Diet modifies the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), and inconclusive evidence suggests that yogurt may protect against CRC. We analysed the data collected from two separate colonoscopy-based case–control studies. The Tennessee Colorectal Polyp Study (TCPS) and Johns Hopkins Biofilm Study included 5446 and 1061 participants, respectively, diagnosed with hyperplastic polyp (HP), sessile serrated polyp, adenomatous polyp (AP) or without any polyps. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to derive OR and 95 % CI to evaluate comparisons between cases and polyp-free controls and case–case comparisons between different polyp types. We evaluated the association between frequency of yogurt intake and probiotic use with the diagnosis of colorectal polyps. In the TCPS, daily yogurt intake v. no/rare intake was associated with decreased odds of HP (OR 0·54; 95 % CI 0·31, 0·95) and weekly yogurt intake was associated with decreased odds of AP among women (OR 0·73; 95 % CI 0·55, 0·98). In the Biofilm Study, both weekly yogurt intake and probiotic use were associated with a non-significant reduction in odds of overall AP (OR 0·75; 95 % CI 0·54, 1·04) and (OR 0·72; 95 % CI 0·49, 1·06) in comparison with no use, respectively. In summary, yogurt intake may be associated with decreased odds of HP and AP and probiotic use may be associated with decreased odds of AP. Further prospective studies are needed to verify these associations.

The treatment of high blood pressure prevents death from congestive heart failure, hypertensive nephropathy, and encephalopathy, and strokes from cerebral arteriolar disease (lacunes, hemorrhage from micro-aneurysms). However, atherosclerosis, manifested as coronary artery disease, is just as frequent a cause of death in well-controlled hypertensives as in poorly-controlled patients. Increasing evidence suggests that increased blood velocity, by causing turbulence and high shear rates at the endothelial surface of arteries, may be important in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Turbulence has been observed in cerebral berry aneurysms. In order to measure the effects of antihypertensive agents on blood velocity, a new method of analysing Doppler ultrasound velocity recordings has been developed. Studies in Rhesus monkeys show the following: In doses which reduce diastolic pressure by 13-28%, propranolol decreased mean blood velocity (MV) by 17%, clonidine decreased MV by 14%, while methyldopa increased MV 12%, and hydralazine increased MV by 52%. (p < .00001). It is hypothesized that enlargement of berry aneurysms, the progression of cerebral atherosclerosis, and embolism from carotid lesions might all be decreased by the selection of antihypertensive agents which decrease blood velocity.

We demonstrate that the second-Stokes output from a diamond Raman laser, pumped by a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser, can be used to efficiently excite red-emitting dyes by two-photon excitation at 1,080 nm and beyond. We image HeLa cells expressing red fluorescent protein, as well as dyes such as Texas Red and Mitotracker Red. We demonstrate the potential for simultaneous two-color, two-photon imaging with this laser by using the residual pump beam for excitation of a green-emitting dye. We demonstrate this for the combination of Alexa Fluor 488 and Alexa Fluor 568. Because the Raman laser extends the wavelength range of the Ti:Sapphire laser, resulting in a laser system tunable to 680–1,200 nm, it can be used for two-photon excitation of a large variety and combination of dyes.

Stroke prevention is extremely cost-effective. The Ontario Task Force for the Coordinated Stroke Strategy for Ontario received from Dr. Muhammad Mamdani of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences the estimate that stroke prevention is approximately ten times more cost-effective than treating acute stroke with tPA.1 Hackam and Spence2 have calculated that in the highest-risk patients it would be possible to reduce the risk of stroke by more than 90% by a combination of interventions (including blood pressure control, smoking cessation, diet, treatment of diabetes, lipid-lowering therapy, and for patients in whom it is indicated, anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation or carotid endarterectomy). Dr Mukul Sharma (personal communication) has shown that stroke prevention is a dominant strategy in health economic terms; i.e. that it improves outcomes while reducing net costs. Effective control of hypertension has the potential to reduce stroke by half.3,4 Because hypertension is so prevalent, it accounts for the greatest population attributable risk for stroke, and thus represents the greatest opportunity to reduce stroke.

The objectives of the present study were to identify dietary patterns independently in first-time mothers and fathers, and to examine whether these patterns were correlated within families. Dietary intakes were collected at baseline in the Melbourne Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial Program using a validated FFQ in 454 pairs of first-time mothers and fathers. Education level was reported in associated questionnaires. Principal components analyses included frequencies of fifty-five food groups and were performed independently in mothers and fathers. Spearman's correlation coefficients were used to assess associations between dietary pattern scores. A total of four dietary patterns were identified in mothers and fathers. Of these, three dietary patterns had similar characteristics between these two populations, namely ‘Fruits and vegetables’, ‘High-energy snack and processed foods’, ‘High-fat foods’ in mothers; and ‘Fruits’, ‘High-energy snack and processed foods’, ‘High-fat foods’ in fathers. The following two additional patterns were identified: ‘Cereals and sweet foods’ in mothers and ‘Potatoes and vegetables’ in fathers. Patterns incorporating healthier food items were found to be positively associated with parent education. An inverse association with education was found for the ‘High-fat foods’ and ‘High-energy snack and processed foods’ dietary patterns. Qualitatively similar patterns between corresponding mothers and fathers were the most strongly correlated (ρ = 0·34–0·45, P < 0·001). There were some differences in dietary patterns between mothers and fathers, suggesting that it is worth deriving patterns separately when considering couples, and more generally between men and women. Exploring how these various patterns correlate within households provides important insights to guide the development and implementation of family-based interventions.

A transmission electron microscope (TEM) is much more than just a tool for imaging the static state of materials. To demonstrate this, we present work on studying the mechanical and electrical properties of carbon nanotube devices. Multiwall carbon nanotubes are concentrically stacked tubular sheets of graphite, where the spacing between each cylinder is simply the natural spacing of graphite. Using a custom-built in-situ nanomanipulation probe, we have shown that it is possible to slide the nanotube layers in a telescopic extension mode that exhibits low friction, demonstrating the potential of nanotubes as the ultimate synthetic nanobearing. During this telescopic extension, the electrical resistance of the nanotube devices increases, opening the possibility that these devices can also be used as nanoscale rheostats. We also briefly describe work on using electron holography inside a TEM to study the electric field distribution in nanotube field-emission devices and on using a nanotube itself as a biprism for electron holography. These measurements together demonstrate the wealth of information that can be obtained and frontiers that can be opened by putting operational nanodevices inside an electron microscope.