Rice grain cadmium concentrations in the global supply-chain

Artículo escrito por un elevado número de autores, solo se referencia el que aparece en primer lugar, el nombre del grupo de colaboración, si lo hubiere, y los autores pertenecientes a la UAMOne of cadmium’s major exposure routes to humans is through rice consumption. The concentrations of cadmium in the global polished (white), market rice supply-chain were assessed in 2270 samples, purchased from retailers across 32 countries, encompassing 6 continents. It was found on a global basis that East Africa had the lowest cadmium with a median for both Malawi and Tanzania at 4.9 μg/kg, an order of magnitude lower than the highest country, China with a median at 69.3 μg/kg. The Americas were typically low in cadmium, but the Indian sub-continent was universally elevated. In particular certain regions of Bangladesh had high cadmium, that when combined with the high daily consumption rate of rice of that country, leads to high cadmium exposures. Concentrations of cadmium were compared to the European Standard for polished rice of 200 μg/kg and 5% of the global supply-chain exceeded this threshold. For the stricter standard of 40 μg/kg for processed infant foods, for which rice can comprise up to 100% by composition (such as rice porridges, puffed rice cereal and cakes), 25% of rice would not be suitable for making pure rice baby foods. Given that rice is also elevated in inorganic arsenic, the only region of the world where both inorganic arsenic and cadmium were low in grain was East Afric

A snoRNA modulates mRNA 3' end processing and regulates the expression of a subset of mRNAs.

mRNA 3' end processing is an essential step in gene expression. It is well established that canonical eukaryotic pre-mRNA 3' processing is carried out within a macromolecular machinery consisting of dozens of trans-acting proteins. However, it is unknown whether RNAs play any role in this process. Unexpectedly, we found that a subset of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are associated with the mammalian mRNA 3' processing complex. These snoRNAs primarily interact with Fip1, a component of cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF). We have functionally characterized one of these snoRNAs and our results demonstrated that the U/A-rich SNORD50A inhibits mRNA 3' processing by blocking the Fip1-poly(A) site (PAS) interaction. Consistently, SNORD50A depletion altered the Fip1-RNA interaction landscape and changed the alternative polyadenylation (APA) profiles and/or transcript levels of a subset of genes. Taken together, our data revealed a novel function for snoRNAs and provided the first evidence that non-coding RNAs may play an important role in regulating mRNA 3' processing

A comparison of breastfeeding among Han, Uygur and other ethnic groups in Xinjiang, PR China

BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding is an important factor in infant health and there have been no previous studies of breastfeeding practices in the different ethnic groups of this region of China. We aimed to compare breastfeeding rates and duration between Han, Uygur and other ethnic groups living in Xinjiang, PR China. METHODS: A longitudinal study of infant feeding practices was undertaken using a sample that included different ethnic groups. Mothers were randomly recruited and interviewed in hospitals and after discharge were contacted in person or by telephone at approximately monthly intervals to obtain details of infant feeding practices. Setting: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, PR China. Subjects: A total of1219 mothers (578 Han, 360 Uygur and 281 'other minority' mothers) who delivered babies during 2003 and 2004 were interviewed in five hospitals or institutes located in both urban and rural areas. RESULTS: 'Any breastfeeding' rates in Han, Uygur and 'other minority' groups at discharge were 88.5 %, 94.3 % and 97.1 % respectively, and at six months 76.7 %, 54.7 % and 87.6 % respectively. While 'exclusive breastfeeding' rates in the Han, Uygur and 'other minority' groups at discharge were 78.0 %, 34.5 % and 83.1 % respectively, at six months they had fallen to 4.8 %, 0.4 % and 16.8 % respectively. The median duration of 'Exclusive breastfeeding' of Han, Uygur and 'other minority' babies were 1.5, 0.1 and 2.5 months respectively. The Uygur babies were least likely to be 'exclusive breastfed'. CONCLUSION: Uygur babies were least likely to be 'exclusive breastfed' and continued to 'any breastfeed' at six month. The 'any breastfeeding' rates in the Han group were lower in the first four months. An education program focused on breastfeeding continuation and exclusive breastfeeding is necessary in Xinjiang, especially for Uygur and Han ethnic groups

The impact of planetary boundary layer parameterisation over the Yangtze River Delta region, China, part 1: meteorological simulation.

The planetary boundary layer (PBL) is the main region for the exchange of matter, momentum, and energy between land and atmosphere. The transport processes in the PBL determine the distribution of temperature, water vapour, wind speed and other physical quantities and are very important for the simulation of the physical characteristics of the meteorology. Based on the two non-local (YSU, ACM2) and two local closure PBL schemes (MYJ, MYNN) in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, seasonal and daily cycles of meteorological variables over the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region are investigated. It is shown that all four PBL schemes overestimate 10-m wind speed and 2-m temperature, while underestimate relative humidity. Inter-comparisons among the different PBL schemes show that the MYNN scheme results in closer match of 2-m temperature and 10-m wind speed to surface observations in summer, while the MYJ scheme shows the smallest bias of 2-m temperature and relative humidity in winter. Compared to the observed PBL height obtained from a micro-pulse lidar system, the MYNN scheme exhibits lowest mean bias while the ACM2 scheme shows the highest correlation. It is also found that there is a varying degree of sensitivity of the PBL height in winter and summer, respectively; a best-performing PBL scheme should be chosen under different seasons to predict various meteorological conditions over complicated topography like the YRD region

The impact of planetary boundary layer parameterisation scheme over the Yangtze River Delta region, China, part I: seasonal and diurnal sensitivity studies.

The planetary boundary layer (PBL) is the main region for the exchange of matter, momentum and energy between land and atmosphere. The transport processes in the PBL determine the distribution of temperature, water vapour, wind speed and other physical quantities within the PBL and are very important for the simulation of the physical characteristics of the meteorology. Based on the two non-local closure PBL schemes (YSU, ACM2) and two local closure PBL schemes (MYJ, MYNN) in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, seasonal and daily cycles of meteorological variables over the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region are investigated. It is shown that all the four PBL schemes overestimate 10-m wind speed and 2-m temperature, while underestimate relative humidity. The MYJ scheme produces the largest biases on 10-m wind speed and the smallest biases on humidity, while the ACM2 scheme show WRF-simulated 2-m temperature and 10-m wind speed are closer to surface meteorological observations in summer. The ACM2 scheme performs well with daytime PBL height, the MYNN scheme performs the lowest mean bias of 0.04 km and the ACM2 scheme shows the highest correlation coefficient of 0.59 compared with observational data. It is found that there is a varying degree of sensitivity of the respective PBL in winter and summer and a best-performing PBL scheme should be chosen to predict various meteorological conditions under different seasons over a complicated region like the YRD

Age-Related Differences in Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity and Sleep Parameters Among Children and Adolescents With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis

Importance: Physical inactivity and sleep disorders are health-related concerns of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that can persist from childhood and exacerbate core symptoms. However, evidence on group differences in accelerometer-assessed physical activity and sleep parameters among youth with and without ASD is inconclusive and age-specific effects remain unclear. Objective: To synthesize evidence on group differences in accelerometer-assessed physical activity and sleep parameters and examine the moderating effects of age between children and adolescents with and without ASD. Data Sources: American Psychological Association PsychInfo, CINAHL Ultimate, ERIC, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus with Full Text, and Web of Science from inception to February 2023. Study Selection: Two independent reviewers screened articles for observational research comparing accelerometer-assessed physical activity levels and sleep parameters in children and adolescents with and without ASD. Data Extraction and Synthesis: After developing a standardized form, relevant data were extracted. Quality was assessed using the McMaster Critical Review Form and rated based on sample, measurement, and analyses. The Preferring Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline was followed. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were actigraphy-measured MVPA, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and wake after sleep onset. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. Hedges g was used to express the effect size index. Meta-regression on age was also performed to investigate the potential moderating effects. Results: Collectively, 1757 studies were initially identified. Among 104 articles that were assessed, 28 were included, comprising moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), 4 sleep parameters, and 73 independent effect sizes. A total of 28 studies were included in analysis, comprising 805 children and adolescents with ASD and 1573 without ASD (age range, 5.1-16.9 years). Compared with peers without ASD, children and adolescents with ASD had a small-to-moderate difference in MVPA (g = −0.450; 95% CI, −0.622 to −0.277), total sleep time (g = −0.332; 95% CI, −0.574 to −0.090), sleep efficiency (g = −0.424; 95% CI, −0.645 to −0.203), and a moderate difference in sleep latency (g = 0.514; 95% CI, 0.351 to 0.677) measured by actigraphy. Children and adolescents with ASD experienced an age-related decline in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (β = −0.049 [95% CI, −0.097 to −0.001]; P = .045), indicating that younger children with ASD showed a smaller difference in MVPA compared with their peers without ASD. Moderating effects of age on sleep parameters were not significant. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this meta-analysis suggested that children and adolescents with ASD had lower MVPA and worse sleep than peers without ASD, and the difference in MVPA varied with age. These findings reinforce the need for public health initiatives aimed at reducing these group disparities

Human Gingiva-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Elicit Polarization of M2 Macrophages and Enhance Cutaneous Wound Healing

Increasing evidence has supported the important role of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in wound healing, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Recently, we have isolated a unique population of MSCs from human gingiva (GMSCs) with similar stem cell-like properties, immunosuppressive, and anti-inflammatory functions as human bone marrow-derived MSCs (BMSCs). We describe here the interplay between GMSCs and macrophages and the potential relevance in skin wound healing. When cocultured with GMSCs, macrophages acquired an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype characterized by an increased expression of mannose receptor (MR; CD206) and secretory cytokines interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-6, a suppressed production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and decreased ability to induce Th-17 cell expansion. In vivo, we demonstrated that systemically infused GMSCs could home to the wound site in a tight spatial interaction with host macrophages, promoted them toward M2 polarization, and significantly enhanced wound repair. Mechanistically, GMSC treatment mitigated local inflammation mediated by a suppressed infiltration of inflammatory cells and production of IL-6 and TNF-α, and an increased expression of IL-10. The GMSC-induced suppression of TNF-α secretion by macrophages appears to correlate with impaired activation of NFκB p50. These findings provide first evidence that GMSCs are capable to elicit M2 polarization of macrophages, which might contribute to a marked acceleration of wound healing. © AlphaMed Press