Invited review: Potential antiobesity effect of fermented dairy products

The growing prevalence of obesity affects millions of people around the world and has gained increased attention over the years because it is associated with the development of other chronic degenerative diseases. Different organizations recommend lifestyle changes to treat obesity; nevertheless, other strategies in addition to lifestyle changes have recently been suggested. One of these strategies is the use of probiotics in fermented dairy products; however, a need exists to review the different studies available related to the potential antiobesity effect of these products. Because probiotic fermented dairy products that support weight management are not available in the market, there is a great opportunity for the development of functional dairy products with new lactic acid bacteria that may present this added health benefit. Thus, the purpose of this overview is to highlight the importance of probiotic fermented dairy products as potential antiobesogenic functional foods and present in vitro and in vivo studies required before this kind of product may be introduced to the market. Overall, most studies attributed the antiobesity effect of fermented dairy foods to the probiotic strains present; however, bioactive peptides released during milk fermentation may also be responsible for this effect.     

Acculturation, sexual risk taking, and HIV health promotion among Latinas.

Latinas are nearly 3 times more likely to acquire AIDS than other women in the United States. It is critical to understand this vulnerability and to identify predictors of risk. Structural equation models were used to test predictors, mediators (including components of the health belief model), and sex-related outcomes and behavior. Interview data were collected from a random, cross-sectional community sample of 227 sexually active Latinas (M age?=?32 years). Acculturation was associated with higher HIV-related risks within primary relationships. Older Latinas were less likely than younger Latinas to make behavior changes or use barrier methods of contraception to prevent HIV, and they had higher rates of unintended pregnancies. Marriage was related to greater relationship risk and less behavior change. Theoretical models must account for ethnicity, race, and culture to understand better unwanted sexual outcomes for Latinas, including HIV risks. Strategies are needed that specifically address these issues in HIV prevention and counseling programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Romantic love and sexual desire in close relationships.

Drawing on recent claims in the study of relationships, attachment, and emotion, the authors hypothesized that romantic love serves a commitment-related function and sexual desire a reproduction-related function. Consistent with these claims, in Study 1, brief experiences of romantic love and sexual desire observed in a 3-min interaction between romantic partners were related to distinct feeling states, distinct nonverbal displays, and commitment- and reproductive-related relationship outcomes, respectively. In Study 2, the nonverbal display of romantic love was related to the release of oxytocin. Discussion focuses on the place of romantic love and sexual desire in the literature on emotion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stability of strained quantum-well field-effect transistorstructures

Conditions for stability of strained-layer structures and their implications for device fabrication are examined. Structures which have exhibited the best performance to date are found to be thermodynamically metastable (or at best marginally stable) structures, which will restrict the processing steps permissible in the integration of these devices to form complex circuits     

The effect of clonidine on cerebral blood flow velocity, carbon dioxide cerebral vasoreactivity, and response to increased arterial pressure in human volunteers

BACKGROUND: Because patients may be taking clonidine chronically or may be receiving it as a premedication before surgery, the authors investigated its effect on cerebral hemodynamics. METHODS: In nine volunteers, middle cerebral artery mean blood flow velocity (Vm) was measured using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD). CO2 vasoreactivity was measured before clonidine administration (preclonidine), 90 min after clonidine, 5 microg/kg orally, then following restoration of mean arterial pressure (MAP) to the preclonidine level. In addition, Vm was measured after a phenylephrine-induced 30-mmHg increase in MAP. RESULTS: After clonidine administration, Vm decreased from 62 +/- 9 to 48 +/- 8 cm/s (P < 0.01), and MAP decreased from 86 +/- 10 to 63 +/- 5 mmHg (P < 0.01; mean +/- SD). Clonidine decreased the CO2 vasoreactivity slope from 2.2 +/- 0.4 to 1.2 +/- 0.5 cm x s(-1) x mmHg(-1) (P < 0.05); restoring MAP to the preclonidine level increased the slope to 1.60 +/- 0.5 cm x s(-1) x mmHg(-1), still less than the preclonidine slope (P < 0.05). CO2 vasoreactivity expressed as a percentage change in Vm, decreased after clonidine, 3.5 +/- 0.8 versus 2.4 +/- 0.8 %/mmHg (P < 0.05); this difference disappeared after restoration of MAP, 3.1 +/- 1.2 %/mmHg. With a 30-mmHg increase in MAP, Vm increased by 13% before and after clonidine (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Clonidine, 5 microg/kg orally, decreases Vm and slightly attenuates cerebral CO2 vasoreactivity, therefore decreased cerebral blood flow and mildly attenuated CO2 vasoreactivity should be anticipated.     

Management of retinal vein occlusion

Retinal vein occlusion is a common cause of visual loss. The clinical features, pathogenesis, aetiology and management of this condition are presented and discussed. It is an advantage to involve both the physician and the ophthalmologist in the management of the condition.     

Expression, purification and crystallization of penicillin G acylase from Escherichia coli ATCC 11105

The penicillin acylase gene (pac) from Escherichia coli ATCC11105 was cloned into pUC 9 and the resulting vector (pUPA-9),when transformed into E.coli strain 5K, allowed the constitutiveoverproduction of mature penicillin acylase when grown at 28°C.The enzyme ws purified from the periplasmic fraction of E.colipUPA-9 by hydrophobic interaction chromatography and anion exchange.Crystals of penicillin acylase were grown in batch using polyethyleneglycol 8000 as a precipitant. The crystals (space group P1)diffracted to beyond 2.3 Å.     

The Global Infrastructure Turn and Urban Practice

Abstract

This paper assesses the emergence of a global ‘infrastructure turn’ and its implications for urban scholarship. The global infrastructure turn involves the emergence of a coordinated effort to stimulated infrastructure development at the national and global level via an array of international frameworks. The key elements of this shift are described and explanations are presented, which are founded in the working out of contradictions within global capitalist urbanization. The need for urbanists to attend to the global infrastructure turn is emphasised, and a set of elements to which attention must be given – discourse, technical practices and politics – is described. The paper concludes by arguing for greater attention to the global infrastructure turn by urban scholars.