Association between secondhand smoke and obesity and glucose abnormalities: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-2010).

ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between cotinine level-confirmed secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and glycemic parameters and obesity.Research design and methodsWe examined a cohort of 6472 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 1999-2010. Serum cotinine levels and self-reported data on smoking were used to determine smoking status. The outcome variables were body mass index (BMI) and glycemic status (HbA1c), Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG). Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted.ResultsUsing cotinine level-confirmed smoking status, 1794 (27.4%) of the sample were current smokers, 1681 (25.0%) were former smokers, 1158 (17.8%) were secondhand smokers, and 1839 (29.8%) were non-smokers. In a generalized linear model after controlling for potential confounding variables, secondhand smokers had higher adjusted levels of HOMA-IR, FPG, and BMI compared with non-smokers (p<0.05). Adjustment for BMI demonstrated that some, but not all, of the detrimental effects of SHS on glycemic parameters are mediated by the increased body weight of secondhand smokers.ConclusionsWe conclude that SHS is associated with obesity and worsening glycemic parameters. More studies are needed to show a causal relationship between SHS and glycemic parameters and to understand the mechanisms involved in the association

When My Baby Smiles At Me

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/2498/thumbnail.jp

Gap Junction Expression and Function in Xenopus Laevis Embryos

Connexins are intermembrane proteins that form protein complexes called connexons. These complexes bind together to form intercellular pores, called gap junctions, by binding to connexons of adjacent cells. These pores allow for passive transport of small molecules and ions involved in intercellular communication. Because gap junctions are required to transport of these ions, it is hypothesized that gap junctions are involved in developmental processes such as convergent extension during the processes of gastrulation and neurulation. In order to determine the role these genes play in development we must first determine the stages where they are expressed. To do this, cDNA (DNA reverse transcribed from RNA to only contain expressed genes) was made from developmental stages of Xenopus laevis embryos. The stages used were stage 6 (prior to activation of embryonic transcription), stage 8 (blastula), stages 10 and 12 (gastrula), stages 14, 16, 18 (neurula) and stage 20 (tailbud). This cDNA was then standardized by PCR using primers specific to ef1 alpha. This series of cDNA was then used as a template for PCR reactions of Xenopus connexin genes. The PCR reactions were then analyzed via gel electrophoresis in order to determine at what stages of development each gene is expressed. Gap junction gene alpha 3 was found to be expressed throughout neurulation and Gap junction gene alpha 7 was found to be expressed at all stages that were tested. Gap junction gene beta 1 and beta 2 were found to be expressed throughout gastrulation and neurulation. Gap junction gene alpha 2 was found to be maternally expressed as well as expressed in early gastrula, while Gap junction gene alpha 5 and alpha 4 are only expressed though early gastrulation. The next step of this project will be to use In Situ Hybridization to detect localized gene expression in embryotic tissue

Assessment of Altmetrics and PlumX Metrics Scoring as Mechanisms to Evaluate the Top 100 Trending Hidradenitis Suppurativa Articles on Social Media: Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Dermatologists are increasingly utilizing social media platforms to disseminate scientific information. New tools, such as altmetrics and PlumX metrics, have been made available to rapidly capture the level of scientific article dissemination across social media platforms. However, no studies have been performed to assess the level of scientific article dissemination across social media regarding hidradenitis suppurativa, a disease that is still currently not well understood. Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate the utility of altmetrics and PlumX metrics by characterizing the top 100 “trending” hidradenitis suppurativa articles in the altmetric database by the altmetric attention score and PlumX score. Methods: Altmetric data components of the top 100 hidradenitis suppurativa articles were extracted from the altmetric database. Article citation count was found using Web of Science. PlumX field-weighted impact scores for each article were collected from the Scopus database. Journal title, open-access status, article type, and study design of original articles were assessed. Additionally, the altmetric attention score, PlumX score, and citation count were log transformed and adjusted by +1 for linear regression, and Spearman correlation coefficients were utilized to determine correlations. Results: Most of the top 100 “trending” hidradenitis suppurativa articles were published in JAMA Dermatology (n=27, 27%). The median altmetric attention score, PlumX score, and citation count were 25.5, 3.7, and 10.5, respectively. The most mentions regarding social media platforms came from Twitter. Although no correlation was observed between the citation count and altmetric attention score (r 2 =0.019, P=.17), positive correlation was observed between the citation count and PlumX score (r 2 =0.469, P\u3c.001). Conclusions: Our research demonstrated that citation count is not correlated with the altmetric attention score, but is strongly correlated with the PlumX score regarding hidradenitis suppurativa articles at this point in time. With the continual increase of social media usage by medical professionals and researchers, this study can help investigators understand the best way to captivate their audience

Ultrasonic in-situ determination of the regression rate of the melting interface in burning metal rods

