Comparison of Estrone and 17β-Estradiol Levels in Commercial Goat and Cow Milk

Increased levels of estrogen metabolites are believed to be associated with cancers of the reproductive system. One potential dietary source of these metabolites that is commonly consumed worldwide is milk. In North America, dairy cows are the most common source of milk; however, goats are the primary source of milk worldwide. In this study, the absolute concentrations of unconjugated and total (unconjugated plus conjugated) estrone (E(1)) and 17β-estradiol (E(2)) were compared in a variety of commercial cow milks (regular and organic) and goat milk. A lower combined concentration of E(1) and E(2) was found in goat milk than in any of the cow milk products tested. The differences in E(1) and E(2) levels between regular and organic cow milks were not as significant as the differences between goat milk and any of the cow milk products. Goat milk represents a better dietary choice for individuals concerned with limiting their estrogen intake

Occupational health and safety: a comment on Mullen

The paper by Elizabeth A. Mullen (1990) contains a number of assumptions and assertions that cannot be allowed to pass unchallenged. In addition, the survey itself seems to be based on an inappropriate sample with the particular interpretation of results creating a potentially false impression. The debate concerning the Code of Practice for Health and Safety Representatives and Health and Safety Committees has often been plagued with confusion and misunderstanding and, regrettably, Mullen's paper continues these problems

Mount St. Helens aerosol evolution

Stratospheric aerosol samples were collected using a wire impactor during the year following the eruption of Mount St. Helens. Analysis of samples shows that aerosol volume increased for 6 months due to gas-to-particle conversion and then decreased to background levels in the following 6 months

Regge behaviour of distribution functions and evolution of gluon distribution function in Next-to-Leading order at low-x

Evolution of gluon distribution function from Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi (DGLAP) evolution equation in next-to-leading order (NLO) at low-x is presented assuming the Regge behaviour of quarks and gluons at this limit. We compare our results of gluon distribution function with MRST2004, GRV98LO and GRV98NLO parameterizations and show the compatibility of Regge behaviour of quark and gluon distribution functions with perturbative quantum chromodynamics (PQCD) at low-x.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Regge behaviour of distribution functions and t and x-evolutions of gluon distribution function at low-x

In this paper t and x-evolutions of gluon distribution function from Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi(DGLAP) evolution equation in leading order(LO) at low-x, assuming the Regge behaviour of quark and gluon at this limit, are presented. We compare our results of gluon distribution function with MRST 2001, MRST 2004 and GRV '98 parameterizations and show the compatibility of Regge behaviour of quark and gluon distribution functions with perturbative quantum chromodynamics(PQCD) at low-x. We also discuss the limitations of Taylor series expansion method used earlier to solve DGLAP evolution equations, in the Regge behaviour of distribution functions.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figure

Olfactory identification in subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment: Association with tau but not amyloid positron emission tomography

Introduction We investigated the association between olfactory identification and Alzheimer's disease biomarkers, including amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration. Methods Thirty-four older adults, including 19 cognitively normal (CN), 10 subjective cognitive decline (SCD), and 5 mild cognitive impairment, underwent amyloid positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT). Twenty-six also underwent tau positron emission tomography. Associations between the UPSIT and regionally sampled amyloid, tau, and temporal atrophy were evaluated. Voxel-wise regression models were also utilized. Analyses were conducted with the full sample and only CN/SCD. Results Lower UPSIT scores were associated with increased temporal and parietal tau burden in regional and voxel-wise analyses in the full sample and in CN and SCD only. Temporal lobe atrophy was associated with lower UPSIT score. Amyloid was not associated with the UPSIT. Discussion Impairment on the UPSIT may be a good marker for tau and neurodegeneration in preclinical or prodromal Alzheimer's disease

Cerebral hypometabolism and grey matter density in MAPT intron 10 +3 mutation carriers

