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Biomedical subjects

M Flood

Publications and source records attributed to M Flood.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity of sucrose fatty acid esters in Fischer 344/DuCrj rats.

A 13-week and a 2-year feeding study were conducted in Fischer 344/DuCrj rats to evaluate the oral toxicity and carcinogenicity of S-570, a mixture of mono-, di-, tri-, and higher esters of sucrose with fatty acids derived from edible fats and oils. In both studies, S-570 was fed at 0, 1, 3, or 5% (w/w) of the diet to groups of 20 male and 20 female rats in the 13-week study and 50 male and 50 female rats in the carcinogenicity study. Animals in satellite groups of 14 rats/sex/group were sacrificed at 12 months to evaluate chronic toxicity. There were no S-570-related effects on survival, tumor incidence or time to tumor, ophthalmology, hematology, clinical chemistry, organ weights, or histopathology. These results indicate that S-570 is not toxic or carcinogenic when fed to rats at up to 5% of the diet for 2 years.

Animals↗

Safety evaluation of phosphodiesterase produced from Penicillium citrinum: summary of toxicological data.

The toxicity of Enzyme RP-1, an enzyme preparation used to hydrolyze yeast RNA to produce flavor enhancers for use in the food industry, was evaluated in a series of studies. A 5-week dietary toxicity study in Wistar rats was conducted in which animals received Enzyme RP-1 in feed at concentrations of 0, 500, 2000, or 8000 mg/kg body wt/day. A 13-week dietary toxicity study in Sprague-Dawley rats was conducted in which animals received RP-1 concentrate at 0, 0.125, 0.5, or 2% in their diets. At the highest dose levels in both studies, submandibular glands in the oral cavity were enlarged, an effect attributed to protease activity of the enzyme preparation. The no-observed-effect level in rats in the 13-week study was 0.5%, equivalent to 317 mg/kg body wt/day for males and 346 mg/kg body wt/day for females. Based on estimated dietary exposure to the enzyme preparation, the margin of exposure is estimated to be greater than 38,000. Lack of genotoxic potential was demonstrated by an in vitro reverse mutation assay in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100, TA1535, and TA1537 and in Escherichia coli strain WP2uvr and by an in vitro chromosome aberration test in CHL/IU cells derived from fibroblasts from the lungs of Chinese hamsters. Finally, the particular strain of Penicillium citrinum, the fungal strain used to prepare Enzyme RP-1, was shown to have low pathogenicity upon a single injection into the tail vein of rats of viable spores at doses up to 2.8x10(5) colony-forming units per animal. The results of these studies demonstrate that the enzyme preparation may be considered safe to workers and consumers when employed in the production of flavor enhancers from yeast.

Administration, Oral↗

Are men and women equally violent to intimate partners?

Violence against women is a significant public health issue. One form of violence against women, intimate partner abuse or domestic violence, is prevalent in Australia. In this article, we summarise the main theoretical and methodological debates informing prevalence research in this area. We explain why studies finding equivalent victimisation and perpetration rates between the sexes are conceptually and methodologically flawed and why coercion and control are fundamental to the definition and measurement of partner abuse. We conclude that while male victims of partner abuse certainly exist, male victims of other forms of male violence are more prevalent. A focus on gendered risk of violence in public health policy should target male-to-male public violence and male-to-female intimate partner abuse.

Australia↗

Respiratory isolation in a teaching hospital with low-to-moderate rate of tuberculosis: compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for identifying patients who may have active tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Because of the limitation of isolation spaces suitable for tuberculosis, proper use of these spaces is prudent. We examined the current approach to respiratory isolation to determine the compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for identifying active tuberculosis. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of all patients placed in respiratory isolation and those with pulmonary tuberculosis. RESULTS: Seventy-seven instances of isolation and three admissions without isolation were encountered. Isolated patients met CDC guidelines for infectiousness in 59 of 77 instances (76.6%). The remaining patients were isolated with findings not characteristic of active tuberculosis (10 instances), normal chest radiograph (6 occasions), or without chest radiograph (2 instances). The time of implementing isolation was the first hospital day in 58 instances (75.3%) and 2 to 14 days in 19 instances (24.7%). Isolated human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients were more likely to meet CDC guidelines for infectiousness (21/22 [95.5%] vs 38/55 [69.1%] instances) and to be isolated on a timely basis (18/22 [81.8%] vs 40/55 [72.7%]). Tuberculosis was documented in 15 instances and isolation was delayed or never implemented in 5 and 3 instances, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Compliance with CDC guidelines for respiratory isolation in patients not infected with human immunodeficiency virus is suboptimal. Many isolated patients do not meet these guidelines, and isolation is delayed or not implemented in patients who may have tuberculosis.

Adult↗

Differences in body composition of black and white girls.

