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Objective: To evaluate the effects of comprehensive therapy for chronic bacterial prostatitis., Methods: Comprehensive therapy was prescribed for 52 cases of chronic bacterial prostatitis during June, 2000 to June, 2001, and summaries and analysis of the cases were conducted., Results: Of the 52 cases, 27 (51.9%) were cured and 21 (40.4%) had improvement, while 4 (7.7%) did not respond to the treatment., Conclusion: Comprehensive therapy may produce satisfactory effects in treatment of chronic bacterial prostatitis.

This review includes the situation of nutrition labelling and claims in six countries in South-East Asia: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. With the exception of Malaysia, there is no mandatory nutrition labelling requirements for foods in these countries except for special categories of foods and when nutritional claims are made for fortified or enriched foods. Nevertheless, several food manufacturers, especially multinationals, do voluntarily label the nutritional content of a number of food products. There is, therefore, increasing interest among authorities in countries in the region to start formulating regulations for nutrition labelling for a wider variety of foods. Malaysia has proposed new regulations to make it mandatory to label a number of foodstuffs with the four core nutrients, protein, carbohydrate, fat and energy. Other countries have preferred to start with voluntary labelling by the manufacturers, but have spelt out the requirements for this voluntary labelling. The format and requirements for nutrition labelling differ widely for countries in the region. Some countries, such as Malaysia, closely follow the Codex guidelines on nutrition labelling in terms of format, components to be included and mode of expression. Other countries, such as the Philippines and Thailand, have drafted nutrition labelling regulations very similar to those of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of the United States. Nutrition and health claims are also not specifically permitted under food regulations that were enacted before 1998. However, various food products on the market have been carrying a variety of nutrition and health claims. There is concern that without proper regulations, the food industry may not be certain as to what claims can be made. Excessive and misleading claims made by irresponsible manufacturers would only serve to confuse and mislead the consumer. In recent years, there has been efforts in countries in the region to enact regulations on nutrition claims. Recently enacted regulations or amendments to existing regulations of almost all the countries reviewed have included provisions for nutrition claims. Malaysia is in the process of gazetting regulations to clearly stipulate the permitted nutrition claims and the conditions required to make these claims along the guidelines of Codex Alimentarius Commission. Only two countries in the region permit health claims to be made - Indonesia and Philippines. Other countries in the region are following developments in Codex and examining the need for allowing these claims. There are more differences than similarities in the regulations on nutrition labelling and claims among countries in the South-East Asian region as no previous efforts have been made to address these. Hopefully, through this first regional meeting, countries can initiate closer interaction, with a view to working towards greater harmonization of nutrition labelling and health claims in the region.

In Arabidopsis, fertilization induces the epidermal cells of the outer ovule integument to differentiate into a specialized seed coat cell type producing extracellular pectinaceous mucilage and a volcano-shaped secondary cell wall. Differentiation involves a regulated series of cytological events including growth, cytoplasmic rearrangement, mucilage synthesis, and secondary cell wall production. We have tested the potential of Arabidopsis seed coat epidermal cells as a model system for the genetic analysis of these processes. A screen for mutants defective in seed mucilage identified five novel genes (MUCILAGE-MODIFIED [MUM]1-5). The seed coat development of these mutants, and that of three previously identified ones (TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA1, GLABRA2, and APETALA2) were characterized. Our results show that the genes identified define several events in seed coat differentiation. Although APETALA2 is needed for differentiation of both outer layers of the seed coat, TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA1, GLABRA2, and MUM4 are required for complete mucilage synthesis and cytoplasmic rearrangement. MUM3 and MUM5 may be involved in the regulation of mucilage composition, whereas MUM1 and MUM2 appear to play novel roles in post-synthesis cell wall modifications necessary for mucilage extrusion.

In Singapore. there exists differences in risk factors for coronary heart disease among the three main ethnic groups: Chinese, Malays and Indians. This study aimed to investigate if differences in dietary intakes of fat, types of fat, cholesterol, fruits, vegetables and grain foods could explain the differences in serum cholesterol levels between the ethnic groups. A total of 2408 adult subjects (61.0% Chinese, 21.4% Malays and 17.6% Indians) were selected systematically from the subjects who took part in the National Health Survey in 1998. The design of the study was based on a cross-sectional study. A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess intakes of energy, total fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, cholesterol, fruits, vegetables and cereal-based foods. The Hegsted score was calculated. Serum total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol were analysed and the ratio of total cholesterol to high density lipoprotein cholesterol was computed. The results showed that on a group level (six sex-ethnic groups), Hegsted score, dietary intakes of fat, satutrated fat, cholesterol, vegetables and grain foods were found to be correlated to serum cholesterol levels. However, selected dietary factors did not explain the differences in serum cholesterol levels between ethnic groups when multivariate regression analysis was performed, with adjustment for age, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, cigarette smoking, occupation, education level and physical activity level. This cross-sectional study shows that while selected dietary factors are correlated to serum cholesterol at a group level, they do not explain the differences in serum cholesterol levels between ethnic groups independently of age, obesity, occupation, educational level and other lifestyle risk factors.

