Pre-radiotherapy plasma carotenoids and markers of oxidative stress are associated with survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients: a prospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this study was to compare plasma levels of antioxidants and oxidative stress biomarkers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients with healthy controls. Furthermore, the effect of radiotherapy on these biomarkers and their association with survival in HNSCC patients were investigated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Seventy-eight HNSCC patients and 100 healthy controls were included in this study. Follow-up samples at the end of radiotherapy were obtained in 60 patients. Fifteen antioxidant biomarkers (6 carotenoids, 4 tocopherols, ascorbic acid, total antioxidant capacity, glutathione redox potential, total glutathione and total cysteine) and four oxidative stress biomarkers (total hydroperoxides, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, 8-isoprostagladin F_2αand ratio of oxidized/total ascorbic acid) were measured in plasma samples. Analysis of Covariance was used to compare biomarkers between patients and healthy controls. Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox' proportional hazards models were used to study survival among patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Dietary antioxidants (carotenoids, tocopherols and ascorbic acid), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and modified FRAP were lower in HNSCC patients compared to controls and dietary antioxidants decreased during radiotherapy. Total hydroperoxides (d-ROMs), a marker for oxidative stress, were higher in HNSCC patients compared to controls and increased during radiotherapy. Among the biomarkers analyzed, high levels of plasma carotenoids before radiotherapy are associated with a prolonged progression-free survival (hazard rate ratio: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.20-0.91, p = 0.03). Additionally, high relative increase in plasma levels of d-ROMs (hazard rate ratio: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.13-0.76, p = 0.01) and high relative decrease in FRAP (hazard rate ratio: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.17-0.998, p = 0.05) during radiotherapy are also positively associated with survival.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Biomarkers of antioxidants and oxidative stress are unfavourable in HNSCC patients compared to healthy controls, and radiotherapy affects many of these biomarkers. Increasing levels of antioxidant biomarkers before radiotherapy and increasing oxidative stress during radiotherapy may improve survival indicating that different factors/mechanisms may be important for survival before and during radiotherapy in HNSCC patients. Thus, the therapeutic potential of optimizing antioxidant status and oxidative stress should be explored further in these patients.</p

Supplementation of a western diet with golden kiwifruits (Actinidia chinensis var.'Hort 16A':) effects on biomarkers of oxidation damage and antioxidant protection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The health positive effects of diets high in fruits and vegetables are generally not replicated in supplementation trials with isolated antioxidants and vitamins, and as a consequence the emphasis of chronic disease prevention has shifted to whole foods and whole food products.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We carried out a human intervention trial with the golden kiwifruit, Actinidia chinensis, measuring markers of antioxidant status, DNA stability, plasma lipids, and platelet aggregation. Our hypothesis was that supplementation of a normal diet with kiwifruits would have an effect on biomarkers of oxidative status. Healthy volunteers supplemented a normal diet with either one or two golden kiwifruits per day in a cross-over study lasting 2 × 4 weeks. Plasma levels of vitamin C, and carotenoids, and the ferric reducing activity of plasma (FRAP) were measured. Malondialdehyde was assessed as a biomarker of lipid oxidation. Effects on DNA damage in circulating lymphocytes were estimated using the comet assay with enzyme modification to measure specific lesions; another modification allowed estimation of DNA repair.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Plasma vitamin C increased after supplementation as did resistance towards H₂O₂-induced DNA damage. Purine oxidation in lymphocyte DNA decreased significantly after one kiwifruit per day, pyrimidine oxidation decreased after two fruits per day. Neither DNA base excision nor nucleotide excision repair was influenced by kiwifruit consumption. Malondialdehyde was not affected, but plasma triglycerides decreased. Whole blood platelet aggregation was decreased by kiwifruit supplementation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Golden kiwifruit consumption strengthens resistance towards endogenous oxidative damage.</p

Employment Is Associated with the Health-Related Quality of Life of Morbidly Obese Persons

