Comparing Ultrasound with Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Evaluation of Subungual Glomus Tumors and Subungual Myxoid Cysts.

Introduction: Subungual myxoid cysts and subungual glomus tumors demonstrate characteristic features on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound (US). It is not yet well-established whether US is congruent to MRI in diagnostic evaluation of these subungual lesions. Methods: Participants with clinical suspicion for subungual glomus tumors or subungual myxoid cysts were recruited. After clinical evaluation, participants underwent radiography, MRI, and US plus biopsy, aspiration, or excision where possible. Differential diagnoses were revised after review of imaging, and imaging findings were compared to definitive diagnosis by pathology, aspiration, or clinical course. Results: All lesions were visible on both US and MRI and size estimates agreed between the two modalities. US and MRI findings of subungual glomus tumors and subungual myxoid cysts agreed with their known respective imaging characteristics. Conclusions: Diagnosis of subungual myxoid cysts and subungual glomus tumors agreed between US and MRI. We provide sample MRI and US imaging parameters for optimal evaluation of subungual myxoid cysts and glomus tumors. We demonstrate that subungual MRI evaluation can be performed without special equipment, allowing for evaluation by most radiology departments. Lastly, US is user-dependent and may be non-inferior for a sonographer familiar with subungual US.

The influence of erosion sources on sediment-related water quality attributes.

Suspended fine sediment has a significant impact on freshwater quality variables such as visual clarity (VC). However, freshwater quality is related to the attributes of the catchment sources contributing fine sediment to the stream network. Here, the extent to which an array of sources defined spatially according to erosion process and geological parent material may be discriminated and classified based on sediment-related water quality (SRWQ) attributes that potentially affect VC was examined. Erosion sources were sampled across two New Zealand catchments representing six types of erosion and eight parent materials. Erosion source measurements focused on particle size, organic matter content, and light beam attenuation (which is convertible to VC). The source data were analysed to: 1) evaluate source variability using a combination of Kruskal-Wallis and principal component analysis; 2) reclassify sources using a Random Forest model; and 3) demonstrate how erosion source affects VC for a range of theoretical sediment concentrations (SC) using a simple empirical model. The results indicate that SRWQ attributes show significant variation across erosion sources. The extent to which attributes differed between sources often related to whether there was a strong association between a specific erosion process and parent material. The 19 a priori source classifications were reduced to 5 distinct sources that combined erosion process and parent material (i.e., bank erosion-alluvium; mass movement-ancient volcanics; mass movement-sedimentary; surficial erosion; gully-unconsolidated sandstone). At low SC, the impact of erosion source on VC became most evident ranging from 2.6 to 5.6 m at SC of 5 g m-3. These findings show how catchment sources of sediment, in addition to sediment concentration, influence VC, and highlight the need to consider quality as well as quantity of material supplied to stream networks when planning erosion control.

Thyrotropin-secreting microadenoma and the importance of a prompt diagnosis: A case report.

Background: The prevalence of thyrotropin-secreting pituitary adenomas, most being macroadenomas, is one to two cases per million inhabitants. Their differential diagnosis may be challenging, especially for microadenomas. Case description: We present the case of a 50-year-old male with progressive neck enlargement, hot sudorific hands, anorexia, diarrhea, and weight loss over the preceding three months. Laboratory evaluation revealed high thyroid hormones, predominantly high free triiodothyronine of 7.74 pg/mL (reference range 2.3-4.2), with a non-suppressed thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) of 1.73 µIU/mL (reference range 0.55-4.78). A high level of suspicion directed additional evaluation that revealed a high total alpha-subunit of glycoprotein hormones (αGS) and αGS/TSH ratio. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a six mm pituitary lesion. A microthyrotropinoma was diagnosed, and long-acting octreotide was initiated before surgery for symptomatic control. Endoscopic transnasal transsphenoidal tumor resection was performed months later. The patient was in remission one year after surgery with no pituitary deficits. Conclusions: Reaching an accurate diagnosis on time is crucial for deciding the optimal therapeutic approach and preventing and decreasing the frequency of endocrine and neurological complications. HIPPOKRATIA 2022, 26 (4):157-160.

