Nutritional Management of Thyroiditis of Hashimoto

Since the thyroid gland is one of the organs most affected by autoimmune processes, many patients with thyroiditis of Hashimoto (TH) seek medical advice on lifestyle variance and dietary modifications to improve and maintain their hyroid function. In this review, we aim to present and discuss some challenges associated with the nutritional management of TH, focusing on environmental and dietary deficits, inflammatory and toxic nutrients, cyanotoxins, etc. We discuss the relationships among different diets, chronic inflammation, and microbiota, and their impact on the development and exacerbation of TH in detail. We share some novel insights into the role of vitamin D and melatonin for preserving thyroid function during chronic inflammation in autoimmune predisposed subjects. A comprehensive overview is provided on anti-inflammatory nutrients and ecological diets, including foods for cleansing and detoxification, which represent strategies to prevent relapses and achieve overall improvement of life quality. In conclusion, data from biomedical and clinical studies provide evidence that an appropriate dietary and lighting regimen could significantly improve the function of the thyroid gland and reduce the reactivity of autoantibodies in TH. Compliance with nutritional guidelines may help TH patients to reduce the need for medicines.     

Non-invasive electrogastrography. Part 2. Human electrogastrogram

The physiologic stress of various dental procedures (dental examination, dental prophylaxis, restoration, root canal therapy, and tooth extraction) was measured in 50 nonsmoking healthy men between the ages of 18 and 55 years (mean 34.6 years, range 21 to 53 years) with a salivary cortisol assay. Expectorated saliva was collected at four time points: 10 minutes before the start of the procedure, 15 minutes after the patient was seated, at the end of the procedure, and 1 hour after the completion of the procedure. Of the 196 samples included for analysis, mean cortisol values ranged from 0.1 to 3.8 micrograms/dl with a recovery of 100% +/- 8.4%. The mean cortisol value for the extraction group (1.09 +/- 0.42 microgram/dl) was significantly different (p < 0.05) from the mean values of the examination (0.46 +/- 0.10 microgram/dl), prophylaxis (0.64 +/- 0.64 microgram/dl), root canal (0.49 +/- 0.07 microgram/dl), and restorative (0.60 +/- 0.04 microgram/dl) groups as determined by the Duncan's multiple range test. Cortisol levels decreased from the initial reading to the end of the procedure by about 15% for patients undergoing an examination, root canal, and restorative procedure. Cortisol levels at the end of the procedure were elevated in the prophylaxis (55%) and extraction (148%) groups compared with the baseline cortisol recording. A minority of patients in the prophylaxis group had elevated cortisol levels throughout dental treatment, whereas cortisol levels were elevated during treatment in 80% of patients undergoing extraction. These data suggest that the adrenal stress response associated with tooth extraction(s) is greater than that associated with other routine dental procedures.     

Integrated eco-design decision-making for sustainable product development

This paper presents an integrated eco-design decision-making (IEDM) methodology that is formed using three stages: life cycle assessment, an eco-design process (Eco-Process) model and an enhanced eco-design quality function deployment process. All product sustainability considerations are conducted within a special eco-design house of quality. This brings together the analysis of factors relating to manufacturing processes, product usage and end-of-life strategy. The concentration of environmental considerations in one place insures that product sustainability is central to any design development and that the implications of change are fully identified and justified. The IEDM methodology utilises of a set of Eco-Process parameters and their associated relationships to allow users with complementary knowledge to enter and access information in a timely and controlled manner. They are then able to contribute their expertise to support decisions with the aim of providing more sustainable products. An application of the approach is presented in the context of a case study considering the redesign of a single-use medical forceps. The materials and production methods used are investigated with a view to quantifying their environmental impact. The resulting IEDM methodology can be seen to be widely and easily applicable.     

The In-Plane Anisotropy of the Hall Anomaly in BSCCO Whiskers

No Heading The Hall effect in single crystal BSCCO whiskers has been measured, with the current flowing along the a and b crystallographic directions. The ab-plane anisotropy of the Hall anomaly is found. The magnitude of the anomaly, as well as its anisotropy, are strongly affected by the structural defects.PACS Numbers: 74.72.Hs, 74.80.Dm, 72.15.Gd.     

Identification of solitary-wave solutions as an inverse problem: Application to shapes with oscillatory tails

The propagation of stationary solitary waves on an infinite elastic rod on elastic foundation equation is considered. The asymptotic boundary conditions admit the trivial solution along with the solution of type of solitary wave, which is a bifurcation problem.     

Facet-Dependent Intrinsic Activity of Single Co3O4 Nanoparticles for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Deciphering the influence of nanocatalyst morphology on their catalytic activity in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the limiting reaction in water splitting process, is essential to develop highly active precious metal-free catalysts, yet poorly understood. The intrinsic OER activity of Co₃O₄ nanocubes and spheroids is probed at the single particle level to unravel the correlation between exposed facets, (001) vs. (111), and activity. Single cubes with predominant (001) facets show higher activity than multi-faceted spheroids. Density functional theory calculations of different terminations and reaction sites at (001) and (111) surfaces confirm the higher activity of the former, expressed in lower overpotentials. This is rationalized by a change in the active site from octahedral to tetrahedral Co and the potential-determining step from *OH to *O for the cases with lowest overpotentials at the (001) and (111) surfaces, respectively. This approach enables the identification of highly active facets to guide shape-selective syntheses of improved metal oxide nanocatalysts for water oxidation.     

