Comorbidities of obesity in school children: a cross-sectional study in the PIAMA birth cohort

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is ample evidence that childhood overweight is associated with increased risk of chronic disease in adulthood. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between childhood overweight and common childhood health problems.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were used from a general population sample of 3960 8-year-old children, participating in the Dutch PIAMA birth cohort study. Weight and height, measured by the investigators, were used to define BMI status (thinness, normal weight, moderate overweight, obesity). BMI status was studied cross-sectionally in relation to the following parental reported outcomes: a general health index, GP visits, school absenteeism due to illness, health-related functional limitations, doctor diagnosed respiratory infections and use of antibiotics.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Obesity was significantly associated with a lower general health score, more GP visits, more school absenteeism and more health-related limitations, (adjusted odds ratios around 2.0 for most outcomes). Obesity was also significantly associated with bronchitis (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI): 5.29 (2.58;10.85) and with the use of antibiotics (aOR (95%CI): 1.79 (1.09;2.93)). Associations with flu/serious cold, ear infection and throat infection were positive, but not statistically significant. Moderate overweight was not significantly associated with the health outcomes studied.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Childhood obesity is not merely a risk factor for disease in adulthood, but obese children may experience more illness and health related problems already in childhood. The high prevalence of the outcomes studied implies a high burden of disease in terms of absolute numbers of sick children.</p

A guide for teaching social studies : grade III /

"Approved by the Board of Education."The dairy farm -- Carrying the mail -- Living in a Pueblo Indian home.Mode of access: Internet

Enhanced in vitro and in vivo toxicity of poly-dispersed acid-functionalized single-wall carbon nanotubes

Many potential applications in nanotechnology envisage the use of better-dispersed and functionalized preparations of carbon nanotubes. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were treated with 1:1 mixtures of concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids for 3 min in a microwave oven under 20 psi pressure followed by extensive dialysis to remove the acids. This treatment resulted in acid functionalized SWCNTs (AF-SWCNTs) that had high negative charge (Zeta potential -40 to -60 mV) and were well dispersed (98% of the particles &lt;150 nm) in aqueous suspensions. In vitro and in vivo toxic effects of SWCNTs and AF-SWCNTs were compared. AF-SWCNTs exerted a strong cytotoxic effect on LA4 mouse lung epithelial cells in culture that could be blocked by prior treatment of the nanotubes with poly L-lysine which neutralized the electric charge and promoted re-agglomeration. AF-SWCNT, but not the unmodified SWCNT preparations, strongly inhibited cell cycling of LA4 cells. Both SWCNTs and AF-SWCNTS were however equally effective in inducing apoptotic responses in LA4 cells as examined using an Annexin V binding assay. Oro-pharyngeal aspiration of AF-SWCNT preparation induced a strong acute inflammatory response in the lungs of CD1 mice, compared to control SWCNTs which caused only a marginal effect. Taken together the results indicate that unlike pristine SWCNTs, acid-functionalized SWCNT preparations exert strong toxic effects in vitro and in vivo and these effects can be reversed by neutralizing their surface charge

Atomic model of human Rcd-1 reveals an armadillo-like-repeat protein with in vitro nucleic acid binding properties

Rcd-1, a protein highly conserved across eukaryotes, was initially identified as a factor essential for nitrogen starvation-invoked differentiation in fission yeast, and its Saccharomyces cerevisiae homolog, CAF40, has been identified as part of the CCR4–NOT transcription complex, where it interacts with the NOT1 protein. Mammalian homologs are involved in various cellular differentiation processes including retinoic acid-induced differentiation and hematopoetic cell development. Here, we present the 2.2 Å X-ray structure of the highly conserved region of human Rcd-1 and investigate possible functional abilities of this and the full-length protein. The monomer is made up of six armadillo repeats forming a solvent-accessible, positively-charged cleft 21–22 Å wide that, in contrast to other armadillo proteins, stays fully exposed in the dimer. Prompted by this finding, we established that Rcd-1 can bind to single- and double-stranded oligonucleotides in vitro with the affinity of G/C/T ≫ A. Mutation of an arginine residue within the cleft strongly reduced or abolished oligonucleotide binding. Rcd-1’s ability to bind to nucleic acids, in addition to the previously reported protein–protein interaction with NOT1, suggests a new feature in Rcd-1’s role in regulation of overall cellular differentiation processes

Why Girls? Using Routine Activities Theory to Predict Cyberbullying Experiences Between Girls and Boys

This study uses data from the Second Youth Internet Safety Survey (D. Finkelhor, K. J. Mitchell, and J. Wolak 2011) to predict the risk of cyberbullying between genders. Although much of the cyberbullying literature has considered gender in analyses, nearly all studies have lumped boys and girls together when examining risk factors. This gender lumping has led to the inaccurate perception that risk factors for cyberbullying affect both genders similarly. Therefore, this study fills that void by reviewing differences in the online behaviors of boys and girls, whether these differences affect risk for cyberbullying, and whether routine activities theory is applicable in explaining the risk of cyberbullying for both boys and girls. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC