Preparation and structural properties of thin films and multilayers of the Heusler compounds Cu2MnAl, Co2MnSn, Co2MnSi and Co2MnGe

We report on the preparation of thin films and multilayers of the intermetallic Heusler compound CuMnAl, Co2MnSn, Co2MnSi and Co2MnGe by rf-sputtering on MgO and Al2O3 substrates. Cu2MnAl can be grown epitaxially with (100)-orientation on MgO (100) and in (110)-orientation on Al2O3 a-plane. The Co based Heusler alloys need metallic seedlayers to induce high quality textured growth. We also have prepared multilayers with smooth interfaces by combining the Heusler compounds with Au and V. An analysis of the ferromagnetic saturation magnetization of the films indicates that the Cu2MnAl-compound tends to grow in the disordered B2-type structure whereas the Co-based Heusler alloy thin films grow in the ordered L21 structure. All multilayers with thin layers of the Heusler compounds exhibit a definitely reduced ferromagnetic magnetization indicating substantial disorder and intermixing at the interfaces.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figure

The Effects of Lifestyle and/or Vitamin D Supplementation Interventions on Pregnancy Outcomes: What Have We Learned from the DALI Studies?

Purpose of Review: The DALI (vitamin D and lifestyle intervention in the prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)) study aimed to prevent GDM with lifestyle interventions or Vitamin D supplementation (1600 IU/day). This review summarizes the learnings from the DALI studies among pregnant women with a BMI ≥ 29 kg/m2. Recent Findings: Women diagnosed with GDM earlier in pregnancy had a worse metabolic profile than those diagnosed later. A combined physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE) lifestyle intervention improved both behaviours, limited gestational weight gain (GWG) and was cost-effective. Although GDM risk was unchanged, neonatal adiposity was reduced due to less sedentary time. Neither PA nor HE alone limited GWG or GDM risk. Fasting glucose was higher with HE only intervention, and lower with Vitamin D supplementation. Summary: Our combined intervention did not prevent GDM, but was cost-effective, limited GWG and reduced neonatal adiposity

Die Nerven und das Bindegewebe der Pia des Menschen im mikrophotographischen Bild

