Plasma polyphenols associated with lower high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations: a cross-sectional study within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.

Experimental studies have reported on the anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenols. However, results from epidemiological investigations have been inconsistent and especially studies using biomarkers for assessment of polyphenol intake have been scant. We aimed to characterise the association between plasma concentrations of thirty-five polyphenol compounds and low-grade systemic inflammation state as measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP).

Methods for assessing small-scale variation in the abundance of a generalist mesopredator.

Estimating animal abundance is essential for research, management and conservation purposes. Although reliable methods exist to estimate absolute density for populations with individually marked animals, robust relative abundance indices (RAIs) may allow to track changes in population size when individual identification is not possible. Their performance, however, needs be thoroughly evaluated.

Development and reliability assessment of a new quality appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies using biomarker data (BIOCROSS).

Background: Biomarker-based analyses are commonly reported in observational epidemiological studies; however currently there are no specific study quality assessment tools to assist evaluation of conducted research. Accounting for study design and biomarker measurement would be important for deriving valid conclusions when conducting systematic data evaluation.

Methods: We developed a study quality assessment tool designed specifically to assess biomarker-based cross-sectional studies (BIOCROSS) and evaluated its inter-rater reliability.