Association of Exposure to Infections in Childhood with Risk of Eating Disorders in Adolescent Girls

Importance: Infections are recognized as playing a critical role in the risk of psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior; however, few studies have evaluated the risk of eating disorders. Objective: To evaluate the association of hospitalization for infections and treatment with anti-infective agents with the risk of an eating disorder diagnosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: A nationwide, population-based, prospective cohort study of 525643 girls born from January 1, 1989, to December 31, 2006, and followed up until December 31, 2012, was conducted using individual-level data drawn from Danish longitudinal registers. Data were analyzed from January 15 to June 15, 2018, using survival analysis models and adjusted for age, calendar period, parental educational level, and parental history of psychiatric illness. Exposures: Hospital admission for infections and prescribed anti-infective agents for infections. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome of interest was diagnosis of an eating disorder (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or eating disorder not otherwise specified) in a hospital, outpatient clinic, or emergency department setting. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and accompanying 95% CIs. Results: The study population consisted of 525643 adolescent girls: 2131 received a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (median [range] age, 15.2 [8.6-21.3] years), 711 received a diagnosis of bulimia nervosa (median [range] age, 17.9 [13.4-22.7] years), and 1398 received a diagnosis of an eating disorder not otherwise specified (median [range] age, 15.6 [8.6-21.6] years). A total of 525643 adolescent girls were followed up for 4601720.4 person-years until a mean age of 16.2 years (range, 10.5-22.7 years). Severe infections that required hospitalization were associated with an increased risk of a subsequent diagnosis of anorexia nervosa by 22% (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.10-1.35), bulimia nervosa by 35% (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.13-1.60), and eating disorder not otherwise specified by 39% (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.23-1.57) compared with adolescent girls without hospitalizations for infections. Infections treated with anti-infective agents were associated with an increased risk of a subsequent diagnosis of anorexia nervosa by 23% (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.10-1.37), bulimia nervosa by 63% (HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.32-2.02), and eating disorder not otherwise specified by 45% (HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.25-1.67) compared with adolescent girls without infections treated with anti-infective agents. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings suggest that hospital-treated infections and less severe infections treated with anti-infective agents are associated with increased risk of subsequent anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified and that future studies should investigate whether these associations are causal and identify the exact mechanisms between infections and subsequent inflammatory processes with eating disorders

Transverse Wave Propagation in Relativistic Two-fluid Plasmas in de Sitter Space

We investigate transverse electromagnetic waves propagating in a plasma in the de Sitter space. Using the 3+1 formalism we derive the relativistic two-fluid equations to take account of the effects due to the horizon and describe the set of simultaneous linear equations for the perturbations. We use a local approximation to investigate the one-dimensional radial propagation of Alfv\'en and high frequency electromagnetic waves and solve the dispersion relation for these waves numerically.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figure

Age at symptom onset and death and disease duration in genetic frontotemporal dementia : an international retrospective cohort study

Background: Frontotemporal dementia is a heterogenous neurodegenerative disorder, with about a third of cases being genetic. Most of this genetic component is accounted for by mutations in GRN, MAPT, and C9orf72. In this study, we aimed to complement previous phenotypic studies by doing an international study of age at symptom onset, age at death, and disease duration in individuals with mutations in GRN, MAPT, and C9orf72. Methods: In this international, retrospective cohort study, we collected data on age at symptom onset, age at death, and disease duration for patients with pathogenic mutations in the GRN and MAPT genes and pathological expansions in the C9orf72 gene through the Frontotemporal Dementia Prevention Initiative and from published papers. We used mixed effects models to explore differences in age at onset, age at death, and disease duration between genetic groups and individual mutations. We also assessed correlations between the age at onset and at death of each individual and the age at onset and at death of their parents and the mean age at onset and at death of their family members. Lastly, we used mixed effects models to investigate the extent to which variability in age at onset and at death could be accounted for by family membership and the specific mutation carried. Findings: Data were available from 3403 individuals from 1492 families: 1433 with C9orf72 expansions (755 families), 1179 with GRN mutations (483 families, 130 different mutations), and 791 with MAPT mutations (254 families, 67 different mutations). Mean age at symptom onset and at death was 49\ub75 years (SD 10\ub70; onset) and 58\ub75 years (11\ub73; death) in the MAPT group, 58\ub72 years (9\ub78; onset) and 65\ub73 years (10\ub79; death) in the C9orf72 group, and 61\ub73 years (8\ub78; onset) and 68\ub78 years (9\ub77; death) in the GRN group. Mean disease duration was 6\ub74 years (SD 4\ub79) in the C9orf72 group, 7\ub71 years (3\ub79) in the GRN group, and 9\ub73 years (6\ub74) in the MAPT group. Individual age at onset and at death was significantly correlated with both parental age at onset and at death and with mean family age at onset and at death in all three groups, with a stronger correlation observed in the MAPT group (r=0\ub745 between individual and parental age at onset, r=0\ub763 between individual and mean family age at onset, r=0\ub758 between individual and parental age at death, and r=0\ub769 between individual and mean family age at death) than in either the C9orf72 group (r=0\ub732 individual and parental age at onset, r=0\ub736 individual and mean family age at onset, r=0\ub738 individual and parental age at death, and r=0\ub740 individual and mean family age at death) or the GRN group (r=0\ub722 individual and parental age at onset, r=0\ub718 individual and mean family age at onset, r=0\ub722 individual and parental age at death, and r=0\ub732 individual and mean family age at death). Modelling showed that the variability in age at onset and at death in the MAPT group was explained partly by the specific mutation (48%, 95% CI 35\u201362, for age at onset; 61%, 47\u201373, for age at death), and even more by family membership (66%, 56\u201375, for age at onset; 74%, 65\u201382, for age at death). In the GRN group, only 2% (0\u201310) of the variability of age at onset and 9% (3\u201321) of that of age of death was explained by the specific mutation, whereas 14% (9\u201322) of the variability of age at onset and 20% (12\u201330) of that of age at death was explained by family membership. In the C9orf72 group, family membership explained 17% (11\u201326) of the variability of age at onset and 19% (12\u201329) of that of age at death. Interpretation: Our study showed that age at symptom onset and at death of people with genetic frontotemporal dementia is influenced by genetic group and, particularly for MAPT mutations, by the specific mutation carried and by family membership. Although estimation of age at onset will be an important factor in future pre-symptomatic therapeutic trials for all three genetic groups, our study suggests that data from other members of the family will be particularly helpful only for individuals with MAPT mutations. Further work in identifying both genetic and environmental factors that modify phenotype in all groups will be important to improve such estimates. Funding: UK Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, and Alzheimer's Society

Omnivoria e repartição de recursos em águas pobres em nutrientes da Bacia do Rio Negro

Amazonian biodiversity is notorious, this is also valid for the fauna of the mineral-deficient waters of the Rio Negro System. Some 25 years of research on the benthic fauna of Central Amazonian streams resulted in species-rich foodwebs with a high degree of omnivory within dense animal communities. To exemplify the taxonomic range of omnivorous consumers, the detailed resource spectra of 18 consumer species, including Protozoa (2 species), Platyhelminthes (1 species), insects (2 species), fish (6 species) and shrimps (Decapoda, 7 species), associated primarily with the benthic habitats of Rio Negro tributaries, are presented. Special features of omnivory are characterized, and the importance of litter-decomposing fungi as essential energy input into the foodwebs is documented. It is shown that general omnivory -diverse omnivore consumers sharing most of the resource types- is a prevalent feature. The relevance of this general omnivory for the maintenance of biodiversity is discussed.A biodiversidade do Amazonas é notório e isto também é válido para as águas pobres em nutrientes da bacia do Rio Negro. Uma pesquisa de 25 anos da fauna béntica de igarapés da Amazônia Central resultou em redes alimentares caraterizadas por alta diversidade de espécies, por intensa omnivoria e por alta densidade populacional. Para demonstrar a generalidade taxonômica de omnivoria no bentos dos igarapés, são apresentados as listas de presas / recursos de 18 espécies de consumidores, sendo Protozoa (2 epécies), Platyhelminthes (1 espécie), insetos (2 espécies), peixes (6 espécies) e camarões (Decapoda, 7 espécies). Diferentes categorias de omnivoria são apresentados, e a importância de fungos decompositores da liteira submersa como input básico de energia nas redes alimentares é demonstrada. É prevalente a omnivoria geral, sendo que as diferentes espécies omnívoros estão utilizando os mesmos recursos. Considera- se a relevância desta omnivoria geral para a manutenção da biodiversidade

Decay spectroscopy at the two-proton drip line: radioactivity of the new nuclides 160Os and 156W

The radioactivity of 76160Os84 and 74156W82 that lie at the two-proton drip line have been measured in an experiment performed at the Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyväskylä. The 160Os nuclei were produced using fusion-evaporation reactions induced by a beam of 310 MeV 58Ni ions bombarding a 106Cd target. The 160Os ions were separated in flight using the recoil separator MARA and implanted into a double-sided silicon strip detector, which was used to measure their decays. The α decays of the ground state of 160Os (Eα = 7092(15) keV, t1/2 = 97−32+97 μs) and its isomeric state (Eα = 8890(10) keV, t1/2 = 41−9+15 μs) were measured, allowing the excitation energy of the isomer to be determined as 1844(18) keV. These α-decay properties and the excitation energy of the isomer are compared with systematics. The α decays were correlated with subsequent decays to investigate the β decays of the ground state of 156W, revealing that unlike its isotones, both low-lying isomers were populated in its daughter nuclide, 156Ta. An improved value for the half-life of the proton-decaying high-spin isomeric state in 73156Ta83 of 333−22+25 ms was obtained in a separate experiment using the same experimental systems with a 102Pd target. This result was employed to improve the precision of the half-life determined for 156W, which was measured as 157−34+57 ms

Pathology of T. congolense in calves

Meeting: Conference on Recent Advances in the Knowledge of Pathogenicity of Trypanosomes, 20-23 Nov. 1978, Nairobi, KEIn IDL-329

The quantitation of Trypanosoma congolense in calves. Iv. In vitro culture of myeloid and erythroid marrow cells

Myeloid and erythroid cultures were prepared from bone marrow aspirates taken from control and T. congolense infected neonatal and six-month-old calves. The aspirates obtained from the infected animals were more cellular than the controls and it was found that the removal of adherent cells prior to Ficoll separation improved the sensitivity of the cultures to colony stimulating factors and removed the background connective tissue cells and megakaryocytes from the resulting colonies. There was an apparent decrease in the number of myeloid colonies from the infected six-month-old calves, but an initial increase in myeloid colonies in the infected neonatal calves compared to their controls. There were no significant differences between infected and control calves for the numbers of erythroid colonies produced, but the degree of maturation as measured by hemoglobinization was decreased in two infected six-month-old calves at week 13 of infection

Isotopic dilution of {sup 233}U with depleted uranium for criticality safety in processing and disposal

The disposal of excess {sup 233}U as waste is being considered. Because {sup 233}U is a fissile material, a key requirement for processing {sup 233}U to a final waste form and disposing of it is the avoidance of nuclear criticality. For many processing and disposal options, isotopic dilution is the most feasible and preferred option to avoid nuclear criticality. Isotopic dilution is dilution of fissile {sup 233}U with nonfissile {sup 238}U. The use of isotopic dilution removes any need to control nuclear criticality in process or disposal facilities through geometry or chemical composition. Isotopic dilution allows the use of existing waste management facilities that are not designed for significant quantities of fissile materials to be used for processing and disposing of {sup 233}U. The amount of isotopic dilution required to reduce criticality concerns to reasonable levels was determined in this study to be approximately 0.53 wt % {sup 233}U. The numerical calculations used to define this limit consisted of a homogeneous system of silicon dioxide (SiO{sub 2}), water (H{sub 2}O), {sup 233}U and depleted uranium (DU) in which the ratio of each component was varied to learn the conditions of maximum nuclear reactivity. About 188 parts of DU (0.2 wt % {sup 235}U) are required to dilute 1 part of {sup 233}U to this limit in a water-moderated system with no SiO{sub 2} present. Thus for the U.S. inventory of {sup 233}U, several hundred metric tons of DU would be required for isotopic dilution