One-half Hour Research Articles

Cerebral hypothermia is not neuroprotective when started after postischemic seizures in fetal sheep.

Prolonged cerebral hypothermia is neuroprotective if started within a few hours of hypoxia-ischemia. However, delayed seizure activity is one of the major clinical indicators of an adverse prognosis after perinatal asphyxia. The aim of this study was to determine whether head cooling delayed until after the onset of postasphyxial seizures may still be neuroprotective. Unanesthetized near-term fetal sheep in utero received 30 min of cerebral ischemia induced by bilateral carotid artery occlusion. Eight and one-half hours later, they received either cooling (n = 5) or sham cooling (n = 13) until 72 h after the insult. Intrauterine cooling, induced by circulating cold water through a coil around the fetal head, was titrated to reduce fetal extradural temperature from 39.4+/-0.1 degrees C to between 30 and 33 degrees C. Cerebral ischemia led to the delayed development of intense epileptiform activity from 6 to 8 h postinsult, followed by a marked secondary rise in cortical impedance (a measure of cytotoxic edema) and in carotid blood flow. Cerebral cooling markedly attenuated the secondary rise in impedance and reduced carotid blood flow (p < 0.001). After 5 d recovery, there was no significant difference in loss of parietal EEG activity relative to baseline in the hypothermia compared with the control group (-12.5+/-1.4 versus -15.2+/-1.2 dB, mean +/- SEM, NS) or in parasagittal cortical neuronal loss (82+/-9 versus 90+/-5%, NS). In conclusion, delayed prolonged head cooling begun after the onset of postischemic seizures was not neuroprotective. These data highlight the importance of intervention in the latent phase, after reperfusion but before the onset of secondary injury.

Effect of Magnesium Hydroxide Administration on Iron Absorption after a Supratherapeutic Dose of Ferrous Sulfate in Human Volunteers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Study objective: Animal models have demonstrated that administration of magnesium hydroxide (MgOH) decreases serum iron levels after an iron overdose. We designed this study to determine the effect of MgOH administration on iron absorption and adverse effects after a supratherapeutic dose of ferrous sulfate in healthy male volunteers. Methods: We conducted a prospective, unblinded, randomized trial involving 16 healthy, fasting men. All subjects ingested a 10-mg/kg dose of elemental iron in the form of ferrous sulfate. One-half hour after the iron dose, the 8 subjects in the experimental group were given 5 mg of MgOH for every 1 mg of ingested elemental iron. Serum iron levels were obtained at baseline and at each subsequent hour for 6 or 7 hours. Serum magnesium levels were obtained at baseline, after 3 hours, and after 6 hours. Side effects were recorded hourly. Serum iron levels between groups were compared by repeated-measures ANOVA and ANCOVA. The 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the difference in serum iron levels between groups at each time point and for the difference in peak serum iron level between groups were calculated. Results: Baseline mean serum iron levels did not differ between the 2 groups ( P =.28). There were no statistical differences between groups ( P =.20). Mean serum iron levels at each time point and peak serum iron levels did not differ significantly between groups. The mean peak serum iron level was 300.8 μg/dL in the control group and 272.5 μg/dL in the experimental group. Conclusion: Administration of MgOH does not affect iron absorption in humans after a supratherapeutic dose of iron when the ratio of MgOH to elemental iron is 5:1. [Snyder BK, Clark RF: Effect of magnesium hydroxide administration on iron absorption after a supratherapeutic dose of ferrous sulfate in human volunteers: A randomized controlled trial. Ann Emerg Med April 1999;33:400-405.]

Walking With Students to Increase Satisfaction and Retention

The Walking Office Hours exercise was originally instituted as a requirement in an introductory health topics class. Students were required, in pairs, to walk with the instructor for one-half hour on campus. This activity was seen so positively by students that it was repeated as a requirement for a human resources management class. In both courses, students unanimously reported a higher “comfort level” with the instructor following the walk and believed Walking Office Hours should be repeated in future classes. Although this classroom research project involved students walking with a professor, the activity could easily be adapted so advisors could walk with students.

