Curcumin is a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound present in rhizome of Curcuma longa belonging to the family zingiberaceae. Growing experimental evidence revealed that curcumin exhibit ...multitarget biological implications signifying its crucial role in health and disease. The current review highlights the recent progress and mechanisms underlying the wide range of pharmacological effects of curcumin against numerous diseases like neuronal, cardiovascular, metabolic, kidney, endocrine, skin, respiratory, infectious, gastrointestinal diseases and cancer. The ability of curcumin to modulate the functions of multiple signal transductions are linked with attenuation of acute and chronic diseases. Numerous preclinical and clinical studies have revealed that curcumin modulates several molecules in cell signal transduction pathway including PI3K, Akt, mTOR, ERK5, AP-1, TGF-β, Wnt, β-catenin, Shh, PAK1, Rac1, STAT3, PPARγ, EBPα, NLRP3 inflammasome, p38MAPK, Nrf2, Notch-1, AMPK, TLR-4 and MyD-88. Curcumin has a potential to prevent and/or manage various diseases due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic properties with an excellent safety profile. In contrast, the anti-cancer effects of curcumin are reflected due to induction of growth arrest and apoptosis in various premalignant and malignant cells. This review also carefully emphasized the pharmacokinetics of curcumin and its interaction with other drugs. Clinical studies have shown that curcumin is safe at the doses of 12 g/day but exhibits poor systemic bioavailability. The use of adjuvant like piperine, liposomal curcumin, curcumin nanoparticles and curcumin phospholipid complex has shown enhanced bioavailability and therapeutic potential. Further studies are warranted to prove the potential of curcumin against various ailments.
Reduced sleep duration has been increasingly reported to predict obesity. However, timing and regularity of sleep may also be important. In this study, the cross-sectional association between ...objectively measured sleep patterns and obesity was assessed in two large cohorts of older individuals.
Wrist actigraphy was performed in 3053 men (mean age: 76.4 years) participating in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study and 2985 women (mean age: 83.5 years) participating in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. Timing and regularity of sleep patterns were assessed across nights, as well as daytime napping.
Greater night-to-night variability in sleep duration and daytime napping were associated with obesity independent of mean nocturnal sleep duration in both men and women. Each 1 h increase in the standard deviation of nocturnal sleep duration increased the odds of obesity 1.63-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.31-2.02) among men and 1.22-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.47) among women. Each 1 h increase in napping increased the odds of obesity 1.23-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.12-1.37) in men and 1.29-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.17-1.41) in women. In contrast, associations between later sleep timing and night-to-night variability in sleep timing with obesity were less consistent.
In both older men and women, variability in nightly sleep duration and daytime napping were associated with obesity, independent of mean sleep duration. These findings suggest that characteristics of sleep beyond mean sleep duration may have a role in weight homeostasis, highlighting the complex relationship between sleep and metabolism.
Summary
Background
Multiple strategies have been used to evaluate the minimal important change (MIC) of the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD). The ...meaningfulness of these MICs is not well established across all severities of atopic dermatitis (AD).
Objectives
To determine the MIC of percentage and absolute improvement of EASI and SCORAD scores in adults and children with AD.
Methods
We performed a prospective dermatology practice‐based study using questionnaires and evaluation by a dermatologist (n = 826). An anchor‐based approach was used to determine thresholds for the percentage and absolute MICs of EASI, SCORAD and objective SCORAD (O‐SCORAD) at follow‐up from baseline.
Results
One‐grade improvements of Physician’s Global Assessment (PGA) and validated Investigator Global Assessment scale for AD (vIGA‐AD) were associated with 50%, 35% and 35% decreases of EASI, SCORAD and O‐SCORAD, respectively. The thresholds for percentage MIC of EASI (Kruskal–Wallis test, P = 0·61), SCORAD (P = 0·07) and O‐SCORAD (P = 0·09) were similar across baseline AD severities. One‐grade improvements of PGA and vIGA‐AD were associated with 14·0‐ and 14·9‐point decreases of EASI, 19·9‐ and 14·9‐point decreases of SCORAD, and 15·5‐ and 17·4‐point decreases of O‐SCORAD. The thresholds for the absolute MIC of EASI (P < 0·001), SCORAD (P < 0·001) and O‐SCORAD (P < 0·001) significantly differed by baseline AD severity. Percentage and absolute MICs for EASI and SCORAD were associated with improvements of AD symptoms and quality of life.
Conclusions
EASI 50, SCORAD 35 and O‐SCORAD 35 were meaningful percentage MICs regardless of baseline AD severity. The absolute MICs for EASI, SCORAD and O‐SCORAD varied by baseline AD severity.
