Could gestational diabetes mellitus be managed through dietary bioactive compounds? Current knowledge and future perspectives

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a serious problem growing worldwide that needs to be addressed with urgency in consideration of the resulting severe complications for both mother and fetus. Growing evidence indicates that a healthy diet rich in fruit, vegetables, nuts, extra-virgin olive oil and fish has beneficial effects in both the prevention and management of several human diseases and metabolic disorders. In this review, we discuss the latest data concerning the effects of dietary bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and PUFA on the molecular mechanisms regulating glucose homoeostasis. Several studies, mostly based on in vitro and animal models, indicate that dietary polyphenols, mainly flavonoids, positively modulate the insulin signalling pathway by attenuating hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance, reducing inflammatory adipokines, and modifying microRNA (miRNA) profiles. Very few data about the influence of dietary exposure on GDM outcomes are available, although this approach deserves careful consideration. Further investigation, which includes exploring the 'omics' world, is needed to better understand the complex interaction between dietary compounds and GDM

Smectic Pores and Defect Cores

Riemann's minimal surfaces are a complete, embeddable, one-parameter family of minimal surfaces with translational symmetry along one direction. It's infinite number of planar ends are joined together by an array of necks, closely matching the morphology of a bicontinuous, lamellar system with pores connecting alternating layers. We demonstrate explicitly that Riemann's minimal surfaces are composed of a nonlinear sum of two oppositely-handed helicoids. This description is particularly appropriate for describing smectic liquid crystals containing two screw dislocations.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Geometry of Interfaces Oct 2011, Primosten, Croati

Curcumin: could this compound be useful in pregnancy and pregnancy-related complications?

Curcumin, the main polyphenol contained in turmeric root (Curcuma longa), has played a significant role in medicine for centuries. The growing interest in plant-derived substances has led to increased consumption of them also in pregnancy. The pleiotropic and multi-targeting actions of curcumin have made it very attractive as a health-promoting compound. In spite of the beneficial effects observed in various chronic diseases in humans, limited and fragmentary information is currently available about curcumin's effects on pregnancy and pregnancy-related complications. It is known that immune-metabolic alterations occurring during pregnancy have consequences on both maternal and fetal tissues, leading to short- and long-term complications. The reported anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitoxicant, neuroprotective, immunomodulatory, antiapoptotic, antiangiogenic, anti-hypertensive, and antidiabetic properties of curcumin appear to be encouraging, not only for the management of pregnancy-related disorders, including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preeclampsia (PE), depression, preterm birth, and fetal growth disorders but also to contrast damage induced by natural and chemical toxic agents. The current review summarizes the latest data, mostly obtained from animal models and in vitro studies, on the impact of curcumin on the molecular mechanisms involved in pregnancy pathophysiology, with the aim to shed light on the possible beneficial and/or adverse effects of curcumin on pregnancy outcomes

A multicenter study on the diagnostic significance of a single cerebrospinal fluid IgG band

The analysis of paired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples with isolectric focusing (IEF) can yield different patterns which can be of aid in the differential diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Rarely, a single CSF-restricted IgG band, which is not included within these patterns, can be detected in association with inflammatory disorders, multiple sclerosis (MS) above all. However, the diagnostic meaning of this abnormality is still uncertain. The main aim of our multicenter study was to establish the frequency and disease associations of single CSF IgG bands. Differences in the CSF profiles between MS and other diseases, and the follow-up patterns were also evaluated. Medical records of patients who underwent CSF analysis, which included IEF, over a 11.5-year period were retrospectively scrutinized at the participating centers, which used similar IEF techniques. One hundred and fifty-one of 9422 CSF reports (1.6%) showed single CSF-restricted IgG bands. Of the 129 patients with a definite diagnosis, 58.2% had CNS inflammatory-demyelinating diseases (the most frequent being MS: 21.7%), 6.2% tumours, 5.4% inflammatory peripheral nervous system diseases and 30.2% miscellaneous diseases. At follow-up, 3 out of the 10 patients with a repeated CSF analysis had developed an oligoclonal band pattern. Our findings indicate that single CSF IgG bands tend to associate with diseases characterized by the involvement of intrathecal humoral immune responses, and strongly support the notion that this abnormality should be regularly reported, thus alerting clinicians of possible inflammatory disorders of the CNS

At the intersection of cultural and natural heritage: Distribution and conservation of the type localities of Italian endemic vascular plants

