Nutritional physiology and ecology of wildlife in a changing world

PubMed Central

Peiman, Kathryn S.; Raubenheimer, David; Cooke, Steven J.

2017-01-01

Abstract Over the last century, humans have modified landscapes, generated pollution and provided opportunities for exotic species to invade areas where they did not evolve. In addition, humans now interact with animals in a growing number of ways (e.g. ecotourism). As a result, the quality (i.e. nutrient composition) and quantity (i.e. food abundance) of dietary items consumed by wildlife have, in many cases, changed. We present representative examples of the extent to which vertebrate foraging behaviour, food availability (quantity and quality) and digestive physiology have been modified due to human-induced environmental changes and human activities. We find that these effects can be quite extensive, especially as a result of pollution and human-provisioned food sources (despite good intentions). We also discuss the role of nutrition in conservation practices, from the perspective of both in situ and ex situ conservation. Though we find that the changes in the nutritional ecology and physiology of wildlife due to human alterations are typically negative and largely involve impacts on foraging behaviour and food availability, the extent to which these will affect the fitness of organisms and result in evolutionary changes is not clearly understood, and requires further investigation. PMID:28740638

Nutritional physiology and ecology of wildlife in a changing world.

PubMed

Birnie-Gauvin, Kim; Peiman, Kathryn S; Raubenheimer, David; Cooke, Steven J

2017-01-01

Over the last century, humans have modified landscapes, generated pollution and provided opportunities for exotic species to invade areas where they did not evolve. In addition, humans now interact with animals in a growing number of ways (e.g. ecotourism). As a result, the quality (i.e. nutrient composition) and quantity (i.e. food abundance) of dietary items consumed by wildlife have, in many cases, changed. We present representative examples of the extent to which vertebrate foraging behaviour, food availability (quantity and quality) and digestive physiology have been modified due to human-induced environmental changes and human activities. We find that these effects can be quite extensive, especially as a result of pollution and human-provisioned food sources (despite good intentions). We also discuss the role of nutrition in conservation practices, from the perspective of both in situ and ex situ conservation. Though we find that the changes in the nutritional ecology and physiology of wildlife due to human alterations are typically negative and largely involve impacts on foraging behaviour and food availability, the extent to which these will affect the fitness of organisms and result in evolutionary changes is not clearly understood, and requires further investigation.

Anthropogenic pollutants: a threat to ecosystem sustainability?

PubMed

Rhind, S M

2009-11-27

Pollutants, including synthetic organic materials and heavy metals, are known to adversely affect physiological systems in all animal species studied to date. While many individual chemicals can perturb normal functions, the combined actions of multiple pollutants are of particular concern because they can exert effects even when each individual chemical is present at concentrations too low to be individually effective. The biological effects of pollutants differ greatly between species reflecting differences in the pattern of exposure, routes of uptake, metabolism following uptake, rates of accumulation and sensitivity of the target organs. Thus, understanding of the effects of pollutants on wildlife and ecosystems will require detailed study of many different species, representing a wide range of taxa. However, such studies can be informed by knowledge obtained in more controlled conditions which may indicate likely mechanisms of action and suitable endpoint measurements. Responses may be exacerbated by interactions between the effects of pollutants and environmental stressors, such as under-nutrition or osmotic stresses and so changes in such variables associated with climatic changes may exacerbate physiological responses to pollutant burdens.

Air pollution and anemia as risk factors for pneumonia in ecuadorian children: a retrospective cohort analysis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Ambient air pollution and malnutrition, particularly anemia, are risk factors for pneumonia, a leading cause of death in children under five. We simultaneously assessed these risk factors in Quito, Ecuador. Methods In 2005, we studied two socioeconomically similar neighborhoods in Quito: Lucha de los Pobres (LP) and Jaime Roldos (JR). LP had relatively high levels of air pollution (annual median PM2.5 = 20.4 μg/m3; NO2 = 29.5 μg/m3) compared to JR (annual median PM2.5 = 15.3 μg/m3; NO2 = 16.6 μg/m3). We enrolled 408 children from LP (more polluted) and 413 children from JR (less polluted). All subjects were aged 18-42 months. We obtained medical histories of prior physician visits and hospitalizations during the previous year, anthropometric nutrition data, hemoglobin levels, and hemoglobin oxygen saturation via oximetry. Results In anemic children, higher pollution exposure was significantly associated with pneumonia hospitalization (OR = 6.82, 95%CI = 1.45-32.00; P = 0.015). In non-anemic children, no difference in hospitalizations by pollution exposure status was detected (OR = 1.04, NS). Children exposed to higher levels of air pollution had more pneumonia hospitalizations (OR = 3.68, 1.09-12.44; P = 0.036), total respiratory illness (OR = 2.93, 95% CI 1.92-4.47; P < 0.001), stunting (OR = 1.88, 1.36-2.60; P < 0.001) and anemia (OR = 1.45, 1.09-1.93; P = 0.013) compared to children exposed to lower levels of air pollution. Also, children exposed to higher levels of air pollution had significantly lower oxygen saturation (92.2% ± 2.6% vs. 95.8% ± 2.2%; P < 0.0001), consistent with air pollution related dyshemoglobinemia. Conclusions Ambient air pollution is associated with rates of hospitalization for pneumonia and with physician's consultations for acute respiratory infections. Anemia may interact with air pollution to increase pneumonia hospitalizations. If confirmed in larger studies, improving nutrition-related anemia, as well as decreasing the levels of air pollution in Quito, may reduce pneumonia incidence. PMID:22050924

The role of micronutrients in the response to ambient air pollutants: Potential mechanisms and suggestions for research design.

PubMed

Miller, Colette N; Rayalam, Srujana

2017-01-01

People living in regions of low socioeconomic status are thought to be prone to higher exposures to environmental pollutants, poor nutrition, and numerous preventable diseases and infections. Poverty correlates with pollution and malnutrition; however, limited studies examined their interrelationship. The well-studied, deleterious health effects attributed to environmental pollutants and poor nutrition may act in combination with produce more severe adverse health outcomes than any one factor alone. Deficiencies in specific nutrients render the body more susceptible to injury which may influence the pathways that serve as the mechanistic responses to ambient air pollutants. This review (1) explores specific micronutrients that are of global concern, (2) explains how these nutrients may impact the body's response to ambient air pollution, and (3) provides guidance on designing animal models of nutritional deficiency. It is likely that those individuals who reside in regions of high ambient air pollution are similarly malnourished. Therefore, it is important that research identifies specific nutrients of concern and their impact in identified regions of high ambient air pollution.

Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Read the final rule on the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast, see the rule history, and a compliance and enforcement manual on this Maximum Achievable Control Technology.

Steady-state nutrition of soil grown trembling aspen clones and the potential for gaseous pollutant experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coleman, M.D.; Dickson, R.E.; Isebrands, J.G.

To assess the interaction of gaseous pollutants and plant nutrition it is desirable to grow plants at a constant growth rate while maintaining constant nutrient status. Once constant, or steady-state, conditions are established relationships between growth, nutrition, physiology and stress responses are simplified. Relative nutrient additions are an effective way to maintain such constant conditions in solution culture; however, few experiments have applied such treatments to soil grown plants. This experiment evaluates the response of two aspen clones (259 and 271) to various relative nutrient addition rates (1,2,3,4,5 % per day) applied to the peat:sand:vermiculite growing media. Although the initialmore » lag phase (adjustment period) lasted up to 50 days, subsequent relative growth rates were uniform and related to treatment. Growth responses among treatments were distinct with final biomass in the higher addition rates (3,4,5% per day) as much as twice that of the next lower treatment. Clone 271 (ozone tolerant) produced only 61% of the biomass that clone 259 (ozone sensitive) produced in the 5% per day treatment. Final leaf nitrogen was 1.5, 2.1, 3.4, 3.8, 4.3% dry weight for 1 to 5% per day addition rate treatments respectively. Concentrations between clones were equal. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of steady-state nutrition in controlling growth and nutrient status of soil grown aspen, enabling more critical control of stress experiments.« less

The Use of Protein-Protein Interactions for the Analysis of the Associations between PM2.5 and Some Diseases.

PubMed

Zhang, Qing; Zhang, Pei-Wei; Cai, Yu-Dong

2016-01-01

Nowadays, pollution levels are rapidly increasing all over the world. One of the most important pollutants is PM2.5. It is known that the pollution environment may cause several problems, such as greenhouse effect and acid rain. Among them, the most important problem is that pollutants can induce a number of serious diseases. Some studies have reported that PM2.5 is an important etiologic factor for lung cancer. In this study, we extensively investigate the associations between PM2.5 and 22 disease classes recommended by Goh et al., such as respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal diseases. The protein-protein interactions were used to measure the linkage between disease genes and genes that have been reported to be modulated by PM2.5. The results suggest that some diseases, such as diseases related to ear, nose, and throat and gastrointestinal, nutritional, renal, and cardiovascular diseases, are influenced by PM2.5 and some evidences were provided to confirm our results. For example, a total of 18 genes related to cardiovascular diseases are identified to be closely related to PM2.5, and cardiovascular disease relevant gene DSP is significantly related to PM2.5 gene JUP.

The role of micronutrients in the response to air pollutants ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

People living in regions of low socioeconomic status are thought to be prone to higher exposures to environmental pollutants, poor nutrition, and numerous preventable diseases and infections. Poverty correlates with pollution and malnutrition, however limited studies examined their interrelationship. The well-studied, deleterious health effects attributed to environmental pollutants and poor nutrition may act in combination to produce more severe adverse health outcomes than any one factor alone. Deficiency in specific nutrients render the body more susceptible to injury which may influence the pathways that serve as the mechanistic responses to air pollutants. This review (1) explores specific micronutrients that are of global concern, (2) explains how these nutrients may impact the body’s response to ambient air pollution, and (3) provides guidance on designing animal models of nutritional deficiency. It is likely that those individuals who reside in regions of high ambient air pollution are similarly malnourished. Therefore, it is important that research identifies specific nutrients of concern and their impact in identified regions of high ambient air pollution. The purpose of the current paper is to (1) provide an understanding of the known nutrients of concern worldwide. Selected nutrients will be discussed in depth in the following sections based on information from the World Health Organization, World Food Programme data, and also demonstrate risk of

Controlling nitrogen migration through micro-nano networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Dongqing; Wu, Zhengyan; Jiang, Jiang; Wu, Yuejin; Feng, Huiyun; Brown, Ian G.; Chu, Paul K.; Yu, Zengliang

2014-01-01

Nitrogen fertilizer unabsorbed by crops eventually discharges into the environment through runoff, leaching and volatilization, resulting in three-dimensional (3D) pollution spanning from underground into space. Here we describe an approach for controlling nitrogen loss, developed using loss control fertilizer (LCF) prepared by adding modified natural nanoclay (attapulgite) to traditional fertilizer. In the aqueous phase, LCF self-assembles to form 3D micro/nano networks via hydrogen bonds and other weak interactions, obtaining a higher nitrogen spatial scale so that it is retained by a soil filtering layer. Thus nitrogen loss is reduced and sufficient nutrition for crops is supplied, while the pollution risk of the fertilizer is substantially lowered. As such, self-fabrication of nano-material was used to manipulate the nitrogen spatial scale, which provides a novel and promising approach for the research and control of the migration of other micro-scaled pollutants in environmental medium.

Controlling nitrogen migration through micro-nano networks.

PubMed

Cai, Dongqing; Wu, Zhengyan; Jiang, Jiang; Wu, Yuejin; Feng, Huiyun; Brown, Ian G; Chu, Paul K; Yu, Zengliang

2014-01-14

Nitrogen fertilizer unabsorbed by crops eventually discharges into the environment through runoff, leaching and volatilization, resulting in three-dimensional (3D) pollution spanning from underground into space. Here we describe an approach for controlling nitrogen loss, developed using loss control fertilizer (LCF) prepared by adding modified natural nanoclay (attapulgite) to traditional fertilizer. In the aqueous phase, LCF self-assembles to form 3D micro/nano networks via hydrogen bonds and other weak interactions, obtaining a higher nitrogen spatial scale so that it is retained by a soil filtering layer. Thus nitrogen loss is reduced and sufficient nutrition for crops is supplied, while the pollution risk of the fertilizer is substantially lowered. As such, self-fabrication of nano-material was used to manipulate the nitrogen spatial scale, which provides a novel and promising approach for the research and control of the migration of other micro-scaled pollutants in environmental medium.

Controlling nitrogen migration through micro-nano networks

PubMed Central

Cai, Dongqing; Wu, Zhengyan; Jiang, Jiang; Wu, Yuejin; Feng, Huiyun; Brown, Ian G.; Chu, Paul K.; Yu, Zengliang

2014-01-01

Nitrogen fertilizer unabsorbed by crops eventually discharges into the environment through runoff, leaching and volatilization, resulting in three-dimensional (3D) pollution spanning from underground into space. Here we describe an approach for controlling nitrogen loss, developed using loss control fertilizer (LCF) prepared by adding modified natural nanoclay (attapulgite) to traditional fertilizer. In the aqueous phase, LCF self-assembles to form 3D micro/nano networks via hydrogen bonds and other weak interactions, obtaining a higher nitrogen spatial scale so that it is retained by a soil filtering layer. Thus nitrogen loss is reduced and sufficient nutrition for crops is supplied, while the pollution risk of the fertilizer is substantially lowered. As such, self-fabrication of nano-material was used to manipulate the nitrogen spatial scale, which provides a novel and promising approach for the research and control of the migration of other micro-scaled pollutants in environmental medium. PMID:24419037

The Role of Proanthocyanidins Complex in Structure and Nutrition Interaction in Alfalfa Forage

PubMed Central

Jonker, Arjan; Yu, Peiqiang

2016-01-01

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the main forages grown in the world. Alfalfa is a winter hardy, drought tolerant, N-fixing legume with a good longevity, high yield, high nutrient levels, high digestibility, unique structural to non-structural components ratio, high dry matter intake, and high animal productivity per hectare. However, its main limitation is its excessively rapid initial rate of protein degradation in the rumen, which results in pasture bloat and inefficient use of protein with consequent excessive excretions of nitrogen into the environment. Proanthocyanidins are secondary plant metabolites that can bind with protein and thereby reduce the rate and extent of ruminal protein degradation. However, these secondary metabolites do not accumulate in alfalfa. This review aims to firstly describe the events involved in the rapid release of protein from alfalfa and its effect on ruminant nutrition, environmental pollution, and pasture bloat; secondly, to describe occurrence, structure, functions and benefits of moderate amounts of proanthocyanidin; and finally, to describe the development of alfalfa which accumulates moderate amounts of proanthocyanidins. The emphasis of this review focuses on the role of proanthocyanidins compounds in structure and nutrition interaction in ruminant livestock systems. PMID:27223279

The Role of Proanthocyanidins Complex in Structure and Nutrition Interaction in Alfalfa Forage.

PubMed

Jonker, Arjan; Yu, Peiqiang

2016-05-23

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the main forages grown in the world. Alfalfa is a winter hardy, drought tolerant, N-fixing legume with a good longevity, high yield, high nutrient levels, high digestibility, unique structural to non-structural components ratio, high dry matter intake, and high animal productivity per hectare. However, its main limitation is its excessively rapid initial rate of protein degradation in the rumen, which results in pasture bloat and inefficient use of protein with consequent excessive excretions of nitrogen into the environment. Proanthocyanidins are secondary plant metabolites that can bind with protein and thereby reduce the rate and extent of ruminal protein degradation. However, these secondary metabolites do not accumulate in alfalfa. This review aims to firstly describe the events involved in the rapid release of protein from alfalfa and its effect on ruminant nutrition, environmental pollution, and pasture bloat; secondly, to describe occurrence, structure, functions and benefits of moderate amounts of proanthocyanidin; and finally, to describe the development of alfalfa which accumulates moderate amounts of proanthocyanidins. The emphasis of this review focuses on the role of proanthocyanidins compounds in structure and nutrition interaction in ruminant livestock systems.

Exposure to air pollution interacts with obesogenic nutrition to induce tissue-specific response patterns.

PubMed

Pardo, Michal; Kuperman, Yael; Levin, Liron; Rudich, Assaf; Haim, Yulia; Schauer, James J; Chen, Alon; Rudich, Yinon

2018-04-20

Obesity and exposure to particular matter (PM) have become two leading global threats to public health. However, the exact mechanisms and tissue-specificity of their health effects are largely unknown. Here we investigate whether a metabolic challenge (early nutritional obesity) synergistically interacts with an environmental challenge (PM exposure) to alter genes representing key response pathways, in a tissue-specific manner. Mice subjected to 7 weeks obesogenic nutrition were exposed every other day during the final week and a half to aqueous extracts of PM collected in the city of London (UK). The expression of 61 selected genes representing key response pathways were investigated in lung, liver, white and brown adipose tissues. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed distinct patterns of expression changes between the 4 tissues, particularly in the lungs and the liver. Surprisingly, the lung responded to the nutrition challenge. The response of these organs to the PM challenge displayed opposite patterns for some key genes, in particular, those related to the Nrf2 pathway. While the contribution to the variance in gene expression changes in mice exposed to the combined challenge were largely similar among the tissues in PCA1, PCA2 exhibited predominant contribution of inflammatory and oxidative stress responses to the variance in the lungs, and a greater contribution of autophagy genes and MAP kinases in adipose tissues. Possible involvement of alterations in DNA methylation was demonstrated by cell-type-specific responses to a methylation inhibitor. Correspondingly, the DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3a2 increased in the lungs but decreased in the liver, demonstrating potential tissue-differential synergism between nutritional and PM exposure. The results suggest that urban PM, containing dissolved metals, interacts with obesogenic nutrition to regulate diverse response pathways including inflammation and oxidative stress, in a tissue-specific manner. Tissue-differential effects on DNA methylation may underlie tissue-specific responses to key stress-response genes such as catalase and Nrf2. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Construction of environmental risk score beyond standard linear models using machine learning methods: application to metal mixtures, oxidative stress and cardiovascular disease in NHANES.

PubMed

Park, Sung Kyun; Zhao, Zhangchen; Mukherjee, Bhramar

2017-09-26

There is growing concern of health effects of exposure to pollutant mixtures. We initially proposed an Environmental Risk Score (ERS) as a summary measure to examine the risk of exposure to multi-pollutants in epidemiologic research considering only pollutant main effects. We expand the ERS by consideration of pollutant-pollutant interactions using modern machine learning methods. We illustrate the multi-pollutant approaches to predicting a marker of oxidative stress (gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)), a common disease pathway linking environmental exposure and numerous health endpoints. We examined 20 metal biomarkers measured in urine or whole blood from 6 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2003-2004 to 2013-2014, n = 9664). We randomly split the data evenly into training and testing sets and constructed ERS's of metal mixtures for GGT using adaptive elastic-net with main effects and pairwise interactions (AENET-I), Bayesian additive regression tree (BART), Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), and Super Learner in the training set and evaluated their performances in the testing set. We also evaluated the associations between GGT-ERS and cardiovascular endpoints. ERS based on AENET-I performed better than other approaches in terms of prediction errors in the testing set. Important metals identified in relation to GGT include cadmium (urine), dimethylarsonic acid, monomethylarsonic acid, cobalt, and barium. All ERS's showed significant associations with systolic and diastolic blood pressure and hypertension. For hypertension, one SD increase in each ERS from AENET-I, BART and SuperLearner were associated with odds ratios of 1.26 (95% CI, 1.15, 1.38), 1.17 (1.09, 1.25), and 1.30 (1.20, 1.40), respectively. ERS's showed non-significant positive associations with mortality outcomes. ERS is a useful tool for characterizing cumulative risk from pollutant mixtures, with accounting for statistical challenges such as high degrees of correlations and pollutant-pollutant interactions. ERS constructed for an intermediate marker like GGT is predictive of related disease endpoints.

Protective influence of healthful nutrition on mechanisms of environmental pollutant toxicity and disease risks.

PubMed

Hoffman, Jessie B; Hennig, Bernhard

2017-06-01

Human exposures to environmental contaminants around the world contribute to the global burden of disease and thus require urgent attention. Exploring preventive measures against environmental exposure and disease risk is essential. While a sedentary lifestyle and/or poor dietary habits can exacerbate the deleterious effects resulting from exposure to toxic chemicals, much emerging evidence suggests that positive lifestyle changes (e.g., healthful nutrition) can modulate and/or reduce the toxicity of environmental pollutants. Our work has shown that diets high in anti-inflammatory bioactive food components (e.g., phytochemicals or polyphenols) are possible strategies for modulating and reducing the disease risks associated with exposure to toxic pollutants in the environment. Thus, consuming healthy diets rich in plant-derived bioactive nutrients may reduce the vulnerability to diseases linked to environmental toxic insults. This nutritional paradigm in environmental toxicology requires further study in order to improve our understanding of the relationships between nutrition and other lifestyle modifications and toxicant-induced diseases. © 2017 New York Academy of Sciences.

40 CFR 63.2132 - What parts of my plant does this subpart cover?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast What... nutritional yeast manufacturing facility. (b) The affected source is the collection of equipment used in the manufacture of the nutritional yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This collection of equipment includes...

Role of oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease outcomes following exposure to ambient air pollution.

PubMed

Kelly, Frank J; Fussell, Julia C

2017-09-01

Exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. These are manifested through several, likely overlapping, pathways including at the functional level, endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, pro-coagulation and alterations in autonomic nervous system balance and blood pressure. At numerous points within each of these pathways, there is potential for cellular oxidative imbalances to occur. The current review examines epidemiological, occupational and controlled exposure studies and research employing healthy and diseased animal models, isolated organs and cell cultures in assessing the importance of the pro-oxidant potential of air pollution in the development of cardiovascular disease outcomes. The collective body of data provides evidence that oxidative stress (OS) is not only central to eliciting specific cardiac endpoints, but is also implicated in modulating the risk of succumbing to cardiovascular disease, sensitivity to ischemia/reperfusion injury and the onset and progression of metabolic disease following ambient pollution exposure. To add to this large research effort conducted to date, further work is required to provide greater insight into areas such as (a) whether an oxidative imbalance triggers and/or worsens the effect and/or is representative of the consequence of disease progression, (b) OS pathways and cardiac outcomes caused by individual pollutants within air pollution mixtures, or as a consequence of inter-pollutant interactions and (c) potential protection provided by nutritional supplements and/or pharmacological agents with antioxidant properties, in susceptible populations residing in polluted urban cities. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Marketing: Its Role in the Delivery of Nutrition Education Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grondin, Deirdre

Social causes such as "improved nutritional practices" could benefit from marketing-like thinking. The improvement of nutritional practices, like other social concerns such as pollution control, drug abuse, and physical fitness, needs innovative solutions and approaches for gaining public attention and support. Marketing persons, by their…

Bacteria-mediated effects of antibiotics on Daphnia nutrition.

PubMed

Gorokhova, Elena; Rivetti, Claudia; Furuhagen, Sara; Edlund, Anna; Ek, Karin; Breitholtz, Magnus

2015-05-05

In polluted environments, contaminant effects may be manifested via both direct toxicity to the host and changes in its microbiota, affecting bacteria-host interactions. In this context, particularly relevant is exposure to antibiotics released into environment. We examined effects of the antibiotic trimethoprim on microbiota of Daphnia magna and concomitant changes in the host feeding. In daphnids exposed to 0.25 mg L(-1) trimethoprim for 24 h, the microbiota was strongly affected, with (1) up to 21-fold decrease in 16S rRNA gene abundance and (2) a shift from balanced communities dominated by Curvibacter, Aquabacterium, and Limnohabitans in controls to significantly lower diversity under dominance of Pelomonas in the exposed animals. Moreover, decreased feeding and digestion was observed in the animals exposed to 0.25-2 mg L(-1) trimethoprim for 48 h and then fed 14C-labeled algae. Whereas the proportion of intact algal cells in the guts increased with increased trimethoprim concentration, ingestion and incorporation rates as well as digestion and incorporation efficiencies decreased significantly. Thus, antibiotics may impact nontarget species via changes in their microbiota leading to compromised nutrition and, ultimately, growth. These bacteria-mediated effects in nontarget organisms may not be unique for antibiotics, but also relevant for environmental pollutants of various nature.

The role of micronutrients in the response to ambient air pollutants: potential mechanisms and suggestions for research design.

EPA Science Inventory

People living in regions of low socioeconomic status are thought to be prone to higher exposures to environmental pollutants, poor nutrition, and numerous preventable diseases and infections. Poverty correlates with pollution and malnutrition, however limited studies examined the...

Nutritional modulation of health, egg quality and environmental pollution of the layers.

PubMed

Wang, Jing; Yue, Hongyuan; Wu, Shugeng; Zhang, Haijun; Qi, Guanghai

2017-06-01

World egg production and consumption have been increasing for the past decades. Traditional strategies in poultry nutrition have made vital contributions to this great growth in quantity. However, current global issues should be considered in modern egg production such as growing populations and food security, food safety and quality, limited resources and environmental problems. The development of knowledge of poultry nutrition and modern biotechnology provides novel nutritional approaches to closely fit the requirement of pullets and laying hens, which will consequently decrease the nutrition excretion and maintain the lower cost of feed. Nutrition has also been widely accepted as a strategy to influence health and diseases of laying hens. The maintenance of good health is an important prerequisite for improving productivity and egg quality. In addition, there are many measures and strategies for minimizing the incidence of egg defects and providing a choice of lifestyle to enhance human health. This paper reviews current research progress on developing innovative technologies and strategies to maximize animal health and performance, improve the quality of egg products and minimize pollution caused by poultry production.

Modulation of persistent organic pollutant toxicity through nutritional intervention: emerging opportunities in biomedicine and environmental remediation.

PubMed

Petriello, Michael C; Newsome, Bradley J; Dziubla, Thomas D; Hilt, J Zach; Bhattacharyya, Dibakar; Hennig, Bernhard

2014-09-01

Environmental pollution is increasing worldwide, and there is evidence that exposure to halogenated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls can contribute to the pathology of inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and cancer. Pollutant removal from contaminated sites and subsequent pollutant degradation are critical for reducing the long-term health risks associated with exposure. However, complete remediation of a toxicant from the environment is very difficult and cost-prohibitive. Furthermore, remediation technologies often result in the generation of secondary toxicants. Considering these circumstances, environmentally-friendly and sustainable remediation technologies and biomedical solutions to reduce vulnerability to environmental chemical insults need to be explored to reduce the overall health risks associated with exposure to environmental pollutants. We propose that positive lifestyle changes such as healthful nutrition and consumption of diets rich in fruits and vegetables or bioactive nutrients with antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory properties will reduce the body's vulnerability to environmental stressors and thus reduce toxicant-mediated disease pathologies. Interestingly, emerging evidence now implicates the incorporation of bioactive nutrients, such as plant-derived polyphenols, in technologies focused on the capture, sensing and remediation of halogenated POPs. We propose that human nutritional intervention in concert with the use of natural polyphenol sensing and remediation platforms may provide a sensible means to develop primary and long-term prevention strategies of diseases associated with many environmental toxic insults including halogenated POPs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modulation of persistent organic pollutant toxicity through nutritional intervention: emerging opportunities in biomedicine and environmental remediation

PubMed Central

Petriello, Michael C.; Newsome, Bradley J.; Dziubla, Thomas D.; Hilt, J. Zach; Bhattacharyya, Dibakar; Hennig, Bernhard

2014-01-01

Environmental pollution is increasing worldwide, and there is evidence that exposure to halogenated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls can contribute to the pathology of inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and cancer. Pollutant removal from contaminated sites and subsequent pollutant degradation are critical for reducing the long-term health risks associated with exposure. However, complete remediation of a toxicant from the environment is very difficult and cost-prohibitive. Furthermore, remediation technologies often result in the generation of secondary toxicants. Considering these circumstances, environmentally-friendly and sustainable remediation technologies and biomedical solutions to reduce vulnerability to environmental chemical insults need to be explored to reduce the overall health risks associate with exposure to environmental pollutants. We propose that positive lifestyle changes such as healthful nutrition and consumption of diets rich in fruits and vegetables or bioactive nutrients with antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory properties will reduce the body’s vulnerability to environmental stressors and thus reduce toxicant-mediated disease pathologies. Interestingly, emerging evidence now implicates the incorporation of bioactive nutrients, such as plant-derived polyphenols, in technologies focused on the capture, sensing and remediation of halogenated POPs. We propose that human nutritional intervention in concert with the use of natural polyphenol sensing and remediation platforms may provide a sensible means to develop primary and long-term prevention strategies of diseases associated with many environmental toxic insults including halogenated POPs. PMID:24530186

A study on the effect of chemically synthesized magnetite nanoparticles on earthworm: Eudrilus eugeniae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samrot, Antony V.; Justin, C.; Padmanaban, S.; Burman, Ujjala

2017-02-01

Most look into the benefits of the nanoparticles, but keeping aside the benefits; this study focuses on the impacts of nanoparticles on living systems. Improper disposal of nanoparticles into the environment is a subject of pollution or nano-pollution which in turn affects the flora and fauna in the ecosystem, particularly soil ecosystem. Thus, this study was done to understand the impacts of chemically synthesized magnetite nanoparticles on earthworm— Eudrilus eugeniae, a soil-dependent organism which acquires food and nutrition from decaying matters. The chemically synthesized magnetite nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Earthworms were allowed to interact with different concentrations of synthesized nanoparticles and the effect of the nanoparticles was analysed by studying the phenotypic changes followed by histology and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry analyses.

40 CFR 63.2182 - What records must I keep?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Section 63.2182 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Notification, Reports, and...

40 CFR 63.2180 - What notifications must I submit and when?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... when? 63.2180 Section 63.2180 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Notification...

Non-Chemical Stressors and Cumulative Risk Assessment: An Overview of Current Initiatives and Potential Air Pollutant Interactions

PubMed Central

Lewis, Ari S.; Sax, Sonja N.; Wason, Susan C.; Campleman, Sharan L.

2011-01-01

Regulatory agencies are under increased pressure to consider broader public health concerns that extend to multiple pollutant exposures, multiple exposure pathways, and vulnerable populations. Specifically, cumulative risk assessment initiatives have stressed the importance of considering both chemical and non-chemical stressors, such as socioeconomic status (SES) and related psychosocial stress, in evaluating health risks. The integration of non-chemical stressors into a cumulative risk assessment framework has been largely driven by evidence of health disparities across different segments of society that may also bear a disproportionate risk from chemical exposures. This review will discuss current efforts to advance the field of cumulative risk assessment, highlighting some of the major challenges, discussed within the construct of the traditional risk assessment paradigm. Additionally, we present a summary of studies of potential interactions between social stressors and air pollutants on health as an example of current research that supports the incorporation of non-chemical stressors into risk assessment. The results from these studies, while suggestive of possible interactions, are mixed and hindered by inconsistent application of social stress indicators. Overall, while there have been significant advances, further developments across all of the risk assessment stages (i.e., hazard identification, exposure assessment, dose-response, and risk characterization) are necessary to provide a scientific basis for regulatory actions and effective community interventions, particularly when considering non-chemical stressors. A better understanding of the biological underpinnings of social stress on disease and implications for chemical-based dose-response relationships is needed. Furthermore, when considering non-chemical stressors, an appropriate metric, or series of metrics, for risk characterization is also needed. Cumulative risk assessment research will benefit from coordination of information from several different scientific disciplines, including, for example, toxicology, epidemiology, nutrition, neurotoxicology, and the social sciences. PMID:21776216

The Effects of Diesel Exhaust Pollution on Floral Volatiles and the Consequences for Honey Bee Olfaction.

PubMed

Lusebrink, Inka; Girling, Robbie D; Farthing, Emily; Newman, Tracey A; Jackson, Chris W; Poppy, Guy M

2015-10-01

There is growing evidence of a substantial decline in pollinators within Europe and North America, most likely caused by multiple factors such as diseases, poor nutrition, habitat loss, insecticides, and environmental pollution. Diesel exhaust could be a contributing factor to this decline, since we found that diesel exhaust rapidly degrades floral volatiles, which honey bees require for flower recognition. In this study, we exposed eight of the most common floral volatiles to diesel exhaust in order to investigate whether it can affect volatile mediated plant-pollinator interaction. Exposure to diesel exhaust altered the blend of common flower volatiles significantly: myrcene was considerably reduced, β-ocimene became undetectable, and β-caryophyllene was transformed into its cis-isomer isocaryophyllene. Proboscis extension response (PER) assays showed that the alterations of the blend reduced the ability of honey bees to recognize it. The chemically reactive nitrogen oxides fraction of diesel exhaust gas was identified as capable of causing degradation of floral volatiles.

Is smog innocuous? Air pollution and cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Mishra, Sundeep

Air pollution is a significant environmental and health hazard. Earlier studies had examined the adverse health effects associated with short- and long-term exposure to particulate matter on respiratory disease. However, later studies demonstrated that was actually cardiovascular disease that accounted for majority of mortality. Furthermore, it was not gaseous pollutants like oxides of nitrate, sulfur, carbon mono-oxide or ozone but the particulate matter or PM, of fine or coarse size (PM 2.5 and PM 10 ) which was linearly associated with mortality; PM 2.5 with long term and PM 10 with short term. Several cardiovascular diseases are associated with pollution; acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, atherosclerosis and cardiac arrest. The ideal way to address this problem is by adhering to stringent environmental standards of pollutants but some individual steps like choosing to stay indoors (on high pollution days), reducing outdoor air permeation to inside, purifying indoor air using air filters, and also limiting outdoor physical activity near source of air pollution can help. Nutritional anti-oxidants like statins or Mediterranean diet, and aspirin have not been associated with reduced risk but specific nutritional agents like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower or brussels sprouts, fish oil supplement may help. Use of face-mask has been controversial but may be useful if particulate matter load is higher. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Nutritional ecology beyond the individual: a conceptual framework for integrating nutrition and social interactions

PubMed Central

Lihoreau, Mathieu; Buhl, Jerome; Charleston, Michael A; Sword, Gregory A; Raubenheimer, David; Simpson, Stephen J

2015-01-01

Over recent years, modelling approaches from nutritional ecology (known as Nutritional Geometry) have been increasingly used to describe how animals and some other organisms select foods and eat them in appropriate amounts in order to maintain a balanced nutritional state maximising fitness. These nutritional strategies profoundly affect the physiology, behaviour and performance of individuals, which in turn impact their social interactions within groups and societies. Here, we present a conceptual framework to study the role of nutrition as a major ecological factor influencing the development and maintenance of social life. We first illustrate some of the mechanisms by which nutritional differences among individuals mediate social interactions in a broad range of species and ecological contexts. We then explain how studying individual- and collective-level nutrition in a common conceptual framework derived from Nutritional Geometry can bring new fundamental insights into the mechanisms and evolution of social interactions, using a combination of simulation models and manipulative experiments. PMID:25586099

40 CFR 63.2181 - What reports must I submit and when?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Notification, Reports, and... 40 Protection of Environment 12 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true What reports must I submit and when? 63...

40 CFR 63.2181 - What reports must I submit and when?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Notification, Reports, and... 40 Protection of Environment 12 2011-07-01 2009-07-01 true What reports must I submit and when? 63...

Nutrition Frontiers - Winter 2018 | Division of Cancer Prevention

Cancer.gov

Dear Colleague, The winter issue of Nutrition Frontiers showcases the chemopreventive activity of sulforaphane, how a high fat, high cholesterol diet may impact hepatocellular carcinoma, and p53 activation from benzyl isothiocyanate. Meet our spotlight investigator, Dr. John Groopman, and his research on detoxication of air pollutants with a broccoli supplement. Learn about

Sport and Nutrition Education Interaction on Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozturk, Mehmet Ertugrul

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to determine sport and nutrition education interaction on stress. Three groups were selected for the study: control, single treatment and social treatment under nutrition treatment, too. The groups that were under nutrition treatments should have information about the nutrition resources. This experiment was done for two…

The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) birth cohort study: assessment of environmental exposures.

PubMed

Takaro, Tim K; Scott, James A; Allen, Ryan W; Anand, Sonia S; Becker, Allan B; Befus, A Dean; Brauer, Michael; Duncan, Joanne; Lefebvre, Diana L; Lou, Wendy; Mandhane, Piush J; McLean, Kathleen E; Miller, Gregory; Sbihi, Hind; Shu, Huan; Subbarao, Padmaja; Turvey, Stuart E; Wheeler, Amanda J; Zeng, Leilei; Sears, Malcolm R; Brook, Jeffrey R

2015-01-01

The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development birth cohort was designed to elucidate interactions between environment and genetics underlying development of asthma and allergy. Over 3600 pregnant mothers were recruited from the general population in four provinces with diverse environments. The child is followed to age 5 years, with prospective characterization of diverse exposures during this critical period. Key exposure domains include indoor and outdoor air pollutants, inhalation, ingestion and dermal uptake of chemicals, mold, dampness, biological allergens, pets and pests, housing structure, and living behavior, together with infections, nutrition, psychosocial environment, and medications. Assessments of early life exposures are focused on those linked to inflammatory responses driven by the acquired and innate immune systems. Mothers complete extensive environmental questionnaires including time-activity behavior at recruitment and when the child is 3, 6, 12, 24, 30, 36, 48, and 60 months old. House dust collected during a thorough home assessment at 3-4 months, and biological specimens obtained for multiple exposure-related measurements, are archived for analyses. Geo-locations of homes and daycares and land-use regression for estimating traffic-related air pollution complement time-activity-behavior data to provide comprehensive individual exposure profiles. Several analytical frameworks are proposed to address the many interacting exposure variables and potential issues of co-linearity in this complex data set.

Selected pharmacokinetic issues of the use of antiepileptic drugs and parenteral nutrition in critically ill patients

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Objectives To conduct a systematic review for the evidence supporting or disproving the reality of parenteral nutrition- antiepileptic drugs interaction, especially with respect to the plasma protein-binding of the drug. Methods The articles related to the topic were identified through Medline and PubMed search (1968-Feburary 2010) for English language on the interaction between parenteral nutrition and antiepileptic drugs; the search terms used were anti-epileptic drugs, parenteral nutrition, and/or interaction, and/or in vitro. The search looked for prospective randomized and nonrandomized controlled studies; prospective nonrandomized uncontrolled studies; retrospective studies; case reports; and in vitro studies. Full text of the articles were then traced from the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) library subscribed databases, including Wiley-Blackwell Library, Cochrane Library, EBSCOHost, OVID, ScienceDirect, SAGE Premier, Scopus, SpringerLINK, and Wiley InterScience. The articles from journals not listed by USM library were traced through inter library loan. Results There were interactions between parenteral nutrition and drugs, including antiepileptics. Several guidelines were designed for the management of illnesses such as traumatic brain injuries or cancer patients, involving the use of parenteral nutrition and antiepileptics. Moreover, many studies demonstrated the in vitro and in vivo parenteral nutrition -drugs interactions, especially with antiepileptics. Conclusions There was no evidence supporting the existence of parenteral nutrition-antiepileptic drugs interaction. The issue has not been studied in formal researches, but several case reports and anecdotes demonstrate this drug-nutrition interaction. However, alteration in the drug-free fraction result from parenteral nutrition-drug (i.e. antiepileptics) interactions may necessitate scrupulous reassessment of drug dosages in patients receiving these therapies. This reassessment may be particularly imperative in certain clinical situations characterized by hypoalbuminemia (e.g., burn patients). PMID:21194458

Nutritional ecology beyond the individual: a conceptual framework for integrating nutrition and social interactions.

PubMed

Lihoreau, Mathieu; Buhl, Jerome; Charleston, Michael A; Sword, Gregory A; Raubenheimer, David; Simpson, Stephen J

2015-03-01

Over recent years, modelling approaches from nutritional ecology (known as Nutritional Geometry) have been increasingly used to describe how animals and some other organisms select foods and eat them in appropriate amounts in order to maintain a balanced nutritional state maximising fitness. These nutritional strategies profoundly affect the physiology, behaviour and performance of individuals, which in turn impact their social interactions within groups and societies. Here, we present a conceptual framework to study the role of nutrition as a major ecological factor influencing the development and maintenance of social life. We first illustrate some of the mechanisms by which nutritional differences among individuals mediate social interactions in a broad range of species and ecological contexts. We then explain how studying individual- and collective-level nutrition in a common conceptual framework derived from Nutritional Geometry can bring new fundamental insights into the mechanisms and evolution of social interactions, using a combination of simulation models and manipulative experiments. © 2015 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and CNRS.

40 CFR 63.2183 - In what form and how long must I keep my records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Notification, Reports, and Records § 63.2183 In what form and how long must I keep my records? (a) Your records...

The Cohort for Childhood Origin of Asthma and allergic diseases (COCOA) study: design, rationale and methods.

PubMed

Yang, Hyeon-Jong; Lee, So-Yeon; Suh, Dong In; Shin, Youn Ho; Kim, Byoung-Ju; Seo, Ju-Hee; Chang, Hyoung Yoon; Kim, Kyung Won; Ahn, Kangmo; Shin, Yee-Jin; Lee, Kyung-Sook; Lee, Cheol Min; Oh, Se-Young; Kim, Ho; Leem, Jong-Han; Kim, Hwan-Cheol; Kim, Eun-Jin; Lee, Joo-Shil; Hong, Soo-Jong

2014-07-03

This paper describes the background, aim, and design of a prospective birth-cohort study in Korea called the COhort for Childhood Origin of Asthma and allergic diseases (COCOA). COCOA objectives are to investigate the individual and interactive effects of genetics, perinatal environment, maternal lifestyle, and psychosocial stress of mother and child on pediatric susceptibility to allergic diseases. The participants in COCOA represents a Korean inner-city population. Recruitment started on 19 November, 2007 and will continue until 31 December, 2015. Recruitment is performed at five medical centers and eight public-health centers for antenatal care located in Seoul. Participating mother-baby pairs are followed from before birth to adolescents. COCOA investigates whether the following five environmental variables contribute causally to the development and natural course of allergic diseases: (1) perinatal indoor factors (i.e. house-dust mite, bacterial endotoxin, tobacco smoking, and particulate matters 2.5 and 10), (2) perinatal outdoor pollutants, (3) maternal prenatal psychosocial stress and the child's neurodevelopment, (4) perinatal nutrition, and (5) perinatal microbiome. Cord blood and blood samples from the child are used to assess whether the child's genes and epigenetic changes influence allergic-disease susceptibility. Thus, COCOA aims to investigate the contributions of genetics, epigenetics, and various environmental factors in early life to allergic-disease susceptibility in later life. How these variables interact to shape allergic-disease susceptibility is also a key aim.The COCOA data collection schedule includes 11 routine standardized follow-up assessments of all children at 6 months and every year until 10 years of age, regardless of allergic-disease development. The mothers will complete multiple questionnaires to assess the baseline characteristics, the child's exposure to environmental factors, maternal pre- and post-natal psychological stress, and the child's neurodevelopment, nutritional status, and development of allergic and respiratory illnesses. The child's microbiome, genes, epigenetics, plasma cytokine levels, and neuropsychological status, the microbiome of the residence, and the levels of indoor and outdoor pollutants are measured by standard procedures. The COCOA study will improve our understanding of how individual genetic or environmental risk factors influence susceptibility to allergic disease and how these variables interact to shape the phenotype of allergic diseases.

Cadmium and lead accumulations and agronomic quality of a newly bred pollution-safe cultivar (PSC) of water spinach.

PubMed

Huang, Ying-Ying; Mu, Yang-Xiu; He, Chun-Tao; Fu, Hui-Ling; Wang, Xue-Song; Gong, Fei-Yue; Yang, Zhong-Yi

2018-04-01

Breeding for pollution-safe cultivars (PSCs) can reduce pollutant accumulation in crops. However, the PSC breeding would face the risk of nutritional quality reduction, which is usually ignored in conventional breeding programs targeting to increase crop yield or nutritional quality. Thus, the doubt whether the risk would exist has to be clarified for supporting the PSC breeding. In the present study, a newly bred Cd/Pb-PSC of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatic Forsk.) and its parents (QLQ with low-Cd/Pb accumulation ability and T308 with high yield) of water spinach were employed to clarify the above-mentioned issue. Yields, and concentrations of Cd, Pb, nitrite, and organic and inorganic nutrients in shoots of the three experimental lines were determined. There were no significant differences in Cd/Pb concentration between the new PSC and QLQ, in nitrite content between the new PSC and its two parents and in yield between the new PSC and T308. It is decisively significant that shoot concentrations of organic and inorganic nutrients in the Cd/Pb-PSC were as high as those in one of its parents. It is affirmed that the breeding operations (crossing and consequently continuous selfing) for lowering Cd/Pb accumulation capacity of water spinach would not lower the nutritional values of the obtained Cd/Pb-PSCs from the breeding, which should be a pillar that supports the feasibility to minimize Cd/Pb pollution in vegetables using PSC-breeding method.

Air pollution: a tale of two countries.

PubMed

Haryanto, Budi; Franklin, Peter

2011-01-01

The fast growing economies and continued urbanization in Asian countries have increased the demand for mobility and energy in the region, resulting in high levels of air pollution in cities from mobile and stationary sources. In contrast, low level of urbanization in Australia produces low level of urban air pollution. The World Health Organization estimates that about 500,000 premature deaths per year are caused by air pollution, leaving the urban poor particularly vulnerable since they live in air pollution hotspots, have low respiratory resistance due to bad nutrition, and lack access to quality health care. Identifying the differences and similarities of air pollution levels and its impacts, between Indonesia and Australia, will provide best lesson learned to tackle air pollution problems for Pacific Basin Rim countries.

Interaction between levodopa and enteral nutrition.

PubMed

Cooper, Mandelin K; Brock, David G; McDaniel, Cara M

2008-03-01

To report and discuss a drug-nutrient interaction involving levodopa and protein in enteral nutrition. A 77-year-old male with Parkinson's disease was admitted to an intensive care unit for an intracerebral hemorrhage. To provide nutritional support, an oral gastric tube was placed and continuous enteral nutrition was initiated, with 1.4 g/kg of protein administered daily. The following medications were continued during hospitalization: immediate-release carbidopa/levodopa 25 mg/100 mg, with 1.5 tablets administered 4 times daily; pramipexole 1.5 mg 3 times daily; and entacapone 200 mg 4 times daily. Despite this drug therapy, the patient developed severe rigidity. A review of the literature revealed a potential interaction between levodopa and protein intake. To resolve this interaction, the amount of protein in the enteral nutrition was decreased to 0.9 g/kg/day and the nutritional administration was changed from continuous enteral feeding to bolus feeding, with levodopa given between boluses. After these adjustments, the patient showed marked improvement of parkinsonian symptoms. The drug-nutrient interaction between protein and levodopa in outpatient settings has been reported widely in the literature; however, this interaction has not been previously reported with continuous enteral nutrition. Decreased parkinsonian symptom control, despite adherence to an established medication regimen, together with dramatic improvement observed after manipulation of enteral nutrition delivery and content, strongly suggest interference with levodopa absorption. Use of the Naranjo probability scale supports a probable interaction between the protein content in tube feeds and levodopa, resulting in decreased levodopa efficacy. Clinicians should be cognizant of the potential drug-nutrient interaction between levodopa and enteral nutrition.

Enteral feeding: drug/nutrient interaction.

PubMed

Lourenço, R

2001-04-01

Enteral nutrition support via a feeding tube is the first choice for artificial nutrition. Most patients also require simultaneous drug therapy, with the potential risk for drug-nutrient interactions which may become relevant in clinical practice. During enteral nutrition, drug-nutrient interactions are more likely to occur than in patients fed orally. However, there is a lack of awareness about its clinical significance, which should be recognised and prevented in order to optimise nutritional and pharmacological therapeutic goals of safety and efficacy. To raise the awareness of potential drug-nutrient interactions and influence on clinical outcomes. To identify factors that can promote drug-nutrient interactions and contribute to nutrition and/or therapeutic failure. To be aware of different types of drug-nutrient interactions. To understand complex underlying mechanisms responsible for drug-nutrient interactions. To learn basic rules for the administration of medications during tube-feeding. Copyright 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

Linkage of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to air quality data.

PubMed

Kravets, Nataliya; Parker, Jennifer D

2008-11-01

This report describes the linked data file obtained as a result of combining air pollution data and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III data. Average annual air pollution exposures to particulate matter consisting of particles smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) were created for NHANES III examined persons by averaging values from monitors within a 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-mile radius from the block-group centroid of their residence and in the county of their residence. Percentage records geocoded to block-group level, percentage records linked to air pollution, and distributions of exposure values were estimated for the total sample and various demographic groups. The percentages of respondents who were assigned countywide air pollution values ranges from a low of 43 percent in the case of NO2 data to a high of 68 percent in the case of PM10 data. Among the pollutants considered, PM10 data provides the best coverage. Of all the metrics created, the highest coverage is achieved by averaging readings of monitors located within a 20-mile distance from the centroid of respondents' block groups. Among the demographic variables analyzed, differences in air pollution coverage and exposure levels occur most often among groups defined by race and Hispanic origin, region, and county level of urbanization. However, differences among groups depend on the pollutant and geographic linkage method. The linked dataset provides researchers with opportunities to investigate the relationship between air pollution and various health outcomes.

Interactive short-term effects of equivalent temperature and air pollution on human mortality in Berlin and Lisbon.

PubMed

Burkart, Katrin; Canário, Paulo; Breitner, Susanne; Schneider, Alexandra; Scherber, Katharina; Andrade, Henrique; Alcoforado, Maria João; Endlicher, Wilfried

2013-12-01

There is substantial evidence that both temperature and air pollution are predictors of mortality. Thus far, few studies have focused on the potential interactive effects between the thermal environment and different measures of air pollution. Such interactions, however, are biologically plausible, as (extreme) temperature or increased air pollution might make individuals more susceptible to the effects of each respective predictor. This study investigated the interactive effects between equivalent temperature and air pollution (ozone and particulate matter) in Berlin (Germany) and Lisbon (Portugal) using different types of Poisson regression models. The findings suggest that interactive effects exist between air pollutants and equivalent temperature. Bivariate response surface models and generalised additive models (GAMs) including interaction terms showed an increased risk of mortality during periods of elevated equivalent temperatures and air pollution. Cold effects were mostly unaffected by air pollution. The study underscores the importance of air pollution control in mitigating heat effects. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Childhood fish oil supplementation modifies associations between traffic related air pollution and allergic sensitisation.

PubMed

Hansell, Anna L; Bakolis, Ioannis; Cowie, Christine T; Belousova, Elena G; Ng, Kitty; Weber-Chrysochoou, Christina; Britton, Warwick J; Leeder, Stephen R; Tovey, Euan R; Webb, Karen L; Toelle, Brett G; Marks, Guy B

2018-03-27

Studies of potential adverse effects of traffic related air pollution (TRAP) on allergic disease have had mixed findings. Nutritional studies to examine whether fish oil supplementation may protect against development of allergic disease through their anti-inflammatory actions have also had mixed findings. Extremely few studies to date have considered whether air pollution and dietary factors such as fish oil intake may interact, which was the rationale for this study. We conducted a secondary analysis of the Childhood Asthma Prevention Study (CAPS) birth cohort, where children were randomised to fish oil supplementation or placebo from early life to age 5 years. We examined interactions between supplementation and TRAP (using weighted road density at place of residence as our measure of traffic related air pollution exposure) with allergic disease and lung function outcomes at age 5 and 8 years. Outcome information was available on approximately 400 children (~ 70% of the original birth cohort). Statistically significant interactions between fish oil supplementation and TRAP were seen for house dust mite (HDM), inhalant and all-allergen skin prick tests (SPTs) and for HDM-specific interleukin-5 response at age 5. Adjusting for relevant confounders, relative risks (RRs) for positive HDM SPT were RR 1.74 (95% CI 1.22-2.48) per 100 m local road or 33.3 m of motorway within 50 m of the home for those randomised to the control group and 1.03 (0.76-1.41) for those randomised to receive the fish oil supplement. The risk differential was highest in an analysis restricted to those who did not change address between ages 5 and 8 years. In this sub-group, supplementation also protected against the effect of traffic exposure on pre-bronchodilator FEV 1 /FVC ratio. Results suggest that fish oil supplementation may protect against pro-allergic sensitisation effects of TRAP exposure. Strengths of this analysis are that supplementation was randomised and independent of TRAP exposure, however, findings need to be confirmed in a larger experimental study with the interaction investigated as a primary hypothesis, potentially also exploring epigenetic mechanisms. More generally, studies of adverse health effects of air pollution may benefit from considering potential effect modification by diet and other factors. Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry. www.anzctr.org.au Registration: ACTRN12605000042640 , Date: 26th July 2005. Retrospectively registered, trial commenced prior to registry availability.

Multiple Interactive Pollutants in Water Quality Trading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarang, Amin; Lence, Barbara J.; Shamsai, Abolfazl

2008-10-01

Efficient environmental management calls for the consideration of multiple pollutants, for which two main types of transferable discharge permit (TDP) program have been described: separate permits that manage each pollutant individually in separate markets, with each permit based on the quantity of the pollutant or its environmental effects, and weighted-sum permits that aggregate several pollutants as a single commodity to be traded in a single market. In this paper, we perform a mathematical analysis of TDP programs for multiple pollutants that jointly affect the environment (i.e., interactive pollutants) and demonstrate the practicality of this approach for cost-efficient maintenance of river water quality. For interactive pollutants, the relative weighting factors are functions of the water quality impacts, marginal damage function, and marginal treatment costs at optimality. We derive the optimal set of weighting factors required by this approach for important scenarios for multiple interactive pollutants and propose using an analytical elasticity of substitution function to estimate damage functions for these scenarios. We evaluate the applicability of this approach using a hypothetical example that considers two interactive pollutants. We compare the weighted-sum permit approach for interactive pollutants with individual permit systems and TDP programs for multiple additive pollutants. We conclude by discussing practical considerations and implementation issues that result from the application of weighted-sum permit programs.

Ozone and nitrogen effects on yield and nutritive quality of the annual legume Trifolium cherleri

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanz, J.; González-Fernández, I.; Calvete-Sogo, H.; Lin, J. S.; Alonso, R.; Muntifering, R.; Bermejo, V.

2014-09-01

Two independent experiments were performed in an Open-Top Chamber facility to determine the response of biomass and nutritive quality of the annual legume Trifolium cherleri to increased levels of ozone (O3) and nitrogen (N) deposition, two main drivers of global change. Plants growing in pots were exposed to three O3 treatments: charcoal-filtered air (CFA); non-filtered air, reproducing ambient O3 levels of the site (NFA); and non-filtered air supplemented with 40 nl l-1 (NFA+). Nitrogen was added in biweekly doses to achieve final doses of 5 (N5), 15 (N15) and 30 kg ha-1 (N30), reproducing the N deposition range in the Iberian Peninsula. Ozone negatively affected all the growth-related parameters and increased plant senescent biomass. The pollutant affected subterranean biomass to a greater extent than aerial biomass, resulting in altered aerial/subterranean ratio. Effects in the second experiment followed the same pattern as in the first, but were of lesser magnitude. However, these differences between assays could not be explained adequately by the absorbed O3 fluxes (Phytotoxic Ozone Dose, POD). Concentrations of cell-wall constituents related to nutritive quality increased with the O3 exposure, reducing the Relative Food Value index (RFV) that indicates decreased nutritive quality of the forage. Nitrogen stimulated all growth-related parameters, but increased the aboveground biomass more than the subterranean biomass. No effects of N fertilizer were detected for the nutritive quality parameters. A significant interaction between O3 and N was found in the second experiment. N further enhanced the increase of senescent biomass caused by O3. Results indicate that O3 is a potentially significant environmental stress factor in terms of structure and diversity of Mediterranean pastures.

A long-term retrospective study on rehabilitation of seabirds in Gran Canaria Island, Spain (2003-2013).

PubMed

Montesdeoca, Natalia; Calabuig, Pascual; Corbera, Juan A; Orós, Jorge

2017-01-01

The aims of this study were to analyze the causes of morbidity and mortality in a large population of seabirds admitted to the Tafira Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (TWRC) in Gran Canaria Island, Spain, from 2003 to 2013, and to analyze the outcomes of the rehabilitation process. We included 1,956 seabirds (133 dead on admission and 1,823 admitted alive) in this study. Causes of morbidity were classified into nine categories: light pollution (fallout), fishing gear interaction, crude oil, poisoning/intoxication, other traumas, metabolic/nutritional disorder, orphaned young birds, other causes, and unknown/undetermined. The crude and stratified (by causes of admission) rates of the three final disposition categories (euthanasia Er, unassisted mortality Mr, and release Rr), the time until death, and the length of stay were also studied for the seabirds admitted alive. Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) was the species most frequently admitted (46.52%), followed by Cory's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis) (20.09%). The most frequent causes of morbidity were light pollution (fallout) (25.81%), poisoning/intoxication (24.69%), and other traumas (18.14%). The final disposition rates were: Er = 15.35%, Mr = 16.29%, and Rr = 68.34%. The highest Er was observed in the 'other traumas' category (58.08%). Seabirds admitted due to metabolic/nutritional disorder had the highest Mr (50%). The highest Rr was observed in the light pollution (fallout) category (99.20%). This survey provides useful information for the conservation of several seabird species. We suggest that at least the stratified analysis by causes of admission of the three final disposition rates, and the parameters time until death and length of stay at the center should be included in the outcome research of the rehabilitation of seabirds. The high release rate for seabirds (68.34%) achieved at the TWRC emphasizes the importance of wildlife rehabilitation centers for the conservation of seabirds.

A long-term retrospective study on rehabilitation of seabirds in Gran Canaria Island, Spain (2003-2013)

PubMed Central

Montesdeoca, Natalia; Calabuig, Pascual; Corbera, Juan A.

2017-01-01

Aims The aims of this study were to analyze the causes of morbidity and mortality in a large population of seabirds admitted to the Tafira Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (TWRC) in Gran Canaria Island, Spain, from 2003 to 2013, and to analyze the outcomes of the rehabilitation process. Methods We included 1,956 seabirds (133 dead on admission and 1,823 admitted alive) in this study. Causes of morbidity were classified into nine categories: light pollution (fallout), fishing gear interaction, crude oil, poisoning/intoxication, other traumas, metabolic/nutritional disorder, orphaned young birds, other causes, and unknown/undetermined. The crude and stratified (by causes of admission) rates of the three final disposition categories (euthanasia Er, unassisted mortality Mr, and release Rr), the time until death, and the length of stay were also studied for the seabirds admitted alive. Results Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) was the species most frequently admitted (46.52%), followed by Cory’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis) (20.09%). The most frequent causes of morbidity were light pollution (fallout) (25.81%), poisoning/intoxication (24.69%), and other traumas (18.14%). The final disposition rates were: Er = 15.35%, Mr = 16.29%, and Rr = 68.34%. The highest Er was observed in the ‘other traumas’ category (58.08%). Seabirds admitted due to metabolic/nutritional disorder had the highest Mr (50%). The highest Rr was observed in the light pollution (fallout) category (99.20%). Conclusions This survey provides useful information for the conservation of several seabird species. We suggest that at least the stratified analysis by causes of admission of the three final disposition rates, and the parameters time until death and length of stay at the center should be included in the outcome research of the rehabilitation of seabirds. The high release rate for seabirds (68.34%) achieved at the TWRC emphasizes the importance of wildlife rehabilitation centers for the conservation of seabirds. PMID:28475653

Antioxidative response of olive to air emissions from tire burning under various zinc nutritional treatments.

PubMed

Hatami, Ashkan; Khoshgoftarmanesh, Amir Hossein

2016-12-01

Uniform 2-year old seedlings of a commercial olive cultivar (Olea europaea L., cv. Mahzam) were exposed or unexposed to the air pollution from the controlled burning of waste tires. The plants were supplied with zinc sulfate (ZnSO 4 ) or synthesized Zn(Glycine) 2 (Zn-Gly) or unsupplied with Zn. Exposure to air pollution resulted in oxidative damage to the olive, as indicated by the higher production of malondialdehyde (MDA). Supplement with Zn partly alleviated oxidative damage induced by the air emissions on the olive. Leaf concentration of MDA was higher at the active period of tire burning than that of the inactive one. Exposure to the emissions from tire burning significantly increased leaf ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity. Supplement with Zn increased APX activity in plants exposed to the air pollution. According to the results, Zn nutrition was effective in alleviating oxidative stress induced by air pollution on the olive. APX seemed to play a significant role in alleviating oxidative damages induced by air emissions from tire burning on the olive; however, the role of other antioxidant enzymes should be addressed in future studies.

Assessment of growth and stemwood quality of Scots pine on territory influenced by alkaline industrial dust.

PubMed

Mandre, Malle; Kask, Regino; Pikk, Jaak; Ots, Katri

2008-03-01

Long-term influence of alkaline dust (pH 12.3-12.7) pollution emitted over 40 years from a cement plant in Estonia was the reason of alkalisation (pH 6.7-7.9) and high concentrations of K, Ca and Mg in the soil of affected territories. Although dust emission has diminished during the last 10 years, the imbalances in nutrition substrate and their influence on the growth of trees are notable up to now. The study of morphological and physical properties of 70-80-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) crown, stems and stemwood from three different air pollution zones showed serious deviations in comparison with a relatively healthy forest in an unpolluted area. The specimens from polluted trees, if compared to reference site, showed significantly smaller height growth, radial increment and width of annual rings of sapwood. In heartwood wider annual rings were found in polluted areas. In the period of heartwood formation the dust pollution level emitted from the plant was relatively modest and cement dust, which contains elements necessary for mineral nutrition of trees, may have acted as fertiliser. The moisture content in sapwood and heartwood, especially in the upper layers of stems, was lower in the polluted area than in reference site trees. Regression analysis revealed a strong dependence between latewood percentage and sapwood or heartwood in stems of Scots pine in all sample plots.

[Morphobiochemical adaptations to life on littoral in some sedentary gastropods].

PubMed

Aliakrinskaia, I O

2002-01-01

Adaptations to attachment, respiration, nutrition, and pollution of sedentary gastropods with cowl-shaped shell living in littoral conditions and prone to the influence of abiotic factors are analyzed. Weight properties of individual parts of the radular apparatus related to scrapping mode of nutrition are discussed. The content of hemoglobin in radular tissues of some representatives of Patellidae, Acmaeidae, and Siphonariidae families is comparatively evaluated.

The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) birth cohort study: assessment of environmental exposures

PubMed Central

Takaro, Tim K; Scott, James A; Allen, Ryan W; Anand, Sonia S; Becker, Allan B; Befus, A Dean; Brauer, Michael; Duncan, Joanne; Lefebvre, Diana L; Lou, Wendy; Mandhane, Piush J; McLean, Kathleen E; Miller, Gregory; Sbihi, Hind; Shu, Huan; Subbarao, Padmaja; Turvey, Stuart E; Wheeler, Amanda J; Zeng, Leilei; Sears, Malcolm R; Brook, Jeffrey R

2015-01-01

The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development birth cohort was designed to elucidate interactions between environment and genetics underlying development of asthma and allergy. Over 3600 pregnant mothers were recruited from the general population in four provinces with diverse environments. The child is followed to age 5 years, with prospective characterization of diverse exposures during this critical period. Key exposure domains include indoor and outdoor air pollutants, inhalation, ingestion and dermal uptake of chemicals, mold, dampness, biological allergens, pets and pests, housing structure, and living behavior, together with infections, nutrition, psychosocial environment, and medications. Assessments of early life exposures are focused on those linked to inflammatory responses driven by the acquired and innate immune systems. Mothers complete extensive environmental questionnaires including time-activity behavior at recruitment and when the child is 3, 6, 12, 24, 30, 36, 48, and 60 months old. House dust collected during a thorough home assessment at 3–4 months, and biological specimens obtained for multiple exposure-related measurements, are archived for analyses. Geo-locations of homes and daycares and land-use regression for estimating traffic-related air pollution complement time-activity-behavior data to provide comprehensive individual exposure profiles. Several analytical frameworks are proposed to address the many interacting exposure variables and potential issues of co-linearity in this complex data set. PMID:25805254

Pediatric trainees' engagement in the online nutrition curriculum: preliminary results.

PubMed

Lewis, Kadriye O; Frank, Graeme R; Nagel, Rollin; Turner, Teri L; Ferrell, Cynthia L; Sangvai, Shilpa G; Donthi, Rajesh; Mahan, John D

2014-09-16

The Pediatric Nutrition Series (PNS) consists of ten online, interactive modules and supplementary educational materials that have utilized web-based multimedia technologies to offer nutrition education for pediatric trainees and practicing physicians. The purpose of the study was to evaluate pediatric trainees' engagement, knowledge acquisition, and satisfaction with nutrition modules delivered online in interactive and non-interactive formats. From December 2010 through August 2011, pediatric trainees from seventy-three (73) different U.S. programs completed online nutrition modules designed to develop residents' knowledge of counseling around and management of nutritional issues in children. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in comparing interactive versus non-interactive modules. Pretest/posttest and module evaluations measured knowledge acquisition and satisfaction. Three hundred and twenty-two (322) pediatric trainees completed one or more of six modules for a total of four hundred and forty-two (442) accessions. All trainees who completed at least one module were included in the study. Two-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures (pre/posttest by interactive/non-interactive format) indicated significant knowledge gains from pretest to posttest (p < 0.002 for all six modules). Comparisons between interactive and non-interactive formats for Module 1 (N = 85 interactive, N = 95 non-interactive) and Module 5 (N = 5 interactive, N = 16 non-interactive) indicated a parallel improvement from the pretest to posttest, with the interactive format significantly higher than the non-interactive modules (p < .05). Both qualitative and quantitative data from module evaluations demonstrated that satisfaction with modules was high. However, there were lower ratings for whether learning objectives were met with Module 6 (p < 0.03) and lecturer rating (p < 0.004) compared to Module 1. Qualitative data also showed that completion of the interactive modules resulted in higher resident satisfaction. This initial assessment of the PNS modules shows that technology-mediated delivery of a nutrition curriculum in residency programs has great potential for providing rich learning environments for trainees while maintaining a high level of participant satisfaction.

Lifestyle Factors and Metabolic Syndrome among Workers: The Role of Interactions between Smoking and Alcohol to Nutrition and Exercise

PubMed Central

Huang, Jui-Hua; Li, Ren-Hau; Huang, Shu-Ling; Sia, Hon-Ke; Chen, Yu-Ling; Tang, Feng-Cheng

2015-01-01

This study aimed to investigate (1) relations of smoking and alcohol to metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components, with nutrition and exercise controlled; and (2) interactions between smoking/alcohol and nutrition/exercise on MetS. This cross-sectional study enrolled 4025 workers. Self-reported lifestyles, anthropometric values, blood pressure (BP), and biochemical determinations were obtained. Among males, smoking significantly increased the risk of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), high triglyceride, abdominal obesity (AO), and MetS. Additionally, smoking showed significant interaction effects with nutrition on high BP, AO, and MetS; after further analysis, nutrition did not decrease above-mentioned risks for smokers. However, there was no significant interaction of smoking with exercise on any metabolic parameter. Alcohol increased the risk of AO, but decreased low HDL-C. It also showed an interaction effect with exercise on AO; after further analysis, exercise decreased AO risk for drinkers. Among females, alcohol significantly decreased the risk of high fasting blood glucose, but did not show significant interaction with nutrition/exercise on any metabolic parameter. In conclusion, in males, smoking retained significant associations with MetS and its components, even considering benefits of nutrition; exercise kept predominance on lipid parameters regardless of smoking status. Alcohol showed inconsistencies on metabolic parameters for both genders. PMID:26694434

Lifestyle Factors and Metabolic Syndrome among Workers: The Role of Interactions between Smoking and Alcohol to Nutrition and Exercise.

PubMed

Huang, Jui-Hua; Li, Ren-Hau; Huang, Shu-Ling; Sia, Hon-Ke; Chen, Yu-Ling; Tang, Feng-Cheng

2015-12-16

This study aimed to investigate (1) relations of smoking and alcohol to metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components, with nutrition and exercise controlled; and (2) interactions between smoking/alcohol and nutrition/exercise on MetS. This cross-sectional study enrolled 4025 workers. Self-reported lifestyles, anthropometric values, blood pressure (BP), and biochemical determinations were obtained. Among males, smoking significantly increased the risk of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), high triglyceride, abdominal obesity (AO), and MetS. Additionally, smoking showed significant interaction effects with nutrition on high BP, AO, and MetS; after further analysis, nutrition did not decrease above-mentioned risks for smokers. However, there was no significant interaction of smoking with exercise on any metabolic parameter. Alcohol increased the risk of AO, but decreased low HDL-C. It also showed an interaction effect with exercise on AO; after further analysis, exercise decreased AO risk for drinkers. Among females, alcohol significantly decreased the risk of high fasting blood glucose, but did not show significant interaction with nutrition/exercise on any metabolic parameter. In conclusion, in males, smoking retained significant associations with MetS and its components, even considering benefits of nutrition; exercise kept predominance on lipid parameters regardless of smoking status. Alcohol showed inconsistencies on metabolic parameters for both genders.

Acne and nutrition: hypotheses, myths and facts.

PubMed

Claudel, J P; Auffret, N; Leccia, M T; Poli, F; Dréno, B

2018-04-06

Acne is an inflammatory and multifactorial skin disease. Different external and internal factors, including air pollution, aggressive skincare products, medication, mechanical, hormonal and familial factors and, more recently, lifestyle and stress, have been suggested as having an impact on acne. Moreover, for many years nutrition was believed to cause or worsen acne. Over the last decades, however, it has become a dermatological doctrine that there is no direct association between diet and acne. Even if recent research has allowed to identify certain nutritional elements and behaviour that may impact on acne, including the excessive intake of dairy products and hyperglycaemic food, modern lifestyle nutrition, obesity and eating disorders, knowledge about the role of nutrition in the physiopathology of acne still remains sparse and hypotheses and myths continue to dominate the debate. Thus, further clinical and translational research is necessary to investigate and confirm the association between nutrition and acne. © 2018 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Challenges to Superfund Community Nutrition Programs in Kentucky

PubMed Central

Gaetke, Lisa; Gaetke, Kara; Bowen, Christa

2008-01-01

Since 2000, the University of Kentucky's (UK's) Superfund Basic Research Program (SBRP) Community Outreach Core has provided support and guidance through Superfund Community Action through Nutrition (SCAN) programs, which meet the needs of individuals and communities affected by environmental contaminants. It has been shown that nutrition may modulate the toxicity of Superfund chemicals. SCAN programs integrate nutrition education, nutrition science research, and health communication to increase understanding of health risks associated with residing near Superfund sites. Two critical tasks must be accomplished. SCAN personnel must identify and recruit affected community members, and then, offer meaningful programs. Certain quantitative outcome measures and legal issues presented both challenges and opportunities. Community members preferred qualitative evaluation discussions, which showed increased knowledge and improved attitudes following SCAN programs. SCAN, in full partnership with affected communities, translates safe, effective nutrition information to reduce health risks associated with exposure to Superfund pollutants. PMID:18443657

Challenges to superfund community nutrition programs in kentucky.

