Lay beliefs about the perceived harmfulness of excess weight: Influence of weight status and the cause of weight.

Health campaigns often emphasise the association between excess weight and poor health. Past research suggests that whether an individual's excess weight is viewed as harmful is partially explained by the quantity of excess weight. The present research explored whether the purported cause of excess weight also influences its perceived harmfulness. Across two studies (total N = 577), participants read information about target individuals whose excess weight was caused by different factors (unhealthy lifestyle vs. medical condition). Participants rated the extent to which the target's weight was harmful and also recommended health-related behaviours to the target. For the target with overweight, when her weight was described as being caused by unhealthy behaviours as opposed to a medical condition, her weight was rated as more harmful, and she was recommended to engage in more healthy behaviours. For the target with obesity, her weight was viewed as harmful irrespective of its described cause. Compared with the target with overweight, the weight of the target with obesity was rated as more harmful and she was recommended to diet more. Perceptions of the harmfulness of 'overweight' are influenced by the purported cause of that overweight, whereas obesity itself is viewed as harmful, regardless of the cause.

Assessing the functional performance of post-call hospital doctors using a Nintendo Wii.

Sleep deprivation is an established part of the working life for Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) in Ireland. Concern exists about the effect of extended NCHD work hours. We utilised a Nintendo Wii to evaluate motor function of NCHDs both prior to their on-call shift and the day afterwards. Data was exported to SPSS ver. 15 for statistical analysis with p < 0.05 considered significant. A total of 72 NCHDs were invited to participate in this study. There was a 62.5% (45) rate of follow-up. Overall 27 (60%) NCHDs were on medical call, with 18 (40%) on surgical call. There was no statistically significant difference between NCHDs pre-and post-call motor assessment scores. The majority of study participants (75.5%, n = 34) had four or more hours sleep. On-call duty allows for a greater than anticipated amount of sleep per on-call shift and therefore has a negligible effect on the motor skills of medical staff.

The recent expansion of Pluto's atmosphere.

Stellar occultations--the passing of a relatively nearby body in front of a background star--can be used to probe the atmosphere of the closer body with a spatial resolution of a few kilometres (ref. 1). Such observations can yield the scale height, temperature profile, and other information about the structure of the occulting atmosphere. Occultation data acquired for Pluto's atmosphere in 1988 revealed a nearly isothermal atmosphere above a radius of approximately 1,215 km. Below this level, the data could be interpreted as indicating either an extinction layer or the onset of a large thermal gradient, calling into question the fundamental structure of this atmosphere. Another question is to what extent Pluto's atmosphere might be collapsing as it recedes from the Sun (passing perihelion in 1989 in its 248-year orbital period), owing to the extreme sensitivity of the equilibrium surface pressure to the surface temperature. Here we report observations at a variety of visible and infrared wavelengths of an occultation of a star by Pluto in August 2002. These data reveal evidence for extinction in Pluto's atmosphere and show that it has indeed changed, having expanded rather than collapsed, since 1988.

Are neurovegetative symptoms stable in relapsing or recurrent atypical depressive episodes?

Few data exist that assess the presence of reversed and positive neurovegetative symptoms through successive depressive episodes. To assess the stability of depressive symptoms across episodes, we studied 74 outpatients with atypical unipolar major depression, diagnosed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R, before response to fluoxetine treatment and again after relapse on either fluoxetine or placebo. Patients were assessed at baseline with the Atypical Depression Diagnosis Scale and at baseline and during follow-up with the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Thirty-two (43%) of responders had a relapse or recurrence, 21 (66%) of whom had a predominance of reversed of positive neurovegetative symptoms at baseline. Nine of 10 (90%) patients with reversed symptoms at baseline had the same symptoms when they relapsed; seven of 11 (64%) of those with positive symptoms at baseline had positive symptoms again (kappa 0.557). Overall, five of 21 (24%) had changes in their disturbances in sleep, appetite, or weight when they relapsed. This study supports the relative stability of neurovegetative symptoms in atypical depression across episodes.

Structures, sequence characteristics, and synteny relationships of the transcription factor E4TF1, the splicing factor U2AF35 and the cystathionine beta synthetase genes from Fugu rubripes.

A cosmid containing the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) from Fugu rubripes has been completely sequenced. In addition to APP, the cosmid contains the E4TF1-60 transcription factor, the U2AF35 pre-mRNA splicing factor, and the cystathionine beta synthetase (CBS) gene. The human homologues of all four genes map to human chromosome 21 but are not clustered; APP and E4TF1-60 map within 21q21, whereas U2AF35 and CBS map approximately 20Mb distal in 21q22. 3. The protein sequences of the Fugu genes vary in their overall level of similarity to their mammalian homologues, but several regions of functional importance are almost identical. As expected, the intron/exon structures of the homologous pairs of genes are highly conserved, but there are significant differences in the compaction ratios. The introns of APP and E4TF1-60 are 49- and 24-fold smaller in Fugu than in human, and the intergenic distance is compressed at least 100-fold. For U2AF35 and CBS, the introns are compressed only five- to eightfold. These size differences were compared with those for a number of previously reported Fugu genes; in general, levels of compaction of Fugu genes are consistent with the isochore locations of the human homologues.

Analysis of pufferfish homologues of the AT-rich human APP gene.

Mutations in the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene are associated with some forms of Familial Alzheimer's Disease. The human APP gene is large, the 19 exons span approximately 300 kb, and AT-rich, at 40% GC. We have examined the genomic structure and cDNA sequence of the APP gene in the pufferfish Fugu rubripes and Tetraodon fluviatilis, respectively. In contrast to human, the Fugu APP gene spans less than 10 kb of DNA, with the introns compacted 48-fold on average. Two axons, alternatively processed in humans, are absent in both pufferfish. APP is the largest, most AT-rich gene examined in Fugu and is also the most highly compressed. The genomic sequences spanning the human and the Fugu APP genes were analysed with a set of exon and gene prediction programs. Results show that these are highly reliable for the Fugu gene with lower false positive and false negative rates than are seen in the analysis of the human gene. Comparative analysis of Fugu sequences homologous to very AT-rich regions in the human genome may, therefore, be advantageous in gene-finding efforts, both for their highly reduced sizes and their reliable gene predictions.

Criteria for gene identification and features of genome organization: analysis of 6.5 Mb of DNA sequence from human chromosome 21.

To establish criteria for and the limitations of novel gene identification, to identify novel genes of potential relevance to Down Syndrome and to investigate features of genome organization, 6. 550kb. In total, 41 novel gene models were predicted, and for a subset of these, RT-PCR experiments helped to verify and refine the models, and were used to assess expression in early development and in adult brain regions of potential relevance to Down syndrome. Results suggest generally low and/or restricted patterns of expression, and also reveal examples of complex alternative processing, especially in brain, that may have important implications for regulation of protein function. Analysis of complete gene structures of the known genes identified a number of very large introns, a number of very short intergenic distances, and at least one potentially bi-directional promoter. At least 3/4 of known genes and 1/2 of predicted genes are associated with CpG islands. For novel genes, three cases of overlapping genes are predicted. Results of these analyses illustrate some of the complexities inherent in mammalian genome organization and some of the limitations of current sequence analysis technologies. They also doubled the number of potential genes within the region.

Accumulation of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in human brain during therapeutic administration.

In vivo 19fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to measure the brain concentration of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in five patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and three with major depression. The mean brain:plasma ratio of the parent drug plus the metabolite was significantly elevated to 2.6 (SD = 1.0) (95% confidence interval = 1.9-3.3). This accumulation may have implications for understanding both the therapeutic and the toxic effects of fluoxetine.

Infant feeding practices of families belonging to a prepaid group practice health care plan.

A survey of the infant feeding practices of 270 families who belonged to a prepaid medical insurance program revealed extensive use of commercially prepared infant formulas during the first months of life, introduction of beikost before 3 months of age and introduction of cow milk into the diet at 3 to 5 months. Ethnic, as well as socioeconomic differences, were observed in the use of milks and formulas, timing of introduction of beikost, and method of feeding solid foods. Average calorie intakes approached or were greater than the recommended dietary allowances. With the exceptions of vitamin D and iron, most infants received much greater than the recommended intake of all nutrients examined. Average sodium intakes were well above advisable intakes. Many infants received supplements of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, and C in addition to adequate dietary intakes. Results of this survey indicate that many mothers look to pediatricians for advice on how to feed their infants and several findings indicate that nutrition education efforts directed toward pediatricians and parents must be more vigorous than they have been in the past.

