Effects of Weight Loss Among Metabolically Healthy Obese Men and Women

OBJECTIVE — Weight loss among metabolically healthy obese (MHO) individuals may be unnecessary or result in elevated cardio-metabolic risk. We studied the effects of exercise- or diet-induced weight loss on cardio-metabolic risk among MHO and metabolically abnormal obese (MAO) adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS — Participants were 63 MHO and 43 MAO adults who took part in 3 to 6 months of exercise- or diet-induced weight loss intervention. Changes in anthropometry, adipose tissue distribution, and cardio-metabolic risk factors were assessed. RESULTS — Body weight, waist circumference, and total abdominal and visceral adipose tissue were reduced in all subjects (P 0.05). Improvements in insulin sensitivity were observed in MHO and MAO men and women (P 0.05), but were greater in the MAO individuals (P 0.05). Fasting insulin was the only other cardio-metabolic improvement among MHO individ-uals (P 0.05). CONCLUSIONS — Lifestyle-induced weight loss among MHO subjects is associated with a reduction in total and abdominal obesity and improvement in selected cardio-metabolic risk factors. Diabetes Care 33:1957–1959, 2010 W eight loss among metabolicallyhealthy obese (MHO) individu-als characterized by low cardio-metabolic risk and low prospective risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease may be unnecessary and paradoxically may actually increase health risk (1,2). That weight reduction may be contraindi-cated for MHO individuals is at odds with the standing recommendation from lead-ing health authorities that weight loss be the primary treatment strategy for all obese patients, regardless of cardio-metabolic status (3). We sought to inves-tigate the effects of exercise- and diet-induced weight reduction on cardio-metabolic risk factors among MHO and metabolically abnormal obese (MAO) adults

Method for estimating rockfall failure probability using photogrammetry

Passageways cut through rock might be subjected to rockfalls. If a falling rock reaches the road area, the consequences can be disastrous. The traditional rockfall risk assessment method and risk mitigation are based on on-site investigations performed by a geologist or a rock engineer. The parameters resulting from the investigation, such as discontinuities, orientations and spacings, potential rockfall initiation locations, slope geometry, and ditch profile, are either measured or estimated. We propose a photogrammetry-based method for estimating the probability of failure for rockfall. Several photographs of the rock-cut are taken, and a 3D geometry is computed using photogrammetry. This model already allows remote visual inspection of the site. The information about joint planes can be discovered semiautomatically from the point cloud. Next, the probability of rockfall reaching the road area is computed using probabilistic kinematic analysis on the geometry extracted using photogrammetry. The results can be used to define the rockfall probability for each rock-cut. Furthermore, the results can be used to determine the appropriate rockfall risk mitigation actions for each rock-cut

Determination of solidus and liquidus temperatures for S34MnV steel grade by thermal analysis and calculations

The paper is devoted to the comparison of the results in the frame of solidus and liquidus temperatures obtained by thermo analytical methods with the generally used empirically based formulas and thermo dynamical Computherm software. The series of thermal analysis measurements of high temperature phase transformations of real steel grade (S34MnV) under conditions of two analytical devices (Netzsch STA 449 F3 Jupiter; Setaram Multi High Temperature Calorimeter (MHTC)) were carried out. Two thermo analytical methods were used (DSC and Direct Thermal Analysis). The different weight of samples was used (2,6 g; 23 g). The liquidus and solidus temperatures for close to equilibrium conditions during heating (DSC: 1 °C/min; 2 °C/min) and during cooling (Direct Thermal Analysis: 1 °C/min) were determined and compared. Then, the discussion on the different values obtained by experiments and empirically based calculation is realised

Dressed spectral densities for heavy quark diffusion in holographic plasmas

We analyze the large frequency behavior of the spectral densities that govern the generalized Langevin diffusion process for a heavy quark in the context of the gauge/gravity duality. The bare Langevin correlators obtained from the trailing string solution have a singular short-distance behavior. We argue that the proper dressed spectral functions are obtained by subtracting the zero-temperature correlators. The dressed spectral functions have a sufficiently fast fall-off at large frequency so that the Langevin process is well defined and the dispersion relations are satisfied. We identify the cases in which the subtraction does not modify the associated low-frequency transport coefficients. These include conformal theories and the non-conformal, non-confining models. We provide several analytic and numerical examples in conformal and non-conformal holographic backgrounds.Comment: 51 pages, 2 figure

