Early-life and adult body mass index in relation to MS disability progression.

Background And Objectives: The influence of body weight across the life course on multiple sclerosis (MS) progression remains incompletely understood. While excess body mass at diagnosis is associated with disability progression, it is unclear how early-life and adult BMI jointly affect long-term outcomes. We aimed to investigate the separate and combined effects of BMI at age 20 and at diagnosis on MS progression.

Time Dependence of Outcomes in the SPCG-4 Randomized Trial Comparing Radical Prostatectomy and Watchful Waiting in Early Prostate Cancer.

We synthesized life-long trends for outcome measures following radical prostatectomy or watchful waiting in the SPCG-4 trial, which randomized 695 patients with early prostate cancer to radical prostatectomy (RP) or watchful waiting (WW) from 1989 to 1999. We estimated trends in the relative risk of prostate cancer death, absolute risk reduction (ARR), number needed to treat (NNT), life-years gained, and changes in comorbidity following RP versus WW in the intention-to-treat population. During follow-up after randomization, cumulative prostate cancer mortality increased from 2.

Holistic approach in the valorization of fruit and vegetable by-products generated through processing and postharvest storage.

A large amount of fruit and vegetable waste is generated after harvest, during processing from the food industry and along the supply chain due to fresh produce quality deterioration. Fruit and vegetable waste may impact various sectors, such as the environment, economy, and society. In the last two decades, several studies have tried to mitigate the impact of fruit and vegetable waste by developing and optimizing extraction methods, targeting specific compounds without considering the value and further utilization of the remaining wet residue.

IgE clonality and aggregation of insulin affect IgE-mediated activation of sensitized basophils.

Background: Skin prick testing and specific IgE determination do not discriminate between sensitization and clinically relevant insulin allergic reactions, whereas the basophil histamine release assay has proven useful in identifying clinically relevant food and drug allergic reactions.

Objective: We investigated IgE-mediated allergic reactions to insulin by studying the effect of insulin dimerization, superstructures (aggregates), and IgE clonality on activation of sensitized basophils.

Methods: Three humanized IgE molecules directed against distinct insulin epitopes were developed, and basophils, alone or in combination, were sensitized with these antibodies.

Harnessing novel genetic markers for scald resistance from gene bank spring barley genotypes.

Background: Scald caused by Rhynchosporium graminicola is a common foliar disease affecting barley production worldwide. Identifying and utilizing scald resistance genes and quantitative trait loci (QTL) to develop barley cultivars with durable and effective resistance to scald is crucial.

Results: In the present study, we evaluated 275 spring barley genotypes together with 4 commercial check cultivars under controlled conditions and examined the underlying genetics of scald resistance in these genotypes.

Biodegradation, Bioassimilation and Recycling Properties of Wheat Gluten Foams.

Protein-based foams are potential sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based polymer foams in e.g. single-use products.

Review: Strategies for limiting dietary cadmium in cereals.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal, which in some production areas reaches levels above allowed limits in cereals. Thus, reducing its concentration in cereals is crucial for mitigating health risks and complying with food safety regulations. This review evaluates strategies to reduce Cd accumulation in cereal grains by mitigating soil Cd contamination and its bioavailability to plants.

Exploring the Diversity in Oil Content, Fatty Acid Profiles, and Seed Coat Color in Sudanese Sesame Germplasm: Implications for Breeding and Crop Improvement.

Sesame, a key oilseed crop, thrives in arid environments and offers high-quality oils. Sudan, a major producer and center of sesame genetic diversity, remains underutilized in breeding efforts. This study analyzed 87 Sudanese sesame accessions, revealing significant variations in oil content, fatty acid composition, and seed coat color.

Impact of lifestyle factors post-infectious mononucleosis on multiple sclerosis risk.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggest that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is crucial in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), with inadequate infection control possibly contributing to disease onset. Past infectious mononucleosis (IM) has been found to interact with smoking, obesity, and sun exposure. We aimed to investigate potential interactions between a history of IM and the following risk factors for MS: passive smoking, alcohol consumption, fish consumption, vitamin D status, adolescent sleep duration and sleep quality.

Impact of fish consumption on disability progression in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Emerging evidence indicates that diet, including fish consumption, may play a role in the development and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to investigate the influence of fish consumption on disability progression in MS.

Methods: Incident cases from the population-based case-control study Epidemiological Investigation of MS (n=2719), with data on fish intake and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) outcomes, were categorised by fish consumption and followed up to 15 years post-diagnosis through the Swedish MS registry.

Smoking and Obesity Interact to Adversely Affect Disease Progression and Cognitive Performance in Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: Smoking and obesity interact to exacerbate the risk of hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, but their potential synergistic effects on outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) have not been well studied. We aimed to study whether smoking and obesity interact to affect disease progression and cognitive function in patients with MS.

Methods: Incident cases from the population-based case-control study Epidemiological Investigation of MS (EIMS) were categorized by smoking and obesity status at diagnosis and followed up to 15 years postdiagnosis through the Swedish MS registry (n = 3336).

Calculation of continuous reference intervals for biological parameters exhibiting strong age-dependent level changes: Its application to glycosaminoglycans and sialic acid in urine.

Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and sialic acid (total and free) assays are used as first-line screening tests for the diagnosis of mucopolysaccharidoses and glycoproteinoses, respectively. There is a pronounced age-dependent variation in the urinary concentrations of these metabolites in the normal population, and the stratification of the reference values into discrete age ranges may lead to an undesirably high number of false-positive or false-negative results. The aim of this study was to design a method for calculating continuous reference intervals as a function of age and its application to the analysis of GAGs and sialic acid (total, free, and conjugated) in urine.

Glucose-sensitive insulin with attenuation of hypoglycaemia.

