1,720,962 research outputs found
Does iris(in) bring bad news or good news?
No full textIrisin, a novel myokine produced in response to physical activity, promotes white-to-brown fat transdifferentiation. The name irisin referred to the ancient Greek goddess Iris, the messenger who delivered (bad) news from the gods. In mice, it has been demonstrated that irisin plays a key role in metabolic regulation, energy expenditure and glucose homeostasis. New findings from various studies carried out in both animals and humans suggest that irisin might also have other favorable effects, such as increasing bone cortical mass, preventing hepatic lipid accumulation, and improving cognitive functions, thus mediating many exercise-induced health benefits. However, data on the role and function of irisin in humans have prompted controversy, due mostly to the only recent confirmation of the presence of irisin in humans. Another strong limitation to the understanding of irisin mechanisms of action is the lack of knowledge about its receptor, which until now remains unidentified in humans and in animals. This review presents an overall analysis of the history of irisin, its expression, and its involvement in health, especially in humans. Level of Evidence Level V, review
Risk Factors for COVID-19: Diabetes, Hypertension, and Obesity
No full textIntroduction: The recent global pandemic of
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),
caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has involved
more than 7 million people worldwide and
been associated with more than 400,000
deaths. No clear information is known about
all the potential risk factors for COVID-19 or
what factors adversely influence its clinical
course and mortality. Therefore, we analyzed
the role of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension
as risk factors for COVID-19.
Methods: We identified articles for inclusion by
searching PubMed and Google Scholar (last
accessed 15 June 2020). Retrospective review
of literature. Analysis of epidemiological data
concerning obesity prevalence and COVID-19
incidence, particularly in Italy and the USA.
Results: Data from several retrospective studies
of prevalence showed that patients with hypertension,
type 2 diabetes, and obesity may have
more severe COVID-19, intensive care unit
admission, and higher mortality rates, but it is
not definitively clear if this is an independent
association. In general, the prevalence of obesity
in patients with COVID-19 seems to bethe same as that of the general population
throughout the world; however, obesity seems
to be associated with more severe disease and
mortality in younger (< 60 years) patients.
Similar effects seem to occur in patients with
diabetes and/or hypertension but at older ages
(> 60 years). In strict connection, it has been
proposed that the use of drugs inhibiting
angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) or
dipeptidyl dipeptidase 4 (DPP-4) might influence
viral activity and disease severity since
ACE-2 and DPP-4 receptors mediate SARS-CoV-
2
entry into the host cells; however, no
evidence exists to date that shows that this
may be the case.
Conclusion: Overall, diabetes, hypertension, and
obesity seem to negatively affect the clinical
course and disease outcome in patients with
COVID-19. However, these data need further
confirmation by studies with more accurate
data registration
The Mediterranean diet and its individual components: Linking with obesity in Italy
No full textA prolonged positive energy balance may contribute to fat accumulation and obesity development. It was observed several years ago that population resident in southern Italy consumed a particular diet and was less obese and lived significantly longer, and it was referred as the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is a dietary plan based on fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and low intake of saturated fatty acids. A large body of literature suggested that the Mediterranean diet is effective in preventing obesity. Both observational and intervention studies clearly demonstrated that a higher adherence to Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduced risk of being obese and that obese individuals who underwent hypocaloric Mediterranean diet significantly reduced their body weight. Surveys indicate that adherence to the Mediterranean diet in Italy has decreased over the past 50 years. At the same time the prevalence of obesity in Italian population significantly increased, especially in southern Italy, reaching alarming proportions. National initiatives were promoted to recover the nutritional habits inspired to Mediterranean diet, and recent data show a slight decrease in the prevalence of obesity over the last 15 years, particularly among children and adolescents. Although obesity is still a matter of concern in Italy, the effectiveness of nutrition programs based on the Mediterranean diet suggests that preserving the traditional Mediterranean dietary habits may contribute to prevent obesity with beneficial effects on health
Serum Irisin Concentrations in Severely Inflamed Patients
No full textIrisin is a recently discovered exercise-induced myokine that has been attributed the role of favoring white-to-brown adipose tissue trans-differentiation. We confirmed in a population-based cohort that irisin serum concentrations are independently correlated with the habitual level of physical activity, but we also observed an independent correlation with serum concentrations of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), thus suggesting that inflammation may influence irisin production. In order to investigate the association between irisin and inflammation, we measured serum irisin concentrations in a group of inflamed inpatients. We hypothesized that if an association between irisin and inflammation exists, severely inflamed patients, even though physically inactive, might also exhibit high serum irisin levels. We recruited 40 consecutive markedly inflamed inpatients on the basis of serum CRP levels. Their irisin serum concentrations (Phoenix Europe, Germany) were compared with those obtained in the population-based cohort of the ABCD_2 study (Alimentazione, Benessere Cardiovascolare e Diabete) (ISRCTN15840340). The inflamed patients exhibited higher serum irisin concentrations (median: 6.77 ng/ml; 95% CI for the median: 5.97-7.23) than those observed in the ABCD cohort (median: 5.21 ng/ml; 95% CI for the median: 5.08-5.30; p <0.001). Irisin concentrations were significantly correlated with age (r=-0.44; p <0.001), creatinine (r=-0.35; p <0.05), and fibrinogen (r=0.40; p <0.05) concentrations. No association was observed between irisin, interleukine-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha. This study confirms the association between inflammation and irisin concentrations. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms underlying this association and its possible clinical implications
Valutazione del test di soppressione overnight con desametasone in una coorte di pazienti con sovrappeso/obesità: risultati di uno studio preliminare.
No full textNei pazienti con obesità vi è una cronica iperattivazione dell'asse ipotalamo-ipofisi-surrene che può determinare una minor sensibilità alla soppressione indotta dal desametasone con un rischio di porre erroneamente diagnosi di sindrome di Cushing.
Lo scopo del lavoro è quello di valutare l'accuratezza del test di soppressione overnight con desametasone in una coorte di pazienti con sovrappeso/obesità.
Abbiamo analizzato un campione di 989 pazienti sottoposti a test con desametasone, confrontandoli con un gruppo di 100 controlli normopeso e 75 pazienti con sindrome di Cushing.
La mediana del cortisolo dopo soppressione nel gruppo di sovrappeso/obesi è risultata significativamente inferiore rispetto ai controlli sani. All'analisi di regressione lineare multivariata si evidenzia una correlazione significativa, seppur debole, con l'età ma non con i parametri antropometrici. L'analisi mediante curva ROC ha individuato un valore di 2,1 mcg/dL come il cut-off dotato di più alta sensibilità e specificità
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
High adherence to Mediterranean diet, but not individual foods or nutrients, is associated with lower likelihood of being obese in a Mediterranean cohort
No full textPurpose: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between the Mediterranean diet and obesity in a Mediterranean cohort. Methods: The study population of MEAL (Mediterranean Healthy Eating, Ageing, and Lifestyle) study comprised 1814 men and women (18 + years) recruited in the city of Catania, southern Italy. Food intake was evaluated through a validated food frequency questionnaire and the Mediterranean diet adherence was assessed through the MEDI-LITE score. Results: Individuals highly adherent to the Mediterranean diet (highest quartile of the score) were less likely to be obese (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.32, 0.89) despite there was no significant associations when considering men and women separately. The dietary profile of obese and non-obese individuals did not significantly differ, except for vitamin E, processed meat, and alcohol more consumed among non-obese ones. Among the food groups characterizing this dietary pattern, only satisfaction of the criterion for dairy products (< 1 serving/day) was significantly associated with lower odds of being obese. Among other covariates, current smoking was associated with obesity, while high physical activity and regular alcohol drinking were inversely associated. Some differences between men and women in the highest category of occupational status occurred, as the former were less likely, while the latter were more likely to be obese. Conclusions: Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet as a whole dietary pattern, rather than its individual components, is associated with less likelihood of being obese. Level of evidence: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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