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Gabriela Santana Pereira,1 Ingrid Wilza Leal Bezerra,2 Anissa Melo de Souza,1 Isabelle Cristina Clemente dos Santos,3 Vivian Nogueira Silbiger,4 Raiane Medeiros Costa,1 Karina Gomes Torres,1 Antonio Gouveia Oliveira1,5 1Post Graduation in Health Sciences, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil; 2Department of Nutrition, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil; 3Post Graduation in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil; 4Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil; 5Pharmacy Department, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, BrazilCorrespondence: Ingrid Wilza Leal BezerraDepartment of Nutrition, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Av Sen Salgado Filho 3000, Natal, RN 59078-970, BrazilTel +55 84 988 218 964Email ingrid.nutri@hotmail.comIntroduction: Several studies have reported increased cardiometabolic risk among workers assisted by food assistance public policies. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its individual components among manufacturing workers and their relationship to the Brazilian Workers’ Food Program (WFP).Methods: It was a prospective, cross-sectional, two-stage survey comparative of manufacturing workers from companies adherent and non-adherent to the WFP stratified by sector of activity and company size. The workers were interviewed in the workplace, and data on waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, and 12-hours fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum triglycerides (TG), and total and HDL-cholesterol were obtained. Mixed effects multilevel regression was used to compare WFP and non-WFP groups separately in each sex. All subjects gave written informed consent.Results: The survey included 332 workers from 16 WFP companies and 344 workers from 17 non-WFP companies. The general prevalence of MetS, according to IDF/AHA/NHLBI criteria, was high but not statistically different between sexes (39.8% in females versus 28.5% for males, p=0.16). Statistically significant differences were found between sexes in the prevalence of individual components: WC (77.8% in females versus 38.3% in males, p=0.002), TG (27.3% in females versus 40.8% in males, p=0.07), and HDL-C (52.2% in females versus 43.1% in males, p=0.05). Among males, MetS prevalence was significantly higher in the WFP group (33.0% versus 23.9%, p=0.008), and, in the individual components, the WFP group had higher prevalence of increased WC (47.0% versus 29.4%, p< 0.001) and elevated FBG (8.9% versus 6.3%, p< 0.001), as well as greater average levels of TG, HDL-C and FBG. Among female workers, no statistically significant differences between groups were observed in MetS prevalence and its individual components, but WFP female worker presented lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.Conclusion: In a low-income population, male manufacturing workers participating in a food assistance program are at increased risk of MetS, an effect that was not identified among female workers.Keywords: public policy, workers, cardiovascular risk factors, metabolic syndrome, food insecurity

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We sought to determine whether childhood obesity is associated with increased aortic stiffness by measuring the biophysical properties of the aorta in obese children using a noninvasive echocardiographic Doppler method. Increased aortic stiffness is a strong predictor of future cardiovascular events and mortality in adults. Obesity is known to be associated with increased aortic stiffness and arterial disease in adults. We prospectively evaluated a cohort of obese children (n = 61) and compared them to normal-weight controls (n = 55). The anthropometric data were recorded. The pulsewave velocity (PWV), aortic input impedance (Zi), characteristic impedance (Zc), arterial pressure-strain elastic modulus (Ep), arterial wall stiffness index (B index), and peak aortic velocity were calculated. We correlated our echocardiographic Doppler findings with the lipid levels. We assessed the left ventricular (LV) dimensions and standard measures of cardiac function. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed on all obese children. Compared to normal-weight children, obese children had a greater PWV, Zc, B index, Ep, and peak aortic velocity. Obese children had greater systolic blood pressure than normal-weight children but no difference in diastolic blood pressure. The LV dimensions and standard measures of cardiac systolic function were similar in the 2 groups, but the obese children had altered diastolic properties. The LV mass was greater in the obese children. No association was found between the lipid levels and the biophysical properties of the aorta. The relative oxygen consumption was 68% predicted in obese children. In conclusion, measures of the biophysical properties of the aorta are already abnormal in obese children, reflecting increased aortic stiffness at this early stage of disease. Obese children also had an increased LV mass, altered diastolic properties, and an abnormal