PubMed

Gaetke, Lisa; Gaetke, Kara; Bowen, Christa

2008-03-01

Since 2000, the University of Kentucky's (UK's) Superfund Basic Research Program (SBRP) Community Outreach Core has provided support and guidance through Superfund Community Action through Nutrition (SCAN) programs, which meet the needs of individuals and communities affected by environmental contaminants. It has been shown that nutrition may modulate the toxicity of Superfund chemicals. SCAN programs integrate nutrition education, nutrition science research, and health communication to increase understanding of health risks associated with residing near Superfund sites. Two critical tasks must be accomplished. SCAN personnel must identify and recruit affected community members, and then, offer meaningful programs. Certain quantitative outcome measures and legal issues presented both challenges and opportunities. Community members preferred qualitative evaluation discussions, which showed increased knowledge and improved attitudes following SCAN programs. SCAN, in full partnership with affected communities, translates safe, effective nutrition information to reduce health risks associated with exposure to Superfund pollutants.

40 CFR 63.2182 - What records must I keep?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Notification, Reports, and...) Fermentation stage for which you are using the fermenter. (3) Unique CEMS equipment identification number. ...

Development, Prevention, and Treatment of Alcohol-Induced Organ Injury: The Role of Nutrition

PubMed Central

Barve, Shirish; Chen, Shao-Yu; Kirpich, Irina; Watson, Walter H.; McClain, Craig

2017-01-01

Alcohol and nutrition have the potential to interact at multiple levels. For example, heavy alcohol consumption can interfere with normal nutrition, resulting in overall malnutrition or in deficiencies of important micronutrients, such as zinc, by reducing their absorption or increasing their loss. Interactions between alcohol consumption and nutrition also can affect epigenetic regulation of gene expression by influencing multiple regulatory mechanisms, including methylation and acetylation of histone proteins and DNA. These effects may contribute to alcohol-related organ or tissue injury. The impact of alcohol–nutrition interactions has been assessed for several organs and tissues, including the intestine, where heavy alcohol use can increase intestinal permeability, and the liver, where the degree of malnutrition can be associated with the severity of liver injury and liver disease. Alcohol–nutrition interactions also play a role in alcohol-related lung injury, brain injury, and immune dysfunction. Therefore, treatment involving nutrient supplementation (e.g., with zinc or S-adenosylmethionine) may help prevent or attenuate some types of alcohol-induced organ damage. PMID:28988580

Clinical nutrition and drug interactions

PubMed Central

Ekincioğlu, Aygin Bayraktar; Demirkan, Kutay

2013-01-01

A drug’s plasma level, pharmacological effects or side effects, elimination, physicochemical properties or stability could be changed by interactions of drug-drug or drug-nutrition products in patients who receive enteral or parenteral nutritional support. As a result, patients might experience ineffective outcomes or unexpected effects of therapy (such as drug toxicity, embolism). Stability or incompatibility problems between parenteral nutrition admixtures and drugs might lead to alterations in expected therapeutic responses from drug and/or parenteral nutrition, occlusion in venous catheter or symptoms or mortality due to infusion of composed particles. Compatibilities between parenteral nutrition and drugs are not always guaranteed in clinical practice. Although the list of compatibility or incompatibilities of drugs are published for the use of clinicians in their practices, factors such as composition of parenteral nutrition admixture, drug concentration, contact time in catheter, temperature of the environment and exposure to light could change the status of compatibilities between drugs and nutrition admixtures. There could be substantial clinical changes occurring in the patient’s nutritional status and pharmacological effects of drugs due to interactions between enteral nutrition and drugs. Drug toxicity and ineffective nutritional support might occur as a result of those predictable interactions. Although administration of drugs via feeding tube is a complex and problematic route for drug usage, it is possible to minimise the risk of tube occlusion, decreased effects of drug and drug toxicity by using an appropriate technique. Therefore, it is important to consider pharmacological dosage forms of drugs while administering drugs via a feeding tube. In conclusion, since the pharmacists are well-experienced and more knowledgeable professionals in drugs and drug usage compared to other healthcare providers, it is suggested that provision of information and drug counselling by pharmacists in terms of detection and prevention of problems (such as interactions, stability, incompatibility) related with enteral/parenteral nutrition and drugs are invaluable in clinical practice. PMID:25931873

Interactive effects of antioxidant genes and air pollution on respiratory function and airway disease: a HuGE review.

PubMed

Minelli, Cosetta; Wei, Igor; Sagoo, Gurdeep; Jarvis, Debbie; Shaheen, Seif; Burney, Peter

2011-03-15

Susceptibility to the respiratory effects of air pollution varies between individuals. Although some evidence suggests higher susceptibility for subjects carrying variants of antioxidant genes, findings from gene-pollution interaction studies conflict in terms of the presence and direction of interactions. The authors conducted a systematic review on antioxidant gene-pollution interactions which included 15 studies, with 12 supporting the presence of interactions. For the glutathione S-transferase M1 gene (GSTM1) (n=10 studies), only 1 study found interaction with the null genotype alone, although 5 observed interactions when GSTM1 was evaluated jointly with other genes (mainly NAD(P)H dehydrogenase [quinone] 1 (NQO1)). All studies on the glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) Ile105Val polymorphism (n=11) provided some evidence of interaction, but findings conflicted in terms of risk allele. Results were negative for glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1) (n=3) and positive for heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX-1) (n=2). Meta-analysis could not be performed because there were insufficient data available for any specific gene-pollutant-outcome combination. Overall the evidence supports the presence of gene-pollution interactions, although which pollutant interacts with which gene is unclear. However, issues regarding multiple testing, selective reporting, and publication bias raise the possibility of false-positive findings. Larger studies with greater accuracy of pollution assessment and improved quality of conduct and reporting are required. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved.

The Cohort for Childhood Origin of Asthma and allergic diseases (COCOA) study: design, rationale and methods

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background This paper describes the background, aim, and design of a prospective birth-cohort study in Korea called the COhort for Childhood Origin of Asthma and allergic diseases (COCOA). COCOA objectives are to investigate the individual and interactive effects of genetics, perinatal environment, maternal lifestyle, and psychosocial stress of mother and child on pediatric susceptibility to allergic diseases. Methods/Design The participants in COCOA represents a Korean inner-city population. Recruitment started on 19 November, 2007 and will continue until 31 December, 2015. Recruitment is performed at five medical centers and eight public-health centers for antenatal care located in Seoul. Participating mother-baby pairs are followed from before birth to adolescents. COCOA investigates whether the following five environmental variables contribute causally to the development and natural course of allergic diseases: (1) perinatal indoor factors (i.e. house-dust mite, bacterial endotoxin, tobacco smoking, and particulate matters 2.5 and 10), (2) perinatal outdoor pollutants, (3) maternal prenatal psychosocial stress and the child’s neurodevelopment, (4) perinatal nutrition, and (5) perinatal microbiome. Cord blood and blood samples from the child are used to assess whether the child’s genes and epigenetic changes influence allergic-disease susceptibility. Thus, COCOA aims to investigate the contributions of genetics, epigenetics, and various environmental factors in early life to allergic-disease susceptibility in later life. How these variables interact to shape allergic-disease susceptibility is also a key aim. The COCOA data collection schedule includes 11 routine standardized follow-up assessments of all children at 6 months and every year until 10 years of age, regardless of allergic-disease development. The mothers will complete multiple questionnaires to assess the baseline characteristics, the child’s exposure to environmental factors, maternal pre- and post-natal psychological stress, and the child’s neurodevelopment, nutritional status, and development of allergic and respiratory illnesses. The child’s microbiome, genes, epigenetics, plasma cytokine levels, and neuropsychological status, the microbiome of the residence, and the levels of indoor and outdoor pollutants are measured by standard procedures. Discussion The COCOA study will improve our understanding of how individual genetic or environmental risk factors influence susceptibility to allergic disease and how these variables interact to shape the phenotype of allergic diseases. PMID:24990471

Malaria infection, poor nutrition and indoor air pollution mediate socioeconomic differences in adverse pregnancy outcomes in Cape Coast, Ghana.

PubMed

Amegah, Adeladza K; Damptey, Obed K; Sarpong, Gideon A; Duah, Emmanuel; Vervoorn, David J; Jaakkola, Jouni J K

2013-01-01

The epidemiological evidence linking socioeconomic deprivation with adverse pregnancy outcomes has been conflicting mainly due to poor measurement of socioeconomic status (SES). Studies have also failed to evaluate the plausible pathways through which socioeconomic disadvantage impacts on pregnancy outcomes. We investigated the importance of maternal SES as determinant of birth weight and gestational duration in an urban area and evaluated main causal pathways for the influence of SES. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 559 mothers accessing postnatal services at the four main health facilities in Cape Coast, Ghana in 2011. Information on socioeconomic characteristics of the mothers was collected in a structured questionnaire. In multivariate linear regression adjusting for maternal age, parity and gender of newborn, low SES resulted in 292 g (95% CI: 440-145) reduction in birth weight. Important SES-related determinants were neighborhood poverty (221 g; 95% CI: 355-87), low education (187 g; 95% CI: 355-20), studentship during pregnancy (291 g; 95% CI: 506-76) and low income (147 g; 95% CI: 277-17). In causal pathway analysis, malaria infection (6-20%), poor nutrition (2-51%) and indoor air pollution (10-62%) mediated substantial proportions of the observed effects of socioeconomic deprivation on birth weight. Generalized linear models adjusting for confounders indicated a 218% (RR: 3.18; 95% CI: 1.41-7.21) risk increase of LBW and 83% (RR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.31-2.56) of PTB among low income mothers. Low and middle SES was associated with 357% (RR: 4.57; 95% CI: 1.67-12.49) and 278% (RR: 3.78; 95% CI: 1.39-10.27) increased risk of LBW respectively. Malaria infection, poor nutrition and indoor air pollution respectively mediated 10-21%, 16-44% and 31-52% of the observed effects of socioeconomic disadvantage on LBW risk. We provide evidence of the effects of socioeconomic deprivation, substantially mediated by malaria infection, poor nutrition and indoor air pollution, on pregnancy outcomes in a developing country setting.

[Contents of tannins and oxalic acid in the selected forest fruits depending on the harvest site].

PubMed

Sembratowicz, Iwona; Ognik, Katarzyna; Rusinek, Elzbieta; Truchliński, Jerzy

2008-01-01

Contents of anti-nutritional components (tannins and oxalic acid) were determined in samples of forest fruits: blueberry, raspberry and wild strawberry harvested in Lublin region from areas considered as potentially not exposed to pollution (Skierbieszów Landscape Park) and potentially polluted areas (Cement Factory Rejowiec S.A.). Study revealed that blueberry and raspberry fruits collected on potentially polluted area were characterized by higher tannins contents than those harvested on potentially not polluted area. Oxalic acid level in studied material indicated its significantly higher concentration in wild strawberry fruits collected both from not exposed and polluted areas as compared to raspberry and blueberry. Tannins and oxalic acid contents in analyzed berries may be accepted as low and safe for human's health.

Nutrimetabonomics:applications for nutritional sciences, with specific reference to gut microbial interactions.

PubMed

Claus, Sandrine P; Swann, Jonathan R

2013-01-01

Understanding the role of the diet in determining human health and disease is one major objective of modern nutrition. Mammalian biocomplexity necessitates the incorporation of systems biology technologies into contemporary nutritional research. Metabonomics is a powerful approach that simultaneously measures the low-molecular-weight compounds in a biological sample, enabling the metabolic status of a biological system to be characterized. Such biochemical profiles contain latent information relating to inherent parameters, such as the genotype, and environmental factors, including the diet and gut microbiota. Nutritional metabonomics, or nutrimetabonomics, is being increasingly applied to study molecular interactions between the diet and the global metabolic system. This review discusses three primary areas in which nutrimetabonomics has enjoyed successful application in nutritional research: the illumination of molecular relationships between nutrition and biochemical processes; elucidation of biomarker signatures of food components for use in dietary surveillance; and the study of complex trans-genomic interactions between the mammalian host and its resident gut microbiome. Finally, this review illustrates the potential for nutrimetabonomics in nutritional science as an indispensable tool to achieve personalized nutrition.

The geometric framework for nutrition reveals interactions between protein and carbohydrate during larval growth in honey bees

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In holometabolous insects, larval nutrition affects adult body size, a life history trait with a profound influence on performance and fitness. Individual nutritional components of larval diet are often complex and may interact with one another, necessitating the use of a geometric framework for und...

Interactive Distance Learning Effectively Provides Winning Sports Nutrition Workshops.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ricketts, Jennifer; Hoelscher-Day, Sharon; Begeman, Gale; Houtkooper, Linda

2001-01-01

Interactive distance-education (n=226) and face-to-face (n=129) continuing education workshops for health care and education professionals on sports nutrition were evaluated immediately and after 6 months. The well-designed distance-education format was as effective and acceptable as face to face and increased sports nutrition knowledge. (SK)

Public health relevance of drug-nutrition interactions.

PubMed

Péter, Szabolcs; Navis, Gerjan; de Borst, Martin H; von Schacky, Clemens; van Orten-Luiten, Anne Claire B; Zhernakova, Alexandra; Witkamp, Renger F; Janse, André; Weber, Peter; Bakker, Stephan J L; Eggersdorfer, Manfred

2017-08-01

The public health relevance of drug-nutrition interactions is currently highly undervalued and overlooked. This is particularly the case for elderly persons where multi-morbidity and consequently polypharmacy is very common. Vitamins and other micronutrients have central functions in metabolism, and their interactions with drugs may result in clinically relevant physiological impairments but possibly also in positive effects. On 12 April 2016, the University Medical Center Groningen (The Netherlands), as part of its Healthy Ageing program, organized a workshop on the public health relevance of drug-nutrient interactions. In this meeting, experts in the field presented results from recent studies on interactions between pharmaceuticals and nutrients, and discussed the role of nutrition for elderly, focusing on those persons receiving pharmaceutical treatment. This paper summarizes the proceedings of the symposium and provides an outlook for future research needs and public health measures. Since food, pharma and health are closely interconnected domains, awareness is needed in the medical community about the potential relevance of drug-nutrition interactions. Experts and stakeholders should advocate for the integration of drug-nutrition evaluations in the drug development process. Strategies for the individual patients should be developed, by installing drug review protocols, screening for malnutrition and integrating this topic into the general medical advice.

Euphorbia milii-native bacteria interactions under airborne formaldehyde stress: Effect of epiphyte and endophyte inoculation in relation to IAA, ethylene and ROS levels.

PubMed

Khaksar, Gholamreza; Treesubsuntorn, Chairat; Thiravetyan, Paitip

2017-02-01

Better understanding of plant-bacteria interactions under stress is of the prime importance for enhancing airborne pollutant phytoremediation. No studies have investigated plant-epiphyte interactions compared to plant-endophyte interactions under airborne formaldehyde stress in terms of plant Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), ethylene, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and pollutant removal efficiency. Euphorbia milii was inoculated with native plant growth-promoting (PGP) endophytic and epiphytic isolates individually to investigate plant-endophyte compared to plant-epiphyte interactions under continuous formaldehyde fumigation. Under airborne formaldehyde stress, endophyte interacts with its host plant closely and provides higher levels of IAA which protected the plant against formaldehyde phytotoxicity by lowering intracellular ROS, ethylene levels and maintaining shoot epiphytic community; hence, higher pollutant removal. However, plant-epiphyte interactions could not provide enough IAA to confer protection against formaldehyde stress; thus, increased ROS and ethylene levels, large decrease in shoot epiphytic population and lower pollutant removal although epiphyte contacts with airborne pollutant directly (has greater access to gaseous formaldehyde). Endophyte-inoculated plant synthesized more tryptophan as a signaling molecule for its associated bacteria to produce IAA compared to the epiphyte-inoculated one. Under stress, PGP endophyte interacts with its host closely; thus, better protection against stress and higher pollutant removal compared to epiphyte which has limited interactions with the host plant; hence, lower pollutant removal. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Modeling-Enabled Systems Nutritional Immunology

PubMed Central

Verma, Meghna; Hontecillas, Raquel; Abedi, Vida; Leber, Andrew; Tubau-Juni, Nuria; Philipson, Casandra; Carbo, Adria; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep

2016-01-01

This review highlights the fundamental role of nutrition in the maintenance of health, the immune response, and disease prevention. Emerging global mechanistic insights in the field of nutritional immunology cannot be gained through reductionist methods alone or by analyzing a single nutrient at a time. We propose to investigate nutritional immunology as a massively interacting system of interconnected multistage and multiscale networks that encompass hidden mechanisms by which nutrition, microbiome, metabolism, genetic predisposition, and the immune system interact to delineate health and disease. The review sets an unconventional path to apply complex science methodologies to nutritional immunology research, discovery, and development through “use cases” centered around the impact of nutrition on the gut microbiome and immune responses. Our systems nutritional immunology analyses, which include modeling and informatics methodologies in combination with pre-clinical and clinical studies, have the potential to discover emerging systems-wide properties at the interface of the immune system, nutrition, microbiome, and metabolism. PMID:26909350

[Relationship between groundwater quality index of nutrition element and organic matter in riparian zone and water quality in river].

PubMed

Hua-Shan, Xu; Tong-Qian, Zhao; Hong-Q, Meng; Zong-Xue, Xu; Chao-Hon, Ma

2011-04-01

Riparian zone hydrology is dominated by shallow groundwater with complex interactions between groundwater and surface water. There are obvious relations of discharge and recharge between groundwater and surface water. Flood is an important hydrological incident that affects groundwater quality in riparian zone. By observing variations of physical and chemical groundwater indicators in riparian zone at the Kouma section of the Yellow River Wetland, especially those took place in the period of regulation for water and sediment at the Xiaolangdi Reservoir, relationship between the groundwater quality in riparian zone and the flood water quality in the river is studied. Results show that there will be great risk of nitrogen, phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen and organic matter permeating into the groundwater if floodplain changes into farmland. As the special control unit of nitrogen pollution between rivers and artificial wetlands, dry fanning areas near the river play a very important role in nitrogen migration between river and groundwater. Farm manure as base fertilizer may he an important source of phosphorus leak and loss at the artificial wetlands. Phosphorus leaks into the groundwater and is transferred along the hydraulic gradient, especially during the period of regulation for water and sediment at the Xiaolangdi Reservoir. The land use types and farming systems of the riparian floodplain have a major impact on the nitrate nitrogen contents of the groundwater. Nitrogen can infiltrate and accumulate quickly at anaerobic conditions in the fish pond area, and the annual nitrogen achieves a relatively balanced state in lotus area. In those areas, the soil is flooded and at anaerobic condition in spring and summer, nitrogen infiltrates and denitrification significantly, but soil is not flooded and at aerobic condition in the autumn and winter, and during these time, a significant nitrogen nitrification process occurs. In the area between 50 m and 200 m from the river bank, which is the efficient microbial nitrogen purification unit, nitrification-denitrification is intensive. Farm manure is an important source of organic matter loss at the artificial wetlands. Floodplain has sandy soil texture, with high infiltration capacity and low water and fertilizer conservation ability. Such features are prone for the loss of surface soil nutrition and organic matter if agricultural activities taken place in these areas change the land use of wetlands and apply extensive fertilizer. The infiltrated nutrition elements and organic matter can pollute the groundwater and the river. Compared with the losses of nutrition element and organic matter caused by surface runoff, the infiltrated process is even more prominent. As typical floodplain groundwater-river ecotone, the area between 50 m and 200 m from the river bank is a momentous pollution purification unit. Rational protection for this region is critical for the conservation of water quality in the river and groundwater.

Light and noise pollution interact to disrupt interspecific interactions.

PubMed

McMahon, Taegan A; Rohr, Jason R; Bernal, Ximena E

2017-05-01

Studies on the consequences of urbanization often examine the effects of light, noise, and heat pollution independently on isolated species providing a limited understanding of how these combined stressors affect species interactions. Here, we investigate how these factors interact to affect parasitic frog-biting midges (Corethrella spp.) and their túngara frog (Engystomops pustulosus) hosts. A survey of túngara frog calling sites revealed that frog abundance was not significantly correlated with urbanization, light, noise, or temperature. In contrast, frog-biting midges were sensitive to light pollution and noise pollution. Increased light intensity significantly reduced midge abundance at low noise levels. At high noise intensity, there were no midges regardless of light level. Two field experiments controlling light and noise levels to examine attraction of the midges to their host and their feeding behavior confirmed the causality of these field patterns. These findings demonstrate that both light and noise pollution disrupt this host-parasite interaction and highlight the importance of considering interactions among species and types of pollutants to accurately assess the impacts of urbanization on ecological communities. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Review: Nutritional ecology of heavy metals.

PubMed

Hejna, M; Gottardo, D; Baldi, A; Dell'Orto, V; Cheli, F; Zaninelli, M; Rossi, L

2018-01-08

The aim of this review is to focus the attention on the nutrition ecology of the heavy metals and on the major criticisms related to the heavy metals content in animal feeds, manure, soil and animal-origin products. Heavy metals are metallic elements that have a high density that have progressively accumulated in the food chain with negative effects for human health. Some metals are essential (Fe, I, Co, Zn, Cu, Mn, Mo, Se) to maintain various physiological functions and are usually added as nutritional additives in animal feed. Other metals (As, Cd, F, Pb, Hg) have no established biological functions and are considered as contaminants/undesirable substances. The European Union adopted several measures in order to control their presence in the environment, as a result of human activities such as: farming, industry or food processing and storage contamination. The control of the animal input could be an effective strategy to reduce human health risks related to the consumption of animal-origin products and the environmental pollution by manure. Different management of raw materials and feed, animal species as well as different legal limits can influence the spread of heavy metals. To set up effective strategies against heavy metals the complex interrelationships in rural processes, the widely variability of farming practices, the soil and climatic conditions must be considered. Innovative and sustainable approaches have discussed for the heavy metal nutrition ecology to control the environmental pollution from livestock-related activities.

Genotype x prenatal and post-weaning nutritional environment interaction in a composite beef cattle breed using reaction norms and multi-trait model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Environmental effects have been shown to influence several economically important traits in beef cattle. In this study, genetic x nutritional environment interaction has been evaluated in a composite beef cattle breed (50% Red Angus, 25% Charolais, 25% Tarentaise). Four nutritional environments (MAR...

Nutrition ecology: the contribution of vegetarian diets.

PubMed

Leitzmann, Claus

2003-09-01

Nutrition ecology is an interdisciplinary scientific discipline that encompasses the entire nutrition system, with special consideration of the effects of nutrition on health, the environment, society, and the economy. Nutrition ecology involves all components of the food chain, including production, harvesting, preservation, storage, transport, processing, packaging, trade, distribution, preparation, composition, and consumption of food, as well as disposal of waste materials. Nutrition ecology has numerous origins, some of which go back to antiquity. The introduction of industrialized agriculture and mass animal production gave rise to various negative influences on the environment and health. Food quality is determined in part by the quality of the environment. The environment, in turn, is influenced by food consumption habits. Research shows that vegetarian diets are well suited to protect the environment, to reduce pollution, and to minimize global climate changes. To maximize the ecologic and health benefits of vegetarian diets, food should be regionally produced, seasonally consumed, and organically grown. Vegetarian diets built on these conditions are scientifically based, socially acceptable, economically feasible, culturally desired, sufficiently practicable, and quite sustainable.

Design of an interactive digital nutritional education package for elderly people.

PubMed

Ali, Nazlena Mohamad; Shahar, Suzana; Kee, You Lee; Norizan, Azir Rezha; Noah, Shahrul Azman Mohd

2012-12-01

Designing a system for the elderly is crucial, as aging is associated with physiological changes that may impair perception, cognition and other social aspects; therefore, many aspects need consideration, especially in interface design. This study was conducted to develop a digital nutritional education package (WE Sihat) by following appropriate guidelines for elderly people to achieve better design interface and interaction. Touch-screen technology was used as a platform for user interaction. The nutritional content was based on previous nutrition studies and a lifestyle education package on healthy aging, which contains four modules. The questionnaires were distributed to 31 Malay subjects aged 60-76 years old, containing an evaluation about the overall content, graphics, design layout, colour, font size, audio/video, user-perceived satisfaction and acceptance levels. The findings showed positive feedback and acceptance. Most subjects agreed that the digital nutritional education package can increase their nutritional knowledge for a healthy lifestyle and is easy to use. The touch-screen technology was also well accepted by elderly people and can be used as a kiosk for disseminating nutrition education for healthy aging.

Variation in response to drugs: Part II. Environmental and nutritional variables.

PubMed

Fraser, H S; Tibbits, R C

1983-06-01

The importance of environmental factors for drug metabolism has recently been established. This paper reviews the major environmental and nutritional sources of variation in drug response. Environmental variables examined include drug interactions, alcohol, cigarette smoking, marijuana, other socially used drugs, steroid oral contraceptives (OCs), and agricultural industrial contaminants. Drug-drug interactions act chiefly by induction or inhibition of the microsomal metabolizing enzyme system. The effect of alcohol on the metabolism of other drugs depends on the drug, the dose of alcohol, the duration of exposure, and possibly diet and the presence of disease. Cigarette smoke affects the biotransformation of several drugs, and smokers often require higher doses of oxidized drugs. An additive effect of cigarette smoke and marijuana has been observed, resulting in the halving of the half-life of some drugs. Caffeine may serve as a competitive inhibitor of microsomal enzymes. Chemical pollutants such as chlorinated and polycyclic hydrocarbons can alter the hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme activity. The nutritional variables examined include malnutrition, anemia, vegetarian diets, dietary contaminants, and specific microconstituents of diet. Total dietary protein has a more critical effect on drug metabolism than fat or carbohydrate. These findings indicate that many factors in each patient are capable of altering drug response. Assessment of these variables permits more rational prescribing practices. For example, most patients over age 70 or vegetarian OC users require half the usual dosage of most drugs, whereas smokers and industrial workers require higher than recommended doses. Plasma measurements are of value in such assessments. Developing countries are advised to encourage rational use of a restricted number of drugs through an understanding of the sources of variation in drug response. This requires communication between clinical pharmacologists, other clinicians, pharmacists, government agencies, and patients. A prescriber's formulary tailored to local needs is an essential component of any plan to improve drug therapy.

Social Network Analysis and Nutritional Behavior: An Integrated Modeling Approach

PubMed Central

Senior, Alistair M.; Lihoreau, Mathieu; Buhl, Jerome; Raubenheimer, David; Simpson, Stephen J.

2016-01-01

Animals have evolved complex foraging strategies to obtain a nutritionally balanced diet and associated fitness benefits. Recent research combining state-space models of nutritional geometry with agent-based models (ABMs), show how nutrient targeted foraging behavior can also influence animal social interactions, ultimately affecting collective dynamics and group structures. Here we demonstrate how social network analyses can be integrated into such a modeling framework and provide a practical analytical tool to compare experimental results with theory. We illustrate our approach by examining the case of nutritionally mediated dominance hierarchies. First we show how nutritionally explicit ABMs that simulate the emergence of dominance hierarchies can be used to generate social networks. Importantly the structural properties of our simulated networks bear similarities to dominance networks of real animals (where conflicts are not always directly related to nutrition). Finally, we demonstrate how metrics from social network analyses can be used to predict the fitness of agents in these simulated competitive environments. Our results highlight the potential importance of nutritional mechanisms in shaping dominance interactions in a wide range of social and ecological contexts. Nutrition likely influences social interactions in many species, and yet a theoretical framework for exploring these effects is currently lacking. Combining social network analyses with computational models from nutritional ecology may bridge this divide, representing a pragmatic approach for generating theoretical predictions for nutritional experiments. PMID:26858671

Acid rain impacts on calcium nutrition and forest health

Treesearch

Donald H. DeHayes; Paul G. Schaberg; Gary J. Hawley; G. Richard Strimbeck

1999-01-01

Forest ecosystems throughout the world are exposed to acid rain, a complex solution consisting largely of H+, SO42-, NH4+, and NO3- pollutant ions derived from sulfur and nitrogen oxides. Although the public in...

Must We Choose Between Men in Space and Mankind on Earth?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rolan, Robert G.

1970-01-01

Compares the problems associated with long-duration manned space missions with environmental problems on Earth. Argues that bioastrononautical research can contribute much in the areas of pollution control, nutrition, microbiology, and group psychology. (EB)

Academic-industry partnerships in addressing nutrition--[infection-immunity-inflammation] interactions.

PubMed

Uauy, Ricardo

2007-10-01

The interaction between nutrition and infection is a key determinant of human health. Traditionally the interaction has centered on the role of nutrients in defining host defenses and the impact of infection in defining nutritional needs and status. Over the past decades the interaction has expanded its scope to encompass the role of specific nutrients in defining acquired immune function, in the modulation of inflammatory processes and on the virulence of the infectious agent itself. More recently the role of micronutrients and fatty acids on the response of cells and tissues to hypoxic and toxic damage has been recognized suggesting a fourth dimension to the interaction. The list of nutrients affecting infection, immunity, inflammation and cell injury has expanded from traditional protein-energy supply to several vitamins, multiple minerals and more recently specific lipid components of the diet. The promise of nutrition in the defense against infection, inflammation and tissue injury has spawned a thriving pharma-nutritional supplement industry and the development of novel foods that require appropriate evaluation of efficacy, safety and effectiveness relative to costs. Academics need to aware of the ethics and the pitfalls in the interaction with industry; conversely industry has to define its role in the process of bringing new knowledge to useful products. The process needs to be interactive, transparent and clearly place public interest above all other considerations.

Multi-pollutant interactions in hyporheic zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krause, S.; Weatherill, J.; Bonet, B.; Blaen, P.; Khamis, K.; Cassidy, N. J.; Hannah, D. M.; Rivett, M. O.; Lynch, I.; Ullah, S.

2017-12-01

Hyporheic zones represent hotspots of biogeochemical reactivity, with the potential to attenuate pollutants and ameliorate their impact on ecosystem functioning. Sources and types of pollutants in streambed environments are manifold, with legacy industry contaminants, agricultural pollution and emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals or engineered nanoparticles entering hyporheic zones along different flow paths where they mix and potentially react with each other. Current conceptualizations of drivers and controls of biogeochemical turnover in hyporheic zones highlight primarily the role of transport and reaction times but do not account for potential interactions between different pollutants. This study presents two case studies of multi-pollutant interactions to illustrate the need to consider interferences between different pollutants, their transport and reaction pathways for adequate impact assessment. We discuss in the first instance how the natural attenuation of a Trichloroethylene (TCE) groundwater plume in an agricultural catchment is limited by high riparian and hyporheic nitrate concentrations. As nitrate outcompeted TCE in its reaction with organic carbon as electron donor, TCE attenuation was in this case limited to hyporheic denitrification hotspots. Hence any pollution control measures to reduce the impact of this TCE plume require a reduction of agricultural nitrate loads, highlighting the connectedness of legacy (TCE) and more recent (nitrate) pollution problems. In the second case, we investigate how the labile organic carbon content of streambed sediments as main control of hyporheic respiration is overridden by exposure to different silver nanoparticle concentrations, representing emerging pollutants in many of our rivers. Also in this case, the impacts of different stressors (nanoparticle exposure) and drivers (availability of organic matter, water temperature) are interacting in their impacts on hyporheic zone functioning. We argue that with both, urban and rural freshwater bodies being exposed to an increasing complexity of pollutants and stressors, also the respective pollutant - stressor interactions need to be taken into account for adequate assessment of pollution attenuation and impact analysis.

Pollution and respiratory disease: can diet or supplements help? A review.

PubMed

Whyand, T; Hurst, J R; Beckles, M; Caplin, M E

2018-05-02

Pollution is known to cause and exacerbate a number of chronic respiratory diseases. The World Health Organisation has placed air pollution as the world's largest environmental health risk factor. There has been recent publicity about the role for diet and anti-oxidants in mitigating the effects of pollution, and this review assesses the evidence for alterations in diet, including vitamin supplementation in abrogating the effects of pollution on asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases. We found evidence to suggest that carotenoids, vitamin D and vitamin E help protect against pollution damage which can trigger asthma, COPD and lung cancer initiation. Vitamin C, curcumin, choline and omega-3 fatty acids may also play a role. The Mediterranean diet appears to be of benefit in patients with airways disease and there appears to be a beneficial effect in smokers however there is no direct evidence regarding protecting against air pollution. More studies investigating the effects of nutrition on rapidly rising air pollution are urgently required. However it is very difficult to design such studies due to the confounding factors of diet, obesity, co-morbid illness, medication and environmental exposure.

Serving up Success! Team Nutrition Days, 1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Food and Nutrition Service (USDA), Washington, DC.

This publication presents success stories and actual activities from Team Nutrition Days 1997 to serve as a starting point for other schools wanting to create their own nutrition education activities. Team Nutrition Days was a 1-week celebration that used innovative, interactive activities to teach children that nutrition is the link between…

Interaction Between Air Pollutants and Pollen Grains: The Role on the Rising Trend in Allergy

PubMed Central

Sedghy, Farnaz; Varasteh, Abdol-Reza; Sankian, Mojtaba; Moghadam, Malihe

2018-01-01

Asthma and allergic diseases cases have risen in recent decades. Plant pollen is considered as the main aeroallergen causing allergic reactions. According to available data, urban residents experience more respiratory allergies than rural residents mainly due to the interaction between chemical air pollutants and pollen grains. This interaction can occur through several mechanisms; chemical pollutants might facilitate pollen allergen release, act as adjuvants to stimulate IgE-mediated responses, modify allergenic potential, and enhance the expression of some allergens in pollen grains. This review focuses on the most recent theories explaining how air pollutants can interact with pollen grains and allergens. PMID:29766006

Genetic and Epigenetic Contributions to Human Nutrition and Health: Managing Genome–Diet Interactions

PubMed Central

STOVER, PATRICK J.; CAUDILL, MARIE A.

2017-01-01

The Institute of Medicine recently convened a workshop to review the state of the various domains of nutritional genomics research and policy and to provide guidance for further development and translation of this knowledge into nutrition practice and policy. Nutritional genomics holds the promise to revolutionize both clinical and public health nutrition practice and facilitate the establishment of (a) genome-informed nutrient and food-based dietary guidelines for disease prevention and healthful aging, (b) individualized medical nutrition therapy for disease management, and (c) better targeted public health nutrition interventions (including micronutrient fortification and supplementation) that maximize benefit and minimize adverse outcomes within genetically diverse human populations. As the field of nutritional genomics matures, which will include filling fundamental gaps in knowledge of nutrient–genome interactions in health and disease and demonstrating the potential benefits of customizing nutrition prescriptions based on genetics, registered dietitians will be faced with the opportunity of making genetically driven dietary recommendations aimed at improving human health. PMID:18755320

Recommendations for the use of medications with continuous enteral nutrition.

PubMed

Wohlt, Paul D; Zheng, Lan; Gunderson, Shelly; Balzar, Sarah A; Johnson, Benjamin D; Fish, Jeffrey T

2009-08-15

Recommendations for the use of medications with continuous enteral nutrition are provided. A literature review was conducted to identify primary literature reporting medication interactions with continuous enteral nutrition. For medications without supporting literature, manufacturers were contacted for information. Package inserts for specific medications were also investigated for any information to help guide recommendations. If no specific recommendations were made by the pharmaceutical manufacturer or the package insert concerning administration of products with continuous enteral nutrition, a tertiary database was consulted. Recommendations were generated by a consensus of clinicians for those medications that lacked specific recommendations in the primary literature or from the pharmaceutical manufacturer. Documentation of medication interactions with continuous enteral nutrition and food was then collated along with specific recommendations on how to administer the medication with regard to continuous enteral nutrition. Recommendations were classified as strong (grade 1) or weak (grade 2). The quality of evidence was classified as high (grade A), moderate (grade B), or low (grade C). Forty-six medications commonly given to hospitalized patients were evaluated. Twenty-four medications had recommendations based on available data, and the remaining 22 medications had recommendations based on a consensus of clinicians. There was a lack of published data regarding drug-nutrient interactions for a majority of the drugs commonly administered to patients receiving continuous enteral nutrition. Clinicians should recognize potential drug-nutrient interactions and use available evidence to optimize patients' drug therapy.

Drug-nutrient interactions in the intensive care unit: literature review and current recommendations.

PubMed

Heldt, Tatiane; Loss, Sergio Henrique

2013-01-01

To describe the interactions between drugs and nutrients and their frequency in the intensive care unit and to assess the professional team's awareness regarding this subject. The keywords "drug interactions" and "nutrition therapy" were searched in the PubMed (specifically MeSH) electronic database. The studies were systematically reviewed for descriptions of the types of interactions between drugs and nutrients, including their frequency and consequences. Sixty-seven articles were found. Among these, 20 articles were appropriate for the methodology adopted and accomplished the objectives of the study. Of these 20 articles, 14 articles described interactions between drugs and enteral nutrition, three described interactions between drugs and parenteral nutrition, and three described the importance and care required to avoid such interactions. The literature about drug and nutrient interactions is limited and suggests the inability of health care teams to recognize the potential for these interactions. Possibly, the elaboration of a protocol to evaluate drug-nutrient interactions will increase the safety and efficacy of therapeutics.

Drug-nutrient interactions in the intensive care unit: literature review and current recommendations

PubMed Central

Heldt, Tatiane; Loss, Sergio Henrique

2013-01-01

Objective To describe the interactions between drugs and nutrients and their frequency in the intensive care unit and to assess the professional team's awareness regarding this subject. Methods The keywords "drug interactions" and "nutrition therapy" were searched in the PubMed (specifically MeSH) electronic database. The studies were systematically reviewed for descriptions of the types of interactions between drugs and nutrients, including their frequency and consequences. Results Sixty-seven articles were found. Among these, 20 articles were appropriate for the methodology adopted and accomplished the objectives of the study. Of these 20 articles, 14 articles described interactions between drugs and enteral nutrition, three described interactions between drugs and parenteral nutrition, and three described the importance and care required to avoid such interactions. Conclusions The literature about drug and nutrient interactions is limited and suggests the inability of health care teams to recognize the potential for these interactions. Possibly, the elaboration of a protocol to evaluate drug-nutrient interactions will increase the safety and efficacy of therapeutics. PMID:23917982

NIEHS' David Rall

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Science and Technology, 1974

1974-01-01

According to Rall, director of NIEHS, the agency is supporting environmental research in the areas of occupational health, epidemiological, carcinogenic and biochemical toxicology, air pollution, food additives and nutrition. Rall's concern is that environmentalists have become sidetracked by the problems of esthetics and wildlife toxicity and…

INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF UNDERNUTRITION AND NEUROTOXICITY: FOOD FOR THOUGHT AND RESEARCH ATTENTION

PubMed Central

Spencer, Peter S.; Palmer, Valerie S.

2012-01-01

The neurotoxic actions of chemical agents on humans and animals are usually studied with little consideration of the subject’s nutritional status. States of protein-calorie, vitamin and mineral undernutrition are associated with a range of neurodevelopmental, neurological and psychiatric disorders, commonly with involvement of both the central and peripheral nervous system. Undernutrition can modify risk for certain chemical-induced neurologic diseases, and in some cases undernutrition may be a prerequisite for neurotoxicity to surface. In addition, neurologic disease associated with undernutrition or neurotoxicity may show similarities in clinical and neuropathological expression, especially in the peripheral nervous system. The combined effects of undernutrition and chemical neurotoxicity are most relevant to people of low-income who experience chronic hunger, parasitism and infectious disease, monotonous diets of plants with neurotoxic potential (notably cassava), environmental pollution from rapid industrial development, chronic alcohol abuse, and prolonged treatment with certain therapeutic drugs. Undernutrition alone or in combination with chemical exposure is also important in high-income societies in the setting of drug and alcohol abuse, old age, food faddism, post-bariatric surgery, and drug treatment for certain medical conditions, including cancer and tuberculosis. The nutritional demands of pregnancy and lactation increases the risk of fetal and infant undernutrition and chemical interactions therewith. PMID:22394483

Interaction of nutrition and infections globally: an overview.

PubMed

Krawinkel, M B

2012-01-01

The interaction of nutrition and infections is known by experience by generations of medical doctors. Before the era of antibiotics, diet was an integral part of the management of infections. Now, it is necessary to take a fresh look at this interaction as the understanding of immune response has expanded considerably. Comparatively little research has addressed the impact of nutrition interventions on the management of infectious diseases. Most observations of the interaction between nutrition and infections are epidemiological in character. This holds especially true for measles as well as for tuberculosis. In AIDS, the deterioration of the nutritional status is an indicator of disease progression. Infections in undernourished children are a common cause of death, and taking this finding into account helps to reduce the case fatality rate in severely malnourished patients. Regarding the immune response, cellular as well as soluble components are affected by deficiencies of single nutrients or general undernutrition. The immunosuppressive effect of undernutrition starts during intrauterine life already: maternal nutrition status has been shown to impact on immune function in adult animals. Recent research suggests that not only undernutrition but also caloric overnutrition impacts on immune response to infections and immunization. This is partly due to the chronic inflammatory activity of the adipose tissue and partly due to neuroendocrine alterations. Infectious diseases also impact on the nutritional status, either specifically or through unspecific mechanisms, such as anorexia, tachypnea, and vomiting. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Parasite responses to pollution: what we know and where we go in 'Environmental Parasitology'.

PubMed

Sures, Bernd; Nachev, Milen; Selbach, Christian; Marcogliese, David J

2017-02-06

Environmental parasitology deals with the interactions between parasites and pollutants in the environment. Their sensitivity to pollutants and environmental disturbances makes many parasite taxa useful indicators of environmental health and anthropogenic impact. Over the last 20 years, three main research directions have been shown to be highly promising and relevant, namely parasites as accumulation indicators for selected pollutants, parasites as effect indicators, and the role of parasites interacting with established bioindicators. The current paper focuses on the potential use of parasites as indicators of environmental pollution and the interactions with their hosts. By reviewing some of the most recent findings in the field of environmental parasitology, we summarize the current state of the art and try to identify promising ideas for future research directions. In detail, we address the suitability of parasites as accumulation indicators and their possible application to demonstrate biological availability of pollutants; the role of parasites as pollutant sinks; the interaction between parasites and biomarkers focusing on combined effects of parasitism and pollution on the health of their hosts; and the use of parasites as indicators of contaminants and ecosystem health. Therefore, this review highlights the application of parasites as indicators at different biological scales, from the organismal to the ecosystem.

Modelling nutrition across organizational levels: from individuals to superorganisms.

PubMed

Lihoreau, Mathieu; Buhl, Jerome; Charleston, Michael A; Sword, Gregory A; Raubenheimer, David; Simpson, Stephen J

2014-10-01

The Geometric Framework for nutrition has been increasingly used to describe how individual animals regulate their intake of multiple nutrients to maintain target physiological states maximizing growth and reproduction. However, only a few studies have considered the potential influences of the social context in which these nutritional decisions are made. Social insects, for instance, have evolved extreme levels of nutritional interdependence in which food collection, processing, storage and disposal are performed by different individuals with different nutritional needs. These social interactions considerably complicate nutrition and raise the question of how nutrient regulation is achieved at multiple organizational levels, by individuals and groups. Here, we explore the connections between individual- and collective-level nutrition by developing a modelling framework integrating concepts of nutritional geometry into individual-based models. Using this approach, we investigate how simple nutritional interactions between individuals can mediate a range of emergent collective-level phenomena in social arthropods (insects and spiders) and provide examples of novel and empirically testable predictions. We discuss how our approach could be expanded to a wider range of species and social systems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Food and Nutrition Information Center

MedlinePlus

... Nutrition Information Center Microgreen Study Shows Health Benefits •ARS scientists studied health benefits of red cabbage microgreens.• ... List USDA Food Composition Databases Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Food and Nutrition Research Briefs Interactive DRI for ...

Positive Health: Designs for Action.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beyrer, Mary K.; And Others

This book is designed to assist young adults in making decisions regarding personal health and health behavior. Personal effectiveness, sexuality, psychoactive drugs, nutrition, disease, injury, community and environmental health, and the problems of pollution are discussed in terms of principles, choices, and risk-reduction. Discussion problems…

40 CFR 63.2166 - How do I demonstrate initial compliance with the emission limitations if I monitor brew ethanol?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Testing and Initial Compliance Requirements § 63.2166 How do I... subpart. (b) You must establish the brew-to-exhaust correlation for each fermentation stage according to...

ASSOCIATION OF URINARY PERCHLORATE WITH INDIRECT MEASURES OFTHYROID DYSFUNCTION BASED ON NHANES 2001-2002

EPA Science Inventory

Background/Aims: Perchlorate is a widespread environmental pollutant. Previous population studies based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2002, showed that urinary perchlorate concentrations were associated with increased levels of thyroid stim...

DIESEL EXHAUST ENHANCES INFLUENZA VIRUS INFECTIONS IN RESPIRATORY EPITHELIAL CELLS

EPA Science Inventory

Several factors, such as age and nutritional status can affect the susceptibility to influenza infections. Moreover, exposure to air pollutants, such as diesel exhaust (DE), has been shown to affect respiratory virus infections in rodent models. Influenza virus primarily infects ...

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Cccc of... - Emission Limitations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Part 63, Subpt. CCCC, Table 1... emission limitations in the following table: For each fed-batch fermenter producing yeast in the following... limitation does not apply during the production of specialty yeast. ...

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Cccc of... - Emission Limitations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Part 63, Subpt. CCCC, Table 1... emission limitations in the following table: For each fed-batch fermenter producing yeast in the following... limitation does not apply during the production of specialty yeast. ...

Importance of taste, nutrition, cost and convenience in relation to diet quality: Evidence of nutrition resilience among US adults using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2010

PubMed Central

Aggarwal, Anju; Rehm, Colin D.; Monsivais, Pablo; Drewnowski, Adam

2017-01-01

Concerns with taste, nutrition, cost, and convenience are said to be key influences on food choices. This study examined the importance of food-related attitudes in relation to diet quality using US national level data. Interactions by socioeconomic status (SES), gender and race/ethnicity were tested. Analyses of 8957 adults from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2007–2010) were conducted in 2014–15. Perceived importance of taste, nutrition, cost, and convenience in dietary choices were assessed using 4-point Likert scales. Education and family income-to-poverty ratio (FIPR) were SES indicators. Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010), a measure of adherence to 2010 dietary guidelines, was the diet quality measure. Survey-weighted regressions examined associations between attitudes and HEI, and tested for interactions. Taste was rated as “very important” by 77.0% of the US adults, followed by nutrition (59.9%), cost (39.9%), and convenience (29.8%). However, it was the perceived importance of nutrition that most strongly predicted HEI (β: +8.0 HEI scores among “very important” vs. “not at all important”). By contrast, greater importance for taste and convenience had a weak inverse relation with HEI (β: −5.1 and −1.5 respectively), adjusting for SES. Significant interactions were observed by race/ethnicity, but not SES and gender. Those who prioritized nutrition during food shopping had higher-quality diets regardless of gender, education and income in the US. Certain racial/ethnic groups managed to eat healthy despite attaching importance to cost and convenience. This is the first evidence of nutrition resilience among US adults using national data, which has huge implications for nutrition interventions. PMID:27374943

Importance of taste, nutrition, cost and convenience in relation to diet quality: Evidence of nutrition resilience among US adults using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2010.

PubMed

Aggarwal, Anju; Rehm, Colin D; Monsivais, Pablo; Drewnowski, Adam

2016-09-01

Concerns with taste, nutrition, cost, and convenience are said to be key influences on food choices. This study examined the importance of food-related attitudes in relation to diet quality using US national level data. Interactions by socioeconomic status (SES), gender and race/ethnicity were tested. Analyses of 8957 adults from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2007-2010) were conducted in 2014-15. Perceived importance of taste, nutrition, cost, and convenience in dietary choices were assessed using 4-point Likert scales. Education and family income-to-poverty ratio (FIPR) were SES indicators. Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010), a measure of adherence to 2010 dietary guidelines, was the diet quality measure. Survey-weighted regressions examined associations between attitudes and HEI, and tested for interactions. Taste was rated as "very important" by 77.0% of the US adults, followed by nutrition (59.9%), cost (39.9%), and convenience (29.8%). However, it was the perceived importance of nutrition that most strongly predicted HEI (β: +8.0 HEI scores among "very important" vs. "not at all important"). By contrast, greater importance for taste and convenience had a weak inverse relation with HEI (β: -5.1 and -1.5 respectively), adjusting for SES. Significant interactions were observed by race/ethnicity, but not SES and gender. Those who prioritized nutrition during food shopping had higher-quality diets regardless of gender, education and income in the US. Certain racial/ethnic groups managed to eat healthy despite attaching importance to cost and convenience. This is the first evidence of nutrition resilience among US adults using national data, which has huge implications for nutrition interventions. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Determination of some heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb) in blood by total reflection X-ray fluorescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bounakhla, M.; Doukkali, A.; Lalaoui, K.; Aguenaou, H.; Mokhtar, N.; Attrassi, B.

2003-05-01

The main purpose of this study is the interaction between nutrition (micronutrients heavy metals: Fe, Zn, Cu) and toxic heavy metals such as Pb in blood of children living in Gharb region of Morocco. This region receives all pollution carried by the Sebou river coming mainly from industrial activities. A rapid and simple analytical procedure was used for the determination of Fe, Cu and Zn trace amounts in blood by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence technique. This method is an energy dispersive XRF technique in a special geometry of primary beam, sample and detector. The sample is deposited on a plane polished surface of a suitable reflector material. It is presented as a few drops (25 μl) from a solution of blood digested in a mixture of HNO3 and H2O2 using a microwaves accelerated reaction system. The accuracy of measurements has been investigated by using certified materials. The concentration of Cu was found to be normal in all samples (\\cong1 ppm) which ruled out any interaction between this element and the others. On the other hand, amounts of Fe and Zn are very variables, suggesting an interaction between Fe and Zn. However, amounts of Pb in blood are inferior to 50 ppb, suggesting that no interaction exist with this metal and micronutrients.

Nutrition information-seeking behaviour of low-income pregnant Maghrebian women.

PubMed

Legault, Anik; Marquis, Marie

2014-01-01

Nutrition information-seeking behaviour was explored among low-income pregnant Maghrebian women living in Montreal. Environmental factors likely to influence nutrition information-seeking behaviour during pregnancy are discussed. Data were collected in face-to-face interviews with 14 primigravid pregnant women recruited via the Montreal Diet Dispensary, a nonprofit agency with the mission of promoting health among low-income pregnant women. Data collection was part of a larger project on pregnant women's nutrition decision-making. Environmental factors likely to influence information-seeking behaviour were identified. They were grouped within two major themes: culture and interactions with individuals from the social environment. The culture theme was divided into three minor themes: eating habits, food beliefs, and religious beliefs. The interactions with individuals from the social environment theme was divided into two minor themes: interactions with health care providers and interactions with family members. Understanding the influence of these environmental factors should help registered dietitians tailor communication strategies to pregnant immigrant women's specific information needs.

A Genome-wide Trans-ethnic Interaction Study Links the PIGR-FCAMR Locus to Coronary Atherosclerosis Via Interactions Between Genetic Variants and Residential Exposure to Traffic

EPA Science Inventory

Air pollution is a worldwide contributor to cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity. Traffic air pollution is a ubiquitous source of air pollution in developed nations, and is associated with multiple cardiovascular outcomes such as: coronary atherosclerosis, peripheral ar...

The future of nutrition: Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics in obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

PubMed

Peña-Romero, Alicia Cristina; Navas-Carrillo, Diana; Marín, Francisco; Orenes-Piñero, Esteban

2017-07-05

Over time, the relationship between diet and health has aroused great interest, since nutrition can prevent and treat several diseases. It has been demonstrated that general recommendations on macronutrients and micronutrients do not affect to every individual in the same way because diet is an important environmental factor that interacts with genes. Thus, there is a growing necessity of improving a personalized nutrition to treat obesity and associated medical conditions, taking into account the interactions between diet, genes and health. Therefore, the knowledge of the interactions between the genome and nutrients at the molecular level, has led to the advent of nutritional genomics, which involves the sciences of nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics. In this review, we will comprehensively analyze the role of the most important genes associated with two interrelated chronic medical conditions, such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

Policy interactions and underperforming emission trading markets in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Bing; Zhang, Hui; Liu, Beibei; Bi, Jun

2013-07-02

Emission trading is considered to be cost-effective environmental economic instrument for pollution control. However, the ex post analysis of emission trading program found that cost savings have been smaller and the trades fewer than might have been expected at the outset of the program. Besides policy design issues, pre-existing environmental regulations were considered to have a significant impact on the performance of the emission trading market in China. Taking the Jiangsu sulfur dioxide (SO2) market as a case study, this research examined the impact of policy interactions on the performance of the emission trading market. The results showed that cost savings associated with the Jiangsu SO2 emission trading market in the absence of any policy interactions were CNY 549 million or 12.5% of total pollution control costs. However, policy interactions generally had significant impacts on the emission trading system; the lone exception was current pollution levy system. When the model accounted for all four kinds of policy interactions, the total pollution control cost savings from the emission trading market fell to CNY 39.7 million or 1.36% of total pollution control costs. The impact of policy interactions would reduce 92.8% of cost savings brought by emission trading program.

The influence of organic amendment and nickel pollution on tomato fruit yield and quality.

PubMed

Palacios, G; Carbonell-Barrachina, A; Gómez, I; Mataix, J

1999-01-01

The effects of organic fertilization (sludge application) and/or different levels of Ni pollution on tomato fruit yield, quality, nutrition, and Ni accumulation were investigated. The mass loading of sewage sludge solids used in this study for the amendment of a calcareous soil with low organic matter content was 2% (w/w). A control with no sewage sludge amendment was also included (S). Nickel was added to the sludge amended soil at 0, 60, 120 and 240 mg kg-1 concentrations. Sewage sludge addition to the calcareous soil significantly increased fruit yield but did not adversely affect the quality and nutritional status of the tomato fruit. The results demonstrated that sewage sludge could be successfully used as a horticultural fertilizer. Only the highest addition rate of Ni (240 mg kg-1) to an organic amended calcareous soil had negative effects on fruit yield and quality, and caused a Ni accumulation in fruit that could be considered as a hazard for human health. Thus, no toxic problems will be encountered in tomato fruit due to Ni pollution provided the total Ni (soil Ni plus Ni incorporated with sludge amendment) concentration is kept below the maximum concentration of Ni allowed for agricultural alkaline soils in Spain (112 mg Ni kg-1).

Dietary Intervention to Mitigate the Health Effects of PM Exposure in Humans

EPA Science Inventory

Exposure to ambient air pollution is a major cause of global morbidity and mortality. This presentation will highlight previously published, ongoing and planned studies conducted at the Human Studies Facility that have examined the efficacy of nutritional supplementation in modul...

Physical Activity and Blood Lead Concentration in Korea: Study Using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2008-2013).

PubMed

Rhie, Jeongbae; Lee, Hye-Eun

2016-06-01

Physical activity normally has a positive influence on health, however it can be detrimental in the presence of air pollution. Lead, a heavy metal with established adverse health effects, is a major air pollutant. We evaluated the correlation between blood lead concentration and physical activity using data collected from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed after dividing participants according to whether they were in the top 25% in the distribution of blood lead concentration (i.e., ≥ 2.76 µg/dL), with physical activity level as an independent variable and adjusting for factors such as age, sex, drinking, smoking, body mass index, region, and occupation. The high physical activity group had greater odds of having a blood lead concentration higher than 2.76 µg/dL (odds ratio 1.29, 95% CI 1.11-1.51) compared to the low physical activity group. Furthermore, blood lead concentration is correlated with increasing physical activity.

Insecticide resistance and nutrition interactively shape life-history parameters in German cockroaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, Kim; Ko, Alexander E.; Schal, Coby; Silverman, Jules

2016-06-01

Fitness-related costs of evolving insecticide resistance have been reported in a number of insect species, but the interplay between evolutionary adaptation to insecticide pressure and variable environmental conditions has received little attention. We provisioned nymphs from three German cockroach (Blattella germanica L.) populations, which differed in insecticide resistance, with either nutritionally rich or poor (diluted) diet throughout their development. One population was an insecticide-susceptible laboratory strain; the other two populations originated from a field-collected indoxacarb-resistant population, which upon collection was maintained either with or without further selection with indoxacarb. We then measured development time, survival to the adult stage, adult body size, and results of a challenge with indoxacarb. Our results show that indoxacarb resistance and poor nutritional condition increased development time and lowered adult body size, with reinforcing interactions. We also found lower survival to the adult stage in the indoxacarb-selected population, which was exacerbated by poor nutrition. In addition, nutrition imparted a highly significant effect on indoxacarb susceptibility. This study exemplifies how poor nutritional condition can aggravate the life-history costs of resistance and elevate the detrimental effects of insecticide exposure, demonstrating how environmental conditions and resistance may interactively impact individual fitness and insecticide efficacy.

Genotype x Nutritional Environment Interaction in a Composite Beef Cattle Breed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Environmental effects have been shown to influence several economically important traits in beef cattle. In this study, genetic x nutritional environment interaction has been evaluated in a composite beef cattle breed(50% Red Angus, 25% Charolais, 25% Tarentaise).Cows were randomly assigned to be fe...

Nutrition and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Susan

2000-01-01

Studies by Tufts University's Center on Hunger and Poverty show conclusive links between nutrition and children's cognitive development. Cognitive defects can result from complex interactions between malnutrition and "environmental insults" that come from living in poverty. Poor nutrition has longterm consequences. Print and web…

Understanding Plant-Microbe Interactions for Phytoremediation of Petroleum-Polluted Soil

PubMed Central

Nie, Ming; Wang, Yijing; Yu, Jiayi; Xiao, Ming; Jiang, Lifen; Yang, Ji; Fang, Changming; Chen, Jiakuan; Li, Bo

2011-01-01

Plant-microbe interactions are considered to be important processes determining the efficiency of phytoremediation of petroleum pollution, however relatively little is known about how these interactions are influenced by petroleum pollution. In this experimental study using a microcosm approach, we examined how plant ecophysiological traits, soil nutrients and microbial activities were influenced by petroleum pollution in Phragmites australis, a phytoremediating species. Generally, petroleum pollution reduced plant performance, especially at early stages of plant growth. Petroleum had negative effects on the net accumulation of inorganic nitrogen from its organic forms (net nitrogen mineralization (NNM)) most likely by decreasing the inorganic nitrogen available to the plants in petroleum-polluted soils. However, abundant dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) was found in petroleum-polluted soil. In order to overcome initial deficiency of inorganic nitrogen, plants by dint of high colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi might absorb some DON for their growth in petroleum-polluted soils. In addition, through using a real-time polymerase chain reaction method, we quantified hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial traits based on their catabolic genes (i.e. alkB (alkane monooxygenase), nah (naphthalene dioxygenase) and tol (xylene monooxygenase) genes). This enumeration of target genes suggests that different hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria experienced different dynamic changes during phytoremediation and a greater abundance of alkB was detected during vegetative growth stages. Because phytoremediation of different components of petroleum is performed by different hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, plants’ ability of phytoremediating different components might therefore vary during the plant life cycle. Phytoremediation might be most effective during the vegetative growth stages as greater abundances of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria containing alkB and tol genes were observed at these stages. The information provided by this study enhances our understanding of the effects of petroleum pollution on plant-microbe interactions and the roles of these interactions in the phytoremediation of petroleum-polluted soil. PMID:21437257

Genome-Wide Interaction Analysis of Air Pollution Exposure and Childhood Asthma with Functional Follow-up.

PubMed

Gref, Anna; Merid, Simon K; Gruzieva, Olena; Ballereau, Stéphane; Becker, Allan; Bellander, Tom; Bergström, Anna; Bossé, Yohan; Bottai, Matteo; Chan-Yeung, Moira; Fuertes, Elaine; Ierodiakonou, Despo; Jiang, Ruiwei; Joly, Stéphane; Jones, Meaghan; Kobor, Michael S; Korek, Michal; Kozyrskyj, Anita L; Kumar, Ashish; Lemonnier, Nathanaël; MacIntyre, Elaina; Ménard, Camille; Nickle, David; Obeidat, Ma'en; Pellet, Johann; Standl, Marie; Sääf, Annika; Söderhäll, Cilla; Tiesler, Carla M T; van den Berge, Maarten; Vonk, Judith M; Vora, Hita; Xu, Cheng-Jian; Antó, Josep M; Auffray, Charles; Brauer, Michael; Bousquet, Jean; Brunekreef, Bert; Gauderman, W James; Heinrich, Joachim; Kere, Juha; Koppelman, Gerard H; Postma, Dirkje; Carlsten, Christopher; Pershagen, Göran; Melén, Erik

2017-05-15

The evidence supporting an association between traffic-related air pollution exposure and incident childhood asthma is inconsistent and may depend on genetic factors. To identify gene-environment interaction effects on childhood asthma using genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data and air pollution exposure. Identified loci were further analyzed at epigenetic and transcriptomic levels. We used land use regression models to estimate individual air pollution exposure (represented by outdoor NO 2 levels) at the birth address and performed a genome-wide interaction study for doctors' diagnoses of asthma up to 8 years in three European birth cohorts (n = 1,534) with look-up for interaction in two separate North American cohorts, CHS (Children's Health Study) and CAPPS/SAGE (Canadian Asthma Primary Prevention Study/Study of Asthma, Genetics and Environment) (n = 1,602 and 186 subjects, respectively). We assessed expression quantitative trait locus effects in human lung specimens and blood, as well as associations among air pollution exposure, methylation, and transcriptomic patterns. In the European cohorts, 186 SNPs had an interaction P < 1 × 10 -4 and a look-up evaluation of these disclosed 8 SNPs in 4 loci, with an interaction P < 0.05 in the large CHS study, but not in CAPPS/SAGE. Three SNPs within adenylate cyclase 2 (ADCY2) showed the same direction of the interaction effect and were found to influence ADCY2 gene expression in peripheral blood (P = 4.50 × 10 -4 ). One other SNP with P < 0.05 for interaction in CHS, rs686237, strongly influenced UDP-Gal:betaGlcNAc β-1,4-galactosyltransferase, polypeptide 5 (B4GALT5) expression in lung tissue (P = 1.18 × 10 -17 ). Air pollution exposure was associated with differential discs, large homolog 2 (DLG2) methylation and expression. Our results indicated that gene-environment interactions are important for asthma development and provided supportive evidence for interaction with air pollution for ADCY2, B4GALT5, and DLG2.

Genome-Wide Interaction Analysis of Air Pollution Exposure and Childhood Asthma with Functional Follow-up

PubMed Central

Gref, Anna; Merid, Simon K.; Gruzieva, Olena; Ballereau, Stéphane; Becker, Allan; Bellander, Tom; Bergström, Anna; Bottai, Matteo; Chan-Yeung, Moira; Fuertes, Elaine; Ierodiakonou, Despo; Jiang, Ruiwei; Joly, Stéphane; Jones, Meaghan; Kobor, Michael S.; Korek, Michal; Kozyrskyj, Anita L.; Kumar, Ashish; Lemonnier, Nathanaël; MacIntyre, Elaina; Ménard, Camille; Nickle, David; Obeidat, Ma'en; Pellet, Johann; Standl, Marie; Sääf, Annika; Söderhäll, Cilla; Tiesler, Carla M. T.; van den Berge, Maarten; Vonk, Judith M.; Vora, Hita; Xu, Cheng-Jian; Antó, Josep M.; Auffray, Charles; Brauer, Michael; Bousquet, Jean; Brunekreef, Bert; Gauderman, W. James; Heinrich, Joachim; Kere, Juha; Koppelman, Gerard H.; Postma, Dirkje; Carlsten, Christopher; Pershagen, Göran

2017-01-01

Rationale: The evidence supporting an association between traffic-related air pollution exposure and incident childhood asthma is inconsistent and may depend on genetic factors. Objectives: To identify gene–environment interaction effects on childhood asthma using genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data and air pollution exposure. Identified loci were further analyzed at epigenetic and transcriptomic levels. Methods: We used land use regression models to estimate individual air pollution exposure (represented by outdoor NO2 levels) at the birth address and performed a genome-wide interaction study for doctors’ diagnoses of asthma up to 8 years in three European birth cohorts (n = 1,534) with look-up for interaction in two separate North American cohorts, CHS (Children’s Health Study) and CAPPS/SAGE (Canadian Asthma Primary Prevention Study/Study of Asthma, Genetics and Environment) (n = 1,602 and 186 subjects, respectively). We assessed expression quantitative trait locus effects in human lung specimens and blood, as well as associations among air pollution exposure, methylation, and transcriptomic patterns. Measurements and Main Results: In the European cohorts, 186 SNPs had an interaction P < 1 × 10−4 and a look-up evaluation of these disclosed 8 SNPs in 4 loci, with an interaction P < 0.05 in the large CHS study, but not in CAPPS/SAGE. Three SNPs within adenylate cyclase 2 (ADCY2) showed the same direction of the interaction effect and were found to influence ADCY2 gene expression in peripheral blood (P = 4.50 × 10−4). One other SNP with P < 0.05 for interaction in CHS, rs686237, strongly influenced UDP-Gal:betaGlcNAc β-1,4-galactosyltransferase, polypeptide 5 (B4GALT5) expression in lung tissue (P = 1.18 × 10−17). Air pollution exposure was associated with differential discs, large homolog 2 (DLG2) methylation and expression. Conclusions: Our results indicated that gene–environment interactions are important for asthma development and provided supportive evidence for interaction with air pollution for ADCY2, B4GALT5, and DLG2. PMID:27901618

A Nutritional Approach to the Prevention of Cancer: from Assessment to Personalized Intervention.

PubMed

Di Furia, L; Rusciano, M R; Leonardini, L; Rossi, P; Giammarchi, C; Vittori, E; Tilocca, S; Russo, F L; Montuori, P; Triassi, M; Nardone, A; Giaimo, M D; Migazzi, M; Piffer, S; Iaria, A; Trapasso, A; Firenze, A; Cristaudo, R; Revello, M; Castiglion, A; Zagonel, V; Iaccarino, G; Addis, A; Natale, L; Di Somma, C; Colao, A; Perra, A; Giova, K; Montuori, N; Illario, M

2015-12-01

Among lifestyle factors, nutrition is one of the most important determinants of health, and represents a pivotal element of cancer risk. Nonetheless, epidemiological evidences of the relationship between several cancers and specific foods and nutrients is still inadequate, and solid conclusions are missing. Indeed, caloric restriction without malnutrition is associated to cancer prevention. Food may be also the primary route of exposure to contaminants such as metals, persistent organic pollutants, and pesticides. Exposuredisease associations and the interplay with genetic susceptibility requires further studies on genetic variation, environment, lifestyle, and chronic disease in order to eliminate and reduce associated health risks, thus contributing to improve health outcomes for the population. A primary nutritional approach for Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA) has been developed by the Nutrition group of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on AHA. The working group on lifestyles of the Italian Ministry of Health has developed a comprehensive approach to adequate nutrition using a consensus methodology to collect and integrate the available evidences from the literature and from the Italian experiences at the regional level, to raise the interest of other experts and relevant stakeholders to outline and scale-up joint strategies for a primary nutritional approach to cancer prevention.

A Qualitative Investigation to Underpin the Development of an Electronic Tool to Assess Nutrition Literacy in Australians Adults.

PubMed

Cassar, Alyssa M; Denyer, Gareth S; O'Connor, Helen T; Gifford, Janelle A

2018-02-23

Nutrition literacy is linked to health via its influence on dietary intake. There is a need for a tool to assess nutrition literacy in research and dietetic practice. We sought guidance from nutrition professionals on topic areas and features of an electronic nutrition literacy assessment tool for Australian adults. 28 experienced nutrition professionals engaged in a range of nutrition and dietetic work areas participated in six focus groups using a semi-structured interview schedule. Data were analysed using an inductive approach using NVivo 10 (QSR International, Pty Ltd., Doncaster, Australia, 2012). Key areas identified to assess nutrition literacy included specific nutrients versus foods, labels and packaging, construction of the diet, knowledge of the Australian Dietary Guidelines and Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, understanding of serve and portion sizes, ability to select healthier foods, and demographics such as belief systems and culture. Exploitation of electronic features to enhance visual and auditory displays, including interactive animations such as "drag and drop" and virtual reality situations, were discussed. This study provided insight into the most relevant topic areas and presentation format to assess the nutrition literacy of adult Australians. The visual, auditory, and interactive capacity of the available technology could enhance the assessment of nutrition literacy.

Non-communicable disease in HIV infection in low- and middle-income countries: gastrointestinal, hepatic, and nutritional aspects

PubMed Central

Kelly, Paul; Saloojee, Haroon; Chen, Jennifer Y; Chung, Raymond T

2014-01-01

The purpose of this review is to outline the interaction between HIV and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, liver, and nutritional disorders in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and to identify research priorities. Non-communicable GI tract disorders are only moderately influenced by HIV, and peptic ulceration is actually less common. However, the impact of HIV on GI cancers needs further investigation. HIV interacts strongly with environmental enteropathy, exacerbating malabsorption of nutrients and drugs. HIV has two major effects on non-communicable liver disease: drug-induced liver injury and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (particularly in persons of African genetic descent). The effect of HIV on nutrition was one of the first markers of the epidemic in the 1980s, and HIV continues to have major nutritional consequences. Childhood malnutrition and HIV frequently co-exist in some regions, e.g., southern Africa, resulting in powerful negative interactions with poorer responses to standard nutritional rehabilitation. HIV and nutritional care need to be better integrated, but many questions on how best to do this remain unanswered. Across the spectrum of gastrointestinal, hepatic, and nutritional disorders in HIV infection, there is increasing evidence that the microbiome may play an important role in disease pathogenesis, but work in this area, especially in LMICs, is in its infancy. PMID:25117963

Interactive Effects of in Utero Nutrition and Genetic Inheritance on Cognition: New Evidence Using Sibling Comparisons1

PubMed Central

Cook, C. Justin; Fletcher, Jason M.

