Helicobacter pylori Adapts to Chronic Infection and Gastric Disease via pH-Responsive BabA-Mediated Adherence

International audienceThe BabA adhesin mediates high-affinity binding of Helicobacter pylori to the ABO blood group antigen-glycosylated gastric mucosa. Here we show that BabA is acid responsive-binding is reduced at low pH and restored by acid neutralization. Acid responsiveness differs among strains; often correlates with different intragastric regions and evolves during chronic infection and disease progression; and depends on pH sensor sequences in BabA and on pH reversible formation of high-affinity binding BabA multimers. We propose that BabA's extraordinary reversible acid responsiveness enables tight mucosal bacterial adherence while also allowing an effective escape from epithelial cells and mucus that are shed into the acidic bactericidal lumen and that bio-selection and changes in BabA binding properties through mutation and recombination with babA-related genes are selected by differences among individuals and by changes in gastric acidity over time. These processes generate diverse H. pylori subpopulations, in which BabA's adaptive evolution contributes to H. pylori persistence and overt gastric disease

Contributions of mean and shape of blood pressure distribution to worldwide trends and variations in raised blood pressure: A pooled analysis of 1018 population-based measurement studies with 88.6 million participants

© The Author(s) 2018. Background: Change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure could be due to both shifts in the entire distribution of blood pressure (representing the combined effects of public health interventions and secular trends) and changes in its high-blood-pressure tail (representing successful clinical interventions to control blood pressure in the hypertensive population). Our aim was to quantify the contributions of these two phenomena to the worldwide trends in the prevalence of raised blood pressure. Methods: We pooled 1018 population-based studies with blood pressure measurements on 88.6 million participants from 1985 to 2016. We first calculated mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and prevalence of raised blood pressure by sex and 10-year age group from 20-29 years to 70-79 years in each study, taking into account complex survey design and survey sample weights, where relevant. We used a linear mixed effect model to quantify the association between (probittransformed) prevalence of raised blood pressure and age-group- and sex-specific mean blood pressure. We calculated the contributions of change in mean SBP and DBP, and of change in the prevalence-mean association, to the change in prevalence of raised blood pressure. Results: In 2005-16, at the same level of population mean SBP and DBP, men and women in South Asia and in Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa would have the highest prevalence of raised blood pressure, and men and women in the highincome Asia Pacific and high-income Western regions would have the lowest. In most region-sex-age groups where the prevalence of raised blood pressure declined, one half or more of the decline was due to the decline in mean blood pressure. Where prevalence of raised blood pressure has increased, the change was entirely driven by increasing mean blood pressure, offset partly by the change in the prevalence-mean association. Conclusions: Change in mean blood pressure is the main driver of the worldwide change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure, but change in the high-blood-pressure tail of the distribution has also contributed to the change in prevalence, especially in older age groups

Repositioning of the global epicentre of non-optimal cholesterol

High blood cholesterol is typically considered a feature of wealthy western countries(1,2). However, dietary and behavioural determinants of blood cholesterol are changing rapidly throughout the world(3) and countries are using lipid-lowering medications at varying rates. These changes can have distinct effects on the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, which have different effects on human health(4,5). However, the trends of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels over time have not been previously reported in a global analysis. Here we pooled 1,127 population-based studies that measured blood lipids in 102.6 million individuals aged 18 years and older to estimate trends from 1980 to 2018 in mean total, non-HDL and HDL cholesterol levels for 200 countries. Globally, there was little change in total or non-HDL cholesterol from 1980 to 2018. This was a net effect of increases in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreases in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe. As a result, countries with the highest level of non-HDL cholesterol-which is a marker of cardiovascular riskchanged from those in western Europe such as Belgium, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Malta in 1980 to those in Asia and the Pacific, such as Tokelau, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. In 2017, high non-HDL cholesterol was responsible for an estimated 3.9 million (95% credible interval 3.7 million-4.2 million) worldwide deaths, half of which occurred in east, southeast and south Asia. The global repositioning of lipid-related risk, with non-optimal cholesterol shifting from a distinct feature of high-income countries in northwestern Europe, north America and Australasia to one that affects countries in east and southeast Asia and Oceania should motivate the use of population-based policies and personal interventions to improve nutrition and enhance access to treatment throughout the world.Peer reviewe

Global variations in diabetes mellitus based on fasting glucose and haemogloblin A1c

