Identification of a Chondrocyte-Specific Enhancer in the Gene.

genes encode transcription factors whose roles in patterning animal body plans during embryonic development are well-documented. Multiple studies demonstrate that genes continue to act in adult cells, in normal differentiation, in regenerative processes, and, with abnormal expression, in diverse types of cancers. However, surprisingly little is known about the regulatory mechanisms that govern gene expression in specific cell types, as they differentiate during late embryonic development, and in the adult organism.

Initial evidence of the acute effect of electronic nicotine delivery system use on energy intake.

Previous work has aimed to disentangle the acute effects of nicotine and smoking on appetite with mixed findings. Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have yet to be examined in this regard despite evidence of use for weight control. The present study tested the influence of an ENDS on acute energy intake and associated subjective effects.

Prevalence and predictors of erectile dysfunction among men in the diabetes prevention program outcomes study.

Objective: To determine burden and identify correlates of erectile dysfunction (ED) among men with prediabetes (PreD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) enrolled in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) Outcomes Study (DPPOS).

Research Design And Methods: The 2017 DPPOS visit included administration of the International Index of Erectile Function. Of 648 male participants, 88 % (n = 568) completed the survey.

Race and sex differences in the association between lifespan glycemic status and midlife cognitive function: the Bogalusa heart study.

Introduction: Glycemic markers throughout life are associated with increased risk of midlife cognitive decline, yet it is unclear whether these associations differ by race and sex.

Methods: This study used cross-sectional analysis of prospectively maintained cohort. 1,295 participants in the Bogalusa Heart Study, a biracial epidemiological cohort located in a micropolitan area core setting, provided fasting plasma insulin (FPI) and glucose (FPG) biannually from 1973 to 2016.

Selecting foods from FNDDS when calculating food intake: Does the reference matter?

To estimate food intake, the nutrient content of food must be known or inferred by matching it to a nutrient database. This study evaluated how different procedures for matching foods to the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) affect food intake estimates. Adult participants estimated a meal with the PortionSize app, which contains a subset of FNDDS codes (PortionSize FNDDS).

Differential responses to maternal diabetes in embryo and visceral yolk sac.

Maternal diabetes during pregnancy is well known to be associated with a higher risk for structural birth defects in the offspring. Recent searches for underlying mechanisms have largely focused on aberrant processes in the embryo itself, although prior research in rodent models implicated dysfunction also of the visceral yolk sac. The objective of our research was to investigate both tissues within the conceptus simultaneously.

Correspondence of Yolk Sac and Embryonic Genotypes in F0 Mouse CRISPants.

CRISPR-mediated genome editing can be accompanied by prolonged stability of the Cas9 protein in mouse embryos. Then, genome edited variant alleles will be induced as long as Cas9 protein is active, and unmodified wildtype target loci are available. The corollary is that CRISPR-modified alleles that arise after the first zygotic cell division potentially could be distributed asymmetrically to the cell lineages that are specified early during morula and blastocyst development.

Proportion of caloric restriction-induced weight loss as skeletal muscle.

Objective: This study's objective was to develop models predicting the relative reduction in skeletal muscle (SM) mass during periods of voluntary calorie restriction (CR) and to validate model predictions in longitudinally monitored samples.

Methods: The model development group included healthy nonexercising adults (n = 897) who had whole-body SM mass measured with magnetic resonance imaging. Model predictions of relative SM changes with CR were evaluated in two longitudinal studies, one 12 to 14 weeks in duration (n = 74) and the other 12 months in duration (n = 26).

Sensory spinal interoceptive pathways and energy balance regulation.

Interoception plays an important role in homeostatic regulation of energy intake and metabolism. Major interoceptive pathways include gut-to-brain and adipose tissue-to brain signaling via vagal sensory nerves and hormones, such as leptin. However, signaling via spinal sensory neurons is rapidly emerging as an additional important signaling pathway.

Development and validation of an accurate smartphone application for measuring waist-to-hip circumference ratio.

Waist-to-hip circumference ratio (WHR) is now recognized as among the strongest shape biometrics linked with health outcomes, although use of this phenotypic marker remains limited due to the inaccuracies in and inconvenient nature of flexible tape measurements when made in clinical and home settings. Here we report that accurate and reliable WHR estimation in adults is possible with a smartphone application based on novel computer vision algorithms. The developed application runs a convolutional neural network model referred to as MeasureNet that predicts a person's body circumferences and WHR using front, side, and back color images.

