Fish oil-diet benefits may be mediated by gut microbes

 

Caesar et al. reveal how saturated lipids in lard affect gut microbial composition to promote obesity and WAT inflammation via TLR signaling and CCL2; in contrast, mice fed a fish-oil diet enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids are protected. Transfer of microbiota from fish-oil-fed mice dampens lard-induced inflammation. Diets rich in fish oil versus diets rich in lard (e.g., bacon) produce very different bacteria in the guts of mice, reports a study published August 27 in Cell Metabolism. The researchers transferred these microbes into other mice to see how they affected health. The results suggest that gut bacteria share some of the responsibility for the beneficial effects of fish oil and the harmful effects of lard. In particular, mice that received transplants of gut microbes associated with a fish oil diet were protected against diet-induced weight gain and inflammation compared with mice transplanted with gut microbes associated with a lard diet. This demonstrates that gut microbes are an independent factor aggravating inflammation associated with diet-induced obesity and gives hope that a probiotic might help counteract a "greasy" diet. "We wanted to determine whether gut microbes directly contribute to the metabolic differences associated with diets rich in healthy and unhealthy fats," says first study author Robert Caesar of the University of Gothenburg. Even though the study was done in mice, "our goal is to identify interventions for optimizing metabolic health in humans." Caesar, working in the lab of senior study author Fredrik Bäckhed, began by feeding either lard or fish oil to mice for 11 weeks and monitoring signs of metabolic health. While the consumption of lard promoted the growth of bacteria called Bilophila, which have been linked to gut inflammation, the fish oil diet increased the abundance of bacteria called Akkermansia muciniphila, known to reduce weight gain and improve glucose metabolism in mice. "We were surprised that the lard and the fish oil diet, despite having the same energy content and the same amount of dietary fiber--which is the primary energy source for the gut bacteria--resulted in fundamentally different gut microbiota communities and that the microbiota per se had such large effects on health," Caesar says. In the next set of experiments, Caesar conducted "fecal transplants" to test whether fish oil-diet microbes could improve the health of mice fed only lard and vice versa. The results provide additional evidence that gut microbe communities can both determine and recover health problems caused by poor diet. "Our paper supports previous reports indicating the bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila is a promoter of a healthy phenotype," Bäckhed says. "However, further investigations will be needed to determine if this bacteria can be used as probiotic strain and, in that case, how it should be combined with diet to optimize health outcomes." Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Cell Press. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Caesar et al. Crosstalk between Gut Microbiota and Dietary Lipids Aggravates WAT Inflammation through TLR Signaling. Cell Metabolism, 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2015.07.026 Cell Press. "Fish oil-diet benefits may be mediated by gut microbes." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 August 2015. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150827130139.htm

Growth hormone reduces risk of osteoporosis fractures in older women

 

For years after it was administered, growth hormone continued to reduce the risk of fractures and helped maintain bone density in postmenopausal women who had osteoporosis, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Osteoporosis is a progressive condition that causes the bones to become weak and more likely to break.  80 percent of the people being treated for the condition nationwide are women, according to the Society's Endocrine Facts and Figures Report. Women are three times more likely to experience an osteoporosis-related bone fracture in their lifetimes than men. "Our study is the largest and longest controlled study of growth hormone treatment for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women to date," said one of the study's authors, Emily Krantz, MD, of Södra Älvsborgs Hospital in Borås, Sweden. "Years after treatment stopped, women who were treated with growth hormone still experienced improved bone density and reduced fracture risk." During an 18-month-long randomized, double-blind trial, 80 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis received daily injections of either placebo, a single unit of growth hormone or a 2.5-unit dose of growth hormone. The women were between the ages of 50 and 70 when they were recruited for the decade-long study. After 18 months, the women who received the placebo halted the injections. Women who received growth hormone continued to receive injections for another 18 months. The researchers continued to follow up with the women for seven years after the growth hormone treatment was halted to monitor their bone density, fractures and perception of their quality of life. The researchers compared the participants' bone density and rate of fractures to those of a group of 120 women who did not have osteoporosis. The controls were identified using the city census in Gothenburg, Sweden. A decade after the study began, the women who received the larger growth hormone dose still had higher bone mineral density levels than the participants who received the lower dose or the placebo. The rate of fractures in the treated women who had osteoporosis declined by 50 percent during the 10-year-long study. More than half of the participants had fractured bones prior to the start of the study. In contrast, the rate of fractures rose four-fold in the control group as some of those women were diagnosed with osteoporosis. "The findings indicate the beneficial effects of growth hormone remained long after the treatment ceased," Krantz said. Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by The Endocrine Society.Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Emily Krantz, Penelope Trimpou, Kerstin Landin-Wilhelmsen. Effect of Growth Hormone Treatment on Fractures and Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2015; jc.2015-1757 DOI:10.1210/jc.2015-1757   The Endocrine Society. "Growth hormone reduces risk of osteoporosis fractures in older women: Long-term follow-up study shows benefits lasted for years after randomized trial." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 August 2015. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150827141905.htm

