Consumption Of Minerals Research Articles

How changes in nutrition have influenced the development of allergic diseases in childhood

The increasing prevalence of allergic diseases in childhood in the last decades could be linked to concomitant dietary changes, especially with the modified and lower consumption of fruit, vegetables and minerals. The consumption of these foods by pregnant women and children in the first years of life seems to be associated with a reduced risk of asthma and related symptoms. Foods that can prevent the development of wheezing through their antioxidant effects contain vitamin C and selenium; blood levels of these elements correlate negatively with the risk of wheezing. Intake of vitamin E during pregnancy also appears to be correlated with a reduced risk of wheezing for the unborn child. Similarly, low intake of zinc and carotenoids by pregnant women is associated with an increased risk of wheezing and asthma in childhood. Fiber also has anti-inflammatory properties and protective effects against allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis and asthma. The consumption of fat influences the development of the airways. Populations in Western countries have increased their consumption of n-6 PUFAs and, in parallel, reduced n-3 PUFAs. This has led to decreased production of PGE2, which is believed to have a protective effect against inflammation of the airways. Conflicting hypotheses also concern vitamin D; both an excess and a deficiency of vitamin D, in fact, have been associated with an increased risk of asthma. Further studies on the role of these substances are necessary before any conclusions can be drawn on a clinical level.AstrattoLa crescente prevalenza negli ultimi decenni delle malattie allergiche in età pediatrica potrebbe essere legata a concomitanti cambiamenti nella dieta, in particolare alla minore e modificata introduzione di frutta, verdura e minerali. Il consumo di questi alimenti da parte delle donne in gravidanza e dei bambini nei primi anni di vita sembra essere associato ad un ridotto rischio di asma e di sintomi correlati. Gli alimenti che possono prevenire lo sviluppo di respiro sibilante (wheezing) attraverso i loro effetti antiossidanti contengono vitamina C e selenio; i livelli ematici di questi elementi sono correlati negativamente con il rischio di wheezing. Inoltre l'assunzione di vitamina E durante la gravidanza sembra essere correlato con un rischio ridotto di respiro sibilante per il nascituro. Allo stesso modo, basso apporto di zinco e di carotenoidi in donne in gravidanza è associata ad un aumentato rischio di wheezing e asma nell'infanzia. Anche le fibre hanno proprietà anti-infiammatorie ed effetti protettivi contro le malattie allergiche come la dermatite atopica e l’asma. Il consumo di grassi influenza lo sviluppo delle vie aeree. Le popolazioni dei paesi occidentali hanno aumentato il loro consumo di n-6 PUFA e, parallelamente, ridotto n-3 PUFA. Ciò ha portato alla diminuzione della produzione di PGE2, che si ritiene abbia un effetto protettivo contro l'infiammazione delle vie aeree. Ipotesi contrastanti riguardano la vitamina D, sia un eccesso che una carenza di vitamina D, infatti, sono stati associati ad un aumentato rischio di asma. Ulteriori studi sul ruolo di queste sostanze sono necessari prima di trarre conclusioni sul piano clinico.

The Metabolic Transition in Japan

Summary The notion of a (socio-) metabolic transition has been used todescribe fundamental changes in socioeconomic energy andmaterial use during industrialization. During the last century,Japandevelopedfromalargelyagrarianeconomytooneoftheworld’s leading industrial nations. It is one of the few industrialcountries that has experienced prolonged dematerializationand recently has adopted a rigorous resource policy. This arti-cle investigates changes in Japan’s metabolism during industri-alization on the basis of a material flow account for the periodfrom 1878 to 2005. It presents annual data for material ex-traction, trade, and domestic consumption by major materialgroup and explores the relations among population growth,economic development, and material (and energy) use. Dur-ing the observed period, the size of Japan’s metabolism grewby a factor of 40, and the share of mineral and fossil materialsin domestic material consumption (DMC) grew to more than90%. Much of the growth in the Japanese metabolism wasbased on imported materials and occurred in only 20 yearsafter World War II (WWII), when Japan rapidly built up largestocks of built infrastructure, developed heavy industry, andadopted patterns of mass production and consumption. Thesurge in material use came to an abrupt halt with the firstoil crisis, however. Material use stabilized, and the economyeventually began to dematerialize. Although gross domesticproduct (GDP) grew much faster than material use, improve-mentsinmaterialintensityarearelativelyrecentphenomenon.Japanemergesasarolemodelforthemetabolictransitionbutis also exceptional in many ways.www.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jie

