Brown adipose tissue thermogenesis rhythms are driven by the SCN independent of adipocyte clocks.

Circadian misalignment has been associated with obesity both in rodents and humans. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis contributes to energy expenditure and can be activated in adults to reduce body weight. Although previous studies suggest control of BAT thermogenesis by the circadian clock, the site and mechanisms of regulation remain unclear.

Reconsideration of the definition of blanking period and significance of early recurrences after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.

Purpose Of Review: Early recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia (ERAT) during blanking period (BP) is not uncommon after catheter ablation of AF. Current guidelines and consensus statements recommend conservative treatment of ERAT. This review summarized recent studies, underlying mechanism and clinical managements of ERAT, and proposed a reconsideration of the definition and clinical significance of BP.

A microbiome-dependent gut-brain pathway regulates motivation for exercise.

Exercise exerts a wide range of beneficial effects for healthy physiology. However, the mechanisms regulating an individual's motivation to engage in physical activity remain incompletely understood. An important factor stimulating the engagement in both competitive and recreational exercise is the motivating pleasure derived from prolonged physical activity, which is triggered by exercise-induced neurochemical changes in the brain.

Clinically Meaningful Body Mass Index Change Impacts Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who reduce their body mass index (BMI) z-score (BMIz) by >.25, a goal in obesity medicine, and to determine the BMIz decrease needed for serum aminotransferase normalization.

Study Design: This retrospective, single-center study included patients aged <18 years followed for NAFLD.

BMI Metrics Are Poor Predictors of Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Severity.

Alternative BMI metrics are superior to BMI score (BMI) in tracking obesity but have not been evaluated in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our objective was to evaluate whether BMI-adjusted score (BMI) or BMI expressed as a percentage of the 95th percentile (%BMIp95) are better predictors of degree of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation, a surrogate for NAFLD severity, compared with BMI in patients with NAFLD. A retrospective study of 776 subjects aged 2-18 years with BMI > 1.