Risky eating behaviors of young adults-implications for food safety education

Young adults engage in risky eating behaviors like eating raw/undercooked foods of animal origin that put them at increased risk for foodborne disease. This cross-sectional survey assessed the self-reported risky eating behaviors of young adults enrolled in higher education as a part of a large-scale survey administered over 10 months. Participants (N=4,343) completed a risky eating questionnaire by indicating which of the foods listed they consumed (the list included a random sequence of foods that are considered safe or risky to eat). Each risky food consumed earned one point, with the risky eating score calculated by summing points earned (range 0 to 27). Higher scores indicated more risky eating behaviors. Food safety knowledge and self-efficacy and stage of change for safe food handling were also assessed. Mean risky eating score (5.1±3.6) indicated that young adults consumed risky foods. Male respondents and whites consumed more risky foods compared with female respondents and nonwhites, respectively. As stage of change (movement to higher stages) and self-efficacy increased, risky eating score decreased; those who believed food poisoning was a personal threat tended to eat fewer risky foods. Regression models indicated that the strongest predictor of risky eating was self-efficacy score followed by stage of change. These variables, together with sex and race, explained about 10% of the variance in risky eating score. Although food safety knowledge correlated weakly with risky eating score, it did not significantly predict it. Efforts to improve current food-handling behaviors and self-efficacy through education are important to reduce prevalence of risky eating behaviors within this population.     

Hearing aid functioning in the preschool setting: stepping back in time?

Purpose

In order for children with hearing impairment to receive maximum benefit from preschool programs, their amplification devices must be functioning appropriately. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate the functionality of hearing aids in a preschool setting.

Methods

Forty-four hearing aids worn by 24 preschool children, whose ages ranged from three to five years, (mean age = 45.2 months, median age = 48 months) from four state funded aural/oral habilitation preschools were evaluated using listening checks and visual examinations. Hearing aids passing both evaluations were given a pass rating and those failing one or more of the evaluations were given a fail rating. Causes of fail rates were documented.

Results

Over half of the hearing aids tested were determined to have at least one or more problems (n = 27). These problems were detected using listening and visual checks.

Conclusions

Failure rates based on basic listening and visual checks among the hearing aids examined in this study demonstrated no improvement over those reported in the 1970's. The results re-emphasize the need for a national dialogue on this topic.     

Fascia augmentation of the vocal fold: graft yield in the canine and preliminary clinical experience

INTRODUCTION: Glottal insufficiency resulting from vocal fold bowing, hypomobility, or scar is frequently treated by injection augmentation. Injection augmentation with fat, collagen, gel foam, polytef, and recently, fascia lata has been previously reported. Variable graft yield and poor host-tissue tolerance have motivated the continued search for an ideal graft substance. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective trial of autologous fascia augmentation of the vocal cord in the human and in an animal model. METHODS: Autologous fascia injection augmentation (AFIA) was evaluated in 8 canines and 40 patients at our institution between 1998 and 2000. The animal study compared graft yield from AFIA with autologous fat yield. The outcome measure was graft yield calculated from histological examination of larynges 12 weeks after injection augmentation. Clinical trial outcome measures included symptom surveys, acoustical voice analyses, and subjective voice assessments. Mean follow-up was 9 months. RESULTS: In the canine larynx, the mean graft yield for AFIA was 33% (range, 5%-84%) compared with autologous lipoinjection (47%; range, 7%-96%; P =.57). Subjective improvement in vocal quality was reported by 95% of patients (38 of 40) after AFIA. Preoperative and postoperative voice analysis data were obtained from 26 patients. Subjective voice rating demonstrated a significant improvement after AFIA (P <.0001). Acoustical parameters of jitter, shimmer, noise-to-harmonic ratio, phonatory range, and degree unvoiced improved significantly (P <.05) in all patients after fascia augmentation. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the animal study, we concluded that graft yields are excellent but variable for AFIA. The result is similar in variability and overall yield to autologous lipoinjection. Subjective and objective analyses of voice outcomes after AFIA are universally improved. Fascia appears to be an excellent alternative to lipoinjection in properly selected cases of glottic insufficiency.     

Are all n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids created equal?

N-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids have been shown to have potential beneficial effects for chronic diseases including cancer, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in particular have been studied extensively, whereas substantive evidence for a biological role for the precursor, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is lacking. It is not enough to assume that ALA exerts effects through conversion to EPA and DHA, as the process is highly inefficient in humans. Thus, clarification of ALA's involvement in health and disease is essential, as it is the principle n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid consumed in the North American diet and intakes of EPA and DHA are typically very low. There is evidence suggesting that ALA, EPA and DHA have specific and potentially independent effects on chronic disease. Therefore, this review will assess our current understanding of the differential effects of ALA, EPA and DHA on cancer, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease. Potential mechanisms of action will also be reviewed. Overall, a better understanding of the individual role for ALA, EPA and DHA is needed in order to make appropriate dietary recommendations regarding n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid consumption.     

高效液相色谱法测定血清中双氯芬酸浓度及在人体的药代动力学

建立了人血清中双氯芬酸的反相高效液相色谱测定方法。该法操作简便、精密度好、方法回收率为９８．２～１０２．５％，日内、日间ＲＳＤ为１．２９～４。５２％，血药浓度在０．２～１０μｇ／ｍｌ范围内呈线性关系，相关系数０；９９９９，当信噪比为２时，最低检测限为１０ｎｇ／ｍｌ。健康志愿者口服１００ｍｇ双氯芬酸肠溶衣片，药代动力学过程符合一室开放模型，消除半衰期为２．１５ｈ。     

Dose-ranging study of CP-99,219 (trovafloxacin) for treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea.

Thirty-nine patients with uncomplicated gonorrhea were randomized to receive single, oral 50-, 100-, or 200-mg doses of trovafloxacin (CP-99,219), a new quinolone antibiotic. All 31 evaluable patients were cured of infection. Trovafloxacin was well tolerated. The trovafloxacin MICs at which 50 and 90% of 36 Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates are inhibited were 0.002 and 0.004 mg/liter, respectively (MIC range, < 0.0005 to 0.008 mg/liter). These preliminary studies suggest that trovafloxacin is effective for the treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea at single oral doses as low as 50 mg.