Development and validation of a food frequency questionnaire for assessing dietary calcium intake in the general population

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for assessing dietary calcium intake in the general population, since all available questionnaires at present are age- and/or gender-specific. A total of 1001 individuals (including children, adults, and elderly people of both genders) were randomly recruited throughout Greece. Estimates of calcium intake from the 30-item FFQ were compared with those from a multi-pass 24-h recall. The FFQ underestimated mean calcium intake compared to the 24-h recall by (mean±SD) –133±333 mg/day or –5.4±47.6% (P<0.001). The two methods were strongly correlated (r=0.639, P<0.001), but the 95% limits of agreement for individual assessment were rather wide, as the FFQ could provide estimates of calcium intake from 533 mg/day above to 799 mg/day below the 24-h recall. Actual values for surrogate FFQ quartiles manifested a progressive increase, with significant differences between mean calcium intakes (P<0.001). The FFQ could identify individuals who consumed less calcium than 800 mg/day or less than the age-specific adequate intake with a relatively high sensitivity (82.8 and 95.5%, respectively), but low specificity (54.9 and 34.1%, respectively). Cross-classification analysis indicated that only 17 subjects (1.7%) were grossly misclassified (lowest quartile for one method and highest quartile for the other), while 827 subjects (82.6%) were correctly classified (into the same or adjacent quartiles). The FFQ could be used in population-based epidemiological studies or screening programs involving individuals of all ages and both genders, where the discrimination of subjects with relatively low (<500 mg/day) and relatively high (>1000 mg/day) calcium intakes is of primary interest. Results, however, do not support its use for the quantitative assessment of individual calcium intakes.     

Electrode Placement and Prolactin Response to Electroconvulsive Therapy

Study of serum prolactin during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in depressive patients revealed a greater prolactin increase after bilateral than after unilateral ECT. A linear correlation between the two types of prolactin response was found for a group of 10 patients, a finding that suggests a quantitative rather than a qualitative difference between bilateral and unilateral ECT with regard to their prolactin-releasing properties. The magnitude of prolactin response did not differ between right and left unilateral ECT, nor in a systematically studied case of postictal dysphoric excitement that occurred after right, but not after left, unilateral ECT. In this case, maximal prolactin response occurred earlier with right than with left unilateral ECT. Prolactin increase after ECT was not correlated with such factors as severity of depression nor seizure duration.     

Cross-Sectional Associations between Mothers and Children’s Breakfast Routine—The Feel4Diabetes-Study

Positive influences of family members have been associated with a high probability of children’s daily breakfast consumption. Therefore, the aim of this study was to scrutinize the association of breakfast routines between mothers and their children. The baseline data of the Feel4Diabetes-study was obtained in 9760 children (49.05% boys)–mother pairs in six European countries. A parental self-reported questionnaire gauging the frequency of breakfast consumption and of breakfast´ foods and beverages consumption was used. Agreement in routines of mothers and their children’s breakfast consumption was analyzed in sex-specific crosstabs. The relationship of breakfast routine and food groups’ consumption between mothers and their children was assessed with analysis of covariance. The highest proportion of children who always consumed breakfast were those whose mothers always consumed it. Children consuming breakfast regularly had a higher intake of milk or unsweetened dairy products and all kind of cereal products (low fiber and whole-grain) than occasional breakfast consumers (p < 0.05). The strong similarity between mothers and children suggests a transfer of breakfast routine from mothers to their children, as a high proportion of children who usually consume breakfast were from mothers also consuming breakfast. All breakfast foods and beverages consumption frequencies were similar between children and their mothers.     

Effects of Two Workload-Matched High-Intensity Interval Training Protocols on Regional Body Composition and Fat Oxidation in Obese Men

The effects of two high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocols on regional body composition and fat oxidation in men with obesity were compared using a parallel randomized design. Sixteen inactive males (age, 38.9 ± 7.3 years; body fat, 31.8 ± 3.9%; peak oxygen uptake, VO_2peak, 30.9 ± 4.1 mL/kg/min; all mean ± SD) were randomly assigned to either HIIT10 (48 × 10 s bouts at 100% of peak power [W_peak] with 15 s of recovery) or HIIT60 group (8 × 60 s bouts at 100% W_peak with 90 s of recovery), and subsequently completed eight weeks of training, while maintaining the same diet. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) showed only a main effect of time (p < 0.01) and no group or interaction effects (p > 0.05) in the examined parameters. Total and trunk fat mass decreased by 1.81 kg (90%CI: −2.63 to −0.99 kg; p = 0.002) and 1.45 kg (90%CI: −1.95 to −0.94 kg; p < 0.001), respectively, while leg lean mass increased by 0.86 kg (90%CI: 0.63 to 1.08 kg; p < 0.001), following both HIIT protocols. HIIT increased peak fat oxidation (PFO) (from 0.20 ± 0.05 to 0.33 ± 0.08 g/min, p = 0.001), as well as fat oxidation over a wide range of submaximal exercise intensities, and shifted PFO to higher intensity (from 33.6 ± 4.6 to 37.6 ± 6.7% VO_2peak, p = 0.039). HIIT, irrespective of protocol, improved VO_2peak by 20.0 ± 7.2% (p < 0.001), while blood lactate at various submaximal intensities decreased by 20.6% (p = 0.001). In conclusion, both HIIT protocols were equally effective in improving regional body composition and fat oxidation during exercise in obese men.     

