Systemic reduction in glutathione levels occurs in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma

PURPOSE. To assess the level of plasma glutathione in patients with untreated primary open-angle glaucoma. METHODS. Twenty-one patients with newly diagnosed primary open-angle glaucoma and 34 age- and gender-matched control subjects were subjected to a blood analysis to detect the level of circulating glutathione in its reduced and oxidized forms. The effect of age, gender, and systemic blood pressure on circulating glutathione levels was also analyzed. RESULTS. Age had a negative effect on the level of both reduced and total glutathione (P = 0.002, r = -0.52 and P = 0.002, r = -0.52, respectively) in control subjects but not in patients with glaucoma (P > 0.05, r = 0.27, and P > 0.05, r = 0.22, respectively). In the control group, men demonstrated higher levels of both reduced and total glutathione than did women (P = 0.024 and P = 0.032, respectively). After correction for age and gender influences on blood glutathione levels, patients with glaucoma exhibited significantly lower levels of reduced and total glutathione than did control subjects (P = 0.010, F = 7.24 and P = 0.006, F = 8.38, respectively). No differences between study groups were observed in either oxidized glutathione levels or redox index (P > 0.05, F = 0.50; and P > 0.05, F = 0.30, respectively). CONCLUSIONS. Patients with glaucoma exhibit low levels of circulating glutathione, suggesting a general compromise of the antioxidative defense. Copyright © Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Deep seam and minesoil carbon sequestration potential of the South Wales Coalfield, UK

Combustion of coal for energy generation has been a significant contributor to increased concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide. It is of interest to evaluate the potential of former coalfields for mitigating these increases by carbon sequestration and to compare different options to achieving this end. Here, carbon sequestration in residual coal seams and through reclamation of spoil tips is compared, and their carbon dioxide storage potential in the South Wales Coalfield estimated. Coal seam sequestration estimates come from an established methodology and consider the total unmined coal resource below 500 m deep with potential for carbon sequestration. The most likely effective deep seam storage capacity is 104.9 Mt carbon dioxide, taking account of reservoir conditions and engineering factors. Whilst many spoil tips in South Wales have been reclaimed, the focus has not been on carbon sequestration potential. Estimates of minesoil restoration sequestration capacity were based on a survey of restored minesoil and vegetation carbon stocks, mainly on sites 20–30 years after restoration; data from this survey were then extrapolated to the coalfield as a whole. Minesoil storage is estimated at 1.5 or 2.5 Mt (+2.2 Mt in tree biomass) carbon dioxide based on average grassland or woodland measurements, respectively; modelled data predicted equilibrium values of 2.9 and 2.6 Mt carbon dioxide respectively in grassland or woodland minesoils. If all sites achieved close to the maximum capacity in their land use class, minesoil storage capacity would increase to 2.1 or 3.9 Mt carbon dioxide, respectively. Combining the best woodland minesoil and standing biomass values, sequestration capacity increases to 7.2 Mt carbon dioxide. The wider social, economic, environmental and regulatory constraints to achieving this sequestration for each approach are discussed. Coal seam sequestration has a much higher capacity but sequestration in mine sites is less costly and has fewer regulatory constraints. Findings indicate a significant combined potential for carbon sequestration in the South Wales Coalfield and highlight challenges in achieving this potential. On a global scale, ex-coalfield sequestration could contribute to broader efforts to mitigate emissions

Differences in efficacy of monepantel, derquantel and abamectin against multi-resistant nematodes of sheep

Drug resistance has become a global phenomenon in gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep, particularly resistance to macrocyclic lactones. New anthelmintics are urgently needed for both the control of infections with multi-resistant nematodes in areas where classical anthelmintics are no longer effective, and the prevention of the spread of resistance in areas where the problem is not as severe. Recently, two new active ingredients became commercially available for the treatment of nematode infections in sheep, monepantel (Zolvix®) and derquantel, the latter used only in a formulated combination with the macrocyclic lactone, abamectin (Startect®). In order to assess the potential of the new actives for the control and prevention of spread of anthelmintic resistance, two characterized multi-resistant field isolates from Australia were used in a GLP (good laboratory practice) conducted efficacy study in sheep. Eight infected sheep in each group were treated orally according to the product labels with 2.5 mg/kg body weight monepantel, 0.2 mg/kg abamectin, or with the combination of 2.0 mg/kg derquantel and 0.2 mg/kg abamectin. The results demonstrate that monepantel was fully effective against multi-resistant species, Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Haemonchus contortus (99.9%). In contrast, the combination of derquantel and abamectin was effective against T. colubriformis (99.9%), but was not effective against larval stages of the barber's pole worm H. contortus (18.3%)

Evidence for energy conservation during pubertal growth. A 10-year longitudinal study (EarlyBird 71)

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is closely linked to obesity, and obesity rates climb during adolescence for reasons that are not clear. Energy efficiency is important to obesity, and we describe a temporary but substantial fall in absolute energy expenditure, compatible with improved energy efficiency, during the rapid growth phase of puberty. METHODS: In a longitudinal cohort study lasting 10 years, we measured voluntary energy expenditure as physical activity (PA) by accelerometry, involuntary energy expenditure as resting energy expenditure (REE) by oxygen consumption, body mass index (BMI) and body composition by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry annually on 10 occasions from 7 to 16 years in the 347 children of the EarlyBird study. We used mixed effects modelling to analyse the trends in REE and their relationship to BMI, lean mass (LM), fat mass (FM), age, PA and pubertal stage. RESULTS: Relative REE and total PA fell during puberty, as previously described, but the longitudinal data and narrow age-range of the cohort (s.d.±4m) revealed for the first time a substantial fall in absolute REE during the period of maximum growth. The fall became clearer still when adjusted for FM and LM. The fall could not be explained by fasting insulin, adiponectin, leptin, luteinising hormone or follicle stimulating hormone. CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be a temporary but substantial reduction in energy expenditure during puberty, which is unrelated to changes in body composition. If it means higher energy efficiency, the fall in REE could be advantageous in an evolutionary context to delivering the extra energy needed for pubertal growth, but unfavourable to weight gain in a contemporary environment.International Journal of Obesity advance online publication, 4 October 2016; doi:10.1038/ijo.2016.158.We are grateful to the Bright futures trust, Fountain Foundation, BUPA Foundation, EarlyBird Diabetes Trust and countless individual donors who made this study possible

Estimation of conditional laws given an extreme component

Let $(X,Y)$ be a bivariate random vector. The estimation of a probability of the form $P(Y\leq y \mid X >t)$ is challenging when $t$ is large, and a fruitful approach consists in studying, if it exists, the limiting conditional distribution of the random vector $(X,Y)$, suitably normalized, given that $X$ is large. There already exists a wide literature on bivariate models for which this limiting distribution exists. In this paper, a statistical analysis of this problem is done. Estimators of the limiting distribution (which is assumed to exist) and the normalizing functions are provided, as well as an estimator of the conditional quantile function when the conditioning event is extreme. Consistency of the estimators is proved and a functional central limit theorem for the estimator of the limiting distribution is obtained. The small sample behavior of the estimator of the conditional quantile function is illustrated through simulations.Comment: 32 pages, 5 figur

Intensification of hydrological drought in California by human water management

We analyze the contribution of human water management to the intensification and mitigation of hydrological drought over California using the PCR-GLOBWB hydrological model for the period 1979-2014. We demonstrate that considering water management results in more accurate discharge representation. During the severe 2014 drought, water management alleviated the drought deficit by ∼50% in Southern California through reservoir operation during low flow periods. However, human water consumption (mostly irrigation) in the Central Valley increased drought duration and deficit by 50% and 50-100%, respectively. Return level analysis indicates that there is more than 50% chance that the probability of occurrence of an extreme 2014-magnitude drought event was at least doubled under the influence of human activities compared to natural variability. This impact is most significant over the San Joaquin Drainage basin with a 50% and 75% likelihood that the return period is more than 3.5 and 1.5 times larger, respectively, because of human activities

Environmentally compatible solder materials for thick film hybrid assemblies

New soldering materials and processes have been developed over the last several years to address a variety of environmental issues. One of the primary efforts by the electronics industry has involved the development of alternative solders to replace the traditional lead-containing alloys. Sandia National Laboratories is developing such alternative solder materials for printed circuit board and hybrid microcircuit (HMC) applications. This paper describes the work associated with low residue, lead-free soldering of thick film HMC`s. The response of the different materials to wetting, aging, and mechanical test conditions was investigated. Hybrid test vehicles were designed and fabricated with a variety of chip capacitors and leadless ceramic chip carriers to conduct thermal, electrical continuity, and mechanical evaluations of prototype joints. Microstructural development along the solder and thick film interface, after isothermal solid state aging over a range of elevated temperatures and times, was quantified using microanalytical techniques. Flux residues on soldered samples were stressed (temperature-humidity aged) to identify potential corrosion problems. Mechanical tests also supported the development of a solder joint lifetime prediction model. Progress of this effort is summarized