Retrospective analysis of anthropometric and fitness characteristics associated with long-term career progression in Rugby League.

The current study retrospectively investigated the differences in anthropometric and fitness characteristics of junior rugby league players selected onto a talent identification and development (TID) programme between long-term career progression levels (i.e., amateur, academy, professional)

A mathematical model for breath gas analysis of volatile organic compounds with special emphasis on acetone

Recommended standardized procedures for determining exhaled lower respiratory nitric oxide and nasal nitric oxide have been developed by task forces of the European Respiratory Society and the American Thoracic Society. These recommendations have paved the way for the measurement of nitric oxide to become a diagnostic tool for specific clinical applications. It would be desirable to develop similar guidelines for the sampling of other trace gases in exhaled breath, especially volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which reflect ongoing metabolism. The concentrations of water-soluble, blood-borne substances in exhaled breath are influenced by: (i) breathing patterns affecting gas exchange in the conducting airways; (ii) the concentrations in the tracheo-bronchial lining fluid; (iii) the alveolar and systemic concentrations of the compound. The classical Farhi equation takes only the alveolar concentrations into account. Real-time measurements of acetone in end-tidal breath under an ergometer challenge show characteristics which cannot be explained within the Farhi setting. Here we develop a compartment model that reliably captures these profiles and is capable of relating breath to the systemic concentrations of acetone. By comparison with experimental data it is inferred that the major part of variability in breath acetone concentrations (e.g., in response to moderate exercise or altered breathing patterns) can be attributed to airway gas exchange, with minimal changes of the underlying blood and tissue concentrations. Moreover, it is deduced that measured end-tidal breath concentrations of acetone determined during resting conditions and free breathing will be rather poor indicators for endogenous levels. Particularly, the current formulation includes the classical Farhi and the Scheid series inhomogeneity model as special limiting cases.Comment: 38 page

Subduction or sagduction? Ambiguity in constraining the origin of ultramafic–mafic bodies in the Archean crust of NW Scotland

The Lewisian Complex of NW Scotland is a fragment of the North Atlantic Craton. It comprises mostly Archean tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) orthogneisses that were variably metamorphosed and reworked in the late Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic. Within the granulite facies central region of the mainland Lewisian Complex, discontinuous belts composed of ultramafic–mafic rocks and structurally overlying garnet–biotite gneiss (brown gneiss) are spatially associated with steeply-inclined amphibolite facies shear zones that have been interpreted as terrane boundaries. Interpretation of the primary chemical composition of these rocks is complicated by partial melting and melt loss during granulite facies metamorphism, and contamination with melts derived from the adjacent migmatitic TTG host rocks. Notwithstanding, the composition of the layered ultramafic–mafic rocks is suggestive of a protolith formed by differentiation of tholeiitic magma, where the ultramafic portions of these bodies represent the metamorphosed cumulates and the mafic portions the metamorphosed fractionated liquids. Although the composition of the brown gneiss does not clearly discriminate the protolith, it most likely represents a metamorphosed sedimentary or volcano-sedimentary sequence. For Archean rocks, particularly those metamorphosed to granulite facies, the geochemical characteristics typically used for discrimination of paleotectonic environments are neither strictly appropriate nor clearly diagnostic. Many of the rocks in the Lewisian Complex have ‘arc-like’ trace element signatures. These signatures are interpreted to reflect derivation from hydrated enriched mantle and, in the case of the TTG gneisses, partial melting of amphibolite source rocks containing garnet and a Ti-rich phase, probably rutile. However, it is becoming increasingly recognised that in Archean rocks such signatures may not be unique to a subduction environment but may relate to processes such as delamination and dripping. Consequently, it is unclear whether the Lewisian ultramafic–mafic rocks and brown gneisses represent products of plate margin or intraplate magmatism. Although a subduction-related origin is possible, we propose that an intraplate origin is equally plausible. If the second alternative is correct, the ultramafic–mafic rocks and brown gneisses may represent the remnants of intracratonic greenstone belts that sank into the deep crust due to their density contrast with the underlying partially molten low viscosity TTG orthogneisses

