Urinary markers of nucleic acid oxidation in Danish overweight/obese children and youths

Urinary excretion of the RNA and DNA oxidation markers, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoGuo) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) in newly diagnosed adult type 2 diabetics are reported to be long-term predictors of mortality independent of conventional risk factors. In the current study, we investigated the relationships between urinary markers of nucleic acid oxidation concentrations and the degree of obesity and glucose metabolism in overweight compared to lean children. Forty-two (24 girls) overweight and 35 lean (19 girls) children and adolescents were recruited from the Registry of the Danish Childhood Obesity Biobank. Anthropometric measurements were collected at baseline and glucose metabolism was assessed by an oral glucose tolerance test. A urine sample was obtained during the test. Linear regression did not demonstrate any associations between the urinary markers and the degree of obesity or glucose metabolism in lean and obese children. However, sub-analyses adjusted for age, sex, and the degree of obesity showed positive associations between the 2 h glucose and the urinary markers, 8-oxoGuo (p?=?0.02, r²=?0.63) and 8-oxodG (p?=?0.046, r²=?0.48), and between the insulinogenic index and 8-oxoGuo (p?=?0.03, r^2?=^?0.60) in the 12 obese children exhibiting impaired glucose tolerance. Excretion of the urinary markers of nucleic acid oxidation and the degree of obesity or the glucose metabolism were not associated in this study. Nevertheless, obese children with impaired glucose tolerance seem to exhibiting an increased oxidative stress level, but due to the small sample size in this study, further investigations are required to elucidate this correlation.     

Confronting and coping with weight stigma: an investigation of overweight and obese adults

Objective: This study examined experiences of weight stigmatization, sources of stigma, coping strategies, psychological functioning, and eating behaviors in a sample of 2671 overweight and obese adults. Research Methods and Procedures: The total sample was partitioned into two subsamples for investigation. Sample I was comprised of 2449 adult women, and Sample II was a matched sample of adult men and women (N = 222) that was disaggregated to investigate gender differences. Both samples completed an online battery of self‐report questionnaires measuring frequency of weight stigmatization and coping responses to deal with bias, the most common sources of the bias, symptoms of depression, self‐esteem, attitudes about weight and obesity, and binge eating behaviors. Results: Experiences of weight stigmatization, in many forms and across multiple occasions, was common in both samples. A variety of coping strategies were used in response. More frequent exposure to stigma was related to more attempts to cope and higher BMI. Physicians and family members were the most frequent sources of weight bias reported. No gender differences were observed in types or frequency of stigmatization. Frequency of stigmatization was not related to current psychological functioning, although coping responses were associated with emotional well‐being. Discussion: These findings raise questions about the relationship between stigma and psychological functioning and have important implications for obesity treatment and stigma reduction intervention efforts, both of which are discussed.     

The Use of Epidemiology in Risk Assessment: Challenges and Opportunities

The assessment of risk from environmental and occupational exposures incorporates and synthesizes data from a variety of scientific disciplines including toxicology and epidemiology. Epidemiological data have offered valuable contributions to the identification of human health hazards, estimation of human exposures, quantification of the exposure–response relation, and characterization of risks to specific target populations including sensitive populations. As with any scientific discipline, there are some uncertainties inherent in these data; however, the best human health risk assessments utilize all available information, characterizing strengths and limitations as appropriate. Human health risk assessors evaluating environmental and occupational exposures have raised concerns about the validity of using epidemiological data for risk assessment due to actual or perceived study limitations. This article highlights three concerns commonly raised during the development of human health risk assessments of environmental and occupational exposures: (a) error in the measurement of exposure, (b) potential confounding, and (c) the interpretation of non-linear or non-monotonic exposure–response data. These issues are often the content of scientific disagreement and debate among the human health risk assessment community, and we explore how these concerns may be contextualized, addressed, and often ameliorated.     

