Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry compared with anthropometry in relation to cardio-metabolic risk factors in a young adult population: Is the ‘Gold Standard’ tarnished?

Background and Aims: Assessment of adiposity using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has been considered more advantageous in comparison to anthropometryfor predicting cardio-metabolic risk in the older population, by virtue of its ability to distinguish total and regional fat. Nonetheless, there is increasing uncertainty regarding the relative superiority of DXA and little comparative data exist in young adults. This study aimed to identify which measure of adiposity determined by either DXA or anthropometry is optimal within a range of cardio-metabolic risk factors in young adults. Methods and Results: 1138 adults aged 20 years were assessed by DXA and standard anthropometry from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Cross-sectional linear regression analyses were performed. Waist to height ratio was superior to any DXA measure with HDL-C. BMI was the superior model in relation to blood pressure than any DXA measure. Midriff fat mass (DXA) and waist circumference were comparable in relation to glucose. For all the other cardio-metabolic variables, anthropometricand DXA measures were comparable. DXA midriff fat mass compared with BMI or waist hip ratio was the superior measure for triglycerides, insulin and HOMA-IR. Conclusion: Although midriff fat mass (measured by DXA) was the superior measure with insulin sensitivity and triglycerides, the anthropometricmeasures were better or equal with various DXA measures for majority of the cardio-metabolic risk factors. Our findings suggest, clinical anthropometry is generally as useful as DXA in the evaluation of the individual cardio-metabolic risk factors in young adults

Ecoregions in the Mediterranean Sea Through the Reanalysis of Phytoplankton Functional Types and Carbon Fluxes

In this work we produced a long‐term reanalysis of the phytoplankton community structure in the Mediterranean Sea and used it to define ecoregions. These were based on the spatial variability of the phytoplankton type fractions and their influence on selected carbon fluxes. A regional ocean color product of four phytoplankton functional types (PFTs; diatoms, dinoflagellates, nanophytoplankton, and picophytoplankton) was assimilated into a coupled physical‐biogeochemical model of the Mediterranean Sea (Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Coastal Ocean Modelling System‐European Regional Seas Ecosystem Model, POLCOMS–ERSEM) by using a 100‐member ensemble Kalman filter, in a reanalysis simulation for years 1998–2014. The reanalysis outperformed the reference simulation in representing the assimilated ocean color PFT fractions to total chlorophyll, although the skill for the ocean color PFT concentrations was not improved significantly. The reanalysis did not impact noticeably the reference simulation of not assimilated in situ observations, with the exception of a slight bias reduction for the situ PFT concentrations, and a deterioration of the phosphate simulation. We found that the Mediterranean Sea can be subdivided in three PFT‐based ecoregions, derived from the spatial variability of the PFT fraction dominance or relevance. Picophytoplankton dominates the largest part of open ocean waters; microphytoplankton dominates in a few, highly productive coastal spots near large‐river mouths; nanophytoplankton is relevant in intermediate‐productive coastal and Atlantic‐influenced waters. The trophic and carbon sedimentation efficiencies are highest in the microphytoplankton ecoregion and lowest in the picophytoplankton and nanophytoplankton ecoregions. The reanalysis and regionalization offer new perspectives on the variability of the structure and functioning of the phytoplankton community and related biogeochemical fluxes, with foreseeable applications in Blue Growth of the Mediterranean Sea

Non-asymptotic analysis of quantum metrology protocols beyond the Cramér-Rao bound

Many results in the quantum metrology literature use the Cramér-Rao bound and the Fisher information to compare different quantum estimation strategies. However, there are several assumptions that go into the construction of these tools, and these limitations are sometimes not taken into account. While a strategy that utilises this method can considerably simplify the problem and is valid asymptotically, to have a rigorous and fair comparison we need to adopt a more general approach. In this work we use a methodology based on Bayesian inference to understand what happens when the Cramér-Rao bound is not valid. In particular we quantify the impact of these restrictions on the overall performance of a wide range of schemes including those commonly employed for the estimation of optical phases. We calculate the number of observations and the minimum prior knowledge that are needed such that the Cramér-Rao bound is a valid approximation. Since these requirements are state-dependent, the usual conclusions that can be drawn from the standard methods do not always hold when the analysis is more carefully performed. These results have important implications for the analysis of theory and experiments in quantum metrology

