Association between Flavonoid Intake and Cognitive Executive Function among African American and White Adults in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) Study.

Healthy dietary patterns rich in flavonoids may benefit cognitive performance over time. Among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, the association between flavonoid intake and measures of cognition is unclear. This study sought to identify associations between flavonoid intake and cognitive performance among Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study participants (n = 1947) across three study visits. Flavonoid intakes were assessed via two 24-h dietary recalls. Cognitive performance was assessed via the Trail Making Test (TMT)-A and TMT-B, which provide measures of attention and executive function, respectively. Mixed effects linear regression was used to model TMT scores over three study visits against visit 1 (v1) flavonoid intake, time (years from v1), and the interaction between v1 flavonoid intake and time, capturing both the cross-sectional association between flavonoid intake and time at v1 as well as the longitudinal association between v1 flavonoid intake and the change in TMT scores over time. Prior to adjustment, inverse cross-sectional associations at v1 were observed between (1) anthocyanidin intake and TMT-A scores for the overall sample and (2) total flavonoid, anthocyanidin, flavan-3-ol, flavone, and flavonol intake and TMT-B scores for the overall sample and among White adults. Only the association between anthocyanidin intake and TMT-B at v1 among White adults persisted after adjustment (for demographic characteristics such as age). One possible explanation for the few significant associations is universally low flavonoid intakes resulting from the consumption of an unhealthy dietary pattern.

The translation initiation factor homolog eif4e1c regulates cardiomyocyte metabolism and proliferation during heart regeneration.

The eIF4E family of translation initiation factors bind 5' methylated caps and act as the limiting step for mRNA translation. The canonical eIF4E1A is required for cell viability, yet other related eIF4E families exist and are utilized in specific contexts or tissues. Here, we describe a family called Eif4e1c, for which we find roles during heart development and regeneration in zebrafish. The Eif4e1c family is present in all aquatic vertebrates but is lost in all terrestrial species. A core group of amino acids shared over 500 million years of evolution forms an interface along the protein surface, suggesting that Eif4e1c functions in a novel pathway. Deletion of eif4e1c in zebrafish caused growth deficits and impaired survival in juveniles. Mutants surviving to adulthood had fewer cardiomyocytes and reduced proliferative responses to cardiac injury. Ribosome profiling of mutant hearts demonstrated changes in translation efficiency of mRNA for genes known to regulate cardiomyocyte proliferation. Although eif4e1c is broadly expressed, its disruption had most notable impact on the heart and at juvenile stages. Our findings reveal context-dependent requirements for translation initiation regulators during heart regeneration.

An enhancer-based gene-therapy strategy for spatiotemporal control of cargoes during tissue repair.

The efficacy and safety of gene-therapy strategies for indications like tissue damage hinge on precision; yet, current methods afford little spatial or temporal control of payload delivery. Here, we find that tissue-regeneration enhancer elements (TREEs) isolated from zebrafish can direct targeted, injury-associated gene expression from viral DNA vectors delivered systemically in small and large adult mammalian species. When employed in combination with CRISPR-based epigenome editing tools in mice, zebrafish TREEs stimulated or repressed the expression of endogenous genes after ischemic myocardial infarction. Intravenously delivered recombinant AAV vectors designed with a TREE to direct a constitutively active YAP factor boosted indicators of cardiac regeneration in mice and improved the function of the injured heart. Our findings establish the application of contextual enhancer elements as a potential therapeutic platform for spatiotemporally controlled tissue regeneration in mammals.

Frequency of Eating in the US Population: A Narrative Review of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report.

Background: A person's daily nutrient intake and overall nutritional status are determined by a complex interplay of the types and amounts of foods ingested in combination with the timing and frequency of eating. Objectives: The aim was to summarize frequency of eating occasion data examined by the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, the macronutrient contributions they provide, and meal frequency relative to dietary quality among the US population (≥2 y), with a focus on sex, age, race/Hispanic origin, and income. Methods: Demographic and 24-h recall data from the 2013-2016 NHANES were examined. An eating occasion was defined as "any ingestive event (e.g., solid food, beverage, water) that is either energy yielding or non-energy yielding"; all eating occasions were further divided into discrete meals and snacks. Frequency of meals and snacks was defined as "the number of daily EOs [eating occasions]," respectively. Diet quality was assessed via the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015. Results: Most Americans consume 2 (28%) to 3 (64%) meals on a given day and >90% consume 2 to 3 snacks on that day. Adult, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Black and lower-income (<131% family poverty-to-income ratio) Americans had a lower frequency of eating than children or adolescents, non-Hispanic White, and non-Hispanic Asian Americans and higher-income Americans, respectively. Americans who reported 3 meals on a given day consumed a diet higher in dietary quality than Americans who consumed 2 meals on a given day (HEI-2015: 61.0 vs. 55.0), regardless of population subgroup. Conclusions: The frequency of the types of eating occasions differs according to age, race and Hispanic origin, and income. Dietary quality is associated with the number of meals consumed. Healthy dietary patterns can be constructed in a variety of ways to suit different life stages, cultural practices, and income levels; improved diet quality and careful consideration of nutrient density when planning meals are warranted.

Usual Intake of Flavonoids Is Inversely Associated with Metabolic Syndrome in African American and White Males but Not Females in Baltimore City, Maryland, USA.

Despite research that suggests flavonoids protect against metabolic syndrome (MetS) and evidence that intake of these compounds differs by race, knowledge about whether flavonoid-MetS associations vary among racial groups is limited. This study sought to estimate usual total flavonoid intake in African American and White adults and assess its sex- and sex/race-specific associations with MetS and its risk factors. Analysis of cross-sectional data from 1837 adults participating in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study were analyzed. Usual total flavonoid intake was estimated using the NCI Method, and logistic regression measured its linkages with health outcomes. Among males overall and when stratified by race, odds of MetS and its risk factors low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and elevated glucose were lower at the 75th percentile of usual total flavonoid intake than at the 25th percentile (OR for MetS = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.53, 0.71). However, low HDL-C and elevated glucose were positively associated with usual flavonoid intake among females. The comparable associations by race within sex imply that the relationships between flavonoid and health outcomes may be evident across an array of intakes.

Dietary and Complementary Feeding Practices of US Infants, 6 to 12 Months: A Narrative Review of the Federal Nutrition Monitoring Data.

Complementary foods and beverages (CFBs) are key components of an infant's diet in the second 6 months of life. This article summarizes nutrition and feeding practices examined by the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committees during the CFB life stage. Breastfeeding initiation is high (84%), but exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months (26%) is below the Healthy People 2030 goal (42%). Most infants (51%) are introduced to CFBs sometime before 6 months. The primary mode of feeding (ie, human milk fed [HMF]; infant formula or mixed formula and human milk fed [FMF]) at the initiation of CFBs is associated with the timing of introduction and types of CFBs reported. FMF infants (42%) are more likely to be introduced to CFBs before 4 months compared with HMF infants (19%). Different dietary patterns, such as higher prevalence of consumption and mean amounts, were observed, including fruit, grains, dairy, proteins, and solid fats. Compared with HMF infants of the same age, FMF infants consume more total energy (845 vs 631 kcal) and protein (22 vs 12 g) from all sources, and more energy (345 vs 204 kcal) and protein (11 vs 6 g) from CFBs alone. HMF infants have a higher prevalence of risk of inadequate intakes of iron (77% vs 7%), zinc (54% vs <3%), and protein (27% vs <3%). FMF infants are more likely to have an early introduction (<12 months) to fruit juice (45% vs 20%) and cow's milk (36% vs 24%). Registered dietitian nutritionists and nutritional professionals should consider tailoring their advice to caregivers on dietary and complementary feeding practices, taking into account the primary mode of milk feeding during this life stage to support infants' nutrient adequacy. National studies that address the limitations of this analysis, including small sample sizes and imputed breast milk volume, could refine findings from this analysis.

Late Evening Eating Patterns among US Adults Vary in Their Associations With, and Impact on, Energy Intake and Diet Quality: Evidence from What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2016.

