Plasma prolactin response to D-fenfluramine is blunted in bulimic patients with frequent binge episodes

BACKGROUND: Abnormalities of brain serotonin (5-HT) transmission have been implicated in the pathophysiology of bulimia nervosa (BN), but no conclusive data have yet been provided. The purpose of this study was to assess 5-HT transmission via the measurement of the prolactin (PRL) response to the specific 5-HT releasing agent D-fenfluramine (D-FEN) in both patients with BN and comparison subjects. METHODS: According to a double-blind placebo-controlled design, plasma PRL response to D-FEN was measured in 14 drug-free bulimics and 14 matched healthy controls. In both patients and controls, eating-related psychopathology, depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and aggressiveness were measured by rating scales. RESULTS: Baseline plasma levels of PRL and 17 beta-oestradiol were significantly reduced in bulimic patients, whereas basal plasma levels of cortisol did not significantly differ from healthy controls. PRL response to D-FEN was not different between patients and controls as groups, but it was significantly blunted in bulimics with high frequency bingeing (> or = 2 binge episodes per day; N = 7) as compared to both those with low frequency bingeing (< or = 1 binge episode per day; N = 7) and matched controls. A significant negative correlation emerged between the frequency of binge episodes and the hormone response to D-FEN. Moreover, although patients scored higher than healthy subjects on rating scales assessing depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms and aggressiveness, no significant correlation was found between these measures and the PRL response to D-FEN. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the idea that serotonin transmission is impaired in bulimic patients with frequent binge episodes.     

Meal-generated oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic patients

OBJECTIVE: Free radical production has been reported to be increased in diabetic patients and to be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. In this study, a standardized meal was administered to 10 type 2 diabetic patients and 10 healthy matched normal subjects to evaluate its effects on plasma oxidative stress generation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In diabetic patients, at baseline and after the meal, plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), vitamin C, protein SH groups, uric acid, vitamin E, and total plasma radical-trapping parameter, which evaluates plasma antioxidant capacity due to known and unknown antioxidants present in the plasma as well as their mutual cooperation, were measured. RESULTS: After the meal, plasma MDA and vitamin C increased, while protein SH groups, uric acid, vitamin E, and total plasma radical-trapping parameter decreased more significantly in the diabetic subjects than in control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: This finding shows that in the absorptive phase, free radicals are produced in diabetic patients. Since plasma glucose, but not insulin, rose significantly more in diabetic subjects than in control subjects, hyperglycemia may play an important role in the generation of postprandial oxidative stress in diabetic patients.     

Cold sintering of diatomaceous earth

Diatomite, a natural silicate-based sedimentary rock, was densified by cold sintering at room temperature and 150°C under various pressures (100, 200, and 300 MPa) and using different NaOH water solutions (0–3 M). The relative density of cold sintered diatomite can be as high as 90%, a condition that can be achieved by conventional firing only at 1200–1300°C. The cold sintered materials maintain the same mineralogical composition of the starting powder (quartz, glass, and illite) and are constituted by well-deformed and flattened grains oriented orthogonally to the applied pressure. Conversely, an evident phase evolution takes place upon conventional firing with the formation of cristobalite and mullite. The bending strength of cold sintered artifacts can exceed 40 MPa and increases to ≈80 MPa after post-annealing at 800°C, such mechanical strength is much larger than that of conventionally pressed samples sintered at 800°C, which is only ≈1 MPa.     

A comparison among different inversion methods for multi-exponential NMR relaxation data

With the object to disclose an association between laryngeal papillomatosis and laryngeal carcinoma, we reviewed 102 patients with laryngeal papillomatosis treated between 1950 and 1979. Seven cases of laryngeal carcinomas were recorded and 1 patient with spread of papilloma to the bronchial tree developed a bronchial carcinoma. The time between onset of papilloma and diagnosis of carcinoma was 4-55 years (mean 24 years). For laryngeal carcinoma the ratio of observed to expected cases was 88. Of the 8 patients developing respiratory tract carcinoma, 2 had received treatment with radiation and 2 had been treated with Bleomycin. Four of these 8 patients were known smokers. This study shows that papillomatosis is more often associated with laryngeal carcinoma than previously reported. It appears, however, that laryngeal papillomas alone seldom induce carcinomas. Apart from irradiation and smoking, Bleomycin could be an important co-factor.     

Reoperation for prosthetic thrombosis and acute neurologic injury

Torsions of the spermatic cord occurring from the intrauterine period to the end of the first year of life are termed perinatal. These are divided into prenatal and postnatal torsions, depending on their occurrence in the intrauterine or postuterine period. From January 1984 to January 1996, 6 cases were identified at our institution, involving 4 prenatal and 2 postnatal extravaginal torsions of the spermatic cord. These cases are reviewed with regard to optimal therapeutic approaches for the treatment of both the affected gonad as well as the contralateral one, and whether the event occurred prenatally or postnatally. The authors also propose several clinical indications useful for obstetricians, pediatricians, urologists and nurses.     

A method for approximating fractional power average relaxation times without inversion of multiexponential relaxation data

A method is presented for approximating fractional power averages of relaxation times for data equispaced in log time, without the need to invert multiexponential relaxation data. This form of average permits giving emphasis to short or long times depending on the choice of the p value, thus giving the possibility of representing different specific properties of porous media. This method has been tested on a large number of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation measurements in porous samples. This new algorithm appears to be robust with respect to both measurement and computation, and its major advantage is that it does not depend on a particular inversion method. Moreover, it permits a very fast computation.     

The epidemiology of erectile dysfunction and its risk factors

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has at least six species of acid and alkaline phosphatases with different cellular localizations, as well as inorganic phosphate (Pi) transporters. Most of the genes encoding these enzymes are coordinately repressed and derepressed depending on the Pi concentration in the growth medium. The Pi signals are conveyed to these genes through a regulatory circuit consisting of a set of positive and negative regulatory proteins. This phosphatase system is interested as one of the best systems for studying gene regulation in S. cerevisiae due to the simplicity of phenotype determination in genetic analysis. With this methodological advantage, considerable amounts of genetic and molecular evidence in phosphatase regulation have been accumulated in the past twenty-five years. This article summarizes the current progress of research into this subject.     

Hydration kinetics of cements by Time-Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance: Application to Portland-cement-derived endodontic pastes

Time-Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR) of ¹H nuclei is used to monitor the maturation up to 30 days of three different endodontic cement pastes. The “Solid–liquid” separation of the NMR signals and quasi-continuous distributions of relaxation times allow one to follow the formation of chemical compounds and the build-up of the nano- and subnano-structured C–S–H gel. ¹H populations, distinguished by their different mobilities, can be identified and assigned to water confined within the pores of the C–S–H gel, to crystallization water and Portlandite, and to hydroxyl groups. Changes of the TD-NMR parameters during hydration are in agreement with the expected effects of the different additives, which, as it is known, can substantially modify the rate of reactions and the properties of cementitious pastes. Endodontic cements are suitable systems to check the ability of this non-destructive technique to give insight into the complex hydration process of real cement pastes.