Macronutrient intake and prevalence of markers of metabolic syndrome in white UK adult males in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme 2008–2014

The amount of carbohydrates recommended for consumption by current dietary guidelines has been challenged in relation to their suitability to prevent or manage cardiometabolic (CM) diseases with suggestions that they should be decreased and replaced by protein or fat( 1 , 2 ). Others have argued that a more personalised approach is required( 3 ). Aim of this investigation was to assess the potential impact of lower versus higher consumption of dietary macronutrients and prevalence of CM risk markers in a representative sample of the UK male white population. Unweighted data from 642 white adult males aged 19 and over in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme( 4 ) (NDNS RP) 2008–2014 with or without metabolic syndrome (MetS)( 5 ) were analysed for associations of dietary macronutrient intake as percentage food energy (%FE) with CM risk markers. Logistic regression analysis (adjusted for age group and smoking status) was used to compare the odds ratios [OR] of prevalence of individual markers of MetS between the lowest and highest quartiles of dietary macronutrient intake as %FE (⩽44 vs. ≥52 for carbohydrates; ⩽31 vs. ≥39 for fats; ⩽15. vs. ≥19 for protein). There was a significant (p < 0·05) reduction in likelihood of MetS (OR, .55; 95 % confidence interval [CI], .34 to .84), and elevated waist circumference (OR, .50; 95 % CI, .30 to .83) and glucose levels (OR, .51; 95 % CI, .30 to .87) for those in the highest quartile of carbohydrate %FE intake compared to the lowest quartile, whereas those in the highest quartile of protein %FE intake had a significantly (p < 0·05) increased risk of presenting with the same markers of MetS (OR, 1·75; 95 % CI, 1·05 to 2·93; OR, 2·12; 95 % CI, 1·24 to 3·63; and OR, 2·15; 95 % CI, 1·25 to 3·70 respectively). Those with the highest compared to the lowest total dietary fat intake also presented with elevated CM risk markers, albeit these findings were not significant. *Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) definition: 3 out of 5 of the following: triglycerides (TRIG) ≥1·7 mmol/L; High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ⩽1·03 mmol/L for males; Waist circumference (WC) ≥94 cm for white males; Glucose (GLUC) ≥5·6 mmol/L; Blood pressure (BP) ≥130 mmHg systolic or ≥85 mmHg diastolic respectively; CHO%FE – total carbohydrates percentage food energy; FAT%FE – total fats food energy; PROT%FE– total protein food energy; OR – odds ratio (adjusted for age group and smoking status), 1st vs. 4th quartile of intake; CI – confidence interval; a p < 0·05 Further investigations need to confirm whether the quality of the macronutrients consumed and overall diet quality( 6 ) has had an impact on these results. In the context of a personalised approach to nutrition future cohort studies should also provide data that allow for examining inter-individual variations in responses to dietary macronutrients, especially carbohydrates, to achieve optimum CM health for a larger proportion of the population

The association between dietary macronutrient intake and fibrogen growth factor 21 in a sample of White UK adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk markers

