Abstract Objective To review systematically the evidence for an effect of long chain and shorter chain omega 3 fatty acids on total mortality, cardiovascular events, and cancer. Data sources ...Electronic databases searched to February 2002; authors contacted and bibliographies of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) checked to locate studies. Review methods Review of RCTs of omega 3 intake for 3 6 months in adults (with or without risk factors for cardiovascular disease) with data on a relevant outcome. Cohort studies that estimated omega 3 intake and related this to clinical outcome during at least 6 months were also included. Application of inclusion criteria, data extraction, and quality assessments were performed independently in duplicate. Results Of 15 159 titles and abstracts assessed, 48 RCTs (36 913 participants) and 41 cohort studies were analysed. The trial results were inconsistent. The pooled estimate showed no strong evidence of reduced risk of total mortality (relative risk 0.87, 95% confidence interval 0.73 to 1.03) or combined cardiovascular events (0.95, 0.82 to 1.12) in participants taking additional omega 3 fats. The few studies at low risk of bias were more consistent, but they showed no effect of omega 3 on total mortality (0.98, 0.70 to 1.36) or cardiovascular events (1.09, 0.87 to 1.37). When data from the subgroup of studies of long chain omega 3 fats were analysed separately, total mortality (0.86, 0.70 to 1.04; 138 events) and cardiovascular events (0.93, 0.79 to 1.11) were not clearly reduced. Neither RCTs nor cohort studies suggested increased risk of cancer with a higher intake of omega 3 (trials: 1.07, 0.88 to 1.30; cohort studies: 1.02, 0.87 to 1.19), but clinically important harm could not be excluded. Conclusion Long chain and shorter chain omega 3 fats do not have a clear effect on total mortality, combined cardiovascular events, or cancer.
Low serum sodium concentration is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with cirrhosis, but its prevalence and clinical significance is unclear. To evaluate prospectively the prevalence ...of low serum sodium concentration and the association between serum sodium levels and severity of ascites and complications of cirrhosis, prospective data were collected on 997 consecutive patients from 28 centers in Europe, North and South America, and Asia for a period of 28 days. The prevalence of low serum sodium concentration as defined by a serum sodium concentration ≤135 mmol/L, ≤130 mmol/L, ≤125 mmol/L, and ≤120 mmol/L was 49.4%, 21.6%, 5.7%, and 1.2%, respectively. The prevalence of low serum sodium levels (<135 mmol/L) was high in both inpatients and outpatients (57% and 40%, respectively). The existence of serum sodium <135 mmol/L was associated with severe ascites, as indicated by high prevalence of refractory ascites, large fluid accumulation rate, frequent use of large‐volume paracentesis, and impaired renal function, compared with normal serum sodium levels. Moreover, low serum sodium levels were also associated with greater frequency of hepatic encephalopathy, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and hepatorenal syndrome, but not gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients with serum sodium <130 mmol/L had the greatest frequency of these complications, but the frequency was also increased in patients with mild reduction in serum sodium levels (131‐135 mmol/L). In conclusion, low serum sodium levels in cirrhosis are associated with severe ascites and high frequency of hepatic encephalopathy, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and hepatorenal syndrome. (HEPATOLOGY 2006;44:1535–1542.)
