Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maternal hormones linking maternal body mass index and dietary intake to birth weight.

BACKGROUND Obese women often give birth to large-for-gestational age infants (typically defined as a birth weight greater than the 90th percentile), who are at risk of birth injuries and of developing metabolic syndrome later in life. The mechanisms underlying increased fetal growth remain to be established. OBJECTIVE We aimed to identify maternal hormones that can explain the link between dietary intake, body mass index (BMI), and birth weight. DESIGN Pregnant women with BMIs (in kg/m(2)) ranging from 17 to 44 (n = 49) were recruited in gestational weeks 8-12. Serum hormone concentrations were measured and dietary history interviews were performed in the first and third trimesters. Multiple regression models were produced to identify hormones that correlate with birth weight and are influenced by BMI or dietary factors. RESULTS We found a strong positive correlation between BMI and first- and third-trimester insulin and leptin concentrations and a negative correlation between BMI and first-trimester adiponectin and first- and third-trimester insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1). Maternal total fat intake in the first trimester was positively correlated with maternal leptin and inversely correlated with adiponectin. In addition, third-trimester total fat intake was positively correlated with circulating resistin concentrations. First-trimester maternal serum resistin was positively correlated with birth weight, whereas third-trimester maternal IGFBP-1 was negatively correlated with birth weight. CONCLUSIONS High first-trimester maternal serum resistin and low third-trimester IGFBP-1 were correlated with increased birth weight. We propose that low serum concentrations of IGFBP-1 represent a link between high BMI and increased fetal growth by increasing the bioavailability of insulin-like growth factor-I, which up-regulates placental nutrient transport.
Common Household Chemicals and the Allergy Risks in Pre-School Age Children

Background The risk of indoor exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on allergic airway diseases in children remains unknown. Objective We examined the residential concentrations of VOCs, emitted from building materials, paints, furniture, and other lifestyle practices and the risks of multiple allergic diseases as well as the IgE-sensitization in pre-school age children in Sweden. Methods In a case-control investigation (198 case children with asthma and allergy and 202 healthy controls), air samples were collected in the room where the child slept. The air samples were analyzed for the levels of eight classes of VOCs. Results A natural-log unit of summed propylene glycol and glycol ethers (PGEs) in bedroom air (equal to interquartile range, or 3.43 – 15.65 µg/m3) was associated with 1.5-fold greater likelihood of being a case (95% CI, 1.1 – 2.1), 1.5-fold greater likelihood of asthma (95% CI, 1.0 – 2.3), 2.8-fold greater likelihood of rhinitis (95% CI, 1.6 – 4.7), and 1.6-fold greater likelihood of eczema (95% CI, 1.1 – 2.3), accounting for gender, secondhand smoke, allergies in both parents, wet cleaning with chemical agents, construction period of the building, limonene, cat and dog allergens, butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP), and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP). When the analysis was restricted to the cases, the same unit concentration was associated with 1.8-fold greater likelihood of IgE-sensitization (95% CI, 1.1 – 2.8) compared to the non-IgE sensitized cases. No similar associations were found for the other classes of VOCs. Conclusion We propose a novel hypothesis that PGEs in indoor air exacerbate and/or induce the multiple allergic symptoms, asthma, rhinitis and eczema, as well as IgE sensitization respectively.
Synthesis and Fabrication of High‐Performance n‐Type Silicon Nanowire Transistors

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Serum, biliary, and fecal cholesterol and plant sterols in colectomized patients before and during consumption of stanol ester margarine.

