Body image,body dissatisfaction and weight status of Pacific adolescents from different ethnic communities: a cross-sectional study in New Caledonia

ABSTRACT

Objective(s): The prevalence of adolescent obesity is high among the various ethnic groups native to the Pacific region (European, Melanesian and Polynesian). An important factor of weight gain or loss is body size satisfaction; however, little is known about adolescent body self-perception in the Pacific region.

Design: Body dissatisfaction was evaluated using the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale in a sample of 699 adolescents from rural and urban areas of New Caledonia. The socio-demographic factors associated with higher body dissatisfaction were determined by multiple linear regression modeling.

Results: Our results showed a high rate of body dissatisfaction (over 70%) in the adolescents. Body dissatisfaction was strongly related to the body mass index z-score. Melanesians boys had higher body dissatisfaction scores when they felt ‘too thin’ while Melanesian girls showed lower body dissatisfaction when they felt ‘too fat.’.

Conclusion: These results showed that social pressure for thinness or musculature may be different among adolescents living in New Caledonia. These results should be taken into account in education overweight prevention programs.     

Efficacy and tolerability of alirocumab in Austrian clinical practice – results of the non-interventional PEARL-AT study

Abstract

Objective

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibition can be an effective treatment in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia, particularly in cases with concomitant coronary heart disease, peripheral artery occlusive disease or cerebrovascular occlusive disease for secondary prevention after an acute atherosclerotic ischemic event. The primary objective of the PEARL-AT study was to assess effectiveness and safety of alirocumab in a real-world setting in Austria.     

Can radiomics improve the prediction of metastatic relapse of myxoid/round cell liposarcomas?

European Radiology - The strongest adverse prognostic factor in myxoid/round cell liposarcomas (MRC-LPS) is the presence of a round cell component above 5% within the tumor bulk. Its identification...     

Acute intranasal osteopontin treatment in male rats following TBI increases the number of activated microglia but does not alter lesion characteristics

Intranasal recombinant osteopontin (OPN) has been shown to be neuroprotective in different models of acquired brain injury but has never been tested after traumatic brain injury (TBI). We used a model of moderate-to-severe controlled cortical impact in male adult Sprague Dawley rats and tested our hypothesis that OPN treatment would improve neurological outcomes, lesion and brain tissue characteristics, neuroinflammation, and vascular characteristics at 1 day post-injury. Intranasal OPN administered 1 hr after the TBI did not improve neurological score, lesion volumes, blood–brain barrier, or vascular characteristics. When assessing neuroinflammation, we did not observe any effect of OPN on the astrocyte reactivity but discovered an increased number of activated microglia within the ipsilateral hemisphere. Moreover, we found a correlation between edema and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression which was decreased in OPN-treated animals, suggesting an effect of OPN on the HO-1 response to injury. Thus, OPN may increase or accelerate the microglial response after TBI, and early response of HO-1 in modulating edema formation may limit the secondary consequences of TBI at later time points. Additional experiments and at longer time points are needed to determine if intranasal OPN could potentially be used as a treatment after TBI where it might be beneficial by activating protective signaling pathways.