Plant Evolution in Response to Abiotic and Biotic Stressors at “Rear-edge” Range Boundaries

Most species in the mustard family are restricted to higher elevations and latitudes where they also have restricted local spatial distributions. In this chapter, we describe a novel hypothesis for the development of low-elevation range limits in upland mustard species. The hypothesis suggests that defense regulation of glucosinolates could underlie the evolution of the spatially restricted distributions. A list of testable predictions is presented to evaluate the hypothesis. An interdisciplinary Ecological Genomics approach is needed to test the predictions; therefore, we also describe the field of Ecological Genomics. Although there is already support for some of the predictions, which we discuss, most of the predictions remain untested. Therefore, we also describe several tests that help evaluate each of the predictions

Collaboration, competition and publication in toxicology:views of British Toxicology Society members

To ascertain attitudes to resourcing, collaboration and publication in toxicology, a survey was developed and distributed to British Toxicology Society (BTS) members. The survey comprised 14 questions with 5 response options (strongly agree; agree; conflicted; disagree; strongly disagree) and a free text box. One hundred completed surveys were received by the cut-off date for data analysis. Unsurprisingly, 60% of participants disagreed or strongly disagreed that toxicology research is adequately funded in the UK; only 12% agreed with this statement. A similar proportion of participants (53%) disagreed with the statement that funding councils give equal opportunity to toxicology whereas 31% were conflicted on this point. An overwhelming 97% of respondents agreed that collaboration is important in driving toxicology research whereas only 38% agreed that competition is important. When this question was broadened out beyond the discipline of toxicology, a similar profile was seen suggesting that participants held similar views on toxicology versus other types of research. Many respondents were conflicted regarding the role of competition both in toxicology and in other research disciplines. Free text comments suggested that some competition is good to drive quality but can be counterproductive when competing for limited resources. Most participants were in favour of making toxicology research data openly available (86%) and in favour of open access publication (89%) although there were reservations about the cost of open access. Many (60%) thought the current system of peer review is fair but 65% also supported the idea of double-blind peer review (where both reviewer and author are anonymized). Others suggested a step in the opposite direction towards increased transparency (revealing and holding reviewers to account) would be preferable. Overall, there was a broad theme in free text responses that the need for experienced toxicologists has increased at a time when training and investment in the discipline has declined. However, not all respondents held that view with some noting that toxicology both as a research and as an applied discipline is strong within the UK scientific community

Shorter sleep: a new potential target to address cardiovascular and metabolic risk?

No abstract available

An experimental study on thermal runaway characteristics of lithium-ion batteries with high specific energy and prediction of heat release rate

Understanding the potential thermal hazards of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) during thermal runaway (TR) is helpful to assess the safety of LIB during storage, transport and use. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the thermal runaway (TR) characteristics of type 21700 cylindrical LIBs with a specific energy of 266 W∙h/kg. The batteries with both 30% state of charge (SOC) and 100% SOC were triggered to TR by uniform heating using a flexible heater in a laboratory environment. Three high definition cameras and one high-speed camera were placed to capture TR behavior and flame evolution from different viewpoints. Correlation between the heat release rate (HRR) and the mean flame height of turbulent jet diffusion flame were used to estimate the HRRs of LIBs. Additional characteristics of cell failure (for cells with 100% and 30% SOC) were also noted for comparison, including: number of objects ejected from the cell; sparks and subsequent jet fires. An approach has been developed to estimate the HRRs from TR triggered fires and results compared with previous HRR measurements for type 18650 cylindrical cells with a similar cathode composition

Sitting Time and Waist Circumference Are Associated With Glycemia in U.K. South Asians: Data from 1,228 adults screened for the PODOSA trial

OBJECTIVE-To investigate the independent contributions of waist circumference, physical activity, and sedentary behavior on glycemia in South Asians living in Scotland. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-Participants were 1,228 (523 men and 705 women) adults of Indian or Pakistani origin screened for the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity in South Asians (PODOSA) trial. All undertook an oral glucose tolerance test, had physical activity and sitting time assessed by International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and had waist circumference measured. RESULTS-Mean +/- SD age and waist circumference were 49.8 +/- 10.1 years and 99.2 +/- 10.2 cm, respectively. One hundred ninety-one participants had impaired fasting glycemia or impaired glucose tolerance, and 97 had possible type 2 diabetes. In multivariate regression analysis, ay (0.012 mmol.L-1.year [95% CI 0.006-0.017]) and waist circumference (0.018 mmol.L-1.cm(-1) [0.012-0.024]) were significantly independently associated with fasting glucose concentration, and age (0.032 mmol.L-1.year(-1) [0.016-0.049]), waist (0.057 mmolL(-1).cm(-1) [0.040-0.074]), and sitting time (0.097 mmol.L-1.h(-1).day(-1) [0.036-0.158]) were significantly independently associated with 2-h glucose concentration. Vigorous activity time had a borderline significant association with 2-h glucose concentration (-0.819 mmol.L-1.h(-1).day-1 [-1.672 to 0.034]) in the multivariate model. CONCLUSIONS-These data highlight an important relationship between sitting time and 2-h glucose levels in U.K. South Asians, independent of physical activity and waist circumference. Although the data are cross-sectional and thus do not permit firm conclusions about causality to be drawn, the results suggest that further study investigating the effects of sitting time on glycemia and other aspects of metabolic risk in South Asian populations is warrante

Contributions of amino acid, acylcarnitine and sphingolipid profiles to type 2 diabetes risk among South-Asian Surinamese and Dutch adults

Introduction: People of South Asian origin are at high risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but the underpinning mechanisms are not fully understood. We determined ethnic differences in acylcarnitine, amino acid and sphingolipid concentrations and determined the associations with T2D. Research design and methods: Associations between these metabolites and incident T2D among Dutch and South-Asian Surinamese were determined in participants from the Healthy Life in an Urban Setting (HELIUS) study (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) using Prentice-weighted Cox regression. The HELIUS study includes 95 incident T2D cases and a representative subcohort of 700 people from a cohort of 5977 participants with a mean follow-up of 4 years. Results: Concentrations of acylcarnitines were comparable between both ethnic groups. Amino acid and lactosylceramide concentrations were higher among South-Asian Surinamese than Dutch (eg, isoleucine 65.7 (SD 16.3) vs 60.7 (SD 15.6) µmol/L). Ceramide concentrations were lower among South-Asian Surinamese than Dutch (eg, Cer d18:1 8.48 (SD 2.04) vs 9.08 (SD 2.29) µmol/L). Metabolic dysregulation preceded T2D without evidence for a multiplicative interaction by ethnicity. Most amino acids and (dihydro)ceramides were associated with increased risk (eg, Cer d18:1 HR 2.38, 95% CI 1.81 to 3.12) while acylcarnitines, glycine, glutamine and lactosylceramides were associated with decreased risk for T2D (eg, LacCer d18:2 HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.77). Conclusions: Overall, these data suggest that the disturbances underlying amino acid and sphingolipid metabolism may be predictive of T2D risk in populations of both South Asian and European background. These observations may be used as starting point to unravel the underlying metabolic disturbances

Fire regimes and carbon in Australian vegetation

Fires regularly affect many of the world\u27s terrestrial ecosystems, and, as a result, fires mediate the exchange of greenhouse gases (GHG) between the land and the atmosphere at a global scale and affect the capacity of terrestrial ecosystems to store carbon (Bowman et al. 2009). Variations in fire -regimes can therefore potentially affect the global, regional and local carbon balance and, potentially, climate change itself (Bonan 2008). Here we examine how variation in fire regimes (Gill 1975; Bradstock et al. 2002) will potentially affect carbon in fire-prone Australian ecosystems via interactions with the stocks and transfers of carbon that are inherent to all terrestrial ecosystems. There are two key reasons why an appreciation of fire regimes is needed to comprehend the fate of terrestrial carbon. First, the status of terrestrial carbon over time will be a function of the balance between losses (emissions) from individual fires (of differing type, season and intensity), which occur as a result of immediate combustion as well as mortality and longerterm decomposition of dead biomass, and carbon that accumulates during regeneration in the intervals between fires. The length of the interval between fires will determine the amount of biomass that accumulates. Second, fire regimes influence the composition and structure of ecosystems and key processes such as plant mortality and recruitment. Hence, alternative trajectories of vegetation composition and structure that result from differing fire regimes will affect carbon dynamics. We explore these themes and summarise the dynamic aspects of carbon stocks and transfers in relation to fire, present conceptual models of carbon dynamics and fire regimes, and review how variation in fire regimes may affect overall storage potential as a function of fireinduced losses and post-fire uptake in two widespread Australian vegetation types. We then appraise future trends under global change and the likely potential for managing fire regimes for carbon \u27benefits\u27, especially with respect to emissions

