Visceral Obesity and Its Shared Role in Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scoping Review of the Pathophysiology and Pharmacological Treatments

The association between obesity, cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been demonstrated in animal and epidemiological studies. However, the specific role of visceral obesity on cancer and CVD remains unclear. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a complex and metabolically active tissue, that can produce different adipokines and hormones, responsible for endocrine-metabolic comorbidities. This review explores the potential mechanisms related to VAT that may also be involved in cancer and CVD. In addition, we discuss the shared pharmacological treatments which may reduce the risk of both diseases. This review highlights that chronic inflammation, molecular aspects, metabolic syndrome, secretion of hormones and adiponectin associated to VAT may have synergistic effects and should be further studied in relation to cancer and CVD. Reductions in abdominal and visceral adiposity improve insulin sensitivity, lipid profile and cytokines, which consequently reduce the risk of CVD and some cancers. Several medications have shown to reduce visceral and/or subcutaneous fat. Further research is needed to investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms by which visceral obesity may cause both cancer and CVD. The role of visceral fat in cancer and CVD is an important area to advance. Public health policies to increase public awareness about VAT’s role and ways to manage or prevent it are needed.     

Quantum Dots-Based Optical Fiber Temperature Sensors Fabricated by Layer-by-Layer

Two types of CdTe quantum dots of different sizes (4 and 5 nm) were successfully deposited on optical fibers using the layer-by-layer electrostatic self-assembly method. The sensors showed a linear and reversible variation of the emission wavelength for a temperature range from 30 degC to 100 degC, with a sensitivity of 0.2 nm/degC     

Are max-specified infant facial expressions during face-to-face interaction consistent with differential emotions theory?

Differential emotions theory (DET) proposes that infant facial expressions of emotions are differentiated. To test this hypothesis, the authors examined infant facial expressions longitudinally at 2, 4, and 6 mo of age during face-to-face play and a "still-face" interaction with their mothers. Infant expressions were coded using the Maximally Discriminative Facial Movement Coding System (Max). Consistent with DET, discrete positive expressions occurred more of the time and were of longer duration than blended expressions of positive affect. Contrary to DET, at no age did the proportions or durations of discrete and blended negative expressions differ, and they showed different patterns of developmental change. One is led to either reject or revise DET or else question the adequacy of the Max system. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Scaling issues in chemical and biological sensors

When a system is reduced isomorphically in size (i.e., scaled down with all dimensions of the system decreased uniformly, or isomorphic scale reduction), the changes in length, area, and volume ratios alter the relative influence of various physical effects that determine the overall operation - often in unexpected ways. As objects shrink, the ratio of surface area to volume increases, rendering surface forces more important. More generally, as the size of an object decreases, forces scaling with a lower power of the linear dimension dominate over the ones scaling with a higher power (e.g., surface tension gains over gravity, electrostatics over magnetics, etc.) [see M. J. Madou, Fundamentals of Microfabrication, 2nd ed. (Boca Raton, FL: CRC, 2002)]. In this paper, we are investigating the influence of miniaturization on various aspects of chemical and biological sensors; we review scaling issues faced in sensor construction, the importance of sample size and the effect of sensor size on detection sensitivity in some of the most popular sensing approaches.     

Randomized range-maxima in nearly-constant parallel time

Given an array ofn input numbers, therange-maxima problem is that of preprocessing the data so that queries of the type what is the maximum value in subarray [i..j] can be answered quickly using one processor. We present a randomized preprocessing algorithm that runs inO(log^* n) time with high probability, using an optimal number of processors on a CRCW PRAM; each query can be processed in constant time by one processor. We also present a randomized algorithm for a parallel comparison model. Using an optimal number of processors, the preprocessing algorithm runs inO( (n)) time with high probability; each query can be processed inO ( (n)) time by one processor. (As is standard, (n) is the inverse of Ackermann function.) A constant time query can be achieved by some slowdown in the performance of the preprocessing stage.     

Capacity of the electric double layer in molten NaAlCl4

The capacity of the electric double layer at the interfaces Hg/molten NaAlCl₄ and Pt/molten NaAlCl₄ was determined and the influence of the surface-active substances tetramethylammonium chloride and urea was investigated. The dependence of the capacity on the electrode potential was found to agree with a model proposed by Parsons.     

Fabrication of suspended carbon microstructures by e-beam writer and pyrolysis

A fabrication process has been developed to create suspended carbon microelectromechanical system (C-MEMS) structures. SU-8, a negative photoresist, was used as the starting material and was converted to the desired carbon microstructures using pyrolysis in an inert atmosphere. Suspended carbon-micro and nano electromechanical system (C-MEMS/NEMS) structures with feature sizes down to 500 nm were fabricated by ultra violet/electron beam (EB) lithography and pyrolysis. The problem of charging of the non-conductive SU-8 surface was solved by partially masking a thin metal layer to prevent the repulsion of negative charged electrons before EB writing. Complex suspended C-MEMS structures, such as bridges and networks have been formed. This fabrication method can accurately and reproducibly produce various suspended C-MEMS structures which have applications in microelectronics and biosensing.