Proximate and Phytochemical composition and antioxidant properties of indigenous landraces of omani fenugreek seeds.

Background: Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum L) is receiving global attention as a functional food due to its unique nutritional and medicinal properties as anti-diabetic, hypocholesterolemic, antipyretic, anti-carcinogenic and seasoning and flavoring agent.Materials and Methods: Seeds of indigenous fenugreek accessions were collected from three different ecological regions (Al-Dakhaliyah, Al- Dhahirah, and Al-Batinah) of Sultanate of Oman. The samples were analyzed for proximate chemical composition, phytochemical contents and antioxidant properties.Results: Only significant (P<0.05) differences were observed in the crude fiber and gross energy values of fenugreek seeds collected from different regions of Oman. The highest crude fiber content (8.6 %) was observed in samples collected from Al-Dhahirah region whereas the lowest value (7.1%) was found in samples collected from Al-Dakhaliyah region. No significant (P<0.05) differences were however observed in the moisture, crude protein, crude fat, and ash contents of samples collected from the three regions of Oman. The regional variability significantly (P<0.05) affected the phytochemicals composition and the highest amount of total phenolics (139.2 mg GAE/100g) were recorded in samples collected from Al-Batinah, followed by Al-Dhakhliyah (130.0 mg GAE/100g) and Al-Dhahirah (127.8 mg GAE/100g) regions, respectively. A significant correlation was also observed between the total phenolic contents and the antioxidant properties of fenugreek seeds as determined by reducing power potential  (FRAP).Conclusion: Indigenous landraces of Omani fenugreek seeds are a rich source of protein, dietary fiber, and many important bioactive components, which were found to be significantly correlatedwith its antioxidant properties.Keywords: Omani fenugreek, landraces, phytochemical composition, antioxidant properties

Information security: Listening to the perspective of organisational insiders

Aligned with the strategy-as-practice research tradition, this article investigates how organisational insiders understand and perceive their surrounding information security practices, how they interpret them, and how they turn such interpretations into strategic actions. The study takes a qualitative case study approach, and participants are employees at the Research & Development department of a multinational original brand manufacturer. The article makes an important contribution to organisational information security management. It addresses the behaviour of organisational insiders – a group whose role in the prevention, response and mitigation of information security incidents is critical. The article identifies a set of organisational insiders’ perceived components of effective information security practices (organisational mission statement; common understanding of information security; awareness of threats; knowledge of information security incidents, routines and policy; relationships between employees; circulation of stories; role of punishment provisions; and training), based on which more successful information security strategies can be developed

A UK wide cohort study describing management and outcomes for infants with surgical Necrotising Enterocolitis

The Royal College of Surgeons have proposed using outcomes from necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) surgery for revalidation of neonatal surgeons. The aim of this study was therefore to calculate the number of infants in the UK/Ireland with surgical NEC and describe outcomes that could be used for national benchmarking and counselling of parents. A prospective nationwide cohort study of every infant requiring surgical intervention for NEC in the UK was conducted between 01/03/13 and 28/02/14. Primary outcome was mortality at 28-days. Secondary outcomes included discharge, post-operative complication, and TPN requirement. 236 infants were included, 43(18%) of whom died, and eight(3%) of whom were discharged prior to 28-days post decision to intervene surgically. Sixty infants who underwent laparotomy (27%) experienced a complication, and 67(35%) of those who were alive at 28 days were parenteral nutrition free. Following multi-variable modelling, presence of a non-cardiac congenital anomaly (aOR 5.17, 95% CI 1.9-14.1), abdominal wall erythema or discolouration at presentation (aOR 2.51, 95% CI 1.23-5.1), diagnosis of single intestinal perforation at laparotomy (aOR 3.1 95% CI 1.05-9.3), and necessity to perform a clip and drop procedure (aOR 30, 95% CI 3.9-237) were associated with increased 28-day mortality. These results can be used for national benchmarking and counselling of parents

Effects of trichlorobenzene on natural phytoplankton populations

Natural phytoplankton assemblages from an offshore station in Lake Michigan were exposed to individual isomers of trichlorobenzene (TCB) and incubated in situ for a 24 h period. One set of exposures was initiated with a lake assemblage collected at 0330 h from 30 m and the TCB isomers added at 0400 h. The second exposure experiment was initiated with an assemblage from 30 m collected at 1530 h and the TCB isomers added at 1600 h.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44445/1/10646_2004_Article_BF00368534.pd

