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Spin polarization in chiral molecules is a magnetic molecular response associated with electron transport and enantioselective bond polarization that occurs even in the absence of an external magnetic field. An unexpected finding by Santos and co-workers reported enantiospecific NMR responses in solid-state cross-polarization (CP) experiments, suggesting a possible additional contribution to the indirect nuclear spin-spin coupling in chiral molecules induced by bond polarization in the presence of spin-orbit coupling. Herein we provide a theoretical treatment for this phenomenon, presenting an effective spin-Hamiltonian for helical molecules like DNA and density functional theory (DFT) results on amino acids that confirm the dependence of J-couplings on the choice of enantiomer. The connection between nuclear spin dynamics and chirality could offer insights for molecular sensing and quantum information sciences. These results establish NMR as a potential tool for chiral discrimination without external agents.The authors present a theoretical treatment demonstrating that NMR experiments on chiral molecules can reveal enantioselective nuclear J-couplings due to bond polarization and spin-orbit interaction. This also aids in understanding chirality-induced phenomena more generally and their applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gadolinium (Gd) metal is of great interest in applications such as contrast-enhanced MRI and magnetic cooling. However, it is generally difficult to produce oxide-free and highly magnetic Gd nanoparticles due to the aggressively reactive nature of Gd with oxygen. Herein, we utilized a nanofabrication route and optimization of experimental conditions to produce highly magnetic airstable oxide-free Gd nanoparticles. The nanobowls displayed the highest saturation magnetization to date for Gd, reaching 226.4 emu/g at 2K. The crystalline composition of Gd is found to affect the observed magnetization values: the higher magnetization is observed for nanoparticles that have a lower content of the paramagnetic face-centered cubic (fcc) phase and a greater content of the ferromagnetic hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase. The relative fcc content was found to depend on the deposition rate of the Gd metal during the nanofabrication process, thereby correlating with altered magnetization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have linked maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and hyperglycaemia with metabolic and neurodevelopmental complications in childhood. DNA methylation (DNAm) might enable foetal adaptations to environmental adversities through important gene loci. NEGR1 is involved in both energy balance and behaviour regulation. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between placental DNAm at the NEGR1 gene locus and childhood anthropometric and neurodevelopmental profiles in preschoolers. We analysed 276 mother-child dyads from Gen3G, a prospective birth cohort from Sherbrooke. At 3yo (40.4 ± 3.0 months), we measured body mass index (BMI) and the mothers reported on offspring neurobehavior using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). We quantified DNAm levels at 30 CpGs at the NEGR1 locus using the MethylationEPIC Array in placental biopsies. DNAm at four CpGs located before NEGR1 second exon predicted child's BMI z-score (cg26153364: β=−0.16 ± 0.04; p=0.008, cg23166710: β=0.14 ± 0.08; p=0.03) and SDQ total score (cg04932878: β=0.22 ± 1.0; p= 3.0x10−4, cg16525738: β=−0.14 ± 0.18; p=0.01, cg23166710: β=−0.13 ± 0.36; p= 0.04), explaining 4.2% (p=0.003) and 7.3% (p= 1.3 x 10−4) of BMI-z and SDQ variances. cg23166710 was associated with both childhood phenotypes and correlated with NEGR1 placental expression (r=−0.22, p=0.04), suggesting its possible functional role. Together, maternal metabolic characteristics during pregnancy with NEGR1 DNAm levels explained 7.4% (p=4.2 x 10−4) of BMI-z and 14.2% (p=2.8 x 10−7) of SDQ variance at 3yo. This longitudinal study suggests that placental NEGR1 DNAm is associated with adiposity and neurodevelopment in preschool children and highlights its potential role in their comorbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe several numerical methods developed to analyze the behavior of spin polarized liquids in the presence of long-range magnetic dipolar interactions and external field gradients. Two of the methods use a discrete lattice of spins. In the first we calculate the magnetic field from the lattice of spins directly, either in the rotating frame, or in the lab frame. In the second method we include the dipolar fields from linear magnetization gradients analytically and calculate the dipolar fields from higher order gradients in Fourier space, where they are a local function of the magnetization. In the third method the magnetization is expanded in a Taylor series and the dipolar fields are calculated analytically for each term. The results of these calculations are compared to experimental data, in which we use two superconducting quantum interference device magnetometers adjacent to a spherical sample of hyperpolarized liquid 129Xe to detect the evolution of magnetization gradients. In particular, we observe an increase by a factor of 100 of the spin dephasing time in a longitudinal magnetic field gradient due to dipolar interactions of the spins. While each of the numerical techniques has certain limitations, they are generally in agreement with each other and with experimental data. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