We conducted a GIS spatial analysis with the aim of providing the first quantitative large-scale overview of the distribution patterns of 1536 type localities (loci classici) of 1216 Italian endemic vascular plants and their relationship with a set of descriptive variables. Whereas some variables were used to model the presence-absence distribution patterns of the type localities for the whole set of endemics as well as for the subset of narrow endemics, others (e.g., presence inside or outside protected areas and Italian Important Plant Areas) were considered with the purpose of assessing potential assets or risks for conservation. The largest number of type localities was found within the Mediterranean biogeographic region (1134), followed by the Alpine region (306) and Continental region (96). A total of 670 locations are located on islands, whereas 866 are located on the Italian mainland (139 and 124 in the case of narrow endemics, respectively). A large number of type localities are located in mountainous areas and along the coastline, which can be seen as a potential risk for conservation. On the contrary, we detected a positive correlation with the distance from roads, which might be considered to be an asset. Importantly, 1030 type localities fall inside protected areas, whereas 506 localities fall outside protected areas, with 259 of these unprotected localities on islands. We propose considering the results of the analysis of the distribution of type localities of Italian endemics to be a strategic tool for conservation planning and resource management. Application of plant micro-reserves and integration of diverse legislation tools are suggested to strengthen efforts and increase conservation success

A polarimetrically oriented X-ray stare at the accreting pulsar EXO 2030+375

Accreting X-ray pulsars (XRPs) are presumably ideal targets for polarization measurements, as their high magnetic field strength is expected to polarize the emission up to a polarization degree of ~80%. However, such expectations are being challenged by recent observations of XRPs with the Imaging X-ray Polarimeter Explorer (IXPE). Here we report on the results of yet another XRP, EXO 2030+375, observed with IXPE and contemporarily monitored with Insight-HXMT and SRG/ART-XC. In line with recent results obtained with IXPE for similar sources, analysis of the EXO 2030+375 data returns a low polarization degree of 0%-3% in the phase-averaged study and variation in the range 2%-7% in the phase-resolved study. Using the rotating vector model we constrain the geometry of the system and obtain a value for the magnetic obliquity of ~$60^{\circ}$. Considering also the estimated pulsar inclination of ~$130^{\circ}$, this indicates that the magnetic axis swings close to the observer line of sight. Our joint polarimetric, spectral and timing analysis hint to a complex accreting geometry where magnetic multipoles with asymmetric topology and gravitational light bending significantly affect the observed source behavior.Comment: A&A accepted. Proofs versio

The large area detector onboard the eXTP mission

The Large Area Detector (LAD) is the high-throughput, spectral-timing instrument onboard the eXTP mission, a flagship mission of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China National Space Administration, with a large European participation coordinated by Italy and Spain. The eXTP mission is currently performing its phase B study, with a target launch at the end-2027. The eXTP scientific payload includes four instruments (SFA, PFA, LAD and WFM) offering unprecedented simultaneous wide-band X-ray timing and polarimetry sensitivity. The LAD instrument is based on the design originally proposed for the LOFT mission. It envisages a deployed 3.2 m2 effective area in the 2-30 keV energy range, achieved through the technology of the large-area Silicon Drift Detectors - offering a spectral resolution of up to 200 eV FWHM at 6 keV - and of capillary plate collimators - limiting the field of view to about 1 degree. In this paper we will provide an overview of the LAD instrument design, its current status of development and anticipated performance

Broadband Multi-wavelength Properties of M87 during the 2017 Event Horizon Telescope Campaign

Abstract: In 2017, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration succeeded in capturing the first direct image of the center of the M87 galaxy. The asymmetric ring morphology and size are consistent with theoretical expectations for a weakly accreting supermassive black hole of mass ∼6.5 × 109 M ⊙. The EHTC also partnered with several international facilities in space and on the ground, to arrange an extensive, quasi-simultaneous multi-wavelength campaign. This Letter presents the results and analysis of this campaign, as well as the multi-wavelength data as a legacy data repository. We captured M87 in a historically low state, and the core flux dominates over HST-1 at high energies, making it possible to combine core flux constraints with the more spatially precise very long baseline interferometry data. We present the most complete simultaneous multi-wavelength spectrum of the active nucleus to date, and discuss the complexity and caveats of combining data from different spatial scales into one broadband spectrum. We apply two heuristic, isotropic leptonic single-zone models to provide insight into the basic source properties, but conclude that a structured jet is necessary to explain M87’s spectrum. We can exclude that the simultaneous γ-ray emission is produced via inverse Compton emission in the same region producing the EHT mm-band emission, and further conclude that the γ-rays can only be produced in the inner jets (inward of HST-1) if there are strongly particle-dominated regions. Direct synchrotron emission from accelerated protons and secondaries cannot yet be excluded