Does intentional weight loss improve daytime sleepiness? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Obesity is associated with excessive daytime sleepiness, but its causality remains unclear. We aimed to assess the extent to which intentional weight loss affects daytime sleepiness. Electronic databases were searched through 24 October 2016.

Examining the nutritional quality of food and beverage consumed at Melbourne aquatic and recreation centres.

Objective: Examine the nutritional quality of food and beverages consumed across a sample of community aquatic and recreation centres in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia.

Methods: Interviewer-administered surveys of randomly selected patrons attending four aquatic and recreation centres were conducted to ascertain food and beverage items consumed over two data collection periods (May-June 2014, January-February 2015). We selected centres in and around metropolitan Melbourne with a sit-down cafeteria and children's swimming classes.

Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy versus conventional four-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) might maximize the advantages of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) by reducing postoperative pain and improving cosmesis. However, the safety and feasibility of SILC has not yet been established. This study assesses safety, patient reported outcome measures and feasibility of SILC versus conventional LC.

Natural regulatory T cells from patients with end-stage renal disease can be used for large-scale generation of highly suppressive alloantigen-specific Tregs.

Natural occurring regulatory T cells (nTregs) have the potential to offer a targeted approach of immunosuppression and are the cell type of interest for inducing tolerance in kidney transplantation. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) profoundly affects the composition and function of circulating T cells but little is known with respect to how nTreg potential is affected. To address this, nTregs of patients with ESRD (on dialysis or not) and healthy individuals were isolated, expanded using allogeneic mature monocyte-derived dendritic cells followed by anti-CD3/anti-CD28-coated beads and the different nTregs were extensively characterized by the demethylation status of the Treg-specific demethylated region within FOXP3 and expression of typical nTreg markers.

Sex differences in the relationship between socioeconomic status and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Low socioeconomic status (SES) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) but whether its effects are comparable in women and men is unknown.

Methods: PubMed MEDLINE was systematically searched. Studies that reported sex-specific estimates, and associated variability, of the relative risk (RR) for coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke or CVD according to a marker of SES (education, occupation, income or area of residence), for women and men were included.

Does physical exercise improve ADL capacities in people over 65 years with moderate or severe dementia hospitalized in an acute psychiatric setting? A multisite randomized clinical trial.

Background: Several studies on the effect of physical exercise on activities of daily living (ADL) for people with dementia exist; yet, data concerning the specific context of acute psychiatric hospitals remain scant. This study measured the effect of a physical exercise program on ADL scores in patients with moderate to severe dementia hospitalized in an acute psychiatric ward.

Methods: A multicenter clinical trial was conducted in five Swiss and Belgian psychiatric hospitals.

Increased functional connectivity one week after motor learning and tDCS in stroke patients.

Recent studies using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) demonstrated that changes in functional connectivity (FC) after stroke correlate with recovery. The aim of this study was to explore whether combining motor learning to dual transcranial direct current stimulation (dual-tDCS, applied over both primary motor cortices (M1)) modulated FC in stroke patients. Twenty-two chronic hemiparetic stroke patients participated in a baseline rs-fMRI session.

Age of onset of obesity and risk of type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To compare a simple measure - age of onset of obesity - to an obese-years construct (a product of duration and magnitude of obesity) as risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

Method: Participants from the Framingham Heart Study who were not obese and did not have diabetes at baseline were included (n=4,320). The Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was computed to compare four Cox proportional hazards models with incident diabetes as the outcome and: (i) obese-years; (ii) age of onset of obesity; (iii) body mass index (BMI); and (iv) age of onset of obesity plus magnitude of BMI combined, as exposures.

Physical activity types and life expectancy with and without cardiovascular disease: the Rotterdam Study.

Background: We aimed to determine the contribution of specific physical activity (PA) types (i.e. walking, cycling, domestic work, sports and gardening) on total life expectancy (LE) and LE with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The effect on drink sales of removal of unhealthy drinks from display in a self-service café.

Objective: The present study assessed the impact of the retailer-led removal of unhealthy beverages from display at a self-service café within a major health service. While unhealthy beverages remained available from behind the counter upon request, this was not communicated directly to customers.

Design: Drinks were categorised based on the state government nutrient profiling system, classifying drinks as 'green' (best choices), 'amber' (choose carefully) and 'red' (limit).

Trends in adult overweight and obesity prevalence in Mongolia, 2005-2013.

Objective: To analyze trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Mongolian adults during the past decade as measured by body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC).

Methods: Data from the repeated cross-sectional surveys on the prevalence of noncommunicable disease risk factors conducted in 2005, 2009, and 2013 in Mongolia were used. Linear regression was used to quantify trends in mean BMI and WC, adjusted for age group, sex, and survey year.

Obesity and Life Expectancy with and without Diabetes in Adults Aged 55 Years and Older in the Netherlands: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Limited evidence exists regarding the effect of excess weight on years lived with and without diabetes. We aimed to determine the association of overweight and obesity with the number of years lived with and without diabetes in a middle-aged and elderly population.

Estimating the risk of type-2 diabetes using obese-years in a contemporary population of the Framingham Study.

Background: We have recently demonstrated that an obese-years construct is a better predictor of the risk of diabetes than the severity of body weight alone. However, these risk estimates were derived from a population cohort study initiated in 1948 that might not apply to the current population.

Objective: To validate an obese-years construct in estimating the risk of type-2 diabetes in a more contemporary cohort study.

Stimulation of superoxide production increases fungicidal action of miconazole against Candida albicans biofilms.

We performed a whole-transcriptome analysis of miconazole-treated Candida albicans biofilms, using RNA-sequencing. Our aim was to identify molecular pathways employed by biofilm cells of this pathogen to resist action of the commonly used antifungal miconazole. As expected, genes involved in sterol biosynthesis and genes encoding drug efflux pumps were highly induced in biofilm cells upon miconazole treatment.

Soybean Trade: Balancing Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts of an Intercontinental Market.

The trade in soybean, an important animal feed product, exemplifies the environmental and socio-economic impact of global markets and global agricultural policy. This paper analyses the impact of increasing production of soybean in the exporting countries (deforestation and grassland conversion) as well as in importing regions (decrease in permanent grassland by substitution of grass as feed). Ecosystem services monetary values were used to calculate the environmental and socio-economic impact of observed land use changes.

Associations Between Sensorimotor Impairments in the Upper Limb at 1 Week and 6 Months After Stroke.

Background And Purpose: Longitudinal information regarding the prevalence of upper limb somatosensory deficits and the association with motor impairment and activity limitations is scarce. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to map the extent and distribution of somatosensory deficits, and to determine associations over time between somatosensory deficits and motor impairment and activity limitations.

Methods: We recruited 32 participants who were assessed 4 to 7 days after stroke, and reassessed at 6 months.

Age-Specific Trends From 2000-2011 in All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes: A Cohort Study of More Than One Million People.

Objective: To analyze changes by age-group in all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates from 2000-2011 in people with diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: A total of 1,189,079 (7.3% with type 1 diabetes) Australians with diabetes registered on the National Diabetes Service Scheme between 2000 and 2011 were linked to the National Death Index.

The impact of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages according to socio-economic position: a systematic review of the evidence.

Objective: A tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) has been proposed to address population weight gain but the effect across socio-economic position (SEP) is unclear. The current study aimed to clarify the differential impact(s) of SSB taxes on beverage purchases and consumption, weight outcomes and the amount paid in SSB taxes according to SEP.

Design: Databases (OVID and EMBASE) and grey literature were systematically searched in June 2015 to identify studies that examined effects of an SSB price increase on beverage purchases or consumption, weight outcomes or the amount paid in tax across SEP, within high-income countries.

Obesity in older adults and life expectancy with and without cardiovascular disease.

Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing globally and is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our objective was to evaluate the impact of overweight and obesity on life expectancy and years lived with and without CVD in older adults.

Methods: The study included 6636 individuals (3750 women) aged 55 years and older from the population-based Rotterdam Study.

Long-Term Outcomes of Patients With Recent-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis After 10 Years of Tight Controlled Treatment: A Randomized Trial.

Background: Treat-to-target therapy is effective for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but long-term results of continued targeted treatment are lacking.

Objective: To evaluate long-term outcomes in patients with early RA after 10 years of targeted treatment in 4 treatment strategies.

Design: Randomized trial.

Burden of diabetes in Australia: life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy in adults with diabetes.

Aims/hypothesis: The aim of this work was to estimate the life expectancy (LE) and disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) for adults with and without diabetes.

Methods: The Chiang method and the adapted Sullivan method were used to estimate LE and DFLE by age and sex. Mortality data in 2011 were available from the National Diabetes Services Scheme for diabetes and from standard national mortality datasets for the general population.

The Adoption of Roles by Primary Care Providers during Implementation of the New Chronic Disease Guidelines in Urban Mongolia: A Qualitative Study.

(1) BACKGROUND: In 2011, new chronic disease guidelines were introduced across Mongolia. No formal advice was provided regarding role delineation. This study aimed to analyse the roles that different primary care providers adopted, and the variations in these, in the implementation of the guidelines in urban Mongolia; (2) METHODS: Ten group interviews with nurses and ten individual interviews each with practice doctors and practice directors were conducted.