• Energy Research
• Restricted close
• Open Source close
• Embargo close
• medical and health sciences close
• IT close
• NL close

Green tea catechins mixed with caffeine have been proposed as adjuvants for maintaining or enhancing energy expenditure and for increasing fat oxidation, in the context of prevention and treatment of obesity. These catechins-caffeine mixtures seem to counteract the decrease in metabolic rate that occurs during weight loss. Their effects are of particular importance during weight maintenance after weight loss. Other metabolic targets may be fat absorption and the gut microbiota composition, but these effects still need further investigation in combination with weight loss. Limitations for the effects of green tea catechins are moderating factors such as genetic predisposition related to COMT-activity, habitual caffeine intake, and ingestion combined with dietary protein. In conclusion, a mixture of green tea catechins and caffeine has a beneficial effect on body-weight management, especially by sustained energy expenditure, fat oxidation, and preservation of fat free body-mass, after energy restriction induced body-weight loss, when taking the limitations into account.

Abstract In vivo NMR techniques and substrates selectively enriched with 13 C were used to follow the step-by-step metabolism of glucose and xylose, on their own or as mixed substrates in the ratio as they occur in hydrolysates from hemicellulose. The organism used was a newly isolated strain of Klebsiella planticola isolated from soil where maize has been cultivated for 30 years. Results suggest that glucose is converted to pyruvate via the Embden-Meyerhof pathway and then to lactate and ethanol. No evidence of 2,3-butandiol or formate metabolism was observed. This organism had a higher rate of uptake of xylose than previously studied microorganisms, resulting in ethanol, lactate, acetate succinate and formate as end products. Xylose metabolism in K. planticola G11, unlike that reported for many other organisms, was not inhibited by glucose. The addition of glucose, after 2 h of xylose fermentation, did not change the rate of xylose metabolism.

The possibility of artificially inducing activation of MII buffalo oocytes may allow us to evaluate indirectly the quality of oocytes after in vitro maturation. The aim of this work was to compare buffalo embryo development after IVF and after chemical activation by two different agents. A further goal was to evaluate the effects of aging of oocytes on post-parthenogenetic and post-fertilization development. In Experiment 1 cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were recovered from abattoir-derived ovaries and matured in vitro. After IVM the COCs were either fertilized in vitro (positive control) or activated with ethanol and ionomycin, both followed by immediate exposure to 6-diethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) for 4 h. In vitro culture (IVC) was carried out up to the blastocyst stage. In Experiment 2 COCs were matured in vitro for 18, 21, 24, 27 and 30 h before activation was triggered with ethanol, followed by 6-DMAP. In Experiment 3 COCs were fertilized in vitro at 18, 21, 24, 27 and 30 h post-maturation. Ethanol activation gave better results than the IVF control group, with higher cleavage rate (71.4 +/- 7.8 versus 55.8 +/- 5.8, respectively; P < 0.05) and a higher proportion of oocytes developing into morulae-blastocysts (32.6 +/- 6.5 versus 22.9 +/- 7.5, respectively; P < 0.05). Within the activation groups, ethanol supported the highest development in terms of cleavage (71.4 +/- 7.8 versus 59.4 +/- 10.7; P < 0.05) and morulae-blastocysts rate (32.6 +/- 6.5 versus 25.7 +/- 8.3; n.s.). It was also demonstrated that aging negatively affects post-parthenogenetic and post-fertilization development.

The first aim of this study was to describe duration and relative timing of the phases of the maximal instep kick. The second aim was to describe the concurrence of maximal range of motion, maximal angular acceleration, maximal angular deceleration and maximal angular velocity of body segments with four key points.Twenty experienced football players performed three maximal instep kicks. The kicks were analysed using a full body, three-dimensional motion capture system. Camera recordings determined kicking leg events. The concurrence of peak kinematics of body segments with four key points was calculated.Duration and timing of five phases were identified. Key point maximal hip extension (51.4±5.0%) concurred significantly with maximal range of motion (ROM) of shoulder extension. Key point maximal knee flexion (63.6±5.2%) concurred significantly with maximal angular acceleration of spine flexion and pelvis posterior tilt. Key point knee flexion 90 degrees (69.3±4.9%) concurred significantly with maximal angular velocity of shoulder flexion and spine flexion, maximal angular deceleration of hip flexion and maximal angular acceleration of knee extension. Key point ball impact (75.2±5.2%) concurred significantly with maximal ROM of hip deflexion and pelvis anterior rotation and with maximal angular deceleration of spine flexion and pelvis anterior rotation.This study demonstrated that eleven peak kinematics of upper body and kicking leg segments, significantly concurred with four kicking leg positions. These results provide Key points for kicking coordination and stress the importance of dynamical coupling as a kicking mechanism.

Sodium oxybate (SMO) is a GABA-ergic drug currently used for the treatment of alcohol-dependence in some European countries. In particular, clinical studies have shown a role of SMO in promoting alcohol abstinence, as well as in relieving withdrawal symptoms. The aim of this study was to describe alcohol abstinence and the onset of craving for and abuse of SMO in alcohol-dependent subjects with and without psychiatric co-morbidity. Forty-eight patients were enrolled and classified into two groups: group A (20 alcoholics without any psychiatric co-morbidity) and group B (28 alcoholics with a psychiatric co-morbidity). All patients were treated with oral SMO (50 mg/kg of body weight t.i.d.) for 12 weeks. Alcohol abstinence as well as alcohol drinking during the 12 weeks of treatment did not differ between the two groups at the end of treatment (p=0.9). In addition, a reduction of alcohol intake in both groups has been observed (p<0.0001). On the other hand, craving for SMO was significantly more frequent in group B than group A (p=0.001). Cases of SMO abuse were observed in almost 10% of group B patients. In conclusion, alcohol abstinence achieved through SMO administration does not differ in patients with and without psychiatric co-morbidity. However, alcoholics with co-morbid borderline disorders appear to be at high risk of developing craving for and abuse of the drug; therefore, SMO may not be indicated in these patients.

Brain nitric oxide is involved in the mechanisms that regulate ingestive behavior. To test whether this compound plays a role in alcohol preference, we studied the effects of different doses of NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NO arg), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), on voluntary consumption of ethanol and on blood alcohol levels produced by a single intraperitoneal dose of alcohol in the rat. L-NO arg produced a significant and dose-dependent reduction of ethanol intake (P < 0.001) without influencing total fluid consumption or feeding behavior. L-NO arg did not influence the kinetics of alcohol. Our data show that inhibition of nitric oxide formation accompanies reduction of ethanol intake and suggest a possible role for nitric oxide in ethanol self-administration.

This study supports the hypothesis that the drinking setting can be an environmental risk factor for hazardous alcohol use. In a survey of Dutch adolescents (n = 1516), alcohol consumption and participation in private peer group settings (PPSs), environments where adolescents meet and drink alcohol without direct adult supervision, were measured. After controlling for demographic variables, adolescents visiting PPSs as compared to non-visitors, appeared to have a significantly higher lifetime prevalence of alcohol use, average weekly consumption, and frequency of heavy episodic drinking. Moreover, accounting for school clustering, the frequency of PPS visits was associated with increased alcohol consumption.