General Practitioners perspectives on infant telomere length screening after a pregnancy complication: a qualitative analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy complications can impact the mother and child's health in the short and longterm resulting in an increased risk of chronic disease later in life. Telomere length is a biomarker of future cardiometabolic diseases and may offer a novel way of identifying offspring most at risk for future chronic diseases. OBJECTIVE(S): To qualitatively explore General Practitioners' (GPs) perspectives on the feasibility and uptake for recommending a telomere screening test in children who were born after a pregnancy complication. METHODS: Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with GPs within metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed for codes and themes. RESULTS: Two themes were generated: ethical considerations and practical considerations. Ethically, the GP participants discussed barriers including consenting on behalf of a child, parental guilt, and the impact of health insurance, whereas viewing it for health promotion was a facilitator. For practical considerations, barriers included the difficulty in identifying people eligible for screening, maintaining medical communication between service providers, and time and financial constraints, whereas linking screening for telomere length with existing screening would facilitate uptake. CONCLUSIONS: GPs were generally supportive of potential telomere screening in infants, particularly via a saliva test that could be embedded in current antenatal care. However, several challenges, such as lack of knowledge, ethical considerations, and time and financial constraints, need to be overcome before such a test could be implemented into practice.

Around one fifth of women experience a pregnancy complication that places their infants at higher risk for a range of chronic diseases in later life. Although not all infants will have adverse health outcomes, it is important to identify offspring early in life who may be at higher risk. Telomere length is a biomarker of future chronic disease that can be obtained from blood or saliva. Whether telomere length might be useful as a screening tool in newborns born from a pregnancy complication has not been investigated. This study qualitatively explores the perspectives of 12 general practitioners in Adelaide, Australia, on the feasibility and uptake of telomere screening in children born after a pregnancy complication. Overall, general practitioners were generally supportive of potential telomere screening in infants, particularly via a saliva test that could be embedded in current antenatal care. However, several challenges, such as lack of knowledge, ethical considerations, and time and financial constraints, need to be overcome before such a test could be implemented into practice. Study findings contribute to the limited knowledge assessing follow-up of screening after pregnancy within Australia and internationally and provide novel findings on a potential new screening tool that could be considered early in life.

Evaluation of Spinning Cone Column Distillation as a Strategy for Remediation of Smoke Taint in Juice and Wine.

Where vineyard exposure to bushfire smoke cannot be avoided or prevented, grape and wine producers need strategies to transform smoke-affected juice and wine into saleable product. This study evaluated the potential for spinning cone column (SCC) distillation to be used for the remediation of 'smoke taint'. Compositional analysis of 'stripped wine' and condensate collected during SCC treatment of two smoke-tainted red wines indicated limited, if any, removal of volatile phenols, while their non-volatile glycoconjugates were concentrated due to water and ethanol removal. Together with the removal of desirable volatile aroma compounds, this enhanced the perception of smoke-related sensory attributes; i.e., smoke taint intensified. Stripped wines also became increasingly sour and salty as ethanol (and water) were progressively removed. A preliminary juice remediation trial yielded more promising results. While clarification, heating, evaporation, deionization and fermentation processes applied to smoke-tainted white juice gave ≤3 µg/L changes in volatile phenol concentrations, SCC distillation of smoke-tainted red juice increased the volatile phenol content of condensate (in some cases by 3- to 4-fold). Deionization of the resulting condensate removed 75 µg/L of volatile phenols, but fermentation of reconstituted juice increased volatile phenol concentrations again, presumably due to yeast metabolism of glycoconjugate precursors. Research findings suggest SCC distillation alone cannot remediate smoke taint, but used in combination with adsorbents, SCC may offer a novel remediation strategy, especially for tainted juice.

Correlating Sensory Assessment of Smoke-Tainted Wines with Inter-Laboratory Study Consensus Values for Volatile Phenols.

Vineyard exposure to wildfire smoke can taint grapes and wine. To understand the impact of this taint, it is imperative that the analytical methods used are accurate and precise. This study compared the variance across nine commercial and research laboratories following quantitative analysis of the same set of smoke-tainted wines. In parallel, correlations between the interlaboratory consensus values for smoke-taint markers and sensory analyses of the same smoke-tainted wines were evaluated. For free guaiacol, the mean accuracy was 94 ± 11% in model wine, while the free cresols and 4-methylguaiacol showed a negative bias and/or decreased precision relative to guaiacol. Similar trends were observed in smoke-tainted wines, with the cresols and glycosidically bound markers demonstrating high variance. Collectively, the interlaboratory results show that data from a single laboratory can be used quantitatively to understand smoke-taint. Results from different laboratories, however, should not be directly compared due to the high variance between study participants. Correlations between consensus compositional data and sensory evaluations suggest the risk of perceivable smoke-taint can be predicted from free cresol concentrations, overcoming limitations associated with the occurrence of some volatile phenols, guaiacol in particular, as natural constituents of some grape cultivars and of the oak used for barrel maturation.

Glycosylation of Volatile Phenols in Grapes following Pre-Harvest (On-Vine) vs. Post-Harvest (Off-Vine) Exposure to Smoke.

Taint in grapes and wine following vineyard exposure to bushfire smoke continues to challenge the financial viability of grape and wine producers worldwide. In response, researchers are studying the chemical, sensory and physiological consequences of grapevine smoke exposure. However, studies involving winemaking trials are often limited by the availability of suitable quantities of smoke-affected grapes, either from vineyards exposed to smoke or from field trials involving the application of smoke to grapevines. This study compared the accumulation of volatile phenol glycosides (as compositional markers of smoke taint) in Viognier and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes exposed to smoke pre- vs. post-harvest, and found post-harvest smoke exposure of fruit gave similar levels of volatile phenol glycosides to fruit exposed to smoke pre-harvest. Furthermore, wines made from smoke-affected fruit contained similar levels of smoke-derived volatile phenols and their glycosides, irrespective of whether smoke exposure occurred pre- vs. post-harvest. Post-harvest smoke exposure therefore provides a valid approach to generating smoke-affected grapes in the quantities needed for winemaking trials and/or trials that employ both chemical and sensory analysis of wine.

Uptake and Glycosylation of Smoke-Derived Volatile Phenols by Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes and Their Subsequent Fate during Winemaking.

Wine made from grapes exposed to bushfire smoke can exhibit unpleasant smoky, ashy characters, which have been attributed to the presence of smoke-derived volatile phenols, in free or glycosylated forms. Here we report the uptake and glycosylation of volatile phenols by grapes following exposure of Cabernet Sauvignon vines to smoke, and their fate during winemaking. A significant delay was observed in the conversion of volatile phenols to their corresponding glycoconjugates, which suggests sequestration, the presence of intermediates within the glycosylation pathway and/or other volatile phenol storage forms. This finding has implications for industry in terms of detecting smoke-affected grapes following vineyard smoke exposure. The potential for an in-canopy sprinkler system to mitigate the uptake of smoke-derived volatile phenols by grapes, by spraying grapevines with water during smoke exposure, was also evaluated. While "misting" appeared to partially mitigate the uptake of volatile phenols by grapes during grapevine exposure to smoke, it did not readily influence the concentration of volatile phenols or the sensory perception of smoke taint in wine. Commercial sensors were used to monitor the concentration of smoke particulate matter (PM) during grapevine exposure to low and high density smoke. Similar PM profiles were observed, irrespective of smoke density, such that PM concentrations did not reflect the extent of smoke exposure by grapes or risk of taint in wine. The sensors could nevertheless be used to monitor the presence of smoke in vineyards during bushfires, and hence, the need for compositional analysis of grapes to quantify smoke taint marker compounds.

Assessing the influence of preconception diet on male fertility: a systematic scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The last decade has seen increased research on the relationship between diet and male fertility, but there are no clearly defined nutritional recommendations for men in the preconception period to support clinical fertility outcomes. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE: The purpose of this scoping review is to examine the extent and range of research undertaken to evaluate the effect(s) of diet in the preconception period on male clinical fertility and reproductive outcomes. SEARCH METHODS: Four electronic databases (MEDLINE and EMBASE via Ovid, CAB Direct, and CINAHL via EBSCO) were searched from inception to July 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies (prospective/retrospective, case-control, and cross-sectional). Intervention studies in male participants or couples aiming to achieve dietary or nutritional change, or non-intervention studies examining dietary or nutritional components (whole diets, dietary patterns, food groups or individual foods) in the preconception period were included. Controls were defined as any comparison group for RCTs, and any/no comparison for observational studies. Primary outcomes of interest included the effect(s) of male preconception diet on clinical outcomes such as conception (natural or via ART), pregnancy rates and live birth rates. Secondary outcomes included time to conception and sperm parameters. OUTCOMES: A total of 37 studies were eligible, including one RCT and 36 observational studies (prospective, cross-sectional, and case-control studies; four studies in non-ART populations) published between 2008 and 2023. Eight reported clinical outcomes, 26 reported on secondary outcomes, and three reported on both. The RCT did not assess clinical outcomes but found that tomato juice may benefit sperm motility. In observational studies, some evidence suggested that increasing fish or reducing sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meat or total fat may improve fecundability. Evidence for other clinical outcomes, such as pregnancy rates or live birth rates, showed no relationship with cereals, soy and dairy, and inconsistent relationships with consuming red meat or a 'healthy diet' pattern. For improved sperm parameters, limited evidence supported increasing fish, fats/fatty acids, carbohydrates and dairy, and reducing processed meat, while the evidence for fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes, eggs, red meat and protein was inconsistent. Healthy diet patterns in general were shown to improve sperm health. WIDER IMPLICATIONS: Specific dietary recommendations for improving male fertility are precluded by the lack of reporting on clinical pregnancy outcomes, heterogeneity of the available literature and the paucity of RCTs to determine causation or to rule out reverse causation. There may be some benefit from increasing fish, adopting a healthy dietary pattern, and reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meat, but it is unclear whether these benefits extend beyond sperm parameters to improve clinical fertility. More studies exploring whole diets rather than singular foods or nutritional components in the context of male fertility are encouraged, particularly by means of RCTs where feasible. Further assessment of core fertility outcomes is warranted and requires careful planning in high-quality prospective studies and RCTs. These studies can lay the groundwork for targeted dietary guidelines and enhance the prospects of successful fertility outcomes for men in the preconception period. Systematic search of preconception diet suggests that increasing fish and reducing sugary drinks, processed meats and total fat may improve male fertility, while consuming healthy diets, fish, fats/fatty acids, carbohydrates and dairy and reducing processed meat can improve sperm health.

Precursors to damascenone: synthesis and hydrolysis of isomeric 3,9-dihydroxymegastigma-4,6,7-trienes.

A series of four isomeric 3,9-dihydroxymegastigma-4,6,7-trienes, 8, has been prepared. The (3S,6R,9S) isomer of 8 proved to be identical to an isomer of this compound tentatively identified as an intermediate in the formation of damascenone from an allene triol. Each of the four isomers, when hydrolyzed independently of each other at pH 3.0 and 25 degrees C, produced product mixtures in which the major product was damascenone (1). Contrary to expectation, 3-hydroxydamascone (5) was not observed in any of the hydrolyses. Consequently, the mechanism of formation of damascenone proposed earlier requires modification. In each hydrolysis, the product mixtures showed the presence of a second isomer of 8, produced by epimerization during hydrolysis. Chiral analysis on a Cyclosil B column revealed that this epimerization was occurring at C(3) in each of the hydrolyses.

(E)-1-(2,3,6-trimethylphenyl)buta-1,3-diene: a potent grape-derived odorant in wine.

(E)-1-(2,3,6-Trimethylphenyl)buta-1,3-diene (TPB) was identified as a potent odorant in acid hydrolysates of crude glycoconjugate fractions isolated from grapes and grape vine leaves. TPB was also identified in a Semillon wine, using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, by co-injection with an authentic sample. TPB had an aroma detection threshold of 40 ng/L in a neutral white wine and the concentration of TPB in four out of five white wines analyzed ranged from 50 to 210 ng/L.

Rationalizing the formation of damascenone: synthesis and hydrolysis of damascenone precursors and their analogues, in both aglycone and glycoconjugate forms.

Storage of megastigma-4,6,7-trien-3,9-diol (5), and megastigma-3,4-dien-7-yn-9-ol (6) in aqueous ethanol solution at pH 3.0 and 3.2 gave exclusively damascenone (1) and damascenone adducts at room temperature. The diol (5) had half-lives for the conversion of 32 and 48 h at pH 3.0 and pH 3.2, respectively. The acetylenic alcohol (6) had half-lives of 40 and 65 h at the same pH levels. In order to study the reactivity of the C-9 hydroxyl function in 5 and in the previously investigated allenic triol 2, two model compounds, megastigma-4,6,7-trien-9-ol (7) and megastigma-6,7-dien-9-ol (8) were synthesized. No 1,3-transposition of oxygen to form analogues of damascenone was observed when 7 and 8 were subjected to mild acidic conditions. Such transposition takes place only with highly conjugated acetylenic precursors such as 6 or tertiary allenic alcohols such as 2. The placement of glucose at C-3 of 5 and at C-9 of 6 gave the glycosides 9 and 10, respectively. The effect of such glucoconjugation was to increase the observed half-lives by a factor of only 1.6-1.7 for the allenic glucoside 9, and by 2.1-2.2 for the acetylenic glucoside 10. These studies indicate that the effect of glycosylation on damascenone formation is probably not important on the time scale of wine making and maturation.