Short communication concerning experimental factors affecting fission-track counts in apatite

The tools for interpreting fission-track data are evolving apace but, even so, the outcomes cannot be better than the data. Recent studies that have again taken up the issues of etching and observation have shown that both have an effect on confined-track length measurements. We report experiments concerning the effects of grain orientation, polishing, etching and observation on fission-track counts in apatite. The results cannot be generalized to circumstances other than those of the experiments, and thus do not solve the problems of track counting. Our findings nevertheless throw light on the factors affecting the track counts, and thence the sample ages, whilst raising the question: what counts as an etched surface track? This is pertinent to manual and automatic track counts and to designing training strategies for neural networks. We cannot be confident that counting prism faces and using the ζ-calibration for age calculation are adequate for dealing with all etching- and counting-related factors across all samples. Prism faces are not unproblematic for counting and other surface orientations are not per se useless. Our results suggest that a reinvestigation of the etching properties of different apatite faces could increase the range useful for dating, and so lift a severe restriction for provenance studies.

Environmental Assessment of Groundwater Quality for Irrigation Purposes: A Case Study Of Hillah City In Iraq

This study was conducted to evaluate the groundwater quality of wells located around the Hillah city of Iraq, for the purposes of determining its suitability as water for agricultural irrigation, according to the Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI). The number of wells that are being investigated was 24. The spatial distribution of water quality parameters was investigated using ArcGIS software. Ten parameters were established for the dry and wet seasons of 2018 and 2019, which include pH, electric conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), calcium, potassium, magnesium, bicarbonate, sodium, chloride and sulfuric. The results showed that all pH and sodium absorption ratio values were within the allowable limits. About 69%, and 75% electric conductivity, total dissolved solids, values respectively were higher than the allowable limits. Most values of positive and negative ions were higher than the allowable limits. In 2018, the water quality of (4%) of wells number was classified as moderate restriction and approximately 96% was poor quality in dry season, while the IWQI was enhanced in the wet season. In 2019, the quality of water was dropped as most of the water quality was classified as severe restriction and few in the high restriction for the dry season. These values were increased in the wet season due to the freshwater dilution effect. Water quality index show that a large percentage of the wells have poor water quality leads to severe restriction for irrigation requirements and need relatively high permeability soils and salt-resistant plants.

Lysine and Threonine Restriction Reproduced the Lower Synthesis but Not the Higher Catabolism of Liver and Muscle Protein of Severely Protein Restricted Growing Rats

Objectives The availability of indispensable amino acids (IAA) modulates protein turnover. More particularly AAI deficiency reduces protein synthesis while the consequence on proteolysis remains unclear. The present study aims to evaluate the specific response of both protein synthesis and proteolysis to a diet restricted on one strictly indispensable IAA, either lysine or threonine Methods Sixty-four growing rats were divided into 8 groups (n = 8/group). They were fed for 3 weeks isocaloric diets composed with different levels of lysine or threonine (L or T), 15, 25, 40, 60, 75, 100 or 170% of the theoretical lysine/threonine requirements. At the end of the experiment, rats were injected with valine13C and tissues and biological fluids were collected for gene expression measurement and blood amino acids (AA). Protein synthesis rate (Fractional and Absolute rate synthesis, ie FSR, ASR) were determined in liver and muscle. Statistical analysis was done by 1- or 2-factor ANOVA, when data were repeated. Results Severe (L/T15, L/T25) and moderate (T40) lysine or threonine deficiency resulted in a decrease in body weight gain due to a decrease in lean body mass. Severe restriction (L15, T15, T25) decreased the muscle FSR whereas no effect was observed in the liver. When the rate of protein synthesis was expressed per tissue, the ASR was decreased by severe restriction of lysine and threonine in liver and muscle and by moderate threonine deficiency (T40, T60, T75) in muscle. In liver, no effect of lysine and threonine on proteolysis was observed. In muscle, only severe lysine (L15) deficiency increased proteolysis. Dietary lysine deficiency induced a decrease in lysine concentration in the portal vein and in the vena cava whereas for threonine deficiency, all AAIs except threonine were decreased in the portal vein and vena cava. Conclusions These results indicate that the decreased protein synthesis is the primary mechanism involved in decreased lean body mass in response to the severe deficiency in a single AAI. Deficiency of a single AAI reproduce the effect of the low protein diet on protein synthesis. Lysine and threonine deficiency differently affect for a part protein turnover probably in relation with the tissue where they are metabolized. Funding Sources This study was funded by the doctoral school ABIES and AlimH-INRAE department.

Pricing and risk adjusted measures

The issue of risk-based pricing of credit loans has become crucial for banking companies, in a context characterized by severe restriction of profitability margins also in relation to a level of market interest rates which in the Euro area is at its lowest. historical, now firmly in the negative area. The same European Authorities urge the adoption of adequate and consistent adjusted pricing frameworks with respect to the business model, risk profile and overall risk governance of the bank. The methodological and organizational process for determining the risk-adjusted pricing is further complicated by the ongoing Covid19 pandemic which, through the highly asymmetrical impacts on customer segments and industrial sectors, makes the forward-looking and macroeconomic assessment of the sectors risk even more relevant.

