Is the objective food environment associated with perceptions of the food environment?

Objective The present study examined whether objective measures of the food environment are associated with perceptions of the food environment and whether this relationship varies by socio-economic disadvantage.Design The study is a cross-sectional analysis of self-report surveys and objective environment data. Women reported their perceptions on the nutrition environment. Participants&rsquo; homes and food stores were geocoded to measure the objective community nutrition environment. Data on the average price and variety of fruit and vegetables were used to measure the objective consumer nutrition environment.Setting The study was conducted in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003&ndash;2004.Subjects Data presented are from a sample of 1393 women aged 18&ndash;65 years.Results Overall the match between the perceived and objective environment was poor, underscoring the limitations in using perceptions of the environment as a proxy for the objective environment. Socio-economic disadvantage had limited impact on the relationship between perceived and objective nutrition environment.Conclusions Further research is needed to understand the determinants of perceptions of the nutrition environment to enhance our understanding of the role of perceptions in nutrition choices and drivers of socio-economic inequalities in nutrition.<br /

Macrosystems ecology: Understanding ecological patterns and processes at continental scales

Macrosystems ecology is the study of diverse ecological phenomena at the scale of regions to continents and their interactions with phenomena at other scales. This emerging subdiscipline addresses ecological questions and environmental problems at these broad scales. Here, we describe this new field, show how it relates to modern ecological study, and highlight opportunities that stem from taking a macrosystems perspective. We present a hierarchical framework for investigating macrosystems at any level of ecological organization and in relation to broader and finer scales. Building on well-established theory and concepts from other subdisciplines of ecology, we identify feedbacks, linkages among distant regions, and interactions that cross scales of space and time as the most likely sources of unexpected and novel behaviors in macrosystems. We present three examples that highlight the importance of this multiscaled systems perspective for understanding the ecology of regions to continents

Digital Pathology Identifies Associations between Tissue Inflammatory Biomarkers and Multiple Sclerosis Outcomes

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a clinically heterogeneous disease underpinned by inflammatory, demyelinating and neurodegenerative processes, the extent of which varies between individuals and over the course of the disease. Recognising the clinicopathological features that most strongly associate with disease outcomes will inform future efforts at patient phenotyping. Aims: We used a digital pathology workflow, involving high-resolution image acquisition of immunostained slides and opensource software for quantification, to investigate the relationship between clinical and neuropathological features in an autopsy cohort of progressive MS. Methods: Sequential sections of frontal, cingulate and occipital cortex, thalamus, brain stem (pons) and cerebellum including dentate nucleus (n = 35 progressive MS, females = 28, males = 7; age died = 53.5 years; range 38–98 years) were immunostained for myelin (anti-MOG), neurons (anti-HuC/D) and microglia/macrophages (anti-HLA). The extent of demyelination, neurodegeneration, the presence of active and/or chronic active lesions and quantification of brain and leptomeningeal inflammation was captured by digital pathology. Results: Digital analysis of tissue sections revealed the variable extent of pathology that characterises progressive MS. Microglia/macrophage activation, if found at a higher level in a single block, was typically elevated across all sampled blocks. Compartmentalised (perivascular/leptomeningeal) inflammation was associated with age-related measures of disease severity and an earlier death. Conclusion: Digital pathology identified prognostically important clinicopathological correlations in MS. This methodology can be used to prioritise the principal pathological processes that need to be captured by future MS biomarkers

Nurse-Initiated Treatment Reduces Costs for Acute Asthma in a Pediatric Emergency Department

Standardized emergency department (ED) pathways can improve care delivery to children with acute asthma, though their impact on hospitalization and costs is unclear. An Acute Asthma Care Pathway (AACP) that facilitates nurse initiation of treatment was implemented at a tertiary care pediatric ED using standard quality improvement methodology. The impact of implementation was assessed using process control methodology and multivariable time series analyses between pre- and post-implementation periods. Provision of a steroid within 30 minutes and 60 minutes of arrival increased by 21 and 22 percentage points respectively, IV magnesium sulfate administration increased by 30 percentage points, the proportion hospitalized decreased from 44.8% to 32.2%, and mean direct costs per patient decreased from $2,663 to$2,303 (13.5%). In multivariable analysis, these improvements remained significant. Implementation of the AACP improved timeliness of treatment, hospitalization, and direct costs of children receiving ED treatment for acute asthma

Using a Participatory Approach to Develop Research Priorities for Future Leaders in Cancer-Related Precision Public Health

Precision public health is an emerging discipline combining principles and frameworks of precision health with the goal of improving population health. The development of research priorities drawing on the strengths of precision and public health is critical to facilitate the growth of the discipline to improve health outcomes. We held an interactive workshop during a virtual conference bringing together early-career researchers across public health disciplines to identify research priorities in precision public health. The workshop participants discussed and voted to identify three priority areas for future research and capacity building including 1) enhancing equity and access to precision public health research and resources, 2) improving tools and metrics for evaluation and 3) applying principles of implementation science to support sustainable practices. Participants also developed future objectives for achieving each priority. Future efforts by working groups will continue the process of identifying, revising, and advancing critical research priorities to grow the impact of precision public health

Hydrogen Donation but not Abstraction by a Tyrosine (Y68) During Endoperoxide Installation by Verruculogen Synthase (FtmOx1)

Hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) from a substrate carbon to an iron(IV)-oxo (ferryl) intermediate initiates a diverse array of enzymatic transformations. For outcomes other than hydroxylation, coupling of the resultant carbon radical and hydroxo ligand (oxygen rebound) must generally be averted. A recent study of FtmOx1, a fungal iron(II)- and 2-(oxo)glutarate-dependent oxygenase that installs the endoperoxide of verruculogen by adding O_2 between carbons 21 and 27 of fumitremorgin B, posited that tyrosine (Tyr or Y) 224 serves as HAT intermediary to separate the C21 radical (C21•) and Fe(III)–OH HAT products and prevent rebound. Our reinvestigation of the FtmOx1 mechanism revealed, instead, direct HAT from C21 to the ferryl complex and surprisingly competitive rebound. The C21-hydroxylated (rebound) product, which undergoes deprenylation, predominates when low [O_2] slows C21•–O_2 coupling in the next step of the endoperoxidation pathway. This pathway culminates with addition of the C21–O–O• peroxyl adduct to olefinic C27 followed by HAT to the C26• from a Tyr. The last step results in sequential accumulation of Tyr radicals, which are suppressed without detriment to turnover by inclusion of the reductant, ascorbate. Replacement of each of four candidates for the proximal C26 H• donor (including Y224) with phenylalanine (F) revealed that only the Y68F variant (i) fails to accumulate the first Tyr• and (ii) makes an altered major product, identifying Y68 as the donor. The implied proximities of C21 to the iron cofactor and C26 to Y68 support a new docking model of the enzyme–substrate complex that is consistent with all available data

Flavones induce neutrophil apoptosis by down-regulation of Mcl-1 via a proteasomal-dependent pathway

Neutrophil apoptosis and subsequent nonphlogistic clearance by surrounding phagocytes are key to the successful resolution of neutrophilic inflammation, with dysregulated apoptosis reported in multiple human inflammatory diseases. Enhancing neutrophil apoptosis has proresolution and anti-inflammatory effects in preclinical models of inflammation. Here we investigate the ability of the flavones apigenin, luteolin, and wogonin to induce neutrophil apoptosis in vitro and resolve neutrophilic inflammation in vivo. Human neutrophil apoptosis was assessed morphologically and by flow cytometry following incubation with apigenin, luteolin, and wogonin. All three flavones induced time- and concentration-dependent neutrophil apoptosis (apigenin, EC(50)=12.2 μM; luteolin, EC(50)=14.6 μM; and wogonin, EC(50)=28.9 μM). Induction of apoptosis was caspase dependent, as it was blocked by the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor Q-VD-OPh and was associated with both caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation. Flavone-induced apoptosis was preceded by down-regulation of the prosurvival protein Mcl-1, with proteasomal inhibition preventing flavone-induced Mcl-1 down-regulation and apoptosis. The flavones abrogated the survival effects of mediators that prolong neutrophil life span, including lipoteichoic acid, peptidoglycan, dexamethasone, and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, by driving apoptosis. Furthermore, wogonin enhanced resolution of established neutrophilic inflammation in a zebrafish model of sterile tissue injury. Wogonin-induced resolution was dependent on apoptosis in vivo as it was blocked by caspase inhibition. Our data show that the flavones induce neutrophil apoptosis and have potential as neutrophil apoptosis-inducing anti-inflammatory, proresolution agents.—Lucas, C. D., Allen, K. C., Dorward, D. A., Hoodless, L. J., Melrose, L. A., Marwick, J. A., Tucker, C. S., Haslett, C., Duffin, R., Rossi, A. G. Flavones induce neutrophil apoptosis by down-regulation of Mcl-1 via a proteasomal-dependent pathway

Results from the centers for disease control and prevention's predict the 2013-2014 Influenza Season Challenge

Background: Early insights into the timing of the start, peak, and intensity of the influenza season could be useful in planning influenza prevention and control activities. To encourage development and innovation in influenza forecasting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) organized a challenge to predict the 2013-14 Unites States influenza season. Methods: Challenge contestants were asked to forecast the start, peak, and intensity of the 2013-2014 influenza season at the national level and at any or all Health and Human Services (HHS) region level(s). The challenge ran from December 1, 2013-March 27, 2014; contestants were required to submit 9 biweekly forecasts at the national level to be eligible. The selection of the winner was based on expert evaluation of the methodology used to make the prediction and the accuracy of the prediction as judged against the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet). Results: Nine teams submitted 13 forecasts for all required milestones. The first forecast was due on December 2, 2013; 3/13 forecasts received correctly predicted the start of the influenza season within one week, 1/13 predicted the peak within 1 week, 3/13 predicted the peak ILINet percentage within 1 %, and 4/13 predicted the season duration within 1 week. For the prediction due on December 19, 2013, the number of forecasts that correctly forecasted the peak week increased to 2/13, the peak percentage to 6/13, and the duration of the season to 6/13. As the season progressed, the forecasts became more stable and were closer to the season milestones. Conclusion: Forecasting has become technically feasible, but further efforts are needed to improve forecast accuracy so that policy makers can reliably use these predictions. CDC and challenge contestants plan to build upon the methods developed during this contest to improve the accuracy of influenza forecasts. © 2016 The Author(s)