Validation of a Complementary Food Frequency Questionnaire to assess infant nutrient intake

Dietary assessment in infants is challenging but necessary to understand the relationship between nutrition and growth and development. Currently no simple, validated methods exist to assess nutrient intake in New Zealand (NZ) infants. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the relative validity and reproducibility of a Complementary Food Frequency Questionnaire (CFFQ) to determine nutrient intakes of NZ infants. Ninety‐five parent–infant pairs (infant age 10 ± 1 months) completed the CFFQ twice (CFFQ‐1 and CFFQ‐2), 4 weeks apart (to assess reproducibility). A 4‐day weighed food record (4dWFR) was collected between CFFQ administrations (to assess validity). Validity and reproducibility were assessed for intakes of energy and 18 nutrients using Bland–Altman analysis, Pearson's correlation coefficients, cross‐classification, and weighted Kappa (κ). The CFFQ showed acceptable validity: Nutrients from the CFFQ were comparable with the 4dWFR (bias, 9–28%), correlation between methods ranged from r = .18 (saturated fat) to r = .81 (iron; mean r = .52), 54% (mean) of participants were correctly classified (range 39% to 67%), and 7.1% (mean) misclassified into opposite tertiles (range 2.1% to 14.7%). There was acceptable agreement between the CFFQ and 4dWFR (κ = 0.20–0.60). The CFFQ showed good reproducibility: Correlations ranged from r = .34 (folate) to r = .80 (zinc); for 16 nutrients, >50% of participants were correctly classified, and for all nutrients, <10% of participants were grossly misclassified. All nutrients showed acceptable to good agreement (κ > 0.20). The CFFQ has acceptable relative validity and good reproducibility for assessing nutrient intake in NZ infants aged 9–12 months, making it a useful tool for use in future research.     

Nidogen 1 regulates proliferation and migration/invasion in murine claudin-low mammary tumor cells

Nidogen 1 (NID1) is a glycoprotein found in basement membranes involved in cross-linking collagen IV and laminin. The role of NID in breast cancer has only been evaluated in a small number of studies and the findings of these studies have been inconsistent. Our previous work revealed that highly tumorigenic murine mammary tumor cells express high levels of Nid1 while weakly tumorigenic mammary tumor cells express low levels of Nid1. To investigate Nid1, two stable knockdown lines were created, and Nid1 knockdown was confirmed at both the mRNA and protein level. Nid1 knockdown significantly reduced cell proliferation and migration/invasion and these reductions in proliferation and migration/invasion could be rescued by conditioned media containing NID1 protein. The reduced migration/invasion observed in the Nid1 knockdown cells was not associated with significant alterations in the epithelial gene Cdh1 or the mesenchymal genes Snai1, Snai2, Twist1, Twist2, Zeb1 and Zeb2. Therefore, suppression of Nid1 expression reduces proliferation and migration/invasion in claudin-low murine mammary tumor cells.     

Acute myeloid leukemia: current progress and future directions

Progress in the understanding of the biology and therapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is occurring rapidly. Since 2017, nine agents have been approved for various indications in AML. These included several targeted therapies like venetoclax, FLT3 inhibitors, IDH inhibitors, and others. The management of AML is complicated, highlighting the need for expertise in order to deliver optimal therapy and achieve optimal outcomes. The multiple subentities in AML require very different therapies. In this review, we summarize the important pathophysiologies driving AML, review current therapies in standard practice, and address present and future research directions.Subject terms: Prognosis, Health services     

Clinical and hormonal effects of chronic gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment in polycystic ovarian disease

Previously, we reported that short term administration of a highly potent GnRH agonist (GnRHa) for 1 month to patients with polycystic ovarian disease (PCO) resulted in complete suppression of ovarian steroidogenesis without measurable effects on adrenal steroid production. This new study was designed to evaluate the effects of long term GnRHa administration in PCO patients with respect to their hormone secretion patterns and clinical responses. Eight PCO patients and 10 ovulatory women with endometriosis were treated daily with sc injections of [D-His6-(imBzl]),Pro9-NEt]GnRH (GnRHa; 100 micrograms) for 6 months. Their results were compared to hormone values in 8 women who had undergone bilateral oophorectomies. In response to GnRHa, PCO and ovulatory women had rises of serum LH at 1 month, after which it gradually declined to baseline. In both groups FSH secretion was suppressed throughout treatment. Serum estradiol, estrone, progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, and testosterone levels markedly decreased to values found in oophorectomized women by 1 month and remained low thereafter. In contrast, serum pregnenolone and 17-hydroxypregnenolone were partially suppressed, and dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and cortisol levels did not change. Clinically, hyperplastic endometrial histology in three PCO patients reverted to an inactive pattern, and proliferative endometrium in two other PCO patients became inactive in one and did not change in the other. Regression of proliferative endometrial histology occurred in all ovulatory women. Vaginal bleeding occurred in all women studied during the first month of GnRHa administration, after which all but one PCO patient became amenorrheic. Hot flashes were noted by all ovulatory women and by four of eight PCO patients. All PCO patients noted subjective reduction of skin oiliness, and five had decreased hair growth. We conclude that in premenopausal women: 1) chronic GnRHa administration results in apparently complete persistent suppression of ovarian steroid secretion; 2) adrenal steroid secretion is not influenced directly or indirectly; and 3) its use may be helpful in the treatment of endometrial hyperplasia and ovarian androgen excess in women with PCO.     

Youth Tobacco Access and Possession Policy Interventions: Effects on Observed and Perceived Tobacco Use

This study evaluated the effects of tobacco Purchase, Use and Possession (PUP) laws on student perceptions of adolescent tobacco use within towns and schools. Twenty‐four towns were randomly assigned into two conditions, the experimental condition (E PUP) involved efforts to increase both PUP law enforcement and reduce minors' access to commercial sources of tobacco, whereas the control condition (C) focused only on efforts to reduce minors' access to commercial sources of tobacco. A hierarchical linear modeling analytical approach was selected due to the multilevel data and nested design. The present study found that over time, youth in the experimental PUP condition observed less youth tobacco usage at school and in their town, and perceived lower rates of tobacco among their peers at school and among friends than youth in the control condition. The findings suggest that PUP law enforcement might be used to strengthen community norms against youth tobacco use.