Increased levels of Fibrogen growth factor 21 (FGF21) is an emerging risk marker for cardiometabolic (CM) disease(1). Little detail is known about the impact of the human diet on FGF21 levels. The aim of this investigation was to assess potential associations between mean daily dietary macronutrient intake and FGF21 levels in a sample of 10 healthy normal-weight and overweight Caucasian adults aged 32–60 (80 % male) at increased CM risk(2). This pilot study received ethical approval from Liverpool John Moores University Research Ethics Committee (16/ELS/029) and was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (Ref. NCT03257085). Participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups and asked to either consume 50 % energy from CHO for a duration of 8 weeks. Blood plasma samples were col- lected at baseline (BL), interim point (IP) and endpoint (EP) after a 12-hour overnight fast, immediately processed and frozen at −80°C. Thawed plasma samples were analysed via Quantikine® enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (R&D Systems) for FGF21 levels. Two-way mixed ANOVA and Pearson’s partial correlation adjusted for estimated weekly moderate and vigorous activity was undertaken using IBM SPSS 24®. There were no effects for diet between groups or over time (data not shown). Significant correlations between macronutrient intakes and FGF21 levels were found for both groups at IP, but not at BL or EP. Moderate and significant positive correlations were found in the overall group for intake (g/d) for glucose (rpartial = ·699, p = ·04) and fructose (rpartial = ·686, p = ·04) and strong and significant positive correlations for non-milk extrinsic sugars (rpartial = ·742, p = ·02). Strong and significant positive correlations were also found in the LC group for glucose intake (g/d) (rpartial = ·980, p = ·02) and fructose (rpartial = ·967, p = ·03) and for protein (rpartial =·998, p=·002) after adjusting for physical activity. Mean carbohydrate intake (g/d) was 160·0 (s.d. 124·5) overall and 44·2 (s.d. 14·9) in the LC group at IP. Mean protein intake (g/d) was 113·2 (21·4) 130·0 (s.d. 15·9) overall and in the LC group at IP. Mean FGF21 levels were 179·9 pg/mL (s.d. 144·9) in the overall group and 94.4 pg/ML (s.d. 48.6) in the LC group at IP. %TE Intake (g/d) PROT FAT CHO GLU FRU NMES PROT FAT rrrrrrrrrrr −·214 ·623 ·635 −·326 −·491 ·448 ·699* ·686* ·742* −·606 −·496 ·143 ·637 ·937 ·427 −·059 ·722 ·980* ·967* ·919 ·998** −·080 Total kcal CHO NMES T LC CHO-Total carbohydrates, FAT-Total fat, FRU-Fructose, GLUC-Glucose, LC-low-carbohydrate, high-fat group, NMES-non-milk extrinsic sugars, PROT-protein, T – total, %TE – percentage total energy, *p < ·05 **p < ·005. In conclusion, low-carbohydrate diets provide the opportunity to assess responses to even small amounts of CHO, which are likely to be replaced in part by proteins. Despite low overall intakes of fructose and glucose in the LC group, strong and positive correlations with FGF21 levels were observed. The lower levels of FGF21 in the LC compared to the overall group are in line with findings that FGF21 levels are elevated with high-carbohydrate, low-protein diets with dietary fats having only minor impact(3). However, the majority of studies have still been undertaken using rodent models. The impact of dietary macronutrients on FGF21 levels as novel CMR marker in humans and the mechanism behind this relationship warrant further investigation. 1. Lakhani I, Gong M, Wong W et al. (2018) Metabolism 2018 Feb 1. pii: S0026-0495(18)30023-4. [Epub ahead of print]. 2. Jebb S, Lovegrove J, Griffin B et al. (2010) Am J Clin Nutr 92, 748–58. 3. Solon-Biet S, Cogger V, Pulpitel T et al. (2016) Cell Metab 24, 555–565

Dietary carbohydrate intake, visceral adipose tissue and associated markers of cardiometabolic risk

Risk of cardiometabolic (CM) disease is characterised by elevated visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and a number of associated biomar- kers(1). Some dietary carbohydrates (CHO) have been found to contribute to VAT accumulation(2). Little is known about the impact of following a low-carbohydrate diet versus a high-carbohydrate diet on VAT, adiponectin (ADPN), leptin (LEPT) and leptin:adipo- nectin ratio (LAR). The aim of this investigation was to assess the impact of dietary carbohydrates (CHO) on VAT and emerging CM risk markers in a sample of 10 healthy normal-weight and overweight Caucasian adults aged 32–60 (80 % male) at increased CM risk(3). This pilot study received ethical approval from Liverpool John Moores University Research Ethics Committee (16/ELS/ 029) and was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (Ref. NCT03257085). Participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups and asked to either consume 50 % energy from CHO (high-carb (HC)) for a duration of 8 weeks. VAT was ana- lysed via bioelectrical impedance (SECA mBCA 515). Blood plasma samples were collected at baseline (BL), interim point (IP) and endpoint (EP) after a 12-hour overnight fast, immediately processed and frozen at -80°C. Thawed plasma samples were analysed via immunoassay technology (Randox Evidence InvestigatorTM Metabolic Syndrome Arrays I and II) for ADPN and LEPT levels. Statistical analysis was undertaken using IBM SPSS 24®. Parametric data was analysed via two-way mixed ANOVA; non-parametric data was analysed via Mann-Whitney U test and Friedman test. Average daily carbohydrate intake in the LC group was 44·2 g at IP and 48·9 g at EP. There were no significant differences between groups at any time point for ADPN, LEPT, LAR or VAT and no significant inter- actions for time or group*time for ADPN, LEPT or LAR. However, in the LC group VAT decreased significantly between baseline and endpoint by 15 % (p = ·015) Over the course of the intervention ADPN and LEPT decreased non- significantly (by 4 % and 70 % respectively) in the LC group, whilst increasing non-significantly in the HC group (9 % and 65 % respectively). LAR increased in the HC group throughout the study, whilst LAR in the LC group decreased albeit not significantly. VAT (litre) ADPN (ng/mL) LEPT (ng/mL) LAR BL IP EP Median Median Median M SD M SD M SD BL IP EP BL IP EP BL IP EP LC 4·1a 1·2 3·8 1·3 3·5a 1·2 8·9 8·6 8·5 3·96 1·64 1·20 0·45 0·19 0·14 HC 2·7 0·1 1·6 0·3 2·5 0·1 11·3 13·4 12·3 0·97 1·1 1·60 0·07 0·07 0·46 ADPN = adiponectin, BL = baseline, EP = endpoint, HC = high-carbohydrate, moderate fat diet, IP = interim point, LAR = leptin:adiponectin ratio, LEPT = leptin, LC = low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet, VAT = visceral adipose tissue, ap = ·015. NB: interquartile ranges not provided for median values due to missing data. Higher LAR has been found to be a marker of increased CM risk(4). In conclusion, while the significant reduction in VAT in the LC group corresponds with the reduction of LAR further evidence is required to corroborate these findings. Previous evidence for LC is supportive for improved CM health from various biomarkers(5); LAR should be considered as a useful endocrine addition for future LC studies. 1. Krasimira A, Mozaffarian D & Pischon T (2018) Clin Chem 64, 142–153. 2. Rüttgers D, Fischer K, Koch M et al. (2015) Br J Nutr 114, 1929–1940. 3. Jebb S, Lovegrove J, Griffin B et al. (2010) Am J Clin Nutr 92, 748–58. 4. López-Jaramillo P, Gómez-Arbeláez D, López-López J et al. (2014) Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig 18, 37–45. 5. Bazzano L, Hi T, Reynolds K et al. (2014) Ann Intern Med 161, 309–318

