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Lewis MJ, Didham RK, Evans TA, Berson JD. Experimental evidence that dung beetles benefit from reduced ivermectin in targeted treatment of livestock parasites. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 945:174050. [PMID: 38906290 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Anthelmintic residues in livestock dung can adversely affect beneficial organisms. Targeted selective treatment (TST) of a reduced proportion of livestock with anthelmintics can slow resistance development in gastrointestinal nematodes by providing residue-free dung which could also benefit non-target organisms. We tested effects of TST on survival and reproduction of the dung beetle Onthophagus taurus (Scarabaeidae) in a factorial glasshouse experiment (Experimental treatments: five TST levels, 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00 x four ivermectin concentrations, 125, 250, 375, 500 ppb). Each mesocosm comprised a 60 L bin containing sand, four dung pats and six pairs of adult beetles (F0 generation). No effects of TST level and ivermectin concentration on mortality of F0 adults after one week were observed. F0 adult brood ball production was affected by TST level, particularly at high ivermectin concentrations. Brood ball production increased as more untreated pats became available, with greater increases at higher ivermectin concentrations. We tested for evidence of a reported attraction of dung beetles to ivermectin-treated dung using a novel glitter-marker to trace the origin of dung used in brood balls. Where mesocosms contained both dung types, the proportion of brood balls created from untreated dung showed no statistical difference from the null expectation based on untreated dung availability in the mesocosm. Emergence of F1 adults was affected by the increase in TST, with this effect dependent on concentration. Treatments with concentrations of 250-500 ppb had the lowest emergence rates (ca. 5-20 % in mesocosms where all dung pats were treated) but emergence rates increased with TST level, reaching 68-88 % emergence where no dung pats were treated with ivermectin. Ivermectin-induced mortality occurred predominantly at egg and first instar stages. TST can provide refuges for dung beetles offering a strategy for livestock producers to maintain livestock welfare whilst benefiting from ecosystem services provided by important insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan J Lewis
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth 6009, Western Australia, Australia; CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Floreat, Western Australia 6014, Australia.
| | - Raphael K Didham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth 6009, Western Australia, Australia; CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Floreat, Western Australia 6014, Australia
| | - Theodore A Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth 6009, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jacob D Berson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth 6009, Western Australia, Australia; CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Floreat, Western Australia 6014, Australia
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Mormer ER, Berkeley SBJ, Johnson AM, Ressel K, Zhang S, Pastva AM, Bushnell CD, Duncan P, Freburger JK. Social Determinants of Health and the Use of Community-Based Rehabilitation Following Stroke: Methodologic Considerations. Arch Rehabil Res Clin Transl 2024; 6:100358. [PMID: 39372247 PMCID: PMC11447761 DOI: 10.1016/j.arrct.2024.100358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Social determinants are nonmedical factors frequently used to study disparities in health outcomes but have not been widely explored in regard to rehabilitation service utilization. In our National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development-funded study, Access to and Effectiveness of Community-Based Rehabilitation After Stroke, we reviewed several conceptual models and frameworks for the study of social determinants to inform our work. The overall objective of this special communication is to describe our approach to identifying, selecting, and using area-level measures of social determinants to explore the relationship between social determinants and rehabilitation use. We present our methods for developing a conceptual model and a methodologic framework for the selection of social determinant measures relevant to rehabilitation use, as well as an overview of publicly available data on social determinants. We then discuss the methodologic challenges encountered and future directions for this work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R. Mormer
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sara B. Jones Berkeley
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Anna M. Johnson
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kristin Ressel
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shuqi Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Amy M. Pastva
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Cheryl D. Bushnell
- Department of Neurology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Pamela Duncan
- Department of Neurology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Janet K. Freburger
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Lyons K, Hei Man AH, Booth D, Rena G. Defining Activity Thresholds Triggering a "Stand Hour" for Apple Watch Users: Cross-Sectional Study. JMIR Form Res 2024; 8:e53806. [PMID: 38857078 PMCID: PMC11196905 DOI: 10.2196/53806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sedentary behavior (SB) is one of the largest contributing factors increasing the risk of developing noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Guidelines from the World Health Organization for physical activity suggest the substitution of SB with light physical activity. The Apple Watch contains a health metric known as the stand hour (SH). The SH is intended to record standing with movement for at least 1 minute per hour; however, the activity measured during the determination of the SH is unclear. OBJECTIVE In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed the algorithm used to determine time spent standing per hour. To do this, we investigated activity measurements also recorded on Apple Watches that influence the recording of an SH. We also aimed to estimate the values of any significant SH predictors in the recording of a SH. METHODS The cross-sectional study used anonymized data obtained in August 2022 from 20 healthy individuals gathered via convenience sampling. Apple Watch data were extracted from the Apple Health app through the use of a third-party app. Appropriate statistical models were fitted to analyze SH predictors. RESULTS Our findings show that active energy (AE) and step count (SC) measurements influence the recording of an SH. Comparing when an SH is recorded with when an SH is not recorded, we found a significant difference in the mean and median AE and SC. Above a threshold of 97.5 steps or 100 kJ of energy, it became much more likely that an SH would be recorded when each predictor was analyzed as a separate entity. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study reveal the pivotal role of AE and SC measurements in the algorithm underlying the SH recording; however, our findings also suggest that a recording of an SH is influenced by more than one factor. Irrespective of the internal validity of the SH metric, it is representative of light physical activity and might, therefore, have use in encouraging individuals through various means, for example, notifications, to reduce their levels of SB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katy Lyons
- Division of Cellular and Systems Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Hau Hei Man
- Division of Cellular and Systems Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - David Booth
- School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Graham Rena
- Division of Cellular and Systems Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
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Zangpo D, Uehara K, Kondo K, Kato M, Yoshimiya M, Nakatome M, Iino M. Estimating age at death by Hausdorff distance analyses of the fourth lumbar vertebral bodies using 3D postmortem CT images. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2024; 20:472-479. [PMID: 37058209 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-023-00620-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
The existing methods for determining adult age from human skeletons are mostly qualitative. However, a shift in quantifying age-related skeletal morphology on a quantitative scale is emerging. This study describes an intuitive variable extraction technique and quantifies skeletal morphology in continuous data to understand their aging pattern. A total of 200 postmortem CT images from the deceased aged 25-99 years (130 males, 70 females) who underwent forensic death investigations were used in the study. The 3D volume of the fourth lumbar vertebral body was segmented, smoothed, and post-processed using the open-source software ITK-SNAP and MeshLab, respectively. To measure the extent of 3D shape deformity due to aging, the Hausdorff distance (HD) analysis was performed. In our context, the maximum Hausdorff distance (maxHD) was chosen as a metric, which was subsequently studied for its correlation with age at death. A strong statistically significant positive correlation (P < 0.001) between maxHD and age at death was observed in both sexes (Spearman's rho = 0.742, male; Spearman's rho = 0.729, female). In simple linear regression analyses, the regression equations obtained yielded the standard error of estimates of 12.5 years and 13.1 years for males and females, respectively. Our study demonstrated that age-related vertebral morphology could be described using the HD method. Moreover, it encourages further studies with larger sample sizes and on other population backgrounds to validate the methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawa Zangpo
- Division of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-Cho, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan.
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital, 11001, Thimphu, Bhutan.
| | - Kazutake Uehara
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Yonago College, Yonago, 683-8502, Japan
| | - Katsuya Kondo
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tottori University, Tottori, 680-8552, Japan
| | - Momone Kato
- Division of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-Cho, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan
| | - Motoo Yoshimiya
- Division of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-Cho, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan
| | - Masato Nakatome
- Division of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-Cho, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan
| | - Morio Iino
- Division of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-Cho, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan
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Tran SHN, Fernandes MA. Age differences in effectiveness of encoding techniques on memory. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2024; 31:479-495. [PMID: 37067161 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2023.2202377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
We compared the effectiveness of different encoding techniques across the adult age range. Three hundred participants: 100 younger, 100 middle-aged, and 100 older adults, were asked to encode a set of visually presented concrete and abstract words. Participants were shown target words one at a time, along with prompts (randomly and intermixed, within-subject) to either silently read, read aloud, write, or draw a picture of the target, for a duration of 10-seconds each. On a later free recall test, participants were given 2-minutes to type all the words they could remember from the encoding phase. Across age groups, we showed that drawing, writing, and reading aloud as encoding techniques yielded better memory than silently reading words, with drawing leading to the largest boost. While memory performance did decrease as age increased, it interacted with the encoding technique. Of note, there were no differences in memory performance in middle-aged compared to young adults. Importantly, age differences in memory emerged only when drawing was used as the encoding strategy, in line with previously reported age-related deficits in generating imagery, or integrating it with motoric processes. Despite this, concrete relative to abstract words that were drawn or written during encoding were better retained, regardless of age, suggesting these techniques facilitate formation of age-invariant visuo-spatial representations. Our findings suggest that whether age differences in memory emerge depends on the strategy used at encoding, and the type of information being encoded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia H N Tran
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Myra A Fernandes
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
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Del Bianco T, Lockwood Estrin G, Tillmann J, Oakley BF, Crawley D, San José Cáceres A, Hayward H, Potter M, Mackay W, Smit P, du Plessis C, Brink L, Springer P, Odendaal H, Charman T, Banaschewski T, Baron-Cohen S, Bölte S, Johnson M, Murphy D, Buitelaar J, Loth E, Jones EJ. Mapping the link between socio-economic factors, autistic traits and mental health across different settings. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024; 28:1280-1296. [PMID: 37822256 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231200297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Autistic individuals are more likely than non-autistic individuals to experience a mental health condition in their lifetime, and this includes externalising and internalising symptoms. We know very little about how different environments and family conditions impact these symptoms for autistic individuals. Improving our understanding of these relationships is important so that we can identify individuals who may be in greater need of support. In this article, we seek to improve our understanding of how environmental and family conditions impact externalising and internalising symptoms in autistic and non-autistic people. To do this, we conducted analyses with two cohorts in very different settings - in Europe and South Africa - to ensure our findings are globally representative. We used advanced statistical methods to establish environmental and family conditions that were similar to each other, and which could be combined into specific 'factors'. We found that four similar 'factors' could be identified in the two cohorts. These were distinguished by personal characteristics and environmental conditions of individuals, and were named Person Characteristics, Family System, Parental and Material Resources. Interestingly, just 'Family System' was associated with internalising and externalising symptoms, and this was the same in both cohorts. We also found that having high traits of autism impacted this relationship between Family System and mental health conditions with opposite directions in the two settings. These results show that characteristics in the Family System are associated with internalising and externalising symptoms, and autistic persons are particularly impacted, reinforcing the notion that family stressors are important to consider when implementing policy and practice related to improving the mental health of autistic people.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Julian Tillmann
- King's College London, UK
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Switzerland
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Meyer-Arndt L, Brasanac J, Gamradt S, Bellmann-Strobl J, Maurer L, Mai K, Steward T, Spranger J, Schmitz-Hübsch T, Paul F, Gold SM, Weygandt M. Body mass, neuro-hormonal stress processing, and disease activity in lean to obese people with multiple sclerosis. J Neurol 2024; 271:1584-1598. [PMID: 38010499 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-12100-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Overweight and obesity can worsen disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS). Although psychobiological stress processing is increasingly recognized as important obesity factor that is tightly connected to proinflammatory metabolic hormones and cytokines, its role for MS obesity remains unexplored. Consequently, we investigated the interplay between body mass index (BMI), neural stress processing (functional connectivity, FC), and immuno-hormonal stress parameters (salivary cortisol and T cell glucocorticoid [GC] sensitivity) in 57 people with MS (six obese, 19 over-, 28 normal-, and four underweight; 37 females, 46.4 ± 10.6 years) using an Arterial-Spin-Labeling MRI task comprising a rest and stress stage, along with quantitative PCR. Our findings revealed significant positive connections between BMI and MS disease activity (i.e., higher BMI was accompanied by higher relapse rate). BMI was positively linked to right supramarginal gyrus and anterior insula FC during rest and negatively to right superior parietal lobule and cerebellum FC during stress. BMI showed associations with GC functioning, with higher BMI associated with lower CD8+ FKBP4 expression and higher CD8+ FKBP5 expression on T cells. Finally, the expression of CD8+ FKBP4 positively correlated with the FC of right supramarginal gyrus and left superior parietal lobule during rest. Overall, our study provides evidence that body mass is tied to neuro-hormonal stress processing in people with MS. The observed pattern of associations between BMI, neural networks, and GC functioning suggests partial overlap between neuro-hormonal and neural-body mass networks. Ultimately, the study underscores the clinical importance of understanding multi-system crosstalk in MS obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lil Meyer-Arndt
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jelena Brasanac
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefanie Gamradt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Judith Bellmann-Strobl
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lukas Maurer
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Max Rubner Center for Cardiovascular-Metabolic-Renal Research, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, 13347, Berlin, Germany
| | - Knut Mai
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, 13347, Berlin, Germany
| | - Trevor Steward
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Redmond Barry Building #817, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Joachim Spranger
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Max Rubner Center for Cardiovascular-Metabolic-Renal Research, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, 13347, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tanja Schmitz-Hübsch
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Friedemann Paul
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan M Gold
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 12203, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis (INIMS), Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Martin Weygandt
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13125, Berlin, Germany.
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 13125, Berlin, Germany.
