The effect of a supplementary protein food containing fish flour,groundnut flour and bengal gram flour and fortified with vitamins on the growth and nutritional status of children

Summary A feeding experiment extending over a period of six months was carried out on 58 boys, aged 6 to 12 years, in a local boarding home in Mysore, to assess the effects of supplementing their diet daily, with 40 gm. of a protein food based on 2∶1∶1 blend of groundnut flour, Bengal gram flour and fish flour (from oil sardine) fortified with vitamins A and D, thiamine and riboflavin. The children were paired according to initial height and weight and the members of each pair allotted at random to the control and experimental groups. Values for weight, height, nutritional status, haemoglobin level and red blood cell count were recorded at the beginning and end of the experiment, for subjects in the control and experimental groups. All the children in the experimental group relished the protein supplement and none complained of digestive trouble. A highly significant increase in height, weight, red blood cell count and haemoglobin level of the subjects receiving the protein food supplement was observed as compared with the control group. Eighty per cent. of the subjects in the experimental group improved in their nutritional status as compared with only seventeen per cent. in the control group. None in the experimental group showed deterioration whereas seventeen per cent. of the subjects in the control group showed deterioration in their nutritional status. From the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Mechanisms underlying decreased protein and RNA synthesis in the rat spleen following whole-body X-irradiation.

Whole-body exposure of rats to 1000 R X-rays resulted in decreased rates in protein and RNA syntheses in the spleen from the fourth post-irradiation hour. These changes correspond well with impaired ability of nuclei to polymerise RNA, reduction in template efficiency of chromatin, decrease in the activity of RNA polymerase and inhibition in histone phosphorylation. Protection of the spleen by lead shielding during whole-body exposure to X-rays largely eliminated the observed alterations in protein and nucleic acid synthetic machineries. This suggests that the radiation-induced inhibition in protein and RNA syntheses is mainly due to the direct action of radiation on the spleen itself.     

Complexity analysis of dense array EEG signal reveals sex difference

This article deals with the complexity aspects of the recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) signal from male and female subjects. The analysis follows direct application of time series measures of global linear complexity and characterization of the embedded complexity in the signals using the nonlinear statistic of approximate entropy. The study reveals significant differences in complexity between the two sex groups during passive, no-task conditions, whereas no apparent variation exists during a mental task state. The detection of subtle changes as well as the ease in presenting a global picture of the complexity variation on the human cortical surface makes the nonlinear statistic a better marker of system complexity.     

Role of cAMP signaling in the mediation of dopamine-induced stimulation of GnRH secretion via D1 dopamine receptors in GT1-7 cells

Pharmacologically increasing cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels in GT1 gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) cell lines increased the secretion of GnRH. Dopamine (DA) increased the GnRH secretion in GT1 cells via a DA receptor positively coupled to adenylate cyclase. We then asked whether inhibition of the DA-induced increase in cAMP would block the stimulatory effect of DA on GnRH release. Expression of the cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE4D1) was used in a genetic approach to inhibit the DA-induced increase in cAMP levels. Cells were infected with an adenovirus vector (Ad) expressing PDE4D1 (PDE-Ad) or, for controls, with an empty Ad (Null-Ad). Infection with the PDE-Ad completely blocked the forskolin-induced stimulation of GnRH secretion and [Ca2+]i and decreased the majority of the release of cAMP into the culture medium. In contrast, although PDE-Ad infection blocked virtually all of the DA-induced increase in extracellular cAMP, the release of GnRH and the increase in [Ca2+]i were only delayed for approximately 15 min. GT1 cells express the D1 DA receptor which is positively coupled to adenylate cyclase but not the D5 DA receptor. These data suggest that the initial phase of the DA-induced secretion of GnRH is dependent on an increase in cAMP levels. However, it appears that an additional non-cAMP-regulated signaling pathway is involved in the stimulation of GnRH release via the D1 DA receptor.     

Generation in vivo of peptide-specific cytotoxic T cells and presence of regulatory T cells during vaccination with hTERT (class I and II) peptide-pulsed DCs

Background

Optimal techniques for DC generation for immunotherapy in cancer are yet to be established. Study aims were to evaluate: (i) DC activation/maturation milieu (TNF-α +/- IFN-α) and its effects on CD8+ hTERT-specific T cell responses to class I epitopes (p540 or p865), (ii) CD8+ hTERT-specific T cell responses elicited by vaccination with class I alone or both class I and II epitope (p766 and p672)-pulsed DCs, prepared without IFN-α, (iii) association between circulating T regulatory cells (Tregs) and clinical responses.

Methods

Autologous DCs were generated from 10 patients (HLA-0201) with advanced cancer by culturing CD14+ blood monocytes in the presence of GM-CSF and IL-4 supplemented with TNF-α [DCT] or TNF-α and IFN-α [DCTI]. The capacity of the DCs to induce functional CD8+ T cell responses to hTERT HLA-0201 restricted nonapeptides was assessed by MHC tetramer binding and peptide-specific cytotoxicity. Each DC preparation (DCT or DCTI) was pulsed with only one type of hTERT peptide (p540 or p865) and both preparations were injected into separate lymph node draining regions every 2–3 weeks. This vaccination design enabled comparison of efficacy between DCT and DCTI in generating hTERT peptide specific CD8+ T cells and comparison of class I hTERT peptide (p540 or p865)-loaded DCT with or without class II cognate help (p766 and p672) in 6 patients. T regulatory cells were evaluated in 8 patients.

