Proportion Of Index Research Articles

MLST genotypes of Campylobacter jejuni isolated from broiler products, dairy cattle and human campylobacteriosis cases in Lithuania

BackgroundCampylobacter (C.) jejuni is the leading cause of human campylobacteriosis worldwide. We performed a molecular epidemiological study to investigate the genetic relationship among C. jejuni strains isolated from human diarrhoeal patients, broiler products and dairy cattle in Lithuania.MethodsThe C. jejuni isolates from human clinical cases, dairy cattle and broiler products were genotyped using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Allele numbers for each housekeeping gene, sequence type (ST), and clonal complex (CC) were assigned by submitting the DNA sequences to the C. jejuni MLST database (http://pubmlst.org/campylobacter). Based on the obtained sequence data of the housekeeping genes a phylogenetic analysis of the strains was performed and a minimum spanning tree (MST) was calculated.ResultsAmong the 262 C. jejuni strains (consisting of 43 strains isolated from dairy cattle, 102 strains isolated from broiler products and 117 clinical human C. jejuni strains), 82 different MLST sequence types and 22 clonal complexes were identified. Clonal complexes CC21 and CC353 predominated among the C. jejuni strains. On ST-level, five sequence types (ST-5, ST-21, ST-50, ST-464 and ST-6410) were dominating and these five STs accounted for 35.9% (n = 94) of our isolates. In addition, 51 (19.5%) C. jejuni strains representing 27 (32.9%) STs were reported for the first time in the PubMLST database (http://pubmlst.org/campylobacter). The highest Czekanowski index or proportional similarity index (PSI) was calculated for C. jejuni strains isolated from human campylobacteriosis cases and broiler products (PSI = 0.32) suggesting a strong link between broiler strains and human cases. The PSI of dairy cattle and human samples was lower (PSI = 0.11), suggesting a weaker link between bovine strains and human cases. The calculated Simpson’s index of all C. jejuni isolates showed a high genetic diversity (D = 0.96).ConclusionOur results suggest that broiler products are the most important source of human campylobacteriosis in Lithuania. The study provides information on MLST type distribution and genetic relatedness of C. jejuni strains from humans, broiler products and dairy cattle in Lithuania for the first time, enabling a better understanding of the transmission pathways of C. jejuni in this country.

Body structure and maturation – the association with environmental factors

The main objective of the study was to determine the relationship between physique, maturation and some environmental factors. The study was conducted in Warsaw, between 2012 and 2013 in randomly selected schools. The material included 171 girls, aged 12–20 years. Body height and weight, upper and lower extremity length, subcutaneous fat folds on arm, subscapular and abdominal, circumferences of arm, chest, waist and hip were measured. Body proportion indices were calculated. The questionnaire form provided information on parental education and profession, and the number of children in family. Girls were asked about age at menarche, number of daily meals, level of physical activity, participation is sport, and level of stress at home and at school. The principal component analysis was applied and 4 factors were extracted from the set of living condition characteristics (F1 – Parental education & father’s occupation, F2 – Mother’s occupation and the number of children, F3 – Stress, F4 – Physical activity and number of daily meals). Regression analysis allowed to evaluate the association of body build characteristics and age at menarche with the four factors. Factor 1 and 4 were the only ones which showed a statistically significant association with body build. The results showed that girls who were taller, with smaller arm and waist circumferences and less adiposity came from families with higher parental education and better father’s profession. Taller stature, longer legs and less adiposity characterized girls who were more physically active and consumed more than three meals a day.

Vertical clingers and gougers: Rapid acquisition of adult limb proportions facilitates feeding behaviours in young Javan slow lorises (Nycticebus javanicus)

