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Assessing physical activity and cardiometabolic risk in masters athletes as an example of very high physical activity at old age. Forty-three men were studied in full factorial design, either as sprint or jump-trained masters athletes (MA, n=10, age 60–75 years), as young sprint or jump-trained athletes (YA, n=10, age 20–35 years), older control participants (OC, n=11, age 60–75 years) or as young control participants (AC, n=12, age 20–35 years). We performed bio-electrical impedance analysis and assessed serum markers of lipids and glucose metabolism and C-reactive protein, structured training hours, and habitual activity via mobile actimetry. Body fat was greater in OC than in MA (23.9 [SD 4.2] % vs. 14.0 [SD 5.7] %, p<0.001), and also greater than in YA and YC (both p<0.001). Weekly training hours were comparable between MA and YA (7.9 [SD3.3] hours vs. 11.1 [SD 4.8] hours, p=0.69). Habitual walking distance was greater in MA than in OC (7,387 [SD 4,923] m/day vs. 4,110 [SD 1,772] m/day, p=0.039), and so was habitual running distance (667 [SD690] m/day vs. 132 [427] m/day, p<0.001). HOMA-index was greater in OC than in MA (2.07 [SD 1.39] vs. 0.80 [SD 0.41], p=0.0039), and so was C-reactive protein (1.35 [SD 1.74] mg/l vs. 0.58 [SD 0.27] mg/ml, p=0.018), whereas serum lipids showed only moderate or no effect (all p between 0.036 and 0.07). Improved body composition and physical activity levels in MA are associated with lower cardiometabolic risk, which seems more pronounced for insulin sensitivity and inflammaging than for lipid metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last decades have seen a rise in the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) approaches to modulate brain activity and associated behavior. Concurrently, eye tracking (ET) technology has improved to allow more precise quantitative measurement of gaze behavior, offering a window into the mechanisms of vision and cognition. When combined, tDCS and ET provide a powerful system to probe brain function and measure the impact on visual function, leading to an increasing number of studies that utilize these techniques together. The current pre-registered, systematic review seeks to describe the literature that integrates these approaches with the goal of changing brain activity with tDCS and measuring associated changes in eye movements with ET. The literature search identified 26 articles that combined ET and tDCS in a probe-and-measure model and are systematically reviewed here. All studies implemented controlled interventional designs to address topics related to oculomotor control, cognitive processing, emotion regulation, or cravings in healthy volunteers and patient populations. Across these studies, active stimulation typically led to changes in the number, duration, and timing of fixations compared to control stimulation. Notably, half the studies addressed emotion regulation, each showing hypothesized effects of tDCS on ET metrics, while tDCS targeting the frontal cortex was widely used and also generally produced expected modulation of ET. This review reveals promising evidence of the impact of tDCS on eye movements and associated psychological function, offering a framework for effective designs with recommendations for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper is a review of the status of Research Data Management (RDM) efforts in UAE public university libraries. Approach: The investigation is through examining available literature about the topic using region-specific articles when available, librarian comments, and the information provided by UAE university library websites. Existing lessons and policy documents are sought, and plans suggested for local solutions, suggesting avenues for progress. Findings: Though not a new concept, findings indicate that local RDM activities are emerging, but knowledge of their importance of exists. Research limitations: This review is limited to public university libraries though the results and experiences could be generally relevant to more research establishments. Practical implications: Taking advantage of the existing awareness to organize tangible RDM efforts can facilitate retrieval and availability of data relevant to the region. Value: An intricate range of activities involved in the organization of RDM services is revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood decay is an economically significant process, as it is one of the major causes of wood deterioration in buildings. In this study, the decay process of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) samples caused by cellar fungus (Coniophora puteana) was followed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods. Altogether, 30 wood sample pieces were exposed to fungus for 10 weeks. Based on the decrease of the dry mass, the samples were categorized into three classes: decomposed (mass decrease 50–70%), slightly decomposed (10–50%), and nondecomposed (<10%). MRI made it possible to identify the active regions of fungus inside the wood samples based on the signal of free water brought by the fungus and arisen from the decomposition of wood carbohydrates. MRI implies that free water is not only created by the decay process, but fungal hyphae also transports a significant amount of water into the sample. Two-dimensional 1H T1-T2 relaxation correlation NMR measurements provided detailed information about the changes in the microstructure of wood due to fungal decomposition. Overall, this study paves the way for noninvasive NMR and MRI detection of fungal decay at early stages as well as the related structural changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a new bi-level feature selection method for high dimensional accelerated failure time models by formulating the models to a single index model. The method yields sparse solutions at both the group and individual feature levels along with an expedient algorithm, which is computationally efficient