Intramyocellular Lipid and Insulin Resistance: Differential Relationships in European and African Americans

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/93716/1/oby.2011.45.pd

Larger λR\lambda_R in the disc of isolated active spiral galaxies than in their non-active twins

We present a comparison of the spin parameter $\lambda_R$, measured in a region dominated by the galaxy disc, between 20 pairs of nearby (0.005$<$z$<$0.03) seemingly isolated twin galaxies differing in nuclear activity. We find that 80--82% of the active galaxies show higher values of $\lambda_R$ than their corresponding non-active twin(s), indicating larger rotational support in the AGN discs. This result is driven by the 11 pairs of unbarred galaxies, for which 100% of the AGN show larger $\lambda_R$ than their twins. These results can be explained by a more efficient angular momentum transfer from the inflowing gas to the disc baryonic matter in the case of the active galaxies. This gas inflow could have been induced by disc or bar instabilities, although we cannot rule out minor mergers if these are prevalent in our active galaxies. This result represents the first evidence of galaxy-scale differences between the dynamics of active and non-active isolated spiral galaxies of intermediate stellar masses (10$^{10}<M_*<10^{11}$ M$_{\odot}$) in the Local Universe.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A Letter

Spotting the differences between active and non-active twin galaxies on kpc-scales. A pilot study

We present a pilot study aimed to identify large-scale galaxy properties that could play a role in activating a quiescent nucleus. To do so, we compare the properties of two isolated nearby active galaxies and their non-active twins selected from the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) survey. This pilot sample includes two barred and two unbarred galaxies. We characterise the stellar and ionised gas kinematics and also their stellar content. We obtain simple kinematic models by fitting the full stellar and ionised gas velocity fields and just the approaching/receding sides. We find that the analysed active galaxies present lopsided disks and higher values of the global stellar angular momentum ($\lambda_{R}$) than their non-active twins. This could be indicating that the stellar disks of the AGN gained angular momentum from the inflowing gas that triggered the nuclear activity. The inflow of gas could have been produced by a twisted disk instability in the case of the unbarred AGN, and by the bar in the case of the barred AGN. In addition, we find that the central regions of the studied active galaxies show older stellar populations than their non-active twins. The next step is to statistically explore these galaxy properties in a larger sample of twin galaxies.Comment: 24 pages, 24 figures. Accepted by MNRA

Design, Synthesis, Characterization, and Evaluation of the Anti-HT-29 Colorectal Cell Line Activity of Novel 8-Oxyquinolinate-Platinum(II)-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers Targeted with Riboflavin

Colorectal cancer is occasionally called colon or rectal cancer, depending on where cancer begins to form, and is the second leading cause of cancer death among both men and women. The platinum-based [PtCl(8-O-quinolinate)(dmso)] (8-QO-Pt) compound has demonstrated encouraging anticancer activity. Three different systems of 8-QO-Pt-encapsulated nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) with riboflavin (RFV) were investigated. NLCs of myristyl myristate were synthesized by ultrasonication in the presence of RFV. RFV-decorated nanoparticles displayed a spherical shape and a narrow size dispersion in the range of 144–175 nm mean particle diameter. The 8-QO-Pt-loaded formulations of NLC/RFV with more than 70% encapsulation efficiency showed sustained in vitro release for 24 h. Cytotoxicity, cell uptake, and apoptosis were evaluated in the HT-29 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line. The results revealed that 8-QO-Pt-loaded formulations of NLC/RFV showed higher cytotoxicity than the free 8-QO-Pt compound at 5.0 µM. All three systems exhibited different levels of cellular internalization. Moreover, the hemotoxicity assay showed the safety profile of the formulations (less than 3.7%). Taken together, RFV-targeted NLC systems for drug delivery have been investigated for the first time in our study and the results are promising for the future of chemotherapy in colon cancer treatmen

Stratus Ocean Reference Station (20˚S, 85˚W), mooring recovery and deployment cruise R/V Ronald H. Brown cruise 05-05, September 26, 2005–October 21, 2005