Monitoring the Age of Mosquito Populations Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Mosquito control with bednets, residual sprays or fumigation remains the most effective tool for preventing vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and Zika, though there are no widely used entomological methods for directly assessing its efficacy. Mosquito age is the most informative metric for evaluating interventions that kill adult mosquitoes but there is no simple or reliable way of measuring it in the field. Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) has been shown to be a promising, high-throughput method that can estimate the age of mosquitoes. Currently the ability of NIRS to measure mosquito age is biased, and has relatively high individual mosquito measurement error, though its capacity to rigorously monitor mosquito populations in the field has never been assessed. In this study, we use machine learning methods from the chemometric literature to generate more accurate, unbiased estimates of individual mosquito age. These unbiased estimates produce precise population-level measurements, which are relatively insensitive to further increases in NIRS accuracy when feasible numbers of mosquitoes are sampled. The utility of NIRS to directly measure the impact of pyrethroid resistance on mosquito control is illustrated, showing how the technology has potential as a highly valuable tool for directly assessing the efficacy of mosquito control interventions.

The revolving door: antibiotic allergy labelling in a tertiary care centre.

BACKGROUND: Patients frequently report antibiotic allergies; however, only 10% of labelled patients have a true allergy. AIM: We investigated the documentation of antibiotic 'allergy' labels (AAL) and the effect of labelling on clinical outcomes, in a West Australian adult tertiary hospital. METHODS: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of patients captured in the 2013 and 2014 National Antimicrobial Prescribing Surveys was carried out. Data were collected on documented antibiotic adverse drug reactions, antibiotic cost, prescribing appropriateness, prevalence of multi-drug resistant organisms, length of stay, intensive care admission and readmissions. RESULTS: Of the 687 patients surveyed, 278 (40%) were aged 70 or above, 365 (53%) were male and 279 (41%) were prescribed antibiotics. AAL were recorded in 122 (18%) patients and the majority were penicillin labels (n = 87; 71%). Details of AAL were documented for 80 of 141 (57%) individual allergy labels, with 61 describing allergic symptoms. Patients with beta-lactam allergy labels received fewer penicillins (P = 0.0002) and more aminoglycosides (P = 0.043) and metronidazole (P = 0.021) than patients without beta-lactam labels. Five patients received an antibiotic that was contraindicated according to their allergy status. Patients with AAL had significantly more hospital readmissions within 4 weeks (P = 0.001) and 6 months (P = 0.025) of discharge, compared with unlabelled patients. The majority (81%) of readmitted labelled patients had major infections. CONCLUSIONS: AAL are common, but poorly documented in hospital records. Patients with AAL are significantly more likely to require alternative antibiotics and hospital readmissions. There may be a role for antibiotic allergy delabelling to mitigate the clinical and economic burdens for patients with invalid allergy labels.

Impact of a school-based intervention to promote fruit intake: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: There is evidence that fruit consumption among school children is below the recommended levels. This study aims to examine the effects of a dietary education intervention program me, held by teachers previously trained in nutrition, on the consumption of fruit as a dessert at lunch and dinner, among children 6-12 years old. STUDY DESIGN: This is a randomized trial with the schools as the unit of randomisation. METHODS: A total of 464 children (239 female, 6-12years) from seven elementary schools participated in this cluster randomized controlled trial. Three schools were allocated to the intervention and four to the control group. For the intervention schools, we delivered professional development training to school teachers (12 sessions of 3 h each). The training provided information about nutrition, healthy eating, the importance of drinking water and healthy cooking activities. After each session, teachers were encouraged to develop classroom activities focused on the learned topics. Sociodemographic was assessed at baseline and anthropometric, dietary intake and physical activity assessments were performed at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Dietary intake was evaluated by a 24-h dietary recall and fruit consumption as a dessert was gathered at lunch and dinner. RESULTS: Intervened children reported a significant higher intake in the consumption of fruit compared to the controlled children at lunch (P = 0.001) and at dinner (P = 0.012), after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides further support for the success of intervention programmes aimed at improving the consumption of fruit as a dessert in children.

Characterization and quantification of suspended sediment sources to the Manawatu River, New Zealand.

Knowledge of sediment movement throughout a catchment environment is essential due to its influence on the character and form of our landscape relating to agricultural productivity and ecological health. Sediment fingerprinting is a well-used tool for evaluating sediment sources within a fluvial catchment but still faces areas of uncertainty for applications to large catchments that have a complex arrangement of sources. Sediment fingerprinting was applied to the Manawatu River Catchment to differentiate 8 geological and geomorphological sources. The source categories were Mudstone, Hill Subsurface, Hill Surface, Channel Bank, Mountain Range, Gravel Terrace, Loess and Limestone. Geochemical analysis was conducted using XRF and LA-ICP-MS. Geochemical concentrations were analysed using Discriminant Function Analysis and sediment un-mixing models. Two mixing models were used in conjunction with GRG non-linear and Evolutionary optimization methods for comparison. Discriminant Function Analysis required 16 variables to correctly classify 92.6% of sediment sources. Geological explanations were achieved for some of the variables selected, although there is a need for mineralogical information to confirm causes for the geochemical signatures. Consistent source estimates were achieved between models with optimization techniques providing globally optimal solutions for sediment quantification. Sediment sources was attributed primarily to Mudstone, ≈38-46%; followed by the Mountain Range, ≈15-18%; Hill Surface, ≈12-16%; Hill Subsurface, ≈9-11%; Loess, ≈9-15%; Gravel Terrace, ≈0-4%; Channel Bank, ≈0-5%; and Limestone, ≈0%. Sediment source apportionment fits with the conceptual understanding of the catchment which has recognized soft sedimentary mudstone to be highly susceptible to erosion. Inference of the processes responsible for sediment generation can be made for processes where there is a clear relationship with the geomorphology, but is problematic for processes which occur within multiple terrains.

Influence of different behavioural factors and obesity status on systolic blood pressure among pre-school children.

AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the association between sleeping time (SLT), time spent using screen (ST) and weight status with Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) among pre-school children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The sample comprised 628 pre-school children (50% female), aged 3-6 years-old. SLT and ST were reported by parents. BMI values were categorized according to IOTF. SBP cut points were based on SBP percentiles for age, sex and height. ST was dichotomized according to the following criteria: ≤1 hour vs >1 hour and SLT: ≤10.5 hours vs >10.5 hours. Participants were then categorized into one of four category profiles: Low ST/High SLT; High ST/Low SLT; Low ST/Low SLT and High ST/High SLT. RESULTS: Children assigned to the High ST/Low SLT group were 2-times more likely to have high SBP values compared to those who were assigned to the Low ST/High SLT group (OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.1-5.1). Furthermore, those who were assigned as overweight and obese were more likely to be classified as having elevated BP (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.1-3.2 for overweight and OR = 3.1; 95% CI = 1.6-5.8 for obese, respectively). CONCLUSION: The data showed that high ST exposure time and low SLT are associated with enhanced blood pressure in children at pre-school.

Relationship of milk intake and physical activity to abdominal obesity among adolescents.

UNLABELLED: What is already known about this subject Diet and physical activity (PA) are recognized as important factors to prevent abdominal obesity (AO). Studies have found an inverse relationship between milk intake or milk products and body weight and/or body fat in children and adolescents. Evidence suggests that low levels of PA are associated with AO in youth. What this study adds Our study explored the combined association of milk intake and PA on AO in adolescents, which are most often studied in isolation. Our findings suggested that adolescents with high milk intakes, regardless of whether they were active or low active, were less likely to have AO. Our findings could have a great epidemiological interest and bring important evidence in the field of AO management among adolescents. BACKGROUND: Diet and physical activity (PA) are recognized as important factors to prevent abdominal obesity (AO), which is strongly associated with chronic diseases. Some studies have reported an inverse association between milk consumption and AO. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the association between milk intake, PA and AO in adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1209 adolescents, aged 15-18 from the Azorean Archipelago, Portugal in 2008. AO was defined by a waist circumference at or above the 90th percentile. Adolescent food intake was measured using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, and milk intake was categorized as 'low milk intake' (<2 servings per day) or 'high milk intake' (≥2 servings per day). PA was assessed via a self-report questionnaire, and participants were divided into active (>10 points) and low-active groups (≤10 points) on the basis of their reported PA. They were then divided into four smaller groups, according to milk intake and PA: (i) low milk intake/low active; (ii) low milk intake/active; (iii) high milk intake/low active and (iv) high milk intake/active. The association between milk intake, PA and AO was evaluated using logistic regression analysis, and the results were adjusted for demographic, body mass index, pubertal stage and dietary confounders. RESULTS: In this study, the majority of adolescents consumed semi-skimmed or skimmed milk (92.3%). The group of adolescents with high level of milk intake and active had a lower proportion of AO than did other groups (low milk intake/low active: 34.2%; low milk intake/active: 26.9%; high milk intake/low active: 25.7%; high milk intake/active: 21.9%, P = 0.008). After adjusting for confounders, low-active and active adolescents with high levels of milk intake were less likely to have AO, compared with low-active adolescents with low milk intake (high milk intake/low active, odds ratio [OR] = 0.412, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.201-0.845; high milk intake/active adolescents, OR = 0.445, 95% CI: 0.235-0.845). CONCLUSION: High milk intake seems to have a protective effect on AO, regardless of PA level.

Parental education and physical activity in pre-school children.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to objectively assess pre-school children's total physical activity (TPA) patterns and compliance with guidelines and to examine differences relative to parental education. METHODS: The sample consisted on 509 healthy pre-school children, aged 3-6 years recruited from kindergartens located in the metropolitan area of Porto, Portugal. The PA was assessed for 7 consecutive days by accelerometry. For TPA, we followed the guidelines of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) (children who spent at least >120 min per day in active play). For TPA, we calculated the proportion of children who spent at least >120 min per day in active play and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), we calculated the proportion of children who spent at least >60 min per day in active play. Parental education was analysed according to the Portuguese education system. RESULTS: Children with parents in the highest education level were less active than children from low and middle education level (P ≤ 0.001) in all patterns of PA (week and weekend). Regarding TPA during the week we found that the majority of children from low and middle parental education meet the NASPE guidelines. On the other hand, more than half the children from high parental education did not meet these recommendations (P ≤ 0.001) and MVPA recommendations (P ≤ 0.05). In both recommendations, children from low parental education were twice more likely to meet the recommendations compared with children belonging to high parental education. CONCLUSION: Parent education was negatively associated with children's daily physical activity patterns and compliance with guidelines.

Zinc pharmacokinetic parameters in the determination of body zinc status in children.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Serum or tissue zinc concentrations are often used to assess body zinc status. However, all of these methods are relatively inaccurate. Thus, we investigated three different kinetic methods for the determination of zinc clearance to establish which of these could detect small changes in the body zinc status of children. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Forty apparently healthy children were studied. Renal handling of zinc was investigated during intravenous zinc administration (0.06537 mg Zn/kg of body weight), both before and after oral zinc supplementation (5 mg Zn/day for 3 months). Three kinetic methods were used to determine zinc clearance: CZn-Formula A and CZn-Formula B were both used to calculate systemic clearance; the first is a general formula and the second is used for the specific analysis of a single-compartment model; CZn-Formula C is widely used in medical practices to analyze kinetic routine. RESULTS: Basal serum zinc values, which were within the reference range for healthy children, increased significantly after oral zinc supplementation. The three formulas used gave different results for zinc clearance both before and after oral zinc supplementation. CZn-Formula B showed a positive correlation with basal serum zinc concentration after oral supplementation (R2=0.1172, P=0.0306). In addition, CZn-Formula B (P=0.0002) was more effective than CZn-Formula A (P=0.6028) and CZn-Formula C (P=0.0732) in detecting small variations in body zinc status. CONCLUSIONS: All three of the formulas used are suitable for studying zinc kinetics; however, CZn-Formula B is particularly effective at detecting small changes in body zinc status in healthy children.

Physical activity guidelines and preschooler's obesity status.

AIM: The benefits of promoting physical activity (PA) in counteracting the high prevalence of childhood obesity have become increasingly important in the past decade. The aim of this study was to examine the association between compliance of daily PA recommendations and the risk of being overweight or obese in preschool-aged children. METHODS: The sample comprised 607 children aged 4-6 years, recruited from kindergartens located in the metropolitan area of Porto, Portugal. Preschooler's body mass index was classified according to International Obesity Task Force. PA was assessed during 7 consecutive days by accelerometer. Children were classified as meeting or not meeting PA recommendations based on two guidelines: (i) at least 3 h per day of total PA (TPA); and (ii) at least 1 h per day of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA). RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 23.5 and 10.6% in girls and 17.2 and 8.9% in boys. In all, 90.2 and 97.3% of girls met the ≥ 1 h MVPA and ≥ 3 h TPA recommendations, respectively. In all, 96.2 and 99.4% boys met the ≥ 1 h MVPA and 3 h TPA recommendations, respectively. Boys were significantly more likely to achieve the ≥ 1 h MVPA and ≥ 3 h TPA recommendations than girls (P ≤ 0.001). Not meeting the ≥ 1 h MVPA guideline was associated with obesity status (OR: 3.8; IC: 1.3-10.4), in girls, but not boys. No other statistically significant associations were found. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that over 90% of children met the recommended guidelines. There is an association with low levels of MVPA and higher obesity status among preschool girls. Further, longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these data.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is negatively associated with metabolic risk factors independently of the adherence to a healthy dietary pattern.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and diet have been involved as significant factors towards the prevention of cardio-metabolic diseases. This study aimed to assess the impact of the combined associations of CRF and adherence to the Southern European Atlantic Diet (SEADiet) on the clustering of metabolic risk factors in adolescents. METHODS AND RESULTS: A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted on 468 adolescents aged 15-18, from the Azorean Islands, Portugal. We measured fasting glucose, insulin, total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, waits circumference and height. HOMA, TC/HDL-C ratio and waist-to-height ratio were calculated. For each of these variables, a Z-score was computed by age and sex. A metabolic risk score (MRS) was constructed by summing the Z scores of all individual risk factors. High risk was considered when the individual had ≥ 1 SD of this score. CRF was measured with the 20 m-Shuttle-Run-Test. Adherence to SEADiet was assessed with a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression showed that, after adjusting for potential confounders, unfit adolescents with low adherence to SEADiet had the highest odds of having MRS (OR = 9.4; 95%CI:2.6-33.3) followed by the unfit ones with high adherence to the SEADiet (OR = 6.6; 95% CI: 1.9-22.5) when compared to those who were fit and had higher adherence to SEADiet. CONCLUSIONS: Unfit adolescents showed higher odds of having high MRS, regardless of the adherence to SEADiet suggesting that high CRF may overcome the deleterious effects of low adherence to a healthy dietary pattern in adolescents.

Milk intake is inversely related to body mass index and body fat in girls.

UNLABELLED: Dairy foods comprise a range of products with varying nutritional content. The intake of dairy products (DPs) has been shown to have beneficial effects on body weight and body fat. This study aimed to examine the independent association between DP intake, body mass index (BMI), and percentage body fat (%BF) in adolescents. A cross-sectional, school-based study was conducted with 1,001 adolescents (418 boys), ages 15-18 years, from the Azorean Archipelago, Portugal. Anthropometric measurements were recorded (weight and height), and %BF was assessed using bioelectric impedance analysis. Adolescent food intake was measured using a self-administered, semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Data were analyzed separately for girls and boys, and separate multiple linear regression analysis was used to estimate the association between total DP, milk, yogurt, and cheese intake, BMI, and %BF, adjusting for potential confounders. For boys and girls, respectively, total DP consumption was 2.6 ± 1.9 and 2.9 ± 2.5 servings/day (P = 0.004), while milk consumption was 1.7 ± 1.4 and 2.0 ± 1.7 servings/day (P = 0.001), yogurt consumption was 0.5 ± 0.6 and 0.4 ± 0.7 servings/day (P = 0.247), and cheese consumption was 0.4 ± 0.6 and 0.5 ± 0.8 servings/day (P = 0.081). After adjusting for age, birth weight, energy intake, protein, total fat, sugar, dietary fiber, total calcium intake, low-energy reporters, parental education, pubertal stage, and physical activity, only milk intake was negatively associated with BMI and %BF in girls (respectively, girls: ß = -0.167, P = 0.013; boys: ß = -0.019, P = 0.824 and girls: ß = -0.143, P = 0.030; boys: ß = -0.051, P = 0.548). CONCLUSION: We found an inverse association between milk intake and both BMI and %BF only in girls.

Association between dairy product intake and abdominal obesity in Azorean adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Some studies have reported an inverse association between dairy product (DP) consumption and weight or fat mass loss. OBJECTIVES: The objective of our study was to assess the association between DP intake and abdominal obesity (AO) among Azorean adolescents. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional analysis. A total of 903 adolescents (370 boys) aged 15-16 years was evaluated. Anthropometric measurements were collected (weight, height and waist circumference (WC)) and McCarthy's cut-points were used to categorize WC. AO was defined when WC was ≥90th percentile. Adolescent food intake was assessed using a self-administered semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and DP intake was categorized in <2 and ≥2 servings/day. Data were analyzed separately for girls and boys, and logistical regression was used to estimate the association between DPs and AO adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: The prevalence of AO was 54.9% (boys: 32.1% and girls: 70.7%, P<0.001). For boys and girls, DP consumption was 2.3±1.9 and 2.1±1.6 servings/day (P=0.185), respectively. In both genders, the proportion of adolescents with WC <90th percentile was higher among individuals who reported a dairy intake of <2 servings/day compared with those with an intake <2 servings/day (boys: 71% vs 65% and girls: 36% vs 24%, P<0.05). After adjustments for confounders, two or more DP servings per day were a negative predictor of AO (odds ratio, 0.217; 95% confidence interval, 0.075-0.633) only in boys. CONCLUSION: We found a protective association between DP intake and AO only in boys.

High levels of C-reactive protein are associated with reduced vagal modulation and low physical activity in young adults.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between cardiac autonomic control derived from heart rate variability (HRV), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and physical activity (PA) levels measured using accelerometers. A total of 80 healthy university students volunteered to participate in this study (20.56 ± 0.82 years, 1.36 ± 1.5 mg/L of hs-CRP). The participants were divided into groups based on tertiles of hs-CRP. Analysis of covariance adjusted to PA was used to assess group differences in HRV. Associations between hs-CRP, HRV indices and PA were analyzed using Pearson's correlation. The participants at the highest tertile of hs-CRP (tertile 3) had lower cardiac vagal modulation (SDNN, tertile 1=78.05 ± 5.9,tertile 2=82.43 ± 5.9,tertile 3=56.03 ± 6.1; SD1, tertile 1=61.27 ± 5.3, tertile 2=62.93 ± 5.4, tertile 3=40.03 ± 5.5). In addition, vagal indices were inversely correlated with hs-CRP but positively correlated with PA (SDNN r=-0.320, SD1 r=-0.377; SDNN r=0.304, SD1 r=0.299; P<0.05). Furthermore, the most physically active subjects had lower levels of hs-CRP and the highest levels of vagal modulation.

Influence of cardiorespiratory fitness and parental lifestyle on adolescents' abdominal obesity.

AIM: The aims of this study were (1) to analyse the influence of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and parental overweight status (POS) and socioeconomic status (SES) on abdominal obesity. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study was comprised of 779 adolescents (12-18 years). Waist-height ratio (WHtR), 20 m shuttle-run test to ascertain CRF, POS according to World Health Organization recommendations and SES of parents using level of education were analysed. RESULTS: Using WHtR, the prevalence of abdominal obesity was 21.3% (23.5% girls and 17.9% boys; p = 0.062). Regardless of gender, participants who belonged to the WHtR risk group had significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower CRF scores than the WHtR non-risk group; 84.4% of girls who belonged to the WHtR risk group had one or two overweight parents (p ≤ 0.05). Boys with low CRF (OR: 6.43; CI: 3.33-12.39) were more likely to belong to the WHtR risk group compared with their lean peers. Girls with low CRF (OR: 1.78; CI: 1.14-2.78) and with at least one overweight parent (OR: 2.50; CI: 1.07-5.85) or two overweight parents (OR: 4.90; CI: 2.08-11.54) were associated with the risk of abdominal obesity. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the influence of adolescents' family on abdominal obesity, especially in girls. Further, the data suggested that low CRF was a strong predictor of risk values of abdominal obesity in adolescence.

The relationship of cardiorespiratory fitness, birth weight and parental BMI on adolescents' obesity status.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were as follows: (1) to analyze differences in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), parents' body mass index (BMI) and birth weight (BW) between non-overweight (NOW) and overweight/obese (OV/OB) adolescents, and (2) to investigate the association of those variables with the risk of their biological offspring being OV/OB. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study comprised 788 adolescents (477 girls and 311 boys), aged between 12 and 18 years. CRF was predicted by maximal multistage 20-m shuttle-run test according to the procedures described in FITNESSGRAM. Children's BMI was classified according to the International Obesity Task Force. Adolescents' BW was assessed from each child's pediatric record at birth. Parents' OV/OB status was defined and classified according to the World Health Organization. Socioeconomic status was defined by parental education. RESULTS: The prevalence OV/OB was 21.4 and 5.3%, respectively, and there were no gender differences. The OV/OB adolescents (girls and boys) had significantly (P

Psychosocial stress and cardiovascular diseases.

Fifty five years after the first finding relating mood disturbances and cardiovascular diseases, there is still debate on the formation of a cogent conception embracing all the fragments of insight within the various aspects relating psychosocial stress to cardiovascular diseases. The clinical comorbidity is empirically evident, but there are ambiguous research results limiting the value of the proposed pathophysiological mechanisms. Psychosocial stress represents here any event that relates psychological phenomena to the social environment and to the associated pathophysiological changes. Stress denotes the external or environmental factors to which people are exposed, as well as the behavioural or biological reaction to it (response that some authors call "distress"). Cardiovascular diseases will be considered here only when being the consequence of chronic inflammatory disease of arteries (atherosclerosis). The question is: are there pathophysiological reliable mechanisms relating psychosocial stress to the development of cardiovascular diseases?

Personality, manual preference and neuroendocrine reactivity in hirsute subjects.

Behavioral and neuroendocrine differences may be postulated in hirsute subjects since central effects of gonadal steroids are well established. We conducted a controlled clinical study with 25 consecutive young hirsute participants compared with 20 consecutive controls. Neuropsychological evaluation included the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Edinburgh Inventory of Manual Preference (EIMP). Neuroendocrine reactivity was assessed by the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol responses to corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH). Hirsute participants presented a flattened personality profile with lower neurotic triad scores--146 +/- 20 versus 166 +/- 28. Left-hand preference was more common in hirsute participants--4/21 versus 0/20. Decreased ACTH [area under the curve (AUC)--36 +/-2 8 vs. 72 +/- 63 pg/ml h] and cortisol (AUC--18 +/- 4 vs. 25 +/- 10 microg/dl h) responses to CRH were found in the hirsute group. In the hirsute group, higher manual preference scores were associated with lower ACTH responses to CRH, while the opposite association was found in the control group. In the hirsute group, the hyporeactive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis was associated with lower behavior-deviant scores, while in the control group, the hyporeactive HPA axis was associated with more psychopathology. We conclude that personality and HPA axis reactivity are different in hirsute female participants when compared with controls, with a trend for differences regarding handedness. Personality and handedness are differently associated with HPA reactivity. Distinctive features in hirsute participants are probably established very early during ontogenic development.