Call for emergency action to restore dietary diversity and protect global food systems in times of COVID-19 and beyond: Results from a cross-sectional study in 38 countries

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the fragility of the global food system, sending shockwaves across countries\u27 societies and economy. This has presented formidable challenges to sustaining a healthy and resilient lifestyle. The objective of this study is to examine the food consumption patterns and assess diet diversity indicators, primarily focusing on the food consumption score (FCS), among households in 38 countries both before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 37 207 participants (mean age: 36.70 ± 14.79, with 77 % women) was conducted in 38 countries through an online survey administered between April and June 2020. The study utilized a pre-tested food frequency questionnaire to explore food consumption patterns both before and during the COVID-19 periods. Additionally, the study computed Food Consumption Score (FCS) as a proxy indicator for assessing the dietary diversity of households. Findings: This quantification of global, regional and national dietary diversity across 38 countries showed an increment in the consumption of all food groups but a drop in the intake of vegetables and in the dietary diversity. The household\u27s food consumption scores indicating dietary diversity varied across regions. It decreased in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, including Lebanon (p \u3c 0.001) and increased in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries including Bahrain (p = 0.003), Egypt (p \u3c 0.001) and United Arab Emirates (p = 0.013). A decline in the household\u27s dietary diversity was observed in Australia (p \u3c 0.001), in South Africa including Uganda (p \u3c 0.001), in Europe including Belgium (p \u3c 0.001), Denmark (p = 0.002), Finland (p \u3c 0.001) and Netherland (p = 0.027) and in South America including Ecuador (p \u3c 0.001), Brazil (p \u3c 0.001), Mexico (p \u3c 0.0001) and Peru (p \u3c 0.001). Middle and older ages [OR = 1.2; 95 % CI = [1.125–1.426] [OR = 2.5; 95 % CI = [1.951–3.064], being a woman [OR = 1.2; 95 % CI = [1.117–1.367], having a high education (p \u3c 0.001), and showing amelioration in food-related behaviors [OR = 1.4; 95 % CI = [1.292–1.709] were all linked to having a higher dietary diversity. Conclusion: The minor to moderate changes in food consumption patterns observed across the 38 countries within relatively short time frames could become lasting, leading to a significant and prolonged reduction in dietary diversity, as demonstrated by our findings

Feline low-grade alimentary lymphoma: an emerging entity and a potential animal model for human disease

Background: Low-grade alimentary lymphoma (LGAL) is characterised by the infiltration of neoplastic T-lymphocytes, typically in the small intestine. The incidence of LGAL has increased over the last ten years and it is now the most frequent digestive neoplasia in cats and comprises 60 to 75% of gastrointestinal lymphoma cases. Given that LGAL shares common clinical, paraclinical and ultrasonographic features with inflammatory bowel diseases, establishing a diagnosis is challenging. A review was designed to summarise current knowledge of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of feline LGAL. Electronic searches of PubMed and Science Direct were carried out without date or language restrictions. Results: A total of 176 peer-reviewed documents were identified and most of which were published in the last twenty years. 130 studies were found from the veterinary literature and 46 from the human medicine literature. Heterogeneity of study designs and outcome measures made meta-analysis inappropriate. The pathophysiology of feline LGAL still needs to be elucidated, not least the putative roles of infectious agents, environmental factors as well as genetic events. The most common therapeutic strategy is combination treatment with prednisolone and chlorambucil, and prolonged remission can often be achieved. Developments in immunohistochemical analysis and clonality testing have improved the confidence of clinicians in obtaining a correct diagnosis between LGAL and IBD. The condition shares similarities with some diseases in humans, especially human indolent T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Conclusions: The pathophysiology of feline LGAL still needs to be elucidated and prospective studies as well as standardisation of therapeutic strategies are needed. A combination of conventional histopathology and immunohistochemistry remains the current gold-standard test, but clinicians should be cautious about reclassifying cats previously diagnosed with IBD to lymphoma on the basis of clonality testing. Importantly, feline LGAL could be considered to be a potential animal model for indolent digestive T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder, a rare condition in human medicine