The levels of plasma low density lipoprotein are independent of cholesterol ester transfer protein in fish-oil fed F1B hamsters

A low fat, high carbohydrate diet in combination with regular exercise is the traditional recommendation for treating diabetes. Compliance with these lifestyle modifications is less than satisfactory, however, and a high carbohydrate diet raises postprandial plasma glucose and insulin secretion, thereby increasing risk of CVD, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity and diabetes. Moreover, the current epidemic of diabetes and obesity has been, over the past three decades, accompanied by a significant decrease in fat consumption and an increase in carbohydrate consumption. This apparent failure of the traditional diet, from a public health point of view, indicates that alternative dietary approaches are needed. Because carbohydrate is the major secretagogue of insulin, some form of carbohydrate restriction is a prima facie candidate for dietary control of diabetes. Evidence from various randomized controlled trials in recent years has convinced us that such diets are safe and effective, at least in short-term. These data show low carbohydrate diets to be comparable or better than traditional low fat high carbohydrate diets for weight reduction, improvement in the dyslipidemia of diabetes and metabolic syndrome as well as control of blood pressure, postprandial glycemia and insulin secretion. Furthermore, the ability of low carbohydrate diets to reduce triglycerides and to increase HDL is of particular importance. Resistance to such strategies has been due, in part, to equating it with the popular Atkins diet. However, there are many variations and room for individual physician planning. Some form of low carbohydrate diet, in combination with exercise, is a viable option for patients with diabetes. However, the extreme reduction of carbohydrate of popular diets (<30 g/day) cannot be recommended for a diabetic population at this time without further study. On the other hand, the dire objections continually raised in the literature appear to have very little scientific basis. Whereas it is traditional to say that more work needs to be done, the same is true of the assumed standard low fat diets which have an ambiguous record at best. We see current trends in the national dietary recommendations as a positive sign and an appropriate move in the right direction.     

Parental involvement laws and fertility behavior

This paper considers the impact of the introduction of laws requiring parental involvement in a minor's decision to abort a pregnancy. State-level data over the 1985-1996 period are used to examine abortion, birth, and pregnancy outcomes, while microdata from the 1988 and 1995 National Surveys of Family Growth (NSFG) are utilized to examine sexual activity and contraception. Quasi-experimental methods are employed that examine whether minors' fertility outcomes were affected in those locations that introduced these laws following their introduction and occurred for minors but not other women. I find that parental involvement laws resulted in fewer abortions for minors resulting from fewer pregnancies; there is no statistically significant impact on births. The reduction in pregnancy seems to be attributable to increased use of contraception rather than a reduction in sexual activity.     

Sexual health and life experiences: voices from behaviourally bisexual Latino men in the Midwestern USA

Research on behaviourally bisexual Latino men in the USA has not yet examined sexual health issues among men living in diverse areas of the nation, including the Midwest. A community-based participatory research approach was used to engage a diverse sample of 75 behaviourally bisexual men (25 White, 25 Black and 25 Latino). Semi-structured interviews were conducted and standard qualitative analysis procedures were used to explore data from the 25 Latino participants. Men described their unique migration experiences as behaviourally bisexual men in this area of the USA, as well as related sexual risk behaviours and health concerns. Lack of culturally congruent public health and community resources for behaviourally bisexual men in the Midwestern USA were identified as significant barriers. As in other studies, familial and community relationships were significant for the participants, especially in terms of the decision to disclose or not disclose their bisexuality. Additionally, alcohol and other drugs were often used while engaging in sexual behaviours particularly with male and transgender, as well as female, partners. Behaviourally bisexual Latino men may benefit from receiving positive and affirmative individual- and structural-level support in regards to their unique experiences in this and other settings.     

Risk for Travel-associated Legionnaires’ Disease,Europe, 2009

Legionnaires’ disease is underreported in Europe; notification rates differ substantially among countries. Approximately 20% of reported cases are travel-associated. To assess the risk for travel-associated Legionnaires’ disease (TALD) associated with travel patterns in European countries, we retrieved TALD surveillance data for 2009 from the European Surveillance System, and tourism denominator data from the Statistical Office of the European Union. Risk (number cases reported/number nights spent) was calculated by travel country. In 2009, the network reported 607 cases among European travelers, possibly associated with 825 accommodation sites in European Union countries. The overall risk associated with travel abroad was 0.3 cases/million nights. We observed an increasing trend in risk from northwestern to southeastern Europe; Greece had the highest risk (1.7). Our findings underscore the need for countries with high TALD risks to improve prevention and control of legionellosis; and for countries with high TALD risks, but low notification rates of Legionnaires’ disease to improve diagnostics and reporting.     

Permissive influence of stress in the expression of a U-shaped relationship between serum corticosterone levels and spatial memory errors in rats

The relationship between glucocorticoids (GCs) and memory is complex, in that memory impairments can occur in response to manipulations that either increase or decrease GC levels. We investigated this issue by assessing the relationship between serum corticosterone (the primary rodent GC) and memory in rats trained in the radial arm water maze, a hippocampus-dependent spatial memory task. Each day, rats learned a new location of the hidden escape platform and then 30 min later their memory of the location of the platform was tested. Under control conditions, well-trained rats had excellent spatial memory and moderately elevated corticosterone levels (approximately 26 microg/dl versus a baseline of approximately 2 microg/dl). Their memory was impaired when corticosterone levels were either reduced by metyrapone (a corticosterone synthesis inhibitor) or increased by acute stress (predator exposure), forming an overall U-shaped relationship between corticosterone levels and memory. We then addressed whether there was a causal relationship between elevated corticosterone levels and impaired memory. If elevated corticosterone levels were a sufficient condition to impair memory, then exogenously administered corticosterone, alone, should have impaired performance. However, we found that spatial memory was not impaired in corticosterone-injected rats that were not exposed to the cat. This work demonstrates that an intermediate level of corticosterone correlated with optimal memory, and either a decrease or an increase in corticosterone levels, in conjunction with strong emotionality, impaired spatial memory. These findings indicate that fear-provoking conditions, which are known to engage the amygdala, interact with stress levels of corticosterone to influence hippocampal functioning.     

An Elective Course on Dermatological Topics and Cosmeceutical Compounding

Objective. To implement and assess a pharmacy dermatology and cosmeceutical compounding elective course and its impact on graduates’ careers.Design. A 3-credit elective course that incorporated classroom lectures on ambulatory dermatologic diseases and cosmeceutical products with case studies, weekly quizzes, and a comprehensive business plan project was implemented in a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program in 2010.Assessment. Assessment instruments including weekly quizzes, a business plan project, and pre- and post-course tests were used to evaluate course content. Across 3 offerings of the course (2010, 2011, 2012), pre- and post-course test scores improved. Results of a postgraduate survey showed that 54% of respondents worked at a pharmacy offering compounding services, and 57% felt that the course played a significant or very significant role in their counseling on dermatologic conditions.Conclusions. Assessment methods revealed student learning of course content and the course appeared moderately beneficial to graduates’ early careers. A more longitudinal analysis is needed to assess the course’s impact on long-term career choices, particularly those dealing with compounding of cosmeceutical products.     

Rate and extent of percutaneous absorption of sertaconazole nitrate after topical administration

The purpose of this open study was to evaluate the rate and extent of the penetration of sertaconazole nitrate (CAS 99592-32-2, Zala?n) penetration into the stratum corneum/lucidum of the human skin. Selected areas of 9 cm2 each of the back skin of 12 healthy volunteers were exposed over 8 different time intervals (between 0 and 48 h) to 100 mg of a 2% cream preparation of the compound or to placebo. Using a HPLC-assay the relative amounts of the applied dose of sertaconazole nitrate were determined in the residual cream of the skin surface as well as in 3 layers of the epidermis obtained by the stripping technique. Sertaconazole nitrate was shown to penetrate into the stratum corneum shortly after application, disappearing from the application areas with a mean apparent half-life of approximately 60 h. Immediately after topical application the residual amount of the applied mean dose of 2103 +/- 146.3 microg on the skin's surface was 88.9 +/- 2.3%, decreasing steadily to 52.4 +/- 8.5% after 48 h. A relevant amount of the applied dose (5.3 +/- 3.0%) was recovered from the stratum corneum already 30 min after application, and 3 h after administration a plateau was reached (6.9 +/- 3.2) which could be maintained until 48 h. A gradient from the site of application to the epidermis was apparent since the amounts recovered in The estimated average level of sertaconazole nitrate for a volume of 1 mL of stratum corneum after application of 100 mg cream was 1409 microg immediately after application and reached a plateau at 3 h with 9029 microg. Although not directly measured, the results also gave information about the mean amount of sertaconazole nitrate that penetrated through the stratum corneum and deeper layers allowing an estimate of the total mean amount of compound penetrating into the skin. The relative portion of this amount steadily increased from 1.1% of the applied dose at 0 h to 24.1% at 12 h, 34.2% at 24 h and finally to 37.6% of dose after 48 h of exposure. In view of the high target organ levels of the compound maintained over days, its rapid appearance in the stratum corneum after application and the earlier finding that Sertaconazole nitrate is not distributed into blood in substantial quantities the pharmacokinetic properties of this antifungal preparation therapy can be regarded as favourable.     

A National Cost Analysis of Community Interventions to Prevent Underage Drinking and Prescription Drug Misuse

Prevention Science - This prospective cost analysis addresses a gap in the prevention literature by providing estimates of the typical real-world costs to implement community interventions focused...     

Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among immigrant Latino farmworkers and non-farmworkers in North Carolina

This paper evaluates the variability in the prevalence of epicondylitis, rotator cuff syndrome, low back pain, and lower extremity pathology among immigrant Latino farmworkers and non-farmworkers. Data were collected from a study among 272 farmworkers and non-farmworkers. Participants were recruited in eastern and central North Carolina. A physical examination was conducted by trained physicians. Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among Latino manual workers is high compared with other workers in similar occupations. Non-farmworkers (49%) had a higher prevalence of MSDs than farmworkers (35%). Epicondylitis (20.2%) and rotator cuff syndrome (19.1%) were most prevalent. Age was found to be significant among those who had epicondylitis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.04) and lower extremity pathology (AOR = 1.07). Latino immigrant manual workers have high prevalence of MSDs. Further studies are needed to identify possible factors that make these populations more vulnerable to MSDs.     

Musculoskeletal pain,depression, and stress among Latino manual laborers in North Carolina

The jobs of Latino manual laborers place their mental and physical health at risk. This study evaluates the associations among musculoskeletal pain, mental health, and work organization in Latino manual laborers. Farmworkers and nonfarmworkers (n = 189) in North Carolina were interviewed for self-reported musculoskeletal pain, depressive symptoms, stress, work safety climate, and precarious job status. More nonfarmworkers than farmworkers had neck and shoulder pain, but they did not differ in other areas of musculoskeletal pain. Depressive symptoms had a significant association with neck and shoulder pain (p < .05). Precariousness had a significant association with back pain (p < .05). Farmworker participants had H-2A visas and were afforded some protection compared to nonfarmworker manual workers. Research is needed to improve policy that relieves pain and improves mental health for all Latino manual workers.