Seafood safety and quality: an analysis of the supply chain in the Sultanate of Oman

The globalization of trade in fish has created many challenges for the developing world specifically with regard to food safety and quality. International organisations have established a good basis for standards in international trade. Whilst these requirements are frequently embraced by the major importers (such as Japan, the EU and the USA), they often impose additional safety requirements and regularly identify batches which fail to meet their strict standards. Creating an effective national seafood control system which meets both the internal national needs as well the requirements for the export market can be challenging. Many countries adopt a dual system where seafood products for the major export markets are subject to tight control whilst the majority of the products (whether for the local market or for more regional trade) are less tightly controlled. With regional liberalization also occurring, deciding on appropriate controls is complex. In the Sultanate of Oman, fisheries production is one of the countries' chief sources of economic revenue after oil production and is a major source of the national food supply. In this paper the structure of the fish supply chain has been analysed and highlighted the different routes operating for the different markets. Although much of the fish are consumed within Oman, there is a major export trade to the local regional markets. Much smaller quantities meet the more stringent standards imposed by the major importing countries and exports to these are limited. The paper has considered the development of the Omani fish control system including the key legislative documents and the administrative structures that have been developed. Establishing modern controls which satisfy the demands of the major importers is possible but places additional costs on businesses. Enhanced controls such as HACCP and other management standards are required but can be difficult to justify when alternative markets do not specify these. These enhanced controls do however provide additional consumer protection and can bring benefits to local consumers. The Omani government is attempting to upgrade the system of controls and has made tremendous progress toward the implementation of HACCP and introducing enhanced management systems into its industrial sector. The existence of strengthened legislative and government support, including subsidies, has encouraged some businesses to implement HACCP. The current control systems have been reviewed and a SWOT analysis approach used to identify key factors for their future development. The study shows that seafood products in the supply chain are often exposed to lengthy handling and distribution process before reaching the consumers, a typical issue faced by many developing countries. As seafood products are often perishable, they safety is compromised if not adequately controlled. The enforcement of current food safety laws in the Sultanate of Oman is shared across various government agencies. Consequently, there is a need to harmonize all regulatory requirements, enhancing the domestic food protection and to continue to work towards a fully risk-based approach in order to compete successfully in the global market

Structure of lithium catena-poly[3,4-dihydroxopentaborate-1:5-[mu]-oxo]

LiH2B5O9, M(r) = 207.0, monoclinic, P2(1)/a, a = 13.576 (4), b = 9.077 (4), c = 5.543 (3) angstrom, beta = 91.47 (1)degrees, V = 682.8 (4)) angstrom3, Z = 4, D(x) = 2.013 g cm-3, lambda(Mo Kalpha) = 0.7107 angstrom, mu = 2.06 cm F(000) = 408, T = 293 K, R = 0.049 for 1689 independent observed reflections. The structure contains chains of B5O9H2]- anions linked through shared O atoms. In each anionic unit two B3O3 rings, each incorporating two triangular BO3 units, are connected by a shared tetrahedral BO4 unit. The Li atom has four O-atom neighbours arranged in an approximately tetrahedral configuration. The Li polyhedra connect B-O polyanions to form a two-dimensional network. Further connections are provided by hydrogen bonds

Pregabalin-Induced Myopathy in a Double Lung Transplant Recipient

Pregabalin is a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) derivative that was commercially approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004. It is commonly used in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy, peripheral neuropathy, and spinal cord injury. We present the case of a 36-year-old Caucasian male double lung transplant recipient who presented with an 18-month history of fatigue and muscle weakness. He had elevated creatinine kinase level and his muscle biopsy showed evidence of drug-induced myopathy that improved after the cessation of pregabalin. We present a case of drug-induced myopathy as a rare complication of pregabalin therapy in a double lung transplant recipient

Impact of Baseline Magnetic Resonance Imaging on Neurologic, Functional, and Safety Outcomes in Patients With Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Study Design: Systematic review. Objective: To perform a systematic review to evaluate the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: An electronic search of Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Collaboration Library, and Google Scholar was conducted for literature published through May 12, 2015, to answer key questions associated with the use of MRI in patients with acute SCI. Results: The literature search yielded 796 potentially relevant citations, 8 of which were included in this review. One study used MRI in a protocol to decide on early surgical decompression. The MRI-protocol group showed improved outcomes; however, the quality of evidence was deemed very low due to selection bias. Seven studies reported MRI predictors of neurologic or functional outcomes. There was moderate-quality evidence that longer intramedullary hemorrhage (2 studies) and low-quality evidence that smaller spinal canal diameter at the location of maximal spinal cord compression and the presence of cord swelling are associated with poor neurologic recovery. There was moderate-quality evidence that clinical outcomes are not predicted by SCI lesion length and the presence of cord edema. Conclusions: Certain MRI characteristics appear to be predictive of outcomes in acute SCI, including length of intramedullary hemorrhage (moderate-quality evidence), canal diameter at maximal spinal cord compression (low-quality evidence), and spinal cord swelling (low-quality evidence). Other imaging features were either inconsistently (presence of hemorrhage, maximal canal compromise, and edema length) or not associated with outcomes. The paucity of literature highlights the need for well-designed prospective studies. © 2017, © The Author(s) 2017

Effects of mometasone furoate/formoterol fumarate fixed-dose combination formulation on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): results from a 52-week Phase III trial in subjects with moderate-to-very severe COPD

