•Lycopene is the carotenoid with the highest antioxidant potential.•Lycopene has been linked to cardioprotective effects in humans.•Benefits of lycopene include effects at cardiac, endothelial and ...vascular function.•Increasing the consumption of lycopene may help to decrease cardiovascular disease.
Lycopene is a bioactive component mainly found in tomato. It is characterized by a high antioxidant potential, the highest among carotenoids. Mainly due to this property, lycopene has been suggested to display many beneficial effects, including its potential cardioprotective role. Despite some contradictory observations, which appear to be mainly caused by discrepancies in the different experimental protocols applied in the different studies, growing evidence points to clear benefits of lycopene in the maintenance of cardiovascular function and health. The knowledge about lycopene’s preventive effects in atherosclerosis, and other cardiovascular diseases, must be translated into changes in food patterns, aiming to increase the consumption of tomato, tomato-containing products, or other foods with high lycopene content, which can have an important impact on cardiovascular disease, particularly in countries where this represents a major public health concern.
The objective of this series of studies was to investigate the effects of inflammatory diseases occurring before breeding on the developmental biology and reproductive responses in dairy cows. Data ...from 5 studies were used to investigate different questions associating health status before breeding and reproductive responses. Health information for all studies was composed of the incidence of retained fetal membranes, metritis, mastitis, lameness, and respiratory and digestive problems from parturition until the day of breeding. Retained placenta and metritis were grouped as uterine disease (UTD). Mastitis, lameness, digestive and respiratory problems were grouped as nonuterine diseases (NUTD). Study 1 evaluated the effect of disease before artificial insemination (AI), anovulation before synchronization of the estrous cycle, and low body condition score at AI on pregnancy per AI, as well as their potential interactions or additive effects. Study 2 investigated the effect of site of inflammation (UTD vs. NUTD) and time of occurrence relative to preantral or antral stages of ovulatory follicle development, and the effect of UTD and NUTD on fertility responses of cows bred by AI or by embryo transfer. Study 3 evaluated the effect of disease on fertilization and embryonic development to the morula stage. Study 4 evaluated the effect of disease on preimplantation conceptus development as well as secretion of IFN-τ and transcriptome. Study 5 investigated the effect of diseases before AI on the transcript expression of interferon-stimulated genes in peripheral blood leukocytes during peri-implantation stages of conceptus development after first AI postpartum. Altogether, these studies demonstrated that inflammatory disease before breeding reduced fertilization of oocytes and development to morula, and impaired early conceptus development to elongation stages and secretion of IFN-τ in the uterine lumen. Diseases caused inflammation-like changes in transcriptome of conceptus cells, increased risk of pregnancy loss, and reduced pregnancy or calving per breeding. Moreover, the effects on reproduction were independent of cyclic status before synchronization of the estrous cycle and body condition score at breeding, which all had additive negative effects on fertility of dairy cows. Occurrence of disease at preantral or at antral stages of ovulatory follicle development had similar detrimental effects on pregnancy results. The carryover effects of diseases on developmental biology might last longer than 4 mo. Reduced oocyte competence is a likely reason for carryover effects of diseases on developmental biology, but impaired uterine environment was also shown to be involved.
Developing T cells express diverse antigen receptors whose specificities are not prematched to the foreign antigens they eventually encounter. Past experiments have revealed that thymocytes must ...productively signal in response to self antigens to mature and enter the peripheral T cell pool (positive selection), but how this process enhances effective mature T cell responses to foreign antigen is not fully understood. Here we have documented an unsuspected connection between thymic recognition events and foreign antigen-driven T cell responses. We find that the strength of self-reactivity is a clone-specific property unexpectedly directly related to the strength of T cell receptor (TCR) binding to presented foreign antigen. T cells with receptors showing stronger interaction with self dominate in responses to infections and accumulate in aging individuals, revealing that positive selection contributes to effective immunity by skewing the mature TCR repertoire toward highly effective recognition of pathogens that pose a danger to the host.
