-
Current Nutrition Reports Jul 2024Micronutrients are vital dietary components for growth and development. Adequate intake of vitamins and minerals through diet is crucial for proper biomolecular and... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Micronutrients are vital dietary components for growth and development. Adequate intake of vitamins and minerals through diet is crucial for proper biomolecular and cellular functioning. Many developed countries supplement foods and micronutrient deficiencies are less common. However, many disease states impair micronutrient absorption, metabolism, and excretion. Thus, early recognition of the signs and symptoms of micronutrient deficiencies is critical for providers to improve quality of life and prevent complications in high-risk patients. This article reviews the basic function of micronutrients, recognizes the symptoms of each micronutrient deficiency, provides natural sources of intake, and discusses the diagnosis and supplementation of each micronutrient. High risk patients based on disease state for each micronutrient is discussed. In addition, Bariatric patients are a specific group at high risk of micronutrient deficiency and their management and supplementation for treatment is also covered.
RECENT FINDINGS
Micronutrients play a vital role in antioxidant defense, especially in critically ill patients, due to an increase in oxidative stress. Early intervention with high-dose supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc and selenium may have beneficial effects. Micronutrients deficiency remains an issue for patients in the developed world. Providers should recognize patients who are at high risk for micronutrients deficiencies and provide proper screening and prompt supplementation after diagnosis to prevent complications of micronutrient deficiencies.
PubMed: 38955881
DOI: 10.1007/s13668-024-00552-w -
Journal of Occupational and... Jul 2024Estimate in a sample of U.S. fire investigators the: (1) prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risk and...
OBJECTIVE
Estimate in a sample of U.S. fire investigators the: (1) prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risk and mental health services use; and (2) association between organizational stigma and mental health disorders.
METHODS
Cross-sectional study design used to administer between November 2023 and January 2024, a 35-item behavioral/mental health survey.
RESULTS
Approximately 18.0% of fire investigators had GAD, 22.8% depression, and 18.2% PTSD risk. Organizational stigma about mental health disorders was reported by 53.3% of fire investigators. The most frequently used behavioral/mental health services were cognitive behavioral therapy (40.1%) and medication management (36.1%). Organizational stigma around reporting mental health disorders was significantly associated with PTSD risk (aOR = 5.25;[2.41-11.43]).
CONCLUSION
Mental health disorders are present in the fire investigator workforce and organizational stigma is associated with limited report of PTSD risk.
PubMed: 38955804
DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003173 -
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association... Jul 2024Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people experience obstacles that create barriers to accessing health care, including stigmatization and health inequities. Our intention...
BACKGROUND
Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people experience obstacles that create barriers to accessing health care, including stigmatization and health inequities. Our intention was to describe the lived experiences of TNB patients and identify potential gaps in the education of health care professionals.
METHODS
We conducted a qualitative descriptive study influenced by phenomenology by interviewing with TNB adults who underwent surgery in Canada within the previous 5 years. We recruited participants using purposeful and snowball sampling via online social networking sites. Audio recordings were transcribed. Two authors coded the transcripts and derived the themes.
RESULTS
We interviewed 21 participants, with a median interview duration of 49 minutes. Participants described positive and negative health care encounters that led to stress, confusion, and feelings of vulnerability. Major themes included having to justify their need for health care in the face of structural discrimination; fear and previous traumatic experiences; community as a source of support and information; and the impact of interactions with health care professionals.
INTERPRETATION
Participants detailed barriers to accessing care, struggled to participate in shared decision-making, and desired trauma-informed care principles; they described strength in community and positive interactions with health care professionals, although barriers to accessing gender-affirming care often overshadowed other aspects of the perioperative experience. Additional research, increased education for health care professionals, and policy changes are necessary to improve access to competent care for TNB people.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Qualitative Research; Adult; Transgender Persons; Canada; Middle Aged; Health Services Accessibility; Aged; Social Stigma; Young Adult
PubMed: 38955410
DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.240061 -
Food Chemistry Jun 2024Pleurotus eryngii, an edible mushroom recognized for its potent polysaccharides, demonstrates significant regulatory effects on metabolic processes. β-glucan (WPEP)...
Metabolomics study of dietary Pleurotus eryngii β-type glycosidic polysaccharide on colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate in mice - Exploration for the potential metabolic indicators in urine and serum.