Acidification of Earth: An assessment across mechanisms and scales

In this review article, anthropogenic activities that cause acidification of Earth’s air, waters, and soils are examined. Although there are many mechanisms of acidification, the focus is on the major ones, including emissions from combustion of fossil fuels and smelting of ores, mining of coal and metal ores, and application of nitrogen fertilizer to soils, by elucidating the underlying biogeochemical reactions as well as assessing the magnitude of the effects. These widespread activities have resulted in (1) increased CO2 concentration in the atmosphere that acidifies the oceans; (2) acidic atmospheric deposition that acidifies soils and bodies of freshwater; (3) acid mine drainage that acidifies bodies of freshwater and groundwaters; and (4) nitrification that acidifies soils. Although natural geochemical reactions of mineral weathering and ion exchange work to buffer acidification, the slow reaction rates or the limited abundance of reactant phases are overwhelmed by the onslaught of anthropogenic acid loading. Relatively recent modifications of resource extraction and usage in some regions of the world have begun to ameliorate local acidification, but expanding use of resources in other regions is causing environmental acidification in previously unnoticed places. World maps of coal consumption, Cu mining and smelting, and N fertilizer application are presented to demonstrate the complex spatial heterogeneity of resource consumption as well as the overlap in acidifying potential derived from distinctly different phenomena. Projected population increase by country over the next four decades indicates areas with the highest potential for acidification, so enabling anticipation and planning to offset or mitigate the deleterious environmental effects associated with these global shifts in the consumption of energy, mineral, and food resources.

Model and heuristic for berth allocation in tidal bulk ports with stock level constraints

We consider the problem of allocating berth positions for vessels in tidal bulk port terminals. A berth is defined as a specific location alongside a quay where a ship loader is available for loading or unloading vessels, accommodating only one vessel at a time. In tidal ports, draft conditions depend on high tide conditions, since available depth at low tide is not adequate for the movement of ships. Some port terminals are associated with important transnational enterprises which maintain strong control over the stock level of their goods. Since the stock level sometimes depends on a continuous process of consumption or production of minerals, the decision to load or unload vessels must consider the amount of the bulk cargo stored in the port yards. Therefore, a basic criterion for decision making is to give priority to the vessels related to the most critical mineral stock level. A second basic criterion is to decide what sequence of vessels reduces the overall demurrage within a given planning horizon. This paper presents an integer linear programming model based on the transportation problem to represent the Berth Allocation Problem in Tidal Bulk ports with Stock level conditions (BAPTBS). Problem instances are solved by a commercial solver and by a Simulated Annealing-based algorithm (SA). The SA employs a problem-specific heuristic, becoming a valid alternative for finding out good solutions for difficult instances.

Net mineralization of N at deeper soil depths as a potential mechanism for sustained forest production under elevated [CO2

AbstractElevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations [CO2] is projected to increase forest production, which could increase ecosystem carbon (C) storage. This study contributes to our broad goal of understanding the causes and consequences of increased fine‐root production and mortality under elevated [CO2] by examining potential gross nitrogen (N) cycling rates throughout the soil profile. Our study was conducted in a CO2‐enriched sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) plantation in Oak Ridge, TN, USA. We used 15N isotope pool dilution methodology to measure potential gross N cycling rates in laboratory incubations of soil from four depth increments to 60 cm. Our objectives were twofold: (1) to determine whether N is available for root acquisition in deeper soil and (2) to determine whether elevated [CO2], which has increased inputs of labile C resulting from greater fine‐root mortality at depth, has altered N cycling rates. Although gross N fluxes declined with soil depth, we found that N is potentially available for roots to access, especially below 15 cm depth where rates of microbial consumption of mineral N were reduced relative to production. Overall, up to 60% of potential gross N mineralization and 100% of potential net N mineralization occurred below 15 cm depth at this site. This finding was supported by in situ measurements from ion‐exchange resins, where total inorganic N availability at 55 cm depth was equal to or greater than N availability at 15 cm depth. While it is likely that trees grown under elevated [CO2] are accessing a larger pool of inorganic N by mining deeper soil, we found no effect of elevated [CO2] on potential gross or net N cycling rates. Thus, increased root exploration of the soil volume under elevated [CO2] may be more important than changes in potential gross N cycling rates in sustaining forest responses to rising atmospheric CO2.

