The influence of Mediterranean diet in acne pathogenesis and the correlation with insulin-like growth factor-1 serum levels: implications and results

Acne is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit and its etiology is complex and multifactorial. The role of the diet in its pathogenesis is still debated. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between MD and IGF-1 in acne patients and, as secondary objective, the role of systemic treatment on IGF-1 serum levels, in accordance to the patients’ diet. This study included 35 patients aged 14-30 years affected by acne and treated in line with the EDF guidelines. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on a questionnaire score assessing the adherence to the Mediterranean diet: the Mediterranean Group (score ≥ 6) and the Western Group (score < 5). IGF-1 serum levels were measured in all patients before and after treatment and then compared to healthy population. IGF-1 levels were higher in patients than in controls and in the Western group than in the Mediterranean group. We speculate that the Mediterranean diet can have a protective role in the pathogenesis of acne by acting on the systemic route of IGF-1.

The Good, the Bad, and the Red: Implicit Color-Valence Associations Across Cultures

Cultural differences—as well as similarities—have been found in explicit color-emotion associations between Chinese and Western populations. However, implicit associations in a cross-cultural context remain an understudied topic, despite their sensitivity to more implicit knowledge. Moreover, they can be used to study color systems—that is, emotional associations with one color in the context of an opposed one. Therefore, we tested the influence of two different color oppositions on affective stimulus categorization: red versus green and red versus white, in two experiments. In Experiment 1, stimuli comprised positive and negative words, and participants from the West (Austria/Germany), and the East (Mainland China, Macau) were tested in their native languages. The Western group showed a significantly stronger color-valence interaction effect than the Mainland Chinese (but not the Macanese) group for red-green but not for red-white opposition. To explore color-valence interaction effects independently of word stimulus differences between participant groups, we used affective silhouettes instead of words in Experiment 2. Again, the Western group showed a significantly stronger color-valence interaction than the Chinese group in red-green opposition, while effects in red-white opposition did not differ between cultures. Our findings complement those from explicit association research in an unexpected manner: Where explicit measures showed similarities between cultures (associations for red and green), our results revealed differences; and where explicit measures showed differences (associations with white), our results showed similarities, underlining the value of applying comprehensive measures in cross-cultural research on cross-modal associations.

Rutile Mineral Chemistry and Zr-in-Rutile Thermometry in Provenance Study of Albian (Uppermost Lower Cretaceous) Terrigenous Quartz Sands and Sandstones in Southern Extra-Carpathian Poland

The geochemistry of detrital rutile grains, which are extremely resistant to weathering, was used in a provenance study of the transgressive Albian quartz sands in the southern part of extra-Carpathian Poland. Rutile grains were sampled from eight outcrops and four boreholes located on the Miechów, Szydłowiec, and Puławy Segments. The crystallization temperatures of the rutile grains, calculated using a Zr-in-rutile geothermometer, allowed for the division of the study area into three parts: western, central, and eastern. The western group of samples, located in the Miechów Segment, is characterized by a polymodal distribution of rutile crystallization temperatures (700–800 °C; 550–600 °C, and c. 900 °C) with a significant predominance of high-temperature forms, and with a clear prevalence of metapelitic over metamafic rutile. The eastern group of samples, corresponding to the Lublin Area, is monomodal and their crystallization temperatures peak at 550–600 °C. The contents of metapelitic to metamafic rutile in the study area are comparable. The central group of rutile samples with bimodal distribution (550–600 °C and 850–950 °C) most likely represents a mixing zone, with a visible influence from the western and, to a lesser extent, the eastern group. The most probable source area for the western and the central groups seems to be granulite and high-temperature eclogite facies rocks from the Bohemian Massif. The most probable source area for the eastern group of rutiles seems to be amphibolites and low temperature eclogite facies rocks, probably derived from the southern part of the Baltic Shield.

Data-Driven Dietary Patterns, Nutrient Intake and Body Weight Status in a Cross-Section of Singaporean Children Aged 6–12 Years

Pattern analysis of children’s diet may provide insights into chronic disease risk in adolescence and adulthood. This study aimed to assess dietary patterns of young Singaporean children using cluster analysis. An existing dataset included 15,820 items consumed by 561 participants (aged 6–12 years) over 2 days of dietary recall. Thirty-seven food groups were defined and expressed as a percentage contribution of total energy. Dietary patterns were identified using k-means cluster analysis. Three clusters were identified, “Western”, “Convenience” and “Local/hawker”, none of which were defined by more prudent dietary choices. The “Convenience” cluster group had the lowest total energy intake (mean 85.8 ± SD 25.3% of Average Requirement for Energy) compared to the other groups (95.4 ± 25.9% for “Western” and 93.4 ± 25.3% for “Local/hawker”, p < 0.001) but also had the lowest calcium intake (66.3 ± 34.7% of Recommended Dietary Allowance), similar to intake in the “Local/hawker” group (69.5 ± 38.9%) but less than the “Western” group (82.8 ± 36.1%, p < 0.001). These findings highlight the need for longitudinal analysis of dietary habit in younger Singaporeans in order to better define public health messaging targeted at reducing risk of major noncommunicable disease.