para-Hydrogen induced polarization is a technique of magnetic resonance hyperpolarization utilizing hydrogen's para-spin state for generating signal intensities at magnitudes far greater than state-of-the-art magnets. Platinum nanoparticle-catalysts with cysteine-capping are presented. The measured polarization is the highest reported to date in water, paving pathways for generating medical imaging contrast agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The requirement for large bulk resistivity in topological insulators has led to the design of complex ternary and quaternary phases with balanced donor and acceptor levels. A common feature of the optimized phases is that they lie close to the p- to n-transition. The tetradymite Bi2Te3-xSex system exhibits minimum bulk conductance at the ordered composition Bi2Te2Se. By combining local and integral measurements of the density of states, we find that the point of minimum electrical conductivity at x = 1.0 where carriers change from hole-like to electron-like is characterized by conductivity of the mixed type. Our experimental findings, which are interpreted within the framework of a two-band model for the different carrier types, indicate that the mixed state originates from different types of native defects that strongly compensate at the crossover point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Placental lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is crucial for placental lipid transfer. Impaired LPL gene expression and activity were reported in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and intra-uterine growth restriction. We hypothesized that placental LPL DNA methylation is altered by maternal metabolic status and could contribute to fetal programming. The objective of this study was thus to assess whether placental LPL DNA methylation is associated with GDM and both maternal and newborn lipid profiles. Placenta biopsies were sampled at delivery from 126 women including 27 women with GDM diagnosed following a post 75 g-oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) between weeks 24 and 28 of gestation. Placental LPL DNA methylation and expression levels were determined using bisulfite pyrosequencing and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. DNA methylation levels within LPL proximal promoter region (CpG1) and intron 1 CpG island (CpGs 2 and 3) were lower in placenta of women with GDM. DNA methylation levels at LPL-CpG1 and CpG3 were also negatively correlated with maternal glucose (2-h post OGTT; r=–0.22; P=0.02) and HDL-cholesterol levels (third trimester of pregnancy; r=–0.20; p=0.03), respectively. Moreover, we report correlation between LPL-CpG2 DNA methylation and cord blood lipid profile. DNA methylation levels within intron 1 CpG island explained up to 26% (r⩽–0.51; P<0.001) of placental LPL mRNA expression variance. Overall, we showed that maternal metabolic profile is associated with placental LPL DNA methylation dysregulation. Our results suggest that site-specific LPL epipolymorphisms in the placenta are possibly functional and could potentially be involved in determining the future metabolic health of the newborn. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

TheDUSP1 gene encodes a member of the dual-specificity phosphatase family previously identified as being differentially expressed in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) of severely obesemen with versus without the metabolic syndrome. Objective. To test the association betweenDUSP1 polymorphisms, obesity-relatedmetabolic complications, gene methylation, and expression levels inVAT. Methods. The DUSP1 locus and promoter region were sequenced in 25 individuals. SNPs were tested for association with obesity-related complications in a cohort of more than 1900 severely obese individuals. The impact of SNPs on methylation levels of 36 CpG sites and correlations between DNA methylation and gene expression levels in VAT were computed in a subset of 14 samples. Results. Heterozygotes for rs881150 had lowerHDL-cholesterol levels (HDL-C; P= 0.01), and homozygotes for theminor allele of rs13184134 and rs7702178 had increased fasting glucose levels (P= 0.04 and 0.01, resp.). rs881150 was associated with methylation levels of CpG sites located ~1250 bp upstream the transcription start site. Methylation levels of 4 CpG sites were inversely correlated with DUSP1 gene expression. Conclusion. These results suggest that DUSP1 polymorphismsmodulate plasma glucose andHDL-C levels in obese patients possibly through alterations of DNA methylation and gene expression levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear stress