Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of Quinoline Yellow (E 104) as a food additive:Question No EFSA-Q-2008-223

The Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food provides a scientific opinion re-evaluating the safety of Quinoline Yellow (E 104). Quinoline Yellow has been previously evaluated by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in 1975, 1978 and 1984, and the EU Scientific Committee for Food (SCF) in 1984. Both committees established an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 0-10 mg/kg body weight (bw). Studies not evaluated by JECFA and the SCF included a chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity study with a reproductive toxicity phase in rats and a study on behaviour in children by McCann et al. from 2007. The latter study concluded that exposure to a mixture of colours including Quinoline Yellow resulted in increased hyperactivity in 8- to 9-years old children. The Panel concurs with the conclusion from a previous EFSA opinion on the McCann et al. study that the findings of the study cannot be used as a basis for altering the ADI. The Panel notes that Quinoline Yellow was negative in in vitro genotoxicity as well as in long term carcinogenicity studies. The Panel concludes that the currently available database on semi-chronic, reproductive, developmental and long-term toxicity of Quinoline Yellow, including a study in rats not apparently taken into consideration by JECFA or the SCF, provides a rationale for re-definition of the ADI. Using the NOAEL of 50 mg/kg bw/day provided by the chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity study with a reproductive toxicity phase carried out in rats and applying an uncertainty factor of 100 to this NOAEL, the Panel establishes an ADI of 0.5 mg/kg bw/day. The Panel notes that at the maximum levels of use of Quinoline Yellow, refined intake estimates are generally well over the ADI of 0.5 mg/kg bw/day

Testing the cultural-invariance hypothesis: a global analysis of the relationship between scientific knowledge and attitudes to science

A substantial body of research has demonstrated that science knowledge is correlated with attitudes towards science, with most studies finding a positive relationship between the two constructs; people who are more knowledgeable about science tend to be more positive about it. However, this evidence base has been almost exclusively confined to high and middle-income democracies, with poorer and less developed nations excluded from consideration. In this study, we conduct the first global investigation of the science knowledge-attitude relationship, using the 2018 Wellcome Global Monitor survey. Our results show a positive knowledge-attitude correlation in all but one of the 144 countries investigated. This robust cross-national relationship is consistent across both science literacy and self-assessed measures of science knowledge

Peritonsillar abscess assessment tool

INTRODUCTION. We developed and validated a patient-reported outcome measurement for measuring the severity of symptoms and efficacy of different treatment modalities in patients with peritonsillar abscess (PTA).METHODS. A 19-item questionnaire was constructed using a five-point Likert scale. Fifteen to 40-year-old patients with PTA treated at two ear-nose-throat departments completed the survey. Healthy students served as controls.RESULTS. A total of 51 PTA patients and 76 controls were included. Twelve items had appropriate inter-item correlations (in the 0.25-0.75 range) and high mean scores (> 3.5) among patients and were therefore included in the final tool, coined the peritonsillar abscess assessment tool (PAAT)-12. The patients’ mean PAAT-12 score was 49.0 (95% confidence interval (CI): 46.8-51.1) at the time of inclusion compared with 14.2 (95% CI: 13.7-14.7) for controls (p < 0.001). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the questionnaire was 0.86. The standard error of measurement was 4.98, the intraclass correlation 0.88 and the Spearman correlation test-retest reliability 0.79.CONCLUSION. The reliability and validity of the PAAT-12 were very high. The PAAT-12 is the first validated tool for measuring the severity and duration of symptoms from the perspective of PTA patients and for quantifying and comparing different treatment modalities in PTA patients

Kortlægning af forskningslitteratur om effekter af måder at udøve offentlig ledelse på: Empirisk evidens i en dansk kontekst

Denne litteraturkortlægning er en af tre separate ’Litteraturkortlægninger af ledelsesforskning og forskning i lederuddannelser’, som Dansk Center for Forskningsanalyse ved Aarhus Universitet udfører for Styrelsen for Forskning og Uddannelse. De tre kortlægninger omhandler eksisterende litteratur indenfor effekt og effektmåling af offentlige lederuddannelser, effekter af måder at udøve offentlig ledelse på og effekter af didaktiske virkemidler og rammer for udvikling og efteruddannelse af offentlig ledere.&nbsp

Perspektiver på uddannelseskvalitet: En delphi undersøgelse blandt studerende, medarbejdere, ledelse og eksterne interessenter på danske videregående uddannelsesinstitutioner

