Psychological interventions delivered as a single component intervention for children and adolescents with overweight or obesity aged 6 to 17 years

Objectives This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of psychological interventions delivered as a single component intervention on the management of overweight or obesity in children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years

HIV-1 Nef Induces Proinflammatory State in Macrophages through Its Acidic Cluster Domain: Involvement of TNF Alpha Receptor Associated Factor 2

Background: HIV-1 Nef is a virulence factor that plays multiple roles during HIV replication. Recently, it has been described that Nef intersects the CD40 signalling in macrophages, leading to modification in the pattern of secreted factors that appear able to recruit, activate and render T lymphocytes susceptible to HIV infection. The engagement of CD40 by CD40L induces the activation of different signalling cascades that require the recruitment of specific tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factors (i.e. TRAFs). We hypothesized that TRAFs might be involved in the rapid activation of NF-kappa B, MAPKs and IRF-3 that were previously described in Nef-treated macrophages to induce the synthesis and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines and IFN beta to activate STAT1, -2 and -3. Methodology/Principal Findings: Searching for possible TRAF binding sites on Nef, we found a TRAF2 consensus binding site in the AQEEEE sequence encompassing the conserved four-glutamate acidic cluster. Here we show that all the signalling effects we observed in Nef treated macrophages depend on the integrity of the acidic cluster. In addition, Nef was able to interact in vitro with TRAF2, but not TRAF6, and this interaction involved the acidic cluster. Finally silencing experiments in THP-1 monocytic cells indicate that both TRAF2 and, surprisingly, TRAF6 are required for the Nef-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1 and STAT2. Conclusions: Results reported here revealed TRAF2 as a new possible cellular interactor of Nef and highlighted that in monocytes/macrophages this viral protein is able to manipulate both the TRAF/NF-kappa B and TRAF/IRF-3 signalling axes, thereby inducing the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines as well as IFN beta

Comparative Genome Analysis of Filamentous Fungi Reveals Gene Family Expansions Associated with Fungal Pathogenesis

Fungi and oomycetes are the causal agents of many of the most serious diseases of plants. Here we report a detailed comparative analysis of the genome sequences of thirty-six species of fungi and oomycetes, including seven plant pathogenic species, that aims to explore the common genetic features associated with plant disease-causing species. The predicted translational products of each genome have been clustered into groups of potential orthologues using Markov Chain Clustering and the data integrated into the e-Fungi object-oriented data warehouse (http://www.e-fungi.org.uk/). Analysis of the species distribution of members of these clusters has identified proteins that are specific to filamentous fungal species and a group of proteins found only in plant pathogens. By comparing the gene inventories of filamentous, ascomycetous phytopathogenic and free-living species of fungi, we have identified a set of gene families that appear to have expanded during the evolution of phytopathogens and may therefore serve important roles in plant disease. We have also characterised the predicted set of secreted proteins encoded by each genome and identified a set of protein families which are significantly over-represented in the secretomes of plant pathogenic fungi, including putative effector proteins that might perturb host cell biology during plant infection. The results demonstrate the potential of comparative genome analysis for exploring the evolution of eukaryotic microbial pathogenesis

Nutrition and the ageing brain: moving towards clinical applications

The global increases in life expectancy and population have resulted in a growing ageing population and with it a growing number of people living with age-related neurodegenerative conditions and dementia, shifting focus towards methods of prevention, with lifestyle approaches such as nutrition representing a promising avenue for further development. This overview summarises the main themes discussed during the 3 Symposium on "Nutrition for the Ageing Brain: Moving Towards Clinical Applications" held in Madrid in August 2018, enlarged with the current state of knowledge on how nutrition influences healthy ageing and gives recommendations regarding how the critical field of nutrition and neurodegeneration research should move forward into the future. Specific nutrients are discussed as well as the impact of multi-nutrient and whole diet approaches, showing particular promise to combatting the growing burden of age-related cognitive decline. The emergence of new avenues for exploring the role of diet in healthy ageing, such as the impact of the gut microbiome and development of new techniques (imaging measures of brain metabolism, metabolomics, biomarkers) are enabling researchers to approach finding answers to these questions. But the translation of these findings into clinical and public health contexts remains an obstacle due to significant shortcomings in nutrition research or pressure on the scientific community to communicate recommendations to the general public in a convincing and accessible way. Some promising programs exist but further investigation to improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which nutrition can improve brain health across the human lifespan is still required