is an important physical factor that regulates proliferation, migration, and morphogenesis. In particular, the homeostasis of blood vessels is dependent on shear stress. To mimic this process ex vivo, efforts have been made to seed scaffolds with vascular and other cell types in the presence of growth factors and under pulsatile flow conditions. However, the resulting bioreactors lack information on shear stress and flow distributions within the scaffold. Consequently, it is difficult to interpret the effects of shear stress on cell function. Such knowledge would enable researchers to improve upon cell culture protocols. Recent work has focused on optimizing the microstructural parameters of the scaffold to fine tune the shear stress. In this study, we have adopted a different approach whereby flows are redirected throughout the bioreactor along channels patterned in the porous scaffold to yield shear stress distributions that are optimized for uniformity centered on a target value. A topology optimization algorithm coupled to computational fluid dynamics simulations was devised to this end. The channel topology in the porous scaffold was varied using a combination of genetic algorithm and fuzzy logic. The method is validated by experiments using magnetic resonance imaging readouts of the flow field. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109:1844-1854. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence suggests that epigenetic profile changes occurring during fetal development in response to in utero environment variations could be one of the mechanisms involved in the early determinants of adult chronic diseases. In this study, we tested whether maternal glycemic status is associated with the adiponectin gene (ADIPOQ) DNA methylation profile in placenta tissue, in maternal circulating blood cells, and in cord blood cells. We found that lower DNA methylation levels in the promoter of ADIPOQ on the fetal side of the placenta were correlated with higher maternal glucose levels during the second trimester of pregnancy (2-h glucose after the oral glucose tolerance test; r(s) ≤ -0.21, P < 0.05). Lower DNA methylation levels on the maternal side of the placenta were associated with higher insulin resistance index (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance) during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy (r(s) ≤ -0.27, P < 0.05). Finally, lower DNA methylation levels were associated with higher maternal circulating adiponectin levels throughout pregnancy (r(s) ≤ -0.26, P < 0.05). In conclusion, the ADIPOQ DNA methylation profile was associated with maternal glucose status and with maternal circulating adiponectin concentration. Because adiponectin is suspected to have insulin-sensitizing proprieties, these epigenetic adaptations have the potential to induce sustained glucose metabolism changes in the mother and offspring later in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A previous expression profiling of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) revealed that the immune response gene interferon-gamma-inducible protein 30 ( IFI30) gene was 1.72-fold more highly expressed in non-diabetic severely obese men with the metabolic syndrome as compared to those without. Given the importance of low-grade inflammation in obesity-related metabolic complications, we hypothesized that variants in the IFI30 gene are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. A detailed genetic investigation was performed at the IFI30 locus by sequencing its promoter, exons and intron-exon junction boundaries using DNA of 25 severely obese men. Among the 21 sequence-derived single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 5 tagged SNPs (covering 100% of the common SNPs identified) were genotyped in two independent samples of severely obese patients (total n = 1,283). Using a multistage experimental design, chi-square analyses and logistic regressions were performed to compare genotype frequencies and compute odds-ratios (OR) for low and high CVD risk groups (dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia/diabetes and hypertension). A significant association was observed with the non-synonymous SNP rs11554159 (p.R76Q), where GA individuals showed lower risk (OR = 0.67; P = 0.0009) for hyperglycemia/diabetes as compared to homozygotes for the major allele (GG). No association was observed between rs11554159 and VAT IFI30 mRNA levels ( P = 0.81), and the expression levels were not correlated with fasting plasma glucose levels ( P = 0.31) in 112 non-diabetic severely obese women. The localization of rs11554159 near the active site of IFI30 suggests a functional effect of this SNP. This study showed a novel association between rs11554159 (p.R76Q) polymorphism at the IFI30 locus and the risk of hyperglycemia/diabetes in severely obese individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing literature indicates peer support is beneficial for people with mental illnesses and plays an important role in recovery. While many studies in the mental health field have focused on formalized peer support within the community, none have explored the experience of peer support among hospitalized patients. The purpose of the current study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of naturally occurring peer support among adult mental health inpatients. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten inpatients across four mental health units, two acute and two long-term. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a qualitative descriptive design. The data show that peer support among inpatients is extensive and beneficial, and occurs independently of staff involvement. The findings illustrate that peer support is a thoughtful process that involves observing, reflecting, taking action, and evaluating outcomes. Supportive actions include helping with activities of daily living, sharing material goods, providing information and advice, sharing a social life, and offering emotional support. This leads to various positive outcomes for providers and recipients of peer support, such as improved mental health outcomes and quality of life. Attempts to provide supportive interactions occur within a particular context, which can hinder or facilitate peer support. The new insights from this study could provide health professionals with an increased recognition of peer support and an appreciation for the unique role patients play in their own and in their peers’ recovery. These findings have important implications for establishing collaborative working partnerships with mental health inpatients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have recently characterized the transcriptome of the omental adipose tissue of non-diabetic, obese men with and without the metabolic syndrome (MS). The cysteine-rich protein 61 ( CYR61) is one of the most differentially expressed genes between the groups and has been selected for a detailed molecular investigation. Direct sequencing of complete CYR61 gene revealed five polymorphisms with minor allele frequency >5% in the promoter region (rs3753794, rs3753793 and rs2297140), intron 1 (rs2297141) and intron 2 (IVS2+50). Chi-square test and logistic regression were applied to test for association between CYR61 polymorphisms and the individual MS components in a cohort of 697 obese individuals. In men and women, rs3753794 and rs3753793 (r2 = 0.77) were associated plasma HDL-cholesterol levels (p = 0.016 and p = 0.008). Carriers of the A allele for rs3753794 were more likely to have high plasma HDL-cholesterol levels (1.50-fold; p = 0.016), as compared with G/G homozygotes and the A/A homozygotes for rs3753793 were more likely to exhibit low plasma HDL-cholesterol levels (1.56-fold; p = 0.008), as compared with C/C homozygotes. Furthermore, an association between IVS2+50 polymorphism and HDL-cholesterol was found in women and in men analyzed separately (p = 0.002 and p = 0.038, respectively). These results suggest that CYR61 is a promising candidate gene for lipoprotein/lipid perturbations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Several candidate genes have been associated with obesity, but very few studies have tested more than one gene simultaneously.Methods:In this study, 15 polymorphisms in 10 candidate genes of obesity were tested for association with changes in adiposity measured over a period of 6–10 years in a maximum of 332 adult subjects with a wide range of adiposity (17.52) from the Québec Family Study. Stepwise regression models were used to identify the combination of genes explaining changes in adiposity after adjustment for age (initial value), gender, initial value of the adiposity variable and duration of follow-up. Analyses were carried out in the whole sample and repeated while stratifying on age (<40 and 40 years).Results:In the whole sample, the variance in age-related adiposity changes explained by the candidate gene polymorphisms ranged from 3.1% (BMI, P<0.05) to 8.5% (fat mass (FM), P0.0005). The genes retained in the prediction model for changes in FM were leptin (P0.05), guanine nucleotide binding protein β3 (P0.05), adrenergic receptor β3 (P0.05), neuromedin β (P0.05) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ2 (P0.10). The effects of the genes were significant in both age groups, but the genes contributing to adiposity changes were different and their effects were stronger in the younger than in the older age group.Conclusion:This study suggests that models including genetic information from several candidate gene polymorphisms can significantly contribute to the changes in adiposity over time, that different genes may act at different ages and that genetic information could be useful for the identification of individuals at high risk for gaining body fat over time.International Journal of Obesity (2007) 31, 891–899; doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803542; published online 13 February 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors are under the influence of environmental and genetic factors. Human upstream transcription factor 1 gene (USF1) encodes for a transcription factor, which modulates the expression of genes involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolic pathways. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that USF1 gene variants are associated with CVD risk factors in the Quebec Family Study (QFS). USF1 has been sequenced in 20 QFS subjects with high plasma apolipoprotein B100 (APOB) levels (>1.14 g/l) and small, dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles (≥250.7 Å and ≤255.9 Å), as well as in five subjects with larger LDL particles. Ten variants were identified in non-coding regions of USF1. Two of these polymorphisms (intron 7 c.561–100 G>A, and exon 11 c.*187 C>T) as well as the c.-56 A>G polymorphism, were genotyped and analyzed in 760 subjects from QFS. Association studies showed that women with c.561-100 A/A and c.*187 T/T genotypes had more favorable adiposity indices (<0.04). In summary, significant associations between relatively common USF1 genetic variants and CVD risk factors were observed in French Canadians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shimming systems are required to provide sufficient field homogeneity for high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In certain specialized applications, such as rotating-field NMR and mobile ex situ NMR, permanent magnet-based shimming systems can provide considerable advantages. We present a simple two-dimensional shimming method based on harmonic corrector rings which can provide arbitrary multipole order shimming corrections. Results demonstrate, for example, that quadrupolar order shimming improves the linewidth by up to an order of magnitude. An additional order of magnitude reduction is in principle achievable by utilizing this shimming method for z-gradient correction and higher order xy gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in the control of bleeding from ectopic varices. Methods: From 1995 to 2004, 24 cirrhotic patients, bleeding from ectopic varices, mean age 54.5 years (range 15–76 years), were treated by TIPS. The etiology of cirrhosis was alcoholic in 13 patients and nonalcoholic in 11 patients. The location of the varices was duodenal (n = 5), stomal (n = 8 ), ileocolic (n = 6), anorectal (n = 3), umbilical (n = 1), and peritoneal (n = 1). Results: TIPS controlled the bleeding in all patients and induced a decrease in the portacaval gradient from 19.7 ± 5.4 to 6.4 ± 3.1 mmHg. Postoperative complications included self-limited intra-abdominal bleeding (n = 2), self-limited hemobilia (n = 1), acute thrombosis of the shunt (n = 1), and bile leak treated by a covered stent (n = 1). Median follow-up was 592 days (range 28–2482 days). Rebleeding occurred in 6 patients. In 2 cases rebleeding was observed despite a post-TIPS portacaval gradient lower than 12 mmHg and was controlled by variceal embolization; 1 patient underwent surgical portacaval shunt and never rebled; in 3 patients rebleeding was related to TIPS stenosis and treated with shunt dilatation with addition of a new stent. The cumulative rate of rebleeding was 23% and 31% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. One- and 2-year survival rates were 80% and 76%, respectively. Conclusion: The present series demonstrates that bleeding from ectopic varices, a challenging clinical problem, can be managed safely by TIPS placement with low rebleeding and good survival rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND:The phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) may play a role in body fat regulation.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the association between PLTP genetic variants and obesity-related phenotypes.METHODS:Two intronic variants, one in intron 1 (c.−87G>A) and the other in intron 12 (c.1175+68T>G), were genotyped in 811 participants of the Québec Family Study. Nine obesity-related phenotypes were investigated, including body mass index (BMI), obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m2), and waist circumference, percentage of fat, fat mass and fat-free mass measured by hydrostatic weighing as well as total, visceral and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue areas assessed by computed tomography. Single markers and haplotypes were tested for associations in family-based designs using the FBAT program.RESULTS:The SNP located in intron 1 showed significant associations with obesity, BMI, waist circumference and fat-free mass (P<0.05). The low-frequency allele (A allele) was associated with higher trait values, suggesting that the transmission of this allele is associated with an increased risk of being obese. Significant associations were observed between haplotypes and obesity, waist circumference, percentage of fat and fat-free mass (P<0.05). The transmission of the AT haplotype (frequency=0.180) was positively associated with obesity-related phenotypes. After sequencing the promoter and the coding regions of the PLTP gene, we were unable to identify a mutation that could replicate these results.CONCLUSION:Intronic variants of the PLTP gene are significantly associated with obesity-related phenotypes. Considering the number and the relevance of candidate genes surrounding the PLTP locus and the absence of missense polymorphisms in the coding region, the associations could be mediated by a second gene allele in linkage disequilibrium with the marker locus.International Journal of Obesity (2005) 29, 1338–1345. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803010; published online 7 June 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Obesity is frequently associated with eating disorders, and evidence indicates that both conditions are influenced by genetic factors. However, little is known about the genes influencing eating behaviors. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to identify genes associated with eating behaviors. DESIGN: Three eating behaviors were assessed in 660 adults from the Quebec Family Study with the use of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. A genome-wide scan was conducted with a total of 471 genetic markers spanning the 22 autosomes to identify quantitative trait loci for eating behaviors. Body composition and macronutrient and energy intakes were also measured. RESULTS: Four quantitative trait loci were identified for disinhibition and susceptibility to hunger. Of these, the best evidence of linkage was found between a locus on chromosome 15q24-q25 and disinhibition (P <0.0058) and susceptibility to hunger (P <0.0001). After fine-mapping, the peak linkage was found between markers D15S206 and D15S201 surrounding the neuromedin beta (NMB) gene. A missense mutation (p.P73T) located within the NMB gene showed significant associations with eating behaviors and obesity phenotypes. The T73T homozygotes were 2 times as likely to exhibit high levels of disinhibition (odds ratio: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.07, 2.89; P=0.03) and susceptibility to hunger (odds ratio: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.15, 3.06; P=0.01) as were the P73 allele carriers. Six-year follow-up data showed that the amount of body fat gain over time in T73T subjects was >2 times that than in P73P homozygotes (3.6 compared with 1.5 kg; P <0.05). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that NMB is a very strong candidate gene of eating behaviors and predisposition to obesity. Copyright © 2004 American Society for Clinical Nutrition [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the detection of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) using an anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) sensor. A "remote- detection" arrangement was used in which protons in flowing water were prepolarized in the field of a superconducting NMR magnet, adiabatically inverted, and subsequently detected with an AMR sensor situated downstream from the magnet and the adiabatic inverter. AMR sensing is well suited for NMR detection in microfluidic "lab-on-a-chip" applications because the sensors are small, typically on the order of 10 ~m. An estimate of the sensitivity for an optimized system indicates that ≈6 × 1013 protons in a volume of 1,000 µm³, prepolarized in a 10-kG magnetic field, can be detected with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 in a 1-Hz bandwidth. This level of sensitivity is competitive with that demonstrated by microcoils in superconducting magnets and with the projected sensitivity of microfabricated atomic magnetometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proximal portion of the polyoma virus early region as well as the complete viral genome were cloned in pBR322. Recombinant plasmids induced tumors in newborn rats but only after linearization of the DNA by various restriction endonucleases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Thymic stromal lymphopoietin: An immune cytokine gene associated with the metabolic syndrome and blood pressure in severe obesity" that was published in the 2012 issue is presented.

Background: Abdominal visceral adiposity in early pregnancy has been associated with impaired glucose tolerance in later pregnancy. The "hypertriglyceridemic waist" phenotype (i.e., abdominal obesity in combination with hyper-triglyceridemia) is a clinical marker of visceral obesity. Our study aimed to assess the association between the hyper-triglyceridemic-waist phenotype in early pregnancy and glucose intolerance in later pregnancy.Methods: Plasma triglycerides and waist girth were measured at 11-14 weeks of gestation among 144 white pregnant women. Glycemia was measured following a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test performed at 24-28 weeks of gestation.Results: A waist girth greater than 85 cm in combination with a triglyceride level ≥ 1.7 mmol/L in the first trimester was associated with an increased risk of two-hour glucose ≥ 7.8 mmol/L following the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (odds ratio [OR] 6.1, p = 0.002). This risk remained significant even after we controlled for maternal age, fasting glucose at first trimester and previous history of gestational diabetes (OR 4.7, p = 0.02).Interpretation: Measurement of waist girth in combination with measurement of triglyceride concentrations in the first trimester of pregnancy could improve early screening for gestational glucose intolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]