A case-control study of the effect of infant feeding on celiac disease

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the duration of breast-feeding and the age at the first gluten introduction into the infant diet and the incidence and age at onset of celiac disease. Methods: In a case-control study, 143 children with celiac disease and 137 randomly recruited gender- and age-matched control children were administered a standardized questionnaire. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (OR) as estimates of the relative risk and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. Results: The risk of developing celiac disease decreased significantly by 63% for children breast-fed for more than 2 months (OR 0.37, 95% Cl 0.21-0.64) as compared with children breast-fed for 2 months or less. The age at first gluten introduction had no significant influence on the incidence of celiac disease (OR 0.72, 95% Cl 0.29-1.79 comparing first gluten introduction into infant diet >3 months vs. less than or equal to3 months). Conclusions: A significant protective effect on the incidence of celiac disease was suggested by the duration of breast-feeding (partial breastfeeding as well as exclusive breast-feeding). The data did not support an influence of the age at first dietary gluten exposure on the incidence of celiac disease. However, the age at first gluten exposure appeared to affect the age at onset of symptoms. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel

Претензионная работа по топливу для предприятий энергетики

Background and aims: CREB (cAMP response element binding protein) transcription factors are key regulators of homeostatic functions in the liver, and CRE binding is increased in hepatic inflammation. During chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, mutations or deletions in the pre-S region are frequently observed. These mutations can affect the pre-S2/S promoter controlling HBV envelope protein expression (hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)) and have been associated with worsened clinical outcome. We aimed to test if CREB activation impacts on HBsAg expression. Methods: The effect of the CREB inducer protein kinase A (PKA) was tested by coexpression with HBV wild-type vector in vitro. Luciferase reporter gene constructs were cloned to identify novel regulatory regions for the HBV pre-S2/S promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) gelshift and supershift experiments were conducted to confirm DNA transcription factor binding. Results: Coexpression of HBV and PKA resulted in HBV-S mRNA induction and enhanced small envelope protein expression. We identified a CREB binding motif in the transcribed part of the pre-S2 region, contributing to basal S promoter activity via binding of activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2). A second CREB motif closely linked to the S-ATG showed a similar binding pattern involving ATF2 and CREB1, without appearing essential for basal promoter activity. Moreover, a sequence in the pre-S2 region is responsible for further transcriptional induction via CREB activators such as PKA and forskolin. EMSA experiments indicate that CREB1 and ATF4 are involved in complex formation conferring PKA dependent promoter activation. Conclusions: Our data suggest a novel mechanism by which HBV may utilise CREB/PKA signal transduction pathways of hepatocytes to enhance its HBsAg expression during homeostasis and hepatic inflammation

Rascacielos, en Hamburgo

This project consists of 21 buildings and 1061 flats, and is divided into two units. One of them contains 716 flats, constructed by the «Barets» prefabrication method, and the other 345 flats, for which the «Camus» system has been adopted. Both techniques make use of solid panels of reinforced concrete for partition walls and floorings, and sandwich type panels for the outer walls. The construction of the balconies is noteworthy, which consist of elements hanging from the outer walls by means of overhangs and cables. Another outstanding feature is the variety of plan and elevation designs, which give a dynamic quality to the total aspect of the buildings.<br><br>El conjunto erigido —21 casas con un total de 1.061 viviendas— consta de dos unidades: una de ellas con 716 viviendas, construidas con el sistema de prefabricación «Barets»; y la otra con 345 viviendas, construidas con el sistema «Camus»; ambos sistemas a base de paneles macizos —realizados en hormigón armado— en muros interiores y forjados; y de paneles tipo «Sandwich» en cerramientos exteriores. Digna de mención es la construcción de los balcones, concebidos y realizados como elementos sustentados en el espacio, y colgados de las fachadas, por medio de ménsulas y elementos metálicos. Igualmente cabe destacar la variedad de plantas y alzados y el extraordinario dinamismo y movimiento del conjunto

