Indium In-111 pentetreotide scintigraphy: Application to carotid body tumors

AbstractPurpose: This study was conducted to investigate and illustrate the use of Indium In-111 pentetreotide scintigraphy as it applies to carotid body tumors (CBT). Localization has relied primarily on ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging with angiographic confirmation. These methods only assess the cervical bifurcation without providing an evaluation of metastasis in patients without symptoms or recurrence in patients after surgery.Methods: Indium In-111 pentetreotide scintigraphy was used in five patients with a diagnosis of CBT. Four patients were evaluated after surgical excision for evidence of tumor recurrence. One patient was evaluated before excision for diagnostic confirmation.Results: No evidence of tumor recurrence was demonstrated in the four patients who had undergone previous CBT excision. One of these patients had increased activity in the pituitary, later confirmed as an enlarged pituitary without evidence of an adenoma with computed tomography. The diagnosis of CBT was confirmed in the patient evaluated before surgery. This patient also had increased activity in the occipital region, confirmed as the site of previous ischemia on computed tomography.Conclusion: Indium In-111 pentetreotide scintigraphy is a new innovative method for viewing neuroendocrine tumors. Its potential lies not only in tumor localization but also in identification of recurrent tumor at the operative site and metastatic disease. (J Vasc Surg 1997;25:905-8.

Nonalcoholic and Alcoholic Beverage Intakes by Adults across 5 Upper-Middle- and High-Income Countries.

BACKGROUND: Despite considerable public health interest in sugary drink consumption, there has been little comparison of intake across countries. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the consumption frequency and amounts of commonly consumed beverages among adults in 5 upper-middle- and high-income countries, and examine differences in consumption between population subgroups. METHODS: Adults aged 18-65 y completed online surveys in December 2017 in Australia (n = 3264), Canada (n = 2745), Mexico (n = 3152), the United Kingdom (n = 3221), and the USA (n = 4015) as part of the International Food Policy Study. The frequency of consuming beverages from 22 categories in the past 7 d was estimated using the Beverage Frequency Questionnaire. Regression models were used to examine differences in the likelihood of any consumption and in the amounts consumed of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), sugary drinks (SSBs and 100% juice), diet, and alcoholic beverages between countries and across sociodemographic subgroups. RESULTS: The prevalence of reported SSB consumption in the past 7 d ranged from 47% (United Kingdom) to 81% (Mexico), and that of sugary drinks ranged from 62% (United Kingdom) to 87% (Mexico). Rates of consumption of diet drinks ranged from 26% (Mexico) to 37% (United Kingdom), whereas alcoholic drink consumption rates ranged from 45% (USA) to 52% (Canada). Respondents in Mexico were more likely to consume SSBs and sugary drinks, and in greater amounts, than those in other countries. Respondents in the United Kingdom were more likely to consume diet drinks than those in Australia, Canada, and Mexico, and greater amounts of diet drinks were consumed in the United Kingdom and the USA. Across countries, younger respondents and males were more likely to consume greater amounts of SSBs and sugary drinks. CONCLUSIONS: Most adult respondents across all countries consumed SSBs and sugary drinks, with greater consumption in Mexico and the USA. Consumption varied greatly across countries, but patterns of association among subpopulations were relatively similar.The first two waves of the International Food Policy Study were funded by a population health intervention research operating grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Additional support was provided by a CIHR – Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) Applied Public Health Chair held by David Hammond. JA receives funding from the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), a UKCRC Public Health Research Centre of Excellence. Funding from the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research, and the Wellcome Trust, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, is gratefully acknowledged. GS is supported by a Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship (102035) from the National Heart Foundation of Australia. He is also a researcher within National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centres for Research Excellence entitled Reducing Salt Intake Using Food Policy Interventions (APP1117300) and a Centre of Research Excellence in Food Retail Environments for Health (RE-FRESH) (APP1152968) (Australia). He has also received other funding from the NHMRC, Australian Research Council (ARC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Data described in the manuscript, code book, and analytic code will be made available upon request pending application and approval by DH

