Impact of proximity of healthier versus less healthy foods on intake: A lab-based experiment.

BACKGROUND: Placing food further away from people decreases likelihood of consumption ("Proximity Effect"). However, it is unclear how proximity affects consumption when both healthier and less healthy foods are available and cognitive resource for self-control is limited. AIMS: To test the hypothesis that when both healthier (raisins) and less healthy (chocolate M&Ms) foods are available, placing less healthy food far, rather than near, increases the likelihood that healthier food is consumed. METHODS: General population participants (N = 248) were all put under cognitive load and randomised to one of four groups: 1. Raisins near (20 cm), M&Ms far (70 cm); 2. Both foods near; 3. M&Ms near, raisins far; 4. Both far. PRIMARY OUTCOME: proportions of participants consuming raisins and M&Ms, respectively. RESULTS: The results did not support the primary hypothesis: when healthier and less healthy foods were both available, placing M&Ms far, rather than near, did not increase likelihood of consuming raisins (OR = 1.54, p = .432). Regardless of the M&Ms proximity, likelihood of consuming raisins was unaffected by the raisins' proximity (62.9%(near) vs. 56.5%(far) OR = 0.61, p = .211). Likelihood of consuming M&Ms non-significantly decreased when they were far and raisins were near, and when both foods were far (OR = 2.83, p = .057). Likelihood of consuming M&Ms was affected by M&Ms proximity, being higher when near (68.3%) than far (55.6%), OR = 0.39, p = .015. Indices of cognitive load impact (higher vs lower) were unrelated to consumption of either food. CONCLUSIONS: Likelihood of consuming a healthier food was unaffected by its proximity and that of a less healthy food. By contrast, likelihood of consuming a less healthy food was influenced by its proximity and possibly by that of a healthier food. These effects need replication in studies designed to detect smaller effect sizes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered online with ISRCTN (ISRCTN11740813).

Obesity discrimination: the role of physical appearance, personal ideology, and anti-fat prejudice.

OBJECTIVE: Self-report measures of anti-fat prejudice are regularly used by the field, however, there is no research showing a relationship between explicit measures of anti-fat prejudice and the behavioral manifestation of them; obesity discrimination. The present study examined whether a recently developed measure of anti-fat prejudice, the universal measure of bias (UMB), along with other correlates of prejudicial attitudes and beliefs (that is, authoritarianism, social dominance orientation; SDO, physical appearance investment) predict obesity discrimination. METHOD: Under the guise of a personnel selection task, participants (n=102) gave assessments of obese and non-obese females applying for a managerial position across a number of selection criteria (for example, starting salary, likelihood of selecting). Participants viewed resumes that had attached either a photo of a pre-bariatric surgery obese female (body mass index (BMI)=38-41) or a photo of the same female post-bariatric surgery (BMI=22-24). Participants also completed measures of anti-fat prejudice (UMB) authoritarianism, SDO, physical appearance evaluation and orientation. RESULTS: Obesity discrimination was displayed across all selection criteria. Higher UMB subscale scores (distance and negative judgement), authoritarianism, physical appearance evaluation and orientation were associated with greater obesity discrimination. In regression models, UMB 'distance' was a predictor of obesity discrimination for perceived leadership potential, starting salary, and overall employability. UMB 'negative judgement' predicted discrimination for starting salary; and authoritarianism predicted likelihood of selecting an obese applicant and candidate ranking. Finally, physical appearance evaluation and appearance orientation predicted obesity discrimination for predicted career success and leadership potential, respectively. CONCLUSION: Self-report measures of prejudice act as surrogates for discrimination, but there has been no empirical support for the validity of explicit measures of anti-fat prejudice. Here, the UMB, authoritarianism, and physical appearance investment predicted obesity discrimination. The present results provide support for the use of these measures by researchers seeking to assess, understand, and reduce anti-fat prejudice and discrimination.

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease in rheumatology outpatients.

