The impact of body mass index and Western advertising and media on eating style, body image and nutrition transition among Jordanian women

OBJECTIVES: To identify the impact of body mass index (BMI) and Western advertising and media on the stage of the nutrition transition among Jordanian women, and to evaluate their impact on eating styles and body image. DESIGN: A randomised cross-sectional survey that included a variety of culturally measured Likert-type scales and body size images. In addition, BMI was calculated based on measured height and weight. SETTING: In the homes of the participants. The data were collected by female interviewers who worked for the Jordan Department of Statistics. SUBJECTS: The sample was based on a random and representative selection of 800 mostly urban Jordanian women. A pre-test sample of 100 women was also used to validate the instruments. RESULTS: Women tended to agree that they ate based on emotional cues. They had high levels of disordered eating attitudes and behaviours and 42.1% were considered restrained eaters. However, these women also had higher than expected body esteem levels and desired a healthy body size. As expected, being obese was associated with a desire to lose weight, being a restrained and emotional eater, and having more disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. Similarly, Western advertising and media were associated with restrained and emotional eating, desired weight loss, and disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to develop health education materials that explain the influence of obesity on health and the negative psychological and physical consequences of restrained and emotional eating, building on the current cultural preferences of healthy body size. Further implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Antibody response of kittens after vaccination followed by exposure to feline leukemia virus-infected cats.

Protein (western) blot analysis and virus-neutralization assay were used to evaluate the antibody response of specific-pathogen-free kittens to FeLV vaccination and followed by natural exposure. Several kittens had barely detectable reactions to specific FeLV antigens prior to vaccination or exposure. Correlation was not found between protection against persistent viremia and antibody response after vaccination as measured by western blot analysis or virus neutralization assay. A statistically significant (P less than 0.01) difference in the antibody response against p27 antigen after natural exposure to FeLV was observed between persistently viremic kittens and transiently viremic or aviremic kittens. Measurable (P less than 0.05) virus neutralizing antibody titer after FeLV exposure was found only in a small number of kittens that were protected against persistent viremia. Lack of association between humoral response and vaccination-induced protection against persistent FeLV infection suggests an important role for cell-mediated immunity in such protection.     

Modern human ancestry at the peripheries: a test of the replacement theory

The replacement theory of modern human origins stipulates that populations outside of Africa were replaced by a new African species of modern humans. Here we test the replacement theory in two peripheral areas far from Africa by examining the ancestry of early modern Australians and Central Europeans. Analysis of pairwise differences was used to determine if dual ancestry in local archaic populations and earlier modern populations from the Levant and/or Africa could be rejected. The data imply that both have a dual ancestry. The diversity of recent humans cannot result exclusively from a single Late Pleistocene dispersal.     

Comparison of four test kits for feline leukemia virus antigen.

The sensitivity and specificity of 4 commercial FeLV ELISA kits, using blood, were compared with results of virus isolation from blood and immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) testing on blood. Significant differences were not found among the 4 ELISA kits. Marked decrease in sensitivity of the ELISA kits was detected when virus isolation was used as the standard of positivity rather than the IFA test. Virus isolation was a more sensitive indicator of early infection, with marked discrepancy among results obtained by virus isolation, ELISA, and the IFA test. Results became progressively more concordant as infection became fully established. Cats FeLV-positive by virus isolation alone were more likely to eliminate viremia. All cats FeLV-positive by IFA testing remained persistently viremic. Virus isolation, ELISA, and IFA testing appear to differ in their prognostic value. The use of blood rather than serum for the ELISA resulted in several discordant results. Six cats were FeLV-positive by ELISA when blood was tested but were FeLV-negative when serum was tested. Positive ELISA results were obtained for 4 of these cats when serum was tested, using extended incubation to increase sensitivity. It is possible that blood may actually be more sensitive than serum for use of the ELISA method.     

Pharmacokinetic comparison of oral tablet and suspension formulations of grapiprant,a novel therapeutic for the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis in dogs

A new anti‐inflammatory drug for pain (grapiprant) was recently shown to have minimal side effects following chronic (9‐month) daily oral dose of 6 or 50 mg/kg suspension. The current study compares the pharmacokinetics of the formulation used in the chronic safety study to those of the tablet formulation that will be marketed upon FDA approval. Sixteen Beagle dogs were randomized to receive single doses of either 6 or 50 mg/kg grapiprant as both suspension and table formulations within a cross‐over design with a 15‐day washout. Clinical observations were vomiting in one high‐dose suspension dog and loose stools in two dogs, one in each 6 mg/kg formulation group. For both formulations, grapiprant reached a maximum concentration within two hours. The tablet formulation had better bioavailability, with AUC_last values 34% higher at 6 mg/kg and 64% higher at 50 mg/kg compared to the suspension. Results on Day 0 were similar to those reported on Day 15, suggesting little to no accumulation. Using conversion factors of 1.34 and 1.64, these findings suggest that the 6 and 50 mg/kg suspension doses are equivalent to 4.5 and 30 mg/kg tableted doses, respectively. Combining these findings with the 9‐month safety study demonstrates that safety was evaluated at doses approximately 15‐fold above the demonstrated therapeutic dose of 2 mg/kg and 10‐fold over the ‘safety dose’, defined as the maximum dose a dog of any body weight could receive when dosed at 2 mg/kg with whole or half‐tablets.     

Essential hypernatraemia in a young dog

A five-month-old great dane puppy was presented with hypernatraemia and clinical signs of vomiting, depression, disorientation, hyperi-rritability and adipsia. A diagnosis of essential hypernatraemia was based on the observation of adipsia, severe hypernatraemia, ability to concentrate urine only when hypovolaemic, normal serum aldosterone levels, normokalaemia and normotension. No abnormalities were found on histopathology of the neurocircuitry of the brain. This dog is compared with other reported cases of hypernatraemia in both dogs and humans.     

Insulin-Secreting Pancreatic (Islet Cell) Carcinoma in a Cat

A functional, insulin-secreting pancreatic (islet cell) carcinoma was diagnosed in a 17-year-old male Siamese cat. Diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical signs (i.e., seizures and stupor) that resolved temporarily after correction of hypoglycemia with feeding or intravenous administration of glucose, the finding of an inappropriately increased serum insulin concentration in the face of hypoglycemia, and prolonged resolution of hypoglycemia after surgical removal of the tumor. Primary islet cell tumor of the pancreas was confirmed by biopsy. The cat died 18 months later, and necropsy revealed metastases to regional lymph nodes and liver. Specimens of the tumor and metastatic lesions both stained positively for insulin.