Survival outcomes of patients with HER2/neu-positive breast cancer with germline BRCA mutations.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) with germline BRCA1/2 mutations and their association with triple-negative BC has been thoroughly investigated. However, some carriers of BRCA1/2 mutations have human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu)-positive BC, which has a different targeted therapy approach, and data are scarce for this patient population. The authors sought to characterize the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with HER2/neu-positive BC who had germline BRCA1/2 mutations. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of data from 1099 patients diagnosed with HER2/neu-positive BC who were screened for germline BRCA mutations between 1996 and 2022. Clinicopathologic features and survival rates were analyzed by BRCA mutation status. Univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze the association between clinical variables and outcomes. RESULTS: Of 1099 patients with HER2/neu-positive BC, 73 (6.6%) tested positive for BRCA1/2 mutations. Age, race, and tumor characteristics did not differ between BRCA noncarriers and carriers. At a median follow-up of 78.6 months, the 5-year recurrence-free survival rate was 85% in BRCA carriers and 87% in noncarriers (p = .79), and the 5-year overall survival rate was 94% in BRCA carriers and 94% in noncarriers (p = .78). In a multivariable model, BRCA was not associated with recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.51-1.90; p = .96) or overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-2.07; p = .69). CONCLUSIONS: BRCA1/2 mutations occurred in 6.6% of patients with HER2/neu-positive BC and did not affect survival outcomes. Assessing the potential benefits of new treatment strategies, such as combining anti-HER2/neu therapies with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, may lead to enhanced outcomes for these patients.

Minimal sensor arrays for localizing objects using an electric sense.

Weakly electric fish encode perturbations in a self-generated electric field to sense their environment. Localizing objects using this electric sense requires that distance be decoded from a two-dimensionalelectric imageof the field perturbations on their skin. Many studies of object localization by weakly electric fish, and by electric sensing in a generic context, have focused on extracting location information from different features of the electric image. Some of these studies have also considered the additional information gained from sampling the electric image at different times, and from different viewpoints. Here, we take a different perspective and instead consider the information available at asinglepoint in space (i.e. a single sensor or receptor) at a single point in time (i.e. constant field). By combining the information from multiple receptors, we show that an object's distance can be unambiguously encoded by as few as four receptors at specific locations on a sensing surface in a manner that is relatively robust to environmental noise. This provides a lower bound on the information (i.e. receptor array size) required to decode the three-dimensional location of an object using an electric sense.

Telomere Length, SIRT1, and Insulin in Male Master Athletes: The Path to Healthy Longevity?

Lower SIRT1 and insulin resistance are associated with accelerated telomere shortening. This study investigated whether the lifestyle of master athletes can attenuate these age-related changes and thereby slow aging. We compared insulin, SIRT1, and telomere length in highly trained male master athletes (n=52; aged 49.9±7.2 yrs) and age-matched non-athletes (n=19; aged 47.3±8.9 yrs). This is a cross-sectional study, in which all data were collected in one visit. Overnight fasted SIRT1 and insulin levels in whole blood were assessed using commercial kits. Relative telomere length was determined in leukocytes through qPCR analyses. Master athletes had higher SIRT1, lower insulin, and longer telomere length than age-matched non-athletes (p<0.05 for all). Insulin was inversely associated with SIRT1 (r=-0.38; p=0.001). Telomere length correlated positively with SIRT1 (r=0.65; p=0.001), whereas telomere length and insulin were not correlated (r=0.03; p=0.87). In conclusion, master athletes have higher SIRT1, lower insulin, and longer telomeres than age-matched non-athletes. Furthermore, SIRT1 was negatively associated with insulin and positively associated with telomere length. These findings suggest that in this sample of middle-aged participants reduced insulin, increased SIRT1 activity, and attenuation of biological aging are connected.