Reactive Infiltration of MORB-Eclogite-Derived Carbonated Silicate Melt into Fertile Peridotite at 3GPa and Genesis of Alkalic Magmas

We performed experiments between two different carbonated eclogite-derived melts and lherzolite at 1375°C and 3 GPa by varying the reacting melt fraction from 8 to 50 wt %. The two starting melt compositions were (1) alkalic basalt with 11·7 wt % dissolved CO2 (ABC), (2) basaltic andesite with 2·6 wt % dissolved CO2 (BAC). The starting melts were mixed homogeneously with peridotite to simulate porous reactive infiltration of melt in the Earth’s mantle. All the experiments produced an assemblage of melt + orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + garnet ± olivine; olivine was absent for a reacting melt fraction of 50 wt % for ABC and 40 wt % for BAC. Basanitic ABC evolved to melilitites (on a CO2-free basis, SiO2 ∼27–39 wt %, TiO2 ∼2·8–6·3 wt %, Al2O3 ∼4·1–9·1 wt %, FeO* ∼11–16 wt %, MgO ∼17–21 wt %, CaO ∼13–21 wt %, Na2O ∼4–7 wt %, CO2 ∼10–25 wt %) upon melt–rock reaction and the degree of alkalinity of the reacted melts is positively correlated with melt–rock ratio. On the other hand, reacted melts derived from BAC (on a CO2-free basis SiO2 ∼42–53 wt %, TiO2 ∼6·4–8·7 wt %, Al2O3 ∼10·5–12·3 wt %, FeO* ∼6·5–10·5 wt %, MgO ∼7·9–15·4 wt %, CaO ∼7·3–10·3 wt %, Na2O ∼3·4–4 wt %, CO2 ∼6·2–11·7 wt %) increase in alkalinity with decreasing melt–rock ratio. We demonstrate that owing to the presence of only 0·65 wt % of CO2 in the bulk melt–rock mixture (corresponding to 25 wt % BAC + lherzolite mixture), nephelinitic-basanite melts can be generated by partial reactive crystallization of basaltic andesite as opposed to basanites produced in volatile-free conditions. Post 20% olivine fractionation, the reacted melts derived from ABC at low to intermediate melt–rock ratios match with 20–40% of the population of natural nephelinites and melilitites in terms of SiO2 and CaO/Al2O3, 60–80% in terms of TiO2, Al2O3 and FeO, and <20% in terms of CaO and Na2O. The reacted melts from BAC, at intermediate melt–rock ratios, are excellent matches for some of the Mg-rich (MgO >15 wt %) natural nephelinites in terms of SiO2, Al2O3, FeO*, CaO, Na2O and CaO/Al2O3. Not only can these reacted melts erupt by themselves, they can also act as metasomatizing agents in the Earth’s mantle. Our study suggests that a combination of subducted, silica-saturated crust–peridotite interaction and the presence of CO2 in the mantle source region are sufficient to produce a large range of primitive alkalic basalts. Also, mantle potential temperatures of 1330–1350°C appear sufficient to produce high-MgO, primitive basanite–nephelinite if carbonated eclogite melt and peridotite interaction is taken into account

Lower crustal crystallization and melt evolution at mid-ocean ridges

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2012. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Nature Publishing Group for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Nature Geoscience 5 (2012): 651–655, doi:10.1038/ngeo1552.Mid-ocean ridge magma is produced when Earth’s mantle rises beneath the ridge axis and melts as a result of the decrease in pressure. This magma subsequently undergoes cooling and crystallization to form the oceanic crust. However, there is no consensus on where within the crust or upper mantle crystallization occurs1-5. Here we provide direct geochemical evidence for the depths of crystallization beneath ridge axes of two spreading centres located in the Pacific Ocean: the fast-spreading-rate East Pacific Rise and intermediate-spreading-rate Juan de Fuca Ridge. Specifically, we measure volatile concentrations in olivine-hosted melt inclusions to derive vapour-saturation pressures and to calculate crystallisation depth. We also analyse the melt inclusions for major and trace element concentrations, allowing us to compare the distributions of crystallisation and to track the evolution of the melt during ascent through the oceanic crust. We find that most crystallisation occurs within a seismically-imaged melt lens located in the shallow crust at both ridges, but over 25% of the melt inclusions have crystallisation pressures consistent with formation in the lower oceanic crust. Furthermore, our results suggest that melts formed beneath the ridge axis can be efficiently mixed and undergo olivine crystallisation in the mantle, prior to ascent into the ocean crust.This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (EAR-0646694) and the WHOI Deep Ocean Exploration Institute/Ocean Ridge Initiative.2013-02-1

Women's experiences of postnatal distress: a qualitative study

Women can experience a range of psychological problems after birth, including anxiety, depression and adjustment disorders. However, research has predominantly focused on depression. Qualitative work on women's experiences of postnatal mental health problems has sampled women within particular diagnostic categories so not looked at the range of potential psychological problems. The aims of this study were to explore how women experienced and made sense of the range of emotional distress states in the first postnatal year

Acute and two-week effects of Neotame, Stevia Rebaudioside M and sucrose-sweetened biscuits on postprandial appetite and endocrine response in adults with overweight/obesity – a randomised crossover trial from the SWEET Consortium.

BackgroundSweeteners and sweetness enhancers (S&SE) are used to replace energy yielding sugars and maintain sweet taste in a wide range of products, but controversy exists about their effects on appetite and endocrine responses in reduced or no added sugar solid foods. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the acute (1 day) and repeated (two-week daily) ingestive effects of 2 S&SE vs. sucrose formulations of biscuit with fruit filling on appetite and endocrine responses in adults with overweight and obesity.MethodsIn a randomised crossover trial, 53 healthy adults (33 female, 20 male) with overweight/obesity in England and France consumed biscuits with fruit filling containing 1) sucrose, or reformulated with either 2) Stevia Rebaudioside M (StRebM) or 3) Neotame daily during three, two-week intervention periods with a two-week washout. The primary outcome was composite appetite score defined as [desire to eat + hunger + (100 - fullness) + prospective consumption]/4.FindingsEach formulation elicited a similar reduction in appetite sensations (3-h postprandial net iAUC). Postprandial insulin (2-h iAUC) was lower after Neotame (95% CI (0.093, 0.166); p InterpretationIn conclusion, biscuits reformulated to replace sugar using StRebM or Neotame showed no differences in appetite or endocrine responses, acutely or after a two-week exposure, but can reduce postprandial insulin and glucose response in adults with overweight or obesity.FundingThe present study was funded by the Horizon 2020 program: Sweeteners and sweetness enhancers: Impact on health, obesity, safety and sustainability (acronym: SWEET, grant no: 774293)

Regulation of Inflammation by Short Chain Fatty Acids

The short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate (C2), propionate (C3) and butyrate (C4) are the main metabolic products of anaerobic bacteria fermentation in the intestine. In addition to their important role as fuel for intestinal epithelial cells, SCFAs modulate different processes in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract such as electrolyte and water absorption. These fatty acids have been recognized as potential mediators involved in the effects of gut microbiota on intestinal immune function. SCFAs act on leukocytes and endothelial cells through at least two mechanisms: activation of GPCRs (GPR41 and GPR43) and inhibiton of histone deacetylase (HDAC). SCFAs regulate several leukocyte functions including production of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10), eicosanoids and chemokines (e.g., MCP-1 and CINC-2). The ability of leukocytes to migrate to the foci of inflammation and to destroy microbial pathogens also seems to be affected by the SCFAs. In this review, the latest research that describes how SCFAs regulate the inflammatory process is presented. The effects of these fatty acids on isolated cells (leukocytes, endothelial and intestinal epithelial cells) and, particularly, on the recruitment and activation of leukocytes are discussed. Therapeutic application of these fatty acids for the treatment of inflammatory pathologies is also highlighted

Thermodynamic Measurements in a Strongly Interacting Fermi Gas

We conduct a series of measurements on the thermodynamic properties of an optically-trapped strongly interacting Fermi gas, including the energy $E$, entropy $S$, and sound velocity $c$. Our model-independent measurements of $E$ and $S$ enable a precision study of the finite temperature thermodynamics. The $E(S)$ data are directly compared to several recent predictions. The temperature in both the superfluid and normal fluid regime is obtained from the fundamental thermodynamic relation $T=\partial E/\partial S$ by parameterizing the $E(S)$ data. Our $E(S)$ data are also used to experimentally calibrate the endpoint temperatures obtained for adiabatic sweeps of the magnetic field between the ideal and strongly interacting regimes. This enables the first experimental calibration of the temperature scale used in experiments on fermionic pair condensation. Our calibration shows that the ideal gas temperature measured for the onset of pair condensation corresponds closely to the critical temperature estimated in the strongly interacting regime from the fits to our $E(S)$ data. The results are in very good agreement with recent predictions. Finally, using universal thermodynamic relations, we estimate the chemical potential and heat capacity of the trapped gas from the $E(S)$ data.Comment: 29 pages, 12 figures. To appear in JLTP online, and in the January, 2009 volum

Mutational analysis of the tyrosine kinome in serous and clear cell endometrial cancer uncovers rare somatic mutations in TNK2 and DDR1

Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) is the 8th leading cause of cancer death amongst American women. Most ECs are endometrioid, serous, or clear cell carcinomas, or an admixture of histologies. Serous and clear ECs are clinically aggressive tumors for which alternative therapeutic approaches are needed. The purpose of this study was to search for somatic mutations in the tyrosine kinome of serous and clear cell ECs, because mutated kinases can point to potential therapeutic targets. Methods: In a mutation discovery screen, we PCR amplified and Sanger sequenced the exons encoding the catalytic domains of 86 tyrosine kinases from 24 serous, 11 clear cell, and 5 mixed histology ECs. For somatically mutated genes, we next sequenced the remaining coding exons from the 40 discovery screen tumors and sequenced all coding exons from another 72 ECs (10 clear cell, 21 serous, 41 endometrioid). We assessed the copy number of mutated kinases in this cohort of 112 tumors using quantitative real time PCR, and we used immunoblotting to measure expression of these kinases in endometrial cancer cell lines. Results: Overall, we identified somatic mutations in TNK2 (tyrosine kinase non-receptor, 2) and DDR1 (discoidin domain receptor tyrosine kinase 1) in 5.3% (6 of 112) and 2.7% (3 of 112) of ECs. Copy number gains of TNK2 and DDR1 were identified in another 4.5% and 0.9% of 112 cases respectively. Immunoblotting confirmed TNK2 and DDR1 expression in endometrial cancer cell lines. Three of five missense mutations in TNK2 and one of two missense mutations in DDR1 are predicted to impact protein function by two or more in silico algorithms. The TNK2P761Rfs*72 frameshift mutation was recurrent in EC, and the DDR1R570Q missense mutation was recurrent across tumor types. Conclusions: This is the first study to systematically search for mutations in the tyrosine kinome in clear cell endometrial tumors. Our findings indicate that high-frequency somatic mutations in the catalytic domains of the tyrosine kinome are rare in clear cell ECs. We uncovered ten new mutations in TNK2 and DDR1 within serous and endometrioid ECs, thus providing novel insights into the mutation spectrum of each gene in EC