•Phthalate diesters (PE) were measured in multiple urine samples during pregnancy.•Hazard index (HI) for multiple phthalates was calculated for each urine sample.•Components of metabolic syndrome ...were assessed as outcomes.•Inconsistent outcome associations were observed for single PEs and metabolites.•HI was associated with increased risks of GDM, HDOP and excessive GWG.
Few studies have investigated the association of gestational exposure to phthalate with metabolic risk and have reached inconsistent conclusions. Based on the Ma’anshan Birth Cohort, 3273 women were included in the present study. All participants provided up to three urine samples for 7 phthalate metabolite measurements. The hazard index (HI) was used to evaluate the cumulative risk of multiple phthalate coexposures. The outcomes of interest included hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDOP), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and gestational weight gain (GWG). The incidences of HDOP, GDM, and excessive GWG were 5.93%, 13.09%, and 28.95%, respectively. Exposure to a single phthalate metabolite or a specific diester during the first trimester of pregnancy elevated blood pressure (BP) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in the third trimester and body weight gain throughout pregnancy. However, inverse relationships were revealed for some phthalate metabolites, which were inconsistent with the results of their diesters. The HI value during the first trimester was positively associated with subsequent BP, FPG, and GWG. In addition, HI during the first trimester increased the risks of GDM odds ratio (OR) = 1.34, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) = 1.02–1.75) and excessive GWG (OR = 1.76, 95% CIs = 1.41–2.19) in a linear manner thereafter. Notably, phthalates might directly increase maternal blood glucose and pressure, and these changes were secondary effects of the obesiogenic effects of certain phthalates. In conclusion, exposure to single and multiple phthalates during the first trimester of pregnancy increased the risks of maternal metabolic syndrome components. However, the conflicting findings between phthalates and their metabolites need to be interpreted carefully.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Aim
We performed a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT) and observational studies to answer the two following questions: (i) whether low maternal circulating 25 hydroxyvitamin D ...(25‐OHD) is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (PTB) or spontaneous PTB (sPTB); and (ii) whether vitamin D supplementation alone during pregnancy can reduce the risk of PTB.
Methods
Literature search was carried out using Pubmed, Web of Science and Embase databases up to June 2016. Pooled OR or relative risk (RR) with 95%CI were computed using fixed or random effects models depending on the size of heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis was used to explore potential sources of between‐study heterogeneity. Publication bias was evaluated using Egger's test and Begg's test.
Results
Twenty‐four articles (six RCT and 18 observational studies) were identified. Maternal circulating 25‐OHD deficiency (pooled OR, 1.25; 95%CI: 1.13–1.38) rather than insufficiency (pooled OR, 1.09; 95%CI: 0.89–1.35) was associated with an increased risk of PTB, and vitamin D supplementation alone during pregnancy could reduce the risk of PTB (pooled RR, 0.57; 95%CI: 0.36–0.91). This was also the case for the sPTB subgroup (circulating 25‐OHD <50 vs >50 nmol/L; pooled OR, 1.45; 95%CI: 1.20–1.75).
Conclusions
Maternal circulating 25‐OHD deficiency could increase PTB risk and vitamin D supplementation alone during pregnancy could reduce PTB risk. Extrapolation of the results, however, must be done with caution, and there is urgent need for larger, better‐designed RCT to confirm this effect.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
This methodology solved the problem that original edible super-hydrophobic coating could not go through the process of high temperature sterilization, and widened the potential applications of ...functional food packaging.
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Edible super-hydrophobic coatings have attracted great attentions as they can avoid the waste of liquid foods, such as honey and milk, adhered to the inside of containers. However, the poor thermal stabilities of edible super-hydrophobic coatings restrict their applications. In this work, a thermo-resistant edible super-hydrophobic coating has been fabricated using beeswax and coffee, which are approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This coating surface has the similar micro/nanoscale structure to that of the leaf surface. A variety of liquid foods can freely roll on this coating surface in spherical. This special wetting property effectively reduces the residue of liquid foods, when they are poured out of the containers. With the introduction of coffee lignin, the thermal stability and adhesive force of the coating increases significantly. The apparent contact angle of this coating can remain to be above 150° after a long-time heating and flushing. This thermo-resistant edible super-hydrophobic coating can solve the problem that original edible super-hydrophobic coating is not resistant to high temperature, and has a broad application prospect in the field of functional food packaging.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•Functionalized nanoparticles were designed and prepared for astaxanthin delivery.•Lactobionic acid-modified (2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin) was coating material.•Liver targeting was achieved via ...lactobionic acid-asialoglycoprotein interaction.•Enhanced antioxidant and mitochondrion protecting effects were found in astaxanthin.
