Frequent Component Research Articles

Genetic identification of flax, chia and sesame seeds in processed foods

Chia, sesame and flax seeds are becoming increasingly more frequent components of functional foods because of their proven health benefits. The identification of plant components in complex matrices is generally performed using DNA typing. This method is a fast and economic tool widely applied to assess the genetic origin and authenticity of products from the food supply chain. The aim of this study was to compare two DNA-based methods, quantitative polymerase chain reaction high-resolution melting (qPCR-HRM) and endpoint PCR, used to identify chia, flax and sesame seeds in laboratory-made and commercial products. For this purpose, an endpoint PCR and qPCR-HRM methods were developed. DNA was extracted from chia, sesame and flax seeds, laboratory-made and commercial products. The analysis of flax, chia and sesame melting profiles using HRM post-PCR analysis allowed the identification of chia, sesame and flax in processed foods. The results obtained showed that qPCR-HRM is a cost-effective and efficient method for the identification, authentication and/or detection of seeds in processed food and complex matrices containing chia, sesame and flax.

Review of current approaches to spatially explicit urban vulnerability assessments: hazard complexity, data sources, and cartographic representations

Abstract Socio-ecological hazards are processes that − depending on the vulnerability of societal systems − may have profound adverse impacts. For this reason, the current discourse in disaster risk reduction (DRR) has been experiencing a shift toward a vulnerability-led paradigm, raising new questions about how to address (i) the complexity of vulnerabilities to multiple hazards, (ii) their cultural, dynamic, and subjective character, and (iii) the effectiveness and legitimacy of vulnerability assessments as decision-support tools. In this paper, we present a review of 707 vulnerability studies (derived from the Clarivate WoS database; 1988−2018) with a particular focus on urban settings and spatially explicit assessments in order to evaluate current efforts to meet the aforementioned issues. The reviewed studies assessed vulnerabilities to 35 hazard types that were predominantly (n=603, 85%) analysed as single hazards (mostly seismic, flood, and groundwater contamination hazards, as well as climate change), whereas only 15% (n=104) of studies focused on multiple hazards (mostly atmospheric hazards). Within the spatially explicit vulnerability studies, almost 60% used data collected by the study itself (mostly seismic hazards), while statistical and combined data were both employed in 20% of cases (mostly floods, climate change, and social and political hazards). Statistical data were found to have only limited transferability, often being generalised to be applicable in small-scale studies, while reducing the role of cultural and contextual factors. Field research data provided high-resolution information, but their acquisition is time-consuming, and therefore fixed at a local scale and single temporal stage. Underlying hazard types and suitable data sources resulting in other differences found a preference towards the specific coverage and resolution of vulnerability maps that appeared in 44% of all reviewed studies. Altogether, the differences we found indicated a division of spatially explicit vulnerability research in two major directions: (i) geological and geomorphological studies focusing on physical vulnerability, using their own data surveys at a detailed scale and lacking links to other hazards, and (ii) other studies (mostly atmospheric hazards and socialpolitical hazards) focusing on social or combined vulnerabilities, using primarily statistical or combined data at a municipal, regional, and country scale with occasional efforts to integrate multiple hazards. Finally, although cartographic representations have become a frequent component of vulnerability studies, our review found only vague rationalisations for the presentation of maps, and a lack of guidelines for the interpretation of uncertainties and the use of maps as decision-support tools.

Symptomatic Protective Action of Glycyrrhizin (Licorice) in COVID-19 Infection?

