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Background: Voice hearing occurs across a number of psychiatric diagnoses and appears to be present on a continuum within the general population. Previous research has highlighted the potential role of past experiences of shame in proneness to voice hearing in the general population. Aims: This study aimed to extend this past research and compare people with distressing voices, people with voices but no distress, and a non-voice hearing control group, on various dimensions of shame and shame memory characteristics. Method: In a cross-sectional, online study 39 distressed voice hearers, 31 non-distressed voice hearers and 50 non-voice hearers undertook a shame memory priming task in which they were prompted to recall a memory of a shaming experience from their past. They then completed questionnaires assessing the characteristics of the recalled shame event and the psychological sequalae of this event (i.e. intrusions, hyperarousal, avoidance, the centrality of shame memories, external shame, and self-criticism). Results: The majority of recalled shame memories involved experiences such as interpersonal criticism or experiences of being devalued. Univariate analyses found no significant differences between the three groups with regard to the shame events that were recalled, but the distressed voice hearer group reported significantly more hyperarousal, intrusions, self-criticism, and external shame in relation to their experience. Conclusions: The findings suggest that voice hearers recall similar types of shame experiences to non-voice hearers, but that problematic psychological sequelae of these shame experiences (in the form of intrusive memories, hyperarousal, external shame, and self-criticism) may specifically contribute to distressing voice hearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal obesity and nutrient excess in utero increase the risk of future metabolic diseases. The mechanisms underlying this process are poorly understood, but probably include genetic, epigenetic alterations and changes in fetal nutrient supply. We have studied the microRNA (miRNA) expression profile in amnion from obese and control women at delivery to investigate if a specific miRNA signature is associated with obesity. The expression profile of 365 human miRNAs was evaluated with the TaqMan Array in amnion from 10 obese and 5 control (prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) >30 and <25 kg m(-2), respectively) women at delivery. Target genes and miRNA-regulated pathways were predicted by bioinformatics. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were also measured in mothers and newborns. Seven miRNAs were expressed only in obese women (miR-422b, miR-219, miR-575, miR-523, miR-579, miR-618 and miR-659), whereas 13 miRNAs were expressed at a higher level and 12 miRNAs at a lower level in obese women than in controls. MicroRNAs significantly downregulated the neurotrophin, cancer/ErbB, mammalian target of rapamycin, insulin, adipocytokine, actin cytoskeleton and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. In conclusion, we show that the miRNA profile is altered in amnion during obesity and hypothesize that this could affect pathways important for placental growth and function, thereby contributing to an increase in the newborn's risk of future metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal obesity and nutrient excess in utero increase the risk of future metabolic diseases. The mechanisms underlying this process are poorly understood, but probably include genetic, epigenetic alterations and changes in fetal nutrient supply. We have studied the microRNA (miRNA) expression profile in amnion from obese and control women at delivery to investigate if a specific miRNA signature is associated with obesity. The expression profile of 365 human miRNAs was evaluated with the TaqMan Array in amnion from 10 obese and 5 control (prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) >30 and <25 kg m−2, respectively) women at delivery. Target genes and miRNA-regulated pathways were predicted by bioinformatics. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were also measured in mothers and newborns. Seven miRNAs were expressed only in obese women (miR-422b, miR-219, miR-575, miR-523, miR-579, miR-618 and miR-659), whereas 13 miRNAs were expressed at a higher level and 12 miRNAs at a lower level in obese women than in controls. MicroRNAs significantly downregulated the neurotrophin, cancer/ErbB, mammalian target of rapamycin, insulin, adipocytokine, actin cytoskeleton and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. In conclusion, we show that the miRNA profile is altered in amnion during obesity and hypothesize that this could affect pathways important for placental growth and function, thereby contributing to an increase in the newborn's risk of future metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe obesity is a major worldwide public health concern affecting 0.5–5% of the adult population. Adiponectin (Acpr30), an adipokine secreted from adipocytes, shows pleiotropic beneficial effects on obesity and related disorders. In this study, sequence analysis of Acpr30 gene (ACDC) was performed in a highly selected population of severely obese young adult patients from Southern Italy to investigate the associations between polymorphisms in the ACDC gene and the development of severe obesity concomitantly with other features of the metabolic syndrome. Methods: The ACDC gene was analyzed by direct sequencing in the severely obese patients (n = 220) and compared to healthy controls (n = 116). The associations between the ACDC gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the levels of serum Acpr30 as well as the correlation with the presence of severe obesity jointly associated with other features of the metabolic syndrome were also investigated. Total serum Acpr30 concentrations were measured by the ELISA method. Results: ACDC gene molecular screening revealed the presence of previously described SNPs and a new nucleotide alteration, c.355T>G, leading to a protein variant, p.L119V. Measurement of serum concentration of Acpr30 demonstrated lower levels of Acpr30 in the obese population compared to controls (30.5 ± 28.3 vs. 43.9 ± 35.7 μg/ml, p < 0.01); in particular, significantly lower Acpr30 concentrations were observed in obese patients bearing c.–11377C>G SNP CG+GG genotypes than in those with CC genotype (22.9 ± 20.5 vs. 33.1 ± 29.4 μg/ml, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results confirmed that low serum levels of Acpr30 are related to severe obesity and a difference in protein expression is associated with variants in ACDC gene promoter region. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Extreme preterm birth, <28 weeks of gestation, represents a public health concern with major economic implications, being the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Methods: A single-centre retrospective cohort study was carried out to assess the role of caesarean section and to identify perinatal factors affecting neonatal survival and psychomotor development in these infants. 57 cases with complete maternal, obstetrical and neonatological information were selected for this study and neurological development was assessed for at least 18 months of life. Results: Infant survival and neurological morbidity rates were directly and inversely correlated to birth weights and gestational age at birth, respectively. In multivariate analysis only extreme prematurity (≤25 weeks) and birth weight <500 g were significantly associated with mortality, whereas no factor correlated to neuromotor impairment. Conclusions: The management of preterm labour at the limit of viability is always challenging. Knowledge of risk factors associated with obstetrical situations may affect medical management and indeed offer useful information for parent counselling. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article assesses the reliability of the linear measurement of mid-thigh soft-tissue thickness (STT) in the late third trimester citing the derivation of a formula for the estimation of fetal weight (EFW). The results confirm the potential of the linear measurement of mid-thigh STT as a valuable parameter for the sonographic assessment of fetal growth and EFW.

Objective:To evaluate the prevalence of β3-adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) Trp64Arg polymorphism and its relationship with the metabolic syndrome in severe obesity.Design:Cross-sectional outpatients study.Patients and methods:In 265 (100 men) severely obese non-diabetic subjects and 78 (25 men) healthy volunteers, genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral leukocytes. In obese patients, plasma concentrations of leptin, lipids, glucose and insulin, the homeostasis model assessment index and blood pressure have been measured. The Trp64Arg mutation was identified with the real-time TaqMan method.Results:Neither genotype distribution nor allele frequency differed between the two groups. The metabolic syndrome prevalence was 59% in obese subjects, and was higher in men than in women (65 vs 55%: P=0.03). The body mass index (BMI) was related to age tertiles (β=0.08; P<0.001; multiple linear regression) in Trp64Arg-positive obese subjects.Conclusion:We confirm the high prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among severely obese subjects. ADRB3 polymorphism was significantly related to insulin resistance only in obese male subjects. Moreover, increased BMI was related to age in obese subjects with the ADRB3 polymorphism.Sponsorship:MIUR, COFIN 2004.European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2007) 61, 1213–1219; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602640; published online 14 February 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Ultrasound presurgical endometrial cancer," by G. Cormio and colleagues is presented.