Physical Activity Energy Expenditure of Adolescents in India

Physical activity (PA) has rarely been quantified in adolescent populations undergoing economic transition; therefore relationships with disease still remain uncertain. This study assessed whether absolute PA energy expenditure (PAEE), PAEE/kg, and PAEE/kg_FFM could be accurately estimated using accelerometry and a questionnaire in Indian adolescents and how these values compared to those of other populations. PAEE was assessed using doubly labeled water (DLW) in 30 adolescents from Chennai, India, over seven consecutive days, simultaneous with the measurement of PA using accelerometry and a previous‐week recall questionnaire. Accelerometry counts (regression analysis) and questionnaire data were used to estimate PAEE; estimates were cross‐validated using the Bland‐Altman method. Accelerometry data and DLW‐derived PAEE were visually compared to values from four North American and European populations. For boys, 49% of the variance in DLW‐derived PAEE was explained with an equation including accelerometry counts and fat‐free mass (FFM). Questionnaire‐derived estimates did not contribute to the explained variance in DLW derived PAEE. The group‐level PA of these Indian adolescents was successfully assessed using accelerometry, but not questionnaire. DLW‐derived PAEE/kg_FFM (mean (s.d.): 53.0 (27.5) kJ/kg_FFM/day) was lower in this group than other adolescent populations in Europe and similar to those in North America. Additionally, four boys and none of the girls accumulated ≥60 min/day of accelerometry‐derived moderate intensity activity, indicating low levels of PAEE and PA in these adolescents. Further research is necessary to investigate the association between PA and health outcomes in Indian adolescents.     

硫氧还蛋白抗体柱的制备

目的:探索硫氧还蛋白(Trx)抗体柱对Trx融合蛋白纯化的可行性。方法与结果:对含有Trx基因的质粒表达载体pTrxFus进行改造,在Trx读框之后加入6×His序列,并在大肠杆菌中表达C端带有6×His标签的Trx,经Ni2+柱亲和纯化后制备多克隆抗体;把经蛋白A纯化后的抗体偶联在溴化氰活化的琼脂糖凝胶上,制成Trx抗体柱;用此抗体柱纯化与Trx融合表达的豇豆胰蛋白酶抑制剂(CpTI),SDS-PAGE结果显示获得了纯度较高的Trx-CpTI。结论:用Trx抗体制成的免疫亲和层析柱可以有效纯化Trx融合蛋白。     

创伤患者急性肾功能损伤诊断与治疗

目的:探讨患者创伤后发生急性肾损伤的患者发病率、临床特点以及发病危险因素,以便有效预防和及早治疗。方法:回顾性分析我院重症监护室2004年1月至2010年12月收治的创伤患者相关临床资料,分析创伤后急性肾损伤的发病率以及发病危险因素。结果:共有106例患者纳入我们的研究,其中47例患者创伤后并发急性肾损伤。在发生急性肾损伤患者中,平均年龄为31±19岁,84.6%为男性;其中25例为脓毒血症引起,18例是因为低血压导致急性肾功能损伤。所有患者中,24例患者出现了少尿的症状,19例患者进行了透析治疗。腹部外伤[(OR)=3.66,P=0.027]和应用呋塞米[(OR=4.10,P=0.026)]是发生急性肾损伤的危险因素。结论:急性肾损伤时创伤后的严重并发症之一,死亡率高。只有找到创伤后发生急性肾损伤的危险因素,才能有效预防和及早治疗。     

中药夏枯草对人甲状腺癌细胞系SW579增殖周期及凋亡的影响

目的:探讨夏枯草对人甲状腺癌细胞系SW579细胞生长的抑制作用及其对细胞增殖周期和凋亡的影响。方法:采用甲基噻唑(MTT)比色法和生长曲线测定不同浓度夏枯草在不同作用时间内对在体外培养SW579细胞增殖的影响,同时应用流式细胞术检测细胞增殖周期及凋亡率的变化。结果:夏枯草可在G0/G1期阻滞人甲状腺癌细胞系SW579的增殖,使S期细胞比率降低;在一定范围内,夏枯草的浓度越高、作用时间越长,对肿瘤细胞生长的抑制作用越强,凋亡率也越高。结论:夏枯草能抑制人甲状腺癌细胞系SW579细胞生长,并诱导细胞凋亡而阻止细胞周期。     

Television viewing and incident cardiovascular disease: prospective associations and mediation analysis in the EPIC Norfolk Study

Background

Although television viewing time is detrimentally associated with intermediate cardiovascular risk factors, the relationship with incident total (i.e. combined fatal and non-fatal) cardiovascular disease (CVD), non-fatal CVD and coronary heart disease is largely unknown. This study examined whether television viewing time is associated with these three outcomes, independently of physical activity energy expenditure and other confounding variables.

Methodology/Principal Findings

A population-based cohort of 12,608 men and women (aged 61.4±9.0), free from stroke, myocardial infarction and cancer at baseline in 1998–2000 were followed up until 2007 (6.9±1.9 years). Participants self-reported education, smoking, alcohol use, antihypertensive, lipid lowering and antidepressant medication, disease history, total energy intake, sleep duration, physical activity and television viewing. BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and glycated haemoglobin (HbA_1c) were measured by standardized procedures; a clustered metabolic risk score was constructed. Every one hour/day increase in television viewing was associated with an increased hazard for total (HR = 1.06, 95%CI = 1.03–1.08; 2,620 cases), non-fatal CVD (HR = 1.06, 95%CI = 1.03–1.09; 2,134 cases), and coronary heart disease (HR = 1.08, 95%CI = 1.03–1.13; 940 cases), independent of gender, age, education, smoking, alcohol, medication, diabetes status, CVD family history, sleep duration and physical activity energy expenditure. Energy intake, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, HbA_1c and the clustered metabolic risk score only partially mediated these associations.

