Association of Family Background with Adolescent Smoking and Regular Use of Illicit Substances Among Underage Psychiatric In-Patients

ABSTRACT

This study investigated whether adolescent's family type was associated with regular smoking or the use of illicit substances (cannabis or hard drugs) among underage adolescent psychiatric in-patients. The sample consisted of 471 adolescents aged 12–17 years admitted to psychiatric hospital between April 2001 and March 2006 at Oulu University Hospital, Finland. The information on family factors and substance use was based on the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children, Present and Lifetime interview and the European modification of the Addiction Severity Index questionnaire. Compared to adolescent boys from two-parent families, those from child welfare placement were more likely to regularly use both cannabis (odds ratio [OR] = 4.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4–13.7; P = .012) and hard drugs (OR = 8.4; 95% CI = 1.7–42.1; P = .01). Among girls, no association was found between family type and the use of illicit substances. Two-parent or foster family units may protect adolescents from involvement with illicit substances. In clinical adolescent psychiatric practice more attention should be paid to family interventions and parental support.     

Perceived job insecurity and perceived employability in relation to temporary and permanent workers’ psychological symptoms: a two samples study

Purpose  

To clarify the role of perceived job insecurity and perceived employability in relation to psychological symptoms among permanent and temporary employees in two samples. Sample 1 was representative of the Finnish working population in 2008 (n = 4,330; Study 1). Sample 2 was collected among Finnish university personnel and in two waves (n = 1,212; Study 2).     

Metabolic changes in serum metabolome in response to a meal

Purpose

The change in serum metabolic response from fasting state to postprandial state provides novel insights into the impact of a single meal on human metabolism. Therefore, this study explored changes in serum metabolite profile after a single meal.

Methods

Nineteen healthy postmenopausal women with normal glucose tolerance participated in the study. They received a meal consisting of refined wheat bread (50 g carbohydrates, 9 g protein, 4.2 g fat and 2.7 g dietary fibre), 40 g cucumber and 300 mL noncaloric orange drink. Blood samples were collected at fasting and five postprandial time points. Metabolic profile was measured by nuclear magnetic resonance and targeted liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Changes over time were assessed with multivariate models and ANOVA, with baseline as control.

Results

The metabolomic analyses demonstrated alterations in phospholipids, amino acids and their breakdown products, glycolytic products, acylcarnitines and ketone bodies after a single meal. More specifically, phosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylcholines and citrate displayed an overall declining pattern, while leucine, isoleucine, methionine and succinate increased initially but declined thereafter. A sharp decline in acylcarnitines and ketone bodies and increase in glycolytic products postprandially suggest a switch in the body’s energy source from β-oxidation to glycolysis. Moreover, individuals with relatively high postprandial insulin responses generated a higher postprandial leucine responses compared to participants with lower insulin responses.

Conclusions

The study demonstrated complex changes from catabolic to anabolic metabolism after a meal and indicated that the extent of postprandial responses is different between individuals with high and low insulin response.

     

The onset of diabetes and poor metabolic control increases gingival bleeding in children and adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Abstract Gingival health (bleeding on probing) and oral hygiene (plaque percent) were assessed in 2 groups of children and adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). 1st study group included 12 newly diagnosed diabetic children and adolescents (age range 6.3-14.0 years, 5 boys and 7 girls). They were examined on the 3rd day after initial hospital admission and at 2 weeks and 6 weeks after initiation of insulin treatment. Gingival bleeding decreased after 2 weeks of insulin treatment (37.8% versus 19.0%. p < 0.001. paired t-test). and remained at the same level when examined 1 month later while glucose balance was excellent. Another group (n=80) of insulin-dependent diabetic children and adolescents (age range 11.7 - 18.4 years, 44 boys and 36 girls) with a mean duration of diabetes 6.0 years (range 0.3-15.0 years) were examined 2× at 3-month intervals. Subjects with poor blood glucose control (glycosylated haemoglobin, HbA₁, values over 13%) had more gingival bleeding (46.3% on examination 1, 41.7% on examination 2) than subjects with HbA₁ values less than 10% (mean gingival bleeding 35.2% and 26.9%, respectively) or subjects with HbA₁ values between 10 to 13% (mean gingival bleeding 35.6% and 33.4%, respectively). Differences were significant on both examinations (p < 0.05, Anova). and remained significant after controlling the groups for differences in age, age at the onset of diabetes, duration of diabetes and pubertal stage (Ancova). Results were not related to differences or changes in dental plaque status, supporting the concept that imbalance of glucose metabolism associated with diabetes predisposes to gingival inflammation. An increase in gingival bleeding in association with hyperglycaemia suggests that hyperglycaemia-associated biological alterations, which lower host resistance toward plaque, have apparently taken place. Consequently, although not all gingivitis proceeds into a destructive periodontal disease, prevention of plaque-induced gingival inflammation should be emphasised, particularly in children and adolescents with poorly controlled diabetes.     

Transketolase-like protein 1 expression predicts poor prognosis in colorectal cancer

Background: Transketolase-like protein 1 (TKTL1) is an isoform of tranketolase, a key protein in a cancer cell's glucose metabolism that causes rapid cell growth and controls the non-oxidative part of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). Its overexpression occurs in several human cancer types. Our purpose was to study whether TKTL1 expression in colorectal cancer tissue associates with these patients’ prognosis. Methods: We collected retrospectively patient data and tissue samples from 840 colorectal cancer patients treated at Helsinki University Hospital, then stained tumor tissue microarrays for TKTL1 by immunohistochemistry, and compared immunohistochemical tissue expression with clinico-pathological parameters and survival. Results: High expression of TKTL1 associated with high Dukes stage, non-mucinous adenocarcinoma, and left-sided disease. Patients with high TKTL1 expression had poorer prognosis than those with low expression, with a 5-year disease-specific survival of 55.7% vs. 62.7%. Conclusion: We show that high TKTL1 in tumor tissue can lead to poor survival in colorectal cancer. TKTL1 thus can serve as a candidate marker for identifying patients at risk of recurrent disease.     

Effect of Polydextrose on Subjective Feelings of Appetite during the Satiation and Satiety Periods: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Subjective feelings of appetite are measured using visual analogue scales (VAS) in controlled trials. However, the methods used to analyze VAS during the Satiation (pre- to post-meal) and Satiety (post-meal to subsequent meal) periods vary broadly, making it difficult to compare results amongst independent studies testing the same product. This review proposes a methodology to analyze VAS during both the Satiation and Satiety periods, allowing us to compare results in a meta-analysis. Methods: A methodology to express VAS results as incremental areas under the curve (iAUC) for both the Satiation and Satiety periods is proposed using polydextrose as a case study. Further, a systematic review and meta-analysis on subjective feelings of appetite was conducted following the PRISMA methodology. Meta-analyses were expressed as Standardized Mean Difference (SMD). Results: Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. There were important differences in the methods used to analyze appetite ratings amongst these studies. The separate subjective feelings of appetite reported were Hunger, Satisfaction, Fullness, Prospective Food Consumption, and the Desire to Eat. The method proposed here allowed the results of the different studies to be homogenized. The meta-analysis showed that Desire to Eat during the Satiation period favors polydextrose for the reduction of this subjective feeling of appetite (SMD = 0.24, I² < 0.01, p = 0.018); this effect was also significant in the sub-analysis by sex for the male population (SMD = 0.35, I² < 0.01, p = 0.015). There were no other significant results. Conclusion: It is possible to compare VAS results from separate studies. The assessment of iAUC for both the Satiation and Satiety periods generates results of homogeneous magnitudes. This case study demonstrates, for the first time, that polydextrose reduces the Desire to Eat during the Satiation period. This may explain, at least in part, the observed effects of polydextrose on the reduction of levels of energy intake at subsequent meals.