Milk metabolite composition of a semi-captive population of Asian elephants.

Lack of maternal milk commonly leads to Asian elephant calves' death in captivity. Currently, available supplements seem inefficient. Hence, we aimed at characterizing the composition of Asian elephant milk to provide information on calves' nutritional needs.

Residential green environments are associated with human milk oligosaccharide diversity and composition.

Increased exposure to greener environments has been suggested to lead to health benefits in children, but the associated mechanisms in early life, particularly via biological mediators such as altered maternal milk composition, remain largely unexplored. We investigated the associations between properties of the mother's residential green environment, measured as (1) greenness (Normalized Difference Vegetation index, NDVI), (2) Vegetation Cover Diversity (VCDI) and (3) Naturalness Index (NI), and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), known for their immune- and microbiota-related health effects on the infant (N = 795 mothers). We show that HMO diversity increases and concentrations of several individual HMOs and HMO groups change with increased VCDI and NI in residential green environments.

Observation of Rayleigh-Lamb waves generated by the 2022 Hunga-Tonga volcanic eruption with the POLA detectors at Ny-Ålesund.

The eruption of the Hunga-Tonga volcano in the South Pacific Ocean on January 15, 2022, at about 4:15 UTC, generated a violent explosion, which created atmospheric pressure disturbances in the form of Rayleigh-Lamb waves detected all over the globe. Here we discuss the observation of the Hunga-Tonga shock-wave performed at the Ny-Ålesund Research Station on the Spitsbergen island, by the detectors of the PolarquEEEst experiment and their ancillary sensors. Online pressure data as well as the results of dedicated offline analysis are presented and discussed in details.

Glucocorticoids in preterm human milk.

Background: Glucocorticoids (GCs), cortisol and cortisone, are essential regulators of many physiological responses, including immunity, stress and mammary gland function. GCs are present in human milk (HM), but whether maternal and infant factors are associated with HM GC concentration following preterm birth is unclear.

Materials And Methods: HM samples were collected on postnatal day 5 and 10 and at 4 months' corrected age (4m CA) in a cohort of moderate- and late-preterm infants.

Neighborhood Disadvantage, Greenness, and Population Density as Predictors of Breastfeeding Practices: A Population Cohort Study from Finland.

Background: Many environmental factors are known to hinder breastfeeding, yet the role of the family living environment in this regard is still poorly understood.

Objectives: We used data from a large cohort to identify associations between neighborhood characteristics and breastfeeding behavior.

Methods: Our observational study included 11,038 children (0-2 years) from the Southwest Finland Birth Cohort.

Metabolic Hormone Profiles in Breast Milk From Mothers of Moderate-Late Preterm Infants Are Associated With Growth From Birth to 4 Months in a Sex-Specific Manner.

Differing environmental conditions experienced by mother-infant dyads may influence composition of the milk received by the infant. As a consequence, diverse milk compositional profiles may contribute to different postnatal outcomes, especially in infants facing adverse perinatal environments. We investigated whether variability in milk concentrations of key metabolic hormones is associated with different growth outcomes in infants born preterm, a perinatal complication known to impact on infant growth.

Odor-active volatile compounds in preterm breastmilk.

Background: Volatile compounds in breastmilk (BM) likely influence flavor learning and, through the cephalic phase response, metabolism, and digestion. Little is known about the volatile compounds present in preterm BM. We investigated whether maternal or infant characteristics are associated with the profile of volatile compounds in preterm BM.

Growth Factor Concentrations in Human Milk Are Associated With Infant Weight and BMI From Birth to 5 Years.

Human milk bioactives may play a role in infant health and development. Although the variability in their concentrations in milk is well-established, the impact of differential milk profiles on infant growth outcomes remains unclear. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether different concentrations of metabolic hormones are associated with different weight and BMI in infants beyond the first year of life.

Preterm human milk: associations between perinatal factors and hormone concentrations throughout lactation.

Background: Infants born moderate to late preterm constitute the majority of preterm births, yet guidelines for their nutritional care are unclear. Maternal milk is the most appropriate nutrition for these infants; however, its composition can be influenced by environmental factors. The present study therefore investigated perinatal predictors of human milk composition in a preterm cohort.

Sexually Dimorphic Associations between Maternal Factors and Human Milk Hormonal Concentrations.

While human milk composition is characterised by marked dynamicity, we are far from having a clear picture of what factors drive this variation. Hormones in human milk are known to vary according to specific maternal phenotypes, but limited evidence shows the infant also has a role in determining milk composition. The present study aimed to investigate the interplay between maternal and infant characteristics in relation to human milk hormonal profile.

Using a Reconciliation Module Leads to Large Gains in Evolution Acceptance.

Too many students reject the theory of evolution because they view it as incompatible with their religious beliefs. Some have argued that abandoning religious belief is the only way to help religious individuals accept evolution. Conversely, our data support that highlighting faith/evolution compatibility is an effective means to increase student acceptance.

Feasibility of Standardized Human Milk Collection in Neonatal Care Units.

Research in human lactation is a growing field. However, difficulties in studying human milk originate from the dynamicity of its composition. Using standardized collection protocols is mandatory to minimize variation and warrant comparability of findings across different studies.

Sex-Specific Human Milk Composition: The Role of Infant Sex in Determining Early Life Nutrition.

Male and female infants respond differentially to environmental stimuli, with different growth and neurodevelopmental trajectories. Male infants are more likely to be disadvantaged when subjected to adversity and show a higher risk of perinatal complications. However, the underlying causes of this sex-bias are not well defined and optimising the early life nutritional care may be necessary to minimise the "male disadvantage" that may be experienced early in life.