Skeletal muscle estimation using magnetic-resonance-imaging-based equations for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis.

Background/objectives: Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) estimation is important but challenging in clinical settings. Criterion methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are often inaccessible. However, surrogate methods, such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MFBIA), can use MRI-based equations to estimate SMM, although the agreement between these methods is unclear.

Restoring adiponectin via rosiglitazone ameliorates tissue wasting in mice with lung cancer.

The cancer associated cachexia syndrome (CACS) is a systemic metabolic disorder resulting in loss of body weight due to skeletal muscle and adipose tissues atrophy. CACS is particularly prominent in lung cancer patients, where it contributes to poor quality of life and excess mortality. Using the Kras/Lkb1 (KL) mouse model, we found that CACS is associated with white adipose tissue (WAT) dysfunction that directly affects skeletal muscle homeostasis.

Dietary intake during a pragmatic cluster-randomized weight loss trial in an underserved population in primary care.

Background: Currently there are limited data as to whether dietary intake can be improved during pragmatic weight loss interventions in primary care in underserved individuals.

Methods: Patients with obesity were recruited into the PROPEL trial, which randomized 18 clinics to either an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) or usual care (UC). At baseline and months 6, 12, and 24, fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake and fat intake was determined.

Skeletal muscle-focused guideline development: hierarchical model incorporating muscle form, function, and clinical outcomes.

Sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, malnutrition, and cachexia clinical guidelines were created by expert consensus over the past decade. These pathological states all share in common deficits in skeletal muscle mass, and in some cases muscle function, which adversely impact patient outcomes. Early identification is key as some detrimental outcomes are potentially preventable with available treatments.

DNA methylation is differentially associated with glycemic outcomes by different types of weight-loss interventions: an epigenome-wide association study.

Background: Alterations in DNA methylation (DNAm) have been reported to be a mechanism by which bariatric surgeries resulted in considerable metabolic improvements. Previous studies have mostly focused on change in DNAm following weight-loss interventions, yet whether DNAm prior to intervention can explain the variability in glycemic outcomes has not been investigated. Here, we aim to examine whether baseline DNAm is differentially associated with glycemic outcomes induced by different types of weight-loss interventions.

Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss.

The Federal Drug Administration has approved, following rigorous testing, 6 pharmacologic agents and one drug in device form for the management of overweight and obesity. Myriad products that purport to act on physiological mechanisms leading to weight loss also pervade the market with minimal regulatory oversight. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of these products and their ingredients fail to establish any as meaningfully effective at the clinical level.

Cachexia: A systemic consequence of progressive, unresolved disease.

Cachexia, a systemic wasting condition, is considered a late consequence of diseases, including cancer, organ failure, or infections, and contributes to significant morbidity and mortality. The induction process and mechanistic progression of cachexia are incompletely understood. Refocusing academic efforts away from advanced cachexia to the etiology of cachexia may enable discoveries of new therapeutic approaches.

Reduction of Plasma BCAAs following Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery Is Primarily Mediated by FGF21.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a challenging health concern worldwide. A lifestyle intervention to treat T2D is difficult to adhere, and the effectiveness of approved medications such as metformin, thiazolidinediones (TZDs), and sulfonylureas are suboptimal. On the other hand, bariatric procedures such as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) are being recognized for their remarkable ability to achieve diabetes remission, although the underlying mechanism is not clear.

Prevalence and clinical implications of abnormal body composition phenotypes in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review.

Background: The impact of body composition (BC) abnormalities on COVID-19 outcomes remains to be determined.

Objectives: We summarized the evidence on BC abnormalities and their relationship with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted up until 26 September, 2022 for observational studies using BC techniques to quantify skeletal muscle mass (or related compartments), muscle radiodensity or echo intensity, adipose tissue (AT; or related compartments), and phase angle (PhA) in adults with COVID-19.

Smartphone prediction of skeletal muscle mass: model development and validation in adults.

Background: Skeletal muscle is a large and clinically relevant body component that has been difficult and impractical to quantify outside of specialized facilities. Advances in smartphone technology now provide the opportunity to quantify multiple body surface dimensions such as circumferences, lengths, surface areas, and volumes.

Objectives: This study aimed to test the hypothesis that anthropometric body measurements acquired with a smartphone application can be used to accurately estimate an adult's level of muscularity.