A new betaA1-crystallin splice junction mutation in autosomal dominant cataract.

PURPOSE: To map the locus for autosomal dominant cataracts (ADCs) in a Brazilian family using candidate gene linkage analyses, describe the clinical variability, and identify potential mutations in the human betaA1-crystallin gene (CRYBA1), a candidate gene identified through linkage studies demonstrating cosegregation with markers on chromosome 17. METHODS: Members of a Brazilian family with ADC were studied. Clinical examinations and linkage analyses with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) polymorphisms of 22 anonymous markers and 2 within the neurofibromatosis type 1 gene were performed; two-point lod scores were calculated. DNA sequences of all 6 exons and 12 exon-intron boundaries of the betaA1-crystallin gene, a proximal candidate gene mapped to 17q11.1-q12 in one unaffected and two affected individuals, were screened and new variants assessed for cosegregation with the disease. RESULTS: Affected individuals exhibited variable expressivity of pulverulent opacities in the embryonal nucleus and sutures; star-shaped, shieldlike, or radial opacities in the posterior embryonal nucleus; and/or midcortical opacities. All known loci for ADC in this family on chromosomes 1 and 13 were excluded. A positive lod score on chromosome 17 was calculated. This ADC locus was mapped to two potential regions on the long arm with an intervening recombination. The only known candidate gene in these regions was betaA1-crystallin. Three previously unreported single nucleotide variants were found in this gene, one in the donor splice junction site of intron C. This variant was found in all affected members and is presumed to be the causative mutation. CONCLUSIONS: An ADC locus was mapped in a Brazilian family with variable expressivity to either 17q23.1-23.2 or 17q11.1-12 based on linkage analyses. Analyses of DNA sequences of the betaA1-crystallin gene in this family revealed three new variants, one of which is within a donor splice junction and cosegregates with affected members.

A new locus for autosomal dominant cataract on chromosome 12q13.

PURPOSE: To map the gene for autosomal dominant cataracts (ADC) in an American white family of European descent. METHODS: Ophthalmic examinations and linkage analyses using a variety of polymorphisms were performed; two-point lod scores calculated. RESULTS: Affected individuals (14 studied) exhibited variable expressivity of embryonal nuclear opacities based on morphology, location within the lens, and density. This ADC locus to 12q13 was mapped on the basis of statistically significantly positive lod scores and no recombinations (theta(m) = theta(f) = 0) with markers D12S368, D12S270, D12S96, D12S359, D12S1586, D12S312, D12S1632, D12S90, and D12S83; assuming full penetrance, a maximum lod score of 4.73 was calculated between the disease locus and D12S90. CONCLUSIONS: The disease in this family represents the first ADC locus on chromosome 12; major intrinsic protein of lens fiber (MIP) is a candidate gene.

Purification and characterization of the western spruce budworm larval midgut proteinases and comparison of gut activities of laboratory-reared and field-collected insects.

Three proteolytic enzymes, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and aminopeptidase-N (APN), were purified from laboratory-reared western spruce budworm, Choristoneura occidentalis [Freeman], larvae. Budworm trypsin exhibited a high degree of substrate specificity, was inactivated by DFP and TLCK, and was inhibited by trypsin inhibitors. The western spruce budworm chymotrypsin hydrolyzed SAAPFpNA and SAAPLpNA, but not SFpNA, SGGFpNA, SGGLpNA or BTpNA. The chymotrypsin was inactivated by DFP, and was inhibited by chymostatin and the chymotrypsin inhibitor, POT-1. Purified budworm chymotrypsin exhibited little BTEE esterolytic activity and was insensitive to inhibition with TPCK. The N-terminal sequence of budworm trypsin, chymotrypsin, and APN were obtained. Similar levels of trypsin and APN gut activities were found in laboratory-reared and field-collected larvae. However, in comparison to laboratory-reared insects, considerably less chymotrypsin activity, and a much higher level of gut carboxypeptidase activity were found in field-collected western spruce budworm larvae.

