Gastric emptying in early noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Unlabelled: The aims of this study were to determine in early noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM): (a) the prevalence of disordered gastric emptying of glucose; (b) the relationship between the blood glucose response to an oral glucose load and gastric emptying; and (c) the relationship between appetite and gastric emptying.

Methods: Sixteen patients (ages 39-79 yr) with recently diagnosed NIDDM consumed 350 ml water containing 75 g glucose and 99mTc-sulfur colloid while sitting in front of a gamma camera. Blood glucose concentrations were monitored immediately before and after the drink.

Conformational dependence of electron transfer across de novo designed metalloproteins.

Flash photolysis and pulse radiolysis measurements demonstrate a conformational dependence of electron transfer rates across a 16-mer helical bundle (three-helix metalloprotein) modified with a capping CoIII(bipyridine)3 electron acceptor at the N terminus and a 1-ethyl-1'-ethyl-4,4'- bipyridinium donor at the C terminus. For the CoIII(peptide)3-1-ethyl-1'-ethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium maquettes, the observed transfer is a first order, intramolecular process, independent of peptide concentration or laser pulse energy. In the presence of 6 M urea, the random coil bundle (approximately 0% helicity) has an observed electron transfer rate constant of kobs = 900 +/- 100 s-1.

Gastric emptying in diabetes: an overview.

Gastric emptying is delayed in 30%-50% of patients with longstanding diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of disordered gastric emptying in patients with "early" Type 2 diabetes is controversial, but it has been suggested that gastric emptying is often accelerated. The pathogenesis of delayed gastric emptying in diabetes is poorly understood.

The effect of short-term dietary supplementation with glucose on gastric emptying of glucose and fructose and oral glucose tolerance in normal subjects.

Recent observations indicate that gastric emptying may be influenced by patterns of previous nutrient intake. The aims of this study were to determine the effects of a high glucose diet on gastric emptying of glucose and fructose, and the impact of any changes in gastric emptying on plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin and gastric inhibitory polypeptide in response to glucose and fructose loads. Gastric emptying of glucose and fructose (both 75 g dissolved in 350 ml water) were measured in seven normal volunteers on separate days while each was on a "standard' diet and an identical diet supplemented with 440 g/day of glucose for 4-7 days.

Comparative Kinetic Analysis of Reversible Intermolecular Electron-Transfer Reactions between a Series of Pentaammineruthenium Complexes and Cytochrome c.

In this kinetic and thermodynamic study, the reversible outer-sphere electron-transfer reactions between a series of Ru(NH(3))(5)L(3+/2+) complexes (L = etpy, py, lut) (etpy = 4-ethylpyridine; py = pyridine; lut = 3,5-lutidine) and cytochrome c were investigated as a function of ionic strength, buffer, pH, temperature, and pressure. Due to the low driving forces of these systems, it was possible to study all the reactions in both redox directions. The observed rate constants for various L are correlated on the basis of the ability of ligands on the ruthenium complex to penetrate the heme groove on cytochrome c.

Trainee teachers' attitudes to inclusive education for children with Down's syndrome.

The attitudes of 231 trainee teachers towards inclusive education for children with Down's syndrome were surveyed in two UK colleges of education, one in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland. While the right to educational integration for children with special educational needs was widely endorsed, considerable reservations were expressed about its implementation in practice. Only 13% of respondents indicated that they would welcome the opportunity to teach in an integrated setting and 96% felt that their professional training did not prepare them to meet this challenge.

Use of pointing and other gestures by young children with Down syndrome.

Pointing, reaching, and other communicative gestures were elicited from 22 children with Down syndrome ages 21 to 47 months in two communicative contexts (referential/declarative vs. instrumental/imperative) and with two partners (mother vs. agemate with Down syndrome).

Relationship between fractional calcium absorption and gastric emptying.

The relationship between calcium absorption and gastric emptying and the precision of measurement of fractional calcium absorption using a single isotope technique were evaluated in 14 normal postmenopausal women (age range 61-72 years). On two occasions separated by between 5 and 15 days, each subject was given 250 mL water containing 0.2 MBq of 45Ca in 20 mg of calcium carrier as the chloride, 20 mg kg-1 paracetamol and 9 MBq of 99mTc sulphur colloid.

Effect of age on bone density and bone turnover in men.

Objective: Little is known about the pattern of age-related bone loss in men, and although androgens are required for optimum bone mass it is not clear whether the fall in bone mass with age in men is related to falling androgens.

Design: Cross-sectional measurement of bone density, at five sites, and markers of bone resorption and formation in 147 normal volunteers aged 20-83 years.

Subjects: Healthy laboratory workers, hospital staff, their relatives, and husbands of women attending our osteoporosis clinic.

Oral calcium suppresses biochemical markers of bone resorption in normal men.

Calcium supplementation decreases bone resorption and retards bone loss in women. There is little information about the effects of calcium supplementation in men. The effects of a 1-g oral calcium load at 0900 on bone-related biochemical variables were evaluated in 13 normal men (aged 51-70 y).

Primary hyperparathyroidism.

Primary hyperparathyroidism is not rare. It is particularly common after the age of 50 and may affect up to 3% of postmenopausal women. It is commonly found as a result of blood tests performed for other reasons and is therefore often asymptomatic.

Impaired glucose tolerance and NIDDM: does a lifestyle intervention program have an effect?

