Umweltwirkungen der Ernährung - Ökobilanzierung des Nahrungsmittelverbrauchs tierischer Produkte nach Gesellschaftsgruppen in Deutschland

Der Artikel stellt Ergebnisse einer attributiv-modularen Ökobilanzierung des Nahrungsmittelverbrauchs in Deutschland auf Basis konsistenter Umwelt- und Ernährungsdaten vor. Vor dem Hintergrund einer zunehmenden Umweltrelevanz des Agrar- und Ernährungssektors wird mit den Ergebnissen einerseits ein Beitrag zur Quantifizierung der entsprechenden Umweltwirkungen geleistet, andererseits wird der gesellschaftlich heterogene Nahrungsmittelkonsum zum Gegenstand der ökobilanziellen Betrachtung gemacht. Referenzjahr der Untersuchung ist das Jahr 2006. Als Datengrundlage dienen neben repräsentativen Verbrauchs- und Verzehrsstatistiken Umweltdaten der Agrar- und Ernährungswirtschaft, die einen top-down-Ansatz im Rahmen der Untersuchung ermöglichen. Mittels der Methode einer attributiv-modularen Ökobilanz (bzw. Lebenszyklusanalyse) nach ISO-Norm 14040/14044 wurden folgende Nahrungsmittel nach den soziodemographischen Parametern Geschlecht und Alter untersucht: Fleisch-, Milch-, Ei- sowie Fischprodukte. Analysiert wurden folgende Umweltindikatoren: Treibhausgas- und Ammoniakemissionen, Flächenbedarf. Die betrachtete Prozesskette erschließt sich von der landwirtschaftlichen Produktion bis zum Verkauf der Produkte an den Endverbraucher (from cradle to store). Die Ergebnisse zeigen hinsichtlich der untersuchten Umweltwirkungskategorien eine starke Variation bezüglich des Geschlechts. Der altersgruppen- und geschlechtsspezifische Vergleich mit den offiziellen Empfehlungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Ernährung (DGE) zeigt große Einsparpotentiale. Werden die qualitativ und quantitativ verschiedenen Verbrauchsmuster tierischer Produkte der Männer und Frauen rein quantitativ aneinander angepasst (nivelliert), so zieht das Verbrauchsprofil der Männer weiterhin höhere CO2e- (+14%) und Ammoniakemission (+12%) nach sich. Der Flächenbedarf ist um 13% erhöht. Dieser überproportionale Überschuss in den untersuchten Umwelteffekten der Ernährung der Männer ist maßgeblich auf einen höheren Anteil umweltintensiverer Nahrungsmittel wie Fleisch- und Wurstprodukte sowie von Butter im Verbrauchsmuster zurückzuführen. Durch eine qualitative Anpassung des männlichen Verbrauchsprofils tierischer Produkte an das typische Verbrauchsprofil der Frauen ließen sich demnach bundesweit 7,5 Mt CO2e- und 26,8 kt Ammoniakemission jährlich einsparen. 7.672 km² landwirtschaftliche genutzte Fläche würde freigesetzt und stünde für andere Verwendungen zur Verfügung. Im Vergleich zu den offiziellen Ernährungsempfehlungen der DGE wären die zu erreichenden Einsparpotentiale noch größer: unter Maßgabe einer ausgewogenen Versorgung der Bevölkerung mit essentiellen Nährstoffen könnten durch die bundesweite Anpassung an die DGEEmpfehlungen Einsparungen in Höhe von 24,8 Mt CO2e- und 99,0 kt Ammoniakemissionen erzielt werden. An landwirtschaftlicher Fläche würden 26.776 km² freigesetzt, die für andere Zwecke zur Verfügung stünden. The article presents the results of an attributional LCA (life cycle assessment) of the consumption of animal-based foods in Germany based on consistent agro-environmental and nutritional data. Due to the increasing environmental relevance of the agri-food sector the project was launched (i) to quantify related impacts ´from cradle to store´ and (ii) to include the socio-demographic factors gender and age in the light of official nutrition recommendations in the assessment. Reference year of the study is the year 2006. The representative data sets in the study used (LEIP et al. 2010, vTI 2011, MRI 2008, Institute of applied Ecology 2010) allowed a top-down-approach within the analysis. The attributional LCA was conducted in line with the ISO standard 14040/14044. The following food groups have been analysed and their impacts have been compared among each other: meat-, milk-, egg- and fish-products. The analysed impact indicators were: greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) & ammonia emissions, land usage. The results show strong variation between the genders and significant saving potentials due to official nutrition recommendations. Even if the physiologically different consumption patterns of animal-based foods among men and women are leveled, men show are higher impact for all analysed impact indicators (GHG +14%, ammonia +12%, land usage +13%). This net CO2e, ammonia and land surplus is mainly derived by a higher share of meat products, meat and butter in the usual diet of men. If men would shift qualitatively to the usual diet of women with a lesser share of environmental intensive animal products 7,5 Mt CO2e, 26,8 kt ammonia emissions could be saved yearly and 7.672 km² agricultural land could be set free. Due to the official nutrition recommendations the savings are even higher: in accordance with a balanced supply of essential nutrients 24,8 Mt CO2e and 99,0 kt ammonia emissions could be saved yearly. 26.776 km² of agricultural land would be usable in another manner.Input-Output-Analyse, attributional LCA, CAPRI, Nationale Verzehrsstudie II, dLUC/LU, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Estimating food ingredient compositions based on mandatory product labeling