Conclusions

These results indicate that the most prevalent leisure time (sedentary) behaviour, television viewing, independently contributes to increased CVD risk. Recommendations on reducing television viewing time should be considered.     

Objectively measured physical activity and fat mass in children: a bias-adjusted meta-analysis of prospective studies

Background

Studies investigating the prevention of weight gain differ considerably in design and quality, which impedes pooling them in conventional meta-analyses, the basis for evidence-based policy making. This study is aimed at quantifying the prospective association between measured physical activity and fat mass in children, using a meta-analysis method that allows inclusion of heterogeneous studies by adjusting for differences through eliciting and incorporating expert opinion.

Methods

Studies on prevention of weight gain using objectively measured exposure and outcome were eligible; they were adopted from a recently published systematic review. Differences in study quality and design were considered as internal and external biases and captured in checklists. Study results were converted to correlation coefficients and biases were considered either additive or proportional on this scale. The extent and uncertainty of biases in each study were elicited in a formal process by six quantitatively-trained assessors and five subject-matter specialists. Biases for each study were combined across assessors using median pooling. Results were combined across studies by random-effects meta-analysis.

Results

The combined correlation of the unadjusted results from the six studies was −0.04 (95%CI: −0.22, 0.14) with considerable heterogeneity (I² = 78%), which makes it difficult to interpret the result. After bias-adjustment the pooled correlation was −0.01 (95%CI: −0.18, 0.16) with apparent study compatibility (I² = 0%).

Conclusion

By using this method the prospective association between physical activity and fat mass could be quantitatively synthesized; the result suggests no association. Objectively measured physical activity may not be the key determinant of unhealthy weight gain in children.     

FLUORESCENCE EMISSION SPECTRA OF MARINE AND BRACKISH‐WATER ECOTYPES OF FUCUS VESICULOSUS AND FUCUS RADICANS (PHAEOPHYCEAE) REVEAL DIFFERENCES IN LIGHT‐HARVESTING APPARATUS1

The Bothnian Sea in the northerly part of the Baltic Sea is a geologically recent brackish‐water environment, and rapid speciation is occurring in the algal community of the Bothnian Sea. We measured low‐temperature fluorescence emission spectra from the Bothnian Sea and the Norwegian Sea ecotypes of Fucus vesiculosus L., a marine macroalga widespread in the Bothnian Sea. Powdered, frozen thallus was used to obtain undistorted emission spectra. The spectra were compared with spectra measured from the newly identified species Fucus radicans Bergström et L. Kautsky, which is a close relative of F. vesiculosus and endemic to the Bothnian Sea. The spectrum of variable fluorescence was used to identify fluorescence peaks originating in PSI and PSII in this chl c–containing alga. The spectra revealed much higher PSII emission, compared to PSI emission, in the Bothnian Sea ecotype of F. vesiculosus than in F. radicans or in the Norwegian Sea ecotype of F. vesiculosus. The results suggest that more light‐harvesting chl a/c proteins serve PSII in the Bothnian Sea ecotype of F. vesiculosus than in the two other algal strains. Treatment of the Bothnian Sea ecotype of F. vesiculosus in high salinity (10, 20, and 35 practical salinity units) for 1 week did not lead to spectral changes, indicating that the measured features of the Bothnian Sea F. vesiculosus are stable and not simply a direct result of exposure to low salinity.     

Is the ArteACC Index a Valid Indicator of Free‐Living Physical Activity in Adolescents?

Objective: The principal aim of this study was to validate a proposed new index of physical activity, the activity‐related time equivalent based on accelerometry (ArteACC), in adolescents. A secondary aim was to develop regression equations for prediction of total energy expenditure (TEE) and activity energy expenditure [AEE = 0.9 × TEE ? resting metabolic rate (RMR)]. Research Methods and Procedures: RMR and energy expenditure (EE) under standardized exercises were measured by indirect calorimetry in 36 adolescents (14 to 19 years old). TEE was measured by the doubly labeled water method, and physical activity was assessed simultaneously with an accelerometer for 14 days. AEE, AEE in relation to body weight (AEE per kilogram), and activity‐related time equivalent based on energy expenditure (ArteEE = AEE/[EE reference activity ? RMR]) were calculated from laboratory and free‐living EE data. ArteACC was calculated as total activity counts/activity counts of reference activity. Results: ArteACC was significantly related to AEE per kilogram (r = 0.57; p < 0.0001) and ArteEE (r = 0.68; p < 0.001). The absolute amount of time (minutes per day) spent in physical activity was significantly lower when calculated from ArteACC than from ArteEE (p < 0.001). TEE was significantly influenced by RMR, sex, and ArteACC (r² = 0.89). AEE was significantly influenced by sex and ArteACC (r² = 0.59). Discussion: Despite an absolute difference between the two indexes, ArteEE and ArteACC, ArteACC seems to be a valid indicator of free‐living physical activity. It contributed significantly, by 3.3% and 12.5%, to the explained variations in TEE and AEE, respectively.