Particle water and pH are predicted using meteorological observations (relative humidity (RH), temperature (T)), gas/particle composition, and thermodynamic modeling (ISORROPIA-II). A comprehensive ...uncertainty analysis is included, and the model is validated. We investigate mass concentrations of particle water and related particle pH for ambient fine-mode aerosols sampled in a relatively remote Alabama forest during the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) in summer and at various sites in the southeastern US during different seasons, as part of the Southeastern Center for Air Pollution and Epidemiology (SCAPE) study. Particle water and pH are closely linked; pH is a measure of the particle H+ aqueous concentration and depends on both the presence of ions and amount of particle liquid water. Levels of particle water, in turn, are determined through water uptake by both the ionic species and organic compounds. Thermodynamic calculations based on measured ion concentrations can predict both pH and liquid water but may be biased since contributions of organic species to liquid water are not considered. In this study, contributions of both the inorganic and organic fractions to aerosol liquid water were considered, and predictions were in good agreement with measured liquid water based on differences in ambient and dry light scattering coefficients (prediction vs. measurement: slope = 0.91, intercept = 0.5 μg m−3, R2 = 0.75). ISORROPIA-II predictions were confirmed by good agreement between predicted and measured ammonia concentrations (slope = 1.07, intercept = −0.12 μg m−3, R2 = 0.76). Based on this study, organic species on average contributed 35% to the total water, with a substantially higher contribution (50%) at night. However, not including contributions of organic water had a minor effect on pH (changes pH by 0.15 to 0.23 units), suggesting that predicted pH without consideration of organic water could be sufficient for the purposes of aqueous secondary organic aerosol (SOA) chemistry. The mean pH predicted in the Alabama forest (SOAS) was 0.94 ± 0.59 (median 0.93). pH diurnal trends followed liquid water and were driven mainly by variability in RH; during SOAS nighttime pH was near 1.5, while daytime pH was near 0.5. pH ranged from 0.5 to 2 in summer and 1 to 3 in the winter at other sites. The systematically low pH levels in the southeast may have important ramifications, such as significantly influencing acid-catalyzed reactions, gas–aerosol partitioning, and mobilization of redox metals and minerals. Particle ion balances or molar ratios, often used to infer pH, do not consider the dissociation state of individual ions or particle liquid water levels and do not correlate with particle pH.
The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine whether strength-matched men and women exhibit a different magnitude and ratio of leg muscle activity during a maximal voluntary isometric ...squat. The secondary purpose was to assess the effect of normalization method on differences in strength between men and women. Thirty-two men (n = 16) and women (n = 16) were successfully strength-matched (≤10% difference) by maximal force produced during an isometric squat (IS) when normalized to body weight. Subjects first performed a maximal isometric knee extension (IKE) and knee flexion (IKF) followed by the IS and muscle activity (EMG
) was recorded for the vastus medialis (VMO), vastus lateralis (VL), semitendinosus (ST) and biceps femoris (BF). Muscle activity during the IS was expressed relative to the maximums observed during the IKE and IKF (%EMG
). The results indicate that VMO, VL, ST and BF %EMG
were not significantly different (
> 0.05) between men and women during the IS (Men VMO = 136.7 ± 24.9%, Women VMO = 157.1 ± 59.8%, Men VL = 126.2 ± 38.2%, Women VL = 128.1 ± 35.5%, Men ST = 25.5 ± 13.6%, Women ST = 25.2 ± 21.8%, Men BF = 46.1 ± 26.0%, Women BF = 42.2 ± 24.8%). Furthermore, the VMO:VL and hamstring to quadriceps (H:Q) %EMG
ratio were not significantly different between groups in the IS (Men VMO:VL = 1.15 ± 0.28, Women VMO:VL = 1.22 ± 0.26, Men H:Q = 0.28 ± 0.14, Women H:Q = 0.24 ± 0.20). This investigation indicates that the magnitude of muscle activity and the ratios examined are not significantly different between men and women in a maximal voluntary isometric squat when matched for normalized strength. Future investigations should consider subject strength and normalization procedures in the experimental design to elucidate possible sex differences in neuromuscular performance capabilities.
Previous workers have demonstrated the utility of optoelectronically pulsed antennas to make broadband microwave measurements of the dielectric properties of relatively low loss materials. Here the ...authors present an extension of the analysis technique that allows measurements to be made on highly absorptive samples. Experimental results for water in the 10-70 GHz frequency range are presented, error sources analyzed, and results compared with measurements made with a different technique.< >
The MAJORANA Project Aalseth, C E; Amman, M; Amsbaugh, J F ...
