To characterise the nutritional status in children with obesity or wasting conditions, European anthropometric reference values for body composition measures beyond the body mass index (BMI) are ...needed. Differentiated assessment of body composition in children has long been hampered by the lack of appropriate references.
The aim of our study is to provide percentiles for body composition indices in normal weight European children, based on the IDEFICS cohort (Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health Effects in Children and infantS).
Overall 18,745 2.0-10.9-year-old children from eight countries participated in the study. Children classified as overweight/obese or underweight according to IOTF (N=5915) were excluded from the analysis. Anthropometric measurements (BMI (N=12 830); triceps, subscapular, fat mass and fat mass index (N=11,845-11,901); biceps, suprailiac skinfolds, sum of skinfolds calculated from skinfold thicknesses (N=8129-8205), neck circumference (N=12,241); waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio (N=12,381)) were analysed stratified by sex and smoothed 1st, 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, 97th and 99th percentile curves were calculated using GAMLSS.
Percentile values of the most important anthropometric measures related to the degree of adiposity are depicted for European girls and boys. Age- and sex-specific differences were investigated for all measures. As an example, the 50th and 99th percentile values of waist circumference ranged from 50.7-59.2 cm and from 51.3-58.7 cm in 4.5- to <5.0-year-old girls and boys, respectively, to 60.6-74.5 cm in girls and to 59.9-76.7 cm in boys at the age of 10.5-10.9 years.
The presented percentile curves may aid a differentiated assessment of total and abdominal adiposity in European children.
Pertechnetate anion sorption was investigated on modified bentonites. Mn-, Cr-, Sn-bentonites were prepared by ion exchange process to sorb radioactive pertechnetate ions. In the case of Mn-, ...Cr-bentonite the sorb amount of metal ion was 70–90% of the cation exchange capacity of the bentonite which is expected. Interestingly in the case of Sn-bentonite this amount was 1.42 times higher than the cation exchange capacity. On Mn-bentonite the sorption was 35% at pH 5. The removal of pertechnetate ions was 100% on Cr-, Sn-bentonites and the significant sorption was achieved below 650 mV/SHE.
Hungary has become a popular destination for foreign patients in the last two decades, particularly in dental care. Since 2008, increasing prices in Western Europe coupled with Hungary's ...accessibility and availability of dental treatment, has meant the country has become a leader in 'dental tourism'. As the quality of care in Hungary is high and prices are more affordable than in Western Europe, and due to the freedom of movement of people, services and goods within the EU, patient flow into Hungary has increased progressively.
The aim of this article is to provide comprehensive empirical evidence from the perspective of a recipient country in dental tourism.
A questionnaire survey was conducted among Hungarian dentists (n = 273). Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with representatives of dental professional bodies (n = 10). Both research methods aimed to elicit dentists' views on the presence of dental tourism - particularly the push and pull factors (for example, source countries, competitors, information sources, patient motivation).
The findings show that there are several reasons why Hungary could maintain a leading position in dental tourism. First, the cost/benefit ratio is outstanding. The affordable price and value for money were already recognised in the early 1990s and were appreciated even before Hungary joined the EU. Secondly, the high quality of Hungary's dental profession: a) dental professionals in Hungary are well-qualified dental practitioners who have received high level dental training; b) dental professional standards are up-to-date and often supervised; c) in Hungary dental technology, the quality of materials and equipment used in dental practices is of European level quality. The rate of complications in dental care is around 5%, similar to other European countries. Finally, previous treatment experiences are positive and patient satisfaction levels are high. More and more patients seek care in Hungary, and more and more patients state that they would be willing to return for further treatment in the future.
