Bariatric surgery reverses morbid obesity-induced changes in the composition of circulating immune cells-a prospective cohort study.

Background: Morbid obesity is associated with aging of the immune system, a phenomenon known as "inflammaging," characterized by increased numbers of various immune cell subsets.

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term effects of bariatric surgery on immune cell subsets in patients with obesity and to determine the impact of metabolic syndrome on these changes.

Setting: High-volume bariatric center, Netherlands.

Bubble curtains for noise mitigation: One vs two.

Bubble curtains are widely used to protect marine life from exposure to harmful noise during offshore pile driving. However, operating a bubble curtain is costly and compliance with government noise regulations remains a challenge. It is therefore important to optimise the acoustic effect of the available compressed air.

T and B Cell Composition and Cytokine Producing Capacity Before and After Bariatric Surgery.

Morbid obesity is associated with a chronic state of low-grade inflammation, which may lead to accelerated differentiation of T and B cells. These differentiated immune cells are strongly cytotoxic and have an increased pro-inflammatory cytokine producing capacity. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory function of the T and B cells decreases.

Resizing a large pouch after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: comparing the effect of two techniques on weight loss.

Background: Insufficient weight loss or weight regain has many causes including a large gastric pouch. A large gastric pouch may be due to the surgical technique or can be patient related (dilation). Resizing the gastric pouch may lead to additional weight loss.

Effects of Morbid Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome on the Composition of Circulating Immune Subsets.

Morbid obesity is characterized by chronic, low-grade inflammation, which is associated with 'inflamm-aging'. The presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) might accelerate this phenomenon of metaflammation. In this study, we assessed the effects of morbid obesity and MetS on the composition of a broad spectrum of immune cells present within the circulation.

Improvement of Cardiac Function After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass in Morbidly Obese Patients Without Cardiac History Measured by Cardiac MRI.

Purpose: Metabolic syndrome in patients with morbid obesity causes a higher cardiovascular morbidity, eventually leading to left ventricular hypertrophy and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is considered the gold standard modality for treatment of morbid obesity and might even lead to improved cardiac function. Our objective is to investigate whether cardiac function in patients with morbid obesity improves after RYGB.

Predicting Symptom Relief After Reoperation for Suspected Internal Herniation After Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

Background: Internal herniation (IH) is one of the most common long-term complications after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). Diagnosis of IH may be difficult, and not all patients with suspected IH will have full relief of symptoms after closure of both mesenteric defects.

Objectives: To investigate possible predictive factors for relief of symptoms in patients with suspected IH.

Correction to: Age-Related Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Early Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction.

Frederik H. W. Jonker and Vera A.

Age-Related Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Early Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction.

Background: Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is increasingly used as a prognostic indicator for early atherosclerosis and the development of cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study is to assess the exact effects of bariatric surgery on CIMT reduction in different age groups.

Methods: CIMT was measured just proximal to the bifurcation of the carotid artery in 166 patients with mean body mass index of 43.

Impact of initial response of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding on outcomes of revisional laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for morbid obesity.

Background: Failed laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) can be converted to laparoscopic Roux-and-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB), which is currently the gold standard for bariatric surgery. Revisional LRYGB (rLRYGB) is associated with inferior results compared with primary LRYGB (pLRYGB), but the exact influence of the initial response to LAGB is unclear.

Objectives: To compare follow-up outcomes after pLRYGB with rLRYGB in nonresponders of LAGB and rLRYGB in responders of LAGB.

Surface tension regularizes the crack singularity of adhesion.

The elastic and adhesive properties of a solid surface can be quantified by indenting it with a rigid sphere. Indentation tests are classically described by the JKR-law when the solid is very stiff, while recent work highlights the importance of surface tension for exceedingly soft materials. Here we show that surface tension plays a crucial role even in stiff solids: Young's wetting angle emerges as a boundary condition and this regularizes the crack-like singularity at the edge of adhesive contacts.

Mechanics of collapsing cavitation bubbles.

A brief survey is given of the dynamical phenomena accompanying the collapse of cavitation bubbles. The discussion includes shock waves, microjets and the various ways in which collapsing bubbles produce damage.

Interface deformations due to counter-rotating vortices: Viscous versus elastic media.

Capillary forces determine the shape of a liquid interface. Although often not considered, elastic solids with a free surface are also subjected to surface forces and these become important for materials of low Young's modulus. Here we consider two equivalent problems where a capillary free surface deforms due to vortices: (i) in a steady viscous flow [solved by Jeong and Moffatt, J.

Murein-metabolizing enzymes from Escherichia coli: existence of a second lytic transglycosylase.

In addition to the soluble lytic transglycosylase, a murein-metabolizing enzyme with a molecular mass of 70 kDa (Slt70), Escherichia coli possesses a second lytic transglycosylase, which has been described as a membrane-bound lytic transglycosylase (Mlt; 35 kDa; EC 3.2.1.

Plasmid patterns and in-vitro susceptibility of penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae with emphasis on thiamphenicol: results of surveillance in The Netherlands.

Susceptibility to thiamphenicol was tested, and plasmids were characterized for 1925 strains of penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) isolated in The Netherlands in 1981 and 1982. Of the 1925 isolates, 771 harbored the so-called "Asia" (4.5-megadalton) resistance plasmid and 1154 had the so called "Africa" (3.

Epidemiology of PPNG infections in the Netherlands: analysis by auxanographic typing and plasmid identification.

We carried out auxanographic typing and plasmid identification on 1380 isolates of penicillinase producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) isolated in the Netherlands in 1982 and found four plasmid patterns and 24 auxotypes with noticeable local or regional variations. Among 756 strains harbouring the 3 X 2 megadalton (Mdal) resistance plasmid ("African" type), with or without the 24 Mdal transfer plasmid, 667 (88%) were non-requiring and inhibited by phenylalanine. This type was endemic in most of the cities or regions we studied.

Penicillinase-producing gonococci in the Netherlands in 1981.

In 1981 1180 penicillinase producing strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) were isolated in the Netherlands, an incidence of approximately 10% of all gonococcal isolates. Determination of the plasmid pattern of 915 of these strains brought to light important shifts of predominant plasmid patterns in a short period of time. Significant differences between the large cities point to local spread of PPNG strains from different origins.

Penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the Netherlands: epidemiology and genetic and molecular characterization of their plasmids.

Penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains were isolated in the Netherlands with increasing frequency during the period of 1976 to 1979. About 3% of the gonococci isolated in the first half of 1979 produced penicillinase. In contrast to the period of 1976 to 1977, most penicillinase-producing N.

2-Phenethylimidazole derivatives. Synthesis and antimycotic properties.

Compounds of type (X = O, NH; Ar and Ar' = phenyl of substituted phenyl; ten examples) were prepared and assayed against miconazole (II,X = O; Ar = Ar' =2,4-Cl2C6H3) as potential antimycotic agents. Optimal activity was noted for I(X = O; Ar = Ar' = 2,4-Cl2C6H3), the direct analog of miconazole. It is about one-tenth as active.