Pulsed electric fields versus thermal treatment: equivalent processes to obtain equally acceptable citrus juices.

Pulsed electric field treatment has been claimed to produce more acceptable chilled citrus juices than those obtained by conventional thermal treatment. The pectin methylesterase activity and the acceptability of nine juices obtained from Clementine mandarins, Valencia oranges, and Ortanique fruits (hybrid of mandarin and orange), untreated, pasteurized (85 degrees C for 10 s), and treated by pulsed electric fields (25 kV/cm for 330 micros), were evaluated. The treatments, selected to reach a similar level of pectin methylesterase inactivation, produced juices that did not differ in acceptability from each other for the three varieties and in all cases were less acceptable than the untreated juice.

Transient expression of a pea MAP kinase gene induced by gibberellic acid and 6-benzyladenine in unpollinated pea ovaries.

PsMAPK3, a new MAP kinase cDNA, was cloned from ovaries of Pisum sativum L. Expression of PsMAPK3 is at low basal levels in unpollinated ovaries but it is rapidly induced by gibberellic acid (peak at 30 min) and 6-benzyladenine (peak at 45 min). Both treatments promoted the development of a parthenocarpic fruit. In situ hybridization localized PsMAPK3 mRNA in ovules. The transcript was additionally detected in the mesocarp when it is expanding in response to the treatments. These observations suggest that gibberellins and cytokinins regulate PsMAPK3 mRNA levels in pea ovary shortly after fruit set is induced.

[Treatment of osteoporosis with calcium and vitamin D. Systematic review]. / Tratamiento de la osteoporosis con calcio y vitamina D. Revisión sistemática.

BACKGROUND: Systematic review of the efficacy of calcium and vitamin D for the treatment of osteoporosis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Review of the database MEDLINE between 1996 and may 1998, by the key words: osteoporosis, calcium, vitamin D (and related terms) and randomized clinical trial. Review of the electronic versions of Best Evidence, The Cochrane Library, congress abstracts and references from two main textbooks. Ascending review of the literature. All the reviews were performed independently by two of the authors. Design parameters and main results of the primary publications of the identified trials were tabulated. Two independent observers carried out methodological scoring of the studies. Results were tabulated and a judgement made for the results. RESULTS: Eleven studies on calcium, 8 of vitamin D and 12 about calcitriol and other hormone derivatives were included. Studies with calcium were mainly performed on non-clinical populations and in three anti-fracture efficacy was analyzed. Results were positive in population with low baseline intake and substantial supplementation. Trials on vitamin D were done in non-clinical and on institutionalized populations. Trials with calcitriol were developed mainly in osteoporotic fracture populations and reached poorer methodological validity scores. Heterogeneity of the studies precluded a meta-analysis of the different treatments. Studies on calcium showed clinical efficacy in a more consistent way. Inter-observer score was good (kappa = 0.81) and there were no significant correlations between sample size and effect in the different studies. CONCLUSIONS: Calcium treatment is efficacious in populations with low intake receiving substantial supplementation. Vitamin D is efficacious associated with calcium mainly in deficient populations. Efficacy of calcitriol and other derivatives is more controversial.

Dosis residuales post-aborto con misoprostol. Ensayo clínico aleatorizado / Residual misoprostol dose after pregnancy termination: randomized clinical study

Objetivo: Evaluar la eficacia y seguridad de dos regímenes de dosis residuales después del aborto con 800 miligramos de misoprostol aplicado en la vagina, el primero con 600 miligramos 24 horas después del aborto médico y el segundo con tres dosis de 600 miligramos cada una cada 12 horas después del aborto.Sujetos y métodos: 330 mujeres con gestaciones de hasta 63 días solicitando interrumpir su embarazo, recibieron 800 miligramos misoprostol vaginal cada 24 horas hasta un máximo de tres dosis para abortar. Fueron asignadas aleatoriamente a uno de los dos grupos de dosis residuales. Todas las participantes finalizaron el estudio.Resultados: El aborto completo ocurrió en 304//330 (92,1 por 100, 95 por 100 IC 89,95) sujetos.Conclusiones: La administración de dos dosis extras residuales de 600 miligramos de misoprostol 24 horas post aborto no mejoró dicha tasa (AU)

[Reflex benign myoclonic epilepsy of childhood. Apropos of a new case]. / Epilepsia mioclónica benigna refleja de la infancia. A propósito de una nueva observación.