Integrated assessment of ecological status and misclassification of lakes: The role of uncertainty and index combination rules

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires that the ecological status of waterbodies is assessed using multiple biological quality elements (BQEs) that are combined into a single status class. The recommended combination rule (the “one-out, all-out” rule; OOAO) has been criticised for being unreasonably conservative and for being sensitive to uncertainty. In this study, the objective was to compare the sensitivity to uncertainty of four different combination rules: (1) OOAO, (2) OOAO with exclusion of one element, (3) average and (4) weighted average. Index values for 5 BQEs (phytoplankton, phytobenthos, macrophytes, macroinvertebrates and fish) sampled from 10 lakes in the Wel River catchment in Poland were used to classify the lakes according to the OOAO and the three alternative combination rules. Based on the mean and (where possible) standard deviation of these index values, we modelled the risk of misclassification by simulating 10,000 resamples for each BQEs in each lake, classifying each resample and calculating the proportion of misclassified resamples under each combination rule. For individual BQEs, the risk of misclassification increased both with higher uncertainty (standard deviation) and with the proximity of the index value to a class boundary. Under the OOAO rule, the risk of misclassification was more biased towards worse status (“underclassification”) than towards better status. Furthermore, risk of underclassification was more affected by uncertainty under the OOAO rule compared with the alternative combination rules. This analysis has demonstrated the weaknesses associated with the OOAO rule for integration of BQEs for lake classification. However, the alternative combination rules are associated with other shortcomings, such as the need for subjective judgement, and involve a higher risk of not protecting the most sensitive BQE and thus the whole ecosystem. We recommend that future versions of instructions for WFD implementation consider alternatives to the OOAO combination rule, and provide guidelines for weighting of individual BQEs.     

Medical physics in radiotherapy: The importance of preserving clinical responsibilities and expanding the profession's role in research,education, and quality control

Medical physicists have long had an integral role in radiotherapy. In recent decades, medical physicists have slowly but surely stepped back from direct clinical responsibilities in planning radiotherapy treatments while medical dosimetrists have assumed more responsibility. In this article, I argue against this gradual withdrawal from routine therapy planning. It is essential that physicists be involved, at least to some extent, in treatment planning and clinical dosimetry for each and every patient; otherwise, physicists can no longer be considered clinical specialists. More importantly, this withdrawal could negatively impact treatment quality and patient safety. Medical physicists must have a sound understanding of human anatomy and physiology in order to be competent partners to radiation oncologists. In addition, they must possess a thorough knowledge of the physics of radiation as it interacts with body tissues, and also understand the limitations of the algorithms used in radiotherapy. Medical physicists should also take the lead in evaluating emerging challenges in quality and safety of radiotherapy. In this sense, the input of physicists in clinical audits and risk assessment is crucial. The way forward is to proactively take the necessary steps to maintain and advance our important role in clinical medicine.     

The social gradient in health: The effect of absolute income and subjective social status assessment on the individual's health in Europe

Using data on individuals aged between 50 and 65 from 6 European countries, this study investigates the effect of absolute income and subjective social status assessment on health in the light of medical evidence indicating that the individual's position in the social hierarchy undermines his/her mental and physical health. The paper shows that individuals’ own income has a positive, but modest effect on health. Importantly, subjective social status assessment has a significant effect on all health measurements. Finally, the results show that individuals from deprived families (when at the age of 14) have poorer physical and mental health.     

The role of septin 7 in physiology and pathological disease: A systematic review of current status

Septins are a conserved family of cytoskeletal GTPases present in different organisms, including yeast, drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans and humans. In humans, septins are involved in various cellular processes, including exocytosis, apoptosis, leukemogenesis, carcinogenesis and neurodegeneration. Septin 7 is unique out of 13 human septins. Mammalian septin 6, septin 7, septin 2 and septin 9 coisolate together in complexes to form the core unit for the generation of the septin filaments. Physiological septin filaments are hetero‐oligomeric complexes consisting of core septin hexamers and octamers. Furthermore, septin 7 plays a crucial role in cytokinesis and mitosis. Septin 7 is localized to the filopodia and branches of developing hippocampal neurons, and is the most abundant septin in the adult rat forebrain as well as a structural component of the human and mouse sperm annuli. Septin 7 is crucial to the spine morphogenesis and dendrite growth in neurons, and is also a structural constituent of the annulus in human and mouse sperm. It can suppress growth of some tumours such as glioma and papillary thyroid carcinoma. However, the molecular mechanisms of involvement of septin 7 in human disease, especially in the development of cancer, remain unclear. This review focuses on the structure, function and mechanism of septin 7 in vivo, and summarizes the role of septin 7 in cell proliferation, cytokinesis, nervous and reproductive systems, as well as the underlying molecular events linking septin 7 to various diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus, tumour and so on.     

The effects of zinc supplementation on metabolic profile and oxidative stress in overweight/obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled trial

BackgroundEvidence indicates the positive effects of zinc on insulin resistance and oxidative stress in metabolic syndrome or diabetes. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the main hepatic manifestation of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. The present study is the first clinical trial that evaluated the effects of zinc supplementation on metabolic and oxidative stress status in overweight/obese patients with NAFLD undergoing calorie- restriction diet. Methods: Fifty six overweight/obese patients with confirmed mild to moderate NAFLD using ultrasonography were randomly allocated to receive 30 mg elemental zinc supplement (n = 29) or placebo (n = 27) along with weight loss diet for 12 weeks. Serum levels of zinc, homeostasis model of assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), lipid profile, serum superoxide dismutas1 (SOD1) and malondialdhyde (MDA) levels were assessed.ResultsSerum levels of insulin, SOD1, MDA and HOMA-IR were improved in the treatment group (p < 0.05). Within group comparison showed significant reduction in serum FBS, HbA_1C, TC, LDL-c and TG in the treatment group. Conclusion: Zinc supplementation for three months improved insulin resistance and oxidative stress status in overweight/obese NAFLD patients with no beneficial effects on lipid profiles over weight loss diet. Registration ID in IRCT (IRCT NO: 20181005041238N1).     

具核梭杆菌对结直肠癌诊疗作用的研究进展

口腔菌群作为人体的第二大微生物群,对人体健康具有非常重要的作用。具核梭杆菌是口腔中的常驻菌之一,与其他菌共同维持机体的稳态,现已被证实是结直肠癌最相关的菌属之一,参与结直肠癌的发生、发展以及预后。很多学者根据具核梭杆菌在结直肠癌中的致病机制,寻找以具核梭杆菌为靶点的对结直肠癌进行早期诊断和治疗的新方法。本文阐述了具核梭杆菌在结直肠癌中的致病机制,着重探讨其在结直肠癌的诊断和治疗中的潜在作用,以期为临床诊疗提供参考。

     

