Efecto de las alteraciones en el gen hfe y de la dieta sobre el exceso de hierro en la población

El hierro es un mineral esencial para la vida, y así como su deficiencia está claramente establecida como un problema de salud, la elevación moderada de sus niveles no está científicamente reconocida como perjuicio para la salud. No es así, sin embargo, con el nivel excesivamente elevado, en el cual si está establecida una enfermedad hereditaria grave, la Hemocromatosis Hereditaria, relacionada con la presencia de mutaciones en el gen HFE. Estas mutaciones provocan un aumento de la absorción del hierro dietético hasta provocar una sobrecarga de hierro grave que lesiona las células corporales perjudicando su funcionamiento.Sin embargo en los últimos años, los niveles ligeramente elevados de hierro se han asociado a un aumento del estrés oxidativo que puede contribuir en la aparición de enfermedades crónicas y muy frecuentes en nuestra sociedad como enfermedad cardiovascular, cáncer, diabetes y diversas enfermedades neurodegenerativas.Ante esta situación de los conocimientos científicos, en este estudio nos propusimos establecer la prevalencia de las mutaciones en el gen HFE (C282Y, H63D y S65C) y la prevalencia de la sobrecarga de hierro moderada en la población general con el objetivo novedoso de poder estudiar las relaciones que se establecieran entre las mutaciones del gen HFE, la dieta y los niveles de hierro y analizar el efecto de dichos niveles sobre el estrés oxidativo en la misma muestra de sujetos. Para ello estudiamos 815 individuos de tres municipios de la provincia de Tarragona, representativos de nuestra población. Del estudio hemos obtenido que un elevado porcentaje (46%) de los sujetos presentan mutaciones en el gen HFE y un 25,3 % presentan sobrecarga de hierro (22,6% moderada y 2,7% severa). La presencia de algunos genotipos, en concreto los genotipos compuestos C282Y/H63D y H63D/S65C, poco frecuentes en nuestra población (2,5%), son los que más aumentan los niveles de hierro. La ingesta de hierro y alcohol y la disminución de la ingesta de calcio también se relacionan con un aumento de los niveles de hierro orgánico. También hemos podido observar que las mujeres que presentan un aumento de los niveles de hierro circulante así como aquellas que ingieren más hierro dietético, tienen mayor estrés oxidativo en el organismo. Además, los sujetos con mayores niveles de hierro almacenado a nivel corporal así como los que ingieren mayores cantidades de vitamina C y D, presentan una mayor capacidad antioxidante en el organismo. Con lo cual podemos concluir que en nuestra población general, la presencia de ciertos genotipos conjuntamente con un tipo determinado de consumo dietético tiene un mayor riesgo de tener un estado de hierro corporal moderadamente elevado que está relacionado con el perjuicio del estrés oxidativo. Por tanto, si se confirmaran estas relaciones, la actuación de medidas preventivas para corregirlas mejoraría el estado de salud de la población.Iron is a mineral that is essential to life and although its lack is clearly recognized as being harmful to health, moderate increases in levels are not. Excessive increases in levels, however, have been established as a serious hereditary disease, Hereditary Hemochromatosis, which is caused by mutations in the HFE gene. These mutations increase the absorption of dietary iron, leading to a serious iron overload that damages the body cells and prevents them from functioning as they should.In recent years, however, slightly increased iron levels have been associated with an increase in oxidative stress that may contribute to the appearance of chronic diseases that are very common in our society such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and several neurodegenerative diseases.In this study, therefore, we aimed to establish the prevalence of mutations in the HFE gene (C282Y, H63D and S65C) and the prevalence of moderate iron overload in the general population so that we could then go on to study the relations between the mutations of the HFE gene, diet and iron levels, and analyze the effect of these levels on the oxidative stress in the same sample of subjects. To this end, we studied 815 individuals from three municipalities in the province of Tarragona who were representative of our population.Our study shows that a high percentage (46%) of subjects have mutations in the HFE gene and that 25.3% have iron overload (moderate in 22.6% and severe in 2.7%). Such genotypes as the compounds C282Y/H63D and H63D/S65C, which are not very common in our population (2.5%), most increase iron levels. The intake of iron and alcohol, and the decrease in calcium intake are also associated with an increase in the levels of organic iron. We also observed that women who have increased levels of circulating iron and those who have high intakes of dietary iron have greater oxidative stress in the organism. What is more, subjects with higher levels of iron stored in the body and those with the highest intakes of vitamin C and D have a greater antioxidant capacity in the organism.This leads us to conclude that in our general population, the presence of certain genotypes together with a particular dietary intake involves a greater risk of moderately high body iron, which is associated with oxidative stress damage. If these relations are confirmed, measures for correcting them would improve the health of the population