▸ Direct relationship between strength of self-reactivity and foreign pMHC recognition ▸ CD4+ T cells with stronger self-reactivity contribute more to antipathogen responses ▸ Preferential inclusion of TCRs with greater self-reactivity into T cell repertoire ▸ TCR repertoire selection based on self-reactivity optimizes foreign antigen responses
This paper reports an investigation of the recycled concrete (RC) microstructure using synchrotron microtomography (μCT) at the Advanced Light Source combined with Scanning Electron Microscopy ...analysis. The study evaluated the influence of 50% of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) and its water absorption compensation on the RC microstructure. The following variables were studied: a) the compressive strength of the original concrete used to obtain the RCA (40 and 80MPa) and b) the initial moisture condition of the RCA (Saturated Surface Dry and Oven Dry). The microtomographic images showed the mixtures cast with RCA in the dry condition developed an evident macropore network surrounding the RCA particle that was not observed in the mixtures using RCA in the SSD condition. SEM images confirmed the initial findings from μCT and showed that the thickness of the interfacial transition zone in RC is in the same order of magnitude as the reference concrete.
Large and rapid power shifts resulting from exogenous economic growth are considered sufficient to cause preventive wars. Yet most large and rapid shifts result from endogenous military investments. ...We show that when the investment decision is perfectly transparent, peace prevails. Large and rapid power shifts are deterred through the threat of a preventive war. When investments remain undetected, however, states may be tempted to introduce power shifts as a fait accompli. Knowing this, their adversaries may strike preventively even without conclusive evidence of militarization. In fact, the more effective preventive wars are, the more likely they will be launched against states that are not militarizing. Our argument emphasizes the role of imperfect information as a cause of war. It also explains why powerful states may attack weaker targets even with ambiguous evidence of their militarization. We illustrate our theory through an account of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.
To support effective host defense, the T cell repertoire must balance breadth of recognition with sensitivity for antigen. The concept that T lymphocytes are positively selected in the thymus is well ...established, but how this selection achieves such a repertoire has not been resolved. Here we suggest that it is direct linkage between self and foreign antigen recognition that produces the necessary blend of TCR diversity and specificity in the mature peripheral repertoire, enabling responses to a broad universe of unpredictable antigens while maintaining an adequate number of highly sensitive T cells in a population of limited size. Our analysis also helps to explain how diversity and frequency of antigen-reactive cells in a T cell repertoire are adjusted in animals of vastly different size scale to enable effective antipathogen responses and suggests a possible binary architecture in the TCR repertoire that is divided between germline-related optimal binding and diverse recognition.
The T lymphocyte repertoire must balance ligand breadth with response sensitivity. Germain and colleagues discuss how thymic selection on self-peptide-MHC might use germline and diversified receptor sequences to generate an optimal balance of T cell receptor diversity and specificity in the mature peripheral repertoire.
The gastrointestinal tract, the key interface between ingested nutrients and the body, plays a critical role in regulating energy homeostasis. Gut-derived signals convey information regarding ...incoming nutrients to the brain, initiating changes in eating behavior and energy expenditure, to maintain energy balance. Here we review hormonal, neural, and nutrient signals emanating from the gastrointestinal tract and evidence for their role in controlling feeding behavior. Mechanistic studies that have utilized pharmacologic and/or transgenic approaches targeting an individual hormone/mediator have yielded somewhat disappointing body weight changes, often leading to the hormone/mediator in question being dismissed as a potential obesity therapy. However, the recent finding of sustained weight reduction in response to systemic administration of a long-acting analog of the gut-hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 highlights the therapeutic potential of gut-derived signals acting via nonphysiologic mechanisms. Thus, we also review therapeutics strategies being utilized or developed to leverage gastrointestinal signals in order to treat obesity.
