Common Health Problems among Minority Elders

This article reviews the primary health problems of African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian/Pacific Islander-American, and Native-American elders. The goal is to familiarize practicing dietitians with the differences in longevity, disease spectrum, and functional status (where data are available) for each of these ethnic groups. These data should be of assistance in making decisions regarding dietary counseling for ethnic elders. It is acknowledged that most data accumulated according to race do not accurately measure ethnicity. The degree of acculturation may vary widely among individuals. Therefore, it is recommended that dietitians solicit clients’ perceptions of the factors that may contribute to illness and the barriers to implementing recommended remedies.     

Friction, capacitance and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in dry atopic and normal skin

The biophysical properties of non-eczematous skin at three locations in atopics and non-atopics were characterized using non-invasive physical methods. Skin friction was measured with a newly developed sliding friction instrument, the degree of hydration with a capacitance meter (Corneometer CM 820), and the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was determined using an Evaporimeter EP1. The areas examined (dorsum of the hand, volar forearm and lower back) showed lower values of friction and capacitance in the atopic patients than did corresponding sites in the normal controls. In most areas a significant correlation between friction and capacitance was found. The TEWL was increased in atopic skin, but TEWL seems to correlate neither to friction nor to capacitance.     

New regimen for interpleural block in children

A new regimen for postoperative analgesia after thoracic surgery is proposed. Eight children received an interpleural infusion using bupivacaine 0.1% in a regimen from 0.5 ml·kg^?1·h^?1 up to 1 ml·kg^?1·h^?1, for 48 h according to the pain scores. The plasma levels after 24 h and 48 h were measured as well as the pleural level and in two patients the free fraction of plasma bupivacaine and the plasma PPX (a metabolite of bupivacaine) and one patient the orosomucoid (main plasma protein involved in bupivacaine protein binding) were also measured pre and postoperatively. The results shows the safety of such a regimen, for two days of postoperative analgesia.     

Structure-activity studies of hydrophobic amino acid replacements at positions 9, 11 and 16 of glucagon

We have designed and synthesized eight compounds 2-9 which incorporate neutral, hydrophobic amino acid residues in positions 9, 11 and 16 of the glucagon molecule: (2) [desHis¹,Va1⁹,11e^11,16] glucagon amide, (3) [desHis¹,Val^9,11,16]glucagon amide, (4) [desHis¹,Va1⁹,Leu^11,16]glucagon amide, (5) [desHis¹,Nle⁹,11e^11,16]glucagon amide, (6) [desHis¹,Nle⁹,Val^11,16]glucagon amide, (7) [desHis¹,Nle⁹,Leu^11,16]glucagon amide, (8) [desHis¹,Val⁹,Leu^11,16,Lys^17,18,Glu²¹]glucagon amide and (9) [desHis¹,Nle⁹,Leu^11,16,Lys^17,18,Glu²¹]glucagon amide. The effect of neutral, hydrophobic residues at positions 9, 11 and 16 led to good binding to the glucagon receptor. Compared to glucagon (IC₅₀= 1.5 nM), analogues 2-9 were found to have IC₅₀ values of 6.0, 6.0, 11.0, 9.0, 2.5, 2.8, 6.5 and 7.0 nM, respectively. When these compounds were tested for their ability to block adenylate cyclase (AC) activity, they were found to be antagonists having no stimulation of adenyl cyclase, with PA₂, values of 6.15, 6.20, 6.30, 7.25, 6.10, 7.30, 6.25 and 7.25, respectively. © Munksgaard 1997.     

Pulmonary Bioavailability and Fine Particle Enrichment of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in Respirable Soil Particles

The pulmonary bioavailability of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin(TCDD) and the enrichment of polychlorinated dioxins (PCDDs)and furans (PCDFs) in fine particles were evaluated to assessthe implications that these factors have on risk and exposureassessments. Respirable subfractions of PCDD-contaminated soilfrom a former 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid manufacturingsite were isolated by chemical dispersion and gravity sedimentation.Analysis of the subfractions revealed that there was a size-dependentenrichment of PCDDs and PCDFs, with smaller particles more highlycontaminated. TCDD was enriched up to 33-fold as compared tounfractionated soil. Soil and laboratory-recontaminated galliumoxide, which served as the positive control, were administeredby intratracheal instillation to female Sprague-Dawley rats.Animals were terminated up to 28 days following treatment andpulmonary bioavailability of TCDD was assessed by hepatic enzymeinduction and TCDD concentration. Enzyme induction was dependenton the duration of exposure with up to 56 and 918% increasesin cytochrome P450 and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity,respectively, following exposure to PCDD-contaminated soil.There was no significant difference in AHH induction betweenanimals which received contaminated soil and those treated withthe positive control. Hepatic concentration of TCDD in soil-exposedrats was 115, 101, and 179% of positive controls at 1, 7, and28 days post-treatment, suggesting that the soil or co-contaminantsinfluenced retention of TCDD in the liver. These data indicatethat the relative pulmonary bioavailability of TCDD on respirablesoil particles is 100% as compared to laboratory-recontaminatedgallium oxide and that PCDDs and PCDFs are highly enriched onrespirable particles. Utilization of these results will reducethe uncertainty and improve the accuracy of envi ronmental riskassessments of PCDDs and PCDFs.     

Feasibility assessment of shear wave elastography to lumbar back muscles

Low back pain is often associated with tensional changes in the paraspinal muscles detected by palpatory procedures. Shear wave elastography (SWE), recently introduced, allows the stiffness of muscles to be assessed noninvasively. The aim of this work was to study the feasibility of using SWE on the three main lumbar back muscles (multifidus, longissimus, and iliocostalis) in vivo after analyzing their muscular architecture ex vivo. We determined the orientation of fibers in the multifidus, longissimus, and iliocotalis muscles in seven fresh cadavers using gross anatomy and B‐Mode ultrasound imaging. We then quantified the stiffness of these three muscles at the L3 level ex vivo and in 16 healthy young adults. Little pennation was observed in the longissimus and iliocostalis, in which the direction of fibers was almost parallel to the line of spinous processes. The multifidus appeared as a multiceps and multipennate muscle. Given the random layering of millimetric fascicles, tendons, and fatty spaces, the multifidus had multiple fiber orientations. Muscular fascicles and fibers were oriented from 9° to 22° to the line of spinous processes. The shear moduli related to stiffness were 6.9 ± 2.7 kPa for the longissimus, 4.9 ± 1.4 kPa for the iliocostalis, and 5.4 ± 1.6 kPa for the multifidus. SWE is a feasible method for quantifying the stiffness of the lumbar back muscles. Clin. Anat. 30:774–780, 2017. © 2017Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Factors associated with caregivers' perception of children's health and oral health status: a study of 6- to 36-month-olds in Uganda

Background.  The impact of oral diseases on quality of life of children and their families has not been thoroughly investigated.
Aim.   Focusing on Ugandan infants aged 6–36 months and their caregivers, this study examined the degree to which clinical and psychosocial factors were associated with caregivers' overall evaluation of their children's oral health and health status.
Design.  Eight hundred and sixteen children were examined for dental caries and anthropometric status in 2007. A questionnaire was completed by the caregivers.
Results.  Poor child oral health was reported by 40.2% and 17.5% of caregivers who reported their children's health as, respectively, poor and good. Having the least family wealth [odds ratio (OR) = 1.9] and reporting distressed family activities (OR = 2.3) were associated with higher odds of reporting poor child oral health, whereas being a rural resident (OR = 0.4) and reporting no symptoms during tooth eruption (OR = 0.3) were associated with lower odds. Perception of poor child oral health (OR = 2.8) and having the least family wealth (OR = 1.7) were associated with higher odds of reporting poor child health status, whereas no stunting was associated with lower odds (OR = 0.5).
Conclusion.  The results support the growing recognition of oral health as a predictor of health and well-being in early childhood.