Randomized Pilot Study Examining the Impact of an Online, Non-restrictive Diet Among Working Adults

There is a growing interest in health promotion emphasizing diet quality, specifically increased intake of fruits and vegetables, as a more effective approach for improving health outcomes. Recent studies examined ways to decrease fatigue in the workplace, some showing improved diet quality helps performance in the work environment. PURPOSE: This randomized pilot study aimed to test an online, non-restrictive diet among a sample of full-time employees at the University of North Texas. The primary research question asked if the diet program improved general health indicators: body fat percentage(BF%), body weight, and waist circumference(WC). METHODS: Twenty-three participants were randomized to complete an 8-week diet program using an online application or to receive the diet program after an 8-week waiting period(wait-list control). The online program included a daily fruit and vegetable target, four weeks of educational content, and a leaderboard displaying points for meeting the daily tasks. Participants were to complete 2 study visits (Baseline and 8 Weeks). During each visit, participants were asked to complete a standard Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) protocol and measurement of WC at the umbilicus. Independent samples t-tests were used to assess group differences in change in BF%, body weight, and WC following the 8-week intervention. RESULTS: Fourteen participants were randomized to the intervention group and 13 to the waitlist control group. The mean age among participants was 44.8±13.6 years; 65% identified as female biological sex, 74% had a master’s degree or more, and 74% identified as Caucasian. Results from independent t-tests indicated a small significant difference in BF% change (t(21) = 0.36, p = .049) and no significant change in body weight or WC. CONCLUSION: Results from this pilot study indicated some positive impact of an 8-week non-restrictive diet on BF%, which warrants further investigation in a larger, representative sample. Future research is needed examining biomarkers, and psychosocial outcomes as non-restrictive approaches to diet often do not yield significant weight loss, but other benefits related to improved diet quality, such as lower cholesterol or stress

Neurociência no tratamento dos transtornos depressivos

How can neuroscience take the lead in developing treatment for depressive disorders? Thus, it is necessary to understand that the neurobiological disorder of depression is a subject of studies to decipher the human mind, observing the complexity of the Central Nervous System, understanding what can be limiting during neurotransmissions, the damage seen in the CNS through neuroimaging done internally in the brain, and of course, possible traditional intervention measures and new discoveries that may be the key to understanding the neuroscience of depression. The modernization of tests for investigation of the central nervous system (CNS) are great tools that contribute to psychiatry in general. Scientific studies currently carried out consider much beyond the mental aspects. In this way, neuroscience is inserted in the vast field of cognitive disorders.Como a neurociência pode tomar a frente no desenvolvimento de tratamento dos transtornos depressivos? Desse modo, faz se necessário entender que o transtorno neurobiológico da depressão, é  um tema dos estudos no sentido de decifrar a mente humana, observando a complexidade do Sistema Nervoso Central , entendendo o que pode ser limitante durante as neurotransmissões, os prejuízos visualizados no SNC por meio das neuroimagens feitas internamente no cérebro, e claro, as possíveis medidas de intervenção tradicional e as novas descobertas que podem ser a chave para  entender a neurociência da depressão. A modernização dos exames para investigação do sistema nervoso central (SNC) são grandes ferramentas que contribuem com a psiquiatria de modo geral. Os estudos científicos desenvolvidos atualmente consideram muito além dos aspectos mentais. Desta forma, a neurociência se insere no vasto campo dos transtornos cognitivas

A dinâmica e o construto territorial da região noroeste do estado do Rio Grande do Sul

Este estudo busca contribuir com as discussões de diferentes perspectivas em relação à ótica do desenvolvimento regional com o enfoque territorial. Para isto, discute brevemente as definições de urbano, cidade, cidade-campo e territorialidades dentro da lógica global, bem como a própria definição de território. Apresenta-se uma breve contextualização sobre a Região Noroeste do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul e sua dinâmica de formação do território e de desenvolvimento regional dentro do contexto global do capital, baseada na monocultura da produção de soja, que contribuiu para o desenvolvimento da região através dos estímulos que proporcionou à modernização tecnológica da agropecuária regional na década de 1970 e os impulsos decorrentes para a expansão de atividades industriais e de serviços. No entanto, a dinâmica regional não pode estar subordinada a uma base produtiva monocultural, no caso, a produção de soja, pois nada garante que no futuro esta cultura continuará produzindo impactos relevantes na economia da Região

A dinâmica e o construto territorial da região noroeste do estado do Rio Grande do Sul

Este estudo busca contribuir com as discussões de diferentes perspectivas em relação à ótica do desenvolvimento regional com o enfoque territorial. Para isto, discute brevemente as definições de urbano, cidade, cidade-campo e territorialidades dentro da lógica global, bem como a própria definição de território. Apresenta-se uma breve contextualização sobre a Região Noroeste do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul e sua dinâmica de formação do território e de desenvolvimento regional dentro do contexto global do capital, baseada na monocultura da produção de soja, que contribuiu para o desenvolvimento da região através dos estímulos que proporcionou à modernização tecnológica da agropecuária regional na década de 1970 e os impulsos decorrentes para a expansão de atividades industriais e de serviços. No entanto, a dinâmica regional não pode estar subordinada a uma base produtiva monocultural, no caso, a produção de soja, pois nada garante que no futuro esta cultura continuará produzindo impactos relevantes na economia da Região

Shigella sonnei genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis indicate recent global dissemination from Europe

Shigella are human-adapted Escherichia coli that have gained the ability to invade the human gut mucosa and cause dysentery1,2, spreading efficiently via low-dose fecal-oral transmission3,4. Historically, S. sonnei has been predominantly responsible for dysentery in developed countries, but is now emerging as a problem in the developing world, apparently replacing the more diverse S. flexneri in areas undergoing economic development and improvements in water quality4-6. Classical approaches have shown S. sonnei is genetically conserved and clonal7. We report here whole-genome sequencing of 132 globally-distributed isolates. Our phylogenetic analysis shows that the current S. sonnei population descends from a common ancestor that existed less than 500 years ago and has diversified into several distinct lineages with unique characteristics. Our analysis suggests the majority of this diversification occurred in Europe, followed by more recent establishment of local pathogen populations in other continents predominantly due to the pandemic spread of a single, rapidly-evolving, multidrug resistant lineage

An expanded global inventory of allelic variation in the most extremely polymorphic region of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 provided by short read sequence data.

