bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The MOPEAD project: Advancing patient engagement for the detection of “hidden” undiagnosed cases of Alzheimer's disease in the community
Authors: Rodríguez‐Gómez Octavio , Rodrigo Adrián , Iradier Fátima , Santos‐Santos Miguel A. , Hundemer Hans , Ciudin Andreea , Sannemann Lena , Zwan Marissa , Glaysher Bridget , Wimo Anders , Bonn Jaka , Johansson Gunilla , Rodriguez Isabel , Alegret Montse , Gove Dianne , Pinó Susana , Trigueros Paloma , Kivipelto Miia , Mathews Brandy , Ciudad Antonio , Ferreira Daniel , Bintener Christophe , Gurruchaga Miren , Westman Eric , Belger Mark , Valero Sergi , Maguire Peggy , Krivec David , Kramberger Milica , Simó Rafael , Garro Inmaculada Pérez , Visser Pieter Jelle , Dumas Annette , Georges Jean , Jessen Frank , Winblad Bengt , Shering Craig , Stewart Neil , Campo Laura , Boada Mercè ,   on behalf of the MOPEAD Consortium
Published: May 2019

In most, if not all health systems, dementia is underdiagnosed, and when diagnosis occurs, it is typically at a relatively late stage in the disease process despite mounting evidence showing that a timely diagnosis would result in numerous benefits for patients, families, and society. Moving toward earlier diagnoses in Alzheimer's disease (AD) requires a conscientious and collective effort to implement a global strategy addressing the multiple causes hindering patient engagement at different levels of society. This article describes the design of the Models of Patient Engagement for Alzheimer's Disease project, an ongoing EU‐funded public‐private multinational initiative that will compare four innovative patient engagement strategies across five European countries regarding their ability to identify individuals with prodromal AD and mild AD dementia, which are “hidden” in their communities and traditionally not found in the typical memory clinic setting. The strategies include an online AD citizen science platform, an open house initiative at the memory clinics, and patient engagement at primary care and diabetologist clinics.
Asymmetry of vertical buoyancy gradient in stratified turbulence
Authors: Maffioli Andrea
Published: May 2019

We consider the asymmetry of the buoyancy field in the vertical direction in stratified turbulence. While this asymmetry is known, its causes are not well understood, and it has not been systematically quantified previously. Using theoretical arguments, it is shown that both stratified turbulence and isotropic turbulence in the presence of a mean scalar gradient will become positively skewed, as a direct consequence of the presence of stratification and mean scalar gradient, respectively. Assuming a rapid adjustment of isotropic turbulence to a stable stratification on a time scale $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}\sim N^{-1}$, where $N$ is the Brunt–Väisälä frequency, a scaling for the skewness of the vertical buoyancy gradient is obtained. Direct numerical simulations of stratified turbulence with forcing are performed and the positive skewness of $\unicode[STIX]{x2202}b/\unicode[STIX]{x2202}z$ is confirmed ($b$ is the buoyancy). Both the volume-averaged dimensional skewness, $\langle (\unicode[STIX]{x2202}b/\unicode[STIX]{x2202}z)^{3}\rangle$, and the non-dimensional skewness, $S$, are computed and compared against the theoretical predictions. There is a good agreement for $\langle (\unicode[STIX]{x2202}b/\unicode[STIX]{x2202}z)^{3}\rangle$, while there is a discrepancy in the behaviour of $S$. The theory predicts $S\sim 1$ and a constant skewness, while the direct numerical simulations confirm that the skewness is $O(1)$ but with a remaining dependence on the Froude number. The results are interpreted as being due to the concurrent action of linear and nonlinear processes in stratified turbulence leading to $S>0$ and to the formation of layers and interfaces in vertical profiles of buoyancy.
Use of the retinol-binding protein : transthyretin ratio for assessment of vitamin A status during the acute-phase response
Authors: Filteau Suzanne M. , Willumsen Juana F. , Sullivan Keith , Simmank Karin , Gamble Mary
Published: May 2019

The ratio plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP) : transthyretin (TTR) has been proposed as a means to improve the assessment of vitamin A status of individuals with concurrent infection or inflammation. We have measured RBP and TTR in stored sera from South African children who had accidentally ingested kerosene. Samples were collected from these children in hospital when suffering acute inflammation and respiratory distress, and from them and neighbourhood control children 3 months later. Vitamin A status was defined by modified relative dose response (MRDR) tests of liver retinol stores at 3 months and by serum retinol concentration both when children were ill and when they were well. Illness was defined as either being in hospital or, at follow-up, as having a raised plasma α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) level. The RBP : TTR value was significantly decreased by both illness and low liver retinol stores. When the effects on RBP : TTR of illness and vitamin A stores were considered together for the 3-month follow-up samples, only vitamin A status significantly decreased the value. We calculated sensitivity and specificity of the RBP : TTR ratio against established measures of vitamin A status using a cut-off value of 0·3 for RBP : TTR and standard cut-off values for MRDR (0·06) and plasma retinol (0·7 μmol/l). Compared with MRDR, RBP : TTR had sensitivities of 76 % and 43 % and specificities of 22 % and 81 % to detect vitamin A deficiency in hospitalized and well children respectively. Compared with plasma retinol, sensitivities were 88 % and 44 % and specificities were 55 % and 64 % in hospitalized and well children respectively. Only for the case of clinically well children with biochemical evidence of subclinical inflammation did sensitivity (62 % and 100 % against MRDR and plasma retinol respectively) and specificity (100 % and 60 % against MRDR and retinol) approach useful levels for an assessment tool. Overall, although a trend supporting the theory behind the use of the RBP : TTR for assessment of vitamin A status in infection was observed in the current study, the ratio did not provide adequate sensitivity and specificity to be a useful assessment tool.
Effect of viscosity on digestion of nutrients in conventional and germ-free chicks
Authors: Langhout D. J. , Schutte J. B. , Jong J. de , Sloetjes H. , Verstegen W. A. , Tamminga S.
Published: May 2019

