Dietary Intake of Modernizing Samoans: Implications for Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Objective To describe the dietary intake of American and Western Samoans, with emphasis on nutrients conventionally related to risk factors for cardiovascular disease.Design Cross-sectional dietary survey. Intake estimates were based on 24-hour recall interviews.Subject Community-based samples of 946 men and women (455 American Samoans, 491 Western Samoans) aged 25 to 55 years.Statistical analyses Tests of differences in means (t tests) and proportions (Chi² tests). Correlation and multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to describe correlates of energy and nutrient intakes.Results Few differences were noted between the energy and nutrient intakes of men and women, but substantial differences were found between residents of American Samoa and those of the less modernized country of Western Samoa. American Samoans consumed significantly more energy as carbohydrate (47% vs 44%) and protein (18% vs 13%) and less as fat (36% vs 46%) and saturated fat (16% vs 30%). Energy-adjusted intakes of cholesterol and sodium were higher among American Samoans. These differences persisted after adjustment for age, gender, years of education, occupation, and categories of a 10-point material lifestyle score. Samoans in the lowest category of material lifestyle had significantly lower energy-adjusted intakes of protein, cholesterol, and sodium and higher intakes of saturated fat than those in the upper 2 categories. Additional analyses described the contribution of specific foods to the intakes of energy and macronutrients.Conclusions/applications The observed energy and nutrient intake patterns are consistent with previously reported levels of obesity and risk factors for cardiovascular disease among Samoans and suggest dietary modification for those at highest risk. Dietetics practitioners who counsel Samoan and other Pacific Islander clients should be aware of these intake patterns, which seem particularly malleable to levels of personal income. More generally, results from this study illustrate that the food choices of certain ethnic groups may be profoundly affected by the process of modernization within a country or by migration to a more economically developed locale. J Am Diet Assoc. 1999;99:184–190.     

Using Amnioinfusion for the Relief of Repetitive Variable Decelerations during Labor

Amnioinfusion is a method of replacing intrauterine amniotic fluid volume through intrauterine infusion of a saline solution using a pressure catheter. This method simply and effectively relieves variable decelerations not alleviated by the conventional measures of maternal position change and oxygen administration. The mechanisms underlying variable decelerations, the technique for amnioinfusion administration, and two case studies are reported. Nursing responsibilities regarding amnioinfusion include pattern recognition, assisting with or initiation of amnioinfusion, and maintenance and evaluation of this intervention.     

Ventricular Fibrillation Produced by Stimulation of External Transthoracic Electrodes—An Experimental Study

The threshold for ventricular fibrillation was determined in 12 pentobarbital anesthetized dogs using transthoracic electrodes located at the optimal axillary electroventilation sites. Electroventilation is the name used to designate inspiration produced by stimuli applied to body surface electrodes. The optimal stimulation site for electroventilation was first determined using hand-held electrodes. Then electrodes, 4.1 cm in diameter, were sutured bilaterally to the optimal anterior axillary stimulation site. The threshold current for producing ventricular fibrillation was determined using single pulses ranging from 0.1-10 msec in duration delivered during the vulnerable period of the cardiac cycle. Fibrillation was produced in all dogs with the 10- and 5-msec pulse durations, in 11 dogs with 0.3-msec, in 6 dogs with 0.2-msec, and in 1 dog with 0.1-msec pulse duration. In all dogs, the current required to produce ventricular fibrillation increased greatly as the pulse duration was decreased. The current required for fibrillation was much in excess of that required to produce one tidal volume. With the longer duration pulses, the ratio was about 80. With the 8 microseconds duration pulses used for electroventilation the estimated ratio is about 800.     

Direct assignment of disulfide bonds by Edman degradation of selected peptide fragments

Disulfide linkages in peptides or proteins were analyzed by automated gas-phase Edman sequencing performed in minimized reducing agents. If cystine linkage was regulated at the same position in two peptides during peptide preparation, the diphenylthiohydantoin derivative of cystine was significantly recovered by Edman reaction. In contrast, when the crosslinked half cystines were present at different positions in the peptides, the derivative could be poorly detected. Upon direct sequence analysis of intact bovine insulin, the PTH derivatives of cystine from both Cys-A7 and Cys-B7 were significantly released after Edman cycle 7 and gave approximately 20% recovery of common PTH amino acids. However, Cys-Al1 linked to Cys-A6 was poorly detectable after Edman cycle 11. For general use of this method, proteins need to be subjected to several sets of proteolytic or chemical cleavages in the hope that at least one of the fragments will have cystine linkage at the same position. This method was applied to several fragments of platelet-derived growth factor B chain and brain-derived neurotrophic factor.     

An investigation into the incidence of auto-immune disorders in patients with lichen sclerosus and atrophicus

Patients with lichen sclerosus and atrophicus have an increased incidence of organ specific antibodies, and these patients and their relatives have a significantly higher incidence of associated autoimmune diseases than a control population. The incidence of other auto-immune diseases in patients with lichen sclerosus is highest when the onset is between the ages of 41 and 6o years, but is not related to the duration or site of the lesions. These findings suggest an immunological basis for the disease and indicate that the patients should be investigated and followed up to detect the existence of other auto-immune disorders.     

Slugs and snails and puppy-dog tails''-children''s ideas about the inside of their bodies

Twenty-six children at each of four age-levels (6, 8, 10 and 12 years) were asked to draw the inside of their bodies and to answer some questions on body organization and function. Although knowledge increased with age, it was consistently below that reported in earlier American studies. Children's responses to questions about how their bodies worked revealed some basic misunderstandings and errors. The significance of these data both for health education and for communicating with sick children is discussed.     

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE TREATMENT OF ACNE VULGARIS WITH GRENZ X- RAYS

SUMMARY.— A controlled trial of Grenz rays in acne vulgaris failed to show any significant response to this treatment.
More limited trials showed n29 KV x-ray to be equally ineffective; 50 KV x-ray appeared to be of some slight benefit, but the difference between treated and control sides of the face was small.