exercise capacity. PWV might be useful in monitoring the progression of arterial disease or the effect of therapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diflubenzuron (DFB 1 ) and pyriproxyfen (PPF) are pesticides widely used in agriculture and urban environments to control insect actions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of chronic 30-day exposure to DFB (0.025 and 0.125 mg/L) and PPF (0.379 and 0.758 mg/L) on the behavior of juvenile zebrafish (Danio rerio). Fish were exposed to insecticides from early stage (4 h post fertilization) to 30 days post fertilization (dpf). At 45 dpf, fish were evaluated in the novel tank test, social behavior test, and mirror aggressive test. Brain gene expression related to oxidative stress and inflammation was also evaluated. DFB reduced locomotor parameters in the novel tank and aggression tests, while it induced to hyperactivity in the social behavior test. PPF reduced anxiety-like behavior, measured by the time spent in risky areas of the novel tank, and reduced aggression against the mirror image. There was a significant reduction in mRNA levels of the nfe2l2 gene (∼0.54 fold downregulated) and increase in levels of cat (PPF ∼1.8 fold change), gsr (PPF ∼1.5 fold change), gpx1a (PPF ∼1.6 and DFB 1.1 fold change), tnf-α (PPF 1.9 and DFB 2.2 fold change), and il-6 (PPF ∼1.2 and DFB 2.3 fold change). These endpoints are indicative of the threatening effects of insecticides to aquatic organisms and the need for alternative methods to control pests by using less harmful and safer substances for animal and human well-being, as well as for the environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Julia Robert de Sousa Teixeira reports financial support was provided by Coordination of Higher Education Personnel Improvement. Ana Carolina Luchiari reports financial support was provided by National Council for Scientific and Technological Development. Bruno Fiorelini Pereira reports financial support was provided by State of Sao Paulo Research Foundation. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Energy use is the major source of carbon emissions in hotel buildings. Past studies presented contributors to energy use, most related to hotels' physical and economics characteristics. In search of effective variables affecting energy use in hotels, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to synthesize empirical evidence. A descriptive picture of 28 previous studies, the arguments for the direction of effects in each variable, and a quantitative synthesis of the mean effect sizes were presented. Among 18 selected contributors from past studies, 15 were statistically significant (0.05 level). The analyses also revealed that the operationalization of the energy variable is important in evaluating the relationship with a contributor. Studies considering Energy Use Intensity (EUI) indicators presented weaker correlations with gross floor area (GFA) and number of guestrooms than those considering energy raw data, for example. The occupancy rate resulted in a non-significant outcome, but this result could be related to differences among the hotels categories, as identified in the subgroup and meta-regression analyses. Future research could help develop and investigate theories to sustain or deny the relationships found here, in addition to the assessment of the outcomes in other regions, bringing more variables related to sustainable management., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Arenhart et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objectives: This study aimed to compare diet-induced obesity (DIO) models in zebrafish and investigate the complications and differences between sexes in biochemical and inflammatory parameters., Methods: Adult animals of both sexes were divided into four groups ( n = 50) and fed for eight weeks: control group 1: Artemia sp. (15-30 mg/day/fish); control group 2: commercial fish food (3.5% of average weight); obesity group 1: pasteurized egg yolk powder + soybean oil (5% of average weight); obesity group 2: Artemia sp. (60-120 mg/day/fish). Dietary intake, caloric intake and efficiency, body mass index, biochemical, inflammatory, behavioral, histopathological, and stereological parameters, and inflammation-related gene expression were investigated., Results: Obesity group 1 was the most indicated to investigate changes in the anxious behavioral profile ( p < 0.05), triglyceride elevation [52.67 (1.2) mg/dL], adipocyte hypertrophy [67.8 (18.1) µm 2 ; p = 0.0004], and intestinal inflammation. Obesity group 2 was interesting to investigate in terms of weight gain [167 mg; p < 0.0001), changes in fasting glucose [48.33 (4.14) mg/dL; p = 0.003), and inflammatory parameters [IL-6: 4.24 (0.18) pg/mL; p = 0.0015]., Conclusions: Furthermore, both DIO models evaluated in the present study were effective in investigating hepatic steatosis. The data also highlighted that sex influences inflammatory changes and fasting blood glucose levels, which were higher in males ( p > 0.05). The results show new metabolic routes to be explored in relation to DIO in zebrafish.

(1) Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an extruded whole-grain sorghum beverage containing L. paracasei on body composition, lipid profiles, and intestinal health in overweight and obese adults. (2) Methods: A chronic, single-blind randomized controlled pilot study was conducted with 30 volunteers allocated to three groups ( n = 10/group): extruded sorghum beverage (ESB), extruded sorghum beverage with L. paracasei (ESPB), and control beverage (CB) (waxy maize starch). The chemical composition of the beverages was analyzed. Volunteers consumed the beverages for ten weeks at breakfast, along with individual dietary prescriptions. Body composition, biochemical markers, gastrointestinal symptoms, stool consistency, intestinal permeability, short-chain fatty acids, fecal pH, and stool L. paracasei DNA concentration were analyzed at the beginning and end of the intervention period. (3) Results: The ESB showed better composition than the CB, particularly in terms of resistant starch content, total phenolic compounds, condensed tannins, and antioxidant capacity. Both the ESB and the ESPB had an effect on body composition (estimated total visceral fat and waist volume), biochemical markers (Castelli index I), and intestinal health (Bristol scale, diarrhea score, valeric acid, and L. paracasei DNA concentration). No changes were observed in the CB group after the intervention. (4) Conclusions: Whole-grain sorghum beverages demonstrated good nutritional value, and consumption of these beverages, with or without L. paracasei , provided health benefits, including improvements in body composition, Castelli index I scores, and intestinal health, in overweight and obese adults.

Despite the numerous studies on biocompatibility with nano-biomaterials, the biological effects of strontium-substituted HA nanoparticles (nSrHA) need to be better understood. So, we conducted an embryotoxicity test using zebrafish (Danio rerio) according to the OECD 236 guideline, a model that represents a viable alternative that bridges the gap between in vitro and mammalian models. Zebrafish embryos were exposed for 120 h to microspheres containing nSrHA nanoparticles with low and high crystallinity, synthesized at temperatures of 5°C (nSrHA5) and 90°C (nSrHA90). We evaluated lethality, developmental parameters, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The larval behavior was assessed at 168 hpf to determine if the biomaterials affected motor responses and anxiety-like behavior. The results showed that the survival rate decreased significantly for the nSrHA5 group (low crystalline particles), and an increase in ROS was also observed in this group. However, none of the biomaterials caused morphological changes indicative of toxicity during larval development. Additionally, the behavioral tests did not reveal any alterations in all experimental groups, indicating the absence of neurotoxic effects from exposure to the tested biomaterials. These findings provide valuable insights into the biosafety of modified HA-based nanostructured biomaterials, making them a promising strategy for bone tissue repair. As the use of hydroxyapatite-based biomaterials continues to grow, it is crucial to ensure rigorous control over the quality, reliability, and traceability of these materials., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

This study evaluated the digestibility of whole mango (Mangifera indica) meal (WMM) and determined the growth performance, intestinal enzyme activity, and metabolic and hematologic responses of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) juveniles fed diets containing different proportions of corn meal (CM) substitution by WMM. Fish fed with graded levels of WMM (0 (control), 80, 160, 240, and 320 g kg diet-1), replacing part of the dietary CM. The apparent digestibility coefficients of WMM were above 96%. Diets with WMM did not affect growth performance or intestinal enzyme activity. However, they showed a positive linear effect on plasma glucose, amino acids, and albumin levels and a negative linear effect on hepatic aspartate aminotransferase activity and hepatic glycogen, plasma cholesterol, and hemoglobin levels. Increased erythrocyte values and decreased plasma triglyceride levels were verified in fish fed 80 and 160 g WMM kg diet-1. In conclusion, the WMM may be a viable alternative to the tambaqui juveniles' diet, and WMM could replace up to 16% of CM without harming the growth and health of tambaqui juveniles.

Studies indicate that ultra-processed food (UP) consumption correlates negatively with essential vitamin and mineral intake and positively with sodium and lipid intake. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between UP consumption and deviations from nutritional guidelines. An observational, cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on a probability sample of manufacturing workers in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Food consumption was assessed with a 24 h recall survey, and nutrient intake inadequacies were calculated as the difference between individuals' intake of energy, macronutrients, minerals and vitamins, and the dietary reference intakes for individuals of the same sex and age group, and then analyzed for trends across the percentage contribution of UP to total energy intake with nonparametric multiple regression adjusted for covariates. The study included 921 workers from 33 industries, 55.9% male, with a mean age of 32 years. Overall, the study population exhibited deficits in energy, all macronutrients, and in some micronutrients. With increasing UP contribution to total energy intake, there is a trend towards a greater intake of energy ( p < 0.001), total, saturated, monounsaturated, and trans fats ( p < 0.001), n6-polyunsaturated fatty acids ( p = 0.03), carbohydrates ( p < 0.001), calcium ( p = 0.008), and manganese ( p < 0.001), thiamin ( p < 0.001), and vitamin B6 ( p = 0.01); however, this comes with a negative consequence in terms of reducing the protein consumption ( p = 0.037), fiber ( p = 0.035), copper ( p = 0.033), and vitamin E ( p = 0.002) intake. The results show that correcting energy and micronutrient deficiencies by increasing UP consumption can also lead to a decrease in diet quality.

Fetal alcohol exposure can result in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), which encompasses a range of cognitive and behavioral impairments. Although zebrafish have been used as a reliable model to study FASD, little is known about the ontogeny of this disorder and population differences in subsequent generations not directly exposed to alcohol. In this study, we evaluated the behavioral outcomes of zebrafish populations AB, Outbred (OB), and Tubingen (TU), offspring of parents exposed to alcohol during embryonic development. The offspring of adult fish with FASD (exposed to 1 % alcohol at the embryonic stage) was compared to the offspring of unexposed parental fish (0 % alcohol at the embryo phase). The behavioral profile of the offspring was assessed at 6 days post-fertilization (dpf) and 45 dpf. At 6dpf, the AB FASD offspring exhibited hyperactivity and increased time at the edge of the tank, while the TU and OB FASD offspring showed hypoactivity. At 45dpf, TU fish maintained the larval locomotor pattern, characterized by decreased average speed and total distance traveled and increased immobility. However, AB and OB fish did not show alterations in locomotor activity and anxiety-related responses at 45dpf. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that FASD zebrafish offspring display behavioral differences, which were most evident during the early ontogenetic phase (6dpf) but may vary throughout animal ontogeny. TU fish exhibited the most consistent behavioral pattern across different developmental stages. These findings provide insights into the multigenerational and persistent behavioral consequences of embryonic alcohol exposure in zebrafish. Further research should focus on other features that can be inherited and the development of treatments for the offspring affected by it., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mechanically separated meat (MSM) is widely used in the food industry, however, there is a lack of studies on its consumption in populations. The objective of this study was to identify the frequency and amount of MSM consumption, factors associated with MSM consumption, nutrient intake and preferential choice of food groups among MSM consumers. This was an observational, cross-sectional prospective study based on a probability sample of manufacturing workers, conducted in Brazil. Logistic and linear multiple regression with robust standard errors were used. 921 workers from 33 manufacturing companies were studied, with an average age of 38.2 ± 10.7 years, 55.9% males. MSM products are consumed by 28.8% and represent in average 10% of total daily caloric intake, and 47.3% of the daily kcal from ultra-processed products. Younger age and greater waist circumference are associated with MSM consumption. Younger age and lesser educational level are associated with increased contribution of MSM to total daily kcal intake. MSM consumers have greater consumption of energy, fats, carbohydrates and sodium. Their dietary patterns are characterized by lower consumption of in natura and minimally processed foods, such as tubers and roots, fruits, white and red meat, and eggs and greater consumption of ultra-processed foods and beverages., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge of pregnant women and the clinical management of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn, as well as to describe the gestational profile, risk factors and socio-epidemiological profile of pregnant women treated at two municipal health units in Belém (Pará, Brazil)., Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study, which consisted in the application of questionnaires to pregnant women who underwent prenatal care at the municipal health units., Results: A total of 104 pregnant women were evaluated; most were aged between 24 and 29 years old, had high school degrees (38 %), family incomes between 1 and 2 minimum wages (45 %) and blood type O+ (43 %). Regarding the gestational profile, the participants were predominantly in the third trimester of pregnancy (49 %), started prenatal care in the first gestational trimester (81 %) and were primiparous (61 %). Failures in the management of prenatal care were observed, especially with regard to access to information about the disease, since most pregnant women did not receive information about blood incompatibility during prenatal care. This led to limited knowledge about the pathology of the disease evidenced by the fact that most of the correct answers were between Questions 0-4, which were significantly associated with the women's education and income., Conclusions: Although hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn is serious, the pregnant women in this study demonstrated little knowledge about the disease and had inadequate care by health professionals, reinforcing the importance of improving care for women's health and prenatal care., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

