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Case Report ARTICLE
Sympathetic, Metabolic Adaptations, and Oxidative Stress in Autism Spectrum Disorders: How Far From Physiology?
- 1Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli," Naples, Italy
- 2Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
- 3Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli," Naples, Italy
- 4Department of Health Sciences, University "Magna Graecia," Catanzaro, Italy
- 5Child Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- 6Childhood Psychiatric Service for Neurodevelopmentals Disorders, Chinon, France
- 7Department of Surgical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a complex and multifaceted neurobehavioral syndrome with no specific cause still identified, despite the worldwide increasing (prevalence for 1,000 children from 6.7 to 14.6, between 2000 and 2012). Many biological and instrumental markers have been suggested as potential predictive factors for the precocious diagnosis during infancy and/or pediatric age. Many studies reported structural and functional abnormalities in the autonomic system in subjects with ASD. Sleep problems in ASD are a prominent feature, having an impact on the social interaction of the patient. Considering the role of orexins (A and B) in wake-sleep circadian rhythm, we could speculate that ASD subjects may present a dysregulation in orexinergic neurotransmission. Conversely, oxidative stress is implicated in the pathophysiology of many neurological disorders. Nonetheless, little is known about the linkage between oxidative stress and the occurrence or the progress of autism and autonomic functioning; some markers, such as heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), body temperature, and galvanic skin response (GSR), may be altered in the patient with this so complex disorder. In the present paper, we analyzed an autism case report, focusing on the rule of the sympathetic activity with the aim to suggest that it may be considered an important tool in ASD evaluation. The results of this case confirm our hypothesis even if further studies needed.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a complex and multifaceted neurobehavioral syndrome with no specific cause still identified, despite the worldwide increasing (prevalence for 1,000 children from 6.7 to 14.6, between 2000 and 2012). Many biological and instrumental markers have been suggested as potential predictive factors for the precocious diagnosis during infancy and/or pediatric age. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has shown the structural abnormalities in relevant brain structures such as the amygdala, cingulated anterior cortex, and cerebellum (Uddin and Menon, 2009). These alterations seem to be associated with neurotransmitters dysregulation with the imbalance between excitation and inhibition in neural circuits (Purcell et al., 2001a,b).
Many studies reported structural and functional abnormalities in the autonomic system in subjects with ASD (Neri et al., 2009a,b; Bujnakova et al., 2016; Bonaventure et al., 2017). As previously described, ASD patients show decreased levels of essential fatty acids. In this scenario, the assumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) can help the brain development and function (Brigandi et al., 2015).
On the other hand, ASD patients present sleep disorders, such as parasomnias, obstructive apnea sleep disorders syndrome (OSAS), disorders of initiating and maintaining of sleep, sleep-related movement disorders (Giallongo et al., 2011; Accetta et al., 2016; Precenzano et al., 2017). Considering the role of orexins (A and B) in wake-sleep circadian rhythm, we could speculate that ASD subjects may present a dysregulation in orexinergic neurotransmission also involved in various brain dysfunctions connected with numerous neuropsychiatric disorders including neurodevelopmental disorders. Sleep disturbance in ASD patients depending on the increased activity of the orexinergic system (probably due to amygdala dysfunction) associated with a reduction of 5-HT and melatonergic system activity (Kohyama, 2016; Mondola et al., 2016; Petito et al., 2016; Bertozzi et al., 2017). Orexin evaluation may be considered a new interesting biomarker in ASD pathogenesis, even if to date only associative studies were performed to demonstrate their relationship with health disturbances, such as obesity (Hao et al., 2017).
Conversely, oxidative stress is implicated in the pathophysiology of many neurological disorders (Essick and Sam, 2010). The diacron reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) test has been used in the clinics, to evaluate the oxidative stress. Particularly it could be considered an important atherosclerotic risk factor in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), in cardiac disease, neurological disorders, aging, and cancer (Kotani et al., 2013). Nonetheless, little is known about the linkage between oxidative stress and the occurrence or the progress of autism and autonomic functioning; some markers, such as heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), body temperature, and galvanic skin response (GSR), may be altered in patient with this so complex disorder (Bricout et al., 2017; Hufnagel et al., 2017; Kuiper et al., 2017; Oshodi et al., 2017).
HRV is considered, indeed, a standard noninvasive method for evaluating Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) function (Messina et al., 2012; Neri et al., 2013). It was frequently investigated in a large number of cardiology studies. Nowadays, recent scientific studies suggested the HRV as an important tool in the field of physiology, psychology, psychiatry, and occupational medicine. The HRV variations are linked with the sympathetic and parasympathetic activities directed to the sinus node characterized by each cardiac cycle. The high frequency (HF) component is associated solely with parasympathetic activity, while the low frequency (LF) component is associated with both sympathetic and parasympathetic activities, even if the sympathetic activity is the greater contributor.
In the present paper, we analyzed an autism case report, focusing on the rule of the sympathetic activity with the aim to suggest that it may be considered an important tool in ASD evaluation.
Case Presentation
We enrolled a male, a child 9 years old, height 1.33 m and weight 28 kg (normal BMI), in the Child Neuropsychiatry at the University of Palermo. The values of serum thyroid hormones levels, systolic and diastolic blood pressure have remained within the normal range.
Written informed consent was obtained from parents. At any time, they could choose to leave the study. All the investigation procedures were approved by the local Human Ethical Review Committee in accordance with the revised Declaration of Helsinki (2013).
The pregnancy was normally conducted and completed with a natural birth at 38 gestational weeks. The infant conditions were good. The development stages were achieved in time (walking at 11 months; first words at 12 months, two phrase sentences at 15 months). Between 15 and 18 months, there was no evolution of language. During this period, sleeping difficulties (rarely sleepwalking) and bizarre behaviors (hand flapping, turn on himself) were reported. At the age of about 3 years old, parents noticed the tendency to isolation, lack of expressive language, difficult eye contact, stereotyped movements of the body, hyperactivity.
At the age of 4 years the "Social Interaction Disorder" was diagnosed. The neuropsychomotor therapy (play-therapy) and speech therapy for 2 times per week were prescribed. These therapies helped the patient to improve his clinical situation.
At the age of 6 years, the complete diagnosis was done: "Cognitive disability in the subject with psychopathological aspects of autism spectrum and signs of immaturity." In this scenario, the FRAXA (Fragile X) test was performed, considering that it is a very important test for anyone with signs of autism or unexplained developmental delay. The genetic FRAXA test was negative.
Clinical evaluation, instrument examinations, plasma Orexin-A detection, and d-ROMs test were performed. All data were in accord with the diagnosis of autism in a subject with intellectual disability.
Clinical Evaluation
