Effect of breakfast cereal type on portion size and nutritional implications

Objective: The present study aimed to assess the effect of different types of breakfast cereal on portion size and the nutritional implications of potential under or overserving. Design: A cross-sectional analysis was performed using one BC from the 7 established BC manufacturing methods (flaking [F], gun puffed [GP], oven puffed [OP], extruded gun puffed [EGP], shredded wholegrain [SW], biscuit formed [BF], and granola). Participants were asked to pour cereal as if they were serving themselves (freepour). Difference between the freepour and recommended serving size (RSS) were calculated (DFR). The Friedman test followed by Dunn’s multiple comparison test was used to test for a significant differences between cereal categories. Setting: City of Chester, North West of the UK Participants: Adults (n=169; n=110 female, 32±18 years) Results: Freepour values were greater than RSS for all categories of BC. Median values for denser cereals such as SW, granola and oats were significantly (P<0.001) greater than all other categories with granola having the highest median freepour value of 95 g. Median (and range of) DFR weight values for granola were significantly higher than other BCs (50.0 g [-24.0-267.0g], P<0.001). BCs with the lowest median DFRs were F1 (7.0 g [-20-63.0g]), GP (6.0 g [-26.0-69.0g]), EGP (6.0 g [-26.0-56.0g]), OP (5.0 g [-27.0-53.0g]), and BF (0.0 g [-28.2-56.4g]). Conclusions: The degree of overserving may be related to the type of BC with denser cereals more readily overserved. Encouraging manufacturers to reformulate cereals and improving their nutritional properties may have benefit in reducing excess energy intake

Predicting Waste Management Behaviors Using an Extended Theory of Reasoned Action Model

Rapid urbanization has resulted in a significant increase in the amount of waste generated, which threatens the health and safety of millions of people worldwide. For our cities to become environmentally sustainable, proper waste management has become essential. A major source of pollution resulting from improper waste management are developing countries, such as the Philippines which is a top contributor to plastic wastes in oceans. Existing studies in this context focus on the effectiveness of specific waste management programs, and there is an opportunity to extend theories to improve our understanding of the waste management behaviors of households. Using an extended theory of reasoned action model that includes attitudes toward urban environmental sustainability, knowledge of urban environmental sustainability, and knowledge of waste management, this study predicted people’s waste management behaviors and their behavioral change factors in the study area. Results of regression analyses showed that attitudes and knowledge toward urban environmental sustainability predicted attitudes toward waste management. Results also showed that knowledge of urban environmental sustainability predicted knowledge of waste management. Moreover, attitudes toward waste management, subjective norms, and knowledge of waste management predicted intentions toward waste management. Finally, intentions toward waste management predicted waste management behavior. These findings empirically support the extended model, showing that the inclusion of urban environmental sustainability and knowledge-related factors can improve the prediction of waste management behaviors using the theory of reasoned action. These findings inform policymakers in crafting policies that will promote waste management behaviors to combat the negative consequences of urbanization

Genome-wide association analysis identifies six new loci associated with forced vital capacity

Forced vital capacity (FVC), a spirometric measure of pulmonary function, reflects lung volume and is used to diagnose and monitor lung diseases. We performed genome-wide association study meta-analysis of FVC in 52,253 individuals from 26 studies and followed up the top associations in 32,917 additional individuals of European ancestry. We found six new regions associated at genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10−8) with FVC in or near EFEMP1, BMP6, MIR129-2–HSD17B12, PRDM11, WWOX and KCNJ2. Two loci previously associated with spirometric measures (GSTCD and PTCH1) were related to FVC. Newly implicated regions were followed up in samples from African-American, Korean, Chinese and Hispanic individuals. We detected transcripts for all six newly implicated genes in human lung tissue. The new loci may inform mechanisms involved in lung development and the pathogenesis of restrictive lung disease

Viral to metazoan marine plankton nucleotide sequences from the Tara Oceans expedition

A unique collection of oceanic samples was gathered by the Tara Oceans expeditions (2009-2013), targeting plankton organisms ranging from viruses to metazoans, and providing rich environmental context measurements. Thanks to recent advances in the field of genomics, extensive sequencing has been performed for a deep genomic analysis of this huge collection of samples. A strategy based on different approaches, such as metabarcoding, metagenomics, single-cell genomics and metatranscriptomics, has been chosen for analysis of size-fractionated plankton communities. Here, we provide detailed procedures applied for genomic data generation, from nucleic acids extraction to sequence production, and we describe registries of genomics datasets available at the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA, www.ebi.ac.uk/ena). The association of these metadata to the experimental procedures applied for their generation will help the scientific community to access these data and facilitate their analysis. This paper complements other efforts to provide a full description of experiments and open science resources generated from the Tara Oceans project, further extending their value for the study of the world's planktonic ecosystems

