Impact of future obesity trends in the Mexican population: Development of a computer simulation model

INTRODUCTION: Mexico is one of the top 10 countries with the highest prevalence of obesity worldwide. In 2012, 22 million Mexican adults were classified as obese. As a consequence, the country has seen an increase in morbidity and mortality from obesity-associated diseases that have impacted the country’s health and economy. OBJECTIVE: To develop a computer simulation model that estimates future obesity prevalence and its impact on four cardiometabolic risk factors in the Mexican adult population aged 20-79y from 2015 to 2030. METHODS: Using the best and most recent available Mexican data, I developed the Mexican Obesity Forecast Model (MexOb-Model), a population-based computer simulation model that is composed of two sub-models: 1) a linear trend model that projects future prevalence of obesity; and a 2) discrete-state Markov model that estimates the impacts of rising levels of obesity on morbidity and mortality from hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hypertriglyceridaemia and hypercholesterolaemia in the adult population. Additionally, I estimated the potential health benefits of three hypothetical obesity prevalence reduction scenarios. RESULTS: If current trends continue, by 2030 there would be 48million obese adults (20─79y) in Mexico. The prevalence of hypertension, hypertriglyceridaemia and hypercholesterolaemia in the obese population would reach >50%, and 30% for diabetes. Decreasing the projected 2030 obesity prevalence by 3% would reduce the number of disease cases in the obese population by 150,000-500,000 and would reduce the number of deaths by 16,000-30,000. If Mexico achieved a bigger reduction in obesity levels, a 10% reduction in 2015 obesity prevalence by 2030, the number of disease cases avoided could be between 2 million and 7 million and total deaths reduce by nearly 500,000. CONCLUSION: The country’s prevalence of obesity, and obesity-related cardiometabolic risk factors, are expected to increase. A reduction of as little as 3% in the projected prevalence of obesity could result in a significant reduction in the health burden of obesity in Mexico

Simplest relationship between local field potential and intracellular signals in layered neural tissue.

The relationship between the extracellularly measured electric field potential resulting from synaptic activity in an ensemble of neurons and intracellular signals in these neurons is an important but still open question. Based on a model neuron with a cylindrical dendrite and lumped soma, we derive a formula that substantiates a proportionality between the local field potential and the total somatic transmembrane current that emerges from the difference between the somatic and dendritic membrane potentials. The formula is tested by intra- and extracellular recordings of evoked synaptic responses in hippocampal slices. Additionally, the contribution of different membrane currents to the field potential is demonstrated in a two-population mean-field model. Our formalism, which allows for a simple estimation of unknown dendritic currents directly from somatic measurements, provides an interpretation of the local field potential in terms of intracellularly measurable synaptic signals. It is also applicable to the study of cortical activity using two-compartment neuronal population models

Acute stress response in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) is time-of-day dependent: Physiological and oxidative stress indicators

Since fish show daily rhythms in most physiological functions, it should not be surprising that stressors may have different effects depending on the timing of exposure. In this study, we investigated the influence of time of day on the stress responses, at both physiological and cellular levels, in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurataL.) submitted to air exposure for 30 s and then returned to their tank. One hour after air exposure, blood, hypothalamus and liver samples were taken. Six fish per experimental group (control and stressed) were sampled every 4 h during a 24-h cycle. Fish were fed in the middle of the light cycle (ML) and locomotor activity rhythms were recorded using infrared photocells to determine their daily activity pattern of behaviour, which showed a peak around feeding time in all fish. In the control group, cortisol levels did not show daily rhythmicity, whereas in the stressed fish, a daily rhythm of plasma cortisol was observed, being the average values higher than in the control group, with increased differences during the dark phase. Blood glucose showed daily rhythmicity in the control group but not in the stressed one which also showed higher values at all sampling points. In the hypothalamus of control fish, a daily rhythm ofcorticotropin-releasing hormone(crh) gene expression was observed, with the acrophase at the beginning of the light phase. However, in the stressed fish, this rhythm was abolished. The expression ofcrh-binding protein(crhbp) showed a peak at the end of the dark phase in the control group, whereas in the stressed sea bream, this peak was found at ML. Regarding hepatic gene expression of oxidative stress biomarkers: (i)cytochrome c oxidase 4showed daily rhythmicity in both control and stressed fish, with the acrophases located around ML, (ii)peroxiredoxin(prdx) 3 and5(prdx5) only presented daily rhythmicity of expression in the stressed fish, with the acrophase located at the beginning of the light cycle and (iii)uncoupling protein 1showed significant differences between sampling points only in the control group, with significantly higher expression at the beginning of the dark phase. Taken together, these results indicate that stress response in gilthead sea bream is time-dependent as cortisol level rose higher at night, and that different rhythmic mechanisms interplay in the control of neuroendocrine and cellular stress responses

Participatory Geographic Information Systems as an Organizational Platform for the Integration of Traditional and Scientific Knowledge in Contemporary Fire and Fuels Management

Traditional knowledge about fire and its effects held by indigenous people, who are connected to specific landscapes, holds promise for informing contemporary fire and fuels management strategies and augmenting knowledge and information derived from western science. In practice, however, inadequate means to organize and communicate this traditional knowledge with scientists and managers can limit its consideration in decisions, requiring novel approaches to interdisciplinary and cross-cultural communication and collaboration. We propose that Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) is one platform for the assemblage and communication of traditional knowledge vital to fire and fuels management, while preserving linkages to broader cultural contexts. We provide summaries of four preliminary case studies in the Intermountain West of North America to illustrate different potential applications of a PGIS tool in this context and describe some remaining challenges. Management and Policy Implications: Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) can offer a powerful approach for enhancing current decisionmaking by allowing for the integration of traditional and scientific knowledge systems with spatial environmental data in an interactive participatory process. Integrated data sets can allow traditional and scientific knowledge experts to share, explore, manage, analyze, and interpret multidimensional data in a common spatial context to develop more informed management decisions. Such combined data sets could provide a more comprehensive assessment of fire-related ecological change than is currently used in decisionmaking and enhance inclusion of effects on local resource utility values and areas of cultural significance. The use of a PGIS interface creates opportunities for traditional knowledge holders to share information and potential prescriptions while maintaining confidentiality. Knowledge integration efforts using PGIS as an organizational tool would help to bridge the communication gap that commonly exists between scientists, managers, and traditional knowledge holders as ecosystems continue to be altered through processes of land management and climate change

Predicting short-term electricity demand through artificial neural network

Forecasting the consumption of electric power on a daily basis allows considerable money savings for the supplying companies, by reducing the expenses in generation and operation. Therefore, the cost of forecasting errors can be of such magnitude that many studies have focused on minimizing the forecasting error, which makes this topic as an integral part of planning in many companies of various kinds and sizes, ranging from generation, transmission, and distribution to consumption, by requiring reliable forecasting systems

Green Production of Anionic Surfactant Obtained from Pea Protein

A pea protein isolate was hydrolyzed by a double enzyme treatment method in order to obtain short peptide sequences used as raw materials to produce lipopeptides-based surfactants. Pea protein hydrolysates were prepared using the combination of Alcalase and Flavourzyme. The influence of the process variables was studied to optimize the proteolytic degradation to high degrees of hydrolysis. The average peptide chain lengths were obtained at 3–5 amino acid units after a hydrolysis of 30 min with the mixture of enzymes. Then, N-acylation in water, in presence of acid chloride (C12 and C16), carried out with a conversion rate of amine functions of 90%, allowed to obtain anionic surfactant mixtures (lipopeptides and sodium fatty acids). These two steps were performed in water, in continuous and did not generate any waste. This process was therefore in line with green chemistry principles. The surface activities (CMC, foaming and emulsifying properties) of these mixtures were also studied. These formulations obtained from natural renewable resources and the reactions done under environmental respect, could replace petrochemical based surfactants for some applications

Experimental investigation on camera calibration for 3D photogrammetric scanning of micro-features for micrometric resolution

