► The Se content and species in flour and bread produced from biofortified wheat was assessed. ► Total Se in flour increased by ∼170ng/g with 10g/ha selenate application to wheat crop. ► The ...relationship between Se added to crop and the content in flour and bread was linear. ► The major species of extractable Se in enriched flour and bread was selenomethionine. ► Biofortification of wheat may provide an appropriate strategy to increase the intake of bioavailable Se.
The retention and speciation of selenium in flour and bread was determined following experimental applications of selenium fertilisers to a high-yielding UK wheat crop. Flour and bread were produced using standard commercial practices. Total selenium was measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the profile of selenium species in the flour and bread were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) ICP-MS. The selenium concentration of flour ranged from 30ng/g in white flour and 35ng/g in wholemeal flour from untreated plots up to >1800ng/g in white and >2200ng/g in wholemeal flour processed from grain treated with selenium (as selenate) at the highest application rate of 100g/ha. The relationship between the amount of selenium applied to the crop and the amount of selenium in flour and bread was approximately linear, indicating minimal loss of Se during grain processing and bread production. On average, application of selenium at 10g/ha increased total selenium in white and wholemeal bread by 155 and 185ng/g, respectively, equivalent to 6.4 and 7.1μg selenium per average slice of white and wholemeal bread, respectively. Selenomethionine accounted for 65–87% of total extractable selenium species in Se-enriched flour and bread; selenocysteine, Se-methylselenocysteine selenite and selenate were also detected. Controlled agronomic biofortification of wheat crops for flour and bread production could provide an appropriate strategy to increase the intake of bioavailable selenium.
At present, there are few technologies which enable the detection, identification and viability analysis of protozoan pathogens including Cryptosporidium and/or Giardia at the single (oo)cyst level. ...We report the use of Microfluidic Impedance Cytometry (MIC) to characterise the AC electrical (impedance) properties of single parasites and demonstrate rapid discrimination based on viability and species. Specifically, MIC was used to identify live and inactive C. parvum oocysts with over 90% certainty, whilst also detecting damaged and/or excysted oocysts. Furthermore, discrimination of Cryptosporidium parvum, Cryptosporidium muris and Giardia lamblia, with over 92% certainty was achieved. Enumeration and identification of (oo)cysts can be achieved in a few minutes, which offers a reduction in identification time and labour demands when compared to existing detection methods.
Vitamin D and schizophrenia: 20 years on Cui, Xiaoying; McGrath, John J; Burne, Thomas H J ...
Molecular psychiatry,
07/2021, Letnik:
26, Številka:
7
Journal Article
Recenzirano
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Many epidemiological studies have highlighted the link between vitamin D deficiency and schizophrenia. In particular, two prominent studies report an association between neonatal vitamin D deficiency ...and an increased risk of schizophrenia. In parallel, much has been learnt about the role of vitamin D in the developing central nervous system over the last two decades. Studies in rodent models of developmental vitamin D (DVD)-deficiency describe how brain development is altered leading to a range of neurobiological and behavioral phenotypes of interest to schizophrenia. While glutamate and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) systems have been little investigated in these models, alterations in developing dopamine systems are frequently reported. There have been far more studies reporting patients with schizophrenia have an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency compared to well controls. Here we have conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis that basically confirms this association and extends this to first-episode psychosis. However, patients with schizophrenia also have poorer general health, poorer diets, are frequently less active and also have an increased risk of other medical conditions, all factors which reduce circulating vitamin D levels. Therefore, we would urge caution in any causal interpretation of this association. We also summarize the inconsistent results from existing vitamin D supplementation trials in patients with schizophrenia. In respect to animal models of adult vitamin D deficiency, such exposures produce subtle neurochemical alterations and effects on cognition but do not appear to produce behavioral phenotypes of relevance to schizophrenia. We conclude, the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency during early life may increase the risk of schizophrenia remains plausible and warrants ongoing research.
Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) remain widespread among people in sub-Saharan Africa
, where access to sufficient food from plant and animal sources that is rich in micronutrients (vitamins and ...minerals) is limited due to socioeconomic and geographical reasons
. Here we report the micronutrient composition (calcium, iron, selenium and zinc) of staple cereal grains for most of the cereal production areas in Ethiopia and Malawi. We show that there is geospatial variation in the composition of micronutrients that is nutritionally important at subnational scales. Soil and environmental covariates of grain micronutrient concentrations included soil pH, soil organic matter, temperature, rainfall and topography, which were specific to micronutrient and crop type. For rural households consuming locally sourced food-including many smallholder farming communities-the location of residence can be the largest influencing factor in determining the dietary intake of micronutrients from cereals. Positive relationships between the concentration of selenium in grain and biomarkers of selenium dietary status occur in both countries. Surveillance of MNDs on the basis of biomarkers of status and dietary intakes from national- and regional-scale food-composition data
could be improved using subnational data on the composition of grain micronutrients. Beyond dietary diversification, interventions to alleviate MNDs, such as food fortification
and biofortification to increase the micronutrient concentrations in crops
, should account for geographical effects that can be larger in magnitude than intervention outcomes.
