Quaranteens: Prepandemic relationship quality and changes in adolescent internalizing problems during the COVID-19 pandemic

This preregistered longitudinal study examined changes in adolescents' depressive and anxiety symptoms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic using latent additive piece-wise growth models. It also assessed whether support from and conflict with mothers, fathers, siblings, and best friends explained heterogeneity in change patterns. One hundred and ninety-two Dutch adolescents (Mean age: 14.3 years; 68.8% female) completed online biweekly questionnaires for a year (November 2019–October 2020), consisting of a prepandemic, lockdown, and reopening phase. Depressive symptoms increased following the lockdown and decreased upon reopening. Anxiety symptoms showed an immediate decrease followed by a gradual increase in the reopening phase. Prepandemic family and best friend support and conflict did not explain heterogeneity in depressive and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p

The blunted effect of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue in obese subjects is partly reversed by weight loss

BACKGROUND: Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) appears to have impaired effect on subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue metabolism in obese subjects. The aim of the present study was to examine whether weight loss may reverse the impaired effect of GIP on subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue in obese subjects. METHODS: Five obese males participated in a 12-week weight loss program, which consisted of caloric restriction (800 Cal day(−)(1)) followed by 4 weeks of weight-maintenance diet. Before and after weight loss, subcutaneous adipose tissue lipid metabolism was studied by conducting regional measurements of arterio-venous plasma concentrations of metabolites and blood flow (adipose tissue blood flow, ATBF) across a segment of the abdominal adipose tissue in the fasting state and during GIP infusion (1.5 pmol kg(−)(1 )min(−)(1)) in combination with a hyperinsulinemic–hyperglycemic clamp. RESULTS: After weight loss (7.5±0.8 kg), glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity increased significantly as expected. No significant differences were seen in basal ATBF before (1.3±0.4 ml min(−1) 100 g tissue(−1)) and after weight loss (2.1±0.4 ml min(−1) 100 g tissue)(−1); however, a tendency to increase was seen. After weight loss, GIP infusion increased ATBF significantly (3.2±0.1 ml min(−1) 100 g tissue(−1)) whereas there was no increase before weight loss. Triacylglycerol (TAG) uptake did not change after weight loss. Baseline free fatty acid (FFA) and glycerol output increased significantly after weight loss, P<0.001. During the clamp period, FFA and glycerol output declined significantly, P<0.05, with no differences before and after weight loss. Weight loss increased glucose uptake and decreased FFA/glycerol ratio during the clamp period, P<0.05. CONCLUSIONS: In obese subjects, weight loss, induced by calorie restriction, improves the blunted effect of GIP on subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue metabolism

Detection of fractures of hand and forearm in whole-body CT for suspected polytrauma in intubated patients

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of whole-body CT for diagnosis of hand and forearm fractures in intubated patients with suspected polytrauma. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis on data collected from two trauma centres in Germany, including demographics, ISS, clinical symptoms, depiction in whole-body CT, and time to diagnosis. Results: Out of 426 patients included in the study, 66 (15.5%) suffered a hand or forearm fracture. The total number of fractures was 132, the whole-body CT report mentioned 98 (74.2%). 16 (12,1%) fractures of 12 patients were diagnosed later than 24 h after admission. Late diagnoses of fractures of the hand occurred more often if the hand was not fully included in the CT scan field. The sensitivity of whole-body CT for cases with fractures of hand and/or forearm with full inclusion of the corresponding area in the scan field was 80.2%. Conclusions: This study shows that whole-body CT is a valuable diagnostic tool for hand fractures in polytrauma patients. Hands should be evaluated regardless of clinical presentation in intubated patients after suspected polytrauma if they are included in the whole-body CT. © 2020 The Author(s)

Pathological Conditions Involving Extracellular Hemoglobin: Molecular Mechanisms, Clinical Significance, and Novel Therapeutic Opportunities for alpha(1)-Microglobulin

Hemoglobin is the major oxygen-carrying system of the blood, but has many potentially dangerous side effects due to oxidation and reduction reactions of the heme-bound iron and oxygen. Extracellular hemoglobin, resulting from hemolysis or exogenous infusion, is shown to be an important pathogenic factor in a growing number of diseases. This review briefly outlines the oxidative/reductive toxic reactions of hemoglobin and its metabolites. It also describes physiological protection mechanisms that have evolved against extracellular hemoglobin, with a focus on the most recently discovered: the heme- and radical-binding protein α1-microglobulin (A1M). This protein is found in all vertebrates including man and operates by rapidly clearing cytosols and extravascular fluids of heme groups and free radicals released from hemoglobin. Five groups of pathological conditions with high concentrations of extracellular hemoglobin are described: hemolytic anemias and transfusion reactions, the pregnancy complication preeclampsia, cerebral intraventricular hemorrhage of premature infants, chronic inflammatory leg ulcers, and infusion of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers as blood substitutes. Finally, possible treatments of these conditions are discussed, giving special attention to the described protective effects of A1M

