Another (better) index of adiposity.

Comment on: Bergman RN, Stefanovski D, Buchanan TA, Sumner AE, Reynolds JC, Sebring NG, Xiang AH, Watanabe RM. A better index of body adiposity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011 May; 19(5):1083-9. PMID: 21372804.

Simultaneous cell morphometry and refractive index measurement with dual-wavelength digital holographic microscopy and dye-enhanced dispersion of perfusion medium.

Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) allows optical-path-difference (OPD) measurements with nanometric accuracy. OPD induced by transparent cells depends on both the refractive index (RI) of cells and their morphology. This Letter presents a dual-wavelength DHM that allows us to separately measure both the RI and the cellular thickness by exploiting an enhanced dispersion of the perfusion medium achieved by the utilization of an extracellular dye. The two wavelengths are chosen in the vicinity of the absorption peak of the dye, where the absorption is accompanied by a significant variation of the RI as a function of the wavelength.

Television before TV : a transnational history of an experimental medium on display, 1928 - 1939

Dès le milieu des années 1920 et le développement des premiers prototypes fonctionnels, la télévision se fait objet d'exposition. La nouvelle technologie est montrée à des foires industrielles et dans des grands magasins, à des expositions universelles et nationales : exposée, la télévision devient un mass media avant même qu'elle ne diffuse des émissions régulières. En étudiant les présentations publiques de la télévision en Allemagne, en Grande-Bretagne et aux Etats-Unis entre 1928 - date de l'ouverture des premières expositions annuelles dans les trois pays - et 1939 - moment de l'interruption de celles-ci suite à l'éclatement de la Deuxième Guerre mondiale - Television before TV montre que les lieux où le médium rencontre son premier public constituent les mêmes espaces qui, rétrospectivement, permettent de comprendre son avènement. Cette recherche propose ainsi de nouvelles pistes pour l'histoire des médias en interrogeant la définition de la télévision en tant que médium du privé. Elle rappelle l'importance historique de l'espace public pour la « vision à distance » et, dépassant la perspective nationale, reconstitue les différences et similarités techniques, médiatiques et institutionnelles de la télévision allemande, américaine et britannique dans l'entre-deux-guerres. Développée dans un contexte qui est simultanément nationaliste et nourri d'échanges et de compétitions internationales, la télévision sert de comparatif dans les rivalités entre pays, mais stimule également la circulation de savoir-faire et de personnes. Sa forte valeur symbolique comme emblème du progrès scientifique et, dans le cas allemand, comme preuve de la modernité du régime national-socialiste se traduit dans les salles d'expositions par des scénographies souvent innovatrices, dont les photographies et descriptions se propagent au-delà de la presse locale. Au centre d'un réseau discursif et représentationnel, les expositions jouent alors un rôle essentiel pour la construction sociale, politique et culturelle de la télévision. Remplaçant l'analyse de textes audiovisuels par l'étude de la machine exposée, ma recherche reformule la question bazinienne de qu'est-ce que la télévision ? pour demander où le médium se situe-t-il ? Cette prémisse méthodologique permet de contourner une évaluation qualitative de la technologie qui déplorerait ses multiples imperfections, et éclaire d'un nouveau jour des dispositifs télévisuels qui, même sans programme, intègrent un univers voué à la culture de consommation et du loisir.

Human scFv antibody fragments specific for the epithelial tumour marker MUC-1, selected by phage display on living cells.

