Assessing the environmental footprint of alternative green biorefinery protein extraction techniques from grasses and legumes.

The significant grasslands of Europe and its member states represents a significant feedstock opportunity for circular bioeconomy development. The development of green biorefineries (GBR), to supply protein for the feed industry from grass, could help many European member states to address significant deficits in protein availability and reduce imports. The current study assesses the environmental footprint of alternative GBR protein extraction techniques from grasses and legumes using life cycle assessment. The focus is on comparing feedstock and technology pathways that could displace soya bean imports. The study finds that leaf protein concentrate (LPC) produced from grass had an improved environmental performance when compared to soya bean meal (SBM), across the assessed feedstock (perennial ryegrass or grass-clover mixtures) and technology pathways (one-stage maceration versus multi-stage maceration). For example, in the case of Climate Change the emission intensity for LPC was 57-85 % lower per tonne of crude protein (CP) compared with SBM. Acidification burdens were 54-88 % lower, and Eutrophication: Freshwater burdens were 74-89 % lower. Some scenarios of GBR produced LPC with a larger Energy Resources: Non-Renewable burden than SBM, though this could be mitigated with higher renewable energy (biogas and wind energy) integration within the scenario. Grass-clover scenarios generally achieved a lower intensity of emissions compared to ryegrass scenarios, particularly in the category of Climate Change, where feedstock cultivation represented a significant contributor to impacts. Overall, GBR can produce high quality protein with a lower environmental burden than SBM, but choice of feedstock and system design are critical factors for overall environmental performance.

Recycling of European plastic is a pathway for plastic debris in the ocean.

Polyethylene (PE) is one of the most common types of plastic. Whilst an increasing share of post-consumer plastic waste from Europe is collected for recycling, 46% of separated PE waste is exported outside of the source country (including intra-EU trade). The fate of this exported European plastic is not well known. This study integrated data on PE waste flows in 2017 from UN Comtrade, an open repository providing detailed international trade data, with best available information on waste management in destination countries, to model the fate of PE exported for recycling from Europe (EU-28, Norway and Switzerland) into: recycled high-density PE (HDPE) and low-density PE (LDPE) resins, "landfill", incineration and ocean debris. Data uncertainty was reflected in three scenarios representing high, low and average recovery efficiency factors in material recovery facilities and reprocessing facilities, and different ocean debris fate factors. The fates of exported PE were then linked back to the individual European countries of export. Our study estimated that 83,187 Mg (tonnes) (range: 32,115-180,558 Mg), or 3% (1-7%) of exported European PE in 2017 ended up in the ocean, indicating an important and hitherto undocumented pathway of plastic debris entering the oceans. The countries with the greatest percentage of exported PE ending up as recycled HDPE or LDPE were Luxembourg and Switzerland (90% recycled for all scenarios), whilst the country with the lowest share of exported PE being recycled was the United Kingdom (59-80%, average 69% recycled). The results showed strong, significant positive relationships between the percentage of PE exported out of Europe and the percentage of exports which potentially end up as ocean debris. Export countries may not be the ultimate countries of origin owing to complex intra-EU trade in PE waste. Although somewhat uncertain, these mass flows provide pertinent new evidence on the efficacy and risks of current plastic waste management practices pertinent to emerging regulations around trade in plastic waste, and to the development of a more circular economy.

Population differences in associations of serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5HTTLPR) di- and triallelic genotypes with blood pressure and hypertension prevalence.

