The impact of maternal body composition and dietary fat consumption upon placental lipid processing and offspring metabolic health

The proportion of women of reproductive age who are overweight or obese is increasing globally. Gestational obesity is strongly associated in both human studies and animal models with early-onset development of adult-associated metabolic diseases including metabolic syndrome in the exposed offspring. However, animal model studies have suggested that gestational diet in obese pregnancies is an independent but underappreciated mediator of offspring risk for later life metabolic disease, and human diet consumption data have highlighted that many women do not follow nutritional guidelines prior to and during pregnancy. Thus, this review will highlight how maternal diet independent from maternal body composition impacts the risk for later-life metabolic disease in obesity-exposed offspring. A poor maternal diet, in combination with the obese metabolic state, are understood to facilitate pathological in utero programming, specifically through changes in lipid handling processes in the villous trophoblast layer of the placenta that promote an environment associated with the development of metabolic disease in the offspring. This review will additionally highlight how maternal obesity modulates villous trophoblast lipid processing functions including fatty acid transport, esterification and beta-oxidation. Further, this review will discuss how altering maternal gestational diet may ameliorate these functional changes in lipid metabolic processes in the obese placenta

Syncytialization and prolonged exposure to palmitate impacts bewo respiration

Placental villous trophoblast mitochondrial respiratory function is critical for a successful pregnancy and environmental influences such as maternal obesity have been associated with respiratory impairment at term. More recently, a gestational high fat diet independent of maternal body composition, has been highlighted as a potential independent regulator of placental mitochondrial metabolism. The current study aimed to characterize the direct impact of a prolonged and isolated exposure to the dietary fatty acids Palmitate (PA) and Oleate (OA) upon placental cell mitochondrial respiratory function. BeWo cytotrophoblast (CT) and syncytiotrophoblast (SCT) cells were treated for 72 h with 100 μM PA, OA or PA+OA (P/O). Live-cell metabolic function was analyzed via the Seahorse XF Mito and Glycolysis Stress tests. Immunoblots and spectrophotometric activity assays were utilized to examine the protein expression and function of electron transport chain (ETC) complexes and key mitochondrial regulatory enzymes. Syncytialization of BeWo cells resulted reduced respiratory activity in conjunction with altered complex I and II activity and decreased pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) protein expression and activity. PA and P/O treatments were associated with increased basal and maximal respiratory activities in BeWo CT cells without alterations in protein expression or activity of individual ETC complexes and mitochondrial substrate regulators. The metabolic suppression in BeWo SCTs was consistent with that previously observed in primary human trophoblast cell cultures, while the observed increases in respiratory activity in PA-treated BeWo CTs may be indicative of an early timepoint of specific dietary saturated fat-mediated placental cell mitochondrial dysfunction

An epitaxial model for heterogeneous nucleation on potent substrates

© The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2012In this article, we present an epitaxial model for heterogeneous nucleation on potent substrates. It is proposed that heterogeneous nucleation of the solid phase (S) on a potent substrate (N) occurs by epitaxial growth of a pseudomorphic solid (PS) layer on the substrate surface under a critical undercooling (ΔT ). The PS layer with a coherent PS/N interface mimics the atomic arrangement of the substrate, giving rise to a linear increase of misfit strain energy with layer thickness. At a critical thickness (h ), elastic strain energy reaches a critical level, at which point, misfit dislocations are created to release the elastic strain energy in the PS layer. This converts the strained PS layer to a strainless solid (S), and changes the initial coherent PS/N interface into a semicoherent S/N interface. Beyond this critical thickness, further growth will be strainless, and solidification enters the growth stage. It is shown analytically that the lattice misfit (f) between the solid and the substrate has a strong influence on both h and ΔT ; h decreases; and ΔT increases with increasing lattice misfit. This epitaxial nucleation model will be used to explain qualitatively the generally accepted experimental findings on grain refinement in the literature and to analyze the general approaches to effective grain refinement.EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Liquid Metal Engineerin

Comparison of the Effects of Two Topical Fluoride Regimens on Demineralized Enamel in vivo

