Discomfort and exertion associated with prolonged wear of respiratory protection in a health care setting.

The nature of discomfort and level of exertion associated with wearing respiratory protection in the health care workplace are not well understood. Although a few studies have assessed these topics in a laboratory setting, little is known about the magnitude of discomfort and the level of exertion experienced by workers while they deliver health care to patients for prolonged periods. The purpose of this study was to determine the magnitude of discomfort and level of exertion experienced by health care workers while wearing respiratory protection for periods up to 8 hr when performing their typical occupational duties.

Emotional bonds and social support exchange between men living with HIV infection and their mothers.

Men infected with HIV are often faced with caregiving responsibilities of aging, ill parents, while simultaneously looking for support from their parents in dealing with their own health problems. Unfortunately, the reciprocal roles of HIV-positive adult sons and aging mothers as caregivers have not been examined. To address this gap in the literature, HIV-positive men (n = 118) answered open-ended questions about the support they exchanged with their mothers, completed the Depth of Relationships Inventory, and rated the importance of health-related assistance between themselves and their mothers.

Nutritional formula improved immune profiles of seniors living in nursing homes.

Objectives: To assess whether an experimental nutritional formula (EXP) supports immune function in seniors living in long-term care facilities.

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial conducted September 2002 through January 2003.

Setting: North central Florida nursing homes.

Oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity in smoking and nonsmoking men with HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Background: Past studies document decreased levels of antioxidants and selenium and increased levels of oxidative stress in people living with HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Cigarette smoking is another source of oxidative stress. Excessive oxidative stress can induce HIV replication, resulting in disease progression.

Arginine supplementation enhances mitogen-induced splenocyte proliferation but does not affect in vivo indicators of antigen-specific immunity in mice.

Arginine is a conditionally essential amino acid with many physiologic roles. Its role in immune function has been one of major focus with conflicting results. Early in vitro immune studies demonstrated increased mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation with dietary arginine supplementation; however, not all studies confirmed this effect.

HIV and older adults: clinical outcomes in the era of HAART.

As the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic enters its third decade, nurses are caring for increasing numbers of older adults with HIV who are on complicated medication regimens or highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Although HAART has revolutionized HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) care, little is known about how older adults respond to the new therapies. A review of the medical records of 19 older (> or = 50 years) and 18 younger (< 40 years) adults initiated on their first HAART regimen revealed both older and younger adults had similar positive clinical outcomes.

Nutritional formula enhanced immune function and reduced days of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection in seniors.

Objectives: To assess whether an experimental nutritional formula, given as a supplement, would reduce days of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and affect antibody and lymphocyte proliferative responses to influenza vaccine.

Design: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was conducted between October 1999 and April 2000.

Setting: Assisted- and independent-living facilities in North Central Florida.

Infectious disease risk in the elderly.

Older persons suffer excessively from infectious diseases such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections. This article discusses some of the reasons for this additional morbidity and mortality, including the anatomical and physiological changes with aging, impairment of immune function, presence of co-morbid diseases, and delays in diagnosis and initiation of therapy.

Overexpression of CRIP in transgenic mice alters cytokine patterns and the immune response.

Cysteine-rich intestinal protein (CRIP), which contains a double zinc finger motif, is a member of the Group 2 LIM protein family. Our results showed that the developmental regulation of CRIP in neonates was not influenced by conventional vs. specific pathogen-free housing conditions.