Background
Diet is a major determinant of obesity; however, findings from the studies examining how dieting to lose weight affects weight gain have been inconclusive.
Purpose
Our aim was to examine ...the longitudinal association of frequency of dieting for weight loss with (a) obesity status and (b) body mass index (BMI) change.
Methods
We used data from Waves 9 (2009) and 10 (2010) of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. Binominal logistic regression estimated the association of frequency of dieting in 2009 on probability of obesity in 2010. Multinomial logistic regression estimated the association of frequency of dieting in 2009 on the probability of BMI gain versus BMI maintenance and BMI loss between 2009 and 2010. The analysis sample size was 8824.
Results
Compared to those who were never on a diet in the previous year, the odds of obesity were 1.9, 2.9, and 3.2 times higher among those who were on a diet once, more than once, and always, respectively. Similarly, the odds of BMI gain versus BMI maintenance and also versus BMI loss were higher among those who dieted than those who did not.
Conclusions
Dieting to lose weight can contribute to the risk of future obesity and weight gain. Losing weight requires a commitment to change one’s lifestyle and a sustained effort to maintain a healthy diet and engage in physical activity.
In the dipteran Drosophila, the genes bicoid and hunchback work synergistically to pattern the anterior blastoderm during embryogenesis. bicoid, however, appears to be an innovation of the higher ...Diptera. Hence, in some non-dipteran insects, anterior specification instead relies on a synergistic interaction between maternally transcribed hunchback and orthodenticle. Here we describe how orthologues of hunchback and orthodenticle are expressed during oogenesis and embryogenesis in the parthenogenetic and viviparous form of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. A. pisum hunchback (Aphb) mRNA is localized to the anterior pole in developing oocytes and early embryos prior to blastoderm formation - a pattern strongly reminiscent of bicoid localization in Drosophila. A. pisum orthodenticle (Apotd), on the other hand, is not expressed prior to gastrulation, suggesting that it is the asymmetric localization of Aphb, rather than synergy between Aphb and Apotd, that regulates anterior specification in asexual pea aphids.
The prognostic value of adnexal findings in chronic GVHD (cGVHD) has not been investigated in children. Dermatologic examinations were performed in a severe cohort of 11 children with skin cGVHD seen ...over a 2-year period. Findings were compared with 25 additional patients with skin cGVHD and 97 control patients. In 36 patients with skin cGVHD, nail dystrophy was present in 45% of patients, and was significantly associated with sclerotic disease and lung cGVHD. Pterygium inversum unguis (PIU) was associated with severe lung disease, with significantly lower % predicted FVC and FEV1 in those with PIU than those without. Forty-four percent of GVHD patients had preceding peripheral edema and 56% had preceding peripheral eosinophilia. Peripheral edema and eosinophilia were significantly associated with sclerotic cGVHD and persisted until the diagnosis of cGVHD in all patients. Comparison of data with control patients showed that incidence of nail dystrophy, incidence of peripheral edema and mean peak peripheral eosinophil count of patients with skin cGVHD was significantly higher than those without cGVHD. This study suggests that nail dystrophy, persistent peripheral edema and persistent peripheral eosinophilia are harbingers of severe cGVHD of the skin in children. The presence of PIU may be a harbinger of severe lung involvement.
Prenatal growth, which is widely marked by birthweight, may have a pivotal role in affecting the lifelong risk of cardiometabolic disorders; however, comprehensive evaluation of its relations with ...childhood cardiometabolic risk patterns and the ethnic and gender disparities in national representative populations is still lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between birthweight and comprehensive patterns of cardiometabolic risk in a nationally representative sample of children and adolescents.
Prospective analyses were performed using data from 28 153 children 0 to 15 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 through 2014. We defined childhood cardiometabolic disorders using standard definitions for obesity, high blood pressure, hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia.
