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At least 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

A frequency survey of sugary foods and drinks consumption in school children and adolescents in a West Indian island--Antigua.

In 1991, the pattern of sugar consumption in samples of 172 12-year-old children and 231 15-19-year-old adolescents was studied. Twenty-four hour dietary records of five consecutive days were obtained from each subject. The frequency of total sugary food and drink episodes for children was 3.16 and 3.71 for adolescents. This was mainly accounted for by the consumption of sugary items at meals for both age groups. Students mostly consumed sweetened drinks at meals, especially at breakfast and ate sugary foods between meal times, particularly between lunch and dinner. Sweetened tea and juice were the most popular drinks and confectionery was the most popular snack food.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Rheumatology telephone helplines: patient and health professionals' requirements.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to ascertain patients' and health professionals' requirements from a rheumatology helpline and how such a service should be delivered. METHODS: Self-completed questionnaires were administered to both users of rheumatology helplines, patients and health professionals (HPs), and providers of rheumatology services at five UK NHS trusts. Additional data were sought from experts in the field. Information was elicited on access to the service, preferred waiting time for response to a call, acceptability of an answerphone and choice of HP responding. Quantitative data were analysed using percentages and Chi-squared tests. Open questions were analysed as free text responses, and organized into clusters of themes. RESULTS: A total of 607 questionnaires were returned, 523 from users (411 patients, 112 health professionals) and 84 from providers. There were no significant differences across the five Trusts. The top six reasons for patients contacting the helpline were: advice on changes in condition, drug information, understanding symptoms, blood results, information on diagnosis, and appointment queries. All groups recommended a return call on the same day and were happy to leave an answerphone message. HP users requested additional access via e-mail and fax. Rheumatology practitioners were deemed the most appropriate personnel to staff a helpline. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study have contributed a valuable insight into the essential components of a rheumatology helpline service from a user and provider perspective. These data will add to existing recommendations for the management of a rheumatology helpline service and ultimately contribute to a proposal for national guidelines.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

The impact of group education on participants' management of their disease in lupus and scleroderma.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the pilot education programmes, entitled 'Focus on Lupus' and 'Focus on Scleroderma', upon participants' management of their disease. METHODS: Five people with lupus and five with scleroderma were invited to take part in individual semi-structured interviews. Qualitative analysis of transcripts was performed using a framework approach. Views relating to changes in knowledge and behaviour, increased empowerment, meeting others and the format and delivery of the programmes were explored. RESULTS: Analysis of the interviews revealed overall satisfaction with both programmes, however people with lupus had more positive feelings about their attendance. Both disease groups considered it valuable to meet others with the same disease and welcomed the involvement of a patient educator within the programme planning team. The main difference between the two groups concerned behaviour change. The lupus group revealed more definite life changes. Participants unanimously regarded the format of the programme highly and most were satisfied with the content.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Congenital myasthenia: end-plate acetylcholine receptors and electrophysiology in five cases.

The nature of the defect in congenital myasthenia was investigated in biopsy specimens of intercostal muscle from 5 male patients whose symptoms presented between birth and 2 years of age. Miniature end-plate potentials were reduced in amplitude in all 5 patients. The number of acetylcholine receptors as determined by alpha-bungarotoxin binding was normal in case 1 and reduced in cases, 2, 4, and 5. The shape of the end-plates as shown by autoradiography and cholinesterase staining was normal in case 1 and elongated in cases 2, 4, and 5. In cases 3, alpha-bungarotoxin binding was slowly reversible, and there were some muscle fibers with multiple end-plate regions. The acetylcholine content of the muscle was normal in all 5 cases. None of the patients had serum antibody to human acetylcholine receptor as measured by immunoprecipitation or inhibition of alpha-bungarotoxin binding. We conclude that congenital myasthenia is a heterogeneous condition of nonimmune etiology in which both presynaptic and postsynaptic defects can be found.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1993

Psychosocial predictors of consumption of sweets following smoking cessation.

