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Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica... Oct 2017Our objective was to examine the association between fetal growth in early pregnancy and risk of severe large-for-gestational-age (LGA) and macrosomia at birth in a...
INTRODUCTION
Our objective was to examine the association between fetal growth in early pregnancy and risk of severe large-for-gestational-age (LGA) and macrosomia at birth in a low-risk population.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Cohort study that included 68 771 women with non-anomalous singleton pregnancies, without history of diabetes or hypertension, based on an electronic database on pregnancies and deliveries in Stockholm-Gotland Region, Sweden, 2008-2014. We performed multivariable logistic regression to estimate the association between accelerated fetal growth occurring in the first through early second trimester as measured by ultrasound and LGA and macrosomia at birth. Restricted analyses were performed in the groups without gestational diabetes and with normal body mass index (18.5-24.9 kg/m ).
RESULTS
When adjusting for confounders, the odds of having a severely LGA or macrosomic infant were elevated in mothers with fetuses that were at least 7 days larger than expected as compared with mothers without age discrepancy at the second-trimester scan (adjusted odds ratio 1.80; 95% CI 1.23-2.64 and adjusted odds ratio 2.15; 95% CI 1.55-2.98, respectively). Additionally, mothers without gestational diabetes and mothers with normal weight had an elevated risk of having a severely LGA or macrosomic infant when the age discrepancy by second-trimester ultrasound was at least 7 days.
CONCLUSIONS
In a low-risk population, ultrasound-estimated accelerated fetal growth in early pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of having a severely LGA or macrosomic infant.
Topics: Body Weight; Cohort Studies; Female; Fetal Development; Fetal Macrosomia; Fetal Weight; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Placentation; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, First; Pregnancy Trimester, Second; Risk Assessment; Sweden; Ultrasonography, Prenatal
PubMed: 28683173
DOI: 10.1111/aogs.13189 -
Oecologia Feb 2022In many migratory species, smaller migrants suffer higher mortality rates during the risky migration. To minimize the size-selective mortality, migrants with smaller...
In many migratory species, smaller migrants suffer higher mortality rates during the risky migration. To minimize the size-selective mortality, migrants with smaller body sizes would need to accelerate growth rates or delay migration timing to attain a large enough body size prior to migration. To test these predictions, we investigated size-dependent patterns of growth rates and migration timing of juvenile masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) before their oceanic migration. We tracked uniquely marked individuals in a study population consisted of oceanic migrants and river-dwelling residents using mark-recapture surveys and PIT-tag antenna-reader system. Data supported our predictions about size-dependent growth rates and migration timing. For approximately 6 months before outmigration (i.e., between the decision of migration and the start of migration), eventual migrants grew more than residents if their initial size was smaller, but such a difference in growth rate diminished for fish with larger initial sizes. In addition, smaller eventual migrants delayed the timing of outmigration compared to larger individuals, to attain a larger body size in the river prior to migration. These results suggest that size-selective mortality during migration has shaped size-dependent patterns of the pre-migration growth in migratory masu salmon. Size-conditional changes in growth rate and duration of pre-migration period may be an adaptive tactic for the migratory animals.
Topics: Animal Migration; Animals; Body Size; Oncorhynchus; Rivers
PubMed: 35064821
DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05111-0 -
Journal of Developmental Origins of... Apr 2023Characterizing and quantifying the trajectories of variables of interest through time in their field of study is of interest to a range of disciplines. The aim of this...
