At-risk and problem gambling among Finnish youth : The examination of risky alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, mental health and loneliness as gender-specific correlates

AIMS - The aims were to compare past-year at-risk and problem gambling (ARPG) and other at-risk behaviours (computer gaming, risky alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking) by age and gender, and to explore how ARPG is associated with risky alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, poor mental health and loneliness in males and females. DESIGN - Data from respondents aged 15-28 (n = 822) were derived from a cross-sectional random sample of population-based data (n = 4484). The data were collected in 2011-2012 by telephone interviews. The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI, score >= 2) was used to evaluate ARPG. Prevalence rates for risk behaviours were compared for within gender-specific age groups. Regression models were gender-specific. RESULTS - The proportion of at-risk and problem gamblers was higher among males than females in all age groups except among 18-21-year-olds, while frequent computer gaming was higher among males in all age groups. The odds ratio (95% CI) of being a male ARPGer was 2.57 (1.40-4.74) for risky alcohol consumption; 1.95 (1.07-3.56) for tobacco smoking; 2.63 (0.96-7.26) for poor mental health; and 4.41 (1.20-16.23) for feeling lonely. Likewise, the odds ratio (95% CI) of being a female ARPGer was 1.19 (0.45-3.12) for risky alcohol consumption; 4.01 (1.43-11.24) for tobacco smoking; 0.99 (0.18-5.39) for poor mental health; and 6.46 (1.42-29.34) for feeling lonely. All 95% CIs of ARPG correlates overlapped among males and females. CONCLUSIONS - Overall, past-year at-risk and problem gambling and computer gaming seem to be more common among males than females; however, for risky alcohol consumption similar gender differences were evident only for the older half of the sample. No clear gender differences were seen in correlates associated with ARPG.Peer reviewe

Expression of catalase and retinoblastoma-related protein genes associates with cell death processes in Scots pine zygotic embryogenesis

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Lipoprotein docosapentaenoic acid is associated with serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 concentration

BACKGROUND: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are thought to play important roles in inflammation. The n-3 series is considered as anti-inflammatory, and some studies have reported increased plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid pattern in chronic inflammatory conditions. In this study we sought to clarify relationships of the levels of arachidonic acid and the polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acid compositions of isolated LDL, HDL(2 )and HDL(3 )particles with matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), a marker of inflammation. RESULTS: The subjects were divided into two groups: those with lower and those with higher than the median serum MMP-9 concentration. In all lipoprotein fractions, the mean percentage of docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5n-3) was higher in the group of subjects with higher MMP-9 level than in those with lower serum MMP-9 concentration (P < 0.01 for all). Likewise, the ratio of docosapentaenoic acid to arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6) was higher in the subjects with higher MMP-9 compared with the lower MMP-9 group (P < 0.001 for all). CONCLUSION: So far, the evidence for an anti-inflammatory role of the n-3 PUFA has come from dietary interventions. Our results were obtained from a free-living population and indicate that there is a positive correlation between n-3 docosapentaenoic acid and MMP-9. What had triggered the rise in MMP-9 is not known, since serum level of MMP-9 is raised in many inflammatory conditions. These findings may indicate an increased biosynthesis of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in subclinical inflammation

Quantitative insights into effects of intrapartum antibiotics and birth mode on infant gut microbiota in relation to well-being during the first year of life

Birth mode and maternal intrapartum (IP) antibiotics affect infants' gut microbiota development, but their relative contribution to absolute bacterial abundances and infant health has not been studied. We compared the effects of Cesarean section (CS) delivery and IP antibiotics on infant gut microbiota development and well-being over the first year. We focused on 92 healthy infants born between gestational weeks 37-42 vaginally without antibiotics (N = 26), with IP penicillin (N = 13) or cephalosporin (N = 7) or by CS with IP cephalosporin (N = 33) or other antibiotics (N = 13). Composition and temporal development analysis of the gut microbiota concentrated on 5 time points during the first year of life using 165 rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, integrated with qPCR to obtain absolute abundance estimates. A mediation analysis was carried out to identify taxa linked to gastrointestinal function and discomfort (crying, defecation frequency, and signs of gastrointestinal symptoms), and birth interventions. Based on absolute abundance estimates, the depletion of Bacteroides spp. was found specifically in CS birth, while decreased bifidobacteria and increased Bacilli were common in CS birth and exposure to IP antibiotics in vaginal delivery. The abundances of numerous taxa differed between the birth modes among cephalosporin-exposed infants. Penicillin had a milder impact on the infant gut microbiota than cephalosporin. CS birth and maternal IP antibiotics had both specific and overlapping effects on infants' gut microbiota development. The resulting deviations in the gut microbiota are associated with increased defecation rate, flatulence, perceived stomach pain, and intensity of crying in infancy.Peer reviewe

HDL enhances oxidation of LDL in vitro in both men and women

Background Oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is a key event in the oxidation hypothesis of atherogenesis. Some in vitro experiments have previously suggested that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) co-incubated with LDL prevents Cu2+-induced oxidation of LDL, while some other studies have observed an opposite effect. To comprehensively clarify the role of HDL in this context, we isolated LDL, HDL2 and HDL3 from sera of 61 free-living individuals (33 women and 28 men). Results When the isolated LDL was subjected to Cu2+-induced oxidation, both HDL2 and HDL3 particles increased the rate of appearance and the final concentration of conjugated dienes similarly in both genders. Oxidation rate was positively associated with polyunsaturated fatty acid content of the lipoproteins in that it was positively related to the content of linoleate and negatively related to oleate. More saturated fats thus protected the lipoproteins from damage. Conclusion We conclude that in vitro HDL does not protect LDL from oxidation, but is in fact oxidized fastest of all lipoproteins due to its fatty acid composition, which is oxidation promoting.BioMed Central Open acces

Genome derived insights into the biology of the hepatotoxic bloom forming cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain 90

Background Cyanobacteria can form massive toxic blooms in fresh and brackish bodies of water and are frequently responsible for the poisoning of animals and pose a health risk for humans. Anabaena is a genus of filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacteria commonly implicated as a toxin producer in blooms in aquatic ecosystems throughout the world. The biology of bloom-forming cyanobacteria is poorly understood at the genome level. Results Here, we report the complete sequence and comprehensive annotation of the bloom-forming Anabaena sp. strain 90 genome. It comprises two circular chromosomes and three plasmids with a total size of 5.3 Mb, encoding a total of 4,738 genes. The genome is replete with mobile genetic elements. Detailed manual annotation demonstrated that almost 5% of the gene repertoire consists of pseudogenes. A further 5% of the genome is dedicated to the synthesis of small peptides that are the products of both ribosomal and nonribosomal biosynthetic pathways. Inactivation of the hassallidin (an antifungal cyclic peptide) biosynthetic gene cluster through a deletion event and a natural mutation of the buoyancy-permitting gvpG gas vesicle gene were documented. The genome contains a large number of genes encoding restriction-modification systems. Two novel excision elements were found in the nifH gene that is required for nitrogen fixation. Conclusions Genome analysis demonstrated that this strain invests heavily in the production of bioactive compounds and restriction-modification systems. This well-annotated genome provides a platform for future studies on the ecology and biology of these important bloom-forming cyanobacteria.Peer reviewe

Physical inactivity, cardiometabolic disease, and risk of dementia : an individual-participant meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE To examine whether physical inactivity is a risk factor for dementia, with attention to the role of cardiometabolic disease in this association and reverse causation bias that arises from changes in physical activity in the preclinical (prodromal) phase of dementia. DESIGN Meta-analysis of 19 prospective observational cohort studies. DATA SOURCES The Individual-Participant-Data Meta-analysis in Working Populations Consortium, the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, and the UK Data Service, including a total of 19 of a potential 9741 studies. REVIEW METHOD The search strategy was designed to retrieve individual-participant data from prospective cohort studies. Exposure was physical inactivity; primary outcomes were incident all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease; and the secondary outcome was incident cardiometabolic disease (that is, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and stroke). Summary estimates were obtained using random effects meta-analysis. RESULTS Study population included 404 840 people (mean age 45.5 years, 57.7% women) who were initially free of dementia, had a measurement of physical inactivity at study entry, and were linked to electronic health records. In 6.0 million person-years at risk, we recorded 2044 incident cases of all-cause dementia. In studies with data on dementia subtype, the number of incident cases of Alzheimer's disease was 1602 in 5.2 million person-years. When measured = 10 years before dementia onset, no difference in dementia risk between physically active and inactive participants was observed (hazard ratios 1.01 (0.89 to 1.14) and 0.96 (0.85 to 1.08) for the two outcomes). Physical inactivity was consistently associated with increased risk of incident diabetes (hazard ratio 1.42, 1.25 to 1.61), coronary heart disease (1.24, 1.13 to 1.36), and stroke (1.16, 1.05 to 1.27). Among people in whom cardiometabolic disease preceded dementia, physical inactivity was non-significantly associated with dementia (hazard ratio for physical activity assessed > 10 before dementia onset 1.30, 0.79 to 2.14). CONCLUSIONS In analyses that addressed bias due to reverse causation, physical inactivity was not associated with all-cause dementia or Alzheimer's disease, although an indication of excess dementia risk was observed in a subgroup of physically inactive individuals who developed cardiometabolic disease.Peer reviewe

One tissue, two fates: different roles of megagametophyte cells during Scots pine embryogenesis

In the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seed, embryos grow and develop within the corrosion cavity of the megagametophyte, a maternally derived haploid tissue, which houses the majority of the storage reserves of the seed. In the present study, histochemical methods and quantification of the expression levels of the programmed cell death (PCD) and DNA repair processes related genes (MCA, TAT-D, RAD51, KU80, and LIG) were used to investigate the physiological events occurring in the megagametophyte tissue during embryo development. It was found that the megagametophyte was viable from the early phases of embryo development until the early germination of mature seeds. However, the megagametophyte cells in the narrow embryo surrounding region (ESR) were destroyed by cell death with morphologically necrotic features. Their cell wall, plasma membrane, and nuclear envelope broke down with the release of cell debris and nucleic acids into the corrosion cavity. The occurrence of necrotic-like cell death in gymnosperm embryogenesis provides a favourable model for the study of developmental cell death with necrotic-like morphology and suggests that the mechanism underlying necrotic cell death is evolutionary conserved

Socioeconomic status, non-communicable disease risk factors, and walking speed in older adults: Multi-cohort population based study

Objective To assess the association of low socioeconomic status and risk factors for non-communicable diseases (diabetes, high alcohol intake, high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, smoking) with loss of physical functioning at older ages. Design Multi-cohort population based study. Setting 37 cohort studies from 24 cou