Genomic GC content varies widely among microbes for reasons unknown. While mutation bias partially explains this variation, prokaryotes near-universally have a higher GC content than predicted solely ...by this bias. Debate surrounds the relative importance of the remaining explanations of selection versus biased gene conversion favoring GC alleles. Some environments (e.g. soils) are associated with a high genomic GC content of their inhabitants, which implies that either high GC content is a selective adaptation to particular habitats, or that certain habitats favor increased rates of gene conversion. Here, we report a novel association between the presence of the non-homologous end joining DNA double-strand break repair pathway and GC content; this observation suggests that DNA damage may be a fundamental driver of GC content, leading in part to the many environmental patterns observed to-date. We discuss potential mechanisms accounting for the observed association, and provide preliminary evidence that sites experiencing higher rates of double-strand breaks are under selection for increased GC content relative to the genomic background.
The Nutri-Score is a candidate for the harmonized mandatory front-of-pack nutrition label enabling consumers in the European Union to make healthier food choices. Nutri-Score classifies foods ...(including beverages) from A (high nutritional quality) to E (low nutritional quality) based on the foods' qualifying and disqualifying components. We aimed to evaluate the updated Nutri-Score for foods (2022) and beverages (2023) in a Norwegian setting by exploring its ability to discriminate the nutritional quality of foods within categories. Additionally, we assessed Nutri-Scores' ability to classify foods in accordance with the Norwegian food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs). The updated Nutri-Score was calculated for 1,782 foods in a Norwegian food database. The discriminatory ability of the updated Nutri-Score was considered by exploring the distribution of Nutri-Score within categories of foods using boxplots and frequency tables, and by examining which qualifying and disqualifying components that contributed most to the Nutri-Score class. Accordance with the Norwegian FBDGs was assessed by exploring Nutri-Score for foods specifically mentioned in the guidelines. Overall, the updated Nutri-Score seemed to discriminate the nutritional quality of foods within categories, in a Norwegian setting. The foods' content of salt and the beverages' content of sugar were components contributing the most to Nutri-Scores' discriminatory ability. Furthermore, in most cases the updated Nutri-Score classified foods in accordance with the Norwegian FBDGs. However, there were minor inconsistencies in how Nutri-Score classified certain foods, such as the inabilities to discriminate between full-fat and low-fat/leaner cheeses, cremes and processed meats (sausages), and between whole grain and refined pasta/rice. We observed an overall acceptable discriminatory performance of the updated Nutri-Score in a Norwegian setting and in most cases the updated Nutri-Score classified foods in accordance with the Norwegian FBDGs. However, minor inconsistencies were observed. Together with the FBDGs, the updated Nutri-Score could be a useful tool in guiding consumers towards healthier food choices in Norway, but consumer evaluations are warranted to fully assess the performance of the updated Nutri-Score in a Norwegian context.
Purpose
This systematic review aimed to assess the literature for prevalence, severity, and impact on quality of life of salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia induced by cancer therapies.
...Methods
The electronic databases of MEDLINE/PubMed and EMBASE were searched for articles published in English since the 1989 NIH Development Consensus Conference on the Oral Complications of Cancer Therapies until 2008 inclusive. Two independent reviewers extracted information regarding study design, study population, interventions, outcome measures, results and conclusions for each article.
Results
The inclusion criteria were met by 184 articles covering salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia induced by conventional, 3D conformal radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy in head and neck cancer patients, cancer chemotherapy, total body irradiation/hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, radioactive iodine treatment, and immunotherapy.
Conclusions
Salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia are induced by radiotherapy in the head and neck region depending on the cumulative radiation dose to the gland tissue. Treatment focus should be on optimized/new approaches to further reduce the dose to the parotids, and particularly submandibular and minor salivary glands, as these glands are major contributors to moistening of oral tissues. Other cancer treatments also induce salivary gland hypofunction, although to a lesser severity, and in the case of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, the adverse effect is temporary. Fields of sparse literature included pediatric cancer populations, cancer chemotherapy, radioactive iodine treatment, total body irradiation/hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and immunotherapy.
Objectives
Aging is associated with changes in body composition. Excess adiposity among older adults has been linked with metabolic syndromes and aggravated age-associated decline in physical ...functioning. Few longitudinal studies have explored the association between dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived total as well as central adiposity measures and frailty. We examined the association of DXA-derived total and central adiposity with pre-frailty/frailty among Norwegian adults after 8 years of follow-up.
Design
Prospective observational study.
Setting
Community-dwelling adults from Tromsø, Norway.
Measurements
Adiposity was defined by fat mass index (FMI) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass assessed using DXA measures. Frailty status was assessed by low grip strength, slow walking speed, exhaustion, unintentional weight loss and low physical activity level. Pre-frail and frail participants at baseline were excluded. Sex-stratified multivariable logistic regression models were used to investigate the association.
Results
Participants comprised 234 women (mean age 68 years) and 146 men (mean age 69 years) attending the population-based Tromsø Study in 2007–2008 (Tromsø6) and 2015–2016 (Tromsø7). At the end of follow-up, 25.6% of the women and 27.4% of the men were pre-frail/frail. Compared with women in the lowest tertiles, those in the highest tertile of baseline FMI (odds ratio OR 4.42, 95% confidence interval CI 1.88–10.35) and VAT mass (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.10–5.50), respectively had higher odds for pre-frailty/frailty at follow-up.
Conclusion
We found a higher likelihood of pre-frailty/frailty in later years among women with general and central adiposity in adulthood, highlighting the importance of preventing excess adiposity for healthy aging.
