Anti-Adipogenic Activity of Secondary Metabolites Isolated from Smilax sieboldii Miq. on 3T3-L1 Adipocytes.

Smilax sieboldii, a climbing tree belonging to Smilacaceae, has been used in traditional oriental medicine for treating arthritis, tumors, leprosy, psoriasis, and lumbago. To evaluate the anti-obesity effects of S. sieboldii (Smilacaceae), we screened methylene chloride (CH2Cl2), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), aqueous-saturated n-butanol, and ethanol (EtOH) extracts of the whole plant at various concentrations to inhibit adipogenesis in adipocytes. The 3T3-L1 cell line with Oil red O staining with the help of fluorometry was used as an indicator of anti-obesity activity. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the EtOH extract and subsequent phytochemical investigation of the active CH2Cl2- and EtOAc-soluble fractions resulted in the isolation of 19 secondary metabolites (1-19), including a new α-hydroxy acid derivative (16) and two new lanostane-type triterpenoids (17 and 18). The structures of these compounds were characterized using various spectroscopic methods. All the isolated compounds were screened for adipogenesis inhibition at a concentration of 100 µM. Of these, compounds 1, 2, 4-9, 15, and 19 significantly reduced fat accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, especially compounds 4, 7, 9, and 19, showing 37.05 ± 0.95, 8.60 ± 0.41 15.82 ± 1.23, and 17.73 ± 1.28% lipid content, respectively, at a concentration of 100 µM. These findings provide experimental evidence that isolates from S. sieboldii extracts exert beneficial effects regarding the regulation of adipocyte differentiation.

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) through the lens of precision oncology: a single institution perspective.

PURPOSE: For patients with cancer of unknown primary (CUP), treatment options are limited. Precision oncology, the interplay of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) and targeted therapies, aims to offer additional treatment options to patients with advanced and hard-to-treat cancers. We aimed to highlight the use of a molecular tumor board (MTB) in the therapeutic management of CUP patients. METHODS: In this single-center observational study, CUP patients, presented to the MTB of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich LMU, a tertiary care center, were analyzed retrospectively. Descriptive statistics were applied to describe relevant findings. RESULTS: Between June 2016 and February 2022, 61 patients with unfavorable CUP were presented to the MTB, detected clinically relevant variants in 74% (45/61) of patients, of which 64% (29/45) led to therapeutic recommendation. In four out of 29 patients (14%), the treatment recommendations were implemented, unfortunately without resulting in clinical benefit. Reasons for not following the therapeutic recommendation were mainly caused by the physicians' choice of another therapy (9/25, 36%), especially in the context of worsening of general condition, lost to follow-up (7/25, 28%) and death (6/25, 24%). CONCLUSION: CGP and subsequent presentation to a molecular tumor board led to a high rate of therapeutic recommendations in patients with CUP. Recommendations were only implemented at a low rate; however, late GCP diagnostic and, respectively, MTB referral were found more frequent for the patients with implemented treatment. This contrast underscores the need for early implementation of CGP into the management of CUP patients.

High-Dose Selenium Induces Ferroptotic Cell Death in Ovarian Cancer.

Selenium is a promising multi-target chemotherapeutic agent with controversial clinical results. Hence, reassessing the anticancer effects of Se is necessary to clearly understand the potential of high-dose selenium in cancer treatment. Here, we observed that high-dose sodium selenite (SS) significantly decreased the proliferation and increased the death of ovarian cancer cells, mediated by an increased generation of reactive oxygen species. Notably, high-dose SS decreased the levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), a selenoprotein with antioxidant properties, without altering other selenoproteins. Furthermore, high-dose SS triggered lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis, a type of iron-dependent cell death, due to dysregulated GPx4 pathways. We demonstrated that intravenous high-dose SS significantly reduced the tumor growth and weight in SKOV3-bearing mice. Consistent with our in vitro results, mice with SKOV3 cells treated with high-dose SS showed decreased GPx4 expression in tumors. Therefore, we highlight the significance of high-dose SS as a potential chemotherapeutic agent for ovarian cancer. High-dose SS-mediated ferroptotic therapy integrating glutathione depletion and ROS generation is a promising strategy for cancer therapy.

