Ovarian hyperandrogenism is associated with insulin resistance to both peripheral carbohydrate and whole-body protein metabolism in postpubertal young females: a metabolic study

The role of endogenous androgens in enhancing the body's protein anabolic capacity has been controversial. To examine this question we chose to study whole-body protein and glucose kinetics in a group of 21 young, postpubertal females (16.3 +/- 0.6 yr), 8 of whom had clinical and laboratory evidence of ovarian hyperandrogenism (OH) (BMI = 37.8 +/- 1.3 kg/m2). We used L-[1-13C]leucine and [6,6,2H2]glucose tracer infusions before and after suppression of their endogenous androgens with estrogen/progesterone supplementation in the form of Triphasil for 4 weeks. Their baseline data were also compared with those of similar aged girls, 7 obese (OB) (BMI = 36.4 +/- 1.5) and 6 lean (LN) (BMI = 20.9 +/- 0.7) who were normally menstruating and had no evidence of androgen excess. Despite comparable glucose concentrations, both OH and OB groups had significant hyperinsulinemia (OH > OB), both basally and after iv glucose stimulation, as compared to LN controls (basal insulin: OH, 252 +/- 52 pmol/L; OB, 145 +/- 41; LN, 60 +/- 9, P = 0.009 OH vs. LN; peak insulin: OH, 2052 +/- 417; OB, 1109 +/- 127, LN, 480 +/- 120, P = 0.0009 OH vs. LN). The rate of appearance (Ra) of glucose, a measure of glucose production, was greater in the LN controls than in the OH or OB groups (OH, 2.0 +/- 0.1 mg/kg.fat free mass.min; OB, 1.9 +/- 0.1; LN, 3.3 +/- 0.1, P < 0.004 vs. LN). Calculated total rates of whole-body protein breakdown (leucine Ra), oxidation, and protein synthesis (nonoxidative leucine disposal) were substantially higher in the OH and OB groups as compared with LN controls (P < 0.04 vs. LN); however, when data are expressed on a per kilogram of fat free mass basis, the OH group had higher rates of proteolysis than the OB and LN, with indistinguishable rates between the latter two groups. None of the above-mentioned parameters changed after 1 month of administration of Triphasil, despite marked improvement in circulating testosterone and free testosterone concentrations after treatment (testosterone, -50%, P = 0.003; free testosterone, -70%, P = 0.02). We conclude that obesity in young postpubertal females is associated with insulin resistance for both peripheral carbohydrate and protein metabolism, and that patients with the OH syndrome have even greater insulin resistance as compared with simple obesity, regardless of treatment for the androgen excess. Carefully designed studies targeting interventions to improve both the hyperandrogenic and hyperinsulinemic state may prove useful even in the early juvenile stages of this disease.     

X-ray crystal structure of C3d: a C3 fragment and ligand for complement receptor 2

Activation and covalent attachment of complement component C3 to pathogens is the key step in complement-mediated host defense. Additionally, the antigen-bound C3d fragment interacts with complement receptor 2 (CR2; also known as CD21) on B cells and thereby contributes to the initiation of an acquired humoral response. The x-ray crystal structure of human C3d solved at 2.0 angstroms resolution reveals an alpha-alpha barrel with the residues responsible for thioester formation and covalent attachment at one end and an acidic pocket at the other. The structure supports a model whereby the transition of native C3 to its functionally active state involves the disruption of a complementary domain interface and provides insight into the basis for the interaction between C3d and CR2.     

Support vector regression based friction modeling and compensation in motion control system

Friction has been experimentally shown to be one of the major sources of performance degradation in motion control system. Although for model-based friction compensation, several sophisticated friction models have been proposed in the literatures, there exists no universally agreed parametric friction model, which by implication has made selection of an appropriate parametric model difficult. More so, accurate determination of the parameters of these sophisticated parametric friction models has been challenging due to complexity of friction nonlinearities. Motivated by the need for a simple, non-parametric based, and yet effective friction compensation in motion control system, an Artificial Intelligent (AI)-based (non-parametric) friction model using v-Support Vector Regression (v-SVR) is proposed in this work to estimate the non-linear friction in a motion control system. Unlike conventional SVR technique, v-SVR is characterized with fewer parameters for its development, and requires less development time. The effectiveness of the developed model in representing and compensating for the frictional effects is evaluated experimentally on a rotary experimental motion system. The performance is benchmarked with three parametric based (Coulomb, Tustin, and Lorentzian) friction models. The results show the v-SVR as a viable and efficient alternative to the parametric-based techniques in representing and compensating friction effects.     