The role of the ACE2 enzyme in the COVID-19 infection is 2-fold, with opposing implications for the disease development. 1. The membrane bound angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) serves as the entry point of COVID-19 2. Conversely, it supports an anti-inflammatory pathway. This led to the controversy of the impact of medications, which influence its expression. ACE2 is part of the wider renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and is upregulated via compounds, which inhibits the classical ACE, thereby plasma aldosterone and aldosterone receptor (MR) activation. MR activation may therefore protect organs from binding the COVID-19 by reducing ACE2 expression. Glycyrrhizin (GL) is a frequent component in traditional Chinese medicines, which have been used to control COVID-19 infections. Its systemically active metabolite glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) inhibits 11beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase(11betaHSD2) and activates MR in organs, which express this enzyme, including the lungs. Does this affect the protective effect of ACE2? Importantly, GL has anti-inflammatory properties by itself via toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) antagonism and therefore compensates for the reduced protection of the downregulated ACE2. Finally, a direct effect of GL or GA to reduce virus transmission exists, which may involve reduced expression of type 2 transmembrane serine protease (TMPRSS2), which is required for virus uptake. Glycyrrhizin may reduce the severity of an infection with COVID-19 at the two stages of the COVID-19 induced disease process, 1. To block the number of entry points and 2. provide an ACE2 independent anti-inflammatory mechanism.

Professional development for classroom management: a review of the literature

ABSTRACT The ability of teachers to manage their classrooms is critical to achieving positive educational outcomes for students. Many teachers receive limited pre-service training in classroom management, creating a need for effective in-service professional development (PD). This literature review summarizes the results of 74 empirical studies examining the effects of PD on teachers’ classroom management behaviours. It identifies the characteristics of the existing literature base, the most frequent components of effective PD, and teacher and student outcomes related to PD. The results support a prior review that also suggested effective PD (i.e., desired changes in teacher and student behaviour) is predominantly studied at the elementary school level and, in addition to generic in-service trainings, most frequently includes didactic (direct) instruction, coaching, and performance feedback. These results have important implications for developing effective PD opportunities in the area of classroom management for in-service educators.

Composition of urinary calculi: Lessons from a French epidemiologic retrospective study

Urolithiasis is a common urological disease whose incidence increases in developed countries. We studied relations between composition of urinary calculi, age and gender. An epidemiologic study was conducted in a French population of patients encountered analysis of urinary calculi between 2013 and 2017. This retrospective cohort study was performed from urinary calculi samples analysed in a clinical biochemistry laboratory of University Hospital of Lyon in France. A total of 5782 samples were included. Data, according to stone composition, presence of a papillary umbilication and a Randall's plaque, age and gender, were investigated. Statistical analyses used the Chi2 test (R software). The overall male to female sex ratio was equal to 1.76. The average and the median of age were 52.1 and 53.0 years, respectively. Whewellite was the most frequent main component in our population (44.4%). Carbapatite, weddellite and uric acid represented the main component in 14.0%, 13.4% and 13.0% of samples, respectively. Differences between genders were shown. Whewellite and uric acid were more frequent in men (P<0.001), while carbapatite and struvite were predominant in women (P<0.001). Our study provided recent data on the composition of urinary calculi in a French population and the relations between composition of urinary calculi and age and gender. 3.

Metabolic syndrome in indigenous communities in Mexico: a descriptive and cross-sectional study

BackgroundAn Amerindian genetic background could play an important role in susceptibility to metabolic diseases, which have alarmingly increased in recent decades. Mexico has one of the highest prevalences of metabolic disease worldwide. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components in a population with high Amerindian ancestry.MethodsWe performed a descriptive, quantitative, and analytical cross-sectional study of 2596 adult indigenous volunteers from 60 different ethnic groups. Metabolic syndrome and its components were evaluated using the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Scientific Statement criteria.ResultsThe overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the indigenous Mexican population was 50.3%. Although females had a higher prevalence than males (55.6% vs. 38.2%), the males presented with combinations of metabolic syndrome components that confer a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The most frequent metabolic syndrome component in both genders was low HDL-cholesterol levels (75.8%). Central obesity was the second most frequent component in females (61%), though it had a low prevalence in males (16.5%). The overall prevalence of elevated blood pressure was 42.7% and was higher in males than females (48.8 vs. 40%). We found no gender differences in the overall prevalence of elevated triglycerides (56.7%) or fasting glucose (27.9%).ConclusionsWe documented that individuals with Amerindian ancestry have a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Health policies are needed to control the development of metabolic disorders in a population with high genetic risk.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Effect of Ketorolac Administration after Pancreaticoduodenectomy

