Postprandial thermogenesis and respiratory quotient in response to galactose: comparison with glucose and fructose in healthy young adults

Circumstantial evidence suggests that substitution of glucose or sucrose by the low- glycaemic index sugar galactose in the diet may lead to greater thermogenesis and/or fat oxidation. Using ventilated hood indirect calorimetry, we investigated, in twelve overnight-fasted adults, the resting energy expenditure (REE) and respiratory quotient (RQ) for 30 min before and 150 min after ingestion of 500 ml of water containing 60 g of glucose, fructose or galactose in a randomised cross-over design. REE increased similarly with all three sugars, reaching peak values after 50–60 min, but its subsequent fall towards baseline values was faster with galactose and glucose than with fructose (P < 0·001). RQ increased with all three sugars, but to a much greater extent with galactose and fructose than with glucose, particularly after 1 h post- ingestion. When ingested as a sugary drink, postprandial thermogenesis and utilisation of fat after galactose are not higher than after glucose or fructose

Concentration of Airborne Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and MSSA), Total Bacteria, and Endotoxins in Pig Farms

Pigs are very often colonized by Staphylococcus aureus and transmission of such pig-associated S. aureus to humans can cause serious medical, hygiene, and economic problems. The transmission route of zoonotic pathogens colonizing farm animals to humans is not well established and bioaerosols could play an important role. The aim of this study was to assess the potential occupational risk of working with S. aureus-colonized pigs in Switzerland. We estimated the airborne contamination by S. aureus in 37 pig farms (20 nursery and 17 fattening units; 25 in summer, 12 in winter). Quantification of total airborne bacterial DNA, airborne Staphylococcus sp. DNA, fungi, and airborne endotoxins was also performed. In this experiment, the presence of cultivable airborne methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) CC398 in a pig farm in Switzerland was reported for the first time. Airborne methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) was found in ~30% of farms. The average airborne concentration of DNA copy number of total bacteria and Staphylococcus sp. measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction was very high, respectively reaching values of 75 (± 28) × 107 and 35 (± 9.8) × 105 copy numbers m-3 in summer and 96 (± 19) × 108 and 40 (± 12) × 106 copy numbers m-3 in winter. Total mean airborne concentrations of endotoxins (1298 units of endotoxin m-3) and fungi (5707 colony-forming units m-3) exceeded the Swiss recommended values and were higher in winter than in summer. In conclusion, Swiss pig farmers will have to tackle a new emerging occupational risk, which could also have a strong impact on public health. The need to inform pig farmers about biological occupational risks is therefore crucia

Cardiovascular responses to sugary drinks in humans: galactose presents milder cardiac effects than glucose or fructose

PurposeThere is increasing interest into the potentially beneficial effects of galactose for obesity and type 2 diabetes management as it is a low-glycemic sugar reported to increase satiety and fat mobilization. However, fructose is also a low-glycemic sugar but with greater blood pressure elevation effects than after glucose ingestion. Therefore, we investigated here the extent to which the ingestion of galactose, compared to glucose and fructose, impacts upon haemodynamics and blood pressure.MethodsIn a randomized cross-over study design, 9 overnight-fasted young men attended 3 separate morning sessions during which continuous cardiovascular monitoring was performed at rest for at least 30 min before and 120 min after ingestion of 500 mL of water containing 60 g of either glucose, fructose or galactose. These measurements included beat-to-beat systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate deduced by electrocardiography, and stroke volume derived by impedance cardiography; these measurements were used to calculate cardiac output and total peripheral resistance.ResultsIngestion of galactose, like glucose, led to significantly lesser increases in systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure than fructose ingestion (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the increase in cardiac output and reduction in total peripheral resistance observed after ingestion of glucose were markedly lower after galactose ingestion (p < 0.01).ConclusionsGalactose thus presents the interesting characteristics of a low-glycemic sugar with mild cardiovascular effects. Further studies are warranted to confirm the clinical relevance of the milder cardiovascular effects of galactose than other sugars for insulin resistant obese and/or diabetic patients with cardiac insufficiency

Increased bacterial growth efficiency with environmental variability: results from DOC degradation by bacteria in pure culture experiments.

