Effects of synbiotic supplement on human gut microbiota, body composition and weight loss in obesity

Targeting gut microbiota with synbiotics (probiotic supplements containing prebiotic components) is emerging as a promising intervention in the comprehensive nutritional approach to reducing obesity. Weight loss resulting from low-carbohydrate high-protein diets can be significant but has also been linked to potentially negative health effects due to increased bacterial fermentation of undigested protein within the colon and subsequent changes in gut microbiota composition. Correcting obesity-induced disruption of gut microbiota with synbiotics can be more effective than supplementation with probiotics alone because prebiotic components of synbiotics support the growth and survival of positive bacteria therein. The purpose of this placebo-controlled intervention clinical trial was to evaluate the effects of a synbiotic supplement on the composition, richness and diversity of gut microbiota and associations of microbial species with body composition parameters and biomarkers of obesity in human subjects participating in a weight loss program. The probiotic component of the synbiotic used in the study contained Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, and Bifidobacterium bifidum and the prebiotic component was a galactooligosaccharide mixture. The results showed no statistically significant differences in body composition (body mass, BMI, body fat mass, body fat percentage, body lean mass, and bone mineral content) between the placebo and synbiotic groups at the end of the clinical trial (3-month intervention, 20 human subjects participating in weight loss intervention based on a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, reduced energy diet). Synbiotic supplementation increased the abundance of gut bacteria associated with positive health effects, especially Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, and it also appeared to increase the gut microbiota richness. A decreasing trend in the gut microbiota diversity in the placebo and synbiotic groups was observed at the end of trial, which may imply the effect of the high-protein low-carbohydrate diet used in the weight loss program. Regression analysis performed to correlate abundance of species following supplementation with body composition parameters and biomarkers of obesity found an association between a decrease over time in blood glucose and an increase in Lactobacillus abundance, particularly in the synbiotic group. However, the decrease over time in body mass, BMI, waist circumstance, and body fat mass was associated with a decrease in Bifidobacterium abundance. The results obtained support the conclusion that synbiotic supplement used in this clinical trial modulates human gut microbiota by increasing abundance of potentially beneficial microbial species

Adaptive antenna arrays for satellite communications: Design and testing

When two separate antennas are used with each feedback loop to decorrelate noise, the antennas should be located such that the phase of the interfering signal in the two antennas is the same while the noise in them is uncorrelated. Thus, the antenna patterns and spatial distribution of the auxiliary antennas are quite important and should be carefully selected. The selection and spatial distribution of auxiliary elements is discussed when the main antenna is a center fed reflector antenna. It is shown that offset feeds of the reflector antenna can be used as auxiliary elements of an adaptive array to suppress weak interfering signals. An experimental system is designed to verify the theoretical analysis. The details of the experimental systems are presented

Creating movable interfaces by micro-powder injection moulding

This paper presents a novel in situ technique to produce articulated components with high-precision, micro-scale movable interfaces by micro-powder injection moulding (μPIM). The presented process route is based on the use of micro-scale sacrificial layer between the movable subcomponents which is eliminated during the debinding step, creating a dimensionally-controlled, micro-scale mobile interface. The fabrication technique combines the advantages of micro-powder overmoulding, catalytic debinding and sintering. The demonstrated example was a finger bone prosthesis joint consisting of two sub-components with an interface between components of 200 μm in size. The geometries of the sub-components were designed such that they are inseparable throughout the process whilst allowing them to move relative to each other after the debinding stage. The components produced showed the feasibility of the process route to produce readily-assembled meso-, and potentially micro-, scale articulated system

Gulf of Carpentaria Line Fishery Scoping Study

The Queensland Ecological Risk Assessment Guideline (the Guideline) was released in March 2018 as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027. This Guideline provides an overview of strategy being employed to develop Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs) for Queensland’s fisheries. The Guideline describes a four-stage framework consisting of a Scoping Study; a Level 1, whole of fishery qualitative assessment; a Level 2, species-specific semi-quantitative or low-data quantitative assessment and; a Level 3 quantitative assessment (if applicable). The Scoping Study establishes a baseline of information on the key characteristics of the Gulf of Carpentaria Line Fishery (GOCLF). It includes information on the broader management regime, key species, gear configurations and catch and effort trends. Information contained in the scoping study for the GOCLF will be used to inform subsequent assessments including the whole of fishery (Level 1) and species-specific (Level 2)

Do no harm: is it time to rethink the Hippocratic Oath?

Introduction The 1964 revision of the Hippocratic Oath addressed the disconnection in language and context between the classical doctrine and 20th century medicine. Now, 50 years later, we argue that any revision of the Oath must be responsive to the significant social, technical and political changes that have occurred in health care. The context for the Hippocratic Oath This paper examines the ways in which health care and the health professions have changed over the last half-century and describes a range of environmental and contextual features that expose the inadequacies of the 1964 Oath in the worlds of today and the future. We note the constancy of the doctor–patient dyad in contemporary ethical codes and consider from the perspective of patient safety those aspects of care that might fall short of the optimum if the focus on the doctor is retained. We ask whether there is any merit in maintaining a focus on the ethics or professionalism of doctors, or whether more of our attention should be directed towards the ethics of health care itself. Conclusions Patient safety is widely acknowledged as a major health issue. Being open about the interdependency of doctors, the complex socio-political nature of health care, and the inevitability of errors and adverse events need not challenge the authority of the doctor. Rather, openness about both the ways in which medicine has changed and the harms that doctors may (inadvertently) cause might afford medicine the opportunity to build a different relationship with patients (and with society more broadly), that recognises complexity, human fallibility and the uncertainty of medicine. This article has been written in response to the following line from Lasagna's modernisation of the Hippocratic Oath [1]: ‘I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:

Fin Fish (Stout Whiting) Trawl Fishery Level 1 Ecological Risk Assessment

The Queensland Ecological Risk Assessment Guideline (the Guideline) was released in March 2018 as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027. This Guideline provides an overview of strategy being employed to develop Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs) for Queensland’s fisheries. The Guideline describes a four-stage framework consisting of a Scoping Study; a Level 1, whole of fishery qualitative assessment; a Level 2, species-specific semi-quantitative or low-data quantitative assessment and; a Level 3 quantitative assessment (if applicable). The aim of the Level 1 ERA is to produce a broad risk profile for each fishery using a qualitative ERA method described by Astles et al. (2006). The method considers a range of factors including the current fishing environment (e.g. current catch, effort and licensing trends), limitations of the current management arrangements (e.g. transfer of effort to already saturated markets, substantial increases in fishing mortality for key species, changing target species) and life-history constraints of the species being assessed. In the Fin Fish Trawl Fishery the Level 1 ERA assessed fishing related risks in 15 ecological components including target & byproduct species, bycatch, marine turtles, sea snakes, crocodiles, dugongs, cetaceans, protected teleosts, batoids, sharks, syngnathids, seabirds, terrestrial mammals, marine habitats and ecosystem processes. Based on the outputs of the Level 1 ERA, the FFTF will not be progressed to Level 2 ERA. The Level 1 ERA identified knowledge gaps for bycatch and batoids, but these information needs will be progressed to the Fisheries Queensland Monitoring and Research Plan for further consideration

Spanner Crab Fishery Level 1 Ecological Risk Assessment

The Queensland Ecological Risk Assessment Guideline (the Guideline) was released in March 2018 as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027. This Guideline provides an overview of strategy being employed to develop Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs) for Queensland’s fisheries. The Guideline describes a four-stage framework consisting of a Scoping Study; a Level 1, whole of fishery qualitative assessment; a Level 2, species-specific semi-quantitative or low-data quantitative assessment and; a Level 3 quantitative assessment (if applicable). The aim of the Level 1 ERA is to produce a broad risk profile for each fishery based on a qualitative ERA method described by Astles et al. (2006). The method considers a range of factors including the current fishing environment (e.g. current catch, effort and licensing trends), limitations of the current management arrangements (e.g. transfer of effort to already saturated markets, substantial increases in fishing mortality for key species, changing target species) and life-history constraints of the species being assessed. In the Spanner Crab Fishery the Level 1 ERA assessed fishing related risks in 15 ecological components including target species, bycatch, marine turtles, sea snakes, crocodiles, dugongs, cetaceans (whales and dolphins), protected teleosts, batoids, sharks, syngnathids, seabirds, terrestrial mammals, marine habitats and ecosystem processes. The Level 1 ERA indicates that the Spanner Crab Fishery presents a low to negligible risk to most of ecological components. At low/intermediate, target species had the highest risk rating of the assessment. These risks are being managed effectively through a range of measures including a fishery-specific harvest strategy