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are both used to diagnose diabetes, but may identify different people as having diabetes. We used data from 117 population-based studies and quantified, in different world regions, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, and whether those who were previously undiagnosed and detected as having diabetes in survey screening had elevated FPG, HbA1c, or both. We developed prediction equations for estimating the probability that a person without previously diagnosed diabetes, and at a specific level of FPG, had elevated HbA1c, and vice versa. The age-standardised proportion of diabetes that was previously undiagnosed, and detected in survey screening, ranged from 30% in the high-income western region to 66% in south Asia. Among those with screen-detected diabetes with either test, the agestandardised proportion who had elevated levels of both FPG and HbA1c was 29-39% across regions; the remainder had discordant elevation of FPG or HbA1c. In most low- and middle-income regions, isolated elevated HbA1c more common than isolated elevated FPG. In these regions, the use of FPG alone may delay diabetes diagnosis and underestimate diabetes prevalence. Our prediction equations help allocate finite resources for measuring HbA1c to reduce the global gap in diabetes diagnosis and surveillance.peer-reviewe

Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)

From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions

Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants

Background Hypertension can be detected at the primary health-care level and low-cost treatments can effectively control hypertension. We aimed to measure the prevalence of hypertension and progress in its detection, treatment, and control from 1990 to 2019 for 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 1990 to 2019 on people aged 30–79 years from population-representative studies with measurement of blood pressure and data on blood pressure treatment. We defined hypertension as having systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or greater, diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or greater, or taking medication for hypertension. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and the proportion of people with hypertension who had a previous diagnosis (detection), who were taking medication for hypertension (treatment), and whose hypertension was controlled to below 140/90 mm Hg (control). The model allowed for trends over time to be non-linear and to vary by age. Findings The number of people aged 30–79 years with hypertension doubled from 1990 to 2019, from 331 (95% credible interval 306–359) million women and 317 (292–344) million men in 1990 to 626 (584–668) million women and 652 (604–698) million men in 2019, despite stable global age-standardised prevalence. In 2019, age-standardised hypertension prevalence was lowest in Canada and Peru for both men and women; in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and some countries in western Europe including Switzerland, Spain, and the UK for women; and in several low-income and middle-income countries such as Eritrea, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Solomon Islands for men. Hypertension prevalence surpassed 50% for women in two countries and men in nine countries, in central and eastern Europe, central Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. Globally, 59% (55–62) of women and 49% (46–52) of men with hypertension reported a previous diagnosis of hypertension in 2019, and 47% (43–51) of women and 38% (35–41) of men were treated. Control rates among people with hypertension in 2019 were 23% (20–27) for women and 18% (16–21) for men. In 2019, treatment and control rates were highest in South Korea, Canada, and Iceland (treatment >70%; control >50%), followed by the USA, Costa Rica, Germany, Portugal, and Taiwan. Treatment rates were less than 25% for women and less than 20% for men in Nepal, Indonesia, and some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Control rates were below 10% for women and men in these countries and for men in some countries in north Africa, central and south Asia, and eastern Europe. Treatment and control rates have improved in most countries since 1990, but we found little change in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Improvements were largest in high-income countries, central Europe, and some upper-middle-income and recently high-income countries including Costa Rica, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, and Iran. Interpretation Improvements in the detection, treatment, and control of hypertension have varied substantially across countries, with some middle-income countries now outperforming most high-income nations. The dual approach of reducing hypertension prevalence through primary prevention and enhancing its treatment and control is achievable not only in high-income countries but also in low-income and middle-income settings

Effektiviserande av upp- och nedhängning av box från en målerilina

Examensarbetet har gjorts i sammarbete med Nitator AB i Oskarström under vårterminen 2014. Syftet med arbetet har varit att effektivisera produktionen vid upp- och nedhängning av boxar till och från målerlina. En box är en fordonskomponent som väger upp till 220 kg. I dagläget är arbetsmomentet inte ergonomiskt för operatörerna på grund av storleken och vikten. Förflyttningen orsakar även lätt defekter på boxen. Till en början studerades arbetsmomenten i verkligheten och dokumenterades med hjälp av videofilmningar och tidtagningar. Ergonomiska beräkningar gjordes för att mäta operatörers fysiska påfrestning och vilka skador som riskerades i längden. Det största problemet som uppkom var att hitta punkter som boxen kunde fästa i. Det medförde att det teoretiska arbetet inleddes med litteraturundersökningar på fixturer. I samband med sökningarna diskuterades arbetsmomentet ihop med berörd personal samtidigt som idégenereringsmetoder utfördes. En kravspecifikation med krav och önskemål gjordes gemensamt med företaget och användes sedan för utvärdera de principlösningarna som tagits fram. Objektiva utvärderingmetoder har använts för att jämföra lösningsförslag med kriterierna. Många av idéerna som uppkommit under projektets gång har diskuterats med personal och valts bort eller vidareutvecklats. Med de resultat som framkommit från utvärderingarna byggdes en prototyp för att prova funktionsduglighet. CAD-modeller på lösningsförslaget ritades upp som analyserades med FEM i Catia V5. Med vissa modifikationer resulterade provningarna och analyserna i en slutkonstruktion. Till sist gjordes ritningar på det slutgiltiga lyftredskapet och fixturen

