A simplified method for detecting cytomegalovirus by polymerase chain reaction from histologic sections of small biopsies.

Using a simplified procedure, we have extracted DNA from unstained paraffin sections of needle biopsies of kidney and liver transplants and identified the presence of CMV using the polymerase chain reaction. This method utilizes oligonucleotide primers for two genes shown to be specific for cytomegalovirus (CMV) as well as an internal control gene (hemoglobin) in a single reaction. Utilizing nested PCR amplification with agarose gel electrophoresis, CMV can be detected without radioisotopes to a level of sensitivity equivalent to one one-hundredth of a cytomegalic virocyte per cm2 of a 3-microM paraffin section. This method is applicable to situations where only scarce paraffin-embedded tissue is available.     

Decrease in the fatigue resistance of nickel-titanium rotary instruments after clinical use in curved root canals.

OBJECTIVE: The changes in fatigue resistance of nickel-titanium rotary ProFile instruments after clinical use for shaping 10 curved molar root canals were evaluated in this study. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-five sets of files #20, #25, and #30 and tapers .04 and .06 were divided into 2 groups, one with 10 sets of new files that were tested in a fatigue test bench device as a control. The other, experimental group, with 15 sets of clinically used files, was tested in the same device. The Student t test was employed to compare mean values of the measured parameters. RESULTS: A statistically significant decrease in the number of cycles to failure was determined for the clinically used files, as compared with the new ones. The fracture point was the same for all files tested. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical use of ProFile instruments for shaping curved canals reduces their fatigue resistance.     

Differential distribution of aldolase A and C in the human central nervous system

We have analyzed the distribution of aldolase A and C mRNAs and proteins in various areas of the human brain using Northern blot analyses and immunohistochemistry. Aldolase A mRNA expression was higher than aldolase C mRNA expression in all areas of the brain examined. Aldolase C mRNA expression was highest in the cerebellum. Aldolase C protein was present in well-delimited regions of the CNS, and was distributed in stripes in the Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellum, in the inferior olives and in the sensory neurons of the posterior horn of the spinal cord. The novel finding of aldolase C in well-delimited cell compartments of the human cerebellum and in several other areas of the CNS lends weight to the hypothesis that this protein exerts other functions (e.g. sensory transmission) besides those characteristic of a glycolytic enzyme.     

Nutritional Controlled Preparation and Administration of Different Tomato Purées Indicate Increase of β-Carotene and Lycopene Isoforms,and of Antioxidant Potential in Human Blood Bioavailability: A Pilot Study

The isoforms of lycopene, carotenoids, and their derivatives including precursors of vitamin A are compounds relevant for preventing chronic degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Tomatoes are a major source of these compounds. However, cooking and successive metabolic processes determine the bioavailability of tomatoes in human nutrition. To evaluate the effect of acute/chronic cooking procedures on the bioavailability of lycopene and carotene isoforms in human plasma, we measured the blood levels of these compounds and of the serum antioxidant potential in volunteers after a meal containing two different types of tomato sauce (rustic or strained). Using a randomized cross-over administration design, healthy volunteers were studied, and the above indicated compounds were determined by HPLC. The results indicate an increased bioavailability of the estimated compounds and of the serum antioxidant potential with both types of tomato purée and the subsequently derived sauces (the increase was greater with strained purée). This study sheds light on the content of nutrient precursors of vitamin A and other antioxidant compounds derived from tomatoes cooked with different strategies. Lastly, our study indicates that strained purée should be preferred over rustic purée.     

Community care for patients with Alzheimer's disease and non-demented elderly people: use and satisfaction with services and unmet needs in family caregivers

OBJECTIVE: This study measures and compares use of and satisfaction with medical and social services in addition to subjectively perceived needs of family supporters of patients with probable or possible Alzheimer's disease (AD) and family supporters of non-demented elderly people. Differences in judgement of services within the subpopulation of families of AD patients are also assessed by gender and burden level.METHODS: The main family supporters of 60 community-dwelling elderly (aged over 65) with Alzheimer's disease and of 60 age- and sex-matched controls were tested with a detailed questionnaire on use and satisfaction with services, any unmet needs and kinds of intervention perceived to be helpful.RESULTS: Supporters of elderly people with AD were significantly more involved in providing care than supporters of non-demented people. Judgement on the health, social relations and financial status of their families was significantly worse in AD supporters than in supporters of non-demented elderly people. Although the former made more use of available health and social services than the control population, they did appear to make little use of such services, not only because of lack of information but also for logistic reasons or because they would prefer a service with more specifically trained operators or more tailored intervention. AD family supporters would like to receive more information and support from their general practitioner, which confirms the importance of this figure in management of this pathology. They were less satisfied with the care provided than the control population, particularly those with a moderate-high burden. Irrespective of burden level, they also expressed a need for financial and psychological support and adequate intervention schemes, especially within the home. These should be provided by specially trained personnel and be tailored to specifically manage the individual patient's problems, especially in relation to behavioural disorders. This would help alleviate caregiver burden and allow patients to continue to be managed at home.     

Assessment of quality of life in the elderly assisted at home through a Tele-Check service

This study evaluates the effects of a Tele-check/Tele-emergency service on the quality of life in the elderly. Through telephone interviews a questionnaire has been repeatedly administered to explore various psychological, somatic, and social aspects in a random sample of 574 subjects aged 65 years and over (mean = 76.8 years). The findings suggest that the elderly helped by the service (in its control functioning) make less demands on health facilities (GPs visits, number of days in hospital) as compared to controls. Implications are presented and discussed.     

Confirmation of a major QTL influencing oral morphine intake in C57 and DBA mice using reciprocal congenic strains.

C57BL/6 (B6) and DBA/2 (D2) mice exhibit disparate behavior when tested for voluntary morphine intake in a two-bottle choice drinking paradigm with B6 mice consuming 10 times more drug than D2 mice. Previous genetic mapping studies identified a locus, Mop2, on the proximal part of chromosome 10 that explained over half of the genetic variance in this mouse model of opioid self-administration. We constructed a set of reciprocal congenic strains between B6 and D2 mice in which the proximal portion of chromosome 10 has been introgressed from one strain onto the background of the other. We tested mice from this pair of reciprocal strains together with progenitor B6 and D2 mice in a two-bottle choice drinking paradigm with morphine and quinine. The results showed that introgression of chromosome 10 alleles from the B6 strain onto a D2 genetic background increased voluntary morphine intake four-fold compared to progenitor D2 mice. Preference for morphine was also increased significantly in D2.B6-Mop2 mice compared to progenitor D2 mice. Conversely, introgression of chromosome 10 alleles from the D2 strain onto a B6 genetic background decreased morphine intake by half compared to progenitor B6 mice in B6.D2 -Mop2 mice; however, high morphine preference was maintained in this congenic strain most likely due to strong quinine aversion. When quinine was eliminated from the control bottle, morphine preference in B6.D2-Mop2 mice was decreased significantly relative to B6 and D2.B6-Mop2 mice. Overall, these data confirm the existence of a gene(s) on chromosome 10 proximal to D10Mit124 that has a strong influence on the difference in morphine drinking behavior between B6 and D2 mice.     

Toxicity of 3-nitronaphthalimides to V79 379A Chinese hamster cells

The cellular uptake and toxicity of a number of substituted 3-nitronaphthalimides was investigated. Uptake of these compounds into cells was initially rapid and reached a plateau after several hours, where in some cases intracellular concentrations were much greater than the corresponding extracellular concentrations. Little uptake was obtained, however, with a compound carrying an acidic substituent. Toxicity studies divided the compounds into two main groups; those where survival curves were convex and those where survival curves were concave. The shapes of survival curves of the latter group did not appear to reflect depletion of extracellular drug. Uptake and toxicity of different drugs were not well correlated and bioreductive metabolism of the nitro-substituent did not appear to be a major contributor to toxicity. There was no consistent differential toxicity of these drugs in aerobic and hypoxic conditions. It was concluded that the nature of the ring substituent had more effect on toxicity than the absolute concentration of the naphthalimide ring or bioreductive metabolism of the nitro-group.     

The Efficacy of Fish as an Early Complementary Food on the Linear Growth of Infants Aged 6–7 Months: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Fish is a good animal-source protein for growth and development. The main objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of fish during the early complementary feeding period on infants’ linear growth in the Samfya district of the Luapula Province of Zambia in 6 months randomised controlled trial. The study was conducted from April 2019 to January 2020. Infants aged 6–7 months (N = 238) were assigned to either the intervention (treatment) group or control (placebo) group to receive fish powder or sorghum powder, respectively. Participants were followed on a weekly basis to distribute the powder and record compliance/usage and any morbidities. Anthropometric measurements were taken monthly. A linear mixed-effects model showed that fish powder improved linear growth among infants over all the 6 months of the intervention period. The fish powder increased length-for-age z scores by 1.26 (95% CI: 0.94–1.57) and weight-for-age z score by 0.95 (95% CI 0.6–1.23). The addition of fish powder to the infant’s usual food during the early complementary feeding improves the infant’s linear growth outcome.     

Apathy and impulsiveness in Parkinson disease: Two faces of the same coin?

Apathy and impulsiveness are 2 common non-motor symptoms in Parkinson disease that could occur in different periods or simultaneously. Apathy and impulsiveness could be interpreted as opposite extremes of a spectrum of motivated behavior dependent on dopaminergic dysfunction, in which, impulsivity, is a result of a hyperdopaminergic state, whereas apathy is viewed as a hypodopaminergic. The study aimed to investigate the presence of impulsiveness and other neuropsychiatric symptoms in Parkinson disease patients with apathy symptoms.Eighty-one patients with Parkinson disease were enrolled in this retrospective study. All subjects were evaluated by the Italian version of the Dimensional Apathy Scale and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-version 11, to assess, respectively, apathy and impulsiveness; they were divided into 2 groups (apathy and no apathy). All patients were administered also with questionnaires assessing depressive and anxious symptoms.Statistical analyses showed relevant results. In no-apathy group, education was a significant predictor on impulsiveness (attentional and motor) and apathy (executive and emotional); depression was a significant predictor on planning impulsivity and apathy.This study aimed to consider the importance of apathy and impulsivity in Parkinson disease. Although these are considered as opposite extremes of a spectrum of motivated behavior dependent on dopaminergic dysfunction, these can also occur separately. Moreover, several variables could represent important predictors of apathy and impulsiveness, such as depression. Future investigations should deepen the role of other demographics and psychological variables.