Investigating the associations between adiposity, life course overweight trajectories, and telomere length

Obesity may accelerate ageing through chronic inflammation. To further examine this association, we assessed current adiposity, adiposity at early adulthood and life course overweight trajectories in relation to leukocyte telomere length (LTL). We included a total of 7,008 nationally representative U.S. residents and collected information on objectively measured body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and percent body fat. BMI at age 25 and overweight trajectories were assessed using self-reported history. Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) relative to a standard DNA reference (T/S ratio) was quantified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Linear regression models were used to examine the difference in LTL across adiposity measures at examination, BMI at age 25, and overweight trajectories. A 0.2% decrease in telomere length (95% CI: -0.3 to -0.07%) was observed for every kg/m2 increase in BMI, whereas a unit increase in waist circumference (cm) and percent body fat contributed to a 0.09% and 0.01% decrease in LTL, respectively. Higher BMI and being obese at age 25 contributed to lower LTL at older ages. Associations between weight loss through life course and LTL were observed, which further marked the importance of life course adiposity dynamics as a determinant of ageing

Smoking, second-hand smoke exposure and smoking cessation in relation to leukocyte telomere length and mortality

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the link between smoking exposure, telomere length and mortality, with emphasis on second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure and the duration of smoking cessation. RESULTS: A total of 1,018 participants died during follow-up (mean: 10.3 years). A 50 base-pair decrease in LTL was shown among cotinine-confirmed current versus never smokers. The 90th quantile of LTL decreased with increasing cotinine among never smokers, indicating a role of SHS. Longer telomeres with smoking cessation were indicated but limited to a 3-16 year period of abstaining smoking. When assessing mortality, we observed a lower risk of all-cause death for the second quintile compared to the first among never smokers (HR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.52-0.87), and a higher risk was found among current smokers (HR: 1.89, 1.19-2.92). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 6,456 nationally representative U.S. respondents with mortality follow-up through to 31 December 2011. Smoking status was assessed by interviews and cotinine levels. Relative leukocyte telomere length (LTL) was quantified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Multivariable linear regression was performed to examine LTL by smoking exposure, adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education, body mass index, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. We further estimated the association of LTL with cotinine levels using quantile regression, and with smoking cessation dynamics. Cox regression was used to estimate mortality by smoking status and LTL. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated a complex association between smoking, telomere length, and mortality. LTL alterations with SHS and smoking cessation warrant further investigation for translation to public health measures

Testing the reliability of humidity sensors through prolonged measurements traceable to calibration standards

This study looked at the accuracy of relative humidity sensors over a seven-month period at five locations. They were subjected to monthly traceable calibration in a climate-controlled chamber. We found the calibration output variance within sensors was smaller (0.4 ± 0.2 %RH: n= 5 sensors, each of which was exposed to nine humidity levels in the climatic chamber) than the manufacturers specifications (± 3.5 %RH). The study found differences in sensor output variance, which might be related to their working environment. Powered sensors in low ambient RH environments showed minimal differences over time (p > 0.05) when compared to powered sensors exposed to higher humidity environments (p < 0.05). To the author’s knowledge, there have been no previous reports on stability of calibration of humidity sensors over prolonged periods (seven months). This work gives the first indication of stability in relation to environmental conditions of use. It can be concluded that sensors should obtain regular recalibration if used continually (suggested every 6 months), however those in higher humidity environments appear to require more frequent re-calibration (approximately every 3 months)

Continental drift: connecting Great Britain and Scandinavia

Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies. Faculty of Economics and Business. The University of Sydne

Long-Term Monitoring of Fresco Paintings in the Cathedral of Valencia (Spain) Through Humidity and Temperature Sensors in Various Locations for Preventive Conservation

We describe the performance of a microclimate monitoring system that was implemented for the preventive conservation of the Renaissance frescoes in the apse vault of the Cathedral of Valencia, that were restored in 2006. This system comprises 29 relative humidity (RH) and temperature sensors: 10 of them inserted into the plaster layer supporting the fresco paintings, 10 sensors in the walls close to the frescoes and nine sensors measuring the indoor microclimate at different points of the vault. Principal component analysis was applied to RH data recorded in 2007. The analysis was repeated with data collected in 2008 and 2010. The resulting loading plots revealed that the similarities and dissimilarities among sensors were approximately maintained along the three years. A physical interpretation was provided for the first and second principal components. Interestingly, sensors recording the highest RH values correspond to zones where humidity problems are causing formation of efflorescence. Recorded data of RH and temperature are discussed according to Italian Standard UNI 10829 (1999)

EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to the substantiation of health claims related to various microorganisms and changes in bowel function, and digestion and absorption of nutrients (ID 960, 961, 967, 969, 971, 975, 983, 985, 994, 996, 998, 1006, 1014), decreasing potentially pathogenic gastro-intestinal microorganisms (ID 960, 967, 969, 971, 975, 983, 985, 994, 996, 998, 1006, 1014), and stimulation of immunological responses (ID 962, 968, 970, 972, 976, 984, 986, 995, 997, 999, 1007, 1015) (further assessment) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

&lt;p&gt;Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to provide a scientific opinion on health claims pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 in the framework of further assessment related to various microorganisms and changes in bowel function, and digestion and absorption of nutrients, decreasing potentially pathogenic gastro-intestinal microorganisms, and stimulation of immunological responses. The food constituents, &lt;em&gt;Bifidobacterium animalis &lt;/em&gt;subsp.&lt;em&gt; lactis&lt;/em&gt; THT 010801, &lt;em&gt;Bifidobacterium longum &lt;/em&gt;subsp. &lt;em&gt;infantis&lt;/em&gt; THT 010201, &lt;em&gt;Bifidobacterium longum &lt;/em&gt;subsp.&lt;em&gt; longum&lt;/em&gt; THT 010301, &lt;em&gt;Bifidobacterium pseudolongum &lt;/em&gt;subsp.&lt;em&gt; pseudolongum&lt;/em&gt; THT 010501, &lt;em&gt;Lactobacillus casei&lt;/em&gt; THT 030401, &lt;em&gt;Lactobacillus gasseri&lt;/em&gt; THT 031301, &lt;em&gt;Lactobacillus helveticus&lt;/em&gt; THT 031102, &lt;em&gt;Lactobacillus plantarum&lt;/em&gt; THT 030701, &lt;em&gt;Lactobacillus plantarum&lt;/em&gt; THT 030707, &lt;em&gt;Lactobacillus reuteri&lt;/em&gt; THT 030802, &lt;em&gt;Lactobacillus salivarius&lt;/em&gt; THT 031001 and &lt;em&gt;Streptococcus thermophilus&lt;/em&gt; THT 070102, are sufficiently characterised. The evidence provided did not establish that the proposed claimed effect, stimulation of immunological responses, is a beneficial physiological effect. The references provided for the health claims related to changes in bowel function and decreasing potentially pathogenic gastro-intestinal microorganisms included studies which assessed the effects of food constituents other than the food constituents which are the subject of the claims and/or investigated health outcomes unrelated to the claimed effects. No human studies which investigated the effects of the food constituents on appropriate measures of the claimed effects were provided. On the basis of the data presented, the Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of the food constituents and the claimed effects evaluated in this opinion.&lt;/p&gt

Disposable electrochromic polyaniline sensor based on a redox response using a conventional camera: A first approach to handheld analysis

We present a disposable optical sensor for Ascorbic Acid (AA). It uses a polyaniline based electrochromic sensing film that undergoes a color change when exposed to solutions of ascorbic acid at pH 3.0. The color is monitored by a conventional digital camera working with the hue (H) color coordinate. The electrochromic film was deposited on an Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) electrode by cyclic voltammetry and then characterized by atomic force microscopy, electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques. An estimation of the initial rate of H, as ΔH/Δt, is used as the analytical parameter and resulted in the following logarithmic relationship: ΔH/Δt = 0.029 log[AA] + 0.14, with a limit of detection of 17 μM. The relative standard deviation when using the same membrane 5 times was 7.4% for the blank, and 2.6% (for n = 3) on exposure to ascorbic acid in 160 μM concentration. The sensor is disposable and its applicability to pharmaceutical analysis was demonstrated. This configuration can be extended for future handheld configurations.We acknowledge financial support from the Junta de Andalucía (Proyecto de Excelencia P10-FQM-5974) and from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CTQ2013-44545-R). These projects were partially supported by European Regional Development Funds (ERDF)

Rosa26-GFP Direct Repeat (RaDR-GFP) Mice Reveal Tissue- and Age-Dependence of Homologous Recombination in Mammals In Vivo

Homologous recombination (HR) is critical for the repair of double strand breaks and broken replication forks. Although HR is mostly error free, inherent or environmental conditions that either suppress or induce HR cause genomic instability. Despite its importance in carcinogenesis, due to limitations in our ability to detect HR in vivo, little is known about HR in mammalian tissues. Here, we describe a mouse model in which a direct repeat HR substrate is targeted to the ubiquitously expressed Rosa26 locus. In the Rosa26 Direct Repeat-GFP (RaDR-GFP) mice, HR between two truncated EGFP expression cassettes can yield a fluorescent signal. In-house image analysis software provides a rapid method for quantifying recombination events within intact tissues, and the frequency of recombinant cells can be evaluated by flow cytometry. A comparison among 11 tissues shows that the frequency of recombinant cells varies by more than two orders of magnitude among tissues, wherein HR in the brain is the lowest. Additionally, de novo recombination events accumulate with age in the colon, showing that this mouse model can be used to study the impact of chronic exposures on genomic stability. Exposure to N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, an alkylating agent similar to the cancer chemotherapeutic temozolomide, shows that the colon, liver and pancreas are susceptible to DNA damage-induced HR. Finally, histological analysis of the underlying cell types reveals that pancreatic acinar cells and liver hepatocytes undergo HR and also that HR can be specifically detected in colonic somatic stem cells. Taken together, the RaDR-GFP mouse model provides new understanding of how tissue and age impact susceptibility to HR, and enables future studies of genetic, environmental and physiological factors that modulate HR in mammals.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Program Project Grant P01-CA026731)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (R33-CA112151)National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P30-ES002109)Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology CenterNational Institutes of Health (U.S.) (P41-EB015871)National Cancer Institute (U.S.) (P30-CA014051