Identifying individuals with high fat levels and low P:S ratios, in their diets, for intensive dietary intervention

OBJECTIVE: Interindividual variability in plasma concentrations of nicotine and its proximate metabolite, cotinine, is considerable during smoking and transdermal nicotine treatment, even among individuals taking in nominally similar doses of nicotine. This report explores the determinants of this variability and the utility of baseline (smoking) plasma concentrations to predict concentrations during transdermal nicotine treatment. METHODS: Data were analysed from a smoking cessation study (n = 466), and from a pharmacokinetic study (n = 12). Multiple regression models examined the relationships of plasma concentrations to individual characteristics such as smoking pattern, absorbed dose of nicotine, and pharmacokinetic parameters. RESULTS: Plasma concentrations of nicotine and cotinine were highly variable in both studies. Indirect estimates of plasma clearance (baseline plasma concentration divided by cigarettes per day) together with other factors could account for 18 to 33% of the variability during transdermal nicotine treatment in the smoking cessation study. In contrast, 75 to 99% was accounted for by direct measurements of plasma clearances and systemic dose of nicotine in the pharmacokinetic study. CONCLUSION: Plasma concentrations of nicotine and cotinine during transdermal nicotine treatment are poorly predicted by clinical history or baseline plasma concentrations. This is a result of inadequate characterisation of highly variable individual pharmacokinetic parameters and absorbed dose of nicotine. Considering the interindividual variability of plasma nicotine and cotinine concentrations together with the lack of clinical end-points for transdermal nicotine dosing, it seems logical to investigate the utility of a therapeutic drug monitoring approach for transdermal nicotine treatment-particularly for high dose regimens (> 22 mg per 24 hours).     

Micropreparative capillary electrophoresis of DNA by direct transfer onto a membrane

We have developed a new technique for the collection of DNA fragments separated by capillary electrophoresis, by direct transfer from the capillary outlet to a positively charged membrane. Transfer and post-run detection of two different nonradioactively labeled DNA standards, ranging in size from 150 bp to 2 kbp and 120 bp to 23 kbp are presented, and discussed. Capillary electrophoresis with direct blotting presents several advantages over the blotting from gels: the separation is faster and requires less manual steps, the resolution is higher, and each DNA fragment is collected into a very concentrated spot on the membrane due to the small surface of the capillary outlet and to a design of the collection device inducing a refocusing of field lines across the hybridization membrane. Therefore, very small amounts of DNA (in the pg range) can be detected. This fraction collection makes further analysis of the sample possible, e.g. by hybridization, thus suppressing one of the major present limitations of the capillary electrophoresis technique for DNA analysis.     

The Role of Person Versus Situation in Life Satisfaction: A Critical Examination.

Two main theoretical approaches have been put forward to explain individual differences in life satisfaction: top-down (i.e., personological) and bottom-up (i.e., situational). The authors examine the relative merit of these 2 approaches and the psychological processes underlying top-down models. Consistent with a top-down approach, meta-analytic findings indicate that Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness are related to both various domain satisfactions and life satisfaction; however, consistent with a bottom-up approach, domain satisfactions are strongly linked to life satisfaction but only weakly linked to each other. Path analyses based on meta-analytic estimates did not support a simple "direct-effects" top-down model but supported both (a) a temperament-based top-down model and (b) an integrative model that incorporates the direct influence of domain satisfactions on life satisfaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of human i.v. immunoglobulin on bacterial clearance and granulocyte function in endotoxinemia

PURPOSE: The therapeutic impact of intravenous immunoglobulins (ivIG) in septic patients remains controversial. Until now, the mechanisms of action have not been fully elucidated. Since polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) play a key role in host defence, this study focuses on the effects of ivIG on bacterial clearance and PMN respiratory burst activity during endotoxinaemia. For this purpose, it was investigated whether ivIG improves blood clearance and organ colonisation as well as PMN functions after experimentally induced bacteraemia in rabbits. METHODS: The experiments were performed in 30 anaesthetised rabbits. To determine quantification of bacterial killing in vivo, defined numbers of exogenous Escherichia (E.) coli 1.3 x 10(8) CFU) were injected intravenously in untreated animals (n = 10) or 60 min after infusion of endotoxin (LPS: 40 micrograms/kg/h) in groups without (n = 10), and after pretreatment with ivIG (Sandoglobulin, 0.5 g/kg body weight, n = 10), respectively. Parameters monitored were rates of bacterial elimination from the blood, LPS clearance, arterial pressure, blood gases and white blood cell counts, PMN burst activity was determined using a flow cytometry assay. Samples of liver, kidney, spleen and lung were collected for bacterial counts 180 min following E. coli injection. RESULTS: Compared to controls, endotoxinaemia resulted in a prolonged elimination of the injected E. coli out of the blood associated with a significantly (p < 0.01) higher colonisation of all organs. Pretreatment with ivIG improved LPS clearance and significantly reduced bacterial colonisation of lung and kidney (p < 0.01). This was paralleled by an enhanced PMN respiratory burst activity compared to untreated animals (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The reduced bacterial colonisation of lung and kidney in correlation with an increased PMN bactericidal activity in endotoxinaemia suggest an improved granulocyte-dependent bacterial killing due to ivIG application.     

Peter-B.-Czedik-Eysenberg-Preis der G?Ch-Arbeitsgruppe Lebensmittelchemie, Kosmetik und Tenside

Peter-B.-Czedik-Eysenberg-Preis der GÖCh-Arbeitsgruppe Lebensmittelchemie, Kosmetik und Tenside     

Explosive compatible polymers for defense application

A paper study was conducted to determine the probable compatibility of several classes of thermosetting polymer systems with explosives. The chemical reactivity of explosive materials with the more common thermosetting resins is discussed. The most common test procedures to detect chemical instability of explosives with other materials are reviewed.     

Scattered versus context-sensitive rewriting

Summary We study the relationship between scattered and context-sensitive rewriting. We prove that an extended version of scattered grammars produces exactly the context-sensitive languages. Also unordered scattered context languages are a proper subset of scattered context languages, and unordered scattered rewriting with erasing does not generate all scattered context (and thus not all context-sensitive) languages.Part of this research was done while this author visited the Hebrew University and was supported by the Leibniz Center