Oxidative stress is associated with suspected non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and all-cause mortality in the general population

Background & Aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by excessive lipid accumulation, inflammation and an imbalanced redox homeostasis. We hypothesized that systemic free thiol levels, as a proxy of systemic oxidative stress, are associated with NAFLD. Methods: Protein-adjusted serum free thiol concentrations were determined in participants from the Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-Stage Disease (PREVEND) cohort study (n = 5562). Suspected NAFLD was defined by the Fatty Liver Index (FLI ≥ 60) and Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI > 36). Results: Protein-adjusted serum free thiols were significantly reduced in subjects with FLI ≥ 60 (n = 1651). In multivariable logistic regression analyses, protein-adjusted serum free thiols were associated with NAFLD (FLI ≥ 60) (OR per doubling of concentration: 0.78 [95% CI 0.64-0.96], P =.016) even when adjusted for potential confounding factors, including systolic blood pressure, diabetes, current smoking, use of alcohol and total cholesterol (OR 0.80 [95% CI 0.65-0.99], P =.04). This association lost its significance (OR 0.94 [95% CI 0.73-1.21], P =.65) after additional adjustment for high-sensitive C-reactive protein. Stratified analyses showed significantly differential associations of protein-adjusted serum free thiol concentrations with suspected NAFLD for gender (P <.02), hypertension (P <.001) and hypercholesterolemia (P <.003). Longitudinally, protein-adjusted serum free thiols were significantly associated with the risk of all-cause mortality in subjects with NAFLD (FLI ≥ 60) (HR 0.27 [95% CI 0.17-0.45], P <.001). Conclusion: Protein-adjusted serum free thiol levels are reduced and significantly associated with all-cause mortality in subjects with suspected NAFLD. Quantification of free thiols may be a promising, minimally invasive strategy to improve detection of NAFLD and associated risk of all-cause mortality in the general population

Performance of six common beans cultivars in three different planting dates in Lichinga, Niassa, Mozambique.

A field experiment was conducted in the area of the Centro Zonal Norte do Instituto de Investigação Agrária de Moçambique (IIAM), em Lichinga, Niassa, Moçambique, with the objective of checking out the performance of common beans cultivars in response to local environmental conditions. A complete 6x3 factorial experimental design was used, encompassing six cultivars of common beans (BRS Pontal, BRS Agreste, BRS Perola, and BRS Requinte, developed by Embrapa, Brazil; and two locals, Manteiga and Encarnada), and three planting dates (12/12/2012, 29/12/2012, e 13/01/2013). There was soil cover fertilization at planting (500 kg/ha of the mixed NPK 2-24-12) and after 20 days of plants emergency (130 kg de N/ha). Each treatment was replicated four times in the field, in randomized blocks (18 m2 each, with five liner of six lineal meters each, spaced 0,45 cm, with nine seeds seeded per meter). At harvest (area of 3 m within the central lines), it was evaluated the plant final stand, degree of lodging, number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, weight of 100 grains, and productivity. The Brazilian cultivars showed higher productivity than the local ones within the studied conditions, especially BRS Agreste, with an average production of 2,387 kg of grains/ha. The best planting date was at the end of December

Response of six common beans cultivars to phosphate and potassium fertilization in Lichinga, Niassa, Mozambique.

A field experiment was conducted to check out the response of the common bean BRS 293 Pontal to basic fertilization with Phosphorus (P) and Potassium, in the environmental conditions of Lichinga, Niassa, Mozambique. A complete factorial 5x4 was used, with five rates of P2O5 (0, 35, 70, 140, and 280 kg/ha, as Triple Superphosphate) and four rates of K2O (0, 50, 100 and 200 kg/ha, as Potassium Chloride). The experimental area was also fertilized with 90 kg/ha of Nitrogen (N), as Urea, spliced in 23 kg N/ha at planting and 67 kg N/ha 20 days after plants emergency. Each treatment was replicated four time in the field, in randomized blocks (18 m2 each, with five liner of six lineal meters each, spaced 0,45 cm, with nine seeds seeded per meter). At harvest (area of 3 m within the central lines), it was evaluated the plant final stand, degree of lodging, number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, weight of 100 grains, and productivity. Based in the analysis of the data, it is concluded that maximum productivity, equivalent to 3,616 kg of grains/ha, would be obtained with a combination of 406 kg/ha of P2O5 and 43 kg/ha of K2O. Such rate is above what would be expected, which indicates that new studies would be necessary for better recommendation of P2O5 fertilization in this area

Performance of six common beans cultivars in three different planting dates in Lichinga, Niassa, Mozambique.

