Prevalence of Inadequacy Intake for Older People:The Use of National Cancer Institute (NCI) Method

A purpose of dietary assessment is to evaluate the dietary intake of a group or a population. In Brazil few studies have been carried out to identify dietary intake of older people population. Then, the aim of this work is to estimate the distribution as well as estimate the prevalence of inadequacy of the usual intake in a representative sample of older population from Botucatu city, S?o Paulo, applying the NCI method. A sample of 365 older was used and some instruments to evaluate quality of life, activities of daily living and instrumental of daily living were applied as well as three 24-hour recalls. Data from the recalls were transformed in consumption of macro and micronutrients using NDSR software and were analyzed using NCI method in order to estimate the inadequacy prevalence. The energy and macronutrients intake of the studied population agree with their needs, however, the consumption of minerals and vitamins were below the recommendation even after including the covariates. This can reflects a monotone intake that is characteristic of this age and this inadequateness can be a serious public health problem that can carry on development of chronic diseases. Also, it is important to highlight that NCI method provides a good estimate of the usual intake.

Near-infrared leaf reflectance modeling of Annona emarginata seedlings for early detection of variations in nitrogen concentration

Nitrogen(N)monitoring is essential in nurseries to ensure the production of high-quality seedlings.Nearinfrared spectroscopy(NIRS)is an instantaneous,nondestructive method to monitor N.Spectral data such as NIRS can also provide the basis for developing a new vegetation spectral index(VSI).Here,we evaluated whether NIRS combined with statistical modeling can accurately detect early variations in N concentration in leaves of young plants of Annona emargiaata and developed a new VSI for this task.Plants were grown in a hydroponics system with 0,2.75,5.5or 11 mM N for 45 days.Then we measured gas exchange,chlorophylla fluorescence,and pigments in leaves;analyzed complete leaf nutrients,and recorded spectral data for leaves at 966 to 1685 nm using NIRS.With a statistical learning approach,the dimensionality of the spectral data was reduced,then models were generated using two classes(N deficiency,N)or four classes(0,2.75,5.5,11 mM N).The best combination of techniques for dimensionality reduction and classification,respectively,was stepwise regression(PROC STEPDISC)and linear discriminant function.It was possible to detect N deficiency in seedlings leaves with 100%precision,and the four N concentrations with93.55%accuracy before photosynthetic damage to the plant occurred.Thereby,NIRS combined with statistical modeling of multidimensional data is effective for detecting N variations in seedlings leaves of A.emarginata.

Dietary supplementation with xylooligosaccharides and exogenous enzyme improves milk production,energy utilization efficiency and reduces enteric methane emissions of Jersey cows

Background Sustainable strategies for enteric methane(CH_(4))mitigation of dairy cows have been extensively explored to improve production performance and alleviate environmental pressure.The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary xylooligosaccharides(XOS)and exogenous enzyme(EXE)supplementation on milk production,nutrient digestibility,enteric CH_(4) emissions,energy utilization efficiency of lactating Jersey dairy cows.Forty-eight lactating cows were randomly assigned to one of 4 treatments:(1)control diet(CON),(2)CON with 25 g/d XOS(XOS),(3)CON with 15 g/d EXE(EXE),and(4)CON with 25 g/d XOS and 15 g/d EXE(XOS+EXE).The 60-d experimental period consisted of a 14-d adaptation period and a 46-d sampling period.The enteric CO_(2)and CH_(4) emissions and O2 consumption were measured using two GreenFeed units,which were further used to determine the energy utilization efficiency of cows.Results Compared with CON,cows fed XOS,EXE or XOS+EXE significantly(P<0.05)increased milk yield,true protein and fat concentration,and energy-corrected milk yield(ECM)/DM intake,which could be reflected by the significant improvement(P<0.05)of dietary NDF and ADF digestibility.The results showed that dietary supplementation of XOS,EXE or XOS+EXE significantly(P<0.05)reduced CH_(4) emission,CH_(4)/milk yield,and CH_(4)/ECM.Furthermore,cows fed XOS demonstrated highest(P<0.05)metabolizable energy intake,milk energy output but lowest(P<0.05)of CH_(4) energy output and CH_(4) energy output as a proportion of gross energy intake compared with the remaining treatments.Conclusions Dietary supplementary of XOS,EXE or combination of XOS and EXE contributed to the improvement of lactation performance,nutrient digestibility,and energy utilization efficiency,as well as reduction of enteric CH_(4) emissions of lactating Jersey cows.This promising mitigation method may need further research to validate its long-term effect and mode of action for dairy cows.

Globodera pallida,a non-transgenic invertebrate as a new model for investigating Alzheimer’s disease(and other proteinopathies)?

Biological models of Alzheimer’s disease(AD):Non-human models have contributed tremendously to the understanding of AD and its underlying pathological processes.These models have aided the investigation of the genetic and environmental risk factors.They also have enabled the progression of candidate therapies into human clinical trials.Because of similarities with human brain anatomy and genetics,rodent models have been used extensively to recapitulate some aspects of AD pathology,measure AD-associated behavioral parameters and related nervous system dysfunctions(Eriksen and Janus,2007).For instance,transgenic mice overexpressing human amyloid precursor protein have furthered the development of the amyloid cascade hypothesis as a central pillar of familial AD.

Classifying Cardiac Anomalies in Right and Left Isomerism:Concordant and Discordant Patterns

Aims:Evidence is emerging that,in the setting of isomerism,the atrial and bronchial arrangement are not always concordant,nor are these patterns always harmonious with the arrangement of the abdominal organs.We aimed to evaluate the concordance between these features in a cohort of patients with cardiac malformations in the setting of known isomerism,seeking to determine whether it was feasible to assess complexity on this basis,in this regard taking note of the potential value of bronchial as opposed to appendage morphology.Methods and Results:We studied 78 patients known to have isomerism of the bronchuses,43 with right and 35 with left isomerism.Appendage anatomy could be determined in 49 cases(63%),all but one of these being concordant with bronchial anatomy.When assessing abdominal features,in only 59 cases(76%)was splenic morphology in keeping with the thoracic findings.As expected,right isomerism was associated with greater complexity of cardiac malformations,with an odds ratio of 6.53,with confidence intervals from 2.2–19.3(p<0.001).The odds were slightly decreased with thoraco-abdominal disharmony,when lesions shown to carry higher risk were then found in the setting of left isomerism.Conclusion:Harmony is excellent between bronchial and appendage isomerism,but less so with the arrangement of the abdominal organs.Right isomerism in our cohort,was indicative of a sixfold increase in intracardiac complexity.When discordance was found between the systems,however,the cardiac anomalies were less typical of the anticipated findings for right vs.left isomerism of the appendages.

Irritable bowel syndrome: A microbiome-gut-brain axis disorder?

Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) is an extremely prevalent but poorly understood gastrointestinal disorder. Consequently, there are no clear diagnostic markers to help diagnose the disorder and treatment options are limited to management of the symptoms. The concept of a dysregulated gut-brain axis has been adopted as a suitable model for the disorder. The gut microbiome may play an important role in the onset and exacerbation of symptoms in the disorder and has been extensively studied in this context. Although a causal role cannot yet be inferred from the clinical studies which have attempted to characterise the gut microbiota in IBS, they do confirm alterations in both community stability and diversity. Moreover, it has been reliably demonstrated that manipulation of the microbiota can influence the key symptoms, including abdominal pain and bowel habit, and other prominent features of IBS. A variety of strategies have been taken to study these interactions, including probiotics, antibiotics, faecal transplantations and the use of germ-free animals. There are clear mechanisms through which the microbiota can produce these effects, both humoral and neural. Taken together, these findings firmly establish the microbiota as a critical node in the gut-brain axis and one which is amenable to therapeutic interventions.

