The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) provides independent advice on nutrition and related health matters to UK government organisations. In keeping with its commitment to openness and transparency, SACN follows a set ‘Framework’ to ensure a prescribed and consistent approach is taken in all its evidence evaluations. Following an update of the SACN Framework in 2020, which addressed some straightforward issues, the SACN Framework subgroup was established in 2021 to consider more complex matters that were not addressed in the 2020 update. The SACN Framework subgroup considered 4 main topics for update: 1) the different types of evidence evaluations produced by SACN, 2) interpretation of statistical data, 3) tools for assessment of study quality, 4) tools to assess the certainty of a body of evidence for exposure-outcome relationships. The Framework subgroup agreed clear definitions and processes for the different types of evidence evaluations produced by SACN and agreed that interpretation of p values should be informed by consideration of study size, power and methodological quality. The subgroup recommended use of the AMSTAR 2 tool for quality assessment of evidence from systematic reviews and use of the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of evidence. The updated Framework was published in January 2023. This was followed by publication of a further update in October 2024. As a ‘living’ document, the Framework will be subject to regular review by the Framework subgroup and continue to evolve in line with best practice.

The Nova classification(1) categorises foods according to the degree of food processing. Ultra-processed food have undergone a high level of industrial processing and typically contain cosmetic additives(1). Increased consumption of ultra-processed food has been associated with adverse health outcomes, including obesity and chronic diseases(2). Evaluating household food acquisition according to the Nova classification allows the assessment of dietary quality within populations, a strategy of nutrition surveillance that can support the development of effective public health actions to improve dietary quality. In Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), there is limited up-to-date information on population dietary habits and a lack of data on ultra-processed food consumption. This study aimed to: i) develop a methodology to classify food items purchased by NZ households according to the Nova food groups: unprocessed/minimally processed foods (Group 1 [G1]), processed culinary ingredients (Group 2 [G2]), processed foods (Group 3 [G3]), and ultra-processed foods (Group 4 [G4]) and; ii) to describe the proportions of unique food items purchased according to Nova. We obtained data on food items purchased by NZ households from the 2019 NielsenIQ Homescan® panel, a national dataset of approximately 2,000 households who recorded their grocery purchases over 1-year. In total, 28,824 unique items were purchased. Using barcodes, we merged the products with the 2019 Nutritrack dataset, an inventory of NZ supermarkets foods(2), to obtain the products’ ingredient lists. We followed best practices for classification according to Nova(3). Where available, the ingredient lists were used to classify products. Of the total unique products, 13,263 (46%) were matched to Nutritrack and classified based on their ingredient lists. For the remaining 15,561 products (54%), we identified whole Nielsen product categories (PC) that were exclusively associated with a single Nova group. Items classified by PC level included rice, fresh fruits, eggs and coffee beans in G1; baking powder, liquid cooking oils and salt in G2; beer and wine in G3; and margarine, carbonated soft drinks and bubble gum in G4. An additional 6,398 products were identified at this stage, representing 41.1% of the total 15,561 products without ingredient lists. We classified the remaining 9,163 items (58.9% of those 15,561 without ingredient list) based on the distribution of Nova groups for the 60% most purchased items within their PC. If the ingredient list was absent for any item under the 60% most purchased group, it was obtained from a search of online supermarkets. The final unweighted distribution of unique products purchased in NZ according to the Nova classification were 5583 (21.7%) in G1, 671 (2.6%) in G2, 3043 (11.8%) in G3, and 16466 (63.9%) in G4. Further stages of the research will estimate the energy from Nova groups derived from household food purchases in NZ, examining socioeconomic distribution and temporal trends.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has a global initiative to eliminate industrially produced trans fatty acids (iTFAs) from the food supply (1). Formed via the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils to create hardened vegetable fat, iTFAs can be found in processed foods including fried foods and baked goods. Even small amounts of iTFAs can increase the risk of coronary heart disease. These can be successfully eliminated from the food supply with the WHO recommending a ban on partially hydrogenated oils or to limit iTFA in food to a maximum of 2% of total fat (1). As of June 2024, over 50 countries had one of these regulatory measures in place. The trans-Tasman Food Regulation System is considering policy options to ensure iTFAs are eliminated or reduced as much as possible from the food supply in Australia and New Zealand. Up to date data on the presence of iTFAs in the New Zealand food supply is needed to inform this work as this was last measured in New Zealand in 2007/09 for packaged food and 2013 for fast food. The aim of this survey was to determine the presence and levels of iTFAs in the New Zealand food supply. Since it is not possible to analytically quantify iTFA separately from trans-fats that occur naturally in food products of ruminant origin, such as dairy, beef and lamb products, the sampling plan was designed to target products likely to contain predominately iTFA and adapted from the WHO global protocol for measuring trans fatty acid profiles of foods(2) to the New Zealand context. The survey analysed the trans-fat content of 627 products across national supermarkets (275 products), international supermarkets specialising in imported foods (149 products) and ready-to-eat food outlets (203 products from three regions). One hundred and six products (16.9%) contained trans-fat that exceeded 2% of total fat. Twenty-five (4%) of these products were likely to contain predominately iTFA. The 25 products predominately containing iTFA included eight products from national supermarkets (mostly bakery products), nine products from international supermarkets (mostly curry pastes and biscuits) and eight products from ready-to-eat food outlets (all fried foods). The median trans-fat content of these 25 products was 3.2% of total fat (assumed to be all iTFA). Over a third of these products contained more than double the recommended WHO limit, with five products containing over four times the limit and one product containing more than 16 times the WHO limit. The remaining 81 products may contain some iTFA, but we were unable to quantify the amount. The results from this survey will be used by New Zealand Food Safety to inform the consideration of regulatory options for reducing iTFAs in foods in New Zealand.

