Obese women on a low energy rice and bean diet: effects of leucine, arginine or glycine supplementation on protein turnover

This study examined if leucine, arginine or glycine supplementation in adult obese patients (body mass index of 33 ± 4 kg/m²) consuming a Brazilian low energy and protein diet (4.2 MJ/day and 0.6 g protein/kg) affects protein and amino acid metabolism. After four weeks adaptation to this diet, each subject received supplements of these amino acids (equivalent to 0.2 g protein kg-1 day-1) in random order. On the seventh day of each amino acid supplementation, a single-dose 15N-glycine study was carried out. There were no significant differences in protein flux, synthesis or breakdown. The protein flux (grams of nitrogen, gN/9 h) was 55 ± 24 during the nonsupplemented diet intake and 39 ± 10, 44 ± 22 and 58 ± 35 during the leucine-, glycine- and arginine-supplemented diet intake, respectively; protein synthesis (gN/9 h) was 57 ± 24, 36 ± 10, 41 ± 22 and 56 ± 36, respectively; protein breakdown (gN/9 h) was 51 ± 24, 34 ± 10, 32 ± 28 and 53 ± 35, respectively; kinetic balance (gN/9 h) was 3.2 ± 1.8, 4.1 ± 1.7, 3.4 ± 2.9 and 3.9 ± 1.6. There was no difference in amino acid profiles due to leucine, arginine or glycine supplementation. The present results suggest that 0.6 g/kg of dietary protein is enough to maintain protein turnover in obese women consuming a reduced energy diet and that leucine, arginine or glycine supplementation does not change kinetic balance or protein synthesis.

Effect of dietary fat saturation on lipid metabolism, arachidonic acid turnover and peritoneal macrophage oxidative stress in mice

We investigated the effects of a saturated fat diet on lipid metabolism and arachidonic acid (AA) turnover in mouse resident peritoneal macrophages. The pro-oxidative effect of this diet was also studied. Female C57BL/6 mice were weaned at 21 days of age and assigned to either the experimental diet containing coconut oil (COCO diet), or the control diet containing soybean oil as fat source (10 mice per group). The fat content of each diet was 15% (w/w). Mice were fed for 6 weeks and then sacrificed. The concentration of total lipids, triglycerides, (LDL + VLDL)-cholesterol, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and reduced glutathione were increased in the plasma of mice fed the COCO diet, without changes in phospholipid or total cholesterol concentrations compared to control. The concentrations of total cholesterol, free and esterified cholesterol, triglycerides, and TBARS were increased in the macrophages of COCO-fed mice, while the content of total phospholipids did not change. The phospholipid composition showed an increase of phosphatidylcholine and a decrease of phosphatidylethanolamine. The [³H]-AA distribution in the phospholipid classes showed an increase in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Incorporation of [³H]-cholesterol into the macrophages of COCO-fed mice and into the cholesterol ester fraction was increased. The COCO diet did not affect [³H]-AA uptake but induced an increase in [³H]-AA release. The COCO diet also enhanced AA mobilization induced by lipopolysaccharide. These results indicate that the COCO diet, high in saturated fatty acids, alters the lipid metabolism and AA turnover of peritoneal macrophages in female mice and also produces a significant degree of oxidative stress.

Johdon mittariston kehittäminen

Tämän diplomityön tarkoituksena on tarjota yritykselle ratkaisu talouden seu-rantaan reaaliaikaisesti. Nykyaikaisessa maailmassa yrityksen on kehitettävä toimintaansa jatkuvasti toimintaansa pysyäkseen kilpailussa mukana. Yrityksen toiminnan kehittämisen taustalla ovat myös muuttuneet omistussuhteet ja yri-tyksen uuden pääomistajan kiinnostus seurata taloutta reaaliaikaisemmin. Diplomityössä yritykselle tarjottavat ratkaisut tuotetaan teorian ja yritykseltä saadun tiedon yhdistämisellä. Teoriaosuudessa käydään erilaiset ratkaisumallit perusteluineen läpi. Empiirisessä osassa sovelletaan teoriaosa käytäntöön. Lop-putuloksena yrityksen johdolle tarjotaan valmiita työkaluja talouden seurantaan. Työn tulosten luotettavuus perustuu kirjoittajan laajaan yrityksen tuntemukseen, sekä avoimiin keskusteluihin yrityksen ylimmän johdon kanssa. Yritysjohto an-toi työssä käyttöön kaiken mahdollisen, hyvin salaisenkin materiaalin käyttöön, työn mahdollisimman hyvän lopputuloksen saamiseksi. Pääasiallisen lopputuloksena luotiin sähköinen tuntiseurantalomake, jota nimetyt henkilöt pystyvät seuraamaan reaaliaikaisesti internetin avulla. Yritykselle mää-ritettiin olennaisimmat taloudenmittarit, joita yrityksen tulee seurata ja päivittää määritellyin aikavälein, lisäksi määrättiin vastuu alueet, kenelle asioiden päivitys kuuluu. Lisäksi luotiin avainlukujen seurantatyökalupohja, jonne on kerätty kaikki yrityksen toiminnan kannalta tärkeimmät tiedot. Työkalut ovat valmiina käyttöönotettavaksi. Lopullinen luodun ohjelman hyödyntäminen ja käyttöönot-to tapahtuu myöhemmin.

The scientific production in health and biological sciences of the top 20 Brazilian universities

Brazilian scientific output exhibited a 4-fold increase in the last two decades because of the stability of the investment in research and development activities and of changes in the policies of the main funding agencies. Most of this production is concentrated in public universities and research institutes located in the richest part of the country. Among all areas of knowledge, the most productive are Health and Biological Sciences. During the 1998-2002 period these areas presented heterogeneous growth ranging from 4.5% (Pharmacology) to 191% (Psychiatry), with a median growth rate of 47.2%. In order to identify and rank the 20 most prolific institutions in these areas, searches were made in three databases (DataCAPES, ISI and MEDLINE) which permitted the identification of 109,507 original articles produced by the 592 Graduate Programs in Health and Biological Sciences offered by 118 public universities and research institutes. The 20 most productive centers, ranked according to the total number of ISI-indexed articles published during the 1998-2003 period, produced 78.7% of the papers in these areas and are strongly concentrated in the Southern part of the country, mainly in São Paulo State.

Työvoiman vaihtuvuus ja sen syyt. Case: CGI – Global HR Shared Services, Filippiinit

Tämän Pro Gradu -tutkimuksen tavoite on Filippiineillä toimivan kohdeorganisaation sisäisen HR Shared Services palvelukeskuksen kokeman henkilöstön vaihtuvuuden erityispiirteiden sekä syiden ymmärtäminen. Tätä kautta pyritään hahmottamaan myös sopivia vaihtuvuuden hallintakeinoja organisaatiotasolla. Tapaustutkimus toteutettiin laadullisen tutkimuksen keinoja ja sekundaarista lähtödataa käyttäen. Tutkimustulokset osoittivat, että kohdeorganisaatio paini useiden toimiala- ja maakohtaisten vaihtuvuuden tekijöiden lisäksi muutamien organisaatiokohtaisten haasteiden kanssa, jotka heijastuivat sen kokemaan työvoiman vaihtuvuuteen. Yksikön tulee muun muassa panostaa sisäisiin urakehitysmahdollisuuksiin sekä johtajien ja uusien työntekijöiden koulutukseen. Suuri osa löydetyistä vaihtuvuuden syistä on ainakin osin organisaation hallittavissa ja tätä kautta saatiin luotua lista suositelluista toimenpiteistä, joilla kohdeorganisaatio voi pyrkiä hallitsemaan henkilöstönsä vaihtuvuutta.

Spec. karta Evropejskoj Rossìi. 25 (11/40) / izd. Voen. top. upravl. General'n. Štaba ; pod" redakc. Strěl'bickago.

Masštab" v" Anglìjskom" dûjmě 10 russk. verst" ili 1:420000.

