Weight Cycle Research Articles

Toxicokinetic Profiles and Potential Endocrine Disruption Effects at the Reproductive Level Promoted by Siloxanes Used in Consumer Products.

Siloxanes, commonly known as silicones, are polymeric compounds made up of silicon and oxygen atoms bonded together alternately. Within this group of substances are linear methyl-siloxanes and cyclic methyl-siloxanes, with octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) being the most produced and used industrially. Due to their versatility, high production volume, stability, and local presence in environmental matrices and biological fluids such as breast milk, fat, and plasma, siloxanes have been considered persistent organic pollutants, representing a public health problem. This represents a public health concern, especially when different investigations have reported potential endocrine effects at the reproductive level in experimental animals exposed to D4 and D5. The objective of this study was to review the potential reproductive and endocrine effects derived from siloxanes present in personal care products (PCPs). The results of the literature review confirmed that D4 and D5 were the most used siloxanes as additives in PCP because they improve the emollient properties of the cosmetic and the physical appearance of hair and skin. Similarly the toxicological effects of siloxanes, particularly D4, D5, and D6 included significant endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, and liver toxicity. Studies in SD and F-344 rats, commonly used to assess these effects, have shown that D4 has low estrogenic activity, binding to ER-α receptors, whereas D5 does not bind to estrogen receptors. D4 exposure has been associated with increased uterine weight and estrous cycle alterations, leading to prolonged exposure to estrogens, which raises the risk of endometrial hyperproliferation and carcinogenesis. Recent research highlights that D5 exposure disrupts follicle growth, endometrial receptivity, and steroidogenesis, resulting in infertility and hormonal imbalances, potentially causing disorders like endometriosis and increased cancer risk. Chronic exposure to D5 has been linked to the development of uterine endometrial adenocarcinoma, with higher doses further elevating this risk.

Effect of High Fiber Content on Properties and Performance of CFRTP Composites

Continuously reinforced thermoplastic composites are widely used in structural applications due to their toughness, light weight, and shorter process cycle. Moreover, they provide flexibility in design and material selection. Unlike thermoset composites, continuous fiber content to maximize mechanical properties in thermoplastic composites has not been well investigated. In this paper, three thermoplastic systems are investigated to study the optimum content of continuous fiber reinforcement. These systems include carbon fiber/polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), glass fiber/PPS, and glass fiber/high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Tapes were made at several fiber contents, and samples were compression molded and tested using thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), tensile, 3-point flexure, and short-beam shear tests. Results revealed that higher fiber content led to an increase in the glass transition and melt transition temperatures of the polymer. Some mechanical properties increased with fiber content and then began to decrease upon further addition of fibers, while other properties, such as ductility and interfacial bond strength, decreased with more reinforcement. Furthermore, the optimum fiber contents to maximize mechanical properties are different for different properties and different materials.

Oxygen-containing compounds in polydimethylsilanes and -carbosilanes

An analysis of fractions extracted from polydimethylsilanes, as well as distillates obtained during the synthesis of poly(oligo)carbosilanes was carried out. By the methods of gel permeation chromatography and chromatography-mass spectrometry, the range of molecular weights in extracts and distillates, the composition and structure of compounds, as well as the sequence of their retention times on the chromatographic column were determined. It was established that the compounds extracted from polydimethylsilanes are low molecular weight cycles containing methylsilane and/or methylsiloxane units. In distillates, compared with extracts, the number of low molecular weight compounds containing individual or mixed methylsilane, carbosilane and siloxane units increases.