Rascacielos, en Hamburgo

This project consists of 21 buildings and 1061 flats, and is divided into two units. One of them contains 716 flats, constructed by the «Barets» prefabrication method, and the other 345 flats, for which the «Camus» system has been adopted. Both techniques make use of solid panels of reinforced concrete for partition walls and floorings, and sandwich type panels for the outer walls. The construction of the balconies is noteworthy, which consist of elements hanging from the outer walls by means of overhangs and cables. Another outstanding feature is the variety of plan and elevation designs, which give a dynamic quality to the total aspect of the buildings.El conjunto erigido —21 casas con un total de 1.061 viviendas— consta de dos unidades: una de ellas con 716 viviendas, construidas con el sistema de prefabricación «Barets»; y la otra con 345 viviendas, construidas con el sistema «Camus»; ambos sistemas a base de paneles macizos —realizados en hormigón armado— en muros interiores y forjados; y de paneles tipo «Sandwich» en cerramientos exteriores. Digna de mención es la construcción de los balcones, concebidos y realizados como elementos sustentados en el espacio, y colgados de las fachadas, por medio de ménsulas y elementos metálicos. Igualmente cabe destacar la variedad de plantas y alzados y el extraordinario dinamismo y movimiento del conjunto

Associations of social processing abilities with psychosocial stress sensitivity

Through the long-term activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, chronic psychosocial stress can compromise mental and bodily health. Psychosocial stress is determined by the perception of social interactions as ego-threatening, and thus strongly influenced by individual social processing capacities. In the current study, we investigated whether three key components of social processing are linked to how individuals respond to the experience of acute psychosocial stress exposure. Empathy, compassion, and Theory of Mind (ToM) were assessed using a state-of-the-art paradigm, the EmpaToM. Participants (N = 118) also underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a standardized psychosocial laboratory stress test. Stress responses were measured in terms of salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase, heart-rate, high-frequency heart-rate variability (HF-HRV), and subjective stress experience. ToM performance correlated with different aspects of the acute psychosocial stress response. More specifically, higher levels of ToM were linked to increased alpha-amylase and reduced HF-HRV sensitivity to stress. Empathy and compassion levels had no influence on stress sensitivity. We conclude that ToM performance has a stable albeit contradictory association with acute psychosocial stress, while empathy and compassion tendencies appear to be largely unrelated. Overall, the relationship between EmpaToM-derived empathy, compassion, and ToM characteristics with stress sensitivity in the TSST is relatively weak

Differential benefits of mental training types for attention, compassion, and theory of mind

Mindfulness- and, more generally, meditation-based interventions increasingly gain popularity, effectively promoting cognitive, affective, and social capacities. It is unclear, however, if different types of practice have the same or specific effects on mental functioning. Here we tested three consecutive three-month training modules aimed at cultivating either attention, socio-affective qualities (such as compassion), or socio-cognitive skills (such as theory of mind), in three training cohorts and a retest control cohort (N = 332). While attentional performance improved most consistently after attention training, compassion increased most after socio-affective training and theory of mind partially improved after socio-cognitive training. These results show that specific mental training practices are needed to induce plasticity in different domains of mental functioning, providing a foundation for evidence-based development of more targeted interventions adapted to the needs of different education, labor, and health settings

Arthropods of the great indoorssuburban homes:characterizing diversity inside urban and suburban homes

Although humans and arthropods have been living and evolving together for all of our history, we know very little about the arthropods we share our homes with apart from major pest groups. Here we surveyed, for the first time, the complete arthropod fauna of the indoor biome in 50 houses (located in and around Raleigh, North Carolina, USA). We discovered high diversity, with a conservative estimate range of 32–211 morphospecies, and 24–128 distinct arthropod families per house. The majority of this indoor diversity (73%) was made up of true flies (Diptera), spiders (Araneae), beetles (Coleoptera), and wasps and kin (Hymenoptera, especially ants: Formicidae). Much of the arthropod diversity within houses did not consist of synanthropic species, but instead included arthropods that were filtered from the surrounding landscape. As such, common pest species were found less frequently than benign species. Some of the most frequently found arthropods in houses, such as gall midges (Cecidomyiidae) and book lice (Liposcelididae), are unfamiliar to the general public despite their ubiquity. These findings present a new understanding of the diversity, prevalence, and distribution of the arthropods in our daily lives. Considering their impact as household pests, disease vectors, generators of allergens, and facilitators of the indoor microbiome, advancing our knowledge of the ecology and evolution of arthropods in homes has major economic and human health implications