Obesity Prevalence and Dietary Intake of Antioxidants in Native American Adolescents

Antioxidants are well known for possessing anti-inflammatory properties, which can reduce the risk of chronic disease and obesity. However, very little research has been done to examine antioxidant intake among adolescent minority populations such as Native American adolescents. Our study examined the significance of antioxidant intake among Native American adolescents at an urban residential high school in Southern California. Our study population consisted of 183 male and female Native American adolescents, 14-18 years of age, representing 43 tribes from across the United States. Students' primary source of meals was provided by the school food service. Based on the BMI calculations, the rate of obesity within our population was 38% for males and 40% for females, more than two-fold the national rate indicated by NHANESIII data. We used the Harvard School of Public Health Youth/Adolescent Questionnaire (HSPH YAQ), a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, to examine antioxidant nutrient intake and evaluate the differences in the intake between normal and obese weight students. Statistical analysis of the results showed that intakes of vitamins C, E, and lycopene were the antioxidant nutrients found to be significantly different between normal and obese weight students and intakes of these nutrients were found to be higher among normal weight students (p-values = 0.02451, 0.00847, and 0.04928, respectively). These results suggest that dietary intake of antioxidants could be increased among Native American adolescents. Further research is needed to confirm our findings and identify effective ways for school food service to incorporate antioxidant rich foods into school menus

PMI: A Delta Psi(m) Independent Pharmacological Regulator of Mitophagy

Mitophagy is central to mitochondrial and cellular homeostasis and operates via the PINK1/Parkin pathway targeting mitochondria devoid of membrane potential (ΔΨm) to autophagosomes. Although mitophagy is recognized as a fundamental cellular process, selective pharmacologic modulators of mitophagy are almost nonexistent. We developed a compound that increases the expression and signaling of the autophagic adaptor molecule P62/SQSTM1 and forces mitochondria into autophagy. The compound, P62-mediated mitophagy inducer (PMI), activates mitophagy without recruiting Parkin or collapsing ΔΨm and retains activity in cells devoid of a fully functional PINK1/Parkin pathway. PMI drives mitochondria to a process of quality control without compromising the bio-energetic competence of the whole network while exposing just those organelles to be recycled. Thus, PMI circumvents the toxicity and some of the nonspecific effects associated with the abrupt dissipation of ΔΨm by ionophores routinely used to induce mitophagy and represents a prototype pharmacological tool to investigate the molecular mechanisms of mitophagy

Seed Size and Its Relationship with Crop Establishment, Productivity and Nutritive Value in Genotypes of Maize for Silage

For a high dry matter (DM) yield of forage maize an adequate population of plants is required, which is related to germination, vigour, and seed size (Ellis, 1992). The objective of the present study was to investigate seed size and its relationship to establishment, productive and nutritional potential of silage maize, which has not before been reported in the literature

Health Risk of Obesity in Native American Adolescents

Recent reports demonstrate the need to improve methods for identifying obesity among adolescent minority populations, especially among Native American adolescents. Our study examined several anthropometric measures to see which one was the best indicator of obesity for Native American adolescents. We compared our data with that provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANESIII). We examined which measures diï¬ered signiï¬cantly from the NHANESIII, and which were most eï¬ective for measuring obesity in Native American adolescents. Our study population represented a cross-sectional, epidemiological population (N=183) of Native American students (ages 14-18) from diverse tribal backgrounds at an urban residential high school. We obtained baseline anthropometric measurements of height, weight, waist, triceps skin-fold, and calf skin-fold measures from the Native American students and compared this information with reference data to assess weight classiï¬cation by body mass indices for our population. Under the conditions of our study, we found the calf skin-fold measure to be the best indicator of normal weight in male Native American adolescents, and the triceps skin-fold measure to be the best indicator of obesity in male Native American adolescents. The assessment of health risk by anthropometric measures we obtained appears appropriate for predicting obesity and developing eï¬ective interventions for Native American adolescents in general. Correlations between anthropometric measures and obesity in our study population may prove of signiï¬cant interest for monitoring obesity prevention initiatives for Native American adolescents