Low-Fat, High-Fiber Diet Reduces Markers of Inflammation and Dysbiosis and Improves Quality of Life in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: A high-fat diet has been associated with an increased risk of ulcerative colitis (UC). We studied the effects of a low-fat, high-fiber diet (LFD) vs an improved standard American diet (iSAD, included higher quantities of fruits, vegetables, and fiber than a typical SAD). We collected data on quality of life, markers of inflammation, and fecal markers of intestinal dysbiosis in patients with UC. METHODS: We analyzed data from a parallel-group, cross-over study of 17 patients with UC in remission or with mild disease (with a flare within the past 18 mo), from February 25, 2015, through September 11, 2018. Participants were assigned randomly to 2 groups and received a LFD (10% of calories from fat) or an iSAD (35%-40% of calories from fat) for the first 4-week period, followed by a 2-week washout period, and then switched to the other diet for 4 weeks. All diets were catered and delivered to patients' homes, and each participant served as her or his own control. Serum and stool samples were collected at baseline and week 4 of each diet and analyzed for markers of inflammation. We performed 16s ribosomal RNA sequencing and untargeted and targeted metabolomic analyses on stool samples. The primary outcome was quality of life, which was measured by the short inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) questionnaire at baseline and week 4 of the diets. Secondary outcomes included changes in the Short-Form 36 health survey, partial Mayo score, markers of inflammation, microbiome and metabolome analysis, and adherence to the diet. RESULTS: Participants' baseline diets were unhealthier than either study diet. All patients remained in remission throughout the study period. Compared with baseline, the iSAD and LFD each increased quality of life, based on the short IBD questionnaire and Short-Form 36 health survey scores (baseline short IBD questionnaire score, 4.98; iSAD, 5.55; LFD, 5.77; baseline vs iSAD, P = .02; baseline vs LFD, P = .001). Serum amyloid A decreased significantly from 7.99 mg/L at baseline to 4.50 mg/L after LFD (P = .02), but did not decrease significantly compared with iSAD (7.20 mg/L; iSAD vs LFD, P = .07). The serum level of C-reactive protein decreased numerically from 3.23 mg/L at baseline to 2.51 mg/L after LFD (P = .07). The relative abundance of Actinobacteria in fecal samples decreased from 13.69% at baseline to 7.82% after LFD (P = .017), whereas the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes increased from 14.6% at baseline to 24.02% on LFD (P = .015). The relative abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii was higher after 4 weeks on the LFD (7.20%) compared with iSAD (5.37%; P = .04). Fecal levels of acetate (an anti-inflammatory metabolite) increased from a relative abundance of 40.37 at baseline to 42.52 on the iSAD and 53.98 on the LFD (baseline vs LFD, P = .05; iSAD vs LFD, P = .09). The fecal level of tryptophan decreased from a relative abundance of 1.33 at baseline to 1.08 on the iSAD (P = .43), but increased to a relative abundance of 2.27 on the LFD (baseline vs LFD, P = .04; iSAD vs LFD, P = .08); fecal levels of lauric acid decreased after LFD (baseline, 203.4; iSAD, 381.4; LFD, 29.91; baseline vs LFD, P = .04; iSAD vs LFD, P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: In a cross-over study of patients with UC in remission, we found that a catered LFD or iSAD were each well tolerated and increased quality of life. However, the LFD decreased markers of inflammation and reduced intestinal dysbiosis in fecal samples. Dietary interventions therefore might benefit patients with UC in remission. ClinicalTrials.gov no: NCT04147598.

The effectiveness of a community-based exercise program on depression symptoms among people living with HIV.