Neurotrophic factors: from neurodevelopmental regulators to novel therapies for Parkinson's disease

Neuroprotection and neuroregeneration are two of the most promising disease-modifying ther- apies for the incurable and widespread Parkinson＇s disease. In Parkinson＇s disease, progressive degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons causes debilitating motor symptoms. Neurotrophic factors play important regulatory roles in the development, survival and maintenance of specific neuronal populations. These factors have the potential to slow down, halt or reverse the loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in Parkinsoffs disease. Several neurotrophic fac- tors have been investigated in this regard. This review article discusses the neurodevelopmental roles and therapeutic potential of three dopaminergic neurotrophic factors： glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, neurturin and growth/differentiation factor 5.

Delving into the recent advancements of spinal cord injury treatment: a review of recent progress

Spinal cord injury(SCI) research is a very complex field lending to why reviews of SCI literatures can be beneficial to current and future researchers. This review focuses on recent articles regarding potential modalities for the treatment and management of SCI. The modalities were broken down into four categories: neuroprotectionpharmacologic, neuroprotection-non-pharmacologic, neuroregeneration-pharmacologic, neuroregeneration-non-pharmacologic. Peer-reviewed articles were found using Pub Med with search terms: "spinal cord injury", "spinal cord injury neuroregeneration", "olfactory ensheathing cells spinal cord injury", "rho-rock inhibitors spinal cord injury", "neural stem cell", "scaffold", "neural stem cell transplantation", "exosomes and SCI", "epidural stimulation SCI", "brain-computer interfaces and SCI". Most recent articles spanning two years were chosen for their relevance to the categories of SCI management and treatment. There has been a plethora of pre-clinical studies completed with their results being difficult to replicate in clinical studies. Therefore, scientists should focus on understanding and applying the results of previous research to develop more efficacious preclinical studies and clinical trials.

The chromosome-level quality genome provides insights into the evolution of the biosynthesis genes for aroma compounds of Osmanthus fragrans

Sweet osmanthus(Osmanthus fragrans)is a very popular ornamental tree species throughout Southeast Asia and USA particularly for its extremely fragrant aroma.We constructed a chromosome-level reference genome of O.fragrans to assist in studies of the evolution,genetic diversity,and molecular mechanism of aroma development.A total of over 118 Gb of polished reads was produced from HiSeq(45.1 Gb)and PacBio Sequel(73.35 Gb),giving 100×depth coverage for long reads.The combination of Illumina-short reads,PacBio-long reads,and Hi-C data produced the final chromosome quality genome of O.fragrans with a genome size of 727 Mb and a heterozygosity of 1.45%.The genome was annotated using de novo and homology comparison and further refined with transcriptome data.The genome of O.fragrans was predicted to have 45,542 genes,of which 95.68%were functionally annotated.Genome annotation found 49.35%as the repetitive sequences,with long terminal repeats(LTR)being the richest(28.94%).Genome evolution analysis indicated the evidence of whole-genome duplication 15 million years ago,which contributed to the current content of 45,242 genes.Metabolic analysis revealed that linalool,a monoterpene is the main aroma compound.Based on the genome and transcriptome,we further demonstrated the direct connection between terpene synthases(TPSs)and the rich aromatic molecules in O.fragrans.We identified three new flower-specific TPS genes,of which the expression coincided with the production of linalool.Our results suggest that the high number of TPS genes and the flower tissue-and stage-specific TPS genes expressions might drive the strong unique aroma production of O.fragrans.

Methane Emissions from Grazing Holstein-Friesian Heifers at Different Ages Estimated Using the Sulfur Hexafluoride Tracer Technique

动物和日粮因素对牛肠道甲烷排放量影响的相关研究已经很普遍,但是关于放牧青年奶牛的甲烷排放量的可参考数据较少。本研究评估了荷斯坦奶牛在多年生黑麦草草地放牧时的生理状态对甲烷排放量的影响,分别进行了以下两个试验:试验1从2011年5月开始,为期11个星期,试验2从2011年8月开始,为期10个星期。在每个试验中,将荷斯坦奶牛分成三个处理组(每组12头),分别由小牛犊、一岁的母牛犊和妊娠母牛组成(平均年龄分别为8.5、14.5和20.5月龄)。在每个试验的最后一个星期利用六氟化硫示踪技术预估每头牛的甲烷排放量。干物质摄入量由代谢能需要量除以牧草中的代谢能含量计算而得。正如预期一样,活体重随年龄的增加而增加(P<0.001),然而试验1中三个分组的体增重没有差异,试验2中的体增重随着年龄增加有不同程度的减少(P<0.001)。在试验1中,妊娠母牛高于小牛犊的甲烷排放量(P<0.001),而一岁母牛犊的甲烷排放量最高(g·d^(-1))。当用单位活体重、干物质摄入量和总能摄入量表示甲烷排放量时,一岁母牛犊比小牛犊和妊娠母牛的排放速率更高(P<0.001)。在试验2中,甲烷排放量(g·d^(-1))随着年龄增加呈线性上升(P<0.001),但是这种差异在一岁母牛犊和妊娠母牛中并不显著。妊娠母牛的甲烷/活体重的比值低于另外两组(P<0.001),小牛犊的总能摄入量中甲烷能量输出的比值低于一岁母牛犊和妊娠母牛(P<0.05)。根据所有数据建立甲烷排放量的预测方程。所有关系均为显著(P<0.001),R2值的分布范围为0.630~0.682。这些模型表明:每增加1 kg活体重,甲烷排放量增加0.252 g·d^(-1);每增加1 kg·d^(-1)干物质摄入量,甲烷排放量增加14.9 g·d^(-1);每增加1 MJ·d^(-1)总能摄入量,甲烷能量输出增加0.046 MJ·d^(-1)。当实际甲烷排放量不可测时,这些结果为我们提供了预估放牧母牛甲烷排放量的另一种方法。

Estimating total nitrogen deposition in agroecosystems in northern China during the wheat cropping season

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has been poorly documented in northern China, an intensive agricultural and industrial region with large emissions of NHx and NOy. To quantify N deposition, total airborne N deposition was determined at three agricultural sites using a manual integrated total nitrogen input (ITNI) system during growth of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) from September 2005 to May 2006. Total estimated N deposition averaged 54.9 and 43.2 kg N/hm2 across the three sites when wheat was grown to flowering and maturing, respectively. The average value was 50.2 kg N/hm2 when ryegrass was the indicator plant. Both indicator species gave similar total airborne N input results. The intermediate level of N supplied resulted in the highest N deposition, and the ratio of N acquired from deposition to total N content of the whole system decreased with increasing N supply to the roots. The contribution of atmospheric N to the total N content of the wheat and ryegrass sand culture systems ranged from 10% to 24%.

Greenhouse gas emissions from pig and poultry production sectors in China from 1960 to 2010

Pig and poultry production in China had experienced considerable changes from 1960 to 2010. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of these changes on greenhouse gas emission inventeries （expressed as CO2 equivalent） from these two sectors. The inventories included methane emissions from enteric fermentation, methane and nitrous oxide production from manure management. The greenhouse gas emissions from these sources in 2010 in pig sector were 17, 62 and 21%, respectively, and that in poultry sector （including chicken, duck, goose and others） were 1, 18 and 81%, respectively. Total CO2 equivalent increased from 1960 to 2010 in both pig （11 582 to 55564 Gg yr-1） and poultry （1 497 to 14 873 Gg yr-1） sectors. Within poultry sector, emissions from chicken, duck, goose and others accounted for 74, 15, 11 and 0.01% in 2010, respectively. However, during the last 50 years, these emissions continuously reduced when related to production of I kg of pork （8.01 to 1.14 kg kg-1）, poultry meat （1.19 to 0.37 kg kg-1） and egg （0.47 to 0.33 kg kg-1）, which is mainly associated with the continuous improvement in production efficiency in all management systems. These results provide benchmark information for Chinese authorities to develop appropriate policies and mitigation strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from pig and poultry sectors.