Winter Bird Assemblages in Rural and Urban Environments: A National Survey

Urban development has a marked effect on the ecological and behavioural traits of many living organisms, including birds. In this paper, we analysed differences in the numbers of wintering birds between rural and urban areas in Poland. We also analysed species richness and abundance in relation to longitude, latitude, human population size, and landscape structure. All these parameters were analysed using modern statistical techniques incorporating species detectability. We counted birds in 156 squares (0.25 km2 each) in December 2012 and again in January 2013 in locations in and around 26 urban areas across Poland (in each urban area we surveyed 3 squares and 3 squares in nearby rural areas). The influence of twelve potential environmental variables on species abundance and richness was assessed with Generalized Linear Mixed Models, Principal Components and Detrended Correspondence Analyses. Totals of 72 bird species and 89,710 individual birds were recorded in this study. On average (±SE) 13.3 ± 0.3 species and 288 ± 14 individuals were recorded in each square in each survey. A formal comparison of rural and urban areas revealed that 27 species had a significant preference; 17 to rural areas and 10 to urban areas. Moreover, overall abundance in urban areas was more than double that of rural areas. There was almost a complete separation of rural and urban bird communities. Significantly more birds and more bird species were recorded in January compared to December. We conclude that differences between rural and urban areas in terms of winter conditions and the availability of resources are reflected in different bird communities in the two environments

Holographic Brownian Motion in Magnetic Environments

Using the gauge/gravity correspondence, we study the dynamics of a heavy quark in two strongly-coupled systems at finite temperature: Super-Yang-Mills in the presence of a magnetic field and non-commutative Super-Yang-Mills. In the former, our results agree qualitatively with the expected behavior from weakly-coupled theories. In the latter, we propose a Langevin equation that accounts for the effects of non-commutativity and we find new interesting features. The equation resembles the structure of Brownian motion in the presence of a magnetic field and implies that the fluctuations along non-commutative directions are correlated. Moreover, our results show that the viscosity is smaller than the commutative case and that the diffusion properties of the quark are unaffected by non-commutativity. Finally, we compute the random force autocorrelator and verify that the fluctuation-dissipation theorem holds in the presence of non-commutativity.Comment: 34 pages. v2: typos corrected. v3: title and abstract slightly modified in order to better reflect the contents of the paper; footnote 3 and one reference were also added; version accepted for publication in JHE

The Mast Cell Degranulator Compound 48/80 Directly Activates Neurons

Background Compound 48/80 is widely used in animal and tissue models as a “selective” mast cell activator. With this study we demonstrate that compound 48/80 also directly activates enteric neurons and visceral afferents. Methodology/Principal Findings We used in vivo recordings from extrinsic intestinal afferents together with Ca++ imaging from primary cultures of DRG and nodose neurons. Enteric neuronal activation was examined by Ca++ and voltage sensitive dye imaging in isolated gut preparations and primary cultures of enteric neurons. Intraluminal application of compound 48/80 evoked marked afferent firing which desensitized on subsequent administration. In egg albumen-sensitized animals, intraluminal antigen evoked a similar pattern of afferent activation which also desensitized on subsequent exposure to antigen. In cross-desensitization experiments prior administration of compound 48/80 failed to influence the mast cell mediated response. Application of 1 and 10 µg/ml compound 48/80 evoked spike discharge and Ca++ transients in enteric neurons. The same nerve activating effect was observed in primary cultures of DRG and nodose ganglion cells. Enteric neuron cultures were devoid of mast cells confirmed by negative staining for c-kit or toluidine blue. In addition, in cultured enteric neurons the excitatory action of compound 48/80 was preserved in the presence of histamine H1 and H2 antagonists. The mast cell stabilizer cromolyn attenuated compound 48/80 and nicotine evoked Ca++ transients in mast cell-free enteric neuron cultures. Conclusions/Significance The results showed direct excitatory action of compound 48/80 on enteric neurons and visceral afferents. Therefore, functional changes measured in tissue or animal models may involve a mast cell independent effect of compound 48/80 and cromolyn