Alterations in Body Weight and Composition in Patients With Graves' Disease Treated with Total Thyroidectomy.

Objective: Thyrotoxicosis causes excess energy expenditure, resulting in weight loss, despite increased appetite, and changes in body composition, which are typically reversible with the normalization of thyroid hormone levels. However, patients with hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease are sometimes hesitant to undergo treatment because of the perceived morbidity associated with weight gain. Therefore, obtaining data to explain the details of such weight gain to these patients is important.

Reddening of the Unicellular Green Alga by Dried Bonito Stock and Intense Red Light Irradiation.

This study confirms for the first time that the significant red coloration of is induced by bonito stock (BS), a traditional Japanese food, and intense red light exposure (605~660 nm, 1000~1300 µmol photons/m/s). Under the condition, excessive photosynthetic activity destroyed many chloroplasts, while carotenoids were maintained, resulting in the formation of reddened cells. The HPLC analysis revealed that diadinoxanthin was the primary carotenoid present in reddened cells.

Effectiveness of the maternal and child health handbook for improving continuum of care and other maternal and child health indicators: A cluster randomized controlled trial in Angola.

Background: The maternal and child health (MCH) handbook is promoted as a tool for strengthening continuum of care. We assessed the effect of a MCH handbook intervention package on continuum of maternal and child health care and health outcomes for mother and child.

Methods: We conducted an open-label, parallel two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial in Angola.

Effective Se reduction by lactate-stimulated indigenous microbial communities in excavated waste rocks.

Waste rocks generated from tunnel excavation contain the metalloid selenium (Se) and its concentration sometimes exceeds the environmental standards. The possibility and effectiveness of dissolved Se removal by the indigenous microorganisms are unknown. Chemical analyses and high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing were implemented to investigate the functional and structural responses of the rock microbial communities to the Se and lactate amendment.

Albuminuria rather than glomerular filtration rate is associated with vascular endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Aims: Albuminuria and reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) are manifestations of diabetic kidney disease and are both shown to be associated with cardiovascular outcomes. However, the differential association of albuminuria and reduced GFR with endothelial dysfunction, an early feature of atherosclerotic vascular damage, remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the association between albuminuria or estimated GFR (eGFR) and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), a marker of endothelial function, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Impact of the Maternal and Child Health handbook in Angola for improving continuum of care and other maternal and child health indicators: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Background: The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) handbook is an integrated home-based record (HBR) designed to record in a single document all the information regarding health services provided to a pregnant woman and her child. The MCH handbook has the potential to support continuity of care which is key to strengthening maternal, newborn and child health. However, there is a lack of an integrated system to manage the health of pregnant women and young children on an ongoing basis in Angola.

Prognostic Impact of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index in Patients With Synchronous Colorectal Liver Metastasis.

Background/aim: The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) is a prognostic indicator for several cancers; however, the association between the GNRI and colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) remains unknown.

Patients And Methods: Eighty patients who underwent hepatectomy for synchronous CRLM were divided into two groups based on the GNRI.

Results: The preoperative CA19-9 levels were significantly higher in the low (GNRI ≤98; n=30) than the normal GNRI group (GNRI >98; n=50).

Plasma omentin levels are inversely associated with atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes patients with increased plasma adiponectin levels: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Omentin and adiponectin are among the anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic adipokines that have potentially beneficial effects on cardiovascular disorders. Recent studies indicate a paradoxical relationship between adiponectin and cardiovascular mortality across many clinical settings including type 2 diabetes. In this study, we characterized the clinical features of type 2 diabetes patients with increased adiponectin levels and examined the association between omentin and atherosclerosis in those patients.

Oncostatin M induces C2C12 myotube atrophy by modulating muscle differentiation and degradation.

Oncostatin M (OSM) is a cytokine of the interleukin-6 family and plays a role in various disorders such as cancer and inflammatory diseases, which are often accompanied by skeletal muscle atrophy, or sarcopenia. However, the role of OSM in the regulation of skeletal muscle mass remains to be identified. In this study, we investigated the effect of OSM on C2C12 myotube formation in vitro.

A novel Tungsten-based fiducial marker for multi-modal brain imaging.

Background: Multi-modal brain image registration is a prerequisite for accurate mapping of brain structure and function in neuroscience. Image registration is commonly performed using automated software; however, its accuracy decreases when images differ in modality, contrast, uniformity, and resolution. This limitation could be overcome by using an external reference point; however, high-contrast agents in multi-modal imaging have not been previously reported.

The prognostic value of positron emission tomography/computed tomography in rheumatoid arthritis patients with methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorders.

Recently, methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorders (MTX-LPDs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been found to commonly occur in association with iatrogenic immunodeficiency. Several factors have been reported to be related to the prognosis. We herein investigate the efficacy of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in predicting the prognosis of MTX-LPD.

Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein is associated with arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (LBP) is an acute-phase reactant that mediates immune responses triggered by LPS. Recent evidence indicates the association of circulating LBP levels with obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between serum LBP levels and arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Identification of Recurrence-Related microRNAs from Bone Marrow in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a poor-prognosis cancer due to its high rate of recurrence. microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNA molecules that affect crucial processes in cancer development. The objective of this study is to identify the role of miRNAs in patient bone marrow (BM) and explore the function of these molecules during HCC progression.

Plasma polyunsaturated fatty acid profile and delta-5 desaturase activity are altered in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: The association between imbalance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially low plasma n-3 to n-6 PUFA ratio, and risk of cardiovascular diseases is well known. A balance of plasma PUFAs is determined not only by dietary fatty acid intake, but also by the endogenous fatty acid metabolism, which could be dysregulated by diabetes. In this study, we investigated the plasma n-3 and n-6 PUFA profile and fatty acid desaturase activity in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Leptin is associated with vascular endothelial function in overweight patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: The adipocyte-derived hormone leptin plays a key role in the regulation of appetite and body weight. Recent studies have suggested that leptin is also involved in the pathogenesis of obesity-related atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. In this study, we investigated the association of plasma leptin levels with vascular endothelial function in lean and overweight patients with type 2 diabetes.