Effects of butter from mountain-pasture grazing cows on risk markers of the metabolic syndrome compared with conventional Danish butter: a randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: There is considerable interest in dairy products from low-input systems, such as mountain-pasture grazing cows, because these products are believed to be healthier than products from high-input conventional systems. This may be due to a higher content of bioactive components, such as phytanic acid, a PPAR-agonist derived from chlorophyll. However, the effects of such products on human health have been poorly investigated. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of milk-fat from mountain-pasture grazing cows (G) and conventionally fed cows (C) on risk markers of the metabolic syndrome. DESIGN: In a double-blind, randomized, 12-week, parallel intervention study, 38 healthy subjects replaced part of their habitual dietary fat intake with 39 g fat from test butter made from milk from mountain-pasture grazing cows or from cows fed conventional winter fodder. Glucose-tolerance and circulating risk markers were analysed before and after the intervention. RESULTS: No differences in blood lipids, lipoproteins, hsCRP, insulin, glucose or glucose-tolerance were observed. Interestingly, strong correlations between phytanic acid at baseline and total (P<0.0001) and LDL cholesterol (P=0.0001) were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of effects on blood lipids and inflammation indicates that dairy products from mountain-pasture grazing cows are not healthier than products from high-input conventional systems. Considering the strong correlation between LDL cholesterol and phytanic acid at baseline, it may be suggested that phytanic acid increases total and LDL cholesterol. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT0134358

Population-level risks of alcohol consumption by amount, geography, age, sex, and year: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020

Background The health risks associated with moderate alcohol consumption continue to be debated. Small amounts of alcohol might lower the risk of some health outcomes but increase the risk of others, suggesting that the overall risk depends, in part, on background disease rates, which vary by region, age, sex, and year. Methods For this analysis, we constructed burden-weighted dose–response relative risk curves across 22 health outcomes to estimate the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL) and non-drinker equivalence (NDE), the consumption level at which the health risk is equivalent to that of a non-drinker, using disease rates from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020 for 21 regions, including 204 countries and territories, by 5-year age group, sex, and year for individuals aged 15–95 years and older from 1990 to 2020. Based on the NDE, we quantified the population consuming harmful amounts of alcohol. Findings The burden-weighted relative risk curves for alcohol use varied by region and age. Among individuals aged 15–39 years in 2020, the TMREL varied between 0 (95% uncertainty interval 0–0) and 0·603 (0·400–1·00) standard drinks per day, and the NDE varied between 0·002 (0–0) and 1·75 (0·698–4·30) standard drinks per day. Among individuals aged 40 years and older, the burden-weighted relative risk curve was J-shaped for all regions, with a 2020 TMREL that ranged from 0·114 (0–0·403) to 1·87 (0·500–3·30) standard drinks per day and an NDE that ranged between 0·193 (0–0·900) and 6·94 (3·40–8·30) standard drinks per day. Among individuals consuming harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020, 59·1% (54·3–65·4) were aged 15–39 years and 76·9% (73·0–81·3) were male. Interpretation There is strong evidence to support recommendations on alcohol consumption varying by age and location. Stronger interventions, particularly those tailored towards younger individuals, are needed to reduce the substantial global health loss attributable to alcohol. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Microbiele bestrijdingsmiddelen [gegevensevaluatie en milieu-risicobeoordeling: een bureaustudie]

Deze studie uit 1998 gaat de (on)mogelijkheden na voor een meer gestructureerd en transparant milieu-risicobeoordelingssysteem voor microbiele bestrijdingsmiddelen. De uitdaging is om de bestaande case-by-case aanpak bij de registratie van dergelijke bestrijdingsmiddelen om te vormen tot een meer systematische aanpak zodat overheden beter en sneller in staat zullen zijn om de te verwachten toename van het aantal registraties voor microbiele bestrijdingsmiddelen te verwerken. Dit moet gebeuren op grond van de bestaande expertise op dit gebied, niet alleen in Nederland, maar vooral ook in de Verenigde Staten en Canada. Belangrijke belemmeringen voor de verdere ontwikkelingen van een dergelijk raamwerk zijn: I de diversiteit en complexiteit van micro-organismen, en hun gedrag en interacties in het milieu; II het gebrek aan in situ onderzoeksgegevens wat betreft het gedrag, lotgevallen en schadelijke effecten van microbiele bestrijdingsmiddelen in het milieu (m.u.v. Bacillus thuringiensis en sommige Baculoviridae); III de te verwachten kleine afzetmarkten voor nieuwe microbiele bestrijdingsmiddelen. Daarom worden in dit rapport een aantal 'grote gemene delers' op een rijtje gezet: de gevaarsidentificatie , de blootstellings- en de effectbeoordeling en de risicokarakterisatie. Omdat de gevaarsidentificatie de gegevensevaluatie van de aan te leveren individuele testen omvat, zijn tevens een aantal tabellen opgenomen met daarin geannoteerd de belangrijkste items wat betreft het gedrag en de lotgevallen in het milieu en de effecten op biota. Deze tabellen kunnen als leidraad dienen bij het samenvatten en beoordelen van experimenten in het kader van de registratie.A 1998 study discusses the (im)possibilities of a more structured and transparent system for assessing the environmental risks of microbial pesticides. As current environmental risk assessments by registration authorities are on a case-by-case basis, it is a challenge to transform the existing experience - most of it gained in Canada and the US - into a more systematic approach. A concurrent advantage of such a framework for risk assessment - with the prerequisite of a transparent rationale - may be the acceleration of registration procedures for such pesticides. Major impediments for the development of such a framework are: I the diversity and complexity of microbial organisms and their behaviour and interactions in the environment; II the lack of experience with in situ behaviour, fate, and adverse effects of pesticidal microorganisms to biota (apart from some work with Bacillus thuringiensis and several Baculoviridae); III small market shares to be expected in the near future for new microbial pesticides. Therefore, the present study successively stipulates for microbial pesticides general aspects of identification of hazards, exposure and effects assessment, and risk characterisation. As the identification of hazards includes the evaluation of individual tests, key items are listed and annotated for tests on distribution and fate. This is also done for effects on organisms in the environment. These lists can be used to screen for the purpose of summarising and evaluating experimental tests for pesticide registration.DGM/SVSDGM/DW

