Studies of normal carbohydrate tolerance in the Ugandan African.
01 Jan 1969-Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Oxford University Press)-Vol. 63, Iss: 5, pp 644-649
TL;DR: There is a much wider range in pancreas weight of the Ugandan African than has been found in Britain and Jamaica, and the curves tended to be lower and to change less abruptly than the British.
Abstract: Glucose tolerance tests were carried out on 37 healthy male Ugandan Africans, with a loading dose of 50 g. All estimations were made on capillary blood. The results have been compared with those of matched British males. The Ugandan curves tended to be lower and to change less abruptly than the British. 15 other Ugandan subjects were studied after 50 g. of carbohydrate given in the form of banana. The response obtained was similar to that after glucose but the fall in blood sugar was slower. The pancreas weights of 1449 Ugandan Africans coming to autopsy at the Mulago Hospital, Kampala, were studied. The weights ranged from 9 to over 180 g., most between 70 and 129 g. There is a much wider range in pancreas weight of the Ugandan African than has been found in Britain and Jamaica. The pancreases of 26 Ugandan diabetics were also studied and of these 8 were calcified, 9 markedly fibrosed, and 2 neoplastic; none was small.
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TL;DR: A Monte Carlo simulation based on the population structure of a small-scale human population, the Semai Senoi of Malaysia, has been developed to study the combined effects of group, kin, and individual selection.
Abstract: A Monte Carlo simulation based on the population structure of a small-scale human population, the Semai Senoi of Malaysia, has been developed to study the combined effects of group, kin, and individual selection. The population structure resembles D.S. Wilson's structured deme model in that local breeding populations (Semai settlements) are subdivided into trait groups (hamlets) that may be kin-structured and are not themselves demes. Additionally, settlement breeding populations are connected by two-dimensional stepping-stone migration approaching 30% per generation. Group and kin-structured group selection occur among hamlets the survivors of which then disperse to breed within the settlement population. Genetic drift is modeled by the process of hamlet formation; individual selection as a deterministic process, and stepping-stone migration as either random or kin-structured migrant groups.
The mechanism for group selection is epidemics of infectious disease that can wipe out small hamlets particularly if most adults become sick and social life collapses. Genetic resistance to a disease is an individual attribute; however, hamlet groups with several resistant adults are less likely to disintegrate and experience high social mortality. A specific human gene, hemoglobin E, which confers resistance to malaria, is studied as an example of the process.
The results of the simulations show that high genetic variance among hamlet groups may be generated by moderate degrees of kin-structuring. This strong microdifferentiation provides the potential for group selection. The effect of group selection in this case is rapid increase in gene frequencies among the total set of populations. In fact, group selection in concert with individual selection produced a faster rate of gene frequency increase among a set of 25 populations than the rate within a single unstructured population subject to deterministic individual selection. Such rapid evolution with plausible rates of extinction, individual selection, and migration and a population structure realistic in its general form, has implications for specific human polymorphisms such as hemoglobin variants and for the more general problem of the tempo of evolution as well.
21 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that systemic bacterial infections can produce malabsorption, which may be relevant to the weight loss in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and also to the aetiology of kwashiorkor.
Abstract: Using a double-lumen tube perfusion system, solutions of glucose (1·0, 2·5, and 5·0 g 100ml −1 ) have been perfused into the upper jejunum of 22 Zambian African subjects in order to study their glucose absorption kinetics. None of them had clinical evidence of malnutrition or intestinal disease. In 10 there was no evidence of an infective disease (`normal9 group); seven had tuberculosis; five had acute bacterial infections. The mean serum albumin concentration was significantly lower in those with infections; the mean total and γ-globulin concentrations were significantly higher in the tuberculosis group. There was good reproducibility in triplicate assessments of glucose and water absorption rates in the individual subjects. Despite a wide scatter, the mean glucose kinetic curves were significantly flatter in those with infections than in the normal group (p Galactose absorption kinetics have been studied in an additional four relatively normal Zambian Africans. This study suggests that systemic bacterial infections can produce malabsorption. This may be relevant to the weight loss in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and also to the aetiology of kwashiorkor.
21 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that in small populations deterministic equations for gene flow may overestimate rates of diffusion, but other aspects of population structure, however, such as kin-structuring of migrant groups, increase the rate of advance.
Abstract: Hemoglobin E, an allele generally considered to confer malarial resistance in heterozygotes, is found in high frequencies across a wide area of Southeast Asia. Apparently it originated as a single-point mutation which was spread by gene flow. The rate of diffusion of this adaptive allele is studied using four computer simulation models. It is shown that in small populations deterministic equations for gene flow may overestimate rates of diffusion. Other aspects of population structure, however, such as kin-structuring of migrant groups, increase the rate of advance. Finally, population growth coupled with the spread of the allele leads to much more rapid diffusion. These results suggest that population structure can be an important factor affecting the diffusion of advantageous genes.
12 citations
TL;DR: Ten randomly selected Nigerian diabetic patients who were given an intramuscular insulin-reaction test (I.I.R.M.T.) to determine their renal threshold for glucose were found to have a very low mean renal threshold.
References
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Book•
01 Jan 1964
TL;DR: Micro- analysis in medical biochemistry, Micro-analysis in medicalBiochemistry, and Micro- Analysis in Medical biochemistry .
Abstract: Micro-analysis in medical biochemistry , Micro-analysis in medical biochemistry , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی
1,385 citations
TL;DR: Many diabetic pancreases, particularly those of the young, exhibit no qualitative changes either in islet or acinar tissue, so an endeavor to compare the weights of islet tissue in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects was undertaken.
Abstract: Many diabetic pancreases, particularly those of the young, exhibit no qualitative changes either in islet or acinar tissue. Quantitative variations are known to affect some of these pancreases but have never been expressed in terms of the weight of alpha and beta cells. This investigation was undertaken in an endeavor to compare the weights of islet tissue in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects.
241 citations
Journal Article•
1 citations