Memory loss: 7 tips to improve your memory

 

Concerned about memory loss? Take heart. Simple steps — from staying mentally active to including physical activity in your daily routine — might help sharpen your memory. By Mayo Clinic Staff Can't find your car keys? Forget what's on your grocery list? Can't remember the name of the personal trainer you liked at the gym? You're not alone. Everyone forgets things occasionally. Still, memory loss is nothing to take lightly. Although there are no guarantees when it comes to preventing memory loss or dementia, memory tricks can be helpful. Consider seven simple ways to sharpen your memory — and know when to seek help for memory loss. 1. Stay mentally active Just as physical activity helps keep your body in shape, mentally stimulating activities help keep your brain in shape — and might keep memory loss at bay. Do crossword puzzles. Read a section of the newspaper that you normally skip. Take alternate routes when driving. Learn to play a musical instrument. Volunteer at a local school or community organization. 2. Socialize regularly Social interaction helps ward off depression and stress, both of which can contribute to memory loss. Look for opportunities to get together with loved ones, friends and others — especially if you live alone. When you're invited to share a meal or attend an event, go! 3. Get organized You're more likely to forget things if your home is cluttered and your notes are in disarray. Jot down tasks, appointments and other events in a special notebook, calendar or electronic planner. You might even repeat each entry out loud as you jot it down to help cement it in your memory. Keep to-do lists current and check off items you've completed. Set aside a certain place for your wallet, keys and other essentials. Limit distractions and don't try to do too many things at once. If you focus on the information that you're trying to remember, you'll be more likely to recall it later. It might also help to connect what you're trying to remember to a favorite song or another familiar concept. 4. Sleep well Sleep plays an important role in helping you consolidate your memories, so you can recall them down the road. Make getting enough sleep a priority. Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep a day. Next March 05, 2014 References See more In-depth http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/memory-loss/art-20046518

ECOmbo solar-equipped camper designed to keep you comfy off grid

 

 

The Ecombo camping trailer is designed for all types of adventure (Credit: Ecombo Campers)

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Designed as a compact, low-fuss way of traveling far away from the grid, the Ecombo trailer has cozy living quarters inside a rugged block that you tow with your 4x4. The camper from New Zealand-based Ecombo offers a panoramic-view bedroom, full kitchen and solar power system to keep you comfy in the remoteness that surrounds you when you put the car in park.

It seems like nearly every camping trailer we've covered lately has come from Oregon. High Camp, Nest and Freespirit were a few of the latest Portland- and Bend-based outfits to pretty up our site. The Ecombo breaks that trend with a vengeance, bringing us some intriguing towable hardware from the opposite side of the world.

The Ecombo was brought to life with the general idea that "you don’t need to rough it just because you are following a path less travelled." That theme is quite evident from the trailer's cozy interior and standard equipment list. The design reminds us of a smaller, lighter Southern Hemisphere answer to the ADAK Trailer.

The Ecombo's cozy cabin is secured to a rustproof aluminum off-road chassis. The teardrop-like interior consists of a full-size double bed, some cabinet storage and a large, wide side window for picturesque wilderness viewing. That window also pops open, and there is a fan/vent and secondary window on the roof for added ventilation.

