Genome Wide Association Study Identifies New Loci Associated with Undesired Coat Color Phenotypes in Saanen Goats

This paper reports a quantitative genetics and genomic analysis of undesirable coat color patterns in goats. Two undesirable coat colors have routinely been recorded for the past 15 years in French Saanen goats. One fifth of Saanen females have been phenotyped “pink” (8.0%) or “pink neck” (11.5%) and consequently have not been included in the breeding program as elite animals. Heritability of the binary “pink” and “pink neck” phenotype, estimated from 103,443 females was 0.26 for “pink” and 0.21 for “pink neck”. Genome wide association studies (using haplotypes or single SNPs) were implemented using a daughter design of 810 Saanen goats sired by 9 Artificial Insemination bucks genotyped with the goatSNP50 chip. A highly significant signal (-log10pvalue = 10.2) was associated with the “pink neck” phenotype on chromosome 11, suggesting the presence of a major gene. Highly significant signals for the “pink” phenotype were found on chromosomes 5 and 13 (-log10p values of 7.2 and, 7.7 respectively). The most significant SNP on chromosome 13 was in the ASIP gene region, well known for its association with coat color phenotypes. Nine significant signals were also found for both traits. The highest signal for each trait was detected by both single SNP and haplotype approaches, whereas the smaller signals were not consistently detected by the two methods. Altogether these results demonstrated a strong genetic control of the “pink” and “pink neck” phenotypes in French Saanen goats suggesting that SNP information could be used to identify and remove undesired colored animals from the breeding program.     

Is Early Tuberculosis Death Associated with Increased Tuberculosis Transmission?

Introduction

Tuberculosis (TB) is now a relatively uncommon disease in high income countries. As such, its diagnosis may be missed or delayed resulting in death before or shortly after the introduction of treatment. Whether early TB death is associated with increased TB transmission is unknown. To determine the transmission risk attributable to early TB death we undertook a case-control study.

Methods

All adults who were: (1) diagnosed with culture-positive pulmonary TB in the Province of Alberta, Canada between 1996 and 2012, and (2) died a TB-related death before or within the first 60 days of treatment, were identified. For each of these “cases” two sets of “controls” were randomly selected from among culture-positive pulmonary TB cases that survived beyond 60 days of treatment. “Controls” were matched by age, sex, population group, +/- smear status. Secondary cases of “cases” and “controls” were identified using conventional and molecular epidemiologic tools and compared. In addition, new infections were identified and compared in contacts of “cases” that died before treatment and contacts of their smear-matched “controls”. Conditional logistic regression was used to find associations in both univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

“Cases” were as, but not more, likely than “controls” to transmit. This was so whether transmission was measured in terms of the number of “cases” and smear-unmatched or -matched “controls” that had a secondary case, the number of secondary cases that they had or the number of new infections found in contacts of “cases” that died before treatment and their smear-matched “controls”.

Conclusion

In a low TB incidence/low HIV prevalence country, pulmonary TB patients that die a TB-related death before or in the initial phase of treatment and pulmonary TB patients that survive beyond the initial phase of treatment are equally likely to transmit.     

Hospital Infections Caused by a Group of Recently Recognized Strains of Staphylococcus aureus

A survey was made of the phage-types of staphylococci responsible for cross-infection in a large veterans'' hospital between 1961 and 1964. An earlier survey had shown that in 1959 most of the infections were caused by staphylocci of the “80/81/82” group. In 1961 a new group of staphylococci were first recognized and provisionally designated as “Atypical Group III” strains; these were non-typable by the usual typing phages but showed inhibition patterns with some of the Group III phages. The “Atypical Group III” staphylococci all showed one or other of four patterns of multiple antibiotic resistance. By 1963 these resistant “Atypical Group III” staphylococci had become more frequent than “80/81/82” strains as causative agents of cross-infection, although both groups have continued to cause infections in the hospital. “Atypical Group III” strains mainly infected surgical wounds and skin ulcers, whereas “80/81/82” strains commonly produced primary skin sepsis, such as boils.     

Publication of Original Research in Urologic Journals – A Neglected Orphan?

