Comparison of yogurt, soybean, casein, and amino acid–based diets in children with persistent diarrhea

Although previous studies have shown successful treatment of persistent diarrhea (PD) with the use of yogurt-based diets, some recent ones speculate the need of special formulas for the nutritional management of PD complicated cases. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the consumption of 3 lactose-free diets, with different degrees of complexity, is associated with lower stool output and shorter duration of diarrhea when compared with the use of a yogurt-based one on the nutritional management of PD. A total of 154 male infants, aged between 1 and 30 months, with PD and with or without dehydration, were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups. Throughout the study, the patients were placed in a metabolic unit; their body weights and intakes of oral rehydration solution, water, and formula diets, in addition to outputs of stool, urine, and vomit, were measured and recorded at 24-hour intervals. Four different diets were used in this study: diet 1, yogurt-based formula; diet 2, soy-based formula; diet 3, hydrolyzed protein-based formula; and diet 4, amino acid–based formula. Throughout the study, only these formula diets were fed to the children. The data showed that children fed the yogurt-based diet (diet 1) or the amino acid–based diet (diet 4) had a significant reduction in stool output and in the duration of diarrhea. The use of an inexpensive and worldwide-available yogurt-based diet is recommended as the first choice for the nutritional management of mild to moderate PD. For the few complicated PD cases, when available, a more complex amino acid–based diet should be reserved for the nutritional management of these unresponsive and severe presentations. Soy-based or casein-based diets do not offer any specific advantage or benefits and do not seem to have a place in the management of PD.     

Comparison of TURP, TUVRP, and HoLEP

Since the first transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) was performed by Guyon at the Necker Hospital in Paris in 1901, this treatment modality has replaced open prostatectomy as the procedure of choice for more than 95% of patients. TURP has been used in surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and remains the gold standard treatment. Transurethral vapor resection of the prostate (TUVRP) and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) are new treatment modalities for the treatment of BPH. Each procedure has its own advantages and disadvantages. Availability of instruments, surgical expertise, and specific indications for a particular procedure are of utmost importance for successful outcome, with minimal morbidity. TURP can be either monopolar or bipolar, using thin or thick loop. Bipolar TURP is associated with less bleeding and less chances of dilutional hyponatremia. TUVRP, using a thick wedge loop, causes vaporization and resection of the prostate, and is associated with less bleeding and short operative time. HoLEP is another effective alternative for the surgical treatment of BPH. The holmium laser possesses the ideal combination of cutting and coagulation; however, it has a learning curve.     

Multivariate comparison of elemental concentrations in human teeth

R-mode factor analysis was applied to characterize the chemical composition of human teeth investigated by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques. The approach developed in this study enabled the separation between essential mineral teeth components and the pollutants deposited in teeth tissues during the human life. The three independent sources of metals incorporated in human teeth were found. The first source, representing about 43% of the variance of the concentration data, was characterized by pollutant elements of power industry emissions. The second factor was loaded with toxic elements of general urban pollution. The third factor represented the tooth source as it contained mainly large fractions of the mineral components of the tooth tissue as Ca and K.     

Exercise improves cognition and hippocampal plasticity in APOE ε4 mice

BackgroundHuman studies on exercise, cognition, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype show that ε4 carriers may benefit from regular physical activity.MethodsWe examined voluntary wheel-running, memory, and hippocampal plasticity in APOE ε3 and APOE ε4 transgenic mice at 10–12 months of age.ResultsSedentary ε4 mice exhibited deficits in cognition on the radial-arm water maze (RAWM), a task dependent on the hippocampus. Six weeks of wheel-running in ε4 mice resulted in improvements on the RAWM to the level of ε3 mice. Hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were similar in ε3 and ε4 mice, and after exercise BDNF was similarly increased in both ε3 and ε4 mice. In sedentary ε4 mice, tyrosine kinase B (Trk B) receptors were reduced by 50%. Exercise restored Trk B in ε4 mice to the level of ε3 mice, and in ε4 mice, exercise dramatically increased synaptophysin, a marker of synaptic function.ConclusionsOur results support the hypothesis that exercise can improve cognitive function, particularly in ε4 carriers.     

Use of pressure-hold test for sterilizing filter membrane integrity in radiopharmaceutical manufacturing

The bubble point test is the de facto standard for postproduction filter membrane integrity test in the radiopharmaceutical community. However, the bubble point test depends on a subjective visual assessment of bubbling rate that can be obscured by significant diffusive gas flows below the manufacturer's prescribed bubble point. To provide a more objective means to assess filter membrane integrity, this study evaluates the pressure-hold test as an alternative to the bubble point test. In our application of the pressure-hold test, the nonsterile side of the sterilizing filter is pressurized to 85% of the predetermined bubble point with nitrogen, the filter system is closed off from the pressurizing gas and the pressure is monitored over a prescribed time interval. The drop in pressure, which has a known relationship with diffusive gas flow, is used as a quantitative measure of membrane integrity. Characterization of the gas flow vs. pressure relationship of each filter/solution combination provides an objective and quantitative means for defining a critical value of pressure drop over which the membrane is indicated to be nonintegral. The method is applied to sterilizing filter integrity testing associated with the commonly produced radiopharmaceuticals, [¹⁸F]FDG and [¹¹C]PIB. The method is shown to be robust, practical and amenable to automation in radiopharmaceutical manufacturing environments (e.g., hot cells).