Low-level seaweed supplementation improves iodine status in iodine-insufficient women

Iodine insufficiency is now a prominent issue in the UK and other European countries due to low intakes of dairy products and seafood (especially where iodine fortification is not in place). In the present study, we tested a commercially available encapsulated edible seaweed (Napiers Hebridean Seagreens® Ascophyllum nodosumspecies) for its acceptability to consumers and iodine bioavailability and investigated the impact of a 2-week daily seaweed supplementation on iodine concentrations and thyroid function. Healthy non-pregnant women of childbearing age, self-reporting low dairy product and seafood consumption, with no history of thyroid or gastrointestinal disease were recruited. Seaweed iodine (712 μg, in 1 g seaweed) was modestly bioavailable at 33 (interquartile range (IQR) 28–46) % of the ingested iodine dose compared with 59 (IQR 46–74) % of iodine from the KI supplement (n 22). After supplement ingestion (2 weeks, 0•5 g seaweed daily, <i>n</i> 42), urinary iodine excretion increased from 78 (IQR 39–114) to 140 (IQR 103–195) μg/l (<i>P</i>< 0•001). The concentrations of thyroid-stimulating hormone increased from 1•5 (IQR 1•2–2•2) to 2•1 (IQR 1•3–2•9) mIU/l (<i>P</i>< 0•001), with two participants having concentrations exceeding the normal range after supplement ingestion (but normal free thyroxine concentrations). There was no change in the concentrations of other thyroid hormones after supplement ingestion. The seaweed was palatable and acceptable to consumers as a whole food or as a food ingredient and effective as a source of iodine in an iodine-insufficient population. In conclusion, seaweed inclusion in staple foods would serve as an alternative to fortification of salt or other foods with KI

Improved u′g′r′i′z′u'g'r'i'z' to UBVRCICUBVR_CI_C Transformation Equations for Main Sequence Stars

We report improved transformation equations between the $u'g'r'i'z'$ and $UBVR_CI_C$ photometric systems. Although the details of the transformations depend on luminosity class, we find a typical rms scatter on the order of 0.001 magnitude if the sample is limited to main sequence stars. Furthermore, we find an accurate transformation requires complex, multi-color dependencies for the bluer bandpasses. Results for giant stars will be reported in a subsequent paper.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

The Stellar Populations in the Outer Regions of M33. I. Metallicity Distribution Function

We present deep CCD photometry in the VI passbands using the WIYN 3.5m telescope of a field located approximately 20' southeast of the center of M33; this field includes the region studied by Mould & Kristian in their 1986 paper. The color-magnitude diagram (CMD) extends to I~25 and shows a prominent red giant branch (RGB), along with significant numbers of asymptotic giant branch and young main sequence stars. The red clump of core helium burning stars is also discernable near the limit of our CMD. The I-band apparent magnitude of the red giant branch tip implies a distance modulus of (m-M)_I = 24.77 +/- 0.06, which combined with an adopted reddening of E(V-I)=0.06 +/- 0.02 yields an absolute modulus of (m-M)_0 = 24.69 +/- 0.07 (867 +/- 28 kpc) for M33. Over the range of deprojected radii covered by our field (~8.5 to ~12.5 kpc), we find a significant age gradient with an upper limit of ~1 Gyr (~0.25 Gyr/kpc). Comparison of the RGB photometry to empirical giant branch sequences for Galactic globulars allows us to use the dereddened color of these stars to construct a metallicity distribution function (MDF). The primary peak in the MDF is at a metallicity of [Fe/H] ~ -1.0 with a tail to lower abundances. The peak does show radial variation with a slope of d[Fe/H]/dR_{deproj} = -0.06 +/- 0.01 dex/kpc. This gradient is consistent with the variation seen in the inner disk regions of M33. As such, we conclude that the vast majority of stars in this field belong to the disk of M33, not the halo as previously thought.Comment: 34 pages, 13 figures, accepted to The Astronomical Journal, July 2004, high resolution version available at ftp://www.astro.ufl.edu/pub/ata/sarajedini_m33.pd

Mass Segregation in the Globular Cluster Palomar 5 and its Tidal Tails

We present the stellar main sequence luminosity function (LF) of the disrupted, low-mass, low-concentration globular cluster Palomar 5 and its well-defined tidal tails, which emanate from the cluster as a result of its tidal interaction with the Milky Way. The results of our deep (B ~ 24.5) wide-field photometry unequivocally indicate that preferentially fainter stars were removed from the cluster so that the LF of the cluster's main body exhibits a significant degree of flattening compared to other globular clusters. There is clear evidence of mass segregation, which is reflected in a radial variation of the LFs. The LF of the tidal tails is distinctly enhanced with faint, low-mass stars. Pal 5 exhibits a binary main sequence, and we estimate a photometric binary frequency of roughly 10%. Also the binaries show evidence of mass segregation with more massive binary systems being more strongly concentrated toward the cluster center.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa

FUSE Measurements of Far Ultraviolet Extinction. I. Galactic Sight Lines

We present extinction curves that include data down to far ultraviolet wavelengths (FUV; 1050 - 1200 A) for nine Galactic sight lines. The FUV extinction was measured using data from the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer. The sight lines were chosen for their unusual extinction properties in the infrared through the ultraviolet; that they probe a wide range of dust environments is evidenced by the large spread in their measured ratios of total-to-selective extinction, R_V = 2.43 - 3.81. We find that extrapolation of the Fitzpatrick & Massa relationship from the ultraviolet appears to be a good predictor of the FUV extinction behavior. We find that predictions of the FUV extinction based upon the Cardelli, Clayton & Mathis (CCM) dependence on R_V give mixed results. For the seven extinction curves well represented by CCM in the infrared through ultraviolet, the FUV extinction is well predicted in three sight lines, over-predicted in two sight lines, and under-predicted in 2 sight lines. A Maximum Entropy Method analysis using a simple three component grain model shows that seven of the nine sight lines in the study require a larger fraction of grain materials to be in dust when FUV extinction is included in the models. Most of the added grain material is in the form of small (radii < 200 A) grains.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 31 pages with 7 figure

The draft genome of the C\u3csub\u3e3\u3c/sub\u3e panicoid grass species \u3ci\u3eDichanthelium oligosanthes\u3c/i\u3e

Background: Comparisons between C3 and C4 grasses often utilize C3 species from the subfamilies Ehrhartoideae or Pooideae and C4 species from the subfamily Panicoideae, two clades that diverged over 50 million years ago. The divergence of the C3 panicoid grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes from the independent C4 lineages represented by Setaria viridis and Sorghum bicolor occurred approximately 15 million years ago, which is significantly more recent than members of the Bambusoideae, Ehrhartoideae, and Pooideae subfamilies. D. oligosanthes is ideally placed within the panicoid clade for comparative studies of C3 and C4 grasses. Results: We report the assembly of the nuclear and chloroplast genomes of D. oligosanthes, from high-throughput short read sequencing data and a comparative transcriptomics analysis of the developing leaf of D. oligosanthes, S. viridis, and S. bicolor. Physiological and anatomical characterizations verified that D. oligosanthes utilizes the C3 pathway for carbon fixation and lacks Kranz anatomy. Expression profiles of transcription factors along developing leaves of D. oligosanthes and S. viridis were compared with previously published data from S. bicolor, Zea mays, and Oryza sativa to identify a small suite of transcription factors that likely acquired functions specifically related to C4 photosynthesis. Conclusions: The phylogenetic location of D. oligosanthes makes it an ideal C3 plant for comparative analysis of C4 evolution in the panicoid grasses. This genome will not only provide a better C3 species for comparisons with C4 panicoid grasses, but also highlights the power of using high-throughput sequencing to address questions in evolutionary biology

Towards energetically viable asymmetric deprotonations : selectivity at more elevated temperatures with C2-symmetric magnesium bisamides

A novel chiral magnesium bisamide has enabled the development of effective asymmetric deprotonation protocols at substantially more elevated temperatures. This new, structurally simple, C2-symmetric magnesium complex displays excellent levels of asymmetric efficiency and energy reduction in the synthesis of enantioenriched enol silane

Astrobiological Considerations for the Selection of the Geological Filters on the ExoMars PanCam Instrument

The Panoramic Camera (PanCam) instrument will provide visible–near IR multispectral imaging of the ExoMars rover's surroundings to identify regions of interest within the nearby terrain. This multispectral capability is dependant upon the 12 preselected “geological” filters that are integrated into two wide-angle cameras. First devised by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder team to detect iron oxides, this baseline filter set has remained largely unchanged for subsequent missions (Mars Exploration Rovers, Beagle 2, Phoenix) despite the advancing knowledge of the mineralogical diversity on Mars. Therefore, the geological filters for the ExoMars PanCam will be redesigned to accommodate the astrobiology focus of ExoMars, where hydrated mineral terrains (evidence of past liquid water) will be priority targets. Here, we conduct an initial investigation into new filter wavelengths for the ExoMars PanCam and present results from tests performed on Mars analog rocks. Two new filter sets were devised: one with filters spaced every 50 nm (“F1-12”) and another that utilizes a novel filter selection method based upon hydrated mineral reflectance spectra (“F2-12”). These new filter sets, along with the Beagle 2 filter set (currently the baseline for the ExoMars PanCam), were tested on their ability to identify hydrated minerals and biosignatures present in Mars analog rocks. The filter sets, with varying degrees of ability, detected the spectral features of minerals jarosite, opaline silica, alunite, nontronite, and siderite present in these rock samples. None of the filter sets, however, were able to detect fossilized biomat structures and small (<2 mm) mineralogical heterogeneities present in silica sinters. Both new filter sets outperformed the Beagle 2 filters, with F2-12 detecting the most spectral features produced by hydrated minerals and providing the best discrimination between samples. Future work involving more extensive testing on Mars analog samples that exhibit a wider range of mineralogies would be the next step in carefully evaluating the new filter sets

Association of early life factors with prematurity-associated lung disease: prospective cohort study

Introduction Although bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is associated with lung function deficits in childhood, many who develop BPD have normal lung function in childhood, and many without BPD including those born at 33–34 weeks’ gestation, have lung dysfunction in childhood. Since the predictability of BPD for future lung deficits is increasingly doubted, we prospectively recruited preterm-born children to identify early life factors which are associated with lung function deficits after preterm-birth. Methods From 767 children aged 7–12 years, who had their respiratory symptoms assessed, and had spirometry before and after a bronchodilator in our Respiratory Health Outcomes in Neonates (RHiNO) study, 739 (544 preterm-born at ≤34 weeks’ gestation and 195 term-born) had satisfactory lung function. Data were analysed using multivariable logistic regression and mediation. Results When preterm-born children were classified according to their lung function, low lung function (prematurity-associated lung disease, PLD) was associated with BPD, gestation and intrauterine growth restriction on univariable logistic regression analyses. However, on multivariable logistic regression analyses, gestation (Beta=−0.153, se: 0.051, p=0.003) and intrauterine growth restriction (odds ratio 1.783, 95% confidence interval: 1.06, 3.00, p=0.029) remained significantly associated with later deficits of lung function but BPD (0.99; 0.52, 1.89, p=0.974) did not. Mediation analyses confirmed these results. Conclusions Although traditionally BPD has been associated with low lung function in later life, these data show that gestation and IUGR are significantly associated with PLD in childhood but BPD is not. By identifying children with PLD, we can better understand the underlying mechanisms and develop optimal therapies

Impact of ambient air pollution on lung function in preterm-born school-aged children

Rationale Increased outdoor air pollution worsens lung function in children. However, these associations are less well studied in preterm-born individuals. Objectives We assessed associations between ambient air pollutants and spirometry measures in preterm-born children. Methods The Respiratory Health Outcomes in Neonates study recruited preterm-born children aged 7–12 years who were born at ≤34 week's gestation. We associated four ambient air pollutants (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5), PM10, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide) at time of birth and spirometry assessment and averaged exposure between these two time points with spirometry measures, using linear regression analyses. Gestational age was banded into 23–28, 29–31 and 32–34 week's. Regression models estimated spirometry values against pollutant levels at birth and at the time of spirometry. Measurements and main results From 565 preterm-born children, 542 (96%) had satisfactory data. After adjustments for early and current life factors, significant detrimental associations were noted between PM10 at birth and per cent predicted forced vital capacity (%FVC) for the 23–28 and 29–31 week's gestation groups and between current PM2.5 and NO2 exposure and %FVC for the 23–28 week's gestation group. No associations with spirometry were noted for the averaged pollution exposure between birth and spirometry. Predictive models showed 5.9% and 7.4% differences in %FVC between the highest and lowest current pollution exposures for PM2.5 and NO2, respectively, in the 23–28 week group. Conclusions Birth and current exposures to road-traffic-associated pollutants detrimentally affected %FVC in preterm-born school-aged children, who already have compromised lung function