Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonism Reduces Inflammatory Pain Measures in Mice Independent of the Receptors on Sensory Neurons.

Corticosteroids are commonly used in the treatment of inflammatory low back pain, and their nominal target is the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) to relieve inflammation. They can also have similar potency at the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). The MR has been shown to be widespread in rodent and human dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons and non-neuronal cells, and when MR antagonists are administered during a variety of inflammatory pain models in rats, pain measures are reduced. In this study we selectively knockout (KO) the MR in sensory neurons to determine the role of MR in sensory neurons of the mouse DRG in pain measures as MR antagonism during the local inflammation of the DRG (LID) pain model. We found that MR antagonism using eplerenone reduced evoked mechanical hypersensitivity during LID, but MR KO in paw-innervating sensory neurons only did not. This could be a result of differences between prolonged (MR KO) versus acute (drug) MR block or an indicator that non-neuronal cells in the DRG are driving the effect of MR antagonists. MR KO unmyelinated C neurons are more excitable under normal and inflamed conditions, while MR KO does not affect excitability of myelinated A cells. MR KO in sensory neurons causes a reduction in overall GR mRNA but is protective against reduction of the anti-inflammatory GRα isoform during LID. These effects of MR KO in sensory neurons expanded our understanding of MR's functional role in different neuronal subtypes (A and C neurons), and its interactions with the GR.

Biologically driven isotopic fractionations in bivalves: from palaeoenvironmental problem to palaeophysiological proxy.

Traditional bulk stable isotope (δ18 O and δ13 C) and clumped isotope (Δ47 ) records from bivalve shells provide invaluable histories of Earth's local and global climate change. However, biologically driven isotopic fractionations (BioDIFs) can overprint primary environmental signals in the shell. Here, we explore how conventional measurements of δ18 O, δ13 C, and Δ47 in bivalve shells can be re-interpreted to investigate these physiological processes deliberately. Using intrashell Δ47 and δ18 O alignment as a proxy for equilibrium state, we separately examine fractionations and/or disequilibrium occurring in the two major stages of the biomineralisation process: the secretion of the extrapallial fluid (EPF) and the precipitation of shell material from the EPF. We measured δ18 O, δ13 C, and Δ47 in fossil shells representing five genera (Lahillia, Dozyia, Eselaevitrigonia, Nordenskjoldia, and Cucullaea) from the Maastrichtian age [66-69 million years ago (Ma)] López de Bertodano Formation on Seymour Island, Antarctica. Material was sampled from both the outer and inner shell layers (OSL and ISL, respectively), which precipitate from separate EPF reservoirs. We find consistent δ18 O values across the five taxa, indicating that the composition of the OSL can be a reliable palaeoclimate proxy. However, relative to the OSL baseline, ISLs of all taxa show BioDIFs in one or more isotopic parameters. We discuss/hypothesise potential origins of these BioDIFs by synthesising isotope systematics with the physiological processes underlying shell biomineralisation. We propose a generalised analytical and interpretive framework that maximises the amount of palaeoenvironmental and palaeobiological information that can be derived from the isotopic composition of fossil shell material, even in the presence of previously confounding 'vital effects'. Applying this framework in deep time can expand the utility of δ18 O, δ13 C, and Δ47 measurements from proxies of past environments to proxies for certain biomineralisation strategies across space, time, and phylogeny among Bivalvia and other calcifying organisms.

Past climates inform our future.

As the world warms, there is a profound need to improve projections of climate change. Although the latest Earth system models offer an unprecedented number of features, fundamental uncertainties continue to cloud our view of the future. Past climates provide the only opportunity to observe how the Earth system responds to high carbon dioxide, underlining a fundamental role for paleoclimatology in constraining future climate change. Here, we review the relevancy of paleoclimate information for climate prediction and discuss the prospects for emerging methodologies to further insights gained from past climates. Advances in proxy methods and interpretations pave the way for the use of past climates for model evaluation-a practice that we argue should be widely adopted.

