Impact of dairy fat manipulation on endothelial function and lipid regulation in human aortic endothelial cells exposed to human plasma samples: an in vitro investigation from the RESET study.

Purpose: Longer-term intake of fatty acid (FA)-modified dairy products (SFA-reduced, MUFA-enriched) was reported to attenuate postprandial endothelial function in humans, relative to conventional (control) dairy. Thus, we performed an in vitro study in human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) to investigate mechanisms underlying the effects observed in vivo.

Methods: This sub-study was conducted within the framework of the RESET study, a 12-week randomised controlled crossover trial with FA-modified and control dairy diets.

Characterisation of Cooked Cheese Flavour: Non-Volatile Components.

This work examined the role of selected non-volatile compounds in cooked cheese flavour, both as tastants and as precursors of aroma generation in the Maillard reaction. The effect of cooking on the concentration of selected non-volatile compounds (organic acids, sugars, amino acids, γ-glutamyl dipeptides, and diketopiperazines) in six cheeses (mature Cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, and mild Cheddar (low, medium, and high fat)) was determined. Sugars, amino acids, and γ-glutamyl dipeptides were extracted and analysed by LC, whereas diketopiperazines were extracted by solid-phase extraction and analysed by GC-MS.

Impact of Ultrasonication on African Oil Bean ( Benth) Protein Extraction and Properties.

African oil bean (Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth) is an underutilised edible oil seed that could represent a sustainable protein source. In this study, the impact of ultrasonication on the extraction efficiency and properties of protein from African oil bean (AOB) seeds was evaluated. The increase in the duration of extraction favoured the extraction of AOB proteins.

Structural basis for reduced ribosomal A-site fidelity in response to P-site codon-anticodon mismatches.

Rapid and accurate translation is essential in all organisms to produce properly folded and functional proteins. mRNA codons that define the protein-coding sequences are decoded by tRNAs on the ribosome in the aminoacyl (A) binding site. The mRNA codon and the tRNA anticodon interaction is extensively monitored by the ribosome to ensure accuracy in tRNA selection.

Structural basis for reduced ribosomal A-site fidelity in response to P-site codon-anticodon mismatches.

Rapid and accurate translation is essential in all organisms to produce properly folded and functional proteins. mRNA codons that define the protein coding sequences are decoded by tRNAs on the ribosome in the aminoacyl (A) binding site. The mRNA codon and the tRNA anticodon interaction is extensively monitored by the ribosome to ensure accuracy in tRNA selection.

Reducing prescribing errors: making electronic prescribing work for cystic fibrosis inpatients.

Children admitted to our hospital with cystic fibrosis had frequent medication errors due to polypharmacy and addition of specialist and high-risk medications despite an electronic prescribing and medicines administration system in place. We describe a multidisciplinary quality improvement project that combined a computerised order entry system (CPOE) with human factor process changes. Over 12 months, our run chart showed a 43% reduction in prescription errors.

Effect of fat-reformulated dairy food consumption on postprandial flow-mediated dilatation and cardiometabolic risk biomarkers compared with conventional dairy: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Longer-term consumption of SFA-reduced, MUFA-enriched dairy products has been reported to improve fasting flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). Yet, their impact on endothelial function in the postprandial state warrants investigation.

Objectives: The aim was to compare the impact of a fatty acid (FA) modified with a conventional (control) dairy diet on the postprandial %FMD (primary outcome) and systemic cardiometabolic responses to representative meals, and retrospectively explore whether treatment effects differ by apolipoprotein E (APOE) or endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) Glu298Asp gene polymorphisms.

Lumbar Paraspinal Compartment Syndrome: Case Report and Critical Evaluation of the Literature.

Background: Lumbar compartment syndrome is a recognized clinical phenomenon, despite receiving less attention as a clinical entity. Given its rarity, the definitive presentation, diagnosis, and management strategies are not completely agreed upon.

Materials And Methods: A literature search on PubMed of all case reports of lumbar paraspinal compartment syndromes was conducted.

Postprandial Fatty Acid Profile, but Not Cardiometabolic Risk Markers, Is Modulated by Dairy Fat Manipulation in Adults with Moderate Cardiovascular Disease Risk: The Randomized Controlled REplacement of SaturatEd fat in dairy on Total cholesterol (RESET) Study.

Background: Chronic consumption of dairy products with an SFA-reduced, MUFA-enriched content was shown to impact favorably on brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). However, their acute effect on postprandial cardiometabolic risk biomarkers requires investigation.

Objective: The effects of sequential high-fat mixed meals rich in fatty acid (FA)-modified or conventional (control) dairy products on postprandial FMD (primary outcome) and systemic cardiometabolic biomarkers in adults with moderate cardiovascular risk (≥50% above the population mean) were compared.

The Clinical Impact of Implementation of a Multidisciplinary Endocarditis Team.

Background: Infectious endocarditis is associated with substantial in-hospital mortality of 15%-20%. Effective management requires coordination between multiple medical and surgical subspecialties, which can often lead to disjointed care. Previous European studies have identified multidisciplinary endocarditis teams as a tool for reducing endocarditis mortality.

Improving measurement feedback systems for measurement-based care.

Measurement feedback systems (MFS) are a class of health information technologies developed to facilitate measurement-based care. The individual clinical decision support features within MFS are diverse and their influence on clinicians is largely unknown. This study tested the impact of MFS features on clinicians' progress assessments and treatment decisions in different scenarios.

Readmissions on Teaching Versus Non-Teaching Services: Are They Any Different?

Introduction There is a paucity of comparative data on readmissions between teaching services (TS) and nonteaching services (NTS). Therefore, we designed this study to determine if there are any differences in readmissions between the two services. Materials and methods A unique cohort of 384 readmissions during one year was retrospectively examined at Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Medical Center.

Leveraging Health Information Technology to Meet The Joint Commission's Standard for Measurement-Based Care: A Case Study.

Introduction: Three decades of research have shown that routinely collecting patient-reported outcomes throughout treatment to inform clinical decision making or measurement-based care (MBC) can improve clinical outcomes, yet widespread adoption continues to be elusive.

Approach: This article describes how a community behavioral health center addressed Element of Performance (EP) 1 of The Joint Commission's revised MBC standard using health information technology (HIT)-facilitated MBC and a comprehensive implementation plan grounded in the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

Results: Across the initial 15-month implementation period, 96.

Certification procedures used by the Biological Stain Commission for eriochrome cyanine R (C.I. 43820, Mordant blue 3).

Eriochrome cyanine R (C.I. 43820, Mordant blue 3), also known as chromoxane cyanine R and solochrome cyanine R, has been used as a biological stain since 1957.

Revised tests and standards for Biological Stain Commission certification of alcian blue dyes.

Alcian blue dyes are copper phthalocyanines with a variety of cationic side chains; they are useful for staining carbohydrate polyanions while avoiding staining of nucleic acids. The properties of the original alcian blue and of similar dyes with published chemical structures are reviewed here. Variation among samples submitted to the Biological Stain Commission (BSC) for certification has led to the recognition of two types of commercially available alcian blue at this time.

Reformulation initiative for partial replacement of saturated with unsaturated fats in dairy foods attenuates the increase in LDL cholesterol and improves flow-mediated dilatation compared with conventional dairy: the randomized, controlled REplacement of SaturatEd fat in dairy on Total cholesterol (RESET) study.

Background: Modifying dairy fat composition by increasing the MUFA content is a potential strategy to reduce dietary SFA intake for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention in the population.

Objectives: To determine the effects of consuming SFA-reduced, MUFA-enriched (modified) dairy products, compared with conventional dairy products (control), on the fasting cholesterol profile (primary outcome), endothelial function assessed by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD; key secondary outcome), and other cardiometabolic risk markers.

Methods: A double-blind, randomized, controlled crossover 12-wk intervention was conducted.

Physician perceptions of a multidisciplinary endocarditis team.

Infectious endocarditis is a highly morbid infection that requires coordination of care across medical and surgical specialties, often through the use of a multidisciplinary team model. Multiple studies have demonstrated that such conferences can improve clinical outcomes. However, little is known about physicians' impressions of these groups.

Correlating cardiac F-18 FDG PET/CT results with intra-operative findings in infectious endocarditis.

Background: Multiple studies have demonstrated that when incorporated with conventional imaging modalities, cardiac F-18 PET/CT can aid in diagnosis of endocarditis and improve the sensitivity of the Duke Criteria. These studies used as their gold standard the opinion of an endocarditis team and were characterized by low percentages of patients who underwent surgery. We reviewed 4 years of surgically managed IE cases where F-18 cardiac PET/CT was used to aid diagnosis.

Evaluation of the Brief Adjustment Scale-6 (BASE-6): A measure of general psychological adjustment for measurement-based care.

The current study evaluated the Brief Adjustment Scale-6 (BASE-6), a measure of general psychological adjustment. The psychometric properties of the BASE-6 are documented using 3 adult samples, including online participants (Sample 1: n = 459), college students (Sample 2: n = 244), and a clinical sample (Sample 3: n = 296). Acceptability ratings comparing the BASE-6 to the Outcome Questionnaire-45.

Changes in the volatile profile of skim milk powder prepared under different processing conditions and the effect on the volatile flavor profile of model white chocolate.

The objective of this work is to determine the extent to which changes in the skim milk powder (SMP) manufacturing process alter the volatile profile of SMP, and whether these changes are carried through to a final product when the SMP is used as an ingredient and subjected to further processing. The manufacture of SMP is a multistage process involving a preliminary concentration step, heat treatment, and a drying stage. However, the methods and conditions used by the industry are not standardized, and the inherent variability in the production of SMP has consequences for the end-users, such as the confectionery industry, where the SMP is used as an ingredient during the production of milk chocolate, white chocolate, and caramel.

Structural and Dynamics Comparison of Thermostability in Ancient, Modern, and Consensus Elongation Factor Tus.

Rationally engineering thermostability in proteins would create enzymes and receptors that function under harsh industrial applications. Several sequence-based approaches can generate thermostable variants of mesophilic proteins. To gain insight into the mechanisms by which proteins become more stable, we use structural and dynamic analyses to compare two popular approaches, ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) and the consensus method, used to generate thermostable variants of Elongation Factor Thermo-unstable (EF-Tu).

Consumer acceptance of dairy products with a saturated fatty acid-reduced, monounsaturated fatty acid-enriched content.

Agriculture-based reformulation initiatives, including oleic acid-rich lipid supplementation of the dairy cow diet, provide a novel means for reducing intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA) at a population level. In a blinded manner, this study evaluated the consumer acceptance of SFA-reduced, monounsaturated fatty acid-enriched (modified) milk, Cheddar cheese, and butter when compared with control and commercially available comparative samples. The effect of providing nutritional information about the modified cheese was also evaluated.