Effect of low energy diet for eight weeks to adults with overweight or obesity on folate, retinol, vitamin B₁₂, D and e status and the degree of inflammation: a post hoc analysis of a randomized intervention trial

Abstract Background Obesity is associated with vitamin insufficiency and low grade inflammation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of weight loss on folate, retinol, vitamin B12, D and E status and the degree of inflammation. Methods Out of 110, 85 individuals (75% women) aged 39 ± 11 years with a mean ± SD BMI of 33 ± 4 kg/m2, completed an eight-week low energy diet (LED). Serum concentration of folate, retinol, B12, D and E and C-reactive protein and homocysteine (Hcy) were measured at baseline and at end of the LED. Results At baseline, 8% of the participants were deficient in folate, 13% in vitamin B12, 2% in retinol, 28% in vitamin D (72% were insufficient in vitamin D), and none were deficient in vitamin E. At baseline, BMI was inversely associated with retinol (P < 0.05) as was total and abdominal fat percentage with folate (P < 0.05); further BMI and measures of adiposity were positively associated with CRP (P < 0.01) and Hcy (P < 0.05). Homocysteine was inversely associated with all vitamins but retinol (P < 0.001). After the LED, the participants lost a mean [95% confidence intervals] of 12.3 [− 13.1,-11.6] kg. The serum concentration of folate, vitamin B12 and D were increased (P < 0.001) after the LED whereas the concentration of retinol and vitamin E were reduced (P < 0.001). Conclusion Eight-weeks LED resulted in 13% weight loss and an increase in the serum concentrations of folate, vitamin B12 and D. Baseline adiposity was inversely associated with folate and retinol, and positively associated with markers of inflammation. Trial registration Ethical Committee of Copenhagen as no. H-4-2013-135, NCT01561131

Nonperturbative renormalization group approach to frustrated magnets

This article is devoted to the study of the critical properties of classical XY and Heisenberg frustrated magnets in three dimensions. We first analyze the experimental and numerical situations. We show that the unusual behaviors encountered in these systems, typically nonuniversal scaling, are hardly compatible with the hypothesis of a second order phase transition. We then review the various perturbative and early nonperturbative approaches used to investigate these systems. We argue that none of them provides a completely satisfactory description of the three-dimensional critical behavior. We then recall the principles of the nonperturbative approach - the effective average action method - that we have used to investigate the physics of frustrated magnets. First, we recall the treatment of the unfrustrated - O(N) - case with this method. This allows to introduce its technical aspects. Then, we show how this method unables to clarify most of the problems encountered in the previous theoretical descriptions of frustrated magnets. Firstly, we get an explanation of the long-standing mismatch between different perturbative approaches which consists in a nonperturbative mechanism of annihilation of fixed points between two and three dimensions. Secondly, we get a coherent picture of the physics of frustrated magnets in qualitative and (semi-) quantitative agreement with the numerical and experimental results. The central feature that emerges from our approach is the existence of scaling behaviors without fixed or pseudo-fixed point and that relies on a slowing-down of the renormalization group flow in a whole region in the coupling constants space. This phenomenon allows to explain the occurence of generic weak first order behaviors and to understand the absence of universality in the critical behavior of frustrated magnets.Comment: 58 pages, 15 PS figure

Nasal DNA methylation at three CpG sites predicts childhood allergic disease

Childhood allergic diseases, including asthma, rhinitis and eczema, are prevalent conditions that share strong genetic and environmental components. Diagnosis relies on clinical history and measurements of allergen-specific IgE. We hypothesize that a multi-omics model could accurately diagnose childhood allergic disease. We show that nasal DNA methylation has the strongest predictive power to diagnose childhood allergy, surpassing blood DNA methylation, genetic risk scores, and environmental factors. DNA methylation at only three nasal CpG sites classifies allergic disease in Dutch children aged 16 years well, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.86. This is replicated in Puerto Rican children aged 9-20 years (AUC 0.82). DNA methylation at these CpGs additionally detects allergic multimorbidity and symptomatic IgE sensitization. Using nasal single-cell RNA-sequencing data, these three CpGs associate with influx of T cells and macrophages that contribute to allergic inflammation. Our study suggests the potential of methylation-based allergy diagnosis

Safety and toxicological evaluation of a synthetic vitamin K2, menaquinone-7

Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) is part of a family of vitamin K that are essential co-factors for the enzyme γ-glutamyl carboxylase, which is involved in the activation of γ-carboxy glutamate (Gla) proteins in the body. Gla proteins are important for normal blood coagulation and normality of bones and arteries. The objective of this study was to examine the potential toxicity of synthetic MK-7 in BomTac:NMRI mice and in Sprague-Dawley rats. In an acute oral toxicity test, mice were administered a single oral dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight (limit dose) and no toxicity was observed during the 14-day observation period. In the subchronic oral toxicity test in rats, animals were administered MK-7 for 90 days by gavage at the following doses: 0 (vehicle control, corn oil), 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg body weight/day. All generated data, including clinical observations, ophthalmology, clinical pathology, gross necropsy, and histopathology, revealed no compound-related toxicity in rats. Any statistically significant findings in clinical pathology parameters and/or organ weights noted were considered to be within normal biological variability. Therefore, under the conditions of this experiment, the median lethal dose (LD50) of MK-7 after a single oral administration in mice was determined to be greater than the limit dose level of 2000 mg/kg body weight. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of MK-7, when administered orally to rats for 90 days, was considered to be equal to 10 mg/kg body weight/day, the highest dose tested, based on lack of toxicity during the 90-day study period

Nasal DNA methylation at three CpG sites predicts childhood allergic disease

Childhood allergic diseases, including asthma, rhinitis and eczema, are prevalent conditions that share strong genetic and environmental components. Diagnosis relies on clinical history and measurements of allergen-specific IgE. We hypothesize that a multi-omics model could accurately diagnose childhood allergic disease. We show that nasal DNA methylation has the strongest predictive power to diagnose childhood allergy, surpassing blood DNA methylation, genetic risk scores, and environmental factors. DNA methylation at only three nasal CpG sites classifies allergic disease in Dutch children aged 16 years well, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.86. This is replicated in Puerto Rican children aged 9-20 years (AUC 0.82). DNA methylation at these CpGs additionally detects allergic multimorbidity and symptomatic IgE sensitization. Using nasal single-cell RNA-sequencing data, these three CpGs associate with influx of T cells and macrophages that contribute to allergic inflammation. Our study suggests the potential of methylation-based allergy diagnosis

Technologieentwicklung: Theoretische und praktische Unterstützung mit Data Mining

Durch den zunehmenden globalen Wettbewerb kommt der Entwicklung neuer Technologien und deren Einsatz in innovativen Produkten immer größere Bedeutung zu. Zur Unterstützung der Technologieentwicklung wird in der Innovationsforschung häufig der Ansatz verfolgt, Begleitprozesse zu systematisieren und zu optimieren. Aufgrund der damit verbundenen Wissensintensität kann dies jedoch nicht zielführend ohne IT- Unterstützung erfolgen. In einem Präsidialprojekt der Fraunhofer- Gesellschaft wurde hierzu der Ansatz der Nutzung mathematischer Verfahren sowie moderner IT-Technologien verfolgt. Zur Datenbeschaffung und -aufbereitung liegt der Fokus insbesondere auf Verfahren zur Verarbeitung von Texten in natürlicher Sprache, dem Einsatz statistischer Methoden des Data und Text Mining zur automatischen Klassifikation und zum Clustering von Dokumenten sowie der Extraktion formalen Wissens aus unterschiedlichsten Quellen und dessen Repräsentation auf Basis von Ontologien mit Methoden aus dem Bereich des Semantic Web. Diese Verfahren erlauben die praktische Realisierung von Indikatoren für die quantitative Beschreibung der Technologieentwicklung und ermöglichen den Einsatz von Vergleichsmethoden zur Entscheidungsunterstützung. Der integrierte Unterstützungsansatz wird detailliert beschrieben und anhand eines Technologieentwicklungsszenarios veranschaulicht. Phasen der Technologieentwicklung Indikatoren und Entwicklungsmodelle Indikatoren Datenbasierte Entwicklungsmodelle Vergleiche mit einer Referenz Informationsbeschaffung Automatische Berechnung von Indikatoren Bereitstellung entscheidungsrelevanter Information Repräsentation von Technologieentwicklungswissen Ontologien der Technologieentwicklung Nutzungsszenario Realisierung durch integrierten Ansatz Literatu