Local anesthetic volume in ultrasound-guided interscalene block and opioid consumption during shoulder arthroscopic surgery: A retrospective comparative study.

ABSTRACT: Interscalene block (ISB) is commonly performed for regional anesthesia in shoulder surgery. Ultrasound-guided ISB enables visualization of the local anesthetic spread and a reduction in local anesthetic volume. However, little is known about the appropriate local anesthetic dose for surgical anesthesia without sedation or general anesthesia. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the appropriate local anesthetic volume by comparing intraoperative analgesics and hemodynamic changes in ISB in arthroscopic shoulder surgery.Overall, 1007 patients were divided into groups 1, 2, and 3 according to the following volume of local anesthetics: 10-19, 20-29, and 30-40 mL, respectively. The use of intraoperative analgesics and sedatives, and the reduction in intraoperative maximum blood pressure and heart rate were compared through retrospective analysis.Fentanyl was used in 55.6% of patients in group 1, which was significantly higher than in those groups 2 and 3 (22.3% and 30.7%, respectively); furthermore, it was also higher than those in groups 2 and 3 in dose-specific comparisons (P < .05). The percent of the maximum reduction in intraoperative systolic blood pressure and heart rate in group 3 was significantly higher than those in groups 1 and 2. Ephedrine administration was lower in group 2 than that in other groups (P < .05). The incidence of hypotensive bradycardic events was lowest (9.1%) at the local anesthetic volume of 24 mL as revealed by the quadratic regression analysis (R2 = 0.313, P = .003).Decreasing the local anesthetic volume to less than 20 mL for ultrasound-guided ISB as the sole anesthesia increases the opioid consumption during shoulder arthroscopic surgery. Local anesthetics >30 mL or increased opioid consumption with <20 mL of local anesthetics could increase the risk of cardiovascular instability intraoperatively. Our findings indicate that 24 mL of local anesthetic could be used to lower the incidence of hypotensive bradycardic events.

The Effect of Electrical Stimulation Therapy With Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise on Stress Urinary Incontinence in Middle-Aged Women: A Nonequivalent Comparison Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of combined pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFMEs) and a novel electrical stimulation (ES) device versus PFMEs alone on lower urinary tract symptoms, urinary incontinence-related quality of life, and pelvic floor muscle contractions (PFMCs). DESIGN: Nonrandomized comparison cohort study. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: The sample comprised 54 community-dwelling middle-aged women with stress urinary incontinence recruited from churches and cultural centers in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Comparisons of demographic and pertinent clinical characteristics revealed no significant differences between the experimental and comparison groups. METHODS: Participants allocated to the combined intervention group (n = 27) performed self-exercises of the pelvic floor muscles 3 times a day under weekly telephone coaching, and they used the ES device twice daily for 8 weeks. Participants in the comparison group (n = 27) received the PFMEs alone without telephone coaching. The 3 main outcomes including lower urinary tract symptoms, urinary incontinence-related quality of life, and PFMCs were measured using the Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptom instrument (BFLUTS), King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ), and a perineometer, respectively. Study outcomes were measured at baseline and at the end of the 8-week period. RESULTS: Participants in the experimental group achieved significantly greater reductions in lower urinary tract symptoms (t = -4.07, P < .001) and improvement in urinary incontinence-related quality of life (P = .006), peak PFMC pressure (P = .004), mean pelvic muscle contraction (PMC) pressure (P < .001), and duration of PFMCs (P < .001) when compared to participants undergoing PFMEs alone. CONCLUSIONS: Combined ES and pelvic floor exercise was more effective in reducing severity of lower urinary tract symptoms, enhancing health-related quality of life, and increasing PMC pressure in middle-aged women with stress urinary incontinence than PFMEs alone.