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
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8
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Komáromi L, Tóth L, de la Vega Marcos R, Szabo A. Psychological Aspects of Motocross Racing Considering Expected, Perceived, and Actual Performance. JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 46:84-92. [PMID: 38484729 DOI: 10.1123/jsep.2023-0150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Motocross racing is a seldom-researched popular extreme sport. This field research aimed to investigate feeling states, perceived arousal, anxiety, and negative and positive affect in the anticipatory and recovery race periods and their relationship to expected and perceived performance. Twenty Motocross racers completed psychometric scales before and after a national championship race. Results revealed that objective performance was unrelated to psychological measures. Arousal, anxiety, and positive affect were lower after the race. Expected performance was unrelated to postrace measures. Still, perceived performance correlated significantly with the feeling state, anxiety, and positive affect after the race and the feeling state before the race. Furthermore, racers who performed as expected or better showed improved feeling states after the race compared with those who did worse than expected. The core affect of the latter group declined. This research on psychological states during Motocross races could motivate new initiatives for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liza Komáromi
- Hungarian University of Sports Science, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Tóth
- Hungarian University of Sports Science, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ricardo de la Vega Marcos
- Departamento de Educación Física, Deporte y Motricidad Humana, Facultad de Formación de Profesorado y Educación, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Attila Szabo
- Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
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9
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van den Berg JS, Molina NM, Altmäe S, Arends B, Steba GS. A systematic review identifying seminal plasma biomarkers and their predictive ability on IVF and ICSI outcomes. Reprod Biomed Online 2024; 48:103622. [PMID: 38128376 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2023.103622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The diverse nature and high molecule concentration of seminal plasma (SP) makes this fluid a good potential source for a potential biomarker that could predict assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes. Currently, semen quality parameters cannot accurately predict ART outcomes. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify human SP biomarkers with potential predictive ability for the outcomes of IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Observational cohort and case-control studies describing the association between biomarkers in human SP and the outcome of infertile men attending for ART were included. Forty-three studies were selected, reporting on 89 potential SP biomarkers (grouped as oxidative stress, proteins glycoproteins, metabolites, immune system components, metals and trace elements and nucleic acids). The present review supports 32 molecules in SP as potentially relevant biomarkers for predicting ART outcomes; 23 molecules were reported once and nine molecules were reported in more than one study; IL-18 and TGF-β1-IL-18 ratio were confirmed in distinct studies. This review presents the most comprehensive overview of relevant SP biomarkers to predict ART outcomes to date, which is of clinical interest for infertility investigations and assisted reproduction; nevertheless, its potential is under-exploited. This review could serve as starting point for designing an all-encompassing study for biomarkers in SP and their predictive ability for ART outcomes, and for developing a non-invasive diagnostic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonna S van den Berg
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecology, Division Female and Baby, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Nerea M Molina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain
| | - Signe Altmäe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain; Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Brigitte Arends
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecology, Division Female and Baby, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Gaby Sarina Steba
- Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecology, Division Female and Baby, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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10
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Zweifach A. Samples in many cell-based experiments are matched/paired but taking this into account does not always increase power of statistical tests for differences in means. Mol Biol Cell 2024; 35:br1. [PMID: 37910179 PMCID: PMC10881176 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e23-05-0159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Power of statistical tests for differences in means is the probability of obtaining a statistically significant p value when means differ. When samples in experimental replicates come from a single cell culture, they are matched or paired because they share between-trials biological variability. This can cause positive correlation between values from conditions in a replicate. Correlation can also be caused in otherwise independent samples by shared technical variability. However, correlation is reduced by noise that affects samples individually. I investigated how to maximize power in experiments with two conditions over a range of correlations. Normalizing data to control increases the rate of false positives, if Student's t test is used. Paired t tests, theoretically the correct test for matched samples, have higher power than Student's t test when correlation is high, but lower power when correlation is low. Testing correlation to select a test for differences in mean can affect the subsequent rate of false positives. Ultimately, components of experimental variability must be considered to choose the most powerful two sample test for differences in mean. This contrasts with experiments with more than two conditions, where random-block ANOVA, a matched samples test, can be used as a default.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Zweifach
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut at Storrs, Storrs, CT 06269-3125
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11
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Ohene-Agyei P, Tran T, Harding JE, Crowther CA. Do glycaemic treatment targets affect the perinatal mental health status of women with gestational diabetes? - Data from the TARGET Trial. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2023; 23:869. [PMID: 38104076 PMCID: PMC10724999 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-023-06190-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with perinatal mental disorders. Effective management may reduce this risk, but there is little evidence on effects of different glycaemic treatment targets. We assessed whether tight glycaemic treatment targets compared with less-tight targets reduce the risk of poor mental health outcomes in women with gestational diabetes. METHODS This was a secondary analysis of data from women who consented to complete perinatal mental health questionnaires as participants in the TARGET Trial, a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial in 10 hospitals in New Zealand. All hospitals initially used less tight glycaemic targets for management of gestational diabetes and were sequentially randomized, in clusters of two at 4-monthly intervals, to using tighter glycaemic targets. Data were collected from 414 participants on anxiety (6-item Spielberger State Anxiety scale), depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), and health-related quality of life (36-Item Short-Form General Health Survey) at the time of diagnosis (baseline), 36 weeks of gestation, and 6 months postpartum. The primary outcome was composite poor mental health (any of anxiety, vulnerability to depression, or poor mental health-related quality of life). Generalized linear mixed models were used to determine the main treatment effect with 95% confidence intervals using an intention-to-treat approach. RESULTS We found no differences between randomised glycaemic target groups in the primary outcome at 36 weeks' (relative risk (RR): 1.07; 95% confidence interval 0.58, 1.95) and 6 months postpartum (RR: 1.03; 0.58, 1.81). There were similarly no differences in the components of the primary outcome at 36 weeks' [anxiety (RR: 0.85; 0.44, 1.62), vulnerability to depression (RR: 1.10; 0.43, 2.83), or poor mental health-related quality of life (RR: 1.05; 0.50, 2.20)] or at 6 months postpartum [anxiety (RR:1.21; 0.59, 2.48), vulnerability to depression (RR:1.41; 0.53, 3.79), poor mental health-related quality of life (RR: 1.11; 0.59, 2.08)]. CONCLUSION We found no evidence that adoption of tighter glycaemic treatment targets in women with gestational diabetes alters their mental health status at 36 weeks' gestation and at 6 months postpartum. TRIAL REGISTRATION The Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR). ACTRN12615000282583 (ANZCTR-Registration). Date of registration: 25 March 2015.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thach Tran
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jane E Harding
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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12
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Negrey JD, Deschner T, Langergraber KE. Lean muscle mass, not aggression, mediates a link between dominance rank and testosterone in wild male chimpanzees. Anim Behav 2023; 202:99-109. [PMID: 37483564 PMCID: PMC10358427 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Testosterone promotes mating effort, which involves intraspecific aggression for males of many species. Therefore, males with higher testosterone levels are often thought to be more aggressive. For mammals living in multimale groups, aggression is hypothesized to link male social status (i.e. dominance rank) and testosterone levels, given that high status predicts mating success and is acquired partly through aggressive intragroup competition. In male chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes, dominance rank has been repeatedly linked to interindividual variation in testosterone levels, but evidence directly linking interindividual variation in testosterone and aggression is lacking. In the present study, we test both aggression levels and lean muscle mass, as measured by urinary creatinine, as links between dominance rank and testosterone levels in a large sample of wild male chimpanzees. Multivariate analyses indicated that dominance rank was positively associated with total rates of intragroup aggression, average urinary testosterone levels and average urinary creatinine levels. Testosterone was positively associated with creatinine levels but negatively associated with total aggression rates. Furthermore, mediation analyses showed that testosterone levels facilitated an association between dominance rank and creatinine levels. Our results indicate that (1) adult male chimpanzees with higher average testosterone levels are often higher ranking but not more aggressive than males with lower testosterone and (2) lean muscle mass links dominance rank and testosterone levels in Ngogo males. We assert that aggression rates are insufficient to explain links between dominance rank and testosterone levels in male chimpanzees and that other social variables (e.g. male-male relationship quality) may regulate testosterone's links to aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. Negrey
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, U.S.A
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, U.S.A
- Department of Pathology/Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-
Salem, NC, U.S.A
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Comparative BioCognition, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück,
Germany
| | - Kevin E. Langergraber
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, U.S.A
- Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, U.S.A
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13
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Castellini G, Rossi E, Cassioli E, Sanfilippo G, Ristori J, Vignozzi L, Maggi M, Ricca V, Fisher AD. Internalized transphobia predicts worse longitudinal trend of body uneasiness in transgender persons treated with gender affirming hormone therapy: a 1-year follow-up study. J Sex Med 2023; 20:388-397. [PMID: 36763949 DOI: 10.1093/jsxmed/qdac036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given the relationship between interiorized stigma and body image, it could be hypothesized that high levels of internalized transphobia (IT) might predict higher levels of body uneasiness in subjects with gender dysphoria (GD) and worse improvement of body image after gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). AIM We sought to evaluate the relationship between IT and body uneasiness in subjects with GD and the role of IT in moderating the improvement of body image after GAHT. METHODS In total, 200 individuals with GD performed the baseline assessment; 99 were re-evaluated 12 months after starting GAHT. At baseline participants were evaluated through a face-to-face interview and filled self-administered questionnaires to evaluate GD (Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale [UGDS]), IT attitudes (Attitudes Toward Transgendered Individuals [ATTI] Scale), body uneasiness (Body Uneasiness Test, part A [BUT-A]), and general psychopathology (Symptom Checklist 90-Revised [SCL 90-R]). The same questionnaires, except ATTI, were readministered at follow-ups. OUTCOMES Outcomes were based on measures of the associations between IT and baseline characteristics of the sample, the longitudinal trends of GD, body uneasiness, and general psychopathology; and IT as a moderator of the longitudinal trend of body uneasiness. RESULTS At baseline, IT correlated with lower level of education, higher GD, and more severe body uneasiness. Longitudinal analyses showed significant improvements in GD, body uneasiness, and general psychopathology during GAHT. Moderation analysis confirmed that participants with more transphobic attitudes showed less improvement after GAHT with regard to body uneasiness (bTime*ATTI = -.002, P = .040). The Johnson-Neyman technique revealed that no significant improvement in body uneasiness was found for participants with ATTI scores lower than 71.14. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The presence of IT should be investigated in subjects with GD who require gender affirming treatments to provide specific interventions aimed at targeting this dimension. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS Strengths of this study include the mixed cross-sectional and longitudinal design and the dimensional evaluation of the investigated constructs. Limitations include the small sample size and the limited follow-up. Furthermore, the effects of gender affirming surgery were not evaluated. CONCLUSION The association of IT with both baseline body uneasinessand the longitudinal course of this dimension highlighted the clinical significance of body uneasiness and the importance of making continuous efforts to improve education and information to fight societal stigmas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Castellini
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Eleonora Rossi
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Emanuele Cassioli
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Sanfilippo
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Jiska Ristori
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Linda Vignozzi
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Mario Maggi
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Experimental, Clinical and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio," University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Valdo Ricca
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandra Daphne Fisher
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
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14
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Boardman L, Lockwood JL, Angilletta MJ, Krause JS, Lau JA, Loik ME, Simberloff D, Thawley CJ, Meyerson LA. The Future of Invasion Science Needs Physiology. Bioscience 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biac080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Incorporating physiology into models of population dynamics will improve our understanding of how and why invasions succeed and cause ecological impacts, whereas others fail or remain innocuous. Targeting both organismal physiologists and invasion scientists, we detail how physiological processes affect every invasion stage, for both plants and animals, and how physiological data can be better used for studying the spatial dynamics and ecological effects of invasive species. We suggest six steps to quantify the physiological functions related to demography of nonnative species: justifying physiological traits of interest, determining ecologically appropriate time frames, identifying relevant abiotic variables, designing experimental treatments that capture covariation between abiotic variables, measuring physiological responses to these abiotic variables, and fitting statistical models to the data. We also provide brief guidance on approaches to modeling invasions. Finally, we emphasize the benefits of integrating research between communities of physiologists and invasion scientists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh Boardman
- Department of Biological Sciences and with the Center for Biodiversity Research, University of Memphis , Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Julie L Lockwood
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources at Rutgers University , New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
| | - Michael J Angilletta
- School of Life Sciences and with the Center for Learning Innovation in Science, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | - Jesse S Krause
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada , Reno, Nevada, United States
| | - Jennifer A Lau
- Department of Biology, Indiana University , Bloomington, Indian, United States
| | - Michael E Loik
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California , Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States
| | - Daniel Simberloff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Christopher J Thawley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island , Kingston, Rhode Island, United States
| | - Laura A Meyerson
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island , Kingston, Rhode Island, United States
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15
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Ho YCL, Lee VSY, Ho MHR, Lin GJ, Thumboo J. Towards a Parsimonious Pathway Model of Modifiable and Mediating Risk Factors Leading to Diabetes Risk. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182010907. [PMID: 34682644 PMCID: PMC8536137 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Modifiable risk factors are of interest for chronic disease prevention. Few studies have assessed the system of modifiable and mediating pathways leading to diabetes mellitus. We aimed to develop a pathway model for Diabetes Risk with modifiable Lifestyle Risk factors as the start point and Physiological Load as the mediator. As there are no standardised risk thresholds for lifestyle behaviour, we derived a weighted composite for Lifestyle Risk. Physiological Load was based on an index using clinical thresholds. Sociodemographics are non-modifiable risk factors and were specified as covariates. We used structural equation modeling to test the model, first using 2014/2015 data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey. Next, we fitted a smaller model with longitudinal data (2007/2008 to 2014/2015), given limited earlier data. Both models showed the indirect effects of Lifestyle Risk on Diabetes Risk via the mediator of Physiological Load, whereas the direct effect was only supported in the cross-sectional analysis. Specifying Lifestyle Risk as an observable, composite variable incorporates the cumulative effect of risk behaviour and differentiates this study from previous studies assessing it as a latent construct. The parsimonious model groups the multifarious risk factors and illustrates modifiable pathways that could be applied in chronic disease prevention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ching Lynn Ho
- Office of Regional Health, Singapore Health Services, 167 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150167, Singapore; (V.S.Y.L.); (G.J.L.); (J.T.)
- Programme in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd., Singapore 169857, Singapore
- Correspondence:
| | - Vivian Shu Yi Lee
- Office of Regional Health, Singapore Health Services, 167 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150167, Singapore; (V.S.Y.L.); (G.J.L.); (J.T.)
| | - Moon-Ho Ringo Ho
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 48 Nanyang Ave., Singapore 639818, Singapore;
| | - Gladis Jing Lin
- Office of Regional Health, Singapore Health Services, 167 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150167, Singapore; (V.S.Y.L.); (G.J.L.); (J.T.)
- Programme in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd., Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Julian Thumboo
- Office of Regional Health, Singapore Health Services, 167 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150167, Singapore; (V.S.Y.L.); (G.J.L.); (J.T.)
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Rd., Singapore 169608, Singapore
- Medicine Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd., Singapore 169857, Singapore
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16
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Grundy M, Bau L, Hill C, Paverd C, Mannaris C, Kwan J, Crake C, Coviello C, Coussios C, Carlisle R. Improved therapeutic antibody delivery to xenograft tumors using cavitation nucleated by gas-entrapping nanoparticles. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2021; 16:37-50. [PMID: 33426913 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2020-0263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aims: Testing ultrasound-mediated cavitation for enhanced delivery of the therapeutic antibody cetuximab to tumors in a mouse model. Methods: Tumors with strong EGF receptor expression were grown bilaterally. Cetuximab was coadministered intravenously with cavitation nuclei, consisting of either the ultrasound contrast agent Sonovue or gas-stabilizing nanoscale SonoTran Particles. One of the two tumors was exposed to focused ultrasound. Passive acoustic mapping localized and monitored cavitation activity. Both tumors were then excised and cetuximab concentration was quantified. Results: Cavitation increased tumoral cetuximab concentration. When nucleated by Sonovue, a 2.1-fold increase (95% CI 1.3- to 3.4-fold) was measured, whereas SonoTran Particles gave a 3.6-fold increase (95% CI 2.3- to 5.8-fold). Conclusions: Ultrasound-mediated cavitation, especially when nucleated by nanoscale gas-entrapping particles, can noninvasively increase site-specific delivery of therapeutic antibodies to solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Grundy
