Quantifying health effects of nutrition

Modelsimulaties geven aan dat met een grotere consumptie van fruit, groente en vis veel gezondheidswinst te behalen is. Dit soort schattingen kunnen worden gebruikt bij de onderbouwing van het voedingsbeleid. Met behulp van het Chronische-Ziekten-Model (CZM) van het RIVM kunnen de gezondheidseffecten op de langere termijn en zorggerelateerde kosten van beleidsdoelstellingen en voedingsinterventies worden doorgerekend. De modelsimulaties geven aan dat met een verhoging van de consumptie van groenten, fruit en vis relatief veel gezondheidswinst te behalen is. Ook blijkt dat ten aanzien van de vetzuursamenstelling de meeste gezondheidswinst inmiddels al is bereikt. Als de gehele Nederlandse bevolking de aanbevelingen voor gezonde voeding zou naleven, overlijden de komende twintig jaar naar schatting 140.000 minder mensen. De totale zorgkosten die anders in 20 jaar worden uitgegeven verminderen dan ongeveer met 3%. Doordat mensen langer leven zullen in de daaropvolgende jaren hun zorgkosten wel toenemen. Het model is ook gebruikt voor doorrekening van twee concrete voedingsinterventies, te weten SchoolGruiten en Werkfruit. Een kind dat deelneemt aan SchoolGruiten zal gemiddeld langer leven (+0,37 jaar) en ook langer gezond blijven. Er worden minder medische kosten op jongere leeftijd gemaakt. Deze kosten worden echter voor een groot deel uitgesteld. Voorwaarde voor de gunstige effecten is dat kinderen na de basisschool structureel meer groenten en fruit blijven eten. Werkfruit is een interventie die zich richt op de fruitconsumptie van werknemers in Nederland. Wanneer dit wordt ingevoerd bij 1 op de 10 werknemers, stijgt naar verwachting de levensverwachting van een 20-jarige met 0,08 jaar en nemen de gezondheidszorgkosten met 0,2 procent af.Simulations show that with an elevation of fruit, vegetable and fish consumption large health gains can be achieved. Model simulation is a good method to underpin nutritional policy. The RIVM Chronic Disease Model (CZM) can be used to calculate long term health effects and health care related costs of policy targets and dietary interventions. Simulations show that with an elevation of fruit, vegetable and fish consumption large health gains can be achieved. On the other hand, most health benefits related to fatty acids composition are already achieved. If the Dutch population complies with the dietary recommendations on nutrition, in 20 years, about 140,000 deaths and about 3% of the costs of health care will be saved. As the life expectancy increases people will experience health costs later in life. Two dietary interventions, 'SchoolGruiten' and 'Werkfruit' are simulated within CZM. Children participating in 'SchoolGruiten' will see their life expectancy increased (+0.37 year). They will also, on average, stay healthy for a longer time, assuming long term effects of the intervention. In this way such a child will make less medical costs at a younger age, however most of this costs are only postponed. Introducing 'Werkfruit' in the Netherlands onto one out of 10 employers, will increase the life expectancy of an 20-year old by an estimated 0.08 year and decrease the health-related costs of the whole population with 0.2 percent

The Crystal Structure of OprG from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Potential Channel for Transport of Hydrophobic Molecules across the Outer Membrane

Background: The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria provides a barrier to the passage of hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds into the cell. The OM has embedded proteins that serve important functions in signal transduction and in the transport of molecules into the periplasm. The OmpW family of OM proteins, of which P. aeruginosa OprG is a member, is widespread in Gram-negative bacteria. The biological functions of OprG and other OmpW family members are still unclear. Methodology/Principal Findings: In order to obtain more information about possible functions of OmpW family members we have solved the X-ray crystal structure of P. aeruginosa OprG at 2.4 A ˚ resolution. OprG forms an eightstranded b-barrel with a hydrophobic channel that leads from the extracellular surface to a lateral opening in the barrel wall. The OprG barrel is closed off from the periplasm by interacting polar and charged residues on opposite sides of the barrel wall. Conclusions/Significance: The crystal structure, together with recent biochemical data, suggests that OprG and other OmpW family members form channels that mediate the diffusion of small hydrophobic molecules across the OM by a latera

Metal–organic complexation in the marine environment

We discuss the voltammetric methods that are used to assess metal–organic complexation in seawater. These consist of titration methods using anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) and cathodic stripping voltammetry competitive ligand experiments (CSV-CLE). These approaches and a kinetic approach using CSV-CLE give similar information on the amount of excess ligand to metal in a sample and the conditional metal ligand stability constant for the excess ligand bound to the metal. CSV-CLE data using different ligands to measure Fe(III) organic complexes are similar. All these methods give conditional stability constants for which the side reaction coefficient for the metal can be corrected but not that for the ligand. Another approach, pseudovoltammetry, provides information on the actual metal–ligand complex(es) in a sample by doing ASV experiments where the deposition potential is varied more negatively in order to destroy the metal–ligand complex. This latter approach gives concentration information on each actual ligand bound to the metal as well as the thermodynamic stability constant of each complex in solution when compared to known metal–ligand complexes. In this case the side reaction coefficients for the metal and ligand are corrected. Thus, this method may not give identical information to the titration methods because the excess ligand in the sample may not be identical to some of the actual ligands binding the metal in the sample

