The problem of obesity : is there a role for antagonists of the renin-angiotensin system?

Obesity is a major health problem worldwide; it is associated with more than 30 medical conditions and is a leading cause of unnecessary deaths. Adipose tissue not only acts as an energy store, but also behaves like an endocrine organ, synthesising and secreting numerous hormones and cytokines. Angiotensin II (ANG II) is the biologically active component of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). The RAS is present in adipose tissue and evidence suggests that ANG II is intimately linked to obesity. Indeed, ANG II increases fat cell growth and differentiation, increases synthesis, uptake and storage of fatty acids and triglycerides and possibly inhibits lipolysis. Evidence obtained using genetically modified animals has shown that the amount of body fat is directly related to the amount of ANG II, i.e., animals with low levels of ANG II have reduced fat stores while animals with excessive ANG II have increased fat stores. In humans, epidemiological evidence has shown that body fat is correlated with angiotensinogen, a precursor of ANG II, or other components of the RAS. Furthermore, blocking the production and/or actions of ANG II with drugs or natural substances decreases body fat. The decrease in body fat caused by such treatments predominantly occurs in abdominal fat depots and appears to be independent of energy intake and digestibility. Clearly, ANG II has an important role in the accumulation of body fat and the possibility exists that treatment of obesity will be enhanced by the use of natural or synthetic substances that interfere with ANG II.

Effects of gamma-tocopherol supplementation on thrombotic risk factors

Objective: The antioxidant activity of vitamin E is derived primarily from alpha-tocopherol (α-T) and gammatocopherol (γ-T). Results of epidemiological studies have demonstrated an inverse relationship between vitamin E intake and coronary disease. However, the results of clinical trials using α-T are equivocal. We determined the effect of 5 weeks of 100 mg/d or 200 mg/d γ-T supplementation on thrombotic markers such as platelet reactivity, lipid profile and the inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods and results: Fourteen healthy subjects consumed 100 mg/day while 13 consumed 200 mg/d of γ-T and 12 received placebo (soybean capsules with less than 5 mg/d γ-T) in a double-blinded parallel study design. Fasting pre and post dose blood samples were analysed. Blood γ-T concentrations increased significantly (p<0.05) relative to dose during the intervention period. Both groups receiving active ingredients showed significantly lower platelet activation after supplementation (p<0.05). Subjects consuming 100 mg/d γ-T had significantly decreased LDL cholesterol, platelet aggregation and mean platelet volume (MPV) (p<0.05). Little effect of γ-T was observed on other parameters. Conclusions: These data suggest that γ-T  supplementation may have a permissive role in decreasing the risk of
thrombotic events by improving lipid profile and reducing platelet activity.

Omega 3 fatty acids and the brain : review of studies in depression

The brain is a lipid-rich organ containing mostly complex polar  phospholipids, sphingolipids, gangliosides and cholesterol. These lipids are involved in the structure and function of cell membranes in the brain. The glycerophospholipids in the brain contain a high proportion of  polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) derived from the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. The main PUFA in the brain are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, all cis 4,7,10,13,16,19-22:6) derived from the omega 3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, and arachidonic acid (AA, all cis 5,8,11,14-20:4) and docosatetraenoic acid (all cis 7,10,13,16-22:4), both derived from the omega 6 fatty acid, linoleic acid. Experimental studies in animals have shown that diets lacking omega 3 PUFA lead to substantial disturbances in neural function, which in most circumstances can be restored by the inclusion of omega 3 PUFA in the diet. In the past 10 years there has been an emerging interest in treating neuropsychological  disorders (depression and schizophrenia) with omega 3 PUFA. This paper discusses the clinical studies conducted in the area of depression and omega 3 PUFA and the possible mechanisms of action of these PUFA. It is clear from the literature that DHA is involved in a variety of processes in neural cells and that its role is far more complex than simply influencing cell membrane properties.

Sex and the surgeon's knife: the family court's dilemma...informed constent and the specter of iatrogenic harm to children with intersex characteristics

The article focuses on the opinion of the Australian High Court on the doctrine of informed consent and the judicial reasoning including the supporting medical evidence in sex assignment cases. The author explains that the remaining credible basis for the jurisdiction assumed by the Family Court in such cases rests in the inability of parents as guardians to give their informed consent to irreversible surgical procedures.

How small is a billionth?

The article presents some practical approaches for conceptualizing very small numbers. It presents a linear model, an area model, and a volume model of a billionth. It also presents several diagrams to represent billionths. It explains why the terms big, small, and large are not technical terms in mathematics.

Teaching square roots: conceptual complexity in mathematics language

The article presents strategies for communicating the concept of square roots to limited English-proficient students. Instead of using mathematical terminology, mathematics teachers could communicate the concept of square roots by integrating the literal concept of square to the actual meaning of a square root. Such approach addresses the learning difficulty experienced by limited English proficient students who tend to associate square roots to geometric concepts. Several strategies for illustrating the concept of a square root using square figures are presented.

Conceptual complexity and apparent contradictions in mathematics language

The article explores the conceptual complexity and apparent contradictions in the language of mathematics and suggests ways to handle these problems. Mathematics, as described the author, is a formal, artificially constructed language. One problem arises from the changes of gradient and rates of change of gradient, continuous functions. Conceptual conflicts also arise when least upperbounds and greatest lower-bounds in discussing sequences and series, convergence and limits are considered.

The social consequences of 'how the sibling died' for bereaved young adults

Research into how the 'type' of sibling death impacts surviving siblings at a social level was conducted using a semi-structured interview format with 25 bereaved siblings and seven counsellors. The results indicated that in cases where a sibling's death had a greater impact within public spheres, the young adult was more likely to receive beneficial social support than young adults associated with 'private' death examples. The paper concludes by outlining how individuals can provide effective support for bereaved young adults, as well as avoid unhelpful support behaviours.

Do as I say, not as I do: Ralph Greenson, Anna Freud, and superrich patients

Ralph Greenson's The Technique and Practice of Psychoanalysis acted as a bible for generations of analysts on what to do and what not to do in psychoanalysis. Yet Greenson ignored the strictures of his own textbook, The Technique and Practice of Psychoanalysis, in his treatment of a number of superrich patients and celebrities, such as Marilyn Monroe and Lita Annenberg Hazen. This article presents new evidence from the examination of the papers of Ralph Greenson and Anna Freud at UCLA and the Library of Congress. Although it is well known that Greenson stretched boundaries with Monroe, his practice of blurring boundaries with other patients, and helping to funnel their money to Anna Freud's Hampstead Center, is not known. Hazen was not only President of Greenson's Foundation for Research in Psychoanalysis but was also, through Greenson's encouragement, a major contributor to Anna Freud's Hampstead Center. Greenson even went so far as to answer a personal advertisement on her behalf and fly to New York for a weekend to interview the suitor. These activities took place with Anna Freud's knowledge, approval, and collusion. Other cases are also discussed. If only he had taken his own advice.

Saving psychoanalysts: Ernest Jones and the Isakowers

This article examines the role played by Ernest Jones in saving psychoanalysts from Germany and Austria during the 1930s, and, in particular, in the case of Drs Otto and Salomea Isakower from Vienna. Archives from the Library of Congress and the British Psychoanalytical Society are used to document how Jones navigated the considerable difficulties presented in both Europe and London as well as by colleagues and was able to help the Isakowers emigrate to Liverpool where they worked and began the ‘North of England’ training group with others and emigrated to the USA in 1940. As President of the International Psychoanalytical Association and of the British Psychoanalytical Society, Jones had responsibilities with psychoanalyst refugees, which he performed with care, commitment and political competence. Although Jones did not succeed in saving psychoanalysis in Europe, he played a crucial role in saving psychoanalysts. He helped to spread the world-wide standing and influence of psychoanalysis.

How well does the gudjonsson suggestibility scale for children, version 2 predict the recall of false details among children with and without intellectual disabilities?

Purpose. This study explored the effectiveness of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale for Children, version 2 in predicting the tendency of older school-aged children (with and without intellectual disabilities) to generate errors in an independent suggestibility paradigm.

Method. Sixty-nine children with an intellectual disability (aged 9-14 years) and 50 mainstream children matched for chronological age participated in a 30-minute magic show that was staged at their school. Three days later, the children participated in a separate biasing interview that provided seven true and seven false details about the magic show. The following day, the children participated in a second interview where they were required to recall the magic show in their own words and answer a series of cued-recall questions. Between 1 and 2 weeks later, the children were administered the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale-2 (GSS-2).

Results. While there was no significant association between performance on the GSS-2 and the independent suggestibility paradigm for the children with an intellectual disability, the chronological age-matched children's yield scores predicted their reporting of both false-new details and false-interviewer suggestions for the independent event.

Conclusion. When predicting children's recall of false details, the GSS-2 appears to be more useful with mainstream school-aged children compared with children who have an intellectual disability.

Fresh Freud: no longer lost in translation

The new translations of Freud into English highlight the question as to the nature of Freud's quest and achievement. They show a livelier Freud than the Strachey translations (Freud, 1953-1974), who used everyday language in his work instead of trying to establish a new technical vocabulary for an esoteric new discipline. However, with the new Penguin editions thus far, fresh Freud is no longer lost in translation. The Standard Edition was created importantly to create an authoritative international trademark and was made more natural "scientific" in appearance. The fresh translations show a Freud in tune with Karl Popper's (1976) approach in his later work that viewed science as essentially problem solving. The example of "Mourning and Melancholia" (Freud, 1917/ 1964, 1917/1981, 1917/2005) is discussed as an exercise in exploration, conjectures, criticism, construct formation, and problem solving. Translation issues are discussed. Instead of being a particular trade mark, the very fact of there being new and different translations opens Freud's works to further questioning about their meanings and intents in the marketplace of ideas and practices