Serum vitamin D levels, diabetes and cardio-metabolic risk factors in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

Assesses levels of serum 25(OH)D in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and explores relationships between 25(OH)D and cardio-metabolic risk factors and diabetes. Abstract Background: Low levels of serum 25 – hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D), have been associated with development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD); however there are limited data on serum 25(OH)D in Indigenous Australians, a population at high risk for both diabetes and CVD. We aimed to assess levels of serum 25(OH)D in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and to explore relationships between 25(OH)D and cardio-metabolic risk factors and diabetes. Methods: 592 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australian participants of The eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) Study, a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort study performed in 2007 – 2011, from urban and remote centres within communities, primary care and tertiary hospitals across Northern Territory, Far North Queensland and Western Australia. Assessment of serum 25(OH)D, cardio-metabolic risk factors (central obesity, diabetes, hypertension, history of cardiovascular disease, current smoker, low HDL-cholesterol), and diabetes (by history or HbA1c ≥ 6.5%) was performed. Associations were explored between 25(OH)D and outcome measures of diabetes and number of cardio-metabolic risk factors. Results: The median (IQR) serum 25(OH)D was 60 (45 – 77) nmol/L, 31% had 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L. For participants with 25(OH)D < 50 vs ≥ 50 nmol/L, cardio-metabolic risk profile differed for: diabetes (54%, 36% p < 0.001), past history of cardiovascular disease (16%, 9%, p = 0.014), waist-hip ratio (0.98, 0.92, p < 0.001), urine albumin-creatinine ratio (2.7, 1.5 mg/mmol, p < 0.001). The OR (95% CI) for diabetes was 2.02 (1.03 – 3.95) for people in the lowest vs highest tertiles of 25(OH)D (<53 vs >72 nmol/L, respectively) after adjusting for known cardio-metabolic risk factors. Conclusion: The percentage of 25(OH)D levels <50 nmol/L was high among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians from Northern and Central Australia. Low 25(OH)D level was associated with adverse cardio-metabolic risk profile and was independently associated with diabetes. These findings require exploration in longitudinal studies

The effect of social media communication on consumer perceptions of brands

Researchers and brand managers have limited understanding of the effects social media communication has on how consumers perceive brands. We investigated 504 Facebook users in order to observe the impact of firm-created and user-generated social media communication on brand equity, brand attitude and purchase intention by using a standardized online survey throughout Poland. To test the conceptual model, we analyzed 60 brands across three different industries: non-alcoholic beverages, clothing and mobile network operators. When analyzing the data, we applied the structural equation modeling technique to both investigate the interplay of firm-created and user-generated social media communication and examine industry-specific differences. The results of the empirical studies showed that user-generated social media communication had a positive influence on both brand equity and brand attitude, whereas firm-created social media communication affected only brand attitude. Both brand equity and brand attitude were shown to have a positive influence on purchase intention. In addition, we assessed measurement invariance using a multi-group structural modeling equation. The findings revealed that the proposed measurement model was invariant across the researched industries. However, structural path differences were detected across the models

Maternal effects on anogenital distance in a wild marmot population

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The paradox of odd-even price in fashion luxury sector : empirical evidence from an international direct observation of luxury stores

Price has always had a key role in the luxury fashion market, because high prices are linked to the uniqueness and the prestige of luxury products and brands. Because of this direct contribution of price to the luxury essence, scholars have partially neglected the possible existence of unintuitive and controversial pricing strategies followed by luxury firms. This article deals with this literature gap, particularly analyzing a specific pricing strategy that seems to be in contrast with the nature of luxury pricing: the odd-even price (OEP). With the direct observation of physical and digital store windows of 20 luxury brands, this research investigates the role of OEP in the fashion luxury sector. Particularly, this work examines the relationship between the OEP strategy and the luxury level of fashion brands considering both offline and online channels

Potential role of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the breast tumour microenvironment: stimulation of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to specifically migrate to and engraft at tumour sites. Understanding interactions between cancer cells and MSCs has become fundamental to determining whether MSC-tumour interactions should be harnessed for delivery of therapeutic agents or considered a target for intervention. Breast Cancer Cell lines (MDA-MB-231, T47D & SK-Br3) were cultured alone or on a monolayer of MSCs, and retrieved using epithelial specific magnetic beads. Alterations in expression of 90 genes associated with breast tumourigenicity were analysed using low-density array. Expression of markers of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and array results were validated using RQ-PCR. Co-cultured cells were analysed for changes in protein expression, growth pattern and morphology. Gene expression and proliferation assays were also performed on indirect co-cultures. Following direct co-culture with MSCs, breast cancer cells expressed elevated levels of oncogenes (NCOA4, FOS), proto-oncogenes (FYN, JUN), genes associated with invasion (MMP11), angiogenesis (VEGF) and anti-apoptosis (IGF1R, BCL2). However, universal downregulation of genes associated with proliferation was observed (Ki67, MYBL2), and reflected in reduced ATP production in response to MSC-secreted factors. Significant upregulation of EMT specific markers (N-cadherin, Vimentin, Twist and Snail) was also observed following co-culture with MSCs, with a reciprocal downregulation in E-cadherin protein expression. These changes were predominantly cell contact mediated and appeared to be MSC specific. Breast cancer cell morphology and growth pattern also altered in response to MSCs. MSCs may promote breast cancer metastasis through facilitation of EMT.National Breast Cancer Research Institute (NBCRI), a Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Surgical Research Grant a Health Research Board Project Grant and a ScienceFoundation Ireland CSET award.Deposited by bulk impor

