Clinical usefulness of brief screening tool for activating weight management discussions in primary cARE (AWARE) : a nationwide mixed methods pilot study

Objective The Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS) is based on weight related health complications among individuals with overweight and obesity requiring clinical intervention. We aimed to assess the clinical usefulness of a new screening tool based on the EOSS for activating weight management discussions in general practice. Methods We enrolled five General Practitioners (GPs) and 25 of their patients located nationwide in metropolitan areas of Australia to test the feasibility, acceptability, and accuracy of the new ‘EOSS-2 Risk Tool’, using cross-sectional and qualitative study designs. Diagnostic accuracy of the tool for the presence of EOSS ≥2 criteria was based on clinical information collected prospectively. To assess feasibility and applicability, we explored the views of GP and patient participants by thematic analysis of transcribed verbatim and de-identified data collected by semi-structured telephone interviews. Results Nineteen (76%) patients were aged ≥45 years, five (20%) were male, and 20 (80%) were classified with obesity. All 25 patients screened positive for EOSS ≥2 criteria by the tool. Interviews with patients continued until data saturation was reached resulting in a total of 23 interviews. Our thematic analysis revealed five themes: GP recognition of obesity as a health priority (GPs expressed strong interest in and understanding of its importance as a health priority); obesity stigma (GPs reported the tool helped them initiate health based and non-judgmental conversations with their patients); patient health literacy (GPs and patients reported increased awareness and understanding of weight related health risks), patient motivation for self-management (GPs and patients reported the tool helped focus on self-management of weight related complications), and applicability and scalability (GPs stated it was easy to use, relevant to a range of their patient groups, and scalable if integrated into existing patient management systems). Conclusion The EOSS-2 Risk Tool is potentially clinically useful for activating weight management discussions in general practice. Further research is required to assess feasibility and applicability

Understanding the confluence of injury and obesity in a Grade 2 obesity and above population

Objective: Obesity and injury are major inter-related public health challenges. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of injury in people with severe obesity. Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed to capture injury perception and lifestyle habits via questionnaires. Weight (kg) and height (m) were measured by clinicians for patients attending a weight loss group program. Univariate, chi-square, ANOVA and ordinal regression analyses were undertaken. Results: There were 292 participants (67.1% female), mean age 49.3 years and Body Mass Index 47.2 kg/m2 (range 30.7–91.9 kg/m2). Concern about having an injury was found in 83%, and 74.2% thought that weight would increase the likelihood of injury. A greater concern of being injured at baseline was associated with less weight loss at eight weeks (F=3.567; p=0.03). Depression, anxiety and sleepiness score were higher in those who reported greater ‘Concern about having an injury’. Conclusions: People with obesity fear injury and falling, which limits their willingness to exercise. Anxiety symptoms appear to exacerbate this connection. Implications for public health: In individuals with obesity, anxiety, sleepiness and depression are associated with a fear of being injured. Addressing fear and reducing anxiety may decrease barriers to participating in physical activity

Development and internal validation of the Edmonton Obesity Staging System-2 Risk screening Tool (EOSS-2 Risk Tool) for weight-related health complications : a case-control study in a representative sample of Australian adults with overweight and obesity

Objective Excess weight and related health complications remain under diagnosed and poorly treated in general practice. We aimed to develop and validate a brief screening tool for determining the presence of unknown clinically significant weight-related health complications for potential application in general practice. Design We considered 14 self-reported candidate predictors of clinically significant weight-related health complications according to the Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS score of ≥2) and developed models using multivariate logistic regression across training and test data sets. The final model was chosen based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic; and validated using sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value. Setting and participants We analysed cross-sectional data from the Australian Health Survey 2011–2013 sample aged between 18 and 65 years (n=7518) with at least overweight and obesity. Results An EOSS≥2 classification was present in 78% of the sample. Of 14 candidate risk factors, 6 (family history of diabetes, hypertension, high sugar in blood/urine, high cholesterol and self-reported bodily pain and disability) were automatically included based on definitional or obvious correlational criteria. Three variables were retained in the final multivariate model (age, self-assessed health and history of depression/anxiety). The EOSS-2 Risk Tool (index test) classified 89% of those at ‘extremely high risk’ (≥25 points), 67% of those at ‘very high risk’ (7–24 points) and 42% of those at ‘high risk’ (<7 points) of meeting diagnostic criteria for EOSS≥2 (reference). Conclusion The EOSS-2 Risk Tool is a simple, safe and accurate screening tool for diagnostic criteria for clinically significant weight-related complications for potential application in general practice. Research to determine the feasibility and applicability of the EOSS-2 Risk Tool for improving weight management approaches in general practice is warranted

The golden native drone fly (Eristalinus punctulatus) is an effective hybrid carrot pollinator that lives within Australian crop agroecosystems