The use of a theoretical model to predict consumption of sweet-tasting high-calorie foods following smoking cessation was investigated. The model included eight predictors: habit, intention, attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, perceived barriers, social support, and smoking cessation. One hundred and fourteen individuals completed pre- and post-questionnaires and made pre- and post-snack choices at smoking cessation programs. Pretest consumption of sweets (habit), pretest intention to avoid eating sweets, and posttest smoking status explained 42% of posttest consumption of sweets. Ex-smokers reported eating more sweets and chose more sweet snacks than did subjects who continued to smoke.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Determination of free fatty acids in chocolate by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

This paper describes a rapid extraction method, based on a matrix solid-phase dispersion technique using diatomaceous earth as solid support and 50:50 (v/v) chloroform/methanol as extracting solvent, that can determine 11 free fatty acids in chocolate. The extraction procedure is followed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) using a normal-bore (4.6 mm i.d.) C-18 column and an electrospray interface operating in the negative ion mode. The tandem mass spectra of selected compounds show that charge-remote fragmentation (CRF) mechanisms are occurring; the intensities of the CRF reactions increase with the carbon number and degree of unsaturation of the fatty acids. Average recoveries, evaluated by the standard addition method, vary between 79-103%, and the estimated quantification limits are less than 153 ng/g. The proposed method has been used to analyse nine chocolate samples from various price ranges, bought from supermarkets.

Cacao↗
PubMed2003

Transvaginal ultrasound in pregnancy: its acceptability to women and maternal psychological morbidity.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the acceptability to women of antenatal transvaginal ultrasound scans; to compare the characteristics of women who accept the offer of a transvaginal scan with those who decline; to establish the prevalence of any psychological morbidity associated with the scan. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Women were recruited from two hospitals in South London. The sample consisted of 755 pregnant women who had a transvaginal scan at 23 weeks' gestation to assess the risk of preterm delivery and 167 women who were offered the transvaginal scan but declined. Women completed a questionnaire at home. Those who reported finding the scan a difficult experience were sent a questionnaire 4 weeks post-scan to assess its longer term impact. The main outcomes were acceptability (assessed by individual questionnaire items); anxiety before and during the scan (Spielberger State-trait Anxiety Inventory); pain during the scan (Present Pain Intensity Scale of the McGill Pain Questionnaire); psychological trauma (Impact of Event Scale). RESULTS: Over half (55.2%) of women accepted the offer of a transvaginal scan, according to hospital records. The majority of study participants who had transvaginal ultrasound reported finding the experience acceptable. Women experienced some anxiety before and during the scan and over a third experienced some (usually mild) pain during the procedure. Twelve women (1.6%) reported clinically significant levels of psychological trauma in relation to the scan. CONCLUSIONS: Antenatal transvaginal ultrasound for assessing the risk of preterm delivery is an acceptable procedure for the majority of women. A significant minority decline the scan. The procedure has some psychological sequelae for some women.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Chocolate eating in healthy men during experimentally induced sadness and joy.

The study compared influences of qualitatively different emotions on eating. Motivation to eat, affective responses to chocolate and chewing of chocolate were investigated in healthy normal weight males during experimentally induced emotions. Subjects abstained from eating 2 h (n = 24) or 8 h (n = 24) before testing. They received pieces of chocolate after viewing film clips presented to induce anger, fear, sadness and joy. Motivation to eat and most affective responses to eating chocolate were higher after 8 h than after 2 h of deprivation. Sadness and joy affected motivation to eat in opposite directions: joy increased and sadness decreased appetite (p < 0.001). In joy, a higher tendency to eat more chocolate was reported (p < 0.001), and chocolate tasted more pleasant (p < 0.001) and was experienced as more "stimulating" than in sadness (p < 0.01). No effects of deprivation could be found for chewing time and number of chews. Results indicate that the quality of emotions can affect motivation to eat and affective responses to eating chocolate. Our findings on decreased eating responses to sadness in healthy males and the contradictory increased eating responses to sadness reported by others supports two types of emotion-induced changes of eating: emotion-congruent modulation of eating and eating to regulate emotions.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Copper binding to the N-terminal tandem repeat regions of mammalian and avian prion protein.