BACKGROUND Cholesterol metabolic studies are simplified in colectomized patients because of rapid intestinal passage and reduced bacterial action. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to study the effect on cholesterol and plant sterol metabolism of feeding a margarine containing stanol ester to 11 colectomized patients. DESIGN A margarine containing 2 g stanol was consumed for 7-18 d. Serum, biliary, and fecal lipids were measured before and during consumption of the margarine. RESULTS Serum cholesterol concentrations and the ratio of plant sterol to cholesterol decreased after 1 d of consumption of stanol esters (P < 0.05). After 7 d, serum cholesterol decreased by 16% (P < 0.01), cholesterol absorption efficiency decreased by approximately 40%, and fecal output of cholesterol as neutral sterols (but not as bile acids) increased by 36%. Biliary bile acid composition and the molar percentage of biliary cholesterol were unchanged. Increased ratios of cholesterol precursor sterols in serum and bile indicated enhanced cholesterol synthesis during consumption of stanol esters; the percentage absorption of plant sterols and the ratios of plant sterols to cholesterol decreased, whereas serum and biliary plant stanols and their biliary secretion gradually increased. In feces, 95% of cholesterol and 90% of plant stanols were in unesterified form. CONCLUSIONS In colectomized patients, effective inhibition of cholesterol absorption and lowering of serum cholesterol concentrations and plant sterol ratios occurs within 1 d of the start of consumption of stanol esters. The composition of major bile lipids is unchanged, indicating that gallstone formation is unlikely. Small amounts of plant stanols are recovered in serum and bile during consumption of stanol esters but effectively are secreted through bile, thereby balancing the intake-induced increase in their absorption.
Drude Formalism Study of The Giant Magnetoresistance in Fe(t)/Cu/Fe Trilayers

The recently developed Drude-like model for resistivity in metallic multilayers is applied to Fe(t)/Cu(10A)/Fe(10A) trilayer systems. The basic GMR characteristics deduced conform qualitatively to reports communicated in literature. Our analyses show that the Fuchs-Sondheimer theory of thin film resistivity is not valid for layered structures and spin-dependent scattering in the bulk is the dominant mechanism for GMR in the investigated systems.
Regulation of hepatic delta-6 desaturase expression and its role in the polyunsaturated fatty acid inhibition of fatty acid synthase gene expression in mice.

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the (n-6) and (n-3) families uniquely suppress the expression of lipogenic genes while concomitantly inducing the expression of genes encoding proteins of fatty acid oxidation. Although considerable progress has been made toward understanding the nuclear events affected by PUFA, the intracellular mediator responsible for the regulation of hepatic lipogenic gene expression remains unclear. On the basis of earlier fatty acid composition studies, we hypothesized that the Delta-6 desaturase pathway was essential for the production of the fatty acid regulator of gene expression. To address this hypothesis, male BALB/c mice (n = 8/group) were fed for 5 d a high glucose, fat-free diet (FF) or the FF plus 50 g/kg 18:2(n-6) with and without eicosa-5, 8,11,14-tetraynoic acid (ETYA) (200 mg/kg diet), a putative inhibitor of the Delta-6 desaturase pathway. ETYA had no effect on food intake or weight gain, but it completely prevented 18:2(n-6) from suppressing the hepatic abundance of fatty acid synthase mRNA. ETYA ingestion was associated with a decrease in the hepatic content of 20:4(n-6) and an increase in the amount of 18:2(n-6). The fatty acid composition changes elicited by ETYA were accompanied by a decrease in the enzymatic activity of Delta-6 desaturase. Interestingly, the hepatic abundance of Delta-6 desaturase mRNA was actually induced by ETYA one- to twofold. When the product of Delta-6 desaturase, i.e., 18:3(n-6), was added to the ETYA plus 18:2(n-6) diet, the hepatic content of 20:4(n-6) was normalized. In addition, 18:3(n-6) consumption reduced the level of hepatic Delta-6 desaturase mRNA by 50% and completely prevented the increase in fatty acid synthase mRNA that was associated with ETYA ingestion. Apparently, Delta-6 desaturation is an essential step for the PUFA regulation of the fatty acid synthase gene transcription. Finally, the suppression of Delta-6 desaturase by PUFA and its induction by ETYA suggest that the Delta-6 desaturase gene may be regulated by two different lipid-dependent mechanisms.
Comparison of SERCA1 and SERCA2a expressed in COS-1 cells and cardiac myocytes.