Animals of all ages need to access essential food resources, either on their own or with the assistance of conspecifics. Rapid physical and behavioural development is one strategy to help young animals reach adulthood. Specialized gum-feeding mammals exploit a food type that is relatively difficult to access and digest and must possess the appropriate adaptions to access large vertical substrates, i.e. tree trunks. Unlike other gum feeding mammals, the Javan slow loris (Nycticebus javanicus) lacks physical structures, such as keeled nails or claws, which animals commonly use to secure themselves to large vertical substrates. To understand how slow lorises of all ages exploit gum, we examined their vertical gouging posture, locomotor behaviour, habitat use during feeding, and their morphometric measures across three age classes (adult, sub-adult, juvenile). Using data collected in Cipaganti, Java, Indonesia between April 2012 and April 2016, we found that individuals of N. javanicus rely on their hand, foot, and limb morphology to maintain vertical gouging postures, in place of claws or keeled nails. Locomotor behaviour, position in tree, and tree DBH showed no significant difference across age classes while feeding. Juveniles were indistinguishable from adults and sub-adults in regards to limb proportion indices, lower leg length, hand span and foot span. Some morphometric measures scaled isometrically e.g. arm length, but those highlighted during prolonged vertical postures scaled allometrically e.g. leg, hand, and foot measures. These findings suggest that the rapid behavioural and physical development of key features may act as an ontogenetic adaptation to facilitate access to a stable food resource at a young age. The Javan slow loris exemplifies the complex relationship that exists between an animal’s diet and the specializations that facilitate access to these food resources.

Individual and synergist activities of monocrotophos with neem based pesticide, Vijayneem against Spodoptera litura Fab.

Evaluation of monocrotophos and Azadirachta indica oil, herein referred to as ‘Vijayneem’, were combined in ratios of 10% (10: 90), 20% (20: 80), 30% (30: 70), 40% (40: 60) and 50% (50: 50) [Monocrotophos: Vijayneem] under laboratory conditions to determine efficacy for properties of pesticidal, repellency, attraction, stimulant of consumption, development and reproduction. Asa biopesticide, Vijayneem oil (LC50 = 10.619%), caused greater mortality in dermal toxicity bioassays (LC50 = 18.045%) over ingestion. The greatest repellent activity was observed in third (Access Proportion Index = −0.25), fourth (API = −0.52) and fifth instar larvae (API = −0.67) in sprays of cotton leaves with monocrotophos. The detoxification enzymes like esterase (0.3, 11.1 μl/min/mg) and lactate dehydrogenase (6.8, 13.8 μl/min/mg) levels increased postingestion of treatments. Insects which ingested treated leaves showed an increase in carbohydrate (27.0, 18.0%), protein (4.7, 7.7%) and lipid (4.0, 10.4%) content. The greatest deformation of larvae, pupae and adults occurred in monocrotophos alone treatments, while the least deformities were recorded for monocrotophos + Vijayneem treatments. The male and female ratio and percentage of adult emergence was high in control than in A. indica oil alone treated S. litura. The greatest fecundity was observed in control (1620/4 female). In conclusion, the synergistic effects of A. indica oil + monocrotophos can be used for use the management of S. litura.

Hydraulic conductivity and compressibility characteristics of bentonite enriched soils as a barrier material for landfills

An experimental program was undertaken for the index and engineering properties (compaction, hydraulic conductivity and consolidation) of various mix proportions of sand, silt and coal ash with bentonite as an admixture to act as a barrier material for landfills. Thirty-four mixes were tested in all with different categories of mixes comprising of bentonite–sand, bentonite–sand-coal ash, bentonite-coal ash, bentonite-silt and bentonite-silt-coal ash mixes with bentonite content varying from 0 to 40% and coal ash from 0 to 90%. A series of hydraulic and mechanical tests were conducted to assess the Atterberg’s limits, hydraulic conductivity, compressibility characteristics, etc. of the mixes. The influence of bentonite and coal ash content, effective consolidation pressure and void ratio on the hydraulic conductivity and consolidation indices (compression index, swell index, coefficient of consolidation) was studied. The hydraulic conductivities of the sand-bentonite mixtures decreased from 1.75 × 10−5 to 3.34 × 10−11 m/s, when the bentonite content increased from 0 to 40%. An optimum amount of admixture viz. bentonite to be added to the base materials i.e. sand, silt and coal ash to obtain different category of mixes was ascertained. Disregarding the 5% soil-bentonite mix in case of sand and coal ash, an optimum mix of 10% sand-bentonite, 10% coal ash bentonite and a range of 5–10% for silt-bentonite is recommended for use as a barrier material considering the present study. The addition of coal ash to bentonite had a favourable effect on the properties of the mix in terms of hydraulic conductivity, to act as a barrier material.

Somatic Profile of the Elite Boulderers in Poland.

Ozimek, M, Krawczyk, M, Zadarko, E, Barabasz, Z, Ambroży, T, Stanula, A, Mucha, DK, Jurczak, A, and Mucha, D. Somatic profile of the elite boulderers in Poland. J Strength Cond Res 31(4): 963-970, 2017-The study was designed to determine the values of selected somatic characteristics, body proportions, and the somatotype of elite bouldering climbers in Poland and to establish the relationships between the values of the somatic characteristics and climber's performance in bouldering. The study was conducted in a group of elite sport climbers (n = 10) who were ranked by the Polish Mountaineering Association in 2011, 2012, and 2013. The anthropometric measurements were made according to the relevant rules and standards. The results were used to calculate the values of somatic variables and body proportion indices for the climbers and to establish their somatotype. The results were compared with the data on untrained students (n = 165). The boulderers were found to differ significantly from the controls regarding body height (p < 0.01), body mass (p ≤ 0.05), body density (p < 0.01), fat mass percentage (FM%) (p < 0.01), fat mass (FMkg) (p < 0.01), lean body mass (p ≤ 0.05), arm span (p ≤ 0.05), and leg length (p < 0.01). Body proportions in the groups significantly differed in the arm length index (p < 0.01), arm-to-leg length ratio (p < 0.01), and in the indices of the forearm (p < 0.01), thigh (p < 0.01), and lower leg (p ≤ 0.05) muscles. With regard to the somatotypes of the analyzed groups, the biggest differences were observed for the levels of mesomorphy (NS) and endomorphy, the latter being statistically significant (p < 0.01). The strongest and significant correlations between the competitive level of the climbers and the values of their somatic characteristics were established for FM% (r = -0.81), fat mass (in kilograms) (r = -0.82), body density (r = 0.81), endomorphy (r = -0.74), arm length (r = 0.77), and the arm length index (r = 0.80). The results of linear regression showed that the competitive level of a bouldering climber was significantly explained (p < 0.01) by fat mass (in kilograms) and the value of the arm length index. A high level of performance in bouldering is related to small stature (an ecto-mesomorph somatotype) and a low body fat percentage (low endomorphy). Regarding body proportions, greater than average arm length to body height ratio and well-developed musculature of the limbs are required for a boulderer to perform on a competitive level. High arm length index and low body fat percentage represent the strongest determinants of performance in bouldering. It can be assumed that arm length index has a high diagnostic value for recruitment and selection of climbers.

Structural reorganization of neurocytes of CA1 field of hippocampus in dynamic after experimental thermal trauma and application of lyophilized xenograft

The aim of the research was to establish the peculiarities of CA1 field of hippocampus neurocytes structural reorganization of animals in dynamics after experimental thermal injury and use of lyophilized xenograft.Materials and Methods. In the experiment on 35 mature white male rats microscopic, electronmicroscopic and morphometric study of animals’ hippocampus were made after severe thermal injury in terms of early necrectomy of affected area and closure by lyophilized xenograft. Experimental animals of the third experimental group were decapitated on the 7th, 14th and 21st days of experiment.Sections of the brain tissue have been taken from the hippocampus area for histological studies, fixed in 96o alcohol and 10 % neutral formalin and embedded in the paraffin blocks. Obtained on microtome sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and toluidine blue with Nissl method. Ultrathin sections were contrasted by uranyl acetate and lead citrate according to Reynolds method and were studied in the electron microscope PEM-125K. Morphometric study was performed using system of visual analysis of histological specimens.Results. It has been established that on the 7th day of the experiment with the usage of corrective factor the number of destroyed neurons in CA1 field of hippocampus was less, but still not significant compared to burned untreated animals. Neurocytes were in state of peripheral or segmental tigrolysis, and there was an increase in the square of hypochromic cells nuclei, some of them contained large nucleoli.Microscopically and electronmicroscopically on the 14th and especially on the 21st days of the experiment, there was found a significant improvement of histological condition of neurocytes, numerical density of the nerve cells in the CA1 field of hippocampus was significantly 1.25 times higher, and the number of normochromic cells 5.52 times more than in the animals with burns.Conclusions. Thus, the application of lyophilized xenograft after early necrectomy of burned skin earlier (the 7th day of experiment) after burn injury prevents deep changes of hippocampus CA1 field neurocytes, reduces the number of damaged cells.The positive impact of lyophilized xenograft application is the most expressive at the later stages after burn (the 14th and the 21st days of the experiment). Histologically there is a relative normalization of microscopic and ultrastructural composition of neurocytes, improvement in indices of density and proportion of nerve cells different types in the CA1 field of the hippocampus.

The Importance of Anthropometry Measurements in Analyzing the Impact of Sports Activities on Students

Abstract Our research aims to identify the importance of anthropometry measurements and functional testing of two groups that practice sport different, the first group, the experimental group was formed by 25 students (age 10 ± 2.1 years, 13 boys and 12 girls), that practiced 2 hours a week physical education and other 2 hours a week basketball and volleyball optional courses; and the second group formed by 25 students (age 10 ± 1.8 years, 14 boys and 11 girls), that practiced 2 hours a week classic physical education. The anthropometric tests included in the research were the measurement of height, weight, different length of superior and inferior segments, bust, spread of arms, biacromial diameter, bitrohanterian diameter and chest perimeter. Results showed that children from the experimental group, that practiced more sports activities, developed more quickly and had better proportionality index then the sample group. Statistically significant differences were determined within the experimental group both in the initial and in the final tests (p&lt;0.05), also significant differences were discovered between the experimental and the sample group in the final measurement (p&lt;0.05). Conclusions of this research showed that more physical activities can influence the development of children both in anthropometric way and in functional and health related.

Forensic art: 2D facial composite through image processing techniques in Sri Lanka

INTRODUCTION Forensic art is a technique used by law enforcement in order to identify a suspect towards apprehension or conviction of wanted persons and composite art is one branch. A “facial composite” is a graphical representation of a human face according to eyewitnesses' description. The failure rate of suspect identification through manual facial composite sketch was reportedly quite high in 2014 in Sri Lanka 1 . In addition, international software available for face identification may not be the best approach for Sri Lankan population. OBJECTIVE To develop an automated, image processing based computer software solution using 2D facial feature templates for suspect identification in Sri Lanka. STUDY DESIGN Facial feature templates were constructed by analyzing a dataset from Sri Lankan young adult population focusing on most occurring facial indices and commonly available facial feature shapes. Anthropometric proportion indices measurements and shape classification for eyes, nose, face, upper vermilion and lower vermilion of 140 undergraduates of both sexes between 20-25 age were identified and categorized according to BMI (Body Mass Index). Face Software Development Kit library (Face SDK library) was used for index measurements and domain expert knowledge from aesthetic and forensic art fields were utilized in identifying facial feature shapes. These parameters were incorporated to construct 2D facial feature templates for major facial feature. Then these templates were transferred into the system to be used for composite construction purpose. Finally face visualization process will perform iteratively until the eyewitness is satisfied with the ultimate image. Evaluation of this solution with face pool technique and anthropometric index evaluation techniques obtained 70.19% accuracy and average of 84% respectively. CONCLUSION A significant accuracy level in composite images has been obtained by using anthropometric indices measurements. Hence, this computerized solution will significantly enhance the currently used manual facial composite procedure for suspect identification in Sri Lanka ensuring justice to the victim of crime.

A novel computer system for the evaluation of nasolabial morphology, symmetry and aesthetics after cleft lip and palate treatment. Part 2: Comparative anthropometric analysis of patients with repaired unilateral complete cleft lip and palate and healthy individuals

PurposeThe aim of this study was to use a novel system, ‘Analyse It Doc’ (A.I.D.) for a complex anthropometric analysis of the nasolabial region in patients with repaired unilateral complete cleft lip and palate and in healthy individuals. Materials and methodsA set of standardized facial photographs in frontal, lateral and submental view have been taken in 50 non-cleft controls (mean age 20.6 years) and 42 patients with repaired unilateral complete cleft and palate (mean age 19.57 years). Then, based on linear, angular and area measurements taken from the digital photographs with the aid of the A.I.D. system, a photogrammetric analysis of intergroup differences in nasolabial morphology and symmetry was conducted. ResultsPatients with cleft lip and palate differed from the controls in terms of more than half of analysed angular measurements and proportion indices derived from linear and area measurements of the nasolabial region. ConclusionsThe findings presented herein imply that despite primary surgical repair, patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate still show some degree of nasolabial dysmorphology. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that the novel computer system is suitable for a reliable, simple and time-efficient anthropometric analysis in a clinical setting.

Three-dimensional analysis of facial morphology in Brazilian population with Caucasian, Asian, and Black ethnicity

Aim: To compare facial features related to the nose, lips and face between the Caucasian, Asian, and Black ethnicity in the Brazilian population by means of linear measurements and proportion indices obtained from the analysis of three-dimensional (3D) images taken by 3D stereophotogrammetry. Materials and Methods: Thirty healthy subjects, being 10 Caucasians, 10 Blacks and 10 Asians had reference points (landmarks) demarcated on their faces, 3D images were obtained (Vectra M3) and the following measurements were calculated: Facial proportion indices relative to the nose, lips and face. The statistical analysis was performed comparing the ethnic groups (one-way analysis of variance). Results: The Blacks and Asians showed the greatest difference in the face analysis (width, height of the lower face, upper face index and lower face index – P Conclusion: This study found the presence of some similarities in the proportion indices of nose, lips and face between the ethnic groups of the Brazilian population, as well as some important differences that should be known to guide surgical and forensics procedures, among others.

京津冀城市群热岛定量评估

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 京津冀城市群热岛定量评估 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201606031074 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 高分气象遥感应用示范系统（一期）；中国气象局气候变化专项（CCSF201618）；北京市科技计划课题（Z161100001216011）；北京市气象局城市气候评估创新团队；中国气象局气候变化创新团队 Research on quantitative evaluations of heat islands for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban Agglomeration Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:在采用城乡二分法估算区域范围内多个城市地表热岛强度（Surface Urban Heat Island，SUHI）时，如何选择城镇化影响最小的周边乡村背景是一个技术难点，提出了一种基于地形、土地利用、植被覆盖和城市夜间灯光指数来确定乡村背景的SUHI估算方法，并建立了基于SUHI和热岛比例指数（Urban Heat Island Proportion Index，UHPI）的城市热岛强度定量评估方法。利用上述方法，基于长时间序列MODIS和NOAA卫星资料，开展了京津冀城市群11个平原城市热岛时空变化分析与评估，并开展了社会经济驱动因子对城市热岛大小的影响评估研究，同时结合未来京津冀一体化发展提出相应参考建议。研究结果表明：（1）建立的SUHI估算方法能有效监测城市群热岛年/季和昼/夜变化，近5年（2010-2014）年均SUHI≥3℃的热岛总面积1926 km2，但在热岛最强的夏季白天可达7386 km2（占行政区域面积的5.8%）；排名前四的分别是北京（2351 km2）、天津（1883 km2）、唐山（889 km2）和石家庄（611 km2），显示出超大、特大城市及资源性城市贡献了大部分城市群热岛面积；各中心城区平均SUHI和UHPI分别为3.0℃和0.61，热岛评估达到较严重等级以上的城市占到73%，表明当前城市群整体热岛处于严峻现状；（2）1994、2004年和2014年夏季白天城市群强热岛面积分别为190、1975、4539 km2，各中心城区平均SUHI分别为1.2、2.6、3.2℃，UHPI分别为0.29、0.58和0.69，热岛评估等级分别为"一般"、"较严重"和"严重"等级，反映了20年来京津冀城市群热岛迅速增强增大事实；（3）各城市年均热岛面积增加2-86 km2/a，强热岛面积增加主要发生在超大城市，北京、天津强热岛区之间的最短空间距离从1994年的94 km逐步缩减到2014年的52 km，未来存在形成"京津区域热岛群"的可能，建议在京津之间建立"绿色生态屏障"来消除这种可能性；（4）城镇人口数、国内生产总值和用电量都极大地影响着京津冀城市热岛大小，拟合模型决定系数R2分别为0.9097、0.912和0.9661，意味着在未来京津冀一体化城市发展中可采取控制城市人口规模、减少能源消耗等措施减缓热岛效应。 Abstract:When estimating surface urban heat island intensity (SUHI) of different cities on a regional scale using the urban-rural difference method, it is technically difficult to select the rural districts or reference areas that exhibit minimal impact by urbanization. In this study, we propose a method of estimating SUHI based on land topography, land use, vegetation coverage, and urban nighttime light index to define the rural districts. Then, a quantitative evaluation method can be established to determine heat island intensity based on SUHI and the urban heat island proportion index (UHPI). Using this method, the temporal and spatial variation of urban heat island for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration region was quantitatively evaluated based on long time series MODIS and NOAA satellite data. An impact assessment for socio-economic factors driving urban heat islands was also conducted, and some recommendations for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic unity development are proposed. The results show that the SUHI estimation method can effectively reflect annual, seasonal, and diurnal variations of heat island in urban agglomerations. The annual mean heat island area with SUHI greater than or equal to 3.0℃ from 2010-2014 was 1,926 km2. It is highest on summer days at 7386 km2 (5.8% of total urban group area). The four largest area cities are Beijing at 2351 km2, Tianjin at 1883 km2, Tangshan at 889 km2, and Shijiazhang at 611 km2, which represent megacities, extra-large cities, and resource-dependent cities contributing to most of the heat island areas. The mean SUHI and UHPI of all central urban areas are 3.0℃ and 0.61, respectively. Seventy-three percent of cities have heat island assessment levels that are more than relatively severe with SUHI greater than or equal to 3.0℃. This indicates that the phenomenon of heat islands in urban agglomeration is currently severe. During summer days in 1994, 2004, and 2014, the areas with SUHI greater than or equal to 5.0℃ were 190 km2, 1975 km2, and 4539 km2; the mean SUHI were 1.2℃, 2.6℃, and 3.2℃; and the UHPI were 0.29, 0.58, and 0.69. The heat island assessment levels were normal, relatively severe, and severe, respectively, which reflects the fact that the heat island effect for urban agglomerations has strengthened and expanded in the last 20 years. The annual growth rate of heat island areas is 2-86 km2/a, and the increasing areas of high-level heat islands in urban group regions occur mainly in megacity behemoths. The shortest distance between the Beijing heat island region and the Tianjin heat island region was reduced from 94 km in 1994 to 52 km in 2014. Thus, in future, the Beijing and Tianjin heat island regions will probably connect to form a new Beijing Tianjin heat island group, which may be an ecological disaster for urban agglomeration development. Therefore, an ecological green barrier between Beijing and Tianjin should be set up to halt the trend. Heat island area with SUHI greater than or equal to 3.0℃ for various cities correlate notably with the urban population, gross domestic product, and electricity consumption, and the R2 are 0.9097, 0.912, and 0.9661, which indicates the important role of population control and energy consumption reduction in the development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic unit. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Analysis of Workplaces Supply in a Production Company

The paper deals with the analysis of the supply of workplaces and the description of the related activities. Workplaces are supplied using specific supply means. The individual supplies used in the supply system, a description of the main activities and the principle of work are characterized. There are five alternative proposals for improving the supply of production workplaces. A proportional index method was used to select the optimal variant of the supply solution for the production workplaces. The optimal solution proposal is to add the transport lanes in the production hall.

Cycling Traffic Development in Slovakia in the Terms of the City of Košice

Cycling traffic has been booming in urban agglomerations recently. This is due to the fact that using bicycles helps solve existing transport problems. The advantage is that it supports the limitation of the use of cars in city centers and thus reduces the negative impact of transport on the environment. It can be realized in various forms - using private bicycles or bike-sharing. Kosice includes among cities where introducing bike-sharing is considered. Kosice is a city that has its specific transport problems, whose partial solution may be to increase the support of cycling when one of the options is the introduction of a city bike-sharing system. The article offers a closer perspective at this issue in adaptation to real urban conditions. It introduces the possibility of introducing support for cycling traffic in the city of Kosice based on the selection of suitable locations for building the stations and the subsequent evaluation of selected localities based on the determined criteria using the proportional index method.

Antioxidant properties of probiotic fermented milk supplemented with chestnut flour (Castanea sativa Mill)

The effect of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill) flour in stimulating the growth of probiotic bacteria in fermented skim milk produced with different probiotic strains, namely Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis was evaluated. Microbial counts, pH, total titratable acidity (LA %) and syneresis were measured in fermented skim milk samples. Additionally, the antioxidant capacities of the samples were measured by Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), free radical scavenging activity (DPPH), and Ferric Reducing-antioxidant Power (FRAP) assays. The viability and growth proportion index (GPI) of L. rhamnosus were significantly higher than those of L. acidophilus and B. lactis in all samples during storage. Results indicated that all probiotic fermented milks enriched with chestnut flour displayed significant probiotic viability (>7 log10 cfu/g) with high antioxidant capacities. L. acidophilus, L. rhamnosus and B. lactis survived throughout the shelf life of the chestnut-fermented skim milk, and remain at this satisfactory viability level even after 21 days of storage. The antioxidant capacity and phenolic contents were dependent on probiotic strains used. Practical applications Nowadays the focus is rather on the effects of foods on maintenance of health, well-being and prevention of certain diseases than simply satisfaction of appetite or nutrition. The consumers’ health consciousness due to the scientific knowledge of the interactions between diet and health is a driving factor to develop products with health-related claims such as probiotic foods. This paper investigated the effects of chestnut flour supplementation not only on viability of probiotic bacteria but also the antioxidant capacity and phenolic contents in fermented milk throughout predicted shelf life. The results indicated that chestnut flour could be used as prebiotic for further researches to develop dairy products to deliver probiotics.

The course of skull deformation from birth to 5\xa0years of age: a prospective cohort study

In a continuation of a prospective longitudinal cohort study in a healthy population on the course of skull shape from birth to 24 months, at 5 years of age, 248 children participated in a follow-up assessment using plagiocephalometry (ODDI—oblique diameter difference index, CPI—cranio proportional index). Data from the original study sampled at birth, 7 weeks, 6, 12, and 24 months were used in two linear mixed models. Main findings: (1) if deformational plagiocephaly (ODDI <104%) and/or positional preference at 7 weeks of age are absent, normal skull shape can be predicted at 5 years of age; (2) if positional preference occurs, ODDI is the highest at 7 weeks and decreases to a stable lowest value at 2 and 5 years of age; and (3) regarding brachycephaly, all children showed the highest CPI at 6 months of age with a gradual decrease over time.Conclusion: The course of skull deformation is favourable in most of the children in The Netherlands; at 5 years of age, brachycephaly is within the normal range for all children, whereas the severity of plagiocephaly is within the normal range in 80%, within the mild range in 19%, and within the moderate/severe range in 1%. Medical consumption may be reduced by providing early tailored counselling.What is Known:• Skull deformation prevalence increased after recommendations against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, little is known about the longitudinal course.• Paediatric physical therapy intervention between 2 and 6 months of age reduces deformational plagiocephaly at 6 and 12 months of age.What is New:•The course of skull deformation is favourable in most of the children in The Netherlands; at 5 years of age, deformational brachycephaly is within the normal range for all children, whereas the severity of deformational plagiocephaly is within the normal range in 80%, within the mild range in 19%, and within the moderate to severe range in only 1%.•Paediatric physical therapy intervention does not influence the long-term outcome; it only influences the earlier decrease of the severity of deformational plagiocephaly.

The Impact of Urbanization on Stature and bmi in Poland

Analysis of the stature and body mass of men from the Kingdom of Poland who were drafted into the 1913/14 Russian army finds that Christians and Jews born in Warsaw were taller than their counterparts from small towns and villages. However, conscripts from Warsaw had less body mass than did conscripts from rural regions; the body mass index (bmi) of a significant proportion of the Warsaw contingent indicates nutritional deficiency. The difference in stature between inhabitants of Warsaw and those of the provinces is attributable to the dietary advantages of the urban environment. The higher bmi of the conscripts from the provinces derived from their greater muscle mass, achieved through the hard labor typical of rural environments. Young males in Warsaw tended to economize on food to spend more on the amusements typical of urban environments, not usually conducive to muscular development.

Macromolecular composition of terrestrial and marine organic matter in sediments across the East Siberian Arctic Shelf

Abstract. Mobilisation of terrestrial organic carbon (terrOC) from permafrost environments in eastern Siberia has the potential to deliver significant amounts of carbon to the Arctic Ocean, via both fluvial and coastal erosion. Eroded terrOC can be degraded during offshore transport or deposited across the wide East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS). Most studies of terrOC on the ESAS have concentrated on solvent-extractable organic matter, but this represents only a small proportion of the total terrOC load. In this study we have used pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (py-GCMS) to study all major groups of macromolecular components of the terrOC; this is the first time that this technique has been applied to the ESAS. This has shown that there is a strong offshore trend from terrestrial phenols, aromatics and cyclopentenones to marine pyridines. There is good agreement between proportion phenols measured using py-GCMS and independent quantification of lignin phenol concentrations (r2 = 0.67, p &lt; 0.01, n = 24). Furfurals, thought to represent carbohydrates, show no offshore trend and are likely found in both marine and terrestrial organic matter. We have also collected new radiocarbon data for bulk OC (14COC) which, when coupled with previous measurements, allows us to produce the most comprehensive 14COC map of the ESAS to date. Combining the 14COC and py-GCMS data suggests that the aromatics group of compounds is likely sourced from old, aged terrOC, in contrast to the phenols group, which is likely sourced from modern woody material. We propose that an index of the relative proportions of phenols and pyridines can be used as a novel terrestrial vs. marine proxy measurement for macromolecular organic matter. Principal component analysis found that various terrestrial vs. marine proxies show different patterns across the ESAS, and it shows that multiple river–ocean transects of surface sediments transition from river-dominated to coastal-erosion-dominated to marine-dominated signatures.

Morfometría del cerdo de traspatio en áreas rurales de México

Para caracterizar a las poblaciones del cerdo Pelón Mexicano (PPM), cerdo Cuino (PCU) y cerdos cruzados (PCI) se analizó información de 241 entrevistas realizadas durante 2013. Las variables analizadas fueron: peso corporal (Peco), longitud de cabeza (Loca), longitud del cuerpo (Locu), circunferencia del pecho (Circu), altura a la cruz (Acruz), ancho de pelvis (Anpe), número de pezones (Nupe), pelo denso o escaso (Cape), presencia o ausencia de colmillos (Colm), hocico corto o largo (Hoc), orejas erguidas o no erguidas (Posio), temperamento tranquilo o inquieto (Tem), índice de proporcionalidad (IP), índice corporal (IC) e índice de peso relativo (IPR). Los datos se analizaron con GLM y GENMOD del SAS. Los modelos estadísticos incluyeron Estado y Población. Población influyó (P&lt;0.05) Peco, Locu, Circu, Acruz, Cape, Colm, Tem IP, IC e IPR. Los coeficientes de variación (CV) mostraron a Peco y Anpe como las características con menor y mayor variación (18.8 y 27.8 %). Para IP, IC e IPR los CV fueron 13.0, 14.6 y 45.8 %.Las medias de cuadrados mínimos para PPM, PCU y PCI fueron 48.06±6.17a, 35.93±3.04b y 61.11±7.42a kg (Peco); 77.81±3.65ab, 69.56±2.02a y 88.52±4.93b cm (Locu); 80.55±3.98ab, 71.72±2.20a y 93.23±5.37b cm (Circu); 56.88±2.45ab, 51.26±1.36a y 60.32±3.31b cm (Acruz); 57±4a, 71±19b y 62±34a% (Cape); 68±31ab, 70±14a y 61±27b% (Colm); 65±30a, 56±12b y 62±3a% (Tem). PPM y PCI fueron similares en morfometría pero diferentes de PCU. La población PCU mostró menor peso, menor talla y temperamento más inquieto. Caracterizar a estas poblaciones es importante para diseñar estrategias para su conservación y uso eficiente.

扩张型心肌病患者尿酸水平与恶性室性心律失常研究

To analyze the relation between uric acid (UA) and malignant ventricular arrhythmia (MVA) in patient with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and to provide clinic basis for predicting the risk of death. Methods: We divide the 48 patient with dilated cardiomyopathy into 2 groups according to MVA. They are MVA group and normal group. We analyze the difference of the incidence of hyperuricemia (HUA) between the 2 groups. Results: ⑴ The indices of age, creatinine (Crea), uric acid, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and the percentage of HUA and ventricular late potential (VLP%) in MVA group are higher than those in normal group, as to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the normal group is higher than that in MVA group. And the difference between the two groups is statistically significant. There is no statistically difference in the indices of proportion of men, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate(HR) between the 2 groups. ⑵Using logistic regression, MVA was positively related to UA, VLP, age, NT-proBNP and LVEDV, and it is negatively related to LVEF. Conclusions: MVA is closely related to uric acid. Uric acid might be used to predict the incidence of MVA in patient with DCM.