Published version of an article in the journal: Obesity Surgery. The original publication is available at Springerlink. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11695-010-0289-6. Open AccessBackground&nbsp;&nbsp;We aimed to investigate whether employment status was associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a population of morbidly obese subjects. Methods&nbsp;&nbsp;A total of 143 treatment-seeking morbidly obese patients completed the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Obesity and Weight-Loss Quality of Life (OWLQOL) questionnaires. The former (SF-36) is a generic measure of physical and mental health status and the latter (OWLQOL) an obesity-specific measure of emotional status. Multiple linear regression analyses included various measures of the HRQoL as dependent variables and employment status, education, marital status, gender, age, body mass index (BMI), type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and treatment choice as independent variables. Results&nbsp;&nbsp;The patients (74% women, 56% employed) had a mean (SD, range) age of 44 (11, 19–66) years and a mean BMI of 44.3 (5.4) kg/m2. The employed patients reported significantly higher HRQoL scores within all eight subscales of SF-36, while the OWLQOL scores were comparable between the two groups. Multiple linear regression confirmed that employment was a strong independent predictor of HRQoL according to the SF-36. Based on part correlation coefficients, employment explained 16% of the variation in the physical and 9% in the mental component summaries of SF-36, while gender explained 22% of the variation in the OWLQOL scores. Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;Employment is associated with the physical and mental HRQoL of morbidly obese subjects, but is not associated with the emotional aspects of quality of life

Reviews and syntheses: remotely sensed optical time series for monitoring vegetation productivity

Vegetation productivity is a critical indicator of global ecosystem health and is impacted by human activities and climate change. A wide range of optical sensing platforms, from ground-based to airborne and satellite, provide spatially continuous information on terrestrial vegetation status and functioning. As optical Earth observation (EO) data are usually routinely acquired, vegetation can be monitored repeatedly over time, reflecting seasonal vegetation patterns and trends in vegetation productivity metrics. Such metrics include gross primary productivity, net primary productivity, biomass, or yield. To summarize current knowledge, in this paper we systematically reviewed time series (TS) literature for assessing state-of-the-art vegetation productivity monitoring approaches for different ecosystems based on optical remote sensing (RS) data. As the integration of solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) data in vegetation productivity processing chains has emerged as a promising source, we also include this relatively recent sensor modality. We define three methodological categories to derive productivity metrics from remotely sensed TS of vegetation indices or quantitative traits: (i) trend analysis and anomaly detection, (ii) land surface phenology, and (iii) integration and assimilation of TS-derived metrics into statistical and process-based dynamic vegetation models (DVMs). Although the majority of used TS data streams originate from data acquired from satellite platforms, TS data from aircraft and unoccupied aerial vehicles have found their way into productivity monitoring studies. To facilitate processing, we provide a list of common toolboxes for inferring productivity metrics and information from TS data. We further discuss validation strategies of the RS data derived productivity metrics: (1) using in situ measured data, such as yield; (2) sensor networks of distinct sensors, including spectroradiometers, flux towers, or phenological cameras; and (3) inter-comparison of different productivity metrics. Finally, we address current challenges and propose a conceptual framework for productivity metrics derivation, including fully integrated DVMs and radiative transfer models here labelled as “Digital Twin”. This novel framework meets the requirements of multiple ecosystems and enables both an improved understanding of vegetation temporal dynamics in response to climate and environmental drivers and enhances the accuracy of vegetation productivity monitoring

Blood cell gene expression associated with cellular stress defense is modulated by antioxidant-rich food in a randomised controlled clinical trial of male smokers

Background Plant-based diets rich in fruit and vegetables can prevent development of several chronic age-related diseases. However, the mechanisms behind this protective effect are not elucidated. We have tested the hypothesis that intake of antioxidant-rich foods can affect groups of genes associated with cellular stress defence in human blood cells. Trial registration number: NCT00520819 http://clinicaltrials.gov. Methods In an 8-week dietary intervention study, 102 healthy male smokers were randomised to either a diet rich in various antioxidant-rich foods, a kiwifruit diet (three kiwifruits/d added to the regular diet) or a control group. Blood cell gene expression profiles were obtained from 10 randomly selected individuals of each group. Diet-induced changes on gene expression were compared to controls using a novel application of the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) on transcription profiles obtained using Affymetrix HG-U133-Plus 2.0 whole genome arrays. Results Changes were observed in the blood cell gene expression profiles in both intervention groups when compared to the control group. Groups of genes involved in regulation of cellular stress defence, such as DNA repair, apoptosis and hypoxia, were significantly upregulated (GSEA, FDR q-values < 5%) by both diets compared to the control group. Genes with common regulatory motifs for aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and AhR nuclear translocator (AhR/ARNT) were upregulated by both interventions (FDR q-values < 5%). Plasma antioxidant biomarkers (polyphenols/carotenoids) increased in both groups. Conclusions The observed changes in the blood cell gene expression profiles suggest that the beneficial effects of a plant-based diet on human health may be mediated through optimization of defence processes

Tundra greenness

publishedVersio

Tundra greenness

publishedVersio

Use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in a multi-scale vegetation index study of arctic plant communities in Adventdalen on Svalbard

Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) gives the opportunity to carry out research with a re-duced environmental footprint. Unmanned aircraft, including both fixed wing and multi rotor types (helicopters) allow us to collect very high resolution image data for vegetation mapping without the need for any personnel walking into the site and thereby potentially disturbing the sensitive Arctic ecosystems. The main aim of this project was to explore the feasibility of UAS-based vegetation mapping and extraction of vegetation indices (NDVI) for a range of different Arctic plant communi-ties including dense marshes, moss tundra communities and different tundra heaths. The study area of Adventdalen valley on Svalbard, Arctic Norway, is located at 71.2°N 16°E and experiences a dry Arctic climate with a mean July temperature of about 6°C. The UAS was a fixed wing aircraft instrumented with a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) compact camera and a Normalized Difference Vege-tation Index (NDVI) camera taking pictures from 100 metres altitude with highest ground resolution of 2.5 cm capable of mapping 2-3 km2 per flight. The study area’s two main plant communities; the Arctic bell heath and a graminoid rich Polar Willow heath were easily detected both in the NDVI and RGB images. In addition, wet moss tundra and mires were separated from the heath commu-nities. In the NDVI image the moss-dominated mires were difficult to separate from the graminoid dominated mires in most cases, but they were well separable in RGB colour space. Also in situ NDVI measurements by a handheld passive proximal sensor were simultaneously done during the flight campaign. These measurements were analysed in order to correlate the species level NDVI and community level NDVI measurements with the NDVI images acquired at a variety of spatial resolutions by the UAS. The analysis shows that NDVIs of four main plant species at in situ leaf and community levels were significantly correlated (R2 = 0.60, p<0.01). The correlation between the surface (in situ) NDVI community level and the UAS NDVI community level acquired from 100 metres above the surface of four main plant communities was R2 = 0.75 (p<0.01), and these two scales are considered to be best for extraction of NDVI observations in Arctic areas like Svalbard

Prevention of snus use:attitudes and activities in the Public Dental Service in the south‐eastern part of Norway

Abstract Dental health care professionals have the opportunity to play a key role in tobacco prevention and cessation among adolescents. Snus use has increased in Norway, especially in the age group 16–24, whereas there has been a decline in smoking. This study investigated attitudes and activities related to snus prevention among dental health care professionals working in the Public Dental Service (PDS) in south‐eastern Norway. A web‐based survey with a total of 557 dentists and dental hygienists in seven counties in Norway, with a response rate of 53.5%, was carried out in 2017. Dentists’ and dental hygienists’ activities regarding preventive snus use intervention were analysed using the chi‐square test. Intervention was measured with a score (1–5) based on four questions. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to investigate the associations between the explanatory variables of attitudes/activities and the outcome intervention variable. Approximately 87% of the dentists and 58% of the dental hygienists were not familiar with the “minimum intervention method” for tobacco prevention and cessation. Dental hygienists were most active in informing and supporting their patients in prevention and cessation of snus use. The PDS is an underutilized arena for tobacco prevention and cessation among adolescents, and the intervention potential is particularly high among the dentists