Exercise reduces appetite and traffics excess nutrients away from energetically efficient pathways of lipid deposition during the early stages of weight regain

The impact of regular exercise on energy balance, fuel utilization, and nutrient availability, during weight regain was studied in obese rats, which had lost 17% of their weight by a calorie-restricted, low-fat diet. Weight reduced rats were maintained for 6 wk with and without regular treadmill exercise (1 h/day, 6 days/wk, 15 m/min). In vivo tracers and indirect calorimetry were then used in combination to examine nutrient metabolism during weight maintenance (in energy balance) and during the first day of relapse when allowed to eat ad libitum (relapse). An additional group of relapsing, sedentary rats were provided just enough calories to create the same positive energy imbalance as the relapsing, exercised rats. Exercise attenuated the energy imbalance by 50%, reducing appetite and increasing energy requirements. Expenditure increased beyond the energetic cost of the exercise bout, as exercised rats expended more energy to store the same nutrient excess in sedentary rats with the matched energy imbalance. Compared with sedentary rats with the same energy imbalance, exercised rats exhibited the trafficking of dietary fat toward oxidation and away from storage in adipose tissue, as well as a higher net retention of fuel via de novo lipogenesis in adipose tissue. These metabolic changes in relapse were preceded by an increase in the skeletal muscle expression of genes involved in lipid uptake, mobilization, and oxidation. Our observations reveal a favorable shift in fuel utilization with regular exercise that increases the energetic cost of storing excess nutrients during relapse and alterations in circulating nutrients that may affect appetite. The attenuation of the biological drive to regain weight, involving both central and peripheral aspects of energy homeostasis, may explain, in part, the utility of regular exercise in preventing weight regain after weight loss.     

Edible nuts and metabolic health

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review summarizes evidence for metabolic health benefits of tree nuts and groundnuts (peanuts). While a role for nuts in the dietary management of LDL-cholesterol is well established, it is evident that regular consumption of nuts may also help to counteract other cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors. RECENT FINDINGS: Nuts are not only energy dense foods, they are rich sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and other bioactive nutrients with important metabolic effects. Contrary to expectations, epidemiological studies indicate that regular consumption of nuts is unlikely to contribute to obesity or increased risk of diabetes. In fact, it may help to regulate body weight by suppressing appetite and fat absorption. Nut consumption counteracts dyslipidemia and has the capacity to improve circulatory function through the actions of multiple constituents (arginine, polyphenols) on endothelial mechanisms. SUMMARY: Nuts are densely packaged nutrients with wide-ranging cardiovascular and metabolic benefits, which can be readily incorporated in healthy diets. Their potential role in counteracting obesity and the metabolic syndrome warrants further investigation.     

Structure of the regular surface layer of Sporosarcina ureae.

Optical diffraction and computer image processing of electron micrographs were employed to analyze the structure of the regular surface layer of Sporosarcina ureae at high resolution. Negatively stained preparations of regular surface layer fragments showed two types of tetragonal pattern, each having p4 symmetry in projection with a = 12.8 nm. Although the two patterns differed greatly in overall appearance, both had a common pattern of areas of high stain density which we interpret as arising from gaps or holes in the structure. We speculate that these holes may be related to a protective role of the regular surface layer, whereby hostile environmental agents (such as muramidases) larger than about 2 nm would be screened from the underlying layers of the bacterial surface, while the free passage of nutrients and waste products into and out of the cell would still be allowed.     

Pitfalls of enzyme-based molecular anticancer dietary manipulations: food for thought

Dietary approaches to cancer chemoprevention increasingly have focused on single nutrients or phytochemicals to stimulate one or another enzymatic metabolizing system. These procedures, which aim to boost carcinogen detoxification or inhibit carcinogen bioactivation, fail to take into account the multiple and paradoxical biological outcomes of enzyme modulators that make their effects unpredictable. Here, we critically examine the scientific and medical evidence for the idea that the physiological roles of specific enzymes may be manipulated by regular, long-term administration of isolated nutrients and other chemicals derived from food plants. Instead, we argue that consumption of healthful diets is most likely to reduce mutagenesis and cancer risk, and that research efforts and dietary recommendations should be redirected away from single nutrients to emphasize the improvement of dietary patterns as a principal strategy for public health policy.     

离体蒜苔贮存中薄壁细胞超微结构的变化

离体蒜苔贮存中薄壁细胞逐渐衰老,原生质表现出有序的降解和胞间转移。由细胞内膜产生的自体吞噬泡将细胞器消化。降解的原生质组分通过共质体和质外体两种途径转移,并最终运输至顶端作为珠蒜生长的营养。     

Nutrient competition and division synchrony in phytoplankton

In the Gulf Stream in October of 1968, division of at least nine species of dinoflagellates occurred between 03.00 h and 06.00h indicating a high level of developmental synchronization. Whereas light-dark and temperature cycles act independently on each species, the synchronizing agent in the Gulf Stream apparently couples the development of many species of the dinoflagellate community. It is proposed that diurnal fluctuation in nutrients, acting through interspecific competition, is the coupling and synchronizing agent in this environment. A mathematical model of interspecific competition shows that regular, short-term changes in nutrient levels are extremely sffective in synchronizing the development of several species. Calculations also suggest that division eynchrony is an indicator of the occurrence of competition for nutrients and that the degree of synchronization increases with the severity of nutrient limitation on the phytoplankton.     

Zooplankton succession on seasonal floodplains: surfing on a wave of food

Floodplains represent ecotones with frequent high productivity mediated by regular shifts between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. We examined interaction along this intercept on a seasonal floodplain of the Okavango Delta, Botswana. We focused on the zooplankton communities in order to gain knowledge on the energetic and stoichiometric interplay of the two systems involved. A conspicuous horizontal migration and pulsed biomass increase was found for the dominant zooplankton species (Moina micrura, Daphnia laevis, Mesocyclops leuckarti), culminating in truly extreme numbers before a final collapse. There was a distinct succession in the peak abundance of these species, apparently subsidized by hatchlings from the seed bank of resting eggs as the flood proceeded over the savannah. The high productivity of the system seems to be driven by a strong coupling of the terrestrial and aquatic phase of the floodplains via a mobilization of terrestrially derived nutrients, through nutrients from grazing ungulates during dry periods. Carbon of terrestrial origin, however, appeared to be of minor importance for the planktonic part of the food web. Handling editor: S. Dodson     

Cytological investigations in a synaptic variant of Anogeissus sericea var. sericea Brandis (Combretaceae), an important hardwood tree of Rajasthan

Studies of male meiosis in two varieties of Anogeissus sericea have led to the identification of a desynaptic variant tree of A. sericea var . sericea in the hills of Mt Abu in Rajasthan Province, India. The desynaptic variant exhibited a regular occurrence of univalents as opposed to bivalents in all the PMCs analysed, a convincing indication of failure of synapsis between homologous pairs of chromosomes. The number of bivalents influenced the orientation of the univalents at metaphase I and their regular disjunction at later stages. As well as the role of various causative factors such as temperature, humidity, nutrients, etc. leading to partial failure of synapsis (desynapsis), the possibility of adopting synaptic failure as a means of obtaining novel genetic variations of this economically important variety is discussed in detail.  © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 142 , 103–109.     