A simplified mathematical model for heating-induced thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries

The present study aims to develop a simplified mathematical model for the evolution of heating-induced thermal runaway (TR) of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This model only requires a minimum number of input parameters, and some of these unknown parameters can be obtained from accelerating rate calorimeter (ARC) tests and previous studies, removing the need for detailed measurements of heat flow of cell components by differential scanning calorimetry. The model was firstly verified by ARC tests for a commercial cylindrical 21700 cell for the prediction of the cell surface temperature evolution with time. It was further validated by uniform heating tests of 21700 cells conducted with flexible and nichrome-wire heaters, respectively. The validated model was finally used to investigate the critical ambient temperature that triggers battery TR. The predicted critical ambient temperature is between 127 °C and 128 °C. The model has been formulated as lumped 0D, axisymmetric 2D and full 3D to suit different heating and geometric arrangements and can be easily extended to predict the TR evolution of other LIBs with different geometric configurations and cathode materials. It can also be easily implemented into other computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code

Typical food portion sizes consumed by Australian adults: results from the 2011–12 Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey

Considerable evidence has associated increasing portion sizes with elevated obesity prevalence. This study examines typical portion sizes of commonly consumed core and discretionary foods in Australian adults, and compares these data with the Australian Dietary Guidelines standard serves. Typical portion sizes are defined as the median amount of foods consumed per eating occasion. Sex- and age-specific median portion sizes of adults aged 19 years and over (n = 9341) were analysed using one day 24 hour recall data from the 2011–12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. A total of 152 food categories were examined. There were significant sex and age differences in typical portion sizes among a large proportion of food categories studied. Typical portion sizes of breads and cereals, meat and chicken cuts, and starchy vegetables were 30–160% larger than the standard serves, whereas, the portion sizes of dairy products, some fruits, and non-starchy vegetables were 30–90% smaller. Typical portion sizes for discretionary foods such as cakes, ice-cream, sausages, hamburgers, pizza, and alcoholic drinks exceeded the standard serves by 40–400%. The findings of the present study are particularly relevant for establishing Australian-specific reference portions for dietary assessment tools, refinement of nutrition labelling and public health policies

Diesel Exhaust Inhalation Elicits Acute Vasoconstriction in Vivo

BACKGROUND: Traffic-related air pollution is consistently associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent human and animal studies suggest that exposure to air pollutants affects vascular function. Diesel exhaust (DE) is a major source of traffic-related air pollution. OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to study the effects of short-term exposure to DE on vascular reactivity and on mediators of vascular tone. METHODS: In a double-blind, crossover, controlled exposure study, 27 adult volunteers (10 healthy and 17 with metabolic syndrome) were exposed in randomized order to filtered air (FA) and each of two levels of diluted DE (100 or 200 μg/m3 of fine particulate matter) in 2-hr sessions. Before and after each exposure, we assessed the brachial artery diameter (BAd) by B-mode ultrasound and collected blood samples for endothelin-1 (ET-1) and catecholamines. Postexposure we also assessed endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilation (FMD). RESULTS: Compared with FA, DE at 200 μg/m3 elicited a decrease in BAd (0.11 mm; 95% confidence interval, 0.02–0.18), and the effect appeared linearly dose related with a smaller effect at 100 μg/m3. Plasma levels of ET-1 increased after 200 μg/m3 DE but not after FA (p = 0.01). There was no consistent impact of DE on plasma catecholamines or FMD. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that short-term exposure to DE is associated with acute endothelial response and vasoconstriction of a conductance artery. Elucidation of the signaling pathways controlling vascular tone that underlie this observation requires further study