New anti-cancer agents are being developed that specifically recognise tumour cells. Recognition is dependent upon the enhanced expression of antigenic determinants on the surface of tumour cells. The tumour exposure and the extracellular accessibility of the mucin MUC-1 make this marker a suitable target for tumour diagnosis and therapy. We isolated and characterised six human scFv antibody fragments that bound to the MUC-1 core protein, by selecting a large naive human phage display library directly on a MUC-1-expressing breast carcinoma cell line. Their binding characteristics have been studied by ELISA, FACS and indirect immunofluorescence. The human scFv antibody fragments were specific for the tandem repeat region of MUC-1 and their binding is inhibited by soluble antigen. Four human scFv antibody fragments (M2, M3, M8, M12) recognised the hydrophilic PDTRP region of the MUC-1 core protein, which is thought to be an immunodominant region. The human scFv antibody fragments were stable in human serum at 37 degrees C and retained their binding specificity. For imaging or targeting to tumours over-expressing MUC-1, it might be feasible to use these human scFv, or multivalent derivatives, as vehicles to deliver anti-cancer agents.

Body mass index: comparing mean values and prevalence rates from telephone and examination surveys.

BACKGROUND: Cost effective means of assessing the levels of risk factors in the population have to be defined in order to monitor these factors over time and across populations. This study is aimed at analyzing the difference in population estimates of the mean levels of body mass index (BMI) and the prevalences of overweight, between health examination survey and telephone survey. METHODS: The study compares the results of two health surveys, one by telephone (N=820) and the other by physical examination (N=1318). The two surveys, based on independent random samples of the population, were carried out over the same period (1992-1993) in the same population (canton of Vaud, Switzerland). RESULTS: Overall participation rates were 67% and 53% for the health interview survey (HIS) and the health examination survey (HES) respectively. In the HIS, the reporting rate was over 98% for weight and height values. Self-reported weight was on average lower than measured weight, by 2.2 kg in men and 3.5 kg in women, while self-reported height was on average greater than measured height, by 1.2 cm in men and 1.9 cm in women. As a result, in comparison to HES, HIS led to substantially lower mean levels of BMI, and to a reduction of the prevalence rates of obesity (BMI>30 kg/m(2)) by more than a half. These differences are larger for women than for men. CONCLUSION: The two surveys were based on different sampling procedures. However, this difference in design is unlikely to explain the systematic bias observed between self-reported and measured values for height and weight. This bias entails the overall validity of BMI assessment from telephone surveys.

Gender gap index in Spain by regions

Every year, the World Economic Forum publishes the World Gender Gap Report mainly based on the results of the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) computed by country. This index is made out of four subindexes to capture the magnitude of the gender gap in 4 areas: educational attainment, economic participation and opportunity, political empowerment, and health and survival; its methodology was reformed in 2006. In this paper we adapt the GGGI to construct a Regional Gender Gap Index (RGGI) and we compute it by regions (Comunidades Autónomas) in Spain with 2006 data. The RGGI could be applied to other regions. Results of the RGGI show that not only are there gender gap differences between Spanish regions in Spain, but that there are at the political empowerment and economic participation and opportunity categories that those differences are strongest. Geographic distribution of the gender gap shows that the deepest gaps are, in general, located in the northern regions (Euskadi, with a high score, and Murcia and Extremadura, with low scores, being exceptions); this is mainly due to the poor participation in politics of women in those regions.

Influence of CRTC1 Polymorphisms on Body Mass Index and Fat Mass in Psychiatric Patients and the General Adult Population.

IMPORTANCE There is a high prevalence of obesity in psychiatric patients, possibly leading to metabolic complications and reducing life expectancy. The CREB-regulated transcription coactivator 1 (CRTC1) gene is involved in energy balance and obesity in animal models, but its role in human obesity is unknown. OBJECTIVE To determine whether polymorphisms within the CRTC1 gene are associated with adiposity markers in psychiatric patients and the general population. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective and prospective data analysis and population-based samples at Lausanne and Geneva university hospitals in Switzerland and a private clinic in Lausanne, Switzerland. The effect of 3 CRTC1 polymorphisms on body mass index (BMI) and/or fat mass was investigated in a discovery cohort of psychiatric outpatients taking weight gain-inducing psychotropic drugs (sample 1, n = 152). The CRTC1 variant that was significantly associated with BMI and survived Bonferroni corrections for multiple comparison was then replicated in 2 independent psychiatric samples (sample 2, n = 174 and sample 3, n = 118) and 2 white population-based samples (sample 4, n = 5338 and sample 5, n = 123 865). INTERVENTION Noninterventional studies. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE Difference in BMI and/or fat mass between CRTC1 genotype groups. RESULTS Among the CRTC1 variants tested in the first psychiatric sample, only rs3746266A>G was associated with BMI (Padjusted = .003). In the 3 psychiatric samples, carriers of the rs3746266 G allele had a lower BMI than noncarriers (AA genotype) (sample 1, P = .001; sample 2, P = .05; and sample 3, P = .0003). In the combined analysis, excluding patients taking other weight gain-inducing drugs, G allele carriers (n = 98) had a 1.81-kg/m2 lower BMI than noncarriers (n = 226; P < .0001). The strongest association was observed in women younger than 45 years, with a 3.87-kg/m2 lower BMI in G allele carriers (n = 25) compared with noncarriers (n = 48; P < .0001), explaining 9% of BMI variance. In the population-based samples, the T allele of rs6510997C>T (a proxy of the rs3746266 G allele; r2 = 0.7) was associated with lower BMI (sample 5, n = 123 865; P = .01) and fat mass (sample 4, n = 5338; P = .03). The strongest association with fat mass was observed in premenopausal women (n = 1192; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These findings suggest that CRTC1 contributes to the genetics of human obesity in psychiatric patients and the general population. Identification of high-risk subjects could contribute to a better individualization of the pharmacological treatment in psychiatry.

The eta invariant and equivariant index of transversally elliptic operators

We prove a formula for the multiplicities of the index of an equivariant transversally elliptic operator on a G-manifold. The formula is a sum of integrals over blowups of the strata of the group action and also involves eta invariants of associated elliptic operators. Among the applications, we obtain an index formula for basic Dirac operators on Riemannian foliations, a problem that was open for many years.

Index theory for basic Dirac operators on Riemannian foliations

In this paper we prove a formula for the analytic index of a basic Dirac-type operator on a Riemannian foliation, solving a problem that has been open for many years. We also consider more general indices given by twisting the basic Dirac operator by a representation of the orthogonal group. The formula is a sum of integrals over blowups of the strata of the foliation and also involves eta invariants of associated elliptic operators. As a special case, a Gauss-Bonnet formula for the basic Euler characteristic is obtained using two independent proofs.

Climate-based empirical models show biased predictions of butterfly communities along environmental gradients

A better understanding of the factors that mould ecological community structure is required to accurately predict community composition and to anticipate threats to ecosystems due to global changes. We tested how well stacked climate-based species distribution models (S-SDMs) could predict butterfly communities in a mountain region. It has been suggested that climate is the main force driving butterfly distribution and community structure in mountain environments, and that, as a consequence, climate-based S-SDMs should yield unbiased predictions. In contrast to this expectation, at lower altitudes, climate-based S-SDMs overpredicted butterfly species richness at sites with low plant species richness and underpredicted species richness at sites with high plant species richness. According to two indices of composition accuracy, the Sorensen index and a matching coefficient considering both absences and presences, S-SDMs were more accurate in plant-rich grasslands. Butterflies display strong and often specialised trophic interactions with plants. At lower altitudes, where land use is more intense, considering climate alone without accounting for land use influences on grassland plant richness leads to erroneous predictions of butterfly presences and absences. In contrast, at higher altitudes, where climate is the main force filtering communities, there were fewer differences between observed and predicted butterfly richness. At high altitudes, even if stochastic processes decrease the accuracy of predictions of presence, climate-based S-SDMs are able to better filter out butterfly species that are unable to cope with severe climatic conditions, providing more accurate predictions of absences. Our results suggest that predictions should account for plants in disturbed habitats at lower altitudes but that stochastic processes and heterogeneity at high altitudes may limit prediction success of climate-based S-SDMs.

French version of the addiction severity index (5th Edition): validity and reliability among Swiss opiate-dependent patients. French validation of the Addiction Severity Index.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to validate a French adaptation of the 5th version of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) instrument in a Swiss sample of illicit drug users. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The participants in the study were 54 French-speaking dependent patients, most of them with opiates as the drug of first choice. Procedure: Analyses of internal consistency (convergent and discriminant validity) and reliability, including measures of test-retest and inter-observer correlations, were conducted. RESULTS: Besides good applicability of the test, the results on composite scores (CSs) indicate comparable results to those obtained in a sample of American opiate-dependent patients. Across the seven dimensions of the ASI, Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.42 to 0.76, test-retest correlations coefficients ranged from 0.48 to 0.98, while for CSs, inter-observer correlations ranged from 0.76 to 0.99. CONCLUSIONS: Despite several limitations, the French version of the ASI presents acceptable criteria of applicability, validity and reliability in a sample of drug-dependent patients.

Mesophyll conductance to CO2 and leaf morphological characteristics under drought stress during Quercus ilex L resprouting

• Quercus ilex L., the dominant species in Mediterranean forests and one with a great capacity for resprouting after disturbances, is threatened by the expected increase in fire frequency and drought associated with climate change. • The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of photosynthesis limitants, especially mesophyll conductance (gmes ) during this species’ resprouting and under summer drought. • Resprouts showed 5.3-fold increased gmes and 3.8-fold increased stomatal conductance (gs) atmidday with respect to leaves of undisturbed individuals. With increased drought, structural changes (decreased density and increased thickness) in resprouts contributed to the observed higher photosynthesis and increased gmes. However, gmes only partially depended on leaf structure, and was also under physiological control. Resprouts also showed lower non-stomatal limitations (around 50% higher carboxylation velocity (Vc,max) and capacity for ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate regeneration (Jmax)). A significant contribution of gmes to leaf carbon isotope discrimination values was observed. • gmes exhibits a dominant role in photosynthesis limitation in Q. ilex and is regulated by factors other than morphology. During resprouting after disturbances, greater capacity to withstand drought, as evidenced by higher gmes , gs and lower non-stomatal limitants, enables increased photosynthesis and rapid growth.

IPH Response to Dept of Justice and Equality Review of the Code of Practice on the Sale and Display of Alcohol in Mixed Trading Premises

IPH responded to the Department of Justice, Equality and Defence review of the voluntary Code of Practice for the display and sale of alcohol in supermarkets, convenience stores and similar mixed trading outlets. The voluntary Code was introduced in 2008 as an alternative to the statutory rules for structural separation of alcohol products in mixed trading outlets which are set out in section 9 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008. Interested bodies and individuals were invited to submit comments on the Compliance Report for 2011 and on the effectiveness of the voluntary approach to structural separation by 20th December 2011. The Minister said he intended to also seek the views of the Minister for Health and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality before reaching any decision on whether to bring the statutory rules in the 2008 Act into operation.

Magnetic resonance imaging determinants of intraindividual variability in the elderly: combined analysis of grey and white matter.

Elderly individuals display a rapid age-related increase in intraindividual variability (IIV) of their performances. This phenomenon could reflect subtle changes in frontal lobe integrity. However, structural studies in this field are still missing. To address this issue, we computed an IIV index for a simple reaction time (RT) task and performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including voxel based morphometry (VBM) and the tract based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in 61 adults aged from 22 to 88 years. The age-related IIV increase was associated with decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) as well as increased radial (RD) and mean (MD) diffusion in the main white matter (WM) fiber tracts. In contrast, axial diffusion (AD) and grey matter (GM) densities did not show any significant correlation with IIV. In multivariate models, only FA has an age-independent effect on IIV. These results revealed that WM but not GM changes partly mediated the age-related increase of IIV. They also revealed that the association between WM and IIV could not be only attributed to the damage of frontal lobe circuits but concerned the majority of interhemispheric and intrahemispheric corticocortical connections.