Modified Y Splitting of Lateral Rectus in Treatment of Abnormal Vertical Eye Movements Combined with Globe Retraction in Duane Retraction Syndrome

Duane retraction syndrome is the most frequently seen restrictive ocular motility disorders. It is clinically presented with limitation of horizontal movement, variable amounts of upshoots or downshoots and globe retraction combined with narrowing of the palpebral aperture on attempted adduction. An 8-year-old patient presented with severe restriction of abduction, reciprocal upshots or downshoots, and globe retraction combined with the palpebral fissure narrowing of on adduction. After the modified Y splitting of LR and recession of both horizontal rectus operation, all cosmetically disfiguring clinical features disappeared. In this case report modified Y splitting procedure and its long-term efficacy is presented.

Intraarticular Migration of Broken Patella Cerclage and Figure-of-Eight Wire

BACKGROUND: Breakage of the wire commonly follows the procedure performed for displaced patellar fractures; nevertheless, there have not been many reports about wire fragment migration. To the best of our knowledge, there were only six documented cases of wire fragment intraarticular translocation. CASE REPORT: A 47-year-old male patient, with a history of patella fracture 3 years ago, was treated with cerclage and figure-of-eight wiring, presented with severe restriction of knee movements for the past 4 weeks. X-ray and fluoroscopy examination showed cerclage wire had broken at multiple sites with one broken piece migrated posterior intraarticularly. This case is unique due to the size of the migrated broken cerclage wire, which was about only length 1.5 cm and diameter 1.25 mm attached to posterior lateral condyle which prevented its further migration; otherwise, it could damage neurovascular structures. This intraarticular piece of wire was removed successfully with fluoroscopy support. CONCLUSION: Increased time-lapse from the initial surgery, the comminution of the fragment fracture, wire shape and size, and the incorrect placement of wire are the risk factors of intraarticular migration. We should educate the patient about the risks of hardware failure and possible migration with all patients receiving bone fixation with wires, and we can offer elective hardware removal as an option.

Public health guidelines should recommend reducing saturated fat consumption as much as possible: NO

ABSTRACT The proposition that dietary SFAs should be restricted to the maximal extent possible (e.g., to achieve approximately half of current consumption) is based primarily on observational and clinical trial data that are interpreted as indicating a benefit of such limitation on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Further support is believed to derive from the capacity of SFAs to raise LDL cholesterol, and the evidence that LDL-cholesterol lowering reduces CVD incidence. Despite their apparent merit, these arguments are flawed. In fact, although it is possible that dietary intake of SFAs has a causal role in CVD, the evidence to support this contention is inconclusive. Moreover, other considerations argue against a guideline focused primarily on limiting SFA intake, including the heterogeneity of individual SFAs, the likelihood of clinically meaningful interindividual variation in response to SFA reduction, the potential for unintended health consequences of population-wide promotion of severe restriction, and the critical differences in health impacts among individual SFA-containing foods.

Dietary carbohydrates modulate metabolic and β-cell adaptation to high-fat diet-induced obesity

Obesity is associated with several chronic comorbidities, one of which is type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The pathogenesis of obesity and T2DM is influenced by alterations in diet macronutrient composition, which regulate energy expenditure, metabolic function, glucose homeostasis, and pancreatic islet cell biology. Recent studies suggest that increased intake of dietary carbohydrates plays a previously underappreciated role in the promotion of obesity and consequent metabolic dysfunction. Thus, in this study, we utilized mouse models to test the hypothesis that dietary carbohydrates modulate energetic, metabolic, and islet adaptions to high-fat diets. To address this, we exposed C57BL/6J mice to 12 wk of 3 eucaloric high-fat diets (>60% calories from fat) with varying total carbohydrate (1–20%) and sucrose (0–20%) content. Our results show that severe restriction of dietary carbohydrates characteristic of ketogenic diets reduces body fat accumulation, enhances energy expenditure, and reduces prevailing glycemia and insulin resistance compared with carbohydrate-rich, high-fat diets. Moreover, severe restriction of dietary carbohydrates also results in functional, morphological, and molecular changes in pancreatic islets highlighted by restricted capacity for β-cell mass expansion and alterations in insulin secretory response. These studies support the hypothesis that low-carbohydrate/high-fat diets provide antiobesogenic benefits and suggest further evaluation of the effects of these diets on β-cell biology in humans.

EFFECT OF THE SUN ON EARTHʼS SEISMICITY

For the experimental study of the relationship between earthquakes and solar activity, we introduce the idea of the statistical sum Z of earthquake ensemble. A number of numerical parameters of seismicity (average planetary magnitude, entropy, fluctuations of magnitude) are expressed through Z. A severe restriction is, however, imposed on the magnitude during the formation of the ensemble. We propose an alternative method. It does not have this specific restriction, although it allows us to calculate only one numerical parameter, namely the global daily magnitude Mg. Over the 20-year period from 1980 to 1999, 7300 values of Mg have been calculated. The comparison between the Mg values and Wolf numbers W made it possible to determine the effect of the Sun on earthquakes at a statistically significant level.

EFFECT OF THE SUN ON EARTHʼS SEISMICITY

For the experimental study of the relationship between earthquakes and solar activity, we introduce the idea of the statistical sum Z of earthquake ensemble. A number of numerical parameters of seismicity (average planetary magnitude, entropy, fluctuations of magnitude) are expressed through Z. A severe restriction is, however, imposed on the magnitude during the formation of the ensemble. We propose an alternative method. It does not have this specific restriction, although it allows us to calculate only one numerical parameter, namely the global daily magnitude Mg. Over the 20-year period from 1980 to 1999, 7300 values of Mg have been calculated. The comparison between the Mg values and Wolf numbers W made it possible to determine the effect of the Sun on earthquakes at a statistically significant level.