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Drivers and barriers to adopting sustainable eating habits in Brazil
No full textAs the global climate crisis intensifies, adopting healthy and sustainable diets has become an urgent concern. Although consumer awareness about environmental issues is rising, data on sustainable eating behaviors in Brazil remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate Brazilian consumers' attitudes towards sustainable eating habits, as well as the barriers and drivers influencing their adoption of these habits. Data was collected through an online questionnaire distributed via a non-probabilistic snowball sampling method nationwide. The survey instrument was adapted from the SHEAF questionnaire, translated into Brazilian Portuguese, and validated for reproducibility. The sample included 1272 adults aged 18 years or older residing in Brazil. Participants generally perceived their diets as moderately sustainable, yet acknowledged the high importance of adopting sustainable eating practices. Among sustainability recommendations, “avoiding food waste” was the most recognized across all groups. Health benefits, appealing sensory attributes, and ease of integration into habitual diets were the primary motivators for consuming sustainable foods. Conversely, high prices were consistently identified as a major barrier. Notably, women, vegetarians, and individuals with higher educational attainment demonstrated greater knowledge about sustainability and reported stronger adherence to sustainable dietary patterns. In conclusion, while Brazilian consumers value sustainable eating, actual adherence remains moderate. Economic constraints, especially price sensitivity, limit the regular consumption of sustainable foods despite their recognized health and sensory advantages. These findings underscore the need for targeted strategies that address affordability and promote sustainable diets across diverse population segments in Brazil
Cigarrulleren og vinlusen er kommet til Danmark:Flere og flere sygdomme og skadevoldere etablere sig i de danske vinmarker
No full textOil mists and vapours:A review of exposure and toxicity, with dose descriptors from inhalation studies
No full textInhalation of oil mists and vapours may induce adverse effects. Here we review the literature on human exposure to oil mists and vapours and their toxicity following inhalation exposure. We collected data on inhalation of all types of oils, on all toxicity endpoints other than genotoxicity and cancer. Toxicological dose descriptors (no-observed-adverse-effect concentrations (NOAECs) and lowest-observed-adverse-effect concentrations (LOAECs)) were collected to identify exposure levels at which toxicity occurs. Occupational mean exposure concentrations typically range from 0.2 to 5 mg/m3 for mist and up to 36 mg/m3 for vapours during oil drilling. Affected toxicological endpoints in humans of exposure to refined oil include lung function, lung pathology (including fibrosis), asthma and irritation of nose and throat. Sudden death has been reported after acute exposure to hydrocarbon gas and vapour (e.g. during oil tank hatch operation, potentially involving oxygen deficiency). In animals, endpoints affected include lung function, lung pathology, increases in pulmonary immune cells, decreased body weight and in one study on monkeys also lethality. Dose descriptors in human studies with exposure to mineral oil mists included LOAECs as low as 0.3, 0.4. 0.5, 0.7 and 2.2 mg/m3 concerning lung function/respiratory symptoms. In general, higher dose descriptors were observed in animal studies, e.g. LOAECs for lung pathology of 50 mg/m3 in rats and 63 mg/m3 in monkeys. In conclusion, toxicological effects were observed in humans at occupationally relevant exposure levels. The collected data inform hazard assessment of airborne oil at the workplace and in society.Inhalation of oil mists and vapours may induce adverse effects. Here we review the literature on human exposure to oil mists and vapours and their toxicity following inhalation exposure. We collected data on inhalation of all types of oils, on all toxicity endpoints other than genotoxicity and cancer. Toxicological dose descriptors (no-observed-adverse-effect concentrations (NOAECs) and lowest-observed-adverse-effect concentrations (LOAECs)) were collected to identify exposure levels at which toxicity occurs. Occupational mean exposure concentrations typically range from 0.2 to 5 mg/m3 for mist and up to 36 mg/m3 for vapours during oil drilling. Affected toxicological endpoints in humans of exposure to refined oil include lung function, lung pathology (including fibrosis), asthma and irritation of nose and throat. Sudden death has been reported after acute exposure to hydrocarbon gas and vapour (e.g. during oil tank hatch operation, potentially involving oxygen deficiency). In animals, endpoints affected include lung function, lung pathology, increases in pulmonary immune cells, decreased body weight and in one study on monkeys also lethality. Dose descriptors in human studies with exposure to mineral oil mists included LOAECs as low as 0.3, 0.4. 0.5, 0.7 and 2.2 mg/m3 concerning lung function/respiratory symptoms. In general, higher dose descriptors were observed in animal studies, e.g. LOAECs for lung pathology of 50 mg/m3 in rats and 63 mg/m3 in monkeys. In conclusion, toxicological effects were observed in humans at occupationally relevant exposure levels. The collected data inform hazard assessment of airborne oil at the workplace and in society.</p
