Adenocarcinoma of prostate: Role of 17β-estradiol and 5α-dihydroterosterone binding proteins

Presence of a specific 17β-estradiol-binding protein in prostates of patients with adenocarcinoma without hormonal manipulation prior to surgical resection has been reported by us earlier.' The present study involves 40 patients with carcinoma of prostate analyzed during the period December, 1974, through June, 1978. Thirty-four patients had metastatic disease, 26 of these were manipulated hormonally after and 8 prior to receptor protein assay. The other 6 were in clinical Stage C and were subjected to transurethral resection alone. The study confirms our earlier report and outlines the role of 17β-estradiol (E₂) and possibly 5_α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) receptor protein in hormonally responsive and refractory patients. Based on the preliminary findings it seems possible to classify the prostatic carcinoma similar to human mammary cancer for the purpose of selecting patients for endocrine manipulation or treatment with other available modalities.     

Pancreatic Ascites

Pancreatic ascitis in a 31-year old black male is described. The diagnosis was suspected by the presence of pancreatic calcifications and confirmed by an elevated ascitic fluid amylase and protein content. Ascites was successfully treated by caudal pancreatectomy followed by a Roux-en-y pancreatojejunostomy.     

Relationship of Hunger and Food Insecurity to Food Availability and Consumption

Objective To describe the relationship of new measures of hunger and food insecurity to household food supplies and individual food and nutrient intake.Design and Setting A questionnaire containing the Radimer/Cornell hunger and food insecurity items and questions on eating patterns and the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption was administered to subjects during a personal interview in their homes. A 24-hour diet recall and a household food inventory were conducted at the initial interview and at a follow-up visit.Subjects Participants were 193 women drawn from a random sample of 308 women who had completed a previous health census in a rural New York State county. Subjects’ ages ranged from 15 to 40 years. All had children living at home and less than 16 years of education.Statistical analyses Regression analysis was used to test for linear trends across food insecurity groups for the household food inventory scores and for the frequency of consumption of fruits and vegetables, t Tests were used to assess differences between the food secure and food insecure groups for nutrient and food group means. A χ² test for trend was used to examine differences in the distribution of nutrient and fruit and vegetable intake between the food secure and food insecure groups.Results A significant decrease in the frequency of consumption of fruits and vegetables and the amount of food in the household and a significant increase in scores indicative of disordered eating patterns were associated with a worsening of food insecurity status. Potassium and fiber intake and fruit consumption differed significantly between the food secure and food insecure groups. The percentage of respondents consuming less than the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin C and fewer than five fruits and vegetables per day was significantly greater among food insecure respondents than food secure respondents.Applications/conclusions The quantity of food available in households and consumption of fruits and vegetables decreased with increasingly severe problems with food insecurity and hunger. In this rural population, the Radimer/Cornell measures were useful in identifying households experiencing food insecurity and providing information about the nature of the food supply and the dietary intake problems experienced by food insecure households and persons, suggesting that these measures may be useful on community surveys designed to examine food insecurity issues. J Am Diet Assoc. 1996; 96:1019-1024.     

Combination of bright light and caffeine as a countermeasure for impaired alertness and performance during extended sleep deprivation

Effects of four conditions (Dim Light-Placebo, Dim Light-Caffeine, Bright Light-Placebo and Bright Light-Caffeine) on alertness, and performance were studied during the night-time hours across 45.5 h of sleep deprivation. Caffeine (200 mg) was administered at 20.00 and 02.00 hours and bright-light exposure (>2000 lux) was from 20.00 to 08.00 hours each night. The three treatment conditions, compared to the Dim Light-Placebo condition, enhanced night-time performance. Further, the combined treatment of caffeine and all-night bright light (Bright Light-Caffeine) enhanced performance to a larger degree than either the Dim Light-Caffeine or the Bright Light-Placebo condition. Beneficial effects of the treatments on performance were largest during the early morning hours (e.g. after 02.00 hours) when performance in the Dim Light-Placebo group was at its worst. Notably, the Bright Light-Caffeine condition was able to overcome the circadian drop in performance for most tasks measured. Both caffeine conditions improved objective alertness on the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test. Taken together, the above results suggest that the combined treatment of bright light and caffeine provides an effective intervention for enhancing alertness and performance during sleep loss.