What functional proteomic and biochemical analysis tell us about animal stress in beef?

Animal management practices may influence the animal's susceptibility to stress, with detrimental effects on the ultimate meat quality. In this field, proteomics is a promising tool that reveals the biological pathways underpinning the effect of animal's pre-slaughter stress (PSS) on the ultimate meat quality. The objective of this work was to study the effect of a pre-slaughter procedure that may promote stress, such as mixing unfamiliar animals during the transport and lairage period, on the post-mortem muscle proteome of young bulls reared under two different farm management systems (Intensive or Extensive). Comparative proteomics and biochemical analysis reveal the effect of PSS on biochemical pathways involved in the meat colour development, muscle redox status, energy metabolism and autophagy. This work highlights the potential of some muscle proteins such as Beclin-1 (autophagy marker), CKM (biomarker of energy transduction) and proteins of the energy metabolism (ALDOA, PYGM, PGM1, PKM, GPI) as potential biomarkers to discriminate beef samples according to the incidence of PSS. SIGNIFICANCE: Meat scientists are interested in the study of individual animal-based measurements that allow the detection of stress situations which could have negative effects on meat quality. In this context, the mechanisms underlying the adverse effects of pre-slaughter stress on the post-mortem muscle metabolism need to be elucidated in order to understand how animal stress may influence the conversion of muscle into meat. In this work, the study of proteome changes in the post-mortem muscle has allowed the identification of significant biomarkers of these processes that could be used as tools for detecting inappropriate strategies that may induce increased animal stress and, in consequence, may compromise the ultimate beef quality.

Biogenic carbonate mercury and marine temperature records reveal global influence of Late Cretaceous Deccan Traps.

The climate and environmental significance of the Deccan Traps large igneous province of west-central India has been the subject of debate in paleontological communities. Nearly one million years of semi-continuous Deccan eruptive activity spanned the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, which is renowned for the extinction of most dinosaur groups. Whereas the Chicxulub impactor is acknowledged as the principal cause of these extinctions, the Deccan Traps eruptions are believed to have contributed to extinction patterns and/or enhanced ecological pressures on biota during this interval of geologic time. We present the first coupled records of biogenic carbonate clumped isotope paleothermometry and mercury concentrations as measured from a broad geographic distribution of marine mollusk fossils. These fossils preserve evidence of simultaneous increases in coastal marine temperatures and mercury concentrations at a global scale, which appear attributable to volcanic CO2 and mercury emissions. These early findings warrant further investigation with additional records of combined Late Cretaceous temperatures and mercury concentrations of biogenic carbonate.

Pig cognitive bias affects the conversion of muscle into meat by antioxidant and autophagy mechanisms.

Slaughter is a crucial step in the meat production chain that could induce psychological stress on each animal, resulting in a physiological response that can differ among individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between an animal's emotional state, the subsequent psychological stress at slaughter and the cellular damage as an effect. In all, 36 entire male pigs were reared at an experimental farm and a cognitive bias test was used to classify them into positive bias (PB) or negative bias (NB) groups depending on their decision-making capabilities. Half of the animals, slaughtered in the same batch, were used for a complete study of biomarkers of stress, including brain neurotransmitters and some muscle biomarkers of oxidative stress. After slaughter, specific brain areas were excised and the levels of catecholamines (noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA)) and indoleamines (5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and serotonin (5HT)) were analyzed. In addition, muscle proteasome activity (20S), antioxidant defence (total antioxidant activity (TAA)), oxidative damage (lipid peroxidation (LPO)) and autophagy biomarkers (Beclin-1, microtubule-associated protein I light chain 3 (LC3-I) and LC3-II) were monitored during early postmortem maturation (0 to 24 h). Compared with PB animals, NB pigs were more susceptible to stress, showing higher 5HT levels (P<0.01) in the hippocampus and lower DA (P<0.001) in the pre-frontal cortex. Furthermore, NB pigs had more intense proteolytic processes and triggered primary muscle cell survival mechanisms immediately after slaughter (0 h postmortem), thus showing higher TAA (P<0.001) and earlier proteasome activity (P<0.001) and autophagy (Beclin-1, P<0.05; LC3-II/LC3-I, P<0.001) than PB pigs, in order to counteract the induced increase in oxidative stress, that was significantly higher in the muscle of NB pigs at 0 h postmortem (LPO, P<0.001). Our study is the first to demonstrate that pig's cognitive bias influences the animal's susceptibility to stress and has important effects on the postmortem muscle metabolism, particularly on the cell antioxidant defences and the autophagy onset. These results expand the current knowledge regarding biomarkers of animal welfare and highlight the potential use of biomarkers of the proteasome, the autophagy (Beclin-1, LC3-II/LC3-I ratio) and the muscle antioxidant defence (TAA, LPO) for detection of peri-slaughter stress.

Heinrich events triggered by ocean forcing and modulated by isostatic adjustment.

During the last glacial period, the Laurentide Ice Sheet sporadically discharged huge numbers of icebergs through the Hudson Strait into the North Atlantic Ocean, leaving behind distinct layers of ice-rafted debris in the ocean sediments. Perplexingly, these massive discharge events-Heinrich events-occurred during the cold portion of millennial-scale climate oscillations called Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles. This is in contrast to the expectation that ice sheets expand in colder climates and shrink in warmer climates. Here we use an ice sheet model to show that the magnitude and timing of Heinrich events can be explained by the same processes that drive the retreat of modern marine-terminating glaciers. In our model, subsurface ocean warming associated with variations in the overturning circulation increases underwater melt along the calving face, triggering rapid margin retreat and increased iceberg discharge. On millennial timescales, isostatic adjustment causes the bed to uplift, isolating the terminus from subsurface warming and allowing the ice sheet to advance again until, at its most advanced position, it is poised for another Heinrich event. This mechanism not only explains the timing and magnitude of observed Heinrich events, but also suggests that ice sheets in contact with warming oceans may be vulnerable to catastrophic collapse even with little atmospheric warming.

End-Cretaceous extinction in Antarctica linked to both Deccan volcanism and meteorite impact via climate change.

The cause of the end-Cretaceous (KPg) mass extinction is still debated due to difficulty separating the influences of two closely timed potential causal events: eruption of the Deccan Traps volcanic province and impact of the Chicxulub meteorite. Here we combine published extinction patterns with a new clumped isotope temperature record from a hiatus-free, expanded KPg boundary section from Seymour Island, Antarctica. We document a 7.8±3.3 °C warming synchronous with the onset of Deccan Traps volcanism and a second, smaller warming at the time of meteorite impact. Local warming may have been amplified due to simultaneous disappearance of continental or sea ice. Intra-shell variability indicates a possible reduction in seasonality after Deccan eruptions began, continuing through the meteorite event. Species extinction at Seymour Island occurred in two pulses that coincide with the two observed warming events, directly linking the end-Cretaceous extinction at this site to both volcanic and meteorite events via climate change.

The effects of Porapak™ trap temperature on δ(18)O, δ(13)C, and Δ47 values in preparing samples for clumped isotope analysis.

