Heart rate and energy expenditure of incubating wandering albatrosses: basal levels, natural variation, and the effects of human disturbance

We studied the changes in heart rate (HR) associated with metabolic rate of incubating and resting adult wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans) on the Crozet Islands. Metabolic rates of resting albatrosses fitted with external HR recorders were measured in a metabolic chamber to calibrate the relationship between HR and oxygen consumption (V̇O2) (V̇O2=0.074×HR+0.019, r2=0.567, P\u3c0.001, where V̇O2 is in ml kg–1 min–1 and HR is in beats min–1). Incubating albatrosses were then fitted with HR recorders to estimate energy expenditure of albatrosses within natural field conditions. We also examined the natural variation in HR and the effects of human disturbance on nesting birds by monitoring the changes in HR. Basal HR was positively related to the mass of the individual. The HR of incubating birds corresponded to a metabolic rate that was 1.5-fold (males) and 1.8-fold (females) lower than basal metabolic rate (BMR) measured in this and a previous study. The difference was probably attributable to birds being stressed while they were held in the metabolic chamber or wearing a mask. Thus, previous measurements of metabolic rate under basal conditions or for incubating wandering albatrosses are likely to be overestimates. Combining the relationship between HR and metabolic rate for both sexes, we estimate that wandering albatrosses expend 147 kJ kg–1 day–1 to incubate their eggs. In addition, the cost of incubation was assumed to vary because (i) HR was higher during the day than at night, and (ii) there was an effect of wind chill (\u3c0°C) on basal HR. The presence of humans in the vicinity of the nest or after a band control was shown to increase HR for extended periods (2–3 h), suggesting that energy expenditure was increased as a result of the disturbance. Lastly, males and females reacted differently to handling in terms of HR response: males reacted more strongly than females before handling, whereas females took longer to recover after being handled

口唇トレーニングの多方位口唇閉鎖力に対する影響─健常若年成人および健常高齢者を対象として─

The topical application of sunscreen and cosmetic products that afford protection from terrestrial ultraviolet radiation to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer is an integral part of modern sun protection. The current sunscreen formulations use inorganic zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO ), that are highly photocatalytic, with the ability to penetrate the skin, and exhibit potential toxicity. In this study, we demonstrate a novel methodology to increase the sun protection factor (SPF) of encapsulated metal oxide (Fe O ) nanoparticles in poly(lactic acid) (PLA) microspheres as ultraviolet filters for sunscreen applications. The combination of these two materials results in a nanocomposite with increased UV attenuation and without significant cytotoxic effects during in vitro evaluation. A commercial sunscreen formulation was used to show the benefits of the developed nanocomposites by replacing the harmful ZnO particles by the Fe O -PLA ones, and a throughout comparison between commercial and the new sunscreen formulation was performed. By adding a small amount of the novel Fe O -PLA particles, a remarkable increase in the SPF performance, from 40 (commercial ZnO formulation) to 50 was achieved just by replacing the ZnO particles with 5 wt% of Fe O -PLA ones, resulting in a high level of UV protection, coupled with lower dangerous photocatalytic activity when compared with commercial ZnO nanoparticles. The encapsulation of metal oxide nanoparticles by PLA could provide a route to improve the sunscreen efficacy and enhance its SPF by using more environmentally friendly materials. 2 2 3 2 3 2 3 2

Magnetic field effect on the dielectric constant of glasses: Evidence of disorder within tunneling barriers

The magnetic field dependence of the low frequency dielectric constant $e_r$(H) of a structural glass a - SiO2 + xCyHz was studied from 400 mK to 50 mK and for H up to 3T. Measurement of both the real and the imaginary parts of $e_r$ is used to eliminate the difficult question of keeping constant the temperature of the sample while increasing H: a non-zero $e_r$(H) dependence is reported in the same range as that one very recently reported on multicomponent glasses. In addition to the recently proposed explanation based on interactions, the reported $e_r$(H) is interpreted quantitatively as a consequence of the disorder lying within the nanometric barriers of the elementary tunneling systems of the glass.Comment: latex Bcorrige1.tex, 5 files, 4 figures, 7 pages [SPEC-S02/009