Biodiesel has been attracting considerable attention as being a renewable, biodegradable, and nontoxic fuel that can contribute to the solution of some energy issues as it presents potential to help ...mitigate climate change. The Life Cycle Assessment of biodiesel from soybean oil (transesterification double step process) was carried out herein. A pilot plant was considered, designed to produce 72 L of biodiesel in daily continuous flow, throughout a lifetime of 15 years (8000 annual hours). The materials and equipment utilized in the construction of the plant were considered as well as the energy and substances required for the production of biodiesel. Environmental impact assessment method IPCC 2013 GWP 100a was utilized within the SimaPro software to express the final result in kg CO
2
-equivalent. The results quantified the CO
2
emissions associated with biodiesel production throughout the lifetime of the production plant (15 years), resulting in a total value of 1,441,426.05 kg CO
2
-eq. (96,095.07 kg CO
2
-eq. per year), which was equivalent to 4.01 kg CO
2
-eq. per liter of biodiesel produced. Decrease of environmental loads associated with the production of biodiesel could include improvements on the handling of biomass agriculture and on the technology production of biodiesel.
As a component of the thyroid hormones (THs), iodine is vital for normal neurodevelopment during early life. However, both deficient and excess iodine may affect TH production, and data on iodine ...status in young children are scarce.
To describe iodine nutrition (iodine status and intake) in children ≤2 y of age in Innlandet County (Norway) and to describe the associations with maternal iodine nutrition.
A cross-sectional study was performed in a representative sample of mother–child pairs selected from 30 municipalities from November 2020 until October 2021. Iodine status child urinary iodine concentration (UIC), maternal UIC, and breast milk iodine concentration (BMIC) was measured. Child’s iodine intake was estimated using 2 24-h dietary recalls (24-HR) and a food frequency questionnaire. The Multiple Source Method was used to estimate the usual iodine intake distributions from the 24-HR assessments.
The median UIC in 333 children was 145 μg/L, indicating adequate iodine status according to the WHO cutoff (100 μg/L). The median usual iodine intake was 83 μg/d. Furthermore, 35% had suboptimal usual iodine intakes below the proposed Estimated average requirement (72 μg/d), whereas <1% had excessive usual iodine intakes above the Upper intake level (200 μg/d). There was a positive correlation between the child’s iodine intake and BMIC (Spearman rank correlation coefficient I = 0.67, P < 0.001), and between the child’s UIC and BMIC (r = 0.43, P < 0.001), maternal UIC (r = 0.23, P = 0.001), and maternal iodine intake (r = 0.20, P = 0.004).
Despite a median UIC above the cutoff for iodine sufficiency, more than a third of the children had suboptimal usual iodine intakes. Our findings suggest that many children will benefit from iodine fortification and that risk of iodine excess in this age group is low.
SorCS2 is a member of the Vps10p-domain receptor gene family receptors with critical roles in the control of neuronal viability and function. Several genetic studies have suggested SORCS2 to confer ...risk of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Here we report that hippocampal N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity is eliminated in SorCS2-deficient mice. This defect was traced to the ability of SorCS2 to form complexes with the neurotrophin receptor p75
, required for pro-brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to induce long-term depression, and with the BDNF receptor tyrosine kinase TrkB to elicit long-term potentiation. Although the interaction with p75
was static, SorCS2 bound to TrkB in an activity-dependent manner to facilitate its translocation to postsynaptic densities for synaptic tagging and maintenance of synaptic potentiation. Neurons lacking SorCS2 failed to respond to BDNF by TrkB autophosphorylation, and activation of downstream signaling cascades, impacting neurite outgrowth and spine formation. Accordingly, Sorcs2
mice displayed impaired formation of long-term memory, increased risk taking and stimulus seeking behavior, enhanced susceptibility to stress and impaired prepulse inhibition. Our results identify SorCS2 as an indispensable coreceptor for p75
and TrkB in hippocampal neurons and suggest SORCS2 as the link between proBDNF/BDNF signaling and mental disorders.
Background
Appendicitis is the most common cause of acute abdominal pain requiring surgical intervention. The cause of appendicitis is unclear and the mechanism of pathogenesis continues to be ...debated. Despite improved asepsis and surgical techniques, postoperative complications, such as wound infection and intraabdominal abscess, still account for a significant morbidity. Several studies implicate that postoperative infections are reduced by administration of antimicrobial regimes.
Objectives
This review evaluated the use of antibiotics compared to placebo or no treatment in patients undergoing appendectomy. Will these patients benefit from antimicrobial prophylaxis? The outcomes were described according to the nature of the appendix, as either simple appendicitis (including the non‐infectious stage) and complicated appendicitis. The efficacy of different antibiotic regimens were not evaluated.
Search methods
We searched The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane Library 2005 issue 1); Pubmed ; EMBASE; and the Cochrane Colorectal Cancer Group Specialised Register (April 2005). In addition, we manually searched the reference lists of the primary identified trials.
Selection criteria
We evaluated Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) and Controlled Clinical Trials (CCTs) in which any antibiotic regime were compared to placebo in patients suspected of having appendicitis, and undergoing appendectomy. Both studies on children and adults were reviewed. The outcome measures of the studies were: Wound infection, intra abdominal abscess, length of stay in hospital, and mortality.
Data collection and analysis
Eligibility and trial quality were assessed, recorded and cross‐checked by two reviewers.
Main results
Forty‐five studies including 9576 patients were included in this review. The overall result is that the use of antibiotics is superior to placebo for preventing wound infection and intraabdominal abscess, with no apparant difference in the nature of the removed appendix. Studies exclusively on children and studies examining topical application reported results in favour to the above, although the results were not significant.
Authors' conclusions
Antibiotic prophylaxis is effective in the prevention of postoperative complications in appendectomised patients, whether the administration is given pre‐, peri‐ or post‐operatively, and could be considered for routine in emergency appendectomies.
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