Diabetes insipidus with impaired osmotic regulation in septo-optic dysplasia and agenesis of the corpus callosum.

The clinical and endocrinological findings in 24 children with septo-optic dysplasia and/or agenesis of the corpus callosum are described with particular reference to posterior pituitary function. Nine had diabetes insipidus. The prevalence of diabetes insipidus was similar in children with complete and incomplete forms of septo-optic dysplasia. Maintenance of normal osmotic balance was very difficult in six of these children, even after the introduction of treatment with vasopressin, either as desmopressin, or lysine vasopressin spray in one of the early cases.     

Calcium ATPase in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of muscle from normal and malignant hyperthermia susceptible pigs.

The density of Mg(2+)-dependent Ca2+ ATPase in the terminal cisternae of pig skeletal muscle fibers was investigated to discover whether a reduction in Ca2+ ATPase content impairs Ca2+ sequestration and contributes to the elevated myoplasmic Ca2+ concentration in malignant hyperthermia. Unexpectedly, immunogold electron microscopy showed an increase in Ca2+ ATPase, while densitometry of SDS-polyacrylamide gels suggested that the Ca2+ ATPase content of terminal cisternae vesicles did not change. The affinity of Ca2+ ATPase in vesicles for our monoclonal antibody was not altered. We suggest that the availability of antigenic sites in malignant hyperthermia increases after processing for electron microscopy, perhaps as a consequence of altered sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane properties.     

Clinical information technology in hospitals: a comparison between the state of Iowa and two provinces in Canada

Despite the growing interest in adopting information technology (IT) in healthcare, the degree of technology sophistication varies among healthcare organizations. Changes in the health care sector and continuous pressure to improve the quality of care have driven the evolution of IT in hospitals. This paper provides an overview of clinical IT sophistication in a sample of U.S. hospitals, and compares clinical IT capacities in this sample with a sample of Canadian hospitals. The instrument used for the comparison measures three clinical dimensions of IT sophistication: functional sophistication, technological sophistication and integration level. Clinical areas that were considered include patient management, patient care activities and clinical support activities. The comparison between hospitals in Iowa and Canada shows differences in clinical IT sophistication between the two settings. Hospitals in Iowa appear to have more technologies but fewer computerized processes and integration of patient management activities. Technological sophistication however, was low in both samples. Our findings confirm the construct validity of the measurement instrument and show initial evidence of its generalizability. More initiatives using the instrument would lead to enhancement in IT assessment tools that can be used for evaluation of IT in relation to patient management and quality outcomes.     

Calorie restriction extends yeast life span by lowering the level of NADH

Calorie restriction (CR) extends life span in a wide variety of species. Previously, we showed that calorie restriction increases the replicative life span in yeast by activating Sir2, a highly conserved NAD-dependent deacetylase. Here we test whether CR activates Sir2 by increasing the NAD/NADH ratio or by regulating the level of nicotinamide, a known inhibitor of Sir2. We show that CR decreases NADH levels, and that NADH is a competitive inhibitor of Sir2. A genetic intervention that specifically decreases NADH levels increases life span, validating the model that NADH regulates yeast longevity in response to CR.     

Prostate cancer knowledge among multiethnic black men

The purpose of this survey of 528 black men in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, FL, was to assess prostate cancer knowledge among African-American, English-speaking Caribbean, Haitian-American, and African men in America. Knowledge levels were assessed by education, ethnicity, age, income, family history of prostate cancer, and perceived prostate cancer knowledge. Twenty-five barbershops were visited during Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays over a course of five months. The response rate was 99%. As the black men waited to be seen by their barbers, three interviewers asked them to answer the demographic and knowledge questions. SPSS was used to analyze the data. The main findings were that knowledge levels were adequate, with mean correct responses being 68.4%. Approximately 19.1% of respondents answered 80% of questions correctly, and 7.1% answered 100% of questions correctly. There were no statistically significant differences in knowledge among black men of different ethnicities. There were only two factors which were significantly related to prostate cancer knowledge. Men who earned more than dollars 50,000 and those with a family history of prostate cancer scored significantly higher than lower-income men and men with no family history of prostate cancer. As the percentage of Caribbean-American men and African men in the United States continues to increase, especially in metropolitan centers, those men at highest risk need to be targeted vigorously so that the disproportionate burden of prostate cancer on black men can be relieved.     

Myocardial ANP expression in Pompe's disease: An immunohistochemical study

The expression of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) was analyzed in the atrial and ventricular myocardium in three cases of Pompe's disease (glycogen storage disease of the myocardium), using an immunoperoxidase technique. The cytoplasm of almost all atrial myocytes and some subendocardial myocytes from the right and left ventricles were ANP-positive, excluding the typical central vacuole, which was occupied by glycogen. Ventricular ANP expression was usually more prominent in left ventricular samples, and its distribution was similar to that described in dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, or ischemic heart disease; however, the enlargement of the myocytes in Pompe's disease is not caused by hypertrophy. We conclude that the atrial myocytes in Pompe's disease maintain ANP expression, despite severe cytoplasmic vacuolization. These results suggest that ventricular ANP expression may be related to mechanical stimuli, such as the increase in wall stress, and not directly related to myocyte hypertrophy.