Establishing the sex-of-origin for beef products is an important consideration for distinguishing between endogenous and exogenous hormone sources. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was developed to determine the sex of store-bought beef products, which detected as little as 0.003% male in a female sample. Of the 213 store-bought beef steak and organ samples, 56% originated from males and 44% from females. Among ground beef samples (n = 108), 78.7% were mixed male/female, 16.7% were male, 3.7% were female contaminated with a low-level of male, and 0.9% were female. Liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry was used to quantify 12 endogenous or synthetic hormones/hormone growth promotants (HGP) in 517 beef samples. Meat, organs and adipose from steers implanted with HGP served as positive controls for sex genotype and hormone-treatments. Among all samples tested, two HGP (trenbolone, n = 2; and melengestrol acetate, MGA, n = 78) were detected. Two endogenous hormones that potentially originated from HGP, namely progesterone (P4; n = 140) and testosterone (n = 23), were also detected. MGA and P4 were highest in female samples (P < 0.0001), testosterone was highest in male samples (P < 0.05), while testosterone levels correlated with epitestosterone in male samples (R2 = 0.33). Based on the sexing of samples, all P4 and testosterone detections were almost certainly from endogenous sources. MGA was detected in seven male samples, two organic samples and six samples marketed as "Hormone Free", which was inconsistent with product usage guidelines or label claims. These results demonstrate the efficacy of qPCR for determining the sex of store-bought beef for identifying the origin of residual hormones.
Over six million students study abroad each year, and many experience culture shock. Engaging with a new food culture often changes eating habits, and dietary acculturation can be challenging for young people. However, little is known about this process among international students in the Nordic context and how it affects their health and well-being. This study aimed to explore the main challenges international students face concerning food choices and eating habits after encountering Norwegian food culture. Ten international students at a university in Southern Norway were interviewed using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Data were analysed using inductive codebook thematic analysis within an applied orientation. Five main themes were identified: food cost, missing the taste from home, food literacy, language barriers, and the social aspects of eating. Food cost was identified as the most significant challenge, possibly influencing food choices and eating habits, particularly among non-European students. International students in Norway face several food-related challenges similar to those reported elsewhere, which may negatively affect both their diet quality and their social and emotional well-being. These insights provide perspectives on practical, social, and emotional aspects of cultural adaptation, informing potential support measures for international students in the Nordic context.
One of the key factors contributing to poor health outcomes among women is the persistent prevalence of gender inequity, which relegates women to a marginalized position within their communities. This condition is reinforced by deeply rooted cultural traditions, particularly those associated with marriage, which impose long-lasting consequences on women's lives post-marriage. This paper draws from the authors' experiences conducting health research and health interventions in Nias Island, Indonesia. A total of 30 mothers with children under five, who participated in health education sessions, were interviewed six times. We also gathered information from mothers-in-law, husbands, midwives, and religious leaders in the study area. Through interactions with social agents from the Nias community, the study reveals the severe challenges faced by Nias women regarding their health, the neglect of their health priorities, and the formidable difficulties they encounter in escaping the constraints of norms that regulate both their thoughts and bodies. L'un des principaux facteurs contribuant aux mauvais résultats en matière de santé chez les femmes est la prévalence persistante des inégalités entre les sexes, qui les marginalise au sein de leurs communautés. Cette situation est renforcée par des traditions culturelles profondément ancrées, notamment celles liées au mariage, qui ont des conséquences durables sur la vie des femmes après le mariage. Cet article s'appuie sur l'expérience des auteurs en matière de recherche et d'interventions sanitaires sur l'île de Nias, en Indonésie. Trente mères d'enfants de moins de cinq ans, ayant participé à des séances d'éducation sanitaire, ont été interrogées à six reprises. Nous avons également recueilli des informations auprès de belles-mères, de maris, de sages-femmes et de chefs religieux de la zone d'étude. Grâce aux interactions avec les acteurs sociaux de la communauté de Nias, l'étude révèle les graves difficultés rencontrées par les femmes de Nias en matière de santé, la négligence de leurs priorités en matière de santé et les formidables difficultés qu'elles rencontrent pour échapper aux contraintes des normes qui régissent leurs pensées et leur corps.
