Policies focused on food quality are intended to facilitate healthy choices by consumers, even those who are not fully informed about the links between food consumption and health. The goal of this ...paper is to evaluate the potential impact of such a food reformulation scenario on health outcomes.
We first created reformulation scenarios adapted to the French characteristics of foods. After computing the changes in the nutrient intakes of representative consumers, we determined the health effects of these changes. To do so, we used the DIETRON health assessment model, which calculates the number of deaths avoided by changes in food and nutrient intakes.
Depending on the reformulation scenario, the total impact of reformulation varies between 2408 and 3597 avoided deaths per year, which amounts to a 3.7-5.5% reduction in mortality linked to diseases considered in the DIETRON model. The impacts are much higher for men than for women and much higher for low-income categories than for high-income categories. These differences result from the differences in consumption patterns and initial disease prevalence among the various income categories.
Even without any changes in consumers' behaviors, realistic food reformulation may have significant health outcomes.
The aim was to estimate the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) associated with self-selected diets and to evaluate the impact of modifying dietary structures on diet-associated GHGE. Food consumption ...data from 1918 adults participating in the French national dietary survey and GHGE of 73 highly consumed foods (in g CO2e/100g of edible food) were used to estimate the GHGE of each individual diet. The mean diet-associated GHGE was 4170g CO2e/day and a high inter-individual variability was observed. When the total caloric intakes were reduced to meet the individual energy needs, the diet-associated GHGE decreased by either 10.7% or 2.4%, depending on the assumption made on the average physical activity level of the population. The meat and deli meat food group represented the strongest diet-associated GHGE contributor, but the impact of different meat reduction scenarios was modest. In particular, when fruit and vegetables were iso-calorically substituted for meat, either null or even positive diet-associated GHGE variations were observed because the needed amounts of fruit and vegetables to maintain the caloric content of the diet were high. Therefore, substituting fruit and vegetables for meat (especially deli meat) may be desirable for health but is not necessarily the best approach to decreasing diet-associated GHGE.
► Diet-associated greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) were estimated using the French individual food consumption survey data. ► The mean diet-associated GHGE was estimated at 4170g CO2e/d and was higher for men than for women. ► Individual diet-associated GHGE showed a high variability due to the variability of both diet quantity and diet structure. ► Meat was the strongest contributor to diet-associated GHGE. ► When meat was iso-calorically replaced with fruit and vegetables, only small diet-associated GHGE variations were observed.
Background
Long-term morbidity after multimodal treatment for rectal cancer is suggested to be mainly made up by nerve-injury-related dysfunctions. Stereotactic navigation for rectal surgery was ...shown to be feasible and will be facilitated by highlighting structures at risk of iatrogenic damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability to make a 3D map of the pelvic nerves with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Methods
A systematic review was performed to identify a main positional reference for each pelvic nerve and plexus. The nerves were manually delineated in 20 volunteers who were scanned with a 3-T MRI. The nerve identifiability rate and the likelihood of nerve identification correctness were determined.
Results
The analysis included 61 studies on pelvic nerve anatomy. A main positional reference was defined for each nerve. On MRI, the sacral nerves, the lumbosacral plexus, and the obturator nerve could be identified bilaterally in all volunteers. The sympathetic trunk could be identified in 19 of 20 volunteers bilaterally (95%). The superior hypogastric plexus, the hypogastric nerve, and the inferior hypogastric plexus could be identified bilaterally in 14 (70%), 16 (80%), and 14 (70%) of the 20 volunteers, respectively. The pudendal nerve could be identified in 17 (85%) volunteers on the right side and in 13 (65%) volunteers on the left side. The levator ani nerve could be identified in only a few volunteers. Except for the levator ani nerve, the radiologist and the anatomist agreed that the delineated nerve depicted the correct nerve in 100% of the cases.
Conclusion
Pelvic nerves at risk of injury are usually visible on high-resolution MRI with dedicated scanning protocols. A specific knowledge of their course and its application in stereotactic navigation is suggested to improve quality of life by decreasing the likelihood of nerve injury.
Na,K-ATPase is a key enzyme that regulates a variety of transport functions in epithelial cells. In this study, we demonstrate a role for Na,K-ATPase in the formation of tight junctions, desmosomes, ...and epithelial polarity with the use of the calcium switch model in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. Inhibition of Na,K-ATPase either by ouabain or potassium depletion prevented the formation of tight junctions and desmosomes and the cells remained nonpolarized. The formation of bundled stress fibers that appeared transiently in control cells was largely inhibited in ouabain-treated or potassium-depleted cells. Failure to form stress fibers correlated with a large reduction of RhoA GTPase activity in Na,K-ATPase-inhibited cells. In cells overexpressing wild-type RhoA GTPase, Na,K-ATPase inhibition did not affect the formation of stress fibers, tight junctions, or desmosomes, and epithelial polarity developed normally, suggesting that RhoA GTPase is an essential component downstream of Na,K-ATPase-mediated regulation of these junctions. The effects of Na,K-ATPase inhibition were mimicked by treatment with the sodium ionophore gramicidin and were correlated with the increased intracellular sodium levels. Furthermore, ouabain treatment under sodium-free condition did not affect the formation of junctions and epithelial polarity, suggesting that the intracellular Na(+) homeostasis plays a crucial role in generation of the polarized phenotype of epithelial cells. These results thus demonstrate that the Na,K-ATPase activity plays an important role in regulating both the structure and function of polarized epithelial cells.
We quantify the economic and health effects of a fruit and vegetable (F&V) voucher policy designed for increasing F&V consumption among low-income consumers. The analysis combined two models: an ...economic model which predicts how F&V consumption is affected by a change in policy, and a health model which evaluates the impact of a change in F&V consumption in terms of death avoided and life-years saved. We find that targeted F&V voucher policies can be more cost-effective than non-targeted policies based on tax decreases, but only when the targeted policy is focused narrowly on the lowest income consumers. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
OQALI: A French database on processed foods Menard, C.; Dumas, C.; Goglia, R. ...
Journal of food composition and analysis,
06/2011, Letnik:
24, Številka:
4-5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The French Observatory of Food Quality (OQALI) is a project implemented in 2008, by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) and the French National Institute ...for Agronomic Research (INRA). It first aim is to develop indicators on nutritional variability and on the quantity and quality of labelling parameters, by food sector and possibly by type of brands. These indicators could be weighted by market shares, so as to reflect the nutritional impact of the processed foodstuffs most frequently sold. The second OQALI aim is to follow up the possible changes of these indicators over years.
Data are collected at the product level to assess this nutritional variability. Product labels or manufacturers are the main sources of information. Some foodstuffs without nutrition labelling can be analyzed.
Each product is described in the OQALI database as presented on the packaging. A new product is created whenever a new element is detected on the packaging. The OQALI database is designed to monitor any nutritional or labelling changes on foodstuffs. It is an essential tool to meet public health challenges and consumer expectations on nutritional information.
Novel magnetic nanocomposite films with controlled morphology were produced via the electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly of cationic CoFe
2O
4 nanoparticles and anionic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy ...thiophene)/poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS) complex. The electrostatic interaction between nanoparticle and the polyelectrolyte complex ensured a stepwise growth of the nanocomposite film with virtually identical amounts of materials being adsorbed at each deposition cycle as observed by UV–vis spectroscopy. AFM images acquired under the tapping mode revealed a globular morphology with dense and continuous layers of nanoparticles with voids being filled with polymeric material.
► Novel magnetic nanocomposite films with controlled morphology assembled by layer-by-layer. ► Electrostatic interaction of cationic CoFe
2O
4 nanoparticles and anionic (PEDOT:PSS). ► Globular morphology of dense layers of nanoparticles with voids being filled with polymeric material.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is frequently followed by a variety of physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms, which affect the patient’s daily life, their social relations, and their ...work/educational status. In addition to function measures, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has received increasing attention as an important outcome after TBI, as it may guide rehabilitation and evaluate treatment success. Here, we report on psychometric properties of a Spanish translation of the quality of life after brain injury (QoLIBRI) questionnaire, a disease-specific instrument to assess HRQoL in patients after TBI. Classical test theory, item response theory, and structural equation modeling were used to evaluate psychometric properties of the Spanish QoLIBRI translation in a convenience sample of N = 155 patients with TBI. A subset of n = 23 patients were tested twice with a test–retest interval of ≤2 weeks. Internal consistency and test–retest reliabilities were high (Cronbach’s α: 0.78–0.96; ICCs: 0.81–0.96). Rasch analysis infit (range 0.52–1.20) and outfit indices (range 0.50–1.17) supported unidimensionality of subscales, whereas SEM analysis tended to support a correlated six-factor model (CFI = .88, RMSEA = .068, 95% confidence interval .061, .075). Results show favorable psychometric properties of the Spanish translation of the QoLIBRI, comparable to the international version. It is, thus, a useful instrument for clinicians and researchers assessing the impact of TBI on quality of life, the outcomes of rehabilitation, and may be included in epidemiological surveys.
Summary Objectives To assess the potential contribution of improving the nutritional quality of processed foods on individuals’ nutritional intake and food supply. This paper also discusses the means ...to encourage firms to implement these reformulations, particularly in public/private partnerships. Study design The French Observatory of Food Quality was created by the Government for the quantification and follow-up of food reformulation by the food industry. This nutritional composition database on branded products was matched with two consumption databases: TNS Kantar Worldpanel, which provides details on quantities bought and food expenditures; and INCA 2, an individuals’ food consumption survey completed by the French Food Safety Agency. Three food groups were considered: breakfast cereals (355 items in 2008), biscuits and pastries (1805 items in 2008), and bread-based products (620 items in 2009). Methods First, the variability in nutrient composition within food categories was determined, which made it possible to consider several food composition modification scenarios within each category. The formulation of the food items with the lowest nutritional quality was modified to three different levels to improve the overall level of quality in a given category. Second, the quantities of sugars, fat, fibre and sodium delivered to the French market through breakfast cereals, biscuits, pastries and bread-based products were calculated for each scenario. Finally, the distribution of individuals’ nutrient consumption from the three food groups among the French population was assessed. Results These scenarios generated important improvements of 1–22% (increase in the amount of fibre or decrease in the amounts of sugars, fat and sodium delivered to the market), depending on the scenario, the food group and the nutrient considered. Improvement of the products with the lowest nutritional quality would also lead to significant variation in individuals’ nutrient consumption for the average adult and child consumers of the three groups (range 4.2–18.8%, depending on the scenario, the food group and the nutrient considered). Conclusion Encouraging the reformulation of foods, especially for products with the lowest nutritional quality in each category of processed foods, is a worthy target for health policy makers. The methodology presented in this paper provides information for negotiations between policy makers and firms to quantify commitments in terms of their potential impacts on individuals’ nutrient intake, and to check that the firms’ commitments are actually met.
PDF
