Effectiveness of intervention on physical activity of children: systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials with objectively measured outcomes (EarlyBird 54).

addresses: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, Plymouth University Campus, Plymouth, UK. [email protected]: Journal Article; Meta-Analysis; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; ReviewCopyright © 2012 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. This articles was first published in: BMJ, 2012, Vol. 345, pp. e5888 -To determine whether, and to what extent, physical activity interventions affect the overall activity levels of children

An Optimal Design for Universal Multiport Interferometers

Universal multiport interferometers, which can be programmed to implement any linear transformation between multiple channels, are emerging as a powerful tool for both classical and quantum photonics. These interferometers are typically composed of a regular mesh of beam splitters and phase shifters, allowing for straightforward fabrication using integrated photonic architectures and ready scalability. The current, standard design for universal multiport interferometers is based on work by Reck et al (Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 58, 1994). We demonstrate a new design for universal multiport interferometers based on an alternative arrangement of beam splitters and phase shifters, which outperforms that by Reck et al. Our design occupies half the physical footprint of the Reck design and is significantly more robust to optical losses.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

The combined absence of NF-kappa B1 and c-Rel reveals that overlapping roles for these transcription factors in the B cell lineage are restricted to the activation and function of mature cells

Transcription factors NF-KB1 and c-Rel, individually dispensable during embryogenesis, serve similar, yet distinct, roles in the function of mature hemopoietic cells. Redundancy among Rel/ NF-KB family members prompted an examination of the combined roles of c-Rel and NF-KB1 by using mice that lack both proteins. Embryonic development and the maturation of hemopoietic progenitors were unaffected in nfkb1(-/-)c-rel(-/-) mice. Peripheral T cell populations developed normally, but follicular, marginal zone, and CD5(+) peritoneal B cell populations all were reduced. In culture, a failure of mitogen-stimulated nfkb1(-/-)c-rel(-/-) B cells to proliferate was caused by a cell cycle defect in early G(1) that prevented growth. In vivo, defects in humoral immunity and splenic architecture seen in nfkbl(-/-) and c-rel(-/-) mice were exacerbated in the double mutant mice. These findings demonstrate that in the B lineage overlapping roles for NF-K81 and c-Rel appear to be restricted to regulating the activation and function of mature cells

Genetic, Biochemical, and Molecular Characterization of Methanosarcina barkeri Mutants Lacking Three Distinct Classes of Hydrogenase

The methanogenic archaeon Methanosarcina barkeri encodes three distinct types of hydrogenase, whose functions vary depending on the growth substrate. These include the F_(420)-dependent (Frh), methanophenazine-dependent (Vht), and ferredoxin-dependent (Ech) hydrogenases. To investigate their physiological roles, we characterized a series of mutants lacking each hydrogenase in various combinations. Mutants lacking Frh, Vht, or Ech in any combination failed to grow on H_2-CO_2, whereas only Vht and Ech were essential for growth on acetate. In contrast, a mutant lacking all three grew on methanol with a final growth yield similar to that of the wild type and produced methane and CO2 in the expected 3:1 ratio but had a ca. 33% lower growth rate. Thus, hydrogenases play a significant, but nonessential, role during growth on this substrate. As previously observed, mutants lacking Ech failed to grow on methanol-H_2 unless they were supplemented with biosynthetic precursors. Interestingly, this phenotype was abolished in the Δech Δfrh and Δech Δfrh Δvht mutants, consistent with the idea that hydrogenases inhibit methanol oxidation in the presence of H_2, which prevents production of the reducing equivalents needed for biosynthesis. Quantification of the methane and CO_2 produced from methanol by resting cell suspensions of various mutants supported this conclusion. On the basis of the global transcriptional profiles, none of the hydrogenases were upregulated to compensate for the loss of the others. However, the transcript levels of the F_(420) dehydrogenase operon were significantly higher in all strains lacking frh, suggesting a mechanism to sense the redox state of F_(420). The roles of the hydrogenases in energy conservation during growth with each methanogenic pathway are discussed

Shallow currents along the northeastern coast of South America

It has generally been considered that the Guiana Current carries South Atlantic Central water in an uninterrupted flow along the northeastern coast of South America and then into the Caribbean Sea. Certain phenomena observed in the western tropical Atlantic and in the Caribbean indicate that the picture is not that simple...