Whole-fat dairy products do not adversely affect adiposity or cardiometabolic risk factors in children in the Milky Way Study: a double-blind randomized controlled pilot study.

Background: Limited evidence supports the common public health guideline that children >2 y of age should consume dairy with reduced fat content.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the effects of whole-fat compared with reduced-fat dairy intake on measures of adiposity and biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk in healthy 4- to 6-y-old children.

Methods: The Milky Way Study enrolled 49 children (mean ± SD age: 5.

Using a Respectful Approach to Child-centred Healthcare (ReACH) in a paediatric clinical trial: A feasibility study.

Background: There is a growing momentum in paediatric ethics to develop respectful research and healthcare protocols. We developed, tested and refined our 'Respectful Approach to Child-centred Healthcare' (ReACH), to underpin respectful participant interactions in a clinical trial.

Objective: To determine whether a ReACH-based approach is acceptable to children and parents, and effective in obtaining compliance with common healthcare assessments in a clinical trial of healthy 4-6-year-old children.

Assessment of Systemic Delivery of rAAVrh74.MHCK7.micro-dystrophin in Children With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Importance: Micro-dystrophin gene transfer shows promise for treating patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) using recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype rh74 (rAAVrh74) and codon-optimized human micro-dystrophin driven by a skeletal and cardiac muscle-specific promoter with enhanced cardiac expression (MHCK7).

Objective: To identify the 1-year safety and tolerability of intravenous rAAVrh74.MHCK7.

Spatially-resolved uranium isotopic analysis of contaminated scrap metal using laser ablation multi-collector ICP-MS.

Laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS) was applied to the detailed investigation of the uranium (U) isotopic composition (U, U, U, and U) of five contaminated scrap metal samples found within the European Union. Pressed pellets of the two certified U isotopic reference materials CRM U-020 and CRM U-030 were included in the measurement protocol for mass bias correction, calculation of the ion counter gains and for quality assurance. Since the investigated samples had low U content (0.

Affimers as anti-idiotypic affinity reagents for pharmacokinetic analysis of biotherapeutics.

Therapeutic antibodies are the fastest growing class of drugs in the treatment of cancer, and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases that require the concomitant development of assays to monitor therapeutic antibody levels. Here, we demonstrate that the use of Affimer nonantibody binding proteins provides an advantage over current antibody-based detection systems. For four therapeutic antibodies, we used phage display to isolate highly specific anti-idiotypic Affimer reagents, which selectively bind to the therapeutic antibody idiotype.

Analytical considerations in the determination of uranium isotope ratios in solid uranium materials using laser ablation multi-collector ICP-MS.

Validated analytical measurement protocols for the fast and accurate determination of the uranium (U) isotopic composition (U, U, U, U) of solid nuclear materials were developed employing ns-laser ablation (LA) coupled to multi-collector ICP-MS. The accuracy of the analytical procedure was assured by frequent ( = 65) analysis of a pressed pellet of certified isotopic reference material CRM U-030 (∼3 wt% U). The expanded uncertainty ( = 2) for the (U)/(U) ratio was as low as 0.

Measurement of the Pa/U ratio for the age determination of uranium materials.

The paper describes the age (production date) determination of uranium reference materials using the Pa/U ratio. Direct addition of Np in secular equilibrium with its Pa daughter was chosen instead of the regular milking of Np to avoid possible loss of Pa. Sample preparation consists of a fast, one-step procedure.

Keep Calm and Carry on: Parental Opinions on Improving Clinical Dietary Trials for Young Children.

Recruitment can be an issue for paediatric research. We aimed to investigate parental opinions of paediatric clinical assessments, and to combine findings with recent literature to inform the design of a clinical dietary trial. We used convenience sampling to recruit 17 parents of children aged 2⁻6 years from two community playgroups in Perth, Western Australia.

Methodology for the Preparation and Validation of Plutonium Age Dating Materials.

The present work describes a method for the preparation and validation of plutonium age dating reference materials. The test samples prepared in this context could be used to validate experimental protocols for determining the production date of plutonium via the U/Pu, U/Pu, U/Pu, and Am/Pu chronometers. The starting material was prepared using reactor-grade plutonium, which was purified using a dedicated method to guarantee high Pu recovery, while maximizing U and Am separation efficiencies.

IRMM-1000a and IRMM-1000b: uranium reference materials certified for the production date based on the Th/U radiochronometer. Part II: certification.

The IRMM-1000a and IRMM-1000b uranium reference materials, of 20 and 50 mg uranium, respectively, were produced by the European Commission Joint Research Centre's Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (EC-JRC-IRMM) in collaboration with the Institute for Transuranium Elements (EC-JRC-ITU). They are novel uranium reference materials certified for the production date based on the Th/U radiochronometer, i.e.

Plutonium age dating (production date measurement) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

This paper describes rapid methods for the determination of the production date (age dating) of plutonium (Pu) materials by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for nuclear forensic and safeguards purposes. One of the presented methods is a rapid, direct measurement without chemical separation using U/Pu and U/Pu chronometers. The other method comprises a straightforward extraction chromatographic separation, followed by ICP-MS measurement for the U/Pu, U/Pu, U/Pu and U/Pu chronometers.

IRMM-1000a and IRMM-1000b uranium reference materials certified for the production date. Part I: methodology, preparation and target characteristics.

The paper describes the preparation and production of the reference materials, IRMM-1000a and IRMM-1000b, certified for the production date based on the Th/U radiochronometer in compliance with ISO Guide 34:2009. The production date of the reference materials corresponds to the last separation of Th from U, i.e.

Remeasurement of (234)U Half-Life.

The half-life of (234)U has been measured using a novel approach. In this method, a uranium material was chemically purified from its thorium decay product at a well-known time. The ingrowth of the (230)Th daughter product in the material was followed by measuring the accumulated (230)Th daughter product relative to its parent (234)U nuclide using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Uranium from German Nuclear Power Projects of the 1940s--A Nuclear Forensic Investigation.

Here we present a nuclear forensic study of uranium from German nuclear projects which used different geometries of metallic uranium fuel. Through measurement of the (230)Th/(234)U ratio, we could determine that the material had been produced in the period from 1940 to 1943. To determine the geographical origin of the uranium, the rare-earth-element content and the (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratio were measured.

Development of the SORRI-BAURU Posterior Walker.

This study aimed to report on the design and development of a low cost Reverse Walker through a participative development cycle with people undergoing rehabilitation. The creation and fundamentals of the concept are described, as well as the development of prototypes and their provision to subjects with mobility problems. The Reverse Walker benefits the user by promoting a more upright posture and favoring the development of postural balance.

Higher breakfast glycaemic load is associated with increased metabolic syndrome risk, including lower HDL-cholesterol concentrations and increased TAG concentrations, in adolescent girls.

Almost all previous studies examining the associations between glycaemic load (GL) and metabolic syndrome risk have used a daily GL value. The daily value does not distinguish between peaks of GL intake over the day, which may be more closely associated with the risk of the metabolic syndrome. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cross-sectional associations between daily and mealtime measures of GL and metabolic syndrome risk, including metabolic syndrome components, in adolescents.

Dural ectasia in Marfan's syndrome: magnetic resonance imaging appearances and anaesthetic experience of three deliveries.

Neuraxial anaesthetic techniques are considered useful to minimise haemodynamic stress during labour. In Marfan's syndrome, connective tissue abnormalities not only affect the thoracic aorta but also predispose to dural ectasia. A dural ectatic sac may cause difficulties with neuraxial analgesia and anaesthesia.

Development and validation of a methodology for uranium radiochronometry reference material preparation.

The paper describes a methodology for a reference material preparation to be used for the determination of the production date (i.e. the time elapsed since the last chemical processing) of uranium materials based on the (230)Th/(234)U radiochronometer.

Determination of rare-earth elements in uranium-bearing materials by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

A novel and simple analytical procedure has been developed for the trace-level determination of lanthanides (rare-earth elements) in uranium-bearing materials by inductively coupled plasma sector-field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS). The method involves a selective extraction chromatographic separation of lanthanides using TRU resin followed by ICP-SFMS analysis. The limits of detection of the method proposed is in the low pg g(-1) range, which are approximately two orders of magnitude better than that of without chemical separation.

Structurally diverse peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonists induce apoptosis in human uro-epithelial cells by a receptor-independent mechanism involving store-operated calcium channels.

Objectives: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are implicated in epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation, but investigation has been confounded by potential off-target effects of some synthetic PPAR ligands. Our aim was to determine mechanisms underlying the pro-apoptotic effect of synthetic PPAR agonists in normal human bladder uro-epithelial (urothelial) cells and to reconcile this with the role of PPARs in urothelial cytodifferentiation.

Materials And Methods: Normal human urothelial (NHU) cells were grown as non-immortal lines in vitro and exposed to structurally diverse agonists ciglitazone, troglitazone, rosiglitazone (PPARgamma), ragaglitazar (PPARalpha/gamma), fenofibrate (PPARalpha) and L165041 (PPARbeta/delta).

Differentiation of an auditory neuronal cell line suitable for cell transplantation.

The auditory neuroblast cell line US/VOT-N33 (N33), which is conditionally immortal, was studied as an in vitro model for the differentiation of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) and as a candidate for cell transplantation in rodents. It expresses numerous molecular markers characteristic of auditory neuroblasts, including the transcription factors GATA3, NeuroD, Brn3a and Islet1, as well as the neuronal cytoskeletal protein beta3-tubulin. It displays active migratory behaviour in vitro and in vivo.

The effect of refurbishing a UK steel plant on PM10 metal composition and ability to induce inflammation.

Background: In the year 2000 Corus closed its steel plant operations in Redcar, NE of England temporarily for refurbishment of its blast furnace. This study investigates the impact of the closure on the chemical composition and biological activity of PM10 collected in the vicinity of the steel plant.

Methods: The metal content of PM10 samples collected before during and after the closure was measured by ICP-MS in order to ascertain whether there was any significant alteration in PM10 composition during the steel plant closure.