The impact of personal resources and their goal relevance on satisfaction with food-related life among the elderly.

The study explored how actual resources, perceived levels of different types of resources and goal relevance of these resources affect older people's satisfaction with food-related life using a survey in eight European countries, where 3291 participants above 65 years of age and living in their own homes took part. Satisfaction with food-related life was measured using Satisfaction With Food-related Life (SWFL) scale developed by Grunert, Raats, Dean, Nielsen, Lumbers and The Food in Later Life Team. [(2007). A measure of satisfaction with food-related life. Appetite, 49, 486–493]. Results showed that older people rated the resources that they believed to have plentiful of as being highly relevant to achieve their goals. The individuals who rated the relevance and their level of different resources as high were also more satisfied with their food-related quality of life. Further, satisfaction with food-related life, as was expected, was predicted by income, health measures and living circumstances. However, the study also showed that perceived levels of other resources such as support of family and friends, food knowledge, storage facilities also added to the individuals’ satisfaction with food-related life. In addition, the congruence between perceived level and relevance of a resource was also shown to add to people's satisfaction with food-related life, implying that older people's satisfaction with food-related life depends not only on the level of resources they think they have but also on their goals and how important they think these resources are to achieving their goals.

Building and testing age models for radiocarbon dates in Lateglacial and Early Holocene sediments

The growing importance of understanding past abrupt climate variability at a regional and global scale has led to the realisation that independent chronologies of past environmental change need to be compared between various archives. This has in turn led to attempts at significant improvements in the required precision at which records can be dated. Radiocarbon dating is still the most prominent method for dating organic material from terrestrial and marine archives, and as such many of the recent developments in improving precision have been aimed at this technique. These include: (1) selection of the most suitable datable fractions within a record, (2) the development of better calibration curves, and (3) more precise age modelling techniques. While much attention has been focussed oil the first two items, testing the possibilities of the relatively new age modelling approaches has not received much attention. Here, we test the potential for methods designed to significantly improve precision in radiocarbon-based age models, wiggle match dating and various forms of Bayesian analyses. We demonstrate that while all of the methods can perform very well, in some scenarios, caution must be taken when applying them. It appears that an integrated approach is required in real life dating situations where more than one model is applied, with strict error calculation, and with the integration of radiocarbon data with sedimentological analyses of site formation processes. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Globally synchronous climate change 2800 years ago: Proxy data from peat in South America

Initial findings from high-latitude ice-cores implied a relatively unvarying Holocene climate, in contrast to the major climate swings in the preceding late-Pleistocene. However, several climate archives from low latitudes imply a less than equable Holocene climate, as do recent studies on peat bogs in mainland north-west Europe, which indicate an abrupt climate cooling 2800 years ago, with parallels claimed in a range of climate archives elsewhere. A hypothesis that this claimed climate shift was global, and caused by reduced solar activity, has recently been disputed. Until now, no directly comparable data were available from the southern hemisphere to help resolve the dispute. Building on investigations of the vegetation history of an extensive mire in the Valle de Andorra, Tierra del Fuego, we took a further peat core from the bog to generate a high-resolution climate history through the use of determination of peat hurnification and quantitative leaf-count plant macrofossil analysis. Here, we present the new proxy-climate data from the bog in South America. The data are directly comparable with those in Europe, as they were produced using identical laboratory methods. They show that there was a major climate perturbation at the same time as in northwest European bogs. Its timinia, nature and apparent global synchronicity lend support to the notion of solar forcing of past climate change, amplified by oceanic circulation. This finding of a similar response simultaneously in both hemispheres may help validate and improve global climate models. That reduced solar activity might cause a global climatic change suggests that attention be paid also to consideration of any global climate response to increases in solar activity. This has implications for interpreting the relative contribution of climate drivers of recent 'global warming'. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How information guides movement: Intercepting curved free kicks in soccer

