Patterns in food use and their associations with nutrient intakes

This study used the frequency of food-use data collected previously in the Western New York Diet Study, a case-control study of diet and cancer at various sites, to develop measures of dietary patterns for subsequent use in epidemiologic research. Factor analysis was applied to frequency-of-use data of 110 foods for 1475 male and 780 female control subjects. Nine dietary-pattern factors were extracted for each gender. Correlational analyses examined relationships with intakes of nutrients of concern to cancer epidemiologists--energy, total fat, dietary fiber, and vitamins A and C. Findings indicate that the usual measure for assessing dietary risks, quantile of nutrient intake, reflects several dietary patterns differing in their composition of cancer risk factors. Furthermore, patterns may relate to such variables as age, ethnicity, and income, which are themselves related to cancer. This approach may provide a comprehensive measure of dietary exposure for epidemiologic research.

Living arrangements and dietary patterns of older adults in the United States

Living arrangements and dietary patterns were examined for 3,477 adults aged 65 to 74 from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1971 to 1974 (NHANES I). Several indicators of dietary variety, diet composition, and energy and nutrient intake from both the 24-hour recall, and the dietary frequency questionnaires were analyzed. Dietary patterns of older men were associated more strongly with type of living arrangement and income compared with older women. Men living with a spouse consistently had more favorable dietary patterns than either those living alone or those living with someone other than a spouse. Low income men who were not living with a spouse were at highest risk of poor dietary intake. Income was associated more consistently with the dietary indicators than type of living arrangement for women. Income, however, was still a less consistent influence on dietary patterns of older women compared to older men.

Dietary patterns and colon cancer in western New York

Seven dietary patterns were identified among control subjects in the Western New York Diet Study (1975-1986) by application of principal components analysis to data from a 95-item food frequency interview. The results of case-control analyses of colon cancer risk for these patterns are presented. Cases were matched with neighborhood controls on the bases of age and sex; 205 colon case-control male and 223 female pairs were obtained. The dietary patterns and intakes of energy, total fat, and dietary fiber were examined with logistic regression for their individual contributions to risk. In males, three of these dietary patterns were associated positively with fat and energy consumption; they elevated risk for colon cancer and accounted for more risk than did the specific nutrients. Control for energy and fat intakes allowed the protective influences of additional dietary patterns to be expressed. No patterns elevated risk in women; two patterns were protective for colon cancer. Controlling for energy and fat intake enhanced the protection afforded by one of these patterns but had no influence on that of the other. Measures of foods rather than single nutrients may be more inclusive of dietary exposures to risk as well as being related more directly to underlying health behaviors. Therefore they may be better able to account for risk in diseases with multiple causation.

High-risk health behaviors associated with various dietary patterns

We have previously identified dietary patterns among 1,475 male and 780 female normal healthy control subjects in a case-control study of cancer at various sites. In this paper we examine the presence, among persons exhibiting these dietary patterns, of individual health behaviors that may contribute to risks for cancer. Specifically we examine trimming of separable fat from meats, fats used in cooking and as additions to foods, alcohol consumption, and smoking. Results indicate that men and women differ in possession of these high-risk behaviors. Women are more likely to trim fat from meat, consume less alcohol, and have lower exposures to smoking. Their dietary patterns are more independent of the fats used. Several eating patterns are positively associated with total fat intake but differ in their associations with high-risk behaviors. These data suggest that assessing risk associated with dietary patterns sheds more light on disease relationships than studies of single nutrients.

Stereotactic radiation therapy for treatment of canine intracranial meningiomas

The objective of this study is to determine the rate of toxicity, median survival time (MST) and prognostic factors in dogs with presumed intracranial meningiomas that were treated with stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT). Patient demographics, neurological history, details of SRT plans and response to treatment (including toxicity and survival times) were examined for potential prognostic factors. Overall MST (MST) due to death for any cause was 561 days. There was a mild to moderate exacerbation of neurological symptoms 3-16 weeks following SRT treatments in 11/30 (36.7%) of dogs. This presumed adverse event was treated with corticosteroids, and improvement was seen in most of these dogs. Death within 6 months of treatment as a result of worsening neurologic signs was seen in 4/30 (13.3%) of dogs. Volume of normal brain that received full dose at a prescription of 8Gy × 3 fractions was predictive of death due to neurological problems within this 6-month period.

The 1992 APON Delphi study to establish research priorities for pediatric oncology nursing. Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses

The Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses (APON) recently sponsored a two-wave Delphi study to identify the most important research priorities for pediatric oncology nursing. Seventy-five research priorities were rated for importance by 227 APON members. The majority of these members were inpatient or ambulatory care nurses who had been in pediatric oncology more than 25 months. The top 10 research priorities were primarily about nursing procedures and psychosocial care needs of patients and families. The top priority was to "measure the quality of life and late effects of treatment in long-term survivors of childhood cancer." Study findings will be used to encourage researchers to conduct research on these priorities and to encourage funding organizations to support research related to these priorities.

Testing the stress-response sequence model in paediatric oncology nursing

The causes and intensity of role-related stress experienced by paediatric oncology nurses, the nurses' ability to respond to the stressors, and the professional and personal consequences of those stressors for the nurses are issues of concern for administrators and staff. The concern evolves from the anticipated relationships among stressors, the ability to cope with role-related stressors, and the expected negative outcomes such as resignation. However, the relationships among these components have not been previously measured concurrently in paediatric oncology nurses. The primary purpose of this study was to test the complete stress-response sequence model in a sample of paediatric oncology nurses by obtaining concurrent measures of the model's individual components: nurses' stressors, reactions, mediators, and consequences. A total of 126 nurses completed six questionnaires (Stressor Scale for Paediatric Oncology Nurses, Perceived Stress Scale, Measure of Job Satisfaction, Organized Commitment Questionnaire, Group Cohesion Scale, and Intent to Leave) and a demographic sheet. The majority of participating nurses were married, worked full-time and had worked 5 or more years in oncology. Qualitative data were analysed using a semantic content analysis technique. Relationships among the components of the model were examined using a two-stage least squares technique. The components were only weakly associated and unable to explain significant variation in each other. The combined qualitative and quantitative data indicate that an important explanatory variable - role-related meaning - is missing in the content model.

Relationship between dietary and biochemical measures of nutritional status in HANES I data

Data from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were examined for individual 24-h dietary intakes of protein, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, and iron, and for laboratory indices of the same nutrients in blood and urine. Mean intake values were close to or above reference standards for all nutrients except iron. Substandard laboratory values were recorded for: serum albumin and vitamin A--less than 3% of subjects; urinary thiamin/creatinine excretion--3 and 8% of white and Black subjects, respectively; Hb, hematocrit, and percentage transferrin saturation--5 to 15% of whites and 18 to 27% of Black subjects; serum iron--less than 6% of subjects. Individual dietary recall data were of limited value in predicting the laboratory indices; regression analyses indicated that sociodemographic variables may be of greater predictive value.

Diet diversity and risk of colon cancer in western New York

The effect of diet diversity on colon cancer risk was examined among 205 male and 223 female cases with incident primary histologically confirmed colon cancer and age-, sex-, and neighborhood-matched controls. Diversity was defined as the number of food items on the food frequency interview reported eaten, more than monthly for total foods and for fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats. Adjusted risk of colon cancer associated with total diversity was increased for men in the highest quartile compared with those in the lowest [odds ratio (OR) 1.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95-4.15] but not for women. There was little association between risk and diversity within specific food groups for either sex, except risk of colon cancer was positively related to meat diversity in men (OR 6.78, 95% CI 2.80-16.45, highest quartile referent to lowest). We found that total diversity was positively related to colon cancer risk independent of other possible confounders. Diversity measures may capture additional diet-related disease risk elements, thus having implications for future recommendations regarding diet and disease.

Campylobacter pylori gastritis in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Campylobacter pylori has been associated with gastritis, duodenitis, and duodenal ulceration in the immunocompetent individual. It has been described within the superficial mucus layer, in interepithelial junctions, and occasionally in the microcanaliculi of epithelial cells, but never in the lamina propria. We describe a case of invasive C. pylori in a patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and discuss its clinical presentation and histopathological findings.

