Lean mass and peak bone mineral density.

ObjectivesThe association between body composition parameters and peak bone mineral density is not well documented. The aim of this study is to assess the relative contributions of lean mass and fat mass on peak bone mineral density (BMD).MethodsThe study involved 416 women and 334 men aged between 20 and 30 years who were participants in the population-based Vietnam Osteoporosis Study. Whole body composition parameters (eg, fat mass and lean mass) and BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The association between lean mass and fat mass and BMD was analyzed by the linear regression model using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO).ResultsPeak BMD in men was higher than women, and the difference was more pronounced at the femoral neck (average difference: 0.123 g/cm2; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.105-0.141 g/cm2) than at the lumbar spine (average difference 0.019 g/cm2; 95% CI, 0.005-0.036 g/cm2). Results of LASSO regression indicated that lean mass was the only predictor of BMD for either men or women. Each kilogram increase in lean mass was associated with ∼0.01 g/cm2 increase in BMD. Lean mass alone explained 16% and 36% of variation in lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD, respectively.ConclusionsLean mass, not fat mass, is the main determinant of peak bone mineral density. This finding implies that good physical activity during adulthood can contribute to the maximization of peak bone mass during adulthood

Relaxation increases monetary valuations

postprintThe Society for Consumer Psychology (SCP) 2010 Winter Conference, St. Pete Beach, FL., 25-27 February 2010. In Proceedings of the Society for Consumer Psychology 2010 Winter Conference, 2010, p. 173-17

Stakeholder involvement in systematic reviews: a protocol for a systematic review of methods, outcomes and effects

Background There is an expectation for stakeholders (including patients, the public, health professionals, and others) to be involved in research. Researchers are increasingly recognising that it is good practice to involve stakeholders in systematic reviews. There is currently a lack of evidence about (A) how to do this and (B) the effects, or impact, of such involvement. We aim to create a map of the evidence relating to stakeholder involvement in systematic reviews, and use this evidence to address the two points above. Methods We will complete a mixed-method synthesis of the evidence, first completing a scoping review to create a broad map of evidence relating to stakeholder involvement in systematic reviews, and secondly completing two contingent syntheses. We will use a stepwise approach to searching; the initial step will include comprehensive searches of electronic databases, including CENTRAL, AMED, Embase, Medline, Cinahl and other databases, supplemented with pre-defined hand-searching and contacting authors. Two reviewers will undertake each review task (i.e., screening, data extraction) using standard systematic review processes. For the scoping review, we will include any paper, regardless of publication status or study design, which investigates, reports or discusses involvement in a systematic review. Included papers will be summarised within structured tables. Criteria for judging the focus and comprehensiveness of the description of methods of involvement will be applied, informing which papers are included within the two contingent syntheses. Synthesis A will detail the methods that have been used to involve stakeholders in systematic reviews. Papers from the scoping review that are judged to provide an adequate description of methods or approaches will be included. Details of the methods of involvement will be extracted from included papers using pre-defined headings, presented in tables and described narratively. Synthesis B will include studies that explore the effect of stakeholder involvement on the quality, relevance or impact of a systematic review, as identified from the scoping review. Study quality will be appraised, data extracted and synthesised within tables. Discussion This review should help researchers select, improve and evaluate methods of involving stakeholders in systematic reviews. Review findings will contribute to Cochrane training resources

Mesenchymal stem cell-based therapy for ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke represents a major, worldwide health burden with increasing incidence. Patients affected by ischemic strokes currently have few clinically approved treatment options available. Most currently approved treatments for ischemic stroke have narrow therapeutic windows, severely limiting the number of patients able to be treated. Mesenchymal stem cells represent a promising novel treatment for ischemic stroke. Numerous studies have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells functionally improve outcomes in rodent models of ischemic stroke. Recent studies have also shown that exosomes secreted by mesenchymal stem cells mediate much of this effect. In the present review, we summarize the current literature on the use of mesenchymal stem cells to treat ischemic stroke. Further studies investigating the mechanisms underlying mesenchymal stem cells tissue healing effects are warranted and would be of benefit to the field

Coupled effect of microstructure and topology on the mechanical behavior of Inconel718 additively manufactured lattices

LPBF-manufactured Inconel718 lattices with six cubic and hexagonal structures and with two material microstructures (as-built, without γ” precipitation, and heat-treated, with γ” precipitates, but with similar cell/grain size, shape and texture) were compressed at room temperature and at 600 °C. The behavior of the base material under identical microstructure and test conditions was also investigated using dedicated LPBF-manufactured specimens with single strut gauges. Irrespective of topology, precipitation led to a transition in the lattice mechanical behavior from bending-dominated to stretch-dominated, which was associated to a change in the strut deformation mode from plastic hinging to elastic buckling, as well as to a decrease in the base material strain to fracture. For all topologies investigated, precipitation led to lattice strengthening, consistent with particle-strengthening of the base material. Additionally, high temperature straining resulted both in a decrease in the lattice yield strength, consistent with softening of the base material, and in a reduction in the width of the stress oscillations in the stretch-dominated lattices, which is associated to the decrease in the base material ductility. This work proves that material microstructure influences strongly the behavior of additively manufactured architectured structures and that it must be considered as a design criterion for performance optimization

Using Field-Based Monitoring to Enhance the Performance of Rainfall Thresholds for Landslide Warning

Landslides are natural disasters which can create major setbacks to the socioeconomic of a region. Destructive landslides may happen in a quick time, resulting in severe loss of lives and properties. Landslide Early Warning Systems (LEWS) can reduce the risk associated with landslides by providing enough time for the authorities and the public to take necessary decisions and actions. LEWS are usually based on statistical rainfall thresholds, but this approach is often associated to high false alarms rates. This manuscript discusses the development of an integrated approach, considering both rainfall thresholds and field monitoring data. The method was implemented in Kalimpong, a town in the Darjeeling Himalayas, India. In this work, a decisional algorithm is proposed using rainfall and real-time field monitoring data as inputs. The tilting angles measured using MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) tilt sensors were used to reduce the false alarms issued by the empirical rainfall thresholds. When critical conditions are exceeded for both components of the systems (rainfall thresholds and tiltmeters), authorities can issue an alert to the public regarding a possible slope failure. This approach was found effective in improving the performance of the conventional rainfall thresholds. We improved the efficiency of the model from 84% (model based solely on rainfall thresholds) to 92% (model with the integration of field monitoring data). This conceptual improvement in the rainfall thresholds enhances the performance of the system significantly and makes it a potential tool that can be used in LEWS for the study area.</jats:p

Predicting cell types and genetic variations contributing to disease by combining GWAS and epigenetic data

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are enriched in individuals suffering from a given disease. Most disease-associated SNPs fall into non-coding regions, so that it is not straightforward to infer phenotype or function; moreover, many SNPs are in tight genetic linkage, so that a SNP identified as associated with a particular disease may not itself be causal, but rather signify the presence of a linked SNP that is functionally relevant to disease pathogenesis. Here, we present an analysis method that takes advantage of the recent rapid accumulation of epigenomics data to address these problems for some SNPs. Using asthma as a prototypic example; we show that non-coding disease-associated SNPs are enriched in genomic regions that function as regulators of transcription, such as enhancers and promoters. Identifying enhancers based on the presence of the histone modification marks such as H3K4me1 in different cell types, we show that the location of enhancers is highly cell-type specific. We use these findings to predict which SNPs are likely to be directly contributing to disease based on their presence in regulatory regions, and in which cell types their effect is expected to be detectable. Moreover, we can also predict which cell types contribute to a disease based on overlap of the disease-associated SNPs with the locations of enhancers present in a given cell type. Finally, we suggest that it will be possible to re-analyze GWAS studies with much higher power by limiting the SNPs considered to those in coding or regulatory regions of cell types relevant to a given disease

Identifying models of delivery, care domains and quality indicators relevant to palliative day services: a scoping review protoco

Abstract Background With an ageing population and increasing numbers of people with life-limiting illness, there is a growing demand for palliative day services. There is a need to measure and demonstrate the quality of these services, but there is currently little agreement on which aspects of care should be used to do this. The aim of the scoping review will be to map the extent, range and nature of the evidence around models of delivery, care domains and existing quality indicators used to evaluate palliative day services. Methods Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) will be searched for evidence using consensus development methods; randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials; mixed methods; and prospective, longitudinal or retrospective case-control studies to develop or test quality indicators for evaluating palliative care within non-residential settings, including day hospices and community or primary care settings. At least two researchers will independently conduct all searches, study selection and data abstraction procedures. Meta-analyses and statistical methods of synthesis are not planned as part of the review. Results will be reported using numerical counts, including number of indicators in each care domain and by using qualitative approach to describe important indicator characteristics. A conceptual model will also be developed to summarise the impact of different aspects of quality in a palliative day service context. Methodological quality relating to indicator development will be assessed using the Appraisal of Indicators through Research and Evaluation (AIRE) tool. Overall strength of evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Final decisions on quality assessment will be made via consensus between review authors. Discussion Identifying, developing and implementing evidence-based quality indicators is critical to the evaluation and continued improvement of palliative care. Review findings will be used to support clinicians and policymakers make decisions on which quality indicators are most appropriate for evaluating day services at the patient and service level, and to identify areas for further research