Die Nerven der Pia des Menschen können mit der Silberkarbonattechnik von del Rio Hortega an Ganzpräparaten mikrophotographisch klar wiedergegeben und zwanglos in 2 Systeme eingeteilt werden: 1. Das perivaskuläre System, das von Nerven gebildet wird, die nach ihrem Eintritt in die Pia direkt zu den Gefäßen verlaufen und die letzteren mit einem dichten Geflecht umgeben. Das Grundnetz, welches von Nerven gebildet wird, die a) gleich nach ihrem Eintritt in die Pia sich aufsplittern und den Hauptteil des Grundnetzes bilden; b) von Nerven, welche von einem gefäßwärts verlaufenden Nerven sich abzweigen; c) von Nerven, welche zum perivaskulären Plexus gehören, und schließlich d) von starken Nervenbündeln, welche innerhalb des Grundnetzes zahlreiche Plexus bilden und allmählich in dasselbe übergehen. Das Grundnetz selbst erscheint histologisch als ein in sich geschlossenes Ganzes und enthält keine besonderen Endformationen. Die Strukturen des Bindegewebes zerfallen ebenfalls in 2 Systeme: A. das perivaskuläre Gewebe und B. das die Maschen der Gefäße ausfüllende Netz. A. Die oberflächliche Schicht der Adventitia besteht aus dichten, gleichmäßig starken, parallel verlaufenden Fasern. Die 2. Lage enthält große, ovale oder birnenförmige Zellen mit zahlreichen Ausläufern, welche in der Literatur vielfach als Ganglienzellen gedeutet worden sind. Die 3. Schicht ist durch ovale Auftreibungen ihrer Fasern charakterisiert und die 4. besteht aus zarten, der Media anliegenden Fibrillen. B. Die Maschen zwischen den Gefäßen sind von einem dichten Gewirr sich sternförmig kreuzender Fasern ausgefüllt. Es bestehen direkte Verbindungen zwischen dem Bindegewebe und den Zellen der Arachnoidea. The nerves and connective tissue of the human pia were investigated with the silver carbonate method of del Rio Hortega . The nerves of the pia form two distinctly different but closely associated systems: 1. the perivascular system is made up of nerves which enter the pia, give numerous branches to the ground network (Grundnetz) (Fig. 1), and form perivascular plexuses (Figs. 2, 3, 4) and, 2. the ground network (Grundnetz), which spreads out over the entire pia and is supported by connective tissue structures. The ground network is formed by: A) nerves which enter the pia and split into numerous branches (Fig. 5), B) ramification of perivascular nerves (Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9), C) numerous plexuses derived from coarse nerves which have no direct connection with the vessels; these plexuses gradually merge with the ground network (Figs. 10, 11, 12). The ground network is a dense interwoven structure without demonstrable terminal formations (Fig. 13). The latter have been found only on the media of vessels (Fig. 14). The connective tissue structures are no less complicated than those of the nerves and can also be subdivided into two systems: 1. the adventitia, and 2. the interwoven network of stellate fibers which fills in the space between the vessels. In the adventitia there can be distinguished four layers: A) the upper which contains coarse parallel fibers (Fig. 15), B) the second which is characterized by large, oval or round elements with numerous processes (Fig. 16), C) the third which is composed of fibers with numerous bead-like swellings along their course (Figs. 17, 18), and D) the fourth which consists of delicate fibers which lie directly on the media (Fig. 19). The meshes between the vessels are filled with stellate fiber formations (Fig. 20). The connective tissue fibers of the upper strata of the pia are connected with the processes of the cells of the arachnoidea and are surrounded by numerous connective tissue loops (Fig. 21). Les nerfs et le tissue conjonctif de la pie-mère humaine furent vérifiés à l'aide de la microphotographie de pièces du tissue entier imprégnées à la méthode de del Rio Hortega . Les nerfs montrent deux systèmes différents: 1. Le système périvasculaire formé par des nerfs qui en entrant dans la piemère joignent les vaisseaux en entournant ceux-ci avec un réseau dense.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/41654/1/702_2005_Article_BF01227770.pd

Magnesium in Kidney Function and Disease—Implications for Aging and Sex—A Narrative Review

Magnesium (Mg) has a vital role in the human body, and the kidney is a key organ in the metabolism and excretion of this cation. The objective of this work is to compile the available evidence regarding the role that Mg plays in health and disease, with a special focus on the elderly population with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the eventual sex differences. A narrative review was carried out by executing an exhaustive search in the PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases. Ten studies were found in which the role of Mg and sex was evaluated in elderly patients with CKD in the last 10 years (2012–2022). The progression of CKD leads to alterations in mineral metabolism, which worsen as the disease progresses. Mg can be used as a coadjuvant in the treatment of CKD patients to improve glomerular filtration, but its use in clinical applications needs to be further characterized. In conclusion, there’s a need for well-designed prospective clinical trials to advise and standardize Mg supplementation in daily clinical practice, taking age and sex into consideration

Evidence that the multiflorine‐derived substituted quinazolidine 55P0251 augments insulin secretion and lowers blood glucose via antagonism at α2‐adrenoceptors in mice

To investigate the mechanism of action of 55P0251, a novel multiflorine‐derived substituted quinazolidine that augments insulin release and lowers blood glucose in rodents, but does not act via mechanisms addressed by any antidiabetic agent in clinical use.Materials and MethodsUsing male mice, we determined the effects of 55P0251 on glucose tolerance, insulin secretion from isolated islets and blood oxygen saturation, including head‐to‐head comparison of 55P0251 to its inverted enantiomer 55P0250, as well as to other anti‐hyperglycaemic multiflorine derivatives discovered in our programme.Results55P0251 was clearly superior to its inverted enantiomer in the glucose tolerance test (area under the curve: 11.3 mg/kg 55P0251, 1.19 ± 0.04 min*mol/L vs 55P0250, 1.80 ± 0.04 min*mol/L; P P P ConclusionsOur findings suggest that 55P0251 and related multiflorine derivatives are to be categorized as α2‐adrenoceptor antagonists with potential to lower blood glucose by blocking α2A‐adrenoceptors on pancreatic β cells.</p

