Acute Ingestion of a Ketone Ester Beverage and Its Impact Upon Glycaemic Control, Appetite, and Food Intake

Ketosis is a state in which ketone bodies are hepatically produced, which can lead to weight loss, appetite suppression, and improved glycaemic control. Reaching a state of ketosis can be difficult to attain and can be induced by fasting or restricting dietary carbohydrates. Exogenous ketones in the form of ketone monoesters have been shown to efficiently induce a state of ketosis. Ketone monoesters are synthetic molecules. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of the acute ingestion of a ketone ester beverage upon appetite, food intake, and glycaemic control. Participants ingested the ketone ester beverage and measurements were taken to gauge perceived appetite, food intake, related peripheral hormones, glycaemic control, and blood ketone levels. The results of the study showed that the ketone monoester beverage caused an increase in blood ketone levels and resulted in appetite suppression and improved glycaemic control. The ingestion of a ketone ester beverage may offer therapeutic use for the prevention and treatment of chronic, nutritionally mediated diseases, such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes

Mechanism of Tacrine Block at Adult Human Muscle Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

We used single-channel kinetic analysis to study the inhibitory effects of tacrine on human adult nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) transiently expressed in HEK 293 cells. Single channel recording from cell-attached patches revealed concentration- and voltage-dependent decreases in mean channel open probability produced by tacrine (IC50 4.6 μM at −70 mV, 1.6 μM at −150 mV). Two main effects of tacrine were apparent in the open- and closed-time distributions. First, the mean channel open time decreased with increasing tacrine concentration in a voltage-dependent manner, strongly suggesting that tacrine acts as an open-channel blocker. Second, tacrine produced a new class of closings whose duration increased with increasing tacrine concentration. Concentration dependence of closed-times is not predicted by sequential models of channel block, suggesting that tacrine blocks the nAChR by an unusual mechanism. To probe tacrine's mechanism of action we fitted a series of kinetic models to our data using maximum likelihood techniques. Models incorporating two tacrine binding sites in the open receptor channel gave dramatically improved fits to our data compared with the classic sequential model, which contains one site. Improved fits relative to the sequential model were also obtained with schemes incorporating a binding site in the closed channel, but only if it is assumed that the channel cannot gate with tacrine bound. Overall, the best description of our data was obtained with a model that combined two binding sites in the open channel with a single site in the closed state of the receptor

Retrieving Multi-Entity Associations: An Evaluation of Combination Modes for Word Embeddings

Word embeddings have gained significant attention as learnable representations of semantic relations between words, and have been shown to improve upon the results of traditional word representations. However, little effort has been devoted to using embeddings for the retrieval of entity associations beyond pairwise relations. In this paper, we use popular embedding methods to train vector representations of an entity-annotated news corpus, and evaluate their performance for the task of predicting entity participation in news events versus a traditional word cooccurrence network as a baseline. To support queries for events with multiple participating entities, we test a number of combination modes for the embedding vectors. While we find that even the best combination modes for word embeddings do not quite reach the performance of the full cooccurrence network, especially for rare entities, we observe that different embedding methods model different types of relations, thereby indicating the potential for ensemble methods.Comment: 4 pages; Accepted at SIGIR'1

Surface magnetic survey of south, central Pike County, Ohio

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An Exogenous Ketone Ester Modulates Appetite but Not Dietary Intake