Correlation between myocardial enzyme serum levels and markers of inflammation with severity of coronary artery disease and Gensini score: A hospital-based,prospective study in Greek patients

Background

Our objective was to associate serum levels of myocardial enzymes and inflammatory biomarkers with severity of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Patients and methods

123 patients participated in our study, including 65 cases of acute myocardial infarction (MI), 27 cases of newly diagnosed CAD – without MI – and 31 controls. In all subjects, myocardial serum enzyme levels (creatine phosphokinase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase) and inflammatory indices (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, white blood cells, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate) were measured. Patients were all submitted to coronary angiography and CAD severity was evaluated by Gensini score.

Results

Significant differences concerning enzyme serum levels and inflammatory indices were found to exist between the three study groups, being highest among patients with acute MI (p < 0.001). A significant association was demonstrated between Gensini score and serum enzyme levels as well as inflammatory biomarkers.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that serum levels of myocardial enzymes and inflammatory indices correlate with CAD severity in Greek patients.     

Accumulation of cholera toxin and GM1 ganglioside in the early endosome of Niemann–Pick C1-deficient cells

We investigated intracellular trafficking of GM1 ganglioside in Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1)-deficient Chinese hamster ovary cells [NPC1(-) cells] by using cholera toxin (CT) as a probe. Both the holotoxin and the B subunit (CTB) accumulated in GM1-enriched intracellular vesicles of NPC1(-) cells. CTB-labeled vesicles contained the early endosome marker Rab5 but not lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 and were not labeled with either Texas red-transferrin or Lysotracker, indicating that they represent early endosomes. Similarly, CT accumulated in intracellular vesicles of human NPC fibroblasts that contained both Rab5 and early endosomal antigen 1. CTB accumulation in NPC1(-) cells was abolished by expression of wild-type NPC1 but not by mutant proteins with a mutation either in the NPC domain or the sterol-sensing domain. A part of these mutant NPC1 proteins expressed in NPC1(-) cells was localized on CTB-labeled vesicles. U18666A treatment of "knock in" cells [NPC1(-) cells that stably expressed wild-type NPC1] caused CTB accumulation similar to that in NPC1(-) cells, and a part of wild-type NPC1was localized on CTB-labeled vesicles in drug-treated cells. Finally, CT tracer experiments in NPC1(-) cells revealed retarded excretion of internalized toxin into the culture medium and an increase in the intracellular release of A subunits. In accordance with the latter result, CT was more effective in stimulating cAMP formation in NPC1(-) than in wild-type cells. These results suggest that transport of CT/GM1 complexes from the early endosome to the plasma membrane depends on the function of NPC1, whereas transport to the Golgi apparatus/endoplasmic reticulum does not.     

Analysis of Dietary Pattern Impact on Weight Status for Personalised Nutrition through On-Line Advice: The Food4Me Spanish Cohort

Obesity prevalence is increasing. The management of this condition requires a detailed analysis of the global risk factors in order to develop personalised advice. This study is aimed to identify current dietary patterns and habits in Spanish population interested in personalised nutrition and investigate associations with weight status. Self-reported dietary and anthropometrical data from the Spanish participants in the Food4Me study, were used in a multidimensional exploratory analysis to define specific dietary profiles. Two opposing factors were obtained according to food groups’ intake: Factor 1 characterised by a more frequent consumption of traditionally considered unhealthy foods; and Factor 2, where the consumption of “Mediterranean diet” foods was prevalent. Factor 1 showed a direct relationship with BMI (β = 0.226; r² = 0.259; p < 0.001), while the association with Factor 2 was inverse (β = −0.037; r² = 0.230; p = 0.348). A total of four categories were defined (Prudent, Healthy, Western, and Compensatory) through classification of the sample in higher or lower adherence to each factor and combining the possibilities. Western and Compensatory dietary patterns, which were characterized by high-density foods consumption, showed positive associations with overweight prevalence. Further analysis showed that prevention of overweight must focus on limiting the intake of known deleterious foods rather than exclusively enhance healthy products.     

Reverse engineering techniques for cranioplasty: a case study

This paper presents rapid prototyping and reverse engineering techniques applied to create an implant for the surgical reconstruction of a large cranial defect. A series of computed tomography (CT) images was obtained and purpose built software was used to extract the cranial geometry in a point cloud. The point cloud produced was used for: (a) the creation of a stereolithographic (STL) physical model for direct assessment of the cranial defect; and (b) the creation of a 3D mould model for the fabrication of the patient-specific implant.