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OUR GREAT LOSS:
Raul A. Wapnir, Ph.D., M.P.H, MACN, CNS
The community of the American College of Nutrition mourns the passing of our friend and colleague, Dr. Raul Alberto Wapnir who passed away on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at Stanford Medical Center from complications due to heart failure. He was surrounded by his family, his wife Elsa, children Irene and Ariel, along with his son-in-law Ralph Greco. Those who knew him want to express our deep respect and grateful admiration for an exceptional scientist and true visionary in the field of nutrition and biochemistry.
Raul was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on January 6, 1930, the son of Salomon Wapnir and Rebecca Kusnir. He graduated from the prestigious University of Buenos Aires High School and then received his Ph.D. in Chemistry there as well. In 1952, he married Elsa Michalewicz, followed by the birth of Irene and then Ariel in Buenos Aires. One of his most precious memories as a 7 year old boy was the gift of a microscope with a practice slide of an intestine. He wrote about this experience in a brief memoir that he shared with a few friends and colleagues.
In 1963, the family emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Baltimore where he began a life-long career in research at the University of Maryland. While maintaining a faculty position, he pursued and received a Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in 1970. From 1963 through 1973 he was an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Research, Univ. of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. In 1973, he followed his good friend and mentor, Dr. Fima Lifshitz, to North Shore University Hospital, Long Island, New York, where he ultimately became tenured Professor of Biochemistry at New York University.
He was a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition since 1983 and a Certified Nutrition Specialist since 1994. He encouraged other young clinical nutrition scientists to join the organization and served on the editorial board of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (JACN) as well as the Board of Directors. At the time of his retirement, he was Professor of Biochemistry and Pediatrics of New York University School of Medicine and Investigator Emeritus of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. In 2008, he was the proud recipient of the “Masters of the ACN” and traveled from California to receive the award despite being ill with chronic heart failure.
Dr. Wapnir published over 150 refereed papers and is the author of the book “Protein Nutrition and Mineral Absorption” in addition to numerous chapters contributed to textbooks on gastroenterology and nutrition, particularly in infancy. Some of his work concerned the optimization of fluids for oral rehydration therapy, key in the treatment of infant diarrhea.
He focused many of his studies on intestinal absorption mechanisms of some trace elements, particularly zinc and copper, and their interactions under physiological conditions and during intestinal dysfunction. More recently he published a series of papers related to the effects of certain soluble fibers on intestinal absorption and their potential role in its regulation by modulating the release of nitric oxide into the intestine. In recent months, Raul was working on a new book about the political saga of Argentina’s General Juan Peron. Besides his work, Raul Wapnir was a passionate lover of classical music, an aficionado of opera, and an avid student of history.
After retirement in 2007, Raul and Elsa moved to Palo Alto to be close to family. Raul is survived by his wife of 57 years, Elsa, his children Irene and Ariel, his son-in-law Ralph Greco, and grandchildren Justin, Eric and Ilana. Raul also is survived by sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and cousins, and many friends throughout the United States, South America and Israel.
We will miss him deeply and cherish the time that we had with him. May his memory stay with us always and may his family have comfort in knowing that he will always be remembered in his works and the legacy of true science and collegiality that he inspired in those of us who knew and loved him.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn Abitbol, M.D.
Announcement from The American Board of Physician Nutrition Specialist (ABPNS)
Certification Examination for Physician Nutrition Specialist® Examination Dates are as follows:
First Day of Testing: Saturday, November 6th, 2010
Last Day of Testing: Saturday, November 20th, 2010
Application Deadline: October 1st, 2010
ABPNS was established to provide a credential that recognizes physician expertise in clinical nutrition. The ABPNS certificate is the premier comprehensive credential for physicians who wish to identify nutrition as an area of expertise. The ABPNS Certification Examination for Physician Nutrition Specialist® is given annually and encompasses the full breadth of clinical nutrition, as reflected in the ABPNS Curriculum Guide. It is valid for 10 years, after which re-certification is required in order to keep the credential current. For additional information about ABPNS, please visit www.abpns.net.
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NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Strategic Plan For 2010-2014 titled: “Strengthening Knowledge and Understanding of Dietary Supplements” is now available.
