In the realm of diabetes research, considerable attention has been directed toward elucidating the intricate interplay between the gastrointestinal tract and glucose regulation. The gastrointestinal ...tract, once exclusively considered for its role in digestion and nutrient assimilation, is presently acknowledged as a multifaceted ecosystem with regulatory supremacy over metabolic homeostasis and glucose metabolism. Recent studies indicate that alterations in the composition and functionality of the gut microbiota could potentially influence the regulation of glucose levels and glucose homeostasis in the body. Dysbiosis, characterized by perturbations in the equilibrium of gut microbial constituents, has been irrevocably linked to an augmented risk of diabetes mellitus (DM). Moreover, research has revealed the potential influence of the gut microbiota on important factors, like inflammation and insulin sensitivity, which are key contributors to the onset and progression of diabetes. The key protagonists implicated in the regulation of glucose encompass the gut bacteria, gut barrier integrity, and the gut-brain axis. A viable approach to enhance glycemic control while concurrently mitigating the burden of comorbidities associated with diabetes resides in the strategic manipulation of the gut environment through adapted dietary practices.
This review aimed to provide a deep understanding of the complex relationship between gut health, glucose metabolism, and diabetes treatment.
This study has presented an exhaustive overview of dietary therapies and functional foods that have undergone extensive research to explore their potential advantages in the management of diabetes. It looks into the role of gut health in glucose regulation, discusses the impact of different dietary elements on the course of diabetes, and evaluates how well functional foods can help with glycemic control. Furthermore, it investigates the mechanistic aspects of these therapies, including their influence on insulin sensitivity, β-cell activity, and inflammation. It deliberates on the limitations and potential prospects associated with integrating functional foods into personalized approaches to diabetes care.
Frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) are low-profile structures consisting of periodic elements that can manipulate the behavior of electromagnetic waves. In various fields, such as vehicular and ...indoor communication and personal electronic devices, their use as spatial filters is limited primarily due to safety and aesthetic reasons. A possible solution in this regard is using transparent conducting oxides or graphene on glass. However, the transmission performance of these filters is relatively poor as they inherently suffer from higher degrees of ohmic loss as compared to their opaque counterparts. Thus, we propose a suitable alternative that offers lower transmission loss with similar a transparency profile (76.2%) using copper mesh instead. The present letter discusses the design of an optically transparent triple-band bandpass filter that passes electromagnetic waves only at 2.4, 3.7, and 5.7 GHz and provides a minimum attenuation of 35 dB at transmission zeros. Investigations have also been carried out on the proposed structure under variations in both polarization (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">\alpha _{1}</tex-math></inline-formula>) and incidence (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">\alpha _{2}</tex-math></inline-formula>) angles. The designed FSS has wide angular stability and is fourfold symmetric. Thus, its filtering performance is largely unaffected under variations in polarization angle. A prototype of the proposed filter has been fabricated and experimentally tested for validating the simulation results, and a good agreement between them has been achieved.
An electrically small antenna ensures easy integration with devices without compromising the form factor. The performance in terms of bandwidth, gain and so on for these antennas is extremely ...critical and is governed by fundamental limitations in size, i.e. Chu's limit. This study initially presents an analysis of these limits and corresponding performance parameters. Next, a compact dual-band antenna has been designed using an electric field driven LC (ELC) resonator and a coplanar ground plane which operates at GSM 1800 and Wi-MAX. This proposed antenna has a compact size of $0.31\lambda _0 \times 0.08\lambda _0 \times 0.01\lambda _0$0.31λ0×0.08λ0×0.01λ0 in the first band which is resonant at 1.89 GHz. Finally, a conducting layer is placed below the ELC resonator and both are connected through a via. This provides stronger capacitive coupling between the radiator and the feeding arm and thus, results in miniaturisation of 76.9% in the area. The new antenna is electrically small and covers various cellular bands such as GSM 900, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Wi-MAX. Prototypes of both designs have been fabricated and experimentally tested in order to validate the simulation results.
SUMMARY
1
Chronic hyperglycaemia in diabetes leads to the overproduction of free radicals and evidence is increasing that these contribute to the development of diabetic nephropathy. Among the ...spices, turmeric (Curcuma longa) is used as a flavouring and colouring agent in the indian diet every day and is known to possess anti‐oxidant properties. The present study was designed to examine the effect of curcumin, a yellow pigment of turmeric, on renal function and oxidative stress in streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic rats.
2
Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (65 mg/kg) in rats. Four weeks after STZ injection, rats were divided into four groups, namely control rats, diabetic rats and diabetic rats treated with curcumin (15 and 30 mg/kg, p.o.) for 2 weeks. Renal function was assessed by creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and urea clearance and urine albumin excretion. Oxidative stress was measured by renal malonaldehyde, reduced glutathione and the anti‐oxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase.
3
Streptozotocin‐injected rats showed significant increases in blood glucose, polyuria and a decrease in bodyweight compared with age‐matched control rats. After 6 weeks, diabetic rats also exhibited renal dysfunction, as evidenced by reduced creatinine and urea clearance and proteinuria, along with a marked increase in oxidative stress, as determined by lipid peroxidation and activities of key anti‐oxidant enzymes. Chronic treatment with curcumin significantly attenuated both renal dysfunction and oxidative stress in diabetic rats.
4
These results provide confirmatory evidence of oxidative stress in diabetic nephropathy and point towards the possible anti‐oxidative mechanism being responsible for the nephroprotective action of curcumin.
This paper presents a systematic methodology for the pattern optimization of the sensing electrodes of a capacitive touch sensor panel (TSP). The TSPs discussed in this paper are characterized by ...using a combination of quasielectrostatic and time-domain SPICE type circuit simulations. A TSP with an optimized electrode pattern is fabricated and measured and its predicted touch response is confirmed. Moreover, the transmission of electromagnetic waves through this surface has been characterized, to assess the potentially useful application of integrating antennas with it, identifying transmission bands around 5GHz.
NOD2 is an intracellular sensor that contributes to immune defense and inflammation. Here we investigated whether NOD2 mediates its effects through control of microRNAs (miRNAs). miR-29 expression ...was upregulated in human dendritic cells (DCs) in response to NOD2 signals, and miR-29 regulated the expression of multiple immune mediators. In particular, miR-29 downregulated interleukin-23 (IL-23) by targeting IL-12p40 directly and IL-23p19 indirectly, likely via reduction of ATF2. DSS-induced colitis was worse in miR-29-deficient mice and was associated with elevated IL-23 and T helper 17 signature cytokines in the intestinal mucosa. Crohn’s disease (CD) patient DCs expressing NOD2 polymorphisms failed to induce miR-29 upon pattern recognition receptor stimulation and showed enhanced release of IL-12p40 on exposure to adherent invasive E. coli. Therefore, we suggest that loss of miR-29-mediated immunoregulation in CD DCs might contribute to elevated IL-23 in this disease.
•NOD2 directs miR-29 expression in DCs to limit IL-12p40 and IL-23p19•A target screen for miR-29-regulated genes reveals a number of innate immune targets•miR-29 knockout mice exhibit worsened colitis than controls•Crohn’s DCs fail to induce miR-29 and express increased IL-12p40
Modern electronic devices increasingly rely on efficient antenna integration strategies for supporting high-speed wireless connectivity. Especially for bezel-less displays, these antennas are ...generally placed underneath the touch sensor panel (TSP) where they interact strongly with the sensing electrodes. To overcome this problem, we engineer the shapes of these electrodes to facilitate the transmission of electromagnetic waves having frequency identical to the operating frequency of the integrated antenna. We thereby propose a new design methodology for TSP electrodes and demonstrate its advantages with respect to antenna integration. As an example, we present the design of a TSP that has a pass-band at 2.51GHz and 5.66GHz for TE polarization and 3.01GHz for TM polarization. We integrate a printed dipole antenna with the proposed as well as a standard TSP geometry, placing it right underneath rather than beside the panel. Comparing the radiation patterns at 2.5GHz, we show that the pattern is significantly different than its free-space one, when a standard TSP geometry is used. Yet, the proposed one leads to a pattern that is almost identical (improved by 3.93dB as compared to standard TSP) to that in free-space.