Consum de productes de les màquines de vending i hàbits alimentaris entre els estudiants de la Universitat de Vic

Introducció: Entre els comportaments alimentaris que poden contribuir a una ingesta dietètica inadequada hi ha el consum d’aliments de conveniència, aliments que es caracteritzen per ser d’elevat contingut calòric, riquesa en greixos saturats i sucres. Les màquines de vending són un dels principals exemples de disponibilitat d’aliments de conveniència. Objectius: Avaluar entre els estudiants de la Universitat de Vic (UVic) els hàbits de consum de productes de les màquines de vending i estudiar les característiques generals dels seus hàbits alimentaris. Materials i mètodes: Enquesta realitzada a 253 estudiants de la UVic durant el curs 07/08. Resultats: Un 72.7% dels enquestats consumeixen productes de les Màquines Expenedores d’Aliments i Begudes (MEAB), fonamentalment com a complement dels àpats i un 63.8% dels enquestats refereix que els agradaria rebre informació nutricional sobre els productes ofertats. Els hàbits alimentaris dels estudiants són bastant adequats ja que un 81.4% realitza almenys 4 àpats diaris. La qualitat de l’esmorzar és bona en el 12.3% dels casos i entre aquells que prenen algun aliment a mig matí la qualitat total de l’esmorzar millora (55.7% bona qualitat). Segons el Kidmed un 39.9% realitzen una dieta mediterrània i s’observen diferències segons la qualitat total de l’esmorzar (p<0.001). Conclusions: El consum de productes de les MEAB en l’entorn universitari és molt important, per la qual cosa la millora del perfil nutricional i la implantació d’estratègies informatives sobre els productes, permetrà que els consumidors estiguin més informats i puguin fer una elecció alimentària més saludable. Els hàbits alimentaris de la població d’estudi reflexen que la qualitat de la dieta dels universitaris és bastant bona, tot i que diferents factors podrien millorar-se. Paraules clau: màquines expenedores d’aliments i begudes (MEAB), hàbits alimentaris, universitaris.Introduction: Among the potential dietary behaviours that could contribute to an inadequate dietary intake is the consumption of convenience foods, high in calories, largely high in saturated fats and sugar. Snack vending machines are a prime example of convenience foods. Objectives: To evaluate consumption of products from snack vending machines among students of Universitat de Vic (UVic), and to study the general characteristics of their eating habits. Materials and methods: A questionnaire was applied to 253 UVic students during the year 07/08. Results: 72.7% of students consume products from snack vending machines, basically to complement their intakes. 63.8% said that they would like to receive nutritional information about products. Students’ eating habits are quite appropriate because 81.4% have a minimum of 4 meals a day. Breakfast quality is good in 12.3% and, in those cases taking a mid-morning snack, overall breakfast quality is improved (55.7% good quality). Kidmed results show that 39.9% have a Mediterranean diet with differences depending on the breakfast overall quality (p<0.001).Conclusions: Consumption of products from snack vending machines is important in the university population. Thus, an improvement of the nutritional profile of products, together with the introduction of nutritional information about them, will allow consumers to be more informed and to make healthier dietary selections. Students’ eating habits show that the overall quality of their diet is good, although it could be improved in different ways. Key words: food and beverage vending machines, eating habits, students.Introducción: Entre los comportamientos alimentarios que pueden contribuir a una ingesta dietética inadecuada está el consumo de alimentos de conveniencia, alimentos que se caracterizan por ser de elevado contenido calórico, ricos en grasas saturadas y azúcares. Las máquinas de vending resultan ser uno de los principales ejemplos de disponibilidad de alimentos de conveniencia. Objetivos: Evaluar entre los estudiantes de la Universitat de Vic (UVic) los hábitos de consumo de productos de las máquinas de vending y estudiar las características generales de sus hábitos alimentarios. Materiales y métodos: Encuesta realizada a 253 estudiantes de la UVic durante el curso 07/08. Resultados: Un 72.7% de los encuestados consume productos de las Máquinas Expendedoras de Alimentos y Bebidas (MEAB), fundamentalmente como complemento a las comidas y un 63.8% de los encuestados refieren que les gustaría recibir información nutricional sobre los productos ofertados. Los hábitos alimentarios de los estudiantes resultan bastante adecuados ya que un 81.4% realiza al menos 4 comidas diarias. La calidad del desayuno es buena en el 12.3% de los casos y entre aquellos que toman algún alimento a media mañana la calidad total del desayuno mejora (55.7%% buena calidad). Según el Kidmed un 39.9% realizan una dieta mediterránea observándose diferencias según la calidad total del desayuno (p<0.001). Conclusiones: El consumo de productos de las MEAB en el entorno universitario resulta muy importante, por lo que la mejora del perfil nutricional y la implantación de estrategias informativas sobre los productos, permitirá que los consumidores estén más informados y puedan hacer una elección alimentaria más saludable. Los hábitos alimentarios de la población de estudio reflejan que la calidad de la dieta de los universitarios resulta bastante buena, aunque distintos factores podrían mejorarse. Palabras clave: máquinas expendedoras de alimentos y bebidas (MEAB), hábitos alimentarios y universitarios

