3,911 research outputs found
Human amylase gene copy number variation as a determinant of metabolic state
Introduction
Humans have multiple genes encoding amylase that are broadly divided into salivary (AMY1) and pancreatic (AMY2) genes. They exhibit some of the greatest copy numbers of any human gene, an expansion possibly driven by increased dietary starch intake. Within the population, amylase gene copy number is highly variable and there is evidence of an inverse association between AMY1 copy number and BMI.
Areas covered
We examine the evidence for the link between AMY1 and BMI, its potential mechanisms, and the metabolic effects of salivary and pancreatic amylase, both in the gastrointestinal tract and the blood.
Expert commentary
Salivary amylase may influence postprandial âcephalic phaseâ insulin release, which improves glucose tolerance, while serum amylase may have insulin-sensitizing properties. This could explain the favorable metabolic status associated with higher AMY1 copy number. The association with BMI is harder to explain and is potentially mediated by increased flux of undigested starch into the ileum, with resultant effects on short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), changes in gut microbiota and effects on appetite and energy expenditure in those with low copy number. Future research on the role of amylase as a determinant of metabolic health and BMI may lead to novel therapies to target obesity
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This study investigated a method of removing algae by energizing a metal electrode plate set in water containing abnormally proliferated algae. As algae have negative charge in water, they migrated to the anode by electrophoresis in an electric field. Combining with cations eluting from the anode, especially aluminum ions, the algae formed cohesive floc and then adhered on the anode surface without returning into the water. In the continuous flow apparatus, algae were removed at high removal rate by taking out the algae adhered on anode regularly. It was shown that the electrochemical method can efficiently remove algae from water
Flame propagation in random media
We introduce a phase-field model to describe the dynamics of a
self-sustaining propagating combustion front within a medium of randomly
distributed reactants. Numerical simulations of this model show that a flame
front exists for reactant concentration , while its vanishing at
is consistent with mean-field percolation theory. For , we find
that the interface associated with the diffuse combustion zone exhibits kinetic
roughening characteristic of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation.Comment: 4, LR541
Grain boundary motion in layered phases
We study the motion of a grain boundary that separates two sets of mutually
perpendicular rolls in Rayleigh-B\'enard convection above onset. The problem is
treated either analytically from the corresponding amplitude equations, or
numerically by solving the Swift-Hohenberg equation. We find that if the rolls
are curved by a slow transversal modulation, a net translation of the boundary
follows. We show analytically that although this motion is a nonlinear effect,
it occurs in a time scale much shorter than that of the linear relaxation of
the curved rolls. The total distance traveled by the boundary scales as
, where is the reduced Rayleigh number. We obtain
analytical expressions for the relaxation rate of the modulation and for the
time dependent traveling velocity of the boundary, and especially their
dependence on wavenumber. The results agree well with direct numerical
solutions of the Swift-Hohenberg equation. We finally discuss the implications
of our results on the coarsening rate of an ensemble of differently oriented
domains in which grain boundary motion through curved rolls is the dominant
coarsening mechanism.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure
Domain Coarsening in Systems Far from Equilibrium
The growth of domains of stripes evolving from random initial conditions is
studied in numerical simulations of models of systems far from equilibrium such
as Rayleigh-Benard convection. The scaling of the size of the domains deduced
from the inverse width of the Fourier spectrum is studied for both potential
and nonpotential models. The morphology of the domains and the defect
structures are however quite different in the two cases, and evidence is
presented for a second length scale in the nonpotential case.Comment: 11 pages, RevTeX; 3 uufiles encoded postscript figures appende
Optical interconnect solution with plasmonic modulator and Ge photodetector array
We report on an optical chip-to-chip interconnect solution, thereby demonstrating plasmonics as a solution for ultra-dense, high-speed short-reach communications. The interconnect comprises a densely integrated plasmonic Mach-Zehnder modulator array that is packaged with standard driving electronics. On the receiver side, a germanium photodetector array is integrated with trans-impedance amplifiers. A multicore fiber provides a compact optical interface to the array. We demonstrate 4 Ă 20 Gb/s on-off keying signaling with direct detection.ISSN:1041-1135ISSN:1941-017
Properties of pattern formation and selection processes in nonequilibrium systems with external fluctuations
We extend the phase field crystal method for nonequilibrium patterning to
stochastic systems with external source where transient dynamics is essential.
It was shown that at short time scales the system manifests pattern selection
processes. These processes are studied by means of the structure function
dynamics analysis. Nonequilibrium pattern-forming transitions are analyzed by
means of numerical simulations.Comment: 15 poages, 8 figure
Interviewing suspects: examining the association between skills, questioning, evidence disclosure, and interview outcomes
The interviewing of suspects is an important element in the investigation of crime. However, studies concerning actual performance of investigators when undertaking such interviews remain sparse. Nevertheless, in England and Wales, since the introduction of a prescribed framework over 20 years ago, field studies have generally shown an improvement in interviewing performance, notwithstanding ongoing concerns largely relating to the more demanding aspects (such as building/maintaining rapport, intermittent summarising and the logical development of topics). Using a sample of 70 real-life interviews, the present study examined questioning and various evidence disclosure strategies (which have also been found demanding), examining their relationships between interview skills and interview outcomes. It was found that when evidence was disclosed gradually (but revealed later), interviews were generally both more skilled and involved the gaining of comprehensive accounts, whereas when evidence was disclosed either early or very late, interviews were found to be both less skilled and less likely to involve this outcome. These findings contribute towards an increased research base for the prescribed framework
Comment on ``Deterministic equations of motion and phase ordering dynamics''
Zheng [Phys. Rev. E {\bf 61}, 153 (2000), cond-mat/9909324] claims that phase
ordering dynamics in the microcanonical model displays unusual scaling
laws. We show here, performing more careful numerical investigations, that
Zheng only observed transient dynamics mostly due to the corrections to scaling
introduced by lattice effects, and that Ising-like (model A) phase ordering
actually takes place at late times. Moreover, we argue that energy conservation
manifests itself in different corrections to scaling.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
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