Parent–adolescent interaction quality and adolescent affect: An experience sampling study on effect heterogeneity

Person–environment interactions might ultimately drive longer term development. This experience sampling study (Data collection: 2019/20 the Netherlands) assessed short-term linkages between parent–adolescent interaction quality and affect during 2281 interactions of 124 adolescents (Mage = 15.80, SDage= 1.69, 59% girls, 92% Dutch, Education: 25% low, 31% middle, 35% high, 9% other). Adolescents reported on parent–adolescent interaction quality (i.e., warmth and conflict) and momentary positive and negative affect five to six times a day, for 14 days. Preregistered dynamic structural equation models (DSEM) revealed within-family associations between parent–adolescent interaction quality and adolescent affect (concurrently: r = −.22 to.39; lagged effects: ß = −.17 to.15). These effects varied significantly between families. These findings stress the need for more person-specific research on parenting processes

Meisjes met autisme, hoe empathisch zijn ze?

Pathways through Adolescenc

Engineering tyrosine residues into hemoglobin enhances heme reduction, decreases oxidative stress and increases vascular retention of a hemoglobin based blood substitute

Hemoglobin (Hb)-based oxygen carriers (HBOC) are modified extracellular proteins, designed to replace or augment the oxygen-carrying capacity of erythrocytes. However, clinical results have generally been disappointing due to adverse side effects, in part linked to the intrinsic oxidative toxicity of Hb. Previously a redox-active tyrosine residue was engineered into the Hb β subunit (βF41Y) to facilitate electron transfer between endogenous antioxidants such as ascorbate and the oxidative ferryl heme species, converting the highly oxidizing ferryl species into the less reactive ferric (met) form. We inserted different single tyrosine mutations into the α and β subunits of Hb to determine if this effect of βF41Y was unique. Every mutation that was inserted within electron transfer range of the protein surface and the heme increased the rate of ferryl reduction. However, surprisingly, three of the mutations (βT84Y, αL91Y and βF85Y) also increased the rate of ascorbate reduction of ferric(met) Hb to ferrous(oxy) Hb. The rate enhancement was most evident at ascorbate concentrations equivalent to that found in plasma (< 100 μM), suggesting that it might be of benefit in decreasing oxidative stress in vivo. The most promising mutant (βT84Y) was stable with no increase in autoxidation or heme loss. A decrease in membrane damage following Hb addition to HEK cells correlated with the ability of βT84Y to maintain the protein in its oxygenated form. When PEGylated and injected into mice, βT84Y was shown to have an increased vascular half time compared to wild type PEGylated Hb. βT84Y represents a new class of mutations with the ability to enhance reduction of both ferryl and ferric Hb, and thus has potential to decrease adverse side effects as one component of a final HBOC product

Universal ingredients to parenting teens: parental warmth and autonomy support promote adolescent well-being in most families

Even though each adolescent is unique, some ingredients for development may still be universal. According to Self-Determination Theory, every adolescent’s well-being should benefit when parents provide warmth and autonomy. To rigorously test this idea that each family has similar mechanisms, we followed 159 Dutch parent-adolescent dyads (parent: Mage = 45.34, 79% mothers; adolescent: Mage = 13.31, 62% female) for more than three months, and collected 100 consecutive daily reports of parental warmth, autonomy support, positive and negative affect. Positive effects of parental warmth and autonomy support upon well-being were found in 91–98% of the families. Preregistered analysis of 14,546 daily reports confirmed that effects of parenting differed in strength (i.e., some adolescents benefited more than others), but were universal in their direction (i.e., in fewer than 1% of families effects were in an unexpected direction). Albeit stronger with child-reported parenting, similar patterns were found with parent-reports. Adolescents who benefited most from need-supportive parenting in daily life were characterized by higher overall sensitivity to environmental influences. Whereas recent work suggests that each child and each family have unique developmental mechanisms, this study suggests that need-supportive parenting promotes adolescent well-being in most families