Maternal responsiveness and toddler body mass index z-score: Prospective analysis of maternal and child mealtime interactions.

Responsive feeding, where parents are guided by children's hunger and satiation cues and provide appropriate structure and support for eating, is believed to promote healthier weight status. However, few studies have assessed prospective associations between observed parental feeding and toddler growth. We characterized toddler growth from 18 to 36 months and, in a subset of families, examined whether observed maternal responsiveness to toddler satiation cues and encouraging prompts to eat at 18 and 24 months were associated with toddler body mass index z-score (BMIz) from 18 to 36 months. Participants included 163 toddlers and their mothers with overweight/obesity who had participated in a lifestyle intervention during pregnancy. Anthropometrics were measured at 18, 24, and 36 months. In a subsample, mealtime interactions were recorded in families' homes at 18 (n = 77) and 24 (n = 75) months. On average, toddler BMIz remained stable from 18 to 36 months with 31.3% (n = 51) categorized with a healthy weight, 56.4% (n = 92) with at risk for overweight and 12.3% (n = 20) with overweight. Fewer maternal prompts to eat at 18 months was associated with both higher probability of having at risk for overweight/overweight (p < .05), and higher child 36-month BMIz (p = .002). Higher child weight status at 12 months was also associated with both higher probability of having at risk for overweight/overweight (p < .05), and higher child 36-month BMIz (p < .001). Neither 24-month maternal prompts nor 18 or 24 month responsiveness to satiation cues were associated with toddler BMIz. In this diverse sample, weight status was relatively stable from 18 to 36 months. Maternal prompts to eat measured earlier in toddlerhood and prior child weight status were associated with toddler BMIz.

Description of a new non-injectable connector to reduce the complications of arterial blood sampling.

Arterial cannulation is associated with complications including bacterial contamination, accidental intra-arterial injection and blood spillage. We performed a series of audits and experiments to gauge the potential for these, as well as assess the possible contribution of a new device, the Needle-Free Arterial Non-Injectable Connector (NIC), in reducing these risks. The NIC comprises a needle-free connector that prevents blood spillage and a one-way valve allowing aspiration only; once screwed onto the side port of a three-way tap, the device can only be removed with difficulty. We performed a clinical audit of arterial monitoring systems in our intensive care unit, which showed an incidence of bacterial colonisation of five in 86 (6%) three-way tap ports. We constructed a manikin simulation experiment of the management of acute bradycardia, in which trainee doctors were required to inject atropine intravenously. Ten of 15 (66%) doctors injected the drug into the three-way tap of the arterial monitoring system rather than into the intravenous cannula or the central venous catheter. In a laboratory study, we replicated the arterial blood sampling and flushing sequence from a three-way tap, with the syringes attached either directly to the three-way tap port or to a NIC attached to the port. The first (discard) syringe attached to the three-way tap was contaminated with bacteria. Bacterial growth was found in 17 of 20 (85%) downstream flushed samples (corresponding to the patient's circulation) when the three-way tap was accessed directly, compared to none of 20 accessed via the NIC (p < 0.0001). Growth was found on all of 20 (100%) ports accessed directly compared to none of 20 accessed via the NIC (p < 0.0001). The NIC effectively prevents bacteria from contaminating sampling lines. As its design also prevents accidental intra-arterial injection, we suggest that it can reduce complications of arterial monitoring.

Variations in COL15A1 and COL18A1 influence age of onset of primary open angle glaucoma.

Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is a genetically and phenotypically complex disease that is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Previously we completed a genome-wide scan for early-onset POAG that identified a locus on 9q22 (GLC1J). To identify potential causative variants underlying GLC1J, we used targeted DNA capture followed by high throughput sequencing of individuals from four GLC1J pedigrees, followed by Sanger sequencing to screen candidate variants in additional pedigrees. A mutation likely to cause early-onset glaucoma was not identified, however COL15A1 variants were found in the youngest affected members of 7 of 15 pedigrees with variable disease onset. In addition, the most common COL15A1 variant, R163H, influenced the age of onset in adult POAG cases. RNA in situ hybridization of mouse eyes shows that Col15a1 is expressed in the multiple ocular structures including ciliary body, astrocytes of the optic nerve and cells in the ganglion cell layer. Sanger sequencing of COL18A1, a related multiplexin collagen, identified a rare variant, A1381T, in members of three additional pedigrees with early-onset disease. These results suggest genetic variation in COL15A1 and COL18A1 can modify the age of onset of both early and late onset POAG.

Emergency capnography monitoring: comparing ergonomic design of intensive care unit ventilator interfaces and specific training of staff in reducing time to activation.

Modern ventilators provide capnography monitoring in patients with tracheal tubes, in compliance with national and international recommendations. This technology is often not used when patients' lungs are non-invasively ventilated; however, it should be accessed immediately following tracheal intubation to confirm tube placement. This study assessed the effect of ventilation interface design on the speed with which capnography can be activated by comparing the Dräger Evita 4 and Dräger V500 before and after a specific training episode. We configured the V500 to have a capnography activation button on the front screen in contrast to the Evita 4 which requires a sequence of actions to access capnography monitoring. We used a randomised crossover design, measuring time to monitoring activation, and repeated the study after 3 months. Survival analysis showed significantly quicker activation associated with ventilator choice (V500, p < 0.0001) and training (p = 0.0058). The training improved activation speed with both machines, though this was only significant for the Evita 4 (p = 0.0097).

The role of responsive feeding in overweight during infancy and toddlerhood: a systematic review.

A chronic mismatch of caregiver responsiveness to infant-feeding cues, such as feeding when the infant is not hungry, is hypothesized to have a role in the development of overweight by impairing an infant's response to internal states of hunger and satiation. Although this concept of mismatch or discordance has long been acknowledged in scholarly writings, a systematic assessment of the evidence supporting the role of discordant responsiveness during infant feeding in the early origins of overweight is lacking. This review was undertaken to assess evidence for this hypothesized relationship between discordant responsiveness in feeding and overweight in infancy and toddlerhood, framed within the larger social-environmental context of the infant-caregiver dyad. A systematic method was used to extract articles from three databases of the medical, psychology and nursing fields. The quality of evidence collected was assessed using Oxford University Centre for Evidence Based Medicine's level of evidence and through a narrative review. The systematic search resulted in only nine original research studies, which met a priori inclusion/exclusion criteria. Several studies provide support for the conceptual model, but most were cross-sectional or lower quality prospective studies. The need for consistent definitions, improved measures and longitudinal work is discussed. In conclusion, this review reveals preliminary support for the proposed role of discordant responsiveness in infant/child overweight and at the same time highlights the need for rigorous investigation of responsive feeding interactions in the first years of life.

Targeted resequencing of a genomic region influencing tameness and aggression reveals multiple signals of positive selection.

The identification of the causative genetic variants in quantitative trait loci (QTL) influencing phenotypic traits is challenging, especially in crosses between outbred strains. We have previously identified several QTL influencing tameness and aggression in a cross between two lines of wild-derived, outbred rats (Rattus norvegicus) selected for their behavior towards humans. Here, we use targeted sequence capture and massively parallel sequencing of all genes in the strongest QTL in the founder animals of the cross. We identify many novel sequence variants, several of which are potentially functionally relevant. The QTL contains several regions where either the tame or the aggressive founders contain no sequence variation, and two regions where alternative haplotypes are fixed between the founders. A re-analysis of the QTL signal showed that the causative site is likely to be fixed among the tame founder animals, but that several causative alleles may segregate among the aggressive founder animals. Using a formal test for the detection of positive selection, we find 10 putative positively selected regions, some of which are close to genes known to influence behavior. Together, these results show that the QTL is probably not caused by a single selected site, but may instead represent the joint effects of several sites that were targets of polygenic selection.

Young adults' intention to quit using JUUL.

BACKGROUND: With research indicating some young audiences may desire to quit using JUUL, a high-nicotine e-cigarette, we sought to explore factors that may motivate them to quit. METHODS: This sequential, mixed methods study included a cross-sectional online survey of college students (n = 631) followed by in-person interviews (n = 51) with survey participants. Data were collected March-April 2019. The survey asked about intention to quit using JUUL. A latent class analysis (LCA) identified participant groups who would quit for various reasons. Participants were also asked 'Can you be too old to JUUL?' during the survey. During the interviews, participants were provided preliminary survey findings and asked about their perceptions of the data. Interview participants were also asked about their expectations for future use of JUUL. RESULTS: Four classes emerged from the LCA, indicating costs to self (i.e., harm to lungs/brain, price; 46.8%), financial costs (36.6%), all costs (e.g., social, monetary, health; 9.3%), and harm to self (7.3%) may have influenced our sample's decision to quit using JUUL. Interviewees affirmed desires to quit using JUUL, especially after leaving college. Only 27.19% of survey participants reported an age threshold for using JUUL (M = 31.8 years, SD = 10.0); however, several interviewees explained that although someone could not be too old to JUUL, it would be 'immature' or 'childish' for adults who were not trying to quit smoking to use JUUL socially. DISCUSSION: Comprehensive tobacco control strategies such as taxing e-cigarettes, marketing campaigns, and nicotine cessation programs are needed to help nicotine dependent young adults quit using high-nicotine e-cigarettes.

Recurrent finding of the FIP1L1-PDGFRA fusion gene in eosinophilia-associated acute myeloid leukemia and lymphoblastic T-cell lymphoma.

The FIP1L1-PDGFRA fusion gene has been described in patients with eosinophilia-associated myeloproliferative disorders (Eos-MPD). Here, we report on seven FIP1L1-PDGFRA-positive patients who presented with acute myeloid leukemia (AML, n=5) or lymphoblastic T-cell non-Hodgkin-lymphoma (n=2) in conjunction with AML or Eos-MPD. All patients were male, the median age was 58 years (range, 40-66). AML patients were negative for common mutations of FLT3, NRAS, NPM1, KIT, MLL and JAK2; one patient revealed a splice mutation of RUNX1 exon 7. Patients were treated with imatinib (100 mg, n=5; 400 mg, n=2) either as monotherapy (n=2), as maintenance treatment after intensive chemotherapy (n=3) or in overt relapse 43 and 72 months, respectively, after primary diagnosis and treatment of FIP1L1-PDGFRA-positive disease (n=2). All patients are alive, disease-free and in complete hematologic and complete molecular remission after a median time of 20 months (range, 9-36) on imatinib. The median time to achievement of complete molecular remission was 6 months (range, 1-14). We conclude that all eosinophilia-associated hematological malignancies should be screened for the presence of the FIP1L1-PDGFRA fusion gene as they are excellent candidates for treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors even if they present with an aggressive phenotype such as AML.

Improved reliability of lymphoma diagnostics via PCR-based clonality testing: report of the BIOMED-2 Concerted Action BHM4-CT98-3936.

The diagnosis of malignant lymphoma is a recognized difficult area in histopathology. Therefore, detection of clonality in a suspected lymphoproliferation is a valuable diagnostic criterion. We have developed primer sets for the detection of rearrangements in the B- and T-cell receptor genes as reliable tools for clonality assessment in lymphoproliferations suspected for lymphoma. In this issue of Leukemia, the participants of the BIOMED-2 Concerted Action CT98-3936 report on the validation of the newly developed clonality assays in various disease entities. Clonality was detected in 99% of all B-cell malignancies and in 94% of all T-cell malignancies, whereas the great majority of reactive lesions showed polyclonality. The combined BIOMED-2 results are summarized in a guideline, which can now be implemented in routine lymphoma diagnostics. The use of this standardized approach in patients with a suspect lymphoproliferation will result in improved diagnosis of malignant lymphoma.

Evaluation of the Metasin assay for intraoperative assessment of sentinel lymph node metastases in breast cancer.

AIMS: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is the preferred surgical technique for staging the axilla in clinically node-negative breast cancer. Accurate intraoperative staging allows for the immediate performance of an axillary clearance in node-positive patients. We assessed the Metasin assay for the intraoperative analysis of SLNs in a prospective evaluation of 250 consecutive patients undergoing intraoperative SLN analysis at the Breast Unit, University Hospital, Southampton, UK. METHODS: Metasin uses a quantitative reverse transcription PCR to detect two markers of metastasis: cytokeratin 19 (CK19) an epithelial marker and mammaglobin (MGB) a breast specific marker. Metasin results were compared with the results from routine paraffin block histopathology. RESULTS: Metasin was robust, with a failure rate of <1%, and demonstrated excellent accuracy and reproducibility. The average turnaround time for the Metasin assay was 42 min, the largest variable being the number of nodes assayed. A total of 533 SLNs were evaluated with 75 patients testing positive for MGB and/or CK19. Based on the analysis of individual SLNs, the overall concordance between Metasin and histology was 92.3% (sensitivity 88.7%, specificity 92.9%). When adjusted for tissue allocation bias, the concordance was 93.8% (sensitivity 89.8%, specificity 94.6%). In this evaluation, 57/250 patients (23%) proceeded to axillary clearance based on Metasin results and were considered spared a second operative procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Metasin has proven to be an accurate, reproducible and reliable laboratory test. The analysis time is acceptable for intraoperative use, and in comparison to routine histology demonstrates acceptable concordance, sensitivity and specificity.

Effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on oral mucositis after hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

PURPOSE: Oral mucositis following high-dose chemotherapy may result in systemic infection and airway compromise, and the severity of oral mucositis may be dose-limiting. Here we investigate the effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), which significantly shortens duration of neutropenia after hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) on oral mucositis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirteen children undergoing HSCT were prepared with etoposide (VP-16), thiotepa (TT), and total-body irradiation (TBI), and 13 with VP-16, TT, and cyclophosphamide (CPM). Following transplantation, 14 patients received GM-CSF at a dose of 125 micrograms/m2/d by continuous intravenous infusion (six prepared with VP-16, TT, and TBI, and eight prepared with VP-16, TT, and CPM), and 12 patients received no growth factor. RESULTS: Mucositis was more severe and persisted longer in patients prepared with the TBI-containing regimen. For this regimen, the duration of severe oral mucositis was shortened by the administration of GM-CSF, although the severity of mucositis was unaffected. No statistically significant effect of GM-CSF could be shown in patients who received VP-16, TT, and CPM. The incidence of positive fungal oral or blood cultures did not appear different whether patients received GM-CSF or not. CONCLUSION: For patients undergoing stomatotoxic HSCT regimens, GM-CSF may reduce the duration of oral mucositis, but is unlikely to effect the severity of oral mucositis or risk of airway compromise, and the severity of mucositis is likely to remain dose-limiting.

Polymerase chain reaction amplification analyses of clonality in T-cell malignancy including peripheral T-cell lymphoma.

Clonality in T-cell malignancy was investigated using T-cell receptor (TcR) V beta 1-20 family primers and polymerase chain reaction amplification (PCR) of cDNA prepared from tissue biopsies and blood involved with tumour. Secondary PCR amplification of the VDJ joints of primary PCR products was performed to distinguish clonal from polyclonal products, and clonal V beta gene products were confirmed by direct PCR sequencing in the majority of cases. In eight T-cell malignancies including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) and T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (T-CLL) shown to be clonal by Southern blot analysis, one or two primary PCR products were identified and shown to be clonal. In five cases of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) all V beta 1-20 families were identified after primary PCR amplification, and clonal products were identified in two cases after secondary amplification; TcR V beta clonal families could not be demonstrated in the remaining three cases. These data were in agreement with previous Southern blot analysis of these cases, and confirmed the presence of reactive T cells in PTCL as well as providing further evidence for the genotypic heterogeneity of this entity. In the remaining case, a blood lymphocytosis, primary PCR amplification produced predominant TcR V beta 6 and V beta 12 family products, of which the V beta 6 family proved clonal after secondary PCR amplification. There was no evidence for overrepresentation of TCR V beta families by the tumour populations in this study, furthermore the data confirm the involvement of reactive cells in T-cell malignancy and the genetic heterogeneity of PTCL.

Use of a retinoblastoma gene probe to investigate clonality in Richter's syndrome.

A 69-year-old woman presented with Rai stage 0 chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Ten years later she developed a diffuse centroblastic lymphoma involving the stomach. The surface membrane phenotype of the CLL cells was MD lambda while that of the large cell lymphoma (LCL) cells was MD kappa. The two populations had different heavy and kappa light chain rearrangements. Cytogenetic analysis of the CLL cells showed a deletion involving chromosome 13, band q14, but was unsuccessful in the LCL cells. However, use of a probe (p68 RS2.0) which recognizes a variable number tandem repeat sequence in the retinoblastoma gene, localized to chromosome 13q14, showed two alleles in the LCL cells but only one in the CLL cells. These data suggest that in this case of Richter's syndrome the CLL cells and the LCL cells are clonally distinct.

Detection of kidney reactive antibodies at crossmatch in renal transplant recipients.

We have investigated retrospectively sera from 70 renal allograft recipients for the presence of antibodies binding to a preanastomosis biopsy of the donor kidney by an indirect immunoperoxidase technique. All recipients had a negative T cell lymphocytotoxic crossmatch. A positive immunoperoxidase crossmatch for kidney-reactive antibodies was seen in 13/70 (18.6%) recipients--6 reacting with endothelium, 4 with epithelium, and 3 with both cell types. Neither the presence of these antibodies nor their pattern of staining correlated with recipient graft outcome. Following transplantation endothelial reactive antibodies developed in 15/43 (35%) patients, whereas tubular epithelial antibodies occurred in 5/43 (12%). The antibodies were persistent and accompanied graft failure in 10/14 (71%) patients, while transient antibodies were only associated with graft failure in 2/12 (17%) recipients. Development of lymphocytotoxic antibodies did not correlate with the presence of renal reactive antibodies or eventual graft outcome. Smooth muscle and antinuclear antibodies in recipient sera prior to transplantation were associated with improved graft survival. Eluates of 8/14 rejected grafts confirmed the presence of renal reactive antibodies, with patterns of staining similar to those observed in recipient sera. Antibodies in 7/8 recipients were shown by absorption studies to have HLA class I and/or II specificity, the remaining recipient having proximal tubular brush border antibodies.

The effect of lysed platelets on neutralization of heparin in vitro with protamine as measured by the activated coagulation time (ACT)

The effect of lysed platelets on the activated coagulation time (ACT) was studied in heparinized whole blood during titration with protamine. Frozen-thawed washed platelet suspension, or a chromatography fraction thereof, or autologous frozen-thawed platelet-rich plasma was added in various dilutions to freshly drawn blood anticoagulated with 3,000 USP units/l heparin. After a 10 min incubation, the amount of protamine needed to restore the ACT to baseline ("protamine titration dose") was determined. We found that the protamine titration dose decreased in proportion to the amount of lysed platelet material added; expressed as a percentage of the total number of platelets present, each unit increase in lysed platelets produced a 1.7% +/- 0.8 (SD) reduction in the protamine dose needed to normalize the ACT. A heparin activity assay showed that this effect was not due to anti-heparin activity of lysed platelets such as platelet factor 4 (PF4). Our data indicate that the procoagulant activity of platelet membranes reduced the sensitivity of the ACT to heparin. These findings suggest that membranous platelet microparticles may cause an inaccurate calculation, based on the ACT, of a protamine dose to reverse heparin anticoagulation in cardiopulmonary bypass procedures.

Isolation of nucleic acid from paraffin embedded tissue for PCR amplification and sequencing of TcR V beta genes.

PCR analysis of DNA and RNA from fresh and frozen tissue is now a routine practice in most laboratories. Furthermore DNA extracted from paraffin embedded tissue is routinely used for clonality studies and for HLA typing. However the use of RNA from paraffin embedded tissue is more problematical due to degradation and only short sequences are suitable for amplification. In this report we examine the suitability of extracted nucleic acid from paraffin embedded tissue for the PCR amplification of TcR V beta genes and sequencing of resultant PCR products.

Histologic, immunophenotypic and genotypic analyses of bone marrow trephines from patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Marrow involvement in 20 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) were studied by histology, immunophenotypic and genotypic methods. Eighteen of these trephines were histologically involved with recognizable lymphomatous infiltrates and five of these were the primary disease site. In the remaining two cases (with histologically involved lymph nodes) the trephines were uninvolved with tumour. Three B-cell cases expressing surface immunoglobulin (sIg) and/or CD37 and one case not analysed phenotypically showed Ig gene rearrangements. The two remaining cases with B NHL showed no gene rearrangements, however, in one of these the trephine was histologically uninvolved with tumour. Twelve out of 14 T-cell cases were characterized by variable or absent expression of one or more T-cell antigens from the tumour population, one case was negative for all T-cell antigens and the remaining case was not histologically involved with tumour. All three lymphoblastic lymphomas and only 4/11 peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) cases revealed T-cell receptor (TcR) gene rearrangements. One of the latter cases also exhibited Ig JH gene rearrangements. This study demonstrates the usefulness of bone marrow trephines (BMT) in histologic, phenotypic and genotypic analyses. However, although genotypic data confirm clonality in B NHL and the lymphoblastic lymphomas there was genotypic heterogeneity within the PTCL group.

Use of paraffin wax embedded bone marrow trephine biopsy specimens as a source of archival DNA.

AIMS: To evaluate the use of DNA extracted from paraffin wax embedded trephine biopsy specimens as a source of archival nucleic acid for Southern hybridisation studies and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. METHODS: DNA was extracted simultaneously from paraffin wax embedded bone marrow trephine and lymph node biopsy specimens after incubation of tissue sections for one to five days in lysis mix and proteinase K with periodic sampling. DNA from 10 trephine biopsy specimens was subjected to PCR amplification using HLA-DPB primers to determine whether the extracted nucleic acid was of sufficient quality to permit amplification. RESULTS: For most specimens the greatest yield of high molecular weight DNA was seen after five days' incubation. Unlike lymph node material the quality of extracted nucleic acid and the quantity obtained from trephines was insufficient for Southern blot analysis. PCR amplification using HLA-DPB primers yielded positive results in six out of 10 trephine biopsy specimens. CONCLUSIONS: DNA extracted from paraffin wax embedded trephine biopsy specimens is largely degraded and unsuitable for Southern analysis but serves as a useful source of archival nucleic acid for PCR amplification.

Diagnostic role of tests for T cell receptor (TCR) genes.

Rapid advances in molecular biological techniques have made it possible to study disease pathogenesis at a genomic level. T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement is an important event in T cell ontogeny that enables T cells to recognise antigens specifically, and any dysregulation in this complex yet highly regulated process may result in disease. Using techniques such as Southern blot hybridisation, polymerase chain reaction, and flow cytometry it has been possible to characterise T cell proliferations in malignancy and in diseases where T cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis. The main aim of this article is to discuss briefly the process of TCR gene rearrangement and highlight the disorders in which expansions or clonal proliferations of T cells have been recognised. It will also describe various methods that are currently used to study T cell populations in body fluids and tissue, their diagnostic role, and current limitations of the methodology.