Comprehensive analysis of fatty acids in human milk of four Asian countries.

Human milk lipids provide not only energy but also indispensable bioactive components such as essential fatty acids. To establish the recommended daily intake value and guidelines for infant formula, a reference library of fatty acid composition has been generated from 4 Asian countries (South Korea, China, Vietnam, and Pakistan). Regardless of country, palmitic acid (C16:0), linoleic acid (C18:1), and linolenic acid (C18:2) were the 3 most abundant fatty acids in human milk and account for more than 75% of total fatty acids (total FA). However, there were several considerable differences between fatty acids, particularly n-3 and n-6 (omega-3 and omega-6) groups. Chinese mothers' milk had a high concentration of linoleic acid at 24.38 ± 10.02% of total FA, which may be due to maternal diet. Among the 4 countries, Pakistani mothers' milk contained a high amount of saturated fatty acid (56.83 ± 5.96% of total FA), and consequently, polyunsaturated fatty acids, including n-3 and n-6, were significantly lower than in other countries. It is noteworthy that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in Pakistani mothers' milk was 44.8 ± 33.3 mg/L, which is only 25 to 30% of the levels in the other 3 countries, suggesting the need for DHA supplementation for infants in Pakistan. Moreover, the ratio of n-6 to n-3 was also remarkably high in Pakistani mothers' milk (15.21 ± 4.96), being 1.4- to 1.7-fold higher than in other countries. The average DHA:ARA ratio in Asian human milk was 1.01 ± 0.79. Korean mothers' milk showed a high DHA:ARA ratio, with a value of 1.30 ± 0.98, but Pakistani mothers' milk had a significantly lower value (0.42 ± 0.12). The fatty acid compositions and anthropometric data of mother (body mass index, age) did not show any correlation. The obtained data might provide information about human milk compositions in the Asian region that could benefit from setting up recommended nutrient intake and infant formula for Asian babies.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Artemisia argyi on Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcer: Analytical, In Vitro and In Vivo Studies for the Identification of Action Mechanism and Active Compounds.

Artemisia argyi is widely used as traditional medicine in East Asia. However, its effects against inflammation and gastric ulcers have not been reported yet. We analyzed anti-inflammatory activity and its molecular mechanisms of A. argyi using RAW264.7 cells line, then evaluated the curative efficacy in rats with acute gastric ulcers. Nitric oxide and IL-6 production was measured using Griess reagent and an ELISA kit. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin (IL)-6, and mucin (MUC)1, MUC5AC, and MUC6 mRNA were determined by SYBR Green or Taqman qRT-PCR methods. The phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, p38, and c-Jun protein were detected by western blotting. RW0117 inhibited LPS-induced NO and IL-6 production. The mRNA levels of iNOS and IL-6 were strongly suppressed. The phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and c-Jun decreased by treatment with RW0117. Oral administration of RW0117 recovered the amount of mucin mRNA and protein level that was decreased due to gastric ulcers by HCl-EtOH. A. argyi exhibited strong anti-inflammatory effects and contributed to the modulation of HCl-EtOH-induced gastric ulcer in rats.

A randomized, multi-center, open-label study to compare the safety and efficacy between afatinib monotherapy and combination therapy of afatinib and HAD-B1 for the locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations.

BACKGROUND: Afatinib is an epidermal growth factor receptor - tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) with proven efficacy for treating patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Unfortunately, responses are limited by acquired resistance. Because traditional Korean medicine may have synergistic effects when combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, the aim of our study is to elucidate the efficacy and safety of afatinib plus HangAmDan-B1 (HAD-B1) combination therapy in the treatment of patients with NSCLC, as well as EGFR mutations, who need afatinib therapy. METHODS/DESIGN: This study is a randomized, multi-center, open clinical trial. A total of 178 eligible subjects, recruited at 8 centers, are randomly assigned to take Afatinib (20-40 mg) ±â€ŠHAD-B1 (0.972 g/day) for 48 weeks. In the test group, HAD-B1 and afatinib will be used in combination. The primary outcome is a comparison of progression-free survival (PFS) between afatinib monotherapy and afatinib plus HAD-B1 combination therapy in patients with local advanced or metastatic (Stage IIIA, B, C/IV) NSCLC. Secondary outcomes are the overall survival rates, clinical responses, tumor size reductions, health-related qualities of life, and safety. DISCUSSION: The result of this clinical trial will provide evidence for the efficacy and safety of using HAD-B1 in the treatment of EGFR-positive patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC who require afatinib therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS), Republic of Korea (ID: KCT0005414), on September 23, 2020.

De novo assembly and characterization of transcriptome in the medicinal plant Euphorbia jolkini.

BACKGROUND: Euphorbia jolkini, a medicinal herb that grows on the warm beaches in Japan and South Korea, is known to be used for traditional medicines to treat a variety of ailments, including bruises, stiffness, indigestion, toothache, and diabetes. OBJECTIVE: It is to analyze the whole transcriptome and identify the genes related to the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in the medicinally important herb E jolkini. METHODS: Paired-end Illumina HiSeq™ 2500 sequencing technology was employed for cDNA library construction and Illumina sequencing. Public databases like TAIR (The Arabidopsis Information Resource), Swissprot and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) were used for annotations of unigenes obtained. RESULTS: The transcriptome of E. jolkini generated 139,215 assembled transcripts with an average length of 868 bp and an N50 value of 1460 bp that were further clustered using CD-HIT into 93,801 unigenes with an average length of 847 bp (N50-1410 bp). Sixty-three percent of the coding sequences (CDS) were annotated from the longest open reading frame (ORF). A remarkable percentage of unigenes were annotated against various databases. The differentially expressed gene analysis revealed that the expression of genes related to the terpenoid backbone biosynthesis pathway was higher in the flowers, whereas that of genes related to the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway was both up- and downregulated in flowers and leaves. A search of against the transcription factor domain found 1023 transcription factors (TFs) that were from 54 TF families. CONCLUSION: Assembled sequences of the E. jolkini transcriptome are made available for the first time in this study E. jolkini and lay a foundation for the investigation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis.

Ginsenoside Mc1 improves liver steatosis and insulin resistance by attenuating ER stress.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ginsenoside, a major pharmacologically active ingredient in ginseng, has been known to exhibit beneficial properties such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Ginsenoside compound Mc1 is one of the newly identified de-glycosylated ginsenosides. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has implicated in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through apoptosis and lipid accumulation. AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to examine the protective effects of Mc1 treatment on ER stress-induced cell death and impaired insulin signaling in HepG2 human hepatoblastoma cells and ER stress-induced liver steatosis and insulin resistance in a diet-induced obesity (DIO) mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HepG2 cells were treated with palmitate and Mc1 to evaluate the effects of Mc1 on ER stress-induced damage. C57BL/6 mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks and received an intraperitoneal injection of either vehicle or Mc1 (10 mg/kg/day). The control mice were fed with a chow diet and injected with vehicle for the same period. ER stress, cell death, and degree of steatosis were evaluated in the liver tissues of mice. The effect of Mc1 treatment on glucose metabolism was also determined. RESULTS: Mc1 co-treatment reduced the palmitate-induced ER stress and death of HepG2 cells. The palmitate-induced insulin resistance improved after Mc1 co-treatment. Consistent with the in vitro data, chronic Mc1 supplementation reduced ER stress and apoptotic damage in the liver of obese mice. Mc1 treatment ameliorated glucose intolerance and insulin resistance through the suppression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation. In addition, Mc1 treatment reduced obesity-induced lipogenesis and prevented fat accumulation in the liver of DIO mice. CONCLUSIONS: Mc1 exerted protective effects against ER stress-induced apoptotic damage, insulin resistance and lipogenesis in palmitate-treated hepatocytes and in the liver of DIO mice. Therefore, Mc1 supplementation could be a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent NAFLD in patients with obesity and insulin resistance.