Linking working memory and long-term memory: A computational model of the learning of new words

The nonword repetition (NWR) test has been shown to be a good predictor of children’s vocabulary size. NWR performance has been explained using phonological working memory, which is seen as a critical component in the learning of new words. However, no detailed specification of the link between phonological working memory and long-term memory (LTM) has been proposed. In this paper, we present a computational model of children’s vocabulary acquisition (EPAM-VOC) that specifies how phonological working memory and LTM interact. The model learns phoneme sequences, which are stored in LTM and mediate how much information can be held in working memory. The model’s behaviour is compared with that of children in a new study of NWR, conducted in order to ensure the same nonword stimuli and methodology across ages. EPAM-VOC shows a pattern of results similar to that of children: performance is better for shorter nonwords and for wordlike nonwords, and performance improves with age. EPAM-VOC also simulates the superior performance for single consonant nonwords over clustered consonant nonwords found in previous NWR studies. EPAM-VOC provides a simple and elegant computational account of some of the key processes involved in the learning of new words: it specifies how phonological working memory and LTM interact; makes testable predictions; and suggests that developmental changes in NWR performance may reflect differences in the amount of information that has been encoded in LTM rather than developmental changes in working memory capacity. Keywords: EPAM, working memory, long-term memory, nonword repetition, vocabulary acquisition, developmental change

Learning difficulties : a portuguese perspective of a universal issue

In this article we present findings of a study that was conducted with the purpose of deepening the knowledge about the field of learning difficulties in Portugal. Therefore, within these findings we will discuss across several cultural boundaries, themes related with the existence of learning difficulties as a construct, the terminology, the political, social and scientific influences on the field, and the models of identification and of ongoing school support for students. While addressing the above-mentioned themes we will draw attention to the different, yet converging, international understandings of learning difficulties

Mass Splitting and Production of Σc0\Sigma_c^0 and Σc++\Sigma_c^{++} Measured in 500GeV500 {GeV} π−−\pi^- -N Interactions

From a sample of $2722 \pm 78$ $\Lambda_c^+$ decaying to the $pK^-\pi^+$ final state, we have observed, in the hadroproduction experiment E791 at Fermilab, $143 \pm 20$ $\Sigma_c^0$ and $122 \pm 18$ $\Sigma_c^{++}$ through their decays to $\Lambda_c^+ \pi^{\pm}$. The mass difference $M(\Sigma_c^0) - M(\Lambda_c^+$) is measured to be $(167.38\pm 0.29\pm 0.15) {MeV}$; for $M(\Sigma_c^{++}) - M(\Lambda_c^+)$, we find $(167.76\pm 0.29\pm0.15) {MeV}$. The rate of $\Lambda_c^+$ production from decays of the $\Sigma_c$ triplet is (22\pm 2\pm 3) {%} of the total $\Lambda_c^+$ production assuming equal rate of production from all three, as measured for $\Sigma_c^0$ and $\Sigma_c^{++}$. We do not observe a statistically significant $\Sigma_c$ baryon-antibaryon production asymmetry. The $x_F$ and $p_t^2$ spectra of $\Lambda_c^+$ from $\Sigma_c$ decays are observed to be similar to those for all $\Lambda_c^+$'s produced.Comment: 15 pages, uuencoded postscript 3 figures uuencoded, tar-compressed fil

Supervisors' Perceptions of the Performance of Cooperative Education Employees Working in Federal Agencies

Through cooperative education programs, many public agencies employ college students part time or intermittently and groom them for future full-time employment The combination of winnowing and nurturing that occurs in these programs is believed to produce higher performing employees This study tests this hypothesis by comparing Federal supervisors' perceptions of the performance of co-op employees with those recruited from other sources Data come from the 1992 Merit Principles Survey, US Merit Systems Protection Board The results indicate that co-op employees perform at high levels, but they do not outperform other employees as a whole Next, we compare the performance ratings of Federal workers from seven other recruitment sources to see if any source is superior Some interesting findings emerge Of course, performance ratings are an incomplete indicator of an employee's value to the organization These ratings merely reflect supervisors' perceptions, and while high performance is important, agencies may wish to promote other goals in their recruitment and retention efforts such as workforce diversityYeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

An aggravated trajectory of depression and anxiety co-morbid with hepatitis C: : A 21 to 62 month follow-up study in 61 South Australian outpatients

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the course of depression and anxiety in chronic hepatitis C patients. METHODS:   Data were combined from two studies: (1) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores in 395 consecutive Australian outpatients from 2006 to 2010 formed the baseline measurement; and (2) Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) scores in a survey of a sub-sample of these patients in 2011 formed the follow-up measurement. After converting DASS to HADS scores, changes in symptom scores and rates of case-ness (≥8), and predictors of follow-up symptoms were assessed. RESULTS:   Follow-up data were available for 61 patients (70.5% male) whose age ranged from 24.5 to 74.6 years (M=45.6). The time to follow-up ranged from 20.7 to 61.9 months (M=43.8). Baseline rates of depression (32.8%) and anxiety (44.3%) increased to 62.3% and 67.2%, respectively. These findings were confirmed, independent of the conversion, by comparing baseline HADS and follow-up DASS scores with British community norms. Baseline anxiety and younger age predicted depression, while baseline anxiety, high school non-completion, and single relationship status predicted anxiety. CONCLUSION:  This study demonstrated a worsening trajectory of depression and anxiety. Further controlled and prospective research in a larger sample is required to confirm these findings

D* Production in Deep Inelastic Scattering at HERA

This paper presents measurements of D^{*\pm} production in deep inelastic scattering from collisions between 27.5 GeV positrons and 820 GeV protons. The data have been taken with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The decay channel $D^{*+}\to (D^0 \to K^- \pi^+) \pi^+$ (+ c.c.) has been used in the study. The $e^+p$ cross section for inclusive D^{*\pm} production with $5<Q^2<100 GeV^2$ and $y<0.7$ is 5.3 \pms 1.0 \pms 0.8 nb in the kinematic region {$1.3<p_T(D^{*\pm})<9.0$ GeV and $| \eta(D^{*\pm}) |<1.5$}. Differential cross sections as functions of p_T(D^{*\pm}), $\eta(D^{*\pm}), W$ and $Q^2$ are compared with next-to-leading order QCD calculations based on the photon-gluon fusion production mechanism. After an extrapolation of the cross section to the full kinematic region in p_T(D^{*\pm}) and $\eta$(D^{*\pm}), the charm contribution $F_2^{c\bar{c}}(x,Q^2)$ to the proton structure function is determined for Bjorken $x$ between 2 $\cdot$ 10$^{-4}$ and 5 $\cdot$ 10$^{-3}$.Comment: 17 pages including 4 figure

Observation of Scaling Violations in Scaled Momentum Distributions at HERA

Charged particle production has been measured in deep inelastic scattering (DIS) events over a large range of $x$ and $Q^2$ using the ZEUS detector. The evolution of the scaled momentum, $x_p$, with $Q^2,$ in the range 10 to 1280 $GeV^2$, has been investigated in the current fragmentation region of the Breit frame. The results show clear evidence, in a single experiment, for scaling violations in scaled momenta as a function of $Q^2$.Comment: 21 pages including 4 figures, to be published in Physics Letters B. Two references adde