The galley is on the side opposite the large bedroom window, which is a different configuration from the tailgate galleys common on small trailers. The flip-up side panel reveals a compact but well-equipped kitchen with a two-burner stove, stainless steel sink, refrigerator/freezer, countertop space and cupboards.

The Ecombo is too small for any kind of interior bathroom space, but it does offer an outdoor hot shower and space for a portable toilet. It comes standard with both fresh and waste water tanks.

One aspect of the Ecombo's design that sets it apart from other small trailers is the standard solar power. Solar is often available as an option on motorhomes and trailers, but every Ecombo rolls out of the factory with a 100-watt solar panel mounted to the roof and 130 Ah battery. That system powers the integrated LED lighting and kitchen and cabin outlets.

The Ecombo measures 13.8 x 6.9 x 8.2 feet (L x W x H, 4.2 x 2.1 x 2.5 m), when including the hitch in the length measurement. It weighs 2,425 lb (1,100 kg) when the water tanks are dry. Storage space is available in the tongue boxes, under-cabin lockers and under-bed storage. The trailer can carry a kayak up on its roof rails, and a bike rack is available as an option.

The Ecombo made its public debut last November, and prices start at a cool NZ$60,000 (US$39,000). It was designed specifically for the New Zealand market and is currently only available there. Options include a canvas extension for increasing weather-protected interior space.

Source: Ecombo

 

http://www.gizmag.com/ecombo-camping-trailer/39081/

Archos unveils budget Windows 10 smartphone

 

By Eric Mack - August 26, 2015 The Archos 50 Cesium is the first smartphone shipping with Windows 10 Mobile to be unveiled (Credit: Archos) Windows 10 has already been downloaded onto more than 75 million devices since its July launch, but we've yet to see the first smartphones ship running Windows 10 Mobile out of the box. Middle-tier phone maker Archos is looking to be among the first out of the gate with the Archos 50 Cesium. Set for release in November, the budget-priced Windows 10 smartphone was announced alongside the Archos 50e Helium, which is essentially the same hardware running Android 5.1 Lollipop. "By providing a choice between two almost identical hardware models, we allow the customer to focus on what they like on the inside: the user interface," said Archos CEO Loic Poirer. The twin devices are both 5-inch, 4G LTE quad-core devices with specs that will make early adopters feel like they've been transported back to 2013. Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 CPU running at 1.1 GHz with an Adreno 304 GPU, a single gig of RAM and 8 GB of onboard storage. The display isn't much to crow about either, with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels in an IPS screen capable of 294 pixels per inch. Front and rear cameras are also middling at 2 and 8 megapixels, respectively. Archos is clearly hoping that these underwhelming specs will be overlooked by consumers far more interested in another key figure, the price. For only £99 (US$153), it's a pretty affordable dual-sim phone offering an early opportunity to play around with Windows 10 and Microsoft's increasingly powerful Cortana personal assistant on a phone. Both the Archos 50 Cesium and 50e Helium will be on display at IFA in Berlin next month and on sale in November. Source: Archos (PDF)

Family farm managers earn less, but gain 'emotional' wealth

 

After hours harvesting forage, managing livestock and milking cows, new Cornell University agricultural economic research shows family members who work on the family dairy farm make $22,000 less annually than comparable hired managers, but are handsomely compensated with "socioemotional" wealth. "While $22,000 seems like a large penalty, there are nonfinancial rewards they experience working for the family business," said Loren Tauer, professor at Cornell's Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, who with lead author Jonathan Dressler of MetLife's Food and Agribusiness Finance, published "Socioemotional Wealth in the Family Farm," in a forthcoming Agricultural Finance Review. There are roughly 5,400 dairy farms in New York, large and small. "Family members like to work for the family farm, as it brings prestige and satisfaction by working with siblings, cousins and parents," explains Tauer. "The socioemotional part is that these family members feel an attachment to the dairy farm. It's a warm and fuzzy feeling." Further, Dressler explained that socioemotional aspects of running a dairy farm "create a sense of pride and belonging, as collectively each family member is contributing an effort toward a common family goal." Dressler and Tauer examined dairy farm income in 1999 through 2008 and showed that New York farm manager median salaries varied widely from $41,884 in 1999, to $64,466 in 2004 to $74,986 in 2005, all adjusted for inflation to 2008 dollars. While the family farm managers were paid on average about $22,000 less, family members were compensated in other ways, such as with equity in the family business, which includes land values and the value of the operation -- all of which have risen over time. For family farms, Dressler and Tauer estimated a 5 percent current return to equity and asset appreciation of 10 percent, for a total return to equity of 15 percent. With "sweat equity," Tauer explains, children eventually inherit farms or are given an opportunity to purchase farms at a low estimate of the farms' value. That future ownership opportunity and the chance to work with family members offset reduced annual compensation. Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Cornell University.Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Cornell University. "Family farm managers earn less, but gain 'emotional' wealth." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 August 2015. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150826144120.htm

