Dietary protein intake is associated with lean body mass in community-dwelling older adults

Lean body mass (LBM) is important to maintain physical function during aging. We hypothesized that dietary protein intake and leisure-time physical activity are associated with LBM in community-dwelling older adults. To test the hypothesis, participants (n = 237; age, 65-92 years) did 3-day weighed food records and reported physical activity. Body composition was assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Protein intake was 0.98 ± 0.28 and 0.95 ± 0.29 g/kg body weight in male and female participants, respectively. Protein intake (in grams per kilogram of body weight) was associated with LBM (in kilograms); that is, the differences in LBM were 2.3 kg (P < .05) and 2.0 kg (P = .054) between the fourth vs the first and the fourth vs the second quartiles of protein intake, respectively. Only a minor part of this association was explained by increased energy intake, which follows an increased protein intake. Our study shows that dietary protein intake was positively associated with LBM in older adults with a mean protein intake higher than the current recommended daily allowance of 0.8 g/kg per day. Leisure-time physical activity, predominantly consisting of endurance type exercises, was not related to LBM in this group.     

Genetics of panic disorder on the Faroe Islands: a replication study of chromosome 9 and panic disorder

OBJECTIVE: The population of the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean is likely to have the same ancestry as the Icelandic population. An Icelandic study on Panic Disorder has found some evidence for a loci on chromosome 9. METHODS: On the Faroe Islands we have an ongoing genetic project concerning panic disorder among other psychiatric disorders. We searched for shared alleles and haplotypes in distantly related cases from the isolated and recently found population of the Faroe Islands, using 26 more or less evenly distributed microsatellite markers on chromosome 9, with emphasis on the candidate region identified in the Icelandic study. RESULTS: We have not been able to replicate the Icelandic results. Owing to the study design and sample size, we would not be able to detect areas with small impact.     

Developing a general post-classification framework for land-cover mapping improvement using high-spatial-resolution remote sensing imagery

In this letter, a general post-classification framework (GPCF) is proposed to enhance initial results. Traditional post-classification techniques usually improve classification accuracy by considering the contextual information in a single classified image. In contrast to traditional techniques, the proposed GPCF aims to integrate multi-source classified images obtained through different classification approaches. In the proposed framework, the label of a central pixel is determined by its surrounding voting in each classified image. In this manner, the GPCF can integrate the advantages of different classification approaches. In our experiments, a hyperspectral image and an aerial image with high spatial resolution (HSR) are used to evaluate the proposed GPCF. Compared with two relevant post-classification approaches, the proposed framework can provide a land-cover map with lower noise in visual comparison and achieve higher classification accuracies. Therefore, the proposed GPCF presents better performance in HSR image classification.     

Serum paraoxonase activity and lipid hydroperoxide levels in adult football players after three days football tournament

Background

It has been suggested that physical activity is an important factor in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Low serum paraoxononase-1 (PON1) activity is with an associated risk of atherosclerotic disease.

Objectives

In this study, we aimed to investigate serum PON1 activity and lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) levels in adult football players after three days football tournament.

Methods

Twenty-three adult male football players and 23 sedentary male subjects after three days football tournament were enrolled. Serum paraoxonase, arylesterase activities and LOOH levels were determined.

Results

Serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities were signiûcantly higher in football players than sedentary subjects (all, p<0.05), while LOOH levels were significantly lower (p< 0.05). Serum LOOH levels were inversely correlated with paraoxonase and arylesterase activities (r=−0.552, p<0.001; r=−0.812, p<0.001; respectively) in adult football players.

Conclusion

Our data show, for the first time, that physical activity is associated with increased PON1 activity and decreased oxidative stress after three days football tournament. In addition, physical activity for a healthy life is important in increasing serum PON1 activity, and this may play a role in the prevention of atherosclerosis.     

Prevalence and characteristics of migraine in women of reproductive age in Istanbul, Turkey: a population based survey

Migraine is more common in female and onset of migraine is most commonly seen in the second and third decades of life. In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence and characteristics of migraine among women of ages between 15 to 45 years in Turkey. This is the first study to target this age group. The women were interviewed on a door-to-door basis, from early morning to late evening. Once responded positively to headache, an in-depth interview was performed questioning for migraine features. Diagnosis was made from a questionnaire by eight neurologists. One thousand eight hundred thirty five (1,835) out of 96,000 women living in Maltepe which is a town of Istanbul participated in this study. The prevalence of migraine in females aged 15-45 (reproductive ages) was 15.8% (95% CI, 0.142-0.176). This study showed that migraine onset occurred at a mean age of 22.7, 33% having family history, and with migraine with and without aura having near equal frequencies. The prevalence of migraine in women of reproductive ages in Istanbul as found in our study is lower than that reported in United States and Europe countries, but higher than that in Middle and Far Eastern countries.     

Advances in the discovery of novel antibacterial agents during the year 2002

The development of bacterial resistance is a significant problem in the treatment of infection, and the importance of research directed toward the discovery of novel agents to treat infections cannot be underestimated. In the past, discovery programs have focused on modification of natural products or existing classes of marketed antibacterial agents. A significant period of time lapsed between the introduction of the nalidixic acid-based quinolones and the next novel antibacterial agent (Zyvox). However, the advent of the "genomics era" has provided a wealth of new targets that afford the opportunity to discover novel antibacterial agents. This review reports on the state of antibacterial research directed toward the development of novel antibacterial agents with novel mechanisms of action for the calendar year, 2002. While variations on existing drug classes continue to appear, we have chosen to limit our discussion to novel classes of antibacterial agents which have not yet been marketed.     

Management of main bile duct injuries that occur during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

The introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in surgical practice resulted with an increased incidence of bile duct injuries and required new classification systems. This article presents six cases of major bile duct injuries that occurred in our first 1,000 laparoscopic cholecystectomies. Four female and two male patients (ages, 36-71 years) were detected to have major bile duct injuries. Laparoscopic dissection was difficult because of acute inflammation in four patients and fibrosis in two patients. These six cases were between laparoscopic cholecystectomies 26 and 377 performed by the operating surgeons. Three of the patients had type E2 injury according to the Strasberg classification: one detected intraoperatively and the other two postoperatively. All were treated with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. The other three patients had type D injuries: two realized intraoperatively and one postoperatively. Two of these injuries were repaired primarily over a T-tube. The remaining patient, whose injury was realized intraoperatively, underwent nasobiliary drainage postoperatively. Only one patient had a complication associated with a trocar injury to the liver parenchima during the first operation. A hepatic abscess and external biliary fistula developed, which were treated conservatively. At this writing, all the patients are well and without problems after 2.5 to 6 years of follow-up evaluation. Difficulties in laparoscopic dissection because of severe inflammation or fibrosis resulted in injuries to our patients. We can underscore the fact that experience may not always protect from complications, and that conversion to laparotomy might have prevented some of these injuries. Patients with a minor injury and a controlled leak can be treated by a combination of surgical and endoscopic or radiologic techniques. The treatment plan must be individualized for every patient, depending on the injury type, presentation, and condition of the patient.     

Recognition of neurocognitive dysfunction in chronic hemodialysis patients.

We sought to determine the prevalence, recognition, and consequences of mental impairment among chronic hemodialysis patients. We administered the Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE), a brief validated method for assessing cognitive mental status that is commonly used by clinicians, to 84 patients from our dialysis units. To determine the clinical implications of mental impairment, we obtained Kt/V, albumin, protein catabolic rate, blood pressure, and hematocrit values. We found that 21% of subjects had mild mental impairment (MMSE 18 to 23) and that 11% had moderate-severe mental impairment (MMSE 0 to 17). We found no relationship between MMSE score and years on dialysis, Kt/V value, hematocrit value, or erythropoietin use. On univariate analysis, MMSE score was associated with albumin, protein catabolic rate, inter-dialytic weight gain, number of co-morbid conditions, number of hospitalizations. Outcomes on univariate analysis were further analyzed by multivariate analysis. There was an independent relationship between decrement in MMSE score and lower protein catabolic rate and increased hospitalization number and number of co-morbid conditions. Based on our findings, we recommend that clinicians routinely screen hemodialysis patients for mental impairment and target impaired patients for interventions to improve mental status and associated adverse outcomes.