Fish Consumption Moderates Depressive Symptomatology in Elderly Men and Women from the IKARIA Study

Background. The aim was to examine the association of depressive symptoms with fish eating habits, in elderly individuals. Methods. From June to October of 2009, we studied 330 men and 343 women, aged 65 to 100 years, permanent inhabitants of Ikaria Island. Among several characteristics, depression was assessed with the Geriatric Depression scale (GDS range 0–15), while dietary habits through a valid semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Results. Women had significantly higher values of the GDS compared to men (4.8 ± 3.5 versus 3.3 ± 3.1, P = .001). Participants in the upper tertile of depression scale ate less frequent fish and consumed higher quantities of alcohol, compared to those in the lowest tertile (all P < .05). Regarding fish consumption, 50% of the individuals reported consuming 1-2 times weekly, 32% 3 to 5 times weekly, 11% 2-3 times monthly, while the rest reported rare (4.5%) and everyday (1.2%) consumption. Logistic regression showed that increased fish consumption (>3 times/week versus never/rare) was inversely associated with the odds of having GDS greater the median value (i.e., 4) (odds  ratio = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.19, 0.61), after controlling for several cofounders. Conclusion. Frequent fish consumption in elderly seems to moderate depression mood

The axillary artery high bifurcation: Coexisted variants and clinical significance

Several branching patterns of the axillary artery (AA) have been described. Unusually, the brachial artery (BA) follows a course in front of the median nerve (MN), the so-called superficial brachial artery (SBA). The SBA may result in MN entrapment. The current cadaveric report highlights a high AA bifurcation, its continuation as SBA and the coexistence of muscular, neural, and vascular asymmetric aberrations. At the right side, the coracobrachialis muscle (CB) had a single head, and the ipsilateral musculocutaneous nerve (MCN) followed a medial course. The AA was highly divided into superficial and deep stems (SAS and DAS), at the 2nd rib lower border. Between two stems, the brachial plexus (BP) lateral and medial cords were identified. The MN originated from the BP lateral cord. The SAS, continued as SBA with a tortuous course. The DAS coursed posterior to the BP medial and lateral cords and gave off the subscapular artery. A bilateral 3rd head of the biceps brachii was identified. The MN atypically originated from the BP lateral cord. At the left side, the two-headed CB was typically penetrated by the MCN. A common trunk of the circumflex humeral arteries was identified in coexistence with an interconnection of the BP lateral cord with the MN medial root. The rare coexistence of muscular, neural, and arterial variants in axillary and brachial region is emphasized, taking into consideration the AA high division and related branching pattern. Documentation of such rare vascular variants is important in aneurysm and trauma surgery, and angiography, where all therapeutic manipulations must be accurately performed due to the possibility of complications

Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults

Background Underweight and obesity are associated with adverse health outcomes throughout the life course. We estimated the individual and combined prevalence of underweight or thinness and obesity, and their changes, from 1990 to 2022 for adults and school-aged children and adolescents in 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 3663 population-based studies with 222 million participants that measured height and weight in representative samples of the general population. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in the prevalence of different BMI categories, separately for adults (age ≥20 years) and school-aged children and adolescents (age 5–19 years), from 1990 to 2022 for 200 countries and territories. For adults, we report the individual and combined prevalence of underweight (BMI &lt;18·5 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). For school&#x2;aged children and adolescents, we report thinness (BMI &lt;2 SD below the median of the WHO growth reference) and obesity (BMI &gt;2 SD above the median). Findings From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity in adults decreased in 11 countries (6%) for women and 17 (9%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 that the observed changes were true decreases. The combined prevalence increased in 162 countries (81%) for women and 140 countries (70%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. In 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity was highest in island nations in the Caribbean and Polynesia and Micronesia, and countries in the Middle East and north Africa. Obesity prevalence was higher than underweight with posterior probability of at least 0·80 in 177 countries (89%) for women and 145 (73%) for men in 2022, whereas the converse was true in 16 countries (8%) for women, and 39 (20%) for men. From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of thinness and obesity decreased among girls in five countries (3%) and among boys in 15 countries (8%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80, and increased among girls in 140 countries (70%) and boys in 137 countries (69%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. The countries with highest combined prevalence of thinness and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents in 2022 were in Polynesia and Micronesia and the Caribbean for both sexes, and Chile and Qatar for boys. Combined prevalence was also high in some countries in south Asia, such as India and Pakistan, where thinness remained prevalent despite having declined. In 2022, obesity in school-aged children and adolescents was more prevalent than thinness with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 among girls in 133 countries (67%) and boys in 125 countries (63%), whereas the converse was true in 35 countries (18%) and 42 countries (21%), respectively. In almost all countries for both adults and school-aged children and adolescents, the increases in double burden were driven by increases in obesity, and decreases in double burden by declining underweight or thinness. Interpretation The combined burden of underweight and obesity has increased in most countries, driven by an increase in obesity, while underweight and thinness remain prevalent in south Asia and parts of Africa. A healthy nutrition transition that enhances access to nutritious foods is needed to address the remaining burden of underweight while curbing and reversing the increase in obesit

