Metabolic parameters and risk factors associated with abdominal obesity among female adolescents in public schools in the Distrito Federal (Brazil)

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of abdominal obesity and investigate their association with parameters markers of metabolic syndrome (MS) and its risk factors in female adolescents. It is a cross-sectional study with 150 adolescents from 10 public schools in the Federal District, Brazil. The presence of abdominal obesity was considered by measuring waist circumference above the 80th percentile, according to Taylor et al. (2000). The associated factors included sociodemographic characteristics, health status of adolescents and their parents, physical activity, eating habits, blood pressure and biochemical profile. The abdominal obesity prevalence ratio (PR) was estimated by Poisson regression model, with 95% CI. Among the adolescents studied (age= 15.6 +/- 0.8 years; BMI = 21.0 +/- 3.0 kg/m2), prevalence of abdominal obesity was 20%, and this condition was not associated with sociodemographic variables, physical activity and diet. However, abdominal obesity was significantly associated with intake of less than 4 meals a day (PR = 2.27; IC95% 1.27-4.10), previous obesity (PR = 2.36; IC95% 1.31-4.01), history of parental chronic disease (PR = 3.55; IC 95% 1.63-7.75), fasting insulin = 15 uUi/mL (PR = 3.05; IC 95% 1.36-6.82) e HDL-c > 40 mg/dL (PR = 0.39; IC95% 0.23-0.67). In this population, modifiable factors, family history and determinants of MS, such as insulin and HDL-c were associated with abdominal obesity, which points to the need for effective health promotion among adolescents.     

Thermoelectric Modules Based on Half-Heusler Materials Produced in Large Quantities

Half-Heusler (HH) compounds are some of the most promising candidates among the medium-temperature thermoelectric materials being investigated for automotive and industrial waste heat recovery applications. For n- as well as p-type material, peak ZT values larger than one have been published recently, and first modules have been built. The next step to facilitate the industrialization of thermoelectric module production is upscaling of material synthesis. In this paper, the latest results of the thermoelectric properties of HH compounds produced in kg batches are presented and compared with values published in the literature. The performance of modules built from these materials is analyzed with respect to power output and long-term stability of the material and electrical contacts.     

Putting Biology into TRIZ: A Database of Biological Effects

Our goal is to make biological information available for engineers via a ‘biological patents’ database in TRIZ. However, biological functions need to be co‐ordinated simultaneously at many levels of organization – from cell organelle to population to ecosystem. Each function has links with other functions on different organizational levels. To account for this, we made auxiliary 5D ‘conflict’ matrices for biological structures and environments, and for causes and limits of actions; these allow us to resolve data about organisms into engineering‐like chunks of information and cover the primary TRIZ constituents of ‘function’, ‘effect’ and ‘conflict’. In this way we can also provide a framework for the rationalization and quantification of bionics.     

Comparative efficacy, speed, and adverse effects of three PTSD treatments: Exposure therapy, EMDR, and relaxation training.

The authors examined the efficacy, speed, and incidence of symptom worsening for 3 treatments of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): prolonged exposure, relaxation training, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR; N=60). Treatments did not differ in attrition, in the incidence of symptom worsening, or in their effects on numbing and hyperarousal symptoms. Compared with EMDR and relaxation training, exposure therapy (a) produced significantly larger reductions in avoidance and reexperiencing symptoms, (b) tended to be faster at reducing avoidance, and (c) tended to yield a greater proportion of participants who no longer met criteria for PTSD after treatment. EMDR and relaxation did not differ from one another in speed or efficacy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

适当收缩规模的城市: 两个德国城市的案例

在当前城市发展领域的争论中,人们越来越认识到,欧洲的若干城市不得不面临长期萎缩的挑战。然而从国际范围看,在收缩和衰退发生时,规划范式、规划体系、规划战略和规划文化如何是否要有所改变,又该如何应对,都还不甚清晰。文章研究了收缩城市的规划如何转型,基于分析框架,提出了在面临收缩时如何识别规划模式和工具开始改变的起点。 为此,文章简要介绍了两座收缩的德国城市： 凯泽斯劳滕和茨维考。虽然凯泽斯劳滕和茨维考两个城市显示出不同萎缩城市规划模式的异同,但作者很清楚：由于他们的特殊路径和区位,这两个案例只是德国萎缩城市状况的一鳞半爪。文章着重于探讨如何处理衰退和收缩导致的城市规划变化以及不同的规划模式。文中案例展示出产业转型对德国制造业城镇的巨大影响,无论原东德还是西德,都导致失业、住房空置和人口流失的恶性循环。当谈到规划的转变,所有案例都展示出开发和再开发过程中,各种努力及其被接受的过程。被接受是一个过程,从最初的无视或否认,到关注和慢慢接受。增加人口扩大城市规模、维持现有设施和结构以阻止进一步衰退、重建和改造现有的基础设施,不同策略会导致不同的结果。大多数发展都试图挑战产生收缩的原因,设法扭转恶性循环。这些措施既可以作为扩张性规划策略的一部分,也可用于应对衰退策略,而这取决于具体做法。虽然替代性产业在各地各不相同,但它们的重要作用日益清晰：高科技、教育、医疗服务等如今都是新的经济支柱。事实上,在凯泽斯劳滕（茨维考则程度稍次）,一所大学已被证明是发展的强大动力。     

Assessment of variable effects on solvent‐free monoacylglycerol enzymatic production in AOT surfactant

This work reports the application of a lipase in the glycerolysis of olive oil for the production of monoacylglycerols (MAG). For this purpose, the enzymatic glycerolysis of olive oil with an immobilized lipase (Novozym 435) was accomplished using sodium (bis‐2‐ethyl‐hexyl) sulfosuccinate (Aerosol‐OT or AOT) as surfactant in a solvent‐free system. A sequential strategy was used applying two experimental designs to optimize the MAG production. In general, it was observed that the temperature had a negligible effect on MAG conversion while the enzyme and AOT concentrations present a positive significant effect (p <0.05) and the stirring rate a negative one. An empirical model was then built so as to assess the effects of process variables on the reaction conversion. Afterwards, the operating conditions that optimized MAG production were established as follows: temperature of 70 °C, stirring rate of 600 rpm, 16 wt‐% of AOT and 7.5 wt‐% of enzyme, leading to a reaction conversion as high as 55%.     

Effects of Extracellular Vesicles from Blood-Derived Products on Osteoarthritic Chondrocytes within an Inflammation Model

Osteoarthritis (OA) is hallmarked by a progressive degradation of articular cartilage. One major driver of OA is inflammation, in which cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β are secreted by activated chondrocytes, as well as synovial cells—including macrophages. Intra-articular injection of blood products—such as citrate-anticoagulated plasma (CPRP), hyperacute serum (hypACT), and extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated from blood products—is gaining increasing importance in regenerative medicine for the treatment of OA. A co-culture system of primary OA chondrocytes and activated M1 macrophages was developed to model an OA joint in order to observe the effects of EVs in modulating the inflammatory environment. Primary OA chondrocytes were obtained from patients undergoing total knee replacement. Primary monocytes obtained from voluntary healthy donors and the monocytic cell line THP-1 were differentiated and activated into proinflammatory M1 macrophages. EVs were isolated by ultracentrifugation and characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis and Western blot. Gene expression analysis of chondrocytes by RT-qPCR revealed increased type II collagen expression, while cytokine profiling via ELISA showed lower TNF-α and IL-1β levels associated with EV treatment. In conclusion, the inflammation model provides an accessible tool to investigate the effects of blood products and EVs in the inflammatory context of OA.     

Deciphering the Molecular Nature of Ovarian Cancer Biomarker CA125

The ovarian cancer biomarker CA125 has been extensively investigated over the last 30 years. The knowledge about the exact molecular nature of this protein, however, remains fragmented. This review provides an overview of the structural research regarding CA125, and presents an orthogonal verification method to confirm the identity of this molecule. The need for independent identification of CA125 is exemplified by several reports where mutually exclusive data concerning the existence of isoforms and the glycan moieties is presented. Mass spectrometry can overcome the pitfalls of a single detection/identification method such as antibody probing. Independent verification of CA125 identity in characterization studies will help establish a refined model of its molecular structure that will promote the development of new approaches for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of ovarian cancer.