RATIONALE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of a fixed-dose combination of mometasone furoate/formoterol fumarate (MF/F) administered via a metered-dose inhaler in subjects with moderate-to-very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: This multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial had a 26-week treatment period and a 26-week safety extension. Subjects (n = 1196), at least 40 years old, were current or ex-smokers randomized to twice-daily inhaled MF/F 400/10 μg, MF/F 200/10 μg, MF 400 μg, F 10 μg, or placebo. The trial\u27s co-primary endpoints were mean changes from baseline, as area under the curve (AUC), in forced expiratory volume (FEV1) over 0-12 hours (AUC0-12 h FEV1) with MF/F versus MF, and in morning (AM) pre-dose (trough) FEV1 with MF/F versus F after 13 weeks of treatment. Key secondary endpoints were the effects of MF/F on respiratory health status using the Saint George\u27s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), symptom-free nights, partly stable COPD at 26 weeks, and time to first COPD exacerbation. RESULTS: The largest improvements in AUC0-12 h FEV1 were observed with MF/F 400/10 μg and MF/F 200/10 μg. Serial spirometry results demonstrated that bronchodilator effects with MF/F occurred rapidly (within 5 minutes), persisted for 12 hours after dosing, and were sustained over the 26-week treatment period. Similar findings were observed for AM pre-dose FEV1, for which effects were further investigated, excluding subjects whose AM FEV1 data were incorrectly collected after 2 days from the last dose of study treatment. Improvements in SGRQ scores surpassed the minimum clinically important difference of more than four units with both MF/F treatments. At 26 weeks, no notable between-treatment differences in the occurrence and nature of adverse events (AEs) were reported. No unexpected AEs were observed. Overall, 90 subjects reported AEs considered to be treatment-related, the most common of which were lenticular opacities, dysphonia, and oral candidiasis. DISCUSSION: In conclusion, MF/F treatments improved lung function and respiratory health status, reduced exacerbations, and were well tolerated in subjects with moderate-to-very severe COPD

Atypical dopamine efflux caused by3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) via the human dopamine transporter

Synthetic cathinones are similar in chemical structure to amphetamines, and their behavioral effects are associated with enhanced dopaminergic signaling. The past ten years of research on the common constituent of bath salts, MDPV (the synthetic cathinone 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone), has aided the understanding of how synthetic cathinones act at the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT). Several groups have described the ability of MDPV to block the DAT with high-affinity. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time, a new mode of action of MDPV, namely its ability to promote DAT-mediated DA efflux. Using single cell amperometric assays, we determined that low concentrations of MDPV (1 nM) can cause reverse transport of DA via DAT. Notably, administration of MDPV leads to hyperlocomotion in Drosophila melanogaster. These data describe further how MDPV acts at the DAT possibly paving the way for novel treatment strategies for individuals who abuse bath salts

Dominant genetic effects on corneal astigmatism: The genes in myopia (GEM) twin study

Purpose: This study was conducted to assess the relative influence of genetics and environment on corneal astigmatism and corneal curvature in a large sample of twins. Methods: A total of 612 twin pairs (345 monozygotic [MZ] and 267 dizygotic [DZ]) aged between 18 and 86 years (mean age, 52.11 &#0177; 15.85 years) were recruited from the Australian Twin Registry (ATR). Each subject completed a general questionnaire, undertook a dilated eye examination, including ocular biometric measurements, and contributed a blood sample. Corneal astigmatism was defined as the absolute difference between the K1 and K2 meridians and corneal curvature as the average of K1 and K2. Results: Intrapair correlations were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in MZ twin pairs compared with those in DZ twin pairs for both corneal astigmatism (CA; r mz = 0.48 vs. r dz = 0.13) and corneal curvature (CC; r mz = 0.84 vs. r dz = 0.41). A sex-limited model with parameters estimating additive genetic, nonadditive genetic, and unique environmental influences (denoted ADE) was the most parsimonious model explaining both measures. Heritability estimates were as high as 60% and 71% for CA and CC, respectively. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that genetic factors explain interindividual variation in CA and CC, with nonadditive genetic factors explaining most of the variance due to those genetic factors. Heritability estimates were sex specific and indicate the need for future linkage studies for the identification of genes involved in the etiology of CA and CC

T1 vs. T2 weighted magnetic resonance imaging to assess total kidney volume in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Purpose: In ADPKD patients total kidney volume (TKV) measurement using MRI is performed to predict rate of disease progression. Historically T1 weighted images (T1) were used, but the methodology of T2 weighted imaging (T2) has evolved. We compared the performance of both sequences. Methods: 40 ADPKD patients underwent an abdominal MRI at baseline and follow-up. TKV was measured by manual tracing with Analyze Direct 11.0 software. Three readers established intra- and interreader coefficients of variation (CV). T1 and T2 measured kidney volumes and growth rates were compared with ICC and Bland-Altman analyses. Results: Participants were 49.7 +/- 7.0 years of age, 55.0% female, with estimated GFR of 50.1 +/- 11.5 mL/min/1.73 m(2). CVs were low and comparable for T2 and T1 (intrareader: 0.83% [0.48-1.79] vs. 1.15% [0.34-1.77], P = 0.9, interreader: 2.18% [1.59-2.61] vs. 1.69% [1.07-3.87], P = 0.9). TKV was clinically similar, but statistically significantly different between T2 and T1: 1867 [1172-2721] vs. 1932 [1180-2551] mL, respectively (P = 0.006), with a bias of only 0.8% and high agreement (ICC 0.997). Percentage kidney growth during 2.2 +/- 0.3 years was similar for T2 and T1 (9.3 +/- 10.6% vs. 7.8 +/- 9.9%, P = 0.1, respectively), with a bias of 1.5% and high agreement (ICC 0.843). T2 was more often of sufficient quality for volume measurement (86.7% vs. 71.1%, P <0.001). Conclusions: In patients with ADPKD, measurement of kidney volume and growth rate performs similarly when using T2 compared to T1 weighted images, although T2 performs better on secondary outcome parameters; they are more often of sufficient quality for volume measurement and result in slightly lower intra- and interreader variability