Birth defects surveillance· A pilot system in the Cape Peninsula

A pilot birth defects surveillance system was established in 1982 as part of an epidemiological baseline study pertaining to potential changes in water quality in the Cape Peninsula. The methodology used for reporting birth defects for two information systems, one hospital-based and the other population- based, utilising statutory notifications of births, is described. Preliminary birth defect rates by cause are presented for a hospital-based system and are consistent with rates reported internationally. The system based on statutory notifications showed gross under-reporting

The Agewell trial: a pilot randomised controlled trial of a behaviour change intervention to promote healthy ageing and reduce risk of dementia in later life.

This is the final version of the article. Available from BioMed Central via the DOI in this record.BACKGROUND: Lifestyle factors represent prime targets for behaviour change interventions to promote healthy ageing and reduce dementia risk. We evaluated a goal-setting intervention aimed at promoting increased cognitive and physical activity and improving mental and physical fitness, diet and health. METHODS: This was a pilot randomised controlled trial designed to guide planning for a larger-scale investigation, provide preliminary evidence regarding efficacy, and explore feasibility and acceptability. Primary outcomes were engagement in physical and cognitive activity. Participants aged over 50 living independently in the community were recruited through a community Agewell Centre. Following baseline assessment participants were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: control (IC) had an interview in which information about activities and health was discussed; goal-setting (GS n = 24) had an interview in which they set behaviour change goals relating to physical, cognitive and social activity, health and nutrition; and goal-setting with mentoring (GM, n = 24) had the goal-setting interview followed by bi-monthly telephone mentoring. Participants and researchers were blinded to group assignment. Participants were reassessed after 12 months. RESULTS: Seventy-five participants were randomised (IC n = 27, GS n = 24, GM n = 24). At 12-month follow-up, the two goal-setting groups, taken together (GS n = 21, GM n = 22), increased their level of physical (effect size 0.37) and cognitive (effect size 0.15) activity relative to controls (IC n = 27). In secondary outcomes, the two goal-setting groups taken together achieved additional benefits compared to control (effect sizes ≥ 0.2) in memory, executive function, cholesterol level, aerobic capacity, flexibility, balance, grip strength, and agility. Adding follow-up mentoring produced further benefits compared to goal-setting alone (effect sizes ≥ 0.2) in physical activity, body composition, global cognition and memory, but not in other domains. Implementation of the recruitment procedure, assessment and intervention was found to be feasible and the approach taken was acceptable to participants, with no adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: A brief, low-cost goal-setting intervention is feasible and acceptable, and has the potential to achieve increased activity engagement. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN30080637.This trial was funded by Medical Research Council grant G1001888/1 to LC, JVH, IRJ, JT and CJW. The funding body played no role in the design of the study, in collection, analysis and interpretation of data, in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. We acknowledge the support of Age Cymru Gwynedd a Môn including John Clifford Jones, Maldwyn Roberts, Stephen Williams and Mici Plwm. We would like to thank Sharman Harris and Catrin Searell, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, the volunteers at the Nefyn Agewell Centre, and all the members of the Nefyn Agewell Centre, and especially all those who took part in the research project. We are grateful to Professor Carol Brayne, Cambridge University, Professor Martin Knapp, London School of Economics, Professor Mike Martin, Zürich University, and Professor Robin Morris, King’s College London Institute of Psychiatry, who acted as external advisors to the project. Special thanks go to Andrew Brand for statistical advice

Best practice in reducing the suicide risk in head and neck cancer patients: a structured review

The treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC) is often radical and the patient’s journey challenging, especially for individuals who are struggling with pre-existing mental health problems and who lack social support. Patients frequently suffer from high levels of emotional distress at some point before, during, or after treatment, and their risk of suicide is markedly elevated. This structured review aimed to identify the extent of the problem, appropriate interventions, and areas for future research. We found that the incidence of suicide among HNC patients was significantly elevated above that of the demographically matched general population. Furthermore, the risk was frequently higher in patients with HNC than in those with cancers in other sites. Despite the clear burden of suicide in patients with HNC, there is an absence of evidence on interventions used to reduce suicidal ideation and the risk of suicide. Recommendations for practice are made, drawing from the wider literature on the prevention of suicide

Things change: Women’s and men’s marital disruption dynamics in Italy during a time of social transformations, 1970-2003

