Surface Transitions for Confined Associating Mixtures

Thin films of binary mixtures that interact through isotropic forces and directionally specific "hydrogen bonding" are considered through Monte Carlo simulations. We show, in good agreement with experiment, that the single phase of these mixtures can be stabilized or destabilized on confinement. These results resolve a long standing controversy, since previous theories suggest that confinement only stabilizes the single phase of fluid mixtures.Comment: LaTeX document, documentstyle[aps,preprint]{revtex}, psfig.sty, bibtex, 13 pages, 4 figure

Association between fast food purchasing and the local food environment

Objective: In this study, an instrument was created to measure the healthy and unhealthy characteristics of food environments and investigate associations between the whole of the food environment and fast food consumption.Design and subjects: In consultation with other academic researchers in this field, food stores were categorised to either healthy or unhealthy and weighted (between +10 and &minus;10) by their likely contribution to healthy/unhealthy eating practices. A healthy and unhealthy food environment score (FES) was created using these weightings. Using a cross-sectional study design, multilevel multinomial regression was used to estimate the effects of the whole food environment on the fast food purchasing habits of 2547 individuals.Results: Respondents in areas with the highest tertile of the healthy FES had a lower likelihood of purchasing fast food both infrequently and frequently compared with respondents who never purchased, however only infrequent purchasing remained significant when simultaneously modelled with the unhealthy FES (odds ratio (OR) 0.52; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32&ndash;0.83). Although a lower likelihood of frequent fast food purchasing was also associated with living in the highest tertile of the unhealthy FES, no association remained once the healthy FES was included in the models. In our binary models, respondents living in areas with a higher unhealthy FES than healthy FES were more likely to purchase fast food infrequently (OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.00&ndash;1.82) however no association was found for frequent purchasing.Conclusion: Our study provides some evidence to suggest that healthier food environments may discourage fast food purchasing.<br /

Level of membrane-bound hemoglobin and red-cell membrane proteins in patients with essential hypertension complicated and not complicated with metabolic syndrome

We studied the effect of different levels of membrane-bound hemoglobin on the level of red-cell membrane proteins and also their interrelation in patients with essential hypertension with and without metabolic syndrome. It wasfound that high membrane-bound hemoglobin is closely related to the low level of high-density lipoproteins and high level of low-density lipoproteins in patients with essential hypertension complicated with metabolic syndrome. In patients with essential hypertension not complicated with metabolic syndrome high membrane-bound hemoglobin is related to the increased prothrombin time and decreased blood urea nitrogen. In patients with essential hypertension complicated with metabolic syndrome high membrane-bound hemoglobin significantly influences the level of membrane contractile proteins (actin, tropomiosine). In patients with essential hypertension without metabolic syndrome high membrane-bound hemoglobin is accompanied by the decrease of structural and integral membrane proteins levels (anion-transport protein and protein 4.1). As the result of quantitative changes in these proteins and change in their interrelations in patients with ssential hypertension complicated with metabolic syndrome more intensive disorders of structural and functional organization of red-cell membrane can appear

ПРОГНОСТИЧЕСКИЕ ФАКТОРЫ У БОЛЬНЫХ ПОЧЕЧНО-КЛЕТОЧНЫМ РАКОМ И РОЛЬ ОНКОФАГА В УЛУЧШЕНИИ ВЫЖИВАЕМОСТИ ПОСЛЕ ХИРУРГИЧЕСКОГО ЛЕЧЕНИЯ

The prognostic value of the Fuhrman renal-cell carcinoma (RCC) gradation system has been supported by numerous studies. The high RCC  grade after Fuhrman is a sign of the high risk of recurrence even in patients with the early stages of the disease, in clear-cell tumor in par-  ticular. The anticancer vaccine Oncophage is recommended to prevent a recurrence and/or to increase a relapse-free period in patients with  early stages of RCC. While using this vaccine, one should follow the Fuhrman histological gradation system and use a coordinated multi-  disciplinary approach to treating this group of patients. This paper describes the Fuhrman histological gradation system, indications for the  use of Oncophage in patients with the early stages of ECC and a moderate risk of a recurrence. The role of urological surgeons, oncologists,  and pathomorphologists in the treatment of patients with early stages of ECC is also considered.    Прогностическая ценность системы гистологической градации почечно-клеточного рака (ПКР) по Fuhrman была подтверждена многочисленными исследованиями. Высокая степень градации по Fuhrman при ПКР является признаком высокого риска развития рецидива даже у больных с ранними стадиями заболевания, особенно при светлоклеточной опухоли. Для предотвращения рецидива заболевания и/или увеличения безрецидивного периода пациентам с на- чальными стадиями ПКР рекомендована противораковая вакцина Онкофаг. При назначении этой вакцины необходимо руководствоваться системой гис- тологической градации по Fuhrman и использовать скоординированый многопрофильный подход к лечению данной группы больных. В статье представлено описание системы гистологической градации по Fuhrman, даны показания для применения Онкофага у больных с ранними стадиями ПКР и умеренным ри ском развития рецидива, а также рассмотрена роль хирургов-урологов, онкологов и патоморфологов в лечении пациентов с начальными стадиями ПКР