RATIONALE: The clumped isotope paleothermometer, a new proxy widely applicable in studies of paleoclimate, tectonics, and paleontology, relates the abundance of doubly substituted isotopologues of carbonate-derived CO2 to the temperature of formation of the carbonate phase. As this technique becomes more widely used, more is discovered about the effects of everyday laboratory procedures on the clumped isotopic composition of CO2 gas. METHODS: Preparation of CO2 for clumped isotope analysis requires the removal of isobaric contaminants prior to measurement, achieved dynamically by passing the CO2 through a gas chromatography column using a helium carrier gas or cryogenically pumping CO2 through a static trap filled with Porapak™ Q (PPQ) material. The stable and clumped isotopic compositions of carbonate standards prepared at PPQ trap temperatures between -40°C and -10°C were measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry to evaluate potential artifacts introduced by the static PPQ trap method. RESULTS: The stable isotopic composition of carbonates run at temperatures below -20°C was fractionated, despite achieving >99% retrieval of gas at temperatures as cold as -30°C. The δ(13)C and δ(18)O values decreased by ~0.01 and ~0.03 ‰/(°C below -20°C). The raw Δ47 values decreased by 0.003-0.005 ‰/(°C below -20°C), but the final reference-frame-corrected values (Δ47-RFAC ) were unaffected as long as the carbonate samples and standard gases were prepared identically. CONCLUSIONS: Preparing carbonate samples for clumped isotope analysis using a PPQ trap that is too cold can result in erroneous stable isotopic compositions. New and existing labs using the static PPQ trap cleaning procedure should determine the ideal PPQ trap temperature for their particular system through monitoring not only yield through the PPQ trap, but also stable isotopic composition at various PPQ trap temperatures.

Effect of animal mixing as a stressor on biomarkers of autophagy and oxidative stress during pig muscle maturation.

The objective of this work was to study the postmortem evolution of potential biomarkers of autophagy (Beclin 1, LC3-II/LC3-I ratio) and oxidative stress (total antioxidant activity, TAA; superoxide dismutase activity, SOD and catalase activity, CAT) in the Longissimus dorsi muscle of entire male ((Large White×Landrace)×Duroc) pigs subjected to different management treatments that may promote stress, such as mixing unfamiliar animals at the farm and/or during transport and lairage before slaughter. During the rearing period at the farm, five animals were never mixed after the initial formation of the experimental groups (unmixed group at the farm, UF), whereas 10 animals were subjected to a common routine of being mixed with unfamiliar animals (mixed group at the farm, MF). Furthermore, two different treatments were used during the transport and lairage before slaughter: 10 pigs were not mixed (unmixed group during transport and lairage, UTL), whereas five pigs were mixed with unfamiliar animals on the lorry and during lairage (mixed group during transport and lairage, MTL). These mixing treatments were then combined into three pre-slaughter treatments - namely, UF-UTL, MF-UTL and MF-MTL. The results show that MF-UTL and MF-MTL increased significantly the muscle antioxidant defense (TAA, SOD and CAT) at short postmortem times (4 and 8 h; P<0.001), followed by an earlier depletion of the antioxidant activity at 24 h postmortem (P<0.05). We also found that mixing unfamiliar animals, both at the farm and during transport and lairage, triggers postmortem muscle autophagy, which showed an earlier activation (higher expression of Beclin 1 and LC3-II/LC3-I ratio at 4 h postmortem followed by a decreasing pattern of this ratio along first 24 h postmortem) in the muscle tissues of animals from the MF-UTL and MF-MTL groups, as an adaptive strategy of the muscle cells for counteracting induced stress. From these results, we propose that monitoring the evolution of the main biomarkers of autophagy (Beclin 1, LC3-II/LC3-I ratio) and muscle antioxidant defense (TAA, SOD, CAT) in the muscle tissue within the first 24 h postmortem may help the detection of animal stress and its potential effect on the postmortem muscle metabolism.

Clumped isotope measurements of small carbonate samples using a high-efficiency dual-reservoir technique.