BACKGROUND: Within Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1), the N-terminal block 2 region is a highly polymorphic target of naturally acquired antibody responses. The antigenic diversity is determined by complex repeat sequences as well as non-repeat sequences, grouping into three major allelic types that appear to be maintained within populations by natural selection. Within these major types, many distinct allelic sequences have been described in different studies, but the extent and significance of the diversity remains unresolved. METHODS: To survey the diversity more extensively, block 2 allelic sequences in the msp1 gene were characterized in 2400 P. falciparum infection isolates with whole genome short read sequence data available from the Pf3K project, and compared with the data from previous studies. RESULTS: Mapping the short read sequence data in the 2400 isolates to a reference library of msp1 block 2 allelic sequences yielded 3815 allele scores at the level of major allelic family types, with 46% of isolates containing two or more of these major types. Overall frequencies were similar to those previously reported in other samples with different methods, the K1-like allelic type being most common in Africa, MAD20-like most common in Southeast Asia, and RO33-like being the third most abundant type in each continent. The rare MR type, formed by recombination between MAD20-like and RO33-like alleles, was only seen in Africa and very rarely in the Indian subcontinent but not in Southeast Asia. A combination of mapped short read assembly approaches enabled 1522 complete msp1 block 2 sequences to be determined, among which there were 363 different allele sequences, of which 246 have not been described previously. In these data, the K1-like msp1 block 2 alleles are most diverse and encode 225 distinct amino acid sequences, compared with 123 different MAD20-like, 9 RO33-like and 6 MR type sequences. Within each of the major types, the different allelic sequences show highly skewed geographical distributions, with most of the more common sequences being detected in either Africa or Asia, but not in both. CONCLUSIONS: Allelic sequences of this extremely polymorphic locus have been derived from whole genome short read sequence data by mapping to a reference library followed by assembly of mapped reads. The catalogue of sequence variation has been greatly expanded, so that there are now more than 500 different msp1 block 2 allelic sequences described. This provides an extensive reference for molecular epidemiological genotyping and sequencing studies, and potentially for design of a multi-allelic vaccine

Lack of HLA predominance and HLA shared epitopes in biliary Atresia

Biliary atresia (BA) is characterized by progressive inflammation and fibrosis of bile ducts. A theory of pathogenesis entails autoimmune-mediated injury targeting bile duct epithelia. One of the strongest genetic associations with autoimmunity is with HLA genes. In addition, apparently dissimilar HLA alleles may have similar antigen-binding sites, called shared epitopes, that overlap in their capacity to present antigens. In autoimmune disease, the incidence of the disease may be related to the presence of shared epitopes, not simply the HLA allelic association. Aim: To determine HLA allele frequency (high-resolution genotyping) and shared epitope associations in BA. Results: Analysis of every allele for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DPB1 and -DQB1 in 180 BA and 360 racially-matched controls did not identify any significant HLA association with BA. Furthermore, shared epitope analysis of greater than 10 million possible combinations of peptide sequences was not different between BA and controls. Conclusions: This study encompasses the largest HLA allele frequency analysis for BA in the United States and is the first study to perform shared epitope analysis. When controlling for multiple comparisons, no HLA allele or shared epitope association was identified in BA. Future studies of genetic links to BA that involve alterations of the immune response should include investigations into defects in regulatory T cells and non-HLA linked autoinflammatory diseases. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2193-1801-2-42) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Dysaesthesia in the mental nerve distribution triggered by a foreign body: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Foreign bodies' entrapments in the mandibular and submandibular regions are quite common. CASE PRESENTATION: We report an unusual case of foreign body (amalgam filling) entrapment over the mental foramen causing dysaesthesia in the distribution of the mental nerve. An interesting sign was blue discoloration of the overlaying oral mucosa which was interpreted as amalgam tattooing. CONCLUSION: Surgical removal of the foreign object eliminated the reported symptoms

New genetic loci implicated in fasting glucose homeostasis and their impact on type 2 diabetes risk.

Levels of circulating glucose are tightly regulated. To identify new loci influencing glycemic traits, we performed meta-analyses of 21 genome-wide association studies informative for fasting glucose, fasting insulin and indices of beta-cell function (HOMA-B) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in up to 46,186 nondiabetic participants. Follow-up of 25 loci in up to 76,558 additional subjects identified 16 loci associated with fasting glucose and HOMA-B and two loci associated with fasting insulin and HOMA-IR. These include nine loci newly associated with fasting glucose (in or near ADCY5, MADD, ADRA2A, CRY2, FADS1, GLIS3, SLC2A2, PROX1 and C2CD4B) and one influencing fasting insulin and HOMA-IR (near IGF1). We also demonstrated association of ADCY5, PROX1, GCK, GCKR and DGKB-TMEM195 with type 2 diabetes. Within these loci, likely biological candidate genes influence signal transduction, cell proliferation, development, glucose-sensing and circadian regulation. Our results demonstrate that genetic studies of glycemic traits can identify type 2 diabetes risk loci, as well as loci containing gene variants that are associated with a modest elevation in glucose levels but are not associated with overt diabetes