Predictors of Outcome for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in Binge Eating Disorder

The aim of this naturalistic study was to identify pretreatment predictors of response to cognitive behaviour therapy in treatment‐seeking patients with binge eating disorder (BED; N = 304). Furthermore, we examined end‐of‐treatment factors that predict treatment outcome 6 months later (N = 190). We assessed eating disorder psychopathology, general psychopathology, personality characteristics and demographic variables using self‐report questionnaires. Treatment outcome was measured using the bulimia subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory 1. Predictors were determined using hierarchical linear regression analyses. Several variables significantly predicted outcome, four of which were found to be both baseline predictors of treatment outcome and end‐of‐treatment predictors of follow‐up: Higher levels of drive for thinness, higher levels of interoceptive awareness, lower levels of binge eating pathology and, in women, lower levels of body dissatisfaction predicted better outcome in the short and longer term. Based on these results, several suggestions are made to improve treatment outcome for BED patients. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.     

Persistent MRD before and after allogeneic BMT predicts relapse in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Minimal residual disease (MRD) during early chemotherapy is a powerful predictor of relapse in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and is used in children to determine eligibility for allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in first (CR1) or later complete remission (CR2/CR3). Variables affecting HSCT outcome were analysed in 81 children from the ANZCHOG ALL8 trial. The major cause of treatment failure was relapse, with a cumulative incidence of relapse at 5 years (CIR) of 32% and treatment‐related mortality of 8%. Leukaemia‐free survival (LFS) and overall survival (OS) were similar for HSCT in CR1 (LFS 62%, OS 83%, n = 41) or CR2/CR3 (LFS 60%, OS 72%, n = 40). Patients achieving bone marrow MRD negativity pre‐HSCT had better outcomes (LFS 83%, OS 92%) than those with persistent MRD pre‐HSCT (LFS 41%, OS 64%, P < 0·0001) or post‐HSCT (LFS 35%, OS 55%, P < 0·0001). Patients with B‐other ALL had more relapses (CIR 50%, LFS 41%) than T‐ALL and the main precursor‐B subtypes including BCR‐ABL1, KMT2A (MLL), ETV6‐RUNX1 (TEL‐AML1) and hyperdiploidy >50. A Cox multivariate regression model for LFS retained both B‐other ALL subtype (hazard ratio 4·1, P = 0·0062) and MRD persistence post‐HSCT (hazard ratio 3·9, P = 0·0070) as independent adverse prognostic variables. Persistent MRD could be used to direct post‐HSCT therapy.     

Effectiveness of collagen/oxidised regenerated cellulose/silver‐containing composite wound dressing for the treatment of medium‐depth split‐thickness skin graft donor site wounds in multi‐morbid patients: a prospective,non‐comparative,single‐centre study

Split‐thickness skin grafting (STSG) is a widely used method in reconstructive surgery, but donor site wounds (DSWs) are often slow healing and painful. This prospective study evaluated the performance of a composite wound dressing containing collagen/oxidised regenerated cellulose in the treatment of medium‐depth (0·4 mm) DSWs in 25 multi‐morbid patients with chronic leg ulcers requiring STSG. The range of patients' ages was 44–84 years (mean 71·6 years) with DSW sizes ranging between 12 and 162 cm² (mean 78 cm²). Comorbidities included anticoagulation therapy (15 patients), anaemia (11 patients), diabetes (6 patients) and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ulcer colonisation (6 patients). The first dressing change was performed after 10 days. Complete reepithelialisation was observed between the 10th and 34th day (mean 17·2, median 14 days). Postoperative medium to strong bleeding occurred in only five patients (four with anticoagulation). Wound pain levels one day after harvesting were only moderate (range 0–1·5, mean 0·5, median 0·5 on a six‐item scale). No wound infection was observed during the first dressing. The composite dressing used allowed for the fast healing of medium‐depth DSWs with minimal or no postoperative pain and bleeding in older multi‐morbid patients under anticoagulation treatment.     

The predictive validity of the Dutch Restrained Eating Scale

The present study aims to determine the predictive validity of the 10-item Dutch Restrained Eating Scale. The ultimate criterion of restrained eating is the degree to which an individual eats less than he or she actually would like to eat. Since a study on both actual food consumption and restriction of food intake is very complicated, if not impossible, the difference between actual and desired intake of energy was studied indirectly, that is, from estimates of deviations from the required energy intake. The relationships were studied between restrained eating scores and the magnitude of the deviation from energy requirement, and between restrained eating scores and intake of fat and sugar, because restriction in intake of these may also reflect dietary restraint. About 20% of the variance of scores on the Restrained Eating Scale could be explained from these measures of food intake, which suggests that the Dutch Restrained Eating Scale has moderate to good predictive validity.     

