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Background: Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a brominated flame retardant used in polystyrene foams in thermal insulation and electrical equipment. The HBCD commercial mixture consists mainly of α, β, and γ stereoisomers. Health concerns of HBCD exposure include alterations in immune and reproductive systems, neurotoxic effects, and endocrine disruption. Stereoisomer-specific levels of HBCD have not been measured previously in U.S. food. Objectives: We measured HBCD stereoisomer levels in U.S. foods from Dallas, Texas, supermarkets. Methods: Convenience samples of commonly consumed foods were purchased from supermarkets in Dallas in 2009-2010. Food samples included a wide variety of lipid-rich foods: fish, peanut butter, poultry, pork, and beef. Thirty-six individual food samples were collected in 2010 and analyzed for α-, β-, and γ-HBCD stereoisomers using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Ten pooled food samples previously collected in 2009 for a study of total HBCD levels using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), were reanalyzed for α-, β-, and γ-HBCD stereoisomers using LC-MS/MS. Results: Of the 36 measured individual foods, 15 (42%) had detectable levels of HBCD. Median (ranges) of α- and γ-HBCD concentrations were 0.003 (< 0.005-1.307) and 0.005 (< 0.010-0.143) ng/g wet weight (ww), respectively; β-HBCD was present in three samples with a median (range) of 0.003 (< 0.005-0.019) ng/g ww. Median levels (range) for α-, γ-, and γ-HBCD, in pooled samples were 0.077 (0.010-0.310), 0.008 (< 0.002-0.070), and 0.024 (0.012-0.170) ng/g ww, respectively. Conclusions: α-HBCD was detected most frequently and at highest concentrations, followed by γ-, and then β-HBCD, in food samples from Dallas, Texas. Food may be a substantial contributor to the elevated α-HBCD levels observed in humans. These data suggest that larger and more representative sampling should be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leptin has been reported to have positive effects on cognition but has not been studied in a population-based sample or stratified by race or gender. Methods Leptin and fat mass were measured in 2,731 subjects, including 50% African Americans. Eight years later, subjects were administered the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Demographic factors and baseline measures, including a deficiency in leptin or levels in excess of what was predicted by fat, were investigated to see which predicted cognitive performance. Results:There was a statistical trend for lower leptin levels to be associated with higher cognitive scores. Once stratified by race and gender, excessive leptin was associated with lower MoCA total scores and delayed recall domain score for black men, but white men demonstrated a reverse relationship. Conclusion: Excess leptin appears to have differential effects on delayed recall in black and white men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For > 50 years, polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) have been used worldwide, mainly as surfactants and emulsifiers, and human exposure to some PFCs is widespread. Objectives: Our goal was to report PFC serum concentrations from a convenience sample of Dallas, Texas, children from birth to < 13 years of age, and to examine age and sex differences in PFC concentrations. Methods: We analyzed 300 serum samples collected in 2009 for eight PFCs by online solid phase extraction-high performance liquid chromatography-isotope dilution-tandem mass spectrometry. Results: Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) were detected in > 92% of participants; the other PFCs measured were detected less frequently. Overall median concentrations of PFOS (4.1 ng/mL) were higher than those for PFOA (2.85 ng/mL), PFNA (1.2 ng/mL), and PFHxS (1.2 ng/mL). For PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, and PFHxS, we found no significant differences (p < 0.05) by sex, significantly increasing concentrations for all four chemicals by age, and significantly positive correlations between all four compounds. Conclusions: We found no significant differences in the serum concentrations of PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, and PFHxS by sex, but increasing concentrations with age. Our results suggest that these 300 Texas children from birth through 12 years of age continued to be exposed to several PFCs in late 2009, years after changes in production of some PFCs in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: It has been suggested that sport-related concussion (SRC) occurs more commonly on natural grass compared with artificial turf in contact sports. As playing surface is a potentially modifiable risk factor, this study sought to identify differences in symptoms following SRC on these 2 surfaces in a sample of young American football players. Design: Prospective. Setting: Part of the multi-institutional North Texas Concussion Registry (ConTex) research project. Participants: Ten-year-old to 24-year-old male American football players (n = 62) who had sustained a helmet-to-ground SRC and presented to a specialty concussion clinic within 14 days of injury. Independent variables: Helmeted impact with grass (n = 33) or artificial turf (n = 29). Main outcome measures: Severity and number of symptoms endorsed on the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5th Edition (SCAT5) Symptom Evaluation at the time of initial clinical evaluation. Results: Both groups were similar in mean time since injury, concussion history, and history of headache, but the artificial turf group was slightly older, with a mean age of 14.6 versus 13.6 years ( P = 0.039). Athletes who sustained a SRC on grass reported significantly higher mean total symptom severity scores (26.6 vs 11.6, P = 0.005) and total number of symptoms (10.3 vs 5.9, P = 0.006) compared with those who were injured on artificial turf. Conclusions: This may be the first study to examine postconcussive symptoms after SRC as they relate to playing surface. This small sample of young American football players reported higher symptom severity scores and higher total number of symptoms after SRC on natural grass compared with artificial turf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]