The Ongoing Development of Strength-Based Approaches to People Who Hold Systemically Marginalized Identities.

ACADEMIC ABSTRACT: Personality and social psychology have historically viewed individuals' systemically marginalized identities (e.g., as people of color, as coming from a lower-income background) as barriers to their success. Such a deficit-based perspective limits psychological science by overlooking the broader experiences, value, perspectives, and strengths that individuals who face systemic marginalization often bring to their societies. The current article aims to support future research in incorporating a strength-based lens through tracing psychology's journey away from an emphasis on deficits among people who contend with systemic marginalization and toward three distinct strength-based approaches: the universal strengths, difference-as-strength, and identity-specific strengths approaches. Through distinguishing between each approach, we advance scholarship that aims to understand systemically marginalized identities with corresponding implications for addressing inequality. Strength-based approaches guide the field to recognize the imposed limitations of deficit-based ideologies and advance opportunities to engage in research that effectively understands and values systemically marginalized people. PUBLIC ABSTRACT: Inequalities, including those between people from higher- and lower-income backgrounds, are present across society. From schools to workplaces, hospitals to courtrooms, people who come from backgrounds that are marginalized by society often face more negative outcomes than people from more privileged backgrounds. While such inequalities are often blamed on a lack of hard work or other issues within marginalized people themselves, scientific research increasingly demonstrates that this is not the case. Rather, studies consistently find that people's identities as coming from groups that face marginalization in society often serve as a valuable source of unique strengths, not deficiencies, that can help them succeed. Our article reviews these studies to examine how future research in psychology may gain a broader understanding of people who contend with marginalization. In doing so, we outline opportunities for psychological research to effectively support efforts to address persistent inequalities.

On the characteristic features of ionization in QED environments.

The ionization of molecular systems is important in many chemical processes, such as electron transfer and hot electron injection. Strong coupling between molecules and quantized fields (e.g., inside optical cavities) represents a new promising way to modify molecular properties in a non-invasive way. Recently, strong light-matter coupling has shown the potential to significantly improve the rates of hot electron driven processes, for instance, in water splitting. In this paper, we demonstrate that inside an optical cavity, the residual interaction between an outgoing free electron and the vacuum field is significant. We further show that since the quantized field is also interacting with the ionized molecule, the free electron and the molecular system are correlated. We develop a theoretical framework to account for the field induced correlation and show that the interaction between the free electron and the field, free electron-field interaction, has sizable effects on the ionization potential of typical organic molecules.

Novel approaches to fertility restoration in women with premature ovarian insufficiency.

The diagnosis of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) brings with it the loss of fertility, an immediate concern for many affected women, and a future one for many others. While there is a low natural conception rate, for most the choice is between oocyte donation and alternative methods of family building such as adoption. There is, however, a lot of research into novel methods for increasing or restoring the fertility of women with POI, which are discussed in this review. Many approaches involve the use of mesenchymal stem cells, from a variety of sources including bone marrow, placenta and umbilical cord, and menstrual blood. These seem to have efficacy in animal models of POI, although through unclear mechanisms. Activation of remaining primordial follicles is also being explored, through physical or chemical manipulation of key regulatory pathways, notably the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and Hippo pathways. Much of the clinical data are uncontrolled, and mostly in women with a reduced ovarian reserve rather than POI, as are the results thus far for administration of platelet-rich plasma. Clinical studies with appropriate controls are needed to substantiate the preliminary claims of effectiveness of these approaches.

Measurement of ambient gamma dose rate in Metro Manila, Philippines, using a portable NaI(TI) scintillation survey meter.

Radiological data such as ambient dose equivalent rate obtained from radiation monitoring in Metro Manila are useful for the detection of any anomalous increase of radiation dose rate levels due to nuclear or radiological emergencies. In this study, ambient dose equivalent rates were measured in different locations in Metro Manila using a portable NaI(Tl) scintillation survey meter to determine the background radiation levels within the capital. Ambient dose equivalent rates measured range from 32.7 ± 2.2 to 59.3 ± 8.7 nanosieverts per hour (nSv/h) with computed mean and median values of 41.7 and 39.6 nSv/h, respectively. These values were lower than the Philippines' average dose rate which is 52 nanograys per hour (nGy/h). No significant trend was also observed in the monthly variation of ambient dose equivalent rate for most locations, with the dose rates being relatively consistent throughout a year. No significant trend was further observed in the monthly variation of ambient dose equivalent rate for the whole Metro Manila. Data obtained in this study were used to develop a dose rate distribution map of Metro Manila which could be used as a baseline reference of emergency responders for environmental radioactivity monitoring during nuclear or radiological emergencies that may affect Metro Manila.

Fruit, vegetable consumption and blood pressure in healthy adolescents: A longitudinal analysis from the LabMed study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and high blood pressure among adults are well studied. Nonetheless, data on the influence of a low consumption of fruit and vegetables on cardiovascular disease risk, particularly blood pressure, among healthy adolescents are scarce. Therefore, we aim to analyse the associations between fruit and/or vegetable intake and blood pressure over a two-year period in healthy adolescents. METHODS AND RESULTS: As part of a cohort, 606 adolescents from the LabMed Physical Activity study were evaluated in 2011 (baseline) and 2013 (follow-up). Blood pressure was measured according to standardized procedures and fruit and vegetable consumption was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric variables, socioeconomic status, pubertal stage and lifestyle determinants were gathered and used as confounders. Prospective associations between fruit and/or vegetable intake and blood pressure were examined using generalized linear models. Girls who consumed more fruit at baseline had a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure at follow-up [unstandardized beta: -0.005 mmHg (95%CI: -0.01; -0.0002) (p = 0.038)]. CONCLUSION: In apparently healthy adolescents, fruit intake may already start to have an effect in blood pressure. Girls who consumed more fruit exhibited lower levels of diastolic blood pressure.

Association between serum adiponectin levels and muscular fitness in Portuguese adolescents: LabMed Physical Activity Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Paradoxically, recent investigations have showed that adiponectin levels are inversely associated with muscle strength. However, to date, there is a lack of knowledge on the relationship between muscular fitness (MF) and adiponectin levels in adolescents. We aimed to examine the independent associations between MF and adiponectin levels in adolescents, controlling for several potential confounders. METHODS AND RESULTS: This is a cross-sectional analysis with 529 Portuguese adolescents aged 12-18 years. A MF score was computed as the mean of the handgrip strength and standing long jump standardized values by age and gender. We measured fasting glucose, insulin, HDL-cholesterol, C-reactive protein and adiponectin. Linear regression analysis showed a significant inverse association between adiponectin (Z-score by age and sex) and MF score, after adjustments for age, sex, pubertal stage, socioeconomic status, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, body mass index, HOMA-IR, HDL-cholesterol, C-reactive protein and cardiorespiratory fitness (unstandardized ß = -0.176; p < 0.005). Analysis of covariance showed a significant difference between the Low MF/Non-overweight group and the High MF/Non-overweight Group (p < 0.05) and between the Low MF/Non-overweight and High MF/Overweight Group (p < 0.05) (F (5, 523) = 2.262, p = 0.047). CONCLUSION: Adiponectin circulating levels are inversely and independently associated with MF. In non-overweight adolescents, those with high levels of MF presented lower levels of adiponectin compared to those with Low MF. Likewise, overweight adolescents with High MF presented lower levels of serum adiponectin than non-overweight adolescents with Low MF.

Impact of a school-based intervention to promote fruit intake: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: There is evidence that fruit consumption among school children is below the recommended levels. This study aims to examine the effects of a dietary education intervention program me, held by teachers previously trained in nutrition, on the consumption of fruit as a dessert at lunch and dinner, among children 6-12 years old. STUDY DESIGN: This is a randomized trial with the schools as the unit of randomisation. METHODS: A total of 464 children (239 female, 6-12years) from seven elementary schools participated in this cluster randomized controlled trial. Three schools were allocated to the intervention and four to the control group. For the intervention schools, we delivered professional development training to school teachers (12 sessions of 3 h each). The training provided information about nutrition, healthy eating, the importance of drinking water and healthy cooking activities. After each session, teachers were encouraged to develop classroom activities focused on the learned topics. Sociodemographic was assessed at baseline and anthropometric, dietary intake and physical activity assessments were performed at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Dietary intake was evaluated by a 24-h dietary recall and fruit consumption as a dessert was gathered at lunch and dinner. RESULTS: Intervened children reported a significant higher intake in the consumption of fruit compared to the controlled children at lunch (P = 0.001) and at dinner (P = 0.012), after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides further support for the success of intervention programmes aimed at improving the consumption of fruit as a dessert in children.