The patient had poor language skills: he communicated using one or two sentences of words even if he sang in full sentences (echolalics). The comprehension was good as he was able to hyperventilate for 3 min. Frequently, he related to others mostly by pointing. He showed self-stimulating behaviors in the form of rocking, manual rotation, and hand flapping. His motor skills were below normal. His sleep was good but he was defiant and unable to calm down at bedtime. He did not show any interest in other children and his eye contact is poor. He did not show aggressive behavior, but often he did afinalistic actions (turn around the room).
For the diagnosis, the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedules, Second Edition) was performed. The total score of the "Module 1" was compatible with autistic spectrum, with a total score of 22 (cut-off for autistic spectrum = 8; cut-off for autism = 12). Comparison Scoring ADOS-2 also indicated that the children presented a high level of autism spectrum-related symptoms compared to children with ASDs of the same age and language level.
Furthermore, the semi-structured interview ADI-R was carried out. As summarized in Table 1, all results were compatible with ASD.
Finally, the (CarS-T) Infant Caring Assessment Scale was carried out: the patient had a total score of 45, that was indicative of a relation compromisation and it was compatible with "Severely Autistic."
Laboratory Investigations and Diagnostic Tests
Electroencephalographic Evaluation (EEG)
The cerebral background rhythm during awake stage showed well-organized and well-developed average voltage 9–10 Hz alpha activity predominantly in the posterior regions. With eye-opening, it was bilaterally synchronous and symmetrical. No spike-and-wave discharges or any lateralizing abnormalities were observed. Photic stimulation did not produce any abnormalities. A brief drowsiness was seen in the later part of the recording. Hyperventilation was also performed for about 3 min; no abnormalities were seen during the procedure. In conclusion, the EEG test was normal and no epileptiform discharges or any other paroxysmal activities or focal abnormalities were observed.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Brain
The magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) of the brain was performed: no any alteration of the brain was detected.
HR Measurement
The HR measurement was carried out with a chest strap wired to a digital R-R recorder (BTL08 SD ECG); the QRS-signal wave-form R-R signal was sampled at the resolution of 1 ms. The HR (beats min−1) was calculated using the formula: HR = 60/R-R interval in seconds; the R-R interval was converted into seconds.
In the patient, the HR-value was higher (84 bpm) than the normal value of children (average normal value 70 bpm).
Power Spectral Analysis (PSA) of HRV
The Power spectral analysis (PSA) of HRV was evaluated by an electrocardiogram (ECG) for 5 min. The signals were acquired on a PC at 100 s/s by an electrocardiograph (delta-1 plus, Cardioline, Milan, Italy) connected to the serial port of a PC; a custom software made with LabView (National Instruments, Texas, USA) was used for data acquisition and analysis.
The R waves were automatically recognized, and the RR intervals were calculated and resampled to obtain a constant-time-based signal (100 ms). The Fourier transform was then applied to this signal and visualized in the form of power LF (0.04–0.15 Hz) and HF (0.15–0.40 Hz). The LF, HF, and the LF/HF ratio were used to estimate the sympathetic and parasympathetic activities. Although the time window for HRV recording is generally >5 min, the Task Force on HRV (1996) indicates that main spectral components are distinguished in a spectrum calculated from short-term recordings of 2–5 min.
In the patient, the LF (S2/Hz) was higher (0.74 S2/Hz) than the normal values (a.n.v. 0.44 S2/Hz).
Galvanic Skin Response (GRS)
The GSR parameters were measured simultaneously using the SenseWear Pro Armband™ (version 3.0, BodyMedia, Inc. PA, USA), which was worn on the right arm over the triceps muscle at the midpoint between acromion and olecranon processes, as recommended by the manufacturer.
The GSR (μS) value in the patient was higher (1.79 μS) than the normal status (a.n.v. 1.11 μS).
Rectal Temperature
Rectal temperature was measured with electronic thermometer thermistor/thermocouple (Ellab A/S, Hilleroed, Denmark).
The body temperature changed in relationship with normal status. In the patient, the rectal temperature (°C) was higher (37.81°C) than the normal value (a.n.v. 37.01°C).
Plasma Orexin-A Detection
Blood sample was obtained at 8:00 a.m. after overnight fast into Vacutainer tubes (BD, Franklin Lakes, NJ) containing EDTA and 0.45 TIU/ml of aprotinin.
Each sample was mixed and then immediately centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 12 min at 4°C.
Plasma was separated and stored at −80°C until analysis.
The plasma Orexin-A levels were measured with Hypocretin Orexin-A1 ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immuno Assay) kit (Phoenix Pharmaceuticals). For this test, the minimal detectable concentration was 0.37 ng/ml, the intra-assay error <5% and the inter-assay error <14%.
Before ELISA test, the Orexin-A extraction was obtained with Sep-Pak C18 columns (Waters, Milford, MA) using the following protocol:
- 10 ml of methanol and 20 ml of H2O were used to activate the columns;
- 1.5 ml of sample was added to the column and washing with 20 ml of water;
- the sample was eluted slowly with 80% acetonitrile and resulting volume was reduced to 400 μl under nitrogen flow;
- the aliquot obtained was led to exsiccation using Speedvac (Savant Instruments, Holbrook, NY).
To perform the ELISA test, the dry residue was dissolved in water.
There was no cross-reactivity of the antibody for hypocretin-1 (16–33), hypocretin-2, agouti-related protein (83–132)-amide.
The Orexin A-values (3,592 pg/mL) was higher in the patient than to the normal status (a.n.v. 2,100 pg/mL).
d-ROMs (Reactive Oxygen Metabolites) Test
The d-ROMs test is a simple assay marketed for analyzing the total amount of hydroperoxides in serum via the Fenton's reaction.
Hydroperoxides, consisting of lipids, carbonylated proteins, and oxidized nucleic acids, are one of the most important ROS involved in oxidative stress and their measurement is considered a reliable marker of oxidation in plasma.
The test was performed with the Free Radical Analytical System 4 (FRAS 4): this is a photometric analytical system developed for the assessment of oxidative stress that measures plasma hydroperoxides concentrations using the d-ROMs test with a single drop of peripheral (finger) blood.
The blood sample was collected by patient's finger (0.15 mL) in a heparinized microcuvette. Thanks to the centrifuge of the FRAS 4 Evolvo System, plasma was immediately isolated by centrifugation at 37°C for 60 s. The plasma was dissolved in an acidic buffer (pH 4.8) in which its hydroperoxides react with the transition metal ions liberated from the proteins in the acidic medium and was converted to alkoxy and peroxy radicals. Subsequently, a colorless chromogen was added (N,N-diethyl-para-phenylenediamine). These newly formed radicals oxidized this chromogen that changed into a radical cation producing a magenta colored derivative. This color is directly correlated with the concentration of hydroperoxides in the plasma sample that is proportional to the quantity of ROMs, according to the Lambert-Beer law. The photometer FRAS 4 Evolvo (absorption at 505 nm, Temperature 37°C) was used to measure the magenta color in order to measure the hydroperoxide concentration. The d-ROMs value was expressed in the arbitrary unit U. CARR (Units Carratelli), as established by the manufacturer (1 U. CARR corresponds to 0.08 mg of H2O2/dL). Normal values range between 250 and 300 U. CARR and values higher than 300 U. CARR suggest increased oxidative stress (Cornelli et al., 2001).
The results of the d-ROMs test showed different values: in the patient the value (532 U) was higher than to the normal status (a.n.v. 255 U); this finding suggests the increase of oxidative stress in ASD.
The present paper may suggest the need to broaden horizons and the study target on ASD, including oxidative stress, neurotransmitters evaluation, and sympathetic activity measurements. As summarized in Table 2, the parameters tested in the case study are adulterated observing the normal values.
