Role of lipids in development of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: Lessons learned from pima indians

We studied the role of lipids in the pathogenesis of nonlinsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in Pima Indians. High plasma levels of nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) predicted development of NIDDM, but this effect cannot entirely be explained by the glucose-fatty acid cycle. Dyslipidemia, although often associated with diabetes, did not seem to predict NIDDM, and might rather be associated with or the consequence of insulin resistance. In some individuals, a single amino acid substitution in the intestinal fatty acid binding protein could result, in increased rates of intestinal absorption of dietary NEFA and thereby contribute to increased lipid-oxidation rates and insulin resistance.     

Preliminary study on suspension plasma sprayed ZrO2 + 8 wt.% Y2O3 coatings

ZrO₂ + 8 wt.% Y₂O₃ powder of a mean diameter d_VS = 38 μm was milled to obtain fine particles having mean size of d_VS = 1 μm. The fine powder was used to formulate a suspension with water, ethanol and their mixtures. The zeta potential of obtained suspensions was measured and found out to be in the range from −22 to −2 mV depending on suspension formulation. The suspension was injected through a nozzle into plasma jet and sprayed onto stainless steel substrates. The plasma spray experimental parameters included two variables: (i) spray distance varying from 40 to 60 mm and (ii) torch linear speed varying from 300 to 500 mm/s. The microstructure of obtained coatings was characterized with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The coatings had porosity in the range from 10% to 17% and the main crystal phase was tetragonal zirconium oxide. The scratch test enabled to find the critical load in the range of 9-11 N. Finally, thermal diffusivity of the samples at room temperature, determined by thermographic method, was in the range from 2.95 × 10⁻⁷ to 3.79 × 10⁻⁷ m²/s what corresponds to thermal conductivities of 0.69 W/(mK) and 0.97 W/(mK) respectively.     

Reversible binding of oxygen to aromatic compounds

Many polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are able to trap singlet oxygen (1)O(2). Some of the endoperoxides, thus obtained, exhibit the exceptional feature of releasing oxygen, frequently in the excited singlet state, under heating or UV irradiation. In this Account, we provide a short summary of the present knowledge on these endoperoxides: preparation and thermal and photolytic decomposition, with a special emphasis on the structural requirements to favor cycloreversion. The profitable use of this property in the development of highly reversible photochromic systems and of specific sources or traps of (1)O(2) in aqueous media is also described.     

Synthesis of La2−xNiO4+δ oxides by polymeric route: non-stoichoimetry control

The synthesis of La_2−xNiO_4+δ oxides has been done via a polymeric route. This method allows the preparation of a wide range of non-stoichoimetry values. Oxides with values as high as 0.25 have been synthesised. Correlations between processing parameters such as sol composition and heat treatment have been done with structural and microstructural properties of the oxides. In our synthesis conditions, the higher the mean grain size, the higher the non-stoichoimetry level.

Transmission electron microscopy on these oxides has shown that whatever the non-stoichoimetry level, the extra-oxygen arranges in the structure according to two superstructures which correspond to δ=0.25 and δ=0.17. This shows that our grains consist of a mixture of these compositions.     

Subnational nutrient budgets to monitor environmental risks in EU agriculture: calculating phosphorus budgets for 243 EU28 regions using public data

This paper presents a method to estimate soil surface phosphorus (P) budgets for 243 subnational regions in EU28. This is about the maximum spatial resolution that can be achieved mainly using international datasets that are regularly updated. Similar subnational budgets could be established for nitrogen (N) with some additions to this method. Increasing the spatial resolution from national to subnational is one way to address the well-known issue that national nutrient budgets sometimes mask considerable heterogeneity, i.e., regional surpluses and deficits that are not seen in national averages. Our results indeed show how a rich structure of different P budgets emerges when moving from national to subnational level. Another approach is to exclude the most extensively managed areas from the budgets, to better represent the surplus in intensive agriculture areas. Here, we show that both approaches are useful and sometimes important as they can affect P surplus estimates by about 10 kg P ha^??1 y^??1 or more. The choice of spatial resolution is a trade-off between accuracy and precision. National budgets are the most accurate thanks to good data coverage, but they sometimes fail to identify considerable P surpluses and deficits at subnational level. Increasing the precision (spatial resolution) gradually reveals this heterogeneity but comes at the cost of growing data gaps, which we discuss in detail. These subnational P surpluses represent a middle ground which may prove useful as one indicator among others to monitor the development of environmental risks and resource problems over time.

     

The Relationships Among Part-Time Work, Work-Family Interference, and Well-Being.

The authors investigated the effect of part-time work on work-family interference and well-being among 160 part-time and 29 full-time employed mothers (with a partner) working at 2 insurance companies in the Netherlands. The authors controlled for working part time as a strategy for reducing work-family imbalance and found that part-time work was associated with a lower level of work-to-family interference. Also, high levels of work-family interference were associated with diminished well-being. Work-to-family interference played a mediating role in the relationship between part-time work and well-being. Results indicate that part-time jobs can enhance the work-family balance not only for those explicitly choosing part-time employment as a means to reduce work-family imbalance but also for other employees. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)