Previous studies have shown that balls subjected to spin induce large errors in perceptual judgements (Craig et al, 2006; Craig et al 2009) due to the additional accelerative force that causes the ball’s flight path to deviate from a standard parabolic trajectory. A recent review however, has suggested that the findings from such experiments may be imprecise due to the decoupling of perception and action and the reliance on the ventral system (Van der Kamp et al, 2008). The aim of this study was to present the same curved free kick trajectory simulations from the perception only studies (Craig et al, 2006; Craig et al, 2009) but this time allow participants to move to intercept the ball. By using immersive, interactive virtual reality technology participants were asked to control the movement of a virtual effector presented in a virtual soccer stadium so that it would make contact with a virtual soccer ball as it crossed the goal-line. As in the perception only studies the direction of spin had a significant effect on the participants’ responses (F(2,12)=222.340; p

An investigation into the behaviour of concrete containing seawater-neutralised bauxite refinery residues in silage effluent

The farm production of silage as a winter-feed supplement is widespread. However, the bins in which silage is produced are subject to acidic and microbial attacks. Both these types of attack can lead to a weakening and failure of the concretes, especially on the outer lip of the open side of the silage pit. Consequently, the development of an acid-resistant concrete that can extend the life span of silage bins on farms could lead to considerable cost savings for farmers and, hence, can improve farm productivity. This paper reports on test results of an investigation into the behaviour of concrete containing seawater-neutralised bauxite refinery residues (Bauxsol™) exposed to sulphuric acid environments in the laboratory and to silage effluents. The concrete manufactured had a fixed water–cement ratio of 0.55 and natural sand was replaced with the Bauxsol™ at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% by cement mass. Results indicated that the use of Bauxsol™ as a sand replacement material improved the behaviour of concrete both in sulphuric acid in the laboratory as well as in the silage effluent. Consequently, it is concluded that the Bauxsol™ can be used to replace 10% of natural sand to produce concrete that is resistant to silage effluents, providing an extended service life over conventional concretes used in silage pits.

A comparison of monkey and human motion processing mechanisms

Single-cell recording studies have provided vision scientists with a detailed understanding of motion processing at the neuronal level in non-human primates. However, despite the development of brain imaging techniques, it is not known to what extent the response characteristics of motion-sensitive neurons in monkey brain mirror those of human motion sensitive neurons. Using a motion adaptation paradigm, the direction aftereffect, we recently provided evidence of a strong resemblance in the response functions of motion-sensitive neurons in monkey and human to moving dot patterns differing in dot density. Here we describe a series of experiments in which measurements of the direction aftereffect are used to infer the response characteristics of human motion-sensitive neurons when viewing transparent motion and moving patterns that differ in their signal-to-noise ratio (motion coherence). In the case of transparent motion stimuli, our data suggest suppressed activity of motion-sensitive neurons similar to that reported for macaque monkey. In the case of motion coherence, our results are indicative of a linear relationship between signal intensity (coherence) and neural activity; a pattern of activity which also bears a striking similarity to macaque neural activity. These findings strongly suggest that monkey and human motionsensitive neurons exhibit similar response and inhibitory characteristics.

Do minimum wages raise employment? Evidence from the US retail-trade sector

This paper examines the impact of minimum wages on earnings and employment in selected branches of the retail-trade sector, 1990-2005, using county-level data on employment and a panel regression framework that allows for county-specific trends in sectoral outcomes. We focus on specific subsectors within retail trade that are identified as particularly low-wage. We find little evidence of disemployment effects once we allow for geographic-specific trends. Indeed, in many sectors the evidence points to modest (but robust) positive employment effects. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The demand for labor: An analysis using matched employer-employee data from the German LIAB. Will the high unskilled worker own-wage elasticity please stand up?

This paper uses matched employee-employer LIAB data to provide panel estimates of the structure of labor demand in western Germany, 1993-2002, distinguishing between highly skilled, skilled, and unskilled labor and between the manufacturing and service sectors. Reflecting current preoccupations, our demand analysis seeks also to accommodate the impact of technology and trade in addition to wages. The bottom-line interests are to provide elasticities of the demand for unskilled (and other) labor that should assist in short-run policy design and to identify the extent of skill biases or otherwise in trade and technology.

