The evidence for self-management programmes in older adults varies in methodological approaches, and disease criteria. Using predetermined methodological criteria, we evaluated the effect of ...diabetes-specific self-management programme interventions in older adults.
The EMBASE, MEDLINE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched from January 1980 to November 2013, as were reference lists from systematic reviews, meta-analyses and clinical practice guidelines. A total of 13 trials met the selection criteria, which included 4517 older adult participants; 2361 participants randomized to a diabetes self-management programme and 2156 to usual care.
The pooled effect on HbA(1c) was a reduction of -2 mmol/mol (-0.2%; 95% CI -0.3 to -0.1); tailored interventions -3 mmol/mol (-0.2%; 95% CI -0.4 to -0.1) or programmes with a psychological emphasis -3 mmol/mol (-0.2; 95% CI -0.4 to -0.1) were most effective. A pooled treatment effect on total cholesterol was a 5.81 mg/dl reduction (95% CI -10.33 to -1.29) and non-significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Diabetes self-management programmes for older adults demonstrate a small reduction in HbA(1c), lipids and blood pressure. These findings may be of greater clinical relevance when offered in conjunction with other therapies.
Unlike the well-defined long-range order that characterizes crystalline metals, the atomic arrangements in amorphous alloys remain mysterious at present. Despite intense research activity on metallic ...glasses and relentless pursuit of their structural description, the details of how the atoms are packed in amorphous metals are generally far less understood than for the case of network-forming glasses. Here we use a combination of state-of-the-art experimental and computational techniques to resolve the atomic-level structure of amorphous alloys. By analysing a range of model binary systems that involve different chemistry and atomic size ratios, we elucidate the different types of short-range order as well as the nature of the medium-range order. Our findings provide a reality check for the atomic structural models proposed over the years, and have implications for understanding the nature, forming ability and properties of metallic glasses.
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of a probiotic product incorporating Lactobacillus fermentum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the growth performance and intestinal immune status in ...broiler chickens. A total of six hundred ninety-six 1-d-old male Cobb broilers were randomly allotted by BW in 1 of 4 treatments for 6-wk trial. The dietary treatments included the basal diet (NC), and the basal diets supplemented with an antibiotic (100 mg of chlortetracycline/kg of diet; PC), 0.1%, or 0.2% probiotic product (containing 1 × 10(7) cfu/g of Lactobacillus fermentum JS and 2 × 10(6) cfu/g of Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Each treatment had 6 replicates with 29 broilers each. The ADG and feed efficiency were improved (P < 0.05) in broilers fed the probiotic diet compared with NC, and were similar to the PC group during 1 to 21 d. However, there were no significant differences in growth performance of broilers during 22 to 42 d among different dietary treatments. Chicks fed probiotics had higher proportions of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T-lymphocytes, whereas the antibiotic diet decreased the proportion of CD8+ T-lymphocytes in the foregut of broilers at 21 and 42 d compared with the NC group. No significant difference was observed in the mRNA expression level of chicken B-cell marker chB6 (Bu-1) in the foregut of chickens among different treatments. Probiotic-supplemented diets increased (P < 0.05) the mRNA expression levels of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR 4 at 21 d, and only the TLR2 mRNA level at 42 d in the foregut of chickens, but did not change (P > 0.05) TLR7 mRNA expression compared with NC or PC. There was no significant difference in the above TLR mRNA levels in the intestine of broilers between PC and NC. These results indicated that the probiotic product incorporating Lactobacillus fermentum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae could stimulate intestinal T-cell immune system without decreasing growth performance in broilers during 1 to 21 d.
Intracellular concentrations of drugs and metabolites are often important determinants of efficacy, toxicity, and drug interactions. Hepatic drug distribution can be affected by many factors, ...including physicochemical properties, uptake/efflux transporters, protein binding, organelle sequestration, and metabolism. This white paper highlights determinants of hepatocyte drug/metabolite concentrations and provides an update on model systems, methods, and modeling/simulation approaches used to quantitatively assess hepatocellular concentrations of molecules. The critical scientific gaps and future research directions in this field are discussed.
Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2013); 94 1, 126–141. doi:10.1038/clpt.2013.78
Summary
Background
The association between the gut microbiota and obesity in young children and adolescents is not fully studied.
Objectives
This study investigated the associations between the gut ...microbiota and body mass index (BMI) level (underweight, normal, overweight, obese) and lifestyles (diet type and exercise frequency), controlling for demographic and clinical factors among children aged 7–18 years.
Methods
A cohort study was conducted on 267 children aged 7–18 years from the American Gut Project. 16S rRNA sequences were analysed by QIIME 2™. Composition of gut microbiota and its associations with BMI level, weight change and lifestyles were analysed using linear decomposition model.
Results
Significant factors affecting the gut microbiota were BMI level (p = 0.009), exercise frequency (p = 0.003) and diet type (p = 0.01), controlling for age, sex and use of antibiotics and probiotics. More bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were associated with BMI level (120 OTUs) and diet type (122 OTUs) than exercise frequency (67 OTUs). Actinobacteria phylum had significantly depleted OTUs for BMI level, diet type and exercise frequency; Proteobacteria phylum had significantly enriched OTUs for higher BMI level and Firmicutes phylum had significantly enriched OTUs for more frequent exercise.
Conclusions
Significant associations were found between the gut microbiota composition and BMI level and lifestyles controlling for demographic and clinical factors in children aged 7–18 years.
An experimental investigation of the effect of nanotube length and aggregate size on the mechanical and electrical properties of the composites was reported. Three treatments, that affect mainly the ...length and aggregate size, were applied on the CVD MWNTs before they were added into a resin matrix. They had a very clear impact on the dielectric properties of the composites and on the improvement efficiency. There was an insulator-to-conductor transition with the as-prepared MWNTs at 0.5
wt%. Regarding the mechanical properties, the addition of MWNTs increased the Young's modulus and reduced the fracture strain. In that case, the pre-treatment on MWNTs, however, had a much more moderate effect on the improvement efficiency.
Highly organized arrays of TiO2 nanotubes (as depicted in the figure) are integrated into a thin‐cell photoelectrocatalytic reactor for the rapid determination of chemical oxygen demand in wastewater ...samples. The high photocatalytic activity of the nanotubes arises from the efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes, and enables the fabrication of sensors exhibiting good accuracy, stability, and reproducibility.
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