INTRODUCTION: Recently a series of cases has been reported characterized by myoclonic crises similar to those occurring in benign myoclonic epilepsy of childhood. However, these crises only occurred after unexpected tactile or auditory stimuli. These clinical conditions represent a new epileptic syndrome, which is age-dependent and has been called benign myoclonic epilepsy of childhood. CLINICAL CASE: We present the case of a 12 month old girl with myoclonic crises which occurred only after auditory or tactile stimuli. The myoclonia could be set off whilst awake or asleep. No other types of crises or neurological changes were seen. A brother of the patient had had febrile convulsions. The EEG recorded during the crises showed generalized brief spike-and-wave discharges at 3 cycles/second. The intercritical EEG was normal whilst awake, but during sleep showed brief generalized discharges. After treatment with valproate was started the crises became less frequent. CONCLUSIONS: The case we describe is similar to those described by Ricci et al in 1995. We, therefore, consider it to fit the concept of reflex myoclonic epilepsy of childhood of benign character. We consider that this condition should be differentiated from other reflex epilepsies and epileptic syndromes with a predominance of myoclonia, including benign myoclonic epilepsy of childhood.

A randomized trial of the effect of moistening misoprostol before vaginal administration when used with methotrexate for abortion.

A prospective multicenter, randomized trial was performed to evaluate if moistened misoprostol results in a more rapid abortion and a higher rate of complete abortion compared with dry misoprostol when administered intravaginally for medical abortion after methotrexate. A total of 240 pregnant women < or = 49 days gestation seeking elective abortion received 50 mg/m2 methotrexate intramuscularly followed 5-6 days later by 800 micrograms misoprostol vaginally. The misoprostol dose was repeated in 1-2 days if the abortion did not occur. Group 1 moistened the misoprostol before administration and group 2 used dry tablets. There was no statistically significant difference in the cumulative rate of abortion after the first misoprostol dose (73.0% vs 71.3%, p = 0.87), second misoprostol dose (84.1% vs 81.1%, p = 0.65), or by 35 days after methotrexate administration (95.2% vs 91.8%, p = 0.40) between groups 1 and 2, respectively. The proportion of subjects with embryonic cardiac activity 2 weeks after methotrexate injection was greater in group 2 (5.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0%, 9.9%) than in group 1 (2.4%, 95% CI 0%, 5.0%), although not statistically significant (p = 0.21). The immediate success rate in Pittsburgh was greater, albeit not statistically, for the women that moistened the misoprostol (87% vs 76%, p = 0.19); these rates were also not statistically different in Havana (82% vs 86%, p = 0.62). The rate of side effects after methotrexate was not different between groups but women in group 1 had significantly more diarrhea (36% vs 21%, p = 0.02) and fever/warmth/chills (44% vs 30%, p = 0.04). Moistening misoprostol before vaginal administration in a medical abortion regimen with methotrexate does not statistically improve efficacy. This trial demonstrates the importance of prospective, randomized studies to prove the relative efficacy of any medical abortion treatment regimen.

PIP: A randomized trial conducted in the US and Cuba assessed whether moistening misoprostol in advance of vaginal insertion enhances the efficacy of medical abortion after methotrexate administration. 240 abortion seekers from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (US), and Havana, Cuba, with pregnancies of 49 days' gestation or less were randomized either to dip the four 200-mcg misoprostol tablets in water before administration (group 1) or to insert the tablets dry (group 2). The misoprostol dose was repeated in 1-2 days if abortion did not occur. There were no statistically significant differences between groups 1 and 2 in the cumulative rate of abortion after the first misoprostol dose (73.0% vs. 71.3%), after the second misoprostol dose (84.1% vs. 81.1%), or by 35 days after methotrexate administration (95.2% vs. 91.8%). The proportion of women with a continuing pregnancy, defined as the presence of embryonic cardiac activity 2 weeks after methotrexate injection, was slightly but nonsignificantly higher in group 2 (5.7%) than in group 1 (2.4%). The immediate success rate in Pittsburgh was greater, although not significantly, for women who moistened the misoprostol (87% vs. 76%); in Havana, the opposite trend was observed (82% vs. 86%). Cramping began a mean of 2.8 hours after the first misoprostol administration in group 1 and a mean of 3.5 hours later in group 2. Women in group 1 had significantly more diarrhea (36% vs. 21%) and fever/chills (44% vs. 30%) than those in group 2, but rates of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and headache did not differ. These findings suggest that moistening misoprostol before vaginal application does not significantly improve the efficacy of methotrexate abortion.

Expression of ornithine decarboxylase is transiently increased by pollination, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and gibberellic acid in tomato ovaries.

A cDNA encoding for a functional ornithine decarboxylase has been isolated from a cDNA library of carpels of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Ornithine decarboxylase in tomato is represented by a single-copy gene that we show to be up-regulated during early fruit growth induced by 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and gibberellic acid.

Effect of alendronate on cultured normal human osteoblasts.

Alendronate is an aminobisphosphonate with a potent anti-reabsorptive action that does not appear to interfere with bone mineralization, and is even able to increase bone mineral density in osteoporotic postmenopausal women through a still not fully understood mechanism. This study was conducted to assess the direct effect of alendronate on diverse aspects of normal human osteoblast physiology. For that purpose, the in vitro effect of a wide range of concentrations [from 10(-1) to 10(-12) mol/L] of alendronate on cell viability, proliferation, collagen synthesis, and the mineral-depositing capacity of normal human osteoblasts was tested. Alendronate effects were examined at 48 and 96 h of culture in the presence or absence of fetal calf serum. In vitro alendronate affected osteoblast viability at concentrations equal to or higher than 10(-4) mol/L. At concentrations equal to or higher than 10(-3) mol/L, no viable cells were observed in cultures. In vitro alendronate at concentrations between 10(-5) and 10(-12) mol/L did not have any effect on the proliferative capacity of normal human osteoblasts determined by two different techniques: (1) tritiated thymidine incorporation to DNA and (2) cell counting. Collagen synthesis by normal human osteoblasts showed a tendency to decrease following incubation with alendronate supplemented with fetal calf serum. This decrease was only statistically significant after 96 h of culture; however, a dose-response effect could not be documented. Finally, no effect of alendronate was observed on calcium deposition in vitro by normal human osteoblasts at concentrations equal to or lower than 10(-5) mol/L. In conclusion, the present study shows that alendronate in vitro does not affect viability, proliferation, and mineral deposit capacity of normal human osteoblasts at the concentration at which it inhibits by 50% the resorptive capacity of osteoclasts that for this drug has been reported as 2 x 10(-9) mol/L.

Temporal and spatial expression of a thiolprotease gene during pea ovary senescence, and its regulation by gibberellin.

Clones encoding a thiolprotease (tpp) have been isolated from a cDNA library of unpollinated, senescent pea ovaries and its pattern of expression during both ovary senescence and parthenocarpic development have been studied. The sequence of the tpp cDNA displays a high similarity with other plant and animal thiolproteases of the papain group. The homology is highest around the Cys-His of the active centre; a 109 amino acid sequence at the carboxy terminus was found to be homologous only to thiolproteases of plant origin; this part of the mRNA is also present in another pea mRNA that exhibits similar patterns of induction. tpp mRNA shows a temporal pattern of accumulation that precedes that observed for proteolytic activity. Such accumulation did not occur when ovaries were induced to grow parthenocarpically by gibberellic acid (GA) treatment; furthermore the initial low level of expression present in ovaries decreased after GA treatment, indicating that the gene is down-regulated by gibberellins. Spatially, tpp mRNA is localized mainly within the ovule and ovary vascular elements, and transiently within the endocarp of senescent ovaries. This pattern of expression precedes the development of the cytopathogenic effects observed as unpollinated ovaries undergo senescence.

[Outcome of a sample of heroin addicts 2 years after the beginning of treatment (project EMETHYST)]. / Evolución de una muestra de heroinomanos dos años despues del inicio del tratamiento (proyecto EMETYST).

The Multicentric Study for the Evaluation of Treatment and Follow-up of Narcotic Addicts (EMETYST project) recruited 311 heroin addicts who asked for treatment between March and July, 1985, and who have been followed for two years. The sample was obtained from 16 specialized outpatient drug-free clinics. 78% of patients were males, their mean age was 24 years, and 73% lived with their parents or relatives. During the last year, 53% had been working and 17% had been in jail, 61% had started treatment for the first time. Throughout the follow up a reduction in the use of heroin, cannabis and tranquilizers was observed, as well as an improved psychological status and a reduction in illegal activities. By contrast, the use of cocaine, alcohol and tobacco did not change. There was no increase, either, in the proportion of persons who either studied or worked, and their judicial status, as measured by the number of police arrests, trials and imprisonments, showed a deterioration. The improvements found after 6 months persisted throughout the follow up. After 2 years, 54% abstained from heroin use. The patients that remained more than 90 days on therapy and those without previous judicial procedures had a better overall outcome.