A novel wheat variety with elevated content of amylose increases resistant starch formation and may beneficially influence glycaemia in healthy subjects

Previous studies indicate that elevated amylose content in products from rice, corn, and barley induce lower postprandial glycaemic responses and higher levels of resistant starch (RS). Consumption of slowly digestible carbohydrates and RS has been associated with health benefits such as decreased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.To evaluate the postprandial glucose and insulin responses in vivo to bread products based on a novel wheat genotype with elevated amylose content (38%).Bread was baked from a unique wheat genotype with elevated amylose content, using baking conditions known to promote amylose retrogradation. Included test products were bread based on whole grain wheat with elevated amylose content (EAW), EAW with added lactic acid (EAW-la), and ordinary whole grain wheat bread (WGW). All test breads were baked at pumpernickel conditions (20 hours, 120°C). A conventionally baked white wheat bread (REF) was used as reference. Resistant starch (RS) content was measured in vitro and postprandial glucose and insulin responses were tested in 14 healthy subjects.The results showed a significantly higher RS content (on total starch basis) in breads based on EAW than in WGW (p<0.001). Lactic acid further increased RS (p<0.001) compared with both WGW and EAW. Breads baked with EAW induced lower postprandial glucose response than REF during the first 120 min (p<0.05), but there were no significant differences in insulin responses. Increased RS content per test portion was correlated to a reduced glycaemic index (GI) (r= − 0.571, p<0.001).This study indicates that wheat with elevated amylose content may be preferable to other wheat genotypes considering RS formation. Further research is needed to test the hypothesis that bread with elevated amylose content can improve postprandial glycaemic response

Identification of prediagnostic metabolites associated with prostate cancer risk by untargeted mass spectrometry-based metabolomics: A case-control study nested in the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer form in males in many European and American countries, but there are still open questions regarding its etiology. Untargeted metabolomics can produce an unbiased global metabolic profile, with the opportunity for uncovering new plasma metabolites prospectively associated with risk of PCa, providing insights into disease etiology. We conducted a prospective untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics analysis using prediagnostic fasting plasma samples from 752 PCa case-control pairs nested within the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study (NSHDS). The pairs were matched by age, BMI, and sample storage time. Discriminating features were identified by a combination of orthogonal projection to latent structures-effect projections (OPLS-EP) and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Their prospective associations with PCa risk were investigated by conditional logistic regression. Subgroup analyses based on stratification by disease aggressiveness and baseline age were also conducted. Various free fatty acids and phospholipids were positively associated with overall risk of PCa and in various stratification subgroups. Aromatic amino acids were positively associated with overall risk of PCa. Uric acid was positively, and glucose negatively, associated with risk of PCa in the older subgroup. This is the largest untargeted LC-MS based metabolomics study to date on plasma metabolites prospectively associated with risk of developing PCa. Different subgroups of disease aggressiveness and baseline age showed different associations with metabolites. The findings suggest that shifts in plasma concentrations of metabolites in lipid, aromatic amino acid, and glucose metabolism are associated with risk of developing PCa during the following two decades

Survival-associated heterogeneity of marker-defined perivascular cells in colorectal cancer

Perivascular cells (PC) were recently implied as regulators of metastasis and immune cell activity. Perivascular heterogeneity in clinical samples, and associations with other tumor features and outcome, remain largely unknown. Here we report a novel method for digital quantitative analyses of vessel characteristics and PC, which was applied to two collections of human metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Initial analyses identified marker-defined subsets of PC, including cells expressing PDGFR-beta or alpha-SMA or both markers. PC subsets were largely independently expressed in a manner unrelated to vessel density and size. Association studies implied specific oncogenic mutations in malignant cells as determinants of PC status. Semi-quantitative and digital-image-analyses-based scoring of the NORDIC-VII cohort identified significant associations between low expression of perivascular PDGFR-alpha and -beta and shorter overall survival. Analyses of the SPCRC cohort confirmed these findings. Perivascular PDGFR-alpha and -beta remained independent factors for survival in multivariate analyses. Overall, our study identified host vasculature and oncogenic status as determinants of tumor perivascular features. Perivascular PDGFR-alpha and -beta were identified as novel independent markers predicting survival in mCRC. The novel methodology should be suitable for similar analyses in other tumor collections

Effects of cereal breakfasts on postprandial glucose, appetite regulation and voluntary energy intake at a subsequent standardized lunch; focusing on rye products

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Rye products have been demonstrated to lower the acute insulin demand, induce a low and prolonged blood glucose response (high Glycemic Profile, GP) and reduce subclinical inflammation. These products may therefore contribute to a lowered risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardio vascular disease. The objective of the present paper was to evaluate the mechanism for a reduced postprandial insulin demand with rye products, and to explore possible appetite regulating properties.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>10 healthy subjects were served breakfast meals (50 g of available starch) with endosperm- or whole grain rye breads, with and without lactic acid, boiled whole grain rye- (RK) or wheat (WK) kernels, or white wheat bread reference (WWB) in random order in a cross-over design. Plasma concentrations of glucose, ghrelin, serum insulin, free fatty acids, adiponectin, breath hydrogen excretion (H₂), and subjective satiety was evaluated during the postprandial phase. 270 min after the breakfast, an ad lib lunch buffet was served and the voluntary energy intake (EI) was registered.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All rye products and WK induced lower insulinemic indices (II) than WWB. A lower incremental insulin peak following breakfast correlated with a lower EI at lunch (r = 0.38). A low II was related to improved satiety in the early postprandial phase (fullness AUC 0-60 min, r = -0.36). RK induced a higher GP compared to WWB and WK. A higher GP was related to a lowered <it>desire to eat </it>before lunch (AUC 210-270) and to a lower concentration of ghrelin in the late postprandial phase after breakfast (270 min), r = -0.29 and -0.29), which in turn was related to a lower voluntary EI (r = 0.43 and 0.33). The RK breakfast improved satiety in the early postprandial phase (0-60 min) compared to WWB, and induced a lower EI at lunch (-16%). A high content of indigestible carbohydrates in the breakfast products was related to improved satiety (0-60 min, r = 0.68 for fullness), and a higher breath H₂in the late postprandial phase (120-270 and 270-390 min, r = 0.46 and 0.70). High H₂(AUC 120-270 min) also correlated with lower EI (r = -0.34).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Rye products, rich in indigestible carbohydrates, induce colonic fermentation already post the breakfast meal, and lowers acute insulin responses. A high excretion of breath H2 also correlated with a higher GP. Especially, rye kernels induced a high GP which was associated with a 16% lowering of energy intake at a subsequent lunch meal. The bulking effect of rye fiber, colonically derived fermentation metabolites, a high GP and a low insulin response possibly all contributes to the benefits on glucose- and appetite regulation seen in an acute and semi-acute perspective.</p

Trends in overall survival in Swedish patients withprimary metastatic breast cancer – 1994 to 2014

Introduction Each year approximately 7600 individuals are diagnosed with breast cancer in Sweden, someof which with primary metastatic breast cancer (PMBC). Several new drugs for treatingmetastatic breast cancer have been introduced during the last three decades, many of whichclaims to prolong survival. Aim The aim of this study was to determine if the median overall survival (OS) had improved from1994 to 2014 in patients with PMBC in the healthcare region of Uppsala/Örebro. Material and methods Between 1994 and 2014, 871 patients were diagnosed with PMBC in the healthcare region ofUppsala/Örebro, 168 in 1994-1999, 362 in 2000-2006 and 341 in 2007-2014. The patientcharacteristics were compared with Chi2 test and the Kaplan-Meier method was used tocalculate the median survival for each group. Univariate and multivariate analyses were usedto calculate factors affecting survival. Results The estimated median OS was 12.1 months in 1994-1999, 22.0 months in 2000-2006 and 19.7months in 2007-2014. There was a statistically significant difference in median OS between1994-1999 and 2000-2006, and between 1994-1999 and 2007-2014, but no significantdifference was seen between 2000-2006 and 2007-2014. Increasing age had a negative impacton survival, whereas estrogen receptor-positivity and Grade I-II correlated with prolongedsurvival. Women who had undergone surgery of the breast tumor had longer survival thanthose who had not had surgery. Conclusion The median OS in patients with PMBC have improved from 1994-1999 to 2000-2014. Nodifference was seen between 2000-2006 and 2007-2014

Fermentation as a Means of Optimizing the Glycaemic Index - Food Mechanisms and Metabolic Merits with Emphasis on Lactic Acid in Cereal Products

In current recommendations from FAO/WHO, foods that elicit low glycaemic responses and thus have low glycaemic indices (GIs) are advocated. The rationale for this recommendation is that low-GI diets have been shown to reduce risk factors for e.g. type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A major problem in this context is that most important starch rich staple foods in our diet, such as potato and bread products, have high GIs. One important task is, therefore, to identify food factors that are able to lower the rate of starch digestion and/or prolong the uptake of glucose to the blood. The overall purpose of the present thesis was to examine the use of fermentation as a means of lowering the GI characteristics of carbohydrate foods, i.e. cereal and dairy products. Previous studies have shown that addition of lactic acid to bread reduce the glycaemic and insulinaemic properties in healthy subjects. A reduced rate of starch hydrolysis has been suggested as a cause, but the mechanism has not yet been fully revealed. An important topic of the thesis was to evaluate the food mechanism for a reduced availability of starch in lactic-acid-containing bread. Another purpose was to study the potential effect of lactic acid in other food systems such as gruel or milk products. Finally, the metabolic effects of lactic-acid-containing bread on glucose tolerance and related parameters were evaluated in a “second-meal study” in healthy subjects, and in a dietary intervention in hyperinsulinaemic rats. The major findings of the thesis are the following; 1) The presence of lactic acid in the dough reduces the rate of in vitro starch hydrolysis in wheat or barley bread products and bread-like wheat starch systems by 15-25% compared with controls with no acid. This is in line with previous observations and suggests that lactic acid may obstruct the digestive process in the case of certain cereal products, and probably explain the lowered GI and insulinaemic responses to lactic-acid-containing bread. 2) The effect of lactic acid on the rate of starch amylolysis and/or glucose uptake to the blood appears to differ between food systems, and no effect was seen in milk and barley based gruel products. 3) In order to reduce the rate of starch hydrolysis in cereal-based foods, lactic acid must be present during starch gelatinization. Presence of gluten was also a prerequisite for a lactic acid effect in bread-like wheat starch systems. 4) Lactic-acid-containing barley bread with a 25% reduction of acute glycaemia improved the insulin economy at a subsequent standardized lunch meal in healthy subjects. 5) A diet based on wheat bread to which lactic acid was added prior to baking improved the glucose tolerance after 14 days in hyperinsulinaemic rats, compared with wheat bread where the lactic acid was added after baking. 6) Fermentation and presence of lactic acid in milk products did not significantly affect either the glucose or insulin responses. For all milk products the glucose responses were surprisingly low and the insulin responses unexpectedly high. The inconsistency between the glucose and insulin responses indicates that some component, other than lactose, stimulates insulin secretion. With pure lactose the insulin response was in correspondence with the glycaemic response

"När man inser att man ska lära någon ett språk från grunden, alltså var börjar man?"

Studien riktar sig till undervisning i årskurserna 1-3. Syftet med studien är att få mer kunskap om lärares didaktiska verktyg som används för att undervisa direktintegrerade nyanlända elever i det ordinarie undervisningen. Vidare är syftet att få ökad förståelse för de möjligheter och svårigheter lärare upplever kring direkintegrerade nyanlända elever utifrån sin egen undervisning. För att uppnå detta syfte har semistrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer använts som metod. Resultatet visar att lärarna använder många olika didaktiska verktyg i sin undervisning. Det framkommer även att lärarna använder ungefär samma didaktiska verktyg oberoende av årskurs. Det visade sig även att lärarna upplevde många svårigheter i verksamheten med direktintegrerade nyanlända elever. De möjligheter som de beskrev var betydligt färre. Svårigheterna innefattar allt från tid och arbetsbelastning till ekonomiska frågor. Möjligheterna i studien berörde till största del frågor rörande resurser som andra pedagoger. Frågor som behörighet och fortbildning samt undervisning på elevernas första- och andraspråk diskuteras.

Construction of a Labview controlled pyrolysis unit for coupling to a Pyrola 85 pyrolysis chamber

Pyrolysis is the process of molecular decomposition in an inert environment using heat. It is possible to fragment large molecules, such as polymers, by pyrolysis and separate the fragments directly in a GC. This makes it possible to form complex sample fingerprints that can be used in various applications, for example in forensic science. In this project, a malfunctioning Pyrola 85 pyrolysis unit was fixed by measuring the voltage signals from the photo diode during pyrolysis in a Labview program. With the Labview program, a partly manual filament temperature calibration procedure was developed, as replacement for the non-working automatic calibration procedure. The functioning pyrolysis unit was then installed on a GC/MS in the National University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Plant samples were analysed with the Pyrolysis-GC/MS system as a test of the system, resulting in pyrograms with a few identifiable peaks. However, both pyrolysis and GC/MS settings needs further investigation to optimize the analysis. In Sweden, a Labview controlled Pyrolysis unit was constructed to investigate the possibility of improving certain functions of the original control unit. A proposed Labview program and circuit boards were constructed and partially evaluated. The accuracy and precision of the pulses from the Labview program wa