Fat Distribution and Lipid Profile of Young Adults with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Due to 21-Hydroxylase Enzyme Deficiency

We aimed to compare detailed fat distribution and lipid profile between young adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase enzyme deficiency and a control group. We also verified independent associations of treatment duration and daily hydrocortisone dose equivalent (HDE) with lipid profile within patients. This case–control study included 23 patients (7 male and 16 female) matched by an age range of young adults (18–31 years) with 20 control subjects (8 male and 12 female). Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure the fat distribution. Male patients demonstrated elevated indices of fat mass for total (7.7 ± 2.1 vs. 4.5 ± 1.3 kg/m², p = 0.003), trunk (4.0 ± 1.2 vs. 2.2 ± 0.8 kg/m², p = 0.005), android (0.63 ± 0.24 vs. 0.32 ± 0.15 kg/m², p = 0.008), gynoid (1.34 ± 0.43 vs. 0.74 ± 0.24 kg/m², p = 0.005), arm (0.65 ± 0.16 vs. 0.39 ± 0.10 kg/m², p = 0.009), and leg regions (2.7 ± 0.8 vs. 1.6 ± 0.4 kg/m², p = 0.005) than the control group, but not in females. However, female patients demonstrated elevated ratio of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (1.90 ± 0.46 vs. 1.39 ± 0.47, p = 0.009) than the control group, but not in males. Total fat mass was inversely correlated with total testosterone (r = −0.64, p = 0.014) and positively correlated with leptin in males (r = 0.75, p = 0.002). An elevated daily HDE (β = 0.43, p = 0.038 and β = 0.47, p = 0.033) and trunk to total fat mass ratio (β = 0.46, p = 0.025, and β = 0.45, p = 0.037) were independently correlated with impaired lipid profile markers. Although there is no altered lipid profile, male patients demonstrated an increased fat distribution. However, female patients presented with an impaired lipid profile marker but demonstrated close values of normal fat distribution. Interestingly, the dose of glucocorticoid therapy can have some role in the lipid mechanisms.     

Graphical Methodology to Study the Corona Onset Voltage for Electrostatic Precipitation of Nanoparticles

Theoretical Foundations of Chemical Engineering - The corona onset voltage is an important operating parameter in the electrostatic precipitation of nanoparticulate, however, its experimental...     

Effect of RF magnetron sputtering parameters on the optimization of the discharge capacity of ternary lithium oxide thin films

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - The increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries has stimulated the investigation of new compounds in order to reduce the costs and the...     

Diverse food in urban gardens in the promotion of food and nutrition security in Brazil: a review

Food and nutrition security can be supported by an urban garden. The present study comprises a critical reflection on the difficulty of producing food in urban gardens in Brazil and shows the potential of food production and the obstacles to its expansion. In addition, issues related to the agroecological management of gardens are addressed and suggestions are made to improve the proposed public policies. Urban gardens are multifunctional and have social, economic and environmental impacts. They are strategically important for supporting low-income families and urban development. Through urban gardens, diverse foods and quality foods can be produced for self-consumption. This review highlights the importance of generating detailed information on urban gardens in Brazil to support policies aimed at this sector. Long-term and multidisciplinary studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between food production in urban gardens and household food and nutrition security. This approach revealed a lack of information on the amount of food produced by Brazilians in their gardens and consumed by the household. In addition, there is little information on the management of production. There is a gap relating to the impact of food produced in urban gardens and the prevalence of food and nutrition security. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Kinetics of Soybean Oil Hydrolysis on Niobium Catalysts

The catalytic hydrolysis of soybean oil was used as an alternative for the production of monoglycerides (MG) and diglycerides (DG). The reactions were conducted in a stainless-steel tubular reactor in the temperature range of 240–290 °C, on niobium phosphate (NBP) and niobium oxide (NBO) as catalysts. In the hydrolysis reactions at 270 °C, the maximum selectivities of the products of interest were obtained at 22 % MG and 48 % DG for the reaction with NBP, and 7 % MG and 33 % DG with NBO, for 59 % and 36 % of triglyceride conversion in 10 min, respectively. The proposed kinetic model presented a good fit of the theoretical model with the experimental data, showing that the previous hypotheses considered for the mechanism development are suitable for describing the kinetics of soybean oil hydrolysis.     

Seeing is believing? When scanning electron microscopy (SEM) meets clinical dentistry: The replica technique.

In restorative dentistry, the in situ replication of intra‐oral situations, is based on a non‐invasive and non‐destructive scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluation method. The technique is suitable for investigation restorative materials and dental hard‐ and soft‐tissues, and its interfaces. Surface characteristics, integrity of interfaces (margins), or fracture analysis (chipping, cracks, etc.) with reliable resolution and under high magnification (from ×50 to ×5,000). Overall the current study aims to share detailed and reproducible information about the replica technique. Specific goals are: (a) to describe detailed each step involved in producing a replica of an intra‐oral situation, (b) to validate an integrated workflow based on a rational sequence from visual examination, to macrophotography and SEM analysis using the replica technique; (c) to present three clinical cases documented using the technique. A compilation of three clinical situations/cases were analyzed here by means the replica technique showing a wide range of possibilities that can be reached and explored with the described technique. This guidance document will contribute to a more accurate use of the replica technique and help researchers and clinicians to understand and identify issues related to restorative procedures under high magnification.