Effect of different yeast species on the production of pumpkin based wine

Pumpkin is an important, nutrient rich vegetable grown around the world. In this work, pumpkin, pomegranate and wild apricot were blended to make a pumpkin based wine. The pulps of different fruits were blended at 60:20:20 and the must was prepared using different concentrations of sugars (22°Bx, 24°Bx and 26°Bx), with diammonium hydrogen phosphate (0.1%) and SO2 (50 ppm) constant in all the treatments. The musts were fermented at 28°C using different activated yeast starter cultures (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii individually and in combination). Among the various treatments, the treatment prepared with 22°Bx initial sugar concentration and fermented with mixed culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii was adjudged as the best with highest concentration of total phenols, optimum level of alcohol, total sugar, esters, lower volatile acidity, ascorbic acid, carotenoids and higher alcohol. Further, the treatment also had higher amount of DPPH Scavenging activity, Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power and ABTS activity.     

Non-invasive electrocologram: correlation between the electrical activity of the dog colonic muscle wall recorded by cutaneous and implanted electrodes

Chronic experiments were performed on dogs with silver, bipolar, ball-shaped electrodes implanted on the colonic and of the gastric muscle wall. Cutaneous electrodes were placed on the abdominal wall, along the projection of descending colon and also of the stomach, at the beginning of each experiment. Slow waves were led off in the electrocolomyogram (EColMG), corresponding to low-amplitude waves in the non-invasive electrocologram (EColG) with a frequency of 6.39 +/- 0.58 cpm (type A). When bursts of spike potentials appeared with the slow waves in the EColMG, increase of the amplitude of the EColG waves and decrease of the frequency (1.90 +/- 0.20 cpm) was observed. There was a significant difference between the colonic wave frequency and the frequency of the gastric waves (3.96 +/- 0.28 cpm). A good correlation was found between the number and frequency of the spike potentials in a group in the EColMG and the wave amplitude in the EColG. A sequence of low-frequency, high-amplitude waves (type B) characterized an activity period, while a sequence of low-amplitude, high-frequency waves (type A) corresponded to a quiescent period of the colonic motility. Thus the functional state of the colonic muscle wall could be judged by the differences in the frequency and amplitude of the EColG waves.     

Thin oxide mos damage generated after treatment in a merie reactor

The effect of magnetized non-uniform helium plasma on the properties of thin oxide (11–13 nm) MOS structures has been investigated by means of the HLFCV technique. The plasma reactor system used is like a magnetically enhanced reactive ion etcher. The damage creation for MOS structures with various Al gate thicknesses was determined as a function of discharge parameters and plasma exposure time. The creation of a large amount of defects in the form of a fixed oxide charge and interface states is found; the build-up plasma damage process is very rapid, particularly during the first 5–30 s of the plasma exposure time and it depends essentially on the Al gate thickness. It is established that build-up damage depends on the plasma non-uniformity, but the non-uniformity is neither the only nor the dominating factor.     

Abnormalities in functional development of the Sertoli cells in rats treated neonatally with diethylstilbestrol: a possible role for estrogens in Sertoli cell development

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) was administered neonatally (Days 2-12; 10 microg on alternate days) to rats, and developmental changes in Sertoli cell function were evaluated at 18, 25, and 35 days of age and compared to those observed in rats administered a GnRH antagonist (GnRHa; Days 2 and 5; 10 mg/kg) or a vehicle (controls). DES and GnRHa treatments resulted in similar reductions in both Sertoli cell numbers (40% for DES, 48% for GnRHa) and suppression of testicular growth at 18 and 25 days, though by 35 days the suppression was more pronounced (p < 0.001) in DES-treated animals. Plasma FSH levels were suppressed markedly at 18 and 25 days, but not at 35 days, in GnRHa-treated rats, whereas in DES-treated rats the FSH levels were suppressed significantly only at 35 days. Both treatments suppressed plasma levels of inhibin B, though this was more pronounced (p < 0.05) in DES- than in GnRHa-treated rats. In controls, Sertoli cell immunoexpression of inhibin alpha, sulfated glycoprotein-1 (SGP-1), and androgen receptor (AR) increased in intensity and changed to an adult, stage-dependent pattern by 25 days. In GnRHa-treated rats these changes were reduced in intensity but were similar to those in controls at 35 days. In DES-treated rats, the increase in intensity and stage-dependent pattern of immunoexpression of inhibin alpha, SGP-1, and AR were virtually absent at 25 days but were present by 35 days. Germ cell volume per Sertoli cell was reduced in GnRHa- and DES-treated rats compared with controls at 18 and 25 days but was significantly greater (p < 0. 001) in DES- than in GnRHa-treated rats at 35 days. The proportion of apoptotic to viable germ cells was increased (p < 0.01) in GnRHa- and DES-treated rats compared with controls at 18 and 25 days; but at 35 days, values in GnRHa-treated rats had declined to control values whereas those for DES-treated rats remained 10-fold elevated (p < 0.001). In adulthood, testis weight and daily sperm production were reduced by 43% and 44%, respectively, in GnRHa-treated rats, but spermatogenesis was grossly normal. Comparable changes were observed in approximately 25% of DES-treated rats, but the majority exhibited > 60% reduction in testis weight with many Sertoli cell-only tubules and very low daily sperm production. Taken together, these data are interpreted as providing evidence for direct modulation of Sertoli cell (maturational) development by DES.