This paper assesses how considering variation in DOC availability and cell maintenance in bacterial models affects Bacterial Growth Efficiency (BGE) estimations. For this purpose, we conducted two biodegradation experiments simultaneously. In experiment one, a given amount of substrate was added to the culture at the start of the experiment whilst in experiment two, the same amount of substrate was added, but using periodic pulses over the time course of the experiment. Three bacterial models, with different levels of complexity, (the Monod, Marr-Pirt and the dynamic energy budget – DEB – models), were used and calibrated using the above experiments. BGE has been estimated using the experimental values obtained from discrete samples and from model generated data. Cell maintenance was derived experimentally, from respiration rate measurements. The results showed that the Monod model did not reproduce the experimental data accurately, whereas the Marr-Pirt and DEB models demonstrated a good level of reproducibility, probably because cell maintenance was built into their formula. Whatever estimation method was used, the BGE value was always higher in experiment two (the periodically pulsed substrate) as compared to the initially one-pulsed-substrate experiment. Moreover, BGE values estimated without considering cell maintenance (Monod model and empirical formula) were always smaller than BGE values obtained from models taking cell maintenance into account. Since BGE is commonly estimated using constant experimental systems and ignore maintenance, we conclude that these typical methods underestimate BGE values. On a larger scale, and for biogeochemical cycles, this would lead to the conclusion that, for a given DOC supply rate and a given DOC consumption rate, these BGE estimation methods overestimate the role of bacterioplankton as CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; producers

Reusability of filtering facepiece respirators after decontamination through drying and germicidal UV irradiation.

During pandemics, such as the SARS-CoV-2, filtering facepiece respirators plays an essential role in protecting healthcare personnel. The recycling of respirators is possible in case of critical shortage, but it raises the question of the effectiveness of decontamination as well as the performance of the reused respirators. Disposable respirators were subjected to ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) treatment at single or successive doses of 60 mJ/cm &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; after a short drying cycle (30 min, 70°C). The germicidal efficacy of this treatment was tested by spiking respirators with two staphylococcal bacteriophages (vB_HSa_2002 and P66 phages). The respirator performance was investigated by the following parameters: particle penetration (NaCl aerosol, 10-300 nm), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry and mechanical tensile tests. No viable phage particles were recovered from any of the respirators after decontamination (log reduction in virus titre &gt;3), and no reduction in chemical or physical properties (SEM, particle penetrations &lt;5%-6%) were observed. Increasing the UVGI dose 10-fold led to chemical alterations of the respirator filtration media (FTIR) but did not affect the physical properties (particle penetration), which was unaltered even at 3000 mJ/cm &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; (50 cycles). When respirators had been used by healthcare workers and undergone decontamination, they had particle penetration significantly greater than never donned respirators. This decontamination procedure is an attractive method for respirators in case of shortages during a SARS pandemic. A successful implementation requires a careful design and particle penetration performance control tests over the successive reuse cycles

Bird-like tracks from the imilchil formation (Middle jurassic, bajocian-bathonian) of the central high atlas, Morocco, in comparison with similar mesozoic tridactylous ichnotaxa

© 2017, Mucchi Editori s.r.l. All rights reserved. Small bird-like tracks have recently been discovered at three outcrops of the Imilchil Formation (Middle Jurassic, Bajocian-Bathonian) in the Central High Atlas of Morocco. The track-bearing strata are part of a marine-continental transitional succession, the studied surfaces being sandy marls and limestones of a brackish depositional environment. The footprints strongly resemble the ichnogenus Trisauropodiscus Ellenberger, 1970, from the Lower Elliot Formation (latest Triassic) of Lesotho, southern Africa and are assigned to Trisauropodiscus isp. These are functionally tridactyl, widely divaricated pes tracks with digit III being longest and a trace of the reverted digit I (hallux) being occasionally imprinted. In contrast to some former studies suggesting Trisauropodiscus as a junior synonym and extramorphological variation of the ornithischian ichnogenus Anomoepus, this ichnotaxon is considered here as a distinctive morphotype among similar theropod tracks found in Jurassic-Cretaceous ichnoassemblages. An amended diagnosis is proposed focusing on the features that are here discussed and considered as key characters of this ichnotaxon. An avian interpretation of the trackmaker is problematical, especially against the background of the stratigraphic range of Trisauropodiscus back to the Late Triassic. Presently, theropods with very bird-like feet are the more likely producers. Future analyses and comparison of Trisauropodiscus with pes skeletons of avian and non-avian theropods might enlighten this

Processing–structure–property relations of chemically bonded phosphate ceramic composites

ABSTRACT: Mechanical properties and microstructures of a chemically bonded phosphate ceramic (CBPC) and its composite with 1⋅0 wt% graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) reinforcement have been investigated. Microstructure was identified by using optical and scanning electron microscopes, X-ray tomography, and X-ray diffraction. In addition, weight loss of the resin at room temperature was studied. The microstructure characterization shows that CBPC is itself a composite with several crystalline (wollastonite and brushite) and amorphous phases. SEM and micro tomography show a homogeneous distribution of crystalline phases. Bending and compression strength of the CBPC was improved by reducing bubbles via preparation in vacuum

保险代理手续费监管制度思考

本文应用博弈论的方法,基于保险代理手续费率市场化的发展趋势,分析了我国保险市场的发展现状与特点,回顾了我国保险代理手续费监管制度的发展过程和存在问题,指出目前在我国推行手续费率市场化的监管政策可能引发"手续费率资源化"问题,并就保险代理手续费市场化应建立在保险费率市场化方面提出政策建议

Stain-Free Quantification of Chromosomes in Live Cells Using Regularized Tomographic Phase Microscopy

Refractive index imaging is a label-free technique that enables long-term monitoring of the internal structures and molecular composition in living cells with minimal perturbation. Existing tomographic methods for the refractive index imaging lack 3-D resolution and result in artifacts that prevent accurate refractive index quantification. To overcome these limitations without compromising the capability to observe a sample in its most native condition, we have developed a regularized tomographic phase microscope (RTPM) enabling accurate refractive index imaging of organelles inside intact cells. With the enhanced accuracy, we quantify the mass of chromosomes in intact living cells, and differentiate two human colon cancer lines, HT-29 and T84 cells, solely based on the non-aqueous (dry) mass of chromosomes. In addition, we demonstrate chromosomal imaging using a dual-wavelength RTPM, which shows its potential to determine the molecular composition of cellular organelles in live cells.National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (U.S.) (9P41EB015871-26A1

Authoritative subspecies diagnosis tool for European honey bees based on ancestryinformative SNPs

Background With numerous endemic subspecies representing four of its five evolutionary lineages, Europe holds a large fraction of Apis mellifera genetic diversity. This diversity and the natural distribution range have been altered by anthropogenic factors. The conservation of this natural heritage relies on the availability of accurate tools for subspecies diagnosis. Based on pool-sequence data from 2145 worker bees representing 22 populations sampled across Europe, we employed two highly discriminative approaches (PCA and F-ST) to select the most informative SNPs for ancestry inference. Results Using a supervised machine learning (ML) approach and a set of 3896 genotyped individuals, we could show that the 4094 selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) provide an accurate prediction of ancestry inference in European honey bees. The best ML model was Linear Support Vector Classifier (Linear SVC) which correctly assigned most individuals to one of the 14 subspecies or different genetic origins with a mean accuracy of 96.2% +/- 0.8 SD. A total of 3.8% of test individuals were misclassified, most probably due to limited differentiation between the subspecies caused by close geographical proximity, or human interference of genetic integrity of reference subspecies, or a combination thereof. Conclusions The diagnostic tool presented here will contribute to a sustainable conservation and support breeding activities in order to preserve the genetic heritage of European honey bees.The SmartBees project was funded by the European Commission under its FP7 KBBE programme (2013.1.3-02, SmartBees Grant Agreement number 613960) https://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7.MP was supported by a Basque Government grant (IT1233-19). The funders provided the financial support to the research, but had no role in the design of the study, analysis, interpretations of data and in writing the manuscript