This study examined the association of body-mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio with the risk of death among more than 350,000 European subjects who had no major chronic ...diseases. The data suggest that both general and abdominal adiposity are associated with the risk of death and support the use of waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio in addition to BMI for assessment of the risk of death, particularly among persons with a lower BMI.
This study suggests that both general and abdominal adiposity are associated with the risk of death and supports the use of waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio for assessment of the risk of death.
Abdominal obesity is more closely associated with the risk of several chronic diseases than is gluteofemoral obesity, and large studies have suggested that waist circumference or the waist-to-hip ratio, as indicators of abdominal obesity, may be better predictors of the risk of disease than the body-mass index (BMI, the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters), an indicator of general adiposity.
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Current guidelines with respect to obesity recommend the measurement of waist circumference in persons with a BMI between 25.0 and 34.9 and propose cutoff points for waist circumference of 102 cm in men . . .
PEM electrolysis has gained a lot of attention in recent years due to its ability to produce clean, sustainable hydrogen. One of the crucial steps toward optimizing hydrogen production is ...understanding the role of operating conditions on performance; in particular, understanding mass transport effects is crucial for optimizing the operation of a PEM electrolyzer. In this article we measured and modeled mass transport losses in a single-cell PEM electrolyzer, as a function of pressure and water flow, using EIS. We found that pressure and water flow cause larger mass transport losses on the cathode. Moreover, we measured a more considerable effect with pressure than with water flow, which we interpret as a consequence of pressure-dependent bubble detachment sizes and an increase in the diffusion path for bubble nucleation. Furthermore, we found a dependence of the mass transport overpotential on different MEA design parameters, such as electrode thickness.
•Measured the effect of pressure (1-6 bar) and water flow (1-6 lh-1) on mass transport.•EIS spectra showed an increased mass transport with increasing pressure and flow.•Model showed an increased electrode tortuosity that relates to mass transport losses.•Pressure has a higher influence than flow; cathode is more sensitive than anode.•Mass transport losses are a function of electrode morphology and hydrophobicity.
Accumulation of alpha‐synuclein protein aggregates is the hallmark neuropathologic feature of synucleinopathies such as Parkinson’s disease. Rare point mutations and multiplications in SNCA, the gene ...encoding alpha‐synuclein, as well as other genetic alterations are linked to familial Parkinson’s disease cases with high penetrance and hence constitute major genetic risk factors for Parkinson’s disease. However, the preponderance of cases seems sporadic, most likely based on a complex interplay between genetic predispositions, aging processes and environmental influences. Deciphering the impact of these environmental factors and their interactions with the individual genetic background in humans is challenging and often requires large cohorts, complicated study designs, and longitudinal set‐ups. In contrast, rodent models offer an ideal system to study the influence of individual environmental aspects under controlled genetic background and standardized conditions. In this review, we highlight findings from studies examining effects of environmental enrichment mimicking stimulation of the brain by its physical and social surroundings as well as of environmental stressors on brain health in the context of Parkinson’s disease. We discuss possible internal molecular transducers of such environmental cues in Parkinson’s disease rodent models and emphasize their potential in developing novel avenues to much‐needed therapies for this still incurable disease.
This article is part of the Special Issue “Synuclein”
The central role of alpha‐synuclein in the etiology of Parkinson’s disease is based on genetics and neuropathology. While familial cases are rare, the preponderance of cases seems sporadic, most likely based on a complex interplay between genetic predispositions, aging processes and environmental influences. In this review, we discuss results from recent studies investigating the impact of environmental enrichment mimicking stimulation of the brain by its physical and social surroundings as well as of environmental stressors using rodent models of Parkinson’s disease.
This article is part of the Special Issue “Synuclein”
The stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) depends on ocean heat transport toward its base and remains a source of uncertainty in sea level rise prediction. The Antarctic Slope Current ...(ASC), a major boundary current of the ocean's global circulation, serves as a dynamic gateway for heat transport toward Antarctica. Here, we use observations collected from the Bellingshausen Sea to propose a mechanistic explanation for the initiation of the westward‐flowing ASC. Waters modified throughout the Bellingshausen Sea by ocean‐sea‐ice and ocean‐ice‐shelf interactions are exported to the continental slope in a narrow, topographically steered western boundary current. This focused outflow produces a localized front at the shelf break that supports the emerging ASC. This mechanism emphasizes the importance of buoyancy forcing, integrated over the continental shelf, as opposed to local wind forcing, in the generation mechanism and suggests the potential for remote control of melt rates of WAIS' largest ice shelves.
Plain Language Summary
The Antarctic Slope Current (ASC) is an ocean current that separates warmer, offshore water from colder waters over the continental shelf. The ASC helps to control the movement of warm water on to the continental shelf and ultimately under floating ice shelves. Warm ocean water has contributed to the melting and thinning of West Antarctic ice shelves in recent decades. This study describes where and how the ASC first forms in West Antarctica. Previous studies have suggested that the ASC responds primarily to atmospheric winds blowing over the current itself, whereas here it is argued that processes occurring over a much larger region of the west Antarctic continental shelf may determine the strength and structure of the ASC. These results contribute to our understanding of the long‐term, for example, decades or longer, evolution of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Key Points
The initiation of a westward Antarctic Slope Current (ASC) occurs in the western Bellingshausen Sea
The ASC arises from the export of waters, modified by ocean‐ice interactions, to the shelf break, rather than from local wind forcing
This mechanism suggests the potential for remote control of shelf properties as well as West Antarctic ice shelf melt rates
A high density pyrazolo-triazine explosive (PTX) Schulze, M. C.; Scott, B. L.; Chavez, D. E.
Journal of materials chemistry. A, Materials for energy and sustainability,
01/2015, Letnik:
3, Številka:
35
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The fused-ring heterocycle 4-amino-3,7,8-trinitropyrazolo-5,1- c 1,2,4triazine (PTX) has promising explosive properties. The Cheetah thermochemical code used its calculated standard enthalpy of ...formation and its measured crystal density of 1.946 g cm −3 to predict HMX-like explosive performance, while measurements of its thermal stability, sensitivity to impact, friction, and spark showed greater safety margins.
It is not yet resolved how lifestyle factors and intermediate phenotypes interrelate with metabolic pathways. We aimed to investigate the associations between diet, physical activity, ...cardiorespiratory fitness and obesity with serum metabolite networks in a population-based study.
The present study included 2380 participants of a randomly drawn subcohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam. Targeted metabolomics was used to measure 127 serum metabolites. Additional data were available including anthropometric measurements, dietary assessment including intake of whole-grain bread, coffee and cake and cookies by food frequency questionnaire, and objectively measured physical activity energy expenditure and cardiorespiratory fitness in a subsample of 100 participants. In a data-driven approach, Gaussian graphical modeling was used to draw metabolite networks and depict relevant associations between exposures and serum metabolites. In addition, the relationship of different exposure metabolite networks was estimated.
In the serum metabolite network, the different metabolite classes could be separated. There was a big group of phospholipids and acylcarnitines, a group of amino acids and C6-sugar. Amino acids were particularly positively associated with cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity. C6-sugar and acylcarnitines were positively associated with obesity and inversely with intake of whole-grain bread. Phospholipids showed opposite associations with obesity and coffee intake. Metabolite networks of coffee intake and obesity were strongly inversely correlated (body mass index (BMI): r = -0.57 and waist circumference: r = -0.59). A strong positive correlation was observed between metabolite networks of BMI and waist circumference (r = 0.99), as well as the metabolite networks of cake and cookie intake with cardiorespiratory fitness and intake of whole-grain bread (r = 0.52 and r = 0.50; respectively).
Lifestyle factors and phenotypes seem to interrelate in various metabolic pathways. A possible protective effect of coffee could be mediated via counterbalance of pathways of obesity involving hepatic phospholipids. Experimental studies should validate the biological mechanisms.
Data from a mooring array deployed from August 2002 to September 2004 are used to characterize differences in upwelling near the shelf break in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea due to varying sea ice ...conditions. The record is divided into three ice seasons: open water, partial ice, and full ice. The basic response is the same in each of the seasons. Roughly 8 h after the onset of easterly winds the shelf break jet reverses, followed approximately 10 h later by upwelling of saltier water which is cold near the shelf break (Pacific Winter Water) and warm at depth (Atlantic Water). The secondary circulation at the outer shelf is, to first order, consistent with a two‐dimensional Ekman balance of offshore flow in the upper layer and onshore flow at depth. There are, however, important seasonal differences in the upwelling. Overall the response is strongest in the partial ice season and weakest in the full ice season. It is believed that these differences are dictated by the degree to which wind stress is transmitted through the pack‐ice, as the strength of the wind‐forcing was comparable over the three seasons. An EOF‐based upwelling index is constructed using information about the primary flow, secondary flow, and hydrography. The ability to predict upwelling using the wind record alone is explored, which demonstrates that 90% of easterly wind events exceeding 9.5 m s−1 drive significant upwelling. During certain periods the ice cover on the shelf became landfast, which altered the upwelling and circulation patterns near the shelf break.
Key Points
The upwelling response is strongest during partial ice cover
Easterly winds exceeding 11 m/s always drive upwelling
Landfast ice on the shelf alters the circulation pattern and upwelling
The increase of fertility performance in sows is one of the biggest achievements in pig production over the last 30 years. Nevertheless, pig farms using artificial insemination (AI) repeatedly ...experienced in recent year's fertility problems with dramatic consequences due to toxic compounds from plastic semen bags. In particular, bisphenol A diglycidyl-ether (BADGE) present in multilayer plastic bags can leach into the semen and could affect the functionality of the spermatozoa. Former studies could not find any alterations in spermatozoa based on the exposure to BADGE. The aim of the study was to evaluate effects of BADGE on boar spermatozoa using an extended panel of spermatological methods. In spring 2019, a large drop in farrowing rates from 92.6 ± 2.3% to 63.7 ± 11.1% in four sow farms in Croatia was detected. In migration studies, BADGE could be identified as a causal toxic compound and leached into the extended semen in concentration of 0.37 ± 0.05 mg/L. Detailed spermatological studies showed that significant predictors for effects on spermatozoa were different levels of motility and kinematic data after a prolonged storage time, thermo-resistance test (prolonged incubation time), mitochondrial activity, membrane integrity and fluidity. No serious effects were observed for sperm morphology and DNA fragmentation. These results provide new insights into the development of a new quality assurance concept for a detailed spermatological examination during testing of plastic materials for boar semen preservation. It could be shown that boar spermatozoa are an excellent biosensor to detect potential toxicity and fertility-relevant compounds.
Eddy current testing is well established for non-destructive testing of electrical conductive materials 1. The development of radio frequency (RF) eddy current technology with frequency ranges up to ...100 MHz made it possible to extend the classical fields of application even towards less conductive materials like CFRP 23(Table 2). It turns out that RF eddy current technology on CFRP generates a growing number of valuable information for comprehensive material diagnostic. Both permittivity and conductivity of CFRP influence the complex impedance measured with RF eddy current devices. The electrical conductivity contains information about fiber texture like orientations, gaps or undulations in a multilayered material. The permittivity characterization influenced by dielectric properties allows the determination of local curing defects on CFRP e.g. hot spots, thermal impacts or polymer degradation. An explanation for that effect is seen in the measurement frequency range and the capacitive structure of the carbon rovings. Using radio wave frequencies for testing, the effect of displacement currents cannot be neglected anymore. The capacitive structures formed by the carbon rovings is supposed to further strengthen the dielectric influences on eddy current measurement signal 3. This report gives an overview of several realized applications and should be understood as a general introduction of CFRP testing by HF Radio Wave techniques.
Skeletal muscle loss (sarcopenia) is a major clinical complication in alcoholic cirrhosis with no effective therapy. Skeletal muscle autophagic proteolysis and myostatin expression (inhibitor of ...protein synthesis) are increased in cirrhosis and believed to contribute to anabolic resistance. A prospective study was performed to determine the mechanisms of sarcopenia in alcoholic cirrhosis and potential reversal by leucine. In six well‐compensated, stable, alcoholic patients with cirrhosis and eight controls, serial vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were obtained before and 7 hours after a single oral branched chain amino acid mixture enriched with leucine (BCAA/LEU). Primed‐constant infusion of l‐ring‐2H5‐phenylalanine was used to quantify whole‐body protein breakdown and muscle protein fractional synthesis rate using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Muscle expression of myostatin, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) targets, autophagy markers, protein ubiquitination, and the intracellular amino acid deficiency sensor general control of nutrition 2 were quantified by immunoblots and the leucine exchanger (SLC7A5) and glutamine transporter (SLC38A2), by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Following oral administration, plasma BCAA concentrations showed a similar increase in patients with cirrhosis and controls. Skeletal muscle fractional synthesis rate was 9.63 ± 0.36%/hour in controls and 9.05 ± 0.68%/hour in patients with cirrhosis (P = 0.54). Elevated whole‐body protein breakdown in patients with cirrhosis was reduced with BCAA/LEU (P = 0.01). Fasting skeletal muscle molecular markers showed increased myostatin expression, impaired mTOR signaling, and increased autophagy in patients with cirrhosis compared to controls (P < 0.01). The BCAA/LEU supplement did not alter myostatin expression, but mTOR signaling, autophagy measures, and general control of nutrition 2 activation were consistently reversed in cirrhotic muscle (P < 0.01). Expression of SLC7A5 was higher in the basal state in patients with cirrhosis than controls (P < 0.05) but increased with BCAA/LEU only in controls (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Impaired mTOR1 signaling and increased autophagy in skeletal muscle of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis is acutely reversed by BCAA/LEU. (Hepatology 2015;61:2018‐2029)
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