Fatty acid composition of sprat (Sprattus sprattus) and herring (Clupea harengus) in the Baltic Sea as potential prey for salmon (Salmo salar)

Sprat (Sprattus sprattus) and small herring (Clupea harengus) are the dominant prey fish of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the Baltic Sea. If the fatty acid (FA) proportions of sprat and herring differ, the dietary history of ascending salmon could be determined from their FA profiles. Therefore, we investigated the FA composition of several age groups of whole sprat and small herring, caught from the three main feeding areas of salmon in autumn and spring. Oleic acid (18: 1n-9) was the most prevalent FA in sprat and characteristic of this species. In herring, palmitic acid (16: 0) was the most common FA, but herring lipid was characterized by n-6 polyunsaturated FAs, and moreover, by palmitoleic acid (16: 1n-7) and vaccenic acid (18: 1n-7). Due to the higher lipid content of sprat, the concentrations of all other FAs, excluding these, were higher in sprat than in herring. The concentration of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22: 6n-3) increased with an increase in the lipid content and was consequently highest in the youngest specimens, being in young sprat almost double that of young herring, and 2.6 times higher in the sprat biomass than in that of herring. As a result of a decrease in the DHA concentration with age, the ratio thiamine/DHA increased with respect to age in both species, and was lower in sprat than in herring. It is concluded that an abundance of DHA in the diet of salmon most likely increases oxidative stress because of the susceptibility of DHA to peroxidation, and thus decreases thiamine resources of fasting, prespawning salmon. Because the FA composition of sprat and herring differs, and the relative abundancies of prey fish differ between the feeding areas of salmon, the feeding area of ascending salmon can most probably be derived by comparing their FA profiles.Peer reviewe

A method for measuring blood pressure and cardiorespiratory oscillations

Studies with magnetoencephalography (MEG) are still quite rarely combined simultaneously with methods that can provide a metabolic dimension to MEG investigations. In addition, continuous blood pressure measurements which comply with MEG compatibility requirements are lacking. For instance, by combining methods reflecting neurovascular status one could obtain more information on low frequency fluctuations that have recently gained increasing interest as a mediator of functional connectivity within brain networks. This paper presents a multimodal brain imaging setup, capable to non-invasively and continuously measure cerebral hemodynamic, cardiorespiratory and blood pressure oscillations simultaneously with MEG. In the setup, all methods apart from MEG rely on the use of fibre optics. In particular, we present a method for measuring of blood pressure and cardiorespiratory oscillations continuously with MEG. The potential of this type of multimodal setup for brain research is demonstrated by our preliminary studies on human, showing effects of mild hypercapnia, gathered simultaneously with the presented modalities

Blood pressure wave propagation : a multisensor setup for cerebral autoregulation studies

Objective. Cerebral autoregulation is critically important to maintain proper brain perfusion and supply the brain with oxygenated blood. Non-invasive measures of blood pressure (BP) are critical in assessing cerebral autoregulation. Wave propagation velocity may be a useful technique to estimate BP but the effect of the location of the sensors on the readings has not been thoroughly examined. In this paper, we were interested in studying whether the propagation velocity of a pressure wave in the direction from the heart to the brain may differ compared with propagation from the heart to the periphery, as well as across different physiological tasks and/or health conditions. Using non-invasive sensors simultaneously placed at different locations of the human body allows for the study of how the propagation velocity of the pressure wave, based on pulse transit time (PTT), varies across different directions. Approach. We present a multi-sensor BP wave propagation measurement setup intended for cerebral autoregulation studies. The presented sensor setup consists of three sensors, one placed on each of the neck, chest and finger, allowing simultaneous measurement of changes in BP propagation velocity towards the brain and to the periphery. We show how commonly tested physiological tasks affect the relative changes of PTT and correlations with BP. Main results. We observed that during maximal blow, valsalva and breath hold breathing tasks, the relative changes of PTT were higher when PTT was measured in the direction from the heart to the brain than from the heart to the peripherals. In contrast, during a deep breathing task, the relative change in PTT from the heart to the brain was lower. In addition, we present a short literature review of the PTT methods used in brain research. Significance. These preliminary data suggest that the physiological task and direction of PTT measurement may affect relative PTT changes. The presented three-sensor setup provides an easy and neuroimaging compatible method for cerebral autoregulation studies by allowing measurement of BP wave propagation velocity towards the brain versus towards the periphery