Marine algal flora of Flores and Corvo Islands, Azores

The algal flora of the western group of the Azores archipelago (Islands of Flores and Corvo) has attracted the interest of many researchers on numerous past occasions (such as Drouet 1866, Trelease 1897, Gain 1914, Schmidt 1929, Schmidt 1931, Azevedo et al. 1990, Fralick and Hehre 1990, Neto and Azevedo 1990, Neto and Baldwin 1990, Neto 1996, Neto 1997, Neto 1999, Tittley and Neto 1996, Tittley and Neto 2000, Tittley and Neto 2005, Tittley and Neto 2006, Azevedo 1998, Azevedo 1999, Tittley et al. 1998, Dionísio et al. 2008, Neto et al. 2008). Despite this interest, the macroalgal flora of the Islands cannot be described as well-known with the published information reflecting limited collections preformed in short-term visits by scientists. To overcome this, a thorough investigation, encompassing collections and presence data recording, has been undertaken for both the littoral and sublittoral regions, down to a depth of approximately 40 m, covering a relatively large area on both Islands (approximately 143 km2 for Flores and 17 km2 for Corvo). This paper lists the resultant taxonomic records and provides information on species ecology and occurrence around both these Islands, thereby improving the knowledge of the Azorean macroalgal flora at both local and regional scales. For the Island of Flores, a total of 1687 specimens (including some taxa identified only to genus level) belonging to 196 taxa of macroalgae are registered, comprising 120 Rhodophyta, 35 Chlorophyta and 41 Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae). Of these taxa, 128 were identified to species level (80 Rhodophyta, 22 Chlorophyta and 26 Ochrophyta), encompassing 37 new records for the Island (20 Rhodophyta, 6 Chlorophyta and 11 Ochrophyta); two Macaronesian endemics (Laurencia viridis Gil-Rodríguez &amp; Haroun and Millerella tinerfensis (Seoane-Camba) S.M.Boo &amp; J.M.Rico); six introduced (the Rhodophyta Asparagopsis armata Harvey, Neoizziella divaricata (C.K.Tseng) S.-M.Lin, S.-Y.Yang &amp; Huisman and Symphyocladia marchantioides (Harvey) Falkenberg; the Chlorophyta Codium fragile subsp. fragile (Suringar) Hariot; and the Ochrophyta Hydroclathrus tilesii (Endlicher) Santiañez &amp; M.J.Wynne and Papenfussiella kuromo (Yendo) Inagaki); and 14 species of uncertain status (10 Rhodophyta, two Chlorophyta and two Ochrophyta). For the Island of Corvo, a total of 390 specimens distributed in 56 taxa of macroalgae are registered, comprising 30 Rhodophyta, nine Chlorophyta and 17 Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae). Whilst a number of taxa were identified only to the genus level, 43 were identified to species level (22 Rhodophyta, eight Chlorophyta and 13 Ochrophyta), comprising 22 new records for the Island (nine Rhodophyta, four Chlorophyta and nine Ochrophyta), two introduced species (the Rhodophyta Asparagopsis armata and the Chlorophyta Codium fragile subsp. fragile and seven species of uncertain status (five Rhodophyta and two Ochrophyta).

The Sabaki languages of Comoros

In this article we try to determine the internal and external cladistics of the four Bantu varieties in the Comoros archipelago. With internal cladistics we mean their mutual classification. Conventionally they are divided into two groups: the Eastern group composed of Shindzwani and Shimaore and the Western group composed of Shimwali and Shingazidja, our results point to a rather different classification.With external cladistics we mean the phylogenetic position of the Comorian languages with respect to the Sabaki and Makhuwa languages spoken along the South-Eastern coast of Africa. During the years consensus has been reached that Comorian Bantu languages belong to the Sabaki group, but they are different from Swahili, our findings confirm this conclusion.

Lactobacillus attenuates progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by lowering cholesterol and steatosis

Background/Aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely related to gut-microbiome. There is a paucity of research on which strains of gut microbiota affect the progression of NAFLD. This study explored the NAFLD-associated microbiome in humans and the role of Lactobacillus in the progression of NAFLD in mice.Methods: The gut microbiome was analyzed via next-generation sequencing in healthy people (n=37) and NAFLD patients with elevated liver enzymes (n=57). Six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were separated into six groups (n=10 per group; normal, Western, and four Western diet + strains [10⁹ colony-forming units/g for 8 weeks; L. acidophilus, L. fermentum, L. paracasei, and L. plantarum]). Liver/body weight ratio, liver pathology, serum analysis, and metagenomics in the mice were examined.Results: Compared to healthy subjects (1.6±4.3), NAFLD patients showed an elevated Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (25.0±29.0) and a reduced composition of Akkermansia and L. murinus (P<0.05). In the animal experiment, L. acidophilus group was associated with a significant reduction in liver/body weight ratio (5.5±0.4) compared to the Western group (6.2±0.6) (P<0.05). L. acidophilus (41.0±8.6), L. fermentum (44.3±12.6), and L. plantarum (39.0±7.6) groups showed decreased cholesterol levels compared to the Western group (85.7±8.6) (P<0.05). In comparison of steatosis, L. acidophilus (1.9±0.6), L. plantarum (2.4±0.7), and L. paracasei (2.0±0.9) groups showed significant improvement of steatosis compared to the Western group (2.6±0.5) (P<0.05).Conclusions: Ingestion of Lactobacillus, such as L. acidophilus, L. fermentum, and L. plantarum, ameliorates the progression of nonalcoholic steatosis by lowering cholesterol. The use of Lactobacillus can be considered as a useful strategy for the treatment of NAFLD.

Northwestern Europe

The Continental Germanic languages fall into a northern group including Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish, and a western group including Dutch, High German, Low German, West Frisian, Afrikaans, and Yiddish. This chapter gives an overview of the lexical tone accent systems that are found in languages of both groups; these appear to be unrelated, in view of the variable conditioning. Central properties of the stress systems are summarized, as are the main features of the intonation systems. In general, it would appear that intonation is more varied in the Continental West Germanic languages and its tonal varieties than in the Continental North Germanic languages.