Impact of diet and physical activity on reproductive profile: A comparison of middle-aged and elderly men.

Age is a known determinant of reproductive health and fertility in both genders. The present work aims to assess the reproductive hormone profile of a middle-aged and elderly man. For this descriptive cross-sectional study, healthy male subjects (n=77) were recruited from the valley. Any individual suffering from any acute or chronic diseases and on drugs was ruled out from the study. Group A consisted of 40 elderly men between 60-70 years of age, and Group B comprised 37 men between 35-46 years of age. Blood samples were taken to estimate the reproductive hormone profile. Level of oxidant and antioxidant: Malondialdehyde and Glutathione. The demographic variables, which included retrospective and prospective questions, helped to assess the physical activity and diet intake behaviour of all inducted individuals. The analysis of the reproductive profile of both groups was similar and within the normal range of standards. However, the median level of LH was higher in group A than in group B: 6.7 mIU/ml versus 3.4 mIU/ml, respectively, and p<0.003. Both groups showed predominantly involvement in physical activity, >90%. The correlation of biochemical variables gives an insight into the fact that the Mediterranean diet and physical activity help to maintain a normal BMI. These implicate the normal secretion of various hormones, leading to intact spermatogenesis. We can safely deduce from this study that physically active lifestyles and a healthy diet are crucial factors in maintaining an endocrine profile.

L'âge est un déterminant connu de la santé reproductive et de la fécondité chez les deux sexes. Le présent travail vise à évaluer le profil hormonal de la reproduction d'un homme d'âge moyen et âgé. Pour cette étude transversale descriptive, des sujets masculins en bonne santé (n = 77) ont été recrutés dans la vallée. Toute personne souffrant de maladies aiguës ou chroniques et prenant des médicaments a été exclue de l'étude. Le groupe A était composé de 40 hommes âgés de 60 à 70 ans et le groupe B de 37 hommes âgés de 35 à 46 ans. Des échantillons de sang ont été prélevés pour estimer le profil des hormones reproductives. Niveau d'oxydant et d'antioxydant : Malondialdéhyde et Glutathion. Les variables démographiques, qui comprenaient des questions rétrospectives et prospectives, ont permis d'évaluer l'activité physique et le comportement alimentaire de tous les individus intronisés. L'analyse du profil reproducteur des deux groupes était similaire et se situait dans la fourchette normale des normes. Cependant, le taux médian de LH était plus élevé dans le groupe A que dans le groupe B : respectivement 6,7 mUI/ml versus 3,4 mUI/ml et p<0,003. Les deux groupes présentaient une participation prédominante à l'activité physique, > 90 %. La corrélation des variables biochimiques donne un aperçu du fait que le régime méditerranéen et l'activité physique contribuent à maintenir un IMC normal. Celles-ci impliquent la sécrétion normale de diverses hormones, conduisant à une spermatogenèse intacte. Nous pouvons déduire de cette étude qu'un mode de vie physiquement actif et une alimentation saine sont des facteurs cruciaux pour maintenir un profil endocrinien.

Synthesis of NiMn2O4/PANI nanosized composite with increased specific capacitance for energy storage applications.

Polyaniline (PANI) stands out as a highly promising conducting polymer with potential for advanced utilization in high-performance pseudocapacitors. Therefore, there exists a pressing need to bolster the structural durability of PANI, achievable by developing composite materials that can enhance its viability for supercapacitor applications. In this particular study, a pioneering approach was undertaken to produce a novel NiMn2O4/PANI supercapacitor electrode material. A comprehensive array of analytical techniques was employed to ascertain the structural configuration, morphology, oxidation states of elements, composition, and surface characteristics of the electrode material. The electrochemical evaluation of the NiMn2O4/PANI composite shows a specific capacitance (Cs) of 1530 ± 2 F g-1 at 1 A g-1. Significantly, the composite material displays an outstanding 93.61% retention of its capacity after an extensive 10 000 cycles, signifying remarkable cycling stability, while the 2-electrode configuration reveals a Cs value of 764 F g-1 at 5 mV s-1 and 826 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 with a smaller charge transfer resistance (Rct) value of 0.67 Ω. Chronoamperometric tests showed excellent stability of the fabricated material up to 50 h. This significant advancement bears immense promise for its potential implementation in high-efficiency energy storage systems and heralds a new phase in the development of supercapacitor technology with improved stability and performance metrics.

A Low-Cost Microfluidic and Optically Transparent Water Antenna with Frequency-Tuning Characteristics.

In this study, a novel microfluidic frequency reconfigurable and optically transparent water antenna is designed using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. The proposed antenna consists of three distinct parts, including a circularly shaped distilled water ground, a sea water-based circular segmented radiator, and a circularly shaped distilled water-based load, all ingeniously constructed from transparent resin material. The presented antenna is excited by a disk-loaded probe. The frequency of the antenna can be easily tuned by filling and emptying/evacuating sea water from the multisegmented radiator. The radiator consists of three segments with different radii, and each segment has a different resonant frequency. When the radiator is filled, the antenna resonates at the frequency of the segment that is filled. When all the radiator segments are filled, the antenna operates at the resonant frequency of 2.4 GHz and possesses an impedance bandwidth of 1.05 GHz (40%) in the range of 2.10-3.15 GHz. By filling different radiator segments, the frequency could be tuned from 2.4 to 2.6 GHz. In addition to the frequency-switching characteristics, the proposed antenna exhibits high simulated radiation efficiency (with a peak performance reaching 95%) and attains a maximum realized gain of 3.8 dBi at 2.9 GHz. The proposed antenna integrates water as its predominant constituent, which is easily available, thereby achieving cost-effectiveness, compactness, and transparency characteristics; it also has the potential to be utilized in future applications, involving transparent and flexible electronics.

Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients Treated with Androgen Deprivation Therapy: A Multimodality Functional Imaging Study to Evaluate Neuroinflammation.

Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer is implicated as a possible cause of cognitive impairment (CI). CI in dementia and Alzheimer's disease is associated with neuroinflammation. In this study, we investigated a potential role of neuroinflammation in ADT-related CI. Methods: Patients with prostate cancer on ADT for ≥3 months were categorized as having ADT-emergent CI or normal cognition (NC) based on self-report at interview. Neuroinflammation was evaluated using positron emission tomography (PET) with the translocator protein (TSPO) radioligand [11C]-PBR28. [11C]-PBR28 uptake in various brain regions was quantified as standardized uptake value (SUVR, normalized to cerebellum) and related to blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) choice-reaction time task (CRT) activation maps. Results: Eleven patients underwent PET: four with reported CI (rCI), six with reported NC (rNC), and one status unrecorded. PET did not reveal any between-group differences in SUVR regionally or globally. There was no difference between groups on brain activation to the CRT. Regardless of the reported cognitive status, there was strong correlation between PET-TSPO signal and CRT activation in the hippocampus, amygdala, and medial cortex. Conclusions: We found no difference in neuroinflammation measured by PET-TSPO between patients with rCI and rNC. However, we speculate that the strong correlation between TSPO uptake and BOLD-fMRI activation in brain regions involved in memory and known to have high androgen-receptor expression mediating plasticity (hippocampus and amygdala) might reflect inflammatory effects of ADT with compensatory upregulated/increased synaptic functions. Further studies of this imaging readout are warranted to investigate ADT-related CI.

1-Bit Transmission-Type Digital Programmable Coding Metasurface with Multi-Functional Beam-Shaping Capability for Ka-Band Applications.

Digital programmable coding metasurfaces (DPCMs) have recently attracted enormous attention and have been broadly applied, owing to their ability to manipulate electromagnetic (EM) wave behaviours and programmable multi-functionality. Recent DPCM works are divided into reflection and transmission types (R-DPCM and T-DPCM, respectively); however, there are only a few reported T-DPCM works in the millimetre-wave spectrum, owing to the difficulty of realising the large-phase controllable range while maintaining low transmission losses with electronic control components. Consequently, most millimetre-wave T-DPCMs are demonstrated only with limited functions in a single design. Additionally, all these designs use high-cost substrate materials that constrain practical applicability, owing to cost-ineffectiveness. Herein, we propose a 1-bit T-DPCM that simultaneously performs three dynamic beam-shaping functions with a single structure for millimetre-wave applications. The proposed structure is completely constructed using low-cost FR-4 materials, and operation of each meta-cell is manipulated using PIN-diodes, thus driving the achievement of multiple effective dynamic functionalities including dual-beam scanning, multi-beam shaping, and orbital-angular-momentum-mode generation. It should be noted that there are no reported millimetre-wave T-DPCMs demonstrating multi-function design, thus showing a gap in the recent literature of millimetre-wave T-DPCMs. Moreover, cost-effectiveness can be significantly enhanced, owing to the construction of the proposed T-DPCM using only low-cost material.

A Deployable and Cost-Effective Kirigami Antenna for Sub-6 GHz MIMO Applications.

In this work, a low-cost, deployable, integratable, and easy-to-fabricate multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) Kirigami antenna is proposed for sub-6 GHz applications. The proposed MIMO antenna is inspired by Kirigami art, which consists of four radiating and parasitic elements. The radiating and parasitic elements are composed of a rectangular stub. These elements are placed in such a way that they can provide polarization diversity. The proposed MIMO antenna is designed and fabricated using a soft printed board material called flexible copper-clad laminate (FCCL). It is observed from the results that the proposed MIMO antenna resonates in the 2.5 GHz frequency band, with a 10 dB reflection coefficient bandwidth of 860 MHz ranging from 2.19 to 3.05 GHz. It is worthwhile to mention that the isolation between adjacent radiating elements is higher than 15 dB. In addition, the peak realized gain of the MIMO antenna is around 11 dBi, and the total efficiency is more than 90% within the band of interest. Moreover, the envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) is noted to be less than 0.003, and the channel capacity is ≥17 bps/Hz. To verify the simulated results, a prototype was fabricated, and excellent agreement between the measured and computed results was observed. By observing the performance attributes of the proposed design, it can be said that there are many applications in which this antenna can be adopted. Because of its low profile, it can be used in 5G small-cell mobile MIMO base stations, autonomous light mobility vehicles, and other applications.

Molecular Mechanisms of Vitamin D-Mediated Immunomodulation.

Ever since discovering the fat-soluble secosteroid vitamin D, an abundance of research has been conducted on the molecular mechanisms for the multiple health benefits of this nutrient. Studies on the beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation have found appreciable evidence suggesting that it may play a more prime role than initially presumed. Though it has largely been implicated in bone pathophysiology, novel research on vitamin D indicates its fundamental involvement in a wide range of disease processes through its multiple systemic effects, including but not limited to metabolic, cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, antioxidant, neuroprotective, and immune actions. Recent work has yielded important mechanistic insights into the functions of vitamin D in mediating immunity. The present work sheds light on the metabolism and immune response mechanisms of vitamin D. Current review is based on a thorough search of the available relevant research findings of the metabolic transformations of vitamin D and the molecular basis of its role in immunity. Apart from its classical mechanistic control of mineral homeostasis, vitamin D has immunomodulatory effects through various mechanisms at both systemic and cellular levels. Disruption of vitamin D reliant molecular pathways in the regulation of immune response can potentially result in the development and/or progression of autoimmune and infective processes.

Stroke Incidence and Outcome Disparity in Rural Regions of Southern West Virginia.

INTRODUCTION: West Virginia has the highest incidence of obesity, smoking, and diabetes within the United States, placing its population at higher risk of stroke. In addition to these endemic risk factors, Appalachia faces various socioeconomic and health care access challenges that could negatively impact stroke incidence and outcomes. At present, there are limited data regarding geographic variables on stroke outcomes in rural Appalachia. We set out to quantify Appalachian geographic patterns of stroke incidence and outcomes. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of all patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of stroke in West Virginia's largest tertiary hospital. During the study (2000-2018), 14,488 patients were analyzed, with an emphasis on those who died from stroke (n = 1022). We first used institutional ICD-9/10 data alongside demographics information and chart reviews to evaluate disease patterns while also exploring emerging hot spot pattern changes over time; we then exploited an emerging time series analysis using temporal trends to assess differing instances of stroke occurrence regionally with hot spots defined as higher than expected incidences of stroke and stroke death. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed several hot spots of increasing stroke and mortality rates, many of which achieved statistically significant variance compared to expected norms (P = 0.001). Moreover, this study revealed high-risk zones in rural West Virginia wherein the incidence and mortality rates of stroke are suggestively higher and less resistance to economic change than urban centers. CONCLUSIONS: Stroke incidence and mortality were found to be higher than expected in many areas of rural West Virginia. The higher stroke risk populations correlate with area that may be impacted by socioeconomic factors and limited access to primary care. These high-risk areas may therefore benefit from investments in infrastructure, patient education, and unrestricted primary care.

A cross-sectional analysis of the effects of everyday life situations on stuttering and associated physical features.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects that everyday situations of varying stress/anxiety have on stammering. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted in the first six months of 2018 at Central Park Medical College Lahore, and comprised people with stammer. The subjects were categorised into two groups on the basis of severity of symptoms assessed using the fluency severity rating scale. Group A had subjects with mild to moderate stammer, while Group B had those with moderate to severe stammer. An 8-point Likert scale was employed to evaluate responses towards 33 questions of which 30 were situation-based while 3 focussed on physical fitness, blinking and body jerks. SPSS 23 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 56 subjects, there were 26(46.4%) in Group A, and 30(53.5%) in Group B. Higher degree of blinking and body jerks were found in Group B (p<0.05 each). CONCLUSION: Subjects with severe stammer had more body jerks and blinking compared to those with mild to moderate condition.

Comment on: Endocrinopathies complicating transfusion-dependent hemoglobinopathy. Need for better assessment of skeletal complications.

[No Abstract Available].

Bioinspired DNA Origami Quasi-Yagi Helical Antenna with Beam Direction and Beamwidth Switching Capability.