The oxidative stress is implicated in the pathophysiology of many neurological disorders, such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (Salim, 2014).
Undoubtedly the ASD pathogenesis is complex and still not well-identified, hypothesizing that autism can be traced back to a single and univocal pathogenesis. On the other hand, there is increasing evidence that ASD patients show excessive ROS production as reported by many studies (Ghezzo et al., 2013; Bafunno et al., 2014; Anwar et al., 2016; El-Ansary et al., 2017; Howsmon et al., 2017; Khemakhem et al., 2017; Oshodi et al., 2017).
In this perspective, the PUFA administration may be justified in ASD children (Bramanti et al., 2016; Parletta et al., 2016; Sun et al., 2016; Weiser et al., 2016).
Moreover, also vitamin D and its metabolites have been recognized as lower in ASD children respect of typically developing children (Basheer et al., 2017; Berridge, 2017; Jia et al., 2018), pinpointing the role of neuroinflammation in ASD etiology (Mostafa and Al-Ayadhi, 2012; Macfabe, 2013; Salomone et al., 2014; Cianci et al., 2016).
Neuroinflammation may explain the dysregulation between GABA and Glutamate cortical neurocircuitry in ASD children, particularly in the frontostriatal system with functional network topology (Cerame et al., 2008; Jakab et al., 2013; Carvalho Pereira et al., 2017; Naaijen et al., 2017; Nardone et al., 2017).
Conversely, these neurotransmitters alterations could explain also the sleep disorders such as nocturnal awakenings, insomnia, and parasomnias (Bramanti et al., 2012; Precenzano et al., 2017) and food selectivity in ASD children (Chistol et al., 2017; Li et al., 2017; Suarez, 2017). In this context may be explained the cerebral metabolism increasing (Mitelman et al., 2017) and the autonomic hyperfunctioning in ASD (Avola et al., 2004; Goodman, 2016; Parisi et al., 2017) sustained by high Orexin A levels (Messina et al., 2013, 2014, 2015; Kohyama, 2016; Messina A. et al., 2016; Messina G. et al., 2016).
Even if further studies needed, the findings of this study confirm the hypothesis that the markers of the sympathetic activity could become an important tool in ASD evaluation.
Author Contributions
AnM, VM, IB, FP, MaS, AgM, MR, LP, and RF: substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work. AV, MoS, RM, FL, FS, and SL: drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content. FS, GT, BG, GC, and MM: final approval of the version to be published. AgM, GM, and MC: agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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Mostafa, G. A., and Al-Ayadhi, L. Y. (2012). Reduced serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in children with autism: relation to autoimmunity. J. Neuroinflammation 9:201. doi: 10.1186/1742-2094-9-201
Naaijen, J., Zwiers, M. P., Amiri, H., Williams, S. C. R., Durston, S., Oranje, B., et al. (2017). Fronto-striatal glutamate in autism spectrum disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 42, 2456–2465. doi: 10.1038/npp.2016.260
Nardone, S., Sams, D. S., Zito, A., Reuveni, E., and Elliott, E. (2017). Dysregulation of cortical neuron DNA methylation profile in autism spectrum disorder. Cereb. Cortex 27, 5739–5754. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhx250
Neri, V., Ambrosi, A., Fersini, A., Tartaglia, N., Lapolla, F., and Forlano, I. (2013). Severe acute pancreatitis: clinical forms of different gravity. Ann. Ital. Chir. 84, 47–53.
Neri, V., Fersini, A., Ambrosi, A., Tartaglia, N., and Valentino, T. P. (2009a). Diagnostic evaluation prior to chelecystectomy in mild-moderate acute biliary pancreatitis. Ann. Ital. Chir. 80, 363–367.
Neri, V., Fersini, A., Ambrosi, A., Tartaglia, N., and Valentino, T. P. (2009b). Mild-moderate acute biliary pancreatitis: role of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in preparation of cholecystectomy. Pancreas 38:717. doi: 10.1097/MPA.0b013e3181a83087
Oshodi, Y., Ojewunmi, O., Oshodi, T. A., Ijarogbe, G. T., Ogun, O. C., Aina, O. F., et al. (2017). Oxidative stress markers and genetic polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferase T1, M1, and P1 in a subset of children with autism spectrum disorder in Lagos, Nigeria. Niger. J. Clin. Pract. 20, 1161–1167. doi: 10.4103/njcp.njcp_282_16
Parisi, L., Salerno, M., Maltese, A., Tripi, G., Romano, P., Folco, A. D., et al. (2017). Autonomic regulation in autism spectrum disorders. Acta Med. Mediter. 33, 491–494. doi: 10.19193/0393-6384_2017_3_073
Parletta, N., Niyonsenga, T., and Duff, J. (2016). Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels and correlations with symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autistic spectrum disorder and typically developing controls. PLoS ONE 11:e0156432. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156432
Petito, A., Altamura, M., Iuso, S., Padalino, F. A., Sessa, F., D'Andrea, G., et al. (2016). The relationship between personality traits, the 5HTT polymorphisms, and the occurrence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in elite athletes. PLoS ONE 11:e0156601. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156601
Precenzano, F., Ruberto, M., Parisi, L., Salerno, M., Maltese, A., Verde, D., et al. (2017). Sleep habits in children affected by autism spectrum disorders: a preliminary case-control study. Acta Med. Mediter. 33, 405–409. doi: 10.19193/0393-6384_2017_3_059
Purcell, A. E., Jeon, O.-H., and Pevsner, J. (2001a). The abnormal regulation of gene expression in autistic brain tissue. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 31, 545–549. doi: 10.1023/A:1013290826504
Purcell, A. E., Jeon, O. H., Zimmerman, A. W., Blue, M. E., and Pevsner, J. (2001b). Postmortem brain abnormalities of the glutamate neurotransmitter system in autism. Neurology 57, 1618–1628. doi: 10.1212/WNL.57.9.1618
Salim, S. (2014). Oxidative stress and psychological disorders. Curr. Neuropharmacol. 12, 140–147. doi: 10.2174/1570159X11666131120230309
Salomone, F., Li Volti, G., Vitaglione, P., Morisco, F., Fogliano, V., Zappalà, A., et al. (2014). Coffee enhances the expression of chaperones and antioxidant proteins in rats with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Transl. Res. 163, 593–602. doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2013.12.001
Suarez, M. A. (2017). Laboratory food acceptance in children with autism spectrum disorder compared with children with typical development. Am. J. Occup. Ther. 71. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2017.022152
Sun, G. Y., Simonyi, A., Fritsche, K. L., Chuang, D. Y., Hannink, M., Gu, Z., et al. (2016). Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): an essential nutrient and a nutraceutical for brain health and diseases. Prostaglandins Leukot. Essent. Fatty Acids. doi: 10.1016/j.plefa.2017.03.006. [Epub ahead of print].
Uddin, L. Q., and Menon, V. (2009). The anterior insula in autism: under-connected and under-examined. Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 33, 1198–1203. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.06.002
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Keywords: autism spectrum disorders (ASD), Orexin-A, oxidative stress, heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV)
Citation: Messina A, Monda V, Sessa F, Valenzano A, Salerno M, Bitetti I, Precenzano F, Marotta R, Lavano F, Lavano SM, Salerno M, Maltese A, Roccella M, Parisi L, Ferrentino RI, Tripi G, Gallai B, Cibelli G, Monda M, Messina G and Carotenuto M (2018) Sympathetic, Metabolic Adaptations, and Oxidative Stress in Autism Spectrum Disorders: How Far From Physiology? Front. Physiol. 9:261. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00261
Received: 06 January 2018; Accepted: 07 March 2018;
Published: 22 March 2018.
Edited by:Mariarosaria Santillo, University of Naples Federico II, Italy
Reviewed by:Davide Viggiano, University of Molise, Italy
Paolo Chieffi, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" Caserta, Italy
Copyright © 2018 Messina, Monda, Sessa, Valenzano, Salerno, Bitetti, Precenzano, Marotta, Lavano, Lavano, Salerno, Maltese, Roccella, Parisi, Ferrentino, Tripi, Gallai, Cibelli, Monda, Messina and Carotenuto. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Giovanni Messina, email@example.com
†These authors have contributed equally to this work.


