The clinicopathologic features of 11 cases (8 in men) of duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma are presented. The patients averaged 56 years of age; none showed evidence of phakomatosis. Ten tumors ...occurred in the second portion of the duodenum, and one arose in the third portion. All tumors were polypoid, and half presented with gastrointestinal bleeding. The neoplasms were composed of paraganglioma and carcinoid-like elements, neurons, and Schwann as well as sustentacular cells. All tumors behaved in a benign fashion after local resection or snare polypectomy; long-term follow-up (1-25 years; mean, 8.3 years) showed no recurrence in any case. Immunocytochemical examination demonstrated the presence of somatostatin, serotonin, and human pancreatic polypeptide within endocrine cells and neurons.
The β‐subunits of luteinizing hormone (LHβ) and follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSHβ) are differentially expressed, and this may contribute to the unique expression and storage patterns of LH and FSH. ...Therefore, to determine if the in vivo expression profile of FSHβ could be altered to that of LHβ, a truncated ovine FSHβ (oFSHβ) gene, which would encode a mRNA lacking the putative destabilizing 3′ untranslated region, was fused downstream of the ovine LHβ (oLHβ) promoter and expressed in transgenic mice. In two independent lines, line 16 and 17, we measured oFSHβ, mouse LHβ (mLHβ) and mouse FSHβ (mFSHβ) mRNA levels: (i) after castration in males; (ii) after administering inhibin to ovariectomized mice; and (iii) during the oestrous cycle. In each experiment, the expression profile of oFSHβ mRNA mimicked mLHβ and not mFSHβ mRNA. In addition, after actinomycin D treatment of pituitary cultures, while mFSHβ mRNA did decay, there was no measurable decay of the oFSHβ mRNA transcript. These differences increased total FSHβ steady‐state mRNA expression levels in male transgenics. However, there was no detectable increase in pituitary FSH by either radioimmunoassay or western blotting analysis of pituitary extracts. Subsequent analysis revealed that pituitary FSHβ in line 16 was heavily glycosylated; in contrast, pituitary FSHβ in line 17 was largely unmodified. These differences in post‐translational modification of the β‐subunit, and the lack of intracellular storage, contributed to increased plasma FSH levels and ovulation rate in line 16, but not line 17. In conclusion, the expression profile of oFSHβ mRNA was manipulated to mimic mLHβ mRNA and this increased FSHβ mRNA expression levels, but did not increase storage of FSH. This suggests that, regardless of the levels of synthesis, post‐translational sorting preferentially promotes FSH secretion from the pituitary.
Photon correlation spectroscopy has been used to study capillary waves on black lipid membranes of glycerol monooleate at temperatures above the lipid transition. For the first time the tension and ...viscosity of solvent-free bilayers have been observed to display a frequency dependence. The variations of both parameters can be accounted for by a Maxwell viscoelastic fluid model having a relaxation time of 37 microseconds. The equilibrium (omega = 0) tension is compatible with literature values. The present results do not suffice to precisely define the specific molecular processes involved, but relaxation times similar to the present are associated with certain phenomena in phospholipid vesicles. Bilayers containing hydrocarbon solvent do not show such relaxation, presumably due to their weaker intermolecular interactions.
The purpose of this study was to test the effect of computer-generated, tailored feedback on the quality of chronic disease management for type 2 diabetes when provided to a patient prior to a ...scheduled physician visit. A stand-alone computer application was developed to provide tailored feedback aimed at empowering patients to engage more actively in their diabetes management. Adults with type 2 diabetes (n = 203) were randomly assigned to groups receiving either efficacy (positive) messages (n = 68), risk (negative) messages (n = 67), or to a delayed treatment control group (n = 68). The intervention was delivered prior to a patient's visit with his or her physician so that patients would have the opportunity to discuss the messages at the clinical appointment. Although there were no significant differences in the percentage of participants who received intensified care or routine tests between the control and intervention groups, we learned that more directive messaging may be needed to help patients effectively manage their diabetes. Patients may benefit from directive feedback, providing them with specific questions to ask their physician that can lead to improved care, rather than receiving general and educational informational messages.
