Effect of a nutritional supplement used for diabetic foot ulcers on microalbuminuria

We evaluated if a nutritional supplement containing arginine, glutamine, β-hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate commonly used to improve the healing of diabetic foot ulcers had any effect on the kidney function in the diabetic patients. We hypothesized that the action on the skin may be nonspecific and that the supplement might also act on other structural elements of the kidney. We compared the evolution of the blood creatinine and of the overnight albumin excretion in 16 diabetic subjects with mild to moderate nephropathy 6 months prior to and during the 6 months of treatment. The creatinine level remained stable during the treatment, while microalbuminuria decreased to nearly 50% of the initial value (p < 0.000).     

Use of the Location-Based Social Networking Application GRINDR as a Recruitment Tool in Rectal Microbicide Development Research

Mobile phone social networking applications such as GRINDR are potential tools for recruitment of men who have sex with men (MSM) for HIV prevention research. Demographics and sexual risk behaviors of men recruited through GRINDR and through traditional media were compared. GRINDR participants were younger (mean age 31 vs. 42, p?<?0.0001), more White identified (44 vs. 30?%, p?<?0.01), and had more sex partners in the previous 14 days (1.88 vs. 1.10, p?<?0.05) than other recruits. Email responses were less successful for enrollment than phone calls (5 vs. 50?%). This approach resulted in successful recruitment of younger and more educated, White identified MSM.     

Influence of a preventive training program on lower limb kinematics and vertical jump height of male volleyball athletes

ObjectiveTo examine the influence of a preventative training program (PTP) on sagittal plane kinematics during different landing tasks and vertical jump height (VJH) in males.DesignSix weeks prospective exercise intervention.ParticipantsFifteen male volleyball athletes (13 ± 0.7 years, 1.70 ± 0.12 m, 60 ± 12 kg).InterventionsPTP consisting of plyometric, balance and core stability exercises three times per week for six weeks. Bilateral vertical jumps with double leg (DL) and single leg (SL) landings were performed to measure the effects of training.Main outcome measurementsKinematics of the knee and hip before and after training and VJH attained during both tasks after training. The hypothesis was that the PTP would produce improvements in VJH, but would not generate great changes in biomechanical behavior.ResultsThe only change identified for the SL was the longest duration of landing, which represents the time spent from initial ground contact to maximum knee flexion, after training, while increased angular displacement of the knee was observed during DL. The training did not significantly alter the VJH in either the SL (difference: 2.7 cm) or the DL conditions (difference: 3.5 cm).ConclusionsDespite the PTP’s effectiveness in inducing some changes in kinematics, the changes were specific for each task, which highlights the importance of the specificity and individuality in selecting prevention injury exercises. Despite the absence of significant increases in the VJH, the absolute differences after training showed increases corroborating with the findings of statistically powerful studies that compared the results with control groups. The results suggest that short-term PTPs in low risk young male volleyball athletes may enhance performance and induce changes in some kinematic parameters.     

Evaluation of Reduced Susceptibility to Quaternary Ammonium Compounds and Bisbiguanides in Clinical Isolates and Laboratory-Generated Mutants of Staphylococcus aureus

The MICs and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) for the biocides benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine were determined against 1,602 clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. Both compounds showed unimodal MIC and MBC distributions (2 and 4 or 8 mg/liter, respectively) with no apparent subpopulation with reduced susceptibility. To investigate further, all isolates were screened for qac genes, and 39 of these also had the promoter region of the NorA multidrug-resistant (MDR) efflux pump sequenced. The presence of qacA, qacB, qacC, and qacG genes increased the mode MIC, but not MBC, to benzalkonium chloride, while only qacA and qacB increased the chlorhexidine mode MIC. Isolates with a wild-type norA promoter or mutations in the norA promoter had similar biocide MIC distributions; notably, not all clinical isolates with norA mutations were resistant to fluoroquinolones. In vitro efflux mutants could be readily selected with ethidium bromide and acriflavine. Multiple passages were necessary to select mutants with biocides, but these mutants showed phenotypes comparable to those of mutants selected by dyes. All mutants showed changes in the promoter region of norA, but these were distinct from this region of the clinical isolates. Still, none of the in vitro mutants displayed fitness defects in a killing assay in Galleria mellonella larvae. In conclusion, our data provide an in-depth comparative overview on efflux in S. aureus mutants and clinical isolates, showing also that plasmid-encoded efflux pumps did not affect bactericidal activity of biocides. In addition, current in vitro tests appear not to be suitable for predicting levels of resistance that are clinically relevant.     

Free-Ranging Chickens in Households in a Periurban Shantytown in Peru—Attitudes and Practices 10 Years after a Community-Based Intervention Project

Free-ranging chickens are often found in periurban communities in developing countries, and their feces can pose a significant public health sanitation problem. Corralling chickens raised in these periurban areas in chicken coops has been proposed previously as an intervention to address this problem. Aims of this study were to revisit households in a corralling intervention study conducted in 2000–2001 to compare poultry-raising practices and investigate current attitudes regarding the impact of raising chickens in a periurban environment. Sociobehavioral questionnaires were given sequentially to all study participants; 30 families (58%) ceased raising poultry of any kind, whereas 42 (81%) do not raise chickens in their home. This finding indicates a significant reduction in poultry-raising in our study population since 2000–2001, possibly because of acculturation and/or change in socioeconomic status. However, attitudes about corral use for raising poultry were overwhelmingly positive, and the most common reason cited was cleanliness of the home.     

Transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation improves locomotor learning in healthy humans

Background

Ambulation is an essential aspect of daily living and is often impaired after brain and spinal cord injuries. Despite the implementation of standard neurorehabilitative care, locomotor recovery is often incomplete.

Androgenetic alopecia and insulin resistance in young men

Background  Epidemiological studies have associated androgenetic alopecia (AGA) with severe young-age coronary artery disease and hypertension, and linked it to insulin resistance. We carried out a case–control study in age- and weight-matched young males to study the link between AGA and insulin resistance using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index or metabolic syndrome clinical manifestations.
Methods  Eighty young males, 18–35 years old, with AGA ≥ stage III in the Hamilton–Norwood classification, and 80 weight- and age-matched controls were included. Alopecia, glucose, serum insulin, HOMA-IR index, lipid profile and androgen levels, as well as metabolic syndrome criteria, were evaluated.
Results  The HOMA-IR index was significantly higher in cases than controls. Nonobese cases had a higher mean diastolic blood pressure and a more frequent family history of AGA than nonobese controls. A borderline difference in the HOMA-IR index was found in obese AGA cases vs. obese controls [ P =  0·055, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2·36–4·20 vs. 1·75–2·73]. Free testosterone values were significantly higher in controls than cases, regardless of body mass index (BMI). A statistically significant additive effect for obesity plus alopecia was found, with significant trends for insulin, the HOMA-IR index, lipids and free testosterone when BMI and alopecia status were used to classify the participants.
Conclusions  Our results support the recommendation for assessing insulin resistance and cardiovascular-related features and disorders in all young males with stage III or higher AGA, according to the Hamilton–Norwood classification.     

Dopamine-induced migrating myoelectrical complex-like activity in human duodenum

The effect of dopamine on human gastric and small intestinal interdigestive motility was investigated in 12 subjects. Intestinal motility was recorded by means of a four-lumen polyvinyl probe with four open tips located 15 cm apart, continuously perfused with distilled water. In each subject during the same study, after recording two consecutive spontaneous phase III of migrating myoelectrical complexes and when a phase II appeared, dopamine was infused intravenously twice in a dose of 5 g/kg/min for 15 min with an interval of 20 min between each infusion. In six subjects, the second dopamine infusion was preceded by a treatment with sulpiride (10 mg, intravenously, as bolus) or domperidone (10 mg, intravenously, as bolus), each considered a highly selective dopamine antagonist. The results show that dopamine stimulates duodenal motility producing a pattern similar to that observed in phase III of spontaneously occurring migrating myoelectrical complexes. The second dopamine infusion reproduced in all cases the same pattern of motility as observed during the first infusion. Sulpiride and domperidone prevented the effect of dopamine in all cases. It is therefore suggested that dopamine-induced duodenal motility may involve specific dopaminergic receptors.