Lean mass and peak bone mineral density.

ObjectivesThe association between body composition parameters and peak bone mineral density is not well documented. The aim of this study is to assess the relative contributions of lean mass and fat mass on peak bone mineral density (BMD).MethodsThe study involved 416 women and 334 men aged between 20 and 30 years who were participants in the population-based Vietnam Osteoporosis Study. Whole body composition parameters (eg, fat mass and lean mass) and BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The association between lean mass and fat mass and BMD was analyzed by the linear regression model using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO).ResultsPeak BMD in men was higher than women, and the difference was more pronounced at the femoral neck (average difference: 0.123 g/cm2; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.105-0.141 g/cm2) than at the lumbar spine (average difference 0.019 g/cm2; 95% CI, 0.005-0.036 g/cm2). Results of LASSO regression indicated that lean mass was the only predictor of BMD for either men or women. Each kilogram increase in lean mass was associated with ∼0.01 g/cm2 increase in BMD. Lean mass alone explained 16% and 36% of variation in lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD, respectively.ConclusionsLean mass, not fat mass, is the main determinant of peak bone mineral density. This finding implies that good physical activity during adulthood can contribute to the maximization of peak bone mass during adulthood

Mechanography assessment of fall risk in older adults: the Vietnam Osteoporosis Study

Background Jumping mechanography is a technology for quantitatively assessing muscular function and balance in older adults. This study sought to define the association between jumping mechanography parameters and fall risk in Vietnamese individuals. Methods The study involved 375 women and 244 men aged 50 years and older, who were recruited from the general population in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). The individuals had been followed for 2 years. At baseline, Esslinger Fitness index (EFI), jumping power, force, velocity of lower limbs, and the ability to maintain balance were measured by a Leonardo Mechanograph Ground Reaction Force system (Novotec Medical, Pforxheim, Germany). The incidence of falls during the follow-up period was ascertained from self-report. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the association between jumping mechanography parameters and fall risk. Results The average age of participants at baseline was 56.7 years (SD 5.85). During the 2 year follow-up, 92 falls were reported, making the incidence of fall at ~15% [95% confidence interval (CI), 12.1 to 18.2]. The incidence of fall increased with advancing age, and women had a higher incidence than men (17.6% vs. 10.7%; P = 0.024). In univariate analysis, maximal velocity [odds ratio (OR) 0.65; 95% CI, 0.52 to 0.82], maximal force (OR 0.83; 95% CI, 0.65 to 1.04), and maximal power (OR 0.68; 95% CI, 0.52 to 0.88) were each significantly associated with fall risk. EFI was not significantly associated with fall risk (OR 1.09; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.39). However, in a multiple logistic regression model, greater maximum velocity was associated with lower odds of fall (OR 0.38; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.92). Conclusions These data suggest that jumping mechanography is a useful tool for assessing fall risk in older adults of Vietnamese background

Rates and risks for prolonged grief disorder in a sample of orphaned and widowed genocide survivors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The concept of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) has been defined in recent years by Prigerson and co-workers, who have developed and empirically tested consensus and diagnostic criteria for PGD. Using these most recent criteria defining PGD, the aim of this study was to determine rates of and risks for PGD in survivors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide who had lost a parent and/or the husband before, during or after the 1994 events.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The PG-13 was administered to 206 orphans or half orphans and to 194 widows. A regression analysis was carried out to examine risk factors of PGD.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>8.0% (<it>n </it>= 32) of the sample met criteria for PGD with an average of 12 years post-loss. All but one person had faced multiple losses and the majority indicated that their grief-related loss was due to violent death (70%). Grief was predicted mainly by time since the loss, by the violent nature of the loss, the severity of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the importance given to religious/spiritual beliefs. By contrast, gender, age at the time of bereavement, bereavement status (widow versus orphan), the number of different types of losses reported and participation in the funeral ceremony did not impact the severity of prolonged grief reactions.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A significant portion of the interviewed sample continues to experience grief over interpersonal losses and unresolved grief may endure over time if not addressed by clinical intervention. Severity of grief reactions may be associated with a set of distinct risk factors. Subjects who lose someone through violent death seem to be at special risk as they have to deal with the loss experience as such and the traumatic aspects of the loss. Symptoms of PTSD may hinder the completion of the mourning process. Religious beliefs may facilitate the mourning process and help to find meaning in the loss. These aspects need to be considered in the treatment of PGD.</p

Molecular identification of adenoviruses associated with respiratory infection in Egypt from 2003 to 2010.

