Does sexual Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) increase risk of multiple high-risk fertility behaviours in India: evidence from National Family Health Survey 2015-16.

BACKGROUND: One in three women from lower and middle-income countries are subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) in their life span. Prior studies have highlighted a range of adverse health impacts of sexual IPV. However, less is known about the link between multiple high-risk fertility behaviours and sexual intimate partner violence. The present study examines the statistical association between multiple high-risk fertility behaviours and sexual intimate partner violence among women in India. METHODS: The present study used a nationally representative dataset, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) 2015-16. A total of 23,597 women were included in the study; a subsample of married women of reproductive age who have had at least one child 5 years prior to the survey and who had valid information about sexual IPV. Logistic regression models were employed alongside descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Approximately 7% of women who are or had been married face sexual IPV. The prevalence of sexual violence was higher among women who had short birth intervals and women who had given birth more than three times (12%). Around 11% of women who had experienced any high-risk fertility behaviours also experienced sexual violence. The unadjusted association suggested that multiple high-risk fertility behaviours were 32% (UORs = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.16-1.50) higher for those women who experienced sexual violence. After adjusting for other sociodemographic variables, except for women's education and wealth quantile, the odds of multiple high-risk fertility behaviours were 16% (AOR = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.02-1.34) higher among women who faced sexual violence. The inclusion of women's educational attainment and wealth status in the model made the association between sexual IPV and high-risk fertility behaviours insignificant. CONCLUSION: Sexual intimate partner violence is statistically associated with high-risk fertility behaviours among women in India. Programs and strategies designed to improve women's reproductive health should investigate the different dimensions of sexual IPV in India.

High-Resolution Valley Spectroscopy of Si Quantum Dots.

We study an accumulation mode Si/SiGe double quantum dot (DQD) containing a single electron that is dipole coupled to microwave photons in a superconducting cavity. Measurements of the cavity transmission reveal dispersive features due to the DQD valley states in Si. The occupation of the valley states can be increased by raising the temperature or applying a finite source-drain bias across the DQD, resulting in an increased signal. Using the cavity input-output theory and a four-level model of the DQD, it is possible to efficiently extract valley splittings and the inter- and intravalley tunnel couplings.

Exchange coupling between laterally adjacent nanomagnets.

We experimentally demonstrate exchange-coupling between laterally adjacent nanomagnets. Our results show that two neighboring nanomagnets that are each antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled to a common ferromagnetic bottom layer can be brought into strong ferromagnetic interaction. Simulations show that interlayer exchange coupling effectively promotes ferromagnetic alignment between the two nanomagnets, as opposed to antiferromagnetic alignment due to dipole-coupling. In order to experimentally demonstrate the proposed scheme, we fabricated arrays of pairs of elongated, single-domain nanomagnets. Magnetic force microscopy measurements show that most of the pairs are ferromagnetically ordered. The results are in agreement with micromagnetic simulations. The presented scheme can achieve coupling strengths that are significantly stronger than dipole coupling, potentially enabling far-reaching applications in Nanomagnet Logic, spin-wave devices and three-dimensional storage and computing.

Thermoelectric performance of various benzo-difuran wires.

Using a first principles approach to electron transport, we calculate the electrical and thermoelectrical transport properties of a series of molecular wires containing benzo-difuran subunits. We demonstrate that the side groups introduce Fano resonances, the energy of which is changing with the electronegativity of selected atoms in it. We also study the relative effect of single, double, or triple bonds along the molecular backbone and find that single bonds yield the highest thermopower, approximately 22 µV/K at room temperature, which is comparable with the highest measured values for single-molecule thermopower reported to date.

Inequalities in regional excess mortality and life expectancy during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.

Using data for 201 regions (NUTS 2) in Europe, we examine the mortality burden of the COVID-19 pandemic and how the mortality inequalities between regions changed between 2020 and 2022. We show that over the three years of the pandemic, not only did the level of excess mortality rate change considerably, but also its geographical distribution. Focusing on life expectancy as a summary measure of mortality conditions, we find that the variance of regional life expectancy increased sharply in 2021 but returned to the pre-pandemic level in 2022. The 2021 increase was due to a much higher-than-average excess mortality in regions with lower pre-pandemic life expectancy. While the life expectancy inequality has returned to its pre-pandemic level in 2022, the observed life expectancy in almost all regions is far below that expected without the pandemic.

Effect of different concentrations of serotonin, histamine and insulin on the hormone (serotonin and ACTH) production of Tetrahymena in nutrient-free physiological milieu.

Cell populations of Tetrahymena pyriformisGL were kept in nutrient-free (Losina) milieu and treated with different (10(-6)-10(-21)M) concentrations of serotonin, histamine or insulin for 30 min. Following that the hormone (serotonin and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) content of the cells were measured by immunocytochemical flow cytometric method. Serotonin reduced histamine when applied in 10(-12) and 10(-15)M concentrations, while elevated ACTH levels when applied in 10(-6), 10(-9) and 10(-21)M concentrations. Histamine reduced serotonin concentration at 10(-9)-10(-21)M concentrations and increased ACTH in 10(-6)M. Insulin elevated both hormones' content in each concentration except at 10(-12)M. The results demonstrate that (1) in nutrient-free conditions the hormonal effects differ from that of nutrient-rich (tryptone+yeast) condition; (2) there is an optimal hormone concentration, which causes the strongest effect and this is different for each hormones; (3) the hormone receptors of Tetrahymena are very sensitive; as they react to zeptomolar concentrations. Such small concentration is even more effective than higher ones. Since hormones must become highly diluted in the natural environment of Tetrahymena, it seems that such low concentrations are the actual physiological concentrations.

Thyrotropin (TSH) regulates triiodothyronine (T3) production in the unicellular Tetrahymena.

The aim of the experiments was to study the regulation of triiodothyronine (T3) production in the unicellular Tetrahymena. Untreated and troph-hormone treated specimen were prepared and in different timepoints T3 content was measured and compared by immunocytochemical flow cytometry. 0.1 or 0.001 IU TSH in tryptone-yeast medium stimulated T3 synthesis at 10, 20, 30 min, but does not stimulate after 1 h. The overlapping gonadotropic hormone (GTH) also did it, however only at 10 min. In Losina salt solution (physiological for Tetrahymena) the effect was weaker, however outer amino acid source was not absolutely needed for the production of the hormone. The results show that the TSH regulation of thyroid hormone synthesis (storage, secretion) and troph-hormone overlap can be deduced to a unicellular level. This may allow the hypothesis that the endocrine mechanisms proved at a low level of phylogeny are preserved for the higher ranked organisms.

The 2021 Magnonics Roadmap.

Magnonics is a budding research field in nanomagnetism and nanoscience that addresses the use of spin waves (magnons) to transmit, store, and process information. The rapid advancements of this field during last one decade in terms of upsurge in research papers, review articles, citations, proposals of devices as well as introduction of new sub-topics prompted us to present the first roadmap on magnonics. This is a collection of 22 sections written by leading experts in this field who review and discuss the current status besides presenting their vision of future perspectives. Today, the principal challenges in applied magnonics are the excitation of sub-100 nm wavelength magnons, their manipulation on the nanoscale and the creation of sub-micrometre devices using low-Gilbert damping magnetic materials and its interconnections to standard electronics. To this end, magnonics offers lower energy consumption, easier integrability and compatibility with CMOS structure, reprogrammability, shorter wavelength, smaller device features, anisotropic properties, negative group velocity, non-reciprocity and efficient tunability by various external stimuli to name a few. Hence, despite being a young research field, magnonics has come a long way since its early inception. This roadmap asserts a milestone for future emerging research directions in magnonics, and hopefully, it will inspire a series of exciting new articles on the same topic in the coming years.