A field experiment was conducted in the area of the Centro Zonal Norte do Instituto de Investigação Agrária de Moçambique (IIAM), em Lichinga, Niassa, Moçambique, with the objective of checking out the performance of common beans cultivars in response to local environmental conditions. A complete 6x3 factorial experimental design was used, encompassing six cultivars of common beans (BRS Pontal, BRS Agreste, BRS Perola, and BRS Requinte, developed by Embrapa, Brazil; and two locals, Manteiga and Encarnada), and three planting dates (12/12/2012, 29/12/2012, e 13/01/2013). There was soil cover fertilization at planting (500 kg/ha of the mixed NPK 2-24-12) and after 20 days of plants emergency (130 kg de N/ha). Each treatment was replicated four times in the field, in randomized blocks (18 m2 each, with five liner of six lineal meters each, spaced 0,45 cm, with nine seeds seeded per meter). At harvest (area of 3 m within the central lines), it was evaluated the plant final stand, degree of lodging, number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, weight of 100 grains, and productivity. The Brazilian cultivars showed higher productivity than the local ones within the studied conditions, especially BRS Agreste, with an average production of 2,387 kg of grains/ha. The best planting date was at the end of December

Response of six common beans cultivars to phosphate and potassium fertilization in Lichinga, Niassa, Mozambique.

A field experiment was conducted to check out the response of the common bean BRS 293 Pontal to basic fertilization with Phosphorus (P) and Potassium, in the environmental conditions of Lichinga, Niassa, Mozambique. A complete factorial 5x4 was used, with five rates of P2O5 (0, 35, 70, 140, and 280 kg/ha, as Triple Superphosphate) and four rates of K2O (0, 50, 100 and 200 kg/ha, as Potassium Chloride). The experimental area was also fertilized with 90 kg/ha of Nitrogen (N), as Urea, spliced in 23 kg N/ha at planting and 67 kg N/ha 20 days after plants emergency. Each treatment was replicated four time in the field, in randomized blocks (18 m2 each, with five liner of six lineal meters each, spaced 0,45 cm, with nine seeds seeded per meter). At harvest (area of 3 m within the central lines), it was evaluated the plant final stand, degree of lodging, number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, weight of 100 grains, and productivity. Based in the analysis of the data, it is concluded that maximum productivity, equivalent to 3,616 kg of grains/ha, would be obtained with a combination of 406 kg/ha of P2O5 and 43 kg/ha of K2O. Such rate is above what would be expected, which indicates that new studies would be necessary for better recommendation of P2O5 fertilization in this area

The genetic history of admixture across inner Eurasia

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Nature Research via the DOI in this record.Data Availability. Genome-wide sequence data of two Botai individuals (BAM format) are available at the European Nucleotide Archive under the accession number PRJEB31152 (ERP113669). Eigenstrat format array genotype data of 763 present-day individuals and 1240K pulldown genotype data of two ancient Botai individuals are available at the Edmond data repository of the Max Planck Society (https://edmond.mpdl.mpg.de/imeji/collection/Aoh9c69DscnxSNjm?q=).The indigenous populations of inner Eurasia, a huge geographic region covering the central Eurasian steppe and the northern Eurasian taiga and tundra, harbor tremendous diversity in their genes, cultures and languages. In this study, we report novel genome-wide data for 763 individuals from Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. We furthermore report additional damage-reduced genome-wide data of two previously published individuals from the Eneolithic Botai culture in Kazakhstan (~5,400 BP). We find that present-day inner Eurasian populations are structured into three distinct admixture clines stretching between various western and eastern Eurasian ancestries, mirroring geography. The Botai and more recent ancient genomes from Siberia show a decrease in contribution from so-called “ancient North Eurasian” ancestry over time, detectable only in the northern-most “forest-tundra” cline. The intermediate “steppe-forest” cline descends from the Late Bronze Age steppe ancestries, while the “southern steppe” cline further to the South shows a strong West/South Asian influence. Ancient genomes suggest a northward spread of the southern steppe cline in Central Asia during the first millennium BC. Finally, the genetic structure of Caucasus populations highlights a role of the Caucasus Mountains as a barrier to gene flow and suggests a post-Neolithic gene flow into North Caucasus populations from the steppe.Max Planck SocietyEuropean Research Council (ERC)Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR)Russian Scientific FundNational Science FoundationU.S. National Institutes of HealthAllen Discovery CenterUniversity of OstravaCzech Ministry of EducationXiamen UniversityFundamental Research Funds for the Central UniversitiesMES R

Beringian Standstill and Spread of Native American Founders

Native Americans derive from a small number of Asian founders who likely arrived to the Americas via Beringia. However, additional details about the intial colonization of the Americas remain unclear. To investigate the pioneering phase in the Americas we analyzed a total of 623 complete mtDNAs from the Americas and Asia, including 20 new complete mtDNAs from the Americas and seven from Asia. This sequence data was used to direct high-resolution genotyping from 20 American and 26 Asian populations. Here we describe more genetic diversity within the founder population than was previously reported. The newly resolved phylogenetic structure suggests that ancestors of Native Americans paused when they reached Beringia, during which time New World founder lineages differentiated from their Asian sister-clades. This pause in movement was followed by a swift migration southward that distributed the founder types all the way to South America. The data also suggest more recent bi-directional gene flow between Siberia and the North American Arctic

Multiprobe characterization of plasma flows for space propulsion

Plasma engines for space propulsion generate plasma jets (also denominated plasma plumes) having supersonic ion groups with typical speeds in the order of tens of kilometers per second, which lies between electron and ion thermal speeds. Studies of the stationary plasma expansion process using a four-grid retarding field energy analyzer (RFEA), an emissive probe (EP) and a Langmuir probe (LP), all mounted on a three dimensionally (3D) displaced multiprobe structure are discussed. Specifically, the determination of plasma beam properties from the RFEA current-voltage (IV) characteristic curves is presented. The experimental results show the ion energy spectra to be essentially unchanged over 300 mm along the plasma-jet expansion axis of symmetry. The measured ion velocity distribution function (IVDF) results from the superposition of different ion groups and has two dominant populations: A low-energy group constituted of ions from the background plasma is produced by the interaction of the plasma jet with the walls of the vacuum chamber. The fast-ion population is composed of ions from the plasma beam moving at supersonic speeds with respect to the low-energy ions. The decreasing spatial profiles of the plasma-jet current density are compared with those of the low-energy ion group, which are not uniform along the axis of symmetry because of the small contributions from other ion populations with intermediate speeds.Space Systems Egineerin

Physics and performance of the Alternative Low Power Hybrid Ion Engine (ALPHIE) for space propulsion

The current status and performance of the ALPHIE plasma thruster is discussed. This new concept was the subject of two recently granted patents and is radically different from conventional (Kauffman) gridded ion engines. Since it makes use of three DC power supplies and only one electron-emitting cathode disposed outside the plasma chamber, its power processing unit has low requisites. This electron emission is employed for both ionization and neutralization of the ion beam. Contrary to usual ion engines where only ions flow through the grids, in this case ionizing electrons and supersonic ions counterflow through the open spaces of a two-grid system. The performance of this plasma thruster was determined using both laboratory tests and particle-in-cell numerical simulations which confirmed the basic physical principles of the ion acceleration process. Laboratory experiments under realistic conditions show the ALPHIE thruster to produce supersonic Argon plasma flows with peak speeds of 37-44 km/s and therefore specific impulses in the range 3700-4400 s−1 . Additionally, ALPHIE delivers 1-3.5 mN throtteable thrusts using a maximum 325 W peak power, all of which were directly measured in the laboratory. These performances make ALPHIE suitable for station keeping, flight formation and end-of-life disposal of small and medium sized satellites