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Objective: Repeated computed tomography angiography (CTA) can be used during follow-up visits for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) but leads to accumulated radiation exposure and may cause renal impairment. Therefore, the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has increased, and its ability to detect endoleaks has been promising. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of CEUS vs CTA for endoleak detection during EVAR follow-up., Methods: Ninety-two patients with planned EVAR for abdominal aortic aneurysm were prospectively, consecutively enrolled. In total, 233 paired CTA and CEUS procedures were performed within the same day. Follow-up visits occurred 1 month, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months postoperatively., Results: Of 48 endoleaks discovered by CTA, 39 were also detected on CEUS, giving an overall sensitivity of 81.3% and specificity of 98.9%. All undetected endoleaks were minor, without clinical importance, and occurred in patients with high body mass index., Conclusions: In this study, CEUS was accurate for detecting type II endoleaks during follow-up visits for EVAR. Sensitivity was lower in obese patients. Doppler ultrasound has low sensitivity and seems to be unsuitable for the detection of endoleaks., (Copyright © 2020 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study was to conduct a literature review to examine micronutrient deficiencies in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. We conducted a literature review using PubMed and Cochrane databases to examine micronutrient deficiencies in SG patients in order to identify trends and find consistency in recommendations. Seventeen articles were identified that met the defined criteria. Iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin D were the primary micronutrients evaluated. Results demonstrate the need for consistent iron and B12 supplementation, in addition to a multivitamin, while vitamin D supplementation may not be necessary. Additional prospective studies to establish a clearer picture of micronutrient deficiencies post-SG are needed.

Objective: Low total cholesterol has been linked with adverse mental symptoms such as aggression and impulsivity in severe mental disorders (SMDs). This putative association may affect the clinician's decision making about cholesterol lowering in this patient group. Here, we investigated the associations between cholesterol levels, aggression, and impulsivity in a large representative sample of in- and outpatients with SMD., Methods: Patients with schizophrenia- or bipolar spectrum disorders (N = 1 001) underwent thorough clinical characterization and blood sampling (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). Aggression was characterized by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Excited Component. Impulsivity was measured with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale in a subsample of patients (N = 288). We used a multinomial logistic regression model to analyze the association between cholesterol and aggression and a multiple linear regression model to analyze the association between cholesterol and impulsivity, while controlling for confounders., Results: We found no significant associations between cholesterol levels and aggression or impulsivity. There were no significant interactions between cholesterol and diagnostic group or inpatient versus outpatient status. Controlling for medication use, body mass index, alcohol or illicit substance use did not affect the results., Conclusion: In this large sample of patients with schizophrenia- and bipolar spectrum disorders, we found no associations between cholesterol levels and aggression or impulsivity. This has clinical implications as patients with SMD are at increased CVD risk and currently undertreated with statins., (© 2020 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Choline is an essential nutrient that has been implicated in athletic performance due to its role in maintaining normal muscle function. The concentration of free choline in serum may decrease during long-distance high-intensity exercise, yet few nutritional strategies to counteract this potentially performance-depleting loss in choline have been investigated outside the laboratory. This exploratory field study was performed to investigate if pre-race supplementation with phosphatidylcholine from krill oil can counteract the expected drop in choline and some of its metabolites during triathlon competitions. Forty-seven triathletes, 12 females and 35 males ranging in age from 25 to 61 years, were recruited from participants in the Ironman-distance Norseman Xtreme triathlon and the Sprint/Olympic-distance Oslo Triathlon. Twenty-four athletes were randomly allocated to the krill oil group, receiving 4 g of Superba Boost ™ krill oil daily for 5 weeks prior to the race, and 23 athletes were randomly allocated to the placebo group, receiving 4 g of mixed vegetable oil daily. Blood samples were obtained before the race, immediately after completion of the race, and the day after the race for analysis of choline and its metabolites. The results showed that serum choline concentrations significantly decreased from pre-race to race finish in all races, with a more pronounced decrease observed in the Ironman-distance Norseman Xtreme triathlon (34% decrease) relative to the Sprint/Olympic-distance Oslo Triathlon (15% decrease). A reduction in betaine was also observed, while dimethylglycine (DMG) concentrations remained stable across all time points. Significantly higher concentrations of choline (9.4% on average) and DMG (21.4% on average) were observed in the krill oil compared to the placebo group, and the krill oil group showed a significantly greater increase in serum choline following race completion. In conclusion, krill oil may help to prevent that circulating choline concentrations become limiting during endurance competitions., (Copyright © 2020 Storsve, Johnsen, Nyborg, Melau, Hisdal and Burri.)

Brettanomyces yeasts have gained popularity in many sectors of the biotechnological industry, specifically in the field of beer production, but also in wine and ethanol production. Their unique properties enable Brettanomyces to outcompete conventional brewer's yeast in industrially relevant traits such as production of ethanol and pleasant flavors. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) and high-throughput screening techniques have facilitated large population studies allowing the selection of appropriate yeast strains with improved traits. In order to get a better understanding of Brettanomyces species and its potential for beer production, we sequenced the whole genome of 84 strains, which we make available to the scientific community and carried out several in vitro assays for brewing-relevant properties. The collection includes isolates from different substrates and geographical origin. Additionally, we have included two of the oldest Carlsberg Research Laboratory isolates. In this study, we reveal the phylogenetic pattern of Brettanomyces species by comparing the predicted proteomes of each strain. Furthermore, we show that the Brettanomyces collection is well described using similarity in genomic organization, and that there is a direct correlation between genomic background and phenotypic characteristics. Particularly, genomic patterns affecting flavor production, maltose assimilation, beta-glucosidase activity, and phenolic off-flavor (POF) production are reported. This knowledge yields new insights into Brettanomyces population survival strategies, artificial selection pressure, and loss of carbon assimilation traits. On a species-specific level, we have identified for the first time a POF negative Brettanomyces anomalus strain, without the main spoilage character of Brettanomyces species. This strain (CRL-90) has lost DaPAD1 , making it incapable of converting ferulic acid to 4-ethylguaiacol (4-EG) and 4-ethylphenol (4-EP). This loss of function makes CRL-90 a good candidate for the production of characteristic Brettanomyce s flavors in beverages, without the contaminant increase in POF. Overall, this study displays the potential of exploring Brettanomyces yeast species biodiversity to find strains with relevant properties applicable to the brewing industry., (Copyright © 2020 Colomer, Chailyan, Fennessy, Olsson, Johnsen, Solodovnikova and Forster.)

Background: Metabolic surgery is the most effective method for weight loss in the long-term treatment of morbid obesity and its comorbidities. The primary aim of this study was to examine factors associated with percent total weight loss (%TWL) after metabolic surgery among an ethnically diverse sample of patients., Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 1012 patients who underwent either a sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) at our institution between January 2008 and June 2015., Results: African Americans had a lower %TWL than non-Hispanic/Latino Whites at 6, 9, 12, 18, and 48 months. At all timeframes, there was a negative association between pre-surgery TWL and %TWL after surgery. Female sex was negatively associated with %TWL at 3 months only. Higher initial BMI was also associated with greater post-operative %TWL at 18, 24 and 36 months. Older patients had lower %TWL at 6, 9, 12 and 24 months post-surgery. Patients who received RYGB had greater %TWL than those who received SG at 3, 6, 9, 12, 24 and 36 months., Conclusions: African Americans had a lower %TWL than non-Hispanic/Latino Whites at most time points; there were no other significant race/ethnicity or sex differences. BMI (greater initial BMI), age (lower) and RYGB were associated with a greater post-operative %TWL at certain post-surgery follow-up time points. A limitation of this study is that there was missing data at a number of time points due to lack of attendance at certain follow-up visits.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) could have a substantial impact on the HIV epidemic within the US. However, the implementation of PrEP interventions outside of clinical trials has been slow and faces considerable barriers. The aim of the current study was to qualitatively explore PrEP-related patient-reported outcomes (PRO) among MSM patients who enrolled in a PrEP program at two public STD clinics in Baltimore. We conducted in-depth interviews with 18 PrEP patients who self-identified as MSM at two Baltimore City Health Department STD clinics between March and November, 2017. A codebook was developed using an iterative process. During analysis, the study team identified various biomedical and psychosocial PrEP-related PRO among MSM PrEP patients. In addition to HIV prevention, PrEP-related PRO included greater peace of mind, better continuity in care and awareness about health and well-being, relationship solidarity with serodiscordant partners, and access to social services. These findings on PrEP-related PRO can potentially contribute to improving patient-provider communication, leading to increased engagement in care and uptake of PrEP by MSM.

MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is one of the most abundant microRNAs in cancer tissues and is considered a strong prognostic biomarker. In situ hybridization (ISH) analyses using locked nucleic acid (LNA) probes have shown that miR-21 is expressed in stromal fibroblastic cells and in subsets of cancer cells. Image analysis of the miR-21 ISH signal has shown that increased expression estimate is associated with poor prognosis in colon cancer. However, assessment of the ISH signal by image analysis to obtain quantitative estimates has been done in retrospective studies without normalization of the expression estimates to reference parameters. The ISH signal output is sensitive to several experimental parameters, including hybridization temperature, probe concentration, and pretreatment, and therefore improved standardized procedures are warranted. We considered the use of paraffin-embedded cultured cells (PECCs) as reference standards that potentially can accompany staining of clinical cancer samples. We found that the cancer cell lines HT-29, CACO-2, and HeLa cells express miR-21 when measured by ISH, and used those cell lines to obtain PECCs. In this methods chapter we present a fixation and embedding procedure to obtain PECCs suitable for microRNA ISH and a double-fluorescence protocol to stain microRNAs together with protein markers in the PECCs.

Innovative, patient-centered interventions that employ novel educational methods are needed to address the burden of diabetes in the growing Latino population. Objective of this study was to assess the acceptability, feasibility, and perceived utility of photovoice in a diabetes self-management intervention for Latinos. Thirty-seven adults with diabetes attended a church-based self-management education program that included a photovoice exercise where participants were asked to take photographs to illustrate their successes and challenges in diabetes management. Participants discussed their photographs in the group classes and evaluated the exercise in an exit survey. Photographs and discussion notes were analyzed for prevalent themes. We measured participant participation in the photovoice activity, content of photographs, themes of the discussions that were prompted by the photographs in class, and participants' satisfaction with the photovoice exercise. Of the 37 participants, 70% took photos and 65% shared them in class. Photos depicted family, social gatherings, diet, exercise, the neighborhood, diabetes supplies and medications, and home life. Almost all the group discussions involved aspects of social support, including giving advice, empathizing, or providing motivation for self-care to one another. Eighty-six percent reported learning how to better manage their diabetes from others' photos; 93% noted sharing photos made them feel connected to the group. In a diabetes self-management education program, photovoice was well received by Latino adults and provided a vehicle to receive and provide social support in self-care. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov with identifier NCT01288300., (© Society of Behavioral Medicine 2019. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

According to the Migration Policy Institute (2019), as of 2017 the USA was home to approximately 44 million immigrants, the largest number of immigrants in the world. Most of these immigrants relocate from Mexico, India, China, the Philippines, El Salvador, Vietnam, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Since 2017, there have been increased reports of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) interventions toward immigrants, especially at and near previously delineated "safe areas" such as medical facilities, as immigrants sought health care. Currently, health care providers are reporting delays and reductions in health care seeking by immigrants. This increases risks of untreated health problems for the immigrants themselves as well as their communities. To protect the health of immigrants, and the general public, the Society of Behavioral Medicine joins the American College of Physicians (2011) and the American Medical Association (2017) in recommending that Congress impose restrictions on ICE interventions in or around medical facilities., (© Society of Behavioral Medicine 2019. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Purpose: Robotic-assisted Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RARYGB) is a procedure that is used with increasing frequency in the United States. Among other bariatric procedures, RARYGB is a good model for the robotic platform because it allows hand-sewn suturing and energy devices application. The aim of this study was to conduct a literature review of robotic approach in RARYGB, its learning curve using the cumulative sum (CUSUM) method, and our experience as Center of Excellence recognized by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). Methods: A total of 67 patients were included. Results revealed that the learning curve was achieved after case 11. Eighteen studies were included in the pooled analysis. Results: An increase in the operative time was noted at case 46, in which a second phase was identified. A significant difference between these two phases was found only related to previous bariatric surgery. The outcomes of this series were comparable with the ones available in the literature. Conclusions: The robotic platform is increasing its role in complex procedures such as RARYGB. The hand-sewn technique may offer important advantages in terms of shorter learning curve, reduced conversion rate, and lower leakage rate., Competing Interests: No competing financial interests exist., (Copyright 2019, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.)

Introduction: In patients with popliteal artery aneurysm lacking a suitable vein for bypass, prosthetic graft, or endovascular stent graft are alternative treatment options. However, durability is limited. Construction of an autologous spiral vein graft has previously been used to replace infected aortic grafts and arteriovenous fistulas., Technical Summary: Five patients underwent surgery for popliteal arterial aneurysm with the spiral vein graft technique. Technical success was 100%. Operative technique and results are reported., Conclusion: The spiral vein graft technique can be used for popliteal artery aneurysm with good short term results, avoiding use of prosthetic grafts.

Background: Hashimoto disease is a chronic autoimmune thyroiditis. Despite adequate hormone substitution, some patients have persistent symptoms that may be the result of immunologic pathophysiology., Objective: To determine whether thyroidectomy improves symptoms in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis who still have symptoms despite having normal thyroid gland function while receiving medical therapy., Design: Randomized trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02319538)., Setting: Secondary care hospital in Norway., Patients: 150 patients aged 18 to 79 years with persistent Hashimoto-related symptoms despite euthyroid status while receiving hormone replacement therapy and with serum antithyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) antibody titers greater than 1000 IU/mL., Intervention: Total thyroidectomy or medical management with hormone substitution to secure euthyroid status in both groups., Measurements: The primary outcome was general health score on the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) at 18 months. Secondary outcomes were adverse effects of surgery, the other 7 SF-36 subscores, fatigue questionnaire scores, and serum anti-TPO antibody titers at 6, 12, and 18 months., Results: During follow-up, only the surgical group demonstrated improvement: Mean general health score increased from 38 to 64 points, for a between-group difference of 29 points (95% CI, 22 to 35 points) at 18 months. Fatigue score decreased from 23 to 14 points, for a between-group difference of 9.3 points (CI, 7.4 to 11.2 points). Chronic fatigue frequency decreased from 82% to 35%, for a between-group difference of 39 percentage points (CI, 23 to 53 percentage points). Median serum anti-TPO antibody titers decreased from 2232 to 152 IU/mL, for a between-group difference of 1148 IU/mL (CI, 1080 to 1304 IU/mL). In multivariable regression analyses, the adjusted treatment effects remained similar to the unadjusted effects., Limitation: Results are applicable only to a subgroup of patients with Hashimoto disease, and follow-up was limited to 18 months., Conclusion: Total thyroidectomy improved health-related quality of life and fatigue, whereas medical therapy did not. This improvement, along with concomitant elimination of serum anti-TPO antibodies, may elucidate disease mechanisms., Primary Funding Source: Telemark Hospital.

