Copper and Liver Function Indicators Vary Depending on the Female Hormonal Cycle and Serum Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) Concentration in Healthy Women

Previous studies showed that responses to chronic administration of copper were significantly associated with gender, raising the need to better characterize the relation between the effects observed and stradiols. The objective of this study was to measure copper and liver function indicators and the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) serum concentrations in healthy adults exposed to copper, grouped by sex and phase of the female hormonal cycle. Healthy females on day 7 (follicular phase, Group 1, n = 39), on day 21 (secretory phase, Group 2, n = 34) and males (comparison group, Group 3, n = 34) received 8 mg Cu/day (as copper sulfate), orally, for 6 months. On days 0, 30, 60, 120, and 180, the serum concentration of copper, ceruloplasmin, liver aminotransferases, and SHBG were measured. Analysis of results included analysis of variance (ANOVA; repeated measures) and the post hoc Bonferroni correction. Participants remained healthy throughout the study period, including aminotransferases below the cut off in all measures. GGT, AST, and ALT activities were significantly different by group and by time (ANOVA repeated measures P < 0.05). Six-month curves of serum copper and ceruloplasmin concentrations were different by group, by time and interaction group × time (all P < 0.001). SHBG curves were different by group and time (P < 0.01), and interaction group × time (P < 0.009). Serum copper, ceruloplasmin, and liver aminotranferases are influenced by estrogens/progesterone, something that should be considered when these indicators are used as outcomes of effects. Time of sampling was also significantly associated with the indicators and deserves further study.     

Copper, Iron, and Zinc Status in Children with Moderate and Severe Acute Malnutrition Recovered Following WHO Protocols

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of copper, iron, and zinc deficiencies in malnutrition and the amounts of micronutrients that should be provided for nutritional recovery are unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to measure (1) the frequency of Cu, Fe, and Zn deficiencies in children with acute malnutrition on day 1 and after 15- and 30-day treatments with F100 plus vitamins/minerals mix, and (2) anthropometric recovery after 30 d feeding ad libitum. METHODS: In Cochabamba, Bolivia, 12 hospitalized children with severe acute malnutrition (HSM) and 17 (hospitalized) with moderate acute malnutrition (HMM), 3-33 months, received F100 ad libitum for 1 month. Children received FeSO4 after infection subsided. On days 1, 15, and 30 weight, length, hemoglobin, serum ferritin, iron, copper, zinc, and ceruloplasmin were measured. Comparison group were 17 ambulatory moderately malnourished (AMM) and 34 well-nourished children, measured once. RESULTS: Deficiencies were highly prevalent in hospitalized groups. Serum copper and zinc became normal on D15 and D30, respectively. Mean daily energy intake of 160 kcal and 4 g prot//kg/d/1 mo led children to gain (mean) 5 g/kg/day, both on D15 and D30. CONCLUSIONS: Micronutrient deficiencies were highly prevalent in HSM and HMM and recovered similarly. Application of WHO protocols induced satisfactory copper status recovery, but improvement of zinc was slower.     

Effects of weight loss on liver and erythrocyte polyunsaturated fatty acid pattern and oxidative stress status in obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Our aim was to study the influence of weight loss on the fatty acid (FA) composition of liver and erythrocyte phospholipids and oxidative stress status in obese, non-alcoholic, fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. Seven obese NAFLD patients who underwent subtotal gastrectomy with a gastro-jejunal anastomosis in roux and Y were studied immediately and 3 months after surgery. Seven non-obese patients who underwent anti-reflux surgery constituted the control group. Serum F2-isoprostane levels were measured by GS/NICI-MS/MS and FA composition was determined by GC. At the time of surgery, controls and obese patients exhibited a hepatic polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) pattern that correlated with that of erythrocytes. Three months after surgery, NAFLD patients lost 21% of initial body weight; serum F2-isoprostane levels decreased by 76%; total PUFA, long-chain PUFA (LCPUFA), n-3 PUFA, and n-3 LCPUFA increased by 22, 29, 81, and 93%, respectively; n-6/n-3 LCPUFA ratio decreased by 51%; docosahexaenoic acid/docosapentaenoic acid ratio increased by 19-fold; and the n-3 product/precursor ratio (20: 5 + 22: 5 + 22: 6)/18: 3 increased by 164% (p<0.05). It is concluded that weight loss improves the n-3 LCPUFA status of obese patients in association with significant amelioration in the biomarkers of oxidative stress, membrane FA insaturation, and n-3 LCPUFA biosynthesis capacity, thus representing a central therapeutic issue in the improvement of obesity-related metabolic alterations involved in the mechanism of hepatic steatosis.     