Evaluation of anti-Wnt/β-catenin signaling agents by pGL4-TOP transfected stable cells with a luciferase reporter system

Refractory and relapsed leukemia is a major problem during cancer therapy, which is due to the aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Activation of this pathway is promoted by wingless (Wnt) proteins and induces co-activator β-catenin binding to lymphoid enhancer factor (LEF)/T-cell factor protein (TCF). To provide a convenient system for the screening of anti-Wnt/β-catenin agents, we designed a bi-functional pGL4-TOP reporter plasmid that contained 3X β-catenin/LEF/TCF binding sites and a selectable marker. After transfection and hygromycin B selection, HEK 293-TOP and Jurkat-TOP stable clones were established. The luciferase activity in the stable clone was enhanced by the recombinant Wnt-3A (rWnt-3A; 100-400 ng/mL) and GSK3β inhibitor (2’Z,3’E)-6-bromoindirubin-3’-oxime (BIO; 5 µM) but was inhibited by aspirin (5 mM). Using this reporter model, we found that norcantharidin (NCTD; 100 µM) reduced 80% of rWnt-3A-induced luciferase activity. Furthermore, 50 µM NCTD inhibited 38% of BIO-induced luciferase activity in Jurkat-TOP stable cells. Employing ³H-thymidine uptake assay and Western blot analysis, we confirmed that NCTD (50 µM) significantly inhibited proliferation of Jurkat cells by 64%, which are the dominant β-catenin signaling cells and decreased β-catenin protein in a concentration-dependent manner. Thus, we established a stable HEK 293-TOP clone and successfully used it to identify the Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor NCTD.

Protein turnover, amino acid requirements and recommendations for athletes and active populations

Skeletal muscle is the major deposit of protein molecules. As for any cell or tissue, total muscle protein reflects a dynamic turnover between net protein synthesis and degradation. Noninvasive and invasive techniques have been applied to determine amino acid catabolism and muscle protein building at rest, during exercise and during the recovery period after a single experiment or training sessions. Stable isotopic tracers (13C-lysine, 15N-glycine, ²H5-phenylalanine) and arteriovenous differences have been used in studies of skeletal muscle and collagen tissues under resting and exercise conditions. There are different fractional synthesis rates in skeletal muscle and tendon tissues, but there is no major difference between collagen and myofibrillar protein synthesis. Strenuous exercise provokes increased proteolysis and decreased protein synthesis, the opposite occurring during the recovery period. Individuals who exercise respond differently when resistance and endurance types of contractions are compared. Endurance exercise induces a greater oxidative capacity (enzymes) compared to resistance exercise, which induces fiber hypertrophy (myofibrils). Nitrogen balance (difference between protein intake and protein degradation) for athletes is usually balanced when the intake of protein reaches 1.2 g·kg-1·day-1 compared to 0.8 g·kg-1·day-1 in resting individuals. Muscular activities promote a cascade of signals leading to the stimulation of eukaryotic initiation of myofibrillar protein synthesis. As suggested in several publications, a bolus of 15-20 g protein (from skimmed milk or whey proteins) and carbohydrate (± 30 g maltodextrine) drinks is needed immediately after stopping exercise to stimulate muscle protein and tendon collagen turnover within 1 h.

Trophic cascades in boreal landscapes: top predator protection on tree seedlings and forest grouse

Changes in the abundance of top predators have brought about notable, cascading effects in ecosystems around the world. In this thesis, I examined several potential trophic cascades in boreal ecosystems, and their separate interspecific interactions. The main aim of the thesis was to investigate whether predators in the boreal forests have direct or indirect cascading effects on the lower trophic levels. First, I compared the browsing effects of different mammalian herbivores by excluding varying combinations of voles, hares and cervids from accessing the seedlings of silver birch (Betula pendula), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies). Additionally, I studied the effect of simulated predation risk on vole browsing by using auditory cues of owls. Moving upwards on the trophic levels, I examined the intraguild interactions between the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), and its mesopredator prey, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the pine marten (Martes martes). To look at an entire potential trophic cascade, I further studied the combined impacts of eagles and mesopredators on the black grouse (Tetrao tetrix) and the hazel grouse (Tetrastes bonasia), predicting that the shared forest grouse prey would benefit from eagle presence. From the tree species studied, birch appears to be the most palatable one for the mammalian herbivores. I observed growth reductions in the presences of cervids and low survival associated with hares and voles, which suggests that they all weaken regeneration in birch stands. Furthermore, the simulated owl predation risk appeared to reduce vole browsing on birches in late summer, although the preferred grass forage is then old and less palatable. Browsing by voles and hares had a negative effect on the condition and survival of Scots pine, but in contrast, the impact of mammalian herbivores on spruce was found to be small, at least when more preferred food is available. I observed that the presence of golden eagles had a negative effect on the abundance of adult black grouse but a positive, protective effect on the proportion of juveniles in both black grouse and hazel grouse. Yet, this positive effect was not dependent on the abundance foxes or martens, nor did eagles seem to effectively decrease the abundance of these mesopredators. Conversely, the protection effect on grouse could arise from fear effects and also be mediated by other mesopredators. The results of this thesis provide important new information about trophic interactions in the boreal food webs. They highlight how different groups of mammalian herbivores vary in their effects on the growth and condition of different tree seedlings. Lowered cervid abundances could improve birch regeneration, which indirectly supports the idea that the key predators of cervids could cause cascading effects also in Fennoscandian forests. Owls seem to reduce vole browsing through an intimidation effect, which is a novel result of the cascading effects of owl vocalisation and could even have applications for protecting birch seedlings. In the third cascade examined in this thesis, I found the golden eagle to have a protective effect on the reproducing forest grouse, but it remains unclear through which smaller predators this effect is mediated. Overall, the results of this thesis further support the idea that there are cascading effects in the forests of Northern Europe, and that they are triggered by both direct and non‐lethal effects of predation.

Corporate Entrepreneurship in Healthcare Organizations: An explorative study of employees’ corporate entrepreneurial behavior, job satisfaction and turnover intention

The Finnish healthcare industry is currently facing significant challenges due to economic crises, aging population and major structural reforms, which have resulted in decreased job satisfaction and increased levels of turnover. This proposes that healthcare organizations need to come up with new, creative means to tackle these issues. Several researchers have argued that corporate entrepreneurship may be the necessary means to achieve this. As previous research has mainly focused on examining this concept from organizational perspective, this study looks at how it occurs on the level of individual employees. The purpose of this study is to examine how corporate entrepreneurship is manifested in individual behavior, and how this type of behavior is associated with the individual’s job satisfaction and turnover intention. Additionally, this study will examine the differences in corporate entrepreneurial behavior between private and public sector organizations, as previous research suggests that these two may be characterized differently. Data was collected with the help of a literature review as well as a survey study, which was sent out to a number of employees of four different healthcare organizations, out of which three were public and one was a private sector organization. Six distinct behavioral characteristics were recognized in previous research, which make up the measure for corporate entrepreneurial behavior. Principal components were formed from the different areas of the survey (corporate entrepreneurial behavior, job satisfaction, turnover intention), after which the association of these components were examined with linear regression analysis, which proved that corporate entrepreneurial behavior is positively correlated with both job satisfaction and intention to leave the organization. Differences between sectors were analyzed with analysis of variance and cross tabulation analysis, but neither of these suggested that any significant differences would occur. These results suggest that employees who behave entrepreneurially tend to be more satisfied with their jobs, but also consider leaving their current organizations more often than others. This may be due to the fact that healthcare organizations are not fertile for entrepreneurial behavior, which will drive entrepreneurial individuals looking for employers who may be more supportive of this type of behavior. With growing levels of dissatisfaction as well as little room for entrepreneurial behavior, the studied organizations may actually be in the process of losing those employees who have the ability and desire to behave in such manner, and who could very well be those who will eventually come up with solutions for the major challenges that these organizations are facing.