Del-1, an Endogenous Inhibitor of TGF-ß Activation, Attenuates Fibrosis.

Uncontrolled activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß results in a wide range of pathologic conditions. Therapeutic interventions to regulate TGF-ß signaling during fibrosis have been developed but the effectiveness is still limited. Here, we show that developmental endothelial locus-1 (Del-1) ameliorates fibrosis in mice by inhibiting αv integrin-mediated activation of TGF-ß. Del-1 bound to αvß6 integrin, an important activator of TGF-ß, and inhibited the binding of αvß6 integrin to the latency-associated peptide (LAP), thereby suppressing αv integrin-mediated activation of TGF-ß. Lack of Del-1 increased colocalization of αv integrin and LAP in the lungs, which was reversed by Del-1 supplementation. The crucial role of Del-1 in regulating TGF-ß activity was recapitulated in a mouse model of fibrosis using an adenovirus expressing inactive TGF-ß1. Del-1 supplementation improved the pathological characteristics of the mice and reduced mortality. Thus, we propose that Del-1 is a negative regulator of TGF-ß activation and a potential anti-fibrotic factor.

Development of a senior-specific, citizen-oriented healthcare service system in South Korea based on the Canadian 48/6 model of care.

BACKGROUND: In the age of aging, Korea's current medical delivery system threatens to increase the number of medical and caring refugees. This study attempts to develop an integrated senior citizen-oriented healthcare service system in which daily care, professional care, and rehabilitation are organically organized between medical institutions and local communities, thereby meeting the daily life needs of the elderly and inducing well-being, wellness, and well-dying. METHODS: To develop the integrated healthcare system, data collection and analyses were conducted through a systematic review, literature review, benchmarking, focus group interviews, and expert consultation. RESULTS: The senior-specific, citizen-oriented healthcare service system developed in this study is designed to screen patients aged 65 or older within 24 h of being admitted, using the Geriatric Screening for Care-10. If there is reason for concern as a result of the screening, further evaluation is performed through assessment. Doctors and nurses create a care plan and a discharge plan based on the results from the screening and assessment. The nurse further uses the screening to monitor the patient's condition before discharge. Based on the screening results at the time of discharge, a transitional care plan is prepared and provided to elderly patients and/or their families. This process enables a systematic link between medical institutions and community resources, aiming for the continuous management of health issues. It also establishes a multidisciplinary treatment plan that considers patients and their families so that diseases common to the elderly are diagnosed and treated promptly. CONCLUSIONS: The most important issue for the elderly is to be able to live healthily and independently for the rest of their lives through well-being, wellness, and well-dying. The senior-specific, citizen-oriented healthcare service proposed in this study is an integrated medical treatment system for elderly users the implementation of which requires the daily care, professional care, and rehabilitation of elderly members of society to be organically organized according to the role of the patients, their families, and the caregiver.

ALDH1A2 Is a Candidate Tumor Suppressor Gene in Ovarian Cancer.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A2 (ALDH1A2) is a rate-limiting enzyme involved in cellular retinoic acid synthesis. However, its functional role in ovarian cancer remains elusive. Here, we found that ALDH1A2 was the most prominently downregulated gene among ALDH family members in ovarian cancer cells, according to complementary DNA microarray data. Low ALDH1A2 expression was associated with unfavorable prognosis and shorter disease-free and overall survival for ovarian cancer patients. Notably, hypermethylation of ALDH1A2 was significantly higher in ovarian cancer cell lines when compared to that in immortalized human ovarian surface epithelial cell lines. ALDH1A2 expression was restored in various ovarian cancer cell lines after treatment with the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. Furthermore, silencing DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) or 3B (DNMT3B) restored ALDH1A2 expression in ovarian cancer cell lines. Functional studies revealed that forced ALDH1A2 expression significantly impaired the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells and their invasive activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show that ALDH1A2 expression is regulated by the epigenetic regulation of DNMTs, and subsequently that it might act as a tumor suppressor in ovarian cancer, further suggesting that enhancing ALDH1A2-linked signaling might provide new opportunities for therapeutic intervention in ovarian cancer.

Photothermally Enhanced Molecular Delivery and Cellular Positioning on Patterned Plasmonic Interfaces.

Photothermal conversion effect of plasmonic nanostructures is considered as a promising technique for cellular and molecular manipulations owing to controllability of local temperature. Therefore, this technique has been extensively applied to biological studies such as controlling cellular behavior, delivery of biologics, and biomolecular detection. Herein, we propose a novel method for directed cell positioning and photothermally modulated molecular delivery to the cells using patterned plasmonic interfaces. Plasmonic substrates with gold nanorods (GNRs) and cell adhesion molecules fabricated by microcontact printing are optimized for cellular positioning on designated patterns. Through the photothermal conversion effect of GNRs on the pattern, we further demonstrate on-demand, light-induced delivery of drug molecules to the target cells. We expect that this approach will provide a new way to study single cellular behaviors and enhance molecular delivery to the target cells.

Genome-wide transcriptome profiling of the medicinal plant Zanthoxylum planispinum using a single-molecule direct RNA sequencing approach.

High-throughput RNA sequencing has revolutionized transcriptome-based studies of candidate genes, key pathways and gene regulation in non-model organisms. We analyzed full-length cDNA sequences in Zanthoxylum planispinum (Z. planispinum), a medicinal herb in major parts of East Asia. The full-length mRNA derived from tissues of leaf, early fruit and maturing fruit stage were sequenced using PacBio RSII platform to identify isoform transcriptome. We obtained 51,402 unigenes, with average 1781 bp per gene in 82.473 Mb gene lengths. Among 51,402, 3963 unigenes showed variety of isoform. By selection of one representative gene among each of the various isoforms, we finalized 46,306 unique gene set for this herb. We identified 76 cytochrome P450 (CYP450) and related isoforms that are of the wide diversity in the molecular function and biological process. These transcriptome data of Z. planispinum will provide a good resource to study metabolic engineering for the production of valuable medicinal drugs and phytochemicals.

Synergic Effects of Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation with Sleep Hygiene in Patients with Chronic Insomnia

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic effect of cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) with sleep hygiene in patients with chronic insomnia. METHODS: This study was designed as a prospective, double-blinded, and randomized controlled trial. Twenty-seven patients with chronic insomnia were recruited and randomly allocated to two groups; cranial microcurrent therapy (MC) group and sham group. All patients received sleep hygiene education. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were measured at baseline (pre-treatment), and 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: In MC group, the PSQI and ISI showed a tendency to decrease consistently until 4 weeks of treatment. In sham group, PSQI and ISI initially decreased during the first 2 weeks, but it increased after 2 weeks of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that combination treatment of CES and sleep hygiene is more effective in treating chronic insomnia than sleep hygiene only as demonstrated by improvement and maintenance of sleep score for 1 month.

Response of the intestinal mucosal barrier of carp (Cyprinus carpio) to a bacterial challenge by Aeromonas hydrophila intubation after feeding with ß-1,3/1,6-glucan.

The effect of dietary ß-glucan on the bacterial community in the gut of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) was examined after oral application of Aeromonas hydrophila. Carp received either feed supplemented with 1% MacroGard® , a ß-1,3/1,6-glucan, or a ß-glucan-free diet. Fourteen days after feeding, half of the carp from each group were intubated with 109 colony-forming units (CFU) of a pathogenic strain of A. hydrophila. Gut samples were taken 12 hr to 7 days after application and analysed using microbiological and molecular biological techniques (NGS, RT-PCR-DGGE). The reaction of the mucosa and the microbiota to an A. hydrophila intubation differed in carp fed with ß-glucan compared to carp from the control group. In ß-glucan fed carp, the total bacterial amount was lower but the number of bacterial species was higher. Bacterial composition was different for carp from both treatment groups. The number of mucin filled goblet cells was reduced in carp fed the ß-glucan diet. Mucus was obviously released from the goblet cells and was probably washed out of the gut together with high numbers of bacteria. This might be protective against pathogenic bacteria and, therefore, feeding with ß-glucan may provide protection against infections of the gut in carp.