RATIONALE: The measurement of multiply substituted isotopologues of CO2 derived from carbonate has allowed the reconstruction of paleotemperatures from a single phase (CaCO3 ), circumventing uncertainty inherent in other isotopic paleothermometers. Traditional analytical techniques require relatively large amounts of carbonate (3-8 mg per replicate), which limits the applicability of the clumped isotope proxy to certain geological materials such as marine microfossils, commonly used for paleoclimate reconstructions. METHODS: Clumped isotope ratio measurements of small samples were made on a new, high-efficiency, dual-reservoir sample-preparation inlet system attached to a Thermo-Finnigan MAT 253 mass spectrometer. Sample gas produced on the inlet is introduced from a 10 mL reservoir directly into the source via a capillary. Reference gas fills an identical 10 mL reservoir installed between the reference bellows and the capillary. The gas pressures in the two reservoirs are initially balanced, and are allowed to decrease together over the run. RESULTS: Carbonate samples from 1 mg to 2.6 mg produced Δ47 values equivalent to those from the traditional two-bellows method with identical single-sample precision (1 SE = 0.005-0.015‰) and external standard error (SE = 0.006-0.015‰, n = 4-6). The size of sample needed to achieve good precision is controlled by the sensitivity of the mass spectrometer and the size of the fixed reservoirs and adjacent U-trap installed on our inlet. CONCLUSIONS: The high-precision clumped isotope measurements of small aliquots of carbonate obtained in this method allows for the application of this proxy to a wider range of geological sample materials, such as marine microfossils, that until now have been nearly impossible to analyze given sample size limitation.

Utilidad de los microespirómetros en las unidades y consultas de tabaquismo / Use of microspirometry in the smoking cessation units and offices

No disponible

Envejecimiento y alta prevalencia de estadios avanzados determinan la creciente mortalidad por cáncer mamario en Chile / Aging and high prevalence of advanced stages determine the increasing breast cancer mortality in Chile

Aims: To test the hypothesis that ages above 54 years not included in the national program and a greater proportion of advanced stages in the public health sector that attends 75 percent of the population, could explain the increasing high mortality rate for this cancer in Chile. Methods: Incidence data provided by the 29 public health services (SNSS) in the country and mortality data from the Ministry of Health were used to analyse the epidemiological situation at the biggest health service (SSMSO), 1.6 million of people, compared with the country, 16 million. Results: Breast cancer was in 2009, last year with information, the first cause of oncologic death in Chilean women with 1,338 deaths and an actual mortality rate of 15.7 per 100,000 women. Deaths for gallbladder and gastric cancers were 1,295 and 1,150 respectively. Mortality for breast cancer in 2009 was 10.4 in the SSMSO. Less advanced stages with a proportion of about 20 percent compared with the country (30 percent) and more prevalent older ages were observed in this health service. Conclusions: Hypothesis is true. Targets of extended age and decreasing of less advanced stages for the country emerge from this study. To integrate levels of medical care in the SNSS and to include examination of breasts jointly with free diagnostic mammographies in women above 54 years old ordered by the nurses responsibles at the national programs of diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension are recommended aiming to increase compliance of secondary prevention in breast cancer.

Objetivos: Es un estudio retrospectivo, descriptivo y analítico sobre cáncer de mama comparando incidencia nacional, sector público (SNSS) y mortalidad (Chile), últimas dos décadas, con la del Servicio de Salud Sur Oriente de Santiago (SSMSO). La hipótesis de mayores edades y menor frecuencia de estadíos avanzados en el SSMSO explicaría su menor mortalidad. Material y Método: Se utilizan datos de mortalidad del Ministerio de Salud y de incidencia aportados por los 29 Servicios de Salud del país. Resultados: Cáncer de mama aparece el 2009 como primera causa de mortalidad oncológica en la mujer chilena, con 1.338 muertes y tasa de 15,7 por 100.000 mujeres, superando al vesicular con 1.295 y al gástrico con 1.115. Las tasas de mortalidad por cáncer mamario en Chile fueron 12,1; 13,2 y 15,7, años 1991, 2000 y 2009 mientras en el SSMSO fueron más bajas: 11,4; 12,7 y 10,4 en esos años. Entre 30 y 34 por ciento de las pacientes diagnosticadas del SNSS tenía más de 64 años comparado con el SSMSO, donde predominaron con más del 40 por ciento sobre 60 años, entre 1999 y 2009. Los estadíos avanzados, III y IV, presentaron una proporción estable 2001-2009, promedio 29,4 por ciento en el SNSS, mientras bajó progresivamente en el SSMSO hasta 18,3 por ciento el 2007. Discusión y Conclusiones: Se comprueba hipótesis ya que puede atribuirse la menor mortalidad por este cáncer en el SSMSO a menores tasas de estadíos avanzados. Este estudio permite proponer edades sobre 54 años para la pesquisa con mamografía diagnóstica. Además, integrar los niveles de atención médica: primario, secundario, terciario y extender pesquisa a mujeres mayores en programas de hipertensión arterial y diabetes mellitus, incorporando a sus enfermeras.

Embarazo ectópico gemelar bicorial espontáneo. Diagnóstico ecográfico transvaginal / Spontaneous live dichorionic twin ectopic pregnancy. Transvaginal sonographic diagnosis

Describimos un caso de embarazo ectópico tubárico gemelar unilateral en una paciente sin factores de riesgo. El diagnóstico prequirúrgico se realizó mediante ecografía transvaginal, que permitió visualizar dos sacos gestacionales adyacentes al ovario derecho. Ambos embriones presentaban latido. Se realizó salpingectomía laparoscópica. Estos hallazgos son extremadamente infrecuentes (AU)

We report a case of unilateral twin tubal ectopic pregnancy in a patient without risk factors. Presurgical transvaginal sonography allowed two gestational sacs adjacent to the right ovary to be visualized. Both embryos showed cardiac activity. Laparoscopic salpingectomy was performed. These findings are extremely rare (AU)

Tuberculosis anexial simuladora de malignidad ovárica coexistente con neutropenia con metamizol / Ovarian tuberculosis mimicking carcinoma and neutropenia due to metamizol

Se presenta el caso de una paciente intervenida ante la sospecha ecográfica de carcinoma ovárico y marcadores tumorales elevados. La anatomía patológica diagnosticó tuberculosis anexial. Antes de la intervención debutó con fiebre y se siguió tratamiento empírico con metamizol. La paciente desarrolló granulopenia, que mejoró tras la retirada del fármaco (AU)

We describe the case of a patient who underwent surgery due to sonographic suspicion of ovarian carcinoma and high tumoral marker levels. The histopathological analysis revealed adnexal tuberculosis. Before the surgery, the patient presented with fever and empirical metamizole treatment was administered. The patient developed granulopenia, which improved after withdrawal of the drug (AU)

Eating quality of beef from biotypes included in the PGI "Ternera Asturiana" showing distinct physicochemical characteristics and tenderization pattern.

Different biotypes of the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) "Ternera Asturiana" were studied to determine if their differences in physicochemical characteristics and tenderization pattern during maturation (3 to 21 days) had an effect on the consumer evaluation of beef palatability. Biotype affected significantly pH, water holding capacity, chemical composition (P < 0.001) and meat lightness (P < 0.05). Ageing time affected significantly (P < 0.05) colour, meat toughness and sensory attributes in a different way within each biotype. Multivariate analysis showed two different meat groups: 1) meat from mh-genotypes, characterized by high juice losses, lightness (L*), protein content and high sensory acceptability at intermediate (7 and 14 days) ageing times; 2) meat from rustic (AM) breed and biotypes free of myostatin mutation (AV (+/+) and AV x AM), showing higher intramuscular fat, myoglobin content, and instrumental toughness and requiring longer storage times (21 days). This should be taken into account for the proper post-mortem management and commercialization of each product to achieve its best sensory quality.