Colorful potatoes may pack powerful cancer prevention punch

 

Purple-fleshed potatoes. Credit: © vainillaychile / Fotolia Compounds found in purple potatoes may help kill colon cancer stem cells and limit the spread of the cancer, according to a team of researchers. Baked purple-fleshed potatoes suppressed the growth of colon cancer tumors in petri dishes and in mice by targeting the cancer's stem cells. Attacking stem cells is an effective way to counter cancer, according to Jairam K.P. Vanamala, associate professor of food sciences, Penn State and faculty member, at the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute. "You might want to compare cancer stem cells to roots of the weeds," Vanamala said. "You may cut the weed, but as long as the roots are still there, the weeds will keep growing back and, likewise, if the cancer stem cells are still present, the cancer can still grow and spread." The researchers, who released their findings in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, currently online, used a baked purple potato because potatoes are widely consumed and typically baked before they are consumed, especially in western countries. They wanted to make sure the vegetables maintained their anti-cancer properties even after cooking. In the initial laboratory study, the researchers found that the baked potato extract suppressed the spread of colon cancer stem cells while increasing their deaths. Researchers then tested the effect of whole baked purple potatoes on mice with colon cancer and found similar results. The portion size for a human would be about the same as eating a medium size purple-fleshed potato for lunch and dinner, or one large purple-fleshed potato per day. According to the researchers, there may be several substances in purple potatoes that work simultaneously on multiple pathways to help kill the colon cancer stem cells, including anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid, and resistant starch. "Our earlier work and other research studies suggest that potatoes, including purple potatoes, contain resistant starch, which serves as a food for the gut bacteria, that the bacteria can covert to beneficial short-chain fatty acids such as butyric acid," Vanamala said. "The butyric acid regulates immune function in the gut, suppresses chronic inflammation and may also help to cause cancer cells to self-destruct." In addition to resistant starch, the same color compounds that give potatoes, as well as other fruits and vegetables, a rainbow of vibrant colors may be effective in suppressing cancer growth, he added. "When you eat from the rainbow, instead of one compound, you have thousands of compounds, working on different pathways to suppress the growth of cancer stem cells," said Vanamala. "Because cancer is such a complex disease, a silver bullet approach is just not possible for most cancers." The next step would be to test the whole food approach using purple potatoes in humans for disease prevention and treatment strategies. The researchers also plan to test the purple potatoes on other forms of cancer. Using evidenced-based foods as a proper cancer prevention strategy could complement current and future anti-cancer drug therapies. Vanamala said that foods could actually offer a healthier way to prevent cancer because they often have limited side effects compared to drug treatments. "Indeed, we have seen that the animals that consumed purple potatoes are healthier compared to animals that received drug treatment," said Vanamala. Purple potatoes could be potentially used in both primary and secondary prevention strategies for cancer, Vanamala suggested. Primary prevention is aimed at stopping the initial attack of cancer, while secondary prevention refers to helping patients in remission remain cancer-free. Most of the funding in cancer research currently goes to cancer cures but not to prevention, Vanamala said. However, as cancer incidences are predicted to surge in the next two decades, an equal emphasis on both food-based cancer prevention and therapeutic drug approaches should be used to counter the growing epidemic of cancer in the U.S. and around the world. Vanamala worked with Venkata Charepalli, a doctoral student; Sridhar Radhakrishnan, a post-doctoral scholar; Ramakrishna Vadde, a visiting scientist from India, all in food science and Lavanaya Reddivari, assistant professor of plant science, all from Penn State and Rajesh Agarwal, professor of pharmaceutical science, University of Colorado. The United States Department of Agriculture supported this work. Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Penn State. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Venkata Charepalli, Lavanya Reddivari, Sridhar Radhakrishnan, Ramakrishna Vadde, Rajesh Agarwal, Jairam K.P. Vanamala. Anthocyanin-containing purple-fleshed potatoes suppress colon tumorigenesis via elimination of colon cancer stem cells. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2015; DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2015.08.005 Penn State. "Colorful potatoes may pack powerful cancer prevention punch." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 August 2015. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150826144122.htm.

