scholarly journals Mass spectrometric analysis of digesta does not improve the allergenicity assessment of GM crops

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rod A. Herman ◽  
Patricia A. Bauman ◽  
Laurie Goodwin ◽  
Emir Islamovic ◽  
Eric H. Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Power ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Gm Crops ◽  
Spectrometric Analysis ◽  
Commercial Development ◽  
Gm Crop ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Assay Result ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Allergen Identification

AbstractAn investigation of the potential allergenicity of newly expressed proteins in genetically modified (GM) crops comprises part of the assessment of GM crop safety. However, allergenicity is not completely predictable from a definitive assay result or set of protein characteristics, and scientific opinions regarding the data that should be used to assess allergenicity are continuously evolving. Early studies supported a correlation between the stability of a protein exposed to digestive enzymes such as pepsin and the protein’s status as a potential allergen, but over time the conclusions of these earlier studies were not confirmed. Nonetheless, many regulatory authorities, including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), continue to require digestibility analyses as a component of GM crop risk assessments. Moreover, EFSA has recently investigated the use of mass spectrometry (MS), to make digestion assays more predictive of allergy risk, because it can detect and identify small undigested peptides. However, the utility of MS is questionable in this context, since known allergenic peptides are unlikely to exist in protein candidates intended for commercial development. These protein candidates are pre-screened by the same bioinformatics processes that are normally used to identify MS targets. Therefore, MS is not a standalone allergen identification method and also cannot be used to predict previously unknown allergenic epitopes. Thus, the suggested application of MS for analysis of digesta does not improve the poor predictive power of digestion assays in identifying allergenic risk.

scholarly journals Bayes Theorem and Protopathic Bias: Methodological Concerns When Addressing the Impact of Fetal Heart Rate Patterns on the Cesarean Section Rate

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (03) ◽  
pp. e342-e345
Author(s):  
Jacques Balayla ◽  
Ariane Lasry ◽  
Yaron Gil ◽  
Alexander Volodarsky-Perel
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Caesarean Section ◽  
Fetal Heart Rate ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Fetal Heart ◽  
Caesarean Section Rate ◽  
Bayes Theorem ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Clinical Scenarios ◽  
The Impact

AbstractOver the last 30 years, the caesarean section rate has reached global epidemic proportions. This trend is driven by multiple factors, an important one of which is the use and inconsistent interpretation of the electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) system. Despite its introduction in the 1960s, the EFM has not definitively improved neonatal outcomes, yet it has since significantly contributed to a seven-fold increase in the caesarean section rate. As we attempt to reduce the caesarean rates in the developed world, we should consider focusing on areas that have garnered little attention in the literature, such as physician sensitization to the poor predictive power of the EFM and the research method biases that are involved in studying the abnormal heart rate patterns—umbilical cord pH relationship. Herein, we apply Bayes theorem to different clinical scenarios to illustrate the poor predictive power of the EFM, as well as shed light on the principle of protopathic bias, which affects the classification of research outcomes among studies addressing the effects of the EFM on caesarean rates. We propose and discuss potential solutions to the aforementioned considerations, which include the re-examination of guidelines with which we interpret fetal heart rate patterns and the development of noninvasive technologies that evaluate fetal pH in real time.

scholarly journals Cardiopulmonary performance in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients—evaluation of pre-transplant risk assessments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonia Pahl ◽  
Sarah Waibel ◽  
Anja Wehrle ◽  
Gabriele Ihorst ◽  
Albert Gollhofer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Composition ◽  
Cell Transplantation ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Hematopoietic Cell ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Cardiopulmonary Performance

AbstractCardiopulmonary performance reflects how well different organ systems interact. It is inter alia influenced by body composition, determines patients’ quality of life and can also predict mortality. However, it is not yet used for risk prediction prior to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantations (alloHCT). Thus, we aimed to examine the predictive power of peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) as a representative of cardiopulmonary performance and that of body composition before alloHCT to determine overall survival (OS) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) 2 years after transplantation. We also compared it with the predictive power of four commonly-used risk scores: revised Pretransplant Assessment of Mortality (rPAM), Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-specific Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI), revised Disease Risk Index (rDRI), European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT). Fifty-nine patients performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test and body composition assessments before alloHCT and were observed for 2 years. Sixteen patients died. VO2peak and most risk scores assessed pre-transplant revealed no association with OS or NRM. Body composition parameters only within univariable analyses. But higher rDRI and the male sex, were associated with shorter OS and higher NRM. We thus propose that the current risk assessments be reconsidered. The predictive value of VO2peak and body composition need further clarification, however.

BRAZILIAN GMO REGULATION: DOES IT HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH?

