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At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Between feast and famine: endogenous inducer synthesis in the adaptation of Escherichia coli to growth with limiting carbohydrates.

Escherichia coli adapted to growth with low carbohydrate concentrations bypassed the requirement for exogenous inducer with at least three well-studied sugar regulons. Induction of mgl and gal genes became independent of added galactose in bacteria approaching stationary phase or during continuous culture with micromolar glucose in the medium. Bacteria became independent of exogenous induction because endogenous galactose and cyclic AMP (cAMP) pools were sufficient for high expression of mgl and gal genes under glucose limitation. Limitation-stimulated induction of mgl was dependent on a functional galETK operon for synthesis of the inducer galactose. Intracellular galactose levels were maximal not during starvation (or slow steady-state growth rates approaching starvation) but at fast growth rates with micromolar glucose. The extent of mgl/gal induction correlated better with inducer availability than with cAMP concentrations under all conditions tested. Endogenous inducer accumulation represents an adaptation to low-nutrient environments, leading to derepression of high-affinity transport systems like Mgl essential for bacterial competitiveness at low nutrient concentrations.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed2001

A descriptive feast but an evaluative famine: systematic review of published articles on primary care computing during 1980-97.

OBJECTIVES: To appraise findings from studies examining the impact of computers on primary care consultations. DESIGN: Systematic review of world literature from 1980 to 1997. DATA SOURCES: 5475 references were identified from electronic databases (Medline, Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index, Index of Scientific and Technical Proceedings, Embase, OCLC FirstSearch Proceedings), bibliographies, books, identified articles, and by authors active in the field. 1892 eligible abstracts were independently rated, and 89 studies met the inclusion criteria. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Effect on doctors' performance and patient outcomes; attitudes towards computerisation. RESULTS: 61 studies examined effects of computers on practitioners' performance, 17 evaluated their impact on patient outcome, and 20 studied practitioners' or patients' attitudes. Computer use during consultations lengthened the consultation. Reminder systems for preventive tasks and disease management improved process rates, although some returned to pre-intervention levels when reminders were stopped. Use of computers for issuing prescriptions increased prescribing of generic drugs, and use of computers for test ordering led to cost savings and fewer unnecessary tests. There were no negative effects on those patient outcomes evaluated. Doctors and patients were generally positive about use of computers, but issues of concern included their impact on privacy, the doctor-patient relationship, cost, time, and training needs. CONCLUSIONS: Primary care computing systems can improve practitioner performance, particularly for health promotion interventions. This may be at the expense of patient initiated activities, making many practitioners suspicious of the negative impact on relationships with patients. There remains a dearth of evidence evaluating effects on patient outcomes.

Bibliometrics↗
PubMed1990

Diarrhoea of famine and malnutrition--investigations using a rat model. 2--Ileal hypersecretion induced by starvation.

The effects of progressive starvation for up to three days on the basal and secretagogue stimulated secretory functions of the rat ileum were investigated in vitro and in vivo. The secretagogues used included agents acting via cyclic AMP (dibutyryl cyclic AMP, theophylline, forskolin, and PGE2) and those acting via Ca++ (acetylcholine, bethanecol, carbachol, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and A23187). Starving rats for 24 h (day 1) had no effect on the basal electrogenic secretion (measured as the short circuit current, Isc muamps/cm2) or on the stimulated maximum electrogenic secretion (measured as the delta Isc where delta Isc = maxIsc-basal Isc). By day 2 of starvation, however, both the basal Isc and the delta Isc induced by all the secretagogues were significantly greater than in the fed and increased even more on day 3. Replacement of all the chloride ions and inhibition by furosemide indicated that the enhanced secretion was due mainly to chloride ions. Cholinergic stimulation was blocked by atropine, indicating the stimulation was via muscarinic receptors while cholinergic dose - delta Isc response curves for fed and starved ilea showed significantly increased maximum electrogenic secretory response in the latter but no evidence of any change in the affinity (ED50) of the receptors mediating the response. The basal secretion and the secretory response to acetylcholine in both fed and starved ilea was unaffected by tetrodotoxin, revealing that the enhanced secretory response could be expressed via the muscarinic receptors on the enterocytes without the enteric neural network. Measurement of ileal fluid movement in vivo showed that in fed and day 1 starved rats the basal, unstimulated 'tone' of the ileum was absorptive. On day 2, however, the basal 'tone' had reversed to one of secretion which increased further on day 3. Stimulation of fluid secretion in vivo by bethanecol, carbachol, or PGE2 induced larger increases in the starved ilea by day 2 which increased even further on day 3. Lumenal chloride and bicarbonate concentrations were greater in the starved ileal fluid than in the fed. The studies in rat ileum confirm and extend those on rat jejunum and indicate that starvation creates a hypersensitive small bowel that responds to secretagogues and cholinergic neurotransmitters with a greatly enhanced secretory response.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1997

Nutritional assessment of two famine prone Ethiopian communities.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To compare two ethnically distinct Ethiopian populations (Oromo Arsi in Elka in the Rift Valley and Anyuak in Punjido in Gambella) for two widely used anthropometric indices of protein-energy malnutrition: body mass index < 18.5 and arm muscle circumference < 80% of the median of the US NHANES reference data. DESIGN: Anthropometric measurements were made in two cross sectional community surveys. SETTING: The Elka village in the central Rift Valley and the Punjido village in western Ethiopia. PARTICIPANTS: 1170 and 560 people from all age groups in Elka and Punjido, respectively. MAIN RESULTS: Estimates of the prevalence of malnutrition in each group differed considerably when defined from the body mass index, but were quite similar when the arm muscle circumference was used. Data for children indicated that the boys and girls in one group (Punjido) were taller but had about the same weights for age as those in the other group (Elka), suggesting that the low body mass indices among the Punjido might have a genetic basis. CONCLUSIONS: Body mass index systematically overestimates the prevalence of malnutrition among the Anyuaks in Punjido. Local reference data from a well nourished Anyuak sample or from an ethnically related population is needed to evaluate appropriately malnutrition using the body mass index. This study shows that care must be taken when assessing different ethnic groups using existing international anthropometric references.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1951

Famine.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Female↗
PubMed2006

The comparative physiology of food deprivation: from feast to famine.

The ability of animals to survive food deprivation is clearly of considerable survival value. Unsurprisingly, therefore, all animals exhibit adaptive biochemical and physiological responses to the lack of food. Many animals inhabit environments in which food availability fluctuates or encounters with appropriate food items are rare and unpredictable; these species offer interesting opportunities to study physiological adaptations to fasting and starvation. When deprived of food, animals employ various behavioral, physiological, and structural responses to reduce metabolism, which prolongs the period in which energy reserves can cover metabolism. Such behavioral responses can include a reduction in spontaneous activity and a lowering in body temperature, although in later stages of food deprivation in which starvation commences, activity may increase as food-searching is activated. In most animals, the gastrointestinal tract undergoes marked atrophy when digestive processes are curtailed; this structural response and others seem particularly pronounced in species that normally feed at intermittent intervals. Such animals, however, must be able to restore digestive functions soon after feeding, and these transitions appear to occur at low metabolic costs.

Animals↗