Cultured COS-1 cells, as well as chicken embryonic and neonatal rat cardiac myocytes, were infected with recombinant adenovirus vectors to define limiting factors in the expression and Ca2+ transport function of recombinant sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ (SERCA) isoforms. Titration experiments showed that all COS-1 cells and myocytes in culture could be infected by an adenovirus titer of 10 plaque-forming units (pfu) per seeded cell. Raising the adenovirus titer further yielded higher protein expression up to an asymptotic limit for functional, membrane-bound SERCA protein. The asymptotic behavior of SERCA expression was not transcription related but was due to posttranscriptional events. The minimal (-268) cardiac troponin T (cTnT) promoter was a convenient size for adenovirus vector construction and manifested tight muscle specificity. However, its efficiency was lower than that of the nonspecific cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. At any rate, identical maximal levels of SERCA expression were obtained with the CMV and the cTnT promoter, as long as the viral titer was adjusted to compensate for transcription efficiency. A maximal threefold increase of total SERCA protein expression over the level of the endogenous SERCA of control myocytes was reached (a sevenfold increase compared with the endogenous SERCA of the same infected myocytes due to reduction of endogenous SERCA after infection). In contrast with previous reports [Ji et al. Am. J. Physiol. 276 ( Heart Circ. Physiol. 45): H89-H97, 1999], a higher kinetic turnover was demonstrated for the SERCA1 compared with the SERCA2a isoform as shown by a 5.0- versus 2.6-fold increase in calcium uptake rate accompanying maximal expression of recombinant SERCA1 or SERCA2a, respectively. This information is deemed necessary for studies attempting to modify myocardial cell function by manipulation of SERCA expression.
Epigenetics at the crossroads between genes, environment and resilience in anxiety disorders

The pathogenesis of anxiety disorders is multifactorial, involving complex interactions between biological factors, environmental influences and psychological mechanisms. Recent advances have highlighted the role of epigenetics in bridging the gap between multiple contributing risk factors toward an increased understanding of the pathomechanisms underlying anxiety. In this review, we present an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding putative risk mechanisms in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders, placing a particular focus on the role of protective factors serving to buffer a risk factor constellation and the role of epigenetic processes functioning as a potent turnstile changing passage direction toward disorder risk or resilience. We discuss promising future directions in epigenetic research regarding the prediction, prevention and personalized treatment of anxiety disorders.
Fruit and vegetable intakes are an independent predictor of bone size in early pubertal children.

BACKGROUND Adequate intakes of fruit and vegetables are recommended for optimum health in children. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine whether consuming fruit and vegetables >3 times per day is beneficial to bone mass in children. DESIGN Fifty-six white females (Tanner stage 2) recorded dietary intake on 3 independent days. The numbers of servings of fruit and vegetables were recorded for each day and tallied, and the subjects were divided into 2 consumption groups for analysis (low consumption: <3 servings/d, n = 22; high consumption: > or = 3 servings/d, n = 34). Bone area and the bone mineral content of the whole body and radius were assessed by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Radioimmunoassays measured serum parathyroid hormone and 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Twenty-four-hour urine samples were assessed for calcium, sodium, and creatinine. RESULTS After adjustment for age, body mass index, and physical activity, those children who reported consuming > or = 3 servings fruit and vegetables/d had more bone area of the whole body (6.0%; P = 0.03) and radius (8.3%; P = 0.03), lower urinary calcium excretion (2.6 +/- 0.2 compared with 1.8 +/- 0.3 mg/kg; P = 0.04), and lower parathyroid hormone (19.6 +/- 1.9 compared with 25.0 +/- 1.6 pg/mL; P = 0.01) than did those children who reported consuming <3 servings fruit and vegetables/d. CONCLUSIONS High fruit and vegetable intakes have beneficial effects on the bone area of the radius and whole body in early pubertal girls. The lower urinary calcium output associated with higher fruit and vegetable intakes may be a modulating factor.
Endovascular revascularisation of acute tandem vertebrobasilar artery occlusion: seven case series with literature reviews

Background The outcome of acute ischaemic stroke due to tandem vertebrobasilar artery occlusion was poor. Endovascular revascularisation may be a positive approach for acute basilar artery occlusion combined with vertebral ostium stenosis or occlusion. We reported seven patients with acute vertebrobasilar tandem occlusion by using angioplasty or stenting for proximal lesion and thrombectomy for distal occlusion. Materials and methods Consecutive patients with acute tandem vertebrobasilar artery occlusion at two centres were included in this study. We retrospectively analysed the clinical, technical and functional outcomes of the patients. Results From March 2016 to March 2017, seven patients were included. The mean age and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score at admission was 57 years and 22, respectively. A reverse approach was used in five patients. The Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score 2b-3 was acquired in all patients. There were no procedural complications. The modified Rankin Scale score was 1–2 for three patients and 4 for one patient at 3 months. Three patients died at 3 months of follow-up. Conclusions Endovascular revascularisation may be feasible for acute tandem vertebrobasilar artery occlusion, and more researches are needed.
Host Factor SPCS1 Regulates the Replication of Japanese Encephalitis Virus through Interactions with Transmembrane Domains of NS2B

ABSTRACT Signal peptidase complex subunit 1 (SPCS1) is a newly identified host factor that regulates flavivirus replication, but the molecular mechanism is not fully understood. Here, using Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) as a model, we investigated the mechanism through which the host factor SPCS1 regulates the replication of flaviviruses. We first validated the regulatory function of SPCS1 in JEV propagation by knocking down and knocking out endogenous SPCS1. The loss of SPCS1 function markedly reduced intracellular virion assembly and the production of infectious JEV particles but did not affect cell entry, RNA replication, or translation of the virus. SPCS1 was found to interact with nonstructural protein 2B (NS2B), which is involved in posttranslational protein processing and virus assembly. Serial deletion mutation of the JEV NS2B protein revealed that two transmembrane domains, NS2B(1–49) and NS2B(84–131), interact with SPCS1. Further mutagenesis analysis of conserved flavivirus residues in two SPCS1 interaction domains of NS2B demonstrated that G12A, G37A, and G47A in NS2B(1–49) and P112A in NS2B(84–131) weakened the interaction with SPCS1. Deletion mutation of SPCS1 revealed that SPCS1(91–169), which contains two transmembrane domains, was involved in interactions with both NS2B(1–49) and NS2B(84–131). Taken together, these results demonstrate that SPCS1 affects viral replication by interacting with NS2B, thereby influencing the posttranslational processing of JEV proteins and the assembly of virions. IMPORTANCE Understanding virus-host interactions is important for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of virus propagation and identifying potential antiviral targets. Previous reports demonstrated that SPCS1 is involved in the flavivirus life cycle, but the mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we confirmed that SPCS1 participates in the posttranslational protein processing and viral assembly stages of the JEV life cycle but not in the cell entry, genome RNA replication, or translation stages. Furthermore, we found that SPCS1 interacts with two independent transmembrane domains of the flavivirus NS2B protein. NS2B also interacts with NS2A, which is proposed to mediate virus assembly. Therefore, we propose a protein-protein interaction model showing how SPCS1 participates in the assembly of JEV particles. These findings expand our understanding of how host factors participate in the flavivirus replication life cycle and identify potential antiviral targets for combating flavivirus infection.
A quantitative investigation on vibration durability of viscoelastic relaxation in bolted composite joints

Time-dependent behavior and factors affecting preload relaxation in a carbon/epoxy composite bolted joint under resonance were studied. The effect of viscoelasticity of composite material on bolt relaxation was studied quantitatively through modal analysis from the perspective of energy dissipation and stiffness degradation. Damping ratio and resonance frequency were utilized to characterize the effects of preload relaxation on structural dynamic response. The loss of preload was found to decrease with increasing initial preloads over a 10 h vibration fatigue. However, an increase in preload loss occurred as exciting frequency increases. Vibration fatigue damage was found to result in decaying stiffness and amplitude responses of the bolted joints, along with an increase in damping ratio. As a proof-of-concept study, a beam-like specimens with and without bolted joints were comparatively excited to ascertain their respective dynamic responses; results revealed that relaxation in bolted joints could be attributed to the conjunct mechanisms between viscoelastic behavior of polymer matrix composites and interface friction for different contact surfaces, where such relaxation behavior was mainly due to viscoelasticity of the joint materials.
Chapter 19: Li-ion batteries and beyond/future design challenges

