Dental wear patterns reveal dietary ecology and season of death in a historical chimpanzee population

Dental wear analyses have been widely used to interpret the dietary ecology in primates. However, it remains unclear to what extent a combination of wear analyses acting at distinct temporal scales can be beneficial in interpreting the tooth use of primates with a high variation in their intraspecific dietary ecology. Here, we combine macroscopic tooth wear (occlusal fingerprint analysis, long-term signals) with microscopic 3D surface textures (short-term signals) exploring the tooth use of a historical western chimpanzee population from northeastern Liberia with no detailed dietary records. We compare our results to previously published tooth wear and feeding data of the extant and continually monitored chimpanzees of Taї National Park in Ivory Coast. Macroscopic tooth wear results from molar wear facets of the Liberian population indicate only slightly less wear when compared to the Taї population. This suggests similar long-term feeding behavior between both populations. In contrast, 3D surface texture results show that Liberian chimpanzees have many and small microscopic wear facet features that group them with those Taї chimpanzees that knowingly died during dry periods. This coincides with historical accounts, which indicate that local tribes poached and butchered the Liberian specimens during dust-rich dry periods. In addition, Liberian females and males differ somewhat in their 3D surface textures, with females having more microscopic peaks, smaller hill and dale areas and slightly rougher wear facet surfaces than males. This suggests a higher consumption of insects in Liberian females compared to males, based on similar 3D surface texture patterns previously reported for Taї chimpanzees. Our study opens new options for uncovering details of feeding behaviors of chimpanzees and other living and fossil primates, with macroscopic tooth wear tracing the long-term dietary and environmental history of a single population and microscopic tooth wear addressing short-term changes (e.g. seasonality)

A novel method for pulmonary research: Assessment of bioenergetic function at the air–liquid interface

AbstractAir–liquid interface cell culture is an organotypic model for study of differentiated functional airway epithelium in vitro. Dysregulation of cellular energy metabolism and mitochondrial function have been suggested to contribute to airway diseases. However, there is currently no established method to determine oxygen consumption and glycolysis in airway epithelium in air–liquid interface. In order to study metabolism in differentiated airway epithelial cells, we engineered an insert for the Seahorse XF24 Analyzer that enabled the measure of respiration by oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and glycolysis by extracellular acidification rate (ECAR). Oxidative metabolism and glycolysis in airway epithelial cells cultured on the inserts were successfully measured. The inserts did not affect the measures of OCR or ECAR. Cells under media with apical and basolateral feeding had less oxidative metabolism as compared to cells on the inserts at air-interface with basolateral feeding. The design of inserts that can be used in the measure of bioenergetics in small numbers of cells in an organotypic state may be useful for evaluation of new drugs and metabolic mechanisms that underlie airway diseases

Effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on symptoms of acute mountain sickness and basic physiological responses in a group of male adolescents during ascent to Mount Everest Base Camp

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary nitrate supplementation, in the form of beetroot juice, on acute mountain sickness (AMS) symptoms and physiological responses, in a group of young males trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp (EBC). Forty healthy male students (mean age (SD): 16 (1) yrs) trekked to EBC over 11 days. Following an overnight fast, each morning participants completed the Lake Louise AMS questionnaire and underwent a series of physiological tests: resting blood pressure as well as resting and exercising heart rate, respiratory rate, and peripheral oxygen saturation. The exercise test consisted of a standardised 2-minute stepping protocol and measurements were taken in the last 10 seconds. Participants in the intervention arm of the study consumed 140 ml of concentrated beetroot juice daily, containing approximately 10 mmoles of nitrate, while those in the control arm consumed 140 ml of concentrated blackcurrant cordial with negligible nitrate content. Drinks were taken for the first seven days at high altitude (days 2 to 8), in two equal doses; one with breakfast, and one with the evening meal. Mixed modelling revealed no significant between-groups difference in the incidence of AMS (Odds Rationitrate vs. control: 1.16 (95% CI: 0.59; 2.29)). Physiological changes occurring during ascent to high altitude generally were not significantly different between the two groups (Model Coef (95% CI) – average difference nitrate vs. control: systolic blood pressure, 0.16 (-4.47; 4.79); peripheral oxygen saturation, 0.28 (-0.85; 1.41); heart rate, -0.48 (-8.47; 7.50) (Model Coef (95% CI) – relative difference nitrate vs. control: ventilatory rate, 0.95 (0.82; 1.08)). Modelling revealed that diastolic blood pressure was 3.37 mmHg (0.24; 6.49) higher for participants in the beetroot juice, however this difference was no larger than that found at baseline and no interaction effect was observed. Supplementation with dietary nitrate did not significantly change symptoms of AMS or alter key physiological variables, in a group of adolescent males during a high altitude trekking expedition. There was no evidence of harm from dietary nitrate supplementation in this context. Given the wide confidence intervals in all models, a larger sample size would be required to exclude a false negative result. Our data suggest that prolonged oral nitrate supplementation is safe and feasible at altitude but has little physiological or clinical effect

Conduit artery structure and function in lowlanders and native highlanders: relationships with oxidative stress and role of sympathoexcitation

