Preliminary support for the role of alcohol cues in food cravings and attentional biases

This study examined whether alcohol odors, in isolation or when combined with pictures, would influence food attentional biases and cravings. Participants' cravings and attentional biases to food and alcohol pictures were assessed after exposure to alcohol or water odors ( n = 77; mean age = 30.84 years, 51.9% female, 83.1% Caucasian). Food attentional biases were increased by alcohol odors, but food cravings were increased only by a combination of alcohol odors and food pictures. These effects were related with self-reported problematic food consumption. These findings support a research program for further examining the effect of alcohol cues on problematic food consumption

Receptor and secreted targets of Wnt-1/beta-catenin signalling in mouse mammary epithelial cells.

BackgroundDeregulation of the Wnt/ beta-catenin signal transduction pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of tumours in the mammary gland, colon and other tissues. Mutations in components of this pathway result in beta-catenin stabilization and accumulation, and the aberrant modulation of beta-catenin/TCF target genes. Such alterations in the cellular transcriptional profile are believed to underlie the pathogenesis of these cancers. We have sought to identify novel target genes of this pathway in mouse mammary epithelial cells.MethodsGene expression microarray analysis of mouse mammary epithelial cells inducibly expressing a constitutively active mutant of beta-catenin was used to identify target genes of this pathway.ResultsThe differential expression in response to DeltaNbeta-catenin for five putative target genes, Autotaxin, Extracellular Matrix Protein 1 (Ecm1), CD14, Hypoxia-inducible gene 2 (Hig2) and Receptor Activity Modifying Protein 3 (RAMP3), was independently validated by northern blotting. Each of these genes encodes either a receptor or a secreted protein, modulation of which may underlie the interactions between Wnt/beta-catenin tumour cells and between the tumour and its microenvironment. One of these genes, Hig2, previously shown to be induced by both hypoxia and glucose deprivation in human cervical carcinoma cells, was strongly repressed upon DeltaNbeta-catenin induction. The predicted N-terminus of Hig2 contains a putative signal peptide suggesting it might be secreted. Consistent with this, a Hig2-EGFP fusion protein was able to enter the secretory pathway and was detected in conditioned medium. Mutation of critical residues in the putative signal sequence abolished its secretion. The expression of human HIG2 was examined in a panel of human tumours and was found to be significantly downregulated in kidney tumours compared to normal adjacent tissue.ConclusionsHIG2 represents a novel non-cell autonomous target of the Wnt pathway which is potentially involved in human cancer

A note on the evaluation of the acid-insoluble ash technique as a method for determining apparent diet digestibility in beef cattle.

peer-reviewedThe objective was to determine if the acid-insoluble ash (AIA) method provided accurate estimates of in vivo apparent digestibility compared with the standard total faecal collection (TFC) method. Twelve steers, mean live weight 328 (s.d. 27.3) kg, were offered one of three diets based on whole-crop wheat (WCW) or a grass silage (GS) diet in a 4 × 4 latin square design. Apparent dietary digestibility was determined simultaneously using AIA and TFC methods. Agreement between the two methods depended on diet type, with acceptable agreement (a difference between the methods of 0.06), observed with the WCW-based diets. However, the strength of the agreement was weakened with the inclusion of GS. Agreement statistics were found to be a useful tool for assessing the relationship between the two methods of measurement.This study was funded by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Research Stimulus Fund 05 224)

An investigation of children's peer trust across culture: is the composition of peer trust universal?

The components of children's trust in same-gender peers (trust beliefs, ascribed trustworthiness, and dyadic reciprocal trust) were examined in samples of 8- to 11-year-olds from the UK, Italy, and Japan. Trust was assessed by children's ratings of the extent to which same-gender classmates kept promises and kept secrets. Social relations analyses confirmed that children from each country showed significant: (a) actor variance demonstrating reliable individual differences in trust beliefs, (b) partner variance demonstrating reliable individual differences in ascribed trustworthiness, and (c ) relationship variance demonstrating unique relationships between interaction partners. Cultural differences in trust beliefs and ascribed trustworthiness also emerged and these differences were attributed to the tendency for children from cultures that value societal goals to share personal information with the peer group

The effects of climate change and variation in New Zealand: An assessment using the CLIMPACTS system

Along with a need to better understand the climate and biophysical systems of New Zealand, the need to develop an improved capacity for evaluating possible changes in climate and their effects on the New Zealand environment has been recognised. Since the middle of 1993 the CLIMPACTS programme, has been focused on the development of such a capacity, in the first instance for the agricultural sector. the goals of this present assessment are: 1. To present current knowledge on likely scenarios of climate change and associated uncertainties in New Zealand; 2. To present current knowledge, based on quantitative analyses using a consistent set of scenarios, on the likely effects of climate change on a range of agricultural and horticultural crops of economic importance; 3. To demonstrate, by way of this report and the associated technical report, the capacity that has been developed for ongoing assessments of this kind in New Zealand. This report has been prepared for both the science and policy communities in New Zealand. There are two main components: 1. The detailed findings of the assessment, presented in a series of chapters; 2. An annex, which contains technical details on models used in the assessment

Towards mechanomagnetics in elastic crystals: insights from [Cu(acac)2_2]

We predict that the magnetic properties of \cuacac, an elastically flexible crystal, change dramatically when the crystal is bent. We find that unbent \cuacac\ is an almost perfect Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid. Broken-symmetry density functional calculations reveal that the magnetic exchange interactions along the chains is an order of magnitude larger than the interchain exchange. The geometrically frustrated interchain interactions cannot magnetically order the material at any experimentally accessible temperature. The ordering temperature ($T_N$), calculated from the chain random phase approximation, increases by approximately 24 orders of magnitude when the material is bent. We demonstrate that geometric frustration both suppresses $T_N$ and enhances the sensitivity of $T_N$ to bending. In \cuacac, $T_N$ is extremely sensitive to bending, but remains too low for practical applications, even when bent. Partially frustrated materials could achieve the balance of high $T_N$ and good sensitivity to bending required for practical applications of mechanomagnetic elastic crystals

Feed intake pattern, behaviour, rumen characteristics and blood metabolites of finishing beef steers offered total mixed rations constituted at feeding or ensiling

peer-reviewedTwo experiments were undertaken. In Experiment 1, behaviour, intake pattern and blood metabolites, were recorded for steers offered total mixed rations (TMR) based on grass silage and concentrates, and constituted either at ensiling (E-TMR) or feedout (F-TMR). Fourteen continental crossbred steers (mean starting weight 505 (s.d. 41.5) kg) were assigned to each of the following eight treatments: grass silage offered ad libitum (SO), E-TMR diets constituted in approximate dry matter (DM) ratios of grass:concentrates of 75:25 (EL), 50:50 (EM) and 25:75 (EH), F-TMR diets constituted in approximate DM ratios of grass silage:concentrates of 75:25 (FL), 50:50 (FM) and 25:75 (FH), and finally concentrates ad libitum (AL). Total DM intake increased linearly (P < 0.001) and the time spent eating and ruminating decreased linearly (P < 0.001) with increasing concentrate proportion. Animals on the F-TMR diets had higher total DM intakes (P < 0.05) and plasma glucose (P < 0.05) and urea (P < 0.001) concentrations than animals on the corresponding E-TMR diets. No effect of method of feed preparation on intake pattern or behaviour was recorded. In Experiment 2, four ruminally cannulated Holstein-Friesian steers of mean initial live weight 630 (s.d. 23.2) kg were used to evaluate rumen characteristics for four of the above diets (FL, EL, FH and EH) in a 4 × 4 latin square design. Higher concentrate diets resulted in lower rumen pH (P < 0.05), higher lactic acid (P < 0.001) and ammonia (P < 0.05) concentrations and lower acetate:propionate (P < 0.05). F-TMR was associated with a higher (P < 0.05) rumen volatile fatty acid concentration but no difference in other rumen fermentation characteristics compared to E-TMR. Concentrate proportion and method of feed preparation had no effect (P > 0.05) on rumen pool sizes but animals consuming the high concentrate diet had a faster (P < 0.05) rumen passage rate of NDF than animals on the low concentrate diet.B. Cummins was in receipt of a Teagasc Walsh Fellowship

Quantitative analysis of ruminal methanogenic microbial populations in beef cattle divergent in phenotypic residual feed intake (RFI) offered contrasting diets

peer-reviewedBackground Methane (CH4) emissions in cattle are an undesirable end product of rumen methanogenic fermentative activity as they are associated not only with negative environmental impacts but also with reduced host feed efficiency. The aim of this study was to quantify total and specific rumen microbial methanogenic populations in beef cattle divergently selected for residual feed intake (RFI) while offered (i) a low energy high forage (HF) diet followed by (ii) a high energy low forage (LF) diet. Ruminal fluid was collected from 14 high (H) and 14 low (L) RFI animals across both dietary periods. Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis was conducted to quantify the abundance of total and specific rumen methanogenic microbes. Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the association between the relative abundance of methanogens and animal performance, rumen fermentation variables and diet digestibility. Results Abundance of methanogens, did not differ between RFI phenotypes. However, relative abundance of total and specific methanogen species was affected (P < 0.05) by diet type, with greater abundance observed while animals were offered the LF compared to the HF diet. Conclusions These findings suggest that differences in abundance of specific rumen methanogen species may not contribute to variation in CH4 emissions between efficient and inefficient animals, however dietary manipulation can influence the abundance of total and specific methanogen species.Funding for the development and main work of this research was provided under the National Development Plan, through the Research Stimulus Fund, administered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food, Ireland RSF 05 224

Studies relating to Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) Supplementation and Fertility in Cattle

End of project reportReproductive inefficiency has a significant impact on the economic performance of both dairy and beef herds, particularly in seasonal calving systems. Nutrition plays a fundamental role in reproduction. Furthermore, there is emerging evidence that supplemental dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may increase cow fertility independent of their role as energy substrates. A number of studies have reported enhanced reproductive performance in dairy cows following dietary supplementation with sources of n-3 PUFA. However the possible mechanisms involved have not been identified and there is some inconsistency in the published literature on this topic. The objective of the research reported was to conduct a holistic examination of the effects of dietary long-chain n-3 PUFA supplementation on metabolic and reproductive responses in cattle. Such information is essential for the appropriate formulation of diets to enhance cow reproductive performance and in particular embryo survival