HIV is a worldwide public health issue affecting millions of individuals, and people living with HIV (PLWH) are often affected by depression. Nonetheless, exercise can prevent and treat depression among PLWH. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of exercise on depression symptoms in PLWH. Using a prospective single-arm trial, a semi-supervised community-based exercise intervention was offered 3 times/week for 12 weeks to PLWH (n = 52; age: 49 ± 6 years; HIV diagnosis: 19 ± 15 years). Participants were divided into compliant (≥1 exercise session/week) and non-compliant (<1 exercise session/week) groups according to their attendance in the intervention. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the change in BDI from baseline to post-intervention was assessed with an analysis of covariance, adjusted for demographics. The post-intervention BDI score was significantly lower (p = 0.027) for the compliant group compared to the non-compliant group, and the rate of improvement from moderate/severe symptoms of depression to minimal symptoms of depression was four times greater in the compliant group. In conclusion, a community-based exercise program may be effective in reducing depression symptoms among PLWH.

Motion parallax in electric sensing.

A crucial step in forming spatial representations of the environment involves the estimation of relative distance. Active sampling through specific movements is considered essential for optimizing the sensory flow that enables the extraction of distance cues. However, in electric sensing, direct evidence for the generation and exploitation of sensory flow is lacking. Weakly electric fish rely on a self-generated electric field to navigate and capture prey in the dark. This electric sense provides a blurred representation of the environment, making the exquisite sensory abilities of electric fish enigmatic. Stereotyped back-and-forth swimming patterns reminiscent of visual peering movements are suggestive of the active generation of sensory flow, but how motion contributes to the disambiguation of the electrosensory world remains unclear. Here, we show that a dipole-like electric field geometry coupled to motion provides the physical basis for a nonvisual parallax. We then show in a behavioral assay that this cue is used for electrosensory distance perception across phylogenetically distant taxa of weakly electric fish. Notably, these species electrically sample the environment in temporally distinct ways (using discrete pulses or quasisinusoidal waves), suggesting a ubiquitous role for parallax in electric sensing. Our results demonstrate that electrosensory information is extracted from sensory flow and used in a behaviorally relevant context. A better understanding of motion-based electric sensing will provide insight into the sensorimotor coordination required for active sensing in general and may lead to improved electric field-based imaging applications in a variety of contexts.

Spatiotemporal model for depth perception in electric sensing.

Electric sensing involves measuring the voltage changes in an actively generated electric field, enabling an environment to be characterized by its electrical properties. It has been applied in a variety of contexts, from geophysics to biomedical imaging. Some species of fish also use an active electric sense to explore their environment in the dark. One of the primary challenges in such electric sensing involves mapping an environment in three-dimensions using voltage measurements that are limited to a two-dimensional sensor array (i.e. a two-dimensional electric image). In some special cases, the distance of simple objects from the sensor array can be estimated by combining properties of the electric image. Here, we describe a novel algorithm for distance estimation based on a single property of the electric image. Our algorithm can be implemented in two simple ways, involving either different electric field strengths or different sensor thresholds, and is robust to changes in object properties and noise.

Reduction in Drinking was Associated With Improved Clinical Outcomes in Women With HIV Infection and Unhealthy Alcohol Use: Results From a Randomized Clinical Trial of Oral Naltrexone Versus Placebo.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is associated with poor health outcomes in women living with HIV (WLWH), but whether medication can help to reduce drinking in non-treatment-seeking women or whether reduction in drinking improves HIV outcomes is unclear. We conducted a randomized clinical trial (RCT) of daily oral naltrexone (50 mg) versus placebo in WLWH who met criteria for current unhealthy alcohol use. METHODS: WLWH with current unhealthy alcohol use (>7 drinks/wk or >3 drinks/occasion) were randomly assigned to daily oral naltrexone 50 mg (n = 96) or placebo (n = 98) for 4 months. Drinking outcomes, including the proportion of women who reduced (

What does a butterfly hear? Physiological characterization of auditory afferents in Morpho peleides (Nymphalidae).