What happens in the first 200 ms of word reading : ERP studies on visual word recognition with top-down and bottom-up approaches /

In this thesis, three main questions were addressed using event-related potentials (ERPs): (1) the timing of lexical semantic access, (2) the influence of "top-down" processes on visual word processing, and (3) the influence of "bottom-up" factors on visual word processing. The timing of lexical semantic access was investigated in two studies using different designs. In Study 1,14 participants completed two tasks: a standard lexical decision (LD) task which required a word/nonword decision to each target stimulus, and a semantically primed version (LS) of it using the same category of words (e.g., animal) within each block following which participants made a category judgment. In Study 2, another 12 participants performed a standard semantic priming task, where target stimulus words (e.g., nurse) could be either semantically related or unrelated to their primes (e.g., doctor, tree) but the order of presentation was randomized. We found evidence in both ERP studies that lexical semantic access might occur early within the first 200 ms (at about 170 ms for Study 1 and at about 160 ms for Study 2). Our results were consistent with more recent ERP and eye-tracking studies and are in contrast with the traditional research focus on the N400 component. "Top-down" processes, such as a person's expectation and strategic decisions, were possible in Study 1 because of the blocked design, but they were not for Study 2 with a randomized design. Comparing results from two studies, we found that visual word processing could be affected by a person's expectation and the effect occurred early at a sensory/perceptual stage: a semantic task effect in the PI component at about 100 ms in the ERP was found in Study 1 , but not in Study 2. Furthermore, we found that such "top-down" influence on visual word processing might be mediated through separate mechanisms depending on whether the stimulus was a word or a nonword. "Bottom-up" factors involve inherent characteristics of particular words, such as bigram frequency (the total frequency of two-letter combinations of a word), word frequency (the frequency of the written form of a word), and neighborhood density (the number of words that can be generated by changing one letter of an original word or nonword). A bigram frequency effect was found when comparing the results from Studies 1 and 2, but it was examined more closely in Study 3. Fourteen participants performed a similar standard lexical decision task but the words and nonwords were selected systematically to provide a greater range in the aforementioned factors. As a result, a total of 18 word conditions were created with 18 nonword conditions matched on neighborhood density and neighborhood frequency. Using multiple regression analyses, we foimd that the PI amplitude was significantly related to bigram frequency for both words and nonwords, consistent with results from Studies 1 and 2. In addition, word frequency and neighborhood frequency were also able to influence the PI amplitude separately for words and for nonwords and there appeared to be a spatial dissociation between the two effects: for words, the word frequency effect in PI was found at the left electrode site; for nonwords, the neighborhood frequency effect in PI was fovind at the right elecfrode site. The implications of otir findings are discussed.

The social consequences of mild head injury and executive dysfunction /

Mild head injury (MHI) is a serious cause of neurological impairment as is evident by the substantial percentage (15%) of individuals who remain symptomatic at least 1-year following "mild" head trauma. However, there is a paucity of research investigating the social consequences following a MHI. The first objective of this study was to examine whether measures of executive functioning were predictive of specific forms of antisocial behaviour, such as reactive aggression, impulsive antisocial behaviour, behavioural disinhibition, and deficits in social awareness after controlling for the variance accounted for by sex differences. The second objective was to investigate whether a history of MHI was predictive of these same social consequences after controlling for both sex differences and executive functioning. Ninety university students participated in neuropsychological testing and filled out self-report questionnaires. Fifty-two percent of the sample self-reported experiencing a MHI. As expected, men were more reactively aggressive and antisocial than women. Furthermore, executive dysfunction predicted reactive aggression and impulsive antisocial behaviour after controlling for sex differences. Finally, as expected, MHI status predicted reactive aggression, impulsive antisocial behaviour, and behavioural disinhibition after controlling for sex and executive fimctioning. MHI status and executive functioning did not predict social awareness or sensitivity to reward or punishment. These results suggest that incurring a MHI has serious social consequences that mirror the neurobehavioural profile following severe cases of brain injury. Therefore, the social sequelae after MHI imply a continuum of behavioural deficits between MHI and more severe forms of brain injury.