Bovine colostrum supplementation does not affect plasma I-FABP concentrations following exercise in a hot and humid environment.

PubMed

McKenna, Zachary; Berkemeier, Quint; Naylor, Ashley; Kleint, Austin; Gorini, Felipe; Ng, Jason; Kim, Jong-Kyung; Sullivan, Sean; Gillum, Trevor

2017-12-01

To quantify the impact of a 14-day bovine colostrum (BC) supplementation on intestinal cell damage following exercise in a hot and humid environment. Ten male participants (20 ± 2 years, VO 2max 55.80 ± 3.79 mL kg -1  min -1 , 11.81 ± 2.71% body fat) ran for 46 ± 7.75 min at 95% of ventiliatory threshold in 40 °C and 50% RH following a 14-day double-blinded supplementation with either BC or placebo (Plac). Core temperature, skin temperature, heart rate, and rating of perceived exertion were recorded every 5 min during exercise. Blood was taken pre, post, 1 h, and 4 h post exercise. Intestinal cell damage was assessed via intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP). I-FABP concentrations were similar between conditions at all time points [pre 989.39 ± 490.88 pg ml -1 (BC) 851.35 ± 450.71 pg ml -1 (Plac) post 1505.10 ± 788.63 pg ml -1 (BC) 1267.12 ± 521.51 pg ml -1 (Plac) 1-h, 1087.77 ± 397.06 pg ml -1 (BC) 997.25 ± 524.74 pg ml -1 (Plac) 4-h, 511.35 ± 243.10 pg ml -1 (BC) 501.46 ± 222.54 pg ml -1 (Plac)]. I-FABP was elevated pre to post exercise for both BC (162 ± 50%) and Plac (162 ± 56%) (p < 0.05). BC had no effect on mean body temperature [beginning 36.11 ± 0.30 °C, ending: 39.52 ± 0.28 °C (BC); beginning:35.96 ± 0.43 °C, ending:39.42 ± 0.38 °C (Plac)]. While BC supplementation may protect against enterocyte damage during exercise in thermonuetral environments, our data suggest that BC supplementation may not be an effective technique for preventing enterocyte damage during exercise when core temperature exceeds 39 °C.

Two sides of the same coin? A new instrument to assess body checking and avoidance behaviors in eating disorders.

PubMed

Legenbauer, Tanja; Martin, Franziska; Blaschke, Ariane; Schwenzfeier, Anne; Blechert, Jens; Schnicker, Katja

2017-06-01

Body checking (BC) and avoidance behaviors (BA) are the dominant behavioral features of body image disturbances (BID) that characterize most individuals with eating disorders (EDs). Whereas BC can be reliably assessed, a valid assessment tool for BA is lacking, preventing an adequate assessment of BID differences across different EDs (anorexia nervosa, AN; bulimia nervosa, BN; binge eating disorder, BED). A total of 310 women with EDs and 112 nonclinical controls completed measures of BC-, BA- and ED-related symptoms. BA did not differentiate between EDs, whereas BC did: it was highest in AN and BN, and lowest in BED. Multivariate analyses also discriminated AN from BN based on BC. Given that results are of preliminary nature, evidence is promising that EDs can be discriminated from healthy controls and that differential BID profiles for the behavioral component among ED subgroups exist. However, replication of the factor structure remains open within ED subsamples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Body Composition is Strongly Associated With Cardiorespiratory Fitness in a Large Brazilian Military Firefighter Cohort: The Brazilian Firefighters Study.

PubMed

Nogueira, Eugênio C; Porto, Luiz Guilherme G; Nogueira, Rozenkranz M; Martins, Wagner R; Fonseca, Romulo M C; Lunardi, Claudia C; de Oliveira, Ricardo J

2016-01-01

Firefighting is associated with high-level physical demands and requires appropriate physical fitness. Considering that obesity has been correlated with decreased cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and that the prevalence of obesity may also be elevated within firefighters (FF), we analyzed the association between CRF and body composition (BC) in Brazilian military FF. We assessed 4,237 male FF (18-49 years) who performed a physical fitness test that included BC and CRF. Body composition was assessed by body mass index (BMI), body adiposity index (BAI), body fat percentage (BF%), and waist circumference (WC). CRF was assessed by the 12-minute Cooper test. Comparisons of VO2max between the BC categories were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test, and the analysis was adjusted for age using the General Linear Model. The Spearman test was used for correlation analysis and the odds ratio (OR) was calculated to assess the odds of the unfit group (≤ 12 metabolic equivalents [METs]) for poor BC. Statistically significant differences were considered when p ≤ 0.05. Considering the BMI categories, 8 volunteers (0.2%) were underweight, 1,306 (30.8%) were normal weight, 2,301 (54.3%) were overweight, and 622 (14.7%) were obese. The VO2max was negatively correlated with age (rs = -0.21), BMI (rs = -0.45), WC (rs = -0.50), and BAI (rs = -0.35) (p < 0.001). Cardiorespiratory fitness was lower in the obese compared with the nonobese for all age categories (-3.8 ml · kg(-1) · min(-1); p < 0.001) and for all BC indices (-4.5 ml · kg(-1) · min(-1); p < 0.001). The OR of the unfit group having poor BC in all indices varied from 2.9 to 8.1 (p < 0.001). Despite the metabolically healthy obesity phenomenon, we found a strong association between CRF and BC irrespective of age and the BC method (BMI, BAI, WC, or BF%). These findings may aid in improving FF training programs with a focus on health and performance.

Statistical optimization of culture conditions for bacterial cellulose production using Box-Behnken design.

PubMed

Bae, Sangok; Shoda, Makoto

2005-04-05

Culture conditions in a jar fermentor for bacterial cellulose (BC) production from A. xylinum BPR2001 were optimized by statistical analysis using Box-Behnken design. Response surface methodology was used to predict the levels of the factors, fructose (X1), corn steep liquor (CSL) (X2), dissolved oxygen (DO) (X3), and agar concentration (X4). Total 27 experimental runs by combination of each factor were carried out in a 10-L jar fermentor, and a three-dimensional response surface was generated to determine the effect of the factors and to find out the optimum concentration of each factor for maximum BC production and BC yield. The fructose and agar concentration highly influenced the BC production and BC yield. However, the optimum conditions according to changes in CSL and DO concentrations were predicted at almost central values of tested ranges. The predicted results showed that BC production was 14.3 g/L under the condition of 4.99% fructose, 2.85% CSL, 28.33% DO, and 0.38% agar concentration. On the other hand, BC yield was predicted in 0.34 g/g under the condition of 3.63% fructose, 2.90% CSL, 31.14% DO, and 0.42% agar concentration. Under optimized culture conditions, improvement of BC production and BC yield were experimentally confirmed, which increased 76% and 57%, respectively, compared to BC production and BC yield before optimizing the culture conditions. Copyright (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

["In vivo" body composition assessment; part I: a historic overview].

PubMed

Carnero, Elvis A; Alvero-Cruz, José Ramón; Giráldez García, Manuel Avelino; Sardinha, Luis B

2015-05-01

The study of body composition (BC) has gained in relevance over the last decades, mainly because of its important health- and disease- related applications within both the clinical and the sports setting. It is not a new area, and its especial relevance as an area of biology dates from the second half of the nineteenth century. In this paper, we have reviewed the three historic periods of BC, with special reference to the most important advances in in vivo assessment. Even though the earliest findings about human BC date from antiquity, the first (or 'early') stage of discovery began in 1850. Said early stage was mainly characterized by data obtained from the dissection of cadavers and by the application of biochemical methods in vivo. Longitudinal changes in body composition were also a concern. The second (so called 'recent') stage, in the second half of the twentieth century, was marked by milestones such as the formulation of the first mathematical models for the estimation of body components, and technological advances. Within the third ('contemporary' or 'current') stage of research, several groups have focused on validating the classical BC models in specific populations, on analysis of the genetic determinants (i.e. phenotypes and, more recently genotypes) of body composition, and on re-instigating the study of dynamic BC. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

A Study on BC Emission from Vehicles using Different Types of Fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, K.; Son, J.; Kim, J.; Kim, S.; Park, G.; Sung, K.; Kim, I.; Chung, T.; Park, T.; Kang, S.; Ban, J.; Kim, J.; Hong, Y. D.; Woo, J. H.; Lee, T.

2017-12-01

Black carbon (BC) is an anthropogenic aerosol from fossil fuels, and biomass burning. It absorbs solar radiation, and heats the atmosphere leading 0.4W m-2 radiative forcing. BC is a particle that can cause serious effects on human body as well. Toxicological studies of black carbon suggests that BC may be an important carrier of toxic chemicals to human body. The recent researches show that one of the main precursor of BC is vehicle emission, but the inventory of BC emission rate from vehicle is inadequate in South Korea. This study tries to find differences of BC emission from different sizes of vehicles using different types of fuels. Fuels used in vehicles are gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and diesel. BC was directly measured from the tail pipe of vehicles using Aethalometer (AE33, Magee Scientific Corporation). This study was conducted in Transport Pollutant Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research, South Korea. Measurement was progressed with the five different test modes of speeds. Speed modes includes 4.7, 17.3, 34.1, 65.4, and 97.3 km h-1. Emission rate of BC was high in the slowest speed mode, and showed decrease with increase of the speed of vehicles. Gasoline vehicles had the relatively higher emission rate of BC than the LPG vehicle, while the emission rate of BC for Diesel with DPF (Diesel Particle Filter) was observed to be the lowest.

Diabetes, overweight and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer: a case-control study in Uruguay.

PubMed

Ronco, Alvaro L; De Stefani, Eduardo; Deneo-Pellegrini, Hugo; Quarneti, Aldo

2012-01-01

Obese postmenopausal women increase their risk of developing breast cancer (BC), in particular if they display an android-type pattern of adiposity, which is also associated to increased risks of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. In order to explore the associations among anthropometry (body mass index, body composition, somatotype), some specific items of medical history (diabetes, hypertension, dislypidemias, hyperuricemia) and the risk of BC in Uruguayan women, a case-control study was carried out between 2004-2009 at our Oncology Unit. 912 women of ages between 23-69 years (367 new BC cases and 545 non hospitalized, age-matched controls with a normal mammography) were interviewed. Twenty body measurements were taken in order to calculate body composition and somatotype. Patients were queried on socio-demographics, reproductive history, family history of cancer, a brief food frequency questionnaire and on personal history of diabetes, dislypidemias, hyperuricemia, hypertension and gallbladder stones. Uni- and multivariate analyses were done, generating odds ratios (ORs) as an expression of relative risks. A personal history of diabetes was positively associated to BC risk (OR=1.64, 95% CI 1.00-2.69), being higher among postmenopausal women (OR=1.92, 95% CI 1.04-3.52). The risks of BC for diabetes in postmenopausal women with overweight combined with dislypidemia (OR=9.33, 95% CI 2.10-41.5) and high fat/muscle ratio (OR=7.81, 95% CI 2.01-30.3) were significantly high. As a conclusion, a personal history of diabetes and overweight was strongly associated to BC. The studied sample had a subset of high-risk of BC featured by postmenopausal overweight and diabetic women, who also had a personal history of hypertension and/or dyslipidemia. The present results could contribute to define new high risk groups and individuals for primary as well as for secondary prevention, since this pattern linked to the metabolic syndrome is usually not considered for BC prevention.

Need of integrated dietary therapy for persons with diabetes mellitus and "unhealthy" body constitution presentations.

PubMed

Wong, Yee Chi Peggy

2016-07-01

From a perspective of Chinese medicine (CM), persons with unregulated "unhealthy" body constitution (BC) will further develop chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus (DM). Conventional dietary therapy with nutrition component has its limitations in the regulation of "unhealthy" BC. However, empirical evidence supports that "unhealthy" BC can be regulated with food natures and flavors from a perspective of CM. Presentations of "unhealthy" BC types, such as Yin-deficiency, Yang-deficiency and Yin-Yang-deficiency were found in persons with DM. It would be necessary to regulate the "unhealthy" BC presentations with integration of conventional dietary therapy and Chinese food therapy. The ultimate goal is to either stabilize glycaemic control or prevent the development of other chronic diseases leading to reduction of disease burden, such as disease-related poor quality of life, stress of healthcare professionals and the rising of healthcare cost.

Relation Between the Molopo Farms and Bushveld Complexes: An Analysis of Pyroxene Exsolution Lamellae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, I.; Feineman, M. D.; Nyblade, A.

2017-12-01

The Molopo Farms Complex (MFC) is a layered igneous intrusion in Botswana, considered to be related to the nearby South African Bushveld Complex (BC) due to their similarities. The BC has been researched in depth for its economic deposits of platinum group elements (PGEs), while the under-researched MFC has no PGEs and is under 200 m of sediment. This study aims to increase knowledge about the MFC regarding the theory that the BC and MFC come from the same parental magma body by showing similar cooling history in the exsolution of pyroxenes. Using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) paired with an energy-dispersive detector (EDS), thin sections of pyroxenes with exsolution lamellae from both complexes were observed in terms of chemical composition and microtextures. MFC pyroxenes were then compared to literature data of BC pyroxenes. The pyroxenes are closely related, indicating that the MFC and the BC cooled at a similar rate and come from the same parental magma body. Further research can expand on these findings to prove that the MFC and BC are from the same magma.

Health condition of juvenile Chelonia mydas related to fibropapillomatosis in southeast Brazil

USGS Publications Warehouse

Renan de Deus Santos, Marcello; Silva Martins, Agnaldo; Baptistotte, Cecília; Work, Thierry M.

2015-01-01

Packed cell volume (PCV), plasma biochemistry, visual body condition (BC), and calculated body condition index (BCI) were evaluated in 170 wild juvenile green sea turtles Chelonia mydas from an aggregation in the effluent canal of a steel mill in Brazil. Occurrence of cutaneous fibropapillomatosis (FP) was observed in 44.1% of the animals examined. BCI alone did not differ significantly between healthy animals and those afflicted with FP. However, all turtles with low BCI were severely afflicted and were uremic, hypoglycemic, and anemic in relation to healthy animals. Severe FP was not always reflected by a poor health condition of the individual. Clinical evaluation and plasma biochemistry indicated that most animals afflicted with FP were in good health condition. Differences in FP manifestations and associated health conditions in different geographic regions must be assessed by long-term health monitoring programs to help define priorities for conservation efforts.

Body Temperatures During Exercise in Deconditioned Dogs: Effect of NACL and Glucose Infusion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenleaf, J. E.; Kruk, B.; Nazar, K.; Kaciuba-Usciko, H.

2000-01-01

Infusion of glucose (Glu) into normal exercising dogs attenuates the rise in rectal temperature (Delta-Tre) when compared with delta-Tre during FFA infusion or no infusion. Rates of rise and delta-=Tre levels are higher during exercise after confinement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if Glu infusion would attenuate the exercise-induced excess hyperthermia after deconditioning. Rectal and quadricep femoris muscle temperatures (Tmu) were measured in 7 male, mongrel dogs dogs (19.6 +/- SD 3.0 kg) during 90 minutes of treadmill exercise (3.1 +/-SD 0.2 W/kg) with infusion (30ml/min/kg) of 40% Glu or 0.9% NaCL before BC) and after confinement (AC) in cages (40 x 110 x 80 cm) for 8 wk. Mean (+/-SE body wt. were 19.6 +/- 1.1 kg BC and 19.5 +/- 1.1kg AC, exercise VO2 were not different (40.0 - 42.0 mi/min/kg-1). With NaCl AC, NaCl BC, GluAC, and GluBC: Delta-Tre were, 1.8, 1.4, 1.3 and 0.9C respectively; and Delta-Tmu were 2.3, 1.9, 1.6, and 1.4C. respectively (P<0.05 from GluBC). Compared with NaCl infusion, attenuated both Delta-Tre and Delta-Tmu BC and AC, respectively. Compared with GluBC, GluAC attenuated Delta-Tmu but not Delta-Tre. Thus. with similar heat production, the mechanism for attenuation at bad body temperature with Glu infusion must affect avenues of heat dissipation.

Turning patients over in bed

MedlinePlus

... 25732278 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25732278 . Smith SF, Duell DJ, Martin BC, Gonzalez L, Aebersold M. Body mechanics and positioning. In: Smith SF, Duell DJ, Martin BC, Gonzalez L, Aebersold ...

Mechanical Retention and Waterproof Properties of Bacterial Cellulose-Reinforced Thermoplastic Starch Biocomposites Modified with Sodium Hexametaphosphate

PubMed Central

Wang, Da-wei; Xu, Ying-juan; Li, Xin; Huang, Chao-ming; Huang, Kuo-shien; Wang, Chuen-kai; Yeh, Jen-taut

2015-01-01

The waterproof and strength retention properties of bacterial cellulose (BC)-reinforced thermoplastic starch (TPS) resins were successfully improved by reacting with sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP). After modification with SHMP, the tensile strength (σf) and impact strength (Is) values of initial and conditioned BC-reinforced TPS, modified with varying amounts of SHMP(TPS100BC0.02SHMPx), and their blends with poly(lactic acid)((TPS100BC0.02SHMPx)75PLA25) specimens improved significantly and reached a maximal value as SHMP content approached 10 parts per hundred parts of TPS resin (phr), while their moisture content and elongation at break (ɛf) was reduced to a minimal value as SHMP contents approached 10 phr. The σf, Is and ɛf retention values of a (TPS100BC0.02SHMP10)75PLA25 specimen conditioned for 56 days are 52%, 50% and 3 times its initial σf, Is and ɛf values, respectively, which are 32.5 times, 8.9 times and 40% of those of a corresponding conditioned TPS100BC0.02 specimen, respectively. As evidenced by FTIR analyses of TPS100BC0.02SHMPx specimens, hydroxyl groups of TPS100BC0.02 resins were successfully reacted with the phosphate groups of SHMP molecules. New melting endotherms and diffraction peaks of VH-type crystals were found on DSC thermograms and WAXD patterns of TPS or TPS100BC0.02 specimens conditioned for 7 days, while no new melting endotherm or diffraction peak was found for TPS100BC0.02SHMPx and/or (TPS100BC0.02SHMPx)75PLA25 specimens conditioned for less than 14 and 28 days, respectively.

Body Composition of Elite Female Players in Five Different Sports Games

PubMed Central

Mala, Lucia; Maly, Tomas; Zahalka, František; Bunc, Vaclav; Kaplan, Ales; Jebavy, Radim; Tuma, Martin

2015-01-01

The goal of this study was to identify and compare body composition (BC) variables in elite female athletes (age ± years): volleyball (27.4 ± 4.1), softball (23.6 ± 4.9), basketball (25.9 ± 4.2), soccer (23.2 ± 4.2) and handball (24.0 ± 3.5) players. Fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass, percentage of fat mass (FMP), body cell mass (BCM), extracellular mass (ECM), their ratio, the percentage of BCM in FFM, the phase angle (α), and total body water, with a distinction between extracellular (ECW) and intracellular water, were measured using bioimpedance analysis. MANOVA showed significant differences in BC variables for athletes in different sports (F60.256 = 2.93, p < 0.01, η2 = 0.407). The results did not indicate any significant differences in FMP or α among the tested groups (p > 0.05). Significant changes in other BC variables were found in analyses when sport was used as an independent variable. Soccer players exhibited the most distinct BC, differing from players of other sports in 8 out of 10 variables. In contrast, the athletes with the most similar BC were volleyball and basketball players, who did not differ in any of the compared variables. Discriminant analysis revealed two significant functions (p < 0.01). The first discriminant function primarily represented differences based on the FFM proportion (volleyball, basketball vs. softball, soccer). The second discriminant function represented differences based on the ECW proportion (softball vs. soccer). Although all of the members of the studied groups competed at elite professional levels, significant differences in the selected BC variables were found. The results of the present study may serve as normative values for comparison or target values for training purposes. PMID:25964823

Body composition of elite female players in five different sports games.

PubMed

Mala, Lucia; Maly, Tomas; Zahalka, František; Bunc, Vaclav; Kaplan, Ales; Jebavy, Radim; Tuma, Martin

2015-03-29

The goal of this study was to identify and compare body composition (BC) variables in elite female athletes (age ± years): volleyball (27.4 ± 4.1), softball (23.6 ± 4.9), basketball (25.9 ± 4.2), soccer (23.2 ± 4.2) and handball (24.0 ± 3.5) players. Fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass, percentage of fat mass (FMP), body cell mass (BCM), extracellular mass (ECM), their ratio, the percentage of BCM in FFM, the phase angle (α), and total body water, with a distinction between extracellular (ECW) and intracellular water, were measured using bioimpedance analysis. MANOVA showed significant differences in BC variables for athletes in different sports (F60.256 = 2.93, p < 0.01, η2 = 0.407). The results did not indicate any significant differences in FMP or α among the tested groups (p > 0.05). Significant changes in other BC variables were found in analyses when sport was used as an independent variable. Soccer players exhibited the most distinct BC, differing from players of other sports in 8 out of 10 variables. In contrast, the athletes with the most similar BC were volleyball and basketball players, who did not differ in any of the compared variables. Discriminant analysis revealed two significant functions (p < 0.01). The first discriminant function primarily represented differences based on the FFM proportion (volleyball, basketball vs. softball, soccer). The second discriminant function represented differences based on the ECW proportion (softball vs. soccer). Although all of the members of the studied groups competed at elite professional levels, significant differences in the selected BC variables were found. The results of the present study may serve as normative values for comparison or target values for training purposes.

Effect of parathyroid hormone and insulin on extracellular cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate in patients with benign and malignant breast tumors.

PubMed

Berstein, L M; Semiglazov, V F; Vishnevski, A S; Dilman, V M

1978-01-01

Basal excretion of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and its basal level in blood plasma in breast cancer (BC) patients and those with fibroadenomatosis did not differ essentially. However, intravenous injection of parathyroid hormone (100 U) and insulin (0.08 U/kg body weight) was followed by a much less rise in urine-cAMP excretion and blood-cAMP levels in BC patients than in benign process in mammary gland. A substantial correlation between changes in plasma cAMP level and the degree of insulin-induced hypoglycemia was not observed. There was a negative correlation between reponse to parathyroid hormone and insulin and body overweight in BC patients. It was suggested that body fat content may influence the peculiarities of metabolism of extracellular cAMP in cancer patients considerably.

Cellulose synthesized by Enterobacter sp. FY-07 under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

PubMed

Ma, Ting; Ji, Kaihua; Wang, Wei; Wang, Jinghong; Li, Zhaoyu; Ran, Haitao; Liu, Bin; Li, Guoqiang

2012-12-01

Enterobacter sp. FY-07 can produce bacterial cellulose (BC) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In static cultivation at 30 °C for 72 h under anoxic, oxygen-limited and aerated conditions, cellulose production exceeded 5 g/l, which indicated that oxygen was not essential for production of BC by Enterobacter sp. FY-07. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that the microstructure of the BC was similar to that produced by aerobic bacteria such as Gluconacetobacter xylinum BCRC12335 and Acetobacter sp. V6. The crystallinity index of the BC was 63.3%. Water-holding capacity (approximately 11000%) and rehydration ratio (24.4%) were superior to those reported for BC produced by the aerobic bacteria G. xylinum BCRC12335 and Acetobacter sp. V6. These results will facilitate static submerged fermentation for the production of BC. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isolation and Functional Characterization of a Floral Repressor, BcMAF1, From Pak-choi (Brassica rapa ssp. Chinensis).

PubMed

Huang, Feiyi; Liu, Tongkun; Hou, Xilin

2018-01-01

MADS-box genes form a large gene family in plants and are involved in multiple biological processes, such as flowering. However, the regulation mechanism of MADS-box genes in flowering remains unresolved, especially under short-term cold conditions. In the present study, we isolated BcMAF1 , a Pak-choi ( Brassica rapa ssp. Chinensis ) MADS AFFECTING FLOWERING ( MAF ), as a floral repressor and functionally characterized BcMAF1 in Arabidopsis and Pak-choi. Subcellular localization and sequence analysis indicated that BcMAF1 was a nuclear protein and contained a conserved MADS-box domain. Expression analysis revealed that BcMAF1 had higher expression levels in leaves, stems, and petals, and could be induced by short-term cold conditions in Pak-choi. Overexpressing BcMAF1 in Arabidopsis showed that BcMAF1 had a negative function in regulating flowering, which was further confirmed by silencing endogenous BcMAF1 in Pak-choi. In addition, qPCR results showed that AtAP3 expression was reduced and AtMAF2 expression was induced in BcMAF1 -overexpressing Arabidopsis . Meanwhile, BcAP3 transcript was up-regulated and BcMAF2 transcript was down-regulated in BcMAF1 -silencing Pak-choi. Yeast one-hybrid and dual luciferase transient assays showed that BcMAF1 could bind to the promoters of BcAP3 and BcMAF2 . These results indicated that BcAP3 and BcMAF2 might be the targets of BcMAF1. Taken together, our results suggested that BcMAF1 could negatively regulate flowering by directly activating BcMAF2 and repressing BcAP3 .

T-Shirt fabric and color affect the physiological strain but not 10 km outdoor running performance.

PubMed

DE Alcantara Borba, Diego; Ferreira, João B; Coelho, Leonardo G; Martini, Angelo R; Lgonçalves Madeira, Luciana; Coelho, Daniel B; Prado, Luciano S; Bemben, Michael G; Rodrigues, Luiz O

2016-04-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of T-Shirt fabric and color on the 10 km outdoor running performance. Six men and six women (mean±SD: age: 27±5 years; height: 1.70±0.13 m; weight: 64.0±12.7 kg; body surface area: 1.73±0.29 m2; Σskinfolds: 107±24 mm; VO2max: 40.2±8.4 mL.kg-1.min-1) took part in five experimental trials, during each of which they wore: 1) no T-shirt (CON); 2) white polyester T-shirt (WP); 3) black polyester T-shirt (BP); 4) white cotton T-shirt (WC); and 5) black cotton T-shirt (BC). Average running velocity (pace) was calculated from each 2 km running time. Rectal, skin and T-shirt temperatures, heart rates and Physiological Strain Index (PSI) were measured before and after the 10 km runs and at the end of each 2 km. There were no differences in pace, heart rate, rectal and skin temperatures among conditions (P>0.05). PSI was higher in BC and WC conditions when compared to BP and WP conditions. T-shirt temperature was higher for the BC when compared to WP, BP and WC conditions. Rectal temperature and heart rate increased simultaneously with reduced pace throughout self-paced running (P<0.05). Despite fabric type T-shirt altered PSI, running performance in the 10 km run was not affected by T-shirt type or color.

Superhard BC(3) in cubic diamond structure.

PubMed

Zhang, Miao; Liu, Hanyu; Li, Quan; Gao, Bo; Wang, Yanchao; Li, Hongdong; Chen, Changfeng; Ma, Yanming

2015-01-09

We solve the crystal structure of recently synthesized cubic BC(3) using an unbiased swarm structure search, which identifies a highly symmetric BC(3) phase in the cubic diamond structure (d-BC(3)) that contains a distinct B-B bonding network along the body diagonals of a large 64-atom unit cell. Simulated x-ray diffraction and Raman peaks of d-BC(3) are in excellent agreement with experimental data. Calculated stress-strain relations of d-BC(3) demonstrate its intrinsic superhard nature and reveal intriguing sequential bond-breaking modes that produce superior ductility and extended elasticity, which are unique among superhard solids. The present results establish the first boron carbide in the cubic diamond structure with remarkable properties, and these new findings also provide insights for exploring other covalent solids with complex bonding configurations.

The relationship between osteoporosis and body composition in pre- and postmenopausal women from different ethnic groups in China.

PubMed

Mo, Dan; Hsieh, Peishan; Yu, Hongrong; Zhou, Lining; Gong, Jichun; Xu, Lin; Liu, Peng; Chen, Gang; Chen, Zhao; Deng, Qiongying

2017-06-01

To investigate the ethnic differences in osteoporosis (OP) and body composition (BC) and their relationship in the Maonan, Mulam, Hmong, and Yao minorities in China. A total of 860 Maonan, Mulam, Hmong, and Yao women were included in this cross-sectional study. Demographic, health history, and lifestyle information was collected using questionnaires. BC was measured through bioelectrical impedance analysis, and bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed via calcaneal quantitative ultrasound. Compared with premenopausal women, postmenopausal women exhibited a lower fat-free mass (FFM), muscle mass (MM), limb muscle mass, and T-score but a higher waist-to-hip ratio and prevalence of OP in each minority (p < .05). After adjustment for age, Hmong women displayed the highest body mass index, fat mass, percentage of body fat, visceral fat, and subcutaneous fat contents, while Yao women presented the highest T-scores and lowest prevalence of OP among the four minorities (p < .05). Having a greater number of children and an older age were significant risk factors for OP in all ethnic groups (p < .05, OR > 1). In addition, our results revealed that FFM and MM exhibited exactly the same weak positive relationship with the T-score (r = 0.081, p < .05) after adjusting for menopausal status and age in all of the participants. Furthermore, significant ethnic differences in the relationship between BC and the T-score existed in the four minorities studied here. BC and OP prevalence varied by menopausal status and ethnic group, and ethnic-specific relationships between BC and BMD were present in the four minorities. More research is needed to further investigate the ethnic differences in BC, OP, and risk factors for lower BMD to develop targeted prevention strategies to reduce the burden of OP across different ethnic groups in China.

Removal of fluoride ion by bone char produced from animal biomass.

PubMed

Kawasaki, Naohito; Ogata, Fumihiko; Tominaga, Hisato; Yamaguchi, Isao

2009-01-01

Bone char (BC) was prepared by carbonizing four types of animal biomass, and the adsorption of fluoride ions and elution of phosphate ions were investigated. It was found that the BC yield decreased as carbonization temperature increased, and that carbonization temperature had no significant effect on surface pH, base or acid consumptions. Fluoride ion adsorption was increased in BC produced at a low carbonization temperature. The adsorption mechanism of fluoride ion on BCs might be monolayer adsorption. BC can potentially be used to remove fluoride ions in drinking water. However, it was found that phosphate ions from BC are eluted due to adsorption of fluoride ions, and that ingestion of large amounts of phosphate ions inhibits reabsorption of calcium in the human body. Thus there is a need to study the elution behavior of phosphate ions. The adsorption mechanisms of fluoride ions onto BC would be a physical adsorption onto BC and phosphate ion in BC is exchanged to fluoride ion.

[Black carbon content and distribution in different particle size fractions of forest soils in the middle part of Great Xing'an Mountains, China.

PubMed

Xu, Jia Hui; Gao, Lei; Cui, Xiao Yang

2017-10-01

Soil black carbon (BC) is considered to be the main component of passive C pool because of its inherent biochemical recalcitrance. In this paper, soil BC in the middle part of Great Xing'an Mountains was quantified, the distribution of BC in different particle size fractions was analyzed, and BC stabilization mechanism and its important role in soil C pool were discussed. The results showed that BC expressed obvious accumulation in surface soil, accounting for about 68.7% in the whole horizon (64 cm), and then decreased with the increasing soil depth, however, BC/OC showed an opposite pattern. Climate conditions redistributed BC in study area, and the soil under cooler and moister conditions would sequester more BC. BC proportion in different particle size fractions was in the order of clay>silt>fine sand>coarse sand. Although BC content in clay was the highest and was enhanced with increasing soil depth, BC/OC in clay did not show a marked change. Thus, the rise of BC/OC was attributed to the preservation of BC particles in the fine sand and silt fractions. Biochemical recalcitrance was the main stabilization mechanism for surface BC, and with the increasing soil depth, the chemical protection from clay mineral gradually played a predominant role. BC not only was the essential component of soil stable carbon pool, but also took up a sizable proportion in particulate organic carbon pool. Therefore, the storage of soil stable carbon and the potential of soil carbon sequestration would be enhanced owing to the existence of BC.

The effect of socioeconomic indicators and macronutrient intake rate on body composition in adolescents 12 to 16 years old in Merida, Yucatan.

PubMed

Datta Banik, Sudip; Andrade Olalde, Ana Carolina; Rodriguez, Luis; Dickinson, Federico

2014-01-01

Intake pattern of macronutrients (protein, lipid, carbohydrate) and socioeconomic status (SES) are major causes of high child and adolescent overweight and obesity prevalences in Mexico. An evaluation was done of the relationship between body mass index (BMI)-based nutritional status and body composition (BC), macronutrient intake rates (MIR) and SES indicators in 127 boys and 156 girls aged 12 to 16 years attending schools in Merida, Mexico. Anthropometric variables included height, weight, and BMI. The BC (body fat mass, fat-free mass, dry lean mass) was estimated by bioelectrical impedance (Bodystat 1500 MDD). The MIR were estimated following FAO/WHO/UNO standard (1985). Proxy socioeconomic indicators included parents' age (as a maturity indicator) and education, fathers' occupation, school type and monthly household food expenditure per capita. Excess weight (overweight + obesity) assessed by BMI, was higher in boys (40.16 %) than in girls (33.97 %). Boys had higher BMI, less fat mass and higher fat-free mass than girls. The MIR did not vary significantly in response to age, sex, BC or SES. Participants with higher SES were taller and heavier, had higher fat-free mass and lower fat mass. In the studied adolescents, anthropometric and BC values, and overweight and obesity rates were more associated with SES than MIR.

Body weight and composition in users of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system.

PubMed

Dal'Ava, Natália; Bahamondes, Luis; Bahamondes, M Valeria; de Oliveira Santos, Allan; Monteiro, Ilza

2012-10-01

There is little information about body weight and body composition (BC) among users of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS). The aim of this study was to evaluate body weight and BC in LNG-IUS users compared to users of the TCu380A intrauterine device (IUD). A prospective study was done with 76 new users of both contraceptive methods. Women were paired by age (±2 years) and body mass index (BMI, kg/m², ±2). Body weight and BC (% lean mass and % fat mass) were evaluated by a trained professional at baseline and at 1 year of contraceptive use. The BC measurements were obtained using Lunar DXA equipment. Weight and BC were evaluated in each woman at baseline and at 12 months and analyzed as the mean change within each woman. Then, the changes in weight and BC for each woman were calculated and then compared between LNG-IUS and TCu380A IUD users (paired data for each woman). The central-to-peripheral fat ratio was calculated by dividing trunk fat by the upper and lower limb fat. There were no significant differences at time of IUD insertion between LNG-IUS and TCu380A IUD users regarding age (mean±SD) (34.4±7.5 vs. 33.9±8.0 years), BMI (25.3±4.1 vs. 25.9±4.1) and number of pregnancies (1.9±0.2 vs. 1.7±0.2), respectively. Mean body weight gain of 2.9 kg was observed among LNG-IUS users at 12 months (p=.0012), whereas the body weight of TCu380A IUD users only increased by 1.4 kg (p=.067). There was no significant difference in body weight change between the two groups of users at 12 months. The variation in the central-to-peripheral fat ratio was the same between the two groups (-1.6% vs. -0.2%; p=.364). LNG-IUS users showed a 2.5% gain in fat mass (p=.0009) and a 1.4% loss of lean mass, whereas TCu380A IUD users showed a loss of 1.3% of fat mass (p=.159) and gain of 1.0% of lean mass (p=.120). TCu380A IUD users gained more lean mass than LNG-IUS users (p=.0270), although there was no significant difference between the two groups after 12 months of use. Although an increase in mean fat mass among LNG-IUS users at 12 months of use was observed, it should be noted that an increase of body weight was also observed in both groups after 1 year of insertion of the device. However, a study with a larger number of women and long-term evaluation is necessary to evaluate these body changes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

HD-SP2 Measurements of Black Carbon Containing Aerosols in South Korea during KORUS-AQ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamb, K. D.; Perring, A. E.; Ahn, J.; Schwarz, J. P.

2016-12-01

Black carbon (BC) is a light-absorbing aerosol with strong anthropogenic sources that has important climatic and health impacts, both regionally and globally. Materials internally mixed with BC, including water, affect its optical properties and lifetime in the atmosphere, and thus are critical to determining BC's ultimate impacts. The NASA KORUS-AQ campaign during the spring/summer of 2016 was a multi-platform research campaign focused on air quality over South Korea, in a region with particularly high BC emissions and loadings. The NOAA Humidified-Dual Single Particle Soot Photometer (HD-SP2) was deployed on the NASA DC-8 aircraft to measure the optical size and refractory BC content of individual particles under dry and humidified conditions as well as the BC mass mixing ratio. We focus on evaluating BC MMR in the free troposphere up to 400 hPa in the context of previous measurements; assessing the optical impacts of observed internal mixtures with BC at different times of day; and evaluating the contribution of water uptake on BC absorption and atmospheric lifetime over Korea in ambient conditions.

Gastrointestinal metastases from breast cancer: report of two cases.

PubMed

Gerova, Vanya A; Tankova, Ludmila T; Mihova, Anna A; Drandarska, Ivanka L; Kadian, Hilda O

2012-01-01

Metastatic involvement of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract secondary to breast cancer (BC) is rare and usually occurs in patients with lobular BC. We report 2 cases with GI presentations of metastatic BC. In the first case endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasonography because of abdominal discomfort, tenesmus and rectal bleeding demonstrated liver, gastric and rectal metastases with histological and immunohistological patterns of metastatic lobular BC. In the second case gastric involvement, endoscopically presented as a solid nodular lesion in the gastric body and fundus with involvement of the gastro-esophageal junction, was established with clinical symptoms of solid food dysphagia and dyspepsia; the metastatic infiltration from ductal BC was proven histologically and immunohistochemically. The GI metastases were presented 5 and 7 years after radical mastectomy because of lobular and ductal BC respectively. The cases are of interest with a feature of liver and GI metastases in double sites (stomach and rectum) from lobular BC, as well as solid gastric metastasis from ductal BC. They illustrate the need for special attention to GI metastatic disease in patients with invasive BC who present with non-specific GI symptoms.

Comparison of two bioelectrical impedance analysis devices with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging in the estimation of body composition.

PubMed

Wang, Ji-Guang; Zhang, Yi; Chen, Han-E; Li, Yan; Cheng, Xiao-Guang; Xu, Li; Guo, Zhe; Zhao, Xing-Shan; Sato, Tetsuya; Cao, Qi-Yun; Chen, Ke-Min; Li, Biao

2013-01-01

We compared a 4-limb bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) system, HBF 359 (Omron), and a 2-limb foot-to-foot device, BC 532 (Tanita), with the standard dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods for the measurement of body fat percentage (BF), skeletal muscle mass percentage (SMM, or fat-free mass [FFM] for BC 532), and visceral fat level (VF). Body composition was measured in 200 healthy volunteers (100 men and 100 women, mean age 48 years) by HBF 359 and BC 532 and by DXA and MRI. The agreement was assessed by correlation analysis and paired t-test. The correlation coefficients between BIA and DXA or MRI ranged from 0.71 to 0.89 for BF, SMM, and VF by HBF 359 and from 0.77 to 0.90 for BF, FFM, and VF by BC 532 in all subjects and in men and women separately (p < 0.001 for all). Compared with DXA, HBF 359 significantly (p < 0.001) underestimated BF by -5.8% in men and -9.6% in women. Compared with MRI, the corresponding underestimatons (negative) or overestimations (positive) by HBF 359 in men and women were, respectively, +1.9% (p = 0.02) and +1.7% (p = 0.10) for SMM, and +13.3% (p < 0.001) and -8.5% (p = 0.006), for VF. The corresponding values by BC 532 in men and women were -10.7 and -6.2% for BF, -1.4 and -2.5% for FFM, and +20.4 and -18.0% for VF. The BIA devices are accurate in the estimation of body composition, especially skeletal muscle mass or FFM.

Body composition and body fat distribution are related to cardiac autonomic control in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients.

PubMed

Pimenta, N M; Santa-Clara, H; Cortez-Pinto, H; Silva-Nunes, J; da Lapa Rosado, M; Sousa, P J; Calé, R; Melo, X; Sardinha, L B; Fernhall, B

2014-02-01

Heart rate recovery (HRR), a cardiac autonomic control marker, was shown to be related to body composition (BC), yet this was not tested in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. The aim of this study was to determine if, and to what extent, markers of BC and body fat (BF) distribution are related to cardiac autonomic control in NAFLD patients. BC was assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 28 NAFLD patients (19 men, 51±13 years, and 9 women, 47±13 years). BF depots ratios were calculated to assess BF distribution. Subjects' HRR was recorded 1 (HRR1) and 2 min (HRR2) immediately after a maximum graded exercise test. BC and BF distribution were related to HRR; particularly weight, trunk BF and trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio showed a negative relation with HRR1 (r=-0.613, r=-0.597 and r=-0.547, respectively, P<0.01) and HRR2 (r=-0.484, r=-0.446, P<0.05, and r=-0.590, P<0.01, respectively). Age seems to be related to both HRR1 and HRR2 except when controlled for BF distribution. The preferred model in multiple regression should include trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio and BF to predict HRR1 (r2=0.549; P<0.05), and trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio alone to predict HRR2 (r2=0.430; P<0.001). BC and BF distribution were related to HRR in NAFLD patients. Trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio was the best independent predictor of HRR and therefore may be best related to cardiovascular increased risk, and possibly act as a mediator in age-related cardiac autonomic control variation.

Long-term betacarotene-supplementation enhances serum insulin concentrations without effect on the onset of puberty in the female goat.

PubMed

Meza-Herrera, Cesar A; Hernández-Valenzuela, Luis C; González-Bulnes, Antonio; Tena-Sempere, Manuel; Abad-Zavaleta, Jose; Salinas-Gonzalez, Homero; Mellado, Miguel; Veliz-Deras, Francisco

2011-11-01

The effect of betacarotene (BC) supplementation on the onset of puberty and serum insulin levels in goats was evaluated in the study. In June, prepuberal goats (n=17; 3 months old; 7/8 Saanen-Alpine; 26° NL) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1/ betacarotene group supplemented daily with 50 mg of BC (n=9; live weight [LW]: 17.3±1.0 kg; body condition score [BCS]: 3.34±0.12) or 2/ control group (CONT; n=8; LW:16.1±1.0 kg; BCS=3.17±0.12). From June to November, an intermittent blood sampling was performed twice per week in both groups to evaluate serum progesterone (P(4)), while monthly samples were intended for insulin (INS) determination. Initial mean LW (16.7±1.0 kg) and BCS (3.31±0.12) were similar (p>0.05) in both groups. Mean serum insulin (1.37 vs. 1.18±0.09 ng/ml), age of puberty (215.7 vs. 226.5±6.6 days) and the percentage of goats reaching puberty (44.4 vs. 25.0±17.0%) did not differ (p>0.05) between BC and CONT group, respectively. However, increase in serum insulin during the second half of the experiment was observed in BC group (p<0.05) which was positively correlated with LW (r=0.95; p<0.05). In addition, as LW (r=-0.89) and serum insulin (r=-0.76) levels increased, the natural photoperiod decreased, revealing negative correlations (p<0.05) between the respective variables. In this study, BC supplementation did not promote precocious puberty and did not affect the percentage of goats reaching activation of the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-gonadal axis during the establishment of puberty. Nonetheless, BC supplementation positively affected the release pattern of insulin suggesting a potential role of BC as pancreas-activating molecule.

Superhard BC 3 in cubic diamond structure

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Miao; Liu, Hanyu; Li, Quan; ...

2015-01-06

We solve the crystal structure of recently synthesized cubic BC 3 using an unbiased swarm structure search, which identifies a highly symmetric BC 3 phase in the cubic diamond structure (d–BC3) that contains a distinct B-B bonding network along the body diagonals of a large 64-atom unit cell. Simulated x-ray diffraction and Raman peaks of d–BC 3 are in excellent agreement with experimental data. Calculated stress-strain relations of d–BC 3 demonstrate its intrinsic superhard nature and reveal intriguing sequential bond-breaking modes that produce superior ductility and extended elasticity, which are unique among superhard solids. Here, the present results establish themore » first boron carbide in the cubic diamond structure with remarkable properties, and these new findings also provide insights for exploring other covalent solids with complex bonding configurations.« less

Modelling Black Carbon concentrations in two busy street canyons in Brussels using CANSBC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brasseur, O.; Declerck, P.; Heene, B.; Vanderstraeten, P.

2015-01-01

This paper focused on modelling Black Carbon (BC) concentrations in two busy street canyons, the Crown and Belliard Street in Brussels. The used original Operational Street Pollution Model was adapted to BC by eliminating the chemical module and is noted here as CANSBC. Model validations were performed using temporal BC data from the fixed measurement network in Brussels. Subsequently, BC emissions were adjusted so that simulated BC concentrations equalled the observed ones, averaged over the whole period of simulation. Direct validations were performed for the Crown Street, while BC model calculations for the Belliard Street were validated indirectly using the linear relationship between BC and NOx. Concerning the Crown Street, simulated and observed half-hourly BC concentrations correlated well (r = 0.74) for the period from July 1st, 2011 till June 30th, 2013. In particular, CANSBC performed very well to simulate the monthly and diurnal evolutions of averaged BC concentrations, as well as the difference between weekdays and weekends. This means that the model correctly handled the meteorological conditions as well as the variation in traffic emissions. Considering dispersion, it should however be noted that BC concentrations are better simulated under stable than under unstable conditions. Even if the correlation on half-hourly NOx concentrations was slightly lower (r = 0.60) than the one of BC, indirect validations of CANSBC for the Belliard Street yielded comparable results and conclusions as described above for the Crown Street. Based on our results, it can be stated that CANSBC is suitable to accurately simulate BC concentrations in the street canyons of Brussels, under the following conditions: (i) accurate vehicle counting data is available to correctly estimate traffic emissions, and (ii) vehicle speeds are measured in order to improve emission estimates and to take into account the impact of the turbulence generated by moving vehicles on the local dispersion of BC.

The potential effect of temperature-humidity index on productive and reproductive performance of buffaloes with different genotypes under hot conditions.

PubMed

Nasr, Mohammed A F

2017-08-01

The current study was aimed to investigate the impact of THI on productive and reproductive indices of PE and F 1 crosses (50% PE and 50% Italian buffaloes) and back crosses (BC) (75% PE and 25% Italian buffaloes) under hot conditions. In this study, 8385 records used PE (1914, 1518, and 1737), F 1 (387, 447, and 657), and BC (495, 585, and 645) for low, medium, and high THI, respectively. The high THI reduced the conception rate after first insemination in PE, F 1 , and BC ((odds ratio, OR) = 1.187, P = 0.007; 2.361, <0.0001 and 1.603, <0.0001, respectively) when compared with low THI. But, stillbirth and calving condition were not significantly influenced by different THI levels in BC and F 1 . BC was more bearable to the harsh environment; they possessed the highest incidence of conception after first insemination (72.70, 72.60, and 62.40%), producing live calves (98.50, 100, and 99.40%) with easy calving condition (98.50, 100, and 99.40%) when compared to PE and F 1 at different levels of THI, respectively. The average daily milk yield and peak of milk production were decreased in PE (4.02 and 5.12%), BC (13.33 and 10.95%), and F 1 (25.29 and 12.20%) from low to high THI. However, BC revealed no significant changes in days open, dry period, calving interval, gestation length, service per conception, and the first service post-partum at different levels of THI when compared with PE and F 1 . Therefore, rearing BC is recommended for improving buffalo productive and reproductive performance under hot conditions.

Bacterial cellulose synthesis mechanism of facultative anaerobe Enterobacter sp. FY-07.

PubMed

Ji, Kaihua; Wang, Wei; Zeng, Bing; Chen, Sibin; Zhao, Qianqian; Chen, Yueqing; Li, Guoqiang; Ma, Ting

2016-02-25

Enterobacter sp. FY-07 can produce bacterial cellulose (BC) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Three potential BC synthesis gene clusters (bcsI, bcsII and bcsIII) of Enterobacter sp. FY-07 have been predicted using genome sequencing and comparative genome analysis, in which bcsIII was confirmed as the main contributor to BC synthesis by gene knockout and functional reconstitution methods. Protein homology, gene arrangement and gene constitution analysis indicated that bcsIII had high identity to the bcsI operon of Enterobacter sp. 638; however, its arrangement and composition were same as those of BC synthesizing operon of G. xylinum ATCC53582 except for the flanking sequences. According to the BC biosynthesizing process, oxygen is not directly involved in the reactions of BC synthesis, however, energy is required to activate intermediate metabolites and synthesize the activator, c-di-GMP. Comparative transcriptome and metabolite quantitative analysis demonstrated that under anaerobic conditions genes involved in the TCA cycle were downregulated, however, genes in the nitrate reduction and gluconeogenesis pathways were upregulated, especially, genes in three pyruvate metabolism pathways. These results suggested that Enterobacter sp. FY-07 could produce energy efficiently under anaerobic conditions to meet the requirement of BC biosynthesis.

Bacterial cellulose synthesis mechanism of facultative anaerobe Enterobacter sp. FY-07

PubMed Central

Ji, Kaihua; Wang, Wei; Zeng, Bing; Chen, Sibin; Zhao, Qianqian; Chen, Yueqing; Li, Guoqiang; Ma, Ting

2016-01-01

Enterobacter sp. FY-07 can produce bacterial cellulose (BC) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Three potential BC synthesis gene clusters (bcsI, bcsII and bcsIII) of Enterobacter sp. FY-07 have been predicted using genome sequencing and comparative genome analysis, in which bcsIII was confirmed as the main contributor to BC synthesis by gene knockout and functional reconstitution methods. Protein homology, gene arrangement and gene constitution analysis indicated that bcsIII had high identity to the bcsI operon of Enterobacter sp. 638; however, its arrangement and composition were same as those of BC synthesizing operon of G. xylinum ATCC53582 except for the flanking sequences. According to the BC biosynthesizing process, oxygen is not directly involved in the reactions of BC synthesis, however, energy is required to activate intermediate metabolites and synthesize the activator, c-di-GMP. Comparative transcriptome and metabolite quantitative analysis demonstrated that under anaerobic conditions genes involved in the TCA cycle were downregulated, however, genes in the nitrate reduction and gluconeogenesis pathways were upregulated, especially, genes in three pyruvate metabolism pathways. These results suggested that Enterobacter sp. FY-07 could produce energy efficiently under anaerobic conditions to meet the requirement of BC biosynthesis. PMID:26911736

Weak decays of doubly heavy baryons: multi-body decay channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yu-Ji; Wang, Wei; Xing, Ye; Xu, Ji

2018-01-01

The newly-discovered Ξ _{cc}^{++} decays into the Λ c^+ K^-π ^+π ^+, but the experimental data has indicated that this decay is not saturated by any two-body intermediate state. In this work, we analyze the multi-body weak decays of doubly heavy baryons Ξ _{cc}, Ω _{cc}, Ξ _{bc}, Ω _{bc}, Ξ _{bb} and Ω _{bb}, in particular the three-body nonleptonic decays and four-body semileptonic decays. We classify various decay modes according to the quark-level transitions and present an estimate of the typical branching fractions for a few golden decay channels. Decay amplitudes are then parametrized in terms of a few SU(3) irreducible amplitudes. With these amplitudes, we find a number of relations for decay widths, which can be examined in future.

Body Composition Predicts Growth in Infants and Toddlers With Chronic Liver Disease.

PubMed

Hurtado-López, Erika F; Vásquez-Garibay, Edgar M; Trujillo, Xóchitl; Larrosa-Haro, Alfredo

2017-12-01

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 15 infants and toddlers with chronic liver disease to validate arm anthropometry as an accurate measure of body composition (BC) compared to dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and to predict growth from BC. The z score means of the anthropometric indicators were <-2 standard deviation, except for body fat index and subscapular skinfold, which were between -2 and +2 standard deviation. Fat mass was predicted by arm adiposity indicators and fat-free mass by arm muscle area. Bone mineral content explained 87% of variation in length. Two multiple regression models predicted length: 1 with fat mass plus fat-free mass; and the second with fat mass and bone mineral content. These observations suggest that arm anthropometry is a useful tool to estimate BC and the nutritional status in infants and toddlers with chronic liver disease. Length and head circumference can be predicted by fat mass, fat-free mass, and bone mineral content.

Effects of photochemical oxidation on the mixing state and light absorption of black carbon in the urban atmosphere of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qiyuan; Huang, Rujin; Zhao, Zhuzi; Cao, Junji; Ni, Haiyan; Tie, Xuexi; Zhu, Chongshu; Shen, Zhenxing; Wang, Meng; Dai, Wenting; Han, Yongming; Zhang, Ningning; Prévôt, André S. H.

2017-04-01

The relationship between the refractory black carbon (rBC) aerosol mixing state and the atmospheric oxidation capacity was investigated to assess the possible influence of oxidants on the particles’ light absorption effects at two large cities in China. The number fraction of thickly-coated rBC particles (F rBC) was positively correlated with a measure of the oxidant concentrations (OX = O3 + NO2), indicating an enhancement of coated rBC particles under more oxidizing conditions. The slope of a linear regression of F rBC versus OX was 0.58% ppb-1 for Beijing and 0.84% ppb-1 for Xi’an, and these relationships provide some insights into the evolution of rBC mixing state in relation to atmospheric oxidation processes. The mass absorption cross-section of rBC (MACrBC) increased with OX during the daytime at Xi’an, at a rate of 0.26 m2 g-1 ppb-1, suggesting that more oxidizing conditions lead to internal mixing that enhances the light-absorbing capacity of rBC particles. Understanding the dependence of the increasing rates of F rBC and MACrBC as a function of OX may lead to improvements of climate models that deal with the warming effects, but more studies in different cities and seasons are needed to gauge the broader implications of these findings.

Ayahuasca and Its DMT- and β-carbolines - Containing Ingredients Block the Expression of Ethanol-Induced Conditioned Place Preference in Mice: Role of the Treatment Environment.

PubMed

Cata-Preta, Elisangela G; Serra, Yasmim A; Moreira-Junior, Eliseu da C; Reis, Henrique S; Kisaki, Natali D; Libarino-Santos, Matheus; Silva, Raiany R R; Barros-Santos, Thaísa; Santos, Lucas C; Barbosa, Paulo C R; Costa, José L; Oliveira-Lima, Alexandre J; Berro, Lais F; Marinho, Eduardo A V

2018-01-01

Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic beverage produced from the decoction of Banisteriopsis caapi (Bc) and Psychotria viridis (Pv), β-carboline- and N,N -dimethyltryptamine(DMT)-containing plants, respectively. Accumulating evidence suggests that ayahuasca may have therapeutic effects on ethanol abuse. It is not known, however, whether its effects are dependent on the presence of DMT or if non-DMT-containing components would have therapeutic effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the rewarding properties of ayahuasca (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg, orally), Bc (132, 440, and 1320 mg/kg, orally) and Pv (3.75, 12.5 and 37.5 mg/kg, i.p.) extracts and their effects on ethanol (1.8 g/kg, i.p.) reward using the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm in male mice. Animals were conditioned with ayahuasca, Bc or Pv extracts during 8 sessions. An intermediate, but not a high, dose of ayahuasca induced CPP in mice. Bc and Pv did not induce CPP. Subsequently, the effects of those extracts were tested on the development of ethanol-induced CPP. Ayahuasca, Bc or Pv were administered before ethanol injections during conditioning sessions. While Bc and Pv exerted no effects on ethanol-induced CPP, pretreatment with ayahuasca blocked the development of CPP to ethanol. Finally, the effects of a post-ethanol-conditioning treatment with ayahuasca, Bc or Pv on the expression of ethanol-induced CPP were tested. Animals were conditioned with ethanol, and subsequently treated with either ayahuasca, Bc or Pv in the CPP environment previously associated with saline or ethanol for 6 days. Animals were then reexposed to ethanol and ethanol-induced CPP was quantified on the following day. Treatment with all compounds in the ethanol-paired environment blocked the expression of ethanol-induced CPP. Administration of an intermediate, but not a high, dose of ayahuasca and Bc, as well as Pv administration, in the saline-paired compartment blocked the expression of ethanol-induced CPP. The present study sheds light into the components underlying the therapeutic effects of ayahuasca on ethanol abuse, indicating that ayahuasca and its plant components can decrease ethanol reward at doses that do not exert abuse liability. Importantly, the treatment environment seems to influence the therapeutic effects of ayahuasca and Bc, providing important insights into clinical practice.

Joint measurements of black carbon and particle mass for heavy-duty diesel vehicles using a portable emission measurement system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Xuan; Wu, Ye; Zhang, Shaojun; Baldauf, Richard W.; Zhang, K. Max; Hu, Jingnan; Li, Zhenhua; Fu, Lixin; Hao, Jiming

2016-09-01

The black carbon (BC) emitted from heavy-duty diesel vehicles (HDDVs) is an important source of urban atmospheric pollution and creates strong climate-forcing impacts. The emission ratio of BC to total particle mass (PM) (i.e., BC/PM ratio) is an essential variable used to estimate total BC emissions from historical PM data; however, these ratios have not been measured using portable emission measurement systems (PEMS) in order to obtain real-world measurements over a wide range of driving conditions. In this study, we developed a PEMS platform by integrating two Aethalometers and an electric low pressure impactor to realize the joint measurement of real-world BC and PM emissions for ten HDDVs in China. Test results showed that the average BC/PM ratio for five HDDVs equipped with mechanical fuel injection (MI) engines was 0.43 ± 0.06, significantly lower (P < 0.05) than another five HDDVs equipped with electronically-controlled fuel injection (EI) engines (0.56 ± 0.12). Traffic conditions also affected the BC/PM ratios with higher ratios on freeway routes than on local roads. Furthermore, higher ratios were observed for HDDVs equipped with EI engines than for the MI engines for the highway and local road routes. With an operating mode binning approach, we observed that the instantaneous BC/PM ratios of EI engine vehicles were above those of the MI engine vehicles in all operating modes except for the braking mode (i.e., Bin 0). Therefore, the complex impacts from engine technology and traffic conditions on BC/PM ratios should be carefully considered when estimating real-world BC emissions from HDDVs based on overall PM emissions data.

How do molecular marker patterns of BC change at increasing age of chars?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, M. P. W.; Hilf, M.; Schmidt, M. W. I.

2009-04-01

Black carbon (BC) is considered to be a relatively stable form of organic carbon. However, previous results have shown that the physical and chemical properties of BC can vary considerably with formation temperature. Thus, to understand the long-term carbon sink potential of BC there is increasing interest to gain more information about i) the conditions under which BC was formed, and ii) the resulting degradability of BC under natural conditions. In a first step, we synthesised chars from two different sources of biomass (chestnut wood, rice straw) under well-defined conditions as model substances to analyse the changes in their molecular structure at increasing formation temperature. Results are presented obtained from a set of laboratory produced char samples pyrolysed at increasing temperatures with a high resolution between 200 and 1000 °C. The chars were characterized by a molecular marker method for pyrogenic carbon quantification, which additionally provides information about the degree of condensation of chars. At temperatures between 275 and 500°C, which typically are observed during wildfires and thus are relevant for natural char formation, the molecular marker pattern of the chars remains almost constant. In a next step, we analysed changes in the molecular marker patterns of chars from a chronosequence, with BC deposited between 0 and 100 years ago. Based on the data obtained from the laboratory char series, we compare changes in the molecular marker patterns of the chars from the chronosequence over time. These results show if less condensed forms of BC are degraded preferentially and more condensed, aromatic backbone of BC becomes enriched in the soils with time of degradation. Our results provide information about the fate of BC in the environment, which has important implications in the context of carbon sequestration strategies.

Breast Cancer Knowledge Among Male High School Students in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Al-Amoudi, Samia; AlHomied, Moaiad Tariq Abdul-Aziz; AlSayegh, Nasser Youssef Nasser; Radi, Osama Naseem Ismail; Zagzoog, Mohammed Majed Suliman; Aloufi, Omar Faisal Mubarak; Al-Harbi, Abdullah Abdulkarim Ali; Tayeb, Safwan; Hassanien, Mohammed; Al-Ahwal, Mahmoud; Eldeek, Basem; Harakeh, Steve

2016-12-01

Breast cancer (BC) accounts for 24 % of all women cancer cases diagnosed in Saudi Arabia each year. Awareness is extremely important in combating this disease. This study was undertaken to assess male high school students' response to BC. This cross-sectional survey was performed on male high school students across schools in Jeddah. A questionnaire gathered data on respondent demographics, beliefs about BC, BC risk factors, early screening methods, and role of men in BC. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 20. A total of 824 students participated, with an average age of 17.0 years. There was more than 50 % agreement that early detection of BC enhances the chances of recovery, that BC is treatable, and that clinical breast examination and breastfeeding provide protection from BC. Around half the survey population thought that BC was fatal and contagious. Fewer than 50 % thought that BC was inherited and related to smoking, consumption of contraceptive pills, repeated exposure to radiation, obesity, and wearing a bra and that breast tumors were all malignant and spread to different parts of the body. Others knew that mammograms should be performed periodically. A high percentage persuaded their relatives to have mammograms and provided them with psychological support. Knowledge of BC among male high school students in Saudi Arabia is still limited, and, therefore, programs and activities need to be established to increase awareness among high school students.

Sub-1-V-60 nm vertical body channel MOSFET-based six-transistor static random access memory array with wide noise margin and excellent power delay product and its optimization with the cell ratio on static random access memory cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogasawara, Ryosuke; Endoh, Tetsuo

2018-04-01

In this study, with the aim to achieve a wide noise margin and an excellent power delay product (PDP), a vertical body channel (BC)-MOSFET-based six-transistor (6T) static random access memory (SRAM) array is evaluated by changing the number of pillars in each part of a SRAM cell, that is, by changing the cell ratio in the SRAM cell. This 60 nm vertical BC-MOSFET-based 6T SRAM array realizes 0.84 V operation under the best PDP and up to 31% improvement of PDP compared with the 6T SRAM array based on a 90 nm planar MOSFET whose gate length and channel width are the same as those of the 60 nm vertical BC-MOSFET. Additionally, the vertical BC-MOSFET-based 6T SRAM array achieves an 8.8% wider read static noise margin (RSNM), a 16% wider write margin (WM), and an 89% smaller leakage. Moreover, it is shown that changing the cell ratio brings larger improvements of RSNM, WM, and write time in the vertical BC-MOSFET-based 6T SRAM array.

Association of PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms on estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) gene to changes into serum lipid profile of post-menopausal women: Effects of aging, body mass index and breast cancer incidence

PubMed Central

Gomes-Rochette, Neuza Felix; Souza, Letícia Soncini; Tommasi, Bruno Otoni; Pedrosa, Diego França; Fin, Irani do Carmo Francischetto; Vieira, Fernando Luiz Herkenhoff; Graceli, Jones Bernardes; Rangel, Letícia Batista Azevedo; Silva, Ian Victor

2017-01-01

Estrogen is a steroidal hormone involved in several physiological functions in the female body including regulation of serum lipid metabolism and breast cancer (BC). Estrogen actions on serum lipids mostly occur through its binding to intracellular Estrogen Receptor alpha (ERalpha) isoform, expressed in most of tissues. This gene (ESR1) exhibit many polymorphic sites (SNPs) located either on translated and non-translated regions that regulate ERalpha protein expression and function. This paper aimed to investigate the association of two intronic SNPs of ESR1 gene, namely c454-397T>C (PvuII) and c454-351A>G (XbaI) to alterations in serum levels of total cholesterol (T-chol), total lipid (TL), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides (TG) in a cohort of post-menopausal women. In addition, we aimed to associate presence of these SNPs to development of BC along 5 years period. To do so, a group of healthy 499, highly miscigenated, post-menopausal Brazilian women, were carried using PCR-FRLP technique and further confirmed by automatic sequence analysis as well followed through 5 years for BC incidence. Measurements of serum lipid profile by standard commercial methods were carried individually whereas Dual Energy X-ray Absorciometry (DXA) measured Body Mass Indexes (BMI), Fat Mass (FM), Lean Body Mass (LBM), and Body Water Content (BWC). No effects of PvuII SNP on ESR1 gene were observed on patient´s serum T-chol, TL, LDL, HDL, and TG. However, c454-397T>C PvuII SNP is associated to lower body fat and higher levels of lean mass and body water and lower incidence of BC. On the other hand, statistically significant effect of XbaI c454-351A>G SNP on serum TG and TL levels. Patients homozygous for X allele were followed up from 2010–2015. They showed higher incidence of breast cancer (BC) when compared to either heterozygous and any P allele combination. Moreover, the increasing of TG and TL serum concentrations associated to SNP XbaI c454-351A>G on ESR1 gene is enhanced in both obese (higher BMI) and elder women. Taken together, these results suggested that XbaI c454-351A>G SNP is associated to changes in lipid profile, particularly in serum TG and TL, in this cohort of post-menopausal woman. Also, this paper shows another link between obesity and BC corroborating the current thesis that both diseases are interlinked. PMID:28199328

Association of PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms on estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) gene to changes into serum lipid profile of post-menopausal women: Effects of aging, body mass index and breast cancer incidence.

PubMed

Gomes-Rochette, Neuza Felix; Souza, Letícia Soncini; Tommasi, Bruno Otoni; Pedrosa, Diego França; Eis, Sérgio Ragi; Fin, Irani do Carmo Francischetto; Vieira, Fernando Luiz Herkenhoff; Graceli, Jones Bernardes; Rangel, Letícia Batista Azevedo; Silva, Ian Victor

2017-01-01

Estrogen is a steroidal hormone involved in several physiological functions in the female body including regulation of serum lipid metabolism and breast cancer (BC). Estrogen actions on serum lipids mostly occur through its binding to intracellular Estrogen Receptor alpha (ERalpha) isoform, expressed in most of tissues. This gene (ESR1) exhibit many polymorphic sites (SNPs) located either on translated and non-translated regions that regulate ERalpha protein expression and function. This paper aimed to investigate the association of two intronic SNPs of ESR1 gene, namely c454-397T>C (PvuII) and c454-351A>G (XbaI) to alterations in serum levels of total cholesterol (T-chol), total lipid (TL), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides (TG) in a cohort of post-menopausal women. In addition, we aimed to associate presence of these SNPs to development of BC along 5 years period. To do so, a group of healthy 499, highly miscigenated, post-menopausal Brazilian women, were carried using PCR-FRLP technique and further confirmed by automatic sequence analysis as well followed through 5 years for BC incidence. Measurements of serum lipid profile by standard commercial methods were carried individually whereas Dual Energy X-ray Absorciometry (DXA) measured Body Mass Indexes (BMI), Fat Mass (FM), Lean Body Mass (LBM), and Body Water Content (BWC). No effects of PvuII SNP on ESR1 gene were observed on patient´s serum T-chol, TL, LDL, HDL, and TG. However, c454-397T>C PvuII SNP is associated to lower body fat and higher levels of lean mass and body water and lower incidence of BC. On the other hand, statistically significant effect of XbaI c454-351A>G SNP on serum TG and TL levels. Patients homozygous for X allele were followed up from 2010-2015. They showed higher incidence of breast cancer (BC) when compared to either heterozygous and any P allele combination. Moreover, the increasing of TG and TL serum concentrations associated to SNP XbaI c454-351A>G on ESR1 gene is enhanced in both obese (higher BMI) and elder women. Taken together, these results suggested that XbaI c454-351A>G SNP is associated to changes in lipid profile, particularly in serum TG and TL, in this cohort of post-menopausal woman. Also, this paper shows another link between obesity and BC corroborating the current thesis that both diseases are interlinked.

Relationships between Breastfeeding Patterns and Maternal and Infant Body Composition over the First 12 Months of Lactation

PubMed Central

Rea, Alethea; Hepworth, Anna R.; Ward, Leigh C.; Lai, Ching T.; Hartmann, Peter E.; Geddes, Donna T.

2018-01-01

Breastfeeding has been implicated in the establishment of infant appetite regulation, feeding patterns and body composition (BC). A holistic approach is required to elucidate relationships between infant and maternal BC and contributing factors, such as breastfeeding parameters. Associations between maternal and breastfed term infant BC (n = 20) and feeding parameters during first 12 months of lactation were investigated. BC was measured at 2, 5, 9 and/or 12 months postpartum with ultrasound skinfolds (US; infants only) and bioimpedance spectroscopy (infants and mothers). 24-h milk intake (MI) and feeding frequency (FFQ) were measured. Higher FFQ was associated with larger 24-h MI (p ≤ 0.003). Higher 24-h MI was associated with larger infant fat mass (FM) (US: p ≤ 0.002), greater percentage FM (US: p ≤ 0.008), greater FM index (FMI) (US: p ≤ 0.001) and lower fat-free mass index (FFMI) (US: p = 0.015). Lower FFQ was associated with both larger FFM (US: p ≤ 0.001) and FFMI (US: p < 0.001). Greater maternal adiposity was associated with smaller infant FFM measured with US (BMI: p < 0.010; %FM: p = 0.004; FMI: p < 0.011). Maternal BC was not associated with FFQ or 24-h MI. These results reinforce that early life is a critical window for infant programming and that breastfeeding may influence risk of later disease via modulation of BC. PMID:29303992

Procalcitonin levels in patients with positive blood culture, positive body fluid culture, sepsis, and severe sepsis: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Yu, Ying; Li, Xia-Xi; Jiang, Ling-Xiao; Du, Meng; Liu, Zhan-Guo; Cen, Zhong-Ran; Wang, Hua; Guo, Zhen-Hui; Chang, Ping

2016-01-01

Numerous investigations on procalcitonin (PCT) have been carried out, although few with large sample size. To deal with the complexity of sepsis, an understanding of PCT in heterogeneous clinical conditions is required. Hospitalized patients aged 10-79 years were included in this retrospective and cross-sectional study. PCT tests were assayed within 2 days of blood culture. A total of 2952 cases (from 2538 patients) were enrolled in this study, including 440 cases in the 'positive BC' group, 123 cases in the 'positive body fluid culture' group, and 2389 cases in the 'negative all culture' group. Median PCT values were 4.53 ng/ml, 2.95 ng/ml, and 0.49 ng/ml, respectively. Median PCT values in the gram-negative BC group and gram-positive BC group, respectively, were 6.99 ng/ml and 2.96 ng/ml. Median PCT values in the 'positive hydrothorax culture' group, 'positive ascites culture' group, 'positive bile culture' group, and 'positive cerebrospinal fluid culture' group, respectively, were 1.39 ng/ml, 8.32 ng/ml, 5.98 ng/ml, and 0.46 ng/ml. In all, 357 cases were classified into the 'sepsis' group, 150 of them were classified into the 'severe sepsis' group. Median PCT values were 5.63 ng/ml and 11.06 ng/ml, respectively. PCT could be used in clinical algorithms to diagnose positive infections and sepsis. Different PCT levels could be related to different kinds of microbemia, different infection sites, and differing severity of sepsis.

Genotyping analysis and ¹⁸FDG uptake in breast cancer patients: a preliminary research.

PubMed

Bravatà, Valentina; Stefano, Alessandro; Cammarata, Francesco P; Minafra, Luigi; Russo, Giorgio; Nicolosi, Stefania; Pulizzi, Sabina; Gelfi, Cecilia; Gilardi, Maria C; Messa, Cristina

2013-04-30

Diagnostic imaging plays a relevant role in the care of patients with breast cancer (BC). Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) has been widely proven to be a clinical tool suitable for BC detection and staging in which the glucose analog supplies metabolic information about the tumor. A limited number of studies, sometimes controversial, describe possible associations between FDG uptake and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). For this reason this field has to be explored and clarified. We investigated the association of SNPs in GLUT1, HIF-1a, EPAS1, APEX1, VEGFA and MTHFR genes with the FDG uptake in BC. In 26 caucasian individuals with primary BC, whole-body PET-CT scans were obtained and quantitative analysis was performed by calculating the maximum Standardized Uptake Value normalized to body-weight (SUVmax) and the mean SUV normalized to body-weight corrected for partial volume effect (SUVpvc). Human Gene Mutation Database and dbSNP Short Genetic Variations database were used to analyze gene regions containing the selected SNPs. Patient genotypes were obtained using Sanger DNA sequencing analysis performed by Capillary Electrophoresis. BC patients were genotyped for the following nine SNPs: GLUT1: rs841853 and rs710218; HIF-1a: rs11549465 and rs11549467; EPAS1: rs137853037 and rs137853036; APEX1: rs1130409; VEGFA: rs3025039 and MTHFR: rs1801133. In this work correlations between the nine potentially useful polymorphisms selected and previously suggested with tracer uptake (using both SUVmax and SUVpvc) were not found. The possible functional influence of specific SNPs on FDG uptake needs further studies in human cancer. In summary, this is the first pilot study, to our knowledge, which investigates the association between a large panel of SNPs and FDG uptake specifically in BC patients. This work represents a multidisciplinary and translational medicine approach to study BC where, the possible correlation between SNPs and tracer uptake, may be considered to improve personalized cancer treatment and care.

Assessing the Cytotoxicity of Black Carbon As A Model for Ultrafine Anthropogenic Aerosol Across Human and Murine Cells: A Chronic Exposure Model of Nanosized Particulate Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salinas, E.

2015-12-01

Combustion-derived nanomaterials or ultrafine (<1 μm) atmospheric aerosols are primarily products of anthropogenic activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels. Ultrafine particles (UFPs) can absorb other noxious pollutants including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), toxic organic compounds, and heavy metals. The combination of high population density, meteorological conditions, and industrial productivity brings high levels of air pollution to the metropolitan area of El Paso, Texas, USA/ Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, comprising the Paso del Norte air basin. A study conducted by scientists from the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, analyzed sites adjacent to heavy-traffic highways in El Paso and elucidated higher UFP concentrations in comparison to previously published work exploring pollution and adverse health effects in the basin. UFPs can penetrate deep into the alveolar sacs of the lung, reaching distant alveolar sacs and inducing a series of immune responses that are detrimental to the body: evidence suggests that UFPs can also cross the alveolar-blood barrier and potentially endanger the body's immune response. The physical properties of UFPs and the dynamics of local atmospheric and topographical conditions indicate that emissions of nanosized carbonaceous aerosols could pose significant threats to biological tissues upon inhalation by local residents of the Paso del Norte. This study utilizes Black Carbon (BC) as a model for environmental UFPs and its effects on the immunological response. An in vitro approach is used to measure the ability of BC to promote cell death upon long-term exposure. Human epithelial lung cells (A549), human peripheral-blood monocytes (THP-1), murine macrophages (RAW264.7), and murine epithelial lung cells (LA-4) were treated with BC and assessed for metabolic activity after chronic exposure utilizing three distinct and independent cell viability assays. The cell viability experiments included a chronic study at 7, 10, and 14 days of UFP exposure at six different concentrations of BC: 100μM, 300μM, 600μM, 1,250μM, 2,500μM, and 5,000μM conducting the Trypan Blue (TB) Exclusion Assay, Calcein-AM Viability Assay, and CellTiter-Glo Viability Assay.

Prognostic indicators associated with early mortality of wild raptors admitted to a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Spain.

PubMed

Molina-López, Rafael A; Casal, Jordi; Darwich, Laila

2015-03-01

Assessment of the prognostic indicators of wildlife casualties is critical in wildlife rehabilitation practice, to optimize the use of economical resources, and to protect animal welfare. Few studies have been conducted in this field. To identify the prognostic indicators associated with raptor mortality during the first week of hospitalization. Complete medical records of 1722 wild raptor cases admitted to a wildlife rehabilitation centre from 1995 to 2007 were used. Regression models were created to determine mortality-related factors for different variables (order, sex, body condition (BC), clinical signs, and available haematological and biochemical parameters). In the bivariate analysis, the presence of nervous (OR = 11.9, 95%CI:5.1-27.6) or musculoskeletal (OR = 12.1, 95%CI:5.8-25.3) signs, a poor BC (OR = 32.9, 95%CI:19-81.2), and low values of packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin or total solids (TS), were all associated with early mortality. After adjusting variables in the multivariate model, BC was excluded due to co-linearity with other variables, and alteration of the nervous system was the only significant risk factor (OR = 4.0; 95%CI:1.9-8.8). In species specific analysis, poor prognosis was related to neurological signs in Athene noctua, poor BC in Strix aluco, trauma in Acciptiter nisus and Tyto alba, low PCV in Buteo buteo and Falco tinnunculus and low TS in Falco tinnunculus. Raptors with a poor BC, low values of PCV and those presenting with neurological signs, had the highest risk of dying in the first days of admittance. Thus, either medical care or humane euthanasia for poor prognosis should be performed to address animal welfare.

Resolving Size Distribution of Black Carbon Internally Mixed With Snow: Impact on Snow Optical Properties and Albedo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Cenlin; Liou, Kuo-Nan; Takano, Yoshi

2018-03-01

We develop a stochastic aerosol-snow albedo model that explicitly resolves size distribution of aerosols internally mixed with various snow grains. We use the model to quantify black carbon (BC) size effects on snow albedo and optical properties for BC-snow internal mixing. Results show that BC-induced snow single-scattering coalbedo enhancement and albedo reduction decrease by a factor of 2-3 with increasing BC effective radii from 0.05 to 0.25 μm, while polydisperse BC results in up to 40% smaller visible single-scattering coalbedo enhancement and albedo reduction compared to monodisperse BC with equivalent effective radii. We further develop parameterizations for BC size effects for application to climate models. Compared with a realistic polydisperse assumption and observed shifts to larger BC sizes in snow, respectively, assuming monodisperse BC and typical atmospheric BC effective radii could lead to overestimates of 24% and 40% in BC-snow albedo forcing averaged over different BC and snow conditions.

Body composition in dialysis patients: a functional assessment of bioimpedance using different prediction models.

PubMed

Broers, Natascha J H; Martens, Remy J H; Cornelis, Tom; Diederen, Nanda M P; Wabel, Peter; van der Sande, Frank M; Leunissen, Karel M L; Kooman, Jeroen P

2015-03-01

The assessment of body composition (BC) in dialysis patients is of clinical importance given its role in the diagnosis of malnutrition and sarcopenia. Bioimpedance techniques routinely express BC as a 2-compartment (2-C) model distinguishing fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM), which may be influenced by the hydration of adipose tissue and fluid overload (OH). Recently, the BC monitor was introduced which applies a 3-compartment (3-C) model, distinguishing OH, adipose tissue mass, and lean tissue mass. The aim of this study was to compare BC between the 2-C and 3-C models and assess their relation with markers of functional performance (handgrip strength [HGS] and 4-m walking test), as well as with biochemical markers of nutrition. Forty-seven dialysis patients (30 males and 17 females) (35 hemodialysis, 12 peritoneal dialysis) with a mean age of 64.8 ± 16.5 years were studied. 3-C BC was assessed by BC monitor, whereas the obtained resistivity values were used to calculate FM and FFM according to the Xitron Hydra 4200 formulas, which are based on a 2-C model. FFM (3-C) was 0.99 kg (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27 to 1.71, P = .008) higher than FFM (2-C). FM (3-C) was 2.43 kg (95% CI, 1.70-3.15, P < .001) lower than FM (2-C). OH was 1.4 ± 1.8 L. OH correlated significantly with ΔFFM (FFM 3-C - FFM 2-C) (r = 0.361; P < .05) and ΔFM (FM 3-C - FM 2-C) (r = 0.387; P = .009). HGS correlated significantly with FFM (2-C) (r = 0.713; P < .001), FFM (3-C) (r = 0.711; P < .001), body cell mass (2-C) (r = 0.733; P < .001), and body cell mass (3-C) (r = 0.767; P < .001). Both physical activity (r = 0.456; P = .004) and HGS (r = 0.488; P = .002), but not BC, were significantly related to walking speed. Significant differences between 2-C and 3-C models were observed, which are partly explained by the presence of OH. OH, which was related to ΔFFM and ΔFM of the 2-C and 3-C models, is therefore an important parameter for the differences in estimation of BC parameters of the 2-C and 3-C models. Both FFM (3-C) and FFM (2-C) were significantly related to HGS. Bioimpedance, HGS, and the 4-m walking test may all be valuable tools in the multidimensional nutritional assessment of both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients. Copyright © 2015 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploring the influence of gender-role socialization and objectified body consciousness on body image disturbance in breast cancer survivors.

PubMed

Boquiren, Virginia M; Esplen, Mary Jane; Wong, Jiahui; Toner, Brenda; Warner, Ellen

2013-10-01

This study aimed to explore the relationships between gender-role socialization, objectified body consciousness and quality of life in breast cancer (BC) survivors with body image (BI) disturbance post-treatment. A total of 150 BC survivors participating in an ongoing randomized clinical trial of a group psychotherapy intervention for BI-related concerns completed a baseline battery of standardized measures including the following: Body Image Scale (BIS), Body Image after Breast Cancer Questionnaire (BIBCQ), Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS) measuring Body Shame and Surveillance, Gender-Role Socialization Scale (GRSS) measuring internalization of traditional gender roles and attitudes and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Quality-of-Life Instrument (FACT-B). Correlational analyses were conducted between the two BI questionnaires, the two primary psychosocial variables GRSS and OBCS, and FACT-B. Path analysis was conducted on a proposed theoretical model delineating pathways between the two primary psychosocial variables and BI disturbance. Significant positive correlations were found between the two BI scales and (a) GRSS (average r = 0.53, p < 0.000), (b) Body Shame (average r = 0.53, p < 0.000) and Surveillance (average r = 0.48, p < 0.000). The BIS and BIBCQ were negatively associated with the FACT-B (r = -0.62, -0.73, respectively; p < 0.000). Results from the path analysis demonstrated support for the proposed model. Breast cancer survivors who endorsed greater internalization of traditional gender roles and attitudes, who engaged in greater self-surveillance and experienced greater body shame, reported greater BI disturbance and poorer quality of life post-treatment. Women with these predispositions are likely to be more vulnerable for psychological distress and may experience poorer adjustment after BC treatment. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mechanical Complication with Broviac Repair Kit in a 4-Year-Old Boy with MEN 2a.

PubMed

Sesia, Sergio B; Haecker, Frank-Martin; Mayr, Johannes

2009-01-01

Background. Mechanical complications in the use of indwelling central venous catheters (CVCs) such as the Broviac catheter (BC) include kinking, occlusion, dislocation or leaking. We report on a mechanical complication after using a repair kit for the BC. Method. A 4-year old boy, suffering from multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2a (MEN 2a), intestinal aganglionosis (Hirschsprung's disease), and short bowel syndrome, required a BC for home parenteral nutrition. Result. Due to recurrent leakage of the BC, 5 subsequent repairs were necessary within seven months. During one repair a metallic tube belonging to the repair kit was found to have migrated proximally to the skin entrance level within the BC and requiring surgical removal. Conclusion. To our knowledge, this is the first report focusing on such a serious complication using a BC and its repair kit. The proximal migration of this metallic tube constitutes a distinct theoretical risk of endothoracic foreign body embolization.

Breast cancer and psychosocial factors: early stressful life events, social support, and well-being.

PubMed

Ginzburg, Karni; Wrensch, Margaret; Rice, Terri; Farren, Georgianna; Spiegel, David

2008-01-01

The allostasis theory postulates that stress causes the body to activate physiologic systems in order to maintain stability. The authors sought to examine the relationship between earlier stress and later development of breast cancer (BC). Authors correlated discrete and interactive relationships of stressful life events, social support, and well-being during childhood and adolescence with the occurrence of BC in adulthood among 300 women with primary BC and 305 matched control subjects. BC patients and control subjects reported similar childhood experiences. Yet, although childhood stressful life events were associated with reports of less family support and well being among the controls, those in the BC group who experienced high stress in early childhood actually expressed higher levels of family support and well-being than did those who had experienced lower levels of stress. These findings may reflect a tendency toward a repressive coping style among the BC group, which may be either a risk factor for the disease or a result of having it.

Controlled release of β-carotene in β-lactoglobulin-dextran-conjugated nanoparticles' in vitro digestion and transport with Caco-2 monolayers.

PubMed

Yi, Jiang; Lam, Tina I; Yokoyama, Wallace; Cheng, Luisa W; Zhong, Fang

2014-09-03

Undesirable aggregation of nanoparticles stabilized by proteins may occur at the protein's isoelectric point when the particle has zero net charge. Stability against aggregation of nanoparticles may be improved by reacting free amino groups with reducing sugars by the Maillard reaction. β-Lactoglobulin (BLG)-dextran conjugates were characterized by SDS-PAGE and CD. Nanoparticles (60-70 nm diameter) of β-carotene (BC) encapsulated by BLG or BLG-dextran were prepared by the homogenization-evaporation method. Both BLG and BLG-dextran nanoparticles appeared to be spherically shaped and uniformly dispersed by TEM. The stability and release of BC from the nanoparticles under simulated gastrointestinal conditions were evaluated. Dextran conjugation prevented the flocculation or aggregation of BLG-dextran particles at pH ∼4-5 compared to very large sized aggregates of BLG nanoparticles. The released contents of BC from BLG and BLG-dextran nanoparticles under acidic gastric conditions were 6.2 ± 0.9 and 5.4 ± 0.3%, respectively. The release of BC from BLG-dextran nanoparticles by trypsin digestion was 51.8 ± 4.3% of total encapsulated BC, and that from BLG nanoparticles was 60.9 ± 2.9%. Neither BLG-BC nanoparticles nor the Maillard-reacted BLG-dextran conjugates were cytotoxic to Caco-2 cells, even at 10 mg/mL. The apparent permeability coefficient (Papp) of Caco-2 cells to BC was improved by nanoencapsulation, compared to free BC suspension. The results indicate that BC-encapsulated β-lactoglobulin-dextran-conjugated nanoparticles are more stable to aggregation under gastric pH conditions with good release and permeability properties.

Characterizing the vertical presence of atmospheric black carbon in the in the high Arctic region from airborne measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, H.; Zanatta, M.; Stefanie, W.; Herber, A. B.

2016-12-01

Black carbon (BC) is an important contributor to climate change in the Arctic region. Due to its light absorption behavior, BC leads to a direct warming of the corresponding aerosol layer. Nevertheless, the net Arctic warming induced by BC strongly depends on its vertical distribution. At present, the low level of knowledge in BC vertical variability in the Arctic region may introduce a strong source of uncertainty in radiative forcing estimations. Vertical distribution of refractory black carbon (rBC) was investigated in spring 2015 during an aircraft campaign, as part of the NETCARE (Network on Climate and Aerosols: Addressing Key Uncertainties in Remote Canadian Environments) project. A single particle soot photometer was deployed on the research aircraft POLAR-6 during nine flights over the European and Canadian high Arctic. In the European Arctic, a decreasing vertical trend of rBC mass concentration was observed, with an average of 40 ng m-3 below 1000 m asl, and less than 10 ng m-3 above 3000 m asl. Combining potential temperature trends and number fraction of rBC particles, plume events were isolated from background conditions. At the Canadian site of Alert, low and high altitude background conditions were characterized by an average rBC number fraction below 10%, while higher values (17%) were observed during plume events. rBC mass concentration was found to decrease by a factor of five from low altitude background (27 ng m-3) to high altitude background (5.4 ng m-3). The plume event, located between 2500 and 3000 m asl, represented a discontinuity point in the decreasing vertical trend showing a rBC concentration of 25 ng m-3. Moreover, background conditions were characterized by a rBC mass mean diameter of 230 nm, while during plume events the observed mean size distribution was peaking at 180 nm only. Our work provides new insights on vertical variability of rBC properties and plume outbreaks in the high Arctic. This information is of actual interest for decreasing the high uncertainty of radiative forcing and atmospheric warming estimations in the Arctic region.

Long-term effect of weight loss on body composition and performance in elite athletes.

PubMed

Garthe, Ina; Raastad, Truls; Sundgot-Borgen, Jorunn

2011-10-01

When weight loss (WL) is needed, it is recommended that athletes do it gradually by 0.5-1 kg/wk through moderate energy restriction. However, the effect of WL rate on long-term changes in body composition (BC) and performance has not been investigated in elite athletes. To compare changes in body mass (BM), fat mass (FM), lean body mass (LBM), and performance 6 and 12 mo after 2 different WL interventions promoting loss of 0.7% vs. 1.4% of body weight per wk in elite athletes. Twenty-three athletes completed 6- and 12-mo postintervention testing (slow rate [SR] n = 14, 23.5 ± 3.3 yr, 72.2 ± 12.2 kg; fast rate [FR] n = 9, 21.4 ± 4.0 yr, 71.6 ± 12.0 kg). The athletes had individualized diet plans promoting the predetermined weekly WL during intervention, and 4 strength-training sessions per wk were included. BM, BC, and strength (1-repetition maximum) were tested at baseline, postintervention, and 6 and 12 mo after the intervention. BM decreased by ~6% in both groups during the intervention but was not different from baseline values after 12 mo. FM decreased in SR and FR during the intervention by 31% ± 3% vs. 23% ± 4%, respectively, but was not different from baseline after 12 mo. LBM and upper body strength increased more in SR than in FR (2.0% ± 1.3% vs. 0.8% ± 1.1% and 12% ± 2% vs. 6% ± 2%) during the intervention, but after 12 mo there were no significant differences between groups in BC or performance. There were no significant differences between groups after 12 mo, suggesting that WL rate is not the most important factor in maintaining BC and performance after WL in elite athletes.

Biochar may physically entrap nitrate during field aging or co-composting which become plant available under controlled conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haider, Ghulam; Steffens, Diedrich; Müller, Christoph; Kammann, Claudia

2017-04-01

Conversion of organic biomass (agriculture/forestry residues) to biochar (BC) for carbon sequestration in soil to abate global warming has received much attention in recent years. However, apart from carbon sequestration, the incorporation of freshly produced biochars in agricultural soils have shown varying effects on soil-plant-moisture and nutrient interactions. It has been frequently reported that BC amendment may accelerate soil N transformations, reduce nitrate leaching, increase nutrient availability and soil fertility thereby increase crop yields by 10-15%. In addition, recent meta-studies suggested that BC-nitrogen (N) interactions in agricultural soils have the potential to reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by 50% with the underlying mechanisms not well understood. Also, mechanisms of BC-N sorption and desorption or plant availability of captured N in BC remain poorly understood. In this study we conducted two different experiments aiming (a) to understand the mechanism of nitrate capture by field aged (>3 years) BC (wood chip, pruning, bark and leaves (550-600°C)) and (b) to test the availability of captured nitrate by field-aged and composted BC to plants (quinoa, ryegrass) in a pot study under controlled conditions. Experiment (A): We hypothesized that N captured in the pores of BC may remain inaccessible to extraction solutions due to clogging of BC pores by the development of hydrophobic layer on BC surface following oxidation under field conditions. Therefore (i) physically breaking the structure or (ii) exerting under-pressure to water-immersed aged BC particles may allow extracting greater nitrate with the standard 2 M KCl method compared to intact particles. Study (A) encompassed 1) extraction from intact field-aged BC particles, 2) extraction after immersion in water and evacuation in vacutainers, 3) extraction after grinding of BC to powder and 4) prolonged shaking (48 hours at 80°C) of intact field aged BC particles and then extraction. Surprisingly, the ground BC particles released more than two times the amount of nitrate than standard-extracted intact BC particles (2 M KCl 1 hour shaking). Evacuation of intact BC particles did not result in a significant difference from the control either, while the prolonged shaking in hot water resulted in the maximum extracted amount of nitrate. Experiment (B): The availability of N from three different sources (nitrate supplied via field-aged BC, composted BC or Ca(NO3)) applied at increasing rate of addition (control, 44, 88, 177 and 355 kg N ha-1) was tested by growing Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Interestingly, the captured N by field aged and composted BC was largely plant available and supported plant biomass production comparable to the synthetic N fertilizer. In conclusion, we argue that the BC N capture is more likely due to physical entrapment (in pores) rather than to chemical bonding. Moreover, N loading of BC may provide an option to use biochar for crop production and climate change mitigation. Acknowledgements: CK acknowledges funding by DFG-grant KA3442/1-1 and GH was funded by DAAD and the higher education commission of Pakistan.

Towards national mapping of aquatic condition (II): Predicting the probable biological condition of USA streams and rivers

EPA Science Inventory

The US EPA’s National River and Stream Assessment (NRSA) uses spatially balanced sampling to estimate the proportion of streams within the conterminous US (CONUS) that deviate from least-disturbed biological condition (BC). These assessments do not infer BC at un-sampled st...

Joint measurements of black carbon and particle mass for ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The black carbon (BC) emitted from heavy-duty diesel vehicles(HDDVs) is an important source of urban atmospheric pollution and createsstrong climate-forcing impacts. The emission ratio of BC to totalparticle mass (PM) (i.e., BC/PM ratio) is an essential variable used toestimate total BC emissions from historical PM data; however, theseratios have not been measured using portable emission measurement systems(PEMS) in order to obtain real-world measurements over a wide range ofdriving conditions. In this study, we developed a PEMS platform byintegrating two Aethalometers and an electric low pressure impactor torealize the joint measurement of real-world BC and PM emissions for tenHDDVs in China. Test results showed that the average BC/PM ratio for fiveHDDVs equipped with mechanical fuel injection (MI) engines was 0.43±0.06,significantly lower (P<0.05) than another five HDDVs equipped withelectronically-controlled fuel injection (EI) engines (0.56±0.12).Traffic conditions also affected the BC/PM ratios with higher BC/PMratios on freeway routes than on local roads. Further, higher ratios wereobserved for HDDVs equipped with EI engines than for the MI engines forthe highway and local road routes. With an operating mode binningapproach, we observed that the instantaneous BC/PM ratios of EI enginevehicles were above those of the MI engine vehicles in all operatingmodes except for the braking mode (i.e., Bin 0). Therefore, the compleximpacts from engine technology and

Body composition and physical performance during a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's soccer season.

PubMed

Silvestre, Ricardo; Kraemer, William J; West, Chris; Judelson, Daniel A; Spiering, Barry A; Vingren, Jakob L; Hatfield, Disa L; Anderson, Jeffrey M; Maresh, Carl M

2006-11-01

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in body composition (BC) and physical performance tests (PT) resulting from a competitive season in soccer. Twenty-five male collegiate players (age = 19.9 +/- 1.3 years; height = 177.6 +/- 6.4 cm; body mass = 77.6 +/- 8.6 kg, and percentage body fat = 12.8 +/- 5.2%) were tested before (PRE) and after (POST) the 2003-2004 National Collegiate Athletic Association season. The following tests were performed: BC (anthropometric and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry measurements), vertical jump (VJ), 9.1-m (9 m) and 36.5-m (36 m) sprint, lower-body power (LP), total body power (TP), and cardiorespiratory endurance (VO(2)max). Training was divided into soccer-specific training: field warm-up drills, practices, games, and additional conditioning sessions. A daily, unplanned, nonlinear periodization model was used to assign session volume and intensity for strength sessions (total repetitions < or =96 and workload was > or =80% of 1 repetition maximum). For the entire team, body mass significantly increased by 1.5 +/- 0.4 kg from PRE to POST due to a significant increase in total lean tissue (0.9 +/- 0.2 kg). Regionally, lean tissue mass significantly increased in the legs (0.4 +/- 0.0 kg) and trunk (0.3 +/- 0.1 kg). Physical performance variables were very similar for the entire team at PRE and POST; VJ (cm) = 61.9 +/- 7.1 PRE vs. 63.3 +/- 8.0 POST, 9.1-m (s) = 1.7 +/- 0.1 PRE and POST, 36.5-m (s) = 5.0 +/- 0.2 PRE and POST, predicted VO(2)max (ml.kg.min(-1))= 59.8 +/- 3.3 PRE vs. 60.9 +/- 3.4 POST. The only significant improvements across the season were for TP (17.3%) and for LP (10.7%). In conclusion, soccer athletes who begin a season with a high level of fitness can maintain, and in some cases improve, body composition and physical performance from before to after a competitive season. A correct combination of soccer-specific practices and strength and conditioning programs can maintain and develop physical performance, allowing a soccer athlete to perform optimally throughout pre-, in-, and postseason play.

Changes in physical fitness of a home-based physical exercise program in childhood obesity: A quasi-experimental uncontrolled study.

PubMed

Lisón, Juan Francisco; Bruñó-Soler, Alejandro; Torró, Isabel; Segura-Ortí, Eva; Alvarez-Pitti, Julio

2017-06-01

Few studies have evaluated the changes in physical fitness (PF) of obese children and adolescents of a physical activity program for the treatment of obesity, and even fewer have explored the modality of home-based physical exercise. The objective of this study is to evaluate the changes in PF and body composition (BC) of a home-based physical exercise for treating childhood obesity. Thirty-three overweight/obese children and adolescents participated for six months in a home-based intervention that combined aerobics and muscular strength exercises. The results were compared, before and after the intervention, for the different PF components (VO2 max , abdominal muscle resistance strength, and lower body explosive strength) and BC (body mass index Z-score (BMI-Z), percentage of body fat, and fat-free mass) variables. A significant reduction was observed in the percentage of body fat (4.7%) and the BMI- Z score (.23), and there was an increase in the fat-free mass of 2.9 kg ( p < .001). In addition, the VO2 max showed a significant increase ( p < .05). The results of the different strength tests also showed significant improvements ( p < .05). Our findings support the effectiveness of this program improving not only BC but also PF. However, our results should be interpreted with caution due to lack of control group.

Body composition and bone mineral density in users of the etonogestrel-releasing contraceptive implant.

PubMed

Modesto, Waleska; Dal Ava, Natália; Monteiro, Ilza; Bahamondes, Luis

2015-12-01

There is scarce information about bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition (BC) among users of the etonogestrel (ENG)-releasing implant. To evaluate BC and BMD in ENG-releasing implant users as compared to copper intrauterine device (Cu-IUD)-users. A prospective study was conducted on 75 users of both contraceptive methods. BMD was evaluated at femoral neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LS) (L1-L4) and BC at baseline and at 12 months after insertion. The mean (±SD) age was 30.4 ± 6.8 and 29.8 ± 8.4 years and body mass index (kg/m(2)) was 24.9 ± 4.1 and 24.6 ± 3.5 in ENG-releasing implant- and Cu-IUD-users, respectively. ENG-releasing implant users did not show significant differences on BMD at the LS and FN at 12 months of use. Furthermore, ENG-implant users had an increase in body weight at 12 months (p < 0.001) and an increase of 2 % in the percentage of body fat, when compared with Cu-IUD users. There was a significant increase in lean mass in ENG-implant users at 12 months (p = 0.020). No significant changes of BMD were seen after the first year of use among the ENG-releasing implant-users, albeit an increase of weight and fat mass was seen when compared to Cu-IUD users.

Validity of Predictive Equations for Resting Energy Expenditure Developed for Obese Patients: Impact of Body Composition Method

PubMed Central

Achamrah, Najate; Jésus, Pierre; Grigioni, Sébastien; Rimbert, Agnès; Petit, André; Déchelotte, Pierre; Folope, Vanessa; Coëffier, Moïse

2018-01-01

Predictive equations have been specifically developed for obese patients to estimate resting energy expenditure (REE). Body composition (BC) assessment is needed for some of these equations. We assessed the impact of BC methods on the accuracy of specific predictive equations developed in obese patients. REE was measured (mREE) by indirect calorimetry and BC assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). mREE, percentages of prediction accuracy (±10% of mREE) were compared. Predictive equations were studied in 2588 obese patients. Mean mREE was 1788 ± 6.3 kcal/24 h. Only the Müller (BIA) and Harris & Benedict (HB) equations provided REE with no difference from mREE. The Huang, Müller, Horie-Waitzberg, and HB formulas provided a higher accurate prediction (>60% of cases). The use of BIA provided better predictions of REE than DXA for the Huang and Müller equations. Inversely, the Horie-Waitzberg and Lazzer formulas provided a higher accuracy using DXA. Accuracy decreased when applied to patients with BMI ≥ 40, except for the Horie-Waitzberg and Lazzer (DXA) formulas. Müller equations based on BIA provided a marked improvement of REE prediction accuracy than equations not based on BC. The interest of BC to improve REE predictive equations accuracy in obese patients should be confirmed. PMID:29320432

Pilot study of a novel classroom designed to prevent myopia by increasing children's exposure to outdoor light.

PubMed

Zhou, Zhongqiang; Chen, Tingting; Wang, Mengrui; Jin, Ling; Zhao, Yongyi; Chen, Shangji; Wang, Congyao; Zhang, Guoshan; Wang, Qilin; Deng, Qiaoming; Liu, Yubo; Morgan, Ian G; He, Mingguang; Liu, Yizhi; Congdon, Nathan

2017-01-01

We sought to assess light characteristics and user acceptability of a prototype Bright Classroom (BC), designed to prevent children's myopia by exposing them to light conditions resembling the outdoors. Conditions were measured throughout the school year in the glass-constructed BC, a traditional classroom (TC) and outdoors. Teachers and children completed user questionnaires, and children rated reading comfort at different light intensities. A total of 230 children (mean age 10.2 years, 57.4% boys) and 13 teachers (36.8 years, 15.4% men) completed questionnaires. The median (Inter Quartile Range) light intensity in the BC (2,540 [1,330-4,060] lux) was greater than the TC (477 [245-738] lux, P < 0.001), though less than outdoors (19,500 [8,960-36,000] lux, P < 0.001). A prominent spectral peak at 490-560 nm was present in the BC and outdoors, but less so in the TC. Teachers and children gave higher overall ratings to the BC than TC, and light intensity in the BC in summer and on sunny days (>5,000 lux) was at the upper limit of children's comfort for reading. In summary, light intensity in the BC exceeds TC, and is at the practical upper limit for routine use. Children and teachers prefer the BC.

Experimental Analysis of the Mechanism of Hearing under Water

PubMed Central

Chordekar, Shai; Kishon-Rabin, Liat; Kriksunov, Leonid; Adelman, Cahtia; Sohmer, Haim

2015-01-01

The mechanism of human hearing under water is debated. Some suggest it is by air conduction (AC), others by bone conduction (BC), and others by a combination of AC and BC. A clinical bone vibrator applied to soft tissue sites on the head, neck, and thorax also elicits hearing by a mechanism called soft tissue conduction (STC) or nonosseous BC. The present study was designed to test whether underwater hearing at low intensities is by AC or by osseous BC based on bone vibrations or by nonosseous BC (STC). Thresholds of normal hearing participants to bone vibrator stimulation with their forehead in air were recorded and again when forehead and bone vibrator were under water. A vibrometer detected vibrations of a dry human skull in all similar conditions (in air and under water) but not when water was the intermediary between the sound source and the skull forehead. Therefore, the intensities required to induce vibrations of the dry skull in water were significantly higher than the underwater hearing thresholds of the participants, under conditions when hearing by AC and osseous BC is not likely. The results support the hypothesis that hearing under water at low sound intensities may be attributed to nonosseous BC (STC). PMID:26770975

Effects of a parallel arm randomized controlled weight loss pilot study on biological and psychosocial parameters of overweight and obese breast cancer survivors

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Weight gain often occurs after breast cancer (BC) diagnosis, and obesity along with sedentary behavior, are associated with increased risk of BC recurrence and mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine effects of weight loss and exercise on body composition, fitness, cancer-rel...

Late Babylonian Astrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steele, John M.

The last five centuries BC saw the development of several new forms of astrology in Babylonia. Key to these new astrological techniques was the invention of the zodiac in about 400 BC. These new forms of astrology include personal horoscopes, astral medicine, and the exploitation of geometrical relationships between the position of heavenly bodies. Several Late Babylonian astrological doctrines were later adopted within Greek astrology.

Black carbon reduction will weaken the aerosol net cooling effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Z. L.; Zhang, H.; Zhang, X. Y.

2014-12-01

Black carbon (BC), a distinct type of carbonaceous material formed from the incomplete combustion of fossil and biomass based fuels under certain conditions, can interact with solar radiation and clouds through its strong light-absorption ability, thereby warming the Earth's climate system. Some studies have even suggested that global warming could be slowed down in a short term by eliminating BC emission due to its short lifetime. In this study, we estimate the influence of removing some sources of BC and other co-emitted species on the aerosol radiative effect by using an aerosol-climate coupled model BCC_AGCM2.0.1_CUACE/Aero, in combination with the aerosol emissions from the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) scenarios. We find that the global annual mean aerosol net cooling effect at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) will be enhanced by 0.12 W m-2 compared with present-day conditions if the BC emission is reduced exclusively to the level projected for 2100 based on the RCP2.6 scenario. This will be beneficial for the mitigation of global warming. However, the global annual mean aerosol net cooling effect at the TOA will be weakened by 1.7-2.0 W m-2 relative to present-day conditions if emissions of BC and co-emitted sulfur dioxide and organic carbon are simultaneously reduced as the most close conditions to the actual situation to the level projected for 2100 in different ways based on the RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 scenarios. Because there are no effective ways to remove the BC exclusively without influencing the other co-emitted components, our results therefore indicate that a reduction in BC emission can lead to an unexpected warming on the Earth's climate system in the future.

Factorial-based response-surface modeling with confidence intervals for optimizing thermal-optical transmission analysis of atmospheric black carbon.

PubMed

Conny, J M; Norris, G A; Gould, T R

2009-03-09

Thermal-optical transmission (TOT) analysis measures black carbon (BC) in atmospheric aerosol on a fibrous filter. The method pyrolyzes organic carbon (OC) and employs laser light absorption to distinguish BC from the pyrolyzed OC; however, the instrument does not necessarily separate the two physically. In addition, a comprehensive temperature protocol for the analysis based on the Beer-Lambert Law remains elusive. Here, empirical response-surface modeling was used to show how the temperature protocol in TOT analysis can be modified to distinguish pyrolyzed OC from BC based on the Beer-Lambert Law. We determined the apparent specific absorption cross sections for pyrolyzed OC (sigma(Char)) and BC (sigma(BC)), which accounted for individual absorption enhancement effects within the filter. Response-surface models of these cross sections were derived from a three-factor central-composite factorial experimental design: temperature and duration of the high-temperature step in the helium phase, and the heating increase in the helium-oxygen phase. The response surface for sigma(BC), which varied with instrument conditions, revealed a ridge indicating the correct conditions for OC pyrolysis in helium. The intersection of the sigma(BC) and sigma(Char) surfaces indicated the conditions where the cross sections were equivalent, satisfying an important assumption upon which the method relies. 95% confidence interval surfaces defined a confidence region for a range of pyrolysis conditions. Analyses of wintertime samples from Seattle, WA revealed a temperature between 830 degrees C and 850 degrees C as most suitable for the helium high-temperature step lasting 150s. However, a temperature as low as 750 degrees C could not be rejected statistically.

Transcription Mapping of the Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (Human Herpesvirus 8) Genome in a Body Cavity-Based Lymphoma Cell Line (BC-1)

PubMed Central

Sarid, Ronit; Flore, Ornella; Bohenzky, Roy A.; Chang, Yuan; Moore, Patrick S.

1998-01-01

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) gene transcription in the BC-1 cell line (KSHV and Epstein-Barr virus coinfected) was examined by using Northern analysis with DNA probes extending across the viral genome except for a 3-kb unclonable rightmost region. Three broad classes of viral gene transcription have been identified. Class I genes, such as those encoding the v-cyclin, latency-associated nuclear antigen, and v-FLIP, are constitutively transcribed under standard growth conditions, are unaffected by tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA) induction, and presumably represent latent viral transcripts. Class II genes are primarily clustered in nonconserved regions of the genome and include small polyadenylated RNAs (T0.7 and T1.1) as well as most of the virus-encoded cytokines and signal transduction genes. Class II genes are transcribed without TPA treatment but are induced to higher transcription levels by TPA treatment. Class III genes are primarily structural and replication genes that are transcribed only following TPA treatment and are presumably responsible for lytic virion production. These results indicate that BC-1 cells have detectable transcription of a number of KSHV genes, particularly nonconserved genes involved in cellular signal transduction and regulation, during noninduced (latent) virus culture. PMID:9444993

Body composition in paediatric intestinal failure patients receiving long-term parenteral nutrition.

PubMed

Pichler, Judith; Chomtho, Sirinuch; Fewtrell, Mary; Macdonald, Sarah; Hill, Susan

2014-02-01

Outcome of children with intestinal failure (IF) has improved on treatment with parenteral nutrition (PN). The effects of PN and IF on body composition (BC) are unknown. The aim was to review BC in PN-treated children and those weaned off and to compare with reference data. Children on long-term/home PN underwent measurement of regional fat mass (FM) and lean mass (LM) using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Underlying diseases were intestinal enteropathy, n=15, short bowel syndrome (SBS), n=8 and intestinal dysmotility, n=11. PN duration was median 10 years. Fat Mass Index (FMI) and Lean Mass Index (LMI) were compared in children with and without intestinal inflammation, steroid treatment and according to PN dependency. 34 children aged 5-20 years were studied. They were short, mean height SD score (SDS) -1.8 (p<0.001) and light (mean weight SDS -0.86, p<0.001) with high body mass index (BMI) SDS: mean 0.4 (p=0.04) and low Limb LMI SDS -0.9 (p<0.001). Children with SBS had low FMI SDS -0.8 (p=0.01). BC did not significantly differ between diagnostic groups or with steroid treatment. Patients with intestinal inflammation (n=20) had higher BMI SDS than those without, p=0.007. Totally, PN-dependent children, n=11 had higher BMI SDS, p=0.004, total body FMI SDS, p=0.008 and trunk FMI SDS, p=0.001 compared with patients partially dependent and off PN. Significantly low limb LM was seen in all patient groups with high FM in children on total PN. Children with IF requiring PN treatment >27 days may benefit from BC monitoring and PN adjustment according to results in order to maximise linear growth and health in later life.

Effect of Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen Process to Black Carbon Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Ling; Li, Qinbin; He, Cenlin; Wang, Xin; Huang, Jianping

2016-04-01

We systematically investigated the effect of Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen (WBF) process to black carbon (BC) simulation by a global 3D chemical transport model GEOS-Chem constrained by measurements of BC scavenging efficiencies, concentration in air, deposition fluxes, concentration in snow and washout ratios. Including effect of WBF process reduces the annual mean BC scavenging efficiencies (the ratio of BC in cloud droplets to total BC) at all altitudes by 43-76% in the Arctic. For mid latitude BC scavenging efficiencies decrease by 8-22%, 23-39%, and 41-50% in lower (0-2 km), middle (2-5 km) and upper troposphere (5-10 km), respectively. Simulated BC in air in the Arctic and at mid altitude (˜4 km) in mid latitude increases by ˜40%, and the discrepancy reduces from -65% to -30%. Simulated median BC in snow decreases from 25.7 to 22.4 ng g-1, by 15% in mid latitude and increases from 8.7 to 11.0 ng g-1, by 26% in the Arctic and the comparison with observations improves. The model overestimates washout ratios (ratio of BC in fresh snow/rain to BC in surface air) at most of the sites by up to a factor of 165. With effect of WBF process included, the discrepancy decreases to a factor of 72. The simulated BC burden increases from 0.22 to 0.35 mg m-2 yr-1 when effect of WBF process is included, partly explains the scaled up of BC burden in Bond et al., 2013. Moreover, burden above 5 km increases from 22% to 27% when WBF process is included, indicating a higher forcing efficiency. We also found that BC simulation is insensitive to the temperature criteria between mixed phase clouds and ice clouds. The simulated BC burden is the same when the temperature is set as -15° C and -25° C. This study also suggests that more observations are needed to better distinguish riming dominated and WBF dominated conditions and better parameterize BC scavenging efficiency under the two conditions.

Mapping the biological condition of USA rivers and streams

EPA Science Inventory

We predicted the probable (pr) biological condition (BC) of ~5.4 million km of stream within the conterminous USA (CONUS). National maps of prBC could provide an important tool for prioritizing monitoring and restoration of streams. The USEPA uses a spatially balanced survey desi...

Luffa sponge offsets the negative effects of aeration on bacterial cellulose production.

PubMed

Krusong, W; Kerdpiboon, S; Pornpukdeewattana, S; Jindaprasert, A

2016-12-01

To offset the negative effects of aeration on bacterial cellulose (BC) production by acetic acid bacteria using enmeshed cellulose microfibrils (CM) on luffa sponge matrices (LSM). The CM were enmeshed on LSM (LSM-CM). The optimal amount of LSM-CM was determined for BC production under aerated conditions. Without LSM-CM, no BC was produced in seven out of nine production cycles at the highest aeration rate (9 l min -1 ). However, with 0·5% LSM-CM and an aeration rate of 3 l min -1 , a satisfactory oxygen transfer coefficient was achieved, and also a good yield of BC (5·24 g l -1 ). Moreover, the LSM-CM was able to be recycled through nine consecutive BC production cycles. The highest BC yields (from 5·8 ± 0·4 to 6·6 ± 0·4 g l -1 ) were associated with high bacterial biomass and this was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. We confirm that LSM-CM works well as a starter. Microenvironments low in dissolved oxygen within the matrices of LSM-CM are important for BC production under aeration conditions. The LSM-CM provides a microenvironment which offsets the negative effects of aeration on BC production. A sustainable, economic process for mass BC production is described using recycled LSM-CM with aeration. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Boundary conditions and formation of pure spin currents in magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliashvili, Merab; Tsitsishvili, George

2017-09-01

Schrödinger equation for an electron confined to a two-dimensional strip is considered in the presence of homogeneous orthogonal magnetic field. Since the system has edges, the eigenvalue problem is supplied by the boundary conditions (BC) aimed in preventing the leakage of matter away across the edges. In the case of spinless electrons the Dirichlet and Neumann BC are considered. The Dirichlet BC result in the existence of charge carrying edge states. For the Neumann BC each separate edge comprises two counterflow sub-currents which precisely cancel out each other provided the system is populated by electrons up to certain Fermi level. Cancelation of electric current is a good starting point for developing the spin-effects. In this scope we reconsider the problem for a spinning electron with Rashba coupling. The Neumann BC are replaced by Robin BC. Again, the two counterflow electric sub-currents cancel out each other for a separate edge, while the spin current survives thus modeling what is known as pure spin current - spin flow without charge flow.

Event-related potentials reveal linguistic suppression effect but not enhancement effect on categorical perception of color.

PubMed

Lu, Aitao; Yang, Ling; Yu, Yanping; Zhang, Meichao; Shao, Yulan; Zhang, Honghong

2014-08-01

The present study used the event-related potential technique to investigate the nature of linguistic effect on color perception. Four types of stimuli based on hue differences between a target color and a preceding color were used: zero hue step within-category color (0-WC); one hue step within-category color (1-WC); one hue step between-category color (1-BC); and two hue step between-category color (2-BC). The ERP results showed no significant effect of stimulus type in the 100-200 ms time window. However, in the 200-350 ms time window, ERP responses to 1-WC target color overlapped with that to 0-WC target color for right visual field (RVF) but not left visual field (LVF) presentation. For the 1-BC condition, ERP amplitudes were comparable in the two visual fields, both being significantly different from the 0-WC condition. The 2-BC condition showed the same pattern as the 1-BC condition. These results suggest that the categorical perception of color in RVF is due to linguistic suppression on within-category color discrimination but not between-category color enhancement, and that the effect is independent of early perceptual processes. © 2014 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Bacterial cellulose production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus by employing alternative culture media.

PubMed

Jozala, Angela Faustino; Pértile, Renata Aparecida Nedel; dos Santos, Carolina Alves; de Carvalho Santos-Ebinuma, Valéria; Seckler, Marcelo Martins; Gama, Francisco Miguel; Pessoa, Adalberto

2015-02-01

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is used in different fields as a biological material due to its unique properties. Despite there being many BC applications, there still remain many problems associated with bioprocess technology, such as increasing productivity and decreasing production cost. New technologies that use waste from the food industry as raw materials for culture media promote economic advantages because they reduce environmental pollution and stimulate new research for science sustainability. For this reason, BC production requires optimized conditions to increase its application. The main objective of this study was to evaluate BC production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus using industry waste, namely, rotten fruits and milk whey, as culture media. Furthermore, the structure of BC produced at different conditions was also determined. The culture media employed in this study were composed of rotten fruit collected from the disposal of free markets, milk whey from a local industrial disposal, and their combination, and Hestrin and Schramm media was used as standard culture media. Although all culture media studied produced BC, the highest BC yield-60 mg/mL-was achieved with the rotten fruit culture. Thus, the results showed that rotten fruit can be used for BC production. This culture media can be considered as a profitable alternative to generate high-value products. In addition, it combines environmental concern with sustainable processes that can promote also the reduction of production cost.

Pilot study of a novel classroom designed to prevent myopia by increasing children’s exposure to outdoor light

PubMed Central

Wang, Mengrui; Jin, Ling; Zhao, Yongyi; Chen, Shangji; Wang, Congyao; Zhang, Guoshan; Wang, Qilin; Deng, Qiaoming; Liu, Yubo; Morgan, Ian G.; He, Mingguang; Liu, Yizhi

2017-01-01

We sought to assess light characteristics and user acceptability of a prototype Bright Classroom (BC), designed to prevent children’s myopia by exposing them to light conditions resembling the outdoors. Conditions were measured throughout the school year in the glass-constructed BC, a traditional classroom (TC) and outdoors. Teachers and children completed user questionnaires, and children rated reading comfort at different light intensities. A total of 230 children (mean age 10.2 years, 57.4% boys) and 13 teachers (36.8 years, 15.4% men) completed questionnaires. The median (Inter Quartile Range) light intensity in the BC (2,540 [1,330–4,060] lux) was greater than the TC (477 [245–738] lux, P < 0.001), though less than outdoors (19,500 [8,960–36,000] lux, P < 0.001). A prominent spectral peak at 490–560 nm was present in the BC and outdoors, but less so in the TC. Teachers and children gave higher overall ratings to the BC than TC, and light intensity in the BC in summer and on sunny days (>5,000 lux) was at the upper limit of children’s comfort for reading. In summary, light intensity in the BC exceeds TC, and is at the practical upper limit for routine use. Children and teachers prefer the BC. PMID:28759614

Hydroclimatic shifts recorded in peat archive from Rąbień mire (Central Poland) - better understanding of past climate changes using multidisciplinary approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Słowiński, Michał; Marcisz, Katarzyna; Płóciennik, Mateusz; Obremska, Milena; Pawłowski, Dominik; Okupny, Daniel; Słowińska, Sandra; Borówka, Ryszard; Kittel, Piotr; Forysiak, Jacek; Michczyńska, Danuta J.; Lamentowicz, Mariusz

2016-04-01

Hydrological changes are main drivers of the processes occurring in the peatland ecosystem, e.g. organic matter accumulation and decomposition. Hydroclimatic changes in mires are caused by various non-climatic factors, such as hydroseral succession or land use changes. Central Europe, namely Poland, is characterized by a transitional climate with influence o both continental and Atlantic air masses, which makes a this region a very sensitive to climate change. Here we explore a potential of multidisciplinary approach in reconstruction of past climate change and particularly hydroclimatic conditions which control in Sphagnum peatland ecosystem. We reconstructed 3300 years (between 3,500 BC and 200 BC) history of development of Rąbień mire using several biotic proxies (pollen, plant macrofossils, testate amoebae, Cladocera, Chironomidae) and geochemistry. Study site - Rąbień mire (area 42 ha) is located in central Poland and it is protected nature reserve. The origin of the mire depression is connected with the development of the thermokarst basin isolated by dunes. Rąbień mire is limnogenic, i.e. formed by the process of terrestrialisation of a water body and thickness of biogenic deposits is 6.2 m (440 cm of lacustrine sediment and 180 cm of peat). Our results demonstrate the high potential of Rąbień peat record for reconstructing the palaeohydrological dynamics. The studied time interval is characterized by two pronounced dry periods: ~2,500 to ~1,700 cal. BC and ~800 to ~600 cal. BC, and two periods of significant increases in water table: ~1,100 to ~800 cal. BC and ~600 to ~250 cal. BC. The timing of the wet shift at 600 cal. BC corresponds to wet periods in different sites from Central and Eastern Europe. Our investigation reveals a complex pattern of proxies, what might be linked to the past atmospheric circulation patterns. Extreme hydroclimatic conditions most possibly had a direct impact on the functioning of peatland ecosystems. What has been observed in the within the peatland monitoring during the heat wave events in 2015 (Linje mire, Northern Poland). In our opinion, only reconstructions supported by the knowledge of current observations from peatland ecosystems may provide a better interpretation of past climate changes. The research was supported by the National Science Centre Poland (grants NN 306 27 6735 NN 306 034 040, No 2015/17/B/ST10/03430). This study is a contribution to the Virtual Institute of Integrated Climate and Landscape Evolution (ICLEA) of the Helmholtz Association. We acknowledge support from grant PSPB-013/2010 from Switzerland through the Swiss Contribution to the enlarged European Union.

Bovine colostrum improves neonatal growth, digestive function, and gut immunity relative to donor human milk and infant formula in preterm pigs.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Stine O; Martin, Lena; Østergaard, Mette V; Rudloff, Silvia; Li, Yanqi; Roggenbuck, Michael; Bering, Stine B; Sangild, Per T

2016-09-01

Mother's own milk is the optimal first diet for preterm infants, but donor human milk (DM) or infant formula (IF) is used when supply is limited. We hypothesized that a gradual introduction of bovine colostrum (BC) or DM improves gut maturation, relative to IF during the first 11 days after preterm birth. Preterm pigs were fed gradually advancing doses of BC, DM, or IF (3-15 ml·kg(-1)·3 h(-1), n = 14-18) before measurements of gut structure, function, microbiology, and immunology. The BC pigs showed higher body growth, intestinal hexose uptake, and transit time and reduced diarrhea and gut permeability, relative to DM and IF pigs (P < 0.05). Relative to IF pigs, BC pigs also had lower density of mucosa-associated bacteria and of some putative pathogens in colon, together with higher intestinal villi, mucosal mass, brush-border enzyme activities, colonic short chain fatty acid levels, and bacterial diversity and an altered expression of immune-related genes (higher TNFα, IL17; lower IL8, TLR2, TFF, MUC1, MUC2) (all P < 0.05). Values in DM pigs were intermediate. Severe necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) was observed in >50% of IF pigs, while only subclinical intestinal lesions were evident from DM and BC pigs. BC, and to some degree DM, are superior to preterm IF in stimulating gut maturation and body growth, using a gradual advancement of enteral feeding volume over the first 11 days after preterm birth in piglets. Whether the same is true in preterm infants remains to be tested. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Season affects body composition and estimation of fluid overload in haemodialysis patients: variations in body composition; a survey from the European MONDO database.

PubMed

Broers, Natascha J H; Usvyat, Len A; Marcelli, Daniele; Bayh, Inga; Scatizzi, Laura; Canaud, Bernard; van der Sande, Frank M; Kotanko, Peter; Moissl, Ulrich; Kooman, Jeroen P

2015-04-01

Seasonal variations in blood pressure (BP) and inter-dialytic weight gain (IDWG) are well established in dialysis patients. However, no study has assessed changes in body composition (BC) in this population. In this survey, seasonal variations in fat mass (FM), lean tissue mass (LTM), extracellular water (ECW) and fluid overload (FO) were assessed in 42 099 dialysis patients (mean age 61.2 years, 58% males) from the Fresenius Medical Care Europe database, as part of the MONitoring Dialysis Outcomes (MONDO) consortium, in relation to other nutritional parameters, IDWG and BP. BC was assessed by a body composition monitor (BCM®, Fresenius Medical Care, Bad Homburg, Germany). FM was highest in winter and lowest in summer (▵FM -1.17 kg; P < 0.001), whereas LTM was lowest during winter and highest in summer (▵LTM 0.86 kg; P < 0.0001). ECW and FO were lowest in winter, and highest in spring (▵ECW: 0.13 L; P < 0.0001, ▵FO: 0.31 L; P < 0.0001) and summer (▵ECW: 0.15 L; P < 0.0001 and ▵FO: 0.2 L; P < 0.0001), despite a higher systolic blood pressure (SBP; 136.7 ± 17.4 mmHg) and IDWG (3.0 ± 1.1 kg) during winter. C-reactive protein (CRP), serum sodium and haemoglobin levels were highest in winter, whereas serum albumin was lowest in fall. Normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR) was lowest in winter and matched variations in BC only to a minor degree. BC and hydration state, assessed by bio-impedance spectroscopy, follows a seasonal pattern which may be of relevance for the estimation of target weight, and for the interpretation of longitudinal studies including estimates of BC. Whether these changes should lead to therapeutic interventions could be the focus of future studies. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

Investigating the variability in brown carbon light-absorption properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh, R.; Cheng, Z.; Atwi, K.

2017-12-01

Combustion of biomass fuels contributes a significant portion of brown carbon (BrC), the light-absorbing fraction of organic aerosols. BrC exhibits highly variable light-absorption properties, with imaginary part of the refractive indices (k) reported in the literature varying over two orders of magnitude. This high variability in k is attributed to the chaotic nature of combustion; however, there is a major gap in the fundamental understanding of this variability. To address this gap, we hypothesize that BrC is comprised of black carbon (BC) precursors whose transformation to BC has not seen fruition. Depending on the combustion conditions, these BC precursors exhibit different maturity levels which dictate their light-absorption properties (k). The more mature are the precursors, the more absorptive (or BC-like) they are. Therefore, k of BrC obtained from a certain measurement depends on the specific combustion conditions associated with the measurement, leading to the aforementioned variability in the literature. To test this hypothesis, we performed controlled combustion experiments in which the combustion conditions (temperature and air/fuel ratio) were varied and k was retrieved from real-time multi-wavelength light-absorption measurements at each condition. We used benzene, the inception of which during combustion is the initial critical step leading to BC formation, as a model fuel. By varying the combustion conditions from relatively inefficient (low temperature and/or air/fuel ratio) to relatively efficient (high temperature and/or air/fuel ratio), we isolated BrC components with progressively increasing k, spanning the wide range reported in the literature. We also performed thermodenuder measurements to constrain the volatility of the BrC, as well as laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry analysis to constrain its molecular mass. We found that as the combustion conditions approached the BC-formation threshold, the increase in k was associated with an increase in molecular mass and decrease in volatility. This confirms our hypothesis, since the BC precursors are expected to grow in size and become less volatile as they mature. These results provide the first correlation between the BrC physical, chemical, and consequent light-absorption properties.

Length Normalized Indices for Fat Mass and Fat-Free Mass in Preterm and Term Infants during the First Six Months of Life

PubMed Central

Goswami, Ipsita; Rochow, Niels; Fusch, Gerhard; Liu, Kai; Marrin, Michael L.; Heckmann, Matthias; Nelle, Mathias; Fusch, Christoph

2016-01-01

Objective: Postnatal tissue accretion in preterm infants differs from those in utero, affecting body composition (BC) and lifelong morbidity. Length normalized BC data allows infants with different body lengths to be compared and followed longitudinally. This study aims to analyze BC of preterm and term infants during the first six months of life. Methods: The BC data, measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, of 389 preterm and 132 term infants from four longitudinal studies were combined. Fat-mass/length2 (FMI) and fat-free mass/length2 (FFMI) for postmenstrual age were calculated after reaching full enteral feeding, at term and two further time points up to six months corrected age. Results: Median FMI (preterm) increased from 0.4 kg/m2 at 30 weeks to 2.5, 4.3, and 4.8 kg/m2 compared to 1.7, 4.7, and 6 kg/m2 in term infants at 40, 52, and 64 weeks, respectively. Median FFMI (preterm) increased from 8.5 kg/m2 (30 weeks) to 11.4 kg/m2 (45 weeks) and remained constant thereafter, whereas term FFMI remained constant at 11 kg/m2 throughout the tested time points. Conclusion: The study provides a large dataset of length normalized BC indices. Followed longitudinally, term and preterm infants differ considerably during early infancy in the pattern of change in FMI and FFMI for age. PMID:27399768

Validation of feasibility and quality of chicken breast meat cooked under various water-cooking conditions.

PubMed

Chumngoen, Wanwisa; Chen, Hsin-Yi; Tan, Fa-Jui

2016-12-01

Under laboratory conditions, the qualities of boneless chicken breasts are commonly determined by placing them in a bag and cooking them in a water bath. The results are often applied as references for comparing the influences of cooking techniques. However, whether a sample cooked under this "laboratory" condition actually represents the meat cooked under the "real-life" condition in which meat is frequently cooked directly in water without packaging remains unclear. Whether the two cooking conditions lead to comparable results in meat quality should be determined. This study evaluated the influence of cooking conditions, including "placed-in-bag and cooked in a water bath (BC)" and "cooked directly in hot water (WC)" conditions, on the quality of chicken meat. The results reveal that BC samples had a longer cooking time. Deboned-and-skinless BC samples had a higher cooking loss and lower protein solubility (P < 0.01). BC samples with bone and skin had a higher lightness in both skin and muscle. No significant differences were observed in attributes, including shear force, collagen solubility, microstructures, redness, yellowness and descriptive sensory characteristics between treatments. Based on the results, considering the quality attributes that might be influenced, is critical when conducting relevant research. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Aging of black carbon particles under polluted urban environments: timescale, hygroscopicity and enhanced absorption and direct radiative forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, J.; Hu, M.; Guo, S.; Du, Z.; Zheng, J.; Shang, D.; Levy Zamora, M.; Shao, M.; Wu, Y.; Zheng, J.; Wang, Y.; Zeng, L.; Collins, D. R.; Molina, M.; Zhang, R.

2017-12-01

Black carbon (BC) exerts profound impacts on air quality and climate because of its high absorption cross-section over a broad range of electromagnetic spectra, but the current results on absorption enhancement of BC particles during atmospheric aging remain conflicting. Here, we quantified the aging and variation in the hygroscopic and optical properties of BC particles under ambient conditions in Beijing, China, and Houston, United States, using an outdoor environmental chamber approach. BC aging exhibits two distinct stages, i.e., initial transformation from a fractal to spherical morphology with little absorption variation and subsequent growth of fully compact particles with a large absorption enhancement. The timescales to achieve complete morphology modification and an absorption amplification factor of 2.4 for BC particles are estimated to be 2.3 h and 4.6 h, respectively, in Beijing, compared with 9 h and 18 h, respectively, in Houston. The κ (kappa) values of coating materials are calculated as 0.04 at both subsaturation and supersaturation conditions, respectively, indicating that the initial photochemical aging of BC particles does not appreciably alter the BC hygroscopicity. Our findings suggest that BC aging under polluted urban environments could play an essential role in pollution development and contribute importantly to large positive radiative forcing. The variation in direct radiative forcing is dependent on the rate and timescale of BC aging, with a clear distinction between urban cities in developed and developing countries, i.e., a higher climatic impact in more polluted environments. We suggest that mediation in BC emissions achieves a cobenefit in simultaneously controlling air pollution and protecting climate, especially for developing countries.

Improved perturbative QCD formalism for Bc meson decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xin; Li, Hsiang-nan; Xiao, Zhen-Jun

2018-06-01

We derive the kT resummation for doubly heavy-flavored Bc meson decays by including the charm quark mass effect into the known formula for a heavy-light system. The resultant Sudakov factor is employed in the perutrbative QCD study of the "golden channel" Bc+→J /ψ π+. With a reasonable model for the Bc meson distribution amplitude, which maintains approximate on-shell conditions of both the partonic bottom and charm quarks, it is observed that the imaginary piece of the Bc→J /ψ transition form factor appears to be power suppressed, and the Bc+→J /ψ π+ branching ratio is not lower than 10-3. The above improved perturbative QCD formalism is applicable to Bc meson decays to other charmonia and charmed mesons.

Computational prediction of body-centered cubic carbon in an all- s p 3 six-member ring configuration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Zhen -Zhen; Lian, Chao -Sheng; Xu, Jing

2015-06-11

Recent shock compression experiments produced clear evidence of a new carbon phase, but a full structural identification has remained elusive. Here we establish by ab initio calculations a body-centered cubic carbon phase in Ia3¯d(O 10 h) symmetry, which contains twelve atoms in its primitive cell, thus termed BC12, and comprises all-sp 3 six-membered rings. This structural configuration places BC12 carbon in the same bonding type as cubic diamond, and its stability is verified by phonon mode analysis. Simulated x-ray diffraction patterns provide an excellent match to the previously unexplained distinct diffraction peak found in shock compression experiments. Electronic band andmore » density of states calculations reveal that BC12 is a semiconductor with a direct band gap of ~2.97eV. Lastly, these results provide a solid foundation for further exploration of this new carbon allotrope.« less

An Implementation of Hydrostatic Boundary Conditions for Variable Density Lattice Boltzmann Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bardsley, K. J.; Thorne, D. T.; Lee, J. S.; Sukop, M. C.

2006-12-01

Lattice Boltzmann Methods (LBMs) have been under development for the last two decades and have become another capable numerical method for simulating fluid flow. Recent advances in lattice Boltzmann applications involve simulation of density-dependent fluid flow in closed (Dixit and Babu, 2006; D'Orazio et al., 2004) or periodic (Guo and Zhao, 2005) domains. However, standard pressure boundary conditions (BCs) are incompatible with concentration-dependent density flow simulations that use a body force for gravity. An implementation of hydrostatic BCs for use under these conditions is proposed here. The basis of this new implementation is an additional term in the pressure BC. It is derived to account for the incorporation of gravity as a body force and the effect of varying concentration in the fluid. The hydrostatic BC expands the potential of density-dependent LBM to simulate domains with boundaries other than the closed or periodic boundaries that have appeared in previous literature on LBM simulations. With this new implementation, LBM will be able to simulate complex concentration-dependent density flows, such as salt water intrusion in the classic Henry and Henry-Hilleke problems. This is demonstrated using various examples, beginning with a closed box system, and ending with a system containing two solid walls, one velocity boundary and one pressure boundary, as in the Henry problem. References Dixit, H. N., V. Babu, (2006), Simulation of high Rayleigh number natural convection in a square cavity using the lattice Boltzmann method, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 49, 727-739. D'Orazio, A., M. Corcione, G.P. Celata, (2004), Application to natural convection enclosed flows of a lattice Boltzmann BGK model coupled with a general purpose thermal boundary conditions, Int. J. Thermal Sci., 43, 575-586. Gou, Z., T.S. Zhao, (2005), Lattice Boltzmann simulation of natural convection with temperature-dependant viscosity in a porous cavity, Numerical Heat Transfer, Part B, 47, 157-177.

Using StreamCat and the NHDPlus framework to model and map the biological condition of USA streams and rivers

EPA Science Inventory

The US EPA’s National River and Stream Assessment (NRSA) uses spatially balanced sampling to estimate the proportion of streams within the conterminous US (CONUS) that deviate from least-disturbed biological condition (BC). These assessments do not infer BC at un-sampled streams,...

Evaluation of nutritional indicators and body composition in patients with advanced liver disease enrolled for liver transplantation.

PubMed

Vulcano, Daniela Salate Biagioni; Carvalhaes, Maria Antonieta de Barros Leite; Bakonyi Neto, Alexandre

2013-10-01

Malnutrition is prevalent in patients with advanced liver disease (LD) related to multifactorial causes. Fluid retention can underestimate the nutritional status based on anthropometric measures. We evaluated nutritional indicators and body composition (BC) in patients with liver cirrhosis and correlated them with LD severity. Forty three patients with LD enrolled for liver transplantation were evaluated by Anthropometric measures, subjective evaluation (Global Assessment of Nutritional Status - SGA) and biochemical indicators. Single-frequency electrical bioimpedance (SFE-BIA) was used to evaluate body composition (BC). It measured resistance (R), reactance (Xc) and the phase angle (PA). LD severity was estimated by Child-Pugh and Meld criteria (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease). Child-Pugh index between patients was 7.11 ± 1.70 and Meld was 12.23 ± 4.22. Arm Circumference, Arm Muscle Circumference and Arm Muscle Area, SGA, hemoglobin, hematocrit and albumin showed better correlation with disease severity. Xc and PA showed correlation both with Meld and Child-Pugh score when BC were evaluated. PA was depleted in 55.8% of the patients. Diagnosis of malnutrition varied according to the method. Global assessment of nutritional status showed better correlation with disease severity than with objective methods. Single-frequency electrical bioimpedance for body composition analysis in cirrhotic patients must be cautiously used; however, primary vectors seems to be valid and promising in clinical practice.

No dose-dependent increase in fracture risk after long-term exposure to high doses of retinol or beta-carotene.

PubMed

Ambrosini, G L; Bremner, A P; Reid, A; Mackerras, D; Alfonso, H; Olsen, N J; Musk, A W; de Klerk, N H

2013-04-01

Uncertainty remains over whether or not high intakes of retinol or vitamin A consumed through food or supplements may increase fracture risk. This intervention study found no increase in fracture risk among 2,322 adults who took a controlled, high-dose retinol supplement (25,000 IU retinyl palmitate/day) for as long as 16 years. There was some evidence that beta-carotene supplementation decreased fracture risk in men. There is conflicting epidemiological evidence regarding high intakes of dietary or supplemental retinol and an increased risk for bone fracture. We examined fracture risk in a study administering high doses of retinol and beta-carotene (BC) between 1990 and 2007. The Vitamin A Program was designed to test the efficacy of retinol and BC supplements in preventing malignancies in persons previously exposed to blue asbestos. Participants were initially randomised to 7.5 mg retinol equivalents (RE)/day as retinyl palmitate, 30 mg/day BC or 0.75 mg/day BC from 1990 to 1996; after which, all participants received 7.5 mg RE/day. Fractures were identified by questionnaire and hospital admission data up until 2006. Risk of any fracture or osteoporotic fracture according to cumulative dose of retinol and BC supplementation was examined using conditional logistic regression models adjusting for age, sex, smoking, body mass index, medication use and previous fracture. Supplementation periods ranged from 1 to 16 years. Of the 2,322 (664 females and 1,658 males) participants, 187 experienced 237 fractures. No associations were observed between cumulative dose of retinol and risk for any fracture (OR per 10 g RE=0.83; 95% CI, 0.63-1.08) or osteoporotic fracture (OR per 10 g RE=0.95; 95% CI 0.64-1.40). Among men, cumulative dose of BC was associated with a slightly reduced risk of any fracture (OR per 10 g=0.89; 95% CI 0.81-0.98) and osteoporotic fracture (OR per 10 g=0.84; 95% CI 0.72-0.97). This study observed no increases in fracture risk after long-term supplementation with high doses of retinol and/or beta-carotene.

The influence of anthropometry and body composition on children's bone health: the childhood health, activity and motor performance school (the CHAMPS) study, Denmark.

PubMed

Heidemann, Malene; Holst, René; Schou, Anders J; Klakk, Heidi; Husby, Steffen; Wedderkopp, Niels; Mølgaard, Christian

2015-02-01

Overweight, physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour have become increasing problems during the past decade. Increased sedentary behaviour may change the body composition (BC) by increasing the fat mass relative to the lean mass (LM). These changes may influence bone health to describe how anthropometry and BC predict the development of the bone accruement. The longitudinal study is a part of The CHAMPS study-DK. Children were DXA scanned at baseline and at 2-year follow-up. BC (LM, BF %) and BMC, BMD and BA were measured. The relationship between bone traits, anthropometry and BC was analysed by multilevel regression analyses. Of the invited children, 742/800 (93%) accepted to participate. Of these, 682/742 (92%) participated at follow-up. Mean (range) of age at baseline was 9.5 years (7.7-12.1). Height, BMI, LM and BF % predicted bone mineral accrual and bone size positively and independently. Height and BMI are both positive predictors of bone accruement. LM is a more precise predictor of bone traits than BF % in both genders. The effects of height and BMI and LM on bone accruement are nearly identical in the two genders, while changes in BF % have different but positive effects on bone accretion in both boys and girls.

Predictive Model Development for Aviation Black Carbon Mass Emissions from Alternative and Conventional Fuels at Ground and Cruise.

PubMed

Abrahamson, Joseph P; Zelina, Joseph; Andac, M Gurhan; Vander Wal, Randy L

2016-11-01

The first order approximation (FOA3) currently employed to estimate BC mass emissions underpredicts BC emissions due to inaccuracies in measuring low smoke numbers (SNs) produced by modern high bypass ratio engines. The recently developed Formation and Oxidation (FOX) method removes the need for and hence uncertainty associated with (SNs), instead relying upon engine conditions in order to predict BC mass. Using the true engine operating conditions from proprietary engine cycle data an improved FOX (ImFOX) predictive relation is developed. Still, the current methods are not optimized to estimate cruise emissions nor account for the use of alternative jet fuels with reduced aromatic content. Here improved correlations are developed to predict engine conditions and BC mass emissions at ground and cruise altitude. This new ImFOX is paired with a newly developed hydrogen relation to predict emissions from alternative fuels and fuel blends. The ImFOX is designed for rich-quench-lean style combustor technologies employed predominately in the current aviation fleet.

Impacts of Himalayas on black carbon over the Tibetan Plateau during summer monsoon.

PubMed

Zhao, Shuyu; Tie, Xuexi; Long, Xin; Cao, Junji

2017-11-15

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) plays important roles in global climate and environment. This study combines in-situ BC measurements in the Himalayas and the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) with a regional dynamical and chemical model (WRF-Chem model) to investigate the effect of the trans-Himalayas on black carbon (BC) from the IGP to the TP during Indian summer monsoon. To determine topographic effects of the trans-Himalayas on BC concentrations over the TP, sensitive experiments were conducted by applying the WRF-Chem model. The results showed that the reduction of the altitude of the Himalayas had an important effect on the trans-Himalayas transport of BC. There was an obvious increase in BC concentration over the trans-Himalayas region, but no significant increase over the TP because the TP (a.m.s.l ~4km) always acted as a wall to prevent BC transport from the IGP to the TP. The trans-Himalayas transport of BC was strongly dependent upon meteorological conditions over the IGP. During summer monsoon, there were three types of cyclones at different locations and one kind of convergent circulation in the IGP. Under the condition of convergent airflows, a strong northeastward wind produced the trans-Himalayas transport of BC. As a result, BC concentrations in the southeastern TP significantly increased to 0.6-0.8μgm -3 . When the cyclone located in the eastern IGP, high BC concentrations over the IGP were transported along the foothill of the Himalayas, resulting in a significant reduction of the trans-Himalayas transport. When the cyclone moved to the west, the dynamical perturbations for the trans-Himalayas transport were weaker than the eastern cyclone, and the trans-Himalayas transport were enhanced in the middle and eastern Himalayas. This study will be helpful to assess the impacts of BC particles emitted from South Asia on regional climate change and ecological environment over the TP in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inflammatory cytokine levels and breast cancer risk factors: racial differences of healthy Caucasian and African American women.

PubMed

Park, Na-Jin; Kang, Duck-Hee

2013-09-01

To examine racial differences in inflammatory cytokine levels (interleukin [IL]-6 and interferon-gamma [IFN-γ]) and breast cancer (BC) risk factors between healthy Caucasian and African American women; to examine differences in relationships of inflammatory cytokine levels with BC risk factors between these groups of women; and to determine the independent contribution of race to IL-6 and IFN-γ after controlling for relevant covariates. Cross-sectional and correlational descriptive design. Community surrounding a state university health system in the southeastern United States. 113 healthy women (65 Caucasians and 48 African Americans) aged 20 years or older and not pregnant. Secondary analysis of data collected from self-report questionnaires and blood samples. Inflammatory cytokine levels, BC risk factors (age, age at menarche, age at first live birth, family history of BC, breast biopsy, breastfeeding history and duration, body mass index, and physical activity), and race. Significant racial differences were noted in IL-6 and IFN-γ levels, reproductive or hormonal and lifestyle BC risk factors, and relationships between African American and Caucasian women. Controlling for all other effects, race appeared to be a significant predictor for IL-6 and IFN-γ. Racial differences in inflammatory cytokines and BC risk factors may provide partial evidence for existing racial disparities in BC for African American and Caucasian women. Additional studies are needed to confirm that potential. Additional biobehavioral research in racial disparities in BC may help to inform nurses to target race-specific modifications of lifestyle and behavioral factors to reduce BC health disparity between African American and Caucasian women. Being an African American woman predicted a higher level of inflammatory cytokine production after controlling for selected BC risk factors. Great potential exists for inflammatory responses as one of the underlying biologic mechanisms for existing BC disparity and for culturally tailored lifestyle or behavioral modification interventions for reducing BC risk and racial disparity.

Fire history and climate characteristics during the last millennium of the Great Hinggan Mountains at the monsoon margin in northeastern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Chuanyu; He, Jiabao; Zhang, Yan; Cong, Jinxin; Han, Dongxue; Wang, Guoping

2018-03-01

The northeastern region of China, at the limit of the summer monsoon, is characterized by the presence of mountains that influenced by the Asian summer monsoon on one side and the westerlies on the other; however, few studies have compared the environmental characteristics on the two sides of these mountains. In this study, two peatland cores from the western and eastern sides of the Great Hinggan Mountains were investigated to better understand the climatic and environmental conditions and the measurements of black carbon (BC) and δ13C-BC were used to reconstruct the fire history and environmental characteristics during the last millennium. Our results showed that the variations in the δ13C-BC values are more sensitive to climate changes than the BC fluxes, and the climate forcing mechanisms differed between the two sides of the mountains. Lower δ13C-BC values around 500 cal yr BP on the western side of the mountains indicated climate conditions were wetter than that on the eastern side, and were influenced by low sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic Ocean. The region east of the mountains was mainly influenced by the strong Asian summer monsoon, and the decreasing of δ13C-BC values indicated climate conditions became wetter from 250 cal yr BP to the present and were wetter than that on the western side after 150 cal yr BP. Moreover, when one of these two forcing factors weakened and the other strengthened (e.g. from 400 to 150 cal yr BP), climate conditions in these two sides were similar.

Estimating fat mass in heart failure patients.

PubMed

Trippel, Tobias Daniel; Lenk, Julian; Gunga, Hanns-Christian; Doehner, Wolfram; von Haehling, Stephan; Loncar, Goran; Edelmann, Frank; Pieske, Burkert; Stahn, Alexander; Duengen, Hans-Dirk

2016-01-01

Body composition (BC) assessments in heart failure (HF) patients are mainly based on body weight, body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio. The present study compares BC assessments by basic anthropometry, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS), and air displacement plethysmography (ADP) for the estimation of fat (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) in a HF population. In this single-centre, observational pilot study we enrolled 52 patients with HF (33 HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), 19 HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF); mean age was 67.7 ±9.9 years, 41 male) and 20 healthy controls. DXA was used as a reference standard for the measurement of FM and FFM. In the HF population, linear regression for DXA-FM and waist-to-hip ratio ( r = -0.05, 95% CI: (-0.32)-0.23), body mass index ( r = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.23-0.669), and body density ( r = -0.87, 95% CI: (-0.93)-(-0.87)) was obtained. In HF, Lin's concordance correlation coefficient of DXA-FM (%) with ADP-FM (%) was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.64-0.85) and DXA-FFM [kg] with DXA-ADP [kg] was 0.93 (95% CI: 0.88-0.96). DXA-FM (%) for BIS-FM (%) was 0.69 (95% CI: 0.54-0.80) and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.60-0.82) for DXA-FFM [kg] and BIS-FFM [kg]. Body density is a useful surrogate for FM. ADP was found suitable for estimating FM (%) and FFM [kg] in HF patients. BIS showed acceptable results for the estimation of FM (%) in HFrEF and for FFM [kg] in HFpEF patients. We encourage selecting a suitable method for BC assessment according to the compartment of interest in the HF population.

Volumetric wireless coil based on periodically coupled split-loop resonators for clinical wrist imaging.

PubMed

Shchelokova, Alena V; van den Berg, Cornelis A T; Dobrykh, Dmitry A; Glybovski, Stanislav B; Zubkov, Mikhail A; Brui, Ekaterina A; Dmitriev, Dmitry S; Kozachenko, Alexander V; Efimtcev, Alexander Y; Sokolov, Andrey V; Fokin, Vladimir A; Melchakova, Irina V; Belov, Pavel A

2018-02-09

Design and characterization of a new inductively driven wireless coil (WLC) for wrist imaging at 1.5 T with high homogeneity operating due to focusing the B 1 field of a birdcage body coil. The WLC design has been proposed based on a volumetric self-resonant periodic structure of inductively coupled split-loop resonators with structural capacitance. The WLC was optimized and studied regarding radiofrequency fields and interaction to the birdcage coil (BC) by electromagnetic simulations. The manufactured WLC was characterized by on-bench measurements and in vivo and phantom study in comparison to a standard cable-connected receive-only coil. The WLC placed into BC gave the measured B1+ increase of the latter by 8.6 times for the same accepted power. The phantom and in vivo wrist imaging showed that the BC in receiving with the WLC inside reached equal or higher signal-to-noise ratio than the conventional clinical setup comprising the transmit-only BC and a commercial receive-only flex-coil and created no artifacts. Simulations and on-bench measurements proved safety in terms of specific absorption rate and reflected transmit power. The results showed that the proposed WLC could be an alternative to standard cable-connected receive coils in clinical magnetic resonance imaging. As an example, with no cable connection, the WLC allowed wrist imaging on a 1.5 T clinical machine using a full-body BC for transmitting and receive with the desired signal-to-noise ratio, image quality, and safety. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

On the rumpling instability in thermal barrier systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panat, Rahul Padmakar

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are protective multi-layered metal-ceramic coatings used in hot sections of jet engines and gas turbines. The TBCs are composed of a superalloy substrate, an intermediate metallic bond coat (BC) and a ceramic topcoat. The TBCs are beset by reliability problems arising from delamination of the ceramic topcoat due to various instabilities in the system. The present work examines one such instability of "rumpling", or progressive roughening of the BC surface in the BC-superalloy systems upon high temperature exposure. A combined experimental and analytical approach is taken to study the rumpling phenomenon. Thermal cycling and isothermal experiments are carried out in air and in vacuum to identify the driving force and the kinetics governing rumpling. The experiments show that a nominally flat BC surface rumples to a wavelength of about 60--100 mum, and an amplitude of about 4--8 mum. The rumpling is seen to be relatively insensitive to the initial BC surface morphology. Significant initial flaws are not necessary for rumpling to occur. Further, rumpling occurs even in absence of thermal cycling. To explain BC rumpling, we develop a linear stability model for surface evolution of BCs under a remote stress. The driving force for this process is the in-plane stress in the BC due to its thermal mismatch with the substrate as indicated by the experimental results. The BC volume and BC surface diffusion governs the deformation kinetics. A governing equation is derived that gives the amplitude evolution of BC surface perturbations as a function of time. The analysis establishes a range of wavelengths for which the perturbation amplitude increases at a significantly higher rate as compared with other wavelengths. At the dominant instability wavelength, under low-stress and high-temperature conditions, the model shows that the roughening is caused only by volume diffusion, while smoothing is caused only by surface diffusion. The results from this thermodynamic model agree with the experimental observations quite well. Particular BC material properties and testing conditions are identified that control the BC rumpling and hence an important TBC failure mode. Guidelines to improve TBC performance are presented.

Characteristics of black carbon emissions from in-use light-duty passenger vehicles.

PubMed

Zheng, Xuan; Zhang, Shaojun; Wu, Ye; Zhang, K Max; Wu, Xian; Li, Zhenhua; Hao, Jiming

2017-12-01

Mitigating black carbon (BC) emissions from various combustion sources has been considered an urgent policy issue to address the challenges of climate change, air pollution and health risks. Vehicles contribute considerably to total anthropogenic BC emissions and urban BC concentrations. Compared with heavy-duty diesel vehicles, there is much larger uncertainty in BC emission factors for light-duty passenger vehicles (LDPVs), in particular for gasoline LDPVs, which warrants further studies. In this study, we employed the dynamometer and the Aethalometer (AE-51) to measure second-by-second BC emissions from eight LDPVs by engine technology and driving cycle. The average BC emission factors under transient cycles (e.g., ECE-15, New European Driving Cycle, NEDC, Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle, WLTC) are 3.6-91.5 mg/km, 7.6 mg/km and 0.13-0.58 mg/km, respectively, for diesel (N = 3), gasoline direct injection (GDI) (N = 1) and gasoline port-fuel injection (PFI) engine categories (N = 4). For gasoline PFI LDPVs, the instantaneous emission profiles show a strong association of peak BC emissions with cold-start and high-speed aggressive driving. Such impacts lead to considerable BC emission contributions in cold-start periods (e.g., the first 47 s-94 s) over the entire cycle (e.g., 18-76% of the NEDC and 13-36% of the WLTC) and increased BC emission factors by 80-440% under the WLTC compared to the NEDC. For diesel BC emissions, the size distribution exhibits a typical unimodal pattern with one single peak appearing approximately from 120 to 150 nm, which is largely consistent with previous studies. Nevertheless, the average mass ratios of BC to particle mass (PM) range from 0.38 to 0.54 for three diesel samples, representing substantial impacts from both driving and engine conditions. The significant discrepancy between gasoline BC emission factors obtained from tailpipe exhaust versus ambient conditions suggest that more comparative measurements and fine-grained simulations should be designed and implemented to address this discrepancy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Brief to the Budget 2010 Consultation Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services from the British Columbia Teachers' Federation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Teachers' Federation, 2009

2009-01-01

Protecting and improving education should be a top priority for the BC government. Unfortunately, much of this last decade has seen conditions in BC schools worsen, rather than improve. Recent government decisions have just added to existing shortfalls in funding for schools. Unless the BC government reverses direction, projections are for…

Radiological and archaeological investigation of a mummy from Roman Egypt curated in the National Museum of Lithuania.

PubMed

Piombino-Mascali, Dario; Jankauskas, Rimantas; Snitkuvienė, Aldona; Rutkauskas, Tadas; Sutherland, M Linda

2016-01-01

Among the collections belonging to the National Museum of Lithuania at Vilnius, resides an ancient Egyptian coffin containing a mummified human body. The coffin and its occupant are believed to have belonged to the King of Poland and to have been located in his palace at Warsaw. At the turn of the last century, Egyptologists dated the coffin to the end of the 21st dynasty (1070 BC-945 BC), and described the item as coming from Thebes, belonging to Hori, priest of Amun-Ra. However, no investigation was ever carried out on the human body associated with the coffin. Within the framework of the Lithuanian Mummy Project, the preserved human remains underwent computed tomographic investigation in order to reconstruct the biological profile of the subject and to determine the embalming method employed. This led to the identification of a young adult male. Additionally, the mummy shroud was stylistically assessed in order to determine the mummy's chronology in Egyptian history. Interestingly, the body could be ascribed to the Roman period of Egypt (30 BC-395 AD) due to analogies with the burial shrouds of the Soter group. This indicates a reuse of the coffin at some point in history.

Race/ethnicity, genetic ancestry, and breast cancer-related lymphedema in the Pathways Study.

PubMed

Kwan, Marilyn L; Yao, Song; Lee, Valerie S; Roh, Janise M; Zhu, Qianqian; Ergas, Isaac J; Liu, Qian; Zhang, Yali; Kutner, Susan E; Quesenberry, Charles P; Ambrosone, Christine B; Kushi, Lawrence H

2016-08-01

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a serious chronic condition after breast cancer (BC) surgery and treatment. It is unclear if BCRL risk varies by race/ethnicity. In a multiethnic prospective cohort study of 2953 BC patients, we examined the association of self-reported BCRL status with self-reported race/ethnicity and estimated genetic ancestry. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, with follow-up starting 6 months post-BC diagnosis. Estimates were further stratified by body mass index (BMI). By 48 months of follow-up, 342 (11.6 %) women reported having BCRL. Younger age at BC diagnosis, higher BMI at baseline, and lower physical activity were associated with greater BCRL risk. African American (AA) women had a 2-fold increased risk of BCRL compared with White women (HR = 2.04; 95 % CI 1.35-3.08). African genetic ancestry was also associated with an increased risk (HR = 2.50; 95 % CI 1.43, 4.36). Both risks were attenuated but remained elevated after adjusting for known risk factors and became more pronounced when restricted to the nonobese women (adjusted HR = 2.31 for AA and HR = 3.70 for African ancestry, both p < 0.05). There was also evidence of increased BCRL risk with Hispanic ethnicity in the nonobese women. Nonobese AA women had a higher risk of BCRL than White women, which cannot be fully explained by known risk factors. This is the first large-scale, prospective study demonstrating differences in BCRL risk according to race/ethnicity as assessed by both self-report and genetic ancestry data, with a potential ancestry-obesity interaction.

Race/ethnicity, genetic ancestry, and breast cancer-related lymphedema in the Pathways Study

PubMed Central

Yao, Song; Lee, Valerie S.; Roh, Janise M.; Zhu, Qianqian; Ergas, Isaac J.; Liu, Qian; Zhang, Yali; Kutner, Susan E.; Quesenberry, Charles P.; Ambrosone, Christine B.; Kushi, Lawrence H.

2016-01-01

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a serious chronic condition after breast cancer (BC) surgery and treatment. It is unclear if BCRL risk varies by race/ethnicity. In a multiethnic prospective cohort study of 2953 BC patients, we examined the association of self-reported BCRL status with self-reported race/ethnicity and estimated genetic ancestry. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, with follow-up starting 6 months post-BC diagnosis. Estimates were further stratified by body mass index (BMI). By 48 months of follow-up, 342 (11.6 %) women reported having BCRL. Younger age at BC diagnosis, higher BMI at baseline, and lower physical activity were associated with greater BCRL risk. African American (AA) women had a 2-fold increased risk of BCRL compared with White women (HR = 2.04; 95 % CI 1.35–3.08). African genetic ancestry was also associated with an increased risk (HR = 2.50; 95 % CI 1.43, 4.36). Both risks were attenuated but remained elevated after adjusting for known risk factors and became more pronounced when restricted to the nonobese women (adjusted HR = 2.31 for AA and HR = 3.70 for African ancestry, both p < 0.05). There was also evidence of increased BCRL risk with Hispanic ethnicity in the nonobese women. Nonobese AA women had a higher risk of BCRL than White women, which cannot be fully explained by known risk factors. This is the first large-scale, prospective study demonstrating differences in BCRL risk according to race/ethnicity as assessed by both self-report and genetic ancestry data, with a potential ancestry–obesity interaction. PMID:27449493

Thermophysiological responses induced by a body heat removal system with Peltier devices in a hot environment.

PubMed

Suzurikawa, Jun; Fujimoto, Sho; Mikami, Kousei; Jonai, Hiroshi; Inoue, Takenobu

2013-01-01

Individuals with spinal cord injuries often experience thermoregulation disorders as well as sensory and motor disabilities. In order to prevent such individuals from becoming hyperthermic, we developed a body heat removal system (BHRS) with thermoelectric devices. Our BHRS comprises four Peltier devices mounted on a wheelchair backrest and continuously transfers body heat through the contacting interface to the external environment. Here, we characterized thermophysiological responses induced by this novel contact-type cooling system. A cooling experiment in a hot environment with five able-bodied subjects demonstrated that sweating and systolic blood pressure in the back-cooling (BC) trial were significantly suppressed compared with those in no-cooling (NC) trial, while no difference was found in oral and skin temperatures. A correlation was observed between chest skin temperature and blood flow in the NC trial; this was not observed in the BC trial. These results suggest that BHRS modulates normal thermoregulatory responses, including sweating and vascular dilation and has the capability to partly replace these functions.

Characterization of the Materials Synthesized by High Pressure-High Temperature Treatment of a Polymer Derived t-BC2N Ceramic

PubMed Central

Matizamhuka, Wallace R.; Sigalas, Iakovos; Herrmann, Mathias; Dubronvinsky, Leonid; Dubrovinskaia, Natalia; Miyajima, Nobuyoshi; Mera, Gabriela; Riedel, Ralf

2011-01-01

Bulk B-C-N materials were synthesized under static high thermobaric conditions (20 GPa and 2,000 °C) in a multianvil apparatus from a polymer derived t-BC1.97N ceramic. The bulk samples were characterised using X-ray synchrotron radiation and analytical transmission electron microscopy in combination with electron energy loss spectroscopy. Polycrystalline B-C-N materials with a cubic type structure were formed under the applied reaction conditions, but the formation of a ternary cubic diamond-like c-BC2N compound, could not be unambiguously confirmed. PMID:28824124

Risk Differences Between Prediabetes And Diabetes According To Breast Cancer Molecular Subtypes.

PubMed

Crispo, A; Augustin, L S A; Grimaldi, M; Nocerino, F; Giudice, A; Cavalcanti, E; Di Bonito, M; Botti, G; De Laurentiis, M; Rinaldo, M; Esposito, E; Riccardi, G; Amore, A; Libra, M; Ciliberto, G; Jenkins, D J A; Montella, M

2017-05-01

Hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia may play a role in breast carcinogenesis and prediabetes and diabetes have been associated with increased breast cancer (BC) risk. However, whether BC molecular subtypes may modify these associations is less clear. We therefore investigated these associations in all cases and by BC molecular subtypes among women living in Southern Italy. Cases were 557 patients with non-metastatic incident BC and controls were 592 outpatients enrolled during the same period as cases and in the same hospital for skin-related non-malignant conditions. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression models were built to assess the risks of developing BC in the presence of prediabetes or diabetes. The analyses were repeated by strata of BC molecular subtypes: Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2+, and Triple Negative (TN). Prediabetes and diabetes were significantly associated with higher BC incidence after controlling for known risk factors (OR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.32-2.87 and OR = 2.46, 95% CI 1.38-4.37, respectively). Similar results were seen in Luminal A and B while in the TN subtype only prediabetes was associated with BC (OR = 2.43, 95% CI 1.11-5.32). Among HER2+ patients, only diabetes was significantly associated with BC risk (OR = 3.04, 95% CI 1.24-7.47). Furthermore, when postmenopausal HER2+ was split into hormone receptor positive versus negative, the association with diabetes remained significant only in the former (OR = 5.13, 95% CI 1.53-17.22). These results suggest that prediabetes and diabetes are strongly associated with BC incidence and that these metabolic conditions may be more relevant in the presence of breast cancer molecular subtypes with positive hormone receptors. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 1144-1150, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Biochar reduces copper toxicity in Chenopodium quinoa Willd. In a sandy soil.

PubMed

Buss, Wolfram; Kammann, Claudia; Koyro, Hans-Werner

2012-01-01

Mining, smelting, land applications of sewage sludge, the use of fungicides containing copper (Cu), and other human activities have led to widespread soil enrichment and contamination with Cu and potentially toxic conditions. Biochar (BC) can adsorb several substances, ranging from herbicides to plant-inhibiting allelochemicals. However, the range of potential beneficial effects on early-stage plant growth with regard to heavy metal toxicity is largely unexplored. We investigated the ameliorating properties of a forestry-residue BC under Cu toxicity conditions on early plant growth. Young quinoa plants () were grown in the greenhouse in the presence of 0, 2, and 4% BC application (w/w) added to a sandy soil with 0, 50, or 200 μg g Cu supplied. The plants without BC showed severe stress symptoms and reduced growth shortly after Cu application of 50 μg g and died at 200 μg Cu g. Increasing BC concentrations in the growth medium significantly increased the plant performance without Cu toxicity or under Cu stress. At the 4% BC application rate, the plants with 200 μg g Cu almost reached the same biomass as in the control treatment. In the presence of BC, less Cu entered the plant tissues, which had reduced Cu concentrations in the order roots, shoots, leaves. The amelioration effect also was reflected in the plant-soil system CO gas exchange, which showed clear signs of improvement with BC presence. The most likely ameliorating mechanisms were adsorption of Cu to negatively charged BC surfaces and an improvement of the water supply. Overall, BC seems to be a beneficial amendment with the potential to ameliorate Cu toxicity in sandy soils. Further research with a broad spectrum of different soil types, BCs, and crop plants is required. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Chemotherapy and biological treatment options in breast cancer patients with brain metastasis: an update.

PubMed

Arslan, Cagatay; Dizdar, Omer; Altundag, Kadri

2014-08-01

Breast cancer (BC) is the second most common cause of CNS metastasis. Ten to 20% of all, and 38% of human epidermal growth factor-2(+), metastatic BC patients experience brain metastasis (BM). Prolonged survival with better control of systemic disease and limited penetration of drugs to CNS increased the probability of CNS metastasis as a sanctuary site of relapse. Treatment of CNS disease has become an important component of overall disease control and quality of life. Current standard therapy for BM is whole-brain radiotherapy, surgery, stereotactic body radiation therapy for selected cases, corticosteroids and systemic chemotherapy. Little progress has been made in chemotherapy for the treatment of BM in patients with BC. Nevertheless, new treatment choices have emerged. In this review, we aimed to update current and future treatment options in systemic treatment for BM of BC. Cornerstone local treatment options for BM of BC are radiotherapy and surgery in selected cases. Efficacy of cytotoxic chemotherapeutics is limited. Among targeted therapies, lapatinib has activity in systemic treatment of BM particularly when used in combination with capecitabine. Novel agents are currently investigated.

Upper and lower limbs composition: a comparison between anthropometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in healthy people.

PubMed

Diano, Danila; Ponti, Federico; Guerri, Sara; Mercatelli, Daniele; Amadori, Michele; Aparisi Gómez, Maria Pilar; Battista, Giuseppe; Guglielmi, Giuseppe; Bazzocchi, Alberto

2017-09-18

The detection of changes in lean mass (LM) distribution can help to prevent disability. This study assessed the degree of association between anthropometric measurements and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) body composition (BC) parameters of the upper and lower limbs in a healthy general population and collected DXA age- and sex-specific values of BC that can be useful to build a reference standard. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of some widely available anthropometric measurements in the assessment of body composition (BC) at the limbs, especially in terms of muscle mass, in a large sample of healthy subjects of different age bands and sex, using fat mass (FM) and lean mass (LM) parameters derived by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as the gold standard. The secondary aim was to collect DXA age- and sex-specific values of BC of left and right limbs (upper and lower) in a healthy Italian population to be used as reference standards. Two hundred fifty healthy volunteers were enrolled. Arm circumference (AC) and thigh circumference (ThC) were measured, and total and regional BC parameters were obtained by a whole-body DXA scan (Lunar iDXA, Madison, WI, USA; enCORE™ 2011 software version 13.6). FM/LM showed only fair correlation with AC and ThC in females (r = 0.649 and 0.532, respectively); in males and in the total population, the correlation was low (r = 0.360 or lower, and p non-statistically significant). AC and ThC were not well representative of arms LM in both genders (females r = 0.452, males r = 0.530) independently of age. In general, men of all age groups showed higher values of LM and lean mass index (LMI) in both total and segmental upper and lower limbs. In males, the maximum LM and LMI were achieved in the fifth decade in both upper and lower limbs and then started to decrease with aging. In females, no significant modification with aging was identified in LM and LMI. According to our results, anthropometry is not well representative of LM of arms in both genders, independently of age; therefore, a densitometric examination should be considered for a correct assessment of BC at limbs.

Nutritional Status of Breast Cancer Survivors 1 Year after Diagnosis: A Preliminary Analysis from the Malaysian Breast Cancer Survivorship Cohort Study.

PubMed

Majid, Hazreen Abd; Keow, Low Phei; Islam, Tania; Su, Tin Tin; Cantwell, Marie; Taib, Nur Aishah

2018-04-01

Lifestyle factors, such as diet, body weight, and physical activity, are linked to better survival after breast cancer (BC) diagnosis. A high percentage of the Malaysian population is overweight or obese. In addition, studies have shown a disparity in survival among Malaysian women compared with other higher-income countries. The Malaysian Breast Cancer Survivorship Cohort (MyBCC) study aims to study lifestyle factors that affect survival in BC survivors. These are the preliminary findings on the nutritional status of Malaysian BC survivors. Our aim was to evaluate the nutritional status of BC survivors at 1 year after diagnosis. This was a cross-sectional study of 194 participants from the MyBCC study, recruited within 1 year of their diagnosis. Participants completed a 3-day food diary. Malaysian women (aged 18 years and older) who were newly diagnosed with primary BC, managed at the University Malaya Medical Center, and able to converse either in Malay, English, or Mandarin were included. Dietary intake and prevalence of overweight or obesity among participants 1 year after diagnosis were measured. Student's t test and analysis of variance or its equivalent nonparametric test were used for association in continuous variables. About 66% (n=129) of participants were overweight or obese and >45% (n=86) had high body fat percentage 1 year after diagnosis. The participants' diets were low in fiber (median=8.7 g/day; interquartile range=7.2 g/day) and calcium (median=458 mg/day; interquartile range=252 mg/day). Ethnicity and educational attainment contributed to the differences in dietary intake among participants. Higher saturated fat and lower fiber intake were observed among Malay participants compared with other ethnic groups. Overweight and obesity were highly prevalent among BC survivors and suboptimal dietary intake was observed. Provision of an individualized medical nutrition therapy by a qualified dietitian is crucial as part of comprehensive BC survivorship care. Copyright © 2018 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hospitalization and mortality in Mexico due to breast cancer since its inclusion in the catastrophic expenditures scheme.

PubMed

Ventura-Alfaro, Carmelita Elizabeth; Torres-Mejía, Gabriela; Ávila-Burgos, Leticia Del Socorro

2016-04-01

To compare trends in hospital discharges and mortality due to breast cancer (BC) in Mexico from 2004 to 2012 by insurance condition before and after incorporating BC comprehensive treatment into the System of Social Protection in Health (Sistema de Protrección Social en Salud, SPSS) in 2007. Data on BC hospital discharges and mortality reported in women aged 25 years and over were obtained from the National Health Information System. Mortality rates were adjusted by age and state. At the national level, a growing tendency in hospital discharges was observed, mainly for women without social security, while mortality rate remained constant. Mortality rates by state show that lower marginalization index corresponded to higher mortality. A differential behavior was observed among women according to insurance condition, partly due to the inclusion of BC treatment in the SPSS.

Acute Respiratory Inflammation in Children and Black Carbon in Ambient Air before and during the 2008 Beijing Olympics

PubMed Central

Lin, Weiwei; Huang, Wei; Hu, Min; Brunekreef, Bert; Zhang, Yuanhang; Liu, Xingang; Cheng, Hong; Gehring, Ulrike; Li, Chengcai; Tang, Xiaoyan

2011-01-01

Background: Epidemiologic evidence for a causative association between black carbon (BC) and health outcomes is limited. Objectives: We estimated associations and exposure–response relationships between acute respiratory inflammation in schoolchildren and concentrations of BC and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) in ambient air before and during the air pollution intervention for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Methods: We measured exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) as an acute respiratory inflammation biomarker and hourly mean air pollutant concentrations to estimate BC and PM2.5 exposure. We used 1,581 valid observations of 36 subjects over five visits in 2 years to estimate associations of eNO with BC and PM2.5 according to generalized estimating equations with polynomial distributed-lag models, controlling for body mass index, asthma, temperature, and relative humidity. We also assessed the relative importance of BC and PM2.5 with two-pollutant models. Results: Air pollution concentrations and eNO were clearly lower during the 2008 Olympics. BC and PM2.5 concentrations averaged over 0–24 hr were strongly associated with eNO, which increased by 16.6% [95% confidence interval (CI), 14.1–19.2%] and 18.7% (95% CI, 15.0–22.5%) per interquartile range (IQR) increase in BC (4.0 μg/m3) and PM2.5 (149 μg/m3), respectively. In the two-pollutant model, estimated effects of BC were robust, but associations between PM2.5 and eNO decreased with adjustment for BC. We found that eNO was associated with IQR increases in hourly BC concentrations up to 10 hr after exposure, consistent with effects primarily in the first hours after exposure. Conclusions: Recent exposure to BC was associated with acute respiratory inflammation in schoolchildren in Beijing. Lower air pollution levels during the 2008 Olympics also were associated with reduced eNO. PMID:21642045

Enhanced Fenton-like Degradation of Trichloroethylene by Hydrogen Peroxide Activated with Nanoscale Zero Valent Iron Loaded on Biochar

PubMed Central

Yan, Jingchun; Qian, Linbo; Gao, Weiguo; Chen, Yun; Ouyang, Da; Chen, Mengfang

2017-01-01

Composite of nanoscale Zero Valent Iron (nZVI) loaded on Biochar (BC) was prepared and characterized as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) activator for the degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE). nZVI is homogeneously loaded on lamellarly structured BC surfaces to form nZVI/BC with specific surface area (SBET) of 184.91 m2 g−1, which can efficiently activate H2O2 to achieve TCE degradation efficiency of 98.9% with TOC removal of 78.2% within 30 min under the conditions of 0.10 mmol L−1 TCE, 1.13 g L−1 nZVI/BC and 1.50 mmol L−1 H2O2. Test results from the Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) measurement and coumarin based fluorescent probe technology indicated that ∙OH radicals were the dominant species responsible for the degradation of TCE within the nZVI/BC-H2O2 system. Activation mechanism of the redox action of Fe2+/Fe3+ generated under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions from nZVI and single electron transfer process from BC surface bound C–OH to H2O2 promoted decomposition of H2O2 into ∙OH radicals was proposed. PMID:28230207

Enhanced Fenton-like Degradation of Trichloroethylene by Hydrogen Peroxide Activated with Nanoscale Zero Valent Iron Loaded on Biochar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Jingchun; Qian, Linbo; Gao, Weiguo; Chen, Yun; Ouyang, Da; Chen, Mengfang

2017-02-01

Composite of nanoscale Zero Valent Iron (nZVI) loaded on Biochar (BC) was prepared and characterized as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) activator for the degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE). nZVI is homogeneously loaded on lamellarly structured BC surfaces to form nZVI/BC with specific surface area (SBET) of 184.91 m2 g-1, which can efficiently activate H2O2 to achieve TCE degradation efficiency of 98.9% with TOC removal of 78.2% within 30 min under the conditions of 0.10 mmol L-1 TCE, 1.13 g L-1 nZVI/BC and 1.50 mmol L-1 H2O2. Test results from the Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) measurement and coumarin based fluorescent probe technology indicated that •OH radicals were the dominant species responsible for the degradation of TCE within the nZVI/BC-H2O2 system. Activation mechanism of the redox action of Fe2+/Fe3+ generated under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions from nZVI and single electron transfer process from BC surface bound C-OH to H2O2 promoted decomposition of H2O2 into •OH radicals was proposed.

Higher Total Protein Intake and Change in Total Protein Intake Affect Body Composition but Not Metabolic Syndrome Indexes in Middle-Aged Overweight and Obese Adults Who Perform Resistance and Aerobic Exercise for 36 Weeks.

PubMed

Campbell, Wayne W; Kim, Jung Eun; Amankwaah, Akua F; Gordon, Susannah L; Weinheimer-Haus, Eileen M

2015-09-01

Studies assessing the effects of protein supplementation on changes in body composition (BC) and health rarely consider the impact of total protein intake (TPro) or the change in TPro (CTPro) from participants' usual diets. This secondary data analysis assessed the impact of TPro and CTPro on changes in BC and metabolic syndrome (MetS) indexes in overweight and obese middle-aged adults who participated in an exercise training program. Men and women [n = 117; age: 50 ± 0.7 y, body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)): 30.1 ± 0.3; means ± SEs] performed resistance exercise 2 d/wk and aerobic exercise 1 d/wk and consumed an unrestricted diet along with 200-kcal supplements (0, 10, 20, or 30 g whey protein) twice daily for 36 wk. Protein intake was assessed via 4-d food records. Multiple linear regression model and stratified analysis were applied for data analyses. Among all subjects, TPro and CTPro were inversely associated (P < 0.05) with changes in body mass, fat mass (FM), and BMI. Changes in BC were different (P < 0.05) among groups that consumed <1.0 (n = 43) vs. ≥1.0 to <1.2 (n = 29) vs. ≥1.2 g · kg(-1) · d(-1) (n = 45). The TPro group with ≥1.0 to <1.2 g ·: kg(-1) ·: d(-1) reduced FM and %FM and increased percentage of LM (%LM) compared with the lowest TPro group, whereas the TPro group with ≥1.2 g ·: kg(-1) ·: d(-1) presented intermediate responses on changes in FM, %FM, and %LM. The gain in LM was not different among groups. In addition, MetS indexes were not influenced by TPro and CTPro. In conjunction with exercise training, higher TPro promoted positive changes in BC but not in MetS indexes in overweight and obese middle-aged adults. Changes in TPro from before to during the intervention also influenced BC responses and should be considered in future research when different TPro is achieved via diet or supplements. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00812409. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Body mass index and buttock circumference are independent predictors of disintegration failure in extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for ureteral calculi.

PubMed

Yang, Teng-Kai; Yang, Hung-Ju; Lee, Liang-Min; Liao, Chun-Hou

2013-07-01

Effective stone disintegration by extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) may depend on patient- and stone-related factors. We investigated predictors of disintegration failure in ESWL for a solitary ureteral calculus. From July 2008 to May 2010, 203 patients who underwent ESWL for a solitary ureteral calculus were enrolled. Clinical and radiologic data were collected, and factors related to ESWL failure were analyzed. Fifty-two patients (25.6%) showed ESWL failure, with a mean follow-up of 41 days. Forty patients (19.7%) required retreatment, including 12 who underwent repeat ESWL and 28 who underwent curative ureteroscopy. Patients with ESWL failure had significantly higher body weight, body mass index (BMI), and buttock circumference (BC) than patients for whom ESWL was successful. Univariate analysis showed that stone burden (odds ratio [OR], 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.06) and BC (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.01-1.11) were predictors of ESWL failure, while BMI was a potential predictor with borderline significance (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.99-1.20). Multivariate analysis showed that stone burden (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.03-1.06) was a significant predictor for all patients. On stratifying patients according to the level of ureteral calculi, BC was found to be an independent predictor (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.02-1.80) for ESWL failure for middle/lower ureteral calculi and BMI (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.13-1.91) for upper ureteral calculi. Stone burden is the main predictor of ESWL failure for all patients with ureteral calculi. BC and BMI are independent predictors for ESWL failure for middle/lower and upper ureteral calculi, respectively. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Concentrations and Breast Cancer Incidence and Survival following Breast Cancer: The Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project.

PubMed

Parada, Humberto; Gammon, Marilie D; Chen, Jia; Calafat, Antonia M; Neugut, Alfred I; Santella, Regina M; Wolff, Mary S; Teitelbaum, Susan L

2018-04-26

Phthalates, known endocrine disruptors, may play a role in breast carcinogenesis. Few studies have examined phthalates in relation to breast cancer (BC), and, to our knowledge, none have considered survival following BC. We examined 11 urinary phthalate metabolites, individually and as molar sum groupings, in association with BC incidence and subsequent survival. Our study includes 710 women diagnosed with first primary BC in 1996-1997 and 598 women without BC from Long Island, New York. Within 3 mo of diagnosis, participants provided spot urine samples. Nine phthalate metabolites were measured in all women; two [monocarboxyoctyl phthalate (MCOP) and monocarboxy-isononyl phthalate (MCNP)] were measured in 320 women with and 205 without BC. Women with BC were followed since diagnosis using the National Death Index; during follow-up (median=17.6 y), we identified 271 deaths (98 BC related). We examined creatinine-corrected metabolite concentrations in association with: BC, using logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and all-cause/BC-specific mortality, using Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. We also examined effect modification by body mass index (BMI) and estrogen receptor (ER) status. The highest (vs. lowest) quintiles of mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), MCNP, and MCOP were associated with BC ORs ranging from 0.71-0.73. The highest (vs. lowest) quintiles of mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) and MCOP were associated with BC-specific mortality HRs of 0.54 (95% CI: 0.28, 1.04) and 0.55 (95% CI: 0.23, 1.35), respectively. For BC-specific mortality, interactions were significant between BMI and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxyhexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), and mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), with positive associations among women with BMI<25 and inverse associations among women with BMI≥25.0 kg/m 2 . Consistent with laboratory evidence, we observed inverse associations between urinary concentrations of several phthalate metabolites and BC and subsequent survival; however, these results should be interpreted with caution given that biospecimen collection among women with BC occurred after diagnosis, which may be of particular concern for our case-control findings. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2083.

Progress in the preparation and application of modified biochar for improved contaminant removal from water and wastewater.

PubMed

Ahmed, Mohammad Boshir; Zhou, John L; Ngo, Huu H; Guo, Wenshan; Chen, Mengfang

2016-08-01

Modified biochar (BC) is reviewed in its preparation, functionality, applications and regeneration. The nature of precursor materials, preparatory conditions and modification methods are key factors influencing BC properties. Steam activation is unsuitable for improving BC surface functionality compared with chemical modifications. Alkali-treated BC possesses the highest surface functionality. Both alkali modified BC and nanomaterial impregnated BC composites are highly favorable for enhancing the adsorption of different contaminants from wastewater. Acidic treatment provides more oxygenated functional groups on BC surfaces. The Langmuir isotherm model provides the best fit for sorption equilibria of heavy metals and anionic contaminants, while the Freundlich isotherm model is the best fit for emerging contaminants. The pseudo 2(nd) order is the most appropriate model of sorption kinetics for all contaminants. Future research should focus on industry-scale applications and hybrid systems for contaminant removal due to scarcity of data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biochar supported nanoscale zerovalent iron composite used as persulfate activator for removing trichloroethylene.

PubMed

Yan, Jingchun; Han, Lu; Gao, Weiguo; Xue, Song; Chen, Mengfang

2015-01-01

Biochar (BC) supported nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) composite was synthesized and used as an activator for persulfate to enhance the trichloroethylene (TCE) removal in aqueous solutions. The degradation efficiency of TCE (0.15mmolL(-1)) was 99.4% in the presence of nZVI/BC (4.5mmolL(-1), nZVI to BC mass ratio was 1:5) and persulfate (4.5mmolL(-1)) within 5min, which was significantly higher than that (56.6%) in nZVI-persulfate system under the same conditions. Owing to large specific surface area and oxygen-containing functional groups of BC, nZVI/BC enhanced the SO4(-) generation and accelerated TCE degradation. On the basis of the characterization and analysis data, possible activation mechanisms of the Fe(2+)/Fe(3+) (Fe(II)/Fe(III)) redox action and the electron-transfer mediator of the BC oxygen functional groups promoting the generation of SO4(-) in nZVI/BC-persulfate system were clarified. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association of marine viral and bacterial communities with reference black carbon particles under experimental conditions: an analysis with scanning electron, epifluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy.

PubMed

Cattaneo, Raffaela; Rouviere, Christian; Rassoulzadegan, Fereidoun; Weinbauer, Markus G

2010-11-01

Black carbon (BC), the product of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass, constitutes a significant fraction of the marine organic carbon pool. However, little is known about the possible interactions of BC and marine microorganisms. Here, we report the results of experiments using a standard reference BC material in high concentrations to investigate basic principles of the dynamics of natural bacterial and viral communities with BC particles. We assessed the attachment of viral and bacterial communities using scanning electron, epifluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy and shifts in bacterial community composition using 16S rRNA gene denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). In 24-h time-course experiments, BC particles showed a strong potential for absorbing viruses and bacteria. Total viral abundance was reduced, whereas total bacterial abundance was stimulated in the BC treatments. Viral and bacterial abundance on BC particles increased with particle size, whereas the abundances of BC-associated viruses and bacteria per square micrometer surface area decreased significantly with BC particle size. DGGE results suggested that BC has the potential to change bacterial community structure and favour phylotypes related to Glaciecola sp. Our study indicates that BC could influence processes mediated by bacteria and viruses in marine ecosystems. © 2010 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temporal variations of black carbon during haze and non-haze days in Beijing

PubMed Central

Liu, Qingyang; Ma, Tangming; Olson, Michael R; Liu, Yanju; Zhang, Tingting; Wu, Yu; Schauer, James J.

2016-01-01

Black carbon (BC) aerosol has been identified as one of key factors responsible for air quality in Beijing. BC emissions abatement could help slow regional climate change while providing benefits for public health. In order to quantify its variations and contribution to air pollution, we systematically studied real-time measurements of equivalent black carbon (eBC) in PM2.5 aerosols at an urban site in Beijing from 2010 to 2014. Equivalent black carbon (eBC) is used instead of black carbon (BC) for data derived from Aethalometer-31 measurement. Equivalent BC concentrations showed significant temporal variations with seasonal mean concentration varying between 2.13 and 5.97 μg m−3. The highest concentrations of eBC were found during autumn and winter, and the lowest concentrations occurred in spring. We assessed the temporal variations of eBC concentration during haze days versus non-haze days and found significantly lower eBC fractions in PM2.5 on haze days compared to those on non-haze days. Finally, we observed a clear inverse relationship between eBC and wind speed. Our results show that wind disperses PM2.5 more efficiently than eBC; so, secondary aerosols are not formed to the same degree as primary aerosols over the same transport distance during windy conditions. PMID:27634102

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Giggleman, M.A.; Fitzpatrick, L.C.; Goven, A.J.

Earthworms, Lumbricus terrestris, exposed for 96 h to filter paper saturated with five nominal concentrations of pentachlorophenol, exhibited a 50% lethal concentration (LC50) of 25.0 {micro}g PCP/cm{sup 2} and corresponding whole worm body burden-based 50% lethal dose (LD50) of 877.7 {micro}g PCP/g dry mass. Linear regression modeling showed that worms increased body concentrations (BC = {micro}g PCP/g dry tissue mass) with increasing exposure concentrations (EC) according to BC = 113.5 + 29.5EC. Phagocytosis of yeast cells by immunoactive coelomocytes was suppressed only at body concentrations (863.3 {micro}g PCP/g dry mass) that approximated the calculated LD50 and overlapped those demonstrating lethality,more » indicating a sharp transition between sublethal and lethal toxicity. An exposure concentration of 15 {micro}g PCP/cm{sup 2} produced significant suppression of phagocytosis of yeast cells by immunoactive coelomocytes. However, the average measured body burden from this group approximated the estimated LD50, indicating a sharp toxic response slope. Exposure to 10 {micro}g PCP/cm{sup 2} with a corresponding body concentration of 501.3 {micro}g PCP/g dry mass did not affect phagocytosis. The importance of body burden data is emphasized.« less

Mobility and phytoavailability of As and Pb in a contaminated soil using pine sawdust biochar under systematic change of redox conditions.

PubMed

Beiyuan, Jingzi; Awad, Yasser M; Beckers, Felix; Tsang, Daniel C W; Ok, Yong Sik; Rinklebe, Jörg

2017-07-01

Biochar has been adopted to control the mobility and phytoavailability of trace elements (TEs) in soils. To date, no attempt has been made to determine the mobility and phytoavailability of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) in a contaminated soil with biochars as amendments under predefined redox potentials (E H ). Thus, in this study, a soil contaminated with As and Pb (2047 and 1677 mg kg -1 , respectively) was pre-incubated for 105 days with three amendments (pine sawdust biomass (BM) and two biochars produced from the same feedstock at 300 °C (BC300) and 550 °C (BC550)). The aged samples were then exposed to dynamic E H conditions to evaluate the mobility and phytoavailability of As and Pb after immobilization. The BM amendment significantly decreased and the BC300 slightly reduced the mobility and phytoavailability of As and Pb, which may be related to the oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of BM and BC300. In contrast, BC550 increased the mobility of As at -300 to -100 mV and 100 mV, enhanced the phytoavailability of As under oxidizing condition (>100 mV), but reduced the phytoavailability of Pb, which might be caused by the properties of amendments and redox chemistry of the TEs. The effectiveness of BM and biochars for the stabilization of As and Pb varied under dynamic E H conditions, which indicates that detailed investigations should be conducted before the applications of biochar as soil amendment under variable environmental conditions, especially for contaminated paddy soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Total body surface area overestimation at referring institutions in children transferred to a burn center.