Outcome improvement is a major goal of pancreatic surgery. Such efforts include decreasing perioperative narcotic use to optimize care and reduce potential contributions to the opioid crisis. Ketorolac, a frequent component of opioid-minimizing recovery pathways, has not been universally adopted over concerns regarding adverse events including anastomotic fidelity, hemorrhage, and renal failure. We examined ketorolac's effects on pancreatic fistula (PF) formation and related morbidity after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). A retrospective review of consecutive patients undergoing PD from December 2008 to September 2018 was conducted and stratified by receipt of ketorolac during the initial 5 postoperative days. The primary outcome was clinically relevant PF (CR-PF) per international consensus definitions. Secondary outcomes included fistula risk score (FRS)-adjusted CR-PF and cumulative morbidity. Of 429 patients, CR-PF occurred in 9.3% (n= 40), and 249 patients received ketorolac before postoperative day 6 (58.0%), with a mean dose of 36.1 ± 22.3 mg/day. CR-PF occurred in 11.2% (n= 28) of patients receiving ketorolac vs 6.7% (n= 12) who did not ( p= 0.12); CR-PF incidence was unrelated to dose. Overall CR-PF incidence did not differ statistically by ketorolac use in the first 5 days postoperatively across FRS categories. Results from multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted for known PF risk factors suggested that ketorolac was not significantly associated with risk of CR-PF (odds ratio [OR] 1.99 [range 0.93 to 4.26], p= 0.08). Operative mortality and major (Clavien ≥ 3) morbidity, including hemorrhage and renal failure, did not differ statistically between groups. Ketorolac administration was associated with an acceptable risk of CR-PF and no increase in major morbidity after PD. These data suggest ketorolac can be used in strategies to optimize analgesia and minimize opioid usage.

Hypertension in Metabolic Syndrome: Novel Insights.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by the simultaneous presence of obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia in an individual, leading to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. It affects almost 35% of the US adult population, while its prevalence increases with age. Elevated blood pressure is the most frequent component of the syndrome; however, until now, the optimal antihypertensive regiment has not been defined. The purpose of this review is to present the proposed definitions for the metabolic syndrome, as well as the prevalence of hypertension in this condition. Moreover, evidence regarding the metabolic properties of the different antihypertensive drug classes and their effect on MetS will be displayed. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed to identify data from clinical studies for the prevalence, pathophysiology and treatment of hypertension in the metabolic syndrome. Hypertension is present in almost 80% of patients with metabolic syndrome. The use of thiazide diuretics and b-blockers has been discouraged in this population; however, new evidence suggests their use under specific conditions. Calcium channel blockers seem to exert a neutral effect on MetS, while renin-angiotensin system inhibitors are believed to be of the most benefit, although differences exist between the different agents of this category. Controversy still exists regarding the optimal antihypertensive treatment for hypertension in MetS. Due to the high prevalence of hypertension in this population, more data from clinical trials are needed in the future.

Simple and Accurate Spectrofluorimetric Method for Detecting Citrinin in Red Fermented Rice

Citrinin (CIT)—an established public health threat—is a frequent component of red fermented rice (RFR). Although various quantitative techniques have been developed to detect citrinin in red fermented rice, most of these methods require expensive equipment and specially trained personnel. In this study, a simple and accurate spectrofluorimetric method was developed for detecting citrinin in red fermented rice. The proposed method is based on the measurement of native fluorescence of citrinin in methanol (pH 1.5) at an emission wavelength of 485 nm following excitation at 330 nm. The effect of quenching agents on red fermented rice samples was reduced to negligible levels by highly diluting the sample extraction solutions. The linearity was confirmed over the range from 0 to 0.15 μg/ml, and the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of citrinin in the red fermented rice samples were 1.0 and 3.0 μg/kg, respectively. The developed method showed intra- and inter-day precision levels from 1.0% to 3.8% and recovery values between 91.6% and 95.0% at fortified levels from 10 to 100 mg/kg. The proposed method offers a good alternative to expensive high-performance liquid chromatography methods and can be used for the quality control of red fermented rice products under ordinary experimental conditions.

