Gazpacho consumption is associated with lower blood pressure and reduced hypertension in a high cardiovascular risk cohort. Cross-sectional study of the PREDIMED trial

Hypertension is a major public health problem and a leading cause of death and disability in both developed and developing countries, affecting onequarter of the world"s adult population. Our aim was to evaluate whether the consumption of gazpacho, a Mediterranean vegetable-based cold soup rich in phytochemicals, is associated with lower blood pressure (BP) and/or reduced prevalence of hypertension in individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Methods and results: We selected 3995 individuals (58% women, mean age 67 y) at high cardiovascular risk (81% hypertensive) recruited into the PREDIMED study. BP, weight, and dietary and physical activity data were collected. In multivariate linear regression analyses, after adjustment, moderate and high gazpacho consumption categories were associated with reduced mean systolic BP of 1.9 mm Hg [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4; 0.6] and 2.6 mm Hg (CI: 4.2; 1.0), respectively, and reduced diastolic BP of 1.5 mm Hg (CI: 2.3; 0.6) and 1.9 mm Hg (CI: 2.8; 1.1). By multiple-adjusted logistic regression analysis, gazpacho consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension, with OR Z 0.85 (CI: 0.73; 0.99) for each 250 g/week increase and OR Z 0.73 (CI: 0.55; 0.98) for high gazpacho consumption groups compared to the no-consumption group. Conclusions: Gazpacho consumption was inversely associated with systolic and diastolic BP and prevalence of hypertension in a cross-sectional Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk. The association between gazpacho intake and reduction of BP is probably due to synergy among several bioactive compounds present in the vegetable ingredients used to make the recipe.

Insulin-Like growth-factor 1 myocardial expression decreases in chronic alcohol consumption

Background Chronic alcohol ingestion may cause severe biochemical and pathophysiological derangements to skeletal muscle. Unfortunately, these alcohol-induced events may also prime skeletal muscle for worsened, delayed, or possibly incomplete repair following acute injury. As alcoholics may be at increased risk for skeletal muscle injury, our goals were to identify the effects of chronic alcohol ingestion on components of skeletal muscle regeneration. To accomplish this, age- and gender-matched C57Bl/6 mice were provided normal drinking water or water that contained 20% alcohol (v/v) for 18-20 wk. Subgroups of mice were injected with a 1.2% barium chloride (BaCl2) solution into the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle to initiate degeneration and regeneration processes. Body weights and voluntary wheel running distances were recorded during the course of recovery. Muscles were harvested at 2, 7 or 14 days post-injection and assessed for markers of inflammation and oxidant stress, fiber cross-sectional areas, levels of growth and fibrotic factors, and fibrosis. Results Body weights of injured, alcohol-fed mice were reduced during the first week of recovery. These mice also ran significantly shorter distances over the two weeks following injury compared to uninjured, alcoholics. Injured TA muscles from alcohol-fed mice had increased TNFα and IL6 gene levels compared to controls 2 days after injury. Total protein oxidant stress and alterations to glutathione homeostasis were also evident at 7 and 14 days after injury. Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) induction was delayed in injured muscles from alcohol-fed mice which may explain, in part, why fiber cross-sectional area failed to normalize 14 days following injury. Gene levels of TGFβ1 were induced early following injury before normalizing in muscle from alcohol-fed mice compared to controls. However, TGFβ1 protein content was consistently elevated in injured muscle regardless of diet. Fibrosis was increased in injured, muscle from alcohol-fed mice at 7 and 14 days of recovery compared to injured controls. Conclusions Chronic alcohol ingestion appears to delay the normal regenerative response following significant skeletal muscle injury. This is evidenced by reduced cross-sectional areas of regenerated fibers, increased fibrosis, and altered temporal expression of well-described growth and fibrotic factors.

