A novel methodology for stabilization of silver nanoparticles on cotton, nylon and cotton/nylon fabrics using chitosan and triethyl orthoformate for enhanced and elongated antibacterial performance.

In the present study, the commercially available three different fabrics cotton, nylon and cotton/nylon were modified by chitosan and silver nanoparticles using a crosslinker triethyl orthoformate (TEOF). Resulted cotton­silver (Ag-Cs-Cot), nylon­silver (Ag-Cs-Nyl) and cotton-nylon silver (Ag-Cs-Cot-Nyl) fabrics showed significant anti-bacterial activity even after 50 washing cycles. Silver nanoparticles were prepared by reducing silver nitrate through sodium borohydride at 0 °C. In FTIR spectra the peak at near 1650 cm-1 confirmed that TEOF mediated attachment of chitosan with fabrics (due to C=N) and the stretching of secondary amine near the 3375 cm-1 indicated the silver attachment to the amine group of the chitosan. In Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images smooth surfaces of fabrics without any damage by modification process were observed. The antibacterial activity was Analyzed by agar diffusion and broth dilution assays against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strains and results showed 90% bacterial inhibition against E. coli and 89% bacterial inhibition against S. aureus. For testing the antibacterial durability, the modified fabrics were washed with non-ionic detergent (10g/l) for 15 minutes under aggressive stirring (100 rpm) at room temperature. The modified fabrics retained antibacterial activity over the 50 washing cycles. Finally, the commercial potential of cotton-silver fabric was evaluated by stitching it with the socks of football players and interestingly results showed that the modified fabric on the socks showed more than 90% bacterial inhibition as compared to the plain fabric after 70 minutes of playing activity.

Impact of the diagnosis of gestational diabetes on maternal physical activity after pregnancy.

AIM: The diagnosis of gestational diabetes (GDM) identifies women who are at future risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, it is unclear if diagnosing GDM thus motivates women to increase physical activity after pregnancy or if this medicalization has the opposite effect of decreasing activity, possibly reflecting assumption of a sick role. We thus sought to evaluate the impact of diagnosing GDM on changes in maternal physical activity after pregnancy. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, physical activity patterns were assessed by the Baecke questionnaire for the year before pregnancy and the first year postpartum in 405 white women comprising the following three gestational glucose tolerance groups: (a) those who did not have GDM (non-GDM; n = 247), (b) women with undiagnosed GDM (n = 46) and (c) those diagnosed with GDM (n = 112). RESULTS: In the year before pregnancy, mean adjusted total physical activity progressively decreased from non-GDM to undiagnosed GDM to diagnosed GDM (p = .067). Conversely, at 1 year postpartum, total physical activity was highest in those who had been diagnosed with GDM (p = .02). Compared with non-GDM, diagnosed GDM predicted an increase in total physical activity from pre-pregnancy to 1 year postpartum (t = 2.3, p = .02) whereas undiagnosed GDM predicted a concurrent decrease in leisure-time activity (t = -2.74, p = .006). Accordingly, the mean adjusted increase in body mass index from pre-pregnancy to 1 year postpartum was lowest in those with diagnosed GDM (0.26 ± 0.25 kg/m2 ), highest in undiagnosed GDM (1.23 ± 0.38 kg/m2 ) and intermediate in non-GDM (0.89 ± 0.22 kg/m2 ) (overall p = .04). CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of GDM leads to increased physical activity after pregnancy that may partially attenuate postpartum weight retention.

Neighborhood walkability and risk of gestational diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Higher neighborhood walkability has been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by promoting greater physical activity (thereby reducing weight and lowering insulin resistance). However, it is not known if walkability may similarly reduce maternal risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), which arises in the setting of the severe physiologic insulin resistance of pregnancy. Indeed, the insulin resistance of pregnancy is primarily driven by placental hormones and not maternal weight gain. Thus, we sought to evaluate the impact of neighborhood walkability on maternal risk of GDM and the pathophysiologic determinants thereof (insulin sensitivity and pancreatic beta-cell function). METHODS: In this study, 1318 women reported their pregravid physical activity (Baecke questionnaire) while undergoing an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at mean 29.3 weeks' gestation. The OGTT identified 290 women with GDM and enabled assessment of insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function. Based on their residential Walk Score, the women were stratified into the following four established categories of neighborhood walkability: car dependent (n=328), somewhat walkable (n=315), very walkable (n=406), and walker's paradise (n=269). RESULTS: There was a progressive increase in pregravid total physical activity (p=0.002), non-sport leisure-time activity (p=0.009) and sport activity (p=0.01) across the walkability groups (from car dependent to somewhat walkable to very walkable to walker's paradise), coupled with a concomitant decline in pre-pregnancy body mass index (p=0.007). However, in pregnancy, the groups did not differ in gestational weight gain (p=0.80). Moreover, the walkability groups also did not differ in mean adjusted insulin sensitivity, beta-cell function, or glycemia on the antepartum OGTT. On logistic regression analysis, Walk Score did not predict GDM (OR=1.001, 95% CI 0.995 to 1.007). CONCLUSION: Neighborhood walkability is not a significant determinant of maternal risk of GDM. Thus, in contrast to T2DM, the effect of neighborhood design on incidence of GDM will be comparatively modest.

Dog Ownership and Survival: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Dog ownership has been associated with decreased cardiovascular risk. Recent reports have suggested an association of dog companionship with lower blood pressure levels, improved lipid profile, and diminished sympathetic responses to stress. However, it is unclear if dog ownership is associated with improved survival as previous studies have yielded inconsistent results. Thus, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association of dog ownership with all-cause mortality, with and without prior cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: Studies published between 1950 and May 24, 2019 were identified by searching Embase and PubMed. Observational studies that evaluated baseline dog ownership and subsequent all-cause mortality or cardiovascular mortality. Two independent reviewers extracted the data. We assessed pooled data using random-effects model. A possible limitation was that the analyses were not adjusted for confounders. Ten studies were included yielding data from 3 837 005 participants (530 515 events; mean follow-up 10.1 years). Dog ownership was associated with a 24% risk reduction for all-cause mortality as compared to nonownership (relative risk, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.67-0.86) with 6 studies demonstrating significant reduction in the risk of death. Notably, in individuals with prior coronary events, living in a home with a dog was associated with an even more pronounced risk reduction for all-cause mortality (relative risk, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.17-0.69; I2, 0%). Moreover, when we restricted the analyses to studies evaluating cardiovascular mortality, dog ownership conferred a 31% risk reduction for cardiovascular death (relative risk, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.67-0.71; I2, 5.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Dog ownership is associated with lower risk of death over the long term, which is possibly driven by a reduction in cardiovascular mortality. Systematic Review Registration URL: http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/. Unique identifier: CRD42018111048.

Rising plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and hypoadiponectinemia characterize the cardiometabolic biomarker profile of women with recent gestational diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes (GDM) and milder gestational impaired glucose tolerance (GIGT) identify women at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life. Accordingly, the postpartum years after gestational dysglycemia can provide insight into early events in the natural history of these disorders. We thus sought to prospectively evaluate the relationship between gestational glucose tolerance and emerging cardiometabolic biomarkers [adiponectin, chemerin, retinol-binding protein-4 (RBP-4), C-reactive protein (CRP), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)] at both 1- and 3-years postpartum in a cohort reflecting the full spectrum of gestational dysglycemia (from normal to GIGT to GDM). METHODS: Three-hundred-and-thirty-nine women completed a glucose challenge test (GCT) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in pregnancy, which identified 4 gestational glucose tolerance groups: GDM (n = 105); GIGT (n = 59); abnormal GCT with normal OGTT (n = 99); and normal GCT with normal OGTT (n = 76). At 1- and 3-years postpartum, the women underwent repeat OGTT with measurement of biomarkers (adiponectin/chemerin/RBP-4/CRP/PAI-1). RESULTS: Serum adiponectin was lower in women with GDM and GIGT at both 1-year and 3-years (both P ≤ 0.002), whereas chemerin, RBP-4, CRP and PAI-1 showed no differences across the 4 groups. Importantly, the change in PAI-1 between 1- and 3-years progressively increased from the normal GCT group to the abnormal GCT group to GIGT to GDM (P = 0.03). Indeed, both GDM (t = 2.98, P = 0.003) and GIGT (t = 2.14, P = 0.03) independently predicted an increase in PAI-1 from 1- to 3-years postpartum. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoadiponectinemia and rising PAI-1 over time are early features of the cardiometabolic biomarker profile of women with recent gestational dysglycemia.

Hepatic fat and glucose tolerance in women with recent gestational diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have an elevated risk of ultimately developing pre-diabetes and diabetes later in life. They also have an increased prevalence of fatty liver, but recent studies have reported conflicting findings on whether hepatic fat affects their risk of pre-diabetes/diabetes. Thus, we sought to evaluate the associations of liver fat with glucose homeostasis and determinants thereof in women with and without recent gestational dysglycemia. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-seven women underwent an antepartum oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), which diagnosed 97 with GDM, 40 with gestational impaired glucose tolerance (GIGT), and 120 with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). At a mean of 4.8 years post partum, they underwent an OGTT (which revealed that 52 had progressed to pre-diabetes/diabetes) and hepatic ultrasound, on which liver fat was graded as none (n=164), mild (n=66), or moderate (n=27). RESULTS: Liver fat was more prevalent in women with previous GDM than in those with GIGT or NGT (p=0.009) and in women with current pre-diabetes/diabetes than in those without (p=0.0003). As the severity of liver fat increased, there was a progressive worsening of insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function, coupled with rising fasting and 2-hour glucose (all p<0.0001). On multiple linear regression analyses, moderate liver fat was independently associated with lower insulin sensitivity (p=0.0002) and higher 2-hour glucose (p=0.009). Moreover, moderate liver fat emerged as an independent predictor of pre-diabetes/diabetes (OR=3.66, 95% CI 1.1 to 12.5). CONCLUSION: The higher prevalence of liver fat in women with previous GDM is associated with their increased risk of pre-diabetes/diabetes.

Serum leptin levels in patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of morbidity, mortality and disability worldwide. Leptin, a 16kDa product of ob gene, is an endocrine hormone produced by white adipose tissue. It is primarily involved in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. Hyperleptinemia is one of the novel risk factors contributing in many ways to CVD. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to find the level of leptin in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and compare it with healthy people in our population. METHODS: Our study was an analytical and cross-sectional study. Our study included 60 patients with a history of CAD and 60 healthy controls (aged 40-60 years, both sexes). Leptin levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Mean serum leptin level in patients was 11.48 +/- 11.25 etag/ml, while control group had a mean leptin level of 8.22 +/- 8.01 etag/ml (p = 0.071). CONCLUSION: Leptin levels were higher in patients but the difference was non-significant. More studies are needed with larger sample size in our population.

Serum adiponectin levels in patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Adiponectin is an adipocytokine secreted from white adipose tissue. Serum level of adiponectin has been shown to be reduced in several disease states like obesity and diabetes. Hypoadiponectinemia has also been included in the list of newer risk factors for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). METHODS: In this analytical cross-sectional study serum adiponectin level was measured by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) in 60 cases of coronary artery disease (CAD) (both sexes, aged 40-60 yrs) and 60 healthy controls. RESULTS: Low levels of adiponectin were seen in CAD patients as well as controls. These levels were lower as compared to western standards. CONCLUSION: Our study conforms to the previous observation of lower serum adiponectin levels in South Asians compared to the western standards. Serum adiponectin level should be considered in the laboratory work-up of CAD patients.