Based on prior research finding the 5HTTLPR L allele associated with increased cardiovascular reactivity to laboratory stressors and increased risk of myocardial infarction, we hypothesized that the 5HTTLPR L allele will be associated with increased blood pressure (BP) and increased hypertension prevalence in 2 large nationally representative samples in the United States and Singapore. METHODS: Logistic regression and linear models tested associations between triallelic (L'S', based on rs25531) 5HTTLPR genotypes and hypertension severity and mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) collected during the Wave IV survey of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health, N=11,815) in 2008-09 and during 2004-07 in 4196 Singaporeans. RESULTS: In US Whites, L' allele carriers had higher SBP (0.9 mm Hg, 95% CI=0.26-1.56) and greater odds (OR=1.23, 95% CI=1.10-1.38) of more severe hypertension than those with S'S' genotypes. In African Americans, L' carriers had lower mean SBP (-1.27mm Hg, 95% CI=-2.53 to -0.01) and lower odds (OR = 0.78, 95% CI=0.65-0.94) of more severe hypertension than those with the S'S' genotype. In African Americans, those with L'L' genotypes had lower DBP (-1.13mm Hg, 95% CI=-2.09 to -0.16) than S' carriers. In Native Americans, L' carriers had lower SBP (-6.05mm Hg, 95% CI=-9.59 to -2.51) and lower odds of hypertension (OR = 0.34, 95% CI=0.13-0.89) than those with the S'S' genotype. In Asian/Pacific Islanders those carrying the L' allele had lower DBP (-1.77mm Hg, 95% CI=-3.16 to -0.38) and lower odds of hypertension (OR = 0.68, 95% CI=0.48-0.96) than those with S'S'. In the Singapore sample S' carriers had higher SBP (3.02mm Hg, 95% CI=0.54-5.51) and DBP (1.90mm Hg, 95% CI=0.49-3.31) than those with the L'L' genotype. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that Whites carrying the L' allele, African Americans and Native Americans with the S'S' genotype, and Asians carrying the S' allele will be found to be at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and may benefit from preventive measures.

Emotion regulation and emotional distress: The mediating role of hope on reappraisal and anxiety/depression in newly diagnosed cancer patients.

PURPOSE: A proportion of newly diagnosed cancer patients may experience anxiety and depression. Emotion suppression has been associated with poorer psychoemotional outcomes, whereas reappraisal may be an adaptive emotion regulation strategy. Few studies have examined potential mechanisms linking reappraisal to psychoemotional outcomes in cancer patients. This study aims to replicate findings on reappraisal and suppression and further examines if hope mediates the association between reappraisal and anxiety/depression in patients newly diagnosed with cancer. METHODS: Participants were 144 adult cancer patients (65.3% female, mean age = 48.96 years, SD = 9.23). Patients completed a set of study questionnaires, including the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Adult Hope Scale, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Path analysis was used to examine if hope mediated the association between reappraisal and anxiety/depression. RESULTS: Prevalence of anxiety was 39.6% and depression was 25.0%. Reappraisal and hope were correlated with lower anxiety and depression, whereas suppression was correlated with higher anxiety and depression. The hypothesized mediation model provided fit to the data, comparative fit index = 0.95, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.94, root-mean-square-error of approximation = 0.05. There was a significant indirect effect of reappraisal on anxiety and depression via hope, b = -0.95, SE = 0.42, 95% confidence interval = -1.77 to -0.12, whereas the direct effect of reappraisal was nonsignificant. CONCLUSION: The study findings suggest that hope mediated the association between reappraisal and anxiety/depression outcomes. Moreover, the high prevalence of anxiety and depression implies a need for healthcare providers to attend to the psychoemotional needs of newly diagnosed cancer patients.

Population frequencies of the Triallelic 5HTTLPR in six Ethnicially diverse samples from North America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.

Genetic differences between populations are potentially an important contributor to health disparities around the globe. As differences in gene frequencies influence study design, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the natural variation of the genetic variant(s) of interest. Along these lines, we characterized the variation of the 5HTTLPR and rs25531 polymorphisms in six samples from North America, Southeast Asia, and Africa (Cameroon) that differ in their racial and ethnic composition. Allele and genotype frequencies were determined for 24,066 participants. Results indicated higher frequencies of the rs25531 G-allele among Black and African populations as compared with White, Hispanic and Asian populations. Further, we observed a greater number of 'extra-long' ('XL') 5HTTLPR alleles than have previously been reported. Extra-long alleles occurred almost entirely among Asian, Black and Non-White Hispanic populations as compared with White and Native American populations where they were completely absent. Lastly, when considered jointly, we observed between sample differences in the genotype frequencies within racial and ethnic populations. Taken together, these data underscore the importance of characterizing the L-G allele to avoid misclassification of participants by genotype and for further studies of the impact XL alleles may have on the transcriptional efficiency of SLC6A4.