Periplasmic binding protein-based magnetic isolation and detection of thiamine in complex biological matrices

Deficiencies in thiamine (vitamin B1) cause a host of neurological and reproductive impairments yielding morbidity and mortality across environmental and clinical realms. In a technique analogous to immunomagnetic separation, we introduce the use of thiamine periplasmic binding protein (TBP)-conjugated magnetic beads to isolate thiamine from complex matrices. TBP expressed in Escherichia coli is highly specific to thiamine and provides an alternative to antibodies for this non-immunogenic target. After incubation with the sample and removal of unbound matrix constituents, thiamine is simultaneously released and converted to its fluorescent oxidation product thiochrome by alkaline potassium ferricyanide. Subsequent measurement of fluorescence at thiochrome-specific wavelengths provides a second layer of specificity for the detection of thiamine. Thiamine could be quantified at concentrations as low as 5 nM ranging up to 240 nM. Within, we apply this technique to selectively capture and quantify thiamine in complex salmonid fish egg and tissue matrices. Our results showed no measurable non-specific binding to the beads by endogenous fluorophores in the fish egg matrix. Thiamine levels as low as 0.2 nmol/g of fish egg can be detected using this approach, which is sufficient to assess deficiencies causing morbidity and mortality in fish that occur at 1.0 nmol/g of egg. This practical method may find application in other resource limited settings for clinical, food, or dietary supplement analyses.

Fast apple (Malus x domestica) and tobacco (Nicotiana tobacum) leaf polyphenol oxidase activity assay for screening transgenic plants

A spectrophotometric assay method for the analysis of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), in apple and tobacco leaves, has been optimized to increase efficiency in the screening of large numbers of transgenic plants. Crude protein extracts from leaf punches were prepared in a FastPrep homogenizer. The addition of Triton X-100 during extraction resulted in 44 and 74% increases in the PPO activity recovered, from apple and tobacco, respectively. The enzyme kinetics differed markedly between apple and tobacco. Apple leaf PPO was isolated in a latent state and was activated by the addition of SDS. In contrast, tobacco PPO activity was inhibited by SDS, particularly at acidic pH. Apple PPO showed a pronounced pH optimum around pH 6, whereas the pH profile for tobacco PPO was much flatter, with a broad optimum around pH 4. The calculated Km' value for apple PPO, using 4-methylcatechol as substrate, was 8.1, and for tobacco the Km was 4.3. The PPO reaction was strongly inhibited by tropolone, a Cu competitor, and restored by the addition of Cu2+. Several factors affecting variability in leaf PPO activity levels in plants are discussed.

Establishment of MICs of moxalactam for control and reference anaerobic organisms in agar dilution and microdilution techniques

The MICs of moxalactam were determined for eight National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards control and reference strains and for Fusobacterium nucleatum ATCC 10953 by agar and microdilution techniques. The recommended MIC for the control strain Bacteroides fragilis in both agar and microdilution tests is 0.5 micrograms/ml. Recommended MICs for Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron ATCC 29741 and Clostridium perfringens ATCC 13124 by agar dilution are 8 and 0.063 micrograms/ml, respectively. These two strains gave inconsistent results in microdilution tests. Variation in results with microdilution procedures was seen, which illustrates problems in reading endpoints and with modifications of media. Recommended MICs for the reference strains are presented.

Radiological protection of the patient in veterinary medicine and the role of ICRP

At the request of the Main Commission of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), Task Group 107 (TG107) was set up to consider the issue of radiological protection of the patient in veterinary medicine. TG107, who authored this article, brought together information relating to the use of diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology in veterinary medicine. A number of specific areas were identified that appeared to be appropriate for attention by ICRP. These included the use of dose quantities and units, the need for re-evaluation of stochastic and deterministic risks from ionising radiation in animals, and the growing use of imaging and therapeutic equipment for animals that is little different from that available to humans. TG107 unanimously recommended that it was both appropriate and timely for ICRP to consider and advise on these issues, and the Main Commission agreed. This paper summarises the findings of TG107.

Dietary factors potentially impacting thiaminase I-mediated thiamine deficiency

Fish population declines from thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency have been widespread in ecologically and economically valuable organisms, ranging from the Great Lakes to the Baltic Sea and, most recently, the California coast. Thiamine deficiencies in predatory fishes are often attributed to a diet of prey fishes with high levels of thiamine-degrading (e.g., thiaminase) enzymes, such as alewives, rainbow smelt, and anchovies. Since their discovery, thiaminase I enzymes have been recognized for breaking down thiamine into its pyrimidine and thiazole moieties using various nucleophilic co-substrates to afford cleavage, but these studies have not thoroughly considered other factors that could modify enzyme activity. We found the thiaminase I enzyme from Clostridium botulinum efficiently degrades thiamine in the presence of pyridoxine (vitamin B6) as a co-substrate but has relatively limited activity in the presence of nicotinic acid (vitamin B3). Using fluorescence measurements, thiamine degradation in an over-the-counter complete multivitamin formulation was inhibited, and a B-complex formulation required co-substrate supplementation for maximal thiamine depletion. These studies prompted the evaluation of specific constituents contributing to thiaminase I inhibition by both chromatography and fluorescence assays: Cu2+ potently and irreversibly inhibited thiamine degradation; ascorbic acid was a strong but reversible inhibitor; Fe2+, Mn2+ and Fe3+ modulated thiamine degradation to a lesser degree. The enhancement by pyridoxine and inhibition by Cu2+ extended to thiaminase-mediated degradation from Burkholderia thailandensis, Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus, and Paenibacillus apiarius in tryptic soy broth supernatants. These co-substrate limitations and the common presence of inhibitory dietary factors complement recent studies reporting that the intended function of thiaminase enzymes is to recycle thiamine breakdown products for thiamine synthesis, not thiamine degradation.

Concurrent warming and browning eliminate cold-water fish habitat in many temperate lakes

Cold-water species in temperate lakes face two simultaneous climate-driven ecosystem changes: warming and browning of their waters. Browning refers to reduced transparency arising from increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which absorbs solar energy near the surface. It is unclear whether the net effect is mitigation or amplification of climate warming impacts on suitable oxythermal habitat (<20 °C, >5 mgO/L) for cold-loving species because browning expands the vertical distribution of both cool water and oxygen depletion. We analyzed long-term trends and high-frequency sensor data from browning lakes in New York's Adirondack region to assess the contemporary status of summertime habitat for lacustrine brook trout. Across two decades, surface temperatures increased twice as fast and bottom dissolved oxygen declined >180% faster than average trends for temperate lakes. We identify four lake categories based on oxythermal habitat metrics: constrained, squeezed, overheated, and buffered. In most of our study lakes, trout face either seasonal loss (7 of 15) or dramatic restriction (12 to 21% of the water column; 5 of 15) of suitable habitat. These sobering statistics reflect rapid upward expansion of oxygen depletion in lakes with moderate or high DOC relative to compression of heat penetration. Only in very clear lakes has browning potentially mitigated climate warming. Applying our findings to extensive survey data suggests that decades of browning have reduced oxythermal refugia in most Adirondack lakes. We conclude that joint warming and browning may preclude self-sustaining cold-water fisheries in many temperate lakes; hence, oxythermal categorization is essential to guide triage strategies and management interventions.

Establishment of minimum inhibitory concentrations of cefoperazone for control and reference anaerobic organisms

The minimum inhibitory concentrations of cefoperazone were determined in a collaborative study for eight National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards control and reference strains of anaerobic bacteria by agar and microdilution techniques with several types and sources of media. Recommended minimum inhibitory concentrations for the control strains, Bacteroides fragilis ATCC 25285 and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron ATCC 29741, are 32 to 64 micrograms/ml and 64 micrograms/ml, respectively. Clostridium perfringens ATCC 13124 gave inconsistent results, and no value is recommended. Recommended values for reference strains are presented. Modification of media did not significantly change the minimum inhibitory concentrations.

The tiers not the tears

What can we expect from the Royal Commission? Author fears that the health service's administrative structure will once again be given top billing and its social objectives relegated to a walk-on part.

Acoustically shaped DNA-programmable materials

Recent advances in DNA nanotechnology allow for the assembly of nanocomponents with nanoscale precision, leading to the emergence of DNA-based material fabrication approaches. Yet, transferring these nano- and micron-scale structural arrangements to the macroscale morphologies remains a challenge, which limits the development of materials and devices based on DNA nanotechnology. Here, we demonstrate a materials fabrication approach that combines DNA-programmable assembly with actively driven processes controlled by acoustic fields. This combination provides a prescribed nanoscale order, as dictated by equilibrium assembly through DNA-encoded interactions, and field-shaped macroscale morphology, as regulated by out-of-equilibrium materials formation through specific acoustic stimulation. Using optical and electron microscopy imaging and x-ray scattering, we further revealed the nucleation processes, domain fusion, and crystal growth under different acoustically stimulated conditions. The developed approach provides a pathway for the fabrication of complexly shaped macroscale morphologies for DNA-programmable nanomaterials by controlling spatiotemporal characteristics of the acoustic fields.