TL;DR: In patients with acute lung injury, a strategy of initial trophic enteral feeding for up to 6 days did not improve ventilator-free days, 60-day mortality, or infectious complications but was associated with less gastrointestinal intolerance.
Abstract: Context The amount of enteral nutrition patients with acute lung injury need is unknown. Objective To determine if initial lower-volume trophic enteral feeding would increase ventilator-free days and decrease gastrointestinal intolerances compared with initial full enteral feeding. Design, Setting, and Participants The EDEN study, a randomized, open-label, multicenter trial conducted from January 2, 2008, through April 12, 2011. Participants were 1000 adults within 48 hours of developing acute lung injury requiring mechanical ventilation whose physicians intended to start enteral nutrition at 44 hospitals in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute ARDS Clinical Trials Network. Interventions Participants were randomized to receive either trophic or full enteral feeding for the first 6 days. After day 6, the care of all patients who were still receiving mechanical ventilation was managed according to the full feeding protocol. Main Outcome Measures Ventilator-free days to study day 28. Results
Baseline characteristics were similar between the trophic-feeding (n = 508) and full-feeding (n = 492) groups. The full-feeding group received more enteral calories for the first 6 days, about 1300 kcal/d compared with 400 kcal/d (P < .001). Initial trophic feeding did not increase the number of ventilator-free days (14.9 [95% CI, 13.9 to 15.8] vs 15.0 [95% CI, 14.1 to 15.9]; difference, −0.1 [95% CI, −1.4 to 1.2]; P = .89) or reduce 60-day mortality (23.2% [95% CI, 19.6% to 26.9%] vs 22.2% [95% CI, 18.5% to 25.8%]; difference, 1.0% [95% CI, −4.1% to 6.3%]; P = .77) compared with full feeding. There were no differences in infectious complications between the groups. Despite receiving more prokinetic agents, the full-feeding group experienced more vomiting (2.2% vs 1.7% of patient feeding days; P = .05), elevated gastric residual volumes (4.9% vs 2.2% of feeding days; P < .001), and constipation (3.1% vs 2.1% of feeding days; P = .003). Mean plasma glucose values and average hourly insulin administration were both higher in the full-feeding group over the first 6 days.
Conclusion In patients with acute lung injury, compared with full enteral feeding, a strategy of initial trophic enteral feeding for up to 6 days did not improve ventilator-free days, 60-day mortality, or infectious complications but was associated with less gastrointestinal intolerance. Trial Registration
clinicaltrials.gov Identifiers: NCT00609180 and NCT00883948
TL;DR: If formulated into palatable and nutritionally adequate products, plant-based substitutes can offer a sustainable alternative to dairy products.
Abstract: A growing number of consumers opt for plant-based milk substitutes for medical reasons or as a lifestyle choice. Medical reasons include lactose intolerance, with a worldwide prevalence of 75%, and cow's milk allergy. Also, in countries where mammal milk is scarce and expensive, plant milk substitutes serve as a more affordable option. However, many of these products have sensory characteristics objectionable to the mainstream western palate. Technologically, plant milk substitutes are suspensions of dissolved and disintegrated plant material in water, resembling cow's milk in appearance. They are manufactured by extracting the plant material in water, separating the liquid, and formulating the final product. Homogenization and thermal treatments are necessary to improve the suspension and microbial stabilities of commercial products that can be consumed as such or be further processed into fermented dairy-type products. The nutritional properties depend on the plant source, processing, and fortification. As some products have extremely low protein and calcium contents, consumer awareness is important when plant milk substitutes are used to replace cow's milk in the diet, e.g. in the case of dairy intolerances. If formulated into palatable and nutritionally adequate products, plant-based substitutes can offer a sustainable alternative to dairy products.
TL;DR: A magnetic fluid to which drugs, cytokines, and other molecules can be chemically bound to enable those agents to be directed within an organism by high-energy magnetic fields is developed.
Abstract: Although site-specific direction of drugs within an organism would benefit patients with many diseases, active drug targeting is clinically not yet possible. To overcome some of the problems associated with active drug targeting, we have developed a magnetic fluid to which drugs, cytokines, and other molecules can be chemically bound to enable those agents to be directed within an organism by high-energy magnetic fields. In the first part of this study, various concentrations of the magnetic fluid were tested in rats and immunosuppressed nude mice with regard to subjective and objective tolerance. In the second part, the same parameters were evaluated after administration of the ferrofluid to which epirubicin (4'-epidoxorubicin) was chemically bound. Finally, two forms of therapy with the magnetic fluid were tested: tumor treatment by mechanical occlusion with the ferrofluid in high concentrations; and magnetic drug targeting, using small amounts of the ferrofluid as a vehicle to concentrate epirubicin locally in tumors. As a result, the ferrofluid did not cause major laboratory abnormalities; there was no LD50. With very high concentrations of the ferrofluid, animals showed lethargy for 1-2 days. There were no intolerances with the epirubicin-bound ferrofluid as well. Both forms of treatment led to complete tumor responses in an experimental human kidney as well as in a xenotransplanted colon carcinoma model. Thus, the magnetic fluid is a safe agent, which can be used in different ways for local forms of cancer treatment in conjunction with high-energy magnetic fields.
TL;DR: Wheat is one of the major crops grown, processed and consumed by humankind and is associated with both intolerances (notably coeliac disease) and allergies.
Abstract: Wheat is one of the major crops grown, processed and consumed by humankind and is associated with both intolerances (notably coeliac disease) and allergies. Two types of allergy are particularly well characterized. The first is bakers' asthma, which results from the inhalation of flour and dust during grain processing. Although a number of wheat proteins have been shown to bind IgE from patients with bakers' asthma, there is no doubt a well-characterized group of inhibitors of alpha-amylase (also called chloroform methanol soluble, or CM, proteins) are the major components responsible for this syndrome. The second well-characterized form of allergy to wheat proteins is wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA), with the omega(5)-gliadins (part of the gluten protein fraction) being the major group of proteins which are responsible. Other forms of food allergy have also been reported, with the proteins responsible including gluten proteins, CM proteins and non-specific lipid transfer proteins. Processing of wheat and of related cereals (barley and rye, which may contain related allergens) may lead to decreased allergenicity while genetic engineering technology offers opportunities to eliminate allergens by suppressing gene expression.
TL;DR: It is concluded that there is a gap between self-reported FA/FI andFA/FI that can be objectively confirmed by double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge.
Abstract: The prevalence of food allergy and intolerance (FA/FI) was studied in a random sample (n = 1483) of the Dutch adult population. First, the self-reported FA/FI reactions were investigated by questionnaire. Subsequently, in a clinical follow-up study, it was determined in how many cases this self-reported FA/FI could be objectively confirmed by double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge. More than 10% of the population (12.4%) reported FA/FI to specific food(s). Of the 144 subjects potentially available for the clinical follow-up study, 73 completed the whole protocol. In 12 subjects FA/FI could be confirmed by double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge. This indicates a minimum prevalence of FA/FI in the population of 0.8% (12 of 1483). Assuming that FA/FI is equal among participants, nonparticipants, and dropouts, the prevalence of FA/FI in the Dutch adult population is estimated to be 2.4%. The food (ingredients) involved included pork, white wine, and menthol. Two persons reacted to additives. In three persons glucose intolerance was observed. However, these specific intolerances probably do not reflect the distribution in the general population because the study population formed an extremely heterogeneous group, both with regard to the offending foods and the symptoms. The majority of the subjects had no serious complaints that required medical advice. We conclude that there is a gap between self-reported FA/FI and FA/FI that can be objectively confirmed by double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge.