Inhibitory control and obesity in adolescents: A prospective cohort study

Introduction: Inhibitory control (IC) is an executive function that plays a central role in the capability to control one's attention and behavior. Growing evidence suggests that deficits in IC are related to calorie consumption and obesity development. However, there are only a few studies that have addressed this issue prospectively. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of IC on anthropometric changes at one year follow up in a cohort of Argentinian adolescents. Methods: A prospective cohort study of 569 students (264 boys and 305 girls) aged 13.18 ± 0.36 years at initial evaluation and 14.22 ± 0.29 years at follow up was performed. IC was assessed at baseline and at follow up by means of a computerized Go/No-Go task, and anthropometric measures were performed following standardized procedures. At follow up an abbreviated Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R21C) was performed. Results: Cross sectional analysis performed at the age of 14 revealed an association between IC and obesity, meanwhile at the age of 13 IC was associated with the degree of obesity. Prospective analysis showed that a lower IC at baseline predicted a higher increase in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference at one year of follow up. Subjects with lower IC at follow up rated higher in the uncontrolled eating domain of TFEQ-R21C and presented higher snacking frequency. Conclusions: A higher IC capacity at baseline might be associated with a more favorable evolution in BMI and waist circumference. A low IC at follow up is associated with obesity and higher uncontrolled eating. This suggests that the identification of subjects with low IC might be useful in order to detect adolescents at risk of obesity at earlier stages.Fil: Mayer, Marcos Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Fundación Centro de Salud e Investigaciones Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Catalani, Fabrizio. Ministerio de Desarrollo Social; ArgentinaFil: Fraire, Javier Alejandro. Hospital Gobernador Centeno. Servicio de Pediatría; ArgentinaFil: Deltetto, Noelia Mercedes. Hospital Gobernador Centeno. Servicio de Pediatría; ArgentinaFil: Martín, Lucía. Fundación Centro de Salud e Investigaciones Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Beneitez, Analisa. Fundación Centro de Salud e Investigaciones Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Fischman, Daniela. Fundación Centro de Salud e Investigaciones Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Orden, Alicia Bibiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Confluencia. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa. Grupo Vinculado Fundación Centro de Salud e Investigaciones Medicas | Universidad Nacional de la Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa. Grupo Vinculado Fundación Centro de Salud e Investigaciones Medicas; Argentin

MR elastography outperforms shear wave elastography for the diagnosis of clinically significant portal hypertension

OBJECTIVES Portal hypertension (PH) is associated with complications such as ascites and esophageal varices and is typically diagnosed through invasive hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement, which is not widely available. In this study, we aim to assess the diagnostic performance of 2D/3D MR elastography (MRE) and shear wave elastography (SWE) measures of liver and spleen stiffness (LS and SS) and spleen volume, to noninvasively diagnose clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) using HVPG measurement as the reference. METHODS In this prospective study, patients with liver disease underwent 2D/3D MRE and SWE of the liver and spleen, as well as HVPG measurement. The correlation between MRE/SWE measures of LS/SS and spleen volume with HVPG was assessed. ROC analysis was used to determine the utility of MRE, SWE, and spleen volume for diagnosing CSPH. RESULTS Thirty-six patients (M/F 22/14, mean age 55 ± 14 years) were included. Of the evaluated parameters, 3D MRE SS had the strongest correlation with HVPG (r = 0.686, p < 0.001), followed by 2D MRE SS (r = 0.476, p = 0.004). 3D MRE SS displayed the best performance for diagnosis of CSPH (AUC = 0.911) followed by 2D MRE SS (AUC = 0.845) and 3D MRE LS (AUC = 0.804). SWE SS showed poor performance for diagnosis of CSPH (AUC = 0.583) while spleen volume was a fair predictor (AUC = 0.738). 3D MRE SS was significantly superior to SWE LS/SS (p ≤ 0.021) for the diagnosis of CSPH. CONCLUSION SS measured with 3D MRE outperforms SWE for the diagnosis of CSPH. SS appears to be a useful biomarker for assessing PH severity. These results need further validation. KEY POINTS • Spleen stiffness measured with 2D and 3D MR elastography correlates significantly with hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement. • Spleen stiffness measured with 3D MR elastography demonstrates excellent performance for the diagnosis of clinically significant portal hypertension (AUC 0.911). • Spleen stiffness measured with 3D MR elastography outperforms liver and spleen stiffness measured with shear wave elastography for diagnosis of clinically significant portal hypertension

Reliability and discriminatory power of methods for dental plaque quantification

OBJECTIVE: This in situ study evaluated the discriminatory power and reliability of methods of dental plaque quantification and the relationship between visual indices (VI) and fluorescence camera (FC) to detect plaque. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Six volunteers used palatal appliances with six bovine enamel blocks presenting different stages of plaque accumulation. The presence of plaque with and without disclosing was assessed using VI. Images were obtained with FC and digital camera in both conditions. The area covered by plaque was assessed. Examinations were done by two independent examiners. Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Kappa tests to compare different conditions of samples and to assess the inter-examiner reproducibility. RESULTS: Some methods presented adequate reproducibility. The Turesky index and the assessment of area covered by disclosed plaque in the FC images presented the highest discriminatory powers. CONCLUSION: The Turesky index and images with FC with disclosing present good reliability and discriminatory power in quantifying dental plaque

Short-term effects of a green coffee extract-, Garcinia c ambogia- and l-carnitine-containing chewing gum on snack intake and appetite regulation

Introduction; Different studies have assessed the influence of chewing gum to aid control of appetite and reduce food intake. Purpose; The aims of the present study were to evaluate the effects of chewing gum on satiety, food hedonics and snack intake and to explore the potential effects of the combination of Garcinia c ambogia, green coffee extract and l-carnitine on satiety, when administered in a gum format. Methods; This was a prospective study in which 57 subjects randomly received three kinds of treatments, in a crossover design: (1) active gum; (2) placebo gum; and (3) no gum. Food preferences and appetite sensations were evaluated by means of the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire and visual analog scales. Results; There was a significant reduction in low-fat sweet snack intake with placebo gum and the active gum compared to no gum and a reduction in high-fat sweet snack intake with the active gum compared to placebo gum and no gum. Total caloric intake was only reduced in the active gum condition. Both the active and placebo gum conditions significantly reduced hunger and prospective food consumption and increased fullness compared to no gum and were associated with a reduced wanting for sweet food in the LFPQ, consistent in a reduction in the relative preference for sweet snacks versus savoury snacks. Conclusion; This study supports the notion that chewing gum containing nutraceutical products might aid in the control over snack intake and reduce hunger sensations

Genomic signatures of evolutionary transitions from solitary to group living

The evolution of eusociality is one of the major transitions in evolution, but the underlying genomic changes are unknown. We compared the genomes of 10 bee species that vary in social complexity, representing multiple independent transitions in social evolution, and report three major findings. First, many important genes show evidence of neutral evolution as a consequence of relaxed selection with increasing social complexity. Second, there is no single road map to eusociality; independent evolutionary transitions in sociality have independent genetic underpinnings. Third, though clearly independent in detail, these transitions do have similar general features, including an increase in constrained protein evolution accompanied by increases in the potential for gene regulation and decreases in diversity and abundance of transposable elements. Eusociality may arise through different mechanisms each time, but would likely always involve an increase in the complexity of gene networks