Traditional and new sources of grain protein in the healthy and sustainable Nordic diet

Cereal foods provide carbohydrates and dietary fibre, but also protein. To support the goals of sustainable development, cereal grain proteins should be more efficiently used to replace animal proteins. In the Nordic countries, wheat is the major source of cereal protein, followed by rye, oats, and barley. Although oats have been traditionally consumed as many staple foods in the Nordic countries and new oat-based food concepts are emerging, the potential of oats as a healthy and sustainable protein source is still underused. Oat protein is high in nutritional quality, and oats also contain unique phytochemicals and dietary fibres with proven health effects. Therefore, utilization of traditional wholegrain oat products to replace animal protein sources would increase both health-supporting components and cereal diversity in Nordic diets. While novel oat-based meat, milk, and dairy analogues do not contribute as much to dietary fibre, vitamin and mineral intake as corresponding whole grain products, they provide valuable and effective means to reduce animal protein intake, and thus, the environmental burden

Effects of hatching timing on red-eyed treefrog tadpoles: relative vulnerability varies among predators but not with hatchling age-structure, growth varies with the presence of more vulnerable tadpoles [poster]

In Gamboa, Panama, undisturbed red-eyed treefrog embryos typically hatch at age 6 days, but they can hatch as early as 4 days if attacked by egg predators. Early hatchlings are less developed and more vulnerable to predatory shrimp and fish. Here we assess the effect of hatching timing on risk of predation by three common insects, with different foraging styles, that prey on red-eyed treefrog larvae. Further, we examine whether the consequences of hatching early vary with the presence of later-hatched tadpoles. We induced hatching at 4 and 6 days and exposed tadpoles to giant water bugs or aeshnid or libellulid dragonfly larvae over 24 hrs, quantifying tadpole behavior and mortality. We used substitutive designs with three treatments: early hatched, late hatched and mixed hatching ages. In no case did presence of the other age class alter mortality. Hatching age did not affect libelullid predation, which was low in both cases. Early-hatched tadpoles had higher mortality than late hatchlings with water bugs, which move throughout the water column. In contrast, early hatchlings had lower mortality than late hatchlings with aeshnids, which cue strongly on movement. Late-hatched tadpoles were more active than early hatchlings, and movement was reduced in the presence of aeshnids. Combining across this and previously published studies, early hatchlings are more vulnerable than late hatchlings to most (3/5) predators. Variation in relative, age-specific hatchling vulnerability to predators with different foraging styles is consistent with developmental changes in tadpole behavior

The Cost of Hatching Early: Vulnerability and Exposure to Predators [poster]

Arboreal red-eyed treefrog embryos can hatch prematurely in response to egg predators. Induced early hatchlings face aquatic predators when less developed and for longer than do later hatchlings; both factors may alter survival through the high-risk early larval period. Prior work focused on developmental effects of induced hatching. In 24 h trials, less developed hatchlings were more vulnerable to three aquatic predators (shrimp, fish, water bugs) but had similar or better survival than full-term hatchlings with libellulid and aeschnid dragonfly nymphs. However, it is unknown how developmental effects and duration of exposure to predators combine to create the net effect of early hatching. Here we measured costs of early hatching over a 72 h period, from first hatching competence past peak spontaneous hatching. Embryos hatched at age 4 or 6 days were exposed to water bugs, aeshnids, or libellulids. Early-hatched tadpoles suffered higher mortality than late hatchlings with all three predators. The longer exposure of early hatchlings to aquatic predators reversed their initial phenotypic advantage with aeshnids and revealed a cost of early hatching with libellulids where none was apparent from phenotypes alone. In other experiments, early-hatched tadpoles reared without predators grew more quickly than those reared with predators cues, which grew more quickly than age-matched embryos, revealing phenotypic effects of both predator cues and the egg vs. aquatic environment. Nonetheless, any potential benefits of predator-induced phenotypes on tadpole survival were insufficient to compensate for the increased duration of predator exposure that is a consequence of hatching early. From the Conference Program at http://www.sicb.org/meetings/2011/schedule/abstractdetails.php3?id=23

As a Matter of Factions: The Budgetary Implications of Shifting Factional Control in Japan’s LDP

For 38 years, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) maintained single-party control over the Japanese government. This lack of partisan turnover in government has frustrated attempts to explain Japanese government policy changes using political variables. In this paper, we look for intraparty changes that may have led to changes in Japanese budgetary policy. Using a simple model of agenda-setting, we hypothesize that changes in which intraparty factions “control” the LDP affect the party’s decisions over spending priorities systematically. This runs contrary to the received wisdom in the voluminous literature on LDP factions, which asserts that factions, whatever their raison d’être, do not exhibit different policy preferences. We find that strong correlations do exist between which factions comprise the agenda-setting party “mainstream” and how the government allocates spending across pork-barrel and public goods items

A randomized controlled trial of the effects of whole grains versus refined grains diets on the microbiome in pregnancy

Dietary whole grain consumption has been postulated to have metabolic benefits. The purpose of this study was to compare a pregnancy diet containing 75% of total carbohydrates as refined grains with a diet of 75% of total carbohydrates as whole grains for pregnancy outcomes and effects on the microbiome. Gestational weight gain, glucose tolerance and newborn outcomes were measured on 248 enrolled compliant women from whom a subset of 103 women consented to give 108 vaginal and 109 anal swabs. The data presented here are limited to the patients from whom the vaginal and anal swabs were obtained in order to study the microbiome. A microbiome—16SrRNA survey—was characterized in these samples. Samples and measurements were obtained at the first obstetrical visit, before beginning a prescribed diet (T1—baseline) and after 17–32\ua0weeks on the prescribed diet (T3). Food frequency questionnaires and total plasma alkylresorcinols were used as a measure of whole grain consumption. There were no dietary differences in maternal weight gain, birth weight, or glucose tolerance test. Mothers consuming the whole grains diet showed a trend of gestational decrease in vaginal bacterial alpha diversity, with increasing Lactobacillus-dominance. No significant difference was observed for the anal microbiome. The results suggest that diet modulations of the vaginal microbiome during gestation may have important implications for maternal and neonatal health and in the intergenerational transfer of maternal microbiome. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03232762

Mineral analysis reveals extreme manganese concentrations in wild harvested and commercially available edible termites

Open Access Journal; Published online: 09 April 2020Termites are widely used as a food resource, particularly in Africa and Asia. Markets for insects as food are also expanding worldwide. To inform the development of insect-based foods, we analysed selected minerals (Fe-Mn-Zn-Cu-Mg) in wild-harvested and commercially available termites. Mineral values were compared to selected commercially available insects. Alate termites, of the genera Macrotermes and Odontotermes, showed remarkably high manganese (Mn) content (292–515 mg/100 gdw), roughly 50–100 times the concentrations detected in other insects. Other mineral elements occur at moderate concentrations in all insects examined. On further examination, the Mn is located primarily in the abdomens of the Macrotermes subhyalinus; with scanning electron microscopy revealing small spherical structures highly enriched for Mn. We identify the fungus comb, of Macrotermes subhyanus, as a potential biological source of the high Mn concentrations. Consuming even small quantities of termite alates could exceed current upper recommended intakes for Mn in both adults and children. Given the widespread use of termites as food, a better understanding the sources, distribution and bio-availability of these high Mn concentrations in termite alates is needed

An inverse association between plasma benzoxazinoid metabolites and PSA after rye intake in men with prostate cancer revealed with a new method

Prostate cancer (PC) is a common cancer among men, and preventive strategies are warranted. Benzoxazinoids (BXs) in rye have shown potential against PC in vitro but human studies are lacking. The aim was to establish a quantitative method for analysis of BXs and investigate their plasma levels after a whole grain/bran rye vs refined wheat intervention, as well as exploring their association with PSA, in men with PC. A quantitative method for analysis of 22 BXs, including novel metabolites identified by mass spectrometry and NMR, was established, and applied to plasma samples from a randomized crossover study where patients with indolent PC (n = 17) consumed 485 g whole grain rye/rye bran or fiber supplemented refined wheat daily for 6 wk. Most BXs were significantly higher in plasma after rye (0.3-19.4 nmol/L in plasma) vs. refined wheat (0.05-2.9 nmol/L) intake. HBOA-glc, 2-HHPAA, HBOA-glcA, 2-HPAA-glcA were inversely correlated to PSA in plasma (p < 0.04). To conclude, BXs in plasma, including metabolites not previously analyzed, were quantified. BX metabolites were significantly higher after rye vs refined wheat consumption. Four BX-related metabolites were inversely associated with PSA, which merits further investigation