Exploring Salient Shifts and Transdiagnostic Factors in Eating Disordered Women

Carbohydrate addiction is said to be the sustained dependence on hyperpalatable foods rich in carbohydrates and sugar. This addiction manifests in increased consumption of carbohydrates through binging: a behaviour typically associated with eating disorders. There is a lack of consensus amongst relevant experts as to whether carbohydrates are physiologically or psychologically addictive. With an increased focus on carbohydrate addiction, an outpatient treatment programme, HELP, has been established in Cape Town, South Africa, to specifically address this issue. This research aimed to explore, pre-and post-intervention, the possible presence of, and subsequent shifts in, the maintaining mechanisms identified in the transdiagnostic model for eating disorders. However, the potential for the emergence of other perpetuating factors was not discounted and the nature of the analysis allowed for this possibility. Eight women between the ages of twenty-two and fifty, who had completed the outpatient treatment programme in the last six months, were interviewed. They were asked to speak retrospectively about their personal difficulties, eating and food, and their experience of the treatment. Thematic analysis was employed to identify themes arising from the data. Five themes congruent with the transdiagnostic model's factors emerged: over-evaluation of weight and shape, core low self-esteem, interpersonal difficulties, clinical perfectionism and mood intolerance. A variety of sub-themes, elaborating upon the various ways in which the disordered eating was maintained, also emerged from the data. Shifts in these maintaining mechanisms were identified. Although not necessarily indicative of recovery, the results suggest that the outpatient HELP programme had a positive overall influence on the participants; and that the transdiagnostic model may be useful in understanding and guiding the treatment of clients who engage in this type of treatment programme

Exploring Salient Shifts and Transdiagnostic Factors in Eating Disordered Women

Carbohydrate addiction is said to be the sustained dependence on hyperpalatable foods rich in carbohydrates and sugar. This addiction manifests in increased consumption of carbohydrates through binging: a behaviour typically associated with eating disorders. There is a lack of consensus amongst relevant experts as to whether carbohydrates are physiologically or psychologically addictive. With an increased focus on carbohydrate addiction, an outpatient treatment programme, HELP, has been established in Cape Town, South Africa, to specifically address this issue. This research aimed to explore, pre-and post-intervention, the possible presence of, and subsequent shifts in, the maintaining mechanisms identified in the transdiagnostic model for eating disorders. However, the potential for the emergence of other perpetuating factors was not discounted and the nature of the analysis allowed for this possibility. Eight women between the ages of twenty-two and fifty, who had completed the outpatient treatment programme in the last six months, were interviewed. They were asked to speak retrospectively about their personal difficulties, eating and food, and their experience of the treatment. Thematic analysis was employed to identify themes arising from the data. Five themes congruent with the transdiagnostic model's factors emerged: over-evaluation of weight and shape, core low self-esteem, interpersonal difficulties, clinical perfectionism and mood intolerance. A variety of sub-themes, elaborating upon the various ways in which the disordered eating was maintained, also emerged from the data. Shifts in these maintaining mechanisms were identified. Although not necessarily indicative of recovery, the results suggest that the outpatient HELP programme had a positive overall influence on the participants; and that the transdiagnostic model may be useful in understanding and guiding the treatment of clients who engage in this type of treatment programme

NF-κB — A Key Factor in Atherogenesis and Atheroprogression

Atherosclerosis is the major cause of cardiovascular diseases and it is responsible for a large proportion of mortality in the Western society

La diagnostica per la conoscenza storica e artistica delle opere d'arte. Il ruolo delle analisi sui pigmenti nel restauro degli affreschi di Michelangelo nella Cappella Sistina

