Abstract Background Obesity is a systemic disorder associated with an increase in left ventricular mass and premature death and disability from cardiovascular disease. Although bariatric surgery ...reverses many of the hormonal and hemodynamic derangements, the long-term collective effects on body composition and left ventricular mass have not been considered before. We hypothesized that the decrease in fat mass and lean mass after weight loss surgery is associated with a decrease in left ventricular mass. Methods Fifteen severely obese women (mean body mass index BMI: 46.7 ± 1.7 kg/m2 ) with medically controlled hypertension underwent bariatric surgery. Left ventricular mass and plasma markers of systemic metabolism, together with body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences, body composition (fat mass and lean mass), and resting energy expenditure were measured at 0, 3, 9, 12, and 24 months. Results Left ventricular mass continued to decrease linearly over the entire period of observation, while rates of weight loss, loss of lean mass, loss of fat mass, and resting energy expenditure all plateaued at 3 months ( P <.001 for all). Parameters of systemic metabolism normalized by 9 months, and showed no further change at 24 months after surgery. Conclusions Even though parameters of obesity, including BMI and body composition, plateau, the benefits of bariatric surgery on systemic metabolism and left ventricular mass are sustained. We propose that the progressive decrease of left ventricular mass after weight loss surgery is regulated by neurohumoral factors, and may contribute to improved long-term survival.
In 2017, Cosmetics Europe performed a double‐blinded ring test of 24 emulsion‐type sunscreen products, across 3 in vivo test laboratories and 3 in vitro test laboratories, using a new candidate in ...vitro SPF test method. Based on the results of this work, an article was published showing how data derived from a new lead candidate method conform to new International Standards (ISO) acceptance criteria for alternative SPF test methods (Any alternative method should consider the matrix effect and if required, specify the matrix applicability of the method; Criterion 1a: Systematic differences between methods should be negligible: 95% of all individual results of an alternative method are within the range of ±2× reproducibility standard deviation of the in vivo method, that is overall bias must be below 0.5× reproducibility standard deviation of the in vivo method; Criterion 1b: Measurement uncertainty of an alternative method should be below the measurement uncertainty of the in vivo method. Candidate method predicted values must fall within the full ‘funnel’ (SPF 6‐50+) limits proposed by Cosmetics Europe (derived from the same minimum test design, that is using the ISO24444 Method to measure at least 24 products across at least 3 laboratories using at least 5 test subjects/laboratory, in a blinded fashion).). Of the 24 sunscreen products tested, the majority of emulsions were of the oil‐in‐water (O/W) type, whereas only one was water‐in‐oil (W/O) and there were no products with a mineral‐only sun filter system. In order to confirm the scope of this method, therefore, a new study was conducted that included 73 W/O (12 mineral + organic, 44 mineral only and 17 organic only) and 3 O/W mineral‐only, emulsion‐type sunscreen products (a total of 76 new sunscreen products). When combined with the previous 24 products (tested in 3 different laboratories), this yielded a new data set comprising a total of 100 emulsion‐type sunscreen products, with SPF values ranging from 6 to 50+ (with a total of 148 data points). These products were tested using the double‐plate in vitro SPF test method and compared with the ISO TC217/WG7 acceptance criteria for alternative SPF test methods. Over 95% of paired in vitro: in vivo SPF values lay within the upper and lower limits of the ISO acceptance criteria funnel, with no bias. This new in vitro SPF test method, therefore, meets the minimum requirements for an alternative SPF test method to ISO24444:2010, for emulsion‐type sunscreen products (which make up the majority of marketed sunscreen products).