BACKGROUND: The introduction of routine reporting of estimated glomerular filtration rate coupled with a new definition of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has led to an unprecedented focus on kidney disease in many patient groups. In light of this, we performed an audit of patients attending the rheumatology clinics to assess the prevalence of CKD in this population. METHODS: Over a four week period, we reviewed the renal function of all patients attending the rheumatology clinics and day ward at our hospital (n=351). Renal function was assessed using the 4-variable MDRD formula. We then interviewed those patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 59 ml/min or lower. RESULTS: We found a prevalence rate of 18% for stage 3 CKD or lower in our audit population. Surprisingly, 60.3% of patients in this category were not aware of any problems with their kidneys (n=38). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence rate of 18% for stage 3 CKD or lower is significantly higher than the five per cent reported within the general population. As a result of this audit, we now plan to ensure that these patients undergo measurement of blood pressure, eGFR, and urinalysis on a six to twelve monthly basis.

Intergroup contact, friendship quality and political attitudes in integrated and segregated schools in Northern Ireland.

BACKGROUND: This study examines the effects of integrated and segregated schooling on Northern Irish children's self-reported contact and friendship with members of the other denominational group in school and community settings. AIM: To assess the effects of cross group friendships and cross group contacts in school and outside school on children's political attitudes. SAMPLE: A cross-sectional design was employed with 1732 children being assessed at three age levels 11,12 & 14 years in eight-matched integrated, maintained (Catholic) and controlled (Protestant) schools. METHOD: Lisrel modelling was used to investigate the interrelationships among cross group friendship quality, cross group contacts in school and outside school and children's political attitudes. RESULTS: Intergroup contact within and outside school was reported frequently in integrated schools but only occasionally in segregated schools. Modelling revealed that cross group contacts in school and outside school were both associated with less extreme political attitudes. Friendship quality with cross group members had no significant effects on political attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide support for educating Protestants and Catholics together as a means of moderating attitudes and creating cross-community friendships in a divided society.

Effect of etanercept on serum amyloid A protein (SAA) levels in patients with AA amyloidosis complicating inflammatory arthritis.

We assessed changes in serum amyloid A protein (SAA) levels during treatment with etanercept in AA amyloidosis complicating inflammatory arthritis. Five women and four men with AA amyloidosis and inflammatory arthritis received etanercept. SAA levels were recorded before and after commencement of treatment. Previous immunosuppressive drugs included cyclophosphamide (four patients), azathioprine (three patients), methotrexate (two patients) and chlorambucil (in one patient). Two patients received no disease modifying drugs between the time of diagnosis of AA amyloidosis and commencement of etanercept. In seven out of nine patients the median SAA level during etanercept treatment was lower than levels before anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy. In five out of nine patients, the median post treatment level was <11 mg/l. There were no significant changes in serum creatinine or proteinuria during periods (median, 23 months; range, 1-24 months) of etanercept therapy. The etanercept was stopped in four patients because of: acute bacterial endocarditis, psoriasiform rash, psychosis and leukopenia. In two of these patients alternative biologics were commenced (adalimumab or anakinra) and one was restarted on etanercept. One patient died of cerebral haemorrhage during the study. Etanercept therapy was associated with a fall in SAA levels in seven of nine patients, five of whom achieved levels which might be expected to be associated with stable or regressing amyloid deposits. Etanercept represents a useful alternative to immunosuppressant therapy such as cyclophosphamide or chlorambucil. Further work is needed to establish whether organ damage related to AA amyloidosis is slowed by etanercept.

Implicit anti-fat bias in physical educators: physical attributes, ideology and socialization.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the implicit and explicit prejudice of physical education (PE) students before, and following extensive professional training, and to examine the relationship of anti-fat prejudice to relevant psychosocial predictors. DESIGN: Implicit and explicit anti-fat prejudice of year one and three PE students (cross-sectional sample) were assessed and compared to a similarly matched (age, body mass index (BMI), education) sample of psychology students. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and forty-four university students, 180 PE students, 164 psychology students (67% female, mean age 20 years, BMI: mean 23.18 kg/m(2)). MEASUREMENTS: Measures of implicit and explicit anti-fat prejudice were administered to PE and psychology students in either their second week, or near completion of their third year, of university study. Physical identity, body esteem and social dominance orientation (SDO) were assessed in order to establish their relationship with anti-fat bias. RESULTS: PE students displayed higher levels of implicit anti-fat bias than psychology students, and other health professionals. Additionally, year three PE students displayed higher levels of implicit anti-fat attitudes than year one PE students. The higher implicit anti-fat biases exhibited by year three PE students were associated with SDO, and lower body esteem. CONCLUSION: Physical educators, and particularly those more socialized in the PE environment, display strong negative prejudice toward obese individuals that is greater than that displayed by other groups. These prejudices appear to be supported by an over-investment in physical attributes, and ideological beliefs.

Body esteem and eating behaviours in female physical education students.

Certain university majors appear to be at greater risk of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. The present study sought to examine self esteem, body satisfaction, and disordered eating in a sample of year one and year three female physical education students, and to compare them to a matched sample of non-physical education females. Year three, but not year one physical education females, reported greater rates of disorder eating, but lower global self esteem, than non-physical education females. Dissatisfaction with sexual attractiveness, physical condition, and weight, were significantly related to disordered eating behaviours. Further research needs to be conducted with university majors that place a high premium on physical form and ability.

Primary hyperparathyroidsm, amyloid and multiple myeloma: an unusual association.

We report the case of a 76-year-old woman with a diagnosis of Primary Hyperparathyroidsm and Systemic Amyloidosis, in whom subsequent investigations revealed the presence of Multiple Myeloma. We discuss the relationship between these conditions and the implications for management.

Lack of radiological and clinical benefit over two years of low dose prednisolone for rheumatoid arthritis: results of a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Evidence for disease modifying activity of low dose corticosteroid treatment in rheumatoid arthritis is contradictory. Studies showing radiological benefit suggest that continued treatment is required to sustain the effect. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of low dose oral prednisolone in early rheumatoid arthritis on disease activity over two years. DESIGN: Double blind placebo controlled trial. METHODS: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis, duration <3 years (n = 167), were started on a disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD; sulphasalazine) and allocated by stratified randomisation to prednisolone 7 mg/day or placebo. Primary outcome measure was radiological damage, assessed by the modified Sharp method. Clinical benefit was a secondary outcome. A proactive approach to identifying and treating corticosteroid adverse events was adopted. Patients who discontinued sulphasalazine were offered an alternative DMARD. RESULTS: 90 of 257 patients eligible for the study refused to participate (more women than men). Of those enrolled, 84% were seropositive for rheumatoid factor, median age 56 years, median disease duration 12 months, female to male ratio 1.8:1. Prednisolone was given to 84 patients; of these 73% continued prednisolone and 70% sulphasalazine at 2 years. Of the 83 patients on placebo, 80% continued placebo and 64% sulphasalazine at 2 years. There were no significant differences in radiological score or clinical and laboratory measures at 0 and 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Low dose prednisolone conferred no radiological or clinical benefit on patients maintained on a DMARD over two years. Low dose corticosteroids have no role in the routine management of rheumatoid arthritis treated with conventional disease modifying drugs.

Effects of selenium compounds on induction of DNA damage by broadband ultraviolet radiation in human keratinocytes.

Background Ultraviolet radiation (UVR), a ubiquitous environmental genotoxin for the skin, produces DNA damage. The trace element selenium induces synthesis of the glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase enzyme families. These selenoenzymes detoxify a range of toxic compounds generated by free radicals. Objectives To assess the effects of pretreatment of primary human keratinocytes with selenium on UVR-induced DNA damage. Methods Cells were irradiated with UVR from FS-20 lamps and were subjected to comet assay. Results Comet tail length due to UVR-induced T4 endonuclease V-sensitive sites (caused by cyclopyrimidine dimers, CPDs) increased to 35 +/- 4.5 microm (mean +/- SD) immediately after irradiation (time 0 h, 100%). After 4 h, 68% of the damage remained and after 24 h, 23% of the damage was still present. Treatment with up to 200 nmol L-1 selenomethionine or 50 nmol L-1 sodium selenite had no effect on CPD formation or rates of repair, or on the number of excision repair sites as measured by cytosine arabino furanoside and hydroxyurea treatment. However, selenite and selenomethionine protected against oxidative damage to DNA as measured by formation of formamidopyrimidine (FaPy) glycosylase-sensitive sites, which are indicative of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine photoproduct formation. In this assay, irradiation of keratinocytes increased mean +/- SD glycosylase-specific comet tail length from 5 +/- 1.5 microm to 19 +/- 3.3 microm. Preincubation for 18 h with 50 nmol L-1 selenite abolished the UVR-induced increase in comet length. Preincubation with 200 nmol L-1 selenomethionine was similarly protective. Conclusions Selenite and selenomethionine protect keratinocytes from UVR-induced oxidative damage, but not from formation of UVR-induced excision repair sites.

Susceptibility of head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) to pediculicides in Australia.