The natural menstrual cycle revisited – can natural cycle be trusted

BackgroundThe serum progesterone (P4) level during the luteal phase (LP) plays a crucial role in the initiation and maintenance of pregnancy. However, it is unclear whether the natural cycle consistently provides the best endocrine profile and whether mid-luteal serum P4 levels are always sufficient to support implantation and early pregnancy. The question has become more relevant in relation to fertility treatment, as more frozen embryo transfer cycles are performed in the natural cycle. Moreover, can serum hormone levels and covariates measured during the follicular phase (FP), such as Follicle Stimulation Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Estradiol (E2), Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) and Antral Follicle Count (AFC), be used to predict P4 levels during the luteal phase (LP)?ResultsThis observational prospective cohort study analysed 26 healthy women with a cycle length between 21–35 days and a body mass index (BMI) < 30 kg/m2. Blood sampling started on the fifth day of the menstrual cycle and continued every fifth day until the next cycle. The procedure was repeated for a total of three cycles. The study found that only ten women had a P4 level greater than 30 nmol/L on cycle day 20 or 25 in all three cycles. In total, only 45 cycles out of 77 cycles had serum P4 levels ≥ 30 nmol/L.The E2 level ≥ 345 pmol/L on cycle day 10 proved to be predictive of a P4 level of ≥ 30 nmol/L on either day 20 or day 25 with a sensitivity of 57% and a specificity of 89%. No other covariates, including the FSH level cycle day 5, LH levels during the follicular phase, age, weight, AFC and AMH cycle day 5 correlated with LP P4 levels.ConclusionsA significant correlation between FP E2 levels cycle day 5 (> 131pmol/L) and cycle day 10 (> 345pmol/L) and a LP P4 level ≥ 30 nmol/l was found; thus, the FP E2 level is a predictor of corpus luteum competence. Our findings highlight the existence of suboptimal P4 levels during the LP and a significant inter-individual and intra-cycle variation in P4 levels during the LP in regular menstruating women.

Finding Codes on Infinite Grids Automatically

We apply automata theory and Karp’s minimum mean weight cycle algorithm to minimum density problems in coding theory. Using this method, we find the new upper bound 53/126 ≈ 0.4206 for the minimum density of an identifying code on the infinite hexagonal grid, down from the previous record of 3/7 ≈ 0.4286.

Estrous cycle and uterine weight of ovariectomized menopause female rat models after treatment with Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit leaf extract

Highlights:1. This study found that Leucaena leucocephala leaf ethanol extract has the ability to stimulate the growth of vaginal epithelial cells in ovariectomised rats.2. Leucaena leucocephala leaf extract can be developed as a safe and cost-effective natural alternative for hormone replacement therapy in premenopausal women and livestock. Highlights:1. This study found that Leucaena leucocephala leaf ethanol extract has the ability to stimulate the growth of vaginal epithelial cells in ovariectomised rats.2. Leucaena leucocephala leaf extract can be developed as a safe and cost-effective natural alternative for hormone replacement therapy in premenopausal women and livestock. Abstract Hormone replacement therapy has adverse effects that may cause additional health problems, such as hot flashes, cancer, ischemic stroke, and death. Phytoestrogen is an alternative ingredient used for hormone replacement therapy with less risk. The Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit plant is widely used as a medicinal ingredient and animal feed. This study aimed to determine the effect of Leucaena leucocephala leaf extract on the uterine weight and estrous cycle of ovariectomized rats. This research used a completely randomized control design, which included two treatment groups (P1 and P2) and two control groups (negative (K-) and positive (K+)) with six replications in each group (n=24). The negative control (K-) was given 2 mL of corn oil, while K+ received 0.1 mg/kg bw of 17β-estradiol. P1 and P2 were administered 250 and 300 mg/kg bw of Leucaena leucocephala leaf extract, respectively. The extract was administered daily by gavage for 30 days. Estrous cycle data were obtained on day 31 by previously collecting vaginal swabs twice a day for 15 days. After the rats were sacrificed under anesthesia using chloroform, they underwent surgery to remove the uterine organs for weight measurement. The data were analyzed for normality and homogeneity using the Shapiro-Wilk and Levene tests. The data distribution were not normal, so the Kruskal Wallis test was used to test the hypothesis. If there was a difference between controls and treatments, the analysis continued with the Mann-Whitney test (p&lt;0.05). The controls and treatments exhibited a significant difference in the length of each phase and overall estrous cycle. The post hoc Duncan test revealed that the highest uterine weight was found in 17β-estradiol treated rat. It was significantly different with both extracts treated rats. Both extract effect on uterine weight were not significantly difference. In conclusion, administering Leucaena leucocephala leaf extract results in an increased uterine weight and a normal estrous cycle in ovariectomized rats.

