Aim
In this study, we investigated the anti‐osteoporotic effect of two fermented milk products (FMPs) fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum A41 and Lactobacillus fermentum SRK414 on a rat model of ...ovariectomy‐induced post‐menopausal primary osteoporosis.
Methods and Results
The two Lactobacillus FMPs increased the bone volume and bone mineral density (BMD) in ovariectomized (OVX) rats, and normalized the bone biomarkers in the serum. Additionally, they altered the gene expression levels of bone‐metabolism‐related markers. Furthermore, the two Lactobacillus FMPs downregulated bone‐apoptosis‐related genes stimulated by ovariectomy. Interestingly, the Lactobacillus FMPs decreased the levels of inflammation markers in the serum, bone, ileum and colon of the rats. Gut bacterial populations were also affected upon FMP treatment due to increase in the abundance of the genus Lactobacillus and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii.
Conclusions
Milk products fermented by L. plantarum A41 and L. fermentum SRK414 can exhibit anti‐osteoporotic effects on post‐menopausal osteoporosis via regulating the expression of bone‐metabolism‐related markers.
Significance and Impact of the Study
The two Lactobacillus FMPs used in the study can be an ideal method that has its potential of treating post‐menopausal osteoporosis instead of drug treatments.
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders often exhibit difficulties with reciprocal social conversation, engaging in limited verbal exchanges, even when language structures are intact. This study ...employed a multiple baseline design to examine the effectiveness of a self-management intervention targeting (1) on-topic responsiveness to a conversational partner; (2) expansion of the conversational topic; and (3) on-topic question asking. Results demonstrated improved reciprocal social conversation through elaborated responses and on-topic question asking, which generalized and maintained. Social validity measures by naïve observers indicated that the intervention led to meaningful improvements during conversation, including interest, naturalness, and desirability as a conversational partner.
We report transient photocurrent measurements on solar cell structures based on dye-sensitized, porous TiO2 films filled with a liquid electrolyte. The measurements are interpreted as ambipolar ...diffusion; under most measurement conditions, the ambipolar diffusion coefficient is dominated by electrons diffusing in the TiO2 matrix. We report a strong dependence of the ambipolar diffusion coefficient upon the photoexcitation density, as has been proposed previously. The coefficients vary from 10-8 cm2 s-1 at low density to 10-4 cm2 s-1 for densities of 1018 cm-3. At a specified photoexcitation density, ambipolar diffusion coefficients measured using weak laser pulses and optical bias are about 10 times larger than coefficients measured using large-intensity laser pulses. We describe trapping models for these effects based on an exponential distribution (T 0 = 650 K) of electron trap levels in TiO2. We infer an electron recombination cross section less than 2 × 10-27 cm2; this value is nearly 10 orders of magnitude smaller than typical values in compact semiconductors and indicates the extraordinarily effective separation of electrons in the TiO2 matrix from electrolyte ions only nanometers distant.
Higher expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and subsequent activation of telomerase occur during cellular immortalization and are maintained in cancer cells. To understand the ...mode of hTERT expression in cancer cells, we identified cancer-specific trans-regulatory proteins that interact with the hTERT promoter, using the promoter magnetic precipitation assay coupled with mass spectrometry. The identified proteins include MutS homolog 2 (MSH2), heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) D, hnRNP K and grainyhead-like 2 (GRHL2). We noticed a higher expression of these proteins in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells than in normal cells, which do not exhibit telomerase activity. Knockdown of MSH2, hnRNP D and GRHL2 resulted in a notable reduction of the hTERT promoter activity in tested cancer cells. Silencing of the above genes resulted in a significant reduction of the telomerase activity in OSCC cells. Interestingly, among the four identified genes, silencing of GRHL2 was essential in reducing telomerase activity and viability of tested cancer cells. These results suggest a possible role of GRHL2 in telomerase activation during cellular immortalization.
This paper introduces combined deep drawing and electromagnetic sharp edge forming to improve the formability of advanced high strength steels. It includes a feasibility study of combined deep ...drawing and electromagnetic sharp edge forming of DP980 steel sheet with a thickness of 1.2mm. A feasible approach of the combined forming process is investigated with numerical analysis which consists of pre-forming and electromagnetic sharp edge forming using the pre-formed sheet. Pre-forming analyses are conducted to check the formability of the material by utilizing a fracture forming limit diagram developed. Then electromagnetic forming is applied to the pre-formed workpiece to obtain a sharp edge that fails to form at the conventional pre-forming. In electromagnetic sharp edge forming, process parameters related to the forming force are optimized so that the desired shape is formed as close as possible. The optimization of the forming force is carried out satisfying the objective function and constraint functions established to minimize the deviation of a deformed shape from the desired shape without exceeding the forming limits. In order to induce the optimized forming force, the electromagnetic tool coil is designed with topology optimization. A new electromagnetic topology optimization formulation is developed for the design of an efficient tool coil. Numerical results and conclusions demonstrate the applicability of this combined forming process.
Aim To compare the performance of axial images of the ankle joint on three-dimensional (3D) volume isotropic turbo spin echo acquisition (VISTA) with that of two-dimensional (2D) fast spin echo (FSE) ...T2-weighted images for the diagnosis of anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) injury. Materials and methods This retrospective study included 101 patients who underwent both 2D FSE T2-weighted and 3D VISTA magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the ankle. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of both sequences were measured. The anatomical identification score and diagnostic performances of both sequences were evaluated by two radiologists. The diagnostic performances of 3D VISTA and 2D FSE images were analysed in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosing ATFL injury. Surgically or clinically confirmed diagnoses were used as reference standards. Results The margin sharpness scores on 3D VISTA were significantly inferior to those of 2D FSE ( p <0.001). Other scores (entire length, entire width) were not significantly different between the two imaging methods. The SNRs and CNRs of 3D VISTA were significantly higher than those of 2D FSE ( p <0.001). When diagnoses were classified as normal and abnormal, the specificity of the 3D VISTA images for the diagnosis of ATFL injury was 95.7%, significantly superior to 2D FSE (84.3–85.7%). There were no significant differences between 3D VISTA and 2D FSE images in sensitivity or accuracy for diagnosis ( p =0.227–1.000), with the exception of accuracy by reader 1 ( p =0.039). Conclusion 3D VISTA imaging has a diagnostic performance comparable to that of 2D FSE for the diagnosis of ATFL injury, although 3D VISTA is inferior to 2D FSE for the evaluation of margin sharpness. Replacing axial and coronal images with 3D VISTA can save imaging time without negatively impacting the diagnostic ability for ATFL injury.
Significant enhancement of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) of an Fe(001) surface capped by 4d and 5d transition metal monolayers is presented in this study using first principles density ...functional calculations. In particular, an extremely large perpendicular MCA of +10 meV/Ir was found in Ir-capped Fe(001), which originates not from the Fe but from the large spin-orbit coupling of the Ir atoms. From the spin-channel decomposition of the MCA matrix and electronic structure analyses, we find that strong 3d-5d band hybridization in the minority spin state is responsible for the sign changes of the MCA from parallel to perpendicular.
Antibacterial activities of six chitosans and six chitosan oligomers with different molecular weights (Mws) were examined against four gram-negative (
Escherichia coli,
Pseudomonas fluorescens,
...Salmonella typhimurium, and
Vibrio parahaemolyticus) and seven gram-positive bacteria (
Listeria monocytogenes,
Bacillus megaterium,
B. cereus,
Staphylococcus aureus,
Lactobacillus plantarum,
L. brevis, and
L. bulgaricus). Chitosans showed higher antibacterial activities than chitosan oligomers and markedly inhibited growth of most bacteria tested although inhibitory effects differed with Mws of chitosan and the particular bacterium. Chitosan generally showed stronger bactericidal effects with gram-positive bacteria than gram-negative bacteria in the presence of 0.1% chitosan. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of chitosans ranged from 0.05% to >0.1% depending on the bacteria and Mws of chitosan. As a chitosan solvent, 1% acetic acid was effective in inhibiting the growth of most of the bacteria tested except for lactic acid bacteria that were more effectively suppressed with 1% lactic or formic acids. Antibacterial activity of chitosan was inversely affected by pH (pH 4.5–5.9 range tested), with higher activity at lower pH value.
Optimal patient management benefits from comprehensive and accurate pathology reports that contribute to cancer staging and prognostication. Proforma reports are used in many countries, but these ...vary in their structure and implementation. The International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR) is an alliance formed by the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, the Royal College of Pathologists of the United Kingdom, the College of American Pathologists, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer the European Society of Pathology and the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP), with the aim of developing an evidence‐based reporting data set for each cancer site. It is argued that this should reduce the global burden of cancer data set development and reduplication of effort by different international institutions that commission, publish and maintain standardised cancer reporting data sets. The resultant standardisation of cancer reporting will benefit not only those countries directly involved in the collaboration but also others not in a position to develop their own data sets. We describe the development of a cancer data set by the ICCR expert panel for the reporting of the main malignant liver tumours: intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, perihilar cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma and present the ‘required’ and ‘recommended’ elements to be included in the report with an explanatory commentary. This data set incorporates definitions and classifications in the most recent World Health Organisation (WHO) publication on hepatic malignancies (4th edition) and the recently published tumour–node–metastasis (TNM)8 staging system. Widespread adoption and implementation of this data set will enable consistent and accurate data collection, comparison of epidemiological and pathological parameters between different populations, facilitate research and ultimately result in better patient outcomes.
In order to gain insights into how the effects of the uneven adoption of Medicaid expansion varies across the rural/urban spectrum and between racial/ethnic groups in the United States, this research ...used the fertility question in the 2011-2015 American Community Survey to link infants' records to their mothers' household health insurance status. This preliminary exploration of the Medicaid expansion used logistic regression to examine the probability that an infant will be born without health insurance coverage. Overall, the states that adopted Medicaid expansion improved the health insurance coverage for households with infants. However, rural households with infants report lower percentages of coverage than urban households with infants. Furthermore, the rural/urban gap in health insurance coverage is wider in states that adopted the Medicaid expansion. Additionally, Hispanic infants remain significantly less likely to have health insurance coverage compared to Non-Hispanic White infants. Understanding infant health insurance coverage across ethnic/racial groups and the rural/urban spectrum will become increasingly important as the U.S. population transitions to a minority-majority and also becomes more urban. Although not a perfect solution, our findings showed that the Medicaid expansion of health insurance coverage had a mainly overall positive effect on the percentage of U.S. households with infants who have health insurance coverage.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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