The pathophysiologic mechanisms behind urologic disease are increasingly being elucidated. The object of this investigation was to evaluate the publication policies of urologic journals during a period of progressively better understanding and management of urologic disease. Based on the ISI Web of Knowledge Journal Citation Reports and the PubMed database, the number and percentage of original experimental, original clinical, review or commentarial articles published between 2002–2010 in six leading urologic journals were analyzed. “British Journal of Urology International”, “European Urology”, “Urologic Oncology-Seminars and Original Investigations” (“Urologic Oncology”), “Urology”, “The Journal of Urology”, and “World Journal of Urology” were chosen, because these journals publish articles in all four categories. The publication policies of the six journals were very heterogeneous during the time period from 2002 to 2010. The percentage of original experimental and original clinical articles, related to all categories, remained the same in “British Journal of Urology International”, “Urologic Oncology”, “Urology” and “The Journal of Urology”. The percentage of experimental reports in “World Journal of Urology” between 2002–2010 significantly increased from 10 to 20%. A distinct elevation in the percentage of commentarial articles accompanied by a reduction of clinical articles became evident in “European Urology” which significantly correlated with a large increase in the journal’s impact factor. No clearly superior policy could be identified with regard to a general increase in the impact factors from all the journals. The publication policy of urologic journals does not expressly reflect the increase in scientific knowledge, which has occurred over the period 2002–2010. One way of increasing the exposure of urologists to research and expand the interface between experimental and clinical research, would be to enlarge the percentage of experimental articles published. There is no indication that such policy would be detrimental to a journal’s impact factor.     

Non-Listening and Self Centered Leadership – Relationships to Socioeconomic Conditions and Employee Mental Health

Background

The way in which leadership is experienced in different socioeconomic strata is of interest per se, as well as how it relates to employee mental health.

Methods

Three waves of SLOSH (Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health, a questionnaire survey on a sample of the Swedish working population) were used, 2006, 2008 and 2010 (n = 5141). The leadership variables were: “Non-listening leadership” (one question: “Does your manager listen to you?” - four response categories), “Self centered leadership” (sum of three five-graded questions – “non-participating”, “asocial” and “loner”). The socioeconomic factors were education and income. Emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms were used as indicators of mental health.

Results

Non-listening leadership was associated with low income and low education whereas self-centered leadership showed a weaker relationship with education and no association at all with income. Both leadership variables were significantly associated with emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms. “Self centered” as well as “non-listening” leadership in 2006 significantly predicted employee depressive symptoms in 2008 after adjustment for demographic variables. These predictions became non-significant when adjustment was made for job conditions (demands and decision latitude) in the “non-listening” leadership analyses, whereas predictions of depressive symptoms remained significant after these adjustments in the “self-centered leadership” analyses.

Conclusions

Our results show that the leadership variables are associated with socioeconomic status and employee mental health. “Non-listening” scores were more sensitive to societal change and more strongly related to socioeconomic factors and job conditions than “self-centered” scores.     

Applicants to Canadian Medical Schools for 1966-67

An examination of applicants to Canadian medical schools for 1966-67 revealed that 4534 applications were received for the approximately 974 available places. The number of Canadian applications was 2866 and these were made by 1815 individual applicants, an increase of 48 over 1965-66. United States applicants declined from 1143 to 1013.Evaluations made by the schools concerning the acceptability of the Canadian applicants disclosed that 55 applicants who rated as “acceptable” by one or more schools failed to gain admission to any medical school in 1966-67 (as compared to 36 in 1965-66). However, of those applicants who did find a place 76 were evaluated as “marginal” or “unacceptable”, while another 126 were rated as “acceptable” by one school but “marginal” and/or “acceptable” by one or more other schools.These results were interpreted to imply that the Canadian medical schools were still experiencing difficulty in attracting well-qualified applicants for study in medicine.     

The Histological Components of the Phoniatrical Body-Cover Model in Minipigs of Different Ages

Pigs are models in human phoniatry. However, features of maturation and ageing have not been considered with regard to the so-called body-cover model in this species. Therefore, the glottis of “young” (2–3 months; n = 6) and “old” (4–7 years; n = 6) minipigs was investigated. Their cranial (CraF) and caudal (CauF) vocal folds were histomorphometrically and stratigraphically analysed with emphasis on their amounts of collagen structures and elastic fibres. A dense subepithelial layer (SEL) was a distinct feature of CraF and CauF of both age groups; it was spread upon the underlying loose, flexible “cover” like a fibro-elastic membrane. The “cover” was characterised by the so-called superficial layer (SL), which was distinctly loose in the “young” minipigs, but had a much denser texture in the “old” minipigs. Here, the SL was dominated by elastic fibres in the CraF, but was of mixed qualities (collagenous and elastic) in the CauF. The structural requirements for the SL’s function as a loose “cover” were thus met only in the “young” animals. A clearly demarcated intermediate layer (IL)—characterised by high amounts of elastic fibres (as in humans)—was only found in the CraF of the “young” animals. In the “old” animals, it had lost its demarcation. In the depth of the CraF of the “old” animals, many thick collagen fibre bundles were detected in a location equivalent to that of the vocal muscle in the CauF. The development of their large diameters was interpreted as part of the maturation process, thereby supporting the hypothesis of their functional importance as a component of the “body.” In the CauF, the amounts of collagen structures increased throughout the entire lamina propria, resulting in a loss of demarcated stratigraphical subdivisions in the “old” minipigs. This situation resembled that described in the vocal fold of geriatric humans.     

Understanding Neighborhood Environment Related to Hong Kong Children’s Physical Activity: A Qualitative Study Using Nominal Group Technique

Background

Relationships between the neighborhood environment and children’s physical activity have been well documented in Western countries but are less investigated in ultra-dense Asian cities. The aim of this study was to identify the environmental facilitators and barriers of physical activity behaviors among Hong Kong Chinese children using nominal group technique.

Methods

Five nominal groups were conducted among 34 children aged 10–11 years from four types of neighborhoods varying in socio-economic status and walkability in Hong Kong. Environmental factors were generated by children in response to the question “What neighborhood environments do you think would increase or decrease your willingness to do physical activity?” Factors were prioritized in order of their importance to children’s physical activity.

Results

Sixteen unique environmental factors, which were perceived as the most important to children’s physical activity, were identified. Factors perceived as physical activity-facilitators included “Sufficient lighting”, “Bridge or tunnel”, “Few cars on roads”, “Convenient transportation”, “Subway station”, “Recreation grounds”, “Shopping malls with air conditioning”, “Fresh air”, “Interesting animals”, and “Perfume shop”. Factors perceived as physical activity-barriers included “People who make me feel unsafe”, “Crimes nearby”, “Afraid of being taken or hurt at night”, “Hard to find toilet in shopping mall”, “Too much noise”, and “Too many people in recreation grounds”.

Conclusions

Specific physical activity-related environmental facilitators and barriers, which are unique in an ultra-dense city, were identified by Hong Kong children. These initial findings can inform future examinations of the physical activity-environment relationship among children in Hong Kong and similar Asian cities.     

Task Shifting for Non-Communicable Disease Management in Low and Middle Income Countries – A Systematic Review

Background

One potential solution to limited healthcare access in low and middle income countries (LMIC) is task-shifting- the training of non-physician healthcare workers (NPHWs) to perform tasks traditionally undertaken by physicians. The aim of this paper is to conduct a systematic review of studies involving task-shifting for the management of non-communicable disease (NCD) in LMIC.

Methods

A search strategy with the following terms “task-shifting”, “non-physician healthcare workers”, “community healthcare worker”, “hypertension”, “diabetes”, “cardiovascular disease”, “mental health”, “depression”, “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease”, “respiratory disease”, “cancer” was conducted using Medline via Pubmed and the Cochrane library. Two reviewers independently reviewed the databases and extracted the data.

Findings

Our search generated 7176 articles of which 22 were included in the review. Seven studies were randomised controlled trials and 15 were observational studies. Tasks performed by NPHWs included screening for NCDs and providing primary health care. The majority of studies showed improved health outcomes when compared with usual healthcare, including reductions in blood pressure, increased uptake of medications and lower depression scores. Factors such as training of NPHWs, provision of algorithms and protocols for screening, treatment and drug titration were the main enablers of the task-shifting intervention. The main barriers identified were restrictions on prescribing medications and availability of medicines. Only two studies described cost-effective analyses, both of which demonstrated that task-shifting was cost-effective.

