Dietary intake of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and changes in body weight in European adults.

PURPOSE: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) can be formed in foods by the reaction of reducing sugars with proteins, and have been shown to induce insulin resistance and obesity in experimental studies. We examined the association between dietary AGEs intake and changes in body weight in adults over an average of 5 years of follow-up. METHODS: A total of 255,170 participants aged 25-70 years were recruited in ten European countries (1992-2000) in the PANACEA study (Physical Activity, Nutrition, Alcohol, Cessation of smoking, Eating out of home in relation to Anthropometry), a sub-cohort of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition). Body weight was measured at recruitment and self-reported between 2 and 11 years later depending on the study center. A reference database for AGEs was used containing UPLC-MS/MS-measured Nε-(carboxymethyl)-lysine (CML), Nε-(1-carboxyethyl)-lysine (CEL), and Nδ-(5-hydro-5-methyl-4-imidazolon-2-yl)-ornithine (MG-H1) in 200 common European foods. This reference database was matched to foods and decomposed recipes obtained from country-specific validated dietary questionnaires in EPIC and intake levels of CEL, CML, and MG-H1 were estimated. Associations between dietary AGEs intake and body weight change were estimated separately for each of the three AGEs using multilevel mixed linear regression models with center as random effect and dietary AGEs intake and relevant confounders as fixed effects. RESULTS: A one-SD increment in CEL intake was associated with 0.111 kg (95% CI 0.087-0.135) additional weight gain over 5 years. The corresponding additional weight gain for CML and MG-H1 was 0.065 kg (0.041-0.089) and 0.034 kg (0.012, 0.057), respectively. The top six food groups contributing to AGEs intake, with varying proportions across the AGEs, were cereals/cereal products, meat/processed meat, cakes/biscuits, dairy, sugar and confectionary, and fish/shellfish. CONCLUSION: In this study of European adults, higher intakes of AGEs were associated with marginally greater weight gain over an average of 5 years of follow-up.

Acceptability of self-sampling and human papillomavirus testing among non-attenders of cervical cancer screening programs in El Salvador.

In a cross-sectional study carried out in El Salvador between February 2016 and July 2017, self-sampling and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing was found to be highly acceptable among 2019 women who had not attended a cervical cancer screening in at least 3 years. Within this population, HPV positivity rates differed according to age, marital status, number of children, and lifetime sexual partners. The proportion of women who tested HPV positive or who were diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN2) or more severe diagnoses (CIN2+) was similar to the general population of the area. Among the reasons for failing to participate in previous screening programs, non-attending women described logistic concerns, but also erroneous beliefs regarding HPV and cervical cancer, misconceptions regarding the screening procedure, discomfort with male providers, and confidentiality fears. The aim of this study was to identify opportunities and challenges that emerged from the use of self-sampling and HPV testing as part of a public cervical cancer control effort in a low-resource setting.

Attosecond physics at the nanoscale.

Recently two emerging areas of research, attosecond and nanoscale physics, have started to come together. Attosecond physics deals with phenomena occurring when ultrashort laser pulses, with duration on the femto- and sub-femtosecond time scales, interact with atoms, molecules or solids. The laser-induced electron dynamics occurs natively on a timescale down to a few hundred or even tens of attoseconds (1 attosecond = 1 as = 10-18 s), which is comparable with the optical field. For comparison, the revolution of an electron on a 1s orbital of a hydrogen atom is ∼152 as. On the other hand, the second branch involves the manipulation and engineering of mesoscopic systems, such as solids, metals and dielectrics, with nanometric precision. Although nano-engineering is a vast and well-established research field on its own, the merger with intense laser physics is relatively recent. In this report on progress we present a comprehensive experimental and theoretical overview of physics that takes place when short and intense laser pulses interact with nanosystems, such as metallic and dielectric nanostructures. In particular we elucidate how the spatially inhomogeneous laser induced fields at a nanometer scale modify the laser-driven electron dynamics. Consequently, this has important impact on pivotal processes such as above-threshold ionization and high-order harmonic generation. The deep understanding of the coupled dynamics between these spatially inhomogeneous fields and matter configures a promising way to new avenues of research and applications. Thanks to the maturity that attosecond physics has reached, together with the tremendous advance in material engineering and manipulation techniques, the age of atto-nanophysics has begun, but it is in the initial stage. We present thus some of the open questions, challenges and prospects for experimental confirmation of theoretical predictions, as well as experiments aimed at characterizing the induced fields and the unique electron dynamics initiated by them with high temporal and spatial resolution.

Phase matching effects in high harmonic generation at the nanometer scale.

Plasmon resonances are known to amplify the electromagnetic fields near metallic nanostructures, providing a promising scheme to generate extreme-ultraviolet harmonics using low power drivings. During high-order harmonic generation (HHG), the driving and harmonic fields accumulate a phase difference as they propagate through the target. In a typical set-up -a laser focused into a gas jet- the propagation distances amount to several wavelengths, and the cumulative phase-mismatch affects strongly the efficiency and properties of the harmonic emission. In contrast, HHG in metallic nanostructures is considered to overcome these limitations, as the common sources of phase mismatch -optical density and focusing geometry- are negligible for subwavelength propagation distances. We demonstrate that phase matching still plays a relevant role in HHG from nanostructures due to the non-perturbative character of HHG, that links the harmonic phase to the intensity distribution of the driving field. Our computations show that widely used applications of phase matching control, such as quantum path selection and the increase of contrast in attosecond pulse generation, are also feasible at the nanoscale.

Emergence of a Higher Energy Structure in Strong Field Ionization with Inhomogeneous Electric Fields.

Studies of strong field ionization have historically relied on the strong field approximation, which neglects all spatial dependence in the forces experienced by the electron after ionization. More recently, the small spatial inhomogeneity introduced by the long-range Coulomb potential has been linked to a number of important features in the photoelectron spectrum, such as Coulomb asymmetry, Coulomb focusing, and the low energy structure. Here, we demonstrate using midinfrared laser wavelength that a time-varying spatial dependence in the laser electric field, such as that produced in the vicinity of a nanostructure, creates a prominent higher energy peak. This higher energy structure (HES) originates from direct electrons ionized near the peak of a single half-cycle of the laser pulse. The HES is separated from all other ionization events, with its location and width highly dependent on the strength of spatial inhomogeneity. Hence, the HES can be used as a sensitive tool for near-field characterization in the "intermediate regime," where the electron's quiver amplitude is comparable to the field decay length. Moreover, the large accumulation of electrons with tuneable energy suggests a promising method for creating a localized source of electron pulses of attosecond duration using tabletop laser technology.

Effect of composition and coating on the interparticle interactions and magnetic hardness of MFe2O4 (M = Fe, Co, Zn) nanoparticles.

Single domain superparamagnetic ferrite nanoparticles with the composition MFe2O4 (M = Fe, Co, Zn) have been prepared by thermal decomposition of metal acetylacetonates in diphenyl ether or dibenzyl ether, using oleic acid in the presence of oleylamine as a stabilizing agent. The Fe, Co and Zn ferrite nanoparticles are monodisperse with diameters of 4.9, 4.4 and 4.7 nm, respectively. The TG and IR results indicate that four or six carboxylate groups per nm2 are bonded at the surface of the particles acting as chelating and/or bridging bidentate ligands depending on the composition. The oleate groups minimize the interparticle interactions in Fe and Zn ferrite samples, while in the Co ferrite sample dipolar interactions produce broad maxima in the ZFC and energy barriers distribution curves. The inversion degree has been estimated from the Raman spectra and the obtained x values have been used to calculate the saturation magnetization and compare them with the experimental MS values. Compared to bulk materials, the magnetization value is higher for the Zn ferrite sample due to its mixed spinel cation distribution. For the Co ferrite sample, and probably for the Fe one, the low value of saturation magnetization seems to be due to the surface disordered layer of canted spins. Compared to non-coated nanoparticles with the same composition and similar size, the oleate groups, covalently bonded to the superficial cations, increase the anisotropy field and decrease the magnetization.

Uniaxial Pressure Dependence of Magnetic Order in MnSi.

We report comprehensive small angle neutron scattering measurements complemented by ac susceptibility data of the helical order, conical phase, and Skyrmion lattice phase (SLP) in MnSi under uniaxial pressures. For all crystallographic orientations uniaxial pressure favors the phase for which a spatial modulation of the magnetization is closest to the pressure axis. Uniaxial pressures as low as 1 kbar applied perpendicular to the magnetic field axis enhance the Skyrmion lattice phase substantially, whereas the Skyrmion lattice phase is suppressed for pressure parallel to the field. Taken together we present quantitative microscopic information on how strain couples to magnetic order in the chiral magnet MnSi.

Pulsed dye laser-resistant port-wine stains: mechanisms of resistance and implications for treatment.

Port-wine stains (PWS) are among the most common congenital vascular malformations. Unlike capillary haemangiomas, these lesions do not involute spontaneously but rather become progressively more disfiguring as the patient ages. While benign in nature, the cosmetic deformity and attendant psychological and emotional distress prompt the majority of those afflicted to seek treatment. The pulsed dye laser (PDL) has long been considered the treatment of choice for these vascular lesions; however, very few patients achieve total clearance with PDL therapy and a significant number of lesions fail to respond at all. In order to address these recalcitrant cases, the mechanisms that contribute to treatment resistance must be understood and novel laser and light therapies must be employed. This review will address what is currently known about lesion-specific characteristics of PDL-resistant PWS as well as discuss current and future treatment options.

Long-wavelength helimagnetic order and skyrmion lattice phase in Cu2OSeO3.

We report a long-wavelength helimagnetic superstructure in bulk samples of the ferrimagnetic insulator Cu2OSeO3. The magnetic phase diagram associated with the helimagnetic modulation inferred from small-angle neutron scattering and magnetization measurements includes a skyrmion lattice phase and is strongly reminiscent of MnSi, FeGe, and Fe(1-x)Co(x)Si, i.e., binary isostructural siblings of Cu2OSeO3 that order helimagnetically. The temperature dependence of the specific heat of Cu2OSeO3 is characteristic of nearly critical spin fluctuations at the helimagnetic transition. This provides putative evidence for effective spin currents as the origin of enhancements of the magnetodielectric response instead of atomic displacements considered so far.

Anaesthetic considerations for elective cesarean section in a patient with a giant Tarlov cyst.

Tarlov cysts are a pathological dilatation of the meninges. Their incidence is more frequent in women between 30 and 50 years of age. The imaging test of choice for diagnosis is MRI. Of unknown etiology, most cases are asymptomatic, but symptoms of radicular irritation, among others, may occur. The therapeutic possibilities are multiple, reserving surgical excision as the last option. We report a case of successful spinal anaesthesia for elective cesarean section in a patient with a giant Tarlov cyst but with potential airway compromise, in whom the risks of general anaesthesia would be increased. Anaesthetic management presents a challenge for the anesthesiologist, especially in situations where the patient presents an increased anaesthetic risk for general anaesthesia, as is the case in the obstetric patient.

Parasitisation by Bathycreadium elongatum (Digenea, Opecoelidae) in pyloric caeca of Trachyrincus scabrus (Teleostei, Macrouridae).

A novel process of transmural passive displacement of a digenean parasite was studied in the digestive tract of the roughsnout grenadier Trachyrincus scabrus, which is found in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. This mechanism seems to facilitate the elimination of a significant portion of intestinal parasites. The digenean parasite Bathycreadium elongatum was found in the intestine, mainly within pyloric caeca, in 74.4% of T. scabrus, with a mean abundance of 44 individuals per fish. Nodule-like lesions were also found in the mesentery of pyloric caeca of infected T. scabrus. Histological sections of the nodules revealed granulomatous inflammatory responses surrounding degraded digeneans. Partial nucleotide sequences of the 28S rRNA gene obtained from intracaecal B. elongatum and from the core of the nodules of the mesentery of pyloric caeca showed 100% mutual identity with an overlap of 971 bp. The greatest abundance of both intracaecal B. elongatum and nodules occurred in spring. During summer, and especially autumn, the abundance of intracaecal B. elongatum decreased. Prevalence and abundance of nodules increased in autumn. In winter intracaecal parasite abundance and prevalence began to increase, but decreased again in nodules. During spring and summer, parasites pass into the visceral cavity, hypothetically owing to the fragility of the wall of pyloric caeca in their apical zone, and become degraded through a granulomatous inflammatory response. This process seems to have a detrimental effect on the B. elongatum cycle since some of parasites are trapped and degrade in the connective tissue in which they are unable to complete their life cycle.

Dose reconstruction from PET images in carbon ion therapy: a deconvolution approach.

Dose and range verification have become important tools to bring carbon ion therapy to a higher level of confidence in clinical applications. Positron emission tomography is among the most commonly used approaches for this purpose and relies on the creation of positron emitting nuclei in nuclear interactions of the primary ions with tissue. Predictions of these positron emitter distributions are usually obtained from time-consuming Monte Carlo simulations or measurements from previous treatment fractions, and their comparison to the current, measured image allows for treatment verification. Still, a direct comparison of planned and delivered dose would be highly desirable, since the dose is the quantity of interest in radiation therapy and its confirmation improves quality assurance in carbon ion therapy. In this work, we present a deconvolution approach to predict dose distributions from PET images in carbon ion therapy. Under the assumption that the one-dimensional PET distribution is described by a convolution of the depth dose distribution and a filter kernel, an evolutionary algorithm is introduced to perform the reverse step and predict the depth dose distribution from a measured PET distribution. Filter kernels are obtained from either a library or are created for any given situation on-the-fly, using predictions of the [Formula: see text]-decay and depth dose distributions, and the very same evolutionary algorithm. The applicability of this approach is demonstrated for monoenergetic and polyenergetic carbon ion irradiation of homogeneous and heterogeneous solid phantoms as well as a patient computed tomography image, using Monte Carlo simulated distributions and measured in-beam PET data. Carbon ion ranges are predicted within less than 0.5 mm and 1 mm deviation for simulated and measured distributions, respectively.

Spin-valley dynamics of electrically driven ambipolar carbon-nanotube quantum dots.

An ambipolar n-p double quantum dot defined by potential variation along a semiconducting carbon-nanotube is considered. We focus on the (1e,1h) charge configuration with a single excess electron of the conduction band confined in the n-type dot and a single missing electron in the valence band state of the p-type dot for which lifting of the Pauli blockade of the current was observed in the electric-dipole spin resonance (Laird et al 2013 Nat. Nanotechnol. 8 565). The dynamics of the system driven by periodic electric field is studied with the Floquet theory and the time-dependent configuration interaction method with the single-electron spin-valley-orbitals determined for atomistic tight-binding Hamiltonian. We find that the transitions lifting the Pauli blockade are strongly influenced by coupling to a vacuum state with an empty n dot and a fully filled p dot. The coupling shifts the transition energies and strongly modifies the effective g factors for axial magnetic field. The coupling is modulated by the bias between the dots but it appears effective for surprisingly large energy splitting between the (1e,1h) ground state and the vacuum (0e, 0h) state. Multiphoton transitions and high harmonic generation effects are also discussed.

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer for the isolation and detection of biotin and biotinylated biomolecules.

Magnetic separation based on biologically-modified magnetic particles is a preconcentration procedure commonly integrated in magneto actuated platforms for the detection of a huge range of targets. However, the main drawback of this material is the low stability and high cost. In this work, a novel hybrid molecularly-imprinted polymer with magnetic properties is presented with affinity towards biotin and biotinylated biomolecules. During the synthesis of the magneto core-shell particles, biotin was used as a template. The characterization of this material by microscopy techniques including SEM, TEM and confocal microscopy is presented. The application of the magnetic-MIPs for the detection of biotin and biotinylated DNA in magneto-actuated platforms is also described for the first time. The magnetic-MIP showed a significant immobilization capacity of biotinylated molecules, giving rise to a cheaper and a robust method (it is not required to be stored at 4°C) with high binding capacity for the separation and purification under magnetic actuation of a wide range of biotinylated molecules, and their downstream application including determination of their specific targets.