Résumé
En 2017, Cosmetics Europe a réalisé un ring test en double aveugle de 24 produits de protection solaire de type émulsion, dans 3 laboratoires de test in vivo et 3 laboratoires de test in vitro, en utilisant une nouvelle méthode de test SPF in vitro. Sur la base des résultats de ces travaux, un article a été publié montrant comment les données dérivées de cette nouvelle méthode sont conformes aux nouveaux critères d'acceptation des normes internationales (ISO) pour les méthodes de test SPF alternatives. Sur les 24 produits de protection solaire testés, la majorité des émulsions étaient du type huile dans l'eau (H / E), tandis qu'un seul était de l'eau dans l'huile (E / H) et il n'y avait aucun produit contenant uniquement des minéraux. Afin de confirmer cette méthode, une nouvelle étude a donc été menée comprenant 73 produits E/ H (12 produits contenant des filtres minéraux + organiques, 44 produits contenant des filtres minéraux uniquement et 17 produits contenant des filtres organiques uniquement) et 3 produits H / E contenant des filtres minéraux uniquement, tous de type émulsion (donc un un total de 76 nouveaux produits de protection solaire). Combiné aux 24 produits précédents (testés dans 3 laboratoires différents), cela a donné un nouvel ensemble de données comprenant un total de 100 produits de protection solaire de type émulsion, avec des valeurs SPF allant de 6 à 50+ (avec un total de 148 points de données) . Ces produits ont été testés à l'aide de la méthode de test SPF in vitro double approche et comparés aux critères d'acceptation de l'ISO TC217 / WG7 pour les méthodes alternatives du SPF in vivo. Plus de 95% des valeurs de SPF appariées in vitro: in vivo se situent dans les limites supérieure et inférieure de l'entonnoir des critères d'acceptation ISO, sans biais. Cette nouvelle méthode de test SPF in vitro, par conséquent, répond aux exigences minimales d'une méthode de test SPF alternative à ISO24444: 2010, pour les produits de protection solaire de type émulsion (qui constituent la majorité des produits de protection solaire commercialisés).
Over 95% of paired in vitro: in vivo SPF values lay with in the upper and lower limits of the ISO acceptance criteria funnel, with no bias. This new in vitro SPF test method, therefore, meets the minimum requirements for an alternative SPF test method to ISO24444:2010, for emulsion‐type sunscreen products.
Using a metal-organic tungsten based precursor, a fluorine-free tungsten thin film has been obtained. The process deposition recipe includes a plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) step and atomic layer ...deposition (ALD) cycles. A set of physicochemical characterizations including X-ray reflectivity (XRR), in-plane X-ray diffraction (XRD), wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), plasma profiling time of flight mass spectrometry (PPTOFMS) and microscope observations has been realized in order to study the W thin film structure and properties. The film is perfectly conformal whatever the structure size investigated (from tens of nanometers to micrometers wide). It was also highlighted that the F-free W film exhibits the lowest electrical resistivity phase (α-W) but is not pure. Indeed, in addition to a top surface oxidation, a layer located at the W film / substrate interface is present. This interface layer (IL) contains impurities, including carbon and oxygen, due to ligand decomposition. This IL might be deposited during the soak step or during the PECVD step.
The W liner with thicknesses ranging from 3 to 4nm has been implemented on PCRAM structures in order to evaluate its impact on contact plug resistivity. First electrical results are promising and demonstrate the interest of using a F-free low resistance W liner. At the aspect ratio studied, the gain in terms of contact plug resistivity is about 20% compared to the process of reference using a TiN liner. Modeling shows that this benefit is mainly due to the reduction of interface resistances.
Abstract Multiple theories have been proposed for sensation seeking and vulnerability to impulse-control disorders Zuckerman M, Kuhlman DM (2000) Personality and risk-taking: Common biosocial ...factors. J Pers 68:999–1029, and many of these rely on a dopamine system deficit. Available animal models reproduce only some behavioral symptoms and seem devoid of construct validity. We used lentivirus tools for over-expressing or silencing the dopamine transporter (DAT) and we evaluated the resulting behavioral profiles in terms of motivation and self-control. Wistar adult rats received stereotaxic inoculation of a lentivirus that allowed localized intra-accumbens delivery of a DAT gene enhancer/silencer, or the green fluorescent protein, GFP. These animals were studied for intolerance to delay, risk proneness and novelty seeking. As expected, controls shifted their demanding from a large reward toward a small one when the delivery of the former was increasingly delayed (or uncertain). Interestingly, in the absence of general locomotor effects, DAT over-expressing rats showed increased impulsivity (i.e. a more marked shift of demanding from the large/delayed toward the small/soon reward), and increased risk proneness (i.e. a less marked shift from the large/uncertain toward the small/sure reward), compared with controls. Rats with enhanced or silenced DAT expression did not show any significant preference for a novel environment. In summary, consistent with literature on comorbidity between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and pathological gambling, we demonstrate that DAT over-expression in rats' nucleus accumbens leads to impulsive and risk prone phenotype. Thus, a reduced dopaminergic tone following altered accumbal DAT function may subserve a sensation-seeker phenotype and the vulnerability to impulse-control disorders.
