Twenty-four-hour numerical simulations of wintertime surface winds under clear sky conditions over the West Antarctic ice sheet and its vicinity are performed using a hydrostatic, three-dimensional primitive equation model. Two initial states are examined: a state of rest, and a prescribed pressure field associated with katabatic winds from West Antarctica propagating across the Ross Ice Shelf. The Antarctic katabatic winds are mainly due to the strong radiative cooling of the ice slopes. The West Antarctic terrain is different from that of East Antarctica in two respects: its mean elevation is much lower, and the slope in the interior is steeper than near the margin at Siple Coast. The simulated surface wind regime reveals confluence zones just inland from the coast and diffluence zones around the crest of the terrain. The model results suggest that the continuation of katabatic winds beyond coastal confluence zones, which are sustained by cold-air drainage in the interior, has an important impact on airflow over the flat Ross Ice Shelf adjacent to the Transantarctic Mountains. The prescribed pressure disturbance has little impact on the surface winds in the interior but markedly impacts those over and beyond the gently sloping coastal areas. Discussion of the impact of the surface wind on the polynya northwest of the Ross Ice Shelf is also provided. It is shown that the simulated surface-wind regime is consistent with the available, mostly surface observational data.
Chronic lead (Pb) exposure causes cognitive deficits. This study aimed to explore the neuroprotective effect and mechanism of β-asarone, an active component from Chinese Herbs Acorus tatarinowii Schott, to alleviate impairments of spatial memory and synaptogenesis in Pb-exposed rats. Both Sprague-Dawley developmental rat pups and adult rats were used in the study. Developmental rat pups were exposed to Pb throughout the lactation period and β-asarone (10, 40mg kg-1, respectively) was given intraperitoneally from postnatal day 14 to 21. Also, the adult rats were exposed to Pb from embryo stage to 11 weeks old and β-asarone (2.5, 10, 40mg kg-1, respectively) was given from 9 to 11 weeks old. The level of β-asarone in brain tissue was measured by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. The Morris water maze test and Golgi-Cox staining method were used to assess spatial memory ability and synaptogenesis. The protein expression of NR2B subunit of NMDA receptor, Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc/Arg3.1) and Wnt family member 7A (Wnt7a) in hippocampus, as well as mRNA expression of Arc/Arg3.1 and Wnt7a, was also explored. We found that β-asarone could pass through the blood brain barrier quickly. And β-asarone effectively attenuated Pb-induced reduction of spine density in hippocampal CA1 and dentate gyrus areas in a dose-dependent manner both in developmental and adult rats, meanwhile the Pb-induced impairments of learning and memory were partially rescued. In addition, β-asarone effectively up-regulated the protein expression of NR2B, Arc and Wnt7a, as well as the mRNA levels of Arc/Arg3.1 and Wnt7a, which had been suppressed by Pb exposure. The results suggest the neuroprotective properties of β-asarone against Pb-induced memory impairments, and the effect is possibly through the regulation of synaptogenesis, which is mediated via Arc/Arg3.1 and Wnt pathway.
Chronic diseases in postmenopausal women are caused by rapid changes in hormones and are accompanied by rapid changes in body composition (muscle, bone, and fat).In an aging society, the health of postmenopausal women is a social issue, and people' s interest in ingesting high-quality protein is increasing in order to maintain a healthy body composition.This review aims to summarize the efficacy of soy foods and their impact on body composition.The soy protein and isoflavones contained in soy foods can improve muscle and bone density quality and reduce body weight.It is considered a breakthrough in preventing osteosarcopenia and obesity that may occur after menopause.
