Resonant Absorption in GaAs-Based Nanowires by Means of Photo-Acoustic Spectroscopy

Semiconductor nanowires made of high refractive index materials can couple the incoming light to specific waveguide modes that offer resonant absorption enhancement under the bandgap wavelength, essential for light harvesting, lasing and detection applications. Moreover, the non-trivial ellipticity of such modes can offer near field interactions with chiral molecules, governed by near chiral field. These modes are therefore very important to detect. Here, we present the photo-acoustic spectroscopy as a low-cost, reliable, sensitive and scattering-free tool to measure the spectral position and absorption efficiency of these modes. The investigated samples are hexagonal nanowires with GaAs core; the fabrication by means of lithography-free molecular beam epitaxy provides controllable and uniform dimensions that allow for the excitation of the fundamental resonant mode around 800 nm. We show that the modulation frequency increase leads to the discrimination of the resonant mode absorption from the overall absorption of the substrate. As the experimental data are in great agreement with numerical simulations, the design can be optimized and followed by photo-acoustic characterization for a specific application

Globalization, Global Governance and the Social Determinants of Health: A review of the linkages and agenda for action

The Globalization Knowledge Network (GKN) was formed in 2005 with the purpose of examining how contemporary globalization was influencing social determinants of health. It was one of nine Knowledge Networks providing evidence-informed guidance to the work of the World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2005-2008): like most of the Knowledge Networks, its operations were financed by an external funder (in this case, the International Affairs Directorate of Health Canada, Canada’s national ministry of health). The GKN conducted two face-to-face meetings to debate, discuss, outline and review its work, and produced thirteen background papers and a Final Report. These papers and the Final Report underwent extensive internal and external peer review to ensure that their findings and policy inferences accurately reflected available evidence and scholarship. This GKN publication series was prepared under the general editorship of Ronald Labonté, with assistance from Vivien Runnels and copy-editing provided by Wayne Harding. All views expressed are exclusively those of the authors. A complete list of titles in the publication series appears on the inside back cover of this monograph

Effect of maternal lifestyle intervention on metabolic health and adiposity of offspring : Findings from the Finnish Gestational Diabetes Prevention Study (RADIEL)

Aim. - To assess in women at high risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) the effect of a lifestyle intervention on the metabolic health of their offspring around 5 years after delivery. Methods. - For the original Finnish gestational diabetes prevention study (RADIEL), 720 women with a prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) >= 30 kg/m(2) and/or previous GDM were enrolled before or during early pregnancy and allocated to either an interventional (n = 126) or conventional (n = 133) care group. The present 5-year follow-up substudy assessed the metabolic health outcomes of their offspring. Ageand gender-standardized residuals of metabolic health components (waist circumference, mean arterial pressure, high-density lipoprotein and triglyceride levels, and fasting insulin/glucose ratio) were also combined to determine the accumulation of metabolic effects. Body composition was assessed by electrical bioimpedance. Results. - Offspring of women in the intervention group had a less optimal metabolic profile after the 5-year follow-up compared with offspring in the usual care group (P = 0.014). This difference in metabolic health was primarily related to lipid metabolism, and was more prominent among boys (P = 0.001) than girls (P = 0.74). Neither GDM, gestational weight gain, prepregnancy BMI, offspring age nor timing of randomization (before or during pregnancy) could explain the detected difference, which was also more pronounced among the offspring of GDM pregnancies (P= 0.010). Offspring body composition was similar in both groups (P> 0.05). Conclusion. - The lifestyle intervention aimed at GDM prevention was associated with unfavourable metabolic outcomes among offspring at around 5 years of age. (C) 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Comprehensive self-tracking of blood glucose and lifestyle with a mobile application in the management of gestational diabetes : a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial (eMOM GDM study)