The time delays influence on the dynamical complexity of algal blooms in the presence of bacteria

Bacteria associated with oceanic algal blooms are acknowledged to play important roles in carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling. They influence the climate, mediate primary production, participate in biogeochemical cycles, and maintain ecological balance. A greater insight on the control of the interactions between microalgae and other microorganisms, particularly bacteria, would be helpful in exploring the role of bacteria on algal blooms in lakes. The present study is to investigate the effects of bacteria on the occurrence of algal blooms in lakes. We propose a nonlinear mathematical model by taking into account interactions among nutrients, algae, detritus and bacteria in a lake. We assume that bacteria enhance the growth of algal biomass through remineralization only. Equilibria are analyzed for feasibility and stability, substantiated via numerical simulations. Increase in uptake rate of nutrients by algae and bacteria death rate generates transcritical bifurcations. We perform a global sensitivity analysis to identify the important parameters of the model having a significant impact on the densities of algae and bacteria in the lake. Our findings show that massive algal production might occur in the presence of bacteria, and microalgae-bacteria interactions can be beneficial to the massive production of microalgae. Further, the effect of time delays involved in the bacterial decomposition conversion of detritus into nutrients is studied. Chaotic oscillations may arise via equilibrium destabilization on increasing the values of the time lag. To support chaos occurrence, the Poincaré map is drawn and the Lyapunov exponents are also computed. The findings, critically important for lake restoration, indicate that hypoxia in the lake can be prevented if detritus removal is performed on a regular basis, at time intervals smaller than the critical threshold in the delay with which detritus is decomposed into nutrients.     

油菜雄性核不育系及其等位可育系小孢子发育过程的比较研究

用Olympus BH2型光学显微镜对甘蓝型油菜单显性核不育系(GMS)及其等位可育系小孢子发育过程进行解剖学观察,发现在正常小孢子发育过程中,绒毡层在小孢子发育的四分体前后开始解体,为小孢子继续发育提供营养,而不育系小孢子的败育在减数分裂前就已经发生,并且不能形成四分体,小孢子逐渐解体,且小孢子解体在绒毡层解体之前发生,最后花药成为干瘪的空壳,导致不育。     

Methodology for studying exchanges between salt marshes and coastal marine waters

The salt marshes of the Mont St. Michel bay represent a complex system in continuous change, mostly due to the frequent exchanges with the coastal waters through tidal processes. In such ecosystems, water is an important element insofar as it represents the common vector of flows between and among several ecosystem compartments. The purpose of the approach discussed here is to estimate the volume of water coming in and out and to determine the variations of the water quality according to time and nutrients concentrations. The estimation of the water fluxes is dependent on the channel calibration downstream of the watershed. Among the different methods examined, the continuous integrals calibration appears as the best one because the water level changes very quickly.Up to now, estimations of nutrients exchanges in wetlands have been based on rigorously regular field sampling, in consideration of the fact that exchanges occurred mainly during annual spring tides or during spring tides of each cycle of the year. According to our results, it seems that every tide, and portion of a tide, of a monthly and seasonal cycle has some importance and variability, which suggests that all parts of a tide should be considered in estimations of exchanges between wetlands and coastal waters.Corresponding Editor: W. Mitsch     

Coordinated regulation of nutrient and inflammatory responses by STAMP2 is essential for metabolic homeostasis

Metabolic and inflammatory pathways crosstalk at many levels, and, while required for homeostasis, interaction between these pathways can also lead to metabolic dysregulation under conditions of chronic stress. Thus, we hypothesized that mechanisms might exist to prevent overt inflammatory responses during physiological fluctuations in nutrients or under nutrient-rich conditions, and we identified the six-transmembrane protein STAMP2 as a critical modulator of this integrated response system of inflammation and metabolism in adipocytes. Lack of STAMP2 in adipocytes results in aberrant inflammatory responses to both nutrients and acute inflammatory stimuli. Similarly, in whole animals, visceral adipose tissue of STAMP2(-/-) mice exhibits overt inflammation, and these mice develop spontaneous metabolic disease on a regular diet, manifesting insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, mild hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and fatty liver disease. We conclude that STAMP2 participates in integrating inflammatory and metabolic responses and thus plays a key role in systemic metabolic homeostasis.     

暖温带地区主要树种叶片凋落物分解过程中主要元素释放的比较

应用分解网袋法对暖温带落叶阔叶林内分布较为优势的辽东栎（Quercus liaotungensis)、五角枫（Acermono)、蒙椴（Tilia mongolica)、糠椴（T.mandshurica)等4种植物叶片凋落物第一年的分解速率损失过程基本符合Olson的指数降解模型。4种凋落物的分解速率（凋落物的年重量损失）依次为五角枫＞糠椴＞蒙椴＞辽乐栎。N、P、Na、Fe、Cu、Mn在几种凋落物残留物中各自有不同程度的富集。C、K含量显著单调下降,其它几种元素含量变化不太规律。可以看出,元素的初始含量对其释放速率有很大影响,当微生物固持作用使C与其它元素比升高到某一阈值时,元素开始释放;初始含量较高的元素则从最初开始释放。高含量的木质素对元素的净释放有一定抑制作用,而在凋落物分解初期影响不大。     

The chalk-stream environment

Chalk is a very pure and porous form of limestone. Water percolates down through the rock to form aquifers which overflow as springs forming chalk streams which receive little surface runoff. Passage through the rock is relatively slow and smooths out irregularities in rainfall and stabilises the water temperature. As a result the streams tend to have a regular annual hydrograph with a relatively small difference between winter and summer flows and with no spate conditions; and the temperature range in the streams remains closer to the annual mean than in rivers receiving more surface runoff. The water is calcareous with a pH of 7.4–8.0 and an ample supply of plant nutrients. The streams support diverse and productive communities of plants and animals and the restricted temperature range is particularly suitable for the growth of brown trout.     

Intercropping Competition between Apple Trees and Crops in Agroforestry Systems on the Loess Plateau of China

Agroforestry has been widely practiced in the Loess Plateau region of China because of its prominent effects in reducing soil and water losses, improving land-use efficiency and increasing economic returns. However, the agroforestry practices may lead to competition between crops and trees for underground soil moisture and nutrients, and the trees on the canopy layer may also lead to shortage of light for crops. In order to minimize interspecific competition and maximize the benefits of tree-based intercropping systems, we studied photosynthesis, growth and yield of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) by measuring photosynthetically active radiation, net photosynthetic rate, soil moisture and soil nutrients in a plantation of apple (Malus pumila M.) at a spacing of 4 m × 5 m on the Loess Plateau of China. The results showed that for both intercropping systems in the study region, soil moisture was the primary factor affecting the crop yields followed by light. Deficiency of the soil nutrients also had a significant impact on crop yields. Compared with soybean, peanut was more suitable for intercropping with apple trees to obtain economic benefits in the region. We concluded that apple-soybean and apple-peanut intercropping systems can be practical and beneficial in the region. However, the distance between crops and tree rows should be adjusted to minimize interspecies competition. Agronomic measures such as regular canopy pruning, root barriers, additional irrigation and fertilization also should be applied in the intercropping systems.     

Statistical media optimization for cell growth and azadirachtin production in Azadirachta indica (A. Juss) suspension cultures

Azadirachtin is one of the most widely used biopesticide originating from a plant source. Its production from plant cell cultivation was viewed to overcome constraints associated with its regular supply from the seed kernels. In order to select the effective carbon and nitrogen source, different concentrations of carbon (sucrose/glucose) and nitrogen (NO₃⁻/NH₄⁺ ratio) were studied in A. indica suspension culture. Glucose turned out to be a better carbon source over sucrose yielding high biomass (6.32 g/L) and azadirachtin (11.12 mg/L) content. Nitrate alone as nitrogen source was favorable for both biomass and azadirachtin accumulation. Plackett–Burman design was adopted to select the most important nutrients influencing the growth and azadirachtin accumulation in suspension culture. After identifying effective nutrients, Central Composite Design (CCD) was used to develop mathematical model equations, study responses and establish the optimum concentrations of the key nutrients for higher growth and azadirachtin production. A maximum of 15.02 g/L biomass and 2.98 mg/g azadirachtin was produced using optimum nutrient concentrations representing 99 and 96% validity of the model prediction with respect to biomass and azadirachtin, respectively. This optimized media can be used for cultivation of A. indica cells in bioreactor for mass production of azadirachtin.     

A putative mechanism for bog patterning

The surface of bogs commonly shows various spatial vegetation patterning. Typical are "string patterns" consisting of regular densely vegetated bands oriented perpendicular to the slope. Here, we report on regular "maze patterns" on flat ground, consisting of bands densely vegetated by vascular plants in a more sparsely vegetated matrix of nonvascular plant communities. We present a model reproducing these maze and string patterns, describing how nutrient-limited vascular plants are controlled by, and in turn control, both hydrology and solute transport. We propose that the patterns are self-organized and originate from a nutrient accumulation mechanism. In the model, this is caused by the convective transport of nutrients in the groundwater toward areas with higher vascular plant biomass, driven by differences in transpiration rate. In a numerical bifurcation analysis we show how the maze patterns originate from the spatially homogeneous equilibrium and how this is affected by changes in rainfall, nutrient input, and plant properties. Our results confirm earlier model results, showing that redistribution of a limiting resource may lead to fine-scale facilitative and coarse-scale competitive plant interactions in different ecosystems. Self-organization in ecosystems may be a more general phenomenon than previously thought, which can be mechanistically linked to scale-dependent facilitation and competition.     

Nutrient control of phytoplankton production in Lake Naivasha,Kenya

Lake Naivasha, a shallow tropical lake in Kenya's Rift Valley, has an unstable water column and is moderately eutrophic. Nutrient (bottom-up) control of primary production is more important than grazing (top-down) control. Experimental nutrient enrichment was used to investigate bottom-up control in more detail. Minor nutrients were not found to be limiting, whilst nitrogen was more limiting than phosphorus with an algal preference for ammonium over nitrate. Sediments form a phosphorus sink but there is hypolimnetic release from the one area showing regular temporary stratification. This indicates that the rate of primary production in the water column could double if conditions change to allow lake-wide nutrient release from sediments. Both external and recycled nutrient regeneration are important.     

Zooplankton distribution and dynamics in a temperate shallow estuary

The spatial, temporal and tidal dynamics of the zooplanktonic community of the Mondego estuary was studied from January 2003 to 2004. The monthly sampling procedure included the measurement of hydrological parameters (salinity, temperature, Secchi transparency, chlorophyll a and nutrients) and the collection of zooplankton with a Bongo net of 335 μm mesh size. Zooplankton composition, distribution, density, biomass and diversity were determined. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed the existence of a spatial gradient with the upstream sampling stations, associated to high values of nutrients, in opposition to the downstream stations characterized by higher salinity and transparency values. The Copepoda was the main dominant group and Acartia tonsa revealed to be the more abundant taxon. The spatial and temporal dynamics of zooplanktonic communities analysed by non-metric MDS showed the existence of four assemblages of species-sites, reflecting differences in zooplankton composition between both branches of the estuary. The results suggest that abundance, biomass and diversity of the zooplanktonic community are strongly influenced by the hydrological circulation pattern and by direct or indirect human impacts that occur in each branch. The northern branch is dominated by the river flow suffering from regular dredging activities and the southern branch is dominated by tidal circulation suffering from an ongoing eutrophication process.     

The role of calcium and activated oxygens as signals for controlling cross-tolerance

Plants are confronted on a regular basis with a range of environmental stresses. These include abiotic insults caused by, for example, extreme temperatures, altered water status or nutrients, and biotic stresses generated by a plethora of plant pathogens. Many studies have shown that the cellular responses to these environmental challenges are rather similar, which might be why plants resistant to one stress are sometimes cross-tolerant to others. To understand this phenomenon and to be able to take full advantage of it in agriculture, we must determine whether the individual biochemical pathways that make up the responses to each external stimulus are activated by unique, overlapping or redundant signalling systems. We discuss the potential role of signalling molecules, such as calcium and activated oxygen species, in underlying cross-tolerance.