中国人与白种人鼻咽癌的发病和治疗

对1971—1990年间加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚癌症中心收治的428例鼻咽癌病人的发病和治疗情况进行分析。其中,中国人占303例(71％),白种人116例(27％)。中国人在该省鼻咽癌的年发病率是白种人的64倍,其中又以在中国出生的发病率最高,分别为白种人的104倍和北美出生的中国人的16倍。本组总的5年和10年生存率分别为51％和39％,颈淋巴结阴性的病人5年生存率达64％;而阳性的病人只有44％。鼻咽癌的预后与它的临床分期、病理类型、治疗前有无做颈淋巴结活检,以及性别有关,而与病人的人种和出生地无关。     

Role of biochemical mediators in clinical nutrition and surgical metabolism

Over the past several decades, research on the role of mediators in inflammation, immunity, repair processes, cell growth, and substrate metabolism have centered around the use of purified products of stimulated macrophages. With the current availability of recombinant mediators, the participation of individual monokines in cellular metabolism has been more clearly defined. Interactions among various mediators have been demonstrated, but their exact role in metabolism is currently under intense study. With the use of recombinant monokines, formal evidence for their participation in the acute phase response has been developed. Their use has also assisted in the reinterpretation of data gathered in older studies using purified preparations, which were almost certainly contaminated with several monokines. In this review we will try to give the reader insight into recent advances in the understanding of the role of cellular mediators in relation to nutrition and intermediary metabolism. With a clearer knowledge of the role of cellular mediators in the pathophysiology of disease, it may be possible to develop rationales for their therapeutic use as modulators of substrate metabolism during critical illness.     

Daughters caregiving for hispanic and non-hispanic alzheimer patients: Does ethnicity make a difference?

This study assessed Cuban-American Hispanic and White non-Hispanic daughters who were major caregivers for their mothers suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. Although patients in both ethnic groups did not differ in their level of cognitive and functional impairment, Cuban-American Hispanic patients were significantly more likely to be living in their daughters' homes while the White non-Hispanic patients resided in institutional settings. Caregivers were equivalent in their knowledge and utilization of community services, but Cuban-American daughters were significantly more aware of financial aid resources. Cuban-American patients were significantly more depressed than their White non-Hispanic counterparts with daughters showing similar but nonsignificant trends. The impact of cultural factors on caregiving is discussed.     

Influence of transient salivary flora on assessment of mutans streptococci level by the "Strip mutans" method.

The Dentocult SM ("Strip mutans") method occasionally shows decoloration of broth and of colonies of mutans streptococci on the plastic strip, thereby making interpretation difficult. In an attempt to explain the phenomenon and to investigate the influence of the salivary flora on the "Strip mutans" method, a total of 46 subjects were sampled. Saliva was analyzed using the "Strip mutans" method and conventional plating techniques to identify mutans streptococci, enterococci, staphylococci, enteric bacteria, and yeasts. Approximately 85% of the "Strip mutans" scores coincided with the conventional MSB-plating method. Two samples showed decolored mutans streptococci colonies on the "Strip mutans" strip. Enterococcus spp. were present in the saliva of these test subjects and could grow in the "Strip mutans" broth. Enterococcus faecalis was able to induce the same type of decoloration under experimental pure culture conditions. Three "Strip mutans" samples showed small colonies of mutans streptococci, visible only under magnification (x 10-20). Staphylococcus epidermidis was present in these saliva samples and showed heavy growth in the broth. Under experimental pure culture conditions S. epidermidis also inhibited the growth of mutans streptococci to some extent.     

Body composition estimates using different measurement techniques in a sample of highland subsistence farmers in Guatemala

This study aims at assessing the accuracy of estimates of body composition provided by bioimpedance (BIA) equations developed for U.S. populations when applied to a sample of Guatemalan farmers. If these equations were shown to have low validity, the second objective was to develop more accurate estimates of fat-free mass (FFM). One hundred males and females 19 to 45 years of age were randomly selected from four rural communities in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Bioimpedance equations explained 59 and 33% of the variation in FFM, with a RMSE of 2.7 and 2.8 kg in males and females, respectively. Body fat (BF) predictions had a lower R². Using the “all possible regressions” procedure, the best subset for prediction of FFM used anthropometric and BIA variables as predictors. The best model for men and women included only anthropometric variables: 75% of the variance in FFM for men and 70% of the variance in women was explained by this model. The RMSE was 2.1 and 1.9 kg for both groups, respectively. It is concluded that FFM can be estimated from anthropometric dimensions with a high degree of accuracy and use of BIA does not provide more valid estimates.