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Improving women's cardiovascular health: A position statement from the International Council on Women's Health Issues
Publication Date
Publication Details
Davidson, P. M, Meleis, A. I, McGrath, S. J, DiGiacomo, M., Dharmendra, T., Puzantian, H. V, Song, M. & Riegel, B. (2012). Improving women's cardiovascular health: A position statement from the International Council on Women's Health Issues. Health Care for Women International,33(10), 943-955. United States: Taylor & Francis Inc.. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2011.646375
Cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) is the number one killer of women worldwide, and it remains the primary cause of death and disability in both developed and developing countries. The International Council on Women's Health Issues is an international nonprofit association dedicated to the goals of promoting the health, health care, and the well-being of women. Based on the outcomes of a facilitated discussion at its 18th biannual meeting, delegates aim to raise awareness about the potent influence of gender-specific factors on the development, progression, and outcomes of CVD. Key recommendations for decreasing the burden of CVD are also discussed.
Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research
Document Type
Journal Article
Access Rights
ERA Access
Access may be restricted.

subset: commoncrawl


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The U.S. Export-Import Bank is a major supporter of the U.S. aerospace industry's large manufacturers. With guarantees backed by Ex-Im, foreign airlines have placed big orders for new U.S.-made aircraft and engines. Unfortunately, the same level of credit financing has not filtered down to a long-overlooked part of the industry: the small and medium-sized enterprises that export spare parts and help maintain an edge against foreign competition. Now is a good time to make a shift in ...
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Have The Scoop on teak outdoor furniture melbourne Until you are Too Late
So you've completed some container gardening on the patio or balcony, and you have even planted some vegetables along with herbs and flowers. One may surprise why outdoor kitchens have not been standard subject teak patio furniture prior to now, however with the event of quality direct-to-house deliverable outdoor kitchen appliances the cost of building and sustaining an outdoor kitchen has by no means been more doable.
It´s time you booked a holiday out right here Nell and tested out the new solar lounger covers lol, my September and October costs are really cheap as are flights out of season ( Ryanair flies on to Valencia ) and you'd be assured of a warm welcome that´s for sure, and a discount too , but I might be selecting your brains like mad for hints and tips on find out how to make it as an on-line author…I've my observe pad at the prepared LOL.
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If you have a joints inside your function that fails to fit together correctly, this should not be repaired with glue. Although it may seem such as the straightforward way to repair stuff, it would only job for the short term. The greatest thing to do would be to commence over and also be far more mindful the next time.
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'Enormous response' for Jewish group's anti-slavery campaign
Human rights group René Cassin praised the warm welcome they received for their drive to try and end the modern scourge
A Jewish human rights charity has praised an "enormous response" from the Jewish community, after dozens of synagogues signed up to speak out against modern-day slavery during Shabbat services in two weeks' time.
The awareness-raising campaign is being organised by charity René Cassin, and is timed to coincide with World Human Rights Day on 10 December. The organisation offers an online resource pack, including sermon notes and information on topics such as protecting overseas domestic workers.
Mia Hasenson-Gross, director of René Cassin, said: "The pain of slavery has particular resonance with Jewish people. That is clear in the enormous response we've had on this issue from synagogues – including one from Barcelona."
She added: "Slavery conjures up images of the Israelites exiled in Egypt, or the infamous trans-Atlantic trade. But the terrible truth is that today more people are enslaved than at any time in history – including some 13,000 here in the UK."


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The tiling is extremely essential since it provides a trendy and elegant look to your house. Bathrooms are these regions where people focus more. People today go in hunt for amazing artwork and feel to earn their bathroom appear appealing. Installing tiles requires dedication and experience which can't be carried out by anyone.
The services provided there are vast and focus on indoor and outdoor tiling, ceiling and wall tiling, bathroom remodeling and renovation of the home. Giving an outstanding look to your bathroom isn't a challenging job, but should be passed over a responsible individual. You can browse the given link for professional tilers for bathroom renovation: Tiling Perth | Wall and Floor Tiling Perth – Gun Tiling.
Things to search for before hiring tilers:
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Cost and quality- the price you're paying for your renovation should satisfy with the grade of the work generated. Hiring bathroom tiles in Perth seem cheap and additional tiling service from the home. This support is available at a competitive cost in Australia.
Uniqueness- searches for the attribute what makes the business unique. It may either be their exceptional functions or their strong reputation on the marketplace.


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- Furnished: Unfurnished
Yaletown Bright and Spacious 2 Bedroom & Den Home with 2 FULL Bathrooms Has It All. A Tastefully RENOVATED/Updated Suite at City Crest, an Excellent, Well Maintained Building at the Corner of DAVIE & HOMER. The Views across Yaletown and Downtown are expansive. Unrivaled Privacy! This is Truly an Oasis in the Heart of All the Action! Walking and Cycling distance to Everything! Too many Coffee Shops and World Class Restaurants to list. Public Transit at your doorstep. Proximity to Everything Doesn't Get Any Better!!
Available August 1, text Rebecca at 604-783-9670 or email firstname.lastname@example.com


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About Lucinda Phillips
In 2002 Lucinda began studying Tibetan buddhism and practicing mindfulness meditation in both England and the United States. She volunteers as a teacher of Mindfulness and Meditation at the Los Angeles Central Library.
Lucinda has worked in the film business for 20 years as a Writer, Producer and Director and has incorporated mindfulness and meditation into her daily working life. She is also a founding boardmember of the non-profit parks advocacy organization "Friends of Griffith Park" which is dedicated to preserving Griffith Park as L.A.'s signature green and open space.
As a dedicated practitioner Lucinda has found that mindfulness has transformed both her creative process and personal wellbeing. Since 2002 has been attending silent retreats regularly each year.


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Vacation Home Rentals
Little Sugar River Farm
- N5929 Schneeburger Rd.
- Albany, Wisconsin 53502
- 608.214.3817 or 608.862.2212
- http://www.littlesugarriverfarm.com/
The Little Sugar River Farm is a lovely private guesthouse on a small organic farm along the Sugar River Bike Trail and close to the new Badger State Trail. The farm is secluded, peaceful, and surrounded on by wildlife preserve. The house is elegant yet simple, filled with light, with french doors that open to a large back porch looking out over fields, prairie, and wetlands. The house won the American Institute of Architects Award in 2000.
River Cottage
- 405 S. Mill
- Albany, Wisconsin 53502
- 608.862.3636
- www.albanyhouse.com
River Cottage, a fully refurbished 1912 craftsman cottage, is available for rental from two days to several months. The eight-room air conditioned cottage is located in the village of Albany, approximately 15 miles from Monroe.
A first floor bedroom includes a queen sized bed and attached private bath. A queen sized luxury sleeper sofa is available in the living room. The second floor bedroom suite features a king sized bed, full bath and fireplace.
The cozy spa room on the first floor includes a double whirlpool tub and fireplace with comfortable lounge chairs.
Other features include a living room with satellite TV, wifi throughout the house, a dining room and a three season porch. The fully equipped kitchen has a dishwasher, refrigerator, stove, microwave, coffeemaker and toaster, as well as dishes, cutlery and pots and pans. The grounds offer a patio with gas grill.


