Addressing misinformation about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) provides science-based advice on dietary intake to promote health, reduce risk of chronic disease, and meet nutrient needs. It is jointly published by the United States Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture (USDA) every 5 y. As chronic diseases continue to rise to pervasive levels, helping the United States population follow the DGA is especially important for improving the health of our nation.

COVID-19 aerosol transmission modeling in support of company HVAC guideline.

A company COVID-19 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Guideline was implemented globally, as part of a larger control measure toolset, to minimize the potential for SARS-CoV-2 aerosol transmission. The COVID-19 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Guideline informed and provided the process to optimize existing ventilation systems, set occupancy duration limits, and set clearance periods for a given space. Aerosol transmission modeling was used extensively to determine space limitations to reduce the potential for aerosol transmission in various manufacturing, lab, warehouse, aircraft, and administrative workspaces.

Use of portable air purifiers as local exhaust ventilation during COVID-19.

The purpose of this study was to determine if strategic placement of portable air purifiers would improve effectiveness of aerosol reduction in a space as compared to use as a general room air purifier. Two sizes of portable air purifiers were placed in two different positions intended to function similar to either a local exhaust ventilation hood or an air curtain to determine if strategic placement would lead to a reduction of particles in a worker's position at a desk in an office environment. Particle generators were used to introduce particulate into the air and personal aerosol monitors measured particles during each test condition.

NIH workshop on human milk composition: summary and visions.

Nationally representative data from mother-child dyads that capture human milk composition (HMC) and associated health outcomes are important for advancing the evidence to inform federal nutrition and related health programs, policies, and consumer information across the governments in the United States and Canada as well as in nongovernment sectors. In response to identified gaps in knowledge, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the NIH sponsored the "Workshop on Human Milk Composition-Biological, Environmental, Nutritional, and Methodological Considerations" held 16-17 November 2017 in Bethesda, Maryland. Through presentations and discussions, the workshop aimed to 1) share knowledge on the scientific need for data on HMC; 2) explore the current understanding of factors affecting HMC; 3) identify methodological challenges in human milk (HM) collection, storage, and analysis; and 4) develop a vision for a research program to develop an HMC data repository and database.

Five Strategies for Encouraging Seafood Consumption: What Health Professionals Need to Know.

There is confusion among many Americans, particularly women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and parents and caregivers of young children, regarding seafood consumption. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourages us to eat a greater variety of protein foods. One way to do this is to choose seafood twice a week in place of meats, poultry, or eggs.

Implementing Trauma-Informed Partner Violence Assessment in Family Planning Clinics.

Objective: Intimate partner violence (IPV) and reproductive coercion (RC) are associated with poor reproductive health. Little is known about how family planning clinics implement brief IPV/RC assessment interventions in practice. We describe the uptake and impact of a brief, trauma-informed, universal IPV/RC assessment and education intervention.

Development and Testing of a Revised Cooking Matters for Adults Survey.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to: (1) develop and psychometrically test a survey designed to assess Cooking Matters for Adults (CMA); and (2) assess changes in outcomes from pre- to post-pilot testing in English-speaking CMA classes to support the construct validity of the survey.

Methods: Cognitive interviewing participants were drawn from a low-income convenience sample in Omaha, Nebraska (N = 21). The survey included items to assess dietary patterns and choices, sociodemographics, and psychosocial correlates.

Comparing supports for LGBT aging in rural versus urban areas.

Studies of rural populations typically underrepresent lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults. This secondary analysis examined data from a nationwide sample of LGBT baby boomers (n = 1201). Geographic differences with respect to self-reported outness, acceptance of sexual identity, social and familial support, and household income were assessed with one-way analyses of variance.

Training, geography, and provision of aging services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults.

This research study surveyed leaders of Area Agencies on Aging (agencies) to understand their services, training, and beliefs about serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults. Half of the existing agencies in the United States (320) participated. Few agencies provided LGBT services or outreach.

Exploring the nature of same-sex relationships.

This study explored the relationship structure and experiences of 145 people in the United States, aged 50 and above, in long-term, same-sex relationships. A survey assessed relationship satisfaction and roles, caregiving, shared assets, and relationship protection and support. The ENRICH couple scales revealed high scores in communication, conflict resolution, and couple satisfaction.

Identification of small molecules from human embryonic stem cells using metabolomics.

Metabolomics enables the discovery of small molecules that may serve as candidate biomarkers of pharmacological efficacy or toxicity. Biochemical pathways of human development are likely active in human embryonic stem (hES) cells and derivatives, since they recapitulate organogenesis in vitro. We hypothesized that small molecules could be measured from undifferentiated hES cells and hES cell-derived neural precursors (hNPs) using metabolomics and that these compounds are altered in response to known disruptors of human development.