Calcitriol suppression of parathyroid hormone fails to improve skeletal properties in an animal model of chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) leads to complex metabolic changes and an increased risk of fracture. Currently, calcitriol is the standard of care as it effectively suppresses parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in CKD patients. While calcitriol and its analogs improve BMD and reduce fractures in the general population, the extension of these benefits to patients with advanced kidney disease is unclear. Here, the impact of calcitriol on the skeleton was examined in the setting of reduction in PTH. METHODS: Male Cy/+ rats, a PKD-like CKD model, were treated with either vehicle or calcitriol for 5 weeks. Their normal littermates served as controls. Animals were assessed for changes in mineral metabolism and skeletal parameters (microCT, histology, whole bone mechanics and bone quality). RESULTS: PTH levels were significantly higher (12-fold) in animals with CKD compared to normal controls. CKD animals also exhibited negative changes in bone structural and mechanical properties. Calcitriol treatment resulted in a 60% suppression of PTH levels in animals with CKD. Despite these changes, it had no impact on bone volume (cortical or cancellous), bone turnover, osteoclast number or whole bone mechanical properties. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that while calcitriol effectively lowered PTH in rats with CKD, it did little to prevent the negative effects of secondary hyperparathyroidism on the skeleton

Raloxifene improves skeletal properties in an animal model of cystic chronic kidney disease

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of fracture. Raloxifene is a mild antiresorptive agent that reduces fracture risk in the general population. Here we assessed the impact of raloxifene on the skeletal properties of animals with progressive CKD. Male Cy/+ rats that develop autosomal dominant cystic kidney disease were treated with either vehicle or raloxifene for five weeks. They were assessed for changes in mineral metabolism and skeletal parameters (microCT, histology, whole-bone mechanics, and material properties). Their normal littermates served as controls. Animals with CKD had significantly higher parathyroid hormone levels compared with normal controls, as well as inferior structural and mechanical skeletal properties. Raloxifene treatment resulted in lower bone remodeling rates and higher cancellous bone volume in the rats with CKD. Although it had little effect on cortical bone geometry, it resulted in higher energy to fracture and modulus of toughness values than vehicle-treated rats with CKD, achieving levels equivalent to normal controls. Animals treated with raloxifene had superior tissue-level mechanical properties as assessed by nanoindentation, and higher collagen D-periodic spacing as assessed by atomic force microscopy. Thus, raloxifene can positively impact whole-bone mechanical properties in CKD through its impact on skeletal material properties

Skeletal levels of bisphosphonate in the setting of chronic kidney disease are independent of remodeling rate and lower with fractionated dosing

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) results in a dramatic increase in skeletal fracture risk. Bisphosphates (BP) are an effective treatment for reducing fracture risk but they are not recommended in advanced CKD. We have recently shown higher acute skeletal accumulation of fluorescently-tagged zoledronate (ZOL) in the setting of CKD but how this accumulation is retained/lost over time is unclear. Furthermore, it is unknown if alternative dosing approaches can modulate accumulation in the setting of CKD. Methods To address these two questions normal (NL) and Cy/+ (CKD) rats were divided into control groups (no dosing), a single dose of a fluorescent-tagged ZOL (FAM-ZOL), a single dose of non-labelled zoledronate (ZOL) or ten weekly doses of FAM-ZOL each at 1/10th the dose of the single dose group. Half of the CKD animals in each group were provided water with 3% calcium in drinking water (CKD + Ca) to suppress PTH and remodeling. At 30 or 35 weeks of age, serum, tibia, ulna, radius, vertebra, femora, and mandible were collected and subjected to assessment methods including biochemistry, dynamic histomorphometry and multi-spectral fluorescence levels (using IVIS SpectrumCT). Results FAM-ZOL did not significantly reduce bone remodeling in either NL or CKD animals while Ca supplementation in CKD produced remodeling levels comparable to NL. At five- and ten-weeks post-dosing, both CKD and CKD + Ca groups had higher levels of FAM-ZOL in most, but not all, skeletal sites compared to NL with no difference between the two CKD groups suggesting that the rate of remodeling did not affect skeletal retention of FAM-ZOL. Fractionating the FAM-ZOL into ten weekly doses led to 20–32% less (p < 0.05) accumulation/retention of compound in the vertebra, radius, and ulna compared to administration as a single dose. Conclusions The rate of bone turnover does not have significant effects on levels of FAM-ZOL accumulation/retention in animals with CKD. A lower dose/more frequent administration paradigm results in lower levels of accumulation/retention over time. These data provide information that could better inform the use of bisphosphonates in the setting of CKD in order to combat the dramatic increase in fracture risk

Correction: Faught et al. “Socioeconomic Disadvantage across the Life Course is associated with Diet Quality in Young Adulthood” Nutrients, 2019, 11(2), 242

We noticed an error in the text that requires correcting as it may contribute to an incorrect understanding of our study’s scientific conclusions. In the text accompanying Table 4 (Section 3.3: Mediation Analysis (Pathways Hypothesis), page 11), the third sentence in the paragraph reads: “Adult SEP at the level of university education mediated associations between childhood SEP and mean adult HEI-2015 score (p < 0.001).” This should in fact read: “Adult SEP at the level of high school or less mediated associations between childhood SEP and mean adult HEI-2015 score (p < 0.001).” This correction is consistent with the results presented in Table 4, and in line with the scientific conclusions discussed in the article that a low socioeconomic position (SEP) in adulthood mediates associations between childhood SEP and adult diet quality. SEP at the level of university education was the reference group in this analysis

Student Satisfaction and Performance in an Online Teacher Certification Program

The article presents a study which demonstrates the effectiveness of an online post baccalaureate teacher certification program developed by a Wisconsin university. The case method approach employing multiple methods and multiple data sources were used to investigate the degree to which pre-service teachers were prepared to teach. It was concluded that the study supports online delivery as an effective means of teacher preparation, but it was limited in the number of students followed into their first year of teaching

Health for sale: the medicinal plant markets in Trujillo and Chiclayo, Northern Peru

Traditional methods of healing have been beneficial in many countries with or without access to conventional allopathic medicine. In the United States, these traditional practices are increasingly being sought after for illnesses that cannot be easily treated by allopathic medicine. More and more people are becoming interested in the knowledge maintained by traditional healers and in the diversity of medicinal plants that flourish in areas like Northern Peru. While scientific studies of medicinal plants are underway, concern has arisen over the preservation of both the large diversity of medicinal plants and the traditional knowledge of healing methods that accompanies them. To promote further conservation work, this study attempted to document the sources of the most popular and rarest medicinal plants sold in the markets of Trujillo (Mayorista and Hermelinda) and Chiclayo (Modelo and Moshoqueque), as well as to create an inventory of the plants sold in these markets, which will serve as a basis for comparison with future inventories. Individual markets and market stalls were subjected to cluster analysis based on the diversity of the medicinal plants they carry. The results show that markets were grouped based on the presence of: (1) common exotic medicinal plants; (2) plants used by laypeople for self-medication related to common ailments ("everyday remedies"); (3) specialized medicinal plants used by curanderos or traditional healers; and (4) highly "specialized" plants used for magical purposes. The plant trade in the study areas seems to correspond well with the specific health care demands from clientele in those areas. The specific market patterns of plant diversity observed in the present study represent a foundation for comparative market research in Peru and elsewhere

Implicit and explicit pedagogical practices related to sociocultural issues and social justice in physical education teacher education programs

Background: For many years, scholars in PETE have argued for the importance of educating pre-service teachers (PSTs) about equality (e.g., Evans 1990), sociocultural perspectives and issues (e.g., Cliff, Wright and Clarke, 2009; Author 2014) and critical pedagogy (e.g., Fernandez-Balboa 1997; Philpot 2015). Despite this advocacy, we would argue that there are significant differences in how faculty teach about sociocultural issues, and for, social justice. The pedagogical actions through which Physical Education Teacher Educators (PETEs) do this work is the focus of this paper. Purpose: We investigated the pedagogical approaches and strategies used by PETE faculty to address and educate PSTs about social justice and sociocultural issues related to gender, race, sexuality, (dis)ability, socioeconomic status and religion in their individual PETE programs. In this study, we draw on transformational pedagogy (Ukpokodu 2009; Ovens 2017) as a framework for theorizing the data. Through this study, we highlight the pedagogical practices espoused as those that engender transformative learning. Data collection and analysis: Data for this interpretive qualitative research study was collected primarily through in-depth semi-structured interviews with over 70 PETEs who work in 48 PETE programs across Australia, Canada, England, Ireland New Zealand, Sweden, and the United States. Furthermore, an informational survey was used to gather demographic data of the participants. The participants, all current PETEs, had a wide range of professional experiences, which included the length of time in the profession, the type of institution employed, educational backgrounds and courses taught. Data analysis was completed using the processes of content analysis and the constant comparative method (Corbin and Strauss 2008). Findings: Three major themes represent the findings. In the first theme, ‘Intentional and Explicit Pedagogies’ we provide descriptions of the approaches and strategies used by PETEs in this study that were planned in advance of the learning experiences. In the second theme, ‘Teachable Moments’ we provide examples of how PETEs utilized ‘teachable moments’ in implicit and explicit ways to educate PSTs about sociocultural issues. The third theme, ‘Resistance and Constraints’ captures the individual challenges PETE faculty faced within their courses if, and when, they teach for equity and social justice. The findings suggest that social justice struggles to find an explicit presence within many PETE programs and that educating PSTs about sociocultural issues and social justice is lacking in many PETE programs