Search

BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether diets with a high dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) can modify oxidative stress, low-grade inflammation, or liver dysfunction, all of which are risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: We studied the effect of high- and low-TAC (HT and LT, respectively) diets on markers of antioxidant status, systemic inflammation, and liver dysfunction. DESIGN: In a crossover intervention, 33 healthy adults (19 men, 14 women) received the HT and LT diets for 2 wk each. Dietary habits were checked with a 3-d food record during both diet periods and the washout period. RESULTS: Fruit and vegetable, macronutrient, dietary fiber, and alcohol intakes did not differ significantly between the 2 diets, whereas dietary TAC, alpha-tocopherol, and ascorbic acid were significantly (P < 0.001) higher during the HT diet. Plasma alpha-tocopherol rose during the HT and decreased during the LT diet (P < 0.02 for difference) without changes in markers of oxidative stress except plasma malondialdehyde, which decreased unexpectedly during the LT diet (P < 0.05). Plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, and alkaline phosphatase concentrations decreased during the HT compared with the LT diet (mean +/- SEM for pre-post changes: -0.72 +/- 0.37 compared with 1.05 +/- 0.60 mg/L, P < 0.01; -1.73 +/- 1.02 compared with 2.33 +/- 2.58 U/L, P < 0.01; -2.12 +/- 1.45 compared with 5.15 +/- 2.98 U/L, P < 0.05; and 1.36 +/- 1.34 compared with 5.06 +/- 2.00 U/L, P < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: Selecting foods according to their TAC markedly affects antioxidant intake and modulates hepatic contribution to systemic inflammation without affecting traditional markers of antioxidant status. Copyright © 2008 American Society for Nutrition [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foram comparados o estado nutricional e parâmetros do metabolismo do ferro de adultos HIV-positivos, com ou sem resposta de fase aguda (RFA). Adultos HIV-positivos (n = 29) submeteram-se a antropometria, recordatório alimentar e determinação sérica de albumina, proteína C reativa (PCR), ferritina e capacidade total de ligação do ferro (CTLF), além de creatinina urinária. Infecção mais PCR > 7mg/dl foram critérios de positividade da RFA. Índice de massa corporal (IMC < 18,5kg/m2) e índice creatinina-altura (ICA < 70%) definiram subnutrição. Subnutrição (77,8 vs 40%) e tuberculose pulmonar (44,4 vs 9,5%) foram mais freqüentes nos pacientes RFA-positivos, que também apresentaram menores níveis de albumina (3,7 ± 0,9 vs 4,3 ± 0,9g/dl), CTLF (165,8 ± 110,7 vs 265,9 ± 74,6mg/dl) e hemoglobina (10,5± 1,8 vs 12,6 ± 2,3g/dl). A ingestão de ferro foi adequada e similar entre RFA-positivos e RFA-negativos, o mesmo ocorrendo, respectivamente, quanto à ferritina sérica (mediana; variação, 568; 45,3-1814 vs 246; 18,4-1577ng/ml). Pacientes HIV-positivos com resposta de fase aguda são nutricionalmente mais comprometidos e têm anemia que parece não depender da ingestão recente de ferro.

Lignin of piassava (Attalea funifera) was analyzed by ¹H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The HGS-nature of this lignin was confirmed but p-coumarate units are also present in the lignin. Methoxyl and phenolic hydroxyl contents per phenylpropanic unit were determined by ¹HNMR spectroscopy to be 0.57 and 0.68, respectively and are in agreement with wet chemistry methods. A small extent of lignin condensation (35%) was explained by the high content of cinnamyl alcohol structures, evidenced by 13CNMR-DEPT. An extended C9formula for the piassava lignin was established to be