Rare exonic deletions implicate the synaptic organizer Gephyrin (GPHN) in risk for autism, schizophrenia and seizures.

The GPHN gene codes for gephyrin, a key scaffolding protein in the neuronal postsynaptic membrane, responsible for the clustering and localization of glycine and GABA receptors at inhibitory synapses. Gephyrin has well-established functional links with several synaptic proteins that have been implicated in genetic risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia and epilepsy including the neuroligins (NLGN2, NLGN4), the neurexins (NRXN1, NRXN2, NRXN3) and collybistin (ARHGEF9). Moreover, temporal lobe epilepsy has been linked to abnormally spliced GPHN mRNA lacking exons encoding the G-domain of the gephyrin protein, potentially arising due to cellular stress associated with epileptogenesis such as temperature and alkalosis. Here, we present clinical and genomic characterization of six unrelated subjects, with a range of neurodevelopmental diagnoses including ASD, schizophrenia or seizures, who possess rare de novo or inherited hemizygous microdeletions overlapping exons of GPHN at chromosome 14q23.3. The region of common overlap across the deletions encompasses exons 3-5, corresponding to the G-domain of the gephyrin protein. These findings, together with previous reports of homozygous GPHN mutations in connection with autosomal recessive molybdenum cofactor deficiency, will aid in clinical genetic interpretation of the GPHN mutation spectrum. Our data also add to the accumulating evidence implicating neuronal synaptic gene products as key molecular factors underlying the etiologies of a diverse range of neurodevelopmental conditions.

The effect of apparent amylose content and dietary fibre on the glycemic response of different varieties of cooked milled and brown rice.

Brown rice is a good source of dietary fibre (DF) and contains higher vitamins/minerals than milled rice. The study determined the effect of amylose content (AC) and DF on glucose response (GR) from different varieties of milled and brown rice. Milled and brown rice were used as test foods. They were fed to 9-10 human volunteers containing 50 g available carbohydrate after an overnight fast. GR and the glycemic index (GI) were determined. Results found that Sinandomeng with the lowest AC had a high GI = 75, while PSBRc10 with the highest AC had a low GI = 50. Sinandomeng with a low DF had GI = 75, while its brown rice had GI = 55. Brown rice (IR64) with 23% AC and DF of 2.5 g/100 g had low GI = 51. In conclusion, the GR and GI of the different varieties of cooked milled and brown rice varied depending on its AC and DF contents.

Concern about experiencing downward socioeconomic mobility generates precarious types of motivation among students of color.

Students' beliefs about whether they will experience changes in their socioeconomic status influence their academic motivation. We propose that students who are concerned about downward socioeconomic mobility will focus their attention on negative academic outcomes and exhibit motivational goals oriented towards preventing negative possibilities and that this relationship will be particularly pronounced among students of color. Two studies investigated the relationship between college students' concerns about downward socioeconomic mobility and their adoption of academic achievement goals. The more that students of color expressed concerns about experiencing downward socioeconomic mobility, the more they adopted academic mastery-avoidance goals (ß = 0.76), whereas there was no significant relationship between concerns about downward socioeconomic mobility and mastery-avoidance goals among White students (ß = - 0.24; Study 1). Experimentally induced concerns about downward socioeconomic mobility increased academic mastery-avoidance goals among students of color (ß = - 0.58) but decreased mastery-avoidance goals among White students (ß = 0.46; Study 2). Together, results indicate that there is a strong relationship between concerns about downward socioeconomic mobility and mastery-avoidance goals among students of color, highlighting the importance of understating how students of color make sense of their future socioeconomic prospects in order to most effectively support their academic trajectories positively. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11218-023-09763-5.

Race, academic achievement and the issue of inequitable motivational payoff.

As racial inequities continue to pervade school systems around the world, further research is necessary to understand the factors undergirding this pressing issue. Here across three studies conducted in the United States (N = 8,293), we provide evidence that race-based differences in student achievement do not stem from a lack of motivation among Black, Latinx and Indigenous (BLI) students, but a lack of equitable motivational payoff. Even when BLI and non-BLI students have the same levels of motivation, BLI students still receive maths grades that are an average of 9% lower than those of their non-BLI peers (95% confidence interval 7 to 11%). This pattern was not explained by differences in students' aptitude, effort or prior achievement but was instead linked to teachers' diminished expectations for their BLI students' academic futures. We conclude by discussing statistical power limitations and the implications of the current findings for how researchers consider the sources of, and solutions for, educational inequity.

Applying Research-Based Teaching Strategies in a Biomedical Engineering Programming Course: Introduction to Computer Aided Diagnosis.

There are increasing calls for the use of research-based teaching strategies to improve engagement and learning in engineering. In this innovation paper, we detail the application of research-based teaching strategies in a computer programming focused biomedical engineering module. This four-week, one-credit undergraduate biomedical engineering (BME) programming-based image processing module consisted of a blend of lectures, active learning exercises, guided labs, and a final project. Students completed surveys and generated concept maps at three time points in the module (pre, mid, and post) to document the impact of integrating research-based teaching strategies. Students demonstrated a significant (p < 0.05) increase in conceptual knowledge, confidence with material, and belief in the usefulness of material from the beginning to end of the module. Students also had high (>  4 out of 5) perceptions of gains in knowledge and attitudes toward instructor support. Overall, the novel design utilized multiple research-based pedagogies and increased students' conceptual knowledge, self-efficacy, and perceived usefulness of material. The proposed design is an example of how multiple research-based instructional strategies can be integrated into an undergraduate biomedical engineering course. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43683-021-00057-w.

Molecular orbital theory in cavity QED environments.

Coupling between molecules and vacuum photon fields inside an optical cavity has proven to be an effective way to engineer molecular properties, in particular reactivity. To ease the rationalization of cavity induced effects we introduce an ab initio method leading to the first fully consistent molecular orbital theory for quantum electrodynamics environments. Our framework is non-perturbative and explains modifications of the electronic structure due to the interaction with the photon field. In this work, we show that the newly developed orbital theory can be used to predict cavity induced modifications of molecular reactivity and pinpoint classes of systems with significant cavity effects. We also investigate electronic cavity-induced modifications of reaction mechanisms in vibrational strong coupling regimes.

Usability testing of the Philippine Electronic National Newborn Hearing Screening Registry (ENNHSR).

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: The study determined the usability of the online and offline versions of the Philippine Electronic National Newborn Hearing Screening Registry (ENNHSR) as well as user perspectives and satisfaction on the training modules and the online and offline systems. The steps in creating the systems, training modules, and evaluation of the user training manual and video training modules, accuracy and time and motion studies on data entry as well as determination of user perspectives and satisfaction were the specific objectives. METHODOLOGY: With the combined efforts of the staff of Newborn Hearing Screening Reference Center (NHSRC), Philippine National Ear Institute (PNEI) and the National Telehealth Center (NTHC) of the National Institutes of Health UP Manila, the development of the online and offline versions of the ENNHSR took six (6) months from January 2021 to June 2021 to complete. Creation of the user manual and training modules took three (3) months from July 2021 to September 2021. The pilot of the systems was carried out in 2 Zoom Conferencing sessions with the participation of 28 existing certified newborn hearing center users with different roles, backgrounds, demographics from all over the Philippines. Written evaluation as well as focused group discussions on the training modules and the database were conducted during the sessions. Effectivity of the training modules was determined using a 10-point learning check. The time and accuracies in encoding each data field per user were also determined. RESULTS: All 28 participants were able to attend and actively participate in the required Zoom Conferencing sessions as well as submit the 2 evaluation surveys for the training modules and the ENNHSR. During the learning check 93% or 26 out of 28 passed. The surgical intervention module took the longest time to encode while the fastest module to complete was for speech therapy. The average mean time to complete all modules was 3382 s or around 57 min while the time range was between 32 and 104 min. A screener would need 18 min while an implant programmer who is a clinical audiologist would need 52 min to enter data. The accuracy in encoding patient data was 92% while hearing screening results was 88.64%. The system usability scale (SUS) score of ENNHSR was computed at 75.5 which was the average of individual SUS scores, falling within grade B or 74.1 to 77.1 as its corresponding numerical score range in percentile. Most of the participants noted that it was easy to find patient data, results and that it was streamlined with easy to track information. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Data gathering and analysis both play important roles in health management, policy implementation and quality assurance. We were able to uncover areas where the system performed well - effectively, efficiently, and with satisfaction. We realize that all the possible problems cannot be detected with a small number of participants and variety in information. This testing will serve as both a means to record or benchmark current usability, but also to identify areas where improvements must be made.

