Search

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Studies in adults indicate that dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition may play a role in development of adiposity. Because adipocyte quantity is established between late childhood and early adolescence, understanding the impact of PUFAs on weight gain during the school-age years is crucial to developing effective interventions. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We quantified N-3 and N-6 PUFAs in serum samples of 668 Colombian schoolchildren aged 5-12 years at the time of recruitment into a cohort study, using gas-liquid chromatography. Serum concentrations of N-3 (alpha- linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid) and N-6 PUFAs (linoleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid, dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid) were determined as percentage total fatty acids. Children's anthropometry was measured annually for a median of 30 months. We used mixed-effects models with restricted cubic splines to construct population body mass index-for-age z-score (BAZ) growth curves for age- and sex-specific quartiles of each PUFA. RESULTS: N-3 ALA was inversely related to BAZ gain after adjustment for sex, baseline age and weight status, as well as household socioeconomic level. Estimated BAZ change between 6 and 14 years among children in the highest quartile of ALA compared with those in the lowest quartile was 0.45 (95% confidence interval: 0.07, 0.83) lower (P-trend = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: N-3 ALA may be protective against weight gain in school-age children. Whether improvement in PUFA status reduces adiposity in pediatric populations deserves evaluation in randomized trials. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2015) 69, 167-172; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2014.210; published online 1 October 2014, INTRODUCTION Childhood obesity poses one of the most serious public health challenges. Many countries, including those in Latin America, (1) have experienced a marked rise in pediatric overweight and obesity [...]

BACKGROUND: Studies regarding the role of iron on linear growth have yielded heterogeneous results. Some trials indicate that iron supplementation of iron-replete infants leads to slower-length gain. However, little is known of the relation between iron status and linear growth in school-age children. METHODS: We quantified plasma ferritin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and hemoglobin in 2714 children aged 5-12 years at recruitment into a cohort study. Height was measured periodically for a median of 30 months. Height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) were calculated using the World Health Organization growth reference. Mixed effects models with restricted cubic splines were used to construct population HAZ-for-age growth curves for sex- and age-specific quartiles of each iron status indicator. RESULTS: Ferritin and MCV were each inversely related to attained HAZ among boys after the adjustment for baseline age, baseline body mass index-for-age Z-score and socioeconomic status. There was a decreasing monotonic relation between quartiles of ferritin and estimated change in HAZ from ages 6 to 14 years (P trend = 0.001);boys in the 4th quartile experienced a HAZ change that was 0.46 Z lower than that of boys in the 1st quartile (P = 0.0006). Similarly, we observed smaller HAZ change among boys in the highest quartile of MCV in comparison with those in the 1st quartile (P trend = 0.001). Hemoglobin was not related to linear growth in boys. None of the iron-status indicators were associated with linear growth in girls. CONCLUSIONS: Higher iron status, as indicated by ferritin and MCV, is related to slower linear growth in iron-replete school-age boys. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2013) 67, 646-651; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2013.56; published online 6 March 2013 Keywords: iron; ferritin; mean corpuscular volume; height-for-age Z; linear growth; school-age, INTRODUCTION Iron is an essential micronutrient for child growth and development. The World Health Organization recommends iron supplementation in young children, a group that is at high risk for iron [...]

Copyright of Nematropica is the property of Organization of Nematologists of Tropical America and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aims To isolate and identify TNT-transforming cultures from explosive-contaminated soils with the ability to produce biosurfactants. Methods and Results Bacteria (pure and mixed cultures) were selected based on their ability to transform TNT in minimum media with TNT as the sole nitrogen source and an additional carbon source. TNT-transforming bacteria were identified by 16S r RNA gene sequencing. TNT transformation rates were significantly lower when no additional carbon or nitrogen sources were added. Surfactant production was enabled by the presence of TNT. Fourteen cultures were able to transform the explosive (>50%); of these, five showed a high transformation capacity (>90%), and six produced surfactants. Conclusions All explosive-transforming cultures contained Proteobacteria of the genera Achromobacter, Stenotrophomonas, Pseudomonas, Sphingobium, Raoultella, Rhizobium and Methylopila. These cultures transformed TNT when an additional carbon source was added. Remarkably, Achromobacter spanius S17 and Pseudomonas veronii S94 have high TNT transformation rates and are surfactant producers. Significance and Impact of the Study TNT is a highly toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic nitroaromatic explosive; therefore, bioremediation to eliminate or mitigate its presence in the environment is essential. TNT-transforming cultures that produce surfactants are a promising method for remediation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that links surfactant production and TNT transformation by bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disease caused by Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus ( ToLCNDV), which is naturally transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, causes important economic losses in cucurbit crops. The availability of simple and efficient inoculation protocols and detection methods is necessary for screening varieties and germplasm collections as well as for breeding populations. We evaluated the infectivity of ToLCNDV inocula prepared using three different buffers for mechanical sap inoculation in a susceptible variety of zucchini. We found that inoculum prepared with buffer III, which contains polyvinylpyrrolidone, is highly efficient for mechanical inoculation, with 100% of plants displaying severe symptoms 21 days post-inoculation. Using this buffer, we mechanically inoculated 19 commercial varieties of cucurbit crops (six of cucumber, six of melon and seven of zucchini), evaluated the evolution of symptoms and diagnosed infection using nine different ToLCNDV detection methods (four based on serology, four based on molecular hybridization and one based on PCR detection). The results revealed that all varieties are susceptible, although cucumber varieties display less severe symptoms than those of melon or zucchini. All detection methods were highly efficient (more than 85% of plants testing positive) in melon and zucchini, but in cucumber, the percentage of positive plants detected with serology and molecular hybridization methods ranged from 20.4% with Squash leaf curl virus ( SLCV) antiserum, to 78.5% with DNA extract hybridization. Overall, the best detection results were obtained with PCR, with 92.6%, 92.4% and 98.4% cucumber, melon and zucchini plants, respectively, testing positive. When considering the overall results in the three crops, the best serology and molecular hybridization methods were those using Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus ( WmCSV) antiserum and DNA extract, respectively. The inoculation methodology developed and the information on detection methods are of great relevance for the selection and breeding of varieties of cucurbit crops that are tolerant or resistant to ToLCNDV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Solanum incanum is a close wild relative of S. melongena with high contents of bioactive phenolics and drought tolerance. S. aethiopicum is a cultivated African eggplant cross-compatible with S. melongena. Despite their great interest in S. melongena breeding programs, the genomic resources for these species are scarce. Results: RNA-Seq was performed with NGS from pooled RNA of young leaf, floral bud and young fruit tissues, generating more than one hundred millions raw reads per species. The transcriptomes were assembled in 83,905 unigenes for S. incanum and in 87,084 unigenes for S. aethiopicum with an average length of 696 and 722 bp, respectively. The unigenes were structurally and functionally annotated based on comparison with public databases by using bioinformatic tools. The single nucleotide variant calling analysis (SNPs and INDELs) was performed by mapping our S. incanum and S. aethiopicum reads, as well as reads from S. melongena and S. torvum available on NCBI database (National Center for Biotechnology Information), against the eggplant genome. Both intraspecific and interspecific polymorphisms were identified and subsets of molecular markers were created for all species combinations. 36 SNVs were selected for validation in the S. incanum and S. aethiopicum accessions and 96% were correctly amplified confirming the polymorphisms. In addition, 976 and 1,278 SSRs were identified in S. incanum and S. aethiopicum transcriptomes respectively, and a set of them were validated. Conclusions: This work provides a broad insight into gene sequences and allelic variation in S. incanum and S. aethiopicum. This work is a first step toward better understanding of target genes involved in metabolic pathways relevant for eggplant breeding. The molecular markers detected in this study could be used across all the eggplant genepool, which is of interest for breeding programs as well as to perform marker-trait association and QTL analysis studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiobiology is the science of studying the interaction between radiation and biological tissues and the effects of the first on the latter. In this paper, we present various Physico-Mathematical models used in Radiobiology, which have been developed in order to compare and quantify the effectiveness of different radiation regimens. Different researchers have developed empirical models based on experimental considerations and on a radiological foundation. In one application of ionizing radiation therapies, the studies were able to relate several important parameters, such as dose per fraction, total dose, and the treatment time needed to obtain a better therapeutic index. In this paper, we aim to describe and discuss a number of radiobiological aspects of the results obtained throughout past research, such as Isoeffect Curves, Nominal Standard Dose (NDS), time-dose fractionation factors (TDF), and cell survival curves. Finally, we analyze the Linear-Quadratic Model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2004, Bogotá's Secretary of Education (SED) initiated a snack program in public primary schools. A midmorning food ration was provided free of charge to children to supplement 30 and 50% of their daily requirements of energy and iron, respectively. The purpose of this study, an observational investigation of 3202 children ages 5-12 y, was to examine whether the snack program improved children's nutritional and health status. We measured micronutrient levels (plasma ferritin and vitamin B-12, and erythrocyte folate), anthropometry, and reported morbidity during the first semester of the 2006 school year. After adjusting for socioeconomic status and other school interventions, children at schools receiving the snack (n = 1803) had greater increases in plasma vitamin B-12 (42 pmol/L; P < 0.0001) from baseline to 3 mo of follow-up than children at schools not receiving the snack (n = 1399). They also experienced a smaller decrease in height-for-age Z-scores than children who did not receive the snack (P = 0.001). Provision of the SED snack was associated with significantly fewer reported days with morbidity symptoms (e.g. cough with fever, diarrhea with vomiting), 44% fewer doctor visits (P = 0.02), and 23% fewer days of school absenteeism (P = 0.03). The snack was not related to ferritin or folate levels. In conclusion, provision of a school-administered snack was related to improved vitamin B-12 status and linear growth and decreased reported morbidity. Although provision of the snack was not related to BMI changes over a 4-mo period, snack components such as candy and sugar-sweetened beverages should be replaced with healthier options, as the rates of child overweight in Colombia are not negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess patient satisfaction with ebastine fast-dissolving tablets (FDT) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM). Research, design and methods: This was an international, multicenter, observational study involving patients with at least 1-year history of intermittent allergic rhinitis or persistent allergic rhinitis and who had received a prescription for ebastine FDT (20 mg) in the last 2 months. Investigators collected demographic data, medical history, a completed TSQM questionnaire, and responses regarding perception of onset of action, intensity of rhinitis symptoms, tolerability and their preference compared with previous therapy. Results: Validated TSQM questionnaires were collected from 461 patients and the overall ratings for effectiveness, side effects, convenience and global satisfaction were all very high for ebastine FDT. A total of 79% of patients reported a fast or very fast onset of action. On the last day of treatment patients reported a statistically significant (p < 0.001) improvement in the intensity and relief of symptoms of allergic rhinitis. A total of 95% of patients reported good or very good tolerability with ebastine FDT. Compared with the patient's experience with previous therapy, ebastine FDT was considered better or much better for: efficacy (81%), tolerability (73%), onset of action (79%) and convenience (94%). A total of 94% of patients indicated that they would like to use ebastine FDT again. Conclusion: Ebastine FDT was associated with a very high satisfaction rate and significant relief of rhinitis symptoms and, consequently, patients reported a preference for the FDT formulation over previous antihistamines that they had used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine correlates of home usage of commercially available cooking fats in Bogotá, Colombia and to determine their fatty acid composition.Design: Cross-sectional survey.Setting: Bogotá, Colombia.Subjects: A representative sample of low- and middle-income families (n 2408).Results: The types of fat primarily used for cooking at home were mixed vegetable oils (66 %), sunflower oil (21 %) and other oils/fats including margarine (13 %). In multivariate analysis, usage of sunflower oil as the primary cooking fat was positively related to home ownership, age of the father and health as a reason for choosing the main cooking fat, and inversely associated with the number of people per room and an index of household food insecurity. The trans fat content of sunflower oil was unexpectedly higher (mean 4.2 %, range 2.2-8.6) than that of the vegetable mixture oils (mean 3.1 %, range 1.1-6.5).Conclusions: Vegetable oils are the primary home cooking fats in Bogotá, Colombia. Higher socio-economic status is associated with usage of sunflower oil. Paradoxically, oblivious to the higher trans content of sunflower oil and the negligible amount of n-3 fatty acids, families commonly reported 'health' as a reason to choose sunflower over other oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of overweight in school-aged children from Bogotá, Colombia and to examine its associations with sociodemographic characteristics, dietary patterns, and indicators of physical activity. We measured height and weight in 3075 children between 5 and 12 y of age who attended public primary schools in 2006 and we obtained information on maternal sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics. The survey was representative of children from low and middle socioeconomic backgrounds. The prevalences of child overweight (including obesity) and obesity according to the International Obesity Task Force criteria were 11.1 and 1.8%, respectively. The prevalence of stunting was 9.8%. In multivariate analysis, child overweight was positively associated with indicators of higher socioeconomic status (SES), including low maternal parity and ownership of household assets. The prevalence of overweight was 3.6 times greater in children whose mothers were obese compared with children whose mothers had an adequate BMI (adjusted prevalence ratio = 3.61; 95% CI = 2.64, 4.93). Child overweight was positively associated with adherence to a "snacking" dietary pattern (P-trend = 0.06) and to frequent intake of hamburgers or hot dogs (adjusted prevalence ratio for at least once per week vs. never = 1.93; 95% CI = 1.03, 3.62), independent of total energy intake and other potential confounders. Time spent viewing television or playing outside the household were not significantly related to the prevalence of child overweight. In conclusion, child overweight in Bogotá is more common than stunting and is associated with higher SES, maternal obesity, and a snacking dietary pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the pharmacological compliance of patients treated with lansoprazole orally disintegrating tablets (LODT) in Primary Care (PC) and their acceptability of this formulation.Research Design and Methods: A multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study involving 433 PC physicians that included 433 patients aged at least 18 years, either diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or taking LODT to prevent NSAID-induced gastric ulcers. Compliance with LODT treatment was assessed with the Haynes-Sackett self-reported test. Acceptability was based on global patient assessment, rating the drug's organoleptic characteristics and properties recorded with a self-administered 15-item ad hoc questionnaire with 2 and 5-point Likert-type scales.Results: 423 patients (mean age 50.6 years, SD = 13.4) were evaluable for the main endpoint. Of these, 57.16% were men and 53.5% were treated with 30 mg doses of LODT for an average of 37.8 days (SD = 35.5). Compliance was achieved by 92.4% of the patients, mean percentage of compliance was 93.3. Demographical and clinical variables had no effect on compliance. Treatment with LODT was assessed as 'acceptable' or 'highly acceptable' by 91.7% of the sample. One adverse reaction, not serious, was reported by one patient (0.2%).Conclusions: In this observational study, compliance with lansoprazole orally disintegrating tablets was very high. Patients reported that this formulation improved their compliance. LODT was clearly preferred to previous medication and the drug was well tolerated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of chlorophylls in eggplant (Solanum melongena) peel exhibits either a uniform pattern or an irregular green netting pattern. The latter, manifested as a gradient of dark green netting that is intensified in the proximal part of the fruit on a pale green background, is common in wild relatives and some eggplant landraces. Despite the selection of uniform chlorophylls during domestication, the netting pattern contributes to a greater diversity of fruit colours. Here, we used over 2300 individuals from different populations, including a multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross population for candidate genomic region identification, an F2 population for bulked segregant analysis by sequencing, and advanced backcrosses for edges-to-core fine-mapping, to identify SmGLK2 gene as responsible for the irregular netting in eggplant fruits. We also analysed the gene sequence of 178 S. melongena accessions and 22 wild relative species for tracing the evolutionary changes that the gene has undergone during domestication. Three different mutations were identified leading to the absence of netting. The main causative indel induces a premature stop codon disrupting the protein conformation and function, which was confirmed by western blot analysis and confocal microscopy observations. SmGLK2 has a major role in regulating chlorophyll biosynthesis in eggplant fruit peel., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.)

Aim: Infections can impair cognitive development, but their role on adverse childhood educational outcomes is unknown. We examined the associations of infectious morbidity and inflammatory biomarkers with grade repetition and school absenteeism., Methods: We followed 2762 Colombian children aged 5-12 years for a school year. We quantified inflammatory biomarkers at enrolment and prospectively recorded incidence of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, doctor visits and absent days from school using pictorial diaries. We estimated adjusted relative risks (ARR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for grade repetition and absenteeism by infectious morbidity burden and inflammatory biomarker categories, and percentages of the associations mediated through absenteeism., Results: Morbidity was associated with increased risk of grade repetition. ARR (95% CI) of grade repetition comparing high versus no incidence of gastrointestinal, respiratory and ear infections were, respectively, 2.17 (1.00, 4.72), 2.31 (1.28, 4.16) and 2.57 (1.13, 5.86). Infections also predicted school absenteeism, which mediated 35%, 31% and 38% of the corresponding morbidity-grade repetition associations. Elevated white blood cells (WBC), especially granulocytes, were related to increased grade repetition and school absenteeism risks., Conclusion: Childhood infections and elevated WBC are associated with grade repetition and school absenteeism. Absenteeism does not fully explain the morbidity-grade repetition associations., (© 2024 The Author(s). Acta Paediatrica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation Acta Paediatrica.)

