[The analysis of iodine among children in the capital of Zhejiang province]

Through a systematic survey of goiter, urine iodine, IQ for 8-10 year-old children with no iodine accommodation in the capital of Zhejiang province, it was revealed that the goiter percentage was 10.02% with palpation method, 15.60% with B-Ultrasound method, respectively. The median of urine iodine was 70.01 micrograms/L and the average IQ was 112.4 +/- 13.73. The analysis of the iodine situation in children in the provincial capital suggested iodine deficiency had been existing not only in the countryside but also in the cities. In addition, the iodined salt accommodation should be carried out and consolidated for IDD elimination.

Which depressive symptoms are related to which sleep electroencephalographic variables?

Sleep complaints and electroencephalographic (EEG) sleep abnormalities are associated with risk for new onset depression, illness severity, treatment outcome, and vulnerability for recurrence of depression. The aim of this study was to evaluate the strength of association between EEG sleep measures and depression symptoms, and to identify the variables that account for the majority of the association. Depression ratings from the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and the Beck Depression Inventory and polysomnographic measures were examined in 361 adult outpatients with major depressive disorder. Canonical correlation and serial multiple regression analyses were used to determine the associations between depressive symptoms and sleep measures. Canonical correlation showed a unidimensional relationship between depressive symptoms and sleep measures (R = .55, p < .05). Fifteen depression items and nine sleep measures accounted for 95% of the correlation. Depression variables encompassed a core set of mood, neurovegetative, and cognitive symptoms. Sleep variables were primarily related to delta EEG activity, and this may be reflective of impaired sleep "drive" or heightened arousal during sleep.

Observation on solubility and pro-nucleative activity of monoconjugated bilirubin

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of monoconjugated bilirubin (MCB) on gallstone formation of both categories.

METHODS

Using a newly established high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique. MCB was extracted, prepared and purified from gallstone patients bile, and its solubility and pro-nucleative activity were observed.

RESULTS

In a near physiological environment of biliary tract (pH 7.9 and temperature 37 degrees C), the aqueous solubility of MCB (558.25 +/- 5.96 microns) was only 1/7 of that of disconjugated bilirubin (DCB) (3410.9 +/- 2.42 microns), but 44 times higher than that of unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) (2.43 +/- 0.31 microns) (P < 0.01, between and two of them). Moreover, the solubility of MCB changed curvilineally with the alteration of pH, being highest at pH 7.9, zero at pH 4.5 and even lower than that of ionized UCB at pH above 9. In 3 groups of model bile systems made from Kibe's formula, the nucleation time (NT) was examined by polarized microscopy after 170 microns and 340 microns of MCB was added in group 1 and 2 respectively (group 3 was the control, with no MCB added). The NT was 3.33 +/- 0.52. 2.17 +/- 0.41 and 5.83 +/- 0.75 days respectively in the 3 groups (P < 0.05, between any 2 of the 3 groups) and the nucleative activity (NA) was 0.57 and 0.37 in group 1 and 2 respectively, which confirmed that MCB possessed a dose-related NA which was even stronger than that of glycoprotein (0.56) at the dose of 340 microns.

CONCLUSIONS

MCB might play an essential role in the formation and nucleation of gallstones with its poor aqueous solubility and strong pro-nucleative activity via certain lithogenic mechanism.

[Isolation and reassociation of acetogen and methanogen in a syntrophobic coculture degrading butyrate anaerobically]

Anaerobic coculture BF2 which degraded butyrate into acetate and produced methane was isolated from granular methanogenic sludge. The coculture is associated syntrophically the Syntrophomonas subsp. saponavida strain CF2 with Methanobacterium formicicum strain MF2 and appeared to degraded C4 approximately C18 fatty acids including isobutyrate. The optimal temperature and pH for growth was 37 degrees C and 7.7 respectively. The strain CF2 was obtained in pure culture with crotonate as substrate and produces acetate and butyrate. The doubling time of strain CF2 in crotonate media was about 20 hours. Strain CF2 is Gram negative, slightly curved 0.2 approximately 0.3 x 2.0 approximately 3.0 micron with round ends, motile by lateral flagellation at the concave side, non sporeforming. With a hydrogen scavenging organism, such as Methanospillum hungatei JF1, Methanobacterium formicicum 1535, Methanobrevibacterium bryantii 1125 and Desulfovibrio sp. B11, the strain CF2 paired up and the defined coculture degraded butyrate to acetate. When the strain CF2 associated with the original accompanist, Methanobacterium formicius strain MF2, the reassociated couculture degraded butyrate to acetate and produced methane again.

Social rhythm in anxiety disorder patients

The social rhythm metric (SRM) is a self report diary instrument which generates a numerical measure of rhythmicity of daily life behaviors. Depression researchers have proposed that life events cause disruption of social rhythmicity and this leads to disturbance in the sense of well-being and to disruption of physiologic rhythmicity known to be related to depressive episodes. We hypothesized that low rhythmicity of daily activities might also be characteristic of anxiety disorder patients.

SUBJECTS

Forty-eight patients who met DSM III-R criteria for an anxiety disorder were recruited and compared with 41 previously monitored normal controls.

PROCEDURES

All patients and controls completed at least two weeks of daily monitoring with the SRM. Anxiety patients underwent structured diagnostic assessment and completed demographic and clinical rating scales. SRM was analyzed according to a previously developed algorithm.

RESULTS

Anxiety disorder patients report significantly lower regularity of daily activities than normal controls. The low SRM scores were not accounted for by the presence of comorbid affective disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

We identify a new type of abnormality in anxiety disorder patients which has potential clinical as well as theoretical interest.

[Purification and characterization of hec toxin produced by Aeromonas hydrophila]

An extracellular toxin produced by Aeromonas hydrophila from cultured crucian carp with septicemia was detected. The toxin was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. The factor was a single polypeptide with a molecular weight of 52.5kd determined by SDS-PAGE. The heat-stable toxin possesses hemolytic, enterotoxic and cytolytic activities. The hemolytic activity on human erythrocytes was 3.81 x 10(3) HU/mg, CD50 for Vero cell was 0.26 microgram. The LD50 for crucian carp and mice was 4.44 micrograms and 3.58 micrograms respectively. The toxin was neutralized py homologous antibodies. The toxin shows unique characteristics as compared with other known bacterial toxins therefore the authors propose to name the toxin "hec" toxin.