New saponins from the seeds of Agrostemma githago var. githago.

Two new saponins were isolated from the seeds of Agrostemma githago L. var. githago.

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol strongly discriminates between healthy free-living and disabled octo-nonagenarians: a cross sectional study. Associazione Medica Sabin.

Aging is frequently associated with a deterioration in health and functional status, which often induces important modifications in several biological parameters, including plasma lipids; as a consequence, the real "meaning" of lipoprotein parameters in old individuals is complex. A cross sectional study was carried out in order to investigate the lipoprotein profile in very old individuals with or without disability, and evaluate the possible influence of other biological variables on plasma lipids. One hundred selected healthy free-living (FL) and 62 disabled (DIS) subjects aged over 80 were enrolled; 91 healthy adults matched for origin were included as controls.

Descriptive physiological data on a sleep bruxism population.

We studied 24 bruxers (23-67 years old). They often complained of orofacial and bodily pain and presented autonomic symptoms (sweating 23%, palpitations at night 62%, decreased libido 50%); 19% had increased blood pressure requiring treatment, and 65% reported frequent headaches in the morning. Deep sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) were delayed.

Immunomodulatory and antitumoral effects of triterpenoid saponins.

Genuine saponins of Solidago virgaurea L., Heteropappus altaicus (Willd.) Novopokr.

Enzymatic degradation of the triterpenoid saponin helianthoside 2.

Helianthoside 2 (1), the main bisdesmosidic saponin of Helianthus annuus L. was converted to the products 2, 3 and 4 by several, optimized enzymatic hydrolysis methods. Monosaccharide units of the acylglycosidic at C-28 of the sapogenin bonded, linear chain oligosaccharide were cleaved, but the branched trisaccharide at C-3 of the aglycone are stable under the conditions used.

Personality traits in a group of subjects with long-standing bruxing behaviour.

The personality pattern of 29 subjects, 10 men and 19 women, with a mean age of 37.7 years (range 23-68) was studied by means of a personality inventory (KSP) and compared with the personality traits of a 'normal population'. The bruxers had significantly higher scores in the somatic anxiety and muscular tension scales and lower scores in the socialization scale; that is, the bruxers were more anxiety-prone, had higher vulnerability for psychosomatic disorders and were less socialized.

Reported symptoms and clinical findings in a group of subjects with longstanding bruxing behaviour.

Signs and symptoms of craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD) and social medical history were reported in 29 subjects, aged 23-68 years, with longstanding (5 years or more) bruxing behaviour. The subjects were selected from answers to an advertisement in the local newspaper. The subjects presented many symptoms of a general character including somatic and psycho-social problems, sleep disorders (72%), and pain (86%).

Inactivated poliovirus vaccine alone or sequential inactivated and oral poliovirus vaccine in two-, four- and six-month-old infants with combination Haemophilus influenzae type b/hepatitis B vaccine.

Background: Advisory committees have recommended the increased use of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) for children.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and immunogenicity of three schedules using IPV administered with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and whole cell pertussis vaccines in a dual-chambered syringe. Children also received a combination of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B vaccines (COMVAX).

The effect of paroxetine on thiothixene pharmacokinetics.

Objective: In this study healthy volunteers received thiothixene with and without a 3-day pretreatment with paroxetine to determine if paroxetine decreased the clearance of thiothixene.

Method: Ten healthy medication-free volunteers (4 women and 6 men, mean age 38 +/- 12 years) were randomized to receive a single 20 mg oral dose of thiothixene on two separate occasions. On one occasion thiothixene was given concurrently, and following 3 days of pre-treatment with oral paroxetine (20 mg/day).

Sleep-related breathing and movement disorders in healthy elderly and demented subjects.

Reported findings regarding sleep and sleep disorders in the elderly often conflict. Differences in results across studies may arise from selection of subjects, definitions and recording conditions. Our purpose was to test a method to study elderly, both healthy and demented, under the most natural conditions, without disturbing a fragile sleep.

The relative electrophoretic mobility of apo(a) isoforms depends on the gel system: proposal of a nomenclature for apo(a) phenotypes.