Young Mothers' Time Spent at Work and Time Spent Caring for Children

The association between the time a mother spends at work and in different child care activities is investigated, using data from the 1981 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). The mothers who worked on the index day spent almost one hour less time in physical care, one-half hour less time in interactive care, and over two hours less time in passive supervision of their children. The effects of a set of predictors on time use at work, time use in physical care, interactive care, and passive supervision of children were estimated using a covariance structure model. When the effects of these predictors are controlled, the number of hours at work predicts: (a) a small reduction in time spent in interactive care, and (b) larger reductions in time spent in physical care and passive supervision.

The Mouse That Roared: Saito Takao, Conservative Critic of Japan's "Holy War" in China

On March 7, 1940, Saito Takao, a conservative Diet member repre- senting a rural constituency, was expelled from the Diet as punishment for a speech he had given in the Diet on February 2, 1940, criticizing Japan's holy war in China. Leading the push for Saito's expulsion were numerous figures who later held top positions in the Nihon Shakaito (Japan Socialist Party). By analyzing Saito's speech and the movement to expel him, this essay attempts to provide a new perspective on 1930s militarism and the questions of who profited from it and who supported it. On February 2, 1940, Saito Takao, longtime Minseito Diet member from Hyogo Prefecture, gave a one and one-half hour speech in the seventy-fifth session of the Diet. He sharply questioned the prosecution and justification of Japan's holy war (seisen) in China. For the next month, Saito's criti- cisms and how he was to be punished for making them dominated domestic headlines and attracted international attention. Despite substantial evidence of popular support for Saito, a coalition of reformist and leftist forces pushed for his expulsion. This came on March 7, 1940. In the rancor that came with the expulsion, Shadait6 (Social Masses Party), the third largest party, split. All parties dissolved themselves in the weeks that followed. Saito's speech effectively marked the end of the Diet as a forum for even the most limited criticism of militarism and fascism in Japan. Nevertheless, despite the apparent importance of the incident, neither Saito nor his speech has been given much attention in postwar Japanese writing. Mention is com- monly the limit of coverage. None, or at most a fragment of the specific content, of his criticism is given. More important, postwar histories gener- ally fail to note, let alone explain, why Saito was expelled from the Diet by forces identified at the time as progressive or reformist. Throughout this essay, I use terms such as progressive, leftist, renova- tionist, reformist, and conservative without direct definition. Essentially my

Dopamine Release During Ethanol Drinking in AA Rats

The dopamine overflow in the nucleus accumbens of rats from the high alcohol drinking AA line was measured by microdialysis before, during, and after one-half hour sessions of cued drinking of ethanol flavored with saccharin and peppermint or, as a control, saccharin-peppermint drinking. The animals had had extensive previous experience with ethanol drinking. Self-administration of the ethanol solution did not raise the dopamine level substantially: there was a small (17%) but significant increase only during the first 10 min after the onset of drinking. Giving the rats a cue for ethanol, which was part of their daily routine drinking regime, did not raise the dopamine level before ethanol was presented to the rats (i.e., during "anticipation"). The results are consistent with our previous studies showing a lack of a large ethanol-induced dopamine response in rats with previous experience of drinking ethanol and with the idea that although dopamine may play some role in alcohol drinking, it is not the central substrate producing the reinforcement from ethanol in AA rats.