An enduring question in evolutionary biology concerns the degree to which episodes of convergent trait evolution depend on the same genetic programs, particularly over long timescales. In this work, we genetically dissected repeated origins and losses of prickles-sharp epidermal projections-that convergently evolved in numerous plant lineages. Mutations in a cytokinin hormone biosynthetic gene caused at least 16 independent losses of prickles in eggplants and wild relatives in the genus Solanum . Homologs underlie prickle formation across angiosperms that collectively diverged more than 150 million years ago, including rice and roses. By developing new Solanum genetic systems, we leveraged this discovery to eliminate prickles in a wild species and an indigenously foraged berry. Our findings implicate a shared hormone activation genetic program underlying evolutionarily widespread and recurrent instances of plant morphological innovation.

Background: The generation of new eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) cultivars with drought tolerance is a main challenge in the current context of climate change. In this study, the eight parents (seven of S. melongena and one of the wild relative S. incanum L.) of the first eggplant MAGIC (Multiparent Advanced Generation Intercrossing) population, together with four F 1 hybrids amongst them, five S5 MAGIC recombinant inbred lines selected for their genetic diversity, and one commercial hybrid were evaluated in young plant stage under water stress conditions (30% field capacity; FC) and control conditions (100% FC). After a 21-day treatment period, growth and biomass traits, photosynthetic pigments, oxidative stress markers, antioxidant compounds, and proline content were evaluated., Results: Significant effects (p < 0.05) were observed for genotype, water treatments and their interaction in most of the traits analyzed. The eight MAGIC population parental genotypes displayed a wide variation in their responses to water stress, with some of them exhibiting enhanced root development and reduced foliar biomass. The commercial hybrid had greater aerial growth compared to root growth. The four F 1 hybrids among MAGIC parents differed in their performance, with some having significant positive or negative heterosis in several traits. The subset of five MAGIC lines displayed a wide diversity in their response to water stress., Conclusion: The results show that a large diversity for tolerance to drought is available among the eggplant MAGIC materials, which can contribute to developing drought-tolerant eggplant cultivars., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study assessed the impact of nutrient warnings on product selection and ability to identify food products high in nutrients of concern in Colombia., Methods: In an online experiment (May-June 2023), Colombian adults were randomized to a nutrient warning, guideline daily amounts (GDA), Nutri-Score, or no-label condition (n = 8,004). Participants completed selection tasks between two fruit drinks labeled according to their condition, one high in sugar and one not. Next, participants answered questions about products high in sugar, sodium, and/or saturated fat ("high-in" product). Finally, they selected which label would most discourage them from consuming a high-in product., Results: Fewer participants (17%) exposed to the nutrient warning indicated they would purchase the high-sugar fruit drink compared to Nutri-Score (27%, Holm-adjusted (adj) p<0.001) and no label conditions (31%, adj p<0.001); there were no differences between the nutrient warning and GDA label (14%, adj p = 0.087). Compared to the nutrient warning, the GDA label was slightly more effective at helping consumers identify which drink was high in sugar (89% versus 92%, adj p<0.001), while the Nutri-Score and no-label conditions were less effective. Compared to all other conditions, nutrient warnings were more effective at helping participants identify that products were high in nutrients of concern, were more effective at decreasing intentions to purchase these high-in products and were perceived as more effective. Nutrient warnings were most often selected as the label that most discouraged consumption., Conclusions: Nutrient warnings are a promising policy to help consumers identify and discourage consumption of products high in nutrients of concern., Trial Registration: Trial Registration: NCT05783726., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Mora-Plazas et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

We developed a novel eight-way tomato multiparental advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) population to improve the accessibility of tomato relatives genetic resources to geneticists and breeders. The interspecific tomato MAGIC population (ToMAGIC) was obtained by intercrossing four accessions each of Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme and Solanum pimpinellifolium , which are the weedy relative and the ancestor of cultivated tomato, respectively. The eight exotic ToMAGIC founders were selected based on a representation of the genetic diversity and geographical distribution of the two taxa. The resulting MAGIC population comprises 354 lines, which were genotyped using a new 12k tomato single primer enrichment technology panel and yielded 6488 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs). The genotyping data revealed a high degree of homozygosity, an absence of genetic structure, and a balanced representation of the founder genomes. To evaluate the potential of the ToMAGIC population, a proof of concept was conducted by phenotyping it for fruit size, plant pigmentation, leaf morphology, and earliness. Genome-wide association studies identified strong associations for the studied traits, pinpointing both previously identified and novel candidate genes near or within the linkage disequilibrium blocks. Domesticated alleles for fruit size were recessive and were found, at low frequencies, in wild/ancestral populations. Our findings demonstrate that the newly developed ToMAGIC population is a valuable resource for genetic research in tomato, offering significant potential for identifying new genes that govern key traits in tomato. ToMAGIC lines displaying a pyramiding of traits of interest could have direct applicability for integration into breeding pipelines providing untapped variation for tomato breeding., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nanjing Agricultural University.)

Eggplant ( Solanum melongena L.) breeding for fruit quality has mostly focused on visual traits and nutritional and bioactive compounds, including chlorogenic acid. However, higher contents of chlorogenic acid may lead to more pronounced fruit flesh browning. We examined a diverse collection of 59 eggplant accessions across five varietal types ('black oval', 'striped', 'anthocyanin-free', 'purple', and 'black elongated') to evaluate the degree of browning, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, and chlorogenic acid (CGA) content. The results reveal moderate correlations among these traits, with no clear differences among the varietal types, suggesting that other factors, including genetic variation, might significantly influence these traits. Notably, 'black oval' accessions demonstrated higher browning and PPO activity, whereas 'striped' accessions showed low variability. The identification of genotypes with lower browning and higher CGA content highlights opportunities for targeted genotype selection to improve eggplant chlorogenic acid content while maintaining low or moderate browning, pointing towards the importance of genetic considerations in breeding strategies to reduce browning and enhance nutritional value.

Identification of novel genotypes with enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is a key challenge for a sustainable tomato production. In this respect, the performance of a panel of thirty tomato accessions were evaluated under high (HN; 5 mM N) and low (LN; 0.5 mM N) nitrogen irrigation solutions. For each treatment, when 50% of plants reached the first flower bud stage, plant growth and biomass traits, chlorophyll, flavonol and anthocyanin indexes, nitrogen balance index (NBI), C:N ratio in leaves, stems, and roots, and NUE were evaluated. Significant (p < 0.05) effects were observed for accession, N treatment, and their interaction across all the traits. Under LN, plants showed a delayed development (40 days for HN vs. 65 days for LN) and reduced growth and biomass. On average, LN condition led to 41.8% decrease in nitrogen uptake efficiency (NUpE) but also 189.0% increase in NUtE, resulting in 62.2% overall increase in NUE. A broad range of variation among accessions was observed under both HN and LN conditions. Under LN conditions, chlorophyll index and NBI decreased, while flavonol and anthocyanin indexes increased. Leaf C:N ratio was positively correlated with nitrogen utilisation efficiency (NUtE) in both N treatments. Multi-trait analyses identified top-performing accessions under each condition, allowing to identify one accession among top performers under both conditions. Correlation analysis revealed that high root biomass and leaf C:N ratio are useful markers for selecting high NUE accessions. These findings offer valuable insights for improving tomato NUE under varying nitrogen fertilization conditions and for breeding high-NUE cultivars., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Personalized breast cancer screening is a novel strategy that estimates individual risk based on age, breast density, family history of breast cancer, personal history of benign breast lesions, and polygenic risk. Its goal is to propose personalized early detection recommendations for women in the target population based on their individual risk. Our aim was to synthesize the factors that influence women's decision to participate in personalized breast cancer screening, from the perspective of women and health care professionals., Methods: Systematic review of qualitative evidence on factors influencing participation in personalized Breast Cancer Screening. We searched in Medline, Web of science, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO for qualitative and mixed methods studies published up to March 2022. Two reviewers conducted study selection and extracted main findings. We applied the best-fit framework synthesis and adopted the Multilevel influences on the cancer care continuum model for analysis. After organizing initial codes into the seven levels of the selected model, we followed thematic analysis and developed descriptive and analytical themes. We assessed the methodological quality with the Critical Appraisal Skills Program tool., Results: We identified 18 studies published between 2017 and 2022, conducted in developed countries. Nine studies were focused on women (n = 478) and in four studies women had participated in a personalized screening program. Nine studies focused in health care professionals (n = 162) and were conducted in primary care and breast cancer screening program settings. Factors influencing women's decision to participate relate to the women themselves, the type of program (personalized breast cancer screening) and perspective of health care professionals. Factors that determined women participation included persistent beliefs and insufficient knowledge about breast cancer and personalized screening, variable psychological reactions, and negative attitudes towards breast cancer