Angioedema hereditario en mujer embarazada con parto normal / Hereditary angioedema in a pregnant woman resulting in normal childbirth

Resumen El angioedema hereditario (AEH) es una enfermedad poco tratada en las publicaciones obstétricas. Las alteraciones hormonales pueden desencadenar crisis y el embarazo afecta al número de los ataques. Resumen El conocimiento del diagnóstico y del tratamiento es imprescindible pues el AEH no responde al tratamiento habitual del edema de tipo alérgico (adrenalina, antihistamínicos o esteroides) y puede afectar a la glotis y causar la muerte. Su tratamiento de elección es la infusión de factor inhibidor de C1 (fracción 1 del complemento) (AU)

AbstractThere are few publications on hereditary angioedema (HAE) in the obstetrics literature. Hormone alterations can trigger a crisis and pregnancy affects the frequency of attacks. Familiarity with the diagnosis and treatment of this disease is vital because it does not respond to the routine management of allergic edema (adrenaline, antihistamines or steroids), and it can affect the glottis and cause death. The treatment of choice is infusion of complement C1 inhibitor protein (AU)

Tumor de Krukenberg primario ovárico: un hallazgo infrecuente / Primary ovarian Krukenberg tumor: an infrequent finding

El tumor de Krukenberg es un adenocarcinoma ovárico raro que tiene una anatomopatología peculiar. Aunque habitualmente representa una metástasis de origen digestivo, en este estudio se presenta un caso con análisis morfológico e inmunohistoquímico de Krukenberg sin que demostrara la existencia de tumor primario extraovárico (AU)

Krukenberg tumor is a rare ovarian adenocarcinoma with characteristic histopathological features. Although this tumor usually represents metastasis from a digestive carcinoma, we present a case morphologically and immunohistochemically identified as ovarian Krukenberg tumor, no extraovarian primary tumor was detected (AU)

Personal and organizational determinants of well-being at work: the case of Swedish physicians.

PURPOSE: The traditional perspective in the occupational and organizational psychology literature aimed at understanding well-being, has focused almost exclusively on the "disease" pole. Recently, however, new concepts focusing on health are emerging in the so-called "positive psychology" literature. The purpose of this paper is to test multiple possible linkages (or profiles) between certain personal, organizational, and cultural variables that affect both burnout and vigor. Burnout (disease) and vigor (health) are assumed to represent two extreme poles of the well-being phenomenon. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: An innovative statistical treatment borrowed from data mining methodology was used to explore the conceptual model that was utilized. A self-administered questionnaire from a sample of 1,022 physicians working in Swedish public hospitals was used. Standardized job/work demands with multiple items were employed in conjunction with the Uppsala Burnout scale, which was dichotomized into high (burnout) and low (vigor) score. A combination of ANOVAs and "classification and regression tree analyses" was utilized to test the relationships and identify profiles. FINDINGS: Results show an architecture that predicts 59 percent of the explained variance and also reveals four "tree branches" with distinct profiles. Two configurations indicate the determinants of high-burnout risk, while two others indicate the configurations for enhanced health or vigor. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: In addition to their innovative-added value, the results can also be most instrumental for individual doctors and hospitals in gaining a better understanding of the aetiology of burnout/vigor and in designing effective preventative measures for reducing risk factors for burnout, and enhancing well-being (vigor).

Prediction of the fatty acid composition of beef by near infrared transmittance spectroscopy.

The intramuscular fat content and composition influence consumer selection of meat products. A study predicting the fatty acid (FA) profile of ground beef from the Longissimus thoracis of yearling bulls (n=100) using near infrared transmittance spectroscopy (NIT) was conducted. The samples were scanned using an Infratec 1265 Meat Analyzer which operates in transmittance mode from 850 to 1050nm. NIT technology was able to accurately predict (R(CV)(2) over 0.76) some prominent FAs such as C14:0, C16:0, C16:1cis9, C17:0, C18:1cis9 and C18:1cis11, and minor FAs like C13:0, C15:0, C17:1cis9 and C18:1cis13. When studying FA groups, NIT spectra were able to accurately predict saturated (R(CV)(2)=0.837), branched (R(CV)(2)=0.701) and monounsaturated (R(CV)(2)=0.852) FAs. In addition, NIT spectra provided useful information on the contents of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) in beef. These results show the potential of NIT technique as a rapid and easy tool to predict the major FAs in beef, especially those located in triglycerides.