Pregnancy represents a critical window for both maternal and child health. Previous studies have shown that the consumption of an organic diet during pregnancy can reduce pesticide exposure compared with the consumption of a conventional diet. It is possible that this could, in turn, improve pregnancy outcomes, because maternal pesticide exposure during pregnancy has been associated with increased risk of pregnancy complications. Organic foods are produced by methods that comply with organic standards, generally restricting the use of agrochemicals, such as synthetic pesticides. In the past few decades, the global demand for organic foods has increased drastically, driven in large part by consumer beliefs that organic foods provide benefits to human health. However, the effects of organic food consumption during pregnancy on maternal and child health have not been established. This narrative review aims to summarize current evidence regarding the consumption of organic foods during pregnancy and the potential effects on short- and long-term health outcomes in mothers and offspring. We performed a comprehensive literature search and identified studies investigating the association between organic food consumption during pregnancy and health outcomes in mothers and their offspring. The outcomes identified from the literature search included pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, hypospadias, cryptorchidism, and otitis media. Although existing studies suggest that consumption of organic foods (overall or a specific kind) during pregnancy may have health benefits, further investigation to replicate the findings in other populations is needed. Moreover, because these previous studies have all been observational and thus may be limited by the potential for residual confounding and reverse causation, causal inference cannot be established. We argue that the next necessary step in this research is a randomized trial to test the efficacy of organic diet intervention in pregnancy on maternal and offspring health.
To examine the association of urinary iodine concentration with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a nationally representative sample of US middle-aged and older adults. This study included 5,762 participants aged between 45–79 years from a nationally representative study, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2014. Urinary iodine concentrations, an established biomarker of body iodine status, were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. All-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality and cancer mortality were ascertained by linkage to death records through December 31, 2015. During 41,625 person-years of follow-up, 533 deaths occurred including 90 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 167 death from cancer. After adjustment for age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, dietary and lifestyle factors, BMI, and urinary creatinine levels, compared with participants with urinary iodine concentration of 100–199.9 ng/mL, the hazard ratio of mortality among participants with urinary iodine concentration of 0–49.9 ng/ml was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.58–1.46) for all-cause mortality, 3.30 (95% CI, 1.35–8.06) for cardiovascular mortality, and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.27–2.00) for cancer mortality. Low level of urinary iodine was significantly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular death in US adults. N/A
Purpose The overall purpose of the study was to explore perceptions of family support in diabetes self-management among African American adults with type 2 diabetes. Methods A qualitative study using focus group methodology and individual interviews was conducted. Thirty-seven African American adults with type 2 diabetes were recruited in the Midwest, United States. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results Themes emerged from the perspectives of the social interdependence theory. Positive family support included emotional support, instrumental support, and specific information or advice on diabetes management strategies. Positivity, family communication, and healthy eating/meal planning were perceived as helpful family behaviors. Negative support was perceived as intentional or unintentional behaviors. Family members’ help in decision-making included goal setting with family member(s) and help in making decisions on diet and exercise. Recommendations included exercise and nutritional programs, support groups, family involvement, and materials and resources. Motivations for attending diabetes programs included involving family members, sharing success stories, seeing positive results, encouraging and caring, and providing incentives. Conclusions Intervention programs for African Americans should specifically target challenges in family support, healthy eating, and physical activity at an interpersonal level. Health care providers should assess family roles and family support to facilitate diabetes self-management for African Americans.
NDR1/2 kinase is essential in dendrite morphology and spine formation, which is regulated by cellular Ca2+. Lead (Pb) is a potent blocker of L-type calcium channel and our recent work showed Pb exposure impairs dendritic spine outgrowth in hippocampal neurons in rats. But the sensitivity of Pb-induced spine maturity with mixed factors (gender×age×brain regions) remains unknown. This study aimed to systematically investigate the effect of Pb exposure on spine maturity in rat brain with three factors (gender×age×brain regions), as well as the NDR1/2 kinase expression. Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to Pb from parturition to postnatal day 30, 60, 90, respectively. Golgi-Cox staining was used to examine spine maturity. Western blot assay was applied to measure protein expression and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR assay was used to examine mRNA levels. The results showed chronic Pb exposure significantly decreased dendritic length and impaired spine maturity in both rat hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. The impairment of dendritic length induced by Pb exposure tended to adolescence > adulthood, hippocampus > medial prefrontal cortex and female > male. Pb exposure induced significant damage in spine maturity during adolescence and early adult while little damage during adult in male rat brain and female medial prefrontal cortex. Besides, there was sustained impairment from adolescence to adulthood in female hippocampus. Interestingly, impairment of spine maturity followed by Pb exposure was correlated with NDR1/2 kinase. The reduction of NDR1/2 kinase protein expression after Pb exposure was similar to the result of spine maturity. In addition, NDR2 and their substrate Rabin3 mRNA levels were significantly decreased by Pb exposure in developmental rat brain. Taken together, Pb exposure impaired dendrite growth and maturity which was subject to gender×age×brain regions effects and related to NDR1/2 signal expression.
