Plasma concentrations of coffee polyphenols and plasma biomarkers of diabetes risk in healthy Japanese women

Coffee consumption has been reported to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in experimental and epidemiological studies. This anti-diabetic effect of coffee may be attributed to its high content in polyphenols especially caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid. However, the association between plasma coffee polyphenols and diabetic risks has never been investigated in the literature. In this study, fasting plasma samples were collected from 57 generally healthy females aged 38-73 (mean 52, s.d. 8) years recruited in Himeji, Japan. The concentrations of plasma coffee polyphenols were determined by liquid chromatography coupled with mass tandem spectrometer. Diabetes biomarkers in the plasma/serum samples were analysed by a commercial diagnostic laboratory. Statistical associations were assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficients. The results showed that plasma chlorogenic acid exhibited negative associations with fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin and C-reactive protein, whereas plasma total coffee polyphenol and plasma caffeic acid were weakly associated with these biomarkers. Our preliminary data support previous findings that coffee polyphenols have anti-diabetic effects but further replications with large samples of both genders are recommended

ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY REGRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

Aim. To evaluate by modelling the economic benefits of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) regression in patients with arterial hypertension (HT) due to therapy with fixed combination of valsartan/amlodipine.  Material and methods. 20 patients (15 females and 5 males, aged 18 to 70 years) with essential HT accompanied by metabolic syndrome with a history of previous ineffective antihypertensive therapy were included into the study. All patients were treated with fixed combination of amlodipine/valsartan in doses of 5/160 and 10/160 mg depending on blood pressure (BP) level. Treatment duration was 24 weeks. Changes in BP level, LVH regression were assessed. Economic evaluation was performed on the basis of modelling with the specialized software Decision Tree 4.xla. Results. Effect of fixed amlodipine/valsartan combination therapy on LVH was used to estimate treatment effectiveness and to build the model. Patients were distributed according to left ventricular (LV) mass (at baseline and after 24 weeks of therapy). Significant decrease in LV mass from 205.8±50.4 to 181.9±45.1 g (p<0.05) was revealed. The model took into account economic and frequency factors for 10 year prognosis: this therapy prevents 36 deaths, 6 strokes, 24 myocardial infarction per 1000 patients. Absence of need in treatment of these prevented events can save 2 516 772.42 RUR for every 1 000 patients. It would reduce the total costs per patient during 10 years. Conclusion. Treatment with amlodipine/valsartan single pill combination has not only clinical advantages, but also pharmacoeconomic benefits. This combination reduces risk of acute myocardial infarction and death more effectively. Treatment with fixed valsartan/amlodipine combination saves maximum years of life with less cost during 10 years. Despite of higher pharmacotherapy costs, fixed valsartan/amlodipine combination reduces total costs due to prevention of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events

Measurement and Assessment of Human Capital for the Regional Labour Market

Despite the rapidly growing bibliography and a relative scientific consensus, the measurement of human capital at different levels, degrees of detail, socio-economic traditions remains a topical issue due to the use of various conceptualisation, measurement and interpretation techniques. However, the results of obtaining and measuring human capital so far have fallen short of expectations for a number of reasons, some of which are addressed in this article. Considering the specificity and diversity of Russian regions, assessment of their human capital gained importance in Russian scientific discourse in both quantitative and qualitative research. The present study aims to examine the influence of significant factors, including those determining regional specificity, on the self-assessment of human capital for the labour market in different segments of the economically active population. To obtain data, a new (for Russian scientific discourse) method of asking a group of questions and measuring total human capital for the labour market was applied. The study used the authors’ database and identified groups of factors and their effect on the self-assessment of human capital in accordance with well-known theoretical propositions. As a result, the article explained the influence of both external (satisfaction with living in a region and trust in local authorities) and traditional factors on the quality of human capital for some categories of the working population on the example of a specific Russian region.Проблематика измерения человеческого капитала на различных уровнях, степеней детализации, социально-экономических традиций, несмотря на быстро растущую библиографию и некий сформированный научный консенсус, остается в числе актуальных в силу многообразия способов концептуализации, измерения и трактовки результатов. Однако результаты получения и измерения человеческого капитала до сих пор не оправдали ожиданий по ряду причин, некоторые из которых раскрыты в статье. Оценка человеческого капитала для региона в России в силу чрезвычайной многообразности региональных специфик получает дополнительный импульс развития в российском научном дискурсе, проявляясь как в количественном, так и качественном варианте исследований. Целью исследования является выявление характера влияния значимых факторов, в том числе определяющих региональную специфику, на самооценку человеческого капитала для рынка труда в разных сегментах экономически активного населения. Авторы применяют новую (для российского научного дискурса) методику получения данных при ответах на группу вопросов и измерении общего человеческого капитала (для рынка труда). Применена авторская база данных, выделены группы факторов и определена их значимость для самооценки человеческого капитала в соответствии с известными теоретическими положениями, что также несет в себе элементы эмпирической новизны. Получены доказательные ответы на вопрос о влиянии наряду с традиционными факторами группы внешних факторов (степени удовлетворенности проживанием в регионе и уровня доверия к региональным властям) для отдельных категорий работающего населения на качество человеческого капитала на примере конкретного российского региона

Organochlorine Pesticides in Consumer Fish and Mollusks of Liaoning Province, China: Distribution and Human Exposure Implications

Fish and mollusk samples were collected from markets located in 12 cities in Liaoning province, China, during August and September 2007, and 22 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were detected. DDT, HCH, endosulfan, chlordane, and HCB were the dominating OCPs, with mean concentrations and ranges of, respectively, 15.41 and 0.57 to 177.56 ng/g, 0.84 and below detection limit (BDL) to 22.99 ng/g, 1.31 and BDL to 13.1 ng/g, 1.05 and BDL to 15.68 ng/g, and 0.63 and BDL to 9.21 ng/g in all fish and mollusk samples. The concentrations of other OCPs generally were low and were detectable in a minority of samples, reflecting the low levels of these OCPs in the study region. In general, OCP concentrations were obviously higher in fish than in mollusks, and higher in freshwater fish than in marine fish, which indicated, first, that freshwater fish are more easily influenced than seawater fish and mollusks by OCP residues in agricultural areas and, second, that there are different biota accumulation factors for OCPs between fish and mollusk. To learn the consumption of fish and mollusk, 256 questionnaires were sent to families in 12 cities of Liaoning province. Using the contamination data, average estimated daily intakes of OCPs via fish and mollusk consumption were calculated, which were used for exposure assessment. The public health risks caused by exposure to OCPs in the course of fish and mollusk consumption were compared to noncancer benchmarks and cancer benchmarks

A Multiancestral Genome-Wide Exome Array Study of Alzheimer Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

Importance Previous studies have indicated a heritable component of the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). However, few have examined the contribution of low-frequency coding variants on a genome-wide level. Objective To identify low-frequency coding variants that affect susceptibility to AD, FTD, and PSP. Design, Setting, and Participants We used the Illumina HumanExome BeadChip array to genotype a large number of variants (most of which are low-frequency coding variants) in a cohort of patients with neurodegenerative disease (224 with AD, 168 with FTD, and 48 with PSP) and in 224 control individuals without dementia enrolled between 2005-2012 from multiple centers participating in the Genetic Investigation in Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (GIFT) Study. An additional multiancestral replication cohort of 240 patients with AD and 240 controls without dementia was used to validate suggestive findings. Variant-level association testing and gene-based testing were performed. Main Outcomes and Measures Statistical association of genetic variants with clinical diagnosis of AD, FTD, and PSP. Results Genetic variants typed by the exome array explained 44%, 53%, and 57% of the total phenotypic variance of AD, FTD, and PSP, respectively. An association with the known AD gene ABCA7 was replicated in several ancestries (discovery P = .0049, European P = .041, African American P = .043, and Asian P = .027), suggesting that exonic variants within this gene modify AD susceptibility. In addition, 2 suggestive candidate genes, DYSF (P = 5.53 × 10−5) and PAXIP1 (P = 2.26 × 10−4), were highlighted in patients with AD and differentially expressed in AD brain. Corroborating evidence from other exome array studies and gene expression data points toward potential involvement of these genes in the pathogenesis of AD. Conclusions and Relevance Low-frequency coding variants with intermediate effect size may account for a significant fraction of the genetic susceptibility to AD and FTD. Furthermore, we found evidence that coding variants in the known susceptibility gene ABCA7, as well as candidate genes DYSF and PAXIP1, confer risk for AD

Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Biotransformation Enzymes in Three Species of Sea Turtles from the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as well as the expression patterns of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities were measured in livers of loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), and olive ridley (Lepidocheyls olivacea) sea turtles from the Baja California peninsula of Mexico. The mean concentrations of total PCBs were 18.1, 10.5, and 15.2 ng/g wet weight (ww) respectively for the three species and PCB 153 was the dominant congener in all samples. Total PCB concentrations were dominated by penta- and hexa-chlorinated biphenyls. The mean estimated TEQs were 42.8, 22.9, and 10.4 pg/g (ww) for loggerhead, green, and olive ridley, respectively, and more than 70% was accounted for by non-ortho PCBs. Western blots revealed the presence of hepatic microsomal proteins that cross-reacted with anti-CYP2K1 and anti-CYP3A27 antibodies but not with anti-CYP1A antibody. There were no significant differences in GST activities between species. Grouping congeners based on structure–activity relationships for CYP isoenzymes suggested limited activity of CYP1A contribution to PCB biotransformation in sea turtles. These results suggest potential accumulation of PCBs that are CYP1A substrates and provide evidence for biotransformation capacity, which differs from known animal models, highlighting the need for further studies in reptiles, particularly those threatened with extinction

Current issues involving screening and identification of chemical contaminants in foods by mass spectrometry

Although quantitative analytical methods must be empirically validated prior to their use in a variety of applications, including regulatory monitoring of chemical adulterants in foods, validation of qualitative method performance for the analytes and matrices of interest is frequently ignored, or general guidelines are assumed to be true for specific situations. Just as in the case of quantitative method validation, acceptable method performance criteria should be established for qualitative analysis purposes to suit the analytical needs for given applications, and empirical method validation should be conducted to demonstrate the qualitative performance capabilities the method. This critical review article is intended to describe and discuss recent developments with of respect to qualitative aspects in mass spectrometry, and to make recommendations for validation of qualitative methods that meet common needs for monitoring of chemical contaminants in foods