Perinatal Obesity Induces Hepatic Growth Restriction with Increased DNA Damage Response,Senescence, and Dysregulated Igf-1-Akt-Foxo1 Signaling in Male Offspring of Obese Mice

Maternal obesity predisposes for hepato-metabolic disorders early in life. However, the underlying mechanisms causing early onset dysfunction of the liver and metabolism remain elusive. Since obesity is associated with subacute chronic inflammation and accelerated aging, we test the hypothesis whether maternal obesity induces aging processes in the developing liver and determines thereby hepatic growth. To this end, maternal obesity was induced with high-fat diet (HFD) in C57BL/6N mice and male offspring were studied at the end of the lactation [postnatal day 21 (P21)]. Maternal obesity induced an obese body composition with metabolic inflammation and a marked hepatic growth restriction in the male offspring at P21. Proteomic and molecular analyses revealed three interrelated mechanisms that might account for the impaired hepatic growth pattern, indicating prematurely induced aging processes: (1) Increased DNA damage response (γH2AX), (2) significant upregulation of hepatocellular senescence markers (Cdnk1a, Cdkn2a); and (3) inhibition of hepatic insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1-AKT-p38-FoxO1 signaling with an insufficient proliferative growth response. In conclusion, our murine data demonstrate that perinatal obesity induces an obese body composition in male offspring with hepatic growth restriction through a possible premature hepatic aging that is indicated by a pathologic sequence of inflammation, DNA damage, senescence, and signs of a possibly insufficient regenerative capacity.     

PLLA–silver nanoparticles bionanocomposite membranes: Preparation,antibacterial activity,and in vitro hydrolytic degradation assessment

Silver nanoparticles (AgNp) were synthesized in aqueous phase and transferred to chloroform using a fatty amine as phase transfer agent. Poly(l -lactic acid) (PLLA) membranes were prepared using the “functionalized” chloroform. The amount of AgNp in the chloroform was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and field emission scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the membranes. A decrease of the thermal stability of the membranes was observed upon the addition of AgNp; meanwhile, the polymer crystallinity degree increased, making the membranes more fragile and brittle. The in vitro degradation assessments of the membranes in artificial saliva suggested that the time necessary to degrade the PLLA reduced by raising the concentration of the nanostructures. Additionally, the antibacterial assays demonstrated that the addition of only 13 ppm of AgNp were enough to inhibit the formation of biofilm over the bionanocomposite membranes. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47998.     

Towards a rights-based approach in EU international river basin governance? Lessons from the Scheldt and Ems Basins

ABSTRACT

This article finds that the introduction of a rights-based approach in EU transboundary river basin management to remedy observed systemic difficulties and to better achieve legal water quality standards could be a next step in achieving integrated river basin management. However, its effectiveness largely depends on the willingness of member states to share river basin districts to subordinate their separate socio-economic interests to ecological needs, as well as to grant a clear mandate and partly transfer responsibilities and powers to a competent supranational authority.     

Cytoskeletal characterization of arteriovenous epithelioid cells

BACKGROUND: Head and neck osteosarcoma is a comparatively rare and aggressive malignancy. Our goal was to examine the experience of head and neck osteosarcoma patients seen over a 15-year period at the University of Washington Medical Center and compare this with the published experience of other centers in terms of demographics, histology, treatment, and survival rate. METHODS: We reviewed surgical pathology slides and clinical treatment records of 13 patients who were treated at the University of Washington Medical Center between 1981 and 1996. A total of 17 cases from 13 patients (13 primary tumors and 4 recurrences) were studied. RESULTS: There was a slight male predominance, with a male:female ratio of 1.6:1, and median age at diagnosis of 40.9 years (range 22 to 75 years), both slightly higher than has been generally reported. Three of 13 patients had recognized risk factors for the development of osteosarcoma: 2 with a history of prior radiotherapy and 1 with Paget's disease. All surgical pathology specimens were examined independently by two pathologists for histologic grading and typing. At initial presentation, 9/13 (69%) cases had conventional (osteoblastic) histology; 2/13 (15%) were fibroblastic, 1 chondroblastic (8%) and 1 parosteal (8%). Eight of 13 (62%) cases were high grade at initial presentation. Four of 13 (30%) of the primary tumors were low grade 2, of which did not recur over a median follow-up period of 24 months. The other 2 low-grade tumors later recurred locally, as high-grade osteosarcomas, after disease-free intervals of 1 year and 14 years, respectively. One patient had an intermediate-grade tumor which has not recurred as of last follow-up. Combined-modality treatment, including surgery with or without radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, was given depending on the histologic grade, surgical margins, and recurrence. Some patients with low-grade tumors had surgery only. There were 5 local recurrences, 1 of these following a disease-free interval of 14 years. One patient had 3 separate recurrences at the same site. Ten of 13 (77%) are alive and disease-free. Of the 3 deaths, 1 was related to radiation-induced brain necrosis, without evidence of recurrent tumor. The project 5-year overall survival in this series is 72%, with a mean follow-up of 58 months (median, 36 months). Of those receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 6/7 have survived to the present. CONCLUSION: Given the limitations of a small patient population, our data suggest that neoadjuvant chemotherapy may provide benefit in terms of survival. Longer follow-up will be necessary to support this conclusion. Our data also show that our population has a higher-than-average age of onset, low presence of risk factors, and better survival rate in comparison with the published series from other institutions.     

Optical time-division multiplexed transmission system experiment at 8 Gbit/s

We describe the design and performance of an experimental two-channel optical time-division multiplexed fibre transmission system operating at a wavelength of 1.3 ?m and a bit rate of 8 Gbit/s. Transmission over 8 km of single-mode fibre with low crosstalk and transmission error rates as low as 10?10 is demonstrated.     

Loss of immunoreactivity for RTI40, a type I cell-specific protein in the alveolar epithelium of rat lungs with bleomycin-induced fibrosis

After lung injury, the epithelial cells lining the alveolar surface in rat lung show an altered distribution of several membrane proteins. Pulmonary fibrosis was induced by intratracheal administration of bleomycin into the lung of rats and the distribution of RTI40, a recently detected alveolar epithelial type I cell antigen, was examined, as well as the relationship between RTI40 and a type I cell-specific antigen recognized by the monoclonal antibody MEP-1 and the type I cell-binding lectin Bauhinia purpurea in serial sections and double stainings. Loss of RTI40 protein was observed in fibrotic lungs, particularly in areas with obliteration of alveoli. Pre-embedding immunoelectron microscopy confirmed this observation by detection of RTI40 protein in the alveolar lumen. Western blot analysis revealed elevated levels of RTI40 in the bronchoalveolar fluid of bleomycin-treated rats with a maximum at day 7 after treatment. Twenty-eight days after bleomycin application, the bronchoalveolar fluid contained three times the amount of RTI40 x mg protein(-1) of control lungs, as determined by semiquantitative dot blot. These results suggest RTI40 as a tool for the evaluation of alveolar epithelial type I cell behaviour during re-epithelialization processes.     

Detection and distribution of the carbohydrate binding protein galectin-3 in human notochord, intervertebral disc and chordoma

A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) among the adult population in Bahrain, an Arab Gulf country. A total sample of 516 subjects aged 30-79 years was selected proportionally from all geographical areas of Bahrain. Findings revealed that current smokers represented 32% of men and 20% of women (P < 0.001). However, a relatively high percentage of women were exposed to inhalation of other family member tobacco smoking compared to men (29% and 44% among men and women, respectively). Obesity, hypertension and diabetes were highly prevalent and significantly more reported among women than men. Of women, 79.6% were overweight or obese compared to 56% of men. Sedentary lifestyle patterns (Lack of physical exercise and daily watching of television) were also highly reported. About 12.1% of men and 15.7% of women did not consume fresh fruits. The corresponding percentages for fresh vegetables were 8.4% and 5.5%, respectively. The prevalence of well established risk factors for CVD such as smoking, obesity, inactivity, diabetes and hypertension were high and indicates the need for a national health policy to prevent and control the CVD.