1. Native insect flower visitors can be important contributors to crop pollination, yet little is known of their pollination abilities and the resources (habitat) they need to be supported within crop agroecosystems. 2. Here, we compared the abundance and pollination abilities of the golden drone fly (Eristalinus punctulatus) to the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) in hybrid carrot crop fields known to produce variable seed yields in regional New South Wales, Australia. We further observed the egg-laying behaviours of female golden drone flies at a commercial berry orchard to provide insight into the habitat needs of this species. 3. In hybrid carrot crop fields, golden drone flies were far less abundant flower visitors than European honey bees" however, these flies deposited more carrot pollen grains on average (8.21±3.04SE) onto carrot flowers than European honey bees (3.45±1.06SE). Both insects also deposited pollen onto a similar number of carrot flowers (pollinated) per visit (about 2 out of 18). 4. Golden drone flies were observed laying eggs within masses of discarded red raspberry plant roots and soil (root balls) at a commercial berry orchard. The natural habitat utilised by these flies, as well as their egg-laying behaviours, were described for the first time. 5. Our results indicate that golden drone flies are effective pollinators of hybrid carrot crop plants. The habitat that these flies utilised to lay eggs (discarded plants and water) is cheap and commonly found in crop agroecosystems. Therefore, we recommend placing this low-cost habitat within, or nearby, crop fields as a potential management practice to support the lifecycle needs of golden drone flies and other non-bee pollinators

Tsukushi Modulates Xnr2, FGF and BMP Signaling: Regulation of Xenopus Germ Layer Formation

Cell-cell communication is essential in tissue patterning. In early amphibian development, mesoderm is formed in the blastula-stage embryo through inductive interactions in which vegetal cells act on overlying equatorial cells. Members of the TGF-beta family such as activin B, Vg1, derrière and Xenopus nodal-related proteins (Xnrs) are candidate mesoderm inducing factors, with further activity to induce endoderm of the vegetal region. TGF-beta-like ligands, including BMP, are also responsible for patterning of germ layers. In addition, FGF signaling is essential for mesoderm formation whereas FGF signal inhibition has been implicated in endoderm induction. Clearly, several signaling pathways are coordinated to produce an appropriate developmental output; although intracellular crosstalk is known to integrate multiple pathways, relatively little is known about extracellular coordination

Inhibition of Pediatric Glioblastoma Tumor Growth by the Anti-Cancer Agent OKN-007 in Orthotopic Mouse Xenografts

We thank the Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, for funding, who received an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under grant number P20 GM103639 for the use of the Histology and Immunohistochemistry Core for providing immunohistochemistry and photographic services. This work was also supported by Oklahoma State University, Center of Veterinary Health Science (Support Grant AE-1-50060 to P.C.S.), the Musella Foundation (R.A.T.), and the Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation (R.A.T.).Pediatric glioblastomas (pGBM), although rare, are one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in children, with tumors essentially refractory to existing treatments. Here, we describe the use of conventional and advanced in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to assess a novel orthotopic xenograft pGBM mouse (IC-3752GBM patient-derived culture) model, and to monitor the effects of the anti-cancer agent OKN-007 as an inhibitor of pGBM tumor growth. Immunohistochemistry support data is also presented for cell proliferation and tumor growth signaling. OKN-007 was found to significantly decrease tumor volumes (p<0.05) and increase animal survival (p<0.05) in all OKN-007-treated mice compared to untreated animals. In a responsive cohort of treated animals, OKN-007 was able to significantly decrease tumor volumes (p<0.0001), increase survival (p<0.001), and increase diffusion (p<0.01) and perfusion rates (p<0.05). OKN-007 also significantly reduced lipid tumor metabolism in responsive animals (Lip1.3 and Lip0.9)-to-creatine ratio (p<0.05), as well as significantly decrease tumor cell proliferation (p<0.05) and microvessel density (p<0.05). Furthermore, in relationship to the PDGFRα pathway, OKN-007 was able to significantly decrease SULF2 (p<0.05) and PDGFR-α (platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α) (p<0.05) immunoexpression, and significantly increase decorin expression (p<0.05) in responsive mice. This study indicates that OKN-007 may be an effective anti-cancer agent for some patients with pGBMs by inhibiting cell proliferation and angiogenesis, possibly via the PDGFRα pathway, and could be considered as an additional therapy for pediatric brain tumor patients.Yeshttp://www.plosone.org/static/editorial#pee

Transient diabetes insipidus in a post-partum woman with pre-eclampsia associated with residual placental vasopressinase activity

This case illustrates the exceedingly rare phenomenon of transient diabetes insipidus, in association with pre-eclampsia, occurring in the post-partum period following an in vitro fertilisation pregnancy, in an otherwise well 48-year-old lady. Diabetes insipidus can manifest during pregnancy, induced by increased vasopressinase activity secreted by placental trophoblasts and usually manifests in the third trimester. This presentation elucidates not only the intricate balance between the physiology of pregnancy and hormonal homeostasis, but also the importance of post-partum care as the physiological changes of pregnancy still hold pathological potential in the weeks immediately following delivery

