SURFRESIDE2: An ultrahigh vacuum system for the investigation of surface reaction routes of interstellar interest

Article / Letter to editorSterrewach

A prospective study on circulating insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), IGF-binding proteins, and cognitive function in the elderly

The objective of this study was to investigate the longitudinal relation between the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I)/IGF-binding protein (IGFBP) system and cognitive function. The study population consisted of a sample of 186 healthy participants from the population-based Rotterdam Study, aged 55-80 yr. At baseline, we determined fasting blood levels of free and total IGF-I, IGFBP-1, and IGFBP-3. The 30-point Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess cognitive impairment at baseline (MMSE score of <26; 6% of the sample) and cognitive decline after, on the average, 1.9 yr of follow-up (drop in MMSE score of >1 point/year; 22% of the sample). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using logistic regression, with adjustment for age, sex, education, body mass index, and fasting insulin levels. Total IGF-I appeared to be inversely related to cognitive impairment, although not significantly. Higher total IGF-I and the total IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio were associated with less cognitive decline (OR per SD increase = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.44-0.95 and OR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.39-0.87, respectively). No relation was observed between free IGF-I and cognitive decline (OR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.68-1.44). In conclusion, in this prospective study higher serum total IGF-I levels and higher total IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratios, but not higher free IGF-I levels, were associated with less cognitive decline over the following 2 yr. Circulating total IGF-I levels may reflect an underlying biological process that influences cognitive decline

Consumers' Shopping Patterns and Expenditures on Ethnic Produce: A Case Study from the Eastern Coastal U.S.A.

This study was undertaken to examine the possible niche markets which East Coast farmers might be able to use to regain their advantage. Their future economic success could hinge on shifting the focus from traditional fruits and vegetables to high-value specialty ethnic produce for which there might be a growing demand. The study results indicate that there is a strong market demand and interest for ethnic produce in the East Coast. Local producers can benefit by concentrating their efforts in producing ethnic vegetables and fresh produce and making these newer products available in the local and regional markets.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Relevance of the H_2 + O reaction pathway for the surface formation of interstellar water. Combined experimental and modeling study

The formation of interstellar water is commonly accepted to occur on the surfaces of icy dust grains in dark molecular clouds at low temperatures (10–20 K), involving hydrogenation reactions of oxygen allotropes. As a result of the large abundances of molecular hydrogen and atomic oxygen in these regions, the reaction H_2 + O has been proposed to contribute significantly to the formation of water as well. However, gas-phase experiments and calculations, as well as solid-phase experimental work contradict this hypothesis. Here, we use precisely executed temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) experiments in an ultra-high vacuum setup combined with kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to establish an upper limit of the water production starting from H_2 and O. These reactants were brought together in a matrix of CO_2 in a series of (control) experiments at different temperatures and with different isotopological compositions. The water detected with the quadrupole mass spectrometer upon TPD was found to originate mainly from contamination in the chamber itself. However, if water is produced in small quantities on the surface through H_2 + O, this can only be explained by a combined classical and tunneled reaction mechanism. An absolutely conservative upper limit for the reaction rate was derived with a microscopic kinetic Monte Carlo model that converts the upper limit into the highest possible reaction rate. Incorporating this rate into simulation runs for astrochemically relevant parameters shows that the upper limit to the contribution of the reaction H_2 + O in OH, and hence water formation, is 11% in dense interstellar clouds. Our combined experimental and theoretical results indicate, however, that this contribution is most likely much lower

Comparison of muscle strength, sprint power and aerobic capacity in adults with and without cerebral palsy

Objective: To compare: (i) muscle strength, sprint power and maximal aerobic capacity; and (ii) the correlations between these variables in adults with and without cerebral palsy. Design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects: Twenty adults with and 24 without cerebral palsy. Methods: Isometric and isokinetic knee extension strength, sprint power (mean power over the 30s (P30)), peak aerobic power output (POpeak) and oxygen uptake (VO2peak) were determined. Regression analysis was used to investigate correlations between parameters. Results: Adults with cerebral palsy had significantly lower strength (53-69%) and P30 (67%) than adults without cerebral palsy, but similar POpeak and VO2peak. In adults without cerebral palsy the only significant correlations, albeit weak, were between P30 and isometric (R-2=0.34) or isokinetic strength (R-2=0.20), as well as the correlation between P30 and VOpeak (R-2=0.26) or POpeak (R-2=0.36). Stronger correlations were found in the group with cerebral palsy between P30 and isometric (R-2=0.52) and isokinetic strength (R-2=0.71) and between P30 and VOpeak (R-2=0.75) or POpeak (R-2=0.94). Conclusion: In contrast to aerobic capacity, strength and P30 are reduced in (active) people with cerebral palsy. Stronger correlations were found between strength, P30 and POpeak in adults with cerebral palsy. Therefore, muscle strength may be the limiting factor in adults with cerebral palsy for activities involving the lower extremities, such as cycling

Massive Star Cluster Formation and Destruction in Luminous Infrared Galaxies in GOALS

We present the results of a {\it Hubble Space Telescope} ACS/HRC FUV, ACS/WFC optical study into the cluster populations of a sample of 22 Luminous Infrared Galaxies in the Great Observatories All-Sky LIRG Survey. Through integrated broadband photometry we have derived ages and masses for a total of 484 star clusters contained within these systems. This allows us to examine the properties of star clusters found in the extreme environments of LIRGs relative to lower luminosity star-forming galaxies in the local Universe. We find that by adopting a Bruzual \& Charlot simple stellar population (SSP) model and Salpeter initial mass function, the age distribution of clusters declines as $dN/d\tau = \tau^{-0.9 +/- 0.3}$, consistent with the age distribution derived for the Antennae Galaxies, and interpreted as evidence for rapid cluster disruption occuring in the strong tidal fields of merging galaxies. The large number of $10^{6} M_{\odot}$ young clusters identified in the sample also suggests that LIRGs are capable of producing more high-mass clusters than what is observed to date in any lower luminosity star-forming galaxy in the local Universe. The observed cluster mass distribution of $dN/dM = M^{-1.95 +/- 0.11}$ is consistent with the canonical -2 power law used to describe the underlying initial cluster mass function (ICMF) for a wide range of galactic environments. We interpret this as evidence against mass-dependent cluster disruption, which would flatten the observed CMF relative to the underlying ICMF distribution.Comment: 63 pages, 58 Figures, 56 Tables, Accepted for publication in Ap

Return to the workforce following first hospitalization for heart failure: a Danish nationwide cohort study

Background: Return to work is important financially, as a marker of functional status and for self-esteem in patients developing chronic illness. We examined return to work after first heart failure (HF) hospitalization. Methods: By individual-level linkage of nationwide Danish registries, we identified 21455 patients of working age (18-60 years) with a first HF hospitalization in the period of 1997-2012. Of these 11880 (55%) were in the workforce prior to HF hospitalization and comprised the study population. We applied logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) for associations between age, sex, length of hospital stay, level of education, income, comorbidity and return to work. Results: One year after first HF hospitalization, 8040 (67.7%) returned to the workforce, 2981 (25.1%) did not, 805 (6.7%) died and 54 (0.5%) emigrated. Predictors of return to work included younger age (18-30 vs. 51-60 years, OR 3.12; 95% CI 2.42-4.03), male sex (OR 1.22 [1.18-1.34]) and level of education (long-higher vs. basic school OR 2.06 [1.63-2.60]). Conversely, hospital stay &gt;7 days (OR 0.56 [0.51-0.62]) and comorbidity including history of stroke (OR 0.55 [0.45-0.69]), chronic kidney disease (OR 0.46 [0.36-0.59]), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR 0.62 [0.52-0.75]), diabetes (OR 0.76 [0.68-0.85]) and cancer (OR 0.49 [0.40-0.61]) were all significantly associated with lower chance of return to work. Conclusions: Patients in the workforce prior to HF hospitalization had low mortality but high risk of detachment from the workforce one year later. Young age, male sex, and higher level of education were predictors of return to work

A case of antibody formation against octreotide visualized with ¹¹¹In-octreotide scintigraphy

A case of antibody formation in a patient with carcinoid syndrome is described. The patient was treated with octreotide in dosages up to 1.5 mg/day. Serum samples were analysed for the presence of octreotide antibodies before and after 20 months of octreotide treatment. In-vivo 111In-octreotide scintigraphy was performed before and during therapy, and after antibodies had developed. Before treatment, no serum antibodies against octreotide were detected. After 20 months of treatment, they were detectable up to a 1:115 serum dilution. The serum binding of 125I-Tyr3-octreotide was blocked by adding excess unlabelled Tyr3-octreotide, indicating the presence of specific octreotide antibodies. Before treatment, a normal distribution of radioactivity in the spleen and kidneys, irregular uptake in the liver due to metastases, and a hot spot in the lower abdomen were found during 111In-octreotide scintigraphy. After antibodies had developed, increased radioactivity over the heart and high background radioactivity in the abdomen with only faint visualization of the spleen, liver, and kidneys were found, indicating a prolonged presence of 111In-octreotide in the blood resulting from its being bound to antibodies. Increased radioactivity was also seen at the injection sites of the drug in the upper legs. In-vitro incubation of biopsy tissue from this site with 125I-Tyr3-octreotide revealed diffuse guanosine triphosphate (GTP) independent specific binding non-G-protein linked binding of labelled octreotide. This report describes the characteristic abnormalities during in-vivo 111In-octreotide scintigraphy in a patient with octreotide antibodies. These consisted of high background radioactivity due to prolonged circulation of antibody coupled 111In-octreotide together with visualization of the injection sites, which most probably results from local accumulation of antibodies.</p