[EN] Recently, it has been demonstrated that photogrammetry can be used for the measurement of small objects with micro-features, with good results and lower cost, compared to other established techniques such as interferometry, conoscopic holography, and 3D microscopy. Calibration is a critical step in photogrammetry and the classical pinhole camera model has been tested for magnifications lower than 2×. At higher magnification levels, because of the reduction of the depth of field (DOF), images can lead to calibration data with low reprojection errors. However, this could lead to bad results in the 3D reconstruction. With the aim of verifying the possibility of applying the camera model to magnifications higher than 2×, experiments have been conducted using reflex cameras with 60 mm macro lens, equipped with the combination of three extension tubes, corresponding to 2.06, 2.23, and 2.4 magnification levels, respectively. Experiments consisted of repeating calibration five times for each configuration and testing each calibration model, measuring two artifacts with different geometrical complexity. The calibration results have shown good repeatability of a subset of the internal calibration parameters. Despite the differences in the calibration reprojection error (RE), the quality of the photogrammetric 3D models retrieved was stable and satisfying. The experiment demonstrated the possibilities of the photogrammetric system presented, equipped to very high magnification levels, to retrieve accurate 3D reconstruction of micro-features with uncertainties of few micrometers, comparable with industry s expensive state-of-the-art technologies.Percoco, G.; Guerra, MG.; Sánchez Salmerón, AJ.; Galantucci, LM. (2017). Experimental investigation on camera calibration for 3D photogrammetric scanning of micro-features for micrometric resolution. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology. 91(9-12):2935-2947. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-016-9949-6S29352947919-12Uhlmann E, Mullany B, Biermann D, Rajurkar KP, Hausotte T, Brinksmeier E (2016) Process chains for high-precision components with micro-scale features. CIRP Ann - Manuf Technol 65:549–572. doi: 10.1016/j.cirp.2016.05.001Savio E, De Chiffre L, Schmitt R (2007) Metrology of freeform shaped parts. CIRP Ann - Manuf Technol 56:810–835. doi: 10.1016/j.cirp.2007.10.008Rodríguez-martín M, Lagüela S, González-aguilera D, Rodríguez-gonzálvez P (2015) Optics & Laser Technology Procedure for quality inspection of welds based on macro-photogrammetric three-dimensional reconstruction;73:54–62Xu Z, Toncich D, Stefani S (1999) Vision-based measurement of three-dimensional geometric workpiece properties. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 15:322–331. doi: 10.1007/s001700050074Galantucci LM, Lavecchia F, Percoco G (2013) Multistack close range photogrammetry for low cost submillimeter metrology. J Comput Inf Sci Eng 13:44501. doi: 10.1115/1.4024973Maté González, M.T., Yravedra, J., González-Aguilera, D., Palomeque-González, J.F., Domínguez-Rodrigo, M. Micro-photogrammetric characterization of cut marks on bones (2015) Journal of Archaeological Science, 62, pp. 128-142. doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2015.08.006Brown DC (1971) Close-range camera calibration. Photogramm Eng 37:855–866 doi:10.1.1.14.6358Tang R, Fritsch D (2013) Correlation analysis of camera self-calibration in close range photogrammetry. Photogramm Rec 28:86–95. doi: 10.1111/phor.12009Agisoft LLC (2011) Agisoft PhotoScan User Manual :37.Jcgm JCFGIM (2008) Evaluation of measurement data—guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement- annex B "general metrological terms"- B.2.14. Int Organ Stand Geneva ISBN 50:134. doi: 10.1373/clinchem.2003.030528Yanagi, H., Chikatsu, H. Performance evaluation of macro lens in digital close range photogrammetry (2009) Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, 7447, art. no. 74470J, doi: 10.1117/12.825817Galantucci LM, Pesce M, Lavecchia F (2015) A stereo photogrammetry scanning methodology, for precise and accurate 3D digitization of small parts with sub-millimeter sized features. CIRP Ann - Manuf Technol 64:507–510. doi: 10.1016/j.cirp.2015.04.016Galantucci LM, Pesce M, Lavecchia F (2015) A powerful scanning methodology for 3D measurements of small parts with complex surfaces and sub millimeter-sized features, based on close range photogrammetry. Precis Eng. doi: 10.1016/j.precisioneng.2015.07.010Percoco G, Sánchez Salmerón AJ (2015) Photogrammetric measurement of 3D freeform millimetre-sized objects with micro features: an experimental validation of the close-range camera calibration model for narrow angles of view. Meas Sci Technol 26:95203. doi: 10.1088/0957-0233/26/9/095203Gallo A, Muzzupappa M, Bruno F (2014) 3D reconstruction of small sized objects from a sequence of multi-focused images. J Cult Herit 15:173–182. doi: 10.1016/j.culher.2013.04.009Stamatopoulos C, Fraser CS, Cronk S (2010) On the self-calibration of long focal length lenses. Int Arch Photogramm Remote Sens Spat Inf Sci Newcastle upon Tyne, UK 2010 XXXVIII:560–564Atkinson KB (1996) Close range photogrammetry and machine vision. Whittles PublishingLuhmann T, Fraser C, Maas HG (2016) Sensor modelling and camera calibration for close-range photogrammetry. ISPRS J Photogramm Remote Sens 115:37–46. doi: 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2015.10.006Tsai RY (1986) An efficient and accurate camera calibration technique for 3D machine vision. Proc IEEE Conf Comput Vis Pattern Recognition 1986Ricolfe-Viala C, Sanchez-Salmeron A-J (2011) Camera calibration under optimal conditions. Opt Express 19:10769–10775. doi: 10.1364/OE.19.010769Wang L, Wang W, Shen C, Duan F (2016) A convex relaxation optimization algorithm for multi-camera calibration with 1D objects. NeurocomputingRicolfe-Viala C, Sanchez-Salmeron A. Lens distortion models evaluation. Appl Opt 2010;49:5914–5928.Percoco G, Lavecchia F, Salmerón AJS (2015) Preliminary study on the 3D digitization of millimeter scale products by means of photogrammetry. Procedia CIRP 33:257–262. doi: 10.1016/j.procir.2015.06.046Bradski G (2000) The OpenCV Library. Dr Dobb’s J Softw ToolsRicolfe-Viala C, Sanchez-Salmeron A-J (2011) Optimal conditions for camera calibration using a planar template. 2011 18th IEEE. Int Conf Image Process, IEEE 2011:853–856. doi: 10.1109/ICIP.2011.6116691Lowe DG (1999) Object recognition from local scale-invariant features. Proc Seventh IEEE Int Conf Comput Vis 2:1150–1157. doi: 10.1109/ICCV.1999.790410Triggs B, Mclauchlan P, Hartley R, Fitzgibbon A, Triggs B, Mclauchlan P, et al. (2010) Bundle adjustment—a modern synthesis to cite this version: bundle adjustment—a modern synthesisCignoni P, Callieri M, Corsini M, Dellepiane M, Ganovelli F, Ranzuglia G (2008) Meshlab: an open-source mesh processing tool. Eurographics Ital Chapter Conf 2008:129–136Besl P, McKay N (1992) A method for registration of 3-D shapes. IEEE Trans Pattern Anal Mach Intell 14:239–256. doi: 10.1109/34.12179

STM Spectroscopy of ultra-flat graphene on hexagonal boron nitride

Graphene has demonstrated great promise for future electronics technology as well as fundamental physics applications because of its linear energy-momentum dispersion relations which cross at the Dirac point. However, accessing the physics of the low density region at the Dirac point has been difficult because of the presence of disorder which leaves the graphene with local microscopic electron and hole puddles, resulting in a finite density of carriers even at the charge neutrality point. Efforts have been made to reduce the disorder by suspending graphene, leading to fabrication challenges and delicate devices which make local spectroscopic measurements difficult. Recently, it has been shown that placing graphene on hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) yields improved device performance. In this letter, we use scanning tunneling microscopy to show that graphene conforms to hBN, as evidenced by the presence of Moire patterns in the topographic images. However, contrary to recent predictions, this conformation does not lead to a sizable band gap due to the misalignment of the lattices. Moreover, local spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the electron-hole charge fluctuations are reduced by two orders of magnitude as compared to those on silicon oxide. This leads to charge fluctuations which are as small as in suspended graphene, opening up Dirac point physics to more diverse experiments than are possible on freestanding devices.Comment: Nature Materials advance online publication 13/02/201

A hypothetico-deductive approach to assessing the social function of chemical signalling in a non-territorial solitary carnivore

The function of chemical signalling in non-territorial solitary carnivores is still relatively unclear. Studies on territorial solitary and social carnivores have highlighted odour capability and utility, however the social function of chemical signalling in wild carnivore populations operating dominance hierarchy social systems has received little attention. We monitored scent marking and investigatory behaviour of wild brown bears Ursus arctos, to test multiple hypotheses relating to the social function of chemical signalling. Camera traps were stationed facing bear ‘marking trees’ to document behaviour by different age sex classes in different seasons. We found evidence to support the hypothesis that adult males utilise chemical signalling to communicate dominance to other males throughout the non-denning period. Adult females did not appear to utilise marking trees to advertise oestrous state during the breeding season. The function of marking by subadult bears is somewhat unclear, but may be related to the behaviour of adult males. Subadults investigated trees more often than they scent marked during the breeding season, which could be a result of an increased risk from adult males. Females with young showed an increase in marking and investigation of trees outside of the breeding season. We propose the hypothesis that females engage their dependent young with marking trees from a young age, at a relatively ‘safe’ time of year. Memory, experience, and learning at a young age, may all contribute towards odour capabilities in adult bears

An Experimental Study of Effects of Step Roughness in Skimming Flows on Stepped Chutes

On a spillway chute, a stepped design increases the rate of energy dissipation on the chute itself and reduces the size of a downstream energy dissipator. Up to date, the effects of step roughness on the flow properties remain unknown despite the practical relevance to damaged concrete steps, rock chutes and gabions weirs. New measurements were conducted in a large-size laboratory facility with two step conditions (smooth and rough) and three types of step roughness. Detailed air-water flow properties were measured systematically for several flow rates. The results showed faster flow motion on rough step chutes. Although the finding is counter-intuitive, it is linked with the location of the inception point of free-surface aeration being located further downstream than for a smooth stepped chute for an identical flow rate. In the aerated flow region, the velocities on rough-step chutes were larger than those of smooth chute flows for a given flow rate and dimensionless location from the inception point of free-surface aeration both at step edges and between step edges. The results suggest that design guidelines for smooth (concrete) stepped spillway may not be suitable to rough stepped chutes including gabion stepped weirs, and older stepped chutes with damaged steps