Repeatability and validity of a food frequency questionnaire in free-living older people in relation to cognitive function

Objectives: To determine the repeatability and validity of a self-administered, 175-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in free-living older people and to assess whether these are influenced by cognitive function. Participants and setting: 189 free-living people aged 64-80y were recruited from participants in a previous study. Design: To assess repeatability, 102 (52M, 50F) participants completed the FFQ on two occasions three months apart. To assess validity, another 87 participants (44 M, 43 F) completed the FFQ and a four-day weighed diet record three months later. 25 nutrients were studied. Results: For repeatability, Spearman rank correlation coefficients were above 0.35 (p<0.05) for all nutrients. Cohen’s weighted Kappa was above 0.4 for all nutrients except starch, riboflavin, retinol, β-carotene, and calcium. There were no substantial differences in correlation coefficients between sub-groups divided by short-term memory test score. There was no clear pattern for correlation coefficients in sub-groups divided by executive function test score. For validity, the Spearman rank correlation coefficients were above 0.2 (p<0.05) for all nutrients except fat, mono-unsaturated fatty acids, niacin equivalents and vitamin D, and Cohen’s weighted kappa was above 0.4 for alcohol and was above 0.2 for 13 other nutrients. Participants in the lowest-score groups of short-term memory and executive function had the lowest median Spearman correlation coefficient. Conclusions: The FFQ had reasonable repeatability and validity in ranking nutrient intakes in this population though the results varied between nutrients. Poor short-term memory or executive function may affect FFQ validity in ranking nutrient intakes

Salivary gland proteins alterations in the diabetic milieu

Salivary glands are considered the chief exocrine glands of the mouth and physiologically contribute to the maintenance of the homeostasis of the oral cavity. They consist of the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands, which come in pairs and are collectively called the major glands, and the minor glands, which are much smaller and are dispersed throughout the buccal cavity. Salivary glands are distinguished by their size, amount of saliva secretion and their location in the oral cavity. Salivary glands pathophysiology has been a subject of interest in various worldwide metabolic disorders, including diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus (DM), a global health concern, with a pathological imprint involved in vasculature, promotes microvascular and macrovascular complications among which periodontitis ranks sixth. Indeed, DM has also been directly associated with oral health lesions. Specifically, salivary glands in the context of diabetes have been a focal point of study and emphasis in the research field. There is evidence that relates salivary secretion content and diabetes progression. In this review, we present all the reported evidence of the deregulation of specific salivary proteins associated with the progression of diabetes in parallel with changes in salivary gland morphology, cellular architecture, and salivary secretion and composition more generally

Assessing the relative validity of the Scottish Collaborative Group FFQ for measuring dietary intake in adults

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank Jacqueline Burr and Lindsey Shaw for collecting the data for this study. Data coding and entry for the food diaries was completed by Dr Lindsey Masson. The authors would also like to acknowledge the Scottish Health Survey Team, the Scottish Government and the National Centre for Social Research for their support in conducting this research. Financial support: This work was supported by funding from the Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS) programme of the Scottish Government (J.L.H., L.C.A.C., S.W. and G.Mc.N.). The RESAS programme had no role in the design, analysis or writing of this article. Conflict of interest: None. Authorship: J.L.H., L.C.A.C., S.W. and G.Mc.N. were responsible for the design of the study and formulated the research question. L.C.A.C. and S.W. carried out the study. J.L.H. completed the literature review, conducted the statistical analysis and drafted the initial paper. All authors were responsible for drafting and revising the manuscript and have approved the final version. Ethics of human subject participation: This study was conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki and all procedures involving human subjects were approved by the Rowett Human Studies Ethical Review Panel. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.Peer reviewedPostprintPostprintPostprintPostprintPostprintPostprintPostprintPostprin

The key role of nitric oxide in hypoxia: hypoxic vasodilation and energy supply-demand matching

