The influence of gel formulation on the diffusion of salicylic acid in polyHEMA hydrogels

The influence of solute concentration, gel hydration, and crosslinking density on diffusion rates in polyHEMA hydrogels has been investigated using a radio-tracer technique. At hydrations above 31% water, diffusion is by pore flow, and increases in the crosslinking density of gels bring about a decrease in the diffusion coefficient, D. Below 31% hydration, diffusion is predominantly by solution diffusion and changes in crosslinking density have little effect on the diffusion coefficient. The diffusion coefficient is invariant with solute concentration within the range reported, although at a very high solute concentration, for the gels of lower hydration, the diffusion coefficient is higher than expected. A high value for D may be due to saturation of the binding sites of the diffusant on the polymer chains, leaving a greater proportion of diffusant available for transport.     

d· Ala5 analog of the elastin polypentapeptide. Physical characterization

The d ° Ala₅ analog, (l · Val₁-l · Pro₂-Gly3-l · Val₄-d · Ala₅)_n, of the polypentapeptide (PPP) of elastin is synthesized and characterized by a series of physical methods. Carbon-13 and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies are used to verify purity and, by means of solvent dependence of peptide C -O chemical shift and of temperature dependence of peptide NH chemical shift, to establish by comparison with the PPP of elastin the presence and increased stability of the Type II Pro₂-Gly₃ β-turn. The temperature dependence of aggregation in water to form a viscoelastic phase called the coacervate is reported for several concentrations. Comparison of carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra obtained under identical conditions for the coacervate states of the PPP of elastin and the d · Ala₅ analog shows the effect of replacing the Gly₅ residue by a d · Ala_s residue to be one of greatly restricting mobility of the polypeptide chain. Scanning electron micrographs, of the coacervate alone and of the coacervate cross-linked and compounded to a Dacron fabric before and after stress-strain studies, are reported which show the d · Ala₅ PPP matrix to rupture during the stresses of drying and of stretching while wet. Thus, the effect of adding a methyl moiety to the Gly₅ residue of the PPP of elastin is to decrease markedly the mobility of the polypeptide chain and to destroy elasticity. The results are presented as a test of the proposed librational entropy mechanism of elasticity of the PPP of elastin.     

Oxatomide in the management of hay fever–a placebo-controlled double-blind study in general practice

Sixty-three patients completed a double-blind placebo-controlled study of oral oxatomide (30 mg t.d.s.) in the management of seasonal allergic rhinitis and/or conjunctivitis. Hay fever symptom scores were significantly lower for oxatomide-treated patients than for the placebo group on the majority of days during periods of high pollen counts. Moreover, on days when pollen counts were 10/m³ or more, a statistically significant positive correlation between symptom score and pollen count was demonstrated for the placebo group but not for the oxatomide group. Oxatomide also appeared to be superior to placebo in terms of patients' requirements for supplementary mepyramine (Anthisan) tablets, and the doctor's global assessment. Side-effects were reported by four patients in the oxatomide group and by three receiving placebo.     

Suppressor cells in asthmatic children

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from thirteen asthmatic children, and from normal control subjects, were pre-incubated with and without concanavalin A (con A), washed, and cultured with fresh allogenic PBMC from healthy donors. The con A pre-treated cells from fifteen of seventeen normal controls clearly suppressed the blast transformation response to con A by normal allogeneic PBMC. However, con A-generated suppressor activity was found in only seven of the asthmatic patients studied, most of whom could be classified as ‘short-term’ asthmatics. It is thus possible that either dysfunction or a reduction of the (con A)-inducible, T-suppressor cell subpopulation in peripheral blood is frequent among ‘long-term’ asthmatic patients. This may suggest that a different pathogenesis may be operating in early-onset, long-continued asthma, when compared with those investigated early in the course of asthma which has begun later in childhood.     

Risk factors for development of dehydration in young children with acute watery diarrhoea: a case-control study

In a case-control study to understand the risk factors for development of life-threatening dehydration, a total of 379 children comprising 243 cases (moderate or severe dehydration) and 136 controls (non or mild dehydration) up to 2 years of age suffering from acute watery diarrhoea were studied. By univariate analysis, the presence of vibrios in stool, withdrawal of breast feeding during diarrhoea, not giving fluids, including oral rehydration solution (ORS), during diarrhoea, frequent purging (> 8/ day), vomiting (> 2/day) and undernutrition were identified as risk factors. However, by multivariate analysis after controlling for confounders, withdrawal of breast feeding during diarrhoea (odds ratio (OR) = 6.8, p < 0.00001) and not giving ORS during diarrhoea (OR = 2.1, p < 0.006) were identified as significant risk factors. The confounding variables which also contributed significantly to increasing the risk were age (≤ 12 months; OR = 2.7, p = 0.001), frequent purging (> 8/day; OR = 4.1, p < 0.00001), vomiting (> 2/day; OR = 2.4, p = 0.001) and severe undernutrition (%median <60 weight-for-age of Indian Academy of Paediatrics classification; OR = 3.1, p = 0.001). We feel that these findings will be useful for Global and National Diarrhoeal Diseases Control Programmes for formulating intervention strategies for preventing death due to diarrhoeal dehydration.     

Computer-Assisted Instruction Improves Clinical Reasoning Skills of Dietetics Students

Objective The effects of a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) tutorial program on learning clinical reasoning skills were compared in undergraduate dietetics students.Design A drill-and-practice program to control for time on task, a tutorial program, and a simulation program, as the test vehicle, were developed. The tutorial and simulation programs presented data on a patient with cardiovascular disease.Setting Subjects were tested in 30 undergraduate dietetics programs.Subjects Participants were 413 undergraduate diet therapy students enrolled in a coordinated program in dietetics (CPD) or a didactic program in dietetics (DPD).Intervention After completion of lectures on cardiovascular disease, subjects were given the drill-and-practice program plus a simulation test (group 1), the tutorial plus a simulation test (group 2), or the simulation test only (group 3).Main outcome measures Scores on the simulation test were compared. Variables included type of CAI, dietetics program, year in school, computer experience, and experience using a medical chart. Mastery of objectives related to lower- and higher-level clinical reasoning skills introduced in the tutorial program was compared.Statistical analysis One-way analysis of variance and Student-Newman Keuls tests were conducted to determine any differences among the three groups. Reliability was determined using the Kuder-Richardson Formula 20.Results The reliability coefficient of the simulation test was 0.93. Group 2 scored higher on the simulation test than group 1 or group 3. As a group, the CPD students scored higher than the DPD students. When CPD and DPD students were divided into the three experimental groups, there was no significant difference between the CPD and DPD student simulation scores. Group 2 mastered all objectives for lower-level reasoning skills and the higher-level decision-making objective better than groups 1 and 3.Applications/conclusions A computer tutorial program enhanced clinical reasoning skills in undergraduate dietetics students. This type of program could be used to supplement many topics taught in diet therapy and provide DPD students with experiential learning before their clinical intern practicums. J Am Diet Assoc. 1995; 95:868–873.     

The Methylazoxymethanol Acetate (MAM-E17) Rat Model: Molecular and Functional Effects in the Hippocampus

Administration of the DNA-alkylating agent methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) on embryonic day 17 (E17) produces behavioral and anatomical brain abnormalities, which model some aspects of schizophrenia. This has lead to the premise that MAM rats are a neurodevelopmental model for schizophrenia. However, the underlying molecular pathways affected in this model have not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the molecular phenotype of adult MAM rats by focusing on the frontal cortex and hippocampal areas, as these are known to be affected in schizophrenia. Proteomic and metabonomic analyses showed that the MAM treatment on E17 resulted primarily in deficits in hippocampal glutamatergic neurotransmission, as seen in some schizophrenia patients. Most importantly, these results were consistent with our finding of functional deficits in glutamatergic neurotransmission, as identified using electrophysiological recordings. Thus, this study provides the first molecular evidence, combined with functional validation, that the MAM-E17 rat model reproduces hippocampal deficits relevant to the pathology of schizophrenia.