The Social Construction of a Concept- Orthorexia Nervosa: Morality Narratives and Psycho-politics

Our article explores orthorexia nervosa (ON) – an extreme fixation with healthy eating- from a social construction perspective. Interviews with people self-identified as “obsessed” with healthy eating or having ON (“Identifiers”) and non-medical professionals working with ON (“Professionals”) were comparatively analyzed, along with orthorexia threads from an eating disorder website (“Posters”). Participants made sense of and rationalized their attitudes and feelings concerning healthy eating and aligned themselves according to their interests. Identifiers and Posters applauded “healthy eating” and regarded consumption of “impure” foods as leading to ill-health. Some framed their dietary discipline within an ethically motivated lifestyle, others were preoccupied with appearance or weight management. Professionals expressed concern for, and disapproval of, extreme views and behaviors in clients and parental and social influences supporting them. Debates surrounding orthorexic practices are tangled; some individuals need help, yet dangers lie in over medicalising or “troubling” what may be a preferred lifestyle

A Cluster Randomized Trial of Tailored Breastfeeding Support for Women with Gestational Diabetes

Background: Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their infants are at increased risk of developing metabolic disease; however, longer breastfeeding is associated with a reduction in these risks. We tested an intervention to increase breastfeeding duration among women with GDM

Child Support Enforcement: Incarceration As the Last Resort Penalty For Nonpayment of Support

This report discusses Incarceration as the Last Resort Penalty for Nonpayment of Support related to Child Support Enforcement

There is no association between the omega-3 index and depressive symptoms in patients with heart disease who are low fish consumers

Background: Long chain Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn3PUFAs) may improve cardiovascular health and depression. This study investigated the relationships between erythrocyte membrane LCn3PUFA status, depression and angina symptoms in patients with heart disease.  Methods: We recruited 91 patients (65 males and 26 females, mean age 59.2 ± 10.3 years) with heart disease and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, CES-D ≥ 16) and low fish/fish oil intakes. The Omega-3 Index (EPA+DHA) of erythrocyte membranes (as a percentage of total fatty acids) was assessed by gas chromatography. Depression status was measured by both self-report and clinician-report scales; CES-D and the Hamilton depression scale (HAM-D). Angina symptoms were measured using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Classification for Angina Pectoris.  Results: The mean Omega-3 Index was 4.8 ± 1.0% (±SD). Depression scores measured by CES-D and HAM-D were 29.2 ± 8.8 (moderate to severe) and 11.0 ± 5.7 (mild) (arbitrary units) respectively reflecting a different perception of depressive symptoms between patients and clinicians. Angina status was inversely associated with depression scores (r > -0.26, P < 0.03). There were no significant relationships between individual LCn3PUFA or the Omega-3 Index and either the depression scores or the angina symptoms.  Conclusion: Worse angina status was associated with worse depression, but the Omega-3 Index was not associated with symptoms of depression or angina in patients with heart disease

Genome characteristics of facultatively symbiotic Frankia sp. strains reflect host range and host plant biogeography

Soil bacteria that also form mutualistic symbioses in plants encounter two major levels of selection. One occurs during adaptation to and survival in soil, and the other occurs in concert with host plant speciation and adaptation. Actinobacteria from the genus Frankia are facultative symbionts that form N2-fixing root nodules on diverse and globally distributed angiosperms in the “actinorhizal” symbioses. Three closely related clades of Frankia sp. strains are recognized; members of each clade infect a subset of plants from among eight angiosperm families. We sequenced the genomes from three strains; their sizes varied from 5.43 Mbp for a narrow host range strain (Frankia sp. strain HFPCcI3) to 7.50 Mbp for a medium host range strain (Frankia alni strain ACN14a) to 9.04 Mbp for a broad host range strain (Frankia sp. strain EAN1pec.) This size divergence is the largest yet reported for such closely related soil bacteria (97.8%–98.9% identity of 16S rRNA genes). The extent of gene deletion, duplication, and acquisition is in concert with the biogeographic history of the symbioses and host plant speciation. Host plant isolation favored genome contraction, whereas host plant diversification favored genome expansion. The results support the idea that major genome expansions as well as reductions can occur in facultative symbiotic soil bacteria as they respond to new environments in the context of their symbioses

On the nature of fur evolution: A phylogenetic approach in Actinobacteria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An understanding of the evolution of global transcription regulators is essential for comprehending the complex networks of cellular metabolism that have developed among related organisms. The <it>fur </it>gene encodes one of those regulators – the ferric uptake regulator Fur – widely distributed among bacteria and known to regulate different genes committed to varied metabolic pathways. On the other hand, members of the Actinobacteria comprise an ecologically diverse group of bacteria able to inhabit various natural environments, and for which relatively little is currently understood concerning transcriptional regulation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>BLAST analyses revealed the presence of more than one <it>fur </it>homologue in most members of the Actinobacteria whose genomes have been fully sequenced. We propose a model to explain the evolutionary history of <it>fur </it>within this well-known bacterial phylum: the postulated scenario includes one duplication event from a primitive regulator, which probably had a broad range of co-factors and DNA-binding sites. This duplication predated the appearance of the last common ancestor of the Actinobacteria, while six other duplications occurred later within specific groups of organisms, particularly in two genera: <it>Frankia </it>and <it>Streptomyces</it>. The resulting paralogues maintained main biochemical properties, but became specialised for regulating specific functions, coordinating different metal ions and binding to unique DNA sequences. The presence of syntenic regions surrounding the different <it>fur </it>orthologues supports the proposed model, as do the evolutionary distances and topology of phylogenetic trees built using both Neighbor-Joining and Maximum-Likelihood methods.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The proposed <it>fur </it>evolutionary model, which includes one general duplication and two in-genus duplications followed by divergence and specialization, explains the presence and diversity of <it>fur </it>genes within the Actinobacteria. Although a few rare horizontal gene transfer events have been reported, the model is consistent with the view of gene duplication as a main force of microbial genomes evolution. The parallel study of Fur phylogeny across diverse organisms offers a solid base to guide functional studies and allows the comparison between response mechanisms in relation with the surrounding environment. The survey of regulators among related genomes provides a relevant tool for understanding the evolution of one of the first lines of cellular adaptability, control of DNA transcription.</p

Chronic Effects of a Wild Green Oat Extract Supplementation on Cognitive Performance in Older Adults: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial

Background and aim: Preliminary evaluation of a wild green oat extract (WGOE) (Neuravena® ELFA®955, Frutarom, Switzerland) revealed an acute cognitive benefit of supplementation. This study investigated whether regular daily WGOE supplementation would result in sustained cognitive improvements. Method: A 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial of WGOE supplementation (1500 mg/day) versus placebo was undertaken in 37 healthy adults aged 67 ± 0.8 years (mean ± SEM). Cognitive assessments included the Stroop colour-word test, letter cancellation, the rule-shift task, a computerised multi-tasking test battery and the trail-making task. All assessments were conducted in Week 12 and repeated in Week 24 whilst subjects were fasted and at least 18 h after taking the last dose of supplement. Result: Chronic WGOE supplementation did not affect any measures of cognition. Conclusion: It appears that the cognitive benefit of acute WGOE supplementation does not persist with chronic treatment in older adults with normal cognition. It remains to be seen whether sustained effects of WGOE supplementation may be more evident in those with mild cognitive impairment