target-age. However, interesting variations on this pattern emerged in different cultures. In particular, very negative evaluations of aging in Hong Kong, and a lack of differentiation between middle-aged and older adults in the Philippines and New Zealand were found. Little evidence emerged supporting the notion of particular positive evaluations of older adults in Asian cultures.     

Changes in the activity of ‘active’ pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in the newborn of normal and diabetic rats

Summary At birth, hepatic active and dichloracetate-activated pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activities in the newborn of normal, mildly diabetic, and severely diabetic rats were similar. The active and dichloracetate-activated pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activities increased significantly during the first 2 and 6 postnatal h, respectively in the three groups of neonates (p<0.05). The greatest increase in both active and dichloroacetate-activated pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity was observed in the neonates of mildly diabetic rats. Administration of glucose or insulin at birth to the newborn of normal rats caused a significant increase in the percentage of active pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity within 1 h (p<0.01). Similar treatment caused no significant increases in the newborn of severely diabetic rats. The transient increases in active pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity in the neonates of normal and diabetic rats were consistent with rapid disappearance of blood lactate during the first hours of postnatal life.     

The flow-function relationship in patients with chronic coronary artery disease and reduced regional function: a Doppler transesophageal and bidimensional transthoracic echocardiography study

Background: Infra-low dose dipyridamole allows one to selectively explore myocardial viability. Transesophageal echocardiography Doppler measurement of left anterior descending coronary artery flow at baseline and following dipyridamole is an efficient tool to assess coronary flow response. Aim of this study was to determine the flow-function relationship during coronary vasodilatory stress in patients with coronary artery disease and baseline dysfunction. Methods and results: Twelve patients with resting dyssynergies and 6 controls underwent assessment of regional function and of left anterior descending blood flow velocity. Flow and function were evaluated at rest and following infra-low dose dipyridamole (0.28mg/Kg over 4min). Controls showed a normal function at rest and after dipyridamole. Six patients (Responders) with resting dyssynergies showed an improvement in segments of left anterior descending artery territory, whereas the other six ones (Non-responders) showed no functional change. Controls and Responders had similar values of resting peak diastolic left anterior descending artery flow velocity both at rest and after dipyridamole, whereas Non-responders showed a blunted flow response to dipyridamole. Conclusion: Myocardial segments with a resting dysfunction and a contractile reserve more often exhibit a residual flow response, whereas segments with fixed pattern show a flat flow response during coronary vasodilator stress.     

Oral glucose tolerance and ambient temperature in non-diabetic subjects

Summary When either a 960-kcal, 140-g carbohydrate meal, or a 75-g glucose load was ingested by non-diabetic Caucasians, the 2-h venous plasma glucose concentration was higher by 0.82 and 1.25 mmol/l, respectively, if the ambient temperature was 33 °C rather than 23 °C. It is likely that this is a result of relative arterialisation of the venous blood. Even at 23 °C room temperature, use of the hot hand technique to obtain arterialised venous blood increases post-load glucose levels in contralateral antecubital veins. If these observations apply to those acclimatised to the heat, they could affect the diagnosis of both diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in the tropics.     

Women's intra-gender relationships and ‘disciplinary aggression’ in an Australian Aboriginal community

Based on research conducted in an Aboriginal community in the north of Australia, this paper explores acts of aggression between older and younger women, specifically those in a child/caretaker relationship. An examination of 24 cases of disciplinary aggression, most between consanguineally related women, raises the question of whether abuse is really an appropriate label for these acts. In attempting to understand how Aboriginal meanings of relationship and aggression reverberate in women's experiences of their relationships, their aggression, and their victimization, the author argues that aggression in these instances can be interpreted as a kind of nurturance and that hurt is perceived as a potential of women's interaction. The paper concludes with an assessment of the implications of this perception for the construction and experience of women's intergenerational relationships.     

In vivo influence of androgens on the cell kinetics and chromatin pattern of the MXT mouse mammary tumor treated or not by aminogluthetimide

Summary We characterized the influence of androstenedione, 5--dihydrotestosterone and 17--estradiol on the chromatin organization and the cell kinetics (distribution of the cells into the G0-G1, S and G2+M fractions) of MXT mouse mammary tumors grafted onto animals that were left intact or that were oophorectomized and/or treated with aminogluthetimide. The cell kinetics and chromatin pattern were monitored by analyzing Feulgen-stained MXT imprint smears through a cell image processor, the SAMBA 200 system. We have also assayed the estrogen and progesterone receptors of these MXT tumors, which appeared to possess both of these biological markers. Our results show that ovariectomy or aminogluthetimide treatment slowed down the MXT tumor growth without any additive effect between them. Androstenedione exerted a stimulating influence on the cell kinetics, which were very similar to those observed after estradiol administration; the treatment of castrated animals with aminogluthetimide completely abolished this androstenedione-induced stimulating influence, however. This androgen lacked any apparent efficiency to transform cell nuclei from a state of castration-induced chromatin condensation into a thinly textured and decondensed state, as did estradiol. Dihydrotestosterone was able to activate the cell kinetics of MXT tumor grafted onto castrated animals as well as those of MXT neoplasms grafted on oophorectomized mice treated with aminogluthetimide. Dihydrotestosterone also possesses the property to transform condensed chromatin into decondensed chromatin. It thus appeared that androstenedione and dihydrotestosterone could activate MXT cell proliferation, as did estradiol, although it appeared that their mechanisms of action were quite distinct from each other.Abbreviations AD androstenedione - AG aminogluthetimide - DHT dihydrotestosterone - E2 17--estradiol - ITC intact - OO ovariectomized This work is supported by grants awarded by the I.R.S.I.A. and the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique Médicale (FRSM), BelgiumThe authors are grantees of Institut pour l'encouragement de la Recherche Scientifique dans l'Industrie et l'Agriculture (IRSIA)     

Epidemiological studies of diabetes mellitus in Denmark: 6. Use of hospital services by insulin-treated diabetic patients

Summary The use of hospital services among insulin-treated diabetic patients was studied in a group of 1499 patients, representing >98% of all prevalent cases as of 1 July 1973 in the Funen County, Denmark, who were followed during a 81/2 year period by a record linkage with the regional computerized hospital registration system. On the prevalence date, 26% of the patients (in the age group 0–9 years: 74%) attended a diabetic outpatient clinic. The overall average admission rates for males and females were 0.46 and 0.53 per diabetes-year, respectively, and the average estimated hospital bed-day occupancy rates per diabetes-year were 7.2 and 9.6, respectively. These figures are five times higher than expected from the general population. Diabetes was not recorded as a discharge diagnosis (primary and/or secondary) in 13% of the male and 15% of the female hospital bed-day occupancy rate.     

Investigation of magnesium absorption in children using<Superscript>28</Superscript>Mg

Membrane-bound acid -glucosidase of human spleen was solubilized with either sodium cholate or Cutscum. The solubilized enzyme in type 1 (adult) Gaucher disease was less heat-stable than the normal enzyme, and when precipitated by ammonium sulphate it had a higher apparent molecular weight than the corresponding normal enzyme. The normal -glucosidase was activated by taurocholate, whereas the Gaucher enzyme was inhibited. The decrease in acid -glucosidase activity in Gaucher disease was associated with a profound deficiency of that form of the enzyme which bound to Concanavalin A. The results are consistent with faulty processing of newly synthesized acid -glucosidase in type 1 Gaucher disease.     

Plasma acidic glycohydrolases in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Summary We assayed plasma activities of -galactosidase, -hexosaminidase, -mannosidase, -fucosidase and -galactosidase involved in degradation of the glycoprotein molecule in 110 insulin-dependent diabetics aged 3-1/2 to 19 years and compared them to a group of normal youngsters. We correlated the plasma enzyme activities with the duration, control and sequelae of insulin-dependent diabetes. Insulin-dependent diabetics had a significantly higher plasma activity of -hexosaminidase and -mannosidase (p<0.01) and a significantly lower plasma activity of -fucosidase and -galactosidase (p<0.01). Of the 5 enzymes studied, only plasma -hexosaminidase correlated with fasting and postprandial blood sugar (p<0.01), cholesterol and triglycerides (p<0.05). Additionally, poor control of diabetes was also associated with a significantly higher plasma -hexosaminidase activity (p<0.01). Proteinuria or an abnormal Addis count suggestive of renal involvement was associated with various changes in plasma acidic hydrolases. These changes may be related to insulin deficiency rather than hyperglycemia and may be genetically determined.Deceased on August 2, 1981.     