The aim of this study was to assess the relative validity of a 159-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for use among adult Singaporeans. This FFQ should be able to classify intakes of energy, total fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat and cholesterol into quintiles of intakes for purposes of epidemiological studies. A total of 126 subjects (84 women and 42 men) took part in the study which included an interview using the newly developed FFQ (assess past month's intake) and three 24-h (24 h) recalls (reference method, collected over a period of 1 month). Subjects also collected two 24 h urinary samples for urea from which total nitrogen excretion was assessed to validate protein intake. When compared to the reference method, the FFQ slighty overestimated the intakes of energy, total fat and types of fat as reflected by the difference in means and the ratio of FFQ to 24 h intakes. The overestimation ranged from 1 to 11% of the reference method. Dietary cholesterol was underestimated by 17% by the FFQ. These differences were however, not statistically significant. Pearson's correlation coefficients (95% confidence intervals (CI)) between intakes assessed by FFQ and reference method varied from 0.58 (0.45, 0.69) for total fat to 0.39 (0.23, 0.53) for polyunsaturated fat. Cross-classification into quintiles resulted in correct classification into the same or adjacent quintiles in 70% of subjects, with only one or two subjects being grossly misclassified. Nitrogen (N) intake from the 24 h recalls did not differ significantly from that estimated from the urinary nitrogen excretion. The mean (± SD) difference was 0.0 ± 0.4 g and the Pearson correlation coefficient (95% CI) was 0.55 (0.31, 0.72). It is concluded that the newly developed FFQ is an adequate tool for classifying individuals' intakes into quintiles for epidemiological studies among Singaporean adults.

We studied 24 consecutive adult patients with malaria who required intensive care between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1997. This was out of a total of 256 patients hospitalised at the Singapore General Hospital with malaria during these 4 years. Our aim was to characterise the type and severity, clinical features, complications, treatment and outcome of adult patients with malaria who required intensive care. In addition, we compared the actual and predicted mortality based on the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score. The travel history, prophylaxis, duration of fever before receiving treatment, type of malaria and severity, clinical data, complications, APACHE II score, treatment and outcome were analysed. Most cases were imported by locals travelling overseas or foreigners infected with the parasite elsewhere. Four patients had vivax malaria and 20 patients had severe falciparum malaria. All but 1 patient received transfusion with blood products and 6 patients with severe falciparum malaria had exchange transfusions. Complications were restricted to infection with P. falciparum: 9 patients required acute dialysis and 8 required mechanical ventilation. Three patients died giving a mortality of 15% for severe falciparum malaria. The overall mortality of patients with malaria was 1.2%. The mortality of patients with malaria requiring intensive care was 12.5% as compared with a predicted mortality of 18.7% based on the APACHE II prognostication system.

Objective: To determine whether increased alertness regarding multiple pulmonary embolism in geriatric patients increases the number of cases diagnosed., Design: Retrospective descriptive study., Setting: Dutch nursing homes Mariënhaven (psychogeriatric) in Warmond and De Wilbert (somatic and psychogeriatric) in Katwijk aan den Rijn, the Netherlands., Method: In the period 1989-1991, the diagnosis of multiple pulmonary embolism was suspected in 15 patients with an 'unclear' or 'aspecific' complex of symptoms, who subsequently underwent ventilation perfusion scintigraphy., Results: In 11/15 patients the diagnosis of multiple pulmonary embolism was confirmed. These patients were treated with anticoagulants resulting in complete recovery in 9 patients. Aspecific symptoms suggestive of pulmonary embolism include subfebrile temperature, respiratory and sensory disturbances and a clinical picture mimicking airway infection. If lung scintigraphy is only performed if a positive diagnosis will have the therapeutical consequences for the patients concerned, and assuming that refraining from treatment would lead to death, it was calculated that on a yearly basis mortality in subjects in nursing homes could be reduced by more than 2% when appropriate diagnosis is made and treatment given. Comparison of the data from SIG Health Information (Utrecht) with the present results suggests that the prevalence of (multiple) pulmonary embolism in the Dutch nursing homes is insufficiently recognized., Conclusion: More alertness regarding multiple pulmonary embolism in nursing home patients will establish the diagnosis more frequently and proper treatment of this condition will lead to a decrease in mortality.

