High fat versus high carbohydrate nutritional supplementation: a one year trial in stunted rural Gambian children.

OBJECTIVE: The study tests the hypothesis that a low daily fat intake may induce a negative fat balance and impair catch-up growth in stunted children between 3 and 9y of age. DESIGN: Randomized case-control study. SETTING: Three rural villages of the West Kiang District, The Gambia. SUBJECTS: Three groups of 30 stunted but not wasted children (height for age z-score < or = -2.0, weight for height z-score > or = -2.0) 3-9 y of age were selected by anthropometric survey. Groups were matched for age, sex, village, degree of stunting and season. INTERVENTION: Two groups were randomly assigned to be supplemented five days a week for one year with either a high fat (n = 29) or a high carbohydrate biscuit (n = 30) each containing approximately 1600 kJ. The third group was a non supplemented control group (n = 29). Growth, nutritional status, dietary intake, resting energy expenditure and morbidity were compared. RESULTS: Neither the high fat nor the high carbohydrate supplement had an effect on weight or height gain. The high fat supplement did slightly increase adipose tissue mass. There was no effect of supplementation on resting energy expenditure or morbidity. In addition, the annual growth rate was not associated with a morbidity score. CONCLUSIONS: Results show that neither a high fat nor a high carbohydrate supplement given during 12 months to stunted Gambian children induced catch-up growth. The authors suggest that an adverse effect of the environment on catch-up growth persists despite the nutritional interventions.

High-resolution spatial mapping of changes in the neurochemical profile after focal ischemia in mice.

After ischemic stroke, the ischemic damage to brain tissue evolves over time and with an uneven spatial distribution. Early irreversible changes occur in the ischemic core, whereas, in the penumbra, which receives more collateral blood flow, the damage is more mild and delayed. A better characterization of the penumbra, irreversibly damaged and healthy tissues is needed to understand the mechanisms involved in tissue death. MRSI is a powerful tool for this task if the scan time can be decreased whilst maintaining high sensitivity. Therefore, we made improvements to a (1) H MRSI protocol to study middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. The spatial distribution of changes in the neurochemical profile was investigated, with an effective spatial resolution of 1.4 μL, applying the protocol on a 14.1-T magnet. The acquired maps included the difficult-to-separate glutamate and glutamine resonances and, to our knowledge, the first mapping of metabolites γ-aminobutyric acid and glutathione in vivo, within a metabolite measurement time of 45 min. The maps were in excellent agreement with findings from single-voxel spectroscopy and offer spatial information at a scan time acceptable for most animal models. The metabolites measured differed with respect to the temporal evolution of their concentrations and the localization of these changes. Specifically, lactate and N-acetylaspartate concentration changes largely overlapped with the T(2) -hyperintense region visualized with MRI, whereas changes in cholines and glutathione affected the entire middle cerebral artery territory. Glutamine maps showed elevated levels in the ischemic striatum until 8 h after reperfusion, and until 24 h in cortical tissue, indicating differences in excitotoxic effects and secondary energy failure in these tissue types. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Treatment motivation in adolescents with psychosis or at high risk: Determinants and impact on improvements in symptoms and cognitive functioning, preliminary results.

Abstract Low motivation is frequent in chronic disorders such as psychosis and may limit treatment efficacy. Although some evidence supports this view in adults, few studies so far have focused on adolescents. We assessed the impact of baseline symptoms, cognitive deficits and cognitive treatment characteristics on treatment motivation (TM), and examined whether TM affected treatment outcome. Twenty-eight adolescents with psychotic disorders participated in 16 sessions of computerized cognitive remediation or games. TM was assessed for each session. Lower TM was predicted by more severe symptoms at baseline, and was associated with smaller improvements in symptoms and both cognitive and psychosocial functioning at the end of the intervention. Experiencing success in the treatment exercises enhanced TM in all patients.

HCV infection after liver transplantation is associated with lower levels of alloreactive CD4+CD25+CD45RO+IL-7R+high+ T cells