A conceptual classification of parents’ attributions of the role of food advertising in children’s diets

Background: High levels of child obesity are triggering growing concerns about the prevalence and effects of food advertising targeted at children. Efforts to address this advertising are confounded by the expanding repertoire of media and promotional techniques used to reach and attract children. The present study explored parents’ views on food marketing and the strategies parents employ when attempting to ameliorate its effects. As part of an online survey of Australian parents’ attitudes towards a range of food advertisements, respondents were invited to provide additional comment in an open-ended question. The question was optional and asked “Are there any other comments you would like to make?”. One in five of the survey respondents (18%; n = 235) elected to answer this question by discussing their views on food advertising and children’s diets. The responses were imported into NVivo10 for coding and analysis. A grounded approach was used to draw meaning from the data and develop a proposed conceptual classification of parents’ attributions relating to food advertising and its consequences.Results: The majority of responses related to the negative perceived effects of unhealthy food advertising on children’s diets, with few respondents considering such advertisements to be innocuous. The responses were classified into four conceptual categories reflecting differing attitudes to advertising (negative to neutral) and varying levels of locus of control (low to high). The typical characteristics of parents allocated to the four categories exhibited variation according to weight status, television viewing habits, education level, and family size. The largest number of responses was coded to the category characterized by a negative attitude toward food advertising and a low locus of control. Parents in this category were more likely than others to be overweight/obese and heavy television viewers. Parents in the negative attitude to advertising and high locus of control category nominated a variety of parenting practices that could form the basis of parent education interventions. Conclusions: The results suggest that many Australian parents may feel disempowered in the face of high levels of advertising for unhealthy foods. The current voluntary regulatory code appears to be inadequate in scope and coverage to address this situation

Body Adiposity Index Utilization in a Spanish Mediterranean Population: Comparison with the Body Mass Index

BACKGROUND: Body fat content and fat distribution or adiposity are indicators of health risk. Several techniques have been developed and used for assessing and/or determining body fat or adiposity. Recently, the Body Adiposity Index (BAI), which is based on the measurements of hip circumference and height, has been suggested as a new index of adiposity. The aim of the study was to compare BAI and BMI measurements in a Caucasian population from a European Mediterranean area and to assess the usefulness of the BAI in men and women separately. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a Caucasian population. All participants in the study (1,726 women and 1,474 men, mean age 39.2 years, SD 10.8) were from Mallorca (Spain). Anthropometric data, including percentage of body fat mass obtained by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, were determined. Body Mass Index (BMI) and BAI were calculated. BAI and BMI showed a good correlation (r = 0.64, p<0.001). A strong correlation was also found between BAI and the % fat determined using BIA (r = 0.74, p<0.001), which is even stronger than the one between BMI and % fat (r = 0.54, p<0.001). However, the ROC curve analysis showed a higher accuracy for BMI than for the BAI regarding the discriminatory capacity. CONCLUSION: The BAI could be a good tool to measure adiposity due, at least in part, to the advantages over other more complex mechanical or electrical systems. Probably, the most important advantage of BAI over BMI is that weight is not needed. However, in general it seems that the BAI does not overcome the limitations of BMI

Диагностика и мониторинг нейронального повреждения при тяжелой черепно-мозговой травме

Objective: to search for an accessible, valid, and easy-to-use method for the diagnosis and monitoring of a neuronal lesion in severe brain injury (SBI). Subjects and methods. Thirty-three patients aged 18—55 years with isolated SBI (the Glasgow coma scores for admission consciousness were 6±2) were examined; the serum content of neuron-specific protein S-100B was further analyzed. Results and discussion. The cell damage marker concentration was substantially increased in the acute period of brain injury. When the pathological process followed a favorable course, S-100B was considerably decreased just on day 2 of the disease. When the changes were negative, S-100B concentrations remained virtually unchanged or even increased, which was indicative of secondary brain reperfusion/ischemic lesions. The mean baseline marker level varied with the type of brain injury diagnosed by computed tomography; the highest figures being noted in the groups where significant brain tissue lesion was detected. Key words: severe brain injury, prognosis, S-100B protein.Цель исследования — поиск доступного, надежного и простого метода диагностики и мониторинга нейронального повреждения при ТЧМТ. Материалы и методы. Проведено обследование 33 пациентов с изолированной ТЧМТ в возрасте 18—55 лет (уровень сознания при поступлении в стационар 6±2 балла по ШКГ), с последующим анализом содержания нейронспецифического протеина S-100В в сыворотке крови. Результаты и обсуждение. Концентрация маркера клеточного повреждения значительно повышалась в остром периоде черепно-мозговой травмы. При благоприятном течении патологического процесса уровень S-100В значительно снижался уже на 2-е сутки болезни. При отрицательной динамике концентрация S-100В оставалась практически неизменной или даже повышалась, что свидетельствовало о вторичных реперфузионных повреждениях головного мозга. Показано, что средние значения начального уровня маркера различались в зависимости от вида ЧМТ, диагностированного КТ, причем наибольшие цифры отмечались в группах, где выявлялось значительное повреждение мозговой ткани. Ключевые слова: тяжелая черепно-мозговая травма, прогноз, белок S-100В

