Standardization of in vitro digestibility and DIAAS method based on the static INFOGEST protocol

Background: The FAO recommends the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) as the measure for protein quality, for which the true ileal digestibility needs to be assessed in humans or pigs. However, due to high costs and ethical concerns, the FAO strongly encourages as well the development of validated in vitro methods, which complement the in vivo experiments. Method: Recently, an in vitro workflow, based on the validated static INFOGEST protocol, was developed and compared towards in vivo data. In parallel to the validation with in vivo data, the repeatability and reproducibility of the in vitro protocol were tested in an international ring trial (RT) with the aim to establish an international ISO standard method within the International Dairy Federation (IDF). Five different dairy products (skim milk powder, whole milk powder, whey protein isolate, yoghurt, and cheese) were analyzed in 32 different laboratories from 18 different countries, across 4 continents. Results: in vitro protein digestibilities based on Nitrogen, free R-NH2, and total amino acids as well as DIAAS values were calculated and compared to in vivo data, where available. Conclusion: The in vitro method is suited for quantification of digestibility and will be further implemented to other food matricesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Avanços da cirurgia robótica no tratamento de doenças cardiovasculares

Várias cirurgias médicas já utilizaram a tecnologia robótica, tais como: cirurgias no estômago, bexiga, rins, próstata, cérebro e inclusive no coração, o qual proporciona-se a reparação de válvulas cardíacas e até mesmo cirurgias nas artérias. O principal objetivo do presente estudo é discutir por meio da literatura científica acerca dos avanços da cirurgia robótica no tratamento de doenças cardiovasculares. Trata-se de uma revisão sistemática da literatura, dos quais, utilizou-se as bases e biblioteca eletrônica Scielo e Periódico Capes, totalizando 5 artigos elegíveis. A cirurgia robótica tem sido um dos principais métodos utilizados em tratamentos cardiovasculares quando comparados com técnicas convencionais, sobretudo, no que diz respeito, a cirurgia de revascularização do miocárdio

Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension. METHODS: Patients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSION: Eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: REGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo

Minimal Symptom Expression' in Patients With Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody-Positive Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab

The efficacy and tolerability of eculizumab were assessed in REGAIN, a 26-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), and its open-label extension

Rising rural body-mass index is the main driver of the global obesity epidemic in adults

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities(.)(1,2) This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity(3-6). Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to 2017. We show that, contrary to the dominant paradigm, more than 55% of the global rise in mean BMI from 1985 to 2017-and more than 80% in some low- and middle-income regions-was due to increases in BMI in rural areas. This large contribution stems from the fact that, with the exception of women in sub-Saharan Africa, BMI is increasing at the same rate or faster in rural areas than in cities in low- and middle-income regions. These trends have in turn resulted in a closing-and in some countries reversal-of the gap in BMI between urban and rural areas in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women. In high-income and industrialized countries, we noted a persistently higher rural BMI, especially for women. There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to rural nutrition that enhances financial and physical access to healthy foods, to avoid replacing the rural undernutrition disadvantage in poor countries with a more general malnutrition disadvantage that entails excessive consumption of low-quality calories.Peer reviewe

ATLANTIC-PRIMATES: a dataset of communities and occurrences of primates in the Atlantic Forests of South America

Primates play an important role in ecosystem functioning and offer critical insights into human evolution, biology, behavior, and emerging infectious diseases. There are 26 primate species in the Atlantic Forests of South America, 19 of them endemic. We compiled a dataset of 5,472 georeferenced locations of 26 native and 1 introduced primate species, as hybrids in the genera Callithrix and Alouatta. The dataset includes 700 primate communities, 8,121 single species occurrences and 714 estimates of primate population sizes, covering most natural forest types of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina and some other biomes. On average, primate communities of the Atlantic Forest harbor 2 ± 1 species (range = 1–6). However, about 40% of primate communities contain only one species. Alouatta guariba (N = 2,188 records) and Sapajus nigritus (N = 1,127) were the species with the most records. Callicebus barbarabrownae (N = 35), Leontopithecus caissara (N = 38), and Sapajus libidinosus (N = 41) were the species with the least records. Recorded primate densities varied from 0.004 individuals/km 2 (Alouatta guariba at Fragmento do Bugre, Paraná, Brazil) to 400 individuals/km 2 (Alouatta caraya in Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). Our dataset reflects disparity between the numerous primate census conducted in the Atlantic Forest, in contrast to the scarcity of estimates of population sizes and densities. With these data, researchers can develop different macroecological and regional level studies, focusing on communities, populations, species co-occurrence and distribution patterns. Moreover, the data can also be used to assess the consequences of fragmentation, defaunation, and disease outbreaks on different ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, species invasion or extinction, and community dynamics. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this Data Paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data. © 2018 by the The Authors. Ecology © 2018 The Ecological Society of Americ

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Brown Rot Strikes Prunus Fruit: An Ancient Fight Almost Always Lost

Brown rot (BR) caused by Monilinia spp., has been an economic problem for the stone fruit market due to dramatic losses, mainly during the postharvest period. There is much literature about basic aspects of Monilinia spp. infection, which indicates that environment significantly influences its occurrence in the orchard. However, progress is needed to sustainably limit this disease: the pathogen is able to develop resistance to pesticides, and most of BR resistance research programs in plant models perish. Solving this problem becomes important due to the need to decrease chemical treatments and reduce residues on fruit. Thus, research has recently increased, exploring a wide range of disease control strategies (e.g., genetic, chemical, physical). Summarizing this information is difficult, as studies evaluate different Monilinia and Prunus model species, with diverse strategies and protocols. Thus, the purpose of this review is to present the diversity and distribution of agents causing BR, focusing on the biochemical mechanisms of Monilinia spp. infection both of the fungi and of the fruit, and report on the resistance sources in Prunus germplasm. This review comprehensively compiles the information currently available to better understand mechanisms related to BR resistance."FruitBreedomics" European Project (Seventh Frame Program) FP7-265582 CONICYT, Chile (Post-Doctoral Fellowship) 74130043 CONICYT, Chile (Academy Insertion Grant) 79140020 CAPES foundation Brazilian Ministry of Educatio

Identification of loci controlling phenology, fruit quality and post-harvest quantitative parameters in Japanese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.)

Japanese plums are popular fruits since they are exceptionally nutritious with high fiber and antioxidant content. This work has aimed to analyze the most critical phenology, fruit quality and postharvest parameters from a genomic point of view to identify molecular markers closely linked to the most significant Quantitative trait loci (QTLs). A genetic linkage map of an F1 population of 151 individuals from the cross ''98-99' x 'Angeleno' was constructed using previously reported Single Nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data and 25 additional Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers. Twenty-three phenotypic traits evaluated during three harvest seasons were assayed to estimate best linear unbiased predictors by using two genomic association QTL analysis approaches: General Linear Model-based single marker-trait associations (GLM) and Multiple QTL Model analyses (MQM). In addition, loss of weight and chlorophyll degradation between days 1 and 7 as well as fruit softening for days 1, 4, and 7 were monitored during two consecutive seasons. The most significant identified QTLs were linked to fruit development period and fruit weight in Linkage Groups (LG) 4 and 2, respectively. Regarding postharvest parameters, the identified QTLs related to chlorophyll degradation and loss of weight showed lower significance than phenology or fruit quality traits. In contrast, minor QTLs for fruit firmness evolution using destructive and non-destructive methods were confirmed in LG 4 and 5.National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT) of Chile government through FONDECYT Postdoctoral fellowship 3160080 FONDECYT Starting Into Research 11150662 Comision Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (CONICYT) CONICYT FONDECYT 1191446 Subprograma Regional "Saavedra Fajardo" project 20397/SF/17 project "Breeding stone fruit species assisted by molecular tools" from the "Fundacion Seneca" of Murcia (Spain) 19879/GERM/15 Juan de la Cierva Incorporacion IJC2018-036623-

Do Consumers Evaluate New and Existing Fruit Varieties in the Same Way? Modeling the Role of Search and Experience Intrinsic Attributes

Studies have demonstrated the significance of intrinsic sensory attributes on consumer responses to fruits. This paper evaluates the effects on consumers of intrinsic characteristics on new and existing fruit varieties. Fruit consumers were exposed to and tasted a new or an old variety of fruit and rated its intrinsic search and experience attributes, as well as their satisfaction and purchase intention. Results indicated, firstly, that search and experience intrinsic attributes significantly predicted satisfaction and purchase intention. Secondly, the examination of differences between existing and new varieties showed not only a general similarity but also some differences: search attributes played a more relevant role in the purchase intention among existing varieties, and experience qualities were more important for new varieties in terms of satisfaction. It was observed that new varieties were preferred over existing ones. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for consumer behavior study and for managers.Proyecto Corfo "Fortalecimiento del mejoramiento genetico del duraznero mediante la vinculacion internacional y la seleccion asistida" 09PMG-7240 Proyecto Fondef "Sweet Pekeetah: Un modelo tecnologico-comercial para una nueva variedad chilena de fruta" IDeA IT17I006