PubMed

Swords, Douglas S; Hadley, Edmund D; Swett, Katrina R; Pranikoff, Thomas

2015-01-01

Total body surface area (TBSA) burned is a powerful descriptor of burn severity and influences the volume of resuscitation required in burn patients. The incidence and severity of TBSA overestimation by referring institutions (RIs) in children transferred to a burn center (BC) are unclear. The association between TBSA overestimation and overresuscitation is unknown as is that between TBSA overestimation and outcome. The trauma registry at a BC was queried over 7.25 years for children presenting with burns. TBSA estimate at RIs and BC, total fluid volume given before arrival at a BC, demographic variables, and clinical variables were reviewed. Nearly 20 per cent of children arrived from RIs without TBSA estimation. Nearly 50 per cent were overestimated by 5 per cent or greater TBSA and burn sizes were overestimated by up to 44 per cent TBSA. Average TBSA measured at BC was 9.5 ± 8.3 per cent compared with 15.5 ± 11.8 per cent as measured at RIs (P < 0.0001). Burns between 10 and 19.9 per cent TBSA were overestimated most often and by the greatest amounts. There was a statistically significant relationship between overestimation of TBSA by 5 per cent or greater and overresuscitation by 10 mL/kg or greater (P = 0.02). No patient demographic or clinical factors were associated with TBSA overestimation. Education efforts aimed at emergency department physicians regarding the importance of always calculating TBSA as well as the mechanics of TBSA estimation and calculating resuscitation volume are needed. Further studies should evaluate the association of TBSA overestimation by RIs with adverse outcomes and complications in the burned child.

Crop to wild introgression in lettuce: following the fate of crop genome segments in backcross populations

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background After crop-wild hybridization, some of the crop genomic segments may become established in wild populations through selfing of the hybrids or through backcrosses to the wild parent. This constitutes a possible route through which crop (trans)genes could become established in natural populations. The likelihood of introgression of transgenes will not only be determined by fitness effects from the transgene itself but also by the crop genes linked to it. Although lettuce is generally regarded as self-pollinating, outbreeding does occur at a low frequency. Backcrossing to wild lettuce is a likely pathway to introgression along with selfing, due to the high frequency of wild individuals relative to the rarely occurring crop-wild hybrids. To test the effect of backcrossing on the vigour of inter-specific hybrids, Lactuca serriola, the closest wild relative of cultivated lettuce, was crossed with L. sativa and the F1 hybrid was backcrossed to L. serriola to generate BC1 and BC2 populations. Experiments were conducted on progeny from selfed plants of the backcrossing families (BC1S1 and BC2S1). Plant vigour of these two backcrossing populations was determined in the greenhouse under non-stress and abiotic stress conditions (salinity, drought, and nutrient deficiency). Results Despite the decreasing contribution of crop genomic blocks in the backcross populations, the BC1S1 and BC2S1 hybrids were characterized by a substantial genetic variation under both non-stress and stress conditions. Hybrids were identified that performed equally or better than the wild genotypes, indicating that two backcrossing events did not eliminate the effect of the crop genomic segments that contributed to the vigour of the BC1 and BC2 hybrids. QTLs for plant vigour under non-stress and the various stress conditions were detected in the two populations with positive as well as negative effects from the crop. Conclusion As it was shown that the crop contributed QTLs with either a positive or a negative effect on plant vigour, we hypothesize that genomic regions exist where transgenes could preferentially be located in order to mitigate their persistence in natural populations through genetic hitchhiking. PMID:22448748

Crop to wild introgression in lettuce: following the fate of crop genome segments in backcross populations.

PubMed

Uwimana, Brigitte; Smulders, Marinus J M; Hooftman, Danny A P; Hartman, Yorike; van Tienderen, Peter H; Jansen, Johannes; McHale, Leah K; Michelmore, Richard W; Visser, Richard G F; van de Wiel, Clemens C M

2012-03-26

After crop-wild hybridization, some of the crop genomic segments may become established in wild populations through selfing of the hybrids or through backcrosses to the wild parent. This constitutes a possible route through which crop (trans)genes could become established in natural populations. The likelihood of introgression of transgenes will not only be determined by fitness effects from the transgene itself but also by the crop genes linked to it. Although lettuce is generally regarded as self-pollinating, outbreeding does occur at a low frequency. Backcrossing to wild lettuce is a likely pathway to introgression along with selfing, due to the high frequency of wild individuals relative to the rarely occurring crop-wild hybrids. To test the effect of backcrossing on the vigour of inter-specific hybrids, Lactuca serriola, the closest wild relative of cultivated lettuce, was crossed with L. sativa and the F(1) hybrid was backcrossed to L. serriola to generate BC(1) and BC(2) populations. Experiments were conducted on progeny from selfed plants of the backcrossing families (BC(1)S(1) and BC(2)S(1)). Plant vigour of these two backcrossing populations was determined in the greenhouse under non-stress and abiotic stress conditions (salinity, drought, and nutrient deficiency). Despite the decreasing contribution of crop genomic blocks in the backcross populations, the BC(1)S(1) and BC(2)S(1) hybrids were characterized by a substantial genetic variation under both non-stress and stress conditions. Hybrids were identified that performed equally or better than the wild genotypes, indicating that two backcrossing events did not eliminate the effect of the crop genomic segments that contributed to the vigour of the BC(1) and BC(2) hybrids. QTLs for plant vigour under non-stress and the various stress conditions were detected in the two populations with positive as well as negative effects from the crop. As it was shown that the crop contributed QTLs with either a positive or a negative effect on plant vigour, we hypothesize that genomic regions exist where transgenes could preferentially be located in order to mitigate their persistence in natural populations through genetic hitchhiking.

Cartilage conduction is characterized by vibrations of the cartilaginous portion of the ear canal.

PubMed

Nishimura, Tadashi; Hosoi, Hiroshi; Saito, Osamu; Miyamae, Ryosuke; Shimokura, Ryota; Yamanaka, Toshiaki; Kitahara, Tadashi; Levitt, Harry

2015-01-01

Cartilage conduction (CC) is a new form of sound transmission which is induced by a transducer being placed on the aural cartilage. Although the conventional forms of sound transmission to the cochlea are classified into air or bone conduction (AC or BC), previous study demonstrates that CC is not classified into AC or BC (Laryngoscope 124: 1214-1219). Next interesting issue is whether CC is a hybrid of AC and BC. Seven volunteers with normal hearing participated in this experiment. The threshold-shifts by water injection in the ear canal were measured. AC, BC, and CC thresholds at 0.5-4 kHz were measured in the 0%-, 40%-, and 80%-water injection conditions. In addition, CC thresholds were also measured for the 20%-, 60%-, 100%-, and overflowing-water injection conditions. The contributions of the vibrations of the cartilaginous portion were evaluated by the threshold-shifts. For AC and BC, the threshold-shifts by the water injection were 22.6-53.3 dB and within 14.9 dB at the frequency of 0.5-4 kHz, respectively. For CC, when the water was filled within the bony portion, the thresholds were elevated to the same degree as AC. When the water was additionally injected to reach the cartilaginous portion, the thresholds at 0.5 and 1 kHz dramatically decreased by 27.4 and 27.5 dB, respectively. In addition, despite blocking AC by the injected water, the CC thresholds in force level were remarkably lower than those for BC. The vibration of the cartilaginous portion contributes to the sound transmission, particularly in the low frequency range. Although the airborne sound is radiated into the ear canal in both BC and CC, the mechanism underlying its generation is different between them. CC generates airborne sound in the canal more efficiently than BC. The current findings suggest that CC is not a hybrid of AC and BC.

Cartilage Conduction Is Characterized by Vibrations of the Cartilaginous Portion of the Ear Canal

PubMed Central

Nishimura, Tadashi; Hosoi, Hiroshi; Saito, Osamu; Miyamae, Ryosuke; Shimokura, Ryota; Yamanaka, Toshiaki; Kitahara, Tadashi; Levitt, Harry

2015-01-01

Cartilage conduction (CC) is a new form of sound transmission which is induced by a transducer being placed on the aural cartilage. Although the conventional forms of sound transmission to the cochlea are classified into air or bone conduction (AC or BC), previous study demonstrates that CC is not classified into AC or BC (Laryngoscope 124: 1214–1219). Next interesting issue is whether CC is a hybrid of AC and BC. Seven volunteers with normal hearing participated in this experiment. The threshold-shifts by water injection in the ear canal were measured. AC, BC, and CC thresholds at 0.5–4 kHz were measured in the 0%-, 40%-, and 80%-water injection conditions. In addition, CC thresholds were also measured for the 20%-, 60%-, 100%-, and overflowing-water injection conditions. The contributions of the vibrations of the cartilaginous portion were evaluated by the threshold-shifts. For AC and BC, the threshold-shifts by the water injection were 22.6–53.3 dB and within 14.9 dB at the frequency of 0.5–4 kHz, respectively. For CC, when the water was filled within the bony portion, the thresholds were elevated to the same degree as AC. When the water was additionally injected to reach the cartilaginous portion, the thresholds at 0.5 and 1 kHz dramatically decreased by 27.4 and 27.5 dB, respectively. In addition, despite blocking AC by the injected water, the CC thresholds in force level were remarkably lower than those for BC. The vibration of the cartilaginous portion contributes to the sound transmission, particularly in the low frequency range. Although the airborne sound is radiated into the ear canal in both BC and CC, the mechanism underlying its generation is different between them. CC generates airborne sound in the canal more efficiently than BC. The current findings suggest that CC is not a hybrid of AC and BC. PMID:25768088

From the Cover: Disease-Induced Disparities in Formation of the Nanoparticle-Biocorona and the Toxicological Consequences

PubMed Central

Shannahan, Jonathan H.; Fritz, Kristofer S.; Raghavendra, Achyut J.; Podila, Ramakrishna; Persaud, Indushekar; Brown, Jared M.

2016-01-01

Nanoparticle (NP) association with macromolecules in a physiological environment forms a biocorona (BC), which alters NP distribution, activity, and toxicity. While BC formation is dependent on NP physicochemical properties, little information exists on the influence of the physiological environment. Obese individuals and those with cardiovascular disease exist with altered serum chemistry, which is expected to influence BC formation and NP toxicity. We hypothesize that a BC formed on NPs following incubation in hyperlipidemic serum will result in altered NP–BC protein content, cellular association, and toxicity compared to normal serum conditions. We utilized Fe3O4 NPs, which are being developed as MRI contrast and tumor targeting agents to test our hypothesis. We used rat aortic endothelial cells (RAECs) within a dynamic flow in vitro exposure system to more accurately depict the in vivo environment. A BC was formed on 20nm PVP-suspended Fe3O4 NPs following incubation in water, 10% normal or hyperlipidemic rat serum. Addition of BCs resulted in increased hydrodynamic size and decreased surface charge. More cholesterol associated with Fe3O4 NPs after incubation in hyperlipidemic as compared with normal serum. Using quantitative proteomics, we identified unique differences in BC protein components between the 2 serum types. Under flow conditions, formation of a BC from both serum types reduced RAECs association of Fe3O4 NPs. Addition of BCs was found to exacerbate RAECs inflammatory gene responses to Fe3O4 NPs (Fe3O4-hyperlipidemic > Fe3O4-normal > Fe3O4) including increased expression of IL-6, TNF-α, Cxcl-2, VCAM-1, and ICAM-1. Overall, these findings demonstrate that disease-induced variations in physiological environments have a significant impact NP-BC formation, cellular association, and cell response. PMID:27255384

RICE ice core: Black Carbon reflects climate variability at Roosevelt Island, West Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellis, Aja; Edwards, Ross; Bertler, Nancy; Winton, Holly; Goodwin, Ian; Neff, Peter; Tuohy, Andrea; Proemse, Bernadette; Hogan, Chad; Feiteng, Wang

2015-04-01

The Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution (RICE) project successfully drilled a deep ice core from Roosevelt Island during the 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 seasons. Located in the Ross Ice Shelf in West Antarctica, the site is an ideal location for investigating climate variability and the past stability of the Ross Ice Shelf. Black carbon (BC) aerosols are emitted by both biomass burning and fossil fuels, and BC particles emitted in the southern hemisphere are transported in the atmosphere and preserved in Antarctic ice. The past record of BC is expected to be sensitive to climate variability, as it is modulated by both emissions and transport. To investigate BC variability over the past 200 years, we developed a BC record from two overlapping ice cores (~1850-2012) and a high-resolution snow pit spanning 2010-2012 (cal. yr). Consistent results are found between the snow pit profiles and ice core records. Distinct decadal trends are found with respect to BC particle size, and the record indicates a steady rise in BC particle size over the last 100 years. Differences in emission sources and conditions may be a possible explanation for changes in BC size. These records also show a significant increase in BC concentration over the past decade with concentrations rising over 1.5 ppb (1.5*10^-9 ng/g), suggesting a fundamental shift in BC deposition to the site.

Macro- and microtopographical examination and quantification of CAD-CAM composite resin 2- and 3-body wear.

PubMed

Stöckl, Carolin; Hampe, Rüdiger; Stawarczyk, Bogna; Haerst, Miriam; Roos, Malgorzata

2018-04-05

The selection of an appropriate restorative material based on wear behavior is important for the long-term success of a dental restoration. For computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) composite resins, information about their wear resistance and wear mechanism is scarce. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the 2- and 3-body wear of CAD-CAM composite resins with that of lithium disilicate ceramic and to develop analysis software. Flat specimens were prepared from the following CAD-CAM composite resins: Cerasmart (CS), SHOFU Block HC (SH), Katana Avencia (KA), Brilliant Crios (BC), an experimental composite resin (EXP), and lithium disilicate ceramic IPS e.max CAD (REF). The specimens underwent 2-body wear (50 N, 5/55°C, 400 000 cycles) opposed by human enamel antagonists. Specimen wheels were prepared with each material on each wheel for 3-body wear with a millet slurry (15 N, 15% slip, 200 000 cycles). All specimens were digitized by using a dedicated laser scanner. Analysis software was developed to calculate macrotopographical examination of volume loss. The microtopography of the surfaces was examined by using scanning electron microscopy. For data analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis test with the Tukey-Kramer post hoc test and the 1-sample Wilcoxon test were used (α=.05). After 2-body wear simulation, SH and KA presented higher volume loss than the other CAD-CAM materials. For 3-body wear, REF had lower volume loss than CS, SH, or BC. In addition, BC led to higher volume loss than EXP. The patterns of 2- and 3-body wear were different. The ceramic showed good global wear resistance. The volume loss of the CAD-CAM composite resins differed and depended on the material. The 2- and 3-body wear test methods tended to differ with regard to volume loss. Examination of the worn surfaces revealed different mechanisms acting in 2- and 3-body wear test. Copyright © 2017 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP): air- versus bone-conducted stimuli.

PubMed

McNerney, Kathleen M; Burkard, Robert F

2011-01-01

Several studies have evaluated the effects of different stimulus and recording parameters on the cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP); however, it is difficult to directly compare these studies as they have all used different recording methods, different sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle contraction/electromyography monitoring methods, and different stimulus parameters. : This study made a direct comparison of the cVEMP in response to air-conducted (AC) and bone-conducted (BC) stimuli in the same subjects, using the same stimulus/recording/electromyography monitoring methods. We found that the input/output (I/O) functions were more linear in response to AC stimuli, whereas cVEMPs in response to BC stimuli began to saturate at the highest level. In addition, cVEMP threshold was obtained at a lower stimulus level (i.e., at a lower sensation level) in response to BC stimuli as compared with AC stimuli, and cVEMPs in response to BC stimuli were larger than cVEMPs in response to AC stimuli, which is in agreement with what has been found in previous studies. In addition, this was one of the few studies to evaluate the repeatability of the cVEMP in response to BC stimuli. Interestingly, we found that cVEMP latency in response to BC stimuli was, in most cases, less variable than cVEMP latency obtained in response to AC stimuli, whereas the reverse was true for cVEMP amplitude. We also found that BC masking presented to the forehead affected response amplitude of the AC cVEMP regardless of the specific SCM muscle contraction/toneburst presentation condition. In addition, we found that the ratio of amplitude reduction was greater in the binaural stimulation/bilateral SCM muscle contraction condition as compared with the monaural stimulation/bilateral SCM muscle contraction condition. The present experiment provided a direct comparison of the cVEMP in response to AC versus BC 500 Hz short-duration toneburst stimuli in the same subjects. The results of the present experiment also provide insight into the laterality of the cVEMP response and reveal that the cVEMP may not be completely ipsilateral (i.e., there may be a form of bilateral interaction that occurs when both sides are stimulated simultaneously). Last, the results indicate that BC stimuli likely activates the saccule as well as the utricle, given that AC VEMPs can be masked by the administration of BC masking noise presented to the midline.

Mouse Models for Bone Research to Assess Military Stress Fracture Risk

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-04-01

analyses. DEXA scanning by PIXImus: The PIXImus densitometer (GE-Lunar, Madison , WI) was used to assess whole body areal (a)BMD and body composition...between sexes in 18 of the 28 strains. Sex differences for whole body BMD (aBMD) and BcD of the lumbar spine are not congruent, consequently predicting...cannot be used to predict aBMD, either whole body or at the lumbar spine, or body cornposition compartments. It is important to note that in this

The Casimir effect for parallel plates revisited

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kawakami, N. A.; Nemes, M. C.; Wreszinski, Walter F.

2007-10-15

The Casimir effect for a massless scalar field with Dirichlet and periodic boundary conditions (bc's) on infinite parallel plates is revisited in the local quantum field theory (lqft) framework introduced by Kay [Phys. Rev. D 20, 3052 (1979)]. The model displays a number of more realistic features than the ones he treated. In addition to local observables, as the energy density, we propose to consider intensive variables, such as the energy per unit area {epsilon}, as fundamental observables. Adopting this view, lqft rejects Dirichlet (the same result may be proved for Neumann or mixed) bc, and accepts periodic bc: inmore » the former case {epsilon} diverges, in the latter it is finite, as is shown by an expression for the local energy density obtained from lqft through the use of the Poisson summation formula. Another way to see this uses methods from the Euler summation formula: in the proof of regularization independence of the energy per unit area, a regularization-dependent surface term arises upon use of Dirichlet bc, but not periodic bc. For the conformally invariant scalar quantum field, this surface term is absent due to the condition of zero trace of the energy momentum tensor, as remarked by De Witt [Phys. Rep. 19, 295 (1975)]. The latter property does not hold in the application to the dark energy problem in cosmology, in which we argue that periodic bc might play a distinguished role.« less

Microbiological quality of raw milk attributable to prolonged refrigeration conditions.

PubMed

Vithanage, Nuwan R; Dissanayake, Muditha; Bolge, Greg; Palombo, Enzo A; Yeager, Thomas R; Datta, Nivedita

2017-02-01

Refrigerated storage of raw milk is a prerequisite in dairy industry. However, temperature abused conditions in the farming and processing environments can significantly affect the microbiological quality of raw milk. Thus, the present study investigated the effect of different refrigeration conditions such as 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 °C on microbiological quality of raw milk from three different dairy farms with significantly different initial microbial counts. The bacterial counts (BC), protease activity (PA), proteolysis (PL) and microbial diversity in raw milk were determined during storage. The effect of combined heating (75 ± 0·5 °C for 15 s) and refrigeration on controlling those contaminating microorganisms was also investigated. Results of the present study indicated that all of the samples showed increasing BC, PA and PL as a function of temperature, time and initial BC with a significant increase in those criteria ≥6 °C. Similar trends in BC, PA and PL were observed during the extended storage of raw milk at 4 °C. Both PA and PL showed strong correlation with the psychrotrophic proteolytic count (PPrBC: at ≥4 °C) and thermoduric psychrotrophic count (TDPC: at ≥8 °C) compared to total plate count (TPC) and psychrotrophic bacterial count (PBC), that are often used as the industry standard. Significant increases in PA and PL were observed when PPrBC and TDPC reached 5 × 104 cfu/ml and 1 × 104 cfu/ml, and were defined as storage life for quality (S LQ), and storage life for safety (S LS) aspects, respectively. The storage conditions also significantly affected the microbial diversity, where Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus cereus were found to be the most predominant isolates. However, deep cooling (2 °C) and combination of heating and refrigeration (≤4 °C) significantly extended the S LQ and S Ls of raw milk.

Bacterial cellulose of Gluconoacetobacter hansenii as a potential bioadsorption agent for its green environment applications.

PubMed

Mohite, Bhavna V; Patil, Satish V

2014-01-01

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an interesting biopolymer produced by bacteria having superior properties. BC produced by Gluconoacetobacter hansenii (strain NCIM 2529) under shaking condition and explored for its applications in dye removal and bioadsorption of protein and heavy metals. Purity of BC was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. BC removed azo dye and Aniline blue (400 mg/L) with 80% efficiency within 60 min. The adsorption and elution of Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and heavy metals like lead, cadmium and nickel (Pb(2+), Cd(2+) and Ni(2+)) was achieved with BC which confirms the exclusion ability with reusability. The BSA adsorption quantity was increased with increase in protein concentration with more than 90% adsorption and elution ratio. The effect of pH and temperature on BSA adsorption has been investigated. Bioadsorption (82%) and elution ratio (92%) of BC for Pb(2+) was more when compared with Cd(2+) (41 and 67%) and Ni(2+) (33 and 85%), respectively. BC was also explored as soil conditioner to increase the water-holding capacity and porosity of soil. The results elucidated the significance of BC as renewable effective ecofriendly bioadsorption agent.

Formation of secondary organic aerosol coating on black carbon particles near vehicular emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Alex K. Y.; Chen, Chia-Li; Liu, Jun; Price, Derek J.; Betha, Raghu; Russell, Lynn M.; Zhang, Xiaolu; Cappa, Christopher D.

2017-12-01

Black carbon (BC) emitted from incomplete combustion can result in significant impacts on air quality and climate. Understanding the mixing state of ambient BC and the chemical characteristics of its associated coatings is particularly important to evaluate BC fate and environmental impacts. In this study, we investigate the formation of organic coatings on BC particles in an urban environment (Fontana, California) under hot and dry conditions using a soot-particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS). The SP-AMS was operated in a configuration that can exclusively detect refractory BC (rBC) particles and their coatings. Using the -log(NOx / NOy) ratio as a proxy for photochemical age of air masses, substantial formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) coatings on rBC particles was observed due to active photochemistry in the afternoon, whereas primary organic aerosol (POA) components were strongly associated with rBC from fresh vehicular emissions in the morning rush hours. There is also evidence that cooking-related organic aerosols were externally mixed from rBC. Positive matrix factorization and elemental analysis illustrate that most of the observed SOA coatings were freshly formed, providing an opportunity to examine SOA coating formation on rBCs near vehicular emissions. Approximately 7-20 wt % of secondary organic and inorganic species were estimated to be internally mixed with rBC on average, implying that rBC is unlikely the major condensation sink of SOA in this study. Comparison of our results to a co-located standard high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) measurement suggests that at least a portion of SOA materials condensed on rBC surfaces were chemically different from oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA) particles that were externally mixed with rBC, although they could both be generated from local photochemistry.

Flux, Budget and Sources of Black Carbon (BC) in the Continental Shelf of the Bohai and Yellow Seas, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Y.; Chen, Y.; Tian, C.

2015-12-01

Black carbon (BC) derived from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass has received increasing attention due to their potential importance in a wide range of biogeochemical processes. China has been generally considered as the world's largest BC emitter. Due to a combination of the prevailing East Asia monsoon and large amounts of riverine outflow, BC released from China can be transported to the adjacent continental shelf seas, the Bohai Sea (BS) and Yellow Sea (YS). Based on measurements of BC in 191 surface sediments, 36 riverine water, and 2 seawater samples, as well as the reported BC data set of the aerosol samples in the Bohai Rim, the concentration, flux, and budget of BC in the BS and YS were investigated. The spatial distribution of the BC concentration in surface sediments was largely influenced by the regional hydrodynamic conditions, with high values mainly occurring in the central mud areas. The BC burial flux in the BS and YS ranged from 4 to 1100 μg/cm2/yr, and averaged 166 ± 200 μg/cm2/yr. The area-integrated sedimentary BC sink flux in the entire BS and YS was ~325 Gg/yr. The BC budget calculated in the BS showed that atmospheric deposition and riverine discharge played comparable importance in delivering BC to the BS, and sequestration to bottom sediments was the major BC output pattern, accounting for ~88% of the total input BC. Besides, we attempted to apportion the BC sources in the BS and YS surface sediments using PAHs (organic molecular proxies cogenerated with BC) and BC as an input data to the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) receptor model. Results showed that ~83% of the sediment BC was attributed to the combustion of fossil fuels, and the remaining ~17% was from biomass burning. Due to the differences in their production mechanisms and therefore physicochemical properties, the above distinction and quantification would help us better understand their different environmental behaviors in the complex continental shelf regimes.

On the origins of the modern star map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blomberg, P.

During the last few years there have been some papers dealing with the astronomical knowledge of the Minoans on Crete around 2000 BC and also of later cultures on Crete and the surrounding Greekspeaking areas. These works not only deal with possible observation lines but also show that the Minoans had built structures that could be used for determining the time of the equinoxes and solstices, for developing stellar navigation as well as finding the seasons suitable for sailing and agriculture. There have also been some papers presenting an astronomical iconography seen in Minoan figurines and seals. This paper discusses these suggested symbols of celestial bodies and some uses of them. It is also shown that there are links between the Minoan-Mycenaean period and Hellenistic times, i.e. from the 3rd/2nd millennium BC down to around 200 BC. This leads to the hypothesis that the western map of constellations has its roots on Crete during the Minoan period around 2000BC.

Bayesian estimation of test characteristics of real-time PCR, bacteriological culture and California mastitis test for diagnosis of intramammary infections with Staphylococcus aureus in dairy cattle at routine milk recordings.

PubMed

Mahmmod, Yasser S; Toft, Nils; Katholm, Jørgen; Grønbæk, Carsten; Klaas, Ilka C

2013-11-01

Danish farmers can order a real-time PCR mastitis diagnostic test on routinely taken cow-level samples from milk recordings. Validation of its performance in comparison to conventional mastitis diagnostics under field conditions is essential for efficient control of intramammary infections (IMI) with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of real-time PCR, bacterial culture (BC) and California mastitis test (CMT) for the diagnosis of the naturally occurring IMI with S. aureus in routinely collected milk samples using latent class analysis (LCA) to avoid the assumption of a perfect reference test. Using systematic random sampling, a total of 609 lactating dairy cows were selected from 6 dairy herds with bulk tank milk PCR cycle threshold (Ct) value ≤39 for S. aureus. At routine milk recordings, automatically obtained cow-level (composite) milk samples were analyzed by PCR and at the same milking, 2436 quarter milk samples were collected aseptically for BC and CMT. Results showed that 140 cows (23%) were positive for S. aureus IMI by BC while 170 cows (28%) were positive by PCR. Estimates of Se and Sp for PCR were higher than test estimates of BC and CMT. SeCMT was higher than SeBC however, SpBC was higher than SpCMT. SePCR was 91%, while SeBC was 53%, and SeCMT was 61%. SpPCR was 99%, while SpBC was 89%, and SpCMT was 65%. In conclusion, PCR has a higher performance than the conventional diagnostic tests (BC and CMT) suggesting its usefulness as a routine test for accurate diagnosis of S. aureus IMI from dairy cows at routine milk recordings. The use of LCA provided estimates of the test characteristics for two currently diagnostic tests (BC, CMT) and a novel technique (real-time PCR) for diagnosing S. aureus IMI under field conditions at routine milk recordings in Denmark. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hadronic production of the doubly heavy baryon {Xi}{sub bc} at the LHC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang Jiawei; Wu Xinggang; Zhong Tao

We investigate the hadronic production of the doubly heavy baryon {Xi}{sub bc} at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), where contributions from the four (bc)-diquark states (bc){sub 3,6}[{sup 1}S{sub 0}] and (bc){sub 3,6}[{sup 3}S{sub 1}] have been taken into consideration. Numerical results show that under the condition of p{sub T}>4 GeV and |y|<1.5, sizable {Xi}{sub bc} events about 1.7x10{sup 7} and 3.5x10{sup 9} per year can be produced for the center-of-mass energy {radical}(S)=7 TeV and {radical}(S)=14 TeV, respectively. For experimental usage, the total and the interested differential cross sections are estimated under some typical p{sub T} and y cuts for themore » LHC detectors CMS, ATLAS, and LHCb. The main uncertainties are discussed and a comparative study on the hadronic production of {Xi}{sub cc}, {Xi}{sub bc}, and {Xi}{sub bb} at the LHC are also presented.« less

A Novel Platform for Evaluating the Environmental Impacts on Bacterial Cellulose Production.

PubMed

Basu, Anindya; Vadanan, Sundaravadanam Vishnu; Lim, Sierin

2018-04-10

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a biocompatible material with versatile applications. However, its large-scale production is challenged by the limited biological knowledge of the bacteria. The advent of synthetic biology has lead the way to the development of BC producing microbes as a novel chassis. Hence, investigation on optimal growth conditions for BC production and understanding of the fundamental biological processes are imperative. In this study, we report a novel analytical platform that can be used for studying the biology and optimizing growth conditions of cellulose producing bacteria. The platform is based on surface growth pattern of the organism and allows us to confirm that cellulose fibrils produced by the bacteria play a pivotal role towards their chemotaxis. The platform efficiently determines the impacts of different growth conditions on cellulose production and is translatable to static culture conditions. The analytical platform provides a means for fundamental biological studies of bacteria chemotaxis as well as systematic approach towards rational design and development of scalable bioprocessing strategies for industrial production of bacterial cellulose.

Short-term beta-carotene-supplementation positively affects ovarian activity and serum insulin concentrations in a goat model.

PubMed

Meza-Herrera, C A; Vargas-Beltran, F; Tena-Sempere, M; González-Bulnes, A; Macias-Cruz, U; Veliz-Deras, F G

2013-03-01

In early October 2010, adult goats (no.=22, 3.5 yr old, 7/8 Sannen-Alpine, 26° N, 103° W, at 1117 m), were randomly assigned to: i) beta-carotene group (BC) [no.=10; live weight (LW)=45.9±1.97 kg, body condition score (BCS) =3.04±0.08; orally supplemented with 50 mg of BC per goat per day]; ii) control group (CONT) (no.=12; LW=46.2±2.04 kg, BCS=3.0±0.08). Animals received a basal diet of alfalfa hay, corn silage, and corn grain, having free access to water, shade, and mineral salts. During the second half of October, estrus was synchronized by using intravaginal sponges. Thereafter, by mid-follicular phase, an intensive blood sampling (6 h × 60 min) was performed to evaluate serum insulin concentrations (INS) by radioimmunoassay. By the end of the luteal phase, an ultrasonographic scanning was performed to evaluate total ovarian activity (TOA) [TOA=total follicles (TF) + total corpus luteum (TCL)]. The whole experimental period consisted of 34 days pre- and 17 days post-ovulation, for a total of 52 days. Average LW and BCS did not differ (p>0.05) during the experimental period. Nonetheless, increases in TF no. (5.0 vs 3.4±0.6 units; p=0.05), TCL no. (3.4 vs 2.8±0.2 units; p=0.05), TOA (8.1 vs 6.2±0.6 units; p=0.05) and INS (4.6 vs 3.9±0.4 ng ml-1; p=0.05) favored to the BC-supplemented group. A positive correlation between LW (r(2)=0.42; p=0.04) and BCS (r(2)=0.47; p=0.02) with respect to ovulation rate, was detected. BC-supplementation increased ovarian activity in the female goat while positively affected the release pattern of insulin, suggesting a potential role of BC as a central and/or pancreas-activating molecule in adult goats; such results may hold not only physiologic but also clinical significance. ©2013, Editrice Kurtis

Expression profile of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in premenopausal Mexican women with breast cancer: clinical and immunohistochemical correlates.

PubMed

Loredo-Pozos, Gloria; Chiquete, Erwin; Oceguera-Villanueva, Antonio; Panduro, Arturo; Siller-López, Fernando; Ramos-Márquez, Martha E

2009-01-01

Low BRCA1 gene expression is associated with increased invasiveness and influences the response of breast carcinoma (BC) to chemotherapeutics. However, expression of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes has not been completely characterized in premenopausal BC. We analyzed the clinical and immunohistochemical correlates of BRCA1 and BRCA2 expression in young BC women. We studied 62 women (mean age 38.8 years) who developed BC before the age of 45 years. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mRNA expression was assessed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and that of HER-2 and p53 proteins by immunohistochemistry. Body mass index (BMI) > or = 27 (52%) and a declared family history of BC (26%) were the main risk factors. Ductal infiltrative adenocarcinoma was found in 86% of the cases (tumor size >5 cm in 48%). Disease stages I-IV occurred in 2, 40, 55, and 3%, respectively (73% implicating lymph nodes). Women aged < or = 35 years (24%) had more family history of cervical cancer, stage III/IV disease, HER-2 positivity, and lower BRCA1 expression than older women (P < 0.05). BRCA1 and BRCA2 expression correlated in healthy, but not in tumor tissues (TT). Neither BRCA1 nor BRCA2 expression was associated with tumor histology, differentiation, nodal metastasis or p53 and HER-2 expression. After multivariate analysis, only disease stage explained BRCA1 mRNA levels in the lowest quartile. Premenopausal BC has aggressive clinical and molecular characteristics. Low BRCA1 mRNA expression is associated mainly with younger ages and advanced clinical stage of premenopausal BC. BRCA2 expression is not associated with disease severity in young BC women.

Effects of letrozole on breast cancer micro-metastatic tumor growth in bone and lung in mice inoculated with murine 4T1 cells.

PubMed

Wang, Wendan; Belosay, Aashvini; Yang, Xujuan; Hartman, James A; Song, Huaxin; Iwaniec, Urszula T; Turner, Russell T; Churchwell, Mona I; Doerge, Daniel R; Helferich, William G

2016-06-01

Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cancer in women worldwide. Metastasis occurs in stage IV BC with bone and lung being common metastatic sites. Here we evaluate the effects of the aromatase inhibitor letrozole on BC micro-metastatic tumor growth in bone and lung metastasis in intact and ovariectomized (OVX) mice with murine estrogen receptor negative (ER-) BC cells inoculated in tibia. Forty-eight BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to one of four groups: OVX, OVX + Letrozole, Intact, and Intact + Letrozole, and injected with 4T1 cells intra-tibially. Letrozole was subcutaneously injected daily for 23 days at a dose of 1.75 µg/g body weight. Tumor progression was monitored by bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Following necropsy, inoculated tibiae were scanned via µCT and bone response to tumor was scored from 0 (no ectopic mineralization/osteolysis) to 5 (extensive ectopic mineralization/osteolysis). OVX mice had higher tibial pathology scores indicative of more extensive bone destruction than intact mice, irrespective of letrozole treatment. Letrozole decreased serum estradiol levels and reduced lung surface tumor numbers in intact animals. Furthermore, mice receiving letrozole had significantly fewer tumor colonies and fewer proliferative cells in the lung than OVX and intact controls based on H&E and Ki-67 staining, respectively. In conclusion, BC-inoculated OVX animals had higher tibia pathology scores than BC-inoculated intact animals and letrozole reduced BC metastases to lungs. These findings suggest that, by lowering systemic estrogen level and/or by interacting with the host organ, the aromatase inhibitor letrozole has the potential to reduce ER- BC metastasis to lung.

Body weight and risk of molecular breast cancer subtypes among postmenopausal Mediterranean women.

PubMed

Crispo, A; Montella, M; Buono, G; Grimaldi, M; D'Aiuto, M; Capasso, I; Esposito, E; Amore, A; Nocerino, F; Augustin, L S A; Giudice, A; Di Bonito, M; Giuliano, M; Forestieri, V; De Laurentiis, M; Rinaldo, M; Ciliberto, G; De Placido, S; Arpino, G

2016-01-01

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant tumor in women, obesity is associated with increased BC incidence and mortality and high levels of circulating insulin may negatively impact on cancer incidence. In the present study, we investigated whether the strength of several anthropometric and metabolic parameters varies between BC molecular subtypes. Eligible cases were 991 non-metastatic BC patients recruited between January 2009 and December 2013. Anthropometric, clinical and immunohistochemical features were measured. Multivariate logistic regression models were built to assess HER2 positive BC risk, comparing (a) triple positive (TP) with luminal A, luminal B and triple negative (TN) and (b) HER2-enriched group with luminal A, luminal B and TN. We stratified patients in pre- and post-menopause: significant differences emerged for luminal A in relation to age: they were more likely to be older compared to other groups. Among postmenopausal patients, the adjusted multivariate analysis showed that high BMI and high waist circumference were inversely correlated to TP subtype when compared to luminal B (OR=0.48 and OR=0.49, respectively). Conversely, HOMA-IR was a risk factor for TP when compared to luminal A and TN (OR=2.47 and OR=3.15, respectively). Our findings suggest a potential role of higher abdominal fat in the development of specific BC molecular subtypes in postmenopausal women. Moreover, they support a potential role of insulin resistance in the development of HER2 positive BC, although this role appears to be stronger when hormone receptors are co-expressed, suggesting a difference in the etiology of these two BC subtypes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Clinical anatomy as practiced by ancient Egyptians.

PubMed

Loukas, Marios; Hanna, Michael; Alsaiegh, Nada; Shoja, Mohammadali M; Tubbs, R Shane

2011-05-01

Egypt is famously known for its Nile and pyramids, yet not many people know that Egypt made possible the origin of the anatomical sciences. Several ancient papyri guide us through the Egyptians' exploration of the human body and how they applied anatomical knowledge to clinical medicine to the best of their knowledge. It is through records, such as the Edwin Smith, Ebers, and Kahun papyri and other literature detailing the work of the Egyptian embalmers, physicians, and Greek anatomists, that we are able to take a glimpse into the evolution of the anatomical sciences from 3000 B.C. to 250 B.C. It is through the Egyptian embalmer that we were able to learn of some of the first interactions with human organs and their detailed observation. The Egyptian physician's knowledge, being transcribed into the Ebers and Edwin Smith papyri, enabled future physicians to seek reference to common ailments for diagnosing and treating a variety of conditions ranging from head injuries to procedures, such as trans-sphenoidal surgery. In Alexandria, Herophilus, and Erasistratus made substantial contributions to the anatomical sciences by beginning the practice of human dissection. For instance, Herophilus described the anatomy of the heart valves along with Erasistratus who demonstrated how blood was prevented from flowing retrograde under normal conditions. Hence, from various records, we are able to unravel how Egypt paved the road for study of the anatomical sciences. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Contribution of social marketing strategies to community-based obesity prevention programmes in children.

PubMed

Gracia-Marco, L; Vicente-Rodríguez, G; Borys, J M; Le Bodo, Y; Pettigrew, S; Moreno, L A

2011-04-01

To review child and adolescent obesity prevention programmes to determine whether they have included the Social Marketing Benchmark Criteria (BC). In addition, we analysed whether there was a relationship between the presence of the criteria and the effectiveness of the programme. Interventions had to be aimed at preventing obesity through behaviour changes relating to diet, physical activity, lifestyle and social support, separately or in combination. A total of 41 interventions were identified in PubMed and Embase that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The more recent the studies, the greater the number of the BC that seem to have been used. However, regarding behaviour changes, we found the most effective period to be 1997-2002, with 100% of the interventions resulting in behaviour changes (9/9). In addition, almost all interventions resulted in improvements in body composition variables: 5 of 6 for body mass index or overweight/obesity prevalence and 6 of 6 for skin-folds. The presence of a higher number of BC does not assure higher effectiveness. Further research is required in this field. At the moment, studies aimed at preventing obesity in children and adolescents have not included social marketing aspects in their interventions in a comprehensive manner.

Effects of wet deposition on the abundance and size distribution of black carbon in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondo, Y.; Moteki, N.; Oshima, N.; Ohata, S.; Koike, M.; Shibano, Y.; Takegawa, N.; Kita, K.

2016-05-01

An improved understanding of the variations in the mass concentration and size distribution of black carbon (BC) in the free troposphere (FT) over East Asia, where BC emissions are very high, is needed to reliably estimate the radiative forcing of BC in climate models. We measured these parameters and the carbon monoxide (CO) concentration by conducting the Aerosol Radiative Forcing in East Asia (A-FORCE) 2013W aircraft campaign in East Asia in winter 2013 and compared these data with measurements made in the same region in spring 2009. The median BC concentrations in the FT originating from North China (NC) and South China (SC) showed different seasonal variations, which were primarily caused by variations in meteorological conditions. CO concentrations above the background were much higher in SC than in NC in both seasons, suggesting a more active upward transport of CO. In SC, precipitation greatly increased from winter to spring, leading to an increased wet deposition of BC. As a result, the median BC concentration in the FT was highest in SC air in winter. This season and region were optimal for the effective transport of BC from the planetary boundary layer to the FT. The count median diameters of the BC size distributions generally decreased with altitude via wet removal during upward transport. The altitude dependence of the BC size distributions was similar in winter and spring, in accord with the similarity in the BC mixing state. The observed BC concentrations and microphysical properties will be useful for evaluating the performance of climate models.

Ice residual properties in mixed-phase clouds at the high-alpine Jungfraujoch site.

PubMed

Kupiszewski, Piotr; Zanatta, Marco; Mertes, Stephan; Vochezer, Paul; Lloyd, Gary; Schneider, Johannes; Schenk, Ludwig; Schnaiter, Martin; Baltensperger, Urs; Weingartner, Ernest; Gysel, Martin

2016-10-27

Ice residual (IR) and total aerosol properties were measured in mixed-phase clouds (MPCs) at the high-alpine Jungfraujoch research station. Black carbon (BC) content and coating thickness of BC-containing particles were determined using single-particle soot photometers. The ice activated fraction (IAF), derived from a comparison of IR and total aerosol particle size distributions, showed an enrichment of large particles in the IR, with an increase in the IAF from values on the order of 10 -4 to 10 -3 for 100 nm (diameter) particles to 0.2 to 0.3 for 1 μm (diameter) particles. Nonetheless, due to the high number fraction of submicrometer particles with respect to total particle number, IR size distributions were still dominated by the submicrometer aerosol. A comparison of simultaneously measured number size distributions of BC-free and BC-containing IR and total aerosol particles showed depletion of BC by number in the IR, suggesting that BC does not play a significant role in ice nucleation in MPCs at the Jungfraujoch. The potential anthropogenic climate impact of BC via the glaciation effect in MPCs is therefore likely to be negligible at this site and in environments with similar meteorological conditions and a similar aerosol population. The IAF of the BC-containing particles also increased with total particle size, in a similar manner as for the BC-free particles, but on a level 1 order of magnitude lower. Furthermore, BC-containing IR were found to have a thicker coating than the BC-containing total aerosol, suggesting the importance of atmospheric aging for ice nucleation.

Airborne black carbon concentrations over an urban region in western India-temporal variability, effects of meteorology, and source regions.

PubMed

Bapna, Mukund; Sunder Raman, Ramya; Ramachandran, S; Rajesh, T A

2013-03-01

This study characterizes over 5 years of high time resolution (5 min), airborne black carbon (BC) concentrations (July 2003 to December 2008) measured over Ahmedabad, an urban region in western India. The data were used to obtain different time averages of BC concentrations, and these averages were then used to assess the diurnal, seasonal, and annual variability of BC over the study region. Assessment of diurnal variations revealed a strong association between BC concentrations and vehicular traffic. Peaks in BC concentration were co-incident with the morning (0730 to 0830, LST) and late evening (1930 to 2030, LST) rush hour traffic. Additionally, diurnal variability in BC concentrations during major festivals (Diwali and Dushera during the months of October/November) revealed an increase in BC concentrations due to fireworks displays. Maximum half hourly BC concentrations during the festival days were as high as 79.8 μg m(-3). However, the high concentrations rapidly decayed suggesting that local meteorology during the festive season was favorable for aerosol dispersion. A multiple linear regression (MLR) model with BC as the dependent variable and meteorological parameters as independent variables was fitted. The variability in temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction accounted for about 49% of the variability in measured BC concentrations. Conditional probability function (CPF) analysis was used to identify the geographical location of local source regions contributing to the effective BC measured (at 880 nm) at the receptor site. The east north-east (ENE) direction to the receptor was identified as a major source region. National highway (NH8) and two coal-fired thermal power stations (at Gandhinagar and Sabarmati) were located in the identified direction, suggesting that local traffic and power plant emissions were likely contributors to the measured BC.

Use of the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) as a pre-filter for ice nucleation measurements: effect of particle mixing state and determination of SP2 conditions to fully vaporize refractory black carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schill, Gregory P.; DeMott, Paul J.; Levin, Ezra J. T.; Kreidenweis, Sonia M.

2018-05-01

Ice nucleation is a fundamental atmospheric process that impacts precipitation, cloud lifetimes, and climate. Challenges remain to identify and quantify the compositions and sources of ice-nucleating particles (INPs). Assessment of the role of black carbon (BC) as an INP is particularly important due to its anthropogenic sources and abundance at upper-tropospheric cloud levels. The role of BC as an INP, however, is unclear. This is, in part, driven by a lack of techniques that directly determine the contribution of refractory BC (rBC) to INP concentrations. One previously developed technique to measure this contribution uses the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) as a pre-filter to an online ice-nucleating particle counter. In this technique, rBC particles are selectively heated to their vaporization temperature in the SP2 cavity by a 1064 nm laser. From previous work, however, it is unclear under what SP2 conditions, if any, the original rBC particles were fully vaporized. Furthermore, previous work also left questions about the effect of the SP2 laser on the ice-nucleating properties of several INP proxies and their mixtures with rBC.To answer these questions, we sampled the exhaust of an SP2 with a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer and a Continuous Flow Diffusion Chamber. Using Aquadag® as an rBC proxy, the effect of several SP2 instrument parameters on the size distribution and physical properties of particles in rBC SP2 exhaust were explored. We found that a high SP2 laser power (930 nW/(220 nm PSL)) is required to fully vaporize a ˜ 0.76 fg rBC particle. We also found that the exhaust particle size distribution is minimally affected by the SP2 sheath-to-sample ratio; the size of the original rBC particle, however, greatly influences the size distribution of the SP2 exhaust. The effect of the SP2 laser on the ice nucleation efficiency of Snomax®, NX-illite, and Suwannee River Fulvic Acid was studied; these particles acted as proxies for biological, illite-rich mineral dust, and brown carbon INPs, respectively. The original size distribution and ice nucleation efficiency of all non-rBC proxies were unaffected by the SP2 laser. Furthermore, the ice nucleation efficiencies of all proxies were not affected when externally mixed with rBC. These proxies, however, always show a reduction in ice-nucleating ability when internally mixed with rBC. We end this work with recommendations for users who wish to use the SP2 as a pre-filter to remove large rBC particles from an aerosol stream.

Dragon Boat training exerts a positive effect on myocardial function in breast cancer survivors.

PubMed

Stefani, Laura; Galanti, Giorgio; Di Tante, Valentina; Klika, Riggs J; Maffulli, Nicola

2015-07-01

Dragon Boat training is often suggested to control upper limb edema in breast cancer (BC) survivors, but little information is available regarding the cardiac impact of such activity. The present study evaluates this aspect during a 4-year follow-up of BC survivors. From 2006 to 2010, 55 women diagnosed with BC in 2005, treated with adjuvant therapy without evidence of metastases, were enrolled for competitive Dragon Boat training. They underwent ergometric tests yearly, and 2D echocardiography to evaluate hemodynamic, morphological and functional cardiac parameters. The data were compared with those from a group of 36 healthy women (HW). Both groups maintained normal systolic function throughout the period, with Cardiac Mass index, Body Mass Index and Ejection Fraction values being higher in HW. At the onset of the study, the diastolic function of BC survivors was normal though compatible with initial diastolic dysfunction when compared to the diastolic function of HW. After 4 years of competitive activity, the diastolic parameters improved in both groups and particularly in BC survivors (A peak: from 68.5 ± 15.1 cm/s to 50 ± 14.1 cm/s, p < 0.05; Ea: from 9.3 ± 2 cm/s to 11.89 ± 1.7 cm/s, p < 0.001). BC survivors experienced a significant improvement in diastolic function after 4 years of Dragon Boat training. Dragon Boat training impacts favorably on the myocardial performance in patients previously treated with chemotherapy. These results support the positive role of sport activity in myocardial function of BC survivors.

Risk of bladder cancer by disease severity in relation to metabolic factors and smoking; a prospective pooled cohort study of 800,000 men and women.

PubMed

Teleka, Stanley; Häggström, Christel; Nagel, Gabriele; Bjørge, Tone; Manjer, Jonas; Ulmer, Hanno; Liedberg, Fredrik; Ghaderi, Sara; Lang, Alois; Jonsson, Håkan; Jahnson, Staffan; Orho-Melander, Marju; Tretli, Steinar; Stattin, Pär; Stocks, Tanja

2018-05-14

Previous studies on metabolic factors and bladder cancer (BC) risk have shown inconsistent results and have commonly not investigated associations separately by sex, smoking, and tumor invasiveness. Among 811 633 participants in six European cohorts, we investigated sex-specific associations between body mass index (BMI), mid-blood pressure (BP, [systolic+diastolic]/2), plasma glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol and risk of BC overall, non-muscle invasive BC (NMIBC) and muscle invasive BC (MIBC). Among men, we additionally assessed additive interactions between metabolic factors and smoking on BC risk. During follow-up, 2 983 men and 754 women were diagnosed with BC. Among men, triglycerides and BP were positively associated with BC risk overall (hazard ratio [HR] per standard deviation [SD]: 1.17 [95% CI 1.06-1.27] and 1.09 [1.02-1.17], respectively), and among women, BMI was inversely associated with risk (HR: 0.90 [0.82-0.99]). The associations for BMI and BP differed between men and women (P interaction ≤0.005). Among men, BMI, cholesterol and triglycerides were positively associated with risk for NMIBC (HRs: 1.09 [95% CI 1.01-1.18], 1.14 [1.02-1.25], and 1.30 [1.12-1.48] respectively), and BP was positively associated with MIBC (HR: 1.23 [1.02-1.49]). Among women, glucose was positively associated with MIBC (HR: 1.99 [1.04-3.81]). Apart from cholesterol, HRs for metabolic factors did not significantly differ between MIBC and NMIBC, and there were no interactions between smoking and metabolic factors on BC. This study supports an involvement of metabolic aberrations in BC risk. Whilst some associations were significant only in certain sub-groups, there were generally no significant differences in associations by smoking or tumor invasiveness. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 UICC.

Effect of MERRA-2 initial and boundary conditions on WRF-Chem aerosol simulations over the Arabian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ukhov, Alexander; Stenchikov, Georgiy

2017-04-01

In this study, we test the sensitivity of the horizontal and vertical distributions of aerosols to the initial and boundary conditions (IC&BC) of the aerosol/chemistry. We use the WRF-Chem model configured over the Arabian Peninsula to study both dust and anthropogenic aerosols. Currently, in the WRF-Chem the aerosol/chemistry IC&BC are constructed using either default aerosol/chemistry profiles with no inflow of aerosols and chemicals through the lateral boundaries or using the aerosol/chemistry fields from MOZART, the model for ozone and related chemical tracers from the NCAR. Here, we construct aerosol/chemistry IC&BC using MERRA-2 output. MERRA-2 is a recently developed reanalysis that assimilates ground-based and satellite observations to provide the improved distributions of aerosols and chemical species. We ran WRF-Chem simulations for July-August 2015 using GOCART/AFWA dust emission and GOCART aerosol schemes. We used the EDGAR HTAP V4 dataset to calculate SO2 emissions. Comparison of three runs initiated using the same ERA-Interim reanalysis fields but different aerosol/chemistry IC&BC (default WRF-Chem, MOZART, and MERRA-2) with AERONET, Micropulse Lidar, Balloon, and satellite observations shows that the MERRA-2 IC&BC are superior.

Emission factors of air pollutants from CNG-gasoline bi-fuel vehicles: Part I. Black carbon.

PubMed

Wang, Yang; Xing, Zhenyu; Xu, Hui; Du, Ke

2016-12-01

Compressed natural gas (CNG) is considered to be a "cleaner" fuel compared to other fossil fuels. Therefore, it is used as an alternative fuel in motor vehicles to reduce emissions of air pollutants in transportation. To quantify "how clean" burning CNG is compared to burning gasoline, quantification of pollutant emissions under the same driving conditions for motor vehicles with different fuels is needed. In this study, a fleet of bi-fuel vehicles was selected to measure the emissions of black carbon (BC), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC) and nitrogen oxide (NO x ) for driving in CNG mode and gasoline mode respectively under the same set of constant speeds and accelerations. Comparison of emission factors (EFs) for the vehicles burning CNG and gasoline are discussed. This part of the paper series reports BC EFs for bi-fuel vehicles driving on the real road, which were measured using an in situ method. Our results show that burning CNG will lead to 54%-83% reduction in BC emissions per kilometer, depending on actual driving conditions. These comparisons show that CNG is a cleaner fuel than gasoline for motor vehicles in terms of BC emissions and provide a viable option for reducing BC emissions cause by transportation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of Ras suppressor-1 (RSU-1) as a potential breast cancer metastasis biomarker using a three-dimensional in vitro approach.

PubMed

Gkretsi, Vasiliki; Stylianou, Andreas; Louca, Maria; Stylianopoulos, Triantafyllos

2017-04-18

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant disease in women, with most patients dying from metastasis to distant organs, making discovery of novel metastasis biomarkers and therapeutic targets imperative. Extracellular matrix (ECM)-related adhesion proteins as well as tumor matrix stiffness are important determinants for metastasis. As traditional two-dimensional culture does not take into account ECM stiffness, we employed 3-dimensional collagen I gels of increasing concentration and stiffness to embed BC cells of different invasiveness (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-231-LM2) or tumor spheroids. We tested the expression of cell-ECM adhesion proteins and found that Ras Suppressor-1 (RSU-1) is significantly upregulated in increased stiffness conditions. Interestingly, RSU-1 siRNA-mediated silencing inhibited Urokinase Plasminogen Activator, and metalloproteinase-13, whereas tumor spheroids formed from RSU-1-depleted cells lost their invasive capacity in all cell lines and stiffness conditions. Kaplan-Meier survival plot analysis corroborated our findings showing that high RSU-1 expression is associated with poor prognosis for distant metastasis-free and remission-free survival in BC patients. Taken together, our results indicate the important role of RSU-1 in BC metastasis and set the foundations for its validation as potential BC metastasis marker.

Universal recovery map for approximate Markov chains

PubMed Central

Sutter, David; Fawzi, Omar; Renner, Renato

2016-01-01

A central question in quantum information theory is to determine how well lost information can be reconstructed. Crucially, the corresponding recovery operation should perform well without knowing the information to be reconstructed. In this work, we show that the quantum conditional mutual information measures the performance of such recovery operations. More precisely, we prove that the conditional mutual information I(A:C|B) of a tripartite quantum state ρABC can be bounded from below by its distance to the closest recovered state RB→BC(ρAB), where the C-part is reconstructed from the B-part only and the recovery map RB→BC merely depends on ρBC. One particular application of this result implies the equivalence between two different approaches to define topological order in quantum systems. PMID:27118889

Reproductive factors, nutritional status and serum 25(OH)D levels in women with breast cancer: A case control study.

PubMed

Sofi, Nighat Y; Jain, Monika; Kapil, Umesh; Seenu, Vuthaluru; R, Lakshmy; Yadav, Chander P; Pandey, Ravindra M; Sareen, Neha

2018-01-01

The study was conducted with an objective to investigate the association between reproductive factors, nutritional status and serum 25(OH)D levels among women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC). A total of 200 women with BC attending a tertiary healthcare institute of Delhi, India matched with 200 healthy women for age (±2years) and socio economic status were included in the study. Data was collected on socio-demographic profile, reproductive factors, physical activity and dietary intake (24h dietary recall and food frequency questionnaire) using interviewer administered structured questionnaires and standard tools. Non fasting blood samples (5ml) were collected for the biochemical estimation of serum 25(OH)D and calcium levels by chemiluminescent immunoassay and colorimetric assay technique. Data was analyzed by univariable conditional logistic regression and significant variables with (p<0.05), were analyzed in final model by conditional multivariable logistic regression analysis. The mean age of patients at diagnosis of BC was 45±10years. Results of multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis revealed significantly higher odds of BC for reproductive factors like age at marriage (more than 23 years), number of abortions, history or current use of oral contraceptive pills (OCP), with [OR (95% CI)] of [2.4 (1.2-4.9)], [4.0 (1.6-12.6)], [2.4 (1.2-5.0)]. Women with physically light activities and occasional consumption of eggs were found to have higher odds of BC [4.6 (1.6-13.0)] and [3.2 (1.6-6.3)]. Women with serum 25(OH)D levels less than 20ng/ml and calcium levels less than 10.5mg/dl had higher odds of having BC [2.4 (1.2-5.1)] and [3.7 (1.5-8.8)]. A protective effect of urban areas as place of residence and energy intake greater than 50% of Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) per day against BC was observed (p<0.05). The findings of the present study revealed a significant association of reproductive and dietary factors in addition to sedentary physical activity and low serum 25(OH)D levels in women diagnosed with BC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of On-road Diesel Vehicles: Black Carbon Emissions in Chinese Cities Based on Portable Emissions Measurement.

PubMed

Zheng, Xuan; Wu, Ye; Jiang, Jingkun; Zhang, Shaojun; Liu, Huan; Song, Shaojie; Li, Zhenhua; Fan, Xiaoxiao; Fu, Lixin; Hao, Jiming

2015-11-17

Black carbon (BC) emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles (HDDVs) are rarely continuously measured using portable emission measurement systems (PEMSs). In this study, we utilize a PEMS to obtain real-world BC emission profiles for 25 HDDVs in China. The average fuel-based BC emissions of HDDVs certified according to Euro II, III, IV, and V standards are 2224 ± 251, 612 ± 740, 453 ± 584, and 152 ± 3 mg kg(-1), respectively. Notably, HDDVs adopting mechanical pump engines had significantly higher BC emissions than those equipped with electronic injection engines. Applying the useful features of PEMSs, we can relate instantaneous BC emissions to driving conditions using an operating mode binning methodology, and the average emission rates for Euro II to Euro IV diesel trucks can be constructed. From a macroscopic perspective, we observe that average speed is a significant factor affecting BC emissions and is well correlated with distance-based emissions (R(2) = 0.71). Therefore, the average fuel-based and distance-based BC emissions on congested roads are 40 and 125% higher than those on freeways. These results should be taken into consideration in future emission inventory studies.

Long-term effect of exercise on bone mineral density and body composition in post-menopausal ex-elite athletes: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Andreoli, A; Celi, M; Volpe, S L; Sorge, R; Tarantino, U

2012-01-01

The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the long-term effect of exercise on bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC) and body composition (BC) in post-menopausal women who were elite athletes during their youth compared with sedentary controls. It is a retrospective study and carried out in an outpatient clinic. A total of 48 post-menopausal women (54-73 years of age) were enrolled. Ex-elite athletes with long-term (>20 years) histories of significant training and performance were divided into two groups: weight-bearing sports (runners, n=12) and non-weight-bearing sports (swimmers, n=12). The athletes were age matched with sedentary controls (n=24). BMD, BMC and BC were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Healthcare and sport activity histories were evaluated using a questionnaire. No significant differences were found with regard to body weight, height, body mass index and hours of activity between the two groups of athletes. There were no significant differences in activity levels between athletes and controls at the time of this study. BMD and BMC were not significantly different between athletes; they were significantly higher in athletes than in controls (P<0.001). Although the ex-athletes did not significantly differ in BC, left and right lean arm mass and arm BMD were significantly higher in swimmers than in runners (P<0.0001). The high level of physical activity observed in female athletes is associated with improved muscle mass, BMD and BMC, and physical activity during youth seems to have a beneficial effect on bone mass and helps to prevent bone loss due to aging.

Black carbon from ships: a review of the effects of ship speed, fuel quality and exhaust gas scrubbing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lack, D. A.; Corbett, J. J.

2012-01-01

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has moved to address the health and climate impact of the emissions from the combustion of low-quality residual fuels within the commercial shipping industry. Fuel sulfur content (FS) limits and an efficiency design index for future ships are examples of such IMO actions. The impacts of black carbon (BC) emissions from shipping are now under review by the IMO, with a particular focus on the potential impacts of future Arctic shipping. Recognizing that associating impacts with BC emissions requires both ambient and onboard observations, we provide recommendations for the measurement of BC. We also evaluate current insights regarding the effect of ship speed (engine load), fuel quality and exhaust gas scrubbing on BC emissions from ships. Observations demonstrate that BC emission factors (EFBC) increases 3 to 6 times at very low engine loads (<25% compared to EFBC at 85-100% load); absolute BC emissions (per nautical mile of travel) also increase up to 100% depending on engine load, even with reduced load fuel savings. If fleets were required to operate at lower maximum engine loads, presumably associated with reduced speeds, then engines could be re-tuned, which would reduce BC emissions. Ships operating in the Arctic are likely running at highly variable engine loads (25-100%) depending on ice conditions and ice breaking requirements. The ships operating at low load may be emitting up to 50% more BC than they would at their rated load. Such variable load conditions make it difficult to assess the likely emissions rate of BC. Current fuel sulfur regulations have the effect of reducing EFBC by an average of 30% and potentially up to 80% regardless of engine load; a removal rate similar to that of scrubbers. Uncertainties among current observations demonstrate there is a need for more information on (a) the impact of fuel quality on EFBC using robust measurement methods and (b) the efficacy of scrubbers for the removal of particulate matter by size and composition.

Black carbon from ships: a review of the effects of ship speed, fuel quality and exhaust gas scrubbing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lack, D. A.; Corbett, J. J.

2012-05-01

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has moved to address the health and climate impact of the emissions from the combustion of low-quality residual fuels within the commercial shipping industry. Fuel sulfur content (FS) limits and an efficiency design index for future ships are examples of such IMO actions. The impacts of black carbon (BC) emissions from shipping are now under review by the IMO, with a particular focus on the potential impacts of future Arctic shipping. Recognizing that associating impacts with BC emissions requires both ambient and onboard observations, we provide recommendations for the measurement of BC. We also evaluate current insights regarding the effect of ship speed (engine load), fuel quality and exhaust gas scrubbing on BC emissions from ships. Observations demonstrate that BC emission factors (EFBC) increases 3 to 6 times at very low engine loads (<25% compared to EFBC at 85-100% load); absolute BC emissions (per nautical mile of travel) also increase up to 100% depending on engine load, even with reduced load fuel savings. If fleets were required to operate at lower maximum engine loads, presumably associated with reduced speeds, then engines could be re-tuned, which would reduce BC emissions. Ships operating in the Arctic are likely running at highly variable engine loads (25-100%) depending on ice conditions and ice breaking requirements. The ships operating at low load may be emitting up to 50% more BC than they would at their rated load. Such variable load conditions make it difficult to assess the likely emissions rate of BC. Current fuel sulfur regulations have the effect of reducing EFBC by an average of 30% and potentially up to 80% regardless of engine load; a removal rate similar to that of scrubbers. Uncertainties among current observations demonstrate there is a need for more information on a) the impact of fuel quality on EFBC using robust measurement methods and b) the efficacy of scrubbers for the removal of particulate matter by size and composition.

Seasonal Variations of Atmospheric Black Carbon Concentrations and Implications for Nutrient Inputs and Organic Carbon Partitioning in the Marine Coastal Ecosystem of Halong Bay, North Vietnam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mari, X.; Thuoc, C. V.; Guinot, B. P.; Brune, J.; Lefebvre, J. P.; Raimbault, P.; Niggemann, J.; Dittmar, T.

2016-02-01

Black Carbon (BC) is an aerosol emitted during biomass burning and fossil fuel combustion. On a global scale, BC deposits on the ocean at a rate of 12-45 Tg per year, with higher fluxes in the northern hemisphere and in inter-tropical regions, following the occurrence of hotspots of atmospheric BC concentration. In the present study conducted in a coastal site located in a regional hotspot of atmospheric BC concentration, North Vietnam, we monitored the seasonal variations of atmospheric and marine BC during an annual cycle. Atmospheric BC followed a seasonal pattern characterized by high concentrations during the dry season, i.e. from October to April, and low concentrations during the wet season, i.e. from May to September. This trend is linked to a change in wind regime, with air masses originating from the North during the dry season and from the South during the wet season. On average, the contribution of BC to the particulate and the dissolved organic carbon pools was 43% and 3%, respectively. The concentration of particulate BC (PBC) was on average 50 times higher in the surface microlayer (SML) than in the water column. In the water column, the concentration of PBC was higher during the dry season than the wet season, which is consistent with variations of atmospheric BC concentrations. On the contrary, the concentration of dissolved BC (DBC) was lower during the dry season than the wet season. This seasonal pattern suggests that PBC concentration in coastal marine systems depends upon atmospheric BC concentration, while increased DBC concentration is linked to rainy conditions. The deposition of BC during the dry season was concomitant with a strong enrichment of organic phosphorus in the SML. During the annual cycle, the POC:DOC ratio was positively correlated with the concentration of PBC, suggesting adsorption of DOC onto BC particles and formation of POC via stimulation of aggregation processes.

Impact of Combustion Efficiency of Open Biomass Burning on the Mixing State of Black Carbon Containing Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

PAN, X.; Kanaya, Y.; Taketani, F.; Miyakawa, T.; Inomata, S.; Komazaki, Y.; Tanimoto, H.; Uno, I.; Wang, Z.

2014-12-01

Open biomass burning (OBB) experiments were performed in the laboratory environment to investigate the mixing state of refractory black carbon (rBC) in fresh smoke and its dependence on combustion state. A Single-Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) was adopted to measure variation of number size distribution of rBC-containing particles in high temporal resolution. General combustion state of each OBB case was indicated by modified combustion efficiency (MCE) using accumulated enhancement of mixing ratios of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide during the experiments. We found that mass equivalent diameter (MED) of rBC increased apparently with increase of MCE values, indicating the flaming-dominant combustion tend to produce the rBC particles with relative larger size, probably because of coagulation processes in high concentration condition. Coating thickness of rBC-containing particle was calculated by leading edge only fitting (LEO-fitting) method. In the present study we defined the rBC-containing particles with shell/core (S/C) ratio larger than 2 as "thickly coated" and that less then 1.5 as "thinly coated". As a result, thickly coated rBC particles normally had a relatively small core (MED of rBC less than 150 nm) and its number fraction showed an evident decrease as a function of MCE value, whereas, larger rBC particles (MED larger than 150 nm) were normally thinly coated. Number fraction of both thinly coated and uncoated rBC particles had an positive correlation with MCE value. Substantial amount of light scattering particles (LSP) observed in the smoldering-dominant OBB plumes could partially explain the increase of number fraction of coated rBC particles. ΔrBC/ΔCO ratio showed a good positive correlation with MCE with an average value of 16.8 (1.2 - 51.6) ng/m3/ppbv, and ΔrBC/ΔCO2 ratio was found 628.7 ng/m3/ppmv, generally consistent with previous studies.

Influence of the forming conditions on Black Carbon properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soucemarianadin, L. N.; MacKenzie, M. D.; Wasylishen, R. E.; Quideau, S. A.

2012-04-01

Black carbon (BC) is an important residue of wildfires in Quebec black spruce forests. Because of its recalcitrance, it is considered a valuable passive pool in the global carbon cycle. However, BC characteristics depend on its conditions of formation. The objective of this study was to characterize BC chemical and physical properties under varying fire severity. BC samples were produced, under controlled conditions, from fuels originating from mosses (Sphagnum spp. and Pleurozium shreberi), ericaceous shrubs (Ledum groenlandicum) and trees (Picea mariana), as they constitute the major types available in black spruce forests. In order to mimic a gradient of fire severity as it could occur in the field, we varied the maximum temperature (MT) from 75 to 800°C, and the duration of charring from 0.5 to 24 hours. Charcoalification was conducted either under partial (covered tins with holes) or complete pyrolysis (samples buried in sand bath). Samples were analyzed for aromaticity and porosity using elemental and proximate analyses, solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and surface area (SA) analysis. MT was the most significant factor affecting both chemical and physical changes. BC produced above 250°C started to show signs of condensation (H/C = 0.89; O/C = 0.36 average of all fuel types), which increased with MT (at 800°C, H/C = 0.20; O/C = 0.12 average for all fuels). Results from the 13C NMR spectroscopy highlighted that 350°C was the threshold temperature, at which point spectra were dominated by aromatic structures for all fuels. Specific SA first experienced a decrease (2.3 to 0.8 m2/g) with increasing temperature, then increased drastically for MT above 350°C (10.6 to 435 m2/g at 800°C). Porosity was also largely affected by the type of fuel. SEM micrographs showed a visible increase in porosity for all the BC produced above 250°C/350°C. All results demonstrate that increasing thermal treatment has major effects on BC properties, which in turn may determine its potential as a carbon sink and a catalyst of post-fire regeneration.

The forces on a single interacting Bose-Einstein condensate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thu, Nguyen Van

2018-04-01

Using double parabola approximation for a single Bose-Einstein condensate confined between double slabs we proved that in grand canonical ensemble (GCE) the ground state with Robin boundary condition (BC) is favored, whereas in canonical ensemble (CE) our system undergoes from ground state with Robin BC to the one with Dirichlet BC in small-L region and vice versa for large-L region and phase transition in space of the ground state is the first order. The surface tension force and Casimir force are also considered in both CE and GCE in detail.

The effect of chronic disease family history on healthcare provider practice and patient behavior among Oregonians.

PubMed

Zlot, A I; Cox, S L; Silvey, K; Leman, R

2012-01-01

Family history is an independent risk factor for many chronic conditions. Therefore, efforts to prevent these diseases among asymptomatic people at high familial risk are justified to reduce the health burden of these chronic conditions. We analyzed 2006-2009 Oregon Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to examine associations between family history of diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), colorectal cancer (CRC), breast cancer (BC), and: (1) patient-reported clinician recommendations, (2) adoption of preventive and screening behaviors, and (3) chronic disease risk factors among respondents without a personal history of the condition. A positive family history was associated with a higher likelihood of reported discussion by clinicians of CRC and BC screening and a greater likelihood of respondents having cholesterol and CRC screening. The combination of family history and clinician recommendations significantly increased the odds of CRC and BC screening compared to family history alone. A positive family history was also associated with respondents reporting lifestyle changes to prevent diabetes, CVD, and CRC, but not BC. Awareness of family history prompts clinicians to recommend screening and may motivate patients to be screened. Understanding positive family history may also motivate patients to adopt healthy lifestyles. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Survival and metabolic activity of the GanedenBC30 strain of Bacillus coagulans in a dynamic in vitro model of the stomach and small intestine.

PubMed

Maathuis, A J H; Keller, D; Farmer, S

2010-03-01

We have investigated the survival and activity of GanedenBC(30) during passage through the upper gastro-intestinal tract. GanedenBC(30) was tested in a dynamic, validated, in vitro model of the stomach and small intestine (TIM-1) on survival and its potential to aid in digestion of milk protein, lactose and fructose. The survival of GanedenBC(30) was high (70%), although germination of the spores was minimal (<10%) under the conditions tested. Survival of the strain in the presence of lactose and fructose was markedly lower (56-59%) than in the absence of the sugars. The amount of digested milk protein available for absorption was somewhat higher (+0.2 g) when GanedenBC(30) was added to the milk. When GanedenBC(30) was tested with lactose or fructose added to the meal, the cumulative amount of lactate produced was slightly higher (+0.12-0.18 mmol) compared to the GanedenBC(30) alone. In conclusion, although the differences in survival of GanedenBC(30) are small, these results show the potential of GanedenBC(30) to aid in protein digestion and in the digestion of lactose and fructose. If a larger fraction of the Bacillus coagulans cells had germinated, the influence on protein and carbohydrate digestion would probably have been much greater. Importance of the findings: the potential of GanedenBC(30) to aid in the digestion of lactose and fructose could be used to prevent occurrence of intestinal symptoms in individuals sensitive to these carbohydrates.

School and Neighborhood Predictors of Physical Fitness in Elementary School Students.

PubMed

Kahan, David; McKenzie, Thomas L

2017-06-01

We assessed the associations of 5 school and 7 neighborhood variables with fifth-grade students achieving Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) or Needs Improvement-Health Risk (NI-HR) on aerobic capacity (AC) and body composition (BC) physical fitness components of the state-mandated FITNESSGRAM ® physical fitness test. Data for outcome (physical fitness) and predictor (school and neighborhood) variables were extracted from various databases (eg, Data Quest, Walk Score ® ) for 160 schools located in San Diego, California. Predictor variables that were at least moderately correlated (|r| ≥ .30) with ≥1 outcome variables in univariate analyses were retained for ordinary least squares regression analyses. The mean percentages of students achieving HFZ AC (65.7%) and BC (63.5%) were similar (t = 1.13, p = .26), while those for NI-HR zones were significantly different (AC = 6.0% vs BC = 18.6%; t = 12.60, p < .001). Correlations were greater in magnitude for school than neighborhood demographics and stronger for BC than AC. The school variables free/reduced-price lunch (negative) and math achievement (positive) predicted fitness scores. Among neighborhood variables, percent Hispanic predicted failure of meeting the HFZ BC criterion. Creating school and neighborhood environments conducive to promoting physical activity and improving fitness is warranted. © 2017, American School Health Association.

Associations of Body Mass Index and Physical Activity With Sexual Dysfunction in Breast Cancer Survivors.

PubMed

Paiva, Carlos Eduardo; Rezende, Fabiana Faria; Paiva, Bianca Sakamoto Ribeiro; Mauad, Edmundo Carvalho; Zucca-Matthes, Gustavo; Carneseca, Estela Cristina; Syrjänen, Kari Juhani; Schover, Leslie R

2016-11-01

Sexual dysfunction is a common and distressing consequence of breast cancer (BC) treatment. In the present study, we investigated the sexual functioning of BC patients and its association with women's personal characteristics and cancer treatments. In this cross-sectional study, sexual function was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and its breast module BR-23. Of the 235 participants approached, 216 participants were included in the study. Of these, 63 patients reported no sexual activity in the last month and thus were analyzed only in relation to the sexual desire domain of FSFI. A total of 154 (71.3 %) patients were classified with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). From those patients reporting sexual activity in the last month, 63.3 % (97 out of 153) were classified with sexual dysfunction. Using hierarchical logistic regression, the variance explained (change in R 2 ) by the addition of body mass index (BMI) and mild to moderate physical activity in the prediction models of sexual dysfunction and HSDD were 6.8 and 7.2 %, respectively. Age, BMI, and physical activity were independently associated with sexual dysfunction and HSDD. Additionally, BC patients with sexual dysfunction reported lower scores on global HRQOL, role functioning, and fatigue. Based on our findings, BC survivors should be encouraged to practice regular physical activity and to lose weight in order to avoid sexual dysfunction. However, future clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Effect of Agaricus sylvaticus supplementation on nutritional status and adverse events of chemotherapy of breast cancer: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial.

PubMed

Valadares, Fabiana; Garbi Novaes, Maria Rita Carvalho; Cañete, Roberto

2013-01-01

Breast cancer (BC) represents the highest incidence of malignancy in women throughout the world. Medicinal fungi can stimulate the body, reduce side-effects associated with chemotherapy and improve the quality of life in patients with cancer. To evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Agaricus sylvaticus on clinical and nutritional parameters in BC patients undergoing chemotherapy. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial was carried out at the Oncology Clinic, Hospital of the Federal District-Brazil from September 2007 to July 2009. Forty six patients with BC, Stage II and III, were randomly assigned to receive either nutritional supplement with A. sylvaticus (2.1 g/day) or placebo. Patients were evaluated during treatment period. Patient supplemented with A. sylvaticus improved in clinical parameters and gastrointestinal functions. Poor appetite decreased by 20% with no changes in bowel functions (92.8%), nausea and vomiting (80%). Dietary supplementation with A. sylvaticus improved nutritional status and reduced abnormal bowel functions, nausea, vomiting, and anorexia in patients with BC receiving chemotherapy.

Betacarotene supplementation increases ovulation rate without an increment in LH secretion in cyclic goats.

PubMed

Meza-Herrera, Cesar A; Vargas-Beltran, Fermin; Vergara-Hernandez, Hector P; Macias-Cruz, Ulises; Avendaño-Reyes, Leonel; Rodriguez-Martinez, Rafael; Arellano-Rodriguez, Gerardo; Veliz-Deras, Francisco G

2013-03-01

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of betacarotene (BC) supplementation on ovulation rate (OR) and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in adult goats during the breeding season. Additionally, total ovarian activity (TOA) comprising the total number of ultrasonographically detectable antral follicles (AF) and corpora lutea (OR) was also assessed. In early October, adult goats [n=22, 3.5 years of age, 7/8 Sannen-Alpine; 26°N, 103°W at 1117m.a.s.l.] were randomly assigned to: (i) BC group (BCG), orally supplemented with 50mg of BC/goat/day [n=10; live weight (LW)=45.9±2.0kg, body condition score (BCS; range: 0-emaciated to 5-obese)=3.0±0.1], and (ii) control group (CONT) [n=12; LW=46.2±2.0kg, BCS=3.0±0.1]. All animals received a basal diet of alfalfa hay, corn silage and corn grain, with free access to water and mineral salts. The whole experimental period spanned 34 days before and 17 days after ovulation. On day 23 of the experiment, estrus was synchronized with progestin-releasing intravaginal sponges; 36h prior to estrus, an intensive blood sampling (every 15min for 6h) was performed to determine mean LH concentrations, pulsatility (LH-PULSE) and area under the curve (LH-AUC) for serial LH concentrations. Afterwards, by the end of the luteal phase (i.e., 17 days after the onset of estrus), an ultrasonographic scanning was performed to evaluate OR and TOA [AF+OR]. The average LW and BCS did not differ (p>0.05) during the experimental period. BC-supplemented goats showed an increase in OR (3.4±0.2 versus 2.8±0.2; p<0.05) and exhibited lower (p<0.05) serum LH concentrations, LH-AUC and LH-PULSE compared to CONT. A positive correlation was recorded between OR and LW (r(2)=0.42, p<0.05) and BCS (r(2)=0.47, p<0.05). In addition, AF (5.0±0.6 versus 3.4±0.6) and TOA (8.4±0.6 versus 6.2±0.6) were greater (p<0.05) in the BC-supplemented group than CONT. Supplementation with BC enhanced ovarian follicular development and ovulation rate in adult female goats under decreased photoperiods through LHRH-independant pathways or direct effects of BC on ovarian function. Copyright © 2013 Society for Biology of Reproduction & the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

Gender-specific activity demands experienced during semiprofessional basketball game play.

PubMed

Scanlan, Aaron T; Dascombe, Ben J; Kidcaff, Andrew P; Peucker, Jessica L; Dalbo, Vincent J

2015-07-01

To compare game activity demands between female and male semiprofessional basketball players. Female (n=12) and male (n=12) semiprofessional basketball players were monitored across 3 competitive games. Time-motion-analysis procedures quantified player activity into predefined movement categories across backcourt (BC) and frontcourt (FC) positions. Activity frequencies, durations, and distances were calculated relative to live playing time (min). Work:rest ratios were also calculated using the video data. Game activity was compared between genders for each playing position and all players. Female players performed at greater running work-rates than male players (45.7±1.4 vs. 42.1±1.7 m/min, P=.05), while male players performed more dribbling than female players (2.5±0.3 vs. 3.0±0.2 s/min; 8.4±0.3 vs. 9.7±0.7 m/min, P=.05). Positional analyses revealed that female BC players performed more low-intensity shuffling (P=.04) and jumping (P=.05), as well as longer (P=.04) jogging durations, than male BC players. Female FC players executed more upper-body activity (P=.03) and larger work:rest ratios (P<.001) than male FC players. No significant gender differences were observed in the overall intermittent demands, distance traveled, high-intensity shuffling activity, and sprinting requirements during game play. These findings indicate that gender-specific running and dribbling differences might exist in semiprofessional basketball. Furthermore, position-specific variations between female and male basketball players should be considered. These data may prove useful in the development of gender-specific conditioning plans relative to playing position in basketball.

Postprandial changes in leptin concentrations of cerebrospinal fluid in dogs during development of obesity.

PubMed

Nishii, Naohito; Nodake, Hiroyuki; Takasu, Masaki; Soe, Okkar; Ohba, Yasunori; Maeda, Sadatoshi; Ohtsuka, Yoshihiko; Honjo, Tsutomu; Saito, Masayuki; Kitagawa, Hitoshi

2006-12-01

To evaluate postprandial changes in the leptin concentration of CSF in dogs during development of obesity. 4 male Beagles. Weight gain was induced and assessments were made when the dogs were in thin, optimal, and obese body conditions (BCs). The fat area at the level of the L3 vertebra was measured via computed tomography to assess the degree of obesity. Dogs were evaluated in fed and unfed states. Dogs in the fed state received food at 9 AM. Blood and CSF samples were collected at 8 AM, 4 PM, and 10 PM. Baseline CSF leptin concentrations in the thin, optimal, and obese dogs were 24.3 +/- 2.7 pg/mL, 86.1 +/- 14.7 pg/mL, and 116.2 +/- 47.3 pg/mL, respectively. In the thin BC, CSF leptin concentration transiently increased at 4 PM. In the optimal BC, baseline CSF leptin concentration was maintained until 10 PM. In the obese BC, CSF leptin concentration increased from baseline value at 4 PM and 10 PM. Correlation between CSF leptin concentration and fat area was good at all time points. There was a significant negative correlation between the CSF leptin concentration-to-serum leptin concentration ratio and fat area at 4 PM; this correlation was not significant at 8 AM and 10 PM. Decreased transport of leptin at the blood-brain barrier may be 1 mechanism of leptin resistance in dogs. However, leptin resistance at the blood-brain barrier may not be important in development of obesity in dogs.

Cross-Sectional Associations between Body Size, Circulating Sex-Steroid Hormones and IGF Components among Healthy Chinese Women.

PubMed

McCullough, Lauren E; Miller, Erline E; Wang, Qiong; Li, Jia-Yuan; Liu, Li; Li, Hui; Zhang, Jing; Smith, Jennifer S

2015-01-01

The incidence of breast cancer has increased in Asian countries and rates of hormone receptor (HR) negative breast cancer exceed those of Western countries. Epidemiologic data suggest that the association between body size and BC risk may vary by HR status, and could differ geographically. While body size may influence BC risk by moderating the synthesis and metabolism of circulating sex-steroid hormones, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and related binding proteins, there is a dearth of literature among Asian women. We aimed to examine these specific associations in a sample of Chinese women. In Sichuan Province 143 women aged ≥40 years were recruited through outpatient services (2011-2012). Questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and blood samples were utilized for data collection and linear regression was applied in data analyses. Among women <50 years we observed a non-monotonic positive association between body mass index (BMI) and 17β-estradiol, and a reversed J-shaped association between BMI and IGF-1 (p ≤0.05). We observed similar associations between waist-to-hip ratio and these markers. Our finding of augmented IGF-1 among women with low body mass may have implications for understanding breast tumor heterogeneity in diverse populations and should be evaluated in larger prospective studies with cancer outcomes.

Does segmental body composition differ in women with Prader-Willi syndrome compared to women with essential obesity?

PubMed

Bedogni, G; Grugni, G; Tringali, G; Marazzi, N; Sartorio, A

2015-09-01

Subjects with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) have a higher fat mass and a lower fat-free mass compared to subjects with essential obesity. However, few data are presently available on the segmental body composition (BC) of PWS subjects. To evaluate whether women with PWS and women with essential obesity, matched for age and percent body fat, differ in segmental fat distribution and surrogate markers of cardiometabolic disease (CMD). 35 women with PWS and 50 women with essential obesity were matched for age and percent body fat using coarsened exact matching. BC was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Oral glucose tolerance testing and measurements of cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, and blood pressure were performed. Comparisons between PWS and obese women were performed using generalized linear models. Trunk fat was lower in PWS than in obese women on both absolute [-7.3 (95% confidence interval -9.4 to -5.2) kg] and relative [-4.1 (-6.9 to -1.4)% of body fat] grounds. PWS and obese women had similar surrogate markers of CMD, with the exception of HDL-cholesterol, which was higher in PWS women. Trunk fat is lower in obese women with PWS than in those with essential obesity. Surrogate markers of CMD are, however, mostly similar in the two groups.

Validation of CoaBC as a Bactericidal Target in the Coenzyme A Pathway of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

PubMed

Evans, Joanna C; Trujillo, Carolina; Wang, Zhe; Eoh, Hyungjin; Ehrt, Sabine; Schnappinger, Dirk; Boshoff, Helena I M; Rhee, Kyu Y; Barry, Clifton E; Mizrahi, Valerie

2016-12-09

Mycobacterium tuberculosis relies on its own ability to biosynthesize coenzyme A to meet the needs of the myriad enzymatic reactions that depend on this cofactor for activity. As such, the essential pantothenate and coenzyme A biosynthesis pathways have attracted attention as targets for tuberculosis drug development. To identify the optimal step for coenzyme A pathway disruption in M. tuberculosis, we constructed and characterized a panel of conditional knockdown mutants in coenzyme A pathway genes. Here, we report that silencing of coaBC was bactericidal in vitro, whereas silencing of panB, panC, or coaE was bacteriostatic over the same time course. Silencing of coaBC was likewise bactericidal in vivo, whether initiated at infection or during either the acute or chronic stages of infection, confirming that CoaBC is required for M. tuberculosis to grow and persist in mice and arguing against significant CoaBC bypass via transport and assimilation of host-derived pantetheine in this animal model. These results provide convincing genetic validation of CoaBC as a new bactericidal drug target.

Novel Piezoelectric Paper‐Based Flexible Nanogenerators Composed of BaTiO3 Nanoparticles and Bacterial Cellulose

PubMed Central

Zhang, Guangjie; Liao, Qingliang; Zhang, Zheng; Liang, Qijie; Zhao, Yingli; Zheng, Xin

2015-01-01

A piezoelectric paper based on BaTiO3 (BTO) nanoparticles and bacterial cellulose (BC) with excellent output properties for application of nanogenerators (NGs) is reported. A facile and scalable vacuum filtration method is used to fabricate the piezoelectric paper. The BTO/BC piezoelectric paper based NG shows outstanding output performance with open‐circuit voltage of 14 V and short‐circuit current density of 190 nA cm−2. The maximum power density generated by this unique BTO/BC structure is more than ten times higher than BTO/polydimethylsiloxane structure. In bending conditions, the NG device can generate output voltage of 1.5 V, which is capable of driving a liquid crystal display screen. The improved performance can be ascribed to homogeneous distribution of piezoelectric BTO nanoparticles in the BC matrix as well as the enhanced stress on piezoelectric nanoparticles implemented by the unique percolated networks of BC nanofibers. The flexible BTO/BC piezoelectric paper based NG is lightweight, eco‐friendly, and cost‐effective, which holds great promises for achieving wearable or implantable energy harvesters and self‐powered electronics. PMID:27774389

Tethered balloon-based black carbon profiles within the lower troposphere of Shanghai in the 2013 East China smog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Juan; Fu, Qingyan; Huo, Juntao; Wang, Dongfang; Yang, Wen; Bian, Qinggen; Duan, Yusen; Zhang, Yihua; Pan, Jun; Lin, Yanfen; Huang, Kan; Bai, Zhipeng; Wang, Sheng-Hsiang; Fu, Joshua S.; Louie, Peter K. K.

2015-12-01

A Tethered balloon-based field campaign was launched for the vertical observation of air pollutants within the lower troposphere of 1000 m for the first time over a Chinese megacity, Shanghai in December of 2013. A custom-designed instrumentation platform for tethered balloon observation and ground-based observation synchronously operated for the measurement of same meteorological parameters and typical air pollutants. One episodic event (December 13) was selected with specific focus on particulate black carbon, a short-lived climate forcer with strong warming effect. Diurnal variation of the mixing layer height showed very shallow boundary of less than 300 m in early morning and night due to nocturnal inversion while extended boundary of more than 1000 m from noon to afternoon. Wind profiles showed relatively stagnant synoptic condition in the morning, frequent shifts between upward and downward motion at noon and in the afternoon, and dominant downward motion with sea breeze in the evening. Characteristics of black carbon vertical profiles during four different periods of a day were analyzed and compared. In the morning, surface BC concentration averaged as high as 20 μg/m3 due to intense traffic emissions from the morning rush hours and unfavorable meteorological conditions. A strong gradient of BC concentrations with altitude was observed from the ground to the top of boundary layer at around 250-370 m. BC gradients turned much smaller above the boundary layer. BC profiles measured during noon and afternoon were the least dependent on heights. The largely extended boundary layer with strong vertical convection was responsible for a well mixing of BC particles in the whole measured column. BC profiles were similar between the early-evening and late-evening phases. The lower troposphere was divided into two stratified air layers with contrasted BC vertical distributions. Profiles at night showed strong gradients from the relatively high surface concentrations to low concentrations near the top of the boundary layer around 200 m. Above the boundary layer, BC increased with altitudes and reached a maximum at the top of 1000 m. Prevailing sea breeze within the boundary layer was mainly responsible for the quick cleanup of BC in the lower altitudes. In contrast, continental outflow via regional transport was the major cause of the enhanced BC aloft. This study provides a first insight of the black carbon vertical profiles over Eastern China, which will have significant implications for narrowing the gaps between the source emissions and observations as well as improving estimations of BC radiative forcing and regional climate.

Markedly enhanced absorption and direct radiative forcing of black carbon under polluted urban environments

PubMed Central

Peng, Jianfei; Hu, Min; Guo, Song; Du, Zhuofei; Zheng, Jing; Shang, Dongjie; Levy Zamora, Misti; Zeng, Limin; Shao, Min; Wu, Yu-Sheng; Zheng, Jun; Wang, Yuan; Glen, Crystal R.; Collins, Donald R.; Molina, Mario J.; Zhang, Renyi

2016-01-01

Black carbon (BC) exerts profound impacts on air quality and climate because of its high absorption cross-section over a broad range of electromagnetic spectra, but the current results on absorption enhancement of BC particles during atmospheric aging remain conflicting. Here, we quantified the aging and variation in the optical properties of BC particles under ambient conditions in Beijing, China, and Houston, United States, using a novel environmental chamber approach. BC aging exhibits two distinct stages, i.e., initial transformation from a fractal to spherical morphology with little absorption variation and subsequent growth of fully compact particles with a large absorption enhancement. The timescales to achieve complete morphology modification and an absorption amplification factor of 2.4 for BC particles are estimated to be 2.3 h and 4.6 h, respectively, in Beijing, compared with 9 h and 18 h, respectively, in Houston. Our findings indicate that BC under polluted urban environments could play an essential role in pollution development and contribute importantly to large positive radiative forcing. The variation in direct radiative forcing is dependent on the rate and timescale of BC aging, with a clear distinction between urban cities in developed and developing countries, i.e., a higher climatic impact in more polluted environments. We suggest that mediation in BC emissions achieves a cobenefit in simultaneously controlling air pollution and protecting climate, especially for developing countries. PMID:27035993

N-doping effectively enhances the adsorption capacity of biochar for heavy metal ions from aqueous solution.

PubMed

Yu, Wenchao; Lian, Fei; Cui, Guannan; Liu, Zhongqi

2018-02-01

N-doping was successfully employed to improve the adsorption capacity of biochar (BC) for Cu 2+ and Cd 2+ by direct annealing of crop straws in NH 3 . The surface N content of BC increased more than 20 times by N-doping; meanwhile the content of oxidized-N was gradually diminished but graphitic-N was formed and increased with increasing annealing temperature and duration time. After N-doping, a high graphitic-N percentage (46.4%) and S BET (418.7 m 2 /g) can be achieved for BC. As a result, the N-doped BC exhibited an excellent adsorption capacity for Cu 2+ (1.63 mmol g -1 ) and Cd 2+ (1.76 mmol g -1 ), which was up to 4.0 times higher than that of the original BC. Furthermore, the adsorption performance of the N-doped BC remained stable even at acidic conditions. A positive correlation can be found between adsorption capacity with the graphitic N content on BC surface. The surface chemistry of N-doped BC before and after the heavy metal ions adsorption was carefully examined by XPS and FTIR techniques, which indicated that the adsorption mechanisms mainly included cation-π bonding and complexation with graphitic-N and hydroxyl groups of carbon surfaces. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and validation of the Female Sexual Function Index adaptation for breast cancer patients (FSFI-BC).

PubMed

Bartula, Iris; Sherman, Kerry A

2015-08-01

Sexual dysfunction following breast cancer treatment is common and screening for this is recommended. This study determined the reliability, validity, and acceptability of a breast cancer-specific adaptation of the Female Sexual Function Index, the FSFI-BC. This new measure addresses limitations in the FSFI when assessing sexual dysfunction of women with breast cancer regarding applicability to non-sexually active women, measuring distress and changes after cancer. Female breast cancer survivors (n = 596; 429 sexually active, 166 non-sexually active) completed an online survey including demographic/medical information, the FSFI-BC, and scales measuring sexual functioning, fatigue, body image, physical and mental health, and relationship adjustment (Time 1). Three weeks later, 326 women (245 sexually active; 81 non-sexually active) completed the Time 2 survey including the FSFI-BC, and questions regarding its acceptability and perceived change in sexual functioning. Reliability, construct validity, and acceptability were examined using standard scale validation techniques. Exploratory factor analysis delineated seven factors: Changes after cancer, desire/arousal, lubrication, orgasm, pain, satisfaction, and distress, accounting for 79.98 % (sexually active) and 77.19 % (non-active) variance in responses. Acceptable internal consistencies (non-active: α = 0.71-0.96; sexually active: α = 0.89-0.96) and test-retest reliabilities (non-active: r = 0.63-0.86; sexually active: r = 0.71-0.88) were evident. Inter-scale correlations provided evidence for convergent and divergent validities of the FSFI-BC. Both sexually active and non-active women provided positive feedback about the FSFI-BC. The optional partner questions demonstrated clinical utility. With desirable psychometric properties and acceptability to participants, the FSFI-BC is suitable for screening for sexual dysfunction in women with breast cancer.