Acid adaptation in Streptococcus mutans UA159 alleviates sensitization to environmental stress due to RecA deficiency.

A RecA-deficient stain of Streptococcus mutans, isolated previously, was found to be more susceptible than the prototroph organism to acid killing and also showed reduced colony-forming ability on sucrose-containing medium. The deficient strain was able to grow in chemostat culture at a low pH value of 5 and did not show reduced capacity to produce acid in standard pH-drop experiments with excess glucose. Moreover, it was able to undergo an adaptive response when grown at a low pH to become more resistant to acid killing and also to killing by ultraviolet radiation or hydrogen peroxide. In fact, after adaptation, it was nearly as resistant as the prototroph strain. These findings were interpreted, in part, in terms of an acid-inducible DNA repair system which functions independently of RecA.

The c-fos gene and early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease.

A gene for early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) is located on chromosome 14q24.3. The c-fos gene (FOS) is also located in the same band of this chromosome and is thus a candidate for the FAD locus. A yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clone was identified which contains FOS. This YAC also contains the short-tandem repeat polymorphic (STRP) locus D14S76, placing FOS in the FAD region between D14S53 and D14S43. No recombinants were observed between D14S76 and FAD, and a maximum positive LOD score of 7.20 at a recombination fraction of 0.001 was observed for linkage of this marker to FAD. DNA sequence analysis was used to examine FOS in two affected subjects from an FAD family in which the chromosome 14 FAD locus is clearly responsible for the disease. The coding regions and parts of the 5' and 3' untranslated sequences of FOS were sequenced; no FAD-related mutations were observed. This work suggests that the FOS gene is not the chromosome 14 FAD locus although we cannot exclude the possibility that a mutation in an as yet unknown regulatory region is responsible for the disease. A new polymorphism was detected in the third intron of the gene.

Snack food intake of adolescents and caries development.

The relationship between the frequency of eating various snack foods, socioeconomic variables, and an increment in caries was studied in 143 adolescents. There were negative correlations between DMFT increments and the frequency of apples, fruit juice, and sugarless gum intake, and a positive association of DMFT increments with chocolate candy intake and spending money.

High-dose fluoxetine in the treatment of depressed patients not responsive to a standard dose of fluoxetine.

In a four-week, open label study of major depression, 15 patients who had failed to respond to a trial of fluoxetine 20 mg/day of 8-12 weeks duration were then treated with fluoxetine 40 mg/day for one week and then, if tolerated, with either 60 or 80 mg/day. The mean HAM-D-17 and CGIS scores of these 15 patients decreased significantly at the end of 4 weeks on a higher dosage of fluoxetine (60 or 80 mg/day) with respect to the beginning of the four-week study. No significant side-effects were noted.

Nutritional status of children and teenagers in relation to vitamin and mineral use.

The use of vitamin and mineral supplements by children and teenagers in NHANES II was examined for relationships with demographic variables, dietary intakes from food, and biochemical measures of nutritional status and was compared with use reported in other nutrition studies. The number of regular supplement users decreased with age until about age 13, when the percentage of boys using supplements plateaued at about 10% but the percentage of use among girls increased. In general, children were more likely to receive supplements if they came from families with a household head who was white and better educated. Children from the lowest income level (poverty index less than 1.0) received supplements less frequently than other children. Among preschool children, supplement use by mothers and children was highly correlated. For most age groups, supplement users consumed more vitamin C from food than non-users. Users of supplements had higher mean serum levels of vitamins A and C and a lower incidence of low serum values for those nutrients than non-users. Fewer children took iron supplements than vitamin supplements, but most of the iron supplements were taken as part of a multiple vitamin plus iron preparation. There were no significant differences in either mean values for indexes of iron status or the percentage of low iron status values between children who received supplemental iron and those who did not.

Sources of kilocalories and macronutrients in the infant diet.

