Late isocaloric eating increases hunger, decreases energy expenditure, and modifies metabolic pathways in adults with overweight and obesity.

Late eating has been linked to obesity risk. It is unclear whether this is caused by changes in hunger and appetite, energy expenditure, or both, and whether molecular pathways in adipose tissues are involved. Therefore, we conducted a randomized, controlled, crossover trial (ClinicalTrials.

Surgical site occurrences, not body mass index, increase the long-term risk of ventral hernia recurrence.

Background: Recurrence rates after ventral hernia repair vary widely and evidence about risk factors for recurrence are conflicting. There is little evidence for risk factors for long-term recurrence.

Methods: Patients who underwent ventral hernia repair at our institution and were captured in the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database between 2002 and 2015 were included.

Predicting venous thrombosis in patients undergoing elective splenectomy.

Background: Venous thrombosis (VT) is an ongoing problem for patients undergoing elective splenectomy. There is limited data evaluating risk factors for VTs. An increase in platelet counts is commonly seen after splenectomy; however, there is a paucity of literature evaluating post-operative platelet counts as a risk factor for VTs in this patient cohort.

Laparoscopic versus open splenectomy for splenomegaly: the verdict is unclear.

Background: The benefits of laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) over open splenectomy (OS) for normal-sized spleens have been well documented. However, the role of laparoscopy for moderate and massive splenomegaly is debated.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing elective splenectomy at one institution from 1997 to 2017 was conducted.

The Public Repository of Xenografts Enables Discovery and Randomized Phase II-like Trials in Mice.

More than 90% of drugs with preclinical activity fail in human trials, largely due to insufficient efficacy. We hypothesized that adequately powered trials of patient-derived xenografts (PDX) in mice could efficiently define therapeutic activity across heterogeneous tumors. To address this hypothesis, we established a large, publicly available repository of well-characterized leukemia and lymphoma PDXs that undergo orthotopic engraftment, called the Public Repository of Xenografts (PRoXe).

Prevalence and associated factors with esophageal varices in early primary biliary cirrhosis.

Background And Aims: Recent routine testing for anti-mitochondrial antibodies has increased the number of patients with early primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The prevalence and clinical significance of esophageal varices in those patients remains obscure.

Methods: A systematic cohort analysis of 256 PBC patients was performed to clarify the prevalence, characteristics, and prognosis of the patients with early PBC and esophageal varices.

Prognostic model for hepatocellular carcinoma with time-dependent factors.

The purpose of this study was to build a prognostic model of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using time-dependent covariates to re-evaluate the prognosis at any stage of the disease. The subjects were consecutive HCC patients who were treated at our institute between 1995 and 2007. We constructed time-fixed and time-dependent prognostic models with a training group (n=336) and compared the prognostic abilities between conventional Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP) scores, Japan Integrated Staging (JIS) scores, an Okuda classification, and our prognostic models in the testing group (n=227) with the c-index.

Laparoscopic findings of reddish markings predict hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis B virus-related liver disease.

Background: For patients with chronic hepatitis due to hepatitis B virus (HBV), factors predicting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) other than high levels of HBV-DNA and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) are needed to prevent HCC development, as many patients with chronic HBV infection fulfill these conditions. The purpose of this study was to clarify factors predictive of HCC development for those patients.

Methods: The study was a systematic cohort analysis of 303 consecutive patients with hepatitis B e-antigen, receiving laparoscopic examination for assessment of liver disease.

A prospective and comparative cohort study on efficacy and drug resistance during long-term lamivudine treatment for various stages of chronic hepatitis B and cirrhosis.

Background And Aims: A prospective, non-randomized cohort study on long-term lamivudine treatment, comparing efficacy, drug resistance, and prognosis for various stages of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver disease was performed to elucidate the significance and indication of lamivudine for individual patients at each stage of disease.

Methods: A total of 158 cases consisting of 87 chronic hepatitis, 28 compensated cirrhosis, and 43 decompensated cirrhosis, with serum HBV-DNA > 5 log(10) copies/mL and with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) over twice the upper normal limit or complications of hepatic insufficiency, were administered 100 mg of lamivudine daily and monitored for HBV markers, biochemistry, and prognosis.

Results: Lamivudine reduced HBV-DNA and ALT equally in all groups.

Does gum chewing ameliorate postoperative ileus? Results of a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: A preliminary report has been interpreted to suggest that gum chewing reduces duration of postcolectomy ileus.

Study Design: We rigorously tested this hypothesis in a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Patients undergoing open colectomy (n = 66) were randomized to receive 1 of 3 postoperative regimens beginning on postoperative day 1: sips (control, n = 21); sips and accupressure wrist bracelet (placebo, n = 23); and sips and gum chewing (treatment, n = 22).

Colorectal disease in the elderly patient.

Operative and nonoperative management of colorectal diseases in elderly patients will become increasingly common in our medical practices as the percent of elderly patients increases. A patient's age should no longer be perceived as a "risk factor" in and of itself in deciding management issues. Rather, associated medical conditions need to be optimized and the patients managed more aggressively and not less aggressively on an individual basis to ensure a favorable outcome.

Participation of serum albumin and LDL-cholesterol in impaired blood cell-filterability affected by white blood cells in patients with cerebral thrombosis.

We examined the effect of white blood cells (WBCs) on the red blood cell (RBC)-filterability, and the influence of plasma components on their interaction of their microcirculatory behaviour in cerebral thrombosis patients. Subjects studied were 20 patients with a history of cerebral thrombosis (60 +/- 4.7 years old) (mean +/- SD) and 28 healthy controls (59 +/- 5.

Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase activity in red blood cell-stroma from patients with cerebral thrombosis.

Platelet-activating factor (1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, PAF) is a bioactive phospholipid and inactivated by a specific enzyme, PAF acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH). We have measured PAF-AH activity in red blood cells (RBCs) from patients with a history of cerebral thrombosis and age-matched healthy controls. The activities in 34 patients and 34 controls were 1.

Activity of platelet-activating factor (PAF) acetylhydrolase in plasma from patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is metabolized by a specific enzyme, PAF acetylhydrolase, which may play an important role in the manifestation of the biological activities of PAF in vivo. The activity of PAF acetylhydrolase in plasma of patients with ischemic stroke was higher than that in healthy controls. The incidence of irreversible platelet aggregation in response to PAF, as well as to ADP, was found to be higher in patients than in controls.