and easily implemented. We analyze a genomic dataset for an illustration, and present a simulation study to show the finite sample performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last decades have seen a rise in the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) approaches to modulate brain activity and associated behavior. Concurrently, eye tracking (ET) technology has improved to allow more precise quantitative measurement of gaze behavior, offering a window into the mechanisms of vision and cognition. When combined, tDCS and ET provide a powerful system to probe brain function and measure the impact on visual function, leading to an increasing number of studies that utilize these techniques together. The current pre-registered, systematic review seeks to describe the literature that integrates these approaches with the goal of changing brain activity with tDCS and measuring associated changes in eye movements with ET. The literature search identified 26 articles that combined ET and tDCS in a probe-and-measure model and are systematically reviewed here. All studies implemented controlled interventional designs to address topics related to oculomotor control, cognitive processing, emotion regulation, or cravings in healthy volunteers and patient populations. Across these studies, active stimulation typically led to changes in the number, duration, and timing of fixations compared to control stimulation. Notably, half the studies addressed emotion regulation, each showing hypothesized effects of tDCS on ET metrics, while tDCS targeting the frontal cortex was widely used and also generally produced expected modulation of ET. This review reveals promising evidence of the impact of tDCS on eye movements and associated psychological function, offering a framework for effective designs with recommendations for future studies., (© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

In this review, we discuss the genetic etiologies of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Furthermore, we review genetic links to protein signaling pathways as novel pharmacological targets to treat AD. Moreover, we also discuss the clumps of AD-mediated genes according to their single nucleotide polymorphism mutations. Rigorous data mining approaches justified the significant role of genes in AD prevalence. Pedigree analysis and twin studies suggest that genetic components are part of the etiology, rather than only being risk factors for AD. The first autosomal dominant mutation in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene was described in 1991. Later, AD was also associated with mutated early-onset (presenilin 1/2, PSEN1/2 and APP) and late-onset (apolipoprotein E, ApoE) genes. Genome-wide association and linkage analysis studies with identified multiple genomic areas have implications for the treatment of AD. We conclude this review with future directions and clinical implications of genetic research in AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infertility now affects one in seven couples, and the prevalence of this condition continues to increase. Ovulatory defects and unknown causes account for more than half of the cases of infertility. It has been postulated that a significant proportion of these cases are directly or indirectly related to obesity, since the presence of excess adipose tissue has a variety of effects on reproductive function. Here, we review on the effects of the two major adipokines (leptin and adiponectin) on fertility, with a focus on the first steps in embryo implantation and the key components of fetal-maternal interface (the placenta and the endometrium). These adipokines are reportedly involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation, and as such affect local angiogenesis, immune tolerance and inflammatory processes in placental and endometrial tissues. In placental cells, leptin and adiponectin also modulate trophoblast invasiveness and the nutrient supply. These observations strongly suggest by interfering with the placenta and endometrium, adipokines can create a favorable environment for embryo implantation and have a key role in fetal-maternal metabolism, fetal-maternal communication, and gestation. Given that reproductive functions are tightly coupled to the energy balance, metabolic abnormalities may lead to the development of complications of pregnancy and changes in fetal growth. In this context, we suggest that the leptin/ adiponectin ratio may be a clinically valuable marker for detecting a number of pathologies in pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome-wide association studies have been successful in uncovering novel genetic variants that are associated with disease status or cross-sectional phenotypic traits. Researchers are beginning to investigate how genes play a role in the development of a trait over time. Linear mixed effects models (LMM) are commonly used to model longitudinal data; however, it is unclear if the failure to meet the models distributional assumptions will affect the conclusions when conducting a genome-wide association study. In an extensive simulation study, we compare coverage probabilities, bias, type 1 error rates and statistical power when the error of the LMM is either heteroscedastic or has a non-Gaussian distribution. We conclude that the model is robust to misspecification if the same function of age is included in the fixed and random effects. However, type 1 error of the genetic effect over time is inflated, regardless of the model misspecification, if the polynomial function for age in the fixed and random effects differs. In situations where the model will not converge with a high order polynomial function in the random effects, a reduced function can be used but a robust standard error needs to be calculated to avoid inflation of the type 1 error. As an illustration, a LMM was applied to longitudinal body mass index (BMI) data over childhood in the ALSPAC cohort; the results emphasised the need for