Estimated dietary dioxin exposure and breast cancer risk among women from the French E3N prospective cohort.

PubMed

Danjou, Aurélie M N; Fervers, Béatrice; Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine; Philip, Thierry; Clavel-Chapelon, Françoise; Dossus, Laure

2015-03-17

Dioxins are environmental and persistent pollutants mostly emitted from combustion facilities (e.g. waste incinerators, metal and cement industries). Known to be endocrine disrupting chemicals, dioxins are suspected to increase breast cancer (BC) risk. Although diet is considered the primary source of dioxin exposure, no previous study has been published on dietary dioxin exposure in relation to BC risk. We aimed to assess dietary dioxin exposure among women from the E3N cohort and estimate BC risk associated with this exposure. The study included 63,830 women from the E3N cohort who completed a diet history questionnaire (DHQ) in 1993 and were followed until 2008. Dietary dioxin exposure was estimated by combining consumption data from the E3N DHQ and food dioxin contamination data from a French national monitoring program. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by Cox models adjusted for BC risk factors. Mean dietary dioxin exposure was estimated at 1.3 ± 0.4 pg/kg body weight (BW)/day. A 0.4 pg/kg BW/d increase in dioxin intake was not associated with overall BC risk (HR = 1.00; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.05). A significant decrease in risk of estrogen receptor negative (ER-)/progesterone receptor negative (PR-) tumors was observed among post-menopausal women in the upper quartile of estimated dioxin intake (HR for Q4 vs. Q1: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.96; P for trend across quartiles = 0.0463). Overall, no association between estimated dietary dioxin exposure and BC risk was found among E3N women. Further studies should include both dietary and environmental exposures to determine whether low-dose dioxin exposure is associated with BC risk.

Anti-Breast Cancer Potential of Quercetin via the Akt/AMPK/Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) Signaling Cascade

PubMed Central

Rivera Rivera, Amilcar; Castillo-Pichardo, Linette; Gerena, Yamil; Dharmawardhane, Suranganie

2016-01-01

The Akt/adenosine monophosphate protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway has emerged as a critical signaling nexus for regulating cellular metabolism, energy homeostasis, and cell growth. Thus, dysregulation of this pathway contributes to the development of metabolic disorders such as obesity, type 2diabetes, and cancer. We previously reported that a combination of grape polyphenols (resveratrol, quercetin and catechin: RQC), at equimolar concentrations, reduces breast cancer (BC) growth and metastasis in nude mice, and inhibits Akt and mTOR activities and activates AMPK, an endogenous inhibitor of mTOR, in metastatic BC cells. The objective of the present study was to determine the contribution of individual polyphenols to the effect of combined RQC on mTOR signaling. Metastatic BC cells were treated with RQC individually or in combination, at various concentrations, and the activities (phosphorylation) of AMPK, Akt, and the mTOR downstream effectors, p70S6 kinase (p70S6K) and 4E binding protein (4EBP1), were determined by Western blot. Results show that quercetin was the most effective compound for Akt/mTOR inhibition. Treatment with quercetin at 15μM had a similar effect as the RQC combination in the inhibition of BC cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. However, cell cycle analysis showed that the RQC treatment arrested BC cells in the G1 phase, while quercetin arrested the cell cycle in G2/M. In vivo experiments, using SCID mice with implanted tumors from metastatic BC cells, demonstrated that administration of quercetin at 15mg/kg body weight resulted in a ~70% reduction in tumor growth. In conclusion, quercetin appears to be a viable grape polyphenol for future development as an anti BC therapeutic. PMID:27285995

The 3-D viscous flow CFD analysis of the propeller effect on an advanced ducted propeller subsonic inlet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iek, Chanthy; Boldman, Donald R.; Ibrahim, Mounir

1993-01-01

A time marching Navier-Stokes code called PARC3D was used to study the 3-D viscous flow associated with an advanced ducted propeller (ADP) subsonic inlet at take-off operating conditions. At a free stream Mach number of 0.2, experimental data for the inlet-with-propeller test model indicated that the airflow was attached on the cowl windward lip at an angle of attack of 25 degrees became unstable at 29 degrees, and separated at 30 degrees. An experimental study with a similar inlet and with no propeller (through-flow) indicated that flow separation occurred at an angle of attack a few degrees below the value observed when the inlet was tested with the propeller. This tends to indicate that the propeller exerts a favorable effect on the inlet performance. During the through-flow experiment a stationary blockage device was used to successfully simulate the propeller effect on the inlet flow field at angles of attack. In the present numerical study, this flow blockage was modeled via a PARC3D computational boundary condition (BC) called the screen BC. The principle formulation of this BC was based on the one-and-half dimension actuator disk theory. This screen BC was applied at the inlet propeller face station of the computational grid. Numerical results were obtained with and without the screen BC. The application of the screen BC in this numerical study provided results which are similar to the results of past experimental efforts in which either the blockage device or the propeller was used.

Alteration of the size distributions and mixing states of black carbon through transport in the boundary layer in east Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyakawa, Takuma; Oshima, Naga; Taketani, Fumikazu; Komazaki, Yuichi; Yoshino, Ayako; Takami, Akinori; Kondo, Yutaka; Kanaya, Yugo

2017-05-01

Ground-based measurements of black carbon (BC) were performed near an industrial source region in the early summer of 2014 and at a remote island in Japan in the spring of 2015. Here, we report the temporal variations in the transport, size distributions, and mixing states of the BC-containing particles. These particles were characterized using a continuous soot monitoring system, a single particle soot photometer, and an aerosol chemical speciation monitor. The effects of aging on the growth of BC-containing particles were examined by comparing the ground-based observations between the near-source and remote island sites. Secondary formation of sulfate and organic aerosols strongly affected the increases in BC coating (i.e., enhancement of cloud condensation nuclei activity) with air mass aging from the source to the outflow regions. The effects of wet removal on BC microphysics were elucidated by classifying the continental outflow air masses depending on the enhancement ratios of BC to CO (ΔBC / ΔCO), which were used as an indicator of the transport efficiency of BC. It was found that ΔBC / ΔCO ratios were controlled mainly by the wet removal during transport in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) on the timescale of 1-2 days. The meteorological conditions and backward trajectory analyses suggested that air masses strongly affected by wet removal originated mainly from a region in southern China (20-35° N) in the spring of 2015. Removal of large and thickly coated BC-containing particles was detected in the air masses that were substantially affected by the wet removal in the PBL, as predicted by Köhler theory. The size and water solubility of BC-containing particles in the PBL can be altered by the wet removal as well as the condensation of non-BC materials.

The Contribution of Black Carbon to Ice Nucleating Particle Concentrations from Prescribed Burns and Wildfires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schill, G. P.; DeMott, P. J.; Suski, K. J.; Emerson, E. W.; Rauker, A. M.; Kodros, J.; Levin, E. J.; Hill, T. C. J.; Farmer, D.; Pierce, J. R.; Kreidenweis, S. M.

2017-12-01

Black carbon (BC) has been implicated as a potential immersion-mode ice nucleating particle (INP) because of its relative abundance in the upper troposphere. Furthermore, several field and aircraft measurements have observed positive correlations between BC and INP concentrations. Despite this, the efficiency of BC to act as an immersion-mode INP is poorly constrained. Indeed, previous results from laboratory studies are in conflict, with estimates of BC's impact on INP ranging from no impact to being efficient enough to rival the well-known INP mineral dust. It is, however, becoming clear that the ice nucleation activity of BC may depend on both its fuel type and combustion conditions. For example, previous work has shown that diesel exhaust BC is an extremely poor immersion-mode INP, but laboratory burns of biomass fuels indicate that BC can contribute up to 70% of all INP for some fuel types. Given these dependencies, we propose that sampling from real-world biomass burning sources would provide the most useful new information on the contribution of BC to atmospheric INP. In this work, we will present recent results looking at the sources of INP from prescribed burns and wildfires. To determine the specific contribution of refractory black carbon (rBC) to INP concentrations, we utilized a new technique that couples the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) to the Colorado State University Continuous Flow Diffusion Chamber (CFDC). The SP2 utilizes laser-induced incandescence to quantify rBC mass on a particle-by-particle basis; in doing so, it also selectively destroys rBC particles by heating them to their vaporization temperature. Thus, the SP2 can be used as a selective pre-filter for rBC into the CFDC. Furthermore, we have also used a filter-based technique for measuring INP, the Ice Spectrometer, which can employ pretreatments such as heating and digestion by H2O2 to determine the contribution of heat-labile and organic particles, respectively.

A Nonrandomized Comparison Study of Self-Hypnosis, Yoga, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to Reduce Emotional Distress in Breast Cancer Patients.

PubMed

Bragard, Isabelle; Etienne, Anne-Marie; Faymonville, Marie-Elisabeth; Coucke, Philippe; Lifrange, Eric; Schroeder, Hélène; Wagener, Aurélie; Dupuis, Gilles; Jerusalem, Guy

2017-01-01

The authors asked breast cancer (BC) patients to participate in 1 of 3 mind-body interventions (cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), yoga, or self-hypnosis) to explore their feasibility, ease of compliance, and impact on the participants' distress, quality of life (QoL), sleep, and mental adjustment. Ninety-nine patients completed an intervention (CBT: n = 10; yoga: n = 21; and self-hypnosis: n = 68). Results showed high feasibility and high compliance. After the interventions, there was no significant effect in the CBT group but significant positive effects on distress in the yoga and self-hypnosis groups, and, also, on QoL, sleep, and mental adjustment in the self-hypnosis group. In conclusion, mind-body interventions can decrease distress in BC patients, but RCTs are needed to confirm these findings.

[Development of overweight and obesity in breast cancer patients and its significance for diagnosis and clinical management: results of the Basel Breast Cancer Database 1990-2009].

PubMed

Güth, Uwe; Schmid, Seraina; Eichholzer, Monika

2013-04-10

Greater body fatness was found to be a risk factor for postmenopausal breast cancer (BC); furthermore this factor appears to be associated with poor prognosis. These findings were tested by analyzing 1459 patients whose cases were recorded in the Basler Mammakarzinom-Datenbank (1990-2009) and the Swiss Health Surveys (1992-2007). Considering only postmenopausal women, no association between a rising body mass index (BMI) and BC development was observed. BMI was found to be a significant factor for tumor size (this applied to self-detected tumors and for lesions detected by radiological examinations) and had a positive correlation to advanced disease stage, unfavorable grading and a higher St. Galler risk score. In most therapy modes, patients with increasing BMI demonstrated a higher compliance and persistence to adjuvant therapies.

Interaction between obesity-related genes, FTO and MC4R, associated to an increase of breast cancer risk.

PubMed

da Cunha, Patrícia Amorim; de Carlos Back, Lia Kubelka; Sereia, Aline Fernanda Rodrigues; Kubelka, Clara; Ribeiro, Maria Cecíia Menks; Fernandes, Bráulio Leal; de Souza, Ilíada Rainha

2013-12-01

Breast cancer (BC) is a complex disease and obesity is a well-known risk factor for its development, especially after menopause. Several studies have shown Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) linked to overweight and obesity, such as: rs1121980 (T/C) and rs9939609 (A/T) in Fat Mass and Obesity Associated gene (FTO) and rs17782313 (T/C) in Melanocortin 4 Receptor gene (MC4R). Thus, we aimed to investigate the association between these obesity-related SNPs and BC risk. One hundred BC patients and 148 healthy women from Santa Catarina, Brazil entered the study. SNPs were genotyped using Taqman assays. For statistical analyses SNPStats and SPSS softwares were used. Association analyses were performed by logistic regression and were adjusted for age and Body mass index (BMI). Multiple SNPs inheritance models (log-additive, dominant, recessive, codominant) were performed to determine odds ratios (ORs), assuming 95 % confidence interval (CI) and P value = 0.05 as the significance limit. When analyzed alone, FTO rs1121980 and rs9939609 did not show significant associations with BC development, however MC4R rs17782313 showed increased risk for BC even after adjustments (P-value = 0.032). Interestingly, the interaction of FTO and MC4R polymorphisms showed a powerful association with BC. We observed a 4.59-fold increased risk for woman who have the allele combination C/T/C (FTO rs1121980/FTO rs9939609/MC4R rs17782313) (P-value = 0.0011, adjusted for age and BMI). We found important and unpublished associations between these obesity-related genes and BC risk. These associations seem to be independent of their effect on BMI, indicating a direct role of the interaction between FTO and MC4R polymorphisms in BC development.

Adherence to the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research cancer prevention recommendations and breast cancer risk in the Cancer de Màma (CAMA) study.

PubMed

Fanidi, Anouar; Ferrari, Pietro; Biessy, Carine; Ortega, Carolina; Angeles-Llerenas, Angélica; Torres-Mejia, Gabriella; Romieu, Isabelle

2015-12-01

We investigated the association between adherence to the recommendations of the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) and breast cancer (BC) risk in the Cancer de Màma (CAMA) study in a Mexican population. Population-based case-control study. Incident BC cases (n 1000) and controls (n 1074) matched on age, region and health-care system were recruited. In-person interviews were conducted to assess BC risk factors and habitual diet was assessed with an FFQ. Conformity to the WCRF/AICR recommendations was evaluated through a score incorporating seven WCRF/AICR components (body fatness, physical activity, foods and drinks that promote weight gain, plant foods, animal foods, alcoholic drinks and breast-feeding), with high scores indicating adherence to the WCRF/AICR recommendations. No statistically significant associations between WCRF/AICR score and risk of BC were observed. After excluding BMI from the WCRF/AICR score, the top quartile was associated with a decreased BC risk overall, with ORQ4-Q1=0.68 (95% CI 0.49, 0.92, P trend=0.03), and among postmenopausal women, with ORQ4-Q1=0.60 (95% CI 0.39, 0.94, P trend=0.03). Inverse associations were observed between BMI and risk of BC overall and among premenopausal women, with OR=0.57 (95% CI 0.42, 0.76, P trend <0.01) and 0.48 (95% CI 0.31, 0.73, P trend<0.01), respectively. Physical activity level was inversely associated with BC risk. The WCRF/AICR index was not related with BC risk in the CAMA study. A combination of six components excluding BMI showed strong protective associations, particularly in postmenopausal women. Further prospective studies are required to clarify the role of adherence to WCRF/AICR recommendations, particularly with respect to BMI, in the Mexican population.

Statistical optimization of medium composition for bacterial cellulose production by Gluconacetobacter hansenii UAC09 using coffee cherry husk extract--an agro-industry waste.

PubMed

Rani, Mahadevaswamy Usha; Rastogi, Navin K; Appaiah, K A Anu

2011-07-01

During the production of grape wine, the formation of thick leathery pellicle/bacterial cellulose (BC) at the airliquid interface was due to the bacterium, which was isolated and identified as Gluconacetobacter hansenii UAC09. Cultural conditions for bacterial cellulose production from G. hansenii UAC09 were optimized by central composite rotatable experimental design. To economize the BC production, coffee cherry husk (CCH) extract and corn steep liquor (CSL) were used as less expensive sources of carbon and nitrogen, respectively. CCH and CSL are byproducts from the coffee processing and starch processing industry, respectively. The interactions between pH (4.5- 8.5), CSL (2-10%), alcohol (0.5-2%), acetic acid (0.5- 2%), and water dilution rate to CCH ratio (1:1 to 1:5) were studied using response surface methodology. The optimum conditions for maximum BC production were pH (6.64), CSL (10%), alcohol (0.5%), acetic acid (1.13%), and water to CCH ratio (1:1). After 2 weeks of fermentation, the amount of BC produced was 6.24 g/l. This yield was comparable to the predicted value of 6.09 g/l. This is the first report on the optimization of the fermentation medium by RSM using CCH extract as the carbon source for BC production by G. hansenii UAC09.

The online measured black carbon aerosol and source orientations in the Nam Co region, Tibet.

PubMed

Zhang, Xin; Ming, Jing; Li, Zhongqin; Wang, Feiteng; Zhang, Guoshuai

2017-11-01

Equivalent black carbon (eBC) mass concentrations were measured by an aethalometer (AE-31) in the Nam Co, central Tibet from 2010 to 2014. Different from previous filter-sampling studies (Ming et al., J Environ Sci 22(11):1748-1756, 2010; Zhao et al., Environ Sci Pollut Res 20:5827-5838, 2013), the first high-resolution online eBC measurement conducted in central Tibet is reported here, allowing to discuss the diurnal variations as well as seasonal variabilities of eBC. Average daily eBC concentration was 74 ± 50 ng/m 3 , reflecting a global background level. Meteorological conditions influenced eBC concentrations largely at seasonal scale, which are higher in February-May but lower in June-January. The highest eBC concentrations (greater than 210 ng/m 3 ) were more associated with the W and WSW winds smaller than 6 m/s. The diurnal variations of eBC showed plateaus from 10:00 to 15:00 with seasonal variations, associated with local anthropogenic activities, such as indigenous Tibetan burning animal waste and tourism traffic. The PBLHs showed a co-variance with eBC concentrations, implicating close sources. The aerosol optical depths derived from the MODIS data over the Nam Co Observatory Station (NCOS)-included sub-area (30° N-40° N, 90° E-100° E) showed significant relationship with eBC concentrations. This suggests that nearby or short-distance sources other than long-distance transported pollutants could be important contributors to eBC concentrations at the NCOS, different from the conclusions suggested by previous studies.

The brain cytoplasmic RNA BC1 regulates dopamine D2 receptor-mediated transmission in the striatum.

PubMed

Centonze, Diego; Rossi, Silvia; Napoli, Ilaria; Mercaldo, Valentina; Lacoux, Caroline; Ferrari, Francesca; Ciotti, Maria Teresa; De Chiara, Valentina; Prosperetti, Chiara; Maccarrone, Mauro; Fezza, Filomena; Calabresi, Paolo; Bernardi, Giorgio; Bagni, Claudia

2007-08-15

Dopamine D(2) receptor (D(2)DR)-mediated transmission in the striatum is remarkably flexible, and changes in its efficacy have been heavily implicated in a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. Although receptor-associated proteins are clearly involved in specific forms of synaptic plasticity, the molecular mechanisms regulating the sensitivity of D(2) receptors in this brain area are essentially obscure. We have studied the physiological responses of the D(2)DR stimulations in mice lacking the brain cytoplasmic RNA BC1, a small noncoding dendritically localized RNA that is supposed to play a role in mRNA translation. We show that the efficiency of D(2)-mediated transmission regulating striatal GABA synapses is under the control of BC1 RNA, through a negative influence on D(2) receptor protein level affecting the functional pool of receptors. Ablation of the BC1 gene did not result in widespread dysregulation of synaptic transmission, because the sensitivity of cannabinoid CB(1) receptors was intact in the striatum of BC1 knock-out (KO) mice despite D(2) and CB(1) receptors mediated similar electrophysiological actions. Interestingly, the fragile X mental retardation protein FMRP, one of the multiple BC1 partners, is not involved in the BC1 effects on the D(2)-mediated transmission. Because D(2)DR mRNA is apparently equally translated in the BC1-KO and wild-type mice, whereas the protein level is higher in BC1-KO mice, we suggest that BC1 RNA controls D(2)DR indirectly, probably regulating translation of molecules involved in D(2)DR turnover and/or stability.

Women with endometriosis have a higher DNA repair capacity and diminished breast cancer risk

PubMed Central

Matta, Jaime L.; Flores, Idhaliz; Morales, Luisa M.; Monteiro, Janice; Alvarez-Garriga, Carolina; Bayona, Manuel

2014-01-01

Introduction Breast cancer (BC) and endometriosis are important reproductive health diseases for women. Although endometriosis is not a malignant condition, some of its characteristics mimic that of a malignancy. Endometriosis is associated with increased risk of certain cancers; however, whether it alters BC risk is unclear. This study evaluates the association of endometriosis and BC and explores whether DNA repair capacity (DRC) plays a role in such a relationship. Materials and Methods A case-control study of 991 women (385 with BC and 606 controls, all recruited over 5 years) was undertaken in Puerto Rico. Eighty participants with self-reported surgically diagnosed endometriosis were identified, 20 of whom also had a diagnosis of BC. Data from a structured questionnaire and DRC measurements were assessed to determine the association between BC, DRC, and endometriosis. Results Participants with BC cases were 50% less likely to have history of endometriosis (OR = 0.5 95%CI: 0.3, 0.9, p = 0.038) than women without BC controls. Findings that did not reach statistical significance included the following: women with history of endometriosis had a slightly higher DRC level than those without it; BC cases and history of endometriosis were less likely to have had endometriosis diagnosis before age 38 as compared to controls with endometriosis. Discussion Here we report an inverse association between endometriosis and BC, the former possibly conferring a protective effect on the latter. Although the mechanisms involved are unknown they may include protection provided by higher DRC and or hormonal treatments for endometriosis. A larger sample of endometriosis cases is necessary to confirm these results and answer the question of whether a higher DRC capacity may contribute to this potential protection, and to identify other factors at play. PMID:25473592

American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Update on the Use of Pharmacologic Interventions Including Tamoxifen, Raloxifene, and Aromatase Inhibition for Breast Cancer Risk Reduction

PubMed Central

Visvanathan, Kala; Chlebowski, Rowan T.; Hurley, Patricia; Col, Nananda F.; Ropka, Mary; Collyar, Deborah; Morrow, Monica; Runowicz, Carolyn; Pritchard, Kathleen I.; Hagerty, Karen; Arun, Banu; Garber, Judy; Vogel, Victor G.; Wade, James L.; Brown, Powel; Cuzick, Jack; Kramer, Barnett S.; Lippman, Scott M.

2009-01-01

Purpose To update the 2002 American Society of Clinical Oncology guideline on pharmacologic interventions for breast cancer (BC) risk reduction. Methods A literature search identified relevant randomized trials published since 2002. Primary outcome of interest was BC incidence (invasive and noninvasive). Secondary outcomes included BC mortality, adverse events, and net health benefits. An expert panel reviewed the literature and developed updated consensus guidelines. Results Seventeen articles met inclusion criteria. In premenopausal women, tamoxifen for 5 years reduces the risk of BC for at least 10 years, particularly estrogen receptor (ER) –positive invasive tumors. Women ≤ 50 years of age experience fewer serious side effects. Vascular and vasomotor events do not persist post-treatment across all ages. In postmenopausal women, raloxifene and tamoxifen reduce the risk of ER-positive invasive BC with equal efficacy. Raloxifene is associated with a lower risk of thromboembolic disease, benign uterine conditions, and cataracts than tamoxifen in postmenopausal women. No evidence exists establishing whether a reduction in BC risk from either agent translates into reduced BC mortality. Recommendations In women at increased risk for BC, tamoxifen (20 mg/d for 5 years) may be offered to reduce the risk of invasive ER-positive BC, with benefits for at least 10 years. In postmenopausal women, raloxifene (60 mg/d for 5 years) may also be considered. Use of aromatase inhibitors, fenretinide, or other selective estrogen receptor modulators to lower BC risk is not recommended outside of a clinical trial. Discussion of risks and benefits of preventive agents by health providers is critical to patient decision making. PMID:19470930

Cluster analysis of particulate matter (PM10) and black carbon (BC) concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Žibert, Janez; Pražnikar, Jure

2012-09-01

The monitoring of air-pollution constituents like particulate matter (PM10) and black carbon (BC) can provide information about air quality and the dynamics of emissions. Air quality depends on natural and anthropogenic sources of emissions as well as the weather conditions. For a one-year period the diurnal concentrations of PM10 and BC in the Port of Koper were analysed by clustering days into similar groups according to the similarity of the BC and PM10 hourly derived day-profiles without any prior assumptions about working and non-working days, weather conditions or hot and cold seasons. The analysis was performed by using k-means clustering with the squared Euclidean distance as the similarity measure. The analysis showed that 10 clusters in the BC case produced 3 clusters with just one member day and 7 clusters that encompasses more than one day with similar BC profiles. Similar results were found in the PM10 case, where one cluster has a single-member day, while 7 clusters contain several member days. The clustering analysis revealed that the clusters with less pronounced bimodal patterns and low hourly and average daily concentrations for both types of measurements include the most days in the one-year analysis. A typical day profile of the BC measurements includes a bimodal pattern with morning and evening peaks, while the PM10 measurements reveal a less pronounced bimodality. There are also clusters with single-peak day-profiles. The BC data in such cases exhibit morning peaks, while the PM10 data consist of noon or afternoon single peaks. Single pronounced peaks can be explained by appropriate cluster wind speed profiles. The analysis also revealed some special day-profiles. The BC cluster with a high midnight peak at 30/04/2010 and the PM10 cluster with the highest observed concentration of PM10 at 01/05/2010 (208.0 μg m-3) coincide with 1 May, which is a national holiday in Slovenia and has very strong tradition of bonfire parties. The clustering of the diurnal concentration showed that various different day-profiles are presented in a cold period, while this is not the case for the hot season. Additional analysis of ship traffic and rain fall data showed that there is no statistically significant difference between the ship gross (bruto) registered tonnage (BRT) values in the case of BC and PM10 clusters, but that there is statistically significant differences between the rain fall in the BC and PM10 clusters. The wind-rose for clusters which included most days in the sampling period indicating that emitted PM10 and BC from Port of Koper were manly transported in the west direction over the sea and in the east direction, where there is in no populated area. Presented analysis showed that both BC and PM10 concentrations were driven by rain intensity and wind speed.

Markedly enhanced direct radiative forcing of black carbon particles under polluted urban environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Jianfei; Hu, Min; Guo, Song; Du, Zhuofei; Zheng, Jing; Shang, Dongjie; Zamora, Misti; Zeng, Liming; Shao, Min; Wu, Yusheng; Zheng, Jun; Wang, Yuan; Collins, Don; Zhang, Renyi

2016-04-01

Black carbon (BC) particles, produced from incomplete fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning, are ubiquitous in the atmosphere and have profound impacts on air quality, human health, weather, and climate. For example, in areas identified as aerosol hotspots, which include many urban centers and megacities worldwide, solar heating by BC particles has been shown to be comparable to warming due to the greenhouse gases2. Although BC represents a key short-lived climate forcer, its direct radiative forcing remains highly uncertain. In particular, the available results of absorption enhancement of BC particles during atmospheric aging are conflicting from the previous studies, leading to a large uncertainty in global radiative transfer calculation. Here, we quantified the aging and variation in the optical properties of BC particles under ambient conditions in Beijing, China and Houston, US, using a novel chamber approach. BC aging exhibits two distinct stages - initial transformation from a fractal to spherical morphology with little absorption variation and the subsequent growth of fully compact particles with a maximum absorption enhancement factor of 2.4. The variation in BC direct radiative forcing is highly dependent of the rate and timescale of aging, with an estimated increase of 0.45 (0.21 - 0.80) W m-2 from fresh to fully aged particles. Our results reveal a high climatic impact in polluted environments due to rapid aging and a clear distinction between urban cities in developed and developing countries for BC particles, highlighting a larger than recognized co-benefit in air quality improvement and climate protection by BC mediation.

Black carbon mixing state impacts on cloud microphysical properties: effects of aerosol plume and environmental conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ching, Ping Pui; Riemer, Nicole; West, Matthew

2016-05-27

Black carbon (BC) is usually mixed with other aerosol species within individual aerosol particles. This mixture, along with the particles' size and morphology, determines the particles' optical and cloud condensation nuclei properties, and hence black carbon's climate impacts. In this study the particle-resolved aerosol model PartMC-MOSAIC was used to quantify the importance of black carbon mixing state for predicting cloud microphysical quantities. Based on a set of about 100 cloud parcel simulations a process level analysis framework was developed to attribute the response in cloud microphysical properties to changes in the underlying aerosol population ("plume effect") and the cloud parcelmore » cooling rate ("parcel effect"). It shows that the response of cloud droplet number concentration to changes in BC emissions depends on the BC mixing state. When the aerosol population contains mainly aged BC particles an increase in BC emission results in increasing cloud droplet number concentrations ("additive effect"). In contrast, when the aerosol population contains mainly fresh BC particles they act as sinks for condensable gaseous species, resulting in a decrease in cloud droplet number concentration as BC emissions are increased ("competition effect"). Additionally, we quantified the error in cloud microphysical quantities when neglecting the information on BC mixing state, which is often done in aerosol models. The errors ranged from -12% to +45% for the cloud droplet number fraction, from 0% to +1022% for the nucleation-scavenged black carbon (BC) mass fraction, from -12% to +4% for the effective radius, and from -30% to +60% for the relative dispersion.« less

Evidence for prehistoric origins of Egyptian mummification in late Neolithic burials.

PubMed

Jones, Jana; Higham, Thomas F G; Oldfield, Ron; O'Connor, Terry P; Buckley, Stephen A

2014-01-01

Traditional theories on ancient Egyptian mummification postulate that in the prehistoric period (i.e. the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, 5th and 4th millennia B.C.) bodies were naturally desiccated through the action of the hot, dry desert sand. Although molding of the body with resin-impregnated linen is believed to be an early Pharaonic forerunner to more complex processes, scientific evidence for the early use of resins in artificial mummification has until now been limited to isolated occurrences during the late Old Kingdom (c. 2200 B.C.), their use becoming more apparent during the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000-1600 BC). We examined linen wrappings from bodies in securely provenanced tombs (pit graves) in the earliest recorded ancient Egyptian cemeteries at Mostagedda in the Badari region (Upper Egypt). Our investigations of these prehistoric funerary wrappings using a combination of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and thermal desorption/pyrolysis (TD/Py)-GC-MS have identified a pine resin, an aromatic plant extract, a plant gum/sugar, a natural petroleum source, and a plant oil/animal fat in directly AMS-dated funerary wrappings. Predating the earliest scientific evidence by more than a millennium, these embalming agents constitute complex, processed recipes of the same natural products, in similar proportions, as those utilized at the zenith of Pharaonic mummification some 3,000 years later. The antibacterial properties of some of these ingredients and the localized soft-tissue preservation that they would have afforded lead us to conclude that these represent the very beginnings of experimentation that would evolve into the famous mummification practice of the Pharaonic period.

Evidence for Prehistoric Origins of Egyptian Mummification in Late Neolithic Burials

PubMed Central

Jones, Jana; Higham, Thomas F. G.; Oldfield, Ron; O'Connor, Terry P.; Buckley, Stephen A.

2014-01-01

Traditional theories on ancient Egyptian mummification postulate that in the prehistoric period (i.e. the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, 5th and 4th millennia B.C.) bodies were naturally desiccated through the action of the hot, dry desert sand. Although molding of the body with resin-impregnated linen is believed to be an early Pharaonic forerunner to more complex processes, scientific evidence for the early use of resins in artificial mummification has until now been limited to isolated occurrences during the late Old Kingdom (c. 2200 B.C.), their use becoming more apparent during the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000-1600 BC). We examined linen wrappings from bodies in securely provenanced tombs (pit graves) in the earliest recorded ancient Egyptian cemeteries at Mostagedda in the Badari region (Upper Egypt). Our investigations of these prehistoric funerary wrappings using a combination of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and thermal desorption/pyrolysis (TD/Py)-GC-MS have identified a pine resin, an aromatic plant extract, a plant gum/sugar, a natural petroleum source, and a plant oil/animal fat in directly AMS-dated funerary wrappings. Predating the earliest scientific evidence by more than a millennium, these embalming agents constitute complex, processed recipes of the same natural products, in similar proportions, as those utilized at the zenith of Pharaonic mummification some 3,000 years later. The antibacterial properties of some of these ingredients and the localized soft-tissue preservation that they would have afforded lead us to conclude that these represent the very beginnings of experimentation that would evolve into the famous mummification practice of the Pharaonic period. PMID:25118605

Growth performance, feed digestibility, body composition, and feeding behavior of high- and low-residual feed intake fat-tailed lambs under moderate feed restriction.

PubMed

Rajaei Sharifabadi, H; Naserian, A A; Valizadeh, R; Nassiry, M R; Bottje, W G; Redden, R R

2016-08-01

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of moderate feed restriction on productivity of lambs classified on the basis of phenotypic expression of residual feed intake (RFI). In Exp. 1, 58 fat-tailed Kurdi ram lambs (32.1 ± 4.2 kg BW) were individually fed, ad libitum, a pelleted diet (35% alfalfa hay and 65% concentrate). Feed intake and ADG were determined for a 6-wk period and 3 feed efficiency measures including RFI, G:F, and partial efficiency of maintenance (PEM) were calculated. The lambs were sorted based on RFI and the 16 highest RFI (RFI ≥ mean + 0.5 SD) and 16 lowest RFI (RFI ≤ mean - 0.5 SD) lambs were subjected to body composition (BC) and DM digestibility (DMD) analysis. Feeding behavior traits (FB) were also evaluated for 24 h using a regular 5-min interval observation method. The high- and low-RFI lambs (14 lambs/RFI group) so classified in Exp. 1 were used in Exp. 2. Half of the lambs in each RFI group were randomly selected to be fed ad libitum or 85% of ad libitum (restricted feeding), which resulted in 4 experimental groups: 1) ad libitum high-RFI, 2) feed restricted high-RFI, 3) ad libitum low-RFI, and 4) feed restricted low-RFI. The lambs were fed the same diet as Exp. 1, and growth efficiency during a 6-wk test period as well as BC, DMD, and FB were also determined in Exp. 2. In Exp. 1, the low-RFI lambs consumed 14% ( < 0.01) less feed than high-RFI lambs. Differences were also observed between high- and low-RFI groups for G:F ( = 0.01), RFI ( < 0.01), and PEM ( < 0.01) in Exp. 1, but no differences were detected between high- and low-RFI lambs for ADG ( = 0.79), DMD ( = 0.42), BC ( > 0.72), and FB ( > 0.24). In Exp.2, the restriction feeding regime negatively affected ADG ( < 0.01) and G:F ( = 0.02) in low-RFI lambs, whereas G:F ( = 0.02) and PEM ( < 0.01) were improved in high-RFI lambs under the feed restriction condition. No effects of feed restriction on DMD ( = 0.87) and BC ( > 0.05) were observed. The lambs fed at the restricted level of intake presented a greater time ( < 0.01) and rate ( = 0.01) of eating than those fed ad libitum. Although bunk visits and feeding events were decreased ( < 0.01) with feed restriction, no interaction ( > 0.05) was detected between RFI phenotype and feeding regime for FB. In summary, feeding high-RFI lambs at 85% of ad libitum level improved G:F with no effect on ADG, whereas growth performance was reduced by feeding low-RFI lambs at 85% of ad libitum. However, these changes in feed efficiency were not related to DMD, BC, or FB.

Dietary intake habits and controlled training on body composition and strength in elite female volleyball players during the season.

PubMed

Mielgo-Ayuso, Juan; Zourdos, Michael C; Calleja-González, Julio; Urdampilleta, Aritz; Ostojic, Sergej M

2015-08-01

The purpose of this study was to assess dietary intake of elite female volleyball players (EFVPs, n = 22) during the first 11 weeks of the competitive season. Further, we compared findings for total energy intake and specific macronutrient distribution with the established recommendations for high-intensity athletes. Subjects also engaged in periodized training and we assessed changes in body composition (BC) and strength. Twenty-two EFVPs had dietary intake (7-day dietary recall and food-frequency questionnaire), BC (body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, fat mass, muscle mass), and 1-repetition maximum (1RM) strength (bench press, military press, back squat, power clean, clean and jerk, pull-over) assessed at baseline (T0, before preseason) and 11 weeks later (T11). Athletes consumed less total kilocalories and carbohydrates (CHO) compared with established recommendations (total kilocalories: 40.7 ± 5.2 kcal/(kg · day)(-1) vs. 50-80 kcal/(kg · day)(-1); CHO: 4.3 ± 0.6 g/(kg · day)(-1) vs. 5-8 g/(kg · day)(-1)). Further, subjects consumed greater protein (2.1 ± 0.4 g/(kg · day)(-1)) compared with recommendations (1.6-1.8 g/(kg · day)(-1)) and greater fat (36.1 ± 4.6% of total kilocalories) than recommendations (20%-35% of total kilocalories). There were improvements (p < 0.05) in BC from T0-T11 (body fat percentage: 17.9% ± 4.2%-16.8% ± 3.6%, -4.7% ± 7.4%; fat mass: 12.7 ± 4.2-11.9 ± 3.8 kg, -4.0% ± 9.2%; muscle mass: 42.8% ± 3.4%-43.3% ± 3.0%, +1.3 ± 3.1%) and 1RM strength (bench press: 39.1 ± 4.5-43.4 ± 4.9 kg; +11.4% ± 9.3%; clean and jerk: 29.7 ± 6.3-34 ± 5.8 kg; +17.7% ± 23.8%); however, there was no change (p > 0.05) in BMI or military press and pull-over. Back squat (p = 0.054; +33.0% ± 83.7%) and power clean (p = 0.056; +26.2% ± 49.0%) increases approached significance. Our findings indicate that EFVPs improved BC and strength despite a dietary intake different from recommendations. This is possibly due to different substrate utilization during exercise in females versus males, thus new recommendations should be considered for high-intensity athletes, which are sex-specific.

Biochar effects on soil-resident ligninolytic fungi: in vitro growth response and its pH dependence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taskin, Eren; Loffredo, Elisabetta

2016-04-01

Ligninolytic fungi play an essential role on soil fertility because of their decomposing activity that allows nutrients inside biomasses to be released back into the soil. Their enzymes are able to degrade lignin which is otherwise recalcitrant to microbial and chemical degradation. Biochar (BC) has been recently proposed as a soil amendment that may contribute to climate change mitigation via carbon sequestration in soil. Pyrolysis conditions, feedstock and several other factors affect BC characteristics which in turn may influence BC impact on soil microorganisms and terrestrial ecosystems. However, limited information is available in the literature about BC's impact on ligninolytic fungi. The objective of this in vitro study was to assess the impact of BC and pH change caused by BC addition on three soil-resident ligninolytic fungi, Pleurotus ostreatus, Trametes versicolor and Bjerkandera adusta. The BC sample used in this study was obtained from 100% red spruce pellets pyrolysed at a temperature of 550 °C, and it was added to PDA medium directly as solid BC at the doses of 2 g L-1 (BC-LD) and 10 g L-1 (BC-HD). pH values were determined and the experiments were conducted either adjusting the pH of the controls either without pH adjustment. The fungi were inoculated separately in Petri dishes filled with the various media and the radial mycelial growth was measured at several sampling times. Results obtained showed a fungal growth response clearly dependent on the species and the BC dose. BC-LD stimulated the growth of P. ostreatus and T. versicolor, whereas it inhibited that of B. adusta. BC-HD stimulated the growth of P. ostreatus and inhibited that of T. versicolor and B. adusta. Similar responses were obtained with or without pH adjustment for P. ostreatus and T. versicolor, whereas a pH dependency was found for B. adusta. The effects of these and other pertinent treatments on fungal enzymes of the fungi are currently under investigation.

Temporal characteristics of black carbon concentrations and its potential emission sources in a southern Taiwan industrial urban area.

PubMed

Cheng, Yu-Hsiang; Lin, Chi-Chi; Liu, Jyh-Jian; Hsieh, Cheng-Ju

2014-03-01

This study investigates the temporal characteristics of black carbon and its potential emission sources, as well as the fractions of BC in PM2.5 levels in Kaohsiung urban area, which is an industrial city in southern Taiwan. Concentrations of BC and PM2.5 are monitored continuously from March 2006 to February 2010, using an aethalometer and a tapered element oscillating microbalance monitor. Additionally, the presence of organic compounds (or UV enhanced species) in particles at the sampling site is determined using the Delta-C (UVBC-BC) value. According to long-term measurement results, BC and PM2.5 concentrations are 3.33 and 34.0 μg m(-3), respectively, in the Kaohsiung urban area. The ratio of BC/PM2.5 is approximately 11 %. Low concentration of BC and PM2.5 in the summer of this study period is mostly likely owing to meteorological conditions that favored dispersion of local air pollutants. Nevertheless, BC concentrations peaked markedly during morning hours (7:00-11:00), likely owing to local traffic congestion. Measurement results suggest that BC is released from local traffic activities and emitted from industrial activities at this sampling site. Additionally, Delta-C values are significantly higher than zero during January-March and November-December periods in this industrial urban area, implying that UV enhanced species can be observed. At this sampling site, these UV enhanced species do not only originate from household activity and solid waste burning but also release from industrial activities. The elevated Delta-C values during nighttime (18:00-6:00) in the autumn and winter seasons are likely related to those UV enhanced species in the atmosphere, which can be condensed on particle surface under low temperature conditions. According to long-term measurement results, significantly positive Delta-C values can be observed under temperatures <20 °C and relative humidity of 60-75 % in this study. Despite the household activity and solid waste burning, the major sources of particles that are bound with UV enhanced species in this sampling site are industrial parks and a coal-fired power plant.

Multiscale Modulation of Nanocrystalline Cellulose Hydrogel via Nanocarbon Hybridization for 3D Neuronal Bilayer Formation.

PubMed

Kim, Dongyoon; Park, Subeom; Jo, Insu; Kim, Seong-Min; Kang, Dong Hee; Cho, Sung-Pyo; Park, Jong Bo; Hong, Byung Hee; Yoon, Myung-Han

2017-07-01

Bacterial biopolymers have drawn much attention owing to their unconventional three-dimensional structures and interesting functions, which are closely integrated with bacterial physiology. The nongenetic modulation of bacterial (Acetobacter xylinum) cellulose synthesis via nanocarbon hybridization, and its application to the emulation of layered neuronal tissue, is reported. The controlled dispersion of graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes into bacterial cellulose (BC) culture media not only induces structural changes within a crystalline cellulose nanofibril, but also modulates their 3D collective association, leading to substantial reduction in Young's modulus (≈50%) and clear definition of water-hydrogel interfaces. Furthermore, real-time investigation of 3D neuronal networks constructed in this GO-incorporated BC hydrogel with broken chiral nematic ordering revealed the vertical locomotion of growth cones, the accelerated neurite outgrowth (≈100 µm per day) with reduced backward travel length, and the efficient formation of synaptic connectivity with distinct axonal bifurcation abundancy at the ≈750 µm outgrowth from a cell body. In comparison with the pristine BC, GO-BC supports the formation of well-defined neuronal bilayer networks with flattened interfacial profiles and vertical axonal outgrowth, apparently emulating the neuronal development in vivo. We envisioned that our findings may contribute to various applications of engineered BC hydrogel to fundamental neurobiology studies and neural engineering. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Camptothecin prodrug nanomicelle based on a boronate ester-linked diblock copolymer as the carrier of doxorubicin with enhanced cellular uptake.

PubMed

Gao, Ya; Xiao, Yi; Liu, Shiyuan; Yu, Jiahui

2018-02-01

A novel pH-sensitive polymeric prodrug of camptothecin (CPT) by polymerizing γ-camptothecin-glutamate N-carboxyanhydride (Glu (CPT)-NCA) on boronate ester-linked poly (ethyleneglycol) (PEG) directly via the amine-initiated ring open polymerization (ROP) has been developed. The resulting amphiphilic prodrug (mPEG-BC-PGluCPT) could self-assemble into nanoparticles and encapsulate doxorubicin (Dox) simultaneously in aqueous solution for dual-drug delivery. The formation of polymeric prodrug micelles (mPEG-BC@PGluCPT) was confirmed by the measurements of critical aggregation concentration (CAC), particle size, and morphology observations. The mPEG-BC@PGluCPT micelles were colloidally stable in solutions for two weeks. Polymeric prodrug micelles mPEG-BC@PGluCPT and Dox-loaded micelles mPEG-BC@PGluCPT⋅Dox showed sustained drug release profiles over 48 h. As expected, drug release was accelerated by the decreasement of pH value from 7.4 to 6.0, which demonstrated pH-dependent manner of drug release. Additionally, it was found that cellular uptake of mPEG-BC@PGluCPT⋅Dox micelles on HepG2 cells was higher than that on HL-7702 cells, especially in culture medium at pH 6.0. The enhanced cellular uptake of mPEG-BC@PGluCPT⋅Dox micelles under acidic condition on HepG2 cells resulted in the higher cytotoxicity of mPEG-BC@PGluCPT⋅Dox micelles at acidic pH than that at pH 7.4.

Seasonal and Interannual Variations in BC Emissions From Open Biomass Burning in Southern Africa From 1998 to 2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, A.; Akimoto, H.

2006-12-01

We estimate the emissions of black carbon (BC) from open vegetation fires in southern hemisphere Africa from 1998 to 2005 using satellite information in conjunction with a biogeochemical model. Monthly burned areas at a 0.5-degree resolution are estimated from the Visible and Infrared Scanner (VIRS) fire count product and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) burned area data set associated with the MODIS tree cover imagery in grasslands and woodlands. The monthly fuel load distribution is derived from a 0.5- degree terrestrial carbon cycle model in conjunction with satellite data. The monthly maps of combustion factor and emission factor are estimated using empirical models that predict the effects of fuel conditions on these factors in grasslands and woodlands. Our annual averaged BC emitted per unit area burned is 0.17 g BC m-2 which is consistent with the product of fuel consumption and emission factor typically measured in southern Africa. The BC emissions from open vegetation burning in southern Africa ranged from 0.26 Tg BC yr-1 for 2002 to 0.42 Tg BC yr-1 for 1998. The peak in BC emissions is identical to that from previous top-down estimate using the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) Aerosol Index (AI) data. The sum of monthly emissions during the burning season in 2000 is in good agreement between our estimate (0.38 Tg) and previous estimate constrained by numerical model and measurements (0.47 Tg).

Two distinct patterns of seasonal variation of airborne black carbon over Tibetan Plateau

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Mo; Xu, Baiqing; Wang, Ninglian

Airborne black carbon (BC) mass concentrations were measured from November 2012 to June 2013 at Ranwu and Beiluhe, located in the southeastern and central Tibetan Plateau, respectively. Monthly mean BC concentrations showawinter (November–February) high (413.2 ng m $-$3) and spring (March–June) low(139.1 ng m $-$3) at Ranwu, but in contrast awinter lowand spring high at Beiluhe (204.8 and 621.6 ng m $-$3, respectively). By examining the meteorological conditions at various scales, we found that themonthly variation of airborne BC over the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) was highly influenced by regional precipitation and over the hinterland by winds. Local precipitation atmore » both sites showed little impact on the seasonal variation of airborne BC concentrations. Potential BC source regions are identified using air mass backward trajectory analysis. At Ranwu, BC was dominated by the air masses from the northeastern India and Bangladesh in both winter and spring, whereas at Beiluhe it was largely contributed by air masses from the south slope of Himalayas in winter, and from the arid region in the north of the TP in spring. Thewinter and spring seasonal peak of BC in the southern TP is largely contributed by emissions from South Asia, and this seasonal variation is heavily influenced by the regional monsoon. In the northern TP, BC had high concentrations during spring and summer seasons, which is very likely associated with more efficient transport of BC over the arid regions on the north of Tibetan Plateau and in Central Asia. Airborne BC concentrations at the Ranwusampling site showed a significant diurnal cyclewith a peak shortly after sunrise followed by a decrease before noon in both winter and spring, likely shaped by local human activities and the diurnal variation of wind speed. At the Beiluhe sampling site, the diurnal variation of BC is different and less distinct.« less

Investigation of surface boundary conditions for continuum modeling of RF plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, A.; Shotorban, B.

2018-05-01

This work was motivated by a lacking general consensus in the exact form of the boundary conditions (BCs) required on the solid surfaces for the continuum modeling of Radiofrequency (RF) plasmas. Various kinds of number and energy density BCs on solid surfaces were surveyed, and how they interacted with the electric potential BC to affect the plasma was examined in two fundamental RF plasma reactor configurations. A second-order local mean energy approximation with equations governing the electron and ion number densities and the electron energy density was used to model the plasmas. Zero densities and various combinations of drift, diffusion, and thermal fluxes were considered to set up BCs. It was shown that the choice of BC can have a significant impact on the sheath and bulk plasma. The thermal and diffusion fluxes to the surface were found to be important. A pure drift BC for dielectric walls failed to produce a sheath.

Bone conduction reception: head sensitivity mapping.

PubMed

McBride, Maranda; Letowski, Tomasz; Tran, Phuong

2008-05-01

This study sought to identify skull locations that are highly sensitive to bone conduction (BC) auditory signal reception and could be used in the design of military radio communication headsets. In Experiment 1, pure tone signals were transmitted via BC to 11 skull locations of 14 volunteers seated in a quiet environment. In Experiment 2, the same signals were transmitted via BC to nine skull locations of 12 volunteers seated in an environment with 60 decibels of white background noise. Hearing threshold levels for each signal per location were measured. In the quiet condition, the condyle had the lowest mean threshold for all signals followed by the jaw angle, mastoid and vertex. In the white noise condition, the condyle also had the lowest mean threshold followed by the mastoid, vertex and temple. Overall results of both experiments were very similar and implicated the condyle as the most effective location.

Brain stem slice conditioned medium contains endogenous BDNF and GDNF that affect neural crest boundary cap cells in co-culture.

PubMed

Kaiser, Andreas; Kale, Ajay; Novozhilova, Ekaterina; Siratirakun, Piyaporn; Aquino, Jorge B; Thonabulsombat, Charoensri; Ernfors, Patrik; Olivius, Petri

2014-05-30

Conditioned medium (CM), made by collecting medium after a few days in cell culture and then re-using it to further stimulate other cells, is a known experimental concept since the 1950s. Our group has explored this technique to stimulate the performance of cells in culture in general, and to evaluate stem- and progenitor cell aptitude for auditory nerve repair enhancement in particular. As compared to other mediums, all primary endpoints in our published experimental settings have weighed in favor of conditioned culture medium, where we have shown that conditioned culture medium has a stimulatory effect on cell survival. In order to explore the reasons for this improved survival we set out to analyze the conditioned culture medium. We utilized ELISA kits to investigate whether brain stem (BS) slice CM contains any significant amounts of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). We further looked for a donor cell with progenitor characteristics that would be receptive to BDNF and GDNF. We chose the well-documented boundary cap (BC) progenitor cells to be tested in our in vitro co-culture setting together with cochlear nucleus (CN) of the BS. The results show that BS CM contains BDNF and GDNF and that survival of BC cells, as well as BC cell differentiation into neurons, were enhanced when BS CM were used. Altogether, we conclude that BC cells transplanted into a BDNF and GDNF rich environment could be suitable for treatment of a traumatized or degenerated auditory nerve. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The different roles of opioid receptors in the inhibitory effects induced by sacral dorsal root ganglion stimulation on nociceptive and nonnociceptive conditions in cats.

PubMed

Wang, Zhaoxia; Liao, Limin; Deng, Han; Li, Xing; Chen, Guoqing; Liao, Xiwen

2018-06-04

To examine the roles of opioid receptors in the inhibition of nociceptive and nonnociceptive bladder reflexes by sacral dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation in cats. Hook electrodes were placed in the right S1 and S2 DRG of cats. The bladders were infused with physiologic saline or 0.25% acetic acid (AA). Naloxone (0.1, 0.3, and 1 mg/kg), an opioid receptor antagonist, was administered intravenously. S1 or S2 DRG stimulation was applied before and after administering the drug. Multiple cystometrograms were performed to determine the effects of DRG stimulation and opioid receptors on the micturition reflex under nociceptive and non-nociceptive conditions. AA significantly (P < 0.01) reduced bladder capacity (BC). DRG stimulation at threshold (T) and 1.5 T significantly increased BC of the saline control under nociceptive and non-nociceptive conditions. When saline was infused, naloxone (0.1-1 mg/kg) significantly (P < 0.01) reduced BC; however, naloxone did not change BC during AA irritation. During saline infusion, naloxone (0.3 and 1 mg/kg) partly blocked S1 DRG stimulation-induced inhibition but had only a slight effect on S2 DRG stimulation. During AA infusion, naloxone (0.3 and 1 mg/kg) only partially blocked S1 DRG stimulation at T intensity but not during 1.5 T stimulation. However, no doses of naloxone significantly affected S2 DRG stimulation. Opioid receptors play a role in sacral DRG stimulation on non-nociceptive condition but are not involved in the inhibitory effect of stimulation in nociceptive conditions. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Reductions in indoor black carbon concentrations from improved biomass stoves in rural India.

PubMed

Patange, Omkar S; Ramanathan, Nithya; Rehman, I H; Tripathi, Sachi Nand; Misra, Amit; Kar, Abhishek; Graham, Eric; Singh, Lokendra; Bahadur, Ranjit; Ramanathan, V

2015-04-07

Deployment of improved biomass burning cookstoves is recognized as a black carbon (BC) mitigation measure that has the potential to achieve health benefits and climate cobenefits. Yet, few field based studies document BC concentration reductions (and resulting human exposure) resulting from improved stove usage. In this paper, data are presented from 277 real-world cooking sessions collected during two field studies to document the impacts on indoor BC concentrations inside village kitchens as a result of switching from traditional stoves to improved forced draft (FD) stoves. Data collection utilized new low-cost cellphone methods to monitor BC, cooking duration, and fuel consumption. A cross sectional study recorded a reduction of 36% in BC during cooking sessions. An independent paired sample study demonstrated a statistically significant reduction of 40% in 24 h BC concentrations when traditional stoves were replaced with FD stoves. Reductions observed in these field studies differ from emission factor reductions (up to 99%) observed under controlled conditions in laboratory studies. Other nonstove sources (e.g., kerosene lamps, ambient concentrations) likely offset the reductions. Health exposure studies should utilize reductions determined by field measurements inside village kitchens, in conjunction with laboratory data, to assess the health impacts of new cooking technologies.

A case-control study on the association between bladder cancer and prior bladder calculus.

PubMed

Chung, Shiu-Dong; Tsai, Ming-Chieh; Lin, Ching-Chun; Lin, Herng-Ching

2013-03-15

Bladder calculus is associated with chronic irritation and inflammation. As there is substantial documentation that inflammation can play a direct role in carcinogenesis, to date the relationship between stone formation and bladder cancer (BC) remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between BC and prior bladder calculus using a population-based dataset. This case-control study included 2,086 cases who had received their first-time diagnosis of BC between 2001 and 2009 and 10,430 randomly selected controls without BC. Conditional logistic regressions were employed to explore the association between BC and having been previously diagnosed with bladder calculus. Of the sampled subjects, bladder calculus was found in 71 (3.4%) cases and 105 (1.1%) controls. Conditional logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds ratio (OR) of having been diagnosed with bladder calculus before the index date for cases was 3.42 (95% CI = 2.48-4.72) when compared with controls after adjusting for monthly income, geographic region, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and renal disease, tobacco use disorder, obesity, alcohol abuse, and schistosomiasis, bladder outlet obstruction, and urinary tract infection. We further analyzed according to sex and found that among males, the OR of having been previously diagnosed with bladder calculus for cases was 3.45 (95% CI = 2.39-4.99) that of controls. Among females, the OR was 3.05 (95% CI = 1.53-6.08) that of controls. These results add to the evidence surrounding the conflicting reports regarding the association between BC and prior bladder calculus and highlight a potential target population for bladder cancer screening.

The inhibitory effect of sacral dorsal root ganglion stimulation on nociceptive and nonnociceptive bladder reflexes in cats.

PubMed

Wang, Zhaoxia; Liao, Limin; Deng, Han; Li, Xing; Chen, Guoqing

2018-05-01

To investigate the inhibitory effects of electrical stimulation of sacral dorsal root ganglion (DRG) on bladder activity under non-nociceptive and nociceptive bladder conditions in cats. 12 cats were divided into non-nociceptive and nociceptive groups. Saline was used to distend the bladder and induce non-nociceptive bladder activity, while acetic acid (AA, 0.25%) was used to induce nociceptive bladder overactivity, S1 or S2 DRG stimulation was applied via a pair of hook electrodes placed in the right S1 and S2 DRG. In both non-nociceptive and nociceptive groups, stimulation at 3 and 5 Hz significantly increased bladder capacity (BC) and no significantly different between the two frequencies. In non-nociceptive group, S1 DRG stimulation at 3 Hz was as effective (increasing BC to 139.7 ± 5.6 and 166.9 ± 12.21% of control at 1T and 3/2T, respectively) as S2 DRG stimulation (increases BC to 129.2 ± 5.6 and 160.5 ± 13.3% of control). In nociceptive group, AA reduced the BC to 62.6 ± 11.7% of saline control. S1 DRG stimulation at 3 Hz was also as effective (increasing BC to 54.9 ± 5.5 and 61.9 ± 6.0% of saline control at 1T and 3/2T, respectively) as S2 DRG stimulation (increases BC to 58.3 ± 3.7 and 65.6 ± 3.7% of control). This study showed the effective inhibition on bladder activity under both non-nociceptive and nociceptive conditions, suggesting the possibility of sacral DRG stimulation to treat bladder overactivity.

Obesity-resistant S5B rats showed great cocaine conditioned place preference than the obesity-prone OM rats

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thanos, P.K.; Wang, G.; Thanos, P.K..

Dopamine (DA) and the DA D2 receptor (D2R) are involved in the rewarding and conditioned responses to food and drug rewards. Osborne-Mendel (OM) rats are genetically prone and S5B/P rats are genetically resistant to obesity when fed a high-fat diet. We hypothesized that the differential sensitivity of these two rat strains to natural rewards may also be reflected in sensitivity to drugs of abuse. Therefore, we tested whether OM and S5B/P rats showed a differential preference to cocaine using conditioned place preference (CPP). To also evaluate whether there is specific involvement of the D2R in this differential conditioning sensitivity, wemore » then tested whether the D2R agonist bromocriptine (BC) would differentially affect the effects of cocaine in the two strains. OM and S5B/P rats were conditioned with cocaine (5 or 10 mg/kg) in one chamber and saline in another for 8 days. Rats were then tested for cocaine preference. The effects of BC (0.5, 1, 5, 10, 20 mg/kg) on cocaine preference were then assessed in subsequent test sessions. OM rats did not show a significant preference for the cocaine-paired chamber on test day. Only the S5B/P rats showed cocaine CPP. Later treatment with only the highest dose of BC resulted in reduced cocaine CPP in S5B/P rats when treated with 5 mg/kg cocaine and in OM rats treated with 10 mg/kg cocaine. Our results indicated that obesity-resistant S5B rats showed greater cocaine CPP than the obesity-prone OM rats. These findings do not support a theory of common vulnerability for reinforcer preferences (food and cocaine). However, they show that BC reduced cocaine conditioning effects supporting at least a partial regulatory role of D2R in conditioned responses to drugs.« less

Cyclisation versus 1,1-Carboboration: Reactions of B(C6F5)3 with Propargyl Amides.

PubMed

Melen, Rebecca L; Hansmann, Max M; Lough, Alan J; Hashmi, A Stephen K; Stephan, Douglas W

2013-09-02

A series of propargyl amides were prepared and their reactions with the Lewis acidic compound B(C6F5)3 were investigated. These reactions were shown to afford novel heterocycles under mild conditions. The reaction of a variety of N-substituted propargyl amides with B(C6F5)3 led to an intramolecular oxo-boration cyclisation reaction, which afforded the 5-alkylidene-4,5-dihydrooxazolium borate species. Secondary propargyl amides gave oxazoles in B(C6F5)3 mediated (catalytic) cyclisation reactions. In the special case of disubstitution adjacent to the nitrogen atom, 1,1-carboboration is favoured as a result of the increased steric hindrance (1,3-allylic strain) in the 5-alkylidene-4,5-dihydrooxazolium borate species. Copyright © 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An Asymmetric Birdcage Coil for Small-animal MR Imaging at 7T

PubMed Central

Kim, Kyoung-Nam; Han, Sang-Doc; Seo, Jeung-Hoon; Heo, Phil; Yoo, Dongkyeom; Im, Geun Ho; Lee, Jung Hee

2017-01-01

The birdcage (BC) coil is currently being utilized for uniform radiofrequency (RF) transmit/receive (Tx/Rx) or Tx-only configuration in many magnetic resonance (MR) imaging applications, but insufficient magnetic flux (|B1|) density and their non-uniform distribution still exists in high-field (HF) environments. We demonstrate that the asymmetric birdcage (ABC) transmit/receive (Tx/Rx) volume coil, which is a modified standard birdcage (SBC) coil with the end ring split into two halves, is suitable for improving the |B1| sensitivity in 7T small-animal MR imaging. Cylindrical SBC and ABC coils with 35 mm diameter were constructed and bench tested for mouse body MR imaging at 300 MHz using a 7T scanner. To assess the ABC coil performance, computational electromagnetic (EM) simulation and 7T MR experiment were performed by using a cylindrical phantom and in vivo mouse body and quantitatively compared with the SBC coil in terms of |B1| distribution, RF transmit (|B1+|) field, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The bench measurements of the two BC coils are similar, yielding a quality value (Q-value) of 74.42 for the SBC coil and 77.06 for the ABC coil. The computational calculation results clearly show that the proposed ABC coil offers superior |B1| field and |B1+| field sensitivity in the central axial slice compared with the SBC coil. There was also high SNR and uniformly distributed flip angle (FA) under the loaded condition of mouse body in the 7T experiment. Although ABC geometry allows a further increase in the |B1| field and |B1+| field sensitivity in only the central axial slice, the geometrical modification of the SBC coil can make a high performance RF coil feasible in the central axial slice and also make target imaging possible in the diagonal direction. PMID:27725573

Traffic-related air pollution and sleep in the Boston Area Community Health Survey.

PubMed

Fang, Shona C; Schwartz, Joel; Yang, May; Yaggi, H Klar; Bliwise, Donald L; Araujo, Andre B

2015-01-01

Little is known about environmental determinants of sleep. We investigated the association between black carbon (BC), a marker of traffic-related air pollution, and sleep measures among participants of the Boston Area Community Health Survey. We also sought to assess the impact of sociodemographic factors, health conditions, and season on associations. Residential 24-h BC was estimated from a validated land-use regression model for 3821 participants and averaged over 1-6 months and 1 year. Sleep measures included questionnaire-assessed sleep duration, sleep latency, and sleep apnea. Linear and logistic regression models controlling for confounders estimated the association between sleep measures and BC. Effect modification was tested with interaction terms. Main effects were not observed between BC and sleep measures. However, in stratified models, males experienced 0.23 h less sleep (95% CI: -0.42, -0.03) and those with low SES 0.25 h less sleep (95% CI: -0.48, -0.01) per IQR increase in annual BC (0.21 μg/m(3)). In blacks, sleep duration increased with annual BC (β=0.34 per IQR; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.57). Similar findings were observed for short sleep (≤5 h). BC was not associated with sleep apnea or sleep latency, however, long-term exposure may be associated with shorter sleep duration, particularly in men and those with low SES, and longer sleep duration in blacks.

Risk of depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders in women with a suspected but unconfirmed diagnosis of breast or genital organ cancer in Germany.

PubMed

Kostev, Karel; Jacob, Louis; Kalder, Matthias

2017-10-01

Breast cancer (BC) and genital organ cancers (GOC) are known to have a major impact on the quality of life of patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the risk of depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders in women in Germany with a suspected but unconfirmed diagnosis of BC or GOC in their medical history. This study included women who received a suspected diagnosis of BC or GOC and were followed between 2007 and 2015 (index date). These women were matched (1:1:1) by age to women with a confirmed diagnosis of BC or GOC and women without a cancer diagnosis. The main outcome measure of the study was the rate of depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorder diagnoses within 3 years of the index date. The present analysis included a total of 4,842 patients (mean age = 49.3 years). Within 3 years of the index date, 23.5% of women with a confirmed diagnosis of BC or GOC, 14.1% of those with a suspected diagnosis of BC or GOC, and 10.5% of those without a cancer diagnosis developed depression, anxiety, or an adjustment disorder (log-rank p value <0.001). Women with a suspected diagnosis of cancer were at a higher risk for these psychiatric conditions than those without a cancer diagnosis (BC and GOC: HR 1.32; BC: HR 1.21; GOC: HR 1.50). A suspected diagnosis of BC or GOC in a woman's medical history is associated with an increased risk of developing depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders.

Generation of a human airway epithelium derived basal cell line with multipotent differentiation capacity

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background As the multipotent progenitor population of the airway epithelium, human airway basal cells (BC) replenish the specialized differentiated cell populations of the mucociliated airway epithelium during physiological turnover and repair. Cultured primary BC divide a limited number of times before entering a state of replicative senescence, preventing the establishment of long-term replicating cultures of airway BC that maintain their original phenotype. Methods To generate an immortalized human airway BC cell line, primary human airway BC obtained by brushing the airway epithelium of healthy nonsmokers were infected with a retrovirus expressing human telomerase (hTERT). The resulting immortalized cell line was then characterized under non-differentiating and differentiating air-liquid interface (ALI) culture conditions using ELISA, TaqMan quantitative PCR, Western analysis, and immunofluorescent and immunohistochemical staining analysis for cell type specific markers. In addition, the ability of the cell line to respond to environmental stimuli under differentiating ALI culture was assessed. Results We successfully generated an immortalized human airway BC cell line termed BCi-NS1 via expression of hTERT. A single cell derived clone from the parental BCi-NS1 cells, BCi-NS1.1, retains characteristics of the original primary cells for over 40 passages and demonstrates a multipotent differentiation capacity into secretory (MUC5AC, MUC5B), goblet (TFF3), Clara (CC10) and ciliated (DNAI1, FOXJ1) cells on ALI culture. The cells can respond to external stimuli such as IL-13, resulting in alteration of the normal differentiation process. Conclusion Development of immortalized human airway BC that retain multipotent differentiation capacity over long-term culture should be useful in understanding the biology of BC, the response of BC to environmental stress, and as a target for assessment of pharmacologic agents. PMID:24298994

Examining the Influence of Beta Blockers and ACE Inhibitors on the Risk for Breast Cancer Recurrence: Results from the LACE Cohort

PubMed Central

Ganz, Patricia A.; Habel, Laurel A.; Weltzien, Erin K.; Caan, Bette J.; Cole, Steven W.

2011-01-01

There is increasing interest in the relationship between host lifestyle factors and the outcomes of cancer treatment. Behavioral factors, comorbid conditions, and non-cancer related pharmaceutical exposures may affect breast cancer (BC) outcomes. We used observational data from the LACE Study cohort (women with early stage BC from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Cancer Registry) to examine the association between beta-blockers (BB) and/or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and BC recurrence, BC-specific mortality, and overall mortality. Among 1,779 women, there were 292 BC recurrences, 174 BC deaths, and 323 total deaths. 23% were exposed to either a BB and/or an ACEi. These drugs were associated with older age, postmenopausal status, tamoxifen therapy, greater pre-diagnosis BMI, hypertension, and diabetes. In Cox proportional hazards models, ACEi exposure was associated with BC recurrence (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.02, 2.39, p=0.04), but not cause-specific mortality or overall mortality. Combined ACEi and BB was associated with overall mortality (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.22, 3.10, p=0.01). BB exposure was associated with lower hazard of recurrence and cause-specific mortality. However, there was no evidence of a dose response with either medication. For recurrence and cause-specific mortality, BB combined with ACEi was associated with a lower HR for the outcome than when ACEi alone was used. These hypothesis generating findings suggest that BC recurrence and survival were associated with exposure to two commonly used classes of anti-hypertensive medications. These observations need to be confirmed and suggest that greater attention should focus on the potential role of these commonly used medications in BC outcomes. PMID:21479924

Development of ion-exchange properties of bamboo charcoal modified with concentrated nitric acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khandaker, S.; Kuba, T.; Toyohara, Y.; Kamida, S.; Uchikawa, Y.

2017-08-01

The surface chemistry and the structural properties of activated carbon can be altered by the acidic modification. The objective of this study is to investigate the changes occurring in bamboo charcoal (BC) during activation with concentrated nitric acid. Low temperature (500°C) carbonized BC has been prepared and oxidized with 70% concentrated boiling nitric acid (BC-AC). The porous properties of the BC are analyzed with nitrogen adsorption isotherm at 77 K. The surface structure is observed by Field emission scanning electronic microscope (FESEM) and the surface functional groups are examined by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the pH of the point of zero charge (pHPZC). The results reveal that severe oxidation with HNO3 considerably decreases the surface area of BC with enhanced pore widening and FESEM observation demonstrates the erosive effect of oxidation. The FTIR analysis detects that some absorption bands are assigned for carboxyl, aldehyde and ketone groups on BC-AC. The XPS analysis also clearly shows that the ratio of oxygen and acidic functional groups has been enriched significantly on the BC-AC. The low pHPZC value of BC-AC confirms that the surface is highly acidic for the fixation of acidic functional groups on surface. In general, the existence of the abundant amount of acidic functional groups on adsorbents enhances the sorption of heavy metals ions in aqueous solution. Therefore, it is strongly expected that the modified BC, activated under the proposed conditions would be a promising ion exchanger in aqueous solution and can be applied for the adsorption of different heavy metal ions and radioactive materials from effluent.

Tissue kallikrein protects neurons from hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced cell injury through Homer1b/c.

PubMed

Su, Jingjing; Tang, Yuping; Zhou, Houguang; Liu, Ling; Dong, Qiang

2012-11-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that human tissue kallikrein (TK) gene delivery protects against mouse cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury through bradykinin B2 receptor (B2R) activation. We have also reported that exogenous TK administration can suppress glutamate- or acidosis-induced neurotoxicity through the extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway. To further explore the neuroprotection mechanisms of TK, in the present study we performed immunoprecipitation analysis and identified a scaffolding protein Homer1b/c using MALDI-TOF MS analysis. Here, we tested the hypothesis that TK reduces cell injury induced by oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) through activating Homer1b/c. We found that TK increased the expression of Homer1b/c in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, TK facilitated the translocation of Homer1b/c to the plasma membrane under OGD/R condition by confocal microscope assays. We also observed that overexpression of Homer1b/c showed the neuroprotection against OGD/R-induced cell injury by enhancing cell survival, reducing LDH release, caspase-3 activity and cell apoptosis. However, the knockdown of Homer1b/c by small interfering RNA showed the opposite effects, indicating that Homer1b/c had protective effects against OGD/R-induced neuronal injury. More interestingly, TK exerted its much more significantly neuroprotective effects after Homer1b/c overexpression, whereas it exerted its reduced effects after Homer1b/c knockdown. In addition, TK pretreatment increased the phosphorylation of the ERK1/2 and Akt-GSK3β through Homer1b/c activation. The beneficial effects of Homer1b/c were abolished by the ERK1/2 or PI3K antagonist. Therefore, we propose novel signaling mechanisms involved in the anti-hypoxic function of TK through activation of Homer1b/c-ERK1/2 and Homer1b/c-PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Aptamer BC 007 Substance and Product Using Circular Dichroism and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Weisshoff, Hardy; Wenzel, Katrin; Schulze-Rothe, Sarah; Nikolenko, Heike; Davideit, Hanna; Becker, Niels-Peter; Göttel, Peter; Srivatsa, G Susan; Dathe, Margitta; Müller, Johannes; Haberland, Annekathrin

2018-04-18

Possible unwanted folding of biopharmaceuticals during manufacturing and storage has resulted in analysis schemes compared to small molecules that include bioanalytical characterization besides chemical characterization. Whether bioanalytical characterization is required for nucleotide-based drugs, may be decided on a case-by-case basis. Nucleotide-based pharmaceuticals, if chemically synthesized, occupy an intermediate position between small-molecule drugs and biologics. Here, we tested whether a physicochemical characterization of a nucleotide-based drug substance, BC 007, was adequate, using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed CD data in one experimental setup. BC 007 forms a quadruplex structure under specific external conditions, which was characterized for its stability and structural appearance also after denaturation using CD and nuclear magnetic resonance. The amount of the free energy (ΔG 0 ) involved in quadruplex formation of BC 007 was estimated at +8.7 kJ/mol when dissolved in water and +1.4 kJ/mol in 154 mM NaCl, indicating structural instability under these conditions. However, dissolution of the substance in 5 mM of KCl reduced the ΔG 0 to -5.6 kJ/mol due to the stabilizing effect of cations. These results show that positive ΔG 0 of quadruplex structure formation in water and aqueous NaCl prevents BC 007 from preforming stable 3-dimensional structures, which could potentially affect drug function. Copyright © 2018 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nuchal Skinfold Thickness: A Novel Parameter for Assessment of Body Composition in Childhood Craniopharyngioma

PubMed Central

Sterkenburg, Anthe S.; Hoffmann, Anika; Reichel, Julia; Lohle, Kristin; Eveslage, Maria; Warmuth-Metz, Monika

2016-01-01

Context: Hypothalamic obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and relapse/progression have a major impact on prognosis in childhood-onset craniopharyngioma (CP). We analyzed nuchal skinfold thickness (NST) on magnetic resonance imaging performed for follow-up monitoring as a novel parameter for body composition (BC) and CVD in CP. Objective: The objective of the study was to identify the association of NST with body mass index (BMI), waist to height ratio (WHtR), functional capacity, and blood pressure (BP) in CP and controls. Design: This was a cross-sectional and longitudinal prospective study in CP patients. Setting: The study was conducted at HIT-Endo, KRANIOPHARYNGEOM 2000/2007. Patients: Participants included 94 CP patients and 75 controls. Interventions: There were no interventions. Main Outcome Measures: Association of NST with BC and BP in 43 CP and 43 controls was measured. Results: NST correlated with BMI SD score (SDS; r = 0.78; P < .001; n = 169) and WHtR (r = 0.85; P < .001; n = 86) in the total cohort and CP patients (NST-BMI SDS: r = 0.77, P < .001, n = 94); NST-WHtR: r = 0.835, P < .001, n=43) and controls (NST-BMI SDS: r = 0.792, P < .001, n = 75; NST-WHtR: r = 0.671, P < .001, n = 43). In CP, systolic BP correlated with NST (r = 0.575, P < .001), BMI SDS (r = 0.434, P = .004), and WHtR (r = 0.386, P = .011). Similar results were observed for diastolic BP in CP. In multivariate analyses, NST had a predictive value for hypertension in postpubertal CP and controls (odds ratio 6.98, 95% confidence interval [1.65, 29.5], P = .008). During a longitudinal follow-up, changes in NST correlated with changes in BMI SDS (P < .001) and WHtR (P = .01) but not with changes in BP and functional capacity. Conclusions: Because monitoring of magnetic resonance imaging and BC is essential for follow-up in CP, NST could serve as a novel and clinically relevant parameter for longitudinal assessment of BC and CVD risk in CP. PMID:27680877

A pilot study addressing the impact of religious practice on quality of life of breast cancer patients during chemotherapy.

PubMed

Paiva, Carlos Eduardo; Paiva, Bianca Sakamoto Ribeiro; de Castro, Rafael Amaral; Souza, Cristiano de Pádua; de Paiva Maia, Yara Cristina; Ayres, Jairo Aparecido; Michelin, Odair Carlito

2013-03-01

The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate whether religious practice can modify quality of life (QoL) in BC patients during chemotherapy. QoL and religion practice questionnaire (RPQ) scores were evaluated in a sample of BC patients in different moments. Before chemotherapy initiation, women with lower physical and social functional scores displayed higher RPQ scores. On the other hand, low RPQ patients worsened some QoL scores over time. Body image acceptance was positively correlated with religious practice and specifically praying activity. This preliminary study suggests the importance of religion in coping with cancer chemotherapy.

Mechanism of immune evasion in breast cancer

PubMed Central

Wang, Mozhi; Zhang, Changwang; Song, Yongxi; Wang, Zhenning; Wang, Yaojia; Luo, Fang; Xu, Yujie; Zhao, Yi; Wu, Zhonghua; Xu, Yingying

2017-01-01

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant tumor among women, with high morbidity and mortality. Its onset, development, metastasis, and prognosis vary among individuals due to the interactions between tumors and host immunity. Many diverse mechanisms have been associated with BC, with immune evasion being the most widely studied to date. Tumor cells can escape from the body’s immune response, which targets abnormal components and foreign bodies, using different approaches including modification of surface antigens and modulation of the surrounding environment. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms and factors that impact the immunoediting process and analyze their functions in detail. PMID:28352189

The Solar Poynting-Robertson Effect On Particles Orbiting Solar System Bodies: Circular Orbits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubincam, David P.

2013-01-01

The Poynting-Robertson effect from sunlight impinging directly on a particle which orbits a Solar System body (planet, asteroid, comet) is considered from the Sun's rest frame. There appear to be no significant first-order terms in V(sub b)/c for circular orbits, where V(sub b) is the body's speed in its orbit about the Sun and c is the speed of light, when the particle's orbital semimajor axis is much smaller than the body's orbital semimajor axis about the Sun as is mainly the case in the Solar System.

Paleobiology, palaeopathology and necrophobic practices in early Iron Age burials (IX-VII century BC) in Capo Colonna, Trani, Apulia, southern Italy--the state of health of a small sample from Iron Age.

PubMed

Sublimi Saponetti, Sandro; Scattarella, Fabio; De Lucia, Amelia; Scattarella, Vito

2007-03-01

In this palaeobiological and palaeopathological study of skeletal remains, we attempt to define the physical characteristics, living conditions and the state of health of a small sample from two early Iron Age (IX-VIII century BC) graves at Capo Colonna, Trani (Bari, Apulia, southern Italy). In the thoraco-lumbar segment (T11-L1) of the vertebral column of an adult male 35 years old, we found wedge-shaped deformation of the anterior part of T12 with kyphosis of the affected tract. Digital radiography and volumetric reconstruction by 3D CT indicated that the alteration did not result from an infectious process (Pott's disease). Instead, it was a traumatic lesion probably caused by falling from a height. The archaeological investigation revealed extraordinary arrangements of the bodies in the graves: they were buried with a boulder placed on the coffin. This practice has been seen in similar graves in the Balkan area, particularly in Greece, from the Neolithic to the Early Middle Ages. The most likely explanation is a funeral ritual characterized by necrophobia, the purpose of which was to prevent the deceased from returning to terrorize the living.

The Role of Trans Tensional Structures and Lake Mead Reservoir in Groundwater Flow in Black Canyon, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, NV-AZ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Justet, L.; Beard, S.

2010-12-01

Hot springs and seeps discharging into Black Canyon (BC) along the Colorado River in north Colorado River Valley (CRV) support endemic riparian ecosystems in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Increases in groundwater development in southern NV and northwestern AZ may impact spring discharge. Sources of spring discharge in BC were evaluated using geochemical methods. Kinematic analysis and geologic mapping of structures associated with BC springs were used to evaluate structural controls on groundwater flow in BC. Geochemical analysis indicates groundwater discharge near Hoover Dam (HD) and along the faulted edge of the Boulder City Pluton is derived from Lake Mead, high δ87Sr Proterozoic or Tertiary crystalline rock and, possibly, Tertiary sedimentary rock. Reducing conditions indicated by 234U/238U and δ34S concentrations suggest the groundwater is confined and/or derived from greater depths while carbon isotopes indicate the groundwater is old. Lighter δD and δO-18, modern tritium concentrations, post-Dam U disequilibrium ages, and occurrence of anthropogenic perchlorate support the presence of a young Lake Mead component. South of the pluton, the Lake Mead component is absent. More oxidizing conditions in this part of BC, indicated by the U and S isotope concentrations, suggest the groundwater is less confined and/or derived from shallower depths compared to groundwater discharging near HD. Older apparent groundwater ages and heavier δD and δO-18 values south of the pluton indicate slower flow paths from a lower elevation or latitude source. Clarifying the nature of groundwater flow in eastern NV, the analyses indicate that hydraulic connection between the regional carbonate aquifer and BC is unlikely. Instead, the data indicate sources of BC springs are derived relatively locally in CRV and, possibly, south Lake Mead Valley. Results of the geologic and kinematic analyses indicate faults that formed from the interaction of E-W extension related to the AZ extensional corridor and NW-SE trans tension related to the Lake Mead shear zone are the main controls on groundwater flow in the vicinity of HD and Boulder City Pluton. Most groundwater in BC appears to discharge along the NW-striking Palm Tree fault that parallels the northern edge of the pluton. Supported by trends in chemistry, an alignment of similar-elevation springs along a N-S striking fault that extends the length of west BC may be a flow path for groundwater from north BC to south of the pluton. South of the pluton, dikes intrude many of the faults and appear to act as flow barriers. Groundwater in this part of BC may flow through stacked layers of brecciated volcanic rock prevalent in the area. Flow from laterally adjacent valleys into BC would have to cross a N-S structural fabric that is not favored kinematically. Existing information implies an overall absence of significant surface discharge in BC prior to construction of HD. This indicates that the head created by impoundment of the Colorado River has likely pushed old, slow moving groundwater through CRV and, possibly, south Lake Mead Valley, to the surface in BC where it discharges as springs and seeps.

Climatic Drying in Mesoamerica Between 2000 and 1000 BC and its Potential Role of Initial Settlement of Early Maya Civilisations in Peten, Guatemala

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, A. D.; Anselmetti, F.; Hodell, D. A.; Brenner, M.; Ariztegui, D.; Islebe, G. A.; Grzesik, D. A.; Mc Kenzie, J. A.; Ploetze, M. L.; Hillesheim, M. B.

2006-12-01

Unlike the collapse of the Classic Maya culture, which may have been related to a series of abrupt droughts on the Yucatan Peninsula in the 9^t^h and 10^t^h centuries AD, less is known about climate change at the time of initial settlement of early Maya civilisations in Petén that occurred during the early preclassic period (~2000 - 1000 BC). We focus on the time period between 2000 and 1000 BC and present sedimentological, geochemical and pollen data from a sediment core taken in Lake Petén Itzà (16° 55'N, 89° 50'W), northern Guatemala, the deepest lake in the lowland Neotropics of Central America. The lake lacks surface outflows so that its water level is very sensitive to changes in the balance between evaporation and precipitation. Our results suggest a lake level lowering, i.e. drier conditions, during pre-Maya times between 2000 and 1000 BC. The lower lake level is marked lithologically by a shift from previously accumulated, laminated, deep-water clay to overlying shallow-water, gastropod-rich sediments, and by an increased amount of autochthonous calcite crystals. Additionally, our new pollen record from Lake Petén Itzà documents a decline of tropical high forest taxa and an increase in pine and secondary taxa between 2000 and 1000 BC. This is interpreted to reflect increased openness of the vegetation, and together with evidence for lake level lowering, points to drier conditions in the region. The oxygen isotopic record from Lake Petén Itzà, however, does not show a significant increase in δ18O values between 2000 and 1000 BC as might be expected as a consequence of an increased evaporation and/or reduced precipitation. So a potential lake level lowering could not be confirmed yet by stable isotope analysis. Evidence for the onset of regional drying around 2000 BC is supported by a coinciding drying trend measured in a marine core off northern Venezuela (Cariaco, ODP Hole 1002C). Furthermore, paleoclimate archives from several lakes in Africa (e.g. low lake level in Lake Bosumtwi (6° 30'N, 1° 25'W) indicate a simultaneous drying phase in the northern tropical regions on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In contrast to the northern hemisphere, wetter climate conditions occurred after ~2000 BC in the southern hemisphere (e.g. rising water level in Lake Titicaca (16° 0'S, 69° 0'W). We suggest that these climate patterns occurred as a consequence of a southerly displacement of the mean position of the Atlantic Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which controls moisture distribution in tropical latitudes. Climate drying and consequent thinning of the dense tropical forest cover from 2000 - 1000 BC in the Guatemalan lowlands may have promoted the use of slash-and-burn farming practices and initial permanent settlement of early Maya.

Sources and transport of black carbon at the California-Mexico border

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shores, Christopher A.; Klapmeyer, Michael E.; Quadros, Marina E.; Marr, Linsey C.

2013-05-01

At international border areas that suffer from poor air quality, assessment of pollutant sources and transport across the border is important for designing effective air quality management strategies. As part of the Cal-Mex 2010 field campaign at the US-Mexico border in San Diego and Tijuana, we measured black carbon (BC) concentrations at three locations in Mexico and one in the United States. The measurements were intended to support the following objectives: to characterize the spatial and temporal variability in BC, to estimate the BC emission inventory, to identify potential source areas of BC emissions, and to assess the cross-border transport of BC. Concentrations at Parque Morelos, the campaign's supersite, averaged 2.2 μg m-3 and reached a maximum value of 55.9 μg m-3 (1-min average). Sharp, regularly occurring peaks around midnight were suggestive of clandestine industrial activity. BC concentrations were more than two times higher, on average, in Tijuana compared to San Diego. BC and carbon monoxide (CO) were strongly correlated at the three sites in Mexico. The ΔBC/ΔCO ratio of 5.6 ± 0.5 μg m-3 ppm-1 in Tijuana, or 4.7 ± 0.5 μg m-3 ppm-1 when adjusted for seasonal temperature effects to represent an annual average, was comparable to that in other urban areas. Tijuana's emissions of BC were estimated to be 230-890 metric tons per year, 6-23% of those estimated for San Diego. Large uncertainties in this estimate stem mainly from uncertainties in the CO emission inventory, and the lower end of the estimate is more likely to be accurate. Patterns in concentrations and winds suggest that BC in Tijuana was usually of local origin. Under typical summertime conditions such as those observed during the study, transport from Tijuana into the US was common, crossing the border in a northeasterly direction, sometimes as far east as Imperial County at the eastern edge of California.

[Predictive factors of contamination in a blood culture with bacterial growth in an Emergency Department].

PubMed

Hernández-Bou, S; Trenchs Sainz de la Maza, V; Esquivel Ojeda, J N; Gené Giralt, A; Luaces Cubells, C

2015-06-01

The aim of this study is to identify predictive factors of bacterial contamination in positive blood cultures (BC) collected in an emergency department. A prospective, observational and analytical study was conducted on febrile children aged on to 36 months, who had no risk factors of bacterial infection, and had a BC collected in the Emergency Department between November 2011 and October 2013 in which bacterial growth was detected. The potential BC contamination predicting factors analysed were: maximum temperature, time to positivity, initial Gram stain result, white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count, band count, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Bacteria grew in 169 BC. Thirty (17.8%) were finally considered true positives and 139 (82.2%) false positives. All potential BC contamination predicting factors analysed, except maximum temperature, showed significant differences between true positives and false positives. CRP value, time to positivity, and initial Gram stain result are the best predictors of false positives in BC. The positive predictive values of a CRP value≤30mg/L, BC time to positivity≥16h, and initial Gram stain suggestive of a contaminant in predicting a FP, are 95.1, 96.9 and 97.5%, respectively. When all 3 conditions are applied, their positive predictive value is 100%. Four (8.3%) patients with a false positive BC and discharged to home were revaluated in the Emergency Department. The majority of BC obtained in the Emergency Department that showed positive were finally considered false positives. Initial Gram stain, time to positivity, and CRP results are valuable diagnostic tests in distinguishing between true positives and false positives in BC. The early detection of false positives will allow minimising their negative consequences. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Higher Atmosphere Heating due to black carbon Over the Northern Part of India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiwari, S.; Singh, S., , Dr

2017-12-01

Light-absorbing, atmospheric particles have gained greater attention in recent years because of their direct and indirect impacts on regional and global climate. Atmospheric black carbon (BC) aerosol (also called soot particle) is a leading climate warming agent, yet uncertainties in the global direct aerosol radiative forcing remain large. Based on a year of aerosol absorption measurements at seven wavelengths, BC concentrations were investigated in Dhanbad, the coal capital of India. Coal is routinely burned for cooking and residential heat as well as in small industries. The mean daily concentrations of ultraviolet-absorbing black carbon measured at 370 nm (UVBC) and black carbon measured at 880 nm (BC) were 9.8 ± 5.7 and 6.5 ± 3.8 μg m-3, respectively. The difference between UVBC and BC, Delta-C, is an indicator of biomass or residential coal burning and averaged 3.29 ± 4.61 μg m-3. An alternative approach uses the calculation of the Angstrom Exponent (AE) to estimate the amounts of biomass/coal and traffic BC. Biomass/coal burning contributed 87% and fossil fuel combustion contributed 13% to the annual average BC concentration. In the post-monsoon season, potential source contribution function analysis showed that air masses came from the central and northwestern Indo-Gangetic Plains resulting in mean UVBC values of 10.9 μg m-3 and BC of 7.2 μg m-3. The mean winter UVBC and BC concentrations were 15.0 and 10.1 μg m-3, respectively. These highest values were largely driven by local sources under conditions of poor dispersion. The direct radiative forcing (DRF) due to UVBC and BC at the surface (SFC) and the top of the atmosphere (TOA) were calculated. The mean atmospheric heating rates due to UVBC and BC were estimated to be 1.40°K day-1 and 1.18°K day-1, respectively. This high heating rate may affect the monsoon circulation in this region.

Body composition during early infancy and developmental progression from 1 to 5 years of age: the Infant Anthropometry and Body Composition (iABC) cohort study among Ethiopian children.

PubMed

Abera, Mubarek; Tesfaye, Markos; Admassu, Bitiya; Hanlon, Charlotte; Ritz, Christian; Wibaek, Rasmus; Michaelsen, Kim F; Friis, Henrik; Wells, Jonathan C; Andersen, Gregers S; Girma, Tsinuel; Kæstel, Pernille

2018-06-01

Early nutrition and growth have been found to be important early exposures for later development. Studies of crude growth in terms of weight and length/height, however, cannot elucidate how body composition (BC) might mediate associations between nutrition and later development. In this study, we aimed to examine the relation between fat mass (FM) or fat-free mass (FFM) tissues at birth and their accretion during early infancy, and later developmental progression. In a birth cohort from Ethiopia, 455 children who have BC measurement at birth and 416 who have standardised rate of BC growth during infancy were followed up for outcome variable, and were included in the statistical analysis. The study sample was restricted to mothers living in Jimma town who gave birth to a term baby with a birth weight ≥1500 g and no evident congenital anomalies. The relationship between the exposure and outcome variables was examined using linear-mixed regression model. The finding revealed that FFM at birth was positively associated with global developmental progression from 1 to 5 years (β=1·75; 95 % CI 0·11, 3·39) and from 4 to 5 years (β=1·34; 95 % CI 0·23, 2·44) in the adjusted model. Furthermore, the rate of postnatal FFM tissue accretion was positively associated with development at 1 year of age (β=0·50; 95 % CI 0·01, 0·99). Neither fetal nor postnatal FM showed a significant association. In conclusion, fetal, rather than postnatal, FFM tissue accretion was associated with developmental progression. Intervention studies are needed to assess whether nutrition interventions increasing FFM also increase cognitive development.

Factors which modulate the rates of skeletal muscle mass loss in non-small cell lung cancer patients: a pilot study.

PubMed

Atlan, Philippe; Bayar, Mohamed Amine; Lanoy, Emilie; Besse, Benjamin; Planchard, David; Ramon, Jordy; Raynard, Bruno; Antoun, Sami

2017-11-01

Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is associated with weight loss which may reflect skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and/or total adipose tissue (TAT) depletion. This study aimed to describe changes in body composition (BC) parameters and to identify the factors unrelated to the tumor which modulate them. SMM, TAT, and the proportion of SMM to SMM + TAT were assessed with computed tomography. Estimates of each BC parameter at follow-up initiation and across time were derived from a mixed linear model of repeated measurements with a random intercept and a random slope. The same models were used to assess the independent effect of gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and initial values on changes in each BC parameter. Sixty-four patients with stage III or IV NSCLC were reviewed. The mean ± SD decreases in body weight and SMM were respectively 59 ± 3 g/week (P < 0.03) and 7 mm 2 /m 2 /week (P = 0.0003). During follow-up, no changes were identified in TAT nor in muscle density or in the proportion of SMM to SMM + TAT, estimated at 37 ± 2% at baseline. SMM loss was influenced by initial BMI (P < 0.0001) and SMM values (P = 0.0002): the higher the initial BMI or SMM values, the greater the loss observed. Weight loss was greater when the initial weight was heavier (P < 0.0001). Our results demonstrate that SMM wasting in NSCLC is lower when initial SMM and BMI values are low. These exploratory findings after our attempt to better understand the intrinsic factors associated with muscle mass depletion need to be confirmed in larger studies.

Bacterial cellulose-polyaniline nano-biocomposite: A porous media hydrogel bioanode enhancing the performance of microbial fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mashkour, Mehrdad; Rahimnejad, Mostafa; Mashkour, Mahdi

2016-09-01

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are one of the possible renewable energy supplies which microorganisms play an active role in bio-oxidize reactions of a substrate such as glucose. Electrode materials and surface modifications are highly effective tools in enhancing MFCs' Performance. In this study, new composite anodes are fabricated. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is used as continuous phase and polyaniline (PANI) as dispersed one which is synthesized by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization on BC's fibers. With hydrogel nature of BC as a novel feature and polyaniline conductivity there meet the favorable conditions to obtain an active microbial biofilm on anode surface. Maximum power density of 117.76 mW/m2 in current density of 617 mA/m2 is achieved for BC/PANI anode. The amounts demonstrate a considerable enhancement compared with graphite plate (1 mW/m2 and 10 mA/m2).

Feasibility of the mobile mindfulness-based stress reduction for breast cancer (mMBSR(BC)) program for symptom improvement among breast cancer survivors.

PubMed

Lengacher, Cecile A; Reich, Richard R; Ramesar, Sophia; Alinat, Carissa B; Moscoso, Manolete; Cousin, Lakeshia; Marino, Victoria R; Elias, Maya N; Paterson, Carly L; Pleasant, Michelle L; Rodriguez, Carmen S; Wang, Hsiao-Lan; Kip, Kevin E; Meng, Hongdao; Park, Jong Y

2018-02-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility of delivering the mobile mindfulness-based stress reduction for breast cancer (mMBSR(BC)) program using an iPad and to evaluate its impact on symptom improvement. A single group, pre-posttest design was implemented among female stages 0-III breast cancer survivors (BCS) who completed treatment. Data were collected at baseline and week 6 on measures of psychological and physical symptoms and quality of life. The mMBSR(BC) program is a standardized, stress-reducing intervention that combines sitting and walking meditation, body scan, and yoga and is designed to deliver weekly 2-hour sessions for 6 weeks using an iPad. The mean age of the 15 enrolled BCS was 57 years; one participant was non-Hispanic black, and 14 were non-Hispanic white. Of the 13 who completed the study, there were significant improvements from baseline to 6 weeks post-mMBSR(BC) in psychological and physical symptoms of depression, state anxiety, stress, fear of recurrence, sleep quality, fatigue, and quality of life (P's < .05). Effect sizes for improvements of multiple symptoms ranged from medium to large. These results provide preliminary support that the mMBSR(BC) program may be feasible and acceptable, showing a clinical impact on decreasing psychological and physical symptoms. This mobile-based program offers a delivery of a standardized MBSR(BC) intervention to BCS that is convenient for their own schedule while decreasing symptom burden in the survivorship phase after treatment for breast cancer. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The potential contribution of dietary factors to breast cancer prevention.

PubMed

Shapira, Niva

2017-09-01

Breast cancer (BC), the leading cancer in women, is increasing in prevalence worldwide, concurrent with western metabolic epidemics, that is, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, and shares major risk factors with these diseases. The corresponding potential for nutritional contributions toward BC prevention is reviewed and related to critical stages in the life cycle and their implications for carcinogenic and pathometabolic trajectories. BC initiation potentially involves diet-related pro-oxidative, inflammatory, and procarcinogenic processes, that interact through combined lipid/fatty acid peroxidation, estrogen metabolism, and related DNA-adduct/depurination/mutation formation. The pathometabolic trajectory is affected by high estrogen, insulin, and growth factor cascades and resultant accelerated proliferation/progression. Anthropometric risk factors - high birth weight, adult tallness, adiposity/BMI, and weight gain - are often reflective of these trends. A sex-based nutritional approach targets women's specific risk in western obesogenic environments, associated with increasing fatness, estrogen metabolism, n-6 : n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio, and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid conversion to proinflammatory/carcinogenic eicosanoids, and effects of timing of life events, for example, ages at menarche, full-term pregnancy, and menopause. Recent large-scale studies have confirmed the effectiveness of the evidence-based recommendations against BC risk, emphasizing low-energy density diets, highly nutritious plant-based regimes, physical activity, and body/abdominal adiposity management. Better understanding of dietary inter-relationships with BC, as applied to food intake, selection, combination, and processing/preparation, and recommended patterns, for example, Mediterranean, DASH, plant-based, low energy density, and low glycemic load, with high nutrient/phytonutrient density, would increase public motivation and authoritative support for early/timely prevention, optimally merging with other dietary/health goals, for lifelong BC prevention.

Atovaquone and ELQ-300 Combination Therapy as a Novel Dual-Site Cytochrome bc1 Inhibition Strategy for Malaria.

PubMed

Stickles, Allison M; Smilkstein, Martin J; Morrisey, Joanne M; Li, Yuexin; Forquer, Isaac P; Kelly, Jane X; Pou, Sovitj; Winter, Rolf W; Nilsen, Aaron; Vaidya, Akhil B; Riscoe, Michael K

2016-08-01

Antimalarial combination therapies play a crucial role in preventing the emergence of drug-resistant Plasmodium parasites. Although artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) comprise the majority of these formulations, inhibitors of the mitochondrial cytochrome bc1 complex (cyt bc1) are among the few compounds that are effective for both acute antimalarial treatment and prophylaxis. There are two known sites for inhibition within cyt bc1: atovaquone (ATV) blocks the quinol oxidase (Qo) site of cyt bc1, while some members of the endochin-like quinolone (ELQ) family, including preclinical candidate ELQ-300, inhibit the quinone reductase (Qi) site and retain full potency against ATV-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains with Qo site mutations. Here, we provide the first in vivo comparison of ATV, ELQ-300, and combination therapy consisting of ATV plus ELQ-300 (ATV:ELQ-300), using P. yoelii murine models of malaria. In our monotherapy assessments, we found that ATV functioned as a single-dose curative compound in suppressive tests whereas ELQ-300 demonstrated a unique cumulative dosing effect that successfully blocked recrudescence even in a high-parasitemia acute infection model. ATV:ELQ-300 therapy was highly synergistic, and the combination was curative with a single combined dose of 1 mg/kg of body weight. Compared to the ATV:proguanil (Malarone) formulation, ATV:ELQ-300 was more efficacious in multiday, acute infection models and was equally effective at blocking the emergence of ATV-resistant parasites. Ultimately, our data suggest that dual-site inhibition of cyt bc1 is a valuable strategy for antimalarial combination therapy and that Qi site inhibitors such as ELQ-300 represent valuable partner drugs for the clinically successful Qo site inhibitor ATV. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Atovaquone and ELQ-300 Combination Therapy as a Novel Dual-Site Cytochrome bc1 Inhibition Strategy for Malaria

PubMed Central

Smilkstein, Martin J.; Morrisey, Joanne M.; Li, Yuexin; Forquer, Isaac P.; Kelly, Jane X.; Pou, Sovitj; Winter, Rolf W.; Nilsen, Aaron; Vaidya, Akhil B.

2016-01-01

Antimalarial combination therapies play a crucial role in preventing the emergence of drug-resistant Plasmodium parasites. Although artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) comprise the majority of these formulations, inhibitors of the mitochondrial cytochrome bc1 complex (cyt bc1) are among the few compounds that are effective for both acute antimalarial treatment and prophylaxis. There are two known sites for inhibition within cyt bc1: atovaquone (ATV) blocks the quinol oxidase (Qo) site of cyt bc1, while some members of the endochin-like quinolone (ELQ) family, including preclinical candidate ELQ-300, inhibit the quinone reductase (Qi) site and retain full potency against ATV-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains with Qo site mutations. Here, we provide the first in vivo comparison of ATV, ELQ-300, and combination therapy consisting of ATV plus ELQ-300 (ATV:ELQ-300), using P. yoelii murine models of malaria. In our monotherapy assessments, we found that ATV functioned as a single-dose curative compound in suppressive tests whereas ELQ-300 demonstrated a unique cumulative dosing effect that successfully blocked recrudescence even in a high-parasitemia acute infection model. ATV:ELQ-300 therapy was highly synergistic, and the combination was curative with a single combined dose of 1 mg/kg of body weight. Compared to the ATV:proguanil (Malarone) formulation, ATV:ELQ-300 was more efficacious in multiday, acute infection models and was equally effective at blocking the emergence of ATV-resistant parasites. Ultimately, our data suggest that dual-site inhibition of cyt bc1 is a valuable strategy for antimalarial combination therapy and that Qi site inhibitors such as ELQ-300 represent valuable partner drugs for the clinically successful Qo site inhibitor ATV. PMID:27270285

Tibolone increases bone mineral density but also relapse in breast cancer survivors: LIBERATE trial bone substudy

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Introduction The Livial Intervention Following Breast Cancer: Efficacy, Recurrence and Tolerability Endpoints (LIBERATE: Clinical http://Trials.gov number NCT00408863), a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial that demonstrated that tibolone (Livial), a tissue-selective hormone-replacement therapy (HRT), increased breast cancer (BC) recurrence HR 1.40 (95% CI, 1.14 to 1.70; P = 0.001). A subgroup of women was entered into a study of bone mineral density (BMD). Methods Women with surgically excised primary BC (T1-3, N0-2, M-0) within the last 5 years, complaining of vasomotor symptoms, were assigned to tibolone, 2.5 mg daily, or placebo treatment for a maximum of 5 years. The BMD substudy enrolled 763 patients, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning at baseline and at 2 years. Results In the bone substudy, 699 of 763 women were eligible (345 allocated to tibolone, and 354, to placebo). After undergoing DXA scans, 300 (43%) women had normal BMD; 317 (45%), osteopenia; and 82 (11.7%), osteoporosis. Low body-mass index (P < 0.001), Asian race (P < 0.001), and late age at menarche (P < 0.04) predicted low bone mass at baseline. Tibolone increased BMD by 3.2% at the lumbar spine and 2.9% at the hip compared with placebo (both P < 0.001). The majority of fractures (55%) occurred in osteopenic patients. Women with normal BMD had increased recurrence with tibolone, 22 (15.6%) of 141 compared with placebo, 11 (6.9%) of 159 (P = 0.016), whereas no increased BC recurrence was seen in women with low BMD; 15 (7.4%) of 204 taking tibolone versus 13 (6.7%) of 195 taking placebo. Conclusions Tibolone is contraindicated after BC treatment, as it increases BMD and BC recurrence. Risk of BC recurrence was elevated in BC women with normal BMD (compared with low) who took tibolone. PMID:22251615

Factors Associated With Specific Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Sexual Dysfunctions in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Study of Patients and Their Partners.

PubMed

Hummel, Susanna B; Hahn, Daniela E E; van Lankveld, Jacques J D M; Oldenburg, Hester S A; Broomans, Eva; Aaronson, Neil K

2017-10-01

Many women develop sexual problems after breast cancer (BC) treatment. Little is known about BC survivors with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) sexual dysfunction and their partners, and the factors associated with their sexual functioning. To evaluate (i) patient-related and clinical factors associated with (a) specific DSM-IV sexual dysfunctions and (b) level of sexual functioning and sexual distress as reported by BC survivors and (ii) the association between the sexual functioning of BC survivors and that of their partners. We analyzed baseline data from a study of the efficacy of online cognitive-behavioral therapy for sexual dysfunction in BC survivors. Women completed self-report questionnaires assessing sexual functioning, sexual distress, relationship intimacy, marital functioning, menopausal symptoms, body image, and psychological distress. Their partners completed questionnaires assessing sexual functioning. The study included 169 BC survivors and 67 partners. The most prevalent female sexual dysfunctions were hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD; 83%), sexual arousal disorder (40%), and dyspareunia (33%). Endocrine therapy was associated with HSDD (P = .003), and immunotherapy was associated with dyspareunia (P = .009). Older age was associated with lower sexual distress (P < .001). Depressive symptoms were highest in women with sexual arousal disorder (P = .004). An indication for erectile disorder was present in two thirds of partners. Lower overall partner sexual satisfaction was associated with lower overall BC survivor sexual functioning (P = .001), lower female arousal (P = .002), and lower female sexual satisfaction (P = .001). Poorer male erectile function was related to higher female sexual pain (P = .006). Partners of women who underwent breast reconstruction reported marginally significantly better orgasmic functioning (P = .012) and overall sexual functioning (P = .015) than partners of women who had undergone breast-conserving treatment. BC survivors and their partners experience sexual problems after BC treatment. This suggests that not only the BC survivor but also her partner could benefit from sexual counseling. This is the first study focusing on BC survivors with a DSM-IV sexual dysfunction and their partners. The results cannot necessarily be generalized to women experiencing milder sexual problems or who have no interest in receiving sexual counseling. Endocrine therapy and immunotherapy are relevant risk factors for HSDD and dyspareunia in BC survivors. The sexual functioning of women and their partners is affected, underscoring the importance of involving both partners in sexual counseling after BC treatment. Hummel SB, Hahn DEE, van Lankveld JJDM, et al. Factors Associated With Specific Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Sexual Dysfunctions in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Study of Patients and Their Partners. J Sex Med 2017;14:1248-1259. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of 'cancer-prone personality' characteristics in healthy study subjects and in patients with breast disease and breast cancer using the commitment questionnaire: a prospective case-control study in Finland.

PubMed

Eskelinen, Matti; Ollonen, Paula

2011-11-01

The findings of a repressed expression of emotions in cancer patients contributed to the hypothesis developed by Lydia Temoshok of a type C personality ('cancer-prone'). To the Authors' knowledge, the associations between the 'cancer-prone personality' characteristics in commitment test and the risk of breast cancer (BC) have rarely been considered together in a prospective study. In an extension of the Kuopio Breast Cancer Study, 115 women with breast symptoms were evaluated for commitment test before any diagnostic procedures were carried out. The clinical examination and biopsy showed BC in 34 patients, benign breast disease (BBD) in 53 patients and 28 individuals were shown to be healthy study subjects (HSS). The BC group reported significantly more commitment to own children (Function A) (mean Commitment score, 3.14) than the patients in the BBD group (mean Commitment score, 3.51) and in the HSS group (mean Commitment score, 3.77) (p=0.05). The women in the BC group also reported more commitment to own husband (Function B) (mean Commitment score, 3.30) than the patients in the BBD group (mean Commitment score, 3.83) and the patients in the HSS group (mean Commitment score, 3.76). The BC group reported significantly more commitment to own work and own body (Function D and G) (mean Commitment scores, 3.20 and 3.50) than the patients in the BBD group (mean Commitment scores, 3.75 and 3.71) or HSS group (mean Commitment scores, 3.46 and 3.50). The mean sum (mean, SD) of the scores were significantly lower in the BC group (31.1, 5.8) than in the BBD (35.2, 6.9) and HSS group (36.4, 5.6) (p=0.02), showing more commitment in the BC group. In summary, patients with BC tended to have an increased risk for bearing the 'high commitment' characteristic and this pattern could contribute to cancer risk through immune and hormonal pathways.

Effects in vivo of iohexol and diatrizoate on human plasma acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterase activity.

PubMed

Mironidou, M; Katsimba, D; Kokkas, B; Kaitartzis, C; Karamanos, G; Christopoulos, S

2001-03-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two iodinate contrast agents (CA), iohexol and diatrizoate, on human plasma acetyl-(AC) and butyrylcholinesterase(BC) activity. Forty-eight patients (24 males and 24 females) scheduled for intravenous pyelography were randomly divided into four groups of 6 males and 6 females each, receiving as CA, respectively: iohexol (Omnipaque, Schering) 0.6 ml/kg body weight (G1); iohexol 1.2 mg/kg (G2); sodium and meglumine diatrizoate 58% (Urografin, Schering) 0.6 ml/kg (G3); sodium and meglumine diatrizoate 58% 1.2 ml/kg (G4). Blood samples were taken before and 5, 10, and 20 min after the injection. Enzymatic activity of AC and BC were measured by spectrophotometry. Plasma concentration of K, Na, Ca, and Mg was measured in all blood samples; blood pressure and plasma pH were measured after each sample collection. Statistical analysis was performed by Student's test. In G1 a reversible decrease of AC (12.9%) and BC (8.2%) plasma activity was observed at 10 min. In G2 a progressive decrease of AC (13.9%) and BC (18.4%) plasma activity was observed with a maximum at 20 min. In G3 a modest reversible decrease of BC plasma activity (5.4%) was observed. In G4 a modest progressive decrease of AC (7.3%) and BC (6.5%) plasma activities was observed. In all cases, AC and BC plasma activities remained within the normal range of values. Plasma concentration of K, Na, Ca, and Mg, as well as pH and systolic and diastolic pressure, did not show any change. No adverse effects was observed in our patients. Iohexol and diatrizoate induce in vivo a significant decrease of AC and BC plasma activities. The decrease is more pronounced for iohexol, a non ionic CA, which has a lower pharmacotoxicity than diatrizoate and adverse effects rate. No inference can be drawn about the relationship between plasma cholinesterase activity and adverse effects.

Movement variability in the golf swing of male and female skilled golfers.

PubMed

Horan, Sean A; Evans, Kerrie; Kavanagh, Justin J

2011-08-01

Despite the complexity of movement, the swings of skilled golfers are considered to be highly consistent. Interestingly, no direct investigation of movement variability or coupling variability during the swings of skilled golfers has occurred. To determine whether differences in movement variability exist between male and female skilled golfers during the downswing of the full golf swing. Three-dimensional thorax, pelvis, hand, and clubhead data were collected from 19 male (mean ± SD: age = 26 ± 7 yr) and 19 female (age = 25 ± 7 yr) skilled golfers. Variability of segmental movement and clubhead trajectory were examined at three phases of the downswing using discrete (SD) and continuous analyses (spanning set), whereas variability of intersegment coupling was examined using average coefficient of correspondence. Compared with males, females exhibited higher thorax and pelvis variability for axial rotation at the midpoint of the downswing and ball contact (BC). Similarly, thorax-pelvis coupling variability was higher for females than males at both the midpoint of the downswing and BC. Regardless of thorax and pelvis motion, the variability of hand and clubhead trajectory sequentially decreased from the top of the backswing to BC for both males and females. Male and female skilled golfers use different upper body movement strategies during the downswing while achieving similarly low levels of clubhead trajectory variability at BC. It is apparent that the priority of skilled golfers is to progressively minimize hand and clubhead trajectory variability toward BC, despite the individual motion or coupling of the thorax and pelvis.

Body composition changes in female adolescents with anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Haas, Verena K; Kohn, Michael R; Clarke, Simon D; Allen, Jane R; Madden, Sloane; Müller, Manfred J; Gaskin, Kevin J

2009-04-01

Body weight provides limited information about nutritional status of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). Our objectives were to determine body composition (BC) changes, to find clinical predictors and endocrine correlates of total body protein (TBPr) depletion, and to compare results on fat mass (FM) obtained with anthropometry (skinfold measurements) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in patients with AN. Body weight, body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)), BC (with DXA and skinfold measurements), and TBPr [with in vivo neutron activation analysis (IVNAA)] was assessed in 50 AN patients (15.2 y) and 40 healthy sex- and age-matched controls. In 47 AN patients and 22 controls, hormone concentrations were measured. In AN patients, body weight (44.4 +/- 5.5 kg), BMI (16.7 +/- 1.6), and FM(DXA) (7.0 +/- 3.4 kg) were lower than in controls. Lean tissue mass by DXA (LTM(DXA)) was similar in AN patients and controls (35.7 +/- 4.3 compared with 35.8 +/- 4.5 kg), but TBPr was 87% of that of controls (8.1 +/- 1.0 compared with 9.2 +/- 1.2 kg; P < 0.001). Cortisol was high, testosterone was unchanged, and estradiol and insulin-like growth factor I were low. Severe protein depletion measured by IVNAA seen in 17 AN patients could not be identified with simpler methods. All except 1 of 26 AN patients with a BMI > 16.5 had normal TBPr. The difference in individual percentage of body fat measured with DXA and skinfold measurements came up to 9%. The severe protein depletion in 34% of AN patients was not accurately identified by LTM(DXA) or simpler methods, but a BMI > 16.5 indicated normal TBPr. Future studies need to compare DXA and skinfold measurements with a reference technique to assess FM in AN patients.

Mummification in the Ancient and New World.

PubMed

Rosso, Ana Maria

2014-01-01

In the Ancient and New World there was a custom to preserve the corpse in a natural and artificial way. Since Paleolithic man believed in an afterlife and even in Mesoamerica and the Andes cultures, care and ceremony were practiced to the burial of the dead in an ancestral cult. Mortuary rituals were developed in Pre-dynastic Egypt (4500-3100 BC) but apparently they had begun before in America, c. 5000 BC. Mummies served for assisting the soul to survive and for preventing the dead from frightening the livings. Incas arrived at a point of perfection in these practices after other Andean cultures but we should not forget their older predecessors, the Chinchorro culture on the arid coast of the Atacama Desert. Different steps in the technique can be distinguished in both worlds: natural desiccation covered by animal skins, methods to protect the body skin and flesh removal, replacement with clay; black, red or mud-coated corpses, evisceration, body cavity treatment, cleansing and anointing the interior, brain removal, mummified bodies, corpses covered with natron, before being washed and bandaged or wrapped. It will be necessary to carefully check dates, techniques and periods in the two zones to establish exactly the evolution of the methods applied.

Mammographic breast density and risk of breast cancer in women with atypical hyperplasia: an observational cohort study from the Mayo Clinic Benign Breast Disease (BBD) cohort.

PubMed

Vierkant, Robert A; Degnim, Amy C; Radisky, Derek C; Visscher, Daniel W; Heinzen, Ethan P; Frank, Ryan D; Winham, Stacey J; Frost, Marlene H; Scott, Christopher G; Jensen, Matthew R; Ghosh, Karthik; Manduca, Armando; Brandt, Kathleen R; Whaley, Dana H; Hartmann, Lynn C; Vachon, Celine M

2017-01-31

Atypical hyperplasia (AH) and mammographic breast density (MBD) are established risk factors for breast cancer (BC), but their joint contributions are not well understood. We examine associations of MBD and BC by histologic impression, including AH, in a subcohort of women from the Mayo Clinic Benign Breast Disease Cohort. Women with a diagnosis of BBD and mammogram between 1985 and 2001 were eligible. Histologic impression was assessed via pathology review and coded as non-proliferative disease (NP), proliferative disease without atypia (PDWA) and AH. MBD was assessed clinically using parenchymal pattern (PP) or BI-RADS criteria and categorized as low, moderate or high. Percent density (PD) was also available for a subset of women. BC and clinical information were obtained by questionnaires, medical records and the Mayo Clinic Tumor Registry. Women were followed from date of benign biopsy to BC, death or last contact. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) compared the observed number of BCs to expected counts. Cox regression estimated multivariate-adjusted MBD hazard ratios. Of the 6271 women included in the study, 1132 (18.0%) had low MBD, 2921 (46.6%) had moderate MBD, and 2218 (35.4%) had high MBD. A total of 3532 women (56.3%) had NP, 2269 (36.2%) had PDWA and 470 (7.5%) had AH. Over a median follow-up of 14.3 years, 528 BCs were observed. The association of MBD and BC risk differed by histologic impression (p-interaction = 0.03), such that there was a strong MBD and BC association among NP (p < 0.001) but non-significant associations for PDWA (p = 0.27) and AH (p = 0.96). MBD and BC associations for AH women were not significant within subsets defined by type of MBD measure (PP vs. BI-RADS), age at biopsy, number of foci of AH, type of AH (lobular vs. ductal) and body mass index, and after adjustment for potential confounding variables. Women with atypia who also had high PD (>50%) demonstrated marginal evidence of increased BC risk (SIR 4.98), but results were not statistically significant. We found no evidence of an association between MBD and subsequent BC risk in women with AH.

Thermal evolution of the metastable r8 and bc8 polymorphs of silicon

DOE PAGES

Haberl, Bianca; Guthrie, Malcolm; Sinogeikin, Stanislav V.; ...

2015-01-28

The kinetics of two metastable polymorphs of silicon under thermal annealing was investigated. These phases with body-centered cubic bc8 and rhombohedral r8 structures can be formed upon pressure release from metallic silicon.We study these metastable polymorphs were formed by two different methods, via point loading and in a diamond anvil cell (DAC). Upon thermal annealing different transition pathways were detected. In the point loading case, the previously reported Si-XIII formed and was confirmed as a new phase with an as-yet-unidentified structure. In the DAC case, bc8-Si transformed to the hexagonal-diamond structure at elevated pressure, consistent with previous studies at ambientmore » pressure. In contrast, r8-Si transformed directly to diamond-cubic Si at a temperature of 255⁰C. In conclusion, these data were used to construct diagrams of the metastability regimes of the polymorphs formed in a DAC and may prove useful for potential technological applications of these metastable polymorphs.« less

Thermal evolution of the metastable r8 and bc8 polymorphs of silicon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haberl, Bianca; Guthrie, Malcolm; Sinogeikin, Stanislav V.

The kinetics of two metastable polymorphs of silicon under thermal annealing was investigated. These phases with body-centered cubic bc8 and rhombohedral r8 structures can be formed upon pressure release from metallic silicon.We study these metastable polymorphs were formed by two different methods, via point loading and in a diamond anvil cell (DAC). Upon thermal annealing different transition pathways were detected. In the point loading case, the previously reported Si-XIII formed and was confirmed as a new phase with an as-yet-unidentified structure. In the DAC case, bc8-Si transformed to the hexagonal-diamond structure at elevated pressure, consistent with previous studies at ambientmore » pressure. In contrast, r8-Si transformed directly to diamond-cubic Si at a temperature of 255⁰C. In conclusion, these data were used to construct diagrams of the metastability regimes of the polymorphs formed in a DAC and may prove useful for potential technological applications of these metastable polymorphs.« less

Effect of boundary conditions on the numerical solutions of representative volume element problems for random heterogeneous composite microstructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Yi Je; Lee, Wook Jin; Park, Yong Ho

2014-11-01

Aspects of numerical results from computational experiments on representative volume element (RVE) problems using finite element analyses are discussed. Two different boundary conditions (BCs) are examined and compared numerically for volume elements with different sizes, where tests have been performed on the uniaxial tensile deformation of random particle reinforced composites. Structural heterogeneities near model boundaries such as the free-edges of particle/matrix interfaces significantly influenced the overall numerical solutions, producing force and displacement fluctuations along the boundaries. Interestingly, this effect was shown to be limited to surface regions within a certain distance of the boundaries, while the interior of the model showed almost identical strain fields regardless of the applied BCs. Also, the thickness of the BC-affected regions remained constant with varying volume element sizes in the models. When the volume element size was large enough compared to the thickness of the BC-affected regions, the structural response of most of the model was found to be almost independent of the applied BC such that the apparent properties converged to the effective properties. Finally, the mechanism that leads a RVE model for random heterogeneous materials to be representative is discussed in terms of the size of the volume element and the thickness of the BC-affected region.

Field Measurements of Black Carbon Yields from Gas Flaring.

PubMed

Conrad, Bradley M; Johnson, Matthew R

2017-02-07

Black carbon (BC) emissions from gas flaring in the oil and gas industry are postulated to have critical impacts on climate and public health, but actual emission rates remain poorly characterized. This paper presents in situ field measurements of BC emission rates and flare gas volume-specific BC yields for a diverse range of flares. Measurements were performed during a series of field campaigns in Mexico and Ecuador using the sky-LOSA optical measurement technique, in concert with comprehensive Monte Carlo-based uncertainty analyses. Parallel on-site measurements of flare gas flow rate and composition were successfully performed at a subset of locations enabling direct measurements of fuel-specific BC yields from flares under field conditions. Quantified BC emission rates from individual flares spanned more than 4 orders of magnitude (up to 53.7 g/s). In addition, emissions during one notable ∼24-h flaring event (during which the plume transmissivity dropped to zero) would have been even larger than this maximum rate, which was measured as this event was ending. This highlights the likely importance of superemitters to global emission inventories. Flare gas volume-specific BC yields were shown to be strongly correlated with flare gas heating value. A newly derived correlation fitting current field data and previous lab data suggests that, in the context of recent studies investigating transport of flare-generated BC in the Arctic and globally, impacts of flaring in the energy industry may in fact be underestimated.

Use of Underarm Cosmetic Products in Relation to Risk of Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Linhart, Caroline; Talasz, Heribert; Morandi, Evi M; Exley, Christopher; Lindner, Herbert H; Taucher, Susanne; Egle, Daniel; Hubalek, Michael; Concin, Nicole; Ulmer, Hanno

2017-07-01

Previous studies on breast cancer (BC), underarm cosmetic products (UCP) and aluminum salts have shown conflicting results. We conducted a 1:1 age-matched case-control study to investigate the risk for BC in relation to self-reported UCP application. Self-reported history of UCP use was compared between 209 female BC patients (cases) and 209 healthy controls. Aluminum concentration in breast tissue was measured in 100 cases and 52 controls. Multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for established BC risk factors. Use of UCP was significantly associated with risk of BC (p=0.036). The risk for BC increased by an OR of 3.88 (95% CI 1.03-14.66) in women who reported using UCP's several times daily starting at an age earlier than 30years. Aluminum in breast tissue was found in both cases and controls and was significantly associated to self-reported UCP use (p=0.009). Median (interquartile) aluminum concentrations were significantly higher (p=0.001) in cases than in controls (5.8, 2.3-12.9 versus 3.8, 2.5-5.8nmol/g). Frequent use of UCPs may lead to an accumulation of aluminum in breast tissue. More than daily use of UCPs at younger ages may increase the risk of BC. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Energetics and formation mechanism of borders between hexagonal boron nitride and graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawahata, Hisaki; Yamanaka, Ayaka; Maruyama, Mina; Okada, Susumu

2018-06-01

We studied the energetics of two-dimensional heterostructures consisting of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and graphene with respect to the border structure and heterobond species using density functional theory. A BC heterobond is energetically preferable at the border between h-BN and graphene. We also found that the polarization at the zigzag border increases the total energy of the heterostructures. Competition between the bond formation energy and the polarization energy leads to chiral borders at which BC heterobonds are dominant. By taking the formation process of the heterostructures into account, the zigzag border with BC heterobonds is found to be preferentially synthesized from graphene edges under hydrogen-rich conditions.

Correlates of Lymphedema in Women with Breast Cancer: a Case Control Study in Shiraz, Southern Iran.

PubMed

Honarvar, Behnam; Sayar, Negin; Tahmasebi, Sedigheh; Zakeri, Zeinab; Talei, Asra; Rostami, Sara; Khademi, Sahar; Sabzi Sarvestani, Amene; Sekhavati, Eghbal

2016-01-01

Globally, the burden of breast cancer (BC) continues to increase. BC related lymphedema (BCRL) is currently non curable and as a life time risk it affects at least 25% of BC patients. Knowing more about BCRL and appropriate control of its modifiable risk factors can improve quality of life (QOL) of the affected patients. In this case control study to detect factors, 400 women with BCRL (as the case group) and 283 patients with BC without lymphedema (as the control group) that were referred to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences affiliated BC clinic center were assessed. The data were analyzed in SPSS. The mean age of the case group was 52.3±11.0 years and of the control group was 50.1±10.9 years. In patients with BCRL, 203(50.7%) had left (Lt) side BC and in non- lymphedema group 151 (53.3%) had Lt side BC. Out of all BCRL patients, 204 (51%) had lymphedema in all parts of their affected upper extremities, 100 (25%) had swelling in the arm and forearm and 23 (5.7%) had edema in both the upper extremity and trunk. Edema, heaviness, concern about changing body image, pain and paresthesia were the most common signs/symptoms among patients with BCRL. In BCRL patients, the difference of circumference between the affected upper limb and non-affected limb was 4.4±2.5 cm and the difference in volume displacement was 528.7±374.4 milliliters. Multiple variable analysis showed that moderate to severe activity (OR; odds ratio =14, 95% CI: 2.6-73.3 ), invasiveness of BC (OR =13.7, 95% CI: 7.3-25.6), modified radical mastectomy (OR=4.3, 95% CI: 2.3-7.9), BMI =>25 (OR=4.2, 95% CI: 2-8.7), radiotherapy (OR=3.9, 95% CI: 1.8-8.2 ), past history of limb damage (OR=1.7, 95% CI: 0.9-3.1) and the number of excised lymph nodes (OR=1.06, 95% CI: 1.02-1.09) were the significant predictors of lymphedema in women with BC. Modifiable risk factors of BCRL such as non-guided moderate to severe physical activity, high BMI and trauma to the limb should be controlled as early as possible in BC patients to prevent development of BCRL and improve QOL of these patients.

Transport of particle pollution into the Maipo Valley: winter 2015 campaign results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huneeus, Nicolás; Mazzeo, Andrea; Ordóñez, César; Donoso, Nicolás; Gallardo, Laura; Molina, Luisa; Moreno, Valeria; Muñoz, Ricardo; Orfanoz, Andrea; Vizcarra, Aldo

2016-04-01

Each winter, Santiago (33° 27'S, 70° 40'W) the capital of Chile with a population of about 7 million people, experiences episodes with particulate matter (PM) concentrations larger than allowed by Chilean environmental regulations. Transport and residential heating largely dominate emissions prior to and during these episodes. Important impact of black carbon (BC) on the cryosphere has been documented in other parts of the world associated with urban pollution. In order to explore if BC from Santiago has the potential to reach the Andean cryosphere during the aforementioned episodes, a one week-long campaign was conducted in Santiago and the Maipo Valley between 18th and 25th of July 2015 when the air quality conditions of the city reached twice the critical levels (pre-emergency in Chilean regulations). Measurements were carried out at three sites: downtown Santiago, the entrance of the valley (and outskirts of Santiago) and 12 km inside the Maipo Valley. At each of these sites both surface and vertically distributed measurements were conducted. A meteorological station measuring standard meteorological parameters and an E-Sampler measuring PM10 concentrations were installed at each site. In addition, a tethered balloon equipped with a sonde and a mini-aethalometer was used in each site to measure vertical profiles of standard meteorological parameters and BC concentrations, respectively. The tethered balloon was raised every three hours up to a maximum of 1000 meters above ground level, whenever meteorological conditions allowed. In general, the BC concentrations inside the valley, both at the surface and in the vertical, were dominated by emissions within the valley and BC was limited to shallow layers above the ground. However, on both days with critical air quality levels, winds blowing from the city and deeper BC layers were observed inside the valley. Furthermore, during these days observations at the entrance of the valley and those taken inside were coupled, contrary to the other days when they were decoupled. This deeper BC layer and the coupling of observations at the entrance and inside the valley suggest that pollutants are transported into the Maipo Valley and thus could potentially reach the snow and ice covered areas in the Andes.

On the Red Giant Branch: Ambiguity in the Surface Boundary Condition Leads to ≈100 K Uncertainty in Model Effective Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Jieun; Dotter, Aaron; Conroy, Charlie; Ting, Yuan-Sen

2018-06-01

The effective temperature (T eff) distribution of stellar evolution models along the red giant branch (RGB) is sensitive to a number of parameters including the overall metallicity, elemental abundance patterns, the efficiency of convection, and the treatment of the surface boundary condition (BC). Recently there has been interest in using observational estimates of the RGB T eff to place constraints on the mixing length parameter, α MLT, and possible variation with metallicity. Here we use 1D Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) stellar evolution models to explore the sensitivity of the RGB T eff to the treatment of the surface BC. We find that different surface BCs can lead to ±100 K metallicity-dependent offsets on the RGB relative to one another in spite of the fact that all models can reproduce the properties of the Sun. Moreover, for a given atmosphere T–τ relation, we find that the RGB T eff is also sensitive to the optical depth at which the surface BC is applied in the stellar model. Nearly all models adopt the photosphere as the location of the surface BC, but this choice is somewhat arbitrary. We compare our models to stellar parameters derived from the APOGEE-Kepler sample of first ascent red giants and find that systematic uncertainties in the models due to treatment of the surface BC place a limit of ≈100 K below which it is not possible to make firm conclusions regarding the fidelity of the current generation of stellar models.

A campaign for investigating aerosol optical properties during winter hazes over Shijiazhuang, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Kai; Wang, Luyao; Wu, Lixin; Xu, Jian; Rao, Lanlan; Letu, Husi; Shi, Tiewei; Wang, Runfeng

2017-12-01

As the capital of the most air-polluted Hebei province in China, Shijiazhuang has been suffering serious haze pollutions especially during wintertime. An integrated campaign for investigating aerosol optical properties under haze conditions over Shijiazhuang were carried out using a sunphotometer, an aethalometer and a lidar in the winter from late 2013 to early 2014. The results indicated that the haze episodes during the measurement period were severer and more frequent over Shijiazhuang than Beijing. Under heavy pollution conditions (PM2.5 > 150 μg/m3) over Shijiazhuang, fine-mode fractions of AOD500nm were larger than 0.80 with more dispersive angstrom exponent due to hygroscopic growth. The mean values of SSA over Shijiazhuang were smaller than those over Beijing both in this study and the severe haze episodes in January 2013, suggesting that there were more fine-mode absorbing particles over Shijiazhuang. More significant spectrally-dependence of imaginary part of refractive index over Shijiazhuang implies larger relative magnitude of brown carbon (BrC) as compared to Beijing. The black carbon (BC) measurement displayed extremely high records with a larger ratio of BC to PM2.5 (12.11% in average) comparing with other cities in China. The high carbonaceous aerosols (BC and BrC) should be attributed to large amounts of coal consumption. During the hazes with high BC concentrations, the daily maximal planetary boundary layer (PBL) heights were consistently lower than 500 m, implying the impacts of BC aerosols on the PBL development and hence enhance the surface haze pollution.

A change in the epidemiology of bovine cysticercosis in Israel between 1973 and 2008 due to import of live cattle.

PubMed

Meiry, M; Brenner, G; Markovitcs, A; Klement, E

2013-08-01

Bovine cysticercosis (BC) is an important disease because of its zoonotic nature. There is a significant variation in the prevalence of BC in different countries, ranging from <0.01% to more than 20%. In this study, we followed the changes of BC prevalence in Israel during the last four decades and examined its association with import of live cattle. During 1973-2007, 629,549 cattle were subjected to post-mortem inspection conducted in 'Marbek' slaughterhouse located in the south of Israel. A specific comparison was made between the prevalence of BC in local and imported cattle during 2003-2007. Of 629,549 cattle, 2568 were infected with Cysticercus bovis (0.4%). From 1980, there was a gradual decrease in the prevalence of BC (R(2) = 0.53) with exceptional peaks. Moreover, from 1973 to 1998, only 4% of the documented cases appeared in outbreaks as opposed to 38% after 1998 when mass importation of live cattle to Israel was initiated. All of these late outbreak cases appeared in imported cattle of which 95% originated from Australia. During the years 2002-2007, importation from Australia was found as a significant risk factor for infection with BC, with prevalence in these cattle reaching 1.8% in 2006. The time from importation to BC detection suggests that infection occurred either in Australia or during the transport into Israel. We conclude that despite a reduction in the prevalence of BC as a result of a possible improvement in sanitary conditions at the farms, meticulous meat inspection is still essential in Israel and possibly in other developed countries exporting and importing live cattle. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Introgression of an imidazolinone-resistance gene from winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) into jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica Host).

PubMed

Perez-Jones, Alejandro; Mallory-Smith, Carol A; Hansen, Jennifer L; Zemetra, Robert S

2006-12-01

Imidazolinone-resistant winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is being commercialized in the USA. This technology allows wheat growers to selectively control jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica Host), a weed that is especially problematic because of its close genetic relationship with wheat. However, the potential movement of the imidazolinone-resistance gene from winter wheat to jointed goatgrass is a concern. Winter wheat and jointed goatgrass have the D genome in common and can hybridize and backcross under natural field conditions. Since the imidazolinone-resistance gene (Imi1) is located on the D genome, it is possible for resistance to be transferred to jointed goatgrass via hybridization and backcrossing. To study the potential for gene movement, BC(2)S(2) plants were produced artificially using imidazolinone-resistant winter wheat (cv. FS-4) as the female parent and a native jointed goatgrass collection as the male recurrent parent. FS-4, the jointed goatgrass collection, and 18 randomly selected BC(2)S(2) populations were treated with imazamox. The percentage of survival was 100% for the FS-4, 0% for the jointed goatgrass collection and 6 BC(2)S(2) populations, 40% or less for 2 BC(2)S(2) populations, and 50% or greater for the remaining 10 BC(2)S(2) populations. Chromosome counts in BC(2)S(3) plants showed a restoration of the chromosome number of jointed goatgrass, with four out of four plants examined having 28 chromosomes. Sequencing of AHASL1D in BC(2)S(3) plants derived from BC(2)S(2)-6 revealed the sexual transmission of Imi1 from FS-4 to jointed goatgrass. Imi1 conferred resistance to the imidazolinone herbicide imazamox, as shown by the in vitro assay for acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) activity.

Seasonal and interannual variations in CO and BC emissions from open biomass burning in Southern Africa during 1998-2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Akinori; Ito, Akihiko; Akimoto, Hajime

2007-06-01

We estimate the emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and black carbon (BC) from open vegetation fires in the Southern Hemisphere Africa from 1998 to 2005 using satellite information in conjunction with a biogeochemical model. Monthly burned areas at a 0.5-degree resolution are estimated from the Visible InfraRed Scanner (VIRS) fire count product and the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) burned area data set associated with the MODIS tree cover imagery in grasslands and woodlands. The monthly fuel load distributions are derived from a 0.5-degree terrestrial carbon cycle model in conjunction with satellite data. The monthly maps of combustion factors and emission factors are estimated using empirical models that predict the effects of fuel conditions on these factors in grasslands and woodlands. Our annually averaged effective CO and BC emissions per area burned are 27 g CO m-2 and 0.17 g BC m-2 which are consistent with the products of fuel consumption and emission factors typically measured in southern Africa. The CO and BC emissions from open vegetation burning in southern Africa range from 45 Tg CO yr-1 and 0.26 Tg BC yr-1 for 2002 to 75 Tg CO yr-1 and 0.42 Tg BC yr-1 for 1998. The monthly averaged burned areas from VIRS fire counts peak earlier than modeled CO emissions. This characteristic delay between burned areas and emissions is mainly explained by significant changes in combustion factors for woodlands in our model. Consequently, the peaks in CO and BC emissions from our bottom-up approach are identical to those from previous top-down estimates using the Measurement Of the Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) and the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) Aerosol Index (AI) data.

Black carbon's contribution to aerosol absorption optical depth over S. Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamb, K.; Perring, A. E.; Beyersdorf, A. J.; Anderson, B. E.; Segal-Rosenhaimer, M.; Redemann, J.; Holben, B. N.; Schwarz, J. P.

2017-12-01

Aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) monitored by ground-based sites (AERONET, SKYNET, etc.) is used to constrain climate radiative forcing from black carbon (BC) and other absorbing aerosols in global models, but few validation studies between in situ aerosol measurements and ground-based AAOD exist. AAOD is affected by aerosol size distributions, composition, mixing state, and morphology. Megacities provide appealing test cases for this type of study due to their association with very high concentrations of anthropogenic aerosols. During the KORUS-AQ campaign in S. Korea, which took place in late spring and early summer of 2016, in situ aircraft measurements over the Seoul Metropolitan Area and Taehwa Research Forest (downwind of Seoul) were repeated three times per flight over a 6 week period, providing significant temporal coverage of vertically resolved aerosol properties influenced by different meteorological conditions and sources. Measurements aboard the NASA DC-8 by the NOAA Humidified Dual Single Particle Soot Photometers (HD-SP2) quantified BC mass, size distributions, mixing state, and the hygroscopicity of BC containing aerosols. The in situ BC mass vertical profiles are combined with estimated absorption enhancement calculated from observed optical size and hygroscopicity using Mie theory, and then integrated over the depth of the profile to calculate BC's contribution to AAOD. Along with bulk aerosol size distributions and hygroscopicity, bulk absorbing aerosol optical properties, and on-board sky radiance measurements, these measurements are compared with ground-based AERONET site measurements of AAOD to evaluate closure between in situ vertical profiles of BC and AAOD measurements. This study will provide constraints on the relative importance of BC (including lensing and hygroscopicity effects) and non-BC components to AAOD over S. Korea.

The Autophagy Gene BcATG8 Regulates the Vegetative Differentiation and Pathogenicity of Botrytis cinerea.

PubMed

Ren, Weichao; Liu, Na; Sang, Chengwei; Shi, Dongya; Zhou, Mingguo; Chen, Changjun; Qin, Qingming; Chen, Wenchan

2018-06-01

Autophagy is a conserved degradation process that maintains intracellular homeostasis to ensure normal cell differentiation and development in eukaryotes. ATG8 is one of the key molecular components of the autophagy pathway. In this study, we identified and characterized BcATG8 , a homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) ATG8 in the necrotrophic plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea Yeast complementation experiments demonstrated that BcATG8 can functionally complement the defects of the yeast ATG8 null mutant. Direct physical interaction between BcAtg8 and BcAtg4 was detected in the yeast two-hybrid system. Subcellular localization assays showed that green fluorescent protein-tagged BcAtg8 (GFP-BcAtg8) localized in the cytoplasm as preautophagosomal structures (PAS) under general conditions but mainly accumulated in the lumen of vacuoles in the case of autophagy induction. Deletion of BcATG8 (Δ BcAtg8 mutant) blocked autophagy and significantly impaired mycelial growth, conidiation, sclerotial formation, and virulence. In addition, the conidia of the Δ BcAtg8 mutant contained fewer lipid droplets (LDs), and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assays revealed that the basal expression levels of the LD metabolism-related genes in the mutant were significantly different from those in the wild-type (WT) strain. All of these phenotypic defects were restored by gene complementation. These results indicate that BcATG8 is essential for autophagy to regulate fungal development, pathogenesis, and lipid metabolism in B. cinerea IMPORTANCE The gray mold fungus Botrytis cinerea is an economically important plant pathogen with a broad host range. Although there are fungicides for its control, many classes of fungicides have failed due to its genetic plasticity. Exploring the fundamental biology of B. cinerea can provide the theoretical basis for sustainable and long-term disease management. Autophagy is an intracellular process for degradation and recycling of cytosolic materials in eukaryotes and is now known to be vital for fungal life. Here, we report studies of the biological role of the autophagy gene BcATG8 in B. cinerea The results suggest that autophagy plays a crucial role in vegetative differentiation and virulence of B. cinerea . Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

An AeroCom Assessment of Black Carbon in Arctic Snow and Sea Ice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jiao, C.; Flanner, M. G.; Balkanski, Y.; Bauer, S. E.; Bellouin, N.; Bernsten, T. K.; Bian, H.; Carslaw, K. S.; Chin, M.; DeLuca, N.;

Ayurvĕda gleaned through Buddhism.

PubMed

Narayana, Ala; Lavekar, G S

2005-01-01

The Păli canon consists of three Pitakas (baskets), which replete the Buddhism and is known as Tripiţaka, viz, Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma Piţakas. The original phase of Tripiţaka (Buddhisim started in 544 B.C. and lastly systematized up to 29 B.C. The Buddhist literature also possesses the esoteric material of Medical Science, which is practiced and conserved in India since centuries. It refers to the fundamentals of medicine, rules of good living, which lay considerable emphasis on the hygiene of body, mind. Internal Medicine, curative medicine including symptoms, methods of diagnosis, theories of causation, materia-medica, therapeutics and treatment and skills of Jivaka. Some famous and popular prescriptions are also dealt with.

Early Life Conditions and Physiological Stress following the Transition to Farming in Central/Southeast Europe: Skeletal Growth Impairment and 6000 Years of Gradual Recovery

PubMed Central

Macintosh, Alison A.; Pinhasi, Ron; Stock, Jay T.

2016-01-01

Early life conditions play an important role in determining adult body size. In particular, childhood malnutrition and disease can elicit growth delays and affect adult body size if severe or prolonged enough. In the earliest stages of farming, skeletal growth impairment and small adult body size are often documented relative to hunter-gatherer groups, though this pattern is regionally variable. In Central/Southeast Europe, it is unclear how early life stress, growth history, and adult body size were impacted by the introduction of agriculture and ensuing long-term demographic, social, and behavioral change. The current study assesses this impact through the reconstruction and analysis of mean stature, body mass, limb proportion indices, and sexual dimorphism among 407 skeletally mature men and women from foraging and farming populations spanning the Late Mesolithic through Early Medieval periods in Central/Southeast Europe (~7100 calBC to 850 AD). Results document significantly reduced mean stature, body mass, and crural index in Neolithic agriculturalists relative both to Late Mesolithic hunter-gatherer-fishers and to later farming populations. This indication of relative growth impairment in the Neolithic, particularly among women, is supported by existing evidence of high developmental stress, intensive physical activity, and variable access to animal protein in these early agricultural populations. Among subsequent agriculturalists, temporal increases in mean stature, body mass, and crural index were more pronounced among Central European women, driving declines in the magnitude of sexual dimorphism through time. Overall, results suggest that the transition to agriculture in Central/Southeast Europe was challenging for early farming populations, but was followed by gradual amelioration across thousands of years, particularly among Central European women. This sex difference may be indicative, in part, of greater temporal variation in the social status afforded to young girls, in their access to resources during growth, and/or in their health status than was experienced by men. PMID:26844892

Galerkin methods for Boltzmann-Poisson transport with reflection conditions on rough boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales Escalante, José A.; Gamba, Irene M.

2018-06-01

We consider in this paper the mathematical and numerical modeling of reflective boundary conditions (BC) associated to Boltzmann-Poisson systems, including diffusive reflection in addition to specularity, in the context of electron transport in semiconductor device modeling at nano scales, and their implementation in Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) schemes. We study these BC on the physical boundaries of the device and develop a numerical approximation to model an insulating boundary condition, or equivalently, a pointwise zero flux mathematical condition for the electron transport equation. Such condition balances the incident and reflective momentum flux at the microscopic level, pointwise at the boundary, in the case of a more general mixed reflection with momentum dependant specularity probability p (k →). We compare the computational prediction of physical observables given by the numerical implementation of these different reflection conditions in our DG scheme for BP models, and observe that the diffusive condition influences the kinetic moments over the whole domain in position space.

Fitness and food environments around junior high schools in Taiwan and their association with body composition: Gender differences for recreational, reading, food and beverage exposures.

PubMed

Chiang, Po-Huang; Huang, Lin-Yuan; Lee, Meei-Shyuan; Tsou, Hui-Chen; Wahlqvist, Mark L

2017-01-01

School environments may contribute to adolescent behavior, reproductive physiology and body composition (BC). The Nutritional and Health Survey in Taiwan (2010) for 1458 junior high school students was geo-mapped for 30 school environs. Facilities for physical activity (fitness centers, gymnasia and sports stadiums, activity centers and parks), sedentary activities (reading material rental shops (RMRS), internet cafes) and food and beverage outlets (FBOs) were calculated as weighted numbers within 1000m of schools. Multiple linear regressions were used to predict BC variable z-scores. For boys, higher fitness center densities and, for girls, gymnasia and sports stadiums were associated with less abdominal fatness. For girls, body mass index, waist circumference (WC) and triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) were greater when RMRS density was higher as was TSF with internet café density. Where there were no FBOs, boys' WC and TSF were less with more parks, but girls were shorter and WC more adverse. With greater RMRS density and no FBOs, girls still had increased WC/Hip ratio, and less mid-arm muscle circumference. Boys' findings were more evident after considering puberty. Physical activity facilities (differently by gender), food and beverage outlets absence for boys and low reading material rental shop density for girls increase the likelihood of healthier body composition.

Fitness and food environments around junior high schools in Taiwan and their association with body composition: Gender differences for recreational, reading, food and beverage exposures

PubMed Central

Chiang, Po-Huang; Huang, Lin-Yuan; Lee, Meei-Shyuan; Tsou, Hui-Chen

2017-01-01

School environments may contribute to adolescent behavior, reproductive physiology and body composition (BC). The Nutritional and Health Survey in Taiwan (2010) for 1458 junior high school students was geo-mapped for 30 school environs. Facilities for physical activity (fitness centers, gymnasia and sports stadiums, activity centers and parks), sedentary activities (reading material rental shops (RMRS), internet cafes) and food and beverage outlets (FBOs) were calculated as weighted numbers within 1000m of schools. Multiple linear regressions were used to predict BC variable z-scores. For boys, higher fitness center densities and, for girls, gymnasia and sports stadiums were associated with less abdominal fatness. For girls, body mass index, waist circumference (WC) and triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) were greater when RMRS density was higher as was TSF with internet café density. Where there were no FBOs, boys’ WC and TSF were less with more parks, but girls were shorter and WC more adverse. With greater RMRS density and no FBOs, girls still had increased WC/Hip ratio, and less mid-arm muscle circumference. Boys’ findings were more evident after considering puberty. Physical activity facilities (differently by gender), food and beverage outlets absence for boys and low reading material rental shop density for girls increase the likelihood of healthier body composition. PMID:28771561

Medieval Sport: Quest for Survival.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiseman, Douglas C.

Since the Middle Ages, sport has survived because of its masochistic and sadistic components. The Greeks, who organized athletic contests into the Olympic Games in 776 B.C., emphasized the relationship between the mind and the body and fair competition, rather than putting emphasis on winning or losing. The Romans preferred the spectacle of…

The Triangles of Aristarchus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirshfeld, Alan W.

2004-01-01

Greek philosopher mathematician, Aristarchus of Samos, in the third century B.C., proposed that the sun held in the central position, casting its light symmetrically outward on the other celestial bodies. He demonstrated the way in which a person could use simple observations and elementary geometry to measure on a cosmic scale.

Purification and molecular cloning of aspartic proteinases from the stomach of adult Japanese fire belly newts, Cynops pyrrhogaster

PubMed Central

Nagasawa, Tatsuki; Sano, Kaori; Kawaguchi, Mari; Kobayashi, Ken-ichiro; Yasumasu, Shigeki; Inokuchi, Tomofumi

2016-01-01

Six aspartic proteinase precursors, a pro-cathepsin E (ProCatE) and five pepsinogens (Pgs), were purified from the stomach of adult newts (Cynops pyrrhogaster). On sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the molecular weights of the Pgs and active enzymes were 37–38 kDa and 31–34 kDa, respectively. The purified ProCatE was a dimer whose subunits were connected by a disulphide bond. cDNA cloning by polymerase chain reaction and subsequent phylogenetic analysis revealed that three of the purified Pgs were classified as PgA and the remaining two were classified as PgBC belonging to C-type Pg. Our results suggest that PgBC is one of the major constituents of acid protease in the urodele stomach. We hypothesize that PgBC is an amphibian-specific Pg that diverged during its evolutional lineage. PgBC was purified and characterized for the first time. The purified urodele pepsin A was completely inhibited by equal molar units of pepstatin A. Conversely, the urodele pepsin BC had low sensitivity to pepstatin A. In acidic condition, the activation rates of newt pepsin A and BC were similar to those of mammalian pepsin A and C1, respectively. Our results suggest that the enzymological characters that distinguish A- and C-type pepsins appear to be conserved in mammals and amphibians. PMID:26711235

PM2.5 and Black carbon enhancement at Socheongcho Ocean Research Station in the Yellow Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, H.; Rhee, H.; Lee, M.; JinYong, J.; Min, I.; Shim, J.

2017-12-01

Socheongcho Ocean Research Station (SORS) has been established in northern Yellow Sea by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST). At SORS, PM2.5 and Black carbon (BC) were measured every 10 minutes during October 2014 June 2017 using beta-ray absorption method (FH62C14, Thermo. Inc, USA) and Multi Angle Absorption Photometer (MAAP; Model 5012, Thermo. Inc, USA), respectively. In addition, CO, CO2 and CH4 were determined by Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy (CRDS; Model G2401, Picarro. Inc, USA). Measurements were intermittently interrupted for SORS maintenance reasons. For BC and PM2.5, the mean, 90th %tile and maximum concentrations were 1.16, 2.29, and 20.07 ug/m3 and 25, 48, and 177 ug/m3, respectively. There was no clear diurnal variation observed for both species. PM2.5 and BC concentrations were higher in cold seasons than in warm seasons. The highest PM2.5 and BC concentrations (>99th %tile) were more frequently observed in winter. Particularly, the extremely high BC were sporadically observed and lasted for no longer than 1 hour. The possible sources of PM2.5 and BC were examined using Conditional Probability Function (CPF), Potential Source Contribution (PSCF), and Concentration Weighted Trajectory (CWT) analysis. The results suggest the dominant influence from China, particularly for high concentrations.

Ambient black carbon particulate matter in the coal region of Dhanbad, India.

PubMed

Singh, S; Tiwari, S; Hopke, P K; Zhou, C; Turner, J R; Panicker, A S; Singh, P K

2018-02-15

Light-absorbing, atmospheric particles have gained greater attention in recent years because of their direct and indirect impacts on regional and global climate. Atmospheric black carbon (BC) aerosol is a leading climate warming agent, yet uncertainties in the global direct aerosol radiative forcing remain large. Based on a year of aerosol absorption measurements at seven wavelengths, BC concentrations were investigated in Dhanbad, the coal capital of India. Coal is routinely burned for cooking and residential heat as well as in small industries. The mean daily concentrations of ultraviolet-absorbing black carbon measured at 370nm (UVBC) and black carbon measured at 880nm (BC) were 9.8±5.7 and 6.5±3.8μgm -3 , respectively. The difference between UVBC and BC, Delta-C, is an indicator of biomass or residential coal burning and averaged 3.29±4.61μgm -3 . An alternative approach uses the Ǻngstrom Exponent (AE) to estimate the biomass/coal and traffic BC concentrations. Biomass/coal burning contributed ~87% and high temperature, fossil-fuel combustion contributed ~13% to the annual average BC concentration. The post-monsoon seasonal mean UVBC values were 10.9μgm -3 and BC of 7.2μgm -3 . Potential source contribution function analysis showed that in the post-monsoon season, air masses came from the central and northwestern Indo-Gangetic Plains where there is extensive agricultural burning. The mean winter UVBC and BC concentrations were 15.0 and 10.1μgm -3 , respectively. These higher values were largely produced by local sources under poor dispersion conditions. The direct radiative forcing (DRF) due to UVBC and BC at the surface (SUR) and the top of the atmosphere (TOA) were calculated. The mean atmospheric heating rates due to UVBC and BC were estimated to be 1.40°Kday -1 and 1.18°Kday -1 , respectively. This high heating rate may affect the monsoon circulation in this region. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Indoor air pollution from burning yak dung as a household fuel in Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Qingyang; Saikawa, Eri; Yokelson, Robert J.; Chen, Pengfei; Li, Chaoliu; Kang, Shichang

2015-02-01

Yak dung is widely used for cooking and heating in Tibet. We measured real-time concentrations of black carbon (BC) and fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) emitted by yak dung burning in six households with different living conditions and stove types in the Nam Co region, Tibet. We observed a much lower average BC/PM2.5 mass ratio (0.013, range 0.006-0.028) from dung combustion in this area than previously reported estimates, ranging between 0.05 and 0.11. Based on our measurements, estimated fuel use, and published emission factors of BC and PM2.5, about 0.4-1.7 Gg/year of BC is emitted by yak dung combustion in Tibet in addition to the previously estimated 0.70 Gg/year of BC for Tibetan residential sources. Our survey shows that most residents were aware of adverse health impacts of indoor yak dung combustion and approximately 2/3 of residents had already installed chimney stoves to mitigate indoor air pollution. However, our measurements reveal that, without adequate ventilation, installing a chimney may not ensure good indoor air quality. For instance, the 6-h average BC and PM2.5 concentrations in a stone house using a chimney stove were 24.5 and 873 μg/m3, respectively. We also observed a change in the BC/PM2.5 ratios before and after a snow event. The impact of dung moisture content on combustion efficiency and pollutant emissions needs further investigation.

Time-resolved measurements of black carbon light absorption enhancement in urban and near-urban locations of Southern Ontario, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, T. W.; Brook, J. R.; Smallwood, G. J.; Lu, G.

2010-08-01

In this study a photoacoustic spectrometer (PA), a laser-induced incandescence instrument system (LII) and an aerosol mass spectrometer were operated in parallel for in situ measurements of black carbon (BC) light absorption enhancement. Results of a thermodenuder experiment using ambient particles in Toronto are presented first to show that LII measurements of BC are not influenced by particle coating while the PA response is enhanced and also that the nature of this enhancement is influenced by particle morphology. Comparisons of ambient PA and LII measurements at four different locations (suburban Toronto; a street canyon with heavy diesel bus traffic in Ottawa; adjacent to a commuter highway in Ottawa and; regional background air in and around Windsor, Ontario), show that the different meteorological conditions and atmospheric processes result in different particle light absorption enhancement and hence the specific attenuation coefficient (SAC). Depending upon location of measurement and the BC spherule diameter (primary particle size - PPS) measurement from the LII, the SAC varies from 2.6±0.04 to 22.5±0.7 m2 g-1. Observations from this study also show the active surface area of the BC aggregate, inferred from PPS, is an important parameter for inferring the degree of particle collapse of a BC particle. The predictability of the overall BC light absorption enhancement in the atmosphere depends not only on the coating mass but also on the source of the BC and on our ability to predict or measure the change in particle morphology as particles evolve.

Measurements of Refractory Black Carbon (rBC) Aerosols in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, A. L.; McMeeking, G. R.; Lyons, W. B.; Schwarz, J. P.; Welch, K. A.; McKnight, D. M.

2015-12-01

Measurements of light absorbing particles in the boundary layer of the high southern latitudes are scarce. During the 2013-2014 austral summer field season refractory black carbon (rBC) aerosols were quantified by a single particle soot photometer (SP2) in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. The dark rBC particles absorb more radiation thereby increasing atmospheric heating, as well as reducing surface albedo and enhancing hydrologic melt when deposited on highly reflective surfaces such as snow and ice. Quantifying both local and long-range atmospheric transport of rBC to this region of a remote continent mostly covered by ice and snow would be useful in understanding meltwater generation as climate changes. Although the Dry Valleys are the largest ice-free region of Antarctica, they contain many alpine glaciers, some of which are fed from the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). Continuous rBC measurements were collected at Lake Hoare Camp in the Taylor Valley for two months, along with shorter periods at more remote locations within the Dry Valleys. Conditions at the Lake Hoare Camp were dominated by up-valley winds from McMurdo Sound, however, winds also brought air down-valley from the EAIS polar plateau. Here we investigated periods dominated by both up and down-valley winds to explore differences in rBC concentrations, size distributions, and scattering properties. The average background rBC mass concentration was 1ng/m3, though concentrations as high as 50 ng/m3 were observed at times, likely due to local sources.

Metamemory function in chemotherapy-treated patients with breast cancer: an explanation for the dissociation between subjective and objective memory measures?

PubMed

Collins, Barbara; Paquet, Lise; Dominelli, Rachelle; White, Amanda; MacKenzie, Joyce

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if a deficit in metamemory could account for the disparity between subjective and objective measures of memory function commonly observed in patients with breast cancer (BC). Metamemory refers to the awareness and management of one's own memory function. It is considered an aspect of executive functioning, one of the most common areas of cognitive compromise associated with BC and its treatment. Fifty-four women with early stage BC who had recently completed chemotherapy were compared with 54 healthy women matched on age and education. Cognitive function was objectively assessed with a neuropsychological test battery and subjectively assessed with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Cognitive Scale. Metamemory was assessed with a Feeling of Knowing (FOK) paradigm. The patients with BC scored significantly lower than the controls on both the objective and subjective cognitive measures, as well as on free recall and recognition conditions of the FOK, suggesting some decline in primary memory functions such as working memory, encoding, and retrieval. The discrepancy between the objective and subjective measures was larger in the patients with BC than in the controls, but there was no difference between the groups on the FOK metamemory index. Discrepancy in objective and subjective measures of cognition in patients with BC cannot be accounted for in terms of a deficit in meta-cognition. Objective and subjective measures are complementary, and a comprehensive cognitive assessment in patients with BC requires both. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Utilization of Body Contouring Procedures Following Weight Loss Surgery: A Study of 37,806 Patients.

PubMed

Altieri, Maria S; Yang, Jie; Park, Jihye; Novikov, David; Kang, Lijuan; Spaniolas, Konstantinos; Bates, Andrew; Talamini, Mark; Pryor, Aurora

2017-11-01

Bariatric surgery has substantial health benefits; however, some patients desire body contouring (BC) procedures following rapid weight loss. There is a paucity of data regarding the true rate of BC following bariatric procedures. The purpose of our study is to examine the utilization of two common procedures, abdominoplasty, and panniculectomy, following bariatric surgery in New York State. The SPARCS longitudinal administrative database was used to identify bariatric procedures by using ICD-9 and CPT codes between 2004 and 2010. Procedures included sleeve gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Using a unique patient identifier, we tracked those patients who subsequently underwent either abdominoplasty or panniculectomy with at least a 4-year follow-up (until 2014). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate predictors of follow-up BC surgery. 37,806 patients underwent bariatric surgery between 2004 and 2010. Only 5.58% (n = 2112) of these patients subsequently had a BC procedure, with 143 of them (6.8%) having ≥1 plastic surgery. The average time to plastic surgery after band, bypass, or sleeve was 1134.83 ± 671.09, 984.70 ± 570.53, and 903.02 ± 497.31 days, respectively (P < 0.0001). Following the multivariable Cox proportional hazard model, a female, SG patients, patients with Medicare or Medicaid, and patients in either <20 or >80%ile in yearly income were more likely to have plastic surgery after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, comorbidities and complications (P values < 0.0001). This study shows that plastic surgery is completed by only 6% of patients following bariatric procedures. As insurance and income are associated with pursuing surgery, improved access may increase the number of patients who are able to undergo these reconstructive procedures.

Correlation of mammographic density and serum calcium levels in patients with primary breast cancer.

PubMed

Hack, Carolin C; Stoll, Martin J; Jud, Sebastian M; Heusinger, Katharina; Adler, Werner; Haeberle, Lothar; Ganslandt, Thomas; Heindl, Felix; Schulz-Wendtland, Rüdiger; Cavallaro, Alexander; Uder, Michael; Beckmann, Matthias W; Fasching, Peter A; Bayer, Christian M

2017-06-01

Percentage mammographic breast density (PMD) is one of the most important risk factors for breast cancer (BC). Calcium, vitamin D, bisphosphonates, and denosumab have been considered and partly confirmed as factors potentially influencing the risk of BC. This retrospective observational study investigated the association between serum calcium level and PMD. A total of 982 BC patients identified in the research database at the University Breast Center for Franconia with unilateral BC, calcium and albumin values, and mammogram at the time of first diagnosis were included. PMD was assessed, using a semiautomated method by two readers. Linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the impact on PMD of the parameters of serum calcium level adjusted for albumin level, and well-known clinical predictors such as age, body mass index (BMI), menopausal status and confounder for serum calcium like season in which the BC was diagnosed. Increased calcium levels were associated with reduced PMD (P = 0.024). Furthermore, PMD was inversely associated with BMI (P < 0.001) and age (P < 0.001). There was also an association between PMD and menopausal status (P < 0.001). The goodness-of-fit of the regression model was moderate. This is the first study assessing the association between serum calcium level and PMD. An inverse association with adjusted serum calcium levels was observed. These findings add to previously published data relating to vitamin D, bisphosphonates, denosumab, and the RANK/RANKL signaling pathway in breast cancer risk and prevention. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Particle count and black carbon measurements at schools in Las Vegas, NV and in the greater Salt Lake City, UT area.

PubMed

Brown, Steven G; Vaughn, David L; Roberts, Paul T

2017-11-01

As part of two separate studies aimed to characterize ambient pollutant concentrations at schools in urban areas, we compare black carbon and particle count measurements at Adcock Elementary in Las Vegas, NV (April-June 2013), and Hunter High School in the West Valley City area of greater Salt Lake City, UT (February 2012). Both schools are in urban environments, but Adcock Elementary is next to the U.S. 95 freeway. Black carbon (BC) concentrations were 13% higher at Adcock compared to Hunter, while particle count concentrations were 60% higher. When wind speeds were low-less than 2 m/sec-both BC and particle count concentrations were significantly higher at Adcock, while concentrations at Hunter did not have as strong a variation with wind speed. When wind speeds were less than 2 m/sec, emissions from the adjacent freeway greatly affected concentrations at Adcock, regardless of wind direction. At both sites, BC and particle count concentrations peaked in the morning during commute hours. At Adcock, particle count also peaked during midday or early afternoon, when BC was low and conditions were conducive to new particle formation. While this midday peak occurred at Adcock on roughly 45% of the measured days, it occurred on only about 25% of the days at Hunter, since conditions for particle formation (higher solar radiation, lower wind speeds, lower relative humidity) were more conducive at Adcock. Thus, children attending these schools are likely to be exposed to pollution peaks during school drop-off in the morning, when BC and particle count concentrations peak, and often again during lunchtime recess when particle count peaks again. Particle count concentrations at two schools were shown to typically be independent of BC or other pollutants. At a school in close proximity to a major freeway, particle count concentrations were high during the midday and when wind speeds were low, regardless of wind direction, showing a large area of effect from roadway emissions even when the school was not downwind of the roadway. At the second school, which sits in an urban neighborhood away from freeways, high particle counts occurred even though solar radiation was low during wintertime conditions, meaning that exposure to high particle counts can occur throughout the year.

Treatment of wastewater containing Reactive Brilliant Blue KN-R using TiO2/BC composite as heterogeneous photocatalyst and adsorbent.

PubMed

Zhang, Shici; Lu, Xujie

2018-09-01

Heterogeneous photocatalysis namely titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) supported on coconut shell biochar (BC) was synthesized by sol-gel method (calcined at 450 °C) in the paper, which was innovatively applied to the decolorization of Reactive Brilliant Blue KN-R. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) results demonstrated that anatase TiO 2 film was firmly immobilized on the surface and pores of BC. The photocatalysis tests under UV high pressure xenon lamp (300 W) showed highest decolorization efficiency occurred at strong acid and alkali conditions (pH = 1 and 11) reached as 99.71% and 96.99% respectively within 60 min. Therefore, the TiO 2 /BC composites demonstrated both photocatalytic and adsorption capacity on KN-R decolorized, and presented quite durable and reusable in regeneration cycles, indicating a widely application possibility in anthraquinones dyeing wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Removal of polybrominated diphenyl ethers by biomass carbon-supported nanoscale zerovalent iron particles: influencing factors, kinetics, and mechanism.

PubMed

Fu, Rongbing; Xu, Zhen; Peng, Lin; Bi, Dongsu

2016-12-01

In this study, nanoscale zerovalent iron (NZVI) immobilized on biomass carbon was used for the high efficient removal of BDE 209. NZVI supported on biomass carbon minimized the aggregation of NZVI particles resulting in the increased reaction performance. The proposed removal mechanism included the adsorption of BDE 209 on the surface or interior of the biomass carbon NZVI (BC-NZVI) particles and the subsequent debromination of BDE 209 by NZVI while biomass carbon served as an electron shuttle. BC-NZVI particles and the interaction between BC-NZVI particles and BDE 209 were characterized by TEM, XRD, and XPS. The removal reaction followed a pseudo-first-order rate expression under different reaction conditions, and the k obs was higher than that of other NZVI-supported materials. The debromination of BDE 209 by BC-NZVI was a stepwise process from nona-BDE to DE. A proposed pathway suggested that supporting NZVI on biomass carbon has potential as a promising technique for in situ organic-contaminated groundwater remediation.

Degradation of dimethyl disulphide in soil with or without biochar amendment.

PubMed

Han, Dawei; Yan, Dongdong; Cao, Aocheng; Fang, Wensheng; Liu, Pengfei; Li, Yuan; Ouyang, Canbin; Wang, Qiuxia

2017-09-01

Dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) is a new and effective alternative to methyl bromide for soil fumigation. The effect of biochar on the fate of DMDS in soil is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to determine the degradation kinetics of DMDS in different soils and evaluate the effect of biochar amendment on DMDS degradation using incubation experiments. The degradation half-life of DMDS was between 1.05 and 6.66 days under non-sterile conditions, and 12.63 to 22.67 days under sterile conditions in five types of soil. Seven out of the eight tested biochar amendments (BC-2 to BC-8) delayed the degradation of DMDS in soil, increasing the half-life of DMDS in Fangshan soil from 1.05 to 1.16-5.87 days following amendment with 1% (w/w) biochar. The degradation rate of DMDS in Fangshan soil accelerated as the amendment rate of BC-1 increased, and decreased as the amendment rate of BC-7 increased. Biodegradation is an important degradation route for DMDS in soil, and DMDS degraded faster in alkaline soil. The effects of biochar amendments on DMDS degradation in soil are determined by complex multiple factors (such as surface area, pH and physicochemical composition), rather than by any single property of biochar. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Molecular analysis, cytogenetics and fertility of introgression lines from transgenic wheat to Aegilops cylindrica host.

PubMed

Schoenenberger, Nicola; Guadagnuolo, Roberto; Savova-Bianchi, Dessislava; Küpfer, Philippe; Felber, François

2006-12-01

Natural hybridization and backcrossing between Aegilops cylindrica and Triticum aestivum can lead to introgression of wheat DNA into the wild species. Hybrids between Ae. cylindrica and wheat lines bearing herbicide resistance (bar), reporter (gus), fungal disease resistance (kp4), and increased insect tolerance (gna) transgenes were produced by pollination of emasculated Ae. cylindrica plants. F1 hybrids were backcrossed to Ae. cylindrica under open-pollination conditions, and first backcrosses were selfed using pollen bags. Female fertility of F1 ranged from 0.03 to 0.6%. Eighteen percent of the sown BC1s germinated and flowered. Chromosome numbers ranged from 30 to 84 and several of the plants bore wheat-specific sequence-characterized amplified regions (SCARs) and the bar gene. Self fertility in two BC1 plants was 0.16 and 5.21%, and the others were completely self-sterile. Among 19 BC1S1 individuals one plant was transgenic, had 43 chromosomes, contained the bar gene, and survived glufosinate treatments. The other BC1S1 plants had between 28 and 31 chromosomes, and several of them carried SCARs specific to wheat A and D genomes. Fertility of these plants was higher under open-pollination conditions than by selfing and did not necessarily correlate with even or euploid chromosome number. Some individuals having supernumerary wheat chromosomes recovered full fertility.

An evaluation of aerobic and anaerobic composting of banana peels treated with different inoculums for soil nutrient replenishment.

PubMed

Kalemelawa, Frank; Nishihara, Eiji; Endo, Tsuneyoshi; Ahmad, Zahoor; Yeasmin, Rumana; Tenywa, Moses M; Yamamoto, Sadahiro

2012-12-01

This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of aerobic and anaerobic composting of inoculated banana peels, and assess the agronomic value of banana peel-based compost. Changes in the chemical composition under aerobic and anaerobic conditions were examined for four formulations of banana peel-based wastes over a period of 12 weeks. The formulations i.e. plain banana peel (B), and a mixture with either cow dung (BC), poultry litter (BP) or earthworm (BE) were separately composted under aerobic and anaerobic conditions under laboratory conditions. Inoculation with either cow dung or poultry litter significantly facilitated mineralization in the order: BP>BC>B. The rate of decomposition was significantly faster under aerobic than in anaerobic composting conditions. The final composts contained high K (>100 g kg(-1)) and TN (>2%), indicating high potential as a source of K and N fertilizer. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Co-Culture with Listeria monocytogenes within a Dual-Species Biofilm Community Strongly Increases Resistance of Pseudomonas putida to Benzalkonium Chloride

PubMed Central

Giaouris, Efstathios; Chorianopoulos, Nikos; Doulgeraki, Agapi; Nychas, George-John

2013-01-01

Biofilm formation is a phenomenon occurring almost wherever microorganisms and surfaces exist in close proximity. This study aimed to evaluate the possible influence of bacterial interactions on the ability of Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas putida to develop a dual-species biofilm community on stainless steel (SS), as well as on the subsequent resistance of their sessile cells to benzalkonium chloride (BC) used in inadequate (sub-lethal) concentration (50 ppm). The possible progressive adaptability of mixed-culture biofilms to BC was also investigated. To accomplish these, 3 strains per species were left to develop mixed-culture biofilms on SS coupons, incubated in daily renewable growth medium for a total period of 10 days, under either mono- or dual-species conditions. Each day, biofilm cells were exposed to disinfection treatment. Results revealed that the simultaneous presence of L. monocytogenes strongly increased the resistance of P. putida biofilm cells to BC, while culture conditions (mono-/dual-species) did not seem to significantly influence the resistance of L. monocytogenes biofilm cells. BC mainly killed L. monocytogenes cells when this was applied against the dual-species sessile community during the whole incubation period, despite the fact that from the 2nd day this community was mainly composed (>90%) of P. putida cells. No obvious adaptation to BC was observed in either L. monocytogenes or P. putida biofilm cells. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis showed that the different strains behaved differently with regard to biofilm formation and antimicrobial resistance. Such knowledge on the physiological behavior of mixed-culture biofilms could provide the information necessary to control their formation. PMID:24130873

Tethered balloon-born and ground-based measurements of black carbon and particulate profiles within the lower troposphere during the foggy period in Delhi, India.

PubMed

Bisht, D S; Tiwari, S; Dumka, U C; Srivastava, A K; Safai, P D; Ghude, S D; Chate, D M; Rao, P S P; Ali, K; Prabhakaran, T; Panickar, A S; Soni, V K; Attri, S D; Tunved, P; Chakrabarty, R K; Hopke, P K

2016-12-15

The ground and vertical profiles of particulate matter (PM) were mapped as part of a pilot study using a Tethered balloon within the lower troposphere (1000m) during the foggy episodes in the winter season of 2015-16 in New Delhi, India. Measurements of black carbon (BC) aerosol and PM <2.5 and 10μm (PM 2.5 & PM 10 respectively) concentrations and their associated particulate optical properties along with meteorological parameters were made. The mean concentrations of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , BC 370 nm, and BC 880 nm were observed to be 146.8±42.1, 245.4±65.4, 30.3±12.2, and 24.1±10.3μgm -3 , respectively. The mean value of PM 2.5 was ~12 times higher than the annual US-EPA air quality standard. The fraction of BC in PM 2.5 that contributed to absorption in the shorter visible wavelengths (BC 370 nm ) was ~21%. Compared to clear days, the ground level mass concentrations of PM 2.5 and BC 370 nm particles were substantially increased (59% and 24%, respectively) during the foggy episode. The aerosol light extinction coefficient (σ ext ) value was much higher (mean: 610Mm -1 ) during the lower visibility (foggy) condition. Higher concentrations of PM 2.5 (89μgm -3 ) and longer visible wavelength absorbing BC 880 nm (25.7μgm -3 ) particles were observed up to 200m. The BC 880 nm and PM 2.5 aerosol concentrations near boundary layer (1km) were significantly higher (~1.9 and 12μgm -3 ), respectively. The BC (i.e BC tot ) aerosol direct radiative forcing (DRF) values were estimated at the top of the atmosphere (TOA), surface (SFC), and atmosphere (ATM) and its resultant forcing were - 75.5Wm -2 at SFC indicating the cooling effect at the surface. A positive value (20.9Wm -2 ) of BC aerosol DRF at TOA indicated the warming effect at the top of the atmosphere over the study region. The net DRF value due to BC aerosol was positive (96.4Wm -2 ) indicating a net warming effect in the atmosphere. The contribution of fossil and biomass fuels to the observed BC aerosol DRF values was ~78% and ~22%, respectively. The higher mean atmospheric heating rate (2.71Kday -1 ) by BC aerosol in the winter season would probably strengthen the temperature inversion leading to poor dispersion and affecting the formation of clouds. Serious detrimental impacts on regional climate due to the high concentrations of BC and PM (especially PM 2.5 ) aerosol are likely based on this study and suggest the need for immediate, stringent measures to improve the regional air quality in the northern India. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An AeroCom assessment of black carbon in Arctic snow and sea ice

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiao, C.; Flanner, M. G.; Balkanski, Y.

2014-01-01

Though many global aerosols models prognose surface deposition, only a few models have been used to directly simulate the radiative effect from black carbon (BC) deposition to snow and sea ice. In this paper, we apply aerosol deposition fields from 25 models contributing to two phases of the Aerosol Comparisons between Observations and Models (AeroCom) project to simulate and evaluate within-snow BC concentrations and radiative effect in the Arctic. We accomplish this by driving the offline land and sea ice components of the Community Earth System Model with different deposition fields and meteorological conditions from 2004 to 2009, during whichmore » an extensive field campaign of BC measurements in Arctic snow occurred. We find that models generally underestimate BC concentrations in snow in northern Russia and Norway, while overestimating BC amounts elsewhere in the Arctic. Although simulated BC distributions in snow are poorly correlated with measurements, mean values are reasonable. The multi-model mean (range) bias in BC concentrations, sampled over the same grid cells, snow depths, and months of measurements, are -4.4 (-13.2 to +10.7) ng g -1 for an earlier phase of AeroCom models (phase I), and +4.1 (-13.0 to +21.4) ng g -1 for a more recent phase of AeroCom models (phase II), compared to the observational mean of 19.2 ng g -1. Factors determining model BC concentrations in Arctic snow include Arctic BC emissions, transport of extra-Arctic aerosols, precipitation, deposition efficiency of aerosols within the Arctic, and meltwater removal of particles in snow. Sensitivity studies show that the model–measurement evaluation is only weakly affected by meltwater scavenging efficiency because most measurements were conducted in non-melting snow. The Arctic (60–90° N) atmospheric residence time for BC in phase II models ranges from 3.7 to 23.2 days, implying large inter-model variation in local BC deposition efficiency. Combined with the fact that most Arctic BC deposition originates from extra-Arctic emissions, these results suggest that aerosol removal processes are a leading source of variation in model performance. The multi-model mean (full range) of Arctic radiative effect from BC in snow is 0.15 (0.07–0.25) W m -2 and 0.18 (0.06–0.28) W m -2 in phase I and phase II models, respectively. After correcting for model biases relative to observed BC concentrations in different regions of the Arctic, we obtain a multi-model mean Arctic radiative effect of 0.17 W m -2 for the combined AeroCom ensembles. Finally, there is a high correlation between modeled BC concentrations sampled over the observational sites and the Arctic as a whole, indicating that the field campaign provided a reasonable sample of the Arctic.« less

[An archaelogical contribution to hygienical principles in the Roman town-planning].

PubMed

Quilici Gigli, S

1995-01-01

Greek and Roman ancient medical writers suggest hygienical rules which are strictly dependent on the orientation of towns, the direction of winds and the quality of waters. According to Vitruvius, architects and builders should have some medical knowledge, together with a strong new interest towards the improvement of enviromental conditions. Norba, a little city never built up again after the Sillan distruction in 81 B.C., and Civitas Artena, quitted in the first century B.C., have been studied as significant exemples of this architectural behaviour. The construction of Villae - big country houses nearby the city - was conditioned by economics, easily available water, sunshine light and proximity to fruitful soils.

Effect of Oral Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Supplementation on DHA Levels and Omega-3 Index in Red Blood Cell Membranes of Breast Cancer Patients.

PubMed

Molfino, Alessio; Amabile, Maria I; Mazzucco, Sara; Biolo, Gianni; Farcomeni, Alessio; Ramaccini, Cesarina; Antonaroli, Simonetta; Monti, Massimo; Muscaritoli, Maurizio

2017-01-01

Rationale: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in cell membrane may influence breast cancer (BC) patients' prognosis, affecting tumor cells sensitivity to chemo- and radio-therapy and likely modulating inflammation. The possibility of identifying BC patients presenting with low DHA levels and/or low ability of DHA incorporation into cell membrane might help to treat this condition. Methods: We enrolled BC patients and healthy controls, recording their seafood dietary intake. DHA in form of algal oil was administered for 10 consecutive days (2 g/day). Blood samples were collected at baseline (T0) and after 10 days of supplementation (T1) to assess DHA, omega-3 index, as the sum of DHA + eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), in red blood cells (RBC) membranes and plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 levels. Pre- and post-treatment fatty acid profiles were obtained by gas-chromatography. Parametric and non-parametric tests were performed, as appropriate, and P -value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Forty-three women were studied, divided into 4 groups: 11 patients with BRCA1/2 gene mutation (M group), 12 patients with familiar positive history for BC (F group), 10 patients with sporadic BC (S group), and 10 healthy controls (C group). DHA and omega-3 index increased from T0 to T1 in the 3 groups of BC patients and in controls ( P < 0.001). No difference was found in DHA incorporation between each group of BC patients and between patients and controls, except for M group, which incorporated higher DHA levels with respect to controls (β = 0.42; P = 0.03). No association was documented between cytokines levels and DHA and omega-3 index at baseline and after DHA supplementation. Independent of the presence of BC, women considered as "good seafood consumers" showed at baseline DHA and omega-3 index higher with respect to "low seafood consumers" ( P = 0.04; P = 0.007, respectively). After supplementation, the increase in DHA levels was greater in "low seafood consumers" with respect to "good seafood consumers" ( P < 0.0001). Conclusion: DHA supplementation was associated with increased DHA levels and omega-3 index in RBC membranes of BC cancer patients, independent of the type of BC presentation, and in controls. BRCA1/2 mutation, as well as low seafood consuming habits in both BC patients and healthy controls, seem to be associated with greater ability of DHA incorporation. Larger samples of BC patients are necessary to confirm our observation.

Efficacy of adsorbents (bentonite and diatomaceous earth) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) in alleviating the toxic effects of aflatoxin in chicks.

PubMed

Dos Anjos, F R; Ledoux, D R; Rottinghaus, G E; Chimonyo, M

2015-01-01

A study was conducted to determine the efficacy of bentonite clay (BC), diatomaceous earth (DE) and turmeric powder (TUM) in alleviating the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). A total of 250 Ross-308 d-old male broiler chicks were assigned to 10 dietary treatments (5 replicates of 5 chicks) from hatch to d 21. Dietary treatments were: basal diet; basal diet plus AFB1 (2 mg) or BC (0.75%), or DE (0.75%), or TUM (200 mg/kg curcuminoids) and different combinations of AFB1, BC, DE and TUM. Feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BWG) and feed gain (FG) of the birds fed on BC or DE separately were not different from control birds. Birds fed on TUM only had similar FI and FG but lower BWG than control chicks. Aflatoxin B1 reduced FI, BWG and serum concentrations of glucose, albumin, total protein calcium, but increased FG and relative liver and kidney weights. Chicks fed on the combination of AFB1 and BC had similar FI and FG to control chicks. Chicks fed on the combination of DE and AFB1 had lower FI (23.1%) and BWG (28.6%) compared with control chicks. Chicks fed on the combination of TUM and AFB1 also had decreased FI (26.2 %) and BWG (31%) compared with control chicks. Chicks fed on the combination of AFB1, BC and TUM consumed significantly higher amounts of feed compared with chicks fed on only AF, but gained less when compared with control diet chicks. Chicks fed on the combination of AFB1, DE and TUM diet had poorer growth performance than those fed on AFB1 alone. None of the combination diets reduced the severity of liver lesions.

Evolutionary concepts in biobanking - the BC BioLibrary

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Medical research to improve health care faces a major problem in the relatively limited availability of adequately annotated and collected biospecimens. This limitation is creating a growing gap between the pace of scientific advances and successful exploitation of this knowledge. Biobanks are an important conduit for transfer of biospecimens (tissues, blood, body fluids) and related health data to research. They have evolved outside of the historical source of tissue biospecimens, clinical pathology archives. Research biobanks have developed advanced standards, protocols, databases, and mechanisms to interface with researchers seeking biospecimens. However, biobanks are often limited in their capacity and ability to ensure quality in the face of increasing demand. Our strategy to enhance both capacity and quality in research biobanking is to create a new framework that repatriates the activity of biospecimen accrual for biobanks to clinical pathology. Methods The British Columbia (BC) BioLibrary is a framework to maximize the accrual of high-quality, annotated biospecimens into biobanks. The BC BioLibrary design primarily encompasses: 1) specialized biospecimen collection units embedded within clinical pathology and linked to a biospecimen distribution system that serves biobanks; 2) a systematic process to connect potential donors with biobanks, and to connect biobanks with consented biospecimens; and 3) interdisciplinary governance and oversight informed by public opinion. Results The BC BioLibrary has been embraced by biobanking leaders and translational researchers throughout BC, across multiple health authorities, institutions, and disciplines. An initial pilot network of three Biospecimen Collection Units has been successfully established. In addition, two public deliberation events have been held to obtain input from the public on the BioLibrary and on issues including consent, collection of biospecimens and governance. Conclusion The BC BioLibrary framework addresses common issues for clinical pathology, biobanking, and translational research across multiple institutions and clinical and research domains. We anticipate that our framework will lead to enhanced biospecimen accrual capacity and quality, reduced competition between biobanks, and a transparent process for donors that enhances public trust in biobanking. PMID:19909513

Central obesity increases risk of breast cancer irrespective of menopausal and hormonal receptor status in women of South Asian Ethnicity.

PubMed

Nagrani, R; Mhatre, S; Rajaraman, P; Soerjomataram, I; Boffetta, P; Gupta, S; Parmar, V; Badwe, R; Dikshit, R

2016-10-01

Current evidence suggests that the relationship between obesity and breast cancer (BC) risk may vary between ethnic groups. A total of 1633 BC cases and 1504 controls were enrolled in hospital-based case-control study in Mumbai, India, from 2009 to 2013. Along with detailed questionnaire, we collected anthropometric measurements on all participants. We used unconditional logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for BC risk associated with anthropometry measurements, stratified on tumour subtype and menopausal status. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of ≥0.95 was strongly associated with risk of BC compared to WHR ≤0.84 in both premenopausal (OR = 4.3; 95% CI: 2.9-6.3) and postmenopausal women (OR = 3.4; 95% CI: 2.4-4.8) after adjustment for body mass index (BMI). Premenopausal women with a BMI ≥30 were at lower risk compared to women with normal BMI (OR = 0.5; 95% CI: 0.4-0.8). A similar protective effect was observed in women who were postmenopausal for <10 years (OR = 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4-0.9) but not in women who were postmenopausal for ≥10 years (OR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.1-3.3). Overweight and obese women (BMI: 25-29.9 and ≥ 30 kg/m(2), respectively) were at increased BC risk irrespective of menopausal status if their WHR ≥0.95. Central obesity (measured in terms of WC and WHR) increased the risk of both premenopausal and postmenopausal BCs irrespective of hormone receptor (HR) status. Central obesity appears to be a key risk factor for BC irrespective of menopausal or HR status in Indian women with no history of hormone replacement therapy. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Unified Bohm criterion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kos, L.; Tskhakaya, D. D.; Jelić, N.

2015-09-15

Recent decades have seen research into the conditions necessary for the formation of the monotonic potential shape in the sheath, appearing at the plasma boundaries like walls, in fluid, and kinetic approximations separately. Although either of these approaches yields a formulation commonly known as the much-acclaimed Bohm criterion (BC), the respective results involve essentially different physical quantities that describe the ion gas behavior. In the fluid approach, such a quantity is clearly identified as the ion directional velocity. In the kinetic approach, the ion behavior is formulated via a quantity (the squared inverse velocity averaged by the ion distribution function)more » without any clear physical significance, which is, moreover, impractical. In the present paper, we try to explain this difference by deriving a condition called here the Unified Bohm Criterion, which combines an advanced fluid model with an upgraded explicit kinetic formula in a new form of the BC. By introducing a generalized polytropic coefficient function, the unified BC can be interpreted in a form that holds, irrespective of whether the ions are described kinetically or in the fluid approximation.« less

School and Neighborhood Predictors of Physical Fitness in Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahan, David; McKenzie, Thomas L.

2017-01-01

Background: We assessed the associations of 5 school and 7 neighborhood variables with fifth-grade students achieving Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) or Needs Improvement-Health Risk (NI-HR) on aerobic capacity (AC) and body composition (BC) physical fitness components of the state-mandated FITNESSGRAM® physical fitness test. Methods: Data for outcome…

Computational Modeling and Simulation of Film-Condensation

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-18

different cases considered in the present work. Table 2: Four different cases corresponding to various thermal boundary conditions ( CWT : constant wall...temperature; UHF: uniform heat flux; and CHT: convection heat transfer) on the channel walls. Cases (a) (b) (c) (d) Top wall BC CWT : Tw2>Tsat UHF: qw...CHT: h & T∞ >Tsat CHT Bottom Wall BC CWT : Tw1<Tsat CWT : Tw1<Tsat CWT : Tw1<Tsat UHF: qw   Page 12 of 18   In the above table, T y

Purification and molecular cloning of aspartic proteinases from the stomach of adult Japanese fire belly newts, Cynops pyrrhogaster.

PubMed

Nagasawa, Tatsuki; Sano, Kaori; Kawaguchi, Mari; Kobayashi, Ken-Ichiro; Yasumasu, Shigeki; Inokuchi, Tomofumi

2016-04-01

Six aspartic proteinase precursors, a pro-cathepsin E (ProCatE) and five pepsinogens (Pgs), were purified from the stomach of adult newts (Cynops pyrrhogaster). On sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the molecular weights of the Pgs and active enzymes were 37-38 kDa and 31-34 kDa, respectively. The purified ProCatE was a dimer whose subunits were connected by a disulphide bond. cDNA cloning by polymerase chain reaction and subsequent phylogenetic analysis revealed that three of the purified Pgs were classified as PgA and the remaining two were classified as PgBC belonging to C-type Pg. Our results suggest that PgBC is one of the major constituents of acid protease in the urodele stomach. We hypothesize that PgBC is an amphibian-specific Pg that diverged during its evolutional lineage. PgBC was purified and characterized for the first time. The purified urodele pepsin A was completely inhibited by equal molar units of pepstatin A. Conversely, the urodele pepsin BC had low sensitivity to pepstatin A. In acidic condition, the activation rates of newt pepsin A and BC were similar to those of mammalian pepsin A and C1, respectively. Our results suggest that the enzymological characters that distinguish A- and C-type pepsins appear to be conserved in mammals and amphibians. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Japanese Biochemical Society. All rights reserved.

An experimental and numerical study of the light scattering properties of ice crystals with black carbon inclusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arienti, Marco; Geier, Manfred; Yang, Xiaoyuan; Orcutt, John; Zenker, Jake; Brooks, Sarah D.

2018-05-01

We investigate the optical properties of ice crystals nucleated on atmospheric black carbon (BC). The parameters examined in this study are the shape of the ice crystal, the volume fraction of the BC inclusion, and its location inside the crystal. We report on new spectrometer measurements of forward scattering and backward polarization from ice crystals nucleated on BC particles and grown under laboratory-controlled conditions. Data from the Cloud and Aerosol Spectrometer with Polarization (CASPOL) are used for direct comparison with single-particle calculations of the scattering phase matrix. Geometrical optics and discrete dipole approximation techniques are jointly used to provide the best compromise of flexibility and accuracy over a broad range of size parameters. Together with the interpretation of the trends revealed by the CASPOL measurements, the numerical results confirm previous reports on absorption cross-section magnification in the visible light range. Even taking into account effects of crystal shape and inclusion position, the ratio between absorption cross-section of the compound particle and the absorption cross-section of the BC inclusion alone (the absorption magnification) has a lower bound of 1.5; this value increases to 1.7 if the inclusion is centered with respect to the crystal. The simple model of BC-ice particle presented here also offers new insights on the effect of the relative position of the BC inclusion with respect to the crystal's outer surfaces, the shape of the crystal, and its size.