Optimized method for ureteric reconstruction in a mouse kidney transplant model.

BACKGROUND: Murine kidney transplantation is an important model for studies of transplantation immunobiology. The most challenging aspect of the difficult surgical procedure is the ureteric anastomosis. METHODS: Two different approaches to ureteric reconstruction are compared here. Method 1, Patch: this involves anastomosis of the donor ureter together with a patch of donor bladder to recipient bladder. Method 2, Implant: this utilizes a 5-0 suture to pull the ureter through the bladder wall. The ureter's peripheral tissue is then fixed to the bladder wall at the implant site with 10-0 micro-sutures. RESULTS: In animals transplanted with the patch method, the initial success rate, defined as survival up to the third post-operative day, was 79% (n = 62), whereas the initial success rate for the implant method was 86.1% (n = 101; P = 0.28). The death rate from unknown and/or unspecified causes in the initial period was 16.1% (10/62) for the patch method, and 8.9% (9/101) for the implant method (P = 0.21). The average donor/recipient operation time with the implant method was 14.8 ± 2.2/61.4 ± 4.7 min (76 min per transplant), whereas operation time with the patch method was 28.3 ± 2.4/77.8 ± 5.5 min (106 min per transplant; P < 0.001). The ureteric implant method resulted in a lower rate of urinary leak compared with the patch method (1.1% versus 10.2%; P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The ureteric implant method for mouse kidney transplantation is a reliable approach with at least as high a success rate as the bladder patch method and with a shorter operation time.

Cardiovascular responses to stress in Singapore and India.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have shown significant ethnic differences in coronary heart disease death rates with South Asians showing significantly greater coronary heart disease mortality than other groups. PURPOSE: This research examined ethnic differences in cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) among Chinese, Malays and Indians in Singapore as well as a sample of Indians living in India. METHODS: Experiment 1 examined differences across 303 Chinese, Malay and Indian undergraduates in Singapore, while Experiment 2 looked at differences in CVR between Indian participants from Singapore, and 145 Indians living in India. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), heart rate (HR), cardiac index (CI) and total peripheral resistance index (TPRI) were measured during baselines and five laboratory tasks. RESULTS: Ethnicity main effects for SBP and CI reactivity were obtained in Experiment 1, with Indians showing significantly lower BP and CI reactivity than the Chinese and Malays. Significant main effects for sex were found with females showing lower reactivity than males for TPRI, and greater reactivity than males for HR and CI. Experiment 2 found that participants from India showed higher reactivity for SBP, HR and CI, while Indian participants from Singapore showed higher TPRI reactivity. These differences, however, often varied by task. CONCLUSIONS: These results point to differences in CVR among ethnic groups in Singapore as well as between Indians living in India and those living in Singapore. These differences may reflect cultural differences and need to be explored further with respect to their relationship to different rates of coronary heart disease among these groups.

Culture moderates the cardiovascular consequences of anger regulation strategy.

PURPOSE: This research examined cultural differences in experiential and cardiovascular outcomes of three anger regulation strategies (expression, suppression and reappraisal). METHODS: Forty-five Chinese and 45 Caucasian females participated in a laboratory experiment in which role play was used to induce anger. During this role play participants were instructed to either express or suppress their feelings or engage in cognitive reappraisal. Emotional experience was measured before and after the role play. Cardiovascular indices were measured continuously during the experiment. RESULTS: Significant interactions were obtained such that Caucasians showed stronger cardiovascular responses to suppression than expression of anger whereas the opposite was true for Chinese. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that physiological consequences of emotion regulation strategies vary by cultural background. Possible reasons as well as implications of these findings are discussed.

Ethnicity, gender, genotype, and anger as related to nocturnal dipping.

