Breast Milk Macronutrients in Relation to Infants’ Anthropometric Measures

BACKGROUND: Breast milk (BM) is the main nutritional source for newborns before they are capable to eat and consume other foods. BM has carbohydrates, lipids, complex proteins, and other biologically active components which have a direct effect on infant growth. AIM: The aim of the study was to correlate anthropometric data of the infant to macronutrients in BM (fat, protein, and carbohydrates) and to find some modifiable issues affecting macronutrient contents of BM for the benefits of upcoming infants. METHODS: One hundred breastfeeding mothers participated in the study, they were recruited from the outpatient clinic, El Demerdash Hospital, Ain Shams University, from September 2019, to December 2019. BM was expressed by an electric pump, macronutrient content was assessed. Anthropometric data of the babies and mothers were obtained, gestational age, parity, age of the women, and the route of birth were recorded. RESULTS: For the macronutrients content of milk, a positive significant correlation was observed between BM fat, protein, and lactose. Infants’ body mass index (BMI) was negatively related to the fat content of BM, while no relation was found between BMI and protein or lactose content of the milk. BM fat content was negatively correlated with gestational age and maternal age. Positive correlations were found between BMI and protein, lactose and infant age. Protein content was negatively correlated with parity. No impact of infant’s sex on BM composition and as regards maternal diet, high protein consumption leading to increase BM protein content. CONCLUSIONS: The current study confirms that BM macronutrient composition has a wide variability; this variability is associated with each macronutrient, respectively. To improve BM composition, one could aim for improving the nutritional balance in lactating women, especially for protein intake. More well-designed longitudinal studies about factors that influence human milk compositions are warranted

What Drives Embryo Development? Chromosomal Normality or Mitochondria?

Objective. To report the arrest of euploid embryos with high mtDNA content. Design. A report of 2 cases. Setting. Private fertility clinic. Patients. 2 patients, 45 and 40 years old undergoing IVF treatment. Interventions. Mature oocytes were collected and vitrified from two ovarian stimulations. Postthaw, survived mature oocytes underwent fertilization by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number were done using next generation sequencing (NGS). The only normal embryo among the all-biopsied embryos had the highest “Mitoscore” value and was the only arrested embryo in both cases. Therefore, the embryo transfer was cancelled. Main Outcome Measures. Postthaw survival and fertilization rate, embryo euploidy, mtDNA copy number, and embryo development. Results. In both patients, after PGS only 1 embryo was euploid. Both embryos had the highest mtDNA copy number from all tested embryos and both embryos were arrested on further development. Conclusions. These cases clearly demonstrate the lack of correlation between mtDNA value (Mitoscore) and chromosomal status of embryo

S100P enhances the motility and invasion of human trophoblast cell lines

S100P has been shown to be a marker for carcinogenesis where its expression in solid tumours correlates with metastasis and a poor patient prognosis. This protein’s role in any physiological process is, however, unknown. Here we first show that S100P is expressed both in trophoblasts in vivo as well as in some corresponding cell lines in culture. We demonstrate that S100P is predominantly expressed during the early stage of placental formation with its highest expression levels occurring during the first trimester of gestation, particularly in the invading columns and anchoring villi. Using gain or loss of function studies through overexpression or knockdown of S100P expression respectively, our work shows that S100P stimulates both cell motility and cellular invasion in different trophoblastic and first trimester EVT cell lines. Interestingly, cell invasion was seen to be more dramatically affected than cell migration. Our results suggest that S100P may be acting as an important regulator of trophoblast invasion during placentation. This finding sheds new light on a hitherto uncharacterized molecular mechanism which may, in turn, lead to the identification of novel targets that may explain why significant numbers of confirmed human pregnancies suffer complications through poor placental implantation

A multi-disciplinary perspective on emergent and future innovations in peer review [version 2; referees: 2 approved]

Peer review of research articles is a core part of our scholarly communication system. In spite of its importance, the status and purpose of peer review is often contested. What is its role in our modern digital research and communications infrastructure? Does it perform to the high standards with which it is generally regarded? Studies of peer review have shown that it is prone to bias and abuse in numerous dimensions, frequently unreliable, and can fail to detect even fraudulent research. With the advent of web technologies, we are now witnessing a phase of innovation and experimentation in our approaches to peer review. These developments prompted us to examine emerging models of peer review from a range of disciplines and venues, and to ask how they might address some of the issues with our current systems of peer review. We examine the functionality of a range of social Web platforms, and compare these with the traits underlying a viable peer review system: quality control, quantified performance metrics as engagement incentives, and certification and reputation. Ideally, any new systems will demonstrate that they out-perform and reduce the biases of existing models as much as possible. We conclude that there is considerable scope for new peer review initiatives to be developed, each with their own potential issues and advantages. We also propose a novel hybrid platform model that could, at least partially, resolve many of the socio-technical issues associated with peer review, and potentially disrupt the entire scholarly communication system. Success for any such development relies on reaching a critical threshold of research community engagement with both the process and the platform, and therefore cannot be achieved without a significant change of incentives in research environments

A multi-disciplinary perspective on emergent and future innovations in peer review

Peer review of research articles is a core part of our scholarly communication system. In spite of its importance, the status and purpose of peer review is often contested. What is its role in our modern digital research and communications infrastructure? Does it perform to the high standards with which it is generally regarded? Studies of peer review have shown that it is prone to bias and abuse in numerous dimensions, frequently unreliable, and can fail to detect even fraudulent research. With the advent of web technologies, we are now witnessing a phase of innovation and experimentation in our approaches to peer review. These developments prompted us to examine emerging models of peer review from a range of disciplines and venues, and to ask how they might address some of the issues with our current systems of peer review. We examine the functionality of a range of social Web platforms, and compare these with the traits underlying a viable peer review system: quality control, quantified performance metrics as engagement incentives, and certification and reputation. Ideally, any new systems will demonstrate that they out-perform and reduce the biases of existing models as much as possible. We conclude that there is considerable scope for new peer review initiatives to be developed, each with their own potential issues and advantages. We also propose a novel hybrid platform model that could, at least partially, resolve many of the socio-technical issues associated with peer review, and potentially disrupt the entire scholarly communication system. Success for any such development relies on reaching a critical threshold of research community engagement with both the process and the platform, and therefore cannot be achieved without a significant change of incentives in research environments

Effect of Carbon Nano-Tubes, Micro and Nano Dispersions of SiC and Al2O3 on the Mechanical and Physical Properties of Pure Copper

 Reviews on Advanced Materials Science 52(1):126-133 · December 2017This paper studies the physical and mechanical properties of pure copper powder with various reinforcement materials at different volume fractions. The used reinforcement materials are carbon nanotubes CNT (0.5-2 wt.%) as nano particles, Al2O3 (1-4 wt.%), and SiC (1-4 wt.%) as micro particles. Various characteristics were evaluated on the composite specimens such as microstructures, density, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, hardness, and compression properties to investigate the suitable reinforcement percentage that achieves the best physical and mechanical properties. The micron-sized Al2O3 and SiC and nano sized CNT has shown an enhancement on the mechanical and physical properties of the composite. The electrical and thermal conductivities were evaluated and the results have shown positive enhancements

Assessing post-cochlear implantation anxiety and correlating it to socio-demographic and clinical characteristics

Abstract Background There is a greater incidence of mental health problems among children with hearing impairment compared to controls. A high proportion of children with hearing impairment experience delays in understanding, recognizing, and using emotional expression. There are additional difficulties in post-cochlear transplant patients that may increase the risk of developing psychopathology, such as anxiety disorder. Results Forty mothers of children who underwent cochlear implantation surgery responded to the Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale. Socio-demographic, medical, and perioperative data of children were obtained from medical records. On the Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale, 21 out of 40 children (52.25%) have a positive total score. On obsessive–compulsive disorder, physical injury fears, generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, and social anxiety subscales, the numbers of children who scored positive are 23 (57.5%), 18 (45%), 18 (45%), 10 (25%), and 6 (15%), respectively. Conclusion Anxiety disorders are common in post-cochlear transplant children

Kinesio arm taping as prophylaxis against the development of Erb’s Engram

An Erb’s Engram is a common debility that develops in recovering children with Erb’s palsy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of kinesiotaping over the deltoid and the forearm on the development of proper upper extremity function in children recovering from Erb’s palsy. Thirty patients with Erb’s palsy participated for 3 months in this study and were equally divided into two groups; control group A and study group B. The two groups received the same designed physical therapy program, while group B along the program, received kinesiotaping over the deltoid and the forearm. The subjects were evaluated, pre and post-treatment, and scored functionally, using the Toronto Active Motion Scale, and objectively, using an EMG device utilized to obtain the percentages of degeneration of the deltoid and the biceps muscles. Post-treatment values of six out of nine measured variables, between the two groups, revealed significant difference in favor of group B. The obtained results strongly support the introduction of kinesiotaping of the deltoid and the forearm as an adjunct to the treatment program of Erb’s palsied children