risk estimates. Other factors against participation were insufficient health care professionals knowledge on genetics related to breast cancer and personalized screening process. The factors that were favourable included the women's perceived benefits for themselves and the positive impact on health systems., Conclusion: We identified the main factors influencing women's decisions to participate in personalized breast cancer screening. Factors related to women, were the most relevant negative factors. A future implementation requires improving health literacy for women and health care professionals, as well as raising awareness of the strategy in society., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We examined the associations of middle childhood and adolescence nighttime sleep duration with adolescence internalizing and externalizing behavior problems per the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) questionnaires, in a cohort of 889 Colombian schoolchildren. We estimated adjusted differences with 95% confidence intervals (CI) in mean behavior problem t -scores in standardized units between recommended sleep duration categories and as a continuous exposure using multiple linear regression and restricted cubic spline models, respectively. Compared with sleep duration within recommendations, middle childhood sleep above recommendations was related to 4.6 (95% CI: 1.6, 7.6; p = .004) and 5.4 (95% CI: 1.2, 9.7; p = .01) adjusted units higher YSR and CBCL externalizing problem scores, respectively. In continuous exposure analyses, this association seemed restricted to children aged ≥11 years. Longer sleep, both in categories and as a continuous exposure, was also associated with increased CBCL internalizing problems. Results did not differ by sex or weekend/weekday sleep. Sleeping under recommendations in middle childhood was not significantly related to behavior problems; nevertheless, shorter sleep in adolescence, in both categorical and continuous scales, was significantly related to behavior problems. In conclusion, behavior problems in adolescence are associated with longer sleep in middle childhood and shorter sleep in adolescence.

Objective: To establish the relationship between the marketing strategies and nutritional quality of foods and beverages promoted in television food advertisements (TV ads) seen by Colombian child audiences overall and based on child gender and socio-economic strata (SES)., Design: A quantitative content analysis of marketing appeals was combined with nutritional data of the food products advertised and matched with TV audience ratings data for each food and beverage ads for Colombian children between 4 and 11 years., Setting: All beverages and foods TV ads cable or over-the-air channels in Colombia in 2017., Participants: N/A., Results: Compared with rational appeals (e.g. freshness, health or nutrition messages), emotional appeals (referencing or depicting human senses or emotions, e.g. using cartoons to suggest fun) were more frequently used in the TV ads most viewed by Colombian children. Female children and children in lower SES tended to be more exposed to emotional appeals in TV ads than their male or higher SES counterparts. Furthermore, TV ads using more emotional appeals tended to be for products high in problematic nutrients., Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the need to implement statutory measures to reduce the deleterious effect of food marketing on children.

Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is a major vegetable crop with great potential for genetic improvement owing to its large and mostly untapped genetic diversity. It is closely related to over 500 species of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum that belong to its primary, secondary, and tertiary genepools and exhibit a wide range of characteristics useful for eggplant breeding, including traits adaptive to climate change. Germplasm banks worldwide hold more than 19 000 accessions of eggplant and related species, most of which have yet to be evaluated. Nonetheless, eggplant breeding using the cultivated S. melongena genepool has yielded significantly improved varieties. To overcome current breeding challenges and for adaptation to climate change, a qualitative leap forward in eggplant breeding is necessary. The initial findings from introgression breeding in eggplant indicate that unleashing the diversity present in its relatives can greatly contribute to eggplant breeding. The recent creation of new genetic resources such as mutant libraries, core collections, recombinant inbred lines, and sets of introgression lines will be another crucial element and will require the support of new genomics tools and biotechnological developments. The systematic utilization of eggplant genetic resources supported by international initiatives will be critical for a much-needed eggplant breeding revolution to address the challenges posed by climate change., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)