Did Implementing Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of 1990 Improve Diet?

Nutrition labeling, in the words of the then FDA commissioner, David Kessler, was to “help millions of Americans make more informed, healthier choices.” Although the NLEA primarily focused on standardizing the nutrition facts label, its implementation also involved an informational and educational campaign on how to use the new nutrition facts label and the benefits of using it. Evidently label use more than doubled between 1989-91 and 1994-96. Most of the studies provide evidence of the effects of nutrition label use by comparing label users against non-users using data after NLEA was in effect. Using pseudo-panel data method, we find that implementing NLEA did not improve diet quality but use of labels did. Further, label usage showed no improvement in diet quality within a cohort but it did reveal significant differences among or between cohorts. We also test for differences in diet quality between the two periods by comparing individuals of similar characteristics using a non-parametric approach, the Mahalnobis distance matching technique. Differences across the two periods would be tested at different quantiles of the diet quality with an emphasis on label use and education levels.Nutrition, diet, nutrition facts label, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Concept of Grip Assistive Braking on Four Wheelers

Braking systems in all the segments of vehicles seems to be one of the most crucial developing systems. Many research and developments are carried out in terms of braking of a vehicle in order to enhance the braking efficiency and reduction in stopping distance. This article depicts the concept of assistive braking on four wheelers where we elaborately describe the Braking distance, Thinking distance and Stopping distance after which our concept of braking is proposed with all the technical aspects along with the various components and its efficiency in our real time use. This research article mainly focuses on technical aspects that aim to reduce the reaction time and reflex actions of the driver which in turn is used as a factor to reduce the stopping distance of the vehicle. Various types of biological reactions by a human are observed and then a particular muscular reaction is chosen as a source of intimation for our braking system. When an object is spotted by the driver, the reflex action takes place via a receptor, sensory neurons, spinal cord and from where the muscular reaction takes place. A unique steering with an array of grip sensors is designed and incorporated also with various functions of the vehicle but for this instance, we mainly focus on braking assistance of the vehicle. Thus the unique steering wheel plays the role of connection between vehicle and the driver

A surgical study of serological markers such as C-reactive protein and interleukin 6 in response to postoperative infection in patients with open fractures in a tertiary care hospital

To study the response of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) to postoperative infection in patients with open fractures. Thirty patients with open fractures of extremities within 12 hours of injury were included in study. Blood samples were collected for Postoperative infection is a devastating complication of open fractures. The ideal investigation for early diagnosis of infection should be done before surgery and should be accurate, convenient to patient, cause minimal morbidity. Test such as CRP and IL-6 estimation is utilized in this study. CRP and IL 6 estimation on admission, second and fourth post-op day. All patients underwent surgery and reports evaluated. It was observed that CRP peak on post-op day 4 and IL 6 on postoperative day 2 in patients with infection before clinical evidence of infection. This prospective study includes 30 cases, followed up in ward for a week. Various factors regarding clinical presentation, findings of various investigations, operative treatment had been analyzed. The sensitivity of CRP in our study was 100%, and specificity was 42%. The persistent rise of CRP value seen within the infected group was statistically significant (p<0.05). The present clinical study of estimation of CRP and IL 6 to detect postoperative infection in patients after open fractures is an excellent diagnostic test for early detection and management of infection

catena-Poly[[aqua­sodium(I)]-μ-[2,2′-(disulfanedi­yl)bis­(pyridine N-oxide)]-μ-(pyridine-2-thiol­ato 1-oxide)]

There are two monomeric units in the asymmetric unit of the polymeric title compound, [Na(C5H4NOS)(C10H8N2O2S2)(H2O)]n. The NaI ions are six coordinated by four O atoms, one S atom and one water mol­ecule, forming a slightly distorted octa­hedral geometry. An intra­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bond stabilizes the conformation of the mol­ecule. The crystal packing is consolidated by inter­molecular O—H⋯O, O—H⋯N and O—H⋯S hydrogen bonds, π–π inter­actions [with centroid–centroid distances of 3.587 (2) Å] together with weak C—H⋯π inter­actions. The mol­ecules are linked into polymeric chains along the b-axis direction

Connecting remote and in situ observations of shock-accelerated electrons associated with a coronal mass ejection

One of the most prominent sources for energetic particles in our solar system are huge eruptions of magnetised plasma from the Sun called coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which usually drive shocks that accelerate charged particles up to relativistic energies. In particular, energetic electron beams can generate radio bursts through the plasma emission mechanism, for example, type II and accompanying herringbone bursts. Here, we investigate the acceleration location, escape, and propagation directions of various electron beams in the solar corona and compare them to the arrival of electrons at spacecraft. To track energetic electron beams, we use a synthesis of remote and direct observations combined with coronal modelling. Remote observations include ground-based radio observations from the Nancay Radioheliograph (NRH) combined with space-based extreme-ultraviolet and white-light observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and Solar Orbiter (SolO). We also use direct observations of energetic electrons from the STEREO and Wind spacecraft. These observations are then combined with a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the electron acceleration locations that combined with results from magneto-hydrodynamic models of the solar corona is used to investigate the origin and link of electrons observed remotely at the Sun to in situ electrons. We observed a type II radio burst followed by herringbone bursts that show single-frequency movement through time in NRH images. The movement of the type II burst and herringbone radio sources seems to be influenced by the regions in the corona where the CME is more capable of driving a shock. We also found similar inferred injection times of near-relativistic electrons at spacecraft to the emission time of the type II and herringbone bursts.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figure

Dynamics of pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage in healthy children attending a day care center in northern Spain. influence of detection techniques on the results

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage precedes invasive infection and is the source for dissemination of the disease. Differences in sampling methodology, isolation or identification techniques, as well as the period (pre -or post-vaccination) when the study was performed, can influence the reported rates of colonization and the distribution of serotypes carried.</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>To evaluate the prevalence and dynamics of pneumococcal nasopharyngeal colonization in healthy children aged 6-34 months attending a day care center with a high level of hygiene and no overcrowding. The study was performed 3-4 years after the 7-valent pneumococcal vaccine was introduced, using multiple methodologies to detect and characterize the isolates.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Over 12 months, 25 children were sampled three times, 53 children twice and 27 children once. Three <it>Streptococcus pneumoniae </it>typing techniques were used: Quellung, Pneumotest-Latex-kit and multiplex-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The similarity of isolates of the same serotype was established by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and occasionally the multilocus sequence type (ST) was also determined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall pneumococcal carriage and multiple colonization rates were 89.5% (94/105) and 39%, respectively. Among 218 pneumococci detected, 21 different serotypes and 13 non-typeable isolates were found. The most prevalent serotypes were 19A, 16F and 15B. Serotypes 15B, 19A and 21 were mainly found as single carriage; in contrast serotypes 6B, 11A and 20, as well as infrequent serotypes, were isolated mainly as part of multiple carriage. Most 19A isolates were ST193 but most serotypes showed high genetic heterogeneity. Changes in the pneumococci colonizing each child were frequent and the same serotype detected on two occasions frequently showed a different genotype. By multiplex-PCR, 100% of pneumococci could be detected and 94% could be serotyped versus 80.3% by the Quellung reaction and Pneumotest-Latex in combination (p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Rates of <it>S. pneumoniae </it>carriage and multiple colonization were very high. Prevalent serotypes differed from those found in similar studies in the pre-vaccination period. In the same child, clearance of a pneumococcal strain and acquisition of a new one was frequent in a short period of time. The most effective technique for detecting pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriers was multiplex-PCR.</p

A Longitudinal Study of Streptococcus pneumoniae Carriage in a Cohort of Infants and Their Mothers on the Thailand-Myanmar Border

Background Pneumococcal disease is a major cause of childhood death. Almost a third of the world's children live in Southeast Asia, but there are few data from the region on pneumococcal colonization or disease. Our aim was to document the dynamics of pneumococcal carriage in a rural SE Asian birth cohort. Methods We studied 234 Karen mother-infant pairs in Northwestern Thailand. Infants were followed from birth and nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from mother and infant at monthly intervals until 24 months old. Results 8,386 swabs were cultured and 4,396 pneumococci characterized. Infants became colonized early (median 45.5 days; 95% confidence interval [CI] 44.5-46.0) and by 24 months had a median of seven (range 0–15) carriage episodes. Maternal smoking and young children in the house were associated with earlier colonization (hazard ratio [HR] 1.5 (95% CI 1.1–2.1) and 1.4 (95% CI 1.0–1.9)). For the four commonest serotypes and non-typeable pneumococci, previous exposure to homologous or heterologous serotypes resulted in an extended interval to reacquisition of the same serotype. Previous colonization by serotypes 14 and 19F was also associated with reduced carriage duration if subsequently reacquired (HR [first reacquisition] 4.1 (95% CI 1.4–12.6) and 2.6 (1.5–4.7)). Mothers acquired pneumococci less frequently, and carried them for shorter periods, than infants (acquisition rate 0.5 vs. 1.1 /100 person-days, p<0.001; median duration 31.0 vs. 60.5 days, p = 0.001). 55.8% of pneumococci from infants were vaccine serotypes (13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, PCV13), compared with 27.5% from mothers (p<0.001). Non-typeable pneumococcal carriage was common, being carried at least once by 55.1% of infants and 32.0% of mothers. Conclusions Pneumococcal carriage frequency and duration are influenced by previous exposure to both homologous and heterologous serotypes. These data will inform vaccination strategies in this population

Applying Bayesian model averaging for uncertainty estimation of input data in energy modelling

Background Energy scenarios that are used for policy advice have ecological and social impact on society. Policy measures that are based on modelling exercises may lead to far reaching financial and ecological consequences. The purpose of this study is to raise awareness that energy modelling results are accompanied with uncertainties that should be addressed explicitly. Methods With view to existing approaches of uncertainty assessment in energy economics and climate science, relevant requirements for an uncertainty assessment are defined. An uncertainty assessment should be explicit, independent of the assessor&#8217;s expertise, applicable to different models, including subjective quantitative and statistical quantitative aspects, intuitively understandable and be reproducible. Bayesian model averaging for input variables of energy models is discussed as method that satisfies these requirements. A definition of uncertainty based on posterior model probabilities of input variables to energy models is presented. Results The main findings are that (1) expert elicitation as predominant assessment method does not satisfy all requirements, (2) Bayesian model averaging for input variable modelling meets the requirements and allows evaluating a vast amount of potentially relevant influences on input variables and (3) posterior model probabilities of input variable models can be translated in uncertainty associated with the input variable. Conclusions An uncertainty assessment of energy scenarios is relevant if policy measures are (partially) based on modelling exercises. Potential implications of these findings include that energy scenarios could be associated with uncertainty that is presently neither assessed explicitly nor communicated adequately

A review of energy systems models in the UK: Prevalent usage and categorisation

In this paper, a systematic review of academic literature and policy papers since 2008 is undertaken with an aim of identifying the prevalent energy systems models and tools in the UK. A list of all referenced models is presented and the literature is analysed with regards sectoral coverage and technological inclusion, as well as mathematical structure of models. The paper compares available models using an appropriate classification schema, the introduction of which is aimed at making the model landscape more accessible and perspicuous, thereby enhancing the diversity of models within use. The distinct classification presented in this paper comprises three sections, which specify the model purpose and structure, technological detail and mathematical approach. The schema is not designed to be comprehensive, but rather to be a broad classification with pertinent level of information required to differentiate between models. As an example, the UK model landscape is considered and 22 models are classified in three tables, as per the proposed schema

Imetelstat-mediated alterations in fatty acid metabolism to induce ferroptosis as a therapeutic strategy for acute myeloid leukemia

Telomerase enables replicative immortality in most cancers including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Imetelstat is a first-in-class telomerase inhibitor with clinical efficacy in myelofibrosis and myelodysplastic syndromes. Here, we develop an AML patient-derived xenograft resource and perform integrated genomics, transcriptomics and lipidomics analyses combined with functional genetics to identify key mediators of imetelstat efficacy. In a randomized phase II-like preclinical trial in patient-derived xenografts, imetelstat effectively diminishes AML burden and preferentially targets subgroups containing mutant NRAS and oxidative stress-associated gene expression signatures. Unbiased, genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 editing identifies ferroptosis regulators as key mediators of imetelstat efficacy. Imetelstat promotes the formation of polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing phospholipids, causing excessive levels of lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. Pharmacological inhibition of ferroptosis diminishes imetelstat efficacy. We leverage these mechanistic insights to develop an optimized therapeutic strategy using oxidative stress-inducing chemotherapy to sensitize patient samples to imetelstat causing substantial disease control in AML