Journal of physics. Conference series,
01/2010, Letnik:
203, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The MAJORANA Project, a neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment is described with an emphasis on the choice of Ge-detector configuration.
This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial determined if ingestion of a supplement containing a tomato complex with lycopene, phytoene, and phytofluene (T-LPP) and other ...compounds for 4 weeks would attenuate inflammation, muscle damage, and oxidative stress postexercise and during recovery from a 2-hr running bout that included 30 min of -10% downhill running. Study participants ingested the T-LPP supplement or placebo with the evening meal for 4 weeks prior to running 2 hr at high intensity. Blood samples and delayed onset muscle soreness ratings were taken pre- and post-4-week supplementation, and immediately following the 2-hr run, and then 1-hr, 24-hr, and 48-hr postrun. After a 2-week washout period, participants crossed over to the opposite treatment and repeated all procedures. Plasma lycopene, phytoene, and phytofluene increased significantly in T-LPP compared with placebo (p < .001 for each). Significant time effects were shown for serum creatine kinase, delayed onset muscle soreness, C-reactive protein, myoglobin, 9- and 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids, ferric reducing ability of plasma, and six plasma cytokines (p < .001 for each). The pattern of increase for serum myoglobin differed between T-LPP and placebo (interaction effect, p = .016, with lower levels in T-LPP), but not for creatine kinase, delayed onset muscle soreness, C-reactive protein, the six cytokines, 9- and 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids, and ferric reducing ability of plasma. No significant time or interaction effects were measured for plasma-oxidized low-density lipoprotein or serum 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. In summary, supplementation with T-LPP over a 4-week period increased plasma carotenoid levels 73% and attenuated postexercise increases in the muscle damage biomarker myoglobin, but not inflammation and oxidative stress.
To investigate the molecular basis of the emergence of Aeromonas hydrophila responsible for an epidemic outbreak of motile aeromonad septicemia of catfish in the Southeastern United States, we ...sequenced 11 A. hydrophila isolates that includes five reference and six recent epidemic isolates. Comparative genomics revealed that recent epidemic A. hydrophila isolates are highly clonal, whereas reference isolates are greatly diverse. We identified 55 epidemic-associated genetic regions with 313 predicted genes that are present in epidemic isolates but absent from reference isolates and 35% of these regions are located within genomic islands, suggesting their acquisition through lateral gene transfer. The epidemic-associated regions encode predicted prophage elements, pathogenicity islands, metabolic islands, fitness islands and genes of unknown functions, and 34 of the genes encoded in these regions were predicted as virulence factors. We found two pilus biogenesis gene clusters encoded within predicted pathogenicity islands. A functional metabolic island that encodes a complete pathway for myo -inositol catabolism was evident by the ability of epidemic A. hydrophila isolates to use myo -inositol as a sole carbon source. Testing of A. hydrophila field isolates found a consistent correlation between myo -inositol utilization as a sole carbon source and the presence of an epidemic-specific genetic marker. All epidemic isolates and one reference isolate shared a novel O-antigen cluster. Altogether we identified four different O-antigen biosynthesis gene clusters within the 11 sequenced A. hydrophila genomes. Our study reveals new insights into the evolutionary changes that have resulted in the emergence of recent epidemic A. hydrophila strains.
Few studies of kinship in mammalian societies have been able to consider the complex interactions between home range overlap, association patterns and kinship, which have created a critical gap in ...our understanding of social evolution. We investigated the association patterns of female bottlenose dolphins,
Tursiops aduncus, in the eastern gulf of Shark Bay, Western Australia and found that they depended upon the complex interplay of at least three factors: home range overlap, matrilineal kinship and biparental kinship. While home range overlap was positively correlated with female association patterns, preferred associations were found between females showing as little as 27% home range overlap, and some pairs showed avoidance despite 100% home range overlap. Furthermore, on average, both casual and preferred associations took place between females that were more closely biparentally related than expected by chance and this pattern varied depending upon whether or not pairs of females shared the same matriline.
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