Disponibilidad e interpretación del etiquetado de productos lácteos en Montevideo – Uruguay: estudio transversal sobre Declaraciones de Propiedades Nutricionales referidas a energía y grasas totales

Introduction: The objective is to learn about the availability of dairy products sold in Montevideo containing declarations of nutritional properties related to fats and caloric values included in the labelling and the manner in which such terms are construed by consumers.Material and methods: A descriptive and transversal study on dairy products including nutritional declarations related to fats and caloric value was carried out in stores in the city of Montevideo. The information was gathered from food labelling. A convenience survey with closed questions was carried out to learn how consumers older than 20 years old interpret the declarations.Results: 14% of dairy products available in stores contain nutritional declarations related to fats and caloric value. Most of such declarations were present in yogurt and secondly in spread cheese. Fat is the nutrient most frequently mentioned on the declarations. The “0% fat” declaration appears in 54% of dairy products. 64% of people surveyed stated that they read the declarations included in labels. The main reason why they purchase this kind of product is that the consumption of low-fat and low-energy dairy products is good for health. “0% fat” and “light” dairy products are preferred.Conclusions: Consumers show interest in the information written in the nutritional labelling of dairy products, which is a positive thing as they can serve as a tool to choose food with a lower caloric percentage and less fat. Therefore, this has a positive impact on the health of consumers.Introducción: Se pretende conocer la disponibilidad de productos lácteos envasados con declaraciones de propiedades nutricionales en relación a grasas y valor calórico presentes en el etiquetado que se comercializan en Montevideo, y la interpretación que hace el consumidor de los términos utilizados.Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo y transversal, en productos lácteos con alegaciones nutricionales en relación a grasas y valor calórico presente en el etiquetado en comercios de la ciudad de Montevideo. La información fue obtenida del etiquetado de los alimentos. Se efectuó una encuesta a conveniencia, con preguntas cerradas a consumidores de más de 20 años, para conocer la interpretación de las alegaciones.    Resultados: El 14% de los productos lácteos disponibles en los comercios presentan alegaciones nutricionales en grasas y valor calórico, predominando éstas en los yogures y luego quesos untables. El nutriente más mencionado son las grasas. La alegación “0% grasas” se menciona en el 54% de los lácteos. El 64% de los encuestados declara que sí lee las alegaciones en el etiquetado. El principal motivo de compra mencionado es que el consumo de lácteos con reducción en energía o grasas es positivo para la salud. Se prefieren lácteos “0% grasas” y “light”.Conclusiones: La información contenida en el etiquetado nutricional de los lácteos resulta de interés para los consumidores. Esto es positivo ya que las alegaciones pueden ser una herramienta para elegir alimentos con un menor porcentaje calórico y un menor contenido graso, lo que repercute positivamente sobre la salud de los consumidores

Disponibilidad e interpretación del etiquetado de productos lácteos en Montevideo – Uruguay: estudio transversal sobre Declaraciones de propiedades nutricionales referidas a energía y grasas totales

Introduction: The objective is to learn about the availability of dairy products sold in Montevideo containing declarations of nutritional properties related to fats and caloric values included in the labelling and the manner in which such terms are construed by consumers. Material and Methods: A descriptive and transversal study on dairy products including nutritional declarations related to fats and caloric value was carried out in stores in the city of Montevideo. The information was gathered from food labelling. A convenience survey with closed questions was carried out to learn how consumers older than 20 years old interpret the declarations. Results: 14% of dairy products available in stores contain nutritional declarations related to fats and caloric value. Most of such declarations were present in yogurt and secondly in spread cheese. Fat is the nutrient most frequently mentioned on the declarations. The “0% fat” declaration appears in 54% of dairy products. 64% of people surveyed stated that they read the declarations included in labels. The main reason why they purchase this kind of product is that the consumption of low-fat and low-energy dairy products is good for health. “0% fat” and “light” dairy products are preferred. Conclusions: Consumers show interest in the information written in the nutritional labelling of dairy products, which is a positive thing as they can serve as a tool to choose food with a lower caloric percentage and less fat. Therefore, this has a positive impact on the health of consumers.Introducción: Se pretende conocer la disponibilidad de productos lácteos envasados con declaraciones de propiedades nutricionales en relación a grasas y valor calórico presentes en el etiquetado que se comercializan en Montevideo, y la interpretación que hace el consumidor de los términos utilizados. Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo y transversal, en productos lácteos con alegaciones nutricionales en relación a grasas y valor calórico presente en el etiquetado en comercios de la ciudad de Montevideo. La información fue obtenida del etiquetado de los alimentos. Se efectuó una encuesta a conveniencia, con preguntas cerradas a consumidores de más de 20 años, para conocer la interpretación de las alegaciones. Resultados: El 14% de los productos lácteos disponibles en los comercios presentan alegaciones nutricionales en grasas y valor calórico, predominando éstas en los yogures y luego quesos untables. El nutriente más mencionado son las grasas. La alegación “0% grasas” se menciona en el 54% de los lácteos. El 64% de los encuestados declara que sí lee las alegaciones en el etiquetado. El principal motivo de compra mencionado es que el consumo de lácteos con reducción en energía o grasas es positivo para la salud. Se prefieren lácteos “0% grasas” y “light”. Conclusiones: La información contenida en el etiquetado nutricional de los lácteos resulta de interés para los consumidores. Esto es positivo ya que las alegaciones pueden ser una herramienta para elegir alimentos con un menor porcentaje calórico y un menor contenido graso, lo que repercute positivamente sobre la salud de los consumidores

Accurate ionospheric delay model for real-time GPS-based positioning of LEO satellites using horizontal VTEC gradient estimation

Ionospheric delays compensation is a mandatory step for precise absolute and relative positioning of Low Earth Orbit Satellites (LEO) by GPS measurements. The most frequently used ionosphere model for real-time GPS-based navigation in LEO is an isotropic model proposed by Lear, which uses the Vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC) above the receiver and a mapping function for TEC evaluation along a given ray path. Based on significant assessed results available for ground-based GPS receivers, we propose the use of a different model relying on the thin shell assumption and a bilinear horizontal variation of the VTEC as a function of latitude and longitude in the shell. It is expected that this model is capable of better describing horizontal gradients in the ionosphere, thus improving ionospheric delay estimation, especially in intense ionospheric conditions. This model is referred to as Linear Thin Shell (LTS). LTS performance in estimating undifferenced and double-differenced ionospheric delays is checked by comparing measured and predicted delays computed using flight data from the GRACE mission. Results show that the LTS always outperforms the isotropic model, especially in case of high solar activity. Moreover, the LTS model provides a higher performance uniformity over a wide range of ionospheric delays, thus ensuring good performance in different conditions. The results obtained demonstrate that the LTS model improves the ionosphere delays estimation accuracy by 20 and 40% for undifferenced and double-differenced delays, respectively. This suggests the LTS model can effectively contribute to improving precision in LEO positioning applications. © 2018, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Natur

Unusual pediatric co-morbility: autoimmune thyroiditis and cortico-resistant nephrotic syndrome in a 6-month-old Italian patient

<p>Abstract</p> <p>We report on a case of autoimmune thyroiditis in a 6-month-old patient with cortico-resistant nephrotic syndrome. Normal serum levels of thyroid hormons and thyroid-stimulating hormone were detected with high titers of circulant antithyroid antibodies and a dysomogeneous ultrasound appearance of the gland, typical of autoimmune thyroiditis. The research of maternal thyroid antibodies was negative. This is the first case of autoimmune thyroiditis found in such a young patient with pre-existing nephrotic syndrome ever described in literature. This association is random because nephrotic syndrome does not have an autoimmune pathogenesis and the genes involved in autoimmune thyroiditis are not related to those of nephrotic syndrome.</p

The Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk Continuum from Prenatal Life to Adulthood: A Literature Review

The risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) arises from the interaction of prenatal factors; epigenetic regulation; neonatal factors; and factors that affect childhood and adolescence, such as early adiposity rebound (AR) and social and environmental influences. Thus, CVD risk varies between the group of low-risk metabolically healthy normal-weight subjects (MHNW); the intermediate-risk group, which includes metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy normal-weight subjects (MUHNW); and the high-risk group of metabolically unhealthy obese (MUHO) subjects. In this continuum, several risk factors come into play and contribute to endothelial damage, vascular and myocardial remodeling, and atherosclerotic processes. These pathologies can occur both in prenatal life and in early childhood and contribute to significantly increasing CVD risk in young adults over time. Early intervention in the pediatric MUHO population to reduce the CVD risk during adulthood remains a challenge. In this review, we focus on CVD risk factors arising at different stages of life by performing a search of the recent literature. It is urgent to focus on preventive or early therapeutic strategies to stop this disturbing negative metabolic trend, which manifests as a continuum from prenatal life to adulthood.SCOPUS: re.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Administration of a Multi-Strain Probiotic Product to Women in the Perinatal Period Differentially Affects the Breast Milk Cytokine Profile and May Have Beneficial Effects on Neonatal Gastrointestinal Functional Symptoms. A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Probiotic supplementation to women during pregnancy and lactation can modulate breast milk composition, with immune benefits being transferred to their infants. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of high-dose probiotic supplementation to women during late pregnancy and lactation on cytokine profile and secretory IgA (sIgA) in breast milk and thus to study if differences in breast milk composition can affect lactoferrin and sIgA levels in stool samples of newborns. The safety of maternal probiotic administration on neonatal growth pattern and gastrointestinal symptoms were also evaluated. Methods: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, 66 women took either the probiotic (n = 33) or a placebo (n = 33) daily. Levels of interleukins (IL-6, IL-10 and IL-1β), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and sIgA in breast milk; and the level of sIgA and lactoferrin in newborn stool samples were analyzed at birth and then again at one month of life. Antropometrical evaluation and analysis of gastrointestinal events in newborns was also performed. Results: Probiotic maternal consumption had a significant impact on IL6 mean values in colostrum and on IL10 and TGF-β1 mean values in mature breast milk. Fecal sIgA mean values were higher in newborns whose mothers took the probiotic product than in the control group. Probiotic maternal supplementation seems to decrease incidence of infantile colic and regurgitation in infants. Conclusion: High-dose multi-strain probiotic administration to women during pregnancy influences breast milk cytokines pattern and sIgA production in newborns, and seems to improve gastrointestinal functional symptoms in infants

High Dickkopf-1 levels are associated with chronic inflammation in children with sickle cell disease

Objectives: Sickle bone disease (SBD) is a chronic complication of sickle cell disease (SCD) whose pathogenesis is not completely understood. Chronic inflammation associated with SCD could alter bone remodeling. Our aim was to analyze the serum levels of bone remodeling markers in a group of SCD children to evaluate their involvement in the SBD. Methods: We enrolled 26 SCD subjects and 26 age-matched controls, who lived in the same geographic area. DKK-1, sclerostin, RANKL, and OPG serum levels were evaluated. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was also evaluated as a marker of inflammation. Results: The analysis of bone remodeling markers did not show any significant difference between the two groups except for DKK-1 levels that were significantly higher in the patients than controls (p &lt; .05). A significant direct correlation between NLR and DKK-1 (p = .004) was found. An inverse correlation between NLR and osteocalcin (p = .01) has also been observed. Conclusions: The chronic inflammation, which represents a peculiar characteristic in SCD patients, would represent the primary causal agent of the activation of osteoblastogenesis inhibitors responsible of bone impairment in these subjects. Further studies will be needed to better explain the role of these inhibitors in SCD, to prevent or treat bone damage in this population

Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) Reduction: The Alarm Bell for the Risk of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Adolescents with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represents an endocrine condition affecting 5–18% of adolescents, frequently in association with obesity, metabolic alterations, and liver dysfunction. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors for developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a cohort of PCOS adolescents. Thirty-two girls were assessed for anthropometric and biochemical markers: total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), glucose, insulin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (γGT). In addition, LH, FSH, 17β-Estradiol (E2), prolactin, testosterone (T), free testosterone, delta 4-androstenedione (D4 A), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and sex hormone binding protein (SHBG) were also evaluated. All subjects underwent liver ultrasound to detect NAFLD. Our data demonstrated that PCOS adolescents complicated with NAFLD accounted for 37.5%, and those with obesity and lower SHBG were more predisposed to developing NAFLD. Moreover, SHBG showed a negative correlation with several parameters such as blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, insulin, and the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Our results demonstrated that the assessment of SHBG may allow the identification of PCOS adolescents at risk for developing NAFLD and metabolic alterations