Supranational changes in drinking patterns: factors in explanatory models of substantial and parallel social change

Background: That there have been ‘long waves’ of consumption in parallel in different societies has previously been noted. Now there is a sustained drop in drinking among youth in most of Europe, Australia and North America. Can such changes be understood in a common frame? In terms of inexorable historical phenomena or forces, like Kondratieff waves? In terms of generational shifts, with a younger generation reacting against the habits of an older? Method: Such conceptual models for understanding the dynamics of social change are examined in terms of their potential contribution in explaining when and how substantial changes in levels of consumption occur roughly in concert in different societies, with particular reference to the decline in drinking and heavy drinking in current youth cohorts. Results and Conclusion: Timing tends to rule out economic change as a factor in the current widespread decline in youth drinking. The technological revolution of the electronic web and the smart phone seems a primary explanation, with the widespread change in social presentation and interaction — in habitus — between parents and children also involved. Directions for further research are suggested

Localisation of Human Papillomavirus 16 E7 Oncoprotein Changes with Cell Confluence

E7 is one of the best studied proteins of human papillomavirus type 16, largely because of its oncogenic potential linked to cervical cancer. Yet the sub-cellular location of E7 remains confounding, even though it has been shown to be able to shuttle between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Here we show with immunocytochemistry that E7 proteins are located in the nucleus and cytoplasm in sub-confluent cells, but becomes cytoplasmic in confluent cells. The change in E7's location is independent of time in culture, cell division, cell cycle phase or cellular differentiation. Levels of E7 are also increased in confluent cells as determined by Western blotting. Our investigations have also uncovered how different analytical techniques influence the observation of where E7 is localised, highlighting the importance of technical choice in such analysis. Understanding the localisation of E7 will help us to better comprehend the function of E7 on its target proteins

Computers in the Exam Room: Differences in Physician–Patient Interaction May Be Due to Physician Experience

BACKGROUND: The use of electronic medical records can improve the technical quality of care, but requires a computer in the exam room. This could adversely affect interpersonal aspects of care, particularly when physicians are inexperienced users of exam room computers. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether physician experience modifies the impact of exam room computers on the physician–patient interaction. DESIGN: Cross-sectional surveys of patients and physicians. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: One hundred fifty five adults seen for scheduled visits by 11 faculty internists and 12 internal medicine residents in a VA primary care clinic. MEASUREMENTS: Physician and patient assessment of the effect of the computer on the clinical encounter. MAIN RESULTS: Patients seeing residents, compared to those seeing faculty, were more likely to agree that the computer adversely affected the amount of time the physician spent talking to (34% vs 15%, P = 0.01), looking at (45% vs 24%, P = 0.02), and examining them (32% vs 13%, P = 0.009). Moreover, they were more likely to agree that the computer made the visit feel less personal (20% vs 5%, P = 0.017). Few patients thought the computer interfered with their relationship with their physicians (8% vs 8%). Residents were more likely than faculty to report these same adverse effects, but these differences were smaller and not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Patients seen by residents more often agreed that exam room computers decreased the amount of interpersonal contact. More research is needed to elucidate key tasks and behaviors that facilitate doctor–patient communication in such a setting

Proteome changes driven by phosphorus deficiency and recovery in the brown tide-forming alga Aureococcus anophagefferens

© The Author(s), 2011. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in PLoS One 6 (2011): e28949, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0028949.Shotgun mass spectrometry was used to detect proteins in the harmful alga, Aureococcus anophagefferens, and monitor their relative abundance across nutrient replete (control), phosphate-deficient (−P) and −P refed with phosphate (P-refed) conditions. Spectral counting techniques identified differentially abundant proteins and demonstrated that under phosphate deficiency, A. anophagefferens increases proteins involved in both inorganic and organic phosphorus (P) scavenging, including a phosphate transporter, 5′-nucleotidase, and alkaline phosphatase. Additionally, an increase in abundance of a sulfolipid biosynthesis protein was detected in −P and P-refed conditions. Analysis of the polar membrane lipids showed that cellular concentrations of the sulfolipid sulphoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG) were nearly two-fold greater in the −P condition versus the control condition, while cellular phospholipids were approximately 8-fold less. Transcript and protein abundances were more tightly coupled for gene products involved in P metabolism compared to those involved in a range of other metabolic functions. Comparison of protein abundances between the −P and P-refed conditions identified differences in the timing of protein degradation and turnover. This suggests that culture studies examining nutrient starvation responses will be valuable in interpreting protein abundance patterns for cellular nutritional status and history in metaproteomic datasets.Research for this work was supported by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ECOHAB grant (#NA09NOS4780206) and National Science Foundation grant (#OCE-0723667) and a STAR Research Assistance Agreement No. R-83041501-0 awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Further support came from the Woods Hole Coastal Ocean Institute. LLW was supported by a Environmental Protection Agency STAR Fellowship (#FP916901). EMB was supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (#2007037200) and an Environmental Protection Agency STAR Fellowship (#F6E20324)

On the biological relevance of MHC class II and B7 expression by tumour cells in melanoma metastases

A large number of studies have indicated that specific immune reactivity plays a crucial role in the control of malignant melanoma. In this context, expression of MHC I, MHC II and B7 molecules by melanoma cells is seen as relevant for the immune response against the tumour. For a better understanding of the biological relevance of MHC II and B7 expression by tumour cells in metastatic melanoma, we studied the expression of these molecules in melanoma metastases in relation to the inflammatory response, regression of the tumour and survival from 27 patients treated with biochemotherapy (30 mg m−2 Cisplatin and 250 mg m−2 decarbazine (dimethyl-triazene-imidazole-carboxamide, DTIC) on days 1–3 i.v., and 107 IU IFN-α2b 3 days a week s.c., q. 28d). In 19 out of 27 lesions studied, we found expression of MHC II by the tumour cells, while only in one out of 11 tumour biopsies obtained from untreated metastatic melanoma patients, MHC II expression was detected. Expression of B7.1 and B7.2 by tumour cells was found in nine out of 24 and 19 out of 24 lesions, respectively. In all cases where B7.1 expression was found, expression of B7.2 by the tumour cells was also seen. In general, no or only few inflammatory cells positive for B7 were found. Expression of MHC II by tumour cells was positively correlated with the presence of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, regression of the lesion, and with time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) of the patient. However, no significant correlation between B7.1 or B7.2 expression and regression of the tumour, TTP or OS was found. In light of other recent findings, these data altogether do support a role as biomarker for MHC II expression by tumour cells; however, its exact immunological pathomechanism(s) remain to be established

Economic burden associated with alcohol dependence in a German primary care sample : a bottom-up study

BACKGROUND: A considerable economic burden has been repeatedly associated with alcohol dependence (AD) - mostly calculated using aggregate data and alcohol-attributable fractions (top-down approach). However, this approach is limited by a number of assumptions, which are hard to test. Thus, cost estimates should ideally be validated with studies using individual data to estimate the same costs (bottom-up approach). However, bottom-up studies on the economic burden associated with AD are lacking. Our study aimed to fill this gap using the bottom-up approach to examine costs for AD, and also stratified the results by the following subgroups: sex, age, diagnostic approach and severity of AD, as relevant variations could be expected by these factors. METHODS: SAMPLE: 1356 primary health care patients, representative for two German regions. AD was diagnosed by a standardized instrument and treating physicians. Individual costs were calculated by combining resource use and productivity data representing a period of six months prior to the time of interview, with unit costs derived from the literature or official statistics. The economic burden associated with AD was determined via excess costs by comparing utilization of various health care resources and impaired productivity between people with and without AD, controlling for relevant confounders. Additional analyses for several AD characteristics were performed. RESULTS: Mean costs among alcohol dependent patients were 50 % higher compared to the remaining patients, resulting in 1836 € excess costs per alcohol dependent patient in 6 months. More than half of these excess costs incurred through increased productivity loss among alcohol dependent patients. Treatment for alcohol problems represents only 6 % of these costs. The economic burden associated with AD incurred mainly among males and among 30 to 49 year old patients. Both diagnostic approaches were significantly related to the economic burden, while costs increased with alcohol use disorder severity but not with other AD severity indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms previous studies using top-down approaches to estimate the economic burden associated with AD. Further, we highlight the need for efforts aimed at preventing adverse outcomes for health and occupational situation associated with alcohol dependence based on factors associated with particularly high economic burden

Alcohol consumption and sport: a cross-sectional study of alcohol management practices associated with at-risk alcohol consumption at community football clubs

BackgroundExcessive alcohol consumption is responsible for considerable harm from chronic disease and injury. Within most developed countries, members of sporting clubs participate in at-risk alcohol consumption at levels above that of communities generally. There has been limited research investigating the predictors of at-risk alcohol consumption in sporting settings, particularly at the non-elite level. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the alcohol management practices and characteristics of community football clubs and at-risk alcohol consumption by club members.MethodsA cross sectional survey of community football club management representatives and members was conducted. Logistic regression analysis (adjusting for clustering by club) was used to determine the association between the alcohol management practices (including alcohol management policy, alcohol-related sponsorship, availability of low- and non-alcoholic drinks, and alcohol-related promotions, awards and prizes) and characteristics (football code, size and location) of sporting clubs and at-risk alcohol consumption by club members.ResultsMembers of clubs that served alcohol to intoxicated people [OR: 2.23 (95% CI: 1.26-3.93)], conducted &lsquo;happy hour&rsquo; promotions [OR: 2.84 (95% CI: 1.84-4.38)] or provided alcohol-only awards and prizes [OR: 1.80 (95% CI: 1.16-2.80)] were at significantly greater odds of consuming alcohol at risky levels than members of clubs that did not have such alcohol management practices. At-risk alcohol consumption was also more likely among members of clubs with less than 150 players compared with larger clubs [OR:1.45 (95% CI: 1.02-2.05)] and amongst members of particular football codes.ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest a need and opportunity for the implementation of alcohol harm reduction strategies targeting specific alcohol management practices at community football clubs.<br /

Efficient Physical Embedding of Topologically Complex Information Processing Networks in Brains and Computer Circuits

Nervous systems are information processing networks that evolved by natural selection, whereas very large scale integrated (VLSI) computer circuits have evolved by commercially driven technology development. Here we follow historic intuition that all physical information processing systems will share key organizational properties, such as modularity, that generally confer adaptivity of function. It has long been observed that modular VLSI circuits demonstrate an isometric scaling relationship between the number of processing elements and the number of connections, known as Rent's rule, which is related to the dimensionality of the circuit's interconnect topology and its logical capacity. We show that human brain structural networks, and the nervous system of the nematode C. elegans, also obey Rent's rule, and exhibit some degree of hierarchical modularity. We further show that the estimated Rent exponent of human brain networks, derived from MRI data, can explain the allometric scaling relations between gray and white matter volumes across a wide range of mammalian species, again suggesting that these principles of nervous system design are highly conserved. For each of these fractal modular networks, the dimensionality of the interconnect topology was greater than the 2 or 3 Euclidean dimensions of the space in which it was embedded. This relatively high complexity entailed extra cost in physical wiring: although all networks were economically or cost-efficiently wired they did not strictly minimize wiring costs. Artificial and biological information processing systems both may evolve to optimize a trade-off between physical cost and topological complexity, resulting in the emergence of homologous principles of economical, fractal and modular design across many different kinds of nervous and computational networks