Knowledge of iodine nutrition in the South African adult population

OBJECTIVES: To determine the level of knowledge regarding iodine nutrition and its relationship with socio-economic status in the South African population. DESIGN: A cross-sectional population survey collecting questionnaire information on knowledge of iodine nutrition and sociodemographic variables in a multistage, stratified, cluster study sample, representative of the adult South African population. SETTING: Home visits and personal interviews in the language of the respondent. SUBJECTS: Data were collected from one adult in each of the selected 2164 households, and the participation rate was 98%. RESULTS: Only 15.4% of respondents correctly identified iodised salt as the primary dietary source of iodine, 16.2% knew the thyroid gland needs iodine for its functioning, and a mere 3.9% considered brain damage, and 0.8% considered cretinism, as the most important health consequence of iodine deficiency. Compared with respondents from high socio-economic households, respondents from low socio-economic households were considerably less informed about aspects of iodine nutrition covered in this study. CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge level of iodine nutrition is low among South Africans, particularly among the low socio-economic groups. These data suggest that the international emphasis on brain damage resulting from iodine deficiency has not been conveyed successfully to the consumer level in this country

Centrifugally Spun PHBV Micro and Nanofibres

This paper reports the first study on centrifugal spinning of PHBV fibres. Fibres were spun from solution using a range of polymer concentrations, spin speeds and spinneret to collector distances. A PHBV polymer concentration of 25% w/v spun at 9000 r min⁻¹ produced the highest quality fibres, with fibre diameters predominantly in the 0.5-3 μm range. The rate at which fibre could be produced at the 9000 r min‾¹ spin speed and with a spinneret to collector distance of 39.2 cm was equivalent to 11 km of fibre per minute per needle. Average fibre strengths of 3 MPa were achieved, together with average moduli of 100 MPa, indicating that the fibres had higher strength but lower stiffness than electrospun PHBV. The productivity and mechanical properties achieved, together with the excellent biocompatibility of PHBV, means that these fibres have potential for application in a range of biomedical applications

The coming of age of EvoMPMI:evolutionary molecular plant-microbe interactions across multiple timescales

Plant-microbe interactions are great model systems to study co-evolutionary dynamics across multiple timescales. However, mechanistic research on plant-microbe interactions has often been conducted with little consideration of evolutionary concepts and methods. Conversely, evolutionary research has rarely integrated the range of mechanisms and models from the molecular plant-microbe interactions field. In recent years, the incipient field of evolutionary molecular plant-microbe interactions (EvoMPMI) has emerged to bridge this gap. Here, we report on some of the recent advances in EvoMPMI. In particular, we highlight new systems to study microbe interactions with early diverging land plants, and new findings from studies of adaptive evolution in pathogens and plants. By linking mechanistic and evolutionary research, EvoMPMI promises to expand our understanding of plant-microbe interactions

Widespread association between the ericoid mycorrhizal fungus Rhizoscyphus ericae and a leafy liverwort in the maritime and sub-Antarctic

A recent study identified a fungal isolate from the Antarctic leafy liverwort Cephaloziella varians as the ericoid mycorrhizal associate Rhizoscyphus ericae. However, nothing is known about the wider Antarctic distribution of R. ericae in C. varians, and inoculation experiments confirming the ability of the fungus to form coils in the liverwort are lacking. Using direct isolation and baiting with Vaccinium macrocarpon seedlings, fungi were isolated from C. varians sampled from eight sites across a 1875-km transect through sub- and maritime Antarctica. The ability of an isolate to form coils in aseptically grown C. varians was also tested. Fungi with 98–99% sequence identity to R. ericae internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and partial large subunit ribosomal (r)DNA sequences were frequently isolated from C. varians at all sites sampled. The EF4/Fung5 primer set did not amplify small subunit rDNA from three of five R. ericae isolates, probably accounting for the reported absence of the fungus from C. varians in a previous study. Rhizoscyphus ericae was found to colonize aseptically-grown C. varians intracellularly, forming hyphal coils. This study shows that the association between R. ericae and C. varians is apparently widespread in Antarctica, and confirms that R. ericae is at least in part responsible for the formation of the coils observed in rhizoids of field-collected C. varians

Deficient calcium, zinc, and iron intake on absorption of cadmium from diet

Background/Aim: In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that deficient calcium, zinc, and iron dietary intake upregulates metal ion transporters to increase intestinal absorption. However, these gut transporters are not specific and bind to other metals, including cadmium. Few human studies have investigated whether deficient calcium, zinc, and iron intake increases intestinal absorption of dietary cadmium. Methods: We used enrollment data (2010-2012) from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle & Fibroids, a cohort of 1693 African American women ages 23-35 who reside in the Detroit, Michigan area. Whole blood cadmium concentrations (proxy for cadmium absorption) were measured in 1548 participants. Dietary and supplemental calcium, zinc, and iron intake was estimated using Block 2005 Food Frequency Questionnaire data; deficient intake was defined as <80% of the recommended daily allowance. Daily dietary intake of total grains was used as the proxy for dietary cadmium intake as grains are a major source of cadmium exposure in U.S. diet. We estimated the percent difference in blood cadmium concentrations per median daily intake of total grains (4.55 ounce equivalents) using multivariable linear regression, stratified by deficient and sufficient calcium, zinc, and/or iron intake. We restricted the analyses to never smokers with plausible values for total energy intake (>400 and <5000 kcal/day) (n=1087). We adjusted for age at enrollment, total energy intake, body mass index, height, education, and natural log-transformed blood lead concentrations. Results: The observed percent difference in blood cadmium concentrations in relation to intake of total grains was stronger among those with deficient intake of calcium, zinc, and/or iron (28%, 95% CI; 6, 53%) than among those with sufficient intake of all 3 essential nutrients (5%, 95% CI: -7, 19%). Conclusions: Our preliminary findings suggest that women with deficient calcium, zinc, and/or iron intake have increased absorption of cadmium from the diet