Objectives Previous research suggests exogenous ketone esters (KE) suppress appetite by directly modulating regulatory hormones; however, their impact upon eating behaviors is unknown. The authors aimed to determine if the diminished appetite resulting from KE consumption is accompanied by a reduction in dietary intake. Methods After informed consent participants (n = 7) were recruited to a randomized cross-over trial. Participants recorded their diet for three consecutive days, starting the day prior to their first study appointment. During this visit, fasted participants were randomized to consume either a KE or matched dextrose placebo (DP) beverage. Blood samples were drawn at regular intervals and analyzed for β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), glucose, leptin and ghrelin. Appetite was self-reported using a visual analogue scale (VAS). One-week later participants were invited to a second visit where the study was repeated using the other beverage. Dietary data was analyzed using MyFood24 and statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS (v.26). Results BHB increased 30 minutes after consuming the KE (0.21 ± 0.20 to 4.21 ± 0.66 mmol/L) (P < 0.001) and remained elevated. Blood glucose increased 30 minutes after consuming the DP (4.87 ± 0.42 to 8.11 ± 1.41 mmol/L) (P < 0.001) and promptly returned to baseline. Although there were no changes in leptin levels, those who consumed the KE demonstrated suppressed ghrelin production 120 minutes after baseline (2430.00 ± 323.46 to 1763.14 ± 367.67 pg/mL) (P = 0.026). Furthermore, the VAS also revealed that 120 minutes after baseline participants who consumed the DP reported a greater desire to eat (+26.86 ± 23.55 mm) (P = 0.038) and were less satisfied (−30.43 ± 12.52 mm) (P = 0.003). Despite this, there was no significant differences in the calorie intake of those who consumed the KE compared to the DP on the day before (1941.06 ± 1048.13 vs 1792.86 ± 833.23 kcal), during (1594.64 ± 677.07 vs 1536.52 ± 457.22 kcal) or after (1674.41 ± 801.43 vs 1914.35 ± 804.78 kcal) the study visits. Conclusions Consuming a KE, despite impacting upon self-reported measures of appetite and associated biomarkers, does not modulate dietary intake. This should be considered when assessing the potential role of KE for appetite management

Cost-Effectiveness of Five Commonly Used Prosthesis Brands for Total Knee Replacement in the UK: A Study Using the NJR Dataset.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of evidence on the effectiveness or cost-effectiveness of alternative brands of prosthesis for total knee replacement (TKR). We compared patient-reported outcomes, revision rates, and costs, and estimated the relative cost-effectiveness of five frequently used cemented brands of unconstrained prostheses with fixed bearings (PFC Sigma, AGC Biomet, Nexgen, Genesis 2, and Triathlon). METHODS: We used data from three national databases for patients who had a TKR between 2003 and 2012, to estimate the effect of prosthesis brand on post-operative quality of life (QOL) (EQ-5D-3L) in 53 126 patients at six months. We compared TKR revision rates by brand over 10 years for 239 945 patients. We used a fully probabilistic Markov model to estimate lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), incremental cost effectiveness ratios (ICERs), and the probability that each prosthesis brand is the most cost effective at alternative thresholds of willingness-to-pay for a QALY gain. FINDINGS: Revision rates were lowest with the Nexgen and PFC Sigma (2.5% after 10 years in 70-year-old women). Average lifetime costs were lowest with the AGC Biomet (£9 538); mean post-operative QOL was highest with the Nexgen, which was the most cost-effective brand across all patient subgroups. For example, for 70-year-old men and women, the ICERs for the Nexgen compared to the AGC Biomet were £2 300 per QALY. At realistic cost per QALY thresholds (£10 000 to £30 000), the probabilities that the Nexgen is the most cost-effective brand are about 98%. These results were robust to alternative modelling assumptions. CONCLUSIONS: AGC Biomet prostheses are the least costly cemented unconstrained fixed brand for TKR but Nexgen prostheses lead to improved patient outcomes, at low additional cost. These results suggest that Nexgen should be considered as a first choice prosthesis for patients with osteoarthritis who require a TKR

Engaging Science Students with Handheld Technology and Applications by Revisiting the Thayer Method of Teaching and Learning

Organic chemistry instructors integrate handheld technology and applications into course lecture and lab to engage students with tools and techniques students use in the modern world. This technology and applications enable instructors to re-visit the Thayer Method of teaching and learning to create an updated method that works with 21st century students. The Thayer Method is based on the premise that students are willing and capable of making substantial preparation before coming to class and lab in order to maximize efficiency of student-instructor contact time. During this student preparation phase, we engage students with handheld technology and content applications including smart phone viewable course administrative materials; “flashcards” containing basic organic chemistry nomenclature, molecular structures, and chemical reactions; mini-lectures prepared using the Smart Board Airliner Interactive Tablet for upcoming class periods and laboratory technique videos demonstrating tasks they will perform as part of laboratory experimentation. Coupled with a student friendly course text, these handheld applications enable substantial student preparation before class and lab. The method, in conjunction with handheld technology and applications, has been used with positive results in our organic chemistry courses

Couplings and Rotating Machines

Short CourseThis course covers the application of couplings and rotating machines. Initially the driver and driven machines are analysed together with their characteristics, and how they affect the coupling. The various types of coupling in the market are covered next, including rigid and flexible designs, and where they are utilised. Then the oil and gas industry requirements are investigated, and why certain couplings are preferred. Selection is reviewed next, and the coupling choice is derived from the data provided by the customer, it includes sections on shaft end connections, balancing and shaft alignment. The selection section is also supported by a part on standards with the focus being on API 610 and API 671. The course concludes with failure analysis and reviews the main factors affecting coupling failure from misalignment to torsional vibration

Field and Forage Crop Fertilization in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

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Encouraging Evidence on a Sector-Focused Advancement Strategy: Two-Year Impacts from the WorkAdvance Demonstration

This report summarizes the two-year findings of a rigorous random assignment evaluation of the WorkAdvance model, a sectoral training and advancement initiative. Launched in 2011, WorkAd-vance goes beyond the previous generation of employment programs by introducing demand-driven skills training and a focus on jobs that have career pathways. The model is heavily influenced by the positive findings from the Sectoral Employment Impact Study (SEIS) completed in 2010. A major component of the WorkAdvance model, in common with the programs studied in the SEIS, is formal training offering industry-recognized certifications, reflecting the hypothesis that skills acquisition is necessary for advancement. The model also requires providers to be far more employer-facing than traditional training programs, taking into account multiple employers' changing skill requirements, employee assessment practices, and personnel needs. This report presents the imple-mentation, cost, participation, and two-year economic impacts of WorkAdvance. The economic results are based on unemployment insurance earnings records and a second-year follow-up survey.The WorkAdvance program operations and evaluation are funded through the federal Social Innovation Fund (SIF), a public-private partnership administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. This SIF project is led by the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and the NYC Center for Economic Opportunity in collaboration with MDRC.Key Findings*All providers translated the WorkAdvance model into a set of concrete services, but it took time— more than a year for some components and providers -- and a substantial amount of tech-nical assistance and support. As a result, at some sites, later study enrollees were more likely than earlier ones to experience a fully implemented and "mature" WorkAdvance program.*Overall, WorkAdvance resulted in very large increases in participation in every category of services, as well as in training completion and credential acquisition, compared with what would have happened in the absence of the program. Expenditures for the operation of WorkAdvance fell between $5,200 and$6,700 per participant at the four providers delivering the program.*WorkAdvance providers increased earnings, with variation in results that closely matched the providers' experience in running sector-based programs and the extent to which the services they offered were demand driven. The most experienced sectoral provider, Per Scholas, had large and consistent impacts on both primary and secondary outcomes. Madison Strategies Group and Towards Employment, providers new to sectoral training, had promising but less consistent results that grew stronger for later enrollees. One provider, St. Nicks Alliance, did not produce positive impacts. The results did not differ dramatically across subgroups, though en-couragingly, WorkAdvance was able to increase earnings among the long-term unemployed.The evaluation as a whole provides important information for workforce development providers interested in pursuing a sector strategy. The analysis considers the role played by providers' sector-specific training and preparation and the role played by the nature of the sectors themselves. Future priorities that emerge from the results are (1) understanding how to help the more disadvantaged access the programs and (2) learning how to build service capacity, given how complex the model is to run