Tobacco industry manipulation of data on and press coverage of the illicit tobacco trade in the UK.

BACKGROUND: In the UK, transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) have been arguing that levels of illicit trade are high and increasing and will rise further if standardised packaging is implemented. This paper examines trends in and accuracy of media reporting of, and industry data on, illicit tobacco in the UK. METHODS: Quantification of the volume, nature and quality of press articles citing industry data on illicit tobacco in UK newspapers from March 2008 to March 2013. Examination of published TTC data on illicit, including a comparison with independent data and of TTC reporting of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs data on illicit. RESULTS: Media stories citing industry data on illicit tobacco began in June 2011, 2 months after the Tobacco Control Plan for England, which heralded standardised packaging, was published. The majority of data cited are based on industry Empty Pack Surveys for which no methodology is available. For almost all parts of the country where repeat data were cited in press stories, they indicated an increase, often substantial, in non-domestic/illicit cigarettes that is not supported by independent data. Similarly, national data from two published industry sources show a sudden large increase in non-domestic product between 2011 and 2012. Yet the methodology of one report changes over this period and the other provides no published methodology. In contrast, independent data show steady declines in non-domestic and illicit cigarette penetration from 2006 to 2012 and either a continued decline or small increase to 2013. CONCLUSIONS: Industry claims that use of Non-UK Duty Paid/illicit cigarettes in the UK is sharply increasing are inconsistent with historical trends and recent independent data. TTCs are exaggerating the threat of illicit tobacco by commissioning surveys whose methodology and validity remain uncertain, planting misleading stories and misquoting government data. Industry data on levels of illicit should be treated with extreme caution.

Maternal Obesity during Pregnancy is Associated with Lower Cortical Thickness in the Neonate Brain.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent studies have suggested that maternal obesity during pregnancy is associated with differences in neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationships between maternal obesity during pregnancy and neonatal brain cortical development. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four healthy women (28 normal-weight, 16 obese) were prospectively recruited at <10 weeks' gestation, and their healthy full-term neonates (23 boys, 21 girls) underwent brain MR imaging. All pregnant women had their body composition (fat mass percentage) measured at ∼12 weeks of pregnancy. All neonates were scanned at ∼2 weeks of age during natural sleep without sedation, and their 3D T1-weighted images were postprocessed by the new iBEAT2.0 software. Brain MR imaging segmentation and cortical surface reconstruction and parcellation were completed using age-appropriate templates. Mean cortical thickness for 34 regions in each brain hemisphere defined by the UNC Neonatal Cortical Surface Atlas was measured, compared between groups, and correlated with maternal body fat mass percentage, controlled for neonate sex and race, postmenstrual age at MR imaging, maternal age at pregnancy, and the maternal intelligence quotient and education. RESULTS: Neonates born to obese mothers showed significantly lower (P ≤ .05, false discovery rate-corrected) cortical thickness in the left pars opercularis gyrus, left pars triangularis gyrus, and left rostral middle frontal gyrus. Mean cortical thickness in these frontal lobe regions negatively correlated (R = -0.34, P = .04; R = -0.50, P = .001; and R = -0.42, P = .01; respectively) with the maternal body fat mass percentage measured at early pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal obesity during pregnancy is associated with lower neonate brain cortical thickness in several frontal lobe regions important for language and executive functions.

Maternal Anxiety and Depression during Late Pregnancy and Newborn Brain White Matter Development.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Anxiety and depression during pregnancy have been associated with an increased risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. We aimed to study the in utero effects of maternal anxiety and depression on early brain development. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pregnant women were recruited at ∼36 weeks of gestation for this prospective study. They were assessed for anxiety symptoms by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and for depression symptoms by the Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd Edition. After delivery, infant underwent an MR imaging examination of the brain without sedation, including DTI, for evaluation of white matter (WM) development. Infant fractional anisotropy values, a putative marker of WM integrity, were correlated with the mothers' State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory scores by using both tract-based spatial statistics and ROI methods. RESULTS: Thirty-four infants were included in this study. Both maternal State-Anxiety and Trait-Anxiety scores negatively correlated (P < .05, corrected) with fractional anisotropy values in widespread brain WM regions; Beck Depression Inventory scores also negatively correlated (P < .05) with fractional anisotropy values in one cluster in the brain. Further ROI analyses confirmed significant negative correlations between average fractional anisotropy values in ROIs including left and right prefrontal WM, left and right middle frontal gyrus WM, and the fornix, and State-Anxiety (R values, -0.47 to -0.67; P values, .008 to <.001), Trait-Anxiety (R, -0.37 to -0.59; P, .04 to <.001), and Beck Depression Inventory (R values, -0.36 to -0.55; P, .05 to .002) scores. CONCLUSIONS: Higher maternal anxiety and depression symptom scores during late pregnancy were associated with lower estimated infant brain WM development, which indicated in utero influences of maternal mental health during pregnancy on the developing brain.

Cesarean Delivery Impacts Infant Brain Development.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The cesarean delivery rate has increased globally in the past few decades. Neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with cesarean delivery are still unclear. This study investigated whether cesarean delivery has any effect on the brain development of offspring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 306 healthy children were studied retrospectively. We included 3 cohorts: 2-week-old neonates (cohort 1, n = 32/11 for vaginal delivery/cesarean delivery) and 8-year-old children (cohort 2, n = 37/23 for vaginal delivery/cesarean delivery) studied at Arkansas Children's Hospital, and a longitudinal cohort of 3-month to 5-year-old children (cohort 3, n = 164/39 for vaginal delivery/cesarean delivery) studied independently at Brown University. Diffusion tensor imaging, myelin water fraction imaging, voxel-based morphometry, and/or resting-state fMRI data were analyzed to evaluate white matter integrity, myelination, gray matter volume, and/or functional connectivity, respectively. RESULTS: While not all MR imaging techniques were shared across the institutions/cohorts, post hoc analyses showed similar results of potential effects of cesarean delivery. The cesarean delivery group in cohort 1 showed significantly lower white matter development in widespread brain regions and significantly lower functional connectivity in the brain default mode network, controlled for a number of potential confounders. No group differences were found in cohort 2 in white matter integrity or gray matter volume. Cohort 3 had significantly different trajectories of white matter myelination between groups, with those born by cesarean delivery having reduced myelin in infancy but normalizing with age. CONCLUSIONS: Cesarean delivery may influence infant brain development. The impact may be transient because similar effects were not observed in older children. Further prospective and longitudinal studies may be needed to confirm these novel findings.

Gestational Age at Birth and Brain White Matter Development in Term-Born Infants and Children.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Studies on infants and children born preterm have shown that adequate gestational length is critical for brain white matter development. Less is known regarding how variations in gestational age at birth in term infants and children affect white matter development, which was evaluated in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using DTI tract-based spatial statistics methods, we evaluated white matter microstructures in 2 groups of term-born (≥37 weeks of gestation) healthy subjects: 2-week-old infants (n = 44) and 8-year-old children (n = 63). DTI parameters including fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity were calculated by voxelwise and ROI methods and were correlated with gestational age at birth, with potential confounding factors such as postnatal age and sex controlled. RESULTS: Fractional anisotropy values, which are markers for white matter microstructural integrity, positively correlated (P < .05, corrected) with gestational age at birth in most major white matter tracts/regions for the term infants. Mean diffusivity values, which are measures of water diffusivities in the brain, and axial and radial diffusivity values, which are markers for axonal growth and myelination, respectively, negatively correlated (P < .05, corrected) with gestational age at birth in all major white matter tracts/regions excluding the body and splenium of the corpus callosum for the term infants. No significant correlations with gestational age were observed for any tracts/regions for the term-born 8-year-old children. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that longer gestation during the normal term period is associated with significantly greater infant white matter development (as reflected by higher fractional anisotropy and lower mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity values); however, similar associations were not observable in later childhood.

Responses to exercise at the velocity associated with VO2max.

The purpose of this study was to assess the significance of the velocity at which an individual achieves VO2max in an incremental treadmill test (Vmax) and the time that this velocity can be sustained (Tmax) to evaluate the rationale for using Vmax and Tmax in the prescription of endurance exercise training. Mean (+/- SD) values for VO2max, and Vmax in 13 female track athletes were 52.1 +/- 5.1 ml.kg.min-1 and 271 +/- 18 m.min-1, respectively. Then each athlete performed an exhaustive run at her Vmax. In these runs, VO2max was achieved after 234 +/- 49 s and was maintained for 56 +/- 48 s (range, 10-155 s) which was the last 18 +/- 13% (range, 4-47%) of the total exercise bout. Only one of the 13 subjects reached VO2max in the first 60% of the constant velocity test. Thus, while VO2max was attained during exhaustive exercise at Vmax, the amount of time that it was sustained was quite small (less than 60 s) and highly variable. It was concluded that Vmax is a suitable intensity to elicit VO2max in training. But 60% (or less) of Tmax is not an appropriate duration for training at this intensity because it is too short a time to allow most athletes to reach VO2max.

Running velocity at VO2max.

Several authors have defined velocities which may, as a group, be described as the velocity associated with VO2max. Although several names, definitions, and abbreviations have been introduced, in this paper we shall use vVO2max for them all. These vVO2max have been reported to be an indicator of performance in distance running events. However, protocols for data collection and definitions used in the calculation of vVO2max have differed between studies. The purpose of this investigation was to compare values of vVO2max obtained using five definitions that have been described in the literature. vVO2max was determined in 22 women track athletes as (a) the speed at which VO2max was attained in a speed-incremented 0%-slope treadmill test, (b) the highest speed in the test that could be sustained for 1 min, (c) the ratio of VO2max to the oxygen cost of submaximal running (C), (d) the ratio of (VO2max - VO2 at rest) to (C - VO2 at rest), and (e) the velocity determined by extrapolation of the submaximal velocity:VO2 relationship. Results of ANOVA suggested that there were significant differences among the values derived using the different methods (F4.84 = 7.80, P < 0.001). Correlations among the various pairs of values ranged from 0.68 to 1.00. It is concluded that there are five distinct parameters described by the five definitions. The value of each of these parameters is influenced by VO2max and the energy cost of running. In theory, three of the parameters have an anaerobic component; two do not.

Examination of the validity of the WISC-III with urban exceptional students.

To investigate the criterion validity of the WISC-III, WISC-R and WISC-III IQs of 96 urban special education students who underwent a 3-yr. reevaluation were compared. The study examined (a) differences between WISC-R and WISC-III IQs and scale scores, (b) relationships among respective WISC-R and WISC-III IQs and scale sores, and (c) WISC-III IQ differences across three exceptionalities: Learning Disabled, Mentally Retarded, and Behavioral Disorders. A related question was to assess whether WISC-III Full Scale IQs differed by race. As expected, all WISC-III IQs and subtest scores were lower than the corresponding WISC-R IQs. Correlations computed among the three scales, respectively, indicated substantial conceptual overlap (Full Scale IQ = .88, Verbal IQ = .82, Performance IQ = .81). Analysis indicated a significant difference in WISC-III Full Scale IQs with respect to race. Comparisons by exceptionality and race indicated that African-American students in the Learning Disabled and Behaviorally Disordered groups obtained significantly higher WISC-III Full Scale IQs than did Euro-American students. No significant difference was obtained on scores for Mentally Retarded groups.

Identification of nutritional risk by nursing staff in secure psychiatric settings: reliability and validity of St Andrew's Nutrition Screening Instrument.

Nutrition screening is the first-line approach to addressing the nutritional needs of service users and has been recommended as best practice by several authoritative and regulatory bodies. A simple and comprehensive screening tool, the St Andrew's Nutrition Screening Instrument (SANSI), was developed for use in an inpatient secure psychiatric setting. The aim of this study was to test the screening tool for reliability and validity. This study identified SANSI as reliable and valid for use in secure psychiatric settings for adolescents and adults. This should give confidence to regulatory and commissioning organizations, that the nutritional risk for patients in an organization which serves a diverse mental health population is being correctly identified, raising staff awareness and allowing appropriate action to be planned.

Northern exposure.

The operators of Alaska's Alyeska pipeline have often claimed an outstanding record in preventing accidents and environmental damage. This article highlights that, contrary to these claims, Alyeska's operations have brought with them a life-threatening gamble with Alaska's fragile environment. The authors document how the operators of Alyeska have misled the public about the company's real safety record, while at the same time preventing employees from speaking out. As the oil companies consolidate globally, territorial entities such as Alaska can literally assume the character of an oil province.

Significance of time to exhaustion during exercise at the velocity associated with VO2max.

In theory, time to exhaustion at the velocity associated with VO2max (tLIM at vVO2max) together with the anaerobic threshold (AT) should provide information about the anaerobic capacity of an individual. The primary purpose of this study was to test that hypothesis, using oxygen deficit as a criterion for anaerobic capacity. A second purpose was to identify factors that might explain the large inter-individual variability reported in tLIM at vVO2max. Subjects were 13 female track athletes who performed incremental treadmill tests to determine VO2max and AT and constant velocity tests at vVO2max to determine tLIM and oxygen deficit. Correlations between oxygen deficit and tLIM at vVO2max and [(tLIM at vVO2max).(VO2max-AT)], a compound variable derived based on the critical power concept, were 0.51 (p < 0.05, one-tailed) and 0.67 (p < 0.01). To identify factors related to the inter-individual variability in tLIM at vVO2max, correlations between tLIM and AT, oxygen deficit, and [oxygen deficit/(VO2max-AT)] were calculated. Intra-individual differences in AT explained 44% of the variability in tLIM at vVO2max, oxygen deficit explained 26% of the variance, and the compound variable explained only 36%. It was concluded that (a) alone, or in combination with AT, tLIM at vVO2max cannot be used to estimate anaerobic capacity and (b) factors other than anaerobic capacity and AT contribute to the relatively large intra-individual variability in tLIM at vVO2max (CV = 21%). Determinants of tLIM at vVO2max must be elucidated if this measure is to be of use to sport scientists.

Continuous long-term culture of human bone marrow.

Human bone marrow was cultured with alpha medium, 10(-6)M hydrocortisone and a mixture of horse and fetal calf serum in a long-term liquid culture system. An adherent layer was formed with contained fat cells, macrophages, fibroblast-like and epithelioid cells. The layer harboured myeloid cells and their presumptive precursors whilst the nonadherent cells were composed of immature myeloid elements plus mature macrophages and granulocytes whose numbers were maintained for periods of up to 12 weeks. Experiments showed that the use of serum mixtures was superior to horse or fetal calf serum alone and successful culture was accompanied by early growth of the hydrocortisone-dependent fat cells in the adherent layer.

Accumulation of polyunsaturated fatty acids by concentrate selecting ruminants.

Depot fat samples from ruminants of different feeding type and--for comparison--fat samples from simple-stomached animals were collected within 3 months. Individual fatty acid proportions, especially the relation of essential, polyunsaturated fatty acids to nonessential, saturated plus monounsaturated fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography. Species can be separated into two distinct groups: Depot fat of wild boar showed by far the highest content of essential fatty acids compared with all ruminant species. The subsequent inter-ruminant comparison yielded a further separation into two distinct groups related to feeding type. Roe deer and moose, constituting the first group of concentrate selectors, showed significantly higher percentages of polyunsaturated fatty acids than the other ruminant species comprised of the grass and roughage eaters or intermediates. The data document that the mode of feeding and/or the diet affects the body composition of the species investigated and that the depot fat composition of these ruminant species is markedly related to feeding type.