Astaxanthin (AST), as natural hydrophobic nutrition, has exhibited health-promoting benefits for its outstanding antioxidant property. However, most studies tend to enhance its stability and solubility while the targeted delivery of AST is limited. In this study, liver-targeted nanocarriers were designed and prepared by lactobionic acid-modified (2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin) for efficient controlled delivery of AST. The minimum average size of AST nanoparticles was about 98 nm with a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.41. The lactobionic acid-modified AST nanoparticles exhibited significant cellular uptake, and an admirable ability to scavenge free radicals for H2O2-induced HepaRG cells in preventing mitochondrial depolarization. Moreover, accumulation of AST nanoparticles in liver was observed due to the modification of lactobionic acid (LA) of the nanocarriers through the specific binding of LA-asialoglycoprotein receptors. The results in this study provided a new idea for liver-specific nutrition delivery of AST in developing functional food for liver disease nutrition intervention.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Evidence of the influence of prenatal phthalate exposure on childhood longitudinal obesity markers is limited. Nested on the Ma’anshan birth cohort study, 990 mother-daughter pairs were included. ...Seven phthalate metabolites were determined in urine collected in each trimester. Each child underwent a physical examination from birth to 6 years of age twelve times. Latent class growth models were used to identify three trajectories of girls’ body mass index (BMI). Logistic regression, quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression models analyzed the relationships of prenatal exposure to individual and mixed phthalates with girls’ body mass index (BMI) trajectory. Compared to the “lowest trajectory” class, prenatal average concentrations of mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP, ORcrude = 2.095, 95 % CI = 1.014–4.328) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP, ORcrude = 2.336, 95 % CI = 1.022–5.338) during pregnancy were associated with an increased probability of being in the “highest trajectory” class. The average concentration of DEHP (ORcrude = 1.879, 95 % CI = 1.002–3.522) was associated with an increased probability of being in the “moderate trajectory” class. Stratified analyses by trimester of pregnancy mainly showed that third-trimester exposure to monoethyl phthalate (MEP, ORadjusted = 1.584, 95 % CI = 1.094–2.292), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP, ORadjusted = 2.885, 95 % CI = 1.367–6.088), MEHHP (ORadjusted = 2.425, 95 % CI = 1.335–4.407), DEHP (ORadjusted = 2.632, 95 % CI = 1.334–5.193) and high molecular weight phthalate (ORadjusted = 2.437, 95 % CI = 1.239–4.792) was associated with an increased probability of being in the “highest trajectory” class. However, the mixture of phthalates was not significantly related to the girl’s BMI trajectory. In conclusion, in utero exposure to phthalates, including MEP and DEHP metabolites (MEHHP and MEOHP), was significantly associated with early childhood high BMI trajectories in girls. The third trimester of pregnancy seemed to be the window of vulnerability to phthalate exposure for girls’ high BMI trajectory at periods of prenatal development. No evidence supported a significant relationship between combined exposure to phthalate metabolites and girls’ high BMI trajectory.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Intestinal immune dysfunction and gut microbiota dysbiosis are critically causative factors in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC); however, the current first-line drugs for UC treatment in ...clinics often remain great challenges due to their nontargeting therapeutic efficacy and severe side effects. In the current study, colon-targeting nanoparticles based on Angelica sinensis polysaccharide with pH- and redox-responsiveness were fabricated to specifically release the naturally active compound ginsenoside Rh2 in the colonic inflammatory site, which greatly alleviated the UC symptoms and improved the gut microbial homeostasis. These dual responsive Rh2-loaded nanoparticles (Rh2/LA-UASP NPs) with a particle size of 117.00 ± 4.80 nm were prepared using the polymer LA-UASP obtained by grafting A. sinensis polysaccharide with urocanic acid and α-lipoic acid (α-LA). As expected, these Rh2/LA-UASP NPs achieved dual pH- and redox-responsive drug release at pH 5.5 and 10 mM GSH. The stability, biocompatibility, and in vivo safety experiments exhibited these prepared nanoparticles had excellent colon-targeting ability and significant accumulation of Rh2 in the inflammatory colon. Meanwhile, these Rh2/LA-UASP NPs could escape from lysosomes and be efficiently internalized into intestinal mucosal cells, thereby effectively inhibiting the release of proinflammatory cytokines. The animal experiments indicated that Rh2/LA-UASP NPs significantly improved the integrity of intestinal mucosa and increased the colon length compared with UC mice. Additionally, the weight loss, histological damage, and inflammation level were greatly ameliorated. The homeostasis of intestinal flora and the level of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were significantly improved after being treated with Rh2/LA-UASP NPs in UC mice. Our study proved that these Rh2/LA-UASP NPs with dual pH-and redox-responsiveness are promising candidates for UC treatment.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Malnutrition is confirmed to be associated with poor outcomes in stroke patients. The present study aimed to confirm that being at risk of malnutrition assessed by Nutritional Risk Screening Tool ...2002 (NRS-2002) and the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score predicts poor outcomes at 3 months in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.
