A Scoping Review of the Biological, Socioeconomic, and Environmental Determinants of Overweight and Obesity among Middle Eastern and Northern African Nationalities

Globally, and particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, obesity and overweight have become serious public health concerns. The objective of this scoping review is to identify and summarize the available data on the determinants of overweight and obesity among MENA nationalities. An extensive search was conducted of electronic databases, including Google Scholar, PUBMED, and PROQUEST, for articles published from 2007 until 2022.   Ten articles of the 333 that were found in the original search after filtering met the requirements for inclusion. Data extraction and quality assessment were applied to each of the selected studies. A thorough synthesis of the factors influencing overweight and obesity in MENA nationalities is provided by this scoping review. The results show the intricate interplay of anthropometric, behavioral, sociodemographic, and environmental factors that cause overweight and obesity in this population. Keywords: Overweight; Obesity; Body Mass Index; Oman

Novel prokaryotic expression of thioredoxin-fused insulinoma associated protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (IA-2), its characterization and immunodiagnostic application

Background The insulinoma associated protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (IA-2) is one of the immunodominant autoantigens involved in the autoimmune attack to the beta-cell in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. In this work we have developed a complete and original process for the production and recovery of the properly folded intracellular domain of IA-2 fused to thioredoxin (TrxIA-2ic) in Escherichia coli GI698 and GI724 strains. We have also carried out the biochemical and immunochemical characterization of TrxIA-2icand design variants of non-radiometric immunoassays for the efficient detection of IA-2 autoantibodies (IA-2A). Results The main findings can be summarized in the following statements: i) TrxIA-2ic expression after 3 h of induction on GI724 strain yielded ≈ 10 mg of highly pure TrxIA-2ic/L of culture medium by a single step purification by affinity chromatography, ii) the molecular weight of TrxIA-2ic (55,358 Da) could be estimated by SDS-PAGE, size exclusion chromatography and mass spectrometry, iii) TrxIA-2ic was properly identified by western blot and mass spectrometric analysis of proteolytic digestions (63.25 % total coverage), iv) excellent immunochemical behavior of properly folded full TrxIA-2ic was legitimized by inhibition or displacement of [35S]IA-2 binding from IA-2A present in Argentinian Type 1 Diabetic patients, v) great stability over time was found under proper storage conditions and vi) low cost and environmentally harmless ELISA methods for IA-2A assessment were developed, with colorimetric or chemiluminescent detection. Conclusions E. coli GI724 strain emerged as a handy source of recombinant IA-2ic, achieving high levels of expression as a thioredoxin fusion protein, adequately validated and applicable to the development of innovative and cost-effective immunoassays for IA-2A detection in most laboratories.Fil: Guerra, Luciano Lucas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; ArgentinaFil: Faccinetti, Natalia Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; ArgentinaFil: Trabucchi, Aldana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; ArgentinaFil: Rovitto, Bruno David. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; ArgentinaFil: Sabljic, Adriana Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; ArgentinaFil: Poskus, Edgardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; ArgentinaFil: Iacono, Ruben Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; ArgentinaFil: Valdez, Silvina Noemi. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; Argentin

Differential regulation of mGlu5 R and ΜOPr by priming- and cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behaviour in mice.

The key problem for the treatment of drug addiction is relapse to drug use after abstinence that can be triggered by drug-associated cues, re-exposure to the drug itself and stress. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying relapse is essential in order to develop effective pharmacotherapies for its prevention. Given the evidence implicating the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5 R), μ-opioid receptor (MOPr), κ-opioid receptor (ΚOPr) and oxytocin receptor (OTR) systems in cocaine addiction and relapse, our aim was to assess the modulation of these receptors using a mouse model of cue- and priming-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. Male mice were trained to self-administer cocaine (1 mg/kg/infusion, i.v.) and were randomized into different groups: (1) cocaine self-administration; (2) cocaine extinction; (3) cocaine-primed (10 mg/kg i.p.); or (4) cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. Mice undergoing the same protocols but receiving saline instead of cocaine were used as controls. Quantitative autoradiography of mGlu5 R, MOPr, KOPr and OTR showed a persistent cocaine-induced upregulation of the mGlu5 R and OTR in the lateral septum and central amygdala, respectively. Moreover, a downregulation of mGlu5 R and MOPr was observed in the basolateral amygdala and striatum, respectively. Further, we showed that priming- but not cue-induced reinstatement upregulates mGlu5 R and MOPr binding in the nucleus accumbens core and basolateral amygdala, respectively, while cue- but not priming-induced reinstatement downregulates MOPr binding in caudate putamen and nucleus accumbens core. This is the first study to provide direct evidence of reinstatement-induced receptor alterations that are likely to contribute to the neurobiological mechanisms underpinning relapse to cocaine seeking

The Influence of Color on Impulsivity and Arousal: Part 1 – Hue

Impulsivity and arousal are two similar yet distinct emotional and behavioral states that have been shown to be influenced by color in many fields, such as clothing, and environment design. This series of studies investigates the fundamental theory of how color impacts on people’s impulsivity and arousal states. To achieve this goal, psychophysical methods were used to examine the impact of color environment on impulsivity and arousal. Two main factors were used to quantify them: response time and error rate in problem solving. The psychophysical experiment was designed to examine whether, in a particular color environment, the response time and error rate were different. Participants sat in front of a large TV screen showing different colored backgrounds to complete a range of psychometric tests. The color backgrounds varied in hue. During the experiment, participants were required to give their responses to each of the psychometric tests as quickly and accurately as possible. The results showed that different colors can significantly influence response time and error rate, which suggests that color has a distinct influence on impulsivity and arousal. Gender difference have also been investigated. This paper mainly discusses hue influence on impulsivity and arousal. The influence of chroma along with hue will be explored in the next paper

Systemic Type I IFN Inflammation in Human ISG15 Deficiency Leads to Necrotizing Skin Lesions

Most monogenic disorders have a primary clinical presentation. Inherited ISG15 deficiency, however, has manifested with two distinct presentations to date: susceptibility to mycobacterial disease and intracranial calcifications from hypomorphic interferon-II (IFN-II) production and excessive IFN-I response, respectively. Accordingly, these patients were managed for their infectious and neurologic complications. Herein, we describe five new patients with six novel ISG15 mutations presenting with skin lesions who were managed for dermatologic disease. Cellularly, we denote striking specificity to the IFN-I response, which was previously assumed to be universal. In peripheral blood, myeloid cells display the most robust IFN-I signatures. In the affected skin, IFN-I signaling is observed in the keratinocytes of the epidermis, endothelia, and the monocytes and macrophages of the dermis. These findings define the specific cells causing circulating and dermatologic inflammation and expand the clinical spectrum of ISG15 deficiency to dermatologic presentations as a third phenotype co-dominant to the infectious and neurologic manifestations.Fil: Martin Fernandez, Marta. Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai; Estados Unidos. King Saud University; Arabia SauditaFil: Bravo García Morato, María. Instituto de Investigacion del Hospital de la Paz.; EspañaFil: Gruber, Conor. Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai; Estados Unidos. King Saud University; Arabia SauditaFil: Murias Loza, Sara. Instituto de Investigacion del Hospital de la Paz.; EspañaFil: Malik, Muhammad Nasir Hayat. Twincore; Alemania. University Of Lahore; Países Bajos. Leibniz Universitat Hannover; Alemania. Helmholtz Gemeinschaft; AlemaniaFil: Alsohime, Fahad. King Saud University; Arabia SauditaFil: Alakeel, Abdullah. King Saud University; Arabia SauditaFil: Valdez, Rita. Gobierno de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos Doctor Cosme Argerich; ArgentinaFil: Buta, Sofija. Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai; Estados UnidosFil: Buda, Guadalupe. Bitgenia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología; ArgentinaFil: Marti, Marcelo Adrian. Bitgenia; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Larralde, Margarita. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos "Ramos Mejía"; ArgentinaFil: Boisson, Bertrand. L'institut Des Maladies Génétiques Imagine; Francia. The Rockefeller University; Estados Unidos. Universite de Paris; FranciaFil: Feito Rodriguez, Marta. Instituto de Investigacion del Hospital de la Paz.; EspañaFil: Qiu, Xueer. Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai; Estados UnidosFil: Chrabieh, Maya. L'institut Des Maladies Génétiques Imagine; FranciaFil: Al Ayed, Mohammed. Najran University; Arabia SauditaFil: Al Muhsen, Saleh. King Saud University; Arabia SauditaFil: Desai, Jigar V.. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Ferre, Elise M.N.. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Rosenzweig, Sergio D.. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Amador-Borrero, Blanca. Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai; Estados UnidosFil: Bravo-Gallego, Luz Yadira. Instituto de Investigacion del Hospital de la Paz.; EspañaFil: Olmer, Ruth. Hannover Medical School; Alemania. German Center for Lung Research; AlemaniaFil: Merkert, Sylvia. Hannover Medical School; Alemania. German Center for Lung Research; AlemaniaFil: Bret, Montserrat. Instituto de Investigacion del Hospital de la Paz.; EspañaFil: Sood, Amika K.. University of North Carolina; Estados UnidosFil: Al-rabiaah, Abdulkarim. King Saud University; Arabia SauditaFil: Temsah, Mohamad Hani. King Saud University; Arabia SauditaFil: Halwani, Rabih. University of Sharjah; Emiratos Arabes UnidosFil: Hernandez, Michelle Marilyn. University of North Carolina; Estados UnidosFil: Pessler, Frank. Twincore; Alemania. Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research; AlemaniaFil: Casanova, Jean Laurent. The Rockefeller University; Estados Unidos. Necker Hospital for Sick Children; Francia. Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Estados Unidos. Universite de Paris; FranciaFil: Bustamante, Jacinta. The Rockefeller University; Estados Unidos. Necker Hospital for Sick Children; Francia. Universite de Paris; FranciaFil: Lionakis, Michail S.. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Bogunovic, Dusan. Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai; Estados Unido

Lipocalin 2 is protective against E. coli pneumonia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lipocalin 2 is a bacteriostatic protein that binds the siderophore enterobactin, an iron-chelating molecule produced by <it>Escherichia coli </it>(<it>E. coli</it>) that is required for bacterial growth. Infection of the lungs by <it>E. coli </it>is rare despite a frequent exposure to this commensal bacterium. Lipocalin 2 is an effector molecule of the innate immune system and could therefore play a role in hindering growth of <it>E. coli </it>in the lungs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Lipocalin 2 knock-out and wild type mice were infected with two strains of <it>E. coli</it>. The lungs were removed 48 hours post-infection and examined for lipocalin 2 and MMP9 (a myeloid marker protein) by immunohistochemical staining and western blotting. Bacterial numbers were assessed in the lungs of the mice at 2 and 5 days after infection and mortality of the mice was monitored over a five-day period. The effect of administering ferrichrome (an iron source that cannot be bound by lipocalin 2) along with E.coli was also examined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Intratracheal installation of <it>E. coli </it>in mice resulted in strong induction of lipocalin 2 expression in bronchial epithelium and alveolar type II pneumocytes. Migration of myeloid cells to the site of infection also contributed to an increased lipocalin 2 level in the lungs. Significant higher bacterial numbers were observed in the lungs of lipocalin 2 knock-out mice on days 2 and 5 after infection with <it>E. coli </it>(p < 0.05). In addition, a higher number of <it>E. coli </it>was found in the spleen of surviving lipocalin 2 knock-out mice on day 5 post-infection than in the corresponding wild-type mice (p < 0.05). The protective effect against <it>E. coli </it>infection in wild type mice could be counteracted by the siderophore ferrichrome, indicating that the protective effect of lipocalin 2 depends on its ability to sequester iron.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Lipocalin 2 is important for protection of airways against infection by <it>E. coli</it>.</p

Membranes with the Same Ion Channel Populations but Different Excitabilities

Electrical signaling allows communication within and between different tissues and is necessary for the survival of multicellular organisms. The ionic transport that underlies transmembrane currents in cells is mediated by transporters and channels. Fast ionic transport through channels is typically modeled with a conductance-based formulation that describes current in terms of electrical drift without diffusion. In contrast, currents written in terms of drift and diffusion are not as widely used in the literature in spite of being more realistic and capable of displaying experimentally observable phenomena that conductance-based models cannot reproduce (e.g. rectification). The two formulations are mathematically related: conductance-based currents are linear approximations of drift-diffusion currents. However, conductance-based models of membrane potential are not first-order approximations of drift-diffusion models. Bifurcation analysis and numerical simulations show that the two approaches predict qualitatively and quantitatively different behaviors in the dynamics of membrane potential. For instance, two neuronal membrane models with identical populations of ion channels, one written with conductance-based currents, the other with drift-diffusion currents, undergo transitions into and out of repetitive oscillations through different mechanisms and for different levels of stimulation. These differences in excitability are observed in response to excitatory synaptic input, and across different levels of ion channel expression. In general, the electrophysiological profiles of membranes modeled with drift-diffusion and conductance-based models having identical ion channel populations are different, potentially causing the input-output and computational properties of networks constructed with these models to be different as well. The drift-diffusion formulation is thus proposed as a theoretical improvement over conductance-based models that may lead to more accurate predictions and interpretations of experimental data at the single cell and network levels

Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease, 1990–2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Health system planning requires careful assessment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemiology, but data for morbidity and mortality of this disease are scarce or non-existent in many countries. We estimated the global, regional, and national burden of CKD, as well as the burden of cardiovascular disease and gout attributable to impaired kidney function, for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017. We use the term CKD to refer to the morbidity and mortality that can be directly attributed to all stages of CKD, and we use the term impaired kidney function to refer to the additional risk of CKD from cardiovascular disease and gout. Methods The main data sources we used were published literature, vital registration systems, end-stage kidney disease registries, and household surveys. Estimates of CKD burden were produced using a Cause of Death Ensemble model and a Bayesian meta-regression analytical tool, and included incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, mortality, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). A comparative risk assessment approach was used to estimate the proportion of cardiovascular diseases and gout burden attributable to impaired kidney function. Findings Globally, in 2017, 1·2 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 1·2 to 1·3) people died from CKD. The global all-age mortality rate from CKD increased 41·5% (95% UI 35·2 to 46·5) between 1990 and 2017, although there was no significant change in the age-standardised mortality rate (2·8%, −1·5 to 6·3). In 2017, 697·5 million (95% UI 649·2 to 752·0) cases of all-stage CKD were recorded, for a global prevalence of 9·1% (8·5 to 9·8). The global all-age prevalence of CKD increased 29·3% (95% UI 26·4 to 32·6) since 1990, whereas the age-standardised prevalence remained stable (1·2%, −1·1 to 3·5). CKD resulted in 35·8 million (95% UI 33·7 to 38·0) DALYs in 2017, with diabetic nephropathy accounting for almost a third of DALYs. Most of the burden of CKD was concentrated in the three lowest quintiles of Socio-demographic Index (SDI). In several regions, particularly Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, the burden of CKD was much higher than expected for the level of development, whereas the disease burden in western, eastern, and central sub-Saharan Africa, east Asia, south Asia, central and eastern Europe, Australasia, and western Europe was lower than expected. 1·4 million (95% UI 1·2 to 1·6) cardiovascular disease-related deaths and 25·3 million (22·2 to 28·9) cardiovascular disease DALYs were attributable to impaired kidney function. Interpretation Kidney disease has a major effect on global health, both as a direct cause of global morbidity and mortality and as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. CKD is largely preventable and treatable and deserves greater attention in global health policy decision making, particularly in locations with low and middle SDI

Search For Heavy Pointlike Dirac Monopoles

We have searched for central production of a pair of photons with high transverse energies in $p\bar p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 1.8$ TeV using $70 pb^{-1}$ of data collected with the D\O detector at the Fermilab Tevatron in 1994--1996. If they exist, virtual heavy pointlike Dirac monopoles could rescatter pairs of nearly real photons into this final state via a box diagram. We observe no excess of events above background, and set lower 95% C.L. limits of $610, 870, or 1580 GeV/c^2$ on the mass of a spin 0, 1/2, or 1 Dirac monopole.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

The Dijet Mass Spectrum and a Search for Quark Compositeness in bar{p}p Collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.8 TeV

Using the DZero detector at the 1.8 TeV pbarp Fermilab Tevatron collider, we have measured the inclusive dijet mass spectrum in the central pseudorapidity region |eta_jet| < 1.0 for dijet masses greater than 200 Gev/c^2. We have also measured the ratio of spectra sigma(|eta_jet| < 0.5)/sigma(0.5 < |eta_jet| < 1.0). The order alpha_s^3 QCD predictions are in good agreement with the data and we rule out models of quark compositeness with a contact interaction scale < 2.4 TeV at the 95% confidence level.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let