Predictive equation derived from 6,497 doubly labelled water measurements enables the detection of erroneous self-reported energy intake.

Nutritional epidemiology aims to link dietary exposures to chronic disease, but the instruments for evaluating dietary intake are inaccurate. One way to identify unreliable data and the sources of errors is to compare estimated intakes with the total energy expenditure (TEE). In this study, we used the International Atomic Energy Agency Doubly Labeled Water Database to derive a predictive equation for TEE using 6,497 measures of TEE in individuals aged 4 to 96 years.

Greater male variability in daily energy expenditure develops through puberty.

There is considerably greater variation in metabolic rates between men than between women, in terms of basal, activity and total (daily) energy expenditure (EE). One possible explanation is that EE is associated with male sexual characteristics (which are known to vary more than other traits) such as musculature and athletic capacity. Such traits might be predicted to be most prominent during periods of adolescence and young adulthood, when sexual behaviour develops and peaks.

Prediction Equation for Physical Activity Energy Expenditure in 11-13-Year-Old Sri Lankan Children.

This study aimed to develop a regression equation to predict physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) using accelerometry. Children aged 11-13 years were recruited and randomly assigned to validation ( = 54) and cross-validation ( = 25) groups. The doubly labelled water (DLW) technique was used to assess energy expenditure and accelerometers were worn by participants across the same period.

Is abdominal adiposity in healthy Sri Lankan neonates different from the rest of the world?

Background And Objectives: Adiposity at birth is a predictor of childhood obesity. Abdominal circumference (AC) at birth has been shown to correlate well with visceral adipose tissue and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue. Adiposity differs according to ethnicity and geography.

The Impact of Membrane Protein Diffusion on GPCR Signaling.

Spatiotemporal signal shaping in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling is now a well-established and accepted notion to explain how signaling specificity can be achieved by a superfamily sharing only a handful of downstream second messengers. Dozens of Gs-coupled GPCR signals ultimately converge on the production of cAMP, a ubiquitous second messenger. This idea is almost always framed in terms of local concentrations, the differences in which are maintained by means of spatial separation.

Development of a New Equation for the Prediction of Resting Metabolic Rate in Sri Lankan Adults.

Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the key determinant of the energy requirement of an individual. Measurement of RMR by indirect calorimetry is not feasible in field settings and therefore equation-based calculations are used. Since a valid equation is not available for Sri Lankans, it is important to develop a new population-specific equation for field use.

Micronutrient status and associated factors of adiposity in primary school children with normal and high body fat in Colombo municipal area, Sri Lanka.

Background: The prevalence of obesity and associated risk of chronic diseases are increasing among the paediatric population. The effectiveness of preventive measures and interventions are likely to improve when all factors which associate with obesity in a specific target group are considered. Currently such comprehensive data is unavailable for Sri Lankan children aged 8-9 years.

Birth anthropometry from a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka: Differs from the WHO growth standards.

Background And Objectives: The nutritional status of infants is assessed using the WHO growth references, based on the Multicenter Growth Reference Study (MGRS) in many countries including Sri Lanka. Birth parameters define infant growth curves. The aim of this study was to compare the birth anthropometric data of a healthy population of babies born in Colombo, Sri Lanka with the WHO MGRS birth data and determine its suitability for assessment of growth in this population.

Effect of coconut oil on cardio-metabolic risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies.

Background And Aims: High total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) could be major risk factors for cardiovascular disease burden among high risk populations especially in South Asians. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify the effects of coconut oil compared with other oils and fats on cardio-metabolic parameters.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were systematically searched.

Nuclear actin: The new normal.

The presence of actin in the nucleus has historically been a highly contentious issue. It is now, however, well accepted that actin has physiologically important roles in the nucleus. In this Review, we describe the evolution of our thinking about actin in the nucleus starting with evidence supporting its involvement in transcription, chromatin remodeling and intranuclear movements.

Association between early weight gain and later adiposity in Sri Lankan adolescents.

Early growth pattern is increasingly recognized as a determinant of later obesity. This study aimed to identify the association between weight gain in early life and anthropometry, adiposity, leptin, and fasting insulin levels in adolescence. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 366 school children aged 11-13 years.

Reducing childhood malnutrition in Bangladesh: the importance of addressing socio-economic inequalities.

Objective: To obtain projections of the prevalence of childhood malnutrition indicators up to 2030 and to analyse the changes of wealth-based inequality in malnutrition indicators and the degree of contribution of socio-economic determinants to the inequities in malnutrition indicators in Bangladesh. Additionally, to identify the risk factors of childhood malnutrition.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

The Mechanobiology of the Actin Cytoskeleton in Stem Cells during Differentiation and Interaction with Biomaterials.

An understanding of the cytoskeleton's importance in stem cells is essential for their manipulation and further clinical application. The cytoskeleton is crucial in stem cell biology and depends on physical and chemicals signals to define its structure. Additionally, cell culture conditions will be important in the proper maintenance of stemness, lineage commitment, and differentiation.

Nuclear α-catenin mediates the DNA damage response via β-catenin and nuclear actin.

α-Catenin is an F-actin-binding protein widely recognized for its role in cell-cell adhesion. However, a growing body of literature indicates that α-catenin is also a nuclear protein. In this study, we show that α-catenin is able to modulate the sensitivity of cells to DNA damage and toxicity.

The Effects of Disease Models of Nuclear Actin Polymerization on the Nucleus.

Actin plays a crucial role in regulating multiple processes within the nucleus, including transcription and chromatin organization. However, the polymerization state of nuclear actin remains controversial, and there is no evidence for persistent actin filaments in a normal interphase nucleus. Further, several disease pathologies are characterized by polymerization of nuclear actin into stable filaments or rods.

A field tool for prediction of body fat in Sri Lankan women: skinfold thickness equation.

Background: Valid skinfold thickness (SFT) equations for the prediction of body fat are currently unavailable for South Asian women and would be a potentially robust field tool. Our aim was to assess the validity of existing SFT equations against deuterium (HO) dilution and, if invalid, to develop and validate an SFT equation for % fat mass (%FM) in Sri Lankan women.

Methods: HO dilution was used with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as the criterion method for the assessment of %FM in urban Sri Lankan women (30-45 years).

Persistent nuclear actin filaments inhibit transcription by RNA polymerase II.

Actin is abundant in the nucleus and it is clear that nuclear actin has important functions. However, mystery surrounds the absence of classical actin filaments in the nucleus. To address this question, we investigated how polymerizing nuclear actin into persistent nuclear actin filaments affected transcription by RNA polymerase II.

A Role for Nuclear Actin in HDAC 1 and 2 Regulation.

Class I histone deacetylases (HDACs) are known to remove acetyl groups from histone tails. This liberates positive charges on the histone tail and allows for tighter winding of DNA, preventing transcription factor binding and gene activation. Although the functions of HDAC proteins are becoming apparent both biochemically and clinically, how this class of proteins is regulated remains poorly understood.

Nuclear F-actin enhances the transcriptional activity of β-catenin by increasing its nuclear localization and binding to chromatin.

Actin plays multiple roles both in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus. Cytoplasmic actin, in addition to its structural role in the cytoskeleton, also contributes to the subcellular localization of transcription factors by interacting with them or their partners. The transcriptional cofactor β-catenin, which acts as an intracellular transducer of canonical Wnt signaling, indirectly associates with the cytoplasmic filamentous actin (F-actin).

Nuclear actin and myosins in adenovirus infection.

Adenovirus serotypes have been shown to cause drastic changes in nuclear organization, including the transcription machinery, during infection. This ability of adenovirus to subvert transcription in the host cell facilitates viral replication. Because nuclear actin and nuclear myosin I, myosin V and myosin VI have been implicated as direct regulators of transcription and important factors in the replication of other viruses, we sought to determine how nuclear actin and myosins are involved in adenovirus infection.

Lifestyle patterns and dysglycaemic risk in urban Sri Lankan women.

Specific dietary patterns are associated with the risk of chronic disease. An in-depth understanding more reflective of lifestyle would be possible when assessing the synergistic effects of both diet and physical activity in pattern analysis. In the present study, we examined the biochemical markers of dysglycaemia and cardiometabolic risk in relation to lifestyle patterns using principal component analysis (PCA).

Tumor stiffness is unrelated to myosin light chain phosphorylation in cancer cells.

Many tumors are stiffer than their surrounding tissue. This increase in stiffness has been attributed, in part, to a Rho-dependent elevation of myosin II light chain phosphorylation. To characterize this mechanism further, we studied myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), the main enzyme that phosphorylates myosin II light chains.

Body composition in urban South Asian women; development of a bioelectrical impedance analysis prediction equation.

Background: Assessment of body composition plays a significant role in combating chronic disease among South Asians. Accurate assessment of body composition by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) requires population-specific equations which are currently unavailable for urban South Asian women.

Aim: To assess validity of direct BIA assessment and selected equations for prediction of total body water (TBW), against Deuterium ((2)H2O) dilution and develop and validate a population-specific TBW equation for urban South Asian women.

Food models for portion size estimation of Asian foods.

Background: Novel portion size estimation aids relevant to the cognitive potential of children are necessary for an improved accuracy in dietary recall. We developed graduated realistic food models for Asian foods and tested their accuracy and precision in children.

Methods: Food models were constructed for nine commonly consumed food items using a range of low cost materials.