Anti-Obesity Effects of a Combination of Whole-Body Vibration Stimulus and Dietary D-Allulose on Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet.

Whole-body vibration (WBV) has gained attention as a light-resistance exercise and can increase energy metabolism. The rare sugar D-allulose has anti-obesity effects that are mediated by the suppression of hepatic lipogenesis. In this study, we examined the anti-obesity effects of a combination of WBV and dietary D-allulose in rats fed a high-fat diet.

Weight Loss and Number of Present Teeth in Community-Dwelling Japanese Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in Niigata.

Background And Objectives: Weight loss is a critical health issue among the older population. This study aimed to explore the association between weight loss and oral health in older adults.

Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the Uonuma Chronic Kidney Disease Cohort Study.

Incidence of the postpartum diagnosis of thyroid eye disease in relation to thyroid function in Graves' disease.

It has been reported that Graves' disease (GD) sometimes improves spontaneously during pregnancy, although exacerbation of GD during postpartum period or relapse of hyperthyroidism caused by GD might occur. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of postpartum diagnosis of thyroid eye disease (TED) in relation to thyroid dysfunction. This retrospective cross-sectional study enrolled 11,104 deliveries from the patients with GD between January 2004 and August 2022.

L-rhamnose isomerase: a crucial enzyme for rhamnose catabolism and conversion of rare sugars.

L-rhamnose isomerase (L-RhI) plays a key role in the microbial L-rhamnose metabolism by catalyzing the reversible isomerization of L-rhamnose to L-rhamnulose. Additionally, the enzyme exhibits activity on various other aldoses and ketoses, and its broad substrate specificity has attracted attention for its potential application in the production of rare sugars; however, improvement of the enzyme properties is desirable, such as thermal stability, enzymatic activity, and a pH optimum suitable for industrial usage. This review summarizes our current insights into L-RhIs with respect to their substrate recognition mechanism and their relationship with D-xylose isomerase (D-XI) based on structural and phylogenetic analyses.

The relationship between radiomorphometric indices and fractal dimension analysis: a cone-beam computed tomography study.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between radiomorphometric indices and fractal dimension (FD) analysis in jawbone radiographic density using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). The study included 87 CBCT datasets from dental patients aged 50-79. Four radiomorphometric indices (Computed Tomography Cortical Index (CTCI), Computed Tomography Mental Index (CTMI), Computed Tomography Index-Superior (CTI-S), and Computed Tomography Index-Inferior (CTI-I)) along with age, gender, remaining teeth, and mandibular bone height were evaluated.

Effects of Dietary Allitol and D-Allulose on Body Fat Accumulation and Cecal Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet.

We investigated the effects of a single and simultaneous intake of allitol and d-allulose on body fat accumulation and cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production and accurately assessed the contribution of rare sugars to body fat in rats fed a high-fat diet that led to obesity. Thirty-two male 3-week-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, allitol, d-allulose, and allitol + d-allulose. The rats were fed experimental diets and water ad libitum for 11 weeks.

Exacerbation of Thyroid Eye Disease and Dysthyroid Optic Neuropathy During Pregnancy: A Case Report.

A 37-year-old, never-smoker, pregnant woman diagnosed with Graves' disease who had stable thyroid eye disease (TED) before pregnancy presented with aggravated proptosis and eyelid swelling at 13 weeks of pregnancy. Despite the administration of local triamcinolone and 3 cycles of corticosteroid pulse therapy from 25 to 28 weeks, the patient's visual acuity decline necessitated postpartum orbital decompression surgery. Although TSH receptor antibody (TRAb) levels decreased during the mid- to late term of pregnancy, the TED worsened.

Subacute thyroiditis during pregnancy: clinical characteristics of seven cases.

Objective: There are few reports of subacute thyroiditis (SAT) during pregnancy. This study aimed to clarify the clinical characteristics of SAT in pregnant patients.

Methods And Results: Seven patients diagnosed with SAT during pregnancy at our institution from January 2004 to December 2021 were identified, and their clinical findings were retrospectively examined.

Steep medial posterior tibial slope angle and ramp lesion are independent risk factors for an increase in quantitatively measured pivot shift in patients with ACL-deficient knees.

Background: Delayed anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction often causes residual anterolateral rotatory instability (ALRI) and consequent knee osteoarthritis, warranting the recommendation of early ACL reconstruction within 6 months after injury. Nonetheless, some cases show notable instability, even shortly after injury. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for an increase in quantitatively measured pivot shift in patients with ACL-deficient knees within 6 months after injury.

The association of the medial meniscus covering ratio with knee cartilage thickness at 15 medial compartment subregions as found by three-dimensional analysis using MRI.

Purpose: The correlation of cartilage thickness measured by three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the medial meniscal coverage ratio (MMCR), which presented pathology of the medial meniscus extrusion (MME) in 3D MRI, has not yet been elucidated. The study's purpose was to retrospectively verify whether the average cartilage thickness calculated by the automatic MRI 3D analysis system for each subregion was correlated with MMCR.

Methods: A total of 60 patients underwent medial meniscus repair or high tibial osteotomy to treat their medial knee osteoarthritis.

Serial Assessment of Factors Associated With Patient-Reported Outcomes up to 2 Years After ACL Reconstruction Using Autologous Hamstring Tendon: Results From the TMDU MAKS Study.

Background: Understanding the factors related to patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) can lead to more effective interventions.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with PRO scores after ACLR. It was hypothesized that concomitant meniscal treatment and postoperative range of motion (ROM) would be associated with early postoperative PRO scores and that postoperative physical findings would be associated with 2-year postoperative PRO scores.

Association Between Low Kidney Function and Excess Weight Concerning Unfavourable Periodontal Health among Community-dwelling Older Japanese Women.

Purpose: To investigate the association of low renal function and overweight with poor periodontal condition in community-dwelling older Japanese women.

Materials And Methods: In total, 359 older women (age range: 55-74 years) participated in this study. Two periodontal parameters - the number of teeth with a probing pocket depth (PPD) or clinical attachment level (CAL) ≥ 4 mm - were used as the dependent variables.

UCP2 polymorphisms, daily step count, and number of teeth associated with all-cause mortality risk in Sado City: A hospital-based cohort study.

Objective: Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is an ion/anion transporter in the mitochondrial inner membrane that plays a crucial role in immune response, regulation of oxidative stress, and cellular metabolism. UCP2 polymorphisms are linked to chronic inflammation, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, exercise efficiency, and longevity. Daily step count and number of teeth are modifiable factors that reduce mortality risk, although the role of UCP2 in this mechanism is unknown.

Association Between Oral Malodor and Dementia: An 11-Year Follow-Up Study in Japan.

Background: As infrequent social interaction is a potential risk of dementia, oral malodor may increase the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: This study investigated the association between malodor and dementia.

Methods: We used the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study data obtained at Yokote City.

Presoaking Grafts in Vancomycin Does Not Impair Graft-Bone Healing in a Rat Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Model.

Background: The vancomycin presoaking technique (wherein grafts are treated with a vancomycin solution [VS] for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction [ACLR]) reduces the infection rate after ACLR. However, the effects of this technique on graft-bone healing have not been fully elucidated.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of vancomycin presoaking on graft-bone healing in a rat ACLR model.

Dose-dependent incidence of agranulocytosis in patients treated with methimazole and propylthiouracil.

Agranulocytosis is a serious adverse effect of methimazole (MMI) and propylthiouracil (PTU), and although there have been reports suggesting a dose-dependent incidence in relation to both drugs, the evidence has not been conclusive. The objective of our study was to determine whether the incidences of agranulocytosis induced by MMI and PTU exhibit dose-dependency. The subjects were 27,784 patients with untreated Graves' disease, 22,993 of whom were on an antithyroid drug treatment regimen for more than 90 days.

Systemically Administered D-allose Inhibits the Tumor Energy Pathway and Exerts Synergistic Effects With Radiation.

Background/aim: The present study investigated the anticancer effects of intraperitoneally administered D-allose in in vivo models of head and neck cancer cell lines.

Materials And Methods: To assess the direct effects of D-allose, its dynamics in blood and tumor tissues were examined.

Results: D-allose was detected in blood and tumor tissues 10 min after its intraperitoneal administration and then gradually decreased.

Physiotherapy management focusing on proprioceptive impairment in a patient with gait and balance impairments following stroke: A case report.

Background: Proprioceptive impairment contributes to gait and balance impairments in patients with stroke. Diagnosis functional impairments and evaluation treatment efficacy require quantitative proprioception assessment. However, proprioception assessment has remained limited to ordinal scale measurement, with a lack of ratio scale measurements.

X-ray structure and characterization of a probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus Probio-M9 L-rhamnose isomerase.

A recombinant L-rhamnose isomerase (L-RhI) from probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus Probio-M9 (L. rhamnosus Probio-M9) was expressed. L.

Effects of Levothyroxine Treatment on Fertility and Pregnancy Outcomes in Subclinical Hypothyroidism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Subclinical hypothyroidism, defined by elevated thyrotropin (TSH) and normal free thyroxine levels, is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, and small for gestational age. Despite the uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of levothyroxine (LT4) treatment on pregnancy outcomes in subclinical hypothyroidism, LT4 is widely administered with a pre-treatment threshold TSH level of 2.5 mU/L.

Association between dry eye and periodontal disease in community-dwelling Japanese adults: data from the Uonoma cohort study.

Background: While research has explored the risk of periodontal disease in various eye conditions, the link between dry eye and periodontal disease remains underexplored, especially in Japanese adults. This study aims to investigate the association between dry eye and periodontal disease in community-dwelling Japanese adults.

Methods: This study is a subset of the Uonuma cohort study, which includes Japanese adults aged 40 years and older residing in the Uonuma area of Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

An Evaluation of the Efficacy of Machine Learning in Predicting Thyrotoxicosis and Hypothyroidism: A Comparative Assessment of Biochemical Test Parameters Used in Different Health Checkups.

Objective This study assessed the efficacy of machine learning in predicting thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism [thyroid-stimulating hormone >10.0 mIU/L] by leveraging age and sex as variables and integrating biochemical test parameters used by the Japan Society of Health Evaluation and Promotion (JHEP) and the Japan Society of Ningen Dock (JND). Methods Our study included 20,653 untreated patients with Graves' disease, 3,435 untreated patients with painless thyroiditis, 4,266 healthy individuals, and 18,937 untreated patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.