Single Organic Droplet Collision Voltammogram via Electron Transfer Coupled Ion Transfer

Single-emulsion toluene oil droplets (femtoliter) containing a hydrophobic redox probe that are dispersed in water stochastically collide with an ultramicroelectrode (UME). The fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) or Fourier-transformed sinusoidal voltammetry (FTSV) is applied: the UME was scanned with a fast, repetitive triangular, or sinusoidal potential, and its current in time/frequency domains were monitored. The electron transfer at the UME/oil interface is coupled with ion transfer at the oil/water interface. Thus, the obtained transient voltammograms of a myriad of ions were used to estimate thermodynamics of ion transfer at the toluene/water interface. Additionally, the single-droplet voltammogram combined with finite element simulations reveal the droplet’s size and shape distributions. Four collision mechanisms with new physical insights were also uncovered via comprehensive analysis of phase angle in the frequency domain, time domain FSCVs, and finite element simulations

A Multi-Omics and Human Biomonitoring Approach to Assessing the Effectiveness of Fortified Balanced Energy–Protein Supplementation on Maternal and Newborn Health in Burkina Faso: A Study Protocol

Fortified balanced energy–protein (BEP) supplementation is a promising intervention for improving maternal health, birth outcomes and infant growth in low- and middle-income countries. This nested biospecimen sub-study aimed to evaluate the physiological effect of multi-micronutrient-fortified BEP supplementation on pregnant and lactating women and their infants. Pregnant women (15–40 years) received either fortified BEP and iron–folic acid (IFA) (intervention) or IFA only (control) throughout pregnancy. The same women were concurrently randomized to receive either a fortified BEP supplement during the first 6 months postpartum in combination with IFA for the first 6 weeks (i.e., intervention) or the postnatal standard of care, which comprised IFA alone for 6 weeks postpartum (i.e., control). Biological specimens were collected at different timepoints. Multi-omics profiles will be characterized to assess the mediating effect of BEP supplementation on the different trial arms and its effect on maternal health, as well as birth and infant growth outcomes. The mediating effect of the exposome in the relationship between BEP supplementation and maternal health, birth outcomes and infant growth were characterized via biomonitoring markers of air pollution, mycotoxins and environmental contaminants. The results will provide holistic insight into the granular physiological effects of prenatal and postnatal BEP supplementation

Clinical and biochemical profiles in response to treatment of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition : preliminary results from the multi-centric optidiag study

Background: The use of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) as the sole assessment tool for identifying children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is based on the assumption that those with low weight-for-height z-scores (WHZ) are at lower risk for morbidity and mortality than those with low MUAC. However, the pathophysiology and functional severity associated with different anthropometric phenotypes of SAM have not been well-characterized. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe and compare the response to medico-nutritional care in children with uncomplicated SAM identified among three anthropometric phenotypes: both low MUAC and low WHZ, low MUAC only, and low WHZ only. Methods: A multicentric cohort study was conducted in uncomplicated, non-edematous children aged 6-59 months with SAM in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Liberia. Alongside routine anthropometric measurements, a wide range of critical indicators of clinical and nutritional status and viability was collected at admission, two weeks and eight weeks, including serum leptin, a marker of adipose tissue reserves associated with mortality risk in SAM. Results: A total of 282 patients were included in the study (n=103 low MUAC only, n=89 low WHZ only, n=90 both deficits). Leptin levels at baseline were lower in children with combined defects in WHZ and MUAC and those with low WHZ only than in children with low MUAC alone. During eight weeks of treatment, the weight gain velocity and plasma leptin levels rose more quickly in children with combined defects than in children in the other two groups. At eight weeks those with combined defects and with low WHZ only had higher prevalence of pneumonia than children with low MUAC only. Leptin concentrations correlated far more strongly with WHZ (r=0.41, p<0.001) than with MUAC (r=0.12, p=0.074) at two weeks and eight weeks (r=0.46, r=0.32, respectively). On the other hand, the increase in leptin levels after eight weeks correlated more strongly with MUAC change (r=0.41, p<0.001) than with WHZ change (r=0.29, p<0.001). Conclusion: The correlation indicates that leptin has prognostic value for tracking adipose tissue accretion during the recovery process. Our previous analysis at admission showed that children with low WHZ only had equally or more severe deficits in nutritional and health status than children with low MUAC. The present analyses throughout recovery suggest that these children respond similarly to treatment compared with those with both deficits. Therefore, we suggest retaining WHZ as an independent criterion for diagnosing SAM, in line with current WHO recommendations. Presented at: The 11th Belgian Nutrition Society Annual Symposium; April 24th, 2023, Paleis der Academiën, Brussels, Belgium; “Nutrition and Physical Activity: from Basic Scientific to Daily Practice.” Presenting Author: Lishi Deng, MSc, PhD Candidate, [email protected]

<i>Trps1</i> Differentially Modulates the Bone Mineral Density between Male and Female Mice and Its Polymorphism Associates with BMD Differently between Women and Men

<div><p>The objective of our study was to identify genetic factors that regulate bone mineral density (BMD) in mice using well defined recombinant inbred strains. For this purpose we chose the BXD recombinant inbred (RI) strains derived from progeny of the C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) progenitor strains. We sampled both male and female mice (∼4 each) of 46 strains at 3 months-of-age, measured their BMD, and conducted QTL mapping. The data were analyzed to identify candidates genes contained within the most significant quantitative trait locus (QTL). Evaluation of candidate genes included functional assessment, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping and direct sequencing. We established that there was a QTL for BMD in males on chromosome 15 that has the impact larger than QTLs on all other chromosomes. The QTL on chromosome 15 was narrowed to a genomic region between 38 Mbp and 52 Mbp. By examining transcripts within this region, we found an important candidate gene: trichorhinophalangeal syndrome, type I (<i>Trps1</i>). SNP analysis identified a nonsynonymous SNP (<i>rs32398060</i>) in <i>Trps1</i> that co-segregated with bone mineral density. Analysis of association between this SNP within TRPS1 and BMD in a human population confirmed its significance.</p></div

TRPS1 alleles and BMD between women and men in human population.

<p><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0084485#pone-0084485-g004" target="_blank">Figure 4A</a>. The linkage disequilibrium (LD) plot of the SNPs within the TRPS1 gene. It was plotted by the software Haploview. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0084485#pone-0084485-g004" target="_blank">Figure 4B</a>. P values of 6310 among women and men. The lower the P value is, the stronger association between SNP allele and BMD is. Y-bar indicates the P values of each SNP in women and in men with different colors. X-bar indicates the number of SNP. Different color in many individual bars can be seen because the different P values between women and men in those SNP alleles. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0084485#pone-0084485-g004" target="_blank">Figure 4C</a>. Potential detection of QTL using data of BMD of the femur in female mice.</p

<i>Trps1</i> as the candidate gene for BMD in male.

<p>BMD of “G” and “C” genotypes of femur and tibia in male mice.</p