Genetic diversity and structure of livestock breeds

This thesis addresses the genetic characterisation of livestock breeds, a key aspect of the long-term future breed preservation and, thus, of primary interest for animal breeders and management in the industry. First, the genetic diversity and structure of breeds were investigated. The application of individual-based population genetic approaches at characterising genetic structure was assessed using the British pig breeds. All approaches, except for Principle Component Analysis (PCA), found that the breeds were distinct genetic populations. Bayesian genotypic clustering tools agreed that breeds had little individual genetic admixture. However, inconsistent results were observed between the Bayesian methods. Primarily, BAPS detected finer genetic differentiation than other approaches, producing biologically credible genetic populations. BAPS also detected substructure in the British Meishan, consistent with prior known population information. In contrast, STRUCTURE detected substructure in the British Saddleback breed that could not wholly be explained. Further analysis of the British Saddleback revealed that the genetic subdivision did not reflect its historical origin (union of Essex pig and Wessex Saddleback) but was associated with herds. The Rainbarrow appeared to be moderately differentiated from the other herds, and relatively lower allelic diversity and higher individual inbreeding, a possible result of certain breeding strategies. The genetic structure and diversity of the British traditional chicken breeds was also characterised. The breeds were found to be highly distinctive populations with moderately high levels of within-breed genetic diversity. However, majority of the breeds had an observed heterozygote deficit. Although individuals clustered to their origin for some of the breeds, genetic subdivision of individuals was observed in some breeds. For two breeds the inferred genetic subpopulations were associated with morphological varieties, but in others they were associated with flock supplier. As with the British Saddleback breed, gene flow between flocks within the chicken breeds should be enhanced to maintain current levels of genetic diversity. Second, the thesis focused on breed identification through the assignment of individuals to breed origin. Dense genome-wide assays provide an opportunity to develop tailor-made panels for food authentication, especially for verifying traditional breed-labelled products. In European cattle breeds, the prior selection of informative markers produced higher correct individual identification than panels of randomly selected markers. Selecting breed informative markers was more powerful using delta (allele frequency difference) and Wright's FST (allele frequency variation), than PCA. However, no further gain in power of assignment was achieved by sampling in excess of 200 markers. The power of assignment and number of markers required was dependent on the levels of breed genetic distinctiveness. Use of dense genome-wide assays and marker selection was further assessed in the British pig breeds. With delta, it was found that 96 informative SNP markers were sufficient for breed differentiation, with the exception of Landrace and Welsh pair. Assignment of individuals to breed origin was high and few individuals were falsely assigned, especially for the traditional breeds. The probability that a sample of a presumed origin actually originated from that breed was high in the traditional breeds. Validation of the 96-SNP panel using independent test samples of known origin and market samples revealed a high level of breed label conformity.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Genetic diversity and structure of livestock breeds

This thesis addresses the genetic characterisation of livestock breeds, a key aspect of the long-term future breed preservation and, thus, of primary interest for animal breeders and management in the industry. First, the genetic diversity and structure of breeds were investigated. The application of individual-based population genetic approaches at characterising genetic structure was assessed using the British pig breeds. All approaches, except for Principle Component Analysis (PCA), found that the breeds were distinct genetic populations. Bayesian genotypic clustering tools agreed that breeds had little individual genetic admixture. However, inconsistent results were observed between the Bayesian methods. Primarily, BAPS detected finer genetic differentiation than other approaches, producing biologically credible genetic populations. BAPS also detected substructure in the British Meishan, consistent with prior known population information. In contrast, STRUCTURE detected substructure in the British Saddleback breed that could not wholly be explained. Further analysis of the British Saddleback revealed that the genetic subdivision did not reflect its historical origin (union of Essex pig and Wessex Saddleback) but was associated with herds. The Rainbarrow appeared to be moderately differentiated from the other herds, and relatively lower allelic diversity and higher individual inbreeding, a possible result of certain breeding strategies. The genetic structure and diversity of the British traditional chicken breeds was also characterised. The breeds were found to be highly distinctive populations with moderately high levels of within-breed genetic diversity. However, majority of the breeds had an observed heterozygote deficit. Although individuals clustered to their origin for some of the breeds, genetic subdivision of individuals was observed in some breeds. For two breeds the inferred genetic subpopulations were associated with morphological varieties, but in others they were associated with flock supplier. As with the British Saddleback breed, gene flow between flocks within the chicken breeds should be enhanced to maintain current levels of genetic diversity. Second, the thesis focused on breed identification through the assignment of individuals to breed origin. Dense genome-wide assays provide an opportunity to develop tailor-made panels for food authentication, especially for verifying traditional breed-labelled products. In European cattle breeds, the prior selection of informative markers produced higher correct individual identification than panels of randomly selected markers. Selecting breed informative markers was more powerful using delta (allele frequency difference) and Wright's FST (allele frequency variation), than PCA. However, no further gain in power of assignment was achieved by sampling in excess of 200 markers. The power of assignment and number of markers required was dependent on the levels of breed genetic distinctiveness. Use of dense genome-wide assays and marker selection was further assessed in the British pig breeds. With delta, it was found that 96 informative SNP markers were sufficient for breed differentiation, with the exception of Landrace and Welsh pair. Assignment of individuals to breed origin was high and few individuals were falsely assigned, especially for the traditional breeds. The probability that a sample of a presumed origin actually originated from that breed was high in the traditional breeds. Validation of the 96-SNP panel using independent test samples of known origin and market samples revealed a high level of breed label conformity.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo