RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Emotional eating is associated with adverse health outcomes in children, including elevated weight status. Currently, there is not a well-validated parent-report measure of emotional eating for young children. This study assessed the reliability and validity of the 10-item parent version of the Emotional Eating Scale Adapted for Children and Adolescents (EES-C) Short-Form. METHODS: The participants were 207 parents and 144 children from the southern United States. They completed the parent- and child-report EES-C Short-Form and responded to measures related to child eating behaviors, mood, and gratitude. RESULTS: The parent-report EES-C Short-Form demonstrated good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94). Test-retest reliability was also supported, as evidenced by a medium correlation (ICC = 0.56, p < 0.001) between parent-rated emotional eating across two time points. Additionally, the measure demonstrated a significant correlation with a scale of emotional overeating (r = 0.25, p < 0.001)-a theoretically related construct. Supporting discriminant validity, the measure was not significantly related to a measure of parent-reported gratitude (r = 0.07, p = 0.30). A unidimensional model provided good fit for the data (CFI = 0.997, SRMR = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: The results from the current study provide preliminary evidence supporting the reliability and validity of the parent version of the EES-C Short-Form. For the purpose of screening children in school or primary care settings, the EES-C Short-Form may be practical and helpful in identifying children who may be at risk of developing adverse health outcomes or more-severe eating disorder pathology.

Asunto(s)

Emociones , Conducta Alimentaria , Padres , Psicometría , Humanos , Niño , Femenino , Masculino , Padres/psicología , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Conducta Alimentaria/psicología , Adolescente , Encuestas y Cuestionarios/normas , Adulto , Conducta Infantil/psicología , Ingestión de Alimentos/psicología

RESUMEN

Serine acetyltransferase (SAT) catalyzes the first step in the two-step pathway to synthesize l-cysteine in bacteria and plants. SAT synthesizes O-acetylserine from substrates l-serine and acetyl coenzyme A and is a key enzyme for regulating cellular cysteine levels by feedback inhibition of l-cysteine, and its involvement in the cysteine synthase complex. We have performed extensive structural and kinetic characterization of the SAT enzyme from the antibiotic-resistant pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Using X-ray crystallography, we have solved the structures of NgSAT with the non-natural ligand, l-malate (present in the crystallization screen) to 2.01 Šand with the natural substrate l-serine (2.80 Å) bound. Both structures are hexamers, with each monomer displaying the characteristic left-handed parallel ß-helix domain of the acyltransferase superfamily of enzymes. Each structure displays both extended and closed conformations of the C-terminal tail. l-malate bound in the active site results in an interesting mix of open and closed active site conformations, exhibiting a structural change mimicking the conformation of cysteine (inhibitor) bound structures from other organisms. Kinetic characterization shows competitive inhibition of l-cysteine with substrates l-serine and acetyl coenzyme A. The SAT reaction represents a key point for the regulation of cysteine biosynthesis and controlling cellular sulfur due to feedback inhibition by l-cysteine and formation of the cysteine synthase complex. Data presented here provide the structural and mechanistic basis for inhibitor design and given this enzyme is not present in humans could be explored to combat the rise of extensively antimicrobial resistant N. gonorrhoeae.

Asunto(s)

Cisteína/antagonistas & inhibidores , Retroalimentación Fisiológica , Neisseria gonorrhoeae/enzimología , Serina O-Acetiltransferasa/química , Serina O-Acetiltransferasa/metabolismo , Acetilcoenzima A/metabolismo , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Biocatálisis , Dominio Catalítico , Clonación Molecular/métodos , Cristalización , Cristalografía por Rayos X/métodos , Cisteína/biosíntesis , Cisteína/química , Escherichia coli/genética , Escherichia coli/metabolismo , Cinética , Ligandos , Malatos/química , Malatos/metabolismo , Unión Proteica , Conformación Proteica en Hélice alfa , Conformación Proteica en Lámina beta , Serina/química , Serina/metabolismo , Serina O-Acetiltransferasa/genética

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: There has been an absence of research investigating if infertility and the utilisation of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) to conceive increases maternal perceptions of child vulnerability. The purpose of the current study was to assess if there were differences in maternal ratings of child vulnerability between first-time mothers who conceived using ART procedures and first-time mothers who conceived spontaneously. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was comprised of 171 first-time mothers who conceived using ART and 198 first-time mothers who conceived spontaneously. Study questionnaires were completed online via Qualtrics. RESULTS: Mothers who conceived using ART (Mean Vulnerable Child Scale Total Score = 43.85; SD = 9.65) endorsed greater perceptions of child vulnerability compared to mothers who conceived spontaneously (Mean Vulnerable Child Scale Total Score = 49.03; SD = 7.15; p < .001). In a hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis, the dichotomous variable that indicated maternal mode of conception (i.e. ART or spontaneous) was associated with the Vulnerable Child Scale Total Score (standardised beta coefficient = -.25; p < .001). Bivariate correlations revealed a small, negative correlation between using a donor sperm and/or egg and the Vulnerable Child Scale Total Score (r = -.21; p < .01). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that vulnerable child syndrome may be more likely to occur when mothers conceive using ART, particularly when a donor sperm and/or egg is utilised.

Asunto(s)

Embarazo Múltiple , Nacimiento Prematuro , Recién Nacido , Embarazo , Femenino , Niño , Masculino , Humanos , Recién Nacido de Bajo Peso , Resultado del Embarazo , Recien Nacido Prematuro , Madres , Estudios Transversales , Semen , Técnicas Reproductivas Asistidas

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: Despite social distancing being an effective method for mitigating community transmission of viruses, little is known about factors associated with social distancing practices among children and their families. The current study assessed maternal socio-demographic characteristics and political party identifications associated with family social distancing practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Participants in this study were 1266 mothers (mean age = 39.92 years; 84.9% white) of children ages 17 years and younger from across the United States. They were recruited online through social media platforms and completed questionnaires on Qualtrics about their family's social distancing practices and socio-demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Women with a Doctorate (mean = 35.37; SD = 4.24) and Master's (mean = 34.26; SD = 5.70) degree reported higher levels of family social distancing compared to women with some college (mean = 31.11; SD = 8.11) or a college degree (mean = 32.62; SD = 6.91; p's = .00). Women who identified as Democrat (mean = 35.92; SD = 3.30) or Independent (mean 34.13; SD = 5.63), or indicated not identifying with a political party (mean = 34.19; SD = 5.69), reported higher levels of family social distancing compared to women who identified as Republican (mean = 29.70; SD = 8.12; p's = .00). The largest effect was found between women who identified as Democrat and Republican (effect size = 1.00). After controlling for relevant predictor variables, maternal education (standardized beta coefficient = .116; p = .000), race (standardized beta coefficient = .072; p = .007), and political party identification (standardized beta coefficient = - .348; p = .000) were significantly correlated with the Social Distancing Total Score. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: The current findings suggest there may be a benefit to COVID-19 public health campaigns targeting families with lower educational attainment and more conservative regions in the United States.

Asunto(s)

COVID-19 , Pandemias , Adolescente , Adulto , Niño , Femenino , Humanos , Distanciamiento Físico , SARS-CoV-2 , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Estados Unidos

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Despite evidence that emotional eating is associated with weight gain in adults, less is known about this association in adolescents. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a systematic review to assess the association between emotional eating and weight status in adolescents. This study also sought to describe existing measures of emotional eating in adolescents and explore weight-loss interventions that assessed emotional eating in relation to weight status in this population. METHODS: Two independent reviewers searched the database PubMed for published or in press peer-reviewed studies that assessed the association between emotional eating and weight status in adolescents aged 12 to 19 years. Studies were excluded from this review if they were not written in the English language, did not include a measure of emotional eating, or were a dissertation study. RESULTS: A total of 13 studies met full inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. Of the six longitudinal studies in the review, only one found a prospective association between emotional eating and weight status. The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire was the most widely used measure of emotional eating in the systematic review (n = 6; 46.2%). The one intervention study included in this review found that baseline emotional eating was not associated with weight outcomes 2 years following gastric bypass surgery in obese Swedish adolescents (13-18 years). CONCLUSIONS: While there were some inconsistent findings across the studies included in this review, taken as a whole, the results largely do not support an association between emotional eating and elevated weight status or reduced weight loss in adolescents.

Asunto(s)

Emociones , Obesidad , Adolescente , Adulto , Peso Corporal , Niño , Humanos , Obesidad/epidemiología , Estudios Prospectivos , Suecia , Adulto Joven

RESUMEN

Extracellular nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (NTPDases) are enzymes that hydrolyze extracellular nucleotides to the respective monophosphate nucleotides. In the past 20 years, NTPDases belonging to mammalian, parasitic and prokaryotic domains of life have been discovered, cloned and characterized. We reveal the first structures of NTPDases from the legume plant species Trifolium repens (7WC) and Vigna unguiculata subsp. cylindrica (DbLNP). Four crystal structures of 7WC and DbLNP were determined at resolutions between 1.9 and 2.6 Å. For 7WC, structures were determined for an -apo form (1.89 Å) and with the product AMP (2.15 Å) and adenine and phosphate (1.76 Å) bound. For DbLNP, a structure was solved with phosphate and manganese bound (2.60 Å). Thorough kinetic data and analysis is presented. The structure of 7WC and DbLNP reveals that these NTPDases can adopt two conformations depending on the molecule and co-factor bound in the active site. A central hinge region creates a "butterfly-like" motion of the domains that reduces the width of the inter-domain active site cleft upon molecule binding. This phenomenon has been previously described in Rattus norvegicus and Legionella pneumophila NTPDaseI and Toxoplasma gondii NTPDaseIII suggesting a common catalytic mechanism across the domains of life.

Asunto(s)

Adenosina Monofosfato/química , Adenosina Trifosfato/química , Apirasa/química , Proteínas de Plantas/química , Trifolium/química , Vigna/química , Adenosina Monofosfato/metabolismo , Adenosina Trifosfato/metabolismo , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , Apirasa/genética , Apirasa/metabolismo , Dominio Catalítico , Clonación Molecular , Cristalografía por Rayos X , Escherichia coli/genética , Escherichia coli/metabolismo , Expresión Génica , Isoenzimas/química , Isoenzimas/genética , Isoenzimas/metabolismo , Cinética , Legionella pneumophila/química , Legionella pneumophila/enzimología , Manganeso/química , Manganeso/metabolismo , Modelos Moleculares , Fosfatos/química , Fosfatos/metabolismo , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Unión Proteica , Conformación Proteica en Hélice alfa , Conformación Proteica en Lámina beta , Dominios y Motivos de Interacción de Proteínas , Ratas , Proteínas Recombinantes/química , Proteínas Recombinantes/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes/metabolismo , Alineación de Secuencia , Homología de Secuencia de Aminoácido , Especificidad por Sustrato , Toxoplasma/química , Toxoplasma/enzimología , Trifolium/enzimología , Vigna/enzimología

RESUMEN

Glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 29 consists solely of α-L-fucosidases. These enzymes catalyse the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds. Here, the structure of GH29_0940, a protein cloned from metagenomic DNA from the rumen of a cow, has been solved, which reveals a multi-domain arrangement that has only recently been identified in bacterial GH29 enzymes. The microbial species that provided the source of this enzyme is unknown. This enzyme contains a second carbohydrate-binding domain at its C-terminal end in addition to the typical N-terminal catalytic domain and carbohydrate-binding domain arrangement of GH29-family proteins. GH29_0940 is a monomer and its overall structure consists of an N-terminal TIM-barrel-like domain, a central ß-sandwich domain and a C-terminal ß-sandwich domain. The TIM-barrel-like catalytic domain exhibits a (ß/α)8/7 arrangement in the core instead of the typical (ß/α)8 topology, with the `missing' α-helix replaced by a long meandering loop that `closes' the barrel structure and suggests a high degree of structural flexibility in the catalytic core. This feature was also noted in all six other structures of GH29 enzymes that have been deposited in the PDB. Based on sequence and structural similarity, the residues Asp162 and Glu220 are proposed to serve as the catalytic nucleophile and the proton donor, respectively. Like other GH29 enzymes, the GH29_0940 structure shows five strictly conserved residues in the catalytic pocket. The structure shows two glycerol molecules in the active site, which have also been observed in other GH29 structures, suggesting that the enzyme catalyses the hydrolysis of small carbohydrates. The two binding domains are classed as family 32 carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM32). These domains have residues involved in ligand binding in the loop regions at the edge of the ß-sandwich. The predicted substrate-binding residues differ between the modules, suggesting that different modules bind to different groups on the substrate(s). Enzymes that possess multiple copies of CBMs are thought to have a complex mechanism of ligand recognition. Defined electron density identifying a long 20-amino-acid hydrophilic loop separating the two CBMs was observed. This suggests that the additional C-terminal domain may have a dynamic range of movement enabled by the loop, allowing a unique mode of action for a GH29 enzyme that has not been identified previously.

Asunto(s)

Carbohidratos/química , Microbioma Gastrointestinal/genética , Glicósido Hidrolasas/química , Metagenoma , Rumen/microbiología , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , Dominio Catalítico , Bovinos , Clonación Molecular , Cristalografía por Rayos X , Escherichia coli/genética , Escherichia coli/metabolismo , Femenino , Expresión Génica , Glicósido Hidrolasas/genética , Glicósido Hidrolasas/metabolismo , Hidrólisis , Modelos Moleculares , Plásmidos/química , Plásmidos/metabolismo , Unión Proteica , Conformación Proteica en Hélice alfa , Conformación Proteica en Lámina beta , Dominios y Motivos de Interacción de Proteínas , Proteínas Recombinantes/química , Proteínas Recombinantes/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes/metabolismo , Alineación de Secuencia , Homología de Secuencia de Aminoácido , Especificidad por Sustrato

RESUMEN

Lsr2 is a small DNA-binding protein present in mycobacteria and related actinobacteria that regulates gene expression and influences the organization of bacterial chromatin. Lsr2 is a dimer that binds to AT-rich regions of chromosomal DNA and physically protects DNA from damage by reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI). A recent structure of the C-terminal DNA-binding domain of Lsr2 provides a rationale for its interaction with the minor groove of DNA, its preference for AT-rich tracts, and its similarity to other bacterial nucleoid-associated DNA-binding domains. In contrast, the details of Lsr2 dimerization (and oligomerization) via its N-terminal domain, and the mechanism of Lsr2-mediated chromosomal cross-linking and protection is unknown. We have solved the structure of the N-terminal domain of Lsr2 (N-Lsr2) at 1.73 Å resolution using crystallographic ab initio approaches. The structure shows an intimate dimer of two ß-ß-a motifs with no close homologues in the structural databases. The organization of individual N-Lsr2 dimers in the crystal also reveals a mechanism for oligomerization. Proteolytic removal of three N-terminal residues from Lsr2 results in the formation of an anti-parallel ß-sheet between neighboring molecules and the formation of linear chains of N-Lsr2. Oligomerization can be artificially induced using low concentrations of trypsin and the arrangement of N-Lsr2 into long chains is observed in both monoclinic and hexagonal crystallographic space groups. In solution, oligomerization of N-Lsr2 is also observed following treatment with trypsin. A change in chromosomal topology after the addition of trypsin to full-length Lsr2-DNA complexes and protection of DNA towards DNAse digestion can be observed using electron microscopy and electrophoresis. These results suggest a mechanism for oligomerization of Lsr2 via protease-activation leading to chromosome compaction and protection, and concomitant down-regulation of large numbers of genes. This mechanism is likely to be relevant under conditions of stress where cellular proteases are known to be upregulated.

Asunto(s)

Biopolímeros/química , Cromosomas Bacterianos , Proteínas de Unión al ADN/fisiología , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/metabolismo , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Proteínas de Unión al ADN/química , Proteínas de Unión al ADN/metabolismo , Dimerización , Modelos Moleculares , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genética