the robust standard error to ensure correct inference of associations of longitudinal BMI with chromosome 16 single nucleotide polymorphisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inactivation of trypsin inhibitor, lipoxygenase 1, and urease during the processes of dry extrusion, wet extrusion, micronisation, microwave roasting and autoclaving were studied. Cultivars Bosa, ZPS 015, Goyou Kurakake and L93-7290 were used in the experiment. Depending on a technological procedure of processing, kernels were exposed to temperatures from 57 to 150 oC for different time: from 25-30 sec in the process of dry and wet extrusion, to 30 min in autoclaving. The process of dry extrusion had the greatest influence on reduction of the trypsin inhibitor content and inactivation of urease and lipoxygenase 1. During the dry extrusion at 100 oC trypsin inhibitor declined by 74.2 % and the residual activity of a lipoxygenase 1 and urease was only 0.76 i.e. 0.55 %, respectively. Lipoxygenase 1 was the most heat labile enzyme, followed by urease and than trypsin inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the domain of affect and emotion as they arise in interaction, from the perspective of stance, sequence, and dialogicality. We seek to frame the issue of affective display as part of a larger concern with how coparticipants in interaction construct the socioaffective and sociocognitive relations that organize their intersubjectivity, via collaborative practices of stance taking. We draw mainly on two research traditions, conversation analysis and the dialogic turn in sociocultural linguistics, focusing on their treatments of affect, emotion, and intersubjectivity. Key ideas from the respective approaches are the role of sequence in shaping the realization and interpretation of stance, and dialogic resonance as a process of alignment between subsequent stances. We present a view of stance as a triplex act, achieved through overt communicative means, in which participants evaluate something, and thereby position themselves, and thereby align with co-participants in interaction. Alignment is argued to operate as a continuous variable rather than a dichotomy, as participants subtly monitor and modulate the "stance differential" between them, while often maintaining a strategic ambiguity. Finally, we comment on the rich contributions to the study of stance, affect, and intersubjectivity in interaction made by the collaborators in this special issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predominant proteins and enzymes in the sapwood and transition zones of Robinia pseudoacacia L. were identified and expressed by two methods: 2D SDS-PAGE (two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Large differences in the amount of proteins extracted were observed between the bark, sapwood and transition zones. Soluble proteins strongly expressed in sapwood have been identified, and the results interpreted to mean that these proteins are responsible for carbohydrate metabolism and flavonoid turnover. By contrast, proteins strongly expressed in the transition zone are mainly responsible for flavonoid biosynthesis. Lectins were found in protein fractions of both sapwood and the transition zone, and heat-stress proteins were detected only in the transition zone. The results are a further proof that flavonoids are synthesised directly at the transition zone between sapwood and heartwood, and that materials deposited in the sapwood are the source for synthesis of metabolites in heartwood, such as flavonoids and tannins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) heartwood samples were measured with electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) at frequency range 1 Hz-10 MHz in green and relative humidity (RH) 65% conditioned moisture content (MC) after oven-drying. Complex impedance parameters were studied in relation to the density, moisture, resin acid and stilbene contents. The measurements were conducted in tangential (T) and longitudinal (L) directions with 36 samples in each analysis. For green MC, there were significant correlations between impedance phase angle and contents of stilbenes and resin acids at frequencies below 400 Hz. For the resin acid content, the strongest correlation with phase-angleT was -0.45 (P<0.01) at 100 Hz. Impedance magnitude correlated significantly with MC throughout the frequency range, e.g., at 10 kHz, r was -0.71 (P<0.001) for L-direction. In moisture conditioned state, the correlation between stilbenes and T-measured phase angle was strongest at 250 Hz, (r=-0.56, P<0.001). Equivalent circuit model of two ZARC-Cole elements in series was fitted for the measurements in green MC. Several model parameters correlated with MC (e.g., R1, L r=-0.64, P<0.001), but only one parameter correlated weakly with stilbene content (R2, T r=0.35, P<0.05). The study shows that EIS has a potential for independent determination of resin acid or stilbene contents and MC for green pine heartwood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Adiponectin, an adipokine with profound insulin-sensitizing effect, consists of heterogeneous species of multimers. These oligomeric complexes circulate as low-molecular-weight (LMW) trimers, medium-molecular-weight (MMW) hexamers and high-molecular-weight (HMW) isoforms and can exert differential biological effects. The aims of this study were to determine whether there is a change in circulating adiponectin multimers in the presence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), overweight/obesity or with a treatment with sulfonylurea or insulin in patients with GDM. Study design: This cross-sectional study included women with: 1) normal pregnancy (n=149); and 2) patients with GDM (n=72). Thirty-three patients with GDM were managed with diet alone. Among the others 39 diabetic patients, 17 were treated with Glyburide and 22 with insulin. The study population was further stratified by first trimester body mass index (BMI) (normal weight <25 kg/m2 