The effect of expectation on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to suppress food craving and eating in individuals with overweight and obesity.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique with potential to treat eating disorders and obesity. As for any potential treatment, it is important to assess the degree to which expectation effects contribute to its reported efficacy. This study assessed the effect of tDCS on amount of food craving and eating while tightly controlling treatment expectation. N = 74 adults with overweight or obesity were informed of the known effects of tDCS to suppress craving and eating. Once electrodes were on the head, half of the participants were told they were receiving real, and the other half sham tDCS. Within these groups, approximately half actually received real and the other half sham tDCS. Stimulation parameters used were those previously found to reduce craving and eating, including in our lab: 2 mA, anode right/cathode left targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 20 min (real), or only for the first and last minute (sham). Analyses controlled for demographics, hunger, trait impulsiveness, eating motives, dieting, binge eating, suggestibility, and baseline craving and eating. Participants told they were receiving real tDCS craved and ate less than participants told they were receiving sham tDCS (both p < 0.01), regardless of tDCS condition administered. There was no main effect of real vs. sham tDCS on craving or eating or an interaction between tDCS condition and expectation. The scientific validation of tDCS as a treatment for eating-related conditions hinges on controlling for the powerful effects of expectation. This can include the type of information provided on consent forms and participants' ability to guess real from sham conditions.

Baseline motives for eating palatable food: racial differences and preliminary utility in predicting weight loss.

PURPOSE: Behavioral predictors of weight-loss program (WLP) outcomes are needed and important because they can be modified. Eating calorie-dense palatable foods (PFs) outside of hunger contributes to obesity. This study assessed if habitual motives to consume PFs could predict weight-loss outcomes. METHODS: N = 171 Black and N = 141 White adults in a reduced-calorie program completed the Palatable Eating Motives Scale (PEMS). Body weight and body mass index (BMI) lost after 3 and 6 months were analyzed controlling for initial BMI and demographics. Greater PEMS motive scores meant more frequent habitual intake of PFs for that motive. RESULTS: Whites vs. Blacks had higher scores on most of the PEMS motives: Social, Coping, and Reward Enhancement. In Whites at 3 months, greater Reward Enhancement scores and initial BMI predicted more BMI loss (p < 0.05). At 6 months, greater Reward Enhancement and lower Conformity scores predicted more weight (p < 0.05) and BMI loss (Conformity: p < 0.05; Reward Enhancement: p = 0.05). PEMS motives did not predict outcomes for Blacks. CONCLUSION: The results provide preliminary evidence for the PEMS to predict WLP outcomes. White patients who eat PFs primarily for their rewarding properties and less to conform should fare better in Lifestyle programs while group or family-based interventions may be more efficacious when conformity is the main motive. Lower motive scores among Blacks suggest that eating PFs outside of hunger may go unrecognized or underreported and warrants further investigation. The findings highlight the motive-based heterogeneity of obesity and how it may be used to predict outcomes and customize interventions to improve WLP outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, multiple time series.

The critical role of cognitive-based trait differences in transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) suppression of food craving and eating in frank obesity.

Obesity remains a major public health concern and novel treatments are needed. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique shown to reduce food craving and consumption, especially when targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) with a right anode/left cathode electrode montage. Despite the implications to treat frank (non-bingeeating) obesity, no study has tested the right anode/left cathode montage in this population. Additionally, most tDCS appetite studies have not controlled for differences in traits under DLPFC control that may influence how well one responds to tDCS. Hence, N = 18 (10F/8M) adults with frank obesity completed the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire-Restraint and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, and received 20 min of 2 mA active tDCS and control tDCS session. Craving and eating was assessed at both sessions with a food photo "wanting" test and in-lab measures of total, preferred, and less-preferred kilocalories consumed of three highly palatable snack foods. While main effects of tDCS vs. control were not found, significant differences emerged when trait scores were controlled. tDCS reduced food craving in females with lower attention-type impulsiveness (p = 0.047), reduced preferred-food consumption in males with lower intent to restrict calories (p = 0.024), and reduced total food consumption in males with higher non-planning-type impulsiveness (p = 0.009) compared to control tDCS. This is the first study to find significant reductions in food craving and consumption in a sample with frank obesity using the most popular tDCS montage in appetite studies. The results also highlight the cognitive-based heterogeneity of individuals with obesity and the importance of considering these differences when evaluating the efficacy of DLPFC-targeted tDCS in future studies aimed at treating obesity.

Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on binge eating disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on food craving, intake, binge eating desire, and binge eating frequency in individuals with binge eating disorder (BED). METHOD: N = 30 adults with BED or subthreshold BED received a 20-min 2 milliampere (mA) session of tDCS targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC; anode right/cathode left) and a sham session. Food image ratings assessed food craving, a laboratory eating test assessed food intake, and an electronic diary recorded binge variables. RESULTS: tDCS versus sham decreased craving for sweets, savory proteins, and an all-foods category, with strongest reductions in men (p < 0.05). tDCS also decreased total and preferred food intake by 11 and 17.5%, regardless of sex (p < 0.05), and reduced desire to binge eat in men on the day of real tDCS administration (p < 0.05). The reductions in craving and food intake were predicted by eating less frequently for reward motives, and greater intent to restrict calories, respectively. DISCUSSION: This proof of concept study is the first to find ameliorating effects of tDCS in BED. Stimulation of the right DLPFC suggests that enhanced cognitive control and/or decreased need for reward may be possible functional mechanisms. The results support investigation of repeated tDCS as a safe and noninvasive treatment adjunct for BED. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2016; 49:930-936).

Development of multiple heartcutting two-dimensional liquid chromatography with ion-pairing reversed-phase separations in both dimensions for analysis of impurities in therapeutic oligonucleotides.

Oligonucleotides constitute an emerging and highly complex bioanalytical challenge and it is becoming increasingly clear that 1D methodologies are unable to fully resolve all possible impurities present in these samples. 2D-LC therefore constitutes a perfect solution wherein critical pairs can be sampled from a steep gradient 1D and separated in a shallower 2D gradient. Herein, we provide a facile 2D-LC method development approach to quickly generate high selectivity gradients utilizing ion pairing reverse phase (IPRP-IPRP). In particular we demonstrate how to iteratively generate a 12 % gradient from two training runs and then to utilize that data to predict retentions of analytes with a 2 % gradient with retention prediction errors as low as 3 and 11 %, respectively. This iterative method development workflow was applied to impurity profiling down to 1:1000 for the full-length product and phosphorothioate modified impurities. Additionally, we demonstrated the elucidation of critical pairs in complex crude pharmaceutical oligonucleotide samples by applying tailored high selectivity gradients in the second dimension. It was found that the iterative retention modeling approach allows fast and facile 2D-LC method development for complex oligonucleotide separations.

A Strategy for assessing peak purity of pharmaceutical peptides in reversed-phase chromatography methods using two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Part II: Development of second-dimension gradient conditions.

The importance of therapeutic peptides continues to increase in the marketplace for treating a range of diseases including diabetes and obesity. Quality control analyses for these pharmaceutical ingredients usually depends on reversed-phase liquid chromatography, and it is critically important to ensure that no impurities coelute with the target peptide at levels that would compromise the safety or effectiveness of the drug products. This can be challenging due to the broad range of properties of impurities that can be present on one hand (e.g., amino acid substitutions, chain cleavages, etc.), and the similarity of other impurities on the other hand (e.g., d-/l-isomers). Two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) is a powerful analytical tool that is well suited to address this particular problem; the first dimension can be used to detect impurities over a broad range in properties, while the second dimension can be used to focus specifically on those species that might coelute with the target peptide in the first dimension. While hundreds of papers have been published on the use of 2D-LC for proteomics applications, there are very few papers that have focused on its use for characterisation of therapeutic peptides. This paper is the second in a two-part series. In Part I of the series, we studied several different column / mobile phase combinations that could be useful in 2D-LC separations of therapeutic peptides, with a focus on selectivity, peak shape, and complementarity to other combinations, particularly for isomeric peptides under mass spectrometry-friendly conditions (i.e., volatile buffers). In this second part in the series, we describe a strategy to derive second-dimension (2D) gradient conditions that both, ensure elution from the 2D column, and increase the likelihood of resolving peptides with very similar properties. We find that a two-step process yields conditions that place the target peptide in the middle of the 2D chromatogram. This process begins with two scouting gradient elution conditions in the second dimension of a 2D-LC system, followed by building and refining a retention model for the target peptide using a third separation. The process is shown to be generically useful by developing methods for four model peptides, and application to a sample of degraded model peptide to demonstrate its utility for resolving impurities in a real sample.

Characterization of a high throughput approach for large scale retention measurement in liquid chromatography.