Five birthweight categories <2.5, 2.5-3.0, 3.0-3.5, 3.5-4.2 and ⩾4.2 kg accounted for 8.2%, 17.9%, 35.7%, 27.9% and 10.4% of the population, respectively. In all children, with increasing birthweight, we observed significantly increasing trends of the risk of general and central obesity (P for trend <0.01) and significantly decreasing trends of the risk of high systolic blood pressure (SBP), high HbA1c and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (P for trend <0.05). The associations were independent of current body mass index (BMI). In addition, we found that the relations of birthweight with high waist circumference in Black children showed U-shape, as well as high SBP in Mexican and Hispanic children. Moreover, we found that the associations of low birthweight with high SBP and low HDL-C appeared to more prominent significant in boys, whereas the inverse association with high HbA1c was more evident in girls.
Our data indicate that birthweight is significantly related to childhood cardiometabolic risk, independent of current BMI, and the associations exhibit race and gender-specific patterns.
Background Pediatric and young adult nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is rare and traditionally associated with predisposing heritable or congenital conditions. Clinical characteristics, outcomes, and ...iatrogenic risk factors have not been well described. Objectives We sought to characterize clinical features, potential risk factors, and gaps in care associated with NMSC in children and young adults. Methods This was a retrospective chart review of children and young adults with squamous and basal cell carcinoma. Results We identified 28 patients with a total of 182 NMSC tumors. Of patients, 50% had predisposing conditions, and 46% had exposure to iatrogenic risk factors of prolonged immunosuppression, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, voriconazole use, or a combination of these. Of patients with iatrogenic risk factors, 62% developed subsequent cancerous or precancerous skin lesions. No patient was found to have chemotherapy or voriconazole exposure as a sole risk factor. Mean time to diagnosis of NMSC was 948 days with initial misdiagnosis in 36% of patients. The majority of patients underwent surgical excision. Limitations This was a retrospective single institution study with a small number of cases. Conclusions Physicians should be aware of risk factors associated with NMSC in children and young adults to provide appropriate counseling and early diagnosis and treatment.
IntroductionAcute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of sepsis associated with increased risk of death. Preclinical data and observational human studies suggest that activation of ...AMP-activated protein kinase, an ubiquitous master regulator of energy that can limit mitochondrial injury, with metformin may protect against sepsis-associated AKI (SA-AKI) and mortality. The Randomized Clinical Trial of the Safety and FeasibiLity of Metformin as a Treatment for sepsis-associated AKI (LiMiT AKI) aims to evaluate the safety and feasibility of enteral metformin in patients with sepsis at risk of developing SA-AKI.Methods and analysisBlind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial in a single-centre, quaternary teaching hospital in the USA. We will enrol adult patients (18 years of age or older) within 48 hours of meeting Sepsis-3 criteria, admitted to intensive care unit, with oral or enteral access. Patients will be randomised 1:1:1 to low-dose metformin (500 mg two times per day), high-dose metformin (1000 mg two times per day) or placebo for 5 days. Primary safety outcome will be the proportion of metformin-associated serious adverse events. Feasibility assessment will be based on acceptability by patients and clinicians, and by enrolment rate.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board. All patients or surrogates will provide written consent prior to enrolment and any study intervention. Metformin is a widely available, inexpensive medication with a long track record for safety, which if effective would be accessible and easy to deploy. We describe the study methods using the Standard Protocol Items for Randomized Trials framework and discuss key design features and methodological decisions. LiMiT AKI will investigate the feasibility and safety of metformin in critically ill patients with sepsis at risk of SA-AKI, in preparation for a future large-scale efficacy study. Main results will be published as soon as available after final analysis.Trial registration numberNCT05900284.
Background
Percutaneous catheter ablation (CA) to achieve pulmonary vein isolation is an effective treatment for drug‐refractory paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). However, ...recurrence rates after a single AF ablation procedure remain elevated. Conventional management after CA ablation has mostly been based on clinical AF recurrence. However, continuous recordings with insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs) and patient‐triggered mobile app transmissions post‐CA can now be used to detect early recurrences of subclinical AF (SCAF). We hypothesize that early intervention following CA based on personalized ICM data can prevent the substrate progression that promotes the onset and maintenance of atrial arrhythmias.
