50 research outputs found
Cardiac birth defects caused by lifestyle and their potential prevention by nutritional molecules
No full textCongenital heart defects are responsible for more neonatal deaths than any other birth defect. Although genetic and environmental factors play an important role, either separately or in combination (multifactorial), still the cause in most cases remains unknown. Changing life styles, e.g. exposure of the mother to excessive alcohol, nicotine in tobacco smoke, easily available traditional and, over the counter medicines and environmental contaminants could be possible causes of congenital malformations. Maternal diseases like diabetes mellitus are also one of the etiological factors for developmental defects. Several developmental genes, for instance connexin 43; one of the key proteins involved in cardiovascular development, and endothelin 1; another important gene required in many developmental processes, could be responsible for developmental anomalies of the heart. Supplementation with micronutrients such as folic acid and Vitamin C during the periconceptional period has been shown to prevent some neural tube and congenital heart defects. This study was aimed at evaluating the adverse effects of ethanol, retinoic acid, nicotine, cadmium chloride, sodium fluoride, ginseng and diabetic conditions on chick cardiomyocytes cultured in the micromass system, and examining the potential protective effects of folic acid and vitamin C. Also teratogenic effects of some of the teratogens, ethanol, nicotine, retinoic acid and diabetic conditions, were examined using in ovo culture. Hearts were dissected from 5 day old White Leghorn chick embryos and the cells were isolated and cultured. They were exposed to different concentrations of test chemicals. Folic acid and vitamin C were added to see any protective effects. Cell viability was assessed using the resazurin reduction assay and the kenacid blue assay was performed for determining cell number. For in ovo culture, day 3 chick embryos were injected with ethanol, nicotine, retinoic acid or diabetic molecules or a combination of teratogenic chemicals and vitamins (folic acid and vitamin C). Immunohistochemistry and western blotting were employed to detect the expression of connexin 43 and endothelin 1. Results of micromass culture revealed that ethanol, retinoic acid, nicotine, cadmium chloride and diabetic conditions dramatically reduced cellular differentiation, cell viability and protein content in a dose dependant manner. However, vitamin C (100µM) and folic acid (1mM) administered concurrently with these chemicals, except for cadmium chloride, could significantly improve all parameters such that the values were comparable with the control. Nicotine had no effect on cell viability and protein content, but cell beating was significantly affected. This effect was reversed by the addition of Vitamin C and folic acid. Results of in ovo culture showed that ethanol and diabetic conditions caused gross and histological malformations in chick embryos. However their effects were abrogated with supplemental folic acid and vitamin C. Immunohistochemical and western blotting results demonstrated a decreased expression of Cx43 and endothelin 1 in ethanol, retinoic acid, nicotine and diabetic condition treated cells while addition of vitamins restored their expression so they were comparable to controls. It may be that environmentally induced teratogenic effects on heart development could be prevented by supplementation with Vitamin C and folic acid during pregnancy.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
Cardiac birth defects caused by lifestyle and their potential prevention by nutritional molecules
No full textCongenital heart defects are responsible for more neonatal deaths than any other birth defect. Although genetic and environmental factors play an important role, either separately or in combination (multifactorial), still the cause in most cases remains unknown.
Changing life styles, e.g. exposure of the mother to excessive alcohol, nicotine in tobacco smoke, easily available traditional and, over the counter medicines and environmental contaminants could be possible causes of congenital malformations. Maternal diseases like diabetes mellitus are also one of the etiological factors for developmental defects. Several developmental genes, for instance connexin 43; one of the key proteins involved in cardiovascular development, and endothelin 1; another important gene required in many developmental processes, could be responsible for developmental anomalies of the heart. Supplementation with micronutrients such as folic acid and Vitamin C during the periconceptional period has been shown to prevent some neural tube and congenital heart defects. This study was aimed at evaluating the adverse effects of ethanol, retinoic acid, nicotine, cadmium chloride, sodium fluoride, ginseng and diabetic conditions on chick cardiomyocytes cultured in the micromass system, and examining the potential protective effects of folic acid and vitamin C. Also teratogenic effects of some of the teratogens, ethanol, nicotine, retinoic acid and diabetic conditions, were examined using in ovo culture.
Hearts were dissected from 5 day old White Leghorn chick embryos and the cells were isolated and cultured. They were exposed to different concentrations of test chemicals. Folic acid and vitamin C were added to see any protective effects. Cell viability was assessed using the resazurin reduction assay and the kenacid blue assay was performed for determining cell number. For in ovo culture, day 3 chick embryos were injected with ethanol, nicotine, retinoic acid or diabetic molecules or a combination of teratogenic chemicals and vitamins (folic acid and vitamin C). Immunohistochemistry and western blotting were employed to detect the expression of connexin 43 and endothelin 1. Results of micromass culture revealed that ethanol, retinoic acid, nicotine, cadmium chloride and diabetic conditions dramatically reduced cellular differentiation, cell viability and protein content in a dose dependant manner. However, vitamin C (100µM) and folic acid (1mM) administered concurrently with these chemicals, except for cadmium chloride, could significantly improve all parameters such that the values were comparable with the control. Nicotine had no effect on cell viability and protein content, but cell beating was significantly affected. This effect was reversed by the addition of Vitamin C and folic acid. Results of in ovo culture showed that ethanol and diabetic conditions caused gross and histological malformations in chick embryos. However their effects were abrogated with supplemental folic acid and vitamin C. Immunohistochemical and western blotting results demonstrated a decreased expression of Cx43 and endothelin 1 in ethanol, retinoic acid, nicotine and diabetic condition treated cells while addition of vitamins restored their expression so they were comparable to controls.
It may be that environmentally induced teratogenic effects on heart development could be prevented by supplementation with Vitamin C and folic acid during pregnancy
Effects of Multivitamins and Known Teratogens on Chick Cardiomyocytes Micromass Culture Assay
No full textObjective(s): This study aimed to find out whether the chick cardiomyocyte micromass (MM) system could be employed to predict the teratogenecity of common environmental factors. Different multivitamins and over the counter drugs were used in this study. Materials and Methods: White Leghorn 5-day-old embryo hearts were dissected and trypsinized to produce a cardiomyocyte cell suspension in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium. The cultures were incubated at 370C in 5% CO2 in air, and observations were made at 24, 48 and 144 hr, for the detection of cell beating. Cellular viability was assessed using the resazurin assay and cell protein content was assessed by the kenacid blue assay. It was observed that while not affecting total cell number folic acid, vitamin C, sodium fluoride and ginseng did not significantly reduced cell activity and beating. However cadmium chloride significantly reduced the beating, cell viability and cell protein content in micromass cultures. Results: The results demonstrate the potential of the chick cardiomyocyte MM culture assay to identify teratogens/embryotoxins that alter morphology and function, which may result in either teratogenic outcome or cytotoxicity. Conclusion: This could form part of a screen for developmental toxicity related to cardiac functio
Thermal conductance of interfaces between titanium nitride and group IV semiconductors at high temperatures
No full textThis article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in Samreen Khan, Xinping Shi, Joseph Feser, Richard Wilson; Thermal conductance of interfaces between titanium nitride and group IV semiconductors at high temperatures. Appl. Phys. Lett. 22 July 2024; 125 (4): 041601. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0220124 and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0220124.
© 2024 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.
This article will be embargoed until 07/22/2025.Measuring the temperature dependence of material properties is a standard method for better understanding the microscopic origins for that property. Surprisingly, only a few experimental studies of thermal boundary conductance at high temperatures exist. This lack of high temperature data makes it difficult to evaluate competing theories for how inelastic processes contribute to thermal conductance. To address this, we report time domain thermoreflectance measurements of the thermal boundary conductance for TiN on diamond, silicon-carbide, silicon, and germanium between 120 and 1000 K. In all systems, the interface conductance increases monotonically without stagnating at higher temperatures. For TiN/SiC interfaces, ranges from 330 to 1000 MW/m2-K, with a room temperature conductance of 750 MW/m2-K. The interface conductance for TiN/diamond ranges from 140 to 950 MW/m2-K. Notably, for all four interfacial systems, the conductance continues to increase with temperature even after all phonon modes in the vibrationally soft material are thermally excited. This observation suggests that inelastic processes are significant contributors to the thermal conductance in all four interfacial systems, regardless of whether the materials forming the interface are vibrationally similar or dissimilar. Our study fills a notable gap in the literature for how interfacial conductance evolves at high temperatures and tests burgeoning theories for the role of inelastic processes in interfacial thermal transport.This work was supported as part of ULTRA, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under Award No. DE-SC0021230
Theoretical and empirical based extinction coefficients for fog attenuation in terms of visibility at 850 nm
No full textKnowledge, Attitude and Practices of General Surgeons Regarding Pediatric Inguinal Hernia at Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro Sindh
No full textInguinal hernia is a most common surgical condition worldwide during infancy. In spite of significant improvements in pediatric surgery it still carries mortality and morbidity due to delay between diagnosis and surgical intervention. A delay in the treatment of inguinal hernia may lead to incarceration and strangulation. In developing countries like us the risk of incarceration and complications is much higher due to delay in seeking treatment due to lack of awareness among parents, general practitioners and even general surgeons about the timings of surgery for inguinal hernia in neonates and children. So to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of general surgeons towards pediatrics inguinal hernia this observationa