Aim: Expression of IL-7R discriminates alloreactive CD4 T cells (Foxp3 negative), from IL-7Rlow regulatory CD4 T cells (Foxp3 positive). Chronic hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) reduces expression of IL-7R on T cells thus promoting persistence of infection. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of HCV infection on the expression of IL-7R of activated CD4+ T cells in liver transplant patients. Patients and methods: We analyzed PBMC from liver transplant recipients for the expression of CD4, CD25, FoxP3, IL-7R (24 HCV negative and 29 HCV-chronically infected). We compared these data with non-transplanted individuals (52 HCV-chronically infected patients and 38 healthy donors). Results: In HCV-infected liver transplant recipients, levels of CD4+CD25+CD45RO+IL-7R+ T cells were significantly reduced (10.5+/-0.9%) when compared to non-HCV-infected liver transplant recipients (17.6+/-1.4%) (P<0.001), while both groups (HCV-infected and negative transplant recipients) had significantly higher levels than healthy individuals (6.6+/-0.9%) (P<0.0001). After successful antiviral therapy (sustained antiviral response), 6 HCV-infected transplant recipients showed an increase of CD4+CD25+CD45RO+IL-7R+ T cells, reaching levels similar to that of non-HCVinfected recipients (10.73+/-2.63% prior therapy versus 21.7+/-6.3% after clearance of HCV). (P<0.05) In 4 non-responders (i.e. HCVRNA remaining present in serum), levels of CD4+CD25+CD45RO+IL-7R+ T cells remained unmodified during and after antiviral treatment (11.8+/- 3.3% versus 11.3+/-3.3% respectively). Conclusions: Overall, these data indicate that CD4+CD25+CD45RO+IL-7R+ T cells appear to be modulated by chronic HCV infection after liver transplantation. Whether lower levels of alloreactive T cells in HCV-infected liver transplant recipients are associated with a tolerogenic profile remains to be studied.

Quantification of clenbuterol at trace level in human urine by ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Clenbuterol is a β2 agonist agent with anabolic properties given by the increase in the muscular mass in parallel to the decrease of the body fat. For this reason, the use of clenbuterol is forbidden by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in the practice of sport. This compound is of particular interest for anti-doping authorities and WADA-accredited laboratories due to the recent reporting of risk of unintentional doping following the eating of meat contaminated with traces of clenbuterol in some countries. In this work, the development and the validation of an ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method for the quantification of clenbuterol in human urine is described. The analyte was extracted from urine samples by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) in basic conditions using tert butyl-methyl ether (TBME) and analyzed by UHPLC-MS/MS with a linear gradient of acetonitrile in 9min only. The simple and rapid method presented here was validated in compliance with authority guidelines and showed a limit of quantification at 5pg/mL and a linearity range from 5pg/mL to 300pg/mL. Good trueness (85.8-105%), repeatability (5.7-10.6% RSD) and intermediate precision (5.9-14.9% RSD) results were obtained. The method was then applied to real samples from eighteen volunteers collecting urines after single oral doses administration (1, 5 and 10μg) of clenbuterol-enriched yogurts.

Rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic determination with fluorescence detection of furosemide in human body fluids and its confirmation by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Furosemide (FD: Lasix) is a loop diuretic which strongly increases both urine flow and electrolyte urinary excretion. Healthy volunteers were administered 40 mg orally (dissolved in water) and concentrations of FD were determined in serum and urine for up to 6 h for eight subjects, who absorbed water at a rate of 400 ml/h. Quantification was performed by HPLC with fluorescence detection (excitation at 233 nm, emission at 389 nm) with a limit of detection of 5 ng/ml for a 300-microliters sample. The elution of FD was completed within 4 min using a gradient of acetonitrile concentration rising from 30 to 50% in 0.08 M phosphoric acid. The delay to the peak serum concentration ranged from 60 to 120 min. FD was still easily measurable in the sera from all subjects 6 h after administration. In urine, the excretion rates reached their maximum between 1 and 3 h. The total amount of FD excreted in the urine averaged 11.2 mg (range 7.6-14.0 mg), with a mean urine volume of 3024 ml (range 2620-3596 ml). Moreover, the urine density was lower than 1.010 (recommended as an upper limit in doping analysis to screen diuretics) only for 2 h. An additional volunteer was administered 40 mg of FD and his urine was collected over a longer period. FD was still detectable 48 h after intake. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with different types of ionization was used to confirm the occurrence of FD after permethylation of the extract. Negative-ion chemical ionization, with ammonia as reactant gas, was found to be the most sensitive method of detection.

Explaining High Economic Growth in Small Tourism Countries with a Dynamic General Equilibrium Model

This paper shows that tourism specialisation can help to explain the observed high growth rates of small countries. For this purpose, two models of growth and trade are constructed to represent the trade relations between two countries. One of the countries is large, rich, has an own source of sustained growth and produces a tradable capital good. The other is a small poor economy, which does not have an own engine of growth and produces tradable tourism services. The poor country exports tourism services to and imports capital goods from the rich economy. In one model tourism is a luxury good, while in the other the expenditure elasticity of tourism imports is unitary. Two main results are obtained. In the long run, the tourism country overcomes decreasing returns and permanently grows because its terms of trade continuously improve. Since the tourism sector is relatively less productive than the capital good sector, tourism services become relatively scarcer and hence more expensive than the capital good. Moreover, along the transition the growth rate of the tourism economy holds well above the one of the rich country for a long time. The growth rate differential between countries is particularly high when tourism is a luxury good. In this case, there is a faster increase in the tourism demand. As a result, investment of the small economy is boosted and its terms of trade highly improve.