3D digital stereophotogrammetry: A practical guide to facial image acquisition

The use of 3D surface imaging technology is becoming increasingly common in craniofacial clinics and research centers. Due to fast capture speeds and ease of use, 3D digital stereophotogrammetry is quickly becoming the preferred facial surface imaging modality. These systems can serve as an unparalleled tool for craniofacial surgeons, proving an objective digital archive of the patient's face without exposure to radiation. Acquiring consistent high-quality 3D facial captures requires planning and knowledge of the limitations of these devices. Currently, there are few resources available to help new users of this technology with the challenges they will inevitably confront. To address this deficit, this report will highlight a number of common issues that can interfere with the 3D capture process and offer practical solutions to optimize image quality.© 2010 Heike et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Early-life Farm Exposure and Ovarian Reserve in a US Cohort of Women

Background: In a previous exploratory study, we reported lower concentrations of the ovarian reserve biomarker anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in adulthood with prenatal farm exposure. We now examine this association as well as childhood farm exposure using enrollment data from the Sister Study, a large US cohort of women. Methods: We collected prenatal and childhood farm exposure data by questionnaire and telephone interview. However, serum AMH data were available only for a nested subset: premenopausal women ages 35-54 subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer (n = 418 cases) and their matched controls (n = 866). To avoid potential bias from restricting analyses to only premenopausal controls, we leveraged the available cohort data. We used data from both premenopausal cases and controls as well as postmenopausal women ages 35-54 (n = 3,526) (all presumed to have undetectable AMH concentrations) and applied weights to produce a sample representative of the cohort ages 35-54 (n = 17,799). The high proportion of undetectable AMH concentrations (41%) was addressed using reverse-scale Cox regression. An adjusted hazard ratio (HR) <1.0 indicates that exposed individuals had lower AMH concentrations than unexposed individuals. Results: Prenatal exposure to maternal residence or work on a farm was associated with lower AMH concentrations (HR 0.66; 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 0.48 to 0.90). Associations between childhood farm residence exposures and AMH were null or weak, except childhood contact with pesticide-treated livestock or buildings (HR 0.69; 95% CI = 0.40 to 1.2). Conclusions: Replication of the prenatal farm exposure and lower adult AMH association raises concern that aspects of prenatal farm exposure may result in reduced adult ovarian reserve

Biomimetic Properties of Force-spun PHBV Membranes Functionalised with Collagen as Substrates for Biomedical Application

The force-spinning process parameters (i.e., spin speed, spinneret-collector distance, and polymer concentration), optimised and characterised in previous work by this group, allowed the rapid fabrication of large quantities of high surface area poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid-co-3-hydroxyvaleric acid) (PHBV) polymeric fibre membranes. This paper examined the potential application for force-spun PHBV fibres functionalised with type I collagen for tissue regeneration applications. PHBV fibre scaffolds provide a biologically suitable substrate to guide the regeneration of dermal tissues, however, have poor cellular adhesion properties. The grafting of collagen type-I to PHBV fibres demonstrated improved cell adhesion and growth in Neo-NHDF (neonatal human dermal fibroblasts) fibroblasts. The examination of fibre morphology, thermal properties, collagen content, and degradability was used to contrast the physicochemical properties of the PHBV and PHBV-Collagen fibres. Biodegradation models using phosphate buffered saline determined there was no appreciable change in mass over the course of 6 weeks; a Sirius Red assay was performed on degraded samples, showing no change in the quantity of collagen. Cell metabolism studies showed an increase in cell metabolism on conjugated samples after three and 7 days. In addition, in vitro cytocompatibility studies demonstrated superior cell activity and adhesion on conjugated samples over 7 days

Collection of Epithelial Cells from Rodent Mammary Gland Via Laser Capture Microdissection Yielding High-Quality RNA Suitable for Microarray Analysis

Laser capture microdissection (LCM) enables collection of cell populations highly enriched for specific cell types that have the potential of yielding critical information about physiological and pathophysiological processes. One use of cells collected by LCM is for gene expression profiling. Samples intended for transcript analyses should be of the highest quality possible. RNA degradation is an ever-present concern in molecular biological assays, and LCM is no exception. This paper identifies issues related to preparation, collection, and processing in a lipid-rich tissue, rodent mammary gland, in which the epithelial to stromal cell ratio is low and the stromal component is primarily adipocytes, a situation that presents numerous technical challenges for high-quality RNA isolation. Our goal was to improve the procedure so that a greater probe set present call rate would be obtained when isolated RNA was evaluated using Affymetrix microarrays. The results showed that the quality of RNA isolated from epithelial cells of both mammary gland and mammary adenocarcinomas was high with a probe set present call rate of 65% and a high signal-to-noise ratio