RESUMEN

The aim of this study was to compare the ability of milk macrophages and macrophages from the mammary gland secretions during the mid-dry period for their interaction with the mastitis-causing Streptococcus uberis. We also aimed to determine if S. uberis induced the release of the cytokine tumour necrosis alpha (TNF-alpha) and the bactericidal moiety nitric oxide (NO) from milk macrophages of lactating cows and macrophages from the mammary gland secretions at the mid-dry period. Macrophages were isolated from the mammary gland secretions of cows during the mid-lactation or mid-dry period, and compared with blood monocytes for their interaction with the important mastitis-causing pathogen S. uberis. When infected in vitro with S. uberis, milk macrophages from lactating cows with S. uberis released modest amounts of the cytokine tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) (139 pg/ml) and the bactericidal moiety nitric oxide (NO) (3-4 microM of nitrite). Blood monocytes from lactating cows released significantly higher amounts of TNF-alpha (345 +/- 143 pg/ml) and NO (7 +/- 2 microM of nitrite) after interaction with S. uberis, compared to milk macrophages (P < 0.01 for both TNF-alpha and NO). Stimulation of blood monocytes with the cytokine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) enhanced significantly the release of NO and TNF-alpha, but IFN-gamma did not significantly enhance the production of NO and TNF-alpha by milk macrophages from lactating cows. Milk macrophages from all lactating cows failed to kill S. uberis efficiently, and this lack of killing was unaffected by prior treatment with gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) (P > 0.05). Rather, S. uberis multiplied significantly inside infected milk macrophages from lactating cows, with a two-fold increase in bacterial numbers at 2 h post-infection. Milk macrophages from lactating cows were able however, to kill a significant proportion (50-60%, P < 0.01) of phagocytosed Staphylococcus aureus. Blood monocytes from all cows were found to exert significant bactericidal activity against S. uberis. There were no significant differences in the bactericidal activity of milk macrophages obtained from lactating cows with low somatic cell counts (SCC; < 10(5) ml(-1)) compared with those with a mildly elevated SCC (> 10(5) ml(-1)) (P > 0.05). In contrast, mammary gland secretion macrophages isolated from the same cows in the mid-dry period killed a significant proportion of phagocytosed S. uberis (50-65% of ingested S. uberis killed, P < 0.01) although cytokine production in response to in vitro bacterial infection was low. We conclude that the bactericidal activity of mammary gland secretion macrophages against a virulent strain of S. uberis is low during the lactation period. In addition, our data indicate that S. uberis is not a strong inducer of NO and TNF-alpha in macrophages from the milk or mammary gland secretions of cows during the drying off period. Finally, IFN-gamma does not activate milk macrophages or macrophages from cows during the lactating period or mammary gland secretions during the drying off period.

Asunto(s)

Lactancia/inmunología , Macrófagos/inmunología , Mastitis Bovina/inmunología , Mastitis Bovina/microbiología , Leche/inmunología , Infecciones Estafilocócicas/veterinaria , Staphylococcus/inmunología , Animales , Bovinos , Inhibidores Enzimáticos/farmacología , Femenino , Técnicas In Vitro , Macrófagos/microbiología , Glándulas Mamarias Animales/inmunología , Glándulas Mamarias Animales/metabolismo , Mastitis Bovina/metabolismo , Leche/microbiología , Óxido Nítrico/inmunología , Especies de Nitrógeno Reactivo/metabolismo , Especies Reactivas de Oxígeno/metabolismo , Infecciones Estafilocócicas/inmunología , Infecciones Estafilocócicas/metabolismo , Infecciones Estafilocócicas/microbiología , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/inmunología , omega-N-Metilarginina/farmacología

RESUMEN

We recently developed a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme to differentiate S. uberis isolates and facilitate an understanding of the population biology of this pathogen. The scheme was initially used to study a collection of 160 bovine milk isolates from the United Kingdom and showed that the majority of isolates were from one clonal complex (designated the ST-5 complex). Here we describe the MLST analysis of a collection of New Zealand isolates. These were obtained from diverse sources, including bovine milk, other bovine anatomical sites, and environmental sources. The complete allelic profiles of 253 isolates were determined. The collection was highly diverse and included 131 different sequence types (STs). The New Zealand and United Kingdom populations were distinct, since none of the 131 STs were represented within the previously studied collection of 160 United Kingdom S. uberis isolates. However, seven of the STs were members of the ST-5 clonal complex, the major complex within the United Kingdom collection. Two new clonal complexes were identified: ST-143 and ST-86. All three major complexes were isolated from milk, other bovine sites, and the environment. Carriage of the hasA gene, which is necessary for capsule formation, correlated with clonal complex and isolation from clinical cases of mastitis.

Asunto(s)

Técnicas de Tipificación Bacteriana/métodos , Leche/microbiología , Streptococcus/clasificación , Streptococcus/genética , Alelos , Animales , Secuencia de Bases , Bovinos , ADN Bacteriano/genética , Microbiología Ambiental , Femenino , Genes Bacterianos , Glucuronosiltransferasa/genética , Hialuronano Sintasas , Mastitis Bovina/microbiología , Nueva Zelanda , Streptococcus/enzimología , Streptococcus/aislamiento & purificación , Reino Unido