Is there a role for vitamin C in preventing osteoporosis and fractures?:A review of the potential underlying mechanisms and current epidemiological evidence

Osteoporosis and related fractures are a major global health issue, but there are few preventative strategies. Previously reported associations between higher intakes of fruits and vegetables and skeletal health have been suggested to be partly attributable to vitamin C. To date, there is some evidence for a potential role of vitamin C in osteoporosis and fracture prevention but an overall consensus of published studies has not yet been drawn. The present review aims to provide a summary of the proposed underlying mechanisms of vitamin C on bone and reviews the current evidence in the literature, examining a potential link between vitamin C intake and status with osteoporosis and fractures. The Bradford Hill criteria were used to assess reported associations. Recent animal studies have provided insights into the involvement of vitamin C in osteoclastogenesis and osteoblastogenesis, and its role as a mediator of bone matrix deposition, affecting both the quantity and quality of bone collagen. Observational studies have provided some evidence for this in the general population, showing positive associations between dietary vitamin C intake and supplements and higher bone mineral density or reduced fracture risk. However, previous intervention studies were not sufficiently well designed to evaluate these associations. Epidemiological data are particularly limited for vitamin C status and for fracture risk and good-quality randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm previous epidemiological findings. The present review also highlights that associations between vitamin C and bone health may be non-linear and further research is needed to ascertain optimal intakes for osteoporosis and fracture prevention

The ecodesign and planning of sustainable neighbourhoods : the Vallbona case study (Barcelona)

Global sustainability is increasingly an issue of urban sustainability, being essential to encourage more benign trajectories of urbanisation. For this, there is need for a framework that could aid in the process of designing and redesigning (retrofitting) cities. The aim of this paper is to present and describe the methodology of urban ecodesign, which is characterized by a systematic incorporation of environmental life cycle considerations into the design of urban systems. The paper presents a case study of neighbourhood ecodesign from the city of Barcelona (Vallbona neighbourhood). This practical experience shows that the inclusion of sustainability criteria at an early stage of the design and planning of urban systems is the best strategy for environmental protection.In addition; a methodological framework is described in order to provide planners with a structured way of designing urban settlements so as to move towards sustainable urban environments.La sostenibilidad global es cada vez más un tema de sostenibilidad urbana. Por este motivo, es necesario un marco de trabajo que pueda ayudar en el proceso de diseño y rediseño (rehabilitación) de nuestras ciudades. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar y describir la metodología de ecodiseño adaptada a los entornos urbanos, la cual se caracteriza por la incorporación sistemática de las consideraciones ambientales a lo largo de su ciclo de vida. El documento presenta un caso de estudio de ecodiseño del barrio de Vallbona (Barcelona). Esta experiencia demuestra que la inclusión de criterios de sostenibilidad en las etapas iniciales de diseño y planificación de los sistemas urbanos es la mejor estrategia para la prevención ambiental. Además, se presenta un marco metodológico con el fin de proporcionar a los planificadores una forma estructurada de diseño de los asentamientos urbanos que les permita avanzar hacia entornos urbanos más sostenibles

Large area quantitative analysis of nanostructured thin-films

Proposed and verified method offers an unique quantitative large scale nanostructures' evaluation.This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available at http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2015/RA/c4ra16018e#!divAbstract