Hapten synthesis and antibody production for the development of a melamine immunoassay

The incorporation of melamine into food products is banned but its misuse has been widely reported in both animal feeds and food. The development of a rapid screening immunoassay for monitoring of the substance is an urgent requirement. Two haptens of melamine were synthesized by introducing spacer arms of different lengths and structures on the triazine ring of the analyte molecular structure. 6-Aminocaproic acid and 3-mercaptopropionic acid were reacted with 2-chloro-4,6-diamino-1,3,5-triazine (CAAT) to produce hapten 1[3-(4,6-diamino-1,6-dihydro-1,3,5-triazin-2-ylamino) hexanoic acid] and hapten 2[3-(4,6-diamino-1,6-dihydro-1,3,5-triazin-2-ylthio) propanoic acid]. respectively. The molecular structures of the two haptens were identified by I H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, mass spectrometry and infrared spectrometry. An immunogen was prepared by coupling hapten 1 to bovine serum albumin (BSA). Two plate coating antigens were prepared by coupling both haptens to egg ovalbumin (OVA). A competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ciELISA) was developed to evaluate homogeneous and heterogeneous assay formats. The results showed that polyclonal antibodies with high titers were obtained, and the heterogeneous immunoassay format demonstrated a better performance with an IC50 of 70.6 ng mL(-1), a LOD of 2.6 ng mL(-1) and a LOQ of 7.6 ng mL(-1). Except for cyromazine, no obvious cross-reactivity to common compounds was found. The data showed that the hapten synthesis was successful and the resultant antisera could be used in an immunoassay for the rapid and sensitive detection of this banned chemical. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scarred limpets at hydrothermal vents: evidence of predation by deep-sea whelks

The chaotic physical and chemical environment at deep-sea hydrothermal vents has been associated with an ecosystem with few predators, arguably allowing the habitat to provide refuge for vulnerable species. The dominance of endemic limpets with thin, open-coiled shells at north Pacific vents may support this view. To test their vulnerability to predation, the incidence of healed repair scars, which are argued to reflect non-lethal encounters with predators, were examined on the shells of over 5,800 vent limpets of Lepetodrilus fucensis McLean (1988) that were collected from 13 to 18 August 1996. Three vent fields on the Juan de Fuca Ridge at ca. 2,200 m depth were sampled, two within 70 m of 47 degrees 56.87'N 129 degrees 05.91'W, and one at 47 degrees 57.85'N 129 degrees 05.15'W with the conspicuous potential limpet predators, the zoarcid fish Pachycara gymninium Anderson and Peden (1988), the galatheid crab Munidopsis alvisca Williams (1988), and the buccinid snail Buccinum thermophilum Harasewych and Kantor (2002). Limpets from the predator-rich vent were most often scarred, a significant difference created by the high incidence of scars on small (

Development of a novel immunobiosensor method for the rapid detection of okadaic acid contamination in shellfish extracts

The mouse bioassay is the methodology that is most widely used to detect okadaic acid (OA) in shellfish samples. This is one of the best-known toxins, and it belongs to the family of marine biotoxins referred to as the diarrhetic shellfish poisons (DSP). Due to animal welfare concerns, alternative methods of toxin detection are being sought. A rapid and specific biosensor immunoassay method was developed and validated for the detection of OA. An optical sensor instrument based on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomenon was utilised. A polyclonal antibody to OA was raised against OA-bovine thyroglobulin conjugate and OA-N-hydroxy succinimide ester was immobilised onto an amine sensor chip surface. The assay parameters selected for the analysis of the samples were: antibody dilution, 1/750; ratio of antibody to standard, 1:1; volume of sample injected, 25 mu l min(-1); flow rate, 25 mu l min(-1). An assay action limit of 126 ng g(-1) was established by analysing of 20 shellfish samples spiked with OA at the critical concentration of 160 ng g(-1), which is the action limit established by the European Union (EU). At this concentration of OA, the assay delivered coefficient of variations (CVs) of

Effects of nateglinide on the secretion of glycated insulin and glucose tolerance in type 2 diabetes