Characterizing and quantifying the trajectories of variables of interest through time in their field of study is of interest to a range of disciplines. The aim of this study was to investigate the growth speed in height of children and its determinants. A total of 3401 males and 3200 females from four low- and middle-income countries with measured height on five occasions from 2002 to 2016 were included in the study. Data were analyzed using a latent growth model. The results of the study reported that children in four low- and middle-income countries exhibited substantial growth inequalities. There was a significant gender difference in change of growth with males had a higher baseline, rate of change, and acceleration in height growth than females. Comparing the component of slopes across countries, the growth change inequalities were observed among children. These inequalities were statistically significant, with the highest rate of change observed in Peru and Vietnam.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Child; Child Development; Peru; Vietnam; Body Height; Sex Factors
PubMed: 36448333
DOI: 10.1017/S2040174422000617 -
Neurochemical Research Oct 2017L-Theanine (=γ-glutamylethylamide) is an amino acid ingredient in green tea with a structural analogy to L-glutamine (L-GLN) rather than L-glutamic acid (L-GLU), with... (Review)
Review
L-Theanine (=γ-glutamylethylamide) is an amino acid ingredient in green tea with a structural analogy to L-glutamine (L-GLN) rather than L-glutamic acid (L-GLU), with regards to the absence of a free carboxylic acid moiety from the gamma carbon position. L-theanine markedly inhibits [H]L-GLN uptake without affecting [H]L-GLU uptake in cultured neurons and astroglia. In neural progenitor cells with sustained exposure to L-theanine, upregulation of the L-GLN transporter isoform Slc38a1 expression and promotion of both proliferation and neuronal commitment are seen along with marked acceleration of the phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and relevant downstream proteins. Stable overexpression of Slc38a1 leads to promotion of cellular growth with facilitated neuronal commitment in pluripotent embryonic carcinoma P19 cells. In P19 cells stably overexpressing Slc38a1, marked phosphorylation is seen with mTOR and downstream proteins in a fashion insensitive to the additional stimulation by L-theanine. The green tea amino acid L-theanine could thus elicit pharmacological actions to up-regulate Slc38a1 expression for activation of the mTOR signaling pathway required for cell growth together with accelerated neurogenesis after sustained exposure in undifferentiated neural progenitor cells. In this review, I summarize a novel pharmacological property of the green tea amino acid L-theanine for embryonic and adult neurogenesis with a focus on the endogenous amino acid analog L-GLN. A possible translational strategy is also discussed on the development of dietary supplements and nutraceuticals enriched of L-theanine for the prophylaxis of a variety of untoward impairments and malfunctions seen in patients with different neurodegenerative and/or neuropsychiatric disorders.
Topics: Animals; Cell Proliferation; Glutamates; Glutamine; Humans; Neural Stem Cells; Neurogenesis; Neurons
PubMed: 28597057
DOI: 10.1007/s11064-017-2317-6 -
Scientific Reports Aug 2017Organisms react to environmental changes through plastic responses that often involve physiological alterations with the potential to modify life-history traits and...
Organisms react to environmental changes through plastic responses that often involve physiological alterations with the potential to modify life-history traits and fitness. Environmentally induced shifts in growth and development in species with complex life cycles determine the timing of transitions between subsequent life stages, as well as body condition at transformation, which greatly determine survival at later stages. Here we show that spadefoot toad larvae surviving pond drying and predators experienced marked alterations in growth and development, and in their fat reserves, oxidative stress, and relative telomere length. Tadpoles accelerated development but reduced growth and consumed more fat reserves when facing pond drying. However, oxidative stress was buffered by increased antioxidant enzyme activity, and telomeres remained unchanged. Predators caused opposite effects: they reduced larval density, hence relaxing competition and allowing faster development and enhanced growth of survivors. Tadpoles surviving predators metamorphosed bigger and had larger fat bodies, increasing their short-term survival odds, but showed signs of oxidative stress and had shorter telomeres. Developmental acceleration and enhanced growth thus seemed to have different physiological consequences: reduced fat bodies and body size compromise short-term survival, but are reversible in the long run, whereas telomere shortening is non-reversible and could reduce long-term survival.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Animals; Antioxidants; Anura; Body Size; Droughts; Food Chain; Larva; Longevity; Oxidative Stress; Ponds; Telomere; Telomere Shortening
PubMed: 28790317
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07201-z -
European Journal of Obstetrics,... Dec 2022To determine the value of quantifying accelerations of the fetal heart rate (FHR), as collected non-invasively during pregnancy, as a proxy for fetal movements.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the value of quantifying accelerations of the fetal heart rate (FHR), as collected non-invasively during pregnancy, as a proxy for fetal movements.
STUDY DESIGN
The study consists of a prospective collection of research material with retrospective analyses of the collected fetal electrocardiograms (ECGs), done in a homogeneous population in a low socioeconomic residential area of Cape Town, South Africa, as part of the Safe Passage Study. Recruitment and follow-up were done from August 2007 to August 2016. Maternal and fetal ECGs were collected non-invasively at various gestational ages, for approximately 30-60 min at a time in 4418 pregnant women. After processing of the signal, the number and duration of accelerations and the area under the acceleration curve of the FHR were calculated and compared with the pulsatility index (PI) of the uterine, umbilical, and middle cerebral arteries, common medical conditions, tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and methamphetamine use and z-scores of the birthweight (BWZS).
RESULTS
Of the total, 2777, 691, and 3879 women were at gestational ages of 20-24, 28-32 and 34-38 weeks respectively. At 20-24 weeks duration of accelerations was significantly longer in women who used marijuana (p = 0.014) or methamphetamine (p < 0.001) when compared to nonusers. At 28-32 weeks the duration of accelerations was significantly shorter in hypertensive women (p = 0.003) and significantly longer in women who used methamphetamine (p = 0.015). At 34-38 weeks the number of accelerations were significantly less in women who had hypertension ((p = 0.01) or stillbirths (p = 0.028) and the duration significantly shorter in hypertensive women (p = 0.007) and significantly longer in women who used marjuana (p = 0.003) or methamphetamine (p = 0.028). The acceleration area was significantly smaller (p = 0.02) in women who has stillbirths. Duration of accelerations was significantly longer in users of nicotine and alcohol when compared with that of abstainers. Birthweight z-score correlated significantly with number of accelerations (p < 0.01) and the acceleration area (<0.01). There was a significant negative correlation between the number of accelerations (p < 0.01) and acceleration area (p < 0.01) and the PI of the uterine artery at 34-38 weeks.
CONCLUSIONS
Calculation of the acceleration parameters of the FHR during pregnancy may provide useful information for evaluating fetal development.
Topics: Female; Pregnancy; Humans; Infant; Male; Heart Rate, Fetal; Birth Weight; Stillbirth; Retrospective Studies; Prospective Studies; South Africa; Gestational Age; Electrocardiography; Acceleration; Methamphetamine; Heart Rate
PubMed: 36228448
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2022.10.005 -
Journal of Materials Science. Materials... Oct 2019Nowadays, due to a growing number of tissue injuries, in particular, skin wounds, induction and promotion of tissue healing responses can be considered as a crucial step... (Review)
Review
Nowadays, due to a growing number of tissue injuries, in particular, skin wounds, induction and promotion of tissue healing responses can be considered as a crucial step towards a complete regeneration. Recently, biomaterial design has been oriented towards promoting a powerful, effective, and successful healing. Biomaterials with wound management abilities have been developed for different applications such as providing a native microenvironment and supportive matrices that induce the growth of tissue, creating physical obstacles against microbial contamination, and to be used as delivery systems for therapeutic reagents. Until now, numerous strategies aiming to accelerate the wound healing process have been utilized and studied with their own pros and cons. In this review, tissue remodeling phenomena, wound healing mechanisms, and their related factors will be discussed. In addition, different methods for induction and acceleration of healing via cell therapy, bioactive therapeutic delivery, and/or biomaterial-based approaches will be reviewed.
Topics: Animals; Biocompatible Materials; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy; Drug Delivery Systems; Extracellular Matrix; Genetic Therapy; Humans; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; Matrix Metalloproteinases; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Stress, Mechanical; Wound Healing
PubMed: 31630272
DOI: 10.1007/s10856-019-6319-6 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Feb 2022In this paper, a simple numerical procedure is presented to monitor the growth of Streptococcus sanguinis over time in the absence and presence of propolis, a natural...
In this paper, a simple numerical procedure is presented to monitor the growth of Streptococcus sanguinis over time in the absence and presence of propolis, a natural antimicrobial. In particular, it is shown that the real-time decomposition of growth curves obtained through optical density measurements into growth rate and acceleration can be a powerful tool to precisely assess a large range of key parameters (i.e., lag time [], starting growth rate [γ], initial acceleration of the growth [], maximum growth rate [γ], maximum acceleration [], and deceleration [] of the growth and the total number of cells at the beginning of the saturation phase []) that can be readily used to fully describe growth over time. Consequently, the procedure presented provides precise data of the time course of the different growth phases and features, which is expected to be relevant, for instance, to thoroughly evaluate the effect of new antimicrobial agents. It further provides insight into predictive microbiology, likely having important implications for assumptions adopted in mathematical models to predict the progress of bacterial growth. The new and simple numerical procedure presented in this paper to analyze bacterial growth will possibly allow the identification of true differences in efficacy among antimicrobial drugs for their applications in human health, food security, and the environment, among others. It further provides insight into predictive microbiology, likely helping in the development of proper mathematical models to predict the course of bacterial growth under diverse circumstances.
Topics: Acceleration; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Humans; Models, Theoretical; Streptococcus sanguis
PubMed: 34878817
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01849-21 -
European Journal of Endocrinology May 2021Large birth size programs an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood, but data are absent concerning glucose metabolic health impact in infancy. We sought to...