Outbreaks of Rachiplusia nu have occurred on soybean in Brazil as the first species resistant to the Bt soybean expressing only Cry1Ac protein, triggering a significant increase in insecticide use on the crop. This threatens one of the most important benefits of adopting Bt soybean cultivars – the reduction of chemicals. Therefore, this research studied the biology and parasitism capacity of Trichogramma pretiosum at 20, 25, and 30 ± 2 °C on R. nu eggs in order to evaluate the potential of releasing this egg parasitoid in soybean to manage R. nu. Parasitoid exhibited high biological performance on the R. nu eggs as observed in the lifetime parasitism of 24.9, 46.4, and 34.4 R. nu eggs at 20, 25, and 30 °C, respectively, and 100% emergence in both biology and parasitism capacity experiments. The sex ratio was statistically lower at 20 °C (0.4947), but at all studied temperatures, the production of female descendants was equal (sex ratio of 0.4947 at 20 °C) or higher (sex ratio of 0.6666 at 25 °C and 0.6524 at 30 °C). All other evaluated parameters were similar to previously positive recorded observations for T. pretiosum on other soybean pests, such as Anticarsia gemmatalis and Chrysodeixis includens, against which the parasitoid has already been commercially released in the fields as a biocontrol option. Therefore, T. pretiosum might also be released in soybean as an egg parasitoid against R. nu, what needs to be confirmed in future field trials.

This study reports on a set of experiments designed to clarify the impact of the rotational transform on confinement quality at the TJ-II stellarator. For this purpose, the net plasma current is controlled using external coils, resulting in the modification of the rotational transform profile. Significant and systematic variations of the edge electron density gradients (up to $50\,\%{-}60\,\%$) and the plasma energy content ($20\,\%{-}30\,\%$) are achieved. The explanation of this behaviour relies on the placement of low-order rational surfaces in relation to the edge gradient region, which affect local turbulence fluctuation levels, facilitating the formation of zonal flows and concomitant transport barriers. This hypothesis is confirmed experimentally on the basis of a broad array of diagnostic measurements. Calculations based on a resistive magnetohydrodynamic turbulence model provide qualitative support for this hypothesis, clarifying the impact on confinement of specific rational surfaces and highlighting the complex nature of magnetically confined fusion plasmas.

Background: Efgartigimod, a human immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 antibody Fc fragment, blocks the neonatal Fc receptor, reducing IgGs involved in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). The multi-stage, double-blinded, placebo-controlled ADHERE (NCT04281472) and open-label extension ADHERE+ (NCT04280718) trials (interim analysis cutoff: February 16, 2024) assessed efgartigimod PH20 SC in participants with CIDP. Methods: Participants with active CIDP received open-label, weekly efgartigimod PH20 SC 1000 mg during ≤12-week run-in (stage-A). Responders were randomized (1:1) to efgartigimod or placebo for ≤48 weeks (stage-B). Participants with clinical deterioration in stage-B or who completed ADHERE entered ADHERE+. Week 36 changes from run-in baseline (CFB) in adjusted Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment (aINCAT), Inflammatory Rasch-built Overall Disability Scale (I-RODS), and grip strength scores were evaluated. Results: Of 322 stage-A participants, 221 were randomized and treated in stage-B, and 99% entered ADHERE+. Mean CFB (SE) in aINCAT, I-RODS, and grip strength scores were -1.2 (0.15) and 8.8 (1.46) and 17.5 (2.02), respectively, at ADHERE+ Week 36 (N=150). Half the participants with clinical deterioration during ADHERE stage-B restabilized on efgartigimod from ADHERE+ Week 4. Conclusions: Interim results from ADHERE+ indicate long-term effectiveness of efgartigimod PH20 SC in clinical outcomes in participants with CIDP.

Background: Efgartigimod, a human immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 antibody Fc fragment, blocks the neonatal Fc receptor, reducing IgGs involved in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), a rare, progressive, immune-mediated disease that can lead to irreversible disability. The multi-stage, double-blinded, placebo-controlled ADHERE (NCT04281472) trial assessed efgartigimod PH20 SC in participants with CIDP. Methods: Participants with active CIDP received open-label, weekly efgartigimod PH20 SC 1000 mg during ≤12-week run-in (stage-A). Responders were randomized (1:1) to weekly efgartigimod or placebo for ≤48 weeks (stage-B). This posthoc analysis evaluated changes from run-in baseline (study enrollment) to stage-B last assessment and items of the Inflammatory Rasch-built Overall Disability Scale (I-RODS). Results: Of 322 participants who entered stage-A, 221 were randomized and treated in stage-B, and 191/221 had data for run-in baseline and post–stage-B timepoints. Mean (SE) I-RODS change at stage-B last assessment vs run-in baseline was 5.7 (1.88) and -4.9 (1.82) in participants randomized to efgartigimod and placebo, respectively. 37/97 (38.1%) and 24/92 (26.1%) participants randomized to efgartigimod and placebo, respectively, experienced ≥4-point improvements in I-RODS score. Efgartigimod-treated participants improved ≥1 point in I-RODS items of clinical interest. Conclusions: Participants who received efgartigimod in stage-B experienced improvements in I-RODS score from study enrollment to stage-B last assessment.

Background: Attitudes toward aging influence many health outcomes, yet their relationship with cognition and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains unknown. To better understand their impact on cognition and AD risk, we examined whether positive attitudes predict better cognition and diminished risk on AD biomarkers. Methods: A subsample of older adults with a family history of AD (n=54; women=39) from the McGill PREVENT-AD cohort participated in this study. Participants completed the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ-24), providing three scores: psychosocial loss, psychological growth and physical change. Participants underwent cognitive testing (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, RAVLT; Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System-Color Word Interference Test, D-KEFS-CWIT), and AD blood-based biomarker assessments (p-tau217, Aβ42/40). Regression models tested associations, adjusting for covariates (age, sex, education, depression, APOE4), and were Bonferroni corrected. Results: Positive attitudes were associated with better recall and recognition (RAVLT) and improved word reading, colour naming, switching, and inhibition (D-KEFS-CWIT) (p<0.00077), while negative attitudes showed the opposite pattern. Negative attitudes were correlated with lower Aβ42/40 ratios, while positive attitudes were linked to lower p-tau217 (p<0.0167). Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that positive attitudes predict better cognition and a lower risk profile for AD biomarkers, suggesting that life outlook may be an early disease feature or a risk factor.

