Evaluation of Sorghum bicolor leaf base extract for gastrointestinal effects

The leaf base of Sorghum bicolor (Family: Gramineae, Poaceae) was cold-macerated with 70% v/v methanol. The aqueous methanolic extract was further fractionated into non-polar, medium polar andvery polar components using hexane, ethylacetate and water (aqueous), respectively. The gastrointestinal effects of these extracts were tested on intestinal motility (transit) in mice, castor oilinduced diarrhoeal model in rats, isolated rabbit jejunum, guinea pig ileum and rat stomach fundusstrip. The oral and intraperitoneal LD50 values for the extracts were determined in mice and rats. The aqueous methanolic extract (100 – 400 mg/kg i.p) significantly (P < 0.05) and dose-dependently decreased the intestinal motility, inhibited castor oil-induced diarrhoea, produced concentrationdependent relaxation of rabbit jejunum with half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of 0.21 mg/ml. This extract also produced both non-myogenic and slight relaxation effects on guinea pig ileum and acontraction on rat stomach fundus strips. Both aqueous and ethylacetate fractions also reduced intestinal motility. However, ethylacetate fraction caused greater reduction than the aqueous fraction. The oral LD50 value for the aqueous methanolic extact in both rats and mice was found to be 2000 mg/kg while the intraperitoneal values are 1414.2 mg/kg in rats and 1341.6 mg/kg in mice. The intrapertoneal value for both aqueous and ethylacetate fractions is 2000 mg/kg in mice. The study provided scientific bases for the traditional use of S. bicolor for treatment of gastrointestinal related problems such as diarrhoea

Length- weight relationships, condition factor (K) and relative condition factor (Kn) of Sparids, Dentex congoensis (Maul, 1954) and Dentex angolensis (Maul and Poll, 1953), in Nigerian coastal water

Length-weight relationship and condition factors were estimated for Dentex congoensis and Dentex angolensis of the family sparidae trawled from Nigeria Coastal water in 2009. A total number of 534 specimens ranging from 7.2 &ndash; 3.0 cm in total length and 5.4 &ndash; 489.8 g in weight were analyzed. The lengthweight relationship is shown by the following equations: LogW &ndash;1.610 + 2.791logL (Dentex congoensis) and LogW = -1.558 + 2.776logL (D angolensis). The two species studied exhibited negative allometric growth (b &lt; 3) with the mean b = 2.78 at p &lt; 0.001. The correlation coefficient (R) values were 0.91 (Dentex congoensis) and 0.98 (D angolensis). The condition factor (K) and relative condition factor (Kn) were determined for each species separately. The condition factor (K) obtained for Dentex congoensis and Dentex angolensis were between 0.86 &ndash; 8.04 with mean value of 2.48 &plusmn; 0.58 and between 2.06 &ndash; 6.13 with mean value of 2.79 &plusmn; 0.42 respectively. The relative condition factor (Kn) values were 1.28 &plusmn;1.09 (Dentex congoensis) and 1.66 &plusmn; 2.44 (Dentex anoglensis). The maximum &lsquo;Kn&rsquo; values were recorded during the length at first maturity and there was a general decreased in relative condition factor (Kn) with increase length for the two species

Abbreviated Score to Assess Adherence to the 2018 WCRF/AICR Cancer Prevention Recommendations and Risk of Cancer in the UK Biobank

\ua92023 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research. BACKGROUND: The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations are lifestyle-based guidelines which aim to reduce cancer risk. This study investigated, in the UK Biobank, associations between an abbreviated score to assess adherence to these Recommendations and the risk of all cancers combined and of 14 cancers for which there is strong evidence for links with diet, adiposity, and physical activity. METHODS: We used data from 288,802 UK Biobank participants (mean age 56.2 years), cancer-free at baseline. An abbreviated version of the 2018 WCRF/AICR Score was calculated to assess adherence to five Recommendations on (i) body weight, (ii) physical activity, (iii) fruits, vegetables, and dietary fiber, (iv) red and processed meat, and (v) alcohol. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze associations between the abbreviated score (range, 0-5 points) and cancer incidence, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 8.2 years (interquartile range, 7.4-8.9), 23,448 participants were diagnosed with cancer. The abbreviated score was inversely associated with risk of cancer overall [HR: 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92-0.95 per 1-point increment], and breast (HR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.87-0.94), colorectal (HR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.83-0.90), lung (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.84-0.94), kidney (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.76-0.90), pancreatic (HR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.79-0.94), uterine (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.73-0.86), esophageal (HR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.75-0.90), stomach (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.79-0.99), and liver (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.72-0.90) cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Greater adherence to the Cancer Prevention Recommendations, assessed using an abbreviated score, was associated with reduced risk of all cancers combined and of nine site-specific cancers. IMPACT: Our findings support compliance to these Recommendations for cancer prevention

Socio-demographic variation in adherence to the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations within the UK Biobank prospective cohort study

\ua9 The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. Background: The 2018 (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations are evidence-based lifestyle recommendations which aim to reduce the risk of cancer worldwide. Sociodemographic factors modulate lifestyle behaviours, and both cancer incidence and survival are socio-economically patterned. We investigated adherence to these recommendations and examined patterns of adherence across sociodemographic subgroups in the UK Biobank cohort. Methods: We included 158 415 UK Biobank participants (mean age 56 years, 53% female). Total adherence scores were derived from dietary, physical activity and anthropometric data using the 2018 WCRF/AICR standardized scoring system. One-Way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences in total scores and in values for individual score components according to sociodemographic factors and Pearson’s X2 test to investigate associations between sociodemographic factors according to tertiles of adherence score. Results Mean total adherence score was 3.85 points (SD 1.05, range 0–7 points). Higher total scores were observed in females, and older (&gt;57 years), Chinese or South Asian, and more educated participants. We found significant variations in adherence to individual recommendations by sociodemographic factors including education, Townsend deprivation index and ethnicity. Conclusions: Identifying and understanding lifestyle and dietary patterns according to sociodemographic factors could help to guide public health strategies for the prevention of cancers and other non-communicable diseases

Reconstitution of bone-like matrix in osteogenically differentiated mesenchymal stem cells-collagen constructs: a three-dimensional in vitro model to study hematopoietic stem cell niche

published_or_final_versio

Adherence to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations and risk of 14 lifestyle-related cancers in the UK Biobank prospective cohort study

\ua9 2023, The Author(s).Background: The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations are lifestyle-based recommendations which aim to reduce cancer risk. This study investigated associations between adherence, assessed using a standardised scoring system, and the risk of all cancers combined and of 14 cancers for which there is strong evidence for links with aspects of lifestyle in the UK. Methods: We used data from 94,778 participants (53% female, mean age 56 years) from the UK Biobank. Total adherence scores (range 0–7 points) were derived from dietary, physical activity, and anthropometric data. Associations between total score and cancer risk (all cancers combined; and prostate, breast, colorectal, lung, uterine, liver, pancreatic, stomach, oesophageal, head and neck, ovarian, kidney, bladder, and gallbladder cancer) were investigated using Cox proportional hazard models, adjusting for age, sex, deprivation index, ethnicity, and smoking status. Results: Mean total score was 3.8 (SD 1.0) points. During a median follow-up of 8 years, 7296 individuals developed cancer. Total score was inversely associated with risk of all cancers combined (HR: 0.93; 95%CI: 0.90–0.95 per 1-point increment), as well as breast (HR: 0.90; 95%CI: 0.86–0.95), colorectal (HR: 0.90; 95%CI: 0.84–0.97), kidney (HR: 0.82; 95%CI: 0.72–0.94), oesophageal (HR: 0.84; 95%CI: 0.71–0.98), ovarian (HR: 0.76; 95%CI: 0.65–0.90), liver (HR: 0.78; 95%CI: 0.63–0.97), and gallbladder (HR: 0.70; 95%CI: 0.53–0.93) cancers. Conclusions: Greater adherence to lifestyle-based recommendations was associated with reduced risk of all cancers combined and of breast, colorectal, kidney, oesophageal, ovarian, liver, and gallbladder cancers. Our findings support compliance with the Cancer Prevention Recommendations for cancer prevention in the UK

Association of a dietary inflammatory index with cardiometabolic, endocrine, liver, renal and bones biomarkers: cross-sectional analysis of the UK Biobank study

\ua9 2024 The Author(s)Background and aims: Research into the relationship between an Energy-adjusted Diet-Inflammatory Index (E-DII) and a wider health-related biomarkers profile is limited. Much of the existing evidence centers on traditional metabolic biomarkers in populations with chronic diseases, with scarce data on healthy individuals. Thus, this study aims to investigate the association between an E-DII score and 30 biomarkers spanning metabolic health, endocrine, bone health, liver function, cardiovascular, and renal functions, in healthy individuals. Methods and results: 66,978 healthy UK Biobank participants, the overall mean age was 55.3 (7.9) years were included in this cross-sectional study. E-DII scores, based on 18 food parameters, were categorised as anti-inflammatory (E-DII &lt; -1), neutral (−1 to 1), and pro-inflammatory (&gt;1). Regression analyses, adjusted for confounding factors, were conducted to investigate the association of 30 biomarkers with E-DII. Compared to those with an anti-inflammatory diet, individuals with a pro-inflammatory diet had increased levels of 16 biomarkers, including six cardiometabolic, five liver, and four renal markers. The concentration difference ranged from 0.27 SD for creatinine to 0.03 SD for total cholesterol. Conversely, those on a pro-inflammatory diet had decreased concentrations in six biomarkers, including two for endocrine and cardiometabolic. The association range varied from −0.04 for IGF-1 to −0.23 for SHBG. Conclusion: This study highlighted that a pro-inflammatory diet was associated with an adverse profile of biomarkers linked to cardiometabolic health, endocrine, liver function, and renal health

Characterization and Comparison of 2 Distinct Epidemic Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clones of ST59 Lineage.

Sequence type (ST) 59 is an epidemic lineage of community-associated (CA) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates. Taiwanese CA-MRSA isolates belong to ST59 and can be grouped into 2 distinct clones, a virulent Taiwan clone and a commensal Asian-Pacific clone. The Taiwan clone carries the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes and the staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec (SCCmec) VT, and is frequently isolated from patients with severe disease. The Asian-Pacific clone is PVL-negative, carries SCCmec IV, and a frequent colonizer of healthy children. Isolates of both clones were characterized by their ability to adhere to respiratory A549 cells, cytotoxicity to human neutrophils, and nasal colonization of a murine and murine sepsis models. Genome variation was determined by polymerase chain reaction of selected virulence factors and by multi-strain whole genome microarray. Additionally, the expression of selected factors was compared between the 2 clones. The Taiwan clone showed a much higher cytotoxicity to the human neutrophils and caused more severe septic infections with a high mortality rate in the murine model. The clones were indistinguishable in their adhesion to A549 cells and persistence of murine nasal colonization. The microarray data revealed that the Taiwan clone had lost the ø3-prophage that integrates into the β-hemolysin gene and includes staphylokinase- and enterotoxin P-encoding genes, but had retained the genes for human immune evasion, scn and chps. Production of the virulence factors did not differ significantly in the 2 clonal groups, although more α-toxin was expressed in Taiwan clone isolates from pneumonia patients. In conclusion, the Taiwan CA-MRSA clone was distinguished by enhanced virulence in both humans and an animal infection model. The evolutionary acquisition of PVL, the higher expression of α-toxin, and possibly the loss of a large portion of the β-hemolysin-converting prophage likely contribute to its higher pathogenic potential than the Asian-Pacific clone

Comparative study: the effect of annealing conditions on the properties of P3HT:PCBM blends

This paper presents a detailed study on the role of various annealing treatments on organic poly(3-hexylthiophene) and [6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester blends under different experimental conditions. A combination of analytical tools is used to study the alteration of the phase separation, structure and photovoltaic properties of the P3HT:PCBM blend during the annealing process. Results showed that the thermal annealing yields PCBM ‘‘needle-like’’ crystals and that prolonged heat treatment leads to extensive phase separation, as demonstrated by the growth in the size and quantity of PCBM crystals. The substrate annealing method demonstrated an optimal morphology by eradicating and suppressing the formation of fullerene clusters across the film, resulting in longer P3HT fibrils with smaller diameter. Improved optical constants, PL quenching and a decrease in the P3HT optical bad-gap were demonstrated for the substrate annealed films due to the limited diffusion of the PCBM molecules. An effective strategy for determining an optimized morphology through substrate annealing treatment is therefore revealed for improved device efficiency.Web of Scienc