Obesity-related knowledge and beliefs in obese adults attending a specialist weight-management service: implications for weight loss over 1 year

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive approaches to obesity management assume that weight loss is more likely to occur if individuals perceive many benefits and few costs. Research to-date has been limited by the lack of prospective studies. METHODS: A longitudinal study design. At baseline, obese patients attending weight-management clinics (n=104) completed a questionnaire that assessed knowledge and beliefs regarding obesity's health and social/aesthetic consequences (Obesity Risk Knowledge (ORK-10) scale and the Obesity Beliefs scale), self-reported weight/height, goal weight, health-related quality of life, and sociodemographic characteristics. Medical records were also reviewed. At the 12-month follow-up, a second questionnaire assessed self-reported weight/height. RESULTS: At baseline, average ORK-10 scale scores were 4/10. At follow-up, 32 out of the 66 participants retained on the study did not gain weight (48.5%). For these participants, weight loss was associated with endorsement of the health (r(s)=0.40) and the social/aesthetic (r(s)=0.31) costs of obesity (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Despite their high-risk status, participants demonstrated low levels of knowledge regarding obesity's health risks. Weight loss was associated with greater awareness of the health and social/aesthetic costs of obesity. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This study suggests that health education is required to facilitate informed choices and supports the use of cognitive approaches which promote both the health and social/aesthetic consequences of obesity.     

Development and characterization of seventeen polymorphic microsatellite loci in the eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus

We isolated and characterized 17 microsatellite loci from the eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus. Loci were screened in 24 individuals of S. undulatus. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 8 to 22, observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.174 to 0.913, and the probability of identity values ranged from 0.008 to 0.1. These new loci provide tools for examining the population genetics of eastern fence lizards and for assessing the evolutionary impacts the invasive red imported fire ant has on the lizard.     

Gaze control and foot kinematics during stair climbing: characteristics leading to fall risk in progressive supranuclear palsy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Does gaze control influence lower-extremity motor coordination in people with neurological deficits? The purpose of this study was to determine whether foot kinematics during stair climbing are influenced by gaze shifts prior to stair step initiation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twelve subjects with gaze palsy (mild versus severe) secondary to progressive supranuclear palsy were evaluated during a stair-climbing task in a cross-sectional study of mechanisms influencing eye-foot coordination. Infrared oculography and electromagnetic tracking sensors measured eye and foot kinematics, respectively. The primary outcome measures were vertical gaze fixation scores, foot lift asymmetries, and sagittal-plane foot trajectories. RESULTS: The subjects with severe gaze palsy had significantly lower lag foot lift relative to lead foot lift than those with a mild form of gaze palsy. The lag foot trajectory for the subjects with severe gaze palsy tended to be low, with a heading toward contact with the edge of the stair. SUBJECTS:with severe gaze palsy were 28 times more likely to experience "fixation intrusion" (high vertical gaze fixation score) during an attempted shift of gaze downward than those with mild ocular motor deficits (odds ratio [OR]=28.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]=6.4-124.8). Subjects with severe gaze shift deficits also were 4 times more likely to have lower lag foot lift with respect to lead foot lift than those with mild ocular motor dysfunction (OR=4.0, 95% CI=1.7-9.7). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The small number of subjects and the variation in symptom profiles make the generalization of findings preliminary. Deficits in gaze control may influence stepping behaviors and increase the risk of trips or falls during stair climbing. Neural and kinematic hypotheses are discussed as possible contributing mechanisms.     

Estudio ultrasonográfico e histológico de la evolución de un modelo canino de hiperplasia benigna de próstata inducida por hormonas

IntroductionDespite exhibiting histological differences from the human process, canine hormone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is still the most widely used animal model for evaluating treatment strategies.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to determine the optimal moment for starting a therapeutic trial in this animal model.Material and methodsSix male beagle dogs over one year of age were used in this study. All animals received a combination of steroid hormones, namely 17β-estradiol and 5α-androstene 3α 17β-diol, every other day during three (Group 1, n=3) or five months (Group 2, n=3). Transrectal ultrasonographic examinations to measure prostate volume were performed monthly. Animals were euthanized after five months for histological study of their prostates.ResultsAll animals developed BPH, with prostate volume increasing over time as hormones were administered (r=0,910). All ultrasonographic studies performed up to the third month evidenced a significant increase in prostate volume when compared to the prior ultrasound measurement. A significant decrease in prostate volume was seen in Group 1 once hormone administration was interrupted, whereas Group 2 animals showed a continuing increase in prostate size. Histological examination showed almost no evidence of BPH in Group 1 animals, while Group 2 animals clearly exhibited moderate epithelial hyperplasia.ConclusionsThe administration of a combination of steroid hormones is effective in inducing benign prostatic hyperplasia in canines, but this hyperplasia disappears when hormone treatment is interrupted. In order to be useful for experimental studies, hormones should be administered for at least three months before commencing any treatment, and they should be continued throughout the length of the study..     

Role of inflectional regularity and semantic transparency in reading morphologically complex words: evidence from acquired dyslexia

We report two patients with acquired phonological dyslexia who have great difficulty reading affixed words. Experiment 1 demonstrates that both patients' reading performance is influenced by the apparent morphological status of words by comparing the patients' reading of suffixed and pseudo-suffixed words. Experiment 2 was designed to examine reading performance of both regularly and irregularly inflected words. Experiment 3 examines the patients' reading of derivational forms with particular emphasis of the role of 'semantic transparency'. Experiment 4 tested both patients' reading of prefixed words. Finally, Experiment 5 examined performance on a lexical decision task using affixed words. These data support models in which regularly formed inflections and semantically transparent derived forms are subjected to decomposition during processing, whereas irregularly inflected forms and semantically opaque forms may be represented independently. Data are discussed with regard to current 'dual mechanism' models of morphological processing as well as connectionist perspectives, with particular emphasis of the types of data that will ultimately be necessary to arbitrate between the rival theories.