Isolation and Characterization of Agarolytic Bacteria from Marine Environment
No full textThis Dissertation / Report is the outcome of investigation carried out by the creator(s) / author(s) at the department/division of Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore mentioned below in this page
Foeto-placental weight relationship in normal pregnancy and pregnancies complicated by pregnancy induced hypertension and abruption of placentae
No full textBackground: The aim of this study was to study the effects of pregnancy induced hypertension and abruption of placenta on foeto-placental weight ratio and its comparison with normal group.Methods: In this comparative study hundred and twenty placentae were collected from labor room and gynecology operation theatre of Liaquat University hospital. Forty placentae from parturient that had pregnancy induced hypertension & forty placentae from parturient with history of Abruption of placenta & forty cases belonged to normal pregnancy (Control group). Fetal weights in all groups were taken along with the weights of placentae and foeto-placental weight was calculated in all groups.Results: Placental parameter weight and diameter of placenta in abruption of placentae and PIH group when compared with control group show highly significant (P <0.001) difference. The weight of the new born in abruption of placentae and PIH group also differs from control group significantly (P = 0.001). The feto-placental ratio is also significant statically in abruption of placentae but not in PIH.Conclusion: Both PIH and abruption of placentae are associated with remarkable changes in placenta such as small placental weight and diameter and as a result low birth weight babies and so altered feto-placental ratio.
The role of consumer multiple identities in bank choice in Pakistan.
No full textIdentity via consumption has received much attention in academic research, however fewer studies are found on the role of multiple identities in consumption. This gap becomes wider when it comes to financial services consumption (banking in particular). Further, components of these multiple identities (personal, role and group) are yet to be explored in relation to consumer choice. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to the theory of multiple identities by classifying and defining the components of each consumer multiple identities and exploring the role each of these identities play in consumers’ bank choice. The choice motivation between Islamic and Non-Islamic banks is explored in this regard, where Islamic banks provide the same services as Non-Islamic banks but with an exception of paying/earning any interest. Previous studies have found culture and religion to play a strong role in the formation of multiple identities, thus the author will also investigate the influence of culture (role of family) and religion (religious beliefs, commitment and affiliation) on consumers’ multiple identities and hence on their bank choice. Pakistan is chosen as the context of this study because 1) the presence of Islamic and Non-Islamic banks; 2) Pakistan is a country which was found in the name of religion and thus there is strong presence of religious values in the country; and 3) Pakistan is considered to be an under researched country in the area of consumption, which made it the best suited context for this study. Adopting a qualitative approach, the author conducted 39 semi-structured interviews with Pakistani bank consumers, and the data was analysed thematically using NVIVO 10. Data analyses revealed four key findings. First, religious identity, role of being son/daughter and career identity were the salient consumer identities in relation to bank choice. Second, while defining the components of these multiple identities, the author found that; religious identity was comprised of religious beliefs, role of religion and spirituality. Parents’ happiness, importance of parents and father vs mother made up the role identity of being son/daughter. Whereas moving out, ambitious; future oriented, and making parents proud were grouped under career identity. Third, the role identity of son/daughter was considered to be the most relevant in terms of the consumption of the services of Islamic banks. Fourth, the overlapping nature of cultural and religious influences gave rise to identity conflict in participants’ lives. The author therefore found two types of identity conflict in relation to participants’ bank choice: inter and intra identity conflict. This study contributes to the theory of multiple identities, consumption and financial services literature. First, by investigating different level of identities enacted by consumers via their consumption behaviour. Second, by identifying components of each of these multiple identities. Third, the author discovered a conflict among and between multiple identities, labelled inter and intra identity conflict for the purpose of this study. The fourth contribution to the theory of multiple identities is on what made some identities salient over the others. Similarly, this study also contributes to the existing debate of the precedence of religion over culture and vice versa in the consumption research. Finally, this is one of the first studies to explore the topic of multiple identities in the context of financial services, hence contributing to the consumption literature of banking choice. This study has implications for the banking sector in Pakistan. Islamic banks should design their communication strategies using sound Islamic tangible cues to improve the congruence between their banks and consumers. This will also help to address consumers’ identity conflict. Future research can further explore the identities of Islamic banks and its alignment with consumer identities utilising big sample data
The twin cell model and its excellence in determining the glass transition temperature of thin film metallic glass
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