Having a specific understanding of the actual ingredient composition of products helps to calculate additional nutritional information, such as containing fatty and amino acids, minerals and vitamins, as well as to determine its environmental impacts. Unfortunately, producers rarely provide information on how much of each ingredient is in a product. Food manufacturers are, however, required to declare their products in terms of a label comprising an ingredient list (in descending order) and Big7 nutrient values. In this paper, we propose an automated approach for estimating ingredient contents in food products. First, we parse product labels to extract declared ingredients. Next, we exert mathematical formulations on the assumption that the weighted sum of Big7 ingredients as available from food compositional tables should resemble the product’s declared overall Big7 composition. We apply mathematical optimization techniques to find the best fitting ingredient composition estimate. We apply the proposed method to a dataset of 1804 food products spanning 11 product categories. We find that 76% of these products could be analyzed by our approach, and a composition within the prescribed nutrient tolerances could be calculated, using 20% of the allowed tolerances per Big7 ingredient on average. The remaining 24% of the food products could still be estimated when relaxing one or multiple nutrient tolerances. A study with known ingredient compositions shows that estimates are within a 0.9% difference of products’ actual recipes. Hence, the automated approach presented here allows for further analysis of large product quantities and provides possibilities for more intensive nutritional and ecological evaluations of food

Genetic inactivation of the Fanconi anemia gene FANCC identified in the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HuH-7 confers sensitivity towards DNA-interstrand crosslinking agents

Background: Inactivation of the Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway through defects in one of 13 FA genes occurs at low frequency in various solid cancer entities among the general population. As FA pathway inactivation confers a distinct hypersensitivity towards DNA interstrand-crosslinking (ICL)-agents, FA defects represent rational targets for individualized therapeutic strategies. Except for pancreatic cancer, however, the prevalence of FA defects in gastrointestinal (GI) tumors has not yet been systematically explored. Results: A panel of GI cancer cell lines was screened for FA pathway inactivation applying FANCD2 monoubiquitination and FANCD2/RAD51 nuclear focus formation and a newly identified FA pathway-deficient cell line was functionally characterized. The hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) line HuH-7 was defective in FANCD2 monoubiquitination and FANCD2 nuclear focus formation but proficient in RAD51 focus formation. Gene complementation studies revealed that this proximal FA pathway inactivation was attributable to defective FANCC function in HuH-7 cells. Accordingly, a homozygous inactivating FANCC nonsense mutation (c.553C > T, p.R185X) was identified in HuH-7, resulting in partial transcriptional skipping of exon 6 and leading to the classic cellular FA hypersensitivity phenotype; HuH-7 cells exhibited a strongly reduced proliferation rate and a pronounced G2 cell cycle arrest at distinctly lower concentrations of ICL-agents than a panel of non-isogenic, FA pathway-proficient HCC cell lines. Upon retroviral transduction of HuH-7 cells with FANCC cDNA, FA pathway functions were restored and ICL-hypersensitivity abrogated. Analyses of 18 surgical HCC specimens yielded no further examples for genetic or epigenetic inactivation of FANCC, FANCF, or FANCG in HCC, suggesting a low prevalence of proximal FA pathway inactivation in this tumor type. Conclusions: As the majority of HCC are chemoresistant, assessment of FA pathway function in HCC could identify small subpopulations of patients expected to predictably benefit from individualized treatment protocols using ICL-agents