Abstract
Although observations of high-redshift quasars demonstrate that many supermassive black holes (BHs) reached large masses within one billion years after the Big Bang, the origin of the first ...BHs is still a mystery. A promising way to constrain the origin of the first BHs is to explore the average properties of
z
≳ 6 BHs. However, typical BHs remain hidden from X-ray surveys, which is due to their relatively faint nature and the limited sensitivity of X-ray telescopes. Gravitational lensing provides an attractive way to study this unique galaxy population as it magnifies the faint light from these high-redshift galaxies. Here, we study the X-ray emission originating from 155 gravitationally lensed
z
≳ 6 galaxies that were detected in the Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey. We utilize Chandra X-ray observations to search for active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the individual galaxies and in the stacked galaxy samples. We did not identify an individual X-ray source that was undoubtedly associated with a high-redshift galaxy. We stack the signal from all galaxies and do not find a statistically significant detection. We split our sample based on stellar mass, star formation rate, and lensing magnification and stack these subsamples. We obtain a 2.2
σ
detection for massive galaxies with an X-ray luminosity of (3.7 ± 1.6) × 10
42
erg s
−1
, which corresponds to a (3.0 ± 1.3) × 10
5
M
⊙
BH accreting at its Eddington rate. Other stacks remain undetected and we place upper limits on the AGN emission. These limits imply that the bulk of BHs at
z
≳ 6 either accrete at a few percent of their Eddington rate and/or are 1–2 orders of magnitude less massive than expected based on the stellar mass of their host galaxy.
The relatively low long-term survival rate of lung transplant recipients as compared to other organ recipients serves as an impetus to identify potential lung dysfunction as early as possible. There ...is an association between donor heavy alcohol use and acute lung injury in the lung allograft after transplant, known as primary graft dysfunction. Excessive alcohol use (EAU) can induce pulmonary immune dysregulation in response to an infection. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an important component of the innate immune response to pulmonary infections, but the impact of EAU on AMPs in the allograft lung has not been evaluated. Our hypothesis is that specific lung AMPs, LL-37, α-defensin-1,2,3, and β-defensin-2, are dysregulated in the lungs from organ donors who had EAU. In this prospective observational investigation, we measured AMPs via ELISA and inflammatory cytokines via multiplex bead array, in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of lung allograft donors, comparing results based on their alcohol consumption. LL-37 levels in lung donors with EAU were found to be increased compared to nondrinker (ND) donors median 7.7 ng/mL (IQR 4.1–37.0) vs. 2.3 ng/mL (IQR 1.1–7.9), p = 0.004, whereas α-defensins-1,2,3 were decreased only in the presence of an infection in donors with EAU compared to ND donors median 2.2 ng/mL (IQR 1.6–2.4) vs. 3.2 ng/mL (IQR 2.3–3.8), p = 0.049. There was no difference in β-defensin-2 levels. Gene expression levels of these AMPs were not different. Elevated levels of CXCL8 were noted in bronchial washings of donors with EAU compared to ND donors, median 4372 pg/mL (IQR 3352–13180) vs. 867.3 pg/mL (IQR 163.6–3675), p = 0.04, suggesting a potentially heightened inflammatory response. At 1 month post-transplant, LL-37 and CXCL8 levels are decreased compared to levels at time of transplant. In lung donors with EAU, LL-37 and α-defensins-1,2,3 dysregulated levels in the presence of an infection may be a harbinger of dysfunction of the lungs through the transplant process.
•There are increased levels of LL-37 in lungs from donors with excessive alcohol consumption.•Decreased levels of α-defensins-1,2,3 are seen in donor lungs with excessive alcohol consumption and infection.•CXCL8 is elevated in lung donors with excessive alcohol consumption and infection.•Not all lung antimicrobial peptides are dysregulated by excessive alcohol exposure in lung donors.•Altered antimicrobial peptides and cytokine levels normalized by 1 month following transplant.
Abstract
It is well established that brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), residing in the centers of galaxy clusters, are typically massive and quenched galaxies with cD or elliptical morphology. An ...optical survey suggested that an exotic galaxy population, superluminous spiral and lenticular galaxies, could be the BCGs of some galaxy clusters. Because the cluster membership and the centroid of a cluster cannot be accurately determined based solely on optical data, we followed up a sample of superluminous disk galaxies and their environments using XMM-Newton X-ray observations. Specifically, we explored seven superluminous spiral and lenticular galaxies that are candidate BCGs. We detected massive galaxy clusters around five superluminous disk galaxies and established that one superluminous spiral, 2MASX J16273931+3002239, is the central BCG of a galaxy cluster. The temperature and total mass of the cluster are
kT
500
=
3.55
−
0.20
+
0.18
keV and
M
500
= (2.39 ± 0.19) × 10
14
M
⊙
. We identified the central galaxies of the four clusters that do not host superluminous disk galaxies at their cores, and established that the centrals are massive elliptical galaxies. However, for two of the clusters, the offset superluminous spirals are brighter than the central galaxies, implying that the superluminous disk galaxies are the
brightest
cluster galaxies. Our results demonstrate that superluminous disk galaxies are rarely the central systems of galaxy clusters. This is likely because galactic disks are destroyed by major mergers, which are more frequent in high-density environments. We speculate that the disks of superluminous disk galaxies in cluster cores may have been reformed due to mergers with gas-rich satellites.
Aging and innate immune cells Plackett, Timothy P.; Boehmer, Eric D.; Faunce, Douglas E. ...
Journal of leukocyte biology,
August 2004, Volume:
76, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The innate immune system serves an important role in preventing microbial invasion. However, it experiences significant changes with advancing age. Among the age‐associated changes are: Aged ...macrophages and neutrophils have impaired respiratory burst and reactive nitrogen intermediates as a result of altered intracellular signaling, rendering them less able to destroy bacteria. Aged neutrophils are also less able to respond to rescue from apoptosis. Aged dendritic cells (DC) are less able to stimulate T and B cells. The altered T cell stimulation is a result of changes in human leukocyte antigen expression and cytokine production, and lower B cell stimulation is a result of changes in DC immune complex binding. Natural killer (NK) cells from the elderly are less capable of destroying tumor cells. NK T cells increase in number and have greater interleukin‐4 production with age. Levels of various complement components are also altered with advancing age.
Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between proxy-reported energy intake, daily food intake and energy density of foods and body mass index (BMI)
z
-score in ...2–9-year-old European children.
Methods
From 16,225 children who participated in the identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants (IDEFICS) baseline examination, 9,782 children with 24-h proxy dietary information and complete covariate information were included in the analysis. Participating children were classified according to adapted Goldberg cutoffs: underreports, plausible energy reports and overreports. Energy intake, daily food intake and energy density of foods excluding noncaloric beverages were calculated for all eating occasions. Effect of energy intake, daily food intake and energy density of foods on BMI
z
-score was investigated using multilevel regression models in the full sample and subsample of plausible energy reports. Exposure variables were included separately; daily food intake and energy intake were addressed in a combined model to check for interactions.
Results
In the group of plausible energy reports (
N
= 8,544), energy intake and daily food intake were significantly positively associated with BMI
z
-score. Energy density of foods was not associated with BMI
z
-score. In the model including energy intake, food intake and an interaction term, only energy intake showed a significantly positive effect on BMI
z
-score. In the full sample (
N
= 9,782), only energy intake was significantly but negatively associated with BMI
z
-score.
Conclusion
Proxy-reporters are subject to misreporting, especially for children in the higher BMI levels. Energy intake is a more important predictor of unhealthy weight development in children than daily food intake.
The protein shell of the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) provides a robust and practical tubelike scaffold for the preparation of nanoscale materials. To expand the range of applications for which the ...capsid can be used, two synthetic strategies have been developed for the attachment of new functionality to either the exterior or the interior surface of the virus. The first of these is accomplished using a highly efficient diazonium coupling/oxime formation sequence, which installs >2000 copies of a material component on the capsid exterior. Alternatively, the inner cavity of the tube can be modified by attaching amines to glutamic acid side chains through a carbodiimide coupling reaction. Both of these reactions have been demonstrated for a series of substrates, including biotin, chromophores, and crown ethers. Through the attachment of PEG polymers to the capsid exterior, organic-soluble TMV rods have been prepared. Finally, the orthogonality of these reactions has been demonstrated by installing different functional groups on the exterior and interior surfaces of the same capsid assemblies.
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