Nonlinear dynamics of wind waves: multifractal phase/time effects

International audienceIn addition to the bispectral coherence method, phase/time analysis of analytic signals is another promising avenue for the investigation of phase effects in wind waves. Frequency spectra of phase fluctuations obtained from both sea and laboratory experiments follow an F-? power law over several decades, suggesting that a fractal description is appropriate. However, many similar natural phenomena have been shown to be multifractal. Universal multifractals are quantified by two additional parameters: the Lévy index 0 ? 2 for the type of multifractal and the co-dimension 0 C1 1 for intermittence. The three parameters are a full statistical measure the nonlinear dynamics. Analysis of laboratory flume data is reported here and the results indicate that the phase fluctuations are 'hard multifractal' (? > 1). The actual estimate is close to the limiting value ? = 2, which is consistent with Kolmogorov's lognormal model for turbulent fluctuations. Implications for radar and sonar backscattering from the sea surface are briefly considered

Asymmetry of wind waves studied in a laboratory tank

International audienceAsymmetry of wind waves was studied in laboratory tank tinder varied wind and fetch conditions using both bispectral analysis of wave records and third-order statistics of the surface elevation. It is found skewness S (the normalized third-order moment of surface elevation describing the horizontal asymmetry waves) varies only slightly with the inverse wave u*/Cm (where u* is the air friction velocity and Cm is phase speed of the dominant waves). At the same time asymmetry A, which is determined from the Hilbert transform of the wave record and characterizes the skewness of the rate of change of surface elevation, increase consistently in magnitude with the ratio u*/Cm. This suggests that nonlinear distortion of the wave profile determined by the degree of wind forcing and is a sensitive indicator of wind-wave interaction processes. It is shown that the asymmetric profile of waves can described within the frameworks of the nonlinear nonspectral concept (Plate, 1972; Lake and Yuen, 197 according to which the wind-wave field can be represented as a coherent bound-wave system consisting mainly of dominant component w. and its harmonics propagating with the same speed C. , as observed by Ramamonjiaris and Coantic (1976). The phase shift between o). harmonics is found and shown to increase with the asymmetry of the waves

F.J. Turner’s ‘frontier thesis’: the ruse of American ‘character'

American society was transformed by the expansion of capital Westward and the explosion in opportunities that ensued for land grabbing and agricultural and industrial investment. In Turner’s (1961) frontier thesis this was portrayed as resulting in the emergence of ‘the new man’ i.e. the fulfilment of American character. The frontier thesis is a neo-Darwinian contribution. It posits exceptionalism and transcendence as the keys to American character. The gene pool of the Americans, thriving in a new geographical and social environment, is depicted as achieving a higher level of development than the stratified societies of Old Europe. What the thesis ignores is the importance of orthodox Eurocentric strategies of colonization and land appropriation. Turner portrays pioneer/settler society as a heroic departure, but in many ways, it is a continuation of European precedents. Analogously, the proposition that the push West crystallized American character obscures the role of personality, especially in urban-industrial settings, in establishing the parameters of American life. Turner conceived of character as emerging from a struggle with the spatial frontier. But the struggles of personality with the social frontier of repression and establishment values is no less significant. The paper examines the tensions between character and personality by using some ideas developed by Carl Schmitt on the significance of ‘the opportunity’ in competitive advantage. The importance of the opportunity and personality in developing the American way of life are examined by the vaudeville and celebrity traditions. The exploitation of contingency for personal advantage, the use of melodrama to engineer social impact, the social validation of forthright behaviour are examined in the context of the careers of the film actress Mae West and the comedian Bob Hope

Essential versus accessory aspects of cell death: recommendations of the NCCD 2015

Cells exposed to extreme physicochemical or mechanical stimuli die in an uncontrollable manner, as a result of their immediate structural breakdown. Such an unavoidable variant of cellular demise is generally referred to as ‘accidental cell death’ (ACD). In most settings, however, cell death is initiated by a genetically encoded apparatus, correlating with the fact that its course can be altered by pharmacologic or genetic interventions. ‘Regulated cell death’ (RCD) can occur as part of physiologic programs or can be activated once adaptive responses to perturbations of the extracellular or intracellular microenvironment fail. The biochemical phenomena that accompany RCD may be harnessed to classify it into a few subtypes, which often (but not always) exhibit stereotyped morphologic features. Nonetheless, efficiently inhibiting the processes that are commonly thought to cause RCD, such as the activation of executioner caspases in the course of apoptosis, does not exert true cytoprotective effects in the mammalian system, but simply alters the kinetics of cellular demise as it shifts its morphologic and biochemical correlates. Conversely, bona fide cytoprotection can be achieved by inhibiting the transduction of lethal signals in the early phases of the process, when adaptive responses are still operational. Thus, the mechanisms that truly execute RCD may be less understood, less inhibitable and perhaps more homogeneous than previously thought. Here, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death formulates a set of recommendations to help scientists and researchers to discriminate between essential and accessory aspects of cell death