El Orden regional de Asia oriental en materia de seguridad

El trabajo analiza los procesos de gestación y evolución del orden regional de Asia oriental en materia de seguridad, así como la estructura normativa del mismo. En estos procesos las iniciativas bilaterales de los Estados tradicionalmente han jugado un papel determinante. Las últimas dos décadas, no obstante, han sido testigo del creciente peso de otros actores no estatales en el marco del llamado second track y del impulso de iniciativas multilaterales. En cuanto a la estructura de este orden, por otra parte, ésta se compone de unos principios y normas constitucionales y de unas instituciones fundamentales que delimitan un orden diferente de y compatible con el orden internacional actual.

High prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in a Swiss rheumatology outpatient population.

Vitamin D is important for bone metabolism and neuromuscular function. While a routine dosage is often proposed in osteoporotic patients, it is not so evident in rheumatology outpatients where it has been shown that the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D is high. The aim of the current study was to systematically evaluate the vitamin D status in our outpatient rheumatology population to define the severity of the problem according to rheumatologic diseases. During November 2009, all patients were offered a screening test for 25-OH vitamin D levels and categorised as deficient (<10 µg/l [ng/ml] [25 nmol/l]), insufficient (10 µg/l to 30 µg/l [25 to 75 nmol/l]) or normal (>30 µg/l [75 nmol/l]). A total of 272 patients were included. The mean 25-OH vitamin D level was 21 µg/l (range 1.5 to 45.9). A total of 20 patients had vitamin D deficiency, 215 patients had an insufficiency and 37 patients had normal results. In the group of patients with osteoporosis mean level of 25-OH vitamin D was 25 µg/l and 31% had normal results. In patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (N = 219), the mean level of 25-OH vitamin D was 20.5 µg/l, and only 12% had normal 25-OH vitamin D levels. In the small group of patients with degenerative disease (N = 33), the mean level of 25-OH vitamin D was 21.8 µg/l, and 21% had normal results. Insufficiency and deficiency were even seen in 38% of the patients who were taking supplements. These results confirm that hypovitaminosis D is highly prevalent in an outpatient population of rheumatology patients, affecting 86% of subjects. Despite oral supplementation (taken in 38% of our population), only a quarter of those on oral supplementation attained normal values of 25-OH vitamin D.

Experimental investigation of transient natural convection cooling of high prandtl number fluid with variable viscosity

Report for the scientific sojourn at the James Cook University, Australia, between June to December 2007. Free convection in enclosed spaces is found widely in natural and industrial systems. It is a topic of primary interest because in many systems it provides the largest resistance to the heat transfer in comparison with other heat transfer modes. In such systems the convection is driven by a density gradient within the fluid, which, usually, is produced by a temperature difference between the fluid and surrounding walls. In the oil industry, the oil, which has High Prandtl, usually is stored and transported in large tanks at temperatures high enough to keep its viscosity and, thus the pumping requirements, to a reasonable level. A temperature difference between the fluid and the walls of the container may give rise to the unsteady buoyancy force and hence the unsteady natural convection. In the initial period of cooling the natural convection regime dominates over the conduction contribution. As the oil cools down it typically becomes more viscous and this increase of viscosity inhibits the convection. At this point the oil viscosity becomes very large and unloading of the tank becomes very difficult. For this reason it is of primary interest to be able to predict the cooling rate of the oil. The general objective of this work is to develop and validate a simulation tool able to predict the cooling rates of high Prandtl fluid considering the variable viscosity effects.

Flying High and Laying Low in the Public and Private Sectors: A Comparison of Pay Differentials for Full-Time Male Employees in Britain

Using new linked employee-employer data for Britain in 2004, this paper shows that, on average, full-time male public sector employees earn 11.7 log wage points more than their private sector counterparts. Decomposition analysis reveals that the majority of this pay premium is associated with public sector employees having individual characteristics associated with higher pay and to their working in higher paid occupations. Further focussing analysis on the highly skilled and unskilled occupations in both sectors, reveals evidence of workplace segregation positively impacting on earnings in the private sector for the highly skilled, and in the public sector for the unskilled. Substantial earnings gaps between the highly skilled and unskilled are found, and the unexplained components in these gaps are very similar regardless of sector.