Modulation of dietary fat‐enhanced colorectal carcinogenesis in N‐methyl‐N‘‐nitro‐N‐nitrosoguanidine‐treated rats by a vegetables‐fruit mixture

The apoptosis-triggering properties of vitamin E succinate (VES, RRR-α-tocopheryl succinate) for human LNCaP and PC-3 prostate carcinoma cells and normal PrEC human prostate epithelial cells were investigated. LNCaP and PC-3 cells were sensitive to VES-induced apoptosis, with 100% and 60% of cells undergoing apoptosis after three days of treatment with 10 μg of VES/ml, respectively. PrEC cells were resistant to VES-induced apoptosis. Treatment of prostate cells with agonistic anti-Fas antibody triggered apoptosis in approximately 50% of PC-3 cells within 48 hours, whereas LNCaP and PrEC cells were resistant. Prostate cells simultaneously treated with VES and agonistic anti-Fas antibodies revealed 1) no effect on PrEC cells, 2) an additive effect on Fas-sensitive PC-3 cells, and 3) a synergistic effect on LNCaP cells. VES treatment of LNCaP cells caused depletion of cytosolic 43-kDa Fas, enhanced membrane levels of 43-kDa Fas, and induced Fas sensitivity. PC-3 cells expressed high levels of membrane 43-kDa Fas that were enhanced by VES treatments. Fas ligand expression by LNCaP cells was enhanced by VES treatments. In summary, VES triggers apoptosis in human prostate carcinoma cells but not normal prostate cells in vitro, and VES modulates Fas signaling.     

NADPH‐cytochrome P‐450 reductase,cytochrome P‐450 2C11 and P‐450 1A1, and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor in livers of rats fed methyl‐folate‐deficient diets

We investigated three hepatic cytochrome P‐450 isozymes and the aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor in rats fed one of the following three diets for 15 months: a diet containing the AIN vitamin mixture (control), the control diet devoid of choline andfolate (CFD), or the CFD diet devoid of niacin (CFND). Hepatic tumors developed in all CFD‐and CFND‐fed rats. Western blot analyses of nontumor hepatic tissue showed that NADPH‐cytochrome P‐450 reductase (P‐450 reductase) increased significantly in the CFD and CFND groups compared with the control group. Hepatic cytochrome P‐450 2C11 (CYP2C11) was not detectable in the CFD and CFND groups compared with the control group. Ah receptor and cytochrome P‐450 1A1 (CYP1A1) were detected in higher amounts in livers of both deficient groups. CYP1A1 is an enzyme associated with bioactivation of exogenous genotoxins. To our knowledge, this is the first time it has been shown that CYP1A1 and the Ah receptor are induced by dietary deficiencies.     

Culturally‐induced stress during childbearing: The Pilipino‐American experience

Findings from 161 interviews and 400 hours of observation indicate an increase in psychological stress for women of Pilipino origin in Western health care settings. Both communication breakdown and mutual ignorance of health care beliefs interfere with psychological processes of pregnancy and also with health teaching. Suggested nursing interventions are included.     

Language development and social integration in Bromley‐By‐Bow nursery

A Language and Social Integration Project, currently being piloted in Bromley‐by Bow Nursery in Tower Hamlets, East London, offers the opportunity for children aged 18 months to 3 years from multi‐ethnic communities to learn English early. Parental involvement is encouraged to enable greater confidence in the English language in the community and to facilitate policies of anti‐racism. Observations of the children suggest that stated aims of the project are beginning to be realised.     

Pre‐school services in Britain: Perspectives on Co‐ordination

During this century British pre‐school services have developed within separate areas of public policy. This provision is made for the needs of young children and their families within health, social services, education and in the voluntary sector. To some extent these developments have been the product of historical accidents, to some extent the product of political design, and they are also the results of a failure of political will to take an overview of the range of services provided. There have always been these who argued that such an overview was needed, that a co‐ordinated pre‐school policy should be developed. (Condry 1981). Pioneers of nursery education such as Margaret McMillan argued for such a service centred on the nursery school. Governmental reports increasingly frequently mentioned the need to co‐ordinate services (eg. Seebohm 1968), but it was only in the late 1970s that co‐ordination became a central issue in public debate and government policy.     