Results of tests in which metallic rods are burned in oxygen enriched atmospheres often include the determination of the regression rate of the melting interface for the burning test specimen. This regression rate is used as an indication of a metallic material's relative flammability and its general ability to sustain burning under the test conditions. This paper reports on the development and first application of an ultrasonic measurement system that enables in situ measurement of the regression rate of the melting interface in burning metal rods. All other methods currently used for determining this parameter are based on posttest, visual interrogation, which is costly and often inaccurate. The transducer and associated equipment used to drive and record the transducer's output signal are described and typical results for iron rods burning in pure oxygen at different gauge pressures are given along with a comparison of these results with regression gates obtained from visual interrogation. The excellent sensitivity, accuracy and reliability of the new ultrasonic transducer are demonstrated, thus indicating the transducer's great potential. (C) 1999 Acoustical Society of America. [S0001-4966(99)00702-X]

Alterations in Phosphorylated CREB Expression in Different Brain Regions following Short- and Long-Term Morphine Exposure: Relationship to Food Intake

Background. Activation of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/phosphorylated CREB (P-CREB) system in different brain regions has been implicated in mediating opioid tolerance and dependence, while alteration of this system in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) has been suggested to have a role in food intake and body weight. Methods. Given that opioids regulate food intake, we measured P-CREB in different brain regions in mice exposed to morphine treatments designed to induce different degrees of tolerance and dependence. Results. We found that a single morphine injection or daily morphine injections for 8 days did not influence P-CREB levels, while the escalating dose of morphine regimen raised P-CREB levels only in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Chronic morphine pellet implantation for 7 days raised P-CREB levels in the LH, VTA, and dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (DM) but not in the nucleus accumbens and amygdala. Increased P-CREB levels in LH, VTA, and DM following 7-day treatment with morphine pellets and increased P-CREB levels in the VTA following escalating doses of morphine were associated with decreased food intake and body weight. Conclusion. The morphine regulation of P-CREB may explain some of the physiological sequelae of opioid exposure including altered food intake and body weight

Decreased prevalence of diabetes in marijuana users: cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III

ObjectiveTo determine the association between diabetes mellitus (DM) and marijuana use.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingData from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988-1994) conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.ParticipantsThe study included participants of the NHANES III, a nationally representative sample of the US population. The total analytic sample was 10 896 adults. The study included four groups (n=10 896): non-marijuana users (61.0%), past marijuana users (30.7%), light (one to four times/month) (5.0%) and heavy (more than five times/month) current marijuana users (3.3%). DM was defined based on self-report or abnormal glycaemic parameters. We analysed data related to demographics, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol use, total serum cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D, plasma haemoglobin A1c, fasting plasma glucose level and the serum levels of C reactive protein and four additional inflammatory markers as related to marijuana use.Main outcome measuresOR for DM associated with marijuana use adjusted for potential confounding variables (ie, odds of DM in marijuana users compared with non-marijuana users).ResultsMarijuana users had a lower age-adjusted prevalence of DM compared to non-marijuana users (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.55; p<0.0001). The prevalence of elevated C reactive protein (>0.5 mg/dl) was significantly higher (p<0.0001) among non-marijuana users (18.9%) than among past (12.7%) or current light (15.8%) or heavy (9.2%) users. In a robust multivariate model controlling for socio-demographic factors, laboratory values and comorbidity, the lower odds of DM among marijuana users was significant (adjusted OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.55; p<0.0001).ConclusionsMarijuana use was independently associated with a lower prevalence of DM. Further studies are needed to show a direct effect of marijuana on DM

The role of Neurochemicals, Stress Hormones and Immune System in the Positive Feedback Loops between Diabetes, Obesity and Depression

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and depression are significant public health and socioeconomic issues. They commonly co-occur, with T2DM occurring in 11.3% of the US population, while depression has a prevalence of about 9%, with higher rates among youths. Approximately 31% of patients with T2DM suffer from depressive symptoms, with 11.4% having major depressive disorders, which is twice as high as the prevalence of depression in patients without T2DM. Additionally, over 80% of people with T2DM are overweight or obese. This review describes how T2DM and depression can enhance one another, using the same molecular pathways, by synergistically altering the brain’s structure and function and reducing the reward obtained from eating. In this article, we reviewed the evidence that eating, especially high-caloric foods, stimulates the limbic system, initiating Reward Deficiency Syndrome. Analogous to other addictive behaviors, neurochemical changes in those with depression and/or T2DM are thought to cause individuals to increase their food intake to obtain the same reward leading to binge eating, weight gain and obesity. Treating the symptoms of T2DM, such as lowering HbA1c, without addressing the underlying pathways has little chance of eliminating the disease. Targeting the immune system, stress circuit, melatonin, and other alterations may be more effective