Characteristics of eating disorders in a university hospital-based Spanish population.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the personal and family antecedents and clinical characteristics of patients with eating disorders (EDs) in a population of the south of Spain; to analyse the influence of lifestyles, family functioning, socioeconomic status (SES), and psychological characteristics in these processes. DESIGN: A university-based case-control study. SETTING: University Hospital (Andalusia, Spain). SUBJECTS: A total of 120 patients with EDs and 240 controls. INTERVENTIONS: SCOFF, EDI, APGAR family, and SES questionnaires. RESULTS: In all, 67.5% of patients presented anorexia (AN), 15% bulimia (BN), and 17.5% mixed forms. EDs emerged at around 18-20 y (95% CI 17.9-19.8). Factors associated with EDs are psychiatric conditions (depression OR: 4.16, anxiety OR: 4.59), more frequent use of medication (OR: 2.26), dietary fibre (OR: 2.59), and laxatives (OR: 3.47). Toxics consumption, sport activity, SES, and family antecedents of pathology are not associated with EDs. An inverse relationship was found between family functioning and the scores in various subscales of the EDI. CONCLUSIONS: Eating disorders in Andalusia (Spain) are influenced significantly more by psychological, family, and cultural factors than by social factors.

Use of near-infrared spectroscopy for determining the total arsenic content in prostrate amaranth.

The potential of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for determining the total arsenic (As) content in the prostrate amaranth (Amaranthus blitoides S. Watson) was assessed. Seventy-four samples belonging to this species, were harvested at different maturity stages along the polluted area, and then were scanned by NIRS. Their As reference values were obtained by atomic absorption spectrometry and they were regressed against different spectral transformations using modified partial least square (MPLS) regression. First derivative transformation equation of the raw optical data, previously standardized by standard normal variate (SNV) and De-trending (DT) transformations, resulted in a coefficient of determination (r(2)) in the external validation of 0.63, indicative of equations that can be used for a correct separation of the samples into low, medium and high groups. The standard deviation to standard error of prediction ratio (RPD) and range to standard error of prediction ratio (RER) for the first derivative equation were similar to those obtained for other trace metal calibrations reported in NIRS reflectance. Major cell components such as chlorophyll, lipids, starch and proteins were used by MPLS for modeling the equations. The use of NIRS for the determination of the As content in A. blitoides plants offers an important saving of time and cost of analysis.

Epidemiological study of the influence of family and socioeconomic status in disorders of eating behaviour.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the differences in family functioning and socioeconomic status between subjects with disorders of eating behaviour and the healthy population, considering the possible relationship of these factors with the psychic characteristics of patients, with consumption of various substances, and with sexual practices. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: 'Puerta del Mar' University Hospital (Andalusia, Spain). SUBJECTS: Conducted on a sample of 120 patients with AN and BN, and 240 controls with an identical distribution by age and sex. INTERVENTIONS: SCOFF, eating disorder inventory (EDI), Apgar family and socioeconomic questionnaires are utilised. RESULTS: Patients with disorders of eating behaviour present greater family dysfunctioning than controls; among cases, this difference is greater in the acute forms, but there are no differences between recent situations or crises due to previous episodes. Family dysfunction is associated with higher scores of multiple subscales of the EDI, which is corroborated on analysing each of the Apgar parameters independently. Family functioning is not associated with other variables such as breast-feeding or consumption of toxic substances. Socioeconomic status does not differentiate cases from controls, or acute situations from evolving ones, or new episodes from other crisis episodes, although differences may be found in the psychic manifestations according to social class. CONCLUSIONS: It is confirmed that family functioning has an influence in these types of disorder, in their evolution and in the psychic characteristics of the patients, without any evidence being found of a relationship between these disorders and socioeconomic status.

Development of high-oleic, low-linolenic acid Ethiopian-mustard (Brassica carinata) germplasm.

