The effects of nuclear level density model and alpha optical model potential to the excitation functions of novel therapeutic radionuclides

In this study, the theoretical cross sections of 209Bi(α,2n)211At, 65Cu(α,n)68Ga, 100Ru(α,n)103Pd, and 121Sb(α,n)124I are calculated using TALYS 1.96, incorporating the effects of the alpha optical model potential and nuclear level density models. The validation process involves comparing the calculated cross sections with experimental data and utilizing statistical deviation factors. This comparison allows us to determine the optimal combination of nuclear model parameters for each reaction. The result shows that theoretical calculations which utilized semi microscopic level density models and alpha OMP managed to describe the excitation functions close to the experimental data. The comparison of nuclear model calculations with experimental data plays a crucial role in ensuring the reliability of the data, making it an essential aspect of modern evaluation procedures.

The dynamics of touch-responsive gene expression in cereals

Wind, rain, herbivores, obstacles, neighbouring plants, etc. provide important mechanical cues to steer plant growth and survival. Mechanostimulation to stimulate yield and stress resistance of crops is of significant research interest, yet a molecular understanding of transcriptional responses to touch is largely absent in cereals. To address this, we performed whole-genome transcriptomics following mechanostimulation of wheat, barley, and the recent genome-sequenced oat. The largest transcriptome changes occurred ±25 min after touching, with most of the genes being upregulated. While most genes returned to basal expression level by 1-2 h in oat, many genes retained high expression even 4 h post-treatment in barley and wheat. Functional categories such as transcription factors, kinases, phytohormones, and Ca2+ regulation were affected. In addition, cell wall-related genes involved in (hemi)cellulose, lignin, suberin, and callose biosynthesis were touch-responsive, providing molecular insight into mechanically induced changes in cell wall composition. Furthermore, several cereal-specific transcriptomic footprints were identified that were not observed in Arabidopsis. In oat and barley, we found evidence for systemic spreading of touch-induced signalling. Finally, we provide evidence that both the jasmonic acid-dependent and the jasmonic acid-independent pathways underlie touch-signalling in cereals, providing a detailed framework and marker genes for further study of (a)biotic stress responses in cereals.

Chromosome-level genome assembly and population genomic resource to accelerate orphan crop lablab breeding

Under-utilised orphan crops hold the key to diversified and climate-resilient food systems. Here, we report on orphan crop genomics using the case of Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet (lablab) - a legume native to Africa and cultivated throughout the tropics for food and forage. Our Africa-led plant genome collaboration produces a high-quality chromosome-scale assembly of the lablab genome. Our assembly highlights the genome organisation of the trypsin inhibitor genes - an important anti-nutritional factor in lablab. We also re-sequence cultivated and wild lablab accessions from Africa confirming two domestication events. Finally, we examine the genetic and phenotypic diversity in a comprehensive lablab germplasm collection and identify genomic loci underlying variation of important agronomic traits in lablab. The genomic data generated here provide a valuable resource for lablab improvement. Our inclusive collaborative approach also presents an example that can be explored by other researchers sequencing indigenous crops, particularly from low and middle-income countries (LMIC).

Steroids from Diplazium esculentum: Antiplasmodial activity and molecular docking studies to investigate their binding modes

Diplazium esculentum is an edible fern commonly consumed by the local community in Malaysia either as food or medicine. Isolation work on the ethyl acetate extract of the stem of D. esculentum resulted in the purification of two steroids, subsequently identified as stigmasterol (compound 1) and ergosterol5,8-endoperoxide (compound 2). Upon further testing, compound 2 displayed strong inhibitory activity against the Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 (chloroquine-sensitive) strain, with an IC₅₀ of 4.27±1.15 µM, while compound 1 was inactive. In silico data revealed that compound 2 showed good binding affinity to P. falciparum-Sarco endoplasmic reticulum calcium-dependent ATPase (PfATP6); however, compound 1 did not show an antiplasmodial effect due to the lack of a peroxide moiety in the chemical structure. Our data suggested that the antiplasmodial activity of compound 2 from D. esculentum might be due to the inhibition of PfATP6, which resulted in both in vitro and in silico inhibitory properties.

Current authentication methods of herbs and herbal products: a systematic review

The authentication of herbal species is of great concern for the quality control of herbal products. Hence, many authentication methods have been developed for the accurate identification of herbal species. This systematic review aimed to gather information and provide evidence about the current authentication methods for several herbs and herbal products. In this study, the methodological quality was also evaluated using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement checklist method. As a result, a total of seventeen articles were found to suit the inclusion criteria of this study, which include molecular-based analysis, chemical fingerprinting, as well as macroscopic and analogical analysis. All of these methods have different approaches to the authentication of herbal-related products, and it also depends on the specific needs. This review also asserts that the combination methods might be a useful alternative for authentication purposes that produce better results. The multivariate analysis combined with analytical methods could be a great combination due to its great performance in authentication and suitability for routine screening.

The mosaic oat genome gives insights into a uniquely healthy cereal crop

Cultivated oat (Avena sativa L.) is an allohexaploid (AACCDD, 2n = 6x = 42) thought to have been domesticated more than 3,000 years ago while growing as a weed in wheat, emmer and barley fields in Anatolia^1,2. Oat has a low carbon footprint, substantial health benefits and the potential to replace animal-based food products. However, the lack of a fully annotated reference genome has hampered efforts to deconvolute its complex evolutionary history and functional gene dynamics. Here we present a high-quality reference genome of A. sativa and close relatives of its diploid (Avena longiglumis, AA, 2n = 14) and tetraploid (Avena insularis, CCDD, 2n = 4x = 28) progenitors. We reveal the mosaic structure of the oat genome, trace large-scale genomic reorganizations in the polyploidization history of oat and illustrate a breeding barrier associated with the genome architecture of oat. We showcase detailed analyses of gene families implicated in human health and nutrition, which adds to the evidence supporting oat safety in gluten-free diets, and we perform mapping-by-sequencing of an agronomic trait related to water-use efficiency. This resource for the Avena genus will help to leverage knowledge from other cereal genomes, improve understanding of basic oat biology and accelerate genomics-assisted breeding and reanalysis of quantitative trait studies.

Assembly of the hexaploid oat genome and its diploid and tetraploid relatives clarifies the evolutionary history of oat and allows mapping of genes for agronomic traits.

The Barley and Wheat Pan-Genomes

To unlock the genetic potential in crops, multi-genome comparisons are an essential tool. Decreasing costs and improved sequencing technologies have democratized plant genome sequencing and led to a vast increase in the amount of available reference sequences on the one hand and enabled the assembly of even the largest and most complex and repetitive crops genomes such as wheat and barley. These developments have led to the era of pan-genomics in recent years. Pan-genome projects enable the definition of the core and dispensable genome for various crop species as well as the analysis of structural and functional variation and hence offer unprecedented opportunities for exploring and utilizing the genetic basis of natural variation in crops. Comparing, analyzing, and visualizing these multiple reference genomes and their diversity requires powerful and specialized computational strategies and tools.

Insights into the evolution of symbiosis gene copy number and distribution from a chromosome-scale Lotus japonicus Gifu genome sequence

Lotus japonicus is a herbaceous perennial legume that has been used extensively as a genetically tractable model system for deciphering the molecular genetics of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Our aim is to improve the L. japonicus reference genome sequence, which has so far been based on Sanger and Illumina sequencing reads from the L. japonicus accession MG-20 and contained a large fraction of unanchored contigs. Here, we use long PacBio reads from L. japonicus Gifu combined with Hi-C data and new high-density genetic maps to generate a high-quality chromosome-scale reference genome assembly for L. japonicus. The assembly comprises 554 megabases of which 549 were assigned to six pseudomolecules that appear complete with telomeric repeats at their extremes and large centromeric regions with low gene density. The new L. japonicus Gifu reference genome and associated expression data represent valuable resources for legume functional and comparative genomics. Here, we provide a first example by showing that the symbiotic islands recently described in Medicago truncatula do not appear to be conserved in L. japonicus.

