Differences in carotid artery atherosclerosis between men and women in the early phase after ischemic event

Objectives There is little data about sex differences in carotid atherosclerosis in the early phase after an ischemic event. The aim of this study was to examine the carotid artery atherosclerosis differences between men and women in early phase after TIA or stroke. Methods Consecutive patients with recent ischemic event, admitted during the first week after symptom onset were examined with ultrasound. Sex differences in degree of stenosis, number of plaques and plaque morphology were compared. Plaque morphology was assessed by gray-scale median (GSM), according to which lower values were associated with hemorrhagic/necrotic core indicating plaque instability. Results Of the 316 patients with ischemic events, 196 (50.5% male) entered the study. Men had more often moderate as well as severe ipsilateral carotid stenosis (12.1% vs 7.2% for moderate and 12.1% vs 2.1% for severe; p=0.024). Men had more often the largest plaque hypoechogenic contralateral (62.6% vs 37.1%, p=0.0008), but not ipsilateral. Men had 3 or more hypoechogenic plaques (24.2% vs 4.1%, p=0.0001; 17.2% vs 4.1%, p<0.0001) both ipsi and contralateral respectively. Male sex was a risk factor for having 3 or more ipsilateral hypoechogenic plaques (p=0.002, OR=20 CI 95% [5.5–75]. Conclusions Men had more often carotid stenosis and higher number of hypoechogenic plaques

Placental insufficiency resulting in fetal growth restriction alters synaptic development and neuronal myelination in guinea pigs at term

Aberrant neuronal connectivity in utero may underlie the association between fetal growth restriction (FGR) and increased risk for later cognitive disorders and encephalopathy. This study examines changes in synaptic development and myelination focussing on the hippocampus using a guinea pig model of placental insufficiency. Placental insufficiency was induced at mid-gestation by uterine artery ligation or cauterization which produced fetuses with a range of body weight and proportion at term. Synaptic markers, synaptophysin and synaptopodin, were decreased in FGR animals suggesting fewer synapses were formed and furthermore that fewer synapses matured with symmetrical growth restriction when compared to appropriate for gestational age guinea pigs. Myelination, measured using myelin basic protein and luxol fast blue, was also reduced in FGR animals and increased in large animals compared to appropriate size for gestational age guinea pigs. Therefore, neuronal connections altered with FGR and may spur difficulties in early childhood neurodevelopment and various neurological sequellae

Die Nachkommen von prominenten Nazis und ihr schweres Erbe

Gegenstand der vorliegenden Arbeit sind die autobiographischen Berichte von Kindern ausgewählter Nazigrößen (Margret Nissen, Richard von Schirach, Rolf Mengele, Barbara Bronnen, Katrin Himmler, Claudia Brunner, Uwe von Seltmann). Die Autoren berichten von ihrer Kindheit, von der Beziehung zu den Eltern und wie sich diese Beziehung im Laufe der Zeit geändert hat. Vor allem ist hier der väterliche Elternteil gemeint, der oft in die Verbrechen des "Dritten Reiches" verstrickt war. Die Analyse der ausgewählten Texte umfasst die Verarbeitung der Erfahrungen von Autoren sowie die Ähnlichkeiten und Unterschiede zwischen den einzelnen Berichten. Anhand der angeführten Beispiele wird das Thema der Arbeit bestätigt, indem die Kinder und Enkel prominenter Nazis ein schweres Erbe zu tragen haben. Schon in ihrer Kindheit, als der väterliche Elternteil entweder verhaftet oder getötet wurde, hatten sie mit vielen Schicksalsschlägen zu kämpfen, indem die ganze Familie mittellos zurückgelassen wurde. Im Erwachsenenleben setzte sich das fort, als sie die Last des eigenen Familiennamens tragen mussten

Solution electrospinning and properties of poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) fibers