This study evaluated changes in the use of sweeteners over one decade and the relationship between socio-demographics, diet and weight status with the type of sweetener. Data came from the Brazilian National Dietary Surveys of 2008-2009 and 2017-2018, including ≥ 10-year-old individuals ( n 32 749; n 44 744, respectively, after excluding pregnant and lactating women). The use of table sugar, non-caloric sweeteners (NCS), both or none was reported through a specific question. Food consumption was assessed using two non-consecutive food records (2008-2009) and 24-h recalls (2017-2018). For the last survey, means of energy, macro and micronutrient intake, food groups' contribution (%) to daily energy intake and age- and energy-adjusted nutrient intake were estimated according to the type of sweetener used. Differences in means and proportions across the categories of sweeteners used were evaluated based on the 95 % CI. All analyses were stratified by sex and considered sample design and weights. Over 10 years, the use of table sugar decreased by 8 %, while the habit of not using any sweetener increased almost three times, and the use of NCS remained stable. Larger reductions in the use of table sugar were observed in the highest income level and among men. Regardless of sex, compared with NCS users, table sugar users had greater mean intake of energy, carbohydrates and added sugar and lower micronutrient intake means. Although table sugar is still the most used sweetener, the increased choice of 'no sweetener' is noteworthy in Brazil.

Background and Aims: Recently, new indices combining routine and low-cost anthropometric and biochemical measurements have emerged. Among them, the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and lipid accumulation product (LAP) are being investigated for the prediction of altered blood pressure (BP) and insulin resistance (IR). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate whether visceral adiposity index (VAI) and height-corrected lipid accumulation product (HLAP) are predictors of cardiometabolic risk in Brazilian adolescents., Methods and Results: Data were obtained from the Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents (ERICA) study, a cross-sectional, national, multicenter, school-based survey conducted between 2013 and 2014 in Brazil. The sample consisted of 37,815 adolescents aged 12-17 years of both genders attending the last 3 years of elementary or secondary school from public and private schools located in 273 municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. A Poisson regression was performed to verify associations between VAI and HLAP indices and the presence of altered BP and IR according to sex. In addition, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was applied to compare the predictive ability and determine the cut-off points of the VAI and HLAP indices in identifying cardiometabolic risk obtained by altered BP and IR. The prevalences of altered BP and IR were 24.49 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 23.14-25.87) and 24.22 % (95 % CI: 22.70-25.80), respectively., Conclusions: The VAI and HLAP indices are good predictors of cardiometabolic risk in Brazilian adolescents. HLAP showed better performance in identifying insulin resistance in males., (Copyright © 2023 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a biomaterial widely used in clinical applications and pharmaceuticals. The literature on HA-based materials studies is focused on chemical characterization and biocompatibility. Generally, biocompatibility is analyzed through adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation assays. Fewer studies are looking for genotoxic events. Thus, although HA-based biomaterials are widely used as biomedical devices, there is a lack of literature regarding their genotoxicity. This systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA statement. Specific search strategies were developed and performed in four electronic databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science). The search used "Hydroxyapatite OR Calcium Hydroxyapatite OR durapatite AND genotoxicity OR genotoxic OR DNA damage" and "Hydroxyapatite OR Calcium Hydroxyapatite OR durapatite AND mutagenicity OR mutagenic OR DNA damage" as keywords and articles published from 2000 to 2022, after removing duplicate studies and apply include and exclusion criteria, 53 articles were identified and submitted to a qualitative descriptive analysis. Most of the assays were in vitro and most of the studies did not show genotoxicity. In fact, a protective effect was observed for hydroxyapatites. Only 20 out of 71 tests performed were positive for genotoxicity. However, no point mutation-related mutagenicity was observed. As the genotoxicity of HA-based biomaterials observed was correlated with its nanostructured forms as needles or rods, it is important to follow their effect in chronic exposure to guarantee safe usage in humans., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or any personal relationships that could influence the work in this article., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)