Background The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) has recently supported efforts to shift surveillance away from ventilator-associated pneumonia to ventilator-associated events (VAEs) to ...decrease subjectivity in surveillance and minimize concerns over clinical correlation. The goals of this study were to compare the results of an automated surveillance strategy using the new VAE definition with a prospectively performed clinical application of the definition. Methods All patients ventilated for ≥2 days in a medical and surgical intensive care unit were evaluated by 2 methods: retrospective surveillance using an automated algorithm combined with manual chart review after the NHSN's VAE methodology and prospective surveillance by pulmonary physicians in collaboration with the clinical team administering care to the patient at the bedside. Results Overall, a similar number of events were called by each method (69 vs 67). Of the 1,209 patients, 56 were determined to have VAEs by both methods (κ = .81, P = .04). There were 24 patients considered to be a VAE by only 1 of the methods. Most discrepancies were the result of clinical disagreement with the NHSN’s VAE methodology. Conclusions There was good agreement between the study teams. Awareness of the limitations of the surveillance definition for VAE can help infection prevention personnel in discussions with critical care partners about optimal use of these data.
Longitudinal study with mortality follow-up.
Identify predictive factors for long-term mortality following tetraplegic spinal cord injury (TSCI).
The Tetrafigap survey is a multi-centre ...epidemiological survey on the long-term outcome of persons with TSCI, initiated in France in 1995 with the participation of 35 rehabilitation centres.
The mortality follow-up involves 1241 persons with TSCI who were admitted to one of the study rehabilitation units at the initial phase and who completed the initial self-administered questionnaire. There were 226 observed deaths (18.2%) during an 11-year period. Logistic regression methods, with estimates of odds ratios (ORs), incorporating clinical, functional and social participation data were used to determine the factors related to mortality. This was followed by multivariate analysis to determine the best predictive factors for long-term mortality.
Risk of death increases significantly with age but not with the time elapsed since the accident. The risk of death is higher in men. Interestingly, clinical variables are not the best predictors of long-term mortality. Instead, the significant effect of poor social participation (being single, infrequent contact with friends) and functional limitations (full assistance required with dressing or eating) persists after adjustment for other variables.
Once the medical situation becomes more stable, factors related to the long-term mortality of persons with TSCI are not exactly identical to those observed in the short acute-phase and during the first year after the accident. Social participation has a significant effect on mortality.
This study evaluated the effects of 6 weeks of whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise on flexibility and the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in metabolic syndrome (MetS) individuals using 2 ...biomechanical conditions (fixed frequency FF and variable frequency VF). Nineteen MetS individuals were randomly allocated in FF-WBV (n = 9, 7 women and 2 men) and VF-WBV (n = 10, 8 women and 2 men) groups. Anterior trunk flexion (ATF) and RPE were determined before and after each session. The acute cumulative exposure effects were analyzed. The FF-WBV group was exposed to 5 Hz on a side alternating vibrating platform (SAVP), exposed to 10 and 50 seconds with the SAVP turned off. The VF-WBV group individuals were intermittently exposed (1 minute WBV exercise/1 minute rest) to 5 to 16 Hz, increased by 1 Hz per session and the peak-to-peak displacement (PPD) were 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mm. Regarding to ATF, significant improvements (P < .05) were observed in the in the acute (VF group) and cumulative intervention (FF and VF-WBV groups). The RPE significantly (P < .05) improved only in VF-WBV (cumulative intervention). In conclusion, WBV exercise improved the flexibility and decreased the RPE in MetS individuals. These findings suggest that WBV exercise can be incorporated into physical activities for MetS individuals.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Using single transcription factors to reprogram cells could produce important insights into the epigenetic mechanisms that direct normal differentiation, or counter inappropriate plasticity, or even ...provide new ways of manipulating normal ontogeny in vitro to control lineage diversification and differentiation. We enforced Pdx1 expression from the Neurogenin-3-expressing endocrine commitment point onward and found during the embryonic period a minor increased β-cell allocation with accompanying reduced α-cell numbers. More surprisingly, almost all remaining Pdx1-containing glucagon/Arx-producing cells underwent a fairly rapid conversion at postnatal stages, through glucagon-insulin double positivity, to a state indistinguishable from normal β cells, resulting in complete α-cell absence. This α-to-β conversion was not caused by activating Pdx1 in the later glucagon-expressing state. Our findings reveal that Pdx1 can work single-handedly as a potent context-dependent autonomous reprogramming agent, and suggest a postnatal differentiation evaluation stage involved in normal endocrine maturation.