Author Correction: Effect of carnosine supplementation on the plasma lipidome in overweight and obese adults: a pilot randomised controlled trial

This is a corrigendum for the article of the same title, published in Scientific Reports (2017) 7/1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-17577-

Changes in DNA methylation associated with a specific mode of delivery: a pilot study

BackgroundThe mode of delivery represents an epigenetic factor with potential to affect further development of the individual by multiple mechanisms. DNA methylation may be one of them, representing a major epigenetic mechanism involving direct chemical modification of the individual’s DNA. This pilot study aims to examine whether a specific mode of delivery induces changes of DNA methylation by comparing the umbilical cord blood and peripheral blood of the newborns.MethodsBlood samples from infants born by vaginal delivery and caesarean section were analysed to prepare the Methylseq library according to NEBNext enzymatic Methyl-seq Methylation Library Preparation Kit with further generation of target-enriched DNA libraries using the Twist Human Methylome Panel. DNA methylation status was determined using Illumina next-generation sequencing (NGS).ResultsWe identified 168 differentially methylated regions in umbilical cord blood samples and 157 regions in peripheral blood samples. These were associated with 59 common biological, metabolic and signalling pathways for umbilical cord and peripheral blood samples.ConclusionCaesarean section is likely to represent an important epigenetic factor with the potential to induce changes in the genome that could play an important role in development of a broad spectrum of disorders. Our results could contribute to the elucidation of how epigenetic factors, such as a specific mode of delivery, could have adverse impact on health of an individual later in their life

Effect of carnosine supplementation on the plasma lipidome in overweight and obese adults: a pilot randomised controlled trial

Correction/corrigendum to this article published: Baye, E., Ukropec, J., de Courten, M.P.J. et al. Author Correction: Effect of carnosine supplementation on the plasma lipidome in overweight and obese adults: a pilot randomised controlled trial. Sci Rep 10, 4384 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61335-

A carnosine intervention study in overweight human volunteers: Bioavailability and reactive carbonyl species sequestering effect

Carnosine is a natural dipeptide able to react with reactive carbonyl species, which have been recently associated with the onset and progression of several human diseases. Herein, we report an intervention study in overweight individuals. Carnosine (2 g/day) was orally administered for twelve weeks in order to evaluate its bioavailability and metabolic fate. Two carnosine adducts were detected in the urine samples of all subjects. Such adducts are generated from a reaction with acrolein, which is one of the most toxic and reactive compounds among reactive carbonyl species. However, neither carnosine nor adducts have been detected in plasma. Urinary excretion of adducts and carnosine showed a positive correlation although a high variability of individual response to carnosine supplementation was observed. Interestingly, treated subjects showed a significant decrease in the percentage of excreted adducts in reduced form, accompanied by a significant increase of the urinary excretion of both carnosine and carnosine-acrolein adducts. Altogether, data suggest that acrolein is entrapped in vivo by carnosine although the response to its supplementation is possibly influenced by individual diversities in terms of carnosine dietary intake, metabolism and basal production of reactive carbonyl species

Environmental family house Sunflower

This bachelor's thesis presents design of an L-shaped two-storey family house with a flat roof for a family of four on the outskirts of Vinary u Přerova in Olomoucký region. The house is designed on a cast-in-place ground slab based on foam glass, and its carcass is constructed of aerated concrete blocks. The external walls are insulated with EPS. The partitions are made of sand-lime blocks. The floor slabs and roof slabs are comprised of a precast concrete panel. The house is divided into a two-storey part and a single-storey part, both with green roofs. The first floor includes a wind lobby, a guest room with walk-in robe, a study, a bathroom, a separate toilet, a utility room, a pantry, and an open area consisting of a kitchen and a living room that leads directly to the terrace. The corridor also features a half-turn staircase that leads to the second floor, which has a master bedroom with walk-in robe, a children's bedroom, a bathroom, and a separate toilet. The building services include floor heating, mechanical ventilation, and cooling via fan coils. The air-water heat pump, primarily powered by photovoltaics on the roof during the day and by battery at night, provides heating and cooling. The storm water will be partly accumulated in the substrate layer of the roof and the rest will be accumulated in accumulation tank underground. The house has elements of passive building and falls in A class rating of an energy certificate

Optimization and influence of multi-hollow surface dielectric barrier discharge plasma operating conditions on the physical quality of peanut

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of atmospheric pressure plasma generated by multi-hollow surface dielectric barrier discharges on physical quality of peanut (Arachis Hypogea L). Multi-hollow surface dielectric barrier discharge is a novel plasma device applicable in food industry applications due to the capacity of the generated plasma to treat the surface of food without changing the quality. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the plasma treatment for surface treatment as raw peanut forms over a range of power (10–40 W), air flow rate (0.5–20 L/min) and time (1–15 min). The weight loss, hardness, contact angle, color parameters, microstructure, and sensory quality evaluation were evaluated during plasma treatments and modeled by response surface methodology and compared the means. Second order polynomial model adequately described the plasma treated experimental data except for sensory attributes with an insignificant lack of fit (p > 0.05). The result revealed that extreme conditions caused a decrease in L*,b*, hardness, contact angle, increased weight loss, color change and changed the microstructure of the treated peanuts

Photofragmentation laser-induced fluorescence of ozone : an in situ tool for precise mapping of ozone concentration in non-thermal plasmas

The absolute spatially resolved concentration of ozone has been determined in the near afterglow of a novel type of atmospheric multi-hollow barrier discharge using photofragmentation laser-induced fluorescence. The method consists of two steps: (i) photodissociation of O-3 to O(P-3) and O-2(X-3 Sigma(-)(g)) with considerable vibrational excitation; (ii) predissociation laser-induced fluorescence of the molecular fragment via the O-2 (B-3 Sigma(-)(u), v' = 0 <- X-3 Sigma(-)(g), v '' = 6) transition. Both processes happen during the same laser pulse, requiring the same excitation wavelength (approximate to 248 nm). The fluorescence signal has been calibrated by infrared absorption. The method allows in situ observation before the afterglow chemistry significantly affects the O-3 concentration, and is capable of revealing inhomogeneous ozone distributions in the reactor. (C) 2019 The Japan Society of Applied Physic

Selective Plasma Etching of Polymer-Metal Mesh Foil in Large-Area Hydrogen Atmospheric Pressure Plasma

We present a novel method of surface processing of complex polymer-metal composite substrates. Atmospheric-pressure plasma etching in pure H2, N2, H2/N2 and air plasmas was used to fabricate flexible transparent composite poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based polymer film/Ag-coated Cu metal wire mesh substrates with conductive connection sites by the selective removal of the thin (~10&ndash;100 nm) surface PMMA layer. To mimic large-area roll-to-roll processing, we used an advanced alumina-based concavely curved electrode generating a thin and high-power density cold plasma layer by the diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge. A short 1 s exposure to pure hydrogen plasma, led to successful highly-selective etching of the surface PMMA film without any destruction of the Ag-coated Cu metal wires embedded in the PMMA polymer. On the other hand, the use of ambient air, pure nitrogen and H2/N2 plasmas resulted in undesired degradation both of the polymer and the metal wires surfaces. Since it was found that the etching efficiency strongly depends on the process parameters, such as treatment time and the distance from the electrode surface, we studied the effect and performance of these parameters