To treat or not to treat: comparison of different criteria used to determine whether weight loss is to be recommended

Background  

Excess body fat is a major risk factor for disease primarily due to its endocrine activity. In recent years several criteria have been introduced to evaluate this factor. Nevertheless, treatment need is currently assessed only on the basis of an individual's Body Mass Index (BMI), calculated as body weight (in kg) divided by height in m². The aim of our study was to determine whether application of the BMI, compared to adiposity-based criteria, results in underestimation of the number of subjects needing lifestyle intervention.     

Relation between depressive symptoms and stressful life events in a sample of disadvantaged mothers.

The bidirectional relation between life events and self-reported depression was examined across a 1-year period. With Time 1 depression controlled, Time 2 stress accounted for an additional 10% of Time 2 depressive symptoms. Health-related stress, family violence, and financial stress at Time 2 predicted Time 2 depression after control for Time 1 depression. With Time 1 stress controlled, Time 2 depression accounted for 8% of the variance in Time 2 stress. Time 2 depression predicted Time 2 health-related stress, financial stress, household changes, spouse–partner stress, family violence stress, and substance abuse stress, controlling for each of these stressors at Time 1. The results describe a complex relation between stress and depression and suggest that the relation between stress and depression is moderated by the type of stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Optical properties of high-density dispersions of particles: application to intralipid solutions

We propose to study the scattering properties of dense distributions of spherical scatterers by resorting to an iterative solution of the Foldy-Twersky equation for the propagation of the coherent field. As a result of the first step of the iterative procedure, the host medium is substituted by an effective medium of complex refractive index to account for the multiple-scattering processes that occur among the particles. Although we truncate the above-mentioned iterative procedure to the second step, the results of our calculations are in excellent agreement with previous experimental results of Zaccanti et al. ("Measurement of optical properties of high-density media," to be published in Applied Optics) for the scattering coefficient of Intralipid solutions up to a volume density of 15% and show a limited disagreement at a volume density of 22%.     

UV Radiation and the Skin

UV radiation (UV) is classified as a “complete carcinogen” because it is both a mutagen and a non-specific damaging agent and has properties of both a tumor initiator and a tumor promoter. In environmental abundance, UV is the most important modifiable risk factor for skin cancer and many other environmentally-influenced skin disorders. However, UV also benefits human health by mediating natural synthesis of vitamin D and endorphins in the skin, therefore UV has complex and mixed effects on human health. Nonetheless, excessive exposure to UV carries profound health risks, including atrophy, pigmentary changes, wrinkling and malignancy. UV is epidemiologically and molecularly linked to the three most common types of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma, which together affect more than a million Americans annually. Genetic factors also influence risk of UV-mediated skin disease. Polymorphisms of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene, in particular, correlate with fairness of skin, UV sensitivity, and enhanced cancer risk. We are interested in developing UV-protective approaches based on a detailed understanding of molecular events that occur after UV exposure, focusing particularly on epidermal melanization and the role of the MC1R in genome maintenance.     

Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial activity of conjugates based on fluoroquinolon-type antibiotics and gelatin

Different fluoroquinolon-type antibiotics were conjugated to gelatin with the aim to synthesize biomacromolecules with antimicrobial properties. The covalent linkage of the antibiotic was performed by a radical process involving the residues in the side chains of gelatin able to undergo oxidative modifications. The conjugation of antibiotic moieties onto the protein structure was confirmed by FT-IR, UV–Vis, fluorescence, and calorimetric analyses. Biocompatibility tests were performed on human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells and the antibacterial properties of bioactive polymers were investigated by appropriate tests against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. With regard to the tests conducted in the presence of E. coli, a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 0.05 to 0.40 μg mL^?1 was recorded, while in the presence of K. pneumoniae this concentration varies from 0.10 to 1.60 μg mL^?1. In all the conjugates, the drug moieties retain their biological activity and the MIC values are lower than the resistance parameters of fluoroquinolon-type antibiotics versus Enterobacteriacae. The collected data suggest a broad range of applications, from biomedical to pharmaceutical and food science for all conjugates.     

Adult attachment classification and self-reported psychiatric symptomatology as assessed by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory--2.

This study examined differences in self-reported psychiatric symptomatology on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 according to adult attachment status on the Adult Attachment Interview in first-time mothers from a high-risk poverty sample. Participants reported fairly high levels of symptomatology regardless of attachment status. The dismissing adult attachment group reported comparatively little psychiatric distress, emphasized independence, and scored the lowest on self-reported anxiety. The preoccupied group was highest on a range of indices of psychiatric symptoms indicative of self-perceived distress and relationship problems. The autonomous group's scores ranged between the scores of the other 2 groups on most scales. These different symptom patterns are consistent with adult attachment status as an index of self-representation and as a set of strategies for processing emotions and thoughts related to distress and to attachment relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

High genetic variability in non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus strains by using Quadruplex PCR-based assay

Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus isolates always show, by using a multiplex PCR-system, four DNA fragments specific for aflR, nor-1, ver-1, and omt-A genes. Non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus strains give variable DNA banding pattern lacking one, two, three or four of these genes. Recently, it has been found and reported that some aflatoxin non-producing A. flavus strains show a complete set of genes. Because less is known about the incidence of structural genes aflR, nor-1, ver-1 and omt-A in aflatoxin non-producing strains of A. flavus, we decided to study the frequencies of the aflatoxin structural genes in non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus strains isolated from food and feed commodities. The results can be summarized as following: 36.5% of the examined non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus strains showed DNA fragments that correspond to the complete set of genes (quadruplet pattern) as found in aflatoxigenic A. flavus. Forty three strains (32%) showed three DNA banding patterns grouped in four profiles where nor-1, ver-1 and omt-A was the most frequent profile. Twenty five (18.7%) of non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus strains yielded two DNA banding pattern whereas sixteen (12%) of the strains showed one DNA banding pattern. In one strain, isolated from poultry feed, no DNA bands were found. The nor-1 gene was the most representative between the four aflatoxin structural assayed genes. Lower incidence was found for aflR gene. Our data show a high level of genetic variability among non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus isolates that require greater attention in order to design molecular experiment to distinguish true aflatoxigenic from non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus strains.