What is already known about this topic?
Most existing clinician‐reported outcomes for atopic dermatitis severity are not feasible or valid for use in clinical practice.
What does this study add?
This study demonstrated that 50% decrease in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI 50), 35% decrease in Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD 35) and 35% decrease in in objective SCORAD (O‐SCORAD) appear to be the most meaningful endpoints for EASI, SCORAD and O‐SCORAD in clinical practice.
The minimal important change for absolute improvement of EASI, SCORAD and O‐SCORAD varied by baseline atopic dermatitis severity and may need to be selected based on the target population.
What are the clinical implications of this work?
EASI 50, SCORAD 35 and O‐SCORAD 35 should be evaluated in future studies of atopic dermatitis that use EASI and SCORAD.
Linked Comment: Vazquez et al. Br J Dermatol 2021; 184:794–795.
Active galactic nuclei, which are powered by long-term accretion onto central supermassive black holes, produce relativistic jets with lifetimes of at least one million years, and the observation of ...the birth of such a jet is therefore unlikely. Transient accretion onto a supermassive black hole, for example through the tidal disruption of a stray star, thus offers a rare opportunity to study the birth of a relativistic jet. On 25 March 2011, an unusual transient source (Swift J164449.3+573451) was found, potentially representing such an accretion event. Here we report observations spanning centimetre to millimetre wavelengths and covering the first month of evolution of a luminous radio transient associated with Swift J164449.3+573451. The radio transient coincides with the nucleus of an inactive galaxy. We conclude that we are seeing a newly formed relativistic outflow, launched by transient accretion onto a million-solar-mass black hole. A relativistic outflow is not predicted in this situation, but we show that the tidal disruption of a star naturally explains the observed high-energy properties and radio luminosity and the inferred rate of such events. The weaker beaming in the radio-frequency spectrum relative to γ-rays or X-rays suggests that radio searches may uncover similar events out to redshifts of z ≈ 6.
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are bright, millisecond-duration radio transients originating from sources at extragalactic distances
, the origin of which is unknown. Some FRB sources emit repeat bursts, ...ruling out cataclysmic origins for those events
. Despite searches for periodicity in repeat burst arrival times on timescales from milliseconds to many days
, these bursts have hitherto been observed to appear sporadically and-although clustered
-without a regular pattern. Here we report observations of a 16.35 ± 0.15 day periodicity (or possibly a higher-frequency alias of that periodicity) from the repeating FRB 180916.J0158+65 detected by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment Fast Radio Burst Project
. In 38 bursts recorded from 16 September 2018 to 4 February 2020 UTC, we find that all bursts arrive in a five-day phase window, and 50 per cent of the bursts arrive in a 0.6-day phase window. Our results suggest a mechanism for periodic modulation either of the burst emission itself or through external amplification or absorption, and disfavour models invoking purely sporadic processes.
ABSTRACT We report on radio and X-ray observations of the only known repeating Fast Radio Burst (FRB) source, FRB 121102. We have detected six additional radio bursts from this source: five with the ...Green Bank Telescope at 2 GHz, and one at 1.4 GHz with the Arecibo Observatory, for a total of 17 bursts from this source. All have dispersion measures consistent with a single value (∼559 pc cm−3) that is three times the predicted maximum Galactic contribution. The 2 GHz bursts have highly variable spectra like those at 1.4 GHz, indicating that the frequency structure seen across the individual 1.4 and 2 GHz bandpasses is part of a wideband process. X-ray observations of the FRB 121102 field with the Swift and Chandra observatories show at least one possible counterpart; however, the probability of chance superposition is high. A radio imaging observation of the field with the Jansky Very Large Array at 1.6 GHz yields a 5 upper limit of 0.3 mJy on any point-source continuum emission. This upper limit, combined with archival Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer 22 m and IPHAS H surveys, rules out the presence of an intervening Galactic H ii region. We update our estimate of the FRB detection rate in the PALFA survey to be FRBs sky−1 day−1 (95% confidence) for peak flux density at 1.4 GHz above 300 mJy. We find that the intrinsic widths of the 12 FRB 121102 bursts from Arecibo are, on average, significantly longer than the intrinsic widths of the 13 single-component FRBs detected with the Parkes telescope.
Background: Reduced sleep has been reported to predict obesity in children and young adults. However, studies based on self-report have been unable to identify an association in older populations. In ...this study, the cross-sectional associations between sleep duration measured objectively and measures of weight and body composition were assessed in two cohorts of older adults. Methods: Wrist actigraphy was performed for a mean (s.d.) of 5.2 (0.9) nights in 3055 men (age: 67-96 years) participating in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study (MrOS) and 4.1 (0.8) nights in 3052 women (age: 70-99 years) participating in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF). A subgroup of 2862 men and 455 women also underwent polysomnography to measure sleep apnea severity. Results: Compared to those sleeping an average of 7-8 h per night, and after adjusting for multiple risk factors and medical conditions, a sleep duration of less than 5 h was associated with a body mass index (BMI) that was on average 2.5 kg/m2 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.0-2.9) greater in men and 1.8 kg/m2 (95% CI: 1.1-2.4) greater in women. The odds of obesity (BMI >or= 30 kg/m2) was 3.7-fold greater (95% CI: 2.7-5.0) in men and 2.3-fold greater in women (95% CI: 1.6-3.1) who slept less than 5 h. Short sleep was also associated with central body fat distribution and increased percent body fat. These associations persisted after adjusting for sleep apnea, insomnia and daytime sleepiness. Conclusions: In older men and women, actigraphy-ascertained reduced sleep durations are strongly associated with greater adiposity.
High concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in potable water can cause severe human health disorders. Present study examined the fitness of groundwater for drinking purpose based on the ...occurrence of nine PTEs in a heavy pilgrim and tourist influx region of the Garhwal Himalaya, India. The concentrations of analyzed PTEs in groundwater were observed in the order of Zn > Mn > As > Al > Cu > Cr > Se > Pb > Cd. Apart from Mn and As, other PTEs were within the corresponding guideline values. Spatial maps were produced to visualize the distribution of the PTEs in the area. Estimated water pollution indices and non-carcinogenic risk indicated that the investigated groundwater is safe for drinking purpose, as the hazard index was < 1 for all the water samples. Assessment of the cancer risk of Cr, As, Cd, and Pb also indicated low health risks associated with groundwater use, as the values were within the acceptable range of ≤ 1 × 10
to 1 × 10
. Multivariate statistical analyses were used to describe the various possible geogenic and anthropogenic sources of the PTEs in the groundwater resources although the contamination levels of the PTEs were found to pose no serious health risk. However, the present study recommends to stop the discharge of untreated wastewater and also to establish cost-effective as well as efficient water treatment facility nearby the study area. Present work's findings are vital as they may protect the health of the massive population from contaminated water consumption. Moreover, it can help the researchers, governing authorities and water supplying agencies to take prompt and appropriate decisions for water security.
Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) marketing has increased considerably since the product entered the US market in 2007, thereby warranting additional surveillance to monitor recent trends in ...population-level awareness and utilization. We assessed the prevalence, characteristics, and trends in e-cigarette awareness and use among nationally representative samples of US adults during 2010-2013.
Data came from the 2010-2013 HealthStyles survey, an annual consumer-based web survey of US adults aged ≥ 18 years. Sample sizes ranged from 2,505 (2010) to 4,170 (2012). Descriptive statistics were used to assess e-cigarette awareness, ever use, and current use (use within the past 30 days) overall and by sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, income, US region, and cigarette smoking status. Trends were assessed using logistic regression.
During 2010-2013, increases (p < .05) were observed for e-cigarette awareness (40.9%-79.7%), ever use (3.3%-8.5%), and current use (1.0%-2.6%). Awareness increased among all socio demographic subpopulations during 2010-2013 (p < .05); an increase in ever use of e-cigarettes occurred among all sociodemographic groups except those aged 18-24 years, Hispanics, and those living in the Midwest (p < .05). During 2010-2013, ever use increased among current (9.8%-36.5%) and former (2.5%-9.6%) cigarette smokers (p < .05), but it remained unchanged among never smokers (1.3%-1.2%).
Awareness and use of e-cigarettes increased considerably among US adults during 2010-2013. In 2013, more than one-third of current cigarette smokers reported having ever used e-cigarettes. Given the uncertain public health impact of e-cigarettes, continued surveillance of emerging use patterns is critical for public health planning.
The Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) instrument on board ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter measured a large increase in water vapor at altitudes in the range of 40–100 km during the 2018 ...global dust storm on Mars. Using a three-dimensional general circulation model, we examine the mechanism responsible for the enhancement of water vapor in the upper atmosphere. Experiments with different prescribed vertical profiles of dust show that when more dust is present higher in the atmosphere, the temperature increases, and the amount of water ascending over the tropics is not limited by saturation until reaching heights of 70–100 km. The warmer temperatures allow more water to ascend to the mesosphere. Photochemical simulations show a strong increase in high-altitude atomic hydrogen following the high-altitude water vapor increase by a few days.
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