Effect of zinc-deficient diet of varying duration on intestinal disaccharidase activity in the rat.

To determine whether zinc has a specific role on weight gain and intestinal disaccharidase activity, 42 male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to one of seven groups (n = 6 each). These were a baseline control group (0) that was killed to analyze initial intestinal disaccharidase (sucrase and maltase) activity, a second group (A) fed a zinc-deficient diet for 1 week, a third group (B) pair-fed control for A, a fourth group (C) fed a zinc-deficient diet for 2 weeks, a fifth group (D) pair-fed control for C, a sixth group (E) fed a zinc-deficient diet for 3 weeks, and a seventh group (F) pair-fed control for E. All experimental groups received distilled deionized drinking water, whereas control groups received zinc-enriched (25 micrograms of zinc/ml) distilled deionized water.

Use of salivary cortisol measurements in young infants: a note of caution.

In order to investigate possible contamination of saliva samples with formula or breast milk obtained from young infants for cortisol assays, we measured cortisol concentrations in 3 common infant milk formulas and in breast milk before and after defatting and extraction using a commercial radioimmunoassay kit. Cortisol concentrations obtained prior to defatting and extraction were equal to or higher than (1.64-82.

Decision-making ability and advance directive preferences in nursing home patients and proxies.

We studied 39 nursing home patients and proxies to assess their decision-making capability and preferences regarding advance directives (ADs) or "living wills." Most patients willingly stated preferences; over half opted to forego burdensome measures when death appeared imminent. Patients perceived as decisionally capable were more likely to forego life-sustaining measures than those of questionable capability.

Non-polar extracts of serum from males contain covert radioimmunoassayable testosterone.

Non-polar extracts of sera from human males contain immunoreactive testosterone in a form that is released by mild alkaline hydrolysis. The non-polar derivative shows no immunoreactivity with testosterone antibody prior to hydrolysis. Hydrolyzed non-polar serum extracts from ten adult male volunteers contained 2.

Screening for hypercholesterolemia in college students.

Two national panels have recommended similar, specific strategies for detecting hypercholesterolemia: selective screening for children aged 2 to 19, and mass screening for individuals aged 20 and over. It is, however, unclear how best to apply these recommendations to a college student population. In order to determine which strategy is more efficient, this study compared mass with selective screening of college students for hypercholesterolemia.

Diminished corticosterone levels in nude mice implanted with MCF-7 or ZR-75-1 human breast tumor cells.

Corticosteroid levels were studied in the plasma of athymic mice implanted with human breast tumor cells, either from MCF-7 or ZR-75-1 cell lines. There was a highly significant decrease in plasma corticosterone levels in the mice implanted with these tumor cells. There was no significant effect on corticosterone of GW 39 colon cancer cells, LS 174T colon cancer cells, or Calu-3 lung cancer cells.

Symptom awareness and blood glucose estimation in diabetic adults.

Self-regulation of diabetes depends in part on common-sense models of symptoms and blood glucose fluctuations. Symptom perception and subjective estimation of blood glucose were studied in 52 adult, difficult-to-control, non-insulin-dependent diabetics using a structured interview and laboratory blood-glucose measurement. Most patients believed they could detect hyperglycemia.

Intrafamilial patterns reported by young type A versus type B males and their parents.

Retrospective reports regarding parent-child and parent-parent relations during the childrearing years were obtained from adult informants. Male undergraduates typed as As or Bs completed the Clarke Parent/Child Relations Questionnaire augmented with items of likely relevance to A/B. Parallel data were obtained from a subset of subjects' fathers and mothers.

Effect of infusion of bile salts into the mesenteric artery in situ on jejunal mucosal transport function in dogs.

We studied the effects of increased circulating levels of bile salts on jejunal mucosal function in dogs. In situ luminal perfusion of a 30-cm proximal jejunal segment was performed while deoxycholate, cholate, taurodeoxycholate, or taurocholate solutions were directly added to the mesenteric arterial supply, reaching the intestinal wall at successive concentrations of 5, 8, 12, and 22 mumol/L. The transport rates of water, sodium, glucose, fructose, glycine, and lysine were measured.

The relationship of birth weight and intrauterine diagnostic ultrasound exposure.

Imaging with ultrasound is common in obstetric practice. Several laboratory animal studies have shown retardation in fetal growth after experimental ultrasound exposure. This investigation was conducted to determine whether human fetuses exposed to diagnostic ultrasound (sonography) have a greater risk of growth retardation than fetuses not so exposed.

Seasonal changes in serum dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, and testosterone levels in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri boliviensis boliviensis).

The squirrel monkey (Saimiri boliviensis boliviensis) has a well-defined breeding season during which adult males undergo androgen-dependent morphological changes, with acquisition of active spermatogenesis. To assess the hormonal events of this annual cycle, blood samples were obtained weekly from ten adult males, and serum was assayed for testosterone (T), androstenedione (ΔA), and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). A significant seasonal variation was noted in mean serum T (P < 0.

Site of zinc absorption in dog small intestine.

An in vivo intestinal perfusion technique was used to study the absorption of zinc from the duodenum, proximal jejunum and distal ileum of six dogs (group 1). Net absorption of zinc from the duodenum before and after ligation of the common bile duct averaged 596 and 574 ng.min-1.

The spectrum of anxiety disorders in family practice.

The spectrum ranges from fearful concerns about illness to clinical anxiety disorders, such as phobias, panic attacks, generalized anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and adjustment disorder. Anxiety and fear are often associated with hospitalization, heart disease, insomnia, and somatopsychic syndromes. Determining the cause of the anxiety may help the physician plan the treatment approach.

Variability in production and immunoreactivity of in-vitro secreted human thyroglobulin.

We examined basal and bTSH-stimulated human thyroglobulin (hTg) secretion by autologous normal and abnormal (benign and malignant) human thyroid cell monolayers. Basal and bTSH-stimulated hTg secretion was highly variable and ranged from 50-700 ng/ml/10(5) cells over a 6 day period. All normal and benign 'non-functioning' adenoma cells demonstrated a dose and time related stimulation of hTg secretion in response to bTSH.

Serum oestradiol, progesterone, chorionic gonadotrophin and prolactin concentrations during pregnancy in the Bolivian squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus).

Concentrations of chorionic gonadotrophin gradually increased during early pregnancy, reached maximum values at mid-gestation, then declined to low levels. Oestradiol-17 beta concentrations were relatively low (300-600 pg/ml) during early pregnancy, increased thereafter to high levels (10-35 ng/ml), and then appeared to decline towards term. Concentrations of progesterone were constant (100-200 ng/ml) for the first 15 weeks of gestation, suggesting that sequential measurements of progesterone could be used to diagnose early pregnancy.

Estimating the prevalence of depression in family practice using variant methods.

Prevalence estimates for depression in primary care vary depending on diagnostic methods and classification criteria. The present study assessed the prevalence of depression in new, female, family practice patients using self-report and office visit data. Psychological and somatic symptoms and physician interventions were used to create classification criteria.

Inbreeding and prereproductive mortality in the Old Order Amish. III. Direct and indirect effects of inbreeding.

Direct and indirect (mediated by biologic factors) effects of inbreeding on prereproductive mortality (death before age 20 years) were investigated in a case-control study conducted in the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Old Order Amish. A total of 211 cases of prereproductive death between 1969 and 1980 and 213 live controls were compared for differences in inbreeding coefficients, congenital malformations, birth weight, gestational age, birth complications, and other demographic factors, obtained by linking cases and controls to vital records and the Amish genealogic registry dating back to the 1700s. Inbreeding coefficients (F) for cases and controls were computed using the path method of tracing common ancestors in the multigenerational pedigrees.

Inbreeding and prereproductive mortality in the Old Order Amish. I. Genealogic epidemiology of inbreeding.

Epidemiologic patterns of inbreeding in the Old Order Amish were investigated using a unique genealogic registry of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Amish that contains information on 8,163 marriages, dating back to the time of the pioneer migrants in the 1700s and spanning more than 10 generations. The kinship coefficient for each marriage was computed using the path method of tracing common ancestors in the multigenerational pedigrees. Because of extensive genealogic connections, mean kinship coefficients and the proportion of related marriages have increased significantly over time, from 0.

A case-control study of breast cancer stratified by estrogen receptor status.

A population-based case-control study was conducted to examine whether tumor estrogen receptor status differentiated risk factor patterns for breast cancer. From December 1980 to December 1982, 458 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer and 568 control women, aged 20-54 years, from the Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan area were interviewed. On the basis of tumor estrogen receptor results, cases were classified as receptor-positive or receptor-negative.

An epidemiologic approach to the evaluation of the effect of inbreeding on prereproductive mortality.

Although many studies report deleterious effects of inbreeding on prereproductive mortality (death before age 20 years), such effects are usually measured in terms of genetic load, a concept much debated in the literature. To evaluate the public health impact of inbreeding on prereproductive mortality in terms of relative and attributable risks, the authors reviewed 31 studies with 294 observations comparing various stages of infant and child mortality in offspring of unrelated parents with offspring of first cousin, first cousin once removed, and second cousin marriages, respectively. Compared with offspring of unrelated parents, offspring of first cousin marriages have a higher risk of prereproductive mortality (median relative risk (RR) = 1.

Clinical practice by behavioral scientists in family medicine programs.

Mental health liaison in primary health care is a salient but neglected area of concern. One element of such liaison is clinical service provided by behavioral scientists in family medicine residency training settings. The current study examined such clinical practice by specifying reasons for referral, chief complaints, psychosocial problems, dispositions, and treatments for family practice patients referred to three behavioral scientists across two settings.