Hàbits alimentaris en nens de 8 a 12 anys de la comarca d'Osona

Introducció: La dieta mediterrània és considerada un dels patrons alimentaris més saludables ja que diversos estudis epidemiològics mostren que protegeix front diverses malalties cròniques com ara les malalties cardiovasculars, la diabetis i alguns càncers. Malauradament al nostre país els patrons alimentaris estan canviant a conseqüència de la modernització de la societat i estan portant a l’allunyament del patró de dieta mediterrània. Això és especialment crític entre la població infantil i juvenil, fet que predisposa a que en un futur augmenti la prevalença de malalties cròniques entre la població adulta. Objectiu: avaluar els hàbits alimentaris i l’estat nutricional d’escolars de 8 a 12 anys de la comarca d’Osona. Mètodes: estudi de disseny observacional i transversal. La mostra estava constituïda per 191 escolars de 4rt i 5è d’ensenyança primària d’escoles de la comarca d’Osona. La informació sobre la dieta es va recollir a través d’una enquesta alimentària, un recordatori de 24 hores, un qüestionari de freqüència de consum alimentari i el test KIDMED. Les determinacions antropomètriques que es van realitzar van ser talla, pes, IMC (Índex de Massa Corporal), plec tricipital, perímetre braquial i perímetre abdominal. L’anàlisi estadística de totes les dades es va portar a terme mitjançant el programa estadístic SPSS per Windows versió 12.0. Resultats: quan es valora la qualitat de l’esmorzar, s’observa que només en el 16.8% dels casos la qualitat era bona, en el 68.6% dels casos la qualitat havia de millorar i en el 12.6% era de qualitat insuficient i en el 2.1% era de mala qualitat. També s’observa que la dieta que segueixen és desequilibrada quantitativament, concretament és baixa en hidrats de carboni, rica en greixos i lleugerament elevada en proteïnes. L’anàlisi qualitativa mostra que hi ha un molt baix consum de verdures i hortalisses i de fruita, mentre que s’arriba a les racions recomanades de carnis i d’olis i greixos. El test KIDMED mostra una puntuació mitjana de 7.21±1.96 punts, el que indica que la dieta de la població és de qualitat millorable. Pel que fa a l’estat nutricional s’observa que un 24,6% presenta valors de baix pes i un 17,8% sobrepès o obesitat, el que indica que un 42,4% de la població estudiada presenta un estat nutricional incorrecte. Conclusions: La dieta del col·lectiu estudiat s’allunya de les recomanacions de la SENC (Sociedad Española de Nutrición Comunitaria). Els resultats del test KIDMED indiquen que només un 44% de la població segueix un patró òptim de Dieta mediterrània i l’anàlisi de l’estat nutricional mostra que un 42,4% presenta un estat nutricional incorrecte, sigui per excés o per defecte de pes. Per tant, es fa necessari dissenyar estratègies d’educació alimentària adequades per millorar els hàbits alimentaris dels escolars i aconseguir en un futur un estat òptim de salut.Background: Mediterranean Diet is perhaps one of the healthiest dietary models currently existing, having been orroborated by numerous epidemiological studies that show a protection against certain chronic diseases such as ardiovascular disease, diabetes or certain tumours. Unfortunately dietary patterns are changing in Spain as a onsequence of modernisation of society and going far away from the healthy diet. Perhaps children and adolescent opulations are those with the most deteriorated Mediterranean diet profile. This could have negative effects in the uture on the health in the adulthood. bjective: To evaluate dietary habits, physical activity habits and nutritional status in 8-12 aged scholars from sona. ethods: Observational population-based cross-sectional study. Subjects were 191 children attending public and rivate schools in Osona. Dietetic data was gathered through a dietary questionnaire (24h records, food frequency uestionnaire and KIDMED test). A standardized method was used to measure anthropometric variables (weight, eight, BMI, abdominal and braquial perimeter). Statistical analysis was carried using SPSS 12.0 software. esults: Of the sample, only 16.8% eat a good quality breakfast, the rest of the sample had to improve the quality 68.8%), low quality (12.6%) or very low quality (2.1%). Quantitatively diet is unbalanced, is low in carbohydrates, igh in fat and slightly high in proteins. Qualitative analyses shows a low consume of vegetables and fruit, while dequate consume of meat and fats and oils are observed. The results of KIDMED test showed an average unctuation of 7.21±1.96, indicating that the diet should improve. 