2013-01-01

A large literature links early environments and later outcomes, such as cognition; however, little is known about the mechanisms. One potential mechanism is sensitivity to early environments that is moderated or amplified by the genotype. With this mechanism in mind, a complementary literature outside economics examines the interaction between genes and environments, but often problems of endogeneity and bias in estimation are uncorrected. A key issue in the literature is exploring environmental variation that is not exogenous, which is potentially problematic if there are gene-environment correlation or gene-gene interactions. Using sibling pairs with genetic data in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study we extend a previous, and widely cited, gene-environment study that explores an interaction between the FADS2 gene, which is associated with the processing of essential fatty acids related to cognitive development, and early life nutrition in explaining later-life IQ. Our base OLS findings suggest that individuals with specific FADS2 variants gain roughly 0.15 standard deviations in IQ for each standard deviation increase in birth weight, our measure of the early nutrition environment; while, individuals with other variants of FADS2 do not have a statistically significant association with early nutrition, implying the genotype is influencing the effects of environmental exposure. When including family-level fixed effects, however, the magnitude of the gene-environment interaction is reduced by half and statistical significance dissipates, implying the interaction between FADS2 and early nutrition in explaining later life IQ may in part be due to unobserved, family-level factors. The example has wider implications for the practice of investigating gene-environment interactions when the environmental exposure is not exogenous and robustness to unobserved variation in the genome is not controlled for in the analysis. PMID:24172871

Process-based modelling of the nutritive value of forages: a review

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Modelling sward nutritional value (NV) is of particular importance to understand the interactions between grasslands, livestock production, environment and climate-related impacts. Variables describing nutritive value vary significantly between ruminant production systems, but two types are commonly...

Interactions of GST Polymorphisms in Air Pollution Exposure and Respiratory Diseases and Allergies.

PubMed

Bowatte, Gayan; Lodge, Caroline J; Perret, Jennifer L; Matheson, Melanie C; Dharmage, Shyamali C

2016-11-01

The purpose of this review is to summarize the evidence from recently published original studies investigating how glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene polymorphisms modify the impact of air pollution on asthma, allergic diseases, and lung function. Current studies in epidemiological and controlled human experiments found evidence to suggest that GSTs modify the impact of air pollution exposure on respiratory diseases and allergies. Of the nine articles included in this review, all except one identified at least one significant interaction with at least one of glutathione S-transferase pi 1 (GSTP1), glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1), or glutathione S-transferase theta 1 (GSTT1) genes and air pollution exposure. The findings of these studies, however, are markedly different. This difference can be partially explained by regional variation in the exposure levels and oxidative potential of different pollutants and by other interactions involving a number of unaccounted environment exposures and multiple genes. Although there is evidence of an interaction between GST genes and air pollution exposure for the risk of respiratory disease and allergies, results are not concordant. Further investigations are needed to explore the reasons behind the discordancy.

The geometric framework for nutrition reveals interactions between protein and carbohydrate during larval growth in honey bees

PubMed Central

Slater, Garett P.; Rajamohan, Arun; Yocum, George D.; Greenlee, Kendra J.; Bowsher, Julia H.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT In holometabolous insects, larval nutrition affects adult body size, a life history trait with a profound influence on performance and fitness. Individual nutritional components of larval diets are often complex and may interact with one another, necessitating the use of a geometric framework for elucidating nutritional effects. In the honey bee, Apis mellifera, nurse bees provision food to developing larvae, directly moderating growth rates and caste development. However, the eusocial nature of honey bees makes nutritional studies challenging, because diet components cannot be systematically manipulated in the hive. Using in vitro rearing, we investigated the roles and interactions between carbohydrate and protein content on larval survival, growth, and development in A. mellifera. We applied a geometric framework to determine how these two nutritional components interact across nine artificial diets. Honey bees successfully completed larval development under a wide range of protein and carbohydrate contents, with the medium protein (∼5%) diet having the highest survival. Protein and carbohydrate both had significant and non-linear effects on growth rate, with the highest growth rates observed on a medium-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Diet composition did not have a statistically significant effect on development time. These results confirm previous findings that protein and carbohydrate content affect the growth of A. mellifera larvae. However, this study identified an interaction between carbohydrate and protein content that indicates a low-protein, high-carb diet has a negative effect on larval growth and survival. These results imply that worker recruitment in the hive would decline under low protein conditions, even when nectar abundance or honey stores are sufficient. PMID:28396492

Interactions Between Nutrition and Infections With Haemonchus contortus and Related Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Small Ruminants.

PubMed

Hoste, H; Torres-Acosta, J F J; Quijada, J; Chan-Perez, I; Dakheel, M M; Kommuru, D S; Mueller-Harvey, I; Terrill, T H

2016-01-01

Interactions between host nutrition and feeding behaviour are central to understanding the pathophysiological consequences of infections of the digestive tract with parasitic nematodes. The manipulation of host nutrition provides useful options to control gastrointestinal nematodes as a component of an integrated strategy. Focussed mainly on the Haemonchus contortus infection model in small ruminants, this chapter (1) illustrates the relationship between quantitative (macro- and micro-nutrients) and qualitative (plant secondary metabolites) aspects of host nutrition and nematode infection, and (2) shows how basic studies aimed at addressing some generic questions can help to provide solutions, despite the considerable diversity of epidemiological situations and breeding systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrative Metabolism: An Interactive Learning Tool for Nutrition, Biochemistry, and Physiology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carey, Gale

2010-01-01

Metabolism is a dynamic, simultaneous, and integrative science that cuts across nutrition, biochemistry, and physiology. Teaching this science can be a challenge. The use of a scenario-based, visually appealing, interactive, computer-animated CD may overcome the limitations of learning "one pathway at a time" and engage two- and…

NOVEL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN URINARY PERCHLORATE AND POTENTIALLY RELEVANT EFFECTS ON RISK FACTORS FOR HEART DISEASE BASED ON NHANES 2001-2002

EPA Science Inventory

Perchlorate is a widespread environmental pollutant, and is a thyroid hormone disruptor. A previous population study based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2002 database showed that urinary perchlorate concentrations were associated with signi...

The Impact of Early-Life Vitamin D Deficiency on Adverse Cardiopulmonary Responses to Atmospheric Smog in Mice

EPA Science Inventory

Although it has been well established that air pollution contributes to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, the role of nutrition in altering susceptibility has not been adequately addressed. Low levels of micronutrients like vitamin D in childhood can result in chronic probl...

Older Adults' Perceptions of Nutrition as Protective against Detrimental Effects of Environmental Pollution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, Kristina; Gaetke, Lisa; Stephenson, Tammy; Brewer, Dawn

2017-01-01

The aging process makes older adults vulnerable to the detrimental health effects of environmental contaminants. Our study assessed older adults' perceptions regarding diet as protective against environmental contaminants, levels of concern about exposure to environmental contaminants, and interest in learning about protective food-related…

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Cccc of... - Emission Limitations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Pt. 63, Subpt... comply with the emission limitations in the following table: For each fed-batch fermenter producing yeast... duration of a batch.b. The emission limitation does not apply during the production of specialty yeast. ...

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Cccc of... - Emission Limitations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Pt. 63, Subpt... comply with the emission limitations in the following table: For each fed-batch fermenter producing yeast... duration of a batch.b. The emission limitation does not apply during the production of specialty yeast. ...

40 CFR Table 3 to Subpart Cccc of... - Initial Compliance With Emission Limitations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Part... demonstrated initial compliance if . . . 1. Each fed-batch fermenter producing yeast in a fermentation stage... yeast in a fermentation stage (last (Trade), second-to-last (First Generation), or third-to-last (Stock...

40 CFR Table 4 to Subpart Cccc of... - Continuous Compliance With Emission Limitations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Part... yeast in a fermentation stage (last (Trade), second-to-last (First Generation), or third-to-last (Stock... the applicable maximum concentration. 2. Each fed-batch fermenter producing yeast in a fermentation...

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Cccc of... - Emission Limitations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Pt. 63, Subpt... comply with the emission limitations in the following table: For each fed-batch fermenter producing yeast... duration of a batch.b. The emission limitation does not apply during the production of specialty yeast. ...

An Integrated Approach to Economic and Environmental Aspects of Air Pollution and Climate Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarofim, M. C.

2007-12-01

Emissions of greenhouses gases and conventional pollutants are closely linked through shared generation processes and thus policies directed toward long-lived greenhouse gases affect emissions of conventional pollutants and, similarly, policies directed toward conventional pollutants affect emissions of greenhouse gases. Some conventional pollutants such as aerosols also have direct radiative effects. NOx and VOCs are ozone precursors, another substance with both radiative and health impacts, and these ozone precursors also interact with the chemistry of the hydroxyl radical which is the major methane sink. Realistic scenarios of future emissions and concentrations must therefore account for both air pollution and greenhouse gas policies and how they interact economically as well as atmospherically, including the regional pattern of emissions and regulation. We have modified a 16 region computable general equilibrium economic model (the MIT Emissions Prediction and Policy Analysis model) by including elasticities of substitution for ozone precursors and aerosols in order to examine these interactions between climate policy and air pollution policy on a global scale. Urban emissions are distributed based on population density, and aged using a reduced form urban model before release into an atmospheric chemistry/climate model (the earth systems component of the MIT Integrated Global Systems Model). This integrated approach enables examination of the direct impacts of air pollution on climate, the ancillary and complementary interactions between air pollution and climate policies, and the impact of different population distribution algorithms or urban emission aging schemes on global scale properties. This modeling exercise shows that while ozone levels are reduced due to NOx and VOC reductions, these reductions lead to an increase in methane concentrations that eliminates the temperature effects of the ozone reductions. However, black carbon reductions do have significant direct effects on global mean temperatures, as do ancillary reductions of greenhouse gases due to the pollution constraints imposed in the economic model. Finally, we show that the economic benefits of coordinating air pollution and climate policies rather than separate implementation are on the order of 20% of the total policy cost.

Nutritional influences on epigenetics and age-related disease

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nutritional epigenetics has emerged as a novel mechanism underlying gene–diet interactions, further elucidating the modulatory role of nutrition in aging and age-related disease development. Epigenetics is defined as a heritable modification to the DNA that regulates chromosome architecture and modu...

Interactions between drugs and drug-nutrient in enteral nutrition: a review based on evidences.

PubMed

Ferreira Silva, Renata; Rita Carvalho Garbi Novaes, Maria

2014-09-01

Enteral nutrition (EN) provides calories, macronutrients and micronutrients in adequate quantity and quality to meet the patient's needs. Some drugs when crushed and diluted may have their properties altered, including the reduction of bioavailability causing the reduction of the serum concentration of the drug; tube obstruction; drug-drug interaction or drug-nutrient interaction. The study was conducted through review of submitted articles in the databases of the Virtual Health Library (VHL): MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine, USA), Lilacs (Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences) PUBMED - NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) and COCHRANE. For this survey, 42 articles were identified during database searching. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 08 articles were selected, obtained from the MEDLINE and Lilacs. Some interactions were found such as the aluminium hydroxide and lactulose with the enteral nutrition, which may result in a precipitation and reduction of drug bioavailability. Mineral oil will alter the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and reduces the tube light. Others results were found as phenytoin, warfarin, captopril and furosemide with enteral nutrition may reduce the maximum serum concentration. Drug interactions are more common in day-to-day activities than health professionals may suppose. Knowledge on the matter may also assist in reducing cases of obstruction of tubes, through which enteral nutrition and medications are administered. Thus, the multidisciplinary team, acting together, may have more beneficial effects to the patient. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Integration of P, S, Fe, and Zn nutrition signals in Arabidopsis thaliana: potential involvement of PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE 1 (PHR1)

PubMed Central

Briat, Jean-François; Rouached, Hatem; Tissot, Nicolas; Gaymard, Frédéric; Dubos, Christian

2015-01-01

Phosphate and sulfate are essential macro-elements for plant growth and development, and deficiencies in these mineral elements alter many metabolic functions. Nutritional constraints are not restricted to macro-elements. Essential metals such as zinc and iron have their homeostasis strictly genetically controlled, and deficiency or excess of these micro-elements can generate major physiological disorders, also impacting plant growth and development. Phosphate and sulfate on one hand, and zinc and iron on the other hand, are known to interact. These interactions have been partly described at the molecular and physiological levels, and are reviewed here. Furthermore the two macro-elements phosphate and sulfate not only interact between themselves but also influence zinc and iron nutrition. These intricated nutritional cross-talks are presented. The responses of plants to phosphorus, sulfur, zinc, or iron deficiencies have been widely studied considering each element separately, and some molecular actors of these regulations have been characterized in detail. Although some scarce reports have started to examine the interaction of these mineral elements two by two, a more complex analysis of the interactions and cross-talks between the signaling pathways integrating the homeostasis of these various elements is still lacking. However, a MYB-like transcription factor, PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE 1, emerges as a common regulator of phosphate, sulfate, zinc, and iron homeostasis, and its role as a potential general integrator for the control of mineral nutrition is discussed. PMID:25972885

Nutrigenetics and Metabolic Disease: Current Status and Implications for Personalised Nutrition

PubMed Central

Phillips, Catherine M.

2013-01-01

Obesity, particularly central adiposity, is the primary causal factor in the development of insulin resistance, the hallmark of the metabolic syndrome (MetS), a common condition characterized by dyslipidaemia and hypertension, which is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Interactions between genetic and environmental factors such as diet and lifestyle, particularly over-nutrition and sedentary behavior, promote the progression and pathogenesis of these polygenic diet-related diseases. Their current prevalence is increasing dramatically to epidemic proportions. Nutrition is probably the most important environmental factor that modulates expression of genes involved in metabolic pathways and the variety of phenotypes associated with obesity, the MetS and T2DM. Furthermore, the health effects of nutrients may be modulated by genetic variants. Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics require an understanding of nutrition, genetics, biochemistry and a range of “omic” technologies to investigate the complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors relevant to metabolic health and disease. These rapidly developing fields of nutritional science hold much promise in improving nutrition for optimal personal and public health. This review presents the current state of the art in nutrigenetic research illustrating the significance of gene-nutrient interactions in the context of metabolic disease. PMID:23306188

Nutrigenetics and metabolic disease: current status and implications for personalised nutrition.

PubMed

Phillips, Catherine M

2013-01-10

Obesity, particularly central adiposity, is the primary causal factor in the development of insulin resistance, the hallmark of the metabolic syndrome (MetS), a common condition characterized by dyslipidaemia and hypertension, which is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Interactions between genetic and environmental factors such as diet and lifestyle, particularly over-nutrition and sedentary behavior, promote the progression and pathogenesis of these polygenic diet-related diseases. Their current prevalence is increasing dramatically to epidemic proportions. Nutrition is probably the most important environmental factor that modulates expression of genes involved in metabolic pathways and the variety of phenotypes associated with obesity, the MetS and T2DM. Furthermore, the health effects of nutrients may be modulated by genetic variants. Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics require an understanding of nutrition, genetics, biochemistry and a range of "omic" technologies to investigate the complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors relevant to metabolic health and disease. These rapidly developing fields of nutritional science hold much promise in improving nutrition for optimal personal and public health. This review presents the current state of the art in nutrigenetic research illustrating the significance of gene-nutrient interactions in the context of metabolic disease.

Insecticide resistance and nutrition interactively shape life-history parameters in German cockroaches

PubMed Central

Jensen, Kim; Ko, Alexander E.; Schal, Coby; Silverman, Jules

2016-01-01

Fitness-related costs of evolving insecticide resistance have been reported in a number of insect species, but the interplay between evolutionary adaptation to insecticide pressure and variable environmental conditions has received little attention. We provisioned nymphs from three German cockroach (Blattella germanica L.) populations, which differed in insecticide resistance, with either nutritionally rich or poor (diluted) diet throughout their development. One population was an insecticide-susceptible laboratory strain; the other two populations originated from a field-collected indoxacarb-resistant population, which upon collection was maintained either with or without further selection with indoxacarb. We then measured development time, survival to the adult stage, adult body size, and results of a challenge with indoxacarb. Our results show that indoxacarb resistance and poor nutritional condition increased development time and lowered adult body size, with reinforcing interactions. We also found lower survival to the adult stage in the indoxacarb-selected population, which was exacerbated by poor nutrition. In addition, nutrition imparted a highly significant effect on indoxacarb susceptibility. This study exemplifies how poor nutritional condition can aggravate the life-history costs of resistance and elevate the detrimental effects of insecticide exposure, demonstrating how environmental conditions and resistance may interactively impact individual fitness and insecticide efficacy. PMID:27345220

Drug-nutrient interactions in transplant recipients.

PubMed

Chan, L N

2001-01-01

Drug-nutrient interaction refers to an alteration of kinetics or dynamics of a drug or a nutritional element, or a compromise in nutritional status as a result of the addition of a drug. The potentials for drug-nutrient interaction increase with the number of drugs taken by the patient. Organ transplant recipients are therefore at high risk for drug-nutrient interactions because multiple medications are used to manage graft rejection, opportunistic infections, and other associated complications. Unrecognized or unmanaged drug-nutrient interactions in this patient population can have an adverse impact on their outcomes. This paper reviews the importance of recognizing drug-nutrient interaction when using cyclosporine-based regimens.

Integrated effects of air pollution and climate change on forests: a northern hemisphere perspective.

PubMed

Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Omasa, Kenji; Paoletti, Elena

2007-06-01

Many air pollutants and greenhouse gases have common sources, contribute to radiative balance, interact in the atmosphere, and affect ecosystems. The impacts on forest ecosystems have been traditionally treated separately for air pollution and climate change. However, the combined effects may significantly differ from a sum of separate effects. We review the links between air pollution and climate change and their interactive effects on northern hemisphere forests. A simultaneous addressing of the air pollution and climate change effects on forests may result in more effective research, management and monitoring as well as better integration of local, national and global environmental policies.

How Medical Students' Behaviors and Attitudes affect the Impact of a Brief Curriculum on Nutrition Counseling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlair, Sheira; Hanley, Kathleen; Gillespie, Colleen; Disney, Lindsey; Kalet, Adina; Darby, Pamella C.; Frank, Erica; Spencer, Elsa; Harris, Jeff; Jay, Melanie

2012-01-01

Objective: To evaluate a nutrition curriculum and explore the influence of medical students' own nutrition practices on its impact. Methods: An anonymous survey was given to first-year medical students attending a required course immediately prior to and 2 weeks after a 2-hour interactive nutrition curriculum intervention in a large private urban…

Nutritional and Genetic Determinants of Early Puberty

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

AD_________________ Award Number: W81XWH-04-1-0575 TITLE: Nutritional and Genetic Determinants...CONTRACT NUMBER Nutritional and Genetic Determinants of Early Puberty 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-04-1-0575 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR...later in life. Nutritional factors during childhood and puberty, and inherited genetic factors are suspected to interact in modulating these early

Detection of damage on single- or double-stranded DNA in a population exposed to arsenic in drinking water.

PubMed

Jiménez-Villarreal, J; Rivas-Armendariz, D I; Pineda-Belmontes, C P; Betancourt-Martínez, N D; Macías-Corral, M A; Guerra-Alanis, A J; Niño-Castañeda, M S; Morán-Martínez, J

2017-05-18

Different studies have suggested an association between arsenic (As) exposure and damage to single-stranded DNA by reactive oxygen species derived from the biotransformation of arsenic. The single strand damages are converted to double strand damage upon interaction with ultraviolet radiation. Analysis of genomic integrity is important for assessing the genotoxicity caused by environmental pollutants. In this study, we compared the concentration of As in drinking water, nutritional status, lifestyle variables, and the level of genotoxicity in an exposed population and a control group. Arsenic content of water was determined using a portable Arsenator ® kit. DNA fragmentation was determined using the two-tailed comet assay. Our results show that the exposed population had low nutritional consumption compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the water consumed by the exposed group had As concentration of 14.3 ± 8.4 mg/L, whereas the As level in the water consumed by the control group was 7.7 ± 3.5 mg/L. Analysis shows that the frequency of double strand break (DSB) fragmentation was higher in the population exposed to higher levels of As compared to that of the control group. These results suggest a possible association between the concentration of As in drinking water and lifestyle variables, with increasing fragmentation of DSBs in the exposed population.

Epigenetics and cardiovascular risk in childhood.

PubMed

Martino, Francesco; Magenta, Alessandra; Pannarale, Giuseppe; Martino, Eliana; Zanoni, Cristina; Perla, Francesco M; Puddu, Paolo E; Barillà, Francesco

2016-08-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) can arise at the early stages of development and growth. Genetic and environmental factors may interact resulting in epigenetic modifications with abnormal phenotypic expression of genetic information without any change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA. Maternal dietary imbalance, inadequate to meet the nutritional needs of the fetus can lead to intrauterine growth retardation, decreased gestational age, low birth weight, excessive post-natal growth and metabolic alterations, with subsequent appearance of CVD risk factors. Fetal exposure to high cholesterol, diabetes and maternal obesity is associated with increased risk and progression of atherosclerosis. Maternal smoking during pregnancy and exposure to various environmental pollutants induce epigenetic alterations of gene expression relevant to the onset or progression of CVD. In children with hypercholesterolemia and/or obesity, oxidative stress activates platelets and monocytes, which release proinflammatory and proatherogenic substances, inducing endothelial dysfunction, decreased Doppler flow-mediated dilation and increased carotid intima-media thickness. Primary prevention of atherosclerosis should be implemented early. It is necessary to identify, through screening, high-risk apparently healthy children and take care of them enforcing healthy lifestyle (mainly consisting of Mediterranean diet and physical activity), prescribing nutraceuticals and eventual medications, if required by a high-risk profile. The key issue is the restoration of endothelial function in the reversible stage of atherosclerosis. Epigenetics may provide new markers for an early identification of children at risk and thereby develop innovative therapies and specific nutritional interventions in critical times.

Developing an Online Certification Program for Nutrition Education Assistants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christofferson, Debra; Christensen, Nedra; LeBlanc, Heidi; Bunch, Megan

2012-01-01

Objective: To develop an online certification program for nutrition education paraprofessionals to increase knowledge and confidence and to overcome training barriers of programming time and travel expenses. Design: An online interactive certification course based on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education and Expanded Food and…

Host genetic determinants of microbiota-dependent nutrition revealed by genome-wide analysis of Drosophila melanogaster

PubMed Central

Dobson, Adam J.; Chaston, John M.; Newell, Peter D.; Donahue, Leanne; Hermann, Sara L.; Sannino, David R.; Westmiller, Stephanie; Wong, Adam C.-N.; Clark, Andrew G.; Lazzaro, Brian P.; Douglas, Angela E.

2015-01-01

Animals bear communities of gut microorganisms with substantial effects on animal nutrition, but the host genetic basis of these effects is unknown. Here, we use Drosophila to demonstrate substantial among-genotype variation in the effects of eliminating the gut microbiota on five host nutritional indices (weight, and protein, lipid, glucose and glycogen contents); this includes variation in both the magnitude and direction of microbiota-dependent effects. Genome-wide associations to identify the genetic basis of the microbiota-dependent variation reveal polymorphisms in largely non-overlapping sets of genes associated with variation in the nutritional traits, including strong representation of conserved genes functioning in signaling. Key genes identified by the GWA study are validated by loss-of-function mutations that altered microbiota-dependent nutritional effects. We conclude that the microbiota interacts with the animal at multiple points in the signaling and regulatory networks that determine animal nutrition. These interactions with the microbiota are likely conserved across animals, including humans. PMID:25692519

Developing an online certification program for nutrition education assistants.

PubMed

Christofferson, Debra; Christensen, Nedra; LeBlanc, Heidi; Bunch, Megan

2012-01-01

To develop an online certification program for nutrition education paraprofessionals to increase knowledge and confidence and to overcome training barriers of programming time and travel expenses. An online interactive certification course based on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program core competencies was delivered to employees of both programs. Traditional vs online training was compared. Course content validity was determined through expert review by registered dietitians. Parameters studied included increase of nutrition knowledge and teaching technique/ability, educator satisfaction, and programming costs related to training. Utah State University Extension. Twenty-two Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program educators in Utah. Knowledge and skills were measured using pre/posttest statistics. Participant satisfaction was measured with a survey. Paired t test; satisfaction survey. The change in paraprofessional knowledge score was statistically significant (P < .001). Forty percent of paraprofessionals strongly agreed and 60% agreed they were better prepared as nutrition educators because of the training. An estimated $16,000 was saved by providing the training online as compared to a face-to-face training. This interactive online program is a cost-effective way to increase paraprofessional knowledge and job satisfaction. Copyright © 2012 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interactive Introductory Nutrition Course Focusing on Disease Prevention Increased Whole-Grain Consumption by College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ha, Eun-Jeong; Caine-Bish, Natalie

2011-01-01

Objective: To estimate current consumption of whole grains in college students and determine whether there would be an increase in whole-grain consumption after the students completed an interactive introductory nutrition course focusing on disease prevention. Methods: Eighty college students, 18-24 years old, participated in the study. Grain and…

[Chrono-nutrition and chrono-exercise].

PubMed

Shibata, Shigenobu; Sasaki, Hiroyuki; Ikeda, Yuko

2013-12-01

The circadian rhythm controls many physiological functions, such as feeding, motor activity, endocrine secretion and autonomic nerve. Regular feeding pattern can entrain the peripheral circadian clock, whereas peripheral clock systems can control the absorption distribution, metabolism and excretion of nutrients, suggesting mutual interactions between circadian clocks and nutrition/food. The interactions were so-called by "chrono-nutrition", and bigger meals for breakfast were good for entrainment of peripheral clock and protection of obesity. Similar to chrono-nutrition the timing of exercise ("chrono-exercise") is important for both entrainment signals and energy expenditure. Evening exercise and/or feeding then exercise was good timing exercise for protection of obesity. Taken all, it is suggested that timing of feeding and exercise is now one of key factors for metabolic syndrome.

[Enteral nutrition: drug administration via feeding tube].

PubMed

Behnken, I; Gaschott, T; Stein, J

2005-11-01

Enteral nutrition support via a feeding tube is a preferred and broadly applied way of artificial nutrition in patients who cannot take up orally an adequate amount of nutrients. These patients often need simultaneous drug therapy as well. Thus, there is a high risk of drug-nutrient interactions. Although enteral nutrition is commonly used there is a lack of awareness and knowledge about the appropriate handling and drug administration via the feeding tube. On the one hand, drug-nutrient interactions can lead to clogging of the tube, on the other hand, the change in bioavailability of the drug can have a direct effect on the therapeutic effort. To optimise safety and efficacy of drug therapy in patients with feeding tubes, some basic rules have been set up.

Interactive introductory nutrition course focusing on disease prevention increased whole-grain consumption by college students.

PubMed

Ha, Eun-Jeong; Caine-Bish, Natalie

2011-01-01

To estimate current consumption of whole grains in college students and determine whether there would be an increase in whole-grain consumption after the students completed an interactive introductory nutrition course focusing on disease prevention. Eighty college students, 18-24 years old, participated in the study. Grain and whole-grain consumption, whole-grain food sources, and energy intake were measured before and after the nutrition course. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was performed. After the study, whole-grain intake significantly increased from 0.37 ounces (oz) to 1.16 oz (P < .001), whereas total grain intake remained the same (3.07 oz). The number of whole-grain food sources increased from 7 to 11 food items after the intervention. A general nutrition course can be used as an avenue to increase whole-grain intake by college students. Copyright © 2011 Society for Nutrition Education. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association of weather and air pollution interactions on daily mortality in 12 Canadian cities.

PubMed

Vanos, J K; Cakmak, S; Kalkstein, L S; Yagouti, Abderrahmane

It has been well established that both meteorological attributes and air pollution concentrations affect human health outcomes. We examined all cause nonaccident mortality relationships for 28 years (1981-2008) in relation to air pollution and synoptic weather type (encompassing air mass) data in 12 Canadian cities. This study first determines the likelihood of summertime extreme air pollution events within weather types using spatial synoptic classification. Second, it examines the modifying effect of weather types on the relative risk of mortality (RR) due to daily concentrations of air pollution (nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter <2.5 μm). We assess both single- and two-pollutant interactions to determine dependent and independent pollutant effects using the relatively new time series technique of distributed lag nonlinear modeling (DLNM). Results display dry tropical (DT) and moist tropical plus (MT+) weathers to result in a fourfold and twofold increased likelihood, respectively, of an extreme pollution event (top 5 % of pollution concentrations throughout the 28 years) occurring. We also demonstrate statistically significant effects of single-pollutant exposure on mortality ( p  < 0.05) to be dependent on summer weather type, where stronger results occur in dry moderate (fair weather) and DT or MT+ weather types. The overall average single-effect RR increases due to pollutant exposure within DT and MT+ weather types are 14.9 and 11.9 %, respectively. Adjusted exposures (two-way pollutant effect estimates) generally results in decreased RR estimates, indicating that the pollutants are not independent. Adjusting for ozone significantly lowers 67 % of the single-pollutant RR estimates and reduces model variability, which demonstrates that ozone significantly controls a portion of the mortality signal from the model. Our findings demonstrate the mortality risks of air pollution exposure to differ by weather type, with increased accuracy obtained when accounting for interactive effects through adjustment for dependent pollutants using a DLNM.

Annoyance due to noise and air pollution to the residents of heavily frequented streets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wanner, H. U.; Wehrli, B.; Nemecek, J.; Turrian, V.

1980-01-01

The residents of different streets with varying traffic density and building density were questioned about annoyance due to traffic noise and air pollution. Results show that annoyance felt is dependent not only on the measured noise levels and/or air pollution concentrations, but that there do exist interactions between the residential quarters and annoyance. These interactions should be considered when fixing the limits and standards.

Exploring the interaction between O₃ and NOx pollution patterns in the atmosphere of Barcelona, Spain using the MCR-ALS method.

PubMed

Malik, Amrita; Tauler, Roma

2015-06-01

This work focuses on understanding the behaviour and patterns of three atmospheric pollutants namely, nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) along with their mutual interactions in the atmosphere of Barcelona, North Spain. Hourly samples were collected for NO, NO2 and O3 from the same city location for three consecutive years (2010-2012). The study explores the seasonal, annual and weekday-weekend variations in their diurnal profiles along with the possible identification of their source and mutual interactions in the region. Multivariate Curve Resolution-Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) was applied to the individual datasets of these pollutants, as well as to all of them simultaneously (augmented mode) to resolve the profiles related to their source and variation patterns in the atmosphere. The analysis of the individual datasets confirmed the source pattern variations in the concerned pollutant's profiles; and the resolved profiles for augmented datasets suggested for the mutual interaction of the pollutants along with their patterns variations, simultaneously. The study suggests vehicular pollution as the major source of atmospheric nitrogen oxides and presence of weekend ozone effect in the region. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantifying the influence of natural and socioeconomic factors and their interactive impact on PM2.5 pollution in China.

PubMed

Yang, Dongyang; Wang, Xiaomin; Xu, Jianhua; Xu, Chengdong; Lu, Debin; Ye, Chao; Wang, Zujing; Bai, Ling

2018-06-04

PM 2.5 pollution is an environmental issue caused by multiple natural and socioeconomic factors, presenting with significant spatial disparities across mainland China. However, the determinant power of natural and socioeconomic factors and their interactive impact on PM 2.5 pollution is still unclear. In the study, the GeogDetector method was used to quantify nonlinear associations between PM 2.5 and potential factors. This study found that natural factors, including ecological environments and climate, were more influential than socioeconomic factors, and climate was the predominant factor (q = 0.56) in influencing PM 2.5 pollution. Among all interactions of the six influencing factors, the interaction of industry and climate had the largest influence (q = 0.66). Two recognized major contaminated areas were the Tarim Basin in the northwest region and the eastern plain region; the former was mainly influenced by the warm temperate arid climate and desert, and the latter was mainly influenced by the warm temperate semi-humid climate and multiple socioeconomic factors. The findings provided an interpretation of the influencing mechanisms of PM 2.5 pollution, which can contribute to more specific policies aimed at successful PM 2.5 pollution control and abatement. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-Efficacy, Health Literacy, and Nutrition and Exercise Behaviors in a Low-Income, Hispanic Population.

PubMed

Guntzviller, Lisa M; King, Andy J; Jensen, Jakob D; Davis, LaShara A

2017-04-01

Public health goals have emphasized healthy nutrition and exercise behaviors, especially in underserved populations. According to social cognitive theory (SCT), self-efficacy and capability (e.g., health literacy) may interact to predict preventative behaviors. We surveyed 100 low-income, native Spanish-speakers living in the United States who were low in English proficiency and predominantly of Mexican heritage. Participants reported their nutritional and exercise self-efficacy, Spanish health literacy, and nutrition and physical activity behaviors. Consistent with SCT, the interaction of self-efficacy and health literacy significantly predicted fruit and vegetable consumption and weekly exercise, and marginally predicted avoidance of high fat foods. For all three interactions, higher health literacy levels strengthened the positive relationship between self-efficacy and health behaviors. The results offer support for the tenets of SCT and suggest-for low-income, Spanish-speaking adults-that a combination of behavioral confidence and literacy capability are necessary to enact appropriate health behaviors.

The application of an occupational therapy nutrition education programme for children who are obese.

PubMed

Munguba, Marilene Calderaro; Valdés, Maria Teresa Moreno; da Silva, Carlos Antonio Bruno

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate an occupational therapy nutrition education programme for children who are obese with the use of two interactive games. A quasi-experimental study was carried out at a municipal school in Fortaleza, Brazil. A convenient sample of 200 children ages 8-10 years old participated in the study. Data collection comprised a semi-structured interview, direct and structured observation, and focus group, comparing two interactive games based on the food pyramid (video game and board game) used individually and then combined. Both play activities were efficient in the mediation of nutritional concepts, with a preference for the board game. In the learning strategies, intrinsic motivation and metacognition were analysed. The attention strategy was most applied at the video game. We concluded that both games promoted the learning of nutritional concepts. We confirmed the effectiveness of the simultaneous application of interactive games in an interdisciplinary health environment. It is recommended that a larger sample should be used in evaluating the effectiveness of play and video games in teaching healthy nutrition to children in a school setting. (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The pyrohealth transition: how combustion emissions have shaped health through human history.

PubMed

Johnston, Fay H; Melody, Shannon; Bowman, David M J S

2016-06-05

Air pollution from landscape fires, domestic fires and fossil fuel combustion is recognized as the single most important global environmental risk factor for human mortality and is associated with a global burden of disease almost as large as that of tobacco smoking. The shift from a reliance on biomass to fossil fuels for powering economies, broadly described as the pyric transition, frames key patterns in human fire usage and landscape fire activity. These have produced distinct patters of human exposure to air pollution associated with the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions and post-industrial the Earth global system-wide changes increasingly known as the Anthropocene. Changes in patterns of human fertility, mortality and morbidity associated with economic development have been previously described in terms of demographic, epidemiological and nutrition transitions, yet these frameworks have not explicitly considered the direct consequences of combustion emissions for human health. To address this gap, we propose a pyrohealth transition and use data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) collaboration to compare direct mortality impacts of emissions from landscape fires, domestic fires, fossil fuel combustion and the global epidemic of tobacco smoking. Improving human health and reducing the environmental impacts on the Earth system will require a considerable reduction in biomass and fossil fuel combustion.This article is part of the themed issue 'The interaction of fire and mankind'. © 2016 The Author(s).

The pyrohealth transition: how combustion emissions have shaped health through human history

PubMed Central

Johnston, Fay H.; Melody, Shannon

2016-01-01

Air pollution from landscape fires, domestic fires and fossil fuel combustion is recognized as the single most important global environmental risk factor for human mortality and is associated with a global burden of disease almost as large as that of tobacco smoking. The shift from a reliance on biomass to fossil fuels for powering economies, broadly described as the pyric transition, frames key patterns in human fire usage and landscape fire activity. These have produced distinct patters of human exposure to air pollution associated with the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions and post-industrial the Earth global system-wide changes increasingly known as the Anthropocene. Changes in patterns of human fertility, mortality and morbidity associated with economic development have been previously described in terms of demographic, epidemiological and nutrition transitions, yet these frameworks have not explicitly considered the direct consequences of combustion emissions for human health. To address this gap, we propose a pyrohealth transition and use data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) collaboration to compare direct mortality impacts of emissions from landscape fires, domestic fires, fossil fuel combustion and the global epidemic of tobacco smoking. Improving human health and reducing the environmental impacts on the Earth system will require a considerable reduction in biomass and fossil fuel combustion. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The interaction of fire and mankind’. PMID:27216506

The Relationship of Nutrition to Brain Development and Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Committee on International Nutrition Programs.

The physical, chemical, and physiological development of the brain and consequent behavior in all species of higher animals evolves from the continuous interaction of genetic and numerous environmental factors. Among the latter are nutritional, disease, psychological, learning, and cultural variables. Of these, nutrition is concerned directly with…

Basic effects of air pollutants on plant metabolism

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pack, M.R.; Sulzbach, C.W.

1968-01-01

Preliminary results from a study on the response of plant fruiting and seed production to hydrogen fluoride are reported. Interference with fertilization and seed development has been noted in beans, tomatoes, and strawberries. The response of bean growth to hydrogen fluoride exposure with varying levels of inorganic nutrition is also under study.

40 CFR 63.2192 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast... addition of yeast to the fermenter; the period ends at the earlier of either the end of aeration or the point at which the yeast has begun being emptied from the fermenter. Brew means the mixture of yeast and...

40 CFR 63.2192 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast... addition of yeast to the fermenter; the period ends at the earlier of either the end of aeration or the point at which the yeast has begun being emptied from the fermenter. Brew means the mixture of yeast and...

40 CFR 63.2192 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast... addition of yeast to the fermenter; the period ends at the earlier of either the end of aeration or the point at which the yeast has begun being emptied from the fermenter. Brew means the mixture of yeast and...

40 CFR 63.2192 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast Other... of yeast to the fermenter; the period ends at the earlier of either the end of aeration or the point at which the yeast has begun being emptied from the fermenter. Brew means the mixture of yeast and...

Transcriptome analysis and discovery of genes involved in immune pathways from coelomocytes of Onchidium struma after bacterial challenge

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Onchidium struma widely distributes in subtidal and low-tidal zones, which is considered to be an economical species with rich nutrition, a valuable biomonitor for heavy metal pollution and a representative species for evolution from ocean to land. However, there is limited genetic information avail...

Occupational and Environmental Health Problems along the U.S.-Mexico Border.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrams, Herbert K.

1979-01-01

Comments on the health of migrant farmworkers in the U.S. and the Border Industrialization ("twin plants") Program with a brief description of the unique U.S.-Mexico border region, emphasizing the status of air pollution, housing, nutrition, and health care. Available from Southwest Economy & Society, Box 4482, Albuquerque, New…

Bioremediation and fodder potentials of two Sargassum spp. in coastal waters of Shenzhen, South China.

PubMed

Yu, Zonghe; Zhu, Xiaoshan; Jiang, Yuelu; Luo, Peng; Hu, Chaoqun

2014-08-30

In this study, the bioremediation potentials of two seaweeds (Sargassum hemiphyllum and S. henslowianum) against pollution in a coastal mariculture area of Shenzhen, South China, were investigated by comparing the growth, nutrient bioaccumulation capacity of plants from the seaweed bed (control site) with plants from the fish farm. Results indicated that both species are potential candidates for bioremediation in the fish farm areas in terms of their high growth rates and high bioaccumulation capacities on inorganic nutrients. Both Sargassum spp. contain high levels of crude protein (11.7-14.0%) and crude fat (2.2-2.7%), suggesting high nutritional values. The S. hemiphyllum may serve as a good aquaculture fodder with high nutritional compositions and low heavy metal contents. However, heavy metals (Cr, Pb and Cd) of S. henslowianum exceed the maximum allowable concentrations as aquatic feed, which restricts its fodder application. In general, the results of this study may contribute to the marine pollution bioremediation in the coastal areas of South China, especially in mariculture zones. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Nutritional Approach to the Prevention of Cancer: from Assessment to Personalized Intervention

PubMed Central

Di Furia, L.; Rusciano, M.R.; Leonardini, L.; Rossi, P.; Giammarchi, C.; Vittori, E.; Tilocca, S.; Russo, F.L.; Montuori, P.; Triassi, M.; Nardone, A.; Giaimo, M.D.; Migazzi, M.; Piffer, S.; Iaria, A.; Trapasso, A.; Firenze, A.; Cristaudo, R.; Revello, M.; Castiglion, A.; Zagonel, V.; Iaccarino, G.; Addis, A.; Natale, L.; Di Somma, C.; Colao, A.; Perra, A.; Giova, K.; Montuori, N.; Illario, M.

2015-01-01

Among lifestyle factors, nutrition is one of the most important determinants of health, and represents a pivotal element of cancer risk. Nonetheless, epidemiological evidences of the relationship between several cancers and specific foods and nutrients is still inadequate, and solid conclusions are missing. Indeed, caloric restriction without malnutrition is associated to cancer prevention. Food may be also the primary route of exposure to contaminants such as metals, persistent organic pollutants, and pesticides. Exposuredisease associations and the interplay with genetic susceptibility requires further studies on genetic variation, environment, lifestyle, and chronic disease in order to eliminate and reduce associated health risks, thus contributing to improve health outcomes for the population. A primary nutritional approach for Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA) has been developed by the Nutrition group of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on AHA. The working group on lifestyles of the Italian Ministry of Health has developed a comprehensive approach to adequate nutrition using a consensus methodology to collect and integrate the available evidences from the literature and from the Italian experiences at the regional level, to raise the interest of other experts and relevant stakeholders to outline and scale-up joint strategies for a primary nutritional approach to cancer prevention. PMID:27042431

Importance of food composition data to nutrition and public health.

PubMed

Elmadfa, I; Meyer, A L

2010-11-01

Adequate nutrition is one of the pillars of public health. Before developing and implementing effective intervention programmes to improve nutrition at the population level, it is important to know the nutritional situation of the target group. The estimation of nutrient intake from food consumption requires reliable data on food composition. These data are also the fundamentals of food-based dietary guidelines for healthy nutrition, containing the necessary information on food sources for different nutrients. Furthermore, food composition tables can provide information on chemical forms of nutrients and the presence and amounts of interacting components, and thus provide information on their bioavailability. For some nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin E and niacin, the concept of equivalence has been introduced to account for differences in the availability and biological activity of different chemical forms. NON-NUTRITIVE FOOD COMPONENTS: Although most food composition tables focus on energy, macro- and micronutrients, interest in non-nutritive components is increasing. Considering the beneficial effects of biologically active secondary plant cell compounds such as polyphenols and carotenoids, more data on these are needed. On the other hand, there are a number of naturally occurring or 'man-made' non-nutritive substances with negative effects, and to control exposure, the main dietary sources must be known. Another aspect is contaminants, which could have detrimental effects on consumers' health. Among these are agrochemicals, industrial pollutants reaching the food chain and substances formed during food preparation. A valid risk assessment requires data on exposure, and thus on the contents of contaminants in foods. However, these data are highly variable and may significantly differ even within narrowly confined regions. CURRENT FOOD COMPOSITION DATABASES ARE FAR FROM COMPLETE: The fact that composition tables generally do not provide information about the origin of substances found in food can also influence their usability. For example, the German Nutrient Data base does not discriminate between naturally occurring and added sucrose impeding the estimation of added sucrose intake that should be limited. Points of focus: Considering the increasing number of persons relying on community nutrition and catering, healthy menu lines can improve the consumers' diets and contribute to nutrient supply. The development and implementation of appropriate guidelines also need food composition databases (FCBs) to compose meals. The ever-increasing number of new food preparations and manufactured products has resulted in a need for procedures for regularly updated data. Moreover, there is a lack of data particularly for essential trace elements such as copper, chromium or molybdenum and also vitamin K, as well as the already mentioned non-nutritive components. Limited comparability between countries is another issue. Regional differences arise especially from the use of local varieties, different soil quality or meteorological aspects. This variability is further increased with composite meals because of variation in recipes. Information about food composition is necessary for the assessment of diet quality and the development and application of food-based dietary guidelines, providing a useful tool for the field of public health nutrition. In this regard, more attention should be paid to the preparation, extension and maintenance of FCBs.

A framework for delineating the regional boundaries of PM2.5 pollution: A case study of China.

PubMed

Liu, Jianzheng; Li, Weifeng; Wu, Jiansheng

2018-04-01

Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) pollution has been a major issue in many countries. Considerable studies have demonstrated that PM 2.5 pollution is a regional issue, but little research has been done to investigate the regional extent of PM 2.5 pollution or to define areas in which PM 2.5 pollutants interact. To allow for a better understanding of the regional nature and spatial patterns of PM 2.5 pollution, This study proposes a novel framework for delineating regional boundaries of PM 2.5 pollution. The framework consists of four steps, including cross-correlation analysis, time-series clustering, generation of Voronoi polygons, and polygon smoothing using polynomial approximation with exponential kernel method. Using the framework, the regional PM 2.5 boundaries for China are produced and the boundaries define areas where the monthly PM 2.5 time series of any two cities show, on average, more than 50% similarity with each other. These areas demonstrate straightforwardly that PM 2.5 pollution is not limited to a single city or a single province. We also found that the PM 2.5 areas in China tend to be larger in cold months, but more fragmented in warm months, suggesting that, in cold months, the interactions between PM 2.5 concentrations in adjacent cities are stronger than in warmer months. The proposed framework provides a tool to delineate PM 2.5 boundaries and identify areas where PM 2.5 pollutants interact. It can help define air pollution management zones and assess impacts related to PM 2.5 pollution. It can also be used in analyses of other air pollutants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The interactive effects between high temperature and air pollution on mortality: A time-series analysis in Hefei, China.

PubMed

Qin, Rennie Xinrui; Xiao, Changchun; Zhu, Yibin; Li, Jing; Yang, Jun; Gu, Shaohua; Xia, Junrui; Su, Bin; Liu, Qiyong; Woodward, Alistair

2017-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that there may be an interaction between air pollution and heat on mortality, which is pertinent in the context of global climate change. We sought to examine this interaction in Hefei, a hot and polluted Chinese city. We conducted time-series analyses using daily mortality, air pollutant concentration (including particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <10μm (PM 10 ), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 )), and temperature data from 2008 to 2014. We applied quasi-Poisson regression models with natural cubic splines and examined the interactive effects using temperature-stratified models. Subgroup analyses were conducted by age, gender, and educational levels. We observed consistently stronger associations between air pollutants and mortality at high temperatures than at medium temperatures. These differences were statistically significant for the associations between PM 10 and non-accidental mortality and between all pollutants studied and respiratory mortality. Mean percentage increases in non-accidental mortality per 10μg/m 3 at high temperatures were 2.40% (95% confidence interval: 0.64 to 4.20) for PM 10 , 7.77% (0.60 to 15.00) for SO 2 , and 6.83% (-1.37 to 15.08) for NO 2 . The estimates for PM 10 were 3.40% (0.96 to 5.90) in females and 4.21% (1.44 to 7.05) in the illiterate, marking them as more vulnerable. No clear trend was identified by age. We observed an interaction between air pollutants and high temperature on mortality in Hefei, which was stronger in females and the illiterate. This may be due to differences in behaviours affecting personal exposure to high temperatures and has potential policy implications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Organic Carbon Sources and their Transfer in a Gulf of Mexico Coral Reef Ecosystem under River Influence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parrish, C.; Carreón-Palau, L.; del Ángel-Rodríguez, J.; Perez-Espana, H.; Aguiniga-Garcıa, S.

2016-02-01

To assess the degree to which coral reefs in a marine protected area have been influenced by terrestrial and anthropogenic organic carbon inputs we used C and N stable isotopes and lipid biomarkers in the Coral Reef System of Veracruz in the southwest Gulf of Mexico. A C and N stable isotope mixing model and a calculated fatty acid (FA) retention factor revealed the primary producer sources that fuel the coral reef food web. Then lipid classes, FA and sterol biomarkers determined production of terrestrial and marine biogenic material of nutritional quality to pelagic and benthic organisms. Finally, coprostanol determined pollutant loading from sewage in the suspended particulate matter. Results indicate that phytoplankton is the major source of essential FA for fish and that dietary energy from terrestrial sources such as mangroves are transferred to juvenile fish, while sea grass non-essential FA are transferred to the entire food web. Sea urchins may be the main consumers of brown macroalgae, while surgeon fish prefer red algae. C and N isotopic values and the C:N ratio suggest that fertilizer is the principal source of nitrogen to macroalgae. Thus nitrogen supply also favored phytoplankton and sea grass growth leading to a better nutritional condition and high retention of organic carbon in the food web members during the rainy season when river influence increases. However, the great star coral Montastrea cavernosa nutritional condition decreased significantly. The nearest river to the Reef System was polluted in the dry season; however, a dilution effect was detected in the rainy season, when some coral reefs were contaminated. In 2013, a new treatment plant started working in the area. We would suggest monitoring δ15N and the C: N ratio in macroalgae as indicators of the nitrogen input and coprostanol as an indicator of human feces pollution in order to verify the efficiency of the new treatment plant as part of the management program of the Reef System.

Systems biology of personalized nutrition

PubMed Central

van Ommen, Ben; van den Broek, Tim; de Hoogh, Iris; van Erk, Marjan; van Someren, Eugene; Rouhani-Rankouhi, Tanja; Anthony, Joshua C; Hogenelst, Koen; Pasman, Wilrike; Boorsma, André; Wopereis, Suzan

2017-01-01

Abstract Personalized nutrition is fast becoming a reality due to a number of technological, scientific, and societal developments that complement and extend current public health nutrition recommendations. Personalized nutrition tailors dietary recommendations to specific biological requirements on the basis of a person’s health status and goals. The biology underpinning these recommendations is complex, and thus any recommendations must account for multiple biological processes and subprocesses occurring in various tissues and must be formed with an appreciation for how these processes interact with dietary nutrients and environmental factors. Therefore, a systems biology–based approach that considers the most relevant interacting biological mechanisms is necessary to formulate the best recommendations to help people meet their wellness goals. Here, the concept of “systems flexibility” is introduced to personalized nutrition biology. Systems flexibility allows the real-time evaluation of metabolism and other processes that maintain homeostasis following an environmental challenge, thereby enabling the formulation of personalized recommendations. Examples in the area of macro- and micronutrients are reviewed. Genetic variations and performance goals are integrated into this systems approach to provide a strategy for a balanced evaluation and an introduction to personalized nutrition. Finally, modeling approaches that combine personalized diagnosis and nutritional intervention into practice are reviewed. PMID:28969366

Vitamin D in North-East Asian clinical nutrition practice.

PubMed

Wahlqvist, Mark L

2013-01-01

Sound clinical nutrition practice is grounded in evidence and stimulated by research. Yet, there are unanswered questions about food-health relationships. Clinical nutrition involves the identification of nutritional disorders and the motivation to rectify them with all required care. Vitamin D health exemplifies the biomedical, societal and environmental dimensions of clinical nutrition, its science and practice. It depends most of all on access to sunshine and food and probably represents a paradigm in human health which is still at its beginning. Nevertheless, the problem of its deficiency is much more widespread and common than has been thought since it was first identified as a cause of rickets and osteomalacia. It is now known to spare no body organ or system. The problem in North-East Asia is comparable to much of the rest of the world, but the risk profile for it is exaggerated by atmospheric pollution, cultures with sun-avoidance on account of skin colour and potentially mitigated by foodstuffs like fish, eggs, organ meats and mushrooms which can partially offset sunshine-deficiency. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion and confirmation by biochemistry which may not be affordable. Therefore a close working relationship between public health and clinical nutritionist is essential.

Proceedings of the symposium on effects of air pollutants on Mediterranean and temperate forest ecosystems, June 22-27

Treesearch

Paul R. Miller

1980-01-01

These proceedings papers and poster summaries discuss the influence of air pollution on relationships; interactions of producers, consumers, and decomposers under pollutant terrestrial and related aquatic ecosystems. They describe single species-single pollutant stress; and the use of ecological systems models for interpreting and predicting pollutant effects.

Elimination of persistent organic pollutants from fish oil with solid adsorbents.

PubMed

Ortiz, X; Carabellido, L; Martí, M; Martí, R; Tomás, X; Díaz-Ferrero, J

2011-02-01

Fish oils are one of the main sources of ω-3 fatty acids in animal and human diet. However, they can contain high concentrations of persistent organic pollutants due to their lipophilic properties. The aim of this study is the reduction of persistent organic pollutants in fish oil using silicon-based and carbon-based solid adsorbents. A wide screening study with different commercially available adsorbents was carried out, in order to determine their capacity of pollutant removal from fish oil. Moreover, adsorption conditions were evaluated and optimized with using an experimental design and adjustment of the experimental results to response surfaces, obtaining removals rates of more than 99% of PCDD/Fs, 81% of dioxin-like PCBs, 70% of HCB, 41% of DDTs, 16% of marker PCBs and 10% of PBDEs. Finally, fish oil fatty acids were analyzed before and after the treatment with solid adsorbents, confirming that it did not affect its nutritive properties. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Presence of plastic litter in pellets from Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Ireland.

PubMed

Acampora, Heidi; Berrow, Simon; Newton, Stephen; O'Connor, Ian

2017-04-15

Plastic pollution has been the subject of much research in the last decade. Seabirds can mistake plastic fragments for prey, which can perforate or block the digestive tract and cause ulcers. Most commonly, seabirds accumulate this indigestible matter in their stomachs, obtaining no nutrition and may die from starvation. Certain species of seabirds however, have the ability of regurgitating indigestible matter in the form of pellets. This study aimed to investigate the ingestion of plastics by live seabirds through the examination of regurgitated pellets (n=92) from a Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) breeding colony and a winter roost in Ireland. Plastic prevalence was consistently 3.2% at both sites. The presence of plastic litter highlights the fact that all species of seabird are susceptible to interact with marine litter regardless of feeding habits, although at different rates. More research is needed to understand the driving factors involved in plastic ingestion among different species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nutrient and Drug Interactions. Nutrition in Primary Care Series, Number 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molleson, Ann L.; Gallagher-Allred, Charlette R.

Nutrition is well-recognized as a necessary component of educational programs for physicians. This is to be valued in that of all factors affecting health in the United States, none is more important than nutrition. This can be argued from various perspectives, including health promotion, disease prevention, and therapeutic management. In all…

Workplace nutrition knowledge questionnaire: psychometric validation and application.

PubMed

Guadagnin, Simone C; Nakano, Eduardo Y; Dutra, Eliane S; de Carvalho, Kênia M B; Ito, Marina K

2016-11-01

Workplace dietary intervention studies in low- and middle-income countries using psychometrically sound measures are scarce. This study aimed to validate a nutrition knowledge questionnaire (NQ) and its utility in evaluating the changes in knowledge among participants of a Nutrition Education Program (NEP) conducted at the workplace. A NQ was tested for construct validity, internal consistency and discriminant validity. It was applied in a NEP conducted at six workplaces, in order to evaluate the effect of an interactive or a lecture-based education programme on nutrition knowledge. Four knowledge domains comprising twenty-three items were extracted in the final version of the NQ. Internal consistency of each domain was significant, with Kuder-Richardson formula values>0·60. These four domains presented a good fit in the confirmatory factor analysis. In the discriminant validity test, both the Expert and Lay groups scored>0·52, but the Expert group scores were significantly higher than those of the Lay group in all domains. When the NQ was applied in the NEP, the overall questionnaire scores increased significantly because of the NEP intervention, in both groups (P<0·001). However, the increase in NQ scores was significantly higher in the interactive group than in the lecture group, in the overall score (P=0·008) and in the healthy eating domain (P=0·009). The validated NQ is a short and useful tool to assess gain in nutrition knowledge among participants of NEP at the workplace. According to the NQ, an interactive nutrition education had a higher impact on nutrition knowledge than a lecture programme.

Strengthening health services to deliver nutrition education to promote complementary feeding and healthy growth of infants and young children: formative research for a successful intervention in peri-urban Trujillo, Peru.

PubMed

Robert, Rebecca C; Creed-Kanashiro, Hilary M; Villasante, Ruben; Narro, M Rocio; Penny, Mary E

2017-04-01

Formative research is critical for developing effective nutrition-specific interventions to improve infant and young child (IYC) feeding practices and promote healthy growth. Health workers interact with caregivers during health facility visits, yet there is limited research about how to optimize delivery of such interventions during these visits. The extensive reach of IYC health services globally calls for research to address this gap. In Trujillo, Peru, formative research was conducted to explore complementary feeding practices with caregivers as well as health worker routines and interactions with caregivers related to feeding and healthy growth; results informed the development and delivery of an educational intervention. Multiple qualitative methods were used to collect data on a purposive sample of health workers and caregivers from three health facilities and communities: household trials followed. Complementary feeding messages with doable behaviours were developed, and three were selected as key to promote based on their nutritional impact and cultural acceptability. In the health facilities, medical consultation, well-child visits and nutrition consultation all dealt with aspects of IYC nutrition/growth during their interactions with caregivers but were independent and inconsistent in approach. A nutrition education strategy was developed based on consistency, quality and coverage in the IYC health services. We conclude that formative research undertaken in the community and IYC health services was critical to developing a successful and culturally relevant intervention to promote optimal complementary feeding practices and healthy growth during interactions between health workers and caregivers at routine health facility visits. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Individual and Neighborhood Stressors, Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Hazlehurst, Marnie F; Nurius, Paula S; Hajat, Anjum

2018-03-08

Psychosocial and environmental stress exposures across the life course have been shown to be relevant in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Assessing more than one stressor from different domains (e.g., individual and neighborhood) and across the life course moves us towards a more integrated picture of how stress affects health and well-being. Furthermore, these individual and neighborhood psychosocial stressors act on biologic pathways, including immune function and inflammatory response, which are also impacted by ubiquitous environmental exposures such as air pollution. The objective of this study is to evaluate the interaction between psychosocial stressors, at both the individual and neighborhood level, and air pollution on CVD. This study used data from the 2009-2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) from Washington State. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) measured at the individual level, and neighborhood deprivation index (NDI) measured at the zip code level, were the psychosocial stressors of interest. Exposures to three air pollutants-particulate matter (both PM 2.5 and PM 10 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)-were also calculated at the zip code level. Outcome measures included several self-reported CVD-related health conditions. Both multiplicative and additive interaction quantified using the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), were evaluated. This study included 32,151 participants in 502 unique zip codes. Multiplicative and positive additive interactions were observed between ACEs and PM 10 for diabetes, in models adjusted for NDI. The prevalence of diabetes was 1.58 (95% CI: 1.40, 1.79) times higher among those with both high ACEs and high PM 10 compared to those with low ACEs and low PM 10 ( p -value = 0.04 for interaction on the multiplicative scale). Interaction was also observed between neighborhood-level stressors (NDI) and air pollution (NO₂) for the stroke and diabetes outcomes on both multiplicative and additive scales. Modest interaction was observed between NDI and air pollution, supporting prior literature on the importance of neighborhood-level stressors in cardiovascular health and reinforcing the importance of NDI on air pollution health effects. ACEs may exert health effects through selection into disadvantaged neighborhoods and more work is needed to understand the accumulation of risk in multiple domains across the life course.

Joint Effects of Ambient Air Pollutants on Pediatric Asthma ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Background: Because ambient air pollution exposure occurs in the form of mixtures, consideration of joint effects of multiple pollutants may advance our understanding of air pollution health effects. Methods: We assessed the joint effect of selected ambient air pollutant combinations (groups of oxidant, secondary, traffic, power plant, and criteria pollutants constructed using combinations of criteria gases, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and PM2.5 components) on warm season pediatric asthma emergency department (ED) visits in Atlanta during 1998-2004. Joint effects were assessed using multi-pollutant Poisson generalized linear models controlling for time trends, meteorology and daily non-asthma respiratory ED visit counts. Rate ratios (RR) were calculated for the combined effect of an interquartile-range increment in the concentration of each pollutant. Results: Increases in all of the selected pollutant combinations were associated with increases in pediatric asthma ED visits [e.g., joint effect rate ratio=1.13 (95% confidence interval 1.06-1.21) for criteria pollutants (including ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and PM2.5)]. Joint effect estimates were smaller than estimates calculated based on summing results from single-pollutant models, due to control for confounding. Compared with models without interactions, joint effect estimates from models including first-order pollutant interactions were similar for oxidant a

NP_PAH_interaction dataset

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Concentrations of different polyaromatic hydrocarbons in water before and after interaction with nanomaterials. The results show the capacity of engineer nanomaterials for adsorbing different organic pollutants. This dataset is associated with the following publication:Sahle-Demessie, E., A. Zhao, C. Han, B. Hann, and H. Grecsek. Interaction of engineered nanomaterials with hydrophobic organic pollutants.. Journal of Nanotechnology. Hindawi Publishing Corporation, New York, NY, USA, 27(28): 284003, (2016).

The Role of Plant–Microbe Interactions and Their Exploitation for Phytoremediation of Air Pollutants

PubMed Central

Weyens, Nele; Thijs, Sofie; Popek, Robert; Witters, Nele; Przybysz, Arkadiusz; Espenshade, Jordan; Gawronska, Helena; Vangronsveld, Jaco; Gawronski, Stanislaw W.

2015-01-01

Since air pollution has been linked to a plethora of human health problems, strategies to improve air quality are indispensable. Despite the complexity in composition of air pollution, phytoremediation was shown to be effective in cleaning air. Plants are known to scavenge significant amounts of air pollutants on their aboveground plant parts. Leaf fall and runoff lead to transfer of (part of) the adsorbed pollutants to the soil and rhizosphere below. After uptake in the roots and leaves, plants can metabolize, sequestrate and/or excrete air pollutants. In addition, plant-associated microorganisms play an important role by degrading, detoxifying or sequestrating the pollutants and by promoting plant growth. In this review, an overview of the available knowledge about the role and potential of plant–microbe interactions to improve indoor and outdoor air quality is provided. Most importantly, common air pollutants (particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and inorganic air pollutants) and their toxicity are described. For each of these pollutant types, a concise overview of the specific contributions of the plant and its microbiome is presented. To conclude, the state of the art and its related future challenges are presented. PMID:26516837

The Role of Plant-Microbe Interactions and Their Exploitation for Phytoremediation of Air Pollutants.

PubMed

Weyens, Nele; Thijs, Sofie; Popek, Robert; Witters, Nele; Przybysz, Arkadiusz; Espenshade, Jordan; Gawronska, Helena; Vangronsveld, Jaco; Gawronski, Stanislaw W

2015-10-26

Since air pollution has been linked to a plethora of human health problems, strategies to improve air quality are indispensable. Despite the complexity in composition of air pollution, phytoremediation was shown to be effective in cleaning air. Plants are known to scavenge significant amounts of air pollutants on their aboveground plant parts. Leaf fall and runoff lead to transfer of (part of) the adsorbed pollutants to the soil and rhizosphere below. After uptake in the roots and leaves, plants can metabolize, sequestrate and/or excrete air pollutants. In addition, plant-associated microorganisms play an important role by degrading, detoxifying or sequestrating the pollutants and by promoting plant growth. In this review, an overview of the available knowledge about the role and potential of plant-microbe interactions to improve indoor and outdoor air quality is provided. Most importantly, common air pollutants (particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and inorganic air pollutants) and their toxicity are described. For each of these pollutant types, a concise overview of the specific contributions of the plant and its microbiome is presented. To conclude, the state of the art and its related future challenges are presented.

Background and overview on the contribution of dairy nutrition to addressing environmental concerns in Wisconsin: nitrogen, phosphorus, and methane

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

During the last part of the 20th century, public concern increased over non-point source pollution originating primarily from agricultural practices. Two chemical elements, nitrogen and phosphorus, which are important to the growth and development of crops and livestock, have been associated with no...

Zinc and Copper Metabolism and Risk of Autism: a reply to Sayehmiri et al.

PubMed

Fluegge Ba, Keith

2017-01-01

Sayehmiri et al. recently conducted a meta-analysis to explore the relationship between zinc and copper metabolism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Recent reports have elucidated a full behavioral profile of mice exposed to prenatal zinc deficiency and documented a phenotype similar to that found in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). These studies suggest that significant alterations in Zn metabolism may be an important nutritional component in the development of ASD. The idea that prenatal zinc deficiency may be to blame is cursorily challenged. Epidemiological studies show that high-income countries with a low estimated prevalence of inadequate zinc intake report the highest prevalence of ASD. Consistent with other reports indicating a link between air pollution and ASD, it has recently been proposed that use of the herbicide, glyphosate, in agriculture may serve as an instrumental variable in predicting later neurodevelopmental impairment via emissions of the agricultural air pollutant, nitrous oxide (N2O). Work in anesthesiology has demonstrated the neurological effects from subanesthetic doses of N2O, including its inhibition of the alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7), a receptor coupled to both central nitric oxide (NO) metabolism and peripheral anti-inflammation. This correspondence explores how the aforementioned nutritional phenotypes found by Sayehmiri et al. in their systematic review may be a compensatory mechanism to counter the effects (namely, α7 inhibition) of air pollutant exposures occurring during the most critical stages of fetal development.

Effect of structured physical activity and nutritional supplementation on physical function in mobility-limited older adults: results from the VIVE2 randomized trial

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objectives: The interactions between nutritional supplementation and physical activity on changes in physical function among older adults remain unclear. The primary objective of this study was to examine the impact of nutritional supplementation plus structured physical activity on 400M walk capaci...

Interactions Between Asian Air Pollution and Monsoon System: South Asia (ROSES-2014 ACMAP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pan, Xiaohua; Chin, Mian; Tao, Zhining; Kim, Dongchul; Bian, Huisheng; Kucsera, Tom

2018-01-01

Asia's rapid economic growth over the past several decades has brought a remarkable increase in air pollution levels in that region. High concentrations of aerosols (also known as particulate matter or PM) from pollution sources pose major health hazards to half of the world population in Asia including South Asia. How do pollution and dust aerosols regulate the monsoon circulation and rainfall via scattering and absorbing solar radiation, changing the atmospheric heating rates, and modifying the cloud properties? We conducted a series of regional model experiments with NASA-Unified Weather Research and Forecast (NUWRF) regional model with coupled aerosol-chemistry-radiation-microphysics processes over South Asia for winter, pre-monsoon, and monsoon seasons to address this question. This study investigates the worsening air quality problem in South Asia by focusing on the interactions between pollution and South Asian monsoon, not merely focusing on the increase of pollutant emissions.

Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I is a Marker for the Nutritional State

PubMed Central

Hawkes, Colin P; Grimberg, Adda

2017-01-01

Measurement of the serum concentration of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) is generally used as a screening investigation for disorders of the growth hormone (GH)/IGF-I axis in children and adolescents with short stature. IGF-I concentration is sensitive to short-term and chronic alterations in the nutritional state, and the interpretation of IGF-I measurements requires knowledge of the child’s nutritional status. In this review, we summarize the effects of nutrition on the GH/IGF-I axis, and review the clinical implications of these interactions throughout childhood, both in under-nutrition and over-nutrition. PMID:26841638

Woody-plant ecosystems under climate change and air pollution-response consistencies across zonobiomes?

PubMed

Matyssek, R; Kozovits, A R; Wieser, G; King, J; Rennenberg, H

2017-06-01

Forests store the largest terrestrial pools of carbon (C), helping to stabilize the global climate system, yet are threatened by climate change (CC) and associated air pollution (AP, highlighting ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)). We adopt the perspective that CC-AP drivers and physiological impacts are universal, resulting in consistent stress responses of forest ecosystems across zonobiomes. Evidence supporting this viewpoint is presented from the literature on ecosystem gross/net primary productivity and water cycling. Responses to CC-AP are compared across evergreen/deciduous foliage types, discussing implications of nutrition and resource turnover at tree and ecosystem scales. The availability of data is extremely uneven across zonobiomes, yet unifying patterns of ecosystem response are discernable. Ecosystem warming results in trade-offs between respiration and biomass production, affecting high elevation forests more than in the lowland tropics and low-elevation temperate zone. Resilience to drought is modulated by tree size and species richness. Elevated O3 tends to counteract stimulation by elevated carbon dioxide (CO2). Biotic stress and genomic structure ultimately determine ecosystem responsiveness. Aggrading early- rather than mature late-successional communities respond to CO2 enhancement, whereas O3 affects North American and Eurasian tree species consistently under free-air fumigation. Insect herbivory is exacerbated by CC-AP in biome-specific ways. Rhizosphere responses reflect similar stand-level nutritional dynamics across zonobiomes, but are modulated by differences in tree-soil nutrient cycling between deciduous and evergreen systems, and natural versus anthropogenic nitrogen (N) oversupply. The hypothesis of consistency of forest responses to interacting CC-AP is supported by currently available data, establishing the precedent for a global network of long-term coordinated research sites across zonobiomes to simultaneously advance both bottom-up (e.g., mechanistic) and top-down (systems-level) understanding. This global, synthetic approach is needed because high biological plasticity and physiographic variation across individual ecosystems currently limit development of predictive models of forest responses to CC-AP. Integrated research on C and nutrient cycling, O3-vegetation interactions and water relations must target mechanisms' ecosystem responsiveness. Worldwide case studies must be subject to biostatistical exploration to elucidate overarching response patterns and synthesize the resulting empirical data through advanced modelling, in order to provide regionally coherent, yet globally integrated information in support of internationally coordinated decision-making and policy development. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Assessment of Nutritional Problems in Pediatric Patients with Cancer and the Information Needs of Their Parents: A Parental Perspective.

PubMed

Arpaci, Tuba; Toruner, Ebru Kilicarslan; Altay, Naime

2018-01-01

The majority of problems and symptoms occur in the gastrointestinal system in children with cancer. Parents have difficulty in coping with the nutritional problems and changing routines of children and need support in this respect. This study aimed to assess the nutritional problems of children with cancer and the information needs of their parents. This descriptive study was performed among children with cancer aged 3-18 years and their parents ( n = 69). The data were collected through a data collection form developed by the researchers based on the literature. The most prominent nutritional problems experienced by children were loss of appetite (85.5%), nausea (84.1%), vomiting (81.2%), fatigue (79.7%), and mucositis (66.7%). According to the parents, the factors causing these nutritional problems in children were physiological factors (100%) and the foods given to children in the hospital (65.2%). The parents mostly needed information about food-drug interactions (58.0%), food-disease interactions (52.2%), foods that children with neutropenia should avoid or should eat (neutropenic diet) (46.4%), and frequency of nutritional intake (36.2%). This study has shown that most children experience at least one nutritional problem, and the parents need comprehensive and regular information about nutrition. Pediatric oncology nurses have a significant responsibility in the evaluation, education, and monitoring of these children.

Climate change, extreme weather events, air pollution and respiratory health in Europe.

PubMed

De Sario, M; Katsouyanni, K; Michelozzi, P

2013-09-01

Due to climate change and other factors, air pollution patterns are changing in several urbanised areas of the world, with a significant effect on respiratory health both independently and synergistically with weather conditions; climate scenarios show Europe as one of the most vulnerable regions. European studies on heatwave episodes have consistently shown a synergistic effect of air pollution and high temperatures, while the potential weather-air pollution interaction during wildfires and dust storms is unknown. Allergen patterns are also changing in response to climate change, and air pollution can modify the allergenic potential of pollens, especially in the presence of specific weather conditions. The underlying mechanisms of all these interactions are not well known; the health consequences vary from decreases in lung function to allergic diseases, new onset of diseases, exacerbation of chronic respiratory diseases, and premature death. These multidimensional climate-pollution-allergen effects need to be taken into account in estimating both climate and air pollution-related respiratory effects, in order to set up adequate policy and public health actions to face both the current and future climate and pollution challenges.

Family medicine residents' knowledge and attitudes about drug-nutrient interactions.

PubMed

Lasswell, A B; DeForge, B R; Sobal, J; Muncie, H L; Michocki, R

1995-04-01

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) requires that health professionals recognize the importance of drug-nutrient interactions and educate patients to prevent adverse effects. Drug-nutrient interactions are an important issue in medical practice, but it is not clear how or if physicians are trained in this issue. This investigation was a needs assessment that examined attitudes and knowledge about drug-nutrient interactions that was examined in a national sample of 834 family medicine residents in 56 residency programs. Most reported they had little or no formal training in drug-nutrient interactions in medical school (83%) or residency (80%). However, 79% believed it was the physician's responsibility to inform patients about drug-nutrient interactions, although many thought pharmacists (75%) and dietitians (66%) share this responsibility. Overall, residents correctly answered 61% +/- 19 of fourteen drug-nutrient interaction knowledge items. There was a slight increase in drug-nutrient knowledge as year of residency increased. Physicians' knowledge of drug-nutrient interactions may be improved by including nutrition education in the topics taught by physicians, nutritionists, and pharmacists using several educational strategies. Nutrition educators in particular can play a role in curriculum development about drug-nutrient interactions by developing, refining, and evaluating materials and educational tools. Nutrition educators need to provide this information in academic settings for the training of all health professionals as well as in patient education settings such as hospitals and public health clinics.

Assessment of perceptions of nutrition knowledge and disease using a group interactive system: the Perception Analyzer.

PubMed

Papakonstantinou, Emilia; Hargrove, James L; Huang, Chung-Liang; Crawley, Connie C; Canolty, Nancy L

2002-11-01

Food labels can be used as a tool for nutrition education, but the information available is of little value to consumers who do not understand how to apply it. In an effort to assess nutrition knowledge and identify misconceptions, a group interactive system--the Perception Analyzer--was used as a lecture aid and data collection tool. The Perception Analyzer is composed of a laptop computer, an antenna, and handheld electronic handsets, or dials, that participants use to answer questions. Participants (N = 621) were surveyed on 14 multiple-choice questions concerning nutrition with 4 nutrition questions repeated at the end of a session as a posttest. A knowledge score was calculated by counting correct answers. Linear regression analyses were used to study the main effects of demographic variables on the knowledge score. Our study reports the following: although participants reported reading food labels, nrisconceptions about label content were identified; analyses of mean scores indicated that age, education, and race influenced the nutrition knowledge score; and participants found the Perception Analyzer to be enjoyable. The findings indicate that because the Perception Analyzer provides immediate and anonymous feedback to a discussion leader about audience's current knowledge, it is a promising tool for nutrition education by dietetic practitioners.

Promoting equity through integrated early child development and nutrition interventions.

PubMed

Black, Maureen M; Dewey, Kathryn G

2014-01-01

Sustainable development, a foundation of the post-2015 global agenda, depends on healthy and productive citizens. The origins of adult health begin early in life, stemming from genetic-environmental interactions that include adequate nutrition and opportunities for responsive learning. Inequities associated with inadequate nutrition and early learning opportunities can undermine children's health and development, thereby compromising their productivity and societal contributions. Transactional theory serves as a useful framework for examining the associations that link early child development and nutrition because it emphasizes the interplay that occurs between children and the environment, mediated through caregiver interactions. Although single interventions targeting early child development or nutrition can be effective, there is limited evidence on the development, implementation, evaluation, and scaling up of integrated interventions. This manuscript introduces a special edition of papers on six topics central to integrated child development/nutrition interventions: (1) review of integrated interventions; (2) methods and topics in designing integrated interventions; (3) economic considerations related to integrated interventions; (4) capacity-building considerations; (5) examples of integrated interventions; and (6) policy implications of integrated interventions. Ensuring the health and development of infants and young children through integrated child development/nutrition interventions promotes equity, a critical component of sustainable development. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics: the emerging faces of nutrition.

PubMed

Mutch, David M; Wahli, Walter; Williamson, Gary

2005-10-01

The recognition that nutrients have the ability to interact and modulate molecular mechanisms underlying an organism's physiological functions has prompted a revolution in the field of nutrition. Performing population-scaled epidemiological studies in the absence of genetic knowledge may result in erroneous scientific conclusions and misinformed nutritional recommendations. To circumvent such issues and more comprehensively probe the relationship between genes and diet, the field of nutrition has begun to capitalize on both the technologies and supporting analytical software brought forth in the post-genomic era. The creation of nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics, two fields with distinct approaches to elucidate the interaction between diet and genes but with a common ultimate goal to optimize health through the personalization of diet, provide powerful approaches to unravel the complex relationship between nutritional molecules, genetic polymorphisms, and the biological system as a whole. Reluctance to embrace these new fields exists primarily due to the fear that producing overwhelming quantities of biological data within the confines of a single study will submerge the original query; however, the current review aims to position nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics as the emerging faces of nutrition that, when considered with more classical approaches, will provide the necessary stepping stones to achieve the ambitious goal of optimizing an individual's health via nutritional intervention.

The Interplay between Maternal Nutrition and Stress during Pregnancy: Issues and Considerations.

PubMed

Lindsay, Karen L; Buss, Claudia; Wadhwa, Pathik D; Entringer, Sonja

2017-01-01

Several studies about humans and animals have separately examined the effects of prenatal nutrition and stress on fetal development, pregnancy, and birth outcomes, and subsequent child health and disease risk. Although substantial evidence from non-pregnant literature supports the presence of bidirectional interactions between nutrition and stress at various psychological, behavioral, and physiological levels, such interaction effects have not yet been systematically examined in the context of pregnancy. This paper discusses the multifaceted and multilevel relationship between nutrition and stress. It then reviews the currently available observational and experimental evidence in animals and humans regarding the interplay between maternal psychosocial stress, dietary intake, and nutritional state during pregnancy, and implications for maternal and child health-related outcomes. Key Messages: During pregnancy, maternal psychosocial stress, dietary behavior, and nutritional state likely regulate and counter-regulate one another. Emerging evidence suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may attenuate maternal psychosocial stress, and that high maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index exacerbates unhealthy dietary behaviors under high-stress conditions. Longitudinal studies are warranted in order to understand the interplay between prenatal psychosocial stress, diet, and stress- and nutrition-related biomarkers to obtain further insight and inform the development and design of future, more effective intervention trials for improved maternal and child health outcomes. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Environment and asthma in adults.

PubMed

Le Moual, Nicole; Jacquemin, Bénédicte; Varraso, Raphaëlle; Dumas, Orianne; Kauffmann, Francine; Nadif, Rachel

2013-09-01

The present review addresses recent advances and especially challenging aspects regarding the role of environmental risk factors in adult-onset asthma, for which the causes are poorly established. In the first part of the review, we discuss aspects regarding some environmental risk factors for adult-onset asthma: air pollution, occupational exposures with a focus on an emerging risk represented by exposure to cleaning agents (both at home and in the workplace), and lifestyle and nutrition. The second part is focused on perspectives and challenges, regarding relevant topics on which research is needed to improve the understanding of the role of environmental factors in asthma. Aspects of exposure assessment, the complexity of multiple exposures, the interrelationships of the environment with behavioral characteristics and the importance of studying biological markers and gene-environment interactions to identify the role of the environment in asthma are discussed. We conclude that environmental and lifestyle exposures play an important role in asthma or related phenotypes. The changes in lifestyle and the environment in recent decades have modified the specific risk factors in asthma even for well-recognized risks such as occupational exposures. To better understand the role of the environment in asthma, the use of objective (quantitative measurement of exposures) or modern tools (bar code, GPS) and the development of multidisciplinary collaboration would be very promising. A better understanding of the complex interrelationships between socio-economic, nutritional, lifestyle and environmental conditions might help to study their joint and independent roles in asthma. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Nanorhizosphere: a new approach to study the interactions between plant and soil microorganisms - The effect of pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Cesare, Fabrizio; Di Mattia, Elena; Macagnano, Antonella

2017-04-01

Global and local environmental changes are exerting significant pressures on organisms living in ecosystems. In the terrestrial ecosystem, plant, soil and microorganisms mutually interact in the rhizosphere, i.e. the volume of soil surrounding roots that is affected by the release of rhizodeposition (root exudates, root debris, volatiles and gases) by plants. Such interactions can be beneficial, neutral or harmful for organisms, depending on the stimulatory or inhibitory (or null) effect resulting from these relationships. Soil organisms are sensitive indicators of environmental alterations. Effects induced by climate changes (e.g. global warming and elevated CO2), land-use (e.g. forest vs. agrosystems, and conventional vs. conservation agriculture) and pollution (e.g. agrochemicals, and industrial and urban wastes) can affect the attitudes, composition, physiology, metabolism and morphology of organisms in the rhizosphere and their interactions. Plenty of studies published to date has been devoted to analysing the effects of a multitude of factors on the rhizosphere ecosystems (e.g. root exudate amount and composition, microbial community dynamics, populations of soil animals) and their biogeochemical properties (enzyme activities). Accordingly, a lot of markers, protocols and techniques have been created on purpose and used for such analyses until now. In this study, a new approach based on the creation of a nanostructured support mimicking the rhizosphere environment and its main features is proposed. Sketching them out: i) solid materials (grain-shaped minerals and fibrous and crumble-like organic matter) distributed in a 3D space; ii) release of nutritive substrates. This nanorhizosphere is composed of both micro-beads and nano-to-micro fibres of organic polymer approximately mimicking the soil structure. A biodegradable organic polymer has been selected on purpose. The nanostructure was created employing a nanotechnology named electrospinning, which typically generates nanofibres, but also beads, by deposition under an electric field and onto a collector. Root exudates, previously collected from crop plants, were supplied to microbial cultures either by a proper solution or by an agar medium containing these compounds or finally by the organic nanoframework itself, where the exudates had been loaded by mixing with polymer solution before the electrospinning process. Microbial species (Actynomycetes, Pseudomonads or Lactobacilli), previously isolated from the rhizosphere of various plants, were used as model microorganisms to recreate a proper rhizosphere ecosystem. Pure and mixed cultures were tested. Heavy metals were used as model soil pollutants to generate an environmental pressure on either the generation of a new rhizosphere ecosystem or on an already settled one. Metabolic, physiological and morphological traits were analysed after a fixed period. Results of this artificial nanorhizosphere are discussed.

Papaya nutritional analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Papayas are sweet, flavorful tropical fruit, rich in vitamin C and carotenoids. Multiple interactions among preharvest environmental conditions, genetics, and physiology determine papaya nutritional composition at harvest. Selecting a cultivar with the genetic potential for high nutrient content and...

Mortality related to air pollution with the moscow heat wave and wildfire of 2010.

PubMed

Shaposhnikov, Dmitry; Revich, Boris; Bellander, Tom; Bedada, Getahun Bero; Bottai, Matteo; Kharkova, Tatyana; Kvasha, Ekaterina; Lezina, Elena; Lind, Tomas; Semutnikova, Eugenia; Pershagen, Göran

2014-05-01

Prolonged high temperatures and air pollution from wildfires often occur together, and the two may interact in their effects on mortality. However, there are few data on such possible interactions. We analyzed day-to-day variations in the number of deaths in Moscow, Russia, in relation to air pollution levels and temperature during the disastrous heat wave and wildfire of 2010. Corresponding data for the period 2006-2009 were used for comparison. Daily average levels of PM10 and ozone were obtained from several continuous measurement stations. The daily number of nonaccidental deaths from specific causes was extracted from official records. Analyses of interactions considered the main effect of temperature as well as the added effect of prolonged high temperatures and the interaction with PM10. The major heat wave lasted for 44 days, with 24-hour average temperatures ranging from 24°C to 31°C and PM10 levels exceeding 300 μg/m on several days. There were close to 11,000 excess deaths from nonaccidental causes during this period, mainly among those older than 65 years. Increased risks also occurred in younger age groups. The most pronounced effects were for deaths from cardiovascular, respiratory, genitourinary, and nervous system diseases. Continuously increasing risks following prolonged high temperatures were apparent during the first 2 weeks of the heat wave. Interactions between high temperatures and air pollution from wildfires in excess of an additive effect contributed to more than 2000 deaths. Interactions between high temperatures and wildfire air pollution should be considered in risk assessments regarding health consequences of climate change.

Older Adults' Perceptions of Nutrition as Protective Against Detrimental Effects of Environmental Pollution.

PubMed

Dunn, Kristina; Gaetke, Lisa; Stephenson, Tammy; Brewer, Dawn

2017-08-01

The aging process makes older adults vulnerable to the detrimental health effects of environmental contaminants. Our study assessed older adults' perceptions regarding diet being protective against environmental contaminants, their levels of concern about exposure, and their interest in learning about protective food-related strategies. A needs assessment to collect such information has not been conducted among older adults. Health fair survey results showed that they perceived diet as beneficial against contaminants, were concerned about health implications of exposure, and were interested in learning how to protect health through diet-related strategies. Results suggest that a nutrition-focused curriculum addressing how dietary strategies can help protect against environmental contaminants is needed for Extension professionals.

Interactive effects of global climate change and pollution on marine microbes: the way ahead.

PubMed

Coelho, Francisco J R C; Santos, Ana L; Coimbra, Joana; Almeida, Adelaide; Cunha, Angela; Cleary, Daniel F R; Calado, Ricardo; Gomes, Newton C M

2013-06-01

Global climate change has the potential to seriously and adversely affect marine ecosystem functioning. Numerous experimental and modeling studies have demonstrated how predicted ocean acidification and increased ultraviolet radiation (UVR) can affect marine microbes. However, researchers have largely ignored interactions between ocean acidification, increased UVR and anthropogenic pollutants in marine environments. Such interactions can alter chemical speciation and the bioavailability of several organic and inorganic pollutants with potentially deleterious effects, such as modifying microbial-mediated detoxification processes. Microbes mediate major biogeochemical cycles, providing fundamental ecosystems services such as environmental detoxification and recovery. It is, therefore, important that we understand how predicted changes to oceanic pH, UVR, and temperature will affect microbial pollutant detoxification processes in marine ecosystems. The intrinsic characteristics of microbes, such as their short generation time, small size, and functional role in biogeochemical cycles combined with recent advances in molecular techniques (e.g., metagenomics and metatranscriptomics) make microbes excellent models to evaluate the consequences of various climate change scenarios on detoxification processes in marine ecosystems. In this review, we highlight the importance of microbial microcosm experiments, coupled with high-resolution molecular biology techniques, to provide a critical experimental framework to start understanding how climate change, anthropogenic pollution, and microbiological interactions may affect marine ecosystems in the future.

Interactive effects of global climate change and pollution on marine microbes: the way ahead

PubMed Central

Coelho, Francisco J R C; Santos, Ana L; Coimbra, Joana; Almeida, Adelaide; Cunha, Ângela; Cleary, Daniel F R; Calado, Ricardo; Gomes, Newton C M

2013-01-01

Global climate change has the potential to seriously and adversely affect marine ecosystem functioning. Numerous experimental and modeling studies have demonstrated how predicted ocean acidification and increased ultraviolet radiation (UVR) can affect marine microbes. However, researchers have largely ignored interactions between ocean acidification, increased UVR and anthropogenic pollutants in marine environments. Such interactions can alter chemical speciation and the bioavailability of several organic and inorganic pollutants with potentially deleterious effects, such as modifying microbial-mediated detoxification processes. Microbes mediate major biogeochemical cycles, providing fundamental ecosystems services such as environmental detoxification and recovery. It is, therefore, important that we understand how predicted changes to oceanic pH, UVR, and temperature will affect microbial pollutant detoxification processes in marine ecosystems. The intrinsic characteristics of microbes, such as their short generation time, small size, and functional role in biogeochemical cycles combined with recent advances in molecular techniques (e.g., metagenomics and metatranscriptomics) make microbes excellent models to evaluate the consequences of various climate change scenarios on detoxification processes in marine ecosystems. In this review, we highlight the importance of microbial microcosm experiments, coupled with high-resolution molecular biology techniques, to provide a critical experimental framework to start understanding how climate change, anthropogenic pollution, and microbiological interactions may affect marine ecosystems in the future. PMID:23789087

Drug-nutrient interactions: a broad view with implications for practice.

PubMed

Boullata, Joseph I; Hudson, Lauren M

2012-04-01

The relevance of drug?nutrient interactions in daily practice continues to grow with the widespread use of medication. Interactions can involve a single nutrient, multiple nutrients, food in general, or nutrition status. Mechanistically, drug?nutrient interactions occur because of altered intestinal transport and metabolism, or systemic distribution, metabolism and excretion, as well as additive or antagonistic effects. Optimal patient care includes identifying, evaluating, and managing these interactions. This task can be supported by a systematic approach for categorizing interactions and rating their clinical significance. This review provides such a broad framework using recent examples, as well as some classic drug?nutrient interactions. Pertinent definitions are presented, as is a suggested approach for clinicians. This important and expanding subject will benefit tremendously from further clinician involvement. Copyright © 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic variation in biotransformation enzymes, air pollution exposures, and risk of spina bifida.

PubMed

Padula, Amy M; Yang, Wei; Schultz, Kathleen; Lurmann, Fred; Hammond, S Katharine; Shaw, Gary M

2018-05-01

Spina bifida is a birth defect characterized by incomplete closure of the embryonic neural tube. Genetic factors as well as environmental factors have been observed to influence risks for spina bifida. Few studies have investigated possible gene-environment interactions that could contribute to spina bifida risk. The aim of this study is to examine the interaction between gene variants in biotransformation enzyme pathways and ambient air pollution exposures and risk of spina bifida. We evaluated the role of air pollution exposure during pregnancy and gene variants of biotransformation enzymes from bloodspots and buccal cells in a California population-based case-control (86 cases of spina bifida and 208 non-malformed controls) study. We considered race/ethnicity and folic acid vitamin use as potential effect modifiers and adjusted for those factors and smoking. We observed gene-environment interactions between each of the five pollutants and several gene variants: NO (ABCC2), NO 2 (ABCC2, SLC01B1), PM 10 (ABCC2, CYP1A1, CYP2B6, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, NAT2, SLC01B1, SLC01B3), PM 2.5 (CYP1A1 and CYP1A2). These analyses show positive interactions between air pollution exposure during early pregnancy and gene variants associated with metabolizing enzymes. These exploratory results suggest that some individuals based on their genetic background may be more susceptible to the adverse effects of pollution. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Burden of COPD Morbidity Attributable to the Interaction between Ambient Air Pollution and Temperature in Chengdu, China.

PubMed

Qiu, Hang; Tan, Kun; Long, Feiyu; Wang, Liya; Yu, Haiyan; Deng, Ren; Long, Hu; Zhang, Yanlong; Pan, Jingping

2018-03-11

Evidence on the burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) morbidity attributable to the interaction between ambient air pollution and temperature has been limited. This study aimed to examine the modification effect of temperature on the association of ambient air pollutants (including particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter <10 μm (PM 10 ) and <2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O₃)) with risk of hospital admissions (HAs) for COPD, as well as the associated morbidity burden in urban areas of Chengdu, China, from 2015 to 2016. Based on the generalized additive model (GAM) with quasi-Poisson link, bivariate response surface model and stratification parametric model were developed to investigate the potential interactions between ambient air pollution and temperature on COPD HAs. We found consistent interactions between ambient air pollutants (PM 2.5 , PM 10 and SO₂) and low temperature on COPD HAs, demonstrated by the stronger associations between ambient air pollutants and COPD HAs at low temperatures than at moderate temperatures. Subgroup analyses showed that the elderly (≥80 years) and males were more vulnerable to this interaction. The joint effect of PM and low temperature had the greatest impact on COPD morbidity burden. Using WHO air quality guidelines as reference concentration, about 17.30% (95% CI: 12.39%, 22.19%) and 14.72% (95% CI: 10.38%, 19.06%) of COPD HAs were attributable to PM 2.5 and PM 10 exposures on low temperature days, respectively. Our findings suggested that low temperature significantly enhanced the effects of PM and SO₂ on COPD HAs in urban Chengdu, resulting in increased morbidity burden. This evidence has important implications for developing interventions to reduce the risk effect of COPD morbidity.

A Conceptual Model for Training After-School Program Staffers to Promote Physical Activity and Nutrition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaver, Robert Glenn; Beets, Michael W.; Webster, Collin; Beighle, Aaron; Huberty, Jennifer

2012-01-01

Background: After-school programs (ASPs, 3 pm to 6 pm) have been called upon to increase the amount of daily physical activity children accumulate and improve the nutritional quality of the snacks served. To this end, state and national physical activity and nutrition (PAaN) policies have been proposed. Frontline staff who directly interact with…

Gene–environment interplay in Drosophila melanogaster: Chronic food deprivation in early life affects adult exploratory and fitness traits

PubMed Central

Burns, James Geoffrey; Svetec, Nicolas; Rowe, Locke; Mery, Frederic; Dolan, Michael J.; Boyce, W. Thomas; Sokolowski, Marla B.

2012-01-01

Early life adversity has known impacts on adult health and behavior, yet little is known about the gene–environment interactions (GEIs) that underlie these consequences. We used the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to show that chronic early nutritional adversity interacts with rover and sitter allelic variants of foraging (for) to affect adult exploratory behavior, a phenotype that is critical for foraging, and reproductive fitness. Chronic nutritional adversity during adulthood did not affect rover or sitter adult exploratory behavior; however, early nutritional adversity in the larval period increased sitter but not rover adult exploratory behavior. Increasing for gene expression in the mushroom bodies, an important center of integration in the fly brain, changed the amount of exploratory behavior exhibited by sitter adults when they did not experience early nutritional adversity but had no effect in sitters that experienced early nutritional adversity. Manipulation of the larval nutritional environment also affected adult reproductive output of sitters but not rovers, indicating GEIs on fitness itself. The natural for variants are an excellent model to examine how GEIs underlie the biological embedding of early experience. PMID:23045644

The importance of interactions among nutrition, seasonality and socio-sexual factors in the development of hormone-free methods for controlling fertility.

PubMed

Scaramuzzi, R J; Martin, G B

2008-07-01

Around the world, consumers are demanding animal products that are produced to agreed standards for human health, environmental management and animal welfare. This has led to the development in Australia of the concept of 'clean, green and ethical' (CGE) animal production based on the manipulation of nutrition ('focus feeding') and the application of phenomena, such as the 'male effect', to provide 'natural' methods for managing small ruminant production systems. With respect to the management of fertility, CGE involves utilization of the inherited responses of animals to environmental factors to manipulate their reproductive processes. The successful development and implementation of this new generation of management tools depends on a thorough yet holistic understanding of the interactions among environmental factors and the ways these interactions affect reproductive physiology and behaviour of the animal. For sheep and goats, a central aspect of CGE management is the way in which ovarian function is affected by three major factors (nutrition, photoperiod and socio-sexual signals) and by interactions among them. Nutrition can exert two profound yet contrasting types of effect on ovarian activity: (i) the complete inhibition of reproduction by undernutrition through the hypothalamic mechanism that controls ovulation and (ii) the enhancement of fecundity by nutritional supplementation, through a direct ovarian mechanism, in females that are already ovulating. A similarly profound control over ovarian function in female sheep and goats is exerted by the well-known endocrine responses to photoperiod (seasonality) and to male socio-sexual signals. The 'male effect' already has a long history as a valuable technique for inducing a synchronized fertile ovulation during seasonal and post-partum anoestrus in sheep and goats. Importantly, experimentation has shown that these three major environmental factors interact, synergistically and antagonistically, but the precise nature of these interactions and their significance to reproductive outcomes are not well understood. Most research to date has been with small ruminants but CGE principles can be applied to any species in a managed environment. For example, a male effect has been reported for lactating cattle and, in the horse, the pattern of seasonality of oestrus can be altered by nutrition. Well-fed mares have a longer breeding season and some animals become non-seasonal. Similar observations have been reported for sheep and goats. By working towards a holistic perspective of the physiology, nutrition, genetics and behaviour of our animals, we will be able to formulate ways to manipulate the animals' environment that will improve management, productivity and profitability and, simultaneously, promote a CGE industry.

CSIR Contribution to Defining Adaptive Capacity in the Context of Environmental Change

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-31

Pollution rates Cultural norms Roads Agricultu ral practises / norms Level of Income Access to safe water Gender based discriminati on Fear of...internal conflicts Civil rights Quality of nutrition Status of environm ental policies Spiritual practises Dams Food for sale ... Fertility rates Literacy rates These developed categories are currently being tested by using both qualitative and

American Cancer Society perspectives on environmental factors and cancer.

PubMed

Fontham, Elizabeth T H; Thun, Michael J; Ward, Elizabeth; Portier, Kenneth M; Balch, Alan J; Delancey, John Oliver L; Samet, Jonathan M

2009-01-01

Cancer prevention is central to the mission of the American Cancer Society (ACS). The ACS's prevention activities take many forms, but are primarily focused on modifiable risk factors that have been demonstrated to have the largest impact on cancer risk in the general population (with particular emphasis on tobacco use because of its large impact on cancer), and well-proven policy and program interventions. The ACS addresses nutrition, physical inactivity and obesity, alcohol consumption, excessive sun exposure, prevention of certain chronic infections, and selected other environmental factors through a variety of venues, including consensus guidelines (eg, nutrition and physical activity, human papillomavirus vaccination) and developing educational materials for health care providers and the general public. In contrast to the broad definition of environmental factors used by the ACS and most other public health agencies, some members of the general public associate the term "environmental" only with toxic air and water pollutants and other, predominantly manmade, hazards that people encounter, often involuntarily, in their daily life. This article will provide an overview of the ACS's approach to the prevention of cancer associated with such toxic pollutants in the context of its mission and priorities with respect to cancer prevention.

Nutritional strategies to boost immunity and prevent infection in elderly individuals.

PubMed

High, K P

2001-12-01

Older adults are at risk for malnutrition, which may contribute to their increased risk of infection. Nutritional supplementation strategies can reduce this risk and reverse some of the immune dysfunction associated with advanced age. This review discusses nutritional interventions that have been examined in clinical trials of older adults. The data support use of a daily multivitamin or trace-mineral supplement that includes zinc (elemental zinc, >20 mg/day) and selenium (100 microg/day), with additional vitamin E, to achieve a daily dosage of 200 mg/day. Specific syndromes may also be addressed by nutritional interventions (for example, cranberry juice consumption to reduce urinary tract infections) and may reduce antibiotic use in older adults, particularly those living in long-term care facilities. Drug-nutrient interactions are common in elderly individuals, and care providers should be aware of these interactions. Future research should evaluate important clinical end points rather than merely surrogate markers of immunity.

Playing with food. A novel approach to understanding nutritional behaviour development.

PubMed

Lynch, Meghan

2010-06-01

This study explored the use of a novel method of collecting data on nutritional behaviour development in young children: videos posted on the Internet site YouTube. YouTube videos (n=115) of children alone and interacting with parents in toy kitchen settings were analyzed using constant comparison analysis. Results revealed that in the videos of play nutritional behaviours, children showed influences of their real social environments, and that this medium enabled the observation of parent-child interactions in a more natural context without the researcher's presence. These findings encourage further research in the development and validity of alternative methods of data collection. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Colour correct: the interactive effects of food label nutrition colouring schemes and food category healthiness on health perceptions.

PubMed

Nyilasy, Gergely; Lei, Jing; Nagpal, Anish; Tan, Joseph

2016-08-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of food label nutrition colouring schemes in interaction with food category healthiness on consumers' perceptions of food healthiness. Three streams of colour theory (colour attention, colour association and colour approach-avoidance) in interaction with heuristic processing theory provide consonant predictions and explanations for the underlying psychological processes. A 2 (food category healthiness: healthy v. unhealthy)×3 (food label nutrient colouring schemes: healthy=green, unhealthy=red (HGUR) v. healthy=red, unhealthy=green (HRUG) v. no colour (control)) between-subjects design was used. The research setting was a randomised-controlled experiment using varying formats of food packages and nutritional information colouring. Respondents (n 196) sourced from a national consumer panel, USA. The findings suggest that, for healthy foods, the nutritional colouring schemes reduced perceived healthiness, irrespective of which nutrients were coloured red or green (healthinesscontrol=4·86; healthinessHGUR=4·10; healthinessHRUG=3·70). In contrast, for unhealthy foods, there was no significant difference in perceptions of food healthiness when comparing different colouring schemes against the control. The results make an important qualification to the common belief that colour coding can enhance the correct interpretation of nutrition information and suggest that this incentive may not necessarily support healthier food choices in all situations.

Short term association between ambient air pollution and mortality and modification by temperature in five Indian cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dholakia, Hem H.; Bhadra, Dhiman; Garg, Amit

2014-12-01

Indian cities are among the most polluted areas globally, yet assessments of short term mortality impacts due to pollution have been limited. Furthermore, studies examining temperature - pollution interactions on mortality are largely absent. Addressing this gap remains important in providing research evidence to better link health outcomes and air quality standards for India. Daily all-cause mortality, temperature, humidity and particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10) data were collected for five cities - Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Shimla spanning 2005-2012. Poisson regression models were developed to study short term impacts of PM10 as well as temperature - pollution interactions on daily all-cause mortality. We find that excess risk of mortality associated with a 10 μg/m3 PM10 increase is highest for Shimla (1.36%, 95% CI = -0.38%-3.1%) and the least for Ahmedabad (0.16%, 95% CI = -0.31%-0.62%). The corresponding values for Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai are 0.22% (-0.04%-0.49%), 0.85% (0.06%-1.63%) and 0.2% (0.1%-0.3%) respectively. The relative health benefits of reducing pollution are higher for cleaner cities (Shimla) as opposed to dirtier cities (Mumbai). Overall we find that temperature and pollution interactions do not significantly impact mortality for the cities studied. This is one of the first multi-city studies that assess heterogeneity of air pollution impacts and possible modification due to temperature in Indian cities that are spread across climatic regions and topographies. Our findings highlight the need for pursuing stringent pollution control policies in Indian cities to minimize health impacts.

Child-directed and nutrition-focused marketing cues on food packaging: links to nutritional content.

PubMed

Lapierre, Matthew A; Brown, Autumn M; Houtzer, Hunter V; Thomas, Tyler J

2017-04-01

We tested whether the presence of both child-targeted and nutrition-focused (i.e. parent-targeted) marketing cues on food packaging was associated with the nutritional content of these products. We conducted a quantitative content analysis of 403 food packages chosen randomly from the supermarket's online portal along with all products (n 312) from the cereal aisle in a supermarket from the Southeastern USA. We examined main and interaction effects for cues on nutritional content (e.g. energy density, sugar, sodium, fibre). A regional supermarket chain in the Southeastern USA. Tests of main effects indicated that increased presence of nutritional cues was linked to more nutritious content (e.g. less sugar, less saturated fat, more fibre) while the increased presence of child-targeted cues was uniformly associated with less nutritious content (e.g. more sugar, less protein, less fibre). Among the interaction effects, results revealed that products with increased nutrition-focused and child-targeted cues were likely to contain significantly more sugar and less protein than other products. Products that seek to engage children with their packaging in the supermarket are significantly less nutritious than foods that do not, while product packages that suggest nutritional benefits have more nutritious content. More importantly, the study provides evidence that those products which try to engage both child and parent consumers are significantly less healthy in crucial ways (e.g. more sugar, less fibre) than products that do not.

Dietary protein, aging and nutritional geometry.

PubMed

Simpson, Stephen J; Le Couteur, David G; Raubenheimer, David; Solon-Biet, Samantha M; Cooney, Gregory J; Cogger, Victoria C; Fontana, Luigi

2017-10-01

Nearly a century of research has shown that nutritional interventions can delay aging and age- related diseases in many animal models and possibly humans. The most robust and widely studied intervention is caloric restriction, while protein restriction and restriction of various amino acids (methionine, tryptophan) have also been shown to delay aging. However, there is still debate over whether the major impact on aging is secondary to caloric intake, protein intake or specific amino acids. Nutritional geometry provides new perspectives on the relationship between nutrition and aging by focusing on calories, macronutrients and their interactions across a landscape of diets, and taking into account compensatory feeding in ad libitum-fed experiments. Nutritional geometry is a state-space modelling approach that explores how animals respond to and balance changes in nutrient availability. Such studies in insects and mice have shown that low protein, high carbohydrate diets are associated with longest lifespan in ad libitum fed animals suggesting that the interaction between macronutrients may be as important as their total intake. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dietary habits and the short-term effects of air pollution on mortality in the Chinese population in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Ou, Chun-Quan; Wong, Chit-Ming; Ho, Sai-Yin; Schooling, Mary; Yang, Lin; Hedley, Anthony J; Lam, Tai-Hing

2012-03-01

Both diet and air pollution are associated with mortality risks. However, no epidemiological study has examined the potential interaction between diet and air pollution on mortality. We assessed their interaction on an additive scale. We analysed the data on daily concentrations of ambient air pollutants (PM(10), NO(2), SO(2) and O(3)) and a total of 23 484 deaths in 1998 in Hong Kong. A standardised questionnaire was used in all four death registries to collect food frequency data from proxy respondents while waiting for the registration to be completed. We fitted a linear odds ratio model and estimated excess relative risk due to the interaction (ERRI) between air pollution and regular consumption (at least once per week) of each food item to measure departure from additivity of effects on mortality. We observed consistently negative ERRI between all of the four pollutants and regular consumption of vegetables, fruits and soy. The effects of PM(10), NO(2) and O(3) were significant smaller in the subjects who regularly consumed fruits than those who never or seldom consumed such food. The effect modification of soy consumption on PM(10), NO(2) and SO(2) associated mortality was also found statistically significant. However, regular consumption of dairy products was associated with significant increased effects of PM(10) and NO(2). This study provides insight into dietary habit as one of the modifiers of health effects of air pollution. Our findings merit further studies to characterise the influence of diet on air pollution-related health and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES TO INVESTIGATE THE INTERACTION OF AIR POLLUTANTS AND LUNG DISEASE

EPA Science Inventory

Epidemiological studies of smokers and other people exposed to high levels of air pollutants have demonstrated that these individuals suffer from more frequent and severe respiratory infections. Studies in animals have also shown that a wide range of airborne pollutants includin...

Positive relationship detected between soil bioaccessible organic pollutants and antibiotic resistance genes at dairy farms in Nanjing, Eastern China.

PubMed

Sun, Mingming; Ye, Mao; Wu, Jun; Feng, Yanfang; Wan, Jinzhong; Tian, Da; Shen, Fangyuan; Liu, Kuan; Hu, Feng; Li, Huixin; Jiang, Xin; Yang, Linzhang; Kengara, Fredrick Orori

2015-11-01

Co-contaminated soils by organic pollutants (OPs), antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been becoming an emerging problem. However, it is unclear if an interaction exists between mixed pollutants and ARG abundance. Therefore, the potential relationship between OP contents and ARG and class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1) abundance was investigated from seven dairy farms in Nanjing, Eastern China. Phenanthrene, pentachlorophenol, sulfadiazine, roxithromycin, associated ARG genes, and intI1 had the highest detection frequencies. Correlation analysis suggested a stronger positive relationship between the ARG abundance and the bioaccessible OP content than the total OP content. Additionally, the significant correlation between the bioaccessible mixed pollutant contents and ARG/intI1 abundance suggested a direct/indirect impact of the bioaccessible mixed pollutants on soil ARG dissemination. This study provided a preliminary understanding of the interaction between mixed pollutants and ARGs in co-contaminated soils. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interaction of polar and nonpolar organic pollutants with soil organic matter: sorption experiments and molecular dynamics simulation.

PubMed

Ahmed, Ashour A; Thiele-Bruhn, Sören; Aziz, Saadullah G; Hilal, Rifaat H; Elroby, Shaaban A; Al-Youbi, Abdulrahman O; Leinweber, Peter; Kühn, Oliver

2015-03-01

The fate of organic pollutants in the environment is influenced by several factors including the type and strength of their interactions with soil components especially SOM. However, a molecular level answer to the question "How organic pollutants interact with SOM?" is still lacking. In order to explore mechanisms of this interaction, we have developed a new SOM model and carried out molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in parallel with sorption experiments. The new SOM model comprises free SOM functional groups (carboxylic acid and naphthalene) as well as SOM cavities (with two different sizes), simulating the soil voids, containing the same SOM functional groups. To examine the effect of the hydrophobicity on the interaction, the organic pollutants hexachlorobenzene (HCB, non-polar) and sulfanilamide (SAA, polar) were considered. The experimental and theoretical investigations explored four major points regarding sorption of SAA and HCB on soil, yielding the following results. 1--The interaction depends on the SOM chemical composition more than the SOM content. 2--The interaction causes a site-specific adsorption on the soil surfaces. 3--Sorption hysteresis occurs, which can be explained by inclusion of these pollutants inside soil voids. 4--The hydrophobic HCB is adsorbed on soil stronger than the hydrophilic SAA. Moreover, the theoretical results showed that HCB forms stable complexes with all SOM models in the aqueous solution, while most of SAA-SOM complexes are accompanied by dissociation into SAA and the free SOM models. The SOM-cavity modeling had a significant effect on binding of organic pollutants to SOM. Both HCB and SAA bind to the SOM models in the order of models with a small cavity>a large cavity>no cavity. Although HCB binds to all SOM models stronger than SAA, the latter is more affected by the presence of the cavity. Finally, HCB and SAA bind to the hydrophobic functional group (naphthalene) stronger than to the hydrophilic one (carboxylic acid) for all SOM models containing a cavity. For models without a cavity, SAA binds to carboxylic acid stronger than to naphthalene. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mortality Related to Air Pollution with the Moscow Heat Wave and Wildfire of 2010

PubMed Central

Shaposhnikov, Dmitry; Revich, Boris; Bellander, Tom; Bedada, Getahun Bero; Bottai, Matteo; Kharkova, Tatyana; Kvasha, Ekaterina; Lezina, Elena; Lind, Tomas; Semutnikova, Eugenia

2014-01-01

Background: Prolonged high temperatures and air pollution from wildfires often occur together, and the two may interact in their effects on mortality. However, there are few data on such possible interactions. Methods: We analyzed day-to-day variations in the number of deaths in Moscow, Russia, in relation to air pollution levels and temperature during the disastrous heat wave and wildfire of 2010. Corresponding data for the period 2006–2009 were used for comparison. Daily average levels of PM10 and ozone were obtained from several continuous measurement stations. The daily number of nonaccidental deaths from specific causes was extracted from official records. Analyses of interactions considered the main effect of temperature as well as the added effect of prolonged high temperatures and the interaction with PM10. Results: The major heat wave lasted for 44 days, with 24-hour average temperatures ranging from 24°C to 31°C and PM10 levels exceeding 300 μg/m3 on several days. There were close to 11,000 excess deaths from nonaccidental causes during this period, mainly among those older than 65 years. Increased risks also occurred in younger age groups. The most pronounced effects were for deaths from cardiovascular, respiratory, genitourinary, and nervous system diseases. Continuously increasing risks following prolonged high temperatures were apparent during the first 2 weeks of the heat wave. Interactions between high temperatures and air pollution from wildfires in excess of an additive effect contributed to more than 2000 deaths. Conclusions: Interactions between high temperatures and wildfire air pollution should be considered in risk assessments regarding health consequences of climate change. PMID:24598414

Towards a synthesis of frameworks in nutritional ecology: interacting effects of protein, carbohydrate and phosphorus on field cricket fitness.

PubMed

Harrison, Sarah J; Raubenheimer, David; Simpson, Stephen J; Godin, Jean-Guy J; Bertram, Susan M

2014-10-07

Phosphorus has been identified as an important determinant of nutrition-related biological variation. The macronutrients protein (P) and carbohydrates (C), both alone and interactively, are known to affect animal performance. No study, however, has investigated the importance of phosphorus relative to dietary protein or carbohydrates, or the interactive effects of phosphorus with these macronutrients, on fitness-related traits in animals. We used a nutritional geometry framework to address this question in adult field crickets (Gryllus veletis). Our results showed that lifespan, weight gain, acoustic mate signalling and egg production were maximized on diets with different P : C ratios, that phosphorus did not positively affect any of these fitness traits, and that males and females had different optimal macronutrient intake ratios for reproductive performance. When given a choice, crickets selected diets that maximized both lifespan and reproductive performance by preferentially eating diets with low P : C ratios, and females selected diets with a higher P : C ratio than males. Conversely, phosphorus intake was not regulated. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of disentangling the influences of different nutrients, and of quantifying both their individual and interactive effects, on animal fitness traits, so as to gain a more integrative understanding of their nutritional ecology. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Effect of Nutritional Intervention on Food Choices of French Students in Middle School Cafeterias, Using an Interactive Educational Software Program (Nutri-Advice).

PubMed

Turnin, Marie-Christine; Buisson, Jean-Christophe; Ahluwalia, Namanjeet; Cazals, Laurent; Bolzonella-Pene, Caroline; Fouquet-Martineau, Caroline; Martini, Pascale; Tauber, Maïthé; Hanaire, Hélène

2016-02-01

To evaluate the impact of interactive Nutri-Advice kiosks on children's nutritional skills and their ability to apply it to food choices in a middle school cafeteria menu (food choice competencies). Quasi-experimental design; pre/post-test. Freestanding interactive computer terminals (kiosks) were installed in three middle schools in Toulouse, France. A total of 580 children were enrolled into the study (mean age, 13 ± 1 years). Each child's physiological profile was stored in a personal barcode card. During 1 school year, once a day, each child could access the kiosk with this card, trying to find the most balanced meal according to his or her profile and the food available on the cafeteria menu. Children's food choice competency changes and body mass index z-score were evaluated. Significance of change in food choice competencies (postintervention vs baseline) was examined using paired t test. Across the study, children chose significantly less cheese and pastry or desserts, and significantly more starchy food and dairy, and tended to choose fruits and vegetables more often. Body mass index z-score decreased significantly during the period. Personalized nutrition counseling through an interactive device has the potential to improve the food choice competencies of children. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Purification of polluted water with spent mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) substrate: from agricultural waste to biosorbent of phenanthrene, Cd and Pb.

PubMed

García-Delgado, C; Alonso-Izquierdo, M; González-Izquierdo, M; Yunta, F; Eymar, E

2017-07-01

The present research was aimed to (i) report the recycling of spent A. bisporus substrate (SAS) to remove heavy metals (Cd and Pb) and phenanthrene (Phe) from polluted water and (ii) assess the possibility to use the treated water for irrigation. Batch experiments were carried out to assess, firstly, the effect of interaction time between pollutants with SAS and, secondly, the pH of the polluted water. Then a biofilter was designed by using pressurized glass columns. Chemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity and content of Pb, Cd, Phe, nutrients (NPK) and Cl - were determined. Equilibrium for contaminants was quickly reached (1-2 h). The pH of the polluted water was the key factor for pollutants' adsorption. The polluted water's pH was increased after biofilter interaction. Phe was not detected in any fraction. Pb and Cd sorption rates were higher than 99%. The pollutant concentrations were within the permitted range to be used for agriculture purposes. Purified water showed significant concentrations of NPK, indicating its potential use as fertilizer. The SAS shows potential to be used as Phe, Pb and Cd biosorbent and the resulting treated water can be used for irrigation according to pollutant contents and agronomical evaluation.

Effects of larvicidal and larval nutritional stresses on Anopheles gambiae development, survival and competence for Plasmodium falciparum.

PubMed

Vantaux, Amélie; Ouattarra, Issiaka; Lefèvre, Thierry; Dabiré, Kounbobr Roch

2016-04-23

Many studies have shown that the environment in which larvae develop can influence adult characteristics with consequences for the transmission of pathogens. We investigated how two environmental stresses (larviciding and nutritional stress) interact to affect Anopheles gambiae (previously An. gambiae S molecular form) life history traits and its susceptibility for field isolates of its natural malaria agent Plasmodium falciparum. Larvae were reared in the presence or not of a sub-lethal concentration of larvicide and under a high and low food regimen. Development time, individual size, adult survival and competence for P. falciparum were assessed. Individuals under low food regimen took more time to develop, had a lower development success and were smaller while there was no main effect of larvicide exposure on these traits. However, larvicide exposure impacted individual size in interaction with nutritional stress. Female survival was affected by the interaction between gametocytemia, parasite exposure and larval diet, as well as the interaction between gametocytemia, parasite exposure and larvicidal stress, and the interaction between gametocytemia, larvicidal exposure and larval diet. Among the 951 females dissected 7 days post-infection, 559 (58.78%) harboured parasites. Parasite prevalence was significantly affected by the interaction between larvicidal stress and larval diet. Indeed, females under low food regimen had a higher prevalence than females under high food regimen and this difference was greater under larvicidal stress. The two stresses did not impact parasite intensity. We found that larval nutritional and larvicidal stresses affect mosquito life history traits in complex ways, which could greatly affect P. falciparum transmission. Further studies combining field-based trials on larvicide use and mosquito experimental infections would give a more accurate understanding of the effects of this vector control tool on malaria transmission.

Nutrition and the science of disease prevention: a systems approach to support metabolic health

PubMed Central

Bennett, Brian J.; Hall, Kevin D.; Hu, Frank B.; McCartney, Anne L.; Roberto, Christina

2017-01-01

Progress in nutritional science, genetics, computer science, and behavioral economics can be leveraged to address the challenge of noncommunicable disease. This report highlights the connection between nutrition and the complex science of preventing disease and discusses the promotion of optimal metabolic health, building on input from several complementary disciplines. The discussion focuses on (1) the basic science of optimal metabolic health, including data from gene–diet interactions, microbiome, and epidemiological research in nutrition, with the goal of defining better targets and interventions, and (2) how nutrition, from pharma to lifestyle, can build on systems science to address complex issues. PMID:26415028

Drug-nutrient interactions in elderly people.

PubMed

Akamine, Dirce; Filho, Michel K; Peres, Carmem M

2007-05-01

The presence of multiple diseases, polypharmacy, malnutrition, and impaired metabolism in elderly individuals increases the risks of adverse events related to drug-food interactions. Some considerations for elderly people influenced by drug-food interactions are reviewed. When investigating pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modifications in the elderly, other factors have to be considered, such as anorexia, dementia, depression, intolerance, gastrointestinal-tract disorders, social and economic factors, reduced abilities (visual and manual) and difficulties in chewing or swallowing. Specific reference is made herein to the health status of the elderly Brazilian population based on the observations of our research group. In addition, the most common diseases (such as cancer, coronary heart disease, dementia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and osteoporosis), the drugs usually prescribed to treat them, and the adverse nutritional reactions that occur in older patients are summarized. In order to develop a correct drug prescription plan and nutritional intervention to avoid any kind of undesirable drug-food interaction effect, it is necessary to adequately diagnose the disease and often re-evaluate the chosen treatment, identify disease stages and the necessary therapies to minimize the number of drugs administered, and select a reasonable nutritional assessment.

Differential fitness of allelic isozymes in the marine gastropods Littorina punctata and Littorina neritoides, exposed to the environmental stress of the combined effects of cadmium and mercury pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavie, Batia; Nevo, Eviatar

1987-07-01

The present study tested the separate and the interactive pollution effects of cadmium and mercury on the electrophoretically detected allelic isozyme frequencies of the enzyme phosphoglucose isomerase for two species of littoral marine gastropods — Littorina punctata and L. neritoides — and the enzyme amino peptidase for L. neritoides. Our results indicate differential survivorship of allelic isozyme genotypes specific for each type of pollutant and for their interaction, as well as trends common to all pollutants. Theoretically the results reflect the adaptive nature of at least some allozymic genotypes in these marine gastropods and seem inconsistent with the neutral theory of allozyme polymorphisms. Practically, the results reinforce earlier conclusions that changes in the frequency of allelic isozymes may be used as a genetic monitor of pollution.

Applied choline-omics: lessons from human metabolic studies for the integration of genomics research into nutrition practice.

PubMed

West, Allyson A; Caudill, Marie A

2014-08-01

Nutritional genomics, defined as the study of reciprocal interactions among nutrients, metabolic intermediates, and the genome, along with other closely related nutritional -omic fields (eg, epigenomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics) have become vital areas of nutrition study and knowledge. Utilizing results from human metabolic research on the essential nutrient choline, this article illustrates how nutrigenetic, nutrigenomic, and inter-related -omic research has provided new insights into choline metabolism and its effect on physiologic processes. Findings from highlighted choline research are also discussed in the context of translation to clinical and public health nutrition applications. Overall, this article underscores the utility of -omic research methods in elucidating nutrient metabolism as well as the potential for nutritional -omic concepts and discoveries to be broadly applied in nutritional practice. Copyright © 2014 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feedbacks between nutrition and disease in honey bee health.

PubMed

Dolezal, Adam G; Toth, Amy L

2018-04-01

Declines in honey bee health have been attributed to multiple interacting environmental stressors; among the most important are forage/nutrition deficits and parasites and pathogens. Recent studies suggest poor honey bee nutrition can exacerbate the negative impacts of infectious viral and fungal diseases, and conversely, that common honey bee parasites and pathogens can adversely affect bee nutritional physiology. This sets up the potential for harmful feedbacks between poor nutrition and infectious disease that may contribute to spiraling declines in bee health. We suggest that improving bees' nutritional resilience should be a major goal in combating challenges to bee health; this approach can buffer bees from other environmental stressors such as pathogen infection. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ambient air quality trends and driving factor analysis in Beijing, 1983-2007.

PubMed

Zhang, Ju; Ouyang, Zhiyun; Miao, Hong; Wang, Xiaoke

2011-01-01

The rapid development in Beijing, the capital of China, has resulted in serious air pollution problems. Meanwhile great efforts have been made to improve the air quality, especially since 1998. The variation in air quality under the interaction of pollution and control in this mega city has attracted much attention. We analyzed the changes in ambient air quality in Beijing since the 1980's using the Daniel trend test based on data from long-term monitoring stations. The results showed that different pollutants displayed three trends: a decreasing trend, an increasing trend and a flat trend. SO2, dustfall, B[a]P, NO2 and PM10 fit decreasing trend pattern, while NOx showed an increasing trend, and CO, ozone pollution, total suspended particulate (TSP), as well as Pb fit the flat trend. The cause of the general air pollution in Beijing has changed from being predominantly related to coal burning to mixed traffic exhaust and coal burning related pollution. Seasonally, the pollution level is typically higher during the heating season from November to the following March. The interaction between pollution sources change and implementation of air pollution control measures was the main driving factor that caused the variation in air quality. Changes of industrial structure and improved energy efficiency, the use of clean energy and preferred use of clean coal, reduction in pollution sources, and implementation of advanced environmental standards have all contributed to the reduction in air pollution, particularly since 1998.

Graphical user interface for a neonatal parenteral nutrition decision support system.

PubMed Central

Peverini, R. L.; Beach, D. S.; Wan, K. W.; Vyhmeister, N. R.

2000-01-01

We developed and implemented a decision support system for prescribing parenteral nutrition (PN) solutions for infants in our neonatal intensive care unit. We employed a graphical user interface to provide clinical guidelines and aid the understanding of the interaction among the various ingredients that make up a PN solution. In particular, by displaying the interaction between the PN total solution volume, protein, calcium and phosphorus, we have eliminated PN orders that previously would have resulted in calcium-phosphorus precipitation errors. PMID:11079964

[Impact of a nutrition education intervention in teachers, preschool and basic school-age children in Valparaiso region in Chile].

PubMed

Vio, Fernando; Salinas, Judith; Montenegro, Edith; González, Carmen Gloria; Lera, Lydia

2014-06-01

To assess the impact of a nutrition education program for teachers in the nutritional status, food knowledge and food consumption of their pre basic and basic students, and in the controls. A nutrition education intervention was conducted in pre basic and basic teachers in a school year, with a pre-post evaluation of their students, compared with a control group. Subjects were 817 students (389 men and 428 women) from pre kindergarten to the second grade. The 465 students of the intervened group were distributed in two schools (Liceo 1 = 283; Liceo 2 = 182) and 352 in the control school. The nutrition intervention consisted in 9 interactive workshops for teachers with the utilization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The pre post evaluation consisted in a nutritional status assessment, and a food and nutrition survey with questions related with food knowledge and food consumption, at the beginning and at the end of the school year. There were no significant differences in nutritional status between the beginning and the end of the intervention. In one of the experimental schools (Liceo 2) there was a significant decrease in obesity, in women and in the age-group 7-9 years. In the experimental group there was a significant improvement in food knowledge and a decrease in non-healthy food consumption. In the control group, consumption of non-healthy food was stable, with a decrease in fruits and vegetables consumption. As it was demonstrated in similar studies, a short interactive nutrition education intervention with utilization of ICT in pre basic and basic teachers can produce positive changes in nutritional status of their students, improving food knowledge and healthy food consumption and decreasing non-healthy food consumption, compared with the control group. However, a strategy to incorporate parents in school nutrition education programs is still a pending issue. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

The potential interaction between ewe body condition score and nutrition during very late pregnancy and lactation on the performance of twin-bearing ewes and their lambs

PubMed Central

Cranston, L. M.; Kenyon, P. R.; Corner-Thomas, R. A.; Morris, S. T.

2017-01-01

Objective The present study aimed to determine the impact of ewe body condition score (BCS) (over a range of 2.0 to 3.0) and nutritional treatments (consisting of differing herbage masses) during very late pregnancy and lactation and their potential interaction on the performance of twin-bearing ewes and their lambs to weaning. Methods On day 142 of pregnancy, twin-bearing ewes with a BCS of 2.0, 2.5, or 3.0 were allocated to a “Moderate’ or ‘Unrestricted’ nutritional treatment until day 95 of lactation (weaning). The nutritional treatments aimed to achieve average herbage masses of 1,200 to 1,300 kg dry matter (DM)/ha (Moderate) and 1,500 to 1,800 kg DM/ha (Unrestricted). Results There were no three-way interactions between ewe BCS group, nutritional treatment and time for any ewe or lamb parameter. The nutritional treatments had no effect (p>0.05) on lamb birth or weaning weight. Lambs born to Moderate ewes had greater survival and total litter weight at weaning (p<0.05). Regardless of BCS group, Unrestricted treatment ewes had greater body condition and back-fat depth at weaning than Moderate treatment ewes (p<0.05). Ewes of BCS 2.0 group reared lighter lambs to weaning (p<0.05) and tended to have a lower total litter weight (p = 0.06) than BCS 3.0 group ewes. Conclusion This study suggests farmers should aim to have all ewes with a BCS of 2.5 or 3 in late pregnancy for optimal lamb weaning performance. Furthermore, there is no benefit to lamb production of offering ewes pasture masses >1,200 kg DM/ha during very late pregnancy and lactation. PMID:28231701

The potential interaction between ewe body condition score and nutrition during very late pregnancy and lactation on the performance of twin-bearing ewes and their lambs.

PubMed

Cranston, L M; Kenyon, P R; Corner-Thomas, R A; Morris, S T

2017-09-01

The present study aimed to determine the impact of ewe body condition score (BCS) (over a range of 2.0 to 3.0) and nutritional treatments (consisting of differing herbage masses) during very late pregnancy and lactation and their potential interaction on the performance of twin-bearing ewes and their lambs to weaning. On day 142 of pregnancy, twin-bearing ewes with a BCS of 2.0, 2.5, or 3.0 were allocated to a "Moderate' or 'Unrestricted' nutritional treatment until day 95 of lactation (weaning). The nutritional treatments aimed to achieve average herbage masses of 1,200 to 1,300 kg dry matter (DM)/ha (Moderate) and 1,500 to 1,800 kg DM/ha (Unrestricted). There were no three-way interactions between ewe BCS group, nutritional treatment and time for any ewe or lamb parameter. The nutritional treatments had no effect (p>0.05) on lamb birth or weaning weight. Lambs born to Moderate ewes had greater survival and total litter weight at weaning (p<0.05). Regardless of BCS group, Unrestricted treatment ewes had greater body condition and back-fat depth at weaning than Moderate treatment ewes (p<0.05). Ewes of BCS 2.0 group reared lighter lambs to weaning (p<0.05) and tended to have a lower total litter weight (p = 0.06) than BCS 3.0 group ewes. This study suggests farmers should aim to have all ewes with a BCS of 2.5 or 3 in late pregnancy for optimal lamb weaning performance. Furthermore, there is no benefit to lamb production of offering ewes pasture masses >1,200 kg DM/ha during very late pregnancy and lactation.

Interactive influence of leaf age, light intensity, and girdling on green ash foliar chemistry and emerald ash borer development.

PubMed

Chen, Yigen; Poland, Therese M

2009-07-01

Biotic and abiotic environmental factors affect plant nutritional quality and defensive compounds that confer plant resistance to herbivory. Influence of leaf age, light availability, and girdling on foliar nutrition and defense of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh) was examined in this study. Longevity of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), adults reared on green ash foliage subjected to these factors was assayed. Mature leaves generally were more nutritious with greater amino acids and a greater ratio of protein to non-structural carbohydrate (P:C) than young leaves, in particular when trees were grown in shade. On the other hand, mature leaves had lower amounts of trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors, and total phenolics compared to young leaves. Lower defense of mature leaves alone, or along with higher nutritional quality may lead to increased survival and longevity of emerald ash borer feeding on mature leaves. Sunlight reduced amino acids and P:C ratio, irrespective of leaf age and girdling, and elevated total protein of young foliage, but not protein of mature leaves. Sunlight also dramatically increased all investigated defensive compounds of young, but not mature leaves. Girdling reduced green ash foliar nutrition, especially, of young leaves grown in shade and of mature leaves grown in sun. However emerald ash borer performance did not differ when fed leaves from trees grown in sun or shade, or from girdled or control trees. One explanation is that emerald ash borer reared on lower nutritional quality food may compensate for nutrient deficiency by increasing its consumption rate. The strong interactions among leaf age, light intensity, and girdling on nutrition and defense highlight the need for caution when interpreting data without considering possible interactions.

Growth as a mirror: Is endocrine disruption challenging Tanner's concept?

PubMed Central

Schell, Lawrence M.; Burnitz, Kristopher K.; Gallo, Mia V.

2012-01-01

Background James Tanner coined the expression `Growth as a Mirror' and summarized in four words the results of more than a century of research on growth. Nineteenth century social reformers saw poor child growth as a reflection of terrible environmental conditions of the working class. Later investigators in anthropology and other fields clarified the connections between poor nutrition, disease, psychosocial stress and poor growth. Aim To evaluate the growth as a mirror concept in light of recent studies of endocrine disruption. Papers and Implications Pollution is recognized as a prominent component of the modern environment. From studies of many pollutants it is clear that some pollutants depress growth while others speed sexual maturation and increase growth, primarily in weight and fatness. While such unwelcome environmental features do not always suppress growth, growth still mirrors the environment in all its complexity and this relationship is key to understanding growth patterns today. For example, Akwesasne Mohawk adolescents are characterized by high rates of obesity and overweight. Their growth reflects the multiple intersecting influences of psychosocial stress, several pollutant exposures and limited dietary chokes. Conclusion Although Tanner did not anticipate the myriad influences of pollutants, the growth as a mirror concept continues to have great validity and utility. PMID:22780455

Ecologic study of children's use of a computer nutrition education program.

PubMed

Matheson, D; Achterberg, C

2001-01-01

The purpose of this research was to describe the context created by students as they worked in groups on a nutrition computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program. Students worked on the program in groups of three. Observational methods were used to collect data from students in two sixth-grade classrooms that were part of an experimental program designed to restructure the educational process. Thirty-two students, from 12 groups, were observed as they completed the program. The groups were assigned by the teachers according to standard principles of cooperative learning. Students completed "Ship to Shore," a program designed specifically for this research. The program required three to five 50-minute classroom periods to complete. The objectives of the program were to change children's knowledge structure of basic nutrition concepts and to increase children's critical thinking skills related to nutrition concepts. We collected observational data focused on three domains: (1) student-computer interaction, (2) student-student interaction, and (3) students' thinking and learning skills. Grounded theory methods were used to analyze the data. Specifically, the constant-comparative method was used to develop open coding categories, defined by properties and described by dimensions. The open coding categories were in turn used in axial coding to differentiate students' learning styles. Five styles of student interaction were defined. These included (1) dominant directors (n = 6; 19%), (2) passive actors (n = 5; 16%), (3) action-oriented students (n = 7; 22%), (4) content-oriented students (n = 8; 25%), and (5) problem solvers (n = 5; 16%). The "student style" groups were somewhat gender specific. The dominant directors and passive actors were girls and the action-oriented and content-oriented students were boys. The problem solvers group was mixed gender. Children's responses to computer-based nutrition education are highly variable. Based on the results of this research, nutrition educators may recommend that nutrition CAI programs be implemented in mixed gender groups.

Interaction of pollution abatement with world dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, G. L.

1973-01-01

The world dynamics model of Jay W. Forrester was modified to account for pollution abatement. In the modified model, it is assumed that as pollution increases, efforts are made to control pollution. There is a competition between food supply, material standard of living, and pollution abatement for capital, and time is required for diversion of capital toward pollution abatement. Inclusion of pollution abatement in the model drastically alters the response of the world system for the case in which depletion of natural resources is not considered. Instead of undergoing a pollution catastrophe, all system levels move more or less smoothly toward an equilibrium. A FORTRAN program listing of the modified world dynamics model is included.

A genome-wide trans-ethnic interaction study links the PIGR-FCAMR locus to coronary atherosclerosis via interactions between genetic variants and residential exposure to traffic

PubMed Central

Neas, Lucas M.; Blach, Colette; Haynes, Carol S.; LaRocque-Abramson, Karen; Grass, Elizabeth; Dowdy, Z. Elaine; Devlin, Robert B.; Diaz-Sanchez, David; Cascio, Wayne E.; Miranda, Marie Lynn; Gregory, Simon G.; Shah, Svati H.; Kraus, William E.; Hauser, Elizabeth R.

2017-01-01

Air pollution is a worldwide contributor to cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity. Traffic-related air pollution is a widespread environmental exposure and is associated with multiple cardiovascular outcomes such as coronary atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial disease, and myocardial infarction. Despite the recognition of the importance of both genetic and environmental exposures to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, studies of how these two contributors operate jointly are rare. We performed a genome-wide interaction study (GWIS) to examine gene-traffic exposure interactions associated with coronary atherosclerosis. Using race-stratified cohorts of 538 African-Americans (AA) and 1562 European-Americans (EA) from a cardiac catheterization cohort (CATHGEN), we identify gene-by-traffic exposure interactions associated with the number of significantly diseased coronary vessels as a measure of chronic atherosclerosis. We found five suggestive (P<1x10-5) interactions in the AA GWIS, of which two (rs1856746 and rs2791713) replicated in the EA cohort (P < 0.05). Both SNPs are in the PIGR-FCAMR locus and are eQTLs in lymphocytes. The protein products of both PIGR and FCAMR are implicated in inflammatory processes. In the EA GWIS, there were three suggestive interactions; none of these replicated in the AA GWIS. All three were intergenic; the most significant interaction was in a regulatory region associated with SAMSN1, a gene previously associated with atherosclerosis and B cell activation. In conclusion, we have uncovered several novel genes associated with coronary atherosclerosis in individuals chronically exposed to increased ambient concentrations of traffic air pollution. These genes point towards inflammatory pathways that may modify the effects of air pollution on cardiovascular disease risk. PMID:28355232

Pollution and respiratory consequences--Have we done enough?

PubMed

Mihălţan, Florin; Danciu, Lucia; Ulmeanu, Ruxandra

2015-01-01

Pollution is the second major cause for many respiratory diseases, after smoking. For every country it is a challenging problem to diminish the exposure of their citizens. The authors are discussing the history of progressing of pollution in different countries, the interactions with some respiratory diseases, the influence on mortality and morbidity and the strategies in developing and developed countries for diminishing the level of the polluted particles.

Interactive effects of air pollution and climate change on forest ecosystems in the United States: current understanding and future scenarios

Treesearch

Andrzej Bytnerowicz; Mark Fenn; Steven McNulty; Fengming Yuan; Afshin Pourmokhtarian; Charles Driscoll; Tom Meixner

2013-01-01

A review of the current status of air pollution and climate change (CC) in the United States from a perspective of their impacts on forest ecosystems is provided. Ambient ozone (O3) and nitrogen (N) deposition have important and widespread ecological impacts in U.S. forests. Effects of sulphurous (S) air pollutants and other trace pollutants have...

Chronic air pollution and social deprivation as modifiers of the association between high temperature and daily mortality

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Heat and air pollution are both associated with increases in mortality. However, the interactive effect of temperature and air pollution on mortality remains unsettled. Similarly, the relationship between air pollution, air temperature, and social deprivation has never been explored. Methods We used daily mortality data from 2004 to 2009, daily mean temperature variables and relative humidity, for Paris, France. Estimates of chronic exposure to air pollution and social deprivation at a small spatial scale were calculated and split into three strata. We developed a stratified Poisson regression models to assess daily temperature and mortality associations, and tested the heterogeneity of the regression coefficients of the different strata. Deaths due to ambient temperature were calculated from attributable fractions and mortality rates were estimated. Results We found that chronic air pollution exposure and social deprivation are effect modifiers of the association between daily temperature and mortality. We found a potential interactive effect between social deprivation and chronic exposure with regards to air pollution in the mortality-temperature relationship. Conclusion Our results may have implications in considering chronically polluted areas as vulnerable in heat action plans and in the long-term measures to reduce the burden of heat stress especially in the context of climate change. PMID:24941876

Chronic air pollution and social deprivation as modifiers of the association between high temperature and daily mortality.

PubMed

Benmarhnia, Tarik; Oulhote, Youssef; Petit, Claire; Lapostolle, Annabelle; Chauvin, Pierre; Zmirou-Navier, Denis; Deguen, Séverine

2014-06-18

Heat and air pollution are both associated with increases in mortality. However, the interactive effect of temperature and air pollution on mortality remains unsettled. Similarly, the relationship between air pollution, air temperature, and social deprivation has never been explored. We used daily mortality data from 2004 to 2009, daily mean temperature variables and relative humidity, for Paris, France. Estimates of chronic exposure to air pollution and social deprivation at a small spatial scale were calculated and split into three strata. We developed a stratified Poisson regression models to assess daily temperature and mortality associations, and tested the heterogeneity of the regression coefficients of the different strata. Deaths due to ambient temperature were calculated from attributable fractions and mortality rates were estimated. We found that chronic air pollution exposure and social deprivation are effect modifiers of the association between daily temperature and mortality. We found a potential interactive effect between social deprivation and chronic exposure with regards to air pollution in the mortality-temperature relationship. Our results may have implications in considering chronically polluted areas as vulnerable in heat action plans and in the long-term measures to reduce the burden of heat stress especially in the context of climate change.

Biofilm comprising phototrophic, diazotrophic, and hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria: a promising consortium in the bioremediation of aquatic hydrocarbon pollutants.

PubMed

Al-Bader, Dhia; Kansour, Mayada K; Rayan, Rehab; Radwan, Samir S

2013-05-01

Biofilms harboring simultaneously anoxygenic and oxygenic phototrophic bacteria, diazotrophic bacteria, and hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria were established on glass slides suspended in pristine and oily seawater. Via denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis on PCR-amplified rRNA gene sequence fragments from the extracted DNA from biofilms, followed by band amplification, biofilm composition was determined. The biofilms contained anoxygenic phototrophs belonging to alphaproteobacteria; pico- and filamentous cyanobacteria (oxygenic phototrophs); two species of the diazotroph Azospirillum; and two hydrocarbon-utilizing gammaproteobacterial genera, Cycloclasticus and Oleibacter. The coexistence of all these microbial taxa with different physiologies in the biofilm makes the whole community nutritionally self-sufficient and adequately aerated, a condition quite suitable for the microbial biodegradation of aquatic pollutant hydrocarbons.

Translation of Nutritional Genomics into Nutrition Practice: The Next Step.