In total, 682 patients with AIS were recruited within 7 days of stroke onset consecutively and 110 were dropped out. They were screened for risk of malnutrition using NRS-2002 and the CONUT score. The primary outcome is the follow-up modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score. Poor outcomes were defined as an (mRS) score ≥ 3 at 3 months post discharge.
There was a significant difference in the mRS score at 3 months between patients at risk of malnutrition compared to those not at risk assessed by NRS-2002(P < 0.001) and CONUT (P = 0.011). The logistic regression model showed that the risk of malnourishment (according to NRS-2002), low risk of malnourishment (according to CONUT), and the moderate-to-severe risk of malnourishment (according to CONUT) were associated with higher risk of poor outcomes at 3 months (P < 0.001, P = 0.033, and P = 0.007). The multivariate logistic regression model (adjusted for confounding factors) demonstrated that the risk of malnourishment, according to the NRS-2002, was associated with the increasing risk of poor outcomes at 3 months (odds ratio = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.24-4.30; P = 0.008).
The risk of malnutrition assessed by NRS-2002 and CONUT can predict poor outcomes at 3 months in AIS patients. NRS-2002 is superior to CONUT in predicting poor outcomes at 3 months.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, VSZLJ, ZAGLJ
Food-borne nanoparticles have received great attention because of their unique physicochemical properties and potential health risk. In this study, carbon dots (CDs) formed during one of the most ...important chemical reactions in the food processing field, the Maillard reaction from the model system including glucose and lysine, were investigated. The CDs purified from Maillard reaction products emitted a strong blue fluorescence under ultraviolet light with a fluorescent quantum yield of 16.30%. In addition, they were roughly spherical, with sizes of around 4.3 nm, and mainly composed of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Their surface groups such as hydroxyl, amino, and carboxyl groups were found to possibly enable CDs to scavenge DPPH and hydroxyl radicals. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity assessment of CDs showed that they could readily enter HepG2 cells while causing negligible cell death at low concentration. However, high CDs concentrations were highly cytotoxic and led to cell death via interference of the glycolytic pathway.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
A powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) occurred on 2017 September 10 near the end of the declining phase of the historically weak solar cycle 24. We obtain new insights concerning the geometry and ...kinematics of CME-driven shocks in relation to their heliospheric impacts from the optimal, multispacecraft observations of the eruption. The shock, which together with the CME driver can be tracked from the early stage to the outer corona, shows a large oblate structure produced by the vast expansion of the ejecta. The expansion speeds of the shock along the radial and lateral directions are much larger than the translational speed of the shock center, all of which increase during the flare rise phase, peak slightly after the flare maximum and then decrease. The near simultaneous arrival of the CME-driven shock at the Earth and Mars, which are separated by 156 6 in longitude, is consistent with the dominance of expansion over translation observed near the Sun. The shock decayed and failed to reach STEREO A around the backward direction. Comparison between ENLIL MHD simulations and the multipoint in situ measurements indicates that the shock expansion near the Sun is crucial for determining the arrival or nonarrival and space weather impact at certain heliospheric locations. The large shock geometry and kinematics have to be taken into account and properly treated for accurate predictions of the arrival time and space weather impact of CMEs.
Foodborne nanostructures have gained more and more attention in recent years. In this paper, the presence and physicochemical properties of carbonaceous nanostructures (CNSs) from roasted pike eel ...(Muraenesox cinereus) were reported. The monodispersed CNSs are strongly photoluminescent under the illustration of ultraviolet (UV) light, with a fluorescent quantum yield of 80.16%, and display excitation-dependent emission behavior. The formation of CNSs is believed to go through a process of morphology evolution, including polymerization, pyrolysis, nucleation, growth, emergence, and blossom. The optical properties of the CNSs were shown to be affected by the roasting temperature. Furthermore, cellular uptake of the CNSs was investigated, and it is shown that the CNSs were clearly absorbed into live cells and were mainly distributed within the cell cytoplasm and not in the cell nucleus. This work is among the very first reports on CNSs present in roasted fish, providing valuable insights into the formation mechanism of such nanostructures and showcasing the biodistribution of these food-originated CNSs in live cells.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK