Evaluating dried salted cod amino acid signature for nutritional quality assessment and discriminant analysis.

Aim: Thus, the aim of this study was to answer three scientific questions: (1) Are the protein content and amino acid profile of dried salted cod influenced by species (Gadus morhua and Gadus macrocephalus)? (2) Are the protein content and amino acid profile of dried salted cod influenced by the geographical area of capture (Iceland and Norway)? and (3) Does the amino acid profile have the potential to be used as a discriminator of species and geographical areas of capture? Methods: A total of 45 dried salted cods (2-3 kg of dry weight; n = 15 samples/origin) were used in this study. The Atlantic cod was fished in the Atlantic northeast (FAO 27 area) within the Exclusive Economic zones (EEZ) of Norway (n = 15) and Iceland (n = 15), while the Pacific cod was caught in the Pacific northeast (FAO 67 area) within the Alaska EEZ (n = 15). Total protein content was determined by the Kjeldahl method, in accordance with the AOAC procedures. The amino acid profile was analyzed by HPLC with fluorescence detection (at excitation and emission wavelengths of 338 and 425 nm, respectively). Results: The Atlantic cod presented higher contents of total protein (33.90 versus 33.10 g/100 g of cod edible portion; p = 0.017) and total amino acid contents (32.52 versus 32.04 g/100 g of cod edible portion; p = 0.015) but displayed lower percentage of indispensable amino acids (32.16 versus 32.83 g/100 g of protein; p < 0.001) than Pacific cod. Among the Atlantic cod harvesting locations, the Norwegian cod displayed higher total amino acid contents (96.91 versus 96.81 g/100 g of protein; p = 0.012) and higher percentage of indispensable amino acids (35.38 versus 28.94 g/100 g of protein; p = 0.042) than the Icelandic counterpart. A correct classification of 100% was obtained for the Pacific and Icelandic cod varieties, but the classification accuracy in the Norwegian cod was of just 86.67%, since 2 samples out of 15 were incorrectly classified as Icelandic. Conclusion: The comparison of cod species showed that the Atlantic cod had a significantly lower EAAI than the Pacific cod (p < 0.001; 88.23 versus 88.61). On the other hand, the comparison of the two origins in the Atlantic cod, showed that Norwegian cod displayed a significantly higher EAAI than the Icelandic cod (99.15 versus 77.32). The assessment of the EAAI allows the classification of the protein's nutritional quality, allowing us to classify both cod species as a good protein source to human diet. However, within the Atlantic cod, the Norwegian cod's protein is classified as high quality, while the Icelandic cod attain the classification of useful quality. Regarding the amino acid profile discriminatory potential to classify cod samples. The results show that the AA profile has 100% accuracy in the separation of cod species, but was not globally efficient in the differentiation of the Norwegian from the Icelandic cod.

Persistent inequalities in 90-day colon cancer mortality: an English cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Variation in colon cancer mortality occurring shortly after diagnosis is widely reported between socio-economic status (SES) groups: we investigated the role of different prognostic factors in explaining variation in 90-day mortality. METHODS: National cancer registry data were linked with national clinical audit data and Hospital Episode Statistics records for 69 769 adults diagnosed with colon cancer in England between January 2010 and March 2013. By gender, logistic regression was used to estimate the effects of SES, age and stage at diagnosis, comorbidity and surgical treatment on probability of death within 90 days from diagnosis. Multiple imputations accounted for missing stage. We predicted conditional probabilities by prognostic factor patterns and estimated the effect of SES (deprivation) from the difference between deprivation-specific average predicted probabilities. RESULTS: Ninety-day probability of death rose with increasing deprivation, even after accounting for the main prognostic factors. When setting the deprivation level to the least deprived group for all patients and keeping all other prognostic factors as observed, the differences between deprivation-specific averaged predicted probabilities of death were greatly reduced but persisted. Additional analysis suggested stage and treatment as potential contributors towards some of these inequalities. CONCLUSIONS: Further examination of delayed diagnosis, access to treatment and post-operative care by deprivation group may provide additional insights into understanding deprivation disparities in mortality.

Pedigree and herd characterization of a donkey breed vulnerable to extinction.

Most donkey and local horse breeds are vulnerable to extinction as mechanization of agriculture progress throughout the world. The present study analyzed the pedigree and herd records of the donkey Asinina de Miranda breed (RAM), identifying genealogical and human factors that may affect the breed genetic diversity in the future and suggesting suitable strategies to breed preservation, early on the conservation program. The breeding rate was very low, with a ratio of foaling/live animals of 0.23 (178/760). The estimated number of founders and ancestors contributing to the reference population was 128 and 121. The number of founder herds in the reference population was 64, with an effective number of founder herds for the reference population of 7.6. The mean age of herd owners was 65.50 ± 0.884 years, with a negative association among the herd size and owner's age (P<0.001). In contrast, the size of the herd and the ownership of a male were both positively associated (P<0.001) with the herd number of in-born foals. Both the owners' age and the herd location (RAM home region v. dispersal region) were negatively associated with the foaling number (P<0.001). The main identified risk factors were: low breeding rates; low number of males and their unequal contribution to the genetic pool; unequal contribution of the herds to genetic pool; and advanced age of herd owners.

Socioeconomic inequalities in cancer survival in England after the NHS cancer plan.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic inequalities in survival were observed for many cancers in England during 1981-1999. The NHS Cancer Plan (2000) aimed to improve survival and reduce these inequalities. This study examines trends in the deprivation gap in cancer survival after implementation of the Plan. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We examined relative survival among adults diagnosed with 1 of 21 common cancers in England during 1996-2006, followed up to 31 December 2007. Three periods were defined: 1996-2000 (before the Cancer Plan), 2001-2003 (initialisation) and 2004-2006 (implementation). We estimated the difference in survival between the most deprived and most affluent groups (deprivation gap) at 1 and 3 years after diagnosis, and the change in the deprivation gap both within and between these periods. RESULTS: Survival improved for most cancers, but inequalities in survival were still wide for many cancers in 2006. Only the deprivation gap in 1-year survival narrowed slightly over time. A majority of the socioeconomic disparities in survival occurred soon after a cancer diagnosis, regardless of the cancer prognosis. CONCLUSION: The recently observed reduction in the deprivation gap was minor and limited to 1-year survival, suggesting that, so far, the Cancer Plan has little effect on those inequalities. Our findings highlight that earlier diagnosis and rapid access to optimal treatment should be ensured for all socioeconomic groups.

The effect of rheumatoid arthritis on the quality of life of primary caregivers.

OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and disabling disease frequently leading to physical and psychological dependence, with considerable economic consequences. Responsibility for care of the patient is taken on by a member of the family called the primary caregiver. Studies of caregivers of patients with RA are scarce. A better understanding of the caregiver's situation could provide interventions that reduce the burden and postpone institutionalization of people with arthritis disability. Our objective was to assess the effect of RA on the quality of life of primary caregivers. METHODS: Sixty-two patients from the rheumatic disease outpatient clinic and their respective caregivers were interviewed. Demographic and clinical data were recorded. Health and psychological status were measured using the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form 36 (SF-36), Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), and a numerical pain rating scale. Burden of disease on the caregiver was assessed by the Caregiver Burden scale (CB scale). RESULTS: The majority of caregivers were women (82.3%), married (59.7%), mean (SD) age of 39.7 (15.7) years, with children/son (32.7%) or spouse (24.2%), with low education level and low income. Thirty-seven percent displayed psychoemotional disturbance measured by SRQ-20. Emotional aspect and mental health (by SF-36) were the most affected. The mean (SD) score of total burden experienced was 1.82 (0.59). The quality of relationship between caregivers and patients and SF-36 mental health of caregivers were important predictors of burden. CONCLUSION: Caregivers of patients with RA show high prevalence of psychological disturbance. The quality of the relationship between caregivers and patients and the mental health of the caregiver are important predictors of the burden of disease.

Pediatric Escola Paulista de Medicina Range of Motion Scale: a reduced joint count scale for general use in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Different instruments are available to measure functional status in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA); however, none is based on the evaluation of joint range of motion (ROM). We designed and evaluated a ROM scale to be used as a complementary instrument in daily practice with JRA as well as in trials. METHODS: The 10 joint movements of the Pediatric Escola Paulista de Medicina Range of Motion scale (Pediatric EPM-ROM) were derived from 25 initial movements. The selection was based on 2 criteria: (1) consensus among 3 pediatric rheumatologists, one physical therapist, and one occupational therapist; and (2) choice of movements that presented the highest scores in a pilot study involving patients with JRA. The score for each joint ranges from 0 (full movement) to 3 (severe limitation) and the cutoff degrees of motion are, in general, based on the lack of ability to perform some activities of daily living. The test-retest reliability was assessed by administering the scale twice by the same observer, 4 to 10 days apart, always in the morning. The interobserver reliability was evaluated on the same day by 2 independent observers. Cross sectional construct validity was also assessed by correlating the values of some clinical variables with the scores of the Pediatric EPM-ROM scale. RESULTS: The instrument was applied to 34 patients with JRA, 11 systemic, 11 polyarticular, and 12 pauciarticular. The mean EPM-ROM score was 0.57 (SD 0.54, min 0, max 2.05). The test-retest and interobserver correlation coefficients were 0.96 and 0.98, respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficients comparing scores of the Pediatric EPM-ROM scale and other variables were satisfactory: Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire, r=0.55 (p<0.001); American College of Rheumatology global functional class, r=0.56 (p<0.001); and number of limited joints, r=0.65 (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results provide evidence that the Pediatric EPM-ROM scale is a valid instrument to measure joint ROM in JRA.

Reliability of pain scales in the assessment of literate and illiterate patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The assessment of a measure of chronic pain, should be reliable, valid and sensitive to change. Our study evaluated the reliability of 3 pain scales, visual analogue scale (VAS), numerical rating scale (NRS) and verbal rating scale (VRS) in literate and illiterate patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients with RA attending an outpatient rheumatology clinic were interviewed and asked to score their pain levels on the 3 pain scales. The scales were presented in random order, twice, before and just after a regular medical consultation. Ninety-one patients were studied (25 illiterate and 66 literate). The Pearson product moment correlation between first and second assessment was 0.937 for VAS, 0.963 for NRS and 0.901 for VRS in the literate patient group and 0.712 for VAS, 0.947 for NRS and 0.820 for VRS in the illiterate patient group. These results indicate that the NRS has the higher reliability in both groups of patients.