Methods
This is a randomized, double‐blind (to SCAF data), single‐tertiary center clinical trial in which 120 patients with drug‐refractory paroxysmal or persistent AF are planned to undergo CA with an ICM. Randomization will be to an intervention arm (n = 60) consisting of ICM‐guided early intervention based on SCAF and patient‐triggered mobile app transmissions versus a control arm (n = 60) consisting of a standard intervention protocol based on clinical AF recurrence validated by the ICM. Primary endpoint is AF burden, which will be assessed from ICMs at 15 months post‐AF ablation. Secondary endpoints include healthcare utilization, functional capacity, and quality of life.
Conclusion
We believe that ICM‐guided early intervention will provide a novel, personalized approach to post‐AF ablation management that will result in a significant reduction in AF burden, healthcare utilization, and improvements in functional capacity and quality of life.
This is a randomized, double‐blind, single‐tertiary center clinical trial in which 120 patients with drug‐refractory paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) are planned to undergo catheter ablation with an insertable cardiac monitor (ICM). Randomization will be to an intervention arm (n = 60) consisting of ICM‐guided early intervention based on subclinical AF and patient‐triggered mobile app transmissions versus a control arm (n = 60) consisting of a standard intervention protocol based on clinical AF recurrence validated by the ICM. We believe that ICM‐guided early intervention will provide a novel, personalized approach to post‐AF ablation management that will result in a significant reduction in AF burden, healthcare utilization, and improvements in functional capacity and quality of life.
The enhancement of the thermal conductivity of ethylene glycol in the presence of copper oxide (CuO) is investigated. CuO nanofluids are prepared in a two‐step method. No surfactant is employed as a ...dispersant. The volume fraction of CuO nanoparticles suspended in ethylene glycol liquid is below 5 vol.‐%. The crystalline phases of the CuO powders are measured with x‐ray diffraction patterns (XRD). CuO nanoparticles are examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to determine their microstructure. The thermal conductivities of the CuO suspensions are measured by a modified transient hot wire method. The viscosity was measured with a viscosity instrument. The results show that CuO nanofluids with low concentrations of nanoparticles have considerably higher thermal conductivities than the identical ethylene glycol base liquids without solid nanoparticles. The thermal conductivity ratio improvement for CuO nanofluids is approximately linear with the volume fraction of nanoparticles. For CuO nanoparticles at a volume fraction of 0.05 (5 vol‐.%) thermal conductivity was enhanced by up to 22.4 %. CuO nanofluids thus have good potential for effective heat transfer applications.
The enhancement of the thermal conductivity of ethylene glycol in the presence of copper oxide is investigated. CuO nanofluids are prepared in a two‐step method with no surfactant employed as a dispersant. CuO nanofluids with low concentrations of nanoparticles had considerably higher thermal conductivities than the pure base liquid, and, therefore, have good potential for effective heat transfer applications.
Prodrug-activator gene therapy with Toca 511, a tumor-selective retroviral replicating vector (RRV) encoding yeast cytosine deaminase, is being evaluated in recurrent high-grade glioma patients. ...Nonlytic retroviral infection leads to permanent integration of RRV into the cancer cell genome, converting infected cancer cell and progeny into stable vector producer cells, enabling ongoing transduction and viral persistence within tumors. Cytosine deaminase in infected tumor cells converts the antifungal prodrug 5-fluorocytosine into the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil, mediating local tumor destruction without significant systemic adverse effects.
Here we investigated mechanisms underlying the therapeutic efficacy of this approach in orthotopic brain tumor models, employing both human glioma xenografts in immunodeficient hosts and syngeneic murine gliomas in immunocompetent hosts.
In both models, a single injection of replicating vector followed by prodrug administration achieved long-term survival benefit. In the immunodeficient model, tumors recurred repeatedly, but bioluminescence imaging of tumors enabled tailored scheduling of multicycle prodrug administration, continued control of disease burden, and long-term survival. In the immunocompetent model, complete loss of tumor signal was observed after only 1-2 cycles of prodrug, followed by long-term survival without recurrence for >300 days despite discontinuation of prodrug. Long-term survivors rejected challenge with uninfected glioma cells, indicating immunological responses against native tumor antigens, and immune cell depletion showed a critical role for CD4+ T cells.
These results support dual mechanisms of action contributing to the efficacy of RRV-mediated prodrug-activator gene therapy: long-term tumor control by prodrug conversion-mediated cytoreduction, and induction of antitumor immunity.
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