Djurgårdens IF and relationship care communication during the Covid-19 pandemic : A thematic analysis of social media from a recipient perspective

Under år 2020 drabbades världen av en kris. Covid-19 pandemin slog hårt mot det samhälle vi lever i. Organisationer och varumärken, inte minst de som bedriver en verksamhet som går ut på att samla en större samling människor på en plats, fick tänka om. Fotbollsallsvenska klubben Djurgårdens IF är en av dessa organisationer som helt och hållet tappade mellan 10 000 - 35 000 direkta kunder i veckan i samband med utebliven publik på matchdagar. I Stockholm, där klubben är verksam, var konkurrensen om publik redan innan pandemin tuff. Med tanke på det finner denna studie det relevant att undersöka om klubben lyckas vårda relationen till sina fans under covid-19 pandemin trots utebliven fysisk interaktion med dessa. Studien ser till relationsvårdande kommunikativa insatser i sociala medier. Denna studies syfte är att undersöka om Djurgårdens IF:s fotbollsförenings kommunikation i sociala medier under 2020 års covid-19-pandemi hjälpt till att vårda relationen till dess supportrar. Detta har studien gjort genom att hålla semistrukturerade intervjuer med supportrar till klubben där alla intervjupersoner är i ett liknande åldersspann och räknas till det åldersspann som är mest aktiva på sociala medier. Dessa intervjuer har sedan jämförts genom en tematisk analys där det genom frameworking framkommit resultat som besvarar om klubbens kommunikation i sociala medier har vårdat relationen till sina supportrar och om detta arbete har fått ett positivt utfall. Genom intervjuerna med denna supportergrupp, fann studien att det uppstod ett visst missnöje med kommunikationen ur mottagarperspektiv och att de känner att Djurgården kunnat göra ett bättre jobb än de gjort. Noterbart i studien var att all form av rörligt material som klubben producerar eller medverkar i ger ett mervärde till supportrana och bidrar till att supportrarna får ut någonting av sin relation till klubben trots den borttagna möjligheten att se laget på plats på läktare

Comparison of the ActiGraph acceloremeter and Bouchard diary to estimate energy expenditure in Spanish adolescents

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the agreement between the ActiGraph accelerometer and the Bouchard diary to estimate energy expenditure (EE) in a Spanish adolescent population. Methods: Sixty-one Spanish adolescents, aged 12-16 years, were recruited for this study. The Bouchard diary and the ActiGraph were administered for 3 consecutive days. EE estimated by the Bouchard diary was calculated using 2 different MET category values (BD-Bouchard and BD-Bratteby). EE estimated by the ActiGraph was calculated using 3 predictive equations (AC-Trost, AC-Freedson, and AC-Ekelund). Participants with complete 24 h data were also analyzed to control the possible loss of accuracy. Agreement was examined by Pearson and concordance correlations, paired t-test, and Bland-Altman method. Results: Thirty-seven adolescents were included in the analyses with complete 72 h. Relationships between EE calculated by the Bouchard diary and the ActiGraph were high (ranged: r = 0.61-0.78). Concordance correlations were moderate (rc = 0.60) by BD-Bratteby and AC-Trost, and low using BD-Bratteby and AC-Ekelund (rc = 0.15). EE estimated by BD-Bratteby and AC-Trost also showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) and absolutely agree 0.0 ± 5.0 MJ/d (95% confidence interval: ± 0.90 MJ/d), but with wide limits of agreement (± 9.80 MJ/d). Relationships were higher and differences were smaller in the 72 h sample than in the 24 h sample. Conclusions: The Bouchard diary and the ActiGraph showed high relationships, moderate concordance, and large differences to estimate EE in Spanish adolescents. Advantages, disadvantages, and agreements between both instruments must be taking into consideration for health-related research.Peer Reviewe