Massive consumption of gelatinous plankton by Mediterranean apex predators

Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were used to test the hypothesis that stomach content analysis has systematically overlooked the consumption of gelatinous zooplankton by pelagic mesopredators and apex predators. The results strongly supported a major role of gelatinous plankton in the diet of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), little tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus), spearfish (Tetrapturus belone) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius). Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the oceanic stage and ocean sunfish (Mola mola) also primarily relied on gelatinous zooplankton. In contrast, stable isotope ratios ruled out any relevant consumption of gelatinous plankton by bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), blue shark (Prionace glauca), leerfish (Lichia amia), bonito (Sarda sarda), striped dolphin (Stenella caerueloalba) and loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the neritic stage, all of which primarily relied on fish and squid. Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) were confirmed as crustacean consumers. The ratios of stable isotopes in albacore (Thunnus alalunga), amberjack (Seriola dumerili), blue butterfish (Stromaeus fiatola), bullet tuna (Auxis rochei), dolphinfish (Coryphaena hyppurus), horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), mackerel (Scomber scombrus) and pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) were consistent with mixed diets revealed by stomach content analysis, including nekton and crustaceans, but the consumption of gelatinous plankton could not be ruled out completely. In conclusion, the jellyvorous guild in the Mediterranean integrates two specialists (ocean sunfish and loggerhead sea turtles in the oceanic stage) and several opportunists (bluefin tuna, little tunny, spearfish, swordfish and, perhaps, blue butterfish), most of them with shrinking populations due to overfishing.

Temporal Patterns of Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol-Related Road Accidents in Young Swiss Men: Seasonal, Weekday and Public Holiday Effects.

AIMS: To assess seasonal, weekday, and public holiday effects on alcohol-related road accidents and drinking diaries among young Swiss men. METHODS: Federal road accident data (35,485 accidents) from Switzerland and drinking diary data from a large cohort of young Swiss men (11,930 subjects) were analysed for temporal effects by calendar week, weekday and public holiday (Christmas, New Years, National Day). Alcohol-related accidents were analysed using rate ratios for observed versus expected numbers of accidents and proportions of alcohol-related accidents relative to the total number. Drinking diaries were analysed for the proportion of drinkers, median number of drinks consumed, and the 90th percentile's number of drinks consumed. RESULTS: Several parallel peaks were identified in alcohol-related accidents and drinking diaries. These included increases on Fridays and Saturdays, with Saturday drinking extending until early Sunday morning, an increase during the summer on workdays but not weekends, an increase at the end of the year, and increases on public holidays and the evening before. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest specific time-windows that are associated with increases in drinking and alcohol-related harm. Established prevention measures should be enforced during these time-windows to reduce associated peaks.

Pedaling rate is an important determinant of human oxygen uptake during exercise on the cycle ergometer.

Estimation of human oxygen uptake (V˙o2) during exercise is often used as an alternative when its direct measurement is not feasible. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests estimating human V˙o2 during exercise on a cycle ergometer through an equation that considers individual's body mass and external work rate, but not pedaling rate (PR). We hypothesized that including PR in the ACSM equation would improve its V˙o2 prediction accuracy. Ten healthy male participants' (age 19-48 years) were recruited and their steady-state V˙o2 was recorded on a cycle ergometer for 16 combinations of external work rates (0, 50, 100, and 150 W) and PR (50, 70, 90, and 110 revolutions per minute). V˙o2 was calculated by means of a new equation, and by the ACSM equation for comparison. Kinematic data were collected by means of an infrared 3-D motion analysis system in order to explore the mechanical determinants of V˙o2. Including PR in the ACSM equation improved the accuracy for prediction of sub-maximal V˙o2 during exercise (mean bias 1.9 vs. 3.3 mL O2 kg(-1) min(-1)) but it did not affect the accuracy for prediction of maximal V˙o2 (P > 0.05). Confirming the validity of this new equation, the results were replicated for data reported in the literature in 51 participants. We conclude that PR is an important determinant of human V˙o2 during cycling exercise, and it should be considered when predicting oxygen consumption.

Modelling the consequences of a reduction in alcohol consumption among patients with alcohol dependence based on real-life observational data.