The Diet of Diabetic Patients in Spain in 2008–2010: Accordance with the Main Dietary Recommendations—A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: No previous study has assessed the diet of the diabetic patients in the general population of an entire country in Europe. This study evaluates accordance of the diet of diabetic adults in Spain with nutritional recommendations of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), American Diabetes Association (ADA), and the Mediterranean diet (MD). Methods and Findings: Cross-sectional study conducted in 2008-2010 among 12,948 persons representative of the population aged ≥18 years in Spain. Usual food consumption was assessed with a dietary history. EASD accordance was defined as ≥6 points on a score of 12 nutritional goals, ADA accordance as ≥3 points on a score of 6 goals, and MD accordance as ≥7 points on the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener. In the 609 diagnosed diabetic individuals, the diet was rich in saturated fat (11.2% of total energy), but trans fat intake was relatively low (1.1% energy) and monounsaturated fat intake was high (16.1% energy). Carbohydrate intake was relatively low (41.1% energy), but sugar intake was high (16.9% energy). Intake of cholesterol (322 mg/day) and sodium (3.1 g/day) was also high, while fiber intake was insufficient (23.8 g/day). EASD accordance was observed in 48.7% diabetic patients, ADA accordance in 46.3%, and MD accordance in 57.4%. The frequency of EASD, ADA and MD accordance was not statistically different between diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetic individuals. Conclusions: Only about half of diabetic patients in Spain have a diet that is consistent with the major dietary recommendations. The lack of dietary differences between diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetic individuals reflects deficiencies in diabetes managementThe ENRICA study is funded by Sanofi-Aventis. Additional funding is obtained from FIS grant PI09/1626 and from the ‘Cátedra UAM de Epidemiología y Control del Riesgo Cardiovascular

TET family dioxygenases and DNA demethylation in stem cells and cancers

The methylation of cytosine and subsequent oxidation constitutes a fundamental epigenetic modification in mammalian genomes, and its abnormalities are intimately coupled to various pathogenic processes including cancer development. Enzymes of the Ten-eleven translocation (TET) family catalyze the stepwise oxidation of 5-methylcytosine in DNA to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and further oxidation products. These oxidized 5-methylcytosine derivatives represent intermediates in the reversal of cytosine methylation, and also serve as stable epigenetic modifications that exert distinctive regulatory roles. It is becoming increasingly obvious that TET proteins and their catalytic products are key regulators of embryonic development, stem cell functions and lineage specification. Over the past several years, the function of TET proteins as a barrier between normal and malignant states has been extensively investigated. Dysregulation of TET protein expression or function is commonly observed in a wide range of cancers. Notably, TET loss-of-function is causally related to the onset and progression of hematologic malignancy in vivo. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the mechanistic understanding of DNA methylation-demethylation dynamics, and their potential regulatory functions in cellular differentiation and oncogenic transformation

Patient-reported outcomes in the ProtecT randomized trial of clinically localized prostate cancer treatments: Study design, and baseline urinary, bowel and sexual function and quality of life