White Matter-Based Structural Brain Network of Anxiety.

Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive fear and anxiety and related behavioral disturbances. Because diffusion tensor imaging is sensitive to detect subtle pathology of the brain, it has been used to characterize differences in white matter microstructure for a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders. The neurobiological underpinnings of a trait anxiety seem to be associated with the uncinate fasciculus, a major pathway between the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex. Apparent WM micro-alterations in patients with panic disorder are present in diverse and widespread regions, although alterations vary in terms of clinical symptom severity and comorbidities. Social anxiety disorder is associated with structural dysconnectivity in a fronto-limbic network consistent with reduced fractional anisotropy values in uncinate fasciculus and inferior longitudinal fasciculus. The pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder may include abnormal findings in not only the fronto-striato-thalamic circuit but also the posterior and temporal regions of forceps major and cingulum bundle. Studies of white matter status in anxiety revealed overlapping patterns of front-cortical and fronto-limbic changes with uncinate fasciculus and cingulum alterations a frequent component.

Student Autobiographical Essays as Person-Centered Ethnography: Building Empathy with a New Approach to Anthropological Interviewing Assignments

Interviewing assignments are frequent components of cultural anthropology courses. In this exercise, students focus on the content of person-centered ethnographic interviews by providing the material themselves. Students write autobiographical narratives that are shared anonymously with the class. This allows them to explore the strengths and limitations of using personal narratives as data, while also considering the role of audience and the challenge of making respondents anonymous. The exercise’s greatest impact, however, comes from giving students firsthand experience with the power of listening to people’s stories, and the assignment has proven remarkably successful at building empathy among a diverse peer group.

FOOD CODE OF CULTURE IN ENGLISH, UKRAINIAN AND GREEK PHRASEOLOGY

The article focuses on the study of phraseological units with food component in the context of linguo-culturology. The final aim of the work is to describe and compare the linguistic, cultural and national peculiarities of food component in English, Greek and Ukrainian phraseological units thus revealing linguocultural food code of each linguo-culture. The objective determined the tasks of the research: to define the terms “phraseological unit”, “linguo-cultural code”, “linguo-culturology”, “food”, “nutrition”; to describe the fragments of English, Greek and Ukrainian linguistic world image through the phraseological units with food component; to single out the most frequent food components in English, Greek and Ukrainian phraseology and to define their connotative and semantic meaning; to divide the investigated material into groups according to the names and semantics of food components; to give linguo-cultural description of each of the abovementioned groups. Research has been done on the basis of the English and Ukrainian Phraseological Dictionary by K. Barantsev, Shortened Greek and Russian Phraseological Dictionary by O.V. Patrunova and Phraseological Dictionary of Ukrainian Language. The volume of the investigated material is 835 English phraseological units, 340 Greek phraseological units and 487 Ukrainian phraseological units obtained by consecutive selection. Our study relies substantially on the application of linguistic descriptive methodology and devices. The paper singles out the most frequent lexical groups : food, actions of cooking, feeding and eating, bakery, kitchen utensils, physical properties of food, drinks, cooking techniques, et cetera, with food prevailing (40,8% in English, 33% in Greek and 34,7% in Ukrainian). The most frequent food components are to eat (5,8%), τρώω (to eat) (17,6%) and їсти (8,9%), which proves that basic frequent food components in the researched languages mostly coincide.