Reconstruction of primary vertices at the ATLAS experiment in Run 1 proton–proton collisions at the LHC

This paper presents the method and performance of primary vertex reconstruction in proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment during Run 1 of the LHC. The studies presented focus on data taken during 2012 at a centre-of-mass energy of √s=8 TeV. The performance has been measured as a function of the number of interactions per bunch crossing over a wide range, from one to seventy. The measurement of the position and size of the luminous region and its use as a constraint to improve the primary vertex resolution are discussed. A longitudinal vertex position resolution of about 30μm is achieved for events with high multiplicity of reconstructed tracks. The transverse position resolution is better than 20μm and is dominated by the precision on the size of the luminous region. An analytical model is proposed to describe the primary vertex reconstruction efficiency as a function of the number of interactions per bunch crossing and of the longitudinal size of the luminous region. Agreement between the data and the predictions of this model is better than 3% up to seventy interactions per bunch crossing

Unconditioned Response to a Naturally Aversive Stimulus is Associated with Sensitized Defensive Responding and Self-Reported Fearful Traits in a PTSD Sample

Unconditioned responding (UCR) to a naturally aversive stimulus is associated with defensive responding to a conditioned threat cue (CS+) and a conditioned safety cue (CS-) in trauma-exposed individuals during fear acquisition. However, the relationships of UCR with defensive responding during extinction training, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, and fearful traits in trauma-exposed individuals are not known. In a sample of 100 trauma-exposed adults with a continuum of PTSD severity, we recorded startle responses and skin conductance responses (SCR) during fear acquisition and extinction training using a 140 psi, 250-ms air blast to the larynx as the unconditioned stimulus. We explored dimensional associations of two different measures of UCR (unconditioned startle and unconditioned SCR) with conditioned defensive responding to CS+ and CS-, conditioned fear (CS+ minus CS-), PTSD symptom severity, and a measure of fearful traits (composite of fear survey schedule, anxiety sensitivity index, and Connor-Davidson resilience scale). Unconditioned startle was positively associated with startle potentiation to the threat cue and the safety cue across both learning phases (CS+ Acquisition, CS- Acquisition, CS+ Extinction Training, CS- Extinction Training) and with fearful traits. Unconditioned SCR was positively associated with SCR to the CS+ and CS- and SCR difference score during Acquisition. Neither type of UCR was associated with PTSD symptom severity. Our findings suggest that UCR, particularly unconditioned startle to a naturally aversive stimulus, may inform research on biomarkers and treatment targets for symptoms of pervasive and persistent fear in trauma-exposed individuals

2016 ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation developed in collaboration with EACTS.

Peer reviewe

Family history of Alzheimer's disease alters cognition and is modified by medical and genetic factors

In humans, a first-degree family history of dementia (FH) is a well-documented risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, the influence of FH on cognition across the lifespan is poorly understood. To address this issue, we developed an internet-based paired-associates learning (PAL) task and tested 59,571 participants between the ages of 18–85. FH was associated with lower PAL performance in both sexes under 65 years old. Modifiers of this effect of FH on PAL performance included age, sex, education, and diabetes. The Apolipoprotein E ε4 allele was also associated with lower PAL scores in FH positive individuals. Here we show, FH is associated with reduced PAL performance four decades before the typical onset of AD; additionally, several heritable and non-heritable modifiers of this effect were identified.publishedVersionCopyright Talboom et al. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credite

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Periodontology and Implant Dentistry

Aim: To (i) evaluate structured postgraduate part‐time programs in periodontology, including those addressing peri‐implant diseases, among members of the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP), (ii) the impact of the 2018 classification scheme and EFP clinical practice guidelines and (iii) propose a framework for periodontal vocational education and training. Materials and Methods: A summary of relevant European guidelines for vocational education and training was compiled. In a survey and in a systematic review, current part‐time programs in continuing professional education in periodontology as well as in prevention and management of peri‐implant diseases were examined. The implementation and dissemination of the 2018 classification scheme and the EFP clinical practice guidelines were assessed by literature analysis. Based on these findings, a framework for periodontal vocational education and training was generated. Results: Part‐time programs for professional development in periodontology are established in nine EFP member countries. The systematic review identified lack of knowledge in prevention and management of peri‐implant diseases among dental practitioners and hygienists. Continuing professional development was found to be important for education in prevention, classification and management of periodontal as well as peri‐implant diseases. The proposed European framework consists of an escalator model with three levels (certificate, diploma and master). Discussion: Considering the identified variation in the national programs, there is a need to improve education in periodontal and peri‐implant diseases. The proposed framework will help harmonize the national structures. Conclusion: The proposed framework for part‐time professional development is expected to enhance professional qualification