How changes in the sequence of the peptide CLPFFD-NH2 can modify the conjugation and stability of gold nanoparticles and their affinity for beta-amyloid fibrils

In a previous work, we studied the interaction of beta-amyloid fibrils (Abeta) with gold nanoparticles (AuNP) conjugated with the peptide CLPFFD-NH2. Here, we studied the effect of changing the residue sequence of the peptide CLPFFD-NH2 on the efficiency of conjugation to AuNP, the stability of the conjugates, and the affinity of the conjugates to the Abeta fibrils. We conjugated the AuNP with CLPFFD-NH 2 isomeric peptides (CDLPFF-NH2 and CLPDFF-NH2) and characterized the resulting conjugates with different techniques including UV-Vis, TEM, EELS, XPS, analysis of amino acids, agarose gel electrophoresis, and CD. In addition, we determined the proportion of AuNP bonded to the Abeta fibrils by ICP-MS. AuNP-CLPFFD-NH2 was the most stable of the conjugates and presented more affinity for Abeta fibrils with respect to the other conjugates and bare AuNP. These findings help to better understand the way peptide sequences affect conjugation and stability of AuNP and their interaction with Abeta fibrils. The peptide sequence, the steric effects, and the charge and disposition of hydrophilic and hydrophobic residues are crucial parameters when considering the design of AuNP peptide conjugates for biomedical applications.     

Evolutionary directional asymmetry and shape variation in Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): an example using hind wings

The western corn rootworm Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte is a pest of maize in the USA and Europe and especially a problem in particular regions of Croatia. In the present study, patterns of variation in hind wing shape were examined. The first objective was to examine the influence of soil type on 10 populations of D. v. virgifera sampled from three regions in Croatia that differed according to edaphic factors and climate. The second objective was to investigate the potential evolutionary presence of directional asymmetry on hind wings. Geometric morphometrics was used to examine these objectives by quantifying the morphological variation within and among individuals and populations. Overall, D. v. virgifera hind wing shape changed according to major soil type classifications in Croatia. The three hind wing morphotypes found varied because of basal radial vein differences, related to landmarks 1, 3, 7, and 14. The findings of the present study show that hind wing shape in D. v. virgifera can be used to differentiate populations based on edaphic factors and may have application as a monitoring tool in the integrated management of D. v. virgifera. In an evolutionary context, the presence of directional asymmetry in the hind wings of D. v. virgifera adds to the ever growing data on the evolution of insect wings. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 111 , 110–118.     

Two new isodrimene sesquiterpenes from the fungal culture broth of Polyporus arcularius

Two new isodrimene sesquiterpene derivatives, 2(S)-hydroxyalbicanol (1, =(2S,4aS,8S,8aS)-8-(hydroxymethyl)-4,4,8a-trimethyl-7-methylenedecahydronaphthalen-2-ol) and 2(S)-hydroxyalbicanol 11-acetate (2, =((1S,4aS,7S,8aS)-7-hydroxy-5,5,8a-trimethyl-2-methylenedecahydronaphthalen-1-yl)methyl acetate) were isolated from the culture broth of the fungus Polyporus arcularius, together with two phenylpropanediols, (1S,2S)- and (1R,2S)-1-phenyl-1,2-dihydroxypropane (3, 4). Compound 3 is reported as a naturally occurring compound for the first time. The structures of the compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. Compound 1 exhibited growth inhibition of lettuce seedlings with IC₅₀ values of 1.3 mM to hypocotyl and 1.7 mM to radicle.     

Meeting Community Health Worker Needs for Maternal Health Care Service Delivery Using Appropriate Mobile Technologies in Ethiopia

Background

Mobile health applications are complex interventions that essentially require changes to the behavior of health care professionals who will use them and changes to systems or processes in delivery of care. Our aim has been to meet the technical needs of Health Extension Workers (HEWs) and midwives for maternal health using appropriate mobile technologies tools.

Methods

We have developed and evaluated a set of appropriate smartphone health applications using open source components, including a local language adapted data collection tool, health worker and manager user-friendly dashboard analytics and maternal-newborn protocols. This is an eighteen month follow-up of an ongoing observational research study in the northern of Ethiopia involving two districts, twenty HEWs, and twelve midwives.

Results

Most health workers rapidly learned how to use and became comfortable with the touch screen devices so only limited technical support was needed. Unrestricted use of smartphones generated a strong sense of ownership and empowerment among the health workers. Ownership of the phones was a strong motivator for the health workers, who recognised the value and usefulness of the devices, so took care to look after them. A low level of smartphones breakage (8.3%,3 from 36) and loss (2.7%) were reported. Each health worker made an average of 160 mins of voice calls and downloaded 27Mb of data per month, however, we found very low usage of short message service (less than 3 per month).

Conclusions

Although it is too early to show a direct link between mobile technologies and health outcomes, mobile technologies allow health managers to more quickly and reliably have access to data which can help identify where there issues in the service delivery. Achieving a strong sense of ownership and empowerment among health workers is a prerequisite for a successful introduction of any mobile health program.