Sulfide Mining and Human Health in Minnesota.

Sulfide mining (specifically copper-nickel sulfide mining) represents a significant departure from Minnesota's iron mining tradition. Sulfide mining can produce acid waste and sulfates that mobilize the release of heavy metals into the environment. These metals include known neurotoxins such as lead and mercury. Mining activities also create airborne fibers and pollutants that can contribute to increased morbidity. The short- and long-term effects of exposure to these substances on human health should be considered in present and future sulfide mining proposals. In addition, Minnesota physicians need to understand the potential adverse mental and physical health effects of sulfide mining on mine workers and residents of communities near mining operations.

Modified UCN2 Peptide Acts as an Insulin Sensitizer in Skeletal Muscle of Obese Mice.

The neuropeptide urocortin 2 (UCN2) and its receptor corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 2 (CRHR2) are highly expressed in skeletal muscle and play a role in regulating energy balance and glucose metabolism. We investigated a modified UCN2 peptide as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity and insulin resistance, with a specific focus on skeletal muscle. High-fat-fed mice (C57BL/6J) were injected daily with a PEGylated UCN2 peptide (compound A) at 0.3 mg/kg subcutaneously for 14 days. Compound A reduced body weight, food intake, whole-body fat mass, and intramuscular triglycerides compared with vehicle-treated controls. Furthermore, whole-body glucose tolerance was improved by compound A treatment, with increased insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation at Ser473 and Thr308 in skeletal muscle, concomitant with increased glucose transport into extensor digitorum longus and gastrocnemius muscle. Mechanistically, this is linked to a direct effect on skeletal muscle because ex vivo exposure of soleus muscle from chow-fed lean mice to compound A increased glucose transport and insulin signaling. Moreover, exposure of GLUT4-Myc-labeled L6 myoblasts to compound A increased GLUT4 trafficking. Our results demonstrate that modified UCN2 peptides may be efficacious in the treatment of type 2 diabetes by acting as an insulin sensitizer in skeletal muscle.

Comparison of three strategies for preventing hypothermia in critically injured casualties during aeromedical evacuation.

Critically injured patients are at risk for hypothermia. This study determined the efficacy of three hypothermia prevention strategies: the ChillBuster warming blanket, ChillBuster with a reflective blanket, and two wool blankets. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare changes in core temperature. Following resuscitation from hypovolemic shock, 20 swine were assigned to one of the three interventions, placed in an environmental chamber set to reproduce in-flight conditions onboard a military cargo aircraft (50 degrees F/airspeed 0.2 m/s), and monitored for 6 hours. A repeated measures analysis of variance and least-squared difference post hoc were performed. The ChillBuster/reflective blanket group was significantly warmer than the ChillBuster only group and the wool blanket group (p < 0.01). After 6 hours of cold exposure, the ChillBuster/reflective blanket group remained warm while the ChillBuster only and wool blanket groups developed mild hypothermia. Combined use of a warming blanket and reflective blanket was effective in preventing hypothermia over 6 hours and is feasible in a deployed military environment.