Association of serum ghrelin with weight gain during pregnancy in overweight and normal women.

Purpose: Despite the fact that the ghrelin hormone plays pivotal role in the process of weight gain, its correlation with weighing during pregnancy has not been elucidated. Hence, the present study was conducted to evaluate the correlation between plasma ghrelin levels and gestational weight gain in overweight and normal women.

Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in 27 overweight and 18 normal body mass index (BMI) pregnant women referring to Tehran health care centers.

Gold Nanoprisms as Optical Coherence Tomography Contrast Agents in the Second Near-Infrared Window for Enhanced Angiography in Live Animals.

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is an important tool for investigating vascular networks and microcirculation in living tissue. Traditional OCTA detects blood vessels via intravascular dynamic scattering signals derived from the movements of red blood cells (RBCs). However, the low hematocrit and long latency between RBCs in capillaries make these OCTA signals discontinuous, leading to incomplete mapping of the vascular networks.

Multi-faceted computational assessment of risk and progression in oligodendroglioma implicates NOTCH and PI3K pathways.

Oligodendrogliomas are diffusely infiltrative gliomas defined by -mutation and co-deletion of 1p/19q. They have highly variable clinical courses, with survivals ranging from 6 months to over 20 years, but little is known regarding the pathways involved with their progression or optimal markers for stratifying risk. We utilized machine-learning approaches with genomic data from The Cancer Genome Atlas to objectively identify molecular factors associated with clinical outcomes of oligodendroglioma and extended these findings to study signaling pathways implicated in oncogenesis and clinical endpoints associated with glioma progression.

Keratoconus severity identification using unsupervised machine learning.

We developed an unsupervised machine learning algorithm and applied it to big corneal parameters to identify and monitor keratoconus stages. A big dataset of corneal swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of 12,242 eyes acquired from SS-1000 CASIA OCT Imaging Systems in multiple centers across Japan was assembled. A total of 3,156 eyes with valid Ectasia Status Index (ESI) between zero and 100% were selected for the downstream analysis.

Modification of a steel fiber with a graphene based bucky gel for headspace solid-phase microextraction of volatile aromatic hydrocarbons prior to their quantification by GC.

A graphene based bucky gel-coated stainless steel fiber was prepared and applied to headspace solid phase microextraction of volatile organic compounds. Graphene was mixed with an ionic liquid to produce a bucky gel that displays the attractive features of both compounds. It can be directly deposited on an etched stainless steel wire to give the fiber for use in extraction of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) isomers.

Mucosal immune parameters, immune and antioxidant defence related genes expression and growth performance of zebrafish (Danio rerio) fed on Gracilaria gracilis powder.

In the present study zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been used as model organism to establish the effects of dietary supplementation of Gracilaria gracilis powder (GP) on mucosal and innate immune parameters, antioxidant enzymes, and growth. In order to establish these features, zebrafish were fed for eight weeks with experimental diets containing different levels of Red algae, 0.25, 0.

Observation and interpretation of negative remanent magnetization and inverted hysteresis loops in a thin film of LaSrMnO.

The observation of inverted magnetic hysteresis loops and negative magnetic remanence (NRM) in a 7.6 nm thin film of LaSrMnO grown on SrTiO substrates is reported. The film was grown employing pulsed laser deposition and characterized by reflection high-energy electron diffraction during growth and using x-ray reflectivity measurements post-growth.

Neutrophil extracellular trap formation requires OPA1-dependent glycolytic ATP production.

Optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) is a mitochondrial inner membrane protein that has an important role in mitochondrial fusion and structural integrity. Dysfunctional OPA1 mutations cause atrophy of the optic nerve leading to blindness. Here, we show that OPA1 has an important role in the innate immune system.

Visfatin as a predictor for growth of fetus and infant.

Objective: Visfatin is an adipocytokine that functions as an enzyme and a growth factor to investigate the relationship between serum visfatin and the fetus's anthropometric markers up to a year after birth.

Materials And Methods: Forty-one eligible pregnant women in their first trimester were divided and matched in terms of body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy into normal and higher than normal BMI groups, A and B. Serum visfatin levels were measured during 6-12 and 15-20 weeks of gestation using ELISA.

Eosinophils suppress Th1 responses and restrict bacterially induced gastrointestinal inflammation.

Eosinophils are predominantly known for their contribution to allergy. Here, we have examined the function and regulation of gastrointestinal eosinophils in the steady-state and during infection with or We find that eosinophils are recruited to sites of infection, directly encounter live bacteria, and activate a signature transcriptional program; this applies also to human gastrointestinal eosinophils in humanized mice. The genetic or anti-IL-5-mediated depletion of eosinophils results in improved control of the infection, increased inflammation, and more pronounced Th1 responses.

Detection of Longitudinal Visual Field Progression in Glaucoma Using Machine Learning.

Purpose: Global indices of standard automated perimerty are insensitive to localized losses, while point-wise indices are sensitive but highly variable. Region-wise indices sit in between. This study introduces a machine learning-based index for glaucoma progression detection that outperforms global, region-wise, and point-wise indices.

A Dual-Modality Hybrid Imaging System Harnesses Radioluminescence and Sound to Reveal Molecular Pathology of Atherosclerotic Plaques.

Atherosclerosis is a progressive inflammatory condition caused by an unstable lesion, called thin-cap fibro atheromata (TCFA) that underlies coronary artery disease (CAD)-one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Therefore, early clinical diagnosis and effective risk stratification is important for CAD management as well as preventing progression to catastrophic events. However, early detection could be difficult due to their small size, motion, obscuring F-FDG uptake by adjacent myocardium, and complex morphological/biological features.

Hydrazide functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for specific extraction of N-terminal serine and threonine peptides.