Pleurotus eryngii, an edible mushroom recognized for its potent polysaccharides, demonstrates significant regulatory effects on metabolic processes. β-glucan (WPEP) derived from P. eryngii has been noted for its therapeutic potential, exhibiting notable benefits in alleviating colonic inflammation and restructuring gut microbiota in mice treated with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). This study focuses on utilizing DSS-induced colitis mice to explore the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of WPEP in ameliorating colitis, employing a metabolomics approach analyzing urine and serum. The findings reveal that WPEP administration effectively regulates metabolic imbalances in DSS mice, impacting purine metabolism, pentose and glucuronic acid interconversion, amino acid metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis, citric acid cycle, and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, WPEP demonstrates a capacity to modulate colitis by regulating diverse metabolic pathways, consequently influencing intestinal barrier integrity, motility, inflammation, oxidative stress, and immunity. These insights suggest that WPEP is a promising food component for managing inflammatory bowel diseases.
PubMed: 38954951
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.140195 -
Journal of Hazardous Materials Jun 2024Spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have emerged as a major source of waste due to their low recovery rate. The physical disposal of spent LIBs can lead to the leaching...
Ecotoxicological assessment, oxidative response, and enzyme activity disorder of the rotifer Brachionus asplanchnoidis exposed to a toxic cocktail of spent lithium-ion battery leachate.
Spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have emerged as a major source of waste due to their low recovery rate. The physical disposal of spent LIBs can lead to the leaching of their contents into the surrounding environment. While it is widely agreed that hazardous substances such as nickel and cobalt in the leachate can pose a threat to the environment and human health, the overall composition and toxicity of LIB leachate remain unclear. In this study, a chemical analysis of leachate from spent LIBs was conducted to identify its primary constituents. The ecotoxicological parameters of the model organism, rotifer Brachionus asplanchnoidis, were assessed to elucidate the toxicity of the LIB leachate. Subsequent experiments elucidated the impacts of the LIB leachate and its representative components on the malondialdehyde (MDA) level, antioxidant capacity, and enzyme activity of B. asplanchnoidis. The results indicate that both the LIB leachate and its components are harmful to individual rotifers due to the adverse effects of stress-induced disturbances in biochemical indicators, posing a threat to population development. The intensified poisoning phenomenon under combined stress suggests the presence of complex synergistic effects among the components of LIB leachate. Due to the likely environmental and biological hazards, LIBs should be strictly managed after disposal. Additionally, more economical and eco-friendly recycling and treatment technologies need to be developed and commercialized.
PubMed: 38954852
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135050 -
The International Journal of Pharmacy... Jul 2024Previous studies have examined the psychological burden of caregivers of patients with dementia. However, although many caregivers struggle to assist patients with...
OBJECTIVES
Previous studies have examined the psychological burden of caregivers of patients with dementia. However, although many caregivers struggle to assist patients with dementia with medication management, the relationship between assisting such patients with taking their medicines and the caregiver psychological burden is understudied. Therefore, this study identified the association between caregivers' psychological burden and assisting patients with dementia with taking medication.
METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among caregivers of patients with dementia in Japan. The survey questionnaire included questions that assessed the symptoms of patients with dementia, their status of taking medication through medication assistance from caregivers, and caregivers' psychological burden using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and the Japanese version of the Perceived Stress Scale.
KEY FINDINGS
A total of 57 caregivers participated in the study. Higher Kessler Psychological Distress Scale scores were significantly associated with unsuccessful assistance with taking regular medication (β = 0.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.23-12.0, P < .05), depressive symptoms (β = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.10-8.53, P < .05), and irritability (β = 0.38, 95% CI: 2.71-11.5, P < .05). Likewise, higher scores on the Japanese version of the Perceived Stress Scale were significantly associated with irritability (β = 0.37, 95% CI: 1.87-12.5, P < .05) among patients with dementia.
CONCLUSION
The findings suggest that caregiver psychological burden is associated with unsuccessful assistance with taking regular medication for patients with dementia.
PubMed: 38954838
DOI: 10.1093/ijpp/riae029 -
Medical Education Online Dec 2024The importance of culinary and lifestyle medicine education to combat the growing burden of chronic disease is gaining recognition in the United States. However, few...
The importance of culinary and lifestyle medicine education to combat the growing burden of chronic disease is gaining recognition in the United States. However, few medical schools offer in-depth training with a 4-year longitudinal track. The Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine Track (CLMT) is a 4-year curriculum thread created at West Virginia University School of Medicine to address the need for comprehensive culinary and lifestyle medicine education. CLMT teaches concepts of healthy nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and restorative sleep. CLMT students complete approximately 300 h of in-person and virtual culinary and lifestyle medicine education, including hands-on teaching kitchens, distributed over the preclinical and clinical years. Students are selected into the track prior to matriculation after an application and interview process. The students have exceeded expectations for scholarly and community activity. Track graduates have entered into primary care as well as specialty and surgical residencies, demonstrating that lifestyle education plays a role for students interested in a wide range of careers. Exit survey responses from learners reflected tangible and intangible benefits of participation and offered constructive feedback for improvement. Presented here are the components of the curricular design, implementation, and initial outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Education, Medical, Undergraduate; Curriculum; Life Style; Cooking; Students, Medical; West Virginia; Exercise; Longitudinal Studies
PubMed: 38954754
DOI: 10.1080/10872981.2024.2372919 -
The Plant Cell Jul 2024Coenzyme management is important for homeostasis of the pool of active metabolic enzymes. The coenzyme pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) is involved in diverse enzyme...
Coenzyme management is important for homeostasis of the pool of active metabolic enzymes. The coenzyme pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) is involved in diverse enzyme reactions including amino acid and hormone metabolism. Regulatory proteins that contribute to PLP homeostasis remain to be explored in plants. Here we demonstrate the importance of proteins annotated as PLP HOMEOSTASIS PROTEINs (PLPHPs) for controlling PLP in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). A systematic analysis indicates that while most organisms across kingdoms have a single PLPHP homolog, Angiosperms have two. PLPHPs from Arabidopsis bind PLP and exist as monomers, in contrast to reported PLP-dependent enzymes, which exist as multimers. Disrupting the function of both PLPHP homologs perturbs vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) content, inducing a PLP deficit accompanied by light hypersensitive root growth, unlike PLP biosynthesis mutants. Micrografting studies show that the PLP deficit can be relieved distally between shoots and roots. Chemical treatments probing PLP-dependent reactions, notably those for auxin and ethylene, provide evidence that PLPHPs function in the dynamic management of PLP. Assays in vitro show that Arabidopsis PLPHP can coordinate PLP transfer and withdrawal from other enzymes. This study thus expands our knowledge of vitamin B6 biology and highlights the importance of PLP coenzyme homeostasis in plants.
PubMed: 38954500
DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae176 -
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Jul 2024In the intricate landscape of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), the management of TBI remains a challenging task due to the extremely complex pathophysiological conditions...
Logic "AND Gate Circuit" Based Mussel Inspired Polydopamine Nanocomposite as Bioactive Antioxidant for Management of Oxidative Stress and Neurogenesis in Traumatic Brain Injury.
In the intricate landscape of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), the management of TBI remains a challenging task due to the extremely complex pathophysiological conditions and excessive release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the injury site and the limited regenerative capacities of the central nervous system (CNS). Existing pharmaceutical interventions are limited in their ability to efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and expeditiously target areas of brain inflammation. In response to these challenges herein, we designed novel mussel inspired polydopamine (PDA)-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (PDA-AMSNs) with excellent antioxidative ability to deliver a new potential therapeutic GSK-3β inhibitor lead small molecule abbreviated as Neuro Chemical Modulator (NCM) at the TBI site using a neuroprotective peptide hydrogel (PANAP). PDA-AMSNs loaded with NCM (i.e., PDA-AMSN-D) into the matrix of PANAP were injected into the damaged area in an cryogenic brain injury model (CBI). This approach is specifically built while keeping the logic AND gate circuit as the primary focus. Where NCM and PDA-AMSNs act as two input signals and neurological functional recovery as a single output. Therapeutically, PDA-AMSN-D significantly decreased infarct volume, enhanced neurogenesis, rejuvenated BBB senescence, and accelerated neurological function recovery in a CBI.
PubMed: 38954488
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c07694 -
Journal of Autism and Developmental... Jul 2024Puberty a period of transition from childhood to adulthood, poses problems that are difficult to manage for typically developing adolescents, but even more difficult for...
PURPOSE
Puberty a period of transition from childhood to adulthood, poses problems that are difficult to manage for typically developing adolescents, but even more difficult for adolescents with autism. It is vital that girls with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), like their typically developing peers, are able to manage these physiological processes in a healthy way and learn self-care and hygiene behaviours without being dependent on others. Given the contribution of mothers to the menstrual hygiene and self-care skills of adolescent girls, this study aims to explore the views of mothers.
METHODS
The study is a case study designed in the qualitative research model. The research was carried out with the participation of 10 mothers met the necessary criteria and agreed to take part in the study voluntarily. The data obtained were subjected to descriptive and thematic analysis. Codes, sub-themes and main themes were created.
RESULTS
The research identifies the themes of self-care and menstrual hygiene, preparations made during menstruation, behavioral problems in adolescents, the person who carries out hygiene and self-care, and situations that tire/strain mothers during menstruation.
CONCLUSION
At the end of the research, it was concluded that the adolescent girls with ASD are mostly unable to perform their self-care and hygiene adequately, and that the mothers do nothing to prepare their daughters for adolescence. It was also concluded that the most stressful situation for mothers during adolescence is usually the difficulty their daughters have in using sanitary pads, cleaning armpits and genital hair, and bathing.
PubMed: 38954362
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06446-8