Enhancing Supplier Development: An Efficiency Perspective

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147112/1/jbl12197_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147112/2/jbl12197.pd

European position paper on the management of patients with patent foramen ovale. General approach and left circulation thromboembolism

The presence of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) is implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of medical conditions; however, the subject remains controversial and no official statements have been published. This interdisciplinary paper, prepared with involvement of eight European scientific societies, aims to review the available trial evidence and to define the principles needed to guide decision making in patients with PFO. In order to guarantee a strict process, position statements were developed with the use of a modified grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) methodology. A critical qualitative and quantitative evaluation of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures was performed, including assessment of the risk/benefit ratio. The level of evidence and the strength of the position statements of particular management options were weighed and graded according to predefined scales. Despite being based often on limited and non-randomised data, while waiting for more conclusive evidence, it was possible to conclude on a number of position statements regarding a rational general approach to PFO management and to specific considerations regarding left circulation thromboembolism. For some therapeutic aspects, it was possible to express stricter position statements based on randomised trials. This position paper provides the first largely shared, interdisciplinary approach for a rational PFO management based on the best available evidence

Copy number elevation of 22q11.2 genes arrests the developmental maturation of working memory capacity and adult hippocampal neurogenesis

Working memory capacity, a critical component of executive function, expands developmentally from childhood through adulthood. Anomalies in this developmental process are seen in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia and intellectual disabilities (ID), implicating this atypical process in the trajectory of developmental neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the cellular and neuronal substrates underlying this process are not understood. Duplication and triplication of copy number variants of 22q11.2 are consistently and robustly associated with cognitive deficits of ASD and ID in humans, and overexpression of small 22q11.2 segments recapitulates dimensional aspects of developmental neuropsychiatric disorders in mice. We capitalized on these two lines of evidence to delve into the cellular substrates for this atypical development of working memory. Using a region- and cell-type-selective gene expression approach, we demonstrated that copy number elevations of catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) or Tbx1, two genes encoded in the two small 22q11.2 segments, in adult neural stem/progenitor cells in the hippocampus prevents the developmental maturation of working memory capacity in mice. Moreover, copy number elevations of COMT or Tbx1 reduced the proliferation of adult neural stem/progenitor cells in a cell-autonomous manner in vitro and migration of their progenies in the hippocampus granular layer in vivo. Our data provide evidence for the novel hypothesis that copy number elevations of these 22q11.2 genes alter the developmental trajectory of working memory capacity via suboptimal adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus.Peer reviewe

Quantifying the effect of experimental design choices for in vitro scratch assays

Scratch assays are often used to investigate potential drug treatments for chronic wounds and cancer. Interpreting these experiments with a mathematical model allows us to estimate the cell diffusivity, D, and the cell proliferation rate, λ. However, the influence of the experimental design on the estimates of D and λ is unclear. Here we apply an approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) parameter inference method, which produces a posterior distribution of D and λ, to new sets of synthetic data, generated from an idealised mathematical model, and experimental data for a non-adhesive mesenchymal population of fibroblast cells. The posterior distribution allows us to quantify the amount of information obtained about D and λ. We investigate two types of scratch assay, as well as varying the number and timing of the experimental observations captured. Our results show that a scrape assay, involving one cell front, provides more precise estimates of D and λ, and is more computationally efficient to interpret than a wound assay, with two opposingly directed cell fronts. We find that recording two observations, after making the initial observation, is sufficient to estimate D and λ, and that the final observation time should correspond to the time taken for the cell front to move across the field of view. These results provide guidance for estimating D and λ, while simultaneously minimising the time and cost associated with performing and interpreting the experiment.Stuart T. Johnston, Joshua V. Ross, Benjamin J. Binder, D.L. Sean McElwain, Parvathi Haridas, Matthew J. Simpso

