Urinary Deoxynivalenol Is Correlated with Cereal Intake in Individuals from the United Kingdom

Background Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a toxic fungal metabolite that frequently contaminates cereal crops. DON is toxic to animals, but the effects on humans are poorly understood, in part because exposure estimates are of limited precision. Objectives In this study we used the U.K. adult National Diet and Nutrition Survey to compare 24-hr urinary DON excretion with cereal intake. Methods One hundred subjects were identified for each of the following cereal consumption groups: low (mean, 107 g cereal/day; range, 88–125), medium (mean, 179 g/day; range, 162–195) and high (mean, 300 g/day; range, 276–325). DON was analyzed in 24-hr urine samples by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry after purification on immunoaffinity columns. Results DON was detected in 296 of 300 (98.7%) urine samples. Cereal intake was significantly associated with urinary DON (p < 0.0005), with the geometric mean urinary levels being 6.55 μg DON/day [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.71–7.53]; 9.63 μg/day (95% CI, 8.39–11.05); and 13.24 μg/day (95% CI, 11.54–15.19) for low-, medium-, and high-intake groups, respectively. In multivariable analysis, wholemeal bread (p < 0.0005), white bread (p < 0.0005), “other” bread (p < 0.0005), buns/cakes (p = 0.003), high-fiber breakfast cereal (p = 0.016), and pasta (p = 0.017) were significantly associated with urinary DON. Wholemeal bread was associated with the greatest percent increase in urinary DON per unit of consumption, but white bread contributed approximately twice as much as wholemeal bread to the urinary DON levels because it was consumed in higher amounts. Conclusion The majority of adults in the United Kingdom appear to be exposed to DON, and on the basis of the urinary levels, we estimate that some individuals may exceed the European Union (EU) recommended maximum tolerable daily intake of 1,000 ng DON/kg (bw). This exposure biomarker will be a valuable tool for biomonitoring as part of surveillance strategies and in etiologic studies of DON and human disease risk

Common Minimum Technical Standards and Protocols for Biobanks Dedicated to Cancer Research

Biological specimens collected, processed, and stored under optimal conditions increasingly provide a necessary foundation for cancer research. Information obtained from such samples opens opportunities to learn more about the causes, prevention, and treatment of the disease. International comparisons made possible by the study of sample collections from different parts of the world are also invaluable in the pursuit of the evidence base for cancer control. However, the above-mentioned opportunities are accompanied by many challenges and potential pitfalls. At times, pragmatic decisions have to be made in response to the constraints faced when conducting clinical or population-based studies. These constraints may be technical, may relate to infrastructure or finance, or may be ethical, legal, or social in nature. Being unaware of these types of risk to successful biobanking can place important scientific advances in jeopardy. In this context, it is a great pleasure to introduce this publication from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The purpose of the text is to provide clear and practical advice on the common practices needed to create and maintain biobanks, recognizing that the circumstances faced by the curators of biobanks vary across the world. The international cooperation that went into formulating these Common Minimal Technical Standards provides confidence that the content is realistic, while at the same time maintaining the minimal standards needed in order for the biospecimens to be valid and to yield the reliable research data being sought. In providing this Foreword, I would like to place on record my thanks to all authors and reviewers who have contributed to this final product, as well as to all the contributors to Common Minimum Technical Standards and Protocols for Biological Resource Centres Dedicated to Cancer Research, known as the \u201cGreen Book\u201d, published by IARC in 2007. In publishing this book, my hope is for a balanced focus, not only on what goes into a biobank but also on what comes out. There is a risk that biobanks remain untouched or underexploited, a deposit that is rarely put to work for the common good. While this book aims to ensure that what goes into a biobank is of high quality and well managed, it has as its ultimate objective to drive the use of those same biospecimens in research. This will involve the analysis of biospecimens, but to maximize the benefits it will also require linkage to other well-documented epidemiological and clinical data sets. In this period of spiralling numbers of cancer cases and costs of cancer care, the failure to use stored samples to answer critical research questions is indefensible. In conclusion, I trust that readers will find this publication to be a support to successful biobanking and will find herein one important foundation for cancer research in the 21st century

Are Ethnic and Gender Specific Equations Needed to Derive Fat Free Mass from Bioelectrical Impedance in Children of South Asian, Black African-Caribbean and White European Origin? Results of the Assessment of Body Composition in Children Study

Background Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a potentially valuable method for assessing lean mass and body fat levels in children from different ethnic groups. We examined the need for ethnic- and gender-specific equations for estimating fat free mass (FFM) from BIA in children from different ethnic groups and examined their effects on the assessment of ethnic differences in body fat. Methods Cross-sectional study of children aged 8–10 years in London Primary schools including 325 South Asians, 250 black African-Caribbeans and 289 white Europeans with measurements of height, weight and arm-leg impedance (Z; Bodystat 1500). Total body water was estimated from deuterium dilution and converted to FFM. Multilevel models were used to derive three types of equation {A: FFM = linear combination(height+weight+Z); B: FFM = linear combination(height2/Z); C: FFM = linear combination(height2/Z+weight)}. Results Ethnicity and gender were important predictors of FFM and improved model fit in all equations. The models of best fit were ethnicity and gender specific versions of equation A, followed by equation C; these provided accurate assessments of ethnic differences in FFM and FM. In contrast, the use of generic equations led to underestimation of both the negative South Asian-white European FFM difference and the positive black African-Caribbean-white European FFM difference (by 0.53 kg and by 0.73 kg respectively for equation A). The use of generic equations underestimated the positive South Asian-white European difference in fat mass (FM) and overestimated the positive black African-Caribbean-white European difference in FM (by 4.7% and 10.1% respectively for equation A). Consistent results were observed when the equations were applied to a large external data set. Conclusions Ethnic- and gender-specific equations for predicting FFM from BIA provide better estimates of ethnic differences in FFM and FM in children, while generic equations can misrepresent these ethnic differences