vs. overweight/obese ≥25 kg/m2). Serum adiponectin multimers (total, HMW, MMW and LMW) concentrations were determined by ELISA. Results: 1) The median maternal serum of total, HMW, MMW and LMW were lower in patients with GDM than in those with normal pregnancies (P<0.001 for all comparisons); 2) patients with GDM had a lower HMW/total adiponectin ratio and a higher MMW/total and LMW/total adiponectin ratio than those with a normal pregnancy (P<0.001 for all comparisons); and 3) among GDM patients, there were no differences in the concentrations and relative distribution of adiponectin multimers between those who were managed with diet, and those who were treated with pharmacological agents. Conclusion: 1) GDM is characterized by a distinctive pattern of concentrations and relative distribution of adiponectin multimers akin to Type 2 diabetes mellitus; 2) dysregulation of adiponectin multimeres can provide a mechanistic basis for the association between adiposity and GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Adipose tissue dysfunction, characterized by dysregulation of adipokines production and/or secretion, has been implicated in the pathophysiology of type-2 diabetes mellitus, a metabolic complication closely related to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Recently, an association between circulating maternal visfatin, a novel adipokine with metabolic and immunoregulatory properties, and impaired glucose metabolism as well as with altered fetal growth, has been proposed. The aims of this study were to determine whether there is an association between maternal plasma visfatin concentration, GDM, and a large-for-gestational-age (LGA) newborn. Study design: This cross-sectional study, included pregnant women at term in the following groups: 1) normal pregnancy and an appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) neonate (n=54); 2) normal pregnancy and an LGA newborn (n=47); 3) GDM and an AGA newborn (n=56); 4) GDM and an LGA newborn (n=45). The study population was further stratified by first trimester BMI (<25 vs. ≥25 kg/m2). Maternal plasma visfatin concentration was determined by ELISA. Parametric and non-parametric statistics were used for analysis. Results: 1) Among women who delivered an AGA neonate, the median maternal plasma concentration of visfatin was higher in patients with GDM than in those with a normal pregnancy; 2) Among women with a normal pregnancy, those who delivered an LGA neonate had a higher median maternal plasma visfatin concentration than those who delivered an AGA neonate; 3) among patients with normal BMI, there were no significant differences in the median maternal plasma visfatin concentration between the four study groups; and 4) maternal GDM, as well as delivery of an LGA neonate were independently associated with a higher maternal plasma visfatin concentrations. Conclusion: The linkage between increased maternal circulating visfatin and the presence of GDM or delivery of an LGA neonate supports the hypothesis that perturbation of adipokines homeostasis may play a role in the pathophysiology of GDM or excess fetal growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study applies the idea that media discourse is typically public to an analysis of the open postcard. The postcard as product is seen as only one aspect of the social practice of postcarding, which is parasitic on the postal system, but ambivalent enough to also function as a parasitee for other media and social practices. The postcard is not per se designated to be public nor official, but postcards are nevertheless available for an indefinitely large group of people. The postcard is semi-public: it is explicitly personal (addressed to only one person), but implicitly public (since its text, picture and stamp are readily visible). Since the sender of a postcard cannot be sure who will read the postcard, he or she will typically adapt his/her linguistic expression on the postcard accordingly. Referring to earlier work (Laakso and Östman 1999; Östman and Laakso 1999), the article considers the institutional and discursive characteristics of the postcard and focuses (linguistically and semiotically) on the role of the postcard—at present and in an historical light—as the carrier of cultural values, and as the ‘unofficial media’ for minorities to maintain a feeling of togetherness and belonging, especially in times of hardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe effects of the intensity and timing of commercial thinning and fertilisation on tracheid properties and lignin content of Norway spruce [Picea abies(L.) Karst] were studied in two long-term fertilisation-thinning experiments in central and eastern Finland. The experiments consisted of three thinning and three fertilisation treatments in a randomised block design. Fertilisation levels were: unfertilised (F0), 150 kg N ha-1(F1), and 300 kg N ha-1(F2). Thinning treatments were: delayed first thinning (T0), normal thinning (T1), and intensive first thinning (T2). A total of 85 trees were sampled 26 years after treatment onset. Tracheid length was measured for 24 trees and cell wall thickness and lumen diameter for 16 trees grown under treatments F0T0, F0T2, F1T0, and F1T2. Lignin content was determined for all trees sampled (n85) grown in all the different treatment combinations. We found only small differences in tracheid length (0–6), cell wall thickness (1–17) and lumen diameter (0–9), depending on the different fertilisation and thinning conditions. We also found only slightly (1–2) higher lignin content for fertilised (F1and F2) than for unfertilised (F0) trees (25.8 and 26.0 vs. 25.4). Trees yielded 26.0 lignin content after intensive first thinning (T2), 25.9 following normal thinning (T1), and 25.4 after delayed first thinning (T0). Thus, the prevailing fertilisation and thinning practice for Norway spruce stands in Finland may not cause essential changes in tracheid properties and lignin content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]