Background
A significant proportion of colonic polyps are unsuitable for endoscopic removal. A combined endoscopic and laparoscopic approach is an alternative to conventional polypectomy or ...resection. In this review, we set out to determine whether avoiding segmental resection for benign colonic polyps was a viable option through combined endolaparoscopic surgery (CELS). We examined the methods and classification criteria different centers employed in their reporting. Finally, we determined whether CELS and procedures methodically similar should be considered as the standard of care today.
Methods
A systematic review was performed reporting the outcomes of CELS for benign colorectal polyps. Main outcomes measured included operating time, length of hospital stay and postoperative complications. The CELS data from reports with a larger number of polyps examined were compared to data from representative EMR, ESD and laparoscopic colectomy literature.
Results
Eighteen eligible studies with 532 patients were included. We identified three different CELS techniques: EMR, ESD and full-thickness excision. The operative time for CELS reported in 12 studies varied from 45 to 205 min. The successful endoscopic resection rate ranged from 58 to 100 %. Conversion to open surgery was reported in <5 %. The length of hospital stay varied from 0 to 7 days. Overall postoperative complications ranged from 0 to 18 %. The reports of CELS with more than 20 polyps presented 74–91 % successful rate. In comparison with laparoscopic group, CELS groups showed shorter operation time (92–145 vs 125–199 min) and length of hospital stay (1–1.5 vs 4–11 days).
Conclusions
CELS and similar procedures are viable options for intestinal polyps removal. Moving forward, we suggest methods to standardize CELS procedure reporting. The reported outcomes of CELS indicate that it should be seen as a viable alternative to segmental resection when endoscopic methods alone do not suffice.
For the first time, we present a comprehensive framework for the analysis and design of deformable capacitive touch sensor panels. A fast quasielectrostatic simulation is used to build equivalent ...circuit models of touch sensor panels under bending and stretching. We validate these models with a set of measurements performed on a polymide touch sensor. Leveraging this modeling capability, we propose an electrode pattern that is promising for fully deformable touch sensor panels.
Nephrotoxicity is a major complication and a dose limiting factor for cisplatin therapy. Recent evidence suggests that inflammation and oxidative stress may contribute to the pathogenesis of ...cisplatin-induced acute renal failure. Curcumin is claimed to be a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent. The present study was performed to explore the effect of curcumin against cisplatin-induced experimental nephrotoxicity. Curcumin in the dosages of 15, 30, and 60 mg kg−1 was administered 2 days before and 3 days after cisplatin administration. Renal injury was assessed by measuring serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, urea clearance, and serum nitrite levels. Renal oxidative stress was assessed by determining renal malondialdehyde levels, reduced glutathione levels and enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Systemic inflammation was assessed by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels. A single dose of cisplatin resulted in marked inflammation (486% rise in TNF-α level) and oxidative stress and significantly deranged renal functions as well as renal morphology. The serum TNF-α level was markedly reduced in curcumin-treated rats. Curcumin treatment significantly and dose-dependently restored renal function, reduced lipid peroxidation, and enhanced the levels of reduced glutathione and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase. The present study demonstrates that curcumin has a protective effect on cisplatin-induced experimental nephrotoxicity, and this effect is attributed to its direct anti-inflammatory and strong antioxidant profile. Hence, curcumin has a strong potential to be used as a therapeutic adjuvant in cisplatin nephrotoxicity.
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