Abstract: Poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF) is an attractive bio-based alternative to petroleum-based polymers. In this work, novel PEF-based nonwovens were obtained by the solution electrospinning, using as solvents: trifluoroacetic acid, its mixtures with dichloromethane and dichloroethane, and also 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol. The effect of the solvent type and PEF concentration on the fiber thickness and the properties of nonwovens was studied. The average thickness of nonwoven fibers ranged from 180 nm to 2.3 μm. The fibers were amorphous with the glass transition temperature of 85–87 °C. The nonwovens were strongly hydrophobic, with water contact angles of 144–146° although they exhibited the rose petal effect. The mechanical properties of the materials were influenced by their porosity and fiber thickness. The nonwoven electrospun from 20 wt% PEF solution in trifluoroacetic acid, with an average fiber diameter of 2.13 μm and a porosity of 74%, exhibited the highest tensile strength and elongation at break, 10.8 MPa and 190%, respectively

Economic, Social and Cultural Changes in the Polish Village

Preobražaj agrarne, klasne i socijalno-profesionaine strukture u poljskom selu nakon drugoga svetskog rata uslovljen .je, pre svega, društveno-političkim promenama i intenzivnim procesom industrijalizacije i urbanizacije zemlje. Promene u agraru nastale su provedbom poljoprivredne reforme koja je obuhvatila četiri važna problema: zemlja seljaka (društvena struktura seljaka i njihov socijalno-politički status), poljoprivreda i odnos sela i grada, odnosno poljoprivrede i industrije. Razvoj sela nastavlja se i dalje u skladu sa politikom tehničkoga i društvenog preobražaja sela. Posebno se očei<uje poboljšanje agrarne strukture individualne proizvodnje zahvaljujući povećanju površine pojedinih imanja i organizovanju individualnih zemljoradnika u proizvodne kolektive. U vreme izgradnje narodne Poljske došlo je takođe do burnih promena u kulturno-prosvetnom životu seoskog stanovništva. Prvi zadatak nove vlade bio je likvidacija nepismenosti i uspostavljanje obaveznog školovanja za svu decu do četrnaest godina (posle do petnaest godina). I dalje se vodi dosledna politika u oblasti razvoja kulture, usmerena prevazilaženju razlika u razvoju kulture na selu i u gradu. Pojačava se mreža već postojećih biblioteka, bioskopa, domova kulture, klubova i drugih ustanova tog tipa.The transformation of the agrarian, class and socio-professional structure of the Polish village after World War II primarily results from socio-political change and the intense process of industrialization and urbanization that swept over the whole country. Changes in agriculture resulted from the agricultural reform which included four important problems: peasant land, (the social structure of the peasants and their socio-political status), agriculture and the relationship between the village and the town, and between agriculture and industry. The village continues to develop in harmony with the policy of its technological and social transformation. An improvement of the agrarian structure of individual production is especially to be expected thanks to an increase of the area of private farms and the organization of farmers into production collectives. During the development of national Poland there were also great changes in the cultural and educational life of the rural population. The first task of the new government was to get rid of illiteracy and it introduced compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14 (later 15). This consistent policy in the field of cultural development is continuing, and its main aim is to overcome cultural diferences between the village and the town. The already existing network of libraries, cinemas, halls of culture, clubs and other institutions of that type is being expanded

Low birth weight followed by postnatal over-nutrition in the guinea pig exposes a predominant player in the development of vascular dysfunction.

The association between intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and hypertension is well established, yet the interaction between IUGR and other pathogenic contributors remains ill-defined. This study examined the independent and interactive effects of fetal growth reduction resulting in low birth weight (LBW), and postnatal Western diet (WD) on vascular function. Growth reduction was induced in pregnant guinea pigs by uterine artery ablation. LBW and normal birth weight (NBW) offspring were randomly assigned to a control diet (CD) or a WD. In young adulthood, length-tension curves were generated in aortic rings and responses to methacholine (MCh) were evaluated in the carotid and aorta using wire myography. Relative to NBW/CD, aortae of NBW/WD offspring were stiffer, as determined by a leftward shift in the length-tension curve, yet the shift in the LBW/CD curve was considerably greater. Aortic stiffening was most severe in LBW/WD (slope: NBW/CD, 1.97 ± 0.04; NBW/WD, 2.16 ± 0.04; LBW/CD, 2.28 ± 0.05; LBW/WD, 2.34 ± 0.07). Maximal responses (Emax) to MCh were significantly blunted in the aorta of LBW/CD vs. NBW/CD (P \u3c 0.05) and in LBW/WD vs. NBW/WD offspring (P \u3c 0.05); but WD alone had no influence on MCh responses. Emax values for carotid responses to MCh were reduced in LBW/CD vs. NBW/CD (P \u3c 0.05). Thus, aortic stiffening was influenced more by LBW than by a postnatal WD and the most severe stiffening was observed in LBW/WD offspring. In contrast, blunted endothelial responses in LBW/CD offspring were not exacerbated by WD. IUGR may have a greater independent impact on vascular function than a postnatal WD

