Agreement Between Body Mass Index and Percent Body Fat in Resistance Trained Men and Women

National health organizations report on the prevalence of obesity utilizing statistics based upon Body Mass Index (BMI), a noninvasive, anthropometric measurement used for weight classification. Though the limitations of the BMI formula are well known, it is still commonly used in clinical settings due to the ease of calculation using only weight and height (kg/m2). Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) is a criterion method for body composition estimation. PURPOSE: The purpose of this analysis was to assess the agreement between BMI classification and measured percent body fat (PBF) via DXA in a resistance-trained (RT) population. METHODS: DXA scans of resistance-trained male and female volunteers were included in this secondary analysis. Participants were divided into BMI classification and PBF levels as defined by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). These categories were collapsed further into “obese” versus “not obese” cases according to BMI and then “obese” versus “not obese” cases according to PBF. Finally, agreement was measured using Chi-square goodness-of-fit. For analysis, BMI classification was used to determine the number of expected cases and PBF level was used to determine the number of observed cases. The analysis was repeated with categories collapsed into “overweight or obese” versus “not overweight or obese” cases for both BMI and PBF. RESULTS: Male (n = 237; age: 27.7 ± 10.7y; BMI: 29.6 ± 5.6; PBF: 20.9 ± 8.4%) and female (n=95; age: 25.2 ± 8.6y; BMI: 26.2 ± 5.6; PBF: 29.7 ± 8.3%) participants were distributed into collapsed BMI categories by sex and PBF categories by sex. Chi-square goodness-of-fit analysis revealed statistical significance between BMI and PBF in both obese versus not obese cases (males: χ2= 138.7, p\u3c.001; females: χ2 = 22.2, p\u3c.001) and overweight or obese versus not overweight or obese cases (males: χ2= 60, p\u3c.001; females: χ2 = 12.2; p\u3c.001). In males, BMI overestimated overweight and obese cases. Conversely, BMI underestimated overweight and obese cases in females. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that alternative methods for classification should be developed to accurately assess body composition of resistance-trained individuals. Moreover, because RT females classified in a normal weight category may be at risk for normal weight obesity, further emphasis should be placed upon increasing lean muscle mass in active females

A randomized controlled trial of subcutaneous nerve stimulation for back pain due to failed back surgery syndrome: the SubQStim study

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of peripheral nerve stimulation utilizing a subcutaneous lead implant technique—subcutaneous nerve stimulation (SQS) plus optimized medical management (SQS + OMM arm) vs. optimized medical management alone (OMM arm) in patients with back pain due to failed back surgery syndrome. Patients and Methods: Patients were recruited from 21 centers, in Europe, Israel, and Australia. Eligible patients were randomized (1:1) to SQS + OMM or OMM arms. Those in the SQS arm were implanted with a neurostimulator and up to two subcutaneous percutaneous cylindrical leads in the area of pain. Patients were evaluated pre‐randomization and at one, three, six, and nine months post‐randomization. The primary endpoint was the proportion of subjects with a ≥50% reduction in back pain intensity (“responder”) from baseline to nine months. Secondary outcomes included proportion of responders with a ≥50% reduction in back pain intensity at six months and ≥30% reduction at nine months, and the mean change from baseline in back pain intensity at six and nine months between the two arms. Results: Due to the slow rate of recruitment, the study was terminated early with 116 subjects randomized. A total of 33.9% (19/56, missing: n = 20 [36%]) of subjects in the SQS + OMM arm and 1.7% (1/60, missing: n = 24 [40%]) in the OMM arm were responders at Month 9 (p < 0.0001). Secondary objectives showed a significant difference in favor of SQS + OMM arm. Conclusion: The results indicate that the addition of SQS to OMM is more effective than OMM alone in relieving low back pain at up to nine months

A chromosomally integrated bacteriophage in invasive meningococci

Cerebrospinal meningitis is a feared disease that can cause the death of a previously healthy individual within hours. Paradoxically, the causative agent, Neisseria meningitidis, is a common inhabitant of the human nasopharynx, and as such, may be considered a normal, commensal organism. Only in a small proportion of colonized people do the bacteria invade the bloodstream, from where they can cross the blood–brain barrier to cause meningitis. Furthermore, most meningococcal disease is caused by bacteria belonging to only a few of the phylogenetic groups among the large number that constitute the population structure of this genetically variable organism. However, the genetic basis for the differences in pathogenic potential remains elusive. By performing whole genome comparisons of a large collection of meningococcal isolates of defined pathogenic potential we brought to light a meningococcal prophage present in disease-causing bacteria. The phage, of the filamentous family, excises from the chromosome and is secreted from the bacteria via the type IV pilin secretin. Therefore, this element, by spreading among the population, may promote the development of new epidemic clones of N. meningitidis that are capable of breaking the normal commensal relationship with humans and causing invasive disease

Association of a Bacteriophage with Meningococcal Disease in Young Adults

Despite being the agent of life-threatening meningitis, Neisseria meningitidis is usually carried asymptomatically in the nasopharynx of humans and only occasionally causes disease. The genetic bases for virulence have not been entirely elucidated and the search for new virulence factors in this species is hampered by the lack of an animal model representative of the human disease. As an alternative strategy we employ a molecular epidemiological approach to establish a statistical association of a candidate virulence gene with disease in the human population. We examine the distribution of a previously-identified genetic element, a temperate bacteriophage, in 1288 meningococci isolated from cases of disease and asymptomatic carriage. The phage was over-represented in disease isolates from young adults indicating that it may contribute to invasive disease in this age group. Further statistical analysis indicated that between 20% and 45% of the pathogenic potential of the five most common disease-causing meningococcal groups was linked to the presence of the phage. In the absence of an animal model of human disease, this molecular epidemiological approach permitted the estimation of the influence of the candidate virulence factor. Such an approach is particularly valuable in the investigation of exclusively human diseases

