Consumption of Sugary Drinks among Urban Adults in Colombia: Association with Sociodemographic Factors and Body Adiposity.

INTRODUCTION: Calories from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) contribute to the development of noncommunicable diseases. There is limited knowledge of the intake of SSBs and their correlates in developing countries. Thus, this study aimed to estimate the consumption of multiple SSBs and their sociodemographic correlates in an urban adult population from Colombia, South America. METHODS: This was a probabilistic, population-level study of adults aged 18 to 75 from five cities representing different regions of Colombia. Dietary intake was assessed employing a 157-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire that inquired about intake over the last year. The consumption of regular soda, low-calorie soda, homemade and industrialized fruit juices, energy drinks, sport drinks, malt drinks and traditional sugar cane infusion ("agua de panela") was analyzed for the total sample and subgroups defined by sociodemographic and clinical factors of interest. RESULTS: The study included 1491 individuals (female: 54.2%, mean age: 45.3, overweight: 38.0%, obese: 23.3%). Sugary beverages contributed, on average, 287 Cal/d among women and 334 Cal/d among men, representing 8.9% of total daily calories (TDC). Women in the lowest SEL consumed 10.6% of their TDC from sugary drinks, as opposed to 6.6% for those in a high SEL. For men, this difference was not present (p-value for interaction = 0.039). Interestingly, a higher educational level correlated with a lower consumption of calories from sugary drinks only among men. Fruit juices were by far the main source of sugary drinks, and their consumption did not change sizably by sex and socioeconomic or educational level. Among women, there was a negative association between socioeconomic level (SEL) and consumption of regular soda, a 50% difference between extreme levels. The intake of low-calorie soda was much higher among men than women, and it more than tripled in the highest vs. lowest SEL among men. The consumption of energy drinks was heavily concentrated in men of low SEL. CONCLUSION: Colombian urban adults obtain a considerable proportion of their calories from sugary drinks, especially vulnerable groups such as women with lower education. Given the recent acceleration of the obesity epidemic in Latin America, strategies to limit the intake of such liquid calories may provide important public health benefits.

Three-dimensional mapping of neurofibrillary tangle burden in the human medial temporal lobe.

Tau protein neurofibrillary tangles are closely linked to neuronal/synaptic loss and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Our knowledge of the pattern of neurofibrillary tangle progression in the human brain, critical to the development of imaging biomarkers and interpretation of in vivo imaging studies in Alzheimer's disease, is based on conventional two-dimensional histology studies that only sample the brain sparsely. To address this limitation, ex vivo MRI and dense serial histological imaging in 18 human medial temporal lobe specimens (age 75.3 ± 11.4 years, range 45 to 93) were used to construct three-dimensional quantitative maps of neurofibrillary tangle burden in the medial temporal lobe at individual and group levels. Group-level maps were obtained in the space of an in vivo brain template, and neurofibrillary tangles were measured in specific anatomical regions defined in this template. Three-dimensional maps of neurofibrillary tangle burden revealed significant variation along the anterior-posterior axis. While early neurofibrillary tangle pathology is thought to be confined to the transentorhinal region, we found similar levels of burden in this region and other medial temporal lobe subregions, including amygdala, temporopolar cortex, and subiculum/cornu ammonis 1 hippocampal subfields. Overall, the three-dimensional maps of neurofibrillary tangle burden presented here provide more complete information about the distribution of this neurodegenerative pathology in the region of the cortex where it first emerges in Alzheimer's disease, and may help inform the field about the patterns of pathology spread, as well as support development and validation of neuroimaging biomarkers.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Interferon Gamma-Induced Protein 10 mRNA Release Assay for Tuberculosis.

Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) release assays (IGRAs) are increasingly used to test for latent tuberculosis (TB) infection. Although highly specific, IGRAs have a relatively high false-negative rate in active TB patients. A more sensitive assay is needed. IFN-γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10) is an alternative biomarker with a 100-fold-higher expression level than IFN-γ, allowing for different analysis platforms, including molecular detection. The PCR technique is already an integrated tool in most TB laboratories and, thus, an obvious platform to turn to. In this case-control study, we investigated the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of a molecular assay detecting IP-10 mRNA expression following antigen stimulation of a blood sample. We included 89 TB patients and 99 healthy controls. Blood was drawn in QuantiFeron-TB gold in-tube (QFT) assay tubes. Eight hours poststimulation, IP-10 mRNA expression was analyzed, and 20 h poststimulation, IP-10 and IFN-γ protein plasma levels were analyzed using an in-house IP-10 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the official QFT ELISA, respectively. The IP-10 mRNA assay provided high specificity (98%), sensitivity (80%), and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) (0.97); however, the QFT assay provided a higher overall diagnostic potential, with specificity of 100%, sensitivity of 90%, and AUC of 0.99. The IP-10 protein assay performed on par with the QFT assay, with specificity of 98%, sensitivity of 87%, and AUC of 0.98. We have provided proof of high technical performance of a molecular assay detecting IP-10 mRNA expression. As a diagnostic tool, this assay would gain from further optimization, especially on the kinetics of IP-10 mRNA expression.

Early detection of neonatal hearing loss by otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem response over 10 years of experience.

OBJECTIVES: A number of different screening protocols for detecting neonatal hearing loss currently exist. We present our 10 years of experience with using auditory brainstem response (ABR) complementary to otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) in the three phases hearing screening process in our hospital. Furthermore, we want to demonstrate the usefulness of these screening techniques used in combination, that remain valid to identify cases of neonatal hearing loss and meet the well-established program quality criteria for these screening protocols. METHODS: Data were collected retrospectively from patient record forms completed on 9698 newborns from 2007 to 2017. The screening protocol for neonatal hearing loss in our centre is carried out in three phases. First phase, prior to discharge from the hospital, consists of carrying out the OAE evaluation on the newborn. Second phase is carried out in the paediatric consultation department. There, the newborns who did not pass the first phase are again studied with OAE. If this phase is not passed either, the child is referred to a third phase for the realization of ABR, in the clinical neurophysiology service. Newborns with risk factors for hearing loss, identified in the first phase, also go on to this third phase. When this hearing threshold exceeds 30 dB, it is considered abnormal. Cases with abnormal ABR, has a re-test conducted within the next six months from the initial ABR assessment. RESULTS: A total of 9390 (97.1%) OAEs were performed during first phase, with 8245 newborns (87.8%) passing the screening test, while 1145 children (12.1%) presented an abnormal OAE and were included in the second screening phase. Second phase involving a repeat OAE examination performed on 1077 newborns (94%). In this second phase, 941 newborns (87.3%) passed the test. Nevertheless, 136 newborns (12.6%) failing the retest and were referred to continue on to phase three. Furthermore, 181 newborns (1.8%) presented high-risk factors at birth and were also included in this third phase. However, in the registries of children referred to this phase, only 255 (80%) ABR evaluations were confirmed. In total, 227 newborns (2.3%) were missed from the first to third phases of the screening process. According to the database of the clinical neurophysiology service, ABRs evaluations were performed in 352 newborns referred between December 2007 and December 2017. Of this sample, 38.9% were boys and 61.1% were girls. From among cases underwent ABR, 34% of newborns did not pass the OAEs. The most common risk factor was prematurity (with admission to the neonatal intensive care unit for more than five days), affecting 28%. Abnormal ABRs waveforms were found in 43.9%, with 12.3% having a sensorineural hearing loss, 26.5% showing mixed hearing loss and, conductive hearing loss being present in 61.9%. Considering sensorineural hearing loss and other types of severe hearing loss, affected patients constituted only 1.7% of the total number of individuals studied. Finally, regarding quality control of the program participation in the first phase of care included 97.2% of all newborns, yielding a third phase referral rate of 2.9%, confirmation of a diagnosis before the fourth month of life in more than 90% of cases with an average of 3.4 months of age, and a hearing impairment detection rate as an outcome indicator of 4.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Our data are similar to those of previous studies on screening for hearing loss in newborns. We have demonstrated the advantages of carrying out this protocol in three phases using the otoacoustic emissions together with auditory brainstem response, diagnostic tools that remain as a Gold Standard. Also, we want to highlight and demonstrate the importance of interdisciplinary coordination between the paediatric and clinical neurophysiology services in the implementation of this screening protocol. The foregoing has allowed us to comply with the proposed quality indicators, reaching coverage percentages of more than 95%, confirming the diagnosis of hearing loss within the first six months of life and making timely referrals to benefit the newborns with hearing impairment by way of treatment and follow-up in the early stages of development, avoiding future disabilities.