The Perioperative Care of the Transgender Patient.

An estimated 25 million people identify as transgender worldwide, approximately 1 million of whom reside in the United States. The increasing visibility and acceptance of transgender people makes it likely that they will present in general surgical settings; therefore, perioperative health care providers must develop the knowledge and skills requisite for the safe management of transgender patients in the perioperative setting. Extant guidelines, such as those published by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and the University of California San Francisco Center of Excellence for Transgender Health, serve as critical resources to those caring for transgender patients; however, they do not address their unique perioperative needs.

Cultural adaptation and psychometric testing of The Scenario Test UK for people with aphasia.

Background: This study explores the psychometric properties of The Scenario Test UK, a culturally adapted version of the Dutch original (The Scenario Test) developed by van der Meulen et al. in 2010, which evaluates functional, daily-life communication in aphasia. The Scenario Test assesses communication in an interactive context with a supportive communication partner.

Consumption of a flavonoid-rich açai meal is associated with acute improvements in vascular function and a reduction in total oxidative status in healthy overweight men.

Background: Açai (Euterpe oleracea) is a polyphenol-rich fruit marketed as beneficial for health. Experimental data showing improvements in health markers arising from açai consumption in humans is limited.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of açai consumption on acute changes in vascular function and on other disease risk markers, including postprandial plasma insulin, glucose, and oxidative stress.

Management of the difficult airway.

Airway management skills are critical to patient care in many settings. Patients with a difficult airway present unique challenges and considerations, and clinicians should assess for this condition by obtaining a thorough history and physical examination. Familiarity with difficult airway management guidelines, algorithms, tools, and techniques is essential to formulating a safe and effective plan for intubation as well as extubation.

Ergonomics and workplace design: application of Ergo-UAS System in Fiat Group Automobiles.

Since 2008 Fiat Group Automobiles has introduced Ergo-UAS system for the balancing of production lines and to detect ergonomic issues. Ergo-UAS system integrates 2 specific methods: MTM-UAS for time measurement and EAWS as ergonomic method to evaluate biomechanical effort for each workstation. Fiat is using a software system to manage time evaluation and ergo characterization of production cycle (UAS) to perform line balancing and obtain allowance factor in all Italian car manufacturing plant.

Engaging undergraduate nursing students in perioperative research.

Actively engaging in perioperative research lays a framework for stimulating interest in future research possibilities and provides students and graduate nurses with challenges to keep them interested as their careers progress. In this article, former honors students and a faculty researcher share their perceptions of participating in perioperative research. The primary investigator must emphasize learning throughout the process, be available to the students, provide structured guidance, and clarify the goals and expectations of the research experience.

Fibronectin expression modulates mammary epithelial cell proliferation during acinar differentiation.

The mammary gland consists of a polarized epithelium surrounded by a basement membrane matrix that forms a series of branching ducts ending in hollow, sphere-like acini. Essential roles for the epithelial basement membrane during acinar differentiation, in particular laminin and its integrin receptors, have been identified using mammary epithelial cells cultured on a reconstituted basement membrane. Contributions from fibronectin, which is abundant in the mammary gland during development and tumorigenesis, have not been fully examined.

Requirements for sulfate transport and the diastrophic dysplasia sulfate transporter in fibronectin matrix assembly.

Diastrophic dysplasia sulfate transporter (DTDST) is a sulfate/chloride antiporter whose function is impaired in several human chondrodysplasias. We show that DTDST is upregulated by dexamethasone stimulation of HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells and is required for fibronectin (FN) extracellular matrix deposition by these cells. DTDST imports sulfate for the modification of glycosaminoglycans.

An endogenous inhibitor of focal adhesion kinase blocks Rac1/JNK but not Ras/ERK-dependent signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Humoral factors and extracellular matrix are critical co-regulators of smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration and proliferation. We reported previously that focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-related non-kinase (FRNK) is expressed selectively in SMC and can inhibit platelet-derived growth factor BB homodimer (PDGF-BB)-induced proliferation and migration of SMC by attenuating FAK activity. The goal of the current studies was to identify the mechanism by which FAK/FRNK regulates SMC growth and migration in response to diverse mitogenic signals.

Usefulness of a 12-month treatment with finasteride in idiophathic and polycystic ovary syndrome-associated hirsutism.

Objective: Hirsutism is considered as a skin disease due to increased 5 alpha-reductase activity in the pilosebaceous unit and finasteride is a drug that inhibits this enzymatic activity. This study showed the effectiveness of a chronic treatment with a selective 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, finasteride, in idiopathic and PCOS-associated hirsutism.

Methods: Finasteride was administered orally at a daily dose of 5 mg for a period of 12 months to 20 women with IH and 20 women with PCOS.

[Objectives and results of therapy in a psychiatric day hospital. Follow-up of 70 patients].

Ten years after the institution of a Day Hospital in Rome, the authors make an assessment of treatment results achieved for 70 patients admitted for the first time in 1986 and assessed after five years. Literary studies emphasizing Day Hospital effectiveness are reviewed; then the authors describe the setting in which this research was carried out. The primary aim was: to evaluate the efficacy of this unit to satisfy its users' needs, to permit their reentry into the community and to prevent their relapses and rehospitalizations.

Bacterial monitoring in vials using a spectrophotometric assimilation method.

Aseptic-filling processes are often used with fragile parenteral products that might be destroyed by terminal autoclaving. However, aseptic filling is not as effective as autoclaving in reducing contamination. As a result, time-consuming microbiological methods and turbidimetry are employed currently as product inspection techniques, but these processes can destroy the product and might not detect low levels of contamination.