Results

(i) DCTIs and DCTs, pulsed with hTERT peptides, were comparable (p = 0.45, t-test) in inducing peptide-specific CD8+ T cell responses. (ii) Class II cognate help, significantly enhanced (p < 0.05, t-test) peptide-specific CD8+T cell responses, compared with class I pulsed DCs alone. (iii) Clinical responders had significantly lower (p < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U test) T regs, compared with non-responders. 4/16 patients experienced partial but transient clinical responses during vaccination. Vaccination was well tolerated with minimal toxicity.

Conclusion

Addition of IFN-α to ex vivo monocyte-derived DCs, did not significantly enhance peptide-specific T cell responses in vivo, compared with TNF-α alone. Class II cognate help significantly augments peptide-specific T cell responses. Clinically favourable responses were seen in patients with low levels of circulating T regs.     

Decoding attention control and selection in visual spatial attention

Event‐related potentials (ERPs) are used extensively to investigate the neural mechanisms of attention control and selection. The univariate ERP approach, however, has left important questions inadequately answered. We addressed two questions by applying multivariate pattern classification to multichannel ERPs in two cued visual spatial attention experiments (N = 56): (a) impact of cueing strategies (instructional vs. probabilistic) on attention control and selection and (b) neural and behavioral effects of individual differences. Following cue onset, the decoding accuracy (cue left vs. cue right) began to rise above chance level earlier and remained higher in instructional cueing (~80 ms) than in probabilistic cueing (~160 ms), suggesting that unilateral attention focus leads to earlier and more distinct formation of the attention control set. A similar temporal sequence was also found for target‐related processing (cued target vs. uncued target), suggesting earlier and stronger attention selection under instructional cueing. Across the two experiments: (a) individuals with higher cue‐related decoding accuracy showed higher magnitude of attentional modulation of target‐evoked N1 amplitude, suggesting that better formation of anticipatory attentional state leads to stronger modulation of target processing, and (b) individuals with higher target‐related decoding accuracy showed faster reaction times (or larger cueing effects), suggesting that stronger selection of task‐relevant information leads to better behavioral performance. Taken together, multichannel ERPs combined with machine learning decoding yields new insights into attention control and selection that complement the univariate ERP approach, and along with the univariate ERP approach, provides a more comprehensive methodology to the study of visual spatial attention.     

Selective attention supports working memory maintenance by modulating perceptual processing of distractors

Selective attention has been shown to bias sensory processing in favor of relevant stimuli and against irrelevant or distracting stimuli in perceptual tasks. Increasing evidence suggests that selective attention plays an important role during working memory maintenance, possibly by biasing sensory processing in favor of to-be-remembered items. In the current study, we investigated whether selective attention may also support working memory by biasing processing against irrelevant and potentially distracting information. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while subjects (n = 22) performed a delayed-recognition task for faces and shoes. The delay period was filled with face or shoe distractors. Behavioral performance was impaired when distractors were congruent with the working memory domain (e.g., face distractor during working memory for faces) relative to when distractors were incongruent with the working memory domain (e.g., face distractor during shoe working memory). If attentional biasing against distractor processing is indeed functionally relevant in supporting working memory maintenance, perceptual processing of distractors is predicted to be attenuated when distractors are more behaviorally intrusive relative to when they are nonintrusive. As such, we predicted that perceptual processing of distracting faces, as measured by the face-sensitive N170 ERP component, would be reduced in the context of congruent (face) working memory relative to incongruent (shoe) working memory. The N170 elicited by distracting faces demonstrated reduced amplitude during congruent versus incongruent working memory. These results suggest that perceptual processing of distracting faces may be attenuated due to attentional biasing against sensory processing of distractors that are most behaviorally intrusive during working memory maintenance.     

Ethics and Epidemiology: The Income Debate

This paper reviews the epidemiological debate between the relativeincome hypothesis and the absolute income hypothesis. The disputebetween these rival hypotheses has to do with whether an adequateaccount of the relationship between income and life expectancyrequires the definition of ‘income’ to include anycomparative element. I discuss the evidence offered for therelative hypothesis (which answers, ‘yes’), as wellas two important criticisms that have been levelled againstthis evidence. I also offer some critical reflections on thedebate from a philosophical standpoint concerned with the ethicsof population health. Both hypotheses agree that a redistributionof income towards the worst off will improve their life expectancy.     

Requirements for invasion of epithelial cells by Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans.

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, an oral bacterium implicated in human periodontal disease, was recently demonstrated to invade cultured epithelial cells (D. H. Meyer, P. K. Sreenivasan, and P. M. Fives-Taylor, Infect. Immun. 59:2719-2726, 1991). This report characterizes the requirements for invasion of KB cells by A. actinomycetemcomitans. The roles of bacterial and host factors were investigated by using selective agents that influence specific bacterial or host cell functions. Inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis decreased invasion, suggesting the absence of a preformed pool of proteins involved in A. actinomycetemcomitans invasion. Inhibition of bacterial and eukaryotic energy synthesis also decreased invasion, confirming that A. actinomycetemcomitans invasion is an active process. Bacterial adherence to KB cells was indicated by scanning electron microscopy of infected KB cells. Further, the addition of A. actinomycetemcomitans-specific serum to the bacterial inoculum reduced invasion substantially, suggesting a role for bacterial attachment in invasion. Many of the adherent bacteria invaded the epithelial cells under optimal conditions. Inhibitors of receptor-mediated endocytosis inhibited invasion by A. actinomycetemcomitans. Like that of many facultatively intracellular bacteria, A. actinomycetemcomitans invasion was not affected by eukaryotic endosomal acidification. These are the first published observations describing the requirements for epithelial cell invasion by a periodontopathogen. They demonstrate that A. actinomycetemcomitans utilizes a mechanism similar to those used by many but not all invasive bacteria to gain entry into eukaryotic cells.