Blood lead levels and risk factors for lead poisoning among children in Jakarta,Indonesia

The phase-out of leaded gasoline began in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 1, 2001. We evaluated mean blood lead levels (BLLs) and the prevalence of elevated BLLs of Jakarta school children and assessed risk factors for lead exposure in these children before the beginning of the phase-out activities. The study involved a population-based, cross-sectional blood lead survey that included capillary blood lead sampling and a brief questionnaire on risk factors for lead poisoning. A cluster survey design was used. Forty clusters, defined as primary schools in Jakarta, and 15 2nd- and 3rd-grade children in each cluster were randomly selected for participation in the study. The average age of children in this study was 8.6 years (range 6-12) and the geometric mean BLL of the children was 8.6 microg/dl (median: 8.6 microg/dl; range: 2.6-24.1 microg/dl) (n=397). Thirty-five percent of children had BLLs > or =10 microg/dl and 2.4% had BLLs > or =20 microg/dl. Approximately one-fourth of children had BLLs 10-14.9 microg/dl. In multivariate models, level of education of the child's primary caregiver, water collection method, home varnishing and occupational recycling of metals, other than lead, by a family member were predictors of log BLLs after adjustment for age and sex. BLLs of children who lived near a highway or major intersection were significantly higher than those of children who lived near a street with little or no traffic when level of education was not included in the model. Water collection method was a significant predictor of BLLs > or =10 microg/dl after adjustment for age and sex. BLLs in children in this study were moderately high and consistent with BLLs of children in other countries where leaded gasoline is used. With the phase-out of leaded gasoline, BLLs of children in Jakarta are expected to rapidly decline as they have in other countries that have phased lead out of gasoline.     

REFLECT,a Decision Support System for Harmonizing Spatial Developments with Groundwater Resources

A sustainable drinking-water supply requires durable securing of the resource. With an increase in spatial pressure, the need is increasing to prioritize measures based on the vulnerability of the resources and the impact of surrounding land use functions. This is especially challenging in the Province of Overijssel with groundwater abstraction sites in vulnerable Pleistocene sandy soils and increasing spatial pressure from both agricultural and urban areas. The governance of the groundwater abstractions in the Province of Overijssel is based on a combination of precaution and a risk-based approach. The Province has adopted REFLECT to assess the risks of spatial developments. REFLECT is a negotiation support system that gives an overview of the vulnerability of the groundwater abstractions and risks of several land use functions on the groundwater quality. REFLECT has been used to obtain the current risk scores of all drinking water abstractions in the Province and following the EU Water Framework Directive. Spatial insight of risks was used to identify and target measures reducing these risks. Moreover, REFLECT has been applied to decide on a local spatial development near an abstraction. Knowledge of the impact of land use changes on groundwater quality helped the municipality harmonizing the spatial plan with the interest of the drinking water abstraction and creating a step-forward in the protection level of the abstraction site. These applications illustrate that REFLECT is an instrument that fits well within risk-based groundwater governance which aims at safeguarding of the public water supply by harmonizing land use functions.     

Wrinkled 2D Materials: A Versatile Platform for Low‐Threshold Stretchable Random Lasers

A stretchable, flexible, and bendable random laser system capable of lasing in a wide range of spectrum will have many potential applications in next‐ generation technologies, such as visible‐spectrum communication, superbright solid‐state lighting, biomedical studies, fluorescence, etc. However, producing an appropriate cavity for such a wide spectral range remains a challenge owing to the rigidity of the resonator for the generation of coherent loops. 2D materials with wrinkled structures exhibit superior advantages of high stretchability and a suitable matrix for photon trapping in between the hill and valley geometries compared to their flat counterparts. Here, the intriguing functionalities of wrinkled reduced graphene oxide, single‐layer graphene, and few‐layer hexagonal boron nitride, respectively, are utilized to design highly stretchable and wearable random laser devices with ultralow threshold. Using methyl‐ammonium lead bromide perovskite nanocrystals (PNC) to illustrate the working principle, the lasing threshold is found to be ≈10 µJ cm^?2, about two times less than the lowest value ever reported. In addition to PNC, it is demonstrated that the output lasing wavelength can be tuned using different active materials such as semiconductor quantum dots. Thus, this study is very useful for the future development of high‐performance wearable optoelectronic devices.     

Distribution of organic carbon in tropical mangrove sediments (Cochin,India)

Surficial sediments were sampled every month from three mangrove regions around the metropolis of Cochin (India). Sedimentary organic carbon content exhibited wide seasonal fluctuations. The hydrology of the mangrove system is regulated mainly by high rainfall during the monsoon and by tidal inundation. The results indicated the role of tidal activity and sediment texture in the preservation and retention of organic matter.