Genetic apo(a) isoforms were originally defined according to their relative mobility in SDS-PAGE compared to apoB-100 and were designated as F, B or S1-S4 isotypes. This widely accepted nomenclature does not accommodate the broad spectrum of apo(a) isoforms (> 30) detected by high resolution SDS-agarose gel electrophoresis. Moreover we here show that the relative mobilities of apo(a) isoforms depend on the SDS-gel system used.

Cytotoxicity of triterpenoid saponins. Part 1: Activities against tumor cells in vitro and hemolytical index.

Genuine saponins from Solidago virgaurea L., Heteropappus altaicus (Willd.) Novopokr.

Lipoprotein(a) plasma levels and apo(a) isoforms are not associated with longevity or disability in a sample of Italian octo-nonagenarians. Associazione Medica Sabin.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of disability and mortality in western countries. Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is now considered an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis, and might consequently be related to longevity and/or disability. In the context of a study on metabolic and anthropometric parameters in a sample of Italian octo-nonagenarians, Lp(a) and apo(a) isoforms were evaluated.

Characteristics of flight nursing practice.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to describe the roles, levels of responsibility and backgrounds of flight nurses employed in flight programs across the country and to determine if the role of the flight nurse varied as a function of crew configuration or size of program.

Methods: In 1991, a retrospective statistical questionnaire was sent to 105 programs with 50 or more flights per month.

Results: This survey provides national data regarding description of programs, evidence of the critical-care environment, professional profiles of flight nurses and practice differences between nurse and paramedic personnel.

Electroconvulsive therapy and intracranial aneurysm.

Little has been written regarding the safety of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) administered to patients with intracranial aneurysms. The literature is reviewed and we report two additional cases of ECT safely and effectively employed to treat depressed patients with intracranial aneurysms. We found no reported cases of aneurysm rupture associated with ECT.

Reflection-transmission photoellipsometry: theory and experiments.

We propose a method that uses reflection and transmission photoellipsometry to analyze samples consisting of thin films combined with semitransparent thick layers or substrates in the form of multilayer structures. Athick film or substrate is defined as a layer for which no interference effects can be observed for a given wavelength resolution, and contributions from multiple reflections in the substrate are taken into account in the theoretical treatment. An automatic reflection-transmission spectroscopic ellipsometer was built to test the theory, and satisfactory results have been obtained.

The main saponins from the aerial parts and the roots of Solidago virgaurea subsp. virgaurea.

Two new (3, 4) and two known (1, 2) genuine acylated bisdesmosidic triterpenoid glycosides of polygalacic acid (2 beta, 3 beta, 16 alpha, 23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid) were isolated from the aerial parts, as well as from the roots, of Solidago virgaurea L. subsp. virgaurea.

Safety and immunogenicity of two acellular pertussis vaccines with different pertussis toxoid and filamentous hemagglutinin content in infants 2-6 months old.

The optimal composition and antigen content of acellular pertussis vaccines is not known. Two vaccines with different quantities of pertussis toxoid (10 and 20 micrograms) and filamentous hemagglutinin (5 and 20 micrograms) and identical 69 kD protein (3 micrograms) and fimbriae 2 and 3 (5 micrograms) combined with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids were compared in a randomized, double-blind study in 2,050 infants undergoing their primary immunization series at 8 centers in the US and Canada. A 6:1 increased antigen to lower antigen allocation was used; 96% of infants received 3 doses and completed the study.

The importance of the highest normokalemia in the treatment of early hepatic encephalopathy.

An inverse relation is known to link blood potassium with renal synthesis and the release of ammonia. Given the liability of hyperammonemia for precipitating hepatic encephalopathy (HE), 28 patients affected by stage I HE were equally divided into two groups and maintained up to their death at the highest (5.4-5.

Virgaureasaponin 3, a 3,28-bisdesmosidic triterpenoid saponin from Solidago virgaurea.

A new 3,28-bisdesmosidic triterpenoid glycoside was isolated from the mixture of deacylated saponins from the aerial parts of Solidago virgaurea. The structure of virgaureasaponin 3 was determined as 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----3)-beta-D-glucopyranosylpolygalacic++ + acid 28-O-beta-D-fucopyranosyl-(1----2)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1----3)-beta -D- xylopyranosyl-(1----4)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1----2)-beta-D-fucopyran oside mainly by various 2D NMR techniques.