Prevalence and Etiology of Eating Disorders in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Scoping Review

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine-metabolic disorder affecting females across the lifespan. Eating disorders (EDs) are psychiatric conditions that may impact the development of PCOS and comorbidities including obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this scoping review was to determine the prevalence of EDs and disordered eating, and to review the etiology of EDs in PCOS. The review was conducted using search terms addressing PCOS, EDs, and disordered eating in databases, including PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. Structured interviews, self-administered questionnaires, chart review, or self-reported diagnosis were used to identify EDs in 38 studies included in the review. The prevalence of any ED in those with PCOS ranged from 0% to 62%. Those with PCOS were 3-6-fold more likely to have an ED and higher odds ratios (ORs) of an elevated ED score compared with controls. In those with PCOS, 30% had a higher OR of bulimia nervosa and binge ED was 3-fold higher compared with controls. Studies were limited on anorexia nervosa and other specified feeding or ED (such as night eating syndrome) and these were not reported to be higher in PCOS. To our knowledge, no studies reported on avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, rumination disorder, or pica in PCOS. Studies showed strong associations between overweight, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating in PCOS. The etiologic development of EDs in PCOS remains unclear; however, psychological, metabolic, hypothalamic, and genetic factors are implicated. The prevalence of any ED in PCOS varied because of the use of different diagnostic and screening tools. Screening of all individuals with PCOS for EDs is recommended and high-quality studies on the prevalence, pathogenesis of specific EDs, relationship to comorbidities, and effective interventions to treat ED in those with PCOS are needed.

Pre- and post-weaning nutrition status affects sheep mammary gland morphology and promotes differential gene expression

Little is known about how varying the plane of nutrition before and after weaning can influence gene expression that drives mammary gland development (MGD). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate this paradigm in a seasonal sheep breed. Forty pre-weaning 30-day old Kurdish female lambs were fed either a low-nutrient and protein (L; 2.0 Mcal ME/kg DM; 8.70% crude protein [CP]) or high-nutrient and protein diet (H; 2.5 Mcal ME/kg DM; 14.80% CP). At d 120 (weaning), lambs were allocated into a 2 × 2 arrangement based on pre- and post-weaning diets, resulting in four groups (LL, LH, HL, HH). On d 210, mammary biopsy samples were taken for histomorphological and gene expression studies. Alveoli were larger in HH compared with all other groups (p < 0.05). Whilst estrogen receptor-alpha, progesterone receptor, growth hormone receptor and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 gene expression was modulated depending on pre- or post-weaning nutritional levels (p < 0.01). Overall, a consistent high plane of nutrition promoted MGD, with more a complex relationship evident between the expression of genes critical for mammary gland function and development. These findings provide scope for future tailored nutritional strategies to optimize both liveweight gain and MGD.

Modified Heider balance on Erdös-Rényi networks

The lack of signed random networks in standard balance studies has prompted us to extend the Hamiltonian of the standard balance model. Random networks with tunable parameters are suitable for better understanding the behavior of standard balance as an underlying dynamics. Moreover, the standard balance model in its original form does not allow preserving tensed triads in the network. Therefore, the thermal behavior of the balance model has been investigated on a fully connected signed network recently. It has been shown that the model undergoes an abrupt phase transition with temperature. Considering these two issues, we examine the thermal behavior of the structural balance model defined on Erdös-Rényi random networks within the range of their connected regime. We provide a mean-field solution for the model. We observe a first-order phase transition with temperature for a wide range of connection probabilities. We detect two transition temperatures, T_{cold} and T_{hot}, characterizing a hysteresis loop. We find that with decreasing the connection probability, both T_{cold} and T_{hot} decrease. However, the slope of decreasing T_{hot} with decreasing connection probability is larger than the slope of decreasing T_{cold}. Hence, the hysteresis region gets narrower until it disappears in a certain connection probability. We provide a phase diagram in the temperature-tie density plane to accurately observe the metastable or coexistence region behavior. Then we justify our mean-field results with a series of Monte Carlo simulations.

Mean-field solution for critical behavior of signed networks in competitive balance theory

The competitive balance model has been proposed as an extension to the balance model to address the conflict of interests in signed networks. In this model, two different paradigms or interests compete with each other to dominate the network's relations and impose their own values. In this paper, using the mean-field method, we examine the thermal behavior of the competitive balance model. Our results show that under a certain temperature, the symmetry between two competing interests will spontaneously break which leads to a discrete phase transition. So, starting with a heterogeneous signed network, if agents aim to decrease tension stemming from competitive balance theory, evolution ultimately chooses only one of the existing interests and stability arises where one paradigm dominates the system. The critical temperature depends linearly on the number of nodes, which is a linear dependence in the thermal balance theory as well. Finally, the results obtained through the mean-field method are verified by a series of simulations.