IntroductionGestational diabetes (GDM) causes various adverse short-term and long-term consequences for the mother and child, and its incidence is increasing globally. So far, the most promising digital health interventions for GDM management have involved healthcare professionals to provide guidance and feedback. The principal aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of comprehensive and real-time self-tracking with eMOM GDM mobile application (app) on glucose levels in women with GDM, and more broadly, on different other maternal and neonatal outcomes.Methods and analysisThis randomised controlled trial is carried out in Helsinki metropolitan area. We randomise 200 pregnant women with GDM into the intervention and the control group at gestational week (GW) 24-28 (baseline, BL). The intervention group receives standard antenatal care and the eMOM GDM app, while the control group will receive only standard care. Participants in the intervention group use the eMOM GDM app with continuous glucose metre (CGM) and activity bracelet for 1 week every month until delivery and an electronic 3-day food record every month until delivery. The follow-up visit after intervention takes place 3 months post partum for both groups. Data are collected by laboratory blood tests, clinical measurements, capillary glucose measures, wearable sensors, air displacement plethysmography and digital questionnaires. The primary outcome is fasting plasma glucose change from BL to GW 35-37. Secondary outcomes include, for example, self-tracked capillary fasting and postprandial glucose measures, change in gestational weight gain, change in nutrition quality, change in physical activity, medication use due to GDM, birth weight and fat percentage of the child.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by Ethics Committee of the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District. The results will be presented in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences.Peer reviewe

Body size modifies the relationship between maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and gestational diabetes in high-risk women

Obesity increases the risk of low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) D) concentrations and gestational diabetes (GDM). We explored whether the association between GDM and change in 25(OH) D concentrations measured in the first (7-18 wk) and second (20-27 wk) trimesters of pregnancy is dependent on maternal BMI. The study was a prospective study of 219 women with BMI of >= 30 kg/m2, a history of GDM, or both. The participants were stratified by first-trimester BMI: BMI of = 35 kg/m(2). In the BMI group >= 35 kg/m(2), those who did not develop GDM during the follow-up showed higher increase in serum 25(OH) D concentrations compared with women who developed GDM (43.2 vs. 11.5%; P <0.001). No associations between 25(OH) D concentrations and GDM were observed in other BMI groups. These findings give an important aspect of the role of maternal body size in the association between vitamin D and GDM in high-risk women.Peer reviewe

Elevated serum squalene and cholesterol synthesis markers in pregnant obese women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Peer reviewe

Inguinal hernia surgery in the Netherlands: are patients treated according to the guidelines?

Purpose In 2003, a dedicated Dutch committee developed vidence-based guidelines for the treatment of nguinal hernia (IH) in children and adults. The aim of this tudy was to describe trends in hernia care before and after he publication of the guidelines on IH surgery in the etherlands. ethods Originally, a retrospective baseline analysis of H surgery in 90 Dutch hospitals was performed among atients treated for IH in 2001. The results of this baseline nalysis were compared with a recently performed second nalysis of patients treated for IH in 2005. esults In children\\4 years of age, the study showed a ignificant decrease of contralateral explorations. In adults, he study showed that significantly more patients were reated with a mesh-based repair in 2005 (95.9 vs. 78.8%, <0.01eover, there was an increase of patients ith bilateral hernia treated with an endoscopic technique 41.5 vs. 22.3%, P<0.01) and more patients were treated n day surgery (53.5 vs. 38.6%, P<0.01). Lastly, a decline n operations performed for recurrent IH in adults was bserved (10.9 vs. 13.3%, P<0.01). onclusion This study showed that most patients with IH n the Netherlands were treated according to the main ecommendations of the Dutch evidence-based guidelines

Elucidation of Phosphatidylcholine Composition in Krill Oil Extracted from Euphausia superba

High performance liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry was used to elucidate the phospholipids in krill oil extracted from Euphausia superba, an emerging source for human nutritional supplements. The study was carried out in order to map the species of the choline-containing phospholipid classes: phosphatidylcholine and lyso-phosphatidylcholine. In addition, the prevalent phosphatidylcholine class was quantified and the results compared with prior analysis. The qualification was performed with separation on a reverse phase chromatography column, while the quantification was obtained with class separation on a normal phase chromatography column. An Orbitrap system was used for the detection, and pulsed-Q dissociation fragmentation was utilized for the identification of the species. An asymmetrical exclusion list was applied for detection of phospholipid species of lower concentration, significantly improving the number of species observed. A total of 69 choline-containing phospholipids were detected, whereof 60 phosphatidylcholine substances, among others seven with probable omega-3 fatty acids in both sn-1 and sn-2. The phosphatidylcholine concentration was estimated to be 34 ± 5 g/100 g oil (n = 5). These results confirm the complexity of the phospholipid composition of krill oil, and the presence of long chained, heavily unsaturated fatty acids

Prescribing exercise and lifestyle training for high risk women in pregnancy and early post-partum—is it worth it?

In a Perspective, Jane Norman and Rebecca Reynolds discuss two randomized controlled trials aimed at testing behavioral interventions for women at risk of gestational diabetes