BMI in the Trois‐Rivières study: Child–adult and child–parent relationships

This study evaluated intraindividual child–adult and interindividual child–parent relationships of body mass index (BMI) using data from the Trois‐Rivières semilongitudinal study of growth and development. Intraindividual correlations between age 12 and 35 years were substantial (r² = 36% of variance in women, 30% of variance in men). Interindividual child–parent correlations for mothers and fathers age 36.6 ± 0.4 and 39.5 ± 0.4 years, respectively, were very low to low for daughters age 12 years (r = 0.09, NS and 0.34, P < 0.001 vs. father and mother, respectively) but all very low for sons age 12 years (r = 0.07, NS and 0.16, NS vs. father and mother, respectively). A multiple regression analysis predicted adult BMI from the individual's BMI at 10, 11, 12 years plus the maternal and paternal BMIs as calculated from self‐reported heights and weights. The BMI at age 12 years was a better predictor of adult BMI than the parental BMI in both men and women (P < 0.001) and multivariate analysis revealed that this index at age 12 years was the sole significant predictor of adult BMI for both men and women. The results from our study do not support the hypothesis that parental BMI is a stronger predictor of adult BMI than childhood BMI. However, useful information for the prediction and prevention of adult overweight can be obtained from the BMI at age 12 years. Our results suggest that environmental influences may be the major factor in the present obesity epidemic. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 15:187–191, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Naloxone injections into the periaqueductal grey area and arcuate nucleus block analgesia in defeated mice

In a situation of social conflict, mice that are defeated by an opponent exhibit a marked analgesia. Microinjections of naloxone (1 or 10 g) into the periaqueductal grey area (PAG) or into the region of the arcuate nucleus prior to the defeat prevented the emergence of analgesia. Microinjections of morphine (5 g) into these sites had previously been shown to produce profound analgesia. Mice whose adrenals were removed rapidly developed analgesia when attacked by a stimulus animal. Injection of naloxone into PAG also antagonized defeat-induced analgesia in adrenalectomized mice. These observations indicate that sites and processes in the brain rather than in the periphery are responsible for the development of analgesia in mice that are subjected to social defeat.     

'Kissing lesions' of the thorax and upper extremity

An upper extremity compressed beneath the body of a comatose individual can contribute to the development of a compartmental syndrome. Crushing injuries such as these can result in skin necrosis at the sites of contact between the chest wall and the compressed limb. These "kissing lesions" must be recognized as indicators of a severe crush injury and impending compartmental syndrome, as fasciotomy is urgently required.     

A comparison of three methods of scoring penile circumference changes

There are presently three widely used methods of scoring penile circumference data. The present experiment attempted to determine the ability of each method to explain the variance within a data set. A total of 19 subjects were presented with 20 photographic slides assigned to five categories: neutral, female adult, female adolescent, male adult, and male adolescent. Erectile responses to each slide were recorded and the data analyzed in terms of the raw scores, percentage of full erection, and a z-score transformation. Results indicated that the z scores captured the highest proportion of the variance (52.7%), followed by the percentage scores (32.5%), and the raw scores (30.1%). Findings are discussed in terms of their research and clinical implications.     

Illness cognitions and health-related quality of life in liver transplant patients related to length of stay,comorbidities and complications

Quality of Life Research - Illness cognitions regarding helplessness and acceptance are known to play a role in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Our study examined the evolution of these...     

Clinical utility of PTSD,resilience, sleep,and blast as risk factors to predict poor neurobehavioral functioning following traumatic brain injury: A longitudinal study in U.S. military service members

Quality of Life Research - This study examined the clinical utility of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), low resilience, poor sleep, and lifetime blast exposure as risk factors for predicting...     

Health state utilities associated with treatment process for oral and injectable GLP-1 receptor agonists for type 2 diabetes

Quality of Life Research - Previous research suggests that treatment process can have an influence on patient preference and health state utilities. This study examined preferences and estimated...     

Histological observations on the evolution of nutritional encephalomalacia in chick cerebellum

Summary A study was made of the histological alterations which occur in the development of nutritional encephalomalacia in the chick cerebellum. 3 categories of chicks were discernible according to severity of symptoms.The earliest changes consisted of focal edema in the folial and medullary white matter. These became progressively more severe and resulted in widespread spongy degeneration. Edema of the Purkinje layer consistently appeared and led to a separation of this layer from the underlying granular layer. Apparent capillary proliferation was noted in all layers and distention of blood vessels finally resulted in hemorrhage and in necrosis of the folia.Clinical signs occasionally occurred without apparent morphological alterations. The edematous process, when noted, was considered to be intracellular, involving glial elements in the white matter and the Golgi epithelial cells (Bergmann astroglia) in the Purkinje layer. The condition results from altered permeability of the cerebellar blood-brain barrier which is selectively affected by the metabolic changes brought about by vitamin E deficiency.

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Zusammenfassung Die histologischen Veränderungen in der Entwicklung von nutritiver Encephalomalacie im Kleinhirn des Huhnes wurden untersucht. Nach der Schwere der klinischen Symptome wurden 3 Gruppen von Tieren unterschieden.Die frühesten Veränderungen bestanden in Ödemherden im Läppchenmark und Marklager, die progredient an Schwere zunehmen und ausgedehnte spongiöse Degeneration bewirken. Ödem der Purkinje-Zellschicht trat regelmäßig auf und führte zu ihrer Ablösung von der darunterliegenden Körnerschicht. Deutliche Capillarproliferation war in allen Schichten erkennbar. Die Gefäßerweiterung führte schließlich zu Blutungen und Nekrosen in den Läppchen.Klinische Symptome traten gelegentlich ohne manifeste morphologische Läsionen auf. Der ödematöse Prozeß wurde, wenn nachweisbar, als intracellulär aufgefaßt. Er betraf Gliaelemente des Markes und die Golgi Epithelzellen in der Purkinje-Zellschicht (Bergmann Astroglia). Diese Veränderung ist bedingt durch Permeabilitätsveränderungen der cerebellaren Bluthirnschranke, die selektiv betroffen erscheint, wenn der Stoffwechsel durch Vitamin E-Mangel gestört wird.

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This investigation was supported by United States Public Health Service Grants HD 00217 and FR 05388.     

Selective Attention Effects on the Reflex Blink

Past work has shown that facilitation of reflex blinking accompanies cardiac deceleration when the attention of subjects is directed to a reflex-eliciting stimulus. The present studies showed that when warning stimuli directed attention instead to weak (tactile) stimuli presented simultaneously with reflex-eliciting (acoustic) stimuli, cardiac deceleration was still present but reflex magnitude was unchanged or inhibited. However, latency to reflex onset remained facilitated, i.e., latency and magnitude changes were discordant. The findings were interpreted as evidence for two independent processes: a process capable of selectively enhancing or attenuating sensory input and a non-selective process presumably facilitating motor pathways.