Fin Fish (Stout Whiting) Trawl Fishery Scoping Study

The Queensland Ecological Risk Assessment Guideline (the Guideline) was released in March 2018 as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027. This Guideline provides an overview of strategy being employed to develop Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs) for Queensland’s fisheries. The Guideline describes a four-stage framework consisting of a Scoping Study; a Level 1, whole of fishery qualitative assessment; a Level 2, species-specific semi-quantitative or low-data quantitative assessment and; a Level 3 quantitative assessment (if applicable). The Scoping Study establishes a baseline of information on the key characteristics of the Fin Fish (Stout Whiting) Trawl Fishery (FTFF). It includes information on the broader management regime, key species, gear configurations and catch and effort trends. Information contained in the scoping study for the FTFF will be used to inform subsequent assessments including the whole of fishery (Level 1) and species-specific (Level 2)

Crab Fishery Level 2 Ecological Risk Assessment

The Queensland Ecological Risk Assessment Guideline (the Guideline) was released in March 2018 as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027. This Guideline provides an overview of strategy being employed to develop Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs) for Queensland’s fisheries. The Guideline describes a four-stage framework consisting of a Scoping Study; a Level 1, whole of fishery qualitative assessment; a Level 2, species-specific semi-quantitative or low-data quantitative assessment and; a Level 3 quantitative assessment (if applicable). A Scoping Study and Level 1 ERA for the Mud & Blue Swimmer Crab Fishery was released in May 2019 (Walton & Jacobsen, 2019). The Level 1 assessment identified ecological components at higher risk from crab fishing activities, and these were progressed to a Level 2 assessment. Level 2 ERAs are focused at the species level with risk evaluations based on a Productivity & Susceptibility Analysis (PSA). The PSA evaluates risk for each species through an assessment of seven biological attributes and up to seven fisheries-specific attributes. Based on the outputs of the Level 1 ERA and following a species prioritisation process, the Level 2 ERA assessed risk for two target & byproduct species, six marine turtles and a single shark. Both target & byproduct species and four marine turtle species were found to be at low to moderate range risk from crab fishing activities. However, two marine turtles (green and loggerhead) and the shark (speartooth) were found to be at high risk. The risk profiles of these species were heavily influenced by the biological attributes (productivity); particularly those relating to their longevity and reproductive outputs. Other factors that increased the risk for these species included an increased encounterability potential and an elevated risk of post-interaction mortalities. The Level 2 ERA made a list of recommendations to assist in the management and mitigation of risk in the Crab Fishery. A number of these measures are already being discussed and considered as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027 and will be progressed through the Crab Fishery Working Group

Do no harm: is it time to rethink the Hippocratic Oath?

Introduction The 1964 revision of the Hippocratic Oath addressed the disconnection in language and context between the classical doctrine and 20th century medicine. Now, 50 years later, we argue that any revision of the Oath must be responsive to the significant social, technical and political changes that have occurred in health care. The context for the Hippocratic Oath This paper examines the ways in which health care and the health professions have changed over the last half-century and describes a range of environmental and contextual features that expose the inadequacies of the 1964 Oath in the worlds of today and the future. We note the constancy of the doctor–patient dyad in contemporary ethical codes and consider from the perspective of patient safety those aspects of care that might fall short of the optimum if the focus on the doctor is retained. We ask whether there is any merit in maintaining a focus on the ethics or professionalism of doctors, or whether more of our attention should be directed towards the ethics of health care itself. Conclusions Patient safety is widely acknowledged as a major health issue. Being open about the interdependency of doctors, the complex socio-political nature of health care, and the inevitability of errors and adverse events need not challenge the authority of the doctor. Rather, openness about both the ways in which medicine has changed and the harms that doctors may (inadvertently) cause might afford medicine the opportunity to build a different relationship with patients (and with society more broadly), that recognises complexity, human fallibility and the uncertainty of medicine. This article has been written in response to the following line from Lasagna's modernisation of the Hippocratic Oath [1]: ‘I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant: