Carbon isotope composition of lipids from bones and host sediments of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

Carbon in lipids separated from organic matter of fish and marine mammal bones from bottom of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans has d13C values ranging from -21.6 to -25.8 per mil and is isotopically lighter than that in lipids and total organic matter of host sediments. During fossilization of organic phosphate carbon isotope composition of bound lipids of fish bone becomes lighter and that of bones of mammals becomes heavier, possibly as a result of metabolisms of these organisms and composition of phospholipids in them.

build a healthy meal :10 tips for healthy meals

A healthy meal starts with more vegetables and fruits and smaller portions of protein and grains. Think about how you can adjust the portions on your plate to get more of what you need without too many calories. And don’t forget dairy—make it the beverage with your meal or add fat-free or low-fat dairy products to your plate.

choose MyPlate : 10 tips to a great plate

Making food choices for a healthy lifestyle can be as simple as using these 10 Tips : balance calories, enjoy your food, but eat less, avoid oversized portions, foods to eat more often, make half your plate fruits and vegetables, switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk, make half your grains whole grains, foods to eat less often, compare sodium in foods, drink water instead of sugary drinks.

The effect of graded levels of exercise on energy intake and balance in free-living men, consuming their normal diet

Objective: To assess the effect of graded increases in exercised-induced energy expenditure (EE) on appetite, energy intake (EI), total daily EE and body weight in men living in their normal environment and consuming their usual diets. Design: Within-subject, repeated measures design. Six men (mean (s.d.) age 31.0 (5.0) y; weight 75.1 (15.96) kg; height 1.79 (0.10) m; body mass index (BMI) 23.3(2.4) kg/m2), were each studied three times during a 9 day protocol, corresponding to prescriptions of no exercise, (control) (Nex; 0 MJ/day), medium exercise level (Mex; ~1.6 MJ/day) and high exercise level (Hex; ~3.2 MJ/day). On days 1-2 subjects were given a medium fat (MF) maintenance diet (1.6 ´ resting metabolic rate (RMR)). Measurements: On days 3-9 subjects self-recorded dietary intake using a food diary and self-weighed intake. EE was assessed by continual heart rate monitoring, using the modified FLEX method. Subjects' HR (heart rate) was individually calibrated against submaximal VO2 during incremental exercise tests at the beginning and end of each 9 day study period. Respiratory exchange was measured by indirect calorimetry. Subjects completed hourly hunger ratings during waking hours to record subjective sensations of hunger and appetite. Body weight was measured daily. Results: EE amounted to 11.7, 12.9 and 16.8 MJ/day (F(2,10)=48.26; P<0.001 (s.e.d=0.55)) on the Nex, Mex and Hex treatments, respectively. The corresponding values for EI were 11.6, 11.8 and 11.8 MJ/day (F(2,10)=0.10; P=0.910 (s.e.d.=0.10)), respectively. There were no treatment effects on hunger, appetite or body weight, but there was evidence of weight loss on the Hex treatment. Conclusion: Increasing EE did not lead to compensation of EI over 7 days. However, total daily EE tended to decrease over time on the two exercise treatments. Lean men appear able to tolerate a considerable negative energy balance, induced by exercise, over 7 days without invoking compensatory increases in EI.

Rapid quantification of free cholesterol in tears using direct insertion/electron ionization-Mass spectrometry

Purpose. To establish a simple and rapid analytical method, based on direct insertion/electron ionization-mass spectrometry (DI/EI-MS), for measuring free cholesterol in tears from humans and rabbits. Methods. A stable-isotope dilution protocol employing DI/EI-MS in selected ion monitoring mode was developed and validated. It was used to quantify the free cholesterol content in human and rabbit tear extracts. Tears were collected from adult humans (n = 15) and rabbits (n = 10) and lipids extracted. Results. Screening, full-scan (m/z 40-600) DI/EI-MS analysis of crude tear extracts showed that diagnostic ions located in the mass range m/z 350 to 400 were those derived from free cholesterol, with no contribution from cholesterol esters. DI/EI-MS data acquired using selected ion monitoring (SIM) were analyzed for the abundance ratios of diagnostic ions with their stable isotope-labeled analogues arising from the D6-cholesterol internal standard. Standard curves of good linearity were produced and an on-probe limit of detection of 3 ng (at 3:1 signal to noise) and limit of quantification of 8 ng (at 10:1 signal to noise). The concentration of free cholesterol in human tears was 15 ± 6 μg/g, which was higher than in rabbit tears (10 ± 5 μg/g). Conclusions. A stable-isotope dilution DI/EI-SIM method for free cholesterol quantification without prior chromatographic separation was established. Using this method demonstrated that humans have higher free cholesterol levels in their tears than rabbits. This is in agreement with previous reports. This paper provides a rapid and reliable method to measure free cholesterol in small-volume clinical samples. © 2013 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

Weight-related differences in glucose metabolism and free fatty acid production in two South African population groups

OBJECTIVE The effects of free fatty acids (FFA), leptin, tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha and body fat distribution on in vivo oxidation of a glucose load were studied in two South African ethnic groups. DESIGN AND MEASUREMENTS Anthropometric and various metabolic indices were measured at fasting and during a 7h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Body composition was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis and subcutaneous and visceral fat mass was assessed using a five- and two-level CT-scan respectively. Glucose oxidation was evaluated by measuring the ratio of (13)CO(2) to (12)CO(2) in breath following ingestion of 1-(13)C-labelled glucose. SUBJECTS Ten lean black women (LBW), ten obese black women (OBW), nine lean white women (LWW) and nine obese white women (OWW) were investigated after an overnight fast. RESULTS Visceral fat levels were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in obese white than black women, despite similar body mass indexes (BMIs). There were no ethnic differences in glucose oxidation however; in the lean subjects of both ethnic groups the area under the curve (AUC) was higher than in obese subjects (P < 0.05 for both) and was found to correlate negatively with weight (r = -0.69, P < 0.01) after correcting for age. Basal TNF alpha concentrations were similar in all groups. Percentage suppression of FFAs at 30 min of the OCTT was 24 +/- 12% in OWW and - 38 +/- 23% (P < 0.05) in OBW, ie the 30 min FFA level was higher than the fasting level in the latter group. AUC for FFAs during the late postprandial period (120 - 420 min) was significantly higher in OWW than OBW (P < 0.01) and LWW (P < 0.01) and correlated positively with visceral fat mass independent of age (r = 0.78, P < 0.05) in the OWW only. Leptin levels were higher (P < 0.01) both at fasting and during the course of the OCTT in obese women from both ethnic groups compared to the lean women. CONCLUSIONS Glucose oxidation is reduced in obese subjects of both ethnic groups; inter- and intra-ethnic differences were observed in visceral fat mass and FFA production and it is possible that such differences may play a role in the differing prevalences of obesity-related disorders that have been reported in these two populations.

Effect of an estrogen receptor-α intron 4 polymorphism on fat mass in 11-year-old children

Context: in the ESR1 gene encoding estrogen receptor (ER)-α may be associated with fat mass in adults. Objectives: The objective of the study was to establish whether ESR1 polymorphisms influence fat mass in childhood. Design: This was a cross-sectional analysis after genotyping of rs9340799, rs2234693, and rs7757956 ESR1 polymorphisms. Setting: The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) was a population-based prospective study. Participants: Participants included 3097 11-yr-old children with results for ESR1 genotyping, puberty measures, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry results. Outcomes: Relationships between ESR1 polymorphisms and indices of body composition were measured. Results: The rs7757956 polymorphism was associated with fat mass (P = 0.002). Total body fat mass (adjusted for height) was reduced by 6% in children with TA/AA genotypes, and risk of being overweight (≥85th centile of fat mass) was decreased by 20%. This genetic effect appeared to interact with puberty in girls (P = 0.05 for interaction): in those with the TT genotype, total body fat mass (adjusted for height) was 18% higher in Tanner stages 3-5 vs. stages 1-2; the equivalent difference was 7% in those with TA/AA genotypes. Furthermore, the risk of being overweight was 36% lower in girls with TA/AA genotypes in Tanner stages 3-5, but no reduction was seen in those in stages 1-2. Neither rs9340799 nor rs2234693 polymorphisms were associated with body composition measures. Conclusions: Fat mass in 11-yr-old children was related to the rs7757956 ESR1 polymorphism. This association was strongest in girls in more advanced puberty, in whom the risk of being overweight was reduced by 36% in those with the TA/AA genotype.

Analysis of body composition in individuals with high bone mass reveals a marked increase in fat mass in women but not men

Context: High bone mass (HBM), detected in 0.2% of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans, is characterized by raised body mass index, the basis for which is unclear. Objective: To investigate why body mass index is elevated in individuals with HBM, we characterized body composition and examined whether differences could be explained by bone phenotypes, eg, bone mass and/or bone turnover. Design, Setting, and Participants: We conducted a case-control study of 153 cases with unexplained HBM recruited from 4 UK centers by screening 219 088 DXA scans. Atotal of 138 first-degree relatives (of whom 51 had HBM) and 39 spouses were also recruited. Unaffected individuals served as controls. Main Outcome Measures: We measured fat mass, by DXA, and bone turnover markers. Results: Amongwomen, fat mass was inversely related to age in controls (P<.01), but not in HBM cases (P<.96) in whom mean fat mass was 8.9 [95% CI 4.7, 13.0] kg higher compared with controls (fully adjusted mean difference, P<.001). Increased fat mass in male HBM cases was less marked (gender interaction P = .03). Compared with controls, lean mass was also increased in female HBM cases (by 3.3 [1.2, 5.4] kg; P<.002); however, lean mass increases wereless marked than fat mass increases, resulting in 4.5% lower percentage lean mass in HBM cases (P<.001). Osteocalcin was also lower in female HBM cases compared with controls (by 2.8 [0.1, 5.5]μg/L; P = .04). Differences in fat mass were fully attenuated after hip bone mineral density (BMD) adjustment (P = .52) but unchanged after adjustment for bone turnover (P < .001), whereas the greater hip BMD in female HBM cases was minimally attenuated by fat mass adjustment (P<.001). Conclusions: HBM is characterized by a marked increase in fat mass in females, statistically explained by their greater BMD, but not by markers of bone turnover. Copyright © 2013 by The Endocrine Society.

Free vibrations of non-linear cubic spring mass systems in the presence of coulomb damping

An exact solution for the free vibration problem of non-linear cubic spring mass system with Coulomb damping is obtained during each half cycle, in terms of elliptic functions. An expression for the half cycle duration as a function of the mean amplitude during the half cycle is derived in terms of complete elliptic integrals of the first kind. An approximate solution based on a direct linearization method is developed alongside this method, and excellent agreement is obtained between the results gained by this method and the exact results. © 1970 Academic Press Inc. (London) Limited.

Simultaneous heat and mass transfer in unsteady free convection from two-dimensional and axisymmetric bodies

The unsteady laminar free convection boundary layer flows around two-dimensional and axisymmetric bodies placed in an ambient fluid of infinite extent have been studied when the flow is driven by thermal buoyancy forces and buoyancy forces from species diffusion. The unsteadiness in the flow field is caused by both temperature and concentration at the wall which vary arbitrarily with time. The coupled nonlinear partial differential equations with three independent variables governing the flow have been solved numerically using an implicit finite-difference scheme in combination with the quasilinearization technique. Computations have been performed for a circular cylinder and a sphere. The skin friction, heat transfer and mass transfer are strongly dependent on the variation of the wall temperature and concentration with time. Also the skin friction and heat transfer increase or decrease as the buoyancy forces from species diffusion assist and oppose, respectively, the thermal buoyancy force, whereas the mass transfer rate is higher for small values of the ratio of the buoyancy parameters than for large values. The local heat and mass transfer rates are maximum at the stagnation point and they decrease progressively with increase of the angular position from the stagnation point.

Unsteady free convection flow over an infinite vertical porous plate due to the combined effects of thermal and mass diffusion, magnetic field and Hall currents

The unsteady free convection flow over an infinite vertical porous plate, which moves with time-dependent velocity in an ambient fluid, has been studied. The effects of the magnetic field and Hall current are included in the analysis. The buoyancy forces arise due to both the thermal and mass diffusion. The partial differential equations governing the flow have been solved numerically using both the implicit finite difference scheme and the difference-differential method. For the steady case, analytical solutions have also been obtained. The effect of time variation on the skin friction, heat transfer and mass transfer is very significant. Suction increases the skin friction coefficient in the primary flow, and also the Nusselt and Sherwood numbers, but the skin friction coefficient in the secondary flow is reduced. The effect of injection is opposite to that of suction. The buoyancy force, injection and the Hall parameter induce an overshoot in the velocity profiles in the primary flow which changes the velocity gradient from a negative to a positive value, but the magnetic field and suction reduce this velocity overshoot.

Report on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event UMESE0501Sp: Multispecies Mass Stranding of Pilot Whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), and Dwarf Sperm Whales (Kogia sima) in North Carolina on 15-16 January 2005

On 15-16 January 2005, three offshore species of cetaceans (33 short-finned pilot whales, Globicephala macrorhynchus, one minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, and two dwarf sperm whales, Kogia sima) stranded alive on the beaches of North Carolina. The pilot whales stranded near Oregon Inlet, the minke whale in northern North Carolina, and the dwarf sperm whales near Cape Hatteras. Live strandings of three species in one weekend was unique in North Carolina and qualified as an Unusual Mortality Event. Gross necropsies were conducted on 16-17 January 2005 on 27 pilot whales, two dwarf sperm whales, and the minke whale. Samples were collected for clinical pathology, parasitology, gross pathology, histopathology, microbiology and serology. There was variation in the number of animals sampled for each collection type, however, due to carcasses washing off the beach or degradation in carcass condition during the course of the response. Comprehensive histologic examination was conducted on 16 pilot whales, both dwarf sperm whales, and the minke whale. Limited organ or only head tissue suites were obtained from nine pilot whales. Histologic examination of tissues began in February 2005 and concluded in December 2005 when final sampling was concluded. Neither the pilot whales nor dwarf sperm whales were emaciated although none had recently ingested prey in their stomachs. The minke whale was emaciated; it was likely a dependent calf that became separated from the female. Most serum biochemistry abnormalities appear to have resulted from the stranding and indicated deteriorating condition from being on land for an extended period. Three pilot whales had clinical evidence of pre-existing systemic inflammation, which was supported by histopathologic findings. Although gross and histologic lesions involving all organ systems were noted, consistent lesions were not observed across species. Verminous pterygoid sinusitis and healed fishery interactions were seen in pilot whales but neither of these changes were causes of debilitation or death. In three pilot whales and one dwarf sperm whale there was evidence of clinically significant disease in postcranial tissues which led to chronic debilitation. Cardiovascular disease was present in one pilot whale and one dwarf sperm whale; musculoskeletal disease and intra-abdominal granulomas were present in two pilot whales. These lesions were possible, but not definitive, causal factors in the stranding. Remaining lesions were incidental or post-stranding. The minke whale and three of five tested pilot whales had positive morbillivirus titers (≥1:8 with one at >1:256), but there was no histologic evidence of active viral infection. Parasites (nematodes, cestodes, and trematodes) were collected from 26 pilot whales and two dwarf sperm whales. Sites of collection included stomach, nasal/pterygoid, peribullar sinuses, blubber, and abdominal cavity. Parasite species, locations and loads were within normal limits for free-ranging cetaceans and were not considered causative for the stranding event. Gas emboli lesions which were considered consistent with or diagnostic of sonarassociated strandings of beaked whales or small cetaceans were not found in the whales stranded as part of UMESE0501Sp. Twenty-five heads were examined with nine specific anatomic locations of interest: extramandibular fat, intramandibular fat, auditory meatus, peribullar acoustic fat, peribullar soft tissue, peribullar sinus, pterygoid sinus, melon, and brain. The common finding in all examined heads was verminous pterygoid sinusitis. Intramandibular adipose tissue reddening, typically adjacent to the vascular plexus, was observed in some individuals and could represent localized hemorrhage resulting from vascular rete rupture, hypostatic congestion, or erythrocyte rupture during the freeze/thaw cycle. One cetacean had peracute to acute subdural hemorrhage that likely occurred from thrashing on the beach post-stranding, although its occurrence prior to stranding cannot be excluded. Information provided to NMFS by the U.S. Navy indicated routine tactical mid-frequency sonar operations from individual surface vessels over relatively short durations and small spatial scales within the area and time period investigated. No marine mammals were detected by marine mammal observers on operational vessels; standard operating procedure for surface naval vessels operating mid-frequency sonar is the use of trained visual lookouts using high-powered binoculars. Sound propagation modeling using information provided to NMFS indicated that acoustic conditions in the vicinity likely depended heavily on position of the receivers (e.g., range, bearing, depth) relative to that of the sources. Absent explicit information on the location of animals meant that it was not possible to estimate received acoustic exposures from active sonar transmissions. Nonetheless, the event was associated in time and space with naval activity using mid-frequency active sonar. It also had a number of features in common (e.g., the “atypical” distribution of strandings involving multiple offshore species, all stranding alive, and without evidence of common infectious or other disease process) with other sonar-related cetacean mass stranding events. Given that this event was the only stranding of offshore species to occur within a 2-3 day period in the region on record (i.e., a very rare event), and given the occurrence of the event simultaneously in time and space with a naval exercise using active sonar, the association between the naval sonar activity and the location and timing of the event could be a causal rather than a coincidental relationship. However, evidence supporting a definitive association is lacking, and, in particular, there are differences in operational/environmental characteristics between this event and previous events where sonar has apparently played a role in marine mammal strandings. This does not preclude behavorial avoidance of noise exposure. No harmful algal blooms were present along the Atlantic coast south of the Chesapeake Bay during the months prior to the event. Environmental conditions, including strong winds, changes in upwelling- to downwelling-favorable conditions, and gently sloping bathymetry, were consistent with conditions which have been correlated with other mass strandings. In summary, we did not find commonality in gross and histologic lesions that would indicate a single cause for this stranding event. Three pilot whales and one dwarf sperm whale had debilitating conditions identified that could have contributed to stranding, one pilot whale had a debilitating condition (subdural hemorrhage) that could have been present prior to or resulting from stranding. While the pilot and dwarf sperm whale strandings may have had a common cause, the minke whale stranding was probably just coincidental. On the basis of examination of physical evidence in the affected whales, however, we cannot definitively conclude that there was or was not a causal link between anthropogenic sonar activity or environmental conditions (or a combination of these factors) and the strandings. Overall, the cause of UMESE0501Sp in North Carolina is not and likely will not be definitively known. (PDF contains 240 pages)