Publications

High resolution displays require simple, reliable methods to pattern electroluminescent materials. Here is reported the fabrication of soft, elastomeric membranes containing holes with diameters ranging from 5 μm (see Fig.) to 50 μm. By use of two membranes, the authors demonstrate multicolor photoluminescent patterns of organic materials with a solvent-free, non-photolithographic method.

Objective: To investigate associations of butter and plant-based oil intakes with risk of total and cause-specific mortality. Participants: 221,054 women and men from the Nurses’ Health Study (1990-2018), Nurses’ Health Study II (1991-2018), and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1990-2018) were included, all of whom were free of cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, or neurodegenerative disease at baseline. Exposure: We assessed dietary intake repeatedly using validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires every 4 years. Primary exposures included total butter (butter added at the table and from baking and frying) and plant-based oil intake (safflower, soybean, corn, canola, and olive oil). Main Outcome: We identified deaths through the National Death Index and other sources. A physician classified the cause of death based on all available records. Total mortality was the primary outcome, and mortality due to cancer and CVD were secondary outcomes. Results: During up to 28 years of follow-up, we documented 41,618 deaths, including 11,380 from cancer and 9,114 from CVD. After adjusting for confounding factors, the highest butter intake was associated with an 18% higher risk of total mortality compared to the lowest intake (HR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.10-1.25; P trend <0.001). Conversely, the highest plant-based oil intake was linked to an 18% lower risk of total mortality (HR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.76-0.89; P trend <0.001). Higher olive, soybean, and canola oil intakes were also significantly associated with lower total mortality (all P trend <0.001). For every 10 g/day increase in plant-based oil intake, cancer mortality risk decreased by 11% (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.85-0.94; P trend <0.001), and CVD mortality risk by 6% (HR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.89-0.99; P trend = 0.03). Higher butter intake was associated with increased cancer mortality (HRper10g/day: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.04-1.20; P trend <0.001), but not with CVD mortality ( P trend =0.61). Replacing 10 g/day of butter with plant-based oils was associated with a 19% reduction in total mortality (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.77-0.85; P trend <0.001) and a 20% reduction in cancer mortality (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.74-0.88; P trend <0.001). Conclusion: A higher intake of butter is associated with higher mortality, while a higher intake of plant-based oil is associated with lower mortality. Substituting butter with plant-based oils may confer substantial benefits for preventing premature deaths.

Elevated serum CA-125 level might be associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease in the Chinese older population. Further investigations are needed to identify the possible biological role of CA-125 in CHD development in the future.

OBJECTIVE We aimed to elucidate whether potato consumption is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We analyzed data in three cohorts consisting of U.S. male and female health professionals without diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer at baseline: 70,773 women from the Nurses’ Health Study (1984–2010), 87,739 women from Nurses’ Health Study II (1991–2011), and 40,669 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986–2010). Potato consumption was assessed quadrennially using validated food frequency questionnaires (FFQs), and we calculated 4-year change in potato consumption from consecutive FFQs. Self-reported T2D diagnosis was confirmed using a validated supplementary questionnaire. RESULTS During 3,988,007 person-years of follow-up, 15,362 new cases of T2D were identified. Higher consumption of total potatoes (including baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes and french fries) was significantly associated with an elevated risk for T2D: the pooled hazard ratio (HR) of T2D compared with <1 serving/week was 1.07 (95% CI 0.97–1.18) for 2–4 servings/week and 1.33 (95% CI 1.17–1.52) for ≥7 servings/week after adjustment for demographic, lifestyle, and dietary factors. In addition, the pooled HRs of T2D for every 3 servings/week were 1.04 (95% CI 1.01–1.08) for baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes, and 1.19 (95% CI 1.13–1.25) for french fries. We further estimated that the HR of T2D was 0.88 (95% CI 0.84–0.91) for replacing 3 servings/week of total potatoes with the same amount of whole grains. Last, in comparison with stable potato consumption, every 3-servings/week increment of potato consumption in 4 years was associated with a 4% (95% CI 0–8%) higher T2D risk. CONCLUSIONS Greater consumption of potatoes, especially french fries, was associated with a higher T2D risk, independent of BMI and other risk factors. Replacement of potatoes with whole grains was associated with a lower T2D risk.

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone precursor that is associated with a range of human traits and diseases. Previous GWAS of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations have identified four genome-wide significant loci (GC, NADSYN1/DHCR7, CYP2R1, CYP24A1). In this study, we expand the previous SUNLIGHT Consortium GWAS discovery sample size from 16,125 to 79,366 (all European descent). This larger GWAS yields two additional loci harboring genome-wide significant variants (P = 4.7×10