Sources of kilocalories in the diet of 270 infants from birth to 1 year were examined. Introduction of beikost was rapid: 27 percent of kilocalories in the diet of 2-month-old infants was provided by foods other than milk or formula. Table foods contributed very little to caloric intakes of children less than 5 months of age. Commercially prepared baby foods were the predominant form of beikost given, except to infants in the 9 to 12 months age group. Use of junior foods steadily increased during the first year; by the age of 9 to 12 months, half of the kilocalories from strained and junior foods were provided by junior foods. Proximate composition of the diet was also examined. With increasing age, contributions of protein and carbohydrate to infants' caloric intake were larger and the contribution of fat was lower. Although average percentages of kilocalories from protein, fat, and carbohydrate fell within specified guidelines, proximate composition of the diet of various groups of infants did not conform to these guidelines. These groups included (a) breast-fed infants given beikost, (b) a subgroup of the children fed cow's milk, (c) infants fed skim milk, and (d) children who received a high percentage of kilocalories from beikost.

The impact of liver dysfunction on outcome in patients with multiple injuries.

Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is the leading cause of late deaths after traumatic injury. The relative importance of dysfunction of individual organ systems in determining outcome from MODS has not been clearly defined. Some studies have suggested that hepatic dysfunction associated with MODS increases mortality, whereas others have suggested that it contributes little to outcome in trauma patients. To clarify the role of the hepatic dysfunction after traumatic injury we retrospectively reviewed all trauma patients with an Injury Severity Score > or = 14 admitted from January 1, 1994 through June 30, 1997 for the presence of hepatic dysfunction defined as a serum bilirubin > or = 2.0 mg/dL. Of the 1962 patients who met the entry criteria 154 developed hepatic dysfunction during their hospital stay. Patients with hepatic dysfunction were older (46 +/- 2 versus 41 +/- 1 years), were more severely injured (Injury Severity Score 31.5 +/- 0.9 versus 23.3 + 0.2), and had a lower prehospital blood pressure (102 +/- 3 versus 117 +/- 1 mm Hg) compared with patients who did not develop hepatic dysfunction. Patients with hepatic dysfunction were more likely to present with shock as reflected in a lower initial emergency room blood pressure (109 +/- 3 versus 128 +/- 1 mm Hg) and base deficit (-6.9 +/- 0.6 versus -3.5 +/- 0.1 mEq/L). Patients who developed hyperbilirubinemia had longer lengths of stay in the intensive care unit (15.8 +/- 1.2 versus 3.4 +/- 0.2 days) and the hospital (27.4 +/- 1.7 versus 11.1 +/- 0.2 days) and a higher in-hospital mortality (16.2% versus 2.5%). These data demonstrate that the development of hepatic dysfunction reflects the severity of injury and is associated with a significantly worse outcome after traumatic injury.

Mechanisms of Douglas-fir resistance to western spruce budworm defoliation: bud burst phenology, photosynthetic compensation and growth rate.

We compared growth rates among mature interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) trees showing resistance or susceptibility to defoliation caused by western spruce budworm (Choristoneura occidentalis Freeman), and among clones and half-sib seedling progeny of these trees in a greenhouse. We also investigated bud burst phenology and photosynthetic responses of clones to budworm defoliation in greenhouse experiments. Resistant mature trees had a higher radial growth rate than susceptible trees, especially during periods of budworm defoliation. Clones from resistant trees grew larger crowns than clones from susceptible trees, whereas stem base diameter at the ground line and height did not differ. Half-sib seedling progeny from resistant trees had larger stem diameter, height, and total biomass than progeny from susceptible trees. Mean 5-year radial growth increment of mature trees was more strongly correlated with growth of seedlings than with growth of clones. Clones from resistant trees had later bud burst than clones from susceptible trees, and budworm defoliation of clones depended on the degree of synchrony between bud burst phenology and budworm larval feeding. Clones of resistant and susceptible mature trees showed similar responses of net photosynthetic rate to 2 years of budworm defoliation. We conclude that phenotypic differences in crown condition of Douglas-fir trees following western spruce budworm defoliation are influenced by tree genotype and that high growth rate and late bud burst phenology promote tree resistance to budworm defoliation.