МОЛЕКУЛЯРНЫЕ МАРКЕРЫ РАКА МОЧЕВОГО ПУЗЫРЯ: ОТ ЧАСТНОГО К ЦЕЛОМУ

Bladder cancer (BC) is the second most common urinary tract malignancy. Early diagnosis of BC generally increases the probability of successful treatment in a patient. The paper considers noninvasive diagnosis methods for BC and gives a database of the known molecular markers of this disease.Рак мочевого пузыря (РМП) занимает 2-е место по распространенности среди злокачественных опухолей мочеполовой системы. Ранняя диагностика РМП, как правило, существенно повышает вероятность успешного лечения пациента. В статье рассмотрены методы неинвазивной диагностики РМП и приводится база данных известных молекулярных маркеров этого заболевания

Measures of the Consumer Food Store Environment: A Systematic Review of the Evidence 2000–2011

Description of the consumer food environment has proliferated in publication. However, there has been a lack of systematic reviews focusing on how the consumer food environment is associated with the following: (1) neighborhood characteristics; (2) food prices; (3) dietary patterns; and (4) weight status. We conducted a systematic review of primary, quantitative, observational studies, published in English that conducted an audit of the consumer food environment. The literature search included electronic, hand searches, and peer-reviewed from 2000 to 2011. Fifty six papers met the inclusion criteria. Six studies reported stores in low income neighborhoods or high minority neighborhoods had less availability of healthy food. While, four studies found there was no difference in availability between neighborhoods. The results were also inconsistent for differences in food prices, dietary patterns, and weight status. This systematic review uncovered several key findings. (1) Systematic measurement of determining availability of food within stores and store types is needed; (2) Context is relevant for understanding the complexities of the consumer food environment; (3) Interventions and longitudinal studies addressing purchasing habits, diet, and obesity outcomes are needed; and (4) Influences of price and marketing that may be linked with why people purchase certain items

Association of food security status with overweight and dietary intake: exploration of White British and Pakistani-origin families in the Born in Bradford cohort.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity has been associated with dietary intake and weight status in UK adults and children although results have been mixed and ethnicity has not been explored. We aimed to compare prevalence and trajectories of weight and dietary intakes among food secure and insecure White British and Pakistani-origin families. METHODS: At 12 months postpartum, mothers in the Born in Bradford cohort completed a questionnaire on food security status and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) assessing their child's intake in the previous month; at 18 months postpartum, mothers completed a short-form FFQ assessing dietary intake in the previous 12 months. Weights and heights of mothers and infants were assessed at 12-, 24-, and 36-months postpartum, with an additional measurement of children taken at 4-5 years. Associations between food security status and dietary intakes were assessed using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney for continuous variables and χ2 or Fisher's exact tests for categorical variables. Quantile and logistic regression were used to determine dietary intakes adjusting for mother's age. Linear mixed effects models were used to assess longitudinal changes in body mass index (BMI) in mothers and BMI z-scores in children. RESULTS: At 12 months postpartum, White British mothers reported more food insecurity than Pakistani-origin mothers (11% vs 7%; p < 0.01) and more food insecure mothers were overweight. Between 12 and 36 months postpartum, BMI increased more among food insecure Pakistani-origin mothers (β = 0.77 units, [95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.40, 1.10]) than food secure (β = 0.44 units, 95% CI: 0.33, 0.55). This was also found in Pakistani-origin children (BMI z-score: food insecure β = 0.40 units, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.59; food secure β = 0.25 units, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.29). No significant increases in BMI were observed for food secure or insecure White British mothers while BMI z-score increased by 0.17 (95% CI: 0.13, 0.21) for food secure White British children. Food insecure mothers and children had dietary intakes of poorer quality, with fewer vegetables and higher consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks. CONCLUSIONS: Food security status is associated with body weight and dietary intakes differentially by ethnicity. These are important considerations for developing targeted interventions