Consumers' knowledge and attitudes about food additives in the UAE

Sex differences in frailty among older adults

By definition, aging is a natural, gradual and continuous process. On the other hand, frailty reflects the increase in vulnerability to stressors and shortens the time without disease (health span) while longevity refers to the length of life (lifespan). The average life expectancy has significantly increased during the last few decades. A longer lifespan has been accompanied by an increase in frailty and decreased independence in older adults, with major differences existing between men and women. For example, women tend to live longer than men but also experience higher rates of frailty and disability. Sex differences prevent optimization of lifestyle interventions and therapies to effectively prevent frailty. Sex differences in frailty and aging are rooted in a complex interplay between uncontrollable (genetic, epigenetic, physiological), and controllable factors (psychosocial and lifestyle factors). Thus, understanding the underlying causes of sex differences in frailty and aging is essential for developing personalized interventions to promote healthy aging and improve quality of life in older men and women. In this review, we have discussed the key contributors and knowledge gaps related to sex differences in aging and frailty.

Contamination Levels and Phenotypic and Genomic Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistance in Escherichia coli Isolated from Fresh Salad Vegetables in the United Arab Emirates

Contaminated fresh produce has been identified as a vehicle for human foodborne illness. The present study investigated the counts, antimicrobial resistance profile, and genome-based characterization of Escherichia coli in 11 different types of fresh salad vegetable products (n = 400) sampled from retailers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. E. coli was detected in 30% of the tested fresh salad vegetable items, with 26.5% of the samples having an unsatisfactory level (≥100 CFU/g) of E. coli, notably arugula and spinach. The study also assessed the effect of the variability in sample conditions on E. coli counts and found, based on negative binominal regression analysis, that samples from local produce had a significantly higher (p-value < 0.001) E. coli count than imported samples. The analysis also indicated that fresh salad vegetables from the soil-less farming system (e.g., hydroponic and aeroponic) had significantly (p-value < 0.001) fewer E. coli than those from traditional produce farming. The study also examined the antimicrobial resistance in E. coli (n = 145) recovered from fresh salad vegetables and found that isolates exhibited the highest phenotypic resistance toward ampicillin (20.68%), tetracycline (20%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (10.35%). A total of 20 (13.79%) of the 145 E. coli isolates exhibited a multidrug-resistant phenotype, all from locally sourced leafy salad vegetables. The study further characterized 18 of the 20 multidrug-resistant E. coli isolates using whole-genome sequencing and found that the isolates had varying numbers of virulence-related genes, ranging from 8 to 25 per isolate. The frequently observed genes likely involved in extra-intestinal infection were CsgA, FimH, iss, and afaA. The β-lactamases gene bla_CTX-M-15 was prevalent in 50% (9/18) of the E. coli isolates identified from leafy salad vegetable samples. The study highlights the potential risk of foodborne illness and the likely spread of antimicrobial resistance and resistance genes associated with consuming leafy salad vegetables and emphasizes the importance of proper food safety practices, including proper storage and handling of fresh produce.