Associations between diet quality scores and cardiometabolic status in young Japanese women: A cross-sectional study.

Background And Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to examine associations between diet quality scores and adverse cardiometabolic status in young Japanese women.

Methods And Study Design: In total, 1084 female dietetics students aged 18-22 years completed a validated self-administered diet history questionnaire. Diet quality was assessed using the Diet Quality Score for Japanese (DQSJ), Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), Alternate Mediterranean Diet score (AMED), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension score (DASH), and Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top score (JFGST).

Fetal 24-Segment Sphericity Index and Ventricular Fractional Shortening Between 12 and 20 Weeks of Gestation.

Background: Although the fetal sphericity index (SI) and fractional shortening (FS) of 24 transverse segments have been previously reported after the 20th gestational week, there have been no reports during the first and early second trimester.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the SI and FS of 24 transverse segments in normal fetuses before the 20th gestational week.

Methods: A total of 101 normal fetuses aged between 12 and 20 gestational weeks were examined.

Serum branched-chain amino acid levels are associated with fracture risk in Japanese women.

Aim: Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) have been shown to exert beneficial effects on muscle and bone metabolism; however, no studies to date have investigated whether BCAAs have beneficial effects on bone fractures. Herein, we aim to prospectively investigate the relationship between serum BCAA concentrations and the occurrence of vertebral fractures (VFs) in Japanese women.

Methods: During the observation period (7.

Effect of a plant protein-rich diet on postprandial phosphate metabolism in healthy adult men: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: This study examined the effects of animal protein- and plant protein-rich diets on postprandial phosphorus metabolism in healthy male subjects.

Methods: The study was conducted by randomised parallel-group comparison of healthy men aged 21-24 years. In Study 1, participants were divided into two groups and consumed either a 70% animal protein diet (AD, n = 6) or a 70% plant protein diet (PD, n = 6).

Nanoparticle-Based Tough Polymers with Crack-Propagation Resistance.

Although thin elastomer films of polymer nanoparticles are regarded as environmentally friendly materials, the low mechanical strength of the films limits their use in various applications. In the present study, we investigated the fracture resistance of latex films composed of acrylic nanoparticles where a small quantity of a rotaxane crosslinker was introduced. In contrast to conventional nanoparticle-based elastomers, the latex films composed of the rotaxane-crosslinked nanoparticles exhibited unusual crack propagation behavior; the direction of crack propagation changed from a direction parallel to the crack to one perpendicular to the crack, resulting in an increase in tear resistance.

Association between Dairy Product intake and Risk of Osteoporotic Fractures in Postmenopausal Japanese Women: Secondary Analysis of 15-Year Follow-Up data from the Japanese Population-Based Osteoporosis (JPOS) Cohort Study.

Objectives: Few prospective cohort studies have evaluated the relationship between dairy product intake frequency and risk of osteoporotic fractures in Asians. This study aimed to investigate the association between habitual dairy product intake and risk of osteoporotic fractures.

Design: Secondary analysis of prospective cohort study.

Distinct dietary risk factors for incident osteoporotic fractures in early and late postmenopausal phase women.

Introduction: Available evidence on favorable nutritional factors for preventing osteoporosis remains controversial. Considering the recent increases in life expectancy, we investigated the relationship between incident osteoporotic fractures and dietary habits in early and late postmenopausal phase women.

Materials And Methods: Subjects were Japanese postmenopausal outpatients recruited at a primary care institution in Nagano Prefecture (Nagano Cohort Study).

Cat-Ear-Line: A Sonographic Sign of Cortical Development?

Objectives: Diagonal echogenic lines outside the lateral ventricle have often been observed in the anterior coronal planes of the normal fetal brain by neurosonography. We have observed abnormal shapes of these echogenic lines in cases of malformation of cortical development (MCD). We named the ultrasound finding "cat-ear-line" (CEL).

Development of a predictive model for vitamin D deficiency based on the vitamin D status in young Japanese women: A study protocol.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is associated with an increased risk for lifestyle-related diseases. In Japan, VDD is quite prevalent in all age groups, with its high risk in young women. Furthermore, its association during pregnancy with gestational hypertension and low birth weight has also been reported.

Clinical Validation of Fetal cfDNA Analysis Using Rolling-Circle-Replication and Imaging Technology in Osaka (CRITO Study).

Background: Noninvasive prenatal genetic testing (NIPT) has been adopted as the first choice for aneuploidy screening. The purposes of this study were to investigate the accuracy of Vanadis NIPT (hereafter CRITO-NIPT) in order to gain a deeper insight into the reasons for discrepancies, as well as to discuss the role of fetal ultrasound.

Methods: Between 2019 and 2020, CRITO-NIPT was performed in 1218 cases of patients who underwent CVS or amniocentesis after a detailed fetal ultrasound exam and genetic counseling.

Vitamin K intake and health, consideration from the epidemiological studies.

The most fundamental function of vitamin K is to activate the blood coagulation factors in the liver. Despite the recent recognition of its extra-hepatic actions, the current Dietary Reference Intakes for vitamin K is based on the amount necessary for maintaining the normal blood coagulation in many countries. To define the Dietary Reference Intake for vitamin K, appropriate biomarkers well-reflecting the vitamin K status are essential.