Biochar application increased the growth and yield and reduced cadmium in drought stressed wheat grown in an aged contaminated soil.

PubMed

Abbas, Tahir; Rizwan, Muhammad; Ali, Shafaqat; Adrees, Muhammad; Mahmood, Abid; Zia-Ur-Rehman, Muhammad; Ibrahim, Muhammad; Arshad, Muhammad; Qayyum, Muhammad Farooq

2018-02-01

Cadmium (Cd) and drought stress in plants is a worldwide problem, whereas little is known about the effect of biochar (BC) under combined Cd and drought stress. The current study was conducted to determine the impact of BC on Cd uptake in wheat sown in Cd-contaminated soil under drought stress. Wheat was grown in a soil after incubating the soil for 15 days with three levels of BC (0%, 3.0% and 5.0% w/w). Three levels of drought stress (well-watered, mild drought and severe drought containing 70%, 50%, and 35% of soil water holding capacity respectively) were applied to 45-d-old wheat plants. Drought stress decreased plant height, spike length, chlorophyll contents, gas exchange parameters, root and shoot dry biomasses and grain yields. Drought stress also caused oxidative stress and decreased the antioxidant enzymes activities whereas increased the Cd concentration in plants. Biochar increased morphological and physiological parameters of wheat under combined drought and Cd stress and reduced the oxidative stress and Cd contents and increased antioxidant enzymes activities. The decrease in Cd concentration with BC application in drought-stressed plant might be attributed to BC-induced increase in crop biomass production and reduction in oxidative stress. These results indicate that BC could be used as an amendment in metal contaminated soil for improving wheat growth and reducing Cd concentrations under semiarid conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genome-wide screen identifies a novel prognostic signature for breast cancer survival

DOE PAGES

Mao, Xuan Y.; Lee, Matthew J.; Zhu, Jeffrey; ...

2017-01-21

Large genomic datasets in combination with clinical data can be used as an unbiased tool to identify genes important in patient survival and discover potential therapeutic targets. We used a genome-wide screen to identify 587 genes significantly and robustly deregulated across four independent breast cancer (BC) datasets compared to normal breast tissue. Gene expression of 381 genes was significantly associated with relapse-free survival (RFS) in BC patients. We used a gene co-expression network approach to visualize the genetic architecture in normal breast and BCs. In normal breast tissue, co-expression cliques were identified enriched for cell cycle, gene transcription, cell adhesion,more » cytoskeletal organization and metabolism. In contrast, in BC, only two major co-expression cliques were identified enriched for cell cycle-related processes or blood vessel development, cell adhesion and mammary gland development processes. Interestingly, gene expression levels of 7 genes were found to be negatively correlated with many cell cycle related genes, highlighting these genes as potential tumor suppressors and novel therapeutic targets. A forward-conditional Cox regression analysis was used to identify a 12-gene signature associated with RFS. A prognostic scoring system was created based on the 12-gene signature. This scoring system robustly predicted BC patient RFS in 60 sampling test sets and was further validated in TCGA and METABRIC BC data. Our integrated study identified a 12-gene prognostic signature that could guide adjuvant therapy for BC patients and includes novel potential molecular targets for therapy.« less

Blood based cell biopsy for early detection of cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Cha-Mei; Adams, Daniel; Adams, Diane; Alpaugh, R. Katherine; Cristofanilli, Massimo; Martin, Stuart; Chumsri, Saranya; Marks, Jeffrey

Early detection (ED) of cancer holds the promise for less aggressive treatments and better outcome. However, there are few accepted methods for ED. We report on a previously unknown blood cell found specifically in the peripheral blood of many solid tumors. They are defined as Cancer Associated Macrophage-Like cells (CAMLs) and are characterized by large size (25-300 μm) and expression of cancer markers. CAMLs were isolated on precision filters during blood filtration. We conducted prospective studies in breast cancer (BC) to ascertain CAML prevalence, specificity and sensitivity in relation to disease status at clinical presentation. We report on two related but separate studies: 1) the isolation of CAMLs from patients with known invasive BC, compared to healthy volunteers and, 2) a double blind study conducted on women undergoing core needle biopsy to evaluate suspicious breast masses. The studies show that CAMLs are found in all stages of BC and suggest that detection of CAMLs can differentiate patients with BC from those with benign breast conditions and healthy individuals. This non-invasive blood test can be potentially used for ED of BC and other malignancies after validation studies with the advantage of a minimally invasive procedure and longitudinal monitoring. This work was supported by Grants from Maryland TEDCO MTTCF, R01-CA154624 from NIH, KG100240 from Susan G. Komen Foundation, Era of Hope Scholar award from DoD (BC100675), and U01-CA084955 from NCI EDRN.

Genome-wide screen identifies a novel prognostic signature for breast cancer survival

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mao, Xuan Y.; Lee, Matthew J.; Zhu, Jeffrey

Large genomic datasets in combination with clinical data can be used as an unbiased tool to identify genes important in patient survival and discover potential therapeutic targets. We used a genome-wide screen to identify 587 genes significantly and robustly deregulated across four independent breast cancer (BC) datasets compared to normal breast tissue. Gene expression of 381 genes was significantly associated with relapse-free survival (RFS) in BC patients. We used a gene co-expression network approach to visualize the genetic architecture in normal breast and BCs. In normal breast tissue, co-expression cliques were identified enriched for cell cycle, gene transcription, cell adhesion,more » cytoskeletal organization and metabolism. In contrast, in BC, only two major co-expression cliques were identified enriched for cell cycle-related processes or blood vessel development, cell adhesion and mammary gland development processes. Interestingly, gene expression levels of 7 genes were found to be negatively correlated with many cell cycle related genes, highlighting these genes as potential tumor suppressors and novel therapeutic targets. A forward-conditional Cox regression analysis was used to identify a 12-gene signature associated with RFS. A prognostic scoring system was created based on the 12-gene signature. This scoring system robustly predicted BC patient RFS in 60 sampling test sets and was further validated in TCGA and METABRIC BC data. Our integrated study identified a 12-gene prognostic signature that could guide adjuvant therapy for BC patients and includes novel potential molecular targets for therapy.« less

Black carbon emissions in Russia: A critical review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Meredydd; Kholod, Nazar; Kuklinski, Teresa; Denysenko, Artur; Smith, Steven J.; Staniszewski, Aaron; Hao, Wei Min; Liu, Liang; Bond, Tami C.

2017-08-01

This study presents a comprehensive review of estimated black carbon (BC) emissions in Russia from a range of studies. Russia has an important role regarding BC emissions given the extent of its territory above the Arctic Circle, where BC emissions have a particularly pronounced effect on the climate. We assess underlying methodologies and data sources for each major emissions source based on their level of detail, accuracy and extent to which they represent current conditions. We then present reference values for each major emissions source. In the case of flaring, the study presents new estimates drawing on data on Russia's associated petroleum gas and the most recent satellite data on flaring. We also present estimates of organic carbon (OC) for each source, either based on the reference studies or from our own calculations. In addition, the study provides uncertainty estimates for each source. Total BC emissions are estimated at 688 Gg in 2014, with an uncertainty range 401 Gg-1453 Gg, while OC emissions are 9224 Gg with uncertainty ranging between 5596 Gg and 14,736 Gg. Wildfires dominated and contributed about 83% of the total BC emissions: however, the effect on radiative forcing is mitigated in part by OC emissions. We also present an adjusted estimate of Arctic forcing from Russia's BC and OC emissions. In recent years, Russia has pursued policies to reduce flaring and limit particulate emissions from on-road transport, both of which appear to significantly contribute to the lower emissions and forcing values found in this study.

Black carbon emissions in Russia: A critical review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Evans, Meredydd; Kholod, Nazar; Kuklinski, Teresa

Russia has a particularly important role regarding black carbon (BC) emissions given the extent of its territory above the Arctic Circle, where BC emissions have a particularly pronounced effect on the climate. This study presents a comprehensive review of BC estimates from a range of studies. We assess underlying methodologies and data sources for each major emissions source based on their level of detail, accuracy and extent to which they represent current conditions. We then present reference values for each major emissions source. In the case of flaring, the study presents new estimates drawing on data on Russian associated petroleummore » gas and the most recent satellite data on flaring. We also present estimates of organic carbon (OC) for each source, either based on the reference studies or from our own calculations. In addition, the study provides uncertainty estimates for each source. Total BC emissions are estimated at 689 Gg in 2014, with an uncertainty range between (407-1,416), while OC emissions are 9,228 Gg (with uncertainty between 5,595 and 14,728). Wildfires dominated and contributed about 83% of the total BC emissions, however the effect on radiative forcing is mitigated by OC emissions. We also present an adjusted estimate of Arctic forcing from Russian OC and BC emissions. In recent years, Russia has pursued policies to reduce flaring and limit particulate emissions from on-road transport, both of which appear to significantly contribute to the lower emissions and forcing values found in this study.« less

Work flow analysis of around-the-clock processing of blood culture samples and integrated MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis for the diagnosis of bloodstream infections.

PubMed

Schneiderhan, Wilhelm; Grundt, Alexander; Wörner, Stefan; Findeisen, Peter; Neumaier, Michael

2013-11-01

Because sepsis has a high mortality rate, rapid microbiological diagnosis is required to enable efficient therapy. The effectiveness of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis in reducing turnaround times (TATs) for blood culture (BC) pathogen identification when available in a 24-h hospital setting has not been determined. On the basis of data from a total number of 912 positive BCs collected within 140 consecutive days and work flow analyses of laboratory diagnostics, we evaluated different models to assess the TATs for batch-wise and for immediate response (real-time) MALDI-TOF MS pathogen identification of positive BC results during the night shifts. The results were compared to TATs from routine BC processing and biochemical identification performed during regular working hours. Continuous BC incubation together with batch-wise MALDI-TOF MS analysis enabled significant reductions of up to 58.7 h in the mean TATs for the reporting of the bacterial species. The TAT of batch-wise MALDI-TOF MS analysis was inferior by a mean of 4.9 h when compared to the model of the immediate work flow under ideal conditions with no constraints in staff availability. Together with continuous cultivation of BC, the 24-h availability of MALDI-TOF MS can reduce the TAT for microbial pathogen identification within a routine clinical laboratory setting. Batch-wise testing of positive BC loses a few hours compared to real-time identification but is still far superior to classical BC processing. Larger prospective studies are required to evaluate the contribution of rapid around-the-clock pathogen identification to medical decision-making for septicemic patients.

Potential of biochar filters for onsite sewage treatment: Adsorption and biological degradation of pharmaceuticals in laboratory filters with active, inactive and no biofilm.

PubMed

Dalahmeh, Sahar; Ahrens, Lutz; Gros, Meritxell; Wiberg, Karin; Pell, Mikael

2018-01-15

This study investigated the potential of biochar filters as a replacement or complement for sand filters for removal of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) from wastewater in onsite sewage facilities (OSSF). Specifically, the study investigated the effects of biodegradation, adsorption and a combination of these processes on removal of four model PhACs from wastewater in biochar filters operated under hydraulic loading conditions mimicking those found in onsite infiltration beds. Concentrations and removal of the four PhACs (i.e. carbamazepine, metoprolol, ranitidine and caffeine) were investigated over 22weeks in four treatments: biochar (BC) with active or inactive biofilm (BC-active-biofilm, BC-inactive-biofilm), biochar without biofilm (BC-no-biofilm) and sand with active biofilm (Sand-active-biofilm). The adsorption of carbamazepine was high in BC-no-biofilm (99% removal after 22weeks), while biodegradation was very low in Sand-active-biofilm (7% removal after 22weeks). Removal of carbamazepine in BC-active-biofilm was high and stable over the 22weeks (>98%), showing a significant role of biofilm in filter biogeneration. However, carbamazepine removal declined over time in BC-inactive-biofilm, from 99% in week 13 to 73% in week 22. Metoprolol was poorly degraded in Sand-active-biofilm (37% after 22weeks), while adsorption seemed to be the major pathway for removal of metoprolol in biochar. Ranitidine and caffeine were efficiently removed by either adsorption (97% and 98%, respectively, after 22weeks) or biodegradation (99% and >99%, respectively, after 22weeks). In conclusion, biochar is a promising filter medium for OSSF, especially for persistent PhACs such as carbamazepine and metoprolol. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impacts of regional transport on black carbon in Huairou, Beijing, China.

PubMed

Wang, Yuqin; de Foy, Benjamin; Schauer, James J; Olson, Michael R; Zhang, Yang; Li, Zhengqiang; Zhang, Yuanxun

2017-02-01

The 22 nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Conference was held near Yanqi Lake, Huairou, in Beijing, China during November 10-11, 2014. To guarantee haze-free days during the APEC Conference, the Beijing government and the governments of the surrounding provinces implemented a series of controls. Three months of Aethalometer 880 nm black carbon (BC) measurements were examined to understand the hourly fluctuations in BC concentrations that resulted from emission controls and meteorology changes. Measurements were collected at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences near the APEC Conference site and in Central Beijing at the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Synoptic conditions are successfully represented through analysis of backward trajectories in six cluster groups. The clusters are identified based on air mass transport from various areas such as Inner Mongolia, Russia, three northeastern provinces, and Hebei industrial areas, to the measurement sites. Air pollution control measures during the APEC Conference significantly reduced BC at the conference site (Huairou) and in Central Beijing, with greater reductions in BC concentrations at the conference site than in Central Beijing. The highest BC concentrations in Huairou were associated with air masses originating from Central Beijing rather than from the Hebei industrial region. The success of the control measures implemented in Beijing and the surrounding regions demonstrates that BC concentrations can be effectively reduced to protect human health and mitigate regional climate forcing. This study also demonstrates the need for regional strategies to reduce BC concentrations, since urban areas like Beijing are sources as well as downwind receptors of emissions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combined inhibition of β-catenin and Bcr-Abl synergistically targets tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant blast crisis chronic myeloid leukemia blasts and progenitors in vitro and in vivo.

PubMed

Zhou, H; Mak, P Y; Mu, H; Mak, D H; Zeng, Z; Cortes, J; Liu, Q; Andreeff, M; Carter, B Z

2017-10-01

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance and progression to blast crisis (BC), both related to persistent β-catenin activation, remain formidable challenges for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We observed overexpression of β-catenin in BC-CML stem/progenitor cells, particularly in granulocyte-macrophage progenitors, and highest among a novel CD34 + CD38 + CD123 hi Tim-3 hi subset as determined by CyTOF analysis. Co-culture with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) induced the expression of β-catenin and its target CD44 in CML cells. A novel Wnt/β-catenin signaling modulator, C82, and nilotinib synergistically killed KBM5 T315I and TKI-resistant primary BC-CML cells with or without BCR-ABL kinase mutations even under leukemia/MSC co-culture conditions. Silencing of β-catenin by short interfering RNA restored sensitivity of primary BCR-ABL T315I/E255V BC-CML cells to nilotinib. Combining the C82 pro-drug, PRI-724, with nilotinib significantly prolonged the survival of NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ null mice injected with primary BCR-ABL T315I/E255V BC-CML cells. The combined treatment selectively targeted CML progenitors and inhibited CD44, c-Myc, survivin, p-CRKL and p-STAT5 expression. In addition, pretreating primary BC-CML cells with C82, or the combination, but not with nilotinib alone, significantly impaired their engraftment potential in NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ-null-3/GM/SF mice and significantly prolonged survival. Our data suggest potential benefit of concomitant β-catenin and Bcr-Abl inhibition to prevent or overcome Bcr-Abl kinase-dependent or -independent TKI resistance in BC-CML.

Combined inhibition of β-catenin and Bcr–Abl synergistically targets tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant blast crisis chronic myeloid leukemia blasts and progenitors in vitro and in vivo

PubMed Central

Zhou, H; Mak, P Y; Mu, H; Mak, D H; Zeng, Z; Cortes, J; Liu, Q; Andreeff, M; Carter, B Z

2017-01-01

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance and progression to blast crisis (BC), both related to persistent β-catenin activation, remain formidable challenges for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We observed overexpression of β-catenin in BC-CML stem/progenitor cells, particularly in granulocyte–macrophage progenitors, and highest among a novel CD34+CD38+CD123hiTim-3hi subset as determined by CyTOF analysis. Co-culture with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) induced the expression of β-catenin and its target CD44 in CML cells. A novel Wnt/β-catenin signaling modulator, C82, and nilotinib synergistically killed KBM5T315I and TKI-resistant primary BC-CML cells with or without BCR–ABL kinase mutations even under leukemia/MSC co-culture conditions. Silencing of β-catenin by short interfering RNA restored sensitivity of primary BCR–ABLT315I/E255V BC-CML cells to nilotinib. Combining the C82 pro-drug, PRI-724, with nilotinib significantly prolonged the survival of NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ null mice injected with primary BCR–ABLT315I/E255V BC-CML cells. The combined treatment selectively targeted CML progenitors and inhibited CD44, c-Myc, survivin, p-CRKL and p-STAT5 expression. In addition, pretreating primary BC-CML cells with C82, or the combination, but not with nilotinib alone, significantly impaired their engraftment potential in NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ-null-3/GM/SF mice and significantly prolonged survival. Our data suggest potential benefit of concomitant β-catenin and Bcr–Abl inhibition to prevent or overcome Bcr–Abl kinase-dependent or -independent TKI resistance in BC-CML. PMID:28321124

Lessons learned from Action Schools! BC--an 'active school' model to promote physical activity in elementary schools.

PubMed

Naylor, Patti-Jean; Macdonald, Heather M; Zebedee, Janelle A; Reed, Katherine E; McKay, Heather A

2006-10-01

The 'active school' model offers promise for promoting school-based physical activity (PA); however, few intervention trials have evaluated its effectiveness. Thus, our purpose was to: (1) describe Action Schools! BC (AS! BC) and its implementation (fidelity and feasibility) and (2) evaluate the impact of AS! BC on school provision of PA. Ten elementary schools were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions: Usual Practice (UP, three schools), Liaison (LS, four schools) or Champion (CS, three schools). Teachers in LS and CS schools received AS! BC training and resources but differed on the level of facilitation provided. UP schools continued with regular PA. Delivery of PA during the 11-month intervention was assessed with weekly Activity Logs and intervention fidelity and feasibility were assessed using Action Plans, workshop evaluations, teacher surveys and focus groups with administrators, teachers, parents and students. Physical activity delivered was significantly greater in LS (+67.4 min/week; 95% CI: 18.7-116.1) and CS (+55.2 min/week; 95% CI: 26.4-83.9) schools than UP schools. Analysis of Action Plans and Activity Logs showed fidelity to the model and moderate levels of compliance (75%). Teachers were highly satisfied with training and support. Benefits of AS! BC included positive changes in the children and school climate, including provision of resources, improved communication and program flexibility. These results support the use of the 'active school' model to positively alter the school environment. The AS! BC model was effective, providing more opportunities for "more children to be more active more often" and as such has the potential to provide health benefits to elementary school children.

Catchment-scale redistribution of lithogenic solutes and black carbon over three years following wildfire in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohlmann, M. A.; Root, R.; Abrell, L.; Schwartz, C. J.; Chorover, J.

2017-12-01

Wildfire represents a disturbance that is becoming more prevalent as climate shifts to hotter and drier conditions in the southwestern US. It has profound and potentially long-term effects on the physical, chemical and microbiological properties of soil, including immediate surface deposition of lithogenic elements and incompletely combusted organic matter (i.e., black carbon or BC) previously held in biomass. The long residence time of BC mitigates oxidative release of carbon to the atmosphere and thus has implications for long-term climate forcing. Immediately following the 2013 Thompson Ridge wildfire in the Jemez River Basin Critical Zone Observatory, we sampled 22 soil profiles across a zero order basin at finely resolved depth intervals to 40 cm. Samples were collected again 12 and 24 months following the fire to assess redistribution of solutes and BC in the two years following fire. Water extractable anions, cations and carbon were measured for each sample and maps were generated by geostatistical interpolation. Additionally, the benzene polycarboxylic acid (BPCA) molecular marker method was employed for a selection of samples to quantify and characterize the BC content of the existing soil organic carbon pool as a function of landscape position and time. The `pulsed' deposition of water-soluble ions and BC followed pre-fire vegetation structure as indicated by solution chemistry data for years one and two displaying elevated solute concentrations in surface depths proximal to dense vegetation. Vertical and lateral redistribution of the water extractable elements and BC were consistent with wetting front propagation and topographic trends (driven by erosion, overland flow and lateral subsurface flow). BC depth profiles indicate vertical infiltration and lateral transport with burial, the latter associated with surface erosion of sediment, as mechanisms for redistribution.

Effects of Feedstock and Pyrolysis Temperature on Biochar Adsorption of Ammonium and Nitrate

PubMed Central

Gai, Xiapu; Wang, Hongyuan; Liu, Jian; Zhai, Limei; Liu, Shen; Ren, Tianzhi; Liu, Hongbin

2014-01-01

Biochar produced by pyrolysis of biomass can be used to counter nitrogen (N) pollution. The present study investigated the effects of feedstock and temperature on characteristics of biochars and their adsorption ability for ammonium N (NH4 +-N) and nitrate N (NO3 −-N). Twelve biochars were produced from wheat-straw (W-BC), corn-straw (C-BC) and peanut-shell (P-BC) at pyrolysis temperatures of 400, 500, 600 and 700°C. Biochar physical and chemical properties were determined and the biochars were used for N sorption experiments. The results showed that biochar yield and contents of N, hydrogen and oxygen decreased as pyrolysis temperature increased from 400°C to 700°C, whereas contents of ash, pH and carbon increased with greater pyrolysis temperature. All biochars could sorb substantial amounts of NH4 +-N, and the sorption characteristics were well fitted to the Freundlich isotherm model. The ability of biochars to adsorb NH4 +-N followed: C-BC>P-BC>W-BC, and the adsorption amount decreased with higher pyrolysis temperature. The ability of C-BC to sorb NH4 +-N was the highest because it had the largest cation exchange capacity (CEC) among all biochars (e.g., C-BC400 with a CEC of 38.3 cmol kg−1 adsorbed 2.3 mg NH4 +-N g−1 in solutions with 50 mg NH4 + L−1). Compared with NH4 +-N, none of NO3 −-N was adsorbed to biochars at different NO3 − concentrations. Instead, some NO3 −-N was even released from the biochar materials. We conclude that biochars can be used under conditions where NH4 +-N (or NH3) pollution is a concern, but further research is needed in terms of applying biochars to reduce NO3 −-N pollution. PMID:25469875

New Archaeozoological Data from the Fayum “Neolithic” with a Critical Assessment of the Evidence for Early Stock Keeping in Egypt

PubMed Central

Linseele, Veerle; Van Neer, Wim; Thys, Sofie; Phillipps, Rebecca; Cappers, René; Wendrich, Willeke; Holdaway, Simon

2014-01-01

Faunal evidence from the Fayum Neolithic is often cited in the framework of early stock keeping in Egypt. However, the data suffer from a number of problems. In the present paper, large faunal datasets from new excavations at Kom K and Kom W (4850–4250 BC) are presented. They clearly show that, despite the presence of domesticates, fish predominate in the animal bone assemblages. In this sense, there is continuity with the earlier Holocene occupation from the Fayum, starting ca. 7350 BC. Domesticated plants and animals appear first from approximately 5400 BC. The earliest possible evidence for domesticates in Egypt are the very controversial domesticated cattle from the 9th/8th millennium BC in the Nabta Playa-Bir Kiseiba area. The earliest domesticates found elsewhere in Egypt date to the 6th millennium BC. The numbers of bones are generally extremely low at this point in time and only caprines are present. From the 5th millennium BC, the numbers of sites with domesticates dramatically increase, more species are also involved and they are usually represented by significant quantities of bones. The data from the Fayum reflect this two phase development, with very limited evidence for domesticates in the 6th millennium BC and more abundant and clearer indications in the 5th millennium BC. Any modelling of early food production in Egypt suffers from poor amounts of data, bias due to differential preservation and visibility of sites and archaeological remains, and a lack of direct dates for domesticates. In general, however, the evidence for early stock keeping and accompanying archaeological features shows large regional variation and seems to be mainly dependent on local environmental conditions. The large numbers of fish at Kom K and Kom W reflect the proximity of Lake Qarun. PMID:25310283

Transport of regional pollutants through a remote trans-Himalayan valley in Nepal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhungel, Shradda; Kathayat, Bhogendra; Mahata, Khadak; Panday, Arnico

2018-01-01

Anthropogenic emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels and biomass in Asia have increased in recent years. High concentrations of reactive trace gases and light-absorbing and light-scattering particles from these sources form persistent haze layers, also known as atmospheric brown clouds, over the Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) from December through early June. Models and satellite imagery suggest that strong wind systems within deep Himalayan valleys are major pathways by which pollutants from the IGP are transported to the higher Himalaya. However, observational evidence of the transport of polluted air masses through Himalayan valleys has been lacking to date. To evaluate this pathway, we measured black carbon (BC), ozone (O3), and associated meteorological conditions within the Kali Gandaki Valley (KGV), Nepal, from January 2013 to July 2015. BC and O3 varied over both diurnal and seasonal cycles. Relative to nighttime, mean BC and O3 concentrations within the valley were higher during daytime when the up-valley flow (average velocity of 17 m s-1) dominated. BC and O3 concentrations also varied seasonally with minima during the monsoon season (July to September). Concentrations of both species subsequently increased post-monsoon and peaked during March to May. Average concentrations for O3 during the seasonally representative months of April, August, and November were 41.7, 24.5, and 29.4 ppbv, respectively, while the corresponding BC concentrations were 1.17, 0.24, and 1.01 µg m-3, respectively. Up-valley fluxes of BC were significantly greater than down-valley fluxes during all seasons. In addition, frequent episodes of BC concentrations 2-3 times higher than average persisted from several days to a week during non-monsoon months. Our observations of increases in BC concentration and fluxes in the valley, particularly during pre-monsoon, provide evidence that trans-Himalayan valleys are important conduits for transport of pollutants from the IGP to the higher Himalaya.

Influence of biochar and terra preta substrates on wettability and erodibility of soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smetanova, A.; Dotterweich, M.; Diehl, D.; Ulrich, U.; Fohrer, N.

2012-04-01

Biochar (BC) and terra preta substrates (TPS) have recently been promoted as soil amendments suitable for soil stabilization, soil amelioration and long-term carbon sequestration. BC is a carbon-enriched substance produced by thermal decomposition of organic material. TPS is composed of liquid and solid organic matter, including BC, altered by acid-lactic fermentation. Their effect on wettability, soil erodibility and nutrient discharge through overland flow was studied by laboratory experiments. At water contents between 0 and 100% BC is water repellent, while TPS changes from a wettable into a repellent state. The 5 and 10 vol % mixtures of BC and 10 and 20 vol% mixtures of TPS with sand remain mainly wettable during drying but repellency maxima are shifted to higher water contents with respect to pure sand and are mainly of subcritical nature. The runoff response was dominated by infiltration properties of the substrates rather than their wettability.Only one mixtures (20% TPS) produced more runoff than sandy-loamy soil on a 15% slope at an intensity of 25 mm•h-1. The 10% BC decreased runoff by up to 40%. At higher rainfall intensities (45 and 55 mm•h-1) the 10% TPS7 was up to 35% less erodible than 10% BC. Despite the TPS containing more nutrients, nutrient discharge varied between types of nutrients, slopes, rainfall intensities and mixtures. The application of a 1 cm layer onto the soil surface instead of 10% mixtures is not recommended due to high nutrient concentrations in the runoff and the wettability of pure substrates. The usage of 10% BC in lowland areas with low frequency and low-intensity precipitation and 10% TPS7 in areas with higher rainfall intensities appears to be appropriate and commendable according to current results. However, together with reversibility of repellency, it needs to undergo further examination in the field under different environmental and land use conditions Key words: biochar, terra preta substrate, wettability, erodibility, nutrient discharge

Effects of feedstock and pyrolysis temperature on biochar adsorption of ammonium and nitrate.

PubMed

Gai, Xiapu; Wang, Hongyuan; Liu, Jian; Zhai, Limei; Liu, Shen; Ren, Tianzhi; Liu, Hongbin

2014-01-01

Biochar produced by pyrolysis of biomass can be used to counter nitrogen (N) pollution. The present study investigated the effects of feedstock and temperature on characteristics of biochars and their adsorption ability for ammonium N (NH4(+)-N) and nitrate N (NO3(-)-N). Twelve biochars were produced from wheat-straw (W-BC), corn-straw (C-BC) and peanut-shell (P-BC) at pyrolysis temperatures of 400, 500, 600 and 700°C. Biochar physical and chemical properties were determined and the biochars were used for N sorption experiments. The results showed that biochar yield and contents of N, hydrogen and oxygen decreased as pyrolysis temperature increased from 400°C to 700°C, whereas contents of ash, pH and carbon increased with greater pyrolysis temperature. All biochars could sorb substantial amounts of NH4(+)-N, and the sorption characteristics were well fitted to the Freundlich isotherm model. The ability of biochars to adsorb NH4(+)-N followed: C-BC>P-BC>W-BC, and the adsorption amount decreased with higher pyrolysis temperature. The ability of C-BC to sorb NH4(+)-N was the highest because it had the largest cation exchange capacity (CEC) among all biochars (e.g., C-BC400 with a CEC of 38.3 cmol kg(-1) adsorbed 2.3 mg NH4(+)-N g(-1) in solutions with 50 mg NH4(+) L(-1)). Compared with NH4(+)-N, none of NO3(-)-N was adsorbed to biochars at different NO3(-) concentrations. Instead, some NO3(-)-N was even released from the biochar materials. We conclude that biochars can be used under conditions where NH4(+)-N (or NH3) pollution is a concern, but further research is needed in terms of applying biochars to reduce NO3(-)-N pollution.

Time-resolved characterization of primary emissions from residential wood combustion appliances.

PubMed

Heringa, M F; DeCarlo, P F; Chirico, R; Lauber, A; Doberer, A; Good, J; Nussbaumer, T; Keller, A; Burtscher, H; Richard, A; Miljevic, B; Prevot, A S H; Baltensperger, U

2012-10-16

Primary emissions from a log wood burner and a pellet boiler were characterized by online measurements of the organic aerosol (OA) using a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-TOF-AMS) and of black carbon (BC). The OA and BC concentrations measured during the burning cycle of the log wood burner, batch wise fueled with wood logs, were highly variable and generally dominated by BC. The emissions of the pellet burner had, besides inorganic material, a high fraction of OA and a minor contribution of BC. However, during artificially induced poor burning BC was the dominating species with ∼80% of the measured mass. The elemental O:C ratio of the OA was generally found in the range of 0.2-0.5 during the startup phase or after reloading of the log wood burner. During the burnout or smoldering phase, O:C ratios increased up to 1.6-1.7, which is similar to the ratios found for the pellet boiler during stable burning conditions and higher than the O:C ratios observed for highly aged ambient OA. The organic emissions of both burners have a very similar H:C ratio at a given O:C ratio and therefore fall on the same line in the Van Krevelen diagram.

The numerical model of multi-layer insulation with a defined wrapping pattern immersed in superfluid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malecha, Ziemowit; Lubryka, Eliza

2017-11-01

The numerical model of thin layers, characterized by a defined wrapping pattern can be a crucial element of many computational problems related to engineering and science. A motivating example is found in multilayer electrical insulation, which is an important component of superconducting magnets and other cryogenic installations. The wrapping pattern of the insulation can significantly affect heat transport and the performance of the considered instruments. The major objective of this study is to develop the numerical boundary conditions (BC) needed to model the wrapping pattern of thin insulation. An example of the practical application of the proposed BC includes the heat transfer of Rutherford NbTi cables immersed in super-fluid helium (He II) across thin layers of electrical insulation. The proposed BC and a mathematical model of heat transfer in He II are implemented in the open source CFD toolbox OpenFOAM. The implemented mathematical model and the BC are compared in the experiments. The study confirms that the thermal resistance of electrical insulation can be lowered by implementing the proper wrapping pattern. The proposed BC can be useful in the study of new patterns for wrapping schemes. The work has been supported by statutory funds from Polish Ministry for Science and Higher Education for the year of 2017.

Development and application of a crossbreeding simulation model for goat production systems in tropical regions.

PubMed

Tsukahara, Y; Oishi, K; Hirooka, H

2011-12-01

A deterministic simulation model was developed to estimate biological production efficiency and to evaluate goat crossbreeding systems under tropical conditions. The model involves 5 production systems: pure indigenous, first filial generations (F1), backcross (BC), composite breeds of F1 (CMP(F1)), and BC (CMP(BC)). The model first simulates growth, reproduction, lactation, and energy intakes of a doe and a kid on a 1-d time step at the individual level and thereafter the outputs are integrated into the herd dynamics program. The ability of the model to simulate individual performances was tested under a base situation. The simulation results represented daily BW changes, ME requirements, and milk yield and the estimates were within the range of published data. Two conventional goat production scenarios (an intensive milk production scenario and an integrated goat and oil palm production scenario) in Malaysia were examined. The simulation results of the intensive milk production scenario showed the greater production efficiency of the CMP(BC) and CMP(F1) systems and decreased production efficiency of the F1 and BC systems. The results of the integrated goat and oil palm production scenario showed that the production efficiency and stocking rate were greater for the indigenous goats than for the crossbreeding systems.

An Objective Estimation of Air-Bone-Gap in Cochlear Implant Recipients with Residual Hearing Using Electrocochleography.

PubMed

Koka, Kanthaiah; Saoji, Aniket A; Attias, Joseph; Litvak, Leonid M

2017-01-01

Although, cochlear implants (CI) traditionally have been used to treat individuals with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss, a recent trend is to implant individuals with residual low-frequency hearing. Notably, many of these individuals demonstrate an air-bone gap (ABG) in low-frequency, pure-tone thresholds following implantation. An ABG is the difference between audiometric thresholds measured using air conduction (AC) and bone conduction (BC) stimulation. Although, behavioral AC thresholds are straightforward to assess, BC thresholds can be difficult to measure in individuals with severe-to-profound hearing loss because of vibrotactile responses to high-level, low-frequency stimulation and the potential contribution of hearing in the contralateral ear. Because of these technical barriers to measuring behavioral BC thresholds in implanted patients with residual hearing, it would be helpful to have an objective method for determining ABG. This study evaluated an innovative technique for measuring electrocochleographic (ECochG) responses using the cochlear microphonic (CM) response to assess AC and BC thresholds in implanted patients with residual hearing. Results showed high correlations between CM thresholds and behavioral audiograms for AC and BC conditions, thereby demonstrating the feasibility of using ECochG as an objective tool for quantifying ABG in CI recipients.

Vertical dependence of black carbon, sulphate and biomass burning aerosol radiative forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samset, Bjørn H.; Myhre, Gunnar

2011-12-01

A global radiative transfer model is used to calculate the vertical profile of shortwave radiative forcing from a prescribed amount of aerosols. We study black carbon (BC), sulphate (SO4) and a black and organic carbon mixture typical of biomass burning (BIO), by prescribing aerosol burdens in layers between 1000 hPa and 20 hPa and calculating the resulting direct radiative forcing divided by the burden (NDRF). We find a strong sensitivity in the NDRF for BC with altitude, with a tenfold increase between BC close to the surface and the lower part of the stratosphere. Clouds are a major contributor to this dependence with altitude, but other factors also contribute. We break down and explain the different physical contributors to this strong sensitivity. The results show a modest regional dependence of the altitudinal dependence of BC NDRF between industrial regions, while for regions with properties deviating from the global mean NDRF variability is significant. Variations due to seasons and interannual changes in cloud conditions are found to be small. We explore the effect that large altitudinal variation in NDRF may have on model estimates of BC radiative forcing when vertical aerosol distributions are insufficiently constrained, and discuss possible applications of the present results for reducing inter-model differences.

Use of Fat Mass and Fat Free Mass Standard Deviation Scores Obtained Using Simple Measurement Methods in Healthy Children and Patients: Comparison with the Reference 4-Component Model

PubMed Central

Atherton, Rachel R.; Williams, Jane E.; Wells, Jonathan C. K.; Fewtrell, Mary S.

2013-01-01

Background Clinical application of body composition (BC) measurements for individual children has been limited by lack of appropriate reference data. Objectives (1) To compare fat mass (FM) and fat free mass (FFM) standard deviation scores (SDS) generated using new body composition reference data and obtained using simple measurement methods in healthy children and patients with those obtained using the reference 4-component (4-C) model; (2) To determine the extent to which scores from simple methods agree with those from the 4-C model in identification of abnormal body composition. Design FM SDS were calculated for 4-C model, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA; GE Lunar Prodigy), BMI and skinfold thicknesses (SFT); and FFM SDS for 4CM, DXA and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA; height2/Z)) in 927 subjects aged 3.8–22.0 y (211 healthy, 716 patients). Results DXA was the most accurate method for both FM and FFM SDS in healthy subjects and patients (mean bias (limits of agreement) FM SDS 0.03 (±0.62); FFM SDS −0.04 (±0.72)), and provided best agreement with the 4-C model in identifying abnormal BC (SDS ≤−2 or ≥2). BMI and SFTs were reasonable predictors of abnormal FM SDS, but poor in providing an absolute value. BIA was comparable to DXA for FFM SDS and in identifying abnormal subjects. Conclusions DXA may be used both for research and clinically to determine FM and FFM SDS. BIA may be used to assess FFM SDS in place of DXA. BMI and SFTs can be used to measure adiposity for groups but not individuals. The performance of simpler techniques in monitoring longitudinal BC changes requires investigation. Ultimately, the most appropriate method should be determined by its predictive value for clinical outcome. PMID:23690932

Use of fat mass and fat free mass standard deviation scores obtained using simple measurement methods in healthy children and patients: comparison with the reference 4-component model.

PubMed

Atherton, Rachel R; Williams, Jane E; Wells, Jonathan C K; Fewtrell, Mary S

2013-01-01

Clinical application of body composition (BC) measurements for individual children has been limited by lack of appropriate reference data. (1) To compare fat mass (FM) and fat free mass (FFM) standard deviation scores (SDS) generated using new body composition reference data and obtained using simple measurement methods in healthy children and patients with those obtained using the reference 4-component (4-C) model; (2) To determine the extent to which scores from simple methods agree with those from the 4-C model in identification of abnormal body composition. FM SDS were calculated for 4-C model, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA; GE Lunar Prodigy), BMI and skinfold thicknesses (SFT); and FFM SDS for 4CM, DXA and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA; height(2)/Z)) in 927 subjects aged 3.8-22.0 y (211 healthy, 716 patients). DXA was the most accurate method for both FM and FFM SDS in healthy subjects and patients (mean bias (limits of agreement) FM SDS 0.03 (± 0.62); FFM SDS -0.04 (± 0.72)), and provided best agreement with the 4-C model in identifying abnormal BC (SDS ≤-2 or ≥ 2). BMI and SFTs were reasonable predictors of abnormal FM SDS, but poor in providing an absolute value. BIA was comparable to DXA for FFM SDS and in identifying abnormal subjects. DXA may be used both for research and clinically to determine FM and FFM SDS. BIA may be used to assess FFM SDS in place of DXA. BMI and SFTs can be used to measure adiposity for groups but not individuals. The performance of simpler techniques in monitoring longitudinal BC changes requires investigation. Ultimately, the most appropriate method should be determined by its predictive value for clinical outcome.

Diurnal and seasonal variations of black carbon and PM2.5 over New Delhi, India: Influence of meteorology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiwari, S.; Srivastava, A. K.; Bisht, D. S.; Parmita, P.; Srivastava, Manoj K.; Attri, S. D.

2013-05-01

Black carbon (BC), which is one of the highly absorbing capacities of solar radiation, reduces albedo of atmospheric aerosol. BC along with fine particulate matters (PM2.5), which play crucial role in climate and health, was monitored online for an entire year of 2011 at an urban megacity of Delhi, situated in the northern part of India. Daily mass concentration of BC varies from 0.9 to 25.5 μg m- 3, with an annual mean of 6.7 ± 5.7 μg m- 3 displayed clear monsoon minima and winter maxima; however, PM2.5 concentration was ranging from 54.3 to 338.7 μg m- 3, with an annual mean of 122.3 ± 90.7 μg m- 3. BC typically peaked between 0800 and 1000 LST and again between 2100 and 2300 LST, corresponding to the morning and evening traffic combined with the ambient meteorological effect. During summer and monsoon, the BC concentrations were found less than 5 μg m- 3; however, the highest concentrations occurred during winter in segments from < 5 to > 10 μg m- 3. In over all study, the BC mass concentration was accounted for ~ 6% of the total PM2.5 mass, with a range from 1.0% to 14.3%. The relationship between meteorological parameters and BC mass concentrations was studied and a clear inverse relationship (r = - 0.53) between BC and wind speed was observed. Relation between visibility and BC mass concentrations was also significantly negative (- 0.81), having relatively higher correlation during post-monsoon (- 0.85) and winter (- 0.78) periods and lower during summer (- 0.45) and monsoon (- 0.54) periods. The mixed layer depths (MLDs) were found to be shallower during post monsoon (379 m) and winter (335 m) as compared during summer (1023 m) and monsoon (603 m). The study indicated that during post-monsoon season, the impact of biomass burning is higher as compared to combustion of fossil fuels. Results are well associated with the rapid growth of anthropogenic emissions and ambient meteorological conditions over the station.

Consumption of Green Coffee Reduces Blood Pressure and Body Composition by Influencing 11β-HSD1 Enzyme Activity in Healthy Individuals: A Pilot Crossover Study Using Green and Black Coffee

PubMed Central

Revuelta-Iniesta, R.; Al-Dujaili, E. A. S.

2014-01-01

Dietary polyphenols may have a protective role against the development of CVD. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effects of green coffee (GC), rich in chlorogenic acid, and black coffee (BC) on cardiovascular markers. A randomised pilot crossover study was performed on healthy subjects who consumed both coffees for 2 weeks. We measured anthropometry, blood pressure, and arterial elasticity after each intervention and collected urine samples to monitor antioxidant capacity. Free cortisol and cortisone levels were obtained from urine and analysed by specific ELISA methods. Systolic blood pressure (P = 0.018) and arterial elasticity (P = 0.001) were significantly reduced after GC. BMI (P = 0.04 for BC; P = 0.01 for GC) and abdominal fat (P = 0.01 for BC; P = 0.009 for GC) were also significantly reduced with no changes in energy intake. Urinary free cortisol was significantly reduced from 125.6 ± 85.9 nmol/day to 76.0 ± 54.9 nmol/day following GC and increased to 132.1 ± 89.1 nmol/day after BC. Urinary free cortisone increased by 18% following BC and 9% following GC (nonsignificant). Cortisol/cortisone ratio (indicating 11β-HSD1 activity) was reduced after GC (from 3.5 ± 1.9 to 1.7 ± 1.04, P = 0.002). This suggests that GC can play a role in reducing cardiovascular risk factors. Further research including hypertensive and overweight individuals will now be justified to clarify whether GC could have a therapeutic role in CVD. PMID:25133164

Fentanyl and heroin contained in seized illicit drugs and overdose-related deaths in British Columbia, Canada: An observational analysis.

PubMed

Baldwin, Nicholas; Gray, Roger; Goel, Anirudh; Wood, Evan; Buxton, Jane A; Rieb, Launette Marie

2018-04-01

Due to the alarming rise in opioid-related overdose deaths, a public health emergency was declared in British Columbia (BC). In this study, we examined the relationship between illicit fentanyl and heroin found in seized drugs and illicit overdose deaths in BC. An observational cross-sectional survey was conducted using BC data from Health Canada's Drug Analysis Service, which analyzes drug samples seized by law enforcement agencies, and non-intentional illicit overdoses from the BC Coroner's Service, from 2000 to 2016. Initial scatter plots and subsequent multivariate regression analysis were performed to describe the potential relationship between seized illicit fentanyl samples and overdose deaths and to determine if this differed from seized heroin and overdose deaths. Fentanyl samples were analyzed for other drug content. Fentanyl is increasingly being found combined with other opioid and non-opioid illicit drugs. Strong positive relationships were found between the number of seized fentanyl samples and total overdose deaths (R2 = 0.97) as well as between seized fentanyl and fentanyl-detected overdose deaths (R2 = 0.99). A positive association was found between the number of seized heroin samples and total overdose deaths (R2 = 0.78). This research contributes to the expanding body of evidence implicating illicit fentanyl use (often combined with heroin or other substances) in overdose deaths in BC. Policy makers and healthcare providers are urged to implement drug treatment and harm reduction strategies for people at risk of overdose associated with current trends in illicit opioid use. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bovine trypanosomosis in the Bolivian Pantanal.

PubMed

Gonzales, J L; Chacon, E; Miranda, M; Loza, A; Siles, L M

2007-05-15

Trypanosomosis caused by Trypanosoma vivax has been a constraint for cattle production in the Bolivian lowlands, since it was introduced in 1996. Flooded areas like the Bolivian Pantanal have a suitable environment for the presence and transmission of Salivarian trypanosomes and farmers from that region often report trypanosomosis-like problems on their farms. The objective of the present study, therefore, was to characterize the epidemiology of bovine trypanosomosis in the Bolivian Pantanal. In order to achieve this objective, 202 cattle from the province of Angel Sandoval and 209 cattle from the province of German Busch were randomly sampled (the Pantanal is located in both provinces). Twenty-nine farms in both provinces were visited, the farmers interviewed, and biologic samples collected from their cattle. Samples were submitted for parasitological and PCR evaluation and the prevalence of bovine trypanosomosis was estimated for each province. Laboratory results were correlated with the sampled animals packed cell volume (PCV) and body condition (BC) scores and the observed T. vivax parasites measured for morphometry analysis. Results from this study show differences in morphometric measures between T. vivax parasites from each province. Differences between provinces were also observed in the T. vivax-related disease situation. While in Angel Sandoval the PCV and BC of T. vivax-affected animals were significantly lower than those of the T. vivax-negative animals, in German Busch no differences were observed in the PCV and BC of T. vivax-positive or negative animals. Animal prevalence of T. vivax in Angel Sandoval was 27.79% (95% CI: 14.52-44.28) and in German Busch was 19.03% (95% CI: 9.19-30.75). The T. evansi animal prevalence in each province was 0.99% (95% CI: 0.27-2.99) and 5.71% (95% CI: 2.43-12.19), respectively. Based on questionnaire and laboratory results, it was concluded that trypanosomosis is a primary constraint for cattle production in the Bolivian Pantanal.

Effects of biometrics, location and persistent organic pollutants on blood clinical-chemical parameters in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard, Norway.

PubMed

Ciesielski, Tomasz Maciej; Sonne, Christian; Ormbostad, Ingunn; Aars, Jon; Lie, Elisabeth; Bytingsvik, Jenny; Jenssen, Bjørn Munro

2018-05-31

In the present study, blood clinical-chemical parameters (BCCPs) were analysed in 20 female and 18 male Svalbard polar bears (Ursus maritimus) captured in spring 2007. The aim was to study how age, body condition (BC), biometrics, plasma lipid content and geographical location may confound the relationship between persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including PCBs, HCB, chlordanes, DDTs, HCHs, mirex and OH-PCBs and the concentrations of 12 specific BCCPs (hematocrit [HCT], hemoglobin [HB], aspartate aminotransferase [ASAT], alanine aminotransferase [ALAT], γ-glutamyltransferase [GGT], creatine kinase [CK], triglycerides [TG], cholesterol [CHOL], high-density lipoprotein [HDL], creatinine (CREA], urea, potassium (K]), and to investigate if any of these BCCPs may be applied as potential biomarkers for POP exposure in polar bears. Initial PCA and O-PLS modelling showed that age, lipids, BC and geographical location (longitude and latitude) were important parameters explaining BCCPs in females. Following subsequent partial correlation analyses correcting for age and lipids, multiple POPs in females were still significantly correlated with HCT and HDL (all p < 0.05). In males, age, BM, BC and longitude were important parameters explaining BCCPs. Following partial correlation analyses correcting for age, biometrics, lipids and longitude in males, multiple POPs were significantly correlated with HCT, ASAT, GGT and CHOL (all p < 0.05). In conclusion, several confounding parameters has to be taken into account when studying the relations between BCCPs and POPs in polar bears. When correcting for these, in particular HCT may be used as a simple cost-efficient biomarker of POP exposure in polar bears. Furthermore, decreasing HDL concentrations and increasing CHOL concentration with increasing POP concentrations may indicate responses related to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We therefore suggest to further study POP exposure and lipidome response to increase knowledge of the risk of cardiometabolic syndrome in polar bears. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

VapC from the Leptospiral VapBC Toxin-Antitoxin Module Displays Ribonuclease Activity on the Initiator tRNA

PubMed Central

Lopes, Alexandre P. Y.; Lopes, Luana M.; Fraga, Tatiana R.; Chura-Chambi, Rosa M.; Sanson, André L.; Cheng, Elisabeth; Nakajima, Erika; Morganti, Ligia; Martins, Elizabeth A. L.

2014-01-01

The prokaryotic ubiquitous Toxin-Antitoxin (TA) operons encode a stable toxin and an unstable antitoxin. The most accepted hypothesis of the physiological function of the TA system is the reversible cessation of cellular growth under stress conditions. The major TA family, VapBC is present in the spirochaete Leptospira interrogans. VapBC modules are classified based on the presence of a predicted ribonucleasic PIN domain in the VapC toxin. The expression of the leptospiral VapC in E. coli promotes a strong bacterial growth arrestment, making it difficult to express the recombinant protein. Nevertheless, we showed that long term induction of expression in E. coli enabled the recovery of VapC in inclusion bodies. The recombinant protein was successfully refolded by high hydrostatic pressure, providing a new method to obtain the toxin in a soluble and active form. The structural integrity of the recombinant VapB and VapC proteins was assessed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Physical interaction between the VapC toxin and the VapB antitoxin was demonstrated in vivo and in vitro by pull down and ligand affinity blotting assays, respectively, thereby indicating the ultimate mechanism by which the activity of the toxin is regulated in bacteria. The predicted model of the leptospiral VapC structure closely matches the Shigella's VapC X-ray structure. In agreement, the ribonuclease activity of the leptospiral VapC was similar to the activity described for Shigella's VapC, as demonstrated by the cleavage of tRNAfMet and by the absence of unspecific activity towards E. coli rRNA. This finding suggests that the cleavage of the initiator transfer RNA may represent a common mechanism to a larger group of bacteria and potentially configures a mechanism of post-transcriptional regulation leading to the inhibition of global translation. PMID:25047537

VapC from the leptospiral VapBC toxin-antitoxin module displays ribonuclease activity on the initiator tRNA.

PubMed

Lopes, Alexandre P Y; Lopes, Luana M; Fraga, Tatiana R; Chura-Chambi, Rosa M; Sanson, André L; Cheng, Elisabeth; Nakajima, Erika; Morganti, Ligia; Martins, Elizabeth A L

2014-01-01

The prokaryotic ubiquitous Toxin-Antitoxin (TA) operons encode a stable toxin and an unstable antitoxin. The most accepted hypothesis of the physiological function of the TA system is the reversible cessation of cellular growth under stress conditions. The major TA family, VapBC is present in the spirochaete Leptospira interrogans. VapBC modules are classified based on the presence of a predicted ribonucleasic PIN domain in the VapC toxin. The expression of the leptospiral VapC in E. coli promotes a strong bacterial growth arrestment, making it difficult to express the recombinant protein. Nevertheless, we showed that long term induction of expression in E. coli enabled the recovery of VapC in inclusion bodies. The recombinant protein was successfully refolded by high hydrostatic pressure, providing a new method to obtain the toxin in a soluble and active form. The structural integrity of the recombinant VapB and VapC proteins was assessed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Physical interaction between the VapC toxin and the VapB antitoxin was demonstrated in vivo and in vitro by pull down and ligand affinity blotting assays, respectively, thereby indicating the ultimate mechanism by which the activity of the toxin is regulated in bacteria. The predicted model of the leptospiral VapC structure closely matches the Shigella's VapC X-ray structure. In agreement, the ribonuclease activity of the leptospiral VapC was similar to the activity described for Shigella's VapC, as demonstrated by the cleavage of tRNAfMet and by the absence of unspecific activity towards E. coli rRNA. This finding suggests that the cleavage of the initiator transfer RNA may represent a common mechanism to a larger group of bacteria and potentially configures a mechanism of post-transcriptional regulation leading to the inhibition of global translation.

Characterization of a soil amendment derived from co-composting of agricultural wastes and biochar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curaqueo, Gustavo; Ángel Sánchez-Monedero, Miguel; Meier, Sebastián; Medina, Jorge; Panichini, Marcelo; Borie, Fernando; Navia, Rodrigo

2016-04-01

The aim of this study was to characterize a compost blend prepared from sheep manure and oat straw in a co-composting process enriched with oat husk biochar (BC). For this, a co-composting trial was carried out in rotatories bins of 200 L capacity. Three mixtures (piles) were assayed: BC0: sheep manure (SM) 65% w/w with 35% w/w oat straw (OS) and no biochar; BC5: SM 62.5% w/w, 32.5% of OS and 5% of BC and BC10: SM 60% w/w, 30% of OS and 10% of BC. The piles were turned 3 times per week in the first week, and then once a week until the end of the composting process (140 days). The temperature and humidity of the piles were monitored continually and the humidity was maintained in a range from 55% to 65%. The maturity of final compost was evaluated by FTIR and Solvita Test analysis. At the same time a chemical characterization including macro and micro nutrient for each compost was performed and the compost phytotoxic effect was evaluated by a germination test using aqueous extract over lettuce, radish and wheat seeds. FTIR analysis showed bands attributed to aromatic C=C, C=O stretching of amide groups, quinone C=O and/or C=O of H-bonded conjugated ketones (1640 cm-1) which are typical in biological stabilized composts and compost with high concentration of highly aromatic materials such as biochar, which seems to become relatively more intense specially in BC10 treatment. Both composts were characterized by a Solvita maturity index of 7, reflecting an adequate degree of maturation. The CO2 emission was lower in the piles enriched with BC compared to control treatment without BC. In the same way, NH3 index was 5 for all the treatments indicating a null NH3 emission. In this respect, a decrease in the N-NH4 content was related with the use of BC which indicate that BC could reduce N-losses during composting favoring nitrification process. Chemical characterization showed pH values higher than 8 for all piles and EC ranged from 8.6 to 14.7 dS cm-1. The Total N and P contents increased in BC10 treatment, while the K contents were similar in all treatments as well as C/N ratio (around 15). The organic matter content was BC10>BC5>BC0 and the dissolved organic C content was lower than 8.3 g kg-1 for all piles confirming the maturity of compost. The germination test showed a non-toxic effect of all amendments in the species assayed obtaining a germination index between 55% and 80.7% indicating maturity of the amendments evaluated. Our results indicated that the combined use of agricultural wastes and biochar by mean of a co-composting process is a suitable option for generating good quality amendments for improving soil condition and optimizing nutrient cycling at farm scale. Financial support for this research was provided by the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research through FONDECYT 11140508 Project

Comparison Between Elemental Carbon Measured Using Thermal-Optical Analysis and Black Carbon Measurements Using A Novel Cellphone-Based System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramanathan, N.; Khan, B.; Leong, I.; Lukac, M.

2011-12-01

Black carbon (BC) is produced through the incomplete combustion of fossil and solid fuels. Current BC emissions inventories have large uncertainties of factors of 2 or more due to sparse measurements and because BC is often emitted by local sources that vary over time and space (Bond et al, 2004). Those uncertainties are major sources of error in air pollution models. Emissions from a variety of improved cookstove/fuel/combustion conditions were collected on pre-conditioned 47 mm quartz-fiber filters and analyzed for organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) using thermal-optical analysis (TOA). The samples were then analyzed for BC concentration by using cellphone-based instrumentation developed by Ramanathan et al., 2011. The cellphone-based monitoring system (CBMS) is a wireless, low-cost, low-power system that monitors BC emissions. The CBMS is comprised of an aerosol filter sampler containing a battery-powered air pump and a 25mm filter holder that draws air in through a quartz-fiber filter. As black carbon deposits increase, the filter darkens--the darkest color representing the highest loading. A cellphone photograph of the filter with the black carbon deposit is taken and relayed to an analytics unit for comparison to a reference scale to estimate airborne BC concentration. The BC concentration can then be compared to the thermally derived EC concentration. TOA was conducted on a Sunset Laboratory Dual Optics Carbon Analyzer using a modified version of the Birch and Cary (1996) NIOSH 5040 protocol. The dual-optical instrument permitted simultaneous monitoring of the transmission (TOT) and reflectance (TOR). 619 samples were collected; EC was obtained using NIOSH TOT and NIOSH TOR methods, and BC was obtained using the CBMS analytics unit. The mean BC value reported by the CBMS agrees within 20% of the reference values for EC, confirming the findings in Ramanathan et al. (2011) based on samples from India. Given this accuracy, we conclude that the CBMS provides an affordable real-time method for gathering BC data on a mass scale. The CBMS' scalability should enable dense deployments near emissions sources and reduce uncertainty in emissions inventories due to undersampling. Bond, T. C., E. Bhardwaj, R. Dong, R. Jogani, S. Jung, C. Roden, D. G. Streets, and N. M. Trautmann (2007), Historical emissions of black and organic carbon aerosol from energy-related combustion, 1850-2000, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 21, GB2018, doi:10.1029/2006GB002840. Birch, M. E. and R.A. Cary (1996), Elemental Carbon-Based Method for Monitoring Occupational Exposures to Particulate Diesel Exhaust. Aerosol Sci. Technol., 25, 221-241. NIOSH (1996). Elemental carbon (diesel particulate) method 5040. NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods, 4th ed. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio (1st Suppl.). Ramanathan, N., M. Lukac, T. Ahmed, A. Kar, P.S. Praveen, T. Honles, I. Leong, I.H. Rehman, J.J. Schauer, V. Ramanathan (2011), A cellphone based system for large-scale monitoring of black carbon, Atmos. Environ., 45 (26), 4481-4487.

Black carbon, particle number concentration and nitrogen oxide emission factors of random in-use vehicles measured with the on-road chasing method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ježek, I.; Katrašnik, T.; Westerdahl, D.; Močnik, G.

2015-10-01

The chasing method was used in an on-road measurement campaign, and emission factors (EF) of black carbon (BC), particle number (PN) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) were determined for 139 individual vehicles of different types encountered on the roads. The aggregated results provide EFs for BC, NOx and PN for three vehicle categories: goods vehicles, gasoline and diesel passenger cars. This is the first on-road measurement study where BC EFs of numerous individual diesel cars were determined in real-world driving conditions. We found good agreement between EFs of goods vehicles determined in this campaign and the results of previous studies that used either chasing or remote-sensing measurement techniques. The composition of the sampled car fleet determined from the national vehicle registry information is reflective of Eurostat statistical data on the Slovenian and European vehicle fleet. The median BC EF of diesel and gasoline cars that were in use for less than 5 years decreased by 60 and 47 % from those in use for 5-10 years, respectively; the median NOx and PN EFs of goods vehicles that were in use for less than 5 years decreased from those in use for 5-10 years by 52 and 67 %, respectively. Surprisingly, we found an increase of BC EFs in the newer goods vehicle fleet compared to the 5-10-year old one. The influence of engine maximum power of the measured EFs showed an increase in NOx EF from least to more powerful vehicles with diesel engines. Finally, a disproportionate contribution of high emitters to the total emissions of the measured fleet was found; the top 25 % of emitting diesel cars contributed 63, 47 and 61 % of BC, NOx and PN emissions respectively. With the combination of relatively simple on-road measurements and sophisticated post processing, individual vehicle EF can be determined and useful information about the fleet emissions can be obtained by exactly representing vehicles which contribute disproportionally to vehicle fleet emissions; and monitor how the numerous emission reduction approaches are reflected in on-road driving conditions.

Emission factors of black carbon and co-pollutants from diesel vehicles in Mexico City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavala, Miguel; Molina, Luisa T.; Yacovitch, Tara I.; Fortner, Edward C.; Roscioli, Joseph R.; Floerchinger, Cody; Herndon, Scott C.; Kolb, Charles E.; Knighton, Walter B.; Paramo, Victor Hugo; Zirath, Sergio; Mejía, José Antonio; Jazcilevich, Aron

2017-12-01

Diesel-powered vehicles are intensively used in urban areas for transporting goods and people but can substantially contribute to high emissions of black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC), and other gaseous pollutants. Strategies aimed at controlling mobile emissions sources thus have the potential to improve air quality and help mitigate the impacts of air pollutants on climate, ecosystems, and human health. However, in developing countries there are limited data on the BC and OC emission characteristics of diesel-powered vehicles, and thus there are large uncertainties in the estimation of the emission contributions from these sources. We measured BC, OC, and other inorganic components of fine particulate matter (PM), as well as carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ethane, acetylene, benzene, toluene, and C2-benzenes under real-world driving conditions for 20 diesel-powered vehicles encompassing multiple emission level technologies in Mexico City with the chasing technique using the Aerodyne mobile laboratory. Average BC emission factors ranged from 0.41-2.48 g kg-1 of fuel depending on vehicle type. The vehicles were also simultaneously measured using the cross-road remote sensing technique to obtain the emission factors of nitrogen oxide (NO), CO, total hydrocarbons, and fine PM, thus allowing for the intercomparison of the results from the two techniques. There is overall good agreement between the two techniques and both can identify high and low emitters, but substantial differences were found in some of the vehicles, probably due to the ability of the chasing technique to capture a larger diversity of driving conditions in comparison to the remote sensing technique. A comparison of the results with the US EPA MOVES2014b model showed that the model underestimates CO, OC, and selected VOC species, whereas there is better agreement for NOx and BC. Larger OC / BC ratios were found in comparison to ratios measured in California using the same technique, further demonstrating the need for using locally obtained diesel-powered vehicle emission factor database in developing countries in order to reduce the uncertainty in the emissions estimates and to improve the evaluation of the effectiveness of emissions reduction measures.

Monumental heritage exposure to urban black carbon pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patrón, D.; Lyamani, H.; Titos, G.; Casquero-Vera, J. A.; Cardell, C.; Močnik, G.; Alados-Arboledas, L.; Olmo, F. J.

2017-12-01

In this study, aerosol light-absorption measurements obtained at three sites during a winter campaign were used to analyse and identify the major sources of Black Carbon (BC) particles in and around the Alhambra monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that receives over 2 million visitors per year. The Conditional Bivariate Probability Function and the Aethalometer model were employed to identify the main sources of BC particles and to estimate the contributions of biomass burning and fossil fuel emissions to the total Equivalent Black Carbon (EBC) concentrations over the monumental complex. Unexpected high levels of EBC were found at the Alhambra, comparable to those measured in relatively polluted European urban areas during winter. EBC concentrations above 3.0 μg/m3, which are associated with unacceptable levels of soiling and negative public reactions, were observed at Alhambra monument on 13 days from 12 October 2015 to 29 February 2016, which can pose a risk to its long-term conservation and may cause negative social and economic impacts. It was found that road traffic emissions from the nearby urban area and access road to the Alhambra were the main sources of BC particles over the monument. However, biomass burning emissions were found to have very small impact on EBC concentrations at the Alhambra. The highest EBC concentrations were observed during an extended stagnant episode associated with persistent high-pressure systems, reflecting the large impact that can have these synoptic conditions on BC over the Alhambra.

Brown carbon in fresh and aged biomass burning emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh, R.; Robinson, E.; Tkacik, D. S.; Ahern, A.; Liu, S.; Aiken, A. C.; Sullivan, R. C.; Presto, A. A.; Dubey, M.; Donahue, N. M.; Robinson, A. L.

2013-12-01

To date, most climate forcing calculations treat black carbon (BC) and dust as the only particulate light absorbers. Numerous studies have shown that some organic aerosols (OA), referred to as brown carbon (BrC), also absorb light. BrC has been identified in biomass burning emissions; however, its light absorption properties are poorly constrained. Literature values of the imaginary part of the refractive indices of biomass burning OA (kOA) span two orders of magnitude. This variability, attributed to differences in fuel type and burning conditions, complicates the representation of biomass burning BrC in climate models. Proper accounting for BrC absorption in climate forcing calculations is of great importance. It can enhance the models' performance, bringing estimates of climate sensitivity to better agreement with observations. Here, we investigate the source of variability in absorptivity of biomass-burning OA observed in this study. We show that absorptivity is closely linked to OA volatility. Specifically, low-volatility organic compounds (LVOCs) are responsible for most of the light absorption, with effective kOA 1-2 orders of magnitude greater than the semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). The effective kOA of biomass-burning emissions thus depends on the extent to which SVOCs partition to the condensed phase, which is sensitive to OA loading. kOA increases by a factor of 3-4 when the emissions are diluted from source concentrations (1-10 mg/m3) to atmospheric-like concentrations (1-10 μg/m3), as the partitioning of SVOCs shifts towards the gas phase. More importantly, we demonstrate that the effective kOA depends largely on burn conditions, and not fuel type. Burns which produce high levels of BC emit OA that is more absorptive than burns which produce low levels of BC. The dependence of kOA on OA loading and burn conditions can be parameterized as a function of a single property of the emissions, namely the BC-to-OA ratio. Specifically, kOA at wavelength (lambda) of 550 nm increases linearly with the BC-to-OA ratio, while the spectral-dependence, w, where k¬OA = kOA,550nm*(550/lambda)w, is inversely proportional to the BC-to-OA ratio. These correlations were determined by examining emissions from small scale laboratory burns of six globally relevant fuels (black spruce, ponderosa pine, hay, rice straw, saw grass, and wire grass), assuming that their behavior can be extrapolated to other biomass fuels. Experiments were conducted during the Fire Laboratory at Missoula Campaign (FLAME 4). The BC-to-OA ratios in the experiments were between 0.01 and 0.2. Aging of the emissions (photo-oxidation or dark ozonolysis) was performed in a smog chamber. To determine the dependence of absorptivity on volatility, the SVOCs were stripped from the condensed phase by heating the emissions to 250 C inside a thermodenuder. This allowed for constraining the optical properties of the low-volatility residue. kOA values were retrieved by performing optical closure, which combines Mie theory calculations with measurements of light absorption, and total and BC size distributions.

Properties of refractory BC containing particles during the ACRIDICON-CHUVA aircraft campaign in the Amazon basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holanda, Bruna; Pöhlker, Mira; Klimach, Thomas; Saturno, Jorge; Ditas, Florian; Ditas, Jeannine; Ma, Nan; Zhang, Yuxuan; Cheng, Yafang; Wendisch, Manfred; Machado, Luiz; Barbosa, Henrique; Pöhlker, Christopher; Artaxo, Paulo; Pöschl, Ulrich; Andreae, Meinrat

2017-04-01

Black carbon (BC) particles are emitted directly into the atmosphere by processes of incomplete combustion and therefore can be used as a tracer of atmospheric pollution. BC is considered one of the drivers of global warming due to its efficient absorption of solar and infra-red radiation (Bond et al., 2013). Depending on abundance and size, aerosols can also modify the characteristics of clouds and enhance or suppress precipitation (Pöschl et al., 2010). The BC particles can gain surface coatings by condensation of low and semi-volatile compounds, coagulation, and cloud processing. The inclusion of a non-absorbing coating influences the way that BC particles act as cloud nuclei and may increase their absorption through the lensing effect (Fuller et al., 1999). These aging processes change significantly the optical, chemical and physical properties of the particles, as well as their atmospheric lifetime, making BC a source of large uncertainties in current atmospheric models. Taking into account the complex dynamics of BC particles in the atmosphere, we are analyzing data from the ACRIDICON-CHUVA aircraft campaign, which took place in the Amazon basin, Brazil, during the dry season of 2014 (Wendisch et al., 2016). A detailed characterization of BC particles was done using the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) instrument, which directly measures the mass of individual refractory BC particles (rBC). Additionally, the SP2 provides information about the size distribution of rBC cores and their associated coatings. These properties were measured covering a wide geographic area with different pollution conditions and at several levels of the atmosphere at high time resolution. The rBC concentrations change significantly with altitude and with the source of pollution, being a few nanograms per cubic meter for altitudes higher that 5 km. In the surroundings of Manaus city, the mean BC concentration was 0.7 μg/m3, with core sizes peaking at 180 nm. The highest BC mass values were observed over fresh biomass burning plumes (6 μg/m3) with smaller core sizes ( 150 nm). Moreover, in a specific flight (AC19) we identified an extended layer of pollution at 4 km altitude. Backward trajectories calculated using FLEXPART suggest that this pollution layer originated in Africa and has aged few days during its travel over the Atlantic. Similarities in the properties of rBC particles within the pollution and boundary layers suggest that the long range transport of pollution from Africa can be an important source of BC to the Amazonian atmosphere. Here we present first results from our analyses that characterize the various pollution aerosols and their properties in the Amazon basin. References Bond, T.C. et al., 2013. Bounding the role of black carbon in the climate system: A scientific assessment. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 118(11), pp.5380-5552. Fuller, K. A. et al., 1999. Effects of mixing on extinction by carbonaceous particles. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 104(D13), 15941-15954. Pöschl, U. et al., 2010. Rainforest aerosols as biogenic nuclei of clouds and precipitation in the Amazon. Science 329, 1513. Wendisch, M. et al., 2016. The ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaign: Studying tropical deep convective clouds and precipitation over Amazonia using the new German research aircraft HALO. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.

Comparison of experimental and modeled absorption enhancement by black carbon (BC) cored polydisperse aerosols under hygroscopic conditions.

PubMed

Shamjad, P M; Tripathi, S N; Aggarwal, S G; Mishra, S K; Joshi, Manish; Khan, Arshad; Sapra, B K; Ram, Kirpa

2012-08-07

The quantification of the radiative impacts of light absorbing ambient black carbon (BC) particles strongly depends on accurate measurements of BC mass concentration and absorption coefficient (β(abs)). In this study, an experiment has been conducted to quantify the influence of hygroscopic growth of ambient particles on light absorption. Using the hygroscopic growth factor (i.e., Zdanovskii-Stokes-Robinson (ZSR) approach), a model has been developed to predict the chemical composition of particles based on measurements, and the absorption and scattering coefficients are derived using a core-shell assumption with light extinction estimates based on Mie theory. The estimated optical properties agree within 7% for absorption coefficient and 30% for scattering coefficient with that of measured values. The enhancement of absorption is found to vary according to the thickness of the shell and BC mass, with a maximum of 2.3 for a shell thickness of 18 nm for the particles. The findings of this study underline the importance of considering aerosol-mixing states while calculating their radiative forcing.

Recessive resistance to Bean common mosaic virus conferred by the bc-1 and bc-2 genes in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) affects long distance movement of the virus.

PubMed

Feng, Xue; Orellana, Gardenia; Myers, James; Karasev, Alexander V

2018-04-12

Recessive resistance to Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is governed by four genes that include one strain-nonspecific helper gene bc-u, and three strain-specific genes bc-1, bc-2, and bc-3. The bc-3 gene was identified as an eIF4E translation initiation factor gene mediating resistance through disruption of the interaction between this protein and the VPg protein of the virus. The mode of action of bc-1 and bc-2 in expression of BCMV resistance is unknown, although bc-1 gene was found to affect systemic spread of a related potyvirus, Bean common mosaic necrosis virus. To investigate the possible role of both bc-1 and bc-2 genes in replication, cell-to-cell, and long distance movement of BCMV in P. vulgaris, we tested virus spread of eight BCMV isolates representing pathogroups I, IV, VI, VII, and VIII, in a set of bean differentials expressing different combinations of six resistance alleles including bc-u, bc-1, bc-1 2 , bc-2, bc-2 2 , and bc-3. All studied BCMV isolates were able to replicate and spread in inoculated leaves of bean cultivars harboring bc-u, bc-1, bc-1 2 , bc-2, and bc-2 2 alleles and their combinations, while no BCMV replication was found in inoculated leaves of 'IVT7214' carrying the bc-u, bc-2 and bc-3 genes, except for isolate 1755a capable of overcoming the resistance conferred by bc-2 and bc-3. In contrast, the systemic spread of all BCMV isolates from pathogroups I, IV,VI, VII, and VIII was impaired in common bean cultivars carrying bc-1, bc-1 2 , bc-2, and bc-2 2 alleles. The data suggest that bc-1 and bc-2 recessive resistance genes have no effect on the replication and cell-to-cell movement of BCMV, but affect systemic spread of BCMV in common bean. The BCMV resistance conferred by bc-1 and bc-2 and affecting systemic spread was found only partially effective when these two genes were expressed singly. The efficiency of the restriction of the systemic spread of the virus was greatly enhanced when the alleles of bc-1 and bc-2 genes were combined together.

Cross-National Study of Children's Temperament: Structural Validity of the Student Styles Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callueng, Carmelo M.

2012-01-01

Temperament has a long history of scholarship dating back as early as 350 BC when Hippocrates (1984) associated body fluids or temperament with behavior. Temperament is broadly described as stylistic and relatively stable traits that subsume intrinsic tendencies to act and react in somewhat predictable ways to people, events, and other stimuli.…

Making Chinese-Canadian Masculinities in Vancouver's Physical Education Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millington, Brad; Vertinsky, Patricia; Boyle, Ellexis; Wilson, Brian

2008-01-01

Our paper illustrates how males of Chinese descent in British Columbia (BC) have historically been victims of overt and subtle forms of discrimination, and describes how racism is and was integrally linked to notions of class, gender and the body. Highlighted in our historical overview are issues around race and masculinity for Chinese males as…

Bounds on the entanglement entropy of droplet states in the XXZ spin chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaud, V.; Warzel, S.

2018-01-01

We consider a class of one-dimensional quantum spin systems on the finite lattice Λ ⊂Z , related to the XXZ spin chain in its Ising phase. It includes in particular the so-called droplet Hamiltonian. The entanglement entropy of energetically low-lying states over a bipartition Λ = B ∪ Bc is investigated and proven to satisfy a logarithmic bound in terms of min{n, |B|, |Bc|}, where n denotes the maximal number of down spins in the considered state. Upon addition of any (positive) random potential, the bound becomes uniformly constant on average, thereby establishing an area law. The proof is based on spectral methods: a deterministic bound on the local (many-body integrated) density of states is derived from an energetically motivated Combes-Thomas estimate.

Magnetic dipole transitions of Bc and Bc* mesons in the relativistic independent quark model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patnaik, Sonali; Dash, P. C.; Kar, Susmita; Patra, Sweta P.; Barik, N.

2017-12-01

We study M1-transitions involving mesons: Bc(1 s ), Bc*(1 s ), Bc(2 s ), Bc*(2 s ), Bc(3 s ), and Bc*(3 s ) in the relativistic independent quark (RIQ) model based on a flavor independent average potential in the scalar-vector harmonic form. The transition form factor for Bc*→Bcγ is found to have analytical continuation from spacelike to physical timelike region. Our predicted coupling constant gBc*Bc=0.34 GeV-1 and decay width Γ (Bc*→Bcγ )=23 eV agree with other model predictions. In view of possible observation of Bc and Bc* s-wave states at LHC and Z-factory and potential use of theoretical estimate on M1-transitions, we investigate the allowed as well as hindered transitions of orbitally excited Bc-meson states and predict their decay widths in overall agreement with other model predictions. We consider the typical case of Bc*(1 s )→Bc(1 s )γ , where our predicted decay width which is found quite sensitive to the mass difference between Bc* and Bc mesons may help in determining the mass of Bc* experimentally.

Factors controlling black carbon distribution in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Ling; Li, Qinbin; Li, Yinrui; He, Cenlin

2017-01-01

We investigate the sensitivity of black carbon (BC) in the Arctic, including BC concentration in snow (BCsnow, ng g-1) and surface air (BCair, ng m-3), as well as emissions, dry deposition, and wet scavenging using the global three-dimensional (3-D) chemical transport model (CTM) GEOS-Chem. We find that the model underestimates BCsnow in the Arctic by 40 % on average (median = 11.8 ng g-1). Natural gas flaring substantially increases total BC emissions in the Arctic (by ˜ 70 %). The flaring emissions lead to up to 49 % increases (0.1-8.5 ng g-1) in Arctic BCsnow, dramatically improving model comparison with observations (50 % reduction in discrepancy) near flaring source regions (the western side of the extreme north of Russia). Ample observations suggest that BC dry deposition velocities over snow and ice in current CTMs (0.03 cm s-1 in the GEOS-Chem) are too small. We apply the resistance-in-series method to compute a dry deposition velocity (vd) that varies with local meteorological and surface conditions. The resulting velocity is significantly larger and varies by a factor of 8 in the Arctic (0.03-0.24 cm s-1), which increases the fraction of dry to total BC deposition (16 to 25 %) yet leaves the total BC deposition and BCsnow in the Arctic unchanged. This is largely explained by the offsetting higher dry and lower wet deposition fluxes. Additionally, we account for the effect of the Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen (WBF) process in mixed-phase clouds, which releases BC particles from condensed phases (water drops and ice crystals) back to the interstitial air and thereby substantially reduces the scavenging efficiency of clouds for BC (by 43-76 % in the Arctic). The resulting BCsnow is up to 80 % higher, BC loading is considerably larger (from 0.25 to 0.43 mg m-2), and BC lifetime is markedly prolonged (from 9 to 16 days) in the Arctic. Overall, flaring emissions increase BCair in the Arctic (by ˜ 20 ng m-3), the updated vd more than halves BCair (by ˜ 20 ng m-3), and the WBF effect increases BCair by 25-70 % during winter and early spring. The resulting model simulation of BCsnow is substantially improved (within 10 % of the observations) and the discrepancies of BCair are much smaller during the snow season at Barrow, Alert, and Summit (from -67-47 % to -46-3 %). Our results point toward an urgent need for better characterization of flaring emissions of BC (e.g., the emission factors, temporal, and spatial distribution), extensive measurements of both the dry deposition of BC over snow and ice, and the scavenging efficiency of BC in mixed-phase clouds. In addition, we find that the poorly constrained precipitation in the Arctic may introduce large uncertainties in estimating BCsnow. Doubling precipitation introduces a positive bias approximately as large as the overall effects of flaring emissions and the WBF effect; halving precipitation produces a similarly large negative bias.

Determination of wood burning and fossil fuel contribution of black carbon at Delhi, India using aerosol light absorption technique.

PubMed

Tiwari, S; Pipal, A S; Srivastava, A K; Bisht, D S; Pandithurai, G

2015-02-01

A comprehensive measurement program of effective black carbon (eBC), fine particle (PM2.5), and carbon monoxide (CO) was undertaken during 1 December 2011 to 31 March 2012 (winter period) in Delhi, India. The mean mass concentrations of eBC, PM2.5, and CO were recorded as 12.1 ± 8.7 μg/m(3), 182.75 ± 114.5 μg/m(3), and 3.41 ± 1.6 ppm, respectively, during the study period. Also, the absorption Angstrom exponent (AAE) was estimated from eBC and varied from 0.38 to 1.29 with a mean value of 1.09 ± 0.11. The frequency of occurrence of AAE was ~17 % less than unity whereas ~83 % greater than unity was observed during the winter period in Delhi. The mass concentrations of eBC were found to be higher by ~34 % of the average value of eBC (12.1 μg/m(3)) during the study period. Sources of eBC were estimated, and they were ~94 % from fossil fuel (eBCff) combustion whereas only 6 % was from wood burning (eBCwb). The ratio between eBCff and eBCwb was 15, which indicates a higher impact from fossil fuels compared to biomass burning. When comparing eBCff during day and night, a factor of three higher concentrations was observed in nighttime than daytime, and it is due to combustion of fossil fuel (diesel vehicle emission) and shallow boundary layer conditions. The contribution of eBCwb in eBC was higher between 1800 and 2100 hours due to burning of wood/biomass. A significant correlation between eBC and PM2.5 (r = 0.78) and eBC and CO (r = 0.46) indicates the similarity in location sources. The mass concentration of eBC was highest (23.4 μg/m(3)) during the month of December when the mean visibility (VIS) was lowest (1.31 km). Regression analysis among wind speed (WS), VIS, soot particles, and CO was studied, and significant negative relationships were seen between VIS and eBC (-0.65), eBCff (-0.66), eBCwb (-0.34), and CO (-0.65); however, between WS and eBC (-0.68), eBCff (-0.67), eBCwb (-0.28), and CO (-0.53). The regression analysis indicated that emission of soot particles may be localized to fossil fuel combustion, whereas wood/biomass burning emission of black carbon is due to transportation from farther distances. Regression analysis between eBCff and CO (r = 0.44) indicated a similar source as vehicular emissions. The very high loading of PM2.5 along with eBC over Delhi suggests that urgent action is needed to mitigate the emissions of carbonaceous aerosol in the northern part of India.

Diurnal cycling of urban aerosols under different weather regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gregorič, Asta; Drinovec, Luka; Močnik, Griša; Remškar, Maja; Vaupotič, Janja; Stanič, Samo

2016-04-01

A one month measurement campaign was performed in summer 2014 in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia (population 280,000), aiming to study temporal and spatial distribution of urban aerosols and the mixing state of primary and secondary aerosols. Two background locations were chosen for this purpose, the first one in the city center (urban background - KIS) and the second one in the suburban background (Brezovica). Simultaneous measurements of black carbon (BC) and particle number size distribution of submicron aerosols (PM1) were conducted at both locations. In the summer season emission from traffic related sources is expected to be the main local contribution to BC concentration. Concentrations of aerosol species and gaseous pollutants within the planetary boundary layer are controlled by the balance between emission sources of primary aerosols and gases, production of secondary aerosols, chemical reactions of precursor gases under solar radiation and the rate of dilution by mixing within the planetary boundary layer (PBL) as well as with tropospheric air. Only local emission sources contribute to BC concentration during the stable PBL with low mixing layer height, whereas during the time of fully mixed PBL, regionally transported BC and other aerosols can contribute to the surface measurements. The study describes the diurnal behaviour of the submicron aerosol at the urban and suburban background location under different weather regimes. Particles in three size modes - nucleation (< 25 nm, NUM), Aitken (25 - 90 nm, AIM) and accumulation mode (90 - 800 nm, ACM), as well as BC mass concentration were evaluated separately for sunny, cloudy and rainy days, taking into account modelled values of PBL height. Higher particle number and black carbon concentrations were observed at the urban background (KIS) than at the suburban background location (Brezovica). Significant diurnal pattern of total particle concentration and black carbon concentration was observed at both locations, with a distinct morning and late afternoon peak. As a consequence of different PBL dynamics and atmospheric processes (photochemical effects, humidity, wind speed and direction), diurnal profile differs for sunny, cloudy and rainy days. Nucleation mode particles were found to be subjected to lower daily variation and only slightly influenced by weather, as opposed to Aitken and accumulation mode particles. The highest correlation between BC and particle number concentration is observed during stable atmospheric conditions in the night and morning hours and is attributed to different particle size modes, depending on the distance to local BC emission sources. In sunny weather conditions, correlation between BC and particle number concentration decreases during the day due to mixing in the atmosphere and formation of secondary aerosols. Black carbon aging and mixing with secondary aerosols was additionally studied on the aerosol samples taken from the morning to the evening of a sunny day using SEM-EDX technique.

Black carbon emissions in Russia: A critical review

DOE PAGES

Evans, Meredydd; Kholod, Nazar; Kuklinski, Teresa; ...

2017-05-18

Here, this study presents a comprehensive review of estimated black carbon (BC) emissions in Russia from a range of studies. Russia has an important role regarding BC emissions given the extent of its territory above the Arctic Circle, where BC emissions have a particularly pronounced effect on the climate. We assess underlying methodologies and data sources for each major emissions source based on their level of detail, accuracy and extent to which they represent current conditions. We then present reference values for each major emissions source. In the case of flaring, the study presents new estimates drawing on data onmore » Russia's associated petroleum gas and the most recent satellite data on flaring. We also present estimates of organic carbon (OC) for each source, either based on the reference studies or from our own calculations. In addition, the study provides uncertainty estimates for each source. Total BC emissions are estimated at 688 Gg in 2014, with an uncertainty range 401 Gg-1453 Gg, while OC emissions are 9224 Gg with uncertainty ranging between 5596 Gg and 14,736 Gg. Wildfires dominated and contributed about 83% of the total BC emissions: however, the effect on radiative forcing is mitigated in part by OC emissions. We also present an adjusted estimate of Arctic forcing from Russia's BC and OC emissions. In recent years, Russia has pursued policies to reduce flaring and limit particulate emissions from on-road transport, both of which appear to significantly contribute to the lower emissions and forcing values found in this study.« less

Black carbon emissions in Russia: A critical review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Evans, Meredydd; Kholod, Nazar; Kuklinski, Teresa

Here, this study presents a comprehensive review of estimated black carbon (BC) emissions in Russia from a range of studies. Russia has an important role regarding BC emissions given the extent of its territory above the Arctic Circle, where BC emissions have a particularly pronounced effect on the climate. We assess underlying methodologies and data sources for each major emissions source based on their level of detail, accuracy and extent to which they represent current conditions. We then present reference values for each major emissions source. In the case of flaring, the study presents new estimates drawing on data onmore » Russia's associated petroleum gas and the most recent satellite data on flaring. We also present estimates of organic carbon (OC) for each source, either based on the reference studies or from our own calculations. In addition, the study provides uncertainty estimates for each source. Total BC emissions are estimated at 688 Gg in 2014, with an uncertainty range 401 Gg-1453 Gg, while OC emissions are 9224 Gg with uncertainty ranging between 5596 Gg and 14,736 Gg. Wildfires dominated and contributed about 83% of the total BC emissions: however, the effect on radiative forcing is mitigated in part by OC emissions. We also present an adjusted estimate of Arctic forcing from Russia's BC and OC emissions. In recent years, Russia has pursued policies to reduce flaring and limit particulate emissions from on-road transport, both of which appear to significantly contribute to the lower emissions and forcing values found in this study.« less

FIREX-Related Biomass Burning Research Using ARM Single-Particle Soot Photometer Field Campaign Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Onasch, Timothy B; Sedlacek, Arthur J

The scientific focus of this study was to investigate and quantify the mass loadings, chemical compositions, and optical properties of biomass burning particulate emissions generated in the laboratory from Western U.S. fuels using a similar instrument suite to the one deployed on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility Gulfstream-1 (G-1) aircraft during the 2013 Biomass Burning Observation Project (BBOP) field study (Kleinman and Sedlacek, 2013). We deployed the single-particle soot photometer (SP2) to make measurements of biomass burning refractory black carbon (rBC) mass loadings and size distributions to correlate with non-refractory particulate mattermore » (NR-PM; i.e., HR-AMS) and rBC (SP-AMS) measurements as a function of photo-oxidation processes in an environmental chamber. With these measurements, we will address the following scientific questions: 1. What are the emission indices (g/kg fuel) of rBC from various wildland fuels from the Pacific Northwest (i.e., relevant to BBOP analysis) as a function of combustion conditions and simulated atmospheric processing in an environmental chamber? 2. What are the optical properties (e.g., mass-specific absorption cross-section [MAC], single-scattering albedo [SSA], and absorption Angstrom exponent [AAE)] of rBC emitted from various wildland fuels and how are they impacted by atmospheric processing? 3. How does the mixing state of rBC in biomass-burning plumes relate to the optical properties? 4. How does the emitted rBC affect radiative forcing?« less

Agreement between BMI and body fat obesity definitions in a physically active population.

PubMed

Porto, Luiz Guilherme G; Nogueira, Rosenkranz M; Nogueira, Eugênio C; Molina, Guilherme E; Farioli, Andrea; Junqueira, Luiz Fernando; Kales, Stefanos N

2016-01-01

Body mass index (BMI) is a widely used proxy of body composition (BC). Concerns exist regarding possible BMI misclassification among active populations. We compared the prevalence of obesity as categorized by BMI or by skinfold estimates of body fat percentage (BF%) in a physically active population. 3,822 military firefighters underwent a physical fitness evaluation including cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) by the 12 min-Cooper test, abdominal strength by sit-up test (SUT) and body composition (BC) by BF% (as the reference), as well as BMI. Obesity was defined by BF% > 25% and BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. Agreement was evaluated by sensitivity and specificity of BMI, positive and negative predictive values (PPV/NPV), positive and negative likelihood (LR+/LR-), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and also across age, CRF and SUT subgroups. The prevalence of obesity estimated by BMI (13.3%) was similar to BF% (15.9%). Overall agreement was high (85.8%) and varied in different subgroups (75.3-94.5%). BMI underestimated the prevalence of obesity in all categories with high specificity (≥ 81.2%) and low sensitivity (≤ 67.0). All indices were affected by CRF, age and SUT, with better sensitivity, NPV and LR- in the less fit and older groups; and higher specificity, PPV and LR+ among the fittest and youngest groups. ROC curves showed high area under the curve (≥ 0.77) except for subjects with CRF ≥ 14 METs (= 0.46). Both measures yielded similar obesity prevalences, with high agreement. BMI did not overestimate obesity prevalence. BMI ≥ 30 was highly specific to exclude obesity. Because of systematic under estimation, a lower BMI cut-off point might be considered in this population.

3-D viscous flow CFD analysis of the propeller effect on an advanced ducted propeller subsonic inlet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iek, Chanthy; Boldman, Donald R.; Ibrahim, Mounir

1993-01-01

The time-marching Navier-Stokes code PARC3D was used to study the 3D viscous flow associated with an advanced ducted propeller subsonic inlet at take-off operating conditions. At a free stream Mach number of 0.2, experimental data for the inlet-with-propeller test model indicated that the airflow was attached on the cowl windward lip at an angle of attack of 25 deg became unstable at 29 deg, and separated at 30 deg. An experimental study with a similar inlet and without propeller (through-flow) indicated that flow separation occurred at an angle of attack a few degrees below the value observed when the inlet was tested with the propeller, indicating the propeller's favorable effect on inlet performance. In the present numerical study, flow blockage analogous to the propeller was modeled via a PARC3D computational boundary condition (BC), the 'screen BC', based on 1-1/2 dimension actuator disk theory. The application of the screen BC in this numerical study provided results similar to those of past experimental efforts in which either the blockage device or the propeller was used.

Establishing a Numerical Modeling Framework for Hydrologic Engineering Analyses of Extreme Storm Events

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Xiaodong; Hossain, Faisal; Leung, L. Ruby

In this study a numerical modeling framework for simulating extreme storm events was established using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Such a framework is necessary for the derivation of engineering parameters such as probable maximum precipitation that are the cornerstone of large water management infrastructure design. Here this framework was built based on a heavy storm that occurred in Nashville (USA) in 2010, and verified using two other extreme storms. To achieve the optimal setup, several combinations of model resolutions, initial/boundary conditions (IC/BC), cloud microphysics and cumulus parameterization schemes were evaluated using multiple metrics of precipitation characteristics. Themore » evaluation suggests that WRF is most sensitive to IC/BC option. Simulation generally benefits from finer resolutions up to 5 km. At the 15km level, NCEP2 IC/BC produces better results, while NAM IC/BC performs best at the 5km level. Recommended model configuration from this study is: NAM or NCEP2 IC/BC (depending on data availability), 15km or 15km-5km nested grids, Morrison microphysics and Kain-Fritsch cumulus schemes. Validation of the optimal framework suggests that these options are good starting choices for modeling extreme events similar to the test cases. This optimal framework is proposed in response to emerging engineering demands of extreme storm events forecasting and analyses for design, operations and risk assessment of large water infrastructures.« less

Biochar based remediation of water and soil contaminated by phenanthrene and pentachlorophenol.

PubMed

Rao, Maria A; Di Rauso Simeone, Giuseppe; Scelza, Rosalia; Conte, Pellegrino

2017-11-01

Phenanthrene (Phe) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) are classified as persistent organic pollutants and represent serious concern for the environment as they are toxic and ubiquitous. Biochar based remediation is an emerging technology used in water and soil contamination. In this study we used poplar (BP) and conifer (BC) biochars to remediate water and soil contaminated by Phe and PCP. BP and BC were able to remove completely either Phe or PCP from contaminated water within one to three days. When biochar was confined in a porous membrane, BC and BP maintained their sorption efficiency for several remediation cycles. However, in these conditions BC allowed faster Phe removal. In soil remediation experiments, addition of two biochar rates, i.e. 2.5 and 5 mg g -1 , strongly reduced Phe extractability (up to 2.7% of the initially added Phe with the larger BC dose). This was similar to the behavior observed when compost was applied in order to verify the role of soil organic matter in the fate of both contaminants. PCP extractability was reduced only up to 75% (in average) in all samples including those with compost amendment. Only larger amount of biochar (20 and 50 mg g -1 ) allowed reduction of the extractable PCP and nullified phytotoxicity of the contaminant. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The electronic response of pristine, Al and Si doped BC2N nanotubes to a cathinone molecule: Computational study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nejati, Kamellia; Vessally, Esmail; Delir Kheirollahi Nezhad, Parvaneh; Mofid, Hadi; Bekhradnia, Ahmadreza

2017-12-01

Cathinone (CT) is a psychoactive drug which its abuse is linked to several deaths worldwide. Here, we investigated the electronic response of BC2N nanotubes to the CT drug, using density functional theory calculations. Our results indicate that the CT drug is adsorbed on the pristine tube from its -NH2 group with ad adsorption energy about -14.6 kcal/mol with no electronic response. To overcome this problem, we doped the tube with Al or Si atom. Both of the Al and Si dopants increase the tube sensitivity and strengthen the interaction. Our calculations demonstrate that despite the high sensitivity of the Al-doped BC2N nanotube to the CT drug, it suffers from a very long recovery time which makes it unsuitable for application in CT sensors. But the calculated recovery time for the Si-doped BC2N nanotube is predicted to be about 0.27 s, which is short and desirable. Also, we showed that the Si-doped tube can be used in the humidity condition and at the presence of some gases including H2, O2, N2, and CO2. It was concluded that Si-doped BC2N nanotubes may be promising candidate for application in the CT sensors which benefit form a short recovery time, high sensitivity, and selectivity.