Anti-obesity effects of Clausena excavata in high-fat diet-induced obese mice.

Clausena excavata (C. excavata) has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of abdominal pain, enteritis, dysentery, and malaria. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of a 50% ethanol extract of C. excavata (ECE) on weight loss, adipocyte size, and obesity-related biochemical parameters in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. After 6 weeks of HFD + ECE administration, HFD-induced total fat, subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat were evaluated by micro-computed tomography. The serum levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TCH), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were evaluated with a biochemical analyzer, and leptin and adiponectin levels in the serum were assessed via enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). Moreover, adipocyte size and lipid formation in the liver were examined. We found that weight gain, epididymal fat pad weight, adipocyte size, and lipid formation were markedly attenuated in the livers of HFD-induced obese mice treated with ECE. Furthermore, TG, TCH, and leptin decreased in the serum, whereas adiponectin increased. In conclusion, our data show that ECE has potent anti-obesity activity in vivo and support the development of ECE as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity.

Effects of lateral electrical surface stimulation on scoliosis in children with severe cerebral palsy: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of lateral electrical surface stimulation (LESS) on scoliosis and trunk balance in children with severe cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: Children with severe CP (GMFCS level IV or V) and stationary or progressive scoliosis were enrolled. Children were recommended of two sessions of LESS/day, 1 h/session, for 3 months at home: at 40-80 mA intensity, 200 µs pulse width, 25 Hz frequency, on for 6 s and then off for 6 s on the convex side of the trunk curve. Radiologic (Cobb's, kyphotic, and sacral angles) and functional [gross motor function measurement (GMFM)-88 sitting score, and trunk control measurement scale (TCMS)] measurements were evaluated at 4 periods: (a) 3 months before, (b) just before, (c) 1 month after, and (d) 3 months after LESS. RESULTS: The median Cobb's angle of 11 children (median age, 9 years) was 25°, and it showed significant improvements after both 1 and 3 months of LESS. The LESS intensity correlated with the improvement of GMFM-88 siting score. The parents or main caregivers of the children believed LESS had several positive effects without major adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: LESS is effective in scoliosis in children with severe CP and it may improve trunk balance. Implications for rehabilitation Scoliosis is a very complicated problem for the children with severe CP. They do not have many options for treatments and scoliosis is usually refractory. Lateral electrical surface stimulation (LESS) is effective in scoliosis in children with severe CP and it may improve trunk balance. LESS may be another option of managing stationary or progressive scoliosis in the children with severe CP who are unable to undergo surgery.

Prediction of key aroma development in coffees roasted to different degrees by colorimetric sensor array.

We developed a colorimetric sensor array (CSA) that is sensitive to highly contributory volatile compounds of coffee aroma for discrimination of coffee samples roasted to different roast degrees. Strecker aldehydes and α-diketones were significantly higher for the medium roast than the other roast degrees. The development of several sulfur compounds was pronounced in the medium-dark and dark roasts, except for dimethyl sulfide, which was only detected in the light roast. The CSA method coupled with principal component analysis or hierarchical cluster analysis successfully distinguished the roasted coffee samples according to roast degree. Partial least squares regression results showed that the CSA responses were well-correlated with the concentrations of volatile compounds in the coefficient of determination (rp2) range of 0.686-0.955. These results demonstrate that the CSA rapidly responded to coffee aroma compounds and was capable of predicting coffee aroma development.