Fortification and health: challenges and opportunities.

Fortification is the process of adding nutrients or non-nutrient bioactive components to edible products (e.g., food, food constituents, or supplements). Fortification can be used to correct or prevent widespread nutrient intake shortfalls and associated deficiencies, to balance the total nutrient profile of a diet, to restore nutrients lost in processing, or to appeal to consumers looking to supplement their diet. Food fortification could be considered as a public health strategy to enhance nutrient intakes of a population. Over the past century, fortification has been effective at reducing the risk of nutrient deficiency diseases such as beriberi, goiter, pellagra, and rickets. However, the world today is very different from when fortification emerged in the 1920s. Although early fortification programs were designed to eliminate deficiency diseases, current fortification programs are based on low dietary intakes rather than a diagnosable condition. Moving forward, we must be diligent in our approach to achieving effective and responsible fortification practices and policies, including responsible marketing of fortified products. Fortification must be applied prudently, its effects monitored diligently, and the public informed effectively about its benefits through consumer education efforts. Clear lines of authority for establishing fortification guidelines should be developed and should take into account changing population demographics, changes in the food supply, and advances in technology. This article is a summary of a symposium presented at the ASN Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2014 on current issues involving fortification focusing primarily on the United States and Canada and recommendations for the development of responsible fortification practices to ensure their safety and effectiveness

Situational Analysis in Responding to Emerging and Re-Emerging Epidemics: A Case Study of Dodoma City in Tanzania

Background information: Currently the World is experiencing numerous calamities due to various causes such as pathogens in terms of epidemics and change of weather patterns. However the modalities of preparedness in the public health sector has slow growth. This study hypothesised that handling of epidemics in Tanzania lacks the trained staff and health facilities lack the capacity in case such scenario strike. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Dodoma city to assess the preparedness of the health sector to handle emergencies. The study was conducted for a period of seven months (March – October, 2020 using Semi-structured questionnaire were used to collect data in health facilities of Dodoma city in Tanzania. The data were collected from health care providers whose selection was based on their willingness to participate and location of the health facilities. The study determined the preparedness of the health sector and personnel on occurrence of epidemics. Results: Eighty four (84) participants were involved: 61.9% mentioned an epidemic to be a disease which is emerging, 76.2% characterised epidemic as a disease with first occurrence, 23.8% as a disease with high incidence rate. 73.8%, 92.9%, 70.2% of the participants were aware that simulation, biosafety measures and team preparedness could contain epidemics, respectively. It was noted that simulation could be significant is practised effectively among health workers, team formulation and the chain of communication during outbreaks. Conclusion and recommendation: The capacity of the health system to respond to epidemics in Tanzania needs to be strengthened in terms of human resource and facilities; so as to facilitate periodic simulations for health personnel to handle epidemics

A Study of Black Officer Candidate Attrition in the United States Air Force

This study investigated the correlation between measures of academic achievement and success in the Air Force commissioning process. The correlation between area of high school attendance and success was also examined. Any significant differences in the correlations for black officer candidates and other officer candidates were determined. An extensive literature review revealed that no similar Air Force study had ever been conducted. Discriminant function analysis was performed on a sample of approximately 14,600 U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) cadets and 6,500 Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) cadets. The researchers found that measures of past academic success were only slightly correlated with success. The researchers also found that although area of high school attendance was slightly correlated with success for other USAFA candidates, there was no correlation for black candidates. The researchers concluded that using these factors alone to predict success would be inadequate. There are other non-quantitative factors that are crucial to predicting commissioning success. Furthermore, there are unique non-quantitative factors that are crucial to predicting success for black cadets. The authors stress the need to continue this research. Potential areas of future research are suggested

Multicolored Stain-Free Histopathology with Coherent Raman Imaging

Conventional histopathology with hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) has been the gold standard for histopathological diagnosis of a wide range of diseases. However, it is not performed in vivo and requires thin tissue sections obtained after tissue biopsy, which carries risk, particularly in the central nervous system. Here we describe the development of an alternative, multicolored way to visualize tissue in real-time through the use of coherent Raman imaging (CRI), without the use of dyes. CRI relies on intrinsic chemical contrast based on vibrational properties of molecules and intrinsic optical sectioning by nonlinear excitation. We demonstrate that multicolor images originating from $CH_2$ and $CH_3$ vibrations of lipids and protein, as well as two-photon absorption of hemoglobin, can be obtained with subcellular resolution from fresh tissue. These stain-free histopathological images show resolutions similar to those obtained by conventional techniques, but do not require tissue fixation, sectioning or staining of the tissue analyzed.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Effects of Local pH on the Formation and Regulation of Cristae Morphologies

Cristae, folded subcompartments of the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM), have complex and dynamic morphologies. Since cristae are the major site of adenosine triphosphate synthesis, morphological changes of cristae have been studied in relation to functional states of mitochondria. In this sense, investigating the functional and structural significance of cristae may be critical for understanding progressive mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the detailed mechanisms of the formation and regulation of these cristae structures have not been fully elucidated. Among the hypotheses concerning the regulation of cristae morphologies, we exclusively investigate the effects of the local pH gradient on the cristae morphologies by using a numerical model. An area-difference induced curvature of the membrane is modeled as a function of local pH. This curvature is then applied to the finite element model of a closed lipid bilayer in order to find the energetically favorable membrane configuration. From this study, we substantiate the hypothesis that a tubular crista structure can be formed and regulated by the local pH gradient. Through the simulations with various initial conditions, we further demonstrate that the diameter of a crista is mainly determined by the local pH gradient, and the energetically favorable direction of crista growth is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of a mitochondrion. Finally, the simulation results at the mitochondrial scale suggest that the cristae membrane may have a lower local pH value and/or a higher cardiolipin composition than the other parts of the IMM

Medication adherence in adolescents in current practice: Community pharmacy staff's opinions

Objective To explore pharmacy staff's perspectives regarding medication use behaviour in adolescent patients. Methods Structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 170 community pharmacy staff members. Key findings Medication-related problems in adolescents had been experienced by 80 respondents; non-adherence was frequently mentioned (n = 73). An important reason for medication-related problems in adolescents not being recognised was that prescriptions are often collected by the parents (with or without the teenager). Solutions suggested by the interviewees to improve adolescents' medication use behaviour included (improving) counselling with emphasis on necessity/benefits of medication (n = 130) and more direct contact with adolescents instead of parent(s) (n = 77). Use of digital media for educational purposes or reminder services was suggested to support medication use (n = 67). Conclusions Almost half of pharmacy staff experienced problems related to medication use in adolescents. Pharmacy staff see a primary role for counselling on the benefits of therapy but foresee difficulties in obtaining direct contact with adolescents. Use of new media could be useful

The gut microbiota: a major player in the toxicity of environmental pollutants?

Exposure to environmental chemicals has been linked to various health disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer and dysregulation of the immune and reproductive systems, whereas the gastrointestinal microbiota critically contributes to a variety of host metabolic and immune functions. We aimed to evaluate the bidirectional relationship between gut bacteria and environmental pollutants and to assess the toxicological relevance of the bacteria–xenobiotic interplay for the host. We examined studies using isolated bacteria, faecal or caecal suspensions—germ-free or antibiotic-treated animals—as well as animals reassociated with a microbiota exposed to environmental chemicals. The literature indicates that gut microbes have an extensive capacity to metabolise environmental chemicals that can be classified in five core enzymatic families (azoreductases, nitroreductases, β-glucuronidases, sulfatases and β-lyases) unequivocally involved in the metabolism of >30 environmental contaminants. There is clear evidence that bacteria-dependent metabolism of pollutants modulates the toxicity for the host. Conversely, environmental contaminants from various chemical families have been shown to alter the composition and/or the metabolic activity of the gastrointestinal bacteria, which may be an important factor contributing to shape an individual’s microbiotype. The physiological consequences of these alterations have not been studied in details but pollutant-induced alterations of the gut bacteria are likely to contribute to their toxicity. In conclusion, there is a body of evidence suggesting that gut microbiota are a major, yet underestimated element that must be considered to fully evaluate the toxicity of environmental contaminants

Optochemical Nanosensors and Subcellular Applications in Living Cells

 What may be the smallest anthropogenic devices to date, spherical sensors (wireless and fiberless) with radii as small as 10 nm have been produced. This class of optochemical PEBBLE (Probe Encapsulated By Biologically Localized Embedding) sensors covers a wide range of analytes (pH, calcium, oxygen and potassium included here) with excellent spatial, temporal and chemical resolution. Examples of such sensors for the monitoring of intracellular analytes are given. Methods, such as pico-injection, liposomal delivery and gene gun bombardment, are used to inject PEBBLE sensors into single cells. These PEBBLEs have caused minimal perturbation when delivered and operated inside single mammalian cells, such as human neuroblastoma, mouse oocytes or rat alveolar macrophage.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42448/1/604-131-1-2-121_91310121.pd

Pericyte degeneration leads to neurovascular uncoupling and limits oxygen supply to brain

Pericytes are perivascular mural cells of brain capillaries. They are positioned centrally in the neurovascular unit between endothelial cells, astrocytes and neurons. This position allows them to regulate key neurovascular functions of the brain. The role of pericytes in the regulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and neurovascular coupling remains, however, under debate. Using loss-of-function pericyte-deficient mice, here we show that pericyte degeneration diminishes global and individual capillary CBF responses to neuronal stimuli, resulting in neurovascular uncoupling, reduced oxygen supply to the brain and metabolic stress. Neurovascular deficits lead over time to impaired neuronal excitability and neurodegenerative changes. Thus, pericyte degeneration as seen in neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease may contribute to neurovascular dysfunction and neurodegeneration associated with human disease.R01 AG023084 - NIA NIH HHS; P50 AG005142 - NIA NIH HHS; R01 AG039452 - NIA NIH HHS; R24 NS092986 - NINDS NIH HHS; R01 EB000790 - NIBIB NIH HHS; R01 NS034467 - NINDS NIH HHS; R01 NS091230 - NINDS NIH HHS; R01 NS100459 - NINDS NIH HHS; P01 NS055104 - NINDS NIH HHS; P01 AG052350 - NIA NIH HHS; R01 MH111359 - NIMH NIH HHSAccepted manuscrip