Childhood Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy and Its Relevant Surgical Outcome

Contemporary experiences regarding childhood hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy are limited. This study aimed to describe the clinical presentation of childhood hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and its relevant surgical outcome. In all, 117 consecutive children with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy aged 0.6 to 17.5 years who underwent septal myectomy at our institution between February 2009 and December 2018 were included. Medical records and other patient-related data were reviewed. In the present study, the anatomic and physiologic characteristics of childhood hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy were highly heterogeneous, with simultaneous right ventricular outflow tract obstruction in 22 patients (18.8%), coronary myocardial bridging in 25 patients (21.4%), and intraventricular anatomic abnormalities in 61 patients (52.1%). The mean peak left or right ventricular outflow tract gradient, interventricular septal thickness, and degree of mitral regurgitation significantly decreased after surgery. One early death was noted in the study. During follow-up, three sudden cardiac deaths were noted. The overall survival rates at follow-up were 100% at 1 year and 96.5% at 3 years. The overall survival rates free from reoperation were 99.1% at 1 year and 98.0% at 3 years. In our cohort of children with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy undergoing septal myectomy, biventricular obstruction, myocardial bridging, and intraventricular anatomic abnormalities are frequent phenotypic components. Despite the complexity of childhood hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, surgical treatment results in a favorable outcome in carefully selected patients.

Exploring Writing Anxiety of the EFL University Students in Pontianak Indonesia

The purpose of the descriptive study is to explore the English as a foreign language second-semester students’ writing anxiety. The students were from a private university in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. A total of 92 students who were selected randomly filled the writing anxiety questionnaire. The writing anxiety questionnaire reports that 53.26 % (n= 49) of the students experienced low writing anxiety and 46.74% (n= 43) of the students experienced high writing anxiety. In terms of the components of writing anxiety, the students experienced anxiety in the component of evaluation (mean score of 19.86), product (mean score of 19.25), and stress (mean score of 16.52). This study also has shown that writing anxiety caused by stress can be considered less frequent anxiety component that has been experienced by the students. It is suggested that students should learn to manage their problems that are related to writing. To do so, the lecturer should guide the students to help them to reduce their writing anxiety and help improve the students’ writing skills.

Real World Outcomes in Latin-American Patients with Multiple Myeloma Under 40 Years Old

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is a heterogeneous disease that is most frequently diagnosed in the elderly. Therefore, data on clinical characteristics and outcomes in the young population are scarce and it is recognized that it remains incurable even in this group of patients. We present here the outcomes of patients under 40 years old cohort in Latin-American countries. On behalf of GELAMM (Grupo de Estudio Latino-Americano de Mieloma Múltiple). Methods Retrospective international multicenter cohort study. We analyzed MM patients under 40 years old who received treatment in 6 Latin-American countries, between 2010 and 2018. Demographics and disease features were analyzed using descriptive statics. We examined treatment characteristics and response rates. The overall survival (OS) of the entire cohort was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves. Results Eighty-six patients of 6 countries were analyzed (Table1). The mean age was 35.4 years old, and 60% were male. The most frequent monoclonal component type was IgG followed by light chain MM. Risk determined by ISS was distributed in almost equal percentages. The most frequent cytogenetic alteration was the t (4;14) that was found in four patients out of 25 evaluated. The missing data were greater than 70%. Skeleton-related events were the most frequent clinical feature, followed by anemia and renal failure. Plasmacytomas and fractures were present in more than 20 percent of cases. With regard to treatment, VCD / CyBorD was the most used regimen, followed by VTD. The overall response rate (ORR) was 63%. Fifty-three patients received high dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (62%). Only 8% received post-transplant consolidation, and 45% received maintenance therapy. The median OS of the entire cohort was 45 months, and a plateau in the survival curve was not observed, suggesting that patients continue relapsing over the time. Conclusion In this Latin American multicenter study, we found that the young population with MM has similar presentation characteristics to those of elderly patients. A significant amount of information is lost regarding the risk characterization, especially in regard with cytogenetics. With respect to treatment, less than half of the patients achieve very good partial response or better. It is striking that more than a third of this young patients did not access to high doses of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation. Maintenance therapy is offered to less than half patients. The median OS is lower than in other series of patients younger than 40 years, even than in the elderly cohorts. Prospective multicentric studies are required to elucidate the behavior of the disease in this group of patients. Disclosures Peña: Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Other: Congress inscription and flights; Biotoscana: Other: Congress inscription and flights; Novartis: Other: Congress inscription and flights; Tecnofarma: Other: Congress inscription and flights; Roche: Other: Congress inscription and flights. Rojas:Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfeizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Abello:Takeda: Other: Participation in advisory board meeting. Gomez-Almaguer:Takeda: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Teva: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau.