Disseminated nocardiosis masking an atypical zygomycosis presentation in a kidney transplant recipient.

Immunosuppressive agents increase the vulnerability of solid organ transplant patients to opportunistic infections. An atypical clinical presentation of a bacterial and fungal co-infection makes diagnosis and treatment even more challenging in this population. A 54-year-old hypertensive woman underwent a cadaveric kidney transplant after years on hemodialysis. Her treatment included mycophenolate, tacrolimus, and prednisone. By post-transplant week 8, she had pneumonia followed by progressive visual changes and seizures. Diagnostic work-up, consisting of magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and chest x-ray, showed several cerebral ring-enhancing lesions, and a pulmonary cavitary lesion. Disseminated nocardiosis was suspected and therapy was started. Skin biopsy was taken from a nodular lesion and culture confirmed Nocardia species infection. During hospitalization, neurological deficit persisted with worsening of brain lesions. She underwent excision of a brain abscess and the final pathologic report showed mucormycosis, revealing the patient's co-infection by 2 different pathogens. After therapy with liposomal amphotericin B and posaconazole, she has remained stable for more than 1 year. Disseminated nocardiosis masked and delayed the diagnosis and treatment of a more aggressive and worrisome organism. Mucormycosis, as a non-fatal isolated brain abscess without rhinal involvement, is an atypical presentation, and only a few cases have been reported.

"[I]t's hard because it's the cops that are killing us for stupid stuff": Racial identity in the sociopolitical context of Black Lives Matter.

Black Lives Matter (BLM) has profoundly shifted public and political discourse about race in the United States and thus the broader sociopolitical landscape in which children learn about race and their own racial identities. A sample of Black, White, and Multiracial children (N = 100; Mage = 10.18 years old) were interviewed about their racial identities in 2014 and again in 2016. During these 2 years, BLM surged with the National March on Washington, widespread news coverage of multiple cases of police brutality, and a highly racialized presidential election. The current analysis examines longitudinal change in children's racial identity narratives across these two time points with attention to the role of BLM. Qualitative interview analyses show that (a) the importance of racial identity increased among Black and Multiracial (but not White) children, and (b) the content of children's race narratives shifted to include BLM-related themes and more discussions of race as interpersonal and structural (not just individual). We discuss age-related changes and how to conceptualize maturation during significant sociopolitical moments, like the current one, in relation to racial identity development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The potential health benefits of legumes as a good source of dietary fibre.

Dietary fibre has been shown to have important health implications in the prevention of risks of chronic diseases. The objective of the present study was to determine the potential health benefits of legumes as a good source of dietary fibre. Six to ten local legumes were studied as follows: cowpeas, mung beans, pole sitao, chickpeas, green peas, groundnuts, pigeon peas, kidney beans, lima beans and soyabeans. The following studies were conducted: (a) mineral availability, in vitro; (b) glycaemic index (GI) in non-diabetic and diabetic human subjects; (c) the cholesterol-lowering effect in human subjects with moderately raised serum cholesterol levels. The highest Fe availability among legumes was for lima beans (9.5 (sem 0.1)) while for Zn and Ca, the highest availability was for kidney beans (49.3 (sem 4.5)) and pigeon peas (75.1 (sem 7.1)), respectively. Groundnuts have the lowest Fe (1.3 (sem 1.1)), Zn (7.9 (sem 1.3)) and Ca (14.6 (sem 2.8)) availability. Legumes are low-GI foods ( < 55), ranging from 6 (chickpeas) to 13 (mung beans). Kidney beans showed significant reductions for both total (6 %) and LDL-cholesterol (9 %), and groundnuts for total cholesterol (7 %; P < 0.05). We conclude that mineral availability from legumes differs and may be attributed to their mineral content, mineral-mineral interaction and from their phytic and tannic acid content; legumes are considered low-GI foods and have shown potential hypocholesterolaemic effects. The above studies can be a scientific basis for considering legumes as functional foods.