The Ocean Reference Station at 20°S, 85°W under the stratus clouds west of northern Chile is being maintained to provide ongoing, climate-quality records of surface meteorology, of air-sea fluxes of heat, freshwater, and momentum, and of upper ocean temperature, salinity, and velocity variability. The Stratus Ocean Reference Station (ORS Stratus) is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Observation Program. It is recovered and redeployed annually, with cruises that have come between October and December. During the October 2005 cruise of NOAA’s R/V Ronald H. Brown to the ORS Stratus site, the primary activities were recovery of the WHOI surface mooring that had been deployed in December 2004, deployment of a new WHOI surface mooring at that site, in-situ calibration of the buoy meteorological sensors by comparison with instrumentation put on board by staff of the NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory (ETL), and observations of the stratus clouds and lower atmosphere by NOAA ETL. The ORS Stratus buoys are equipped with two Improved Meteorological (IMET) systems, which provide surface wind speed and direction, air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, incoming shortwave radiation, incoming longwave radiation, precipitation rate, and sea surface temperature. The IMET data are made available in near real time using satellite telemetry. The mooring line carries instruments to measure ocean salinity, temperature, and currents. The ETL instrumentation used during the 2005 cruise included cloud radar, radiosonde ballons, and sensors for mean and turbulent surface meteorology. In addition, two technicians from the University of Concepcion collected water samples for chemical analysis. Finally, the cruise hosted a teacher participating in NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program.Funding was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under Grant No. NA17RJ1223 and the Cooperative Institute for Climate and Ocean Research (CICOR)

Wide field CO J = 3->2 mapping of the Serpens Cloud Core

Context. Outflows provide indirect means to get an insight on diverse star formation associated phenomena. On scales of individual protostellar cores, outflows combined with intrinsic core properties can be used to study the mass accretion/ejection process of heavily embedded protostellar sources. Methods. An area comprising 460"x230" of the Serpens cloud core has been mapped in 12 CO J = 3\to 2 with the HARP-B heterodyne array at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope; J = 3\to 2 observations are more sensitive tracers of hot outflow gas than lower J CO transitions; combined with the high sensitivity of the HARP-B receptors outflows are sharply outlined, enabling their association with individual protostellar cores. Results. Most of ~20 observed outflows are found to be associated with known protostellar sources in bipolar or unipolar configurations. All but two outflow/core pairs in our sample tend to have a projected orientation spanning roughly NW-SE. The overall momentum driven by outflows in Serpens lies between 3.2 and 5.1 x 10^(-1) M\odot km s^(-1), the kinetic energy from 4.3 to 6.7 x 10^(43) erg and momentum flux is between 2.8 and 4.4 x 10^(-4) M\odot km s^(-1) yr^(-1). Bolometric luminosities of protostellar cores based on Spitzer photometry are found up to an order of magnitude lower than previous estimations derived with IRAS/ISO data. Conclusions. We confirm the validity of the existing correlations between the momentum flux and bolometric luminosity of Class I sources for the homogenous sample of Serpens, though we suggest that they should be revised by a shift to lower luminosities. All protostars classified as Class 0 sources stand well above the known Class I correlations, indicating a decline in momentum flux between the two classes.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Prevalence and gender distribution of the metabolic syndrome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cardiovascular risk factor of public health significance and of recent has become a topical issue. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is on the increase and with this scenario, a possible increase in burden of DM which may be largely attributed to cardiovascular complications is expected. The objective of this report is to determine the prevalence of the MetS and compare gender characteristics in subjects with type 2 DM.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Subjects with type 2 DM were recruited from an urban hospital for the study. Clinical data was obtained by interviewing the patients and referring to their Case folders. The anthropometric indices and blood pressure measurements were documented. Laboratory parameters analysed for included total cholesterol, high density and low density cholesterol, triglyceride and glycosylated haemoglobin. Statistical analysis included usage of Student's t test and chi square.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>963 patients with type 2 DM aged between 35-85 years were recruited for the study. The main outcome measures included the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and the gender differences of its components. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 86%. The frequency of occurrence of the MetS was similar for men (83%) and women (86%) and increased with age in both sexes. The prevalence of MetS increased from 11% among participants aged 20 through 29 years to 89% in participants aged 70 through 79. In our patients with DM, the commonest occurring and least detected MetS defining parameters are central obesity and elevated triglyceride levels respectively. The components of the MetS that differed significantly in both sexes was HDL-C. The combination of the components of the MetS were comparable in both genders and 5.8% of the subjects with the MetS had all components of the MetS.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The prevalence of the MetS in type 2DM is high in both genders and increases with age thus posing a potential high cardiovascular risk in this group of patients. The modifiable risk factors for the MetS should be a focus point in the management of subjects with type 2 DM,</p