Due to the aging population worldwide, diseases that frequently attack elderly people, such as sarcopenia and osteoporosis, are major public health issues.This study used a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the associations among body mass index (BMI), sarcopenia, and bone mineral density (BMD) in a group of adults older than 60 years. Eight studies with a total of 18,783 subjects were examined using a random effect model.In sarcopenia patients, total hip BMD (d=0.560; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.438 to 0.681; P<0.01; I2=53.755%), femoral neck BMD (d=0.522; 95% CI, 0.423 to 0.621; P<0.01; I2=77.736%) and lumbar spine BMD (d=0.295; 95% CI, 0.111 to 0.478; P<0.01; I2=66.174%) were lower than in control subjects. Additionally, BMI (d=0.711; 95% CI, 0.456 to 0.996; P<0.01; I2=97.609%) correlated with the BMD of the total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine. That is, sarcopenia patients with low BMD levels in the total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine also had low fat levels. Thus, sarcopenia patients with low BMD in the total hip, femoral neck and lumbar spine and low BMI could have a higher than average risk of osteosarcopenia. No sex effects were significant (P>0.05) for any variable.BMI could be a key point in osteosarcopenia, suggesting that a low body weight could be facilitate the transition from sarcopenia to osteosarcopenia.
Summary Objective To quantify the association between maternal pre‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and perinatal outcomes. Methods We systematically reviewed and collected studies on maternal pre‐pregnancy BMI and perinatal outcomes published up to 31 August 2015. For each study, we constructed separate two‐by‐two tables to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results A total of 60 studies involving 1,392,799 women were included, and the proportions of obesity, overweight, normal weight and underweight pregnant women were 11.72%, 22.08%, 58.03% and 8.18%, respectively. When mothers were overweight or obese, their infants had a significantly higher risk of being large for gestational age (OR, 1.45, 95%CI, 1.29–1.63 and 1.88, 95%CI, 1.67–2.11, respectively), having macrosomia (OR, 1.70, 95%CI, 1.55–1.87 and 2.92, 95%CI, 2.67–3.20, respectively), being admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (OR, 1.29, 95%CI, 1.12–1.48 and 1.91, 95%CI, 1.60–2.29, respectively) and being stillborn (OR, 1.27, 95%CI, 1.18–1.36 and 1.81, 95%CI, 1.69–1.93, respectively). When mothers were underweight, their infants had a lower risk of the aforementioned outcomes. However, mothers who were underweight had a higher risk of preterm birth (OR, 1.30, 95%CI, 1.13–1.49) and delivering an infant small for gestational age (OR, 1.67, 95%CI, 1.49–1.87). Importantly, infants had a higher risk of having a low birth weight (LBW) when their mothers were underweight (OR, 1.67, 95%CI, 1.39–2.02) or obese (OR, 1.24, 95%CI, 1.09–1.41). Conclusion Being overweight or obese was associated with an increased risk of still birth, large for gestational age, macrosomia, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit and LBW, while being underweight was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, small for gestational age, and LBW. Women of childbearing age should maintain a normal body mass index before pregnancy.
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