Double tooth

The form of primary and permanent teeth can differ morphologically from that which is considered normal, completely or in some parts. The changes in tooth form can be hereditary or caused by some disease or trauma. Fusion is a union of one or more teeth during development. Gemination means that two separate morphological units were created by division of the tooth germ. The intention of this study was to state the prevalence of double teeth (fusion and gemination) among the persons tested, as to gender, distribution in the maxilla or mandible, and whether the anomaly occurred bilaterally or unilaterally. The results of this investigation have shown that in a total of examined 3,517 plaster models, a prevalence of double teeth was 0.2%. 57.2% of them were fusioned and 42.9% geminated.     

Inbreeding and learning disability in Croatian island isolates

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of learning disability (LD) in isolate populations with different inbreeding coefficients (F). Prevalence of LD and F were determined in 10 villages from five Croatian islands: Brac, Hvar, Korcula, Lastovo and Susak. For the purpose of this study, LD was defined as the inability to attend the public school system. As the elementary schools (grade 1-8) in the place of the study are both public and compulsory, the assessment of child's inability to attend the school is performed at the age of six. This is required by all children in the country based on standard set of tests of cognitive performance defined by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Croatia. The average inbreeding coefficients in each village population (F) were estimated in a random sample of 20-30% adults in each of the 10 villages based on 4 ancestral generations and using Wright's path method. Prevalence of LD ranged from 0.43% to 2.47%, and the inbreeding coefficients ranged from 0.8% to 4.9%. The Pearson's correlation coefficient between F and LD prevalence was 0.80 (p < 0.01). Although the relative risk per 5% inbreeding appeared very high (about 10), the absolute risk only increased from 0.18% to 1.77%. The genetic effect of inbreeding (GEI) was approximately 0.69% and the population-attributable fraction 76.6%. A review of the literature and the results of this study lead to a conclusion that a very large number of predominantly recessive genetic factors might mediate the genetic susceptibility to various forms of LD in these populations.     

Plasma cortisol in men--relationship with atherosclerosis of retinal arteries

The production of cortisol increases in acute stress but the effects of chronic stress on plasma cortisol are still controversial. Stress on the other hand plays a role in coronary artery disease (CAD) and carotid atherosclerosis. Since there is no data about plasma cortisol and atherosclerosis of the retinal arteries, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between plasma cortisol in 101 adult males with the degree of their retinal vessels atherosclerosis. The results were compared with those in 47 matched apparently healthy men with no retinal vessels changes. The atherosclerotic changes of retinal vessels were determined by direct ophthalmoscopy and graded (1-4) according to Scheie. Morning plasma cortisol levels were determined by radioimmunoassay using commercial kits. The results were compared by using chi-square test. No association between morning plasma cortisol concentrations and retinal vessels atherosclerosis could be found. The results of this study do not support a role for physiological levels of plasma cortisol in the development of atherosclerosis, at least of the retinal arteries, in men.     

Gender differences in depression

Depression is twice as common in women as in men, although some concern has been raised in terms of misdiagnosing depression in men. The incidence of depression in women varies during the life span. The peak incidence during childbearing years appears to be associated with cyclic hormonal changes. Women also present with reproductive -specific mood disorders: pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), depression in pregnancy, postpartal mood disorder (PDD) and perimenopausal depressive disorder. Gender differences were repeatedly observed in response to antidepressant medication. Premenopausal women appear to respond poorly and to show low tolerability to TCAs, but they tend to show greater responsiveness to the SSRIs. In contrast, men and postmenopausal women can respond equally to the TCAs and SSRIs. These differences are contributed to gender differences in pharmacokinetics of antidepressants and to the influence of menstrual cycle. These findings suggest the need for a gender-specific approach to the evaluation and management of depression.     

Psychiatric patients' experiences in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and in religious support--a pilot study

In the Psychiatric Hospital "Vrapce" an investigation on a 200 patient sample was carried out in the year 2000. The purpose of the investigation was to analyze the examinees' experiences of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and religious support. 35.5% of the examinees had had previous experiences of CAM and religious support. The examinees born in towns used CAM methods and religious support significantly more often. The schizophrenic patients used CAM methods and religious support significantly more frequently than the patients with affective and anxiety disorders. Non-significantly more often CAM methods and religious support were utilized by women, examinees between 21 and 30 years of age, persons who graduated from junior college, those who live in cohabitation and patients of Islamic religion. Patients consulted priests most often. Significantly more often patients did not pay for the CAM treatments and religious support and non-significantly more often patients considered CAM therapy and religious support to be successful. Non-significantly more often patients consulted CAM practitioners and religious practitioners without being previously advised by their relatives or friends. Relatives ofthe patients advised them to consult CAM practitioners and religious practitioners significantly more often than the friends of the patients did. Considering the possible missed benefits and harm effects of CAM treatment as well as of the interaction between utilization of CAM methods/religious support and conventional treatment, this problem should be given full attention. Further investigations are required.     

Slow rate during AF improves ventricular performance by reducing sensitivity to cycle length irregularity

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is characterized by short and irregular ventricular cycle lengths (VCL). While the beneficial effects of heart rate slowing (i.e., the prolongation of VCL) in AF are well recognized, little is known about the impact of irregularity. In 10 anesthetized dogs, R-R intervals, left ventricular (LV) pressure, and aortic flow were collected for >500 beats during fast AF and when the average VCL was prolonged to 75%, 100%, and 125% of the intrinsic sinus cycle length by selective atrioventricular (AV) nodal vagal stimulation. We used the ratio of the preceding and prepreceding R-R intervals (RR(p)/RR(pp)) as an index of cycle length irregularity and assessed its effects on the maximum LV power, the minimum of the first derivative of LV pressure, and the time constant of relaxation by using nonlinear fitting with monoexponential functions. During prolongation of VCL, there was a pronounced decrease in curvature with the formation of a plateau, indicating a lesser dependence on RR(p)/RR(pp). We conclude that prolongation of the VCL during AF reduces the sensitivity of the LV performance parameters to irregularity.     

Cell prestress. II. Contribution of microtubules

The tensegritymodel hypothesizes that cytoskeleton-based microtubules (MTs) carrycompression as they balance a portion of cell contractile stress. Totest this hypothesis, we used traction force microscopy to measuretraction at the interface of adhering human airway smooth muscle cellsand a flexible polyacrylamide gel substrate. The prediction is that ifMTs balance a portion of contractile stress, then, upon theirdisruption, the portion of stress balanced by MTs would shift to thesubstrate, thereby causing an increase in traction. Measurements weredone first in maximally activated cells (10 µM histamine) and thenagain after MTs had been disrupted (1 µM colchicine). We found that after disruption of MTs, traction increased on average by ~13%. Because in activated cells colchicine induced neither an increase inintracellular Ca²⁺ nor an increase in myosin light chainphosphorylation as shown previously, we concluded that the observedincrease in traction was a result of load shift from MTs to thesubstrate. In addition, energy stored in the flexible substrate wascalculated as work done by traction on the deformation of thesubstrate. This result was then utilized in an energetic analysis. Weassumed that cytoskeleton-based MTs are slender elastic rods supportedlaterally by intermediate filaments and that MTs buckle as the cellcontracts. Using the post-buckling equilibrium theory of Euler struts,we found that energy stored during buckling of MTs was quantitativelyconsistent with the measured increase in substrate energy afterdisruption of MTs. This is further evidence supporting the idea thatMTs are intracellular compression-bearing elements.

     

Synthesis and intramolecular transesterifications of pivaloylated methyl alpha-D-galactopyranosides

Selective pivaloylations of methyl alpha-D-galactopyranoside have been studied under various reaction conditions. Partially pivaloylated products were submitted to additional acetylations. The structures were established by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies. Both, 2,6- and 3,6-dipivalates underwent intramolecular cyclization in neutral conditions (phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.2) to give a stable 2,3-orthoacid with a parallel 6-->4 migration of the pivaloyl group.     

Application of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry for monitoring the digestion of phosphatidylcholine by pancreatic phospholipase A(2)

Different methods were established for monitoring the phospholipase A(2)(PLA(2)) activity but all of them are rather cumbersome and time consuming. In this paper we have investigated the suitability of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the determination of the PLA(2) activity. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) was digested with pancreatic PLA(2) under different conditions, i.e., various Ca(2+), PC, and PLA(2) concentrations. The digestion products were analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS and the concentration of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC)-generated upon PLA(2) digestion-was determined by the application of an internal standard (known concentration) and by a comparison of their signal-to-noise ratios. The results clearly demonstrate that the LPC concentration determined from the MALDI-TOF mass spectra correlates directly with the activity of the applied enzyme. Additionally, LPC concentration increased with an increase in Ca(2+), as well as in the PC concentration. A single MALDI-TOF mass spectrum provides immediate information on the digestion products as well as on the residual substrate without requirements for any previous derivatization. MALDI-TOF MS can be easily and simply applied for monitoring the PLA(2) activity and we assume that this method might also be useful for other types of phospholipases.