In this study, we present hydrazide functionalized magnetic nanoparticles as a sorbent prepared by a new and facile method. Scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared were used for characterizing the synthesized nanoparticles. The ability of the sorbent to extract N-terminal serine and threonine peptides was evaluated.

Low Autophagy (ATG) Gene Expression Is Associated with an Immature AML Blast Cell Phenotype and Can Be Restored during AML Differentiation Therapy.

Autophagy is an intracellular degradation system that ensures a dynamic recycling of a variety of building blocks required for self-renewal, homeostasis, and cell survival under stress. We used primary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) samples and human AML cell lines to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy and its role in AML differentiation. We found a significantly lower expression of key autophagy- (ATG-) related genes in primary AML as compared to healthy granulocytes, an increased autophagic activity during all- retinoic acid- (ATRA-) induced neutrophil differentiation, and an impaired AML differentiation upon inhibition of ATG3, ATG4D, and ATG5.

Oxidative damage of SP-D abolishes control of eosinophil extracellular DNA trap formation.

The asthmatic airways are highly susceptible to inflammatory injury by air pollutants such as ozone (O ), characterized by enhanced activation of eosinophilic granulocytes and a failure of immune protective mechanisms. Eosinophil activation during asthma exacerbation contributes to the proinflammatory oxidative stress by high levels of nitric oxide (NO) production and extracellular DNA release. Surfactant protein-D (SP-D), an epithelial cell product of the airways, is a critical immune regulatory molecule with a multimeric structure susceptible to oxidative modifications.

Emphasizing the role of surface chemistry on hydrophobicity and cell adhesion behavior of polydimethylsiloxane/TiO nanocomposite films.

Improving the bioinertness of materials is of great importance for developing biomedical devices that contact human tissues. The main goal of this study was to establish correlations among surface morphology, roughness and chemistry with hydrophobicity and cell adhesion in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposites loaded with titanium dioxide (TiO) nanoparticles. Firstly, wettability results showed that the nanocomposite loaded with 30 wt.

The Healing Effect of N-Hexan- Dichloromethane Extract Root in Second Degree Burns.

Background: Wound healing is the process of repair following an injury to the skin and other soft tissues. In this study, the effect of n-hexane d-chloromethane extract (1: 1) of root DC on the second degree burn in rabbit model was investigated.

Methods: Thirty-six adult rabbits of both sexes were randomly divided into six groups, control (without treatment), negative control (treatment with cold cream), positive control (treatment with silver sulfadiazine), and treatment groups with 5%, 1% and 2% cream and assessed histologically.

Asymmetric Patterns of Visual Field Defect in Primary Open-Angle and Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma.

Purpose: To compare the hemifield asymmetry of visual field (VF) loss in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) across all severity levels.

Methods: A total of 522 eyes of 327 patients with POAG (mean age ± SD, 54.1 ± 12.

Predicting cancer outcomes from histology and genomics using convolutional networks.

Cancer histology reflects underlying molecular processes and disease progression and contains rich phenotypic information that is predictive of patient outcomes. In this study, we show a computational approach for learning patient outcomes from digital pathology images using deep learning to combine the power of adaptive machine learning algorithms with traditional survival models. We illustrate how these survival convolutional neural networks (SCNNs) can integrate information from both histology images and genomic biomarkers into a single unified framework to predict time-to-event outcomes and show prediction accuracy that surpasses the current clinical paradigm for predicting the overall survival of patients diagnosed with glioma.

Distinct effect of fetal bovine serum versus follicular fluid on multipotentiality of human granulosa cells in in vitro condition.

This study aimed to develop an appropriate medium for preservation of multipotentiality in human granulosa cells. To compare the possible effect of different media supplemented with follicular fluid or fetal bovine serum, granulosa cells were cultured in vitro over a period of 14 days. Stemness feature and any alteration in the cell phenotype were monitored using colony count assay and flow cytometry analysis by monitoring the expression of Oct3/4 and GATA-4 factors.

The association of interferon-gamma, interleukin-4 and interleukin-17 single-nucleotide polymorphisms with susceptibility to tuberculosis.

Susceptibility to tuberculosis and progression of the disease depend on interactions between the bacterial agent, host immune system, and environmental and genetic factors. In this case-controlled study, we aimed to determine the role of single-nucleotide polymorphisms of interferon-gamma, interleukin-4 and interleukin-17 in susceptibility to tuberculosis. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples of patients and controls.

Necroptosis and neutrophil-associated disorders.

Necroptosis is a form of regulated necrosis and is dependent on a signaling pathway involving receptor interacting protein kinase-3 (RIPK3) and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL). Necroptosis is considered to have important functions in inflammation and, based on studies with animal disease models, is believed likely to be involved in the pathogenesis of many human inflammatory diseases. In neutrophils, necroptosis has recently been reported to be triggered by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) stimulation, ligation of adhesion receptors, exposure to monosodium urate (MSU) crystals, or phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus (S.

A SNP panel for identification of DNA and RNA specimens.

Background: SNP panels that uniquely identify an individual are useful for genetic and forensic research. Previously recommended SNP panels are based on DNA profiles and mostly contain intragenic SNPs. With the increasing interest in RNA expression profiles, we aimed for establishing a SNP panel for both DNA and RNA-based genotyping.

Distribution and Rates of Visual Field Loss across Different Disease Stages in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma.

Purpose: To identify patterns and rates of visual field (VF) loss in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) across different levels of severity.

Design: Retrospective, observational case series.

Participants: Visual fields of 278 eyes of 139 patients with POAG (9 years of follow-up with ∼17 visits) from the Rotterdam Eye Hospital in The Netherlands were analyzed to identify patterns and rates of VF loss.