Background and Purpose: Overall treatment time (OTT) is essential for local tumour control and survival in radiotherapy of head and neck cancer (HNC). National radiotherapy guidelines of the Danish Head and Neck Cancer Group (DAHANCA) recommend a maximum OTT of 41 days for moderately accelerated radiation treatment (6 fractions/week) and 48 days for conventional treatment (5 fractions/week). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of surveillance of the radiotherapy course length and treatment gaps in HNC patients to reduce OTT., Methods: The study included 2011 patients with HNC undergoing radical radiation treatment with 66-68 Gy in 33-34 fractions in 2003-2017 at Odense University Hospital. In February 2016, a systematic weekly review by two radiation therapists of all planned treatment courses was introduced to check OTT of individual patients to portend likely breaks or treatment prolongations. Schedules that violated the OTT guidelines were conferred with the responsible radiation oncologist, and treatment rescheduled by treating twice daily to catch up with a delay., Results: The mean length of accelerated treatment courses was reduced from a maximum of 40.9 days in 2007 to 38.3 days in 2017 and from 50.3 days to 45.9 days for conventional courses. The percentage of individual treatment courses that violated the recommended OTT was reduced to 3% of the accelerated treatments and 13% for the conventional treatments., Conclusion: Continuous surveillance of treatment schedules of HNC patients by a brief weekly survey reduced treatment course duration to an extent that was radiobiologically and clinically meaningful., (© 2019 The Authors.)

The capabilities of dynamic headspace entrainment followed by thermal desorption in combination with gas chromatography (GC) coupled to single quadrupole mass spectrometry (MS) have been tested for the determination of volatile components of olive oil. This technique has shown a great potential for olive oil quality classification by using an untargeted approach. The data processing strategy consisted of three different steps: component detection from GC-MS data using novel data treatment software PARADISe, a multivariate analysis using EZ-Info, and the creation of the statistical models. The great number of compounds determined enabled not only the development of a quality classification method as a complementary tool to the official established method "PANEL TEST" but also a correlation between these compounds and different types of defect. Classification method was finally validated using blind samples. An accuracy of 85% in oil classification was obtained, with 100% of extra virgin samples correctly classified., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Overweight and obesity is a significant public health concern among Latino men. Common correlates of obesity that have been examined in previous studies are diet, physical activity, and body image., Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine whether or not there are differences in body image, physical activity and cultural variables between Mexican and Puerto Rican men., Methods: Participants completed a health and culture interview, anthropometric measures, a dietary assessment, and an objective measure of physical activity. The results are from the 203 participants who completed the health and culture interview., Results: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans did not differ in their current and ideal body image, body image discrepancy, body satisfaction or how they described their weight. Puerto Ricans watched a greater number of hours of television per day than Mexicans (p < .01). There were no significant differences in their participation in any regular activity designed to improve or maintain their physical fitness, the number of times or length they engaged in this activity, or in their perceived exertion during this activity. Puerto Ricans reported a higher level of familism (p < .01) and machismo (p < .05) than Mexicans. There were no ethnic differences in folk illness beliefs, fatalism or personalism, acculturation level, acculturative stress, or ethnic identity., Conclusions: Results are discussed in relation to the development of healthy eating, physical activity and body image interventions for Puerto Rican and Mexican men.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate morphometric correlates of auditory hallucinations in bipolar disorder (BD) by comparing cortical thickness and cortical surface area in bipolar disorder patients with (BD+) and without (BD-) a lifetime history of auditory hallucinations. Based on previous findings in schizophrenia patients, we hypothesized that the cortex would be thinner in the auditory cortex in BD+ compared to BD-., Methods: Bipolar disorder spectrum (n = 157) patients and healthy controls (n = 279) underwent 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning. Hypothesis-driven analyses of cortical thickness and surface area in regions of the auditory cortex (Heschl's gyrus [HG], planum temporale and superior temporal gyrus) were conducted comparing BD+ (n = 49) and BD- (n = 108) using linear regression models, covaried for age and sex. Furthermore, we explored vertex-wise group differences in thickness and surface area across the whole cerebral cortex., Results: Hypothesis-driven analyses:BD+ had significantly thicker cortex in the left HG compared to BD- (B = 0.128, P = .0046). The finding was not explained by duration of illness, global functioning, bipolar subtype, IQ or use of antipsychotic, antidepressant or antiepileptic medication, or by lithium. Exploratory analyses: A small region of thicker cortex in BD+ compared to BD- was seen in the left superior parietal lobule (false discovery rate <0.05). There were no significant group differences in cortical surface area., Conclusion: A lifetime history of auditory hallucinations in BD was associated with cortical thickness alterations in both the left HG and the superior parietal lobule. Contrary to our hypothesis, BD+ showed thicker, rather than thinner cortex compared to BD-. Replications in independent samples are needed., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The Society of Behavioral Medicine supports the inclusion of gender and sexual minorities in all local, state, and national tobacco prevention and control activities. These activities include surveillance of tobacco use and cessation activities, targeted outreach and awareness campaigns, increasing access to culturally appropriate tobacco use dependence treatments, and restricting disproportionate marketing to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities by the tobacco industry, especially for mentholated tobacco products.

Introduction: Low-income, ethnic minority children disproportionately face poor asthma control, and poorly controlled asthma is related to psychosocial difficulties. This study assessed physician reports of coping in child patients and examined associations between physician reports of child coping and parent and child reports of children's coping, psychosocial, and asthma outcomes (asthma-related stress, emotional and behavioral problems, asthma control, and school missed due to asthma)., Method: Physicians reported on coping in their patients (N = 67) ages 5-17 with asthma. Parents reported on child coping, asthma-related stress, emotional and behavioral problems, asthma control, and school missed due to asthma. Children ages 9-17 provided self-reports., Results: Physicians' reports of primary control coping (e.g., problem solving) and secondary control coping (e.g., cognitive restructuring) were not associated with parent ratings of corresponding coping strategies, but physician reports of disengagement coping (e.g., avoidance) were correlated with parent reports of disengagement and secondary control coping. Physician perceptions of higher child primary control, and lower disengagement, were correlated with less parent-reported stress, better asthma control, and for primary control, fewer partial days of school missed. Physician reports were not correlated with child reports of coping, but physician reports of disengagement were correlated with child-reported conduct problems., Discussion: Findings suggest that physician reports of child coping provide independent information from parent and child reports of coping, and could be leveraged to identify and intervene with patients who are at elevated risk for poor outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).)

Social support is an important factor in increasing positive health outcomes and positive health behaviors across a variety of disease states including obesity. However, research examining the relationship between social support for exercise and weight and physical activity status, particularly among Latino men, is lacking. This paper examined whether social support for exercise predicted weight and physical activity status and whether the direction of these relationships differ as a function of Hispanic/Latino background (Puerto Rican/Mexican). Participants were 203 men who participated in a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study addressing culture- and obesity-related variables. Both family participation social support and f amily rewards and punishment social support predicted higher weight status ( p < .005 and p < .05, respectively). Friend participation social support did not predict weight status. The direction of the relationship between weight status and family participation social support, family rewards and punishment social support, and friend participation social support did not significantly differ as a function of Hispanic/Latino background. The direction of the relationship between physical activity status and family participation social support, family rewards and punishment social support, and friend participation social support did not significantly differ as a function of Hispanic/Latino background. Findings suggest that increased social support for exercise from family members may be focused on those who need it most-overweight and obese participants. Additional research is needed to explore sociocultural factors that may promote social support, physical activity, and weight loss and maintenance in Puerto Rican and Mexican men.

Objective: We aimed to test, whether fetal under- or overnutrition differentially program the thyroid axis with lasting effects on energy metabolism, and if early-life postnatal overnutrition modulates implications of prenatal programming., Design: Twin-pregnant sheep ( n  = 36) were either adequately (NORM), under- (LOW; 50% of NORM) or overnourished (HIGH; 150% of energy and 110% of protein requirements) in the last-trimester of gestation. From 3 days-of-age to 6 months-of-age, twin lambs received a conventional (CONV) or an obesogenic, high-carbohydrate high-fat (HCHF) diet. Subgroups were slaughtered at 6-months-of-age. Remaining lambs were fed a low-fat diet until 2½ years-of-age (adulthood)., Methods: Serum hormone levels were determined at 6 months- and 2½ years-of-age. At 2½ years-of-age, feed intake capacity (intake over 4-h following 72-h fasting) was determined, and an intravenous thyroxine tolerance test (iTTT) was performed, including measurements of heart rate, rectal temperature and energy expenditure (EE)., Results: In the iTTT, the LOW and nutritionally mismatched NORM:HCHF and HIGH:CONV sheep increased serum T 3 , T 3 :T 4 and T 3 :TSH less than NORM:CONV, whereas TSH was decreased less in HIGH, NORM:HCHF and LOW:HCHF. Early postnatal exposure to the HCHF diet decreased basal adult EE in NORM and HIGH, but not LOW, and increased adult feed intake capacity in NORM and LOW, but not HIGH. Conclusions : The iTTT revealed a differential programming of central and peripheral HPT axis function in response to late fetal malnutrition and an early postnatal obesogenic diet, with long-term implications for adult HPT axis adaptability and associated consequences for adiposity risk., (© 2018 The authors.)

Introduction: Obesity and metabolic syndrome are increasingly prevalent in the United States, particularly among African Americans and Latinos. Bariatric surgery has become one of the primary treatment modalities for obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, fewer Latinos and African Americans are undergoing bariatric surgery than whites. The aim of this article is to describe the disparities in seeking and accessing bariatric surgery, describe the outcomes following bariatric procedures in Latinos and African Americans, and offer recommendations and future research directions that may assist in addressing these disparities. Methods: Original research and review articles published in English were reviewed. Results: Potential reasons why Latinos and African Americans have low rates of seeking bariatric surgery are described. Disparities in access to care and financial coverage, low rates of referral by primary care providers, and cultural attitudes toward obesity in conjunction with mistrust of the healthcare system are discussed as potential contributors to the low rate of bariatric surgery in Latinos and African Americans. Finally, disparities in bariatric surgery outcomes, comorbidities, and complications are reviewed. Conclusions: Additional research studies in bariatric surgical disparities are needed. Recommendations and future directions that may help to reduce disparities in bariatric surgery are discussed., Competing Interests: No competing financial interests exist., (© Smith et al. 2020; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.)

Storage and consumption of neutral lipids in lipid droplets (LDs) are essential for energy homeostasis and tightly coupled to cellular metabolism. However, how metabolic cues are integrated in the life cycle of LDs is unclear. In this study, we characterize the function of Ldo16 and Ldo45, two splicing isoforms of the same protein in budding yeast. We show that Ldo proteins interact with the seipin complex, which regulates contacts between LDs and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Moreover, we show that the levels of Ldo16 and Ldo45 depend on the growth stage of cells and that deregulation of their relative abundance alters LD morphology, protein localization, and triglyceride content. Finally, we show that absence of Ldo proteins results in defects in LD morphology and consumption by lipophagy. Our findings support a model in which Ldo proteins modulate the activity of the seipin complex, thereby affecting LD properties. Moreover, we identify ER-LD contacts as regulatory targets coupling energy storage to cellular metabolism., (© 2018 Teixeira et al.)

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia have a negative impact on psychosocial functioning and disease outcome. It is therefore important to investigate the pathophysiology underlying negative symptoms as this may aid the development of better treatment. In the current article, examples from studies investigating neural correlates of negative symptoms in schizophrenia are given. Investigations using both structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging are presented at different levels of symptomatology descriptions, from the more heterogenous construct of negative symptoms to more single discrete symptoms. Some methods to improve imaging studies of negative symptoms in schizophrenia are also suggested.

Background: Our understanding of the complex relationship between schizophrenia symptomatology and etiological factors can be improved by studying brain-based correlates of schizophrenia. Research showed that impairments in value processing and executive functioning, which have been associated with prefrontal brain areas [particularly the medial orbitofrontal cortex (MOFC)], are linked to negative symptoms. Here we tested the hypothesis that MOFC thickness is associated with negative symptom severity., Methods: This study included 1985 individuals with schizophrenia from 17 research groups around the world contributing to the ENIGMA Schizophrenia Working Group. Cortical thickness values were obtained from T1-weighted structural brain scans using FreeSurfer. A meta-analysis across sites was conducted over effect sizes from a model predicting cortical thickness by negative symptom score (harmonized Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms or Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale scores)., Results: Meta-analytical results showed that left, but not right, MOFC thickness was significantly associated with negative symptom severity (β std = -0.075; p = 0.019) after accounting for age, gender, and site. This effect remained significant (p = 0.036) in a model including overall illness severity. Covarying for duration of illness, age of onset, antipsychotic medication or handedness weakened the association of negative symptoms with left MOFC thickness. As part of a secondary analysis including 10 other prefrontal regions further associations in the left lateral orbitofrontal gyrus and pars opercularis emerged., Conclusions: Using an unusually large cohort and a meta-analytical approach, our findings point towards a link between prefrontal thinning and negative symptom severity in schizophrenia. This finding provides further insight into the relationship between structural brain abnormalities and negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

The Escherichia coli dnaX E145A mutation was discovered in connection with a screen for multicopy suppressors of the temperature-sensitive topoisomerase IV mutation parE10 The gene for the clamp loader subunits τ and γ, dnaX , but not the mutant dnaX E145A , was found to suppress parE10 (Ts) when overexpressed. Purified mutant protein was found to be functional in vitro , and few phenotypes were found in vivo apart from problems with partitioning of DNA in rich medium. We show here that a large number of the replication forks that initiate at oriC never reach the terminus in dnaX E145A mutant cells. The SOS response was found to be induced, and a combination of the dnaX E145A mutation with recBC and recA mutations led to reduced viability. The mutant cells exhibited extensive chromosome fragmentation and degradation upon inactivation of recBC and recA , respectively. The results indicate that the dnaX E145A mutant cells suffer from broken replication forks and that these need to be repaired by homologous recombination. We suggest that the dnaX -encoded τ and γ subunits of the clamp loader, or the clamp loader complex itself, has a role in the restart of stalled replication forks without extensive homologous recombination. IMPORTANCE The E. coli clamp loader complex has a role in coordinating the activity of the replisome at the replication fork and loading β-clamps for lagging-strand synthesis. Replication forks frequently encounter obstacles, such as template lesions, secondary structures, and tightly bound protein complexes, which will lead to fork stalling. Some pathways of fork restart have been characterized, but much is still unknown about the actors and mechanisms involved. We have in this work characterized the dnaX E145A clamp loader mutant. We find that the naturally occurring obstacles encountered by a replication fork are not tackled in a proper way by the mutant clamp loader and suggest a role for the clamp loader in the restart of stalled replication forks., (Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.)

A single bout of high-intensity exercise can augment off-line gains in skills acquired during motor practice. It is currently unknown if the type of physical exercise influences the effect on motor skill consolidation. This study investigated the effect of three types of high-intensity exercise following visuomotor skill acquisition on the retention of motor memory in 40 young (25.3 ±3.6 years), able-bodied male participants randomly assigned to one of four groups either performing strength training (STR), circuit training (CT), indoor hockey (HOC) or rest (CON). Retention tests of the motor skill were performed 1 (R1h) and 24 h (R1d) post acquisition. For all exercise groups, mean motor performance scores decreased at R1h compared to post acquisition (POST) level; STR (P = 0.018), CT (P = 0.02), HOC (P = 0.014) and performance scores decreased for CT compared to CON (P = 0.049). Mean performance scores increased from POST to R1d for all exercise groups; STR (P = 0.010), CT (P = 0.020), HOC (P = 0.007) while performance scores for CON decreased (P = 0.043). Changes in motor performance were thus greater for STR (P = 0.006), CT (P < 0.001) and HOC (P < 0.001) compared to CON from POST to R1d. The results demonstrate that high-intensity, acute exercise can lead to a decrease in motor performance assessed shortly after motor skill practice (R1h), but enhances offline effects promoting long-term retention (R1d). Given that different exercise modalities produced similar positive off-line effects on motor memory, we conclude that exercise-induced effects beneficial to consolidation appear to depend primarily on the physiological stimulus rather than type of exercise and movements employed., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Abdominal lipectomy after bariatric surgery is recommended because of residual excess skin resulting in difficulty with maintaining hygiene, recurrent infections, and functional impairment, interfering with daily activities. There is a dearth of literature examining weight loss outcomes in patients undergoing abdominal lipectomy post sleeve gastrectomy (SG). The purpose of this study was to examine whether post-SG patients who received abdominal lipectomy achieved greater percent excess weight loss (%EWL) than post-SG patients who did not receive abdominal lipectomy., Methods: Retrospective study of patients who underwent minimally invasive SG at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System from March 2008 to June 2015 was conducted. The cohort was divided into 2 groups: patients who underwent abdominal lipectomy after SG (PS-SG) and patients who underwent SG alone (SG). Demographics, comorbidities, and %EWL were examined., Results: Twenty-nine patients were included in the PS-SG group versus 287 patients in the SG group. Significant differences were found in %EWL at 24 (P < 0.0001), 36 (P < 0.005), and more than 36 months (P < 0.005) follow-up between groups, with a greater %EWL in patients in the PS-SG group versus the SG group., Conclusions: This preliminary study revealed that patients in the PS-SG group achieved greater %EWL than patients with SG alone. Although larger studies are needed, this study supports using abdominal lipectomy as an adjunctive procedure to assist with long-term weight loss as part of the overall treatment of bariatric surgery patients.

Objective: Low-income urban children of color are at elevated risk for poor asthma control. This cross-sectional study examined associations among parents' coping (primary control, secondary control, and disengagement), parental depressive symptoms, and children's asthma outcomes (asthma control and school attendance) in a predominantly low-income, racially/ethnically diverse sample of families., Methods: Parents (N = 78; 90% female) of children (33% female; 46% Black; 38% Latino) aged 5-17 years (M = 9.5 years) reported on their own coping and depressive symptoms, their child's asthma control, and full and partial days of school missed due to asthma., Results: Parents' secondary control coping (i.e., coping efforts to accommodate/adapt to asthma-related stressors) was negatively correlated, and disengagement coping (i.e. coping efforts to avoid/detach from stressors) was positively correlated, with their depressive symptoms. Secondary control coping was also correlated with fewer partial days of school missed. Primary control coping (i.e., coping efforts to change stressors) was not associated with depressive symptoms or asthma outcomes. Parents' depressive symptoms were also positively correlated with poorer asthma control and partial days of school missed. Regression models showed direct and indirect effects of secondary control and disengagement coping on asthma outcomes via depressive symptoms, after controlling for demographic factors., Conclusions: Parents' secondary control and disengagement coping are related to children's asthma outcomes. Secondary control coping may support parents' mental health and children's asthma control in low-income urban families.

The negative symptoms of schizophrenia can be divided into two domains. Avolition/apathy includes the individual symptoms of avolition, asociality and anhedonia. Diminished expression includes blunted affect and alogia. Until now, causes and treatment of negative symptoms have remained a major challenge, which is partially related to the focus on negative symptoms as a broad entity. Here, we propose that negative symptoms may become more tractable when the different domains and individual symptoms are taken into account. There is now increasing evidence that the relationship with clinical variables - in particular outcome - differs between the domains of avolition/apathy and diminished expression. Regarding models of negative symptom formation, those relevant to avolition/apathy are now converging on processes underlying goal-directed behavior and dysfunctions of the reward system. In contrast, models of the diminished expression domains are only beginning to emerge. The aim of this article is to review the specific clinical, behavioral and neural correlates of individual symptoms and domains as a better understanding of these areas may facilitate specific treatment approaches., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Overweight and obesity are associated with significant health problems and rates of obesity are high among Latino men. This paper describes the design, rationale and participant characteristics of the key demographic variables assessed in an NIH-funded study (R21-CA143636) addressing culture and several obesity-related variables (diet, physical activity, and body image) among Mexican and Puerto Rican men using a community-based participatory research framework. Participants completed objective measures (height, weight, body fat, hip, waist), a health and culture interview, a diet questionnaire, and used an accelerometer to measure their level of physical activity. A total of 203 participants completed the measures and the health and culture interview and 193 completed all study components. Puerto Ricans were older than Mexicans (p < .0001) and there were significant differences in marital status (p < .05), country of birth (p < .05), smoking (p < .05) and work status (p < .001). There were no significant differences in religion, education, health insurance, Body Mass Index, body fat, hip and waist measurements, and the language preference of the interview. Results have implications for the development of a future intervention that incorporates the role of cultural factors into a community participatory obesity intervention for Latino men.

