Following the digestion of milk proteins from mother to baby.

Little is known about the digestive process in infants. In particular, the chronological activity of enzymes across the course of digestion in the infant remains largely unknown. To create a temporal picture of how milk proteins are digested, enzyme activity was compared between intact human milk samples from three mothers and the gastric samples from each of their 4-12 day postpartum infants, 2 h after breast milk ingestion.

PMS as a process of negotiation: women's experience and management of premenstrual distress.

The absence of reports of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in contexts such as China, Hong Kong, and India has led to the conclusion that PMS is a culture-bound syndrome. This qualitative study examines whether is it possible for women in a Western cultural context to negotiate negative premenstrual change in order to effectively avoid or reduce premenstrual distress. Sixty women who self-defined as a 'PMS sufferer' took part in one-to-one interviews, which were analysed using theoretical thematic analysis from a material-discursive-intrapsychic (MDI) perspective.

An investigation of objective and subjective types of binge eating episodes in a clinical sample of people with co-morbid obesity.

Background: Objective binge eating episodes (OBEs) refer to binge eating on an unusually large amount of food and are the core symptom in current definitions of bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED). Subjective binge eating episodes (SBEs) refer to eating on a small or moderate amount of food (that is perceived as large) and like OBEs are associated with loss of control (LOC). Reaching consensus on what is considered a large amount of food can however be problematic and it remains unclear if the size of a binge is an essential component for defining a binge eating episode.

[Dynamic cooperation between epidermal barriers and Langerhans cells].

Skin is the structure that covers our body and protects it from not only the entry of pathogens or allergens but also from the leakage of water, solutes or nutrients. These outside-in and inside-out skin barrier functions are dependent on the epidermis, a stratified epithelial cellular sheet. While mucus covers the epidermis in fish and amphibian tadpoles, terminally differentiated cornified cellular sheets called stratum corneum (SC) constitute the outermost epidermal barrier in amphibian adults, reptiles, birds and mammals.

Elevated LH predicts ischaemic heart disease events in older men: the Health in Men Study.

Context: Hypogonadism in men is associated with insulin resistance, elevations in pro-inflammatory cytokines and fibrinogen, and an atherogenic lipid profile. However, it is uncertain whether the age-related decline in testosterone is associated with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) events.

Objective: To determine whether testosterone and its associated hormones, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and LH, predict IHD events in older men.

Enhanced vascular responses to hypocapnia in neurally mediated syncope.

Objective: The susceptibility to suffer neurally mediated syncope and loss of consciousness varies markedly. In addition to vasodilatation and bradycardia, hyperventilation precedes loss of consciousness. The resultant hypocapnia causes cerebral vasoconstriction and peripheral vasodilatation.

Common polymorphisms in the glyoxalase-1 gene and their association with pro-thrombotic factors.

Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) form at an accelerated rate in diabetes and contribute to the development of macrovascular disease. Their precursors are detoxified by the glyoxalase system. Perturbations of the glyoxalase-1 gene may alter AGEs' interactions and affect pro-thrombotic factors.

Do popular students smoke? The association between popularity and smoking among middle school students.

Background: Several studies have shown an association between popularity and behavior, indicating that popular people tend to reflect the norms of their group. Among adolescents, it has been hypothesized that popular students are more likely to smoke, especially in schools with high smoking prevalence.

Methods: Data were collected on friendship patterns and smoking from 1,486 sixth and seventh graders in 16 middle schools in southern California.

The characterisation and functional analysis of the human glyoxalase-1 gene using methods of bioinformatics.

Methylglyoxal (MG), which forms MG-derived AGE, is elevated in diabetic subjects with vascular disease. Detoxification of MG occurs through the glyoxalase system incorporating glyoxalase-1 (GLO1) and glyoxalase-2. Perturbations of the glyoxalase-1 gene (GLO1) may result in vulnerability to vascular complications through alterations in AGE interactions.

Fibrinogen and fibrin clot structure in diabetes.

Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, which is not fully accounted for by the accumulation of classic cardiovascular risk factors in patients. Recent evidence has demonstrated fibrinogen to be a powerful independent risk marker for cardiovascular disease in the general population, and it is also likely to contribute toward the increased atherosclerotic risk in diabetes. The etiology of hyperfibrinogenemia in diabetes is likely to be multifactorial, and at present the mechanisms involved have not been clarified.

Access site-related infection in dialysis: the AStRID project: a multicenter prospective Italian study.

A multicenter prospective study has been planned, in a large sample of Italian end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, aiming to assess the vascular access (VA) site-related infection rates and to identify variables associated with them. All ESRD patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD) in the participating centers will be enrolled in the study. Participating centers were selected on a voluntary basis.