Analysis of Peak Magnitude and Duration of Analgesia Produced by Local Anesthetics Injected into Sympathetic Ganglia of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Patients

Pain-relieving effects of lidocaine/bupivicaine local anesthetic (LA) and saline (S) block of sympathetic ganglia (stellate block, 4 patients; lumbar sympathetic block, 3 patients) were compared in 7 complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) patients on a double-blind crossover basis to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic value of local anesthetic sympathetic blocks. Patients rated their pain on a visual analog scale before and after blocks and were tested for mechanical allodynia one-half hour after blocks. Thereafter, they rated their pain intensity in diaries four times a day for 7 days. Each patient received two blocks, S and LA, and served as his own control. Both S and LA injections of sympathetic ganglia produced large reductions in pain intensity in 6 of 7 patients 30 minutes after block. These large reductions were accompanied by the reversal of mechanical allodynia in both S and LA. The mean difference between initial peak reduction in pain intensity produced by saline (68.7%) and active local anesthetic (74.4%) did not approach statistical significance. In striking contrast, the mean duration of pain relief was reliably longer in the case of LA (3 days, 18 hours) as compared with S ( 19.9 hours), a difference that occurred in all 7 patients. In a larger sample of 41 CRPS patients, signs of sympathetic efferent blockade, including Homer' s syndrome or skin surface temperature change, were not predictive of initial peak magnitude of pain relief from sympathetic blockade but were predictive of duration of pain reduction. The combination of these results provides evidence that duration of pain relief is affected by injection of local anesthetics into sympathetic ganglia. These results indicate that both magnitude and duration of pain reduction should be closely monitored to provide optimal efficacy in procedures that use local anesthetics to treat CRPS.

Ketamine blocks a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) in neonatal rats 1

MICKLEY, G. A., M. A. SCHALDACH, K. J. SNYDER, S. A. BALOGH, T. LEN, K. NEIMANIS, P. M. GOULIS, J. HUG, K. SAUCHAK, D. R. REMMERS-ROEBER, C. WALKER AND B. K. YAMAMOTO. Ketamine Blocks a Conditioned Taste Aversion (CTA) in Neonatal Rats. PHYSIOL BEHAV 64(3) 381–390, 1998.—These experiments explored the effects of glutamate, N-methyl- d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blockade on the formation, retention, and expression of conditioned taste aversion (CTA) in young rats. Previous data from our laboratory suggested that ketamine administration potentiates a CTA in E18 rat fetuses. The current studies investigated this phenomenon in neonates. High-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods were used to determine the amount of ketamine that must be injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) to achieve brain ketamine levels in neonates comparable to those found in the fetuses from our previous experiments. Then, on their day of birth, Sprague–Dawley rat pups received injections of either 0.1, 10, or 70 mg/kg of ketamine HCl, i.p. or a Sal control injection. One-half hour later, pups were injected orally with either Saccharin (Sac; 10 μL of 0.3%) or water followed by an injection of either lithium chloride (LiCl; 81 mg/kg) or Sal (i.p.). The CTA was evaluated in two different tests. Two weeks after conditioning, the dam was anesthetized and the frequency with which pups attached to Sac-painted nipples versus nipples painted with water was measured (i.e., the nipple taste test, NTT). Controls for state-dependent learning were run in which 10 mg/kg of ketamine or saline (Sal) was administered before both taste aversion conditioning and the NTT. After weaning, the CTA was also evaluated by measuring the amount of Sac (0.3%) or water consumed during a two-bottle test. Neonates that received Sal control injections before the Sac + LiCl pairing acquired CTAs and avoided Sac-painted nipples. However, the pups injected with ketamine on the conditioning day only (P0) did not avoid Sac-painted nipples (as compared to controls). Pups that had ketamine both at the time of CTA training and testing, or just before the NTT, also failed to avoid Sac-painted nipples. Ketamine’s acute effects apparently influenced the outcome of the NTT of state-dependent control subjects. Rat pups that received the highest doses of ketamine (10 or 70 mg/kg) and tasted Sac on P0 later failed to show a neophobia for Sac-painted nipples. Whereas, rat pups that received the high dose of ketamine and water on P0, later exhibited a neophobic response. These data suggest that ketamine did not impair the animal’s ability to taste Sac. These data reflecting a ketamine-induced blockade of neonatal CTAs may be contrasted with our previous findings in which ketamine potentiated fetal CTAs. However, they are in consonance with data from adult rats suggesting that ketamine can cause an amnesia for CTAs. NMDA receptor blockade may shape memory formation in a manner that is dependent on the stage of brain development.