The Intake of Kiwifruits Improve the Potential Antioxidant Capacity in Male Middle- and Long-Distance Runners Routinely Exposed to Oxidative Stress in Japan.

Oxidation damages cells and muscles, and thus, causes injuries and fatigue, which negatively affect the conditioning of athletes. Thus, in this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of high-antioxidant fruits (kiwifruit) intake on oxidative stress level (d-ROMs) and antioxidant activity (BAP) in male middle- and long-distance runners routinely exposed to oxidative stress. This study was performed from May to July 2017 (Study 1) and October to December 2018 (Study 2).

Associations between trunk-to-peripheral fat ratio and cardiometabolic risk factors in elderly Japanese men: baseline data from the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study.

Background: Body mass-independent parameters might be more appropriate for assessing cardiometabolic abnormalities than weight-dependent indices in Asians who have relatively high visceral adiposity but low body fat. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-measured trunk-to-peripheral fat ratio is one such body mass-independent index. However, there are no reports on relationships between DXA-measured regional fat ratio and cardiometabolic risk factors targeting elderly Asian men.

Fracture dynamics of solid materials: from particles to the globe.

Solid materials have been used extensively for various kinds of structural components in our surroundings. Stability of such solid structures, including not only machinery, architectural and civil structures but also our solid earth, is largely governed by fracture development in the solids. Especially, dynamic fracture, once occurring-quite often unexpectedly-evolves very rapidly and can lead to catastrophic structural failures and disasters like earthquakes.

Unexpected, mystifying but simple three-dimensional dynamic fracture phenomena.

This contribution addresses what can be learnt from our recent experimental observations of dynamic fracture development in brittle solid materials with real three-dimensional configurations. It is pointed out that the three-dimensional dynamic behaviour of (quasi-)brittle solids is essentially different not only from the one-dimensional dynamic one but also from the three-dimensional static one. The experimental observations include those of cylindrical concrete columns pressurized by deflagration at the centre and ice spheres subjected to dynamic impact at the bottom.

D-karyo-A New Prenatal Rapid Screening Test Detecting Submicroscopic CNVs and Mosaicism.

Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), recently introduced following conventional cytogenetic technology, can detect submicroscopic copy-number variations (CNVs) in cases previously diagnosed as "cytogenetically benign". At present, rapid and accurate chromosomal analysis is required in prenatal diagnostics, but prenatal CMA is not widely used due to its high price and long turnaround time. We introduced a new prenatal screening method named digital karyotyping (D-karyo), which utilizes a preimplantation genetic test for the aneuploidy (PGT-A) platform.

Vitamin A intake is related to stress fracture occurrence in male collegiate long-distance runners.

Background: Nutrient intake has an essential role in bone disorder prevention among long-distance runners. However, the influence of Vitamin A intake on the risk of stress fractures remains unknown. This prospective study aimed to investigate the association between Vitamin A intake, and stress fracture occurrence in male collegiate long-distance runners.

Attempt to Determine the Cut-Off Value of Serum Ferritin for Iron Deficiency in Male College Student Runners.

For the evaluation of iron nutrition status, the measurement of serum ferritin levels is the most convenient and widely used technique for estimating stored iron. However, the cut-off value of serum ferritin for iron deficiency in athletes has not yet established. This study aimed to determine the cut-off value of serum ferritin to define iron deficiency in male college student runners.

Executive summary of clinical practice guide on fracture risk in lifestyle diseases.

Accumulating evidence has shown that patients with lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are at increased risk of osteoporotic fracture. Fractures deteriorate quality of life, activities of daily living, and mortality as well as a lifestyle disease. Therefore, preventing fracture is an important issue for those patients.

Trunk-to-peripheral fat ratio predicts a subsequent blood pressure in normal-weight pubertal boys: a 3-year follow-up of the Kitakata Kids Health Study.

Background: Limited evidence exists regarding the relationship between central-to-peripheral fat ratio measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and subsequent cardiometabolic risk in both pediatric and adult populations.

Methods: The present cohort study investigated the relationship between DXA-measured body fat distribution and cardiometabolic parameters. The source population was 275 4th-6th graders (aged 9.

Calcium Intake and Bone Mineral Acquisition during the Pubertal Growth Spurt: Three-Year Follow-Up of the Kitakata Kids Health Study in Japan.

Calcium intake during a growth spurt may influence bone mineral acquisition. However, no population-based cohort studies have examined the relationship between calcium intake and whole-body bone mineral acquisition in Japanese children. The present study investigated the relationship between calcium intake and whole-body bone mineral acquisition in community-dwelling children in a northeast region of Japan using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

25-Hydroxyvitamin D profiles and maternal bone mass during pregnancy and lactation in Japanese women.

Vitamin D deficiency is observed worldwide and represents a health hazard for mothers, infants and elderly persons. We know that many young Japanese women experience vitamin D insufficiency; however, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] profile of pregnant Japanese women and of the association between maternal 25(OH)D level and maternal bone mass during pregnancy and lactation. In this longitudinal study, 160 pregnant Japanese women were enrolled; of them, 68 have been followed-up from the first trimester through at least 1 year of breast-feeding.