Effectiveness of a web-based treatment program using intensive therapeutic support for female patients with bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and eating disorders not otherwise specified: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

Background: Disordered eating behavior and body dissatisfaction affect a large proportion of the Dutch population and account for severe psychological, physical and social morbidity. Yet, the threshold for seeking professional care is still high. In the Netherlands, only 7.5% of patients with bulimia nervosa and 33% of patients with anorexia nervosa are treated within the mental health care system. Easily accessible and low-threshold interventions, therefore, are needed urgently. The internet has great potential to offer such interventions. The aim of this study is to determine whether a web-based treatment program for patients with eating disorders can improve eating disorder psychopathology among female patients with bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and eating disorders not otherwise specified. Methods/design: This randomized controlled trial will compare the outcomes of an experimental treatment group to a waiting list control group. In the web-based treatment program, participants will communicate personally and asynchronously with their therapists exclusively via the internet. The first part of the program will focus on analyzing eating attitudes and behaviors. In the second part of the program participants will learn how to change their attitudes and behaviors. Participants assigned to the waiting list control group will receive no-reply email messages once every two weeks during the waiting period of 15 weeks, after which they can start the program. The primary outcome measure is an improvement in eating disorder psychopathology as determined by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes include improvements in body image, physical and mental health, body weight, self-esteem, quality of life, and social contacts. In addition, the participants’ motivation for treatment and their acceptability of the program and the therapeutic alliance will be measured. The study will follow the recommendations in the CONSORT statement relating to designing and reporting on RCTs. Discussion: This study protocol presents the design of a RCT for evaluating the effectiveness of a web-based treatment program using intensive therapeutic support for female patients with bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and eating disorders not otherwise specified

Synchronization of cytoplasmic and transferred mitochondrial ribosomal protein gene expression in land plants is linked to Telo-box motif enrichment

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Chloroplasts and mitochondria evolved from the endosymbionts of once free-living eubacteria, and they transferred most of their genes to the host nuclear genome during evolution. The mechanisms used by plants to coordinate the expression of such transferred genes, as well as other genes in the host nuclear genome, are still poorly understood.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this paper, we use nuclear-encoded chloroplast (cpRPGs), as well as mitochondrial (mtRPGs) and cytoplasmic (euRPGs) ribosomal protein genes to study the coordination of gene expression between organelles and the host. Results show that the mtRPGs, but not the cpRPGs, exhibit strongly synchronized expression with euRPGs in all investigated land plants and that this phenomenon is linked to the presence of a <it>telo</it>-box DNA motif in the promoter regions of mtRPGs and euRPGs. This motif is also enriched in the promoter regions of genes involved in DNA replication. Sequence analysis further indicates that mtRPGs, in contrast to cpRPGs, acquired <it>telo</it>-box from the host nuclear genome.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Based on our results, we propose a model of plant nuclear genome evolution where coordination of activities in mitochondria and chloroplast and other cellular functions, including cell cycle, might have served as a strong selection pressure for the differential acquisition of <it>telo</it>-box between mtRPGs and cpRPGs. This research also highlights the significance of physiological needs in shaping transcriptional regulatory evolution.</p

The Smart City Active Mobile Phone Intervention (SCAMPI) study to promote physical activity through active transportation in healthy adults: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Abstract Background The global pandemic of physical inactivity represents a considerable public health challenge. Active transportation (i.e., walking or cycling for transport) can contribute to greater total physical activity levels. Mobile phone-based programs can promote behaviour change, but no study has evaluated whether such a program can promote active transportation in adults. This study protocol presents the design and methodology of The Smart City Active Mobile Phone Intervention (SCAMPI), a randomised controlled trial to promote active transportation via a smartphone application (app) with the aim to increase physical activity. Methods/design A two-arm parallel randomised controlled trial will be conducted in Stockholm County, Sweden. Two hundred fifty adults aged 20–65 years will be randomised to either monitoring of active transport via the TRavelVU app (control), or to a 3-month evidence-based behaviour change program to promote active transport and monitoring of active travel via the TRavelVU Plus app (intervention). The primary outcome is moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA in minutes/day) (ActiGraph wGT3x-BT) measured post intervention. Secondary outcomes include: time spent in active transportation measured via the TRavelVU app, perceptions about active transportation (the Transport and Physical Activity Questionnaire (TPAQ)) and health related quality of life (RAND-36). Assessments are conducted at baseline, after the completed intervention (after 3 months) and 6 months post randomisation. Discussion SCAMPI will determine the effectiveness of a smartphone app to promote active transportation and physical activity in an adult population. If effective, the app has potential to be a low-cost intervention that can be delivered at scale. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03086837; 22 March, 2017

NON-SPIN-FLIP (HE-3, T) CHARGE-EXCHANGE AND ISOBARIC ANALOG STATES OF ACTINIDE NUCLEI STUDIED AT THETA=0-DEGREES, E(HE-3)=76 MEV AND 200 MEV

The (He-3, t) charge-exchange reaction has been studied at theta = 0-degree-C and bombarding energies of E(He-3) = 76.5 MeV and 200 MeV. Spectra were measured using magnetic analysis for target nuclei of C-12, C-13, O-16, F-19, Si-28, Si-29, Si-30, Zr-90, Sn-117, Sn-120, (nat)Ta, (nat)W, Au-197, Pb-208, Th-230, Th-232, U-234, U-236, U-238 and Pu-244. The measurements at 76.5 MeV concentrated on the isobaric analog states of several actinide nuclei, particularly on their widths and the branching ratios for proton decay. Cross sections, Q-values and total widths were determined for the transitions to the isobaric analog states. Coulomb displacement energies derived from the measured Q-values display the influence of deformed nuclear shapes. Escape widths GAMMA-up and spreding widths GAMMA-down of the isobaric analog states in five actinide nuclei were deduced from the measured proton-decay branching ratios. They were found to be in agreement with predictions which postulate isospin mixing via the Coulomb force with the (T0-1)-component of the isovector giant monopole resonance. The measurements at 200 MeV were concerned with transitions to isobaric analog states in both light and heavy nuclei, including several actinide nuclei, but Gamow-Teller resonances and transitions to numerous other states were also observed. The measured cross sections for several transitions to isobaric analog states from Si-30 to Pb-208 were used to extract the effective interaction V(tau) for non-spin-flip (He-3, t) charge exchange at E(He-3) almost-equal-to 200 MeV. The interaction strength V(tau) decreases by a factor 0.6 when compared to previously measured values for the energy range E(He-3) = 65 to 90 MeV. An angular distribution from theta(t) = 0-degree to 16-degrees for the transition to the isobaric analog state in Sb-120 measured at E(He-3) = 200 MeV was found to be in very good agreement with microscopic calculations