DIFFERENTIAL SENSITIVITY OF “DOUBLE” AND “SINGLE” FLOWERS OF NIGELLA DAMASCENA (RANUNCULACEAE) TO EMASCULATION AND TO GA3

In Nigella damascena “double” flower is inherited as a single-gene recessive to “single” flower. Early emasculation of “double” flowers greatly inhibits gynoecium development and, to a lesser degree, development of sepals and bracts. No comparable inhibition of gynoecia was induced in “single” flowers though some sepal and bract inhibition was detected. A differential nutritional requirement for organ initiation on cultured flower apices was also detected. Apices of both varieties initiated stamens and carpels if kinetin was added to the basal medium. However, in the absence of kinetin, GA₃ was required for organ initiation in “doubles” but completely inhibited stamen initiation in “singles.” Both these differential effects are thought to reflect rather different patterns of gibberellin metabolism in the two genetic strains.     

Reconciling “stress” and “health” in physical anthropology: What can bioarchaeologists learn from the other subdisciplines?

The concepts of “stress” and “health” are foundational in physical anthropology as guidelines for interpreting human behavior and biocultural adaptation in the past and present. Though related, stress and health are not coterminous, and while the term “health” encompasses some aspects of “stress,” health refers to a more holistic condition beyond just physiological disruption, and is of considerable significance in contributing to anthropologists' understanding of humanity's lived experiences. Bioarchaeological interpretations of human health generally are made from datasets consisting of skeletal markers of stress, markers that result from (chronic) physiological disruption (e.g., porotic hyperostosis; linear enamel hypoplasia). Non-specific indicators of stress may measure episodes of stress and indicate that infection, disease, or nutritional deficiencies were present in a population, but in assessing these markers, bioarchaeologists are not measuring “health” in the same way as are human biologists, medical anthropologists, or primatologists. Rather than continue to diverge on separate (albeit parallel) trajectories, bioarchaeologists are advised to pursue interlinkages with other subfields within physical anthropology toward bridging “stress” and “health.” The papers in this special symposium set include bioarchaeologists, human biologists, molecular anthropologists, and primatologists whose research develops this link between the concepts of “stress” and “health,” encouraging new avenues for bioarchaeologists to consider and reconsider health in past human populations. Am J Phys Anthropol 155:181–185, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The influence of starvation and copper exposure on the composition of the dorsal carapace and distribution of trace metals in the shore crab Carcinus maenas (L.)

1. The influence of starvation and copper exposure on the composition of the carapace of the shore crab, Carcinus maenas has been investigated. The effects of the concentrations of selected trace metals in the carapace and midgut gland have also been examined.2. Differences in nutritional state did not affect the concentrations or relative proportions of the principle carapace components (calcium, chitin and protein), but starvation was associated with a reduction in carapace copper concentration. Copper concentration in the midgut gland increased in “starved” crabs, while midgut gland zinc and calcium concentrations remained unchanged.3. Starvation in combination with copper exposure (0.5 mg Cu/1) resulted in alterations in both carapace composition and trace metal loads. Carapace calcium concentrations were reduced significantly following copper exposure irrespective of the nutritional state of the crabs. However, the reduction was more marked in “fed” crabs than in “starved” animals.4. Copper-exposed crabs exhibited raised carapace copper concentrations while carapace zinc concentrations were depressed. Such changes were most pronounced in copper-exposed “starved” crabs.5. Calcium concentrations in the midgut glands of “starved” copper-exposed animals were significantly elevated compared with those in either control or “fed”, copper-exposed crabs.6. The findings are discussed with regard to their ecotoxicological significance.     

Oligotrophs versus copiotrophs.