A wideband harmonic rejection (HR) voltage-domain mixer using resistive scaling is presented featuring excellent linearity and high intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidth. Thin-oxide devices with constant gate-to-source voltages (VGS) are utilized to maximize the switching linearity. A novel switching core topology providing low-impedance IF outputs is proposed to support wideband in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) mixer outputs when capacitively loaded by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Eight LO clock phases, each with a 25% duty cycle, are on-chip generated for quadrature down-conversion and HR. By cleverly activating and organizing the mixer branches, the mixer's input impedance at radio frequency (RF) can be kept perfectly constant throughout all eight clock phases, enhancing the mixer’s linearity. The TSMC 40 nm-CMOS realized mixer reaches 20.9 dBm OIP3 at an IF of 50 MHz with a conversion loss of 22.5 dB. It offers an 800 MHz 3-dB IF bandwidth when connected to a differential capacitive loading of 0.15 pF, with a total power consumption of 40.7 mW drawn from a 1.1 V supply. The mixer targets linear wideband base station observation receiver applications.

Recent changes to US research funding are having far-reaching consequences that imperil the integrity of science and the provision of care to vulnerable populations. Resisting these changes, the BJPsych Portfolio reaffirms its commitment to publishing mental science and advancing psychiatric knowledge that improves the mental health of one and all.

Several studies have indicated a potential inverse association between caffeine intake from dietary sources – assessed through dietary questionnaires – and uric acid (UA) levels. However, to date, no study has examined the relationship between urinary caffeine metabolites, which serve as a reliable biomarker of caffeine intake and UA levels. Our aim was to evaluate the association between caffeine metabolites in urine and serum UA levels. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2012, involving 1252 individuals aged 20–80 years. The study assessed caffeine and fourteen metabolites in spot urine samples, as well as serum UA levels. Hyperuricaemia was defined as UA levels exceeding 7·0 mg/dl for men and 6·0 mg/dl for women. In logistic regression analyses, theobromine (OR: 0·99, 95 % CI: 0·980, 0·999), 3-methyluric acid (OR: 0·91, 95 % CI: 0·837, 0·996), 7-methyluric acid (OR: 0·99, 95 % CI: 0·989, 0·998) and 3-methylxanthine (OR: 0·99, 95 % CI: 0·992, 0·999) were associated with decreased odds of hyperuricaemia. In linear regression analyses, paraxanthine (β = −0·004, P = 0·006), theobromine (β = −0·004, P =< 0·001), 7-methyluric acid (β = −0·003, P = 0·003), 3,7-dimethyluric acid (β = −0·029, P = 0·024), 3-methylxanthine (β = −0·001, P = 0·038) and 7-methylxanthine (β = −0·001, P = 0·001) were inversely associated with serum UA levels. In conclusion, our results indicate that several urinary caffeine metabolites are inversely associated with UA levels. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to the small magnitude of the observed associations.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of acetyl-L-carnitine on follicle survival and growth, stromal cell density and extracellular matrix, as well as on the expression of mRNA for nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (NRF2), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) in cultured bovine ovarian cortical tissues. Ovarian fragments (3 × 3 × 1 mm) were cultured for 6 days in α-MEM+ alone or supplemented with 10, 50 or 100 μM acetyl-L-carnitine at 38.5°C with 5% CO2 in humidified air. Before (non-cultured tissues) and after culture, the ovarian fragments were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for 12 h for histological analysis or stored at –80ºC for mRNA expression analysis of NRF2, SOD, CAT, PRDX6 and GPX1. The results showed that 100 μM acetyl-L-carnitine increased the percentages of morphologically normal follicles and stromal cell density in cultured ovarian tissues. On the other hand, acetyl-L-carnitine did not influence the percentage of collagen in ovarian tissue nor the expression of mRNAs for NRF2, SOD, CAT, PRDX6 and GPX1. In conclusion, 100 μM acetyl-L-carnitine increased follicle survival and stromal cell density in cultured bovine ovarian tissues but does not influence collagen fibre distribution or the expression of mRNAs for NRF2, SOD, CAT, PRDX6 and GPX1.

The stars of the Milky Way carry the chemical history of our Galaxy in their atmospheres as they journey through its vast expanse. Like barcodes, we can extract the chemical fingerprints of stars from high-resolution spectroscopy. The fourth data release (DR4) of the Galactic Archaeology with HERMES (GALAH) Survey, based on a decade of observations, provides the chemical abundances of up to 32 elements for 917 588 stars that also have exquisite astrometric data from the Gaia satellite. For the first time, these elements include life-essential nitrogen to complement carbon, and oxygen as well as more measurements of rare-earth elements critical to modern-life electronics, offering unparalleled insights into the chemical composition of the Milky Way. For this release, we use neural networks to simultaneously fit stellar parameters and abundances across the whole wavelength range, leveraging synthetic grids computed with Spectroscopy Made Easy. These grids account for atomic line formation in non-local thermodynamic equilibrium for 14 elements. In a two-iteration process, we first fit stellar labels to all 1 085 520 spectra, then co-add repeated observations and refine these labels using astrometric data from Gaia and 2MASS photometry, improving the accuracy and precision of stellar parameters and abundances. Our validation thoroughly assesses the reliability of spectroscopic measurements and highlights key caveats. GALAH DR4 represents yet another milestone in Galactic archaeology, combining detailed chemical compositions from multiple nucleosynthetic channels with kinematic information and age estimates. The resulting dataset, covering nearly a million stars, opens new avenues for understanding not only the chemical and dynamical history of the Milky Way but also the broader questions of the origin of elements and the evolution of planets, stars, and galaxies.

In Australia and other high-income countries, communities are experiencing diet-related diseases due to social inequities and food systems that promote the production and consumption of unhealthy foods(1). Community food hubs have the potential to strengthen local food systems and improve access to healthy, affordable, culturally appropriate food by selling local food to local people(2). The primary aim of this rapid review was to identify short- and medium-term outcomes and long-term impacts associated with community food hubs. In January 2024, four databases and the grey literature were searched for relevant studies and reports published in English between 2013 and 2023. Empirical evaluations of food hubs in high-income countries that included a physical market selling healthy local food were eligible for inclusion. A narrative synthesis was conducted, and descriptive statistics were used to summarise outcomes and impacts under five categories: economic development and viability; ecological sustainability; access to and demand for healthy local food; personal and community wellbeing; and agency and re-localisation of power(3,4). A total of 16 studies/reports were included, reporting on 24 community food hubs (USA n = 16; Australia n = 7; Canada n = 1). Food hubs were often described as farmers’ markets (n = 9, 37% of food hubs), some of which offered financial incentives/subsidies to people living on low incomes. Some food hubs also sold food wholesale and/or provided nutrition education and community gardens. Across the 24 food hubs, a total of 83 short- and medium-term outcomes were assessed. No long-term impacts were evaluated. Outcomes were considered ‘positive’ if evaluation results reflected desirable changes. Overall, 86% of outcomes were positive (n = 71). Within the personal and community wellbeing category, 42 outcomes were assessed, and 83% (n = 35) were positive (e.g., increased fruit and vegetable consumption, increased community connection). Within the access to and demand for healthy local food category, 25 outcomes were assessed, and 96% (n = 24) were positive (e.g., increased access to and/or demand for affordable local produce). Outcomes under the remaining three categories were assessed less frequently. Within the economic development and viability category, 6 outcomes were assessed, and 50% (n = 3) were positive (e.g., access to new markets for food hub suppliers). Within the ecological sustainability category, 6 outcomes were assessed, and 100% (n = 6) were positive (e.g., reduction in food packaging and food waste). Within the agency and re-localisation of power category, 4 outcomes were assessed, and 75% (n = 3) were positive (e.g., integration of community members from low income and cultural minority groups into local food systems). Community food hubs can promote personal and community wellbeing, access to and demand for healthy local food, economic development and viability, ecological sustainability, and agency and re-localisation of power. Future research should focus on methods for evaluating long-term impacts under all five categories.