Orbital effects of a monochromatic plane gravitational wave with ultra-low frequency incident on a gravitationally bound two-body system

We analytically compute the long-term orbital variations of a test particle orbiting a central body acted upon by an incident monochromatic plane gravitational wave. We assume that the characteristic size of the perturbed two-body system is much smaller than the wavelength of the wave. Moreover, we also suppose that the wave's frequency is much smaller than the particle's orbital one. We make neither a priori assumptions about the direction of the wavevector nor on the orbital geometry of the planet. We find that, while the semi-major axis is left unaffected, the eccentricity, the inclination, the longitude of the ascending node, the longitude of pericenter and the mean anomaly undergo non-vanishing long-term changes. They are not secular trends because of the slow modulation introduced by the tidal matrix coefficients and by the orbital elements themselves. They could be useful to indepenedently constrain the ultra-low frequency waves which may have been indirectly detected in the BICEP2 experiment. Our calculation holds, in general, for any gravitationally bound two-body system whose characteristic frequency is much larger than the frequency of the external wave. It is also valid for a generic perturbation of tidal type with constant coefficients over timescales of the order of the orbital period of the perturbed particle.Comment: LaTex2e, 24 pages, no figures, no tables. Changes suggested by the referees include

COX-2 Induces Breast Cancer Stem Cells via EP4/PI3K/AKT/NOTCH/WNT Axis

Cancer stem-like cells (SLC) resist conventional therapies, necessitating searches for SLC-specific targets. We established that cyclo-oxygenase(COX)-2 expression promotes human breast cancer progression by activation of the prostaglandin(PG)E-2 receptor EP4. Present study revealed that COX-2 induces SLCs by EP4-mediated NOTCH/WNT signaling. Ectopic COX-2 over-expression in MCF-7 and SKBR-3 cell lines resulted in: increased migration/invasion/proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), elevated SLCs (spheroid formation), increased ALDH activity and colocalization of COX-2 and SLC markers (ALDH1A, CD44, β-Catenin, NANOG, OCT3/4, SOX-2) in spheroids. These changes were reversed with COX-2-inhibitor or EP4-antagonist (EP4A), indicating dependence on COX-2/EP4 activities. COX-2 over-expression or EP4-agonist treatments of COX-2-low cells caused up-regulation of NOTCH/WNT genes, blocked with PI3K/AKT inhibitors. NOTCH/WNT inhibitors also blocked COX-2/EP4 induced SLC induction. Microarray analysis showed up-regulation of numerous SLC-regulatory and EMT-associated genes. MCF-7-COX-2 cells showed increased mammary tumorigenicity and spontaneous multiorgan metastases in NOD/SCID/IL-2Rγ-null mice for successive generations with limiting cell inocula. These tumors showed up-regulation of VEGF-A/C/D, Vimentin and phospho-AKT, down-regulation of E-Cadherin and enrichment of SLC marker positive and spheroid forming cells. MCF-7-COX-2 cells also showed increased lung colonization in NOD/SCID/GUSB-null mice, an effect reversed with EP4-knockdown or EP4A treatment of the MCF-7-COX-2 cells. COX-2/EP4/ALDH1A mRNA expression in human breast cancer tissues were highly correlated with one other, more marked in progressive stage of disease. In situ immunostaining of human breast tumor tissues revealed co-localization of SLC markers with COX-2, supporting COX-2 inducing SLCs. High COX-2/EP4 mRNA expression was linked with reduced survival. Thus, EP4 represents a novel SLC-ablative target in human breast cancer. Stem Cells 2016;34:2290–2305

Oral Disposition Index Predicts the Development of Future Diabetes Above and Beyond Fasting and 2-h Glucose Levels

OBJECTIVE—We sought to determine whether an oral disposition index (DIO) predicts the development of diabetes over a 10-year period. First, we assessed the validity of the DIO by demonstrating that a hyperbolic relationship exists between oral indexes of insulin sensitivity and β-cell function