Competitive balance theory: Modeling conflict of interest in a heterogeneous network

The dynamics of networks on Heider's balance theory moves toward reducing the tension by constantly reevaluating the interactions to achieve a state of balance. Conflict of interest, however, is inherent in most complex systems; frequently, there are multiple ideals or states of balance, and moving towards one could work against another. In this paper, by introducing the competitive balance theory, we study the evolution of balance in the presence of conflicts of interest. In our model, the assumption is that different states of balance compete in the evolution process to dominate the system. We ask whether, through these interactions, different states of balance compete to prevail their own ideals or a set of coexisting ideals in a balanced condition is a possible outcome. The results show that although there is a symmetry in the type of balance the system either evolves towards a symmetry breaking, where one of the states of balance dominates the system, or, less frequently, the competing states of balance coexist in a jammed state.

Relationship between serum homocysteine and other parameters in renal transplant patients

INTRODUCTION

Hyperhomocysteinemia frequently occurs after renal transplantation. We therefore assessed whether serum homocysteine (Hcy) concentrations were correlated with clinical, paraclinical, and arterial Doppler parameters among renal transplant patients.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was performed on 47 patients (30 males, 17 females) who received unrelated living donor renal transplants.

RESULTS

The mean serum Hcy concentration was 21.7 +/- 8.4 micromol/L (range = 5.8-48 micromol/L); 37 patients (79%) showed hyperhomocysteinemia (Hcy >or= 15 micromol/L). Serum Hcy was strongly related to body mass index (BMI; r = .43, P = .002), cyclosporine trough level (r = .44, P = .005), and serum creatinine concentration (r = .32, P = .028), but not to age, transplant duration, or sex. Multivariate analysis showed that only BMI (P = .003) and cyclosporine trough level (P = .0037) were independent predictors of serum Hcy concentrations. Hyperhomocysteinemia was more prevalent among patients taking mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) than azathioprine (86% vs 50%; P = 0.017). The hyperhomocysteinemia and normohomocysteinemia groups did not differ significantly in mean carotid intima-media thickness (IMT; 0.78 +/- 0.348 vs 0.77 +/- 0.419 mm, P = .97) or mean intrarenal resistive index (RI) (0.7 +/- 0.06 vs 0.7 +/- 0.06, P = .85). The two groups also did not differ in sex prevalence, diabetes, C-reactive protein >or= 5 mg/L, or mean low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) values.

CONCLUSION

Serum Hcy correlated with higher cyclosporine trough levels and obesity. Hyperhomocysteinemia was more common among patients taking MMF than azathioprine, but had no effect on intrarenal RI or carotid IMT.

Cloprostenol injection improves reproductive characteristics in low libido Iranian Holstein bulls

The objective of this study was to determine whether injections of Cloprostenol (PGF2alpha analog) in low libido Holstein bulls can improve seminal characteristics and libido. Ten low libido Iranian Holstein bulls were randomly assigned to two groups and received; (1) 250 microg ofCloprostenol (n=5) or (2) 2 mL of saline (n=5) 30 min prior to collection of semen 2 days per week for 2 months. Reaction time was significantly decreased in treatment group. Duration of ejaculation was significantly increased in treatment group. Semen volume and sperm concentration were greater in treated bulls in compare with controls. The percentage of morphologically normal sperm cells, percentage of live sperm cells, motile sperm cells and post-thaw motile sperm cells were not affected by treatment. Plasma testosterone concentrations were increased approximately two fold after Cloprostenol injection. Overall, injection of Cloprostenol at this dosage and frequency increased libido, semen volume, sperm concentration and plasma testosterone concentration in low libido Holstein bulls.

The relationship between plasma leptin and FSH concentrations with ovulation rate in Iranian native sheep

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between plasma leptin and FSH concentration in Iranian sheep. Forty female Mehraban and Sanjabi sheep were used. All ewes were cyclic and synchronized with cloprestenol. The ewes were divided into two breed groups: Mehraban breed (n = 20) and Sanjabi breed (n = 20), feeding at maintenance level. On the first and second days of estrus cycle, blood samples were collected from the jugular vein. Ovulation number was determined by endoscopy 7 days after the second injection. Mean Plasma leptin concentrations on second day (4.74 +/- 0.15 and 4.68 +/- 0.10 ng mL(-1)) were significantly higher than those on first day (2.64 +/- 0.11 and 2.56 +/- 0.04 ng mL(-1)) for Mehraban and Sanjabi sheep, respectively (p<0.01). Mean plasma FSH concentrations on second day (2.75 +/- 0.17 and 2.74 +/- 0.15 ng mL(-1)) were also significantly greater than those on first day (1.19 +/- 0.05 and 1.19 +/- 0.04 ng mL(-1)) for Mehraban and Sanjabi ewes, respectively (p<0.01). In the present study, positive relationship has been shown between plasma Leptin and FSH concentrations (p<0.01) in Mehraban and Sanjabi sheep. Ovulation rate had a significant difference between Mehraban (1.20 +/- 0.33) and Sanjabi (1.07 +/- 0.1) ewes. Significant differences were not observed between concentrations of FSH and leptin with ovulation rate in both breeds (p < or = 0.01).