The new woman: Health‐promoting and health‐damaging behaviors

Compared with their mothers, contemporary women are better educated, live alone more of their adult lives, and participate in the labor force more consistently throughout their lives. Most studies of the New Woman have focused on the effects of the configuration of her roles on her health and health‐related behavior. Few have considered both the influence of women's roles and the broader context of their lives on their health. Moreover, investigators have devoted little attention to the health behavior patterns of the New Woman, despite the demonstrable impact of health‐related behaviors on mortality and morbidity. The present study was designed to test models relating women's roles, gender role norms, social demands and resources, and health‐promoting and ‐damaging behaviors. Women who resided in middle‐income and racially mixed neighborhoods (N = 659) were interviewed in their homes. The women were a mean age of 32.7 years and had an educational level of 14.2 years. Approximately 57% were married or partnered, and 76% reported some level of employment outside the home. Women who had fewer life stressors and were better educated performed more health‐promoting behaviors. Women who experienced more stressors, were less well educated, had more contemporary attitudes toward women, were not partnered, or experienced depressed mood engaged in more health‐damaging behaviors. These results underscore the importance of considering women's social context in health promotion efforts and as a deterrent to health‐damaging behaviors.     

Genistein‐induced G2‐m arrest,P21WAF1 upregulation,and apoptosis in a non‐small‐cell lung cancer cell line

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer‐related death in the world, with increasing incidence in many developed countries. Epidemiological data suggest that consumption of soy products (the isoflavone genistein) may be associated with a decreased risk of breast and prostate cancer; however, such studies are not available for lung cancer. We investigated cell growth inhibition, modulation in gene expression, and induction of apoptosis by genistein in H460 non‐small lung cancer cells. Genistein inhibited H460 cell growth in a dose‐dependent manner. Flow‐cytometric analysis showed that 30 μM genistein arrested cell cycle progression at the G2‐M phase. 4,6‐Diamidino‐2‐phenylindole staining, flow‐cytometric analysis, and DNA laddering were used to investigate apoptotic cell death, and the results show that 30 μM genistein can cause typical DNA laddering, a hallmark for apoptosis. In addition, flow cytometry and 4,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole staining showed induction of apoptosis by genistein. Our investigation also demonstrated the modulation of p21^WAF1 by Western blot analysis of cell lysates obtained from cultured cells treated with 30 and 50 μM genistein for 24, 48, and 72 hours. Simultaneously, im‐munocytochemical staining was conducted for the expression of p21^WAF1 protein. Our results showed that genistein can upregulate p21^WAFI expression in genistein‐treated cells. From these results, we conclude that genistein may act as an anticancer agent, and further studies may prove its efficacy in non‐small lung cancer cells. Thus the biological effects of genistein may, indeed, be due to the modulation of cell growth, cell death, and cell cycle regulatory molecules.     

‐appraising nursery water play

Recent research on water play in nurseries provides a focus for re‐examining this traditional nursery provision. Using “dynamic structures” of space, time and task activities as a framework, I examine research evidence in the context of the nursery traditions and my own practice and thereby identify factors which can support quality play and learning.     

Hidden criteria for out‐of‐home day‐care centre admission in Pokhara,Nepal: a longitudinal observational study

This longitudinal observational study evaluated whether admission priorities given to children on waiting lists for out‐of‐home day‐care centres (DCCs), determined as being either an early or late admission to DCCs, are determined by actual childcare needs and are assigned to children of disadvantaged families, in public DCCs in Pokhara, Nepal, between November 2003 and February 2006. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed high caste, low household weekly income, and father’s absence from the home were associated with children’s early admission to DCCs; but maternal employment and availability of childcare support were not associated with admission priorities. Priorities given to children on DCC waiting lists were not fully based on deprivation and childcare need; caste/ethnicity may influence the prioritisation. Policies should explicitly prioritise those most in need and most deprived, possibly with regulations to reserve seats for those from low‐caste/ethnic groups.     