Dehydroepiandrosterone with a high-fat diet treatment at inducing polycystic ovary syndrome in rat model

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA combined with a high-fat diet (HFD) treatment of reproductive and endocrine metabolism in rats and then identify an ideal model of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). MethodsThree-week-old female Sprague–Dawley rats were injected subcutaneously with DHEA or oil, fed with or without a HFD, for 21 days, during which body weight, feed intake, and estrous cycle monitoring were carried out. Fasting blood glucose was measured, and serum fasting insulin, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), estradiol, progesterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were estimated by ELISA. Serum total cholesterol (TC), total triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured by colorimetric assay. Whereas, histologic changes in rat ovaries were evaluated by H&E staining. Ovarian steroid hormone synthases and their protein levels (StAR, 3β-HSD2, 17β-HSD1, CYP11A1, CYP17A1, and CYP19A1) were examined by Western blotting. ResultsBoth DHEA and DHEA + HFD-treated rats lost a regular estrous cycle; had polycystic ovarian changes, significantly higher serum fasting insulin and testosterone levels; and increased ovarian StAR, 3β-HSD2, and CYP11A1 protein levels. Additionally, rats in the DHEA + HFD-treated group were obese; had elevated fasting blood glucose, TG, DHT, AMH levels and LH:FSH ratios; increased ovarian 17β-HSD1 protein levels. ConclusionDHEA combined with HFD treatment is more effective at inducing PCOS than DHEA alone. The reproductive and endocrine metabolic aspects of this method are more consistent with the clinical characteristics of PCOS patients.

Faktor-Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Siklus Menstruasi pada Remaja Putri

This study aims to analyze the factors that influence the menstrual cycle in adolescent girls at SMA Negeri 2 Ngaglik, explicitly analyzing the influence of body weight, physical activity, and anxiety in teenage girls at SMA Negeri 2 Ngaglik. The method used is quantitative research with descriptive methods and a cross-sectional design. The research results show a significant relationship between body weight and menstrual cycle irregularities with a p-value of 0.001, so the p-value is &lt;0.05. There is an essential relationship between physical activity and menstrual cycle irregularities with a p-value of 0.000, so the p-value is &lt;0.05. There is a significant relationship between anxiety and menstrual cycle irregularities, with a p-value of 0.001 with a p-value &lt;0.05. In conclusion, body weight, physical activity, and anxiety influence menstrual cycle irregularities in young women at SMA Negeri 2 Ngaglik. Keywords: Physical Activity, Body Weight, Menstrual Cycle, Anxiety

Zwitterionic ring expansion polymerization of tert‐butyl glycidyl ether with B(C6F5)3 towards the generation of cyclic chains

AbstractThe synthesis of cyclic polymers via zwitterionic ring expansion polymerization is limited to a few number of monomer and catalyst pairs. Herein we report the synthesis of cyclic poly(tert‐butyl glycidyl ether) through the polymerization of tert‐butyl glycidyl ether (tBGE) with B(C6F5)3 in different reaction conditions that include different solvents, monomer to initiator ratio, monomer concentration and temperature. We found that bimodal molecular weight distribution is formed in almost all reaction conditions caused by cyclization of short chains. Subsequent chain elongation leads to the formation of cycles of higher molecular weight, particularly in cyclohexane and under bulk conditions. The formation of non‐cyclic byproducts is common in all the systems investigated. Low molecular weight cyclic chains (Mn = 0.7 kDa, Ð = 1.1) of high topological purity were successfully isolated by preparative gel permeation chromatography. By using a click scavenging protocol, the non‐cyclic byproducts were eliminated from the high molecular weight fraction (Mn = 3 kDa, Ð = 1.3) generating pure cyclic chains. Mechanistic investigation using density functional theory calculations was performed on the formation of zwitterionic intermediates and the transfer reaction to the monomer, which notably affects chain growth by the attack of the glycidyl oxygen of the monomer on the growing chain.

Danggui Shaoyao San protects cyclophosphamide-induced premature ovarian failure by inhibiting apoptosis and oxidative stress through the regulation of the SIRT1/p53 signaling pathway

Ethnopharmacological relevanceIt has been reported that apoptosis and oxidative stress are related to cyclophosphamide (CYC)-induced premature ovarian failure (POF). Therefore, anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidative stress treatments exhibit therapeutic efficacy in CYC-induced POF. Danggui Shaoyao San (DSS), which has been extensively used to treat gynecologic diseases, is found to inhibit apoptosis and reduce oxidative stress. However, the roles of DSS in regulating apoptosis and oxidative stress during CYC-induced POF, and its associated mechanisms are still unknown. Aim of the studyThis work aimed to investigate the roles and mechanisms of DSS in inhibiting apoptosis and oxidative stress in CYC-induced POF. Materials and methodsCYC (75 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected in mice to construct the POF mouse model for in vivo study. Thereafter, alterations of body weight, ovary morphology and estrous cycle were monitored to assess the ovarian protective properties of DSS. Serum LH and E2 levels were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was employed for examining ovarian pathological morphology and quantifying follicles in various stages. Meanwhile, TUNEL staining and apoptosis-related proteins were adopted for evaluating apoptosis. Oxidative stress was measured by the levels of ROS, MDA, and 4-HNE. Western blot (WB) assay was performed to detect proteins related to the SIRT1/p53 pathway. KGN cells were used for in vitro experiment. TBHP stimulation was carried out for establishing the oxidative stress-induced apoptosis cell model. Furthermore, MTT assay was employed for evaluating the protection of DSS from TBHP-induced oxidative stress. The anti-apoptotic ability of DSS was evaluated by hoechst/PI staining, JC-1 staining, and apoptosis-related proteins. Additionally, the anti-oxidative stress ability of DSS was measured by detecting the levels of ROS, MDA, and 4-HNE. Proteins related to SIRT1/p53 signaling pathway were also measured using WB and immunofluorescence (IF) staining. Besides, SIRT1 expression was suppressed by EX527 to further investigate the role of SIRT1 in the effects of DSS against apoptosis and oxidative stress. ResultsIn the in vivo experiment, DSS dose-dependently exerted its anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidative stress, and ovarian protective effects. In addition, apoptosis, apoptosis-related protein and oxidative stress levels were inhibited by DSS treatment. DSS treatment up-regulated SIRT1 and down-regulated p53 expression. From in vitro experiment, it was found that DSS treatment protected KGN cells from TBHP-induced oxidative stress injury. Besides, DSS administration suppressed the apoptosis ratio, apoptosis-related protein levels, mitochondrial membrane potential damage, and oxidative stress. SIRT1 suppression by EX527 abolished the anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidative stress, and ovarian protective effects, as discovered from in vivo and in vitro experiments. ConclusionsDSS exerts the anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidative stress, and ovarian protective effects in POF mice, and suppresses the apoptosis and oxidative stress of KGN cells through activating SIRT1 and suppressing p53 pathway.

Changes of FGF23 and hearing in chronic renal failure and their correlation analysis

BackgroundTo explore the association between fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and hearing in chronic renal failure (CRF). MethodsPure tone audiometry was used to detect the hearing of patients with CRF; the level of serum FGF23, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and mean binaural hearing threshold were compared to the control group (people without kidney disease). The rat model of renal failure was established by 5/6 nephrectomy, and the auditory brainstem response (ABR) of rats after modeling was detected by the Tucker Davis Technologies (TDT) system; the expression level of FGF23 in the peripheral blood, renal and cochlear tissue was also detected. ResultsThe incidence of hearing loss (HL) and serum FGF23 were higher in CRF patients than the control group; the sFGF23 was positively correlated with the mean binaural hearing threshold. Animal studies showed that the ABR threshold, creatinine, FGF23, BUN, and PTH increased after modeling; although, an increase in FGF23 was observed earlier than other indicators. The HL of rats with renal failure was significantly correlated with BUN, phosphate, PTH, sFGF23, kFGF23/β-actin, eFGF23/β-actin, weight, and modeling cycle. ConclusionsBoth CRF patients and rat models showed high-frequency HL. FGF23 was highly expressed in the serum of HL renal failure patients and rats, as well as in the renal tissue and cochlea of renal failure rats. Therefore, FGF23 may be involved in the occurrence and development of HL caused by CRF.

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and its impact on body weight and menstrual cycle in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Objectives. Our study evaluated the adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) from Suceava, Romania, and the effects of this diet on their body weight and regulation of the menstrual cycle, respectively. Methodology. Data collection for the cross-sectional study was performed using the PREDIMED questionnaire, which provided information about the adherence to the Mediterranean diet of 30 women (mean age=37 years old; SD±7.7) diagnosed with PCOS, from Suceava County, Romania, monitored between December 2020 and April 2021. Results. PREDIMED scores in 30 PCOS patients showed 43.3% of patients with low (≤5) and 56.7% with moderate (6-9) adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Higher MD adherence correlated with a lower BMI (r=-0.4; p=0.0255; 95% CI; -0.6 to 0.05) and lower mean body weight (62 kg versus 69 kg). No significant differences were found regarding age, residence, alcohol/smoking habits, or menstrual regulation based on MD adherence. Risky behaviors didn’t impact menstrual cycle, except for olive oil consumption. The preference for using oil in the diet and, especially, the daily intake of at least four tablespoons correlated negatively with cycle regulation (r=-0.38; p=0.0325; 95% CI; -0.73 to -0.03; and r=-0.56; p=0.0013; 95% CI; -0.76 to -0.25, respectively). Conclusions. Our results showed that the Mediterranean diet is beneficial in terms of body weight management in women with PCOS, but not in regulating menstruation.

Untangling the relationship between BMI and academic achievement in the elementary years.

Although the negative relationship between BMI and academic achievement (AA) is well documented, no prior studies have investigated the potential bi-directional relationship between BMI and AA in childhood. We investigated the longitudinal relationships between child BMI and AA across different school subjects (reading, math and science) and sexes. To do so, we employed the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study kindergarten cohort (2011), which is a nationally representative sample of American children who entered kindergarten in 2010-2011. We utilised the kindergarten-fifth grade longitudinal sample (n 17480) and applied cross-lagged panel models with fixed effects to address unobserved heterogeneity. Our results showed significant but small reciprocal relationships between BMI and math/science achievement for girls (n 8540) (year-to-year effect sizes ranged from -0·01 to -0·04), but not for reading. In contrast, we did not find any evidence of reciprocal relationships between BMI and AA for boys (n 8940). Our results reveal that early weight status and academic performance may be jointly responsible for a vicious cycle of poor AA and unhealthy weight. Breaking the cycle from AA may complement existing obesity prevention strategies, particularly for girls in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics field.

Unmasking the Hidden Fetus: Introducing the Circled Delta Sign and Reversed Circled Delta Sign for Accurate Identification on Abdominal Radiography.

BACKGROUND Ionizing radiation poses potential health risk to fetuses, including growth retardation, organ malformations, neurological effects, fetal death, and cancer. Therefore, pregnant women rarely undergo X-ray imaging, unless absolutely necessary. However, they can be inadvertently exposed to X-rays while undergoing an examination without being aware of their pregnancy. Given that the likelihood of a fetus appearing on an abdominal radiograph is low, physicians can be unfamiliar with the appearance of a fetus on such images. If a fetus incidentally appears on an abdominal radiograph, the clinician can encounter difficulties in identifying the fetus, potentially leading to unexpected harm during subsequent imaging procedures. CASE REPORT A 41-year-old woman presented with symptoms of postprandial abdominal pain, abdominal fullness, and urinary frequency. Abdominal radiography revealed a large mass with calcifications in the pelvis and lower abdomen, raising suspicion of a large pelvic tumor, such as a teratoma. However, subsequent ultrasound unexpectedly revealed that the woman was actually 6 months pregnant. The presumed tumor was an enlarged uterus, and the presumed calcifications were the fetus's bones. Before X-ray, the woman had denied being pregnant, mistakenly attributing her condition to excess weight and irregular menstrual cycles. Fortunately, the use of ultrasound instead of computed tomography prevented radiation exposure to the fetus, and the baby was delivered in a healthy state at full term. CONCLUSIONS To avoid unintended harm to fetuses, clinicians should consider the possibility of pregnancy when evaluating a pelvic mass in women of childbearing age. To aid clinicians in accurately identifying fetuses on abdominal radiography and thereby reduce the likelihood of misdiagnosis, we propose the "circled delta sign" and the "reversed circled delta sign".

Factors That Influence the Growth and Development Disorder for Children aged 1 - 5 years in the Liquica Internal Health Centre, Liquica Municipality, Timor-Leste, 2022

Growth and development of children at the aged 1-5 is an action that requires maximum attention. Because at the age 1-5 it refers to a faster and most critical phase of child development, usually known as the golden money phase. This phase is esensial, because form the privasity and characteristic beginning from this, WHO (2014). rowth and development disputes are a serious problem for both developed and advance countries around the world, and growth is assessed by body weight, height, and head cycle, development is assessed by motor, social, emotional, speech and cognitive capacity. According to the World Health Organization (2020) it was discovered that 149 million children suffered stunting, 45 million children were weaker/seriously wasted and over 38 million obesity/weighted. On the other hand, the WHO also stated that child mortality in the age of &lt; 5 increased by 45% due to lack of nutrition. According to data by the Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste, (2018) children aged 1-5 years of age suffering from malnutrition were 1.521, men 734 and women 787. In this research, quantitative discretive aproach cross sectional Type of saturate sampling has a total of 29 people. Data collection techniques are used by a questionary with questions closed. To know the factors that influence the growth and development disturbances of children aged 1-5 years old at the Liquica Internal Health Centre, Liquica Municipality. Based on the results of 29 respondents, the majority of child nutrition factors were 15 people (51.7%), the majority of child stimulations were 14 people (48.3%) and the majority of child growth and development disabilities were 15 people (51.7%). Statistics test using Spearman Rank Corelation nutrition for children with growth and development disabilities with the value of P-Value = 0.001 with the value of r = 0.573 * * and the correlation test of the factors of stimulation and growth and development disabilities with the value of P-Value = 0.003 with the value of r = 0.527*, resulting in evidence that the correlation is sufficiently strong.&#x0D;

Moringa oleifera leaf supplementation relieves oxidative stress and regulates intestinal flora to ameliorate polycystic ovary syndrome in letrozole-induced rats.

This study investigated the effects of supplementation Moringa oleifera leaf (MOL) on relieving oxidative stress, anti-inflammation, changed the relative abundance of multiple intestinal flora and blood biochemical indices during letrozole-induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Previous studies have shown that MOL has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, insulin-sensitizing effects. However, whether MOL has beneficial effects on PCOS remains to be elucidated. In the current study, 10-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats received letrozole to induce PCOS-like rats, and subsequently were treated with a MOL diet. Then, the body weight and estrus cycles were measured regularly in this period. Finally, the ovarian morphology, blood biochemical indices, anti-oxidative, intestinal flora, and anti-inflammation were observed at the end of the experiment. We found that MOL supplementation markedly decreased the body weight, significantly upregulated the expression of Sirt1, FoxO1, PGC-1α, IGF1, and substantially modulated the sex hormone level and improved insulin resistance, which may be associated with the relieves oxidative stress. Moreover, the supplementation of MOL changed the relative abundance of multiple intestinal flora, the relative abundance of Fusobacterium, Prevotella were decreased, and Blautia and Parabacteroides were increased. These results indicate that MOL is potentially a supplementary medication for the management of PCOS.

Herbal Remedies for Mitigating Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Brief Review

Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common gynecological, endocrine, and metabolic disorder of unknown etiology. It is a complex endocrine illness that is marked by reduced development of follicles, hyperandrogenemia, insulin resistivity, infertility, increased luteinizing hormone, obesity, and augmented cystic ovaries. Objective: This review aimed to assess the efficacy of herbal and bioactive components of medicinal plants for mitigating PCOS. Materials and Methods: To conduct this review, keywords like “herbal treatment”, “ayurvedic treatment”, “bioactive components of medicinal plants”, “polycystic ovary syndrome”, and “PCOS” were used to search for various articles in search engines such as Google Scholar, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, Elsevier from 1992 to 2023. Results: More than 28 relevant studies were found and were briefly described in this review. According to the evidence, medicinal plant extracts containing phytoestrogens and these herbal treatments in animal models of PCOS were used to decrease hyperandrogenism, restoration of abnormalities in serum sex steroid profile, ratio of LH: FSH, steroidogenic enzymes, cardiovascular parameters, insulin resistance, ovary weight, lipid profile, and estrous cycles. Conclusion: The results of this review revealed the variability and efficacy of phytoestrogen activity and herbal treatments associated with PCOS disorder which can be partly effective. These findings may represent an opportunity to investigate and discover new bioactive components of medicinal plants which may help future studies on the etiology, pathophysiology and treatment of PCOS disorder.

Heavy and light paths and Hamilton cycles

Given a graph G, we denote by f(G,u0,k) the number of paths of length k in G starting from u0. In graphs of maximum degree 3, with edge weights i.i.d. with exp(1), we provide a simple proof showing that (under the assumption that f(G,u0,k)=ω(1)) the expected weight of the heaviest path of length k in G starting from u0 is at least(1−o(1))(k+log2⁡(f(G,u0,k))2), and the expected weight of the lightest path of length k in G starting from u0 is at most(1+o(1))(k−log2⁡(f(G,u0,k))2).We demonstrate the immediate implication of this result for Hamilton paths and Hamilton cycles in random cubic graphs, where we show that typically there exist paths and cycles of such weight as well. Finally, we discuss the connection of this result to the question of a longest cycle in the giant component of supercritical G(n,p).

Development and evaluation of novel krill oil-based clomiphene microemulsion as a therapeutic strategy for PCOS treatment.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is frequently diagnosed hormonal disorder with reproductive and metabolic complications. The most common symptoms include cyst in ovaries, anovulation, insulin resistance, and obesity. Clomiphene citrate, an ovulating agent, is the first-line drug used to treat PCOS. We hypothesized that clomiphene citrate, by stimulating ovarian function, with krill oil used as an oil phase to improve solubility, by addressing PCOS-associated symptoms might be effective in PCOS. Hence, our goal was to target hormonal imbalance along with PCOS-associated symptoms using a single formulation. The concentration of water (X1), oil (X2), and Smix (surfactant-cosurfactant mixture) (X3) were selected as independent variables, in a simplex lattice design, from microemulsion area derived from a pseuodoternary phase diagram while the globule size (Y1) was selected as a dependent parameter. The optimized microemulsion showed good sphericity having 41nm globule size, 0.32 poly dispersibility index and + 31mV zeta potential. The optimized microemulsion was further evaluated in-vivo using letrozole-induced PCOS rats. Formulation treated group reversed the effect of letrozole on body weight and estrus cycle in comparison to the disease control group (p < 0.001). The formulation was also effective in reducing insulin resistance, cholesterol and serum testosterone level (p < 0.001). The in vivo results were supported by histopathological studies where the formulation-treated group showed a marked decrease in the number of cystic follicles and a remarkable increase in the number of growing follicles at variable stages, similar to the normal control group. Thus, the results confirmed that novel krill oil-based clomiphene microemulsion may become a promising therapeutic choice for the treatment of PCOS.

Release of aroma components from agarose gels during human chewing: Effects of agarose molecular weight and chewing cycles

Experiments were conducted using a method of collecting aroma compounds in the mouth through one nostril. Three types of agarose gels with different molecular weights and nine types of aroma compounds were used as samples. After the agarose gel was chewed 0–30 times while holding breath, aroma compounds were collected by blowing intraoral air into the sampling bag through the nostril. The effects of the number of chewing cycles and the type of agarose gel on the release rate of aroma compounds were investigated using relative release values, Qc/Q0 (where Qc is the amount of aroma compounds collected after chewing and Q0 is the amount collected without chewing). The relative release value increased with increasing number of chewing cycles, and the degree of increase in the relative value depended on the molecular weight of agarose. The relative release values for low chewing cycles were similar for all types of gels. At higher chewing cycles, the relative release value increased in gels with lower network densities than in other types of gels. It was suggested that the molecular weight of agarose and the number of chewing cycles changed the mechanism of flavor release.