Incidence and Predictors of Dysglycemia in Intensive Care Unit Patients:A Cohort Study
No full textINTRODUCTION: Many patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) experience dysglycemia, i.e., hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and high glycemic variability, which are linked to poor outcomes. Early identification of patients at risk could potentially improve prevention and management. We aimed to report overall incidences of dysglycemia and investigate early identifiable predictors.METHODS: This was a single-center prospective cohort study including 577 acutely admitted adult patients at the mixed medical and surgical ICU at Copenhagen University Hospital-North Zealand. Blood glucose was measured as point-of-care, dysglycemia was assessed for the first 5 days of admission, and predictors were identified on day one.RESULTS: For all patients, mean glucose was 9.1 mmol/L (SD ±2.2), median derived time spent in 3.9-10 mmol/L was 75% (47-93), and 47 of the 577 patients (8.2%) had a minimum of one episode of hypoglycemia ≤ 3.9 mmol/L. Nutritional therapy was associated with increased time in the target range, and high admission glucose, glucocorticoid treatment, and diabetes were associated with increased risk of hyperglycemia. Chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, diabetes, septic shock, increased sequential organ failure score, and surgical admission were all associated with increased risk of hypoglycemia.CONCLUSION: In this study of acutely admitted adult ICU patients, hypoglycemia was most common on the first day whereas hyperglycemia displayed smaller daily variations. Septic shock, CKD, AKI, diabetes, surgical admission, and a higher SOFA score were associated with an increased risk of hypoglycemia. Diabetes, high admission glucose, and glucocorticoid administration were associated with an increased risk of hyperglycemia. Increased focus on early identification of patients at risk of developing dysglycemia may improve glucose management.EDITORIAL COMMENT: Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia events are described in this single center critical care cohort, together with associated factors, and during the first days of intensive care unit stay. Insulin therapy was administered by widely-accepted ICU treatment guidelines in this cohort.</p
Novel binding mode for negative allosteric NMDA receptor modulators
No full textNMDA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors mediate excitatory neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity, but aberrant signaling by these receptors is also implicated in brain disorders. Here, we present the binding site and the mechanism of action for UCM-101, a novel negative NMDA receptor modulator that produces full inhibition of NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents in hippocampal CA pyramidal neurons from juvenile mouse brain slices. UCM-101 has a 59-fold higher binding affinity at GluN1/2A compared with GluN1/2B receptors and inhibits diheteromeric GluN1/2A and triheteromeric GluN1/2A/2B receptors with IC50 values of 110 and 240 nM, respectively, in the presence of 1 µM glycine. The novel binding mode for UCM-101 is revealed in a high-resolution crystal structure of the GluN1/2A agonist binding domain heterodimer. UCM-101 and its analog TCN-213 inhibit NMDA receptors by negatively modulating co-agonist binding to the GluN1 subunit via an allosteric mechanism that is conserved with previously described GluN2A-selective antagonists, TCN-201 and MPX-004. Despite the shared mechanism of action, the structural determinants that mediate subunit selectivity for UCM-101 are distinct from those of TCN-201 and MPX-004. These findings provide detailed insights into the binding site and mechanism of action of a novel NMDA receptor modulator and open new avenues for the development of NMDA receptor ligands with therapeutic potential.</p
The impact of body mass index on short-term surgical outcomes after robotic liver surgery:a propensity-score matched analysis at a high-volume center in Denmark