We study women’s and men’s marital disruption in Italy between 1970 and 2003. By applying an event-history analysis to the 2003 Italian variant of the Generations and Gender Survey we found that the spread of marital disruption started among middle-highly educated women. Then in recent years it appears that less educated women have also been able to dissolve their unhappy unions. Overall we can see the beginning of a reversed educational gradient from positive to negative. In contrast the trend in men’s marital disruption risk appears as a change over time common to all educational groups, although with persisting educational differentials.determinants, educational differences, event history analysis, gender difference, Italy, marital disruption

Smoking Comorbidity in Alcoholism: Neurobiological and Neurocognitive Consequences

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65249/1/j.1530-0277.2006.00034.x.pd

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor alpha (PPAR alpha) down-regulation in cystic fibrosis lymphocytes

Background: PPARs exhibit anti-inflammatory capacities and are potential modulators of the inflammatory response. We hypothesized that their expression and/or function may be altered in cystic fibrosis (CF), a disorder characterized by an excessive host inflammatory response. Methods: PPARα, β and γ mRNA levels were measured in peripheral blood cells of CF patients and healthy subjects via RT-PCR. PPARα protein expression and subcellular localization was determined via western blot and immunofluorescence, respectively. The activity of PPARα was analyzed by gel shift assay. Results: In lymphocytes, the expression of PPARα mRNA, but not of PPARβ, was reduced (-37%; p < 0.002) in CF patients compared with healthy persons and was therefore further analyzed. A similar reduction of PPARα was observed at protein level (-26%; p < 0.05). The transcription factor was mainly expressed in the cytosol of lymphocytes, with low expression in the nucleus. Moreover, DNA binding activity of the transcription factor was 36% less in lymphocytes of patients (p < 0.01). For PPARα and PPARβ mRNA expression in monocytes and neutrophils, no significant differences were observed between CF patients and healthy persons. In all cells, PPARγ mRNA levels were below the detection limit. Conclusion: Lymphocytes are important regulators of the inflammatory response by releasing cytokines and antibodies. The diminished lymphocytic expression and activity of PPARα may therefore contribute to the inflammatory processes that are observed in CF

Increased ventral striatal volume in college-aged binge drinkers

BACKGROUND Binge drinking is a serious public health issue associated with cognitive, physiological, and anatomical differences from healthy individuals. No studies, however, have reported subcortical grey matter differences in this population. To address this, we compared the grey matter volumes of college-age binge drinkers and healthy controls, focusing on the ventral striatum, hippocampus and amygdala. METHOD T1-weighted images of 19 binge drinkers and 19 healthy volunteers were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry. Structural data were also covaried with Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores. Cluster-extent threshold and small volume corrections were both used to analyze imaging data. RESULTS Binge drinkers had significantly larger ventral striatal grey matter volumes compared to controls. There were no between group differences in hippocampal or amygdalar volume. Ventral striatal, amygdalar, and hippocampal volumes were also negatively related to AUDIT scores across groups. CONCLUSIONS Our findings stand in contrast to the lower ventral striatal volume previously observed in more severe forms of alcohol use disorders, suggesting that college-age binge drinkers may represent a distinct population from those groups. These findings may instead represent early sequelae, compensatory effects of repeated binge and withdrawal, or an endophenotypic risk factor

Antenatal corticosteroids and cardio-metabolic outcomes in adolescents born with very low birth weight

Exposure to antenatal corticosteroids (ANCS) is associated with adverse cardio-metabolic outcomes in animal models; however long-term outcomes in clinical studies are not well characterized. We hypothesized that exposure to ANCS would be associated with markers of increased cardio-metabolic risk in adolescents born with very low birth weight (VLBW)

Benchmark RGB-D Gait Datasets: A Systematic Review

Human motion analysis has proven to be a great source of information for a wide range of applications. Several approaches for a detailed and accurate motion analysis have been proposed in the literature, as well as an almost proportional number of dedicated datasets. The relatively recent arrival of depth sensors contributed to an increasing interest in this research area and also to the emergence of a new type of motion datasets. This work focuses on a systematic review of publicly available depth-based datasets, encompassing human gait data which is used for person recognition and/or classification purposes. We have conducted this systematic review using the Scopus database. The herein presented survey, which to the best of our knowledge is the first one dedicated to this type of datasets, is intended to inform and aid researchers on the selection of the most suitable datasets to develop, test and compare their algorithms. (c) Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

Metal-macrofauna interactions determine microbial community structure and function in copper contaminated sediments

Peer reviewedPublisher PD