BACKGROUND: Human adenoviruses of species B, C, and E (HAdV-B, -C, -E) are frequent causative agents of acute respiratory infections worldwide. As part of a surveillance program aimed at identifying the etiology of influenza-like illness (ILI) in Egypt, we characterized 105 adenovirus isolates from clinical samples collected between 2003 and 2010. METHODS: Identification of the isolates as HAdV was accomplished by an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and confirmed by a set of species and type specific polymerase chain reactions (PCR). RESULTS: Of the 105 isolates, 42% were identified as belonging to HAdV-B, 60% as HAdV-C, and 1% as HAdV-E. We identified a total of six co-infections by PCR, of which five were HAdV-B/HAdV-C co-infections, and one was a co-infection of two HAdV-C types: HAdV-5/HAdV-6. Molecular typing by PCR enabled the identification of eight genotypes of human adenoviruses; HAdV-3 (n = 22), HAdV-7 (n = 14), HAdV-11 (n = 8), HAdV-1 (n = 22), HAdV-2 (20), HAdV-5 (n = 15), HAdV-6 (n = 3) and HAdV-4 (n = 1). The most abundant species in the characterized collection of isolates was HAdV-C, which is concordant with existing data for worldwide epidemiology of HAdV respiratory infections. CONCLUSIONS: We identified three species, HAdV-B, -C and -E, among patients with ILI over the course of 7 years in Egypt, with at least eight diverse types circulating

Novel Structural Components of the Ventral Disc and Lateral Crest in Giardia intestinalis

Giardia intestinalis is a ubiquitous parasitic protist that is the causative agent of giardiasis, one of the most common protozoan diarrheal diseases in the world. Giardia trophozoites attach to the intestinal epithelium using a specialized and elaborate microtubule structure, the ventral disc. Surrounding the ventral disc is a less characterized putatively contractile structure, the lateral crest, which forms a continuous perimeter seal with the substrate. A better understanding of ventral disc and lateral crest structure, conformational dynamics, and biogenesis is critical for understanding the mechanism of giardial attachment to the host. To determine the components comprising the ventral disc and lateral crest, we used shotgun proteomics to identify proteins in a preparation of isolated ventral discs. Candidate disc-associated proteins, or DAPs, were GFP-tagged using a ligation-independent high-throughput cloning method. Based on disc localization, we identified eighteen novel DAPs, which more than doubles the number of known disc-associated proteins. Ten of the novel DAPs are associated with the lateral crest or outer edge of the disc, and are the first confirmed components of this structure. Using Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) with representative novel DAP::GFP strains we found that the newly identified DAPs tested did not recover after photobleaching and are therefore structural components of the ventral disc or lateral crest. Functional analyses of the novel DAPs will be central toward understanding the mechanism of ventral disc-mediated attachment and the mechanism of disc biogenesis during cell division. Since attachment of Giardia to the intestine via the ventral disc is essential for pathogenesis, it is possible that some proteins comprising the disc could be potential drug targets if their loss or disruption interfered with disc biogenesis or function, preventing attachment