Conclusions

Task-shifting from physicians to NPHWs, if accompanied by health system re-structuring is a potentially effective and affordable strategy for improving access to healthcare for NCDs. Since the majority of study designs reviewed were of inadequate quality, future research methods should include robust evaluations of such strategies.     

Socio-Demographic Predictors and Distribution of Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) in Xinjiang,China: A Spatial Analysis

Objectives

Xinjiang is one of the high TB burden provinces of China. A spatial analysis was conducted using geographical information system (GIS) technology to improve the understanding of geographic variation of the pulmonary TB occurrence in Xinjiang, its predictors, and to search for targeted interventions.

Methods

Numbers of reported pulmonary TB cases were collected at county/district level from TB surveillance system database. Population data were extracted from Xinjiang Statistical Yearbook (2006~2014). Spatial autocorrelation (or dependency) was assessed using global Moran’s I statistic. Anselin’s local Moran’s I and local Getis-Ord statistics were used to detect local spatial clusters. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, spatial lag model (SLM) and geographically-weighted regression (GWR) models were used to explore the socio-demographic predictors of pulmonary TB incidence from global and local perspectives. SPSS17.0, ArcGIS10.2.2, and GeoDA software were used for data analysis.

Results

Incidence of sputum smear positive (SS+) TB and new SS+TB showed a declining trend from 2005 to 2013. Pulmonary TB incidence showed a declining trend from 2005 to 2010 and a rising trend since 2011 mainly caused by the rising trend of sputum smear negative (SS-) TB incidence (p<0.0001). Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed the presence of positive spatial autocorrelation for pulmonary TB incidence, SS+TB incidence and SS-TB incidence from 2005 to 2013 (P <0.0001). The Anselin’s Local Moran’s I identified the “hotspots” which were consistently located in the southwest regions composed of 20 to 28 districts, and the “coldspots” which were consistently located in the north central regions consisting of 21 to 27 districts. Analysis with the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic expanded the scope of “hotspots” and “coldspots” with different intensity; 30 county/districts clustered as “hotspots”, while 47 county/districts clustered as “coldspots”. OLS regression model included the “proportion of minorities” and the “per capita GDP” as explanatory variables that explained 64% the variation in pulmonary TB incidence (adjR² = 0.64). The SLM model improved the fit of the OLS model with a decrease in AIC value from 883 to 864, suggesting “proportion of minorities” to be the only statistically significant predictor. GWR model also improved the fitness of regression (adj R² = 0.68, AIC = 871), which revealed that “proportion of minorities” was a strong predictor in the south central regions while “per capita GDP” was a strong predictor for the southwest regions.

Conclusion

The SS+TB incidence of Xinjiang had a decreasing trend during 2005–2013, but it still remained higher than the national average in China. Spatial analysis showed significant spatial autocorrelation in pulmonary TB incidence. Cluster analysis detected two clusters—the “hotspots”, which were consistently located in the southwest regions, and the “coldspots”, which were consistently located in the north central regions. The exploration of socio-demographic predictors identified the “proportion of minorities” and the “per capita GDP” as predictors and may help to guide TB control programs and targeting intervention.     

Characterization of Chlorinated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons and Environmental Variables in a Shallow Groundwater in Shanghai Using Kriging Interpolation and Multifactorial Analysis

CAHs, as a cleaning solvent, widely contaminated shallow groundwater with the development of manufacturing in China''s Yangtze River Delta. This study focused on the distribution of CAHs, and correlations between CAHs and environmental variables in a shallow groundwater in Shanghai, using kriging interpolation and multifactorial analysis. The results showed that the overall CAHs plume area (above DIV) was approximately 9,000 m² and located in the 2–4 m underground, DNAPL was accumulated at an area of approximately 1,400 m² and located in the 6-8m sandy silt layer on the top of the muddy silty clay. Heatmap of PPC for CAHs and environmental variables showed that the correlation between “Fe²⁺” and most CAHs such as “1,1,1-TCA”, “1,1-DCA”, “1,1-DCE” and “%TCA” were significantly positive (p<0.001), but “%CA” and/or “%VC” was not, and “Cl^-” was significantly positive correlated with “1,1-DCA” and “1,1-DCE” (p<0.001). The PCA demonstrated that the relative proportions of CAHs in groundwater were mostly controlled by the sources and the natural attenuation. In conclusion, the combination of geographical and chemometrics was helpful to establishing an aerial perspective of CAHs and identifying reasons for the accumulation of toxic dechlorination intermediates, and could become a useful tool for characterizing contaminated sites in general.     