The Burden of Primary Liver Cancer and Underlying Etiologies From 1990 to 2015 at the Global, Regional, and National Level Results From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

Akinyemiju T, Abera S, Ahmed M, et al. The Burden of Primary Liver Cancer and Underlying Etiologies From 1990 to 2015 at the Global, Regional, and National Level Results From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. JAMA ONCOLOGY. 2017;3(12):1683-1691.IMPORTANCE Liver cancer is among the leading causes of cancer deaths globally. The most common causes for liver cancer include hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and alcohol use. OBJECTIVE To report results of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2015 study on primary liver cancer incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 195 countries or territories from 1990 to 2015, and present global, regional, and national estimates on the burden of liver cancer attributable to HBV, HCV, alcohol, and an " other" group that encompasses residual causes. DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PARTICIPANTS Mortalitywas estimated using vital registration and cancer registry data in an ensemble modeling approach. Single-cause mortality estimates were adjusted for all-cause mortality. Incidence was derived from mortality estimates and the mortality-to-incidence ratio. Through a systematic literature review, data on the proportions of liver cancer due to HBV, HCV, alcohol, and other causes were identified. Years of life lost were calculated by multiplying each death by a standard life expectancy. Prevalence was estimated using mortality-to-incidence ratio as surrogate for survival. Total prevalence was divided into 4 sequelae that were multiplied by disability weights to derive years lived with disability (YLDs). DALYs were the sum of years of life lost and YLDs. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Liver cancer mortality, incidence, YLDs, years of life lost, DALYs by etiology, age, sex, country, and year. RESULTS There were 854 000 incident cases of liver cancer and 810 000 deaths globally in 2015, contributing to 20 578 000 DALYs. Cases of incident liver cancer increased by 75% between 1990 and 2015, of which 47% can be explained by changing population age structures, 35% by population growth, and -8% to changing age-specific incidence rates. The male-to-female ratio for age-standardized liver cancer mortality was 2.8. Globally, HBV accounted for 265 000 liver cancer deaths (33%), alcohol for 245 000 (30%), HCV for 167 000 (21%), and other causes for 133 000 (16%) deaths, with substantial variation between countries in the underlying etiologies. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Liver cancer is among the leading causes of cancer deaths in many countries. Causes of liver cancer differ widely among populations. Our results show that most cases of liver cancer can be prevented through vaccination, antiviral treatment, safe blood transfusion and injection practices, as well as interventions to reduce excessive alcohol use. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, the identification and elimination of risk factors for liver cancer will be required to achieve a sustained reduction in liver cancer burden. The GBD study can be used to guide these prevention efforts

Burden of cardiovascular diseases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990-2015 : findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study

To report the burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) during 1990-2015. We used the 2015 Global Burden of Disease study for estimates of mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of different CVD in 22 countries of EMR. A total of 1.4 million CVD deaths (95% UI: 1.3-1.5) occurred in 2015 in the EMR, with the highest number of deaths in Pakistan (465,116) and the lowest number of deaths in Qatar (723). The age-standardized DALY rate per 100,000 decreased from 10,080 in 1990 to 8606 in 2015 (14.6% decrease). Afghanistan had the highest age-standardized DALY rate of CVD in both 1990 and 2015. Kuwait and Qatar had the lowest age-standardized DALY rates of CVD in 1990 and 2015, respectively. High blood pressure, high total cholesterol, and high body mass index were the leading risk factors for CVD. The age-standardized DALY rates in the EMR are considerably higher than the global average. These findings call for a comprehensive approach to prevent and control the burden of CVD in the region.Peer reviewe