Elemen t Atomi c weight Standard potential, (25 °C, V) Valence change Melting point (°C) Density (g cm) Capacity Ah g Ah cm Li 6.94  3.01 1 180.5 0.54 3.86 2.04 Na 22.99  2.71 1 97.8 0.97 1.16 1.13 Mg 24.31  2.38 2 648.7 1.74 2.20 3.83 Al 26.98  1.66 3 660.3 2.69 2.98 8.02 K 39.10  2.92 1 63.3 0.86 0.69 0.59 Ca 40.08  2.84 2 839.0 1.54 1.34 2.06 Table 19.1 Characteristics of light metals Many kinds of light metals have been employed in primary cells such as Li (or Mg,
Effect of intravenous lidocaine infusion on long-term postoperative pain after spinal fusion surgery

Background: Intravenous lidocaine infusion is known to reduce postoperative pain for days or weeks beyond the infusion time, and plasma half-life in several types of surgical procedures. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of intravenous (IV) lidocaine infusion on long term postoperative pain intensity for 3 months in patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery. Study Design: Prospective randomized, double-blinded study. Setting: Assiut University Hospital, Assiut, Egypt. Methods: Forty patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery were randomized into 2 equal groups (n = 20 in each). Patients in the lidocaine group received IV lidocaine at a dosage of 2.0 mg/kg slowly before induction of anesthesia, followed by lidocaine IV infusion at a rate of 3.0 mg/kg/h until the end of surgery. Patients in the control group received an equal volume of normal saline. The following data were assessed: pain by Visual Analog Score (VAS) at 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, at discharge time, and at 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months post-operation, time to first request for additional analgesia, and total morphine consumption in 24 hours. Results: Lidocaine significantly reduced the postoperative pain score (VAS) for up to 3 months (P < .05), and significantly reduced morphine consumption (4.5 mg vs. 19.85 mg) in the 1st 24 hours postoperative. Lidocaine also significantly, prolonged (P < .05) the time to first request for additional analgesia (9.56 ± 2.06 hours vs 1.82 ± 0.91 hours). Conclusion: Intra-operative lidocaine, when given intravenously as a bolus followed by an infusion, significantly decreased long term postoperative back pain intensity in patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery.
Effect of plasma metabolites of (+)-catechin and quercetin on monocyte adhesion to human aortic endothelial cells.

BACKGROUND Flavonoids may exert their health benefit in cardiovascular disease by modulating monocyte adhesion in the inflammatory process of atherosclerosis. Most in vitro studies used forms of flavonoids present in food rather than forms that appear in plasma after ingestion. OBJECTIVES We tested the effects of plasma metabolites of (+)-catechin and quercetin on the modulation of monocyte adhesion to human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) and on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). DESIGN Plasma extracts of flavonoid metabolites were prepared after intragastric administration of pure compounds to rats. The plasma preparations contained sulfate or glucuronide conjugates or both and methylated forms. We measured adhesion of U937 monocytic cells to HAEC and the production of ROS in HAEC when cells were pretreated with either pure compounds or plasma extracts from control or treated rats. Adhesion assays were performed with HAEC stimulated with interleukin (IL)-1 beta or U937 cells activated with phorbol myristyl acetate; ROS were measured after challenging HAEC with IL-1 beta or hydrogen peroxide. RESULTS Pretreatment of HAEC with (+)-catechin metabolites inhibited U937 cell adhesion to IL-1 beta-stimulated cells, whereas pretreatment with intact (+)-catechin had no effect. Generation of ROS in hydrogen peroxide-stimulated HAEC was inhibited by (+)-catechin, its metabolites, and control plasma extract, whereas ROS generation in IL-1 beta-stimulated HAEC was inhibited by (+)-catechin metabolites only. In contrast, quercetin inhibited U937 cell adhesion to IL-1 beta-stimulated HAEC, whereas its metabolites were not effective. CONCLUSIONS Metabolic conversion of flavonoids such as (+)-catechin and quercetin modifies the flavonoids' biological activity. Metabolites of flavonoids, rather than their intact forms, may contribute to the reported effects of flavonoids on reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.