Bioavailability of quercetin from berries and the diet

Berries are a rich source of various polyphenols, including the flavonoid quercetin. In this article, the results of three intervention studies investigating the bioavailability of quercetin from berries are reviewed. In the first study, we investigated the short-term kinetics of quercetin after consumption of black currant juice and showed that quercetin is rapidly absorbed from it. In the second study, we showed that plasma quercetin levels increase up to 50% in subjects consuming 100 g/day of bilberries, black currants, and lingonberries as a part of their normal diets for 2 mo. In the third study, healthy subjects consumed a diet high or low in vegetables, berries, and other fruit for 6 wk. Quercetin concentrations nearly doubled in the high-vegetable, -berry, and -other fruit group and decreased by 30% in subjects consuming less of these foods than normally. The results showed that plasma quercetin is bioavailable from a diet containing berries and indicate that it may be a good biomarker of fruit and vegetable intake in general.     

Panendoscopy and synchronous second primary tumors in head and neck cancer patients

Endoscopy techniques are used to diagnose and to determine the extent and exact location of malignancies in the head and neck region, bronchial tree and esophagus. Panendoscopy is used to find the primary tumor in the case of metastatic disease from unknown primaries or to detect a simultaneous second primary tumor at the time of diagnosis of a malignancy in the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT). The value of panendoscopy has been debated lately because of the relatively small proportion of malignant findings and because of the lack of convincing data concerning its effect on survival rates. However, despite the relatively low proportion of positive findings, their significance is often crucial for the individual patient. The significant number of late metachronous, second primaries, especially in the lungs, also emphasizes the importance of follow-up endoscopies. This study consists of 203 consecutive patients with squamous cell cancer (SCC) of the upper aerodigestive tract who underwent panendoscopy in Turku University Central Hospital as part of the initial diagnostic workup from 1992–1999. Eight patients with synchronous second primaries were found to represent a prevalence of 3.9%, and in addition, 19 patients with metachronous tumors were diagnosed. In the case reports we illustrate the importance of some of these findings.     

An immunoglobulin V gene polymorphism in the rat

Anti-phenyloxazolone (phOx) antibodies of different AVN rats (primary response) share several isoelectric focusing bands. These bands were not shared by antibodies of some other rat strains, including DA. An anti-idiotype reagent was prepared (in rabbits) that bound radioactive anti-phOx antibodies of AVN rats but not normal AVN immunoglobulin. This binding was strongly inhibited by AVN anti-phOx anti-sera, but not by AVN anti-BOC-p-azobenzene arsonate-tyrosine antisera or DA anti-phOx antisera. Anti-phOx antisera of (AVN x D A)F₁ rats were also strongly inhibitory indicating the presence of the idiotype (Ox-r1). Antisera of backcross rats (AVN x DA) x DA either resembled F₁ hybrid sera (31 rats) or DA sera (23 rats). The data suggest that the presence of idiotype Ox-r1 is controlled by one gene, or genes linked to each other. The gene(s) is not linked to the Ig kappa chain locus. It may be a V gene of the Ig H chain.     

Arterial embolization and prophylactic catheterization for the treatment for severe obstetric hemorrhage*

BACKGROUND. To evaluate indications, efficacy, and complications associated with arterial embolization and prophylactic balloon catheterization in the management of obstetric hemorrhage at a university hospital. METHODS. Twenty-two women underwent arterial embolization between February 2001 and November 2003 for the treatment for primary postpartum hemorrhage resulting from abnormal placentation (n=11), uterine atony (n=7), paravaginal laceration (n=3), and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (n=1). Blood loss was between 3.2 and 15 l. In seven patients, abnormal placentation was diagnosed prenatally and in these patients balloon catheterization was performed prophylactically before elective cesarean section. RESULTS. Of the seven patients, who underwent prophylactic catheterization, embolization was successful in five resulting in adequate hemostasis. Hysterectomy was performed in three, in two patients for uncontrolled hemorrhage and in one patient for placental invasion to bladder. There were no complications associated with prophylactic catheterization and embolization. The other 15 patients were treated in an emergency setting. In eight patients, embolization was performed as a primary surgery, and it was successful in six. In the other seven patients, hysterectomy was performed as an emergency surgery, but bleeding continued. Of these, in six patients, hemostasis was achieved with embolization. Complications associated with emergency embolization were observed in three patients. These were thrombosis of left popliteal artery, vaginal necrosis, and paresthesia of the right leg. CONCLUSIONS. Arterial embolization is of significant value in treating obstetric hemorrhage. Prophylactic insertion of balloon catheters before cesarean section seems to be a safe and effective method in controlling anticipated bleeding. In patients with persistent bleeding following cesarean section and hysterectomy, embolization could be a primary procedure before re-surgery.     

Traumatic experience with vacuum extraction--influence of personal preparation, physiology, and treatment during labor

OBJECTIVE: To assess pre-labor attitudes and post-labor experiences of the use of vacuum extraction during delivery. To seek associations between traumatic labor experience and personal preparation, physiology of labor and treatment during labor. METHODS: A total of 205 women filled in a questionnaire within five days of vacuum extraction delivery. The questionnaire was designed to distinguish the group of women having experienced their labor as traumatic from those not having such an experience. The association between explanatory variables grouped as background factors, physiological factors of labor and treatment-related factors in relation to traumatic experience status was studied by bivariate analysis by the chi-square test or Student's t-test. Logistic regression analysis was carried out to examine simultaneous effects of factors. In the first phase, each of the previously chosen groups was analyzed separately, and in the second, all risk factors thus emerging as significant were entered into the final model. RESULTS: Forty-two women (20%) regarded their childbirth experience as traumatic. Of the background factors, insufficient pre-labor training and a pre-labor desire for extra strong pain relief during the coming labor were significantly more common in the traumatic birth group. Of the physiological factors of labor, unsatisfactory pain relief and a difficult third stage of labor were associated with a traumatic birth experience. The treatment-related factors showed mutual correlation and were strongly associated with birth experience. After logistic regression analysis only four independent risk factors emerged as significant: insufficient support immediately after delivery, the experience of being poorly listened to during labor, insufficient doctor's support during the first stage of labor, and pre-labor training classes considered insufficient. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment-related factors were the most powerful predictors of an adverse birth experience after vacuum extraction delivery, exceeding those related to labor physiology. Thus, the role of treatment and care before, during and after vacuum extraction is emphasized.     

Automated frequency analysis of synchronous and diffuse sleep spindles

BACKGROUND: Sleep spindles have different properties in different localizations in the cortex. OBJECTIVES: First main objective was to develop an amplitude-independent multi-channel spindle detection method. Secondly the method was applied to study the anteroposterior frequency differences of pure synchronous (visible bilaterally, either frontopolarly or centrally) and diffuse (visible bilaterally both frontopolarly and centrally) sleep spindles. METHODS: A previously presented spindle detector based on the fuzzy reasoning principle and a level detector were combined to form a multi-channel spindle detector. RESULTS: The spindle detector had a 76.17% true positive rate and 0.93% false-positive rate. Pure central spindles were faster and pure frontal spindles were slower than diffuse spindles measured simultaneously from both locations. CONCLUSIONS: The study of frequency relations of spindles might give new information about thalamocortical sleep spindle generating mechanisms.