Bishop, Pek, and Ngau (2005) found a significant interaction in Singapore between anger and nocturnal dipping among Indians but not Chinese and Malays. The current study examines the role of 5-HTTLPR genotype in this relationship. Two hundred thirty-one undergraduates participated in up to 4 days of 24-h ambulatory monitoring, completed the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, and provided blood samples for genotyping of 5-HTTLPR. Results indicated individuals with two copies of the short allele (SS) showed reduced dipping when they were high in Outward Anger (OA) but increased dipping when they were low in OA. Further, for Indian men only, dipping was reduced for individuals having the SS genotype when they were low on Anger In and increased when they were high on Anger In. These data provide further evidence for the role of 5-HTTLPR in cardiovascular risk as well as ethnic differences in the 5-HTTLPR-phenotype relationship. They also provide further evidence for 5-HTTLPR as a "plasticity gene."

An S-shaped relationship between changes in appraisals and changes in emotions.

Previous research on appraisal theories of emotion has shown that emotions and appraisals are related but has not specified the nature of the relationships. This research examined the functional forms of appraisal-emotion relationships and demonstrated that for all seven appraisals studied, appraisals relate to emotions in an S-shaped (ogival) fashion: Changes in appraisals at extreme levels are associated with only small changes in emotions, but changes at moderate levels are associated with substantial changes in emotions. With a few exceptions, ogival relationships were found for the relationships between seven appraisals (Goal Achievement Expectancy, Agency, Control, Certainty, Fairness, Pleasantness, and Motive Congruence) and numerous relevant emotions across different sample-types, cultures, and methods.

Premarital sexual intercourse among adolescents in an Asian country: multilevel ecological factors.

OBJECTIVE: The goal was to assess personal and environmental factors associated with premarital sex among adolescents. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study. Between 2006 and 2008, we recruited 500 adolescents who reported having engaged in voluntary sex for most recent sex. Five hundred control subjects were matched for age, gender, and ethnicity. RESULTS: Independently significant factors for premarital sex among boys were pornography viewing (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 5.82 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.34-14.43]), lack of confidence to resist peer pressure (OR: 3.84 [95% CI: 2.27-6.50]), perception that more than one half of their friends had engaged in sex (OR: 3.37 [95% CI: 1.92-5.92]), permissiveness regarding premarital sex (OR: 3.41 [95% CI: 2.10-5.55]), involvement in gang activities (OR: 3.45 [95% CI: 1.66-7.15]), drinking (OR: 1.77 [95% CI: 1.07-2.94]), smoking (OR: 1.91 [95% CI: 1.14-3.20]), and living in low-cost housing (OR: 3.25 [95% CI: 1.64-6.43]). For girls, additional factors were previous sexual abuse (OR: 7.81 [95% CI: 2.50-24.41]) and dropping out of school (OR: 2.72 [95% CI: 1.32-5.61]), and stronger associations were found for lack of confidence to resist peer pressure (OR: 5.56 [95% CI: 2.94-10.53]) and permissiveness regarding premarital sex (OR: 6.25 [95% CI: 3.30-11.83]). Exposure to persons with HIV/AIDS or sexually transmitted infections in the media was negatively associated with sex for boys (OR: 0.27 [95% CI: 0.16-0.45]) and girls (OR: 0.24 [95% CI: 0.13-0.47]). CONCLUSION: Sex education programs for adolescents must address social, media, and pornographic influences and incorporate skills to negotiate sexual abstinence.

Appraisal underpinnings of affective chronometry: the role of appraisals in emotion habituation.

In light of the lack of studies examining the cognitive components of affective chronometry, this research examined the appraisals associated with emotion habituation, using anger as the emotion of focus. Anger and its appraisals were assessed repeatedly over a day in the participants' naturalistic contexts. The trajectory of decline in anger over time after its first appearance was found to be a function of chronic coping styles. More importantly, the trajectories of anger-related appraisals generally corresponded to that of anger and were also moderated by coping styles in ways consistent with the moderating effects of coping styles on anger. Implications of these results for affective chronometry research and for appraisal research are discussed.

Perceived threat, risk perception, and efficacy beliefs related to SARS and other (emerging) infectious diseases: results of an international survey.