Objective: Based on the role of the superior temporal gyrus (STG) in auditory processing, language comprehension and self-monitoring, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between STG cortical thickness and positive symptom severity in schizophrenia., Method: This prospective meta-analysis includes data from 1987 individuals with schizophrenia collected at seventeen centres around the world that contribute to the ENIGMA Schizophrenia Working Group. STG thickness measures were extracted from T1-weighted brain scans using FreeSurfer. The study performed a meta-analysis of effect sizes across sites generated by a model predicting left or right STG thickness with a positive symptom severity score (harmonized SAPS or PANSS-positive scores), while controlling for age, sex and site. Secondary models investigated relationships between antipsychotic medication, duration of illness, overall illness severity, handedness and STG thickness., Results: Positive symptom severity was negatively related to STG thickness in both hemispheres (left: β std = -0.052; P = 0.021; right: β std = -0.073; P = 0.001) when statistically controlling for age, sex and site. This effect remained stable in models including duration of illness, antipsychotic medication or handedness., Conclusion: Our findings further underline the important role of the STG in hallmark symptoms in schizophrenia. These findings can assist in advancing insight into symptom-relevant pathophysiological mechanisms in schizophrenia., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) was a popular procedure in the USA and Europe in the past decade. However, its use has currently declined. Band erosion (BE) is a rare complication after LAGB with a reported incidence rate of 1.46 %. Controversies exist regarding the management, approach and timing for the band removal. The aim of this study is to describe the rate, clinical presentation and perioperative outcomes of BEs at our institution and provide overall recommendations regarding the diagnosis and management of BE., Materials and Methods: This study is a single-center, retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database. Data were collected from all consecutive patients who underwent a LAGB and band revisional surgeries at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System from December 2008 to September 2015. We identified patients who underwent gastric band removal due to a BE and analyzed their outcomes., Results: A total of 576 LAGBs were performed at our institution. Nine patients underwent surgery for BE at our hospital. The average time between the primary surgery and the removal of the band was 68.5 (42.9) months. Abdominal pain, nausea and/or vomiting were the most frequently mentioned symptoms. In all patients, a minimally invasive approach was used to remove the band. The mean length of hospitalization was 2.6 (1.1) days. The only complication was a pneumonia (n = 1)., Conclusions: BE is one of the most severe complications of LAGB. The minimally invasive approach provided us with the opportunity to repair the fistula, and it was associated with a prompt recovery with very little morbidity. In general, it is recommended that the band be removed at the time of the diagnosis of the BE. Endoscopic band removal can be utilized with patients who have a more advanced BE and migration into the gastric lumen.

Background: Excessive alcohol use is associated with brain damage but less is known about brain effects from moderate alcohol use. Previous findings indicate that patients with severe mental illness, particularly schizophrenia, are vulnerable to alcohol-related brain damage. We investigated the association between levels of alcohol consumption and cortical and subcortical brain structures in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients and healthy controls, and investigated for group differences for this association., Method: 1.5 T structural magnetic resonance images were acquired of 609 alcohol-using participants (165 schizophrenia patients, 172 bipolar disorder patients, 272 healthy controls), mean (s.d.) age 34.2 (9.9) years, 52% men. Past year alcohol use was assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test - Consumption part (AUDIT-C). General linear models were used to investigate associations between AUDIT-C score and cortical thickness, surface area, and total brain and subcortical volumes., Results: Increasing AUDIT-C score was linearly associated with thinner cortex in medial and dorsolateral frontal and parieto-occipital regions, and with larger left lateral ventricle volume. There was no significant interaction between AUDIT-C score and diagnostic group. The findings remained significant after controlling for substance use disorders, antipsychotic medication and illness severity., Conclusion: The results show a dose-dependent relationship between alcohol use and thinner cortex and ventricular expansion. The findings are present also at lower levels of alcohol consumption and do not differ between schizophrenia or bipolar disorder patients compared to healthy controls. Our results do not support previous findings of increased vulnerability for alcohol-related brain damage in severe mental illness.

Objective: The effect of antipsychotic medication on brain structure remains unclear. Given the prevalence of weight gain as a side-effect, body mass index (BMI) change could be a confounder., Method: Patients with first-episode psychosis (n = 78) and healthy controls (n = 119) underwent two 1.5T MRI scans with a 1-year follow-up interval. siena (fsl 5.0) was used to measure whole-brain volume change. Weight and height were measured at both time points. Antipsychotic medication use at baseline and follow-up was converted into chlorpromazine equivalent dose and averaged., Results: Patients did not show significantly larger brain volume loss compared with healthy controls. In the whole sample (n = 197), BMI change was negatively associated with brain volume change (β = -0.19, P = 0.008); there was no interaction effect of group. Among patients, higher antipsychotic medication dosage was associated with greater brain volume loss (β = -0.45, P < 0.001). This association was not affected by adjusting for BMI change., Conclusion: Weight gain was related to brain volume reductions to a similar degree among patients and controls. Antipsychotic dosage-related reductions of brain volume were not confounded by BMI change. Generalizability to contexts involving severe weight gain needs to be established. Furthermore, disentangling effects of medication from illness severity remains a challenge., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated associations between smaller auditory cortex volume and auditory hallucinations (AH) in schizophrenia. Reduced cortical volume can result from a reduction of either cortical thickness or cortical surface area, which may reflect different neuropathology. We investigate for the first time how thickness and surface area of the auditory cortex relate to AH in a large sample of schizophrenia spectrum patients., Methods: Schizophrenia spectrum (n = 194) patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Mean cortical thickness and surface area in auditory cortex regions (Heschl's gyrus [HG], planum temporale [PT], and superior temporal gyrus [STG]) were compared between patients with (AH+, n = 145) and without (AH-, n = 49) a lifetime history of AH and 279 healthy controls., Results: AH+ patients showed significantly thinner cortex in the left HG compared to AH- patients (d = 0.43, P = .0096). There were no significant differences between AH+ and AH- patients in cortical thickness in the PT or STG, or in auditory cortex surface area in any of the regions investigated. Group differences in cortical thickness in the left HG was not affected by duration of illness or current antipsychotic medication., Conclusions: AH in schizophrenia patients were related to thinner cortex, but not smaller surface area of the left HG, a region which includes the primary auditory cortex. The results support that structural abnormalities of the auditory cortex underlie AH in schizophrenia., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This study examined cross-sectional associations among coping, mental health, and asthma outcomes in racially/ethnically diverse urban children. Children (N=42; 65% female) ages 9 to 17 (M=11.9) years old and their parents reported on the child's coping, emotional and conduct problems, asthma control, and school missed due to asthma. Higher child and parent reported secondary control coping was correlated with fewer mental health problems and better child reported asthma control. Child reported emotional problems partially accounted for associations between child and parent reported secondary control coping and child reported asthma control. Secondary control coping may improve asthma by reducing emotional difficulties., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement: Erin M. Rodríguez, Harsha Kumar, Annie Draeger, and Lisa Sánchez-Johnsen declare that they have no conflict of interest.

There is limited research on the traditional Hispanic male and female gender roles of machismo and marianismo, respectively, in relation to negative cognitions and emotions. Given the vulnerability of Hispanics to negative cognitions and emotions, it is important to examine sociocultural correlates of emotional distress. Therefore, we examined associations of machismo and marianismo with negative cognitive-emotional factors (i.e., depression symptoms; cynical hostility; and trait anxiety and anger) in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study, a cross-sectional cohort study of sociocultural and psychosocial correlates of cardiometabolic health. Participants were aged 18-74 years and self-identified as Hispanic of Central American, Cuban, Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South American, and other Hispanic background ( N = 4,426). Results revealed that specific components of machismo (traditional machismo) and marianismo (family and spiritual pillar dimensions) were associated with higher levels of negative cognitions and emotions after adjusting for socio-demographic factors ( p < .05); these associations remained consistent across sex, Hispanic background group, and acculturation. Findings can inform mental health interventions and contribute to our understanding of the importance of gender role socialization in the context of self-reported negative cognitive-emotional factors in Hispanics.