No full textBACKGROUND: Surgeons may experience technical complexity and negative outcomes related to robotic liver surgery (RLS) in obese patients. However, evidence regarding the impact of obesity on perioperative outcomes in RLS is limited.METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who underwent RLS between 2019 and 2024. Obesity was defined as a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, and postoperative complication rate and risk factors were evaluated for complications. Short-term perioperative outcomes were compared using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis at a 1:1 ratio.RESULTS: A total of 205 RLS procedures were performed at a high-volume hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) center in Denmark. After 1:1 propensity score matching, 41 patients in each group were included. In the obese group, the rate of comorbid diabetes (p = 0.037) and the rate of steatosis (p = 0.035) were significantly higher in the obese group; standard liver volumes were also significantly larger (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the rate of major complications or the rate of all complications between the two groups. In multivariate binary logistic regression analysis using the nine factors selected in univariate analysis, only the IWATE criteria (≥ 7) showed a nearly significant p-value [p = 0.056], potentially suggesting an association with major postoperative complications.CONCLUSIONS: The results of our single-center experience demonstrated that RLS in patients with a BMI of 30 or more did not impact postoperative surgical complications or other short-term outcomes. Therefore, RLS appears safe and feasible for obese patients in experienced centers.</p
Trasformismo:Advancing understandings of the relationship between stability and change in transitions
No full textTransitions research explores the dimensions and loci of stability and change. In theorising the interrelation between the two, the neo-Gramscian notion of trasformismo stipulates how they can be co-constitutive of one another. Trasformismo denotes the ability to accommodate pressures to ensure that socio-technical reconfigurations do not disrupt prevailing social relations and distributions of political power. In this way, the concept describes a process of stability through change or change in the pursuit of stability: of re-ordering incumbent power to manage and contain destabilising forces. In this perspective, we introduce a dynamic understanding of trasformismo, highlighting the relevance of the analytical questions it raises for analysis of both socio-technical reconfigurations and broader politico-economic transformations. With this, we seek to inform debates on stability and change in transitions, directing attention to the questions of what is (de)stabilised, how, by whom, and for what purpose.</p
Applying WHO Prioritization Criteria for Moderate Wasting:Programmatic Implications
No full textThe World Health Organization's 2023 recommendations for managing moderate wasting provide criteria for prioritizing children to receive specially formulated foods (SFF) rather than counseling alone. However, the practical programmatic impact of such prioritization is unclear. This secondary analysis aimed to describe the caseload and treatment outcomes among moderately wasted 6- to 59-month-old Malian children, categorized into higher-priority (HP) and lower-priority (LP) groups. All children admitted with a MUAC ≥ 115 to < 125 mm without nutritional edema received SFF (500 kcal/day) until they achieved a MUAC ≥ 125 mm for 2 consecutive visits. HP criteria were < 2 years old, WAZ < −3 SD, or MUAC 115–119 mm; LP criteria were ≥ 2 years, WAZ ≥ −3 SD, or MUAC ≥ 120 mm. We reported the caseload per priority criterion and compared treatment outcomes, including recovery and anthropometric changes, between LP and HP children. Of the 35 685 children included in the analysis, 95% met at least one priority criterion. The proportion of children recovered was similar between LP and HP children, regardless of the criterion used. MUAC-for-age z-score and WAZ weekly changes showed similar trajectories. Furthermore, although classified as LP, children > 2 years exhibited lower WAZ throughout treatment compared to children < 2 years. Most moderately wasted children (MUAC < 125 mm) met at least one priority criterion, raising concerns about the feasibility and rationale of the prioritization approach. The similar recovery rates in higher- and lower-priority groups after both received SFF highlight the need for research to assess the impact of different interventions.</p
Nudge Me! A field experiment on reminders for medication adherence
No full textReminders are widely used in public policy to promote beneficial behaviors, but little is known about how individuals value them. We conduct a field experiment with over 4,000 pregnant women in South Africa, delivered via the national mobile health platform, to assess how different reminder types—purely attentional, informational, and morally persuasive—affect both adherence to iron supplementation and willingness to pay (WTP) for future reminders. Despite high self-reported adherence, demand for reminders is substantial: over 80% choose additional reminders when free, and many are willing to pay to receive them. Exposure to reminders increases both adherence and WTP. However, reminders that include additional health information significantly reduce both outcomes relative to simple reminders, showing that even well-intended information can have unintended consequences. Our results can help inform the design of public health communications.</p