The support person\u27s preferences and perspectives of physical activity programs for older adults with cognitive impairment

Objectives: Physical activity (PA) is beneficial for older adults\u27 cognition. There is limited research investigating perspectives of support persons (SPs) of next-of-kins (NOKs) with cognitive impairment. This exploratory study aimed to investigate perspectives of SPs of older adults with Alzheimer\u27s Dementia (AD) or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Methods: A telephone survey of 213 SPs of NOKs from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing (AIBL) was undertaken to quantitatively assess SPs\u27 beliefs and knowledge about PA benefits, current PA level of their NOK, and PA program preferences. The contribution of age, gender, diagnosis and mental health symptoms was assessed using multiple logistic regression analyses. Results: Many SPs were aware of PA benefits for memory (64%) and believed it would help their NOK (72%). Older SP age was associated with less awareness of benefits (p = 0.016). SPs caring for male NOKs were more likely to believe that PA would be helpful than those caring for female NOKs (p = 0.049). NOK AD diagnosis (rather than MCI) (p = 0.014), older age (p = 0.005) and female gender (p = 0.043) were associated with lower PA levels. SPs were mixed regarding preference for their NOKs to participate in individual (45%) or group (54%) PA. Many SPs wanted to participate in PA with their NOK (63%). Conclusions: The results highlight that SPs have high levels of awareness of the cognitive benefits of PA, and describe their preferences regarding PA programs. The findings provide new information to inform targeted public health messaging, PA prescribers and providers, and future research directions

Anti-Allergic Cromones Inhibit Histamine and Eicosanoid Release from Activated Human and Murine Mast Cells by Releasing Annexin A1

PMCID: PMC3601088This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Alterations in dorsal and ventral posterior cingulate connectivity in APOE ε4 carriers at risk of Alzheimer's disease

Background Recent evidence suggests that exercise plays a role in cognition and that the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) can be divided into dorsal and ventral subregions based on distinct connectivity patterns. Aims To examine the effect of physical activity and division of the PCC on brain functional connectivity measures in subjective memory complainers (SMC) carrying the epsilon 4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE 4) allele. Method Participants were 22 SMC carrying the APOE ɛ4 allele (ɛ4+; mean age 72.18 years) and 58 SMC non-carriers (ɛ4–; mean age 72.79 years). Connectivity of four dorsal and ventral seeds was examined. Relationships between PCC connectivity and physical activity measures were explored. Results ɛ4+ individuals showed increased connectivity between the dorsal PCC and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the ventral PCC and supplementary motor area (SMA). Greater levels of physical activity correlated with the magnitude of ventral PCC–SMA connectivity. Conclusions The results provide the first evidence that ɛ4+ individuals at increased risk of cognitive decline show distinct alterations in dorsal and ventral PCC functional connectivity

Trends in seasonal influenza vaccine uptake during pregnancy in Western Australia: Implications for midwives

Background: Antenatal influenza vaccination is an important public health intervention for preventing serious illness in mothers and newborns, yet uptake remains low. Aim: To evaluate trends in seasonal influenza vaccine coverage and identify determinants for vaccination among pregnant women in Western Australia. Methods: We conducted an annual telephone survey in a random sample of post-partum women who delivered a baby in Western Australia between 2012 and 2014. Women were asked whether influenza vaccination was recommended and/or received during their most recent pregnancy; women were also asked why or why they were not immunised. Findings: Between 2012 and 2014, influenza vaccine coverage increased from 22.9% to 41.4%. Women who reported receiving the majority of their antenatal care from a private obstetrician were significantly more likely to have influenza vaccination recommended to them than those receiving the majority of their care from a public antenatal hospital or general practitioner (p \u3c 0.001). In 2014, the most common reason women reported for accepting influenza vaccination was to protect the baby (92.8%) and the most common reason for being unimmunised was lack of a healthcare provider recommendation (48.5%). Discussion: Antenatal influenza vaccination uptake is increasing, but coverage remains below 50%. A recommendation from the principal care provider is an important predictor of maternal influenza vaccination. Conclusion: Antenatal care providers, including midwives, have a key role in providing appropriate information and evidence-based recommendations to pregnant women to ensure they are making informed decisions. Consistent recommendations from antenatal care providers are critical to improving influenza vaccine coverage in pregnant women

Protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of Body Brain Life-General Practice and a Lifestyle Modification Programme to decrease dementia risk exposure in a primary care setting

INTRODUCTION: It has been estimated that a 10%-25% reduction in seven key risk factors could potentially prevent 1.1-3.0 million Alzheimer\u27s disease cases globally. In addition, as dementia is preceded by more subtle cognitive deficits which have substantial social and economic impact, effective preventative interventions would likely have more extensive benefits. The current study evaluates in primary care a multidomain risk-reduction intervention targeting adults with high risk of developing dementia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A randomised controlled trial (RCT) is being conducted to evaluate three intervention programmes using a pragmatic approach suitable to the clinic: (1) a 12-week online and face-to-face dementia risk-reduction intervention (Body Brain Life-General Practice (BBL-GP)); (2) a 6-week face-to-face group lifestyle modification programme (LMP); and (3) a 12-week email-only programme providing general health information. We aim to recruit 240 participants, aged 18 and over, to undergo a comprehensive cognitive and physical assessment at baseline and follow-ups (postintervention, 18, 36 and 62 weeks). The primary outcome is dementia risk measured with the modified version of the Australian National University-Alzheimer\u27s Disease Risk Index Short Form. Secondary outcomes are cognitive function measured with Trails A and B, and the Digit Symbol Modalities Test; physical activity with moderate-vigorous physical activity and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire; depression with the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression; cost evaluation with the 12-item Short Form Health Survey, Framingham Coronary Heart Disease Risk Score and Australian Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool; diet quality with the Australian Recommended Food Score; and sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This RCT is a novel pragmatic intervention applied in a primary care setting to reduce the dementia risk exposure in adults at high risk. If successful, BBL-GP and LMP will provide a versatile, evidence-based package that can be easily and quickly rolled out to other primary care settings and which can be scaled up at relatively low cost compared with other strategies involving intensive interventions.&nbsp

Implementation, mechanisms of impact and key contextual factors involved in outcomes of the Modification of Diet, Exercise and Lifestyle (MODEL) randomised controlled trial in Australian adults: Protocol for a mixed-method process evaluation

Introduction The Modification of Diet, Exercise and Lifestyle (MODEL) study aims to examine the impact of providing visualisation and pictorial representation of advanced structural vascular disease (abdominal aortic calcification), on ‘healthful’ improvements to diet and lifestyle. This paper reports the protocol for the process evaluation for the MODEL study. Methods and analysis The overall aim of the process evaluation is to understand the processes that took place during participation in the MODEL study trial and which elements were effective or ineffective for influencing ‘healthful’ behavioural change, and possible ways of improvement to inform wider implementation strategies. A mixed-method approach will be employed with the use of structured questionnaires and semistructured in-depth interviews. All 200 participants enrolled in the trial will undertake the quantitative component of the study and maximum variation sampling will be used to select a subsample for the qualitative component. The sample size for the qualitative component will be determined based on analytical saturation. Interviews will be digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data will be analysed thematically and reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines. Ethics and dissemination The MODEL study process evaluation has received approval from Edith Cowan University Human Research Ethics Committee (Project Number: 20513 HODGSON). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants before they are included in the study. The study results will be shared with the individuals and institutions associated with this study as well as academic audiences through peer-reviewed publication and probable presentation at conferences