Significance: a mismatch between energy supply and demand induces tissue hypoxia with the potential to cause cell death and organ failure. Whenever arterial oxygen concentration is reduced, increases in blood flow - 'hypoxic vasodilation' - occur in an attempt to restore oxygen supply. Nitric oxide is a major signalling and effector molecule mediating the body's response to hypoxia, given its unique characteristics of vasodilation (improving blood flow and oxygen supply) and modulation of energetic metabolism (reducing oxygen consumption and promoting utilization of alternative pathways). Recent advances: this review covers the role of oxygen in metabolism and responses to hypoxia, the hemodynamic and metabolic effects of nitric oxide, and mechanisms underlying the involvement of nitric oxide in hypoxic vasodilation. Recent insights into nitric oxide metabolism will be discussed, including the role for dietary intake of nitrate, endogenous nitrite reductases, and release of nitric oxide from storage pools. The processes through which nitric oxide levels are elevated during hypoxia are presented, namely (i) increased synthesis from nitric oxide synthases, increased reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide by heme- or pterin-based enzymes and increased release from nitric oxide stores, and (ii) reduced deactivation by mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase. Critical issues: several reviews covered modulation of energetic metabolism by nitric oxide, while here we highlight the crucial role NO plays in achieving cardiocirculatory homeostasis during acute hypoxia through both vasodilation and metabolic suppression Future directions: we identify a key position for nitric oxide in the body's adaptation to an acute energy supply-demand mismatc

Significant others, situations and infant feeding behaviour change processes: a serial qualitative interview study

BackgroundExclusive breastfeeding until six months followed by the introduction of solids and continued breastfeeding is recommended by the World Health Organisation. The dominant approach to achieving this has been to educate and support women to start and continue breastfeeding rather than understanding behaviour change processes from a broader perspective.MethodSerial qualitative interviews examined the influences of significant others on women’s feeding behaviour. Thirty-six women and 37 nominated significant others participated in 220 interviews, conducted approximately four weekly from late pregnancy to six months after birth. Responses to summative structured questions at the end of each interview asking about significant influences on feeding decisions were compared and contrasted with formative semi-structured data within and between cases. Analysis focused on pivotal points where behaviour changed from exclusive breastfeeding to introducing formula, stopping breastfeeding or introducing solids. This enabled us to identify processes that decelerate or accelerate behaviour change and understand resolution processes afterwards.ResultsThe dominant goal motivating behaviour change was family wellbeing, rather than exclusive breastfeeding. Rather than one type of significant other emerging as the key influence, there was a complex interplay between the self-baby dyad, significant others, situations and personal or vicarious feeding history. Following behaviour change women turned to those most likely to confirm or resolve their decisions and maintain their confidence as mothers.ConclusionsApplying ecological models of behaviour would enable health service organisation, practice, policy and research to focus on enhancing family efficacy and wellbeing, improving family-centred communication and increasing opportunities for health professionals to be a constructive influence around pivotal points when feeding behaviour changes. A paradigm shift is recommended away from the dominant approach of support and education of individual women towards a more holistic, family-centred narrative approach, whilst acknowledging that breastfeeding is a practical skill that women and babies have to learn

Metal-free photocatalytic cross-electrophile coupling enables C1 homologation and alkylation of carboxylic acids with aldehydes

Authors are grateful to have received generous funding from the European Union H2020 research and innovation program under the Marie S. Curie Grant Agreement (PhotoReAct, No 956324, S.B., M.L., A.L., G.M., E.Z.C., T.N.; CHAIR, No 860762, A.P., M.J., T.N.)In contemporary drug discovery, enhancing the sp3-hybridized character of molecular structures is paramount, necessitating innovative synthetic methods. Herein, we introduce a deoxygenative cross-electrophile coupling technique that pairs easily accessible carboxylic acid-derived redox-active esters with aldehyde sulfonyl hydrazones, employing Eosin Y as an organophotocatalyst under visible light irradiation. This approach serves as a versatile, metal-free C(sp3)−C(sp3) cross-coupling platform. We demonstrate its synthetic value as a safer, broadly applicable C1 homologation of carboxylic acids, offering an alternative to the traditional Arndt-Eistert reaction. Additionally, our method provides direct access to cyclic and acyclic β-arylethylamines using diverse aldehyde-derived sulfonyl hydrazones. Notably, the methodology proves to be compatible with the late-stage functionalization of peptides on solid-phase, streamlining the modification of intricate peptides without the need for exhaustive de-novo synthesis.Peer reviewe