Objective: To determine whether a 2-year lifestyle intervention program improves glucose tolerance and lipid levels in people with persistent impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).

Research Design And Methods: Screening for IGT and NIDDM was carried out in 1,752 people. Subjects with persistent IGT or NIDDM completed three 2-h oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) before the start of the study and after 2 years.

A double blind study of itraconazole vs griseofulvin in patients with tinea pedis and tinea manus.

Aim: To compare the efficacy and safety of itraconazole and griseofulvin in a double-blind parallel study of 20 patients with microscopically and/or culturally proven tinea pedis and/or tinea manus.

Methods: A 4 week study was undertaken with patients randomised to receive either itraconazole 100 mg or griseofulvin 500 mg once daily for 4 weeks. Microscopy and cultures were performed prior to and at the end of the treatment and 2 weeks posttreatment.

Biochemical effects of a calcium supplement in postmenopausal women with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Oral calcium loading is known to decrease parathyroid hormone levels in primary hyperparathyroidism. We have examined the effects of a calcium supplement on bone resorption in postmenopausal primary hyperparathyroidism. Fasting blood and urine samples were obtained in 12 postmenopausal women (median age 64 yr) with primary hyperparathyroidism associated with mild hypercalcemia (plasma calcium < 3.

Calcitriol (1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3) ointment in psoriasis, a safety tolerance and efficacy multicentre study.

30 patients were treated with daily application of calcitriol (1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3) ointment 15 micrograms/g in white petrolatum. The patients were divided into three groups according to the size of their total area of psoriasis. They were treated for 6 weeks, and investigated first with weekly and then with two-weekly estimations of calcium metabolism (serum calcium, 24-hour urinary calcium, parathyroid hormone, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and calcitriol).

Effects of norethisterone on bone related biochemical variables and forearm bone mineral in post-menopausal osteoporosis.

Objective: Progestogens may be a useful therapeutic alternative to oestrogen in the treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of norethisterone on forearm bone mineral content and bone related biochemical variables in patients with post-menopausal osteoporosis.

Design/patients: The effects of treatment with norethisterone (5 mg/day) on bone related biochemical variables was determined in 44 women with post-menopausal osteoporosis.

Relationship between oral glucose tolerance and gastric emptying in normal healthy subjects.

The relationships between gastric emptying and intragastric distribution of glucose and oral glucose tolerance were evaluated in 16 healthy volunteers. While sitting in front of a gamma camera the subjects drank 350 ml water containing 75 g glucose and 20 MBq 99mTc-sulphur colloid. Venous blood samples for measurement of plasma glucose, insulin and gastric inhibitory polypeptide were obtained at--2, 2,5,10,15,30,45,60,75,90,105,120 and 150 min.

The development of learning difficulties in children with Down's syndrome.

This paper examines individual developmental profiles drawn from a series of longitudinal studies of cognitive development and problem-solving in children with Down's syndrome (DS) from birth to 11 years of age. These highlight the difficulties in explaining DS development in terms of a slowed-down version of normal development and illustrate how, from a very early age, developmental progress in DS is undermined by the children's failure to exercise and maintain existing skills and by their counter-productive approach to learning new skills. Developmental instability and inefficient learning were found to characterize performance on contingency detection tasks, on tests of object concept development, and on standardized intelligence tests.

Mometasone versus betamethasone creams: a trial in dermatoses.

Aim: To compare the efficacy and safety of mometasone furoate cream 0.1% applied daily versus betamethasone valerate cream 0.1% applied twice daily in a variety of dermatoses.

The effect of chlorothiazide on bone-related biochemical variables in normal post-menopausal women.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of short-term administration of chlorothiazide on fasting urinary hydroxyproline, an index of bone resorption, and other bone-related biochemical parameters in normal post-menopausal women.

Design: Subjects served as their own control before and after chlorothiazide treatment.

Setting: Subjects were recruited by advertisement.

Relationships between metacarpal morphometry, forearm and vertebral bone density and fractures in post-menopausal women.

The relationships between metacarpal morphometric, vertebral and forearm density measurements and the prevalence of vertebral and peripheral fractures were examined in 239 postmenopausal women (median age 63, range 32-84 years). Metacarpal cortical area/total area ratio (CA/TA) was measured with needle calipers, forearm mineral density (FMD) by single photon absorptiometry and vertebral mineral density (VMD) by single energy quantitative computed tomography. Of the 239 subjects 97 had not suffered any fractures, 44 had at least one previous vertebral fracture but no peripheral fractures, 41 had a history of peripheral fracture but no vertebral fracture and 57 had suffered both peripheral and vertebral fractures.

Effects of erythromycin on gastric emptying, alcohol absorption and small intestinal transit in normal subjects.

The effects of erythromycin on gastric emptying and intragastric distribution of a mixed solid/liquid meal, alcohol absorption and small intestinal transit were examined in eight male volunteers. Each subject received, in double-blind randomized order, either erythromycin as the lactobionate (3 mg.kg-1 i.

Parents' evaluations of pre-school services for children with Down syndrome in two Scottish regions.

Parental evaluations of current pre-school provision for children with Down's syndrome were surveyed in two Scottish regions. Two methods were used: postal questionnaires and telephone interviews. Services covered were those provided by general practitioners, hospital specialists, health visitors, speech therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, educational psychologists, home teachers, social workers and voluntary organizations.