BACKGROUND: Most available pharmacotherapies for alcohol-dependent patients target abstinence; however, reduced alcohol consumption may be a more realistic goal. Using randomized clinical trial (RCT) data, a previous microsimulation model evaluated the clinical relevance of reduced consumption in terms of avoided alcohol-attributable events. Using real-life observational data, the current analysis aimed to adapt the model and confirm previous findings about the clinical relevance of reduced alcohol consumption. METHODS: Based on the prospective observational CONTROL study, evaluating daily alcohol consumption among alcohol-dependent patients, the model predicted the probability of drinking any alcohol during a given day. Predicted daily alcohol consumption was simulated in a hypothetical sample of 200,000 patients observed over a year. Individual total alcohol consumption (TAC) and number of heavy drinking days (HDD) were derived. Using published risk equations, probabilities of alcohol-attributable adverse health events (e.g., hospitalizations or death) corresponding to simulated consumptions were computed, and aggregated for categories of patients defined by HDDs and TAC (expressed per 100,000 patient-years). Sensitivity analyses tested model robustness. RESULTS: Shifting from >220 HDDs per year to 120-140 HDDs and shifting from 36,000-39,000 g TAC per year (120-130 g/day) to 15,000-18,000 g TAC per year (50-60 g/day) impacted substantially on the incidence of events (14,588 and 6148 events avoided per 100,000 patient-years, respectively). Results were robust to sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: This study corroborates the previous microsimulation modeling approach and, using real-life data, confirms RCT-based findings that reduced alcohol consumption is a relevant objective for consideration in alcohol dependence management to improve public health.

Strong decline in the consumption of invertebrates by barn owls from 1860 to 2012 in Europe

Capsule The analysis of 616 papers about the diet of the European Barn Owl Tyto alba showed that 9678 invertebrates were captured out of 3.13 million prey items (0.31%). The consumption of invertebrates strongly decreased between 1860 and 2012. This further demonstrates that the Barn Owl diet changed to a large extent during the last 150 years.

Modelagem dos processos químicos em plasmas de misturas gasosas usadas na corrosão de silício. Parte 1: CF4 / O2

The plasma etching of semiconductor surfaces with fluorine-containing compounds has technological interest. Presently, considerable effort is being devoted to understand the chemistry involved. In this work, a numerical modeling analysis of the gas-phase decomposition of CF4/O2 mixtures, in the presence of silicon, was performed. The relative importance of individual processes was determined as well as the effect of the parameters' uncertainties. The results were compared with experimental data. The main etching agent in the system is the fluorine atom. The concentration of the main species, SiF4, CO, CO2 and COF2 depend on the composition of the mixture.

Modelagem dos processos químicos em plasmas de misturas gasosas usadas na corrosão de silício. Parte 2: SF6 / O2

In this work, a numerical modeling analysis of the gas-phase decomposition of SF6 / O2 mixtures, in the presence of silicon, was performed. The relative importance of individual processes and the effect of the parameters' uncertainties were determined. The model was compared with experimental data for the plasma etching of silicon and with the calculated results for the CF4 / O2 system. In both systems the main etching agent is the fluorine atom and the concentration of the major species depends on the composition of the mixture. The etching rate is greater for SF6 / O2.

Simulating fuel consumption and vehicle emissions in an Australian context

Road transport is a major source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions around the world. There is an increasing interest in accurate information on local vehicle emission levels for policy development and sustainable traffic management. Previous studies have shown that emission predictions for the Australian situation need to reflect both the Australian fleet and driving behaviour to avoid unreliable outcomes. This paper discusses a new Australian vehicle emission software (PΔP) and a case-study where traffic simulation software (Aimsun) is combined with PΔP to demonstrate how consistent results can be achieved for the Australian situation. The case-study is an Australian city modelled using the microscopic simulator to generate the required trajectory data of each individual vehicle for the emission model. The simulation results are used in a number of ways: to assess the impacts of urban driving behaviour on fuel consumption, to create maps showing where and when elevated emission levels occur and to compare results with another program (COPERT Australia). The paper will also discuss where further research is required.

Power Consumption in Carbon Capture and Storage Systems (CCS) and Possibilities to Reduce Power Consumption with Variable Speed Drives

The aim of this master´s thesis is to study which processes increase the auxiliary power consumption in carbon capture and storage processes and if it is possible to reduce the auxiliary power consumption with variable speed drives. Also the cost of carbon capture and storage is studied. Data about auxiliary power consumption in carbon capture is gathered from various studies and estimates made by various research centres. Based on these studies a view is presented how the power auxiliary power consumption is divided between different processes in carbon capture processes. In a literary study, the operation of three basic carbon capture systems is described. Also different methods to transport carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide storage options are described in this section. At the end of the thesis processes that consume most of the auxiliary power are defined and possibilities to reduce the auxiliary power consumption are evaluated. Cost of carbon capture, transport and storage are also evaluated at this point and in the case that the carbon capture and storage systems are fully deployed. According to the results, it can be estimated what are the processes are where variable speed drives can be used and what kind of cost and power consumption reduction could be achieved. Results also show how large a project carbon capture and storage is if it is fully deployed.

Metallien talteenotto kloridiliuoksesta

Diplomityön tarkoituksena oli tutkia ja kehittää menetelmä arvometallien kuten kuparin, sinkin, koboltin ja nikkelin talteenottoon metallikloridiliuoksesta. Tavoitteena oli valita taloudellisin ja ympäristöystävällisin menetelmä, jolla saadaan nämä arvometallit myyntituotteiksi. Lisäksi puhdistetun prosessiveden tuli täyttää asetetut tavoitteet. Kirjallisuustyön perusteella laskettiin viidelle eri prosessivaihtoehdolle ainetaseet HSC Sim 6.0 ohjelmalla, joka on HSC Chemistry-pohjainen prosessien simulointi- ja mallinnusohjelma. Kaikissa vaihtoehdoissa oli ensimmäisenä prosessiosana kuparin, sinkin, koboltin ja nikkelin sulfidisaostus ja sakan pesu. Sulfidisaostusta seurasi vaihtoehtoisesti joko 1) hapetus hapella ja hydroksidisaostus, 2) hapetus vetyperoksidilla ja hydroksidisaostus, 3) pelkkä hydroksidisaostus, 4) hapetus SO2/O2-kaasuseoksella ja hydroksidisaostus tai 5) karbonaattisaostus. Taselaskennan perusteella valittiin kokeelliseen osaan tutkittavat prosessivaihtoehdot, jotka olivat sulfidisaostus, hydroksidisaostus, SO2/O2- hapetus ja hydroksidisaostus sekä karbonaattisaostus. Kokeissa arvometallit saatiin talteenotettua sulfidisaostuksella selektiivisimmin lämpötilassa 55 °C ja pH:ssa 4. Näissä olosuhteissa reagenssin kulutus verrattaessa muihin tehtyihin sulfidisaostuksiin oli pienin. Sakka laskeutui ja suotautui hyvin. Loppusakan sisältämien metallien (kupari, sinkki ja koboltti) pitoisuudet olivat korkeimmat. Myös nikkelin määrä oli suuri. Mangaani ja rauta saatiin talteenotettua selektiivisimmin karbonaattisaostuksella lämpötilassa 65 °C. Sakka sisälsi eniten mangaania. Sakka laskeutui ja suotautui hyvin. Tällä menetelmällä puhdistetun prosessiveden laatu täytti asetetut tavoitteet.

Determinação de As em amostras orgânicas de interesse ambiental por espectrometria de absorção atômica com atomização eletrotérmica após combustão em bomba de O2

The toxicity of the major As species present in the environment justifies the effort for quantifying the element in environmental organic samples, which can vary from animal and vegetal tissues to coal and industrial residues. This paper comments about the applicability of the O2 bomb digestion, as a general procedure for all environmental organic materials. A rapid and straightforward method is suggested, which consists in burning the sample in the bomb at high O2 pressure, dissolving the vapours in diluted HNO3 and determining As in the resulting solution by atomic absorption spectrometry with electrothermal atomization. The method was applied to certified materials and plant samples.