Genetic hitchhiking and resistance evolution to transgenic Bt toxins: insights from the African stalk borer Busseola fusca (Noctuidae)

Since transgenic crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins were first released, resistance evolution leading to failure in control of pests populations has been observed in a number of species. Field resistance of the moth Busseola fusca was acknowledged 8 years after Bt maize was introduced in South Africa. Since then, field resistance of this corn borer has been observed at several locations, raising questions about the nature, distribution and dynamics of the resistance trait. Using genetic markers, our study identified four outlier loci clearly associated with resistance. In addition, genetic structure at neutral loci reflected extensive gene flow among populations. A realistically parameterised model suggests that resistance could travel in space at speed of several kilometres a year. Markers at outlier loci delineated a geographic region associated with resistance spread. This was an area of approximately 100 km radius, including the location where resistance was first reported. Controlled crosses corroborated these findings and showed significant differences of progeny survival on Bt plants depending on the origin of the resistant parent. Last, our study suggests diverse resistance mutations, which would explain the widespread occurrence of resistant larvae in Bt fields across the main area of maize production in South Africa

Renal artery stenosis-when to screen, what to stent?

Renal artery stensosis (RAS) continues to be a problem for clinicians, with no clear consensus on how to investigate and assess the clinical significance of stenotic lesions and manage the findings. RAS caused by fibromuscular dysplasia is probably commoner than previously appreciated, should be actively looked for in younger hypertensive patients and can be managed successfully with angioplasty. Atheromatous RAS is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular events and increased cardiovascular mortality, and is likely to be seen with increasing frequency. Evidence from large clinical trials has led clinicians away from recommending interventional revascularisation towards aggressive medical management. There is now interest in looking more closely at patient selection for intervention, with focus on intervening only in patients with the highest-risk presentations such as flash pulmonary oedema, rapidly declining renal function and severe resistant hypertension. The potential benefits in terms of improving hard cardiovascular outcomes may outweigh the risks of intervention in this group, and further research is needed

Properties of Blood, Porphyrins, and Exposure to Legacy and Emerging Persistent Organic Pollutants in Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) Overwintering on the South Coast of British Columbia, Canada

The surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) is a little-studied species of North American sea duck. Estimates suggest it has experienced a precipitous decline in breeding numbers over the latter half of the past century. To investigate the potential role of contaminant uptake and toxicity in the population decline, this study undertook to measure blood chemistry, porphyrin concentrations, EROD, and organic contaminants in mature surf scoters wintering in the Strait of Georgia, BC, Canada. Hepatic organochlorine pesticide, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin, polychlorinated dibenzofuran, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), polybrominated diphenyl ether, and nonylphenol concentrations were relatively low; for example, ΣTEQs (toxic equivalents) for PCBs, dioxins, and furans combined ranged from 4.7 ng/kg wet weight in reference-site (Baynes Sound) birds to 11.4 ng/kg wet weight in birds from Vancouver Harbour. Nonetheless, elevated EROD activity indicated that birds in Howe Sound were responding to an Ah-receptor-mediated stressor, which was also affecting hematocrit values and possibly vitamin A status. In addition, a low proportion of lymphocytes in individuals across locations in early spring samples was associated with poor body condition. The apparent loss of fitness just prior to the onset of northerly migrations to breeding grounds is of particular concern. Compromised health of mature birds at this point in the season might impact negatively on the productivity and survival of some individuals, particularly those overwintering in Howe Sound

Implication of long-distance regulation of the HOXA cluster in a patient with postaxial polydactyly

Apparently balanced chromosomal inversions may lead to disruption of developmentally important genes at the breakpoints of the inversion, causing congenital malformations. Characterization of such inversions may therefore lead to new insights in human development. Here, we report on a de novo inversion of chromosome 7 (p15.2q36.3) in a patient with postaxial polysyndactyly. The breakpoints do not disrupt likely candidate genes for the limb phenotype observed in the patient. However, on the p-arm the breakpoint separates the HOXA cluster from a gene desert containing several conserved noncoding elements, suggesting that a disruption of a cis-regulatory circuit of the HOXA cluster could be the underlying cause of the phenotype in this patient

The Connectome Visualization Utility: Software for Visualization of Human Brain Networks

In analysis of the human connectome, the connectivity of the human brain is collected from multiple imaging modalities and analyzed using graph theoretical techniques. The dimensionality of human connectivity data is high, and making sense of the complex networks in connectomics requires sophisticated visualization and analysis software. The current availability of software packages to analyze the human connectome is limited. The Connectome Visualization Utility (CVU) is a new software package designed for the visualization and network analysis of human brain networks. CVU complements existing software packages by offering expanded interactive analysis and advanced visualization features, including the automated visualization of networks in three different complementary styles and features the special visualization of scalar graph theoretical properties and modular structure. By decoupling the process of network creation from network visualization and analysis, we ensure that CVU can visualize networks from any imaging modality. CVU offers a graphical user interface, interactive scripting, and represents data uses transparent neuroimaging and matrix-based file types rather than opaque application-specific file formats