Associations between reliable changes in depression and changes in BMI, total body fatness and visceral adiposity during a 12-month weight loss trial.

We investigated associations between changes in depression and body composition over a 12-month weight loss trial. Of the 298 adults (BMI > 27 m/kg2), 219 with complete depression and body composition data were included. A 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale measured depression; dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured body composition. Multinomial logistic regression predicted reliable changes in depression by BMI, body fat (BF) and visceral adiposity (VAT). Multiplicative interaction terms tested modification by sex and ethnicity. Participants with increases in body composition were less likely to experience improvements in depression (BMI: RRR = 0.79 (0.68-0.91), p < 0.01; BF: RRR = 0.97 (0.94 - 0.99), p = 0.01; VAT: RRR = 0.99 (0.98-1.00), p = 0.02), but not worsening of depression (BMI: RRR = 1.29 (0.96-1.73), p = 0.10; BF: RRR = 1.04 (0.99-1.09), p = 0.15; VAT: RRR = 1.01 (1.00-1.03), p = 0.18). Sex and ethnicity interaction terms were not significant. However, the relationship was only significant among females, among non-Latinos for BMI and BF, and among Latinos for VAT. Our study supports the association between depression and obesity and highlights the need for longitudinal studies investigating VAT and depression in diverse ethnic groups

Magnetic power spectra from Faraday rotation maps - REALMAF and its use on Hydra A

We develop a novel maximum-a-posteriori method to measure magnetic power spectra from Faraday rotation data and implement it in the REALMAF code. A sophisticated model for the magnetic autocorrelation in real space permits us to alleviate previously required simplifying assumptions in the processing. We also introduce a way to treat the divergence relation of the magnetic field with a multiplicative factor in Fourier space, with which we can model the magnetic autocorrelation as a spherically symmetric function. Applied to the dataset of Hydra A north, we find a power law power spectrum on spatial scales between 0.3 kpc and 8 kpc, with no visible turnover at large scales within this range and a spectral index consistent with a Kolmogorov-like power law regime. The magnetic field strength profile seems to follow the electron density profile with an index alpha=1. A variation of alpha from 0.5 to 1.5 would lead to a spectral index between 1.55 and 2.05. The extrapolated magnetic field strength in the cluster centre highly depends on the assumed projection angle of the jet. For an angle of 45 degree we derive extrapolated 36 muG in the centre and directly probed 16 muG at 50 kpc radius.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, version accepted by A&A with restructured introduction and language improvement

Role of the mesoamygdaloid dopamine projection in emotional learning

Amygdala dopamine is crucially involved in the acquisition of Pavlovian associations, as measured via conditioned approach to the location of the unconditioned stimulus (US). However, learning begins before skeletomotor output, so this study assessed whether amygdala dopamine is also involved in earlier 'emotional' learning. A variant of the conditioned reinforcement (CR) procedure was validated where training was restricted to curtail the development of selective conditioned approach to the US location, and effects of amygdala dopamine manipulations before training or later CR testing assessed. Experiment 1a presented a light paired (CS+ group) or unpaired (CS- group) with a US. There were 1, 2 or 10 sessions, 4 trials per session. Then, the US was removed, and two novel levers presented. One lever (CR+) presented the light, and lever pressing was recorded. Experiment 1b also included a tone stimulus. Experiment 2 applied intra-amygdala R(+) 7-OH-DPAT (10 nmol/1.0 A mu l/side) before two training sessions (Experiment 2a) or a CR session (Experiment 2b). For Experiments 1a and 1b, the CS+ group preferred the CR+ lever across all sessions. Conditioned alcove approach during 1 or 2 training sessions or associated CR tests was low and nonspecific. In Experiment 2a, R(+) 7-OH-DPAT before training greatly diminished lever pressing during a subsequent CR test, preferentially on the CR+ lever. For Experiment 2b, R(+) 7-OH-DPAT infusions before the CR test also reduced lever pressing. Manipulations of amygdala dopamine impact the earliest stage of learning in which emotional reactions may be most prevalent

Parsec-scale Properties of Brightest Cluster Galaxies

We present new VLBI observations at 5 GHz of a complete sample of Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) in nearby Abell Clusters (distance class <3). Combined with data from the literature, this provides parsec-scale information for 34 BCGs. Our analysis of their parsec scale radio emission and cluster X-ray properties shows a possible dichotomy between BCGs in cool core clusters and those in non cool core clusters. Among resolved sources, those in cool core clusters tend to have two-sided parsec-scale jets, while those in less relaxed clusters have predominantly one-sided parsec-scale jets. We suggest that this difference could be the result of interplay between the jets and the surrounding medium. The one-sided structure in non cool core clusters could be due to Doppler boosting effects in relativistic, intrinsically symmetric jets; two-sided morphology in cool core clusters is likely related to the presence of heavy and mildly relativistic jets slowed down on the parsec-scale. Evidence of recurrent activity are also found in BCGs in cool core clusters.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Impact of periodic health examination on surgical treatment for uterine fibroids in Beijing: a case-control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>During the past 2 decades, there has been a rapid proliferation of "health examination center (HEC)" across China. The effects of their services on public's health have not been systemically investigated. This study aimed to assess the impact of periodic health examination (PHE) at HEC on surgical treatment for uterine fibroids in Beijing residents.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We identified 224 patients with a primary diagnosis of uterine fibroids who had surgical treatment at four Level-1 general hospitals in Beijing, from June 1, 2009 to October 20, 2009. Controls were women who did not have surgery for uterine fibroids, matched (1:1 ratio) for age (within 2 years). A standard questionnaire was used to inquire about whether participants had PHE at HEC during the previous 2 years.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>PHE at HEC within 2 years were associated with surgical treatment for uterine fibroids. Odds ratios was 4.05 (95% CI, 2.61-6.29 P < 0.001), after adjustment for marital status, whether have children, annual family income, health insurance, education level and self-rated uterine fibroids-related symptom severity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study showed PHE currently provided at HEC in China were associated with significantly increased use of surgical treatment for uterine fibroids in women. Further studies are needed to assess the effects of PHE on clinical as well as on broad societal outcomes in Chinese in contemporary medical settings.</p

Radiation-hypersensitive cancer patients do not manifest protein expression abnormalities in components of the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway

Radiation therapy (RT) is utilised for the treatment of around half of all oncology patients during the course of their illness. Despite great clinical progress in the rational deployment of RT, the underlying molecular basis for its efficacy and toxicity are currently imperfectly understood. In this study, we took a biochemical approach to evaluate the potential role of key ionising radiation repair proteins in the treatment outcomes of patients with severe acute or late RT side effects. Lymphoblastoid cell lines were established from blood samples from 36 radiosensitive cases and a number of controls (the latter had had RT but did not develop significant toxicity). The expression level and migration of key proteins from the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway was evaluated by Western blot analysis on cases and controls. We did not observe any abnormalities in expression level or migration pattern of the following NHEJ proteins in radiosensitive cancer cases: Ku70, Ku80, XRCC4, DNA Ligase IV. These important negative results provide evidence that mutations that affect protein expression of these NHEJ components are unlikely to underlie clinical radiation sensitivity

Bone Microenvironment Specific Roles of ITAM Adapter Signaling during Bone Remodeling Induced by Acute Estrogen-Deficiency

Immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) signaling mediated by DAP12 or Fcε receptor Iγ chain (FcRγ) have been shown to be critical for osteoclast differentiation and maturation under normal physiological conditions. Their function in pathological conditions is unknown. We studied the role of ITAM signaling during rapid bone remodeling induced by acute estrogen-deficiency in wild-type (WT), DAP12-deficient (DAP12-/-), FcRγ-deficient (FcRγ-/-) and double-deficient (DAP12-/-FcRγ-/-) mice. Six weeks after ovariectomy (OVX), DAP12-/-FcRγ-/- mice showed resistance to lumbar vertebral body (LVB) trabecular bone loss, while WT, DAP12-/- and FcRγ-/- mice had significant LVB bone loss. In contrast, all ITAM adapter-deficient mice responded to OVX with bone loss in both femur and tibia of approximately 40%, relative to basal bone volumes. Only WT mice developed significant cortical bone loss after OVX. In vitro studies showed microenvironmental changes induced by OVX are indispensable for enhanced osteoclast formation and function. Cytokine changes, including TGFβ and TNFα, were able to induce osteoclastogenesis independent of RANKL in BMMs from WT but not DAP12-/- and DAP12-/-FcRγ-/- mice. FSH stimulated RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation from BMMs in WT, but not DAP12-/- and DAP12-/-FcRγ-/- mice. Our study demonstrates that although ITAM adapter signaling is critical for normal bone remodeling, estrogen-deficiency induces an ITAM adapter-independent bypass mechanism allowing for enhanced osteoclastogenesis and activation in specific bony microenvironments

A side-by-side comparison of Daya Bay antineutrino detectors

The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment is designed to determine precisely the neutrino mixing angle $\theta_{13}$ with a sensitivity better than 0.01 in the parameter sin$^22\theta_{13}$ at the 90% confidence level. To achieve this goal, the collaboration will build eight functionally identical antineutrino detectors. The first two detectors have been constructed, installed and commissioned in Experimental Hall 1, with steady data-taking beginning September 23, 2011. A comparison of the data collected over the subsequent three months indicates that the detectors are functionally identical, and that detector-related systematic uncertainties exceed requirements.Comment: 24 pages, 36 figure