The effectiveness of the peer-delivered Thinking Healthy PLUS (THPP+) Program for maternal depression and child socioemotional development in Pakistan: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThe negative effects of perinatal depression on the mother and child start early and persist throughout the lifecourse (Lancet 369(9556):145–57, 2007; Am J Psychiatry 159(1):43-7, 2002; Arch Dis Child 77(2):99–101, 1997; J Pak Med Assoc 60(4):329; J Psychosoma Res 49(3):207–16, 2000; Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 14(1):1–27, 2011). Given that 10–35 % of children worldwide are exposed to perinatal depression in their first year of life (Int Rev Psychiatry 8(1):37–54, 1996), mitigating this intergenerational risk is a global public health priority (Perspect Public Health 129(5):221–7, 2009; Trop Med Int Health 13(4):579–83, 2008; Br Med Bull 101(1):57–79, 2012). However, it is not clear whether intervention with depressed women can have long-term benefits for the mother and/or her child. We describe a study of the effectiveness of a peer-delivered depression intervention delivered through 36 postnatal months, the Thinking Healthy Program Peer-delivered PLUS (THPP+) for women and their children in rural Pakistan.Methods/designThe THPP+ study aims are: (1) to evaluate the effects of an extended 36-month perinatal depression intervention on maternal and index child outcomes using a cluster randomized controlled trial (c-RCT) and (2) to determine whether outcomes among index children of perinatally depressed women in the intervention arm converge with those of index children born to perinatally nondepressed women. The trial is designed to recruit 560 pregnant women who screened positive for perinatal depression (PHQ-9 score ≥10) from 40 village clusters, of which 20 receive the THPP+ intervention. An additional reference group consists of 560 perinatally nondepressed women from the same 40 clusters as the THPP+ trial. The women in the nondepressed group are not targeted to receive the THPP+ intervention; but, by recruiting pregnant women from both intervention and control clusters, we are able to evaluate any carryover effects of the THPP+ intervention on the women and their children. Perinatally depressed women in the THPP+ intervention arm receive bimonthly group-based sessions. Primary outcomes are 3-year maternal depression and 3-year child development indicators. Analyses are intention-to-treat and account for the clustered design.DiscussionThis trial, together with the reference group, has the potential to further our understanding of the early developmental lifecourse of children of both perinatally depressed and perinatally nondepressed women in rural Pakistan and to determine whether intervening with women’s depression in the perinatal period can mitigate the negative effects of maternal depression on 36-month child development.

Trial registration

THPP-P ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT02111915","term_id":"NCT02111915"}}NCT02111915 (registered on 9 April 2014).THPP+ ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT02658994","term_id":"NCT02658994"}}NCT02658994 (registered on 21 January 2016).Sponsor: Human Development Research Foundation (HDRF).

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-016-1530-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Intraguild predation between the aphidophagous ladybird beetles Harmonia axyridis and Coccinella undecimpunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae): The role of intra and extraguild prey densities

Laboratory cages were used to evaluate the influence of extraguild (EGprey) and intraguild prey (IGprey) densities on the direction, symmetry and magnitude of the intraguild predation (IGP) of the aphidophagous Harmonia axyridis Pallas on Coccinella undecimpunctata L. and vice versa. In order to understand the role of competition between IGprey, the experiments included treatments with one IGpredator, with one or four IGprey and EGprey (Aphis fabae Scopoli) ranging from zero to sufficient aphids to satiate the predators for 12, 24 or 48 h. Increases in EGprey and IGprey densities did not alter the direction, but decreased the magnitude and symmetry of IGP. Predation on one individual of IGprey decreased from more than 80%, in the absence of EGprey, to from 6% to 53%, at higher EGprey densities. Decrease in IGP was less when H. axyridis was the IGpredator. Even at high EGprey densities, eggs and 2nd larval stages of C. undecimpunctata were vulnerable to IGP and the level of predation was 40% and 53%. The presence of more than one IGprey increased the magnitude of IGP mainly at EGprey densities sufficient to satiate the predators for 12 and 24 h, suggesting that competition between the IGpredator and IGprey may be one of the processes promoting IGP. These results and those of other authors suggest that H. axyridis has the potential to be an IGpredator, mainly of the most vulnerable stages of IGprey. Thus, H. axyridis may negatively affect the survival of C. undecimpunctata, when these two species exploit the same resources.     

The role of erythropoietin and its receptor in growth,survival and therapeutic response of human tumor cells: From clinic to bench — a critical review

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) has been used clinically to alleviate cancer- and chemotherapy-related anemia. However, recent clinical trials have reported that rhEPO also may adversely impact disease progression and survival. The expression of functional EPO receptors (EPOR) has been demonstrated in many human cancer cells where, at least in vitro, rhEPO can stimulate cell growth and survival and may induce resistance to selected therapies.