PubMed

Murgia, Chiara; Adamski, Melissa M

2017-04-06

Genetics is an important piece of every individual health puzzle. The completion of the Human Genome Project sequence has deeply changed the research of life sciences including nutrition. The analysis of the genome is already part of clinical care in oncology, pharmacology, infectious disease and, rare and undiagnosed diseases. The implications of genetic variations in shaping individual nutritional requirements have been recognised and conclusively proven, yet routine use of genetic information in nutrition and dietetics practice is still far from being implemented. This article sets out the path that needs to be taken to build a framework to translate gene-nutrient interaction studies into best-practice guidelines, providing tools that health professionals can use to understand whether genetic variation affects nutritional requirements in their daily clinical practice.

Translation of Nutritional Genomics into Nutrition Practice: The Next Step

PubMed Central

Murgia, Chiara; Adamski, Melissa M.

2017-01-01

Genetics is an important piece of every individual health puzzle. The completion of the Human Genome Project sequence has deeply changed the research of life sciences including nutrition. The analysis of the genome is already part of clinical care in oncology, pharmacology, infectious disease and, rare and undiagnosed diseases. The implications of genetic variations in shaping individual nutritional requirements have been recognised and conclusively proven, yet routine use of genetic information in nutrition and dietetics practice is still far from being implemented. This article sets out the path that needs to be taken to build a framework to translate gene–nutrient interaction studies into best-practice guidelines, providing tools that health professionals can use to understand whether genetic variation affects nutritional requirements in their daily clinical practice. PMID:28383492

Investigating the interaction between human immunodeficiency virus, nutrition, and disability: A cross-sectional observational study.

PubMed

Myezwa, Hellen; Hanass-Hancock, Jill; Pautz, Nikolas

2018-06-20

The average lifespan of people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has increased because of the enhanced access to anti-retroviral treatment. This increased longevity has led to a heightened focus on the comorbidities which may arise, allowing a clearer understanding of the contextual, personal, psychological and functional problems and their interrelations. Disability (functional limitations) and insufficient nutritional intake may interact cyclically with HIV and/or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); however, no research to date has investigated this interaction. Aims: The objective of this article was to report on the nutritional outcomes using albumin and body mass index outcomes as a subset of a larger study among adults living with HIV and/or AIDS. Setting: This study was conducted at a large HIV clinic based in an urban area in Johannesburg, South Africa, which provides HIV treatment and support to over 6000 persons with HIV and TB. This clinic is part of a large public health regional hospital where extensive HIV research is undertaken. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional observational study. The sample composed of 278 participants between 18 and 65 years of age and had been on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for more than six months. Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Results: The results indicated that albumin level had significant inverse associations with functional limitations and physical health symptoms. Women were significantly more likely to have lower nutritional levels. A logistic regression analysis suggested that gender and physical health symptoms were the primary predictors of albumin levels. Conclusion: The findings presented in this article can be applied to HIV and/or AIDS treatment programmes, such as HAART. It re-emphasises the importance of providing individuals on anti-retroviral therapy with affordable and adequate nutrition, education on the importance of nutritional intake and the benefits of potentially adopting supplement programmes. As females seem to be more adversely affected by low nutritional levels, with the findings showing an increased likelihood of developing physical health symptoms, focus also needs to be given to cultural or social factors that impact nutritional intake in women.

Wastewater and sludge reuse in agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalavrouziotis, Ioannis

2016-04-01

The reuse of Municipal wastewaters (TMWW) for irrigation of crops, and of sludge for the amendment of soils, is a multidimensional disposal practice aiming at: (i) minimizing the environmental problems by releasing the pressure exerted by these two inputs on the environment, (ii) providing the growing plants with water and nutrients and (ii) improving soil fertility and productivity, The research work conducted in our University in relation to accomplishing a safe reuse has been focused on the study of the following aspects of reuse: (i) heavy metal accumulation in soils and plants with emphasis on their edible part. This aspect has been studied by conducting a series of experiments aiming at the study of the accumulation of heavy metals in soils, and in plant roots, stalks, leaves and fruits. The conclusions drawn so far with regard to the order of accumulation of heavy metals are: Roots>leaves>stalks>fruits ( edible parts) (ii) interactions between heavy metals, plant nutrients and soil chemical and physical properties. After the examinations of hundreds of interactions, and the development of a quantification of the interactions contribution, it was found that considerable quantities of heavy metals and nutrients are contributed to the soil and to various plant parts , emphasizing the important role of the elemental interactions in plants.(iii) assessment of soil pollution with heavy metals based on pollution indices, Three pollution Indices have been established by our research team and were proposed internationally for application in actual practice for the prediction of soil pollution due to long term reuse of wastewater and sludge. These indices are as follows: (a) Elemental pollution Index (EPI), (b) Heavy Metal Load (HML), and (c) Total Concentration Factor (TCF) and (iv) construction of a computer program for the control of the reuse of TMWW and sludge, and forecasting soil pollution due to accumulation of heavy metal by means of pollution indices.

Diagnosis of nutrient imbalances with vector analysis in agroforestry systems.

PubMed

Isaac, Marney E; Kimaro, Anthony A

2011-01-01

Agricultural intensification has had unintended environmental consequences, including increased nutrient leaching and surface runoff and other agrarian-derived pollutants. Improved diagnosis of on-farm nutrient dynamics will have the advantage of increasing yields and will diminish financial and environmental costs. To achieve this, a management support system that allows for site-specific rapid evaluation of nutrient production imbalances and subsequent management prescriptions is needed for agroecological design. Vector diagnosis, a bivariate model to depict changes in yield and nutritional response simultaneously in a single graph, facilitates identification of nutritional status such as growth dilution, deficiency, sufficiency, luxury uptake, and toxicity. Quantitative data from cocoa agroforestry systems and pigeonpea intercropping trials in Ghana and Tanzania, respectively, were re-evaluated with vector analysis. Relative to monoculture, biomass increase in cocoa ( L.) under shade (35-80%) was accompanied by a 17 to 25% decline in P concentration, the most limiting nutrient on this site. Similarly, increasing biomass with declining P concentrations was noted for pigeonpea [ (L). Millsp.] in response to soil moisture availability under intercropping. Although vector analysis depicted nutrient responses, the current vector model does not consider non-nutrient resource effects on growth, such as ameliorated light and soil moisture, which were particularly active in these systems. We revisit and develop vector analysis into a framework for diagnosing nutrient and non-nutrient interactions in agroforestry systems. Such a diagnostic technique advances management decision-making by increasing nutrient precision and reducing environmental issues associated with agrarian-derived soil contamination. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Assessment of the interactions between economic growth and industrial wastewater discharges using co-integration analysis: a case study for China's Hunan Province.

PubMed

Xiao, Qiang; Gao, Yang; Hu, Dan; Tan, Hong; Wang, Tianxiang

2011-07-01

We have investigated the interactions between economic growth and industrial wastewater discharge from 1978 to 2007 in China's Hunan Province using co-integration theory and an error-correction model. Two main economic growth indicators and four representative industrial wastewater pollutants were selected to demonstrate the interaction mechanism. We found a long-term equilibrium relationship between economic growth and the discharge of industrial pollutants in wastewater between 1978 and 2007 in Hunan Province. The error-correction mechanism prevented the variable expansion for long-term relationship at quantity and scale, and the size of the error-correction parameters reflected short-term adjustments that deviate from the long-term equilibrium. When economic growth changes within a short term, the discharge of pollutants will constrain growth because the values of the parameters in the short-term equation are smaller than those in the long-term co-integrated regression equation, indicating that a remarkable long-term influence of economic growth on the discharge of industrial wastewater pollutants and that increasing pollutant discharge constrained economic growth. Economic growth is the main driving factor that affects the discharge of industrial wastewater pollutants in Hunan Province. On the other hand, the discharge constrains economic growth by producing external pressure on growth, although this feedback mechanism has a lag effect. Economic growth plays an important role in explaining the predicted decomposition of the variance in the discharge of industrial wastewater pollutants, but this discharge contributes less to predictions of the variations in economic growth.

Assessment of the Interactions between Economic Growth and Industrial Wastewater Discharges Using Co-integration Analysis: A Case Study for China’s Hunan Province

PubMed Central

Xiao, Qiang; Gao, Yang; Hu, Dan; Tan, Hong; Wang, Tianxiang

2011-01-01

We have investigated the interactions between economic growth and industrial wastewater discharge from 1978 to 2007 in China’s Hunan Province using co-integration theory and an error-correction model. Two main economic growth indicators and four representative industrial wastewater pollutants were selected to demonstrate the interaction mechanism. We found a long-term equilibrium relationship between economic growth and the discharge of industrial pollutants in wastewater between 1978 and 2007 in Hunan Province. The error-correction mechanism prevented the variable expansion for long-term relationship at quantity and scale, and the size of the error-correction parameters reflected short-term adjustments that deviate from the long-term equilibrium. When economic growth changes within a short term, the discharge of pollutants will constrain growth because the values of the parameters in the short-term equation are smaller than those in the long-term co-integrated regression equation, indicating that a remarkable long-term influence of economic growth on the discharge of industrial wastewater pollutants and that increasing pollutant discharge constrained economic growth. Economic growth is the main driving factor that affects the discharge of industrial wastewater pollutants in Hunan Province. On the other hand, the discharge constrains economic growth by producing external pressure on growth, although this feedback mechanism has a lag effect. Economic growth plays an important role in explaining the predicted decomposition of the variance in the discharge of industrial wastewater pollutants, but this discharge contributes less to predictions of the variations in economic growth. PMID:21845167

Female-Specific Glucose Sensitivity of GnRH1 Neurons Leads to Sexually Dimorphic Inhibition of Reproduction in Medaka.

PubMed

Hasebe, Masaharu; Kanda, Shinji; Oka, Yoshitaka

2016-11-01

Close interaction exists between energy-consuming reproduction and nutritional status. However, there are differences in costs and priority for reproduction among species and even between sexes, which leads to diversification of interactions between reproduction and nutritional status. Despite such diversified interactions among species and sexes, most of the analysis of the nutritional status-dependent regulation of reproduction has been limited to an endothermic vertebrate, mammalian species of either sex. Therefore, the mechanisms underlying the diversified interactions remain elusive. In the present study, we demonstrated the effects of malnutritional status on reproduction at both organismal and cellular levels in an ectothermic vertebrate, a teleost medaka of both sexes. First, we analyzed the effects of malnutrition by fasting on gonadosomatic index, number of spawned/fertilized eggs, and courtship behavior. Fasting strongly suppressed reproduction in females but, surprisingly, not in males. Next, we analyzed the effects of fasting on firing activity of hypothalamic GnRH1 neurons, which form the final common pathway for the control of reproduction. An electrophysiological analysis showed that low glucose, which is induced by fasting, directly suppresses the firing activity of GnRH1 neurons specifically in females through intracellular ATP-sensitive potassium channels and AMP-activated protein kinase pathways. Based on the fact that such suppressions occurred only in females, we conclude that nutritional status-dependent, glucose-sensing in GnRH1 neurons may contribute to the most fitted reproductive regulation for each sex.

[Influence of family environment of the development of obesity and overweight in a population of school children in Granada (Spain)].

PubMed

González Jiménez, E; Aguilar Cordero, Ma J; García García, C J; García López, P; Álvarez Ferre, J; Padilla López, C A; Ocete Hita, E

2012-01-01

According to recent research, eating behaviour should be understand as a cyclical and interactive process in which parental eating habits cause children to develop specific eating strategies as well as their own eating habits. Needless to say, this interactive process is reflected and has a direct impact on the nutritional indicators of the children in a family. The objectives of this study were the following: (i) to verify the existence of a significant association between the educational level of parents and the nutritional state of children in the same family; (ii) to discover if there is a direct relation between the nutritional state of children and the person that decides the menu and/or prepares family meals; (iii) to determine if there is a link between the nutritional state of children and the time that they spend on sedentary leisure activities. The sample population was composed of 718 school children and adolescents, 9-17 years of age, who A descriptive, transversal, and multicentric study was performed that evaluated the nutritional state of the entire sample by using anthropometric techniques to assess weight, height, and body mass index.

Food and drug interaction: consequences for the nutrition/health status.

PubMed

Genser, Dieter

2008-01-01

Food-drug interactions are defined as alterations of pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of a drug or nutritional element or a compromise in nutritional status as a result of the addition of a drug. Elderly patients are particularly at risk because more than 30% of all the prescription drugs are taken by this population. Failure to identify and properly manage drug-nutrient interactions can lead to serious consequences. For instance, drug-nutrient interactions can result in reduced absorption of certain oral antibiotics and may lead to suboptimal antibiotic concentrations at the site of infection. This predisposes the patient to treatment failure. Induction or inhibition of enzymes in the gut by nutrients may lead to a significant change in oral bioavailability of drugs or vice versa. For example, grapefruit juice is a selective intestinal CYP3A4 inhibitor. The overall exposure of some drugs can be increased by more than fivefold when taken with grapefruit juice and increase the risk of adverse effects. The use of certain drugs may affect GI tract function and may lead to a loss of bodily electrolytes and fluid. Limiting drug prescriptions to essential medications for as short a period as possible and periodic re-evaluations of the treatment chosen are essential to minimize adverse drug-nutrient interactions. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Nutrient removal by up-scaling a hybrid floating treatment bed (HFTB) using plant and periphyton: From laboratory tank to polluted river.

PubMed

Liu, Junzhuo; Wang, Fengwu; Liu, Wei; Tang, Cilai; Wu, Chenxi; Wu, Yonghong

2016-05-01

Planted floating treatment bed (FTB) is an innovative technique of removing nutrients from polluted water but limited in deep water and cold seasons. Periphyton was integrated into FTB for a hybrid floating treatment bed (HFTB) to improve its nutrient removal capacity. To assess its potential for treating nutrient-polluted rivers, HFTB was up-scaled from 5L laboratory tanks to 350L outdoor tanks and then to a commercial-scale 900m section of polluted river. Plants and periphyton interacted in HFTB with periphyton limiting plant root growth and plants having shading effects on periphyton. Non-overlapping distribution of plants and periphyton can minimize the negative interactions in HFTB. HFTB successfully kept TN and TP of the river at less than 2.0 and 0.02mgL(-1), respectively. This study indicates that HFTB can be easily up-scaled for nutrients removal from polluted rivers in different seasons providing a long-term, environmentally-friendly method to remediate polluted ecosystems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measured and Modeled Hydroxyl (OH) and Hydroperoxyl (HO2) During KORUS-AQ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brosius, A. L.; Brune, W. H.; Thames, A. B.; Miller, D. O.

2017-12-01

In the troposphere, hydroxyl (OH) reacts with most atmospheric pollutants, initiating their removal from the atmosphere and in some cases creating other atmospheric pollutants, such as ozone and small particles. Hydroperoxyl (HO2) also plays a role in oxidation chemistry by producing tropospheric ozone (O3). Air pollution in Korea is a combination of locally generated pollution, aged pollution from China, and the interaction of local pollution with forest emissions. Thus, OH and HO2 interact with a complex soup of chemical species over Korea, providing a stringent test for the understanding of atmospheric oxidation chemistry. During KORUS-AQ, we measured OH and HO2 using the Airborne Tropospheric Hydrogen Oxides Sensor (ATHOS) as part of a large instrument suite installed on the NASA DC-8 aircraft. We use the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM), constrained by the simultaneous measurement of many of chemical species to calculate OH and HO2. While the measured and modeled OH and HO2 generally agree within combined uncertainties, there are substantial discrepancies. We will discuss possible reasons for the discrepancies and the implications for air quality regulatory policy.

Effects of polychlorinated biphenyls and nutritional restriction on barbituate-induced sleeping times and selected blood characteristics in raccoons (Procyon lotor)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montz, W.E.; Card, W.C.; Kirkpatrick, R.L.

1982-05-01

Hepatic microsomal enzyme activity was induced in wild-trapped raccoons (Procyon lotor) and selected blood characteristics were measured in an effort to detect responses due to PCB ingestion, nutritional restriction, and their interactions. Barbiturate-induced sleeping times were used as an index of hepatic microsomal activity because they have been used reliably by other workers. Blood characteristics examined in the study were nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), cholesterol, and three ketone bodies (D-(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetone). Results show a reduction in sleeping times, elevated NEFA and D-(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate concentrations, and lower cholesterol concentrations in PCB-treated groups. A highly significant interaction between PCB treatment andmore » nutritional restriction was observed in acetoacetate concentrations. (JMT)« less

Functional traits determine formation of mutualism and predation interactions in seed-rodent dispersal system of a subtropical forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Gang; Zhang, Zhibin

2014-02-01

Network structure in plant-animal systems has been widely investigated but the roles of functional traits of plants and animals in formation of mutualism and predation interactions and community structure are still not fully understood. In this study, we quantitatively assessed interaction strength of mutualism and predation between 5 tree species and 7 rodent species by using semi-natural enclosures in a subtropical forest in southwest China. Seeds with high handling-time and nutrition traits (for both rat and mouse species) or high tannin trait (for mouse species) show high mutualism but low predation with rodents; while seeds with low handling-time and low nutrition traits show high predation but low mutualism with rodents. Large-sized rat species are more linked to seeds with high handling-time and high nutrition traits, while small-sized mouse species are more connected with seeds with low handling-time, low nutrition value and high tannin traits. Anti-predation seed traits tend to increase chance of mutualism instead of reducing predation by rodents, suggesting formation of mutualism may be connected with that of predation. Our study demonstrates that seed and animal traits play significant roles in the formation of mutualism and predation and network structure of the seed-rodent dispersal system.

Biomarkers of Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Cognitive Function among Elderly in the United States (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: 2001-2002)

PubMed Central

Best, Elizabeth A.; Juarez-Colunga, Elizabeth; James, Katherine; LeBlanc, William G.; Serdar, Berrin

2016-01-01

Recent studies report a link between common environmental exposures, such as particulate matter air pollution and tobacco smoke, and decline in cognitive function. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a selected group of chemicals present in particulate matter and tobacco smoke, and measures of cognitive performance among elderly in the general population. This cross-sectional analysis involved data from 454 individuals aged 60 years and older from the 2001–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The association between PAH exposures (as measured by urinary biomarkers) and cognitive function (digit symbol substitution test (DSST)) was assessed using multiple linear regression analyses. After adjusting for age, socio-economic status and diabetes we observed a negative association between urinary 1-hydroxypyrene, the gold standard of PAH exposure biomarkers, and DSST score. A one percent increase in urinary 1-hydroxypyrene resulted in approximately a 1.8 percent poorer performance on the digit symbol substitution test. Our findings are consistent with previous publications and further suggest that PAHs, at least in part may be responsible for the adverse cognitive effects linked to tobacco smoke and particulate matter air pollution. PMID:26849365

Varying coefficient function models to explore interactions between maternal nutritional status and prenatal methylmercury toxicity in the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lynch, Miranda L., E-mail: Miranda_Lynch@urmc.rochester.edu; Huang, Li-Shan; Cox, Christopher

Maternal consumption of fish during the gestational period exposes the fetus to both nutrients, especially the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), believed to be beneficial for fetal brain development, as well as to the neurotoxicant methylmercury (MeHg). We recently reported that nutrients present in fish may modify MeHg neurotoxicity. Understanding the apparent interaction of MeHg exposure and nutrients present in fish is complicated by the limitations of modeling methods. In this study we fit varying coefficient function models to data from the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study (SCDNS) cohort to assess the association of dietary nutrients and children's development. Thismore » cohort of mother-child pairs in the Republic of Seychelles had fish consumption averaging 9 meals per week. Maternal nutritional status was assessed for five different nutritional components known to be present in fish (n-3 LCPUFA, n-6 LCPUFA, iron status, iodine status, and choline) and associated with children's neurological development. We also included prenatal MeHg exposure (measured in maternal hair). We examined two child neurodevelopmental outcomes (Bayley Scales Infant Development-II (BSID-II) Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI)), each administered at 9 and at 30 months. The varying coefficient models allow the possible interactions between each nutritional component and MeHg to be modeled as a smoothly varying function of MeHg as an effect modifier. Iron, iodine, choline, and n-6 LCPUFA had little or no observable modulation at different MeHg exposures. In contrast the n-3 LCPUFA docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had beneficial effects on the BSID-II PDI that were reduced or absent at higher MeHg exposures. This study presents a useful modeling method that can be brought to bear on questions involving interactions between covariates, and illustrates the continuing importance of viewing fish consumption during pregnancy as a case of multiple exposures to nutrients and to MeHg. The results encourage more emphasis on a holistic view of the risks and benefits of fish consumption as it relates to infant development. - Research highlights: {yields}Varying coefficient models are tools for examining interactions in exposure settings Associations between MeHg and fish nutrients and developmental outcomes were examined. {yields} Interactions between MeHg exposure and fish-derived nutrients were modeled using VC. {yields} Models show beneficial association of DHA with outcomes were reduced as MeHg increases. {yields} VC models show other measured nutrients unmodulated by increasing MeHg exposure.« less

Nutritional status and metabolism of the coral Stylophora subseriata along a eutrophication gradient in Spermonde Archipelago (Indonesia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawall, Y.; Teichberg, M. C.; Seemann, J.; Litaay, M.; Jompa, J.; Richter, C.

2011-09-01

Coral responses to degrading water quality are highly variable between species and depend on their trophic plasticity, acclimatization potential, and stress resistance. To assess the nutritional status and metabolism of the common scleractinian coral, Stylophora subseriata, in situ experiments were carried along a eutrophication gradient in Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia. Coral fragments were incubated in light and dark chambers to measure photosynthesis, respiration, and calcification in a number of shallow reefs along the gradient. Chlorophyll a (chl a), protein content, maximum quantum yield ( F v/ F m), and effective quantum yield (Φ PS II) were measured on the zooxanthellae, in addition to host tissue protein content and biomass. Photosynthetic rates were 2.5-fold higher near-shore than mid-shelf due to higher areal zooxanthellae and chl a concentrations and a higher photochemical efficiency (Φ PS II). A 2- and 3-fold increase in areal host tissue protein and biomass was found, indicating a higher nutritional supply in coastal waters. Dark respiration, however, showed no corresponding changes. There was a weak correlation between calcification and photosynthesis (Pearson r = 0.386) and a lack of metabolic stress, as indicated by constant respiration and F v/ F m and the "clean" and healthy appearance of the colonies in spite of high turbidity in near-shore waters. The latter suggests that part of the energetic gains through increased auto- and heterotrophy were spent on metabolic expenditures, e.g., mucus production. While coastal pollution is always deleterious to the reef ecosystem as a whole, our results show that the effect on corals may not always be negative. Thus, S. subseriata may be one of the few examples of corals actually profiting from land-based sources of pollution.

Maternal nutritional plane and selenium supply during gestation impact visceral organ mass and intestinal growth and vascularity of neonatal lamb offspring.

PubMed

Meyer, A M; Neville, T L; Reed, J J; Taylor, J B; Reynolds, L P; Redmer, D A; Hammer, C J; Vonnahme, K A; Caton, J S

2013-06-01

To investigate effects of nutritional plane and Se supply during gestation on neonatal offspring visceral organ mass and intestinal growth and vascularity, 84 nulliparous Rambouillet ewes (age = 240 ± 17 d, BW = 52.1 ± 6.2 kg) were allocated to a 2 × 3 factorial design. Ewes were fed 1 of 2 Se diets [adequate Se (ASe, 11.5 µg/kg BW) or high Se (HSe, 77.0 µg/kg BW)], initiated at breeding, and 1 of 3 nutritional planes [60% (restricted; RES), 100% (control; CON), or 140% (high; HIH) of NRC requirements], initiated at d 40 of gestation. Ewes were fed individually and remained on treatments through parturition. All lambs were removed from their dams at birth and fed milk replacer. At 20.6 ± 0.9 d of age, lambs were necropsied, visceral organs dissected, and jejunal samples collected. Lambs born to ewes fed CON and HIH had greater (P < 0.05) BW, gastrointestinal tract, stomach complex, and liver masses at necropsy than RES. Large intestinal and pancreatic masses, as well as stomach complex, large intestinal, and liver proportional masses, demonstrated (P ≤ 0.08) a nutritional plane × Se supply interaction. Proportional pancreatic mass was greater (P = 0.03) for lambs born to RES ewes than HIH. Although small intestinal mass was not affected (P ≥ 0.18) by gestational treatments, lambs born to HIH-fed ewes had greater (P ≤ 0.09) jejunal DNA concentration than RES and CON, and greater (P = 0.01) total DNA than RES. Nutritional plane and Se supply interacted to affect (P ≤ 0.003) jejunal percent proliferation and total proliferating small intestinal cells, although jejunal crypt depth and villus length were not affected by gestational treatment (P ≥ 0.17). Jejunal glucagon-like peptide-2 mRNA expression was greater (P ≤ 0.07) in lambs born to ewes fed RES compared with CON and HIH. Jejunal capillary size was affected (P = 0.09) by the interaction of nutritional plane × Se supply. Lambs from CON ewes had greater (P ≤ 0.04) jejunal capillary surface density than RES. Nutritional plane and Se supply interacted to affect (P = 0.07) jejunal soluble guanylate cyclase mRNA expression in a manner opposite of capillary size. In conclusion, neonatal lamb visceral organ mass was affected by gestational nutrition, even when lambs had ad libitum intake and similar management postnatally. Despite similar small intestinal mass at 20 d of age, jejunal growth, vascularity, and gene expression were altered by maternal nutrition during gestation.

Developing and validating a scale to measure Food and Nutrition Literacy (FNLIT) in elementary school children in Iran.

PubMed

Doustmohammadian, Aazam; Omidvar, Nasrin; Keshavarz-Mohammadi, Nastaran; Abdollahi, Morteza; Amini, Maryam; Eini-Zinab, Hassan

2017-01-01

Food and nutrition literacy is an emerging term which is increasingly used in policy and research. Though research in this area is growing, progression is limited by the lack of an accepted method to measure food and nutrition literacy. The aim of this study is to develop a valid and reliable questionnaire to assess food and nutrition literacy in elementary school children in the city of Tehran. The study was conducted in three phases. To develop Food and Nutrition Literacy (FNLIT) questionnaire, a comprehensive literature review and a qualitative study were initially performed to identify food and nutrition literacy dimensions and its components. Content and face validity of the questionnaire were evaluated by an expert panel as well as students. In the second phase, construct validity of the scale was evaluated using Explanatory Factor Analyses (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA). In the last phase (confirmatory phase), the final version of the questionnaire was evaluated on 400 students. Findings show Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI) of the 62-item questionnaire at acceptable levels of 0.87 and 0.92, respectively. EFA suggested a six-factor construct, namely, understanding food and nutrition information, knowledge, functional, interactive, food choice, and critical. The results of CFA indicated acceptable fit indices for the proposed models. All subscales demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha≥0.70), except for critical skill subscale (0.48). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC = 0.90, CI: 0.83-0.94) indicated that Food and Nutrition Literacy (FNLIT) scale had satisfactory stability. Each phase of development progressively improved the questionnaire, which resulted in a 46-item (42 likert-type items and 4 true-false items) Food and Nutrition Literacy (FNLIT) scale. The questionnaire measured two domains with 6 subscales, including: 1) cognitive domain: understanding and knowledge; 2) skill domain: functional, food choice, interactive, and critical skills. The developed food and nutrition literacy scale is a valid and reliable instrument to measure food and nutrition literacy in children. This measure lays a solid empirical and theoretical foundation for future research and tailored interventions to promote food and nutrition literacy in this age group.

Individual and Neighborhood Stressors, Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease

PubMed Central

Hazlehurst, Marnie F.; Nurius, Paula S.; Hajat, Anjum

2018-01-01

Psychosocial and environmental stress exposures across the life course have been shown to be relevant in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Assessing more than one stressor from different domains (e.g., individual and neighborhood) and across the life course moves us towards a more integrated picture of how stress affects health and well-being. Furthermore, these individual and neighborhood psychosocial stressors act on biologic pathways, including immune function and inflammatory response, which are also impacted by ubiquitous environmental exposures such as air pollution. The objective of this study is to evaluate the interaction between psychosocial stressors, at both the individual and neighborhood level, and air pollution on CVD. This study used data from the 2009–2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) from Washington State. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) measured at the individual level, and neighborhood deprivation index (NDI) measured at the zip code level, were the psychosocial stressors of interest. Exposures to three air pollutants—particulate matter (both PM2.5 and PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)—were also calculated at the zip code level. Outcome measures included several self-reported CVD-related health conditions. Both multiplicative and additive interaction quantified using the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), were evaluated. This study included 32,151 participants in 502 unique zip codes. Multiplicative and positive additive interactions were observed between ACEs and PM10 for diabetes, in models adjusted for NDI. The prevalence of diabetes was 1.58 (95% CI: 1.40, 1.79) times higher among those with both high ACEs and high PM10 compared to those with low ACEs and low PM10 (p-value = 0.04 for interaction on the multiplicative scale). Interaction was also observed between neighborhood-level stressors (NDI) and air pollution (NO2) for the stroke and diabetes outcomes on both multiplicative and additive scales. Modest interaction was observed between NDI and air pollution, supporting prior literature on the importance of neighborhood-level stressors in cardiovascular health and reinforcing the importance of NDI on air pollution health effects. ACEs may exert health effects through selection into disadvantaged neighborhoods and more work is needed to understand the accumulation of risk in multiple domains across the life course. PMID:29518012

Unscientific beliefs about scientific topics in nutrition.

PubMed

Brown, Andrew W; Ioannidis, John P A; Cope, Mark B; Bier, Dennis M; Allison, David B

2014-09-01

Humans interact with food daily. Such repeated exposure creates a widespread, superficial familiarity with nutrition. Personal familiarity with nutrition from individual and cultural perspectives may give rise to beliefs about food not grounded in scientific evidence. In this summary of the session entitled “Unscientific Beliefs about Scientific Topics in Nutrition,” we discuss accumulated work illustrating and quantifying potentially misleading practices in the conduct and, more so, reporting of nutrition science along with proposed approaches to amelioration. We begin by defining “unscientific beliefs” and from where such beliefs may come, followed by discussing how large bodies of nutritional epidemiologic observations not only create highly improbable patterns of association but implausible magnitudes of implied effect. Poor reporting practices, biases, and methodologic issues that have distorted scientific understandings of nutrition are presented, followed by potential influences of conflicts of interest that extend beyond financial considerations. We conclude with recommendations for improving the conduct, reporting, and communication of nutrition-related research to ground discussions in evidence rather than solely on beliefs.

Nutritional status influences socially regulated foraging ontogeny in honey bees.

PubMed

Toth, Amy L; Kantarovich, Sara; Meisel, Adam F; Robinson, Gene E

2005-12-01

In many social insects, including honey bees, worker energy reserve levels are correlated with task performance in the colony. Honey bee nest workers have abundant stored lipid and protein while foragers are depleted of these reserves; this depletion precedes the shift from nest work to foraging. The first objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that lipid depletion has a causal effect on the age at onset of foraging in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). We found that bees treated with a fatty acid synthesis inhibitor (TOFA) were more likely to forage precociously. The second objective of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between social interactions, nutritional state and behavioral maturation. Since older bees are known to inhibit the development of young bees into foragers, we asked whether this effect is mediated nutritionally via the passage of food from old to young bees. We found that bees reared in social isolation have low lipid stores, but social inhibition occurs in colonies in the field, whether young bees are starved or fed. These results indicate that although social interactions affect the nutritional status of young bees, social and nutritional factors act independently to influence age at onset of foraging. Our findings suggest that mechanisms linking internal nutritional physiology to foraging in solitary insects have been co-opted to regulate altruistic foraging in a social context.

Effects of nutritional supplementation on children with HIV/AIDS in China.

PubMed

Maggie, Zgambo; He, Guoping; Wang, Honghong

2012-03-01

The purpose of the review was to explore the effects of nutritional supplements in children with HIV/AIDS. Nutritional supplements were found to have both positive and negative effects in HIV/ AIDS children. It was found that selenium helps to boost immunity. Vitamin D supplementation was found to delay mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV and to reduce stunted growth associated with persistent diarrhea. Vitamins B, C, and E were found to delay HIV disease progression, reduce oxidative stress and HIV viral load. Multivitamin supplementation was found to be more effective in delaying HIV disease progression. Protein nutrition was found to improve cognitive and motor developments of children as well as helping HIV-positive children achieve 100% weight for height. Some nutrient supplements, however, were found to have negative effects on HIV/AIDS children. Vitamin A was found to double the risk of mortality of HIV/AIDS in infants exposed to HIV via breastfeeding. Zinc was found to have a positive effect on production of infectious virus through its action on reverse transcriptase. Some micronutrional interact with each other leading to harmful side effects such as diarrhea. Some nutritional supplements interact with antiretroviral drugs leading to treatment failure. It is important for children to be given right doses of nutritional supplements and that their immune system should be closely monitored.

Molecularization in nutritional science: a view from philosophy of science.

PubMed

Ströhle, Alexander; Döring, Frank

2010-10-01

Over the past decade, a trend toward molecularization, which could be observed in almost all bioscientific disciplines, now appears to have also developed in nutritional science. However, molecular nutrition research gives birth to a series of questions. Therefore, we take a look at the epistemological foundation of (molecular) nutritional science. We (i) analyze the scientific status of (molecular) nutritional science and its position in the canon of other scientific disciplines, (ii) focus on the cognitive aims of nutritional science in general and (iii) on the chances and limits of molecular nutrition research in particular. By taking up the thoughts of an earlier work, we are analyzing (molecular) nutritional science from a strictly realist and emergentist-naturalist perspective. Methodologically, molecular nutrition research is bound to a microreductive research approach. We emphasize, however, that it need not be a radical microreductionism whose scientific reputation is not the best. Instead we favor moderate microreductionism, which combines reduction with integration. As mechanismic explanations are one of the primary aims of factual sciences, we consider it as the task of molecular nutrition research to find profound, i.e. molecular-mechanismic, explanations for the conditions, characteristics and changes of organisms related to the organism-nutrition environment interaction.

Gene-Diet Interaction and Precision Nutrition in Obesity

PubMed Central

Heianza, Yoriko; Qi, Lu

2017-01-01

The rapid rise of obesity during the past decades has coincided with a profound shift of our living environment, including unhealthy dietary patterns, a sedentary lifestyle, and physical inactivity. Genetic predisposition to obesity may have interacted with such an obesogenic environment in determining the obesity epidemic. Growing studies have found that changes in adiposity and metabolic response to low-calorie weight loss diets might be modified by genetic variants related to obesity, metabolic status and preference to nutrients. This review summarized data from recent studies of gene-diet interactions, and discussed integration of research of metabolomics and gut microbiome, as well as potential application of the findings in precision nutrition. PMID:28387720

An approach to evaluating drug-nutrient interactions.

PubMed

Santos, Cristina A; Boullata, Joseph I

2005-12-01

Although the significance of interactions between drugs is widely appreciated, little attention has been given to interactions between drugs and nutrients. Pharmacists are challenged to remember documented interactions involving available drugs, and they face the possibility that each newly approved therapeutic agent may be involved not only in unrecognized drug-drug interactions but in drug-nutrient interactions as well. A more consistent approach to evaluating drug-nutrient interactions is needed. The approach must be systematic in order to assess the influence of nutritional status, food, or specific nutrients on a drug's pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, as well as the influence of a drug on overall nutritional status or on the status of a specific nutrient. We provide such a process, using several recently approved drugs as working examples. Risk factors and clinical relevance are described, with distinctions made between documented and potential interactions. Application of this process by the pharmacist to any drug will help increase their expertise. Furthermore, full consideration by pharmacists of all possible interactions of the drug regimens used in practice can allow for improved patient care.

International Conference on Environmental Sensing and Assessment, Las Vegas, Nev., September 14-19, 1975, Proceedings. Volumes 1 & 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The papers deal with the detection of hazardous environmental pollutants, the development of emission control plans, and the design of compliance monitoring systems. Topics include remote sensing techniques in environmental pollution monitoring, monitoring of atmospheric particulate matter, air pollution due to sulfur dioxide and other inorganic compounds, marine pollution, atmospheric aerosols, industrial pollution, and legal aspects of pollution monitoring. Other papers examine the toxic effects of heavy metals and halogenated hydrocarbons, pollution associated with waste-disposal processes, pesticide residues in soil and groundwater, evaluations of groundwater quality, and monitoring of nuclear wastes. The interaction of climate and pollution is also discussed along with global pollutant transport, environmental modeling, ambient environmental air quality, aircraft and ground-vehicle emissions, and pollution associated with energy extraction and utilization processes. Individual items are announced in this issue.

Immunity and Nutrition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dupin, Henri; Guerin, Nicole

1990-01-01

The three articles in this issue of a periodical focussed on various aspects of the life and health of children in the tropics concern: (1) immune defenses; (2) interactions between nutrition disorders and infection; and (3) immunity and vaccination. The science of immunology has progressed rapidly in recent years. A brief review of present…

Improving in vitro mineral nutrition for diverse germplasm

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Complex chemical interactions in growth media and variation in genotype response make it very difficult to optimize mineral nutrition of in vitro plants. Germplasm collections contain diverse species and cultivars that often do not grow well on standard tissue culture media or do not grow at all. Se...

Distance Delivery of Nutrition Education as a Method for Providing Continuing Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unusan, Nurhan; Aiba, Naomi; Yoshiike, Nobuo

2007-01-01

Distance learning applications in nutrition education have evolved together with communication technology. Distance delivery is transforming the culture of professional health education by expanding access to learners, introducing novel teaching and learning methods, as well as shifting the paradigm of how instructors and students interact. The…

Varying coefficient function models to explore interactions between maternal nutritional status and prenatal methylmercury toxicity in the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study

PubMed Central

Lynch, Miranda L.; Huang, Li-Shan; Cox, Christopher; Strain, J.J.; Myers, Gary J.; Bonham, Maxine P.; Shamlaye, Conrad F.; Stokes-Riner, Abbie; Wallace, Julie M.W.; Duffy, Emeir M.; Clarkson, Thomas W.; Davidson, Philip W.

2010-01-01

Maternal consumption of fish during the gestational period exposes the fetus to both nutrients, especially the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), believed to be beneficial for fetal brain development, as well as to the neurotoxicant methylmercury (MeHg). We recently reported that nutrients present in fish may modify MeHg neurotoxicity. Understanding the apparent interaction of MeHg exposure and nutrients present in fish is complicated by the limitations of modeling methods. In this study we fit varying coefficient function models to data from the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study (SCDNS) cohort to assess the association of dietary nutrients and children’s development. This cohort of mother-child pairs in the Republic of Seychelles had fish consumption averaging 9 meals per week. Maternal nutritional status was assessed for five different nutritional components known to be present in fish (n-3 LCPUFA, n-6 LCPUFA, iron status, iodine status, and choline) and associated with children’s neurological development. We also included prenatal MeHg exposure (measured in maternal hair). We examined two child neurodevelopmental outcomes (Bayley Scales Infant Development-II (BSID-II) Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI)), each administered at 9 and at 30 months. The varying coefficient models allow the possible interactions between each nutritional component and MeHg to be modeled as a smoothly varying function of MeHg as an effect modifier. Iron, iodine, choline, and n-6 LCPUFA had little or no observable modulation at different MeHg exposures. In contrast the n-3 LCPUFA docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had beneficial effects on the BSID-II PDI that were reduced or absent at higher MeHg exposures. This study presents a useful modeling method that can be brought to bear on questions involving interactions between covariates, and illustrates the continuing importance of viewing fish consumption during pregnancy as a case of multiple exposures to nutrients and to MeHg. The results encourage more emphasis on a holistic view of the risks and benefits of fish consumption as it relates to infant development. PMID:20961536

Varying coefficient function models to explore interactions between maternal nutritional status and prenatal methylmercury toxicity in the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study.

PubMed

Lynch, Miranda L; Huang, Li-Shan; Cox, Christopher; Strain, J J; Myers, Gary J; Bonham, Maxine P; Shamlaye, Conrad F; Stokes-Riner, Abbie; Wallace, Julie M W; Duffy, Emeir M; Clarkson, Thomas W; Davidson, Philip W

2011-01-01

Maternal consumption of fish during the gestational period exposes the fetus to both nutrients, especially the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), believed to be beneficial for fetal brain development, as well as to the neurotoxicant methylmercury (MeHg). We recently reported that nutrients present in fish may modify MeHg neurotoxicity. Understanding the apparent interaction of MeHg exposure and nutrients present in fish is complicated by the limitations of modeling methods. In this study we fit varying coefficient function models to data from the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study (SCDNS) cohort to assess the association of dietary nutrients and children's development. This cohort of mother-child pairs in the Republic of Seychelles had fish consumption averaging 9 meals per week. Maternal nutritional status was assessed for five different nutritional components known to be present in fish (n-3 LCPUFA, n-6 LCPUFA, iron status, iodine status, and choline) and associated with children's neurological development. We also included prenatal MeHg exposure (measured in maternal hair). We examined two child neurodevelopmental outcomes (Bayley Scales Infant Development-II (BSID-II) Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI)), each administered at 9 and at 30 months. The varying coefficient models allow the possible interactions between each nutritional component and MeHg to be modeled as a smoothly varying function of MeHg as an effect modifier. Iron, iodine, choline, and n-6 LCPUFA had little or no observable modulation at different MeHg exposures. In contrast the n-3 LCPUFA docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had beneficial effects on the BSID-II PDI that were reduced or absent at higher MeHg exposures. This study presents a useful modeling method that can be brought to bear on questions involving interactions between covariates, and illustrates the continuing importance of viewing fish consumption during pregnancy as a case of multiple exposures to nutrients and to MeHg. The results encourage more emphasis on a holistic view of the risks and benefits of fish consumption as it relates to infant development. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Air Pollution and Climate Change Effects on Allergies in the Anthropocene: Abundance, Interaction, and Modification of Allergens and Adjuvants.

PubMed

Reinmuth-Selzle, Kathrin; Kampf, Christopher J; Lucas, Kurt; Lang-Yona, Naama; Fröhlich-Nowoisky, Janine; Shiraiwa, Manabu; Lakey, Pascale S J; Lai, Senchao; Liu, Fobang; Kunert, Anna T; Ziegler, Kira; Shen, Fangxia; Sgarbanti, Rossella; Weber, Bettina; Bellinghausen, Iris; Saloga, Joachim; Weller, Michael G; Duschl, Albert; Schuppan, Detlef; Pöschl, Ulrich

2017-04-18

Air pollution and climate change are potential drivers for the increasing burden of allergic diseases. The molecular mechanisms by which air pollutants and climate parameters may influence allergic diseases, however, are complex and elusive. This article provides an overview of physical, chemical and biological interactions between air pollution, climate change, allergens, adjuvants and the immune system, addressing how these interactions may promote the development of allergies. We reviewed and synthesized key findings from atmospheric, climate, and biomedical research. The current state of knowledge, open questions, and future research perspectives are outlined and discussed. The Anthropocene, as the present era of globally pervasive anthropogenic influence on planet Earth and, thus, on the human environment, is characterized by a strong increase of carbon dioxide, ozone, nitrogen oxides, and combustion- or traffic-related particulate matter in the atmosphere. These environmental factors can enhance the abundance and induce chemical modifications of allergens, increase oxidative stress in the human body, and skew the immune system toward allergic reactions. In particular, air pollutants can act as adjuvants and alter the immunogenicity of allergenic proteins, while climate change affects the atmospheric abundance and human exposure to bioaerosols and aeroallergens. To fully understand and effectively mitigate the adverse effects of air pollution and climate change on allergic diseases, several challenges remain to be resolved. Among these are the identification and quantification of immunochemical reaction pathways involving allergens and adjuvants under relevant environmental and physiological conditions.

Air Pollution and Climate Change Effects on Allergies in the Anthropocene: Abundance, Interaction, and Modification of Allergens and Adjuvants

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Air pollution and climate change are potential drivers for the increasing burden of allergic diseases. The molecular mechanisms by which air pollutants and climate parameters may influence allergic diseases, however, are complex and elusive. This article provides an overview of physical, chemical and biological interactions between air pollution, climate change, allergens, adjuvants and the immune system, addressing how these interactions may promote the development of allergies. We reviewed and synthesized key findings from atmospheric, climate, and biomedical research. The current state of knowledge, open questions, and future research perspectives are outlined and discussed. The Anthropocene, as the present era of globally pervasive anthropogenic influence on planet Earth and, thus, on the human environment, is characterized by a strong increase of carbon dioxide, ozone, nitrogen oxides, and combustion- or traffic-related particulate matter in the atmosphere. These environmental factors can enhance the abundance and induce chemical modifications of allergens, increase oxidative stress in the human body, and skew the immune system toward allergic reactions. In particular, air pollutants can act as adjuvants and alter the immunogenicity of allergenic proteins, while climate change affects the atmospheric abundance and human exposure to bioaerosols and aeroallergens. To fully understand and effectively mitigate the adverse effects of air pollution and climate change on allergic diseases, several challenges remain to be resolved. Among these are the identification and quantification of immunochemical reaction pathways involving allergens and adjuvants under relevant environmental and physiological conditions. PMID:28326768

Nitrogen Dioxide and Allergic Sensitization in the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

PubMed Central

Weir, Charles H.; Yeatts, Karin B.; Sarnat, Jeremy A.; Vizuete, William; Salo, Päivi M.; Jaramillo, Renee; Cohn, Richard D.; Chu, Haitao; Zeldin, Darryl C.; London, Stephanie J.

2014-01-01

Background Allergic sensitization is a risk factor for asthma and allergic diseases. The relationship between ambient air pollution and allergic sensitization is unclear. Objective To investigate the relationship between ambient air pollution and allergic sensitization in a nationally representative sample of the US population. Methods We linked annual average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter ≤ 10 µm (PM10), particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM25), and summer concentrations of ozone (O3), to allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) data for participants in the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In addition to the monitor-based air pollution estimates, we used the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model to increase the representation of rural participants in our sample. Logistic regression with population-based sampling weights was used to calculate adjusted prevalence odds ratios per 10 ppb increase in O3 and NO2, per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10, and per 5 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 adjusting for race, gender, age, socioeconomic status, smoking, and urban/rural status. Results Using CMAQ data, increased levels of NO2 were associated with positive IgE to any (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.04, 1.27), inhalant (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.02, 1.33), and outdoor (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.03, 1.31) allergens. Higher PM2.5 levels were associated with positivity to indoor allergen-specific IgE (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.13, 1.36). Effect estimates were similar using monitored data. Conclusions Increased ambient NO2 was consistently associated with increased prevalence of allergic sensitization. PMID:24045117

Global topics and novel approaches in the study of air pollution, climate change and forest ecosystems

Treesearch

P. Sicard; A. Augustaitis; S. Belyazid; C. Calfapietra; A. De Marco; Mark E. Fenn; Andrzej Bytnerowicz; Nancy Grulke; S. He; R. Matyssek; Y. Serengil; G. Wieser; E. Paoletti

2016-01-01

Research directions from the 27th conference for Specialists in Air Pollution and Climate Change Effects on Forest Ecosystems (2015) reflect knowledge advancements about (i) Mechanistic bases of tree responses to multiple climate and pollution stressors, in particular the interaction of ozone (O3) with nitrogen (N) deposition and drought; (ii)...

INCAP studies of nutrition and infection.

PubMed

Scrimshaw, Nevin S

2010-03-01

As soon as the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP) began to study the poor nutritional status and stunting of children in the rural villages of Central America, it was apparent that infections, particularly diarrheas, were also a serious problem. Studies of kwashiorkor indicated that infections precipitated kwashiorkor and anemia in children who were already malnourished. In the 1940s there was almost no suggestion in the literature of a relation between nutrition and infection. INCAP gradually identified the mechanisms by which any infection worsens nutritional status and demonstrated that infections were more severe and more often fatal in malnourished children and adults. These studies ultimately led to the 1968 World Health Organization (WHO) monograph "Interactions of nutrition and infection" and widespread recognition by public health workers of the importance of this relationship for morbidity and mortality in poorly nourished populations.

Is physical activity a modifier of the association between air pollution and arterial stiffness in older adults: The SAPALDIA cohort study.

PubMed

Endes, Simon; Schaffner, Emmanuel; Caviezel, Seraina; Dratva, Julia; Stolz, Daiana; Schindler, Christian; Künzli, Nino; Schmidt-Trucksäss, Arno; Probst-Hensch, Nicole

2017-08-01

Air pollution and insufficient physical activity have been associated with inflammation and oxidative stress, molecular mechanisms linked to arterial stiffness and cardiovascular disease. There are no studies on how physical activity modifies the association between air pollution and arterial stiffness. We examined whether the adverse cardiovascular effects of air pollution were modified by individual physical activity levels in 2823 adults aged 50-81 years from the well-characterized Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases (SAPALDIA). We assessed arterial stiffness as the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV [m/s]) with an oscillometric device. We administered a self-reported physical activity questionnaire to classify each subject's physical activity level. Air pollution exposure was estimated by the annual average individual home outdoor PM 10 and PM 2.5 (particulate matter <10μm and <2.5μm in diameter, respectively) and NO 2 (nitrogen dioxide) exposure estimated for the year preceding the survey. Exposure estimates for ultrafine particles calculated as particle number concentration (PNC) and lung deposited surface area (LDSA) were available for a subsample (N=1353). We used mixed effects logistic regression models to regress increased arterial stiffness (baPWV≥14.4m/s) on air pollution exposure and physical activity while adjusting for relevant confounders. We found evidence that the association of air pollution exposure with baPWV was different between inactive and active participants. The probability of having increased baPWV was significantly higher with higher PM 10 , PM 2.5 , NO 2 , PNC and LDSA exposure in inactive, but not in physically active participants. We found some evidence of an interaction between physical activity and ambient air pollution exposure for PM 10 , PM 2.5 and NO 2 (p interaction =0.06, 0.09, and 0.04, respectively), but not PNC and LDSA (p interaction =0.32 and 0.35). Our study provides some indication that physical activity may protect against the adverse vascular effects of air pollution in low pollution settings. Additional research in large prospective cohorts is needed to assess whether the observed effect modification translates to high pollution settings in mega-cities of middle and low-income countries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

[Effects of combined pollution of lead and benzo[a] pyrene on seed growth of wheat in soils].

PubMed

Wang, Hong-Qi; Wang, Shuai; Ning, Shao-Wei; Sun, Yan-Ling; Hou, Ze-Qing

2011-03-01

Seed germination, root elongation, shoot elongation and ratio of shoot to root of wheat in soils polluted by lead (Pb) and benzo (a)pyrene (B[a] P) with medium-low concentrations were studied to reveal the ecological effects of combined pollution and screen the indicative markers. Results indicated that seed germination was not sensitive to single or combined pollution of Pb or B[a] P. Root elongation was inhibited by single pollution of Pb or B[a]P to different extents. Extensive interactions between Pb and B[a]P occurred to root elongation of wheat, including synergistic-stimulatory effect and antagonistic-inhibitory effect. The joint action was mainly antagonistic. Single pollution of B [a] P had an inhibitory effect on shoot elongation. Under combined pollution conditions, the shoot elongation of wheat correlated well with Pb contents (p < 0.01). B[a] P or the interactions between pollutants had little effect on shoot elongation of wheat. The joint action on shoot elongation was consistently antagonistic. The response pattern of the ratio of shoot to root was similar to the response pattern of shoot elongation. However, the former had better correlation than the latter, indicating it as a more suitable indicative marker for Pb pollution. If lead acetate was employed instead of lead nitrate, longer root elongation, shorter shoot elongation and no effect on ratio of shoot to root were found. Therefore, the forms of Pb salt had significant influence on seed growth of wheat in soils.

Interaction of engineered nanomaterials with hydrophobic organic pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahle-Demessie, E.; Han, Changseok; Zhao, Amy; Hahn, Bill; Grecsek, Heidi

2016-07-01

As nanomaterials become an increasing part of everyday consumer products, it is imperative to monitor their potential release during production, use and disposal, and to assess their impact on the health of humans and the ecosystem. This necessitates research to better understand how the properties of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) lead to their accumulation and redistribution in the environment, and to assess whether they could become novel pollutants or if they can affect the mobility and bioavailability of other toxins. This study focuses on understanding the influence of nanostructured-TiO2 and the interaction of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with organic pollutants in water. We studied the adsorption and water phase dispersion of model pollutants with relatively small water solubility (i.e., two- and three-ring polyaromatic hydrocarbons and insecticides) with respect to ENMs. The sorption of pollutants was measured based on water phase analysis, and by separating suspended particles from the water phase and analyzing dried samples using integrated thermal-chromatographic-mass spectroscopic (TGA/GC/MS) techniques. Solid phase analysis using a combination of TGA/GC/MS is a novel technique that can provide real-time quantitative analysis and which helps to understand the interaction of hydrophobic organic pollutants and ENMs. The adsorption of these contaminants to nanomaterials increased the concentration of the contaminants in the aqueous phase as compared to the ‘real’ partitioning due to the octanol-water partitioning. The study showed that ENMs can significantly influence the adsorption and dispersion of hydrophobic/low water soluble contaminants. The type of ENM, the exposure to light, and the water pH have a significant influence on the partitioning of pollutants.

Evaluation of effectiveness of class-based nutrition intervention on changes in soft drink and milk consumption among young adults.

PubMed

Ha, Eun-Jeong; Caine-Bish, Natalie; Holloman, Christopher; Lowry-Gordon, Karen

2009-10-26

During last few decades, soft drink consumption has steadily increased while milk intake has decreased. Excess consumption of soft drinks and low milk intake may pose risks of several diseases such as dental caries, obesity, and osteoporosis. Although beverage consumption habits form during young adulthood, which has a strong impact on beverage choices in later life, nutrition education programs on beverages are scarce in this population. The purpose of this investigation was 1) to assess soft drink and milk consumption and 2) to evaluate the effectiveness of 15-week class-based nutrition intervention in changing beverage choices among college students. A total of 80 college students aged 18 to 24 years who were enrolled in basic nutrition class participated in the study. Three-day dietary records were collected, verified, and analyzed before and after the intervention. Class lectures focused on healthful dietary choices related to prevention of chronic diseases and were combined with interactive hands on activities and dietary feedback. Class-based nutrition intervention combining traditional lecture and interactive activities was successful in decreasing soft drink consumption. Total milk consumption, specifically fat free milk, increased in females and male students changed milk choice favoring skim milk over low fat milk. (1% and 2%). Class-based nutrition education focusing on prevention of chronic diseases can be an effective strategy in improving both male and female college students' beverage choices. Using this type of intervention in a general nutrition course may be an effective approach to motivate changes in eating behaviors in a college setting.

Leveraging the Skills of Nurses and the Power of Language Nutrition to Ensure a Better Future for Children.

PubMed

Darcy Mahoney, Ashley; Zauche, Lauren Head; Hallowell, Sunny; Weldon, Arianne; Stapel-Wax, Jennifer

2017-02-01

Early language exposure is critical for language acquisition and significantly influences a child's literacy skills. However, preterm infants may experience language deprivation in the neonatal intensive care unit. Nurses are vital to helping parents understand their critical role in early language development. To discuss the impact of language-rich interactions and interventions that promote early language exposure, or Language Nutrition, by parents and caregivers on the long-term developmental, language, and educational outcomes of high-risk infants. A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Web of Science to identify articles that examined the influence of language interactions with high-risk infants on developmental outcomes. Recent campaigns touting the importance of early language exposure were identified through the Bridging the Word Gap Research Network. Increasing preterm infants' exposure to Language Nutrition improves their language development, promotes parent-infant attachment, and decreases parent stress. In addition, it may result in greater neuroplasticity and volume of the auditory cortex. Several campaigns have been developed to increase children's access to Language Nutrition and can be implemented into everyday pediatric and neonatal care. Pediatric, neonatal nurses and advanced practice nurses are uniquely positioned to play a transformational role in high-risk infants' developmental trajectory by educating parents about the importance of Language Nutrition and supporting parents as they engage with their infant. Studies investigating the population-level impact of interventions aimed at increasing infants' access to Language Nutrition as well as studies identifying effective ways to communicate messages about Language Nutrition are warranted.

Endophytic bacteria: prospects and applications for the phytoremediation of organic pollutants.

PubMed

Afzal, Muhammad; Khan, Qaiser M; Sessitsch, Angela

2014-12-01

Recently, there has been an increased effort to enhance the efficacy of phytoremediation of contaminated environments by exploiting plant-microbe interactions. The combined use of plants and endophytic bacteria is an emerging approach for the clean-up of soil and water polluted with organic compounds. In plant-endophyte partnerships, plants provide the habitat as well as nutrients to their associated endophytic bacteria. In response, endophytic bacteria with appropriate degradation pathways and metabolic activities enhance degradation of organic pollutants, and diminish phytotoxicity and evapotranspiration of organic pollutants. Moreover, endophytic bacteria possessing plant growth-promoting activities enhance the plant's adaptation and growth in soil and water contaminated with organic pollutants. Overall, the application of endophytic bacteria gives new insights into novel protocols to improve phytoremediation efficiency. However, successful application of plant-endophyte partnerships for the clean-up of an environment contaminated with organic compounds depends on the abundance and activity of the degrading endophyte in different plant compartments. Although many endophytic bacteria have the potential to degrade organic pollutants and improve plant growth, their contribution to enhance phytoremediation efficiency is still underestimated. A better knowledge of plant-endophyte interactions could be utilized to increase the remediation of polluted soil environments and to protect the foodstuff by decreasing agrochemical residues in food crops. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global Air Quality and Climate Impacts of Mitigating Short-lived Climate Pollution in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harper, K.; Unger, N.; Heyes, C.; Kiesewetter, G.; Klimont, Z.; Schoepp, W.; Wagner, F.

2014-12-01

China is a major emitter of harmful air pollutants, including the short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and their precursors. Implementation of pollution control technologies provides a mechanism for simultaneously protecting human and ecosystem health and achieving near-term climate co-benefits; however, predicting the outcomes of technical and policy interventions is challenging because the SLCPs participate in both climate warming and cooling and share many common emission sources. Here, we present the results of a combined regional integrated assessment and global climate modeling study aimed at quantifying the near-term climate and air quality co-benefits of selective control of Chinese air pollution emissions. Results from IIASA's Greenhouse Gas - Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) integrated assessment model indicate that methane emission reductions make up > 75% of possible CO2-equivalent emission reductions of the SLCPs and their precursors in China in 2030. A multi-pollutant emission reduction scenario incorporating the 2030 Chinese pollution control measures with the highest potential for future climate impact is applied to the NASA ModelE2 - Yale Interactive Terrestrial Biosphere (NASA ModelE2-YIBs) global carbon - chemistry - climate model to assess the regional and long-range impacts of Chinese SLCP mitigation measures. Using model simulations that incorporate dynamic methane emissions and photosynthesis-dependent isoprene emissions, we quantify the impacts of Chinese reductions of the short-lived air pollutants on radiative forcing and on surface ozone and particulate air pollution. Present-day modeled methane mole fractions are evaluated against SCIAMACHY methane columns and NOAA ESRL/GMD surface flask measurements.

[Effect of pharmacologic treatment of the nutritional status of neurologic patients].

PubMed

Piñeiro Corrales, Guadalupe; Vázquez López, Cristina; Álvarez Payero, Miriam

2014-01-01

Clinical manifestations accompanying neurological diseases are diverse and affect multiple organs. Nutritional status of patients with certain neurological diseases such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Epilepsy and Multiple Sclerosis can be altered because of symptoms associated with disease course, including certain micronutrient deficiency (folic acid, zinc, vitamin B6 and B12, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin C), changes in energy expenditure, intake decreased, gastrointestinal disorders and dysfunction of the bone mass. Also, we have to take in account other factors as: advanced age, multiple co morbidities, polypharmacy, the use of herbal products, social habits, diet and pharmacological treatments effect. An assessment of the factors related to neurological treatment that cause alterations in metabolic and nutritional status was performed: side effects of anti-Parkinson drugs, antiepileptic drugs, and multiple sclerosis drugs; drug-nutrient interactions; and nutrient-drug interactions.

The Scientific Challenge of Expanding the Frontiers of Nutrition.

PubMed

Rezzi, Serge; Solari, Soren; Bouche, Nicolas; Baetge, Emmanuel E

2016-01-01

Nutritional research is entering a paradigm shift which necessitates the modeling of complex interactions between diet, genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors. This requires the development of analytical and processing capabilities for multiple data and information sources to be able to improve targeted and personalized nutritional approaches for the maintenance of health. Ideally, such knowledge will be employed to underpin the development of concepts that combine consumer and medical nutrition with diagnostic targeting for early intervention designed to maintain proper metabolic homeostasis and delay the onset of chronic diseases. Nutritional status is fundamental to any description of health, and when combined with other data on lifestyle, environment, and genetics, it can be used to drive stratified or even personalized nutritional strategies for health maintenance and preventive medicine. In this work, we will discuss the importance of developing new nutrient assessment methods and diagnostic capabilities for nutritional status to generate scientific hypotheses and actionable concepts from which to develop targeted and eventually personalized nutritional solutions for health protection. We describe efforts to develop algorithms for dietary nutrient intake and a holistic nutritional profiling platform as the basis of understanding the complex nutrition and health interactome. © 2016 Nestec Ltd., Vevey/S. Karger AG, Basel.

A Qualitative Phenomenological Exploration of Teachers' Experience With Nutrition Education.

PubMed

Hall, Elisha; Chai, Weiwen; Albrecht, Julie A

2016-05-03

Background: Nutrition education delivered by classroom teachers has become a popular intervention designed to combat childhood obesity. However, few qualitative studies have explored nutrition education with teachers Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how elementary teachers describe their experience with nutrition education. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was used. Semistructured interviews, observations, and document analysis were conducted with 10 teachers who delivered nutrition education in their classrooms. Inductive coding was used to determine invariant constituents, reduce constituents to categories, and cluster categories into themes. Reliability and validity were accomplished through intercoder agreement, audio recording, triangulation, bracketing, and member checking. Results: Results identified 5 core themes related to roles teachers play in nutrition education, the importance placed upon nutrition, motivation for supplementary activities, barriers, and a triadic relationship between students, teachers, and curriculum. Discussion: Findings reveal interactions within the nutrition education experience in which teachers balance barriers with their value of nutrition education and motivation to help students make healthy choices. Translation to Health Education Practice: Health educators should work with classroom teachers at the program design, implementation, and evaluation stages of curriculum development to better address needs and facilitate the delivery of high-quality nutrition education for students.

A Qualitative Phenomenological Exploration of Teachers' Experience With Nutrition Education

PubMed Central

Hall, Elisha; Chai, Weiwen; Albrecht, Julie A.

2016-01-01

Background: Nutrition education delivered by classroom teachers has become a popular intervention designed to combat childhood obesity. However, few qualitative studies have explored nutrition education with teachers Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how elementary teachers describe their experience with nutrition education. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was used. Semistructured interviews, observations, and document analysis were conducted with 10 teachers who delivered nutrition education in their classrooms. Inductive coding was used to determine invariant constituents, reduce constituents to categories, and cluster categories into themes. Reliability and validity were accomplished through intercoder agreement, audio recording, triangulation, bracketing, and member checking. Results: Results identified 5 core themes related to roles teachers play in nutrition education, the importance placed upon nutrition, motivation for supplementary activities, barriers, and a triadic relationship between students, teachers, and curriculum. Discussion: Findings reveal interactions within the nutrition education experience in which teachers balance barriers with their value of nutrition education and motivation to help students make healthy choices. Translation to Health Education Practice: Health educators should work with classroom teachers at the program design, implementation, and evaluation stages of curriculum development to better address needs and facilitate the delivery of high-quality nutrition education for students. PMID:27226814

The interactions of composting and biochar and their implications for soil amendment and pollution remediation: a review.

PubMed

Wu, Haipeng; Lai, Cui; Zeng, Guangming; Liang, Jie; Chen, Jin; Xu, Jijun; Dai, Juan; Li, Xiaodong; Liu, Junfeng; Chen, Ming; Lu, Lunhui; Hu, Liang; Wan, Jia

2017-09-01

Compost and biochar, used for the remediation of soil, are seen as attractive waste management options for the increasing volume of organic wastes being produced. This paper reviews the interaction of biochar and composting and its implication for soil amendment and pollution remediation. The interaction of biochar and composting affect each other's properties. Biochar could change the physico-chemical properties, microorganisms, degradation, humification and gas emission of composting, such as the increase of nutrients, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic matter and microbial activities. The composting could also change the physico-chemical properties and facial functional groups of biochar, such as the improvement of nutrients, CEC, functional groups and organic matter. These changes would potentially improve the efficiency of the biochar and composting for soil amendment and pollution remediation. Based on the above review, this paper also discusses the future research required in this field.

The Impact of Multi-pollutant Clusters on the Association between Fine Particulate Air Pollution and Microvascular Function

PubMed Central

Ljungman, Petter L.; Wilker, Elissa H.; Rice, Mary B.; Austin, Elena; Schwartz, Joel; Gold, Diane R.; Koutrakis, Petros; Benjamin, Emelia J.; Vita, Joseph A.; Mitchell, Gary F.; Vasan, Ramachandran S.

2016-01-01

Background Prior studies including the Framingham Heart Study have suggested associations between single components of air pollution and vascular function; however, underlying mixtures of air pollution may have distinct associations with vascular function. Methods We used a k-means approach to construct five distinct pollution mixtures from elemental analyses of particle filters, air pollution monitoring data, and meteorology. Exposure was modeled as an interaction between fine particle mass (PM2.5), and concurrent pollution cluster. Outcome variables were two measures of microvascular function in the fingertip in the Framingham Offspring and Third Generation cohorts from 2003-2008. Results In 1,720 participants, associations between PM2.5 and baseline pulse amplitude tonometry differed by air pollution cluster (interaction p value 0.009). Higher PM2.5 on days with low mass concentrations but high proportion of ultrafine particles from traffic was associated with 18% (95% CI 4.6%; 33%) higher baseline pulse amplitude per 5 μg/m3 and days with high contributions of oil and wood combustion with 16% (95% CI 0.2%; 34%) higher baseline pulse amplitude. We observed no variation in associations of PM2.5 with hyperemic response to ischemia observed across air pollution clusters. Conclusions PM2.5 exposure from air pollution mixtures with large contributions of local ultrafine particles from traffic, heating oil and wood combustion was associated with higher baseline pulse amplitude but not PAT ratio. Our findings suggest little association between acute exposure to air pollution clusters reflective of select sources and hyperemic response to ischemia, but possible associations with excessive small artery pulsatility with potentially deleterious microvascular consequences. PMID:26562062

Maternal Malaria and Malnutrition (M3) initiative, a pooled birth cohort of 13 pregnancy studies in Africa and the Western Pacific.

PubMed

Unger, Holger W; Cates, Jordan E; Gutman, Julie; Briand, Valerie; Fievet, Nadine; Valea, Innocent; Tinto, Halidou; d'Alessandro, Umberto; Landis, Sarah H; Adu-Afarwuah, Seth; Dewey, Kathryn G; Ter Kuile, Feiko; Dellicour, Stephanie; Ouma, Peter; Slutsker, Laurence; Terlouw, Dianne J; Kariuki, Simon; Ayisi, John; Nahlen, Bernard; Desai, Meghna; Madanitsa, Mwayi; Kalilani-Phiri, Linda; Ashorn, Per; Maleta, Kenneth; Mueller, Ivo; Stanisic, Danielle; Schmiegelow, Christentze; Lusingu, John; Westreich, Daniel; van Eijk, Anna Maria; Meshnick, Steven; Rogerson, Stephen

2016-12-21

The Maternal Malaria and Malnutrition (M3) initiative has pooled together 13 studies with the hope of improving understanding of malaria-nutrition interactions during pregnancy and to foster collaboration between nutritionists and malariologists. Data were pooled on 14 635 singleton, live birth pregnancies from women who had participated in 1 of 13 pregnancy studies. The 13 studies cover 8 countries in Africa and Papua New Guinea in the Western Pacific conducted from 1996 to 2015. Data are available at the time of antenatal enrolment of women into their respective parent study and at delivery. The data set comprises essential data such as malaria infection status, anthropometric assessments of maternal nutritional status, presence of anaemia and birth weight, as well as additional variables such gestational age at delivery for a subset of women. Participating studies are described in detail with regard to setting and primary outcome measures, and summarised data are available from each contributing cohort. This pooled birth cohort is the largest pregnancy data set to date to permit a more definite evaluation of the impact of plausible interactions between poor nutritional status and malaria infection in pregnant women on fetal growth and gestational length. Given the current comparative lack of large pregnancy cohorts in malaria-endemic settings, compilation of suitable pregnancy cohorts is likely to provide adequate statistical power to assess malaria-nutrition interactions, and could point towards settings where such interactions are most relevant. The M3 cohort may thus help to identify pregnant women at high risk of adverse outcomes who may benefit from tailored intensive antenatal care including nutritional supplements and alternative or intensified malaria prevention regimens, and the settings in which these interventions would be most effective. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Maternal Malaria and Malnutrition (M3) initiative, a pooled birth cohort of 13 pregnancy studies in Africa and the Western Pacific

PubMed Central

Unger, Holger W; Gutman, Julie; Briand, Valerie; Fievet, Nadine; Valea, Innocent; Tinto, Halidou; d'Alessandro, Umberto; Landis, Sarah H; Adu-Afarwuah, Seth; Dewey, Kathryn G; Ter Kuile, Feiko; Dellicour, Stephanie; Ouma, Peter; Slutsker, Laurence; Terlouw, Dianne J; Kariuki, Simon; Ayisi, John; Nahlen, Bernard; Desai, Meghna; Madanitsa, Mwayi; Kalilani-Phiri, Linda; Ashorn, Per; Maleta, Kenneth; Mueller, Ivo; Stanisic, Danielle; Schmiegelow, Christentze; Lusingu, John; Westreich, Daniel; van Eijk, Anna Maria; Meshnick, Steven; Rogerson, Stephen

2016-01-01

Purpose The Maternal Malaria and Malnutrition (M3) initiative has pooled together 13 studies with the hope of improving understanding of malaria–nutrition interactions during pregnancy and to foster collaboration between nutritionists and malariologists. Participants Data were pooled on 14 635 singleton, live birth pregnancies from women who had participated in 1 of 13 pregnancy studies. The 13 studies cover 8 countries in Africa and Papua New Guinea in the Western Pacific conducted from 1996 to 2015. Findings to date Data are available at the time of antenatal enrolment of women into their respective parent study and at delivery. The data set comprises essential data such as malaria infection status, anthropometric assessments of maternal nutritional status, presence of anaemia and birth weight, as well as additional variables such gestational age at delivery for a subset of women. Participating studies are described in detail with regard to setting and primary outcome measures, and summarised data are available from each contributing cohort. Future plans This pooled birth cohort is the largest pregnancy data set to date to permit a more definite evaluation of the impact of plausible interactions between poor nutritional status and malaria infection in pregnant women on fetal growth and gestational length. Given the current comparative lack of large pregnancy cohorts in malaria-endemic settings, compilation of suitable pregnancy cohorts is likely to provide adequate statistical power to assess malaria–nutrition interactions, and could point towards settings where such interactions are most relevant. The M3 cohort may thus help to identify pregnant women at high risk of adverse outcomes who may benefit from tailored intensive antenatal care including nutritional supplements and alternative or intensified malaria prevention regimens, and the settings in which these interventions would be most effective. PMID:28003287

Environmental influences on human growth and development: historical review and case study of contemporary influences.

PubMed

Schell, Lawrence M; Gallo, Mia V; Ravenscroft, Julia

2009-01-01

Over the past 100 years, the study of environmental influences on human physical growth and development has focused on the influences of social and economic factors; family and household characteristics; urbanization/modernization; nutrition; and features of the physical environment such as altitude, temperature and climate. Continuing in this tradition are current investigations into the roles of pollutants and other aspects of the human-made environment in affecting patterns of human growth and development, specifically the timing of sexual maturation and the development of obesity. Some of the methodological problems in conducting such studies are presented, as are results from an ongoing investigation among one Native American community that show relationships of pollutants to sexual maturation, overweight/obesity and thyroid system function which can impact growth and maturation.

Training for Environmental Law Enforcement in Sweden: The role of NGOs. Discussion Paper No. 105.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillberg, Bjorn O.; Tamplin, Arthur R.

This discussion paper examines the training citizen groups need in order to confront a wide variety of industries and types of pollution. Section I of the paper focuses on the interaction of three groups: (1) industry: this group includes distributors of environmental pollutants as well as manufactures of pollution control equipment; (2)…

The influence of e-waste recycling on the molecular ecological network of soil microbial communities in Pakistan and China.

PubMed

Jiang, Longfei; Cheng, Zhineng; Zhang, Dayi; Song, Mengke; Wang, Yujie; Luo, Chunling; Yin, Hua; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan

2017-12-01

Primitive electronic waste (e-waste) recycling releases large amounts of organic pollutants and heavy metals into the environment. As crucial moderators of geochemical cycling processes and pollutant remediation, soil microbes may be affected by these contaminants. We collected soil samples heavily contaminated by e-waste recycling in China and Pakistan, and analyzed the indigenous microbial communities. The results of this work revealed that the microbial community composition and diversity, at both whole and core community levels, were affected significantly by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and heavy metals (e.g., Cu, Zn, and Pb). The geographical distance showed limited impacts on microbial communities compared with geochemical factors. The constructed ecological network of soil microbial communities illustrated microbial co-occurrence, competition and antagonism across soils, revealing the response of microbes to soil properties and pollutants. Two of the three main modules constructed with core operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were sensitive to nutrition (total organic carbon and total nitrogen) and pollutants. Five key OTUs assigned to Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Nitrospirae in ecological network were identified. This is the first study to report the effects of e-waste pollutants on soil microbial network, providing a deeper understanding of the ecological influence of crude e-waste recycling activities on soil ecological functions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Husky Byte Program: Delivering Nutrition Education One Sound Byte at a Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, Michelle B.; Hudson, Kerrian A.; Lora, Karina R.; Havens, Erin K.; Ferris, Ann M.

2011-01-01

The Husky Byte program uses interactive displays to deliver quick sound bytes of nutrition information to adults in frequented community settings. This innovative program considers time constraints, adult learning theory, diverse learning styles, and is easily accessible to adults. Both process and impact evaluations have demonstrated positive…

Phosphorus and Nitrogen Regulate Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis in Petunia hybrida

PubMed Central

Nouri, Eva; Breuillin-Sessoms, Florence; Feller, Urs; Reinhardt, Didier

2014-01-01

Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential nutrient elements that are needed by plants in large amounts. The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis between plants and soil fungi improves phosphorus and nitrogen acquisition under limiting conditions. On the other hand, these nutrients influence root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi and symbiotic functioning. This represents a feedback mechanism that allows plants to control the fungal symbiont depending on nutrient requirements and supply. Elevated phosphorus supply has previously been shown to exert strong inhibition of arbuscular mycorrhizal development. Here, we address to what extent inhibition by phosphorus is influenced by other nutritional pathways in the interaction between Petunia hybrida and R. irregularis. We show that phosphorus and nitrogen are the major nutritional determinants of the interaction. Interestingly, the symbiosis-promoting effect of nitrogen starvation dominantly overruled the suppressive effect of high phosphorus nutrition onto arbuscular mycorrhiza, suggesting that plants promote the symbiosis as long as they are limited by one of the two major nutrients. Our results also show that in a given pair of symbiotic partners (Petunia hybrida and R. irregularis), the entire range from mutually symbiotic to parasitic can be observed depending on the nutritional conditions. Taken together, these results reveal complex nutritional feedback mechanisms in the control of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. PMID:24608923

Phosphorus and nitrogen regulate arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in Petunia hybrida.

PubMed

Nouri, Eva; Breuillin-Sessoms, Florence; Feller, Urs; Reinhardt, Didier

2014-01-01

Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential nutrient elements that are needed by plants in large amounts. The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis between plants and soil fungi improves phosphorus and nitrogen acquisition under limiting conditions. On the other hand, these nutrients influence root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi and symbiotic functioning. This represents a feedback mechanism that allows plants to control the fungal symbiont depending on nutrient requirements and supply. Elevated phosphorus supply has previously been shown to exert strong inhibition of arbuscular mycorrhizal development. Here, we address to what extent inhibition by phosphorus is influenced by other nutritional pathways in the interaction between Petunia hybrida and R. irregularis. We show that phosphorus and nitrogen are the major nutritional determinants of the interaction. Interestingly, the symbiosis-promoting effect of nitrogen starvation dominantly overruled the suppressive effect of high phosphorus nutrition onto arbuscular mycorrhiza, suggesting that plants promote the symbiosis as long as they are limited by one of the two major nutrients. Our results also show that in a given pair of symbiotic partners (Petunia hybrida and R. irregularis), the entire range from mutually symbiotic to parasitic can be observed depending on the nutritional conditions. Taken together, these results reveal complex nutritional feedback mechanisms in the control of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

The Interaction between HIV and Intestinal Helminth Parasites Coinfection with Nutrition among Adults in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

PubMed Central

Mabaso, M.; Mamba, T.; Napier, C. E.; Mkhize-Kwitshana, Z. L.

2017-01-01

In South Africa few studies have examined the effects of the overlap of HIV and helminth infections on nutritional status. This cross-sectional study investigated the interaction between HIV and intestinal helminths coinfection with nutritional status among KwaZulu-Natal adults. Participants were recruited from a comprehensive primary health care clinic and stratified based on their HIV, stool parasitology, IgE, and IgG4 results into four groups: the uninfected, HIV infected, helminth infected, and HIV-helminth coinfected groups. The nutritional status was assessed using body mass index, 24-hour food recall, micro-, and macronutrient biochemical markers. Univariate and multivariate multinomial probit regression models were used to assess nutritional factors associated with singly and dually infected groups using the uninfected group as a reference category. Biochemically, the HIV-helminth coinfected group was associated with a significantly higher total protein, higher percentage of transferrin saturation, and significantly lower ferritin. There was no significant association between single or dual infections with HIV and helminths with micro- and macronutrient deficiency; however general obesity and low micronutrient intake patterns, which may indicate a general predisposition to micronutrient and protein-energy deficiency, were observed and may need further investigations. PMID:28421202

Effects of environmental change on agriculture, nutrition and health: A framework with a focus on fruits and vegetables

PubMed Central

Tuomisto, Hanna L.; Scheelbeek, Pauline F.D.; Chalabi, Zaid; Green, Rosemary; Smith, Richard D.; Haines, Andy; Dangour, Alan D.

2017-01-01

Environmental changes are likely to affect agricultural production over the next  decades. The interactions between environmental change, agricultural yields and crop quality, and the critical pathways to future diets and health outcomes are largely undefined. There are currently no quantitative models to test the impact of multiple environmental changes on nutrition and health outcomes. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we developed a framework to link the multiple interactions between environmental change, agricultural productivity and crop quality, population-level food availability, dietary intake and health outcomes, with a specific focus on fruits and vegetables. The main components of the framework consist of: i) socio-economic and societal factors, ii) environmental change stressors, iii) interventions and policies, iv) food system activities, v) food and nutrition security, and vi) health and well-being outcomes. The framework, based on currently available evidence, provides an overview of the multidimensional and complex interactions with feedback between environmental change, production of fruits and vegetables, diets and health, and forms the analytical basis for future modelling and scenario testing. PMID:29511740

ENANTIOMER-SPECIFIC EFFECTS OF CHIRAL POLLUTANTS

EPA Science Inventory

Enantiomers, the mirror image isomers of chiral pollutants, are known to be selective in their interaction with other chiral molecules, including enzymes and other biochemicals. Considerable research has shown, for example, that chiral pesticides are degraded selectively by micr...

Nonpoint Source Pollution: Darby Duck, the Aquatic Crusader

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Understanding the characteristics of water, that precious resource we are trying to protect. And understanding how it interacts with other elements in the environment, some of which pollute it and cause problems for people and animals.

Air pollution and respiratory diseases – a problematic risk factor.

PubMed

Mihălţan, Florin; Deleanu, Oana; Nemeș, Roxana; Ulmeanu, Ruxandra

2016-01-01

Pollution was a neglected factor for years in all the research that took in the viewfinder was examined in the risk factors in of respiratory diseases. Considering the concerns of politicians, scientists, doctors, which have intensified upgraded especially after the last climate “summit”, “summit” climatological we found it necessary to have a review of the effects of pollution, pathogenic mechanisms of interaction, and some diseases strongly influenced by pollutants such as COPD, asthma, bronchialand bronchial and lung cancer.

Behavioral science and the study of gene-nutrition and gene-physical activity interactions in obesity research.

PubMed

Faith, Myles S

2008-12-01

This report summarizes emerging opportunities for behavioral science to help advance the field of gene-environment and gene-behavior interactions, based on presentations at The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Workshop, "Gene-Nutrition and Gene-Physical Activity Interactions in the Etiology of Obesity." Three opportunities are highlighted: (i) designing potent behavioral "challenges" in experiments, (ii) determining viable behavioral phenotypes for genetics studies, and (iii) identifying specific measures of the environment or environmental exposures. Additional points are underscored, including the need to incorporate novel findings from neuroimaging studies regarding motivation and drive for eating and physical activity. Advances in behavioral science theory and methods can play an important role in advancing understanding of gene-brain-behavior relationships in obesity onset.

Optimal nutrition and the ever-changing dietary landscape: a conference report.

PubMed

Shao, A; Drewnowski, A; Willcox, D C; Krämer, L; Lausted, C; Eggersdorfer, M; Mathers, J; Bell, J D; Randolph, R K; Witkamp, R; Griffiths, J C

2017-05-01

The field of nutrition has evolved rapidly over the past century. Nutrition scientists and policy makers in the developed world have shifted the focus of their efforts from dealing with diseases of overt nutrient deficiency to a new paradigm aimed at coping with conditions of excess-calories, sedentary lifestyles and stress. Advances in nutrition science, technology and manufacturing have largely eradicated nutrient deficiency diseases, while simultaneously facing the growing challenges of obesity, non-communicable diseases and aging. Nutrition research has gone through a necessary evolution, starting with a reductionist approach, driven by an ambition to understand the mechanisms responsible for the effects of individual nutrients at the cellular and molecular levels. This approach has appropriately expanded in recent years to become more holistic with the aim of understanding the role of nutrition in the broader context of dietary patterns. Ultimately, this approach will culminate in a full understanding of the dietary landscape-a web of interactions between nutritional, dietary, social, behavioral and environmental factors-and how it impacts health maintenance and promotion.

An integrated microcredit, entrepreneurial training, and nutrition education intervention is associated with better growth among preschool-aged children in rural Ghana.

PubMed

Marquis, Grace S; Colecraft, Esi K; Sakyi-Dawson, Owuraku; Lartey, Anna; Ahunu, Ben K; Birks, Katherine A; Butler, Lorna M; Reddy, Manju B; Jensen, Helen H; Huff-Lonergan, Elizabeth

2015-02-01

Poor diet quality is a determinant of the high prevalence rates of malnutrition in Ghana. There is little evidence on the effectiveness of a multisector intervention to improve children's diets and nutritional status. The project tested whether participation in an entrepreneurial and nutrition education intervention with microcredit was associated with the nutritional status of children 2-5 y of age. A quasi-experimental 16-mo intervention was conducted with microcredit loans and weekly sessions of nutrition and entrepreneurship education for 179 women with children 2-5 y of age [intervention group (IG)]. Nonparticipating women and their children from the same villages (nonparticipant, n = 142) and from similar neighboring villages (comparison, n = 287) were enrolled. Repeated measures linear regression models were used first to examine children's weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), and body mass index-for-age (BAZ) z scores at baseline and at 4 follow-up time points ∼4 mo apart. Time, intervention status, time-by-intervention interaction terms, region of residence, household wealth rank, household head occupation, number of children <5 y of age, and child sex and age were included. There was a significant interaction between the IG and time for BAZ (P = 0.02) with significant Bonferroni-corrected pairwise comparisons between the IG and comparison group (CG) at 8 mo (difference of 0.36 ± 0.09 z score, P < 0.0001). The WAZ group difference was significant between 4 and 16 mo (P = 0.01 for interaction) and peaked at 8-12 mo (differences of ∼0.28 z). The HAZ of children in the IG was significantly higher than that in the CG, reaching a 0.19 z difference at 16 mo (P < 0.05). When the fixed effects models were fitted in sensitivity analyses, some group anthropometric differences were of lower magnitude but remained significant. An integrated package of microcredit and education may improve nutritional outcomes of children living in poor, rural communities. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

New perspective for nutritional support of cancer patients: Enteral/parenteral nutrition.

PubMed

Akbulut, Gamze

2011-07-01

Cancer and its treatment result in severe biochemical and physiological alterations associated with a deterioration of quality of life (QoL). Cancer-related malnutrition may evolve into cancer cachexia due to complex interactions between pro-inflammatory cytokines and the host metabolism. Depending on the type of cancer treatment (either curative or palliative), the clinical condition of the patient and nutritional status, adequate and patient-tailored nutritional intervention should be prescribed (diet counseling, oral supplementation, enteral or total parenteral nutrition). Nutritional support has been widely advocated as adjunctive therapy for a variety of underlying illnesses, including surgery and medical oncotherapy (radiation or chemotherapy for cancer). Glutamine, n-3 fatty acids and probiotics/prebiotics are therapeutic factors that potentially modulate gastrointestinal toxicity related to cancer treatments. Enteral and parenteral nutrition may help improve patient survival, functional status and QoL, yet the benefits appear to be primarily limited to patients with good functional status and with gastrointestinal disease affecting nutritional intake. Parenteral nutrition offers the possibility of increased or maintenance of the nutrient intake in patients for whom normal food intake is inadequate and for whom enteral nutrition is not feasible, is contraindicated or is not accepted by the patient. This article reviews evidence on issues relevant to enteral and parenteral nutrition in patients with cancer.

New perspective for nutritional support of cancer patients: Enteral/parenteral nutrition

PubMed Central

AKBULUT, GAMZE

2011-01-01

Cancer and its treatment result in severe biochemical and physiological alterations associated with a deterioration of quality of life (QoL). Cancer-related malnutrition may evolve into cancer cachexia due to complex interactions between pro-inflammatory cytokines and the host metabolism. Depending on the type of cancer treatment (either curative or palliative), the clinical condition of the patient and nutritional status, adequate and patient-tailored nutritional intervention should be prescribed (diet counseling, oral supplementation, enteral or total parenteral nutrition). Nutritional support has been widely advocated as adjunctive therapy for a variety of underlying illnesses, including surgery and medical oncotherapy (radiation or chemotherapy for cancer). Glutamine, n-3 fatty acids and probiotics/prebiotics are therapeutic factors that potentially modulate gastrointestinal toxicity related to cancer treatments. Enteral and parenteral nutrition may help improve patient survival, functional status and QoL, yet the benefits appear to be primarily limited to patients with good functional status and with gastrointestinal disease affecting nutritional intake. Parenteral nutrition offers the possibility of increased or maintenance of the nutrient intake in patients for whom normal food intake is inadequate and for whom enteral nutrition is not feasible, is contraindicated or is not accepted by the patient. This article reviews evidence on issues relevant to enteral and parenteral nutrition in patients with cancer. PMID:22977559

Lead stress effects on physiobiochemical activities of higher plants.

PubMed

Sengar, Rakesh Singh; Gautam, Madhu; Sengar, Rajesh Singh; Garg, Sanjay Kumar; Sengar, Kalpana; Chaudhary, Reshu

2008-01-01

Lead is a metallic pollutant emanating from various environmental sources including industrial wastes, combustion of fossil fuels, and use of agrochemicals. Lead may exist in the atmosphere as dusts, fumes, mists, and vapors, and in soil as a mineral. Soils along roadsides are rich in lead because vehicles burn leaded gasoline, which contributes to environmental lead pollution. Other important sources of lead pollution are geological weathering, industrial processing of ores and minerals, leaching of lead from solid wastes, and animal and human excreta. Lead is nondegradable, readily enters the food chain, and can subsequently endanger human and animal health. Lead is one of the most important environment pollutants and deserves the increasing attention it has received in recent decades. The present effort was undertaken to review lead stress effects on the physiobiochemical activity of higher plants. Lead has gained considerable attention as a potent heavy metal pollutant because of growing anthropogenic pressure on the environment. Lead-contaminated soils show a sharp decline in crop productivity. Lead is absorbed by plants mainly through the root system and in minor amounts through the leaves. Within the plants, lead accumulates primarily in roots, but some is translocated to aerial plant parts. Soil pH, soil particle size, cation-exchange capacity, as well as root surface area, root exudation, and mycorrhizal transpiration rate affect the availability and uptake of lead by plants. Only a limited amount of lead is translocated from roots to other organs because there are natural plant barriers in the root endodermis. At lethal concentrations, this barrier is broken and lead may enter vascular tissues. Lead in plants may form deposits of various sizes, present mainly in intercellular spaces, cell walls, and vacuoles. Small deposits of this metal are also seen in the endoplasmic reticulum, dictyosome, and dictyosome-derived vesicles. After entering the cells, lead inhibits activities of many enzymes, upsets mineral nutrition and water balance, changes the hormonal status, and affects membrane structure and permeability. Visual, nonspecific symptoms of lead toxicity are stunted growth, chlorosis, and blackening of the root system. In most cases, lead inhibition of enzyme activities results from the interaction of the metal with enzyme -SH groups. The activities of metalloenzymes may decline as a consequence of displacement of an essential metal by lead from the active sites of the enzymes. Lead decreases the photosynthetic rate of plants by distorting chloroplast ultrastructure, diminishing chlorophyll synthesis, obstructing electron transport, and inhibiting activities of Calvin cycle enzymes.

Agricultural biodiversity, social-ecological systems and sustainable diets.

PubMed

Allen, Thomas; Prosperi, Paolo; Cogill, Bruce; Flichman, Guillermo

2014-11-01

The stark observation of the co-existence of undernourishment, nutrient deficiencies and overweight and obesity, the triple burden of malnutrition, is inviting us to reconsider health and nutrition as the primary goal and final endpoint of food systems. Agriculture and the food industry have made remarkable advances in the past decades. However, their development has not entirely fulfilled health and nutritional needs, and moreover, they have generated substantial collateral losses in agricultural biodiversity. Simultaneously, several regions are experiencing unprecedented weather events caused by climate change and habitat depletion, in turn putting at risk global food and nutrition security. This coincidence of food crises with increasing environmental degradation suggests an urgent need for novel analyses and new paradigms. The sustainable diets concept proposes a research and policy agenda that strives towards a sustainable use of human and natural resources for food and nutrition security, highlighting the preeminent role of consumers in defining sustainable options and the importance of biodiversity in nutrition. Food systems act as complex social-ecological systems, involving multiple interactions between human and natural components. Nutritional patterns and environment structure are interconnected in a mutual dynamic of changes. The systemic nature of these interactions calls for multidimensional approaches and integrated assessment and simulation tools to guide change. This paper proposes a review and conceptual modelling framework that articulate the synergies and tradeoffs between dietary diversity, widely recognised as key for healthy diets, and agricultural biodiversity and associated ecosystem functions, crucial resilience factors to climate and global changes.

Proteomics at the center of nutrigenomics: comprehensive molecular understanding of dietary health effects.

PubMed

Kussmann, Martin; Affolter, Michael

2009-01-01

Apart from the air we breathe, food is the only physical matter we take into our body during our life. Nutrition exhibits therefore the most important life-long environmental impact on human health. Food components interact with our body at system, organ, cellular, and molecular levels. These dietary components come in complex mixtures, in which not only the presence and concentrations of a single compound but also interactions of multiple compounds determine ingredient bioavailability and bioefficacy. Modern nutritional and health research focuses on promoting health, preventing or delaying the onset of disease, and optimizing performance. Deciphering the molecular interplay between food and health requires therefore holistic approaches because nutritional improvement of certain health aspects must not be compromised by deterioration of others. In other words, in nutrition, we have to get everything right. Proteomics is a central platform in nutrigenomics that describes how our genome expresses itself as a response to diet. Nutrigenetics deals with our genetic predisposition and susceptibility toward diet and helps stratify subject cohorts and discern responders from non-responders. Epigenetics represent DNA sequence-unrelated biochemical modifications of DNA itself and DNA-binding proteins and appears to provide a format for life-long or even transgeneration imprinting of metabolism. Proteomics in nutrition can identify and quantify bioactive proteins and peptides and addresses questions of nutritional bioefficacy. In this review, we focus on these latter aspects, update the reader on technologic developments, and review major applications.

Policy insights from the nutritional food market transformation model: the case of obesity prevention.

PubMed

Struben, Jeroen; Chan, Derek; Dubé, Laurette

2014-12-01

This paper presents a system dynamics policy model of nutritional food market transformation, tracing over-time interactions between the nutritional quality of supply, consumer food choice, population health, and governmental policy. Applied to the Canadian context and with body mass index as the primary outcome, we examine policy portfolios for obesity prevention, including (1) industry self-regulation efforts, (2) health- and nutrition-sensitive governmental policy, and (3) efforts to foster health- and nutrition-sensitive innovation. This work provides novel theoretical and practical insights on drivers of nutritional market transformations, highlighting the importance of integrative policy portfolios to simultaneously shift food demand and supply for successful and self-sustaining nutrition and health sensitivity. We discuss model extensions for deeper and more comprehensive linkages of nutritional food market transformation with supply, demand, and policy in agrifood and health/health care. These aim toward system design and policy that can proactively, and with greater impact, scale, and resilience, address single as well as double malnutrition in varying country settings. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

Understanding Nutritional Epidemiology and Its Role in Policy12

PubMed Central

Satija, Ambika; Yu, Edward; Willett, Walter C; Hu, Frank B

2015-01-01

Nutritional epidemiology has recently been criticized on several fronts, including the inability to measure diet accurately, and for its reliance on observational studies to address etiologic questions. In addition, several recent meta-analyses with serious methodologic flaws have arrived at erroneous or misleading conclusions, reigniting controversy over formerly settled debates. All of this has raised questions regarding the ability of nutritional epidemiologic studies to inform policy. These criticisms, to a large degree, stem from a misunderstanding of the methodologic issues of the field and the inappropriate use of the drug trial paradigm in nutrition research. The exposure of interest in nutritional epidemiology is human diet, which is a complex system of interacting components that cumulatively affect health. Consequently, nutritional epidemiology constantly faces a unique set of challenges and continually develops specific methodologies to address these. Misunderstanding these issues can lead to the nonconstructive and sometimes naive criticisms we see today. This article aims to clarify common misunderstandings of nutritional epidemiology, address challenges to the field, and discuss the utility of nutritional science in guiding policy by focusing on 5 broad questions commonly asked of the field. PMID:25593140

Global topics and novel approaches in the study of air pollution, climate change and forest ecosystems.

PubMed

Sicard, Pierre; Augustaitis, Algirdas; Belyazid, Salim; Calfapietra, Carlo; de Marco, Alessandra; Fenn, Mark; Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Grulke, Nancy; He, Shang; Matyssek, Rainer; Serengil, Yusuf; Wieser, Gerhard; Paoletti, Elena

2016-06-01

Research directions from the 27th conference for Specialists in Air Pollution and Climate Change Effects on Forest Ecosystems (2015) reflect knowledge advancements about (i) Mechanistic bases of tree responses to multiple climate and pollution stressors, in particular the interaction of ozone (O3) with nitrogen (N) deposition and drought; (ii) Linking genetic control with physiological whole-tree activity; (iii) Epigenetic responses to climate change and air pollution; (iv) Embedding individual tree performance into the multi-factorial stand-level interaction network; (v) Interactions of biogenic and anthropogenic volatile compounds (molecular, functional and ecological bases); (vi) Estimating the potential for carbon/pollution mitigation and cost effectiveness of urban and peri-urban forests; (vii) Selection of trees adapted to the urban environment; (viii) Trophic, competitive and host/parasite relationships under changing pollution and climate; (ix) Atmosphere-biosphere-pedosphere interactions as affected by anthropospheric changes; (x) Statistical analyses for epidemiological investigations; (xi) Use of monitoring for the validation of models; (xii) Holistic view for linking the climate, carbon, N and O3 modelling; (xiii) Inclusion of multiple environmental stresses (biotic and abiotic) in critical load determinations; (xiv) Ecological impacts of N deposition in the under-investigated areas; (xv) Empirical models for mechanistic effects at the local scale; (xvi) Broad-scale N and sulphur deposition input and their effects on forest ecosystem services; (xvii) Measurements of dry deposition of N; (xviii) Assessment of evapotranspiration; (xix) Remote sensing assessment of hydrological parameters; and (xx) Forest management for maximizing water provision and overall forest ecosystem services. Ground-level O3 is still the phytotoxic air pollutant of major concern to forest health. Specific issues about O3 are: (xxi) Developing dose-response relationships and stomatal O3 flux parameterizations for risk assessment, especially, in under-investigated regions; (xxii) Defining biologically based O3 standards for protection thresholds and critical levels; (xxiii) Use of free-air exposure facilities; (xxiv) Assessing O3 impacts on forest ecosystem services. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender-specific differences of interaction between obesity and air pollution on stroke and cardiovascular diseases in Chinese adults from a high pollution range area: A large population based cross sectional study.

PubMed

Qin, Xiao-Di; Qian, Zhengmin; Vaughn, Michael G; Trevathan, Edwin; Emo, Brett; Paul, Gunther; Ren, Wan-Hui; Hao, Yuan-Tao; Dong, Guang-Hui

2015-10-01

Little information exists regarding the interaction effects of obesity with long-term air pollution exposure on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and stroke in areas of high pollution. The aim of the present study is to examine whether obesity modifies CVD-related associations among people living in an industrial province of northeast China. We studied 24,845 Chinese adults, aged 18 to 74 years old, from three Northeastern Chinese cities in 2009 utilizing a cross-sectional study design. Body weight and height were measured by trained observers. Overweight and obesity were defined as a body mass index (BMI) between 25-29.9 and ≥30 kg/m(2), respectively. Prevalence rate and related risk factors of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases were investigated by a questionnaire. Three-year (2006-2008) average concentrations of particulate matter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxides (NO2), and ozone (O3) were measured by fixed monitoring stations. All the participants lived within 1 km of air monitoring sites. Two-level logistic regression (personal level and district-specific pollutant level) was used to examine these effects, controlling for covariates. We observed significant interactions between exposure and obesity on CVDs and stroke. The associations between annual pollutant concentrations and CVDs and stroke were strongest in obese subjects (OR 1.15-1.47 for stroke, 1.33-1.59 for CVDs), less strong in overweight subjects (OR 1.22-1.35 for stroke, 1.07-1.13 for CVDs), and weakest in normal weight subjects (OR ranged from 0.98-1.01 for stroke, 0.93-1.15 for CVDs). When stratified by gender, these interactions were significant only in women. Study findings indicate that being overweight and obese may enhance the effects of air pollution on the prevalence of CVDs and stroke in Northeastern metropolitan China. Further studies will be needed to investigate the temporality of BMI relative to exposure and onset of disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Genome-wide Trans-ethnic Interaction Study Links the PIGR ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Air pollution is a worldwide contributor to cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity. Traffic air pollution is a ubiquitous source of air pollution in developed nations, and is associated with multiple cardiovascular outcomes such as: coronary atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial disease, and myocardial infarction. Despite the recognition of the importance of both genetic and environmental exposures to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, studies of these two contributors jointly are rare. We performed a genome-wide interaction study (GWIS) to examine gene-traffic exposure interactions associated with coronary atherosclerosis. Using race-stratified cohorts of 554 African-Americans (AA) and 1623 European-Americans (EA) from a cardiac catheterization cohort (CATHGEN), we identify gene-by-traffic exposure interactions associated with the number of significantly diseased coronary vessels as a measure of chronic atherosclerosis. We found five suggestive (P<1x10-5) interactions in the AA GWIS, of which two (rs1856746 and rs2791713) replicated in the EA cohort (P < 0.05). Both SNPs are in the PIGR-FCAMR locus and are eQTLs in lymphocytes. The protein products of both PIGR and FCAMR are implicated in inflammatory processes. In the EA GWIS, there were three suggestive interactions; none of these replicated in the AA GWIS. All three were intergenic; the most significant interaction was in a regulatory region associated with SAMSN1, a gene previously associate

Important drug-nutrient interactions.

PubMed

Mason, Pamela

2010-11-01

Drugs have the potential to interact with nutrients potentially leading to reduced therapeutic efficacy of the drug, nutritional risk or increased adverse effects of the drug. Despite significant interest in such interactions going back to over more than 40 years, the occurrence and clinical significance of many drug-nutrient interactions remains unclear. However, interactions involving drugs with a narrow therapeutic margin such as theophylline and digoxin and those that require careful blood monitoring such as warfarin are likely to be those of clinical significance. Drugs can affect nutrition as a result of changes in appetite and taste as well as having an influence on absorption or metabolism of nutrients. Moreover, foods and supplements can also interact with drugs, of which grapefruit juice and St John's wort are key examples. Significant numbers of people take both supplements and medication and are potentially at risk from interactions. Professionals, such as pharmacists, dietitians, nurses and doctors, responsible for the care of patients should therefore check whether supplements are being taken, while for researchers this is an area worthy of significant further study, particularly in the context of increasingly complex drug regimens and the plethora of new drugs.

NP-PAH Interaction Dataset

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Dataset presents concentrations of organic pollutants, such as polyaromatic hydrocarbon compounds, in water samples. Water samples of known volume and concentration were allowed to equilibrate with known mass of nanoparticles. The mixture was then ultracentrifuged and sampled for analysis. This dataset is associated with the following publication:Sahle-Demessie, E., A. Zhao, C. Han, B. Hann, and H. Grecsek. Interaction of engineered nanomaterials with hydrophobic organic pollutants.. Journal of Nanotechnology. Hindawi Publishing Corporation, New York, NY, USA, 27(28): 284003, (2016).

[Nutritional genomics: an approach to the genome-environment interaction].

PubMed

Xacur-García, Fiona; Castillo-Quan, Jorge I; Hernández-Escalante, Víctor M; Laviada-Molina, Hugo

2008-11-01

Nutritional genomics forms part of the genomic sciences and addresses the interaction between genes and the human diet, its influence on metabolism and subsequent susceptibility to develop common diseases. It encompasses both nutrigenomics, which explores the effects of nutrients on the genome, proteome and metabolome; and nutrigenetics, that explores the effects of genetic variations on the diet/disease interaction. A number of mechanisms drive the gene/diet interaction: elements in the diet can act as links for transcription factor receptors and after intermediary concentrations, thereby modifying chromatin and impacting genetic regulation; affect signal pathways, regulating phosphorylation of tyrosine in receptors; decrease signaling through the inositol pathway; and act through epigenetic mechanisms, silencing DNA fragments by methylation of cytosine. The signals generated by polyunsaturated fatty acids are so powerful that they can even bypass insulin mediated lipogenesis, stimulated by carbohydrates. Some fatty acids modify the expression of genes that participate in fatty acid transport by lipoproteins. Nutritional genomics has myriad possible therapeutic and preventive applications: in patients with enzymatic deficiencies; in those with a genetic predisposition to complex diseases such as dyslipidemia, diabetes and cancer; in those that already suffer these diseases; in those with altered mood or memory; during the aging process; in pregnant women; and as a preventive measure in the healthy population.

RELATIVE TOXICITY OF AIR POLLUTION MIXTURES

EPA Science Inventory

The proposed study will differentiate the health effects of components of multi-pollutant exposure mixtures. We expect to add to our understanding of the exposure- response relationship, the interaction between particulate matter and photochemical gases, and the extent to whic...

AIRWAY EPITHELIAL EFFECTS OF PARTICULATE POLLUTANTS: ROLE OF METAL INTERACTIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Numerous epidemiologic studies have demonstrated positive associations with particulate matter (PM) air pollution and daily respiratory morbidity - including exacerbations of asthma. Data are needed to elucidate which PM subcomponents may be mediating disease exacerbation in ind...

Atopic dermatitis: Interaction between genetic variants of GSTP1, TNF, TLR2, and TLR4 and air pollution in early life.

PubMed

Hüls, Anke; Klümper, Claudia; MacIntyre, Elaina A; Brauer, Michael; Melén, Erik; Bauer, Mario; Berdel, Dietrich; Bergström, Anna; Brunekreef, Bert; Chan-Yeung, Moira; Fuertes, Elaine; Gehring, Ulrike; Gref, Anna; Heinrich, Joachim; Standl, Marie; Lehmann, Irina; Kerkhof, Marjan; Koppelman, Gerard H; Kozyrskyj, Anita L; Pershagen, Göran; Carlsten, Christopher; Krämer, Ursula; Schikowski, Tamara

2018-04-06

Associations between traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and childhood atopic dermatitis (AD) remain inconsistent, possibly due to unexplored gene-environment interactions. The aim of this study was to examine whether a potential effect of TRAP on AD prevalence in children is modified by selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to oxidative stress and inflammation. Doctor-diagnosed AD up to age 2 years and at 7-8 years, as well as AD symptoms up to age 2 years, was assessed using parental-reported questionnaires in six birth cohorts (N = 5685). Associations of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) estimated at the home address of each child at birth and nine SNPs within the GSTP1, TNF, TLR2, or TLR4 genes with AD were examined. Weighted genetic risk scores (GRS) were calculated from the above SNPs and used to estimate combined marginal genetic effects of oxidative stress and inflammation on AD and its interaction with TRAP. GRS was associated with childhood AD and modified the association between NO 2 and doctor-diagnosed AD up to the age of 2 years (P(interaction) = .029). This interaction was mainly driven by a higher susceptibility to air pollution in TNF rs1800629 minor allele (A) carriers. TRAP was not associated with the prevalence of AD in the general population. The marginal genetic association of a weighted GRS from GSTP1, TNF, TLR2, and TLR4SNPs and its interaction with air pollution supports the role of oxidative stress and inflammation in AD. © 2018 EAACI and John Wiley and Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

Interaction between air pollution exposure and genes in relation to levels of inflammatory markers and risk of myocardial infarction

PubMed Central

Panasevich, Sviatlana; Leander, Karin; Ljungman, Petter; Bellander, Tom; de Faire, Ulf; Pershagen, Göran; Nyberg, Fredrik

2013-01-01

Objectives Air pollution exposure induces cardiovascular effects, possibly via systemic inflammation and coagulation misbalance. Genetic variation may determine individual susceptibility. Our aim was to investigate effect modification by inflammation (Interleukin6 (IL6), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) and coagulation (fibrinogen Bβ, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)) gene variants on the effect of long-term or short-term air pollution exposure on both blood marker levels and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) risk. Design Population-based case–control study with a nested case-crossover study. Gene-environment interactions for short-term and long-term air pollution on blood marker levels were studied in population controls, for long-term exposure on MI risk using case–control design, and for short-term exposure on MI onset using case-crossover design. Setting The Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Programme (SHEEP) conducted in 1992–1994 in Stockholm, Sweden. Spatial modelling was used to assess long-term (up to 30 years retrospectively) air pollution exposure to traffic-NO2 and heating-SO2 emissions at home addresses. Urban background NO2, SO2, PM10 and O3 measurements were used to estimate short-term (up to 5 days) air pollution exposure. Participants 1192 MI cases and 1506 population controls aged 45–70 years. Outcomes The levels of blood markers of inflammation (IL-6, TNF-α) and coagulation (fibrinogen, PAI-1) and MI risk. Results We observed gene–environment interaction for several IL6 and TNF SNPs in relation to inflammation blood marker levels. One-year traffic-NO2 exposure was associated with higher IL-6 levels with each additional IL6-174C allele, and 1-year heating-SO2 exposure with higher levels of TNF-α in TNF-308AA homozygotes versus −308G carriers. Short-term air pollution exposure also interacted with IL6 and TNF in relation to marker levels. The risk of MI followed the effect on blood markers in each genotype group. Conclusions Genetic variants in IL6 and TNF may modify effects of long-term and short-term air pollution exposure on inflammatory marker levels and MI risk. PMID:24056475

Pet exposure in utero and postnatal decreases the effects of air pollutants on hypertension in children: A large population based cohort study.

PubMed

Lawrence, Wayne R; Yang, Mo; Lin, Shao; Wang, Si-Quan; Liu, Yimin; Ma, Huimin; Chen, Duo-Hong; Yang, Bo-Yi; Zeng, Xiao-Wen; Hu, Li-Wen; Dong, Guang-Hui

2018-07-01

The effect of ambient air pollution exposure on childhood hypertension has emerged as a concern in China, and previous studies suggested pet ownership is associated with lower blood pressure (BP). However, limited information exists on the interactive effects pet ownership and air pollution exposure has on hypertension. We investigated the interactions between exposure to pet ownership and air pollutants on hypertension in Chinese children. 9354 students in twenty-four elementary and middle schools (aged 5-17 years) in Northeastern China were evaluated during 2012-2013. Four-year average concentrations of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of ≤10 μm (PM 10 ), SO 2 , NO 2 , and O 3 , were collected in the 24 districts from 2009 to 2012. Hypertension was defined as average diastolic or systolic BP (three time measurements) in the 95th percentile or higher based on height, age, and sex. To examine effects, two-level regression analysis was used, controlling covariates. Consistent interactions between exposure to pet and air pollutants were observed. Compared to children exposed to pet, those not exposed exhibited consistently stronger effects of air pollution. The highest odds ratios (ORs) per 30.6 μg/m 3 increase in PM 10 were 1.79 (95%confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.29-2.50) in children without current pet exposure compared to 1.24 (95%CI: 0.85-1.82) in children with current pet exposure. As for BP, only O 3 had an interaction for all exposure to pet ownership types, and showed lower BP in children exposed to pet. The increases in mean diastolic BP per 46.3 μg/m 3 increase in O 3 were 0.60  mmHg (95%CI: 0.21, 0.48) in children without pet exposure in utero compared with 0.34  mmHg (95%CI: 0.21, 0.48) in their counterparts. When stratified by age, pet exposure was more protective among younger children. In conclusion, in this large population-based cohort, pet ownership is associated with smaller associations between air pollution and hypertension in children, suggesting pet ownership reduces susceptibility to the health effects of pollutants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing and validating a scale to measure Food and Nutrition Literacy (FNLIT) in elementary school children in Iran

PubMed Central

Doustmohammadian, Aazam; Omidvar, Nasrin; Keshavarz-Mohammadi, Nastaran; Abdollahi, Morteza; Amini, Maryam; Eini-Zinab, Hassan

2017-01-01

Background Food and nutrition literacy is an emerging term which is increasingly used in policy and research. Though research in this area is growing, progression is limited by the lack of an accepted method to measure food and nutrition literacy. The aim of this study is to develop a valid and reliable questionnaire to assess food and nutrition literacy in elementary school children in the city of Tehran. Methods The study was conducted in three phases. To develop Food and Nutrition Literacy (FNLIT) questionnaire, a comprehensive literature review and a qualitative study were initially performed to identify food and nutrition literacy dimensions and its components. Content and face validity of the questionnaire were evaluated by an expert panel as well as students. In the second phase, construct validity of the scale was evaluated using Explanatory Factor Analyses (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA). In the last phase (confirmatory phase), the final version of the questionnaire was evaluated on 400 students. Results Findings show Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI) of the 62-item questionnaire at acceptable levels of 0.87 and 0.92, respectively. EFA suggested a six-factor construct, namely, understanding food and nutrition information, knowledge, functional, interactive, food choice, and critical. The results of CFA indicated acceptable fit indices for the proposed models. All subscales demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha≥0.70), except for critical skill subscale (0.48). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC = 0.90, CI: 0.83–0.94) indicated that Food and Nutrition Literacy (FNLIT) scale had satisfactory stability. Each phase of development progressively improved the questionnaire, which resulted in a 46-item (42 likert-type items and 4 true-false items) Food and Nutrition Literacy (FNLIT) scale. The questionnaire measured two domains with 6 subscales, including: 1) cognitive domain: understanding and knowledge; 2) skill domain: functional, food choice, interactive, and critical skills. Conclusion The developed food and nutrition literacy scale is a valid and reliable instrument to measure food and nutrition literacy in children. This measure lays a solid empirical and theoretical foundation for future research and tailored interventions to promote food and nutrition literacy in this age group. PMID:28654646

Synergism of Short-Term Air Pollution Exposures and Neighborhood Disadvantage on Initial Stroke Severity.

PubMed

Wing, Jeffrey J; Sánchez, Brisa N; Adar, Sara D; Meurer, William J; Morgenstern, Lewis B; Smith, Melinda A; Lisabeth, Lynda D

2017-11-01

Little is known about the relation between environment and stroke severity. We investigated associations between environmental exposures, including neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and short-term exposure to airborne particulate matter <2.5 μm and ozone, and their interactions with initial stroke severity. First-ever ischemic stroke cases were identified from the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi project (2000-2012). Associations between pollutants, disadvantage, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale were modeled using linear and logistic regression with adjustment for demographics and risk factors. Pollutants and disadvantage were modeled individually, jointly, and with interactions. Higher disadvantage scores and previous-day ozone concentrations were associated with higher odds of severe stroke. Higher levels of particulate matter <2.5 μm were associated with higher odds of severe stroke among those in higher disadvantage areas (odds ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.55) but not in lower disadvantage areas (odds ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.56-1.22; P interaction =0.097). Air pollution exposures and neighborhood socioeconomic status may be important in understanding stroke severity. Future work should consider the multiple levels of influence on this important stroke outcome. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

A time series analysis of multiple ambient pollutants to investigate the underlying air pollution dynamics and interactions.

PubMed

Yu, Hwa-Lung; Lin, Yuan-Chien; Kuo, Yi-Ming

2015-09-01

Understanding the temporal dynamics and interactions of particulate matter (PM) concentration and composition is important for air quality control. This paper applied a dynamic factor analysis method (DFA) to reveal the underlying mechanisms of nonstationary variations in twelve ambient concentrations of aerosols and gaseous pollutants, and the associations with meteorological factors. This approach can consider the uncertainties and temporal dependences of time series data. The common trends of the yearlong and three selected diurnal variations were obtained to characterize the dominant processes occurring in general and specific scenarios in Taipei during 2009 (i.e., during Asian dust storm (ADS) events, rainfall, and under normal conditions). The results revealed the two distinct yearlong NOx transformation processes, and demonstrated that traffic emissions and photochemical reactions both critically influence diurnal variation, depending upon meteorological conditions. During an ADS event, transboundary transport and distinct weather conditions both influenced the temporal pattern of identified common trends. This study shows the DFA method can effectively extract meaningful latent processes of time series data and provide insights of the dominant associations and interactions in the complex air pollution processes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Healthy neighborhoods: walkability and air pollution.

PubMed

Marshall, Julian D; Brauer, Michael; Frank, Lawrence D

2009-11-01

The built environment may influence health in part through the promotion of physical activity and exposure to pollution. To date, no studies have explored interactions between neighborhood walkability and air pollution exposure. We estimated concentrations of nitric oxide (NO), a marker for direct vehicle emissions), and ozone (O(3)) and a neighborhood walkability score, for 49,702 (89% of total) postal codes in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. NO concentrations were estimated from a land-use regression model, O(3) was estimated from ambient monitoring data; walkability was calculated based on geographic attributes such as land-use mix, street connectivity, and residential density. All three attributes exhibit an urban-rural gradient, with high walkability and NO concentrations, and low O(3) concentrations, near the city center. Lower-income areas tend to have higher NO concentrations and walkability and lower O(3) concentrations. Higher-income areas tend to have lower pollution (NO and O(3)). "Sweet-spot" neighborhoods (low pollution, high walkability) are generally located near but not at the city center and are almost exclusively higher income. Increased concentration of activities in urban settings yields both health costs and benefits. Our research identifies neighborhoods that do especially well (and especially poorly) for walkability and air pollution exposure. Work is needed to ensure that the poor do not bear an undue burden of urban air pollution and that neighborhoods designed for walking, bicycling, or mass transit do not adversely affect resident's exposure to air pollution. Analyses presented here could be replicated in other cities and tracked over time to better understand interactions among neighborhood walkability, air pollution exposure, and income level.

The Impact of Multipollutant Clusters on the Association Between Fine Particulate Air Pollution and Microvascular Function.

PubMed

Ljungman, Petter L; Wilker, Elissa H; Rice, Mary B; Austin, Elena; Schwartz, Joel; Gold, Diane R; Koutrakis, Petros; Benjamin, Emelia J; Vita, Joseph A; Mitchell, Gary F; Vasan, Ramachandran S; Hamburg, Naomi M; Mittleman, Murray A

2016-03-01

Prior studies including the Framingham Heart Study have suggested associations between single components of air pollution and vascular function; however, underlying mixtures of air pollution may have distinct associations with vascular function. We used a k-means approach to construct five distinct pollution mixtures from elemental analyses of particle filters, air pollution monitoring data, and meteorology. Exposure was modeled as an interaction between fine particle mass (PM2.5), and concurrent pollution cluster. Outcome variables were two measures of microvascular function in the fingertip in the Framingham Offspring and Third Generation cohorts from 2003 to 2008. In 1,720 participants, associations between PM2.5 and baseline pulse amplitude tonometry differed by air pollution cluster (interaction P value 0.009). Higher PM2.5 on days with low mass concentrations but high proportion of ultrafine particles from traffic was associated with 18% (95% confidence interval: 4.6%, 33%) higher baseline pulse amplitude per 5 μg/m and days with high contributions of oil and wood combustion with 16% (95% confidence interval: 0.2%, 34%) higher baseline pulse amplitude. We observed no variation in associations of PM2.5 with hyperemic response to ischemia observed across air pollution clusters. PM2.5 exposure from air pollution mixtures with large contributions of local ultrafine particles from traffic, heating oil, and wood combustion was associated with higher baseline pulse amplitude but not hyperemic response. Our findings suggest little association between acute exposure to air pollution clusters reflective of select sources and hyperemic response to ischemia, but possible associations with excessive small artery pulsatility with potentially deleterious microvascular consequences.

Understanding nutritional epidemiology and its role in policy.

PubMed

Satija, Ambika; Yu, Edward; Willett, Walter C; Hu, Frank B

2015-01-01

Nutritional epidemiology has recently been criticized on several fronts, including the inability to measure diet accurately, and for its reliance on observational studies to address etiologic questions. In addition, several recent meta-analyses with serious methodologic flaws have arrived at erroneous or misleading conclusions, reigniting controversy over formerly settled debates. All of this has raised questions regarding the ability of nutritional epidemiologic studies to inform policy. These criticisms, to a large degree, stem from a misunderstanding of the methodologic issues of the field and the inappropriate use of the drug trial paradigm in nutrition research. The exposure of interest in nutritional epidemiology is human diet, which is a complex system of interacting components that cumulatively affect health. Consequently, nutritional epidemiology constantly faces a unique set of challenges and continually develops specific methodologies to address these. Misunderstanding these issues can lead to the nonconstructive and sometimes naive criticisms we see today. This article aims to clarify common misunderstandings of nutritional epidemiology, address challenges to the field, and discuss the utility of nutritional science in guiding policy by focusing on 5 broad questions commonly asked of the field. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Programming of respiratory health in childhood: influence of outdoor air pollution.

PubMed

Wright, Rosalind J; Brunst, Kelly J

2013-04-01

This overview highlights recent experimental and epidemiological evidence for the programming effects of outdoor air pollution exposures during early development on lung function and chronic respiratory disorders, such as asthma and related allergic disorders. Air pollutants may impact anatomy and/or physiological functioning of the lung and interrelated systems. Programming effects may result from pollutant-induced shifts in a number of molecular, cellular, and physiological states and their interacting systems. Specific key regulatory systems susceptible to programming may influence lung development and vulnerability to respiratory diseases, including both central and peripheral components of neuroendocrine pathways and autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning which, in turn, influence the immune system. Starting in utero, environmental factors, including air pollutants, may permanently organize these systems toward trajectories of enhanced pediatric (e.g., asthma, allergy) as well as adult disease risk (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Evidence supports a central role of oxidative stress in the toxic effects of air pollution. Additional research suggests xenobiotic metabolism and subcellular components, such as mitochondria are targets of ambient air pollution and play a role in asthma and allergy programming. Mechanisms operating at the level of the placenta are being elucidated. Epigenetic mechanisms may be at the roots of adaptive developmental programming. Optimal coordinated functioning of many complex processes and their networks of interaction are necessary for normal lung development and the maintenance of respiratory health. Outdoor air pollution may play an important role in early programming of respiratory health and is potentially amenable to intervention.

Secondhand Smoke Enhances Lung Cancer Risk in Male Smokers: An Interaction.

PubMed

Li, Wentao; Tse, Lap Ah; Au, Joseph S K; Wang, Feng; Qiu, Hong; Yu, Ignatius Tak-Sun

2016-11-01

Previous studies revealed that some indoor air pollutants and fine particle matter can interact with active smoking, enhancing lung cancer risk in smokers. Secondhand smoke (SHS), with remarkable differences from active smoking, contributes significantly to indoor air pollution and generates a considerable amount of fine particle matter, may cause a similar interaction with active smoking. Information on lifetime SHS along with active smoking and other confirmed or suspected risk factors for lung cancer was collected in this case-referent study. Odds ratios and the 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of smoking status in different levels of SHS were evaluated. Potential multiplicative and additive interactions were explored. Compared with never-smokers without SHS, current smokers who were exposed to a high level of SHS demonstrated the highest odds ratio (15.13, 95% CI: 8.60, 26.65), almost doubles the effect in the current smokers without SHS. Significant additive interactions between current smoking and high level of SHS were observed for all lung cancers (synergy index = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.02, 3.24) and the squamous carcinoma subgroup. High level of SHS exposure greatly enhanced lung cancer risk among current smokers, consistent with an additive interaction; while this interaction was predominant for the squamous carcinoma. The results provide new evidence to the rationale of promoting global smoking cessation. Some indoor air pollutants can interact with active smoking, yielding a synergistic effect on inducing lung cancer. SHS, with noticeable differences from active smoking, is a major source of indoor air pollution. However, little has been known about the effect of SHS in smokers and whether there is a similar interaction between SHS and active smoking. In this study, we evaluated their separate and joint effects and indeed found a more than additive interaction between them. This finding suggests a potential problem of gathering smoking aggravating by venue restriction policies and re-advocates policy efforts on smoking cessation. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT AND GENDER INEQUALITY IN ADOLESCENT NUTRITIONAL STATUS: EVIDENCE FROM THE INDONESIAN FAMILY LIFE SURVEY.

PubMed

Kunto, Yohanes Sondang; Bras, Hilde

2017-11-23

In contrast to the extensive knowledge on the association between women's empowerment and the nutritional status of children under the age of five, relatively little is known about the influence of women's empowerment on adolescents' nutritional status. This study aimed to assess the association between women's empowerment and gender inequalities in adolescent nutritional status. Data were from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) covering the period 1997 to 2015, and consisted of 16,683 observations from 13,396 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 years born in 6781 families. Three indicators of women's empowerment were used: mother's education, mother's bargaining power and mother's working status. Multivariate linear regression with robust standard errors was used to examine whether and how these indicators of women's empowerment influenced adolescent nutritional status. Interaction terms were added to analyse how the association between women's empowerment and adolescent nutritional status differed by gender. The results showed that mother's education and mother's working status were significantly associated with adolescent nutritional status, particularly with height-for-age. Adolescents of well-educated mothers had a higher height-for-age while those who were raised by mothers with a blue-collar job had a lower height-for-age. Although no gender differences were found for height-for-age, gender differences for BMI-for-age were obvious, with boys having a lower BMI-for-age than girls. Interactions between indicators of mother's empowerment and gender showed that the gender gap in BMI-for-age was smaller for adolescents of more educated mothers. However, further analyses of food consumption patterns showed that boys whose mothers were more educated consumed more fast food and had higher instant noodle consumption than girls, thus suggesting gender bias in new disguise.

Interactive influence of leaf age, light intensity, and girdling on green ash foliar chemistry and emerald ash borer development

Treesearch

Yigen Chen; Therese M. Poland

2009-01-01

Biotic and abiotic environmental factors affect plant nutritional quality and defensive compounds that confer plant resistance to herbivory. Influence of leaf age, light availability, and girdling on foliar nutrition and defense of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh) was examined in this study. Longevity of the emerald ash borer, ...

Disruption of calcium nutrition at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (New Hampshire) alters the health and productivity of red spruce and sugar maple trees and provides lessons pertinent to other sites and regions

Treesearch

Paul G. Schaberg; Gary J. Hawley

2010-01-01

Pollution-induced acidification and other anthropogenic factors are leaching calcium (Ca) and mobilizing aluminum (Al) in many forest soils. Because Ca is an essential nutrient and Al is a potential toxin, resulting depletions of Ca and increases in available Al may significantly alter the health and productivity of forest trees. Controlled experiments on red spruce (...

Effects of an individualised nutritional education and support programme on dietary habits, nutritional knowledge and nutritional status of older adults living alone.

PubMed

Ahn, Jeong-Ah; Park, JeeWon; Kim, Chun-Ja

2017-09-07

The effects of an individualised nutritional education and support programme on dietary habits, nutritional knowledge and nutritional status of 71 older adults living alone were examined. Although a regular dietary meal plan is recommended for improving nutritional status of older adults living alone, little research is done in this field in Korea. A pre- and post-test controlled quasi-experimental design was used at public health centres. The intervention group participated in an intensive nutritional education and support programme once a week for 8 weeks with dietary menus provided by home visiting nurses/dieticians; control group received usual care. Dietary habits and nutritional knowledge were assessed using structured questionnaires; nutritional intake status was analysed using Computer Aided Nutritional Analysis Program 5.0. The mean age of participants was 77.6 years, and 81.7% of the participants were women. At 8 weeks, there were significant interactions of group by time for dietary habits, nutritional knowledge and selected nutritional status of protein, iron and vitamins of B 2 and C. Changes over time in the mean score of dietary habits and nutritional knowledge were significantly improved in the intervention group compared to the control group. The percentages of normal nutrition intake of protein, iron and vitamins A and C in the intervention group were significantly higher than the control group at 8 weeks. Nutritional education and support programme positively impacted dietary habits, nutritional knowledge and selected nutritional status in older adults living alone, and we highlight the need for community-based nutritional education and counselling programmes. Older adults living alone in a community have relatively poor nutritional status and thus require tailored nutritional intervention according to objective nutritional analysis. It is necessary to link visiting nurses with dieticians in the community to manage effective nutritional programme continuously. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Changes in Nutritional Issues Over the Last 45 Years

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lane, Helen W.; Kloeris, Vickie; Perchonok, M. H.; Zwart, S. R.; Smith, Scott M.

2006-01-01

The prospect of a lunar outpost to conduct science and learn how to live and work off the Earth is exciting. The nutritional sciences will focus on the issues of over all health, with emphasis on skeletal muscle health and prevention of radiation damage. There is a great deal of research needed to determine the nutritional and food component potential for preventing the changes that occur in space flight. Further research is also needed on the interactions of systems and countermeasures, such as protein-amino acid needs for enhancement of muscle protein synthesis while not being detrimental for bone health. The interrelationship between radiation exposure, nutrition, and food components has just begun.

New frontiers in science and technology: nuclear techniques in nutrition123

PubMed Central

Davidsson, Lena; Tanumihardjo, Sherry

2011-01-01

The use of nuclear techniques in nutrition adds value by the increased specificity and sensitivity of measures compared with conventional techniques in a wide range of applications. This article provides a brief overview of well-established stable-isotope techniques to evaluate micronutrient bioavailability and assess human-milk intake in breastfed infants to monitor the transfer of micronutrients from the mother to the infant. Recent developments are highlighted in the use of nuclear techniques to evaluate biological interactions between food, nutrition, and health to move the agenda forward. PMID:21653797

The toxicology of climate change: environmental contaminants in a warming world.

PubMed

Noyes, Pamela D; McElwee, Matthew K; Miller, Hilary D; Clark, Bryan W; Van Tiem, Lindsey A; Walcott, Kia C; Erwin, Kyle N; Levin, Edward D

2009-08-01

Climate change induced by anthropogenic warming of the earth's atmosphere is a daunting problem. This review examines one of the consequences of climate change that has only recently attracted attention: namely, the effects of climate change on the environmental distribution and toxicity of chemical pollutants. A review was undertaken of the scientific literature (original research articles, reviews, government and intergovernmental reports) focusing on the interactions of toxicants with the environmental parameters, temperature, precipitation, and salinity, as altered by climate change. Three broad classes of chemical toxicants of global significance were the focus: air pollutants, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including some organochlorine pesticides, and other classes of pesticides. Generally, increases in temperature will enhance the toxicity of contaminants and increase concentrations of tropospheric ozone regionally, but will also likely increase rates of chemical degradation. While further research is needed, climate change coupled with air pollutant exposures may have potentially serious adverse consequences for human health in urban and polluted regions. Climate change producing alterations in: food webs, lipid dynamics, ice and snow melt, and organic carbon cycling could result in increased POP levels in water, soil, and biota. There is also compelling evidence that increasing temperatures could be deleterious to pollutant-exposed wildlife. For example, elevated water temperatures may alter the biotransformation of contaminants to more bioactive metabolites and impair homeostasis. The complex interactions between climate change and pollutants may be particularly problematic for species living at the edge of their physiological tolerance range where acclimation capacity may be limited. In addition to temperature increases, regional precipitation patterns are projected to be altered with climate change. Regions subject to decreases in precipitation may experience enhanced volatilization of POPs and pesticides to the atmosphere. Reduced precipitation will also increase air pollution in urbanized regions resulting in negative health effects, which may be exacerbated by temperature increases. Regions subject to increased precipitation will have lower levels of air pollution, but will likely experience enhanced surface deposition of airborne POPs and increased run-off of pesticides. Moreover, increases in the intensity and frequency of storm events linked to climate change could lead to more severe episodes of chemical contamination of water bodies and surrounding watersheds. Changes in salinity may affect aquatic organisms as an independent stressor as well as by altering the bioavailability and in some instances increasing the toxicity of chemicals. A paramount issue will be to identify species and populations especially vulnerable to climate-pollutant interactions, in the context of the many other physical, chemical, and biological stressors that will be altered with climate change. Moreover, it will be important to predict tipping points that might trigger or accelerate synergistic interactions between climate change and contaminant exposures.

Temporal Trends in the Use of Parenteral Nutrition in Critically Ill Patients

PubMed Central

Kahn, Jeremy M.; Wunsch, Hannah

2014-01-01

Background: Clinical practice guidelines recommend enteral over parenteral nutrition in critical illness and do not recommend early initiation. Few data are available on parenteral nutrition use or timing of initiation in the ICU or how this use may have changed over time. Methods: We used the Project IMPACT database to evaluate temporal trends in parenteral nutrition use (total and partial parenteral nutrition and lipid supplementation) and timing of initiation in adult ICU admissions from 2001 to 2008. We used χ2 tests and analysis of variance to examine characteristics of patients receiving parenteral nutrition and multilevel multivariate logistic regression models to assess parenteral nutrition use over time, in all patients and in specific subgroups. Results: Of 337,442 patients, 20,913 (6.2%) received parenteral nutrition. Adjusting for patient characteristics, the use of parenteral nutrition decreased modestly over time (adjusted probability, 7.2% in 2001-2002 vs 5.5% in 2007-2008, P < .001). Enteral nutrition use increased simultaneously (adjusted probability, 11.5% in 2001-2002 vs 15.3% in 2007-2008, P < .001). Use of parenteral nutrition declined most rapidly in emergent surgical patients, patients with moderate illness severity, patients in the surgical ICU, and patients admitted to an academic facility (P ≤ .01 for all interactions with year). When used, parenteral nutrition was initiated a median of 2 days (interquartile range, 1-3), after ICU admission and > 90% of patients had parenteral nutrition initiated within 7 days; timing of initiation of parenteral nutrition did not change from 2001 to 2008. Conclusions: Use of parenteral nutrition in US ICUs declined from 2001 through 2008 in all patients and in all examined subgroups, with the majority of parenteral nutrition initiated within the first 7 days in ICU; enteral nutrition use coincidently increased over the same time period. PMID:24233390

Regional factors interact with educational and income tax levels to influence food intake in France.

PubMed

Wyndels, K; Dallongeville, J; Simon, C; Bongard, V; Wagner, A; Ruidavets, J-B; Arveiler, D; Ferrières, J; Amouyel, P; Dauchet, L

2011-09-01

The goal of the present study was to assess whether geographic factors affect the relationship between socioeconomic indicators and adherence to the French National Nutritional Health Programme (Programme National Nutrition Santé (PNNS)) guidelines. The MONA LISA-NUT study (2005-2007) is a cross-sectional survey of a representative sample from northern, northeastern and southwestern France. Educational level and household income tax were recorded by trained interviewers. Food intake was assessed with a 3-day food diary in 3188 subjects aged from 35-64 years. Adherence to the PNNS guidelines was assessed with a validated score (the French score of indicators of the PNNS objective (FSIPO)). Multivariate analyses were adjusted for gender, age, marital status, body mass index, energy intake and medically prescribed diets. The FSIPO score was higher in southwestern France than in the two other regions (P<0.0001). The FSIPO score was correlated with the educational level in northern and northeastern France (P<0.0001) but not in southwestern France (region-education interaction: P<0.001). This interaction was accounted for by fruit and vegetable (P<0.0001), calcium (P=0.03), saturated fatty acid (P<0.0001), and fibre (P=0.0001) components of the FSIPO score. In contrast, the income tax level and the FSIPO score were positively correlated (P<0.0001) to a similar extent in all three regions (region × income tax interaction: P=0.09). The relationship between educational level and adherence to the national nutritional health guidelines differs from one region of France to another, suggesting that nutrition education programmes should perhaps be adapted on a regional basis. In contrast, guideline adherence is correlated with income tax level independently of geographical factors, suggesting that financial constraints on food choices are uniform across France.

The Shared Pathoetiological Effects of Particulate Air Pollution and the Social Environment on Fetal-Placental Development

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Exposure to particulate air pollution and socioeconomic risk factors are shown to be independently associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes; however, their confounding relationship is an epidemiological challenge that requires understanding of their shared etiologic pathways affecting fetal-placental development. The purpose of this paper is to explore the etiological mechanisms associated with exposure to particulate air pollution in contributing to adverse pregnancy outcomes and how these mechanisms intersect with those related to socioeconomic status. Here we review the role of oxidative stress, inflammation and endocrine modification in the pathoetiology of deficient deep placentation and detail how the physical and social environments can act alone and collectively to mediate the established pathology linked to a spectrum of adverse pregnancy outcomes. We review the experimental and epidemiological literature showing that diet/nutrition, smoking, and psychosocial stress share similar pathways with that of particulate air pollution exposure to potentially exasperate the negative effects of either insult alone. Therefore, socially patterned risk factors often treated as nuisance parameters should be explored as potential effect modifiers that may operate at multiple levels of social geography. The degree to which deleterious exposures can be ameliorated or exacerbated via community-level social and environmental characteristics needs further exploration. PMID:25574176

Interaction matters: Strategies to promote engaged learning in an online introductory nutrition course.

PubMed

Banna, Jinan; Grace Lin, Meng-Fen; Stewart, Maria; Fialkowski, Marie K

2015-06-01

Fostering interaction in the online classroom is an important consideration in ensuring that students actively create their own knowledge and reach a high level of achievement in science courses. This study focuses on fostering interaction in an online introductory nutrition course offered in a public institution of higher education in Hawai'i, USA. Interactive features included synchronous discussions and polls in scheduled sessions, and social media tools for sharing of information and resources. Qualitative student feedback was solicited regarding the new course features. Findings indicated that students who attended monthly synchronous sessions valued live interaction with peers and the instructor. Issues identified included technical difficulties during synchronous sessions, lack of participation on the part of fellow students in discussion and inability to attend synchronous sessions due to scheduling conflicts. In addition, few students made use of the opportunity to interact via social media. While students indicated that the interactive components of the course were valuable, several areas in which improvement may be made remain. Future studies may explore potential solutions to issues identified with new features to further promote interaction and foster learning in the course. Recommendations for instructors who are interested in offering online science courses in higher education are provided.

Waters Without Borders: Scarcity and the Future of State Interactions over Shared Water Resources

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

urbanization, increasing per capita consumption (associated with globalization and economic development), pollution , and climate change will exacerbate...Standards of Living, and Pollution : Water is fundamental to ensuring an adequate food supply. Agricultural irrigation accounts for 70% of fresh water...Agricultural run-off is also a major source of pollution reducing the quality and availability of drinking water. Energy: Water is also needed for the

Major threats of pollution and climate change to global coastal ecosystems and enhanced management for sustainability.

PubMed

Lu, Yonglong; Yuan, Jingjing; Lu, Xiaotian; Su, Chao; Zhang, Yueqing; Wang, Chenchen; Cao, Xianghui; Li, Qifeng; Su, Jilan; Ittekkot, Venugopalan; Garbutt, Richard Angus; Bush, Simon; Fletcher, Stephen; Wagey, Tonny; Kachur, Anatolii; Sweijd, Neville

2018-08-01

Coastal zone is of great importance in the provision of various valuable ecosystem services. However, it is also sensitive and vulnerable to environmental changes due to high human populations and interactions between the land and ocean. Major threats of pollution from over enrichment of nutrients, increasing metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and climate change have led to severe ecological degradation in the coastal zone, while few studies have focused on the combined impacts of pollution and climate change on the coastal ecosystems at the global level. A global overview of nutrients, metals, POPs, and major environmental changes due to climate change and their impacts on coastal ecosystems was carried out in this study. Coasts of the Eastern Atlantic and Western Pacific were hotspots of concentrations of several pollutants, and mostly affected by warming climate. These hotspots shared the same features of large populations, heavy industry and (semi-) closed sea. Estimation of coastal ocean capital, integrated management of land-ocean interaction in the coastal zone, enhancement of integrated global observation system, and coastal ecosystem-based management can play effective roles in promoting sustainable management of coastal marine ecosystems. Enhanced management from the perspective of mitigating pollution and climate change was proposed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A stress ecology framework for comprehensive risk assessment of diffuse pollution.

PubMed

van Straalen, Nico M; van Gestel, Cornelis A M

2008-12-01

Environmental pollution is traditionally classified as either localized or diffuse. Local pollution comes from a point source that emits a well-defined cocktail of chemicals, distributed in the environment in the form of a gradient around the source. Diffuse pollution comes from many sources, small and large, that cause an erratic distribution of chemicals, interacting with those from other sources into a complex mixture of low to moderate concentrations over a large area. There is no good method for ecological risk assessment of such types of pollution. We argue that effects of diffuse contamination in the field must be analysed in the wider framework of stress ecology. A multivariate approach can be applied to filter effects of contaminants from the many interacting factors at the ecosystem level. Four case studies are discussed (1) functional and structural properties of terrestrial model ecosystems, (2) physiological profiles of microbial communities, (3) detritivores in reedfield litter, and (4) benthic invertebrates in canal sediment. In each of these cases the data were analysed by multivariate statistics and associations between ecological variables and the levels of contamination were established. We argue that the stress ecology framework is an appropriate assessment instrument for discriminating effects of pollution from other anthropogenic disturbances and naturally varying factors.

Combined effects of night warming and light pollution on predator-prey interactions.

PubMed

Miller, Colleen R; Barton, Brandon T; Zhu, Likai; Radeloff, Volker C; Oliver, Kerry M; Harmon, Jason P; Ives, Anthony R

2017-10-11

Interactions between multiple anthropogenic environmental changes can drive non-additive effects in ecological systems, and the non-additive effects can in turn be amplified or dampened by spatial covariation among environmental changes. We investigated the combined effects of night-time warming and light pollution on pea aphids and two predatory ladybeetle species. As expected, neither night-time warming nor light pollution changed the suppression of aphids by the ladybeetle species that forages effectively in darkness. However, for the more-visual predator, warming and light had non-additive effects in which together they caused much lower aphid abundances. These results are particularly relevant for agriculture near urban areas that experience both light pollution and warming from urban heat islands. Because warming and light pollution can have non-additive effects, predicting their possible combined consequences over broad spatial scales requires knowing how they co-occur. We found that night-time temperature change since 1949 covaried positively with light pollution, which has the potential to increase their non-additive effects on pea aphid control by 70% in US alfalfa. Our results highlight the importance of non-additive effects of multiple environmental factors on species and food webs, especially when these factors co-occur. © 2017 The Author(s).