PURPOSE: To study the levels of perceived threat, perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, response efficacy, and self-efficacy for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and eight other diseases in five European and three Asian countries. METHOD: A computer-assisted phone survey was conducted among 3,436 respondents. The questionnaire focused on perceived threat, vulnerability, severity, response efficacy, and self-efficacy related to SARS and eight other diseases. RESULTS: Perceived threat of SARS in case of an outbreak in the country was higher than that of other diseases. Perceived vulnerability of SARS was at an intermediate level and perceived severity was high compared to other diseases. Perceived threat for SARS varied between countries in Europe and Asia with a higher perceived severity of SARS in Europe and a higher perceived vulnerability in Asia. Response efficacy and self-efficacy for SARS were higher in Asia compared to Europe. In multiple linear regression analyses, country was strongly associated with perceived threat. CONCLUSIONS: The relatively high perceived threat for SARS indicates that it is seen as a public health risk and offers a basis for communication in case of an outbreak. The strong association between perceived threat and country and different regional patterns require further research.

Avian influenza risk perception, Europe and Asia.

During autumn 2005, we conducted 3,436 interviews in European and Asian countries. We found risk perceptions of avian influenza to be at an intermediate level and beliefs of efficacy to be slightly lower. Risk perceptions were higher in Europe than in Asia; efficacy [corrected] beliefs were lower in Europe than in Asia.

Social support schemas, trait anger, and cardiovascular responses.

This study examined the influence of activated support schemas on cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) during an anger-recall interview. Eighty Chinese female undergraduates wrote about a supportive tie or a casual acquaintance and subsequently disclosed an anger-provoking event while their heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured. Compared to participants in the 'acquaintance' condition, those in the 'support' condition showed lower HR, SBP and DBP reactivity, as well as smaller state anger increases and less negative appraisals of the recalled anger event. Reactivity increased as a function of trait anger. High trait anger individuals also had greater increases in state anger and more negative appraisals of the recalled event compared to their low trait anger counterparts. Support schema activation reduced the effects of trait anger on CVR such that high trait anger individuals in the 'support' condition had significantly lower CVR compared to high trait anger individuals in the 'acquaintance' condition. These findings suggest that social support schemas may have beneficial effects even in the absence of actual, enacted support.

Blunted cardiovascular responses to daytime activities as related to reduced nocturnal blood pressure decline.

BACKGROUND: Individuals showing less than a 10% decline in blood pressure at night ("nondippers") are known to be at increased risk for hypertension and other cardiovascular conditions. PURPOSE: This research tested the assertion by Räikkönen et al. (1) that nondippers show blunted cardiovascular responses to activities during daytime hours. METHODS: Ambulatory blood pressure and impedance monitoring was performed with 149 young adults in Singapore. At each daytime blood pressure reading, participants completed a computerized questionnaire indicating location, posture, physical activities, feelings, and social interactions. RESULTS: Significant interactions between dipper status and feeling tired, location, posture, and physical activity provided qualified support for the blunting hypothesis. However, blunting of BP responses was not attributable to blunting of either cardiac output or total peripheral resistance responses. CONCLUSION: Nondippers appear to show blunted daytime responses to certain types of daytime activities. However, these effects are limited and appear to be the result of different mechanisms than those responsible for reduced nighttime blood pressure decline.

The use of ecological momentary assessment to test appraisal theories of emotion.

Although appraisal theories have received strong empirical support, there are methodological concerns about the research, including biased recall, heuristic responding, ethical issues, and weak and unrealistic induction of emotions in laboratories. To provide a more ecologically valid test of appraisal theories, the authors used ecological momentary assessment, in which the emotions and appraisals of Singaporean police officers were measured online over the course of an ordinary workday. The research focused on happiness. Support was obtained for predictions, demonstrating the generalizability of appraisal theories to a nonlaboratory setting and circumventing the shortcomings of previously used methodologies. Also, evidence was obtained that happiness was reported primarily in association with a specific combination of 3 relevant appraisals: high pleasantness, high perceived control, and low moral violation.