Mammalian prion protein (PrP) is a normal cellular protein (PrPc) which through post-translational modification produces the infectious prion protein (PrPsc). We have shown, using mass spectrometry, that synthetic peptides containing three or four copies of an octapeptide repeat sequence (PHGGGWGQ), found in a highly conserved N-terminal domain of PrP, preferentially bind copper over other metals. Peptides from the analogous region of chicken PrP, which contains an N-terminal repeat domain of the hexapeptide (NPGYPH), showed similar specificity for copper binding. In addition, gel filtration chromatography demonstrated concentration dependent binding of copper to the mammalian tetra repeat PrP peptide. These results suggest that PrP may be a copper binding protein in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Copper binding to the N-terminal tandem repeat region of mammalian and avian prion protein: structural studies using synthetic peptides.

Using CD spectroscopy we have investigated the effect of Cu2+ on the secondary structure of synthetic peptides Octa4 and Hexa4 corresponding to tetra-repeats of the octapeptide of mammalian PrP and the hexapeptide of chicken PrP. In addition, fluorescence spectroscopy was used to estimate the dissociation constants (Kd), of Cu2+ binding by both peptides. Both peptides exhibited unusual CD spectra, complicated by the high proportion of aromatic residues, revealing little secondary structure in aqueous solution. Addition of Cu2+ to Hexa4 induced an increase in random coil to resemble Octa4. The fluorescence of both peptides was quenched by Cu2+ and this was used to calculate Kd's of 6.7 microM for Octa4 and 4.5 microM for Hexa4. Other divalent cations showed lesser effects on the fluorescence of the peptides.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Acquisition of ordered conformation by the N-terminal domain of the human small proline rich 2 protein.

The cornified cell envelope (CE) is a crucial structure for barrier function in terminally differentiated dead stratified squamous epithelia. It is assembled by transglutaminase enzymes (TGases) that cross-link several proteins such as loricrin and the small proline rich (SPR) proteins. Human SPR2 protein is cross-linked with widely differing efficiencies by TGases 1, 2, and 3 using exclusively residues in the N- and C-terminal domains. In order to understand if the absence of the cross-linking catalyzed by TGases in the central domain is due to the conformation adopted, we have investigated the structural properties in solution of three peptides that correspond to the N-terminal domain, to three repeats of the central domain, and to the C-terminal domain. Together, the NMR and CD data strongly indicate the presence of a highly flexible non alpha-helix, non beta-sheet structure in SPR2. Thus, SPR2 appears to function as a flexible cross-bridging protein to provide tensile strength or rigidity to the CE of the stratified squamous epithelia in which it is expressed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

The Gal/GalNAc-specific lectin from the plant pathogenic basidiomycete Rhizoctonia solani is a member of the ricin-B family.

The lectin isolated from the phytopathogenic basidiomycete Rhizoctonia solani (RSA) is a homodimer of two noncovalently associated monomers of 15.5 kDa. RSA is a basic protein (pI > 9) which consists mainly of beta-sheets. A presumed relationship with ricin-B is supported by the sequence similarity between the N-terminus of RSA and the N-terminal subdomain of ricin-B. Hydrophobic cluster analysis confirms that the N-terminus of both proteins has a comparable folding. RSA exhibits specificity towards Gal/GalNAc whereby the hydroxyls at the C3', C4', and C6' positions of the pyranose ring play a key role in the interaction with simple sugars. The carbohydrate-binding site of RSA apparently accommodates only a single sugar unit. Our results demonstrate an obvious evolutionary relationship between some fungal and plant lectins, but also provide evidence for the occurrence of a lectin consisting of subunits corresponding to a single subdomain of ricin-B.

Acetylgalactosamine↗
PubMed1993

Immunotoxic effects of the color additive caramel color III: immune function studies in rats.

Administration of the color additive caramel color III (AC) may cause a reduction in total white blood cell counts in rats due to reduced lymphocyte counts. Beside lymphopenia, several other effects in rat have been described. The effects are caused by the imidazole derivative 2-acetyl-4(5)-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl)imidazole (THI) and occur in rats fed a diet low in vitamin B6. In the present paper, immune function studies on AC and THI with rats fed a diet low, but not deficient in vitamin B6 are presented and discussed. Rats were exposed to 0.4 or 4% AC or to 5.72 ppm THI in drinking water during and for 28 days prior to the start of immune function assays. Resistance to Trichinella spiralis was examined in an oral infection model and clearance of Listeria monocytogenes upon an intravenous infection was studied. In addition, natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity of splenic and nonadherent peritoneal cells and the antibody response to sheep red blood cells were studied. From the results it is concluded that exposure of rats to AC or THI influenced various immune function parameters. Thymus-dependent immunity was suppressed, while parameters of the nonspecific resistance were also affected, as shown by a decreased natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity in the spleen and an enhanced clearance of L. monocytogenes.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Small proline-rich proteins are cross-bridging proteins in the cornified cell envelopes of stratified squamous epithelia.

The cornified cell envelope (CE) is a specialized structure which contributes barrier function to stratified squamous epithelial cells. It is composed of an amalgam of several structural proteins that are rendered insoluble by isopeptide bond crosslinking by transglutaminases. One set of the structural proteins present in CEs of most such epithelia are the small proline rich (SPR) proteins, which are a family of about 12 related structural proteins. We have recovered a large number of peptides containing isopeptide crosslinks, including 236 involving SPR proteins, following proteolysis of CEs isolated from foreskin epidermal tissue and cultured epidermal keratinocytes. Analysis of this database has provided novel information on their function. First, we found that SPRs became crosslinked to many other structural proteins within the CE. Second, multiple glutamine and lysine residues located only on the amino- and carboxy-termini of the SPR proteins were involved in crosslinking, so that the two ends are functionally equivalent. Third, the SPRs functioned as cross-bridging proteins, by directly adjoining other CE structural proteins. In the specialized case of the epidermal CE, the SPRs cross-bridged between loricrin. In cultured keratinocytes which make little loricrin and serve as a model for internal stratified squamous epithelia, the SPRs formed extensive cross-bridges among themselves. Thus SPRs are ubiquitous cross-bridging proteins whose differential expression patterns apparently reflect specific barrier requirements of different epithelia.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Neutron activation analysis of trace elements in motor neuron disease spinal cord.

Levels of 10 trace elements were analysed in autopsied lumbar spinal cords of 38 motor neuron disease patients and 22 control subjects using instrumental neutron activation analysis. Statistically significant elevations of iron, selenium and zinc, and depletions of mercury and cesium were found in the spinal cords of motor neuron disease patients compared with control subjects. No significant correlations were found between disease duration, clinical severity or lumbar motor neuron counts and iron and selenium levels, suggesting that accumulation of these elements occur early as well as late in the disease process and therefore are not a consequence of end stage pathology. Increased iron in motor neuron disease spinal cord could act to enhance formation of reactive oxygen species. Our study supports the free radical hypothesis of neuron degeneration in motor neuron disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Apolipoprotein E genotype and Alzheimer's disease in an elderly Norwegian cohort.

Apolipoprotein E (Apo E) genotyping was performed on an autopsy cohort of neuropathologically verified non-demented controls and subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) resident in nursing homes in the Oslo area. AD was associated with a significantly increased frequency of the Apo E epsilon 4 allele; the frequency of the epsilon 2 and epsilon 3 alleles was lower in AD but not significantly so. Age at death in the control group and the AD group did not differ significantly; neither did age at death nor age at onset of dementia in AD vary according to Apo E genotype, though tendencies towards an earlier age at death was seen in individuals with epsilon 4/4 and earlier age at onset dementia in the presence of an epsilon 4 allele and a later age of onset the presence of an epsilon 3 allele were seen. Possession of an epsilon 2 allele had no effect on age at onset of dementia or age at death. Among the possible genotypes there was a trend towards a progression of earliest onset epsilon 4/4, epsilon 2/4, epsilon 3/4, epsilon 3/3, epsilon 2/3 latest onset of dementia and longest duration epsilon 2/4, epsilon 4/4, epsilon 3/4, epsilon 3/3, epsilon 2/3 to shortest duration of dementia.

Age of Onset↗