Canada's health systems remain vulnerable to supply disruptions due to overreliance on globally sourced health products and limited visibility into domestic manufacturing capacity. This study presents an empirically tested, artificial intelligence-enabled search platform designed to automate the sourcing of health products from Canadian companies. The platform enables supply chain teams to efficiently identify Canadian suppliers for health products, overcoming the lack of awareness of Canadian manufacturers of health products, and builds a "Canada First" supply chain strategy. The platform has the potential to identify Canadian suppliers, reduce the burden of manual searches, support jurisdictions seeking to diversify Canadian sources and prioritize economic growth.
What makes persuasive messages effective: expressing attitudes, describing behaviors, or combining both? Across two preregistered experiments (total N = 1,506) and an internal meta-analysis, we compared attitudinal statements (e.g., “The car was good” or “I liked the car”), behavioral statements (e.g., “I bought the car” or “I intended to buy the car”), and combined attitudinal–behavioral statements (e.g., “The car was good, and I bought it,” or “I recommended buying the car”). Participants read positive or negative social media messages about various products and reported their attitudes, perceived norms, and behavioral intentions. Mixed-effects models revealed that combined attitudinal–behavioral statements had the strongest persuasive impact, attitudinal statements had a moderate impact, and behavioral statements had the weakest impact. These effects were mediated by mental simulation of behavior, generalized across higher- and lower-value products, and were confirmed in a network meta-analysis. These findings advance theory and application in communication by showing how integrating attitudinal and behavioral content enhances persuasion. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-026-44897-4.
Incorporation of peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT) into clinical practice is increasing, but the approaches used and reported outcomes vary. Our aim was to describe a volume-based dosing approach for OIT using store-bought peanut powder in a pediatric population and report initial outcomes. A standardized, volume-based OIT protocol using non-pharmaceutical-grade peanut powder was developed at a single academic center. Retrospective chart review was completed for patients (aged 8 months-18 years) who underwent single-food peanut OIT using this approach. OIT effectiveness was evaluated by determining the proportion of patients who (1) reached maintenance therapy and (2) tolerated a cumulative desensitization challenge using 6 g of peanut protein after 1 year of high-dose maintenance therapy. Tolerance to alternative peanut products with estimated equivalent peanut protein was also evaluated. Safety was assessed through clinical reporting of adverse reactions, retrospective assessment of severity of reaction symptoms, epinephrine use, and diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis. Of the 76 patients, 82% reached maintenance therapy. The 31 patients who achieved a high daily maintenance dose for at least 1 year completed a desensitization challenge; 94% demonstrated clinical tolerance. All patients challenged with equivalent doses of alternative peanut products were tolerant. The most common adverse symptoms were gastrointestinal symptoms (43%); 5 patients (6.6%) received treatment with epinephrine, and 1 patient (1.3%) was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis. A volume-based approach using store-bought peanut powder can be implemented in clinical practice for oral desensitization in pediatric patients with peanut allergy. Although mild adverse symptoms are common, patients can tolerate transitions between peanut products, and some tolerate desensitization challenge, allowing for limited dietary consumption.
Poor diet is a leading risk factor of non-communicable diseases. Product placement strategies in retail outlets can influence customers' food preferences. The United Kingdom government introduced legislation in October 2022 restricting chain retailers from using location promotions on unhealthy food and drinks. High-quality scientific evidence is needed to inform the inclusion of healthier product placement approaches into these regulations. In the context of Brexit, COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, this study assessed whether positioning an expanded fresh fruit and vegetable section near store entrances in discount supermarkets, which do not routinely market produce this way, improved store sales, household purchasing and diet. This natural experiment had a prospective matched controlled cluster design, involving 36 stores (18 intervention and 18 control) across England. The intervention was implemented continuously for 6 months. Control stores were matched on store sales, customer profiles and neighbourhood deprivation. Participants were women, aged 18-60 years, with loyalty cards and were assigned to their primary store (n = 280 intervention and n = 300 control). Weekly store sales and household data from loyalty cards were provided by the collaborating supermarket chain. Dietary quality, household food waste and demographic characteristics were collected through questionnaires. A process evaluation and economic evaluation were completed. Store-level sales of fruit and vegetables were greater in intervention stores than predicted at intervention implementation and 3 and 6 months' follow-up, equivalent to ≈ 2525, ≈ 1940 and ≈ 1450 extra portions per store per week, respectively. Effect sizes were somewhat stronger in stores where