Perceptions of physician order entry: results of a cross-site qualitative study.

Objective: To identify perspectives of success factors for implementing computerized physician order entry (POE) in the inpatient setting.

Design: Qualitative study by a multidisciplinary team using data from observation, focus groups, and both formal and informal interviews. Data were analyzed using a grounded approach to develop a taxonomy of patterns and themes from the transcripts and field notes.

Soluble P-selectin levels, P-selectin polymorphisms and cardiovascular disease.

P-selectin is a member of the selectin family of cell adhesion molecules which are important in the transient attachment of leukocytes to endothelial cells and platelets. A number of polymorphisms in the gene encoding P-selectin have been identified. Objectives were to investigate the relationship of soluble P (sP)-selectin with P-selectin gene polymorphisms and coronary artery disease (CAD).

Helicobacter pylori infection in subjects with acute ischaemic stroke.

Aims: To determine whether infection with Helicobacter pylori is a significant risk factor for stroke.

Subjects: A total 467 in-patients with clinical evidence of acute ischaemic stroke and 388 healthy controls with no evidence of cerebrovascular disease.

Methods: This was a case control study.

Functional analysis of the fibrinogen Aalpha Thr312Ala polymorphism: effects on fibrin structure and function.

Background: The fibrinogen Aalpha Thr312Ala polymorphism occurs within the alphaC domain of fibrinogen, which is important for lateral aggregation and factor XIII-induced cross-linking of fibrin fibers. We have previously shown an association of Ala312 fibrinogen with poststroke mortality in subjects with atrial fibrillation and with pulmonary embolism in subjects with venous thrombosis.

Methods And Results: We studied the properties of clots formed from purified Ala312 and Thr312 fibrinogen and found that Ala312 fibrinogen produces stiffer clots, associated with increased alpha chain cross-linking, as demonstrated by SDS-Page.

Barriers to developing the nurse practitioner role in primary care-the GP perspective.

Background: Opportunities exist to develop an advanced nursing role in general practice and there is growing evidence that appropriately trained nurses can reduce cost and GP workload without compromising quality of care or patient satisfaction. Despite the shortfall of doctors entering British general practice and the difficulties doctors report in managing an increasing workload in primary care, few British practices have chosen to adopt this potential solution. An exploration of the barriers to the development of a nurse practitioner role is therefore timely.

Atherothrombotic risk factors in subjects with a family history of stroke.

Background: Subjects with stroke in a first-degree relative are at increased risk of atherothrombotic vascular disease. We aimed to examine atherothrombotic risk factors in such a population.

Methods: 145 subjects with a first-degree relative with stroke and 143 controls were recruited.

Dose-effect relationships of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: a literature review.

Background: Many clinicians believe that higher doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are more effective than lower doses for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) but are associated with higher rates of adverse events (AEs). However, there is a lack of consensus on dose-effect relationships with the NSAIDs.

Objective: The purpose of this review was to investigate evidence for the relationship between NSAID dose, efficacy, and the occurrence of AEs from clinical trials of RA and OA of the hip and knee.

Home-based rehabilitation for people with stroke: a comparative study of six community services providing co-ordinated, multidisciplinary treatment.

Objective: To describe and compare six community services providing co-ordinated, multidisciplinary rehabilitation to people with stroke.

Design: Prospective, descriptive, quantitative study.

Setting: England and Northern Ireland.

The use of outcome measures in physical medicine and rehabilitation within Europe.

The aim of the study was to survey the use of outcome measures in rehabilitation within Europe. It was envisaged that this would provide the basis for further studies on the cross-cultural validity of outcome measures. A postal questionnaire was distributed in November 1998 to 866 units providing rehabilitation.

Genetic aspects of the hemostatic system in cerebrovascular disease.

Despite considerable research into the pathogenesis of cerebrovascular disease (CVD), acute stroke is the third most common cause of mortality in the Western world. The clinical management of acute stroke is largely supportive, although evidence is emerging for the benefit of early pharmacologic intervention. Even when the benefits of these therapies are accounted for, a significant proportion of patients remain disabled or die.

A critical evaluation of the application of biomarkers in epidemiological studies on diet and health.

One of the problems which may beset epidemiological studies is the difficulty of accurately measuring the dietary intakes of participants. Biomarkers of diet promise to provide a more accurate measure of dietary intake and a more objective one in that they are not reliant on the subject's memory. This review considers some issues of importance in epidemiology when information is obtained from biomarkers.