42.4% of children studied suffer from a wrong utritional state, 24.6% of population present low weight and 17.8% overweight or obesity. onclusions: The diet of collective studied moves away from the recommendations of the SENC (Spanish Society of ommunity Nutrition). The results of the test KIDMED indicate that only a 44% of the population follows a pattern ptimal Mediterranean Diet and analysis of the nutritional status shows that 42% presented a nutritional status ncorrect, either byexcess or by default of weight. Therefore, it is necessary to promote healthy habits in children nd thus obtain the best healthy state in adult age.Introducción: La dieta mediterránea es considerada uno de los patrones alimentarios más saludables ya que distintos estudios epidemiológicos muestran que protege frente determinadas enfermedades crónicas tales como, las enfermedades cardiovasculares, la diabetes o algunos tipos de cáncer. Por desgracia en nuestro país los patrones alimentarios están cambiando a consecuencia de la modernización de la sociedad, alejándose del patrón tradicional de dieta mediterránea. Esto es especialmente crítico entre la población infantil lo que predispone a que en un futuro no muy lejano aumente la prevalencia de enfermedades crónicas entre la población adulta. Objetivo: evaluar los hábitos alimentarios y el estado nutricional de escolares de 8-12 años de edad de la comarca de Osona. Métodos: estudio de diseño observacional y transversal. La muestra estaba constituida por 191 escolares de 4º y 5º de enseñanza primaria de escuelas públicas y privadas de la comarca de Osona. La información referente a la dieta se recogió mediante una encuesta alimentaria, un recordatorio de 24 horas, un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo alimentario y el test KIDMED. Las determinaciones antropométricas que se realizaron fueron talla, peso, IMC (Índice de Masa Corporal), pliegue tricipital, perímetro braquial y perímetro abdominal. El análisis estadísticao de todos los datos se realizó mediante el programa estadístico SPSS para Windows versión 12.0. Resultados: al valorar la calidad del desayuno se observa que sólo en el 16.8% de los casos la calidad era buena, en el 68.6% de los casos la calidad debía mejorar, en el 12.6% era de calidad insuficiente y en el 2.1% era de mala calidad. También se observa que la dieta que siguen es desequilibrada cuantitativamente, concretamente es baja en hidratos de carbono, rica en grasas y ligeramente elevada en proteínas. El análisis cualitativo de la dieta muestra que hay un muy bajo consumo de verduras y hortalizas y de frutas, mientras que se llega a las raciones recomendadas de cárnicos y de grasas y aceites. El test KIDMED mostró una puntuación media de 7.21±1.96 puntos, lo que indica que la dieta de la población era de calidad mejorable. En cuanto al estado nutricional se observa que un 24,6% presenta valores de bajo peso y un 17,8% sobrepeso u obesidad, indicando que un 42,4% de la población estudiada presenta un estado nutricional incorrecto. Conclusiones: La dieta del colectivo estudiado se aleja de las recomendaciones de la SENC (Sociedad Española de Nutrición Comunitaria). Los resultados del test KIDMED indican que sólo un 44% de la población sigue un patrón óptimo de Dieta mediterránea y el análisis del estado nutricional muestra que un 42% presentan un estado nutricional incorrecto, sea por exceso o por defecto de peso. Por lo tanto, es necesario diseñar estrategias de educación alimentaria adecuadas para mejorar los hábitos alimentarios de los escolares y conseguir en un futuro un estado óptimo de salud

