Sensitization to Zygophyllum fabago pollen. A clinical and immunologic study

Zygophyllum fahago is a herbaceous plant found widely in the Mediterranean area. There are no previous reports of its allergenicity. An aerobiologic and clinical survey was conducted in Murcia, southern Spain, to determine the quantity of airborne pollen and establish the possible role of this pollen as a cause of allergic symptoms. With a Hirst volumetric trap, we determined the atmospheric concentrations of this pollen in 1993, 1994,1995, and 1996. Of 1180 patients tested, 181 (15,34%) had a positive skin test. To determine its allergenicity, we divided 47 patients into three groups: in group 1, all the patients had symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis plus asthma; in groups 2 and 3, rhinoconjunctivitis. In group 1, we performed a bronchial provocation test (BPT): in groups 2 and 3, we performed nasal provocation (NPT) and conjunctival provocation (CPT) tests, respectively, SDS-PAGE was used to characterize the antigenic fractions and RAST inhibition to determine cross-reactivity with other pollens. The pollen dispersion period is from May to September (445 grains/m³), BPT was positive in 13 of 15 patients, NPT in 14 of 16 patients, and CPT in 13 of 16 patients. RAST inhibition revealed cross-reactivity with Mercurialis, Ricinus, Olea. and Betula. SDS-PAGE identified 25 IgE antibody-binding components, five of which (60, 65, 41, 38, and 15.5/14,7 kDa) were recognized by 40% of the sera. By SDS-PAGE immunoblotting with sunflower antiprofilin rabbit serum and affinity chromatography we established that the Z. fahago extract has profilin. This study shows that this pollen becomes airborne and elicits an IgE response which triggers respiratory symptoms in allergic subjects.     

中国西部城市和农村开展面粉营养素强化的可行性分析

目的通过对甘肃农产区居民的饮食习惯、营养知识和态度的调查,从需方的角度对开展面粉营养素强化的可行性进行探讨。方法采用定性和定量调查相结合的方法,对4个地区的城市和农村的男性和女性分别进行现状和原因的调查分析。结果被调查地区多数城市(92.7%)和农村(60.7%)家庭日常饮食以面食为主,94.7%的城市家庭购买面粉,而在农村地区,多数家庭自己种植或购买小麦。城市居民较农村对营养和维生素有更多的了解和关注。农村男性对面粉营养素强化持怀疑态度,女性更加关注孩子的营养,认为目前的饮食单一,孩子可能营养不足。结论与农村地区相比,城市地区的社会经济条件和知识基础较利于开展面粉强化工作。     

Sex-Dependent Mediation of Leptin in the Association of Perilipin Polymorphisms with BMI and Plasma Lipid Levels in Children

Variations in the perilipin (PLIN) gene have been suggested to be associated with obesity and its related alterations, but a different nutritional status seems to contribute to differences in these associations. In our study, we examined the association of several polymorphisms at the PLIN locus with obesity and lipid profile in children, and then analyzed the mediation of plasma leptin levels on these associations. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs894160, rs1052700, and rs2304795 in PLIN1, and rs35568725 in PLIN2, were analyzed by RT-PCR in 1264 children aged 6–8 years. Our results showed a contrasting association of PLIN1 rs1052700 with apolipoprotein (Apo) A-I levels in boys and girls, with genotype TT carriers showing significantly higher Apo A-I levels in boys and significantly lower Apo A-I levels in girls. Significant associations of the SNP PLIN2 rs35568725 with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol), Apo A-I, and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were observed in boys but not in girls. The associations of the SNPs studied with body mass index (BMI), NEFA, and Apo A-I in boys and girls were different depending on leptin concentration. In conclusion, we describe the mediation of plasma leptin levels in the association of SNPs in PLIN1 and PLIN2 with BMI, Apo A-I, and NEFA. Different leptin levels by sex may contribute to explain the sex-dependent association of the PLIN SNPs with these variables.     

Contingency management is effective across cocaine-dependent outpatients with different socioeconomic status

Contingency management (CM) has demonstrated its efficacy for treating cocaine dependence, but there is still some controversy with regard to its dissemination. Understanding how individual differences affect CM outcomes is important for detecting barriers to its dissemination. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of socioeconomic variables in cocaine-dependent outpatients on the effectiveness of CM in a community setting. Cocaine-dependent outpatients (N = 118) were randomized to community reinforcement approach (CRA) treatment or a CRA plus vouchers program. The impact of baseline economic variables, alone and in combination with treatment conditions, on abstinence and retention outcomes after 6 months of treatment was assessed. Results showed that income had no effect on retention or abstinence outcomes after 6 months of treatment in either treatment condition. The addition of a CM component was beneficial for individuals with any socioeconomic status. These results support the generalizability of CM strategies with patients of different socioeconomic status in community settings.     

Smoking a virtual cigarette increases craving among smokers

Previous studies have shown the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) environments that reproduce smoking-related stimuli for increasing self-reported craving and psychophysiological reactivity in smokers. However, no study to date has attempted to simulate smoking behavior itself by means of VR technology. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of smoking a virtual cigarette on self-reported craving levels and heart rate (HR) in a sample of smokers. Participants were 45 smokers randomly assigned to three VR conditions built into a virtual pub: smoking a virtual cigarette, throwing virtual darts at a virtual dartboard or just being in the virtual pub. Results showed that smoking a virtual cigarette significantly increased self-reported craving and HR when compared to the other two conditions. These results reveal that simulation of smoking behavior in a VR environment functions as an efficacious proximal cue that can be used for triggering craving under the cue-exposure paradigm.     

Escherichia coli Resistance to Nonbiocidal Antibiofilm Polysaccharides Is Rare and Mediated by Multiple Mutations Leading to Surface Physicochemical Modifications

Antivirulence strategies targeting bacterial behavior, such as adhesion and biofilm formation, are expected to exert low selective pressure and have been proposed as alternatives to biocidal antibiotic treatments to avoid the rapid occurrence of bacterial resistance. Here, we tested this hypothesis using group 2 capsule polysaccharide (G2cps), a polysaccharidic molecule previously shown to impair bacterium-surface interactions, and we investigated the nature of bacterial resistance to a nonbiocidal antibiofilm strategy. We screened an Escherichia coli mutant library for an increased ability to form biofilm in the presence of G2cps, and we identified several mutants displaying partial but not total resistance to this antibiofilm polysaccharide. Our genetic analysis showed that partial resistance to G2cps results from multiple unrelated mutations leading to modifications in surface physicochemical properties that counteract the changes in ionic charge and Lewis base properties induced by G2cps. Moreover, some of the identified mutants harboring improved biofilm formation in the presence of G2cps were also partially resistant to other antibiofilm molecules. This study therefore shows that alterations of bacterial surface properties mediate only partial resistance to G2cps. It also experimentally validates the potential value of nonbiocidal antibiofilm strategies, since full resistance to antibiofilm compounds is rare and potentially unlikely to arise in clinical settings.     

Depressive Symptoms Among Children and Adolescents in Iran: A Confirmatory Factor Analytic Study of the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Iranian translation of the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) in school children and adolescents in Iran. The CES-DC is a 20-item self-report scale designed to measure depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. A total of 1,984 children and adolescents, aged 12–17 years, participated in this research. In addition to the CES-DC, all participants completed the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The CES-DC demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha = .87). Confirmatory factor analyses revealed the same four factor structure as proposed by Radloff. Invariance tests showed an equivalent structure among boys and girls and younger and older adolescents. The CES-DC total scores correlated significantly with the SCAS total scores and the SDQ emotional symptoms subscale, providing support of its convergent validity. To conclude, the CES-DC proved to be a reliable and valid measure of depressive symptoms in the Iranian context.