Image quality and dose comparison among screen-film, computed, and CT scanned projection radiography: applications to CT urography.

Purpose: To evaluate image quality and dose for abdominal imaging techniques that could be used as part of a computed tomographic (CT) urographic examination: screen-film (S-F) radiography or computed radiography (CR), performed with moving and stationary grids, and CT scanned projection radiography (CT SPR).

Materials And Methods: An image quality phantom underwent imaging with moving and stationary grids with both a clinical S-F combination and CR plate. CT SPR was performed with six CT scanners at various milliampere second and kilovolt peak settings.

Benefits and safety of CT fluoroscopy in interventional radiologic procedures.

Purpose: To determine the benefits and safety of computed tomographic (CT) fluoroscopy when compared with conventional CT for the guidance of interventional radiologic procedures.

Materials And Methods: Data on 203 consecutive percutaneous interventional procedures performed with use of CT fluoroscopic guidance and 99 consecutive procedures with conventional CT guidance were obtained from a questionnaire completed by the radiologists and CT technologists who performed the procedures. The questionnaire specifically addressed radiation dose measurements to patients and personnel, total procedure time, total CT fluoroscopy time, mode of CT fluoroscopic guidance (continuous versus intermittent), success of procedure, major complications, type of procedure (biopsy, aspiration, or drainage), site of procedure, and level of operator experience.

A unique approach to multidisciplinary cancer education.

Background: Almost every health care worker, regardless of specialty, interacts with individuals who have histories of cancer. Some health care workers are relatively unfamiliar with the cancer experience and those who are familiar with it are interested in additional information.

Method: The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Education Subcommittee designed a monthly educational program titled Cancer Connections: A Multidisciplinary Update.

An investigation of the effects of mammographic acquisition parameters on a semiautomated quantitative measure of breast cancer risk.

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of mammographic acquisition parameter variations on the estimation of percent density (PD) produced by a particular semiautomated algorithm. The PD algorithm requires the user to specify a threshold pixel value segmenting breast tissue of greater and lesser density. A whole breast specimen was imaged using a variety of acquisition techniques, and the image data were processed as prescribed by the PD algorithm.

Imaging findings in patients with-right lower quadrant pain: alternative diagnoses to appendicitis.

Patients with right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain referred for imaging studies with a clinical diagnosis of appendicitis may have other pathologic conditions mimicking appendicitis. Appropriate diagnostic imaging may establish other specific diagnoses and thereby play a significant role in determining proper medical or surgical treatment. In this pictorial essay, we present a spectrum of imaging findings in patients whose clinical features were suggestive of appendicitis, but the diagnoses of a broad spectrum of other diseases were established with the imaging studies.

Social work practitioners as researchers: is it possible?

Social workers are encouraged and often expected to conduct research in addition to their clinical duties. Unfortunately, few practitioners seem interested and there is usually a lack of tangible supports in most practice settings. To counter this, a support group of non-supervisory clinical social workers in a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center met regularly with a social work educator-consultant in order to strengthen research skills, maintain motivation, and promote publication.

Adaptation and age-related expectations of older gay and lesbian adults.

Results from a study of lesbian women and gay men in the Midwest over the age of 50, who indicate high levels of involvement in the gay community, provide a picture of the aging process of these adults that builds on previous research efforts. Respondents reported acceptance of the aging process, and high levels of life satisfaction, despite predictable problems associated with aging and sexual orientation. Being active in the gay community was an asset to accepting one's own aging.

Educational Needs of Nursing Home Social Workers at the Baccalaureate Level.

A study of nursing home social workers found that many feel unprepared for the positions they currently occupy. Most have little supervision or peer support. Nursing home social workers are likely to be young and female with several years of work experience although they may not have a social work degree.

Total knee arthroplasty: a population-based study.

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is being used increasingly for the management of chronic arthritis of the knee. In this report, we review the frequency of application of TKA in the population of Olmsted County, Minnesota, from 1971 through 1986. The utilization rate of TKA increased from 20.

The use of time lines and life lines in work with chronically mentally ill people.

This article describes the use of two treatment tools, time lines and life lines, designed to be used with adults who have had lifelong experience with severe and persistent mental illness. The premise of work with these clients is that their developmental stages and tasks have been skewed by years of mental illness. By graphically charting their reminiscence of life events, many clients can be helped to integrate into society and to resolve negative life experiences.

Duplex and color Doppler sonographic evaluation of vasculogenic impotence.

One hundred eighty patients with suspected vasculogenic impotence were evaluated with conventional penile duplex sonography with spectral analysis and color Doppler imaging. Measurements of mean peak systolic and end-diastolic velocities were obtained from the cavernosal arteries before and after intracavernosal injections of papaverine. Sixty-one patients were examined with dynamic cavernosography and cavernosometry, and 12 patients were studied with selective internal pudendal and penile arteriography.