Multiple systems tauopathy with presenile dementia (MSTD), a form of frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism-17 with tau inclusions (FTDP-17T), is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an (a) to (g) transition at position +3 of intron 10 of the microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT) gene. The mutation causes overexpression of 4 repeat (4R) tau isoforms with increased 4R/3R ratio leading to neurodegeneration. Clinically, these patients primarily present with behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD) and show disinhibition, disordered social comportment, and impaired executive function, memory, and speech. While altered glucose metabolism has been reported in subjects with sporadic bvFTD, it has yet to be investigated in an FTDP-17 sample of this size. In this study, eleven mutation carriers (5 males; mean age = 48.0 ± 6.9 years) and eight non-carriers (2 males; mean age = 43.7 ± 12.0 years) from a MSTD family were imaged using [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET). Eight of the MAPT intron 10 +3 mutation carriers met diagnostic criteria for bvFTD at the time of the PET scan, while three MAPT intron 10 +3 carriers were not cognitively impaired at the time of scan. Non-carriers had no clinically-relevant cognitive impairment at the time of the PET scan. Additionally, ten mutation carriers (5 males; mean age = 48.04 ± 2.1 years) and seven non-carriers (2 males; mean age 46.1 ± 4.1 years) underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which is an expanded sample size from a previous study. Seven MAPT mutation carriers met diagnostic criteria for bvFTD at the time of the MRI scan. Images were assessed on a voxel-wise basis for the effect of mutation carrier status. SPM8 was used for preprocessing and statistical analyses. Compared to non-carriers, MAPT mutation carriers showed lower [(18)F]FDG uptake bilaterally in the medial temporal lobe, and the parietal and frontal cortices. Anatomical changes were predominantly seen bilaterally in the medial temporal lobe areas which substantially overlapped with the hypometabolism findings. These anatomical and metabolic changes overlap previously described patterns of neurodegeneration in MSTD patients and are consistent with the characteristics of their cognitive dysfunction. These results suggest that neuroimaging can describe the neuropathology associated with this MAPT mutation

[(11)C]PiB PET in Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease

Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker Disease (GSS) is a familial neurodegenerative disorder characterized clinically by ataxia, parkinsonism, and dementia, and neuropathologically by deposition of diffuse and amyloid plaques composed of prion protein (PrP). The purpose of this study was to evaluate if [(11)C]Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) positron emission tomography (PET) is capable of detecting PrP-amyloid in PRNP gene carriers. Six individuals at risk for GSS and eight controls underwent [(11)C]PiB PET scans using standard methods. Approximately one year after the initial scan, each of the three asymptomatic carriers (two with PRNP P102L mutation, one with PRNP F198S mutation) underwent a second [(11)C]PiB PET scan. Three P102L carriers, one F198S carrier, and one non-carrier of the F198S mutation were cognitively normal, while one F198S carrier was cognitively impaired during the course of this study. No [(11)C]PiB uptake was observed in any subject at baseline or at follow-up. Neuropathologic study of the symptomatic individual revealed PrP-immunopositive plaques and tau-immunopositive neurofibrillary tangles in cerebral cortex, subcortical nuclei, and brainstem. PrP deposits were also numerous in the cerebellar cortex. This is the first study to investigate the ability of [(11)C]PiB PET to bind to PrP-amyloid in GSS F198S subjects. This finding suggests that [(11)C]PiB PET is not suitable for in vivo assessment of PrP-amyloid plaques in patients with GSS

It's in the loop: shared sub-surface foot kinematics in birds and other dinosaurs shed light on a new dimension of fossil track diversity

The feet of ground-dwelling birds retain many features of their dinosaurian ancestry. Experiments with living species offer insights into the complex interplay among anatomy, kinematics and substrate during the formation of Mesozoic footprints. However, a key aspect of the track-making process, sub-surface foot movement, is hindered by substrate opacity. Here, we use biplanar X-rays to image guineafowl walking through radiolucent substrates of different consistency (solid, dry granular, firm to semi-liquid muds). Despite substantial kinematic variation, the foot consistently moves in a looping pattern below ground. As the foot sinks and then withdraws, the claws of the three main toes create entry and exit paths in different locations. Sampling these paths at incremental horizons captures two-dimensional features just as fossil tracks do, allowing depth-based zones to be characterized by the presence and relative position of digit impressions. Examination of deep, penetrative tracks from the Early Jurassic confirms that bipeds had an equivalent looping response to soft substrates approximately 200 Ma. Our integration of extant and extinct evidence demonstrates the influence of substrate properties on sinking depth and sub-surface foot motion, both of which are significant sources of track variation in the fossil record of dinosaurs

Thunder lizard handstands: Manus-only sauropod trackways from the Glen Rose Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Kendall County, Texas)

Three parallel, manus-only sauropod trackways from the Coffee Hollow A-Male tracksite (Glen Rose Formation, Kendall County, Texas) were studied separately by researchers from the Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country and the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences. Footprint and trackway measurements generally show good agreement between the two groups’ data sets. Footprints appear to be shallowly impressed true tracks rather than undertracks. One of the Coffee Hollow trackways shows marked asymmetry in the lengths of paces that begin with the left as opposed to the right forefoot, and two of the Coffee Hollow trackways are unusually broad. The Coffee Hollow trackways differ enough from the manus portions of other Glen Rose Formation sauropod trackways to suggest that they were made by a different kind of sauropod. Greater differential pressure exerted on the substrate by the forefeet than the hindfeet probably explains the Coffee Hollow trackways, like other manus-only sauropod trackways, but the possibility that they indicate unusual locomotion cannot at present be ruled out