the produce section moved forwards more than 14 m. The proportion of households purchasing fruit and vegetables were somewhat protected among intervention compared to control participants after 3 and 6 months. Changes in dietary quality were small but generally in the expected direction for health benefit. Changes in frequency of household fruit and vegetable waste were negligible at 3 months' follow-up but increased at 6 months. The intervention was implemented according to the study protocol, with marked differences in the positioning of fresh fruit and vegetables between intervention and control stores post-intervention implementation. Fresh fruit and vegetable availability increased post intervention in intervention compared with control stores. Interviews with store staff demonstrated that changes in staff attitudes had a positive reinforcing effect on intervention implementation. Assessment of the policy context showed that stakeholders across the food system largely support the United Kingdom government's unhealthy placement ban; some felt it does not go far enough. This study shows that positioning produce sections near supermarket entrances can improve the nutrition profile of store sales and may improve household purchasing and diet. The United Kingdom Food (Promotion and Placement) Regulations could be refined to require a produce section near supermarket entrances to increase its health impact. Future research should continue to build the evidence for which healthy eating interventions are effective in retail outlets. Further evaluations of real-world supermarket intervention studies using robust scientific study designs are required, alongside process and economic evaluations, to provide evidence for policy intervention to improve retail food environments in the United Kingdom and internationally. This synopsis presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme as award number 17/44/46. Supermarkets are a major source of food for families. Discount supermarkets have less-healthy environments than other supermarkets and are used more by families living on lower incomes. We worked with a United Kingdom discount supermarket chain to assess if moving a bigger fresh fruit and vegetable section near store entrances improves what people buy. A total of 580 women aged 18–60 years who regularly shopped at one of 36 stores (18 with changes and 18 with no changes) across England took part. Women did a survey over the phone four times (once before the change in layout and 1, 3 and 6 months after). The survey asked about the foods they and their young children (aged 2–6 years) usually ate, where they shopped for food and how much they spent each week, as well as their age, number of children and highest educational qualification. Information about the food each woman bought from loyalty card data and the total sales of fruit and vegetables for each store in the study was given by the supermarket. We found that the sales of fruit and vegetables were higher in stores where they had been moved to the front when compared to stores where they remained at the back of the store, though the size of the impact decreased over time. We found that during the time of Brexit, COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, all families bought fewer fruit and vegetables over time. Families who shopped mostly at study stores with fruit and vegetables near the front entrance had a smaller decline in fruit and vegetable purchases than families who shopped at stores with fruit and vegetables towards the back. Our study provides new information that governments could use to make all supermarkets place fruit and vegetables near the front of their stores so people buy and eat more fresh produce.
Malnutrition remains persistent among female smallholder farmers who produce most of the food consumed in Uganda; yet, information on their food environment is limited. We tested the hypothesis that rural female smallholder farmers rely mostly on the food they produce for their dietary intake. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 386 female smallholder farmers of reproductive in Mpigi district, Central Uganda. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24-hour recall, producing the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) score, and facets of the food environment were assessed using self-reported perceptions and a seven-day food frequency questionnaire. The cost, and sources of the consumed foods were also assessed. The food-environment predictors of MDD-W were analyzed using binary logistic regression in Stata 15. Results revealed that less than half of the respondents, 43.3% (n = 167) met the MDD-W, whereas 56.7% (n = 219) did not. The respondents primarily depended on a bought food environment from which they obtained an average of 6.5 (± 2.9) food items compared to their own production 4.5 (± 2.4). Every household spent an average of United States Dollars (USD) 8.5 (± 7.9) to buy food in the seven days preceding the study. The odds that a woman met the MDD-W increased by 18% (p = 0.00) if they bought food, by 13% (p = 0.01) if they obtained food through their home-stead production, and by 4% (p = 0.00) if they had any positive or negative perceptions on physical access to food. Compared with their own production, female smallholder farmers in rural areas like Mpigi depend more on the bought food environment for their dietary intake. Innovations that enhance physical and economic access to diverse diets, promote both diverse production and purchase alongside social behavior change communication, are recommended to improve the dietary diversity of female smallholder farmers in Mpigi. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40795-025-01198-9.
