Cellular FXIII in Human Macrophage-Derived Foam Cells.

Macrophages express the A subunit of coagulation factor XIII (FXIII-A), a transglutaminase which cross-links proteins through Nε-(γ-L-glutamyl)-L-lysyl iso-peptide bonds. Macrophages are major cellular constituents of the atherosclerotic plaque; they may stabilize the plaque by cross-linking structural proteins and they may become transformed into foam cells by accumulating oxidized LDL (oxLDL). The combination of oxLDL staining by Oil Red O and immunofluorescent staining for FXIII-A demonstrated that FXIII-A is retained during the transformation of cultured human macrophages into foam cells.

Diet quality as assessed by Healthy Eating Index-2015 among Hungarian Roma living in settlements of Northeast Hungary.

Inequalities in diet quality are increasingly reported, but such studies among Roma are scarce and challenging. Here we attempt to examine diet quality and adherence to food based dietary guidelines among Hungarian Roma (HR) ethnic minority living in segregated settlements while comparing a sample of Hungarian adults from the general population (HG). Data were obtained from a complex comparative health survey conducted in Northeast Hungary in 2018, including sociodemographic and physical examination data.

Activation mechanism dependent surface exposure of cellular factor XIII on activated platelets and platelet microparticles.

Background: Platelets contain a high amount of potentially active A subunit dimer of coagulation factor XIII (cellular FXIII; cFXIII). It is of cytoplasmic localization, not secreted, but becomes translocated to the surface of platelets activated by convulxin and thrombin (CVX+Thr).

Objective: To explore the difference in cFXIII translocation between receptor mediated and non-receptor mediated platelet activation and if translocation can also be detected on platelet-derived microparticles.

Silencing Osteopontin Expression Inhibits Proliferation, Invasion and Induce Altered Protein Expression in Melanoma Cells.

Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional phosphoprotein that is expressed in different types of cancers, including melanoma. OPN overexpression is associated with tumor progression and metastasis formation; however, the role of OPN in cell invasion and metastasis formation is not completely understood. In this study we aimed to define OPN expression in melanoma tissues and cell lines and investigate the effect of OPN expression on cell proliferation and invasion after inhibiting OPN expression with small interfering RNA (siRNA).

Deteriorated Dietary Patterns with Regards to Health and Environmental Sustainability among Hungarian Roma Are Not Differentiated from Those of the General Population.

Nutritional epidemiology studies on Roma people are scarce and, to date, their nutrient-based dietary patterns with regards to both healthy and sustainable dietary considerations have never been reported. We report, for the first time, adherence to healthy and sustainable dietary patterns using scoring and regression models, based on recommendations defined by the World Health Organization, in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study and the EAT-Lancet report, as well as dietary quality based on Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) among the Hungarian Roma (HR) population living in North East Hungary, with Hungarian general (HG) adults as reference. Data were obtained from a complex, comparative health survey involving dietary assessment, structured questionnaire-based interview, physical and laboratory examinations on 359 HG and 344 HR subjects in Northeast Hungary.

Cellular Factor XIII, a Transglutaminase in Human Corneal Keratocytes.

Cellular factor XIII (cFXIII, FXIII-A), a transglutaminase, has been demonstrated in a few cell types. Its main function is to cross-link proteins by isopeptide bonds. Here, we investigated the presence of cFXIII in cells of human cornea.

The Moderating Role of Social Neighbourhood Factors in the Association between Features of the Physical Neighbourhood Environment and Weight Status.

Background: This paper investigated the independent and joint associations between aspects of the physical neighbourhood environment and social neighbourhood factors with BMI and overweight status in European adults.

Methods: Data from 5,199 participants in the SPOTLIGHT survey were analysed. Participants reported on their height, weight and perceptions of the neighbourhood.

Exploring absolute and relative measures of exposure to food environments in relation to dietary patterns among European adults.

Objective: To explore the associations of absolute and relative measures of exposure to food retailers with dietary patterns, using simpler and more complex measures.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Urban regions in Belgium, France, Hungary, the Netherlands and the UK.

Exploring the cross-sectional association between outdoor recreational facilities and leisure-time physical activity: the role of usage and residential self-selection.

Background: The availability of outdoor recreational facilities is associated with increased leisure-time physical activity (PA). We investigated how much of this association is attributable to selection effects, and explored whether usage of recreational facilities was an explanatory mechanism.

Methods: We analysed data from 5199 participants in the SPOTLIGHT survey residing in five European urban regions.

Lack of interest in physical activity - individual and environmental attributes in adults across Europe: The SPOTLIGHT project.

A considerable proportion of European adults report little or no interest in physical activity. Identifying individual-level and environmental-level characteristics of these individuals can help designing effective interventions and policies to promote physical activity. This cross-sectional study additionally explored associations between level of interest and physical activity, after controlling for other individual and environmental variables.

Contextual correlates of happiness in European adults.

Objectives: We aimed to examine the associations of both objectively assessed and perceived physical and social neighborhood characteristics with happiness in European adults. In addition, we aimed to study how these associations differed among subgroups.

Methods: Participants (N = 6037) of the cross-sectional SPOTLIGHT survey reported on their level of happiness using a 5-point Likert scale, and on perceived physical and social environmental neighborhood characteristics.

Spatial access to restaurants and grocery stores in relation to frequency of home cooking.

Background: Little is known about the relation between the neighbourhood food environment and home cooking. We explored the independent and combined associations between residential neighbourhood spatial access to restaurants and grocery stores with home cooking in European adults.

Methods: Data of 5076 participants of the SPOTLIGHT study were collected across five European countries in 2014.

Antithrombin Debrecen (p.Leu205Pro) - Clinical and molecular characterization of a novel mutation associated with severe thrombotic tendency.

Introduction: Hereditary antithrombin (AT) deficiency is a rare thrombophilic disorder with heterogeneous genetic background and various clinical presentations. In this study we identified a novel AT mutation. Genotype-phenotype correlations, molecular characteristics and thrombotic manifestations of the mutation were investigated.

Exploring the relationship between perceived barriers to healthy eating and dietary behaviours in European adults.

Purpose: Dietary behaviours may be influenced by perceptions of barriers to healthy eating. Using data from a large cross-European study (N = 5900), we explored associations between various perceived barriers to healthy eating and dietary behaviours among adults from urban regions in five European countries and examined whether associations differed across regions and socio-demographic backgrounds.

Methods: Frequency of consumption of fruit, vegetables, fish, fast food, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets, breakfast and home-cooked meals were split by the median into higher and lower consumption.

Exploring the mediating role of energy balance-related behaviours in the association between sleep duration and obesity in European adults. The SPOTLIGHT project.

Sleep restriction is a risk factor for weight gain and obesity. Few studies have formally investigated the mediating role of energy balance-related behaviours in the sleep - obesity association. The aim of this study was to explore the mediating role of physical activity, sedentary behaviours and dietary habits in the association of sleep duration with obesity in adults in five European urban regions.

Built environmental correlates of cycling for transport across Europe.

This cross-sectional study aimed to determine which objective built environmental factors, identified using a virtual neighbourhood audit, were associated with cycling for transport in adults living in five urban regions across Europe. The moderating role of age, gender, socio-economic status and country on these associations was also investigated. Overall, results showed that people living in neighbourhoods with a preponderance of speed limits below 30km/h, many bicycle lanes, with less traffic calming devices, more trees, more litter and many parked cars forming an obstacle on the road were more likely to cycle for transport than people living in areas with lower prevalence of these factors.

Lifestyle correlates of overweight in adults: a hierarchical approach (the SPOTLIGHT project).

Background: Obesity-related lifestyle behaviors usually co-exist but few studies have examined their simultaneous relation with body weight. This study aimed to identify the hierarchy of lifestyle-related behaviors associated with being overweight in adults, and to examine subgroups so identified.

Methods: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey conducted across 60 urban neighborhoods in 5 European urban regions between February and September 2014.

Physical Environmental Correlates of Domain-Specific Sedentary Behaviours across Five European Regions (the SPOTLIGHT Project).

Background: The relation between neighbourhood environmental factors and domain-specific sedentary behaviours among adults remains unclear. This study firstly aims to examine the association of perceived and objectively measured neighbourhood safety, aesthetics, destinations and functionality with transport-related, work-related and leisure-time sedentary behaviour. Secondly, the study aims to assess whether these associations are moderated by age, gender or educational level.

The associations between domain-specific sedentary behaviours and dietary habits in European adults: a cross-sectional analysis of the SPOTLIGHT survey.

Background: Sedentary behaviour has been associated with obesity and related chronic diseases. Disentangling the nature of this association is complicated due to interactions with other lifestyle factors, such as dietary habits, yet limited research has investigated the relation between domain-specific sedentary behaviours and dietary habits in adults. The aim of this paper was to examine the association between domain-specific sedentary behaviours and dietary habits in adults and to test the moderating effect of age and gender on this association.

The mediating role of social capital in the association between neighbourhood income inequality and body mass index.

Background: Neighbourhood income inequality may contribute to differences in body weight. We explored whether neighbourhood social capital mediated the association of neighbourhood income inequality with individual body mass index (BMI).

Methods: A total of 4126 adult participants from 48 neighbourhoods in France, Hungary, the Netherlands and the UK provided information on their levels of income, perceptions of neighbourhood social capital and BMI.

Psychosocial environment: definitions, measures and associations with weight status--a systematic review.

Socio-ecological models suggest that many elements of the social environment act as upstream determinants of obesity. This systematic review examined definitions, measures and strength of associations between the psychosocial environment and adult weight status. Studies were included if they were conducted on adults, the outcome was weight status, carried out in any developed country and investigated at least one psychosocial environmental construct.

Interactions of individual perceived barriers and neighbourhood destinations with obesity-related behaviours in Europe.

Perceived barriers towards physical activity and healthy eating as well as local availability of opportunities (destinations in the neighbourhood) are important determinants of obesity-related behaviours in adults. Little is known, however, about how these factors interact with the behaviours. Data were analysed from 5,205 participants of the SPOTLIGHT survey, conducted in 60 neighbourhoods in urban regions of five different countries across Europe.

The relation between sleep duration and sedentary behaviours in European adults.

Too much sitting, and both short and long sleep duration are associated with obesity, but little is known on the nature of the relations between these behaviours. We therefore examined the associations between sleep duration and time spent sitting in adults across five urban regions in Europe. We used cross-sectional survey data from 6,037 adults (mean age 51.

Perceived environmental correlates of cycling for transport among adults in five regions of Europe.

Regular cycling for transport is an important potential contributor to daily physical activity among adults. Characteristics of the physical environment are likely to influence cycling for transport. The current study investigated associations between perceived physical environmental neighbourhood factors and adults' cycling for transport across five urban regions across Europe, and whether such associations were moderated by age, gender, education and urban region.