Sex and Depot Differences in Palmitoleic Acid Content of Human Blood and Fat

Palmitoleic acid has been classified as an insulin-sensitizing lipokine, but evidence for this from human studies has been inconsistent. We hypothesized that this is related to either the types of samples or conditions under which samples are collected. We measured plasma palmitoleic acid and total free fatty acids (FFA) using ultra-performance liquid chromatography in blood samples collected from 34 adults under a variety of conditions. We collected duplicate samples of adipose (n = 10), FFA (n = 9), and very low density lipoprotein triacylglycerol (VLDL-TAG) (n = 7) to measure the palmitoleic acid as a percentage of total fatty acids. We tested whether the percentage of palmitoleic acid was correlated with insulin resistance, as measured by homeostatic model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Adipose stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1 (SCD-1) protein was measured by capillary Western blotting. FFA-palmitoleic acid percentage increased as a function of total FFA and was greater (p < 0.005) in females than males. Adipose palmitoleic acid percentage was greater in females than males (p < 0.001), as was adipose SCD-1. Palmitoleic acid was greater in femoral fat than in abdominal fat in both females and males (p < 0.001), and correlated positively with HOMA-IR only in females. The test–retest reliability values for percentage palmitoleic acid were 7 ± 10% for adipose, 24 ± 26% for VLDL, and 53 ± 31% for FFA. Because FFA-palmitoleic acid percentage varies as a function of total FFA, investigators should re-evaluate how palmitoleic acid data is presented. The positive relationship between adipose palmitoleic acid and HOMA-IR in females suggests that it is not a potent insulin-sensitizing lipokine in humans.     

Selective Hydrogenation of Biomass-Derived Succinic Acid: Reaction Network and Kinetics

The conversion of bio-based succinic acid (SA) to the value-added chemicals 1,4-butanediol (BDO), γ-butyrolactone (GBL), and tetrahydrofuran (THF) can replace the corresponding petrochemical production routes to achieve a sustainable process. The reaction network for aqueous-phase catalytic hydrogenation of succinic acid over a supported Re-Pd catalyst was identified and the reaction kinetics was determined. With the developed kinetic model, the composition of the product mixture regarding the desired products (BDO, GBL, THF) can be described as a function of educt concentration, temperature, and pressure. The maximum BDO yield was achieved at high pressure and low temperature, while low pressure and high temperature favored GBL and THF production.     

Effects of Ketone Bodies on Brain Metabolism and Function in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Under normal physiological conditions the brain primarily utilizes glucose for ATP generation. However, in situations where glucose is sparse, e.g., during prolonged fasting, ketone bodies become an important energy source for the brain. The brain’s utilization of ketones seems to depend mainly on the concentration in the blood, thus many dietary approaches such as ketogenic diets, ingestion of ketogenic medium-chain fatty acids or exogenous ketones, facilitate significant changes in the brain’s metabolism. Therefore, these approaches may ameliorate the energy crisis in neurodegenerative diseases, which are characterized by a deterioration of the brain’s glucose metabolism, providing a therapeutic advantage in these diseases. Most clinical studies examining the neuroprotective role of ketone bodies have been conducted in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, where brain imaging studies support the notion of enhancing brain energy metabolism with ketones. Likewise, a few studies show modest functional improvements in patients with Parkinson’s disease and cognitive benefits in patients with—or at risk of—Alzheimer’s disease after ketogenic interventions. Here, we summarize current knowledge on how ketogenic interventions support brain metabolism and discuss the therapeutic role of ketones in neurodegenerative disease, emphasizing clinical data.     

Sustaining Reforms in Water Service Delivery: the Role of Service Quality,Salience, Trust and Financial Viability

Water Resources Management - The long-term success of water service reforms depends on sufficient revenues being collected from users to allow access to be extended and quality of service to be...     

Glycogen content, buffering capacity and resting pH in live muscles of pigs of different halothane genotypes (a pilot project)

The development of PSE (pale, soft and exudative) meat is characterized by a rapid decrease in pH post-mortem and/or a low ultimate pH. We investigated some physiological properties of the live muscle (the glycogen content, the non-bicarbonate buffering capacity and 'resting pH'), which could influence both the decrease in pH and the ultimate pH. Measurements were performed on three halothane genotypes, hal(N)hal(N), hal(N)hal(n) and hal(n)hal(n), with their known predispositions for PSE meat. It was demonstrated that the glycogen content in both the groups of double recessive and heterozygous individuals was higher than the levels in the group of homozygous dominant pigs. No difference was found in non-bicarbonate buffering capacity between the groups. The groups with the highest glycogen levels also had the lowest 'resting pH' values. The results indicate that measurement of glycogen content in vivo may be superior to the halothane test in detecting PSE-prone individuals. The lower pH values of carriers of the hal(n) gene further indicate that the characteristic rapid decrease after slaughter may not be as fast as generally accepted, as even very low pH values can be observed in the muscles of live pigs.     

Non-targeted screening for contaminants in paper and board food-contact materials using effect-directed analysis and accurate mass spectrometry

Due to large knowledge gaps in chemical composition and toxicological data for substances involved, paper and board food-contact materials (P&B FCM) have been emerging as a FCM type of particular concern for consumer safety. This study describes the development of a step-by-step strategy, including extraction, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fractionation, tentative identification of relevant substances and in vitro testing of selected tentatively identified substances. As a case study, we used two fractions from a recycled pizza box sample which exhibited aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activity. These fractions were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and ultra-HPLC (UHPLC) coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometers (QTOF MS) in order tentatively to identify substances. The elemental composition was determined for peaks above a threshold, and compared with entries in a commercial mass spectral library for GC-MS (GC-EI-QTOF MS) analysis and an in-house built library of accurate masses for substances known to be used in P&B packaging for UHPLC-QTOF analysis. Of 75 tentatively identified substances, 15 were initially selected for further testing in vitro; however, only seven were commercially available and subsequently tested in vitro and quantified. Of these seven, the identities of three pigments found in printing inks were confirmed by UHPLC tandem mass spectrometry (QqQ MS/MS). Two pigments had entries in the database, meaning that a material relevant accurate mass database can provide a fast tentative identification. Pure standards of the seven tentatively identified substances were tested in vitro but could not explain a significant proportion of the AhR-response in the extract. Targeted analyses of dioxins and PCBs, both well-known AhR agonists, was performed. However, the dioxins could explain approximately 3% of the activity observed in the pizza box extract indicating that some very AhR active substance(s) still remain to be identified in recycled low quality P&B.     

Synthesis of Brightly PEGylated Luminescent Magnetic Upconversion Nanophosphors for Deep Tissue and Dual MRI Imaging

A method is developed to fabricate monodispersed biocompatible Yb/Er or Yb/Tm doped β‐NaGdF₄ upconversion phosphors using polyelectrolytes to prevent irreversible particle aggregation during conversion of the precursor, Gd₂O(CO₃)₂?H₂O:Yb/Er or Yb/Tm, to β‐NaGdF₄:Yb/Er or Yb/Tm. The polyelectrolyte on the outer surface of nanophosphors also provided an amine tag for PEGylation. This method is also employed to fabricate PEGylated magnetic upconversion phosphors with Fe₃O₄ as the core and β‐NaGdF₄ as a shell. These magnetic upconversion nanophosphors have relatively high saturation magnetization (7.0 emu g^?1) and magnetic susceptibility (1.7 × 10^?2 emu g^?1 Oe^?1), providing them with large magnetophoretic mobilities. The magnetic properties for separation and controlled release in flow, their optical properties for cell labeling, deep tissue imaging, and their T₁‐ and T₂‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) relaxivities are studied. The magnetic upconversion phosphors display both strong magnetophoresis, dual MRI imaging (r₁ = 2.9 mM^?1 s^?1, r₂ = 204 mM^?1 s^?1), and bright luminescence under 1 cm chicken breast tissue.     

Effect of milk allowance on concentrate intake, ruminal environment, and ruminal development in milk-fed Holstein calves

The aim of the present experiment was to test the hypothesis that a barley-based concentrate would induce an acidic ruminal environment in young calves and that increased milk allowance would alleviate this condition. Eight Holstein calves ruminally cannulated at d 7 ± 1 of age were used to study the effect of variation in barley-based starter concentrate intake induced by 4 different milk allowances (3.10, 4.84, 6.60, and 8.34 kg of milk replacer/d; 123 g of dry matter/kg of milk) on the ruminal environment, blood variables, and fore-stomach development from wk 2 to 5 of age. Twelve ruminal fluid samples were collected during a weekly 24-h sampling in 4 consecutive weeks. Blood samples were collected by venipuncture between 1200 and 1300 h on ruminal sampling days. Rumen papillae development and visceral organ mass were recorded at slaughter. A linear treatment × week effect was observed for concentrate intake, with the calves fed the lowest milk allowance having the fastest increase in concentrate intake whereby these calves reached the same ME intake in wk 5 compared with calves with the highest milk allowance. Effects on ruminal variables were dominated by week of sampling, with minor differences among treatments. Ruminal pH was below 5.5 for 5 to 13 h/d and all calves with concentrate intake above 20 g of dry matter/d were observed to have a daily ruminal pH minimum at pH 5.5 or lower. The ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acids (VFA) increased from 71 to 133 ± 9 mmol/L in wk 2 to 5 and was characterized by a relatively high molar proportion of propionate, increasing from 34 to 40 mol/100 mol of VFA in wk 2 to 5. In addition, the presence of ethanol and propanol as well as numerous VFA esters points to a ruminal environment with a relatively high hydrogen pressure. Plasma glucose and insulin responded to the highest milk allowance in wk 2 to 4. Plasma VFA and ketone bodies increased with the lowest milk allowance in wk 4 to 5. At slaughter, empty wet weights of the rumen + reticulum and omasum as well as mass of digesta in these compartments were found to decrease linearly and perirenal fat was found to increase linearly with milk allowance, indicating that the milk allowance changed the body composition of the calves. Lengths of ruminal papillae in the atrium and ventral ruminal sac were not affected by treatment. We concluded that the ruminal environment of young calves fed a barley-based starter concentrate was characterized by a low ruminal pH and high VFA concentration regardless of the milk allowance.     

Development and preliminary evaluation of a pediatric measure of community integration: The Pediatric Community Participation Questionnaire (PCPQ).

Objective: To develop and evaluate a new pediatric measure of community integration: the Pediatric Community Participation Questionnaire (PCPQ). Participants: 105 youths with physical disabilities. Measures: In addition to the PCPQ, demographic and disability-related questions and the Functional Disability Inventory (FDI) were administered. Results: The PCPQ demonstrated convergent validity through its high association with functional ability, discriminant validity through its ability to discriminate between ambulatory and nonambulatory participants, and excellent internal consistency. Conclusions: Community participation, an important component of positive overall development, may be particularly important for youths with physical disabilities. The findings from this study provide preliminary support for the validity and reliability of the PCPQ, supporting its use as a measure of community participation with this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)