Neuropathology of RAN translation proteins in fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome

CGG repeat expansions in FMR1 cause the neurodegenerative disorder Fragile X-associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS). Ubiquitinated neuronal intranuclear inclusions (NIIs) are the neuropathological hallmark of FXTAS. Both sense strand derived CGG repeats and antisense strand derived CCG repeats support non-AUG initiated (RAN) translation of homopolymeric proteins in potentially 6 different reading frames. However, the relative abundance of these proteins in FXTAS brains and their co-localization with each other and NIIs is lacking. Here we describe rater-blinded assessment of immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining with newly generated antibodies to different CGG RAN translation products in FXTAS and control brains as well as co-staining with ubiquitin, p62/SQSTM1, and ubiquilin 2. We find that both FMRpolyG and a second CGG repeat derived RAN translation product, FMRpolyA, accumulate in aggregates in FXTAS brains. FMRpolyG is a near-obligate component of both ubiquitin-positive and p62-positive NIIs in FXTAS, with occurrence of aggregates in 20% of all hippocampal neurons and > 90% of all inclusions. A subset of these inclusions also stain positive for the ALS/FTD associated protein ubiquilin 2. Ubiquitinated inclusions and FMRpolyG+ aggregates are rarer in cortex and cerebellum. Intriguingly, FMRpolyG staining is also visible in control neuronal nuclei. In contrast to FMRpolyG, staining for FMRpolyA and CCG antisense derived RAN translation products were less abundant and less frequent components of ubiquitinated inclusions. In conclusion, RAN translated FMRpolyG is a common component of ubiquitin and p62 positive inclusions in FXTAS patient brains.

Carpellary appendages in Nymphaea and Victoria (Nymphaeaceae): evidence of their role as osmophores based on morphology, anatomy and ultrastructure

Abstract In flowers of Nymphaea and Victoria, carpellary appendages are regarded as structures related to pollination by deceit of night-blooming species. In this study, the anatomy, histochemistry and ultrastructure of carpellary appendages were analysed to investigate their possible role in the production of volatile compounds in nocturnal species Nymphaea amazonum, N. gardneriana, N. prolifera (Nymphaea subgenus Hydrocallis) and Victoria cruziana, and in diurnal species N. caerulea (Nymphaea subgenus Brachyceras). Carpellary appendages were studied using light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy from pre-anthesis to the second day of anthesis. Anatomical and ultrastructural features are characteristic of osmophores. In all species, the most frequent components in secretory cells are amyloplasts, lipid bodies, mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum and elaioplasts. The epidermis and multilayered parenchyma accumulate abundant starch grains and lipophilic substances, both of which vanish during anthesis. Amorphous substances are deposited between the plasmalemma and the outer cell wall of epidermal cells, and are then released by cuticular diffusion. Odour production in carpellary appendages might be an ancient role of primary importance both in diurnal and nocturnal species that are pollinated by deceit. Olfactory and visual cues of small carpellary appendages in Nymphaea subgenus Brachyceras correspond to bee pollination, and large carpellary appendages in subgenus Hydrocallis and Victoria represent parallel functional specializations of the flowers to the attraction and reward for exclusive beetle pollination.

Dose-dependent detoxication of the airborne pollutant benzene in a randomized trial of broccoli sprout beverage in Qidong, China

Airborne pollutants have collectively been classified as a known human carcinogen and, more broadly, affect the health of hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Benzene is a frequent component of air pollution, and strategies to protect individuals against unavoidable exposure to this and other airborne carcinogens could improve the public's health. Earlier clinical trials in Qidong, China, demonstrated efficacy in enhancing the detoxication of benzene using a broccoli sprout beverage. A randomized, placebo-controlled, multidose trial of a broccoli sprout beverage was designed to determine the lowest effective concentration that enhances benzene detoxication adjudged by enhanced excretion of the urinary biomarker, S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA). Following informed consent, 170 subjects were randomly assigned in 5 blocks of 34 each to drink either a placebo beverage (n=55) or 1 of 3 graded concentrations of a broccoli sprout beverage [full (n=25), one-half (n=35), and one-fifth (n=55)] for 10 consecutive days. Concentrations of SPMA arising through induced benzene conjugation with glutathione were quantified by MS in sequential 12-h overnight urine collections during the intervention. MS was also used to quantify urinary sulforaphane metabolites in each dosing regimen that resulted in a median 24-h urinary output of 24.6, 10.3, and 4.3 µmol, respectively, confirming a dose-dependent de-escalation of the inducing principle within the beverage. A statistically significant increase in benzene mercapturic acids in urine was found for the high-dose group (+63.2%) during the 10-d period. The one-half dose (+11.3%) and one-fifth dose groups (-6.4%) were not significantly different from placebo controls. An intervention with a broccoli sprout beverage enhanced the detoxication of benzene, an important airborne pollutant, when dosed at a concentration evoking a urinary elimination of ∼25 µmol sulforaphane metabolites per day, and it portends a practical and frugal population-based strategy to attenuate associated long-term health risks of air pollution. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02656420.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Metabolic Syndrome Differ in Men and Women with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis.

ObjectiveMetabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence in early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) is conflicting. The impact of sex, including menopause, has not been described. We estimated the prevalence and factors associated with MetS in men and women with ERA.MethodsA cross‐sectional study of the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) was performed. Participants with baseline data to estimate key MetS components were included. Sex‐stratified logistic regression identified baseline variables associated with MetS.ResultsThe sample included 1543 participants; 71% were female and the mean age was 54 (SD 15) years. MetS prevalence was higher in men 188 (42%) than women 288 (26%, P < 0.0001) and increased with age. Frequent MetS components in men were hypertension (62%), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT, 40%), obesity (36%), and low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (36%). Postmenopausal women had greater frequency of hypertension (65%), IGT (32%), and high triglycerides (21%) compared with premenopausal women (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, MetS was negatively associated with seropositivity and pulmonary disease in men. Increasing age was associated with MetS in women. In postmenopausal women, corticosteroid use was associated with MetS. Psychiatric comorbidity was associated with MetS in premenopausal women. MetS status was not explained by disease activity or core RA measures.ConclusionThe characteristics and associations of MetS differed in men and women with ERA. Sex differences, including postmenopausal status, should be considered in comorbidity screening. With this knowledge, the interplay of MetS, sex, and RA therapeutic response on cardiovascular outcomes should be investigated.

Association of BDNF rs6265 and MC4R rs17782313 with metabolic syndrome in Pakistanis

The current case-control study sought the association of BDNF rs6265 and MC4R rs17782313 with metabolic syndrome (MetS), MetS components and other related metabolic parameters in a sample of Pakistani subjects. Fasting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and homeostatic model assessment of insulin sensitivity showed a significantly lower mean whereas body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting blood glucose, insulin, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), cholesterol to HDL-C ratio, TG to HDL-C ratio, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, visceral adiposity index, lipid accumulation product and the product of TG and glucose showed a significantly higher mean in the presence of MetS. Reduced HDL-C appeared as the most frequent and hypertriglyceridemia as the least frequent component of MetS whereas clustering of reduced HDL-C + abdominal obesity (AO) + hyperglycemia appeared as the most prevalent combination of MetS components. Moreover, BDNF rs6265 showed BMI and gender independent association with increased risk of MetS in Pakistani individuals whereas MC4R rs17782313 showed BMI and gender dependent association with increased risk of MetS in Pakistani females. In addition, BDNF rs6265 and MC4R rs17782313 showed gender-dependent associations with decreased risk of having low HDL-C in males and increased risk of having abdominal obesity in females, respectively. However, no association was observed for metabolic variables other than components of MetS across genotypes of both BDNF rs6265 and MC4R rs17782313.