Abstract
Glacial lakes can form and grow due to glacial retreat, and rapid lake drainage can produce destructive floods. Outburst flood compilations show a temporal increase in frequency; however, ...recent studies highlight the role of observational bias, creating uncertainty about current and future glacial-lake hazards. Here, we focus on the Alaska region, which generated a third of previously documented outbursts globally. Using multitemporal satellite imagery, we documented 1150 drainages from 106 ice-dammed lakes between 1985 and 2020. Documented events became more frequent over time, however, accounting for increasing image availability reveals no significant increase occurred. Most lakes decreased in area and volume, suggesting a reduction in regional flood hazard. Our satellite-based approach documented 60% more events in a 35-year period than had previously been documented over 100 years. This suggests that outburst floods have historically been underreported and warrants systematic study of other regions.
A novel photocrosslinkable and melt processible terpolymer precursor for carbon fiber has been successfully synthesized and characterized. The terpolymer was synthesized by an efficient emulsion ...polymerization route and has a typical composition of acrylonitrile/methyl acrylate/acryloyl benzophenone in the mole ratio, 85/14/1. It has been characterized by FTIR, NMR, intrinsic viscosity and GPC molecular weights. The composition of the monomer repeat units in the terpolymer was determined by NMR, and was almost identical to the molar feed ratios of the monomers used for polymerization. The
T
g of the terpolymers, were somewhat a function of molecular weight, but were in the range 77–91
°C. The fibers were spun from the terpolymer melts unlike the conventional solution spinning method. The terpolymers when stabilized with boric acid afforded a stable melt for about 30
min at 200–220
°C, which was empirically found to be sufficiently long to spin fibers. The terpolymer with the highest molecular weight (
M
n, ∼48,000) was not melt processible, apparently because the melt viscosity was very high and the terpolymer degraded fast. However, terpolymers, which had an intrinsic viscosity <0.6
dL/g (NMP, 25
°C) were invariably melt processible. The initial carbon fibers produced from these terpolymer fibers upon complete carbonization exhibited good mechanical properties for proposed automotive applications; the tensile strength of the best fibers generated thus far was in the range 450–700
MPa with a strain to failure of ∼0.4%. The diameter of the carbon fibers was of the order of 7
μm.
Estimates of sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence are essential for efforts to prevent and control STIs. Few large STI prevalence studies exist, especially for low- and middle-income ...countries (LMICs). Our primary objective was to estimate the prevalence of chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, syphilis, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and bacterial vaginosis (BV) among women in sub-Saharan Africa by age, region, and population type.
We analyzed individual-level data from 18 HIV prevention studies (cohort studies and randomized controlled trials; conducted during 1993-2011), representing >37,000 women, that tested participants for ≥1 selected STIs or BV at baseline. We used a 2-stage meta-analysis to combine data. After calculating the proportion of participants with each infection and standard error by study, we used a random-effects model to obtain a summary mean prevalence of each infection and 95% confidence interval (CI) across ages, regions, and population types. Despite substantial study heterogeneity for some STIs/populations, several patterns emerged. Across the three primary region/population groups (South Africa community-based, Southern/Eastern Africa community-based, and Eastern Africa higher-risk), prevalence was higher among 15-24-year-old than 25-49-year-old women for all STIs except HSV-2. In general, higher-risk populations had greater prevalence of gonorrhea and syphilis than clinic/community-based populations. For chlamydia, prevalence among 15-24-year-olds was 10.3% (95% CI: 7.4%, 14.1%; I2 = 75.7%) among women specifically recruited from higher-risk settings for HIV in Eastern Africa and was 15.1% (95% CI: 12.7%, 17.8%; I2 = 82.3%) in South African clinic/community-based populations. Among clinic/community-based populations, prevalence was generally greater in South Africa than in Southern/Eastern Africa for most STIs; for gonorrhea, prevalence among 15-24-year-olds was 4.6% (95% CI: 3.3%, 6.4%; I2 = 82.8%) in South Africa and was 1.7% (95% CI: 1.2%, 2.6%; I2 = 55.2%) in Southern/Eastern Africa. Across the three primary region/population groups, HSV-2 and BV prevalence was high among 25-49-year-olds (ranging from 70% to 83% and 33% to 44%, respectively). The main study limitation is that the data are not from random samples of the target populations.
Combining data from 18 HIV prevention studies, our findings highlight important features of STI/BV epidemiology among sub-Saharan African women. This methodology can be used where routine STI surveillance is limited and offers a new approach to obtaining critical information on STI and BV prevalence in LMICs.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS OF GALAXIES IN CANDELS van der Wel, A; Bell, E F; Haussler, B ...
The Astrophysical journal. Supplement series,
12/2012, Letnik:
203, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
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We present global structural parameter measurements of 109,533 unique, H sub(F160W)-selected objects from the CANDELS multi-cycle treasury program. Sersic model fits for these objects are produced ...with GALFIT in all available near-infrared filters (H sub(F160W), J sub(F125W) and, for a subset, Y sub(F105W)). The parameters of the best-fitting Sersic models (total magnitude, half-light radius, Sersic index, axis ratio, and position angle) are made public, along with newly constructed point-spread functions for each field and filter. Random uncertainties in the measured parameters are estimated for each individual object based on a comparison between multiple, independent measurements of the same set of objects. To quantify systematic uncertainties, we create a mosaic with simulated galaxy images with a realistic distribution of input parameters and then process and analyze the mosaic in an identical manner as the real data. We find that accurate and precise measurements-to 10% or better-of all structural parameters can typically be obtained for galaxies with H sub(F160W) < 23, with comparable fidelity for basic size and shape measurements for galaxies to H sub(F160W) ~ 24.5.
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