During the course of orthodontic treatment, a proper hygiene protocol is advised to all patients. Maintenance of oral hygiene prevents potential damage to hard tissue along with soft tissue. Despite preventive oral hygiene measures during fixed orthodontic therapy, some patients develop white spot lesions (WSL), compromising aesthetics and posing a potential risk of developing a carious lesion. Tooth remineralisation using calcium, fluoride, phosphate and other biocompatible agents is a potential solution. This study aimed to compare the remineralising potential of Remin Pro (hydroxyapatite), Sensodyne Pronamel (sodium fluoride) and Pur O3 Olive (ozonated olive oil) on artificially created WSLs using quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) and polarised light microscopy (PLM). An in vitro study was conducted over 1 year using 75 extracted premolars, divided into three groups (n = 25). Artificial carious lesions were created with a demineralising solution, followed by a 21-day pH cycling regime with respective agents. QLF assessed lesion volume (∆Q), fluorescence loss (∆F) and maximum fluorescence loss (∆F Max), while PLM was used to evaluate the enamel subsurface changes qualitatively. Statistically significant improvements were noted in ∆Q, ∆F and ∆F Max across all groups (P <0.001). Intergroup comparison revealed highly significant changes from pre-test to post-test (P = 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in treatment effect between Remin Pro and Pur O3 Olive. Remin Pro demonstrated greater remineralisation potential compared to Sensodyne Pronamel and Pur O3 Olive under in vitro conditions. There was no statistically significant difference in treatment effect between Remin Pro and Pur O3 Olive. Ozonated olive oil compared to shop bought toothpastes for repairing white spot lesions (WSLs) after orthodontic treatment.Why was the study done?Fixed braces are used to straighten teeth and improve how they work. However, even when people keep their teeth clean, early tooth decay can happen. This is seen as white or brown marks or white spot lesions (WSLs) on the surface of the teeth. These spots can affect the look of the teeth after the braces are removed. Dentists and researchers are looking for the best ways to repair or “remineralise” these spots before they become holes that need filling. It is known that ozonated olive oil kills the bacteria that cause tooth decay. The aim of this study was to find out how well ozonated olive oil repaired the white spots compared to toothpastes that you can easily buy.What did the researchers do?The research team used 75 human side teeth (premolars) that had already been taken out. The researchers made WSLs on the teeth in the lab. The teeth were then treated for 21 days with one the three products, namely Remin Pro and Sensodyne Pronamel toothpastes or Pur O3 Olive. They used a method to copy the condition in a person’s mouth during daily eating and drinking. To measure the effects of each product, two methods were used:• Quantitative Light-Induced Fluorescence (QLF) – this uses a blue light to show how much the tooth surface had improved or lost further minerals.• Polarised Light Microscopy (PLM) – to look at the tooth structure under a microscope and assess how deep the white spots were and whether they had healed.What did the researchers find?All three treatments helped to improve the white spots. However:• Remin Pro and Pur O3 Olive were better than Sensodyne Pronamel in repairing the enamel.• There was no difference between Remin Pro and Pur O3 Olive, suggesting both are good choices.What do the findings mean?If you have white spots on your teeth after wearing braces, you might benefit more from using products like Remin Pro or ozonated olive oil than from using Sensodyne Pronamel. These treatments appear to better at helping to repair the enamel and reduce the white spot size.
The popularity of over-the-counter (OTC) supplements has led to their increased utilization among patients for kidney stone management.9,11 However, a more thorough understanding of the ingredients in OTC supplements marketed to treat nephrolithiasis is needed. These supplements are often bought online, given the substantial increase in online information and shopping in the past decade. Therefore, it is also important to evaluate public interest and the reliability of online information for these purportedly antilithogenic ingredients. The best-selling supplements marketed to treat kidney stones on Amazon.com were compiled to identify the most common ingredients. A literature review was completed to assess clinical support for common ingredients. BuzzSumo software was used to quantify online engagement with articles on each ingredient, as well as the overall topic of alternative treatments for kidney stones. Articles were evaluated for reliability using the DISCERN tool. Ion chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to assess oxalate content in the most commonly found ingredients in OTC kidney stone supplements. Evidence for stone prevention for the most common supplement ingredients was limited or lacking altogether, based on literature review. Public interest in supplement ingredients was between 2-fold and 10-fold greater than potassium citrate, a commonly prescribed stone prevention medication. Online articles for all ingredients showed poor reliability. Oxalate analysis showed chanca piedra, turmeric, and cinnamon contained 8.2, 8.6, and 14.0 mg oxalate per dose. These findings suggest that patients and providers should exercise caution while using OTC supplements for stone management, and that additional investigations of the composition and clinical efficacy of these ingredients are needed.
