Imbalanced dietary habits are closely associated with poor micronutrients status and the development of obesity. Previous studies have shown that serum folate level is decreased in obese individuals. However, whether folate deficiency could result in adiposity is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary folate on lipid accumulation and leptin production using both in vivo and in vitro studies. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed with a diet with (f1) or without (f0) folate in a high-fat (HF) diet containing high-sucrose (HFS-f1, HFS-f0) for 4.5–5 months in Experiment 1, or an HF diet (HF-f1, HF-f0) for 12 months in Experiment 2, or an HF diet containing high-fructose (HFF-f1, HFF-f0) for 12 months in Experiment 3, compared with the normal-fat (NF-f1, NF-f0) diet, respectively. The serum levels of folate and leptin, white adipose tissue (WAT), size of adipocytes, hepatic contents of triglyceride (TG), and cholesterol were measured. In vitro study, TG contents, proinflammatory cytokines, leptin, and expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and lipogenesis-related genes of 3T3-L1 adipocytes cultured with (f1) or without (f0) folate were assayed. The results showed that folate deficiency together with a high-fat diet (HFS-f0, HF-f0, HFF-f0) had higher WAT mass, adipocyte size, serum leptin level, and hepatic TG compared to those of the folate-sufficient groups (HFS-f1, HF-f1, and HFF-f1). Folate deficiency with a high-fat high -sucrose or -fructose diet (HFS-f0, HFF-f0) significantly increased the body weight of the mice. Increased intracellular TG, leptin, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 and interleukin (IL)-6 levels, and the expression of Hif1α and lipogenesis-related genes Cebpα, Cebpβ, Acc1, Fasn, and Fabp4 were also detected in folate-deficient 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our results suggested that folate deficiency increased lipid accumulation and leptin production of adipocytes, and thus, inadequate folate status might be one of the risk factors for adiposity.

The angular distribution of lead in films deposited by pulsed laser irradiation of lead–zirconate–titanate and lead targets are studied as a function of ambient gas (argon or oxygen), gas pressure, and substrate temperature. When the substrate is kept in vacuum and at room temperature, a dip in the lead content attributable to the intrinsic resputtering of lead is observed at the position of the target surface normal. In the presence of an ambient gas, the dip disappears and the lead content increases at all angles. These results are attributed to a reduction of resputtering arising from scattering of the ablated species by ambient gas molecules. Under ambient oxygen and at high substrate temperature, the retention of lead content in the deposited films is largely due to the formation of lead oxide.

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Explosive-driven hemispherical-implosions were used to create high dynamic pressures (up to 13 GPa) and temperatures (up to 450 K) in an exploratory investigation of chemical reactions and diffusion processes in different materials subjected to extreme conditions. Diffusion coefficients as high as 200 cm2/s and chemical reaction rates as fast as 1000 mol/s (in a volume of 0.2 cm3) were inferred from shock experiments with carbontetrabromide (CBr4) and copper (Cu) powder mixtures. An outdiffusion of Ga from a single crystal GaAs substrate into a polycrystalline indium thin film deposited on it was also observed and confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis.

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