A study was conducted with conventional and germ-free broiler chicks to obtain more information on the role of the intestinal microflora in the anti-nutritive effects of NSP in broiler chicks. As the NSP source, highly methylated citrus pectin (HMC) was used at a dose level of 30 g/kg in a maize-based diet. The diets fed to the germ-free chicks were γ-irradiated, whereas those fed to the conventional chicks were not. Feeding the HMC diet to conventional birds depressed weight gain and food utilization (P< 0·05), whereas in germ-free birds only weight gain was reduced (P< 0·05). Feeding the HMC diet to conventional birds reduced digestibilities of energy and starch at the end of the jejunum. Ileal digestibilities of starch and energy were not strongly affected when birds were fed on the HMC-containing diet. Faecal digestibilities of organic matter, crude fat, starch and amino acids, N retention and metabolizable energy were reduced when conventional chicks were fed on the HMC diet. Feeding the HMC diet to germ-free birds hardly affected faecal digestibility of nutrients and N retention, whereas metabolizable energy was increased. Feeding the HMC diet to conventional or germ-free birds increased the viscosity of the digesta in the small intestine. This increase in digesta viscosity was more pronounced in conventional than in germ-free birds. The pH of ileal digesta was reduced when HMC was added to the diet of conventional chicks, but not in germ-free chicks. Feeding the HMC diet to conventional birds markedly affected morphology of the gut wall, whereas in germ-free chicks very little effect was found on gut morphology. Based on the results of the present study, it is concluded that the gastrointestinal microflora mediates the magnitude of the anti-nutritive effects of HMC in broiler chicks. However, the exact role of the microflora in chicks in the magnitude of the anti-nutritional effects of HMC could not be derived from the present study, since the results might have been influenced by γ-irradiation of the diets fed to the germ-free chicks.
Effects of dietary sulfur-containing amino acids on oxidative damage inrat liver caused byN-nitrosodimethylamine administration
Authors: Taniguchi M. , Yasutake A. , Takedomi K.
Published: May 2019

Effects of dietary protein and S-containing amino acids on oxidative damage were investigated in rat liver. After feeding rats for 3 weeks from weaning, lower GSH levels and higher metallothionein (MT) levels were found in the liver of rats fed on a 10 % soyabean-protein-isolate (SPI)-based diet than those fed on a 10 % casein-based diet. After injection ofN-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) at 20 mg/kg body weight, increases in lipid peroxide, determined as thiobarbituric-acid reactive substances (TBARS), and γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity in the liver were observed in the 10 % SPI diet group. By supplementing the 10 % SPI diet with 0·3 % cystine or methionine, GSH levels were increased, while MT levels were decreased, and elevation in TBARS levels after NDMA injection was diminished. On the other hand, increase in GGT activity could be prevented only by methionine supplement. On a 20 % SPI or casein diet, TBARS concentration and GGT activity were not altered after NDMA injection with concomitant increase in GSH levels and decrease in MT levels. These results indicate that sufficient amounts of methionine and cystine in a diet are important to protect the liver from oxidative damage after NDMA administration, and GSH plays a primary role in the cellular protective function when compared with MT.
The acute effect of D-tagatose on food intake in human subjects
Authors: Buemann Benjamin , Toubro Søren , Raben Anne , Blundell John , Astrup Arne
Published: May 2019

A double-blind randomized crossover study was performed with nineteen normal-weight men to investigate the effect on subsequentad libitumfood intake of replacing 29 g sucrose with 29 g D-TAGATOSE AS SWEETENER TO A BREAKFAST MEAL. d-Tagatose is a malabsorbed stereoisomer of fructose with potential application as a bulk sweetener. Food intake was measured at lunch offered 4 h after the breakfast meal, during the afternoon with access to abundant snacks, and finally at a supper buffet 9 h after the breakfast. Energy intake at lunch and during the snacking period was similar after ingesting the two sugars, while it was 15 % lower after ingesting d-tagatose than with sucrose at supper (P< 0·05). Gastrointestinal factors such as the osmotic effects of unabsorbed d-tagatose causing distension of the gut might have mediated the acute appetite-suppressing effect. The present paper also refers to data from a preceding study in which we observed an increased self-reported energy intake after ingestion of d-tagatose compared with sucrose which, in fact, suggests a relative hyperphagic effect of d-tagatose. However, self-reported food intake may be biased by selective under-reporting and this subsequent study with a more controlled assessment of food intake was therefore conducted. This present study did not support any hyperphagic effect of d-tagatose, but rather suggests that d-tagatose may contribute to a reduced energy intake.
Comparison of recoveries in breath carbon dioxide of H13CO-3 and H14CO-3 administered simultaneously by single 6 h constant unprimed intravenous infusion
Authors: Fuller N. J. , Harding M. , McDevitt R. , Jennings G. , Coward W. A. , Elia M.
Published: May 2019

The aim of this study was to assess the bioequivalence of H13CO-3 and H14CO-3, by administering both labels simultaneously by single infusion and comparing their recovery in breath CO2 and urinary urea. Six healthy male subjects (age range 24–41 years; weight 76·7 (SD, 18·6) KG; HEIGHT 1·79 (sd 0·05) m) were infused with unprimed solutions of HCO3- (110·0 mmol/kg) labelled with 13C (0·76 mmol 13C/h) and 14C (48 Bq/h) at a constant rate for 6 h, in a whole-body calorimeter (1400 litres) for measurement of CO2 production. Samples of breath were collected hourly in a Douglas bag and all urine was collected into two batches (0–4 h and 4–6 h) for estimating recovery of infused label by measurement of enrichment or specific activity. Recovery in breath CO2 of both labels increased from about 25% for the first hour to 88% and above for hours 3–4 onwards. Mean recovery of 13C in breath CO2 was slightly higher than that of 14C for all periods (mean difference always less than 1 % of infused label) but was significant only for the first 3h (P < 0·05). Recovery of 14C in urea was significantly higher (P < 0·01) than 13C, but was confounded by substantial variability and uncertainties concerning 13CO2 background enrichments. These results suggest that there is no compelling need to alter factors currently used for recovery of 14C in breath when using 13C instead, and vice versa.
Raised saturated-fat intake worsens vascular function in virgin and pregnant offspring of streptozotocin-diabetic rats
Authors: Holemans Kathleen , Gerber Robert , O'Brien-Coker Ivan , Mallet Anthony , Bree Rieta Van , Van Assche F. André , Poston Lucilla
Published: May 2019

Adult offspring of severely diabetic pregnant rats are insulin resistant and display cardiovascular dysfunction. When pregnant they develop mild hyperglycaemia. Diets high in saturated fat have been implicated in the development of cardiovascular disease and vascular dysfunction. In the present study we have determined vascular function in small mesenteric arteries from offspring of normal (OC) and diabetic (OD) rats fed standard chow and offspring of diabetic rats fed a diet high in saturated fats (OD-HF) from weaning to adulthood, and throughout their subsequent pregnancies. OD rats displayed an increased sensitivity to noradrenaline (P< 0·05) and impaired sensitivity to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator, acetylcholine. The component of acetylcholine-induced relaxation attributable to endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor was reduced in OD-HF rats. Pregnant OD rats also demonstrated impaired maximum relaxation to acetylcholine (pregnant OD ratsv. pregnant OC ratsP< 0·05). In pregnant OD-HF rats noradrenaline sensitivity was enhanced and endothelium-dependent relaxation further reduced (pregnant OD-HF ratsv. pregnant OC ratsP< 0·001). The isoprostane, 8-epi-prostaglandin F2α, a marker of oxidative stress, was increased in pregnant OD rats (pregnant OD ratsv. pregnant OC ratsP< 0·001) and further increased in pregnant OD-HF rats (pregnant OD-HF ratsv. pregnant OD ratsP< 0·05). We conclude that a high-saturated-fat diet leads to deterioration in specific components of vascular function in OD rats. When pregnant, vascular function of OD-HF rats is further compromised. Pregnancy in the OD rats is associated with a striking increase in a marker of oxidative stress, which increases further if the saturated fat intake is raised.
Effects of milk diets containing beef tallow or coconut oil on the fatty acid metabolism of liver slices from preruminant calves
Authors: Graulet Benoît , Gruffat-Mouty Dominique , Durand Denys , Bauchart Dominique
Published: May 2019

Coconut oil (CO) induces a triacylglycerol infiltration in the hepatocytes of preruminant calves when given as the sole source of fat in the milk diet over a long-term period. Metabolic pathways potentially involved in this hepatic triacylglycerol accumulation were studied byin vitromethods on liver slices from preruminant Holstein × Friesian male calves fed a conventional milk diet containing CO (n5) or beef tallow (BT,n5) for 19 d. Liver slices were incubated for 12 h in the presence of 0·8 mM-[14C] oleate or -[14C] laurate added to the medium. Fatty acid oxidation was determined by measuring the production of CO2(total oxidation) and acid-soluble products (partial oxidation). Production of CO2was 1·7–3·6-fold lower (P0·0490) and production of acid-soluble products tended to be lower (P= 0·0625) in liver slices of CO- than BT-fed calves. Fatty acid esterification as neutral lipids was 2·6– to 3·1–fold higher (P= 0·0088) in liver slices prepared from calves fed the CO diet compared with calves fed the BT diet. By contrast with what occurs in the liver of rats fed CO, the increase in neutral lipid production did not stimulate VLDL secretion by the hepatocytes of calves fed with CO, leading to a triacylglycerol accumulation in the cytosol. It could be explained by the reduction of fatty acid oxidation favouring esterification in the form of triacylglycerols, in association with a limited availability of triacylglycerols and/or apolipoprotein B for VLDL packaging and subsequent secretion.
Composition of bacteria harvested from the liquid and solid fractions of the rumen of sheep as influenced by feed intake
Authors: Rodríguez C. A. , González J. , Alvir M. R. , Repetto J. L. , Centeno C. , Lamrani F.
Published: May 2019

A study was conducted to determine the effect of the feed intake on the chemical composition of bacteria associated with the solid (solid-associated bacteria; SAB) and liquid (liquid-associated bacteria; LAB) fractions of rumen digesta, the digestive passage kinetics and their relationships. Whole rumen contents were sampled after a period of continuous infusion of15NH3from four ruminally-cannulated wethers provided successively with a hay–concentrate diet (2: 1 w/w on a DM basis) at two rates of feed intake: 40 and 80 g DM/kg body weight0·75. SAB had a higher content of organic matter and total lipids (P< 0·001) and a similar N content as compared with LAB. The concentration of purines and15N was lower (P= 0·011 andP< 0·001 respectively) in SAB than LAB, whereas the opposite was observed for the concentration of amino acids (mg/g DM;P= 0·031). An increase in feed intake produced an increase in the N (P= 0·034) and purine (P= 0·066) concentrations in bacteria and a decrease (P= 0·033) in their amino acid concentrations. Significant increases of rumen outflow rates of liquid and particles were also observed with increased feed intake. Rates of rumen outflow showed positive and negative linear relationships (P< 0·001) with the purine: N ratio and the proportion of amino acid on total N of bacteria respectively. SAB contained significantly higher proportions of leucine, isoleucine, lysine and phenylalanine and lower proportions of alanine, methionine and valine than LAB. The increase in feed intake also induced significant changes in the amino acid profile of bacteria, increasing arginine and methionine and decreasing alanine and glycine proportions. Results show that the outflow rate of rumen contents is a major factor in determining the proportion of nucleic acids and protein in rumen bacteria and explains some of the differences observed between LAB and SAB.
Dietary fatty acids influence the appearance of tumour necrosis factor-α receptors on adipocytes following an immune challenge
Authors: MacQueen Hilary A. , Sadler Dawn , Mattacks Christine
Published: May 2019

Rats were fed from weaning on chow supplemented with suet or sunflower oil (10 % (w/w) each). The appearance of receptors for tumour necrosis factor-α on perinodal adipocytes from the popliteal depot following a subcutaneous injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide was examined. In rats fed on sunflower oil-supplemented chow receptors appeared at a time similar to that described in rats fed unsupplemented chow, but in rats fed on chow supplemented with suet receptor appearance was significantly delayed. The popliteal adipocytes were found to contain different proportions of fatty acids as assessed by GLC. These preliminary results suggest that the fatty acid component of the diet can, by influencing the triacylglycerol-fatty acids within adipocytes, directly alter the time course of an early inflammatory immune response.
Portal net appearance of amino acids in growing pigs fed a barley-based diet with inclusion of three different forage meals
Authors: Reverter M. , Lundh T. , Gonda H. L. , Lindberg J. E.
Published: May 2019

The net absorption of amino acids (AA) in young pigs fed a barley-based control diet (C) and diets where barley was replaced by 200 g/kg fresh weight of dried lucerne (Medicago sativa; L20), white clover (Trifolium repens; W20) or perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne; PR20) meal was studied. Castrated male pigs were fitted with permanent catheters in the hepatic portal vein and mesenteric artery, and the hepatic portal net absorption of AA was estimated from the porto–arterial plasma concentration differences and the hepatic portal-vein blood flow. In general, the essential AA (EAA) concentrations in the hepatic portal vein reached peak levels 90 min after feeding and thereafter exhibited a transient decline. Maximum porto–arterial differences were reached between 1 and 3 h postprandially for most of the AA. The cumulative net absorption of non-essential AA (NEAA) and EAA did not differ significantly between the barley-based diet and diets W20 and PR20. Due to a lower intake of AA on diet L20, the cumulative net absorption of NEAA and EAA was significantly (P<0·05) lower than diet C. With the exceptions of the EAA arginine, cystine and valine, and the NEAA glutamic acid + glutamine and glycine, there were no significant differences in the absorption coefficients for the EAA and NEAA between the diets. In addition, the pattern of the total EAA in the mixture absorbed postprandially did not differ significantly between the diets. The present study gives support to the contention that the replacement of barley AA with forage meal AA in a barley-based diet for growing pigs should be expected to result in minor differences in the net portal flux of AA.
Resting metabolic rate, fat-free mass and catecholamine excretion during weight loss in female obese patients
Authors: Menozzi R. , Bondi M. , Baldini A. , Venneri M. G. , Velardo A. , Del Rio G.
Published: May 2019

The reduction in resting metabolic rate (RMR) during weight loss exceeds that accounted for by changes in body composition by 15%, suggesting that factors other than fat-free mass (FFM) explain the metabolic adaptation during food restriction in obesity. Our study aimed to establish if changes in the sympathoadrenal system activity, as inferred from an integrated measure such as 24 h urinary excretion of catecholamines, may play a role in the RMR adaptation observed during dietary restriction in obese patients. Ninety-three obese female subjects consumed a low-energy diet (LED) (2930 kJ/d (700 kcal/d)) for a 3-week period. At the beginning and at the end of the study, 24 h urinary excretion of catecholamines, FFM and RMR were measured. The LED induced a significant reduction in body weight (-3·3 (SEM 0·4) KG; P < 0·01), FFM (-1·9 (sem 0·7) kg; P < 0·01) and in the fat mass (-1·2 (sem 0·5) kg; P < 0·01). Noradrenalin excretion (24 h) decreased during the LED from 264 (sem 26) during a weight-maintenance period to 171 (sem 19) nmol/24 h after consumption of the LED for 3 weeks (P < 0·001); mean 24 h adrenalin excretion did not change during the LED (22 (sem 3) during the weight-maintenance period v. 21 (sem 3) nmol/24 h after consumption of the LED for 3 weeks; NS). The LED induced a significant decrease in RMR (7300 (sem 218) v. 6831 (sem 138) kJ/24 h; P < 0·001). The only independent variable that significantly explained variations in RMR both before and after consumption of the LED for 3 weeks, was FFM (r2 0·79 and r2 0·80 respectively). Urinary noradrenalin excretion explained a further 4 % of the variability in RMR, but only before the diet, so that a role of sympathoadrenal system on RMR seems to be present in obese patients in basal conditions but not at the end of the LED.
Components and variations in daily energy expenditure of athletic and non-athletic adolescents in free-living conditions
Authors: Ribeyre Jérôme , Fellmann Nicole , Vernet Jean , Delaître Michel , Chamoux Alain , Coudert Jean , Vermorel Michel
Published: May 2019

The objectives of the study were to determine: (1) daily energy expenditure (EE) of athletic and non-athletic adolescents of both sexes in free-living conditions; (2) day-to-day variations in daily EE during 1 week; (3) energy costs of the main activities; and (4) the effect of usual activity on EE during sleep, seated and miscellaneous activities. Fifty adolescents (four groups of eleven to fifteen boys or girls aged 16–19 years) participated in the study. Body composition was measured by the skinfold-thickness method, and VO2max and external mechanical power (EMP) by a direct method (respiratory gas exchanges) on a cycloergometer. Daily EE and partial EE in free-living conditions were computed from heart-rate (HR) recordings during seven consecutive days using individual prediction equations established from the data obtained during a 24 h period spent in whole-body calorimeters with similar activities. Fat-free mass (FFM), VO2max, EMP, daily EE and EE during sleep were significantly higher in athletic than in non-athletic subjects. After adjustment for FFM, VO2max, EMP, daily EE and EE during exercise were still higher in athletic than in non-athletic adolescents (P<0·001). However, adjusted sleeping EE was not significantly different between athletic and non-athletic adolescents. Increases in exercise EE were partly compensated for by significant reductions in EE during schoolwork and miscellaneous activities. Thus, the differences in daily EE between athletic and non-athletic subjects resulted mainly from increases in FFM and EE during exercise (duration and energy cost).
Ingestion of the soluble dietary fibre, polydextrose, increases calcium absorption and bone mineralization in normal and total-gastrectomized rats
Authors: Hara Hiroshi , Suzuki Takuya , Aoyama Yoritaka
Published: May 2019

We previously demonstrated that feeding a highly fermentable and water-soluble dietary fibre, guar-gum hydrolysate (GGH) increased intestinal absorption of insoluble Ca salts in total-gastrectomized rats. In the present study, we examined the effects of feeding a less fermentable and water-soluble fibre, polydextrose (PD), on Ca absorption and bone mineralization in the normal and total-gastrectomized rats in comparison with the effects of GGH. Apparent Ca absorption was severely lowered by gastrectomy, and PD feeding (50 g/kg diet) partially restored the reduction of Ca absorption similarly to GGH feeding (50 g/kg diet). PD feeding also increased the Ca absorption in normal rats, but not GGH feeding. Femur Ca concentration was reduced with gastrectomy. Feeding PD for 21 d increased the bone Ca concentration in both normal and gastrectomized rats, but GGH feeding did not. In rats fed PD, pH of the caecal contents was lower than in rats fed fibre-free and GGH diets; however, soluble Ca concentration in the caecal contents was not different between the diet groups. Short-chain fatty acid concentrations were much lower in the PD groups than in the GGH groups. We also examinedin vitroCa absorption by using everted sacs of the small intestine. Addition of PD to the serosal medium of the ileal sacs increased Ca absorption, but addition of GGH did not. These results suggest that the small intestine rather than the large intestine is responsible for the increase in Ca absorption in rats fed PD, and suggests that the mechanism for the increase by PD may be different from that by GGH.
Absorption of very-long-chain saturated fatty acids in totally hydrogenated fish oil
Authors: Granlund Linda , Larsen Laila N. , Christiansen Erling N. , Pedersen Jan I.
Published: May 2019

Partially hydrogenated fish oil (PHFO) contains a high amount oftransfatty acids (TFA). Total hydrogenation results in a minimal amount of TFA, but a high content of very-long-chain saturated fatty acids (VLCSFA). Absorption and metabolism of VLCSFA from totally hydrogenated fish oil (THFO) were studied in rats. Groups of eight rats were fed one of four diets containing 40 g soyabean oil (SBO)/kg (low-fat diet), 150 g SBO/kg (SBO diet), 40 g SBO+110 g PHFO/kg (PHFO diet) or 40 g SBO+110 g THFO/kg (THFO diet) for 4 weeks. A lower absorption coefficient of the fat content was found in the THFO group (61 %) compared with the other groups (PHFO 95 %, SBO 99 %, low fat 98 %; P<0·05), which was mainly due to reduced absorption of VLCSFA. A reduced weight gain was found for the THFO group compared with the other groups, but this was only significant when compared with the SBO group (P<0·05). Faecal fat excretion (dry weight) was markedly increased in the THFO group (47 %), which was 2·4, 4·8 and 8·3 times higher compared with the groups fed PHFO, SBO and low-fat diets (P<0·05), respectively. Serum total cholesterol was reduced for the PHFO and THFO groups (P<0·05), whereas serum triacylglycerol was increased for the PHFO group compared with the other groups (P<0·05). Animals fed THFO diet had an increased content of 20:0 and 22:0 in the serum triacylglycerol fraction (P<0·05), whereas only 20:0 was increased in the serum phospholipid fraction (P<0·05). The low absorption coefficient of THFO must be considered if this fat is to be used for consumption by animals or man.
Selenium influences growth via thyroid hormone status in broiler chickens
Authors: Jianhua He , Ohtsuka Akira , Hayashi Kunioki
Published: May 2019

As there is a possibility that Se influences the growth of animals via thyroid hormone metabolism, the following three experiments were undertaken in order to determine the effects of dietary Se on growth, skeletal muscle protein turnover and thyroid hormone status in broiler chickens. Broiler chickens were raised on a Se-deficient diet until 12 d of age and then used for the experiments. In Experiment 1, twenty-eight birds were randomly assigned to four groups and fed purified diets with the following amounts of Se supplementation: 0·0, 0·1, 0·3 and 0·5 mg Se/kg diet. Dietary Se supplementation significantly increased plasma 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T3) concentration and improved growth, while plasma thyroxine (T4) concentration was decreased. In Experiment 2, twenty-eight birds were assigned to four groups and fed either a Se-deficient diet or a Se-supplemented diet (0·3 mg Se/kg diet) with or without the supplementation of iopanoic acid, a specific inhibitor of 5′-deiodinase (5 mg/kg diet). The growth was promoted and feed efficiency was improved by dietary Se supplementation as was also observed in Experiment 1. However, this effect of Se was halted by iopanoic acid supplementation. Hepatic 5′-deiodinase activity was elevated by Se and inhibited by iopanoic acid. In Experiment 3, birds were fed on the following diets to show that Se influences growth of birds via thyroid hormone metabolism: Se-deficient diet, Se-supplemented diets (0·1 and 0·3 mg/kg) and T3 supplemented diets (0·1 and 0·3 mg/kg diet). Lower dietary T3 supplementation (0·1 mg/kg diet) resulted in growth promotion similar to Se supplementation, while higher level of T3 caused growth depression. Furthermore, it was observed that the rate of skeletal muscle protein breakdown tended to be increased by Se similarly to the effect of T3. In conclusion, it was shown in the present study that Se deficiency depresses growth of broilers by inhibiting hepatic 5′-deiodinase activity which causes lower plasma T3 concentration.
Evidence for altered control of glucose disposal after total colectomy
Authors: Denise Robertson M. , Livesey Geoff , Hampton Shelagh M. , Mathers John C.
Published: May 2019

Colonic fermentation of organic matter to short-chain fatty acids has been implicated in the improvement in insulin sensitivity achieved by feeding diets rich in complex carbohydrates. The present study assessed the potential role of the colon in determining postprandial glucose kinetics. Metabolic responses to a complex-carbohydrate test meal were determined in conjunction with a primed continuous infusion of D-[6,6-2H]glucose in a group of ileostomists and sex-matched controls. Glucose disposal (GD) was computed using non-steady-state kinetics on a single compartment model. Insulin sensitivity was derived using cumulative GD as the dependent variable, and time and the integrated insulin concentration as independent variables. The ileostomist group had a significantly higher postprandial plasma insulin concentration (P=0·034) compared with the control group, but no difference in the plasma glucose concentration. Total GD was similar in each group, although the insulin-dependent GD was substantially lower in the ileostomists (0·46v.0·13 mg glucose/min per pmol, P=0·015). The ileostomist group also showed a 50 % lower rate of glucose oxidation in the postprandial period (P=0·005), although the rate of non-oxidative GD was not significantly affected. The present study indicates that loss of the colon is associated with several characteristics of the insulin resistance syndrome, and favours a view that the colon has a role in the control of postprandial glucose.
Consumption of wholemeal rye bread increases serum concentrations and urinary excretion of enterolactone compared with consumption of white wheat bread in healthy Finnish men and women
Authors: Juntunen Katri S. , Mazur Witold M. , Liukkonen Kirsi H. , Uehara Mariko , Poutanen Kaisa S. , Adlercreutz Herman C. T. , Mykkänen Hannu M.
Published: May 2019

Rye is an important source of plant lignans in Finland. In the present crossover trial we wanted to study the effect of rye bread as part of the usual diet on serum and urine enterolactone (ENL) concentrations in healthy volunteers. Eighteen men aged 43 (SEM 2·0) YEARS AND TWENTY-ONE WOMEN AGED 43 (sem 1·6) years consumed wholemeal rye bread and white wheat bread in random order for 4 weeks. The bread periods were separated by a 4 week wash-out period. The breads provided at least 20 % of the daily energy intake. The mean intakes of rye bread were 219 (sem 14·6) and 162 (sem 5·3) g/d and those of wheat bread were 200 (sem 9·6) and 153 (sem 5·8) g/d for men and women respectively. Blood samples were collected from all subjects and three 24 h urine samples were collected from ten men and twelve women at the end of both bread periods for the determination of serum concentration and urinary excretion of ENL. The mean serum ENL concentrations in both men and women at the beginning of baseline period and at the end of the rye-bread period remained constant and were significantly higher than those at the end of the wheat-bread period. Correspondingly, daily urinary ENL excretion increased significantly during the rye-bread period compared with the wheat-bread period and was 5- and 10-fold higher in men and women respectively in comparison with the amount of plant lignan precursors measured in the rye bread. These data indicate the presence of other precursors for ENL in rye which are not detected by the current method of measuring plant lignans in food. The possible role of fibre in enhancement of the formation of mammalian lignans from their plant precursors in the gut also remains to be determined.
Effect of meal fat quality on oxidation resistance of postprandial VLDL and LDL particles and plasma triacylglycerol level
Authors: Nielsen Nina S. , Marckmann Peter , Høy Carl-Erik
Published: May 2019

This study was performed to examine the postprandial effects of meals containing dietary fats, with their natural fatty acid composition and tocopherol content, on the plasma triacylglycerols (TG) and tocopherols and on the resistance of VLDL and LDL to oxidation. On six separate days eighteen healthy male subjects were given low-fat meals (LF) or the LF meals enriched with sunflower oil (SO), rapeseed oil (RO), olive oil (OO), palm oil (PO), or butter (B) in a crossover design. The fat-rich meals all resulted in similar postprandial TG responses while the LF test meal did not increase plasma TG level. The postprandial plasma fatty acid profile changed to resemble the fatty acid composition of the ingested test fat. The α-tocopherol:γ-tocopherol ratios in postprandial plasma and VLDL samples were greater than in the test fats. We found that the resistance of VLDL particles to oxidation in the postprandial state as assessed from lag time was increased after the PO-rich meal as compared with the SO-rich meal (P=0·018), and the propagation rate was greater after the SO- and RO-rich meals compared with the others (P<0·001). The resistance of LDL particles to oxidation was unaffected by the meals. In postprandial VLDL samples, the content of α-tocopherol was greater after the OO- and SO-rich meals compared with the meal rich in PO (P=0·034 and 0·042 respectively). The γ-tocopherol content of VLDL was highest after RO-meal as compared with all other test meals (P=0·0019), and higher after SO as compared with B (P=0·0148). Large individual differences were noted. In conclusion, meals enriched with different fats lead to the formation of VLDL particles with varying resistance to oxidation.
Gene–nutrient interactions: dietary behaviour associated with high coronary heart disease risk particularly affects serum LDL cholesterol in apolipoprotein E ε4-carrying free-living individuals
Authors: Loktionov Alexandre , Scollen Serena , McKeown Nicola , Bingham Sheila A.
Published: May 2019

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype influence on the relationship between dietary risk factors for cardiovascular disease and blood serum lipid levels was investigated in 132 free-living individuals participating in the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC) study. All subjects (age 40–69) were clinically healthy and provided information on their usual diet. ApoE genotype and serum lipid concentrations were determined in all subjects. Relationships of intake of dietary constituents with serum lipid levels were compared in different genotype groups. There was a significant correlation between total serum cholesterol and intake of energy derived from total fat (r0·195;P0·025) and saturated fat (r0·174;P0·046) in the cohort as a whole. However, individuals with the ApoE ε3/ε4 genotype displayed a much stronger positive correlation between LDL cholesterol level and the percentage of energy derived from intake of saturated fat (r0·436;P0·043). There were no significant associations in the groups with ε3/ε3 or ε2/ε2 & ε2/ε3 genotype. A significant positive correlation between alcohol consumption and HDL cholesterol level was present in individuals bearing ApoE ε2 allele. These findings support current public health recommendations that saturated fat consumption should be reduced in order to reduce coronary heart disease risk. Total cholesterol concentrations were positively related to saturated fat intake in the cohort as a whole, but elevated LDL cholesterol levels associated with high saturated fat intake can be expected particularly in those individuals who combine a ‘risky’ dietary behaviour with the presence of the ε4 variant of ApoE.
5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase common mutations, folate status and plasma homocysteine in healthy French adults of the Supplementation en Vitamines et Mineraux Antioxydants (SU.VI.MAX) cohort
Authors: Chango A. , Potier de Courcy G. , Boisson F. , Guilland J. C. , Barbé F. , Perrin M. O. , Christidès J. P. , Rabhi K. , Pfister M. , Galan P. , Hercberg S. , Nicolas J. P.
Published: May 2019

The 677cytosine (c)→thymine(T) mutation identified in the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene has been frequently associated with an elevated plasma homocysteine concentration. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of this MTHFR common mutation on plasma and erythrocyte folate (RCF) and plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations in healthy French adults. A cohort of 291 subjects living in the Paris area and participating in the Supplementation en Vitamines et Mineraux Antioxydants (SU.VI.MAX) study were analysed to assess the impact of MTHFR polymorphism 677C→T on folate status and plasma tHcy concentration. The frequency of the mutant homozygote for 677C→T polymorphism (677TT genotype) in the present cohort was 16·8%. There were significant differences in plasma tHcy between 677CC, 677CT and 677TT genotype groups. The RCF concentrations were significantly different between each genotype, the lowest levels being associated with the 677TT genotype. When segregated by gender, no differences in tHcy between homozygous 677TT, heterozygous 677CT and wild-type 677CC genotype groups in women were observed. The fasting tHcy in women was unrelated to the 677C→T mutation. However, tHcy was significantly increased in men with the homozygous 677TT genotype. We also analysed the possible implication of a second new MTHFR polymorphism (1298A→C) in subjects with mild hyperhomocysteinaemia (4thquartile of homocysteinaemia; tHcy >11·1 μmol/l). The polymorphism 1298A→C did not have a notable effect on tHcy or on the RCF levels. Our observations confirm a relatively high frequency of the 677TT genotype in the French population. Women with this genotype did not show the same increase in tHcy observed in men. In the present study dietary folate intake was not measured. Thus, the interaction of dietary folate with the MTHFR genotype in the French population needs further study.
Gas field planning tool
Authors: van Berkel J. , Kaymak U. , Kulawksi G. , Weisenborn T. , White M.
Published: May 2019

Gas Field Planning Tool (GFPT) was developed in 1990 by the Shell Group of Companies to fill the need for a tool for gas field planning and development using deterministic subsurface and surface models. Main initiators were Shell Canada, NAM (the Netherlands), Shell Expro (UK) and BSP (Shell Brunei), as these companies are major gas producers.

Shell Companies now have several years experience with using the GFPT. Application ranges from simple single field models to corporate-level models with a large number of gas reservoirs and wells. Shell companies now using GFPT models are Shell Expro (UK), BSP (Brunei), SSB (Malaysia), Shell Canada, SPDC (Nigeria), SDA (Australia), Woodside (Australia), PDO (Oman), NAM (the Netherlands), New Business Development (e.g. Lunar Project) and in future also Shell Egypt.

NAM currently has a GFPT model for the Anjum field in Friesland and for the Ten Arlo field in the north of Holland.

GFPT is currently being migrated to an HFPT (Hydrocarbon Field Planning Tool), which can also be used for planning of condensate, oil and water developments and for control of hydrocarbon compositions in the network using PVT de-lumping at the well head (e.g. for LNG plants) and optimisation techniques (linear, non-linear or based on bean-back lists).
Four decades of Groningen production and pricing policies
Authors: Correljé A.F. , Odell P.R.
Published: May 2019

This paper deals with production and pricing policies for the Groningen gasfield. It will provide an evaluation of the past and a view to its future in a liberalized European gas market. The lifelong production potential and high productivity of the Groningen gasfield is unique. The extremely low-cost field is also unique in the sub-optimal manner in which it has been exploited over the whole of its forty year life to date. Its initial monopolistic situation in the West European energy economy created an opportunity for its development to be limited to production levels, whereby super-normal profits were generated on high value sales at the cost of consumers’ welfare.

The breach in the monopoly, through competition from Soviet gas, readily able to undercut Groningen prices, posed a serious threat both to unit values and market expansion. Fortunately, the fortuitous 1973/4 international oil supplies and pricing crisis restored Groningen’s fortunes. Following the upward price adjustments for foreign sales, the stage was set for achieving high company profits and massive government revenues. Dutch society in a broader sense benefited only indirectly through government tax expenditures. Again, energy consumers’ welfare gains were ignored.

This remains the essence of the situation, pending agreement on the introduction of the liberalized market to meet EU directives. Currently the Dutch gas regime and policy objectives are being adjusted to the requirements of operating in a liberalized market. These changes recognize: first, the invalidity of the government’s long-held fears for gas scarcity in such a way, that the earlier steps to restrict both foreign and national sales have been abandoned, and second, the need to reinstate Gasunie as an active, rather than a passive, player in the European gas market, in which other participants have subverted Gasunie’s earlier dominance.

The second part of the paper will examine, whether and how these changes can be reconciled with the core elements of the Dutch gas policy, i.e. state and private revenues, co-ordination of supply and production, the ‘small fields policy’ and the balancing role of the Groningen field. The liberalization of the European gas market, together with changes in the pattern of supply and demand and stated Dutch policy objectives of energy policy may give rise to conflicts between the interests of the Dutch State, the owners of the field and, again, the consumers.
Response to David Woods
Authors: Skedros James C.
Published: May 2019

The origins of the cult of St. Demetrios are indeed obscure. The earliest indisputable evidence for the existence of the cult of St. Demetrios at Thessaloniki is the large five-aisle basilica built in honor of the martyr and located in the center of this important port city. Based upon archaeological and art historical evidence, the basilica can be dated to the last quarter of the fifth century. However, the written tradition of the cult of St. Demetrios, as preserved in various martyrdom accounts (whose dates remain problematic), places the saint's martyrdom at Thessaloniki during the persecution of Diocletian, that is, during the first decade of the fourth century, some one-hundred and seventy five years before the erection of the saint's basilica. To complicate matters even more, in the earliest surviving martyrologies dating from the fourth and fifth centuries, there is no mention of a martyr Demetrios who was martyred or venerated at Thessaloniki. Given such lack of historical evidence, most scholars, including David Woods, whose article appears in the pages of this journal, have argued that St. Demetrios of Thessaloniki is a fictitious saint and that the origin of his veneration at Thessaloniki is not to be found in a historical individual who was martyred under Diocletian at Thessaloniki, but rather must be sought elsewhere.
Economics of fertility in dairy cows
Authors: Esslemont R.J. , Kossaibati M.A. , Allcock J.
Published: May 2019

The financial implications of delays in conception at different stages of lactation in the average and the high yielding dairy cows were investigated. Variables included in the calculations were net loss in annual yield, lost income from a calf, cost of extended dry period, cost of slipping in calving pattern, cost of extra veterinary treatments and AI services, benefit of a delay in calving for reduced risk of production diseases, potential benefit of delay in conception on milk yield from the current lactation, and the value of quota leasing. For the average yielding cow, the net cost of one day of delay in conception was calculated at £2.41 when conception is delayed from 85 to 100 days post-calving, increasing to £5.02 per day if conception occurred at 146 to 175 days post-calving. After taking value of quota leasing into account, the net cost of a lost day was calculated at £1.73 and £3.55 per day for the two delay intervals respectively. For the high yielding cow, the net cost of one day of delay in conception was calculated at £2.48 when conception is delayed from 85 to 115 days post-calving, increasing to £6.52 per day if conception occurred between 206 and 235 days post-calving. The net costs after quota leasing being considered were calculated at £1.68 and £4.08 per day for the two delay intervals respectively. On the basis of the above estimations, and after considering the cost of culling for poor fertility, it was concluded that it is a cost-effective option to keep trying to get the typical average cow in calf until 266 days post-calving, whereas the breakeven point for the high yielding cow is at 290 days post-calving.