The Association of Early Dietary Supplementation with Vitamin E with the Incidence of Ulcerative Dermatitis in Mice on a C57BL/6 Background: Diet and Ulcerative Dermatitis in Mice.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain if prophylactic ingestion of a diet rich in vitamin E would prevent or impede the development of ulcerative dermatitis in mice on a C57BL/6 background. Mice were fed either a standard mouse diet, vitamin E (99 IU/kg), or a mouse diet fortified with vitamin E (3000 IU/kg) after weaning. Cases of ulcerative dermatitis were recorded by individuals unmasked to the diet assignment. The incidence of ulcerative dermatitis in a retrospective cohort of mice on standard diet was compared with the group on the diet fortified with vitamin E. Age was associated with ulcerative dermatitis in standard diet and vitamin E fortified diet groups, r = 0.43, p-value < 0.0001 and r = 0.18, p-value < 0.02, respectively. The average age of incidence for ulcerative dermatitis in the mice fed the standard diet was 89 weeks and for the mice fed the vitamin E diet it was 41 weeks. The unadjusted odds ratio comparing the incidence of ulcerative dermatitis between the two diet groups was 4.6 with a 95% confidence interval of (2.44, 8.58), χ(2) p-value < 0.0001. Therefore, there was an association between the diets and ulcerative dermatitis, with the mice on the vitamin E fortified diet having almost five times the odds of having ulcerative dermatitis compared with mice on the standard diet. Incidence of ulcerative dermatitis was not influenced by sex or genotype. Our study results show that a diet fortified in vitamin E initiated at weaning does not prevent or impede the development of ulcerative dermatitis in mice on a C57BL/6 background and may accelerate development when administered to young mice.

Use of nutritional supplements by high school football and volleyball players.

The known use of performance enhancing agents by athletes has occurred throughout history. In the 1960s and 1970s steroids and amphetamines were the supplements most often used. Now athletes are turning to supplements that are either natural or stimulate the release of natural hormones. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of use of nutritional supplements among high school football and volleyball players. This study surveyed 495 male football players and 407 female volleyball players from 20 high schools in Northwest Iowa. These athletes completed anonymous surveys and returned them to their coaches. Results showed that 8% of the male athletes and 2% of the female athletes were using supplementation. Supplements used included creatine, androstiendione, HMB, amino acids, DHEA, phosphogen, weight gainer 1850, Tribulus, muscle plus, multivitamins, calcium, GABA, and Shaklee Vita Lea and Physique.

Differences in men's and women's mean ankle ligamentous laxity.

The incidence of ligamentous ankle injuries is known to be one of the most common athletic injuries that exists. Recently, there has been a great deal of interest regarding the increased risk of female ligamentous injury, such as the anterior cruciate ligament, lateral ankle sprains and others. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether or not normal lateral ankle ligamentous laxity is similar in male and female athletes. This study selects 22 male and 27 female college athletes who have had no significant ligamentous ankle injuries requiring medical treatment. They were placed on a Telos ligamentous stress device and stressed to a level of 15 daN. Radiographs were then obtained to determine talar tilt at this level of ankle stress. Results were compared between men and women showing that there was a statistically significant difference. Women had a much greater ligamentous laxity of the lateral ankle than men.

Toxicological and chemical evaluation of emissions from carpet samples.

This study investigated findings that the off-gassing of certain carpets caused sensory and pulmonary irritation, changes in neurobehavioral signs, and death in exposed mice. Two standard test method measures--one for estimating sensory irritancy (ASTM-E981-84), the other for evaluating the neurotoxic potential of chemicals (functional observational battery)--were coupled with a postmortem assessment to ascertain the mechanism of toxicity. The postmortem evaluation included measurements of hemoglobin, serum clinical chemistries, blood and lung lavage white cell counts and differential, organ weights, and a gross necropsy with a microscopic evaluation of all major organs. The study evaluated three treatment groups composed of two preheated carpet emission exposures and one preheated air-control exposure. No toxic effects were associated with exposure to the off-gassing of the two tested carpets. Clinical chemistry and histopathological alterations were observed with exposure to either filter-air or carpet when compared to nonexposed unrestrained control mice, indicating that the exposure procedure caused significant effects unrelated to carpet emissions. A detailed chemical and microbial evaluation of the carpets and carpet emissions showed volatile organic compounds, pesticide residues, and microbiological flora, but at insufficient quantities to result in acute toxicity. Based on this assessment, there was no indication that exposure to emissions from these two carpets poses a serious health risk.

Patterns of adolescent psychiatric hospitalization: implications for social policy.

Demographic and institutional patterns of psychiatric inpatient treatment of adolescents in California in 1987 were analyzed with a focus on the roles of funding sources, ethnicity, and age in access to care, type of institutionalization, and length of stay. Privately insured white youths were found to be overrepresented in private psychiatric hospitals, while minority youths were underrepresented in private hospitals and overrepresented in juvenile detention facilities. Implications for policy issues are discussed.

The temperature dependence of the emission of perchloroethylene from dry cleaned fabrics.

A study was conducted to evaluate the emission of perchloroethylene (tetrachloroethylene) from freshly dry cleaned fabrics using small environmental test chambers. The temperature dependence of the release of perchloroethylene was evaluated over a temperature range of 20 to 45 degrees C. A linear relation exists between the logarithm of perchloroethylene retention time (tau) and the reciprocal of the absolute temperature (1/T). The temperature dependence of the retention time can be expressed as tau = 2.36 x 10(-16)e13,892/T and 8.38 x 10(-9)e8766/T sec for 100% wool and 55% polyester/45% wool fabrics, respectively. These results indicate that "airing out" freshly dry cleaned fabrics at temperatures near 20 degrees C for short time periods (e.g., 5 hr) will not appreciably reduce the total emissions of perchloroethylene.

Disopyramide pharmacokinetics and metabolism: effect of inducers.

1. The disposition of orally administered disopyramide was studied in a population of smokers (n = 6) and non-smokers (n = 8) before and during phenobarbitone treatment (100 mg daily for 21 days; Cp 21st day = 13.9 +/- 2.0 micrograms ml-1). The comparative inducibility of these populations by phenobarbitone was assessed as was the inductive effect of cigarette smoking, per se. Furthermore, the determinants of the intensity of the inductive effect were examined, as well as the effect of the barbiturate on the binding of disopyramide to alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP). 2. Smokers and non-smokers exhibited similar half-lives (6.48 +/- 1.49 vs 6.66 +/- 1.02 h), apparent total body clearances (0.100 +/- 0.020 vs 0.117 +/- 0.034 l h-1 kg-1), mean renal clearances (0.043 +/- 0.0093 vs 0.057 +/- 0.013 l h-1 kg-1) and apparent intrinsic metabolic clearances (0.057 +/- 0.015 vs 0.060 +/- 0.024 l h-1 kg-1) before phenobarbitone treatment. 3. Both populations responded comparably to barbiturate exposure in that apparent intrinsic metabolic clearance more than doubled. Interestingly, the magnitude of this increase was highly dependent on the observed baseline apparent intrinsic metabolic clearance, (r' = 0.81; P less than 0.001). 4. Phenobarbitone treatment of non-smokers resulted in an increase in the AUC of the active metabolite N-despropyl disopyramide (MND), but not significantly (3.8 +/- 1.6 vs 4.1 +/- 2.3 micrograms ml-1 h). Similar results were observed in smokers (3.5 +/- 1.4 vs 3.9 +/- 2.0 micrograms ml-1 h, respectively). 5. The percent of administered dose recovered in urine as disopyramide in non-smokers was significantly decreased upon phenobarbitone treatment (43 +/- 6% vs 25 +/- 5%), whereas the percent of dose recovered as MND increased significantly in this group (25 +/- 6% vs 31 +/- 5%). The population of smokers responded similarly. 6. At doses typically used to achieve hepatic microsomal enzyme induction in man, phenobarbitone treatment caused no significant change or trend towards a change in serum AGP concentrations as measured using the radial immunodiffusion method in nonsmokers (67.4 +/- 19.9 mg dl-1 vs 68.0 +/- 40.7 mg dl-1) or smokers (64.5 +/- 15.7 vs 67.9 +/- 14.9). Similarly, when AGP concentration was estimated in serum from non-smokers using a nephelometric method no effect attributable to phenobarbitone was observed (47.9 +/- 1.3 vs 47.9 +/- 16.8 mg dl-1). Consistent with this observation, disopyramide free fraction was not affected by barbiturate treatment.

Simulation of coronary artery revascularization.

Simulation of the commonly constructed geometries of aorto-coronary bypass anastomoses was carried out using especially fabricated distensible tubes and a pulsatile pump. The system pressure was maintained between 80 and 120 mmHg. The total mean flow was set at 250 ml min-1 (Reynolds number of 200) and the pulsatile frequency was varied from 0 to 2 Hz. A water-glycerine mixture having a density and viscosity similar to that of blood was used throughout. A 16 mm film of the front of black dye injected proximal to the anastomosis was made as the dye approached and passed through the anastomosis. Anastomotic geometries consisted of: end to side, parallel, 45 degree angle, and 90 degree angle. Stenoses, located in the tube representing the coronary artery, were simulated using a bevelled insert which represented an 80-85% area reduction. Flow visualization revealed that distensible tubes gave more realistic flow patterns than rigid tubes, a result particularly evident when a stenosis was present. Pulsatile flow demonstrated considerably more mixing than steady flow. The use of pulsatile flow in distensible tubing with a partial stenosis showed retrograde flow through the stenosis which was not evident for either steady flow or for flow in rigid tubing. The flow at the anastomatic site of the graft having an angle of 0 degrees showed a jetting action with a zone of recirculating fluid being present whereas for a 90 degree graft a distinct helical flow was formed distal to the anastomosis.

The kleeblattschadel deformity: neurologic outcome with early treatment.

Despite its alarming appearance, the kleeblattschadel anomaly, when it occurs in the absence of a recognizable mental retardation syndrome, is not associated with primary abnormalities of the central nervous system. Early medical and surgical efforts may result in a satisfactory cosmetic and neurologic outcome.

Incidence and clinical significance of accelerated junctional rhythm following open heart surgery.

Accelerated junctional rhythm following open heart surgery may lead to hemodynamic impairment due to loss of synchronized atrial contraction. Therefore, in this study we evaluated the frequency, duration, and hemodynamic effects of accelerated junctional rhythm in 30 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass (CAB) and in 30 undergoing valve replacement (VR). Accelerated junctional rhythm was defined as a rate greater than 55 bpm. Patients were continuously monitored postoperatively and rhythm strips obtained at least every 4 hours. Ten VR patients (33%) and four CAB patients (13%) exhibited accelerated junctional rhythm, the difference between these groups being significant (p less than 0.02). Nine of the 14 were hemodynamically compromised requiring inotropic support (9) and/or pacemaker insertion (2). The time of appearance of accelerated junctional rhythm ranged from immediate to 6 days (mean 26 +/- 52 hours, SD) and it lasted a mean of 16 +/- 22 hours. The rate ranged from 62 to 150 bpm. The sinus rate prior to the onset of accelerated junctional rhythm was significantly lower than the sinus rate in those not developing accelerated junctional rhythm. In conclusion, accelerated junctional rhythm is seen frequently following open heart surgery and may lead to hemodynamic deterioration. It is seen more frequently following VR, in approximately 33% of patients. Its manifestation appears to result from a combination of acceleration of junctional focus and slowing of sinus node discharge.

Transvenous atrial pacing following amputation of the atrial appendage at open heart surgery.

The right atrial appendage is frequently amputated at the time of open heart surgery. In this study we report implantation and chronic follow-up pacing data on 17 patients in whom either actively fixated screw-in leads or passively fixated tined "J" leads were implanted into the trabeculae at the base of the atrial appendage. Chronic follow-up demonstrated excellent chronic pacing thresholds and atrial sensitivity thresholds in those patients in whom these measurements could be made. It is therefore concluded that satisfactory atrial pacing can be achieved in patients who have previously undergone amputation of the atrial appendage during open heart surgery.

Amplitude of atrial electrical activity during sinus rhythm and during atrial flutter-fibrillation.

The onset of atrial flutter or fibrillation in a patient with a DDD pacemaker may result in sensing of the atrial arrhythmia and an inappropriate ventricular pacing response. In order to assess the potential of this problem, we evaluated the amplitude of atrial electrograms recorded from the right atrial appendage during sinus rhythm and during atrial flutter or fibrillation during 19 episodes in 18 patients. In 11 episodes of fibrillation and eight episodes of flutter, there was no difference in amplitude of either unipolar or bipolar atrial electrograms compared to that recorded during sinus rhythm (p greater than 0.05). In 14 of 19 episodes, the direction of depolarization of the bipolar electrogram did not change appreciably between sinus rhythm and the atrial arrhythmia. In summary, there is insufficient difference between amplitude of atrial depolarizations recorded during sinus rhythm and atrial flutter or fibrillation to be differentiated reliably by DDD pacemakers.