Validation of a food frequency questionnaire to assess food group intake by pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies conducted among pregnant women to test the accuracy of food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) for estimating food group intake were restricted to one specific trimester of pregnancy. The present study aimed to validate a FFQ for assessing the intake of food groups throughout pregnancy. METHODS: In total, 75 adult pregnant Brazilian women were evaluated. Dietary intake was assessed by the FFQ (completed at the third trimester of pregnancy) and by three 24-h dietary recalls; one in each trimester of pregnancy. RESULTS: The food items were classified into 20 groups. Adequate deatenuatted Pearson correlation coefficients (>0.4) were observed for the intake of bread/cake, butter/margarine; milk/dairy products; soft drinks/artificial juices; coffee/tea; and pastries/sandwiches. The FFQ served poorly for estimating fruit and vegetable intake. A high percentage (>70%) of women were classified into the same or adjacent quartiles for estimates of cookies/crackers, butter/margarine, milk/dairy products, fruit juices, soft drinks/artificial juices, coffee/tea, roots, rice, beans, meat/chicken/sausages, fried foods, fish, eggs, sweets/sugars, and pastries/sandwiches. Nevertheless, the agreement of joint classification between the dietary methods was mostly into adjacent quartiles, rather than in the same quartile, and low values of kappa were found. CONCLUSIONS: The data reported in the present study suggest that the FFQ might not be an appropriate dietary method for evaluating food group intake throughout pregnancy. The joint classification between methods by categories of intake of food groups was mostly into adjacent quartiles, which could lead to attenuated associations when investigating diet-disease relationships during pregnancy.

Validation of a FFQ for estimating ω-3, ω-6 and trans fatty acid intake during pregnancy using mature breast milk and food recalls.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To assess the performance of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for estimating ω-3, ω-6 and trans fatty acid intake during pregnancy. Moreover, we determined whether the fatty acid composition of mature breast milk represents a valuable biomarker for fatty acid intake during pregnancy. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A prospective study in 41 pregnant women, aged 18-35 years, was conducted. Food intake during pregnancy was evaluated by three 24-h recalls (24 hR), and 2 FFQ. The fatty acid composition of mature breast milk was determined by gas chromatography. The method of triads and joint classification between quartiles of intake were applied. RESULTS: The FFQ was accurate for estimating docosahexanoic (DHA), linoleic and total ω-6 fatty acids according to validity coefficients. Higher agreements (>70%) into the same or adjacent quartiles between the dietary methods were found for α-linolenic, total ω-3, linoleic and trans fatty acid intake. High validity coefficients for eicosapentanoic (EPA) and DHA acids of human milk were found (0.61 and 0.73, respectively), and the method was adequate for categorizing the intake of α-linolenic, total ω-3 and trans fatty acids compared with FFQ estimates, and for arachidonic acid and trans fatty acids compared with food recall estimates, during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The FFQ was an accurate tool for categorizing α-linolenic, total ω-3 and trans fatty acid intake. According to the validity coefficients observed, the FFQ accurately estimated DHA, linoleic and total ω-6 fatty acids and the composition of mature breast milk was shown to be a suitable biomarker for EPA and DHA fatty acid intake during pregnancy.

[The incidence of malignant mesothelioma (1977-1996) and asbestos exposure in the population of an area neighboring Lake Iseo, northern Italy]. / Incidenza del mesotelioma maligno (1977-1996) ed esposizione ad amianto nella popolazione di un'area limitrofa al Lago d'Iseo, Nord Italia.

The study was stimulated by the occurrence of malignant mesotheliomas among the workers of two adjacent factories located in Sarnico, near Lake Iseo (province of Brescia, northern Italy), one of which manufactured crocidolite and chrysotile ropes and gaskets until 1993. The aim of the study was: identification of malignant mesotheliomas occurring between 1977 and 1996 among the residents of 11 villages, which constituted the recruitment area of the work-force; estimation of the incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma; collection of working histories of all cases to evaluate previous exposure to asbestos and radiation therapy. 21 cases of mesothelioma were detected (20 pleural, 1 peritoneal; 9 among males), and 20 were supported by histopathologic diagnosis. The incidence (x 100,000 person-years, standard: European population) was 2.5 (0.7-4.2) and 2.8 (1.2-4.3) among males and females, respectively, corresponding to a three-fold increase among males and a more than ten fold increase among women in comparison with the incidence reported by the Lombardy Cancer Registry. No cases had been exposed to radiation therapy, whereas all cases had been occupationally exposed to asbestos. Occupational exposure to asbestos had occurred in work on the production of crocidolite and chrysotile ropes and gaskets (6 males); in work in a textile factory producing cotton garments that was adjacent to and polluted by the former, where, in addition, chrysotile blankets were used for fireproofing in the weaving area and pipes were insulated using amosite-containing materials (10 cases, 6 among females); 5 cases occurred among women working in silk factories, where asbestos exposure was possible because of the presence of pipes insulated with asbestos and because women were handling temperature-controlled trays insulted with asbestos. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that the occurrence of mesothelioma was higher among females than males in the study area and that all cases of mesotheliomas had been occupationally exposed to asbestos.

Effect on wheat root development of inoculation with an Azospirillum brasilense mutant with altered indole-3-acetic acid production.

To evaluate the involvement of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in promotion of root development, the effects of inoculation of wheat seedlings with Azospirillum brasilense SpM7918, a very low-IAA producer, were estimated. Compared with the wild-type strain Sp6, SpM7918 showed a reduced ability to promote root system development in terms both of number and length of lateral roots and of distribution of root hairs.

Fraturas cominutivas da extremidade distal do radio: avaliacao tardia de tracao-fixacao bipolar pelo metodo de Green. / Comminutive fractures of the distal end of the radius.Late evaluation of bipolar pins and plaster fixation by Green's method

O metodo de Green, tracao-fixacao bipolar no gesso para o tratamento de fraturas cominutivas intra-articulares da extremidade distal do radio, foi empregado em 30 pacientes, dos quais os autores revisaram 17, totalizando 18 punhos com ate 7 anos de seguimento (media = 42 meses).Os resultados analisados, segundo criterios clinicos e radiologicos preestabelecidos (sintomas, deformidades, limitacao de movimentos, medidas do encurtamento relativo do radio e dos angulos radial e volar), foram muito bons, com baixo indice de complicacoes (infeccao ao redor dos fios em 4 pacientes). Reconstituicao da anatomia da extremidade distal do radio, em particular da superficie articular carpal, foi uma constante que possibilitou recuperacao da mobilidade da ordem de mais de 80% de todos os movimentos decompostos do punho na maior parte dos pacientes. A simplicidade de aplicacao, o baixo custo e a eficiencia do metodo sao enfatizados