An investigation into the factors associated with ewe colostrum production

peer-reviewedThe majority of lamb mortality which occurs during the first 24 h post-partum is preventable through providing the lamb with sufficient quantities of high quality colostrum during this time. Data from seven late gestation nutrition experiments carried out at this institute between 2002 and 2014 were collated into a single data set comprising of 415 twin bearing ewes. Analysis was carried out to investigate the key drivers of ewe colostrum production excluding nutrient intake, namely body reserve mobilisation, ewe breed type, ewe age, gestation length and lamb birth weight. The volume of colostrum produced at 1 and 18 h post-partum was significantly lower than the volume recorded at 10 h post-partum (P = 0.01). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that colostrum volume during the first 18 h post-partum was influenced by lamb birth weight (P = 0.01), ewe age (P = 0.01), breed type (P = 0. 01) and gestation length (P = 0.06). Live weight change (P = 0.05) also had a significant influence on the volume of colostrum produced but BCS change did not affect colostrum production (P = 0.25). Further multivariate regression analysis indicated that IgG yield was influenced ewe breed type (P = 0.01), lamb birth weight (P = 0.02), gestation length (P = 0.05) and BCS change (P = 0.04). Live weight change (P = 0.12) and ewe age (P = 0.62) did not influence the quantity of IgG produced. Leicester ewes produced less colostrum per kg lamb birth weight at 1 h post-partum compared to all other ewe breed types (P = 0.01) and less than Suffolk ewes at 10 h post-partum (P = 0.01). The result of this analysis shows the key factors excluding ewe nutrition that drive colostrum production. Ewe breed type in particular appears to play an important role in the ability of the ewe to produce sufficient quantities of adequate quality colostrum. In conclusion the result of this analysis highlights the important factors associated with ewe colostrum volume and IgG yield excluding nutrition. In particular the overall structure of the flock such as breed type and ewe age is important when considering the ability of the flock to meet colostrum demands and hence reduce lamb mortality

Liquid interactions with porous media and the fate of toxic materials

Toxic liquid chemicals released into the environment may pose an imme- diate risk to human health through contact or related vapour hazards. However, they can also interact with surfaces and remain in situ, poten- tially presenting a subsequent hazard. To improve understanding of the fate of these materials in different environments, the study group inves- tigated interactions between liquid droplets and porous media across a range of different time scales. Splashing and the subsequent re-entrainment of micro-droplets into the atmosphere was identified as one possible mechanism though which the area effect of a contamination could be significantly increased. The study group looked at experimentally determined splashing thresholds for droplet impacts with impermeable substrates, to determine initial predictions of whether or not a given droplet will splash. In cases where splashing occurs the droplet inertia is the most significant effect driving the initial phase of the liquid infiltration into a porous media and the study group developed a model to investigate this behaviour. For longer time scales the study group determined that capillary suction played the most significant role in spreading the liquid within the porous medium. Models for the evolution of the partial saturation within a porous medium based on Richards’ equation were investigated. Over even longer time scales evaporation converts the liquid back into a po- tentially hazardous vapour. The study group started to incorporate evaporation into models of liquid infiltration in a porous medium in order to describe this phenomenon. Recommendations for future theo- retical, numerical and experimental modelling are also provided

Long-range interactions of metastable helium atoms

Polarizabilities, dispersion coefficients, and long-range atom-surface interaction potentials are calculated for the n=2 triplet and singlet states of helium using highly accurate, variationally determined, wave functions.Comment: RevTeX, epsf, 4 fig

Mediators of the relationship between thin-ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction in the natural environment

Social comparisons (i.e., body, eating, exercise) and body surveillance were tested as mediators of the thin-ideal internalization-body dissatisfaction relationship using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Participants were 232 college women who completed a 2-week EMA protocol, responding to questions three times per day. Multilevel path analysis was used to examine a 2-1-1 mediation model (thin-ideal internalization assessed as trait; between-person effects examined) and a 1-1-1 model (component of thin-ideal internalization [thin-ideal importance] assessed momentarily; within- and between-person effects examined). For the 2-1-1 model, only body comparison and body surveillance were significant specific mediators of the between-person effect. For the 1-1-1 model, all four variables were significant specific mediators of the within-person effect. Only body comparison was a significant specific mediator of the between-person effect. At the state level, many processes explain the thin-ideal internalization-body dissatisfaction relationship. However, at the trait level, body comparison and body surveillance are more important explanatory factors

Diffusion entropy and waiting time statistics of hard x-ray solar flares

We analyze the waiting time distribution of time distances $\tau$ between two nearest-neighbor flares. This analysis is based on the joint use of two distinct techniques. The first is the direct evaluation of the distribution function $\psi(\tau)$, or of the probability, $\Psi(tau)$, that no time distance smaller than a given $\tau$ is found. We adopt the paradigm of the inverse power law behavior, and we focus on the determination of the inverse power index $\mu$, without ruling out different asymptotic properties that might be revealed, at larger scales, with the help of richer statistics. The second technique, called Diffusion Entropy (DE) method, rests on the evaluation of the entropy of the diffusion process generated by the time series. The details of the diffusion process depend on three different walking rules, which determine the form and the time duration of the transition to the scaling regime, as well as the scaling parameter $\delta$. With the first two rules the information contained in the time series is transmitted, to a great extent, to the transition, as well as to the scaling regime. The same information is essentially conveyed, by using the third rules, into the scaling regime, which, in fact, emerges very quickly after a fast transition process. We show that the significant information hidden within the time series concerns memory induced by the solar cycle, as well as the power index $\mu$. The scaling parameter $\delta$ becomes a simple function of $\mu$, when memory is annihilated. Thus, the three walking rules yield a unique and precise value of $\mu$ if the memory is wisely taken under control, or cancelled by shuffling the data. All this makes compelling the conclusion that $\mu = 2.138 \pm 0.01$.Comment: 23 pages, 13 figure