The Emergence of Three Human Development Clubs

We examine the joint distribution of levels of income per capita, life expectancy, and years of schooling across countries in 1960 and in 2000. In 1960 countries were clustered in two groups; a rich, highly educated, high longevity “developed” group and a poor, less educated, high mortality, “underdeveloped” group. By 2000 however we see the emergence of three groups; one underdeveloped group remaining near 1960 levels, a developed group with higher levels of education, income, and health than in 1960, and an intermediate group lying between these two. This finding is consistent with both the ideas of a new “middle income trap” that countries face even if they escape the “low income trap”, as well as the notion that countries which escaped the poverty trap form a temporary “transition regime” along their path to the “developed” group.     

Accelerated Wound Closure In Vitro by Fibroblasts from a Subgroup of Cleft Lip/Palate Patients: Role of Transforming Growth Factor-α

In a fraction of patients surgically treated for cleft lip/palate, excessive scarring disturbs maxillary growth and dento-alveolar development. Since certain genes are involved in craniofacial morphogenesis as well as tissue repair, a primary defect causing cleft lip/palate could lead to altered wound healing. We performed in vitro wound healing assays with primary lip fibroblasts from 16 cleft lip/palate patients. Nine foreskin fibroblast strains were included for comparison. Cells were grown to confluency and scratch wounds were applied; wound closure was monitored morphometrically over time. Wound closure rate showed highly significant differences between fibroblast strains. Statistically, fibroblast strains from the 25 individuals could be divided into three migratory groups, namely “fast”, “intermediate”, and “slow”. Most cleft lip/palate fibroblasts were distributed between the “fast” (5 strains) and the “intermediate” group (10 strains). These phenotypes were stable over different cell passages from the same individual. Expression of genes involved in cleft lip/palate and wound repair was determined by quantitative PCR. Transforming growth factor-α mRNA was significantly up-regulated in the “fast” group. 5 ng/ml transforming growth factor-α added to the culture medium increased the wound closure rate of cleft lip/palate strains from the “intermediate” migratory group to the level of the “fast”, but had no effect on the latter group. Conversely, antibody to transforming growth factor-α or a specific inhibitor of its receptor most effectively reduced the wound closure rate of “fast” cleft lip/palate strains. Thus, fibroblasts from a distinct subgroup of cleft lip/palate patients exhibit an increased migration rate into wounds in vitro, which is linked to higher transforming growth factor-α expression and attenuated by interfering with its signaling.     

Emergence,Development, and Maturity of the Gonad of Two Species of Chitons “Sea Cockroach” (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) through the Early Life Stages

This study describes and recognises, using histological and microscopical examinations on a morphometrical basis, several gonad traits through the early life stages of Chiton articulatus and C. albolineatus. Gonadal ontogenesis, gonad development stages, sexual differentiation, onset of the first sexual maturity, and growth sequences or “early life stages” were determined. In addition, allometry between lengths and body weight pooled for both sexes per each chiton were calculated using equation Y = aX^b. A total of 125 chitons (4≤TL≤40 mm, in total length “TL”) were used. All allometric relations showed a strong positive correlation (r), close to 1, with b-values above three, indicating an isometric growth. Gonadal ontogenesis and gonad development stages were categorised into three periods (“Pw” without gonad, “Pe” gonad emergence, and “Pf” gonadal sac formed) and four stages (“S0” gametocytogenesis, “S1” gametogenesis, “S2” mature, and “S3” spawning), respectively. Compound digital images were attained for each process. Periods and stages are overlapped among them and between species, with the following overall confidence intervals in TL: Pw 6.13–14.32 mm, Pe 10.32–16.93 mm, Pf 12.99–25.01 mm, S0 16.08–24.34 mm (females) and 19.51–26.60 mm (males), S1 27.15–35.63 mm (females) and 23.45–32.27 mm (males), S2 24.48–40.24 mm (females) and 25.45–32.87 mm (males). Sexual differentiation (in S0) of both chitons occurs first as a female then as a male; although, males reach the onset of the first sexual maturity earlier than females, thus for C. articulatus males at 17 mm and females at 32 mm, and for C. albolineatus males at 23.5 mm and females at 28 mm, all in TL. Four early life stages (i.e., subjuvenile, juvenile, subadult, and adult) are described and proposed to distinguish growth sequences. Our results may be useful to diverse disciplines, from developmental biology to fisheries management.     

Prenatal,Perinatal and Neonatal Risk Factors for Intellectual Disability: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

BackgroundThe etiology of non-genetic intellectual disability (ID) is not fully known, and we aimed to identify the prenatal, perinatal and neonatal risk factors for ID.MethodPubMed and Embase databases were searched for studies that examined the association between pre-, peri- and neonatal factors and ID risk (keywords “intellectual disability” or “mental retardation” or “ID” or “MR” in combination with “prenatal” or “pregnancy” or “obstetric” or “perinatal” or “neonatal”. The last search was updated on September 15, 2015. Summary effect estimates (pooled odds ratios) were calculated for each risk factor using random effects models, with tests for heterogeneity and publication bias.ResultsSeventeen studies with 55,344 patients and 5,723,749 control individuals were eligible for inclusion in our analysis, and 16 potential risk factors were analyzed. Ten prenatal factors (advanced maternal age, maternal black race, low maternal education, third or more parity, maternal alcohol use, maternal tobacco use, maternal diabetes, maternal hypertension, maternal epilepsy and maternal asthma), one perinatal factor (preterm birth) and two neonatal factors (male sex and low birth weight) were significantly associated with increased risk of ID.ConclusionThis systemic review and meta-analysis provides a comprehensive evidence-based assessment of the risk factors for ID. Future studies are encouraged to focus on perinatal and neonatal risk factors and the combined effects of multiple factors.     

Weighting of Criteria for Disease Prioritization Using Conjoint Analysis and Based on Health Professional and Student Opinion

Disease prioritization exercises have been used by several organizations to inform surveillance and control measures. Though most methodologies for disease prioritization are based on expert opinion, it is becoming more common to include different stakeholders in the prioritization exercise. This study was performed to compare the weighting of disease criteria, and the consequent prioritization of zoonoses, by both health professionals and students in Switzerland using a Conjoint Analysis questionnaire. The health professionals comprised public health and food safety experts, cantonal physicians and cantonal veterinarians, while the student group comprised first-year veterinary and agronomy students. Eight criteria were selected for this prioritization based on expert elicitation and literature review. These criteria, described on a 3-tiered scale, were evaluated through a choice-based Conjoint Analysis questionnaire with 25 choice tasks. Questionnaire results were analyzed to obtain importance scores (for each criterion) and mean utility values (for each criterion level), and the latter were then used to rank 16 zoonoses. While the most important criterion for both groups was “Severity of the disease in humans”, the second ranked criteria by the health professionals and students were “Economy” and “Treatment in humans”, respectively. Regarding the criterion “Control and Prevention”, health professionals tended to prioritize a disease when the control and preventive measures were described to be 95% effective, while students prioritized a disease if there were almost no control and preventive measures available. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy was the top-ranked disease by both groups. Health professionals and students agreed on the weighting of certain criteria such as “Severity” and “Treatment of disease in humans”, but disagreed on others such as “Economy” or “Control and Prevention”. Nonetheless, the overall disease ranking lists were similar, and these may be taken into consideration when making future decisions regarding resource allocation for disease control and prevention in Switzerland.     

Higher Landing Accuracy in Expert Pilots is Associated with Lower Activity in the Caudate Nucleus

