Is Pleasantness of Biscuits and Cakes Related to their Actual or to their Perceived Sugar and Fat Contents?

Perceptions of sugar, fat and moisture contents, as well as their influences on pleasantness were investigated in commercial foods. One-hundred-and-two-normal-weight men rated the “pleasantness”, “flavour intensity”, “moisture”, “sweetness” and “fatness” of 39 different biscuits and cakes. Sugar content was accurately perceived up to a maximum content of about 33% weight/weight. The perception of fat content was less accurate and depended on both fat and sugar contents. High sugar contents seemed to decrease perception of fatness. Pleasantness was influenced mainly by sugar content and less by fat content. Pleasantness was better predicted by rated contents than by actual contents; it was even better predicted by the overall flavour intensity. Preferences for high fat stimuli did not appear to be based on conscious perception of their fat content. We conclude that the classical results obtained with simple experimental stimuli remain valid, as a first approximation, for commercial biscuits and cakes, despite their complex sensory characteristics.     

Overfeeding Macronutrients to Critically Ill Adults: Metabolic Complications

Metabolic complications from overfeeding critically ill patients are serious and sometimes fatal. Nutrition care is best provided through repeated evaluation of patients’ responses to feeding. Nutrition support may need to be modified over time to maintain metabolic stability and promote recovery. This article describes the etiology of 10 metabolic complications of overfeeding. Guidelines for recommending macronutrients are discussed, as are factors that could increase the risk of overfeeding. Patients who are very small, very large, or very old are particularly vulnerable to overfeeding. Overfeeding protein has led to azotemia, hypertonic dehydration, and metabolic acidosis. Excessive carbohydrate infusion has resulted in hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hepatic steatosis. High-fat infusions have caused hypertriglyceridemia and fat-overload syndrome. Hypercapnia and refeeding syndrome have also been caused by aggressive overfeeding. Dietitians can prevent or curtail the metabolic complications of overfeeding by identifying patients at risk, providing adequate assessment, coordinating interdisciplinary care plans, and delivering timely and appropriate monitoring and intervention. Dietitians need to document complications, interventions, and the outcomes of their clinical care to evaluate the appropriateness of existing nutrition guidelines. J Am Diet Assoc. 1998;98:795-806.     

Ontogeny of bovine neurohypophysial hormone precursors

Vasopressin, MSEL-neurophysin and a glycopeptide, here referred to as copeptin, are three fragments of a common protein precursor processed during axonal transport from hypothalamus to neurohypophysis. Neurohormones and neurophysins purified from 7–9-month-old bovine foetuses have previously been shown to be identical with those found in the adult. Copeptin has now been isolated from 7–9-month and 3-month-old bovine foetuses and chemically characterized. It can be concluded from the nature of the three precursors that the same vasopressin gene is expressed in the adult and the 7–9-month-old foetus.     

Complete amino acid sequence of goose VLDV-neurophysin Traces of a putative gene conversion between promesotocin and provasotocin genes

Goose VLDV-neurophysin (mesotocin-associated neurophysin) has been purified from posterior pituitary glands through molecular sieving on Sephadex G-75 and high-pressure reverse-phase liquid chromatography on Nucleosil C-18 columns. Despite apparent molecular mass of unreduced VLDV-neurophysin measured by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with sodium dodecylsulfate appeared near 17kDa, this value fell to 11 kDa after reduction with mercaptoethanol, suggesting the existence of a homodimer. Complete amino acid sequence (93 residues) of goose VLDV-neurophysin has been determined. N- and C-terminal sequences of the protein have been established by Edman degradation (microsequencing) and use of carboxypeptidase Y, respectively. Peptides derived from oxidized or carboxamidomethylated neurophysin by trypsin or staphylococcal proteinase hydrolyses have been isolated by high-pressure liquid chromatography and microsequenced, allowing determination of the complete sequence. Comparison within the vertebrate VLDV-neurophysin lineage, namely goose VLDV-neurophysin to mammalian VLDV-neurophysins and to deduced toad VLDV-neurophysin, reveals a residue insertion between positions 66 and 67 in the nonmammalian VLDV-neurophysins. When goose MSEL-neurophysin (vasotocin-associated neurophysin) and goose VLDV-neurophysin are compared to their bovine counterparts, identical substitutions are found in positions 17 (Asn in both goose neurophysins instead of Gly in both ox neurophysins), 18 (Arg instead of Lys), 35 (Tyr instead of Phe), and 41 (Thr instead of Ala). Identity of the sequences 10-74 in both ox neurophysins has been explained by partial gene conversion between oxytocin and vasopressin genes, and identical substitutions in both goose neurophysins might reveal a similar gene conversion between mesotocin and vasopressin genes in birds.     