- Department of Engineering Science, Biomedical Ultrasonics, Biotherapy and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory (BUBBL), Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME), University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Headington, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Luca Bau
- Department of Engineering Science, Biomedical Ultrasonics, Biotherapy and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory (BUBBL), Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME), University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Headington, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Claudia Hill
- Department of Engineering Science, Biomedical Ultrasonics, Biotherapy and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory (BUBBL), Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME), University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Headington, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Catherine Paverd
- Department of Engineering Science, Biomedical Ultrasonics, Biotherapy and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory (BUBBL), Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME), University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Headington, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Christophoros Mannaris
- Department of Engineering Science, Biomedical Ultrasonics, Biotherapy and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory (BUBBL), Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME), University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Headington, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - James Kwan
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
| | - Calum Crake
- OxSonics Therapeutics, Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GA, UK
| | | | - Constantin Coussios
- Department of Engineering Science, Biomedical Ultrasonics, Biotherapy and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory (BUBBL), Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME), University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Headington, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Robert Carlisle
- Department of Engineering Science, Biomedical Ultrasonics, Biotherapy and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory (BUBBL), Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME), University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Headington, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
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Weighting of Prosodic and Lexical-Semantic Cues for Emotion Identification in Spectrally Degraded Speech and With Cochlear Implants. Ear Hear 2021; 42:1727-1740. [PMID: 34294630 PMCID: PMC8545870 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Normally-hearing (NH) listeners rely more on prosodic cues than on lexical-semantic cues for emotion perception in speech. In everyday spoken communication, the ability to decipher conflicting information between prosodic and lexical-semantic cues to emotion can be important: for example, in identifying sarcasm or irony. Speech degradation in cochlear implants (CIs) can be sufficiently overcome to identify lexical-semantic cues, but the distortion of voice pitch cues makes it particularly challenging to hear prosody with CIs. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in relative reliance on prosodic and lexical-semantic cues in NH adults listening to spectrally degraded speech and adult CI users. We hypothesized that, compared with NH counterparts, CI users would show increased reliance on lexical-semantic cues and reduced reliance on prosodic cues for emotion perception. We predicted that NH listeners would show a similar pattern when listening to CI-simulated versions of emotional speech. DESIGN Sixteen NH adults and 8 postlingually deafened adult CI users participated in the study. Sentences were created to convey five lexical-semantic emotions (angry, happy, neutral, sad, and scared), with five sentences expressing each category of emotion. Each of these 25 sentences was then recorded with the 5 (angry, happy, neutral, sad, and scared) prosodic emotions by 2 adult female talkers. The resulting stimulus set included 125 recordings (25 Sentences × 5 Prosodic Emotions) per talker, of which 25 were congruent (consistent lexical-semantic and prosodic cues to emotion) and the remaining 100 were incongruent (conflicting lexical-semantic and prosodic cues to emotion). The recordings were processed to have 3 levels of spectral degradation: full-spectrum, CI-simulated (noise-vocoded) to have 8 channels and 16 channels of spectral information, respectively. Twenty-five recordings (one sentence per lexical-semantic emotion recorded in all five prosodies) were used for a practice run in the full-spectrum condition. The remaining 100 recordings were used as test stimuli. For each talker and condition of spectral degradation, listeners indicated the emotion associated with each recording in a single-interval, five-alternative forced-choice task. The responses were scored as proportion correct, where "correct" responses corresponded to the lexical-semantic emotion. CI users heard only the full-spectrum condition. RESULTS The results showed a significant interaction between hearing status (NH, CI) and congruency in identifying the lexical-semantic emotion associated with the stimuli. This interaction was as predicted, that is, CI users showed increased reliance on lexical-semantic cues in the incongruent conditions, while NH listeners showed increased reliance on the prosodic cues in the incongruent conditions. As predicted, NH listeners showed increased reliance on lexical-semantic cues to emotion when the stimuli were spectrally degraded. CONCLUSIONS The present study confirmed previous findings of prosodic dominance for emotion perception by NH listeners in the full-spectrum condition. Further, novel findings with CI patients and NH listeners in the CI-simulated conditions showed reduced reliance on prosodic cues and increased reliance on lexical-semantic cues to emotion. These results have implications for CI listeners' ability to perceive conflicts between prosodic and lexical-semantic cues, with repercussions for their identification of sarcasm and humor. Understanding instances of sarcasm or humor can impact a person's ability to develop relationships, follow conversation, understand vocal emotion and intended message of a speaker, following jokes, and everyday communication in general.
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18
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Galataud J, Delatte H, Techer MA, Simiand C, Sookar P, Reynaud B, Clémencet J. When European meets African honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in the tropics: Morphological changes related to genetics in Mauritius Island (South-West Indian Ocean). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242053. [PMID: 33211716 PMCID: PMC7676661 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The previous genetic characterization of the honeybee population of Mauritius Island (Indian Ocean) revealed an ongoing process of hybridization between the first established African subspecies Apis mellifera unicolor and recently imported European subspecies (A. m. ligustica, A. m. carnica and A. m. mellifera). This context offers the rare opportunity to explore the influence of hybridization between African and European honeybees on phenotypic traits out of the case largely studied of the Africanized honeybee (hybrid between A. m. scutellata from South Africa and European subspecies). We thus conducted geometric morphometric analyses on forewings of 283 workers genetically characterized at 14 microsatellite loci to evaluate (1) if the morphological variability coincides well with the neutral genetic variability, (2) if hybrids exhibited rather parental, intermediate or transgressive traits, and (3) to test if fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of size and shape, as a measure of developmental stability, was elevated in hybrids (due to genetic stress) and/or European bees (due to unsuitable environment) compared to African bees. A strong concordance was found between morphological variability and neutral genetic variability, especially for wing shape, based on partial least-square analyses (PLS). However, on average, the morphology of hybrids was more similar to the African bees, potentially reflecting the dynamics and direction of introgression. Significant FA for wing size as well as wing shape was detected, suggesting the overall presence of stress during the development of the studied individuals. In contrast, the asymmetry levels do not differ according to the ancestry (African, European or hybrid) of the individuals. Therefore, if ongoing hybridization contributed to increasing the genetic and phenotypic diversity of the populations and influences its adaptive potential, developmental stressors could not be identified and their evolutionary consequences remain uncertain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Galataud
- Université de La Réunion, UMR PVBMT, La Réunion, France
- * E-mail: (JG); (JC)
| | - Hélène Delatte
- CIRAD, UMR PVBMT, 7 chemin de l’Irat, Ligne Paradis, Saint Pierre, La Réunion, France
| | | | - Christophe Simiand
- CIRAD, UMR PVBMT, 7 chemin de l’Irat, Ligne Paradis, Saint Pierre, La Réunion, France
| | - Preeaduth Sookar
- Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security, Agricultural Services, Reduit, Mauritius
| | - Bernard Reynaud
- Université de La Réunion, UMR PVBMT, Saint Pierre, La Réunion, France
| | - Johanna Clémencet
- Université de La Réunion, UMR PVBMT, La Réunion, France
- * E-mail: (JG); (JC)
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19
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Santana MM, Paixão S, Cunha-Santos J, Silva TP, Trevino-Garcia A, Gaspar LS, Nóbrega C, Nobre RJ, Cavadas C, Greif H, Pereira de Almeida L. Trehalose alleviates the phenotype of Machado-Joseph disease mouse models. J Transl Med 2020; 18:161. [PMID: 32272938 PMCID: PMC7144062 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02302-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Machado–Joseph disease (MJD), also known as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, is the most common of the dominantly inherited ataxias worldwide and is characterized by mutant ataxin-3 aggregation and neuronal degeneration. There is no treatment available to block or delay disease progression. In this work we investigated whether trehalose, a natural occurring disaccharide widely used in food and cosmetic industry, would rescue biochemical, behavioral and neuropathological features of an in vitro and of a severe MJD transgenic mouse model. Methods Two MJD animal models, a lentiviral based and a transgenic model, were orally treated with 2% trehalose solution for a period of 4 and 30 weeks, respectively. Motor behavior (rotarod, grip strength and footprint patterns) was evaluated at different time points and neuropathological features were evaluated upon in-life phase termination. Results Trehalose-treated MJD mice equilibrated for a longer time in the rotarod apparatus and exhibited an improvement of ataxic gait in footprint analysis. Trehalose-mediated improvements in motor behaviour were associated with a reduction of the MJD-associated neuropathology, as MJD transgenic mice treated with trehalose presented preservation of cerebellar layers thickness and a decrease in the size of ataxin-3 aggregates in Purkinje cells. In agreement, an improvement of neuropathological features was also observed in the full length lentiviral-based mouse model of MJD submitted to 2% trehalose treatment. Conclusions The present study suggests trehalose as a safety pharmacological strategy to counteract MJD-associated behavioural and neuropathological impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda M Santana
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.,CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,IIIUC - Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Susana Paixão
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Janete Cunha-Santos
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.,CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Teresa Pereira Silva
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.,CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Allyson Trevino-Garcia
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.,CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Laetitia S Gaspar
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.,CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,IIIUC - Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Clévio Nóbrega
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.,CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, Centre for Biomedical Research (CBMR), Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Rui Jorge Nobre
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.,CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,IIIUC - Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Cláudia Cavadas
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.,CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal. .,CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. .,Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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20
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Sanjeevi N, Lipsky LM, Nansel TR, Haynie D, Liu A, Simons-Morton B. Stronger State School Nutrition Laws Are Associated With Healthier Eating Behaviors and Optimal Weight Status in US Adolescents. Am J Health Promot 2020; 34:857-866. [PMID: 32036683 DOI: 10.1177/0890117120902346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate relationships of farm-to-school, school meal, and competitive food state laws with eating behaviors and weight status and to examine interaction between different types of state laws. DESIGN Observational cohort study. SETTINGS US adolescents. PARTICIPANTS The NEXT study is a nationally representative sample of adolescents assessed annually for 7 years. Data (N = 2751) from students attending public schools from the first (W1) and third (W3) assessment waves (2010 and 2012), occurring during grades 10 and 12, respectively, of the NEXT study were included. MEASURES Eating behaviors and weight status of adolescents were linked with Classification of Laws Associated with School Students scoring for state laws. ANALYSIS Regression analyses examined associations of laws with intake and weight status, accounting for complex survey design and school-level clustering. RESULTS Adolescents in states with strong farm-to-school laws had greater W1 whole fruit, lower soda, and snack intakes versus those in states with no laws. Strong school meal laws were associated with lower W1 soda intake. Adolescents in states with strong competitive food laws had lower soda intake and overweight/obesity odds than those in states with no laws in W3. Strong farm-to-school laws were inversely associated with W3 overweight/obesity odds only in states with strong competitive food laws. CONCLUSIONS Stronger laws governing school nutrition were related to healthier eating behaviors and optimal weight status in this nationally representative sample of adolescents. Further, farm-to-school laws may be more effective in reducing obesity when combined with strong competitive food legislation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namrata Sanjeevi
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver2511National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Leah M Lipsky
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver2511National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tonja R Nansel
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver2511National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Denise Haynie
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver2511National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aiyi Liu
- Biostatistics & Bioinformatics Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver2511National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bruce Simons-Morton
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver2511National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
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21
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Drummond G. A world beyond P: policies, strategies, tactics and advice. Exp Physiol 2019; 105:13-16. [PMID: 31675153 DOI: 10.1113/ep088040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A short review of the changing approach to statistics' contribution to the conduct of physiological experiments, with suggestions for further changes and better practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon Drummond
- Department of Anaesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SA, UK
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22
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Kang HW, Seo SP, Kim WT, Yun SJ, Lee SC, Kim WJ, Hwang EC, Kang SH, Hong SH, Chung J, Kwon TG, Kim HH, Kwak C, Byun SS, Kim YJ. A Low Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index is Associated with Aggressive Pathologic Characteristics and Poor Survival after Nephrectomy in Clear Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Multicenter Retrospective Study. Nutr Cancer 2019; 72:88-97. [PMID: 31155957 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2019.1621357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Purpose: To investigated the prognostic significance of the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) in patients with surgically treated clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).Patients and methods: We retrospectively selected 4,591 consecutive patients with surgically treated ccRCC from a multi-institutional Korean collaboration between 1988 and 2015. The clinical significance of the GNRI as a continuous and categorical variable was determined.Results: Preoperative low GNRI was significantly associated with older age, low body mass index, presence of diabetes, poor performance status, and presence of symptoms at diagnosis, as well as pathologic features such as aggressive tumor characteristics including large tumor size, advanced stage, high nuclear grade, lymphovascular invasion, sarcomatous differentiation, and tumor necrosis. A low GNRI was significantly associated with a short recurrence-free survival (RFS) in localized (pT1-2N0M0) ccRCC and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in the entire cohort, and with short RFS and CSS in the subgroup analysis according to age categories (≤65 and >65 years). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that preoperative GNRI, as a continuous or categorical variable, was an independent predictor of RFS and CSS.Conclusion: Malnutrition as assessed by the preoperative GNRI is associated with aggressive tumor characteristics and poor survival in patients with surgically treated ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Won Kang
- Department of Urology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Sung Pil Seo
- Department of Urology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Won Tae Kim
- Department of Urology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Seok Joong Yun
- Department of Urology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Sang-Cheol Lee
- Department of Urology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Wun-Jae Kim
- Department of Urology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Eu Chang Hwang
- Department of Urology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Korea
| | - Seok Ho Kang
- Department of Urology, Korea University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sung-Hoo Hong
- Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jinsoo Chung
- Department of Urology, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea
| | - Tae Gyun Kwon
- Department of Urology, Kyungpook National University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
| | - Hyeon Hoe Kim
- Department of Urology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Cheol Kwak
- Department of Urology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seok-Soo Byun
- Department of Urology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
| | - Yong-June Kim
- Department of Urology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea
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23
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Holmberg RJ, Wilcox-Freeburg E, Rhyne AL, Tlusty MF, Stebbins A, Nye Jr. SW, Honig A, Johnston AE, San Antonio CM, Bourque B, Hannigan RE. Ocean acidification alters morphology of all otolith types in Clark's anemonefish ( Amphiprion clarkii). PeerJ 2019; 7:e6152. [PMID: 30643693 PMCID: PMC6327886 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocean acidification, the ongoing decline of surface ocean pH and [CO3 2 - ] due to absorption of surplus atmospheric CO2, has far-reaching consequences for marine biota, especially calcifiers. Among these are teleost fishes, which internally calcify otoliths, critical elements of the inner ear and vestibular system. There is evidence in the literature that ocean acidification increases otolith size and alters shape, perhaps impacting otic mechanics and thus sensory perception. Here, larval Clark's anemonefish, Amphiprion clarkii (Bennett, 1830), were reared in various seawater pCO2/pH treatments analogous to future ocean scenarios. At the onset of metamorphosis, all otoliths were removed from each individual fish and analyzed for treatment effects on morphometrics including area, perimeter, and circularity; scanning electron microscopy was used to screen for evidence of treatment effects on lateral development, surface roughness, and vaterite replacement. The results corroborate those of other experiments with other taxa that observed otolith growth with elevated pCO2, and provide evidence that lateral development and surface roughness increased as well. Both sagittae exhibited increasing area, perimeter, lateral development, and roughness; left lapilli exhibited increasing area and perimeter while right lapilli exhibited increasing lateral development and roughness; and left asterisci exhibited increasing perimeter, roughness, and ellipticity with increasing pCO2. Right lapilli and left asterisci were only impacted by the most extreme pCO2 treatment, suggesting they are resilient to any conditions short of aragonite undersaturation, while all other impacted otoliths responded to lower concentrations. Finally, fish settlement competency at 10 dph was dramatically reduced, and fish standard length marginally reduced with increasing pCO2. Increasing abnormality and asymmetry of otoliths may impact inner ear function by altering otolith-maculae interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Holmberg
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Eric Wilcox-Freeburg
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Andrew L. Rhyne
- Department of Biology, Marine Biology and Environmental Science, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI, United States of America
- Center for Economic and Environmental Development, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI, United States of America
| | - Michael F. Tlusty
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Alan Stebbins
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Steven W. Nye Jr.