Many Nymphalidae butterflies possess ears, but little is known about their hearing. The tympanal membrane of butterflies typically comprises distinct inner and outer regions innervated by auditory nerve branches NII and NIII and their respective sensory organs. Using the Blue Morpho butterfly (Morpho peleides) as a model, we characterized threshold and suprathreshold responses of NII and NIII. Both are broadly tuned to 1-20 kHz with best frequencies at 1-3 kHz, but NIII is significantly more sensitive than NII. The compound action potentials (CAPs) of both branches increase their first peak amplitudes and areas in response to higher sound levels. NII and NIII differed in their suprathreshold CAP responses to sound frequencies, with stronger responses to 1-3 and 4-6 kHz, for NIII and NII respectively; results that are consistent with tympanal membrane mechanics. These results indicate that butterflies are capable of amplitude and frequency discrimination. Both auditory branches responded to playbacks of the flight and calls of predatory birds. We propose that the ears of butterflies, like those of many vertebrate prey such as some rabbits and lizards, function primarily in predator risk assessment.

Spatial statistics of hydrography and water chemistry in a eutrophic boreal lake based on sounding and water samples.

Spatial variability, an essential characteristic of lake ecosystems, has often been neglected in field research and monitoring. In this study, we apply spatial statistical methods for the key physics and chemistry variables and chlorophyll a over eight sampling dates in two consecutive years in a large (area 103 km2) eutrophic boreal lake in southern Finland. In the four summer sampling dates, the water body was vertically and horizontally heterogenic except with color and DOC, in the two winter ice-covered dates DO was vertically stratified, while in the two autumn dates, no significant spatial differences in any of the measured variables were found. Chlorophyll a concentration was one order of magnitude lower under the ice cover than in open water. The Moran statistic for spatial correlation was significant for chlorophyll a and NO2+NO3-N in all summer situations and for dissolved oxygen and pH in three cases. In summer, the mass centers of the chemicals were within 1.5 km from the geometric center of the lake, and the 2nd moment radius ranged in 3.7-4.1 km respective to 3.9 km for the homogeneous situation. The lateral length scales of the studied variables were 1.5-2.5 km, about 1 km longer in the surface layer. The detected spatial "noise" strongly suggests that besides vertical variation also the horizontal variation in eutrophic lakes, in particular, should be considered when the ecosystems are monitored.

Chronic Pain Types Differ in Their Reported Prevalence of Post -Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and There Is Consistent Evidence That Chronic Pain Is Associated with PTSD: An Evidence-Based Structured Systematic Review.

Objectives: The hypotheses of this systematic review were the following: 1) Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will differ between various types of chronic pain (CP), and 2) there will be consistent evidence that CP is associated with PTSD. Methods: Of 477 studies, 40 fulfilled the inclusion/exclusion criteria of this review and were grouped according to the type of CP. The reported prevalence of PTSD for each grouping was determined by aggregating all the patients in all the studies in that group. Additionally all patients in all groupings were combined. Percentage of studies that had found an association between CP and PTSD was determined. The consistency of the evidence represented by the percentage of studies finding an association was rated according to the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research guidelines. Results: Grouping PTSD prevalence differed ranging from a low of 0.69% for chronic low back pain to a high of 50.1% in veterans. Prevalence in the general population with CP was 9.8%. Of 19 studies, 16 had found an association between CP and PTSD (84.2%) generating an A consistency rating (consistent multiple studies). Three of the groupings had an A or B (generally consistent) rating. The veterans grouping received a C (finding inconsistent) rating. Conclusion: The results of this systematic review confirmed the hypotheses of this review.

Double-blind, randomized crossover study of intravenous infusion of magnesium sulfate versus 5% dextrose on depressive symptoms in adults with treatment-resistant depression.

AIM: Treatment-resistant depression patients are more likely to suffer from comorbid physical and mental disorders, experience marked and protracted functional impairment, and incur higher health-care costs than non-affected individuals. Magnesium sulfate is a treatment option that may offer great potential for patients with treatment-resistant depression based on prior work in animals and humans. METHODS: Twelve subjects with mild or moderate treatment-resistant depression were randomized into a double-blind crossover trial to receive an infusion of 4 g of magnesium sulfate in 5% dextrose or placebo infusion of 5% dextrose with a 5-day washout in between the 8-day intervention period. Subjects were assessed before and after the intervention for serum and urine magnesium, lipid panel, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. RESULTS: We found a difference in serum magnesium from day 2 to 8 (pre-infusion) (P < 0.002) and from baseline to day 8 (P < 0.02). No changes were noted on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression or the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 24 h post-treatment, but as serum magnesium increased from baseline to day 7, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 decreased from baseline to day 7 (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Magnesium sulfate did not significantly affect depression 24 h post-infusion, but other results were consistent with the literature. The association between changes in serum magnesium and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 supports the idea that magnesium sulfate may be used to address treatment-resistant depression, an ongoing medical challenge.

The Effect of a Community-Based Exercise Program on Inflammation, Metabolic Risk, and Fitness Levels Among Persons Living with HIV/AIDS.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic remains a top national health priority. Chronic inflammation may be a critical component in the disease course of HIV as C-reactive protein (CRP) is elevated and associated with increased mortality. This study examined the effect of 3 months of combined aerobic and resistance exercise training among a diverse cohort of HIV-infected men and women. The fixed effect of time for CRP was found to be non-significant (F[1,57.3] = 1.7, p = 0.19). There was a significant fixed effect for time for upper body (F[1,51.6] = 18.1, p < 0.05) and lower body strength (F[1,48.0] = 15.7, p < 0.05) and significant declines in diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.002) and waist circumference (p = 0.027). Though levels of CRP were not impacted after 3 months training, participants demonstrated a significant increase in muscular strength as well as beneficial changes in metabolic risk factors. Future studies should focus on determining the optimal exercise intervention length and mode to reduce inflammation among individuals living with HIV.

At Completion of a Multidisciplinary Treatment Program, Are Psychophysical Variables Associated with a VAS Improvement of 30% or More, a Minimal Clinically Important Difference, or an Absolute VAS Score Improvement of 1.5 cm or More?

OBJECTIVES: Objectives were to determine at completion of a multidisciplinary pain program: 1) what percentage of chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients had improved at 30% or more (minimal clinically important difference [MCID]) and by 1.5 cm or more (minimal important change [MIC]) on the visual analog scale (VAS) and 2) whether that improvement is associated with pain matching (PM), pain threshold (PTRE), and pain tolerance (PTOL) improvements. METHODS: One hundred and six CLBP patients had admission and discharge scores for VAS, PM, PTRE, and PTOL. Improvement was determined by absolute, MCID, and MIC VAS improvement. Logistic regression analysis controlling for age, gender, race, education, psychoactive substance dependence, and depression was utilized to develop models for the dependent variables of improvement of overall VAS; of MCID of 50% or more; and of MIC with PM, PTOL, and PTRE as independent variables. RESULTS: Thirty-two percent and 35% of the CLBP patients were at MCID and MIC, respectively, at discharge (68% and 65% not at MCID and MIC, respectively), and 54.7% were improved overall. Of the improved patients, 59% were at MCID and 63.7% at MIC. PM was associated with overall VAS improvement, while PTRE and PM were associated with MCID improvement. MIC and 50% or above models could not be estimated. LIMITATIONS: The VAS was treated as a ratio scale. CONCLUSIONS: A significant percentage of CLBP patients were at MCID and at MIC at completion of multidisciplinary treatment. PM was associated with overall VAS improvement, while PTRE and PM were associated with MCID.

The Perception of Being a Burden in Acute and Chronic Pain Patients Is Associated with Affirmation of Different Types of Suicidality.

OBJECTIVES: The perception of being a burden or self-perceived burden (SPB) is associated with suicide ideation in chronic pain patients (CPPs). The objective of this study was to determine if SPB is associated with five types of suicidality (wish to die, active suicide ideation, presence of suicide plan, history of suicide attempts, and preference for death over being disabled) in CPPs and acute pain patients (APPs). METHODS: Affirmation of SPB was statistically compared between community nonpatients without pain (CNPWP), APPs, and CPPs. APPs and CPPs who had affirmed any of the five types of suicidality were compared statistically for affirmation of SPB. Hierarchical regression analysis was utilized to determine the significance of SPB in predicting each of the five types of suicidality in APPs and CPPs controlling for age, gender, race, education status, and two types of measures of depression (current depression and vegetative depression). RESULTS: APPs and CPPs were statistically more likely to affirm SPB than CNPWPs and CPPs were more likely than APPs to do so. There were no differences between APPs and CPPs in affirming SPB in APPs and CPPs who had affirmed any of the five types of suicidality. In CPPs, SPB predicted each type of suicidality in a significant fashion utilizing both types of depression measures. For APPs, SPB predicted each type of suicidality in a significant fashion except for history of suicide attempt controlling for vegetative depression. CONCLUSIONS: SPB is associated with the vast majority of different types of suicidality in APPs and CPPs.

PortEco: a resource for exploring bacterial biology through high-throughput data and analysis tools.

PortEco (http://porteco.org) aims to collect, curate and provide data and analysis tools to support basic biological research in Escherichia coli (and eventually other bacterial systems). PortEco is implemented as a 'virtual' model organism database that provides a single unified interface to the user, while integrating information from a variety of sources. The main focus of PortEco is to enable broad use of the growing number of high-throughput experiments available for E. coli, and to leverage community annotation through the EcoliWiki and GONUTS systems. Currently, PortEco includes curated data from hundreds of genome-wide RNA expression studies, from high-throughput phenotyping of single-gene knockouts under hundreds of annotated conditions, from chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments for tens of different DNA-binding factors and from ribosome profiling experiments that yield insights into protein expression. Conditions have been annotated with a consistent vocabulary, and data have been consistently normalized to enable users to find, compare and interpret relevant experiments. PortEco includes tools for data analysis, including clustering, enrichment analysis and exploration via genome browsers. PortEco search and data analysis tools are extensively linked to the curated gene, metabolic pathway and regulation content at its sister site, EcoCyc.

Action potential energetics at the organismal level reveal a trade-off in efficiency at high firing rates.

The energetic costs of action potential (AP) production constrain the evolution of neural codes and brain networks. Cellular-level estimates of AP-related costs are typically based on voltage-dependent Na(+) currents that drive active transport by the Na(+)/K(+) ATPase to maintain the Na(+) and K(+) ion concentration gradients necessary for AP production. However, these estimates of AP cost have not been verified at the organismal level. Electric signaling in the weakly electric fish Eigenmannia virescens requires that specialized cells in an electric organ generate APs with large Na(+) currents at high rates (200-600 Hz). We measured these currents using a voltage-clamp protocol and then estimated the energetic cost at the cellular level using standard methods. We then used this energy-intensive signaling behavior to measure changes in whole-animal energetics for small changes in electric discharge rate. At low rates, the whole-animal measure of AP cost was similar to our cellular-level estimates. However, AP cost increased nonlinearly with increasing firing rates. We show, with a biophysical model, that this nonlinearity can arise from the increasing cost of maintaining AP amplitude at high rates. Our results confirm that estimates of energetic costs based on Na(+) influx are appropriate for low baseline firing rates, but that extrapolating to high firing rates may underestimate true costs in cases in which AP amplitude does not decrease. Moreover, the trade-off between energetic cost and firing rate suggests an additional constraint on the evolution of high-frequency signaling in neuronal systems.

The pain--suffering association, a review.

OBJECTIVE: This review wished to determine the reported prevalence of suffering in various patient diagnostic groups and examine the evidence for the association of pain and suffering. DESIGN/SETTING: Twenty-four studies fulfilled inclusion-exclusion criteria. They were divided into the following groups: advanced cancer/terminal illness/hospice patients (AC/TI/H) (7 studies); hastened death/assisted suicide/euthanasia patients (HD/AS/E) (14 studies); noncancer (NC) patients (3 studies). No chronic nonmalignant pain (CNMP) suffering studies fulfilled inclusion-exclusion criteria of this review. The reported prevalence of suffering for each study was abstracted and the overall percentage of sufferers in each grouping calculated. For those studies that provided a statistical relationship between pain and suffering information was abstracted for whether these studies supported/did not support the association of pain and suffering. A vote counting method was utilized to determine the overall percentage of studies supporting/not supporting this association. The consistency of this data for supporting this association was then rated by Agency for Health Care Research and Quality guidelines. RESULTS: The prevalence of suffering in each grouping was as follows: AC/IT/H 45.7%; HD/AS/E 81.9%; NC 19.2%; and all groupings combined 59.9%. AC/TI/H and all groupings combined received an A rating (consistent evidence multiple studies for a statistical relationship between suffering and pain). HD/AS/E received a C (evidence which is inconsistent). For NC there were not enough studies for a consistency rating. CONCLUSIONS: The above results indicate a consistent association between suffering and pain in some patient groups. Studies addressing suffering are needed in CNPM patients.

Prevalence comparisons of somatic and psychiatric symptoms between community nonpatients without pain, acute pain patients, and chronic pain patients.

OBJECTIVES: Somatic/psychiatric symptoms are frequently found in chronic pain patients (CPPs). The objectives of this study were to determine 1) which somatic/psychiatric symptoms are more commonly found in acute pain patients (APPs) and CPPs vs community nonpatients without pain (CNPWPs) and 2) if somatic/psychiatric symptom prevalence differs between APPs and CPPs. DESIGN: The above groups were compared statistically for endorsement of 15 symptoms: fatigue, numbness/tingling, dizziness, difficulty opening/closing mouth, muscle weakness, difficulty staying asleep, depression, muscle tightness, nervousness, irritability, memory, falling, nausea, concentration, and headaches. RESULTS: After controlling for age, gender, and level of pain, APPs and CPPs had a statistically significantly greater prevalence (at a P < 0.01 level) for 11 and 13 symptoms, respectively, vs CNPWPs. After controlling for age, gender, and level of pain, CPPs had a statistically significantly greater prevalence (at a P < 0.01 level) for eight symptoms vs APPs. Symptoms were highly correlated in both APPs and CPPs. CONCLUSIONS: CPPs are characterized to a significantly greater extent than comparison groups by somatic/psychiatric symptoms that are highly intercorrelated. This has implications for clinical practice and future research.

Role of exercise intensity on GLUT4 content, aerobic fitness and fasting plasma glucose in type 2 diabetic mice.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) results in several metabolic and cardiovascular dysfunctions, clinically characterized by hyperglycaemia due to lower glucose uptake and oxidation. Physical exercise is an effective intervention for glycaemic control. However, the effects of exercising at different intensities have not yet been addressed. The present study analysed the effects of 8 weeks of training performed at different exercise intensities on type 4 glucose transporters (GLUT4) content and glycaemic control of T2D (ob/ob) and non-diabetic mice (ob/OB). The animals were divided into six groups, with four groups being subjected either to low-intensity (ob/obL and ob/OBL: 3% body weight, three times/week/40 min) or high-intensity (ob/obH and ob/OBH: 6% body weight, three times per week per 20 min) swimming training. An incremental swimming test was performed to measure aerobic fitness. After the training intervention period, glycaemia and the content of GLUT4 were quantified. Although both training intensities were beneficial, the high-intensity regimen induced a more significant improvement in GLUT4 levels and glycaemic profile compared with sedentary controls (p < 0.05). Only animals in the high-intensity exercise group improved aerobic fitness. Thus, our study shows that high-intensity training was more effective for increasing GLUT4 content and glycaemia reduction in insulin-resistant mice, perhaps because of a higher metabolic demand imposed by this form of exercise.