Hand-portable gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometer for the determination of the freshness of fish

A hand-held, portable gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometer (GC-IMS) device was used to detect the presence of volatile amine compounds in the headspace of decomposing fish. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) largely relies on olfactory discrimination with respect to fresh and spoiled, frozen and unfrozen fish. The fish are delivered at ship docks on pallets, and each pallet of fish can range from 30-40 thousand dollars in value. Fresh fish were placed in a teflon bag and the direct headspace was interrogated. In the first three days, only low molecular weight volatile amines were detected. On the fourth day, a number of spectral signatures were observed which indicated the presence of 1,5-diaminopentane, cadaverine. Analyses typically took from 0.5-1 minute

National Outbreak of Acanthamoeba Keratitis Associated with Use of a Contact Lens Solution, United States

Premarket standardized testing for Acanthamoeba spp. is warranted

Diabetes and endometrial cancer: effect modification by body weight, physical activity and hypertension

Among 777 endometrial cancer cases and 1550 controls from Italy and Switzerland, odds ratio was 1.7 (95% confidence interval: 1.2–2.5) for diabetes, and 5.1 for obese diabetic women as compared with non-obese non-diabetic ones. Diabetes shows a supramultiplicative effect with body mass index, but not with physical activity or hypertension

An RBP4 promoter polymorphism increases risk of type 2 diabetes

Aims/hypothesis: Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), originally known for retinol transport, was recently identified as an adipokine affecting insulin resistance. The RBP4 -803GA promoter polymorphism influences binding of hepatic nuclear factor 1α and is associated with type 2 diabetes in case-control studies. We hypothesised that the RBP4 -803GA polymorphism increases type 2 diabetes risk at a population-based level. In addition, information on retinol intake and plasma vitamin A levels enabled us to explore the possible underlying mechanism. Methods: In the Rotterdam Study, a prospective, population-based, follow-up study, the -803GA polymorphism was genotyped. In Cox proportional hazards models, associations of the -803GA polymorphism and retinol intake with type 2 diabetes risk were examined. Moreover, the interaction of the polymorphism with retinol intake on type 2 diabetes risk was assessed. In a subgroup of participants the association of the polymorphism and vitamin A plasma levels was investigated. Results: Homozygous carriers of the -803A allele had increased risk of type 2 diabetes (HR 1.83; 95% CI 1.26-2.66). Retinol intake was not associated with type 2 diabetes risk and showed no interaction with the RBP4 -803GA polymorphism. Furthermore, there was no significant association of the polymorphism with plasma vitamin A levels. Conclusions/interpretation: Our results provide evidence that homozygosity for the RBP4 -803A allele is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the Rotterdam population. This relationship was not clearly explained by retinol intake and vitamin A plasma levels. Therefore, we cannot differentiate between a retinol-dependent or -independent mechanism of this RBP4 variant