A benign maxillary tumour with malignant features.

Non-specific biopsy results such as chronic inflammation, hemorrhage, necrosis can be frustrating to the clinician. This is especially true if the patient presents with clinical features suggestive of an aggressive tumour. This is a review of the clinical features, diagnostic dilemmas and surgical management of a benign maxillary mass with malignant features - a disease called hematoma-like mass of the maxillary sinus (HLMMS). Our experience with five cases will also be cited.

Concept maps and canonical models in neuropsychiatry.

Most bioscientists engage in informal modelling in their research and explicitly document this activity's results in diagrams or "concept maps". While canonical modelling approaches such as Biochemical Systems Theory (BST) immediately allow the construction of a corresponding system of equations, the problem of determining appropriate parameter values remains. Goel et al. introduced Concept Map Modelling (CMM) as a framework to address this problem through an interactive dialogue between experimenters and modellers. The CMM dialogue extracts the experimenters' implicit knowledge about dynamical behaviour of the parts of the system being modelled in form of rough sketches and verbal statements, e.g. value ranges. These are then used as inputs for parameter and initial value estimates for the symbolic canonical model based on the diagram. Canonical models have the big advantage that a great variety of parameter estimation methods have been developed for them in recent years. The paper discusses the suitability of this approach for neuropsychiatry using recent work of Qi et al. on a canonical model of presynaptic dopamine metabolism. Due to the complexity of systems encountered in neuropsychiatry, hybrid models are often used to complement the canonical models discussed here.

Iron absorption from brown rice/brown rice-based meal and milled rice/milled rice-based meal.

BACKGROUND: Milled rice is the staple food among Filipinos and is mostly consumed three times a day. Rice as a source of iron could therefore have an important role in the existing 37% prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia in the country. Previous iron absorption studies in Filipinos from rice and rice-based meals were carried out on milled rice but no research was done on brown rice of the same variety. This leads to the hypothesis that brown rice may be better than milled rice in terms of iron content. OBJECTIVE: To determine iron absorption from brown rice and brown rice-based meal, and from milled rice and milled rice-based meal of the same variety. METHODS: The rice variety used in the study was F(2) seeds of PSB Rc72H. Iron absorption from brown/milled rice and brown/milled rice-based meals was determined in 12 healthy human subjects from the incorporation of radioisotopes of iron into erythrocytes 14 days after administration of the labeled rice/rice-based meals. The above samples were also analyzed for nutrient content, including dietary fiber, and iron. RESULTS: The iron content of brown rice was significantly higher (1.1 +/- 0.1 mg/100 g) than that of milled rice (0.6 +/- 0.1 mg/100 g). Brown rice has significantly greater amounts of total dietary fiber (5.4 +/- 0.4%) than milled rice (1.7 +/- 0.2%; P < 0.05). Both tannic acid and phytic acid contents in brown rice (56.9 +/- 3.2 mg/100 g and 290.1 +/- 18.0 mg/100 g, respectively) were significantly higher than those of milled rice (21.3 +/- 2.3 mg/100 g and 84.0 +/- 12.4 mg/100 g, respectively; P<0.05). The amount of iron absorbed from brown rice (0.13 +/- 0.02 mg) did not differ significantly from that from milled rice (0.14 +/- 0.02 mg). However, the amount from brown rice-based meal (0.36 +/- 0.04 mg) differed significantly from that from brown rice (P<0.05) as well as that from milled rice-based meal (0.35 +/- 0.03 mg) from that from milled rice (P<0.05). Moreover, brown rice-based meal did not differ significantly from milled rice-based meal (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Iron absorbed from milled rice and brown rice did not differ significantly, as well as that from brown rice-based meal and milled rice-based meal. Differences in iron absorbed from brown/milled rice and brown/milled rice-based meals may be due to the iron content of the test foods and the presence of iron enhancers in the meal (e.g. fish, vegetables and citrus fruit).