The barley pan-genome reveals the hidden legacy of mutation breeding

Genetic diversity is key to crop improvement. Owing to pervasive genomic structural variation, a single reference genome assembly cannot capture the full complement of sequence diversity of a crop species (known as the 'pan-genome'1). Multiple high-quality sequence assemblies are an indispensable component of a pan-genome infrastructure. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an important cereal crop with a long history of cultivation that is adapted to a wide range of agro-climatic conditions2. Here we report the construction of chromosome-scale sequence assemblies for the genotypes of 20 varieties of barley-comprising landraces, cultivars and a wild barley-that were selected as representatives of global barley diversity. We catalogued genomic presence/absence variants and explored the use of structural variants for quantitative genetic analysis through whole-genome shotgun sequencing of 300 gene bank accessions. We discovered abundant large inversion polymorphisms and analysed in detail two inversions that are frequently found in current elite barley germplasm; one is probably the product of mutation breeding and the other is tightly linked to a locus that is involved in the expansion of geographical range. This first-generation barley pan-genome makes previously hidden genetic variation accessible to genetic studies and breeding.

Characterization of genes and alleles involved in the control of flowering time in grapevine

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera) is one of the most important perennial crop plants in worldwide. Understanding of developmental processes like flowering, which impact quality and quantity of yield in this species is therefore of high interest. This gets even more important when considering some of the expected consequences of climate change. Earlier bud burst and flowering, for example, may result in yield loss due to spring frost. Berry ripening under higher temperatures will impact wine quality. Knowledge of interactions between a genotype or allele combination and the environment can be used for the breeding of genotypes that are better adapted to new climatic conditions. To this end, we have generated a list of more than 500 candidate genes that may play a role in the timing of flowering. The grapevine genome was exploited for flowering time control gene homologs on the basis of functional data from model organisms like A. thaliana. In a previous study, a mapping population derived from early flowering GF.GA-47-42 and late flowering 'Villard Blanc' was analyzed for flowering time QTLs. In a second step we have now established a workflow combining amplicon sequencing and bioinformatics to follow alleles of selected candidate genes in the F1 individuals and the parental genotypes. Allele combinations of these genes in individuals of the mapping population were correlated with early or late flowering phenotypes. Specific allele combinations of flowering time candidate genes within and outside of the QTL regions for flowering time on chromosome 1, 4, 14, 17, and 18 were found to be associated with an early flowering phenotype. In addition, expression of many of the flowering candidate genes was analyzed over consecutive stages of bud and inflorescence development indicating functional roles of these genes in the flowering control network.

Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations for Acute Stroke Management: Prehospital, Emergency Department, and Acute Inpatient Stroke Care, 6th Edition, Update 2018

The 2018 update of the Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations for Acute Stroke Management, 6th edition, is a comprehensive summary of current evidence-based recommendations, appropriate for use by healthcare providers and system planners caring for persons with very recent symptoms of acute stroke or transient ischemic attack. The recommendations are intended for use by a interdisciplinary team of clinicians across a wide range of settings and highlight key elements involved in prehospital and Emergency Department care, acute treatments for ischemic stroke, and acute inpatient care. The most notable changes included in this 6th edition are the renaming of the module and its integration of the formerly separate modules on prehospital and emergency care and acute inpatient stroke care. The new module, Acute Stroke Management: Prehospital, Emergency Department, and Acute Inpatient Stroke Care is now a single, comprehensive module addressing the most important aspects of acute stroke care delivery. Other notable changes include the removal of two sections related to the emergency management of intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. These topics are covered in a new, dedicated module, to be released later this year. The most significant recommendation updates are for neuroimaging; the extension of the time window for endovascular thrombectomy treatment out to 24 h; considerations for treating a highly selected group of people with stroke of unknown time of onset; and recommendations for dual antiplatelet therapy for a limited duration after acute minor ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack. This module also emphasizes the need for increased public and healthcare provider’s recognition of the signs of stroke and immediate actions to take; the important expanding role of paramedics and all emergency medical services personnel; arriving at a stroke-enabled Emergency Department without delay; and launching local healthcare institution code stroke protocols. Revisions have also been made to the recommendations for the triage and assessment of risk of recurrent stroke after transient ischemic attack/minor stroke and suggested urgency levels for investigations and initiation of management strategies. The goal of this updated guideline is to optimize stroke care across Canada, by reducing practice variations and reducing the gap between current knowledge and clinical practice.

John Nash and the Organization of Stroke Care

The concept of Nash equilibrium, developed by John Forbes Nash Jr, states that an equilibrium in noncooperative games is reached when each player takes the best action for himself or herself, taking into account the actions of the other players. We apply this concept to the provision of endovascular thrombectomy in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke and suggest that collaboration among hospitals in a health care jurisdiction could result in practices such as shared call pools for neurointervention teams, leading to better patient care through streamlined systems.

Study on Airborne Heavy Metals in Industrialized Urban Area of Delhi, India

This study assessed the concentrations of airborne heavy metals (HMs) in particulate matter with a cutoff size of 10 µm (i.e., PM₁₀) in an industrialized urban area (Naraina Industrial Area) of New Delhi, India. The samples were collected from January to December, 2011. The annual mean concentrations of selected HMs were as follows As (0.002 ± 0.002), Cd (0.030 ± 0.020), Co (0.003 ± 0.002), Cr (0.170 ± 0.081), Cu (0.183 ± 0.120), Fe (4.774 ± 1.889), Mn (0.258 ± 0.145), Ni (0.170 ± 0.146), Pb (0.345 ± 0.207) and Zn (1.806 ± 1.042) µg/m³. The seasonal trend for HMs followed the order postmonsoon > winter > premonsoon > monsoon. Principal component analysis-multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR) suggested the three major emission sources: industrial emission (70 %), mobile and stationary combustion sources (16 %), and suspended/re-suspended dust (14 %). Mean seasonal concentrations of PM₁₀ exceeded both the 24-hour and annual Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of 60 and 100 µg/m³, respectively, in all four seasons. Mean seasonal Ni concentrations in Delhi ambient air also exceeded the 24-h annual NAAQS of 0.020 µg/m³ during all four seasons. Mean Pb concentrations exceeded the annual NAAQS of 0.50 µg/m³ only during the post monsoon season. The high levels of Ni- and Pb-contaminated PM₁₀ would appear to present the possibility of significant health risks.

Impact of auditory cortical asymmetry in cochlear implantation

OBJECTIVE

Is there a cochlear implant ear advantage for speech perception? Patients A total number of 68 cochlear implant recipients were evaluated retrospectively. They were 20 adults implanted in right ear, 20 matched adults implanted in left ear while 14 children implanted in right ear and 14 matched children implanted in left ear.

METHODS

Behavioral responses & age based speech perception tests were evaluated at 6 months and 1 year post implantation.

RESULTS

Adult showed no statistical difference in all tests at 6 months evaluation while 1 year evaluation showed significant better performance for right implanted group in monosyllabic discrimination test. Children showed statistical significant performance in monosyllabic identification and minimal pairs testes at 6 months evaluation; and in monosyllabic identification only at 1 year evaluation.

CONCLUSION

The present data support that right ear implantation would fasten the development of auditory skills especially in young children, an issue to be considered in unilateral implantation.

Colorectal polyps: a frequently-missed cause of rectal bleeding in Egyptian children

OBJECTIVES

Colorectal polyps are important causes of rectal bleeding but they have been infrequently reported in Egyptian children. The prevalence and characteristics of colorectal polyps in a consecutive cohort of Egyptian children with rectal bleeding are presented.

METHODS

A total of 174 children aged 2-12 years [mean (SD) 6.4 (3.7)] with fresh rectal bleeding were enrolled prospectively. Rectal examination, laboratory investigations and fibre-optic colonoscopy were performed in all patients.

RESULTS

The source of bleeding was diagnosed as colorectal polyps in 100 patients (57.4%) and was owing to other causes in 74. The interval between onset of symptoms and presentation ranged from 2 to 48 months [mean (SD) 18.3 (16)]. In patients with other causes, rectal bleeding was attributed to intestinal amoebiasis (42), diarrhoea/dysentery (18), severe constipation (2) and intestinal schistosomiasis (2). Polyps were solitary in 56 children (56%) and ranged from 2 to 5 in 34 (34%) and >5 in 10 (10%). Polyps were confined to the rectum in 68 children, were rectosigmoid in 20, in the descending colon in 8, and splenic flexure in 4. Polyps were juvenile in 84 children (84%), inflammatory in 10 (10%) and hyperplastic, schistosomal or adenomatous in 2 each (6%). Colonoscopic polypectomy was successful and arrested the bleeding in all cases.

CONCLUSION

In Egyptian children, colorectal polyps are relatively common and an easily treatable cause of fresh rectal bleeding. They should be high on the list of differential diagnoses.

Prevalence of chronic suppurative otitis media among the children living in two selected slums of Dhaka City

Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM) is one of the important health problems in our country. Serious complications may arise from it. As such the study was aimed to find out the prevalence of CSOM among the children of two-selected slum dwellers in Dhaka City. This was a descriptive type of cross-sectional study. A total of 203 samples were interviewed and examined. Altogether 7.39% of children were observed to have CSOM. Among CSOM cases, 60% had hearing impairment. Ear discharge and perforation were observed in 26.7% in right ear, 46.7% in left ear and 26.7% in both ears. Central perforation was present in 93% cases. Cholesteatoma was present in 6.7% cases. Among CSOM cases, 53.3% children were in 2-5 years age group, 80% were dependent, 53.3% cleaned ear by cotton buds, 93.3% lived in Kutcha house, 73.3% had a monthly income of TK. 1001-2000 and 46.7% belonged to families having 6 members. Out of 15 CSOM, 11 cases were seen among children of 141 illiterate mothers. Four cases of CSOM were found among children of 62 literate mothers. Among the 203 mothers, 65.52% were found aware, and 34.48% were not aware about the disease and sequel of CSOM. Here 39.9% mothers had knowledge and 60.01% had no knowledge about the treatment of CSOM. Among the CSOM cases 46.67% cases did not receive any treatment. In treatment receiving group, only 3(20%) children received it from MBBS doctor or Hospital.

Application of Green Chemistry: A Miniaturized Procedure for Analysis of Dissolved Phosphate

The objective of this study was to determine if the volume of sample used for analysis of soluble reactive phosphate (SRP) could be reduced from 100 mL (as per a widely used standardized procedure) to 50 or 10 mL to reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated from routine analysis of SRP in water samples from rivers, streams, and ponds in an urbanized landscape, in accordance with the principles of “green chemistry” and the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990. The ascorbic acid-molybdate blue method of Murphy and Riley (1962) was used to determine the concentration of SRP in water samples collected from the East Branch of the DuPage River and from two ponds on the campus of Benedictine University. Mean concentration of SRP determined using a 10 mL sample volume of DuPage River water (x = 1,051 μg PO4-P/L) was significantly greater than the 100 and 50 mL sample volumes, which were not significantly different from each other (x = 1,002 μg PO4-P/L); however, the difference in SRP concentration between 10 mL and 100 and 50 mL sample volumes was only 5%. There was no significant effect of sample volume on SRP concentration for slough or storm water pond samples, but these two pond systems had a low SRP concentration (<3 μg PO4-P/L). The relationship between absorbance and SRP concentration in the ascorbic acid-molybdate blue method was examined between 0 and 2,000 μg PO4-P/L; absorbance was asymptotic between 500 and 2,000 μg PO4-P/L. The results of this study show that the sample volume for analysis of SRP in DuPage River water with the ascorbic acid-molybdate blue method can be reduced by 50% (i.e., reduced from 100 mL to 50 mL) without loss of accuracy, but that samples must be diluted to reduce the concentration of SRP to within the limits of the procedure. The reduction in sample volume represents a substantial reduction in the volume of hazardous waste that is generated, and the overall cost per sample, for routine analysis of SRP in the DuPage River.

The influence of husbands on contraceptive use by Bangladeshi women

This study uses the 1993-94 Bangladesh DHS to evaluate the effect of the woman's perception of her husband's approval of family planning on her current and future use of modern contraception, after controlling for selected socioeconomic and demographic factors. While most husbands support family planning, contraceptive use among those whose husbands do not approve of family planning is much lower. In some areas of Bangladesh, however, husband's disapproval of family planning is still a major deterrent factor for woman's fertility control. As husband's approval does appear to be a major determinant of contraceptive uptake in similar developing countries in the region, more effective male targeting may be necessary for maintaining the success of the family planning programme in future.

Area variations in use of modern contraception in rural Bangladesh: a multilevel analysis

This study in Bangladesh found that inter-cluster variation in the use of modern reversible methods of contraception was significantly attributable to the educational levels of the female family planning workers working in the clusters. Women belonging to clusters served by educated workers had a higher probability of being contraceptive users than those whose workers had only completed primary education. At the household level, important determinants of use were socioeconomic status and religion. At the individual level, the woman being the wife of the household head and having some education were positively related to her being a user. The model also found that inter-household variation was significantly greater than inter-cluster variation. Finally, the study concludes that after controlling for various covariates at all three levels, the clusters do not have significantly different levels of use of modern reversible methods of contraception. There are, however, some special areas where contraceptive use is dramatically low, and these contribute significantly to the observed inter-cluster variation.

Transient otoacoustic emissions in children with chronic renal failure

This study was conducted on 34 children with chronic renal failure: 27 on regular haemodialysis and seven on conservative treatment. Twenty normal healthy children served as controls. They were subjected to clinical examination including otoscopic examination, basic audiological assessment and transient otoacoustic emission testing (TOAE). Four patients had a conductive hearing loss and five had a bilateral moderately severe high frequency sensory neural hearing loss. TOAE testing was carried out for the rest whose ears displayed normal hearing. No response (fail) was obtained in 8% of them but in none of the controls and a partial pass response in 38% versus 10% of controls (P < 0.001). Cochlear dysfunction was significant only at low frequency levels. The mean overall echo-level and reproducibility were significantly lower in patients than in controls. The same holds true for the subgroup of patients on haemodialysis but not for those on conservative treatment. The overall echo-levels did not correlate with serum urea, creatinine, sodium or potassium.

Influence of family head's reproductive behaviour on the use of modern contraceptive methods by other members of the family in rural Bangladesh

A study in Bangladesh showed that the probability of use of modern contraception by eligible family members of a household increases significantly if the household head himself is a user. Multinomial logistic regression showed that contraceptive use was also significantly related with maternal age, parity, education, socioeconomic status and experience of child mortality. Inclusion of ever use of modern contraceptives by the family head or his wife, showed family head's religiosity to be a significant predictor of use, apart from his age and parity, and after controlling for socioeconomic correlates.

Mechanisms of constipation in older persons and effects of fiber compared with placebo

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the mechanisms of constipation and the effect of fiber supplementation on physiology, mechanisms, stool parameters, and colonic transit times in a group of constipated older patients.

DESIGN

Single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled fiber intervention with crossover.

SETTING

A university-based outpatient center.

PATIENTS

Ten community-living older men and women, healthy except for chronic constipation.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were given either 24 g psyllium fiber or placebo fiber daily for 1 month, then crossed over to the other arm for an additional month. Structured testing, including total gut transit time and rectal and colonic manometry, was performed at the end of each intervention month. Patients recorded stool frequency, consistency, and weights daily.

RESULTS

The predominant mechanism for constipation in these patients was outlet delay caused by pelvic dyssynergia. Fiber decreased total gut transit time from 53.9 hours (placebo condition) to 30.0 hours (P < .05). Stool weights and consistency were not significantly improved by fiber, though there was a trend toward an increase in stool frequency (1.3 vs 0.8 bowel movements per day.) Pelvic floor dyssynergia was not remedied by fiber, even when constipation was clinically improved.

CONCLUSIONS

Fiber supplementation appeared to benefit constipated older patients clinically, and it improved colonic transit time, but it did not rectify the most frequent underlying abnormality, pelvic floor dyssynergia.

Auditory evoked potentials in epileptic patients

Auditory brain stem response (ABR) and middle latency response (MLR) were recorded in 49 epileptic patients. Responses were evoked and recorded at 90 dB nHL down to threshold. A statistically significant number of epileptic patients showed elevated ABR (30.1%) and MLR (40.7%) thresholds, even though their pure-tone audiograms showed normal hearing sensitivity. Threshold elevation was more frequent in subjects with grand mal epilepsy compared to subjects with temporal lobe epilepsy reflecting poorer response in the former subgroup. Furthermore, chronicity of illness was significantly related to the elevated ABR and MLR thresholds in grand mal patients in contrast to patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. On the other hand, the effect of antiepileptic drugs did not seem to be significantly related to the elevated thresholds in both subgroups. Threshold elevation was attributed to a disturbance in the neurotransmitters of the brain stem as well as other subcortical structures. The inhibitory effect of the efferent auditory pathway on the incoming neural signals was also suggested to explain such elevated thresholds.

Spontaneous otoacoustic emissions in different racial groups

To determine if there are racial differences in the prevalence of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs), both ears of 20 Negro, 20 Asian and 20 Caucasian subjects were examined for the presence of SOAEs. Within each racial group, equal numbers of normally hearing males and females were tested. Significant differences in the occurrence of SOAEs were found between the three racial groups, with Negroes expressing more SOAEs than Caucasians, and Asians demonstrating an intermediate number of these emissions. In support of previous observations, more emissions were recorded from female than from male ears, and a significant correlation of the number of emissions in the two ears of an individual was also noted.

Delayed gastrointestinal transit times in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

Anorectic and bulimic patients frequently report symptoms of constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain suggestive of abnormal gastrointestinal motility or transit. However, except for studies of gastric emptying, gastrointestinal motility and transit in these eating disorders have not been investigated. Ten anorectic and 18 bulimic inpatients were compared with 10 healthy controls. Whole-gut transit was tested by the radiopaque marker technique, and mouth-to-cecum transit time was assessed by the lactulose breath test. All anorectics and 67% of bulimics complained of constipation. Whole-gut transit time was significantly delayed in both anorectics (66.6 +/- 29.6 hours) and bulimics (70.2 +/- 32.4 hours) compared with controls (38.0 +/- 19.6 hours). Mouth-to-cecum transit time also tended to be longer in anorectics (109.0 +/- 33.5 minutes) and bulimics (106.2 +/- 24.5 minutes) than in controls (84.0 +/- 27.7 minutes), but these differences were not statistically significant. Delayed transit could contribute to or perpetuate the eating disorders by (a) causing the patient to feel bloated, thereby exacerbating fear of fatness, or (b) causing rectal distention, which may reflexly inhibit gastric emptying.

A simple radiologic method to estimate the quantity of bowel gas

Patients with functional bowel disorders frequently complain of bloating and abdominal pain, but no practical method is available to measure intestinal gas objectively. To evaluate a new technique, we evaluated 54 abdominal radiographs from 19 patients. A gastroenterologist and a radiologist independently outlined the intestinal gas bubbles in these films. Areas of gas bubbles were measured with a computer digitizing board. Bowel gas was also measured in 24 healthy controls, and in five emergency room patients, supine and erect radiographs were compared to evaluate the effects of position on bowel gas patterns. The two evaluators agreed well on the measured areas of bowel gas (r = 0.96), showing that this is a reliable method. Bowel gas was significantly greater in patients than in controls but did not correlate with symptoms. Bowel gas was significantly greater in supine than upright films, showing that the position of the patient must be standardized.

Biological action of estrogen on the epididymis of prepubertal rhesus monkey

An estrogen binding protein has been demonstrated in the cytosol of the epididymis and caudal lobe of prostate of immature rhesus monkey. Scatchard plot analyses were linear, suggesting a single class of high affinity binding sites for the synthetic estrogen, R-2858 (Moxestrol) with a Kd of 5.88 X 10(-10) mol/l and a concentration of binding sites of 17.0 +/- 4.4 fmol/mg cytosol protein in the epididymis. In the prostate, the concentration of binding sites was 19.7 +/- 3.6 fmol/mg cytosol protein with a Kd of 5.42 X 10(-10) mol/l. In immature castrated monkeys, administration of estradiol dipropionate caused a significant increase in the weight, total protein and sialic acid content of the epididymis. This biological action of estrogen on the epididymis is presumably mediated via estrogen receptor.