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Background: Pregnancy is a dynamic state involving multiple adaptations that are necessary in order to ensure a continuous supply of essential metabolites to support the growth and the development of the fetus. Objectives: This review article is aimed to discuss important adaptations in metabolism that take place during non-complicated pregnancy. Materials and Methods: We searched the electronic database PubMed for pre-clinical as well as clinical controlled trials reporting the importance of metabolic adaptations during a non-complicated pregnancy. The preferred language was English and the most recent reports were selected to get an updated review. Results: It was observed clearly in the searched literature that metabolic adaptations are a crucial part of pregnancy, as they provide the mother with sufficient energy stores to meet the demands of pregnancy. These adaptions also help in preparing the mother for lactation and also help in providing proper environment for the proper growth of fetus in the womb. Moreover, multiple biomolecules including glucose, fatty acids, ketone bodies, hormones collectively contribute toward these metabolic adaptations. Conclusions: This review article concludes that metabolic adaptations are crucial for proper fetus development.

b S Supporting Information ' INTRODUCTIONSynthesis and properties of functional branched and star polymers have attracted much attention since these polymers usually possess unique physicochemical properties and wide applications originating from a large number of chain ends per molecule and their branched chain architectures. Generally, hyperbranched polymers can be synthesized by step-growth polymerization via polycondensation or addition polymerization of multifunctional monomers, 3,4,30-32 copolymerization of conventional monomers via self-condensing vinyl polymerization (SCVP), 33-37 or copolymerization of vinyl monomers in the presence of multifunctional vinyl comonomers. 38,39 "Living"/ controlled radical polymerization approaches such as inifertermediated polymerization, 40 nitroxide-mediated polymerization, 41 atom transfer radical polymerization, 42-44 and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization [45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53] have been efficiently used to synthesize a variety of hyperbranched and star polymers with controlled compositions and variable functionality. Among them, RAFT polymerization is a facile and versatile approach to synthesize hyperbranched and star polymers due to its many advantages such as relatively mild reactions, wide range of monomers, tolerance of various functionalities, and lack of metal catalyst. A range of hyperbranched polymers have been achieved by RAFT polymerization in the presence of divinyl comonomers, 38,39 from a polymer backbone with pendant xanthate groups, 54 or with AB* styryl or acryloyl chain transfer agents. 55-58 Until now, the types of hyperbranched polymers obtained via RAFT process were relatively limited, and the feed ratio of vinyl monomer to chain transfer agent was usually higher than 10. In particular, the copolymerization behavior of conventional monomer with polymerizable RAFT agent has not been thoroughly investigated. It is therefore of great interest to study in depth the dependence of copolymer composition and degree of branching (DB) of hyperbranched copolymers on reaction conditions during RAFT polymerization.Star polymers, on the other hand, have been well-studied. They can be synthesized by approaches such as "arm first", 59-63 "core first", 64-67 and their combination. [68][69][70][71] The arm first approach involves the synthesis of prefabricated arms, usually through "living"/controlled polymerization, followed by reaction with a multifunctional core reagent, which is easily performed and can also afford target star polymers with low polydispersity. The potential drawback of arm first method is that the arm ABSTRACT: Facile synthesis of hyperbranched and star polymers on the basis of S-(4-vinyl)benzyl S 0 -propyltrithiocarbonate (VBPT) was described. RAFT copolymerization of VBPT with vinyl monomers such as methyl methacrylates (MMA), styrene (St), methyl acrylate (MA), and tert-butyl acrylate (tBA) afforded hyperbranched copolymers with variable branch length and degree of branching. Hyperbranched ...

Symmetric reduction‐responsive amphiphilic comblike copolymers mid‐disulfide‐functionalized comblike copolymers with alternating copolymer comprised of styrenic unit and N‐(2‐hydroxyethyl) maleimide (HEMI) unit (poly(St‐alt‐HEMI)) backbones and alternating PEG and PCL side chains (S‐CP(PEG‐alt‐PCL)) with poly(St‐alt‐HEMI) backbones and alternating poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) side chains were synthesized and used as nanocarriers for in vitro release of doxorubicin. The target copolymers with predetermined molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn = 1.15–1.20) were synthesized by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization of vinylbenzyl‐terminated PEG and N‐(2‐hydroxyethyl) maleimide mediated by a disulfide‐functionalized RAFT agent S‐CPDB, and followed by ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone. When compared with linear block copolymer comprised of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(ϵ‐caprolactone) (PCL) segments (PEG‐b‐PCL) copolymers, comblike copolymers with similar PCL contents usually exhibited decreased crystallization temperature, melting temperature, and degree of crystallinity, indicating the significant influence of copolymer architecture on physicochemical properties. Dynamic light scattering measurements revealed that comblike copolymers were liable to self‐assemble into aggregates involving vesicles and micelles with average diameter in the range of 56–226 nm and particle size distribution ranging between 0.07 and 0.20. In contrast to linear copolymer aggregates, comblike copolymer aggregates with similar compositions were of improved storage stability and enhanced drug‐loading efficiency. In vitro drug release confirmed the disulfide‐linked comblike copolymer aggregates could rapidly release the encapsulated drug when triggered by 10 mM DL‐dithiothreitol. These reduction‐sensitive, biocompatible, and biodegradable aggregates have a potential as controlled delivery vehicles. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012

This study aimed to explore comprehensively the biological function of curcumin, and its underlying mechanism, in protecting from necrotising microscopic colitis in newborn rats. A total of 20 normal healthy rats were selected, and a necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) model was established. After hypoxia and hypothermia stimulation, these rats were treated with different doses of curcumin (control group, NEC model group, NEC+20 mg/kg curcumin and NEC+50 mg/kg curcumin). Inflammation was identified using hematoxylin and eosin staining, and inflammatory factors were detected via ELISA. The mRNA and protein levels of SIRT1, NRF2, TLR4, NLRP3 and caspase-1 were determined by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Curcumin improved the inflammatory condition of NEC and inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors in NEC newborn rat intestinal tissue. Furthermore, the SIRT1/NRF2 pathway was inhibited in the intestinal tissue of NEC newborn rats, whereas curcumin treatment induced the activation of the SIRT1/NRF2 pathway and inhibited TLR4 expression in these animals. In addition, curcumin could also inhibit the expression of inflammatory factors and alleviate the LPS/ATP-induced focal death pathway in intestinal epithelial cells through the SIRT1 pathway. Curcumin can improve necrotising microscopic colitis and cell pyroptosis by attenuating NEC-induced inhibition of SIRT1/NRF2 and inhibiting the TLR4 signalling pathway in newborn rats.