Alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenoceptor binding in cerebral cortex: Competition studies with [3H]prazosin and [3H]idazoxan

Summary The tritiated adrenergic antagonists prazosin ([³H]PRZ) and idazoxan ([³H]IDA, or RX-781094) bind specifically and with high affinity in membrane preparations from cerebral cortex to alpha-1- and alpha-2-adrenoceptors respectively. Saturation experiments, performed to determine the density of receptors (B_max; maximum binding capacity) and the dissociation constant (K_d 25 °C), were analyzed by the methods of Eadie and Hofstee, iterative modelling, and the procedure of Hill. The pharmacologic properties and specificity of the labelling was verified by displacement experiments using alpha-adrenergic antagonists and agonists. The antagonist drugs showed the following order of potency to displace [³H]prazosin: prazosin phentolamine corynanthine > pyrextramine yohimbine piperoxan > benextramine > idazoxan; for the agonists: clonidine (–)-noradrenaline (–)-adrenaline phenylephrine, while other drugs, such as (–)-propranolol, dopamine, (–)-isoproterenol and serotonin only competed with the alpha-1-ligand at concentrations above 20 M. The alpha₂-sites labelled by [³H]idazoxan were characterized by the antagonist displacement sequence idazoxan phentolamine > yohimbine = > piperoxan pyrextramine benextramine prazosin corynanthine. The agonists order of potency to compete with [³H]idazoxan was clonidine phenylephrine = > (–)-adrenaline > (–)-noradrenaline, and for other related drugs it was (–)-propranolol dopamine serotonin > (–)-isoproterenol. These competition experiments clearly showed two pharmacologically distinct sites, but question the relative specificity of some of the adrenergic drugs.Abreviations [³H]PRZ [³H]prazosin - [³H]IDA [³H]idazoxan - B_max maximum binding capacity - K_d dissociation constant - IC 50 inhibitory concentration that reduces binding by 50% - K_i inhibition-dissociation constant - nH Hill coefficient - CMC coefficient of multiple correlation - fmol/mg p fentomoles per mg of protein - nM nanomolar Recipient of a F.R.S.Q. Studentship.     

Randomized Controlled Trial of a Program to Help Latina Mothers Help Their Children Cope with Stress: Effects on Parenting,Child Coping,and Adjustment

Prevention Science - “Madres Apoyando el Desarrollo Emocional de Sus Hijos” (“Mothers Supporting the Emotional Development of Their Children”) is a parenting...     

The Frequency and Context of Snacking among Children: An Objective Analysis Using Wearable Cameras

Snacking is a common eating behaviour, but there is little objective data about children’s snacking. We aimed to determine the frequency and context of children’s snacking (n = 158; mean age = 12.6 years) by ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic deprivation and body mass index (BMI) children. Participants wore wearable cameras that passively captured images of their surroundings every seven seconds. Images (n = 739,162) were coded for snacking episodes, defined as eating occasions in between main meals. Contextual factors analysed included: snacking location, food source, timing, social contact and screen use. Rates of total, discretionary (not recommended for consumption) and healthful (recommended for consumption) snacking were calculated using negative binomial regression. On average, children consumed 8.2 (95%CI 7.4, 9.1) snacks per day, of which 5.2 (95%CI 4.6, 5.9) were discretionary foods/beverages. Children consumed more discretionary snacks than healthful snacks in each setting and at all times, including 15.0× more discretionary snacks in public spaces and 2.4× more discretionary snacks in schools. Most snacks (68.9%) were sourced from home. Girls consumed more total, discretionary and healthful snacks than boys, and Māori and Pacific consumed fewer healthful snacks than New Zealand (NZ) Europeans. Results show that children snack frequently, and that most snacking involves discretionary food items. Our findings suggest targeting home buying behaviour and environmental changes to support healthy snacking choices.     

Diet Quality of Elite Australian Athletes Evaluated Using the Athlete Diet Index

While athletes’ nutrient intakes have been widely reported, few studies have assessed the diet quality of athletes. This is the first study to evaluate the diet quality of athletes using the purpose-built Athlete Diet Index (ADI). A convenience sample of 165 elite athletes from Australian sporting institutions completed the ADI online, with subsequent automated results provided to their respective accredited sports dietitians (ASDs). At the completion of athlete participation, ASDs (n = 12) responded to a range of survey items using a Likert scale (i.e., 1 = strongly agree to 5 = strongly disagree) to determine the suitability of the ADI in practice. Differences in ADI scores for demographics and sport-specific variables were investigated using independent t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni multiple comparisons. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to assess the association between total scores and demographics. The mean total ADI score was 91.4 ± 12.2 (range 53–117, out of a possible 125). While there was no difference in total scores based on demographics or sport-specific variables; team sport athletes scored higher than individual sport athletes (92.7 vs. 88.5, p < 0.05). Athletes training fewer hours (i.e., 0–11 h/week) scored higher on Dietary Habits sub-scores compared with athletes training more hours (≥12 h/week; p < 0.05), suggesting that athletes who train longer may be at risk of a compromised dietary pattern or less than optimal nutrition practices that support training. Most (75%) ASDs surveyed strongly agreed with the perceived utility of the ADI for screening athletes and identifying areas for nutrition support, confirming its suitability for use in practice.     

Comparison of the three-level and the five-level versions of the EQ-5D

The European Journal of Health Economics - EQ-5D is a generic instrument to measure health-related quality of life. In 2009, a new version, EQ-5D-5L, was introduced as an attempt to reduce ceiling...     

How to improve donor skin availability: Pragmatic procedures to minimize the discard rate of cryopreserved allografts in skin banking

BackgroundMicrobial contamination of human skin allografts is a frequent cause of allograft discard. Our purpose was to evaluate the discard rate of skin bank contaminated allografts and specific procedures used to reduce allograft contamination without affecting safety.MethodsWe conducted at the Lille Tissue Bank a retrospective study of all deceased donors (n = 104) harvested from January 2018 to December 2018. Skin procurement was split into 3 zones: the back of the body and the two legs that were processed separately. It represented 433 cryopreserved skin allograft pouches of approximatively 500 cm² each. Donors were almost equally split between brain-dead (53%, 55/104) and cadaveric (47%, 49/104) donors.ResultsOut of all donors, 42 (40.5%) had at least one sampling zone with a positive microbiological test resulting in 106 (24%) contaminated skin pouches. The contamination rate did not vary according to the harvested zone or type of donor. Traumatic deaths showed significantly less contamination rates than other death types (p < 0.05). Contamination rate decreased with time spent in the antibiotic solution. The risk of having contaminated allografts was five-fold higher when the skin spent less than 96 h in the antibiotic cocktail (p < 0.05). According to our validation protocol, most donors (32/42, 76%) had skin allografts contaminated with bacteria (mainly Staphylococcus spp) compatible with clinical use. No recipient infection was recorded as a result of skin graft contaminated with saprophytic or non-pathogenic germs. By harvesting 3 separate zones per donor, the total surface area for clinical use increased by 53% for contaminated donors. Overall, the proportion of contamination-related discarded allografts was 3.2% (14/433 of pouches).ConclusionFew simple pragmatic measures (including skin incubation in the antibiotic bath for at least 96 h at 4 °C, splitting the skin harvesting areas to minimize the risk of cross-infection and clinical use of allografts contaminated with saprophytic and non-pathogenic germs) can reduce the discard rate of contaminated allografts without affecting clinical safety.     

Anger Dimensions and Mental Health Following a Disaster: Distribution and Implications After a Major Bushfire

Anger is an important dimension of affect and a prominent feature of posttraumatic mental health, but it is commonly overlooked in postdisaster settings. We aimed to examine the distribution and implications of significant anger problems in the aftermath of a natural disaster, via analyses of Beyond Bushfires survey data from 736 residents of rural communities 5 years after the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria, Australia. Assessments included the five‐item Dimensions of Anger Reaction (DAR‐5) scale along with measures of PTSD, depression, and significant mental illness, and indicators of life satisfaction, suicidality, hostile aggressive behavior, and violence exposure. The results indicated that approximately 10% of respondents from areas highly affected by the bushfires scored above the provisional cutoff criteria for significant anger problems on the DAR‐5, which was a more than 3‐fold increase, OR = 3.26, relative to respondents from areas of low‐to‐moderate bushfire impact. The rates were higher among women, younger participants, and those who were unemployed, and co‐occurred commonly, although not exclusively, with other postdisaster mental health problems. Anger problems were also associated with lower life satisfaction, β = ?.31, an 8‐fold increase in suicidal ideation, OR = 8.68, and a nearly 13‐fold increase in hostile aggressive behavior, OR = 12.98. There were associations with anger problems and violence exposure, which were reduced when controlling for covariates, including probable PTSD. The findings provide evidence indicating that anger is a significant issue for postdisaster mental health and should be considered routinely alongside other posttraumatic mental health issues.     

Increased risk of neonatal complications and infections in children of kidney-transplanted women: A nationwide controlled cohort study

Information related to short- and long-term risks of children born to kidney-transplanted women remains limited. With the aim of investigating the risk of neonatal complications, and the short- and long-term risk of infections in offspring of kidney-transplanted women, all children born to kidney-transplanted women in Denmark from 1964 to 2016 were identified in a nationwide retrospective matched cohort study. A total of 124 children of kidney-transplanted women were identified and matched on gender, birth year, and number of siblings at birth 1:10 with children born to nontransplanted women identified in the Danish general population. Prevalence of low birth weight (37.9%, risk ratio [RR] = 12.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8.5-18.5), premature birth (46.0%, RR = 11.32; 95% CI, 8.1-15.7) and malformations (11.3%, RR = 1.98; 95% CI, 1.2-3.4) was increased in children of kidney-transplanted women compared with controls. Similarly, prevalence of hospitalization due to infection was increased during the first year of life (21.0%, RR = 1.94; 95% CI, 1.3-2.8), from age 1 to 5 (34.2%, RR = 1.89; 95% CI, 1.4-2.5), and overall (41.9%, RR = 1.67; 95% CI, 1.3-2.1). The risk of infection was also higher in children of kidney-transplanted mothers born preterm or with low birth weight compared with similar controls. In conclusion, risk of neonatal complications, malformations, and both early and late infection were increased in children born to kidney-transplanted women.