We propose a bioinspired origami quasi-Yagi helical antenna with beam direction and beamwidth switching capability based on transformable DNA origami structure. Each DNA molecule consists of a double helical chain, and its length can be transformed by folding and unfolding. When three transformable origami DNA structures are applied to the quasi-Yagi helical antenna, beam direction and beamwidth can be controlled by folding and unfolding the origami DNA. The transformable DNA structures act as driven, director and reflector elements. The proposed DNA origami antenna provides four beam direction switching states (three states with narrow beamwidth and one state with wide beamwidth) at fixed frequency of 1.9 GHz. For example, the main beam direction of the proposed antenna can be steered to -30°, 0°, +30° and -40° for states 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. State 4 provides a 3-dB wider beamwidth of 104°, whereas the beamwidth of other states is narrower than 64°. The proposed concept is numerically and experimentally demonstrated.

Microfluidically Frequency-Reconfigurable Quasi-Yagi Dipole Antenna.

In this paper, a frequency reconfigurable quasi-Yagi dipole antenna is proposed by leveraging the properties of microfluidic technology. The proposed antenna comprises a metal-printed driven dipole element and three directors. To tune resonant frequencies, microfluidic channels are integrated into the driven element. To maintain a high gain for all the tuned frequencies, microfluidic channels are also integrated into the directors. Therefore, the length of the driven-element as well as directors can be controlled by injecting liquid metal in the microfluidic channels. The proposed antenna has the capability of tuning the frequency by varying the length of the metal-filled channels, while maintaining a high gain for all the tuned frequencies. The proposed antenna's performance is experimentally demonstrated after fabrication. The injected amount of liquid metal into the microfluidic channels is controlled using programmable pneumatic micropumps. The prototype exhibits continuous tuning of the resonant frequencies from 1.8 GHz to 2.4 GHz; the measured peak gain of the proposed antenna is varied in the range of 8 dBi to 8.5 dBi. Therefore, continuous tuning with high gain is successfully demonstrated using liquid-metal-filled microfluidic channels.

A Dual Band Frequency Reconfigurable Origami Magic Cube Antenna for Wireless Sensor Network Applications.

In this paper, a novel dual band frequency reconfigurable antenna using an origami magic cube is proposed for wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. The proposed origami antenna consists of a meandered monopole folded onto three sides of the magic cube. A microstrip open-ended stub is loaded on the meandered monopole. The proposed origami magic cube can be mechanically folded and unfolded. The proposed antenna operates at 1.57 GHZ and 2.4 GHz in the folded state. In the unfolded state, the proposed antenna operates at 900 MHz and 2.3 GHz. The resonant frequency of the second band can be tunable by varying the length and position of the open stub. The origami magic cube is built on paper. Its performance is numerically and experimentally demonstrated from S-parameters and radiation patterns. The measured 10 dB impedance bandwidth of the proposed origami antenna is 18% (900-1120 MHz) and 15% (2.1-2.45 GHz) for the unfolded state and 20% (1.3-1.6 GHz) and 14% (2.3-2.5 GHz) for the folded state. The measured peak gain at 900 MHz and 2.3 GHz are 1.1 dBi and 2.32 dBi, respectively, in the unfolded state. The measured peak gain at 1.5 GHz and 2.4 GHz are 3.28 dBi and 1.98 dBi, respectively, in the folded state.

Transformation from a Single Antenna to a Series Array Using Push/Pull Origami.

We propose a push/pull origami antenna, transformable between a single antenna element and a three-element array. In limited space, the proposed origami antenna can work as a single antenna. When the space is not limited and a higher gain is required, the proposed origami antenna can be transformed to a series antenna array by pulling the frame. In order to push the antenna array back to a single antenna, the frame for each antenna element size must be different. The frame and supporting dielectric materials are built using a three-dimensional (3D) printer. The conductive patterns are inkjet-printed on paper. Thus, the proposed origami antenna is built using hybrid printing technology. The 10-dB impedance bandwidth is 2.5-2.65 GHz and 2.48-2.62 GHz for the single-antenna and array mode, respectively, and the peak gains in the single-antenna and array mode are 5.8 dBi and 7.6 dBi, respectively. The proposed antenna can be used for wireless remote-sensing applications.

Emerging potential of parenteral estrogen as androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer.

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a key management strategy for prostate cancer (PC), achieved commonly by administration of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist (LHRHa), ADT markedly suppresses both male and female sex hormones which results in "castration syndrome", a constellation of adverse events such as muscle weakness, impairment of glucose and lipid metabolism, impotence, osteoporosis, and fractures. Recent evidence suggests that estrogen, in the parenteral form, may emerge as an alternative to LHRHa as it offers potential benefits of arresting PC growth as well as avoiding some of the estrogen deficiency related toxicities of LHRHa by maintaining endogenous levels of estrogen.

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.