BACKGROUND: Evening eating has been associated with higher energy intake and lower nutrient density. However, these qualities may not characterize all late evening (LE) eating patterns. OBJECTIVE: We sought to characterize US adults' LE eating patterns on a given day and identify differences, if any, in pattern-specific associations with, and impact on, daily energy intake and total diet quality. DESIGN: LE eating patterns, energy intakes, and Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores were identified using Day-1 dietary recall data from the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2016. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: The sample included adults aged ≥ 20 years (n = 9,861). LE reporters were respondents who consumed foods/beverages between 20:00 and 23:59 on the intake day. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Energy intake and HEI-2015 scores by LE status/pattern and the impact of LE consumption on these measures. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Cluster analysis assigned individuals to LE eating patterns based on the LE energy contribution of food/beverage groups. Regression models estimated energy intake and HEI-2015 scores; estimates were compared between LE reporters and nonreporters. Similarly, LE's contribution to total energy and the difference in total HEI inclusive vs exclusive of LE consumption were estimated and compared among patterns. RESULTS: Among US adults, 64.4% were LE reporters. Eleven LE patterns were identified; the six most prevalent patterns (representing 89% of LE reporters) were further analyzed. Daily energy intake in all prevalent patterns except the fruit pattern exceeded that of nonreporters by ≥ 268 kcal (unadjusted; P < 0.001), varying by pattern. Conversely, total HEI score did not differ from that of nonreporters (51.0) in any pattern except the fruit pattern, where it was higher (57.4, unadjusted; P < 0.001). Generally, LE consumption's impact on energy was high and its impact on HEI scores was low. CONCLUSIONS: Late evening food/beverage consumption is common among US adults, and LE patterns are not monolithic in their associations with, and impact on, total energy intake and dietary quality.

Application of the Database of Flavonoid Values for USDA Food Codes 2007-2010 in Assessing Intake Differences Between the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) Study and What We Eat in America (WWEIA), NHANES.

Flavonoids are polyphenolic plant compounds whose biological activities may promote human health. It is worthwhile to examine whether flavonoid intake varies between populations with differing prevalence of diet-related diseases. This study compared flavonoid intakes in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study with nationally representative estimates from What We Eat in America (WWEIA), NHANES stratified by sex, age (30-49, 50-64 years), and poverty status (income <125%, >125% of the 2004 HHS Poverty Guidelines). Flavonoid intakes from both surveys were estimated using the Database of Flavonoid Values for USDA Food Codes 2007-2010. Across all subpopulations analyzed, intake of anthocyanidins was lower in HANDLS (p<0.01). Intakes of total flavonoids and all or most flavonoid classes were lower in HANDLS for men overall and in both age groups and for both men and women with poverty status <125%. These findings of lower flavonoid intakes in HANDLS, particularly among men and those with the lowest incomes, suggest that flavonoid intake may be a factor in the high prevalence of diet-related disease in populations represented by HANDLS. This research illustrates how any survey using USDA's food codes can utilize the Flavonoid Database in comparing flavonoid intakes.

In vivo proximity labeling identifies cardiomyocyte protein networks during zebrafish heart regeneration.

Strategies have not been available until recently to uncover interacting protein networks specific to key cell types, their subcellular compartments, and their major regulators during complex in vivo events. Here, we apply BioID2 proximity labeling to capture protein networks acting within cardiomyocytes during a key model of innate heart regeneration in zebrafish. Transgenic zebrafish expressing a promiscuous BirA2 localized to the entire myocardial cell or membrane compartment were generated, each identifying distinct proteomes in adult cardiomyocytes that became altered during regeneration. BioID2 profiling for interactors with ErbB2, a co-receptor for the cardiomyocyte mitogen Nrg1, implicated Rho A as a target of ErbB2 signaling in cardiomyocytes. Blockade of Rho A during heart regeneration, or during cardiogenic stimulation by the mitogenic influences Nrg1, Vegfaa, or vitamin D, disrupted muscle creation. Our findings reveal proximity labeling as a useful resource to interrogate cell proteomes and signaling networks during tissue regeneration in zebrafish.

Top Food Category Contributors to Sodium and Potassium Intake - United States, 2015-2016.

Most U.S. adults consume too much sodium and not enough potassium (1,2). For apparently healthy U.S. adults aged ≥19 years, guidelines recommend reducing sodium intake that exceeds 2,300 mg/day and consuming at least 3,400 mg/day of potassium for males and at least 2,600 mg/day for females* (1). Reducing population-level sodium intake can reduce blood pressure and prevent cardiovascular diseases, the leading causes of death in the United States (1,3). Adequate potassium intake might offset the hypertensive effects of excessive sodium intake (1). Data from the 2015-2016 What We Eat in America (WWEIA) dietary interview component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)† were analyzed to identify top food categories contributing to sodium and potassium intake for U.S. residents aged ≥1 year. During 2015-2016, 40% of sodium consumed came from the top 10 food categories, which included prepared foods with sodium added (e.g., deli meat sandwiches and pizza). Approximately 43% of potassium consumed was from 10 food categories, which included foods naturally low in sodium (e.g., unflavored milk, fruit, vegetables) and prepared foods. These results can inform efforts to encourage consumption of foods naturally low in sodium, which might have the dual benefit of reducing sodium intake and increasing potassium intake, contributing to cardiovascular disease prevention.

Gene regulatory programmes of tissue regeneration.

Regeneration is the process by which organisms replace lost or damaged tissue, and regenerative capacity can vary greatly among species, tissues and life stages. Tissue regeneration shares certain hallmarks of embryonic development, in that lineage-specific factors can be repurposed upon injury to initiate morphogenesis; however, many differences exist between regeneration and embryogenesis. Recent studies of regenerating tissues in laboratory model organisms - such as acoel worms, frogs, fish and mice - have revealed that chromatin structure, dedicated enhancers and transcriptional networks are regulated in a context-specific manner to control key gene expression programmes. A deeper mechanistic understanding of the gene regulatory networks of regeneration pathways might ultimately enable their targeted reactivation as a means to treat human injuries and degenerative diseases. In this Review, we consider the regeneration of body parts across a range of tissues and species to explore common themes and potentially exploitable elements.

Consuming Vegetable-Based Salad Is Associated with Higher Nutrient Intakes and Diet Quality among US Adults, What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014.

BACKGROUND: Consuming salad is one strategy with the potential to harmonize diets more closely with national dietary guidance. However, it is not known whether nutrient intake and diet quality differ between people who consume vegetable-based salad and those who do not. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare nutrient intake and diet quality between salad reporters and nonreporters. DESIGN: This study is a cross-sectional analysis of 1 day of dietary intake data collected via 24-hour recall. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Adults 20 years and older (n=9,678) in What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014 were included. Respondents who ate salad on the intake day were considered salad reporters. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: This study estimated nutrient intake from all foods and beverages (excluding supplements) and evaluated diet quality using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2015. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Nutrient intake and HEI scores were compared between salad reporters and nonreporters using paired t tests with regression adjustment for confounding variables. Results were considered significant at P<0.001. RESULTS: On the intake day, 23% of adults consumed salad. Energy, protein, and carbohydrate intakes did not differ between salad reporters and nonreporters. Salad reporters had higher intakes than nonreporters of dietary fiber, total fat, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins A, B-6, C, E, K, folate, choline, magnesium, potassium, and sodium (P<0.001). Total HEI 2015 scores were significantly higher for reporters (56 of a possible 100 points) than nonreporters (50 points) P<0.001. Reporters also had significantly higher scores for eight of 13 HEI components: total vegetables, greens and beans, whole fruits, total protein foods, seafood and plant proteins, fatty acids, refined grains, and added sugars (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating vegetable-based salad into one's diet may be one effective way to increase nutrient intake and improve overall diet quality. Regardless of salad reporting status, HEI scores show that diets of US adults need improvement.

Findings from What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014 support salad consumption as an effective strategy for improving adherence to dietary recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the previously untested assumption that eating more salad enhances vegetable intake and determine if salad consumption is in fact associated with higher vegetable intake and greater adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommendations. DESIGN: Individuals were classified as salad reporters or non-reporters based upon whether they consumed a salad composed primarily of raw vegetables on the intake day. Regression analyses were applied to calculate adjusted estimates of food group intakes and assess the likelihood of meeting Healthy US-Style Food Pattern recommendations by salad reporting status. SETTING: Cross-sectional analysis of data collected in 2011-2014 in What We Eat in America, the dietary intake component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.ParticipantsUS adults (n 9678) aged ≥20 years (excluding pregnant and lactating women). RESULTS: On the intake day, 23 % of adults ate salad. The proportion of individuals reporting salad varied by sex, age, race, income, education and smoking status (P<0·001). Compared with non-reporters, salad reporters consumed significantly larger quantities of vegetables (total, dark green, red/orange and other), which translated into a two- to threefold greater likelihood of meeting recommendations for these food groups. More modest associations were observed between salad consumption and differences in intake and likelihood of meeting recommendations for protein foods (total and seafood), oils and refined grains. CONCLUSIONS: Study results confirm the DGA message that incorporating more salads in the diet is one effective strategy (among others, such as eating more cooked vegetables) to augment vegetable consumption and adherence to dietary recommendations concerning vegetables.

Mineral Intake Ratios Are a Weak but Significant Factor in Blood Pressure Variability in US Adults.

Background: Hypertension contributes substantially to chronic disease and mortality. Mineral intakes can modify blood pressure. Objective: Individual minerals and their intake ratios in US adults and their association with blood pressure were examined. Methods: Regression models were used to examine the associations of sodium, potassium, and calcium intakes and their ratios from food and supplements with blood pressure in 8777 US adults without impaired renal function from the 2011-2014 NHANES. We evaluated men (n = 4395) and women (n = 4382) separately. Models for predicting blood pressure were developed using age, blood pressure medication, race, body mass index (BMI), and smoking as explanatory variables. Results: Few adults met the recommended intake ratios for sodium:potassium (1.2% and 1.5%), sodium:calcium (12.8% and 17.67%), and sodium:magnesium (13.7% and 7.3%) for men and women, respectively. Approximately half of adults (55.2% of men and 54.8% of women) met calcium:magnesium intake ratio recommendations. In our regression models, the factors that explained the largest amount of variability in blood pressure were age, blood pressure medication, race/ethnicity, BMI, and smoking status. Together, these factors explained 31% and 15% of the variability in systolic blood pressure in women and men, respectively. The sodium:potassium (men and women), sodium:magnesium (women), and sodium:calcium (men) intake ratios were positively associated with systolic blood pressure, whereas calcium intake was inversely associated with systolic blood pressure in men only. When mineral intake ratios were added individually to our regression models, they improved the percentage of variability in blood pressure explained by the model by 0.13-0.21%. Conclusions: Strategies to lower blood pressure are needed. Lower sodium:potassium intake ratios provide a small benefit for protection against hypertension in US adults.

Dietary Flavonoid Intakes Are Associated with Race but Not Income in an Urban Population.

Flavonoids are polyphenolic phytochemicals with health-promoting properties, yet knowledge about their intake in at-risk populations is limited. This study sought to estimate intakes of total flavonoids and six flavonoid classes in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study; determine if differences in intakes exist by race (African American (AA) and White (W)) and income (< or >125% Federal poverty guidelines); and compare intakes to those of a nationally representative population with similar demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Data transformation normalized the flavonoid intake distributions prior to conducting statistical tests. With the exception of the flavanone class, flavonoid intakes of AAs were significantly lower than those of W (p < 0.01), regardless of other potential mediating factors including sex, age, and income. Total flavonoid intakes in HANDLS did not differ from intakes in the nationally representative study, but anthocyanidin and flavone intakes were lower, and race specific differences were found for several flavonoid classes. These findings imply that benefits attributable to flavonoid consumption may not be experienced equally by AAs and Whites, nor in vulnerable populations such as that represented by HANDLS relative to the U.S. population, and may play a role in observed health disparities.

Association between dietary protein intake and grip strength among adults aged 51 years and over: What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014.

INTRODUCTION: Distributing daily protein intake evenly across meals (∼25-30g/meal) has been suggested to improve muscle mass. The aim of this research is to examine the association between grip strength, total protein intake and its distribution across day's meals in older adults. METHODS: Nationally representative dietary intake data of adults aged 51 years and older (n = 4,123) who participated in What We Eat in America, NHANES 2011-2014 were analyzed. Protein intake per day and per eating occasion (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack) were determined. Combined grip strength was calculated and expressed in kilograms. Grip strength of individuals consuming ≥25g protein at 1 eating occasion was compared with those consuming same level of protein at 2 and 3 or more eating occasions. Grip strength of individuals in quartile 1 of daily protein intake was compared to those in the other quartiles. All associations were examined without and with adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, physical activity, health status, and smoking status. The comparison involving eating occasions and protein intake quartiles were further adjusted for daily protein intake and energy intake, respectively. RESULTS: Only 33% of men and 19% of women had protein intake of ≥25g at 2 or more eating occasions. These individuals also had higher grip strength and daily protein intake. Grip strength was positively associated with consumption of ≥25g protein at 2 eating occasions as compared to consumption of same level of protein at 1 eating occasion (p<0.05) in unadjusted model, but not when adjusted. Grip strength was positively associated with daily protein intake among women in quartiles 3 and 4 (p<0.05) of protein intake in both unadjusted and adjusted models compared to lowest protein intake. Among men, grip strength was associated with daily protein intake in quartiles 3 and 4 (p<0.05) in the unadjusted model, but not when adjusted. CONCLUSION: In a nationally representative sample of older adults, consuming ≥25g protein at 2 or more eating occasions was not associated with grip strength. However, higher daily protein intake was positively associated with grip strength in women.

Transcription-factor-dependent enhancer transcription defines a gene regulatory network for cardiac rhythm.

The noncoding genome is pervasively transcribed. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) generated from enhancers have been proposed as a general facet of enhancer function and some have been shown to be required for enhancer activity. Here we examine the transcription-factor-(TF)-dependence of ncRNA expression to define enhancers and enhancer-associated ncRNAs that are involved in a TF-dependent regulatory network. TBX5, a cardiac TF, regulates a network of cardiac channel genes to maintain cardiac rhythm. We deep sequenced wildtype and Tbx5-mutant mouse atria, identifying ~2600 novel Tbx5-dependent ncRNAs. Tbx5-dependent ncRNAs were enriched for tissue-specific marks of active enhancers genome-wide. Tbx5-dependent ncRNAs emanated from regions that are enriched for TBX5-binding and that demonstrated Tbx5-dependent enhancer activity. Tbx5-dependent ncRNA transcription provided a quantitative metric of Tbx5-dependent enhancer activity, correlating with target gene expression. We identified RACER, a novel Tbx5-dependent long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) required for the expression of the calcium-handling gene Ryr2. We illustrate that TF-dependent enhancer transcription can illuminate components of TF-dependent gene regulatory networks.

Dietary Flavonoid Intake Is Inversely Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Risk as Assessed by Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference among Adults in the United States.

Although flavonoids may confer anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant benefits, no research has examined if flavonoid intake is related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk defined by anthropometric measures in the USA population. This study sought to determine whether flavonoid intake is associated with combined body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) measures indicative of high, very high, or extremely high ("high+") risk for CVD, using one day of 24-h recall data from adult (≥20 years) participants in What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2010. Individuals were divided into categories of intake of total flavonoids and each flavonoid class, and adjusted estimates of the percentages at high+ CVD risk (based on BMI and WC, as per National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines) were calculated. Inverse linear trends were found in percentages of adults at high+ CVD risk by intake of total flavonoids, anthocyanidins, flavan-3-ols, and flavanones (p < 0.01). For individuals in the highest (versus the lowest) intake category of anthocyanidins, flavan-3-ols, and flavanones, relative risk and confidence intervals (RR and CI, respectively) were 0.86 (99% CI: 0.79, 0.93), 0.88 (99% CI: 0.79, 0.98), and 0.89 (99% CI: 0.80, 0.98), respectively. Research is needed to determine whether the inverse relationships found in this study are applicable to CVD endpoints at the population level.

Resolving Heart Regeneration by Replacement Histone Profiling.

Chromatin regulation is a principal mechanism governing animal development, yet it is unclear to what extent structural changes in chromatin underlie tissue regeneration. Non-mammalian vertebrates such as zebrafish activate cardiomyocyte (CM) division after tissue damage to regenerate lost heart muscle. Here, we generated transgenic zebrafish expressing a biotinylatable H3.3 histone variant in CMs and derived cell-type-specific profiles of histone replacement. We identified an emerging program of putative enhancers that revise H3.3 occupancy during regeneration, overlaid upon a genome-wide reduction of H3.3 from promoters. In transgenic reporter lines, H3.3-enriched elements directed gene expression in subpopulations of CMs. Other elements increased H3.3 enrichment and displayed enhancer activity in settings of injury- and/or Neuregulin1-elicited CM proliferation. Dozens of consensus sequence motifs containing predicted transcription factor binding sites were enriched in genomic regions with regeneration-responsive H3.3 occupancy. Thus, cell-type-specific regulatory programs of tissue regeneration can be revealed by genome-wide H3.3 profiling.

Fruit and vegetable intake of US adults estimated by two methods: What We Eat In America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2012.

OBJECTIVE: Estimates of fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption vary depending on intake definition, which may be determined by research purpose. Researchers have used two methods to evaluate intake: epidemiological and behavioural. The present study describes FV intake by adults using epidemiological v. behavioural approaches. DESIGN: One-day dietary intake data from What We Eat In America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2012 were used. Sample weights were used to produce nationally representative estimates. FV intake (in cup-equivalents (CE)) was estimated using the Food Patterns Equivalents Database. The epidemiological method considered all FV after disaggregating foods and beverages. The behavioural method included foods that provided at least 0·2 CE FV per 100 g, and excluded sources high in fat, added sugar and Na. SETTING: Nationally representative survey of the US population. SUBJECTS: Adults (n 10 563) aged ≥20 years. RESULTS: For epidemiological v. behavioural, fruit intake was 1·1 v. 1·0 CE for males and 1·0 v. 0·9 CE for females. Vegetable intake was 1·8 v. 1·1 CE for males and 1·5 v. 1·0 CE for females. CONCLUSIONS: The definition of FV intake affects estimates of consumption by the population and is an important consideration when planning and comparing research studies. The method used should align with research goals to assure accurate interpretation and validity of results.