The Long Term Educational Effects of Half‐Day vs Full‐Day Kindergarten

This study examined the effects of full‐day and half‐day kindergarten on children's second grade academic outcomes. The subjects for the study were 974 second grade children from a large Midwestern school district. Of these second‐graders, 730 of them had been in full‐day kindergarten and 244 were in half‐day kindergarten. The following measures were compared: (a) children's second grade reading and math scores from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills; (b) whether or not they had been retained in grade during the first three years of school; (c) whether or not they had been referred for special education services during the first three years of school; and (d) kindergarten attendance records. The results indicated that children who were in a full‐day kindergarten program scored significantly higher on both math and reading on a standardized achievement test. In addition, there were fewer children from the full‐day cohort who had been retained in grade. There were no differences in the number of special education referrals between the two groups. Finally, children who attended full‐day kindergarten were absent less during the school year than the half day kindergarten group. The results are discussed in terms of both social and academic perspectives.     

Young Children's Self‐care and Independence Tasks: Applying Self‐Efficacy Theory

Social Psychologist, Albert Bandura, defines self‐efficacy as the individual's belief in his or her own ability to perform a behavior. Self‐efficacy for some self‐care and independence tasks occurs in an early stage of young children's development. As caregivers take more responsibility for young children they must be aware of the child's need to become self‐efficacious. Several self‐care and independence tasks are discussed in relation to self‐efficacy. Personal accomplishment is a key source of information for each child.     

Effects of high‐ and low‐risk diets on gut microflora‐associated biomarkers of colon cancer in human flora‐associated rats

Formulated diets associated with a high risk (HR) or low risk (LR) for colon cancer were used to assess the effect of diet on putative metabolic biomarkers in human flora‐associated rats: The HR diet was high in fat and sucrose and low in calcium and fiber; the LR diet was low in fat and high in starch, calcium, and fiber. The nutrient‐to‐energy ratio and energy intake were the same for both diets. Body and liver weights were significantly higher in animals fed the HR diet, possibly due to greater energy availability from fat. Cecal weights were significantly higher in animals fed the LR diet, presumably due to a bulking effect of the fiber and increased bacterial biomass. The HR diet significantly altered cecal bacterial enzyme activity: β‐glucuroni‐dase activity increased 2.5‐fold, and β‐glucosidase activity was halved. Ammonia production and the bacterial metabolism of 2‐amino‐3‐methyl‐7H‐imidazo[4,5‐f]quinoline (IQ) to 7‐hydroxy‐IQ (70HIQ) were significantly higher in animals fed the HR diet. The HR diet, which contained factors common to diets consumed throughout the Western world, increased β‐glucuronidase activity, elevated cecal ammonia concentrations, and enhanced the genotoxic risk from 7OHIQ formation, three putative metabolic biomarkers of colorectal cancer. The significance of the reduction in β‐glu‐cosidase is unclear.     

Computers in pre‐school education

Pre‐school professionals need to be able to assess the role of microcomputers in education. Young children are able to interact with a microcomputer through a keyboard or other input devices and show by their interest and attention that they enjoy using one. There is some software of the Computer‐Assisted‐Learning type suitable for this age group, but in many cases, these programs do not use the potential of the computer as effectively as they could. Observations of children under 5 years using the LOGO language with simplified graphics commands shows that this provides opportunities for cognitive development, stimulating problem solving and experimentation. Creativity and social and language skills are also likely to be promoted. Microcomputers can be useful for administration as well as providing valuable educational experiences in pre‐school settings.     

Dietary habits and colorectal cancer in a low‐risk area. Results from a population‐based case‐control study in southern Italy

Many epidemiological studies have focused on the relationships between diet and colorectal cancer, but only a few have been conducted in the Mediterranean area. A population‐based case‐control study was carried out from July 1987 to June 1989 in a low‐risk area in Southern Italy. By means of an “ad hoc” tumor registry, 132 diagnosed colorectal cancers were detected during the two years of study. One hundred nineteen of these 132 colorectal cancer cases were interviewed about their personal dietary habits with use of a questionnaire concerning the frequency of consumption of 70 foods or beverages. An equal number of controls was randomly selected from the lists of general practitioners of the area during the same period and interviewed with the same food frequency questionnaire.

In a multivariate analysis, the relative risks (RRs) of developing colorectal cancer were estimated according to the different levels of consumption of food groups and selected food items. All RRs were adjusted for age, sex, education, smoking status, and modifications in diet in the previous 10 years. The risk of colorectal cancer increased nearly threefold for the highest level of consumption of foods with a high content of refined sugar [RR = 2.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26–5.97] and for the consumption of wine (>1 l/day) (RR = 3.22, 95% CI 1.05–9.88). An inverse relationship was revealed for the highest consumption of raw and cooked vegetables (RR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.25–1.04) and diary products (RR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.22–0.98) and for the consumption of more than two cups of coffee per day (RR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.16–0.89). In this Mediterranean area, the main source of calories, cereals, did not show a significant relationship with colorectal cancer. These findings support the hypothesis that the local Mediterranean dietary pattern could explain the low risk of colorectal cancer.     

Concerns and experiences of women participating in a short‐term AZT intervention feasibility study for prevention of HIV transmission from mother‐to‐child

This paper describes the experiences and concerns of women participating in a short‐term AZT intervention feasibility study to prevent mother‐to‐child HIV transmission at three sites in India. The study used qualitative methods to examine the experiences of 31 women during late pregnancy, delivery and at post‐natal visits. It also elicited the perspectives of 19 healthcare providers. Frequent visits required during late‐pregnancy and the post‐natal period presented concerns for the women in the study. Women's understanding of the long‐term implications of participating in the intervention study was poor, and living with uncertainty about the HIV status of the newborn was a major concern. The provision of psychosocial support is essential in future intervention studies and should be incorporated on an ongoing basis. Networking with women‐centred support groups may be helpful in enabling women to gain the long‐term benefits of this type of intervention.     

Pre‐sexual alcohol consumption and use of condoms—a European cross‐cultural study

This paper analyses patterns for pre‐sexual alcohol consumption and condom use from a cross European perspective. Research was conducted in France, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Norway and Germany. Data were collected from representative population samples aged 18–49 years‐old. Surveys were conducted in 1997 and 1998. The percentage of the population who reported not having consumed any alcohol prior to intercourse was highest in Italy. In all countries, the percentage that claimed they had consumed some alcohol but were not intoxicated was fairly similar. The percentage of the population who claimed they were drunk at the occasion was highest in Norway. In all countries, alcohol use prior to intercourse was more likely to have taken place if the emotional involvement in the partner was low, and if the parties had met the same day. Controlling for selected covariates and explanatory variables, pre‐sexual alcohol consumption was related to condom use (albeit in different ways) in Italy, Germany and Norway. Light drinking prior to sex was associated with condom use in Italy, whereas drinking and intoxication increased the likelihood of not using condoms in Norway and Germany.     

End‐of‐life decision‐making in Belgium,Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland: does place of death make a difference?

OBJECTIVE: To examine differences in end-of-life decision-making in patients dying at home, in a hospital or in a care home. DESIGN: A death certificate study: certifying physicians from representative samples of death certificates, taken between June 2001 and February 2002, were sent questionnaires on the end-of-life decision-making preceding the patient's death. SETTING: Four European countries: Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland (German-speaking part). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The incidence of and communication in different end-of-life decisions: physician-assisted death, alleviation of pain/symptoms with a possible life-shortening effect, and non-treatment decisions. RESULTS: Response rates ranged from 59% in Belgium to 69% in Switzerland. The total number of deaths studied was 12 492. Among all non-sudden deaths the incidence of several end-of-life decisions varied by place of death. Physician-assisted death occurred relatively more often at home (0.3-5.1%); non-treatment decisions generally occurred more often in hospitals (22.4-41.3%), although they were also frequently taken in care homes in Belgium (26.0%) and Switzerland (43.1%). Continuous deep sedation, in particular without the administration of food and fluids, was more likely to occur in hospitals. At home, end-of-life decisions were usually more often discussed with patients. The incidence of discussion with other caregivers was generally relatively low at home compared with in hospitals or care homes. CONCLUSION: The results suggest the possibility that end-of-life decision-making is related to the care setting where people die. The study results seem to call for the development of good end-of-life care options and end-of-life communication guidelines in all settings.