Review on the EFDA work programme on nano-structured ODS RAF steels

This proceeding is: The 14th International Conference on Fusion Reactor Materials (ICFRM-14) was held at the Sapporo Convention Center in Sapporo, Japan from 7 to 12 September 2009.The 2008─2009 work programme of the European research project on nano-structured oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) reduced activation ferritic (RAF) steels is being organized along the four following programmatic lines: (1) improve the present generation of nano-structured ODS RAF steels; (2) start the industrial fabrication of the present generation of nano-structured ODS RAF steels; (3) develop an optimised generation of nano-structured and nano-grained ODS RAF steels; (4) investigate the stability of present and optimised generation of nano-structured ODS RAF steels under creep and irradiation. This paper presents the main objectives of current R&D activities being performed within the European research project on nano-structured ODS RAF steels, the main obtained results and the main future activities in the case of the four programmatic lines mentioned just above.This work, supported by the European Communities, was carried out within the framework of the European Fusion Development Agreement.Publicad

Treatment outcome in infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia

peer reviewe

Adverse outcome of infants with metastatic neuroblastoma, MYCN amplification and/or bone lesions: results of the French Society of Pediatric Oncology

To assess the relevance of MYCN amplification and bone lesions in stage 4 neuroblastoma (NB) in infants aged <1 year, 51 infants with stage 4 NB were enrolled. Three groups of patients were defined according to the type of metastases and the resectability of the primary tumour. Group I comprised 21 infants with radiologically detectable bone lesions, Group II 22 patients with an unresectable primary tumour and Group III eight patients with only metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) skeletal uptake. MYCN oncogene content was assayed in 47/51 tumours and found to be amplified in 17 (37%). The 5-year event-free survival (EFS) rate of these 51 infants was 64.1% (± 7.1%). In a univariate analysis, bone lesions, MYCN amplification, urinary vanillylmandelic/homovanillic acid ratio and serum ferritin levels adversely influenced outcome. In the multivariate analysis, radiologically detectable bone lesions were the most powerful unfavourable prognostic indicator: the EFS rate was 27.2% for these infants compared to 90% for infants without bone lesions (P < 0.0001). Our data emphasize the poor prognosis of infants affected by stage 4 NB with bone lesions, especially when associated with MYCN amplification. Given the poor results in this group whatever the treatment, new therapeutic approaches need to be investigated in the future. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

Infectious diseases in the first year of life, perinatal characteristics and childhood acute leukaemia

The objective of the present study was to investigate the role of early common infections and perinatal characteristics in the aetiology of childhood common leukaemia. A case-control study was conducted from 1995 to 1998 in France, and included 473 incident cases of acute leukaemia (AL) (408 acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), 65 acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) age-, sex- and region-matched with 567 population-based controls. Data on the medical history of the child and his/her environment were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Analyses were conducted using nonconditional logistic regression. A slight negative association with early infections was observed (OR=0.8; 95% CI (0.6-1.0)). The association was stronger for early gastrointestinal infections. Early day-care was found to be associated with a decreased risk of AL (OR=0.6; 95% CI (0.4-0.8) and OR=0.8; 95% CI (0.5-1.2) for day-care starting before age 3 months and between 3 and 6 months, respectively). No association with breast-feeding was observed, irrespective of its duration. A birth order of 4 or more was associated with a significantly increased risk of AL (OR=2.0; 95% CI (1.1-3.7) with ALL). A history of asthma was associated with a decreased risk of ALL (OR 0.5; 95% CI (0.3-0.90). Although the results regarding birth order and breast-feeding do not fit with Greaves' hypothesis, the study supports the hypothesis that early common infections may play a protective role in the aetiology of childhood leukaemia, although this effect was not more marked for common ALL