Evidence of Zika virus horizontal and vertical transmission in Aedes albopictus from Spain but not infectious virus in saliva of the progeny

Aedes albopictus mosquitoes have been experimentally demonstrated to be a competent vector for Zika virus (ZIKV) in different countries, but there are still some gaps related to the importance of Ae. albopictus in ZIKV transmission. Recent studies on Spanish Ae. albopictus populations showed controversial results for ZIKV transmission and no studies have been performed yet to detect infectious ZIKV in saliva of progeny of infected female mosquitoes. Herein, the horizontal transmission (HT) and vertical transmission (VT) of ZIKV in field-collected Ae. albopictus mosquitoes from Spain were evaluated for ZIKV strains (African I and Asian lineages) to better estimate the risk of ZIKV transmission by Ae. albopictus. The two field-collected Ae. albopictus populations assayed were infected by all tested ZIKV strains, however differences in terms of vector competence were detected depending on strain-population combination. Moreover, a higher susceptibility to the African I lineage strain than to the Asian lineage strain was observed in both mosquito populations. On the other hand, VT was demonstrated for both ZIKV lineages, detecting the virus in both males and females of the progeny of infected females, although importantly ZIKV dissemination and transmission were not detected in the infected females from the offspring. The results of the present study demonstrate that Spanish Ae. albopictus populations could sustain virus transmission in case of ZIKV introduction, but VT would play a poor role in the ZIKV epidemiology. Overall, our results provide helpful information to health authorities to establish efficient surveillance and vector control programs for ZIKV.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

European Aedes caspius mosquitoes are experimentally unable to transmit Zika virus