Effects of air pollution on ecosystems and biological diversity in the eastern United States.

PubMed

Lovett, Gary M; Tear, Timothy H; Evers, David C; Findlay, Stuart E G; Cosby, B Jack; Dunscomb, Judy K; Driscoll, Charles T; Weathers, Kathleen C

2009-04-01

Conservation organizations have most often focused on land-use change, climate change, and invasive species as prime threats to biodiversity conservation. Although air pollution is an acknowledged widespread problem, it is rarely considered in conservation planning or management. In this synthesis, the state of scientific knowledge on the effects of air pollution on plants and animals in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States is summarized. Four air pollutants (sulfur, nitrogen, ozone, and mercury) and eight ecosystem types ranging from estuaries to alpine tundra are considered. Effects of air pollution were identified, with varying levels of certainty, in all the ecosystem types examined. None of these ecosystem types is free of the impacts of air pollution, and most are affected by multiple pollutants. In aquatic ecosystems, effects of acidity, nitrogen, and mercury on organisms and biogeochemical processes are well documented. Air pollution causes or contributes to acidification of lakes, eutrophication of estuaries and coastal waters, and mercury bioaccumulation in aquatic food webs. In terrestrial ecosystems, the effects of air pollution on biogeochemical cycling are also very well documented, but the effects on most organisms and the interaction of air pollution with other stressors are less well understood. Nevertheless, there is strong evidence for effects of nitrogen deposition on plants in grasslands, alpine areas, and bogs, and for nitrogen effects on forest mycorrhizae. Soil acidification is widespread in forest ecosystems across the eastern United States and is likely to affect the composition and function of forests in acid-sensitive areas over the long term. Ozone is known to cause reductions in photosynthesis in many terrestrial plant species. For the most part, the effects of these pollutants are chronic, not acute, at the exposure levels common in the eastern United States. Mortality is often observed only at experimentally elevated exposure levels or in combination with other stresses such as drought, freezing, or pathogens. The notable exceptions are the acid/aluminum effects on aquatic organisms, which can be lethal at levels of acidity observed in many surface waters in the region. Although the effects are often subtle, they are important to biological conservation. Changes in species composition caused by terrestrial or aquatic acidification or eutrophication can propagate throughout the food webs to affect many organisms beyond those that are directly sensitive to the pollution. Likewise, sublethal doses of toxic pollutants may reduce the reproductive success of the affected organisms or make them more susceptible to potentially lethal pathogens. Many serious gaps in knowledge that warrant further research were identified. Among those gaps are the effects of acidification, ozone, and mercury on alpine systems, effects of nitrogen on species composition of forests, effects of mercury in terrestrial food webs, interactive effects of multiple pollutants, and interactions among air pollution and other environmental changes such as climate change and invasive species. These gaps in knowledge, coupled with the strong likelihood of impacts on ecosystems that have not been studied in the region, suggests that current knowledge underestimates the actual impact of air pollutants on biodiversity. Nonetheless, because known or likely impacts of air pollution on the biodiversity and function of natural ecosystems are widespread in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, the effects of air pollution should be considered in any long-term conservation strategy. It is recommended that ecologically relevant standards, such as "critical loads," be adopted for air pollutants and the importance of long-term monitoring of air pollution and its effects is emphasized.

Integrating the Sciences to Investigate Groundwater Pollution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grady, Julie R.; Madden, Andrew S.

2010-01-01

Investigations that integrate concepts from geological sciences with biology and chemistry are rare. The authors present an investigation that introduces high school students to microbe-mineral interactions by tying together anaerobic respiration, reduction reactions, metal ion solubility, and groundwater pollution. During the investigation,…

The positive relationship between ocean acidification and pollution.

PubMed

Zeng, Xiangfeng; Chen, Xijuan; Zhuang, Jie

2015-02-15

Ocean acidification and pollution coexist to exert combined effects on the functions and services of marine ecosystems. Ocean acidification can increase the biotoxicity of heavy metals by altering their speciation and bioavailability. Marine pollutants, such as heavy metals and oils, could decrease the photosynthesis rate and increase the respiration rate of marine organisms as a result of biotoxicity and eutrophication, facilitating ocean acidification to varying degrees. Here we review the complex interactions between ocean acidification and pollution in the context of linkage of multiple stressors to marine ecosystems. The synthesized information shows that pollution-affected respiration acidifies coastal oceans more than the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide. Coastal regions are more vulnerable to the negative impact of ocean acidification due to large influxes of pollutants from terrestrial ecosystems. Ocean acidification and pollution facilitate each other, and thus coastal environmental protection from pollution has a large potential for mitigating acidification risk. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contribution of the Nurses’ Health Studies to Uncovering Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes: Diet, Lifestyle, Biomarkers, and Genetics

PubMed Central

Ley, Sylvia H.; Ardisson Korat, Andres V.; Sun, Qi; Tobias, Deirdre K.; Zhang, Cuilin; Qi, Lu; Willett, Walter C.; Manson, JoAnn E.

2016-01-01

Objectives. To review the contribution of the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the NHS II to addressing hypotheses regarding risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Methods. We carried out a narrative review of 1976 to 2016 NHS and NHS II publications. Results. The NHS and NHS II have uncovered important roles in type 2 diabetes for individual nutrients, foods, dietary patterns, and physical activity independent of excess body weight. Up to 90% of type 2 diabetes cases are potentially preventable if individuals follow a healthy diet and lifestyle. The NHS investigations have also identified novel biomarkers for diabetes, including adipokines, inflammatory cytokines, nutrition metabolites, and environmental pollutants, offering new insights into the pathophysiology of the disease. Global collaborative efforts have uncovered many common genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes and improved our understanding of gene–environment interactions. Continued efforts to identify epigenetic, metagenomic, and metabolomic risk factors for type 2 diabetes have the potential to reveal new pathways and improve prediction and prevention. Conclusions. Over the past several decades, the NHS and NHS II have made major contributions to public health recommendations and strategies designed to reduce the global burden of diabetes. PMID:27459454

Contribution of the Nurses' Health Studies to Uncovering Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes: Diet, Lifestyle, Biomarkers, and Genetics.

PubMed

Ley, Sylvia H; Ardisson Korat, Andres V; Sun, Qi; Tobias, Deirdre K; Zhang, Cuilin; Qi, Lu; Willett, Walter C; Manson, JoAnn E; Hu, Frank B

2016-09-01

To review the contribution of the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and the NHS II to addressing hypotheses regarding risk factors for type 2 diabetes. We carried out a narrative review of 1976 to 2016 NHS and NHS II publications. The NHS and NHS II have uncovered important roles in type 2 diabetes for individual nutrients, foods, dietary patterns, and physical activity independent of excess body weight. Up to 90% of type 2 diabetes cases are potentially preventable if individuals follow a healthy diet and lifestyle. The NHS investigations have also identified novel biomarkers for diabetes, including adipokines, inflammatory cytokines, nutrition metabolites, and environmental pollutants, offering new insights into the pathophysiology of the disease. Global collaborative efforts have uncovered many common genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes and improved our understanding of gene-environment interactions. Continued efforts to identify epigenetic, metagenomic, and metabolomic risk factors for type 2 diabetes have the potential to reveal new pathways and improve prediction and prevention. Over the past several decades, the NHS and NHS II have made major contributions to public health recommendations and strategies designed to reduce the global burden of diabetes.

Methylmercury Exposure and Health Effects from Rice and Fish Consumption: A Review

PubMed Central

Li, Ping; Feng, Xinbin; Qiu, Guangle

2010-01-01

Methylmercury (MeHg) is highly toxic, and its principal target tissue in humans is the nervous system, which has made MeHg intoxication a public health concern for many decades. The general population is primarily exposed to MeHg through consumption of contaminated fish and marine mammals, but recent studies have reported high levels of MeHg in rice and confirmed that in China the main human exposure to MeHg is related to frequent rice consumption in mercury (Hg) polluted areas. This article reviews the progress in the research on MeHg accumulation in rice, human exposure and health effects, and nutrient and co-contaminant interactions. Compared with fish, rice is of poor nutritional quality and lacks specific micronutrients identified as having health benefits (e.g., n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid, selenium, essential amino acids). The effects of these nutrients on the toxicity of MeHg should be better addressed in future epidemiologic and clinical studies. More emphasis should be given to assessing the health effects of low level MeHg exposure in the long term, with appropriate recommendations, as needed, to reduce MeHg exposure in the rice-eating population. PMID:20644695

Nutrigenomics: the role of nutrients in gene expression.

PubMed

Dang, Tarana Singh; Walker, Mark; Ford, Dianne; Valentine, Ruth A

2014-02-01

Improved understanding of the mechanism behind periodontal tissue destruction, the potential protective role of nutrients and the advent of modern genomic measurement tools has led to an increased interest in the association between nutrition and periodontal disease. To date, evidence for a direct link between periodontal disease and nutrition has come mainly from large observational cross-sectional studies or very small double-blind randomized supplementation trials, with a large proportion finding no significant association between the nutrient being analyzed and markers of periodontal disease status. The advent of the 'genomic era' has introduced the concept of nutrigenomic studies, which aim to reveal the relationship between nutrition and the genome to provide a scientific basis for improved public health through dietary means. Used alongside relatively inexpensive high-throughput technology, this will allow the effect of diet on the etiology of periodontal disease to be studied in greater detail. As it is extremely likely that interactions between genotype and diet are important in determining the risk of the most common complex diseases, it is highly probable that these interactions will be important in determining periodontal disease risk. Numerous nutritional genetic studies where the outcome measures have been markers of disease risk, most notably cardiovascular disease and cancer, provide proof of principle, highlight the importance of understanding these interactions and illustrate where the effect of dietary modification on periodontal disease progression may have been overlooked previously by observational studies. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Does plant-Microbe interaction confer stress tolerance in plants: A review?

PubMed

Kumar, Akhilesh; Verma, Jay Prakash

2018-03-01

The biotic and abiotic stresses are major constraints for crop yield, food quality and global food security. A number of parameters such as physiological, biochemical, molecular of plants are affected under stress condition. Since the use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture practices cause degradation of soil fertility and environmental pollutions. Hence it is necessary to develop safer and sustainable means for agriculture production. The application of plant growth promoting microbes (PGPM) and mycorrhizal fungi enhance plant growth, under such conditions. It offers an economically fascinating and ecologically sound ways for protecting plants against stress condition. PGPM may promote plant growth by regulating plant hormones, improve nutrition acquisition, siderophore production and enhance the antioxidant system. While acquired systemic resistance (ASR) and induced systemic resistance (ISR) effectively deal with biotic stress. Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) enhance the supply of nutrients and water during stress condition and increase tolerance to stress. This plant-microbe interaction is vital for sustainable agriculture and industrial purpose, because it depends on biological processes and replaces conventional agriculture practices. Therefore, microbes may play a key role as an ecological engineer to solve environmental stress problems. So, it is a feasible and potential technology in future to feed global population at available resources with reduced impact on environmental quality. In this review, we have attempted to explore about abiotic and biotic stress tolerant beneficial microorganisms and their modes of action to enhance the sustainable agricultural production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Improvement of the soil nitrogen content and maize growth by earthworms and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soils polluted by oxytetracycline.

PubMed

Cao, Jia; Wang, Chong; Ji, Dingge

2016-11-15

Interactions between earthworms (Eisenia fetida) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Rhizophagus intraradices, AM fungi) have been suggested to improve the maize nitrogen (N) content and biomass and were studied in soils polluted by oxytetracycline (OTC). Maize was planted and amended with AMF and/or earthworms (E) in the soil with low (1mgkg(-1) soil DM) or high (100mgkg(-1) soil DM) amounts of OTC pollution in comparison to soil without OTC. The root colonization, shoot and root biomass, shoot and root N contents, soil nitrogen forms, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) were measured at harvest. The results indicated that OTC decreased maize shoot and root biomass (p<0.05) by mediating the soil urease activity and AOB and AOA abundance, which resulted in a lower N availability for maize roots and shoots. There was a significant interaction between earthworms and AM fungi on the urease activity in soil polluted by OTC (p<0.05). Adding earthworms or AM fungi could increase the maize biomass and N content (p<0.05) in OTC polluted soil by increasing the urease activity and relieving the stress from OTC on the soil N cycle. AM fungi and earthworms interactively increased maize shoot and root biomass (p<0.05) in the OTC polluted soils through their regulation of the urease activity and the abundance of ammonia oxidizers, resulting in different soil NH4(+)-N and NO3(-)-N contents, which may contribute to the N content of maize shoots and roots. Earthworms and AM fungi could be used as an efficient method to relieve the OTC stress in agro-ecosystems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modification of the interleukin-6 response to air pollution by interleukin-6 and fibrinogen polymorphisms.

PubMed

Ljungman, Petter; Bellander, Tom; Schneider, Alexandra; Breitner, Susanne; Forastiere, Francesco; Hampel, Regina; Illig, Thomas; Jacquemin, Bénédicte; Katsouyanni, Klea; von Klot, Stephanie; Koenig, Wolfgang; Lanki, Timo; Nyberg, Fredrik; Pekkanen, Juha; Pistelli, Riccardo; Pitsavos, Christos; Rosenqvist, Mårten; Sunyer, Jordi; Peters, Annette

2009-09-01

Evidence suggests that cardiovascular effects of air pollution are mediated by inflammation and that air pollution can induce genetic expression of the interleukin-6 gene (IL6). We investigated whether IL6 and fibrinogen gene variants can affect plasma IL-6 responses to air pollution in patients with cardiovascular disease. We repeatedly determined plasma IL-6 in 955 myocardial infarction survivors from six European cities (n = 5,539). We conducted city-specific analyses using additive mixed models adjusting for patient characteristics, time trend, and weather to assess the impact of air pollutants on plasma IL-6. We pooled city-specific estimates using meta-analysis methodology. We selected three IL6 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and one SNP each from the fibrinogen alpha-chain gene (FGA) and beta-chain gene (FGB) for gene-environment analyses. We found the most consistent modifications for variants in IL6 rs2069832 and FBG rs1800790 after exposure to carbon monoxide (CO; 24-hr average; p-values for interaction, 0.034 and 0.019, respectively). Nitrogen dioxide effects were consistently modified, but p-values for interaction were larger (0.09 and 0.19, respectively). The strongest effects were seen 6-11 hr after exposure, when, for example, the overall effect of a 2.2% increase in IL-6 per 0.64 mg/m(3) CO was modified to a 10% (95% confidence interval, 4.6-16%) increase in IL-6 (p-value for interaction = 0.002) for minor homozygotes of FGB rs1800790. The effect of gaseous traffic-related air pollution on inflammation may be stronger in genetic subpopulations with ischemic heart disease. This information could offer an opportunity to identify postinfarction patients who would benefit more than others from a cleaner environment and antiinflammatory treatment.

Volatile-Mediated Interactions between Cabbage Plants in the Field and the Impact of Ozone Pollution.

PubMed

Giron-Calva, Patricia Sarai; Li, Tao; Blande, James D

2017-04-01

Plants constitutively release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but qualitatively and quantitatively alter their emission of VOCs in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. The blend of VOCs emitted reflects the physiological status of the plant. Plants may be exposed to the VOC blend emitted by their near neighbors and gain information that allows them to adjust their own defenses. These plant-plant interactions may potentially be exploited to protect crops from pests, but they can be disturbed by abiotic factors making the process sensitive to environmental perturbation. Despite numerous studies describing plant-plant interactions, relatively few have been conducted with agriculturally significant cultivated plant varieties under field conditions. Here we studied plant-plant interactions in a conspecific association of Brassica oleracea var. capitata (cabbage) and show that undamaged plants exposed to neighbors damaged by the herbivore Pieris brassicae are primed for stronger volatile emissions upon subsequent herbivore attack. We conducted a field study in an ozone free-air concentration enrichment (FACE) facility with ambient and elevated ozone levels and found that elevated tropospheric ozone significantly alters the priming of VOCs in receiver plants. We conclude that plant-plant interactions may prime defensive attributes of receiver plants under field conditions, but are impaired by ozone pollution. Therefore, when planning the manipulation of plant-plant interactions for agricultural purposes, the potential effects of atmospheric pollutants should be considered.

CARES Helps Explain Secondary Organic Aerosols

ScienceCinema

Zaveri, Rahul

2018-01-16

What happens when urban man-made pollution mixes with what we think of as pristine forest air? To know more about what this interaction means for the climate, the Carbonaceous Aerosol and Radiative Effects Study, or CARES, field campaign was designed in 2010. The sampling strategy during CARES was coordinated with CalNex 2010, another major field campaign that was planned in California in 2010 by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the California Energy Commission (CEC). "We found two things. When urban pollution mixes with forest pollutions we get more secondary organic aerosols," said Rahul Zaveri, FCSD scientist and project lead on CARES. "SOAs are thought to be formed primarily from forest emissions but only when they interact with urban emissions. The data is saying that there will be climate cooling over the central California valley because of these interactions." Knowledge gained from detailed analyses of data gathered during the CARES campaign, together with laboratory experiments, is being used to improve existing climate models.

Interactive effects of cadmium and acid rain on photosynthetic light reaction in soybean seedlings.

PubMed

Sun, Zhaoguo; Wang, Lihong; Chen, Minmin; Wang, Lei; Liang, Chanjuan; Zhou, Qing; Huang, Xiaohua

2012-05-01

Interactive effects of cadmium (Cd(2+)) and acid rain on photosynthetic light reaction in soybean seedlings were investigated under hydroponic conditions. Single treatment with Cd(2+) or acid rain and the combined treatment decreased the content of chlorophyll, Hill reaction rate, the activity of Mg(2+)-ATPase, maximal photochemical efficiency and maximal quantum yield, increased initial fluorescence and damaged the chloroplast structure in soybean seedlings. In the combined treatment, the change in the photosynthetic parameters and the damage of chloroplast structure were stronger than those of any single pollution. Meanwhile, Cd(2+) and acid rain had the interactive effects on the test indices in soybean seedlings. The results indicated that the combined pollution of Cd(2+) and acid rain aggravated the toxic effect of the single pollution of Cd(2+) or acid rain on the photosynthetic parameters due to the serious damage to the chloroplast structure. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modelling nutritional mutualisms: challenges and opportunities for data integration.

PubMed

Clark, Teresa J; Friel, Colleen A; Grman, Emily; Shachar-Hill, Yair; Friesen, Maren L

2017-09-01

Nutritional mutualisms are ancient, widespread, and profoundly influential in biological communities and ecosystems. Although much is known about these interactions, comprehensive answers to fundamental questions, such as how resource availability and structured interactions influence mutualism persistence, are still lacking. Mathematical modelling of nutritional mutualisms has great potential to facilitate the search for comprehensive answers to these and other fundamental questions by connecting the physiological and genomic underpinnings of mutualisms with ecological and evolutionary processes. In particular, when integrated with empirical data, models enable understanding of underlying mechanisms and generalisation of principles beyond the particulars of a given system. Here, we demonstrate how mathematical models can be integrated with data to address questions of mutualism persistence at four biological scales: cell, individual, population, and community. We highlight select studies where data has been or could be integrated with models to either inform model structure or test model predictions. We also point out opportunities to increase model rigour through tighter integration with data, and describe areas in which data is urgently needed. We focus on plant-microbe systems, for which a wealth of empirical data is available, but the principles and approaches can be generally applied to any nutritional mutualism. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Genomic and Epigenomic Insights into Nutrition and Brain Disorders

PubMed Central

Dauncey, Margaret Joy

2013-01-01

Considerable evidence links many neuropsychiatric, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders with multiple complex interactions between genetics and environmental factors such as nutrition. Mental health problems, autism, eating disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease and brain tumours are related to individual variability in numerous protein-coding and non-coding regions of the genome. However, genotype does not necessarily determine neurological phenotype because the epigenome modulates gene expression in response to endogenous and exogenous regulators, throughout the life-cycle. Studies using both genome-wide analysis of multiple genes and comprehensive analysis of specific genes are providing new insights into genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying nutrition and neuroscience. This review provides a critical evaluation of the following related areas: (1) recent advances in genomic and epigenomic technologies, and their relevance to brain disorders; (2) the emerging role of non-coding RNAs as key regulators of transcription, epigenetic processes and gene silencing; (3) novel approaches to nutrition, epigenetics and neuroscience; (4) gene-environment interactions, especially in the serotonergic system, as a paradigm of the multiple signalling pathways affected in neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. Current and future advances in these four areas should contribute significantly to the prevention, amelioration and treatment of multiple devastating brain disorders. PMID:23503168

Effects of two low phytic acid mutations on seed quality and nutritional traits in soybean (Glycine max L. Merr).

PubMed

Yuan, Feng-Jie; Zhu, Dan-Hua; Deng, Bo; Fu, Xu-Jun; Dong, De-Kun; Zhu, Shen-Long; Li, Bai-Quan; Shu, Qing-Yao

2009-05-13

Reduction of phytic acid in soybean seeds has the potential to improve the nutritional value of soybean meal and lessen phosphorus pollution in large scale animal farming. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of two new low phytic acid (LPA) mutations on seed quality and nutritional traits. Multilocation/season comparative analyses showed that the two mutations did not affect the concentration of crude protein, any of the individual amino acids, crude oil, and individual saturated fatty acids. Among other traits, Gm-lpa-TW75-1 had consistently higher sucrose contents (+47.4-86.1%) and lower raffinose contents (-74.2 to -84.3%) than those of wild type (WT) parent Taiwan 75; Gm-lpa-ZC-2 had higher total isoflavone contents (3038.8-4305.4 microg/g) than its parent Zhechun # 3 (1583.6-2644.9 microg/g) in all environments. Further tests of homozygous F(3) progenies of the cross Gm-lpa-ZC-2 x Wuxing # 4 (WT variety) showed that LPA lines had a mean content of total isoflavone significantly higher than WT lines. This study demonstrated that two LPA mutant genes have no negative effects on seed quality and nutritional traits; they instead have the potential to improve a few other properties. Therefore, these two mutant genes are valuable genetic resources for breeding high quality soybean varieties.

Pharmaceutical Point of View on Parenteral Nutrition

PubMed Central

Stawny, M.; Olijarczyk, R.; Jaroszkiewicz, E.; Jelińska, A.

2013-01-01

Parenteral nutrition—a form of administering nutrients, electrolytes, trace elements, vitamins, and water—is a widely used mode of therapy applied in many diseases, in patients of different ages both at home and in hospital. The success of nutritional therapy depends chiefly on proper determination of the patient's energetic and electrolytic needs as well as preparation and administration of a safe nutritional mixture. As a parenterally administered drug, it is expected to be microbiologically and physicochemically stable, with all of the components compatible with each other. It is very difficult to obtain a stable nutritional mixture due to the fact that it is a complex, two-phase drug. Also, the risk of incompatibility between mixture components and packaging should be taken into consideration and possibly eliminated. Since parenteral nutrition is a part of therapy, simultaneous use of drugs may cause pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions as well as those with the pharmaceutical phase. The aim of this paper is to discuss such aspects of parenteral nutrition as mixture stability, methodology, and methods for determining the stability of nutritional mixtures and drugs added to them. PMID:24453847

Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics.

PubMed

Farhud, Dd; Zarif Yeganeh, M; Zarif Yeganeh, M

2010-01-01

The nutrients are able to interact with molecular mechanisms and modulate the physiological functions in the body. The Nutritional Genomics focuses on the interaction between bioactive food components and the genome, which includes Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics. The influence of nutrients on f genes expression is called Nutrigenomics, while the heterogeneous response of gene variants to nutrients, dietary components and developing nutraceticals is called Nutrigenetics. Genetic variation is known to affect food tolerances among human subpopulations and may also influence dietary requirements and raising the possibility of individualizing nutritional intake for optimal health and disease prevention on the basis of an individual's genome. Nutrigenomics provides a genetic understanding for how common dietary components affect the balance between health and disease by altering the expression and/or structure of an individual's genetic makeup. Nutrigenetics describes that the genetic profile have impact on the response of body to bioactive food components by influencing their absorption, metabolism, and site of action.In this way, considering different aspects of gene-nutrient interaction and designing appropriate diet for every specific genotype that optimize individual health, diagnosis and nutritional treatment of genome instability, we could prevent and control conversion of healthy phenotype to diseases.

Nutrigenomics and Nutrigenetics

PubMed Central

Farhud, DD; Zarif Yeganeh, M; Zarif Yeganeh, M

2010-01-01

The nutrients are able to interact with molecular mechanisms and modulate the physiological functions in the body. The Nutritional Genomics focuses on the interaction between bioactive food components and the genome, which includes Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics. The influence of nutrients on f genes expression is called Nutrigenomics, while the heterogeneous response of gene variants to nutrients, dietary components and developing nutraceticals is called Nutrigenetics. Genetic variation is known to affect food tolerances among human subpopulations and may also influence dietary requirements and raising the possibility of individualizing nutritional intake for optimal health and disease prevention on the basis of an individual’s genome. Nutrigenomics provides a genetic understanding for how common dietary components affect the balance between health and disease by altering the expression and/or structure of an individual’s genetic makeup. Nutrigenetics describes that the genetic profile have impact on the response of body to bioactive food components by influencing their absorption, metabolism, and site of action. In this way, considering different aspects of gene–nutrient interaction and designing appropriate diet for every specific genotype that optimize individual health, diagnosis and nutritional treatment of genome instability, we could prevent and control conversion of healthy phenotype to diseases. PMID:23113033

Contributions to advances in blend pellet products (BPP) research on molecular structure and molecular nutrition interaction by advanced synchrotron and globar molecular (Micro)spectroscopy.

PubMed

Guevara-Oquendo, Víctor H; Zhang, Huihua; Yu, Peiqiang

2018-04-13

To date, advanced synchrotron-based and globar-sourced techniques are almost unknown to food and feed scientists. There has been little application of these advanced techniques to study blend pellet products at a molecular level. This article aims to provide recent research on advanced synchrotron and globar vibrational molecular spectroscopy contributions to advances in blend pellet products research on molecular structure and molecular nutrition interaction. How processing induced molecular structure changes in relation to nutrient availability and utilization of the blend pellet products. The study reviews Utilization of co-product components for blend pellet product in North America; Utilization and benefits of inclusion of pulse screenings; Utilization of additives in blend pellet products; Application of pellet processing in blend pellet products; Conventional evaluation techniques and methods for blend pellet products. The study focus on recent applications of cutting-edge vibrational molecular spectroscopy for molecular structure and molecular structure association with nutrient utilization in blend pellet products. The information described in this article gives better insight on how advanced molecular (micro)spectroscopy contributions to advances in blend pellet products research on molecular structure and molecular nutrition interaction.

Nutrigenomics and its Impact on Life Style Associated Metabolic Diseases

PubMed Central

Rana, Shalika; Kumar, Shiv; Rathore, Nikita; Padwad, Yogendra; Bhushana, Shashi

2016-01-01

Post-human genome revelation observes the emergence of ‘Nutigenomics’ as one of the exciting scientific advancement influencing mankind around the world. Food or more precisely 'nutrition' has the major impact in defining the cause-response interaction between nutrient (diet) and human health. In addition to substantial understanding of nutrition-human-health interaction, bases of 'nutrigenomic' development foster on advent in transcriptomics, genomics, proteomics and metabolomics as well as insight into food as health supplement. Interaction of selected nutrient with associated genes in specific organ or tissue necessary to comprehend that how individual's genetic makeup (DNA transcribed into mRNA and then to proteins) respond to particular nutrient. It provided new opportunities to incorporate natural bioactive compounds into food for specific group of people with similar genotype. As inception of diabetes associated with change in gene expression of, not limited to, protein kinase B, insulin receptor, duodenal homeobox and glucokinase, thus, targeting such proteins by modifying or improving the nutritional availability or uptake may help to devise novel food, supplements, or nutraceuticals. In this article, various aspects of R&D in nutrigenomics are reviewed to ascertain its impact on human health, especially with life-style associated diseases. PMID:27252592

Meeting Report: Atmospheric Pollution and Human Reproduction

PubMed Central

Slama, Rémy; Darrow, Lyndsey; Parker, Jennifer; Woodruff, Tracey J.; Strickland, Matthew; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark; Glinianaia, Svetlana; Hoggatt, Katherine J.; Kannan, Srimathi; Hurley, Fintan; Kalinka, Jaroslaw; Šrám, Radim; Brauer, Michael; Wilhelm, Michelle; Heinrich, Joachim; Ritz, Beate

2008-01-01

Background There is a growing body of epidemiologic literature reporting associations between atmospheric pollutants and reproductive outcomes, particularly birth weight and gestational duration. Objectives The objectives of our international workshop were to discuss the current evidence, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of published epidemiologic studies, and to suggest future directions for research. Discussion Participants identified promising exposure assessment tools, including exposure models with fine spatial and temporal resolution that take into account time–activity patterns. More knowledge on factors correlated with exposure to air pollution, such as other environmental pollutants with similar temporal variations, and assessment of nutritional factors possibly influencing birth outcomes would help evaluate importance of residual confounding. Participants proposed a list of points to report in future publications on this topic to facilitate research syntheses. Nested case–control studies analyzed using two-phase statistical techniques and development of cohorts with extensive information on pregnancy behaviors and biological samples are promising study designs. Issues related to the identification of critical exposure windows and potential biological mechanisms through which air pollutants may lead to intrauterine growth restriction and premature birth were reviewed. Conclusions To make progress, this research field needs input from toxicology, exposure assessment, and clinical research, especially to aid in the identification and exposure assessment of feto-toxic agents in ambient air, in the development of early markers of adverse reproductive outcomes, and of relevant biological pathways. In particular, additional research using animal models would help better delineate the biological mechanisms underpinning the associations reported in human studies. PMID:18560536

Meeting report: atmospheric pollution and human reproduction.

PubMed

Slama, Rémy; Darrow, Lyndsey; Parker, Jennifer; Woodruff, Tracey J; Strickland, Matthew; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark; Glinianaia, Svetlana; Hoggatt, Katherine J; Kannan, Srimathi; Hurley, Fintan; Kalinka, Jaroslaw; Srám, Radim; Brauer, Michael; Wilhelm, Michelle; Heinrich, Joachim; Ritz, Beate

2008-06-01

There is a growing body of epidemiologic literature reporting associations between atmospheric pollutants and reproductive outcomes, particularly birth weight and gestational duration. The objectives of our international workshop were to discuss the current evidence, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of published epidemiologic studies, and to suggest future directions for research. Participants identified promising exposure assessment tools, including exposure models with fine spatial and temporal resolution that take into account time-activity patterns. More knowledge on factors correlated with exposure to air pollution, such as other environmental pollutants with similar temporal variations, and assessment of nutritional factors possibly influencing birth outcomes would help evaluate importance of residual confounding. Participants proposed a list of points to report in future publications on this topic to facilitate research syntheses. Nested case-control studies analyzed using two-phase statistical techniques and development of cohorts with extensive information on pregnancy behaviors and biological samples are promising study designs. Issues related to the identification of critical exposure windows and potential biological mechanisms through which air pollutants may lead to intrauterine growth restriction and premature birth were reviewed. To make progress, this research field needs input from toxicology, exposure assessment, and clinical research, especially to aid in the identification and exposure assessment of feto-toxic agents in ambient air, in the development of early markers of adverse reproductive outcomes, and of relevant biological pathways. In particular, additional research using animal models would help better delineate the biological mechanisms underpinning the associations reported in human studies.

Nutrients in the nexus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davidson, Eric A.; Niphong, Rachel; Ferguson, Richard B.; Palm, Cheryl; Osmond, Deanna L.; Baron, Jill S.

2016-01-01

Synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer has enabled modern agriculture to greatly improve human nutrition during the twentieth century, but it has also created unintended human health and environmental pollution challenges for the twenty-first century. Averaged globally, about half of the fertilizer-N applied to farms is removed with the crops, while the other half remains in the soil or is lost from farmers’ fields, resulting in water and air pollution. As human population continues to grow and food security improves in the developing world, the dual development goals of producing more nutritious food with low pollution will require both technological and socio-economic innovations in agriculture. Two case studies presented here, one in sub-Saharan Africa and the other in Midwestern United States, demonstrate how management of nutrients, water, and energy is inextricably linked in both small-scale and large-scale food production, and that science-based solutions to improve the efficiency of nutrient use can optimize food production while minimizing pollution. To achieve the needed large increases in nutrient use efficiency, however, technological developments must be accompanied by policies that recognize the complex economic and social factors affecting farmer decision-making and national policy priorities. Farmers need access to affordable nutrient supplies and support information, and the costs of improving efficiencies and avoiding pollution may need to be shared by society through innovative policies. Success will require interdisciplinary partnerships across public and private sectors, including farmers, private sector crop advisors, commodity supply chains, government agencies, university research and extension, and consumers.

Label reading, numeracy and Food&Nutrition involvement.

PubMed

Mulders, Maria Dgh; Corneille, O; Klein, O

2018-06-07

The purpose of this study was to investigate objective performance on a nutrition label comprehension task, and the influence of numeracy and food-related involvement on this performance level. A pilot study (n = 45) was run to prepare the scales in French. For the main study (n = 101), participants provided demographic information and answered the nutrition label survey, the short numeracy scale and two different food-related involvement scales (i.e. the food involvement scale and the nutrition involvement scale). Both studies were conducted online, and consent was obtained from all participants. Participants answered correctly only two-thirds of the nutrition label task items. Numeracy and food involvement scores were positively correlated with performance on this task. Finally, food involvement interacted with numeracy. Specifically, people scoring low in numeracy performed generally more poorly on the task, but if they had high food involvement scores, their performance increased. This suggests that high food-related motivation may compensate for poor numeracy skills when dealing with nutrition labels. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Odors and Air Pollution: A Bibliography with Abstracts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC. Office of Air Programs.

The annotated bibliography presents a compilation of abstracts which deal with odors as they relate to air pollution. The abstracts are arranged within the following categories: Emission sources; Control methods; Measurement methods; Air quality measurements; Atmospheric interaction; Basic science and technology; Effects-human health;…

CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS FOR ENANTIOMER SEPARATION AND MEASUREMENT OF ENANTIOSELECTIVITY OF CHIRAL POLLUTANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Chiral pollutants exist as 2 species, -- enantiomers - that have identical physical and chemical properties except when they interact with enzymes or other chiral molecules; then they usually react selectively. This enantioselectivity results in different rates of microbial trans...

Remote sensing observations for monitoring and mathematical simulations of transboundary air pollutants migration from Siberian mass wildfires to Kazakhstan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaipov, I. V.

2017-03-01

Anthropogenic and natural factors have increased the power of wildfires in massive Siberian woodlands. As a consequence, the expansion of burned areas and increase in the duration of the forest fire season have led to the release of significant amounts of gases and aerosols. Therefore, it is important to understand the impact of wildland fires on air quality, atmospheric composition, climate and accurately describe the distribution of combustion products in time and space. The most effective research tool is the regional hydrodynamic model of the atmosphere, coupled with the model of pollutants transport and chemical interaction. Taking into account the meteorological parameters and processes of chemical interaction of impurities, complex use of remote sensing techniques for monitoring massive forest fires and mathematical modeling of long-range transport of pollutants in the atmosphere, allow to evaluate spatial and temporal scale of the phenomenon and calculate the quantitative characteristics of pollutants depending on the height and distance of migration.

Overfishing and nutrient pollution interact with temperature to disrupt coral reefs down to microbial scales.

PubMed

Zaneveld, Jesse R; Burkepile, Deron E; Shantz, Andrew A; Pritchard, Catharine E; McMinds, Ryan; Payet, Jérôme P; Welsh, Rory; Correa, Adrienne M S; Lemoine, Nathan P; Rosales, Stephanie; Fuchs, Corinne; Maynard, Jeffrey A; Thurber, Rebecca Vega

2016-06-07

Losses of corals worldwide emphasize the need to understand what drives reef decline. Stressors such as overfishing and nutrient pollution may reduce resilience of coral reefs by increasing coral-algal competition and reducing coral recruitment, growth and survivorship. Such effects may themselves develop via several mechanisms, including disruption of coral microbiomes. Here we report the results of a 3-year field experiment simulating overfishing and nutrient pollution. These stressors increase turf and macroalgal cover, destabilizing microbiomes, elevating putative pathogen loads, increasing disease more than twofold and increasing mortality up to eightfold. Above-average temperatures exacerbate these effects, further disrupting microbiomes of unhealthy corals and concentrating 80% of mortality in the warmest seasons. Surprisingly, nutrients also increase bacterial opportunism and mortality in corals bitten by parrotfish, turning normal trophic interactions deadly for corals. Thus, overfishing and nutrient pollution impact reefs down to microbial scales, killing corals by sensitizing them to predation, above-average temperatures and bacterial opportunism.

Overfishing and nutrient pollution interact with temperature to disrupt coral reefs down to microbial scales

PubMed Central

Zaneveld, Jesse R.; Burkepile, Deron E.; Shantz, Andrew A.; Pritchard, Catharine E.; McMinds, Ryan; Payet, Jérôme P.; Welsh, Rory; Correa, Adrienne M. S.; Lemoine, Nathan P.; Rosales, Stephanie; Fuchs, Corinne; Maynard, Jeffrey A.; Thurber, Rebecca Vega

2016-01-01

Losses of corals worldwide emphasize the need to understand what drives reef decline. Stressors such as overfishing and nutrient pollution may reduce resilience of coral reefs by increasing coral–algal competition and reducing coral recruitment, growth and survivorship. Such effects may themselves develop via several mechanisms, including disruption of coral microbiomes. Here we report the results of a 3-year field experiment simulating overfishing and nutrient pollution. These stressors increase turf and macroalgal cover, destabilizing microbiomes, elevating putative pathogen loads, increasing disease more than twofold and increasing mortality up to eightfold. Above-average temperatures exacerbate these effects, further disrupting microbiomes of unhealthy corals and concentrating 80% of mortality in the warmest seasons. Surprisingly, nutrients also increase bacterial opportunism and mortality in corals bitten by parrotfish, turning normal trophic interactions deadly for corals. Thus, overfishing and nutrient pollution impact reefs down to microbial scales, killing corals by sensitizing them to predation, above-average temperatures and bacterial opportunism. PMID:27270557

Effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on mineralization and mobility of nonylphenol and sodium dodecyl sulfate in agricultural soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lillotte, Julia; Marschner, Bernd; Stumpe, Britta

2014-05-01

Nanotechnology is one of the major scientific research fields in this decade. One of the most wide-spread nanomaterials are carbon based nanoparticles (CNPs) which are increasingly be used in industry. Several studies shows that CNPs are interacting with other chemical compounds and organic pollutants in the environment. It is assumed that the interactions between CNPs and organic pollutants are affected by solution and aggregate behavior. Based on the knowledge of the behavior of CNPs and organic pollutants in aquatic systems the interactions of CNPs and organic pollutants in agricultural soils have to be studied. As organic pollutants two environmental substances, nonylphenol (NP) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were selected as model substances. They occur frequently in aqueous systems and also show different solubility behavior. As CNP representatives, two different multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were selected. They differed either in length or outer diameter. Conclusions therefrom are to be closed the influence of length and diameter of the sorption capacity of different organic pollutants. In addition, two agricultural soils (sandy and silty soil) and one forest soil (sandy soil) were chosen. Mineralization and sorption experiments were conducted to provide information about the degradation of organic pollutants in presence of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in soils. To analyze the CNPs mineralization potential, peroxidase activity was measured. Further extraction experiments were conducted to detect the extractable part of organic pollutants. The results show that the surface area of the MWNT has a significant impact on the sorption behav-ior of NP and SDS in soils. The sorption of NP and SDS is much higher than without MWNT. However, the properties of the organic pollutants (different water solubility and hydrophobicity) are equally important and should be noted. The degradation of both pollutants is influenced by MWNT. Due to the strong sorption of NP and SDS on the MWNT, the degradation of these pollutants in soils, is slower than without MWNT. The peroxidase activity did not contribute to NP and SDS degradation. But the peroxidase activity in agricultural soils is higher than in forest soils. The extractable fraction of NP and SDS is very low and amounts to a maximum of 2 %. Due to the lower degradation of NP and SDS in the presence of MWNT a longer retention of the substances in the soils and potential toxic effects for humans and animals, as a result of plant uptake may be taken into account.

Nutrition and Nonmotor Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.

PubMed

Mischley, Laurie K

2017-01-01

To date, no guidelines exist for the screening, evaluation, and management of nutritional status in PD. Dozens of studies demonstrate an association between diet in adulthood with subsequent risk of developing PD. Individuals with PD are at increased risk of malnutrition due to the increased metabolic demands and disease pathophysiology. Risk of malnutrition is further complicated by anosmia, swallowing difficulties, constipation, and drug-nutrient interactions. An emerging body of evidence suggests that the intestinal tract is affected early in the disease, creating therapeutic opportunities for early intervention. Dietary modification and nutritional supplementation may improve symptoms of constipation, depression, insomnia, dystonia, and help prevent cognitive dysfunction. This review summarizes the state of the science related to nutrition and nonmotor symptoms of PD. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of Digital Nutrition Education Intervention on the Nutritional Knowledge Levels of Information Technology Professionals.

PubMed

Sharma, Priya; Rani, M Usha

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study was to determine the changes in knowledge of information technology (IT) professionals after receiving a nutrition education intervention for a month. The sample comprised of 40 IT professionals (29 males and 11 females). The sample was drawn from four IT companies of Hyderabad city using random sampling techniques. The data on the general information of the subjects was collected. The data regarding the commonly accessed sources of nutrition and health information by the subjects was also obtained from the study. The intervention study group received nutrition education by distribution of the developed CD-ROMs to them followed by interactive sessions. To assess the impact of nutrition education intervention, the knowledge assessment questionnaire (KAQ) was developed and administered before and after the education programme. A significant improvement in the mean nutritional knowledge scores was observed among the total study subjects from 22.30 to 40.55 after the intervention (p < 0.05). The findings support the importance of providing professionals with nutrition knowledge to promote healthy dietary behaviors.Thus, the method of e-learning and development of CD-Rom is essential for teaching the educated groups on nutrition, physical activity and overall health education to improve their health, lifestyle and eating habits.

Adaptive collective foraging in groups with conflicting nutritional needs

PubMed Central

Senior, Alistair M.; Lihoreau, Mathieu; Charleston, Michael A.; Buhl, Jerome; Raubenheimer, David; Simpson, Stephen J.

2016-01-01

Collective foraging, based on positive feedback and quorum responses, is believed to improve the foraging efficiency of animals. Nutritional models suggest that social information transfer increases the ability of foragers with closely aligned nutritional needs to find nutrients and maintain a balanced diet. However, whether or not collective foraging is adaptive in a heterogeneous group composed of individuals with differing nutritional needs is virtually unexplored. Here we develop an evolutionary agent-based model using concepts of nutritional ecology to address this knowledge gap. Our aim was to evaluate how collective foraging, mediated by social retention on foods, can improve nutrient balancing in individuals with different requirements. The model suggests that in groups where inter-individual nutritional needs are unimodally distributed, high levels of collective foraging yield optimal individual fitness by reducing search times that result from moving between nutritionally imbalanced foods. However, where nutritional needs are highly bimodal (e.g. where the requirements of males and females differ) collective foraging is selected against, leading to group fission. In this case, additional mechanisms such as assortative interactions can coevolve to allow collective foraging by subgroups of individuals with aligned requirements. Our findings indicate that collective foraging is an efficient strategy for nutrient regulation in animals inhabiting complex nutritional environments and exhibiting a range of social forms. PMID:27152206

Is maternal nutrition knowledge more strongly associated with the diets of mothers or their school-aged children?

PubMed

Williams, Lauren; Campbell, Karen; Abbott, Gavin; Crawford, David; Ball, Kylie

2012-08-01

Maternal nutrition knowledge has frequently been identified as an important target for nutrition promotion interventions. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether maternal nutrition knowledge is more strongly associated with the mother's own diet or that of her child. Cross-sectional multivariate linear regression with interactions analyses of survey data. Socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Victoria, Australia. Five hundred and twenty-three mothers and their children who participated in the Resilience for Eating and Physical Activity Despite Inequality (READI) study, a cross-sectional survey study conducted in 2009 among women and their children residing in socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods. In adjusted models, for three (vegetable, chocolate/lollies and soft drink consumption) out of the seven dietary outcomes assessed, there was a significant association between maternal nutrition knowledge and maternal diet, whereas for the children's diets none of the seven outcomes were associated with maternal nutrition knowledge. Statistical comparison of regression coefficients showed no difference between the maternal nutrition knowledge-maternal diet association and the maternal nutrition knowledge-child diet association. Promoting maternal nutrition knowledge may represent an important avenue for improving diet in mothers from socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods, but more information is needed on how and when this knowledge is translated to benefits for their children's diet.

A youth mentor-led nutritional intervention in urban recreation centers: a promising strategy for childhood obesity prevention in low-income neighborhoods

PubMed Central

Sato, Priscila M.; Steeves, Elizabeth A.; Carnell, Susan; Cheskin, Lawrence J.; Trude, Angela C.; Shipley, Cara; Mejía Ruiz, M. J.; Gittelsohn, Joel

2016-01-01

B’More Healthy Community for Kids (BHCK) is an ongoing multi-level intervention to prevent childhood obesity in African-American low-income neighborhoods in Baltimore city, MD. Although previous nutrition interventions involving peer mentoring of youth have been successful, there is a lack of studies evaluating the influence of cross-age peers within interventions targeting youth. This article evaluates the implementation of the BHCK intervention in recreation centers, and describes lessons learned. Sixteen youth leaders delivered bi-weekly, interactive sessions to 10- to 14-y olds. Dose, fidelity and reach are assessed, as is qualitative information regarding what worked well during sessions. Dose is operationalized as the number of interactive sessions, and taste tests, giveaways and handouts per session; fidelity as the number of youth leaders participating in the entire intervention and per session and reach as the number of interactions with the target population. Based on a priori set values, number of interactive sessions was high, and number of taste tests, giveaways and handouts was moderate to high (dose). The number of participating youth leaders was also high (fidelity). Of the 14 planned sessions, the intervention was implemented with high/moderate reach. Data suggest that working with cross-age peers is a promising nutritional intervention for recreation centers. PMID:26936480

Interactions between C-reactive protein genotypes with markers of nutritional status in relation to inflammation.

PubMed

Nienaber-Rousseau, Cornelie; Swanepoel, Bianca; Dolman, Robin C; Pieters, Marlien; Conradie, Karin R; Towers, G Wayne

2014-11-11

Inflammation, as indicated by C-reactive protein concentrations (CRP), is a risk factor for chronic diseases. Both genetic and environmental factors affect susceptibility to inflammation. As dietary interventions can influence inflammatory status, we hypothesized that dietary effects could be influenced by interactions with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CRP gene. We determined 12 CRP SNPs, as well as various nutrition status markers in 2010 black South Africans and analyzed their effect on CRP. Interactions were observed for several genotypes with obesity in determining CRP. Lipid intake modulated the pro-inflammatory effects of some SNPs, i.e., an increase in both saturated fatty acid and monounsaturated fatty acid intake in those homozygous for the polymorphic allele at rs2808630 was associated with a larger increase in CRP. Those harboring the minor alleles at rs3093058 and rs3093062 presented with significantly higher CRP in the presence of increased triglyceride or cholesterol intake. When harboring the minor allele of these SNPs, a high omega-6 to -3 ratio was, however, found to be anti-inflammatory. Carbohydrate intake also modulated CRP SNPs, as HbA1C and fasting glucose levels interacted with some SNPs to influence the CRP. This investigation highlights the impact that nutritional status can have on reducing the inherent genetic susceptibility to a heightened systemic inflammatory state.

The Interaction Effects of Meteorological Factors and Air Pollution on the Development of Acute Coronary Syndrome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ching-Hui; Lin, Heng-Cheng; Tsai, Chen-Dao; Huang, Hung-Kai; Lian, Ie-Bin; Chang, Chia-Chu

2017-03-01

This study investigated the interaction effects of meteorological factors and air pollutants on the onset of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Data of ACS patients were obtained from the Taiwan ACS Full Spectrum Registry and comprised 3164 patients with a definite onset date during the period October 2008 and January 2010 at 39 hospitals. Meteorological conditions and air pollutant concentrations at the 39 locations during the 488-day period were obtained. Time-lag Poisson and logistic regression were used to explore their association with ACS incidence. One-day lag atmospheric pressure (AP), humidity, particulate matter (PM2.5, and PM10), and carbon monoxide (CO) all had significant interaction effects with temperature on ACS occurrence. Days on which high temperatures (>26 °C) and low AP (<1009 hPa) occurred the previous day were associated with a greater likelihood of increased incidence of developing ACS. Typhoon Morakot was an example of high temperature with extremely low AP associated with higher ACS incidence than the daily average. Combinations of high concentrations of PM or CO with low temperatures (<21 °C) and high humidity levels with low temperatures were also associated with increased incidence of ACS. Atmospheric pollution and weather factors have synergistic effects on the incidence of ACS.

Variation in nutritional quality and chemical composition of fresh strawberry fruit: combined effect of cultivar and storage.

PubMed

Dragišić Maksimović, Jelena; Poledica, Milena; Mutavdžić, Dragosav; Mojović, Miloš; Radivojević, Dragan; Milivojević, Jasminka

2015-03-01

Bioclimatic air ionisation system (BI) works by neutralising air pollutants and microorganisms by means of oxidation with "activated oxygen". We investigated the effects of storage on changes in weight loss, chemical and sensory fruit properties in eight cultivars of strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.). All cultivars were evaluated for their standard parameters of quality (soluble solids content, total acidity, vitamin C content, total antioxidant activity - TAC, total phenolic and anthocyanins content) at different store conditions: fresh fruits-control, cold stored (at 4 °C) fruits without controlled atmospheres and cold stored (at 4 °C) fruits in BI. The present study outlines that anthocyanins of the strawberries stored in BI were subjected to significant degradation. These strawberries have prolonged shelf-life accompanied by weight loss reduction, TAC increment, and sensory properties improvement in tested cultivars, retaining other nutritional fruit qualities.

Omega-3 fatty acids and the benefits of fish consumption: is all that glitters gold?

PubMed

Domingo, José L

2007-10-01

In recent years, a number of studies have clearly remarked the nutritional benefits of fish consumption: proteins, vitamins, minerals, and especially omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which may protect against several adverse health effects, including coronary heart disease mortality and stroke. However, some concerns about potential health risks derived from the environmental contaminants found in fish have been also raised. Therefore, balancing adequately the risks and benefits of fish consumption is currently a nutritional/environmental health key issue. In this paper, the most recent available scientific information concerning this issue is reviewed. It is concluded that although it seems evident that fish must be an important part of a balanced diet, to choose the most suitable species in terms of levels of PUFAs and pollutants, the frequency of consumption, and the meal size are essential aspects to balance benefits and risks of a regular consumption.

Evaluation of forest nutrition based on large-scale foliar surveys: are nutrition profiles the way of the future?

PubMed

Luyssaert, Sebastiaan; Sulkava, Mika; Raitio, Hannu; Hollmén, Jaakko

2004-02-01

This paper introduces the use of nutrition profiles as a first step in the development of a concept that is suitable for evaluating forest nutrition on the basis of large-scale foliar surveys. Nutrition profiles of a tree or stand were defined as the nutrient status, which accounts for all element concentrations, contents and interactions between two or more elements. Therefore a nutrition profile overcomes the shortcomings associated with the commonly used concepts for evaluating forest nutrition. Nutrition profiles can be calculated by means of a neural network, i.e. a self-organizing map, and an agglomerative clustering algorithm with pruning. As an example, nutrition profiles were calculated to describe the temporal variation in the mineral composition of Scots pine and Norway spruce needles in Finland between 1987 and 2000. The temporal trends in the frequency distribution of the nutrition profiles of Scots pine indicated that, between 1987 and 2000, the N, S, P, K, Ca, Mg and Al decreased, whereas the needle mass (NM) increased or remained unchanged. As there were no temporal trends in the frequency distribution of the nutrition profiles of Norway spruce, the mineral composition of the needles of Norway spruce needles subsequently did not change. Interpretation of the (lack of) temporal trends was outside the scope of this example. However, nutrition profiles prove to be a new and better concept for the evaluation of the mineral composition of large-scale surveys only when a biological interpretation of the nutrition profiles can be provided.

Nutritional strategies to support concurrent training.

PubMed

Perez-Schindler, Joaquin; Hamilton, D Lee; Moore, Daniel R; Baar, Keith; Philp, Andrew

2015-01-01

Concurrent training (the combination of endurance exercise to resistance training) is a common practice for athletes looking to maximise strength and endurance. Over 20 years ago, it was first observed that performing endurance exercise after resistance exercise could have detrimental effects on strength gains. At the cellular level, specific protein candidates have been suggested to mediate this training interference; however, at present, the physiological reason(s) behind the concurrent training effect remain largely unknown. Even less is known regarding the optimal nutritional strategies to support concurrent training and whether unique nutritional approaches are needed to support endurance and resistance exercise during concurrent training approaches. In this review, we will discuss the importance of protein supplementation for both endurance and resistance training adaptation and highlight additional nutritional strategies that may support concurrent training. Finally, we will attempt to synergise current understanding of the interaction between physiological responses and nutritional approaches into practical recommendations for concurrent training.

Collaboration Between Dietetics and Dentistry: Dietetic Internship in Pediatric Dentistry

PubMed Central

More, Frederick G.; Sasson, Lisa M.; Godfrey, Emilie M.; Sehl, Rima B.

2006-01-01

The American Dietetic Association and the American Dental Association share a common interest in improving the health and quality of life of the population. Dental visits present an opportunity to identify nutrition-related issues for both the pediatric and adult population. Traditionally, dental and nutrition students have had little opportunity to learn and work together since little time was spent on nutrition in the dental curriculum. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of a new collaborative training experience for dietetic interns and pediatric dentistry residents. The oral health rotation for dietetic interns also has several objectives, including experience interacting with a culturally diverse population and participating in community nutrition education (Head Start). In its first 18 months, the collaborative program has been viewed as a success by the pediatric dentistry faculty and residents and the nutrition faculty and interns. PMID:16639470

Personalized nutrition and obesity.

PubMed

Qi, Lu

2014-08-01

The past few decades have witnessed a rapid rise in nutrition-related disorders such as obesity in the United States and over the world. Traditional nutrition research has associated various foods and nutrients with obesity. Recent advances in genomics have led to identification of the genetic variants determining body weight and related dietary factors such as intakes of energy and macronutrients. In addition, compelling evidence has lent support to interactions between genetic variations and dietary factors in relation to obesity and weight change. Moreover, recently emerging data from other 'omics' studies such as epigenomics and metabolomics suggest that more complex interplays between the global features of human body and dietary factors may exist at multiple tiers in affecting individuals' susceptibility to obesity; and a concept of 'personalized nutrition' has been proposed to integrate this novel knowledge with traditional nutrition research, with the hope ultimately to endorse person-centric diet intervention to mitigate obesity and related disorders.

Culture, Urbanism and Changing Human Biology.

PubMed

Schell, L M

2014-04-03

Anthropologists have long known that human activity driven by culture changes the environment. This is apparent in the archaeological record and through the study of the modern environment. Perhaps the largest change since the paleolithic era is the organization of human populations in cities. New environments can reshape human biology through evolution as shown by the evolution of the hominid lineage. Evolution is not the only process capable of reshaping our biology. Some changes in our human biology are adaptive and evolutionary while others are pathological. What changes in human biology may be wrought by the modern urban environment? One significant new change in the environment is the introduction of pollutants largely through urbanization. Pollutants can affect human biology in myriad ways. Evidence shows that human growth, reproduction, and cognitive functioning can be altered by some pollutants, and altered in different ways depending on the pollutant. Thus, pollutants have significance for human biologists and anthropologists generally. Further, they illustrate the bio-cultural interaction characterizing human change. Humans adapt by changing the environment, a cultural process, and then change biologically to adjust to that new environment. This ongoing, interactive process is a fundamental characteristic of human change over the millennia.

Culture, Urbanism and Changing Human Biology

PubMed Central

Schell, L.M.

2014-01-01

Anthropologists have long known that human activity driven by culture changes the environment. This is apparent in the archaeological record and through the study of the modern environment. Perhaps the largest change since the paleolithic era is the organization of human populations in cities. New environments can reshape human biology through evolution as shown by the evolution of the hominid lineage. Evolution is not the only process capable of reshaping our biology. Some changes in our human biology are adaptive and evolutionary while others are pathological. What changes in human biology may be wrought by the modern urban environment? One significant new change in the environment is the introduction of pollutants largely through urbanization. Pollutants can affect human biology in myriad ways. Evidence shows that human growth, reproduction, and cognitive functioning can be altered by some pollutants, and altered in different ways depending on the pollutant. Thus, pollutants have significance for human biologists and anthropologists generally. Further, they illustrate the bio-cultural interaction characterizing human change. Humans adapt by changing the environment, a cultural process, and then change biologically to adjust to that new environment. This ongoing, interactive process is a fundamental characteristic of human change over the millennia. PMID:25598655

Distance to High-Voltage Power Lines and Risk of Childhood Leukemia – an Analysis of Confounding by and Interaction with Other Potential Risk Factors

PubMed Central

Pedersen, Camilla; Bräuner, Elvira V.; Rod, Naja H.; Albieri, Vanna; Andersen, Claus E.; Ulbak, Kaare; Hertel, Ole; Johansen, Christoffer; Schüz, Joachim; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole

2014-01-01

We investigated whether there is an interaction between distance from residence at birth to nearest power line and domestic radon and traffic-related air pollution, respectively, in relation to childhood leukemia risk. Further, we investigated whether adjusting for potential confounders alters the association between distance to nearest power line and childhood leukemia. We included 1024 cases aged <15, diagnosed with leukemia during 1968–1991, from the Danish Cancer Registry and 2048 controls randomly selected from the Danish childhood population and individually matched by gender and year of birth. We used geographical information systems to determine the distance between residence at birth and the nearest 132–400 kV overhead power line. Concentrations of domestic radon and traffic-related air pollution (NOx at the front door) were estimated using validated models. We found a statistically significant interaction between distance to nearest power line and domestic radon regarding risk of childhood leukemia (p = 0.01) when using the median radon level as cut-off point but not when using the 75th percentile (p = 0.90). We found no evidence of an interaction between distance to nearest power line and traffic-related air pollution (p = 0.73). We found almost no change in the estimated association between distance to power line and risk of childhood leukemia when adjusting for socioeconomic status of the municipality, urbanization, maternal age, birth order, domestic radon and traffic-related air pollution. The statistically significant interaction between distance to nearest power line and domestic radon was based on few exposed cases and controls and sensitive to the choice of exposure categorization and might, therefore, be due to chance. PMID:25259740

Distance to high-voltage power lines and risk of childhood leukemia--an analysis of confounding by and interaction with other potential risk factors.

PubMed

Pedersen, Camilla; Bräuner, Elvira V; Rod, Naja H; Albieri, Vanna; Andersen, Claus E; Ulbak, Kaare; Hertel, Ole; Johansen, Christoffer; Schüz, Joachim; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole

2014-01-01

We investigated whether there is an interaction between distance from residence at birth to nearest power line and domestic radon and traffic-related air pollution, respectively, in relation to childhood leukemia risk. Further, we investigated whether adjusting for potential confounders alters the association between distance to nearest power line and childhood leukemia. We included 1024 cases aged <15, diagnosed with leukemia during 1968-1991, from the Danish Cancer Registry and 2048 controls randomly selected from the Danish childhood population and individually matched by gender and year of birth. We used geographical information systems to determine the distance between residence at birth and the nearest 132-400 kV overhead power line. Concentrations of domestic radon and traffic-related air pollution (NOx at the front door) were estimated using validated models. We found a statistically significant interaction between distance to nearest power line and domestic radon regarding risk of childhood leukemia (p = 0.01) when using the median radon level as cut-off point but not when using the 75th percentile (p = 0.90). We found no evidence of an interaction between distance to nearest power line and traffic-related air pollution (p = 0.73). We found almost no change in the estimated association between distance to power line and risk of childhood leukemia when adjusting for socioeconomic status of the municipality, urbanization, maternal age, birth order, domestic radon and traffic-related air pollution. The statistically significant interaction between distance to nearest power line and domestic radon was based on few exposed cases and controls and sensitive to the choice of exposure categorization and might, therefore, be due to chance.

MANAGEMENT OF DIFFUSE POLLUTION IN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS: LESSONS FROM THE MINNESOTA RIVER BASIN. (R825290)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

The Minnesota River (Minnesota, USA) receives large non-point source pollutant loads. Complex interactions between agricultural, state agency, environmental groups, and issues of scale make watershed management difficult. Subdividing the basin's 12 major water...

Air Pollution Translations: A Bibliography with Abstracts - Volume 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC. Air Pollution Technical Information Center.

This volume is the fourth in a series of compilations presenting abstracts and indexes of translations of technical air pollution literature. The entries are grouped into 12 subject categories: Emission Sources, Control Methods, Measurement Methods, Air Quality Measurements, Atmospheric Interaction, Basic Science and Technology, Effects--Human…

Monitoring Healthy Metabolic Trajectories with Nutritional Metabonomics

PubMed Central

Collino, Sebastiano; Martin, François-Pierre J.; Kochhar, Sunil; Rezzi, Serge

2009-01-01

Metabonomics is a well established analytical approach for the analysis of physiological regulatory processes via the metabolic profiling of biofluids and tissues in living organisms. Its potential is fully exploited in the field of “nutrimetabonomics” that aims at assessing the metabolic effects of active ingredients and foods in individuals. Yet, one of the greatest challenges in nutrition research is to decipher the critical interactions between mammalian organisms and environmental factors, including the gut microbiota. “Nutrimetabonomics” is today foreseen as a powerful approach for future nutritional programs tailored at health maintenance and disease prevention. PMID:22253970

New challenges in studying nutrition-disease interactions in the developing world

PubMed Central

Prentice, Andrew M.; Gershwin, M. Eric; Schaible, Ulrich E.; Keusch, Gerald T.; Victora, Cesar G.; Gordon, Jeffrey I.

2008-01-01

Latest estimates indicate that nutritional deficiencies account for 3 million child deaths each year in less-developed countries. Targeted nutritional interventions could therefore save millions of lives. However, such interventions require careful optimization to maximize benefit and avoid harm. Progress toward designing effective life-saving interventions is currently hampered by some serious gaps in our understanding of nutrient metabolism in humans. In this Personal Perspective, we highlight some of these gaps and make some proposals as to how improved research methods and technologies can be brought to bear on the problems of undernourished children in the developing world. PMID:18382744

Variation in the nutritional physiology of tree-feeding swallowtail caterpillars

Treesearch

Matthew P. Ayres; Janice L. Bossart; J. Mark Scriber

1991-01-01

A key problem in addressing patterns of interaction between forest insects and their host trees is determining the level at which important ecological and evolutionary interactions occur. We commonly view plant-herbivore relations as herbivore species interacting with plant species, tacitly assuming that variation among members of either species is small and one can...

To See or Not to See: Do Front of Pack Nutrition Labels Affect Attention to Overall Nutrition Information?

PubMed Central

Bix, Laura; Sundar, Raghav Prashant; Bello, Nora M.; Peltier, Chad; Weatherspoon, Lorraine J.; Becker, Mark W.

2015-01-01

Background Front of pack (FOP) nutrition labels are concise labels located on the front of food packages that provide truncated nutrition information. These labels are rapidly gaining prominence worldwide, presumably because they attract attention and their simplified formats enable rapid comparisons of nutritional value. Methods Eye tracking was conducted as US consumers interacted with actual packages with and without FOP labels to (1) assess if the presence of an FOP label increases attention to nutrition information when viewers are not specifically tasked with nutrition-related goals; and (2) study the effect of FOP presence on consumer use of more comprehensive, traditional nutrition information presented in the Nutritional Facts Panel (NFP), a mandatory label for most packaged foods in the US. Results Our results indicate that colored FOP labels enhanced the probability that any nutrition information was attended, and resulted in faster detection and longer viewing of nutrition information. However, for cereal packages, these benefits were at the expense of attention to the more comprehensive NFP. Our results are consistent with a potential short cut effect of FOP labels, such that if an FOP was present, participants spent less time attending the more comprehensive NFP. For crackers, FOP labels increased time spent attending to nutrition information, but we found no evidence that their presence reduced the time spent on the nutrition information in the NFP. Conclusions The finding that FOP labels increased attention to overall nutrition information by people who did not have an explicit nutritional goal suggests that these labels may have an advantage in conveying nutrition information to a wide segment of the population. However, for some food types this benefit may come with a short-cut effect; that is, decreased attention to more comprehensive nutrition information. These results have implications for policy and warrant further research into the mechanisms by which FOP labels impact use of nutrition information by consumers for different foods. PMID:26488611

Epigenetic Matters: The Link between Early Nutrition, Microbiome, and Long-term Health Development

PubMed Central

Indrio, Flavia; Martini, Silvia; Francavilla, Ruggiero; Corvaglia, Luigi; Cristofori, Fernanda; Mastrolia, Salvatore Andrea; Neu, Josef; Rautava, Samuli; Russo Spena, Giovanna; Raimondi, Francesco; Loverro, Giuseppe

2017-01-01

Epigenetic modifications are among the most important mechanisms by which environmental factors can influence early cellular differentiation and create new phenotypic traits during pregnancy and within the neonatal period without altering the deoxyribonucleic acid sequence. A number of antenatal and postnatal factors, such as maternal and neonatal nutrition, pollutant exposure, and the composition of microbiota, contribute to the establishment of epigenetic changes that can not only modulate the individual adaptation to the environment but also have an influence on lifelong health and disease by modifying inflammatory molecular pathways and the immune response. Postnatal intestinal colonization, in turn determined by maternal flora, mode of delivery, early skin-to-skin contact and neonatal diet, leads to specific epigenetic signatures that can affect the barrier properties of gut mucosa and their protective role against later insults, thus potentially predisposing to the development of late-onset inflammatory diseases. The aim of this review is to outline the epigenetic mechanisms of programming and development acting within early-life stages and to examine in detail the role of maternal and neonatal nutrition, microbiota composition, and other environmental factors in determining epigenetic changes and their short- and long-term effects. PMID:28879172

Climate Change, Nutrition, and Bottom-Up and Top-Down Food Web Processes.

PubMed

Rosenblatt, Adam E; Schmitz, Oswald J

2016-12-01

Climate change ecology has focused on climate effects on trophic interactions through the lenses of temperature effects on organismal physiology and phenological asynchronies. Trophic interactions are also affected by the nutrient content of resources, but this topic has received less attention. Using concepts from nutritional ecology, we propose a conceptual framework for understanding how climate affects food webs through top-down and bottom-up processes impacted by co-occurring environmental drivers. The framework integrates climate effects on consumer physiology and feeding behavior with effects on resource nutrient content. It illustrates how studying responses of simplified food webs to simplified climate change might produce erroneous predictions. We encourage greater integrative complexity of climate change research on trophic interactions to resolve patterns and enhance predictive capacities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: oral health and nutrition.

PubMed

Touger-Decker, Riva; Mobley, Connie

2013-05-01

It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that nutrition is an integral component of oral health. The Academy supports integration of oral health with nutrition services, education, and research. Collaboration between dietetics practitioners and oral health care professionals is recommended for oral health promotion and disease prevention and intervention. Scientific and epidemiological data suggest a lifelong synergy between diet, nutrition, and integrity of the oral cavity in health and disease. Oral health and nutrition have a multifaceted relationship. Oral infectious diseases, as well as acute, chronic, and systemic diseases with oral manifestations, impact an individual's functional ability to eat and their nutrition status. Likewise, nutrition and diet can affect the development and integrity of the oral cavity and progression of oral diseases. As knowledge of the link between oral and nutrition health increases, dietetics practitioners and oral health care professionals must learn to provide screening, education, and referrals as part of comprehensive client/patient care. The provision of medical nutrition therapy, including oral and overall health, is incorporated into the Standards of Practice for registered dietitians and dietetic technicians, registered. Inclusion of didactic and clinical practice concepts that illustrate the role of nutrition in oral health is essential in education programs for both professional groups. Collaborative endeavors between dietetics, dentistry, medicine, and allied health professionals in research, education, and delineation of practice roles are needed to ensure comprehensive health care. The multifaceted interactions between diet, nutrition, and oral health in practice, education, and research in both dietetics and dentistry merit continued, detailed delineation. Copyright © 2013 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Temporal variations and spatial distributions of heavy metals in a wastewater-irrigated soil-eggplant system and associated influencing factors.

PubMed

Ai, Shiwei; Liu, Bailin; Yang, Ying; Ding, Jian; Yang, Wenzhi; Bai, Xiaojuan; Naeem, Sajid; Zhang, Yingmei

2018-05-30

Heavy metal pollution in farmlands is highly concerned as crops' easy-uptake of heavy metal can ultimately affect consumers. In order to offer suggestions on cultivating safe quality vegetable, specifically eggplant which is widely consumed for its nutritional value and antioxidant activity, a field study was undertaken to investigate the temporal variations and spatial distributions of heavy metals in a wastewater-irrigated soil-eggplant system. In the present study, eggplants were planted in the farmlands of Weichuan village (WC) (relatively unpolluted field), Liangzhuang village (LZ) (moderately polluted field) and Minqin village (MQ) (seriously polluted field) to elucidate their temporal uptake processes of heavy metals described by the sigmoid model. Eggplant tissues from severely polluted farmlands were found with higher heavy metal concentrations and lower yields compared with other two groups. What is more, 25 farmlands along the Dongdagou stream (heavy metals polluted stream) were chosen to analyze the spatial distribution of heavy metals in soils and eggplants. Heavy metal concentrations in eggplants decreased with the decline of heavy metal concentrations in soil from upstream (pollution source) to downstream. Moreover, several methods were employed to assess bioavailability of heavy metals in soils. All the bioavailable heavy metals were found in linear positive correlations with heavy metal concentrations. Meanwhile, linear correlations were found between heavy metals in soils and eggplants. At last, redundancy analysis was used to investigate the effects of soil properties (pH, organic matter and texture of soils) and heavy metals on eggplants' uptake. The results indicated that soil heavy metals had a dominant impact on their accumulations in eggplant fruit, with a variance contribution of 78.0%, while soil properties had a regulatory effect, with a variance contribution of 5.2%. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Air pollution and Parkinson's disease - evidence and future directions.

PubMed

Palacios, Natalia

2017-12-20

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease of unknown etiology that is thought to be caused by a complex combination of environmental and/or genetic factors. Air pollution exposure is linked to numerous adverse effects on human health, including brain inflammation and oxidative stress, processes that are believed to contribute to the development and progression of PD. This review provides an overview of recent advances in the epidemiology of air pollution and PD, including evidence of the effects of various pollutants (ozone, PM10, PM2.5, PM2.5-10, NOx, NO2, CO, traffic air pollution, second-hand smoking) on PD risk. Based on this evidence, promising opportunities for future research are outlined, including: (1) studies of smaller particle sizes that cross the blood-brain barrier, (2) studies of the effects of air pollution on PD mortality and/or progression; (3) studies of interactions of air pollution with gene environment and other environmental factors.

Outdoor Ambient Air Pollution and Neurodegenerative Diseases: the Neuroinflammation Hypothesis.

PubMed

Jayaraj, Richard L; Rodriguez, Eric A; Wang, Yi; Block, Michelle L

2017-06-01

Accumulating research indicates that ambient outdoor air pollution impacts the brain and may affect neurodegenerative diseases, yet the potential underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The neuroinflammation hypothesis holds that elevation of cytokines and reactive oxygen species in the brain mediates the deleterious effects of urban air pollution on the central nervous system (CNS). Studies in human and animal research document that neuroinflammation occurs in response to several inhaled pollutants. Microglia are a prominent source of cytokines and reactive oxygen species in the brain, implicated in the progressive neuron damage in diverse neurodegenerative diseases, and activated by inhaled components of urban air pollution through both direct and indirect pathways. The MAC1-NOX2 pathway has been identified as a mechanism through which microglia respond to different forms of air pollution, suggesting a potential common deleterious pathway. Multiple direct and indirect pathways in response to air pollution exposure likely interact in concert to exert CNS effects.

Oestrogenic pollutants promote the growth of a parasite in male sticklebacks.

PubMed

Macnab, Vicki; Katsiadaki, Ioanna; Tilley, Ceinwen A; Barber, Iain

2016-05-01

Aquatic environments are especially susceptible to anthropogenic chemical pollution. Yet although knowledge on the biological effects of pollutants on aquatic organisms is increasing, far less is known about how ecologically-important interspecific interactions are affected by chemicals. In particular, the consequences of anthropogenic pollution for the interaction of hosts and parasites are poorly understood. Here, we examine how exposure to 17β-oestradiol (E2)-a natural oestrogen and a model endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) -affects infection susceptibility and emergent infection phenotypes in an experimental host-parasite system; three spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) infected with the common, debilitating cestode Schistocephalus solidus. We exposed individual sticklebacks to a 0ngl(-1) (control), 10ngl(-1) or 100ngl(-1) E2 treatment before feeding them infective stages of S. solidus. E2 exposure significantly elevated vitellogenin (VTG) levels-a biomarker of exposure to xenoestrogens-in both female and male fish, and reduced their body condition. Susceptibility to parasite infection was unaffected by EDC exposure; however, E2 treatment and fish sex interacted significantly to determine the growth rate of parasites, which grew quickest in male hosts held under the higher (100ngl(-1)) E2 treatment. Tissue VTG levels and parasite mass correlated positively across the whole sample of experimentally infected fish, but separate regressions run on the male and female datasets demonstrated a significant relationship only among male fish. Hence, among males-but not females-elevated VTG levels elicited by E2 exposure led to more rapid parasite growth. We outline plausible physiological mechanisms that could explain these results. Our results demonstrate that oestrogenic pollutants can alter host-parasite interactions by promoting parasite growth, and that male hosts may be disproportionately affected. Because ecologically-relevant effects of infection on host antipredator responses, growth, energetics and reproductive development all depend on parasite mass in this host-parasite system, our results indicate that EDCs can mediate the ecological consequences of infections. We therefore consider the implications of our results for the ecology of hosts and parasites in polluted environments. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Particulate matter modifies the association between airborne pollen and daily medical consultations for pollinosis in Tokyo.

PubMed

Konishi, Shoko; Ng, Chris Fook Sheng; Stickley, Andrew; Nishihata, Shinichi; Shinsugi, Chisa; Ueda, Kayo; Takami, Akinori; Watanabe, Chiho

2014-11-15

Pollen from Japanese cedar (sugi) and cypress (hinoki) trees is responsible for the growing prevalence of allergic rhinitis, especially pollinosis in Japan. Previous studies have suggested that air pollutants enhance the allergic response to pollen in susceptible individuals. We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study to examine the potential modifying effects of PM2.5 and suspended particulate matter (SPM) on the association between pollen concentration and daily consultations for pollinosis. A total of 11,713 daily pollinosis cases (International Classification of Diseases, ICD-10, J30.1) from January to May, 2001-2011, were obtained from a clinic in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Daily pollen counts and the daily mean values of air pollutants (PM2.5, SPM, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3) were collected from monitoring stations across Tokyo. The effects of pollen were stratified by the level of PM2.5 and SPM to examine the interaction effect of pollen and particulate pollutants. We found a statistically significant interaction between pollen concentration and PM2.5/SPM. On days with a high level of PM2.5 (>95th percentile), an interquartile increase in the mean cumulative pollen count (an average of 28 pollen grains per cm(2) during lag-days 0 to 5) corresponded to a 10.30% (95%CI: 8.48%-12.16%) increase in daily new pollinosis cases, compared to 8.04% (95%CI: 7.28%-8.81%) on days with a moderate level of PM2.5 (5th-95th percentile). This interaction persisted when different percentile cut-offs were used and was robust to the inclusion of other air pollutants. A similar interaction pattern was observed between SPM and pollen when a less extreme cut-off for SPM was used to stratify the effect of pollen. Our study showed the acute effect of pollen was greater when the concentration of air particulate pollutant, specifically PM2.5 and SPM, was higher. These findings are consistent with the notion that particulate air pollution may act as an adjuvant that promotes allergic disease (i.e. pollinosis). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gut microbiota dictates the metabolic response of Drosophila to diet

PubMed Central

Wong, Adam C.-N.; Dobson, Adam J.; Douglas, Angela E.

2014-01-01

Animal nutrition is profoundly influenced by the gut microbiota, but knowledge of the scope and core mechanisms of the underlying animal–microbiota interactions is fragmentary. To investigate the nutritional traits shaped by the gut microbiota of Drosophila, we determined the microbiota-dependent response of multiple metabolic and performance indices to systematically varied diet composition. Diet-dependent differences between Drosophila bearing its unmanipulated microbiota (conventional flies) and experimentally deprived of its microbiota (axenic flies) revealed evidence for: microbial sparing of dietary B vitamins, especially riboflavin, on low-yeast diets; microbial promotion of protein nutrition, particularly in females; and microbiota-mediated suppression of lipid/carbohydrate storage, especially on high sugar diets. The microbiota also sets the relationship between energy storage and body mass, indicative of microbial modulation of the host signaling networks that coordinate metabolism with body size. This analysis identifies the multiple impacts of the microbiota on the metabolism of Drosophila, and demonstrates that the significance of these different interactions varies with diet composition and host sex. PMID:24577449

Effect of fortification with parsley (Petroselinum crispum Mill.) leaves on the nutraceutical and nutritional quality of wheat pasta.

PubMed

Sęczyk, Łukasz; Świeca, Michał; Gawlik-Dziki, Urszula; Luty, Marcin; Czyż, Jarosław

2016-01-01

This study examines the nutraceutical (phenolics content, antioxidant activity, biological activity) and nutritional potential (starch and protein digestibility) of wheat pasta supplemented with 1-4% of powdered parsley leaves. Compared to the control, the potentially bioaccessible fraction of pasta fortified with 4% parsley leaves was characterized by 67% increased phenolics content, a 146% higher antiradical ability and 220% additional reducing power. Elevation of these parameters in fortified pasta was accompanied by an augmentation of its antiproliferative effect on carcinoma cells, which confirms their biological relevance. Supplementation of pasta had no significant effect on starch digestibility, while negatively affecting protein digestibility (a reduction by about 20% for pasta with a 4% supplement). Electrophoretic and chromatographic analyses indicated the presence of phenolic interactions with proteins and/or digestive enzymes. Fortification improved the nutraceutical and nutritional potential of the studied pasta; however, the final effect is made by many factors, including phenolics-food matrix interactions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Fortification with Fish (Pseudophycis bachus) Powder on Nutritional Quality of Durum Wheat Pasta.

PubMed

Desai, Ajay S; Brennan, Margaret A; Brennan, Charles S

2018-04-17

This paper investigates the nutraceutical (phenolic content and antioxidant activity) and nutritional potential (protein and starch digestibility) of supplementation of durum wheat semolina with 5–20% fish powder ( Pseudophycis bachus ). In general, all enriched pasta with fish powder showed a significant decrease ( p < 0.05) in reducing sugar released during an in vitro digestion, and reductions in standardized area under the curve (AUC) values, compared to control pasta. The potentially bioaccessible fraction of pasta enriched with 20% fish powder (FP) was characterized as having a 177–191% increase in phenolic content and a 145–556% higher antiradical activity. Elevation of these parameters in fortified pasta was accompanied by interaction of wheat starch, protein, and fish powder protein. Supplementation of fish powder also influenced protein digestibility (a reduction from 84.60% for control pasta to 80.80% for pasta with 20% fish powder). Fortification improved the nutraceutical and nutritional potential of the studied pasta with the effects depending on factors including protein-starch-phenolic interactions.

Air Pollution Translations: A Bibliography with Abstracts - Volume 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Air Pollution Control Administration (DHEW), Raleigh, NC.

This volume is the second in a series of compilations presenting abstracts and indexes of translations of technical air pollution literature. The 444 entries are grouped into 12 subject categories: General; Emission Sources; Atmospheric Interaction; Measurement Methods; Control Methods; Effects--Human Health; Effects--Plants and Livestock;…

Co-exposure to ultrafine particulate matter and ozone causes electrocardiogram changes indicative of increased arrhythmia risk in mice

EPA Science Inventory

Numerous studies have shown a relationship between acute air pollution exposure and increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Due to the inherent complexity of air pollution, recent studies have focused on co-exposures to better understand potential interactions....

Students As Environmental Consultants Simulating Life Science Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Megan; Zydney, Janet Mannheimer

2004-01-01

This article describes a project in which eighth graders at East Side Middle School in New York City used an interactive multimedia program called "Pollution Solution" in a science unit on environmental pollution. Students assumed the role of environmental consultants working at fictional corporations which were being investigated for…

POLLUTION PREVENTION IN THE DESIGN OF CHEMICAL PROCESSES USING HIERARCHICAL DESIGN AND SIMULATION

EPA Science Inventory

The design of chemical processes is normally an interactive process of synthesis and analysis. When one also desires or needs to limit the amount of pollution generated by the process the difficulty of the task can increase substantially. In this work, we show how combining hier...

Chapter 7: Impact of Nitrogen and Climate Change Interactions on Ambient Air Pollution and Human Health

EPA Science Inventory

Nitrogen oxides (NOX) are important components of ambient and indoor air pollution and are emitted from a range of combustion sources, including on-road mobile sources, electric power generators, and non-road mobile sources. While anthropogenic sources dominate, NOX is also forme...

Special Issue of Inhalation Toxicology for Air Pollution and Health: Bridging the Gap from Sources-to-Health Outcomes

EPA Science Inventory

Pollution and Health: Bridging the Gap from Sources to Health Outcomes”, an international specialty conference by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR) (http://aaar.2010specialty.org/), provided one such opportunity for these interactions. The Conference was organi...

USE OF REMOTE SENSING AIR QUALITY INFORMATION IN REGIONAL SCALE AIR POLLUTION MODELING: CURRENT USE AND REQUIREMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

In recent years the applications of regional air quality models are continuously being extended to address atmospheric pollution phenomenon from local to hemispheric spatial scales over time scales ranging from episodic to annual. The need to represent interactions between physic...

Multiscale modeling of multi-decadal trends in air pollutant concentrations and their radiative properties: the role of models in an integrated observing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathur, R.; Xing, J.; Szykman, J.; Gan, C. M.; Hogrefe, C.; Pleim, J. E.

2015-12-01

Air Pollution simulation models must address the increasing complexity arising from new model applications that treat multi-pollutant interactions across varying space and time scales. Setting and attaining lower ambient air quality standards requires an improved understanding and quantification of source attribution amongst the multiple anthropogenic and natural sources, on time scales ranging from episodic to annual and spatial scales ranging from urban to continental. Changing emission patterns over the developing regions of the world are likely to exacerbate the impacts of long-range pollutant transport on background pollutant levels, which may then impact the attainment of local air quality standards. Thus, strategies for reduction of pollution levels of surface air over a region are complicated not only by the interplay of local emissions sources and several complex physical, chemical, dynamical processes in the atmosphere, but also hemispheric background levels of pollutants. Additionally, as short-lived climate forcers, aerosols and ozone exert regionally heterogeneous radiative forcing and influence regional climate trends. EPA's coupled WRF-CMAQ modeling system is applied over a domain encompassing the northern hemisphere for the period spanning 1990-2010. This period has witnessed significant reductions in anthropogenic emissions in North America and Europe as a result of implementation of control measures and dramatic increases across Asia associated with economic and population growth, resulting in contrasting trends in air pollutant distributions and transport patterns across the northern hemisphere. Model results (trends in pollutant concentrations, optical and radiative characteristics) across the northern hemisphere are analyzed in conjunction with surface, aloft and remote sensing measurements to contrast the differing trends in air pollution and aerosol-radiation interactions in these regions over the past two decades. Given the future LEO (TropOMI) and GEO (Sentinel-4, GEMS, and TEMPO) atmospheric chemistry satellite observing capabilities, the results from these model applications will be discussed in the context of how the new satellite observations could help constrain and reduce uncertainties in the models.

Evolving nutritional strategies in the presence of competition: a geometric agent-based model.

PubMed

Senior, Alistair M; Charleston, Michael A; Lihoreau, Mathieu; Buhl, Jerome; Raubenheimer, David; Simpson, Stephen J

2015-03-01

Access to nutrients is a key factor governing development, reproduction and ultimately fitness. Within social groups, contest-competition can fundamentally affect nutrient access, potentially leading to reproductive asymmetry among individuals. Previously, agent-based models have been combined with the Geometric Framework of nutrition to provide insight into how nutrition and social interactions affect one another. Here, we expand this modelling approach by incorporating evolutionary algorithms to explore how contest-competition over nutrient acquisition might affect the evolution of animal nutritional strategies. Specifically, we model tolerance of nutrient excesses and deficits when ingesting nutritionally imbalanced foods, which we term 'nutritional latitude'; a higher degree of nutritional latitude constitutes a higher tolerance of nutritional excess and deficit. Our results indicate that a transition between two alternative strategies occurs at moderate to high levels of competition. When competition is low, individuals display a low level of nutritional latitude and regularly switch foods in search of an optimum. When food is scarce and contest-competition is intense, high nutritional latitude appears optimal, and individuals continue to consume an imbalanced food for longer periods before attempting to switch to an alternative. However, the relative balance of nutrients within available foods also strongly influences at what levels of competition, if any, transitions between these two strategies occur. Our models imply that competition combined with reproductive skew in social groups can play a role in the evolution of diet breadth. We discuss how the integration of agent-based, nutritional and evolutionary modelling may be applied in future studies to further understand the evolution of nutritional strategies across social and ecological contexts.

Interaction matters: Strategies to promote engaged learning in an online introductory nutrition course

PubMed Central

Banna, Jinan; Grace Lin, Meng-Fen; Stewart, Maria; Fialkowski, Marie K.

2016-01-01

Fostering interaction in the online classroom is an important consideration in ensuring that students actively create their own knowledge and reach a high level of achievement in science courses. This study focuses on fostering interaction in an online introductory nutrition course offered in a public institution of higher education in Hawai‘i, USA. Interactive features included synchronous discussions and polls in scheduled sessions, and social media tools for sharing of information and resources. Qualitative student feedback was solicited regarding the new course features. Findings indicated that students who attended monthly synchronous sessions valued live interaction with peers and the instructor. Issues identified included technical difficulties during synchronous sessions, lack of participation on the part of fellow students in discussion and inability to attend synchronous sessions due to scheduling conflicts. In addition, few students made use of the opportunity to interact via social media. While students indicated that the interactive components of the course were valuable, several areas in which improvement may be made remain. Future studies may explore potential solutions to issues identified with new features to further promote interaction and foster learning in the course. Recommendations for instructors who are interested in offering online science courses in higher education are provided. PMID:27441032

Interactive relations among maternal depressive symptomatology, nutrition, and parenting.

PubMed

Aubuchon-Endsley, Nicki L; Thomas, David G; Kennedy, Tay S; Grant, Stephanie L; Valtr, Tabitha

2012-01-01

Theoretical models linking maternal nutrition, depressive symptomatology, and parenting are underdeveloped. However, existing literature suggests that iron status and depressive symptomatology interact in relation to problematic parenting styles (authoritarian, permissive). Therefore, in the current study the authors investigate these interactive relations in a sample of breastfeeding mothers (n = 105) interviewed at three months postpartum. Participants completed questionnaires (from December 2008 to January 2011) regarding their depressive symptomatology and parenting styles. Iron status (i.e., hemoglobin, soluble transferrin receptors, and serum ferritin concentrations) was assessed from blood samples. Significant interactions were found between iron status and depressive symptomatology in relation to authoritarian parenting style (low warmth, high punishment and directiveness). For those women with hemoglobin below 14.00 g/dL, depressive symptomatology was positively related to authoritarian parenting style (p < 0.001). Thus, screening for poor iron status and depressive sympatomology in postpartum women may help to identify those at risk for problematic parenting. Dietary interventions may help to eliminate relations between depressive symptoms and problematic parenting.

Species arboreal as a bioindicator of the environmental pollution: Analysis by SR-TXRF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vives, Ana Elisa Sirito; Moreira, Silvana; Brienza, Sandra Maria Boscolo; Medeiros, Jean Gabriel S.; Filho, Mario Tomazello; Zucchi, Orghêda Luiza Araújo Domingues; do Nascimento Filho, Virgilio Franco; Barroso, Regina Cely

2007-08-01

This paper aims to study the environmental pollution in the tree development, in order to evaluate its use as bioindicator in urban and countrysides. The sample collection was carried out in Piracicaba city, São Paulo State, that presents high level of environmental contamination in water, soil and air, due to industrial activities, vehicle combustion, sugar-cane leaves burning in the harvesting, etc. The species Caesalpinia peltophoroides ("Sibipiruna") was selected because it is often used in urban arborization. Synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence technique (SR-TXRF) was employed to identify and quantify the elements and metals of nutritional and toxicological importance in the wood samples. The analysis was performed in the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Source Laboratory, using a white beam for excitation and an Si(Li) detector for X-ray detection. In several samples were quantified P, K, Ca, Ti, Fe, Sr, Ba and Pb elements.

Effects of exposure to air pollution and smoking on the placental aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hincal, F.

Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activities were determined in placental tissues of 152 nonsmoker or exsmoker women who live in Ankara and 125 nonsmoker women who live in areas surrounding Ankara. Levels of AHH were also determined in the placentas of 52 cigarette smokers. The mean AHH activity in the Ankara group was 11.17 +/- 5.41; in the control group, 6.44 +/- 5.48; and for smokers, 45.68 +/- 53.36, which indicates significant differences (p < .001). There was a strong correlation (r = 0.89) between the AHH activities of individuals who live in Ankara and smoke content of the air. Placentalmore » AHH activity did not show any relation to the age, nutritional and dietary habits, factors of indoor pollution, duration of pregnancy, nor did the weight, length and Apgar score of the babies.« less

Interactions and consequences of silicon, nitrogen, and Fusarium palustre on herbivory and DMSP levels of Spartina alterniflora

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bazzano, Magalí; Elmer, Wade

2017-11-01

Sudden Vegetation Dieback (SVD) has been associated with multiple factors affecting the health of Spartina alterniflora. These include altered nutrition (N, Si and various metals), herbivory from the purple marsh crab, and the association with a fungal pathogen (Fusarium palustre). A metabolite produced by Spartina alterniflora that has been associated with plant health is dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), but little information exist on how these biotic stressors and nutrition interact to affect DMSP levels. Understanding how these factors might be interrelated might provide insight into the etiology of SVD. Surveys of a marsh affected by SVD confirmed lower levels of DMSP and higher concentrations of Si and other metals were present in Sp. alterniflora when compared to plants from marsh that exhibited no signs of SVD. In repeated greenhouse experiments, the application of Si to Sp. alterniflora had no effect on DMSP concentrations. However, when plants were inoculated with the pathogenic fungus, Fusarium palustre, and then treated with Si, DMSP levels were elevated 27%. Inoculation alone had no effect on DMSP levels. Si application neither favor growth nor suppress the stunting effect of disease by F. palustre. Furthermore, grazing by Sesarma reticulatum, a herbivorous crab, was not affected by Si nutrition. Grazing was increased by nitrogen fertilization and inoculation with F. palustre. Deciphering the role of Si nutrition in Sp. alterniflora and dieback remains unresolved, but no evidence suggests enhancing Si nutrition would directly favor marsh health.

Nutritional strategies to optimize dairy cattle immunity.

PubMed

Sordillo, L M

2016-06-01

Dairy cattle are susceptible to increased incidence and severity of both metabolic and infectious diseases during the periparturient period. A major contributing factor to increased health disorders is alterations in bovine immune mechanisms. Indeed, uncontrolled inflammation is a major contributing factor and a common link among several economically important infectious and metabolic diseases including mastitis, retained placenta, metritis, displaced abomasum, and ketosis. The nutritional status of dairy cows and the metabolism of specific nutrients are critical regulators of immune cell function. There is now a greater appreciation that certain mediators of the immune system can have a reciprocal effect on the metabolism of nutrients. Thus, any disturbances in nutritional or immunological homeostasis can provide deleterious feedback loops that can further enhance health disorders, increase production losses, and decrease the availability of safe and nutritious dairy foods for a growing global population. This review will discuss the complex interactions between nutrient metabolism and immune functions in periparturient dairy cattle. Details of how either deficiencies or overexposure to macro- and micronutrients can contribute to immune dysfunction and the subsequent development of health disorders will be presented. Specifically, the ways in which altered nutrient metabolism and oxidative stress can interact to compromise the immune system in transition cows will be discussed. A better understanding of the linkages between nutrition and immunity may facilitate the design of nutritional regimens that will reduce disease susceptibility in early lactation cows. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

TRIENNIAL LACTATION SYMPOSIUM: Nutrigenomics in livestock: Systems biology meets nutrition.

PubMed

Loor, J J; Vailati-Riboni, M; McCann, J C; Zhou, Z; Bionaz, M

2015-12-01

The advent of high-throughput technologies to study an animal's genome, proteome, and metabolome (i.e., "omics" tools) constituted a setback to the use of reductionism in livestock research. More recent development of "next-generation sequencing" tools was instrumental in allowing in-depth studies of the microbiome in the rumen and other sections of the gastrointestinal tract. Omics, along with bioinformatics, constitutes the foundation of modern systems biology, a field of study widely used in model organisms (e.g., rodents, yeast, humans) to enhance understanding of the complex biological interactions occurring within cells and tissues at the gene, protein, and metabolite level. Application of systems biology concepts is ideal for the study of interactions between nutrition and physiological state with tissue and cell metabolism and function during key life stages of livestock species, including the transition from pregnancy to lactation, in utero development, or postnatal growth. Modern bioinformatic tools capable of discerning functional outcomes and biologically meaningful networks complement the ever-increasing ability to generate large molecular, microbial, and metabolite data sets. Simultaneous visualization of the complex intertissue adaptations to physiological state and nutrition can now be discerned. Studies to understand the linkages between the microbiome and the absorptive epithelium using the integrative approach are emerging. We present examples of new knowledge generated through the application of functional analyses of transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data sets encompassing nutritional management of dairy cows, pigs, and poultry. Published work to date underscores that the integrative approach across and within tissues may prove useful for fine-tuning nutritional management of livestock. An important goal during this process is to uncover key molecular players involved in the organismal adaptations to nutrition.

Parenting Skills and Emotional Availability: An RCT.

PubMed

Yousafzai, Aisha K; Rasheed, Muneera A; Rizvi, Arjumand; Armstrong, Robert; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A

2015-05-01

To investigate whether a responsive stimulation intervention delivered to caregivers of young children either alone or integrated with nutrition interventions would benefit parenting skills and emotional availability to promote children's development and growth compared with either a nutrition intervention alone or the usual standard of care. A cluster randomized factorial effectiveness trial was implemented in an impoverished community in Pakistan. The 4 trial arms were control (usual standard of care), responsive stimulation (responsive care and stimulation), enhanced nutrition (education and multiple micronutrients), and a combination of both enriched interventions. The 4 intervention packages were delivered by community health workers to 1489 mother-infant dyads in the first 2 years of life. Parenting skills and emotional availability indexed by mother-child interaction, caregiving environment, knowledge and practices pertaining to early childhood care and feeding, and maternal depressive symptoms were assessed at multiple intervals. An intention-to-treat factorial analysis was conducted. Intervention groups were comparable at baseline. Responsive stimulation significantly benefitted parenting skills with large effect sizes on mother-child interaction (Cohen's d 0.8), caregiving environment (Cohen's d 0.9-1.0), and knowledge and practices (Cohen's d 0.7-1.1) compared with small-modest significant effects as a result of nutrition intervention on mother-child interaction and caregiving environment only (Cohen's d 0.4 and 0.2, respectively). The combined intervention had a small significant effect on decreasing maternal depressive symptoms over time (Cohen's d 0-0.2). A responsive stimulation intervention can promote positive caregiving behaviors among impoverished families. Additional research is needed on interventions to reduce maternal depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Assessment of working conditions in a modern Russian milk processing plant from the aspect of occupational medicine.

PubMed

Belova, L V; Mishkich, I A; Kresova, G A; Liubomudrova, T A

1999-03-01

Assessment of harmful industrial factors caused by work conditions in a modern milk processing plant. Work conditions, rest, nutrition, medical service, and subjective health indices among the employees in a new milk processing plant were studied. We used a specially formed questionnaire; instrumental measurements of microclimate parameters, noise, and illumination at workplace; laboratory physical and chemical evaluation of air pollution with aerosols and gases in the plant premises; chronometric studies determining the workers' activity during the working day location, and physical and psychological body exertion at the time of industrial activities; and assessment of design and operating documents of the plant. Laboratory studies included 157 workers, 1,724 tests, 26 chronometric studies, and analysis of 11 plant's documents. Unfavorable microclimatic conditions, noise, inadequate illumination, air pollution with dust and toxic substances, physical workload, increased demand for concentration, and monotony of labor in mass production professions were found. A great proportion of workers was dissatisfied with their working conditions and many suffered from occupational diseases and work-related diseases. The conditions of work in the studied milk processing plant may be classified as harmful and dangerous. The flaws in technological process, omissions in design and construction of the plant, as well as its improper exploitation aggravated industrial harmful factors. In combination with unsatisfactory organization of rest, nutrition, and medical services in the plant these factors may affect the workers' health and cause general and occupational diseases.

Regulation of phosphate transport and AMPK signal pathway by lower dietary phosphorus of broilers

PubMed Central

Miao, Zhiqiang; Feng, Yan; Zhang, Junzhen; Tian, Wenxia; Li, Jianhui; Yang, Yu

2017-01-01

Lower available P (aP) was used as a base value in nutritional strategies for mitigating P pollution by animal excreta. We hypothesized that the mechanism regulating phosphate transport under low dietary P might be related with the AMPK signal pathway. A total of 144 one-day-old Arbor Acres Plus broilers were randomly allocated to control (HP) or trial (LP) diets, containing 0.45 and 0.23% aP, respectively. Growth performance, blood, intestinal, and renal samples were tested in 21-day-old broilers. Results shown that LP decreased body weight gain and feed intake. Higher serum Ca and fructose, but lower serum P and insulin were detected in LP-fed broilers. NaPi-IIb mRNA expression in intestine and NaPi-IIa mRNA expression in kidney were higher in the LP group. AMP: ATP, p-AMPK: total AMPK, and p-ACC: total ACC ratios in the duodenal mucosa were decreased in the LP group, whereas the p-mTOR: total mTOR ratio increased. These findings suggested that the increase in phosphate transport owing to LP diet might be regulated either directly by higher mTOR activity or indirectly by the suppressive AMPK signal, with corresponding changes in blood insulin and fructose content. A novel viewpoint on the regulatory mechanism underlying phosphate transport under low dietary P conditions was revealed, which might provide theoretical guidelines for reducing P pollution by means of nutritional regulation. PMID:29296204

Elucidating Adverse Nutritional Implications of Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Mycotoxins through Stable Isotope Techniques.

PubMed

Owino, Victor O; Cornelius, Carolin; Loechl, Cornelia U

2018-03-23

Multiple drivers of the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) include a rapid shift from predominantly plant-based diets to energy-dense foods based on meats, milk, animal fats and vegetable oils. The shift to overweight and obesity is driven by increased exposure to mass media, urbanization, technological advances in food processing, rising income and increased population density associated with increased access to cheap foods. At the same time, undernutrition persists mainly due to food insecurity and lack of access to safe water, sanitation and adequate health care. All known nutrition interventions result in only one third reduction in stunting. Little consideration has been given to hazardous exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and microbial toxins as major components of the malnutrition-causal framework. These hazards include microbial toxins, for example, mycotoxins, and environmental pollutants such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), some of which are known to disrupt the endocrine system. These hazards sit at the cross road of undernutrition and overweight and obesity since the exposure cuts across the critical window of opportunity (the first 1000 days). In this review, we update on the role of food and environmental contaminants, especially EDCs and aflatoxins, in child growth and on the implications for metabolic dysfunction and disease risk in later life, and discuss potential applications of nuclear and isotopic techniques to elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms, outcome indicators, as well as occurrence levels.

OHMS**: Phytoplasmas dictate changes in sieve-element ultrastructure to accommodate their requirements for nutrition, multiplication and translocation.

PubMed

Musetti, Rita; Pagliari, Laura; Buxa, Stefanie V; Degola, Francesca; De Marco, Federica; Loschi, Alberto; Kogel, Karl-Heinz; van Bel, Aart J E

2016-01-01

Phytoplasmas are among the most recently discovered plant pathogenic microorganisms so, many traits of the interactions with host plants and insect vectors are still unclear and need to be investigated. At now, it is impossible to determine the precise sequences leading to the onset of the relationship with the plant host cell. It is still unclear how phytoplasmas, located in the phloem sieve elements, exploit host cell to draw nutrition for their metabolism, growth and multiplication. In this work, basing on microscopical observations, we give insight about the structural interactions established by phytoplasmas and the sieve element plasma membrane, cytoskeleton, sieve endoplasmic reticulum, speculating about a possible functional role.

Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: nutrition services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and special health care needs.

PubMed

Ptomey, Lauren T; Wittenbrook, Wendy

2015-04-01

It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that nutrition services provided by registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) and nutrition and dietetics technicians, registered (NDTRs), who work under RDN supervision, are essential components of comprehensive care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Nutrition services should be provided throughout life in a manner that is interdisciplinary, family-centered, community based, and culturally competent. Individuals with IDD and CYSHCN have many risk factors requiring nutrition interventions, including growth alterations (eg, failure to thrive, obesity, or growth retardation), metabolic disorders, poor feeding skills, drug-nutrient interactions, and sometimes partial or total dependence on enteral or parenteral nutrition. Furthermore, these individuals are also more likely to develop comorbid conditions, such as obesity or endocrine disorders that require nutrition interventions. Poor nutrition-related health habits, limited access to services, and long-term use of multiple medications are considered health risk factors. Timely and cost-effective nutrition interventions can promote health maintenance and reduce risk and cost of comorbidities and complications. Public policy for individuals with IDD and CYSHCN has evolved, resulting in a transition from institutional facilities and programs to community and independent living. The expansion of public access to technology and health information on the Internet challenges RDNs and NDTRs to provide accurate scientific information to this rapidly growing and evolving population. RDNs and NDTRs with expertise in this area are best prepared to provide appropriate nutrition information to promote wellness and improve quality of life. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developmental link between sex and nutrition; doublesex regulates sex-specific mandible growth via juvenile hormone signaling in stag beetles.

PubMed

Gotoh, Hiroki; Miyakawa, Hitoshi; Ishikawa, Asano; Ishikawa, Yuki; Sugime, Yasuhiro; Emlen, Douglas J; Lavine, Laura C; Miura, Toru

2014-01-01

Sexual dimorphisms in trait expression are widespread among animals and are especially pronounced in ornaments and weapons of sexual selection, which can attain exaggerated sizes. Expression of exaggerated traits is usually male-specific and nutrition sensitive. Consequently, the developmental mechanisms generating sexually dimorphic growth and nutrition-dependent phenotypic plasticity are each likely to regulate the expression of extreme structures. Yet we know little about how either of these mechanisms work, much less how they might interact with each other. We investigated the developmental mechanisms of sex-specific mandible growth in the stag beetle Cyclommatus metallifer, focusing on doublesex gene function and its interaction with juvenile hormone (JH) signaling. doublesex genes encode transcription factors that orchestrate male and female specific trait development, and JH acts as a mediator between nutrition and mandible growth. We found that the Cmdsx gene regulates sex differentiation in the stag beetle. Knockdown of Cmdsx by RNA-interference in both males and females produced intersex phenotypes, indicating a role for Cmdsx in sex-specific trait growth. By combining knockdown of Cmdsx with JH treatment, we showed that female-specific splice variants of Cmdsx contribute to the insensitivity of female mandibles to JH: knockdown of Cmdsx reversed this pattern, so that mandibles in knockdown females were stimulated to grow by JH treatment. In contrast, mandibles in knockdown males retained some sensitivity to JH, though mandibles in these individuals did not attain the full sizes of wild type males. We suggest that moderate JH sensitivity of mandibular cells may be the default developmental state for both sexes, with sex-specific Dsx protein decreasing sensitivity in females, and increasing it in males. This study is the first to demonstrate a causal link between the sex determination and JH signaling pathways, which clearly interact to determine the developmental fates and final sizes of nutrition-dependent secondary-sexual characters.

Developmental Link between Sex and Nutrition; doublesex Regulates Sex-Specific Mandible Growth via Juvenile Hormone Signaling in Stag Beetles

PubMed Central

Gotoh, Hiroki; Miyakawa, Hitoshi; Ishikawa, Asano; Ishikawa, Yuki; Sugime, Yasuhiro; Emlen, Douglas J.; Lavine, Laura C.; Miura, Toru

2014-01-01

Sexual dimorphisms in trait expression are widespread among animals and are especially pronounced in ornaments and weapons of sexual selection, which can attain exaggerated sizes. Expression of exaggerated traits is usually male-specific and nutrition sensitive. Consequently, the developmental mechanisms generating sexually dimorphic growth and nutrition-dependent phenotypic plasticity are each likely to regulate the expression of extreme structures. Yet we know little about how either of these mechanisms work, much less how they might interact with each other. We investigated the developmental mechanisms of sex-specific mandible growth in the stag beetle Cyclommatus metallifer, focusing on doublesex gene function and its interaction with juvenile hormone (JH) signaling. doublesex genes encode transcription factors that orchestrate male and female specific trait development, and JH acts as a mediator between nutrition and mandible growth. We found that the Cmdsx gene regulates sex differentiation in the stag beetle. Knockdown of Cmdsx by RNA-interference in both males and females produced intersex phenotypes, indicating a role for Cmdsx in sex-specific trait growth. By combining knockdown of Cmdsx with JH treatment, we showed that female-specific splice variants of Cmdsx contribute to the insensitivity of female mandibles to JH: knockdown of Cmdsx reversed this pattern, so that mandibles in knockdown females were stimulated to grow by JH treatment. In contrast, mandibles in knockdown males retained some sensitivity to JH, though mandibles in these individuals did not attain the full sizes of wild type males. We suggest that moderate JH sensitivity of mandibular cells may be the default developmental state for both sexes, with sex-specific Dsx protein decreasing sensitivity in females, and increasing it in males. This study is the first to demonstrate a causal link between the sex determination and JH signaling pathways, which clearly interact to determine the developmental fates and final sizes of nutrition-dependent secondary-sexual characters. PMID:24453990

Visualizing the intercity correlation of PM2.5 time series in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region using ground-based air quality monitoring data.

PubMed

Liu, Jianzheng; Li, Weifeng; Wu, Jiansheng; Liu, Yonghong

2018-01-01

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area faces a severe fine particulate matter (PM2.5) problem. To date, considerable progress has been made toward understanding the PM2.5 problem, including spatial-temporal characterization, driving factors, and health effects. However, little research has been done on the dynamic interactions and relationships between PM2.5 concentrations in different cities in this area. To address the research gap, this study discovered a phenomenon of time-lagged intercity correlations of PM2.5 time series and proposed a visualization framework based on this phenomenon to visualize the interaction in PM2.5 concentrations between cities. The visualizations produced using the framework show that there are significant time-lagged correlations between the PM2.5 time series in different cities in this area. The visualizations also show that the correlations are more significant in colder months and between cities that are closer, and that there are seasonal changes in the temporal order of the correlated PM2.5 time series. Further analysis suggests that the time-lagged intercity correlations of PM2.5 time series are most likely due to synoptic meteorological variations. We argue that the visualizations demonstrate the interactions of air pollution between cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area and the significant effect of synoptic meteorological conditions on PM2.5 pollution. The visualization framework could help determine the pathway of regional transportation of air pollution and may also be useful in delineating the area of interaction of PM2.5 pollution for impact analysis.

Visualizing the intercity correlation of PM2.5 time series in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region using ground-based air quality monitoring data

PubMed Central

Li, Weifeng; Wu, Jiansheng; Liu, Yonghong

2018-01-01

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area faces a severe fine particulate matter (PM2.5) problem. To date, considerable progress has been made toward understanding the PM2.5 problem, including spatial-temporal characterization, driving factors, and health effects. However, little research has been done on the dynamic interactions and relationships between PM2.5 concentrations in different cities in this area. To address the research gap, this study discovered a phenomenon of time-lagged intercity correlations of PM2.5 time series and proposed a visualization framework based on this phenomenon to visualize the interaction in PM2.5 concentrations between cities. The visualizations produced using the framework show that there are significant time-lagged correlations between the PM2.5 time series in different cities in this area. The visualizations also show that the correlations are more significant in colder months and between cities that are closer, and that there are seasonal changes in the temporal order of the correlated PM2.5 time series. Further analysis suggests that the time-lagged intercity correlations of PM2.5 time series are most likely due to synoptic meteorological variations. We argue that the visualizations demonstrate the interactions of air pollution between cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area and the significant effect of synoptic meteorological conditions on PM2.5 pollution. The visualization framework could help determine the pathway of regional transportation of air pollution and may also be useful in delineating the area of interaction of PM2.5 pollution for impact analysis. PMID:29438417

Molecular nutrition research: the modern way of performing nutritional science.

PubMed

Norheim, Frode; Gjelstad, Ingrid Merethe Fange; Hjorth, Marit; Vinknes, Kathrine J; Langleite, Torgrim M; Holen, Torgeir; Jensen, Jørgen; Dalen, Knut Tomas; Karlsen, Anette S; Kielland, Anders; Rustan, Arild C; Drevon, Christian A

2012-12-03

In spite of amazing progress in food supply and nutritional science, and a striking increase in life expectancy of approximately 2.5 months per year in many countries during the previous 150 years, modern nutritional research has a great potential of still contributing to improved health for future generations, granted that the revolutions in molecular and systems technologies are applied to nutritional questions. Descriptive and mechanistic studies using state of the art epidemiology, food intake registration, genomics with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, advanced biostatistics, imaging, calorimetry, cell biology, challenge tests (meals, exercise, etc.), and integration of all data by systems biology, will provide insight on a much higher level than today in a field we may name molecular nutrition research. To take advantage of all the new technologies scientists should develop international collaboration and gather data in large open access databases like the suggested Nutritional Phenotype database (dbNP). This collaboration will promote standardization of procedures (SOP), and provide a possibility to use collected data in future research projects. The ultimate goals of future nutritional research are to understand the detailed mechanisms of action for how nutrients/foods interact with the body and thereby enhance health and treat diet-related diseases.

Molecular Nutrition Research—The Modern Way Of Performing Nutritional Science

PubMed Central

Norheim, Frode; Gjelstad, Ingrid M. F.; Hjorth, Marit; Vinknes, Kathrine J.; Langleite, Torgrim M.; Holen, Torgeir; Jensen, Jørgen; Dalen, Knut Tomas; Karlsen, Anette S.; Kielland, Anders; Rustan, Arild C.; Drevon, Christian A.

2012-01-01

In spite of amazing progress in food supply and nutritional science, and a striking increase in life expectancy of approximately 2.5 months per year in many countries during the previous 150 years, modern nutritional research has a great potential of still contributing to improved health for future generations, granted that the revolutions in molecular and systems technologies are applied to nutritional questions. Descriptive and mechanistic studies using state of the art epidemiology, food intake registration, genomics with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, advanced biostatistics, imaging, calorimetry, cell biology, challenge tests (meals, exercise, etc.), and integration of all data by systems biology, will provide insight on a much higher level than today in a field we may name molecular nutrition research. To take advantage of all the new technologies scientists should develop international collaboration and gather data in large open access databases like the suggested Nutritional Phenotype database (dbNP). This collaboration will promote standardization of procedures (SOP), and provide a possibility to use collected data in future research projects. The ultimate goals of future nutritional research are to understand the detailed mechanisms of action for how nutrients/foods interact with the body and thereby enhance health and treat diet-related diseases. PMID:23208524

Vectorization by nanoparticles decreases the overall toxicity of airborne pollutants.

PubMed

Carpentier, Rodolphe; Platel, Anne; Maiz-Gregores, Helena; Nesslany, Fabrice; Betbeder, Didier

2017-01-01

Atmospheric pollution is mainly composed of volatile pollutants and particulate matter that strongly interact. However, their specific roles in the induction of cellular toxicity, in particular the impact of the vectorization of atmospheric pollutants by ultrafine particles, remains to be fully elucidated. For this purpose, non-toxic poly-lactic co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles were synthesized and three pollutants (benzo(a)pyrene, naphthalene and di-ethyl-hexyl-phthalate) were adsorbed on the surface of the nanoparticles in order to evaluate the toxicity (cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and ROS induction) of these complexes to a human airway epithelial cell line. The adsorption of the pollutants onto the nanoparticles was confirmed by HPLC analysis. Interestingly, the cytotoxicity assays (MTT, LDH and CellTox Green) clearly demonstrated that the vectorization by nanoparticles decreases the toxicity of the adsorbed pollutants. Genotoxicity was assessed by the micronucleus test and the comet assay and showed no increase in primary DNA damage or in chromosomal aberrations of nanoparticle vectorized pollutants. Neither cytotoxicity nor genotoxicity was correlated with ROS induction. To conclude, our results indicate that the vectorization of pollutants by nanoparticles does not potentiate the toxicity of the pollutants studied and that, on the contrary, adsorption onto nanoparticles could protect cells against pollutants' toxicity.

Gender-specific effects of early nutritional restriction on adult obesity risk: evidence from quasi-experimental studies.

PubMed

Robinson, Whitney R

2012-12-01

In countries undergoing nutrition transition and historically poor minority groups in wealthy countries, obesity tends to be more common in women than men. A potential contributor to this female excess of obesity is a mismatch between perinatal nutritional restriction and a later calorie-rich environment. Several epidemiologic and quasi-experimental studies support a gender-differential effect of early nutritional deprivation on adult obesity. The quasi-experimental studies are of particular interest because results of quasi-experimental studies are typically less vulnerable to confounding bias than observational studies. Four quasi-experimental studies-exploiting 20th century famines that occurred in Europe, Africa, and Asia-provide evidence that perinatal nutritional restriction followed by relative caloric abundance may increase adult obesity risk to a greater extent in women than men. If the findings are accurate and generalizable to contemporary food environments, they suggest that the female offspring of poor, or otherwise nutritionally restricted, women in rapidly developing and wealthy countries may be at particularly high risk of adult obesity. Research into gender-specific effects of early life nutritional deprivation and its interactions with later environmental exposures may provide insight into global gender differences in obesity prevalence.

Web-based tailored nutrition education: results of a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Oenema, A; Brug, J; Lechner, L

2001-12-01

There is ample evidence that printed, computer-tailored nutrition education is a more effective tool for motivating people to change to healthier diets than general nutrition education. New technology is now providing more advanced ways of delivering tailored messages, e.g. via the World Wide Web (WWW). Before disseminating a tailored intervention via the web, it is important to investigate the potential of web-based tailored nutrition education. The present study investigated the immediate impact of web-based computer-tailored nutrition education on personal awareness and intentions related to intake of fat, fruit and vegetables. A randomized controlled trial, with a pre-test-post-test control group design was conducted. Significant differences in awareness and intention to change were found between the intervention and control group at post-test. The tailored intervention was appreciated better, was rated as more personally relevant, and had more subjective impact on opinion and intentions to change than the general nutrition information. Computer literacy had no effect on these ratings. The results indicate that interactive, web-based computer-tailored nutrition education can lead to changes in determinants of behavior. Future research should be aimed at longer-term (behavioral) effects and the practicability of distributing tailored interventions via the WWW.

Direct and indirect effects of light pollution on the performance of an herbivorous insect.

PubMed

Grenis, Kylee; Murphy, Shannon M

2018-02-09

Light pollution is a global disturbance with resounding impacts on a wide variety of organisms, but our understanding of these impacts is restricted to relatively few higher vertebrate species. We tested the direct effects of light pollution on herbivore performance as well as indirect effects mediated by host plant quality. We found that artificial light from streetlights alters plant toughness. Additionally, we found evidence of both direct and indirect effects of light pollution on the performance of an herbivorous insect, which indicates that streetlights can have cascading impacts on multiple trophic levels. Our novel findings suggest that light pollution can alter plant-insect interactions and thus may have important community-wide consequences. © 2018 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

[Research of the Stormwater Runoff and Pollution Characteristics in Rural Area of Yuhang District, Hangzhou].

PubMed

Duan, Sheng-hui; Zhao, Yu; Shan, Bao-qing; Tang, Wen-zhong; Zhang, Wen-qiang; Zhang, Shu-zhen; Lang, Chao

2015-10-01

In order to investigate the pollution characteristics of stormwater runoff in the southern developed rural region, the runoff samples were collected from four different underlying surfaces during three storm events in Caoqiao and Pujia Tou, which are two typical villages and are located in Yuhang District of Hangzhou. The content of nutrition (nitrogen and phosphorus) and heavy metals (Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Cd, As, Pb) in the simples were analyzed, and the difference of EMC ( event mean concentration) and pollution load of the contaminants in the runoff on different underlying surfaces were compared. The results showed that the EMC of TSS, COD, NH4(+)-N, TP and TN were 16.19, 21.01, 0.74, 1.39 and 2.39 mg x L(-1) in the Caoqiao, respectively; as to Pujia Tou, they were 3.10, 15.69, 0.90, 0.78 and 3.58 mg x L(-1), respectively. The content of heavy metals was all lower than the national surface water quality of two type water in the runoff. Compared with the quality standards for surface water, the EMC of TP was 9 times and 3. 5 times higher and TN was 1. 8 times and 1. 2 times higher in two areas. Besides, the pollution loads of TSS and COD were the highest in farmland.

Effects of domestic wastewater treated by anaerobic stabilization on soil pollution, plant nutrition, and cotton crop yield.

PubMed

Uzen, Nese; Cetin, Oner; Unlu, Mustafa

2016-12-01

This study has aimed to determine the effects of treated wastewater on cotton yield and soil pollution in Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey during 2011 and 2012. The treated wastewater was provided from the reservoir operated as anaerobic stabilization. After treatment, suspended solids (28-60 mg/l), biological oxygen demand (29-30 mg/l), and chemical oxygen demand (71-112 mg/l) decreased significantly compared to those in the wastewater. There was no heavy metal pollution in the water used. There were no significant amounts of coliform bacteria, fecal coliform, and Escherichia coli compared to untreated wastewater. The cottonseed yield (31.8 g/plant) in the tanks where no commercial fertilizers were applied was considerably higher compared to the yield (17.2 g/plant) in the fertilized tanks where a common nitrogenous fertilizer was utilized. There were no significant differences between the values of soil pH. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) after the experiment increased from 0.8-1.0 to 0.9-1.8 dS/m. Heavy metal pollution did not occur in the soil and plants, because there were no heavy metals in the treated wastewater. It can be concluded that treated domestic wastewater could be used to grow in a controlled manner crops, such as cotton, that would not be used directly as human nutrients.

Nanotechnology research: applications in nutritional sciences.

PubMed

Srinivas, Pothur R; Philbert, Martin; Vu, Tania Q; Huang, Qingrong; Kokini, Josef L; Saltos, Etta; Saos, Etta; Chen, Hongda; Peterson, Charles M; Friedl, Karl E; McDade-Ngutter, Crystal; Hubbard, Van; Starke-Reed, Pamela; Miller, Nancy; Betz, Joseph M; Dwyer, Johanna; Milner, John; Ross, Sharon A

2010-01-01

The tantalizing potential of nanotechnology is to fabricate and combine nanoscale approaches and building blocks to make useful tools and, ultimately, interventions for medical science, including nutritional science, at the scale of approximately 1-100 nm. In the past few years, tools and techniques that facilitate studies and interventions in the nanoscale range have become widely available and have drawn widespread attention. Recently, investigators in the food and nutrition sciences have been applying the tools of nanotechnology in their research. The Experimental Biology 2009 symposium entitled "Nanotechnology Research: Applications in Nutritional Sciences" was organized to highlight emerging applications of nanotechnology to the food and nutrition sciences, as well as to suggest ways for further integration of these emerging technologies into nutrition research. Speakers focused on topics that included the problems and possibilities of introducing nanoparticles in clinical or nutrition settings, nanotechnology applications for increasing bioavailability of bioactive food components in new food products, nanotechnology opportunities in food science, as well as emerging safety and regulatory issues in this area, and the basic research applications such as the use of quantum dots to visualize cellular processes and protein-protein interactions. The session highlighted several emerging areas of potential utility in nutrition research. Nutrition scientists are encouraged to leverage ongoing efforts in nanomedicine through collaborations. These efforts could facilitate exploration of previously inaccessible cellular compartments and intracellular pathways and thus uncover strategies for new prevention and therapeutic modalities.

Nanotechnology Research: Applications in Nutritional Sciences12

PubMed Central

Srinivas, Pothur R.; Philbert, Martin; Vu, Tania Q.; Huang, Qingrong; Kokini, Josef L.; Saos, Etta; Chen, Hongda; Peterson, Charles M.; Friedl, Karl E.; McDade-Ngutter, Crystal; Hubbard, Van; Starke-Reed, Pamela; Miller, Nancy; Betz, Joseph M.; Dwyer, Johanna; Milner, John; Ross, Sharon A.

2010-01-01

The tantalizing potential of nanotechnology is to fabricate and combine nanoscale approaches and building blocks to make useful tools and, ultimately, interventions for medical science, including nutritional science, at the scale of ∼1–100 nm. In the past few years, tools and techniques that facilitate studies and interventions in the nanoscale range have become widely available and have drawn widespread attention. Recently, investigators in the food and nutrition sciences have been applying the tools of nanotechnology in their research. The Experimental Biology 2009 symposium entitled “Nanotechnology Research: Applications in Nutritional Sciences” was organized to highlight emerging applications of nanotechnology to the food and nutrition sciences, as well as to suggest ways for further integration of these emerging technologies into nutrition research. Speakers focused on topics that included the problems and possibilities of introducing nanoparticles in clinical or nutrition settings, nanotechnology applications for increasing bioavailability of bioactive food components in new food products, nanotechnology opportunities in food science, as well as emerging safety and regulatory issues in this area, and the basic research applications such as the use of quantum dots to visualize cellular processes and protein-protein interactions. The session highlighted several emerging areas of potential utility in nutrition research. Nutrition scientists are encouraged to leverage ongoing efforts in nanomedicine through collaborations. These efforts could facilitate exploration of previously inaccessible cellular compartments and intracellular pathways and thus uncover strategies for new prevention and therapeutic modalities. PMID:19939997

Nutrition, Balance and Fear of Falling as Predictors of Risk for Falls among Filipino Elderly in Nursing Homes: A Structural Equation Model (SEM)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Guzman, Allan B.; Ines, Joanna Louise C.; Inofinada, Nina Josefa A.; Ituralde, Nielson Louie J.; Janolo, John Robert E.; Jerezo, Jnyv L.; Jhun, Hyae Suk J.

2013-01-01

While a number of empirical studies have been conducted regarding risk for falls among the elderly, there is still a paucity of similar studies in a developing country like the Philippines. This study purports to test through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) a model that shows the interaction between and among nutrition, balance, fear of…

[Actual nutrition of patients suffered from hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome].

PubMed

Khasanova, G M; Tutelyan, A V; Khasanova, A N

2015-01-01

The aim of the article is to study actual ration of patients suffered from hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and its interaction with the development of arterial hypertension (AH). 296 men aged 20–59 suffered from HFRS were under the care of physician within the period of 1 to 6 years. Among this group 49 cases of arterial hypertension have been registered after HFRS. Frequency method of food product consumption was used to define nutrition. A Russian questionnaire published by Institute of Nutrition (1997) was used. Actual nutrition in men suffered from HFRS is marked by basic nutrients unbalance that is: excessive cholesterol and fat consumption (due to saturated fatty acid), polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency, sugar overuse and animal protein prevalence over vegetable proteins in patient ration. Atherogenic shift in a ration of patients with AH and suffered from HRFS has been exposed more strongly in all aged group but mostly evident in patients aged 40 and after. Alcohol consumption in men with AH and suffered from HFRS is higher than in healthy peers. Interaction between atherogenic unbalance on the main nutrients in patients with HFRS and arterial hypertension has been defined. Consumatory behavior correction is to be taken to prevent arterial hypertension in recovered patients suffered from HFRS.

Consumer and product-specific characteristics influencing the effect of nutrition, health and risk reduction claims on preferences and purchase behavior - A systematic review.

PubMed

Steinhauser, Johann; Hamm, Ulrich

2018-08-01

The research on nutrition, health, and risk reduction claims (NHR claims) shows a lack of consensus as to whether these claims have a positive or negative effect on consumer's preferences and purchase behavior. This issue has been highlighted by many authors. Therefore, a comprehensive literature review was performed to find reasons for contradictory results. First, a theoretical framework was developed which divided the determinants of the effects of NHR claims on consumers' preferences and purchase behavior into consumer and product-specific characteristics. Additionally, a categorization for the different NHR claim types was constructed to make the studies comparable. Afterwards, the scientific literature from the 1980s until May 2017 was scanned and 66 articles were found to be relevant. Consumer-specific characteristics such as nutrition knowledge, health motivation, familiarity, and socio-demographic characteristics were found to influence the NHR claim effect. Important product-specific characteristics were the perceived healthiness of the food product, the interaction between the product and the nutrient in the NHR claim, and the interaction between the claimed benefit and the NHR claim type. The consumer's nutrition knowledge and the product's perceived healthiness were deemed to be the most promising determinants for further investigation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CARES Helps Explain Secondary Organic Aerosols

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zaveri, Rahul

2014-03-28

What happens when urban man-made pollution mixes with what we think of as pristine forest air? To know more about what this interaction means for the climate, the Carbonaceous Aerosol and Radiative Effects Study, or CARES, field campaign was designed in 2010. The sampling strategy during CARES was coordinated with CalNex 2010, another major field campaign that was planned in California in 2010 by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the California Energy Commission (CEC). "We found two things. When urban pollution mixes with forest pollutions we get more secondary organic aerosols,"more » said Rahul Zaveri, FCSD scientist and project lead on CARES. "SOAs are thought to be formed primarily from forest emissions but only when they interact with urban emissions. The data is saying that there will be climate cooling over the central California valley because of these interactions." Knowledge gained from detailed analyses of data gathered during the CARES campaign, together with laboratory experiments, is being used to improve existing climate models.« less

[Nutritional care in the cardiac rehabilitation program].

PubMed

da Vico, Letizia; Biffi, Barbara; Masini, Maria Luisa; Fattirolli, Francesco

2007-06-01

There is some evidence of the efficacy of nutritional care in modifying eating habits and behavior in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation: nutritional care has a relevant role in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. The dietitian is the qualified sanitary professional for nutritional care. The aim of this study was to define the role of dietitians within a health care team in programs of cardiac rehabilitation. In this setting, nutritional care starts with a dietary assessment, which includes a measurement of the anthropometric parameters, and a survey of the patient knowledge and eating habits. If there is no need for change in the patient lifestyle, the patient is addressed to the normal cardiac rehabilitation program with no further nutritional intervention except one session of counseling. When lifestyle changes are needed, the dietitian defines, together with the patient, therapeutic aims and expected results. The following phase is represented by group session with patients and their relatives during which nutritional topics are discussed and nutritional education is provided Afterwards, self-monitoring sheets of eating habits are individually discussed in one visit; a last individual visit is used for a final assessment of nutritional knowledge, dietary habits, and anthropometric parameters. In case of unsatisfactory results, patients are invited to participate to three group session to be held biweekly, during which they interact with the dietitian and take part to exercises and group discussions. When the established targets are reached, the nutritional program includes individual follow up visits at six and twelve months for further assessment of medium term results.

The role of early life nutrition in programming of reproductive function.

PubMed

Chadio, S; Kotsampasi, B

2014-02-01

Accumulating evidence suggest that the concept of programming can also be applied to reproductive development and function, representing an ever expanding research area. Recently issues such as peri- or even preconceptional nutrition, transgenerational effects and underlying mechanisms have received considerable attention. The present chapter presents the existed evidence and reviews the available data from numerous animal and human studies on the effects of early life nutritional environment on adult reproductive function. Specific outcomes depend on the severity, duration and stage of development when nutritional perturbations are imposed, while sex-specific effects are also manifested. Apart from undernutrition, effects of relative overnutrition as well as the complex interactions between pre- and postnatal nutrition is of high importance, especially in the context of our days obesity epidemic. Mechanisms underlying reproductive programming are yet unclear, but may include a role for epigenetic modifications. Epigenetic modulation of critical genes involved in the control of reproductive function and potential intergenerational effects represent an exciting area of interdisciplinary research toward the development of new nutritional approaches during pre- and postnatal periods to ensure reproductive health in later life.

The role of gut microbiota in nutritional status.

PubMed

O'Connor, Eibhlís M

2013-09-01

The objective of this review is to outline the contribution of the gut microbiota to nutritional status and to highlight the mechanisms by which this can occur. Historically, research linking intestinal bacteria with nutritional status focused on the degradation of indigestible food components by bacterial enzymes and metabolites. Of late, emerging evidence suggests an independent role of the gut microbiota in the regulation of glucose and energy homeostasis via complex interactions between microbially derived metabolites and specific target tissue cells. In addition, novel findings highlight specific microbial species involved in the production of a number of micronutrient components, which could potentially improve nutritional status in certain population groups, if available to the host at sufficiently abundant levels. New insights into the role of the gut microbiota and its holistic effects on the host are now emerging. High-throughput technologies allow for a greater insight into the role of the intestinal microbiota and the mechanisms by which it can contribute to overall nutritional status. Further, exploration of this evolving field of research will advance our understanding of how this complex ecosystem could advance the area of personalized nutrition in the future.

Kansas legislators prioritize obesity but overlook nutrition and physical activity issues.

PubMed

Heinrich, Katie M; Stephen, Mellina O; Vaughan, Katherine B; Kellogg, Melinda

2013-01-01

State-level policymakers play an important role in the fight against obesity because of their ability to create policies that influence opportunities for physical activity and nutrition. In 2011, we investigated how Kansas policymakers regarded obesity, nutrition, and physical activity in comparison to other issues. This study used a cross-sectional design. This study was conducted in Kansas, a predominately rural and Republican Midwestern state. All 181 state-level policymakers in Kansas were mailed a cover letter and survey. Policymakers were asked to identify and rate the importance of issues or problems in need of attention for Kansas. The 2011 state legislative report was content analyzed and coded to match the survey. Comparisons were made by political party. Of the 49 policymakers who completed a survey, 37 were Republicans and 43 were elected to their position. Although obesity-related issues were rated second highest after jobs, physical activity- and nutrition-related issues were not seen as important problems; moreover, little corresponding legislation was introduced. Other key issues identified by policymakers included budget/spending/taxes, education, jobs/economy, and drug abuse, with more legislation reflecting these problems. The Democrats ranked 11 issues as more significant problems than did the Republicans: quality of public education, poverty, access to health care, lack of affordable housing, ethics in government, lack of public health training, access to healthy groceries, lack of pedestrian walkways/crosswalks/sidewalks, pedestrian safety, air pollution, and global warming (P < .05). There is a need to provide more public health education on the relationship between nutrition and physical activity issues and obesity for Kansas policymakers. Issues identified may be similar for other predominately rural and Republican states.

Looking through the Keyhole: Exploring Realities and Possibilities for School Breakfast Programs in Rural Western Australia.

PubMed

Ichumar, Simon O; Dahlberg, Emma E; Paynter, Ellen B; Lucey, Fiona M C; Chester, Miranda R; Papertalk, Lennelle; Thompson, Sandra C

2018-03-17

To assess the school breakfast program (SBP) in two schools with high Aboriginal student populations in rural Western Australia, their contribution to holistic support, nutritional health education and possibilities for improvement. The operations and functioning of one regional and one remote SBP were assessed by stakeholder inquiry related to process and challenges, observations and documentary review. An intervention to increase health education, social interaction and learning about nutrition and food origins implemented in one school was assessed. Strengths, system and structural factors that impeded realisation of optimal outcomes of the SBPs were identified. The SBPs focussed on serving food rather than building nutritional understanding or on social interactions and support. Systems for delivery and management of the programs largely relied on staff with limited time. When offered a more interactive and social environment, children enjoyed learning about food. Opportunities for SBPs to offer holistic support and educational enhancement for disadvantaged children are limited by the realities of pressures on staff to support them and a view constraining their primary role as food delivery. The lack of volunteer support in disadvantaged schools limits the potential benefits of SBPs in providing psychosocial support. Health education resources which exist for use in SBPs are not necessarily used.

Looking through the Keyhole: Exploring Realities and Possibilities for School Breakfast Programs in Rural Western Australia

PubMed Central

Ichumar, Simon O.; Dahlberg, Emma E.; Paynter, Ellen B.; Lucey, Fiona M. C.; Chester, Miranda R.; Papertalk, Lennelle

2018-01-01

Objective: To assess the school breakfast program (SBP) in two schools with high Aboriginal student populations in rural Western Australia, their contribution to holistic support, nutritional health education and possibilities for improvement. Methods: The operations and functioning of one regional and one remote SBP were assessed by stakeholder inquiry related to process and challenges, observations and documentary review. An intervention to increase health education, social interaction and learning about nutrition and food origins implemented in one school was assessed. Results: Strengths, system and structural factors that impeded realisation of optimal outcomes of the SBPs were identified. The SBPs focussed on serving food rather than building nutritional understanding or on social interactions and support. Systems for delivery and management of the programs largely relied on staff with limited time. When offered a more interactive and social environment, children enjoyed learning about food. Conclusions: Opportunities for SBPs to offer holistic support and educational enhancement for disadvantaged children are limited by the realities of pressures on staff to support them and a view constraining their primary role as food delivery. The lack of volunteer support in disadvantaged schools limits the potential benefits of SBPs in providing psychosocial support. Health education resources which exist for use in SBPs are not necessarily used. PMID:29562625

The integration of epigenetics and genetics in nutrition research for CVD risk factors.

PubMed

Ma, Yiyi; Ordovas, Jose M

2017-08-01

There is increasing evidence documenting gene-by-environment (G × E) interactions for CVD related traits. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. DNA methylation may represent one of such potential mechanisms. The objective of this review paper is to summarise the current evidence supporting the interplay among DNA methylation, genetic variants, and environmental factors, specifically (1) the association between SNP and DNA methylation; (2) the role that DNA methylation plays in G × E interactions. The current evidence supports the notion that genotype-dependent methylation may account, in part, for the mechanisms underlying observed G × E interactions in loci such as APOE, IL6 and ATP-binding cassette A1. However, these findings should be validated using intervention studies with high level of scientific evidence. The ultimate goal is to apply the knowledge and the technology generated by this research towards genetically based strategies for the development of personalised nutrition and medicine.

Mining nutrigenetics patterns related to obesity: use of parallel multifactor dimensionality reduction.

PubMed

Karayianni, Katerina N; Grimaldi, Keith A; Nikita, Konstantina S; Valavanis, Ioannis K

2015-01-01

This paper aims to enlighten the complex etiology beneath obesity by analysing data from a large nutrigenetics study, in which nutritional and genetic factors associated with obesity were recorded for around two thousand individuals. In our previous work, these data have been analysed using artificial neural network methods, which identified optimised subsets of factors to predict one's obesity status. These methods did not reveal though how the selected factors interact with each other in the obtained predictive models. For that reason, parallel Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (pMDR) was used here to further analyse the pre-selected subsets of nutrigenetic factors. Within pMDR, predictive models using up to eight factors were constructed, further reducing the input dimensionality, while rules describing the interactive effects of the selected factors were derived. In this way, it was possible to identify specific genetic variations and their interactive effects with particular nutritional factors, which are now under further study.

Linking dietary patterns with gut microbial composition and function

PubMed Central

Sheflin, Amy M.; Carbonero, Franck; Weir, Tiffany L.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Emerging insights have implicated the gut microbiota as an important factor in the maintenance of human health. Although nutrition research has focused on how direct interactions between dietary components and host systems influence human health, it is becoming increasingly important to consider nutrient effects on the gut microbiome for a more complete picture. Understanding nutrient-host-microbiome interactions promises to reveal novel mechanisms of disease etiology and progression, offers new disease prevention strategies and therapeutic possibilities, and may mandate alternative criteria to evaluate the safety of food ingredients. Here we review the current literature on diet effects on the microbiome and the generation of microbial metabolites of dietary constituents that may influence human health. We conclude with a discussion of the relevance of these studies to nutrition and public health and summarize further research needs required to realize the potential of exploiting diet-microbiota interactions for improved health. PMID:27960648

Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and the Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A European Nested Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Opstelten, Jorrit L; Beelen, Rob M J; Leenders, Max; Hoek, Gerard; Brunekreef, Bert; van Schaik, Fiona D M; Siersema, Peter D; Eriksen, Kirsten T; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole; Tjønneland, Anne; Overvad, Kim; Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine; Carbonnel, Franck; de Hoogh, Kees; Key, Timothy J; Luben, Robert; Chan, Simon S M; Hart, Andrew R; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H Bas; Oldenburg, Bas

2016-10-01

Industrialization has been linked to the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We investigated the association between air pollution exposure and IBD. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort was used to identify cases with Crohn's disease (CD) (n = 38) and ulcerative colitis (UC) (n = 104) and controls (n = 568) from Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and the UK, matched for center, gender, age, and date of recruitment. Air pollution data were obtained from the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects. Residential exposure was assessed with land-use regression models for particulate matter with diameters of <10 μm (PM10), <2.5 μm (PM2.5), and between 2.5 and 10 μm (PMcoarse), soot (PM2.5 absorbance), nitrogen oxides, and two traffic indicators. Conditional logistic regression analyses were performed to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs). Although air pollution was not significantly associated with CD or UC separately, the associations were mostly similar. Individuals with IBD were less likely to have higher exposure levels of PM2.5 and PM10, with ORs of 0.24 (95 % CI 0.07-0.81) per 5 μg/m(3) and 0.25 (95 % CI 0.08-0.78) per 10 μg/m(3), respectively. There was an inverse but nonsignificant association for PMcoarse. A higher nearby traffic load was positively associated with IBD [OR 1.60 (95 % CI 1.04-2.46) per 4,000,000 motor vehicles × m per day]. Other air pollutants were positively but not significantly associated with IBD. Exposure to air pollution was not found to be consistently associated with IBD.

Adsorption of ciprofloxacin, bisphenol and 2-chlorophenol on electrospun carbon nanofibers: in comparison with powder activated carbon.

PubMed

Li, Xiaona; Chen, Shuo; Fan, Xinfei; Quan, Xie; Tan, Feng; Zhang, Yaobin; Gao, Jinsuo

2015-06-01

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were prepared by electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymer solutions followed by thermal treatment. For the first time, the influence of stabilization procedure on the structure properties of CNFs was explored to improve the adsorption capacity of CNFs towards the environmental pollutants from aqueous solution. The adsorption of three organic chemicals including ciprofloxacin (CIP), bisphenol (BPA) and 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) on electrospun CNFs with high surface area of 2326m(2)/g and micro/mesoporous structure characteristics were investigated. The adsorption affinities were compared with that of the commercial powder activated carbon (PAC). The adsorption kinetics and isotherms showed that the maximum adsorption capacities (qm) of CNFs towards the three pollutants are sequenced in the order of CIP>BPA>2-CP, which are 2.6-fold (CIP), 1.6-fold (BPA) and 1.1-fold (2-CP) increase respectively in comparison with that of PAC adsorption. It was assumed that the micro/mesoporous structure of CNFs, molecular size of the pollutants and the π electron interaction play important roles on the high adsorption capacity exhibited by CNFs. In addition, electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic interaction also contribute to the adsorption of CNFs. This study demonstrates that the electrospun CNFs are promising adsorbents for the removal of pollutants from aqueous solutions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.