Advantage of Post-Radiotherapy Chemotherapy with CCNU,Procarbazine, and Vincristine (mPCV) Over Chemotherapy with VM-26 and CCNU for Malignant Gliomas

Between 1981 and 1987, 133 patients with anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) or glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) were treated with surgery and post-operative radiotherapy. 36 AA and 31 GBM patients were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of CCNU 100 mg/m² day 1, procarbazine 60 mg/m² days 1-14, and vincristine 1.4 mg/m² (max. 2 mg) days 1 and 8, every 6 weeks which we called a «modified PCV» (mPCV) regimen. 37 AA and 29 GBM patients were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of VM-26 75 mg/m² days 1 and 2, and CCNU 60 mg/m² days 3 and 4, every 6 weeks. Prognostic covariates such as patient’s age, Karnofsky performance status score and the extent of surgery were balanced between the two treatment groups. The time to tumor progression and survival time for both regimens show that mPCV produces a two-fold increase in these factors at the 50th and 25th percentile for AA patients, but not for GBM patients, although there are more long-term GBM survivors with mPCV than with the VM-26 + CCNU regimen.     

Three C-terminal phosphorylation sites in the Abutilon mosaic virus movement protein affect symptom development and viral DNA accumulation

The Abutilon mosaic virus (AbMV, Geminiviridae) DNA B component encodes a movement protein (MP), which facilitates viral transport within plants and affects pathogenicity. The presence of phosphorylated serine and threonine residues was confirmed for MP expressed in yeast and Nicotiana benthamiana by comparative Western blot analysis using phospho-amino acid- and MP-specific immunodetection. Mass spectrometry of yeast-derived MP identified three phosphorylation sites located in the C-terminal domain (Thr-221, Ser-223 and Ser-250). To assess their functional relevance in plants, several point mutations were generated in the MP gene of DNA B, which replace Thr-221, Ser-223 and Ser-250, either singly or in combinations, with either an uncharged alanine or a phosphorylation-mimicking aspartate residue. When co-inoculated with DNA A, all mutants were infectious. In systemically infected plants the symptoms and/or viral DNA accumulation were significantly altered for several of the mutants.     

Effects of Chair-Based,Low–Load Elastic Band Resistance Training on Functional Fitness and Metabolic Biomarkers in Older Women

Strength training can improve myriad health parameters in elderly cohorts. Although potentially more appropriate for the elderly, low-load resistance training protocols have been less investigated. We aimed to examine the effects of 12 weeks of chair-based, low-load resistance training with elastic band (EBT) on functional fitness and metabolic biomarkers in older women. One hundred sixty-eight women were allocated randomly to an elastic band resistance training (EBT, n = 86, 75.7 ± 8.9 years, 71.3 ± 12.2 kg) or a control group (CON, n = 82, 74.5 ± 8.2years, 70.6 ± 12.0 kg). RT protocol consisted of periodized chair-based, low-load whole-body resistance exercises (2 sets, 12-15 repetitions, 40-60% of one repetition maximum-1RM) using an elastic band, twice weekly for 12 weeks. The resistance training program was generally designed to maintain internal load over time, provided with increasing intensity using various elastic bands (Thera-Band). Functional fitness (30-s Chair Stand,30-s Arm Curl, 2-min Step Test, Chair Sit-and-Reach, Back Scratch, 8-Foot Up-and-Go, Handgrip Strength) and metabolic markers (Fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high (HDL) and low (LDL) density lipoprotein) were measured before and after the training period. To detect pre/post intervention changes and between group- differences 2x2 repeated measures ANOVA was applied. Significant improvements over time for all fitness variables for EBT comparing to CON were obtained (F = 12.78, p < 0.05 for 30-s Chair Stand; F = 14.04, p < 0.05 for 30-s Arm Curl; F = 5.18, p < 0.05 for 2-min Step Test; F = 10.90, p < 0.05 for Chair Sit-and-Reach; F = 16.57, p < 0.05 for Back Scratch; F = 11.79, p < 0.05 for 8-foot Up-and-Go; and F = 29.25, p < 0.05 for Handgrip Strength). In addition, significant improvements over time for all but one (triglycerides) biomarkers for EBT comparing to CON were obtained (F = 7.30, p < 0.05 for blood sugar levels; F = 13.36, p < 0.05 for total cholesterol; F = 8.61, p < 0.05 for HDL; and F = 11.53, p < 0.05 for LDL). Furthermore, the participants’ adherence to training sessions of over 90% was reported. In conclusion, 12 weeks of EBT is safe and beneficial for improving health-related fitness and metabolic biomarkers in older women and seems to be viable model to ensure a high training adherence rate.Key points

• EBT lead to a significant improvement in glucose, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL in older women.
• EBT lead to a significant increase in cardiorespiratory fitness, handgrip strength, lower- body strength and flexibility, upper-body strength and flexibility and agility in older women.
• EBT seems to be viable model to ensure high training adherence rate.

Key words: Aging, lipoproteins, low-intensity strength training, physical function