Survey on the Patterns of Fortified Food Consumption and Intake of Vitamins and Minerals in Fortified Foods by Elementary School and Middle-School Students in Korea

This study was performed to investigate patterns of fortified food (FF) consumption and intake of vitamins and minerals from FFs among 577 Korean children (12.4 years of age) who attended elementary or middle school. FFs eaten by children as a snack were surveyed using the food record method during 3 days, including 2 week days and one weekend. As a result, 114 FF items were eaten by the children, and several kinds of nutrients such as vitamin A, D, E, B complex, C, calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) were fortified in these foods. Ca-FFs (65.8%) were most frequently consumed, followed by vitamin C-FFs (33.4%) and vitamin D-FFs (33.3%). The number of FF items in each food group was the most in the milk group (n=24, 21.0%), followed by the beverage group (n=19, 16.7%), and the cookie/bread/cake group (n=17, 14.9%). Fortified nutrients in FFs were in various combinations, but the major combination patterns were Ca, Ca plus vitamins, Ca plus vitamins plus other minerals, and Ca plus other minerals. Daily mean intakes of vitamins and minerals from the FFs were 66-300% more than those of the recommended nutrient intake (RNI ) or adequate intake (AI) for most vitamins and minerals. Daily maximum intakes (95th percentile) of vitamins and minerals from FFs were 1-15 times the RNI or AI for most vitamins and minerals. Vitamin and mineral consumption ratios from each FF group were different according to the kind of fortified nutrient. For example, vitamin C was mostly eaten in fortified beverages (46-54%), and Fe was mostly eaten in fortified cookie/breads/cakes (87%). The above results show that FF consumption varied widely among the children, and that most of the children's foods were fortified with several vitamins and minerals without a common rule; thus, subjects risked over consuming vitamins and minerals by eating FFs. Therefore, practical guideline on FF use for children's optimal nutrition and health should be provided through nutrition education.

Rheology of pyrite slurry and its dispersant for the biooxidation process

Rheology of slurry significantly influenced the grindability, fine grinding performance and energy consumption of industrial minerals in wet grinding. The solid concentration, particle size, temperature and the dispersant, which affected the rheological characteristics of pyrite slurry and the biooxidation process were investigated in this study. This research aimed at the wet grinding process improved by the control of slurry rheology and getting a biocompatible dispersant. The results revealed that the viscosity increased with the solid concentration, which was in agreement with the Chong model. There was a critical concentration (40 wt.%) that led to the flow behavior of slurry transformed from Newtonian fluids to shear-thinning non-Newtonian fluids which fitted to the Casson model. It was also found that the apparent viscosity of slurry increased with the decrease of the particle size and the temperature at high solid concentration. Sodium Hexametaphosphate (SH) was selected experimentally as an effective dispersant for the mineral slurry. The appropriate concentration of SH was also determined at the range from 0.005 wt.% to 0.05 wt.%. The addition of dispersants could reduce the viscosity and yield stress, increase the zeta potential ( ζ) of suspension pronouncedly. No negative effects on the growth rate of microorganisms and the pyrite biooxidation were observed. Therefore, dispersant separation and recovery process could be avoided.

Consumption and Use of Non-Renewable Mineral and Energy Raw Materials from an Economic Geology Point of View

We outline a path to sustainable development that would give future generations the chance to be as well-off as their predecessors without running out of natural resources, especially metals. To this end, we have to consider three key resources: (1) the geosphere or primary resources, (2) the technosphere or secondary resources, which can be recycled and (3) human ingenuity and creativity. We have two resource extremes: natural resources which are completely consumed (fossil fuels) versus natural resources (metals) which are wholly recyclable and can be used again. Metals survive use and are merely transferred from the geosphere to the technosphere. There will, however, always be a need for contributions from the geosphere to offset inevitable metal losses in the technosphere. But we do have a choice. We do not need raw materials as such, only the intrinsic property of a material that enables it to fulfil a function. At the time when consumption starts to level off, chances improve of obtaining most of the material for our industrial requirements from the technosphere. Then a favorable supply equilibrium can emerge. Essential conditions for taking advantage of this opportunity: affordable energy and ingenuity to find new solutions for functions, to optimize processes and to minimize losses in the technosphere.

Plant–microbial competition for nitrogen uncoupled from soil C:N ratios

A green house experiment was designed to test the idea that competition for inorganic nitrogen (N) between plants and heterotrophic microorganisms occurs in soils with high C:N ratios, qualifying for N limited microbial activity, but not at low C:N ratios. The short‐term (24 h)15N uptake by the grassFestuca giganteaand microorganisms in planted and unplanted soils was determined, and the bacterial activity was measured by the3H‐thymidine incorporation technique. Two deciduous forest soils, with C:N‐ratios of 20 and 31, and the 20 soil amended with litter to a C:N ratio of 34, were used. A novel and important part of the experimental design was the preparation of the unplanted reference soil with plants present until the competition assay started by the addition of15N labelled ammonium () or nitrate). The results suggested that plants and soil microorganisms competed for mineral N but under influence of other factors than the soil C:N ratio. The plants reduced the microbial uptake ofandin the soil with low C:N ratio, which also had the lowest bacterial activity. The plants had a larger N uptake than microorganisms in the two natural soils but smaller in the litter‐amended, and their presence enhanced the bacterial activity, especially in the latter soil. The litter‐amended soil with its high C:N ratio and easily decomposable C was the soil that best fulfilled the criteria for competition, including a net consumption of mineral N during the assay, the lowest plant uptake of mineral N due to the high N immobilization by microorganisms, and a reduced microbial15N uptake‐to‐bacterial activity in the presence of plants. Thus, other factors, such as the decomposability of the soil C and the bacterial activity, were more important than the soil C:N ratio to the outcome of plant–microbial competition for N.

Level of cognitive performance as a correlate and predictor of health behaviors that protect against cognitive decline in late life: The path through life study

There is a lack of information on how cognitive ability relates to both health behaviors and change in health behaviors over time. This study examined verbal ability and processing speed as predictors of health behaviors in the PATH Through Life Study that includes cohorts aged in their 20s, 40s and 60s. Higher cognitive scores were associated with higher levels of physical activity, greater likelihood of taking vitamin and mineral supplements, reduced likelihood of current smoking and not abstaining from alcohol. However, lower level of verbal ability and processing speed were associated with higher levels of use of cholesterol lowering medication in the 60s cohort. Physical activity, consumption of vitamins and minerals and taking cholesterol lowering and antihypertensive medication over the four-year follow-up period increased in this cohort. The likelihood of adopting healthier behaviors was greatest for those with the lowest cognitive scores. We conclude that while higher levels of cognitive performance are associated with health promoting behaviors, improvements in health behavior are more likely to be due to non-cognitive, contextual and societal factors.

Changes in Materials Use in Transition Economies

SummaryThis article examines the development of material consumption in three transition economies during the years 1990–2002. We compare the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland and benchmark their material consumption against average values for the 15 member states of the European Union (formation as of 1995) representing a typical market economy. The article compares consumption of materials in these countries and relates them to relevant socioeconomic variables, using the IPAT equation as a starting point. The article tries to answer whether there has been a convergence in per capita material consumption in these transition economies, in order to identify commonalities associated with the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy in terms of the development of material consumption. We investigate the relation between material consumption, population development, economic growth, and technological change during the transition.We show that the three transition economies, in general, experienced a convergence in per capita material consumption, including a common decrease in the consumption of biomass. Two out of three countries further recorded a decrease in the consumption of fossil fuels and an increase in the consumption of minerals. We found a general trend of increasing dependence on foreign resources during the transition. On the basis of the IPAT analysis, we found that the development of material consumption was mostly driven by the growth in consumption and by technological change. Although gross domestic product (GDP) growth contributed to a growth in material consumption, the influence of technology supported a reverse effect. In some of the countries, however, the factors decreasing material consumption (i.e., shifts to services and technological change) were not able to outweigh those factors causing material consumption to grow (i.e., increase in GDP).

