Prokaryotes on the tentacles of deep-sea holothurians: A novel form of dietary supplementation

Bathyal and abyssal epibenthic holothurians have a layer of bacteria lying over the tentacular epidermis and below the cuticle. Thus the tentacles of deep-sea holothurians may provide ideal conditions for subcuticular bacteria. These bacteria appear to be regulated by phagocytosis, which, together with pinocytosis would facilitate transfer of bacterial metabolites to the holothurian. Their abundance suggests a previously unknown pathway for energy transformation and assimilation of particular significance in an environment where food is limiting.

Dietary patterns and smoking in Northern Irish men: a population at High risk of coronary heart disease

This study evaluated dietary habits of Northern Irish men who are at high risk of cardiovascular disease, stratified as never-, ex-, moderate-, or heavy-smokers. Participants were male volunteers (30 - 49 years) from a single workforce in Belfast (n = 765). Dietary information was collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire. For 'a priori' diet scores, never- and ex-smokers had a significantly higher fruit and vegetable score, Mediterranean diet score, and alternative Mediterranean diet score than moderate or heavy-smokers (all p

Thermoforming carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites

The use of carbon fibre composites is growing in many sectors but their use remains stronger in very high value industries such as aerospace where the demands of the application more easily justify the high energy input needed and the corresponding costs incurred. This energy and cost input is returned through gains over the whole life of the product, with for example, longer maintenance intervals for an aircraft and lower fuel burn. Thermoplastic composites however have a different energy and cost profile compared to traditional thermosets with notable differences in recyclability, but this profile is not well quantified or documented. This study considers the key process control parameters and identifies an optimal window for processing, along with the effect this has on the final characteristics of the manufactured parts. Interactions between parameters and corresponding sensitivities are extracted from the results.

Understanding dietary decision-making in patients attending a secondary prevention clinic following myocardial infarction

Aims and objectives. This study aimed to explore the issues that influence the dietary choices made by patients attending a secondary prevention clinic following a myocardial infarction.

Dietary patterns and bone mineral status in young adults: the Northern Ireland Young Hearts Project

Studies of individual nutrients or foods have revealed much about dietary influences on bone. Multiple food or nutrient approaches, such as dietary pattern analysis, could offer further insight but research is limited and largely confined to older adults. We examined the relationship between dietary patterns, obtained by a posteriori and a priori methods, and bone mineral status (BMS; collective term for bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD)) in young adults (20-25 years; n 489). Diet was assessed by 7 d diet history and BMD and BMC were determined at the lumbar spine and femoral neck (FN). A posteriori dietary patterns were derived using principal component analysis (PCA) and three a priori dietary quality scores were applied (dietary diversity score (DDS), nutritional risk score and Mediterranean diet score). For the PCA-derived dietary patterns, women in the top compared to the bottom fifth of the 'Nuts and Meat' pattern had greater FN BMD by 0.074 g/cm(2) (P=0.049) and FN BMC by 0.40 g (P=0.034) after adjustment for confounders. Similarly, men in the top compared to the bottom fifth of the 'Refined' pattern had lower FN BMC by 0.41 g (P-0.049). For the a priori DDS, women in the top compared to the bottom third had lower FN BMD by 0.05 g/cm(2) after adjustments (P=0.052), but no other relationships with BMS were identified. In conclusion, adherence to a 'Nuts and Meat' dietary pattern may be associated with greater BMS in young women and a 'Refined' dietary pattern may be detrimental for bone health in young men.