Bacteria can grow rapidly, yet there are some that grow slowly under apparent optimal conditions. These organisms are usually present in environments with low levels of nutrients, and are not found in conditions of more plentiful nutrients. They are known as “oligotrophs”in contrast to “copiotrophs”, which are common in environments with greater nutritional opportunities. This essay asks why do the oligotrophs not occupy richer environments, and why are copiotrophs not more prevalent in chronic starvation environments? BioEssays 23:657–661, 2001. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Anaphylactic shock and lethal anaphylaxis caused by compound amino acid solution, a nutritional treatment widely used in China

Compound amino acid solution (CAAS) is a large class of solution of amino acids’ mixture and was widely used in China. Its extensive nutritional treatment was accompanied by a substantial incidence of adverse reactions, especially life-threatening anaphylaxis. However, the adverse reactions were reported in isolated case reports only, and the reasons behind this needed further investigation. The Chinese language papers were searched from China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang database published in China from 1985 to 2010. The search terms “anaphylactic”, “anaphylaxis”, “allergic”, “allergy”, “shock”, and “adverse reaction” combined with the term “amino acid” were used. Totally 71 episodes of anaphylactic shock and seven deaths in 38 articles were analyzed. Chest distress and cool extremities were the most common clinical manifestations. Almost all patients suffered from significant hypotension. The vast majority of patients were not found to be allergic to certain substances. CAAS was inappropriately administrated in more than one-third of patients. The life-threatening anaphylaxis was prominently prevalent in pregnant women, the elderly and patients with hypersensitivity such as asthma, and patients without medicinal indication. Innovation of processing technique and establishment of more strict supervision system are an urgent need for CAAS to control its production quality and thus improve its safety in China.     

Stress responses in yeasts: what rules apply?

Living organisms have evolved a complex network of mechanisms to face the unforeseen nutritional and environmental circumstances imposed on their natural habitats, commonly termed “stress”. To learn more about these mechanisms, several challenges are usually applied in the laboratory, namely nutrient starvation, heat shock, dehydration, oxidative exposures, etc. Yeasts are chosen as convenient models for studying stress phenomena because of their simple cellular organization and the amenability to genetic analysis. A vast scientific literature has recently appeared on the defensive cellular responses to stress. However, this plethora of studies covers quite different experimental conditions, making any conclusions open to dispute. In fact, the term “yeast stress” is rather confusing, since the same treatment may be very stressful or irrelevant, depending on the yeast. Customary expressions such as “gentle stress” (non-lethal) or “severe stress” (potentially lethal) should be precisely clarified. In turn, although prototypic yeasts share a common repertoire of signalling responsive pathways to stress, these are adapted to the specific ecological niche and biological activity of each particular species. What does “stress” really mean? Before we go any deeper, we have to define this uncertain meaning along with a proper explanation concerning the terms and conditions used in research on yeast stress.     

How ancestral subsistence strategies solve salmon starvation and the “protein problem” of Pacific Rim resources

This article provides a theoretical treatment of hunter–gatherer diet and physiology. Through a synthesis of nutritional studies, informed by ethno-archaeological data, we examine the risk of protein-rich diets for human survival, and how societies circumvent "salmon starvation" in the northeastern Pacific Rim. Fundamental nutritional constraints associated with salmon storage and consumption counter long-standing assumptions about the engine of cultural evolution in the region. Excess consumption of lean meat can lead to protein poisoning, termed by early explorers “rabbit starvation.” While consumption of fats and carbohydrates is widely portrayed as a pathway to “offsetting” protein thresholds, there are true limits to the amount of protein individuals can consume, and constraints are most extreme for smaller individuals, children, and pregnant/nursing mothers. While this problem is not usually perceived as associated with fish, the risk of protein poisoning limits the amount of low-fat fish that people can eat safely. Compared with smaller, mass-harvested species (e.g., eulachon), dried salmon are exceedingly lean. Under certain circumstances fattier foods (small forage fish, marine mammals, whales, and even bears) or carbohydrate-rich plants may have been preferred not just for taste but to circumvent this “dietary protein ceiling.” Simply put, “salmon specialization” cannot evolve without access to complimentary caloric energy through fat-rich or carbohydrate-rich resources. By extension, the evolution of storage-based societies requires this problem be solved prior to or in tandem with-salmon intensification. Without such solutions, increased mortality and reproductive rates would have made salmon reliance unsustainable. This insight is in line with genomic research suggesting protein toxicity avoidance was a powerful evolutionary force, possibly linked to genetic adaptations among First Americans. It is also relevant to evaluating the plausibility of other purportedly “focal” economies and informs understanding of the many solutions varied global societies have engineered to overcome physiological protein limits.     

Differences in nutritional status between rural and urban Yucatec Maya children: The importance of early life conditions

Early-life conditions shape childhood growth and are affected by urbanization and the nutritional transition. To investigate how early-life conditions (across the “first” and “second” 1000 days) are associated with rural and urban children's nutritional status, we analyzed anthropometric data from Maya children in Yucatan, Mexico. We collected weight, height and triceps skinfold measures, then computed body mass and fat mass indices (BMI/FMI), in a cross-sectional sample of 6-year-olds (urban n = 72, rural n = 66). Demographic, socioeconomic and early-life variables (birthweight/mode, rural/urban residence, household crowding) were collected by maternal interview. We statistically analyzed rural-urban differences in demographic, socioeconomic, early-life, and anthropometric variables, then created linear mixed models to evaluate associations between early-life variables and child anthropometric outcomes. Two-way interactions were tested between early-life variables and child sex, and between early-life variables and rural-urban residence. Results showed that rural children were shorter-statured, with lower overweight/obesity and cesarean delivery rates, compared to urban children. Household crowding was a negative predictor of anthropometric outcomes; the strongest effect was in boys and in urban children. Birthweight positively predicted anthropometric outcomes, especially weight/BMI. Birth mode was positively (not statistically) associated with any anthropometric outcome. Cesarean delivery was more common in boys than in girls, and predicted increased height in urban boys. In conclusion, urbanization and household crowding were the most powerful predictors of Maya 6-year-old anthropometry. The negative effects of crowding may disproportionately affect Maya boys versus girls and urban versus rural children. Early-life conditions shape Maya children's nutritional status both in the “first” and “second” 1000 days.     

Dictionary of protein secondary structure: Pattern recognition of hydrogen-bonded and geometrical features

For a successful analysis of the relation between amino acid sequence and protein structure, an unambiguous and physically meaningful definition of secondary structure is essential. We have developed a set of simple and physically motivated criteria for secondary structure, programmed as a pattern-recognition process of hydrogen-bonded and geometrical features extracted from x-ray coordinates. Cooperative secondary structure is recognized as repeats of the elementary hydrogen-bonding patterns “turn” and “bridge.” Repeating turns are “helices,” repeating bridges are “ladders,” connected ladders are “sheets.” Geometric structure is defined in terms of the concepts torsion and curvature of differential geometry. Local chain “chirality” is the torsional handedness of four consecutive C^α positions and is positive for right-handed helices and negative for ideal twisted β-sheets. Curved pieces are defined as “bends.” Solvent “exposure” is given as the number of water molecules in possible contact with a residue. The end result is a compilation of the primary structure, including SS bonds, secondary structure, and solvent exposure of 62 different globular proteins. The presentation is in linear form: strip graphs for an overall view and strip tables for the details of each of 10.925 residues. The dictionary is also available in computer-readable form for protein structure prediction work.     

Resource allocation and compensation during development in holometabolous insects

We provide an extensive review on current knowledge and future research paths on the topic of resource allocation and compensation during development in holometabolous insects, emphasizing the role of resource management during development, and how compensatory mechanisms may be acting to remediate nutritional deficiencies carried over from earlier stages of development. We first review resource allocation in “open” and “closed” developmental stages and then move on to the topic of modelling resource allocation and its trade-offs. In doing so, we review novel methodological developments such as response-surface methods and mixture experiments as well as nutritional geometry. We also dwell on the fascinating topic of compensatory physiology and behavior. We finish by discussing future research paths, among them the emerging field of nutrigenomics and gut microbiome, which will shed light into the yet poorly understood role of the symbiotic microbiota in nutrient compensation or assimilation.     

Guías de práctica clínica para la evaluación y tratamiento de la osteoporosis asociada a enfermedades endocrinas y nutricionales

ObjectiveTo provide practical recommendations for evaluation and treatment of osteoporosis associated to endocrine diseases and nutritional conditions.ParticipantsMembers of the Bone Metabolism Working Group of the Spanish Society of Endocrinology, a methodologist, and a documentalist.MethodsRecommendations were formulated according to the GRADE system (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) to describe both the strength of recommendations and the quality of evidence. A systematic search was made in MEDLINE (Pubmed), using the following terms associated to the name of each condition: AND “osteoporosis”, “fractures”, “bone mineral density”, and “treatment”. Papers in English with publication date before 18 October 2011 were included. Current evidence for each disease was reviewed by two group members, and doubts related to the review process or development of recommendations were resolved by the methodologist. Finally, recommendations were discussed in a meeting of the Working Group.ConclusionsThe document provides evidence-based practical recommendations for evaluation and management of endocrine and nutritional diseases associated to low bone mass or an increased risk of fracture. For each disease, the associated risk of low bone mass and fragility fractures is given, recommendations for bone mass assessment are provided, and treatment options that have shown to be effective for increasing bone mass and/or to decreasing fragility fractures are listed.     

Participation of women medical Physicists in European scientific events: The European experience

PurposeThough the number of women scientists is increasing over the years, studies show that they are still under-represented in leadership roles. The purpose of this work is to establish the percentage of women Medical Physicists (wMPs) that have participated in European scientific events and evaluate it as an indication of the current position of women in the field of Medical Physics in Europe and to propose possible ways to encourage their participation.Materials and MethodsData regarding the participants in European scientific events of Medical Physics were collected. The participants were divided into categories according to the program of the events and their gender was identified. The percentage of wMPs in each category was evaluated.ResultsThe participation of wMPs attending courses is greater than 50%. The categories with the greatest participation are “Organizing Committees”, “Chairpersons-Moderators” and “Oral Presentations”. The categories with the lower participation of wMPs are “Scientific Committee”, “Symposiums” and “Invited Speakers”. None of wMPs were represented as “Course Directors”.ConclusionsThe attendance of wMPs in courses is slightly greater than average. However, wMPs do not have an equally important recognition in special invited roles in conferences. They are still under-represented in “Scientific Committees”, “Invited Speakers”, “Symposiums” and “Course directors”. wMPs should be encouraged to participate even more actively in European conferences and the organizing committees should invite more wMPs in special roles. More studies concerning the status of female MPs in each country separately should be encouraged as they will help in understanding the position of wMPS in Europe.     

Navigating dietary small RNAs

When a novel nutritional concept comes along, scientists become enthusiastic and start new explorations. In 2012, the field was enthralled with a study suggesting plant-based nucleic acid “information” acts as a bioactive to regulate animal metabolism.     

Bangladeshi migrant associations in Italy: transnational engagement,community formation and regional unity

Referring to the case studies of two cities in Northern Italy, this article seeks to understand how Bangladeshi migrants use associations to seek transnational “ways of belonging” and “ways of being”. It analyses how this transnational attachment to their home country has played an important role in building their own “community”. The findings reveal that Bangladeshi migrant organizations work to maintain “transnational ways of belonging” by enabling migrants to retain their cultural roots; this is reflected in their observation of festivals, national days, and other practices and rituals. Although, as a relatively new migrant community, they do not share as many economic links through these associations as many other “diasporic” organizations, migrants widely express a sense that these economic connections are with their country of origin. However, there is competition within the community based on regional origin, as well as have many ambivalences and contradictions.     

CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE OF FOOD BARS

Increased use of conjoint analysis during the concept testing stage of food product development raises the question of whether conjoint analysis results translate into successful product development. Five food bar concepts from a previous conjoint analysis study targeted for the “Overall” panel, “Female” segment, “Male” segment, “Label Readers” segment and “Calorie Health Nuts” segment, were used for consumer testing. Standardized packaging was also developed to test elements not easily perceived from the product itself, i.e., low fat, low calorie and other nutritional information. The “Female #1 – commercial (Fiber One)” bar had the highest overall acceptance, 6.9 on a 9-point hedonic scale. Packaging significantly increased all ratings. Cluster analysis results were compared with segmentation from conjoint analysis. Similar results were found, showing there were clusters of consumers specifically interested in prototypes developed for specific conjoint analysis segments, which supports that conjoint analysis results translate into actual products.     

Some Important Developments in Northern Plains Prehistory, 1942-1967*

Abstract

The area of the Northern Plains is defined as by Wedel in his 1961 synthesis. For the period under consideration, the “process” of archeological work is presented in terms of two main areas of growth--the River Basin Survey Program and the opening up of intensive work in Canada. Also for the period considered, the “results 11 of archeological work are presented in terms of the following eight areas of both fact and theory development: 1) The Middle Missouri “Plains Village” development; 2) Paleo-Indian diversity; 3) Meso-Indian gap filling; 4) Projectile points as diagnostics; 5) Functional interpretations; 6) Ecological prespectives; 7)Relationships outsidethePlains; 8) Broad-ranging synthesis. Future developments are seen in the need and possibilities for historic work, preparation of syntheses and the deeper development of micro-analytic approaches.     

Honey and diabetes mellitus: Obstacles and challenges – Road to be repaired

Background and objectiveSince ancient times, honey has been used due to its nutritional and therapeutic value. The role of honey has been acknowledged in the scientific literature however, its use has been controversially discussed and has not been well accepted in modern medicine especially for diabetic patients. This study aimed to investigate the role of honey in diabetic patients.MethodsIn this study, we identified 107 research articles from data based search engines including “PubMed”, “ISI-Web of Science”, “Embase” and “Google Scholar”. The research papers were selected by using the primary key-terms including “Honey”, “Honey bee” and “Diabetes Mellitus”. The research documents in which “Honey” and “Diabetes Mellitus” were debated are included. After screening, we reviewed 66 papers and finally we selected 35 studies which met the inclusion criteria and the remaining documents were excluded.ResultsThis study investigated the preclinical, clinical, human and animal model studies on honey and diabetes mellitus and found that honey decreases the fasting serum glucose, increases the sting C-peptide and 2-h postprandial C-peptide. Although, there is a dearth of data and literature also contrary discussed the use of honey in diabetic patients.ConclusionHoney decreases the fasting serum glucose, increases fasting C-peptide and 2-h postprandial C-peptide. Honey had low glycemic index and peak incremental index in diabetic patients. The use of honey in diabetic patients still has obstacles and challenges and needs more large sample sized, multi-center clinical controlled studies to reach better conclusions.     

Combined Low-Intensity Exercise and Ascorbic Acid Attenuates Kainic Acid-Induced Seizure and Oxidative Stress in Mice

Physical exercise and vitamins such as ascorbic acid (ASC) have been recognized as an effective strategy in neuroprotection and neurorehabilitatioin. However, there is a need to find an efficient treatment regimen that includes ASC and low-intensity exercise to diminish the risk of overtraining and nutritional treatment by attenuating oxidative stress. In the present study, we investigated the combined effect of low-intensity physical exercise (EX) and ASC on kainic acid (KA)-induced seizure activity and oxidative stress in mice. The mice were randomly assigned into groups as follows: “KA only” (n = 11), “ASC + KA” (n = 11), “Ex + KA” (n = 11), “ASC + Ex + KA” (n = 11). In the present study, low intensity of swimming training period lasted 8 weeks and consisted of 30-min sessions daily (three times per week) without tail weighting. Although no preventive effect of low-intensity exercise or ASC on KA seizure occurrence was evident, there was a decrease of seizure activity, seizure development (latency to first seizures), and mortality in “ASC + Ex + KA” compared to “ASC + KA”, “Ex + KA”, and “KA only” group. In addition, a preventive synergistic coordination of low-intensity exercise and ASC was evident in glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity compared to separate treatment. These results suggest that low-intensity exercise and ASC treatment have preventive effects on seizure activity and development with alternation of oxidative status.     

My View on the“Quan Fang Bei Zu”

“Quan Fang Bei Zu” is a compiled work mainly for folklores, poems and other literary works concerning some common plants with some botanical information in it. It is certainly not a pure botanical work, covering no more than 240 species of plants, and thus has little use as a reference book in indexing names even in a primitive sense. Therefore “Quan Fang Bei Zu” could not be considered as a botanical dictionary. Xu Wen-xuan and his co-workers’ argument that “Quan Fang Bei Zu” was the most perfect ancient botanical codes and records till then is not convincing. Actually “Tu Jing Ben Cao” is of higher value than the book under discussion from botanical point of view.     

News photography and indigenous peoples: An “encounter” in Guatemala

In March, 1991, a “Continental Encounter” of indigenous peoples took place in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. This paper examines the photographic coverage of that event, based on interviews with the journalists, observation of their work at the Encounter, and analysis of published reports and photos. The news coverage is divided into three phases: expectations (in search of the exotic “type”), transformations (rethinking “Indianness”), and negation (institutional disregard). It is argued that the news media represent indigenous peoples as part of a “vanishing” past; exotic “others” whose existence has no relevance to the “modern” news consumer.