The association between chronotype, food craving and weight gain in pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional study investigated the association between chronotype, food craving and weight gain in pregnant women. METHODS: In total, 245 pregnant women attending the public health service in Brazil were included. Chronotype was derived from the time of mid-sleep time on free days, with a further correction for calculated sleep debt, and higher scores on this variable indicate a tendency to eveningness. A Food Craving Questionnaire Trait and State assessment was performed, and weight gain was calculated. Generalised linear models were used to determine the association between the variables under analysis. RESULTS: Evening types presented higher anticipation of relief from negative states and feelings as a result of eating as a usual behaviour compared to morning (P = 0.013) and non-evening types (P = 0.028); less intense desire to eat as a sporadic behaviour compared to morning (P = 0.012) and non-evening types (P = 0.009); and less anticipation of positive reinforcement that may result from eating as a sporadic behaviour than non-evening types (P = 0.022). We also found a significant association between chronotype score and anticipation of relief from negative states and feelings as a result of eating (P = 0.004); anticipation of positive reinforcement that may result from eating (P = 0.013) as a usual behaviour; weight gain during the early gestational period (P = 0.024); and intense desire to eat (P = 0.045) as a sporadic behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that evening chronotype was associated with the food craving trait. Pregnant women who tend to eveningness are more likely to gain weight in the early gestational period.

Fas ligand triggers pulmonary silicosis.

We investigated the role of Fas ligand in murine silicosis. Wild-type mice instilled with silica developed severe pulmonary inflammation, with local production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and interstitial neutrophil and macrophage infiltration in the lungs. Strikingly, Fas ligand-deficient generalized lymphoproliferative disease mutant (gld) mice did not develop silicosis. The gld mice had markedly reduced neutrophil extravasation into bronchoalveolar space, and did not show increased TNF-alpha production, nor pulmonary inflammation. Bone marrow chimeras and local adoptive transfer demonstrated that wild-type, but not Fas ligand-deficient lung macrophages recruit neutrophils and initiate silicosis. Silica induced Fas ligand expression in lung macrophages in vitro and in vivo, and promoted Fas ligand-dependent macrophage apoptosis. Administration of neutralizing anti-Fas ligand antibody in vivo blocked induction of silicosis. Thus, Fas ligand plays a central role in induction of pulmonary silicosis.

[Capillaroscopy in patients with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis]. / Estudo da microcirculação em pacientes com pancreatite crônica alcoólica através da capilaroscopia.

The aim of this study was verify frequency and morphological presentations of microangiopathy in patients with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis, using nailfold capillaroscopy. All patients showed morphological and functional capillary abnormalities. None of them had a normal capillaroscopy. Our findings may suggest an important role of microcirculation in Alcoholic Chronic Pancreatitis pathogenesis and/or its course.

[Botulinum toxin the treatment of spasmodic torticollis: a meta-analysis]. / Toxina botulínica no tratamento do torcicolo espasmódico: uma meta-análise.

The authors made a meta-analysis of the results of botulinum toxin injection for the treatment of spasmodic torticollis. They concluded that botulinum toxin is effective for the treatment of cervical dystonia.

[HLA and chronic alcoholic pancreatitis. A meta-analysis]. / HLA e pancreatitie crônica alcoólica. Uma meta-análise.

The authors made a meta-analysis of nine important works about the possible relationship of IILA and chronic alcoholic pancreatitis. They concluded that there are actually three types more prevalent: A1, B13 and B18.