EFFECT OF BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINO ACID INGESTION ON MODERATE AND HIGH INTESITY CYCLING

92 The aim of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplements reduce brain serotonin systhesis resulting in increased time to exhaustion, work output and reduced perception of effort (RPE). Twenty, 16 male and 4 female endurance-trained cyclists cycled for 60 min at 70-75% max VO2, followed immediately by cycling to exhaustion. One-half hour prior to exercise, immediately before exercise, and 30 min into exercise, ad random and double-blind, gels that contained supplements of: Trial A 25 g of a placebo (zanthan), Trial B, a 25 g CHO gel plus BCAAs (8.8 mg valine, 18 mg leucine, and 6.3 mg isoleucine), and Trial C, 25 g CHO gel plus BCAAs (99 mg valine, 368 mg leucine and < 20 mg isoleucine) were ingested. Time to exhaustion, work output and RPE were not significantly different between trials. However, when B and C trials were combined 11 subjects demonstrated improved endurance capacity compared to trial A. No significant difference was found for post-exercise blood glucose or lactic acid levels. These data suggest that manipulation of BCAA supplementation either has no effect on serotonin activity during exhaustive exercise or that during exhaustive exercise of short duration serotonin does not contribute to mechanisms of fatigue.

ISOFLURANE DECREASES THE DURATION OF LEFT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION AFTER GLOBAL ISCHEMIA IN DOGS

INTRODUCTION. Previous data indicate that isoflurane (ISO) exposure prior to regional ischemia and reperfusion enhances return of regional contractile function [1]. This study examined the effect of ISO pretreatment on recovery of left ventricular (LV) pump function following global ischemia and reperfusion in dogs. METHODS. After Animal Care Committee approval, 11 dogs anesthetized with alpha-chloralose/morphine/nitrous oxide were instrumented for measurement of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and stroke volume index (SVI). After thoracotomy and baseline measurements, 5 dogs received 1.5% ISO for one-half hour and treatment measurements were obtained, while 6 control animals did not receive ISO. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was then induced by rapid pacing current applied to the LV. After 8 minutes of VF, epinephrine (20[micro sign]g/kg) and sodium bicarbonate (1 meq/kg) were injected and open chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed for 3 minutes. Internal defibrillation was then performed, and measurements were obtained at hourly intervals for 12 hours. During this time, all animals were ventilated with room air alone. RESULTS. Data are shown in Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, and Figure 4. Following VF, both groups demonstrated similar changes in MAP and heart rate. However, control animals experienced a substantially greater decrease in SVI and LV stroke work index (SWI) between 3 and 10 hours post-VF than did dogs pretreated with ISO.Figure 1Figure 2Figure 3Figure 4DISCUSSION. These data indicate that ISO pretreatment prior to global ischemia accelerates recovery of LV function after an initial period of dysfunction.

George Drew and the Rabbis: Religious Education in Ontario’s Public Schools

In 1944, Ontario Premier George Drew’s minority Conservative government introduced compulsory religious education into the Province’s public schools. The enabling legislation, the “Drew Regulation,” prescribed two one-half hour periods of religious instruction per week. A response to world-wide godlessness symbolized by Nazi Germany’s crimes, remarkably, the Drew Regulation remained in place for forty-six years. Over time it became clear that the Regulation was being used for decidedly Protestant purposes, and the task of opposing the Regulation fell to the Jewish community. The Jewish community, sensitive to the abuses visited on Jewish and other minority children by this Regulation, was nevertheless hamstrung by its reticence to assume a high public profile, especially when this meant clashing with deeply-felt convictions of the general community. Among the most outspoken critics of the Regulation in the Jewish community was Rabbi Abraham Feinberg, spiritual leader of Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple who found himself at odds, not only with the general community, but also, for various reasons, with sectors of the Jewish establishment.

Evaluation of the Potential for Health Effects Due to Short-Term Emissions of Metals from Incinerators

Half-hour ground level concentrations (GLCs) resulting from worst case emissions of five metals from three types of incinerators were determined assuming that worst case dispersion occurred. For a hazardous waste incinerator (HWI), the metals' GLCs were determined for two situations with extreme assumptions: (1) all of the particulate emissions were composed of a single metal and (2) 5% of the total feed to the incinerator was a single metal. Metal GLCs were also calculated for the HWI, a municipal waste combustor (MWC), and a medical waste incinerator (MWI) under two scenarios : (1) assuming an emergency bypass of the air pollution control equipment (APCE) and (2) using the maximum metals emissions in a comprehensive U.S. database. These GLCs were compared with Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) standards that protect workers from potentially dangerous short-term exposures. The IDLH levels were greater than the maximum one-half hour GLCs by at least a factor of 26, and in most cases by a factor of thousands. Since short-term metal emissions will not cause adverse health effects, regulators can focus on chronic hazards from metals. Long averaging times, such as weeks or months, can be specified. Real-time emissions data are not needed, so continuous samplers with periodic analysis provide adequate monitoring information.

Effect of Confinement Stress on Circulating Levels of Growth Hormone and Two Prolactins in Freshwater-Adapted Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The aim of the present study was to assess a potential link between confinement stress and prolactin (PRL), the hormone responsible for adaptation to a hypoosmotic environment in freshwater-adapted tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The effect of stress on plasma levels of the two tilapia PRL forms, tiPRLI(or tiPRL188) and tiPRLII(or tiPRL177), was examined along with the effects on plasma levels of cortisol and growth hormone (GH). In a preliminary study, various sampling protocols (immediate sampling; sampling one by one; anesthesia at 0.5, 1, 2 ml/liter phenoxyethanol) were tested for their ability to modify basal plasma PRL and cortisol. In fish sampled within 1 min of capture (immediate sampling), no changes in the plasma levels of these hormones were observed, whereas when fish were sampled one at a time, PRL levels did not change but cortisol levels were modified. The immediate sampling protocol was used to study the effects of 1 hr confinement stress, which induced a large increase in plasma cortisol levels as well as increases tiPRLIand tiPRLIIlevels with kinetics similar to those of cortisol. In contrast, plasma tiGH levels significantly decreased after 1 hr confinement. When this stress situation was removed, plasma cortisol and tiPRL levels decreased and plasma GH levels increased. Two and one-half hours later, values were not significantly different from those measured in control fish. In tilapia exposed to 24 hr confinement stress, similar changes in hormone levels were observed. However, after 24 hr confinement, only cortisol levels were significantly different from those measured in control fish. None of these stress conditions significantly changed plasma chloride levels. Together, these results indicate that both PRL and GH have important roles in the adaptive response of freshwater-adapted tilapia to confinement stress.

Interrelated adrenocortical and neurohypophysial responses associated with fever in endotoxin-treated pigs.

Low intravenous doses of endotoxin [lipopolysaccharide (LPS), 0.7 microgram/kg] induce monophasic fever, increase anterior and posterior pituitary hormone release, and enhance hypothalamic c-Fos expression in pigs, all of which can be prevented by indomethacin (Ind). The present study shows that the synthetic corticosteroid dexamethasone (Dex, 5 mg/kg) has a similar action to Ind and, when given alone, lowers core temperature. In addition, the corticosteroid synthesis inhibitor metyrapone (Met, 3.3 mg/kg, every one-half hour) reduces LPS fever and amplifies the effect of LPS on vasopressin, but not on oxytocin, release. The similar actions of Dex and Ind suggest that phospholipase A2 pathways controlling prostaglandin synthesis mediate the responses of prepubertal pigs to immunological challenge with LPS. The increased vasopressin release induced when animals receiving Met are also given LPS supports findings in other nonrodent species indicating an inverse relationship between cortisol and vasopressin. The attenuation of LPS fever by Met is suggestive of an endogenous antipyretic mechanism associated with enhanced neurohypophysial vasopressin secretion.

Nitric Oxide Reverses Aspirin Antagonism of t-PA Thrombolysis in a Rabbit Model of Thromboembolic Stroke

Randomized trials of thrombolytic therapy in stroke have reported an improvement in neurologic outcome; however, the addition of aspirin has resulted in a significantincreasein mortality and antagonism of clot lysis in clinical and animal studies, respectively. This finding is in contradistinction to the known synergy in mortality reduction for aspirin and thrombolytics in myocardial infarction. It is hypothesized that aspirin antagonism of clot lysis is related to inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) and may be reversed by providing a source of NO. Twenty rabbits were treated with aspirin (20 mg/kg, iv) prior to internal carotid clot embolization. One-half hour following embolization, rabbits were randomized to receive vehicle (n=5), the NO precursorl-arginine (300 mg/kg, iv bolus at 0.5 and 2.5 h postembolus;n=5), or a nitric oxide donor (nitroprusside, 1 mg/kg/h, ia, or nitroglycerin, 10 μg/kg/min, iv,n=5 each agent). Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) (6.3 mg/kg) was administered from 1 to 3 h after embolization. Lysis of the tin-tagged clot was followed with serial X rays and gross examination. No rabbit in the control group experienced complete clot lysis. However, 2 of 5 rabbits in thel-arginine group and 6 of 10 rabbits in the nitric oxide donor (nitroprusside and nitroglycerin) groups noted complete clot lysis (P<0.05, Fisher exact test). Thus, administration of an NO donor (nitroglycerin or nitroprusside) and, to a lesser extentl-arginine, reversed aspirin's antagonism of t-PA thrombolysis. This study may help explain the discrepant results seen with aspirin and thrombolytics.

The effect of intravenous ketorolac given intraoperatively versus postoperatively on outcome from gynecologic abdominal surgery

Study Objectives: To examine the effect of timing of an intravenous (IV) dose (intraoperative vs. postoperative) of ketorolac tromethamine on pain scores and overall outcome after total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) and myomectomy. Design: Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Patients: 248 ASA physical status I and II adult female patients scheduled for elective hysterectomy or myomectomy. Interventions: General anesthesia was administered that consisted of thiopental sodium for induction, enflurane or isoflurane in nitrous oxide-oxygen for maintenance, and small doses of fentanyl and midazolam. Patients were randomized into three groups to receive toradol/placebo on a dosing schedule of dose 1 given one-half hour prior to expected end of surgery, dose 2 given on awakening in the postanesthesia care unit, and doses 3, 4, and 5 given at 6, 12, and 18 hours, respectively, after dose 2; Group 1 patients received placebo (saline) for dose 1, ketorolac 60 mg IV for dose 2, and ketorolac 30 mg IV for doses 3, 4, and 5. Group 2 patients received ketorolac 60 mg IV for dose 1, placebo for dose 2, and ketorolac 30 mg IV for doses 3, 4, and 5. Group 3 patients received placebo for all doses. All patients were given IV morphine PCA postoperatively, and morphine usages, visual analog pain intensity (VAS) scores, as well as adverse events and median times to recovery milestones were recorded. Measurements and Main Results: VAS scores (mean) before dose 2 were significantly lower in Group 2 than Group 1, as were at-rest evaluations at 15 minutes and one hour. Group 2 patients also had decreased morphine requirements as compared to placebo. Both ketorolac groups (Groups 1 and 2) had significantly higher values for patient and observer overall ratings, ease of nursing care, and tolerability as compared to placebo (Group 3). There were no significant differences among groups in adverse events or median times to recovery milestones. Conclusions: Although it is possible to demonstrate an improvement in early postoperative pain scores with intraoperative ketorolac and better overall ratings of ketorolac both intraoperatively and postoperatively as compared with placebo, the lack of clinically significant differences in analgesic efficacy in the two active study groups indicates the need for a careful consideration by the clinician of the risks versus benefits involved in the administration of antiplatelet medication in the perioperative period.