Research detailing the normal vascular adaptions to high altitude is minimal and often confounded by pathology (e.g. chronic mountain sickness) and methodological issues. We examined vascular function and structure in: (1) healthy lowlanders during acute hypoxia and prolonged ( 2 weeks) exposure to high altitude, and (2) high-altitude natives at 5050 m (highlanders). In 12 healthy lowlanders (aged 32 ± 7 years) and 12 highlanders(Sherpa; 33 ± 14 years) we assessed brachial endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation(FMD), endothelium-independent dilatation (via glyceryl trinitrate; GTN), common carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT) and diameter (ultrasound), and arterial stiffness via pulse wave velocity (PWV; applanation tonometry). Cephalic venous biomarkers of free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation (lipid hydroperoxides, LOOH), nitrite (NO2 –) and lipid soluble antioxidants were also obtained at rest. In lowlanders, measurements were performed at sea level (334 m) and between days 3–4 (acute high altitude) and 12–14 (chronic high altitude) following arrival to 5050 m. Highlanders were assessed once at 5050 m. Compared with sea level, acute high altitude reduced lowlanders’ FMD (7.9 ± 0.4 vs. 6.8 ± 0.4%; P = 0.004) and GTN-induced dilatation (16.6 ± 0.9 vs. 14.5 ± 0.8%; P = 0.006), and raised central PWV (6.0 ± 0.2 vs. 6.6 ± 0.3 m s−1; P = 0.001). These changes persisted at days 12–14, and after allometricallyscaling FMD to adjust for altered baseline diameter. Compared to lowlanders at sea level and high altitude, highlanders had a lower carotid wall:lumen ratio ( 19%, P 0.04), attributable to a narrower CIMT and wider lumen. Although both LOOH and NO2 – increased with high altitude in lowlanders, only LOOH correlated with the reduction in GTN-induced dilatation evident during acute (n = 11, r=−0.53) and chronic (n = 7, r=−0.69; P 0.01) exposure to 5050 m. In a follow-up, placebo-controlled experiment (n=11 healthy lowlanders) conducted in a normobaric hypoxic chamber (inspiredO2 fraction (FIO2 )=0.11; 6 h), a sustained reduction in FMD was evident within 1 h of hypoxic exposure when compared to normoxic baseline (5.7±1.6 vs. 8.0 ±1.3%; P < 0.01); this decline in FMD was largely reversed following α1-adrenoreceptor blockade. In conclusion, high-altitude exposure in lowlanders caused persistent impairment in vascular function, which was mediated partially via oxidative stress and sympathoexcitation. Although a lifetime of high-altitude exposure neither intensifies nor attenuates the impairments seen with short-term exposure, chronic high-altitude exposure appears to be associated with arterial remodelling

Wykorzystanie lubinu zoltego w odchowie jarek hodowlanych polskiej owcy nizinnej

Trzy grupy po 15 jarek ssących dokarmiano mieszankami treściwymi, w których głównym źródłem białka były: - poekstrakcyjna śruta sojowa (grupa „S”), - poekstrakcyjna śruta sojowa i śruta z nasion łubinu żółtego (grupa „SŁ"), - śruta z nasion łubinu żółtego (grupa ,,Ł"). Odłączone jarki po 100 dniach odchowywano do 8 miesiąca żywiąc je sianem uzupełnionym w grupie kontrolnej przemysłową mieszanką CJ, w grupie doświadczalnej mieszanką z udziałem suszu z całych roślin łubinu żółtego - 60% i śruty z nasion łubinu żółtego - 20%. Najlepiej przyrastały jarki ssące w grupie „S” - 246ᴬ g; częściowe zastąpienie śruty sojowej - łubinową spowodowało (P>0,05) zmniejszenie przyrostów do 229ᴬᴮ g, a całkowite zastąpienie spowodowało (P0,05). Nie stwierdzono także różnic w wydajności wełny potnej w pierwszej strzyży: 4,1 i 4,2 kg w grupie kontrolnej i doświadczalnej, odpowiednio. Jarki doświadczalne zużyły (P0.05), and the complete replacement further lowered the gains to 198ᴮ g (P0.05). No differences were found either in the production of greasy wool at first shearing: 4.1 and 4.2 kg in groups control and experimental, respectively. Feed conversion per 1 kg weight gain in experimental ewes was less efficient (11.4 kg DM) (P<0.01) than in control ewes (8.8 kg DM)

Evaluation of salt precipitation from crude oil on the example of selected Polish mines

W artykule przedstawiono mechanizmy wydzielania się soli w wielofazowych układach charakterystycznych dla płynów złożowych. Następnie opisano zasady separacji płynów złożowych podczas wydobycia ropy naftowej. Szczególną uwagę zwrócono na rozdzielanie wysokozmineralizowanych solanek od ropy naftowej. Przeanalizowano składy wód złożowych na wybranych krajowych kopalniach ze względu na zawartości soli. Określono zawartości chlorków w ropach surowych po pierwszym stopniu separacji oraz możliwości wydzielania się soli w urządzeniach wydobywczych. Wskazano na sposoby likwidacji emulsji i odsalania ropy naftowej oraz przeciwdziałania wydzielania się dużych aglomeracji solnych.The mechanisms of precipitation in polyphase characteristic arrangements the salt for were introduced brine in article. The principle of separation of brine was described during exploitation of crude oil. Special attention was paid to distributing highly mineralized brines from oil. The compositions of brines were analyzed on the example of selected Polish mines with regard to salt content. The chlorides content was qualified for crude oils after the first degree of separation, and the possibility of precipitation in mining devices the salt was verified. The ways of liquidation of emulsion and salt removal from the crude oil were indicated and the measures against precipitation of large saline agglomerations