A comparative study of performance in simple and choice reaction time tasks between obese and healthy-weight children

This study investigated weight status related differences in executive functions and movement execution to determine whether or not childhood obesity is associated with impaired perceptual-motor function. Nineteen obese (OB) children (10 ♂ and 9 ♀, aged 6–12 years) and nineteen gender and age matched healthy-weight (HW) peers performed two computer-based reaction time tasks. For both the simple and four choice reaction time (SRT/CRT) task condition, absolute mean reaction time (RT) and movement time (MT) were determined and expressed as a percentage of total response time (RsT). During the SRT task, OB children were intrinsically slower than their HW peers as reflected by a significantly higher absolute RT, MT and RsT. In the CRT task, however, between-group differences were only present for RT and RsT, whereas absolute MT was comparable among OB and HW participants. As a result, the relative temporal structure of RsT significantly differed between BMI groups, with a greater RT percentage among the OB children. During the CRT condition, OB children probably await final decision-making with regard to the execution of their response movement, which then no longer needs to be adjusted. Our results therefore indicate the use of a more conservative strategy within the OB group, suggesting that childhood obesity is associated with impaired perceptual-motor function. Besides the widely accepted mechanical explanation, a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying OB children's motor incompetence is needed to set up appropriate interventions to tackle this deficit and indirectly address associated health-related problems.     

Accelerometer-determined physical activity and walking capacity in persons with Down syndrome,Williams syndrome and Prader–Willi syndrome

In this study we describe by use of accelerometers the total physical activity (PA), intensity pattern and walking capacity in 87 persons age 16–45 years with Down syndrome (DS), Williams syndrome (WS) and Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS). Participants were recruited from all over Norway, and lived either with their parents or in community residences with support.On average the participants generated 294 counts per minute (cpm) or 6712 steps per day, with most of the day spent in sedentary activity, 522 min/day, followed by 212 min/day in light PA, 71 min/day in lifestyle activity and 27 min/day in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Inactivity was prevalent, as only 12% meet the current Nordic recommendations for PA.When compared, no differences for total physical activity or time in MVPA were observed between the three groups. However, participant with DS spent a mean of 73 min/day less and 43 min/day less in sedentary activities compared to participants with PWS and WS, respectively, (p = 0.011, 95% CI: ?10.9; ?80.1). In addition the DS-group spent a mean of 66 min/day more in light PA than the PWS-group and 41 min/day more than the WS-group, (p < 0.001, 95% CI: 29.3; 79.7). Participants with PWS spent on average 30 min/day less in lifestyle activities compared to both participants with DS and WS, (p < 0.001, 95% CI: ?14.2; ?45.4). No association between total PA and BMI were observed. Males were more active than females across all diagnoses. Males accumulated on average 85 counts per minutes more than females, (p = 0.002, 95% CI: 33.3; 136.7), 2137 more steps per day, (p = 0.002, 95% CI: 778; 3496). The mean walking capacity during six-minutes was 507 m (SD 112 m) for males and 466 m (SD 88 m) for females. Distance walked during testing decreased with 33.6 m when comparing normal or underweight participants to overweight participants, and 78.1 m when comparing overweight to obese participants (p < 0.001 95% CI: ?40.4; ?85.8). When adjusted for BMI no differences in walking capacity between the three genetic conditions were observed.     

Matrix metalloproteinase expression patterns in luminal A type breast carcinomas

Objective: Aberrant expression of individual matrix metalloproteinases has been associated with poor prognosis in various human carcinomas. The current study aimed at defining an RNA expression profile of various MMPs in breast cancer and correlating their expression with clinicopathological parameters. Methods: The RNA expression patterns of 6 MMPs (MMP2, MMP8, MMP9, MMP10, MMP11, MMP13) were determined in 25 breast carcinomas using quantitative RT-PCR and correlated with clinicopathological parameters, including menopausal status, tumor size and grade, and lymph node involvement. Results: We observed high MMP2 levels more frequently in premenopausal than in postmenopausal women (p = 0.02). Analysis of luminal A type invasive ductal carcinomas (19/25), revealed an even stronger association of MMP2 with menopausal status (p = 0.005). Within this subgroup, we also found a correlation between MMP11 and menopausal status (p = 0.02). No correlation was found between MMP expressions and other clinicopathological parameters. In co-expression analyses MMP2-MMP10 and MMP8-MMP9 showed a weak correlation of their expression. Conclusions: Although this is a pilot study, our findings indicate that luminal A invasive ductal carcinomas commonly express high MMP2 and MMP11 levels in premenopausal breast cancer patients and suggest a co-regulation of MMP2-MMP10 and MMP8-MMP9.     

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in mevalonic aciduria

Mevalonic aciduria is a rare, inborn error of isoprene biosynthesis characterized by severe, periodic attacks of fever and inflammation, developmental delay, ataxia, and dysmorphic features. This autosomal recessive disease is caused by a mutation in the mevalonate kinase gene that severely reduces mevalonate kinase activity. A 3-year-old boy with mevalonic aciduria whose condition had failed to improve with antiinflammatory treatment underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from an HLA-identical sister who was a heterozygous carrier of the mutant gene. We observed sustained remission of febrile attacks and inflammation during a 15-month follow-up period.     

Clinical- and surgery-specific risk factors for post-operative sepsis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of over 30 million patients

Surgery Today - Post-operative sepsis is a severe complication of surgery, which often worsens the clinical outcomes. While several risk factors have been identified, the importance of others...     

Cryopyrinopathies: update on pathogenesis and treatment

Cryopyrinopathies are a group of rare autoinflammatory diseases that includes familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome, Muckle-Wells syndrome and chronic infantile neurologic cutaneous articular syndrome (also termed neonatal-onset multisystemic inflammatory disease). These syndromes were initially considered to be distinct disease entities despite some clinical similarities; however, mutations of the same gene have since been found in all three cryopyrinopathies. These diseases, therefore, are not separate but represent a continuum of subphenotypes. The gene in question, CIAS1 (now renamed NLRP3) encodes NALP3 (also known as cryopyrin). NALP3 is an important mediator of inflammation and interleukin 1beta processing. New therapies based on biologic agents that specifically target interleukin 1beta are currently being developed. These new agents have provided very encouraging results for patients with these long-lasting inflammatory conditions--which used to be considered refractory to treatment. The development of therapeutic options for these cryopyrinopathies illustrates effective translation of basic science to clinical practice and the convergence of human genetics and targeted therapies.     

Age-related differences in vastus lateralis fascicle behavior during fast accelerative leg-extension movements

Leg-extensor rate of power development (RPD) decreases during aging. This study aimed to identify the underlying mechanism of the age-related decline in RPD during a fast acceleration in terms of in vivo vastus lateralis (VL) fascicle shortening behavior. Thirty-nine men aged between 25 and 69 years performed three maximal isokinetic leg-extensor tests with a fixed initial acceleration of 45° knee extension in 150 ms until 340°/s knee angular velocity. RPD, VL activity, and ultrasound images were recorded to assess (relative) fascicle shortening and mean shortening velocity for the phases of electromechanical delay, pretension, and acceleration. Our findings show that fascicle shortening and mean shortening velocity during a fast action increase with aging (0.002 per year, P = .035 and 0.005 s⁻¹ per year, P = .097, respectively), mainly due to a higher amount of shortening in the phase of electromechanical delay. The ratio of VL fascicle length over upper leg length at rest showed a negative correlation (r = −.46, P = .004) with RPD/body mass, while pennation angle at rest showed a trend toward a positive correlation (r = .28, P = .089). To conclude, our findings indicate that the ability to reach high VL fascicle shortening velocities in vivo is not reduced in older men while performing preprogrammed fast accelerations. The greater amount of fascicle shortening in old age is probably the result of age-related differences in the tendinous properties of the muscle-tendon complex, forcing the fascicles to shorten more in order to transmit the muscle force to the segment.     

A chasing dead-end case report: a fatal lead intoxication following an attempted homicide

Forensic Toxicology - In developed countries, lead intoxication is decreasing in adults as sources of contamination were considerably reduced. Hence, cases of lead encephalopathy have become...     

Indications d’allogreffe dans les neutropénies constitutionnelles : recommandation de la SFGM-TC

In this report, we address the issue of allogeneic stem cell transplantation in children with congenital neutropenia. Constitutional disorders with neutropenia are exceptional. Treatment and prevention of severe infections are a major concern in the management of chronic neutropenia. These disorders, especially Kostmann's disease and Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome, are associated with an increased risk of leukemia. The role of allogeneic stem cell transplantation in these patients is still unclear. In an effort to harmonize clinical practices between different French transplantation centers, the French Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapy (SFGM-TC) set up the fourth annual series of workshops which brought together practitioners from all member centers and took place in September 2013 in Lille.     

Dissolution of Portlandite in Pure Water: Part 1 Molecular Dynamics (MD) Approach

The current contribution proposes a multi-scale bridging modeling approach for the dissolution of crystals to connect the atomistic scale to the (sub-) micro-scale. This is demonstrated in the example of dissolution of portlandite, as a relatively simple benchmarking example for cementitious materials. Moreover, dissolution kinetics is also important for other industrial processes, e.g., acid gas absorption and pH control. In this work, the biased molecular dynamics (metadynamics) coupled with reactive force field is employed to calculate the reaction path as a free energy surface of calcium dissolution at 298 K in water from the different crystal facets of portlandite. It is also explained why the reactivity of the (010), (100), and (11¯0) crystal facet is higher compared to the (001) facet. In addition, the influence of neighboring Ca crystal sites arrangements on the atomistic dissolution rates is explained as necessary scenarios for the upscaling. The calculated rate constants of all atomistic reaction scenarios provided an input catalog ready to be used in an upscaling kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) approach.