Low birth weight followed by postnatal over-nutrition in the guinea pig exposes a predominant player in the development of vascular dysfunction

The association between intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and hypertension is well established, yet the interaction between IUGR and other pathogenic contributors remains ill-defined. This study examined the independent and interactive effects of fetal growth reduction resulting in low birth weight (LBW), and postnatal Western diet (WD) on vascular function. Growth reduction was induced in pregnant guinea pigs by uterine artery ablation. LBW and normal birth weight (NBW) offspring were randomly assigned to a control diet (CD) or a WD. In young adulthood, length-tension curves were generated in aortic rings and responses to methacholine (MCh) were evaluated in the carotid and aorta using wire myography. Relative to NBW/CD, aortae of NBW/WD offspring were stiffer, as determined by a leftward shift in the length-tension curve, yet the shift in the LBW/CD curve was considerably greater. Aortic stiffening was most severe in LBW/WD (slope: NBW/CD, 1.97 ± 0.04; NBW/WD, 2.16 ± 0.04; LBW/CD, 2.28 ± 0.05; LBW/WD, 2.34 ± 0.07). Maximal responses (Emax) to MCh were significantly blunted in the aorta of LBW/CD vs. NBW/CD (P \u3c 0.05) and in LBW/WD vs. NBW/WD offspring (P \u3c 0.05); but WD alone had no influence on MCh responses. Emax values for carotid responses to MCh were reduced in LBW/CD vs. NBW/CD (P \u3c 0.05). Thus, aortic stiffening was influenced more by LBW than by a postnatal WD and the most severe stiffening was observed in LBW/WD offspring. In contrast, blunted endothelial responses in LBW/CD offspring were not exacerbated by WD. IUGR may have a greater independent impact on vascular function than a postnatal WD

The influence of chemical composition of aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters on their properties

The chain microstructure and properties of a series of aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters in a range of compositions from 10 to 100% of aromatic components were studied by examining melting and crystallization behaviors, dynamic mechanical response, morphology, wide- (WAXS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and tensile deformation. Chain microstructure was analyzed by $^{1}H$ NMR. The results indicate that most of copolyesters used in this study have essentially random distribution of comonomers. Copolyesters with more than 30 mol% of aromatic part crystallize with a crystal structure characteristic for homopolymer poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT). However, some of the reflections from crystal planes are shifted towards lower diffraction angles as compared to butylene terephthalate homoplymer. The phase transition temperatures decrease with increasing aliphatic content. By means of polarized light microscopy (PLM), small-angle light scattering (SALS) and SAXS, crystallization behavior of a selected aliphatic-aromatic copolyester was further explored. Selected copolyester crystallizes in the form of thin fibrous crystals, few nanometers thick, which is the main factor influencing the depression of its melting temperature

Reinforcement of graphene nanoplatelets on plasticized poly (lactic acid) nanocomposites: mechanical, thermal, morphology, and antibacterial properties

Plasticized poly(lactic acid) (PLA)‐based nanocomposites filled with graphene nanoplatelets (xGnP) and containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and epoxidized palm oil (EPO) with ratio 2 : 1 (2P : 1E) as hybrid plasticizer were prepared by melt blending method. The key objective is to take advantage of plasticization to increase the material ductility while preserving valuable stiffness, strength, and toughness via addition of xGnP. The tensile modulus of PLA/2P : 1E/0.1 wt % xGnP was substantially improved (30%) with strength and elasticity maintained, as compared to plasticized PLA. TGA analysis revealed that the xGnP was capable of acting as barrier to reduce thermal diffusion across the plasticized PLA matrix, and thus enhanced thermal stability of the plasticized PLA. Incorporation of xGnP also enhanced antimicrobial activity of nanocomposites toward Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes