Honey bee foraging induces upregulation of early growth response protein 1, hormone receptor 38 and candidate downstream genes of the ecdysteroid signalling pathway.

In honey bees, continuous foraging at an artificial feeder induced a sustained upregulation of the immediate early genes early growth response protein 1 (Egr-1) and hormone receptor 38 (Hr38). This gene expression response was accompanied by an upregulation of several Egr-1 candidate downstream genes: ecdysone receptor (EcR), dopamine/ecdysteroid receptor (DopEcR), dopamine decarboxylase and dopamine receptor 2. Hr38, EcR and DopEcR are components of the ecdysteroid signalling pathway, which is highly probably involved in learning and memory processes in honey bees and other insects. Time-trained foragers still showed an upregulation of Egr-1 when the feeder was presented at an earlier time of the day, suggesting that the genomic response is more dependent on the food reward than training time. However, presentation of the feeder at the training time without food was still capable of inducing a transient increase in Egr-1 expression. Thus, learnt feeder cues, or even training time, probably affect Egr-1 expression. In contrast, whole brain Egr-1 expression changes did not differ between dancing and nondancing foragers. On the basis of our results we propose that food reward induced continuous foraging ultimately elicits a genomic response involving Egr-1 and Hr38 and their downstream genes. Furthermore this genomic response is highly probably involved in foraging-related learning and memory responses.

Defining myocardial fibrosis in haemodialysis patients with non-contrast cardiac magnetic resonance.

BACKGROUND: Extent of myocardial fibrosis (MF) determined using late gadolinium enhanced (LGE) predicts outcomes, but gadolinium is contraindicated in advanced renal disease. We assessed the ability of native T1-mapping to identify and quantify MF in aortic stenosis patients (AS) as a model for use in haemodialysis patients. METHODS: We compared the ability to identify areas of replacement-MF using native T1-mapping to LGE in 25 AS patients at 3 T. We assessed agreement between extent of MF defined by LGE full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) and the LGE 3-standard-deviations (3SD) in AS patients and nine T1 thresholding-techniques, with thresholds set 2-to-9 standard-deviations above normal-range (1083 ± 33 ms). A further technique was tested that set an individual T1-threshold for each patient (T11SD). The technique that agreed most strongly with FWHM or 3SD in AS patients was used to compare extent of MF between AS (n = 25) and haemodialysis patients (n = 25). RESULTS: Twenty-six areas of enhancement were identified on LGE images, with 25 corresponding areas of discretely increased native T1 signal identified on T1 maps. Global T1 was higher in haemodialysis than AS patients (1279 ms ± 5.8 vs 1143 ms ± 12.49, P < 0.01). No signal-threshold technique derived from standard-deviations above normal-range associated with FWHM or 3SD. T11SD correlated with FWHM in AS patients (r = 0.55) with moderate agreement (ICC = 0.64), (but not with 3SD). Extent of MF defined by T11SD was higher in haemodialysis vs AS patients (21.92% ± 1 vs 18.24% ± 1.4, P = 0.038), as was T1 in regions-of-interest defined as scar (1390 ± 8.7 vs 1276 ms ± 20.5, P < 0.01). There was no difference in the relative difference between remote myocardium and regions defined as scar, between groups (111.4 ms ± 7.6 vs 133.2 ms ± 17.5, P = 0.26). CONCLUSIONS: Areas of MF are identifiable on native T1 maps, but absolute thresholds to define extent of MF could not be determined. Histological studies are needed to assess the ability of native-T1 signal-thresholding techniques to define extent of MF in haemodialysis patients. Data is taken from the PRIMID-AS (NCT01658345) and CYCLE-HD studies (ISRCTN11299707).

Person-related determinants of TV viewing and computer time in a cohort of young Dutch adults: Who sits the most?

We aimed to assess the associations of person-related factors with leisure time television (TV) viewing and computer time among young adults. We analyzed self-reported TV viewing (h/week) and leisure computer time (h/week) from 475 Dutch young adults (47% male) who had participated in the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study at the age of 32 and 36 years. Sociodemographic factors (i.e., marital and employment status), physical factors (i.e., skin folds, aerobic fitness, neuromotor fitness, back problems), psychological factors (i.e., problem- and emotion-focused coping, personality), lifestyle (i.e., alcohol consumption, smoking, energy intake, physical activity), and self-rated health (i.e., general health status, mild health complaints) were assessed. Univariable and multivariable generalized estimating equations were performed. Male gender, higher sum of skin folds, lower values of aerobic fitness, higher rigidity, higher self-sufficiency/recalcitrance, and smoking were positively associated with TV time. Male gender, higher sum of skin folds, higher scores on self-esteem, low energy intake, and a not so good general health status were significantly associated with higher computer time. Determinants of TV viewing and computer time were not identical, suggesting that both behaviors (a) have different at-risk populations and (b) should be targeted differently.

Review of cesarean section on maternal request in a tertiary care institute; scenario in developing country.

Mother requesting of caesarean reflects a belief among society that elective caesarean safer than vaginal delivery in term of fetus and mother. Although the study data neglecting the facts other skewed part in this issue is consideration of resources, as in developing countries, where maternal mortality is still high due to lack of adequate resources. Mother coming to obstetrician with mother's request should individualize in every case considering mother's argument, society and evidence base guideline.

Dysmenorrhea due to a rare müllerian anomaly.

Müllerian duct anomalies may produce reproductive failure like abortion and preterm birth, or obstetric problems like malpresentation, retained placenta, etc., or they may be asymptomatic. Unicornuate uterus with a noncommunicating functional rudimentary horn is a type of müllerian anomaly that results in obstruction to menstrual blood flow, leading to endometriosis and dysmenorrhea. Though the majority of cases of dysmenorrhea in adolescents are primary in nature and require only reassurance and symptomatic management, it is important to be aware of rare causes such as müllerian anomalies so that these cases can be properly managed. Hence, we present this case report, with interesting illustrations, so as to increase awareness regarding these anomalies.

The effects of a fruit and vegetable promotion intervention on unhealthy snacks during mid-morning school breaks: results of the Dutch Schoolgruiten Project.

BACKGROUND: Ample fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake has been associated with a decreased risk of chronic disease. The health-enhancing effects of increased F&V consumption, however, would be even more apparent if the increased F&V consumption additionally led to a lower intake of unhealthy, high calorie snacks. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate whether a primary school-based intervention (the Dutch Schoolgruiten Project) that promoted F&V intake could additionally reduce the intake of unhealthy, high calorie snacks during school breaks. METHODS: The study applied a longitudinal design with baseline and two follow-up measurements. Children were aged 9-10 years old at baseline; 705 children were included. The main strategy was a F&V scheme that improved the availability, accessibility and exposure to F&V at school by providing one serving of fruit or vegetables twice a week at no cost. The amounts of F&V and unhealthy snacks for consumption at school were measured using a single-item question included in a questionnaire. Multilevel autoregressive logistic regression models with a three-level structure (school, child and time) were used to assess the effect of the intervention on both F&V and unhealthy snack consumption. RESULTS: The children of the intervention group brought F&V from home to school at follow-up significantly more often than the children of the control schools [odds ratio (OR) = 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04; 1.90] and brought fewer unhealthy snacks (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.34; 0.92). CONCLUSION: The present study provides some evidence that the Schoolgruiten intervention effect on F&V intake also reduced unhealthy snacking during school breaks.

Intracellular nanomanipulation by a photonic-force microscope with real-time acquisition of a 3D stiffness matrix.

A traditional photonic-force microscope (PFM) results in huge sets of data, which requires tedious numerical analysis. In this paper, we propose instead an analog signal processor to attain real-time capabilities while retaining the richness of the traditional PFM data. Our system is devoted to intracellular measurements and is fully interactive through the use of a haptic joystick. Using our specialized analog hardware along with a dedicated algorithm, we can extract the full 3D stiffness matrix of the optical trap in real time, including the off-diagonal cross-terms. Our system is also capable of simultaneously recording data for subsequent offline analysis. This allows us to check that a good correlation exists between the classical analysis of stiffness and our real-time measurements. We monitor the PFM beads using an optical microscope. The force-feedback mechanism of the haptic joystick helps us in interactively guiding the bead inside living cells and collecting information from its (possibly anisotropic) environment. The instantaneous stiffness measurements are also displayed in real time on a graphical user interface. The whole system has been built and is operational; here we present early results that confirm the consistency of the real-time measurements with offline computations.

A comparison of the reproducibility of two cine-derived strain software programmes in disease states.

BACKGROUND: Systolic strain and peak-early diastolic strain rate (PEDSR) measure subclinical cardiac dysfunction. These parameters can be derived from cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) cine images using new software packages, but the comparative test-retest reproducibility of these software in disease states is unknown. This study compared the test-retest reproducibility of strain measures derived from two software packages (feature-tracking software (FT) and tissue-tracking (TT)) in disease populations with preserved ejection fractions. METHODS: This was a prospective study of 10 patients with aortic stenosis (AS), 10 haemodialysis patients and 10 diabetic patients at 1.5 and 3-Tesla. 30 subjects underwent test-retest reproducibility scans of global circumferential strain (GCS), global longitudinal strain (GLS), circumferential-PEDSR and longitudinal-PEDSR calculated using TT and FT software. RESULTS: Test-retest reproducibility of GCS and GLS were similar for FT and TT across patient groups. Coefficient of variability (CoV) for FT-derived GCS 8.1%, 5% and 7.9% for AS, diabetic and haemodialysis patients, compared to 3.3%, 9.2% and 5.4% for TT-derived GCS, with CoV for FT-derived GLS 8%, 6.4% and 8.2% for AS, diabetic and haemodialysis patients, compared to 5.3%, 4.8% and 7% for TT-derived GLS). Reproducibility of FT-derived circumferential and longitudinal-PEDSR was worse than TT-derived circumferential and longitudinal-PEDSR (CoV for FT-derived circumferential-PEDSR 18.2%, 18% and 17.4% for AS, diabetic and haemodialysis patients, compared to 6.1%, 11.7% and 11% for TT-derived circumferential-PEDSR with CoV for FT-derived longitudinal PEDSR 18.2%, 18.9%, 18.3% for AS, diabetic and haemodialysis patients, compared to 8.9%, 9.1% and 11.4% for TT-derived longitudinal-PEDSR). Bland-Altman analysis revealed no systematic bias with tighter limits of agreement for TT-derived strain measures. CONCLUSIONS: Reproducibility of GCS and GLS are excellent with FT and TT software across diseases. TT had superior test-retest reproducibility for quantification of longitudinal and circumferential-PEDSR than FT-derived PEDSR across diseases.

A clinical evaluation of dry sockets at the Medunsa Oral Health Centre.

Dry sockets, or alveolar osteitis, is one of the most common postoperative complications following the extraction of teeth. For the patient this is often a very painful and distressing condition. Most dental practitioners will experience this complication at some or other stage of their career. The aetiology of dry socket is multifactorial with several predisposing factors having been identified. The aims of this study were to assess the incidence of dry sockets at the Medunsa Oral Health Centre, to assess the demographic details of these patients and to explore the predisposing factors for the development of dry socket. It is hoped that this will help to minimize or prevent this condition from occurring. This was a prospective study conducted over an eight-month period in the Department of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, University of Limpopo, Medunsa Campus. The data was collected by means of a structured questionnaire. Of the 4077 patients that presented for dental extractions, 2% (79) developed a dry socket. The ages of the patients ranged from 12-79 years with a mean age of 35 years. There was a slight female preponderance (1.5:1). The mandibular second molar was the most common site to be affected (22%). Pain was the most common presenting symptom. Underlying systemic conditions were found in 19% of the patients, while 25% smoked, consumed alcohol or both. Identifying risk factors, attention to procedural details and patient education were found to be important in the prevention of dry socket.

Diagnostic Hysterolaparoscopy for Evaluation of Infertility: Our Experience in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to analyze the role of diagnostic hysterolaparoscopy (DHL) for evaluation of infertility in a tertiary care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted from July 2014 to June 2016. RESULTS: Out of 151 patients, 58.28% and 41.72% had primary and secondary infertility, respectively. In primary infertility group 37.5% and in secondary infertility group 49.2% had abnormal findings. Most common finding was adnexal adhesions (pelvic inflammatory disease) and laparoscopic findings were more common than the hysteroscopic ones. CONCLUSION: DHL was helpful in finding some reversible causes of infertility such as adnexal adhesions, tubal blockade, and uterine synechiae, etc.

Actual and perceived weight status and its association with slimming and energy-balance related behaviours in 10- to 12-year-old European children: the ENERGY-project.

BACKGROUND: Both parents' and children's perception of children's weight status may be important predictors of slimming and energy-balance related behaviours, independent of children's actual weight status. OBJECTIVES: We examined the cross-sectional association of children's self-reported slimming and energy-balance related behaviours with children's (i) actual, (ii) self-perceived and (iii) parent-perceived weight status. METHODS: Data of 10- to 12-year-old European children and their parents were used. Multilevel logistic and linear regression analyses were performed, adjusting for age, gender, parental weight controlling behaviours, education, marital status and ethnicity. RESULTS: Independent of their actual weight status, a higher proportion of children reported slimming when they or their parents perceived them as too fat. Children's self-perceived weight status was more strongly associated with slimming than their parents' perception or their actual weight status. Moreover, children who perceive themselves as overweight reported less physical activity and more screen time. Children whose parents perceive them as overweight reported less physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Children's own perception of their weight status appears to be more important for their self-reported slimming than their actual or their parent's perceptions of their weight status. Additionally, children's self-perceived weight status seems important in engaging more physical activity and reduces screen time.

An evidence-update on the prospective relationship between childhood sedentary behaviour and biomedical health indicators: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Evidence for adverse health effects of excessive sedentary behaviour in children is predominantly based on cross-sectional studies, measuring TV viewing as proxy for sedentary behaviour. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes the evidence on the prospective relationship between childhood sedentary behaviour and biomedical health indicators, overall and stratified by type of sedentary behaviour (TV viewing, computer use/games, screen time and objective sedentary time). PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Cochrane were systematically searched till January 2015. Methodological quality of all included studies was scored, and a best evidence synthesis was applied. We included 109 studies of which 19 were of high quality. We found moderate-to-strong evidence for a relationship of overall sedentary time with some anthropometrics (overweight/obesity, weight-for-height), one cardiometabolic biomarker (HDL-cholesterol) and some fitness indicators (fitness, being unfit). For other health indicators, we found no convincing evidence because of inconsistent or non-significant findings. The evidence varied by type of sedentary behaviour. The meta-analysis indicated that each additional baseline hour of TV viewing (ß = 0.01, 95%CI = [-0.002; 0.02]) or computer use (ß = 0.00, 95%CI = [-0.004; 0.01]) per day was not significantly related with BMI at follow-up. We conclude that the evidence for a prospective relationship between childhood sedentary behaviour and biomedical health is in general unconvincing.

Choriocarcinoma with Uterine Rupture and Shock: A Rare Case Report.

Choriocarcinoma is a rare neoplasm and a malignant form of gestational trophoblastic disease. Choriocarcinoma is frequently preceded by a complete mole, ectopic pregnancy, nonmolar intrauterine abortion, and uncommonly by a partial mole. It is treated medically with chemotherapeutic drugs usually. However, we managed to save a life with appropriate and timely surgical intervention in a case of choriocarcinoma who presented with uterine rupture, haemoperitoneum, anaemia and hypovolemic shock. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy and hysterectomy followed by systemic chemotherapy.

Statistical study of the socio-economic factors affecting child immunisation in rural areas.

A sample survey of immunisation coverages in children in the rural areas of Varanasi was undertaken to study how the socio-economic status of parents affects immunisation of their children. The present state of affairs in immunisation programme in India inspite of its established utility and added attempts towards its implementation, seems to be unsatisfactory. The entire problem is very closely linked with education and socio-economic uplift of the people.

Body mass index, waist circumference and skin-fold thickness in 12- to 14-year-old Dutch adolescents: differences between 2003 and 2011.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare anthropometrics of 12- to 14-year-old Dutch adolescents attending lower levels of education in 2011 with adolescents measured in 2003. METHODS: We used baseline data from two trials evaluating a school-based obesity prevention programme in 2003 (randomized controlled trial with 18 schools) and in 2011 (cluster controlled trial with 29 schools). We measured adolescents' body height and weight, skin-fold thickness, and waist circumference in 2003 (n = 1000; response rate 76%) and 2011 (n = 1898; response rate 86%). We used multivariable multilevel linear or logistic regression analyses stratifying for gender, ethnicity and prevocational education track (vocational or theoretical) where appropriate. RESULTS: In boys, prevalence of overweight, waist circumference, triceps, biceps and subscapular skin-folds were significantly higher in 2011. This was also true for vocational girls, except for the subscapular skin-fold. Girls, attending the theoretical track, had a significantly larger waist circumference, but thinner subscapular and suprailiac skin-fold thickness in 2011. CONCLUSIONS: The increased prevalence of overweight and obesity in Dutch adolescents attending prevocational education is worrisome. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN87127361 and Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN92755979.

Differences in weight status and energy-balance related behaviours according to ethnic background among adolescents in seven countries in Europe: the ENERGY-project.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore differences in weight status and energy balance behaviours according to ethnic background among adolescents across Europe. METHODS: A school-based survey among 10-12-year-old adolescents was conducted in seven European countries. Weight, height and waist circumference were measured; engagement in physical activity, sedentary and dietary behaviour, and sleep duration was assessed by child and parent-report. A distinction between native and non-native ethnic background was based on language spoken at home, and the parents' country of birth. Analyses were conducted with and without adjustment for parental education. RESULTS: With valid data on both indicators of ethnic background for 5149 adolescents, 7307 adolescents (52% girls; 11.6 ± 0.7 years) participated. Significantly higher prevalence of overweight, obesity, body mass index and waist circumference were observed among non-native compared with native adolescents. Non-native adolescents had less favourable behavioural patterns (sugary drinks, breakfast skipping, sport, TV and computer time, hours of sleep) with the exception of active transport to school. Similar patterns were observed for both indicators of ethnicity, and in most of the separate countries; however, in Greece, weight status indicators were better among non-native adolescents. After adjustment for parental education, most differences remained significant according to country of origin of the parents, but not according to language spoken at home. CONCLUSION: Adolescents of native ethnicity of the country of residence have, in general, more favourable weight status indicators and energy balance-related behaviours than adolescents of non-native ethnicity across Europe.

A better view of the temporomandibular joint: a technical note.

The authors present a method of gaining access to the temporomandibular joint that improves visibility and surgical access. It should reduce operating times and improve results.