OBJECTIVE
Large birth size programs an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood, but data are absent concerning glucose metabolic health impact in infancy. We sought to determine whether the large birth size is associated with insulin resistance and β-cell function in infancy and evaluate the determinants.
DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS
In the Canadian 3D birth cohort, we conducted a nested matched (1:2) study of 70 large-for-gestational-age (LGA, birth weight >90th percentile) and 140 optimal-for-gestational-age (OGA, 25th-75th percentiles) control infants. The primary outcomes were homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and beta-cell function (HOMA-β) at age 2-years.
RESULTS
HOMA-IR and HOMA-β were similar in LGA and OGA infants. Adjusting for maternal and infant characteristics, decelerated growth in length during early infancy (0-3 months) was associated with a 25.8% decrease (95% confidence intervals 6.7-41.0%) in HOMA-β. During mid-infancy (3-12 months), accelerated growth in weight was associated with a 25.5% (0.35-56.9%) increase in HOMA-IR, in length with a 69.3% increase (31.4-118.0%) in HOMA-IR and a 24.5% (0.52-54.3%) increase in HOMA-β. Decelerated growth in length during late infancy (1-2 years) was associated with a 28.4% (9.5-43.4%) decrease in HOMA-IR and a 21.2% (3.9-35.4%) decrease in HOMA-β. Female sex was associated with higher HOMA-β, Caucasian ethnicity with lower HOMA-IR, and maternal smoking with lower HOMA-β.
CONCLUSIONS
This study is the first to demonstrate that large birth size is not associated with insulin resistance and β-cell function in infancy but infancy growth pattern matters. Decelerated infancy growth may be detrimental to beta-cell function.
Topics: Birth Weight; Body Height; Body Weight; Case-Control Studies; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Female; Fetal Macrosomia; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Insulin Resistance; Insulin-Secreting Cells; Male
PubMed: 33914700
DOI: 10.1530/EJE-20-1332 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2023Like telomere shortening, global DNA hypomethylation occurs progressively with cellular divisions or aging and functions as a mitotic clock to restrain malignant...
Like telomere shortening, global DNA hypomethylation occurs progressively with cellular divisions or aging and functions as a mitotic clock to restrain malignant transformation/progression. Several DNA-methylation (DNAm) age clocks have been established to precisely predict chronological age using normal tissues, but show DNAm age drift in tumors, which suggests disruption of this mitotic clock during carcinogenesis. Little is known about DNAm age alterations and biological/clinical implications in endometrial cancer (EC). Here we address these issues by analyzing TCGA and GSE67116 cohorts of ECs. Horvath clock analysis of these tumors unexpectedly revealed that almost 90% of them exhibited DNAm age deceleration (DNAmad) compared to patient chronological age. Combined with an additional clock named Phenoage, we identified a subset of tumors (82/429) with high DNAmad (hDNAmad+) as assessed by both clocks. Clinically, hDNAmad+ tumors were associated with advanced diseases and shorter patient survival, compared to hDNAmad- ones. Genetically, hDNAmad+ tumors were characterized by higher copy number alterations (CNAs) whereas lower tumor mutation burden. Functionally, hDNAmad+ tumors were enriched with cell cycle and DNA mismatch repair pathways. Increased PIK3CA alterations and downregulation of SCGB2A1, the inhibitor of PI3K kinase, in hDNAmad+ tumors, might promote tumor growth/proliferation and stemness. In addition, the inactivation of aging drivers/tumor suppressors (TP53, RB1, and CDKN2A) while enhanced telomere maintenance occurred more frequently in hDNAmad+ tumors, which supports sustained tumor growth. Prominently, hDNAmad+ tumors were featured with immunoexclusion microenvironments, accompanied by significantly higher levels of VTCN1 expression while lower PD-L1 and CTLA4 expression, which indicates their poor response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based immunotherapy. We further showed significantly higher levels of DNMT3A and 3B expression in hDNAmad+ than in hDNAmad- tumors. Thus, the tumor suppressive function of aging-like DNA hypomethylation is severely impaired in hDNAmad+ tumors, likely due to enhanced expression of DNMT3A/3B and dysregulated aging regulators. Our findings not only enrich biological knowledge of EC pathogenesis but also help improve EC risk stratification and precision ICI immunotherapy.
Topics: Female; Humans; DNA Methylation; Deceleration; Endometrial Neoplasms; Carcinogenesis; DNA Modification Methylases; DNA; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 37388735
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1208223