The purpose of this investigation was to study the intra-oral remineralization of acid-softened enamel by a NaF dentifrice compared with that from a combination of topical F agents. Bovine enamel slabs were demineralized with 0.1 mol/L lactic acid at pH 4.0 for 14 hr and then mounted in a removable mandibular appliance. Control slabs were worn for 96 hr by seven adult males who brushed daily with a F-free dentifrice. Test slabs were brushed with a NaF dentifrice 4 x / day or with the same dentifrice 4 x /day and a 0.02% APF mouthrinse and a 0.4% SnF2 gel which were applied oncelday for three days. The natural dentition was also brushed with the NaF dentifrice during both test periods. Microhardness testing was performed on sound enamel, and after acid-softening, intra-oral exposure (IOE), and acid resistance testing (ART) in 0.01 mol/L lactic acid at pH 4.0 for 24 hr. Control and test slabs were etched with 0.5 mol/L HClO4 for from 15 to 60 sec. The F content was measured with a F electrode and PO4 by spectrophotometry. Contact microradiography and image analyses were performed on control and test slabs so that changes in mineral content resulting from treatment could be assessed. Both test groups were significantly harder after both IOE and ART than were controls, but no differences appeared between the effects of the two test groups. The F content of control slabs was significantly less than that of both test groups, and the combination-treated slabs showed greater F than did the dentifrice-treated slabs. Microradiographs revealed a higher mineral content in the basal 2/3 of combination-treated lesions, while diffuse mineral deposition occurred, especially subjacent to the surface in the dentifrice-treated lesions. Control lesions showed little added mineral.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66793/2/10.1177_00220345880670061301.pd

The influence of individual cognitive style on performance in management education

This paper reports the outcomes of an empirical study undertaken to explore the possibility that cognitive style may be an important factor influencing performance on certain types of task in management education. Four hundred and twelve final-year undergraduate degree students studying management and business administration were tested using the Allinson-Hayes Cognitive Style Index. Their cognitive styles were then compared with assessment grades achieved for academic modules, the task categories of which were deemed to be consonant with either the wholist/intuitive or the analytic style of working. Overall ability defined by final degree grades was also tested against individuals’ cognitive styles. As expected, students whose dominant cognitive styles were analytic attained higher grades for long term solitary tasks involving careful planning and analysis of information. However, contrary to expectations, performance on tasks believed to be more suited to the wholist/intuitive style was also higher for analytic individuals, as was overall ability defined by final degree grades. The results were discussed in terms of the nature of the tasks and the need for methods of performance assessment that are independent of an orientation bias. Without this, it is argued, employment selection criteria may favour the wrong type of candidate in some circumstances

Modernization and Its Discontents

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67022/2/10.1177_000276427702100208.pd

Recovered memories, satanic abuse, Dissociative Identity Disorder and false memories in the UK: a survey of Clinical Psychologists and Hypnotherapists

An online survey was conducted to examine psychological therapists’ experiences of, and beliefs about, cases of recovered memory, satanic / ritualistic abuse, Multiple Personality Disorder / Dissociative Identity Disorder, and false memory. Chartered Clinical Psychologists (n=183) and Hypnotherapists (n=119) responded. In terms of their experiences, Chartered Clinical Psychologists reported seeing more cases of satanic / ritualistic abuse compared to Hypnotherapists who, in turn, reported encountering more cases of childhood sexual abuse recovered for the first time in therapy, and more cases of suspected false memory. Chartered Clinical Psychologists were more likely to rate the essential accuracy of reports of satanic / ritualistic abuse as higher than Hypnotherapists. Belief in the accuracy of satanic / ritualistic abuse and Multiple Personality Disorder / Dissociative Identity Disorder reports correlated negatively with the belief that false memories were possible