Real-time monitoring of human blood-brain barrier disruption

Chemotherapy aided by opening of the blood-brain barrier with intra-arterial infusion of hyperosmolar mannitol improves the outcome in primary central nervous system lymphoma. Proper opening of the blood-brain barrier is crucial for the treatment, yet there are no means available for its real-time monitoring. The intact blood-brain barrier maintains a mV-level electrical potential difference between blood and brain tissue, giving rise to a measurable electrical signal at the scalp. Therefore, we used direct-current electroencephalography ( DC-EEG) to characterize the spatiotemporal behavior of scalp-recorded slow electrical signals during blood-brain barrier opening. Nine anesthetized patients receiving chemotherapy were monitored continuously during 47 blood-brain barrier openings induced by carotid or vertebral artery mannitol infusion. Left or right carotid artery mannitol infusion generated a strongly lateralized DC-EEG response that began with a 2 min negative shift of up to 2000 mu V followed by a positive shift lasting up to 20 min above the infused carotid artery territory, whereas contralateral responses were of opposite polarity. Vertebral artery mannitol infusion gave rise to a minimally lateralized and more uniformly distributed slow negative response with a posterior-frontal gradient. Simultaneously performed near-infrared spectroscopy detected a multiphasic response beginning with mannitol-bolus induced dilution of blood and ending in a prolonged increase in the oxy/deoxyhemoglobin ratio. The pronounced DC-EEG shifts are readily accounted for by opening and sealing of the blood-brain barrier. These data show that DC-EEG is a promising real-time monitoring tool for bloodbrain barrier disruption augmented drug delivery.Peer reviewe

Rotigotine Effects on Early Morning Motor Function and Sleep in Parkinson's Disease: A Double-Blind, Randomized, pLacebo-Controlled Study (RECOVER)

In a multinational, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (NCT00474058), 287 subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD) and unsatisfactory early-morning motor symptom control were randomized 2:1 to receive rotigotine (2–16 mg/24 hr [n = 190]) or placebo (n = 97). Treatment was titrated to optimal dose over 1–8 weeks with subsequent dose maintenance for 4 weeks. Early-morning motor function and nocturnal sleep disturbance were assessed as coprimary efficacy endpoints using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part III (Motor Examination) measured in the early morning prior to any medication intake and the modified Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS-2) (mean change from baseline to end of maintenance [EOM], last observation carried forward). At EOM, mean UPDRS Part III score had decreased by −7.0 points with rotigotine (from a baseline of 29.6 [standard deviation (SD) 12.3] and by −3.9 points with placebo (baseline 32.0 [13.3]). Mean PDSS-2 total score had decreased by −5.9 points with rotigotine (from a baseline of 19.3 [SD 9.3]) and by −1.9 points with placebo (baseline 20.5 [10.4]). This represented a significantly greater improvement with rotigotine compared with placebo on both the UPDRS Part III (treatment difference: −3.55 [95% confidence interval (CI) −5.37, −1.73]; P = 0.0002) and PDSS-2 (treatment difference: −4.26 [95% CI −6.08, −2.45]; P < 0.0001). The most frequently reported adverse events were nausea (placebo, 9%; rotigotine, 21%), application site reactions (placebo, 4%; rotigotine, 15%), and dizziness (placebo, 6%; rotigotine 10%). Twenty-four-hour transdermal delivery of rotigotine to PD patients with early-morning motor dysfunction resulted in significant benefits in control of both motor function and nocturnal sleep disturbances. © 2010 Movement Disorder Societ

Coded excitation speeds up the detection of the fundamental flexural guided wave in coated tubes

The fundamental flexural guided wave (FFGW) permits ultrasonic assessment of the wall thickness of solid waveguides, such as tubes or, e.g., long cortical bones. Recently, an optical non-contact method was proposed for ultrasound excitation and detection with the aim of facilitating the FFGW reception by suppressing the interfering modes from the soft coating. This technique suffers from low SNR and requires iterative physical scanning across the source-receiver distance for 2D-FFT analysis. This means that SNR improvement achieved by temporal averaging becomes time-consuming (several minutes) which reduces the applicability of the technique, especially in time-critical applications such as clinical quantitative ultrasound. To achieve sufficient SNR faster, an ultrasonic excitation by a base-sequence-modulated Golay code (BSGC, 64-bit code pair) on coated tube samples (1-5 mm wall thickness and 5 mm soft coating layer) was used. This approach improved SNR by 21 dB and speeded up the measurement by a factor of 100 compared to using a classical pulse excitation with temporal averaging. The measurement now took seconds instead of minutes, while the ability to determine the wall thickness of the phantoms was maintained. The technique thus allows rapid noncontacting assessment of the wall thickness in coated solid tubes, such as the human bone. (C) 2016 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Peer reviewe