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Connect with nature at Auckland nudist group's open day
Come for the sausage sizzle and stay to discover a different way of life.
Clothing is optional.
The Auckland Outdoor Naturist Club (AONC) in Swanson, Auckland, is throwing open their gates on March 24 and 25. Continued…Read full original article…
Source: Stuff
Original publication March 21 2018
Posted on NatCorn 22nd March 2018


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Anonymous asked in HealthDiet & Fitness · 8 months ago
If I lose 77 pounds will I have loose skin?
I am 5'9 and 300 pounds, I am wondering if lose 77 pounds will I have loose skin?
6 Answers
- kelvinLv 78 months agoBest answer
why not lose the weight first and worry about that later
- SkyLv 78 months ago
Probably, but it won't last forever. The skin will tighten back up over time.
- busterwasmycatLv 78 months ago
probably some. Or maybe you will just have leftover stretch marks.
- dewcoonsLv 78 months ago
From 300 to about 225. Probably not any major amounts. And over time most of that should tighten up.
- What do you think of the answers? You can sign in to give your opinion on the answer.
- 8 months ago
A lot
- Jim MoorLv 78 months ago
Yes, maybe, no.
Lose it responsibly, slowly, and if you're younger or male, probably no.
Still have questions? Get answers by asking now.


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Own the City with your Friends! Convert civilians to your crowd, eat up smaller crowds than you and avoid the bigger ones! It's a Crowdy Crowd City!
Plunge your way through this unique platform adventure. You must help Plunger get around these challenging levels to connect the goal nodes with your plungers to succeed. There will be many enemies and hazardous environments to avoid in this fun but frantic adventure game.Help
There are 3 awards in Plunger. View All Awards


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Monterey, Calif. — The rush to exploit the riches of the deep ocean and seafloor is beginning. As pollution, overfishing and climate change sap the productivity of surface waters, many countries and companies are scouting new territory deeper down. This presents a threat the deep ocean has never faced.
Vast, dark and largely unexplored, these overlooked parts of the oceans are rich in marine life, gems, metals, minerals and oil. Stretching from 650 to 3,200 feet below the surface, the mesopelagic — known as the twilight zone because there is so little sunlight — is the first stop for deep ocean exploitation.
With an estimated 10 billion metric tons of marine life, including fish, shrimp and squid, these depths offer a seemingly endless bounty. That's why fishing nations are looking closely at this region of the sea. As of spring 2017, for instance, Norway had issued 46 new licenses for vessels to fish in the mesopelagic in the previous nine months, according to The Economist. Harvesting just 1 percent of this zone would double our overall fisheries catch, with consequences we have yet to grasp.
The next stop is the seafloor, which represents 71 percent of Earth's surface. Only about 15 percent of it has been mapped. We know more about the surface of Mars.
While we've been mining shallow coastal waters for sand, gold, tin and diamonds for decades, commercial seafloor mining is a nascent industry. De Beers, the world's largest diamond producer, recently spent $157 million on a state-of-the-art vessel that will search 2,300 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean seafloor just off the coast of Namibia for gems and vacuum up what it finds. The seafloor also contains precious metals, rare earth minerals and oil — resources that have tremendous commercial value and are now, thanks to advances in marine technology, within our reach.
The International Seabed Authority, which regulates deep-sea mining, has allowed companies from dozens of countries to explore for minerals in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a region of the Pacific Ocean extending from the west coast of Mexico to Hawaii that contains deposits of nickel, manganese, copper, zinc, cobalt and other minerals. Mining could begin there in the next few years.
Given our lousy track record for protecting the oceans, the stakes are incredibly high. Marine scientists and engineers are racing to explore and map the oceans, including the fragile communities living both in the water and on the seafloor, before it is exploited. To prevent a catastrophic free-for-all, we need to make decisions about extracting ocean resources that are informed by science. Careful stewardship of the oceans based on data, and not just the potential for short-term profit, should drive ocean policy for fishing and mining.
Nineteenth-century oceanographers believed that the deep ocean was devoid of life. They couldn't imagine how this cold, dark, high-pressure environment, with barely enough sunlight for animals to see and not enough for plants to grow, could be productive. But as new technology became available, starting with sonar and manned submersibles, then remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles and today's fleets of drifting drones, it became increasingly clear that the deep ocean is teeming with extraordinary life.
The twilight zone may not look like the tropical coral reef of your fantasy vacation, but it is equally magnificent, home to creatures both bizarre and beautiful. Scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, where we work, have discovered hundreds of new species, like Chondrocladia lyra, also known as the harp sponge, a species of carnivorous deep-sea sponge, which lives at depths of two miles. Biomedical researchers are studying deep-sea sponges and corals to see whether they hold lifesaving properties for diseases like cancer.
Unfortunately, the same technology that has enabled such quantum leaps in our understanding of the deep ocean now allows us to fish and mine with brutal efficiency.
The race is on. Our next moonshot is not to Mars or deep space. It is aimed at the ocean depths. The biggest challenge to deep-sea exploration is no longer technology. It's how we use that technology.
To save our largest global commons, scientists and engineers must deploy observational and exploratory technology at much greater scale than we have in the past — and much more quickly. We need a global initiative to accelerate our understanding of the deep sea and how it is faring. A cooperative, multicountry monitoring network to track and report threats like overfishing, pollution and warming could provide critical guidance for climate policy and sustainable ocean management.
Already, new technology is demonstrating its value in solving tough challenges. For example, a National Science Foundation-funded pilot initiative in the Southern Ocean, the enormous body of water encircling Antarctica, has deployed more than 100 drones with sensors that measure important ocean health indicators, including oxygen, nitrate and pH. For the first time, scientists have been able to monitor changes in the uptake of carbon dioxide and make this data publicly available in real time. If this effort could be scaled up to 1,000 drones spaced across the entire ocean, it would allow the tracking of regional carbon emissions to help ensure that countries meet their commitments under the Paris climate accord.
Building a global ocean health observing system will take a sustained international commitment. There are hopeful signs that world leaders are finally giving the oceans the attention they deserve. Among the topics the leaders of the Group of 7 nations will discuss at their conference on Friday and Saturday in Quebec will be keeping oceans healthy and coastal communities resilient. Their meeting on Friday coincides with World Oceans Day.
Also hopeful is the growing number of philanthropic donors choosing to focus on ocean science and conservation. In 2015, philanthropic support for marine conservation was $399 million — roughly double what it was in 2010. This increase was welcome. But to put it in perspective, Harvard University received a gift of $400 million in 2015 from one alumnus. Even more critical, funding for ocean science by the federal government, which has been flat for years, must rise.
The oceans are the largest home for life on our planet and the blue heart of earth's climate system. We must use them wisely. Otherwise, we risk using them up.


