The weight-inclusive vs. weight-normative approach to health: Evaluating the evidence for prioritizing well-being over weight

Using an ethical lens, this review evaluates two methods of working within patient care and public health: the weight-normative approach (emphasis on weight and weight loss when defining health and well-being) and the weight-inclusive approach (emphasis on viewing health and well-being as multifaceted while directing efforts toward improving health access and reducing weight stigma). Data reveal that the weight-normative approach is not effective for most people because of high rates of weight regain and cycling from weight loss interventions, which are linked to adverse health and well-being. Its predominant focus on weight may also foster stigma in health care and society, and data show that weight stigma is also linked to adverse health and well-being. In contrast, data support a weight-inclusive approach, which is included in models such as Health at Every Size for improving physical (e.g., blood pressure), behavioral (e.g., binge eating), and psychological (e.g., depression) indices, as well as acceptability of public health messages. Therefore, the weight-inclusive approach upholds nonmaleficience and beneficience, whereas the weight-normative approach does not. We offer a theoretical framework that organizes the research included in this review and discuss how it can guide research efforts and help health professionals intervene with their patients and community

rCASC implementation in Laniakea: porting containerization-based-reproducibility to a cloud Galaxy on-demand platform

Integrating rCASC in Laniakea: rCASC, Cluster Analysis of Single Cells [Alessandri et al. BioRxiv], is part of the reproducible-bioinformatics.org project and provides single cell analysis functionalities within the reproducible rules described by Sandve et al. [PLoS Comp Biol. 2013]. Laniakea [Tangaro et al. BioRxiv Bioinformatics] provides the possibility to automate the creation of Galaxy-based virtualized environments through an easy setup procedure, providing an on-demand workspace ready to be used by life scientists and bioinformaticians. The final goal is to offer rCASC as a Galaxy flavor in the Laniakea Galaxy on-demand environment

NN Scattering: Chiral Predictions for Asymptotic Observables

We assume that the nuclear potential for distances larger than 2.5 fm is given just by the exchanges of one and two pions and, for the latter, we adopt a model based on chiral symmetry and subthreshold pion-nucleon amplitudes, which contains no free parameters. The predictions produced by this model for nucleon-nucleon observables are calculated and shown to agree well with both experiment and those due to phenomenological potentials.Comment: 16 pages, 12 PS figures included, to appear in Physical Review

Increased Lymphocyte Concentration in the Semen of Patients with Reduced Testicular Volume

Low testicular volume (TV) is associated with a decreased testicular function. Several studies explored the conventional sperm parameters and the endocrine function in patients with low TV. No other parameters have been examined. On the basis of these premises, the aim of this study was to evaluate a non-conventional seminal parameter: seminal lymphocyte characterisation in men with low TV compared with that of subjects with normal TV. A further comparison was made between fertile men and infertile patients with low or normal TV (78 patients). The testis was considered normal in size when it had a volume between 15 and 25 cm 3 , low-normal with a volume between 10 and 12 cm 3 and hypotrophic when the volume was <10 cm 3 . Statistically significant differences were observed in the following sperm parameters: percentage of immature germ elements, peroxidase-positive leukocyte concentration and CD45 pos leukocytes (p<0.05). A correlation analysis showed the presence of a positive linear relationship between CD45 pos leukocytes and the percentage of immature germ elements (r=0.88; p<0.05) and between CD45 pos leukocytes and the percentage of spermatozoa with phosphatidylserine externalisation (r=0.90; p<0.05) as well as a negative linear relationship between the percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology and the seminal CD45 pos leukocyte concentration (r=-0.75; p<0.05). The results of this study showed that patients with low testicular volume (<10 cm 3 ) have a significantly increased CD45 pos concentration that is associated with increased percentages of immature germ elements, spermatozoa with signs of early apoptosis, and spermatozoa with abnormal morphology

Arterial erectile dysfunction: Different severities of endothelial apoptosis between diabetic patients &quot;responders&quot; and &quot;non responders&quot; to sildenafil

Background: The low pharmacological response to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors represents an expression of higher endothelial damage in certain categories of patients with erectile dysfunction and high cardiovascular risk. The present study evaluated this objective in type 2 diabetic patients with erectile dysfunction, classified as &quot;non responders&quot; to Sildenafil. Methods: Eighteen &quot;responder&quot; and twelve &quot;non responder&quot; type 2 diabetic patients were evaluated, relatively to different levels of endothelial damage, through the diagnostic use of a new immunophenotype of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (CD45neg/CD34pos/CD144pos) and endothelial microparticles (CD45neg/CD144pos/Annexin Vpos), recently developed and published by our group. Results &quot;Non responder&quot; patients showed a significant higher severity [8.0 ± 3.0 (International Index of Erectile Function-abbreviated version with 5 questions) vs 14.0 ± 3.0] and duration (10.0 ± 2.0 vs 7.0 ± 2.0 years) of erectile dysfunction, higher level of penile arterial insufficiency (peak systolic velocity = 13.0 ± 16.0 vs 28.0 ± 26.0 cm/s; acceleration time = 153 ± 148 vs 125 ± 128 mm/s) and finally a significant higher level of endothelial apoptosis [0.15 ± 0.13 vs 0.05 ±.0.03% (serum concentrations of endothelial microparticles)] associated with higher serum concentrations of circulating late immunophenotype of endothelial progenitor cells (0.40 ± 0.35 vs 0.12 ±.0.10%). Conclusions: The results of this study corroborate the clinical value of the low clinical response to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in the patients with high cardiovascular risk profile, such as diabetics. In addition, the markers used in this study confirm their potential application in clinical practice as useful indicators of endothelial alteration. However, in the future we will have to assess a larger number of patients and for a longer period of observation in order to better understand the causal and temporal relations. © 2012 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved