Maternal Vitamin C and Iron Intake during Pregnancy and the Risk of Islet Autoimmunity and Type 1 Diabetes in Children: A Birth Cohort Study

Our aim was to study the associations between maternal vitamin C and iron intake during pregnancy and the offspring’s risk of developing islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes. The study was a part of the Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) prospective birth cohort including children genetically at risk of type 1 diabetes born between 1997–2004. The diets of 4879 mothers in late pregnancy were assessed with a validated food frequency questionnaire. The outcomes were islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis adjusted for energy, family history of diabetes, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotype and sex was used for statistical analyses. Total intake of vitamin C or iron from food and supplements was not associated with the risk of islet autoimmunity (vitamin C: HR 0.91: 95% CI (0.80, 1.03), iron: 0.98 (0.87, 1.10)) or type 1 diabetes (vitamin C: 1.01 (0.87, 1.17), iron: 0.92 (0.78, 1.08)), neither was the use of vitamin C or iron supplements associated with the outcomes. In conclusion, no association was found between maternal vitamin C or iron intake during pregnancy and the risk of islet autoimmunity or type 1 diabetes in the offspring.     

Surgical and non-surgical treatment of inguinal hernia during non-elective admissions in the Nationwide Readmissions Database

Hernia - Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most common surgical operations, yet the optimal treatment strategy remains undefined. Treatment of symptomatic inguinal hernias include both surgical...     

Manual laxity tests for anterior cruciate ligament injuries

The manual laxity examination is the primary means by which clinicians evaluate ACL injuries. This paper reviews the literature and identifies the following ACL laxity tests: anterior drawer test, Lachman test. MacIntosh test, jerk test, flexion rotation drawer test, Slocum test, and the Losee test. Test technique, grading, limitations, and reliability are discussed for each test. General limitations of manual laxity tests are also presented. A review of ACL anatomy and the biomechanics of the pivot shift sign are provided to facilitate an understanding of the underlying principles of ACL laxity tests. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1990;11(10):474-481.     

Aorto-iliac arteriosclerotic disease in young human adults

A highly selected group of patients younger than 50 years of age operated on for isolated aorto-iliac arteriosclerotic disease over a 7 year period has been investigated. The group has a significant dominance of females, and the patients are further characterised by being apparently otherwise "healthy" individuals. The indication for surgery was intermittent claudication in 80% and rest pain/gangrene in the remainder, with a low postoperative morbidity and no mortality. The overall cumulative patency rate is 89% at 4 years. At follow-up, a large majority of the patients were free of symptoms and the long-term results were significantly better in females. The question arises whether our group of patients, especially the young females with isolated aorto-iliac arteriosclerotic lesion, represent a separate disease entity which, when properly treated, is a benign and curable condition.     

A morphometric and x-ray energy dispersive approach to monitoring pH-altered cadmium toxicity inAnabaena flos-aquae

Cadmium toxicity and uptake as influenced by different pH values have been studied in the freshwater cyanobacteriumAnabaena flos-aquae, using the techniques of morphometric analysis, x-ray energy dispersive analysis and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. A general reduction in cell dimension, thylakoid surface area, number and volume of polyhedral bodies, polyphosphate bodies, cyanophycin granules, lipid bodies, membrane limited crystalline inclusions, volume and number of wall layers and mesosomes was observed. These reductions were more pronounced in both acidic and alkaline medium than at pH 7.2. At 0.12 M Cd, the uptake increased with alkaline pH values, and uptake was greater at pH 7.2 than at either acid or alkaline pHs. Lysis of cell wall at 1.18 M Cd showed the following decreasing trend: pH 4.0 > pH 5.5 > pH 10.0 > pH 9.0 > pH 7.2. There was a total loss of lipid bodies at 1.18 M Cd at all pH values listed.It is suggested that these techniques can be successfully employed for bioassay studies of metal toxicity to algae. In particular, cell wall lysis and loss of lipids by algae are good indicators of pH effects and metal toxicity in the aquatic ecosystem.     

Structure and function of plasminogen activator inhibitor-2

Serine proteinase inhibitors (serpins) are well known regulators of extracellular proteolytic pathways. A recently identified group of intracellular serpins of mammalian and viral origin, designated ovalbumine-like serpins, modify intracellular proteolytic pathways involved in the regulation of apoptosis and inflammation. This review focuses on plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2) in terms of the molecular structure-function relationships and its intracellular functions, in particular in relation to apoptosis. PAI-2 inhibits apoptosis in cell lines challenged with tumor necrosis factor or certain viruses. The intracellular proteinases which PAI-2 act upon are still unknown. During myeloid apoptosis, PAI-2 proteolytically modified to a smaller but still proteinase inhibitory form. PAI-2 is unique among the serpins with respect to its large CD-domain localized between alpha-helices C and D. Recent data show that two domains in PAI-2 are required for its antiapoptotic activity, the CD-domain and the proteinase reactive site. We have shown the CD-domain is involved in covalent and reversible interactions with cytosolic proteins, e.g. the annexins. These intracellular PAI-2-reactive proteins might represent participants in signalling pathways involved in the regulation of cell survival.     

Pornographic lives

This article examines the connection between pornography and violence against women through interviews with men about pornography use. It emphasizes the value of narrative accounts as important sources of information over experimental laboratory research. The narratives described in this article give specific examples of how pornography can 1) be an important factor in shaping a male-dominant view of sexuality; 2) contribute to a user's difficulty in separating sexual fantasy and reality; 3) be used to initiate victims and break down their resistance to sexual activity; and 4) provide a training manual for abusers. The subjects in this study were divided into two groups: 11 men who responded to a classified ad that asked for male interview subjects and 13 residents of the Alpha Human Services sex offender treatment program. The interviews documented in this article focus on cases where there is a clear link between pornography use and abuse. Analysis of the interviews provides support for the feminist anti-pornography critique.