Comparison of the effect of hormones on the hormone synthesis of Tetrahymena in medium or salt solution.

Tetrahymena pyriformis was maintained in TYM (tryptone-yeast medium) as well as in Losina salt solution. One hour treatment of 10⁻¹5 M histamine, serotonin or insulin was given before the histamine, serotonin, triiodothyronine and adrenocorticotropin contents of the cells were measured by flow cytometry after immunocytochemical staining. Maintenance in salt solution increased the hormone level in the cells, and use of the treatment hormone treatments further increased the endogenous hormone content relative to that in medium. The cells in salt mimic better the natural conditions, which means that the effects of hormones under more natural conditions are expressed to a greater extent than the exogenously given hormones in TYM typically used under laboratory conditions. Intercellular hormonal communication between the cells of a Tetrahymena population might assist in the survival of the individual cells.

Theory of valley-resolved spectroscopy of a Si triple quantum dot coupled to a microwave resonator.

We theoretically study a silicon triple quantum dot (TQD) system coupled to a superconducting microwave resonator. The response signal of an injected probe signal can be used to extract information about the level structure by measuring the transmission and phase shift of the output field. This information can further be used to gain knowledge about the valley splittings and valley phases in the individual dots. Since relevant valley states are typically split by several [Formula: see text], a finite temperature or an applied external bias voltage is required to populate energetically excited states. The theoretical methods in this paper include a capacitor model to fit experimental charging energies, an extended Hubbard model to describe the tunneling dynamics, a rate equation model to find the occupation probabilities, and an input-output model to determine the response signal of the resonator.

Hormones in the nucleus of mast cells: confocal microscopic immunocytochemical observations.

In earlier experiments, the presence of histamine and serotonin in the nucleus of mast cells was demonstrated. At present we studied the presence or absence of four hormones: adrenocorticotropine (ACTH), growth hormone (GH), triiodothyronine (T(3)), and progesterone. Cells of the (adult female) rat peritoneal fluid were fixed by EDAC and studied by laser-scanning confocal microscope, after treatment with primary antibodies and FITC-labeled secondary antibody. Strong ACTH and growth hormone fluorescence can be seen in the nucleus. ACTH fluorescence is present also in the granules. The cytoplasm of lymphocytes contains both ACTH and GH. T(3) shows very pale fluorescence, and progesterone is negative. The conclusion is that the nucleus of mast cells contains two polypeptide hormones studied. This was demonstrated by using EDAC fixation as this is a cross-linking agent and does not allow the escape of the minute amounts of hormones from the nucleus. Earlier observations on peptide hormones' nuclear presence and their importance are discussed.

Influence of neonatal vitamin A or vitamin D treatment on the concentration of biogenic amines and their metabolites in the adult rat brain.

Newborn male rats were treated with a single dose of 3 mg vitamin A (retinol) or 0.05 mg vita-min D (cholecalciferol), and three months later five brain regions (frontopolar cortex, hypothalamus, hippocampus, striatum, and brainstem) were studied for tissue levels of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5HT), and metabolites such as homovanillic acid (HVA), as well as 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5HIAA). Vitamin A treatment as hormonal imprinting significantly decreased 5HIAA levels in each brain region. Vitamin D imprinting significantly elevated DA only in the brainstem and HVA levels in striatum and hypothalamus. Present and earlier brain-imprinting results (with brain-produced substances), show that the profound and life-long effect of neonatal hormonal imprinting on neurotransmitter production of the adult brain seems to be well established. As prophylactic treatment with these vitamins is frequent in the perinatal period, the imprinting effect of vitamin A and vitamin D must be taken into consideration.

Influence of perinatal stress on the hormone content in immune cells of adult rats: dominance of ACTH.

Rat dams were stressed by total deprivation of food and water for 48 h just before or directly after delivery and the offspring were studied when adult. The immune cells' hormone content (ACTH, histamine, serotonin, and T(3)) was measured by immunocytochemical flow cytometry. The elevation of ACTH content in males was convincing in each cell type (lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes, and mast cells). The change in histamine and T(3) content was inconsistent, while serotonin level did not change at all. As ACTH is the key hormone in the General Adaptation Syndrome, it seems likely that the perinatal stress primarily caused elevation in ACTH level and it was provoking the life-long hormonal imprinting. There was a difference between the reaction of males and females (with males' advance), which points to the gender dependence of the phenomenon. It is important that the effect of stress on the offspring was similar in case of direct (prenatal, in the mother) and indirect (postnatal, transmitted by milk) stress treatment, which calls attention to the danger of stress during this latter period.

Thyrotropic hormone (TSH) regulation of triiodothyronine (T(3)) concentration in immune cells.

OBJECTIVE: Cells of the immune system (peritoneal lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes and mast cells as well as thymocytes) contain triiodothyronine (T(3)). The aim of the present experiments was to study whether thyrotropic hormone (TSH) regulates or not the T(3) concentration of these cells. METHODS: Peritoneal fluid and thymus cells of adult rats were studied by immunocytochemistry, combined with flow cytometry for triiodothyronine content with or without in-vitro TSH treatment. In addition, adult female CD1 mice were treated in vivo with 10 or 40 mU TSH and after 1 hour peritoneal immune cells were studied using the above mentioned method. RESULTS: Both in vitro (in rat) and in vivo (in mice) TSH treatments significantly elevated the T(3) content in each cell type. In vitro TSH 0.1 mU/ml cell suspension was enough to provoke about 50 % increase in T(3) production. CONCLUSION: T(3) concentration in immune cells seems to be regulated by TSH, similarly to the T(3) in the thyroid. Considering the large number of immune cells in an organism, TSH regulation of their T(3) content could have an important physiological and pathological role, both in and beyond the immune system.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase gene C1858T allele confers risk for rheumatoid arthritis in Hungarian subjects.

The C1858T allele of the PTPN22 gene has been reported to confer risk for RA; but in some reports, the effect was restricted to RF- and/or anti-CCP-seropositive patients. Hungarian RA patients and matched controls were genotyped. The 1858T allele showed an increased prevalence in RA patients compared to controls. The 1858T allele represents a risk factor in the whole RA population (P = 0.001); an association was found both in RF-seropositive (P = 0.001) and anti-CCP-seropositive patients (P = 0.001), and in subjects with the combination of these factors (P = 0.002). In TT homozygotes, the estimated susceptibility to RA was more than double (OR = 5.04) of that seen in TC heterozygotes (OR = 1.89); the same gene dosage effect was observed in all seropositive RA subgroups. Our data show that the Hungarian RA patients belong to the populations in which the 1858T allele represents a susceptibility factor both in the RF- and/or anti-CCP-seropositive subjects, and the association exhibit a gene dosage dependency.

Bone Manifestation of Faulty Perinatal Hormonal Imprinting: A Review.

Hormonal imprinting takes place at the first encounter between the developing receptor and its target hormone and the encounter determines the receptor's binding capacity for life. In the critical period of development, when the window for imprinting is open, the receptor can be misdirected by related hormones, synthetic hormones, and industrial or communal endocrine disruptors which cause faulty hormonal imprinting with life-long consequences. Considering these facts, the hormonal imprinting is a functional teratogen provoking alterations in the perinatal (early postnatal) period. One single encounter with a low dose of the imprinter in the critical developmental period is enough for the formation of faulty imprinting, which is manifested later, in adult age. This has been justified in the immune system, in sexuality, in animal behavior and brain neurotransmitters etc. by animal experiments and human observations. This review points to the faulty hormonal imprinting in the case of bones (skeleton), by single or repeated treatments. The imprinting is an epigenetic alteration which is inherited to the progeny generations. From clinical aspect, the faulty imprinting can have a role in the pathological development of the bones as well, as in the risk of osteoporotic fractures, etc.

Hormonal imprinting: phylogeny, ontogeny, diseases and possible role in present-day human evolution.

Hormonal (chemical) imprinting which was first observed (and named) by us in the seventies of the last century, is a general biological phenomenon which takes place when the developing receptor meets its target hormone for the first time. Under the effect of imprinting, receptors mature and reach their maximal binding capacity. It also influences the cells' hormone production and different functions depending on receptors and hormones. Hormonal imprinting is present already at the unicellular level causing the development of specific receptors and helping the easier recognition of useful or harmful surrounding molecules. The phenomenon is an important factor in the survival of the species, as the effect of imprinting is transmitted to the progeny cell generations. At the same time it possibly helps the selection of molecules which are suitable for acting as hormones in higher ranked animals. In mammals, hormonal imprinting takes place perinatally and determines the function of receptor-signal-transduction systems as well as hormone production for life. However, there are other critical imprinting periods for continuously developing cells. Excess of the target hormones or presence of foreign molecules which are able to bind to the receptors, provoke faulty imprinting in the critical periods with life-long morphological, biochemical, functional or behavioural consequences. As many receptor-bound foreign molecules are used as medical treatments and many such molecules are present around us and inside us as environmental pollutants, they--causing faulty imprinting--are able to predispose the (human) organism to cardiovascular, endocrine, metabolic and cancerous diseases. It seems likely that this effect is connected with disturbance of DNA methylation process in the critical periods of life. There are some signs of the transgenerational effect of faulty imprinting and this could be manifested in the evolution of humans by an epigenetic route.

Is there a hormonal network in Tetrahymena? A systematic investigation of hormonal effects on the hormone content.

The effect of six hormones (histamine, serotonin, insulin, epidermal growth factor (EGF), oxytocin and gonadotropin) was studied on the hormone (histamine, serotonin, adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH], endorphin and triiodothyronine [T(3)]) content of Tetrahymena. The hormones were given in 10(-9) or 10(-12) M concentrations or as 0.1 and 0.001 I.U. ml(-1) (in the case of oxytocin and gonadotropin) for 1 h. The hormones in picomolar concentration, i.e. at levels which can be present also in natural conditions, influence the amount of other hormones inside the cell. Their effect is not a general one: it is individual, the level of one of the hormones was elevated, while that of the others diminished under the effect of the same hormonal stimulus. Insulin was the only hormone, which influenced the concentration of other hormones in one direction, elevating them. This effect could have a role in the life-saving property of this hormone in Tetrahymena, but the hormones were not studied from this point of view. Usually there is no difference between the effect of the two concentrations used, but there are situations when the effect of the two concentrations is opposite. This means that there is a possible concentration dependence and this could influence differently the cells which are far from or near to the secretor cell. Considering earlier observations, the duration of the treatment can also influence the result. The results give new data to the hormonal regulation at unicellular level (which can be the base of regulation at higher evolutionary levels) and point to the possibility of a hormonal network.

A general response to stressors by the unicellular Tetrahymena: effect of stress on the hormone levels.

Hormone (ACTH, endorphin, serotonin and T(3)) content of the unicellular Tetrahymena was studied by using immunocytochemical and flow cytometry methods. The cells were previously treated with different concentrations of salts (NaCl or KCl for 1 h), were kept in low (+4 degrees C) or high (+37 degrees C) temperature for 1 h and were treated with formaldehyde or ethanol. High concentrations of salts (20 mg ml(-1) medium), all levels (0.1, 0.05, 0.01%) of formaldehyde and high temperature almost doubled the hormone contents and 0.1% alcohol also significantly elevated them. The experiments call attention to the presence of a general adaptation syndrome (GAS)-like phenomenon at a unicellular level and points to the possibility of deduction of GAS to a low level of phylogeny.