Risk of ischemic stroke associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol: a population-based case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the risk of non-fatal ischemic stroke associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and paracetamol. The effects of dose, duration of treatment, background cardiovascular (CV) risk and use of concomitant aspirin were studied. METHODS: We performed a population-based case-control study. Patients were considered exposed if they were on treatment within a 30-day window before the index date. We estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using logistic regression. RESULTS: Two thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight cases and 20 000 controls were included. No increased risk was observed with traditional NSAIDs as a group (OR = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.90-1.19), but results varied across individual agents and conditions of use. An increased risk was found with diclofenac (OR = 1.53; 95% CI, 1.19-1.97), in particular when used at high doses (OR = 1.62; 1.06-2.46), over long-term periods (> 365 days; OR = 2.39; 1.52-3.76) and in patients with a high background CV risk (OR = 1.78; 1.23-2.58), as well as with aceclofenac when used at high doses (OR = 1.67; 1.05-2.67), in long-term treatments (OR = 2.00; 1.14-3.53) and in patients with CV risk factors (OR = 2.33; 1.40-3.87). No association was found with ibuprofen (OR = 0.94; 0.76-1.17) or naproxen (OR = 0.68; 0.36-1.29). The concomitant use of aspirin did not show a significant effect modification. Paracetamol did not increase the risk overall (OR = 0.97; 0.85-1.10) or in patients at high CV risk (OR = 0.94; 0.78-1.14). CONCLUSIONS: Diclofenac and aceclofenac increase the risk of ischemic stroke while ibuprofen and naproxen do not. Dose, duration and baseline CV risk, but not aspirin use, appear to modulate the risk. Paracetamol does not increase the risk, even in patients with a high background CV risk.

Aberrant right subclavian artery associated with common carotid trunk. A rare cause of vascular ring.

We have reviewed four cases of incomplete vascular rings caused by the presence of a common carotid trunk from which arose both carotid arteries associated with an aberrant right subclavian artery. The patients were aged between 3 and 9 months. All patients presented with recurrent respiratory tract infections. Three patients showed signs of malnutrition and failure to thrive caused by episodes of bronchial aspiration from extrinsic compression of the oesophagus. One patient presented with dyspnoea induced by feeding and another had stridor. A common carotid trunk associated with an aberrant subclavian artery was confirmed in all cases. No other associated anomaly was observed in any patient. Ligature and section of the anomalous right subclavian artery was performed in all patients. The low incidence of this type of vascular ring, its physiopathological mechanism and surgical management are discussed.

Cotyledonoid dissecting leiomyoma (Sternberg tumor): an unusual form of leiomyoma.

Smooth muscle tumors are the most common neoplasms of the female genital tract. While most are usually easy to diagnose, several variants pose considerable diagnostic difficulties. Recently, a new form of uterine smooth muscle tumor was described that has an infiltrative character, which was named "cotyledonoid dissecting leiomyoma" or "Sternberg tumor" due to its macroscopic similarity to the gross architecture of the placental cotyledon. This report, the second such of this tumor, describes the macroscopic, microscopic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features of one of these unusual cases.

Effect of isofluorane anesthesia on serum levels of Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn and Co in humans.

In this study the levels of zinc, copper, iron, manganese and cobalt were determined in serum of 25 male and 15 female patients, aged 18 to 35 years, with various pathologies requiring surgery, and who had received isofluorane anesthesia. Significant differences were detected in the concentration of zinc, copper, iron and manganese between presurgical and post-anesthesia samples. The truly striking finding in the present study was the significant increase in serum Zn in the post-operative period. The fact that alterations in the serum levels of these elements occurred only after a considerable time had elapsed following the intervention (24 hours), leads to the conclusion that the changes in serum cation concentration very likely result from surgical trauma and not from isofluorane anesthesia per se.

Indomethacin affects the development of tolerance to ethanol-induced diuresis.

The present study analyzes the effect of indomethacin on the development of tolerance to the diuretic effect of ethanol. Male Wistar rats were treated with ethanol (2 g kg-1 day-1, ip) over a period of 4 weeks and the effect of ethanol on diuresis was assessed weekly. A significant tolerance to the diuretic effect of ethanol was detected after 3 weeks of treatment. However, rats treated simultaneously with ethanol plus indomethacin (5 mg/kg, ip, on alternate days) showed no tolerance to ethanol even after 4 weeks of treatment. The fact that indomethacin prevented the development of tolerance to the diuretic effect of ethanol but had no influence on diuresis per se suggests that prostaglandins play a significant role in the mechanisms of tolerance to ethanol.

Pulmonary valve endocarditis during puerperal sepsis.

A case of pulmonary valve endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus aureus during puerperal sepsis in a female patient is reported. The M-mode and two dimensional echocardiographic finding are described. A review of the literature shows that this entity is rare. A large vegetation in the leaflet of the pulmonary valve was excised and the patient recovered after a full course of antibiotics.