Denne rapport undersøger perspektiver på uddannelseskvalitet i videregående uddannelse blandt de centrale aktører selv – nemlig ledelse, administrative medarbejdere, undervisere, studerende og eksterne interessenter.Rapporten er en del af forskningsprojektet PIQUED (Pathways to Improve Quality in Higher Education), som undersøger, hvordan der arbejdes med uddannelseskvalitet i Danmark med udkig til de nordiske lande.Rapporten bygger på et delphi studie, hvor et ekspertpanel, bestående af ledere, undervisere, administrative medarbejdere og studerende fra danske videregående uddannelser samt eksterne interessenter, har besvaret en række spørgsmål om uddannelseskvalitet. Delphi studiet er forløbet over to runder. I alt har 246 deltagere besvaret første runde i december 2018, og 133 deltagere besvaret anden runde i maj 2019.Formålet med studiet har været at undersøge, hvordan uddannelsesinstitutionerne forstår uddannelseskvalitet, og hvordan demener, at kvalitet bedst fremmes. Studiet har således undersøgt uddannelsesinstitutionernes syn på følgende forskningsspørgsmål: Hvilket formål skal videregående uddannelser særligt opfylde? Hvilken rolle spiller henholdsvis forskningsbaseret og praksisbaseret uddannelse for uddannelseskvalitet? Hvilke faktorer hhv. hæmmer eller fremmer uddannelseskvalitet? Hvilke forhold er der konsensus eller dissensus om på tværs af sektorer eller stillingskategorier

Innovation og iværksætteri på de danske universiteter: Mulige indikatorer til UFS’ databeredskab på forsknings- og innovationsområdet

Denne rapport præsenterer en oversigt over mulige indikatorer for universitetssektorens innovationsaktiviteter. Rapporten er rekvireret af Uddannelses- og Forskningsstyrelsen (UFS) og har til formål at understøtte Styrelsens arbejde med at udvide datagrundlaget for analyser af universiteternes innovation, iværksætteri og impact i Danmark. Kataloget skal facilitere udvælgelsen af indikatorer, som kan anvendes til regelmæssig monitorering og effektanalyser af danske universiteters bidrag til innovationsøkosystemet.&nbsp

Hvilken indflydelse havde fysisk aktivitet i undervisningen under coronanedlukningen på elevernes trivsel og læring?

Nedlukningen af den fysiske undervisning i forbindelse med coronapandemien har haft konsekvenser både for elevernes fysiske sundhed og for deres læringsorienteret trivsel. De har været for lidt fysisk aktive, da transport og frikvarterer har været fraværende, så det var måske lige netop her, at skolerne skulle være gået aktivt ind og arbejdet med fysiske aktiviteter i undervisningen. Nærværende artikel undersøger, hvordan to skoler har arbejdet med fysiske aktiviteter i den virtuelle undervisning, og hvordan aktiviteterne, eller mangel på samme, har haft indflydelse på elevernes læringsorienteret trivsel. Artiklen slutter af med råd til evt. kommende omlægninger fra fysisk til virtuel undervisning

Addition of trans-fat and alcohol has divergent effects on atherogenic diet-induced liver injury in rodent models of steatohepatitis

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) are common causes of chronic liver disease. The overlap between ALD and NAFLD suggests the existence of metabolic steatohepatitis. Development of in vivo models that reflect various aspects of human steatohepatitis is essential for drug discovery. We aimed to characterize several models of steatohepatitis (SH) and to investigate whether the pathology could be modulated. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 9 wk, followed by either a high-fat, high-cholesterol and cholate diet (HFC) or a HFC diet containing 13% trans fat (HFC-TF). A subset received 15% ethanol-water twice a week for 12 wk. Serum triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL, HDL, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and rodent NH 2-terminal propeptide of type III collagen (rPRO-C3) were assessed. The liver was weighed and evaluated using modified Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network histological score system criteria. All diets induced hepatomegaly, but only HFC-TF increased the size of visceral adipose tissue. Trans fat augmented HFC-induced dyslipidemia, and cholesterol was higher and HDL was lower in the HFC-TF groups. Alcohol lowered triglycerides in both dietary groups. HFC elevated ALT and AST, which were lowered by trans fat. All diets induced histological SH, addition of trans fat induced more steatosis but less inflammation. Inclusion of alcohol augmented the HFC-induced inflammation. All diets induced mild fibrosis. Inclusion of trans fat and alcohol significantly increased rPRO-C3. The addition of trans fat reduced the HFC-induced inflammation but augmented steatosis and dyslipidemia. Inclusion of alcohol induced a more inflammatory and fibrogenic phenotype. NEW &amp; NOTEWORTHY Alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic liver disease share significant overlap, which suggests the existence of metabolic steatohepatitis. Trans fat has been implicated in steatohepatitis development. Here, we show that the addition of trans fat to an atherogenic diet results in a more steatotic but less inflammatory phenotype, whereas the addition of alcohol to an atherogenic diet augments the inflammatory and fibrogenic properties of the diet. </p