Consumption of Heavy Metal and Minerals by Adult Women through Food in Sewage and Tube-Well Irrigated Area around Ludhiana City (Punjab, India)

A dietary survey was carried out during summer and winter seasons on 20-40 years old subjects i.e. 23 and 49 women from sewage and tube well irrigated areas, respectively around Ludhiana city (Punjab, India). Raw food samples from both the areas were analyzed for various minerals. Mineral intake by individual subjects were calculated from the amount of food consumed and mineral contents of foods. The data revealed that intake of lead by women in sewage irrigated area was almost twice the amount compared to women from tube well irrigated area. However, intake of lead was below the maximum tolerable limits, except by women in sewage irrigated area during summer season. Intake of cadmium in both the areas was 2-3 times higher than the prescribed tolerable limits in sewage irrigated area. The intake of nickel was higher by women subjects in sewage irrigated area , however, intake of nickel in both the areas was much below the maximum tolerable limits. Intake of copper was much higher than ICMR's suggested values while that of zinc was comparable to allowances in both areas. Manganese values were significantly higher in women from tube well irrigated area while that of iron was more in women from sewage irrigated area. Mineral intake reflected the mineral content of the foods consumed, because the mineral content of most vegetables was higher in sewage irrigated area except for manganese and zinc. Mineral content of drinking water was not much different.

An evaluation of the cognitive and mood effects of administration with a multivitamin and mineral supplement for 12 weeks in schoolchildren

Adequate consumption of vitamins and minerals is essential for the optimal performance of a host of physiological processes that have both direct and indirect effects on brain function, yet modern diets predispose individuals to deficiencies in one or more micronutrients. The present randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study investigated the cognitive, mood and fatigue reducing effects of taking a daily micronutrient supplement for 12 weeks. Ninety-six children received a supplement containing a selection of vitamins and minerals or matched placebo in the form of chewable tablets daily for 12 weeks. Cognitive performance was assessed using an internet-based battery and the Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) computerised battery. The internet battery included mood visual analogue scales. On the laboratory visits on the first (Day 1) and last (Day 85) days of treatment children completed both batteries pre-dose and at 1 and 3 h post-dose. During the interim period, on Day 29 and Day 57, they completed assessments at home under parental supervision using only the internet battery. Results showed that, compared to placebo, participants in the active group performed better on the attention tasks from the internet battery throughout the assessments, with this effect becoming apparent on the first day of treatment. Decrements on one task of memory after 12 weeks were detected. There were no significant changes on measures of mood or fatigue.

Nutrition and inflammatory markers

Inflammation underlies many chronic diseases. The goal of nutritional support in such diseases is to provide adequate energy and nutrients to meet the increased requirements for synthesis of acute phase proteins, inflammatory mediators, antioxidant defenses and the promotion of tissue repair and restoration of cellular function. Systemic inflammation alters utilization of various nutrients (fats, carbohydrates and protein) and promotes increased cellular consumption of key antioxidant vitamins and minerals. Some nutrients play a direct role in the resolution of inflammation. These relationships necessitate consideration of the adjunctive role of diet in the natural history of periodontitis. Little is known about the role of nutrition in periodontitis. With rapid advances in molecular biology and nutritional genomics in particular, oral health scientists can address this important area of study.

Fluid evolution and kinetics of metamorphic reactions in calc-silicate contact aureoles—From H2O to CO2 and back

Research Article| October 01, 2007 Fluid evolution and kinetics of metamorphic reactions in calc-silicate contact aureoles—From H2O to CO2 and back Peter I. Nabelek Peter I. Nabelek 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2007) 35 (10): 927–930. https://doi.org/10.1130/G24051A.1 Article history received: 02 May 2007 rev-recd: 21 May 2007 accepted: 25 May 2007 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Peter I. Nabelek; Fluid evolution and kinetics of metamorphic reactions in calc-silicate contact aureoles—From H2O to CO2 and back. Geology 2007;; 35 (10): 927–930. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G24051A.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Mineral assemblages in contact-metamorphic aureoles are the products of the interplay between heat transfer and fluid flow induced by intrusion of magma. In wall rocks containing carbonate and silicate minerals, metamorphic reactions produce CO2, which then becomes part of the hydrodynamic system. Although observed assemblages are the ultimate products of T-XCO2fluid-t paths in aureole rocks, the complexities of the paths, and hence the evolution of a hydrodynamic system, are difficult to decipher from them. Numerical simulations were conducted to model the mineralogical evolution in a hydrodynamic system and to evaluate the extent and effects of reaction retardation. Simulations reveal that fluid composition in the inner aureole evolves rapidly toward high XCO2fluid as the rocks heat up before an appreciable amount of water is exsolved out of the pluton. After local fluid pressure drops when early reactions are coming to completion, infiltration of magmatic water becomes significant and can drive production of typical inner aureole minerals such as wollastonite. Fluid compositions in the outer aureole reflect largely (1) the initial CO2 production, as fluids are driven down the pressure gradients from the inner aureole, and (2) the subsequent infiltration of magmatic H2O. Simulations also suggest temperature overstepping of the onset of reactions and retarded consumption of reactant minerals, which leads to coeval metastable reactions. However, the final simulated mineral assemblage in the inner aureole reflects equilibration with H2O-rich fluids that is usually seen in the field, although evidence for kinetic retardation may be preserved in some rocks, especially in the outer aureole. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

Consumo de nutrientes em adultos e idosos em estudo de base populacional: Projeto Bambuí

A nutritional survey was performed in a random sample of 550 individuals ( > or = 18 years) in Bambuí, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, using the Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire calibrated with 24-hour recall. Comparisons used means, proportions, and the nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR: 90.0-110.0%). Adequate intake was reported in only 2.4% of the individuals for carbohydrate, 17.6% for protein, 0.0 to 5.1% for vitamins, and 0.0 to 21.1% for minerals. NAR was influenced by gender and age: 90.2% and 91.8% of women presented low iron and B6 vitamin intake, respectively. Meanwhile, 87.7% of men reported excess iron, 80.3% phosphorous, and 11.9% cholesterol. Regarding aging, 64.3% of elderly (>or= 60 years old) reported low protein intake and 39.3% inadequate lipid fraction balance (P/S); 35.7% reported high unsaturated fatty acid intake. For adults (18-59 years), 67.8% reported excess protein and 53.4% deficient iron intake. In this population, high lipid consumption and low intake of fiber, vitamins, and minerals pose an important public health problem and may contribute to an increase in chronic non-communicable diseases.

The I Ching and the psyche‐body connection

Carl G. Jung's fateful meeting with Richard Wilhelm in 1929 has helped to build a bridge of depth psychological understanding between the East and the West. When Jung emerged from his 'confrontation with the unconscious', he felt validated by Wilhelm in his discovery of the healing power of medieval alchemical symbolism for the European psyche. Analytical psychology however offers a scientific, psychological understanding of Chinese wisdom as contained in the I Ching and Taoist alchemy. The Taoist alchemical tradition (also known as the Inner Elixir tradition of which 'The Secret of the Golden Flower' is a sample text) is based on the premise that psychological experience of the Tao can be achieved through mental and physiological means such as breathing and meditative techniques, gymnastics, dietary regimens such as fasting, consumption of medicinal herbs and minerals, and special sexual practices. This tradition incorporates the I Ching and traditional Chinese medicine in the alchemical opus. Taoist alchemy assumes the primacy of the physical body in the process of self-realization. The psychological and cosmic forces of the trigrams of the I Ching are stored in the internal organs of the body and are the basic material for the experience of Tao. The internal organs are the foundation of the material and subtle bodies and through cultivation, the body becomes spiritualized as the spirits are embodied. The body as a reflection of the entire cosmos becomes the residence of the gods. The realization of a new consciousness is symbolized by the hexagram Fu, meaning rebirth. The Chinese notion of Tao coincides with Jung's postulation of the unus mundus, the unity of existence which underlies the duality of psyche and matter, the psycho-physical background of existence. In this light, in the world of inner experience, East and West follow similar paths symbolically.