Aims: Glycation of insulin has been demonstrated within pancreatic beta-cells and the resulting impaired bioactivity may contribute to insulin resistance in diabetes. We used a novel radioimmunoassay to evaluate the effect of nateglinide on plasma concentrations of glycated insulin and glucose tolerance in type 2 diabetes. Methods. Ten patients (5 M/5 F, age 57.8 +/- 1.9 years, HbA(1c), 7.6 +/- 0.5%,, fasting plasma glucose 9.4 +/- 1.2 mmol/l, creatinine 81.6 +/- 4.5 mumol/l) received oral nateglinide 120 mg or placebo, 10 min prior to 75 g oral glucose in a random, single blind, crossover design, 1 week apart. Blood samples were taken for glycated insulin, glucose, insulin and C-peptide over 225 min. Results: Plasma glucose and glycated insulin responses were reduced by 9% (P = 0.005) and 38% (P = 0.047), respectively, following nateglinide compared with placebo. Corresponding AUC measures for insulin and C-peptide were enhanced by 36% (P = 0.005) and 25% (P = 0.007) by nateglinide. Conclusions: Glycated insulin in type 2 diabetes is reduced in response to the insulin secretagogue nateglinide, resulting in preferential release of native insulin. Since glycated insulin exhibits impaired biological activity, reduced glycated insulin release may contribute to the anti hyperglycaemic action of nateglinide. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

In vitro testing of Advanced JAX (TM) Bone Void Filler System: species differences in the response of bone marrow stromal cells to beta tri-calcium phosphate and carboxymethylcellulose gel

The Advanced JAX (TM) Bone Void Filler System (AJBVFS) is a novel bone graft material manufactured by Smith and Nephew Orthopaedics Ltd. and comprises beta tri-calcium phosphate granules with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) gel as a handling agent. This study investigated the potential, in vitro, of the AJBVFS to function as a delivery system for cell therapy to enhance healing of bone defects. The attachment of rabbit bone marrow stromal cells (rbBMSCs), human BMSCs (hBMSCs) and human bone-derived cells (hBDCs) to JAX (TM) granules and the effect of CMC gel on cell proliferation and differentiation were investigated. There were slight species differences in the number and morphology of cells attached on the JAX (TM) granules with less rbBMSC attachment than human. All cells tolerated the presence of CMC gel and a reduction in cell number was only seen after longer exposure to higher gel concentrations. Low concentrations of CMC gel enhanced proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) expression and ALP activity in human cells but had no effect on rbBMSC. This study suggests that AJBVFS is an appropriate scaffold for the delivery of osteogenic cells and the addition of CMC gel as a handling agent promotes osteogenic proliferation and differentiation and is therefore likely to encourage bone healing.

Mathematical modeling of colony formation in algal blooms: phenotypic plasticity in cyanobacteria

In this paper, we analyzed a mathematical model of algal-grazer dynamics, including the effect of colony formation, which is an example of phenotypic plasticity. The model consists of three variables, which correspond to the biomasses of unicellular algae, colonial algae, and herbivorous zooplankton. Among these organisms, colonial algae are the main components of algal blooms. This aquatic system has two stable attractors, which can be identified as a zooplankton-dominated (ZD) state and an algal-dominated (AD) state, respectively. Assuming that the handling time of zooplankton on colonial algae increases with the colonial algae biomass, we discovered that bistability can occur within the model system. The applicability of alternative stable states in algae-grazer dynamics as a framework for explaining the algal blooms in real lake ecosystems, thus, seems to depend on whether the assumption mentioned above is met in natural circumstances.

An explanatory model for food-web structure and evolution

Food webs are networks describing who is eating whom in an ecological community. By now it is clear that many aspects of food-web structure are reproducible across diverse habitats, yet little is known about the driving force behind this structure. Evolutionary and population dynamical mechanisms have been considered. We propose a model for the evolutionary dynamics of food-web topology and show that it accurately reproduces observed food-web characteristics in the steady state. It is based on the observation that most consumers are larger than their resource species and the hypothesis that speciation and extinction rates decrease with increasing body mass. Results give strong support to the evolutionary hypothesis. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.