Astronomy and catastrophes through myth and old texts.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bon, E.; Ćirković, M.; Stojić, Igor; Gavrilović, Nataša

In the old myths and iconographies there are some motives that indicate at least one cataclysmic event that influenced many old religions and myths, that could be linked to the impact of the celestial object. We investigate the hypothesis of coherent catastrophism put forward in recent years by Clube, Bailey, Napier and others from both astrobiological and culturogical points of view. The conventional idea that the quasi-periodic break-up of celestial bodies influence terrestrial conditions can today be placed in both wider (astro-biological) and deeper (historico-culturological) context. In particular, we point out that the link between the Neolithic history of astronomy, and origin of Mithraism. We speculate that the main icon of Mithraic religion could pinpoint an event that happened around 4000 BC, when the spring equinox entered the constellation of Taurus. We also, link some motives in other old religions and myths to the same event, or to some similar events that inspired those myths.

Effects of different sources of carbohydrates on intake, digestibility, chewing, and performance of Holstein dairy cows

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

To investigate the effects of different sources of carbohydrates on intake, digestibility, chewing, and performance, nine lactating Holstein dairy cows (day in milk= 100±21 d; body weight=645.7 ± 26.5 kg) were allotted to a 3 × 3 Latin square design at three 23-d periods. The three treatments included 34.91% (B), 18.87% (BC), and 18.86% (BB) barley that in treatment B was partially replaced with only corn or corn plus beet pulp in treatments BC and BB, respectively. The concentration of starch and neutral detergent soluble carbohydrate varied (22.2, 20.2, and 14.5; 13.6, 15.9, and 20.1% of DM in treatments B, BC, and BB, respectively). Cows in treatment BB showed a higher DMI and improved digestibility of DM, NDF, and EE compared with treatments B or BC. Ruminal pH was higher in cows fed on BB (6.83) compared with those that received B or BC treatments (6.62 and 6.73, respectively). A lower proportion of propionate accompanied the higher pH in the BB group; however, a greater proportion of acetate and acetate: propionate ratio was observed compared with cows fed either on the B or BC diet. Moreover, cows fed on the BB diet showed the lowest ruminal passage rate and longest ruminal and total retention time. Eating time did not differ among treatments, rumination time was greater among cows fed on the BB diet compared with the others, whereas total chewing activity was greater than those fed on BC, but similar to those fed on B. The treatments showed no effect on milk yield. Partially replacing barley with corn or beet pulp resulted in an increase in milk fat and a lower protein concentration. Changing dietary NFC with that of a different degradability thus altered intake, chewing activity, ruminal environment, retention time or passage rate, and lactation performance. The results of this study showed that beet pulp with a higher NDF and a detergent-soluble carbohydrate or pectin established a more consistent ruminal mat than barley and corn, thus resulting in higher mean retention time and chewing activity, whereas no changes in 3.5% FCM and milk fat were observed. PMID:24410961

Distinct oxidative stabilities of char versus soot black carbon: Implications for quantification and environmental recalcitrance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmquist, Marie; Cornelissen, Gerard; Kukulska, Zofia; Gustafsson, Örjan

2006-06-01

Sequestration in sediments of black carbon (BC) from vegetation fires and fuel combustion may constitute a significant sink of otherwise rapidly cycling carbon from the atmosphere-biosphere cycle. It also has the potential to provide a historical record of atmospheric BC loadings. Previous treatments of BC as one homogeneous entity are being replaced with the growing awareness of a BC combustion continuum, a range spanning from slightly charred biomass to soot and graphite. Here the relative recalcitrance of different BC forms is evaluated, and implications for both BC quantification and environmental stability are considered. The stabilities of four BC reference materials against thermal oxidation in air were quite distinct with T50%BC values (i.e., the temperature where 50% BC remained in the residue) of 444°C (diesel soot-BC), 388°C (n-hexane soot-BC), 338°C (wood char-BC), and 266°C (grass char-BC). The implications for BC quantification have been illustrated for a thermal oxidation (the CTO-375) method commonly applied to study BC in sediments. This technique measured BC:TOC ratios of 78.3 ± 1.3% for the diesel soot-BC and 45.3 ± 6.1% for n-hexane soot-BC, whereas no CTO375-BC was detected for the two analyzed char-BC materials. The greater lability of char-BC compared to soot-BC likely reflects higher accessibility to internal microporosity in char-BC, facilitating internal O2 transfer. Decreasing the temperature cutoff below 375°C to also include char-BC is not possible as thermograms of nonpyrogenic reference materials indicated that such material would then be artifactually quantified as BC. The presence of mineral oxides in the sediment matrix may lead to a catalytically mediated lowering of the activation energy for soot-BC oxidation but not for char-BC or nonpyrogenic organic material. Several recent studies combine to challenge the proposition of complete recalcitrance of BC. Particularly, the thermal lability of char-BC from grassland fires deserves further attention in order to improve the understanding of BC in the global carbon cycle.

Black carbon, particle number concentration and nitrogen oxide emission factors of random in-use vehicles measured with the on-road chasing method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ježek, I.; Katrašnik, T.; Westerdahl, D.; Močnik, G.

2015-06-01

The chasing method was used in an on-road measurement campaign, and emission factors (EF) of black carbon (BC), particle number (PN) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) were determined for 139 individual vehicles of different types encountered on the roads. The aggregated results provide EFs for BC, NOx and PN for three vehicle categories: goods vehicles, gasoline and diesel passenger cars. This is the first on-road measurement study where BC EFs of numerous individual diesel cars were determined in real-world driving conditions. We found good agreement between EFs of goods vehicles determined in this campaign and the results of previous studies that used either chasing or remote sensing measurement techniques. The composition of the sampled car fleet determined from the national vehicle registry information is reflective of Eurostat statistical data on the Slovenian and European vehicle fleet. The median BC EF of diesel and gasoline cars that were in use for less than 5 years, decreased by 60 and 47% from those in use for 5-10 years, respectively, the median NOx and PN EFs, of goods vehicles that were in use for less than five years, decreased from those in use for 5-10 years by 52 and 67%, respectively. The influence of engine maximum power of the measured EFs showed an increase in NOx EF from least to more powerful vehicles with diesel engines. Finally a disproportionate contribution of high emitters to the total emissions of the measured fleet was found; the top 25% of emitting diesel cars contributed 63, 47 and 61% of BC, NOx and PN emissions respectively. With the combination of relatively simple on-road measurements with sophisticated post processing individual vehicles EF can be determined and useful information about the fleet emissions can be obtained by exactly representing vehicles which contribute disproportionally to vehicle fleet emissions; and monitor how the numerous emission reduction approaches are reflected in on-road driving conditions.

Changes in gait while backward counting in demented older adults with frontal lobe dysfunction.

PubMed

Allali, Gilles; Kressig, Reto W; Assal, Frédéric; Herrmann, François R; Dubost, Véronique; Beauchet, Olivier

2007-10-01

Gait disorders caused by dementia have been associated with frontal lobe dysfunction. Dual-tasking is used to explore the involvement of cortical level in gait control. It has been shown that dual-task induced gait changes that could be related to (1) the efficiency of executive function, (2) the level of difficulty involved in the walking-associated task, or (3) the articulo-motor components comprised in the walking-associated task. A better understanding of dual-task related changes in demented subjects with frontal lobe dysfunction could help us to clarify the role of the frontal lobe in motor gait control. To assess and compare the effects of two mental arithmetic tasks involving similar articulo-motor components but different level of difficulty on the mean values and coefficient of variation (CV) of stride time among demented older adults with impaired executive function. The mean values and coefficients of variation of stride time were measured using a GAITRite-System among 16 demented older adults with impaired executive function while walking with and without forward counting (FC) and backward counting (BC). The mean values and CV of stride time were significantly higher under both dual-task conditions than during a simple walking task (p<0.05). The change in CV of stride time during BC was significantly higher when compared with the change during FC (p=0.015), whereas the change in mean value was not significant (p=0.056). There was no difference between the dual-task and single task condition as far the number of enumerated figures were concerned (p=0.678 for FC and p=0.069 for BC), but significantly fewer figures were enumerated while BC compared with FC (p<0.001). BC provoked more changes in gait parameters than FC with major modification in gait variability related to an inappropriate focusing of attention. These findings suggest that the CV may be a suitable criterion for the assessment of gait control.

The effects of emission control strategies on light-absorbing carbon emissions from a modern heavy-duty diesel engine.

PubMed

Robinson, Michael A; Olson, Michael R; Liu, Z Gerald; Schauer, James J

2015-06-01

Control of atmospheric black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) has been proposed as an important pathway to climate change mitigation, but sources of BC and BrC are still not well understood. In order to better identify the role of modern heavy-duty diesel engines on the production of BC and BrC, emissions from a heavy-duty diesel engine operating with different emission control strategies were examined using a source dilution sampling system. The effect of a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and diesel particulate filter (DPF) on light-absorbing carbon (LAC) was evaluated at three steady-state engine operation modes: idle, 50% speed and load, and 100% speed and load. LAC was measured with four different engine configurations: engine out, DOC out, DPF out, and engine out with an altered combustion calibration. BC and BrC emission rates were measured with the Aethalometer (AE-31). EC and BC emission rates normalized to the mass of CO₂emitted increased with increasing engine speed and load. Emission rates normalized to brake-specific work did not exhibit similar trends with speed and load, but rather the highest emission rate was measured at idle. EC and OC emissions were reduced by 99% when the DOC and DPF architecture was applied. The application of a DPF was equally effective at removing 99% of the BC fraction of PM, proving to be an important control strategy for both LAC and PM. BC emissions were unexpectedly increased across the DOC, seemingly due to a change aerosol optical properties. Removal of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) flow due to simulated EGR cooler failure caused a large increase in OC and BrC emission rates at idle, but had limited influence during high load operation. LAC emissions proved to be sensitive to the same control strategies effective at controlling the total mass of diesel PM. In the context of black carbon emissions, very small emission rates of brown carbon were measured over a range of control technologies and engine operating conditions. During specific idle engine operation without EGR and adjusted fueling conditions, brown carbon can be formed in significant amounts, requiring careful management tactics. Control technologies for particulate matter are very effective for light-absorbing carbon, reducing black carbon emissions to near zero for modern engines equipped with a DPF. Efforts to control atmospheric brown carbon need to focus on other sources other than modern diesel engines, such as biomass burning.

IMG-ABC: new features for bacterial secondary metabolism analysis and targeted biosynthetic gene cluster discovery in thousands of microbial genomes

DOE PAGES

Hadjithomas, Michalis; Chen, I-Min A.; Chu, Ken; ...

2016-11-29

Secondary metabolites produced by microbes have diverse biological functions, which makes them a great potential source of biotechnologically relevant compounds with antimicrobial, anti-cancer and other activities. The proteins needed to synthesize these natural products are often encoded by clusters of co-located genes called biosynthetic gene clusters (BCs). In order to advance the exploration of microbial secondary metabolism, we developed the largest publically available database of experimentally verified and predicted BCs, the Integrated Microbial Genomes Atlas of Biosynthetic gene Clusters (IMG-ABC) (https://img.jgi.doe.gov/abc/). Here, we describe an update of IMG-ABC, which includes ClusterScout, a tool for targeted identification of custom biosynthetic genemore » clusters across 40 000 isolate microbial genomes, and a new search capability to query more than 700 000 BCs from isolate genomes for clusters with similar Pfam composition. Additional features enable fast exploration and analysis of BCs through two new interactive visualization features, a BC function heatmap and a BC similarity network graph. These new tools and features add to the value of IMG-ABC's vast body of BC data, facilitating their in-depth analysis and accelerating secondary metabolite discovery.« less

IMG-ABC: new features for bacterial secondary metabolism analysis and targeted biosynthetic gene cluster discovery in thousands of microbial genomes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hadjithomas, Michalis; Chen, I-Min A.; Chu, Ken

Secondary metabolites produced by microbes have diverse biological functions, which makes them a great potential source of biotechnologically relevant compounds with antimicrobial, anti-cancer and other activities. The proteins needed to synthesize these natural products are often encoded by clusters of co-located genes called biosynthetic gene clusters (BCs). In order to advance the exploration of microbial secondary metabolism, we developed the largest publically available database of experimentally verified and predicted BCs, the Integrated Microbial Genomes Atlas of Biosynthetic gene Clusters (IMG-ABC) (https://img.jgi.doe.gov/abc/). Here, we describe an update of IMG-ABC, which includes ClusterScout, a tool for targeted identification of custom biosynthetic genemore » clusters across 40 000 isolate microbial genomes, and a new search capability to query more than 700 000 BCs from isolate genomes for clusters with similar Pfam composition. Additional features enable fast exploration and analysis of BCs through two new interactive visualization features, a BC function heatmap and a BC similarity network graph. These new tools and features add to the value of IMG-ABC's vast body of BC data, facilitating their in-depth analysis and accelerating secondary metabolite discovery.« less

The Sedov Blast Wave as a Radial Piston Verification Test

DOE PAGES

Pederson, Clark; Brown, Bart; Morgan, Nathaniel

2016-06-22

The Sedov blast wave is of great utility as a verification problem for hydrodynamic methods. The typical implementation uses an energized cell of finite dimensions to represent the energy point source. We avoid this approximation by directly finding the effects of the energy source as a boundary condition (BC). Furthermore, the proposed method transforms the Sedov problem into an outward moving radial piston problem with a time-varying velocity. A portion of the mesh adjacent to the origin is removed and the boundaries of this hole are forced with the velocities from the Sedov solution. This verification test is implemented onmore » two types of meshes, and convergence is shown. Our results from the typical initial condition (IC) method and the new BC method are compared.« less

Light absorption and morphological properties of soot-containing aerosols observed at an East Asian outflow site, Noto Peninsula, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueda, S.; Nakayama, T.; Taketani, F.; Adachi, K.; Matsuki, A.; Iwamoto, Y.; Sadanaga, Y.; Matsumi, Y.

2015-09-01

The coating of black carbon (BC) with inorganic salts and organic compounds can enhance the magnitude of light absorption by BC. To elucidate the enhancement of light absorption of aged BC particles and its relation to the mixing state and morphology of individual particles, we conducted observations of particles at an Asian outflow site in Noto Peninsula, Japan, in the spring of 2013. Absorption and scattering coefficients at 405, 532, and 781 nm and mass concentrations/mixing states of refractory-BC in PM2.5 were measured using a three-wavelength photoacoustic soot spectrometer and a single-particle soot photometer (SP2), respectively, after passage through a heater maintained at 300 or 400 °C or a bypass line maintained at room temperature (25 °C). The average enhancement of BC light absorption due to coating was estimated by comparing absorption coefficients at 781 nm for particles that with and without passing through the heater and was found to be 22-23 %. The largest enhancements (> 30 %) were observed under high absorption coefficient conditions when the air mass was long-range transported from urban areas in China. Aerosol samples were also analyzed using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer. The morphological features and mixing states of soot-containing particles of four samples collected during the high absorption coefficient events were analyzed by comparing microphotographs before and after the evaporation of beam-sensitive materials by irradiation with a high density electron beam. The majority of the soot in all samples was found as mixed particles with spherical sulfate or as clusters of sulfate spherules. For samples showing high enhancement (> 30 %) of BC light absorption, TEM showed that the internally mixed soot-containing particles tended to have a more spherical shape and to be embedded into the sulfate. The SP2 measurements also suggested that the proportion of thickly-coated soot was greater. Thus, the observed enhancement of BC light absorption was found to differ according to the mixing states and morphology of soot-containing particles. The enhancement of BC light absorption in our in situ measurements and its relation with individual features of soot-containing particles will be useful to evaluate direct radiative forcing in the leeward areas of large emission sources of BC.

Long-term monitoring of black carbon across Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kutzner, Rebecca D.; von Schneidemesser, Erika; Kuik, Friderike; Quedenau, Jörn; Weatherhead, Elizabeth C.; Schmale, Julia

2018-07-01

Lately, black carbon (BC) has received significant attention due to its climate-warming properties and adverse health effects. Nevertheless, long-term observations in urban areas are scarce, most likely because BC monitoring is not required by environmental legislation. This, however, handicaps the evaluation of air quality models which can be used to assess the effectiveness of policy measures which aim to reduce BC concentrations. Here, we present a new dataset of atmospheric BC measurements from Germany constructed from over six million measurements at over 170 stations. Data covering the period between 1994 and 2014 were collected from twelve German Federal States and the Federal Environment Agency, quality checked and harmonized into a database with comprehensive metadata. The final data in original time resolution are available for download (https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.881173) Our analysis focuses on 2009, the year with the largest data coverage with one single methodology, as well as on the relative changes in long-term trends over ten years. For 2009, we find that BC concentrations at traffic sites were at least twice as high as at urban background, industrial and rural sites. Weekly cycles are most prominent at traffic stations, however, the presence of differences in concentrations during the week and on weekends at other station types suggests that traffic plays an important role throughout the full network. Generally higher concentrations and weaker weekly cycles during the winter months point towards the influence of other sources such as domestic heating. Regarding the long-term trends, advanced statistical techniques allow us to account for instrumentation changes and to separate seasonal and long-term changes in our dataset. Analysis shows a downward trend in BC at nearly all locations and in all conditions, with a high level of confidence for the period of 2005-2014. In depth analysis indicates that background BC is decreasing slowly, while the occurrences of high concentrations are decreasing more rapidly. In summary, legislation - both in Europe and locally - to reduce particulate emissions and indirectly BC appear to be working, based on this analysis. Adverse human health and climate impacts are likely to be diminished because of the improvements in air quality.

Continuous measurement of carbon black in a densely populated area of Mexico City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peralta, O.; Ortinez, A.; Castro, T.; Espinoza, M. D. L. L.; Saavedra, I.; Carabali-Sandoval, G. A., Sr.; Páramo, V. H.; Gavilán, A.; Martínez-Arroyo, A.

2014-12-01

The black carbon (BC) is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels and is an important short-lived climate forcer because it absorbs solar radiation altering the Earth's radiative budget and climate. It is also an atmospheric pollutant that promotes reactions of other compounds in the atmosphere. Despite its importance for health and climate, in Mexico there are very few studies on ambient concentrations of BC in urban areas and virtually no information of continuous measurements over long periods (more than a month of measurements). So, in order to develop more efficient local and regional mitigation strategies and policies that allow reducing ambient concentrations of BC, it is necessary to know BC seasonal evolution, contribution to radiative budget and impacts on health. This study shows continuous measurements (from July 2013 to July 2014) of BC to perform an analysis of seasonal variations. The selected monitoring site is located at Iztapalapa, a densely populated area with high traffic on the southeastern part of Mexico City. BC concentrations were obtained by two aethalometers (Magee Scientific Company, models AET31 and AET42) placed 15 meters above the ground. The aethalometers operate in the wavelength range of 370-950 nm and use a standard value of mass absorption coefficient MAC = 10.8 m2/g to calculate BC environmental concentration. To correct the aethalometers readings to the conditions of Mexico City, it was employed MAC = to 6.7 m2/g, which was determined for PM2.5 with a carbon analyzer (UIC, Inc.) and represents the mass absorption coefficient of soot emitted in Mexico City. The average value of the corrected concentration of BC in Mexico City during the period from July 2013 to July 2014 was 5.39 ± 1.89 μg/m3 (1.6 higher than readings recorded by aethalometers), which is greater than that measured in Shanghai in 2014 (annual average 2.33 μg/m3) and those reported for some U.S. cities; the value implies a potential danger to the health of inhabitants in Mexico City.

Private Career Colleges. Made in B.C.: A History of Postsecondary Education in British Columbia. Volume 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowin, Bob

2013-01-01

This report describes private colleges serving adults which since 1936 have been required to register with the provincial government of British Columbia, Canada or, since 1993, with a regulatory body created by the government. The sector has always included career colleges, but registration was expanded temporarily in the 1990s to include all…

Finding aroma clues in the human breath to diagnose diseases

Treesearch

A. Dan Wilson

2016-01-01

History of human odor analysis in disease diagnosis The use of the sense of smell as an indicator of human disease probably originated with Hippocrates (circa 400 BC). Early medical practitioners recognized that the presence of human diseases changed the odors released from the body and breath. Physicians once relied heavily on their sense of smell to provide useful...

Loss analysis and optimum design of a highly efficient and compact CMOS DC–DC converter with novel transistor layout using 60 nm multipillar-type vertical body channel MOSFET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itoh, Kazuki; Endoh, Tetsuo

2018-04-01

In this paper, we present a novel transistor layout of multi pillar-type vertical body-channel (BC) MOSFET for cascode power switches for improving the efficiency and compactness of CMOS DC–DC converters. The proposed layout features a stacked and multifingered layout to suppress the loss due to parasitic components such as diffusion resistance and contact resistance. In addition, the loss of each MOSFET, which configures cascode power switches, is analyzed, and it is revealed that the total optimum gate width and loss with the high-side (HS) n-type MOSFET topology are 27 and 16% smaller than those with the HS p-type MOSFET topology, respectively. Moreover, a circuit simulation of 2.0 to 0.8 V, 100 MHz CMOS DC–DC converters with the proposed layout is carried out by using experimentally extracted models of BSIM4 60 nm vertical BC MOSFETs. The peak efficiency of the HS n-type MOSFET converter with the proposed layout is 90.1%, which is 6.0% higher than that with the conventional layout.

Composition and functionality of bone affected by dietary glycated compounds.

PubMed

Delgado-Andrade, Cristina; Roncero-Ramos, Irene; Carballo, José; Rufián-Henares, Joséángel; Seiquer, Isabel; Navarro, María Pilar

2013-04-25

Our aim was to investigate the effects of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) from bread crust (BC) on bone composition and its mechanical properties, determining whether any such effects are related to the molecular weight of different MRPs. For 88 days after weaning rats were fed a control diet or diets containing BC, or its soluble low molecular weight (LMW), soluble high molecular weight (HMW) or insoluble fractions. Animals' food consumption and body weights were monitored. After sacrifice, the femur, pelvic bone and tibia were removed for composition, physical and biomechanical properties analysis. It was found that body and femur weights, density, volume and organic matrix decreased, whereas pentosidine increased after consumption of experimental diets, especially in the HMW and insoluble groups (104.7 and 102.9 mmol mol(-1) collagen) vs. the control group (41.7 mmol mol(-1) collagen). Bone stiffness fell by 50% in the LMW, HMW and insoluble groups and failure load and energy to failure tended to decrease in the same animals after MRPs intake. Consumption of diets containing assayed MRPs during growth leads to lower bone size and introduces some changes in its mechanical behavior which appear to be related to an increase in the pentosidine level of bone.

Magnetic sorbents added to soil slurries lower Cr aqueous concentration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aravantinos, Konstantinos; Isari, Ekavi; Karapanagioti, Hrissi K.; Manariotis, Ioannis D.; Werner, David

2016-04-01

Activated carbon (AC) acts as a strong binding agent that lowers the pollutant concentration and, thus its toxicity. Another promising sorbent material in environmental applications is biochar (BC) which is obtained from the incomplete combustion of carbon-rich biomass under oxygen-limited conditions. Both of these materials could be used as soil or sediment amendments that would lower the toxicity in the aqueous phase. A draw back of this technique is that although the pollutant will remain non- bioavailable for many years being sorbed into these sorbents, it actually stays into the system. The objective of this study was (a) to synthesize a magnetic powdered activated carbon (AC/Fe) and magnetic powdered biochar (BC/Fe) produced from a commercial AC sample and BC, respectively and (b) to evaluate the potential use of AC/Fe and BC/Fe to lower Cr concentration that desorb from two soils in their soil slurries. The two soil samples originate from the vicinity of a local metal shop. The BC was produced from olive pomace. The surface area, the pore volume, and the average pore size of each sorbent were determined using gas (N2) adsorption-desorption cycles and the Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) equation. Isotherms with 30 adsorption and 20 desorption points were conducted at liquid nitrogen temperature (77K). Open surface area and micropore volume were determined using t-plot method and Harkins & Jura equation. For both AC/Fe, surface area measurements resulted in 66% those of corresponding AC. For BC/Fe, the surface area was 82% that of BC. Our previous studies have shown that both AC/Fe and BC/Fe are effective sorbents for mercury in aqueous solutions but with lower sorption capacity compared to the initial materials (50-75% lower). Batch experiments with all sorbent samples and each soil were conducted at room temperature (25oC) in order to compare the sorption properties of the materials. The soil slurries demonstrated low Cr concentrations (10.9 and 14.6 μg/L, respectively). One month after the addition of amendments AC, AC/Fe, and BC/Fe, Cr concentration in the slurry was lower than the detection limit which was 0.5 μg/L (except of one of the soils with the AC that was 2.1 μg/L). The slurries with BC demonstrated Cr concentrations equal to 4.2 and 7.1 μg/L, respectively. All these properties point to promising materials that can effectively be used for in-situ environmental remediation and also be recovered.

BECCS Market Launch Strategy Aiming to Help Ensure Reliable Grid Power at High Penetrations of IRE (Intermittent Renewable Electricity)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

WIlliams, R. H.

2017-12-01

Despite its recognized importance for carbon (C)-mitigation, progress in advancing biomass energy with CO2 capture and sequestration (BECCS) has been slow. A BECCS market launch strategy based on technologies ready for commercial-scale demonstration is discussed—based on co-gasification of coal and biomass to make H2 with CCS. H2 so produced would be a key element of a H2 balancing capacity (H2-BC) strategy for ensuring reliable grid power at high IRE penetrations. High grid penetrations of IRE must be complemented by fast-ramping balancing (backup and/or storage) capacity (BC) to ensure reliable grid power. BC provided now by natural gas-fired gas turbine combined cycle and combustion turbine units would eventually have to be decarbonized to realize C-mitigation goals, via CCS or other means. Capital-intensive CCS energy systems require baseload operation to realize favourable economics, but at high IRE penetrations, BC plants must be operated at low capacity factors. A H2-BC strategy is a promising way to address this challenge. The elements of a H2-BC system are: (a) H2 production from carbonaceous feedstocks in baseload plants with CCS; (b) H2 consumption in fast-ramping BC units that operate at low capacity factors; (c) Buffer underground H2 storage to enable decoupling baseload H2 production from highly variable H2 consumption by BC units. The concept is likely to "work" because underground H2 storage is expected to be inexpensive. A H2 production analysis is presented for a negative GHG-emitting H2-BC system based on cogasification of corn stover and coal, with captured CO2 used for enhanced oil recovery. The technical readiness of each system component is discussed, and preliminary insights are offered as to the conditions under which the corresponding H2-BC system might compete with natural gas in providing backup for IRE on US electric grids. Public policy to help advance this strategy might be forthcoming, because 2 US Senate bills with broad bipartisan support might become law soon: (a) S.1535, which extends and expands 45Q tax credits for CO2 EOR; and (b) S.1460. Inter alia, S.1460 authorizes DOE to spend $22 million/year during 2018-2022 to support of Front End Engineering and Design studies for net-negative CO2 emissions projects based on thermochemical coal/biomass coprocessing with CCS.

Does a novel school-based physical activity model benefit femoral neck bone strength in pre- and early pubertal children?

PubMed

Macdonald, H M; Kontulainen, S A; Petit, M A; Beck, T J; Khan, K M; McKay, H A

2008-10-01

The effects of physical activity on bone strength acquisition during growth are not well understood. In our cluster randomized trial, we found that participation in a novel school-based physical activity program enhanced bone strength acquisition and bone mass accrual by 2-5% at the femoral neck in girls; however, these benefits depended on teacher compliance with intervention delivery. Our intervention also enhanced bone mass accrual by 2-4% at the lumbar spine and total body in boys. We investigated the effects of a novel school-based physical activity program on femoral neck (FN) bone strength and mass in children aged 9-11 yrs. We used hip structure analysis to compare 16-month changes in FN bone strength, geometry and bone mineral content (BMC) between 293 children who participated in Action Schools! BC (AS! BC) and 117 controls. We assessed proximal femur (PF), lumbar spine (LS) and total body (TB) BMC using DXA. We compared change in bone outcomes between groups using linear regression accounting for the random school effect and select covariates. Change in FN strength (section modulus, Z), cross-sectional area (CSA), subperiosteal width and BMC was similar between control and intervention boys, but intervention boys had greater gains in BMC at the LS (+2.7%, p = 0.05) and TB (+1.7%, p = 0.03) than controls. For girls, change in FN-Z tended to be greater (+3.5%, p = 0.1) for intervention girls than controls. The difference in change increased to 5.4% (p = 0.05) in a per-protocol analysis that included girls whose teachers reported 80% compliance. AS! BC benefits bone strength and mass in school-aged children; however, our findings highlight the importance of accounting for teacher compliance in classroom-based physical activity interventions.

Simultaneous reductions in emissions of black carbon and co-emitted species will weaken the aerosol net cooling effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Z. L.; Zhang, H.; Zhang, X. Y.

2015-04-01

Black carbon (BC), a distinct type of carbonaceous material formed from the incomplete combustion of fossil and biomass based fuels under certain conditions, can interact with solar radiation and clouds through its strong light-absorption ability, thereby warming the Earth's climate system. Some studies have even suggested that global warming could be slowed down in the short term by eliminating BC emission due to its short lifetime. In this study, we estimate the influence of removing some sources of BC and other co-emitted species on the aerosol radiative effect by using an aerosol-climate atmosphere-only model BCC_AGCM2.0.1_CUACE/Aero with prescribed sea surface temperature and sea ice cover, in combination with the aerosol emissions from the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) scenarios. We find that the global annual mean aerosol net cooling effect at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) will be enhanced by 0.12 W m-2 compared with recent past year 2000 levels if the emissions of only BC are reduced to the level projected for 2100 based on the RCP2.6 scenario. This will be beneficial~for the mitigation of global warming. However, both aerosol negative direct and indirect radiative effects are weakened when BC and its co-emitted species (sulfur dioxide and organic carbon) are simultaneously reduced. Relative to year 2000 levels, the global annual mean aerosol net cooling effect at the TOA will be weakened by 1.7-2.0 W m-2 if the emissions of all these aerosols are decreased to the levels projected for 2100 in different ways based on the RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 scenarios. Because there are no effective ways to remove the BC exclusively without influencing the other co-emitted components, our results therefore indicate that a reduction in BC emission can lead to an unexpected warming on the Earth's climate system in the future.

Russian anthropogenic black carbon: Emission reconstruction and Arctic black carbon simulation

DOE PAGES

Huang, Kan; Fu, Joshua S.; Prikhodko, Vitaly Y.; ...

2015-10-02

Development of reliable source emission inventories is needed to advance the understanding of the origin of Arctic haze using chemical transport modeling. This paper develops a regional anthropogenic black carbon (BC) emission inventory for the Russian Federation, the largest country by land area in the Arctic Council. Activity data from combination of local Russia information and international resources, emission factors based on either Russian documents or adjusted values for local conditions, and other emission source data are used to approximate the BC emissions. Emissions are gridded at a resolution of 0.1° × 0.1° and developed into a monthly temporal profile.more » Total anthropogenic BC emission of Russia in 2010 is estimated to be around 224 Gg. Gas flaring, a commonly ignored black carbon source, contributes a significant fraction of 36.2% to Russia's total anthropogenic BC emissions. Other sectors, i.e., residential, transportation, industry, and power plants, contribute 25.0%, 20.3%, 13.1%, and 5.4%, respectively. Three major BC hot spot regions are identified: the European part of Russia, the southern central part of Russia where human population densities are relatively high, and the Urals Federal District where Russia's major oil and gas fields are located but with sparse human population. BC simulations are conducted using the hemispheric version of Community Multi-scale Air Quality Model with emission inputs from a global emission database EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research)-HTAPv2 (Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution) and EDGAR-HTAPv2 with its Russian part replaced by the newly developed Russian BC emissions, respectively. The simulation using the new Russian BC emission inventory could improve 30–65% of absorption aerosol optical depth measured at the AERONET sites in Russia throughout the whole year as compared to that using the default HTAPv2 emissions. At the four ground monitoring sites (Zeppelin, Barrow, Alert, and Tiksi) in the Arctic Circle, surface BC simulations are improved the most during the Arctic haze periods (October–March). The poor performance of Arctic BC simulations in previous studies may be partly ascribed to the Russian BC emissions built on out-of-date and/or missing information, which could result in biases to both emission rates and the spatial distribution of emissions. Finally, this study highlights that the impact of Russian emissions on the Arctic haze has likely been underestimated, and its role in the Arctic climate system needs to be reassessed. The Russian black carbon emission source data generated in this study can be obtained via http://abci.ornl.gov/download.shtml or http://acs.engr.utk.edu/Data.php.« less

Russian anthropogenic black carbon: Emission reconstruction and Arctic black carbon simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Kan; Fu, Joshua S.; Prikhodko, Vitaly Y.; Storey, John M.; Romanov, Alexander; Hodson, Elke L.; Cresko, Joe; Morozova, Irina; Ignatieva, Yulia; Cabaniss, John

2015-11-01

Development of reliable source emission inventories is particularly needed to advance the understanding of the origin of Arctic haze using chemical transport modeling. This study develops a regional anthropogenic black carbon (BC) emission inventory for the Russian Federation, the largest country by land area in the Arctic Council. Activity data from combination of local Russia information and international resources, emission factors based on either Russian documents or adjusted values for local conditions, and other emission source data are used to approximate the BC emissions. Emissions are gridded at a resolution of 0.1° × 0.1° and developed into a monthly temporal profile. Total anthropogenic BC emission of Russia in 2010 is estimated to be around 224 Gg. Gas flaring, a commonly ignored black carbon source, contributes a significant fraction of 36.2% to Russia's total anthropogenic BC emissions. Other sectors, i.e., residential, transportation, industry, and power plants, contribute 25.0%, 20.3%, 13.1%, and 5.4%, respectively. Three major BC hot spot regions are identified: the European part of Russia, the southern central part of Russia where human population densities are relatively high, and the Urals Federal District where Russia's major oil and gas fields are located but with sparse human population. BC simulations are conducted using the hemispheric version of Community Multi-scale Air Quality Model with emission inputs from a global emission database EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research)-HTAPv2 (Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution) and EDGAR-HTAPv2 with its Russian part replaced by the newly developed Russian BC emissions, respectively. The simulation using the new Russian BC emission inventory could improve 30-65% of absorption aerosol optical depth measured at the AERONET sites in Russia throughout the whole year as compared to that using the default HTAPv2 emissions. At the four ground monitoring sites (Zeppelin, Barrow, Alert, and Tiksi) in the Arctic Circle, surface BC simulations are improved the most during the Arctic haze periods (October-March). The poor performance of Arctic BC simulations in previous studies may be partly ascribed to the Russian BC emissions built on out-of-date and/or missing information, which could result in biases to both emission rates and the spatial distribution of emissions. This study highlights that the impact of Russian emissions on the Arctic haze has likely been underestimated, and its role in the Arctic climate system needs to be reassessed. The Russian black carbon emission source data generated in this study can be obtained via http://abci.ornl.gov/download.shtml or http://acs.engr.utk.edu/Data.php.

Russian anthropogenic black carbon: Emission reconstruction and Arctic black carbon simulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Kan; Fu, Joshua S.; Prikhodko, Vitaly Y.

Development of reliable source emission inventories is needed to advance the understanding of the origin of Arctic haze using chemical transport modeling. This paper develops a regional anthropogenic black carbon (BC) emission inventory for the Russian Federation, the largest country by land area in the Arctic Council. Activity data from combination of local Russia information and international resources, emission factors based on either Russian documents or adjusted values for local conditions, and other emission source data are used to approximate the BC emissions. Emissions are gridded at a resolution of 0.1° × 0.1° and developed into a monthly temporal profile.more » Total anthropogenic BC emission of Russia in 2010 is estimated to be around 224 Gg. Gas flaring, a commonly ignored black carbon source, contributes a significant fraction of 36.2% to Russia's total anthropogenic BC emissions. Other sectors, i.e., residential, transportation, industry, and power plants, contribute 25.0%, 20.3%, 13.1%, and 5.4%, respectively. Three major BC hot spot regions are identified: the European part of Russia, the southern central part of Russia where human population densities are relatively high, and the Urals Federal District where Russia's major oil and gas fields are located but with sparse human population. BC simulations are conducted using the hemispheric version of Community Multi-scale Air Quality Model with emission inputs from a global emission database EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research)-HTAPv2 (Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution) and EDGAR-HTAPv2 with its Russian part replaced by the newly developed Russian BC emissions, respectively. The simulation using the new Russian BC emission inventory could improve 30–65% of absorption aerosol optical depth measured at the AERONET sites in Russia throughout the whole year as compared to that using the default HTAPv2 emissions. At the four ground monitoring sites (Zeppelin, Barrow, Alert, and Tiksi) in the Arctic Circle, surface BC simulations are improved the most during the Arctic haze periods (October–March). The poor performance of Arctic BC simulations in previous studies may be partly ascribed to the Russian BC emissions built on out-of-date and/or missing information, which could result in biases to both emission rates and the spatial distribution of emissions. Finally, this study highlights that the impact of Russian emissions on the Arctic haze has likely been underestimated, and its role in the Arctic climate system needs to be reassessed. The Russian black carbon emission source data generated in this study can be obtained via http://abci.ornl.gov/download.shtml or http://acs.engr.utk.edu/Data.php.« less

Negative regulation by Ser/Thr phosphorylation of HadAB and HadBC dehydratases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis type II fatty acid synthase system.

PubMed

Slama, Nawel; Leiba, Jade; Eynard, Nathalie; Daffé, Mamadou; Kremer, Laurent; Quémard, Annaïk; Molle, Virginie

2011-09-02

The type II fatty acid synthase system of mycobacteria is involved in the biosynthesis of major and essential lipids, mycolic acids, key-factors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenicity. One reason of the remarkable survival ability of M. tuberculosis in infected hosts is partly related to the presence of cell wall-associated mycolic acids. Despite their importance, the mechanisms that modulate synthesis of these lipids in response to environmental changes are unknown. We demonstrate here that HadAB and HadBC dehydratases of this system are phosphorylated by Ser/Thr protein kinases, which negatively affects their enzymatic activity. The phosphorylation of HadAB/BC is growth phase-dependent, suggesting that it represents a mechanism by which mycobacteria might tightly control mycolic acid biosynthesis under non-replicating condition. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Seasonal variations of number size distributions and mass concentrations of atmospheric particles in Beijing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Jianhua; Guinot, Benjamin; Yu, Tong; Wang, Xin; Liu, Wenqing

2005-06-01

Particle number and mass concentrations were measured in Beijing during the winter and summer periods in 2003, together with some other parameters including black carbon (BC) and meteorological conditions. Particle mass concentrations exhibited low seasonality, and the ratio of PM2.5/PM10 in winter was higher than that in summer. Particle number size distribution (PSD) was characterized by four modes and exhibited low seasonality. BC was well correlated with the number and mass concentrations of accumulation and coarse particles, indicating these size particles are related to anthropogenic activities. Particle mass and number concentrations (except ultra-fine and nucleation particles) followed well the trends of BC concentration for the majority of the day, indicating that most particles were associated with primary emissions. The diurnal number distributions of accumulation and coarse mode particles were characterized by two peaks.

Controlling Relations in Baseline Conditional Discriminations as Determinants of Stimulus Equivalence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Rose, Julio C.; Hidalgo, Matheus; Vasconcellos, Mariliz

2013-01-01

Variation in baseline controlling relations is suggested as one of the factors determining variability in stimulus equivalence outcomes. This study used single- comparison trials attempting to control such controlling relations. Four children learned AB, BC, and CD conditional discriminations, with 2 samples and 2 comparison stimuli. In Condition…

The Effect of Lateral Boundary Values on Atmospheric Mercury Simulations with the CMAQ Model

EPA Science Inventory

Simulation results from three global-scale models of atmospheric mercury have been used to define three sets of initial condition and boundary condition (IC/BC) data for regional-scale model simulations over North America using the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. ...

Dynamics of nutrient utilization, heat production, and body composition in broiler breeder hens during egg production.

PubMed

Caldas, Justina V; Hilton, Katie; Boonsinchai, Nirun; England, Judith A; Mauromoustakos, Andy; Coon, Craig N

2018-04-24

Changes in heat production (HP) and body composition (BC) in modern broiler breeders can provide means to understand nutrient utilization. Twelve Cobb 500 breeders were evaluated 10 times from 26 to 59 wk of age. The same wired caged breeders were moved to respiratory chambers connected to an indirect calorimetry to obtain oxygen consumption (VO2) and carbon dioxide production (VCO2), HP, and respiratory exchange ratio (RER). The same hens were evaluated for BC using a dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Data were analyzed during light (16 h) and dark (8 h) period using a mixed model to evaluate calorimetry parameters, a factorial design 2 × 10 for normalized calorimetry parameters, and Complete Randomized Design (CRD)-one way ANOVA for BC. Means were separated by Tukey-Honest Significant difference (HSD). HP increased with age (d) in 0.152 kcal/d, VO2 and VCO2 were 0.031 and 0.024 L/d per each increase in age (d), respectively. In the light period, hens consumed +17.4 L/d VO2 and produced +18.9 L/d VCO2 (P < 0.01). HP during the dark period was 84 kcal/kg0.75 and during the light period was 115 kcal/kg0.75. RER decreased with age until 43 wk and remained the same until 59 wk suggesting more fat and/or protein being oxidized at later periods of production. Lean body mass ranged from 642 to 783 g/kg during the whole study reaching the lowest at 37 and 50 wk and the highest at 26 to 33 wk (P < 0.01). Body fat ranged from 168 to 261 g/kg with the lowest at 26 to 33 wk and the highest at 50 wk of age (P < 0.01). Broiler breeder females may be catabolizing fat energy reserves from 50 wk onwards when the egg production is reduced, and HP increased at 54 and 59 wk (P < 0.01) due to higher energy required for maintenance of a higher lean mass structure. Broiler breeders change nutrient fuel use during egg production. Indirect calorimetry and DEXA can be used to pursue further feed strategies to maximize egg production and maintain a healthy breeder.

PREDICTORS OF INFLAMMATORY LOCAL RECURRENCE AFTER BREAST-CONSERVING THERAPY FOR BREAST CANCER: MATCHED CASE-CONTROL STUDY.

PubMed

Akoum, Riad; Abdalla, Eddie K; Saade, Michel; Awdeh, Adnan; Abi-Aad, Fouad; Bejjani, Noha; Ghossain, Antoine; Brihi, Emile; Audi, Akram

2015-01-01

Inflammatory local recurrence (ILR) after breast-conserving surgery for noninflammatory breast cancer (BC) is associated with dismal prognosis. Risk factors for ILR are not well defined. Between 2001 and 2010, twelve patients at our hospital developed ILR after breast-conserving surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, and radiotherapy for BC. We compared their clinico-pathological characteristics to those of 24 patients with noninflammatory local recurrence (non-ILR), 24 patients with distant metastases, and 48 disease-free controls, matched for age and observation period. The median time to ILR was 10 months. In univariate analysis, extent of lymph node involvement (p < 0.05), multifocality (p < 0.05), c-erbB2 overexpression (p < 0.05), and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (p < 0.001) affected the risk of ILR. Conditional logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between ILR and combined LVI and high histopathological grade. The odds ratio (OR) for ILR versus non-ILR was 6.14 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48-25.38) and for ILR versus distant metastases it was 3.05 (95% CI 0.09-97.83) when both LVI and high histopathological grade were present. Patients with family history of BC were more likely to present with ILR than non-ILR (OR 5.47; 95% CI 1.55-19.31) or distant relapse (OR 5.62; 95% CI 0.26-119.95). Pre- and postmenopausal women with high-grade BC and LVI are at increased risk to develop ILR, especially in the presence of family history of BC. Identification of risk factors for this lethal form of recurrent BC may lead to more effective preventive treatment strategies in properly selected patients.

Ancient skeletal evidence for leprosy in India (2000 B.C.).

PubMed

Robbins, Gwen; Tripathy, V Mushrif; Misra, V N; Mohanty, R K; Shinde, V S; Gray, Kelsey M; Schug, Malcolm D

2009-05-27

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae that affects almost 250,000 people worldwide. The timing of first infection, geographic origin, and pattern of transmission of the disease are still under investigation. Comparative genomics research has suggested M. leprae evolved either in East Africa or South Asia during the Late Pleistocene before spreading to Europe and the rest of the World. The earliest widely accepted evidence for leprosy is in Asian texts dated to 600 B.C. We report an analysis of pathological conditions in skeletal remains from the second millennium B.C. in India. A middle aged adult male skeleton demonstrates pathological changes in the rhinomaxillary region, degenerative joint disease, infectious involvement of the tibia (periostitis), and injury to the peripheral skeleton. The presence and patterning of lesions was subject to a process of differential diagnosis for leprosy including treponemal disease, leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, and non-specific infection. Results indicate that lepromatous leprosy was present in India by 2000 B.C. This evidence represents the oldest documented skeletal evidence for the disease. Our results indicate that Vedic burial traditions in cases of leprosy were present in northwest India prior to the first millennium B.C. Our results also support translations of early Vedic scriptures as the first textual reference to leprosy. The presence of leprosy in skeletal material dated to the post-urban phase of the Indus Age suggests that if M. leprae evolved in Africa, the disease migrated to India before the Late Holocene, possibly during the third millennium B.C. at a time when there was substantial interaction among the Indus Civilization, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. This evidence should be impetus to look for additional skeletal and molecular evidence of leprosy in India and Africa to confirm the African origin of the disease.

Exposure to ultrafine particles and black carbon in diesel-powered commuter trains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Cheol-Heon; Traub, Alison; Evans, Greg J.

2017-04-01

Ultrafine particle (UFP), black carbon (BC) and lung deposited surface area (LDSA) concentrations measured during 43 trips on diesel-powered commuter trains revealed elevated exposures under some conditions. When the passenger coaches were pulled by a locomotive, the geometric mean concentrations of UFP, LDSA, and BC were 18, 10, and 6 times higher than the exposure levels when the locomotive pushed the coaches, respectively. In addition, UFP, LDSA, and BC concentrations in pull-trains were 5, 3, and 4 times higher than concentrations measured while walking on city sidewalks, respectively. Exposure to these pollutants was most elevated in the coach located closest to the locomotive: geometric means were 126,000 # cm-3 for UFP, 249 μm2 cm-3 for LDSA, and 17,800 ng m-3 of BC; these concentrations are much higher than those previously reported for other modes of public transportation. Markedly high levels of diesel exhaust are present in passenger trains powered by diesel locomotives operated in pull-mode. Thus, it is recommended that immediate steps be taken to evaluate, and where needed, mitigate exposure in diesel-powered passenger trains, both commuter and inter-city.

Dynamic security contingency screening and ranking using neural networks.

PubMed

Mansour, Y; Vaahedi, E; El-Sharkawi, M A

1997-01-01

This paper summarizes BC Hydro's experience in applying neural networks to dynamic security contingency screening and ranking. The idea is to use the information on the prevailing operating condition and directly provide contingency screening and ranking using a trained neural network. To train the two neural networks for the large scale systems of BC Hydro and Hydro Quebec, in total 1691 detailed transient stability simulation were conducted, 1158 for BC Hydro system and 533 for the Hydro Quebec system. The simulation program was equipped with the energy margin calculation module (second kick) to measure the energy margin in each run. The first set of results showed poor performance for the neural networks in assessing the dynamic security. However a number of corrective measures improved the results significantly. These corrective measures included: 1) the effectiveness of output; 2) the number of outputs; 3) the type of features (static versus dynamic); 4) the number of features; 5) system partitioning; and 6) the ratio of training samples to features. The final results obtained using the large scale systems of BC Hydro and Hydro Quebec demonstrates a good potential for neural network in dynamic security assessment contingency screening and ranking.

Characteristics and source apportionment of black carbon aerosols over an urban site.

PubMed

Rajesh, T A; Ramachandran, S

2017-03-01

Aethalometer based source apportionment model using the measured aerosol absorption coefficients at different wavelengths is used to apportion the contribution of fossil fuel and wood burning sources to the total black carbon (BC) mass concentration. Temporal and seasonal variabilities in BC mass concentrations, equivalent BC from fossil fuel (BC f f ), and wood burning (BC w b ) are investigated over an urban location in western India during January 2014 to December 2015. BC, BC f f , and BC w b mass concentrations exhibit strong diurnal variation and are mainly influenced by atmospheric dynamics. BC f f was higher by a factor of 2-4 than BC w b and contributes maximum to BC mass throughout the day, confirming consistent anthropogenic activities. Diurnal contribution of BC f f and BC w b exhibits opposite variation due to differences in emission sources over Ahmedabad. Night time BC values are about a factor of 1.4 higher than day time BC values. The annual mean percentage contributions of day time and night time are 42 and 58 %, respectively. BC, BC f f , and BC w b mass concentrations exhibit large and significant variations during morning, afternoon, evening, and night time. During afternoon, mass concentration values are minimum throughout the year because of the fully evolved boundary layer and reduced anthropogenic activities. BC exhibits a strong seasonal variability with postmonsoon high (8.3 μg m -3 ) and monsoon low (1.9 μg m -3 ). Annual mean BC f f and BC w b contributions are 80 and 20 %, respectively, to total BC, which suggests that major contribution of BC in Ahmedabad comes from fossil fuel emissions. The results show that the study location is dominated by fossil fuel combustion as compared to the emissions from wood burning. The results obtained represent a regional value over an urban regime which can be used as inputs on source apportionment to model BC emissions in regional and global climate models.

Rényi generalizations of the conditional quantum mutual information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berta, Mario; Seshadreesan, Kaushik P.; Wilde, Mark M.

2015-02-01

The conditional quantum mutual information I(A; B|C) of a tripartite state ρABC is an information quantity which lies at the center of many problems in quantum information theory. Three of its main properties are that it is non-negative for any tripartite state, that it decreases under local operations applied to systems A and B, and that it obeys the duality relation I(A; B|C) = I(A; B|D) for a four-party pure state on systems ABCD. The conditional mutual information also underlies the squashed entanglement, an entanglement measure that satisfies all of the axioms desired for an entanglement measure. As such, it has been an open question to find Rényi generalizations of the conditional mutual information, that would allow for a deeper understanding of the original quantity and find applications beyond the traditional memoryless setting of quantum information theory. The present paper addresses this question, by defining different α-Rényi generalizations Iα(A; B|C) of the conditional mutual information, some of which we can prove converge to the conditional mutual information in the limit α → 1. Furthermore, we prove that many of these generalizations satisfy non-negativity, duality, and monotonicity with respect to local operations on one of the systems A or B (with it being left as an open question to prove that monotonicity holds with respect to local operations on both systems). The quantities defined here should find applications in quantum information theory and perhaps even in other areas of physics, but we leave this for future work. We also state a conjecture regarding the monotonicity of the Rényi conditional mutual informations defined here with respect to the Rényi parameter α. We prove that this conjecture is true in some special cases and when α is in a neighborhood of one.

Rényi generalizations of the conditional quantum mutual information

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berta, Mario; Seshadreesan, Kaushik P.; Wilde, Mark M.

2015-02-15

The conditional quantum mutual information I(A; B|C) of a tripartite state ρ{sub ABC} is an information quantity which lies at the center of many problems in quantum information theory. Three of its main properties are that it is non-negative for any tripartite state, that it decreases under local operations applied to systems A and B, and that it obeys the duality relation I(A; B|C) = I(A; B|D) for a four-party pure state on systems ABCD. The conditional mutual information also underlies the squashed entanglement, an entanglement measure that satisfies all of the axioms desired for an entanglement measure. As such,more » it has been an open question to find Rényi generalizations of the conditional mutual information, that would allow for a deeper understanding of the original quantity and find applications beyond the traditional memoryless setting of quantum information theory. The present paper addresses this question, by defining different α-Rényi generalizations I{sub α}(A; B|C) of the conditional mutual information, some of which we can prove converge to the conditional mutual information in the limit α → 1. Furthermore, we prove that many of these generalizations satisfy non-negativity, duality, and monotonicity with respect to local operations on one of the systems A or B (with it being left as an open question to prove that monotonicity holds with respect to local operations on both systems). The quantities defined here should find applications in quantum information theory and perhaps even in other areas of physics, but we leave this for future work. We also state a conjecture regarding the monotonicity of the Rényi conditional mutual informations defined here with respect to the Rényi parameter α. We prove that this conjecture is true in some special cases and when α is in a neighborhood of one.« less

Soil nitrogen dynamics and Capsicum Annuum sp. plant response to biochar amendment in silt loam soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horel, Agota; Gelybo, Gyorgyi; Dencso, Marton; Toth, Eszter; Farkas, Csilla; Kasa, Ilona; Pokovai, Klara

2017-04-01

The present study investigated the growth of Capsicum Annuum sp. (pepper) in small-scale experiment to observe changes in plant growth and health as reflected by leaf area, plant height, yield, root density, and nitrogen usage. Based on field conditions, part of the study aimed to examine the photosynthetic and photochemical responses of plants to treatments resulting from different plant growth rates. During the 12.5 week long study, four treatments were investigated with biochar amount of 0, 0.5%, 2.5%, and 5.0% (by weight) added to silt loam soil. The plants were placed under natural environmental conditions, such that photosynthetic activities from photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and the plants photochemical reflectance index (PRI) could be continuously measured after exposure to sunlight. In this study we found that benefits from biochar addition to silt loam soil most distinguishable occurred in the BC2.5 treatments, where the highest plant yield, highest root density, and highest leaf areas were observed compared to other treatments. Furthermore, data showed that too low (0.5%) or too high (5.0%) biochar addition to the soil had diminishing effects on Capsicum Annuum sp. growth and yield over time. At the end of the 12th week, BC2.5 had 22.2%, while BC0.5 and BC5.0 showed 17.4% and 15.7% increase in yield dry weight respectively compared to controls. The collected data also showed that the PRI values of plants growing on biochar treated soils were generally lower compared to control treatments, which could relate to leaf nitrogen levels. Total nitrogen amount showed marginal changes over time in all treatments. The total nitrogen concentration showed 28.6% and 17.7% increase after the 6th week of the experiment for BC2.5 and BC5.0, respectively, while inorganic nutrients of NO3-N and NH4+-N showed a continuous decrease during the course of the study, with a substantial drop during the first few weeks. The present study provides evidence for impact of biochar on plant stress levels and growth function in biochar amended soils. Our findings emphasize the necessity for optimization to local parameters prior to biochar additions to soils.

Bone mineral density and body composition of collegiate modern dancers.

PubMed

Friesen, Karlie J; Rozenek, Ralph; Clippinger, Karen; Gunter, Kathy; Russo, Albert C; Sklar, Susan E

2011-03-01

This study investigates body composition (BC), bone mineral density (BMD), eating behaviors, and menstrual dysfunction in collegiate modern dancers. Thirty-one female collegiate modern dance majors (D), 18 to 25 years of age, and 30 age-matched controls (C) participated in the study. BC and BMD were measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Upper and lower body strength was assessed by chest and leg press one-repetition maximum tests. Participants completed three-day food records, and the diet was analyzed using nutritional software. Menstrual dysfunction (MD) and history of eating disorder (ED) data were collected via questionnaires. BC and BMD variables were analyzed using MANCOVA and frequency of ED and MD by Chi-Square analysis. BMD was greater in D than C at the spine (1.302 ± 0.135 g/cm(2) vs. 1.245 ± 0.098 g/cm(2)), and both the right hip (1.163 ± 0.111 g/cm(2) vs. 1.099 ± 0.106 g/cm(2)) and left hip (1.160 ± 0.114 g/cm(2) vs. 1.101 ± 0.104 g/cm(2); p ≤ 0.05). Total body fat percentage was lower in D than C (25.9 ± 4.2% vs. 32.0 ± 5.9%; p ≤ 0.05), and percent of fat distributed in the android region was also lower in D than C (28.0 ± 6.2% vs. 37.6 ± 8.6%; p ≤ 0.05). With regard to diet composition, only percent fat intake was lower in D than C (27.54 ± 6.8% vs. 31.5 ± 7.4%, p ≤ 0.05). A greater incidence of ED was reported by D than C (12.9% vs. 0%; p ≤ 0.05), as well as a greater incidence of secondary amenorrhea (41.9% vs 13.3%; p ≤ 0.05). No differences were found for incidence of primary amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, or use of birth control. Strength values were higher in D than C for both chest press (30.1 ± 0.9 kg vs. 28.4 ± 1.0 kg; p ≤ 0.05) and leg press (170.7 ± 4.2 kg vs.163.1 ± 3.9 kg; p ≤ 0.05). It is concluded that the dancers in our study had a healthy body weight, yet reported a higher incidence of eating disorders and menstrual dysfunction, than non-dancers. These dancers' higher BMD may be attributable to the mechanical loading and increased strength associated with practicing modern dance. Further, modern dancers had lower centrally located body fat, which decreases the risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Enhanced light absorptivity of black carbon with air pollution development in urban Beijing, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Zhang, Q.; Cheng, Y.; Su, H.; He, K.

2017-12-01

The impacts of black carbon (BC) aerosols on air quality and climate are dependent on BC light absorptivity. However, the light absorptivity of ambient BC-containing particles remains conflicting. In this work, we investigated the evolution of BC light absorptivity with pollution development in urban Beijing, China. We found that the mass absorption cross-section (MAC) of ambient BC-containing particles measured during the campaign increased with BC mass concentration, which can be attributed to more coating materials on BC surface with pollution development. A single-particle soot photometer (SP2) measurement showed that the coating thickness (CT) of BC-containing particles increased by 48% with PM1 and BC mass concentration increasing from 10 μg m-3 and 0.3 μg m-3 to 230 μg m-3 and 12 μg m-3. Based on Mie calculation, the CT increase could led to light absorption enhancement (Eab) of BC-containing particles increasing by 22%, consistent with the increase of measured MAC. The relationship between growth rate of BC light absorptivity (kEab) and that of PM1 or rBC concentration (kPM1 or krBC) showed that kEab ≈ 4.8% kPM1 or kEab ≈ 2.5% krBC. The analysis of effective emission intensity (EEI) for BC revealed that the enhancement of BC light absorptivity with increasing pollution levels was dominated by regional transport. During the pollution period, 63% of BC over Beijing originated from regional sources. The aging of these regional BC during atmospheric transport controlled the increase of coating materials for BC-containing particles observed in Beijing. As a result of enhanced light absorptivity with pollution development, BC forcing efficiency could increase by 20% during polluted period. Our work identified the importance of BC on radiative forcing under polluted environment, which is determined by not only the increase of BC mass concentration, but also the enhancement of BC forcing efficiency due to more coating materials.

Investigation of the B1 field distribution and RF power deposition in a birdcage coil as functions of the number of coil legs at 4.7 T, 7.0 T, and 11.7 T

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Jeung-Hoon; Han, Sang-Doc; Kim, Kyoung-Nam

2015-06-01

The proper design of birdcage (BC) coils plays a very important role in the acquisition of highresolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of small animals such as rodents. In this context, we investigate multiple-leg (8-, 16-, 32-, 64-, and 128-leg) BC coils operating at ultra-high fields (UHF) of 7.0 T and 11.7 T and a high-field (HF) of 4.7 T for rodent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Primarily, Our study comparatively examines the parameters of the radiofrequency (RF) transmission (|B1 +|)-field, the magnetic flux (|B1|)-field, and RF power deposition (RF-PD) as functions of the number of BC-coil legs via finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations under realistic loading conditions with a biological phantom. In particular, the specific ratio |E/B1 +| is defined for predicting RF-PD values in different coil structures. Our results indicate that the optimal number of legs of the BC coil can be chosen for different resonance frequencies of 200 MHz, 300 MHz, and 500 MHz and that this choice can be lead to superior |B1 +|-field intensity and |B1|-field homogeneity and decreased RF-PD. We believe that our approach to determining the optimal number of legs for a BC coil can contribute to rodent MR imaging.

Emerging links between the biological clock and the DNA damage response.

PubMed

Collis, Spencer J; Boulton, Simon J

2007-08-01

For life forms to survive, they must adapt to their environmental conditions. One such factor that impacts on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms is the light-dark cycle, a consequence of planetary rotation in relation to our sun. In mammals, the daily light cycle has affected the regulation of many cellular processes such as sleep-wake and calorific intake activities, hormone secretion, blood pressure and immune system responses. Such rhythmic behaviour is the consequence of circadian rhythm/biological clock (BC) systems which are controlled in a light stimulus-dependent manner by a master clock called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) situated within the anterior hypothalamus. Peripheral clocks located in other organs such as the liver and kidneys relay signals from the SCN, which ultimately leads to tightly controlled expression of several protein families that in turn act on a broad range of cellular functions. Work in lower organisms has demonstrated a link between aging processes and BC factors, and studies in both animal models and clinical trials have postulated a role for certain BC-associated proteins in tumourigenesis and cancer progression. Recent exciting data reported within the last year or so have now established a molecular link between specific BC proteins and factors that control the mammalian cell cycle and DNA damage checkpoints. This mini review will focus on these discoveries and emphasise how such BC proteins may be involved, through their interplay with cell cycle/DNA damage response pathways, in the development of human disease such as cancer.

Effects of cell condition, pH, and temperature on lead, zinc, and copper sorption to Acidithiobacillus caldus strain BC13

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

John E. Aston; William A. Apel; Brady D. Lee

2010-12-01

This study describes the effects of cell condition, pH, and temperature on lead, zinc, and copper sorption to Acidithiobacillus caldus strain BC13 with a Langmuir model. Copper exhibited the highest loading capacity, 4.76 ± 0.28 mmol g-1, to viable cells at pH 5.5. The highest kL (binding-site affinity) observed was 61.2 ± 3.0 L mmol-1 to dehydrated cells at pH 4.0. The pHs that maximized loading capacities and binding-site affinities were generally between 4.0 and 5.5, where the sum of free-proton and complexed-metal concentrations was near a minimum. Of additional importance, lead, zinc, and copper sorbed to viable cells atmore » pH values as low as 1.5. Previous studies with other acidithiobacilli did not measure viable-cell sorption below pH 4.0. In separate experiments, desorption studies showed that far less copper was recovered from viable cells than any other metal or cell condition, suggesting that uptake may play an important role in copper sorption by At. caldus strain BC13. To reflect an applied system, the sorption of metal mixtures was also studied. In these experiments, lead, zinc, and copper sorption from a tertiary mixture were 40.2 ± 4.3%, 28.7 ± 3.8%, and 91.3 ± 3.0%, respectively, of that sorbed in single-metal systems.« less

Multimodal MRI and cognitive function in patients with breast cancer prior to adjuvant treatment--the role of fatigue.

PubMed

Menning, Sanne; de Ruiter, Michiel B; Veltman, Dick J; Koppelmans, V; Kirschbaum, Clemens; Boogerd, Willem; Reneman, Liesbeth; Schagen, Sanne B

2015-01-01

An increasing body of literature indicates that chemotherapy (ChT) for breast cancer (BC) is associated with adverse effects on the brain. Recent research suggests that cognitive and brain function in patients with BC may already be compromised before the start of chemotherapy. This is the first study combining neuropsychological testing, patient-reported outcomes, and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine pretreatment cognition and various aspects of brain function and structure in a large sample. Thirty-two patients with BC scheduled to receive ChT (pre-ChT+), 33 patients with BC not indicated to undergo ChT (pre-ChT-), and 38 no-cancer controls (NCs) were included. The examination consisted of a neuropsychological test battery, self-reported aspects of psychosocial functioning, and multimodal MRI. Patients with BC reported worse scores on several aspects of quality of life, such as higher levels of fatigue and stress. However, cortisol levels were not elevated in the patient groups compared to the control group. Overall cognitive performance was lower in the pre-ChT+ and the pre-ChT- groups compared to NC. Further, patients demonstrated prefrontal hyperactivation with increasing task difficulty on a planning task compared to NC, but not during a memory task. White matter integrity was lower in both patient groups. No differences in regional brain volume and brain metabolites were found. The cognitive and imaging data converged to show that symptoms of fatigue were associated with the observed abnormalities; the observed differences were no longer significant when fatigue was accounted for. This study suggests that cancer-related psychological or biological processes may adversely impact cognitive functioning and associated aspects of brain structure and function before the start of adjuvant treatment. Our findings stress the importance to further explore the processes underlying the expression of fatigue and to study whether it has a contributory role in subsequent treatment-related cognitive decline.

Elimination of cost-sharing and receipt of screening for colorectal and breast cancer.

PubMed

Fedewa, Stacey A; Goodman, Michael; Flanders, W Dana; Han, Xuesong; Smith, Robert A; M Ward, Elizabeth; Doubeni, Chyke A; Sauer, Ann Goding; Jemal, Ahmedin

2015-09-15

The aim of the cost-sharing provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to reduce financial barriers for preventive services, including screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) and breast cancer (BC) among privately and Medicare-insured individuals. Whether the provision has affected CRC and BC screening prevalence is unknown. The current study investigated whether CRC and BC screening prevalence among privately and Medicare-insured adults by socioeconomic status (SES) changed before and after the ACA. Data obtained from the National Health Interview Survey pertaining to privately and Medicare-insured adults from 2008 (before the ACA) and 2013 (after the ACA) were used. There were 15,786 adults aged 50 to 75 years in the CRC screening analysis and 14,530 women aged ≥40 years in the BC screening analysis. Changes in guideline-recommended screening between 2008 and 2013 by SES were expressed as the prevalence difference (PD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) adjusted for demographics, insurance, income, education, body mass index, and having a usual provider. Overall, CRC screening prevalence increased from 57.3% to 61.2% between 2008 and 2013 (P<.001). Adjusted CRC screening prevalence during the corresponding period increased in low-income (PD, 5.9; 95% CI, 1.8 to 10.2), least-educated (PD, 7.2; 95% CI, 0.9 to 13.5), and Medicare-insured (PD, 6.2; 95% CI, 1.7 to 10.7) individuals, but not in high-income, most-educated, and privately insured respondents. BC screening remained unchanged overall (70.5% in 2008 vs 70.2% in 2013) and in the low SES groups. Increases in CRC screening prevalence between 2008 and 2013 were confined to respondents with low SES. These findings may in part reflect the ACA's removal of financial barriers. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

Prevalence of ERα-397 PvuII C/T, ERα-351 XbaI A/G and PGR PROGINS polymorphisms in Brazilian breast cancer-unaffected women

PubMed Central

Giacomazzi, J.; Aguiar, E.; Palmero, E.I.; Schmidt, A.V.; Skonieski, G.; Filho, D.D.; Bock, H.; Saraiva-Pereira, M.L.; Ewald, I.P.; Schuler-Faccini, L.; Camey, S.A.; Caleffi, M.; Giugliani, R.; Ashton-Prolla, P.

2012-01-01

Polymorphisms of hormone receptor genes have been linked to modifications in reproductive factors and to an increased risk of breast cancer (BC). In the present study, we have determined the allelic and genotypic frequencies of the ERα-397 PvuII C/T, ERα-351 XbaI A/G and PGR PROGINS polymorphisms and investigated their relationship with mammographic density, body mass index (BMI) and other risk factors for BC. A consecutive and unselected sample of 750 Brazilian BC-unaffected women enrolled in a mammography screening program was recruited. The distribution of PGR PROGINS genotypic frequencies was 72.5, 25.5 and 2.0% for A1A1, A1A2 and A2A2, respectively, which was equivalent to that encountered in other studies with healthy women. The distribution of ERα genotypes was: ERα-397 PvuII C/T: 32.3% TT, 47.5% TC, and 20.2% CC; ERα-351 XbaI A/G: 46.3% AA, 41.7% AG and 12.0% GG. ERα haplotypes were 53.5% PX, 14.3% Px, 0.3% pX, and 32.0% px. These were significantly different from most previously published reports worldwide (P < 0.05). Overall, the PGR PROGINS genotypes A2A2 and A1A2 were associated with fatty and moderately fatty breast tissue. The same genotypes were also associated with a high BMI in postmenopausal women. In addition, the ERα-351 XbaI GG genotype was associated with menarche ≥12 years (P = 0.02). ERα and PGR polymorphisms have a phenotypic effect and may play an important role in BC risk determination. Finally, if confirmed in BC patients, these associations could have important implications for mammographic screening and strategies and may be helpful to identify women at higher risk for the disease. PMID:22584640

Unwrapping an Ancient Egyptian Mummy Using X-Rays

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Stephen W.

2010-01-01

This article describes a project of unwrapping an ancient Egyptian mummy using x-ray computed tomography (CT). About 600 x-ray CT images were obtained through the mummified body of a female named Tjetmutjengebtiu (or Jeni for short), who was a singer in the great temple of Karnak in Egypt during the 22nd dynasty (c 945-715 BC). The x-ray CT images…

Sexual functioning in women after mastectomy versus breast conserving therapy for early-stage breast cancer: a prospective controlled study.

PubMed

Aerts, L; Christiaens, M R; Enzlin, P; Neven, P; Amant, F

2014-10-01

Breast cancer (BC) and/or its treatments may affect sexual functioning based on physiological and psychosocial mechanisms. The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate sexual adjustment of BC patients during a follow-up period of one year after mastectomy (ME) or breast conserving therapy (BCT). In this prospective controlled study, women with BC and an age-matched control group of healthy women completed the Beck Depression Inventory Scale, World Health Organization 5 Well-being scale, Body Image Scale, EORTC QLQ questionnaire, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Short Sexual Functioning Scale and Specific Sexual Problems Questionnaire to assess various aspects of sexual and psychosocial functioning before surgery, six months and one year after surgical treatment. In total, 149 women with BC and 149 age-matched healthy controls completed the survey. Compared to the situation before surgery, significantly more BCT women reported problems with sexual arousal six months after surgery and significantly more women of the ME group reported problems with sexual desire, arousal and the ability to achieve an orgasm six months and one year after surgery. While in comparison with healthy controls, no significant differences in sexual functioning were found after BCT surgery, significantly more women who underwent ME reported problems with sexual desire, arousal, the ability to achieve an orgasm and intensity of the orgasm. Although little differences were seen in sexual functioning in the BCT group during prospective analyses and in comparison with healthy controls, analyses revealed that women who underwent a ME were at risk for post-operative sexual dysfunctions. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Influence of public transport in black carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasquez, Y.; Oyola, P.; Gramsch, E. V.; Moreno, F.; Rubio, M.

2013-05-01

As a consequence of poor air quality in Santiago de Chile, several measures were taken by the local authorities to improve the environmental conditions and protect the public health. In year 2005 the Chilean government implemented a project called "Transantiago" aimed to introduce major modifications in the public transportation system. The primary objectives of this project were to: provide an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable service and improve the quality of service without increasing fares. In this work we evaluate the impact of the Transantiago system on the black carbon pollution along four roads directly affected by the modification to the transport system. The black carbon has been used to evaluate changes in air quality due to changes in traffic. The assessment was done using measurements of black carbon before Transantiago (June-July 2005) and after its implementation (June-July 2007). Four sites were selected to monitor black carbon at street levels, one site (Alameda) that represents trunk-bus streets, i.e., buses crossing the city through main avenues. Buses using these streets had an important technological update with respect to 2005. Two streets (Usach and Departamental) show a mixed condition, i.e., they combine feeder and trunk buses. These streets combine new EURO III buses with old buses with more than 3 years of service. The last street (Eliodoro Yañez) represent private cars road without public transportation and did not experience change. Hence, the results from the years 2005 and 2007 can be directly compared using an appropriate methodology. To ensure that it was not the meteorological conditions that drive the trends, the comparison between year 2005 and 2007 was done using Wilcoxon test and a regression model. A first assessment at the four sites suggested a non decrease in black carbon concentration from 2005 to 2007, except for Alameda. A first statistical approach confirmed small increases in BC in Usach and E. Yañez, a decrease in Alameda and no change in Departamental. The small increases in BC in some streets, and the decrease observed in an avenue dominated by public transportation, suggest that the reason of the increase in BC concentration is related to the increment in the total number of vehicles (diesel and non diesel). The lower number of buses or improved bus technology did not have an effect on BC concentrations. The three streets that increased or maintained the BC concentration had higher number of vehicles in 2007. Alameda Avenue showed a decrease in BC concentration that had to do with a lower total number of vehicles as well as improved bus technology in year 2007 than year 2005. The emissions, related exclusively to public transportation, seem to have diminished after the Transantiago implementation, considering the outcome in the observed BC in Alameda, mainly dominated by the public transport network. These results are an indication that in order to decrease pollution near a street is not enough to reduce the number of buses or improve its quality, but to reduce the total number of vehicles.

Dating the period when intensive anthropogenic activity began to influence the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China.

PubMed

Cong, Jinxin; Gao, Chuanyu; Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Shaoqing; He, Jiabao; Wang, Guoping

2016-02-24

Dating the start of intensive anthropogenic influence on ecosystems is important for identifying the conditions necessary for ecosystem recovery. However, few studies have focused on determining when anthropogenic influences on wetland began through sedimentary archives. To fill this critical gap in our knowledge, combustion sources and emission intensities, reconstructed via black carbon (BC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in two wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain in Northeast China. (14)C provided age control for the sedimentary records. By combining previous sedimentary and archaeological studies, we attempt to date the beginning of intensive anthropogenic influences on the Sanjiang Plain. Our results showed that BC deposition fluxes increased from 0.02 to 0.7 g C/m(2).yr during the last 10,000 years. An upward trend was apparent during the last 500 years. Before 1200 cal yr BP, human activities were minor, such that the wetland ecosystem in the Sanjiang Plain before this period may represent the reference conditions that for the recovery of these wetlands. As the human population increased after 1200 cal yr BP, combustion sources changed and residential areas became a major source of BC and PAHs. In this way, the wetland ecosystem gradually became more heavily influenced by human activities.

Dating the period when intensive anthropogenic activity began to influence the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cong, Jinxin; Gao, Chuanyu; Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Shaoqing; He, Jiabao; Wang, Guoping

2016-02-01

Dating the start of intensive anthropogenic influence on ecosystems is important for identifying the conditions necessary for ecosystem recovery. However, few studies have focused on determining when anthropogenic influences on wetland began through sedimentary archives. To fill this critical gap in our knowledge, combustion sources and emission intensities, reconstructed via black carbon (BC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in two wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain in Northeast China. 14C provided age control for the sedimentary records. By combining previous sedimentary and archaeological studies, we attempt to date the beginning of intensive anthropogenic influences on the Sanjiang Plain. Our results showed that BC deposition fluxes increased from 0.02 to 0.7 g C/m2.yr during the last 10,000 years. An upward trend was apparent during the last 500 years. Before 1200 cal yr BP, human activities were minor, such that the wetland ecosystem in the Sanjiang Plain before this period may represent the reference conditions that for the recovery of these wetlands. As the human population increased after 1200 cal yr BP, combustion sources changed and residential areas became a major source of BC and PAHs. In this way, the wetland ecosystem gradually became more heavily influenced by human activities.

Dating the period when intensive anthropogenic activity began to influence the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China

PubMed Central

Cong, Jinxin; Gao, Chuanyu; Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Shaoqing; He, Jiabao; Wang, Guoping

2016-01-01

Dating the start of intensive anthropogenic influence on ecosystems is important for identifying the conditions necessary for ecosystem recovery. However, few studies have focused on determining when anthropogenic influences on wetland began through sedimentary archives. To fill this critical gap in our knowledge, combustion sources and emission intensities, reconstructed via black carbon (BC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in two wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain in Northeast China. 14C provided age control for the sedimentary records. By combining previous sedimentary and archaeological studies, we attempt to date the beginning of intensive anthropogenic influences on the Sanjiang Plain. Our results showed that BC deposition fluxes increased from 0.02 to 0.7 g C/m2.yr during the last 10,000 years. An upward trend was apparent during the last 500 years. Before 1200 cal yr BP, human activities were minor, such that the wetland ecosystem in the Sanjiang Plain before this period may represent the reference conditions that for the recovery of these wetlands. As the human population increased after 1200 cal yr BP, combustion sources changed and residential areas became a major source of BC and PAHs. In this way, the wetland ecosystem gradually became more heavily influenced by human activities. PMID:26907560

Congruence or discrepancy? Comparing patients' health valuations and physicians' treatment goals for rehabilitation for patients with chronic conditions.

PubMed

Nagl, Michaela; Farin, Erik

2012-03-01

The aim of this study was to test the congruence of patients' health valuations and physicians' treatment goals for the rehabilitation of chronically ill patients. In addition, patient characteristics associated with greater or less congruence were to be determined. In a questionnaire study, patients' health valuations and physicians' goals were assessed in three chronic conditions [breast cancer (BC), chronic ischemic heart disease (CIHD), and chronic back pain (CBP)] using a ranking method. Sociodemographic variables and health-related quality of life were assessed as patient-related factors that influence congruence. Congruence was determined at the group (Spearman's ρ) and individual levels (percentage of congruence). Patient-related influencing factors were calculated after a simple imputation using multiple logistic regression analysis. At the group level, there were often only low correlations. The mean percentage of congruence was 34.7% (BC), 48.5% (CIHD), and 31.9% (CBP). Patients with BC or CIHD who have a higher level of education showed greater congruence. Our results indicate some high discrepancy rates between physicians' treatment goals and patients' health valuations. It is possible that patients have preferences that do not correspond well with realistic rehabilitation goals or that physicians do not take patients' individual health valuations sufficiently into consideration when setting goals.

DsRNA-free transmissible hypovirulence associated with formation of intra-hyphal hyphae in Botrytis cinerea.

PubMed

Cao, Jian Bo; Zhou, Yu; Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Jing; Yang, Long; Qin, Li Hong; Jiang, Dao Hong; Li, Guo Qing; Huang, Hung-Chang

2011-07-01

A spontaneous mutant CanBc-3HV and its parental strain CanBc-3 of Botrytis cinerea were investigated in terms of pathogenicity, colony morphology, hypovirulence transmissibility, presence of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), and formation of intra-hyphal hyphae (IH). Results showed that inoculation of CanBc-3HV on detached leaves of Brassica napus did not produce any visible necrotic lesions (20°C, 72h), whereas inoculation of CanBc-3 caused necrotic leaf lesions. Compared to CanBc-3, CanBc-3HV grew slowly, formed numerous mycelial sectors, sporulated sporadically and failed to produce sclerotia on potato dextrose agar (PDA) (20°C, 15d). Hypovirulence and the abnormal cultural characteristics of CanBc-3HV were transmissible from CanBc-3HV to CanBc-3 in pair cultures on PDA. However, the transmission was unsuccessful from CanBc-3HV to another virulent strain CanBc-2 of B. cinerea. These results suggest that transmission of the hypovirulence and the abnormal cultural characteristics of CanBc-3HV are strain-specific. No dsRNA was detected in mycelia of either CanBc-3HV or CanBc-3, implying that the hypovirulence of CanBc-3HV is caused by a transmissible element (TE) of non-RNA mycoviral origin. Formation of IH through self-infection was observed in CanBc-3HV, CanBc-3T1 (a hypovirulent derivative of CanBc-3 trans-infected by TE in CanBc-3HV), but was not observed in CanBc-3, suggesting that IH formation is associated with the hypovirulence of CanBc-3HV. To our knowledge, this is the first report of dsRNA-free transmissible hypovirulence associated with IH formation in B. cinerea. Copyright © 2011 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Arginine functionalized bacterial cellulose nanofibers containing gel as an effective wound dressing; in vitro and in vivo evaluation.

PubMed

Feizabadi, Farideh; Minaiyan, Mohsan; Taheri, Azade

2018-02-19

Nanofibers such as bacterial cellulose nanofibers (BC-NFs) have gained increasing attention for use in wound dressings. Topical application of arginine can stimulate wound healing significantly. In order to promote the wound healing process, arginine functionalized BC-NFs containing gel (Arg-BC-NFs gel) was prepared by the electrostatic attachment of arginine on the surface of BC-NFs. The effect of pH was evaluated on the amount of the attached arginine on the BC-NFs surface. The attachment of arginine on BC-NFs surface was investigated by FTIR spectroscopy. The morphology of Arg-BC-NFs was evaluated using FESEM. The viscosity and spreadability of Arg-BC-NFs and the release of arginine from Arg-BC-NFs were evaluated. The effectiveness of Arg-BC-NFs gel was assessed in a full thickness wound model in rats. Re-epithelization, collagen deposition and neovascularization were investigated in the wound tissues using histological and immunohistochemical analysis. FTIR spectra and the zeta potential of BC-NFs confirmed the surface modification of BC-NFs by arginine. FESEM images showed the nanofibrous structure of Arg-BC-NFs. The release of arginine from Arg-BC-NFs gel was in a sustained release manner for 24 h. The appropriate viscosity and spreadability of Arg-BC-NFs gel confirmed its easy topical application. In vivo studies revealed that Arg-BC-NFs gel promoted wound closure at a faster rate than BC-NFs gel and arginine solution. Moreover, faster and more organized re-epithelialization, angiogenesis and collagen deposition were achieved in Arg-BC-NFs gel treated group in comparison to other groups. Arg-BC-NFs gel can be introduced as an effective wound dressing for acute wounds. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Taste avoidance induced by wheel running: effects of backward pairings and robustness of conditioned taste aversion.

PubMed

Salvy, Sarah-Jeanne; Pierce, W David; Heth, Donald C; Russell, James C

2004-09-15

Rats repeatedly exposed to a distinctive novel solution (conditioned stimulus, CS) followed by the opportunity to run in a wheel subsequently drink less of this solution. Investigations on this phenomenon indicate that wheel running is an effective unconditioned stimulus (US) for establishing conditioned taste aversion (CTA) when using a forward conditioning procedure (i.e., the US-wheel running follows the CS-taste). However, other studies show that wheel running produces reliable preference for a distinctive place when pairings are backward (i.e., the CS-location follows the US-wheel running). One possibility to account for these results is that rewarding aftereffects of wheel running conditioned preference to the CS. The main objective of the present study was to assess the effects of backward conditioning using wheel running as the US and a distinctive taste as the CS. In a between-groups design, two experimental groups [i.e., forward (FC) and backward conditioning (BC)] and two control groups [CS-taste alone (TA) and CS-US unpaired (UNP)] were compared. Results from this experiment indicated that there is less suppression of drinking when a CS-taste followed a bout of wheel running. In fact, rats in the BC group drank more of the paired solution than all the other groups.

Trichodesmium slicks associated with environmental conditions of continental shelf-break at the southwestern of the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Detoni, A. M. S.; Yunes, J. S., Sr.; Ciotti, Á. M.; Calil, P. H. R.; Tavano, V. M.

2016-02-01

Trichodesmium can accumulate high biomass, particularly in the oligotrophic regions of North and Tropical Atlantic, and North Pacific. Large Trichodesmium slicks have been reported in the South Atlantic as well, associated with the Brazil Currrent (BC) that flows southwards over the continental shelf-break. Regional variations of the width of the Brazilian continental shelf, as well as changes in the bottom topography, generate cyclonic and anti-cyclonic eddies as BC crosses the southeastern Brazil. Thus, the general conditions of the BC - characterized as a warm, saline and oligotrophic current - are expected to change not only with latitude but also by the influence of mesoscale instabilities. In this study, three oceanographic cruises were carried out to characterize the distribution of Trichodesmium along the southeastern Brazilian continental shelf-break and their relationship with temperature and upper layer nutrients concentrations. As in other oceanic regions, high concentrations of Trichodesmium (maximum 212.6 × 105 trichomes L-1) were observed in waters with temperatures between 22° C to 25° C, low nitrogen (< 2.4 μM), and moderate phosphate concentrations (> 0.08 μM), where wind speeds were low (< 11 m s-1). Generally, slicks were present where phosphate concentration in the upper 25 m was slightly higher than that of adjacent waters. Wind and hydrographic observations suggested that wind divergence at micro-regions (approximately 625 km2), as well as shelf-break dynamics can drive sporadic shelf-break upwelling, favouring Trichodesmium growth between 23° S to 28° S. Although shelf-break upwelling may occur along the entire domain of the BC flow, Trichodesmium densities were low at latitudes between 28° S to 33° S likely a result of the lower sea surface temperature.

Analysis of transpacific transport of black carbon during HIPPO-3: implications for black carbon aging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Z.; Liu, J.; Horowitz, L. W.; Henze, D. K.; Fan, S.; Levy, H., II; Mauzerall, D. L.; Lin, J.-T.; Tao, S.

2014-06-01

Long-range transport of black carbon (BC) is a growing concern as a result of the efficiency of BC in warming the climate and its adverse impact on human health. We study transpacific transport of BC during HIPPO-3 using a combination of inverse modeling and sensitivity analysis. We use the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model and its adjoint to constrain Asian BC emissions and estimate the source of BC over the North Pacific. We find that different sources of BC dominate the transport to the North Pacific during the southbound (29 March 2010) and northbound (13 April 2010) measurements in HIPPO-3. While biomass burning in Southeast Asia (SE) contributes about 60% of BC in March, more than 90% of BC comes from fossil fuel and biofuel combustion in East Asia (EA) during the April mission. GEOS-Chem simulations generally resolve the spatial and temporal variation of BC concentrations over the North Pacific, but are unable to reproduce the low and high tails of the observed BC distribution. We find that the optimized BC emissions derived from inverse modeling fail to improve model simulations significantly. This failure indicates that uncertainties in BC removal as well as transport, rather than in emissions, account for the major biases in GEOS-Chem simulations of BC over the North Pacific. The aging process, transforming BC from hydrophobic into hydrophilic form, is one of the key factors controlling wet scavenging and remote concentrations of BC. Sensitivity tests on BC aging (ignoring uncertainties of other factors controlling BC long range transport) suggest that in order to fit HIPPO-3 observations, the aging timescale of anthropogenic BC from EA may be several hours (faster than assumed in most global models), while the aging process of biomass burning BC from SE may occur much slower, with a timescale of a few days. To evaluate the effects of BC aging and wet deposition on transpacific transport of BC, we develop an idealized model of BC transport. We find that the mid-latitude air masses sampled during HIPPO-3 may have experienced a series of precipitation events, particularly near the EA and SE source region. Transpacific transport of BC is sensitive to BC aging when the aging rate is fast; this sensitivity peaks when the aging timescale is in the range of 1-1.5 d. Our findings indicate that BC aging close to the source must be simulated accurately at a process level in order to simulate better the global abundance and climate forcing of BC.

Enhanced Solar Energy Absorption by Internally-mixed Black Carbon in Snow Grains

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flanner, M. G.; Liu, Xiaohong; Zhou, Cheng

2012-05-30

Here we explore light absorption by snowpack containing black carbon (BC) particles residing within ice grains. Basic considerations of particle volumes and BC/snow mass concentrations show that there are generally 0:05-109 BC particles for each ice grain. This suggests that internal BC is likely distributed as multiple inclusions within ice grains, and thus the dynamic effective medium approximation (DEMA) (Chylek and Srivastava, 1983) is a more appropriate optical representation for BC/ice composites than coated-sphere or standard mixing approximations. DEMA calculations show that the 460 nm absorption cross-section of BC/ice composites, normalized to the mass of BC, is typically enhanced bymore » factors of 1.8-2.1 relative to interstitial BC. BC effective radius is the dominant cause of variation in this enhancement, compared with ice grain size and BC volume fraction. We apply two atmospheric aerosol models that simulate interstitial and within-hydrometeor BC lifecycles. Although only {approx}2% of the atmospheric BC burden is cloud-borne, 71-83% of the BC deposited to global snow and sea-ice surfaces occurs within hydrometeors. Key processes responsible for within-snow BC deposition are development of hydrophilic coatings on BC, activation of liquid droplets, and subsequent snow formation through riming or ice nucleation by other species and aggregation/accretion of ice particles. Applying deposition fields from these aerosol models in offline snow and sea-ice simulations, we calculate that 32-73% of BC in global surface snow resides within ice grains. This fraction is smaller than the within-hydrometeor deposition fraction because meltwater flux preferentially removes internal BC, while sublimation and freezing within snowpack expose internal BC. Incorporating the DEMA into a global climate model, we simulate increases in BC/snow radiative forcing of 43-86%, relative to scenarios that apply external optical properties to all BC. We show that snow metamorphism driven by diffusive vapor transfer likely proceeds too slowly to alter the mass of internal BC while it is radiatively active, but neglected processes like wind pumping and convection may play much larger roles. These results suggest that a large portion of BC in surface snowpack may reside within ice grains and increase BC/snow radiative forcing, although measurements to evaluate this are lacking. Finally, previous studies of BC/snow forcing that neglected this absorption enhancement are not necessarily biased low, because of application of absorption-enhancing sulfate coatings to hydrophilic BC, neglect of coincident absorption by dust in snow, and implicit treatment of cloud-borne BC resulting in longer-range transport.« less

Understanding the fate of black (pyrogenic) carbon in soil: Preliminary results from a long term field trial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meredith, Will; Ascough, Philippa; Bird, Michael; Large, David; Shen, Licheng; Snape, Colin

2014-05-01

Black carbon (BC, also known as pyrogenic carbon) is an 'inert' form of carbon and has been proposed as a means of long-term carbon sequestration, particularly by amending soils and sediments with BC known as biochar. While there is abundant anecdotal evidence of biochar stability over extended timescales it is essential to gain a greater understanding of the degree and mechanisms of biochar degradation in the environment. This study aims to quantitatively assess the stability of biochar by investigating samples from field degradation trials first buried during 2009 in a tropical soil, and recovered after 12 and 36 month intervals. Catalytic hydropyrolysis (HyPy) is a novel analytical tool for the isolation of BC [1] in which high hydrogen pressure (150 bar) and a sulphided Mo catalyst reductively remove the non-BC fraction of the chars, and so isolate the most stable portion of the biochar, defined as BC(HyPy). This method also allows for the non-BC(HyPy) fraction of a sample, which from charcoal is known to include small ring PAHs (<7 rings) of pyrogenic origin to be recovered for molecular characterisation by GC-MS [2]. Biochars made from algae, sugarcane bagasse, and beech wood at 305, 414 and 512°C were emplaced under a variety of conditions allowing variables such as leaf cover, soil depth and pH to be investigated. Char stability (as measured by BC(HyPy) content) is dependent on both the feedstock and temperature of formation. HyPy is known to discriminate (in terms of BC isolation) against low temperature chars, composed of relatively small aromatic clusters [1], resulting in the low BC(HyPy) contents reported for the 305°C chars. Fresh charcoals, and those not subject to environmental degradation have display a similar distribution of aromatic clusters in the non-BC(HyPy) fraction, with 2 to 7 ring PAHs abundant [2]. However, environmentally degraded charcoals such as that from a Chinese river sediment, and an Australian river estuary [3] show a more restricted distribution with markedly fewer 2- and 3- ring PAH structures apparent. This may be evidence for the partial solubilisation of the charcoal as observed for a forest soil [4] and suggested as a mechanism for the transport of BC to the oceans [5], implying that BC cycling could be faster than previously thought [6]. Longer term field trials will be required (analysis of the 36 month samples) to observe systematic changes in the PAH distribution of the non-BCC(HyPy) fractions isolated form aged chars, although natural analogues with a better constrained environmental history may also be useful. [1] Meredith, W. et al., 2012. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 97, 131-147. [2] Ascough, P.L. et al., 2010. Radiocarbon 52, 1336-1350. [3] Lockhart, R.S. et al., 2013. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 104, 640-652. [4] Hockaday, W.C. et al., 2007. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 71, 3432-3445. [5] Jaffe, R. et al., 2013. Science 340, 345-347. [6] Zimmerman, M. et al., 2012. Global Change Biology 18, 3306-3316.

Usefulness of drain amylase, serum C-reactive protein levels and body temperature to predict postoperative pancreatic fistula after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

PubMed

Hiyoshi, Masahide; Chijiiwa, Kazuo; Fujii, Yoshiro; Imamura, Naoya; Nagano, Motoaki; Ohuchida, Jiro

2013-10-01

Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is a worrisome and life-threatening complication. Recently, early drain removal has been recommended as a means of preventing POPF. The present study sought to determine how to distinguish clinical POPF from non-clinical POPF in the early postoperative period after PD to aid in early drain removal. From March 2002 through December 2010, 176 patients underwent PD and were enrolled in this study to examine factors predictive of clinical POPF after PD. POPF was defined and classified according to the International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery guideline, and grade B/C POPF was defined as clinical POPF. Grade A POPF occurred in 39 (22.2 %) patients, grade B in 19 (10.8 %) patients, and grade C in 11 (6.3 %) patients. Clinical POPF (grade B/C) occurred in 17.1 % of patients. Multivariate analysis revealed male gender and body mass index (BMI) ≥22.5 kg/m(2) to be the independent preoperative risk factors predictive of POPF. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that the combination of drain amylase ≥750 IU/L, C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥20 mg/dL, and body temperature ≥37.5 °C on postoperative day 3 could effectively distinguish clinical POPF from non-clinical POPF. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 84.6, 98.2, and 95.7 %, respectively. Male gender and BMI ≥22.5 were the independent preoperative predictive risk factors for POPF. We assume that when amylase is <750 IU/L, serum CRP is <20 mg/dL, and body temperature is <37.5 °C the drain can safely be removed, even if POPF is indicated.

Changes in Fire-Derived Soil Black Carbon Storage in a Sub-humid Woodland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, J. D.; Yao, J.; Murray, D. B.; Hockaday, W. C.

2014-12-01

Fire-derived black carbon (BC) in soil, including charcoal, represents a potentially important fraction of terrestrial carbon cycling due to its presumed long persistence in soil. Interpretation of site BC retention is important for assessing feedbacks to ecosystem processes including nutrient and water cycling. However, interaction between vegetation disturbance, BC formation, and off site transport may exist that complicate interpretation of BC addition to soils from wildfire or prescribed burns directly. To investigate the relationship between disturbance and site retention on soil BC, we determined BC concentrations for a woodland in central Texas, USA, from study plots in hilly terrain with a fire scar dendrochronology spanning 100 years. BC values were determined from 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Estimated values showed mean BC concentration of 2.73 ± 3.06 g BC kg-1 (0.91 ± 0.51 kg BC m-2) for sites with fire occurrence within the last 40 years compared with BC values of1.21 ± 1.70 g BC kg-1 soil (0.18 ± 0.14 kg BC m-2) for sites with fire 40 - 100 years ago. Sites with no tree ring evidence of fire during the last 100 years had the lowest mean soil BC concentration of 0.05 ± 0.11 g BC kg-1 (0.02 ± 0.03 kg BC m-2). Molecular proxies of stability (lignin/N) and decomposition (Alkyl C/O-Alky C) showed no differences across the sites, indicating that low potential for BC mineralization. Modeled soil erosion and time since fire from fire scar data showed that soil BC concentrations were inversely correlated. A modified the ecosystem process model, Biome-BGC, was also used simulate the effects of fire disturbance with different severities and seasonality on C cycling related to the BC production, effect on soil water availability, and off-site transport. Results showed that BC impacts on ecosystem processes, including net ecosystem exchange and leaf area development, were predominantly related to fire frequency. Site BC loss rates were affected by initial slope-affected erosion, fire severity, vegetation type, and rate of vegetation recovery. The simulation results showed that fire types, such as high severity, was generally associated with low site BC retention related to low vertical transfer of BC into soils, buoyancy of BC particles, and surface runoff from unvegetated soils.

Genetics Home Reference: Aicardi-Goutières syndrome

MedlinePlus

... in my area? Other Names for This Condition AGS Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome Aicardi Goutieres syndrome Cree encephalitis ... LA, Corry PC, Desguerre I, Fazzi E, Cazorla AG, Gener B, Hamel BC, Heiberg A, Hunter M, ...

Genetic background (DDD/Sgn versus C57BL/6J) strongly influences postnatal growth of male mice carrying the A(y) allele at the agouti locus: identification of quantitative trait loci associated with diabetes and body weight loss.

PubMed

Suto, Jun-ichi; Satou, Kunio

2013-05-04

Mice carrying the A(y) allele at the agouti locus become obese and are heavier than their non-A(y) littermates. However, this does not hold true for the genetic background of the DDD mouse strain. At 22 weeks of age, DDD.Cg-A(y) females are heavier than DDD females, whereas DDD.Cg-A(y) males are lighter than DDD males. This study aimed to determine the possible cause and identify the genes responsible for the lower body weight of DDD.Cg-A(y) males. Growth curves of DDD.Cg-A(y) mice were analyzed and compared with those of B6.Cg-A(y) mice from 5 to 25 weeks. In DDD.Cg-A(y) males, body weight gain stopped between 16 and 17 weeks and the body weight gradually decreased; thus, the lower body weight was a consequence of body weight loss. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping was performed in backcrossed (BC) males of DDD × (B6 × DDD.Cg-A(y)) F(1)-A(y) mice. For the body weight at 25 weeks, significant QTLs were identified on chromosomes 1 and 4. The DDD allele was associated with a lower body weight at both loci. In particular, the QTL on chromosome 4 interacted with the A(y) allele. Furthermore, suggestive QTLs for plasma glucose and high molecular weight adiponectin levels were coincidentally mapped to chromosome 4. The DDD allele was associated with increased glucose and decreased adiponectin levels. When the body weight at 25 weeks and plasma glucose levels were considered as dependent and independent variables, respectively, BC A(y) males were classified into two groups according to statistical analysis using the partition method. Mice of one group had significantly higher glucose and lower adiponectin levels than those of the other group and exhibited body weight loss as observed with DDD-A(y) males. The lower body weight of DDD.Cg-A(y) male mice was a consequence of body weight loss. Diabetes mellitus has been suggested to be a possible contributory factor causing body weight loss. The QTL on distal chromosome 4 contained the major responsible genes. This QTL interacted with the Ay allele, implying the reason why body weight loss occurs in DDD.Cg-Ay but not in DDD males.

Genetic background (DDD/Sgn versus C57BL/6J) strongly influences postnatal growth of male mice carrying the Ay allele at the agouti locus: identification of quantitative trait loci associated with diabetes and body weight loss

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Mice carrying the Ay allele at the agouti locus become obese and are heavier than their non-Ay littermates. However, this does not hold true for the genetic background of the DDD mouse strain. At 22 weeks of age, DDD.Cg-Ay females are heavier than DDD females, whereas DDD.Cg-Ay males are lighter than DDD males. This study aimed to determine the possible cause and identify the genes responsible for the lower body weight of DDD.Cg-Ay males. Results Growth curves of DDD.Cg-Ay mice were analyzed and compared with those of B6.Cg-Ay mice from 5 to 25 weeks. In DDD.Cg-Ay males, body weight gain stopped between 16 and 17 weeks and the body weight gradually decreased; thus, the lower body weight was a consequence of body weight loss. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping was performed in backcrossed (BC) males of DDD × (B6 × DDD.Cg-Ay) F1-Ay mice. For the body weight at 25 weeks, significant QTLs were identified on chromosomes 1 and 4. The DDD allele was associated with a lower body weight at both loci. In particular, the QTL on chromosome 4 interacted with the Ay allele. Furthermore, suggestive QTLs for plasma glucose and high molecular weight adiponectin levels were coincidentally mapped to chromosome 4. The DDD allele was associated with increased glucose and decreased adiponectin levels. When the body weight at 25 weeks and plasma glucose levels were considered as dependent and independent variables, respectively, BC Ay males were classified into two groups according to statistical analysis using the partition method. Mice of one group had significantly higher glucose and lower adiponectin levels than those of the other group and exhibited body weight loss as observed with DDD-Ay males. Conclusions The lower body weight of DDD.Cg-Ay male mice was a consequence of body weight loss. Diabetes mellitus has been suggested to be a possible contributory factor causing body weight loss. The QTL on distal chromosome 4 contained the major responsible genes. This QTL interacted with the Ay allele, implying the reason why body weight loss occurs in DDD.Cg-Ay but not in DDD males. PMID:23641944

Pediatric endocrine diseases in pre-Hispanic Aztecs.

PubMed

Calzada León, Raúl

2003-01-01

Aztec medical and religious knowledge derived from Olmecs (800 BC), Teotihuacans (100 BC) and Toltecs (1100-1521 AC); however, there is no unique source that accurately presents Aztec medicine. Sahagfin combines naturalism and religion but not magic ("First Memorials", "Matritense Codex", "Florentine Codex" and "General History of New Spain"); Hernández gives a naturalistic image but is full of mistakes ("Natural History of the New Spain"); Badiano tries to match Aztecs with contemporary Europeans and with the first century medicine of the Romans ("Badiano Codex"), and Ruiz de Alarcón contains plenty of magical concepts ("Book of Superstition"). For the Aztecs, surveillance of growth was very important and represented a balance between body and soul. They described the different steps of pubertal development. They had specific treatments for thyroid disease in children, mainly hypothyroidism and goiter. There are no references to rickets, nor to type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus.

Evaluation of thermal optical analysis method of elemental carbon for marine fuel exhaust.

PubMed

Lappi, Maija K; Ristimäki, Jyrki M

2017-12-01

The awareness of black carbon (BC) as the second largest anthropogenic contributor in global warming and an ice melting enhancer has increased. Due to prospected increase in shipping especially in the Arctic reliability of BC emissions and their invented amounts from ships is gaining more attention. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is actively working toward estimation of quantities and effects of BC especially in the Arctic. IMO has launched work toward constituting a definition for BC and agreeing appropriate methods for its determination from shipping emission sources. In our study we evaluated the suitability of elemental carbon (EC) analysis by a thermal-optical transmittance (TOT) method to marine exhausts and possible measures to overcome the analysis interferences related to the chemically complex emissions. The measures included drying with CaSO 4, evaporation at 40-180ºC, H 2 O treatment, and variation of the sampling method (in-stack and diluted) and its parameters (e.g., dilution ratio, Dr). A reevaluation of the nominal organic carbon (OC)/EC split point was made. Measurement of residual carbon after solvent extraction (TC-C SOF ) was used as a reference, and later also filter smoke number (FSN) measurement, which is dealt with in a forthcoming paper by the authors. Exhaust sources used for collecting the particle sample were mainly four-stroke marine engines operated with variable loads and marine fuels ranging from light to heavy fuel oils (LFO and HFO) with a sulfur content range of <0.1-2.4% S. The results were found to be dependent on many factors, namely, sampling, preparation and analysis method, and fuel quality. It was found that the condensed H 2 SO 4 + H 2 O on the particulate matter (PM) filter had an effect on the measured EC content, and also promoted the formation of pyrolytic carbon (PyC) from OC, affecting the accuracy of EC determination. Thus, uncertainty remained regarding the EC results from HFO fuels. The work supports one part of the decision making in black carbon (BC) determination methodology. If regulations regarding BC emissions from marine engines will be implemented in the future, a well-defined and at best unequivocal method of BC determination is required for coherent and comparable emission inventories and estimating BC effects. As the aerosol from marine emission sources may be very heterogeneous and low in BC, special attention to the effects of sampling conditions and sample pretreatments on the validity of the results was paid in developing the thermal-optical analysis methodology (TOT).

Do contemporary (1980-2015) emissions determine the elemental carbon deposition trend at Holtedahlfonna glacier, Svalbard?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruppel, Meri M.; Soares, Joana; Gallet, Jean-Charles; Isaksson, Elisabeth; Martma, Tõnu; Svensson, Jonas; Kohler, Jack; Pedersen, Christina A.; Manninen, Sirkku; Korhola, Atte; Ström, Johan

2017-10-01

The climate impact of black carbon (BC) is notably amplified in the Arctic by its deposition, which causes albedo decrease and subsequent earlier snow and ice spring melt. To comprehensively assess the climate impact of BC in the Arctic, information on both atmospheric BC concentrations and deposition is essential. Currently, Arctic BC deposition data are very scarce, while atmospheric BC concentrations have been shown to generally decrease since the 1990s. However, a 300-year Svalbard ice core showed a distinct increase in EC (elemental carbon, proxy for BC) deposition from 1970 to 2004 contradicting atmospheric measurements and modelling studies. Here, our objective was to decipher whether this increase has continued in the 21st century and to investigate the drivers of the observed EC deposition trends. For this, a shallow firn core was collected from the same Svalbard glacier, and a regional-to-meso-scale chemical transport model (SILAM) was run from 1980 to 2015. The ice and firn core data indicate peaking EC deposition values at the end of the 1990s and lower values thereafter. The modelled BC deposition results generally support the observed glacier EC variations. However, the ice and firn core results clearly deviate from both measured and modelled atmospheric BC concentration trends, and the modelled BC deposition trend shows variations seemingly independent from BC emission or atmospheric BC concentration trends. Furthermore, according to the model ca. 99 % BC mass is wet-deposited at this Svalbard glacier, indicating that meteorological processes such as precipitation and scavenging efficiency have most likely a stronger influence on the BC deposition trend than BC emission or atmospheric concentration trends. BC emission source sectors contribute differently to the modelled atmospheric BC concentrations and BC deposition, which further supports our conclusion that different processes affect atmospheric BC concentration and deposition trends. Consequently, Arctic BC deposition trends should not directly be inferred based on atmospheric BC measurements, and more observational BC deposition data are required to assess the climate impact of BC in Arctic snow.

Shifting diets and the rise of male-biased inequality on the Central Plains of China during Eastern Zhou.

PubMed

Dong, Yu; Morgan, Chelsea; Chinenov, Yurii; Zhou, Ligang; Fan, Wenquan; Ma, Xiaolin; Pechenkina, Kate

2017-01-31

Farming domesticated millets, tending pigs, and hunting constituted the core of human subsistence strategies during Neolithic Yangshao (5000-2900 BC). Introduction of wheat and barley as well as the addition of domesticated herbivores during the Late Neolithic (∼2600-1900 BC) led to restructuring of ancient Chinese subsistence strategies. This study documents a dietary shift from indigenous millets to the newly introduced cereals in northcentral China during the Bronze Age Eastern Zhou Dynasty (771-221 BC) based on stable isotope analysis of human and animal bone samples. Our results show that this change affected females to a greater degree than males. We find that consumption of the newly introduced cereals was associated with less consumption of animal products and a higher rate of skeletal stress markers among females. We hypothesized that the observed separation of dietary signatures between males and females marks the rise of male-biased inequality in early China. We test this hypothesis by comparing Eastern Zhou human skeletal data with those from Neolithic Yangshao archaeological contexts. We find no evidence of male-female inequality in early farming communities. The presence of male-biased inequality in Eastern Zhou society is supported by increased body height difference between the sexes as well as the greater wealth of male burials.

IMG-ABC: new features for bacterial secondary metabolism analysis and targeted biosynthetic gene cluster discovery in thousands of microbial genomes.

PubMed

Hadjithomas, Michalis; Chen, I-Min A; Chu, Ken; Huang, Jinghua; Ratner, Anna; Palaniappan, Krishna; Andersen, Evan; Markowitz, Victor; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Ivanova, Natalia N

2017-01-04

Secondary metabolites produced by microbes have diverse biological functions, which makes them a great potential source of biotechnologically relevant compounds with antimicrobial, anti-cancer and other activities. The proteins needed to synthesize these natural products are often encoded by clusters of co-located genes called biosynthetic gene clusters (BCs). In order to advance the exploration of microbial secondary metabolism, we developed the largest publically available database of experimentally verified and predicted BCs, the Integrated Microbial Genomes Atlas of Biosynthetic gene Clusters (IMG-ABC) (https://img.jgi.doe.gov/abc/). Here, we describe an update of IMG-ABC, which includes ClusterScout, a tool for targeted identification of custom biosynthetic gene clusters across 40 000 isolate microbial genomes, and a new search capability to query more than 700 000 BCs from isolate genomes for clusters with similar Pfam composition. Additional features enable fast exploration and analysis of BCs through two new interactive visualization features, a BC function heatmap and a BC similarity network graph. These new tools and features add to the value of IMG-ABC's vast body of BC data, facilitating their in-depth analysis and accelerating secondary metabolite discovery. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Validity and reliability of the Self-Reported Physical Fitness (SRFit) survey.

PubMed

Keith, NiCole R; Clark, Daniel O; Stump, Timothy E; Miller, Douglas K; Callahan, Christopher M

2014-05-01

An accurate physical fitness survey could be useful in research and clinical care. To estimate the validity and reliability of a Self-Reported Fitness (SRFit) survey; an instrument that estimates muscular fitness, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, BMI, and body composition (BC) in adults ≥ 40 years of age. 201 participants completed the SF-36 Physical Function Subscale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Older Adults' Desire for Physical Competence Scale (Rejeski), the SRFit survey, and the Rikli and Jones Senior Fitness Test. BC, height and weight were measured. SRFit survey items described BC, BMI, and Senior Fitness Test movements. Correlations between the Senior Fitness Test and the SRFit survey assessed concurrent validity. Cronbach's Alpha measured internal consistency within each SRFit domain. SRFit domain scores were compared with SF-36, IPAQ, and Rejeski survey scores to assess construct validity. Intraclass correlations evaluated test-retest reliability. Correlations between SRFit and the Senior Fitness Test domains ranged from 0.35 to 0.79. Cronbach's Alpha scores were .75 to .85. Correlations between SRFit and other survey scores were -0.23 to 0.72 and in the expected direction. Intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.79 to 0.93. All P-values were 0.001. Initial evaluation supports the SRFit survey's validity and reliability.

Black carbon and wavelength-dependent aerosol absorption in the North China Plain based on two-year aethalometer measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ran, L.; Deng, Z. Z.; Wang, P. C.; Xia, X. A.

2016-10-01

Light-absorbing components of atmospheric aerosols have gained particular attention in recent years due to their climatic and environmental effects. Based on two-year measurements of aerosol absorption at seven wavelengths, aerosol absorption properties and black carbon (BC) were investigated in the North China Plain (NCP), one of the most densely populated and polluted regions in the world. Aerosol absorption was stronger in fall and the heating season (from November to March) than in spring and summer at all seven wavelengths. Similar spectral dependence of aerosol absorption was observed in non-heating seasons despite substantially strong absorption in fall. With an average absorption Angström exponent (α) of 1.36 in non-heating seasons, freshly emitted BC from local fossil fuel burning was thought to be the major component of light-absorbing aerosols. In the heating season, strong ultraviolet absorption led to an average α of 1.81, clearly indicating the importance of non-BC light-absorbing components, which were possibly from coal burning for domestic heating and aging processes on a regional scale. Diurnally, the variation of BC mass concentrations experienced a double-peak pattern with a higher level at night throughout the year. However, the diurnal cycle of α in the heating season was distinctly different from that in non-heating seasons. α peaked in the late afternoon in non-heating seasons with concomitantly observed low valley in BC mass concentrations. In contrast, α peaked around the midnight in the heating season and lowered down during the daytime. The relationship of aerosol absorption and winds in non-heating seasons also differed from that in the heating season. BC mass concentrations declined while α increased with increasing wind speed in non-heating seasons, which suggested elevated non-BC light absorbers in transported aged aerosols. No apparent dependence of α on wind speed was found in the heating season, probably due to well mixed regional pollution. Pollution episodes were mostly encountered under low winds and had a low level of α, implying aerosol absorption should be largely attributed to freshly emitted BC from local sources under such conditions. Extensive field campaigns and long-term chemical and optical measurements of light-absorbing aerosols are needed in the future to further advance our understanding on optical properties of light-absorbing aerosols and their radiative forcing in this region.

Analysis of black carbon molecular markers by two chromatographic methods (GC-FID and HPLC-DAD)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Maximilian P. W.; Smittenberg, Rienk H.; Dittmar, Thorsten; Schmidt, Michael W. I.

2010-05-01

The analysis of benzenepolycarboxylic acids (BPCA) as a quantitative measure for black carbon (BC) in soil and sediment samples is a well-established method [1, 2]. Briefly, the oxidation of polycondensated BC molecules forms seven molecular markers, which can be assigned to BC, and which subsequently can be quantified by GC-FID (gas chromatography with flame ionization detector). Recently this method has been refined for BC quantification in seawater samples measuring BPCA on HPLC-DAD (High performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector) [3]. However, a systematic comparison of BC as determined by both analytical techniques would be essential to the calculation of global BC budgets, but is lacking. Here we present data for the systematic comparison of the two BPCA methods, both for quantity and quality. We prepared chars under well-defined laboratory conditions. Chestnut hardwood chips and rice straw were pyrolysed at temperatures between 200 and 1000°C under constant N2 stream. The BC contents of the chars have been analysed using the BPCA extraction method followed by either GC-FID or HPLC-DAD quantification [4]. It appears that the GC-FID method yields systematically lower concentrations of BPCA in the chars compared to the HPLC-DAD method. Possible reasons for the observed difference are i) higher losses of sample material during preparation for GC-FID; ii) different quality of the linear regression used for quantification; iii) incomplete derivatisation of B5CA and B6CA, which is needed for GC-FID analysis. In a next step, we will test different derivatisation procedures (methylation with dimethyl sulfate or diazomethane, and silylation) for their influence on the GC-FID results. The aim of this study is to test if black carbon can be quantified in soil, sediment and water samples using one single method - a crucial step when attempting a global BC budget. References: [1] Brodowski, S., Rodionov, A., Haumeier L., Glaser, B., Amelung, W. (2005) Org. Geochem. 36, 1299-1310. [2] Glaser, B., Haumeier, L., Guggenberger, G., Zech, W. (1998) Org. Geochem. 29, 811-819. [3] Dittmar, T. (2008) Org. Geochem. 39. 396-407. [4] Schneider, M.P.W., Hilf, M., Vogt, U.F., Schmidt, M.W.I., Org. Geochem. (submitted)

Vertical profiles of black carbon measured by a micro-aethalometer in summer in the North China Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ran, Liang; Deng, Zhaoze; Xu, Xiaobin; Yan, Peng; Lin, Weili; Wang, Ying; Tian, Ping; Wang, Pucai; Pan, Weilin; Lu, Daren

2016-08-01

Black carbon (BC) is a dominant absorber in the visible spectrum and a potent factor in climatic effects. Vertical profiles of BC were measured using a micro-aethalometer attached to a tethered balloon during the Vertical Observations of trace Gases and Aerosols (VOGA) field campaign, in summer 2014 at a semirural site in the North China Plain (NCP). The diurnal cycle of BC vertical distributions following the evolution of the mixing layer (ML) was investigated for the first time in the NCP region. Statistical parameters including identified mixing height (Hm) and average BC mass concentrations within the ML (Cm) and in the free troposphere (Cf) were obtained for a selected dataset of 67 vertical profiles. Hm was usually lower than 0.2 km in the early morning and rapidly rose thereafter due to strengthened turbulence. The maximum height of the ML was reached in the late afternoon. The top of a full developed ML exceeded 1 km on sunny days in summer, while it stayed much lower on cloudy days. The sunset triggered the collapse of the ML, and a stable nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) gradually formed. Accordingly, the highest level Cm was found in the early morning and the lowest was found in the afternoon. In the daytime, BC was almost uniformly distributed within the ML and significantly decreased above the ML. During the field campaign, Cm averaged about 5.16 ± 2.49 µg m-3, with a range of 1.12 to 14.49 µg m-3, comparable with observational results in many polluted urban areas such as Milan in Italy and Shanghai in China. As evening approached, BC gradually built up near the surface and exponentially declined with height. In contrast to the large variability found both in Hm and Cm, Cf stayed relatively unaffected through the day. Cf was less than 10 % of the ground level under clean conditions, while it amounted to half of the ground level in some polluted cases. In situ measurements of BC vertical profiles would hopefully have an important implication for accurately estimating direct radiative forcing by BC and improving the retrieval of aerosol optical properties by remote sensing in this region.

Chemical, mechanical and biological properties of contemporary composite surface sealers.

PubMed

Anagnostou, Maria; Mountouris, George; Silikas, Nick; Kletsas, Dimitris; Eliades, George

2015-12-01

To evaluate the chemical, mechanical, and biological properties of modern composite surface sealers (CSS) having different compositions. The CSS products tested were Biscover LV (BC), Durafinish (DF), G-Coat Plus (GC), and Permaseal (PS). The tests performed were: (A): degree of conversion (DC%) by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy; (B): thickness of O2-inhibition layer by transmission optical microscopy; (C): surface hardness, 10 min after irradiation and following 1 week water storage, employing a Vickers indenter (VHN); (D): color (ΔE*) and gloss changes (ΔGU) after toothbrush abrasion, using L*a*b* colorimetry and glossimetry; (E): accelerated wear (GC,PS only) by an OHSU wear simulator plus 3D profilometric analysis, and (F): cytotoxicity testing of aqueous CSS eluents on human gingival fibroblast cultures employing the methyl-(3)H thymidine DNA labeling method. Statistical analyses included 1-way (A, B, ΔE*, ΔGU) and 2-way (C, F) ANOVAs, plus Tukey post hoc tests. Student's t-test was used to evaluate the results of the accelerated wear test (α=0.05 for all). The rankings of the statistical significant differences were: (A) PS (64.9)>DF,BC,GC (56.1-53.9) DC%; (B) DF,PS (12.3,9.8)>GC,BC (5.2,4.8) μm; (C): GC (37.6)>BC,DF (32.6,31.1)>PS (26.6) VHN (10 min/dry) and BC,DF (29.3,28.7)>GC(26.5)>PS(21.6) VHN (1w/water), with no significant material/storage condition interaction; (D): no differences were found among GC,DF,BC,PS (0.67-1.11) ΔE*, with all values within the visually acceptable range and PS,BC (32.8,29.4)>GC,DF (19.4,12.9) ΔGU; (E): no differences were found between GC and PS in volume loss (0.10,0.11 mm(3)), maximum (113.9,130.5 μm) and mean wear depths (30.3,27.5 μm); (F): at 1% v/v concentration, DF showed toxicity (23% vital cells vs 95-102% for others). However, at 5% v/v concentration DF (0%) and BC (9%) were the most toxic, whereas GC (58%) and PS (56%) showed moderate toxicity. Important chemical, mechanical, and biological properties exist among the CSS tested, which may affect their clinical performance. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measured Wavelength-Dependent Absorption Enhancement of Internally Mixed Black Carbon with Absorbing and Nonabsorbing Materials.

PubMed

You, Rian; Radney, James G; Zachariah, Michael R; Zangmeister, Christopher D

2016-08-02

Optical absorption spectra of laboratory generated aerosols consisting of black carbon (BC) internally mixed with nonabsorbing materials (ammonium sulfate, AS, and sodium chloride, NaCl) and BC with a weakly absorbing brown carbon surrogate derived from humic acid (HA) were measured across the visible to near-IR (550 to 840 nm). Spectra were measured in situ using a photoacoustic spectrometer and step-scanning a supercontinuum laser source with a tunable wavelength and bandwidth filter. BC had a mass-specific absorption cross section (MAC) of 7.89 ± 0.25 m(2) g(-1) at λ = 550 nm and an absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) of 1.03 ± 0.09 (2σ). For internally mixed BC, the ratio of BC mass to the total mass of the mixture was chosen as 0.13 to mimic particles observed in the terrestrial atmosphere. The manner in which BC mixed with each material was determined from transmission electron microscopy (TEM). AS/BC and HA/BC particles were fully internally mixed, and the BC was both internally and externally mixed for NaCl/BC particles. The AS/BC, NaCl/BC, and HA/BC particles had AAEs of 1.43 ± 0.05, 1.34 ± 0.06, and 1.91 ± 0.05, respectively. The observed absorption enhancement of mixed BC relative to the pure BC was wavelength dependent for AS/BC and decreased from 1.5 at λ = 550 nm with increasing wavelength while the NaCl/BC enhancement was essentially wavelength independent. For HA/BC, the enhancement ranged from 2 to 3 and was strongly wavelength dependent. Removal of the HA absorption contribution to enhancement revealed that the enhancement was ≈1.5 and independent of wavelength.

The absorption Ångström exponent of black carbon: from numerical aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chao; Eddy Chung, Chul; Yin, Yan; Schnaiter, Martin

2018-05-01

The absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) is an important aerosol optical parameter used for aerosol characterization and apportionment studies. The AAE of black carbon (BC) particles is widely accepted to be 1.0, although observational estimates give quite a wide range of 0.6-1.3. With considerable uncertainties related to observations, a numerical study is a powerful method, if not the only one, to provide a better and more accurate understanding on BC AAE. This study calculates BC AAE using realistic particle geometries based on fractal aggregate and an accurate numerical optical model (namely the multiple-sphere T-matrix method), and considers bulk properties of an ensemble of BC particles following lognormal size distributions. At odds with the expectations, BC AAE is not 1.0, even when BC is assumed to have small sizes and a wavelength-independent refractive index. With a wavelength-independent refractive index, the AAE of fresh BC is approximately 1.05 and relatively insensitive to particle size. For BC with geometric mean diameters larger than 0.12 µm, BC AAE becomes smaller when BC particles are aged (compact structures or coated by other non-absorptive materials). For coated BC, we prescribe the coating fraction variation based on a laboratory study, where smaller BC cores are shown to develop larger coating fractions than those of bigger BC cores. For both compact and coated BC, the AAE is highly sensitive to particle size distribution, ranging from approximately 0.8 to even over 1.4 with wavelength-independent refractive index. When the refractive index is allowed to vary with wavelength, a feature with observational backing, the BC AAE may show an even wider range. For different BC morphologies, we derive simple empirical equations on BC AAE based on our numerical results, which can serve as a guide for the response of BC AAE to BC size and refractive index. Due to its complex influences, the effects of BC geometry is better to be discussed at certain BC properties, i.e., known size and refractive index.

Numerical calculation of protein-ligand binding rates through solution of the Smoluchowski equation using smoothed particle hydrodynamics

DOE PAGES

Pan, Wenxiao; Daily, Michael; Baker, Nathan A.

2015-05-07

Background: The calculation of diffusion-controlled ligand binding rates is important for understanding enzyme mechanisms as well as designing enzyme inhibitors. Methods: We demonstrate the accuracy and effectiveness of a Lagrangian particle-based method, smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), to study diffusion in biomolecular systems by numerically solving the time-dependent Smoluchowski equation for continuum diffusion. Unlike previous studies, a reactive Robin boundary condition (BC), rather than the absolute absorbing (Dirichlet) BC, is considered on the reactive boundaries. This new BC treatment allows for the analysis of enzymes with “imperfect” reaction rates. Results: The numerical method is first verified in simple systems and thenmore » applied to the calculation of ligand binding to a mouse acetylcholinesterase (mAChE) monomer. Rates for inhibitor binding to mAChE are calculated at various ionic strengths and compared with experiment and other numerical methods. We find that imposition of the Robin BC improves agreement between calculated and experimental reaction rates. Conclusions: Although this initial application focuses on a single monomer system, our new method provides a framework to explore broader applications of SPH in larger-scale biomolecular complexes by taking advantage of its Lagrangian particle-based nature.« less

Mutational analysis of polyomavirus small-T-antigen functions in productive infection and in transformation.

PubMed Central

Martens, I; Nilsson, S A; Linder, S; Magnusson, G

1989-01-01

The function of polyomavirus small T antigen in productive infection and in transformation was studied. Transfection of permissive mouse cells with mixtures of mutants that express only one type of T antigen showed that small T antigen increased large-T-antigen-dependent viral DNA synthesis approximately 10-fold. Under the same conditions, small T antigen was also essential for the formation of infectious virus particles. To analyze these activities of small T antigen, mutants producing protein with single amino acid replacements were constructed. Two mutants, bc1073 and bc1075, were characterized. Although both mutations led to the substitution of amino acid residues of more than one T antigen, the phenotype of both mutants was associated with alterations of the small T antigen. Both mutant proteins had lost their activity in the maturation of infectious virus particles. The bc1075 but not the bc1073 small T antigen had also lost its ability to stimulate viral DNA synthesis in mouse 3T6 cells. Finally, both mutants retained a third activity of small T antigen: to confer on rat cells also expressing middle T antigen the ability to grow efficiently in semisolid medium. The phenotypes of the mutants in these three assays suggest that small T antigen has at least three separate functions. Images PMID:2704075

Mutational analysis of polyomavirus small-T-antigen functions in productive infection and in transformation.

PubMed

Martens, I; Nilsson, S A; Linder, S; Magnusson, G

1989-05-01

The function of polyomavirus small T antigen in productive infection and in transformation was studied. Transfection of permissive mouse cells with mixtures of mutants that express only one type of T antigen showed that small T antigen increased large-T-antigen-dependent viral DNA synthesis approximately 10-fold. Under the same conditions, small T antigen was also essential for the formation of infectious virus particles. To analyze these activities of small T antigen, mutants producing protein with single amino acid replacements were constructed. Two mutants, bc1073 and bc1075, were characterized. Although both mutations led to the substitution of amino acid residues of more than one T antigen, the phenotype of both mutants was associated with alterations of the small T antigen. Both mutant proteins had lost their activity in the maturation of infectious virus particles. The bc1075 but not the bc1073 small T antigen had also lost its ability to stimulate viral DNA synthesis in mouse 3T6 cells. Finally, both mutants retained a third activity of small T antigen: to confer on rat cells also expressing middle T antigen the ability to grow efficiently in semisolid medium. The phenotypes of the mutants in these three assays suggest that small T antigen has at least three separate functions.

Late second-early first millennium BC abrupt climate changes in coastal Syria and their possible significance for the history of the Eastern Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaniewski, D.; Paulissen, E.; Van Campo, E.; Weiss, H.; Otto, T.; Bretschneider, J.; Van Lerberghe, K.

2010-09-01

The alluvial deposits near Gibala-Tell Tweini provide a unique record of environmental history and food availability estimates covering the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. The refined pollen-derived climatic proxy suggests that drier climatic conditions occurred in the Mediterranean belt of Syria from the late 13th/early 12th centuries BC to the 9th century BC. This period corresponds with the time frame of the Late Bronze Age collapse and the subsequent Dark Age. The abrupt climate change at the end of the Late Bronze Age caused region-wide crop failures, leading towards socio-economic crises and unsustainability, forcing regional habitat-tracking. Archaeological data show that the first conflagration of Gibala occurred simultaneously with the destruction of the capital city Ugarit currently dated between 1194 and 1175 BC. Gibala redeveloped shortly after this destruction, with large-scale urbanization visible in two main architectural phases during the Early Iron Age I. The later Iron Age I city was destroyed during a second conflagration, which is radiocarbon-dated at circa 2950 cal yr BP. The data from Gibala-Tell Tweini provide evidence in support of the drought hypothesis as a triggering factor behind the Late Bronze Age collapse in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Biochar-induced concomitant decrease in ammonia volatilization and increase in nitrogen use efficiency by wheat.

PubMed

Mandal, Sanchita; Thangarajan, Ramya; Bolan, Nanthi S; Sarkar, Binoy; Khan, Naser; Ok, Yong Sik; Naidu, Ravi

2016-01-01

Ammonia (NH3) volatilization is a major nitrogen (N) loss from the soil, especially under tropical conditions, NH3 volatilization results in low N use efficiency by crops. Incubation experiments were conducted using five soils (pH 5.5-9.0), three N sources such as, urea, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), and poultry manure (PM) and two biochars such as, poultry litter biochar (PL-BC) and macadamia nut shell biochar (MS-BC). Ammonia volatilization was higher at soil with higher pH (pH exceeding 8) due to the increased hydroxyl ions. Among the N sources, urea recorded the highest NH3 volatilization (151.6 mg kg(-1)soil) followed by PM (124.2 mg kg(-1)soil) and DAP (99 mg kg(-1)soil). Ammonia volatilization was reduced by approximately 70% with PL-BC and MS-BC. The decreased NH3 volatilization with biochars is attributed to multiple mechanisms such as NH3 adsorption/immobilization, and nitrification. Moreover, biochar increased wheat dry weight and N uptake as high as by 24.24% and 76.11%, respectively. This study unravels the immense potential of biochar in decreasing N volatilization from soils and simultaneously improving use efficiency by wheat. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Black carbon aerosol size in snow.

PubMed

Schwarz, J P; Gao, R S; Perring, A E; Spackman, J R; Fahey, D W

2013-01-01

The effect of anthropogenic black carbon (BC) aerosol on snow is of enduring interest due to its consequences for climate forcing. Until now, too little attention has been focused on BC's size in snow, an important parameter affecting BC light absorption in snow. Here we present first observations of this parameter, revealing that BC can be shifted to larger sizes in snow than are typically seen in the atmosphere, in part due to the processes associated with BC removal from the atmosphere. Mie theory analysis indicates a corresponding reduction in BC absorption in snow of 40%, making BC size in snow the dominant source of uncertainty in BC's absorption properties for calculations of BC's snow albedo climate forcing. The shift reduces estimated BC global mean snow forcing by 30%, and has scientific implications for our understanding of snow albedo and the processing of atmospheric BC aerosol in snowfall.

SCIENTIFIC UNCERTAINTIES IN ATMOSPHERIC MERCURY MODELS III: BOUNDARY AND INITIAL CONDITIONS, MODEL GRID RESOLUTION, AND HG(II) REDUCTION MECHANISMS

EPA Science Inventory

In this study we investigate the CMAQ model response in terms of simulated mercury concentration and deposition to boundary/initial conditions (BC/IC), model grid resolution (12- versus 36-km), and two alternative Hg(II) reduction mechanisms. The model response to the change of g...

Production performance, carcass composition, and adipose tissue traits of heavy pigs: influence of breed and production system.

PubMed

Lebret, B; Dourmad, J Y; Mourot, J; Pollet, P Y; Gondret, F

2014-08-01

Both breed and production systems are responsible for production efficiency and quality traits of pork. Effects of breed and production system within breed on growth, body fatness, and adipose tissues traits were assessed in the pure Basque (B, nonselected, local French) and conventional Large White (LW) breeds, reared either in a conventional (C, slatted floor), alternative (A, indoor straw bedding and outdoor area), or extensive (E, free range) system. A total of 100 castrated males were produced in 2 replicates, each involving 50 pigs distributed in 5 treatments based on breed and production system (i.e., BC, BA, BE, LWC, and LWA [10 pigs/group and per replicate]). From 35 kg BW to slaughter at around 145 kg BW, the BC, BA, LWC, and LWA pigs received the same growing and finishing diets, whereas the BE pigs had free access to the natural resources of the E pen and received a standard growing-finishing diet at restricted allowance according to the farming practices of the B pork chain. The B pigs had lower (P < 0.001) ADG and G:F than the LW pigs and were much older (P < 0.001) at slaughter. The LWA pigs had similar ADG but lower (P = 0.03) G:F than the LWC. Within the B breed, the BA had higher (P = 0.04) and the BE lower (P < 0.001) ADG compared with BC pigs. The B pigs had a higher (P < 0.001) carcass dressing an exhibited around 2-fold higher (P < 0.001) back fat proportion, perirenal fat weight and LM lipid content than the LW pigs. Compared with C, the A system decreased (P = 0.04) carcass dressing within LW but did not influence carcass traits within B pigs. The E system decreased (P ≤ 0.05) carcass dressing, back fat proportion, and LM lipid content in BE compared with BC pigs. The B pigs exhibited larger (P < 0.001) adipocytes in both subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) and LM than the LW pigs. Malic enzyme activity was higher in SCAT of B than LW pigs despite their greater fatness, and was higher (P ≤ 0.01) in BA but lower (P < 0.001) in BE than in BC pigs. The B pigs had higher (P < 0.001) MUFA but lower (P ≤ 0.006) SFA and PUFA fatty acid percentages in SCAT than the LW pigs. Compared with C, the A system had scarce influence on FA composition within each breed, whereas the E system led to lower (P = 0.015) SFA and greater (P < 0.001) PUFA in SCAT of the B pigs. Altogether, the E production system can counteract the genetic potential of B pigs for growth rate but also body fatness.

[Prostate cancer diagnostic by saturation randomized biopsy versus rigid targeted biopsy].

PubMed

Defontaines, J; Salomon, L; Champy, C; Cholley, I; Chiaradia, M; de la Taille, A

2017-12-01

Optimal diagram teaming up randomized biopsy (BR) to targeted biopsy (BC) is still missing for the diagnostic of prostate cancer (CP). This study compares diagram of 6, 12 or 18 BR with or without BC rigid. Between January 2014 and May 2016, 120 patients had prostate biopsy BR and BC. Each patient had 18 BR and BC. Results compared sextant (6 BR), standard (12 BR) and saturation (18 BR) protocol with or without the adding of BC for the detection of CP. Rectal examination was normal, mean PSA at 8.99ng/mL and mean volume at 54cm 3 . It was first round for 48% of patients. Forty-four cancers were found by the group 18 BR+BC (control). The detection rate was respectively, for 6, 12 and 18 BR of 61%, 82% and 91%. The add of BC increased this detection of +27% for 6 BR+BC, +13% for 12 BR+BC and +9% for 18 BR+BC. BC found 70% of all CP. Nine percent of CP were missed by BR only. Significant CP (Gleason≥7) diagnostic was the same for 12 BR+BC and 18 BR+BC. The add of BC to BR increase the detection of CP by 10%. Twelve BR+BC is the optimal diagram for the diagnostic of CP finding 95% of CP and 97% of significant CP. 4. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Determination of the angle γ from nonleptonic Bc-->DsD0 decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giri, A. K.; Mohanta, R.; Khanna, M. P.

2002-02-01

We note that the two-body nonleptonic pure tree decays B+/-c-->D+/-sD0(D0) and the corresponding vector-vector modes B+/-c-->D*+/-sD*0(D*0) are well suited to extract the weak phase γ of the unitarity triangle. The CP violating phase γ can be determined cleanly as these decay modes are free from the penguin pollutions.

One-Carbon Metabolism and Breast Cancer Survival in a Population-Based Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

methylation patterns; gene promoter methylation pattern and overall survival; and one-carbon polymorphisms and treatment regimen in relation to survival... treatment strategy. BODY Task 1. To genotype polymorphisms in one-carbon-metabolizing genes on 1087 BC cases (Months 1- 24) Genotyping...modifying effect of one-carbon gene polymorphisms on chemotherapy response in relation to breast cancer survival. Results were summarized in Table 2. The

How well is black carbon in the Arctic atmosphere captured by models?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckhardt, Sabine; Berntsen, Terje; Cherian, Ribu; Daskalakis, Nikos; Heyes, Chris; Hodnebrog, Øivind; Kanakidou, Maria; Klimont, Zbigniew; Law, Kathy; Lund, Marianne; Myhre, Gunnar; Myriokefalitakis, Stelios; Olivie, Dirk; Quaas, Johannes; Quennehen, Boris; Raut, Jean-Christophe; Samset, Bjørn; Schulz, Michael; Skeie, Ragnhild; Stohl, Andreas

2014-05-01

A correct representation of the spatial distribution of aerosols in atmospheric models is essential for realistic simulations of deposition and calculations of radiative forcing. It has been observed that transport of black carbon (BC) into the Arctic and scavenging is sometimes not captured accurately enough in chemistry transport models (CTM) as well as global circulation models (GCM). In this study we determine the discrepancies between measured equivalent BC (EBC) and modeled BC for several Arctic measurement stations as well as for Arctic aircraft campaigns. For this, we use the output of a set of 5 models based on the same emission dataset (ECLIPSE emissions, see eclipse.nilu.no) and evaluate the simulated concentrations at the measurement locations and times. Emissions are separated for different sources such as biomass burning, domestic heating, gas flaring, industry and the transport sector. We focus on the years 2008 and 2009, where many campaigns took place in the framework of the International Polar Year. Arctic stations like Barrow, Alert, Station Nord in Greenland and Zeppelin show a very pronounced winter/spring maximum in BC. While monthly averaged measured EBC values are around 80 ng/m^3, the models severely underestimate this with some models simulating only a small percentage of the observed values. During summer measured concentrations are a magnitude lower, and still underestimated by almost an order of magnitude in some models. However, the best models are correct within a factor of 2 in winter/spring and give realistic concentrations in summer. In order to get information on the vertical profile we used measurements from aircraft campaigns like ARCTAS, ARCPAC and HIPPO. It is found that BC in latitudes below 60 degrees is better captured by the models than BC at higher latitudes, even though it is overestimated at high altitudes. A systematic analysis of the performance of different models is presented. With the dataset we use we capture remote, polluted and fire-influenced conditions. We estimate the impact of model deficiencies on calculated BC radiative forcing by introducing scaling factors based on the model-measurement comparisons.

Climatic changes and social transformations in the Near East and North Africa during the 'long' 4th millennium BC: A comparative study of environmental and archaeological evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, Joanne; Brooks, Nick; Banning, Edward B.; Bar-Matthews, Miryam; Campbell, Stuart; Clare, Lee; Cremaschi, Mauro; di Lernia, Savino; Drake, Nick; Gallinaro, Marina; Manning, Sturt; Nicoll, Kathleen; Philip, Graham; Rosen, Steve; Schoop, Ulf-Dietrich; Tafuri, Mary Anne; Weninger, Bernhard; Zerboni, Andrea

2016-03-01

This paper explores the possible links between rapid climate change (RCC) and social change in the Near East and surrounding regions (Anatolia, central Syria, southern Israel, Mesopotamia, Cyprus and eastern and central Sahara) during the 'long' 4th millennium (∼4500-3000) BC. Twenty terrestrial and 20 marine climate proxies are used to identify long-term trends in humidity involving transitions from humid to arid conditions and vice versa. The frequency distribution of episodes of relative aridity across these records is calculated for the period 6300-2000 BC, so that the results may be interpreted in the context of the established arid episodes associated with RCC around 6200 and 2200 BC (the 8.2 and 4.2 kyr events). We identify two distinct episodes of heightened aridity in the early-mid 4th, and late 4th millennium BC. These episodes cluster strongly at 3600-3700 and 3100-3300 BC. There is also evidence of localised aridity spikes in the 5th and 6th millennia BC. These results are used as context for the interpretation of regional and local archaeological records with a particular focus on case studies from western Syria, the middle Euphrates, southern Israel and Cyprus. Interpretation of the records involves the construction of plausible narratives of human-climate interaction informed by concepts of adaptation and resilience from the literature on contemporary (i.e. 21st century) climate change and adaptation. The results are presented alongside well-documented examples of climatically-influenced societal change in the central and eastern Sahara, where detailed geomorphological studies of ancient environments have been undertaken in tandem with archaeological research. While the narratives for the Near East and Eastern Mediterranean remain somewhat speculative, the use of resilience and adaptation frameworks allows for a more nuanced treatment of human-climate interactions and recognises the diversity and context-specificity of human responses to climatic and environmental change. Our results demonstrate that there is a need for more local environmental data to be collected 'at source' during archaeological excavations.

Carbon under extreme conditions: phase boundaries and electronic properties from first-principles theory.

PubMed

Correa, Alfredo A; Bonev, Stanimir A; Galli, Giulia

2006-01-31

At high pressure and temperature, the phase diagram of elemental carbon is poorly known. We present predictions of diamond and BC8 melting lines and their phase boundary in the solid phase, as obtained from first-principles calculations. Maxima are found in both melting lines, with a triple point located at approximately 850 GPa and approximately 7,400 K. Our results show that hot, compressed diamond is a semiconductor that undergoes metalization upon melting. In contrast, in the stability range of BC8, an insulator to metal transition is likely to occur in the solid phase. Close to the diamond/liquid and BC8/liquid boundaries, molten carbon is a low-coordinated metal retaining some covalent character in its bonding up to extreme pressures. Our results provide constraints on the carbon equation of state, which is of critical importance for devising models of Neptune, Uranus, and white dwarf stars, as well as of extrasolar carbon-rich planets.

Investigating the impact of socioeconomic status on the effectiveness of a pamphlet on achieving and maintaining bone health in breast cancer survivors: a patient education resource development primer.

PubMed

Adirim, Tara; Chafranskaia, Aleksandra; Nyhof-Young, Joyce

2012-03-01

Considerable need exists to raise awareness of breast cancer (BC) treatment-induced bone loss and provide management and preventative strategies. We describe the development and evaluation process of an educational pamphlet for BC survivors on achieving and maintaining bone health. A Participatory Design approach was used. The pamphlet was first critically evaluated by interdisciplinary healthcare professionals and less vulnerable members of the target audience prior to evaluation by 45 BC survivors, who completed two questionnaires inquiring about demographics and pamphlet evaluation and satisfaction. Pamphlet effectiveness was correlated with income and education to determine differences between socioeconomic groups. Perceived knowledge increased significantly after reading the brochure for all groups. Socioeconomic status had no impact on pamphlet effectiveness. This methodological approach is presented as a blueprint to promote knowledge translation in cancer patient education contexts aiming to provide cancer patients with the best possible resources for effective self-management of their conditions.

Carbon under extreme conditions: Phase boundaries and electronic properties from first-principles theory

DOE PAGES

Correa, Alfredo A.; Bonev, Stanimir A.; Galli, Giulia

2006-01-23

At high pressure and temperature, the phase diagram of elemental carbon is poorly known. We present predictions of diamond and BC8 melting lines and their phase boundary in the solid phase, as obtained from first-principles calculations. Maxima are found in both melting lines, with a triple point located at ≈ 850 GPa and ≈ 7,400 K. Our results show that hot, compressed diamond is a semiconductor that undergoes metalization upon melting. In contrast, in the stability range of BC8, an insulator to metal transition is likely to occur in the solid phase. Close to the diamond/liquid and BC8/liquid boundaries, moltenmore » carbon is a low-coordinated metal retaining some covalent character in its bonding up to extreme pressures. Lastly, our results provide constraints on the carbon equation of state, which is of critical importance for devising models of Neptune, Uranus, and white dwarf stars, as well as of extrasolar carbon-rich planets.« less

Combustion-derived substances in deep basins of Puget Sound: historical inputs from fossil fuel and biomass combustion.

PubMed

Kuo, Li-Jung; Louchouarn, Patrick; Herbert, Bruce E; Brandenberger, Jill M; Wade, Terry L; Crecelius, Eric

2011-04-01

Reconstructions of 250 years historical inputs of two distinct types of black carbon (soot/graphitic black carbon (GBC) and char-BC) were conducted on sediment cores from two basins of the Puget Sound, WA. Signatures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were also used to support the historical reconstructions of BC to this system. Down-core maxima in GBC and combustion-derived PAHs occurred in the 1940s in the cores from the Puget Sound Main Basin, whereas in Hood Canal such peak was observed in the 1970s, showing basin-specific differences in inputs of combustion byproducts. This system showed relatively higher inputs from softwood combustion than the northeastern U.S. The historical variations in char-BC concentrations were consistent with shifts in climate indices, suggesting an influence of climate oscillations on wildfire events. Environmental loading of combustion byproducts thus appears as a complex function of urbanization, fuel usage, combustion technology, environmental policies, and climate conditions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acetylation of bacterial cellulose catalyzed by citric acid: Use of reaction conditions for tailoring the esterification extent.

PubMed

Ávila Ramírez, Jhon Alejandro; Gómez Hoyos, Catalina; Arroyo, Silvana; Cerrutti, Patricia; Foresti, María Laura

2016-11-20

Bacterial cellulose (BC) nanoribbons were partially acetylated by a simple direct solvent-free route catalyzed by citric acid. The assay of reaction conditions within chosen intervals (i.e. esterification time (0.5-7h), catalyst content (0.08-1.01mmol/mmol AGU), and temperature (90-140°C)), illustrated the flexibility of the methodology proposed, with reaction variables which can be conveniently manipulated to acetylate BC to the required degree of substitution (DS) within the 0.20-0.73 interval. Within this DS interval, characterization results indicated a surface-only process in which acetylated bacterial cellulose with tunable DS, preserved fibrous structure and increased hydrophobicity could be easily obtained. The feasibility of reusing the catalyst/excess acylant in view of potential scale-up was also illustrated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Locus-dependent selection in crop-wild hybrids of lettuce under field conditions and its implication for GM crop development

PubMed Central

Hooftman, Danny A P; Flavell, Andrew J; Jansen, Hans; den Nijs, Hans C M; Syed, Naeem H; Sørensen, Anker P; Orozco-ter Wengel, Pablo; van de Wiel, Clemens C M

2011-01-01

Gene escape from crops has gained much attention in the last two decades, as transgenes introgressing into wild populations could affect the latter's ecological characteristics. However, different genes have different likelihoods of introgression. The mixture of selective forces provided by natural conditions creates an adaptive mosaic of alleles from both parental species. We investigated segregation patterns after hybridization between lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and its wild relative, L. serriola. Three generations of hybrids (S1, BC1, and BC1S1) were grown in habitats mimicking the wild parent's habitat. As control, we harvested S1 seedlings grown under controlled conditions, providing very limited possibility for selection. We used 89 AFLP loci, as well as more recently developed dominant markers, 115 retrotransposon markers (SSAP), and 28 NBS loci linked to resistance genes. For many loci, allele frequencies were biased in plants exposed to natural field conditions, including over-representation of crop alleles for various loci. Furthermore, Linkage disequilibrium was locally changed, allegedly by selection caused by the natural field conditions, providing ample opportunity for genetic hitchhiking. Our study indicates that when developing genetically modified crops, a judicious selection of insertion sites, based on knowledge of selective (dis)advantages of the surrounding crop genome under field conditions, could diminish transgene persistence. PMID:25568012

Locus-dependent selection in crop-wild hybrids of lettuce under field conditions and its implication for GM crop development.

PubMed

Hooftman, Danny A P; Flavell, Andrew J; Jansen, Hans; den Nijs, Hans C M; Syed, Naeem H; Sørensen, Anker P; Orozco-Ter Wengel, Pablo; van de Wiel, Clemens C M

2011-09-01

Gene escape from crops has gained much attention in the last two decades, as transgenes introgressing into wild populations could affect the latter's ecological characteristics. However, different genes have different likelihoods of introgression. The mixture of selective forces provided by natural conditions creates an adaptive mosaic of alleles from both parental species. We investigated segregation patterns after hybridization between lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and its wild relative, L. serriola. Three generations of hybrids (S1, BC1, and BC1S1) were grown in habitats mimicking the wild parent's habitat. As control, we harvested S1 seedlings grown under controlled conditions, providing very limited possibility for selection. We used 89 AFLP loci, as well as more recently developed dominant markers, 115 retrotransposon markers (SSAP), and 28 NBS loci linked to resistance genes. For many loci, allele frequencies were biased in plants exposed to natural field conditions, including over-representation of crop alleles for various loci. Furthermore, Linkage disequilibrium was locally changed, allegedly by selection caused by the natural field conditions, providing ample opportunity for genetic hitchhiking. Our study indicates that when developing genetically modified crops, a judicious selection of insertion sites, based on knowledge of selective (dis)advantages of the surrounding crop genome under field conditions, could diminish transgene persistence.

Historical and Future Black Carbon Deposition on the Three Ice Caps: Ice Core Measurements and Model Simulations from 1850 to 2100

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, Susanne E.; Bausch, Alexandra; Nazarenko, Larissa; Tsigaridis, Kostas; Xu, Baiqing; Edwards. Ross; Bisiaux, Marion; McConnell, Joe

2013-01-01

Ice core measurements in conjunction with climate model simulations are of tremendous value when examining anthropogenic and natural aerosol loads and their role in past and future climates. Refractory black carbon (BC) records from the Arctic, the Antarctic, and the Himalayas are analyzed using three transient climate simulations performed with the Goddard Institute for Space Studies ModelE. Simulations differ in aerosol schemes (bulk aerosols vs. aerosol microphysics) and ocean couplings (fully coupled vs. prescribed ocean). Regional analyses for past (1850-2005) and future (2005-2100) carbonaceous aerosol simulations focus on the Antarctic, Greenland, and the Himalayas. Measurements from locations in the Antarctic show clean conditions with no detectable trend over the past 150 years. Historical atmospheric deposition of BC and sulfur in Greenland shows strong trends and is primarily influenced by emissions from early twentieth century agricultural and domestic practices. Models fail to reproduce observations of a sharp eightfold BC increase in Greenland at the beginning of the twentieth century that could be due to the only threefold increase in the North American emission inventory. BC deposition in Greenland is about 10 times greater than in Antarctica and 10 times less than in Tibet. The Himalayas show the most complicated transport patterns, due to the complex terrain and dynamical regimes of this region. Projections of future climate based on the four CMIP5 Representative Concentration Pathways indicate further dramatic advances of pollution to the Tibetan Plateau along with decreasing BC deposition fluxes in Greenland and the Antarctic.

Carbon stabilization and microbial growth in acidic mine soils after addition of different amendments for soil reclamation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zornoza, Raúl; Acosta, Jose; Ángeles Muñoz, María; Martínez-Martínez, Silvia; Faz, Ángel; Bååth, Erland

2016-04-01

The extreme soil conditions in metalliferous mine soils have a negative influence on soil biological activity and therefore on soil carbon estabilization. Therefore, amendments are used to increase organic carbon content and activate microbial communities. In order to elucidate some of the factors controlling soil organic carbon stabilization in reclaimed acidic mine soils and its interrelationship with microbial growth and community structure, we performed an incubation experiment with four amendments: pig slurry (PS), pig manure (PM) and biochar (BC), applied with and without marble waste (MW; CaCO3). Results showed that PM and BC (alone or together with MW) contributed to an important increment in recalcitrant organic C, C/N ratio and aggregate stability. Bacterial and fungal growths were highly dependent on pH and labile organic C. PS supported the highest microbial growth; applied alone it stimulated fungal growth, and applied with MW it stimulated bacterial growth. BC promoted the lowest microbial growth, especially for fungi, with no significant increase in fungal biomass. MW+BC increased bacterial growth up to values similar to PM and MW+PM, suggesting that part of the biochar was degraded, at least in short-term mainly by bacteria rather than fungi. PM, MW+PS and MW+PM supported the highest microbial biomass and a similar community structure, related with the presence of high organic C and high pH, with immobilization of metals and increased soil quality. BC contributed to improved soil structure, increased recalcitrant organic C, and decreased metal mobility, with low stimulation of microbial growth.

Chemosensory brush cells of the trachea. A stable population in a dynamic epithelium.

PubMed

Saunders, Cecil J; Reynolds, Susan D; Finger, Thomas E

2013-08-01

Tracheal brush cells (BCs) are specialized epithelial chemosensors that use the canonical taste transduction cascade to detect irritants. To test whether BCs are replaced at the same rate as other cells in the surrounding epithelium of adult mice, we used 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to label dividing cells. Although scattered BrdU-labeled epithelial cells are present 5-20 days after BrdU, no BCs are labeled. These data indicate that BCs comprise a relatively static population. To determine how BCs are generated during development, we injected 5-day-old mice with BrdU and found labeled BCs and non-BC epithelial cells 5 days after BrdU. During the next 60 days, the percentage of labeled BCs increased, whereas the percentage of other labeled cell types decreased. These data suggest that BCs are generated from non-BC progenitor cells during postnatal tracheal growth. To test whether the adult epithelium retains the capacity to generate BCs, tracheal epithelial cells were recovered from adult mice and grown in an air-liquid interface (ALI) culture. After transition to differentiation conditions, BCs are detected, and comprise 1% of the total cell population by Day 14. BrdU added to cultures before the differentiation of BCs was chased into BCs, indicating that the increase in BC density is attributable to the proliferation of a non-BC progenitor. We conclude that: (1) BCs are normally a static population in adult mice; (2) BC progenitors proliferate and differentiate during neonatal development; and (3) BCs can be regenerated from a proliferative population resident in adult epithelium.

Ice Nucleation Activity of Black Carbon and Organic Aerosol Emitted from Biomass Burning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rauker, A. M.; Schill, G. P.; Hill, T. C. J.; Levin, E. J.; DeMott, P. J.; Kreidenweis, S. M.

2017-12-01

Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) must be present in clouds warmer than approximately -36 °C for initial ice crystal formation to occur. Although rare, they modify the lifetime, albedo and precipitation rates of clouds. Black carbon (BC) particles are present in the upper troposphere, and have been implicated as possible INPs, but recent research has not led to a consensus on their importance as INPs. Biomass burning is known to be a source of INPs as well as a major contributor to BC concentrations. Preliminary research from both prescribed burns (Manhattan, Kanas) and wildfires (Boise, Idaho and Weldon, Colorado), using the Colorado State University Continuous Flow Diffusion Chamber (CSU-CFDC) coupled to a Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2), suggest that BC contributed ≤ 10% to INP concentrations in biomass burning conditions. To evaluate the identity of non-BC as an INP, filters were collected downwind from the same prescribed burns and wildfires, and particles re-suspended in water were subjected to the immersion freezing method to quantify INP concentrations. The contributions of biological and total organic species to INP concentrations were determined through heat and hydrogen peroxide pre-treatments. Total INPs ranged from 0.88 - 31 L-1 air at -20 °C with 82 - 99 % of the INPs at that temperature being organic (i.e., deactivated by H2O2 digestion). Results are consistent with CSU-CFDC-SP2 derived rBC INP contributions from the same fires. The results from the study also support previous findings that prescribed burns and wildfires produce plumes enriched in INPs.

Stabilization of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) with modified biochar for Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solution.

PubMed

Dong, Haoran; Deng, Junmin; Xie, Yankai; Zhang, Cong; Jiang, Zhao; Cheng, Yujun; Hou, Kunjie; Zeng, Guangming

2017-06-15

Three types of modified biochar (BC) were produced respectively with acid (HCl) treatment (HCl-BC), base (KOH) treatment (KOH-BC) and oxidation (H 2 O 2 ) treatment (H 2 O 2 -BC) of raw biochar. Both the raw biochar and modified biochars supported zero valent iron nanopartilces (nZVI) (i.e. nZVI@BC, nZVI@HCl-BC, nZVI@KOH-BC and nZVI@H 2 O 2 -BC) were synthesized and their capacities for Cr(VI) removal were compared. The results showed that the nZVI@HCl-BC exhibited the best performance and the underlying mechanisms were discussed. The surface elemental distribution maps of the nZVI@HCl-BC after reaction with Cr(VI) showed that Fe, Cr and O elements were deposited on the surface of HCl-BC evenly, indicating that the formed Cr(III)/Fe(III) could settle on the surface of HCl-BC uniformly rather than coated only on the nZVI surface. This reveals that the supporter HCl-BC could also play a role in alleviating the passivation of nZVI. Besides, the effects of mass ratio (nZVI/HCl-BC), pH, and initial Cr(VI) concentration on Cr(VI) removal were examined. At lower mass of HCl-BC, nZVI aggregation cannot be fully inhibited on the surface of HCl-BC, whereas excessive biochar can block the active sites of nZVI. Additionally, it was found that Cr(VI) removal by nZVI@HCl-BC was dependent on both pH and initial Cr(VI) concentration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical Investigation on Absorption Enhancement of Black Carbon Aerosols Partially Coated With Nonabsorbing Organics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaolin; Mao, Mao; Yin, Yan; Wang, Bin

2018-01-01

This study numerically evaluates the effects of aerosol microphysics, including coated volume fraction of black carbon (BC), shell/core ratio, and size distribution, on the absorption enhancement (Eab) of polydisperse BC aggregates partially coated by organics, which is calculated by the exact multiple-sphere T-matrix method. The coated volume fraction of BC plays a substantial role in determining the absorption enhancement of partially coated BC aggregates, which typically have an Eab in the range of 1.0-2.0 with a larger value for larger coated volume fraction of BC as the shell/core ratio, BC geometry, and size distribution are fixed. The shell/core ratio, BC geometry, and size distribution have little impact on the Eab of coated BC with small coated volume fraction of BC, while they become significant for large coated volume fraction of BC. The Eab of partially coated BC particles can be slightly less than 1.0 for the large BC in the accumulation mode exhibiting large shell/core ratio and small coated volume fraction of BC, indicating that the absorption shows even slight decrease relative to uncoated BC particles. For partially coated BC aggregates in the accumulation and coarse modes, the refractive index uncertainties of BC result in the Eab differences of less than 9% and 2%, respectively, while those of organics can induce larger variations with the maximum differences up to 22% and 18%, respectively. Our study indicates that accounting for particle coating microphysics, particularly the coated volume fraction of BC, can potentially help to understand the differences in observations of largely variable absorption enhancements over various regions.

Structural and immunochemical relatedness suggests a conserved pathogenicity motif for secondary cell wall polysaccharides in Bacillus anthracis and infection-associated Bacillus cereus

PubMed Central

Saile, Elke; Klee, Silke R.; Hoffmaster, Alex; Kannenberg, Elmar L.

2017-01-01

Bacillus anthracis (Ba) and human infection-associated Bacillus cereus (Bc) strains Bc G9241 and Bc 03BB87 have secondary cell wall polysaccharides (SCWPs) comprising an aminoglycosyl trisaccharide repeat: →4)-β-d-ManpNAc-(1→4)-β-d-GlcpNAc-(1→6)-α-d-GlcpNAc-(1→, substituted at GlcNAc residues with both α- and β-Galp. In Bc G9241 and Bc 03BB87, an additional α-Galp is attached to O-3 of ManNAc. Using NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and immunochemical methods, we compared these structures to SCWPs from Bc biovar anthracis strains isolated from great apes displaying “anthrax-like” symptoms in Cameroon (Bc CA) and Côte d’Ivoire (Bc CI). The SCWPs of Bc CA/CI contained the identical HexNAc trisaccharide backbone and Gal modifications found in Ba, together with the α-Gal-(1→3) substitution observed previously at ManNAc residues only in Bc G9241/03BB87. Interestingly, the great ape derived strains displayed a unique α-Gal-(1→3)-α-Gal-(1→3) disaccharide substitution at some ManNAc residues, a modification not found in any previously examined Ba or Bc strain. Immuno-analysis with specific polyclonal anti-Ba SCWP antiserum demonstrated a reactivity hierarchy: high reactivity with SCWPs from Ba 7702 and Ba Sterne 34F2, and Bc G9241 and Bc 03BB87; intermediate reactivity with SCWPs from Bc CI/CA; and low reactivity with the SCWPs from structurally distinct Ba CDC684 (a unique strain producing an SCWP lacking all Gal substitutions) and non-infection-associated Bc ATCC10987 and Bc 14579 SCWPs. Ba-specific monoclonal antibody EAII-6G6-2-3 demonstrated a 10–20 fold reduced reactivity to Bc G9241 and Bc 03BB87 SCWPs compared to Ba 7702/34F2, and low/undetectable reactivity to SCWPs from Bc CI, Bc CA, Ba CDC684, and non-infection-associated Bc strains. Our data indicate that the HexNAc motif is conserved among infection-associated Ba and Bc isolates (regardless of human or great ape origin), and that the number, positions and structures of Gal substitutions confer unique antigenic properties. The conservation of this structural motif could open a new diagnostic route in detection of pathogenic Bc strains. PMID:28832613

Structural and immunochemical relatedness suggests a conserved pathogenicity motif for secondary cell wall polysaccharides in Bacillus anthracis and infection-associated Bacillus cereus.

PubMed

Kamal, Nazia; Ganguly, Jhuma; Saile, Elke; Klee, Silke R; Hoffmaster, Alex; Carlson, Russell W; Forsberg, Lennart S; Kannenberg, Elmar L; Quinn, Conrad P

2017-01-01

Bacillus anthracis (Ba) and human infection-associated Bacillus cereus (Bc) strains Bc G9241 and Bc 03BB87 have secondary cell wall polysaccharides (SCWPs) comprising an aminoglycosyl trisaccharide repeat: →4)-β-d-ManpNAc-(1→4)-β-d-GlcpNAc-(1→6)-α-d-GlcpNAc-(1→, substituted at GlcNAc residues with both α- and β-Galp. In Bc G9241 and Bc 03BB87, an additional α-Galp is attached to O-3 of ManNAc. Using NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and immunochemical methods, we compared these structures to SCWPs from Bc biovar anthracis strains isolated from great apes displaying "anthrax-like" symptoms in Cameroon (Bc CA) and Côte d'Ivoire (Bc CI). The SCWPs of Bc CA/CI contained the identical HexNAc trisaccharide backbone and Gal modifications found in Ba, together with the α-Gal-(1→3) substitution observed previously at ManNAc residues only in Bc G9241/03BB87. Interestingly, the great ape derived strains displayed a unique α-Gal-(1→3)-α-Gal-(1→3) disaccharide substitution at some ManNAc residues, a modification not found in any previously examined Ba or Bc strain. Immuno-analysis with specific polyclonal anti-Ba SCWP antiserum demonstrated a reactivity hierarchy: high reactivity with SCWPs from Ba 7702 and Ba Sterne 34F2, and Bc G9241 and Bc 03BB87; intermediate reactivity with SCWPs from Bc CI/CA; and low reactivity with the SCWPs from structurally distinct Ba CDC684 (a unique strain producing an SCWP lacking all Gal substitutions) and non-infection-associated Bc ATCC10987 and Bc 14579 SCWPs. Ba-specific monoclonal antibody EAII-6G6-2-3 demonstrated a 10-20 fold reduced reactivity to Bc G9241 and Bc 03BB87 SCWPs compared to Ba 7702/34F2, and low/undetectable reactivity to SCWPs from Bc CI, Bc CA, Ba CDC684, and non-infection-associated Bc strains. Our data indicate that the HexNAc motif is conserved among infection-associated Ba and Bc isolates (regardless of human or great ape origin), and that the number, positions and structures of Gal substitutions confer unique antigenic properties. The conservation of this structural motif could open a new diagnostic route in detection of pathogenic Bc strains.

Measurement of Atmospheric Black Carbon Concentrations, [BC]atm, in the Arctic Region from ~1700 to 2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husain, L.; Sarkar, S.; Jyethi, D. S.; Ruppel, M.; Dutkiewicz, V. A.

2015-12-01

Atmospheric black carbon (BC) aerosols play a key role in Earth's climate through direct and indirect effects. Due to a lack of long-term BC data, climate models are used to estimate BC based on fuel inventories, which have large uncertainties. Hence, long term BC data is needed to verify global models. We report here the first measurements of atmospheric BC concentrations, [BC]atm, from ~1700 to 2013 using sediments from Finnish lakes, Saanajarvi (SJ)(690 44' N, 200 52' E), and Vuoskojarvi (VJ)(69044'N, 26057'E). The cores were collected from the deepest parts of the lakes using a HTH gravity corer, sliced in 0.25 cm sections; freeze dried, and ages determined using 210Pb dating method. The BC was chemically separated, and [BC] determined by the thermal optical method. The [BC] varied from 50 to 1140µg/gdry weight in SJ; and 20 to 130µg/gdry weight in VJ. Husain et al.,(JGR, vol 113, D13102,doi:10.1029/2007JD009398, 2008) showed that the atmospheric deposition of BC into lake sediments depends on the characteristic of individual lakes, BC washout ratios, precipitation intensity, and sedimentation rates. The deposition rate, K, for a lake is defined by, [BC]sed = K[BC]atm where [BC]sed, is the concentration of BC in the sediment. We have measured [BC]atm from 1970 to 2010 in Kevo, Finland, where VJ and SJ are located. The [BC]atm from Kevo, and [BC]sed from VJ, and SJ were used to determine K for each of the lake. Owing to the availability of the long term atmospheric BC data from 1970 to 2010 multiple measurements of K were made, and provided a high measure of precision. The mean values of K for VJ, and SJ were 226 ± 60, and 830 ± 290 (m3air/ gdry weight). The K values were used to determine [BC]atm for the years before 1970. The [BC]atm from 2013 to 2006 was 82ng/m3. It increased slowly reaching a peak value of about 947 ± 322 ng/m3.The concentrations decreased subsequently to 244 ± 83ng/m3 in 1920, and changed little ~ 1774.The lowest concentration, 77 ± 26 ng/m3, was observed ~ 1700. The high atmospheric concentrations beyond 1850, perhaps, suggest a proportionally larger component from wood burning for heating. We plan to estimate [BC]atm using OsloCTM3 model, and inventory of fossil fuel, and biomass burning, and compare it with our measurements.

Electronic and magnetic properties of Fe-, Co-, and Ni-decorated BC3: A first-principles study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jingzhong; Zhao, Yinchang; Zulfiqar, Muhammad; Zeng, Shuming; Ni, Jun

2018-05-01

The electronic and magnetic properties of Fe-, Co-, and Ni-decorated two dimensional (2D) BC3 are systematically investigated by first-principles calculations. We find that the Fe, Co, and Ni atoms can be strongly adsorbed on the hollow sites of 2D BC3. Fe and Co adatoms are more stable when adsorbed on the hollow sites of the carbon rings in the 2D BC3, while the hollow sites of boron-carbon rings in the 2D BC3 are the most stable sites for the adsorption of Ni adatoms. These proposed metal-BC3 complexes exhibit interesting electronic and magnetic behaviors. In particular, the Fe-BC3 and Co-BC3 complexes are metals with magnetic ground states , while the Ni-BC3 complex behaves as a nonmagnetic semiconductor with a direct bandgap. Furthermore, our magnetic analysis reveals that induced magnetism in the Fe-BC3 and Co-BC3 complexes arises from their local magnetic moments. Functionalization of 2D BC3 through these metal-adatom adsorption appears to be a promising way to extend its applications.

A review on black carbon emissions, worldwide and in China.

PubMed

Ni, Mingjiang; Huang, Jianxin; Lu, Shengyong; Li, Xiaodong; Yan, Jianhua; Cen, Kefa

2014-07-01

Black carbon (BC) produced from open burning (OB) and controlled combustion (CC) is a range of carbonaceous products of incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuel, and is deemed as one of the major contributors to impact global environment and human health. BC has a strong relationship with POPs, in waste combustion, BC promotes the formation of POPs, and then the transport of POPs in the environment is highly influenced by BC. However less is known about BC formation, measurement and emissions estimation especially in developing countries such as China. Different forms of BC are produced both in CC and OB. BC emission characteristics and combustion parameters which determine BC emissions from CC and OB are discussed. Recent studies showed a lack of common methodology and the resulting data for describing the mechanisms related to BC formation during combustion processes. Because BC is a continuum carbonaceous combustion product, different sampling and measuring methods are used for measuring their emissions with great quantitative uncertainty. We discuss the commonly used BC sampling and measuring methods along with the causes for uncertainty and measures to minimizing the uncertainty. Then, we discuss the estimations of BC emission factors and emission inventory for CC and OB sources. The total emissions of BC from CC and OB in China are also estimated and compared with previous BC emission inventories in this review and we find the inventories tend to be overestimated. As China becomes the largest contributor to global BC emissions, studies for characterizing BC emissions from OB and CC sources are absent in China. Finally, we comment on the current state of BC emission research and identify major deficiencies that need to overcome. Moreover, the advancement in research tools, measuring technique in particular, as discussed in this review is critical for researchers in developing countries to improve their capability to study BC emissions for addressing the growing climate change and public health concerns. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ferro- and antiferro-magnetism in (Np, Pu)BC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimczuk, T.; Shick, A. B.; Kozub, A. L.; Griveau, J.-C.; Colineau, E.; Falmbigl, M.; Wastin, F.; Rogl, P.

2015-04-01

Two new transuranium metal boron carbides, NpBC and PuBC, have been synthesized. Rietveld refinements of powder XRD patterns of {Np,Pu}BC confirmed in both cases isotypism with the structure type of UBC. Temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility data reveal antiferromagnetic ordering for PuBC below TN = 44 K, whereas ferromagnetic ordering was found for NpBC below TC = 61 K. Heat capacity measurements prove the bulk character of the observed magnetic transition for both compounds. The total energy electronic band structure calculations support formation of the ferromagnetic ground state for NpBC and the antiferromagnetic ground state for PuBC.

Using novel methods to examine stress among HIV-positive African American men who have sex with men and women.

PubMed

Glover, Dorie A; Williams, John K; Kisler, Kimberly A

2013-06-01

Biomarker composites (BCs) that objectively quantify psychosocial stress independent of self report could help to identify those at greatest risk for negative health outcomes and elucidate mechanisms of stress-related processes. Here, BCs are examined in the context of existing disease progression among HIV-positive African American men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) with high stress histories, including childhood sexual abuse. Participants (N = 99) collected 12-h overnight and morning urine samples for assay of cortisol and catecholamines (primary BC) and neopterin (an indicator of HIV disease progression). Data on cumulative psychosocial trauma history (severity, types, frequency, age at first incident), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, sexual risk behaviors, and a secondary BC consisting of routine health indicators (heart rate, blood pressure, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio) were also collected. Lifetime trauma exposure was highly pervasive and significantly greater among those meeting a standard cutoff for PTSD caseness (24 %). After controlling for HIV factors (neopterin levels and years with disease), PTSD was a significant (p < .05) predictor of the primary, but not secondary BC. Those with PTSD also had significantly more sexual partners, sex without a condom, and exchange sex for money or drugs than those without PTSD. Specific trauma characteristics predicted PTSD severity and caseness independently and uniquely in regression models (p's < .05-.001). A primary BC appears sensitive to cumulative trauma burden and PTSD in HIV-positive African American MSMW, providing support for the use of BCs to quantify psychosocial stress and inform novel methods for examining mechanisms of stress influenced health behaviors and disease outcomes in at-risk populations.

Selective Perioperative Administration of Pasireotide is More Cost-Effective Than Routine Administration for Pancreatic Fistula Prophylaxis.

PubMed

Denbo, Jason W; Slack, Rebecca S; Bruno, Morgan; Cloyd, Jordan M; Prakash, Laura; Fleming, Jason B; Kim, Michael P; Aloia, Thomas A; Vauthey, Jean-Nicolas; Lee, Jeffrey E; Katz, Matthew H G

2017-04-01

In a randomized trial, pasireotide significantly decreased the incidence and severity of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). Subsequent analyses concluded that its routine use is cost-effective. We hypothesized that selective administration of the drug to patients at high risk for POPF would be more cost-effective. Consecutive patients who did not receive pasireotide and underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) or distal pancreatectomy (DP) between July 2011 and January 2014 were distributed into groups based on their risk of POPF using a multivariate recursive partitioning regression tree analysis (RPA) of preoperative clinical factors. The costs of treating hypothetical patients in each risk group were then computed based upon actual institutional hospital costs and previously published relative risk values associated with pasireotide. Among 315 patients who underwent pancreatectomy, grade B/C POPF occurred in 64 (20%). RPA allocated patients who underwent PD into four groups with a risk for grade B/C POPF of 0, 10, 29, or 60% (P < 0.001) on the basis of diagnosis, pancreatic duct diameter, and body mass index. Patients who underwent DP were allocated to three groups with a grade B/C POPF risk of 14, 26, or 44% (P = 0.05) on the basis of pancreatic duct diameter alone. Although the routine administration of pasireotide to all 315 patients would have theoretically saved $30,892 over standard care, restriction of pasireotide to only patients at high risk for POPF would have led to a cost savings of $831,916. Preoperative clinical characteristics can be used to characterize patients' risk for POPF following pancreatectomy. Selective administration of pasireotide only to patients at high risk for grade B/C POPF may maximize the cost-efficacy of prophylactic pasireotide.

Prognostic Effects of Adjuvant Chemotherapy-Induced Amenorrhea and Subsequent Resumption of Menstruation for Premenopausal Breast Cancer Patients.

PubMed

Jeon, Se Jeong; Lee, Jae Il; Jeon, Myung Jae; Lee, Maria

2016-04-01

Chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea (CIA) is a side effect that occurs in patients with breast cancer (BC) as a result of chemotherapy. These patients require special treatments to avoid infertility and menopause. However, the factors controlling CIA, resumption of menstruation (RM), and persistence of menstruation after chemotherapy are unknown. The long-term prognosis for premenopausal patients with BC and the prognostic factors associated with CIA and RM are subject to debate. We performed a retrospective study by reviewing the medical records of 249 patients with BC (stage I to stage III) who were treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy. The median patient age was 43 (range, 26-55 years) and the median duration of follow-up was 64 months (range, 28-100 months). The medical records indicated that 219 patients (88.0%) scored as positive for the hormone receptor (HR); the majority of these patients completed chemotherapy and then received additional therapy of tamoxifen. Our analyses revealed that 88.0% (n = 219) of patients experienced CIA, and the percentage of RM during follow-up was 48.6% (n = 121). A total of 30 patients (12.0%) did not experience CIA. Disease-free survival (DFS) was affected by several factors, including tumour size ≥2 cm, node positivity, HR negative status, and body mass index ≥23 kg/m. Multivariate analysis indicated that tumour size ≥2 cm remained as a significant factor for DFS (hazard ratio = 3.3, P = 0.034). In summary, this study finds that the majority of premenopausal patients with BC (stage I to stage III) who receive chemotherapy experience CIA and subsequent RM. Although tumour size ≥2 cm is negatively associated with DFS, RM after CIA is not associated with poor prognosis.

Relationship between Black Carbon and heavy traffic in São Paulo, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miranda, R. M.; Perez-Martinez, P.; Ribeiro, F. N. D.; Andrade, M. D. F.

2015-12-01

Carbonaceous aerosols play an important role in air quality, human health and global climate change. Black Carbon (BC) can be considered the most efficient light absorber in the visible spectrum and is mainly found in the fine fraction of aerosol. Typically is emitted by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels related to traffic, industrial processes and biomass burning. São Paulo Metropolitan Area (SPMA) with more than 19 million inhabitants, 7 million vehicles, as well as the major industrial and technological park of the country, has high concentrations of air pollutants, especially in the winter and vehicles are considered the principal source of particles emitted to the atmosphere. Since November 2014, Black Carbon and PM2.5 are being monitored using a MAAP (Multi Angle Absorption Photometer) Thermo 5012 and a Dust Trak DRX-8533 TSI in the East Campus of University of São Paulo, close to important highways and also to the largest airport of Brazil (Guarulhos Airport). Average BC concentration was 1.7 μg/m3 with some peaks above 17.0 μg/m3 and for PM2.5 average was 10.2 μg/m3. Particle concentrations reached values greater than the air quality standard (60 μg/m3) in the winter months. Winds coming from the East direction predominate. Traffic restrictions to heavy duty vehicles in the road-rings next to the sampling site during some hours of the day are the responsible for the daily BC and PM2.5 behavior (figure below), where high concentrations occur early in the morning and late at night, when heavy diesel vehicles are released for transit. Seasonal variations are different for BC and PM2.5 due to local sources of BC and meteorological conditions that have more influence on the particles. The weekly variation indicates that concentrations are lower on Sundays and higher from Tuesday to Thursday. Emission factors for BC were calculated based on traffic information.

Isolation and identification of biocellulose-producing bacterial strains from Malaysian acidic fruits.

PubMed

Voon, W W Y; Rukayadi, Y; Meor Hussin, A S

2016-05-01

Biocellulose (BC) is pure extracellular cellulose produced by several species of micro-organisms that has numerous applications in the food, biomedical and paper industries. However, the existing biocellulose-producing bacterial strain with high yield was limited. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the potential biocellulose-producing bacterial isolates from Malaysian acidic fruits. One hundred and ninety-three bacterial isolates were obtained from 19 local acidic fruits collected in Malaysia and screened for their ability to produce BC. A total of 15 potential bacterial isolates were then cultured in standard Hestrin-Schramm (HS) medium statically at 30°C for 2 weeks to determine the BC production. The most potent bacterial isolates were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, morphological and biochemical characteristics. Three new and potent biocellulose-producing bacterial strains were isolated from soursop fruit and identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia WAUPM42, Pantoea vagans WAUPM45 and Beijerinckia fluminensis WAUPM53. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia WAUPM42 was the most potent biocellulose-producing bacterial strain that produced the highest amount of BC 0·58 g l(-1) in standard HS medium. Whereas, the isolates P. vagans WAUPM45 and B. fluminensis WAUPM53 showed 0·50 and 0·52 g l(-1) of BC production, respectively. Biocellulose (BC) is pure extracellular cellulose that is formed by many micro-organisms in the presence of carbon source and acidic condition. It can replace plant-based cellulose in multifarious applications due to its unique characteristics. In this study, three potential biocellulose-producing bacterial strains were obtained from Malaysian acidic fruits and identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia WAUPM42, Pantoea vagans WAUPM45 and Beijerinckia fluminensis WAUPM53. This study reports for the first time the new biocellulose-producing bacterial strains isolated from Malaysian acidic fruits. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Emissions and climate-relevant optical properties of pollutants emitted from a three-stone fire and the Berkeley-Darfur stove tested under laboratory conditions.

PubMed

Preble, Chelsea V; Hadley, Odelle L; Gadgil, Ashok J; Kirchstetter, Thomas W

2014-06-03

Cooking in the developing world generates pollutants that endanger the health of billions of people and contribute to climate change. This study quantified pollutants emitted when cooking with a three-stone fire (TSF) and the Berkeley-Darfur Stove (BDS), the latter of which encloses the fire to increase fuel efficiency. The stoves were operated at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory testing facility with a narrow range of fuel feed rates to minimize performance variability. Fast (1 Hz) measurements of pollutants enabled discrimination between the stoves' emission profiles and development of woodsmoke-specific calibrations for the aethalometer (black carbon, BC) and DustTrak (fine particles, PM2.5). The BDS used 65±5% (average±95% confidence interval) of the wood consumed by the TSF and emitted 50±5% of the carbon monoxide emitted by the TSF for an equivalent cooking task, indicating its higher thermal efficiency and a modest improvement in combustion efficiency. The BDS reduced total PM2.5 by 50% but achieved only a 30% reduction in BC emissions. The BDS-emitted particles were, therefore, more sunlight-absorbing: the average single scattering albedo at 532 nm was 0.36 for the BDS and 0.47 for the TSF. Mass emissions of PM2.5 and BC varied more than emissions of CO and wood consumption over all tests, and emissions and wood consumption varied more among TSF than BDS tests. The international community and the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves have proposed performance targets for the highest tier of cookstoves that correspond to greater reductions in fuel consumption and PM2.5 emissions of approximately 65% and 95%, respectively, compared to baseline cooking with the TSF. Given the accompanying decrease in BC emissions for stoves that achieve this stretch goal and BC's extremely high global warming potential, the short-term climate change mitigation from avoided BC emissions could exceed that from avoided CO2 emissions.

Fine-mapping and validating qHTSF4.1 to increase spikelet fertility under heat stress at flowering in rice.

PubMed

Ye, Changrong; Tenorio, Fatima A; Redoña, Edilberto D; Morales-Cortezano, Portia S; Cabrega, Gleizl A; Jagadish, Krishna S V; Gregorio, Glenn B

2015-08-01

This study fine mapped and validated a QTL on rice chromosome 4 that increases spikelet fertility under high temperature (over 37 °C) at the flowering stage. Climate change has a negative effect on crop production and food security. Understanding the genetic mechanism of heat tolerance and developing heat-tolerant varieties is essential to cope with future global warming. Previously, we reported on a QTL (qHTSF4.1) from an IR64/N22 population responsible for rice spikelet fertility under high-temperature stress at the flowering stage. To further fine map and validate the effect of qHTSF4.1, PCR-based SNP markers were developed and used to genotype BC2F2, BC3F2, BC3F3, and BC5F2 populations from the same cross. The interval of the QTL was narrowed down to about 1.2 Mb; however, further recombination was not identified even with a large BC5F2 population that was subsequently developed and screened. The sequence in the QTL region is highly conserved and a large number of genes in the same gene family were observed to be clustered in the region. The QTL qHTSF4.1 consistently increased spikelet fertility in all of the backcross populations. This was confirmed using 24 rice varieties. Most of the rice varieties with the QTL showed a certain degree of heat tolerance under high-temperature conditions. In a BC5F2 population with clean background of IR64, QTL qHTSF4.1 increased spikelet fertility by about 15%. It could be an important source for enhancing heat tolerance in rice at the flowering stage. PCR-based SNP markers developed in this study can be used for QTL introgression and for pyramiding with other agronomically important QTLs/genes through marker-assisted selection.

Black carbon in the Arctic: How well is it captured by models?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckhardt, Sabine

2015-04-01

A correct representation of the spatial distribution of aerosols in atmospheric models is essential for realistic simulations of deposition and calculations of radiative forcing. It has been observed that transport of black carbon (BC) into the Arctic and scavenging is sometimes not captured accurately enough in chemistry transport models (CTM) as well as global circulation models (GCM). In this study we determine the discrepancies between measured equivalent BC (EBC) and modeled BC for several Arctic measurement stations as well as for Arctic aircraft campaigns. For this, we use the output of a set of 11 models based on the same emission dataset (ECLIPSE emissions, see eclipse.nilu.no) and evaluate the simulated concentrations at the measurement locations and times. Emissions are separated for different sources such as biomass burning, domestic heating, gas flaring, industry and the transport sector. We focus on the years 2008 and 2009, where many campaigns took place in the framework of the International Polar Year. Arctic stations like Barrow, Alert, Station Nord in Greenland and Zeppelin show a very pronounced winter/spring maximum in BC. While monthly averaged measured EBC values are around 80 ng/m3, the models severely underestimate this with some models simulating only a small percentage of the observed values. During summer measured concentrations are a magnitude lower, and still underestimated by almost an order of magnitude in some models. However, the best models are with a factor of 2 in winter/spring and realistic concentrations in summer. In order to get information on the vertical profile we used measurements from aircraft campaigns like ARCTAS, ARCPAC and HIPPO. It is found that BC in latitudes below 60 degrees is better captured by the models than BC at higher latitudes, even though it is overestimated at high altitudes. A systematic analysis of the performance of different models is presented. With the dataset we capture remote, polluted and fire-influenced conditions.

Reducing uncertainties associated with filter-based optical measurements of light absorbing carbon particles with chemical information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engström, J. E.; Leck, C.

2011-08-01

The presented filter-based optical method for determination of soot (light absorbing carbon or Black Carbon, BC) can be implemented in the field under primitive conditions and at low cost. This enables researchers with small economical means to perform monitoring at remote locations, especially in the Asia where it is much needed. One concern when applying filter-based optical measurements of BC is that they suffer from systematic errors due to the light scattering of non-absorbing particles co-deposited on the filter, such as inorganic salts and mineral dust. In addition to an optical correction of the non-absorbing material this study provides a protocol for correction of light scattering based on the chemical quantification of the material, which is a novelty. A newly designed photometer was implemented to measure light transmission on particle accumulating filters, which includes an additional sensor recording backscattered light. The choice of polycarbonate membrane filters avoided high chemical blank values and reduced errors associated with length of the light path through the filter. Two protocols for corrections were applied to aerosol samples collected at the Maldives Climate Observatory Hanimaadhoo during episodes with either continentally influenced air from the Indian/Arabian subcontinents (winter season) or pristine air from the Southern Indian Ocean (summer monsoon). The two ways of correction (optical and chemical) lowered the particle light absorption of BC by 63 to 61 %, respectively, for data from the Arabian Sea sourced group, resulting in median BC absorption coefficients of 4.2 and 3.5 Mm-1. Corresponding values for the South Indian Ocean data were 69 and 97 % (0.38 and 0.02 Mm-1). A comparison with other studies in the area indicated an overestimation of their BC levels, by up to two orders of magnitude. This raises the necessity for chemical correction protocols on optical filter-based determinations of BC, before even the sign on the radiative forcing based on their effects can be assessed.

Ancient Skeletal Evidence for Leprosy in India (2000 B.C.)

PubMed Central

Robbins, Gwen; Tripathy, V. Mushrif; Misra, V. N.; Mohanty, R. K.; Shinde, V. S.; Gray, Kelsey M.; Schug, Malcolm D.

2009-01-01

Background Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae that affects almost 250,000 people worldwide. The timing of first infection, geographic origin, and pattern of transmission of the disease are still under investigation. Comparative genomics research has suggested M. leprae evolved either in East Africa or South Asia during the Late Pleistocene before spreading to Europe and the rest of the World. The earliest widely accepted evidence for leprosy is in Asian texts dated to 600 B.C. Methodology/Principal Findings We report an analysis of pathological conditions in skeletal remains from the second millennium B.C. in India. A middle aged adult male skeleton demonstrates pathological changes in the rhinomaxillary region, degenerative joint disease, infectious involvement of the tibia (periostitis), and injury to the peripheral skeleton. The presence and patterning of lesions was subject to a process of differential diagnosis for leprosy including treponemal disease, leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, and non-specific infection. Conclusions/Significance Results indicate that lepromatous leprosy was present in India by 2000 B.C. This evidence represents the oldest documented skeletal evidence for the disease. Our results indicate that Vedic burial traditions in cases of leprosy were present in northwest India prior to the first millennium B.C. Our results also support translations of early Vedic scriptures as the first textual reference to leprosy. The presence of leprosy in skeletal material dated to the post-urban phase of the Indus Age suggests that if M. leprae evolved in Africa, the disease migrated to India before the Late Holocene, possibly during the third millennium B.C. at a time when there was substantial interaction among the Indus Civilization, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. This evidence should be impetus to look for additional skeletal and molecular evidence of leprosy in India and Africa to confirm the African origin of the disease. PMID:19479078

Rational design of a high-strength bone scaffold platform based on in situ hybridization of bacterial cellulose/nano-hydroxyapatite framework and silk fibroin reinforcing phase.

PubMed

Jiang, Pei; Ran, Jiabing; Yan, Pan; Zheng, Lingyue; Shen, Xinyu; Tong, Hua

2018-02-01

Bacterial cellulose/hydroxyapatite (BC/HAp) composite had favourable bioaffinity but its poor mechanical strength limited its widespread applications in bone tissue engineering (BTE). Silk fibroin, which possesses special crystalline structure, has been widely used as organic reinforcing material, and different SFs have different amino acid sequences, which exhibit different bioaffinity and mechanical properties. In this regard, bacterial cellulose-Antheraea yamamai silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite (BC-AYSF/HAp), bacterial cellulose-Bombyx mori silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite (BC-BMSF/HAp), and BC/HAp nano-composites were synthesized via a novel in situ hybridization method. Compared with BC/HAp and BC-BMSF/HAp, the BC-AYSF/HAp exhibited better interpenetration, which may benefit for the transportation of nutrients and wastes, the adhesion of cells as well. Additionally, the BC-AYSF/HAp also presented superior thermal stability than the other two composites revealed by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Compression testing indicated that the mechanical strength of BC-BMSF/HAp was greatly reinforced compared with BC/HAp and was even a little higher than that of BC-AYSF/HAp. Tensile testing showed that BC-AYSF/HAp possesses extraordinary mechanical properties with a higher elastic modulus at low strain and higher fracture strength simultaneously than the other two composites. In vitro cell culture exhibited that MC3T3-E1 cells on the BC-AYSF/HAp membrane took on higher proliferative potential than those on the BC-BMSF/HAp membrane. These results suggested that compared with BC-BMSF/HAp, the BC-AYSF/HAp composite was more appropriate as an ideal bone scaffold platform or biomedical membrane to be used in BTE.