Abstract Background Although anti-asthma medications are amongst those most frequently under or over prescribed it is generally accepted that prescriptions for such agents can be used as a proxy for disease prevalence. The aims of this study were to estimate prevalence and incidence of childhood asthma in a representative Italian area by analysing three years of anti-asthmatic prescriptions and hospitalizations of subjects with chronic or first time treatment, and to underline appropriateness of therapeutic choices. Methods The analysis involved prescriptions given to 6-17 year olds between 2003 and 2005 in Italy's Lombardy Region. The youths were classified as potential asthmatics, based on the different degree of drug utilization: occasional, low or high users, and grouped as 'new onset' or 'chronic' cases based on the duration of therapy dispensed. The analysis of prescriptions and hospitalization rate of these groups provided an estimate of the 2005 asthma prevalence and incidence and allowed an estimation of the level of appropriateness of treatments. Results During 2005, the estimated incidence of potential asthmatics was 0.8% and the estimated prevalence was 3.5%. When viewed retrospectively for two years, records showed that 47% of potential asthmatics received prescriptions also during 2004 and 30% also during 2003. During the three years considered, 7.5%, 2.8%, and 1.5% of high, low, and occasional users, respectively, were hospitalized for asthma. The most important inappropriateness found was the prescription of long acting beta adrenergics as first time treatment. Conclusions This study allowed a proxy of asthma incidence, prevalence, and severity. The analyses highlighted a low compliance with the guidelines, suggesting that educational interventions are needed to obtain a more rational management of childhood asthma, especially in subjects starting therapy.

Abstract Truth claims in the medical literature rely heavily on statistical significance testing. Unfortunately, most physicians misunderstand the underlying probabilistic logic of significance tests and consequently often misinterpret their results. This near-universal misunderstanding is highlighted by means of a simple quiz which we administered to 246 physicians at two major academic hospitals, on which the proportion of incorrect responses exceeded 90%. A solid understanding of the fundamental concepts of probability theory is becoming essential to the rational interpretation of medical information. This essay provides a technically sound review of these concepts that is accessible to a medical audience. We also briefly review the debate in the cognitive sciences regarding physicians' aptitude for probabilistic inference.

Abstract Background The product of the retinoblastoma-susceptibility gene (pRb) is a substrate for Protein Phosphatase 1 (PP1). At mitotic exit, all three PP1 isoforms, α, γ1 and δ, bind to pRb and dephosphorylate its Ser/Thr sites in a sequential and site-specific way. The pRb-C terminal has been reported to be necessary and sufficient for PP1α binding. The present study investigated whether the three PP1 isoforms from mitotic or asynchronous HeLa cells associate differentially with wild-type and pRb mutants, as well as the holoenzyme composition of the pRb-directed PP1. Results The requirement for the entire pRb molecule to achieve optimal PP1-binding was indicated by the fact that full-length pRb displayed the highest affinity for all three PP1 isoforms. Ser/Thr-to-Ala substitution for up to 14 pRb sites did not affect the ability of pRb to bind the PP1 isoforms derived from mitotic or asynchronous HeLa cells, thus suggesting that the phosphate-accepting residues on pRb do not regulate the interaction with PP1. To probe for the presence of PP1 targeting subunits in the pRb-directed PP1 complex, PP1 from mitotic or asynchronous HeLa cells was isolated by affinity chromatography on GST-Rb (either full-length or its deletion mutants Rb-big pocket or Rb-C-terminal). The PP1 was always obtained as free catalytic subunit, displaying all three isoforms, thus suggesting direct interaction between pRb and PP1. The direct association was confirmed by the ability of pRb to pull-down purified PP1 catalytic subunits and by in vitro reconstitution of a complex between PP1 catalytic subunit and the pRb-C-terminal. Conclusion The work indicated that the full length of the pRb molecule is required for optimal interaction with the PP1 isoforms and that the association between pRb and PP1 isoforms is direct.

Abstract Background To evaluate the impact of osteoporosis on the patients' quality of life, particularly in the absence of fractures. Methods 100 post-menopausal women (age 50-85) - 62 with uncomplicated primary osteoporosis and 38 with primary osteoporosis complicated by vertebral fractures; all already treated - were studied using two validated questionnaires: Qualeffo-41 for quality of life in osteoporosis, and Zung for depression. Data were compared to those of 35 controls of comparable age, affected by a different chronic disease (hypothyroidism). Results Family history of osteoporosis and T-score of spine were similar in the two subgroups of osteoporotic women. Body mass index, age at menopause and education level were similar in the two subgroups of osteoporotic women and in the control group. The patients affected by osteoporosis perceived it as a disease affecting their personal life with undesirable consequences: chronic pain (66% of women with fractures and 40% of women without fractures), impaired physical ability, reduced social activity, poor well-being (21% of women without fractures) and depressed mood (42% of women irrespective of fractures). Overall, 41% of the women showed a reduced quality of life. On the contrary, in the control group only 11% reported a reduced quality of life. Conclusion The quality of life of osteoporotic patients should be investigated even before fractures, in order to develop appropriate counselling, support and care interventions to help patients develop efficient strategies for accepting the disease and coping with it.

The permanent scatterers (PS) technique is a multi-interferogram algorithm for DInSAR analyses developed in the late nineties to overcome the difficulties related to the conventional approach, namely, phase decorrelation and atmospheric effects. The successful application of this technology to many geophysical studies is now pushing toward further improvements and optimizations. A possible strategy to increase the number of radar targets that can be exploited for surface deformation monitoring is the adoption of parametric super-resolution algorithms that can cope with multiple scattering centres within the same resolution cell. In fact, since a PS is usually modelled as a single pointwise scatterer dominating the background clutter, radar targets having cross-range dimension exceeding a few meters can be lost (at least in C-band datasets), due to geometrical decorrelation phenomena induced in the high normal baseline interferograms of the dataset. In this paper, the mathematical framework related to higher-order SAR interferometry is presented as well as preliminary results obtained on simulated and real data. It is shown how the PS density can be increased at the price of a higher computational load.

Background: Front-of-pack nutrition labelling is an important policy tool for public health. The Nutri-Score classifies foods according to nutritional quality from A (high quality) to E (low quality). We have previously identified inconsistencies between Nutri-Score and the Norwegian food-based dietary guidelines. The objective was to propose revisions to the Nutri-Score 2023 algorithms and determine if the revised algorithms better align with the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 (NNR2023) and the Keyhole label., Methods: Items in the Norwegian pre-packed foods databases Tradesolution ( n = 26,033) and Unil ( n = 577) were classified using the Nutri-Score 2023 algorithms. To address carbohydrate quality, a penalty for low-fibre content was introduced, and the sugar scale compressed. The protein cap was removed for fish products to reward their nutritional quality. To improve the scoring of high-fat foods, the scale for saturated fat was extended, fat content determined the inclusion in the algorithm for fats, rather than food categories, and favourable fat quality in oils was rewarded through a fat quality component. Data from the databases guided the identification of specific thresholds. The distribution of Nutri-Score was calculated before and after applying the revisions., Results: In total, 5.5% of all products received a less favourable Nutri-Score with the revised carbohydrate quality components. Most refined pastas and flour shifted shifted from A to B or C, whilst whole grain pasta largely remained A. Sugar-rich breakfast cereals shifted from B to C or D. For fish, 11% (1% of all products) were moved from D or E to C or D. The variation in scores for cheese and creams increased. Around 5% of all products were affected by the revisions related to fat quality., Conclusions: The proposed revisions make the Nutri-Score more coherent with the NNR2023 and the Keyhole label. The proposed revisions also hold relevance for other European countries and should therefore be considered in the next revision of the Nutri-Score., Competing Interests: Partners of the NewTools project with vested interests were involved in the previous process of identifying challenges with the Nutri-Score. However, the partners were involved neither in the work with prioritising the challenges nor in the development and testing of the revisions in the current paper. This work is a part of the NewTools project. ‘The NewTools project – Developing tools for food system transformation, including food summary scores for nutrition and sustainability’ is funded by the Research Council of Norway (Project No. 326888). The Norwegian Research Council had no role in the design, analysis or writing of this article. Several of the 28 project partners also contribute to the NewTools project with a varying degree through self-financing of their own activities., (© 2025 Anna Amberntsson et al.)

