Association between monosodium glutamate intake and sleep-disordered breathing among Chinese adults with normal body weight.

Objective: To assess whether monosodium glutamate (MSG) intake is associated with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).

Methods: Data from 1227 Chinese subjects who participated in the Jiangsu Nutrition Study were analyzed. All the participants were examined at two time points (baseline in 2002 and follow-up in 2007).

Monosodium glutamate intake, dietary patterns and asthma in Chinese adults.

Objectives: Emerging evidence shows that diet is related to asthma. The aim of this analysis was to investigate the association between monosodium glutamate (MSG) intake, overall dietary patterns and asthma.

Methods: Data from 1486 Chinese men and women who participated in the Jiangsu Nutrition Study (JIN) were analyzed.

Integration of pre-aligned liquid metal electrodes for neural stimulation within a user-friendly microfluidic platform.

Electrical stimulation of nervous tissue is used clinically for the treatment of multiple neurological disorders and experimentally for basic research. With the increase of optical probes to record neuronal activity, simple and user-friendly methods are desired to stimulate neurons and their subcellular compartments for biological experimentation. Here we describe the novel integration of liquid metal electrodes with microfluidic culture platforms to accomplish this goal.

Demographic indicators of trust in federal, state and local government: implications for Australian health policy makers.

Objective: To provide baseline findings regarding Australians' trust in federal, state and local government.

Methods: A computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) survey was administrated during October to December 2009 to a random sample (n=1109) across Australia (response rate 41.2%).

A consideration of the relative contributions of different microbial subpopulations to the soil N cycle.

We examine and discuss literature targeted at identifying "active" subpopulations of soil microbial communities with regard to the factors that affect the balance between mineralization and immobilization/assimilation of N. Whereas a large fraction (≥50%) of soil microbial biomass can immediately respire exogenous substrates, it remains unclear what percentage of both bacterial and fungal populations are capable of expressing their growth potential. The factors controlling the relative amounts of respiratorily responsive biomass versus growth-active biomass will impact the balance between N mineralization and N immobilization.

Development of macrocyclic inhibitors of HCV NS3/4A protease with cyclic constrained P2-P4 linkers.

A series of macrocyclic compounds containing a cyclic constraint in the P2-P4 linker region have been discovered and shown to exhibit excellent HCV NS3/4a genotype 3a and genotype 1b R155K, A156T, A156V, and D168V mutant activity while maintaining high rat liver exposure. The effect of the constraint is most dramatic against gt 1b A156 mutants where ~20-fold improvements in potency are achieved by introduction of a variety of ring systems into the P2-P4 linker.

Associations between resident perceptions of the local residential environment and metabolic syndrome.

A substantial body of research has arisen concerning the relationships between objective residential area features, particularly area-level socioeconomic status and cardiometabolic outcomes. Little research has explored residents' perceptions of such features and how these might relate to cardiometabolic outcomes. Perceptions of environments are influenced by individual and societal factors, and may not correspond to objective reality.

Development of potent macrocyclic inhibitors of genotype 3a HCV NS3/4A protease.

A series of macrocyclic compounds containing 2-substituted-quinoline moieties have been discovered and shown to exhibit excellent HCV NS3/4a genotype 3a and genotype 1b R155K mutant activity while maintaining the high rat liver exposure. Cyclization of the 2-substituted quinoline substituent led to a series of tricyclic P2 compounds which also display superb gt3a potency.

Weighting of the data and analytical approaches may account for differences in overcoming the inadequate representativeness of the respondents to the third wave of a cohort study.

Objectives: Attrition in cohort studies can cause the data to be nonreflective of the original population. Although of little concern if intragroup comparisons are being made or cause and effect assessed, the assessment of bias was undertaken in this study so that intergroup or descriptive analyses could be undertaken.

Study Design And Setting: The North West Adelaide Health Study is a chronic disease and risk factor cohort study undertaken in Adelaide, South Australia.

Exposure-dose-response of Anadara trapezia to metal contaminated estuarine sediments: 3. Selenium spiked sediments.

Selenium enters near shore marine environments from the activities of coal-fired power stations. Although selenium is an essential element, at elevated concentrations it can cause genotoxic damage. The relationship between selenium exposure dose and response was investigated in Anadara trapezia exposed to selenium spiked sediment (5 μg/g and 20 μg/g dry mass) for 56 days.

Effect of fixed-dose combined isosorbide dinitrate/hydralazine in elderly patients in the African-American heart failure trial.

Background: Fixed-dose combined isosorbide dinitrate/hydralazine (FDC I/H) significantly improved outcomes in patients with advanced heart failure (HF) receiving background neurohormonal therapy in the African-American Heart Failure Trial (A-HeFT). In this analysis, we investigated treatment effects by age <65 or ≥65 years.

Methods And Results: Time-to-event curves were produced by the Kaplan-Meier method.

Reliability of self-reported health risk factors and chronic conditions questions collected using the telephone in South Australia, Australia.

Background: Accurate monitoring of health conditions and behaviours, and health service usage in the population, using an effective and economical method is important for planning and evaluation. This study examines the reliability of questions asked in a telephone survey by conducting a test/retest analysis of a range of questions covering demographic variables, health risk factors and self-reported chronic conditions among people aged 16 years and over.

Methods: A Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) survey on health issues of South Australians was re-administered to a random sub-sample of 154 respondents between 13-35 days (mean 17) after the original survey.

Clinical and biopsychosocial determinants of sexual dysfunction in middle-aged and older Australian men.

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) and other related sexual dysfunctions in men have recently been shown to associate with a range of conditions and biopsychosocial factors. However, few studies have been able to control for these related factors simultaneously.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of and associated risk factors for ED and low solitary and dyadic sexual desire.

Abdominal adiposity and obstructive airway disease: testing insulin resistance and sleep disordered breathing mechanisms.

Background: This study examined associations of abdominal adiposity with lung function, asthma symptoms and current doctor-diagnosed asthma and mediation by insulin resistance (IR) and sleep disordered breathing (SDB).

Methods: A random sample of 2500 households was drawn from the community of Whyalla, South Australia (The Whyalla Intergenerational Study of Health, WISH February 2008 - July 2009). Seven-hundred twenty-two randomly selected adults (≥18 years) completed clinical protocols (32.

Dynamics of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria populations and contributions to soil nitrification potentials.

It is well known that the ratio of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) ranges widely in soils, but no data exist on what might influence this ratio, its dynamism, or how changes in relative abundance influences the potential contributions of AOA and AOB to soil nitrification. By sampling intensively from cropped-to-fallowed and fallowed-to-cropped phases of a 2-year wheat/fallow cycle, and adjacent uncultivated long-term fallowed land over a 15-month period in 2010 and 2011, evidence was obtained for seasonal and cropping phase effects on the soil nitrification potential (NP), and on the relative contributions of AOA and AOB to the NP that recovers after acetylene inactivation in the presence and absence of bacterial protein synthesis inhibitors. AOB community composition changed significantly (P0.

Exposure-dose-response of Anadara trapezia to metal contaminated estuarine sediments. 2. Lead spiked sediments.

The composition of near shore marine environments is increasingly being altered by contaminants from human activities. The ability of lead, which has no known biological function, to mimic biologically essential metals makes it one of the most toxic to marine biota. The relationship between lead exposure, dose and response was investigated in Anadara trapezia exposed for 56 days to lead spiked sediment (100 and 300 μg/g dry mass).

Nitric oxide modulation as a therapeutic strategy in heart failure.

Nitric oxide (NO) is recognized as one of the most important cardiovascular signaling molecules, with multiple regulatory effects on myocardial and vascular tissue as well as on other tissues and organ systems. With the growth in understanding of the range and mechanisms of NO effects on the cardiovascular system, it is now possible to consider pharmaceutical interventions that directly target NO or key steps in NO effector pathways. This article reviews aspects of the cardiovascular effects of NO, abnormalities in NO regulation in heart failure, and clinical trials of drugs that target specific aspects of NO signaling pathways.

Best practice in substance misuse.

While substance misuse by adolescents in the UK has declined over the last decade, the UK continues to have some of the highest rates of alcohol and drug use in Europe. Many young people will try smoking and drinking alcohol during their adolescence and a significant minority will misuse alcohol and illicit drugs. This behaviour remains a significant cause for concern owing to its associated risks to the health and wellbeing of adolescents.

Rice intake, weight change and risk of the metabolic syndrome development among Chinese adults: the Jiangsu Nutrition Study (JIN).

Objectives: To examine the association between rice intake, staple food patterns (measured by percentage of rice in staple food (PRS)), weight change and the risk of the metabolic syndrome development.

Methods: We followed 1231 adults, aged 20 and older, from 2002 to 2007. Food intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire.

Monosodium glutamate intake increases hemoglobin level over 5 years among Chinese adults.

The aim of this analysis was to determine the relationship between monosodium glutamate (MSG) intake and change in hemoglobin (Hb) levels and the risk of anemia over 5 years in 1197 Chinese men and women who participated in the Jiangsu Nutrition Study (JIN). MSG intake and Hb were quantitatively assessed in 2002 and followed up in 2007. Diet and lifestyle factors were assessed at both time points.

Trends in health-related quality of life and health service use associated with body mass index and comorbid major depression in South Australia, 1998-2008.

Purpose: To investigate 10-year trends in health-related quality of life and health service use associated with body mass index (BMI) and comorbid major depression in South Australia.

Methods: Data were obtained from 9,059 people aged ≥ 15 years who participated in representative surveys of the South Australian population in 1998, 2004, and 2008. Major depression was determined using the mood module of the PRIME-MD.