Many contemporary challenges in liquid chromatography-such as the need for "smarter" method development tools, and deeper understanding of chromatographic phenomena-could be addressed more efficiently and effectively with larger volumes of experimental retention data than are available. The paucity of publicly accessible, high-quality measurements needed for the development of retention models and simulation tools has largely been due to the high cost in time and resources associated with traditional retention measurement approaches. Recently we described an approach to improve the throughput of such measurements by using very short columns (typically 5 mm), while maintaining measurement accuracy. In this paper we present a perspective on the characteristics of a dataset containing about 13,000 retention measurements obtained using this approach, and describe a different sample introduction method that is better suited to this application than the approach we used in prior work. The dataset comprises results for 35 different small molecules, nine different stationary phases, and several mobile phase compositions for each analyte/phase combination. During the acquisition of these data, we have interspersed repeated measurements of a small number of compounds for quality control purposes. The data from these measurements not only enable detection of outliers but also assessment of the repeatability and reproducibility of retention measurements over time. For retention factors greater than 1, the mean relative standard deviation (RSD) of replicate (typically n=5) measurements is 0.4%, and the standard deviation of RSDs is 0.4%. Most differences between selectivity values measured six months apart for 15 non-ionogenic compounds were in the range of +/- 1%, indicating good reproducibility. A critically important observation from these analyses is that selectivity defined as retention of a given analyte relative to the retention of a reference compound (kx/kref) is a much more consistent measure of retention over a time span of months compared to the retention factor alone. While this work and dataset also highlight the importance of stationary phase stability over time for achieving reliable retention measurements, we are nevertheless optimistic that this approach will enable the compilation of large databases (>> 10,000 measurements) of retention values over long time periods (years), which can in turn be leveraged to address some of the most important contemporary challenges in liquid chromatography. All the data discussed in the manuscript are provided as Supplemental Information.

Growing Industries, Growing Invasions? The Case of the Argentine Ant in Vineyards of Northern Argentina.

The invasive Argentine ant causes ecological and economic damage worldwide. In 2011, this species was reported in vineyards of Cafayate, a wine-producing town in the Andes, Argentina. While the local xeric climate is unsuitable for Argentine ants, populations could establish in association with vineyards where human activity and irrigation facilitate propagule introduction and survival. In 2013-2014, we combined extensive sampling of the area using ant-baits with monitoring of the change in land use and vineyard cultivated area over the past 15 years. Our results revealed that the species has thus far remained confined to a relatively isolated small area, owing to an effective barrier of dry shrublands surrounding the infested vineyards; yet the recent expansion of vineyard acreage in this region will soon connect this encapsulated area with the rest of the valley. When this happens, vulnerable ecosystems and the main local industry will be put at risk. This case provides a rare opportunity to study early invasion dynamics and reports, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time, the Argentine ant in high altitude agroecosystems.

Agujero Timpánico bilateral. Análisis de caso desde la literatura / Bilateral tympanic hole. Case analysis from the literature

La pared del conducto auditivo externo (CAE) parte de la formación del hueso timpánico; integrándose posteriormente a la porción petrosa del hueso temporal. El agujero timpánico o foramen de Huschke corresponde a un defecto en la osificación en donde existe fusión incompleta de porciones anteriores y posteriores del anillo timpánico dejando una abertura que comunica el CAE hacia anterior. Su presencia es normal hasta los 5 años de edad, tiempo en que se debiese obliterar. Su incidencia es baja (3-24%), pero la persistencia en adulto, conlleva sintomatología inespecífica caracterizada por otalgia, dolor en articulación temporomandibular (ATM), tinnitus, hipoacusia o manifestaciones complejas como descarga salival en CAE durante la masticación. Clínicamente puede complicar procedimientos de infiltración y artroscopias de ATM. Rara vez ocasiona, en pacientes mayores de 50 años, herniación de la cabeza del cóndilo mandibular. Su diagnóstico puede ser clínico por medio de otoscopia, donde se observa protuberancia de tejido en pared anterior del CAE, que aumenta de tamaño con la boca cerrada. También puede ser imagenológico con una tomografía computarizada. El tratamiento incluye desde medidas conservadoras para manejo del dolor e inflamación, hasta quirúrgicas con la implantación de injertos, placas o prótesis para cerrar la estructura o para reemplazar el cóndilo mandibular. El presente estudio pretende aportar incidencia dentro del área de estudio. Se analiza por observación directa, cráneo seco, completo, masculino, edad entre 12 a 15 años (según morfología del cóndilo mandibular y erupción dental). Se observa agujero de Huschke, bilateral, ambos permeables de diámetro 4 mm en ambos casos, determinados con regla milimetrada. La relevancia del defecto se asocia a la práctica clínica de otorrinolaringólogos, cirujanos maxilofaciales y odontólogos, ya sea como diagnóstico diferencial asociado a los síntomas inespecíficos, como para procedimientos más invasivos en la zona tales como infiltraciones o artroscopias de ATM