Background: Aedes caspius (Pallas, 1771) is a foodwater mosquito species widely distributed in the Western Palae‑ arctic. As an anthropophilic species, its role as an arbovirus vector may be the key for understanding the transmission cycle of certain diseases in Europe such as Zika virus (ZIKV). Concerning vector competence for ZIKV, studies related to Ae. caspius are still scarce. ZIKV is an arbovirus that has provoked a widespread epidemic in the Pacifc region (2007– 2013) and in the Americas (2015–2016). ZIKV is associated with serious neurological injuries (e.g. microcephaly) and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Due to the ZIKV epidemics in the American continent, some viraemic travellers coming from endemic countries have been reported in Europe. More knowledge is therefore required to defne the susceptibility of autochthonous mosquito species such as Ae. caspius for ZIKV in order to improve arbovirus surveillance and control programmes. In the present study, the vector competence of a European population of Ae. caspius was evaluated for two ZIKV lineages, the Suriname ZIKV strain (Asian lineage) and the MR766 ZIKV strain (African I lineage). Females were tested at 7, 14 and 21 days post-exposure (dpe) to infectious blood meals. An Ae. aegypti PAEA strain was used as a positive control. Results: Aedes caspius presented low susceptibility to ZIKV infection and the virus was only detected by RT-qPCR in body samples. Low viral loads were detected for the MR766 strain at 7 dpe and for the Suriname strain at 14 and 21 dpe. Aedes caspius was unable to produce a disseminated infection and virus transmission at any of the tested time points. Using Ae. aegypti PAEA strain, infection, dissemination and transmission rates were calculated for the Suriname ZIKV strain (Asian lineage) at each time point. For the MR766 ZIKV strain (African I lineage), while only infection rates were estimated at each time point, no dissemination or transmission were detected in either species. Conclusions: The results of the present study reveal that the tested Ae. caspius population has a strong midgut escape barrier that limits the dissemination or transmission of the virus. As such, it seems unlikely that European Ae. caspius mosquitoes could be involved in ZIKV transmission if ZIKV was introduced into Europe. This information may help in designing a better strategy to European surveillance and control programmes for ZIKV.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Field-captured Aedes vexans (Meigen, 1830) is a competent vector for Rift Valley fever phlebovirus in Europe

BACKGROUND: Aedes vexans (Meigen) is considered a nuisance species in central Europe and the Mediterranean region. It is an anthropophilic and mammalophilic floodwater mosquito involved in the transmission of several arboviruses. Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a relevant mosquito-borne zoonosis, affecting mainly humans and ruminants, that causes severe impact in public health and economic loses. Due to globalization and climate change, the European continent is threatened by its introduction. The main purpose of the present study was to evaluate the vector competence of a European field-collected Ae. vexans population. METHODS: Aedes vexans field-collected larvae were reared in the laboratory under field-simulated conditions. To assess the vector competence for Rift Valley fever phlebovirus (RVFV) transmission, adult F0 females were exposed to infectious blood meals containing the 56/74 RVFV strain. Additionally, intrathoracic inoculations with the same virus strain were performed to evaluate the relevance of the salivary gland barriers. Natural circulation of alphavirus, flavivirus and phlebovirus was also tested. RESULTS: To our knowledge, an autochthonous Ae. vexans population was experimentally confirmed as a competent vector for RVFV for the first time. This virus was capable of infecting and disseminating within the studied Ae. vexans mosquitoes. Moreover, infectious virus was isolated from the saliva of disseminated specimens, showing their capacity to transmit the virus. Additionally, a natural infection with a circulating Mosquito flavivirus was detected. The co-infection with the Mosquito flavivirus seemed to modulate RVFV infection susceptibility in field-collected Ae. vexans, but further studies are needed to confirm its potential interference in RVFV transmission. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that field-collected European Ae. vexans would be able to transmit RVFV in case of introduction into the continent. This should be taken into consideration in the design of surveillance and control programmes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Laboratory colonization and maintenance of Anopheles atroparvus from the Ebro Delta, Spain