Background— In prospective studies, the relationship of self-reported consumption of dairy foods with risk of diabetes mellitus is inconsistent. Few studies have assessed dairy fat, using circulating biomarkers, and incident diabetes mellitus. We tested the hypothesis that circulating fatty acid biomarkers of dairy fat, 15:0, 17:0, and t-16:1n-7, are associated with lower incident diabetes mellitus. Methods and Results— Among 3333 adults aged 30 to 75 years and free of prevalent diabetes mellitus at baseline, total plasma and erythrocyte fatty acids were measured in blood collected in 1989 to 1990 (Nurses’ Health Study) and 1993 to 1994 (Health Professionals Follow-Up Study). Incident diabetes mellitus through 2010 was confirmed by a validated supplementary questionnaire based on symptoms, diagnostic tests, and medications. Risk was assessed by using Cox proportional hazards, with cohort findings combined by meta-analysis. During mean±standard deviation follow-up of 15.2±5.6 years, 277 new cases of diabetes mellitus were diagnosed. In pooled multivariate analyses adjusting for demographics, metabolic risk factors, lifestyle, diet, and other circulating fatty acids, individuals with higher plasma 15:0 had a 44% lower risk of diabetes mellitus (quartiles 4 versus 1, hazard ratio, 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.37–0.86; P -trend=0.01); higher plasma 17:0, 43% lower risk (hazard ratio, 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.39–0.83; P -trend=0.01); and higher t-16:1n-7, 52% lower risk (hazard ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.33–0.70; P -trend <0.001). Findings were similar for erythrocyte 15:0, 17:0, and t-16:1n-7, although with broader confidence intervals that only achieved statistical significance for 17:0. Conclusions— In 2 prospective cohorts, higher plasma dairy fatty acid concentrations were associated with lower incident diabetes mellitus. Results were similar for erythrocyte 17:0. Our findings highlight the need to better understand the potential health effects of dairy fat, and the dietary and metabolic determinants of these fatty acids.

OBJECTIVE—To examine ethnic differences in risk of type 2 diabetes, taking dietary and lifestyle risk factors into account. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A prospective (1980–2000) cohort (from The Nurses’ Health Study) including 78,419 apparently healthy women (75,584 whites, 801 Asians, 613 Hispanics, and 1,421 blacks) was studied. Detailed dietary and lifestyle information for each participant was repeatedly collected every 4 years. RESULTS—During 1,294,799 person-years of follow-up, we documented 3,844 incident cases of diabetes. Compared with whites, the age-adjusted relative risks (RRs) were 1.43 (95% CI 1.08–1.90) for Asians, 1.76 (1.32–2.34) for Hispanics, and 2.18 (1.82–2.61) for blacks. After adjustment for BMI, the RRs changed to 2.26 (1.70–2.99) for Asians, 1.86 (1.40–2.47) for Hispanics, and 1.34 (1.12–1.61) for blacks. For each 5-unit increment in BMI, the multivariate RR of diabetes was 2.36 (1.83–3.04) for Asians, 2.21 (1.75–2.79) for Hispanics, 1.96 (1.93–2.00) for whites, and 1.55 (1.36–1.77) for blacks (P for interaction <0.001). For each 5-kg weight gain between age 18 and the year 1980, the risk of diabetes was increased by 84% (95% CI 58–114) for Asians, 44% (26–63) for Hispanics, 38% (28–49) for blacks, and 37% (35–38%) for whites. A healthy diet high in cereal fiber and polyunsaturated fat and low in trans fat and glycemic load was more strongly associated with a lower risk of diabetes among minorities (RR 0.54 [95% CI 0.39–0.73]) than among whites (0.77 [0.72–0.84]). CONCLUSIONS—The risk of diabetes is significantly higher among Asians, Hispanics, and blacks than among whites before and after taking into account differences in BMI. Weight gain is particularly detrimental for Asians. Our data suggest that the inverse association of a healthy diet with diabetes is stronger for minorities than for whites.

Abstract Traditional orthopedic casting strategies used in the treatment of fractured limbs, such as fiberglass and plaster‐based tapes, suffer from several drawbacks, including technically challenging molding for application, occurrence of skin complications, and the requirement of a potentially hazardous oscillatory saw for removal, which is frightening for pediatric patients. This work presents the design and evaluation of a foam‐fabric cast (FFC) to overcome these drawbacks by integrating strategies from soft materials engineering and functional apparel design. A fabric sleeve is designed to enable the reactive injection molding of a polymer foam and provide a form‐fitting orthopedic cast for the human forearm—with sufficient mechanical reinforcement to stabilize a fractured limb. Through testing with a replica limb and human subjects with a range of forearm volumes, the FFC application process is demonstrated and characterized. The thermal, pressural, chemical, and hygienic safety are comparable to or safer than existing clinical technologies. The FFC weighs only ≈150 g, is water resistant, and represents a robust alternative to traditional casts that can be i) manufactured at a large scale for a low cost; ii) applied to patients simply, rapidly (≈5 min), and reliably; and iii) removed easily with a pair of scissors.

Microcontact printing techniques employing self-assembled alkanethiol monolayers in the production of metal masks have been combined with reactive ion etch for subsequent pattern transfer to silicon. Silicon feature sizes of about 300 nm have been demonstrated. Some inadequacies in the self-assembled monolayers (SAMs)-formed metal masks have been characterized by electron microscopy. Particularly, nickel etch control and metal feature edge definition remain problems to be solved if the process is to be employed in submicron feature production. Nickel patterns produced in the process and used as masks without the gold overlayer were successful as masks in the reactive ion etching (RIE) process. They also appear to give a somewhat improved edge definition over processes in which the gold layer remains.