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Liverpool fans are looking pleased at the latest claims here in the Football Transfer Tavern from the Daily Mail, who note that the club could well be set to win the race for Willian – should they be capable of fighting a last minute offer from Spurs.
The Reds are desperate to strengthen their squad this summer and are looking for that all important marquee signing. Now that the future of Luis Suarez is looking more resolved than it has all summer long – at least for the time being, Brendan Rodgers is turning his attentions to getting players through the door.
As we all know in the tavern, Willian is available this summer for around £30 million and Liverpool are more than willing to pay that in order to bring in a player of that standard and star quality. Whilst the club are growing increasingly confident that they can land the creative player, Spurs are keeping an eye on the situation and could pounce.
After already having an impressive summer of spending, adding the likes of Roberto Soldado and Nacer Chadli to the side, Andre Villas Boas does not want to stop there and is willing to bring Willian into the club and take the summer spending even higher.
Willian himself is just keen on a move to the Premier League and has spoken out about both clubs in the past, most recently Liverpool and Rodgers is determined that he will land his star man after a summer of worry and angst.


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Let's start at the end.
Dusty and I participated in the March For Our Lives in Park City on Saturday. I was amazed to find out that we had present at our little march three of the survivors of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14th. During the rally held at the end of the march, they stood hand-in-hand with the student organizers from Park C…
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Following a diet packed with foods that lower the markers of inflammation in our bodies can lower our risk for an early death.
If you're hoping to live a long and healthy life, you might want to embrace an anti-inflammatory diet.
New research published in the Journal of Internal Medicine suggests that a diet that includes foods like fruits and vegetables, and mostly steers clear of processed foods, is associated with a lower risk of death at an early age.
The research was led by Joanna Kaluza, DSc, an associate professor at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland. It looked at 68,273 Swedish men and women between the ages of 45 and 83.
The study followed people for 16 years, and those who stuck with a mostly anti-inflammatory diet had an 18 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality, 13 percent lower risk of dying from cancer, and 20 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease.
Ali Webster,
"Its key players are foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, healthy fats — like those that come from olive oil and avocado — fish, nuts, and dark chocolate," Webster told Healthline. "Red wine is sometimes considered to be a component of an anti-inflammatory diet, though it should be consumed in moderation."
If you're thinking that sounds a lot like the popular Mediterranean diet, you're right.
Webster explained that an anti-inflammatory diet is basically an "on-trend term that describes established recommendations for eating healthy."
Dana Hunnes,
However, an anti-inflammatory diet isn't just about what you eat, but what you don't eat.
Webster stressed that foods high in salt, saturated fat, sugar, and refined carbohydrates should be limited or avoided.
She said that when these kinds of foods are consumed in excess they're linked to higher markers for inflammation — which is tied to almost every kind of chronic disease — and presents a greater risk for cancer and diabetes.
"Inflammation is a complicated process that even the most knowledgeable scientists don't completely understand," Webster said. "But there is some research to support that eating recommended amounts of foods like fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains can reduce
So, what makes these foods so inherently healthy?
"Primarily, it's the antioxidants. Omega-3 fatty acids are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, but it's better… in
Often, studies like this can cause the average consumer's head to spin.
There seems to regularly be a steady stream of research pointing to some new food to avoid and diet to adopt.
Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, told Healthline that unhealthy options at the grocery store are "truly just one small piece of the why-we-eat-the-way-we-do puzzle."
"Sticking with fresh options will always minimize consumption of processed foods. You also can try to avoid frozen meals and pizzas, snack-type items, and quick cook items," Kirkpatrick said. "Keep in mind, however, that things like sugar, or even some red meat options can contribute to inflammation when eaten in excess, so even when you avoid processed foods, that may not be enough to truly fit into an anti-inflammatory diet."
Webster added that cost can sometimes be a problem.
She noted that it's tough to ignore that many of the recommended foods on an anti-inflammatory diet are often more expensive than less-healthy options.
"It's disappointing to see that an apple can cost more than a box of
However, Hunnes stressed that the long-term benefits of switching to an anti-inflammatory diet far outweigh the immediate costs.
"Investing in your own health is a big thing," she said. "While there may be some up-front costs of switching to this type of diet, which really everyone would benefit from, the amount it would save in healthcare costs and productivity is really worth it."
Webster acknowledged that big dietary shifts can be challenging in ways many people don't think about, but they can also be mentally and physically rewarding.
"After you've given your body and mind some time to adapt, adjust your schedule to make time to cook and prepare food and find ways to make your grocery budget work for you," she advised.
Kirkpatrick pointed out that people should also be aware of how certain foods will mix with any medications they're taking before making a major dietary shift.
"People on certain blood thinners need to monitor their vitamin K intake. Vitamin K is high in many vegetables," she explained. "Other than these outliers, there really is little risk to improving the diet to include more healthy fats, color,
Hunnes added that the only potential negative she could think of would be temporary constipation or gas as your body gets accustomed to eating "the high-fiber foods that we should all be eating."
Extreme dietary shifts can be intimidating for many people. Webster suggests easing into these changes as the best approach for long-term success.
For example, start with small changes such as having a salad three or four days a week instead of eating out for your lunch breaks, or commit to having fish for dinner twice a week.
"Setting small goals to gradually adjust the way you eat can ease the transition and establish healthy habits that stick," she said.


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feed the need The Band
Feed the Need is an evolving funk and rock musical journey. The quartet, each with feet in various projects, have all come together with the same mission in mind, to make great music and do it their way. Currently the band is performing some of their favorite covers while they work on recording their first 3 song EP. Find them at their monthly residency at The Crown and Hammer Pub in Collinsville, CT or check out the calendar for other dates.


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We are lucky bastards here in Australia. We live in one of the most wonderful country in the world, we have an abundance of great produces and high quality food, amazing sceneries and some of the most liveable cities.
We have plenty of sunshine, too, but amazingly most of the population suffers from low levels of vitamin D.
And that's not good, not good at all. Vitamin D is incredibly important for our health, and it plays a number of roles in the human body. It's mostly produced when the sunshine hits our skin, though, and only in the central hours of the day.
There are plenty of studies that shows how important vitamin D is to prevent cancer, diabetes or heart failure. A lack of vitamin D causes depression, and less dangerous but still unpleasant effects like hair loss, especially in women.
But that we already knew.
A group of researchers from the VU University Medical Center and Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, was try to find whether vitamin D might help with diabetes treatment.
We know that there is a link between obesity and lower vitamin D levels, but Dr. Rafiq and his team wanted to see whether the type and location of fat played a role.
And they discovered a relationship between belly fat and low levels of vitamin D. The problem now is: is a vitamin D deficiency that causes an increase in abdominal fat or is having a lot of fat around our waistline decreases levels of vitamin D?
As Rafiq explains, "Due to the observational nature of this study, we cannot draw a conclusion on the direction or cause of the association between obesity and vitamin D levels."
"However, this strong association may point to a possible role for vitamin D in abdominal fat storage and function."


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Fianna Fáil, which is helping to prop up the minority Coalition, has pledged its controversial sponsored bill to persuade the Central Bank to place some sort of cap on variable mortgage rates will be renewed when the Oireachtas returns from its summer break.
It comes as another Central Bank bulletin again showed that the average Irish cost of a home loan at 3.3% was much higher than the eurozone average of just over 1.8%.
Official surveys have repeatedly shown Irish households and small businesses are charged among the highest interest rates in Europe, even as rock-bottom ECB rates are designed to boost the eurozone economy following the continent's devastating debt crisis.
Experts have said the higher borrowing costs for Irish households, which are among the most indebted in Europe, and for Irish firms, which still carry huge debts from the property crash, are effectively hidden taxes on Irish people and firms.
Michael McGrath, Fianna Fáil finance spokesperson, said plans are afoot to press ahead with controls over mortgage costs. "In particular, the provisions in the bill prohibiting discrimination by lenders between new and existing customers and the proposed ban on so called cash back offers so that lenders are forced to compete on rates, both would be of significant benefit to mortgage holders," he said.
Lenders have said in the past that around half their mortgage books are on tracker rates which are linked to currently low ECB rates. Irish bank shares fell when plans for the bill were first announced over a year ago.
Separately, other Central Bank figures showed there was €1.12bn in interest bearing balances on personal credit cards in June.
© Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved


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Kurt Russell is the latest actor in talks to join the cast of Fast & Furious 7. Having starred in Big Trouble In Little China, Escape From New York, and Stargate, Kurt Russell is no stranger to action films. At this time there is no word yet on what role he will play in the film, or if he will be in it at all, but it seems that he's been courted to take on a role previously offered to Denzel Washington.
The Fast & Furious franchise is known for being over the top with its high-octane car chase scenes and plot twists. We know that Jason Statham was cast as the main villain thanks to the end of the last film, so it'll be interesting to see what F&F 7's plot will have to offer movie goers when it gets released on July 15, 2014.
[#ff entbuddha] "Making you a better geek, one post at a time!"
Via [ Variety ]


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The United Arab Emirates reiterated its position on the issue of global warming and climate change at the closing meetings of the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), calling for quick enforcement of the procedures and global standards adopted by the nearly 200 nations and territories to implement the provisions of the Paris Agreement.
The final meetings of the conference on Sunday, 16 December, in Katowice, Poland, lasted late into the night. The two-week event, that ran into overtime, ended with the adoption of a set of strong guidelines to ensure the implementation of the terms of the 2015 Paris Agreement, aimed at containing global temperature rise this century to below 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels.
His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment and head of the UAE delegation at the conference, said: "The final meetings confirmed the UAE's statement during the conference that time is no longer with us, and the need for decisive climate action has never been more crucial. We managed to forge a global commitment to implement the terms of the Paris Agreement, and pursue the goals of sustainable development to reduce the effects of global warming and climate change and protect the lives of millions of people who are exposed to the negative consequences of this change annually."
The most prominent points and criteria agreed upon at COP24 included a detailed transparency framework meant to promote trust among nations that they are doing their part in addressing climate change. It sets out how countries will provide information about their national action plans, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as mitigation and adaptation measures.
The guidelines also spell out how to uniformly count greenhouse gas emissions. If poorer countries feel they cannot meet the standards set, they can explain why the reasons for their non-compliance and present a plan to build up their capacity in that regard.
Another notable achievement was that the nations agreed on how to collectively assess the effectiveness of climate action in 2023, and how to monitor and report progress on the development and transfer of technology. Other points include the development of a new vision and mechanisms for global funding for climate action and the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
In his speech at the conference, His Excellency Al Zeyoudi recounted the UAE's experience in successfully dealing with the challenges of climate change, working towards achieving sustainability in all sectors and committing, through specific national contributions, to implementing the provisions of the Paris Agreement globally.
He also invited all delegates to attend the upcoming edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week at in Abu Dhabi in January 2019. The annual global platform will bring together thousands of world leaders, businesspersons and experts at conferences, exhibitions and high-level events that seek to identify innovative solutions to global sustainability issues.
The UAE delegation headed by His Excellency Al Zeyoudi held a number of joint meetings on the sidelines of the conference. This included a meeting with Henryk Kowalczyk, Polish Minister of Environment, with the Minister congratulating his Polish counterpart on the outstanding organization of the conference. They discussed ways of achieving innovative and sustainable solutions.
The Minister also met with Masagos Zulkifli, Minister of Environment and Water Resources of Singapore, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the fields of waste management and sustainability, and on innovations related to climate action.
He also held discussions with Jennifer Morris, President of the nonprofit Conservation International, on cooperation in the conservation of marine life. Talks were also held with Erik Grigoryan, Armenian Minister of Natural Protection, on ways to leverage the UAE's experience in protecting biodiversity and achieving sustainability of natural resources.
Siim Kiisler, Estonian Minister of Environment and Chairman of the fourth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEA4), met the Minister to discuss the main proposals and themes to be addressed at the event scheduled to run in March 2019.
His Excellency Al Zeyoudi also met with Malik Amin Aslam, head of the Pakistan delegation and Advisor to the Pakistan Prime Minister on Climate Change, and discussed cooperation between the two countries in various environmental fields.
Earlier, the Minister met with Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, who praised the UAE's prominent role in combatting global warming and its efforts globally in supporting initiatives to reduce the consequences of climate change.
The UAE delegation organized a number of events on the sidelines of the conference, including the second session of 'Youth Dialogue' in cooperation with the Youth Climate Lab. The event highlighted the progress of the UAE's Youth Climate Mentorship Program that was launched at COP23 in Bonn, seeking to bolster youth engagement in international climate negotiations and national climate change policy development processes, as well as increase youth contribution in achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
please consider the environment... only print this page if you really need to (
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Lithium-ion batteries are indispensable for powering a number of electronics (e.g. cell phones, laptops and even electric vehicles) used in the modern society. The key components of a lithium-ion battery are its two electrodes (anode and cathode) because they largely dictate the amount of electrical energy (measured by a parameter called "capacity") the battery can hold. Increasing the capacity as well as prolonging the lifetime of lithium-ion batteries are practically desirable. Material scientists worldwide are searching for electrode materials to achieve the goal.
In the past decade, a diverse array of metal oxides has been developed as lithium-ion battery anodes with promising performance. These anodes have exhibited considerably higher capacity (~1000 mAh/g) than the current commercial anode material, graphite (372 mAh/g). However, two major drawbacks of metal oxides, namely the limited electrical conductivity and the short lifetime, impede their feasibility for practical applications. While the poor electrical conductivity is an intrinsic physical property of most metal oxides, their short life time is caused by the large volumetric deformation during charge and discharge processes. The deformation will eventually trigger pulverization of electrodes and lead to loss of capacity. Therefore, developing novel strategies that manage to turn metal oxides to viable electrode candidates with satisfying lifetime becomes necessary.
Now writing in Chemical Communications, a research group led by Professor Liqiang Mai and Professor Qi Li from Wuhan University of Technology, China demonstrated a metal oxide-carbon composite anode that exhibited both high capacity and super-long lifetime. The structure of this composite is a "cube-in-tube" configuration (Figure 1): the manganese oxide nanoparticle-embedded carbon "tubes" encapsulate the CoSnO3 (a binary metal oxide) "cubes". This unique composite electrode delivered a maximal capacity of 960 mAh/g at a current density of 0.1 A/g (Figure 2a), around three times higher than the theoretical capacity of graphite. More impressively, as shown in Figure 2b, the electrode displayed outstanding stability with ~99% of capacity retained after 1500 consecutive charge and discharge cycles (roughly equivalent to four years' use), much higher than those of the current commercial products and other laboratory-developed composites.
Figure 1. Schematic of the synthesis strategy and the morphology of the "cube-in-tube" metal oxide-carbon composite lithium-ion battery electrode.
Figure 2. (a) Plot of capacity at different current densities; (b) The stability performance evaluated at 2 A/g.
The authors attributed the electrode's excellent durability to two reasons. Firstly, the hollow structures (both the "tube" and the "cube") provide adequate empty space to accommodate volumetric change of metal oxides. Secondly, the soft nature of carbon renders its ability to serve as a mechanical buffer layer. Both aspects reduce the possibility of structural pulverization and promote long lifetime.
To find out more please read:
Facile Electrospinning Formation of Carbon-confined Metal Oxide Cube-in-tube Nanostructures for Stable Lithium Storage
Ziang Liu, Ruiting Guo, Jiashen Meng, Xiong Liu, Xuanpeng Wang, Qi Li, Liqiang Mai
About the author:
Tianyu Liu is a Ph.D. in chemistry graduated from University of California-Santa Cruz, United States. He is passionate about scientific communication to introduce cutting-edge researches to both the general public and the scientists with diverse research expertise. He is a web writer for the Chem. Commun. and Chem. Sci. blog websites. More information about him can be found at http://liutianyuresearch.weebly.com/.


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African grey parrot (Rory) for sale due to work commitments - East LondonTuesday, 4 April 2017
Item details
City: East London, Eastern Cape
Offer type: Sell
Price: R 7,000
Item description
African grey parrot (Rory) for sale due to work commitments - he deserves more attention. He's a friendly chatty bird with a big personality- he greets you when you come home and even when you leave! He's a real charmer when he wolf whistles to let you know you look good too! He is brilliant company and needs someone who is loving and willing to spend time with him. I can assure he will be an asset to the home of the new owner.I would prefer is he went to a home without big dogs as this would probably frighten him-although you can see from the pictures he had a good relationship with our cat! He has a chipped beak at the bottom from where he got a hook stuck on this. I can drop him off if transport is an issue. Please contact me on here or directly via email


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(Chicago) –The 2012 farm bill approved last week by the U.S. Senate cut $4.5 billion from federal nutrition assistance funding, which could eliminate food stamps for 24,000 already hungry Illinois residents, including 5,000 in Chicago.
Those estimates were released today by a Chicago-based nutrition group which helps feed and sustain low-income people living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses.
"The 2012 farm bill cuts federal food stamp spending alone by $4.5 billion over 10 years and would eliminate nutrition assistance to approximately 24,000 Illinois residents, of which 5,000 would be in Chicago," said Vital Bridges Center on Chronic Care/Heartland Health Outreach Chief Health Care Strategist Deborah Hinde.
The senate bill has moved to the U.S. House whose own proposal is aiming to cut as much as $134 billion from food stamp spending, says Hinde.
"The $4.5 billion senate food assistance cut would deepen an already overwhelming nutrition problem in Chicago," Hinde added. "The $134 billion house cut would spread misery and hunger throughout Illinois and Chicago."
"The cuts to supplemental nutrition assistance will undermine the health of poor people with chronic disease like diabetes and HIV/AIDS," said Hinde. "These foolish cuts will simply drive up costs to the Illinois and federal Medicaid program."
In Illinois, as of March 2012, there were 1,856,202 food stamp recipients or 14.4% of the population. That is an overall 1.9% jump over March 2011 of last year.
The average monthly food stamp benefit per person in Illinois is $139.15, down from $141.00 in FY 2010.
Hinde also warned that senior households are at greater risk food insecurity.
Analysis of federal data from the Current Population Survey's Food Security Supplement shows that in 2009, about 19% of households with adults ages 60 and over with low incomes–under 185 percent of the poverty line–were food insecure. In comparison, slightly less than 15 percent of all households were food insecure.
"Shrinking food stamp coverage will likely hit senior citizens the hardest," said Hinde.
Additionally, Hinde noted that the federal food stamp program, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, has successfully eliminated waste, fraud, and abuse in the last decade.
"The food stamp program is working at a 95% efficiency and accuracy rate," said Hinde, "The people who legitimately are food insecure are legitimately receiving food assistance."
A final farm bill will be negotiated between the House and Senate over the next few weeks.


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Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Growing up we said the Rosary every night with out fail or exception. As Roy Payne's classic traditional folk song, The Little Boats of Newfoundland, clearly capsulizes, we were always cognizant of "the dangers and the fury of the sea" - and we always asked God to do us a favor "and guide them with his hand"
My dad fished in some horrible weather in a small boat throughout his career. The choice to be a fisherman was his. He returned to Fortune Bay in 1975, abandoning his career with Canadian Pacific in Southern Ontario, returning like a salmon to the water from which he was spawned. He worked hard - beyond hard - he tore himself up from being tossed around the boat in heavy seas, hauling pots and nets by hand and lugging all of that gear from sheds, beaches and wharves to his boat - and back again, not to mention the long and irregular hours,
The fishery treated him well - outside of government interference and meddling - he earned an above average income, provided for us, never had debt and is retiring fairly comfortably. We do not often think of the fishery as a career - it was often the domain of the desperate or the occupation of last resort, however nothing could be further from the truth. It is a profession, a dangerous profession where attention to detail, knowing the grounds, the tides, the phases of the moon, the currents, the seasons, physics, meteorology, mathematics and geography were essential.
Remaining mindful, living in the moment was essential to prospering and surviving. A misplaced bit of rope, net or hook, tripping hazards and slippery surfaces often meant a one way trip to visit old Neptune at the bottom of the Bay.
This morning, when I heard that three fisherman had been lost - and presumed drowned - in Western Placentia Bay near Davis Cove my heart skipped a beat. The sense of loss that drifts down your neck and shoulders took hold. Someones father, husband, friend, son or uncle was lost.
World wide - from Atlantic Canada to Alaska to Australia and all ocean points between, being a commercial fisherman is considered one of the most dangerous jobs one can hold. Safety training aside, it is a deadly environment and fisherman in small boats are but speck on the often violent ocean.
There for the grace of God goes so many people who have chosen to fish the coasts and bays of our province.
I offer my prayers to the families on their loss and my undying respect to the generations of men and women who have harvested the bounty of the ocean, creating new wealth and opportunities for us all.
4 comments:
- fisherman's girl said...
Everything you wrote is so true Petey Boy. I played the "Little Boats of Newfoundland" on the first day of the fishery and again today. Such a sad, sad day for small communities when one of their own is lost to the sea. All fishing communities can relate to that loss in a personal way because of the ties to the fishery and the loss of family members through the fishery. May God bless all fishers world wide and especially at home.
- Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 2:23:00 PM GMT-2:30
Well put my buddy. Folks who smear fisherman as stamp collectors has no idea what they does for a living.
- Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 8:10:00 PM GMT-2:30
Very well said. As the daughter of a fisherman, the wife of a fisherman, the sister of a fisherman and a fisher woman my self, I grieve along with every other harvester that plunders the ocean to eke out a living. It hits too close to home when a tragedy like this occurs. We are all at the mercy of the ocean every time we go out in our boats and we must respect the sea. My heart goes out to the families of those lost. May their souls RIP.
- Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 10:02:00 PM GMT-2:30
Terrific post Peter. From the heart and very accurate
- Thursday, June 18, 2015 at 8:57:00 AM GMT-2:30