Background: Historically, Anopheles atroparvus has been considered one of the most important malaria vectors in Europe. Since malaria was eradicated from the European continent, the interest in studying its vectors reduced signifcantly. Currently, to better assess the potential risk of malaria resurgence on the continent, there is a growing need to update the data on susceptibility of indigenous Anopheles populations to imported Plasmodium species. In order to do this, as a frst step, an adequate laboratory colony of An. atroparvus is needed. Methods: Anopheles atroparvus mosquitoes were captured in rice felds from the Ebro Delta (Spain). Field-caught specimens were maintained in the laboratory under simulated feld-summer conditions. Adult females were artifcially blood-fed on fresh whole rabbit blood for oviposition. First- to fourth-instar larvae were fed on pulverized fsh and turtle food. Adults were maintained with a 10% sucrose solution ad libitum. Results: An An. atroparvus population from the Ebro Delta was successfully established in the laboratory. During the colonization process, feeding and hatching rates increased, while a reduction in larval mortality rate was observed. Conclusions: The present study provides a detailed rearing and maintenance protocol for An. atroparvus and a publicly available reference mosquito strain within the INFRAVEC2 project for further research studies involving vectorparasite interactions. Keywords: Anopheles atroparvus, Colonization, Malaria, Europeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Social difficulties as risk and maintaining factors in anorexia nervosa:A mixed-method investigation

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric disorder characterized by severe restriction of energy intake and dangerously low body weight. Other domains of functioning are affected, including social functioning. Although difficulties within this domain have started to be acknowledged by the literature, some important gaps remain to be filled. Do social difficulties predate the onset of the illness? What difficulties in particular are relevant for the development and maintenance of the illness? The aim of this study is to combine the use of quantitative and qualitative methods to answer these questions. Ninety participants with lifetime AN (88 women and 2 men) completed an online survey assessing memories of involuntary submissiveness within the family, fear of negative evaluation from others, perceived lack of social competence, feelings of social belonging, eating disorder symptoms, and work and social adjustment. Participants also answered three open questions regarding their experience of social relationships before and after the illness onset. The findings provided support for the hypothesized relationships between the study variables. Involuntary submissiveness and fear of negative evaluation predicted eating disorder symptoms and these associations were partially mediated by perceived lack of social competence. Two-thirds of the sample recalled early social difficulties before illness onset and recognized that these had played a role in the development of the illness. A larger proportion of participants stated that the eating disorder had affected their social relationships in a negative way. This study sheds some light on patients' perspective on the predisposing and maintaining role that social difficulties play in AN and identifies key psychological variables that could be targeted in treatment

Twitching and swimming motility play a role in Ralstonia solanacearum pathogenicity

Ralstonia solanacearum is a bacterial plant pathogen causing important economic losses worldwide. In addition to the polar flagella responsible for swimming motility, this pathogen produces type IV pili (TFP) that govern twitching motility, a flagellum-independent movement on solid surfaces. The implication of chemotaxis in plant colonization, through the control flagellar rotation by the proteins CheW and CheA, has been previously reported in R. solanacearum. In this work, we have identified in this bacterium homologues of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa pilI and chpA genes, suggested to play roles in TFP-associated motility analogous to those played by the cheW and cheA genes, respectively. We demonstrate that R. solanacearum strains with a deletion of the pilI or the chpA coding region show normal swimming and chemotaxis but altered biofilm formation and reduced twitching motility, transformation efficiency, and root attachment. Furthermore, these mutants displayed wild-type growth in planta and impaired virulence on tomato plants after soil-drench inoculations but not when directly applied to the xylem. Comparison with deletion mutants for pilA and fliC encoding the major pilin and flagellin subunits, respectively showed that both twitching and swimming are required for plant colonization and full virulence. This work proves for the first time the functionality of a pilus-mediated pathway encoded by pil-chp genes in R. solanacearum, demonstrating that pilI and chpA genes are bona fide motility regulators controlling twitching motility and its three related phenotypes: virulence, natural transformation, and biofilm formation