The association between fish consumption and decreased risk of CVD is well documented. However, studies on health effects of fish consumption suggest that other components than n-3 PUFA have beneficial cardiometabolic effects, including effects on glucose metabolism. The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of salmon fish protein on cardiometabolic risk markers in a double-blind, randomised controlled parallel trial. We hypothesised that daily intake of a salmon fish protein supplement for 8 weeks would improve glucose tolerance in persons with increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Our primary outcome measure was serum glucose (s-glucose) 2 h after a standardised oral glucose tolerance test. In total, eighty-eight adults with elevated s-glucose levels were randomised to 7·5 g of salmon fish protein/d or placebo, and seventy-four participants were included in the analysis. We found no significant effect of salmon fish protein supplementation on our primary outcome or other markers related to glucose tolerance, serum lipids, weight or blood pressure compared with placebo. The present study does not support the hypothesis that daily intake of a salmon fish protein supplement for 8 weeks improves glucose tolerance in persons with increased risk of T2DM.

In the present study, an effective secondary selection of transgressive variants from a homozygous population of Pusa Sugandh 3 (PS3) has led to the development of basmati variant SKUA 494. SKUA 494 exhibited a grain yield (7.9 t/ha) with superiority of 21.5% over its progenitor (6.5 t/ha). Besides, the genotype revealed an earliness of about 13 and 15 days for flowering and maturity, respectively. Hulling, milling and head rice recovery traits of SKUA 494 were comparatively better over the controls PS3 and Pusa Basmati 1509. No significant differences in the cooking quality were observed in SKUA 494 over its parental line. Quality traits of SKUA 494 revealed an intermediate score for alkali spreading value, besides similar values for gel consistency and amylose content in comparison to PS3. On the basis of stability variables, stability index and overall mean for most of the traits, SKUA 494 depicted stable performance across the locations and over the years. Molecular analysis based on simple sequence repeat markers revealed polymorphism at locus flanking the quantitative trait loci for days to heading (Hd6) between SKUA 494 and its parent (PS3). Based on overall superiority in the performance and adaptability of SKUA 494, the variety has been recommended to farmers for general cultivation under temperate ecology.

The error-related negativity (ERN) is a negative deflection in the event-related potential occurring when individuals make mistakes, and is increased in children with internalizing psychopathology. We recently found that harsh parenting predicts a larger ERN in children, and recent work has suggested that variation in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene may moderate the impact of early life adversity. Parents and children completed measures of parenting when children were 3 years old (N = 201); 3 years later, the ERN was measured and diagnostic interviews as well as dimensional symptom measures were completed. We found that harsh parenting predicted an increased ERN only among children with a methionine allele of the BDNF genotype, and evidence of moderated mediation: the ERN mediated the relationship between parenting and internalizing diagnoses and dimensional symptoms only if children had a methionine allele. We tested this model with externalizing disorders, and found that harsh parenting predicted externalizing outcomes, but the ERN did not mediate this association. These findings suggest that harsh parenting predicts both externalizing and internalizing outcomes in children; however, this occurs through different pathways that uniquely implicate error-related brain activity in the development of internalizing disorders.

Immigrants and their children who return to their country of origin to visit friends and relatives (VFR) are at increased risk of acquiring infectious diseases compared to other travellers. VFR travel is an important disease control issue, as one quarter of Australia's population are foreign-born and one quarter of departing Australian international travellers are visiting friends and relatives. We conducted a 1-year prospective enhanced surveillance study in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia to determine the contribution of VFR travel to notifiable diseases associated with travel, including typhoid, paratyphoid, measles, hepatitis A, hepatitis E, malaria and chikungunya. Additional data on characteristics of international travel were collected. Recent international travel was reported by 180/222 (81%) enhanced surveillance cases, including all malaria, chikungunya and paratyphoid cases. The majority of cases who acquired infections during travel were immigrant Australians (96, 53%) or their Australian-born children (43, 24%). VFR travel was reported by 117 (65%) travel-associated cases, highest for typhoid (31/32, 97%). Cases of children (aged <18 years) (86%) were more frequently VFR travellers compared to adult travellers (57%, P < 0·001). VFR travel is an important contributor to imported disease in Australia. Communicable disease control strategies targeting these travellers, such as targeted health promotion, are likely to impact importation of these travel-related infections.

Preliminary work indicates that cognitive vulnerability to depression may be associated with variants of the serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and the valine to methionine at position 66 (val66met) polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene; however, existing reports come from small samples. The present study sought to replicate and extend this research in a sample of 375 community-dwelling children and their parents. Following a negative mood induction, children completed a self-referent encoding task tapping memory for positive and negative self-descriptive traits. Consistent with previous work, we found that children with at least one short variant of the 5-HTTLPR had enhanced memory for negative self-descriptive traits. The BDNF val66met polymorphism had no main effect but was moderated by maternal depression, such that children with a BDNF methionine allele had a heightened memory for negative self-descriptive traits when mothers had experienced depression during children's lifetimes; in contrast, children with a methionine allele had low recall of negative traits when mothers had no depression history. The findings provide further support for the notion that the 5-HTTLPR is associated with cognitive markers of depression vulnerability and that the BDNF methionine allele moderates children's sensitivity to contextual factors.

The dopamine active transporter 1 (DAT1) gene is implicated in psychopathology risk. Although the processes by which this gene exerts its effects on risk are poorly understood, a small body of research suggests that the DAT1 gene influences early emerging negative emotionality, a marker of children's psychopathology risk. As child negative emotionality evokes negative parenting practices, the DAT1 gene may also play a role in gene–environment correlations. To test this model, children (N = 365) were genotyped for the DAT1 gene and participated in standardized parent–child interaction tasks with their primary caregiver. The DAT1 gene 9-repeat variant was associated with child negative affect expressed toward the parent during parent–child interactions, and parents of children with a 9-repeat allele exhibited more hostility and lower guidance/engagement than parents of children without a 9-repeat allele. These gene–environment associations were partially mediated by child negative affect toward the parent. The findings implicate a specific polymorphism in eliciting negative parenting, suggesting that evocative associations play a role in elevating children's risk for emotional trajectories toward psychopathology risk.

We study convective motion in vertically vibrated three-dimensional granular beds by comparing the predictions of a model based on a hydrodynamic description to Navier–Stokes order with experimental results obtained using positron emission particle tracking (PEPT). The three-dimensional conservation equations relating mass, momentum and energy are solved using the finite element (FE) method for a viscous vibrofluidized bed by using only observable system parameters such as particle number, size, mass and coefficients of restitution. The mean velocity profiles from the viscous model show reasonable agreement with the experimental results at relatively low altitudes for the range of experimental values studied, though the velocity fields at higher altitudes were systematically underestimated by the model. We confirm that the convection rolls are influenced by the sidewall coefficient of restitution and demonstrate the scaling relationships that operate, where increasing amplitude of vibration leads to a reduction in the angular velocity of the rolls.

In late 2002, health professionals from the ministries of health and academia of Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Israel formed the Middle East Consortium on Infectious Disease Surveillance (MECIDS) to facilitate trans-border cooperation in response to infectious disease outbreaks. The first mission of MECIDS was to establish a regional, laboratory-based surveillance network on foodborne diseases. The development of harmonized methodologies and laboratory capacities, the establishment of a common platform of communication, data sharing and analysis and coordination of intervention steps when needed were agreed upon. Each of the three parties selected the microbiological laboratories that would form the network of sentinel laboratories and cover the different districts of each country and also designated one laboratory as the National Reference Laboratory (NRL). Data analysis units have been established to manage the data and serve as a central point of contact in each country. The MECIDS also selected a regional data analysis unit, the Cooperative Monitoring Centre (CMC) located in Amman, Jordan, and established a mechanism for sharing data from the national systems. Joint training courses were held on interventional epidemiology and laboratory technologies. Data collection started in July 2005 with surveillance of salmonellosis as the first target. This network of collaboration and communication established in an area of continuous dispute represents an important step towards assessing the burden of foodborne diseases in the region and is expected to be fundamental for coordination of public health interventions and prevention strategies.

Inbreeding coefficients were calculated from data on spouse relationships in a sample of 4833 marriages comprising 345 from three Nilotic tribes, 302 from two indigenous Negroid tribes, and 4186 from several Arab and other tribes. The average inbreeding coefficients were 0·0081 to 0·0145 in Nilotic tribes, 0·0251 to 0·0269 in indigenous Negroids, and 0·0286 to 0·0430 in Arab tribes. First cousin unions constituted about half of all the consanguineous marriages and the pattern of first cousin marriages was similar in all three groups. The inbreeding coefficient for the entire sample was 0·0317.

We present a rare case of unilateral anterior jugular venous phlebectasia in an 82-year-old female patient presenting as a soft cystic lump in the anterior aspect of the neck increasing in size during straining and valsalva manoeuvre. Although cases of internal and external jugular phlebectasia have been reported, as far as we are aware no case of anterior jugular phlebectasia has been reported in the literature previously.