Adults have racial differences in body composition that may modulate risks resulting from obesity. Although black and white children have been shown previously to have differences in bone mineral density and subcutaneous body fat, differences in visceral adipose tissue have not been evaluated. We studied 20 black and 20 white normal-weight girls aged 7-10 y, who were matched for weight, body mass index (BMI), bone age, chronological age, Tanner breast stage, and socioeconomic status. Each underwent anthropometric measurements, bioelectrical impedance analysis, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for determination of total (TAT), visceral (VAT), and subcutaneous (SAT) adipose tissue. Serum lipids and fasting and 2-h oral-glucose-tolerance test (OGTT) glucose and insulin concentrations were also measured. There were no differences between groups in absolute waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio, but waist-to-thigh ratio was smaller in black than in white girls. Black girls had greater bone mineral density and less TAT, VAT, and SAT than whites. VAT was not significantly correlated with any measure of insulin, or with serum lipids. However, both basal and 2-h OGTT serum insulin were significantly correlated with SAT as assessed by MRI in black girls (r2 = 0.46 for basal insulin, P = 0.001: r2 = 0.31 for 2-h insulin, P = 0.01) but not in white girls (r2 < 0.05, for basal and 2-h insulin, NS). We conclude that there are significant racial differences in body composition and differences in the strength of association between abdominal adipose tissue depots and insulin sensitivity in black and white girls.

Abdomen↗

Abstinent alcoholics exhibit an exaggerated stress response to 2-deoxy-D-glucose challenge.

Chronic excessive alcohol consumption can significantly disturb the hypothalamic control of glucose metabolism; however, the mechanism and clinical significance of this disturbance are poorly understood. We used 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), which produces intracellular glucoprivation, to compare neurochemical, physiological, and behavioral responses to glucoprivic stress between alcoholics abstinent for 3 weeks and healthy volunteers. Twenty-six male alcoholics and 15 male healthy volunteers received intravenous infusions of placebo, 12.5 mg/kg, and 25.0 mg/kg of body weight of 2-DG over 30 min on three separate days, following a random-ordered, double-blind procedure. Minimal effects were observed following administration of the 12.5 mg/kg of body weight dose of 2-DG. Following 25.0 mg/kg, alcoholics showed both exaggerated ACTH and cortisol responses and greater increases in caloric intake when compared with controls. Although anxiety, desire to consume alcohol, plasma progesterone, and sympathetic and adrenal medullary activity all increased following 2-DG, these responses did not differ between alcoholics and controls. The present findings suggest certain specificity for the exaggerated hypothalamic and adrenocortical responses to mild glucoprivic stress in 3-week-abstinent alcoholics.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Food selection and intake of obese women with binge-eating disorder.

We studied food selection and intake of 19 women [body mass index (in kg/m2) > 30] [corrected], 10 of whom met proposed DSM-IV criteria for binge-eating disorder (BED). All subjects ate two multicourse meals in the laboratory, and were given tape-recorded instructions at each meal either to binge or eat in a normal fashion. Subjects with BED consumed significantly more energy than did subjects without BED at both the binge [12,400 vs 8440 kJ (2963 vs 2017 kcal), P < 0.005] and normal [9810 vs 6870 kJ (2343 vs 1640 kcal), P < 0.02] meals. During the binge meal subjects with BED consumed a greater percentage of energy as fat (38.9% vs 33.5%, P < 0.002) and a lesser percentage as protein (11.4% vs 15.4%, P < 0.01) than did subjects without BED. There were no differences in macronutrient composition of food choices between groups in the normal meal. Obese women who meet criteria for BED show differences in both intake and macronutrient composition of food choices from obese women who do not meet these criteria when asked to eat in a laboratory setting, supporting the validity of this new diagnosis.

Adult↗

Decrease in resting metabolic rate during abstinence from bulimic behavior.

Among eight normal-weight bulimic women studied during 1 week of binge eating and vomiting and 7 weeks of abstinence without weight loss, resting metabolic rate and T3 and T4 levels fell significantly during abstinence. These data suggest that a physiological consequence of binge eating and vomiting is an increase in metabolic rate, in part due to increased thyroid hormone activity.

Adult↗

Adolescent suicide. Prevention, intervention, and postvention.

Suicide is a significant public problem, directly or indirectly affecting the lives of many Americans each year. There have been many different explanations for suicide over the centuries. Many who commit suicide suffer from medically identifiable depression. Clinicians must be alert for subtle self-destructive behaviors that reflect depression. Currently, in the United States, teenagers are increasingly at risk for suicide. Parents and teachers are in key positions to promote healthy living environments for this age group, recognizing suicidal behaviors and taking them seriously. This is the first step toward intervention.

Adolescent↗

Addictive eating disorders.

Addictive eating disorders have been a part of history and have only recently been recognized as psychiatric disorders. Increased publicity has enabled family and friends of eating disordered individuals to recognize the disease and seek help for them from trained medical professionals. Everyone is "at risk," but certain subpopulations have been "coming out of the closet" in epidemic proportions. An ever-increasing number of high school-aged and college-aged females have developed some form of eating disorder, from fad diets to self-induced vomiting. In these individuals, the obsession with thinness takes priority over family, friends, schoolwork, or career. Strangely enough, the eating disordered person's addiction is not to food but to the feeling of numbness her behavior brings. Over time, the need to control is desperately sought and many patients transfer their obsession to other patterns of self-abuse. Nursing intervention should include setting the appropriate example in terms of the professional's relationship with food, while providing much needed emotional support. An innovative method of intervention available to nursing professionals includes the use of creative, visual imagery to repeatedly diffuse fear and anxiety about food until a level of personal autonomy over the disorder and other emotional concerns is achieved. Therefore, a system of recovery can be designed for the anorectic or bulimic patient and the experience of recovery from the eating disorder can be a lifelong process of personal growth.

Feeding and Eating Disorders↗