Seed oil of current zero erucic-acid germplasm of Ethiopian mustard ( Brassica carinata A. Braun) is characterized by a low concentration of oleic acid and high concentrations of linoleic and linolenic acids. Sources of increased oleic-acid (HO) and reduced linolenic-acid (LL) concentration have been developed separately in high erucic-acid germplasm. The objectives of the present research were to study the inheritance of the HO and LL traits in crosses HO x LL, and to develop HOLL recombinants, both in high erucic-acid and zero erucic-acid backgrounds. The HO mutant N2-3591 (about 20% oleic acid compared to 9% in conventional high erucic-acid materials), was reciprocally crossed with the LL lines N2-4961 and HF-186 (both with about 5% linolenic acid compared to 12% in standard high erucic-acid materials). Increased oleic acid concentration of N2-3591 was found to be controlled by alleles at one locus (Ol), whereas three different loci for reduced linolenic-acid concentration (Ln, Ln1 and Ln2) were identified in N2-4961 and HF-186. Crosses between N2-3591 and N2-4961 generated HOLL recombinants where levels of increased oleic-acid and reduced linolenic-acid were similar to those of the parents. However, a transgressive segregation for oleic acid was observed in crosses between N2-3591 and HF-186, where F(2) seeds with up to 29.7% oleic acid were obtained, in comparison to an upper limit of 25.1% in the N2-3591 parent grown in the same environment. The transgressive increased oleic-acid was expressed in the F(3) generation and was attributed to the presence of a second locus, designated Ol2. The transgressive trait was transferred to the zero erucic-acid line 25X-1, resulting in a zero erucic-acid germplasm with very high oleic-acid concentration (83.9% compared to 32.9% in 25X-1) and low linolenic-acid concentration (5.0% compared to 16% in 25X-1). Additionally, two other lines exhibiting different stable levels of increased oleic-acid (70.7% and 79.5%, respectively) and reduced levels of linolenic-acid (7.5% and 8.7%, respectively) were isolated.

Transgressive segregation of erucic acid content in Brassica carinata A. Braun.

Two Ethiopian mustard ( Brassica carinata A. Braun) lines with low (about 10%) and zero erucic acid (C22:1) have been obtained. The low C22:1 mutant line L-2890 was isolated after a chemical-mutagen treatment of C-101 seeds (about 40% C22:1). The zero C22:1 line L-25X-1 was obtained by interspecific crossing. Our objective was to determine the genetic control of low and zero C22:1 contents in these lines and the relationship between the loci controlling these traits. Reciprocal crosses between L-2890, L-25X-1 and high C22:1 lines, and between L-2890 and L-25X-1, were made. The F(1), F(2) and BC(1) F(1) generations were obtained. No maternal or cytoplasmic effects for C22:1 content were observed in any of the crosses. The analysis of the fatty acid composition in the segregating populations from the crosses of L-2890 with the high C22:1 lines C-101 and L-1630 indicated that the segregation patterns fitted a model of two alleles at two loci, M1 and M2, with partial (near complete) dominance for high concentration. The segregation patterns in the cross of the zero C22:1 line L-25X-1 with the high C22:1 line L-1630, were explained on the basis of two genes, E1 and E2, with additive gene action. The F(1) and segregating generations of the crosses L-2890 x L-25X-1 showed a strong transgressive segregation with C22:1 values of up to 50.0%, four-fold higher than those of L-2890. The analyses of the F(2), BC(1)F(1) and F(3) generations indicated that the combination of alleles at four loci, M(1) and M(2) in L-2890 and E(1) and E(2) in L-25X-1, controlled the transgressive segregation for C22:1. The proposed genotypes (C22:1 content) for each parent were as follows: L-2890 (10% C22:1) = m(1) m(1) m(2) m(2) E(1) E(1) E(2) E(2); L-25X-1 (0% C22:1) = M(1) M(1) M(2) M(2) e(1) e(1) e(2) e(2); and C-101 (45% C22:1) = M(1) M(1) M(2) M(2) E(1) E(1) E(2) E(2).