Time for a European initiative for research to prevent cancer: A manifesto for Cancer Prevention Europe (CPE)

A landmark resolution on cancer prevention and control was adopted by Member States at the World Health Assembly 2017, noting that “risk reduction has the potential to prevent around half of all cancers” and urging “to promote cancer research to improve the evidence base for cancer prevention and control”. Public health oriented strategies for cancer prevention and their optimal application in effective real-life programmes will be vital to circumvent the dramatic health and economic implications of a strategy and healthcare expenditure based primarily on cancer treatment. The inter-disciplinary nature of cancer prevention stretches from the sub-microscopic study of cancer pathways through to the supra-macroscopic analysis of the “causes of the causes”, encompassing socio-economic and environmental factors. Research is required to provide new evidence-based preventive interventions and to understand the factors that hamper their implementation within health care systems and in the community. Successful implementation of cancer prevention requires long-term vision, a dedicated research agenda and funding, sustainable infrastructure and cooperation between countries and programmes. In order to develop world class prevention research in Europe that translates into effective cancer prevention guidelines and policies, we report on the creation of Cancer Prevention Europe. This international and multidisciplinary consortium of research institutes, organisations and networks of excellence with a common mission of reducing cancer morbidity and mortality in European populations through prevention, brings together different fields of expertise, from laboratory science through to policy research, as well as dissemination of the best evidence, the best quality indicators and the best practices used

Cancer Prevention Europe

The case for cancer prevention in Europe is the same as for all other parts of the world. The number of cancers is increasing, driven by demographic change and evolution in the exposure to risk factors, while the cost of treating patients is likewise spiralling. Estimations suggest that around 40% of cancers in Europe could be prevented if current understanding of risk and protective factors was translated into effective primary prevention, with further reductions in cancer incidence and mortality by screening, other approaches to early detection, and potentially medical prevention. However, the infrastructure for cancer prevention tends to be fragmented between and within different countries in Europe. This lack of a coordinated approach recently led to the foundation of Cancer Prevention Europe (Forman et al., 2018), a collaborative network with the main aims of strengthening cancer prevention in Europe by increasing awareness of the needs, the associated required resources and reducing inequalities in access to cancer prevention across Europe. This article showcases the need for strengthening cancer prevention and introduces the objectives of Cancer Prevention Europe and its foreseen future role in reducing the European cancer burden.</p

Trends of serum phospholipid fatty acids over time in rural Uganda: evidence of nutritional transition?

Non-communicable diseases are projected to become the most common causes of death in Africa by 2030. The impact on health of epidemiological and nutritional transitions in sub-Saharan Africa remains unclear. To assess the trends of dietary fatty acids over time in Uganda, we examined fatty acids in serum collected from individuals in rural south-west Uganda, at three time points over two decades. Independent cross-sectional samples of 915 adults and children were selected from the general population cohort in 1990 (n 281), 2000 (n 283) and 2008 (n 351). Serum phospholipid fatty acids were measured by GC. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to compare the geometric means of fatty acids by time period. Serum fatty acid profiling showed high proportions of SFA, cis-MUFA and industrial trans-fatty acids (iTFA), likely to be biomarkers of high consumption of palm oil and hydrogenated fats. In contrast, proportions of n-6 and n-3 PUFA from vegetable oils and fish were low. From 1990 to 2008, serum phospholipids showed increases in absolute amounts of SFA (17·3 % increase in adults and 26·4 % in children), MUFA (16·7 % increase in adults and 16·8 % in children) and n-6:n-3 PUFA (40·1 % increase in adults and 39·8 % in children). The amount of elaidic acid, iTFA from hydrogenated fats, increased in children (60·1 % increase). In this rural Ugandan population, we show evidence of unfavourable trends over time of dietary fatty acids

Seasonal Variation in TP53 R249S-Mutated Serum DNA with Aflatoxin Exposure and Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Background: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and dietary aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure are etiological factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in countries with hot, humid climates. HCC often harbors a TP53 (tumor protein p53) mutation at codon 249 (R249S). In chronic carriers, 1762T/1764A mutations in the HBV X gene are associated with increased HCC risk. Both mutations have been detected in circulating cell-free DNA (CFDNA) from asymptomatic HBV carriers

A Census of the High-Density Molecular Gas in M82

We present a three-pointing study of the molecular gas in the starburst nucleus of M82 based on 190 - 307 GHz spectra obtained with Z-Spec at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. We present intensity measurements, detections and upper limits, for 20 transitions, including several new detections of CS, HNC, C2H, H2CO, and CH3CCH lines. We combine our measurements with previously-published measurements at other frequencies for HCN, HNC, CS, C34S, and HCO+ in a multi-species likelihood analysis constraining gas mass, density and temperature, and the species' relative abundances. We find some 1.7 - 2.7 x 10^8 M_sun of gas with n_H2 between 1 - 6 x 10^4 cm^-3 and T > 50 K. While the mass and temperature are comparable to values inferred from mid-J CO transitions, the thermal pressure is a factor of 10 - 20 greater. The molecular interstellar medium is largely fragmented and is subject to ultraviolet irradiation from the star clusters. It is also likely subject to cosmic rays and mechanical energy input from the supernovae, and is warmer on average than the molecular gas in the massive star formation regions in the Milky Way. The typical conditions in the dense gas in M82's central kpc appear unfavorable for further star formation; if any appreciable stellar populations are currently forming, they are likely biased against low mass stars, producing a top-heavy initial mass function.Comment: 15 pages (using emulateapj.cls), 6 figures, Astrophysical Journal, in pres