The most common lethal accidents in General Aviation are caused by improperly executed landing approaches in which a pilot descends below the minimum safe altitude without proper visual references. To understand how expertise might reduce such erroneous decision-making, we examined relevant neural processes in pilots performing a simulated landing approach inside a functional MRI scanner. Pilots (aged 20–66) were asked to “fly” a series of simulated “cockpit view” instrument landing scenarios in an MRI scanner. The scenarios were either high risk (heavy fog–legally unsafe to land) or low risk (medium fog–legally safe to land). Pilots with one of two levels of expertise participated: Moderate Expertise (Instrument Flight Rules pilots, n = 8) or High Expertise (Certified Instrument Flight Instructors or Air-Transport Pilots, n = 12). High Expertise pilots were more accurate than Moderate Expertise pilots in making a “land” versus “do not land” decision (CFII: d′ = 3.62±2.52; IFR: d′ = 0.98±1.04; p<.01). Brain activity in bilateral caudate nucleus was examined for main effects of expertise during a “land” versus “do not land” decision with the no-decision control condition modeled as baseline. In making landing decisions, High Expertise pilots showed lower activation in the bilateral caudate nucleus (0.97±0.80) compared to Moderate Expertise pilots (1.91±1.16) (p<.05). These findings provide evidence for increased “neural efficiency” in High Expertise pilots relative to Moderate Expertise pilots. During an instrument approach the pilot is engaged in detailed examination of flight instruments while monitoring certain visual references for making landing decisions. The caudate nucleus regulates saccade eye control of gaze, the brain area where the “expertise” effect was observed. These data provide evidence that performing “real world” aviation tasks in an fMRI provide objective data regarding the relative expertise of pilots and brain regions involved in it.     

Effect of Energy Under-Reporting on Secular Trends of Dietary Patterns in a Mediterranean Population

BackgroundDiet is an important factor in the prevention of chronic diseases. Analysis of secular trends of dietary patterns can be biased by energy under-reporting. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to analyse the impact of energy under-reporting on dietary patterns and secular trends in dietary patterns defined by cluster analysis.ResultsThree clusters, “healthy”, “mixed” and “western”, were identified for both surveys. The “mixed” cluster was the predominant cluster in both surveys. Excluding EUR reduced the proportion of the “mixed” cluster up to 6.40% in the 2000 survey; this caused secular trend increase in the prevalence of the “mixed” pattern. Cross-classification analysis of all participants and PER’ data showed substantial agreement in cluster assignments: 68.7% in 2000 and 84.4% in 2005. Excluding EUR did not cause meaningful (≥15%) changes in the “healthy” pattern. It provoked changes in consumption of some food groups in the “mixed” and “western” patterns: mainly decreases of unhealthy foods within the 2000 and increases of unhealthy foods within the 2005 surveys. Secular trend effects of EUR were similar to those within the 2005 survey. Excluding EUR reversed the direction of secular trends in consumption of several food groups in PER in the “mixed” and “western” patterns.ConclusionsEUR affected distribution of participants between dietary patterns within and between surveys, secular trends in food group consumption and amount of food consumed in all, but not in the “healthy” pattern. Our findings emphasize threats from energy under-reporting in dietary data analysis.     

Impact of specific training and competition on myocardial structure and function in different age ranges of male handball players

Handball activity involves cardiac changes and demands a mixture of both eccentric and concentric remodeling within the heart. This study seeks to explore heart performance and cardiac remodeling likely to define cardiac parameters which influence specific performance in male handball players across different age ranges. Forty three players, with a regular training and competitive background in handball separated into three groups aged on average 11.78±0.41 for youth players aka “schools”, “elite juniors” 15.99±0.81 and “elite adults” 24.46±2.63 years, underwent echocardiography and ECG examinations. Incremental ergocycle and specific field (SFT) tests have also been conducted. With age and regular training and competition, myocardial remodeling in different age ranges exhibit significant differences in dilatation’s parameters between “schools” and “juniors” players, such as the end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and the end-systolic diameter of the left ventricle (LVESD), the root of aorta (Ao) and left atrial (LA), while significant increase is observed between “juniors” and “adults” players in the interventricular septum (IVS), the posterior wall thicknesses (PWT) and LV mass index. ECG changes are also noted but NS differences were observed in studied parameters. For incremental maximal test, players demonstrate a significant increase in duration and total work between “schools” and “juniors” and, in total work only, between “juniors” and “seniors”. The SFT shows improvement in performance which ranged between 26.17±1.83 sec to 31.23±2.34 sec respectively from “seniors” to “schools”. The cross-sectional approach used to compare groups with prior hypothesis that there would be differences in exercise performance and cardiac parameters depending on duration of prior handball practice, leads to point out the early cardiac remodeling within the heart as adaptive change. Prevalence of cardiac chamber dilation with less hypertrophy remodeling was found from “schools” to “juniors” while a prevalence of cardiac hypertrophy with less pronounced chamber dilation remodeling was noted later.