To download click on: http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/pubs/strategicplan/StrategicPlan2010-2014.pdf.
CDC/NCHS: NCHS Vitamin D Data Advisory
Through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) provides national data on the vitamin D status of the U.S. population. There is an apparent increase in prevalence of values for 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) at the low end of the range from NHANES III (1988–1994) to continuous NHANES (2000-2006), as a result of drift in the assay used to measure vitamin D status.
A Data Advisory entitled Analytical Note for NHANES 2000-2006 and NHANES III (1988-1994) 25 Hydroxyvitamin D Analysis is now available from NCHS. This Advisory is published by NCHS regarding two issues that should be addressed when analyzing and using serum 25(OH)D data from NHANES. The two issues identified and described in this Advisory caution that changes in 25(OH)D over time are due, in part, to methodological artifacts that need to be considered when evaluating whether, and how much, differences over time are due to true changes in the vitamin D status of the US population.
The Data Advisory is available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/nhanes3/VitaminD_analyticnote.pdf.
FDA issues draft Guidance for Industry: Factors that Distinguish Liquid Dietary Supplements from Beverages, Considerations Regarding Novel Ingredients, and Labeling for Beverages and Other Conventional Foods.
Full report is available at: http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/ucm192702.htm
IH/ODS: Vitamin C Fact Sheet Now Available
The Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet on Vitamin C (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminc.asp) is the most recent addition to the ODS series of fact sheets on nutrients and other dietary supplement ingredients. ODS fact sheets provide detailed overviews of ingredients in supplements, information on their associations with various health outcomes, and extensive lists of references. Recently updated fact sheets include those on vitamin B12 and vitamin D. All ODS fact sheets are available at http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets.
NIST: Vitamin D Standard Reference Material Now Available
ODS and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced in June the availability of a Standard Reference Material (SRM) for plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] that can be used to standardize the methodology for measuring vitamin D status. Known as SRM 972—Vitamin D in Human Serum, it will serve as a reproducible point of comparison of results across laboratories and within a given laboratory over time.
The availability of this SRM is important given the increased scientific study of vitamin D's effects on health and growing number of people who have blood drawn to have their levels of 25(OH)D measured. At present, there is substantial variability in the results obtained depending on the method of analysis used, on which laboratory is chosen, and even within the same laboratory at different times. By using this SRM, clinical laboratories can calibrate their instruments to obtain more precise and reproducible measures.
Further information about SRM 972 is available at https://www-s.nist.gov/srmors/view_detail.cfm?srm=972.
Even though plasma 25(OH)D concentrations may now be more accurately and reliably determined, optimal levels of this biomarker for bone and general health have not been established. A range of cut-points that have been proposed by various experts (from 16 to 48 ng/mL) reflect differences in the functional endpoints chosen (e.g., parathyroid hormone levels, bone fractures, and cancer prevention).
USDA: New USDA Online Interactive Tool: Recommended Intakes and Safe Levels of Nutrients
Finding the recommended daily intake of a vitamin, or the upper safe level of a mineral, for yourself or someone you counsel typically requires that you look it up in the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) tables from the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, National Academies. The ODS Web site links to the tables at http://ods.od.nih.gov/Health_Information/Dietary_Reference_Intakes.aspx.
Now that task is made simpler and the results more personalized with the release of a free online tool from the Food and Nutrition Information Center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To use the Interactive DRI for Healthcare Professionals, select gender and activity level from a pull-down menu, and enter age, height, and weight. Next, choose from a comprehensive list of macronutrients and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), or select them all. Click Submit to obtain one or more personalized tables of results. If you checked the boxes to learn your body mass index and daily calorie needs, those figures are provided as well.
Each macronutrient selected is listed by name with the recommended intake per day. The entries for vitamins and minerals list daily recommended intakes and tolerable upper intake levels. An especially nice feature is an active link for each macro- or micronutrient selected. Clicking on the link takes you directly to more information on that nutrient—either to a detailed ODS fact sheet or a MedlinePlus overview from the National Library of Medicine.
Interactive DRI for Healthcare Professionals is available at http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/interactiveDRI.
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