The risk of inducing hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) constitutes the main challenge associated with insulin therapy for diabetes. Insulin doses must be adjusted to ensure that blood glucose values are within the normal range, but matching insulin doses to fluctuating glucose levels is difficult because even a slightly higher insulin dose than needed can lead to a hypoglycaemic incidence, which can be anything from uncomfortable to life-threatening. It has therefore been a long-standing goal to engineer a glucose-sensitive insulin that can auto-adjust its bioactivity in a reversible manner according to ambient glucose levels to ultimately achieve better glycaemic control while lowering the risk of hypoglycaemia.

A bispecific antibody approach for the potential prophylactic treatment of inherited bleeding disorders.

Inherited bleeding disorders such as Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) lack prophylactic treatment options. As a result, serious bleeding episodes are treated acutely with blood product transfusions or frequent, repeated intravenous administration of recombinant activated coagulation factor VII (rFVIIa). Here we describe HMB-001, a bispecific antibody designed to bind and accumulate endogenous FVIIa and deliver it to sites of vascular injury by targeting it to the TREM (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells)-like transcript-1 (TLT-1) receptor that is selectively expressed on activated platelets.

Enhanced disulphide bond stability contributes to the once-weekly profile of insulin icodec.

Insulin icodec is a once-weekly insulin analogue that has a long half-life of approximately 7 days, making it suitable for once weekly dosing. The Insulin icodec molecule was developed based on the hypothesis that lowering insulin receptor affinity and introducing a strong albumin-binding moiety would result in a long insulin half-life, provided that non-receptor-mediated clearance is diminished. Here, we report an insulin clearance mechanism, resulting in the splitting of insulin molecules into its A-chain and B-chain by a thiol-disulphide exchange reaction.

Adolescent sleep patterns, genetic predisposition, and risk of multiple sclerosis.

Study Objectives: Shift work, insufficient sleep, and poor sleep quality at young age have been associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aimed to investigate the potential interaction between aspects of inadequate sleep (short sleep, phase shift, and poor sleep quality) during adolescence and HLA-DRB1*15:01 in relation to MS risk.

Methods: We used a Swedish population-based case-control study (1253 cases and 1766 controls).

Alien introgression to wheat for food security: functional and nutritional quality for novel products under climate change.

Crop yield and quality has increased globally during recent decades due to plant breeding, resulting in improved food security. However, climate change and shifts in human dietary habits and preferences display novel pressure on crop production to deliver enough quantity and quality to secure food for future generations. This review paper describes the current state-of-the-art and presents innovative approaches related to alien introgressions into wheat, focusing on aspects related to quality, functional characteristics, nutritional attributes, and development of novel food products.

A novel GH3-β-glucosidase from soda lake metagenomic libraries with desirable properties for biomass degradation.

Beta-glucosidases catalyze the hydrolysis of the glycosidic bonds of cellobiose, producing glucose, which is a rate-limiting step in cellulose biomass degradation. In industrial processes, β-glucosidases that are tolerant to glucose and stable under harsh industrial reaction conditions are required for efficient cellulose hydrolysis. In this study, we report the molecular cloning, Escherichia coli expression, and functional characterization of a β-glucosidase from the gene, CelGH3_f17, identified from metagenomics libraries of an Ethiopian soda lake.

Effects of multi-functional additives during foam extrusion of wheat gluten materials.

To broaden the range in structures and properties, and therefore the applicability of sustainable foams based on wheat gluten expanded with ammonium-bicarbonate, we show here how three naturally ocurring multifunctional additives affect their properties. Citric acid yields foams with the lowest density (porosity of ~50%) with mainly closed cells. Gallic acid acts as a radical scavenger, yielding the least crosslinked/ aggregated foam.

New Insights into the Bio-Chemical Changes in Wheat Induced by Cd and Drought: What Can We Learn on Cd Stress Using Neutron Imaging?

Cadmium (Cd) and drought stresses are becoming dominant in a changing climate. This study explored the impact of Cd and Cd + drought stress on durum wheat grown in soil and sand at two Cd levels. The physiological parameters were studied using classical methods, while the root architecture was explored using non-invasive neutron computed tomography (NCT) for the first time.

Chasing high and stable wheat grain mineral content: Mining diverse spring genotypes under induced drought stress.

Climate change-induced drought has an effect on the nutritional quality of wheat. Here, the impact of drought at different plant stages on mineral content in mature wheat was evaluated in 30 spring-wheat lines of diverse backgrounds (modern, old and wheat-rye-introgressions). Genotypes with rye chromosome 3R introgression showed a high accumulation of several important minerals, including Zn and Fe, and these also showed stability across drought conditions.

Head trauma results in manyfold increased risk of multiple sclerosis in genetically susceptible individuals.

Background: Large register-based studies have reported an association between head trauma and increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to investigate possible interactions between head trauma and MS-associated HLA genes in relation to MS risk.

Methods: We used a Swedish population-based case-control study (2807 incident cases, 5950 matched controls with HLA genotypes available for 2057 cases, 2887 controls).

Predictive validity of a selection instrument measuring resilience: The INSPIRE resilience scale.

Military personnel needs to be resilient to be able to remain effective, motivated, and in good mental and physical health. Military organizations select on resilience to determine whether candidates are psychologically fit for their job. The INSPIRE Resilience Scale (IRS) is such a selection instrument that aims to assess the psychological resilience potential of candidates in high-risk professions.

A thermostable organic solvent-tolerant lipase from sp.: production and integrated downstream processing using an alcohol-salt-based aqueous two-phase system.

Lipases are used for the synthesis of different compounds in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Most of the reactions are carried out in non-aqueous media and often at elevated temperature, requiring the use of organic solvent-tolerant thermostable lipases. However, most known lipases are not stable in the presence of organic solvents and at elevated temperature.