Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Have a Nutritionally Significant Impact on Micronutrient Intakes of Older Adults Attending Senior Centers

Older adults frequently report use of vitamin and mineral (VM) supplements, although the impact of supplements on dietary adequacy remains largely unknown. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate micronutrient intakes of older adults with emphasis on identifying nutrients most improved by VM supplements, nutrients most likely to remain inadequate, and nutrients most likely consumed in excess. Community-based volunteers were recruited from senior centers and completed a questionnaire querying demographic data, current health status, and VM supplement use. Participants (n = 263) were then contacted by telephone to complete two 24-hour diet recalls and confirm VM supplement use. Dietary adequacy was determined by comparing the ratio of mean dietary intake to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI). Dietary consumption was lowest for vitamins D and E, calcium, and magnesium. VM supplementation most improved intakes of vitamins E, D, B₆, folic acid, and calcium. Participants were most likely to exceed the Tolerable Upper Limit with supplementation of niacin, folic acid, and vitamin A.     

Empowering Community Health: An Educational Approach

Collaborative efforts among community members, health care professionals, and faith-based institutions can prove valuable in efforts to improve community health. This study used data obtained from before and after health risk assessment surveys to assess participant's knowledge of risk factors leading to chronic diseases among African Americans in an underserved community of Alabama. Data obtained from activity logs and health screening sessions was used to assess effect of knowledge gained on lifestyle practices. The study findings support the need for ongoing population-specific education program development in religious institutions located inside underserved communities.     

Prospective evaluation of a prostacyclin-sparing aspiring formulation and heparin/warfarin in aspirin users with unstable angina or non-Q wave myocardial infarction at rest

The aim of this trial was to compare the efficacy of combinationantithrombotic therapy with a prostacyclin-sparing aspirin plusanticoagulation versus conventional aspirin plus anticoagulation,when added to antianginal therapy, in patients with unstableangina or non-Q wave myocardial infarction already being treatedwith aspirin. In a double-blind (for the aspirin) study, 144prior aspirin users were randomized; 72 patients received controiled-release,prostacyclin-sparing aspirin 75 mg daily plus anticoagulation(intravenous heparin followed by warfarin to maintain the internationalnormalized ratio at 2–3), and 72 patients received conventionalaspirin 75 mg daily plus the same anticoagulation. Controlled-releaseaspirin was formulated to preserve endothelial cell prostacyclinsynthesis. Trial therapy was begun by 13.2 ± 12.3 h ofqualifying pain, and continued for 12 weeks. The frequency of recurrent angina with electrocardiographicchanges, myocardial infarction, or death, was analysed by intentionto treat. At 12 weeks, events were     

Hospital trauma care in multiple-casualty incidents: a critical view

During a multiple-casualty incident, a large casualty caseload adversely affects the quality of trauma care given to individual patients. From a trauma care perspective, the goal of the hospital emergency plan is to provide severely injured patients with a level of care that approximates the care given to similar patients under normal conditions. Therefore, the realistic admitting capacity of the hospital is determined primarily by the number of trauma teams that the hospital can recruit. Effective triage of these casualties is often not straightforward, with high overtriage rates. Simplified triage algorithms may be a practical alternative to more elaborate schemes. The concept of minimal acceptable care is the key to a staged management approach during a mass-casualty incident. Discrete-event computer simulation and war game tabletop exercises for key personnel are 2 new modalities that are supplementing the traditional mock disaster drill as effective planning and training tools.     

肺隔离症17例手术治疗分析

目的：探讨肺隔离症的手术治疗方法和效果。方法回顾性分析该院在2003年3月-2014年3月间收治的17例肺隔离症患者的临床资料。结果①该组17例患者中,术前确诊者13例;术中确诊4例;②采用肺叶切除术对患者进行治疗,全部痊愈,无1例死亡;③术后并发症的发生率为17.64豫(3/17),经对症处理后均缓解;④术后随访6个月~10年,复查X线胸片和CT,结果显示均正常。结论肺隔离症是临床中比较少见的肺先天性畸形,临床表现无特异性,易发生误诊和漏诊,临床中以肺叶切除术治疗为主,效果良好,值得临床推广。     

Mapping default mode connectivity alterations following a single season of subconcussive impact exposure in youth football

Repetitive head impact (RHI) exposure in collision sports may contribute to adverse neurological outcomes in former players. In contrast to a concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury, “subconcussive” RHIs represent a more frequent and asymptomatic form of exposure. The neural network‐level signatures characterizing subconcussive RHIs in youth collision‐sport cohorts such as American Football are not known. Here, we used resting‐state functional MRI to examine default mode network (DMN) functional connectivity (FC) following a single football season in youth players (n = 50, ages 8–14) without concussion. Football players demonstrated reduced FC across widespread DMN regions compared with non‐collision sport controls at postseason but not preseason. In a subsample from the original cohort (n = 17), players revealed a negative change in FC between preseason and postseason and a positive and compensatory change in FC during the offseason across the majority of DMN regions. Lastly, significant FC changes, including between preseason and postseason and between in‐ and off‐season, were specific to players at the upper end of the head impact frequency distribution. These findings represent initial evidence of network‐level FC abnormalities following repetitive, non‐concussive RHIs in youth football. Furthermore, the number of subconcussive RHIs proved to be a key factor influencing DMN FC.     

The nature of the artifactual synalbumin insulin antagonist

Summary The levels of insulin antagonism exhibited by human plasma albumin samples extracted by the alcoholic-trichloroacetic acid (TCA) method were found to vary over a wide range. Similar variations were found in the chlorine contents of these albumin samples, thus indicating a variation in TCA content. Chlorine content correlated with the levels of antagnonism exhibited by the various samples. Both chlorine levels and antagonistic activity were reduced appreciably by chromatography with Dowex 50W ion exchange resin. When Dowex treated (nonantagonistic) albumin was dissolved in water and re-extracted by the TCA-ethanol method, the resulting albumin preparations were high in chlorine content and highly antagonistic toward insulin. Nonantagonistic albumin was rendered antagonistic by the addition of TCA. The levels of antagonism exhibited by the TCA treated albumin preparations correlated with their chlorine contents. It is concluded that at least a portion of the insulin inhibitory effects exhibited by albumin preparations isolated by the TCA-ethanol method is due to TCA which is bound to the protein.     

Investigating the age‐related “anterior shift” in the scalp distribution of the P3b component using principal component analysis

An age‐related “anterior shift” in the distribution of the P3b is often reported. Temporospatial principal component analysis (PCA) was used to investigate the basis of this observation. ERPs were measured in young and old adults during a visual oddball task. PCA revealed two spatially distinct factors in both age groups, identified as the posterior P3b and anterior P3a. Young subjects generated a smaller P3a than P3b, while old subjects generated a P3a that did not differ in amplitude from their P3b. Rather than having a more anteriorly distributed P3b, old subjects produced a large, temporally overlapping P3a. The pattern of the age‐related “anterior shift” in the P3 was similar for target and standard stimuli. The increase in the P3a in elderly adults may not represent a failure to habituate the novelty response, but may reflect greater reliance on executive control operations (P3a) to carry out the categorization/updating process (P3b).     

Alcohol promotes mammary tumor development via the estrogen pathway in estrogen receptor alpha-negative HER2/neu mice

Background: Alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for breast cancer. Yet, the mechanism by which alcohol affects breast cancer development remains unresolved. The transition from the premenopausal to the postmenopausal phase is associated with a drastic reduction in systemic estrogen levels. It is not clear whether the risk of breast cancer attributable to alcohol consumption is modified by the different levels of estrogen found in pre‐ and postmenopausal women. The objective of this study is to determine whether the effects of alcohol on mammary tumor development are dependent on the presence of ovarian estrogen. Methods: As a model of breast cancer, we used mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)‐neu transgenic mice that overexpress the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) in the mammary epithelium, resulting in the development of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)‐negative mammary tumors. The mammary tumorigenesis process in these mice is similar to that of patients with HER2 breast cancer. Nonovariectomized (NOVX) and ovariectomized (OVX) MMTV‐neu mice were exposed to 0, 5, and 20% ethanol in the drinking water. Breast cancer development and progression were determined alongside the effects of alcohol on estrogen availability and signaling. Results: Our data show that 20% alcohol consumption promoted tumor development in MMTV‐neu mice only in the presence of ovarian hormones. Tumor promotion was associated with increased systemic estrogen levels, increased expression of aromatase (the rate‐limiting enzyme in estrogen synthesis), and increased expression of ERα in the tumors of 20% alcohol‐consuming MMTV‐neu mice. Additionally, we show that ovariectomy (removal of the ovaries and ovarian hormone production) blocked the effects of 20% alcohol on tumor development. Conclusions: Our results support the notion that alcohol consumption promotes HER2 breast cancer development via the estrogen signaling pathway. Additionally, they suggest that the effects of alcohol on breast cancer may be prevented by blocking estrogen signaling.