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

Religious Factors and Hippocampal Atrophy in Late Life

Despite a growing interest in the ways spiritual beliefs and practices are reflected in brain activity, there have been relatively few studies using neuroimaging data to assess potential relationships between religious factors and structural neuroanatomy. This study examined prospective relationships between religious factors and hippocampal volume change using high-resolution MRI data of a sample of 268 older adults. Religious factors assessed included life-changing religious experiences, spiritual practices, and religious group membership. Hippocampal volumes were analyzed using the GRID program, which is based on a manual point-counting method and allows for semi-automated determination of region of interest volumes. Significantly greater hippocampal atrophy was observed for participants reporting a life-changing religious experience. Significantly greater hippocampal atrophy was also observed from baseline to final assessment among born-again Protestants, Catholics, and those with no religious affiliation, compared with Protestants not identifying as born-again. These associations were not explained by psychosocial or demographic factors, or baseline cerebral volume. Hippocampal volume has been linked to clinical outcomes, such as depression, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease. The findings of this study indicate that hippocampal atrophy in late life may be uniquely influenced by certain types of religious factors

Giardia Flagellar Motility Is Not Directly Required to Maintain Attachment to Surfaces

Giardia trophozoites attach to the intestinal microvilli (or inert surfaces) using an undefined “suction-based” mechanism, and remain attached during cell division to avoid peristalsis. Flagellar motility is a key factor in Giardia's pathogenesis and colonization of the host small intestine. Specifically, the beating of the ventral flagella, one of four pairs of motile flagella, has been proposed to generate a hydrodynamic force that results in suction-based attachment via the adjacent ventral disc. We aimed to test this prevailing “hydrodynamic model” of attachment mediated by flagellar motility. We defined four distinct stages of attachment by assessing surface contacts of the trophozoite with the substrate during attachment using TIRF microscopy (TIRFM). The lateral crest of the ventral disc forms a continuous perimeter seal with the substrate, a cytological indication that trophozoites are fully attached. Using trophozoites with two types of molecularly engineered defects in flagellar beating, we determined that neither ventral flagellar beating, nor any flagellar beating, is necessary for the maintenance of attachment. Following a morpholino-based knockdown of PF16, a central pair protein, both the beating and morphology of flagella were defective, but trophozoites could still initiate proper surface contacts as seen using TIRFM and could maintain attachment in several biophysical assays. Trophozoites with impaired motility were able to attach as well as motile cells. We also generated a strain with defects in the ventral flagellar waveform by overexpressing a dominant negative form of alpha2-annexin::GFP (D122A, D275A). This dominant negative alpha2-annexin strain could initiate attachment and had only a slight decrease in the ability to withstand normal and shear forces. The time needed for attachment did increase in trophozoites with overall defective flagellar beating, however. Thus while not directly required for attachment, flagellar motility is important for positioning and orienting trophozoites prior to attachment. Drugs affecting flagellar motility may result in lower levels of attachment by indirectly limiting the number of parasites that can position the ventral disc properly against a surface and against peristaltic flow

A framework for the development of a global standardised marine taxon reference image database (SMarTaR-ID) to support image-based analyses

Video and image data are regularly used in the field of benthic ecology to document biodiversity. However, their use is subject to a number of challenges, principally the identification of taxa within the images without associated physical specimens. The challenge of applying traditional taxonomic keys to the identification of fauna from images has led to the development of personal, group, or institution level reference image catalogues of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) or morphospecies. Lack of standardisation among these reference catalogues has led to problems with observer bias and the inability to combine datasets across studies. In addition, lack of a common reference standard is stifling efforts in the application of artificial intelligence to taxon identification. Using the North Atlantic deep sea as a case study, we propose a database structure to facilitate standardisation of morphospecies image catalogues between research groups and support future use in multiple front-end applications. We also propose a framework for coordination of international efforts to develop reference guides for the identification of marine species from images. The proposed structure maps to the Darwin Core standard to allow integration with existing databases. We suggest a management framework where high-level taxonomic groups are curated by a regional team, consisting of both end users and taxonomic experts. We identify a mechanism by which overall quality of data within a common reference guide could be raised over the next decade. Finally, we discuss the role of a common reference standard in advancing marine ecology and supporting sustainable use of this ecosystem