Il pensiero inerente la tutela delle opere d’arte ha subito una notevole evo- luzione nel corso della storia ed oggi è diventato indispensabile affiancare la scienza della conservazione alle consuete metodologie di restauro. Le scienze applicate ai Beni Culturali coinvolgono studiosi provenienti da diversi campi di ricerca e la collaborazione diventa una prerogativa imprescindibile per il successo dell’intervento conservativo e, soprattutto, per la conoscenza approfondita dell’opera in tutti i suoi aspetti, dai materiali costitutivi alla tecnica di realizzazione. Nell’articolo illustreremo quanto detto soffermandoci tra l’altro sul restauro degli affre- schi di Michelangelo della Cappella Sistina. Questo è stato definito come il primo restauro moderno, proprio perché le analisi hanno accompagnato ogni intervento tecnico sugli affre- schi, i quali sono tornati allo splendore originario nel rispetto dei principi teorici del restauro. In questo e in altri casi la diagnostica è diventata quindi un importante ausilio per lo stu- dio dei Beni Culturali, anche se la scelta della tecnica analitica deve essere relazionata sempre alla domanda alla quale si cerca la risposta. Le scienze applicate permettono di approfondire la storia dell’opera, la tecnica dell’artista, caratterizzano i materiali, ricostruendone le antiche rotte commerciali; tutte queste informazioni permettono di raggiungere una conoscenza senza pari, indispensabile per la valorizzazione, la tutela e la conservazione dei Beni Culturali.he approach to the protection of artwork has considerably evolved through- out history; placing side by side the conservation science and the usual methods of restoration has today become unavoidable. Science Applied to Cultural Heritage involves scholars from different research fields making their collaboration of paramount importance for the success of the conservation process and, above all, for the in-depth knowledge of the artwork in all its aspects, from the constituent materials to the realization technique. This article will discuss this topic taking into particular account the restoration of Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. This was defined as the first modern restoration, because scientific tests have accompanied for the first time any technical intervention on the frescoes, which were returned to their original splendor in respect of the theoretical principles of restoration. In this specific case and in other ones, the diagnostics has therefore become an important aid in Cultural Heritage studies, provided that the choice of the analytical technique is always related to the answer that one is trying to pursue. Applied sciences provide an insight into the history of the artworks, the artists’ techniques, the knowledge of employed materials – that allow one to reconstruct the ancient trade routes; all this information can accomplish an unsurpassed knowledge, which is becoming essential for the development, protection and conservation of Cultural Heritage

Adherence in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients assessed with a validated Italian version of the 5-item compliance questionnaire for rheumatology

OBJECTIVES: The 5-item Compliance Questionnaire for Rheumatology (CQR5) proved reliability and validity in respect of identification of patients likely to be high adherers (HAs) to anti-rheumatic treatment, or low adherers (LAs), i.e. taking<80% of their medications correctly. The objective of the study was to validate an Italian version of CQR5 (I-CQR5) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to investigate factors associated with high adherence. METHODS: RA patients, undergoing treatment with ≥1 self-administered conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (csDMARD) or biological DMARD (bDMARD), were enrolled. The cross-cultural adaptation and validation of I-CQR5 followed standardised guidelines. I-CQR5 was completed by patients on one occasion. Data were subjected to factor analysis and Partial Credit model Parametrisation (PCM) to assess construct validity of I-CQR5. Analysis of factors associated with high adherence included demographic, social, clinical and treatment information. Factors achieving a p<0.10 in univariate analysis were included in multivariable analysis. RESULTS: Among 604 RA patients, 274 patients were included in the validation and 328 in the analysis of factors associated with adherence. Factor analysis and PCM confirmed the construct validity and consistency of I-CQR5. HAs were found to be 109 (35.2%) of the patients. bDMARD treatment and employment were found to be independently associated with high adherence: OR 2.88 (1.36-6.1), p=0.006 and OR 2.36 (1.21-4.62), p=0.012, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Only one-third of RA patients were HAs according to I-CQR5. bDMARDs and employment status increased by almost 3-fold the likelihood of being highly adherent to the anti-rheumatic treatment.Peer reviewe

Nanostructure-Based Electrochemical Immunosensors as Diagnostic Tools

Electrochemical immunosensors are affinity-based biosensors characterized by several useful features such as specificity, miniaturizability, low cost and simplicity, making them very interesting for many applications in several scientific fields. One of the significant issues in the design of electrochemical immunosensors is to increase the system’s sensitivity. Different strategies have been developed, one of the most common is the use of nanostructured materials as electrode materials, nanocarriers, electroactive or electrocatalytic nanotracers because of their abilities in signal amplification and biocompatibility. In this review, we will consider some of the most used nanostruc- tures employed in the development of electrochemical immunosensors (e.g., metallic nanoparticles, graphene, carbon nanotubes) and many other still uncommon nanomaterials. Furthermore, their diagnostic applications in the last decade will be discussed, referring to two relevant issues of present-day: the detection of tumor markers and viruses

Browning of Adipose Tissue and Sirtuin Involvement

Obesity is an important risk factor for many diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and cancers. Excessive dietary intake of caloric food results in its accumulation in white adipose tissue (WAT), whereas energy expenditure by fat utilization and oxidation predominately occurs in brown adipose tissue (BAT). Reducing obesity has become an important prevention strategy of research interest, focusing in the recent years, mainly on browning of WAT, the process during which the enhance of the mitochondria biogenesis occurs and then white adipocytes are converted to metabolically active beige adipocytes. Sirtuin1 (SIRT1), the most known isoform of sirtuin deacetylases, is implied in the browning of WAT process. In fact, it is a sensitive sensor of cell energy metabolism and, together with other sirtuin isoforms, contributes to this differentiation process. This chapter provides an overview about SIRT1 involvement in browning of WAT as a target molecule that can thereby contrast obesity

Evaluation of green solvents’ applicability for chromatic reintegration of polychrome artworks

Organic solvents are commonly used in restoration treatments, including chromatic reintegration on polychrome artworks. They are often toxic, and their vapors have a high impact on the environment and restorers, possibly causing pathological conditions. Therefore, this study aims at defining a new green solvent that can be used for chromatic reintegration, maintaining the volatility and the desired physical–chemical properties. The dispersion forces value (Fd) of ethyl lactate was taken as reference for a comparison with the proposed solvents, since it was found to be the most used solvent for the dilution of Maimeri Restoration Colors (MRC) and Gamblin Conservation Colors (GCC). Based on the Teas fractional parameters, six solutions based on acetals and ethanol have been proposed and tested. They were mixed with both MRC and GCC, and applied on prepared canvases. The difference between the backgrounds made with reference solvent and the one made with the proposed alternatives was evaluated through spectrocolorimetric measurements. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in the attenuated total reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR) was performed on the applied layers to evaluate the presence of residual solvent inside them, while the volatility of the solvents was assessed by performing gravimetric analysis. The study showed that acetals, acetals’ blends, and acetals–ethanol mixtures represent suitable alternatives for the dilution of Gamblin Conservation Color and Maimeri Restoration Colors

Endoplasmic Reticulum Involvement in Heart Injury: An Overview

The Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) is a multifunctional organelle present in the cytoplasm of the eukaryotic cells. It is involved in many aspects of cellular physiology and it presents important interaction with other cellular organelles. Different physiological and/or pathological factors may alter ER morphology and homeostasis, resulting in the accumulation of a large number of unfolded/misfolded proteins in the ER lumen and so inducing ER stress. Alterations in ER have been found to be related to different disorders. In particular, ER stress is implicated in the development and progression of various heart injuries, such as myocardial infarction, ischemia/reperfusion, heart failure, diabetic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias and cardiotoxicity. Furthermore, the efficiency to counteract the ER stress declines significantly during the physiopathological aging process. In this chapter, we present the correlation between the ER and cardiac injury focusing mainly on the aging process and then we report a brief overview of the potential involvement of some bioactive molecules as preventive/therapeutic compounds that can contrast heart disorders through ER modulation

Role of Apolipoproten E in liver aging protection

Aging is characterized by a progressive decline of cellular functions. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in the aging process and result mainly from nonenzymatic processes in the liver. Endogenous free radicals are generated within mitochondria and suspected to cause severe injury to mitochondrial DNA. This damaged DNA accumulates with aging. In addition, polyunsaturated fatty acids, highly sensitive to ROS, decrease in liver mitochondria from human centenarians, a feature acquired during evolution as a protective mechanism to favor longevity. Diet is considered the main environmental factor having effect on lifespan. It has a major impact on aging liver, the central metabolic organ of the body. Apolipoprotein E (apoE) null mice are a very popular model for studying spontaneous hypercholesterolemia, but only limited data are available for the role of apolipoprotein E in liver disease. The purpose of this study is to evaluate liver disease in apolipoprotein E deficient mice. For this study, apoE null mice and control mice at different ages (6 weeks and 15 months) were used. Liver morphological damage and proteins involved in oxidative stress, apoptosis and aging (Bax, Sirt 1, p53) were analyzed. ApoE deficient mice have morphological alterations that are the hallmark of liver pathogenesis, which increase with the age of the animals. In apoE null mice livers, there is also increased oxidative stress as compared to control mice at the same age and fewer antioxidant enzymes. Our findings add to the growing list of protective effects that apoE possesses