Olfactory memory is enhanced in mice exposed to extremely lowfrequency electromagnetic fields via Wnt/\u3b2-catenin dependent modulation of subventricular zone neurogenesis.

Exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELFEF) influences the expression of key target genes controlling adult neurogenesis and modulates hippocampus-dependent memory. Here, we assayed whether ELFEF stimulation affects olfactory memory by modulating neurogenesis in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle, and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms. We found that 30 days after the completion of an ELFEF stimulation protocol (1 mT; 50\u2009Hz; 3.5\u2009h/day for 12 days), mice showed enhanced olfactory memory and increased SVZ neurogenesis. These effects were associated with upregulated expression of mRNAs encoding for key regulators of adult neurogenesis and were mainly dependent on the activation of the Wnt pathway. Indeed, ELFEF stimulation increased Wnt3 mRNA expression and nuclear localization of its downstream target \u3b2-catenin. Conversely, inhibition of Wnt3 by Dkk-1 prevented ELFEF-induced upregulation of neurogenic genes and abolished ELFEF\u2019s effects on olfactory memory. Collectively, our findings suggest that ELFEF stimulation increases olfactory memory via enhanced Wnt/\u3b2-catenin signaling in the SVZ and point to ELFEF as a promising tool for enhancing SVZ neurogenesis and olfactory function

Socio-economic differences in diet, physical activity and leisure-time screen use among Scottish children in 2006 and 2010: are we closing the gap?

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Objectives: To investigate socio-economic differences in children’s diet, activity and inactivity and changes in these differences over 4 years during which new policies on food in schools were introduced. Design: Two cross-sectional surveys in which diet was assessed by food frequency questionnaire and physical activity and inactivity were assessed by interviewer-administered questionnaire. Socio-economic status was assessed by the area-based Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. Setting: Scotland, 2006 and 2010. Subjects: 1,700 3-17 year olds in 2006 and 1,906 in 2010. Results: In both surveys there were significant linear associations between socio-economic deprivation and intakes of energy, non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES) as % food energy, sugar-sweetened beverages, confectionery, crisps and savoury snacks and leisure-time screen use (all higher among children in more deprived areas) while intakes of fruit, fruit juice and vegetables showed the opposite trend. In 2010 children in more deprived areas engaged in more physical activity out of school than those in more affluent areas but between 2006 and 2010 there was an overall reduction in physical activity out of school. There was also a small but statistically significant overall reduction in intakes of confectionery, crisps and savoury snacks, energy and NMES and saturated fat as % food energy, but no statistically significant change in socio-economic gradients in diet or activity between the two surveys. Conclusions: Interventions to improve diet and physical activity in children in Scotland need to be designed so as to be effective in all socio-economic groups.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

A Multicenter Clinical Evaluation of Data Logging in Cochlear Implant Recipients Using Automated Scene Classification Technologies

Currently, there are no studies assessing everyday use of cochlear implant (CI) processors by recipients by means of objective tools. The Nucleus 6 sound processor features a data logging system capable of real-time recording of CI use in different acoustic environments and under various categories of loudness levels. In this study, we report data logged for the different scenes and different loudness levels of 1,366 CI patients, as recorded by SCAN. Monitoring device use in cochlear implant recipients of all ages provides important information about the listening conditions encountered in recipients' daily lives that may support counseling and assist in the further management of their device settings. The findings for this large cohort of active CI users confirm differences between age groups concerning device use and exposure to various noise environments, especially between the youngest and oldest age groups, while similar levels of loudness were observed