Metal production in M33: space and time variations

Nearby galaxies are ideal places to study in detail metallicity gradients and their time evolution. We consider chemical abundances of a new sample of \hii\ regions complemented with previous literature data-sets. We compare \hii\ region and PN abundances obtained with a common set of observations taken at MMT. With an updated theoretical model, we follow the time evolution of the baryonic components and chemical abundances in the disk of M33, assuming that the galaxy is accreting gas from an external reservoir. Supported by a uniform sample of nebular spectroscopic observations, we conclude that: {\em i}) the metallicity distribution in M33 is very complex, showing a central depression in metallicity probably due to observational bias; {\em ii}) the metallicity gradient in the disk of M33 has a slope of -0.037$\pm$ 0.009 dex kpc$^{-1}$ in the whole radial range up to $\sim$8 kpc, and -0.044$\pm$ 0.009 dex kpc$^{-1}$ excluding the central kpc; {\em iii}) there is a small evolution of the slope with time from the epoch of PN progenitor formation to the present-time.}Comment: A&A accepted, 15 Pags, 13 Figs, language correctio

Humans to Mars: by MARS- plus EUROPA-INPPS Flagship Mission

The first non-human INPPS (International Nuclear Power and Propulsion System) flagship flight with orbits Earth-Mars-Earth-Jupiter/Europa (after 2025) is the most maximal space qualification test of INPPS flagship to carry out the second INPPS flagship flight to Mars with humans (in the 2030th). This high power space transportation tug is realistic because of A) the successful finalization of the European-Russian DEMOCRITOS and MEGAHIT projects with their three concepts of space, ground and nuclear demonstrators for INPPS realization (reached in 2017), B) the successful ground based test of the Russian nuclear reactor with 1MWel plus important heat dissipation solution via droplet radiators (confirmed in 2018), C) the space qualification of the Russian reactor by 2025 and D) the perfect celestial constellation for a Earth-Mars/Phobos-Earth-Jupiter/Europa trajectory between 2026 and 2035. Therefore the talk sketches the preparation status of INPPS flagship with its subsystems. Critical performance will be studied by parallel realizations of the ground and nuclear demonstrators of DEMOCRITOS (until 2025). The space qualification of INPPS with all subsystems including the nuclear reactor in the middle of the 2020th plus the INPPS tests for about one to two years - first in high Earth orbit robotic assembly phase of INPPS and later extended in nearby Earth space environment flight - means a complete concepts driven approval for all applied INPPS space subsystem technologies. It is also important to consider wider aspects for the overall mission implementation phase. Component like the nuclear reactor as the power source for the propulsion system will have to agree with the 1992 UN principles relevant to the use of nuclear power sources (NPS) in outer space. Therefore this talk will look into the legal and policy issues of nuclear space systems related to the international realization of mission design, requirements of associated safety regulations (including AI applications in the subsystems) and new aspects for INPPS flagship commercialization and new media communication on board

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo

Meeting Abstracts: Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo Clearwater Beach, FL, USA. 9-11 June 201

Antigenic variation in the outer membrane proteins of Neisseria meningitidis and the suitability of the H.8 antigen for use in immunisation against meningococcal disease

Inter- and intra-strain variation in the surface-exposed proteins of N. meningitidis was investigated in order to compare the variability with that which had been reported for the closely-related N. gonorrhoeae and to identify antigens possessing conserved epitopes which were stably expressed by the bacteria. Radioimmune precipitation, SDS-PAGE of surface radioiodinated disease isolates and isolated outer membrane vesicles, and western blotting techniques demonstrated variability in the major outer membrane proteins and pilin both between strains and during the course of infection. Several monoclonal antibodies recognised an antigen which was common to all pathogenic Neisseriae, and absent from most commensal organisms. The stable expression of this antigen suggested that it might have an important role in pathogenesis and made it an attractive choice for further study. The pathogenic Neisseria antigen was shown to have unusual properties which, together with its peculiarity to pathogenic species and apparent molecular mass range, it shared with the H.8 antigen found by Cannon and coworkers (Infection and Immunity, (1984), 43 ,994-999). Further similarities have confirmed that these are the same protein. Two published methods for purification of the antigen were investigated: Gel filtration followed by ion exchange chromatography, or extraction into phenol, precipitation of lipopolysaccharide, and lipophilic gel filtration followed by reverse-phase HPLC. However, better results were obtained after development of an affinity chromatography system with an anti-H.8 monoclonal antibody immobilised on a cyanogen bromide-sepharose column. Due to difficulties in staining the antigen after SDS-PAGE a quantitative spot blot assay was developed for its detection, based on the ELISA principle. Amino acid analysis showed the antigen to be rich in alanine, glutamine, and proline and lacking in sulphur-containing amino acids. Immunisation of mice with purified antigen from one strain of meningococcus produced antisera reactive with the H.8 antigens of the homologous and heterologous strains. However, this serum and the H.8-directed monoclonal antibodies were ineffective in an in vitro complement-mediated bactericidal assay. Initial experiments showed poor opsonic activity for a monoclonal antibody. Synthetic oligopeptides corresponding to regions of the primary sequence of the H.8 antigen were used to define the epitopes recognised by the serum and monoclonal antibodies. Since neither polyclonal sera nor monoclonal antibodies directed against a variety of epitopes showed biological activity it appears that immunisation with the H.8 antigen would not elicit protection against meningococcal disease.</p