A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Clinic and Home‐Based Behavioral Intervention to Decrease Obesity in Preschoolers

We evaluated the efficacy of a 6‐month clinic and home‐based behavioral intervention (Learning about Activity and Understanding Nutrition for Child Health; LAUNCH) to reduce obesity in preschool children ≥95th BMI percentile compared to enhanced standard of care (Pediatrician Counseling; PC). LAUNCH was a family‐based behavioral intervention that taught parents to use child behavior management strategies to increase healthy eating and activity for their children and themselves. PC presented the same diet and activity recommendations, but was delivered in a one‐time PC session. Eighteen children aged 2–5 years (mean 4.71 ± 1.01) with an average BMI percentile of 98 (±1.60) and an overweight parent were randomized to LAUNCH or PC. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 6 months (end of LAUNCH treatment) and 12 months (6 months following LAUNCH treatment). LAUNCH showed a significantly greater decrease on the primary outcomes of child at month 6 (post‐treatment) BMI z (?0.59 ± 0.17), BMI percentile (?2.4 ± 1.0), and weight gain (?2.7 kg ± 1.2) than PC and this difference was maintained at follow‐up (month 12). LAUNCH parents also had a significantly greater weight loss (?5.5 kg ± 0.9) at month 6 and 12 (?8.0 kg ± 3.5) than PC parents. Based on the data from this small sample, an intensive intervention that includes child behavior management strategies to improve healthy eating and activity appears more promising in reducing preschool obesity than a low intensity intervention that is typical of treatment that could be delivered in primary care.     

Patterns of early succession on bare peat in a Swiss mire after a bog burst

Questions: How does plant diversity (species richness, species abundance and rate of change) evolve in early succession on bare peat? Does succession converge towards one equilibrium stage or end up in several stages? Is there a regular pattern in succession velocity? Location: A mire in the calcareous Jura Mountains of northwest Switzerland. Method: Twenty‐one 1‐m² permanent plots on bare peat were used to monitor temporal stages over a 21‐year period (1988 to 2008) in a Swiss mire where a slide occurred in 1987. Species diversity and life forms were analysed based on Shannon's equitability index and cover. We used classification and metric ordination techniques to investigate patterns of successional rates and trends. The high temporal resolution of the survey allowed the pattern of succession velocity to be analysed. Results: Species richness increased continuously over the 21 years of succession. The highest cover throughout the study period was the life form sedge. Time trajectories of the 21 plots revealed three alternative pathways towards intermediate equilibrium stages in the first years, still not converging in the later stages. Changes in succession velocity reached a first maximum about 6 years after the slide had occurred and a second maximum 12 years later.     

Scale-Up of Mammalian Cell Culture using a New Multilayered Flask

A growing number of cell-based applications require large numbers of cells. Usage of single layer T-flasks, that are adequate during small-scale expansion, may become cumbersome, laborious and time-consuming when large numbers of cells are required. To address this need, the performance of a new multi-layered cell culture vessel to facilitate easy scale up of cells from single layered T-flasks will be discussed. The flasks tested are available in 3- and 5-layer format and enable culture and complete recovery of three and five times the number of cells respectively, compared to T-175 flasks. A key feature of the BD Multi-Flask is a mix/equilibration port that allows rapid in-vessel mixing as well as uniform distribution of cells and reagents within and between layers of each vessel and consistently produce cells that can be cultured in an environment that is congruent to T-175 flasks.The design of these Multi-Flasks also allows for convenient pipette access for adding reagents and cells directly into the flasks as well as efficient recovery of valuable cells and reagents and reduces risk of contamination due to pouring. For applications where pouring is preferred over pipetting, the design allows for minimal residual liquid retention so as to reduce wastage of valuable cells and reagents.     

Association of Total and Central Adiposity Measures with Fasting Insulin in a Biracial Population of Young Adults with Normal Glucose Tolerance: the CARDIA Study

SIDNEY, STEPHEN, CORA E. LEWIS, JAMES O. HILL, CHARLES P. QUESENBERRY, JR, ELIZABETH R. STAMM, ANN SCHERZINGER, KIMBERLY TOLAN, AND BRUCE ETTINGER. Association of total and central adiposity measures with fasting insulin in a biracial population of young adults with normal glucose tolerance: the CARDIA study. Obes Res. Objective: To determine the association of computed tomography (CT)-measured visceral adipose tissue (AT) and other measures of adiposity with fasting insulin in a biracial (African American and Caucasian) study population of young adults. Research Methods and Procedures: The study population consisted of 251 young adults with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), ages 28–40 years, who were volunteers from the Birmingham, Alabama, and Oakland, California centers of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. Results: In regression models with total adiposity measures (body mass index or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-measured percent fat), visceral AT (measured as a cross-sectional area in cm²) was generally a stronger predictor of insulin than overall adiposity in all race/gender groups (partial correlation coefficients ranging from 0. 31 to 0. 47) except for black men, in whom the associations were nonsignificant. Partial correlation coefficients between waist circumference and insulin, controlling for percent fat, were nearly identical to those between visceral AT and insulin in women and in white men. Analyses performed on 2060 NGT CARDIA subjects who were not in this study of visceral AT showed significant correlations of waist circumference with insulin in all racelgender groups, including black men, and that black men in the visceral AT study group were significantly leaner than other black male CARDIA subjects. Discussion: We conclude that visceral AT was associated with fasting insulin in NGT participants in three of the four race/gender groups (black men excepted) and that waist circumference was a good surrogate for visceral AT in examining associations of central adiposity with fasting insulin.     

Genetic linkage of hyper-IgE syndrome to chromosome 4.

The hyper-IgE syndrome (HIES) is a rare primary immunodeficiency characterized by recurrent skin abscesses, pneumonia, and highly elevated levels of serum IgE. HIES is now recognized as a multisystem disorder, with nonimmunologic abnormalities of the dentition, bones, and connective tissue. HIES can be transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait with variable expressivity. Nineteen kindreds with multiple cases of HIES were scored for clinical and laboratory findings and were genotyped with polymorphic markers in a candidate region on human chromosome 4. Linkage analysis showed a maximum two-point LOD score of 3.61 at recombination fraction of 0 with marker D4S428. Multipoint analysis and simulation testing confirmed that the proximal 4q region contains a disease locus for HIES.