Hyaluronan polymer size modulates intraocular pressure.

To investigate whether the occasional increase in intraocular pressure that may arise following injection of sodium hyaluronan into the anterior segment during intraocular surgery is related to the polymer size of hyaluronan, controlled fragmentation of hyaluronan chains in vitro was obtained using progressive incubation with testicular hyaluronidase. The profile of molecular sizes of the hyaluronan polymers in various preparations was determined using molecular sieve column chromatography. Individual preparations were injected into six rabbit eyes and intraocular pressures were measured every one-half hour for 12 hours. Longer incubations of hyaluronan with hyaluronidase resulted in more extensive degradation with accumulation of shorter chain lengths. In the rabbit, mean intraocular pressure for 12 hours following intracameral injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) is proportional to the polymer size of HA. The occasional elevation of intraocular pressure that occurs following injection of hyaluronan during ophthalmic surgery can be avoided in part by assuring the rapid fragmentation of the large molecular size hyaluronan polymer.

Salivary Glands, Their Hormones, and Thermoregulationa

The effects of the removal of the submandibular glands (sialadenectomy) on the fever induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were examined. Thermally sensitive radiotransmitters were implanted into the abdomens of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats that experienced at this time either a sham operation or a sialadenectomy, and one week later body temperatures were recorded by telemetry in these rats when conscious. The initial fever (up to 180 min following LPS) response, following the intraperitoneal injection of 150 micrograms/kg E. coli LPS, was similar in the two groups of rats, but the second phase of the fever (240 to 420 min post-LPS) was modestly, but significantly higher (mean = 0.26 degree C) in sialadenectomized rats. A submandibular gland peptide (compound T; 100 micrograms/kg), given one-half hour before the LPS, did not affect the early fever, but suppressed the late-phase fever by 0.37 degree C (mean). The submandibular glands, which form an integral part of the neuroendocrine mechanisms responsible for attenuating the responses of the immune system to inflammatory stimuli, also appear to modulate thermogenic responses to these stimuli.

Power research— who needs it?

First and second-year undergraduate students frequently need help developing a research topic, identifying keywords, designing a search strategy, and using a variety of databases and basic reference sources to gather information. In addition, many have not yet developed skills for evaluating the information they do find. To offer beginning researchers assistance on learning how to approach and work through a research problem, a one and one-half hour “Power Research Workshop” was developed. The workshop and workshop materials are described, and an analysis of the successes and failures of the workshop is presented.

Sequential daily relations of sleep, pain intensity, and attention to pain among women with fibromyalgia

Fifty women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FS) recorded their sleep quality, pain intensity, and attention to pain for 30 days, using palm-top computers programmed as electronic interviewers. They described their previous night's sleep quality within one-half hour of awakening each day, and at randomly selected times in the morning, afternoon, and evening rated their present pain in 14 regions and attention to pain during the last 30 min. We analyzed the 30-day aggregates cross-sectionally at the across-persons level and the pooled data set of 1500 person-days at the within-persons level after adjusting for between-persons variation and autocorrelation. Poorer sleepers tended to report significantly more pain. A night of poorer sleep was followed by a significantly more painful day, and a more painful day was followed by a night of poorer sleep. Pain attention and sleep were unrelated at the across-persons level of analysis. But there was a significant bi-directional within-person association between pain attention and sleep quality that was not explained by changes in pain intensity.