Hot-Packaging Reduces Lipid Oxidation and Improves Sensory Characteristics of Cooked Turkey Meat

The effects of two vacuum packaging methods (hot and cold vacuum packaging) on the storage stability and sensory characteristics of cooked meat were compared. Ground turkey breast and leg meat patties were cooked, vacuum packaged appropriately, and stored up to 22 days. Lipid oxidation was measured by the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test. In addition, Total aerobic count and sensory evaluation (flavor, juiciness, tenderness, overall acceptability) were conducted. There was no significant difference in aerobic plate count by packaging methods; however, panelist rating revealed that hot-packaged turkey leg meat had higher juiciness and overall acceptability scores than cold-packaged ones. Although TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) values of all types of patties increased gradually, TBARS values of hot-packaged leg and breast were significantly lower than those of cold-packaged ones. Our results indicate that the hot-packaging method is superior to the cold-packaging method in controlling lipid oxidation and improving sensory values

Theracurmin inhibits intestinal polyp development in Apc‐mutant mice by inhibiting inflammation‐related factors

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Therefore, it is important to establish useful methods for preventing CRC. One prevention strategy involves the use of cancer chemopreventive agents, including functional foods. We focused on the well‐known cancer chemopreventive agent curcumin, which is derived from turmeric. However, curcumin has the disadvantage of being poorly soluble in water due to its high hydrophobicity. To overcome this problem, the formation of submicron particles with surface controlled technology has been applied to curcumin to give it remarkably improved water solubility, and this derived compound is named Theracurmin. To date, the preventive effects of Theracurmin on hereditary intestinal carcinogenesis have not been elucidated. Thus, we used Apc‐mutant mice, a model of familial adenomatous polyposis, to evaluate the effects of Theracurmin. First, we showed that treatment with 10‐20 µM Theracurmin for 24 hours reduced nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) transcriptional activity in human colon cancer DLD‐1 and HCT116 cells. However, treatment with curcumin mixed in water did not change the NF‐κB promoter transcriptional activity. As NF‐κB is a regulator of inflammation‐related factors, we next investigated the downstream targets of NF‐κB: monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) and interleukin (IL)‐6. We found that treatment with 500 ppm Theracurmin for 8 weeks inhibited intestinal polyp development and suppressed MCP‐1 and IL‐6 mRNA expression levels in the parts of the intestine with polyps. This report provides a proof of concept for the ongoing Theracurmin human trial (J‐CAP‐C study)

Outcomes after stereotactic body radiotherapy for lung tumors, with emphasis on comparison of primary lung cancer and metastatic lung tumors

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to determine the prognostic factors associated with an improved overall outcome after stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for primary lung cancer and metastatic lung tumors. METHODS: A total of 229 lung tumors in 201 patients were included in the study. SBRT of 45 Gy in 3 fractions, 48 Gy in 4 fractions, 60 Gy in 8 fractions or 60 Gy in 15 fractions was typically used to treat 172 primary lungs cancer in 164 patients and 57 metastatic lung tumors in 37 patients between January 2001 and December 2011. Prognostic factors for local control (LC) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The median biologically effective dose was 105.6 Gy based on alpha/beta = 10 (BED10). The median follow-up period was 41.9 months. The 3-year LC and OS rates were 72.5% and 60.9%, and the 5-year LC and OS rates were 67.8% and 38.1%, respectively. Radiation pneumonitis of grades 2, 3 and 5 occurred in 22 petients, 6 patients and 1 patient, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that tumor origin (primary lung cancer or metastatic lung tumor, p < 0.001), tumor diameter (p = 0.005), BED10 (p = 0.029) and date of treatment (p = 0.011) were significant independent predictors for LC and that gender (p = 0.012), tumor origin (p = 0.001) and tumor diameter (p < 0.001) were significant independent predictors for OS. CONCLUSIONS: SBRT resulted in good LC and tolerable treatment-related toxicities. Tumor origin and tumor diameter are significant independent predictors for both overall survival and local control

Use of the index of pulmonary vascular disease for predicting long-term outcome of pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital heart disease

AimsLimited data exist on risk factors for the long-term outcome of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) associated with congenital heart disease (CHD-PAH). We focused on the index of pulmonary vascular disease (IPVD), an assessment system for pulmonary artery pathology specimens. The IPVD classifies pulmonary vascular lesions into four categories based on severity: (1) no intimal thickening, (2) cellular thickening of the intima, (3) fibrous thickening of the intima, and (4) destruction of the tunica media, with the overall grade expressed as an additive mean of these scores. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between IPVD and the long-term outcome of CHD-PAH.MethodsThis retrospective study examined lung pathology images of 764 patients with CHD-PAH aged &lt;20 years whose lung specimens were submitted to the Japanese Research Institute of Pulmonary Vasculature for pulmonary pathological review between 2001 and 2020. Clinical information was collected retrospectively by each attending physician. The primary endpoint was cardiovascular death.ResultsThe 5-year, 10-year, 15-year, and 20-year cardiovascular death-free survival rates for all patients were 92.0%, 90.4%, 87.3%, and 86.1%, respectively. The group with an IPVD of ≥2.0 had significantly poorer survival than the group with an IPVD &lt;2.0 (P = .037). The Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for the presence of congenital anomaly syndromes associated with pulmonary hypertension, and age at lung biopsy showed similar results (hazard ratio 4.46; 95% confidence interval: 1.45–13.73; P = .009).ConclusionsThe IPVD scoring system is useful for predicting the long-term outcome of CHD-PAH. For patients with an IPVD of ≥2.0, treatment strategies, including choosing palliative procedures such as pulmonary artery banding to restrict pulmonary blood flow and postponement of intracardiac repair, should be more carefully considered

Task complexity manipulation and second language aptitude : A correlational study

This study investigated the role of language aptitude in task-based language teaching. The data were from Ishikawa (to appear), where 54 Japanese learners of English performed a written narrative task. Task complexity was manipulated, and the participants were divided into two groups based on the differential task complexity (i.e., [±Here-and-Now] conditions). The correlations between fourteen production measures, perceptions of task difficulty, and scores of the Language Aptitude Battery for the Japanese (LABJ) (Sasaki, 1996) were examined as a function of task complexity. The results showed that several statistically significant correlations between aptitude and task difficulty and between task difficulty and task production were observed in the complex task condition (i.e., [-Here-and-Now]), but none in the simple task condition ([+Here-and-Now]). The findings were compatible with the Cognition Hypothesis (Robinson, 2003) that complex tasks would require more cognitive resources (Ishikawa, 2005; Niwa, 2000) and affect learners\u27 perceptions of task difficulty

Recommendations for Syndromic Surveillance Using Inpatient and Ambulatory EHR Data

This presentation will review the process and the details of the recommendations developed by the multi-stakeholder ISDS Meaningful Use Workgroup to develop guidelines for conducting syndromic surveillance using electronic health record (EHR) data from hospital inpatient and ambulatory clinical care settings. The Recommendations outline priority uses for these data and the data elements specified to support those uses. This work will facilitate the adoption of the Stage 2 and Stage 3 Meaningful Use rules for exchanging health information between clinical settings and public health authorities for the purpose of improving patient and population health

Recommendations for Syndromic Surveillance Using Inpatient and Ambulatory EHR Data

OBJECTIVE: To develop national Stage 2 Meaningful Use (MUse) recommendations for syndromic surveillance using hospital inpatient and ambulatory clinical care electronic health record (EHR) data. INTRODUCTION: MUse will make EHR data increasingly available for public health surveillance. For Stage 2, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations will require hospitals and offer an option for eligible professionals to provide electronic syndromic surveillance data to public health. Together, these data can strengthen public health surveillance capabilities and population health outcomes (Figure 1). To facilitate the adoption and effective use of these data to advance population health, public health priorities and system capabilities must shape standards for data exchange. Input from all stakeholders is critical to ensure the feasibility, practicality, and, hence, adoption of any recommendations and data use guidelines. METHODS: ISDS, in collaboration with the Division of Informatics Solutions and Operations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and HLN Consulting, convened a multi-stakeholder Work-group of clinicians, technologists, epidemiologists, and public health officials with expertise in syndromic surveillance. Recommended MUse guidelines were developed by performing an environmental scan of current practice and by using an iterative, expert and community input-driven process. The Workgroup developed initial guidelines and then solicited and received feedback from the stakeholder community via interview, e-mail, and structured surveys. Stakeholder feedback was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods and used to revise the recommendations. RESULTS: 1. Monitoring population health; Informing public health services; and. Informing interventions, health education, and policy by characterizing the burden of chronic disease and health disparities. Similarly, the Workgroup identified data elements to support these uses in the hospital inpatient setting and possibly in the ambulatory care setting. They were aligned to previously identified emergency department and urgent care center data elements and Stage 1–2 clinical MUse objectives. Core data elements (required for certification) cover treating facility; patient demographics; subjective and objective clinical findings, including chief complaint, body mass index, smoking history, diagnoses; and outcomes. Other data elements were designated as extended (not required for certification) or future (for future consideration). The data elements and their specifications are subject to change based on applicable state and local laws and practices. Based on their findings and recommended guidelines detailed in the report, the Workgroup also identified community activities and additional investments that would best support public health agencies in using EHR technology with syndromic surveillance methodologies. CONCLUSIONS: The widespread adoption of EHRs, catalyzed by MUse, has the potential to improve population health. By identifying and describing potential ESS uses of new sources of EHR data and associated data elements with the greatest utility for public health, the recommendations set forth by the ISDS MUse Workgroup will serve to facilitate the adoption of MUse policy by both healthcare and public health agencies