Prenatal exposure to maternal hyperglycemia is associated with an increased risk of later adverse metabolic health. Changes in the regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PPARGC1A) in skeletal muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) is suggested to play a role in the developmental programming of dysmetabolism based on studies of human subjects exposed to an abnormal intrauterine environment (e.g., individuals with a low birth weight). We studied 206 adult offspring of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (O-GDM) or type 1 diabetes (O-T1D) and of women from the background population (O-BP) using a clinical examination, oral glucose tolerance test, and gene expression and DNA methylation of PPARGC1A in skeletal muscle and SAT. Plasma glucose was significantly higher for both O-GDM and O-T1D compared with O-BP (P < 0.05). PPARGC1A gene expression in muscle was lower in O-GDM compared with O-BP (P = 0.0003), whereas no differences were found between O-T1D and O-BP in either tissue. PPARGC1A DNA methylation percentages in muscle and SAT were similar among all groups. Decreased PPARGC1A gene expression in muscle has previously been associated with abnormal insulin function and may thus contribute to the increased risk of metabolic disease in O-GDM. The unaltered PPARGC1A gene expression in muscle of O-T1D suggests that factors other than intrauterine hyperglycemia may contribute to the decreased PPARGC1A expression in O-GDM., (© 2016 by the American Diabetes Association.)

Background: The primary aim of this study was to examine percent excess weight loss (%EWL) across and between racial groups at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months follow-up in patients who received sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) operation. We hypothesized that ethnic minorities (blacks and Hispanics) would have a lower %EWL than whites at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months for both SG and RYGB operations. The secondary aim was to examine %EWL within racial groups at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months as a function of the type of bariatric operation. We hypothesized that whites, blacks, and Hispanics would have a greater %EWL with RYGB than with SG., Methods: A total of 749 patients who underwent an SG or an RYGB operation from January 2008 to June 2014 were included. Data were collected from patients' electronic medical records. Self-reported data on race/ethnicity were also obtained from the electronic medical record and were classified into the following categories: white, Hispanic/Latino, African American or black, or other., Results: Results revealed overall differences in %EWL between blacks and whites (P < .05) and no overall differences in %EWL between Hispanics and whites (P = .697). Follow-up analyses revealed that Hispanics differed from blacks in %EWL at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months (all P < .01) and that whites differed from blacks at 6 months (P < .05). There were no significant differences between whites and Hispanics during any follow-up period. Overall, the %EWL differed by operation type (P < .01), with RYGB associated with greater %EWL than SG. When stratified by race, the only difference was found in blacks, who had a greater %EWL after RYGB compared with SG (P < .01)., Conclusion: Our primary hypothesis was partially supported, as blacks but not Hispanics had a lower %EWL compared to whites at 6 months. An interesting finding is that blacks had a lower %EWL than Hispanics at every time point. Moreover, our secondary hypothesis was partially supported. Results revealed that overall RYGB was related to greater %EWL compared with SG, and within racial groups, among blacks only, RYGB was associated with a greater %EWL compared with SG., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: To evaluate the percentage of body fat (%BF)-BMI relationship, identify %BF levels corresponding to adult BMI cut points, and examine %BF-BMI agreement in a diverse Hispanic/Latino population., Methods: %BF by bioelectrical impedance analysis was corrected against %BF by (18) O dilution in 434 participants of the ancillary Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Corrected %BF was regressed against 1/BMI in the parent study (n = 15,261), fitting models for each age group, by sex, and Hispanic/Latino background; predicted %BF was then computed for each BMI cut point., Results: Bioelectrical impedance analysis underestimated %BF by 8.7 ± 0.3% in women and 4.6 ± 0.3% in men (P < 0.0001). The %BF-BMI relationship was nonlinear and linear for 1/BMI. Sex- and age-specific regression parameters between %BF and 1/BMI were consistent across Hispanic/Latino backgrounds (P > 0.05). The precision of the %BF-1/BMI association weakened with increasing age in men but not women. The proportion of participants classified as nonobese by BMI but as having obesity by %BF was generally higher among women and older adults (16.4% in women vs. 12.0% in men aged 50-74 years)., Conclusions: %BF was linearly related to 1/BMI with consistent relationship across Hispanic/Latino backgrounds. BMI cut points consistently underestimated the proportion of Hispanics/Latinos with excess adiposity., (© 2016 The Obesity Society.)

Background: Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share genetic risk factors and one possible illness mechanism is abnormal myelination. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tissue intensities are sensitive to myelin content. Therefore, the contrast between grey- and white-matter intensities may reflect myelination along the cortical surface., Method: MRI images were obtained from patients with schizophrenia (n = 214), bipolar disorder (n = 185), and healthy controls (n = 278) and processed in FreeSurfer. The grey/white-matter contrast was computed at each vertex as the difference between average grey-matter intensity (sampled 0-60% into the cortical ribbon) and average white-matter intensity (sampled 0-1.5 mm into subcortical white matter), normalized by their average. Group differences were tested using linear models covarying for age and sex., Results: Patients with schizophrenia had increased contrast compared to controls bilaterally in the post- and precentral gyri, the transverse temporal gyri and posterior insulae, and in parieto-occipital regions. In bipolar disorder, increased contrast was primarily localized in the left precentral gyrus. There were no significant differences between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Findings of increased contrast remained after adjusting for cortical area, thickness, and gyrification. We found no association with antipsychotic medication dose., Conclusions: Increased contrast was found in highly myelinated low-level sensory and motor regions in schizophrenia, and to a lesser extent in bipolar disorder. We propose that these findings indicate reduced intracortical myelin. In accordance with the corollary discharge hypothesis, this could cause disinhibition of sensory input, resulting in distorted perceptual processing leading to the characteristic positive symptoms of schizophrenia.

Introduction: There is an uncertainty whether total inflammation in early protocol kidney graft biopsies is associated with fibrosis progression. We investigated whether total inflammation, both in fibrotic and non-fibrotic areas, at week 6 would predict fibrosis progression at one yr post-transplant., Methods: We included 156 single adult ABO compatible kidney recipients with adequate week 6 and one yr transplant protocol biopsies (312 biopsies). Biopsies were scored according to the current Banff criteria. In addition, fibrosis and inflammation in fibrotic and non-fibrotic areas were scored in a 10-grade semi-quantitative eyeballing system from 0% to 100%., Results: Fibrosis increased significantly from week 6 to one yr both by the 10-grade scoring system from 0.69 ± 1.07 to 1.45 ± 1.86, (mean ± SD), p < 0.001 and by Banff interstitial fibrosis (ci) scoring 0.81 ± 0.65 to 1.13 ± 0.87, p < 0.001. The 10-grade scoring system detected a larger proportion of fibrosis progressors than the Banff scoring 40.4% vs. 35.5%, p < 0.001. No significant positive association was found between inflammation at week 6 and progression of fibrosis in either of the scoring systems., Conclusions: Total inflammation in kidney transplant biopsies at week 6 did not predict progression of fibrosis at one yr post-transplant., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

We aimed to investigate whether over- versus undernutrition in late foetal life combined with obesity development in early postnatal life have differential implications for fat distribution and metabolic adaptability in adulthood. Twin-pregnant ewes were fed NORM (100% of daily energy and protein requirements), LOW (50% of NORM) or HIGH (150%/110% of energy/protein requirements) diets during the last trimester. Postnatally, twin-lambs received obesogenic (HCHF) or moderate (CONV) diets until 6 months of age, and a moderate (obesity correcting) diet thereafter. At 2½ years of age (adulthood), plasma metabolite profiles during fasting, glucose, insulin and propionate (in fed and fasted states) tolerance tests were examined. Organ weights were determined at autopsy. Early obesity development was associated with lack of expansion of perirenal, but not other adipose tissues from adolescence to adulthood, resulting in 10% unit increased proportion of mesenteric of intra-abdominal fat. Prenatal undernutrition had a similar but much less pronounced effect. Across tolerance tests, LOW-HCHF sheep had highest plasma levels of cholesterol, urea-nitrogen, creatinine, and lactate. Sex specific differences were observed, particularly with respect to fat deposition, but direction of responses to early nutrition impacts were similar. However, prenatal undernutrition induced greater metabolic alterations in adult females than males. Foetal undernutrition, but not overnutrition, predisposed for adult hypercholesterolaemia, hyperureaemia, hypercreatinaemia and hyperlactataemia, which became manifested only in combination with early obesity development. Perirenal expandability may play a special role in this context. Differential nutrition recommendations may be advisable for individuals with low versus high birth weights.

Introduction: Among morbidly obese adult patients (BMI >40 kg/m(2)), those who are super-super obese (BMI >60 kg/m(2)) present particular challenges for bariatric surgeons. Surgical management of super-super obese (SSO) patients has been associated with higher morbidity and mortality and increased surgical risk. The optimal surgical management of these patients is controversial. The aim of this study was to compare perioperative outcomes, percent excess weight loss (%EWL), and percent weight loss (%WL) in super-super obese patients who underwent either SG or RYGB., Materials and Methods: This study was a nonrandomized, controlled, retrospective review of 89 SSO patients who underwent SG or RYGB at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System from January 2008 to June 2014. Patient demographics, pre-surgical comorbidities, perioperative parameters, post-operative complications (leak, conversion to open surgery, and 30-day mortality), and post-operative outcome months were examined., Results: Seventy-seven patients underwent SG (nine robotic sleeve and 68 laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy), and 12 underwent RYGB. The mean pre-operative BMI was 63.4 kg/m(2) (SD = 3.7 kg/m(2)). The mean operative time was 88.4 min (SD = 31.7) for the SG patients and 219.2 min (SD = 80.2) for the RYGB patients. There were no significant differences in complications or length of hospitalization between the groups. There were significant differences in %EWL and %WL at 12- and 24-month follow-up between groups (p's < 0.05)., Conclusions: Based on the results from this sample of patients, SG and RYGB appear to be viable procedures for the surgical management of super-super obese patients. RYGB, however, provides a significantly higher %EWL and %WL at 12 and 24 months compared to SG, which in turn, yields acceptable but lower %EWL and %WL.

Injury to the sciatic nerve induces loss of sensory neurons in the affected dorsal root ganglia (DRGs). Previous studies have suggested the involvement of the neurotrophin receptors p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR)) and sortilin, proposing that sensory neuron subpopulations undergo proneurotrophin-induced apoptosis in a similar manner to what can be observed in the CNS following injury. To further investigate this hypothesis we induced sciatic nerve injury in sortilin-deficient mice, thereby preventing apoptotic signaling of proneurotrophins via the sortilin-p75(NTR) receptor complex. Using an unbiased stereological approach we found that loss of sortilin did not prevent the injury-induced loss of DRG neurons. This result demonstrates that previous findings linking p75(NTR) and proneurotrophins to loss of sensory neurons need to involve sortilin-independent pathways and suggests that proneurotrophins may elicit different functions in the CNS and PNS., (Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Among organ transplant recipients, a common side effect of immunosuppressive therapy is the development of obesity, which affects a third of the patients within 3 years after transplantation. Bariatric surgery represents a possible surgical option for weight loss among posttransplant patients., Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine percent excess weight loss (%EWL), and percent weight loss (%WL) and perioperative and postoperative complications in posttransplant obese patients after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) compared with nontransplant patients. We hypothesize that transplant patients who undergo SG will not significantly differ in their perioperative or postoperative complications or in their %EWL and %WL compared with nontransplant patients who undergo SG. The second aim was to evaluate the impact of SG on graft function and immunosuppressive therapy in transplant patients., Setting: University hospital., Methods: Among 500 consecutive patients who underwent SG from January 2008 to June 2014, 10 patients were organ transplant recipients. The following variables were compared between groups: patient demographic characteristics and co-morbidities, type of transplant surgery, date of transplant surgery, pretransplant body mass index (BMI), date of bariatric surgery, prebariatric surgery BMI, operative time, length of hospitalization, postoperative complications, and change in BMI, %EWL, and %WL. Data were also collected on renal, liver, and pancreas graft function parameters and changes in immunosuppressive medications., Results: Six patients had a kidney transplant, 2 patients had a liver transplant, and 2 had a pancreas transplant. No significant differences were observed in %EWL or %WL at 6 and 12 months follow-up between transplant and nontransplant patients. No transplant patients were lost to follow-up at 6 and 12 months. Among nontransplant patients, 36.7% and 35.7% were lost to follow-up at 6 and 12 months, respectively. No postoperative complications were registered in the transplant group. SG did not negatively affect the graft function., Conclusion: Initials results found that there were no significant differences in %EWL or %WL at 6 and 12 months follow-up between transplant and nontransplant patients. There were also no perioperative and postoperative complications among transplant patients after SG., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Cancer has surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death among Hispanics in the U.S., yet data on cancer prevalence and risk factors in Hispanics in regard to ancestry remain scarce. This study sought to describe (a) the prevalence of cancer among Hispanics from four major U.S. metropolitan areas, (b) cancer prevalence across Hispanic ancestry, and (c) identify correlates of self-reported cancer prevalence. Participants were 16,415 individuals from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), who self-identified as Cuban, Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Central or South American. All data were collected at a single time point during the HCHS/SOL baseline clinic visit. The overall self-reported prevalence rate of cancer for the population was 4%. The rates varied by Hispanic ancestry group, with individuals of Cuban and Puerto Rican ancestry reporting the highest cancer prevalence. For the entire population, older age (OR = 1.47, p < .001, 95% CI, 1.26-1.71) and having health insurance (OR = 1.93, p < .001, 95% CI, 1.42-2.62) were all significantly associated with greater prevalence, whereas male sex was associated with lower prevalence (OR = 0.56, p < .01, 95% CI, .40-.79). Associations between study covariates and cancer prevalence also varied by Hispanic ancestry. Findings underscore the importance of sociodemographic factors and health insurance in relation to cancer prevalence for Hispanics and highlight variations in cancer prevalence across Hispanic ancestry groups. Characterizing differences in cancer prevalence rates and their correlates is critical to the development and implementation of effective prevention strategies across distinct Hispanic ancestry groups.

High intensity aerobic exercise amplifies offline gains in procedural memory acquired during motor practice. This effect seems to be evident when exercise is placed immediately after acquisition, during the first stages of memory consolidation, but the importance of temporal proximity of the exercise bout used to stimulate improvements in procedural memory is unknown. The effects of three different temporal placements of high intensity exercise were investigated following visuomotor skill acquisition on the retention of motor memory in 48 young (24.0 ± 2.5 yrs), healthy male subjects randomly assigned to one of four groups either performing a high intensity (90% Maximal Power Output) exercise bout at 20 min (EX90), 1 h (EX90+1), 2 h (EX90+2) after acquisition or rested (CON). Retention tests were performed at 1 d (R1) and 7 d (R7). At R1 changes in performance scores after acquisition were greater for EX90 than CON (p < 0.001) and EX90+2 (p = 0.001). At R7 changes in performance scores for EX90, EX90+1, and EX90+2 were higher than CON (p < 0.001, p = 0.008, and p = 0.008, resp.). Changes for EX90 at R7 were greater than EX90+2 (p = 0.049). Exercise-induced improvements in procedural memory diminish as the temporal proximity of exercise from acquisition is increased. Timing of exercise following motor practice is important for motor memory consolidation.