Uptake and metabolism of radiolabelled GM1-ganglioside in skin fibroblasts from controls and patients with GM1-gangliosidosis

Summary The uptake and metabolism of [3-³H-sphingosine]GM1-ganglioside was measured in cultured skin fibroblasts from controls and patients with infantile, juvenile and adult GM1-gangliosidosis. When dissolved in medium with phosphatidylserine, GM1-ganglioside was efficiently taken up by cultured skin fibroblasts and transferred into lysosomes. A linear increase in GM1-ganglioside endocytosis was shown with phosphatidylserine concentrations of up to 40m/ml. A pulse-chase study revealed that [³H]GM1-ganglioside was metabolized to GM2-ganglioside, GM3-ganglioside, ceramide dihexoside, ceramide monohexoside, ceramide and sphingosine. Sphingosine was recycled to sphingomyelin. In a 20-h pulse study, cell lines from patients with GM1-gangliosidosis of infantile, juvenile and adult types hydrolysed 2–5%, 20–44% and 54–58% of the total endocytosed GM1-ganglioside respectively. These values were lower than in control cells (64.17 ± 5.43% (n=10)). The hydrolysis rates of exogenous [³H]GM1-ganglioside in cultured fibroblasts from patients with various types of GM1-gangliosidosis closely reflected the clinical severity.Abbreviations GM1 Gal13GalNAc14(NeuAc23)Gal14Galc-1-ceramide - GM2 GalNAc14(NeuAc23)Gal14Glc-1-ceramide - GM3 NeuAc23Gal14Glc-1-ceramide - CDH Gal14Glc-1-ceramide     

Altered thiol status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Summary The thiol status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is significantly different from that of controls. Plasma thiol levels are lower, albumin thiol reactivity is altered and intracellular thiol levels measured after hemoglobin precipitation are increased. These variations correlate with other indices of disease severity and are one measure of a disturbance in the degree of oxidation of the blood. Penicillamine, in common with other effective therapeutic agents, produces an increase in serum thiol concentration. It causes a greater effect on serum thiol reactivity than other drugs and in particular it increases fast reacting thiol levels without significantly altering the slow reacting thiol level.     

Diabetic retinopathy and visual disability

Summary Data from blind and partial sight registers and from special surveys have been analysed to derive estimates of the number of adults in England and Wales visually disabled by diabetic retinopathy. If visual disability is defined as less than 6/18 Snellen, approximately 30 per 100.000 adults living at home are disabled by diabetic retinopathy; if defined around traditional concepts of blindness (approximately 3/60 vision or less) the estimated figure is about 20 per 100.000 total population. Annual additions to the blind register for diabetic retinopathy are about two per 100.000 total population. Weaknesses in data gathering are discussed.     

Enzyme replacement and beyond

During the last decade, enzyme replacement therapy for lysosomal storage diseases became a reality with the demonstration of its safety and effectiveness in type 1 Gaucher disease. Currently, enzyme replacement and several other potential therapeutic strategies are being developed for selected lysosomal storage diseases, including Fabry disease due to the deficient activity of -galactosidase A (-Gal A). The development and clinical evaluation of these new therapies require a stepwise process, each step being rigorously reviewed and approved by national or international regulatory agencies. For lethal disorders that affect small populations, such as many inherited metabolic diseases, this process can be accelerated by orphan drug and fast track regulations. As an example of the drug development process, the development of recombinant human -Gal A (r-hGal A) replacement for Fabry disease is presented, including the preclinical studies in the Fabry mouse model, and the clinical phase 1/2, phase 3, and phase 3 extension studies, which demonstrate the safety and efficacy of this new therapy.     

Suppression of diabetes mellitus in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse by an autoreactive (anti-I-Ag7) islet-derived CD4+ T-cell line

Summary The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse is a spontaneous model of human insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Both CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells infiltrate the pancreatic islets of NOD mice prior to beta-cell destruction. T-cell lines isolated from the islets of NOD mice are tools for studying the pathogenesis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. During attempts to generate such lines we isolated an autoreactive CD4⁺ T-cell line, designated C2, from the insulitis lesion of a 20-week-old female non-diabetic NOD/WEHI mouse. Islet T cells were propagated by the addition of interleukin-2 and reexposure every 2 weeks to whole NOD islets and irradiated NOD spleen cells as antigen presenting cells. C2 cells proliferated up to 100-fold upon exposure to NOD antigen presenting cells but did not respond to whole NOD islets or antigen presenting cells from allogeneic mouse strains. Proliferation of C2 cells to NOD antigen presenting cells was blocked by a monoclonal antibody against the unique class II MHC molecule of NOD, I-A_g7. In response to NOD antigen presenting cells, C2 cells secreted Interferon-, tumour necrosis factor- and interleukin-6 but no detectable interleukin-2, interleukin-4 or interleukin-10, a pattern of cytokine secretion more characteristic of Th₁ CD4 cells. C2 cells displayed significant cytotoxicity in a redirected lysis assay. To explore a possible role for autoreactive T cells in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes, C2 cells were injected i.v. into female NOD mice that had received cyclophosphamide to accelerate development of diabetes. Although not different at day 10, by day 16 the frequency of diabetes (blood glucose>15 mmol/l) in mice given cyclophosphamide and C2 cells was significantly less than in mice given cyclophosphamide alone (p<0.05). These results are consistent with the suppressor function of autoreactive T-cells previously reported and with the concept that autoreactive T cells modulate autoimmune beta-cell destruction in the NOD mouse.     

The metabolic syndrome: time for a critical appraisal

Background The term metabolic syndrome refers to a clustering of specific cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors whose underlying pathophysiology is thought to be related to insulin resistance.Methods Since the term is widely used in research and clinical practice, we undertook an extensive review of the literature in relation to the syndromes definition, underlying pathogenesis, association with cardiovascular disease and to the goals and impact of treatment.Discussion While there is no question that certain CVD risk factors are prone to cluster, we found that the metabolic syndrome has been imprecisely defined, there is a lack of certainty regarding its pathogenesis, and there is considerable doubt regarding its value as a CVD risk marker. Our analysis indicates that too much critically important information is missing to warrant its designation as a syndrome.Conclusion Until much-needed research is completed, clinicians should evaluate and treat all CVD risk factors without regard to whether a patient meets the criteria for diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome.This statement was reviewed and approved by the Professional Practice Committee of the American Diabetes Association and by an ad hoc committee of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (members: H. Beck-Nielsen [Odense, Denmark], K. Borch-Johnsen [Gentofte, Denmark], E. A. M. Gale [Bristol, UK], L. Groop [Malmö, Sweden], H.-U. Häring [Tübingen, Germany], R. J. Heine [Amsterdam, The Netherlands], and D. R. Matthews [Oxford, UK]).Simultaneous publication: This article is being simultaneously published in 2005 in Diabetes Care and Diabetologia by the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.Copyright 2005 by the American Diabetes Association, Inc. and Springer-Verlag. Copying with attribution allowed for any noncommercial use of the work.     

Contractile activity and prostacyclin generation in isolated coronary arteries from diabetic dogs

Summary The present study was aimed at determining the generation of prostacyclin (PGI₂)-like-material in coronary arteries from normal and diabetic (pancreatectomized) dogs as well as the contractile responses to prostacyclin of preparations from normal, diabetic and insulin-treated diabetic animals. PGI₂ produced a dose-dependent relaxation of coronary arteries from normal dogs. In contrast, those from diabetic animals were not relaxed; indeed, at low concentrations PGI₂ failed to evoke any effect but at higher ones it induced a distinct contraction. In arteries from diabetic animals treated with insulin, PGI₂ induced a biphasic contractile effect, which lay between that of normal controls and untreated diabetics. In addition the basal generation of PGI₂-like-material by coronary arteries was significantly higher in the diabetic (141±0.2 pg/mg, mean±SEM) than in normal dogs (59±0.2 pg/mg). The present experiments demonstrate that the generation of PGI₂-like-substance is significantly increased in coronary arteries from diabetic dogs, but the same vessels are unable to respond to added authentic PGI₂ with relaxation; on the contrary they react with a distinct positive contractile response.     

Isolierung von freien Nucleotiden aus verschiedenen Geweben

Zusammenfassung Es wurden die freien Nucleotide aus dem säurelöslichen Extrakt des Sarkom 37 (Ascitesform) durch Anionenaustauschchromatographie isoliert. Die Befunde werden mit den Ergebnissen an normalen und anderen Tumorgeweben verglichen.In der Arbeit werden folgende Abkürzungen verwendet Ad Adenosin - A2MP Adenosin-2-monophosphat - A3MP Adenosin-3-monophosphat - AMP Adenosin-5-monophosphat - ADP Adenosin-5-monophosphat - ATP Adenosin-5-triphosphat - G2MP Guasonin-2-monophosphat - G3MP Guanosin-3-monophosphat - GMP Guanosin-5-monophosphat - GDP Guanosin-5-diphosphat - GTP Guanosin-5-triphosphat - C2MP Cytidin-2-monophosphat - C3MP Cytidin-3-monophosphat - CMP Cytidin-5-monophosphat - CDP Cytidin-5-diphosphat - CTP Cytidin-5-triphosphat - U2MP Uridin-2-monophosphat - U3MP Uridin-3-monophosphat - UMP Uridin-5-monophosphat - UDP Uridin-5-diphosphat - UTP Uridin-5-triphosphat - UDPA Uridin-5-diphosphat-N-acetylglucosamin - UDPG Uridin-5-diphosphat-glucose - UDPGa Uridin-5-diphosphatgalaktose - UDPGl Uridin-5-diphosphatglucuronsäure - TPN Triphosphopyridinnucleotid - DPN Diphosphopyridinnucleotid - FAD Flavin-adenin-dinucleotid - HS Harnsäure - RNS Ribonucleinsäure - IMP Inosin-5-monophosphat Mit 6 Textabbildungen.Den soliden Tumor verdanken wir Herrn Dr. Dr.Ch. Hackmann, Farbenfabriken Bayer, Wuppertal-Elberfeld. Dieser Tumor wurde von Herrn Dr.H. Wrba im hiesigen Institut in die Ascitesform übergeführt.     

Self-assessed health as predictor of objective health status among rural aged in Nigeria

Structured interviews of 112 old males and females in three rural locations in Nigeria examine the relationship between self-assessed health and four objective health indicators. Results show that although almost all of the respondents describe their health as better or much better than that of their peers, other health indicators reveal evidence of a generally poor health status. There was no significant association between self-assessed health and three out of the four objective health indicators. The best predictor of both objective and subjective health status was the degree of stress experienced by the respondents in the six months preceding the survey. Discussions examine possible reasons for the finding and pay particular attention to those factors which may encourage the overestimation of good health and underestimation of objective health failings among rural elderly in Nigeria.     

Elliptocytosis associated with an abnormal α glycophorin

Summary A case of elliptocytosis associated with an undescribed abnormal glycophorin (GP) is reported. Using immunoblotting techniques, a clear-cut minor band 6 was detected emerging just behind the monomer of GP (band 6) when probed with anti- GP antiserum. It also reacted with anti-peptide C antiserum, suggesting that this new band with a molecular weight of 24 K is related to the structural alteration of GP and not GP. The erythrocyte membrane proteins of the patient exhibited a quite normal pattern, with a normal spectrin/ spectrin ratio, but the reaction with anti-protein 4·1 serum confirmed the increase in proteolytic susceptibility of her protein 4·1. The results of DNA mapping implied that the abnormality may be due to a short deletion of the heterozygote. The significance of deviation involving the GP and protein 4·1 to the elliptocytic change of erythrocyte shape is briefly discussed.This work was supported by grant no. HL-21016 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD     

Mechanical properties and imaging characteristics of remanufactured intravascular ultrasound catheters

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) as a routine device in interventional cardiology is handicapped by its high price. 19 factory-made, remanufactured IVUS catheters which consist of sterilized, used phased-array IVUS transducers inserted into a new catheter shaft were compared with 23 new IVUS catheters. 3 mechanical and 4 imaging characteristics were assessed on a 5 point scale (1 = unacceptable, 5 = excellent). Mechanical as well as imaging properties of remanufactured IVUS catheter were comparable to new catheters with excellent ratings for each of the evaluated characteristics in 38 to 94% of remanufactured catheters and 50 to 96% of new catheters. The initial failure rate for remanufactured IVUS catheters was 31.6% vs. 4.3% for new catheters (P < 0.05). Overall failure rate was 47.3% for remanufactured catheters vs. 8.7% for new catheters (P < 0.05). The failure was due to an electronic connecting problem occurring during mechanical stress to the IVUS catheter. In conclusion, remanufactured IVUS catheters offer mechanical and imaging characteristics which are comparable to new catheters. Improvements in the remanufacturing process to resolve the high rate of electronic connecting problems may make this a promising approach to substantially lower the price of IVUS catheters.