Scientists find that an iron-binding protein can transport actinides into cells

 

Crystals formed with the protein siderocalin and curium complexes exhibit bright red luminescence when exposed to UV light. Credit: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have reported a major advance in understanding the biological chemistry of radioactive metals, opening up new avenues of research into strategies for remedial action in the event of possible human exposure to nuclear contaminants. Research led by Berkeley Lab's Rebecca Abergel, working with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, has found that plutonium, americium, and other actinides can be transported into cells by an antibacterial protein called siderocalin, which is normally involved in sequestering iron. Their results were published online recently in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in a paper titled, "Siderocalin-mediated recognition, sensitization, and cellular uptake of actinides." The paper contains several other findings and achievements, including characterization of the first ever protein structures containing transuranic elements and how use of the protein can sensitize the metal's luminescence, which could lead to potential medical and industrial applications. Abergel's group has already developed a compound to sequester actinides and expel them from the body. They have put it in a pill form that can be taken orally, a necessity in the event of radiation exposure amongst a large population. Last year the FDA approved a clinical trial to test the safety of the drug, and they are seeking funding for the tests. However, a basic understanding of how actinides act in the body was still not well known. "Although [actinides] are known to rapidly circulate and deposit into major organs such as bone, liver, or kidney after contamination, the specific molecular mechanisms associated with mammalian uptake of these toxic heavy elements remain largely unexplored," Abergel and her co-authors wrote. The current research described in PNAS identifies a new pathway for the intracellular delivery of the radioactive toxic metal ions, and thus a possible new target for treatment strategies. The scientists used cultured kidney cells to demonstrate the role of siderocalin in facilitating the uptake of the metal ions in cells. "We showed that this protein is capable of transporting plutonium inside cells," she said. "So this could help us develop other strategies to counteract actinide exposure. Instead of binding and expelling radionuclides from the body, we could maybe block the uptake." The team used crystallography to characterize siderocalin-transuranic actinide complexes, gaining unprecedented insights into the biological coordination of heavy radioelements. The work was performed at the Advanced Light Source (ALS), a Department of Energy synchrotron located at Berkeley Lab. "These are the first protein structures containing thorium or the transuranic elements plutonium, americium, or curium," Abergel said. "Until this work there was no structure in the Protein Data Bank that had those elements. That's an exciting thing for us." The researchers also made the unexpected finding that siderocalin can act as a "synergistic antenna" that sensitizes the luminescence of actinides and lanthanides. "We showed that by adding the protein we enhance the sensitization pathways, making it much brighter," Abergel said. "That is a new mechanism that hasn't been explored yet and could be very useful; it could have applications down the line for diagnostics and bioimaging." Abergel notes that a study like this would have been possible in very few other places. "Very few people have the capabilities to combine the different approaches and techniques--the spectroscopy techniques at the ALS, handling of heavy elements that are radioactive, plus the chemical and biological tools we have onsite," she said. "The combination of all those techniques here is very unique." Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Benjamin E. Allred, Peter B. Rupert, Stacey S. Gauny, Dahlia D. An, Corie Y. Ralston, Manuel Sturzbecher-Hoehne, Roland K. Strong, Rebecca J. Abergel.Siderocalin-mediated recognition, sensitization, and cellular uptake of actinides. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2015; 112 (33): 10342 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1508902112 DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "Cellular contamination pathway for plutonium, other heavy elements, identified: Scientists find that an iron-binding protein can transport actinides into cells." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 August 2015.  www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150826144114.htm.