“Food Is Our Love Language”: Using Talanoa to Conceptualize Food Security for the Māori and Pasifika Diaspora in South-East Queensland,Australia

Queensland is home to the largest diaspora of Māori and Pasifika peoples in Australia. They form an understudied population concerning experiences and challenges of food insecurity. This community co-designed research aims to explore the conceptualization of household food security by Māori and Pasifika peoples living in south-east Queensland. Participatory action research and talanoa were used to collect and analyse forty interviews with leaders representing 22 Māori and Pasifika cultural identities in south-east Queensland. Eight key themes emerged that conceptualise food security as an integral part of the culture and holistic health. These themes included: spirituality, identity, hospitality and reciprocity, stigma and shame, expectations and obligations, physical and mental health and barriers and solutions. Addressing food insecurity for collectivist cultures such as Māori and Pasifika peoples requires embracing food sovereignty approaches for improved food security through the co-design of practical solutions that impact social determinants and strengthen existing networks to produce and distribute affordable and nutritious food.     

Endovascular treatment of traumatic aortic rupture using iliac extension stent-grafts in patients with small aortic diameters

Open in a separate window OBJECTIVESTo evaluate outcomes after thoracic endovascular aortic repair in young patients sustaining traumatic blunt aortic injury (BAI) using iliac extension stent-grafts because of small aortic diameters measuring <24 mm.METHODSRetrospective analysis regarding clinical presentation, trauma management, endovascular techniques and outcome of patients with a small descending aorta involving an iliac extension stent-graft to treat traumatic BAI.RESULTSAmong 48 patients who suffered a BAI and underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair, 7 received iliac extension stent-grafts. They were 27.4/[standard deviation (SD): −13.1] years old and 6 out of 7 were male. The iliac extension stent-graft was used as distal stent-graft, and a thoracic stent-graft was used in most patients as proximal extension. We achieved overall technical success in all patients during a procedure lasting 92.6 (SD: 54.9) min. One patient died 2 days after the endovascular procedure of hypoxic brain injury, and another died after 17 days of liver failure. That patient had also suffered a spinal cord injury following the procedure, as the stent-graft had been deployed in Ishimaru Zone 2, and the carotid to subclavian bypass had to be omitted because of his critical condition. Control computed tomographic angiographs was available in 6 patients after 7.7 (SD: 5.1) days and showed no endoleak. The surviving patients were discharged after 18.4 (SD: 13.4) days.CONCLUSIONSTreating traumatic BAI using iliac extension stent-grafts in young patients with small aortic diameters is feasible. We observed no mortality caused by the BAI or related to endovascular therapy within this small patient cohort.     

In vitro metabolism of etoposide (VP-16-213) by liver microsomes and irreversible binding of reactive intermediates to microsomal proteins

We have studied the metabolism of VP-16-213 (etoposide, VP-16), an antitumor agent, by mouse liver microsomes to reactive intermediates and the subsequent covalent binding to microsomal proteins. This metabolism was shown to involve the O-demethylation of VP-16 and resulted in the formation of a 3',4'-dihydroxy derivative (DHVP-16) which was identified by both HPLC and mass spectrometry. The formation of DHVP-16 was cytochrome P-450-mediated as indicated by its dependence on NADPH, its increased production following treatment of mice with phenobarbital, and its marked inhibition by SKF-525A and piperonyl butoxide. Furthermore, DHVP-16 formation required oxygen. Microsomal incubation of VP-16 resulted in an irreversible binding of the drug to the proteins, which was also shown to be cytochrome P-450 dependent. The covalent binding of the VP-16 metabolite(s) was inhibited by DHVP-16 in a dose-dependent fashion, suggesting that the reactive intermediates that bound to proteins were derived from DHVP-16. Electron spin resonance studies indicated that the same semiquinone radical was formed during enzymatic (oxidation or reduction) metabolism of DHVP-16 and the o-quinone derivative of VP-16 (VP-16-Q). VP-16-Q and its semiquinone radical are suggested to be the bioalkylating species.     

Pregnancy management for a woman with extensive vulvar and pelvic malformations caused by Klippel–Trénaunay syndrome

Klippel–Trénaunay syndrome (KTS) is a rare congenital disorder defined by a triad of capillary malformation, venous malformation, and soft tissue or bone hypertrophy most commonly affecting unilateral lower limbs. Due to the rarity of KTS, evidence‐based guidelines for the management of pregnancy in people with KTS are still lacking. A 34‐year‐old woman (gravidity 1; parity 0) presented at 25 weeks of gestation with malformations of the right side of her body. The extent of the KTS affecting the vulva, pelvis, and right leg was remarkable. As the prenatal MRI showed massive vascular malformations of the pelvis and vulva, we performed an elective cesarean section to avoid severe perinatal hemorrhage during a vaginal delivery. Intraoperatively, we observed varices on the parietal peritoneum within the vesico‐uterine pouch and the isthmocervical transition of the uterus, which were not identifiable in the preoperative MRI. Although KTS patients have been discouraged from pregnancy in the past because of a high risk for complications, successful and uncomplicated pregnancies are possible. For this purpose, we believe a multidisciplinary strategy that is crucial.     

Quantification of active ingredients in suppositories by FT‐Raman spectroscopy

An efficient method for the quantitative determination of acetaminophen (AAP) and diclofenac sodium (DS) in commercial suppositories based on partial least squares (PLS) treatment of FT‐Raman spectra is described. The relative standard errors of prediction (RSEP) were calculated for calibration and validation data sets to evaluate the quality of the constructed models. In the case of DS determination, RSEP error values of 1.9 % and 2.3 % for the calibration and validation data sets, respectively, were found. For AAP these errors amounted to 1.6–2.3 % and 1.8–2.8 %, respectively, for the different calibration models. Four commercial preparations containing 5, 12.5, 16.7 and 33.3 % (w/w) AAP and one containing 5 % (w/w) DS were successfully quantified using the developed models. Concentrations derived from the developed models correlated strongly with the declared values and yielded recoveries of 99.4–100.2 % and 99.6 % for AAP and DS, respectively. The proposed procedure can be used as a fast, economic and reliable method for quantification of the active pharmaceutical ingredients in suppositories. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Triangulo-{ErIII3} complex showing field supported slow magnetic relaxation

The triangulo-{Er₃} complex [Er₃Cl(o-van)₃(OH)₂(H₂O)₅]Cl₃·nH₂O (n = 9.4; H(o-van) = o-vanillin) (1) was generated by an in situ method. The isolated Er(iii) complex 1 was characterized by elemental analysis and molecular spectroscopy. The results of single crystal X-ray diffraction studies have shown that 1 is built up of trinuclear [Er₃Cl(o-van)₃(OH)₂(H₂O)₅]³⁺ complex cations, chloride anions and water solvate molecules. Within the complex cation the three Er(iii) central atoms are placed at the apexes of a triangle which are bridged by three (o-van)⁻ ligands with additional chelating functions and two μ₃-OH⁻ ligands. Additionally five aqua and one chlorido ligands complete the octa-coordination of the three Er(iii) atoms. AC susceptibility measurements reveal that the compound exhibits slow magnetic relaxation with two relaxation modes.

The triangulo-{Er₃} complex [Er₃Cl(o-van)₃(OH)₂(H₂O)₅]Cl₃·nH₂O (n = 9.4; H(o-van) = o-vanillin) (1) was generated by an in situ method.     

Exposure to power frequency electric fields and the risk of childhood cancer in the UK

The United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study, a population-based case-control study covering the whole of Great Britain, incorporated a pilot study measuring electric fields. Measurements were made in the homes of 473 children who were diagnosed with a malignant neoplasm between 1992 and 1996 and who were aged 0-14 at diagnosis, together with 453 controls matched on age, sex and geographical location. Exposure assessments comprised resultant spot measurements in the child's bedroom and the family living-room. Temporal stability of bedroom fields was investigated through continuous logging of the 48-h vertical component at the child's bedside supported by repeat spot measurements. The principal exposure metric used was the mean of the pillow and bed centre measurements. For the 273 cases and 276 controls with fully validated measures, comparing those with a measured electric field exposure >/=20 V m(-1) to those in a reference category of exposure <10 V m(-1), odds ratios of 1.31 (95% confidence interval 0.68-2.54) for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, 1.32 (95% confidence interval 0.73-2.39) for total leukaemia, 2.12 (95% confidence interval 0.78-5.78) for central nervous system cancers and 1.26 (95% confidence interval 0.77-2.07) for all malignancies were obtained. When considering the 426 cases and 419 controls with no invalid measures, the corresponding odds ratios were 0.86 (95% confidence interval 0.49-1.51) for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, 0.93 (95% confidence interval 0.56-1.54) for total leukaemia, 1.43 (95% confidence interval 0.68-3.02) for central nervous system cancers and 0.90 (95% confidence interval 0.59-1.35) for all malignancies. With exposure modelled as a continuous variable, odds ratios for an increase in the principal metric of 10 V m(-1) were close to unity for all disease categories, never differing significantly from one.     

Hybridization of the 18 alpha-satellite probe to chromosome 1 revealed in PGD

Although the chromosome 18 alpha-satellite probe is considered to have a very low polymorphism rate, the routine use of this probe in prenatal diagnosis revealed rare variants in size and copy number of these sequences. A polymorphic signal was detected in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for aneuploidy, in a patient with repeated early miscarriages. A third small signal of chromosome 18 alpha-satellite probe was observed in two of four evaluated embryos. Hybridization to the woman's metaphasic lymphocytes revealed that the small signal was localized in the pericentromeric region of chromosome 1. Reanalysis of blastomeres with telomeric probes for chromosome 18q confirmed the presence of only two copies of chromosome 18. Options for verifying PGD analysis results, to prevent misdiagnosis in cases of suspected polymorphism, are discussed. Although some authors speculate about a possible role of heterochromatin polymorphism in infertility, this rare polymorphism of 18 alpha-satellite sequences is in itself probably a normal variant. This is the third report of a cross-hybridization of the chromosome 18 alpha-satellite probe and the first report of the localization of the polymorphic 18 alpha-satellite signal to chromosome 1.