Katamnestische Untersuchungen griseofulvinbehandelter Onychomykosen

Insgesamt 359 Onychomykosen, die in der Hautpoliklinik der Freien Universität Berlin mit Griseofulvin behandelt wurden, konnten nachuntersucht werden. Es handelte sich um 160 Onychomykosen in Fingern und um 199 Onychomykosen an Zehen. 114 Finger– und 141 Zehennagelmykosen wurden konservativ mit Griseofulvin behandelt. Die übrigen 46 Finger– und 58 Zehennagelmykosen erhielten Griseofulvin in Verbindung mit der Extraktion der erkrankten Nägel. Bei konservativer Therapie wurden 62% der Fingernagelmykosen und 11% der Zehennagelmykosen geheilt. Bei kombinierter Behandlung waren es 80% Erfolge bei den Fingernägeln und 55% Erfolge bei den Zehennägeln. Der Behandlungserfolg hängt aber nicht nur von der Lokalisation der Mykose sondern auch vom Alter des Patienten und von der Höhe der Griseofulvingesamtdosis ab. Bei konservativer Griseofulvintherapie nimmt der Heilerfolg durchschnittlich um 3,1 % und bei kombinierter Behandlung durchschnittlich um 6,6 % mit je zehn Jahren Alterszunahme ab. Zwischen der Tablettenzahl und dem Heilerfolg besteht nach Aussage des Korrelationskoefflzienten für die konservative Therapie starke Abhängigkeit, d. h. je größer die Griseofulvingesamtdosis, die der Patient erhalten hat, ist, desto größer ist die Quote der geheilten Onychomykosen. Insgesamt 155 der 359 Onychomykosen (43 %) konnten geheilt werden. Von den 86 konservativ geheilten Onychomykosen rezidivierten je 9 innerhalb des ersten und des zweiten Jahres nach Therapieende. Zusammen 26 Rezidive traten bei 69 Heilungen durch kombinierte Griseofulvinbehandlung auf. 14mal innerhalb des ersten, 8mal innerhalb des zweiten und 4mal innerhalb des dritten Jahres nach Kurende. Bei beiden Behandlungsmethoden überwiegen die Rezidive der Zehennagelmykosen. 10 Rezidiven bei Onychomykosen der Zehen stehen 8 Rezidive bei Onychomykosen der Finger nach konservativer Behandlung und 18 Rezidiven der Zehennagelmykosen stehen 8 Rezidive bei Fingernagelmykosen nach kombinierter Therapie gegenüber. Zusammenfassend läßt sich feststellen, daß unter den 155 erfolgreich behandelten Onychomykosen sich 108 Onychomykosen der Finger und 47 Onychomykosen der Zehen befanden. 92 der 108 geheilten Fingernagelmykosen (85 %) blieben wahrend einer Nachbeobachtungszeit von mindestens 18 und maximal 42 Monaten rezidivfrei. Bei den Zehennagelmykosen betrug der Anteil der rezidivfreien 19 von 47, d. h. nur 40 z% Bei insgesamt 44 Onychomykosen kam es also zu einem Rezidiv.     

Anticipatory postural adjustments in a bimanual load‐lifting task in children with developmental coordination disorder

Aim Postural control is a fundamental component of action in which deficits have been shown to contribute to motor difficulties in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The purpose of this study was to examine anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) in children with DCD in a bimanual load‐lifting task. Method Sixteen children with reported motor problems (two females, 14 males; mean age 9y; SD 2y) and 16 typically developing, age‐matched children (six females, 10 males; mean age 9y; SD 2y) took part in the study. The task required the children to maintain a stable elbow angle, despite imposed or voluntary unloading of the forearm. APAs were assessed using electromyography and kinematics analysis. Results Although children with DCD could compensate for the consequences of unloading, the results demonstrated that APAs were less efficient in children with DCD than in typically developing children. A positive and significant coefficient of regression between the flexor inhibition latency and the postural stabilization was only found in typically developing children. Interpretation The impaired fine‐tuning of the muscle contribution and the poor stabilization performances demonstrate poor predictive modelling in DCD.