Background: The cardiovascular risk increases in a multiplicative way when patients present more risk factors simultaneously. Moreover, the General Practitioners (GPs) play a crucial role in risk factors prevention and reduction. This work aimed to evaluate a multicomponent intervention in the Primary Care Department in an Italian Local Health Unit., Methods: A pre-post study was conducted in Northern Italy (2018). Patients were eligible if: aged between 30 and 60 years, not chronic patients, not affected by hypertension or hypercholesterolaemia. The GPs assessed body mass index, hypertension, abdominal obesity, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) values, glycaemic values, smoking and exercise habit (T0). A counselling by GPs to at-risk patients and a multicomponent health education intervention were performed. Reassessment occurred after at least 3 months (T1). Main analyses were chi-squared tests for gender differences, McNemar or marginal homogeneity tests for changes in paired data (P < 0.05 as significant)., Results: Participants were 5828 at T0 (54.0% females) and 4953 at T1 (53.4% females). At T0, 99.1% presented at least one risk factor. Significant changes in paired data were reported for each risk factor. The greatest improvement frequencies occurred in glycaemia values (51.0%) and hypertension (45.6%), the lowest in abdominal obesity (3.7%). Some differences were recorded between genders, e.g. females reported higher improvement frequencies in hypertension (P = 0.001) and abdominal obesity (P < 0.001), whereas males in physical activity (P = 0.011) and LDL values (P = 0.032)., Conclusion: The results showed significant changes for each risk factor, both for men and women. GPs and multicomponent educational interventions could play a key role in reducing cardiovascular risk factors., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.)

This study investigates the effectiveness and long-term impact on the composition of the habitual diet of a nutritional intervention programme - undertaken through panels, totems, and table mats or handout leaflets - based on the promotion at a worksite canteen of healthy food-choices resembling the traditional Mediterranean diet. A significantly higher choice of dishes based on wholegrain cereals, legumes, white meat and fish, and a lower choice of dishes based on refined cereals, red and processed meat, eggs and cheese was observed at the end of the intervention and after six months and three years of follow-ups. A significantly better adherence to the nutritional recommendations for saturated-fat, cholesterol, sugars and fibre was observed. This study reveals that a nutritional intervention programme promoting the traditional Mediterranean diet and utilising a minimally intensive approach is feasible and effective to modify in a beneficial way the dietary habits of a working population and keep these changes in the long-term.

Methods: These studies were designed to assess whether wheat polyphenols (mainly ferulic acid [FA]) increased the very-long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (VLC n-3) [eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)] in rats. Wheat aleurone (WA) was used as a dietary source of wheat polyphenols. Two experiments were performed; in the first one, the rats were fed WA or control pellets (CP) in presence of linseed oil (LO) to provide alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the precursor of VLC n-3. In the second one, the rats were fed WA or CP in presence of control oil (CO) without ALA. The concentrations of phenolic acid metabolites in urine were also investigated., Results: The urinary concentration of conjugated FA increased with WA ingestion (p<0.05). Plasma EPA increased by 25% (p<0.05) with WA in the CO group but not in the LO group. In contrast, there was no effect of WA on plasma DHA and omega-6 fatty acids (n-6). Finally, both n-3 and n-6 in the liver remained unchanged by the WA., Conclusion: These results suggest that WA consumption has a significant effect on EPA in plasma without affecting n-6. Subsequent studies are required to examine whether these effects may explain partly the health benefits associated with whole wheat consumption.

An instance of isolated unilateral temporalis muscle hypertrophy (reactive masticatory muscle hypertrophy with fiber type 1 predominance) confirmed by muscle biopsy with histochemical fiber typing and image analysis in a 62 year-old man is reported. The patient presented with bruxism and a painful swelling of the temple. Absence of asymmetry or other abnormalities of the craniofacial skeleton was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and cephalometric analyses. The patient achieved symptomatic improvement only after undergoing botulinum toxin injections. Muscle biopsy is key in the diagnosis of reactive masticatory muscle hypertrophy and its distinction from masticatory muscle myopathy (hypertrophic branchial myopathy) and other non-reactive causes of painful asymmetric temporalis muscle enlargement.

Durum wheat aleurone, thanks to its nutrient-rich composition, might be of potential use as a functional ingredient in cereal-based foods provided nutrients can be made available for absorption. We evaluated the in vitro bioaccessibility of thiamine, niacin, and phenolic acids in different aleurone fractions obtained with an industrial processing aimed to obtain material of different composition and particle size. Results indicate that the main phenolic compounds and vitamins investigated have a higher bioaccessibility when present in the inner part of the aleurone layer compared to the outer part of aleurone or the unfractionated bran. Moreover, an ultramicronization treatment employed to reduce particle size does not further improve the bioaccessibility of these compounds. We conclude that aleurone fractions from durum wheat bran could represent a nutritionally relevant ingredient, bringing together a high fiber content and an excellent bioaccessibility of vitamins and phytochemicals generally associated with nutritional benefits.

Background and Aims: Oxidative stress has been advocated as a major cause for cardiovascular disease (CVD), and low plasma antioxidant concentrations are associated with endothelial dysfunction, the first step towards atherosclerosis. However, although the antioxidant content in fruits and vegetables may explain at least in part their protective effect against CVD, supplementation with antioxidant vitamins fails to improve endothelial function and reduce CVD risk. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a diet rich in antioxidants on endothelial function measured by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in volunteers at low cardiovascular risk., Methods and Results: In a crossover trial, 24 subjects (13 women, mean age 61 ± 3 years), received, in a randomised order, a 14-day high (HT) and a 14-day low (LT) antioxidant diets, with a 2-week wash-out (WO) in between. Both diets were comparable in daily portions of fruits and vegetables, and in alcohol, fibre and macronutrient intake, but differed in their total antioxidant capacity. Before and after each diet, anthropometrics, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, lipid profile, hepatic enzymes, circulating antioxidant concentrations, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and FMD were assessed. FMD increased significantly during the HT diet compared to the LT (p < 0.000). FMD values were 2.3% higher after HT compared with LT (p < 0.001) after adjustment for age, gender and diet order. α-tocopherol increased significantly (p < 0.05) and hs-CRP and of γ-glutamyltranspeptidase decreased significantly (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively) during the HT diet, compared with the LT diet., Conclusions: A short-term HT diet improves endothelial function in volunteers at low cardiovascular risk, which may further reduce their risk of CVD., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

There is limited knowledge about the possible effect of unabsorbed dietary antioxidants that reach the large intestine on bowel habits. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a dietary recommendation directed to increase diet total antioxidant capacity (TAC) is able to affect gut function in human subjects. In this cross-over intervention, nineteen subjects followed a high-TAC (HT) and a low-TAC (LT) diet for 2 weeks, which were comparable for energy, macronutrient, total dietary fibre and alcohol contents. At the end of each intervention period, the 48 h stool output was recorded. In the faecal samples obtained from a subset of nine subjects, moisture, pH, ammonia content, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium counts, faecal water antioxidants and genotoxicity were measured. A 3 d weighed food record was used to assess the diet composition during HT and LT diet intake. Significant increases in the intake of TAC, vitamins E and C and phenolic compounds were observed during the HT diet intake. The higher intake of antioxidants led to increased 48 h stool output (324 (SD 38) g in HT v. 218 (SD 22) g in LT), and to higher TAC and total phenolic concentrations in faecal water. No significant variation in the other measured parameters was observed between the diets. In conclusion, a diet selected to raise the intake of dietary antioxidants is able to increase stool bulk and antioxidant content of faeces.

Background and Aim: The intake of wholemeal foods is consistently associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in epidemiological studies, although the mechanisms of this association are unclear. Here we aim to compare in healthy subjects the metabolic effects of a diet rich in wholemeal wheat foods versus one based on the same products in refined form., Methods and Results: Fifteen healthy individuals (12 M/3 F), mean age 54.5+/-7.6 years, BMI 27.4+/-3.0 kg/m(2) (mean+/-SD), participated in a randomized sequential crossover study. After 2 weeks run-in, participants were randomly assigned to two isoenergetic diets with similar macronutrient composition, one rich in wholemeal wheat foods and the other with the same foods but in refined form (cereal fibre 23.1 vs. 9.8 g/day). After the two treatment periods (each lasting 3 weeks) plasma glucose and lipid metabolism, antioxidant activity, acetic acid, magnesium, adipokines, incretins and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured at fasting and for 4h after a standard test meal (kcal 1103, protein 12%, CHO 53%, fat 35%) based on wholemeal or refined wheat foods, respectively. After the two diets there were no differences in fasting nor in postprandial plasma parameter responses; only glucose was slightly but significantly lower at 240 min after the refined wheat food meal compared to the wholemeal wheat food meal. Conversely, after the wholemeal diet both total (-4.3%; p<0.03) and LDL (-4.9%; p<0.04) cholesterol levels were lower than after the refined wheat diet at fasting., Conclusions: Consumption of wholemeal wheat foods for 3 weeks reduces significantly fasting plasma cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol levels in healthy individuals without major effects on glucose and insulin metabolism, antioxidant status and sub-clinical inflammation markers., ((c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: The ability of probiotic micro-organisms to adhere to the intestinal surface is regarded as a substantial advantage in terms of bacteria persistence in the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of the present study was the development of a method based on fluorescent staining of bacteria and subsequent spectrofluorimetric detection to quantify the adhesion of several strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium to Caco-2 cells., Methods and Results: Lactic acid bacteria strains were subjected to fluorescent staining using the viable probe carboxyfluorescein diacetate and subsequently incubated on Caco-2 monolayers. The adhesion of the micro-organisms was determined by spectrofluorimetry following the lysis of the attached bacterial cells and expressed as adhesion percentage. The values obtained for the micro-organisms tested ranged from 4% for Bifidobacterium infantis Bi1 to 10% for a Bifidobacterium mixture containing three different strains., Conclusions: In the present study we successfully applied fluorescent labelling and fluorimetric detection to investigate the adhesive properties of some Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains and a Bifidobacterium mixture to Caco-2 cells., Significance and Impact of the Study: The results proved that fluorescent labelling is suitable for adhesion studies and provides a reliable and safer alternative to radioactive labelling.

A retrospective study was carried out on eight consecutively treated children, 2 to 14 years of age, seven with toxic epidermal necrolysis and one with transitional-type Stevens-Johnson syndrome. The body surfaces affected ranged from 40% to 100%. Seven of the patients were taking a sulfonamide or anticonvulsant before the onset of their disease. Complete reepithelialization took an average of 15 days, but newly evolving lesions of the lips and oropharynx continued for approximately 4 more weeks. These lesions took an additional 2 to 4 weeks to heal. Only one of the children died.

Case report of a 9-year-old female with a 7cm (length) x 4cm (width) x 1cm (thick) lymphangioma of the tongue. The tumor caused speech distortion, crowding of the anterior maxillary and mandibular teeth, and a prognathic mandible. The patient was evaluated by the members of the Cleft Lip and Palate Team at St. Christopher's Hospital and underwent a complete resection of the tumor and is continuing follow-up care. This case exemplifies the value in a team approach to a variety of intraoral problems.

The cultural bacterial strains of two sediment samples, i.e., 260 strains, were submitted to numerical taxonomy to determine "ecological profiles." From these profiles several calculations of bacterial diversity were done with increasing number of strains (between 10 and 130). Studying 20-30 strains was sufficient to obtain a diversity of bacterial community.Number of tests could be reduced from 62 to 30 without any influence on bacterial diversity. Similarity between studied tests was shown by using numerical taxonomy.

During the spring, an experiment was conducted on the production of natural phytoplankton in a continuous flow layout of large capacity, and an analysis was made of the simultaneous evolution of microplanktonic populations (taxonomic composition, diversity, class ranges, and energetic charge) and of bacterial populations (structure, diversity, dominances, and cetabolic potentialities). Oligotrophic initial conditions were charcterized by a poor (0.22 umg of chlorphyll a/L) and diversified (pigment diversity = 4.5) phytoplankton with nanoplanktonic dominance associated with several benthic type diatoms. Bacterial flora, in which pseudomonads were dominant (54.5%), were also diversified (Shannon index H = 3.57). Metabolic potentialities of these bacterial communities were several. Enrichment of the milieu caused the selection and development of a small number of algal species dominated by the diatoms skeletonema costatum (64 x 106/L) and Chaetoceros (3.2 x 106/L) leading to a paucispecific population with a large biomass, a pigment diversity of 1.97, and a chlorophyll a concentration of 25.08 mu/L. The bacterial community then because diversified (H = 4.12) and, although pseudomonads remained dominant (62%), a larger use of organic micromolecules was noted. The establishment of this phytoplanktonic community was followed by a zooplanktonic development in which larger species succeeded smaller ones (ciliates, tintinnides, rotifers, and copepods) corresponding to the global increase of the phytobiomass. Although this system appeared to be in a phase of relative stability, a decease in the energetic charge showed a disturbance in the physiological state of the planktonic populations. These phenomena led to the vanishing of the diatom's dominance (Chaetoceros, and then S. costatum) and its replacement by nanoplankton (123 x 106 cells/L) and dinoflagellates (300000 cells/L). A modification in the organic wealth of the milieu with the addition of particular complex material that was not or little degraded caused deep disturbances in the bacterial populations. Their diversity reached a very low level (H = 1.56 to 2.25) with a proliferation of vibrions (up to 74%) well equipped with exoenzymes, but more restricted in their nutritional versatility (marked preference for organic macromolecules). During the final phase of experimentation, despite a change in qualitative composition and a more important biomass, microplanktonic and bacterial populations returned to a diversified state nearing that of the initial conditions (pigment diversity = 3.2; H = 3.37).

The proton spin-lattice relaxation time T1 in iron-doped serum was measured with a magnetic resonance imager operating at 0.5 T. The T1 in aqueous solutions of iron and iron-doped solutions of albumin and gamma globulin was also measured in order to analyse the paramagnetic contribution in iron-doped serum. The enhancement in serum is not linearly dependent on concentration of iron added. It is known that Fe(III) added to serum is mainly complexed with transferrin, albumin, gamma globulin and water. With serum pH (7.9) Fe(III) in the protein solution results in enhancement. Fe(III) in water does not cause any enhancement. As a result, the 1/T1 enhancement in serum should be caused solely by iron-binding serum proteins.

Variations of structure (probable taxonomic generic groups; ecological profiles), diversity (Shannon index, ¯H), and average catabolic potentialities (strain's average exoenzyme equipment, EAI; average carbonaceous compound utilization, UAI) of bacterial populations during two experimental phytoplankton blooms are described and show a certain overall unity. Oligotrophic conditions are characterized by high diversity levels (¯H from 3.60 to 4) and moderate catabolic potentialities (EAI and UAI close to 40%). During phytoplankton exponential growth phase bacteria show an EAI stability, but there is an increase of UAI with maximal values at the beginning of chlorophyll plateau (52-57%) and higher values of diversity (¯H greater than 4). Phytoplankton mortalities appear to cause an EAI increase and a decrease of both UAI and ¯H (1.50 to 2). Vibrio-like organisms seem to be closely related to this period.In spite of these similar patterns, many differences appear between both experiments from a taxonomic point of view, the autumnal population being more diversified than the spring one.The results obtained show the value of simultaneous analysis of these different aspects and of this ecological methodology allowing spatial or temporal comparisons.

The A. compare the values of serum ferritin and Desferrioxamine (DFO)-induced sideruria on 73 patients affected by different diseases. The results may be divided into three groups: a first one concerning patients with low serum ferritin and low DFO-induced sideruria, a second one of patients with normal serum ferritin and normal DFO-induced sideruria; in the third group of patients the A. found high values of serum ferritin and high or normal values of DFO-induced sideruria. The different behaviour observed in this III group of patients mostly affected by malignancy may be ascribed, in all those cases with high ferritin and normal sideruria, to a direct production of isoferritins by cancer cells.

The quantitative and qualitative development of a heterotrophic bacterial community in seawater was studied throughout an experimental rearing of the prawnPenaeus japonicus. The maturation of juvenile prawns had been carried out for 8 months in aerated tanks of seawater without any water renewal. Bacteria (337 strains) were isolated from seawater, which had been sampled at different times. Samples from one of the mussels used to feed the prawns and from the digestive tract of one prawn each supplied 40 more strains. 101 tests were performed on each strain, and cluster analysis showed the existence of 4 different groups containing 95% of the sampled strains. Characteristics of the various samples and groups were described in terms of ecotype diversities, catabolic potentialities, nutritional capacities, and morpho-physiological groups. Until nitrification attained a steady state, the heterotrophic community clearly decreased in number and was composed mostly of auxotrophic bacteria (pseudomonads andMoraxella-Acinetobacter groups). These bacteria needed growth factors and were unable to use amino acids (group B). At the end of the experiment (7 months) the bacteria isolated from the water were vibrios and enterobacteria, as were those isolated from the prawn and the mussel. They clustered together in group A. The number of strains that clustered with those of natural seawater (group E) decreased steadily during the experimental period.

The genotypic relationships established by DNA/DNA hybridization in vitro confirm the results obtained by earlier phenotypic analyses of certain vibrio-like marine bacteria. These strains are closely related to the species Photobacterium fischeri, and do not belong to the genus Vibrio. The group of marine, vibrio-like bacteria that require Na+ for growth is genotypically very heterogeneous.