규산염 광물질로 정수된 급이수 및 사료내 규산엽광물질 첨가제의 급여가 돼지의 성장능력 및 돈육의 품질에 미치는 영향

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of filtered water with silicate minerals on growth performance and pork quality. A total of 64 pigs were allotted at 37.95 kg body weight to 4 treatments in a randomized complete block(RCB) design. Each treatment had 4 replicates and treatments were 1) Con(basal di- et), 2) Si-I(consumed silicate mineral filtered water and silicate mineral additive during 4 weeks before market weight), 3) Si-II(consumed silicate mineral filtered water and silicate mineral additive during 8 weeks before market weight) and 4) Si-III(consumed silicate mineral filtered water and silicate mineral additive during 12 weeks before market weight). Silicate complex was added at 0.8% to basal diet. All pigs were allowed to feed and water ad libitum for 12 weeks. During last 4 weeks, average daily gain(ADG) in Si-II and Si-III group was higher than that in Si-I group(P < 0.05). However overall experimental period, there were no significant differences in growth performance among all treatments. Acceptability of cooked pork at 7th day after slaughter in Si-III group was higher than that in Con group(P < 0.05). The value of pH of fresh pork at 6 hours after slaughter was lower in Si-III group than that in Con group(P < 0.05). TBA values of fresh pork at 14th day after slaughter were lower in Si-II and Si-III groups than Con group(P < 0.05). These results demonstrated that pork quality could be improved when pigs consumed both silicate mineral and silicate mineral filtered water. However, growth performance was not improved by the consumption of silicate mineral filtered water and sili- cate mineral.

Determinants of diet quality.

An unbalanced diet is a main risk factor for several chronic diseases. This paper identifies groups of individuals with an unbalanced diet based on the consumption of nutrients. A characterisation of the groups may help to focus efforts aimed at improving the dietary behaviour of the population. Using nutritional data of 1763 men and 2267 women participating in the German Nutrition Survey of 1998, we constructed two indices for diet quality that each combines a large amount of nutrients into a single indicator. The impact of sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics on the diet quality indices was analysed using multiple regression analyses. The results show a considerable variation of diet quality between different groups of individuals. High diet quality in terms of the consumption of vitamins, minerals and trace elements is positively associated with income, education level, age, energy intake, food diversity, sport activity and vegetarianism. On the other hand, a low diet quality as indicated by high intakes of e.g. fat, sugar, alcohol and sodium can be expected when energy intake is high, for individuals of middle age and for pregnant and breast-feeding women. The results of this study help to identify groups of individuals with preferable and non-preferable diet quality. For developing public health strategies, in particular the impact of age on diet quality seems to be interesting. The rising diet quality with increasing age could reflect a changing health consciousness. It could thus be a challenge for health policy to promote a healthy way of living focused especially on young individuals.

Minerals show strong growth in plastics applications

Minerals are used as reinforcements, pigment extenders and fillers in plastics and rubber, as well as in a variety of other end-use applications ranging from paper and paint to building products, and many others. Of all markets, demand for minerals has the highest forecast growth in the plastics sector. According to business consultancy Principia Partners, the total North American demand for these minerals exceeded 15 million tons (c. 13.6 million tonnes), valued at US$1.9 billion, in 2002. Although paper applications dominate, accounting for about half of the volume consumed, plastics have grown substantially over the past decade or so from a minor market to the second largest end use today. Excluding titanium dioxide, the consumption of minerals in North American plastics in 2002 is estimated at 2 million tons (1.8 million tonnes), worth roughly $500 million. This is a short news story only. Visit www.addcomp.com for the latest additives and compounding industry news