Microbiele bestrijdingsmiddelen [gegevensevaluatie en milieu-risicobeoordeling: een bureaustudie]

A 1998 study discusses the (im)possibilities of a more structured and transparent system for assessing the environmental risks of microbial pesticides. As current environmental risk assessments by registration authorities are on a case-by-case basis, it is a challenge to transform the existing experience - most of it gained in Canada and the US - into a more systematic approach. A concurrent advantage of such a framework for risk assessment - with the prerequisite of a transparent rationale - may be the acceleration of registration procedures for such pesticides. Major impediments for the development of such a framework are: I the diversity and complexity of microbial organisms and their behaviour and interactions in the environment; II the lack of experience with in situ behaviour, fate, and adverse effects of pesticidal microorganisms to biota (apart from some work with Bacillus thuringiensis and several Baculoviridae); III small market shares to be expected in the near future for new microbial pesticides. Therefore, the present study successively stipulates for microbial pesticides general aspects of identification of hazards, exposure and effects assessment, and risk characterisation. As the identification of hazards includes the evaluation of individual tests, key items are listed and annotated for tests on distribution and fate. This is also done for effects on organisms in the environment. These lists can be used to screen for the purpose of summarising and evaluating experimental tests for pesticide registration.Deze studie uit 1998 gaat de (on)mogelijkheden na voor een meer gestructureerd en transparant milieu-risicobeoordelingssysteem voor microbiele bestrijdingsmiddelen. De uitdaging is om de bestaande case-by-case aanpak bij de registratie van dergelijke bestrijdingsmiddelen om te vormen tot een meer systematische aanpak zodat overheden beter en sneller in staat zullen zijn om de te verwachten toename van het aantal registraties voor microbiele bestrijdingsmiddelen te verwerken. Dit moet gebeuren op grond van de bestaande expertise op dit gebied, niet alleen in Nederland, maar vooral ook in de Verenigde Staten en Canada. Belangrijke belemmeringen voor de verdere ontwikkelingen van een dergelijk raamwerk zijn: I de diversiteit en complexiteit van micro-organismen, en hun gedrag en interacties in het milieu; II het gebrek aan in situ onderzoeksgegevens wat betreft het gedrag, lotgevallen en schadelijke effecten van microbiele bestrijdingsmiddelen in het milieu (m.u.v. Bacillus thuringiensis en sommige Baculoviridae); III de te verwachten kleine afzetmarkten voor nieuwe microbiele bestrijdingsmiddelen. Daarom worden in dit rapport een aantal 'grote gemene delers' op een rijtje gezet: de gevaarsidentificatie , de blootstellings- en de effectbeoordeling en de risicokarakterisatie. Omdat de gevaarsidentificatie de gegevensevaluatie van de aan te leveren individuele testen omvat, zijn tevens een aantal tabellen opgenomen met daarin geannoteerd de belangrijkste items wat betreft het gedrag en de lotgevallen in het milieu en de effecten op biota. Deze tabellen kunnen als leidraad dienen bij het samenvatten en beoordelen van experimenten in het kader van de registratie

Assessment of imposex and butyltin concentrations in Gemophos viverratus (Kiener, 1834), from São Vicente, Republic of Cabo Verde (Africa)

This work constitutes the first assessment of tributyltin (TBT) pollution levels in the Republic of Cabo Verde (Africa) and proposes the marine gastropod Gemophos viverratus (Kiener, 1834) as a new bioindicator of TBT pollution in the Macaronesia and west coast of Africa. Specimens were collected between August and October 2012 along a gradient of naval traffic in São Vicente Island. The results clearly indicate an increase of imposex levels (percentage of females affected with imposex, 0-100 %; vas deferens sequence index, 0-4.1; relative penis length index, 0-54.6 %) and female TBT contamination (from 5 to 37 ngSn g(-1) dry weight (dw)) from outside to inside the harbour of Porto Grande Bay and identify this area as the focus of TBT pollution in the island. The butyltin degradation index for G. viverratus tissues ranged between 1.3 and 2.2, which being above 1 suggests that a considerable part of TBT inputs to the bay may not be very recent. Sterile females were found inside the harbour with an incidence up to 21.4 %. Considering the existence of a planktonic veliger stage in the life cycle of G. viverratus, it is expected that recruitment of newborn individuals can be supplied from unaffected breeding females inside and outside the Porto Grande Bay, resulting in a reduced impact of TBT pollution on population abundance. G. viverratus is very promising to be used as a simple, inexpensive and efficient novel tool for TBT pollution biomonitoring in the Macaronesia and west coast of Africa, a region for which there is an astonishing lack of information concerning levels and ecological impacts of TBT pollution