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Aaron Honig
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Amy E. Johnston
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Christine M. San Antonio
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Bradford Bourque
- Center for Economic and Environmental Development, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI, United States of America
| | - Robyn E. Hannigan
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States of America
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24
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Abstract
Underpowered experiments have three problems: true effects are harder to detect, the true effects that are detected tend to have inflated effect sizes and as power decreases so does the probability that a statistically significant result represents a true effect. Many biology experiments are underpowered and recent calls to change the traditional 0.05 significance threshold to a more stringent value of 0.005 will further reduce the power of the average experiment. Increasing power by increasing the sample size is often the only option considered, but more samples increases costs, makes the experiment harder to conduct and is contrary to the 3Rs principles for animal research. We show how the design of an experiment and some analytical decisions can have a surprisingly large effect on power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley E Lazic
- Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, UK
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25
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Perez KE, King-Heiden TC. Geometric Morphometrics as a Tool to Evaluate Teratogenic Effects in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1797:373-391. [PMID: 29896704 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7883-0_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Geometric morphometrics allows for the characterization of shape using Cartesian geometric coordinates rather than linear or volumetric measurements, which are dependent upon size and are insufficient to capture geometric shape. By using landmarks on specimens, variations in position, orientation and scale between specimens can be removed to better compare variations in shape. This method has primarily been used in the fields of evolutionary biology and taxonomy. Here we describe how geometric morphometrics can be used to delineate variations in shape caused by teratogenic compounds in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Perez
- Department of Biology, University of Texas of the Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, USA
| | - Tisha C King-Heiden
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, USA.
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26
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Brauman KA, Viart N. Development of a regionally sensitive water-productivity indicator to identify sustainable practices for sugarcane growers. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2016; 12:811-820. [PMID: 26631903 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Standards that credibly and effectively certify sustainable commodity production are important to both producers and consumers. Agriculture is the dominant user of water worldwide, so water sustainability in agriculture is an area of particular interest. In conjunction with Bonsucro, a sustainability standard setting body for the sugarcane sector, an indicator was developed to ensure that water consumed in sugarcane cultivation is used productively (i.e., that producers achieve high "crop per drop"). To be easily measurable, sugarcane water productivity was adapted so that yield could be compared within a climate zone in which water demand is assumed to be uniform. The indicator identifies efficient performers, defined as those exceeding median historical yield in each climate zone, with rainfed and irrigated systems evaluated separately. Both the expert-driven and stakeholder-driven aspects of standard development are discussed. We address the advantages and the limitations of this new indicator, its potential application to other crops, and the possibility of improvement to include further criteria. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:811-820. © 2015 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate A Brauman
- Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA.
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27
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Lazic SE. Ranking, selecting, and prioritising genes with desirability functions. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1444. [PMID: 26644980 PMCID: PMC4671156 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In functional genomics experiments, researchers often select genes to follow-up or validate from a long list of differentially expressed genes. Typically, sharp thresholds are used to bin genes into groups such as significant/non-significant or fold change above/below a cut-off value, and ad hoc criteria are also used such as favouring well-known genes. Binning, however, is inefficient and does not take the uncertainty of the measurements into account. Furthermore, p-values, fold-changes, and other outcomes are treated as equally important, and relevant genes may be overlooked with such an approach. Desirability functions are proposed as a way to integrate multiple selection criteria for ranking, selecting, and prioritising genes. These functions map any variable to a continuous 0–1 scale, where one is maximally desirable and zero is unacceptable. Multiple selection criteria are then combined to provide an overall desirability that is used to rank genes. In addition to p-values and fold-changes, further experimental results and information contained in databases can be easily included as criteria. The approach is demonstrated with a breast cancer microarray data set. The functions and an example data set can be found in the desiR package on CRAN (https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/desiR/) and the development version is available on GitHub (https://github.com/stanlazic/desiR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley E Lazic
- In Silico Lead Discovery, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research , Basel , Switzerland
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28
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Tallósy SP, Janovák L, Ménesi J, Nagy E, Juhász Á, Balázs L, Deme I, Buzás N, Dékány I. Investigation of the antibacterial effects of silver-modified TiO2 and ZnO plasmonic photocatalysts embedded in polymer thin films. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 21:11155-11167. [PMID: 24497305 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-2568-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Nanosilver-modified TiO2 and ZnO photocatalysts were studied against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on the surface and against naturally occurring airborne microorganisms. The photocatalysts/polymer nanohybrid films were prepared by spray coating technique on the surface of glass plates and on the inner surface of the reactive light source. The photoreactive surfaces were activated with visible light emitting LED light at λ = 405 nm. The optical properties of the prepared photocatalyst/polymer nanohybrid films were characterized by diffuse reflectance measurements. The photocatalytic properties were verified with the degradation of ethanol by gas chromatography measurements. The destruction of the bacterial cell wall component was examined with transmission electron microscope. The antibacterial effect of the photocatalyst/polymer nanohybrid films was tested with different methods and with the associated standard ISO 27447:2009. With the photoreactive coatings, an extensive disinfectant film was developed and successfully prepared. The cell wall component of S. aureus was degraded after 1 h of illumination. The antibacterial effect of the nanohybrid films has been proven by measuring the decrease of the number of methicillin-resistant S. aureus on the surface and in the air as the function of illumination time. The photocatalyst/polymer nanohybrid films could inactivate 99.9 % of the investigated bacteria on different thin films after 2 h of illumination with visible light source. The reactive light source with the inner-coated photocatalyst could kill 96 % of naturally occurring airborne microorganisms after 48 h of visible light illumination in indoor air sample. The TEM results and the microbiological measurements were completed with toxicity tests carried out with Vibrio fischeri bioluminescence bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szabolcs Péter Tallósy
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Semmelweis str. 6, Szeged, 6725, Hungary
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29
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Poirier GL, Cordero MI, Sandi C. Female vulnerability to the development of depression-like behavior in a rat model of intimate partner violence is related to anxious temperament, coping responses, and amygdala vasopressin receptor 1a expression. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:35. [PMID: 23641204 PMCID: PMC3640184 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2012] [Accepted: 04/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to violence is traumatic and an important source of mental health disturbance, yet the factors associated with victimization remain incompletely understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate factors related to vulnerability to depression-like behaviors in females. An animal model of intimate partner violence, which was previously shown to produce long-lasting behavioral effects in females as a result of male partner aggression, was used. The associations among the degree of partner aggression, the long-term consequences on depressive-like behavior, and the impact of the anxious temperament of the female were examined. In a separate group, pre-selected neural markers were evaluated in the amygdala and the lateral septum of females. Expression was examined by analyses of targeted candidate genes, serotonin transporter (slc6a4), vasopressin receptor 1a, (avpr1a), and oxytocin receptor (oxtr). Structural equation modeling revealed that the female's temperament moderated depressive-like behavior that was induced by cohabitation aggression from the male partner. More specifically, increased floating in the forced swim test following male aggression was most apparent in females exhibiting more anxiety-like behavior (i.e., less open arm exploration in an elevated plus-maze) prior to the cohabitation. Aggression reduced slc6a4 levels in the lateral septum. However, the interaction between partner aggression and the anxious temperament of the female affected the expression of avpr1a in the amygdala. Although, aggression reduced levels of this marker in females with high anxiety, no such pattern was observed in females with low anxiety. These results identify important characteristics in females that moderate the impact of male aggression. Furthermore, these results provide potential therapeutic targets of interest in the amygdala and the lateral septum to help improve post-stress behavioral pathology and increase resilience to social adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. L. Poirier
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Brain Mind InstituteLausanne, Switzerland
| | - M. I. Cordero
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Brain Mind InstituteLausanne, Switzerland
- Child and Adolescent Service of Psychiatry, Hospital University of GenevaGeneva, Switzerland
| | - C. Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Brain Mind InstituteLausanne, Switzerland
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30
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Acute changes in temperature or oxygen availability induce ROS fluctuations in Daphnia magna linked with fluctuations of reduced and oxidized glutathione, catalase activity and gene (haemoglobin) expression. Biol Cell 2012; 103:351-63. [DOI: 10.1042/bc20100145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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31
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Janušonis S. Relationships among variables and their equilibrium values: caveats of time-less interpretation. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2011; 87:275-89. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2011.00194.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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32
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Lundahl B. Analysis of dose distribution changes in radiation processing using a continuous variable F-test and p-value. Radiat Phys Chem Oxf Engl 1993 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2010.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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33
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Lazic SE. Modeling hippocampal neurogenesis across the lifespan in seven species. Neurobiol Aging 2011; 33:1664-71. [PMID: 21621300 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2010] [Revised: 03/05/2011] [Accepted: 03/11/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to estimate the number of new cells and neurons added to the dentate gyrus across the lifespan, and to compare the rate of age-associated decline in neurogenesis across species. Data from mice (Mus musculus), rats (Rattus norvegicus), lesser hedgehog tenrecs (Echinops telfairi), macaques (Macaca mulatta), marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri), and humans (Homo sapiens) were extracted from 21 data sets published in 14 different reports. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), exponential, Weibull, and power models were fit to the data to determine which best described the relationship between age and neurogenesis. Exponential models provided a suitable fit and were used to estimate the relevant parameters. The rate of decrease of neurogenesis correlated with species longevity (r = 0.769, p = 0.043), but not body mass or basal metabolic rate. Of all the cells added postnatally to the mouse dentate gyrus, only 8.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0% to 14.7%) of these will be added after middle age. In addition, only 5.7% (95% CI 0.7% to 9.9%) of the existing cell population turns over from middle age and onward. Thus, relatively few new cells are added for much of an animal's life, and only a proportion of these will mature into functional neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley E Lazic
- Bioinformatics and Exploratory Data Analysis, F Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland.
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34
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Lan-Pidhainy X, Wolever TMS. Are the glycemic and insulinemic index values of carbohydrate foods similar in healthy control, hyperinsulinemic and type 2 diabetic patients? Eur J Clin Nutr 2011; 65:727-34. [PMID: 21427735 DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2011.28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES a criticism of glycemic index (GI) is that it does not indicate the insulin response of foods (insulinemic index, II). However, it is unknown if the GI and II values of foods are equivalent in all subjects, a necessary criterion for clinical utility. We compared GI and II values in non-diabetic subjects with fasting-serum-insulin (FSI) <40 pmol/l (healthy control) or with FSI ≥ 40 pmol/l (hyper[I]) and subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and to see whether GI and II were related to the serum-glucose concentrations, insulin sensitivity, β-cell function and hepatic insulin extraction (HIE) of the subjects. SUBJECTS/METHODS Serum-glucose, -insulin and -C-peptide responses after 50 g available-carbohydrate portions of glucose (tested three times by each subject), sucrose, instant mashed-potato, white-bread, polished-rice and pearled-barley were measured in healthy control (n=9), hyper[I] (n=12) and T2DM (n=10) subjects. RESULTS Food GI values did not differ significantly among the three subject groups, whereas II values were higher in T2DM (100±7) than healthy controls (78±5) and hyper[I] subjects (70±5) (mean±s.e.m., P=0.05). II was inversely associated with insulin sensitivity (r=-0.66, P<0.0001) and positively related to fasting- and postprandial-glucose (both r=0.68, P<0.0001) and HIE (r=0.62, P=0.0002). In contrast, GI was not related to any of the biomarkers (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The GI is a valid property of foods because its value is similar in healthy control, hyper [I] and T2DM subjects, and is independent of subjects' metabolic status. However, II may depend upon the glycaemic control, insulin sensitivity and HIE of the subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Lan-Pidhainy
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Xu Q, Anderson D, Courtney M. A longitudinal study of the relationship between lifestyle and mental health among midlife and older women in Australia: findings from the Healthy Aging of Women Study. Health Care Women Int 2011; 31:1082-96. [PMID: 21058092 DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2010.486096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the temporal relationship between lifestyle and mental health among 564 midlife women. The mental health measured included anxiety, depression, and mental well-being; the lifestyle measures included body mass index (BMI), exercise, smoking, alcohol use, and caffeine consumption. We found that BMI was positively related with mental well-being (r = .316, p = .009); smokers had lower mental well-being than nonsmokers (β = 6.725, p = .006), and noncaffeine drinkers had higher mental well-being (β = 5, p = .023). Past alcohol-drinkers had less anxiety than nondrinkers (β = 1.135, p = .04). Therefore, lifestyle is predictive of mental health among midlife and older women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qunyan Xu
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, Australia
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Yee BK, Feldon J, Knuesel I. Response to open peer commentary on the reporting of spurious associations: a reply to “Relating hippocampal neurogenesis to behavior: the danger of ignoring confounding variables” by Dr. Stanley Lazic. Neurobiol Aging 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2010.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Relating hippocampal neurogenesis to behavior: the dangers of ignoring confounding variables. Neurobiol Aging 2010; 31:2169-71; discussion 2172-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2010.04.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2010] [Revised: 04/03/2010] [Accepted: 04/17/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Lazic SE. The problem of pseudoreplication in neuroscientific studies: is it affecting your analysis? BMC Neurosci 2010; 11:5. [PMID: 20074371 PMCID: PMC2817684 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-11-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2009] [Accepted: 01/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pseudoreplication occurs when observations are not statistically independent, but treated as if they are. This can occur when there are multiple observations on the same subjects, when samples are nested or hierarchically organised, or when measurements are correlated in time or space. Analysis of such data without taking these dependencies into account can lead to meaningless results, and examples can easily be found in the neuroscience literature. Results A single issue of Nature Neuroscience provided a number of examples and is used as a case study to highlight how pseudoreplication arises in neuroscientific studies, why the analyses in these papers are incorrect, and appropriate analytical methods are provided. 12% of papers had pseudoreplication and a further 36% were suspected of having pseudoreplication, but it was not possible to determine for certain because insufficient information was provided. Conclusions Pseudoreplication can undermine the conclusions of a statistical analysis, and it would be easier to detect if the sample size, degrees of freedom, the test statistic, and precise p-values are reported. This information should be a requirement for all publications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley E Lazic
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Cambridge Computational Biology Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK.
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Comparing two small samples with an unstable, treatment-independent baseline. J Neurosci Methods 2009; 179:173-8. [PMID: 19428524 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2009.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2008] [Revised: 01/22/2009] [Accepted: 01/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Due to time and resource constraints, small samples (N=3-7 cases per group) are often used in neurobiological studies that employ multiple techniques. In a simulation study, five statistical tests were used to compare two small samples (treated and control) with an unstable, additive baseline. These five tests differed in the way that they used the baseline variable (B) to adjust or normalize the variable affected by the treatment (Y). We conclude that, if N=3 or 4, the independent t-test on Y-B tends to have the highest power; if N> or =7, ANCOVA on Y with B as the covariate tends to have the highest power; and both tests have comparably high power if N=5 or 6. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test (or, equivalently, the Mann-Whitney test) has precisely zero power if one group has 3 cases and the other has 3 or 4 cases. Some other problems of small-sample analysis are considered.
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Lazic SE. Statistical evaluation of methods for quantifying gene expression by autoradiography in histological sections. BMC Neurosci 2009; 10:5. [PMID: 19146702 PMCID: PMC2651176 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-10-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2008] [Accepted: 01/15/2009] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In situ hybridisation (ISH) combined with autoradiography is a standard method of measuring the amount of gene expression in histological sections, but the methods used to quantify gene expression in the resulting digital images vary greatly between studies and can potentially give conflicting results. RESULTS The present study examines commonly used methods for analysing ISH images and demonstrates that these methods are not optimal. Image segmentation based on thresholding can be subject to floor-effects and lead to biased results. In addition, including the area of the structure or region of interest in the calculation of gene expression can lead to a large loss of precision and can also introduce bias. Finally, converting grey level pixel intensities to optical densities or units of radioactivity is unnecessary for most applications and can lead to data with poor statistical properties. A modification of an existing method for selecting the structure or region of interest is introduced which performs better than alternative methods in terms of bias and precision. CONCLUSION Based on these results, suggestions are made to reduce bias, increase precision, and ultimately provide more meaningful results of gene expression data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley E Lazic
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Cambridge Computational Biology Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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