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Συσχέτιση μορφολογικών χαρακτηριστικών της αθηρωματικής πλάκας με δείκτες φλεγμονής σε ασθενείς με οξύ έμφραγμα του μυοκαρδίου

Coronary heart disease can manifest as either stable angina or in the form of life-threatening acute coronary syndromes (ACS) which include unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction (with or without elevation of ST) and sudden cardiac death.Despite the intensive treatment of coronary heart disease, cardiovascular mortality remains high. Consequently, cardiology is in constant search for new therapeutic targets. Early diagnosis and treatment of the vulnerable plaque before its manifestation as an acute coronary syndrome is a subject of intensive research in cardiology. Plenty of techniques aimed at finding these high-risk plaques.The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible correlation between morphological and functional characteristics of culpable lesions in patients with acute coronary syndromes and chronic stable angina. Plaque disruption and subsequent thrombosis is known that is the leading process to acute coronary syndrome and was investigated by the use of the optical coherent tomography (OCT) and the intracoronary ultrasound in ACS. It was investigated if there was a correlation of the position of guilt plaque in the coronary tree, and the correlation between the morphological characteristics and the local temperature difference in plaque of the guilty lesions in patients with ACS. The rupture of the guilty plaques in acute coronary syndromes is not equally distributed throughout the coronary tree, but it seems to be mainly located in the proximal portions of the coronary arteries. The morphology of the guilty plates appears to vary along the coronary arteries. From this study, it was shown a correlation between morphological and functional characteristics of atherosclerotic plaque evaluated by IVUS and coronary thermography, respectively. In some patients, however, there was a difference between the temperature and the morphology. Whether the combination of morphological and functional examinations of atherosclerotic plaques will provide additional information for the identification of "high risk" plaque and the risk stratification of coronary artery disease should be further investigated.Η στεφανιαία νόσος μπορεί να εκδηλωθεί είτε ως σταθερή στηθάγχη είτε με την μορφή των απειλητικών για τη ζωή Οξέων Στεφανιαίων Συνδρόμων (ΟΣΣ) τα οποία περιλαμβάνουν: την ασταθή στηθάγχη, το οξύ έμφραγμα του μυοκαρδίου (με ή χωρίς ανάσπαση του ST) και τον αιφνίδιο καρδιακό θάνατο.Παρά την εντατική θεραπεία της στεφανιαίας νόσου, η καρδιαγγειακή θνησιμότητα παραμένει υψηλή. Κατά συνέπεια, η καρδιολογία βρισκεται σε συνεχή αναζήτηση νέων θεραπευτικών στόχων. Η έγκαιρη διάγνωση και αντιμετώπιση της ευάλωτης πλάκας, προτού αυτή εκδηλώσει οξύ στεφανιαίο σύνδρομο είναι αντικείμενο εντατικής έρευνας στην καρδιολογία. Πληθώρα τεχνικών που στοχεύουν στην ανεύρεση αυτών των υψηλού κινδύνου πλακών είναι διαθέσιμη.Ο σκοπός αυτής της μελέτης ήταν να διερευνηθεί η πιθανή συσχέτιση μεταξύ των μορφολογικών και λειτουργικών χαρακτηριστικών των ένοχων βλαβών σε ασθενείς με οξέα στεφανιαία σύνδρομα και χρόνιας σταθερής στηθάγχης (ΣΣΝ). Η ρήξη της πλάκας και η επακόλουθη θρόμβωση είναι γνωστό ότι είναι η διαδικασία που οδηγεί σε οξύ στεφανιαίο σύνδρομο. Ερευνήθηκε, με την χρήση της Οπτικής συνεκτικής τομογραφίας (OCT) και του Ενδοστεφανιαίου Υπερήχου, σε ΟΣΣ, εάν υπάρχει συσχέτιση της θέσης της ένοχης πλάκας στο στεφανιαίο δένδρο, και η συσχέτιση μεταξύ των μορφολογικών χαρακτηριστικών και της τοπικής διαφοράς στην θερμοκρασία σε ρηχθείσα αθηρωματική πλάκα στις ένοχες βλάβες των ασθενών.Η ρήξη των ένοχων πλακών στα οξέα στεφανιαία σύνδρομα δεν είναι ομοιόμορφα κατανεμημένη σε όλο το στεφανιαίο δένδρο, αλλά φαίνεται να εντοπίζεται κυρίως στα εγγύς τμήματα των στεφανιαίων αρτηριών. Η μορφολογία των ένοχων πλακών φαίνεται να διαφέρει κατά μήκος των στεφανιαίων αρτηριών.Από την παρούσα μελέτη, φάνηκε ένας συσχετισμός μεταξύ των μορφολογικών και λειτουργικών χαρακτηριστικών της αθηρωματικής πλάκας, που αξιολογούνται από το IVUS και την στεφανιαία θερμογραφία, αντίστοιχα. Σε ορισμένους ασθενείς, ωστόσο, παρατηρήθηκε μια διαφορά μεταξύ της θερμοκρασίας και της μορφολογίας. Το αν ο συνδυασμός των μορφολογικών και λειτουργικών εξετάσεων των αθηρωματικών πλακών θα προσφέρει πρόσθετες πληροφορίες για τον προσδιορισμό της «υψηλού κινδύνου» πλάκας και για την διαστρωμάτωση κινδύνου της στεφανιαίας νόσου πρέπει περαιτέρω να διερευνηθεί

Bond behaviour of light and heavy carbon fibre TRM to masonry interfaces

We present the results of an experimental campaign on the bond behaviour between carbon fibre textile reinforced mortars and masonry substrate. The campaign involved 54 single lap direct shear tests on masonry wallettes reinforced with a single TRM layer. The key investigated parameters were the type of the textile fibre material (light carbon and heavy carbon), the coating of the textile reinforcement with epoxy resin, and the bond length (100, 150, 200, and 250 mm). The results highlight the beneficial effect of the epoxy resin coating that practically doubles the maximum attained loads. This increase is shown to be associated to a consistent shift of the failure mode from textile slippage to detachment at the matrix to matrix interface. In the uncoated specimens, the maximum load is practically identical for heavy and light carbon. Conversely, in the coated specimens the maximum load attained by the heavy carbon fibre textiles is 65% higher than that of the light carbon coated fibre textiles. However, both coated textiles demonstrate the same exploitation ratio. Cost-wise, this renders light carbon an appealing choice in practical applications. The experimental observations are further examined in view of analytical modelling

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1B1 Is Implicated in DNA Damage Response in Human Colorectal Adenocarcinoma

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1B1 (ALDH1B1) has been correlated with colorectal tumorigenesis and is considered a potential biomarker for colon cancer. Its expression has been associated with attenuation of the cell cycle in the G2/M phase and resistance to DNA damaging agents. The present study examines the role of ALDH1B1 in DNA damage response (DDR) in human colorectal adenocarcinoma. To this end, we utilized an isogenic HT29 cell line pair differing in the expression of ALDH1B1. The overexpression of ALDH1B1 was related to the translational upregulation of the total and phosphorylated (at ser15) p53. Comet and apoptosis assays revealed that the expression of ALDH1B1 protected HT29 cells from etoposide-induced DNA damage as well as apoptosis, and its overexpression led to increased constitutive phosphorylation of H2AX (at ser139). Furthermore, the expression profile of a variety of DNA damage signaling (DDS)-related genes was investigated by utilizing the RT2 profiler&trade; PCR array. Our results demonstrated that ALDH1B1 triggered a transcriptional activation of several DNA repair-related genes (MRE11A, PMS1, RAD18 and UNG). Finally, Spearman&rsquo;s rank correlation coefficient analysis in 531 publicly available colorectal adenocarcinoma clinical samples indicated the statistically significant positive correlation between ALDH1B1 and DDR and repair genes or proteins, such as APEX1, FEN1, MPG, UNG, XRCC1, DDB1, XPC, CIB1, MRE11, PRKDC, RAD50, RAD21, TP53BP1, XRCC6 and H2AX. Collectively, our results suggest that ALDH1B1 may play an essential role in the DDR and DNA repair processes. Further studies on ALDH1B1 will elucidate its precise role in DDR