128 research outputs found
Weight gain and insulin resistance in children treated with valproate: The influence of time
No full textThis study was undertaken in 2 parts to investigate the relationship between body size and insulin resistance during treatment with valproic acid in children. The cross-sectional part revealed differences in terms of body size and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, which were higher in the group on medication. The longitudinal part showed a major increase in body size and insulin resistance during the first year of therapy. There was a subsequent decrease in insulin resistance in association with the rise of body size, however with a trend to level off. These results might be helpful to enhance the knowledge of valproic acid action on both insulin resistance and weight gain, allowing to plan appropriate approach for the prevention of the consequences of the treatment with valproic acid. © The Author(s) 2010
Pathways and Water Mass Transformation Along and Across the Mohn‐Knipovich Ridge in the Nordic Seas
No full textAtlantic Water takes various pathways through the Nordic Seas, and its transformation to denser waters forms a crucial connection to the lower limb of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Circulation maps often schematize two distinct pathways of Atlantic Water: one following the Norwegian Atlantic Slope Current along the continental slope of Norway and one following the Norwegian Atlantic Front Current along the Mohn and Knipovich Ridges. In this paper, the connectivity between the northward flow along these ridges is investigated. Analyzing trajectories of surface drifters and ARGO floats, we find that only 8% of the floats that travel near the mid-ocean ridges take the frontal pathway to the north. Indeed, by tracing numerical particles in a realistic numerical simulation, part of the water mass traveling along the Mohn Ridge follows the 2,500 m isobath eastward and joins the slope current, instead of flowing north along the Knipovich Ridge. Furthermore, north of 74°N, frequent exchange between the slope current and the front current is observed. Therefore, the slope current and front current are less isolated than often schematized. Additionally, the observational data set reveals substantial cross-ridge exchange; 31% of the floats that travel within 60 km from the mid-ocean ridges cross it. Results from numerical simulations indicate that the cross-ridge exchange leads to cooling and freshening of the Atlantic Water along the front. Deployments of floats near the mid-ocean ridges are needed to investigate the pathway of Atlantic Water and its exchange across the ridge in more detail.Environmental Fluid Mechanic
GNRH analog therapy in girls with early puberty is associated with the achievement of predicted final height but also with increased risk of polycystic ovary syndrome
No full textObjective: GNRH analog (GNRHa) therapy has not been supported by beneficial effects on adult stature in girls with early puberty. Furthermore, an increased prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been described in girls treated for central precocious puberty. Women with PCOS are at increased risk of cardiometabolic dysfunctions and infertility. Our aim was to assess GNRHa effectiveness on reaching adult stature and the risk of PCOS in girls with early puberty. Design: Longitudinal study of GNRHa-treated and GNRHa-untreated girls at baseline and at final height. Methods: Twenty-five GNRHa-treated girls and 55 controls were compared. Insulin resistance (IR; homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) and glucose-to-insulin ratio (G/I)), the effect of GNRHa on final height, and the prevalence of PCOS were assessed. Results: In GNRHa-treated girls, no significant difference was found between predicted final height and final height, whereas a significant difference was detected in untreated girls (PZ0.0001). At final height, GNRHa-treated girls showed higher HOMA-IR and lower G/I (P=0.03 for both) as well as higher DHEAS and androstenedione levels (P=0.02 and P=0.01 respectively) than untreated girls. The prevalence of PCOS and hyperandrogenemia was significantly higher in GNRHa-treated adolescents than in untreated adolescents (36 and 14.5% respectively, P=0.04; 56 and 23.6% respectively, P=0.01). Finally, gonadotropin-suppressive therapy was significantly related to PCOS during adolescence (P=0.03). Conclusions: In girls with early puberty, GNRHa therapy is associated with the achievement of predicted final height; nevertheless, this treatment seems to act as an independent risk factor for the development of PCOS already during adolescence. © 2010 European Society of Endocrinology
Implementation Of A Tactical Mission Planner For Command And Control Of Computer Generated Forces In Modsaf
No full text(Maximum 200 words) 14. SUBJECT TERMS 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF REPORT 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 16. PRICE CODE 20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 5. FUNDING NUMBERS i Mohn, Howard L. March 1994 Master's Thesis Unclassified Unclassified Unlimited Unclassified Implementation of a Tactical Mission Planner for Command and Control of Computer Generated Forces in ModSAF (U) Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943-5000 The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the United States Government. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. A The purpose of this work is to develop a three-level architecture for mission planning and task assignment to computer generated forces. This architecture is based on the Rational Behavior Model, which was constructed by Byrnes, et.al. as a means of mission planning and contr..
Weight Gain and Insulin Resistance in Children Treated With Valproate: The Influence of Time
No full textTelomere length and obesity
No full textAim: To assess the telomere length in apparently healthy obese and normal-weight subjects. Methods: Seventy-six Caucasian subjects were chosen including 53 children (age 8.2 ± 3.5 years) and 23 adults (age 40.5 ± 8.4 years). Among these, 22 (12 children and 10 adults) were obese with a body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) > 2 SD above the norm. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), measured with a multiple frequency analyzer, was used to estimate body composition. DNA extraction from white blood cells was used to estimate the telomere length by detection of terminal restriction fragments (TRF). Results: No difference was found between the TRF lengths of obese and normal children. Obese adults had shorter TRF lengths than adults who were not obese (mean TRF length difference, -884.5; 95% confidence intervals -1727 to -41.8; t = 2.183; df = 17; p < 0.041). Conclusions: Obese adults have shorter telomeres than their normal-weight counterparts, while this phenomenon is not present in childhood. © 2008 The Author(s)
EJC-independent degradation of nonsense immunoglobulin-mu mRNA depends on 3' UTR length (Brief Communications)
No full textEpigenome plasticity during cellular differentiation
No full textTight control of gene expression is crucial to govern cell function and identity at any developmental stage. Epigenetic modifications of chromatin have emerged as important determinants for chromatin structure and gene expression. The aim of this work was to test the hypothesis that epigenetic mechanisms contribute to the establishment and maintenance of cell type specific gene expression patterns and to delimiting the developmental potential of somatic cells. Towards this goal we defined genome-wide targets of epigenetic reprogramming during neuronal differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells.
DNA methylation, which is a potent and stable repressive modification, is increasing during differentiation of embryonic stem cells into neurons. Many de novo methylation targets encode pluripotency-associated and germline specific genes and only few appear to be specific for alternative lineages.
Polycomb-mediated repression, a distinct epigenetic repression pathway, was previously shown to be essential for embryonic patterning and maintaining developmental potential in stem cells. Unlike DNA methylation, Polycomb targets are very dynamic during neuronal differentiation. Repression is resolved at activated genes while novel targets appear at both the multipotential neuronal progenitor state and the terminally differentiated neuron state. As in stem cells, many Polycomb targets in neuronal progenitor cells will be activated upon further differentiation. Polycomb could therefore serve as a general safe-guard system for genes that can be activated at later stages but need to be tightly controlled to avoid precocious and uncontrolled cell fate changes.
In summary, there are at least two distinct epigenetic modes of repression, which nonetheless might crosstalk for target specification. Stable repression of the pluripotency program is conferred by DNA methylation. In turn, Polycomb mediates a more transient repression mechanism with cell type and developmental stage specific targets. Together, this argues that epigenetic mechanisms contribute to cellular differentiation and development via stabilizing gene expression programs initiated by transcription factors. Hence, epigenetic mechanisms could be viewed as additional regulatory layer for balancing gene regulation in order to confer robustness to cellular states and gene expression programs rather than as key drivers for setting up such cell type specific gene expression patterns
Low AMY1 Gene Copy Number Is Associated with Increased Body Mass Index in Prepubertal Boys.
No full textBACKGROUND:Genome-wide association studies have identified more than 60 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with Body Mass Index (BMI). Additional genetic variants, such as copy number variations (CNV), have also been investigated in relation to BMI. Recently, the highly polymorphic CNV in the salivary amylase (AMY1) gene, encoding an enzyme implicated in the first step of starch digestion, has been associated with obesity in adults and children. We assessed the potential association between AMY1 copy number and a wide range of BMI in a population of Italian school-children. METHODS:744 children (354 boys, 390 girls, mean age (±SD): 8.4±1.4years) underwent anthropometric assessments (height, weight) and collection of saliva samples for DNA extraction. AMY1 copies were evaluated by quantitative PCR. RESULTS:A significant increase of BMI z-score by decreasing AMY1 copy number was observed in boys (β: -0.117, p = 0.033), but not in girls. Similarly, waist circumference (β: -0.155, p = 0.003, adjusted for age) was negatively influenced by AMY1 copy number in boys. Boys with 8 or more AMY1 copy numbers presented a significant lower BMI z-score (p = 0.04) and waist circumference (p = 0.01) when compared to boys with less than 8 copy numbers. CONCLUSIONS:In this pediatric-only, population-based study, a lower AMY1 copy number emerged to be associated with increased BMI in boys. These data confirm previous findings from adult studies and support a potential role of a higher copy number of the salivary AMY1 gene in protecting from excess weight gain
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