Metagenomic analysis of ready biodegradability tests to ascertain the relationship between microbiota and the biodegradability of test chemicals.

Ready biodegradability tests conducted in accordance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development guidelines (test 301C or test 301F) are performed using activated sludge (AS) prepared by the Chemicals Evaluation and Research Institute (AS-CERI) or that taken from a sewage treatment plant (AS-STP). It had been reported that AS-CERI had lower activity than AS-STP in biodegrading test chemicals, and that biodegradation was accelerated by increasing the volume of the test medium. However, these phenomena have not been clarified from the perspective of the microbiota.

Improvement of glycaemic control and treatment satisfaction by switching from liraglutide or dulaglutide to subcutaneous semaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes: A multicentre, prospective, randomized, open-label, parallel-group comparison study (SWITCH-SEMA 1 study).

Aim: To investigate the effects of switching from liraglutide or dulaglutide to once-weekly semaglutide on glycaemic control and treatment satisfaction in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Materials And Methods: In this multicentre, open-labelled, prospective, randomized, parallel-group comparison study, patients treated with liraglutide 0.9-1.

Impact of Glucose Loading on Variations in CD4 and CD8 T Cells in Japanese Participants with or without Type 2 Diabetes.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the fluctuations in CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, and natural CD4CD25FoxP3T-regulatory (Treg) cells following an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in participants with and those without type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods: 19 Japanese participants with T2DM (DM group) and 21 participants without diabetes (non-DM group) were recruited and underwent a 75-g OGTT. The cell numbers of leukocytes, lymphocytes, and the T cell compartment, such as CD4, CD8, and Treg, were calculated for blood samples obtained after an overnight 12 h fast and during a 75-g OGTT at 60 and 120 min.

Comparative effects of vildagliptin and sitagliptin determined by continuous glucose monitoring in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors vildagliptin and sitagliptin are effective in treating patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients receiving standard doses of sitagliptin plus insulin may require increased doses of sitagliptin or switching to vildagliptin to improve blood glucose control. This study compared the effects of increasing sitagliptin and switching to vildagliptin in type 2 diabetes patients receiving standard doses of sitagliptin plus insulin.

Propagation of the change in the membrane potential using a biocell-model.

A new model system of nerve conduction, which has two sites (the potential-sending and the potential-receiving sites) was constructed by the use of some liquid-membrane cells which mimic the function of the K(+) and Na(+) channels. The model system setup was such that the membrane potential of the K(+)-channel cell (resting potential) was different from that of the Na(+)-channel cell (action potential). Initially, the K(+)-channel cell at the potential-sending site was connected to that at the potential-receiving site.

Usefulness of the octreotide test in Japanese patients for predicting the presence/absence of somatostatin receptor 2 expression in insulinomas.

We investigated the relationship between the results of the octreotide test and somatostatin receptor (SSTR) 2 expression in insulinoma patients, to evaluate the usefulness of this test for predicting SSTR2 expression in insulinomas in Japanese patients. Five females and one male were included in the study. All patients underwent the octreotide test before the surgery carried out to resect the tumor, and histopathological examination of the resected tumor was performed by a single experienced pathologist.

Influence of the Circulating Current on the Propagation of the Change in Membrane Potential.

The propagation of the change in potential differences across liquid membranes from the potential-sending cell to the potential-receiving cell was investigated by use of a system combined with three liquid membrane cells, which were composed of two aqueous phases and a 1,2-dichloroethane solution phase. The ionic composition of one potential-sending cell (S) was identical to that of the receiving cell (Rec), and that of another potential-sending cell (Ap) was different from that of the Rec. When the connection of cell Rec was switched from cell S to cell Ap, the change in the membrane potential was caused by the circulating current.