The present work studies the hydration process and microstructural features of five calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cements and a ternary mixture including also ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The ...pastes were studied with simultaneous differential thermal-thermogravimetric (DTA-TG) analysis, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and expansion/shrinkage tests. The DTA-TG analysis confirmed the role of the hydration reactions involving the main CSA clinker constituent, tetracalcium trialuminate sulfate, which produced (i) ettringite when combined with lime and calcium sulfate, (ii) ettringite and aluminum hydroxide in the presence of calcium sulfate alone, and (iii) monosulfate and aluminum hydroxide in the absence of both lime and calcium sulfate. The MIP and SEM were able to discriminate between expansive (ternary mixture and CSA cement containing 50% gypsum) and non-expansive cements. Expansive cement pastes had (i) a nearly unimodal pore size distribution shifted toward higher radii and (ii) ettringite crystals smaller in size during the first day of curing. In a SEM image of a hardened paste of the CSA cement containing 50% gypsum, a stellate ettringite cluster was observed.
Summary
The association between obesity and morbidity resulting from chronic diseases is well known. This systematic review addresses studies of the role of rapid growth in infancy and childhood as ...possible determinants of overweight and obesity later in the life course. We reviewed MEDLINE for studies reporting on growth in infancy and childhood, as well as measures of weight or adiposity in later childhood, adolescence or adulthood. The methodological quality of the papers was assessed using the criteria suggested by Downs and Black. Sixteen articles that fulfilled review criteria were located. There was wide variability in the indicators used for defining rapid growth as well as overweight or obesity. The age range in which weight or adiposity was measured ranged from 3 to 70 years. In spite of differences in definitions used, 13 articles that reported on early rapid growth found significant associations with later overweight or adiposity. Efforts should be made to standardize the definition of rapid growth, as well as that of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. The most frequent definition for rapid growth in this review was a Z‐score change greater than 0.67 in weight for age between two different ages in childhood. Regarding obesity, the definition proposed by the International Obesity Task Force also appears to be most appropriate. The present results indicate that early growth is indeed associated with the prevalence of obesity later in the life course.
Heat stress during the dry period affects the cow’s mammary gland development, metabolism, and immunity during the transition period. However, the effect of late-gestation heat stress on calf ...performance and immune status is unknown. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of heat stress during the final ∼45d of gestation on growth and immune function of calves. Calves (17/treatment) were born to cows that were exposed to cooling (CL) or heat stress (HT) during the dry period. Only heifer calves (CL, n=12; HT, n=9) were used in measurements of growth and immune status after birth. Heifer calves were managed under identical conditions. All were fed 3.78L of colostrum from their respective dams within 4h of birth and were weaned at 2mo of age (MOA). Body weight (BW) was obtained at weaning and then monthly until 7 MOA. Withers height (WH) was measured monthly from 3 to 7 MOA. Hematocrit and plasma total protein were assessed at birth, 1, 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, and 28d of age. Total serum IgG was evaluated at 1, 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, and 28d of age, and apparent efficiency of absorption was calculated. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated at 7, 28, 42, and 56d of age, and proliferation rate was measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation in vitro. Blood cortisol concentration was measured in the dams during the dry period and in calves in the preweaning period. Gestation length was 4d shorter for HT cows compared with CL cows. Calves from CL cows had greater BW than calves from HT cows at birth (42.5 vs. 36.5kg). Compared with CL heifers, HT heifers had decreased weaning BW (78.5 vs. 65.9kg) but similar BW (154.6 vs. 146.4kg) and WH (104.8 vs. 103.4cm) from 3 to 7 MOA. Compared with CL, heifers from HT cows had less total plasma protein (6.3 vs. 5.9g/dL), total serum IgG (1,577.3 vs. 1,057.8mg/dL), and apparent efficiency of absorption (33.6 vs. 19.2%), and tended to have decreased hematocrit (33 vs. 30%). Additionally, CL heifers had greater peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation relative to HT heifers (23.8 vs. 14.1 fold). Compared with CL, late-gestation HT did not affect the blood cortisol concentration of dams during the dry period or that of the calves in the preweaning period, but CL calves tended to have increased circulating cortisol at birth (7.6 vs. 5.7µg/dL). We conclude that heat stress of the dam during the dry period compromises the fetal growth and immune function of offspring from birth through weaning.
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