Diatreta Cups, Light in Roman Dining Spaces

Cage cups or Diatreta are ancient Roman glass vessels produced by creating a thick blown blank of glass that, once cooled down, is taken to a glass cutter or diatretarii. The latter would cut and carve away most of the glass leaving a transparent vessel inside and an open-work decoration separated through thin posts of glass. The work is very delicate and exclusive, produced within limited space in time with no record of similar vessels until the late 1800 (Donald B. Harden & Toynbee 1959, p.181). Many of these glass objects have good-will inscriptions or decorations that express the importance of drinking. As for their provenance, most –when found in context- have been found in pagan burials. Nevertheless some fragments have been found in Christian environments or with Christian motifs like the Szekszárd cup. The location of these finds is mostly in the Rhine area –northern Empire, when Milan was one of its capitals (Aquaro 2004)- but the actual extent of finds expand throughout the 4th century extent of the Roman Empire. Considering their typological analysis there are basically two types, beaker and bowl. Beakers are considered drinking vessels as they either display a legend or a mythological reference to drink or wine. Whereas a general consensus agrees that open bowl-form cups were hanging lamps (Whitehouse 1988, p.28) since the 1986 find of a diatreta bowl with copper alloy hanging attachments. It is clear these were luxury objects to be used in special occasions and spaces. The aim of this paper is to understand the space were socialisation and drinking took place and the importance of luxurious objects to adorn, display and use. The paper will also put forward the idea that the beaker shaped diatreta vessels, usually considered for drinking, could have been lamps that encouraged drinking and good will to the guests. This paper is structured to first consider an introduction to late luxury Roman glass and then analysing the typological shape of all, or most of the diatreta currently known; secondly, through assessment by the means of comparison, analyse the writings or decorations the vessels were endowed with. Thirdly, by describing and understanding the people and the space were these vessels would have been used, emphasise the beauty of illuminating such spaces with these vessels. According to Herodotus in his historical investigation –5th century-, dress habits and food regime are elements of extreme importance to understand a people (Caporusso et al. 2011, p.12). This idea is not only valid for Herodotus’ time but it is something anthropology uses time and again to explain different aspects in people’s way of life. Through food and its environment, the dining space, this paper will aim to put the cage cups into a social context in order to give emphasis to the hypothesis of light versus wine

Outcome Assessment by Central Adjudicators Versus Site Investigators in Stroke Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Purpose— In randomized stroke trials, central adjudication of a trial’s primary outcome is regularly implemented. However, recent evidence questions the importance of central adjudication in randomized trials. The aim of this review was to compare outcomes assessed by central adjudicators with outcomes assessed by site investigators. Methods— We included randomized stroke trials where the primary outcome had undergone an assessment by site investigators and central adjudicators. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar for eligible studies. We extracted information about the adjudication process as well as the treatment effect for the primary outcome, assessed both by central adjudicators and by site investigators. We calculated the ratio of these treatment effects so that a ratio of these treatment effects &gt;1 indicated that central adjudication resulted in a more beneficial treatment effect than assessment by the site investigator. A random-effects meta-analysis model was fitted to estimate a pooled effect. Results— Fifteen trials, comprising 69 560 participants, were included. The primary outcomes included were stroke (8/15, 53%), a composite event including stroke (6/15, 40%) and functional outcome after stroke measured on the modified Rankin Scale (1/15, 7%). The majority of site investigators were blind to treatment allocation (9/15, 60%). On average, there was no difference in treatment effect estimates based on data from central adjudicators and site investigators (pooled ratio of these treatment effects=1.02; 95% CI, [0.95–1.09]). Conclusions— We found no evidence that central adjudication of the primary outcome in stroke trials had any impact on trial conclusions. This suggests that potential advantages of central adjudication may not outweigh cost and time disadvantages in stroke studies if the primary purpose of adjudication is to ensure validity of trial findings. </jats:sec

Genome-Wide Association Study in BRCA1 Mutation Carriers Identifies Novel Loci Associated with Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk

BRCA1-associated breast and ovarian cancer risks can be modified by common genetic variants. To identify further cancer risk-modifying loci, we performed a multi-stage GWAS of 11,705 BRCA1 carriers (of whom 5,920 were diagnosed with breast and 1,839 were diagnosed with ovarian cancer), with a further replication in an additional sample of 2,646 BRCA1 carriers. We identified a novel breast cancer risk modifier locus at 1q32 for BRCA1 carriers (rs2290854, P = 2.7×10-8, HR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.09-1.20). In addition, we identified two novel ovarian cancer risk modifier loci: 17q21.31 (rs17631303, P = 1.4×10-8, HR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.17-1.38) and 4q32.3 (rs4691139, P = 3.4×10-8, HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.17-1.38). The 4q32.3 locus was not associated with ovarian cancer risk in the general population or BRCA2 carriers, suggesting a BRCA1-specific associat