Infestation with head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis, is a worldwide problem, especially among primary (elementary) school children. Although studies in many different countries indicate lower levels of susceptibility to certain insecticides than expected ("resistance"), there is no empirical data from Australia. Data on the susceptibility of head lice to malathion, pyrethrums and permethrin were collected from four schools in Brisbane and one school in northern Queensland. Since no completely susceptible strain of head lice was available and head lice are difficult to keep in culture, a completely susceptible strain of body lice, Pediculus humanus humanus, was used for reference. All five groups of head lice were less susceptible to malathion, pyrethrums and permethrin than were lice from the reference strain. Moreover, the degree of susceptibility to these insecticides varied substantially among schools. Thus, a pediculicide that controlled lice at one school in Brisbane would not necessarily control head lice at another school in the same city. These preliminary data indicate that detailed information on the susceptibility of the different populations of head lice in Queensland to the different insecticides available is needed to maximize the chance of effective control of these increasingly common parasites.

The relationship between pituitary tumour transforming gene (PTTG) expression and in vitro hormone and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion from human pituitary adenomas.

OBJECTIVE: Pituitary tumour transforming gene (PTTG) is a recently identified protooncogene, ubiquitously expressed in pituitary tumours at levels higher than those detected in normal pituitary. Although the precise function of PTTG protein is unknown, in vitro experiments have shown that it induces angiogenesis. In this study, we have examined the potential relationship between the level of PTTG expression and tumour phenotype, tumour size, in vitro pituitary hormone secretion and release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potent angiogenic factor. METHODS: Pituitary tumours (12 somatotroph, five lactotroph, five corticotroph and 18 non-functioning) were studied by cell culture, measuring the basal secretion of anterior pituitary hormones and VEGF in vitro. Immunocytochemistry was used to confirm the clinical diagnosis and tumour phenotype. PTTG mRNA expression was investigated by comparative RT-PCR. Tumour Volume was quantitated from pre-operative MRI scans. RESULTS: PTTG expression was significantly increased 2.7-fold in somatotroph tumours compared with non-functioning adenomas (P<0.01, ANOVA). A positive correlation was demonstrated between PTTG expression and in vitro GH secretion (r=0.41, P<0.01, Spearman) but no correlations were found for any of the other pituitary hormones. In 16 out of 40 pituitary tumours, we were able to determine the in vitro secretion of VEGF and relate this to PTTG expression. All of the adenomas tested secreted measurable VEGF but there was no correlation between the amount of VEGF secreted and either the tumour phenotype or PTTG expression. Neither PTTG expression nor VEGF secretion correlated with tumour Volume. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies have confirmed the presence of PTTG in pituitary adenomas and demonstrated a higher level of expression in somatotroph tumours and a significant correlation with GH secretion. We failed to demonstrate a relationship between PTTG expression and production of the angiogenic factor, VEGF, or tumour Volume. Thus, although PTTG induces angiogenesis experimentally, it seems unlikely that a VEGF-mediated angiogenic mechanism occurs during pituitary tumour progression.

Inhibition of ultraviolet B radiation-induced interleukin 10 expression in murine keratinocytes by selenium compounds.

BACKGROUND: Selenium is an essential trace nutrient necessary for the normal function of the immune system. Selenium compounds protect mice against ultraviolet (UV) B-induced tumours, probably by preventing oxidative damage to the host skin cells and to the host immune system. One possible mechanism of protection is that selenium can prevent oxidative stress-induced release of cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-10, which could suppress cell-mediated immunity. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether selenium compounds can inhibit UVB induction of IL-10 protein in murine keratinocytes. METHODS: The murine keratinocyte cell line PAM 212 was treated with or without selenomethionine (50-200 nmol L-1) or sodium selenite (1-50 nmol L(-1)) for 24 h before exposure to 200 J m(-2) UVB. The cells were stained with an antibody to IL-10, 24 h after irradiation. RESULTS: Preincubation with both selenium compounds inhibited UVB induction of IL-10 immunostaining, although selenomethionine was more effective. Pretreatment with 200 nmol L(-1) selenomethionine decreased IL-10 immunostaining to levels seen in the unirradiated controls. CONCLUSIONS: The protective effects of selenium against UVB-induced skin cancer in murine models may result, in part, from its ability to inhibit release of cytokines that are capable of suppressing cell-mediated immunity.