Is Oral Vitamin D Supplementation Safe and Effective for Adults as Therapy to Improve Symptoms Associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during Wintertime?

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not oral vitamin D supplementation is safe and effective for adults as therapy to improve symptoms associated with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during wintertime. Study Design: This review is based on three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which were published in 2006, 2012, 2014. Two of the studies were double blind and placebo controlled. The studies evaluated the efficacy of oral vitamin D supplementation for improvement of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) symptoms. One of the studies also evaluated safety. Data Sources: All articles used were published in English, in peer-reviewed journals and found in PubMed during the time period of November 2015 to February 2016. Outcomes Measured: The outcomes measured were symptoms associated with SAD. One study measured subjective psychological well-being qualities (energy and vitality, social functioning, role functioning, and mental health), which were measured by Mean Component Score (MCS). The other two studies evaluated symptoms associated with SAD and perceived change from normal in: length of sleep, social activities, mood, weight, appetite, energy level by using Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale – Seasonal Affective Disorders (SIGH-SAD) and Global Seasonality Score (GSS) tools. Results: None of the studies evaluated in this review had results to suggest that vitamin D supplementation is effective for improving symptoms associated with SAD. Dumville (2006) found no significant evidence (p = 0.262). Frandsen (2014) and Kjaergaard et al. (2012) both found no significant difference between placebo and vitamin D with p values of 0.7 and 0.734 respectively. Kjaergaard et al. (2012) also found there to be no significant difference in adverse events between the placebo and vitamin D groups. Conclusions: This review suggests that although oral vitamin D supplementation is safe, it is not effective for adults as therapy to improve symptoms associated with SAD during wintertime

Atlas of group A streptococcal vaccine candidates compiled using large-scale comparative genomics.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS; Streptococcus pyogenes) is a bacterial pathogen for which a commercial vaccine for humans is not available. Employing the advantages of high-throughput DNA sequencing technology to vaccine design, we have analyzed 2,083 globally sampled GAS genomes. The global GAS population structure reveals extensive genomic heterogeneity driven by homologous recombination and overlaid with high levels of accessory gene plasticity. We identified the existence of more than 290 clinically associated genomic phylogroups across 22 countries, highlighting challenges in designing vaccines of global utility. To determine vaccine candidate coverage, we investigated all of the previously described GAS candidate antigens for gene carriage and gene sequence heterogeneity. Only 15 of 28 vaccine antigen candidates were found to have both low naturally occurring sequence variation and high (>99%) coverage across this diverse GAS population. This technological platform for vaccine coverage determination is equally applicable to prospective GAS vaccine antigens identified in future studies

Genome-Wide Expression Profiling of Five Mouse Models Identifies Similarities and Differences with Human Psoriasis

Development of a suitable mouse model would facilitate the investigation of pathomechanisms underlying human psoriasis and would also assist in development of therapeutic treatments

Giving, Saving, Spending: What Would Children Do with £1 Million?

This article explores children's responses to a single question: ‘If someone gave you £1 million today, what would you do with it?’ Although such an exploration might seem trivial, we argue that their responses provide important insights into children's values and priorities. One‐third intend to spend it all, one quarter to save it. But the largest group claim that they would give all or some of the money away. Their responses highlight the divergent ways in which children use money to foster particular forms of social relations and social standing. Against the prevalent discourse of consumer society, the dominant theme of giving may indicate that the individualism of neoliberalism is less pervasive than is often feared, but also suggest that further research is needed into the social contexts and processes which encourage children to be ‘givers’, ‘savers’ or ‘spenders’