Use of odorant series for extra virgin olive oil aroma characterisation.

BACKGROUND: Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) volatile composition is mainly used as a means of characterisation and authentication, especially for protected denomination of origin (PDO) products. This work investigated the volatile compounds from 25 EVOOs from four Spanish (Cornicabra, Manzanilla Castellana, Picual and Manzanilla Cacereña) and four Italian (Ortice, Ravece, Nocellara del Belice and Itrana) cultivars in terms of odour activity value (OAV). Forty-seven volatile compounds were analysed by solid phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS). OAVs of volatile compounds with similar descriptors were grouped in order to establish eight odorant series: fruity, grass, apple, tomato, floral, woody-spicy, fatty and mushroom. RESULTS: No differences in sensory descriptors were observed among the EVOOs analysed by official VOO sensory analysis. The method of odorant series applied herein was demonstrated to successfully characterise EVOO odour as expected from a sensory panel but using only instrumental analysis of volatile compounds, and giving additional reliable quantitative information. The results can be presented as a 'barcode', providing a visual and effective graphical representation allowing an easy and rapid description of EVOO sensory attributes using instrumental data. CONCLUSION: The odorant series have the potential to better differentiate the aroma of food products, opening new possibilities allowing a schematic and effective visual representation to be used for EVOO quality control and consumer information, especially in new olive oil consuming countries. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Corrigendum: Resolving the abundance and air-sea fluxes of airborne microorganisms in the North Atlantic Ocean.

[This corrects the article on p. 557 in vol. 5, PMID: 25400625.].

Long-range transport of airborne microbes over the global tropical and subtropical ocean.

The atmosphere plays a fundamental role in the transport of microbes across the planet but it is often neglected as a microbial habitat. Although the ocean represents two thirds of the Earth's surface, there is little information on the atmospheric microbial load over the open ocean. Here we provide a global estimate of microbial loads and air-sea exchanges over the tropical and subtropical oceans based on the data collected along the Malaspina 2010 Circumnavigation Expedition. Total loads of airborne prokaryotes and eukaryotes were estimated at 2.2 × 1021 and 2.1 × 1021 cells, respectively. Overall 33-68% of these microorganisms could be traced to a marine origin, being transported thousands of kilometres before re-entering the ocean. Moreover, our results show a substantial load of terrestrial microbes transported over the oceans, with abundances declining exponentially with distance from land and indicate that islands may act as stepping stones facilitating the transoceanic transport of terrestrial microbes.The extent to which the ocean acts as a sink and source of airborne particles to the atmosphere is unresolved. Here, the authors report high microbial loads over the tropical Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans and propose islands as stepping stones for the transoceanic transport of terrestrial microbes..

Resolving the abundance and air-sea fluxes of airborne microorganisms in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Airborne transport of microbes may play a central role in microbial dispersal, the maintenance of diversity in aquatic systems and in meteorological processes such as cloud formation. Yet, there is almost no information about the abundance and fate of microbes over the oceans, which cover >70% of the Earth's surface and are the likely source and final destination of a large fraction of airborne microbes. We measured the abundance of microbes in the lower atmosphere over a transect covering 17° of latitude in the North Atlantic Ocean and derived estimates of air-sea exchange of microorganisms from meteorological data. The estimated load of microorganisms in the atmospheric boundary layer ranged between 6 × 10(4) and 1.6 × 10(7) microbes per m(2) of ocean, indicating a very dynamic air-sea exchange with millions of microbes leaving and entering the ocean per m(2) every day. Our results show that about 10% of the microbes detected in the boundary layer were still airborne 4 days later and that they could travel up to 11,000 km before they entered the ocean again. The size of the microbial pool hovering over the North Atlantic indicates that it could play a central role in the maintenance of microbial diversity in the surface ocean and contribute significantly to atmospheric processes.

P50 sensory gating is a trait marker of the bipolar spectrum.

UNLABELLED: Sensory gating deficit, assessed by a paired auditory stimulus paradigm (P50), has been reported as a stable marker of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to explore if this neurophysiological disturbance also fulfilled stability criteria in the bipolar disorder (BD) spectrum bipolar, as state independence is one of the main points to be considered as a potential endophenotype of the illness. The P50 evoked potential was studied in 95 healthy controls and 126 bipolar euthymic patients. Euthymia was established according to Van Gorp's criteria. Bipolar I and II subtypes were analyzed separately. The influence of a lifetime history of psychoses was also evaluated in the clinical sample. P50 gating was deficitary in all the subsamples of patients relative to healthy comparison subjects. Bipolar I patients with and without a history of psychosis showed higher P50 ratios than the other subgroups of patients, although these differences were not significant. P50 alterations were mainly due to a deficit in the inhibition of the second wave (test wave or S2) amplitude. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that this inhibitory deficit can be considered characteristic of the illness and that the intensity of the gating abnormality varies according to the severity of BD.

Steroid pathway and oestrone sulphate production in canine inflammatory mammary carcinoma.

Spontaneous canine mammary inflammatory carcinoma (IMC) shares epidemiologic, histopathologic and clinical characteristics with the inflammatory breast carcinoma (IBC) disease in humans. We have analysed the steroids levels in serum and in tissue homogenates of IMC, the expression of two of their receptors (androgen and beta-estrogen) and of three enzymes included in the steroidogenesis pathway (aromatase (CYP19A1), steroid sulphatase (STS) and estrogen sulfotransferase (EST)) trying to explain the specific accumulation of steroids in IMC tissues generating deposits in the form of lipid droplets whose presence can be attributed to steroids secreted by IMC cells. According to our working hypothesis, oestrone sulphate would be the main component of these lipid droplets. The presence of these steroid deposits would contribute to the intense proliferation and invasive behaviour of IMC and IBC, although their involvement in angiogenesis is yet to be demonstrated.

Critical role for Ebf1 and Ebf2 in the adipogenic transcriptional cascade.

The Ebf (O/E) family of helix-loop-helix transcription factors plays a significant role in B lymphocyte and neuronal development. The three primary members of this family, Ebf1, 2, and 3, are all expressed in adipocytes, and Ebf1 promotes adipogenesis when overexpressed in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. Here we report that these three proteins have adipogenic potential in multiple cellular models and that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is required for this effect, at least in part due to direct activation of the PPARgamma1 promoter by Ebf1. Ebf1 also directly binds to and activates the C/EBPalpha promoter, which exerts positive feedback on C/EBPdelta expression. Despite this, C/EBPalpha is dispensable for the adipogenic action of Ebf proteins. Ebf1 itself is induced by C/EBPbeta and delta, which bind and activate its promoter. Reduction of Ebf1 and Ebf2 proteins by specific short hairpin RNA blocks differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells, suggesting a critical role for these factors and the absence of functional redundancy between members of this family. Altogether, these data place Ebf1 within the known transcriptional cascade of adipogenesis and suggest critical roles for Ebf1 and Ebf2.

Steroids and receptors in canine mammary cancer.

The aims of this study were to investigate the serum and tissue content of androgens and estrogens in canine inflammatory mammary carcinomas (IMC) as well as in non-inflammatory malignant mammary tumors (MMT), and assessed the immunoexpression of estrogen and androgen receptors using immunohistochemistry. Profiles for the androgens dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione (A4), and testosterone (T), and for the estrogens 17beta estradiol (E2) and estrone-sulphate (SO4E1) were measured both in tissue homogenates and in serum of MMT and IMC by EIA techniques in 42 non-inflammatory malignant mammary tumors (MMT) and in 14 inflammatory mammary carcinomas (IMC), prospectively collected from 56 female dogs. Androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and beta (ERbeta) expression was studied using immunohistochemistry (strepavidin-biotin-peroxidase method) in samples of 32 MMT and 14 IMC, and counted by a computer image analyzer. IMC serum and tissue levels of androgens were significantly higher than MMT levels. Tissue content of estrogens was also significantly higher in IMC than in MMT. Serum values of SO4E1 were significantly higher in IMC, but serum levels of E2 were significantly lower in IMC compared to MMT cases. Medium-high androgen receptor intensity was observed in 64.28% of IMC and 40.62% of MMT. No important differences were found between ERalpha expression in IMC (100% negative) and MMT (90% negative). ERbeta and AR were intensely expressed in highly malignant inflammatory mammary carcinoma cells. To our knowledge, this is the first report relative to AR immunohistochemistry in canine mammary cancer and to estrogens or androgens in serum of dogs with benign or malignant mammary tumors.