The standard selective enrichment protocols of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) were compared with an experimental nonselective broth enrichment (NSB) ...protocol and variations of the standard cold-enrichment (CE) protocol for the recovery of heat-injured Listeria monocytogenes. Bacterial cells (10(7)/ml) were suspended in sterile milk and heated at 71.7 degrees C in a slug-flow heat exchanger for holding times ranging from 1 to 30 s. Surviving cells were determined (50% endpoint) by the given protocols, and the following D values were obtained: NSB, D = 2.0 +/- 0.5 s; FDA, D = 1.4 +/- 0.3 s; USDA, D = 0.6 +/- 0.2 s; CE, D less than or equal to 1.2 s. The respective direct-plating media used in these enrichments were also analyzed for recovery, and the following D values were calculated from the enumeration of surviving cells: NSB, D = 2.7 +/- 0.8 s; FDA, D = 1.3 +/- 0.4 s; USDA, D = 0.7 +/- 0.2 s. The low levels of heat-injured L. monocytogenes cells which were detected at inactivation endpoints on the optimal nonselective media (25 degrees C for 7 days) failed to recover and multiply during experimental CEs (4 degrees C for 28 days). Initial inactivation experiments in which raw whole milk was used as the heating menstruum gave much lower recoveries with all protocols. The detectable limits for uninjured cells that were suspended in raw milk were similar (0.35 to 3.2 cells per ml) for the standard CE, FDA, and USDA protocols. Recovery by the NSB procedure (68 cells per ml) was compromised by background flora. The above data suggest that any cells surviving high-temperature, short-time pasteurization will be injured and unable to multiply either during cold storage of milk or in the FDA or USDA systems. Thus, L. monocytogenes cells recovered in finished pasteurized milk products by these detection methods probably represent uninjured environmental contaminants
Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques were used to measure concentrations of dissolved atrazine in 149 surface-water samples. Samples ...were collected during May 1992-September 1993 near the mouth of the White River (Indiana) and in two small tributaries of the river. GC/MS was performed on a Hewlett-Packard 5971A with electron impact ionization and selected ion monitoring of filtered water samples extracted by C-18 solid phase extraction; ELISA was performed with a magnetic-particle-based assay with photometric analysis. ELISA results compared reasonably well to GC/MS measurements at concentrations below the Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (3.0 microg/L), but a systematic negative bias was observed at higher concentrations. When higher concentration samples were diluted into the linear range of calibration, the relation improved. A slight positive bias was seen in all of the ELISA data compared to the GC/MS results, and the bias could be partially explained by correcting the ELISA data for cross reactivity with other triazine herbicides. The highest concentrations of atrazine were found during the first major runoff event after the atrazine was applied. Concentrations decreased throughout the rest of the sampling period even though large runoff events occurred during this time, indicating that most atrazine loading to surface waters in the study area occurs within a few weeks after application.
The extent and time course of changes in selected procoagulant and anticoagulant factors were investigated in 19 patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic surgery. The coagulation factors were ...measured preoperatively, and on days two, four, and six postoperatively. It was found that there were no significant changes outside the normal range in prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, or thrombin clotting time. However, there were large increases in the procoagulants, fibrinogen, factor VIII coagulant, factor VIIIRag/von Willebrand factor, and in alpha 1-antitrypsin. Over the same time there were marked decreases in the naturally occurring anticoagulants, protein C and antithrombin III, and in alpha 2-macroglobulin. These changes implied that the patients were "hypercoagulable" in the postoperative period. The maximum changes in the procoagulants occurred on either postoperative day two or day four. The maximum changes in the natural anticoagulants occurred on postoperative day two. There were no significant changes in factor V, factor X, alpha 2-antiplasmin, or platelet aggregability. The timing of the changes coincided with a period of high risk of perioperative myocardial infarction in this group of patients. Thus, it is possible that postoperative hypercoagulability contributes to the development of coronary artery thrombosis and myocardial infarction following abdominal aortic surgery.
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