The wall of the external auditory canal (EAC) starts from the formation of the tympanic bone; later it is integrated to the petrous portion of the temporal bone. The tympanic foramen or foramen of Huschke corresponds to a defect in ossification where there is incomplete fusion of the anterior and posterior portions of the tympanic ring leaving an opening that communicates the EAC to its anterior aspect. Its presence is normal until 5 years of age, when it should be absolutely obliterated. Its incidence is low (3-24%), but its persistence in adults leads to non specific symptoms characterized by otalgia, pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), tinnitus, hearing loss, or complex manifestations such as salivary discharge in the CAE during mastication. Clinically, it may complicate TMJ infiltration and arthroscopy procedures. It rarely causes herniation of the mandibular condyle head in patients older than 50 years. Its diagnosis can be clinical by means of otoscopy, where tissue protrusion is observed in the anterior wall of the CAE, which increases in size when the mouth is closed. It can also be imaging with computed tomography. Treatment includes from conservative measures to treat pain and inflammation, to surgical measures with the implantation of grafts, plates or prosthesis to close the structure or to replace the mandibular condyle. The present study aims to provide incidence within the study area. It is analyzed by direct observation, dry skull, complete, male, age between 12 to 15 years (according to mandibular condyle morphology and dental eruption). Huschke's foramen was observed, bilateral, both permeable, diameter 4mm in both cases, determined with a millimeter ruler. The relevance of the defect is associated with the clinical practice of otolaryngologists, maxillofacial surgeons and dentists, either as a differential diagnosis associated with nonspecific symptoms, or for more invasive procedures in the area such as infiltrations or TMJ arthroscopies.

Eating tasty foods to cope, enhance reward, socialize or conform: What other psychological characteristics describe each of these motives?

Psychological characteristics associated with eating motives of the Palatable Eating Motives Scale (PEMS) were identified in 192 undergraduates. Coping was characterized by greater BMI, emotion-triggered eating, and eating concern and also by binge-eating and perceived stress reactivity in females. Reward Enhancement was characterized by greater BMI, anxiety- and depression-eating in females and by anger/frustration-eating in males. Conformity was strongly characterized by binge-eating and by failure-based stress and all eating disorder traits in females and by anger/frustration- and anxiety-eating in males. The sex-divergent patterns of these traits across PEMS motives highlight the heterogeneity of hedonic eating. The traits may also be maintaining the motives, hence adresseing them should improve treatments for obesity, binge-eating, and foster healthier coping, reward, and psychosocial interactions.

Valoración de la severidad en enfermedades degenerativas articulares temporomandibulares mediante tomografía computarizada Cone Beam / Assessment of the severity of temporomandibular articular degenerative diseases through Cone Beam imaging

RESUMEN: Introducción: Muchos estudios han demostrado que las enfermedades degenerativas articulares Temporomandibulares (EDATM) provocan dolor, alteran la función modificando las estructuras esqueletales que se traducen en asimetrías faciales. La valoración imagenológica contribuye a un adecuado diagnóstico con el objetivo de optimizar la evaluación morfológica de las articulaciones temporomandibulares. Metodología: Se realizó una búsqueda electrónica en las bases de datos de PubMed, Google Scholar y SciELO. La estrategia de búsqueda se realizó utilizando una combinación de términos con el objetivo de analizar la valoración de las características imagenológicas y de volumen condilar. Resultados y Discusión: De un total de 9807 artículos se seleccionaron 18 que cumplían con los requisitos. Se han propuesto muchas categorías para clasificar la severidad imagenológica de la EDATM sumado al advenimiento de softwares y reconstrucciones tridimensionales que han propuesto categorías a través de algoritmos matemáticos y de superposición de imagen que son un gran aporte para el diagnóstico, la toma decisiones en la elección del plan de tratamiento y en el seguimiento. Conclusiones: La valoración de la severidad de las EDATM son claves para que la investigación clínica permita esclarecer los procesos que se relacionan con el objeto de valorar la progresión de esta enfermedad.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Many studies have shown that Temporomandibular degenerative joint diseases (TMDJD) cause pain, alter function by modifying skeletal structures that result in facial asymmetries. Imaging evaluation contributes to an adequate diagnosis with the aim of optimizing the morphological evaluation of the temporomandibular joints. Methodology: An electronic search was performed in the PubMed, Google Scholar and SciELO databases. The search strategy was performed using a combination of terms in order to analyze the assessment of imaging characteristics and condylar volume. Results and Discussion: From a total of 9807 articles, 18 were selected that met the requirements. Many categories have been proposed to classify the imaging severity of the TMDJD added to the advent of software and three-dimensional reconstructions that have proposed categories through mathematical algorithms and image superposition that are a great contribution to diagnosis, decision-making and choice of the treatment plan and follow-up. Conclusions: The assessment of the severity of TMDJD is key for clinical research in order to clarify the processes that are related to assessing the progression of this disease.

Real-time sampling of reasons for hedonic food consumption: further validation of the Palatable Eating Motives Scale.

Highly palatable foods play a salient role in obesity and binge-eating, and if habitually eaten to deal with intrinsic and extrinsic factors unrelated to metabolic need, may compromise adaptive coping and interpersonal skills. This study used event sampling methodology (ESM) to examine whether individuals who report eating palatable foods primarily to cope, to enhance reward, to be social, or to conform, as measured by the Palatable Eating Motives Scale (PEMS), actually eat these foods primarily for the motive(s) they report on the PEMS. Secondly this study examined if the previously reported ability of the PEMS Coping motive to predict BMI would replicate if the real-time (ESM-reported) coping motive was used to predict BMI. A total of 1691 palatable eating events were collected from 169 college students over 4 days. Each event included the day, time, and types of tasty foods or drinks consumed followed by a survey that included an abbreviated version of the PEMS, hunger as an additional possible motive, and a question assessing general perceived stress during the eating event. Two-levels mixed modeling confirmed that ESM-reported motives correlated most strongly with their respective PEMS motives and that all were negatively associated with eating for hunger. While stress surrounding the eating event was strongly associated with the ESM-coping motive, its inclusion in the model as a predictor of this motive did not abolish the significant association between ESM and PEMS Coping scores. Regression models confirmed that scores on the ESM-coping motive predicted BMI. These findings provide ecological validity for the PEMS to identify true-to-life motives for consuming palatable foods. This further adds to the utility of the PEMS in individualizing, and hence improving, treatment strategies for obesity, binge-eating, dietary nutrition, coping, reward acquisition, and psychosocial skills.

Con los ojos de la vejez: investigación cualitativa / Through the eyes of old age. Qualitative research

INTRODUCCIÓN: La caracterización social de la vejez puede enriquecerse con el estudio de la experiencia del propio adulto mayor (AM). OBJETIVOS: Conocer cuál es la representación social de los AM de distintos grupos sociales sobre la vejez y sus redes de apoyo. METODOLOGÍA: Paradigma cualitativo, posición simbólico interpretativa. MÉTODO: Fenomenología y Etnografía. Universo: personas mayores de 65 años de diferentes grupos sociales. Muestreo: intencional, en cadena, hasta saturación de datos. ANÁLISIS: Teoría Fundamentada. Validación: observación persistente y triangulación. RESULTADOS: Categoría Central "El significado de la vejez para el AM y sus redes". La palabra viejo tiene una connotación negativa para los AM. La vejez está definida por la disminución de las capacidades físicas o intelectuales. Las oportunidades diferenciales de vida condicionan el modo particular de envejecer. En el ámbito rural, se ve representada por el agotamiento del cuerpo, mientras que en los otros escenarios, al contar con otros recursos, pueden vivir esta etapa de manera más satisfactoria. El tener un rol activo favorece la calidad de vida del AM. CONCLUSIÓN: Viejo para el AM significa malestar. Las oportunidades diferenciales de vida hacen a las particulares formas de envejecer. Espacios que faciliten la integración del AM contribuirán a un envejecer más placentero.

INTRODUCTION: The social characterization of old age can be enriched with the study of the experience of the elderly (AM). OBJECTIVES: To know what is the social representation of the MAs of different social groups about old age and their support networks. METHODOLOGY: Qualitative paradigm, interpretive symbolic position. METHOD: Phenomenology and Ethnography. Universe: people over 65 years of age from different social groups. Sampling: intentional, in chain, until data saturation. ANALYSIS: Grounded Theory. Validation: persistent observation and triangulation. RESULTS: Central Category "The meaning of old age for the AM and its networks". The old word has a negative connotation for the AM. Old age is defined by the diminution of physical or intellectual capacities. The differential opportunities of life condition the particular way of aging. In rural areas, it is represented by the exhaustion of the body, while in other scenarios, having other resources, can live this stage in a more satisfactory way. Having an active role favors the quality of life of the AM. CONCLUSION: Old for AM means discomfort. The differential opportunities of life make individuals particular ways of aging. Spaces that facilitate the integration of the MA will contribute to a more pleasant aging.