Biliary atresia is an important cause of neonatal obstructive jaundice in which there is inflammation, sclerosis and eventual obliteration of the bile duct system. Its onset may be antenatal, affecting the normal development of the biliary system. The intrahepatic biliary system is derived from the ductal plate, a sheath of cuboidal epithelium that appears at the hepatocyte-mesenchymal junction around the portal vein branches at 6 weeks gestation. This epithelial structure is moulded into a network of tubular bile ducts by the proliferating mesenchyme. Certain portions of the ductal plate are selected to become definitive bile ducts, while redundant biliary epithelium is deleted. The molecular dynamics controlling the intra-uterine development of the biliary system in humans are not yet clearly understood. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 is a cytokine that stimulates mesenchymal proliferation and inhibits epithelial growth, and has been shown to be important in organogenesis. In the present study, the pattern of TGF beta 1 peptide immunolocalization was investigated with the aid of computerized image analysis, in normal human bile duct development and in biliary atresia. TGF beta 1 peptide was detected within hepatocytes and ductal plate epithelium from 7 weeks gestation; increased TGF beta 1 immunoreactivity was present within the epithelium of developing bile ducts at 13 weeks gestation, and apical polarization of the cytokine was observed from 16 weeks gestation. In biliary atresia, the TGF beta 1 immunoreactivity pattern within the bile duct structures at the porta hepatis and within intrahepatic portal tracts resembled that of the primitive ductal plate, and there was no significant apical polarization. This may indicate a developmental arrest in the normal ductal plate remodelling process in biliary atresia, and suggests an underlying epithelial-mesenchymal interactive disorder.

An upward trend in obesity has been observed in Singapore school children over the 15 years prior to the study. A case-control study of 400 children (mean age 10 years) and their parents was conducted to determine some of the factors likely to be associated with obesity in primary-school children. It included dietary practices and intake, activity patterns, family history and social factors. It was found that obese children were more likely to consume foods that were deep-fried or sweet and were more likely to have at least one obese parent and sibling. A variety of intervention measures were taken to reduce the prevalence and severity of obesity in school children following the study.

A series of di-Mannich bases derived from 4-[7'-bromo (and chloro)-1',5'-naphthyridin-4'-ylamino]phenol and 4-(7'-trifluoromethylquinolin-4'-ylamino)phenol were assayed for activity against chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant isolates of cultured Plasmodium falciparum using the inhibition of uptake of radiolabelled hypoxanthine. A number of the 4-(7'-trifluoromethylquinolinyl-amino)phenols showed statistically superior activity to chloroquine and amodiaquine against both isolates. Analysis of the antimalarial activity of some of these compounds against Plasmodium berghei in mice following oral administration again demonstrated activity equal or superior to that of the established antimalarials against a chloroquine-sensitive strain, and in some cases appreciably superior activity against a chloroquine-resistant strain.

24xi--Methylcholestane-3beta, 5alpha, 6beta, 12beta, 25-pentol 25-monoacetate has been isolated from an Alyconarian and its structure was established in part through extensive high resolution mass spectral and nmr studies and partly through the nonidentity of one of its degradation products with 24xi-methylcholestane-3beta, 5alpha, 6beta, 12alpha-tetrol synthesized from deoxycholic acid.

Mono- and di-Mannich bases derived from 4-(7'-bromo-1',5'-naphthyridin-4'-ylamino)phenol and 4-(7'-trifluoromethylquinolin-4'-ylamino)phenol were assayed for antimalarial activity (using an in vitro radioisotopic technique) against two isolates of Plasmodium falciparum. Many from these two series of compounds had an IC50 value (concentration of compound causing 50% inhibition of 3H-hypoxanthine incorporation) comparable to or better than those of mefloquine and amodiaquine, for both a chloroquine-sensitive isolate (FCQ-27) and the chloroquine-resistant isolate (K1). At least one compound, 2,6-bis (piperidin-1''-ylmethyl)-4-(7'-trifluoromethylquinolin -4'-ylamino)phenol (TN112), showed significant superior activity to the three antimalarials chloroquine, mefloquine and amodiaquine against both isolates. (Statistically superior activity compared to these three antimalarials was found for TN112, except that against the K1 isolate its activity was just outside the range of significance relative to mefloquine.) Some of the 7-bromo-1,5-naphthyridine Mannich bases were appreciably less toxic in mice than amodiaquine.