Transient expression of the <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>callose synthase PMR4 increases penetration resistance to powdery mildew in barley

Localized cell wall thickenings, so called papillae, are a common plant defense response to fungal attack at sites of penetration of the plant cell. The major constituent of papillae is callose, a (1,3)-β-glucan polymer, which contributes to slowing or blocking the invading fungal hyphae. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, we could recently show that the overexpression of PMR4(POWDERY MILDEW RESITANT 4), which encodes a stress induced callose synthase, results in complete powdery mildew resistance. To evaluate if these findings are also transferable to monocot crops, we transiently expressed PMR4 under control of the 35S promoter in leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare) seedlings, which were subsequently inoculated with the virulent powdery mildew Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei. Fusion of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) to PMR4 allowed the identification of successfully transformed barley cells, which showed an increased penetration resistance to B. graminis compared to control cells that express only GFP.PMR4-GFP localized in a similar pattern at the site of attempted fungal penetration as observed inA. thaliana, which suggests that similar transport mechanisms of the callose synthase might exist in dicot and monocot plants.

Cardiac Myeloperoxidase Activity Is Elevated in Hypertensive Pregnant Rats

Myeloperoxidase（MPO） is released from activated neutrophils. The inflammation in preeclampsia was found to be associated with endothelial dysfunction. We hypothesized that cardiac and circulating MPO levels are elevated in hypertensive pregnancy. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were measured on pregnancy days 14, 16, 18 and 20 in normal pregnant and hypertensive pregnant rats. Left and right ventricle weights, the number of viable fetuses, litter size, fetal and placenta weights were recorded on gestational day 21. Circulating and cardiac MPO activities, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1（sFlt-1） and vascular endothelial growth factor（VEGF） and nitric oxide（NO） were detected. The results showed increases in cardiac（left, but not right ventricle） and circulating MPO activities, and concomitantly lower number of viable fetuses, litter size, and fetal and placenta weights, and decreases in NO in hypertensive pregnant rats. Also, the increases in circulating sFlt-1 and VEGF were found in hypertensive pregnant group. In conclusion, maternal and fetal detrimental changes along with increases in circulating sFlt-1 and VEGF in hypertensive pregnancy may be associated with increases in cardiac and circulating MPO activities, confirming the causative role of inflammatory response in preeclampsia.

The Epigenome as a therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease

Parkinson＇s disease （PD） is a common, progressive neurodegenerative disease characterised by degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons, aggregation of α-synuclein and motor symptoms. Current dopamine-replacement strategies provide symptomatic relief, however their effectiveness wear off over time and their prolonged use leads to disabling side-effects in PD patients. There is therefore a critical need to develop new drugs and drug targets to protect dopaminergic neurons and their axons from degeneration in PD. Over recent years, there has been robust evidence generated showing that epigenetic dysregulation occurs in PD patients, and that epigenetic modulation is a promising therapeutic approach for PD. This ar- ticle first discusses the present evidence implicating global, and dopaminergic neuron-specific, akerations in the methylome in PD, and the therapeutic potential of pharmacologically targeting the methylome. It then focuses on another mechanism of epigenetic regulation, histone acetylation, and describes how the histone acetyltransferase （HAT） and histone deacetylase （HDAC） enzymes that mediate this process are attractive therapeutic targets for PD. It discusses the use of activators and/or inhibitors of HDACs and HATs in models of PD, and how these approaches for the selective modulation of histone acetylation elicit neuroprotective effects. Finally, it outlines the potential of employing small molecule epigenetic modulators as neuroprotective therapies for PD, and the future research that will be required to determine and realise this therapeutic potential.

Effect of gestational protein restriction on left ventricle hypertrophy and heart angiotensin II signaling pathway in adult offspring rats

Maternal protein restriction may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders in adulthood. The RAS (renin-angiotensin-system) plays a pivotal role in cardiac remodeling. Components of the RAS, including angiotensin II (AngII) and its receptors type 1 (AT1R) and 2 (AT2R) are expressed in the heart. This study investigates whether gestational protein restriction alters the expression and localization of AT1R and AT2R and RAS signaling pathway proteins in parallel with left ventricle hypertrophy and systemic hypertension in male offspring. Dams were kept on normal (NP, 17% protein) or low (LP, 6% protein) protein diet during pregnancy. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) of male offspring was measured from the 8th to 16th week and left ventricles of 16-wk-old rats were processed for histology, morphometric, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. LP offspring showed a significant reduction in birth body weight and SBP increased significantly from the 8th week. Left ventricle mass and cardiomyocytes area were also significantly higher in LP animals. Widespread perivascular fibrosis was not detected in the heart tissue. Analysis by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry demonstrated a significant enhance in cardiomyocyte expression of AT1R and ERK1 in LP offspring. Expression of PI3K in LP was significantly reduced in cardiomyocytes and in the intramural coronary wall, while AT2R expression was unchanged in the NP group. We also found reduced LP expression of JAK2 and STAT3. In conclusion, our data also suggest that changes in the RAS may play a role in the ventricular growth through upregulation of the AT1-mediated ERK1/2 response, despite unchanged AT2R expression.

Reproductive ecology of the seabob shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri(Heller,1862)in a coastal area of Southern Brazil

The predictability of certain environmental factors that affect the life cycle of the seabob shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri(Heller,1862) was evaluated in a study of its reproductive biology in an area adjacent to Babitonga Bay,State of Santa Catarina,Brazil. Monthly sampling was conducted from July 2010 through June 2011 at depths of 5,8,11,14,and 17 m.76 004 individuals were obtained,with a pronounced peak in absolute abundance in austral autumn(34 208),coinciding with the annual closed season from March to May. Grain size composition of the sediment showed the closest relationship to the distribution of individuals(multiple linear regression,P <0.05),related to their burying habit. The observed correlations between the abundance of reproductive males(bearing spermatophores) and females with spent gonads(cross-correlation,P <0.05),and between reproductive males and reproductive females(with a 1-month lag) suggest that the peak of reproductive males preceded the peak offemale ones. This result agrees with the pattern expected for females,which copulate in post-ecdysis(spent gonads). Spawning seemed to take place at greater depths,as evidenced by the concentration of reproductive females in these areas. The reproductive activities observed here confirm that this species follows a tropical/subtropical reproductive pattern,spawning continuously throughout the year,with the highest peaks in spring and autumn. The data indicate that the juvenile recruitment period observed in August-September resulted from the reproductive output noted in April–May. Additionally,the reproductive period recorded in November led to the juvenile peak observed in March–May.

烟草细胞中高效表达提高血清半衰期的药用蛋白

小分子治疗蛋白，如干扰素α2b（IFNα2）和人生长激素（hGH），由于其对血清蛋白酶的易感性及分子小，可被肾迅速清除，因而一般在血清中的半衰期都很短。化学衍生处理虽可以克服这些问题，但却要以降低蛋白的生物活性为代价。本研究建立了一种新方法，使干扰素仅2b（IFNα2）和人类生长激素（hGH）在烟草细胞中高效表达为阿拉伯半乳糖聚糖糖蛋白嵌合体（AGP）。这样不仅提高了药用蛋白的产量，而且提高了其血清半表期。这种嵌合糖蛋白的分泌量比没有糖基化时高500～1800倍。重要的是，与未糖基化的干扰素和人生长激素相比，这种嵌合糖蛋白的体内血清半衰期提高13倍，生物活性仍保持与未糖基化时相似。这种嵌合糖蛋白注射到小鼠体内未引起免疫性反应。