Repositioning of the global epicentre of non-optimal cholesterol

High blood cholesterol is typically considered a feature of wealthy western countries1,2. However, dietary and behavioural determinants of blood cholesterol are changing rapidly throughout the world3 and countries are using lipid-lowering medications at varying rates. These changes can have distinct effects on the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, which have different effects on human health4,5. However, the trends of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels over time have not been previously reported in a global analysis. Here we pooled 1,127 population-based studies that measured blood lipids in 102.6 million individuals aged 18 years and older to estimate trends from 1980 to 2018 in mean total, non-HDL and HDL cholesterol levels for 200 countries. Globally, there was little change in total or non-HDL cholesterol from 1980 to 2018. This was a net effect of increases in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreases in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe. As a result, countries with the highest level of non-HDL cholesterol—which is a marker of cardiovascular risk—changed from those in western Europe such as Belgium, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Malta in 1980 to those in Asia and the Pacific, such as Tokelau, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. In 2017, high non-HDL cholesterol was responsible for an estimated 3.9 million (95% credible interval 3.7 million–4.2 million) worldwide deaths, half of which occurred in east, southeast and south Asia. The global repositioning of lipid-related risk, with non-optimal cholesterol shifting from a distinct feature of high-income countries in northwestern Europe, north America and Australasia to one that affects countries in east and southeast Asia and Oceania should motivate the use of population-based policies and personal interventions to improve nutrition and enhance access to treatment throughout the world.</p

A century of trends in adult human height

Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.5-22.7) and 16.5 cm (13.3-19.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8-144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries

Repositioning of the global epicentre of non-optimal cholesterol

High blood cholesterol is typically considered a feature of wealthy western countries1,2. However, dietary and behavioural determinants of blood cholesterol are changing rapidly throughout the world3 and countries are using lipid-lowering medications at varying rates. These changes can have distinct effects on the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, which have different effects on human health4,5. However, the trends of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels over time have not been previously reported in a global analysis. Here we pooled 1,127 population-based studies that measured blood lipids in 102.6 million individuals aged 18 years and older to estimate trends from 1980 to 2018 in mean total, non-HDL and HDL cholesterol levels for 200 countries. Globally, there was little change in total or non-HDL cholesterol from 1980 to 2018. This was a net effect of increases in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreases in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe. As a result, countries with the highest level of non-HDL cholesterol�which is a marker of cardiovascular risk�changed from those in western Europe such as Belgium, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Malta in 1980 to those in Asia and the Pacific, such as Tokelau, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. In 2017, high non-HDL cholesterol was responsible for an estimated 3.9 million (95 credible interval 3.7 million�4.2 million) worldwide deaths, half of which occurred in east, southeast and south Asia. The global repositioning of lipid-related risk, with non-optimal cholesterol shifting from a distinct feature of high-income countries in northwestern Europe, north America and Australasia to one that affects countries in east and southeast Asia and Oceania should motivate the use of population-based policies and personal interventions to improve nutrition and enhance access to treatment throughout the world. © 2020, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited

Assessment of B-glucosidase activity in selected wild strains of Oenococcus oeni for malolactic fermentation.

A remarkable variability in the \u3b2-glucosidase activity was observed between 10 wild strains of Oenococcus oeni isolated from wines of the Valpolicella area. The activity occurred in both whole and sonicated cells (intercellular and parietal activities) but not in the supernatants of the cultures. The properties of \u3b2-glucosidase produced by DSTVR 7 and 10 strains include its activation in the presence of ethanol. These strains retained the enzyme activity at oenological conditions (pH value, temperature and ethanol) and showed good malolactic performance when inoculated in wine. None of the tested strains possessed anthocyanase activity

Quality traits of ready-to-use globe artichoke slices as affected by genotype, harvest time and storage time. Part II: Physiological, microbiological and sensory aspects

The microbiological, physiological and sensory characteristics of ready-to-use globe artichoke slices subjected to a shelf life study are reported. The traits of three genotypes (‘Apollo’, ‘Exploter’ and ‘Spinoso di Palermo’), grown in an experimental field, were monitored for 11 d at 4 °C. Significant variations due to genotype, harvest time, storage time and their interactions were found. The selected packaging system allowed the generation of a passive atmosphere, which did not affect the produce metabolism. Microbial populations, with the exception of yeasts and moulds, did not exceed the limits suggested for minimally processed vegetables. Sliced artichoke heads from early and late harvests showed a shelf life of 11 and 7 d, respectively. The ‘Exploter’ proved to be the most suitable genotype for minimal processing as it received the highest overall sensory score at the end of the storage period

Quality traits of ready-to-use globe artichoke slices as affected by genotype, harvest time and storage time. Part I: Biochemical and physical aspects

Minimally processed globe artichoke products are not widespread due to rapid biochemical and enzymatic damage. This article reports a study concerning the shelf life of ready-to-use globe artichoke slices based on principal traits, including phytochemicals content, polyphenol oxidase activity, antioxidant activity and colour parameters. These traits were monitored, during 11 days of storage at 4 °C, for globe artichoke slices of three genotypes (‘Apollo’, ‘Exploter’ and ‘Spinoso di Palermo’). Significant variations due to genotype, harvest time, storage time and their interactions were found. For example, harvest time markedly affected the level of considered biochemical parameters. Results demonstrate that genotype and harvest time are key factors for the extension of the shelf life of globe artichoke slices, but a compromise among nutritional values can be achieved for ‘Apollo’ and ‘Spinoso di Palermo’. The comparison among the three genotypes analyzed support the conclusion that ‘Exploter’ presents the best properties for a commercial use as “minimally processed vegetable” (MPV). Furthermore, these results suggest that ready-to-use globe artichoke slices maintained high nutritional quality and colour parameters for at least 7 days of storage

Effect of nitrogen fertilisation on the overall quality of minimally processed globe artichoke heads

Background: Although nitrogen (N) fertilisation is essential for promoting crop yield, it may also affect the produce quality. Here, the influence of three N fertiliser rates (0kgha-1 as a control, 200kgha-1 and 400kgha-1 referred to as N0, N200 and N400 , respectively) on the overall quality of minimally processed globe artichoke heads was investigated during refrigerated storage for 12 days. Results: Throughout the storage time, N fertilised samples had higher inulin contents than those unfertilised. In addition, the respiratory quotient of N200 and N400 samples was 2-fold and 2.5-fold lower than N0 ones, whose values were close to the normal range for vegetables. All the samples reported good microbiological standards, although N200 and N400 achieved lower mesophilic and psychotropic counts than N0 throughout the storage time. After 8 and 12 days of refrigerated storage, the N200 samples showed the highest scores of positive sensory descriptors. Conclusion: A fertiliser level of 200kgNha-1 is suitable for obtaining minimally processed globe artichoke heads with good nutritional, sensory and microbiological quality, characterised by low endogenous oxidase activities. Proper packaging systems and procedures are, however, crucial for extending the product shelf-life and, thus, promoting its exportation on a wider scale

Understanding Factors Associated With Psychomotor Subtypes of Delirium in Older Inpatients With Dementia

Objectives: Few studies have analyzed factors associated with delirium subtypes. In this study, we investigate factors associated with subtypes of delirium only in patients with dementia to provide insights on the possible prevention and treatments. Design: This is a cross-sectional study nested in the \u201cDelirium Day\u201d study, a nationwide Italian point-prevalence study. Setting and Participants: Older patients admitted to 205 acute and 92 rehabilitation hospital wards. Measures: Delirium was evaluated with the 4-AT and the motor subtypes with the Delirium Motor Subtype Scale. Dementia was defined by the presence of a documented diagnosis in the medical records and/or prescription of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or memantine prior to admission. Results: Of the 1057 patients with dementia, 35% had delirium, with 25.6% hyperactive, 33.1% hypoactive, 34.5% mixed, and 6.7% nonmotor subtype. There were higher odds of having venous catheters in the hypoactive (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.18-2.81) and mixed type of delirium (OR 2.23, CI 1.43-3.46), whereas higher odds of urinary catheters in the hypoactive (OR 2.91, CI 1.92-4.39), hyperactive (OR 1.99, CI 1.23-3.21), and mixed types of delirium (OR 2.05, CI 1.36-3.07). We found higher odds of antipsychotics both in the hyperactive (OR 2.87, CI 1.81-4.54) and mixed subtype (OR 1.84, CI 1.24-2.75), whereas higher odds of antibiotics was present only in the mixed subtype (OR 1.91, CI 1.26-2.87). Conclusions and Implications: In patients with dementia, the mixed delirium subtype is the most prevalent followed by the hypoactive, hyperactive, and nonmotor subtype. Motor subtypes of delirium may be triggered by clinical factors, including the use of venous and urinary catheters, and the use of antipsychotics. Future studies are necessary to provide further insights on the possible pathophysiology of delirium in patients with dementia and to address the optimization of the management of potential risk factors