FGF receptor genes and breast cancer susceptibility: results from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium

Background:Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women. Genome-wide association studies have identified FGFR2 as a breast cancer susceptibility gene. Common variation in other fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors might also modify risk. We tested this hypothesis by studying genotyped single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and imputed SNPs in FGFR1, FGFR3, FGFR4 and FGFRL1 in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. Methods:Data were combined from 49 studies, including 53 835 cases and 50 156 controls, of which 89 050 (46 450 cases and 42 600 controls) were of European ancestry, 12 893 (6269 cases and 6624 controls) of Asian and 2048 (1116 cases and 932 controls) of African ancestry. Associations with risk of breast cancer, overall and by disease sub-type, were assessed using unconditional logistic regression. Results:Little evidence of association with breast cancer risk was observed for SNPs in the FGF receptor genes. The strongest evidence in European women was for rs743682 in FGFR3; the estimated per-allele odds ratio was 1.05 (95 confidence interval=1.02-1.09, P=0.0020), which is substantially lower than that observed for SNPs in FGFR2. Conclusion:Our results suggest that common variants in the other FGF receptors are not associated with risk of breast cancer to the degree observed for FGFR2. © 2014 Cancer Research UK

Multilevel model to assess sources of variation in follicular growth close to the time of ovulation in women with normal fertility: a multicenter observational study

Mikolajczyk RT, Stanford JB, Ecochard R. Multilevel model to assess sources of variation in follicular growth close to the time of ovulation in women with normal fertility: a multicenter observational study. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. 2008;6(1): 61.Background: To assess the amount of variability in ovarian follicular growth rate and maximum follicular diameter related to different centers, women and cycles of the same women in a multicenter observational study of follicular growth. Methods: Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study from eight centers in Europe. There were 533 ultrasound examinations in 282 cycles of 107 women with normal fertility. A random effects model with center, woman and cycle as hierarchical units of variation was used to analyze mean follicular diameter on days preceding ovulation. Results: Follicular growth did not differ by center. There was homogenous growth across women and cycles, and the maximum follicular diameter before ovulation varied substantially across cycles but not across women. Many (about 40%) women had small maximum follicular diameter on the day before ovulation (<19 mm). Pre-ovulatory cycle length was not related to maximum follicular diameter. Conclusion: In normal fecundity, there is a substantial variation in maximum follicular diameter from cycle to cycle based on variation in the duration of follicular development, but the variation could not be explained by different characteristics of different women. Explanation of variation in follicular growth has to be found on the cycle level

The first three dimensional fossils of Cretaceous sclerorhynchid sawfish Asflapristis cristadentis gen et sp nov and implications for the phylogenetic position of the Sclerorhynchoidei (Chondrichthyes)

A new fossil batoid (ray) Asflapristis cristadentis gen. et sp. nov. is described from six exceptionally well-preserved, three-dimensional skeletal remains from the Turonian (Late Cretaceous) of Morocco. Mechanical and acid preparation and CT scanning of these specimens reveal details of much of the proximal skeleton, especially the skull, synarcual and pectoral skeleton, with only the more distal parts of the skeleton missing. These fossils represent a relatively large animal (62 cm preserved length, estimated total length to approximately 2 meters) possessing a robust rostrum that lacks enlarged rostral denticles. It has a narrow and small chondrocranium with jaws that are relatively large compared to the rest of the skull and robust with highly ornamented teeth that lack cusps. The branchial skeleton shows a large second hypobranchial without anterior process which was probably fused to the basibranchial as in other sclerorhynchoids. The synarcual is large and lacks centra through its entire length, and with no direct connection to the pectoral girdle was observed. Pectoral fins probably possessed enlarged proximal elements (propterygium, mesopterygium and metapterygium), the reduced articulation facet between the coracoid with the pectoral elements was reduced. A phylogenetic analysis using both parsimony and bayesian methods was performed incorporating this new taxon. Both analyses recovered a phylogenetic topology that places the sclerorhynchoids in a close relation to rajoids and clearly separated from the morphologically similar Pristidae within the Rhinopristiformes. In respect to the extant taxa, the phylogenies generated are similar to that obtained in molecular analysis of modern batoids. The palaeoecological implication of this discovery suggests that the Asfla assemblage was not from a ‘normal’ open carbonate shelf but rather a restricted environment favouring a low diversity chondrichthyan fauna