It is critical to understand the characteristics of people who use cannabis during pregnancy. We examined the prevalence and sociodemographic and clinical correlates of current, recent, former, and never cannabis use among pregnant individuals in the U.S. We analyzed pooled data from 1,992 pregnant participants in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2021 to 2023. We used multinomial regression to identify correlates of cannabis use status (i.e., never use vs. current [past 30-day], recent [past 2-12-month], and former [nonuse in the past year], respectively). Overall, nearly 7% of pregnant participants reported current cannabis use. Among current users, 31% reported any doctor-recommended cannabis use in the past year and 52% bought their cannabis from a dispensary. Compared to never users, current cannabis use was more likely among those aged 18-25 (vs. 26+; Relative Risk Ratio [RRR] = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.04-4.18), unmarried (vs. married; RRR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.05-6.14), with greater education (vs. < high school; RRR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.42-6.23), past 30-day cigarette use (RRR = 2.57, 95% CI: 1.11-5.94), alcohol use (RRR = 7.24, 95% CI: 1.52-34.49), e-cigarette use (RRR = 4.92, 95% CI: 1.71-14.10), or serious psychological distress (RRR = 6.25, 95% CI: 2.46-15.85); current use was less likely among those perceiving some risk of weekly cannabis use (vs. no risk; RRR = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.03-0.14). Recent use (vs. never use) was less likely in states where cannabis was illegal (RRR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.22-0.95). Cannabis use during pregnancy remains high among certain subgroups. Future research should develop tailored interventions targeting motivations of cannabis use during pregnancy, such as risk perceptions and polysubstance use, which negatively impact maternal and fetal health.
Around 95% of all websites selling medicines globally are illegal and contribute to the spread of substandard and falsified medicines. Hence, it is important to identify legal pharmacies when accessing medicines online. During 2022-2024, 250 million prescriptions were legally dispensed in Sweden, and 69% were prescribed in primary care. Pharmacists and general practitioners are key healthcare professionals who can guide people to safe online purchases. The overall aim was to describe Swedes' online purchasing habits for medicines. We used a cross-sectional design and collected information from the general population through an annual digital questionnaire for three years in a row, 2022-2024. In total, 6006 respondents, 18-79 years old, were included. Fifty-two percent had bought medicines online in the last year. Most respondents, 91%, did not recognise the common EU logo mandatory for authorised online pharmacies. People buying over-the-counter medicines online were significantly younger than those buying prescription-only medicines online. Female gender and higher level of education were associated with more online purchases of medicines. Most respondents' purchasing habits were not influenced by external factors. Reasons for increased online purchases were, for example, that it helps planning regarding access to treatment. Half of the study participants have used online pharmacies, but fewer than 10% know how to identify a safe online pharmacy, i.e. many are at risk for fraud. Increasing this knowledge by informing those who prefer online purchases has the possibility to use the advantages and avoid the risks associated with online purchases of medicines.
Peanut allergy is the most common food allergy in Australian school-aged children and is rarely outgrown. Access to oral immunotherapy (OIT), a disease-modifying treatment for food allergy, is limited in many regions of the world, including Australia. Clinical trials show high rates of allergic desensitisation and remission are being achieved, particularly in young children, but significant variability in protocols and implementation prevents large-scale evaluation of clinical and patient-reported safety, effectiveness and long-term outcomes. A standardised national model of care OIT program has not been previously attempted. In Australia, the National Allergy Centre of Excellence partnered with 10 paediatric hospitals to develop and implement the ADAPT OIT Program, which aims to change the trajectory from 'Allergy Development to an Accelerated Pathway to Tolerance'. The Program was designed after extensive international expert and consumer consultation, and attempts to be pragmatic, feasible by using existing resources, and equitable, with out-of-pocket costs to families limited to the purchase of the OIT product, store-bought peanut flour. In July 2024, the ADAPT OIT Program was launched. Infants were considered if they had a history consistent with an IgE-mediated allergic reaction to peanut < 12 months of age and evidence of sensitisation (peanut SPT ≥ 3 mm; peanut sIgE or ara h 2 sIgE ≥ 0.35kUA/L). A threshold oral food challenge (OFC) was done to confirm a diagnosis of peanut allergy using teaspoon measures (1/64th, 1/32nd, 1/16th, 1/8th, ¼, ½, 1 tsp. peanut flour, cumulative dose of 2435 mg peanut protein), and to determine the OIT starting dose unless the index reaction was a CoFAR Grade 3+. In this case, infants started OIT with a microdose escalation commencing with a red microspoon of peanut flour (3 mg peanut protein) up to a maximum of 1/64th tsp. (15 mg). Up-dose stage visits were conducted every 4 weeks until the maintenance stage was achieved (1/2 tsp. of peanut flour: 650 mg peanut protein). After 2 years of OIT, infants had an 8-week period of strict peanut avoidance followed by an OFC to assess for sustained unresponsiveness (SU). Infants were followed up for a minimum of 12 months post SU OFC. The ADAPT OIT Program aims to make best-practice peanut OIT accessible to a significant proportion of infants with peanut allergy in Australia. Under a national standardised model, with rigorous and timely evaluation, the Program design enables optimisation over time for maximal impact.
Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is among the best strategies for reducing harms associated with illegal opioid use, yet it is hindered by low rates of treatment initiation and retention that limit its impact. There has been a lack of studies that describe how people who use illegal opioids use methadone-both from opioid treatment programs, and bought illegally-over time, or what factors correlate with long-term participation in MMT. We collected monthly survey data from N = 412 people who use illicit opioids in New York City from April 2019-2022. We used bivariate analyses to estimate the distribution of baseline sociodemographic and background characteristics. Multinomial logistic regression was then used to estimate the association between those characteristics and methadone use over time. Findings show that people who are older, who used heroin for longer amounts of time, and who had multiple episodes of substance use disorder treatment other than medication for opioid use disorder are more likely to use MMT consistently over time. Our findings may be related to the many barriers to long-term participation in MMT, such as travel distance, the need for regular attendance, and patients' dissatisfaction with opioid treatment programs. Consistent participation in MMT may become acceptable only when the difficulties and burdens of criminalized drug use begin to outweigh those of MMT participation, and after non-medication-using treatments have already been tried. Efforts to make MMT less burdensome could reduce the tendency to avoid MMT until later in life and improve people's consistency of participation over time. • Our data show that people who are older, who used heroin for longer amounts of time, and who had multiple non-MOUD Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment experiences are more likely to use MMT consistently over time.• Findings suggest a trajectory or life-history model of MMT usage whereby people engage with treatment more consistently over time and through the accumulation of certain experiences, including non-MOUD SUD treatment episodes.• Long-term participation in MMT may only become acceptable over time as the difficulties and burdens of criminalized drug use are perceived to outweigh those imposed by MMT participation.
Anabolic androgenic steroids play a key role in many important biological processes in human body. One of them is the control and enhancement of muscle growth, and, for this reason, they are closely connected with doping in professional sport. Various steroid-containing preparations have also become popular among amateur sportsmen and bodybuilders as their availability is highly facilitated by an easy access to the Internet, where they can be bought easily and anonymously. Preparations from such unofficial sources, however, can have uncertain composition, and their excessive usage may be harmful to health. It is thus important to seek reliable and fast analytical approaches for the identification and profiling of steroid-containing samples from various suspicious sources to be able to efficiently fight the illegal spread of potentially life-threatening preparations. In the presented work, a combination of two IR spectroscopy techniques and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) was used to analyse several medicines from various unofficial Internet sources and police seizures that allegedly contained anabolic steroids. It turned out that this relatively cheap, user-friendly and fast framework enabled an interesting and reliable tool for the preliminary classification of suspicious pharmaceutical samples in forms of tablets and oil solutions. While IR spectroscopy is often used in forensic practice, application of ECD presents a new interesting approach that advantageously complements the information about the analysed samples, for instance the absolute configuration of the active substances.
Medical cannabis (MC) is used by 1 in 3 patients with cancer. Scientific work suggests a disconnect between patients' cannabis therapeutics practices and oncologists' clinical preferences. This qualitative study explores the preferences of patients with cancer as they relate to MC formulations, administration routes, and dosing. Semistructured interviews were conducted with patients with cancer consuming MC in 8 states and examined using thematic analysis. Among study participants (N = 24), the mean age was 54 years, 67% were female, and 51% had metastatic disease. A powerful theme identified across interviews was of myriad MC dispensary product formulations, triggering astonishment and burden. Common strategies among participants included purchasing and sampling multiple store-bought formulations, modifying dispensary products, and altering intended routes of administration. Preferred dispensary products were not consistently available. Top-cited modes of administration included oral, followed by topical, sublingual, vaporization, combustion, and rectal suppository. Three-quarters of participants alternated between modes. Medical cannabis dosing imprecision represented another powerful theme due to the lack of dispensary quality assurance and accuracy in home measurements. This investigation suggests that MC preparations, dosing, and administration routes vary among patients with cancer, and that common consumption patterns (for instance, reliance on multiple routes of cannabis administration) are not rooted in science. Although these findings should be further interrogated, they suggest a need for lay-facing cannabis therapeutics education and standardization of dispensary products to strengthen cannabis-related care.
Oils containing cannabidiol (CBD) produced from Cannabis sativa L. became popular due to their health benefits. They contain not only known but also unknown active compounds. Hence, for the first time, an effect-directed non-target screening of 13 CBD oils for hazardous compounds was performed using high-performance thin-layer chromatography coupled with highly efficient duplex and multiplex planar bioassays, providing 13 different biological or toxicological endpoints. Antimicrobial (against Gram-positive/-negative bacteria), anti-/estrogenic, anti-/androgenic, cytotoxic (against Saccharomyces and three different Salmonella strains), neurotoxic/-modulating, genotoxic, and mutagenic compounds were found in the CBD oils. Selected hazardous substance zones were automatically eluted from the chromatogram and analyzed by high-resolution mass spectrometry. The tentatively assigned hazardous substances were bought as reference standards, co-analyzed, and confirmed to be various cannabinoids, assumedly oxidized acylglycerides, the estrogenic contaminants dibutyl phthalate and diisobutyl phthalate, and the estrogenic and mutagenic mycotoxin zearalenone, including metabolites. For more sustainability, the CBD oil analysis was successfully performed with the miniaturized open-source 2LabsToGo-Eco, which makes effect-directed non-target screening affordable for everyone.
Optimising nutrition during lactation is critical for the mother and infant. The relationship between fermented food consumption and the mother's gut microbiota and nutritional and inflammation status is unknown. Mageu is a fermented grain commonly consumed in Southern Africa. We randomised South African mothers to consume a live-culture mageu, pasteurised store-bought mageu or no mageu from 4 to 10 weeks postpartum. Clinical and dietary data, stool microbiota and nutritional and inflammatory biomarkers were assessed until week 15. Plant protein intake was higher among mageu users than non-users. Live-culture mageu increased gut α-diversity from weeks 4 to 10. Circulating ferritin was lower among live-culture mageu users at week 10 compared with non-users. In systems analyses, mageu intake was associated with distinct bacterial, inflammatory and nutritional signatures, primarily driven by interleukin (IL)-6, ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor and Eubacterium hallii. These results suggest that mageu has benefits for lactating mothers' gut health and, therefore, possibly their infants.
Traditional markets are places where edible plants and animals are bought and sold for commercial purposes and/or for human animal consumption. Studies on food biodiversity in markets in the Yucatán Peninsula (YP) are limited or non-existent. Therefore, the principle objectives of this study has been to compile a taxonomically verified inventory of edible plant taxa traded in traditional markets of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, and classify them by culinary category and origin (native vs. exotic); and quantify how product richness and availability are structured across market stalls and states of YP. Semi-structured surveys were conducted among vendors in 10 YP markets to identify, based on culinary classification, the fruits, vegetables, roots, or tubers sold there. A total of 117 taxa (76 species, two subspecies, five varieties, and three hybrids) belonging to 61 genera and 33 botanical families were reported. The botanical origin of these taxa, 14 native and 103 exotic. The culinary classification identified 51 fruits, 44 vegetables, 10 legumes, seven roots or tubers, and five aromatic plants. Fruits and vegetables were the most important part of the commercial offering in the YP, due to the population's dietary preferences. However, a low demand for roots, tubers, legumes, and aromatic plants were observed, most possibly due to the changes in eating habits, the industrialization of consumption, and/or limited access to these products; demonstrating a supply focused on everyday products needs and a high local demand.