2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (02) ◽  
pp. 1250013 ◽  
Author(s):  
DENISE GALLO PIZELLA ◽  
MARCELO PEREIRA DE SOUZA
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Risk Analysis ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Genetically Modified Crops ◽  
Gm Crops ◽  
Gm Crop ◽  
Institutional Issues ◽  
Institutional Aspects ◽  
Biosafety Evaluation

Brazil is the second largest producer of genetically modified crops (GM crops) and the National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio) the decision making agency on this matter. The country uses Risk Analysis (RA) and project EIA as tools for biosafety evaluation. This paper aims to review the appropriateness of these tools for evaluating the environmental impacts of GM crops, also considering institutional aspects. An overview of the process of release of GM crops in Brazil along with important operational and institutional aspects is provided. The results indicate that project EIA could be applied to GM crops in specific sites and RA could give support to the evaluation of GM crop itself. Regarding institutional issues, it is concluded that decisions should be made by the environmental bodies, and not by the CTNBio.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A METHOD FOR DIRECT MASS SPECTROMETRIC ANALYSIS OF BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES USING POROUS SAMPLERS

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-103
Author(s):  
R.E. Levin ◽  
◽  
M.A. Shamraeva ◽  
I.M. Larina ◽  
D.S. Bormotov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Samples ◽  
Biological Fluids ◽  
Storage Conditions ◽  
Spectrometric Analysis ◽  
Sample Collection ◽  
Mucous Membranes ◽  
The Status ◽  
Direct Mass Spectrometry ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Blood Spot

The paper presents a method for rapid multi-omics investigation of biological samples using polypropylene bulk porous samplers. The use of porous samplers makes it easy to collect samples from the surface of the skin, mucous membranes, and biological fluids even in a field, and the surfaces of wounds and injuries. Collected samples do not require special storage conditions, and the samplers are lightweight and very compact. They can be used to monitor the condition of cosmonauts before, during, and after the spaceflight with the same sample collection method. The analysis of biomaterial applied to the sampler is performed using direct mass spectrometry methods, similar to the dried blood spot technique that is already used in clinical practice. However, bulk porous samplers allow expanding the range of analytes ionization conditions, which increases the stability and reliability of the ionization process, which expands the variety of analyzed molecules. The proposed method can be used to study compounds of various classes, including proteins, lipids, and metabolites, to systematically monitor the status of people in extreme conditions (athletes, astronauts), or to study the condition of patients in the clinic.

scholarly journals The Effect of Genetically Modified Food on Infertility Indices: A Systematic Review Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parisa Keshani ◽  
Mohammad Hossein Sharifi ◽  
Mohammad Reza Heydari ◽  
Hassan Joulaei
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Sperm Motility ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Sperm Head ◽  
Gm Crops ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Gm Crop ◽  
Gm Plants ◽  
Sperm Abnormality

Background and Objectives. With the increase in the growth of genetically modified (GM) crops, concerns as to the adverse effects of GM crops have risen in the community. The present systematic review seeks to assess the GM plants’ potential impacts on the sperm parameters, including sperm head, sperm motility, sperm abnormality, and fertility index. Materials and Methods. A structured literature search was independently performed by three authors on Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase in January 2019. A total of 1467 publications were obtained by the search strategy after eliminating the duplicates. Moreover, the review only included articles written in English language. Other pertinent peer-reviewed publications were chosen (“snowballing”) from the reference lists in the selected publications. To assess the GM crop effects on infertility, experimental studies designed with the control group were selected. On the basis of abstract screening and full-text reviewing, 39 relevant publications were selected, seven of which were used in our review. To access the quality of articles, we used the Cochrane checklist. The collected articles were scored independently by three authors, and the publications with the eligibility criteria were included in our review. No article was excluded due to quality assessment. Results and Conclusion. Our findings indicated that GM products had no adverse effects on infertility indices such as the sperm head, sperm motility, sperm abnormality, and fertility indices. Long-term research still seems to be strongly necessary to ensure that the use of GM plants does not cause any harm to consumers, especially in infertility area.

Commitment among adjunct faculty

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1209-1220
Author(s):  
Heidi Reeder
Keyword(s):  
Adjunct Faculty ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Adjunct Instructors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Time Position ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeWithout the stability of tenure, adjunct faculty have few barriers to leave their position. The purpose of this article is to understand the variables that predict commitment among adjunct instructors.Design/methodology/approachThis paper statistically analyzed data from a survey completed by adjunct instructors at two 4-year universities. The survey included scales on commitment, satisfaction, investments, alternatives and the psychological concepts of grit and self-efficacy. In addition, a qualitative analysis was conducted on supplemental open-ended questions that allowed participants to describe the basis of their commitment.FindingsSatisfaction and investments were the main predictors of commitment and those together accounted for just over 50 percent of the variance. Grit and self-efficacy did not correlate with commitment, but did correlate with satisfaction and investments.Practical implicationsGiven the predictive power of satisfaction to explain commitment, understanding the specific rewards and costs experienced by this population can give administrators ideas for making the part-time position more appealing. Similarly, given the predictive power of investments, administrators might consider identifying avenues for adjunct faculty to contribute to the department and university in a meaningful and rewarding way.Originality/valueUniversities are increasingly dependent on adjunct instructors, so it is worthwhile to understand the experience of such faculty. This is best done through research, rather than relying on assumptions, stereotype or anecdotes.

scholarly journals Perception and Attitude toward GM Technology among Agribusiness Managers in China as Producers and as Consumers

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyan Deng ◽  
Ruifa Hu ◽  
Carl Pray ◽  
Yanhong Jin
Keyword(s):  
Regression Models ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Gm Crops ◽  
Special Interest Groups ◽  
Business Managers ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Gm Crop ◽  
Gm Food ◽  
Food Crop Production

China is one of the biggest consumers of genetically modified (GM) products, importing maize, soybeans and canola, and producing GM cotton. The cultivation of GM food crop, however, is still not permitted. Many studies argue that consumers’ attitude toward GM food safety is a major barrier to GM food crop production in China. Recent studies suggest that special interest groups such as biotechnology scientists with an economic interest in biotechnology are more supportive of the technology than groups with nothing to gain. Others believe that agribusiness groups influence the debate about GM food production. This is the first study that examined agribusiness managers’ attitudes toward GM biosafety and their support for GM crop production. The sample was 160 firms in the seed, pesticide, feed and food processing industries. We found most agribusiness leaders are concerned about GM food consumption and oppose GM crop production. Using regression models, we found business managers’ attitudes toward GM crop cultivation are more supportive if they expect to profit, if they are already using GM crops in their firm or are doing research on GM crops.

scholarly journals Optimizing the Use of Zebrafish Feeding Trials for the Safety Evaluation of Genetically Modified Crops

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Gabriëls ◽  
Lucia Vergauwen ◽  
Marthe De Boevre ◽  
Stefan Van Dongen ◽  
Ronny Blust ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Safety Evaluation ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Gm Crops ◽  
Equivalence Testing ◽  
Oral Toxicity ◽  
Gm Crop ◽  
Natural Response ◽  
Feeding Trials ◽  
Response Variation

In Europe, the toxicological safety of genetically modified (GM) crops is routinely evaluated using rodent feeding trials, originally designed for testing oral toxicity of chemical compounds. We aimed to develop and optimize methods for advancing the use of zebrafish feeding trials for the safety evaluation of GM crops, using maize as a case study. In a first step, we evaluated the effect of different maize substitution levels. Our results demonstrate the need for preliminary testing to assess potential feed component-related effects on the overall nutritional balance. Next, since a potential effect of a GM crop should ideally be interpreted relative to the natural response variation (i.e., the range of biological values that is considered normal for a particular endpoint) in order to assess the toxicological relevance, we established natural response variation datasets for various zebrafish endpoints. We applied equivalence testing to calculate threshold equivalence limits (ELs) based on the natural response variation as a method for quantifying the range within which a GM crop and its control are considered equivalent. Finally, our results illustrate that the use of commercial control diets (CCDs) and null segregant (NS) controls (helpful for assessing potential effects of the transformation process) would be valuable additions to GM safety assessment strategies.

scholarly journals Predicting delayed instabilities in viscoelastic solids

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (36) ◽  
pp. eabb2948
Author(s):  
Erez Y. Urbach ◽  
Efi Efrati
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Quantitative Agreement ◽  
Viscoelastic Solids ◽  
Predictive Tools ◽  
Viscoelastic Structure ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Elastic Strains

Determining the stability of a viscoelastic structure is a difficult task. Seemingly stable conformations of viscoelastic structures may gradually creep until their stability is lost, while a discernible creeping in viscoelastic solids does not necessarily lead to instability. In lieu of theoretical predictive tools for viscoelastic instabilities, we are presently limited to numerical simulation to predict future stability. In this work, we describe viscoelastic solids through a temporally evolving instantaneous reference metric with respect to which elastic strains are measured. We show that for incompressible viscoelastic solids, this transparent and intuitive description allows to reduce the question of future stability to static calculations. We demonstrate the predictive power of the approach by elucidating the subtle mechanism of delayed instability in thin elastomeric shells, showing quantitative agreement with experiments.

Analysis of the Stability of Current Mode PWM DC/DC Converter

2011 ◽  
Vol 143-144 ◽  
pp. 809-814
Author(s):  
Xiao Qiang Jia
Keyword(s):  
Duty Cycle ◽  
Current Mode ◽  
Compensation Circuit ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Slope Compensation ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Poor Stability

To address the poor Stability of current mode PWM DC / DC converter when duty cycle [5] is greater than 50%, by analyzing the converter, the design.of appropriate slope compensation circuit is given. And by Comparing the experimental waveform through simulation, it can effectively solve the converter poor stability and interference.of noise, if the slope compensation is appropriate.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document