Objectives: To present the baseline patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in the Prostate Testing for Cancer and Treatment (ProtecT) randomized trial comparing active monitoring, radical prostatectomy and external-beam conformal radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer and to compare results with other populations. Materials and Methods: A total of 1643 randomized men, aged 50-69 years and diagnosed with clinically localized disease identified by prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, in nine UK cities in the period 1999-2009 were included. Validated PROMs for disease-specific (urinary, bowel and sexual function) and condition-specific impact on quality of life (Expanded Prostate Index Composite [EPIC], 2005 onwards; International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence [ICIQ-UI], 2001 onwards; the International Continence Society short-form male survey [ICSmaleSF]; anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]), generic mental and physical health (12-item short-form health survey [SF-12]; EuroQol quality-of-life survey, the EQ-5D-3L) were assessed at prostate biopsy clinics before randomization. Descriptive statistics are presented by treatment allocation and by men's age at biopsy and PSA testing time points for selected measures. Results: A total of 1438 participants completed biopsy questionnaires (88%) and 77-88% of these were analysed for individual PROMs. Fewer than 1% of participants were using pads daily (5/754). Storage lower urinary tract symptoms were frequent (e.g. nocturia 22%, 312/1423). Bowel symptoms were rare, except for loose stools (16%, 118/754). One third of participants reported erectile dysfunction (241/735) and for 16% (118/731) this was a moderate or large problem. Depression was infrequent (80/1399, 6%) but 20% of participants (278/1403) reported anxiety. Sexual function and bother were markedly worse in older men (65-70 years), whilst urinary bother and physical health were somewhat worse than in younger men (49-54 years, all P < 0.001). Bowel health, urinary function and depression were unaltered by age, whilst mental health and anxiety were better in older men (P < 0.001). Only minor differences existed in mental or physical health, anxiety and depression between PSA testing and biopsy assessments. Conclusion: The ProtecT trial baseline PROMs response rates were high. Symptom frequencies and generic quality of life were similar to those observed in populations screened for prostate cancer and control subjects without cancer

Characterizing the scent and chemical composition of Panthera leo marking fluid using solid-phase microextraction and multidimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry-olfactometry

Lions (Panthera leo) use chemical signaling to indicate health, reproductive status, and territorial ownership. To date, no study has reported on both scent and composition of marking fluid (MF) from P. leo. The objectives of this study were to: 1) develop a novel method for simultaneous chemical and scent identification of lion MF in its totality (urine + MF), 2) identify characteristic odorants responsible for the overall scent of MF as perceived by human panelists, and 3) compare the existing library of known odorous compounds characterized as eliciting behaviors in animals in order to understand potential functionality in lion behavior. Solid-phase microextraction and simultaneous chemical-sensory analyses with multidimensional gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry improved separating, isolating, and identifying mixed (MF, urine) compounds versus solvent-based extraction and chemical analyses. 2,5-Dimethylpyrazine, 4-methylphenol, and 3-methylcyclopentanone were isolated and identified as the compounds responsible for the characteristic odor of lion MF. Twenty-eight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from MF were identified, adding a new list of compounds previously unidentified in lion urine. New chemicals were identified in nine compound groups: ketones, aldehydes, amines, alcohols, aromatics, sulfur-containing compounds, phenyls, phenols, and volatile fatty acids. Twenty-three VOCs are known semiochemicals that are implicated in attraction, reproduction, and alarm-signaling behaviors in other species

Healthy dietary indices and risk of depressive outcomes : a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

With depression being the psychiatric disorder incurring the largest societal costs in developed countries, there is a need to gather evidence on the role of nutrition in depression, to help develop recommendations and guide future psychiatric health care. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the link between diet quality, measured using a range of predefined indices, and depressive outcomes. Medline, Embase and PsychInfo were searched up to 31st May 2018 for studies that examined adherence to a healthy diet in relation to depressive symptoms or clinical depression. Where possible, estimates were pooled using random effect meta-analysis with stratification by observational study design and dietary score. A total of 20 longitudinal and 21 cross-sectional studies were included. These studies utilized an array of dietary measures, including: different measures of adherence to the Mediterranean diet, the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and Alternative HEI (AHEI), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and the Dietary Inflammatory Index. The most compelling evidence was found for the Mediterranean diet and incident depression, with a combined relative risk estimate of highest vs. lowest adherence category from four longitudinal studies of 0.67 (95% CI 0.55-0.82). A lower Dietary Inflammatory Index was also associated with lower depression incidence in four longitudinal studies (relative risk 0.76; 95% CI: 0.63-0.92). There were fewer longitudinal studies using other indices, but they and cross-sectional evidence also suggest an inverse association between healthy diet and depression (e.g., relative risk 0.65; 95% CI 0.50-0.84 for HEI/AHEI). To conclude, adhering to a healthy diet, in particular a traditional Mediterranean diet, or avoiding a pro-inflammatory diet appears to confer some protection against depression in observational studies. This provides a reasonable evidence base to assess the role of dietary interventions to prevent depression.Peer reviewe

Acompanhamento de pacientes submetidos à cirurgia bariátrica : aspectos laboratoriais nos períodos pré e pós-operatório

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmácia, Florianópolis, 2017A obesidade é uma doença crônica e endócrino-metabólica caracterizada pelo acúmulo excessivo de triacilgliceróis no tecido adiposo, capaz de ser revertida ou amenizada através de intervenção cirúrgica. Epidemiologicamente têm sido descritas associações entre o excesso de peso, resistência à insulina e processo inflamatório crônico. Além disso, nas últimas décadas o sistema complemento foi associado a doenças metabólicas e cardiovasculares e intimamente relacionado com a obesidade e resistência à insulina. Sendo assim, a melhora do estado metabólico e a remissão da inflamação em pacientes obesos submetidos à cirurgia bariátrica foram avaliadas, bem como a associação dos fatores 3 e 4 (C3 e C4) do sistema complemento com a sensibilidade à insulina e a perda de peso após a cirurgia bariátrica. Para isso, a presença de comorbidades e as concentrações séricas de leptina, adiponectina, resistina e grelina foram avaliados em pacientes obesos mórbidos antes, 1, 3 e 6 meses após a cirurgia bariátrica. Também foram medidas as concentrações de IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-a, proteína amiloide sérica A (SAA), proteína quimiotática de monócitos 1 (MCP-1), C3, C4, glicose, insulina, colesterol total, triacilglicerol, LDL- colesterol, HDL-colesterol e foi realizado o cálculo do modelo de avaliação da homeostase da resistência à insulina (HOMA-IR) durante o seguimento da cirurgia, bem como em comparação com um grupo de indivíduos não-obesos. Como resultado, observou-se uma redução significativa de peso acompanhada de melhora do perfil lipídico, da sensibilidade à insulina e das comorbidades. Ainda, houve diminuição de leptina e aumento de adiponectina no período pós-cirúrgico. IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-a, MCP-1 e SAA não mostraram diferença no acompanhamento da cirurgia, porém SAA correlacionou-se com o IMC e apresentou-se muito mais alto no grupo de pacientes obesos. Além disso, C3 e C4 foram significativamente maiores em indivíduos obesos quando comparados aos indivíduos não-obesos e C3 e C4 foram positivamente correlacionados com HOMA-IR e as concentrações de C3 foram significativamente diminuídas após a cirurgia. Com base nesses resultados, a cirurgia bariátrica mostrou melhorar o estado metabólico melhorando as comorbidades associadas à obesidade e os biomarcadores de adiposidade leptina e adiponectina, mas não os demais hormônios e citocinas inflamatórias e C3 e C4 foram fortemente associados à sensibilidade à insulina.Abstract: Obesity is a chronic and endocrine-metabolic disease characterized by triacylglycerol accumulation in the adipose tissue, which can be reversed or improved through surgical intervention. Epidemiologically, associations between overweight, insulin resistance and chronic inflammatory process have been described. Furthermore, in the last decades the complement system was associated with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and related to obesity and insulin resistance. Thus, metabolic status improvement and inflammation remission in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery were evaluated, as well as the association of complement system factors 3 and 4 (C3 and C4) with insulin sensitivity and weight loss after bariatric surgery. For this, comorbidities and leptin, adiponectin, resistin and ghrelin serum concentrations were evaluated in morbidly obese patients before, 1, 3 and 6 months after bariatric surgery. IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-a, serum amyloid A protein (SAA), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), C3, C4, glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol concentrations and the calculation of the homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were performed during the surgery follow-up, as well in a group of non-obese individuals. As a result, significant weight loss followed by improvement in lipid profile, insulin sensitivity and comorbidities were observed. Still, there was a decrease in leptin and an increase in adiponectin in the postoperative period. IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-a, MCP-1 and SAA showed no difference after surgery, but SAA correlated with BMI and was much higher in obese patients. In addition, both C3 and C4 were significantly higher in obese individuals when compared to lean individuals and positively correlated with HOMA-IR. C3 concentrations were significantly decreased after surgery. Based on these results, bariatric surgery has been shown to improve metabolic status by improving obesity-associated comorbidities and adiposity biomarkers leptin and adiponectin but not the other hormones and inflammatory cytokines and C3 and C4 were strongly associated with insulin sensitivity