Sense of threat and coping strategies of Israeli older adults during a military operation

To examine what levels of sense of threat functionally disabled older people experience during war and the coping strategies they use to protect themselves; to examine factors that explain their sense of threat and coping strategies. A convenience sample that included 138 respondents who were functionally disabled older adults and received homecare services. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a structured questionnaire. The majority of respondents stayed in their homes during the military operation and used a shelter during part or all the times when there was rocket shelling. The findings showed that a variety of factors were significantly correlated with sense of threat and coping strategies; gender and education were significant in explaining sense of threat, and living arrangement was significant in explaining use of shelter; while number of children was significant in explaining frequency of staying at home during the military operation. However, Holocaust survivor status, formal and informal support, and functional status were insignificant in explaining any of the dependent variables. Holocaust survivors feel no more threat compared to those who did not experience the Holocaust. Communities should be prepared to provide emergency services to ease the sense of threat of functionally disabled older adults during wartime and to assure their use of shelter, in particular those who live alone.     

Effect of electrolytes, stirring and surfactants in the coacervation and microencapsulation processes in presence of gelatin

The objectives of the present study were to investigate the parameters affecting simple coacervation and the ability to encapsulate oleic acid using this technique. Coacervation has been achieved using different types of gelatin (bloom number, charge) and various electrolytes. The electrolytes used for the coacervation can be divided into three groups: (1) inert salts; (2) phase separation inducers, (a) precipitation inducing agents (PIA), and (b) coacervation inducing agents (CIA); (3) coacervation inhibiting agents. The encapsulation of oleic acid was evaluated with two types of gelatin and various emulsifiers (anionic, cationic and nonionic). For positively charged gelatin, it was found that the encapsulation is incomplete in presence of cationic emulsifiers. For negatively charged gelatin no general trend was observed. The stirring rate for each step of the preparation of the microcapsules was evaluated. It was found that high stirring is essential only in the cooling stage. The study was carried out in view of encapsulation of particular bacteria dispersed in the oil phase.     

Inflammation-Related Erythrocyte Aggregation in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Chronic inflammation is associated with increased erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation. This might have deleterious effects on the microcirculatory flow and tissue oxygenation. We aimed to determine the degree of erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation in the peripheral blood of individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Fifty-two patients (24 women and 28 men) with ulcerative colitis (UC) at a mean age of 44.0 ± 16.8 years and 96 patients (44 women and 52 men) with Crohns disease (CD) at a mean age of 38.0 ± 15.5 years, with various degrees of disease activity, were matched to normal controls. A simple slide test and image analysis were used to determine the degree of erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation. CD activity index (CDAI) was determined in patients with CD, while clinical colitis activity index was applied for patients with UC. A significant (P < 0.0005) increment in the degree of erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation was noted in both groups of IBD patients compared with matched control groups. This increment was evident even in individuals with a low index of disease activity and during remission. The highly significant correlation with the concentrations of fibrinogen suggests that the degree of erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation is an inflammation-related phenomenon. An enhanced state of erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation was noted in the peripheral blood of patients with IBD. This might have a deleterious effect on intestinal microcirculatory flow and tissue oxygenation.     

Reactive angioendotheliomatosis presenting as cellulitis

Reactive angioendotheliomatosis (RAE) is a diagnostically challenging condition characterized by multiple possible clinical presentations, which makes diagnosis challenging. We present a rare case of RAE mimicking cellulitis in a 74‐year‐old woman with a valvular disease and also end‐stage renal disease, for which she was being treated with haemodialysis.